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Exclusive: Rapsody’s Heartbreak & Healing Process and New Music 🌟 | SWAY’S UNIVERSE
May 19, 2024
🔥 Don't miss this powerful Sway In The Morning exclusive! 🌟 Rap Queen Rapsody opens up about her *new album* and the *emotional struggles* behind its creation. In this heartfelt interview, she dives deep into the pain and growth that shaped her latest project, *Please Don't Cry*. From heartbreaks and healing during the pandemic to breaking barriers in hip-hop, Rapsody’s journey is nothing short of inspiring.
🎤 Watch as she recounts her collaboration with legends like Robert Glasper and Anthony Hamilton, and how she navigates being an anomaly in the industry. This is hip-hop at its rawest and most authentic—Rapsody like you've never seen her before.
👑 Subscribe for more exclusive interviews and get to know the real stories behind your favorite artists. Stay tuned to Sway’s Universe for the best in hip-hop culture and beyond! #Rapsody #NewAlbum #Heartbreak #SwayInTheMorning #PleaseDontCry #HipHop #ExclusiveInterview
👀 Ready to dive in? Press play and join the conversation! 💬
#Rapsody #RobertGlasper #EmotionalStruggles #WomenInHipHop #RapArtist
CHAPTERS:
0:00 - Rapsody’s Journey & “Please Don’t Cry
12:51 - Rapsody’s Love Life
15:13 - Rapsody’s Album “Please Don’t Cry
17:37 - Phylicia Rashad’s Influence on Rapsody
19:01 - Rapsody’s Kennedy Center Performance
22:00 - Working with Erykah Badu
24:59 - Rapsody Takes Calls
26:50 - Eve is Rapsody's Best Album
33:00 - How Your Childhood Shaped the Way You Love
Show More Show Less View Video Transcript
0:00
we just played that clip from a Allstar
0:03
Jam we did with Robert Glasper Anthony
0:05
Hamilton and hamiltones and all these
0:08
amazing artist and from day one when her
0:10
career first started and when she first
0:12
came out with the idea beautiful I think
0:14
it was and um I was doing a show on BET
0:18
called one shot and um I was hosting it
0:21
executive producer with my partner King
0:23
Tech K Tech crooked eye and a guy by the
0:26
name of Mike and um when it came down to
0:30
the finale I always try to implement
0:33
incorporate women into these projects
0:36
yeah especially when it's culture driven
0:39
and at that time to me she was the best
0:42
personification of the culture going um
0:45
who she was at that time how she wrapped
0:47
who she was down with the whole nine I
0:50
could hear it in her bars that her
0:52
future was going to be bright and but
0:54
not only that I knew that her future was
0:56
going to be hard her journey was going
0:58
to be a struggle because she has
1:00
single-handedly carved out a space in
1:02
her in her career in her journey that
1:05
that doesn't exist right she's an
1:07
anomaly there's no one quite like her
1:11
she even says it in this album y'all
1:12
don't mention me in your top three
1:15
because I don't have a
1:16
dick and it's let's just be real it's
1:20
true it's true and so what do you do
1:22
with this
1:23
anomaly uh what do you do with a person
1:26
who's not really following the trends
1:28
that you see in most women who rap M
1:31
okay uh what do you do with a person who
1:33
not following the trends and what rap
1:34
deems most alluring and most appealing
1:37
and has the most marketable viability
1:40
she doesn't fit that bill right what do
1:43
you do with somebody who takes effort
1:45
and concern and commitment in every bar
1:47
that she writes because when you hear
1:49
this album you'll understand the kinetic
1:51
the connection the thread that's running
1:54
through each and every song including
1:57
the
1:58
interludes right what you do with that
2:01
what is that for those who don't know
2:05
this is what the culture is all about
2:08
amen this is what hip hop is all about
2:11
when you are not the status quo when you
2:13
don't go with the trend you do go
2:16
against the grain you do look how you
2:18
want to look and that doesn't happen to
2:20
look as everybody else look and then you
2:22
stay in the fight regardless of the fact
2:25
that they don't get it yet because when
2:27
they do get it it's going to rise Like a
2:30
Phoenix and ladies and gentlemen what we
2:32
are witnessing here is that rise in the
2:36
name of please don't cry it's time for
2:38
The Reawakening citizens you going to
2:40
get to know her like you never known her
2:42
but how we always wanted to get to know
2:44
her please welcome Rap City rapity
2:47
rapity
2:50
[Music]
2:53
[Applause]
2:55
rapity you trying to make me cry for you
2:58
said please don't cry you said said
3:00
please don't cry come on this album is
3:02
please don't cry can't cry but thank you
3:05
thank you so much man no well you know
3:08
we know we know Heather and I sit up
3:11
here all the time and she say sway they
3:13
know we know they can have all this
3:16
discourse and a meaningless
3:18
substanceless discourse that generates
3:21
metrics and analytics and all of that
3:24
but we know it's something bigger going
3:26
on than that your voice is so needed in
3:28
this culture right now it's a detriment
3:31
everybody in every platform should be
3:33
soort by the way that just incredible
3:35
freestyle was [ __ ] crunchy boy that
3:38
was is
3:40
crazy I was chewing on
3:43
that I love just incredible but it's
3:46
important and um I want to say this to
3:48
you cuz we we keep in contact yeah and I
3:51
reach out to you and you reach out to me
3:53
because I never wanted you to give up
3:56
and I know the different stuff you I
3:57
don't know everything but I know how
3:59
this game works right that's why you
4:01
don't see me in a lot of different place
4:03
I don't have to be I know how some of
4:05
that stuff works so I'm proud of you for
4:07
standing on your own um and doing what
4:10
you've done with this album please don't
4:13
cry did that come from a quote Yeah I
4:16
was um on Pinterest Pinterest my
4:19
favorite places Pinterest okay that's I
4:22
was I was looking for words to speak for
4:24
me at the
4:25
time huh somebody G to sue you be right
4:31
that'll be a good problem if they could
4:32
get
4:33
[Laughter]
4:37
some game but you can't get blood from a
4:41
stone sue me please I might win yes all
4:46
right all right go for it but I I it was
4:48
a quote that said um no please don't cry
4:51
you won't always feel so broken and it
4:54
was just something about that please
4:55
don't cry because I was really deep in
4:56
my my feelings and you know just
4:59
heartbroken so I I was just like man
5:03
that's a
5:04
beautiful title mhm cuz it's like please
5:07
don't cry but no I really should let
5:09
this out I really should allow myself to
5:11
be human um and it I just never left my
5:14
mind so when I I started doing songs it
5:17
was the perfect title to express what I
5:20
was feeling to me you started recording
5:23
this album about the time of the
5:25
pandemic or when when did so it's been a
5:27
couple of years in the making oh I start
5:29
started in March of 2020 oh [ __ ] y
5:33
That's right
5:34
a right when it started I I was on on my
5:38
last homecoming tour date and they
5:40
cancel my tour date and I think we went
5:41
into lockdown maybe three or four days
5:45
later that and I just I had my home
5:48
studio um and I could record myself so I
5:50
didn't need an engineer so I just
5:51
started pouring out you know so I
5:53
started that first weekend what was on
5:55
your mind everything man I um I had
5:58
gotten another relationships so I was
5:59
heartbroken trying to process that and
6:02
um you know when you processing
6:05
heartbreak it's like really a mirror
6:07
that you can look at yourself and you
6:09
realize it's not about the other person
6:11
so you see all these things within
6:13
yourself that you need to like address
6:15
to heal from to unlearn and relearn um
6:19
to hold yourself accountable for uh to
6:22
grow from you know it was that's what it
6:25
was so I was healing from the Heartbreak
6:28
but you know we were by ourselves it was
6:30
you know I didn't have anybody to be
6:32
like come I had to do that by myself
6:35
yeah so I just sat in it and and let
6:37
that joint burn like us should say let
6:39
that let it burn let it burn let it burn
6:42
that [ __ ] be hurting though yeah and you
6:44
that music was the therapy for me that's
6:46
what I was going to say after
6:49
um before the pandemic is when I came
6:52
out of a longterm
6:54
relationship but that first year out of
6:56
it I learned more about myself than I
6:59
did in the past 20 years so you
7:01
understand ah [ __ ] yeah I was happy I
7:04
liked me I didn't know if I you know
7:05
what I mean I liked me by myself I
7:07
didn't know if I like me by myself we
7:10
ain't like you you came here miserable
7:11
every damn day tell the rest of the
7:13
story I I'm not
7:17
sure that's why I'm here that's why I'm
7:19
here let's be ra burn I'm not sure like
7:23
your album tell us how you was
7:26
feeling y' I will I will I'll try to
7:31
okay I don't know no pressure you know
7:33
okay no but your album you you tell us a
7:35
lot about how you feel yeah and I and I
7:38
appreciate that because that's where the
7:40
connection happens the relatability and
7:43
so how I felt when that happened
7:45
initially like a failure like I had
7:47
invested all this time into this person
7:50
and this relationship and you know at
7:53
the end I didn't do enough to keep it
7:54
going that part that part right there
7:57
and um and I didn't realize or not if it
7:59
was meant to keep going but I felt like
8:02
a failure right and so that first year
8:05
I'm working but I'm really working
8:07
dysfunctional because there was other
8:09
stuff happening in my life for family
8:10
members I'm like yours right and so I
8:13
couldn't deal with that feeling properly
8:16
so I had to let time heal it you know
8:19
and just spend time with myself and be
8:21
silent for a
8:23
while well you talking my language right
8:25
now that's you that's you yeah that that
8:27
especially that first year like
8:30
I don't think I left my room much unless
8:32
I came out to out um but I I didn't
8:34
listen to a lot of music I didn't watch
8:36
a lot of TV I just really sat in silence
8:38
and processed you know if anything I
8:40
might I was reading books like self-help
8:42
books you know learning how to self-
8:44
love and they were super helpful um but
8:47
it was a lot a lot of solitude was that
8:50
your first big
8:51
heartbreak no or break but that it was a
8:56
a depth to it that I had never felt
8:58
before because because it was special
9:01
because they kind of helped me on the
9:04
journey to freeing myself from some
9:06
things and it was so it was so deep and
9:08
I never had anybody to teach me how to
9:11
grow and really Champion me in that way
9:14
it was it was just way deeper you know
9:17
and it was hard to lose it's like oh I
9:19
got to do this by myself now or it was
9:21
comforting or it felt good so you know
9:24
there's a song on on the album U where
9:27
you talk about this uh makes me think
9:30
about this I I don't know if this song
9:31
is pertaining to that moment but I would
9:33
imagine that all your songs got a little
9:34
bit of this in the DNA of it right this
9:37
this um event that happened in a song
9:40
that that one time I'm going quote a
9:42
lyric and you tell me where you were and
9:44
it's is this
9:45
applicable um you say uh I was
9:49
experimenting I've been known [ __ ] Li
9:52
I found out so do women right you were
9:54
on you were my one time I came out
9:57
different my smile gone I'm turned out
10:00
mhm tell us about that yeah um I have
10:03
been dating God my whole life right and
10:06
it was you know um and I had this one
10:10
experience with a woman and it was like
10:13
that was what it was it was different
10:14
than anything I ever experienced cuz
10:16
women know women like it's just
10:20
different so that's why it was so deep
10:22
you know um and it was more of a safe
10:26
place than I ever felt before so it just
10:29
it changed it rewired me you know um and
10:33
when it ended I was stuck like you know
10:36
you feel like a failure so it's like
10:38
I've been dating all these guys and
10:39
they've been dogging me and I have this
10:41
one experience and that didn't end well
10:43
either I got cheated on so what is it
10:45
about
10:46
me that I'm not
10:49
lovable and that was that was the
10:51
process but I had to look is that's not
10:54
you have to learn to love yourself so
10:57
[ __ ] right damn man rap right you you
11:00
talk about I didn't know well since
11:03
since we're here right you talk about um
11:06
you also talked about laying in bed next
11:08
to a married man yep and how that
11:11
weighed on your conscience heavy I've
11:14
I've done several things I said I would
11:16
never ever do in my life and that's one
11:18
of them that I'm not proud about and
11:19
super disappointed but through my
11:21
healing and you know allow myself to be
11:23
fearless and tell the story I realize
11:25
that nobody's really perfect you know
11:27
and a lot of people find themselves in
11:30
situations like that that they don't
11:31
necessarily want to be but feelings are
11:33
feelings because we're human at the end
11:35
of the day and I take accountability for
11:37
it but you know I was in it when I was
11:40
in it I was I was I feel like I was
11:42
stuck it's like I have these feelings
11:44
but at the same time my spirit is so
11:45
broken cuz I'm not supposed to be doing
11:47
this right and I stayed in it way longer
11:50
than I should have because I put them
11:52
before I put me you know and you know
11:57
I'm not going to say they we a bad
11:58
person but they tell you things to keep
12:01
you close you know deep down in your pit
12:03
you know are not true you know they tell
12:05
you things to keep you close what they
12:07
call
12:09
that thank you thank you Mike terrorist
12:13
okay there you go thank you Tracy I knew
12:14
there was some words for that okay and
12:16
and and even if it was subconscious I
12:18
don't want to paint anybody a bad
12:19
picture but it happens you can
12:20
subconsciously manipulate people because
12:22
you unhealed it in yourself right so but
12:25
you know that's just what it is but I
12:26
had to have the the courage to free
12:28
myself cuz I was so so unhappy you know
12:32
I looked back at pictures I was like no
12:33
wonder I couldn't lose weight I was
12:35
holding so much was holding so much
12:37
weight right yeah when you look back at
12:39
yourself at that time you you feel like
12:41
you're looking at a different person oh
12:43
absolutely yeah people look at me and
12:45
they be like y you got a glow you got a
12:47
glow you do have a glow though right
12:49
y'all see that can see it I feel it okay
12:51
you you dove into also
12:54
insecurities you say never felt socially
12:57
accepted or wanted physically M got me
13:00
Chang and experimenting I fell in love
13:02
with her never felt pretty or wanted by
13:04
wanted by no [ __ ] so that's in
13:06
reference to that person yeah yeah yeah
13:08
okay the one experience that I had
13:11
yeah you single now yeah I've been
13:14
single since that last one so I've been
13:16
single since summer 2020 damn you've
13:19
been single for four years it's going to
13:21
be hard to date you you going to be
13:23
stuck she going to be stuck she like me
13:24
she we going to be stuck in her ways the
13:26
whole you know you got to what you mean
13:28
stuck in my way
13:30
know no room for compromise hether what
13:35
I'm I'm just I a going get I just said I
13:37
was f i you like rap you got to focus on
13:39
you okay you know um I'm at a space
13:42
where I'm open to it a GU pushed up on
13:45
me last week I was
13:47
like I like how you came at
13:51
me cuz you know it's I I like I like a
13:54
little Street in my guy whatever and the
13:57
guys today that you know like let me M
13:59
you and he came up like yo give me your
14:02
number damn I wanted let me take you out
14:05
Saturday I was like okay look wow that
14:09
was a brilliant approach give me your
14:11
number that's all it took yeah sometimes
14:13
that's it like who wants the [ __ ]
14:16
it's it's 2024 and it's it's a lot of to
14:19
me it just signifies a lot of confidence
14:22
like you want we going to get straight
14:23
to the point what's good what you doing
14:25
Saturday I want to take you out what's
14:26
your number Straight Like That Straight
14:27
Like That first he was like yo I'm a big
14:30
fan but I got a little crush on you and
14:32
the guys was like you got a little crush
14:33
on rap you need to have a big crush on
14:37
rap my so then he had he had to step it
14:40
up but um it was
14:42
cute you gave him your number I did I
14:45
did it's released weeks I had really
14:48
tapped into it but um but I I am I am
14:51
aware too that I still have trust issues
14:53
like I'm a little scared to go there cuz
14:56
I've been hurt so much I'm just like I
14:58
don't ever want to feel like that again
15:00
but you got it's I'm I'm aware of it I'm
15:02
working on it that's rap city is here
15:04
citizens I'm loving this conversation
15:06
pleas wrong with having trust issues I
15:08
think that's that was part of the
15:10
lessons right it's part of it so that's
15:13
fair please don't cry is the name of the
15:15
album when you when you start the album
15:18
you're going to hear a beautiful
15:20
interaction with the lovely magnificent
15:24
The Honorable iconic Felicia Rashad woo
15:27
yes right and she on this Ro on this
15:30
project a couple of times how did you
15:33
even secure her to do this I thought it
15:35
was going to be way harder like me and
15:37
my manager um Shantel were talking the
15:39
other day and she was like you remember
15:41
when we was reaching out to Felicia and
15:43
you were like if she says no then let's
15:45
reach out to this this this this person
15:47
she was like I never thought about
15:48
anybody else so she found uh Felicia's
15:52
manager and she just reached out and
15:55
they the first thing they said was let
15:56
us hear music and just the fact that
15:59
they were thinking about saying yes I
16:01
was like okay before I could send the
16:03
music they they uh they said yeah we'll
16:06
do it they must have did their own
16:07
research maybe I don't know you the one
16:11
yeah you're the
16:12
one you're the one you're the one we
16:15
need in this culture and people like a
16:17
Felicia Rashad is going to hear your
16:18
music and relate to that vibration yes
16:21
you see what's going on in our culture
16:22
what's been going on for it's a lot of
16:24
beautiful things going on in our culture
16:25
I'm not knocking that but it's a lot of
16:27
yeah the community need different food
16:30
yeah we need a balance of food that
16:32
we're giving our kids when we make our
16:34
music absolutely and people were willing
16:36
to stand by and be accountable for the
16:38
effects of their music not saying I'm
16:40
not a role model or I just write cuz all
16:42
right I don't care I didn't tell them to
16:44
do it right we need you got to you got
16:46
to know you have responsibility out here
16:49
and she recognized that in you that's
16:51
why how did the conversation go when you
16:52
met I've never talked to her I've never
16:54
met her still wow still like um they
16:57
said like send the scripts so I wrote it
17:00
I wrote the script out I was like oh my
17:01
God I got to write a script so I'm
17:02
trying to write her parts and my parts
17:06
um and I sent them to her and they sent
17:08
me a voice note back that she she
17:10
recorded on her phone in some Hotel cuz
17:12
it was labeled as that and I was like
17:14
she's so good so I got her parts and I
17:17
had to go home and place them cuz I
17:19
placed them and then I had to figure out
17:21
how I'm going to act between these you
17:23
know y it sound like y'all were in the
17:25
same room no um she sent that and I I
17:27
put it all together
17:29
wow at home rap's a producer did I
17:32
mention that in her intro rap's a
17:34
producer we got a lot of people on lines
17:36
I'm spread it out through the room
17:38
though HP you want to holler at your
17:39
your sister here yeah man so good to see
17:42
you I think always I got to thank you
17:44
for always sending me notes too like you
17:47
know I I know but it meant a lot she
17:49
would always like randomly just send me
17:51
a DM but it was Matt I ain't G to say
17:54
what you would say but it was I
17:55
appreciate it um thank you that was
17:57
beautiful he you know we we well Sway
18:00
and I as he mentioned we have a lot of
18:02
conversations and I just think as you
18:04
are learning it's important to follow
18:06
your spirit and I was like Lord I don't
18:10
even have her phone number like what do
18:12
you what do you mean and so that's how
18:14
the information will come so what may
18:16
feel like you know these the timing of
18:19
it all it's not me it's just truly was
18:21
on my spirit and I was just being
18:23
obedient so thank you and every time I
18:25
see you I feel that way that's why I
18:27
think we always hug embra the way that
18:29
we do because um as sway mentioned
18:32
earlier it's hard like it's just a hard
18:35
game to be in you chose to walk the way
18:37
you walk and and talk the way you talk
18:39
and sometimes people don't know what to
18:41
do with that but I think as long as you
18:43
know what to do and you have those
18:45
guidelines along the way you'll end up
18:47
all right on the other side of that so
18:49
I'm glad you here I'm glad for the
18:51
lessons cuz I feel and I know ultimately
18:54
we going to you going to see all those
18:55
blessings as well and we're going to
18:56
watch you be blessed in it so thank you
18:58
for sharing and being so open with
19:00
everything um the last time I saw you
19:03
though we were in DC I feel like shout
19:05
out to Latif because you know yeah K
19:09
Center Honors honors yeah at the Kennedy
19:11
Center Honors and um you performed and
19:14
crushed it and I was just sitting up
19:16
there watching you and and just
19:17
screaming and cheering and rooting for
19:19
everybody what was that like for you
19:21
though because I know
19:24
Latifa was somebody I watched you know
19:27
what I mean and so to get that call must
19:30
have just been like and I know y'all are
19:31
cool and work together but what was that
19:33
like for you up
19:34
there um I was all nerve just nerves
19:39
yeah super nerves because I I wanted to
19:41
do it at the best of my ability for her
19:44
cuz she deserve that and you know it was
19:47
it was just a a hectic time they had
19:50
been trying to get in touch with me for
19:51
some time and had the wrong contact and
19:54
um ebony ended up getting my number she
19:56
text me like a week before that whole
19:59
event oh what and she said we've been
20:01
trying to get in touch with you rap I I
20:03
want you to do this FL of course I said
20:05
yes I didn't even think about it and I'm
20:07
you know I'm trying to finish an album
20:09
so it was like I I cannot mess this up
20:13
not only for the event but for who is
20:15
for absolutely and so for me it was it
20:17
was really hectic cuz it meant so much
20:19
because she mean so much to us in
20:21
culture you know like she's one of my
20:23
biggest Inspirations she's one of the
20:25
reasons that I rap that I knew I could
20:27
rap because I got to see saw a woman in
20:28
that space you know that I show up the
20:30
way I show up you know she taught me how
20:32
to hold you you know proud of who you
20:34
are and then just how you know she's
20:36
Champion me and helped me out and yeah I
20:40
was like woo you killed it you would
20:42
have never thought you know what you was
20:45
dealing with and going through at that
20:46
time because your performance was
20:48
excellent you held yourself and
20:50
represented for her and for us like
20:52
women doing it it was great like me Sway
20:55
and we were just sitting in the
20:57
like I thought they was like get those
21:00
rouy people from out this section but it
21:02
was dope I appre yeah I was think you
21:04
know it's it's a it's a room that's a
21:07
room the president of the United States
21:10
was looking at looking down at and you
21:12
know we hip hoppers so we used to the
21:13
energy like and I walk out there and
21:15
there's
21:16
no you know people looking at you and
21:19
and I'm like even too like what I wear
21:21
and I was like no I got to I got to show
21:23
up hip hop like I got to wear the door
21:25
knockers you I got to you know I'm
21:26
looking at the steps like [ __ ] don't
21:28
trip
21:30
like it was just so so much but I'm I'm
21:33
so blessed to do it you were great and I
21:35
just wanted to tell you that again face
21:37
to face thank you it was so good seeing
21:38
both of y'all there come on it was
21:40
reassurance and then I remember seeing
21:42
you after the show and you was like how
21:44
did I mess up I think I missed a line I
21:46
said nobody know you missed a line I
21:49
definitely missed the line I like the
21:51
senator didn't noce some of them people
21:53
in there was 90 and sleep was rocking
21:56
with you was
21:59
all right we we're going to come back we
22:01
got Rap City hanging out with us uh she
22:03
got a song called 3:00 a.m. yeah do
22:06
that's my favorite on the album is it is
22:09
that I mean it's Erica Badu um the song
22:13
probably of course because of what this
22:16
album was made out of is that record and
22:19
too like we weren't in the studio
22:22
together but we still she would FaceTime
22:23
me text me so to be able to build a
22:25
friendship with her through ART like
22:27
that is it was an experience for me is
22:30
there something you could cuz Erica's
22:31
been through it you know she it wasn't
22:34
easy becoming Erica by D but she never
22:36
been like Heather's saying she never
22:39
compromised a damn thing right what kind
22:42
of like information did she give you
22:45
what kind of um reassurance or gems she
22:49
was sending gems before like we really
22:51
built a a solid friendship like we have
22:53
now um I remember the very first piece
22:56
of advice she gave me was like 2009
22:59
okay um and she told KNE like it was
23:02
something along the lines of uh she has
23:04
to work on I can't remember the question
23:07
but the advice was you have to be humble
23:09
and confident at the same time like it's
23:11
a balance right and that stuck with me
23:15
um you know and I've been trying to work
23:16
for a long time but it was never the the
23:19
right time but this time like we just be
23:21
joking sending me funny pictures
23:25
like it's like it's it's just really on
23:28
some chill and she pours into me yeah
23:31
you know like uh what did she say that
23:33
kind of took me by surprise she was like
23:37
uh I don't I think it was something
23:39
alongs the lines of
23:41
like you you you remind me of you know
23:45
what this is you know like why we love
23:49
it and it was something along those
23:51
lines I'm messing the words up but I was
23:54
you know cuz she does that for me so
23:57
yeah um
23:59
we had a conversation about love she was
24:01
dropping mad gems and oh yeah she's good
24:03
at that too love yeah she good at making
24:05
people fall in love
24:08
too get out
24:10
wayway leave your own show Erica by do
24:14
right there but I Echo that sentiment I
24:17
think that's what I'm trying to say to
24:18
you you remind us of what this is
24:21
supposed to be at its best yeah is what
24:25
what needed to add to that sentence at
24:27
its best you put you personify with a
24:29
lot of us the energy that got us here MH
24:32
for decades and we just be looking for
24:35
those moments because we know those
24:36
moments that energy is what's going to
24:38
sustain this culture absolutely it can't
24:40
just go all one way no it can't and you
24:43
are one of the very few that represent
24:46
the balance that's needed right and so I
24:49
think um just add on to what she's
24:51
saying let's play this 3 A.M real quick
24:53
we got raps City here 888 742 3345 okay
24:57
rap city is here
24:59
um AKA The Phoenix um we taking your
25:03
calls 888 742
25:06
3345 uh smart questions
25:09
only all right Todd is on the line from
25:11
Jersey Todd what up brother what part of
25:13
Jersey what's going on y'all good
25:15
morning good morning um Rap City first
25:18
and foremost thank you so much for the
25:20
music you make uh I just I wanted to
25:22
give you your flowers in July of 2019 I
25:27
lost my mother um she was my great aunt
25:30
she raised me and like eight other
25:32
children grandchildren Etc um and when I
25:36
lost her I was in a dark place but the
25:40
eve album when I tell you that album
25:43
helped me to mourn my mother's passion
25:47
because in every song I heard a glimpse
25:50
of just her and what she was doing um
25:54
so thank you for that um because that
25:57
balance that you give us is
25:59
extraordinary I got two daughters 12 and
26:01
N they listen to you and love you just
26:04
thank you for the music you make and for
26:06
the example that you give us for real oh
26:08
thank you so much but that was I'm I'm
26:10
happy I could be a light during that
26:12
time for you you know and I hope your
26:14
heart has
26:15
healed oh yeah no it definitely has and
26:18
um but that album like literally every
26:21
song I could hear a different element of
26:24
my mother it would make me smile it
26:26
would make me cry like I went through
26:28
the emotions but it was really that
26:31
album that helped me get through wow hey
26:34
man hey thank Todd man you're a citizen
26:36
wait till you hear the new one okay
26:38
please don't cry oh yeah we all right
26:43
cool you hung up one from Jersey
26:46
beautiful share great he did um it
26:50
remind me of a lot of journalists are
26:52
heralding this album as the best of your
26:55
career yeah I would agree with that you
26:57
would agree with that yeah it felt it
26:59
felt like that it's the most me it's the
27:02
most honest uh than anything I've ever
27:05
put out and I tell people my my other
27:08
projects it's not that I was faking
27:10
anything but I didn't really I didn't
27:12
know who I was completely and some of
27:15
the some of the times I would you know
27:17
try to lean on other people's you know
27:20
how they carry themselves what they like
27:22
what they how they thought I might
27:23
should show up and what I should rap
27:25
about um but this one it was all me you
27:29
know um nin and Guru weren't even part
27:32
of the creating process and they've been
27:34
part of every project really yeah um was
27:36
that scary a little bit or yeah it was I
27:39
would imagine it was very scary you have
27:41
to really learn to trust yourself over
27:44
and over and over again until you don't
27:46
question it anymore um you know so
27:50
that's just what it was and that's part
27:51
of two like outside of healing why it
27:53
took so long you know um and I found
27:56
myself sometimes like going back like
27:58
playing things like what do you think
28:00
but at the end I would always come back
28:02
and sit with myself and I had to what
28:04
feels good to you you know there was a
28:06
time when
28:07
um ninth sequenced it and he had most of
28:11
the songs I was just s him stuff is she
28:13
speaking about ninth Wonder in case you
28:14
don't know who she's speaking about
28:16
shout out to knife KN he be listening he
28:18
sequenced it and he sequences all of my
28:20
albums and I went back and I listened to
28:23
it I was like no this not the story I
28:24
want to tell these ain't even all the
28:27
songs so I even sequencing was like
28:30
different for me but I sat there and I
28:32
did it um so yeah it's
28:35
just everything clicked I wasn't chasing
28:37
anything I wasn't chasing like no
28:39
validation like you know I wasn't
28:43
worried about what they would think how
28:44
many we would sell like anything I just
28:46
want I wanted my goal was to connect
28:48
with people like you said that was it I
28:50
was just like man I want to have a
28:51
better connection with people and in
28:53
order to do that I have to just show
28:55
myself so I just I just poured out I was
28:58
like you know you like it or love it I
29:00
don't really care yeah that's how that's
29:02
how I felt cuz it was for me yeah you
29:04
know yeah you poured a lot yeah yeah
29:06
it's a lot in that picture lot of
29:08
Kool-Aid in that picture there was so
29:10
much more I had to say really yeah I did
29:13
I did 360 plus songs for this album God
29:16
Dam what yeah what I saw 22 when I first
29:20
pulled the album I was like 22 tracks
29:22
what does that mean I have a lot of
29:23
versions a lot of versions Al my 300 and
29:26
how many about 60 something you know I
29:29
don't know it's something up there and
29:32
the first uh iteration of it was 26
29:34
tracks I I said rock is never going to
29:36
let me put out an album with 26 tracks
29:38
so they were like rap cut four you know
29:41
so I go off running time yeah I don't go
29:43
off track numbers yeah so I was like 26
29:46
the running time is still like hour and
29:48
15 minutes we good there miss education
29:50
an hour and 16 you
29:53
see that was a strong argument I love
29:56
that you can't argue that damn it o have
29:58
you met Miss Hill yet yeah yeah yeah I
30:00
met her several times throughout my
30:02
career um you know I'm finally at a
30:05
place where you know I have a contact
30:06
where I can you know just send her
30:07
messages sometimes okay um but yeah uh I
30:12
open up for her at the bar Clays last
30:14
year and um we got to have a a
30:17
conversation you know it was backstage
30:19
so I didn't make it too long but it was
30:21
the most I've talked to her in the space
30:23
too after we had had some Rapport so you
30:26
know it was dope and I just saw her last
30:28
week um the Jimmy Fallon performance
30:30
okay did you did you see um that that
30:33
guy look at that guy right there does he
30:34
look familiar to you you was there yeah
30:38
I was there I thought so okay I when I
30:40
when he came to get me I was like I
30:42
can't remember where I saw him from but
30:43
my homie Rob took a picture with you um
30:47
skinny skinny dark he he he dresses y
30:50
yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah
30:52
he has beautiful energy good so that's
30:55
Kanani his mom manages Mill ah okay okay
30:59
so now you got another Direct Connect
31:01
right here he just go tell his mama to
31:04
call him oh that's love her whole team
31:06
they they so amazingly kind and nice
31:10
yeah um my experiences with her have
31:12
always been kind and nice so it's you
31:15
know she's my her and Erica are my
31:17
biggest Inspirations yeah yeah so miss
31:20
hill now she's working on the second
31:22
album another album I've heard I've
31:24
heard you heard the album no oh it sound
31:26
like you said you heard the album no I I
31:27
I've heard that you know she's working
31:28
on new music did she tell you in the
31:31
studio did she tell me in no no no no we
31:34
email each
31:35
other no we not in the studio together
31:38
y'all email each other ideas and
31:39
Concepts right rap don't do it you bug
31:43
it
31:44
out come get him where's your
31:48
mother where's your
31:50
mother tell her to dead
31:53
this I'll switch it up for you ra I'll
31:56
switch it up I would I mean I would love
31:58
to get the call that like yo rap come
32:00
create with me that would be like you I
32:02
could I could be done you done right
32:04
there right thank you I see it happen
32:07
but you know I'm a fan so just the idea
32:10
of you know her wanting to share music
32:12
and I I I watch her now she she she has
32:15
a different glow like it I I emailed her
32:18
and I told her this after I watched a
32:19
Jimmy Fallon performance and barlay and
32:22
things I said you look
32:24
like like it felt when we all first
32:27
started rapping
32:28
remember when you first started rapping
32:30
crew like we was having fun she looked
32:32
like she having fun and it's so
32:34
beautiful to see I don't know if that's
32:35
really the experience but that's what it
32:37
looks like and you know that's it's
32:40
exciting like I I want to hear what she
32:42
has to say yeah you know I want to hear
32:44
what y'all say
32:45
together me too okay we World premier
32:48
tell your
32:51
mother take advantage of the moment R I
32:55
got I got to say and this is how we all
32:57
all feel in this room I just really
32:59
admire you being out loud with your
33:02
softness out loud with your strength
33:05
especially when it comes to these very
33:07
tender moments of life when you got to
33:09
face the woman in the mirror yeah yeah
33:12
and when I've had to do that um at the
33:15
end of romantic relationships that
33:17
kicked off my own healing and I'm
33:18
grateful for that often times I like to
33:22
connect all the dots back to like my
33:25
childhood you have to yeah that's it all
33:28
starts I'm curious For You especially
33:31
because personally I don't know a lot of
33:33
those who grew up as the Jehovah's
33:35
Witness are you able to share how your
33:38
childhood and that experience shaped the
33:42
way you loved as the younger version of
33:44
yourself and how it's impacted the way
33:46
you love as an
33:49
adult um that's a great
33:52
question I think for me like I didn't
33:55
really know how to love I think because
33:58
of that space you know it
34:00
was you were supposed to be straight and
34:03
narrow you know you go find your husband
34:06
no premarital sex no holding hands no
34:09
nothing like that like you date but when
34:12
you marry you know um and even
34:15
conversations about sex my mom didn't
34:17
really have with me uh if they if she
34:19
did they were very short and very raw
34:21
you know like I remember being young
34:23
asking her like what sex is and she was
34:25
you know like a man gets between your
34:28
legs and moves up and down like I like
34:30
okay you know like
34:33
um uh I don't but I don't I don't know
34:37
if I necessarily attribute that to being
34:40
in Jehovah's Witness right I think it's
34:42
I think it's a combination of things
34:44
that plays a part but also like just
34:46
your family unit of course you know what
34:48
I'm saying I think it's I think it's
34:50
more that than anything um being a
34:53
Jehovah's Witness always grounded
34:55
me because it's so like we're not of the
34:59
world so it's never about being famous
35:01
it's not about what you have it was all
35:03
about operating in Love no matter who
35:06
you are your skin color it was that and
35:10
that keeps me grounded so you know that
35:12
was a big thing but the my love issues
35:14
come from like watching my mom and daddy
35:16
okay you know like um and they're both
35:19
very loving people but you know they
35:22
grew up how they grew up um you know my
35:25
dad's mom and dad weren't together and
35:27
didn't have the best relationship um my
35:30
mom's mom and dad were very loving but
35:32
nothing's perfect either so you know
35:34
they didn't communicate very well they
35:36
argued a lot um I was so nervous for her
35:39
to hear me talk about those things I I
35:41
never wanted her to feel like I I a want
35:43
her to feel bad about it cuz she you
35:45
know you just recognize she's human um
35:47
and she called me she was like people
35:49
love you cuz you just hon and she was
35:51
like you know me and your dad you know
35:53
we have our stuff but you know we get
35:54
through it but I'm glad that you know
35:57
you're sharing in it and that you're
35:58
growing so you know they didn't
36:00
communicate so I didn't know how to
36:02
communicate I saw them when they had a
36:04
disagreement they yelled at each other
36:06
so what did I do with my relationships I
36:07
yell too um I wasn't comfortable with
36:12
being like sex cuz I didn't know a lot
36:14
about it yeah you know I hung around a
36:16
lot of boys I didn't have a lot of Home
36:18
girls in that way so we didn't have
36:20
those talks or conversations I had older
36:22
sisters but they didn't have those talks
36:24
with me so it was like you know I had to
36:26
learn a lot you know about love I don't
36:30
know I'm figuring it out we all bouncing
36:33
all over your question no no no that's
36:35
good we all m m juming in it man yeah uh
36:39
I love the energy that you brought into
36:40
this room I love how settled you are
36:42
your energy seems really at peace I
36:44
think I think it's showing and the Very
36:46
intentionality with your words I've been
36:47
watching you you've been seeming very
36:49
intentional and I think that's brilliant
36:50
you said something I hope it doesn't get
36:51
lost on people but you said I no longer
36:54
looking for the validation of others and
36:56
I think this the reason why I made my
36:57
best art and album and I think we're
36:59
going through an era right now where
37:00
some of our top artists are no longer
37:02
seeking validation and they're giving us
37:04
their best so I think there's something
37:06
to be said with that but the question I
37:08
have though for you is you know you
37:10
started this journey four years ago in
37:11
2020 and so we're in 2024 I'm just
37:14
curious when you were performing these
37:16
songs now were you listening back is
37:18
that part of your healing process too as
37:20
well because you've grown so much in
37:21
those four years oh absolutely um I I I
37:26
listen and I look back and it's more
37:27
like I'm proud of myself like we got
37:29
through it you know cuz when you you're
37:31
in it you know feelings like is this
37:35
feeling going to ever go away am I ever
37:36
going to be okay you know what I mean or
37:39
just the idea of like I'm going to do
37:41
this like the fear that I had like I was
37:44
super scared to put this project out
37:46
because of the Judgment that came with
37:47
it um and it's like I still decided to
37:51
but I was like the fear of it I'm going
37:53
to feel and that could be crippling
37:55
sometimes so I listen to it now and I'm
37:57
just proud you know yeah that's that's
38:00
the best word that I could have because
38:03
I really leaned in and I wanted to do
38:05
the work and I did it no matter how hard
38:07
it was um and I'm thankful because I had
38:10
my guides along the way like you know
38:12
God was one for sure like my
38:14
relationship with God is so much more
38:16
tighter um but you know I had friends
38:19
that were like mild markers for me you
38:21
know that put up the mirror that would
38:23
help me get to the next level you know
38:25
cuz through your healing process you
38:26
healed but sometimes you go take a few
38:28
steps back and you got to it's it's not
38:30
like a linear thing um so
38:35
it's yeah it's like to to look back and
38:38
see the steps and to see where I am now
38:40
and how I feel and to have peace you
38:43
don't know what peace really feels like
38:45
until you have it right and I'm just
38:47
like I have never felt anything like
38:50
this before even when putting out the
38:51
album I said this feels really different
38:53
but I understand why it's because before
38:56
I wasn't I wasn't ready for this and now
38:58
I'm ready so I'm able to attract the
39:00
things you know what I'm saying you
39:02
don't attract the things until you know
39:04
you're ready to receive them yes um so I
39:06
had to do a lot of healing in order to
39:08
carry whatever is
39:10
coming and rapity man on that's
39:16
reality
39:18
what y looking at you now huh grown up a
39:21
lot you remember the first time I sat in
39:24
this chair I think I had all my little
39:25
Lakers and my dress better
39:29
too I be like oh I was broke wow I had
39:34
to shop at the mall oh wow real quick
39:36
right you was buying fake jerseys
39:39
pretending like they were real don't do
39:41
that n it was true man I
39:44
remember yes yes you're so right it's so
39:47
true uh rap city is but I am looking at
39:49
you like cuz I'm thinking about those
39:51
early days and and and seeing where you
39:53
are is amazing and it makes me happy I
39:56
think we all are happy
39:57
and I'm happy about the end result when
39:59
it comes to your music all right I got
40:02
Lori on the line I want to let her speak
40:03
cuz she been on hold Lori go ahead what
40:05
up Lori thank you so much happy Friday
40:08
everybody happy Friday
40:11
Frid Yes we made it another week in the
40:14
ho made
40:16
it Miss rapity I want to give you a
40:20
shout out um my husband is the big hip
40:24
hop head shout out to Jeff he definitely
40:26
kept biging you up to me and in December
40:30
of
40:31
2017 I took him to the Baltimore Sound
40:33
Stage to see you perform oh wow that was
40:36
my first exposure to you and I have seen
40:41
you at the Kennedy Center twice because
40:44
I do love the women in Hip Hop Honors
40:46
that they do which I think is
40:48
amazing um I can appreciate your rawness
40:51
and your
40:53
honesty and like a Heather be and the
40:58
females of Hip Hop that have something
41:00
to say you really have something to say
41:03
and with doing that you have another fan
41:06
my husband has already heard your album
41:08
already first thing this
41:10
morning good album y thank you I'm
41:14
looking forward to listening to it and
41:15
just listening to you talk this way and
41:18
be able to share
41:20
your humanistic as um Tracy G said your
41:24
humanist about what you've been through
41:26
what you are persevering through is just
41:29
great to hear again you make it
41:32
connectable and I think that's the
41:34
reason that I now I'm gravitating to you
41:36
so just wanted to congratulate you on
41:38
your album and say I'm looking forward
41:41
to hearing it thank you so much I
41:43
appreciate those kind words I do want to
41:46
talk about niik brim with you niik brim
41:49
we love niik brim is someone who has
41:51
been coming to this show since the very
41:54
beginning fact his father and I were
41:56
signed to Warner Brothers that's right
41:58
as young men that's how I know Nico and
42:01
so supporting his JoJo brim and his mom
42:04
out to Misa we love Nico but Nico
42:07
happens to be extremely talented very
42:10
very talented right and Nico
42:12
brim kind of alluded to something when
42:15
he was on the show last time about
42:17
working with f yes I think I hit you up
42:21
about it or me and you we talked about
42:22
it about I hit you hit you about him
42:25
coming to that particular show told I
42:27
say he's my
42:28
artist rap city has an artist yeah oh
42:33
wow rap city is an official music
42:37
business
42:39
executive you have an
42:41
artist what's your company um the
42:44
company is called we each other it's a
42:45
creative agency so we have a a record
42:47
label but we also want to get into film
42:50
um and you know other creative Ventures
42:53
I have a uh a business partner his name
42:56
is Andre Meo okay and he's also a
42:58
creative as well um but you know we just
43:01
got together and it was something that I
43:02
wanted to do and this is my last album
43:05
on Jam the records okay um and I'm so
43:08
thankful for that journey and everything
43:09
that nin and Guru poured into me but I
43:11
know like I tell people we have to leave
43:14
the nest over and over in life and I've
43:16
learned so much there that it's now time
43:18
for me to go take everything I learned
43:21
and teach somebody else and make room
43:23
over there for somebody else to come
43:24
through like it's always family so I
43:27
started dis label and I have been
43:28
working with Nico since 2018 really yeah
43:31
and I'm a person like outside of talent
43:33
I got to like your spirit yeah and he's
43:35
has such a beautiful spirit and he's a
43:37
beautiful Talent um and we we was
43:40
working together so much it only made
43:42
sense you know he's my first artist on
43:44
we each other ni Bri man he a
43:49
producer produ he play his base he can
43:51
sing a little bit um just dope creative
43:55
congratulations ni Brim what can we
43:58
expect from Ni brim you have any
44:00
releases coming you know you're the boss
44:02
now yeah how you going to roll them out
44:04
you gave him a 360 deal kind of deal
44:07
okay wait hold up P I'm trying to figure
44:10
what she going to do kind of deal that's
44:12
right yeah I'm I'm a solid individual
44:15
okay um I'mma Be we haven't even done
44:17
paperwork yet okay you know nin never
44:19
did paperwork on me um never like we we
44:23
just we cut from the cloth of loyalty
44:26
and honor and ECT we got morals so it's
44:30
you know but we I'm going to do it just
44:31
so he understands the business but I'm
44:33
it's definitely going to make sure it's
44:34
fair but um we going to start working on
44:36
his next album I'm executive produc it
44:39
with him come on you know he's going to
44:41
go on tour with me the tour was
44:42
announced today so if you go to uh irra
44:44
city.com there's the European dates the
44:47
North American dates and we'll be adding
44:48
other foreign dates later wow yeah
44:51
rapity man [ __ ] congratulations that's
44:55
man me some tissue oh come on don't
44:59
cry don't cry you not cry I will cry for
45:03
you rap I do cry man I'm a I'm a I'm a
45:07
man who doesn't now well after the
45:08
breakup I
45:10
started I've been crying since that
45:13
break me too me too it feels good though
45:15
it does I don't like carrying that round
45:18
me neither let it out what's the name of
45:19
your album please don't cry but it's why
45:22
you should cry that's right come on Rap
45:25
City congratulations the name of the one
45:27
more time we each other shouts to weo
45:29
weo okay all right this has been an
45:32
awesome experience so proud of you come
45:36
back don't worry about the verse I I got
45:39
one for you though yeah don't worry
45:40
about it you've done enough work up
45:42
until this point don't worry about it
45:43
today is what I mean okay yeah I've been
45:47
telling them though like um people been
45:49
asking me to come freestyle at they
45:51
different places I was like I'm only
45:53
going to Freestyle for sway that's
45:55
that's it I did Justin but I was like
45:57
it's only only sway M thank you okay
46:00
well okay if I see a freestyle out there
46:02
I'm going chase you I'm going find you
46:04
all right you and your crew I ain't
46:06
scared of
46:07
them I said it yeah all right uh but you
46:11
are so amazing absolutely thank you
46:14
state of course you see now you see now
46:18
as this stuff starts to Blossom you were
46:19
doing the right thing and you all even
46:21
in perhaps in your perplexities and
46:23
confusion of it all why why why you will
46:26
always always doing the right thing and
46:28
it's and now it's the right time yeah
46:30
okay
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