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Subscribe to Sway's Universe for the latest in hip-hop and exclusive interviews! Dive into the compelling narrative of Grafh's 20-year journey from the hood to his latest collaboration with 38 Spesh, "God's Timing." This episode of Sway In The Morning showcases a raw and honest conversation with Grafh, revealing his resilience in the music industry, the lessons learned, and the importance of authentic artistry. With insights into his mentorship program and reflections on his storied career, Grafh opens up about the soul of hip-hop. Don't miss this chance to hear about the past, present, and future of a true New York MC. Stay tuned for more engaging content from Sway’s Universe, where music meets meaningful dialogue.
CHAPTERS:
01:45 - Grafh's 20-Year Career, Music Industry Insights, Papoose Relationship
07:44 - Importance of Mentorship in Music
12:39 - Grafh's Last Album: God's Timing Release
15:23 - Roc-A-Fella Chain Significance
21:07 - Grafh Freestyle Performance
26:24 - Grafh's Writing Process Explained
27:54 - Creating Art vs. Content in Music
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Show More Show Less View Video Transcript
0:00
Let me tell you something about
0:01
longevity. [cheering] It ain't
0:03
guaranteed and it ain't promised and not
0:05
everybody can do it. But I remember one
0:08
of the first times I met this I bring it
0:10
up all the time
0:10
as you should
0:11
early on in his career meeting him I
0:13
want to say in Puerto Rico.
0:15
Remind the people
0:16
we knew each other but you introduced me
0:19
to somebody in your camp u that that
0:22
made a lot of sense and this was a man
0:24
that actually would be considered one of
0:26
your mentors
0:27
at that time. And uh we were at the mix
0:32
show Power Powers. I mean mix. Yeah.
0:34
Right.
0:34
Yeah. Me and Chaz. He's out there with
0:36
like 20 of the homies from the town.
0:38
20 of the homies. Right.
0:39
Yeah. It was crazy.
0:40
It was crazy. But
0:41
it was a wonderful time. Yeah.
0:43
Right. And and your buzz was impeccable
0:47
at that time. You was a feared MC.
0:49
Yeah.
0:50
Right. Just on style and skill set
0:52
alone. And your career since then has
0:55
been has been very storied, I would say,
0:59
because you've had so many different
1:01
type of uh uh pathways that your career
1:04
has taken up until this point. Being a
1:07
MC that killed the mixtape circuit. Um
1:10
being an MC that became one of the most
1:12
soughtafter MC's in New York by record
1:15
labels, so on and so forth. being with a
1:17
record label but not having it fully
1:19
come to fruition. Yeah. You know, with
1:21
Rockefeller and all these different
1:22
things, stepping along the way, doing
1:25
your interviews, doing your freestyles,
1:27
sustaining um something that's your
1:30
passion, and here you are in 2024, and
1:33
we're talking about a new project, God's
1:35
timing, and you haven't lost the beat.
1:37
Citizens, I want to welcome him back to
1:39
the show. Give it up for the one and
1:40
only Graph. He's in the bill.
1:44
come. Hey, what's up?
1:46
Come on, man. When you hear um you know,
1:50
when I watch you speak, a lot of folks
1:52
talk about your past, right? You know,
1:54
and I and I be wanting to hear I want to
1:57
hear about your present and your future,
1:59
right?
1:59
Because we know the past, but the past
2:01
was so important,
2:02
right?
2:02
Um this is how I assess your career. But
2:05
when you talk about 20 years
2:07
and and and not really having albums
2:09
that were big billboard singles or uh
2:12
you they have the biggest chart
2:14
position,
2:14
right?
2:15
But you had the biggest hood position.
2:17
That's a fact,
2:18
right? Yeah.
2:18
Graph, how would you describe your 20-y
2:20
year career?
2:21
I would just say I I just really um um
2:24
helped redefine this culture, man. I I I
2:27
feel like I'm one of the most authentic
2:28
artists, especially from New York City,
2:30
regarding hip-hop, for real. So, I mean,
2:32
I went through a lot of trials and
2:33
tribulations, learned along the way.
2:35
It's not like I came in this game
2:36
knowing the business. I had to figure it
2:38
out.
2:38
Me and Chaz, man, God bless Chaz. I miss
2:40
him, too, man.
2:41
We we learned it together.
2:42
You learned it together. So, you were
2:44
Chaz's first, you weren't his first
2:45
artist.
2:46
Well, he was uh co-managing 50 Cent
2:48
before me. That's right. That's right.
2:49
And uh um then just me and him me him
2:51
was more like father and son than
2:52
manager artist. And we just
2:54
really figured it out together, you
2:56
know, made [clears throat] made progress
2:57
and made mistakes together. I know I did
2:58
a whole lot of learning, made a lot of
3:00
mistakes, but
3:01
you know, it taught me to be the the the
3:03
man I am today.
3:04
What would you say is a standout lesson
3:06
about the music industry that really
3:08
just took your confidence from low to
3:10
high once you found it out?
3:12
Um,
3:14
one, I think, uh, skills do matter and
3:16
people respect you on a one-on-one when
3:18
you actually have real talent.
3:20
And but I think the biggest learning
3:22
lesson here is that nothing happens on
3:23
your time. This is it is just God's
3:25
timing. If you really go into this thing
3:27
thinking it's going, oh, I'm blowing up
3:28
tomorrow. I'm doing XYZ. Like, you got
3:30
to have patience, resilience, and thick
3:32
skin to know that it it this game ain't
3:34
overnight. And it's for the it's for the
3:36
it's for the the the diligent,
3:38
hardworking man who is not afraid of
3:40
heartbreak cuz this [ __ ] ain't easy.
3:42
You gotten your heart broken.
3:44
Yeah. This industry was not nice to me.
3:46
[laughter]
3:47
Yeah.
3:47
Word. I learned the hard way a lot of
3:48
time because especially you coming in
3:50
naive. I was coming I came in the game
3:51
straight out of college. I was going to
3:52
St.
3:53
left school for this [ __ ] and I believed
3:55
a lot of things. A lot of people
3:57
you can't trust. There's no trust in
3:58
it's just business. B is like a soulless
4:00
human. You know what I'm saying? So
4:01
Oh [ __ ]
4:02
You I learned the hard way many times.
4:05
Oh. Hey. Hey.
4:07
Soulless human.
4:08
Grabbed a scene behind the curtain.
4:10
Oh yeah.
4:10
Actually I seen the curtain was like I
4:12
ain't opening that [ __ ] [laughter]
4:15
Yeah. Was behind that [ __ ] Just like a
4:18
soulless human.
4:19
Yeah. And you spend so much of your time
4:20
chasing the soul. Like you just think,
4:22
"Oh, finally I found family. Finally I
4:24
found tribe. Finally, I got my people.
4:26
It ain't that.
4:28
It ain't that at all.
4:29
They as loyal to you as as hot as you
4:30
are at that moment.
4:32
It's it's it's this game is weird.
4:33
They'll teach you fast, though.
4:34
Yeah, they will.
4:36
You might not learn fast cuz sometimes,
4:39
you know what I mean?
4:40
So shocking.
4:40
You keep going back and having
4:42
expectations up here. I had Grandmaster
4:44
D up here and he was uh from Houdini.
4:47
And I was honored to have Grandmaster D
4:50
from Houdini. And when I was speaking to
4:52
him, he was looking, man, I can't
4:53
believe you did this. I said, "Your
4:54
grandmaster D, why not?"
4:56
He said, "Swe." [clears throat]
5:00
Oh, wow. Yeah. He learned the hard way,
5:02
too. It's full of heartbreaks in this
5:04
[ __ ] man. It's like, especially a
5:06
person like me, I got a good heart. I'm
5:07
like an honest human.
5:09
So, if you tell me something, I'm going
5:10
to believe you cuz if I tell you
5:12
something, I'm dead ass serious.
5:13
Yeah.
5:13
So, I be like, I'm not really made for
5:15
the fiber of this industry. That's why I
5:17
stick to this my lane. Do it
5:18
independent. Do it my way. And I'm
5:20
satisfied with with the the steps I take
5:22
and what comes with that. Whatever the
5:23
fruits come from doing it my way, I'm
5:25
cool with that. I can't do it way. That
5:27
[ __ ] ain't what's up.
5:28
That's what's up. That's that's that's
5:29
maturity.
5:30
Yeah.
5:32
Wait, hold on one second. You talked
5:33
about um Chaz, right? And and now you
5:35
hooked up with Pap, too, right? Good
5:37
job.
5:37
Shout out to my brother Pap. This album
5:39
got a lot of dope hip-hop features on
5:40
it, man.
5:40
Got incredible hip-hop features on it.
5:42
And I'm thinking about Pap. Papoose by
5:45
the way. Shout out to Tounore and all
5:47
the good work he's doing over there.
5:48
That brother done came up here.
5:49
Absolutely.
5:50
He's the most outstanding individual you
5:52
want to know. Good dude.
5:54
And he'll rock your snot box if you
5:56
disrespect [laughter] him.
5:58
In the town. Shout out to Pat.
5:59
But Pap, I mean, Chaz and K Slay
6:02
were good friends, right? Great
6:04
affiliates. K. Slay being Papoose's
6:07
mentor and and guidance counselor, if
6:10
you will. Chaz being yours. And they're
6:12
both gone. You know, they both
6:14
transitioned. M
6:15
uh but I want you to speak about your
6:18
relationship with Pap and do you guys
6:19
share stories or did that did their
6:22
relationship build your bond?
6:24
Um I think I met Pap outside of Slay.
6:26
But first let me shout out Slay man. The
6:28
great late Slate for real.
6:29
He is definitely a big part of the
6:31
reason why I'm even here today, right?
6:32
[applause and cheering] I know my name.
6:34
In the beginning when the industry dudes
6:35
wasn't even trying to give me a shot cuz
6:36
it was it was acting up for bread or are
6:38
you on a song with this feature or that
6:39
feature? I'm like no I'm straight out
6:40
the hood. I don't know nobody. I'm just
6:41
hot.
6:42
[ __ ] [laughter] is not supporting
6:43
them.
6:43
Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Slay heard me
6:45
was like, "That kid's hot. I'm standing
6:46
behind that 100%." And he just took it
6:48
and blew it up. Like I y'all know me
6:50
because Slay put his his his name on the
6:53
line and said, "I'm co-signing this kid
6:55
and went hard with it."
6:55
And he was another person that kept his
6:57
word.
6:58
Slay Slay was a 100. There's no there's
7:01
no funny style.
7:02
Not no 99. Not he was a even if he ain't
7:06
like your joint, whatever. It's just But
7:07
if he [ __ ] with you, he [ __ ] with
7:09
you. It
7:09
was genuine. It was genuine.
7:10
So K Slay is a big part of the reason
7:13
why I'm here. So, I got to shout him out
7:14
every chance I get. I'm sure I would
7:16
have made it on my own cuz I'm that
7:17
determined and that resilient and that I
7:18
go that hard, but he did it
7:21
straight up. He put me in the game.
7:22
There's no if ends or buts about it. So,
7:24
shout out to Slay. Shout out to Chaz.
7:26
Without them, y'all probably wouldn't
7:26
know my name the way I know it right
7:27
now. So, we got to salute them two
7:29
brothers.
7:29
Give him a big round of applause, man.
7:31
Um,
7:31
shout out to Pat, man. Pat, me and Pat
7:33
got many records together, many stories
7:35
together. Yeah, that's my bro, man. He's
7:36
on this album. He went crazy called
7:38
Straight Shooter. Body that.
7:39
He went crazy.
7:40
Yeah, Pat always look crazy, though. He
7:42
going to give it up every time. Word.
7:43
How important is um mentorship?
7:47
I think it's very important, man. Look,
7:49
look at the generation now. Without no
7:50
strong uh right-minded OGs, I think you
7:53
get lost in the sauce. I said it on the
7:55
Meth Man record when I said um I said um
7:58
I said um if following your OG led you
8:00
to prison and he ain't learn much. And
8:02
it's a fact. A lot of these dudes that
8:04
you call OG's or big homies are
8:06
misleading the youth,
8:07
sending them on crash out missions and
8:08
putting them in the street in the wrong
8:09
way. And when I was young, I I I had
8:11
some OG's I looked up to that like Chaz
8:13
would led me the right way. If I if when
8:15
I was hustling young, if Chaz knew about
8:16
that, he would have been tight.
8:18
He would have pulled you out of that.
8:19
All my street moves was behind his back.
8:20
You know what I'm saying? But there was
8:22
a lot of OG's dudes that I looked up to
8:23
that
8:24
put me in the street that I look up to
8:26
that I admired and I'm young. I'm in
8:28
college. Like, why give me work? Oh, you
8:29
could take over this hood, right? I'm
8:30
like, yeah. You know what I'm saying?
8:31
So, it's like
8:32
some OG's will lead you the wrong way
8:34
and mislead a young brother and drive
8:36
him to have the same fate they've have.
8:38
if you a OG that mastered the street and
8:39
did like 10 years, why you want to send
8:41
another young [ __ ] down that path? You
8:42
should be keeping him
8:43
doing him the opposite.
8:45
Like, I can't imagine putting my son in
8:47
the fire that way. I'm like, no. You
8:49
know, I'm I'mma give you the jewels to
8:50
do the right thing.
8:51
So, I think mentorship is important. If
8:53
you have the right person around you,
8:55
it's going to make you a better man.
8:57
I love that. You who And so, are you
8:58
mentoring any um young up and cominging
9:00
artists right now?
9:01
I'm mentoring the youth period. I have I
9:03
have a school program that I'm in New
9:05
York City schools called Music Therapy.
9:07
Wow. Well, I go I I'm in like about 10
9:10
schools now. Any principles out there,
9:11
hey, and your boy, reach out to me
9:12
because I'm trying to be in every school
9:13
in the city. But, uh, we actually go
9:15
into the schools. I bring my laptop. I
9:17
bring the speakers. I bring the
9:18
microphone set up, the whole thing.
9:20
Teach these kids strong song structure,
9:21
the music business, and really teach
9:23
them how to make music, but from an
9:25
emotional standpoint, cuz I feel like
9:27
the truth comes out in the arts. And a
9:28
lot of these kids
9:29
were heartbroken. They hurt. They going
9:31
through pain. They don't have nobody to
9:32
relate to and get this pain out in the
9:34
right way. So, I showed them how to
9:35
really express themselves and get their
9:37
thoughts across and their feelings
9:38
across and help them communicate better.
9:40
And it it really has a great impact on
9:42
these children. And I bond with all of
9:44
them. You know what I'm saying? It'd be
9:45
the craziest thing. Like one kid, right,
9:47
he um
9:49
I said he didn't want to do the program.
9:50
At first, he was standing office. So, I
9:51
know if you stand office, you're going
9:52
through something. You're not teachers
9:54
turn their back on the standoffish kid
9:55
and I realized no, that kid is in pain
9:56
cuz I was that kid. You know what I'm
9:58
trying to say?
9:58
Yeah. You could recognize it, right?
9:59
I recognized it right away. So, when I
10:02
when I saw him, I you know, started
10:03
talking to him. didn't really want to
10:04
rap. So I'm like, "Hey man, let me give
10:06
you a story of mine how what I did." Cuz
10:08
when I was uh about 15, 16, my dad got
10:10
murdered across the street from where my
10:12
aunt was living at by my neighbor. You
10:13
know what I'm saying? Your neighbor did
10:14
it.
10:15
I was Yeah. And I was I happened to see
10:17
that young
10:18
and I was like I didn't know how to
10:19
express none of that as a young man. You
10:20
know what I mean? So
10:22
for me the music was my vehicle to get
10:24
these emotions out. Even my mother said
10:26
like you never talked about it. Like
10:27
after it happened I went to school the
10:28
next day like nothing happened.
10:29
Principal teachers like you sure you
10:31
want to be here? You want to go home?
10:32
Like no I'm good. I'm in school. My mind
10:33
is blacked out. Probably to this day I
10:34
don't think I deal with it. Keep it
10:36
honey.
10:36
Yeah.
10:36
So my mind is blanked it out and I it
10:38
comes out through the music.
10:40
So when I'm telling uh shorty this story
10:42
and when he looked at me, he like for
10:44
real. I see his eyes light up like I
10:46
woke up and a light bulb and he looking
10:48
at me. He like
10:49
yo the same thing happened to me. I'm
10:50
like what you mean? He said his dad got
10:52
murdered in front of him and like the
10:53
week before I just met him.
10:54
Oh my.
10:55
This kid is 12 years old
10:57
did going through it. So me and him
10:59
bonded so crazy. I felt so connected to
11:00
him. I'm like, "God, stop."
11:02
Just hold him. You know what I'm saying?
11:03
So, he still ain't want to rap, but I
11:04
just write your thoughts down. I'm going
11:05
to help you make them rhyme. He's like,
11:06
"Okay." So, now he writing down his
11:07
ideas and his feelings
11:09
and getting it out there. So, every time
11:10
I see him, I feel like it's me. You know
11:11
what I mean? So, I'm here for these
11:13
kids, man. This [ __ ] is real.
11:14
But he needed you. It was like the angel
11:16
that he needed in the physical form. He
11:18
needed you, you know? So, and that kind
11:20
of thing happened a few times. Another
11:21
school I went to, a young lady lost her
11:23
dad like that same week that I got
11:24
there,
11:25
and she got on the track. She didn't
11:26
know how to rap, anything like that, but
11:27
we showed her how to uh conduct uh how
11:30
to how to project and speak her mind.
11:32
And she got on that trap and started
11:34
just talking to her father, crying and
11:36
going in
11:37
just talking. It was like poetry. But
11:38
she's talking to him and she's like, "I
11:40
needed that. Thank you. You came right
11:41
on time."
11:42
So we we really be here for these kids.
11:44
And my man Dri, shout out to my man
11:45
Dupri program.
11:47
What's the name of your program?
11:48
My man Karez helped me write the
11:49
curriculum. He wrote most of it. It's
11:50
called Music Therapy.
11:51
Music therapy. And so if people are in
11:53
any school curriculum and this can
11:55
happen around the country, it don't have
11:56
to be just New York, right? Y'all come
11:58
to other school districts. How can they
12:00
how can they get to you?
12:01
Um I mean, hit the Instagram at the
12:03
easiest way. Graph G R A FH, but um
12:06
there is a music therapy email, which I
12:07
don't want to give you the wrong email,
12:08
so just DM me and I I'll get at you.
12:11
Like we do schools all around the
12:12
country. I've done California. I done a
12:14
big event in uh Arizona. No, in Yeah, in
12:16
Arizona not too long ago. So we do all
12:18
the schools, but right now we're in
12:19
about 10 New York City schools. But I
12:21
want to be in every school. Principal
12:24
principal. Oh, no. No. I'm I'm with
12:26
Akbar. We gonna do a school.
12:27
That's dope. West [clears throat] High.
12:28
Yes, indeed. We gonna go there. Shout
12:29
out to Akbar. Indeed. I love it, man.
12:31
His name is Graph. Follow him. G R A F
12:36
H.
12:36
Uhhuh.
12:36
I like this man. Um,
12:39
you mentioned Method, man. Was it that
12:40
Fight for Love song y'all did?
12:42
Yes, sir. That's my [ __ ]
12:46
Yo, shout out to me, man. Dude,
12:47
embodied that, right,
12:48
man? Dude, this meth is uh redonkulous,
12:52
man. Um
12:55
is Do y'all still try to take each
12:57
other? Do you still view a feature as
12:59
competition?
13:01
To be honest, I really don't. Okay.
13:03
When I try to make music with a with
13:05
another artist, I'm trying to make the
13:06
best record as possible. I'm not coming
13:08
in there trying to compete with you.
13:09
I'mma do me regardless whether it's a
13:11
dooo song, just me on a song, feature on
13:13
a song. I'mma have the same verse on
13:15
there regardless. You know what I'm
13:16
saying? I'm just I'm I'm going put my
13:17
best foot forward and do what I'm doing
13:19
regardless. I'm not coming like I'm
13:20
about to destroy it. Now, if you get the
13:22
better verse, it's a better song. Okay.
13:24
I'm happy. Like me and Royce got a
13:26
million records. Sometimes I think he
13:27
got the better verse and I'm happy. I'm
13:29
like, yeah.
13:30
Wow.
13:30
Cuz I I just I just want I'm a I'm a fan
13:32
of the culture and the music. I'm
13:33
actually a fan of this [ __ ] Like I ride
13:35
to the music like it ain't mine. Like
13:36
this God time album, I work out to that
13:38
[ __ ] like it ain't mine.
13:40
You work out to your own album?
13:41
Yes. Facts. It's a dope ass album.
13:43
It is a great album, bro. Give him a
13:44
round of applause.
13:47
And the the cover, you got a gun and you
13:49
know, talk about the cover.
13:50
Right. Um, well, the cover, Joiner Lucas
13:53
gave me that idea for the cover. Shout
13:54
out to my [ __ ] Joiner.
13:55
Joiner, what's up, Joiner Lucas? We had
13:57
him not too long ago.
13:58
And Jo was speaking about the same thing
14:00
in terms of being able to give props to
14:02
another artist and recognize when they
14:05
have a stronger skill set than him in a
14:07
particular area. So,
14:09
it's about good music. But that that
14:11
cover is just as it's is uh me really
14:13
torn between the two worlds of the gun
14:15
and the cross like choosing right or
14:16
wrong. I feel like I lived on the side
14:18
of the wrong
14:19
forever. I've been hustling since I was
14:20
15 years old pretending it was rap my
14:22
[ __ ] this whole time. I [ __ ] knew I
14:24
was trapping.
14:24
Ain't no [ __ ] surprise. Y [ __ ] knew
14:26
I was outside.
14:27
You was capping, huh?
14:28
But um Yeah. Yeah. Let's say let's say
14:30
that for the police. I was just capping
14:31
as a joke. But um I felt like I was I
14:34
felt like now I'm walking in my purpose
14:36
and everything's happening in God's time
14:37
and then I feel like I'm making the
14:38
right decisions and being aligned with
14:40
purpose and and doing the right things
14:42
in life.
14:43
And um sometimes you got to ask, do I
14:46
need both or am I walking on the on the
14:48
right side of the law? Like what is it?
14:49
And is this there duality balances in
14:52
good and evil and all of that? But I
14:54
think right now I'm walking in purpose
14:55
and it's all God's time and I feeling
14:57
good about
14:58
everything and all the energy that
14:59
surrounds me right now. I love it. Yeah,
15:01
that's that's what that's about.
15:02
I'm I'm really happy for you, brother. I
15:04
remember last time you came up here,
15:06
too. He was actually late. This time he
15:08
came early. Our [laughter] change, man.
15:11
Hallelujah.
15:13
Know what he's saying is real.
15:14
Last time. [laughter]
15:16
Yes, man. Uh man, you got
15:19
God say he's always on time.
15:20
He's always on time, man. Um Memphis
15:24
Bleke. Salute to Memphis Bleke.
15:26
Yes, sir. He's a fine example of loyalty
15:31
and having a a a friend that turned
15:34
brother on your team on your side. He
15:36
never switched up for anybody.
15:38
Salute to my brother Freeway.
15:40
Oh man, Freeway is one of the most
15:42
courageous, bravest people to ever come
15:44
through this culture and the way he
15:46
nurtures us even through his pain.
15:49
It's extremely commendable. And Freeway
15:52
will be officially a member of the Sway
15:54
in the morning with Heather B and Tracy
15:55
G show.
15:56
That's crazy. starting this Monday.
15:58
I love that.
15:59
Freeway will be doing his own segment on
16:01
this show. He's going to have a monthly
16:03
residency and he's going to talk about
16:05
health and wellness.
16:06
I love that, man.
16:06
So, Freeway,
16:07
shout out to my brother, the Free
16:08
Pety Crack.
16:09
Indeed, my brother Pey
16:11
Pety Crack got one of the most
16:14
dopest flows ever.
16:16
Swaggy as a [ __ ] with it.
16:17
Okay. Uh and you guys came together to
16:20
do this song Rockefeller Chain.
16:22
Yes, sir.
16:22
Was it was it uh was it nostalgic for
16:25
you? What was this like?
16:26
Extremely when I heard the beat and you
16:28
know 38 Spees produced the whole album
16:30
38.
16:31
We got him coming up next.
16:32
Yeah, I seen him in the hallway. We
16:33
chopping it up.
16:33
Yeah,
16:34
you should have, you know what I mean?
16:35
I'll talk about it later.
16:36
Speech special, my [ __ ] Man, he did
16:37
the whole And he did my last project.
16:39
Yeah.
16:39
All the words.
16:40
But when I heard this beat, I was like,
16:42
"Yo, this sound like some
16:44
07 ho [ __ ] It sound like some rock." As
16:46
soon as I heard it, it sounded like some
16:47
Rockefeller [ __ ] And it brought me back
16:49
to my days at The Rock because when I
16:50
when I went to the Rockefeller uh when I
16:52
I signed with Rock
16:53
right when Jay-Z and Dame uh friendship
16:57
and business fell apart, you know what
16:58
I'm saying? And
16:59
so my deal, I mean, right as soon as the
17:01
deal was done. So I never got a chance
17:02
to do all the world tours with them and
17:03
get the big chain and do none of the
17:05
extra [ __ ] And I was disappointed,
17:06
heartbroken by it. I'm like, damn, I'm
17:08
about to rock. I want I want to live a
17:09
dream. I'm watching the tours.
17:11
You reached Oz. That's like being in Oz,
17:13
right?
17:13
And it burns down when you get there.
17:15
It's like,
17:16
you know what I'm saying? So that that
17:17
but I I went to London with them. I went
17:19
to Japan with Dame. I did I did still
17:21
get some of the fruits, but I wanted to
17:23
do the whole thing and do those songs.
17:25
And remember when they was at the radio
17:26
station and rapping for Matt, I was
17:28
like, "No commercial breaks. We going
17:29
crazy." I wanted to be all that. I
17:31
needed all that.
17:32
But they uh their relationship and the
17:34
business went down as soon as I signed
17:36
with them. So I didn't get the
17:37
opportunity to do that. So
17:39
I'm like reliving it now.
17:40
Yeah.
17:40
Like now I they ordered the chain. The
17:43
Rockefeller chain is coming right now.
17:45
You know what I'm saying? Like literally
17:46
dead ass serious.
17:47
Oh, so you getting the chain?
17:48
Getting the chain.
17:50
Wow.
17:50
The diamonds are being put in the chain
17:52
as I'm on the feet.
17:53
Fact. Yeah.
17:54
Who's going to put it on your uh put it
17:56
around you?
17:56
I'll probably do it myself. [laughter]
17:58
Okay. We just going to wear it and step
18:00
out step outside. But y'all going to see
18:01
it live. We doing a show all together up
18:04
at So at on September 24th. So if you're
18:06
in the city, please pop out, man. Come
18:08
support. I need y'all there. I need all
18:09
y'all in the
18:11
all four of us going to be there tearing
18:12
it down. Especi going to tap into. It's
18:14
going to be crazy. Hopefully I get meth
18:15
to come through.
18:16
It's going to be a movie. Pap definitely
18:17
going to pull up. It's going to be It's
18:19
going to be something to see in New York
18:20
City. That's a That's a big fact.
18:22
Yeah. Me and Torch going to pull up,
18:23
right? Torch
18:25
facts.
18:25
All right. There you [laughter] go.
18:27
And Heather, the whole squad, y'all all
18:28
pulling up.
18:28
Yeah. Ask Heather if she going to pull
18:30
up. Yeah. Whole squad. [laughter]
18:32
We going We going to kidnap y'all. Y'all
18:34
pulling up.
18:34
Hey man, let's play that Rockefeller
18:36
chain. Hey Graph, I know you brought
18:38
some bars today, right?
18:39
I for sure did.
18:40
We going to come back with some elite
18:42
bars, man. This is not an audition. And
18:44
he has nothing to prove. This is an
18:46
exhibition. Graph is up next. Shave by
18:49
Drippy Dre. What up, Drippy Dre? What
18:51
are we doing, man?
18:53
Drippy.
18:53
What's happening? What's happening? Good
18:55
morning, man.
18:55
We got a real MC in here.
18:58
Yeah, I got a salute graph, man. He
19:00
never takes a bar off. He been in the
19:01
game, man. If y'all remember Prince, he
19:03
was black hand everything. He always put
19:06
it down. And that new album is fire.
19:09
Yeah, it's great.
19:10
That video you got with my boy Joe
19:11
Crack, man. He throw TV at you, man.
19:13
[laughter]
19:13
That's real rap. Pully rap. You know
19:15
what I mean?
19:17
Yo yo yo yo. One story real quick. I'm
19:20
going to be quick and I know going to
19:21
cut me off.
19:22
Okay.
19:22
Grab
19:23
I miss you performing at Wildwood cuz we
19:25
got kicked out that night. We was with
19:26
Cool Kid. They accused you still to this
19:29
day. We know you ain't do it. I love
19:30
y'all, man. And salute Sway AND HEATHER
19:33
B.
19:35
WHO the hell? Well, they said I did.
19:36
YO, IT WAS SO MUCH VIOLENCE GOING ON.
19:38
THEY SAID GRAB stab somebody. He didn't
19:40
do it. Allegedly. Allegedly. Allegedly
19:43
allegedly,
19:45
[laughter] hey,
19:47
I'm on energy. I'M ON ENERGY. I WAS ON
19:49
BURPEES THIS MORNING. I was on
19:52
[laughter] Hey, yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Hey
19:53
yo, salute cuz um Heather B and Sway. My
19:56
mother still shouts y'all out from
19:58
Chicago. We took pictures with my mom's.
20:00
And thank y'all, man. Y'all gave my mom
20:02
so many great memories from that
20:04
[laughter] stage two camp from last
20:05
year. And she still talks about that
20:07
every day. I love y'all, man. Hey, give
20:09
your hey, give your mother a hug and a
20:10
kiss on the cheek for me, brother. Tell
20:12
her send our love to her. Drippy Dre,
20:14
you a super citizen.
20:16
A sway in the morning.
20:17
Yo, Graph is here, man.
20:20
Yeah, that was dope, man. Graph got a
20:22
new project, God's timing. You going to
20:24
have to catch him on the road as well.
20:27
You woke up this morning and what did
20:29
you tell yourself in terms of your
20:30
itinerary? What did you have to do to
20:32
when you woke up this morning? What was
20:33
on your schedule?
20:34
Sway in the morning. So, and you got
20:36
That's the most important thing. I said,
20:37
"This is culture. This is my favorite
20:39
show." I said, "I'm coming here to see
20:41
the family." You know what I'm saying?
20:43
I'm back. I've been there. And I'm home.
20:45
You home, brother.
20:46
Honey, I'm home.
20:47
This ain't even This is Welcome.
20:49
Welcome back, man.
20:50
Indeed. Indeed.
20:51
Welcome back home.
20:53
Yes, sir.
20:53
And to many, home looked like a house.
20:56
Some might even say an apartment
20:58
building.
20:59
Mhm.
20:59
To many, that's what it look like. But
21:02
to us and to grab home IS THE VALLEY OF
21:05
THE HYENA. [screaming]
21:09
[laughter]
21:10
Drop a beat on
21:12
real MC5.
21:17
Let's get it. Let's get it. Let's get
21:18
it.
21:18
Go ahead with it. Okay.
21:21
Hey, my name Brad
21:26
Sway. I'm [music] a black man trying to
21:28
reduce the population. And I don't
21:29
[singing] trust the radiation in the cat
21:31
scan. Paper chasing [music] in the trash
21:32
can. Poor Jack Dan with them paper
21:34
plates. He ain't made the way [singing]
21:35
to that cap stand. Crack grams in that
21:37
flat pan. When I raise [music] the
21:39
flames and it lap dance and [singing] I
21:40
save the day cuz I'm Batman but the trap
21:42
version that's certain snitch [ __ ] You
21:44
that person. I'm a real [ __ ]
21:46
[music and singing] You the rap version.
21:47
Got a glass of bourbon in a black
21:48
suburban. Look in the backseat who you
21:50
see that's your girlfriend. Sucking dick
21:52
for another trip to the plastic surgeon.
21:54
I'm ratchet working on trying not to be
21:55
[music and singing] a nasty jerking and
21:56
a ratty person on the gram. Searching
21:58
for a [ __ ] with way too many likes that
21:59
probably look bad in person. Nothing
22:01
then that make a bag is working. Grab
22:03
your purse and I [music] step on the gas
22:04
and that jag and I'm swerving soon as
22:06
she hit the handle. I'm skirting back
22:08
with the crack serving [music] bagging
22:10
up work. Pat the addicts on the back
22:12
burping back in service. Relax nerd. Why
22:14
you acting nervous? [music] You a cop or
22:15
something. Trying to get shot inside
22:17
then I grab burners. Not for nothing
22:18
when the cops rushing. I'm turner
22:21
journey man. I done sold crack for
22:22
[music] my mama's shoes. Kick ass no
22:24
karate shoes. I done sold all type of
22:26
dope to put both of my kids through
22:28
private school. Put my pants up and tie
22:30
my shoes. What the [ __ ] is y'all trying
22:31
to do? I done sold every drug future.
22:34
Made a song about I ever tried to use.
22:35
[music] Bomb in your crib, I burn your
22:37
house down if I can't find a fuse. Hey,
22:42
hey, hey. I [music] done sold crack for
22:45
my mama's shoes. Kick ass, no karate
22:47
shoes. I done sold all type of dope
22:49
[music] to put both of my kids through
22:50
private school. Pull my pants up and tie
22:52
my shoes. What the [ __ ] is y'all trying
22:54
to do? [music and singing] Cuz I didn't
22:55
sold Levy drug. Future made a song about
22:57
I ever try to use bomb in your crib. I
22:59
burn your house down if I can't find a
23:01
fuse. [music] I'm confused. Life's a
23:03
[ __ ] with a vagina bruise. Trying to
23:04
tie the tubes. Weed smelling my clothes.
23:06
[ __ ] can't hide the fumes. Dope in the
23:08
bag. How you want a [ __ ] in the needle
23:10
on the side of the spoon. [music]
23:11
Kill [ __ ] and provide a tune. Put the
23:13
kids in the college room with no
23:14
guidance. High on shrooms. Bada boom.
23:16
Mother cut. Leave a [ __ ] forehead
23:18
inside the moon. Gang gang. I don't run
23:20
out of goons. [music and singing] I
23:21
don't know how to run out of doom. So
23:23
much dirty money in the safe that if I
23:24
add a dollar I run out of room. We are
23:27
genetically predisposition to be in
23:28
[music] the prison. We need deep in the
23:30
system in a fetal position. We mentally
23:32
beat the submission completely. We
23:33
[music] listen to rappers that are
23:34
fiends addicted to lean and everything.
23:35
I heat in the kitchen. These [ __ ] need
23:37
a prescription but see the differences.
23:38
The kids really need intervention. So
23:40
back up looking at the mic [music] like
23:42
is that a coffin? Is that an actual
23:45
abortion in the back of the recording?
23:46
The heat is [music] actually this vomit.
23:48
Your favorite rapper up in the back of
23:49
his apartment. Hack him up into an
23:51
omelet. Back [music] them up into a
23:52
match. Wrapped up in a carpet. Back it
23:54
up. Been a lavish in the projects like I
23:56
built a mansion in the forest. My jacket
23:58
is gorgeous. Made a rabbit and a dolphin
23:59
lamb skin in a [music] wall. It's rapid
24:01
grass artist [singing] never to be
24:03
confused with any rapper walking. Save
24:05
that mix up [ __ ] for goldface [music]
24:07
and action bronson with forever. I've
24:09
been sick forever. [ __ ] [singing] Magic
24:11
Johnson. Leave a [ __ ] brain dead. Have
24:13
[music] him dressed up in a snapback
24:14
coffin. When I clap that lock and it's
24:16
automatically a [singing] automatic
24:18
coffin. All the static on the automatic.
24:20
Make it sound like the automatic coffin.
24:21
[music] I bought your soul at auction.
24:23
Too sweet cuz they added frosting. Tried
24:25
to get my money back from that
24:27
department, [music] but they fused to
24:28
get back my deposit. They said I cracked
24:29
it. Nah, I was cracked when I bought it.
24:31
Put that [ __ ] back in the garbage.
24:32
[music] Put that in the trash bag in the
24:33
car and ass toss and I let it splash in
24:35
the garbage. You the trash talk on
24:37
Instagram. [music] You the Graham
24:38
Stalker. I'm Brad Pit but a tad darker
24:40
with math bricks in the bath water.
24:42
[ __ ] gang. Stupid. [music]
24:49
Sup dog. [laughter] My god. This is
24:53
not sure if they wondering if I still do
24:54
this [ __ ] I don't know if y'all
24:56
wondering, but uh
24:57
I'm just visiting folks. You know what
24:59
I'm saying?
25:00
Let me turn back to a nice guy.
25:03
Back talking about the kids.
25:06
Wow.
25:07
Whoa. [applause]
25:12
You quit your show, homie.
25:15
Welcome home. I told you. Oh, I'm back.
25:18
I got to take my spot.
25:20
WOW.
25:20
YEAH.
25:21
WOW. THE CHAMPION'S HERE.
25:23
HEY.
25:24
YO, let me tell you something.
25:26
I I don't know if I've been
25:28
flabbergasted after a freestyle in the
25:30
years we've done this on this show. Have
25:32
I?
25:34
You have. Some warranted, some not.
25:36
No, [laughter]
25:37
this is
25:39
this is MCSism at its highest form.
25:42
Heather, can you speak to that? Well, I
25:44
mean, it's one of them things, and I
25:46
don't say this often because you know
25:47
how I feel about a lot of people that
25:49
sit in that seat, but um
25:51
I think this is one of those ones where
25:52
you just going to have to do a lot of
25:54
rewinding, rewinding, rewinding. What
25:58
the locksmith, rewind, rewind, rewind.
26:01
you a couple people you just got to go
26:02
back and really understand the cadences
26:06
and and the how did you do that without
26:09
even breathing it sound like was
26:12
absolutely unbelievable. Couple of
26:14
interesting bars in there too but uh
26:16
[laughter] remains to be seen
26:20
to be continued.
26:21
Yo, [laughter]
26:23
we got a lion up in this [ __ ]
26:26
Yeah, this ain't even a high either.
26:27
So, but I I have an MC question though.
26:30
I do before we wrap um is this something
26:33
where you are kind of going through this
26:35
if you don't mind sharing your process
26:38
um
26:39
you know just in your mind all day and
26:40
memorizing that way or are you doing pin
26:43
to pad
26:44
both like I write note like my I write
26:47
the way I write raps it looks like a a
26:49
mad scientist like you'll see like four
26:52
words on the paper and I be like a whole
26:53
30 bar verse you like how
26:55
it's just that I don't know my brain
26:57
computes these things in weird ways
26:58
those are your points that Yeah. Like
27:00
point of reference and then I just I
27:01
just cuz I think it faster than I could
27:02
write it.
27:03
Got it.
27:04
So it looks crazy. It's no like I don't
27:05
but I don't have no real format or rhyme
27:07
or reason. Sometimes I write it all out,
27:08
sometimes I type it, sometimes it's no
27:09
words at all. I write it in my head when
27:10
I'm driving.
27:11
So it's no I don't have like an actual
27:13
format.
27:13
Your body language though is crazy.
27:15
citizens. I know that you just
27:17
experienced this like audibly, but once
27:19
you catch it on YouTube at Sway's
27:20
Universe, I feel like Graph, it's almost
27:23
like you was kicked back on the couch
27:24
with your feet up [laughter]
27:26
while you was rapping in all these
27:28
different directions and you're giving
27:29
us like so many different skill sets
27:34
like with it. I don't even know how much
27:36
time that was, but that was really elite
27:39
level rapping.
27:41
Yeah, it put me in the mind. Remember
27:42
when Jazzo and Jay-Z did Jigah who?
27:46
Yeah. [ __ ] what?
27:46
Jig of what? And those those cadences
27:49
that just like when are you going to
27:51
stop
27:52
breathing [laughter]
27:53
just Yeah. A lot to catch in there.
27:55
Well, that's that's the difference.
27:56
That's when you know it's levels to
27:58
this. There's levels to MCing, right?
28:01
And you're at a highest level now.
28:04
You're seeking other levels. And you
28:06
could tell that by your skill set.
28:08
You're tapping into other levels.
28:10
You're tapping into other levels. You're
28:11
not accidentally good. [laughter]
28:14
I'm having fun, too. Like,
28:15
well, it sound like that, too.
28:16
It's fun again for me now. Like,
28:18
that too.
28:18
This the first time in my career like
28:20
I'm out of the street 100%. Like, give
28:21
it up for that.
28:22
Congrat.
28:23
I'm making money off rap, folks.
28:24
Wow.
28:25
Like, yeah.
28:26
Show us some peace of mind that come
28:27
with that though.
28:28
What?
28:28
I didn't I didn't see a way for me to
28:30
ever actually be 100% out the street
28:32
doing music unless you had like a hit
28:33
record or Yeah.
28:34
all the way in the radio. But now it's
28:36
like this the the emergence of street
28:37
music, hip-hop like matters. Bars matter
28:39
again. So, it's like after like Rosela
28:41
came out and especially all those guys
28:42
start doing their things, all of my rap
28:44
[ __ ] started selling and researching
28:46
because now the fans are looking for
28:47
bars and looking for content that's
28:49
real. Not just content, but actual art.
28:53
I don't give a [ __ ] about making
28:54
content. I care about making art. You
28:55
could make content out of that [ __ ]
28:56
Make I'mma make art. I do what you want
28:58
to do with content, but I don't make
29:00
content for to be relevant. I create art
29:02
that I believe in and
29:04
hope you like it. If you don't, that's
29:05
cool, too. But I'm going to make what I
29:06
like. You know what I'm saying? So,
29:08
that's where I'm at with it right now.
29:09
I'm I'm just enjoying the fruits of
29:10
everything that's coming with this
29:12
beautiful word.
29:12
Amazing. You are a tremendously amazing
29:15
MC and you're great at your craft. Uh
29:18
you're one of a kind. Give it up for
29:20
Graph. God's timing is the name of the
29:22
project. Thank you, brother. WE FINALLY
29:24
GOT IT OFF.
29:25
YEAH, we did. We did. We did.
#Arts & Entertainment