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"I Quit Cold Turkey": King NTG’s Powerful Story of Transformation | SWAY’S UNIVERSE
Jun 17, 2026
The Bay Area is back in the building with a powerful message that is shifting the culture of hip-hop. Join Sway as he welcomes the legendary DJ D Sharp and the incredible King NTG to discuss their latest project and the evolution of the Richmond sound. This is not just about music; it is about setting a new standard for the next generation.
In this episode, King NTG opens up about his profound transformation from Neo the GIF to a leader who has eliminated cursing and toxic messaging from his craft. He shares his journey through adversity, the importance of fatherhood, and how he found his purpose in the booth after a seven-year hiatus. DJ D Sharp and Willie Joe also stop by to break down the vision behind Team Bay Area and how they are bridging the gap between talent and industry success.
You do not want to miss the moment King NTG enters the Valley of the Hyenas for a live freestyle that proves you do not need additives to deliver pure fire. From stories about discovering Jack Harlo to debating the top five MCs in the Bay, this conversation is packed with wisdom and elite lyricism.
Chapters
0:00 Intro and the return of DJ D Sharp
4:15 Introducing King NTG and the Richmond legacy
8:30 The evolution from Neo the GIF to King NTG
13:45 Choosing a clean path: Why the music changed
18:20 Defining the new standard in Bay Area hip-hop
23:50 Willie Joe on the Atlanta connection and ANR life
29:15 Discovering Jack Harlo and the power of mentorship
34:40 Building the Team Bay Area movement
40:10 The conversation on language and the n-word
45:30 Live Freestyle: King NTG in the Valley of the Hyenas
50:55 Building the Bay Area starting five and wrap up
Make sure to like this video and subscribe for more exclusive interviews and freestyles from the biggest names in the game. Let us know in the comments who would be in your Bay Area starting five!
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0:00
Words of wisdom right there.
0:02
Kalani, who who said that right there,
0:04
Kalani? Let them know who said that.
0:06
>> That was DJ D-Sharp right there, the
0:08
Warriors DJ right there.
0:10
>> You better act like you know he's back
0:12
in the building.
0:13
>> Hey, hey, hey.
0:14
>> DJ
0:15
DJ Sharp is in the building.
0:17
>> That's right.
0:17
>> Hey, hey, hey.
0:19
>> you forget who he is, man, he's
0:20
entertained crowds of 20,000 fans or
0:23
more. I know it for a fact, I was there.
0:25
And to lastly be recognized
0:28
as one of the best DJs to come out of
0:30
Northern California.
0:32
He's attended, I mean, he's DJ'd events
0:34
attended by President Barack Obama, had
0:37
him throw his hand in the air and say,
0:38
"Yee!" I've seen him do [laughter] it.
0:41
You know, last time we saw each other,
0:43
we were hosting in the city of Oakland,
0:46
downtown Oakland in front of City Hall
0:48
for Lisa Lou, who won her gold medals,
0:50
figure skater. And my man D-Sharp had
0:54
the entire town bouncing.
0:56
>> It was fun, man. We had a good time. We
0:58
had a good time.
0:59
>> We had a good time.
1:00
>> It was love. It was so fun. It was
1:03
beautiful.
1:03
>> And every time I see him, he says, "How
1:05
you want me to introduce you?" I was
1:07
like, "Man, are you kidding me?"
1:09
>> Nah, yeah, I I I was nervous, man. It's
1:11
Sway, you know? It's like we we in the
1:13
town, I got to introduce cuz they was
1:15
like, "You got to introduce Sway." I'm
1:16
like, "Man,
1:17
>> What did you say?
1:18
>> What did I say? Did I even introduce
1:20
you? I think you introduced yourself.
1:22
>> Yeah, I was like, "Yeah, yeah."
1:23
>> Hogging [laughter] the mic, hog.
1:25
You a little greedy for your own You
1:26
don't You won't even let nobody do
1:28
introduction for you.
1:29
>> to mess it up.
1:30
>> You didn't want to mess it up.
1:31
[laughter]
1:32
Mike hog.
1:33
>> Nah, nah, I just I don't I'm I'm not big
1:34
on introductions. I just I like to get
1:37
to it, you know what I'm
1:37
>> to get to it, yes, sir.
1:38
>> Maybe I got to stop with that. I Maybe
1:40
I'm too humble with it.
1:41
>> Nah, you you're a pro, bro. You know
1:43
what to do, so
1:43
>> You know, but you're fascinating to me.
1:45
D-Sharp is back, big round of applause.
1:47
And you know, one of the thing about
1:48
D-Sharp
1:50
is he's always Our relationship has been
1:53
built on love and respect, but also
1:55
information and curiosity. And D-Sharp
1:58
has been keeping me in tune with a lot
2:00
of different things that's happening
2:01
in the Bay. You know, that's how I got
2:04
to know the Ian Kellys of the world and
2:06
really get tied in with ST Spittin and a
2:09
lot of different just what I consider to
2:11
be some of the dopest MCs that's coming
2:13
out of the Bay. You've been very
2:14
supportive of my nephew Jay Walk and
2:17
this movement. The Jay Walk movement is
2:19
incredible, right?
2:20
>> a show for the Super Bowl, me and him.
2:22
>> Yeah. Yeah, during the Super Bowl at
2:25
>> at the Kaiser Convention Center.
2:26
>> Convention Center. And he hit me up,
2:28
"Unc, I'm doing the Kaiser Convention
2:30
Center. Unc, I'm performing in front of
2:32
the Valkyries."
2:33
>> Yep, he done
2:34
he going crazy.
2:35
>> Yeah.
2:36
>> He's going crazy.
2:37
>> Jay Walk is one of those guys. What I
2:38
appreciate about you is you elevate Bay
2:40
Area artists, but not just any Bay Area
2:43
artist. You elevate the best of them.
2:45
And today, you're with one of the MCs I
2:48
consider to be a premier elite MC to
2:51
come out of Northern California that if
2:53
people haven't heard of them yet, today
2:56
you're going to get to meet them. And
2:57
I'm talking about the one and only King
2:59
NTG is in the building. NTG
3:02
>> [applause]
3:04
>> is in the building. What up, Richmond's
3:06
finest? It's in the building. What up?
3:09
>> South side stand up.
3:10
>> Stand up, man.
3:11
>> Yes.
3:12
>> Welcome to the show, bro.
3:13
>> Thank you. Thank you, man. Man, what an
3:15
intro, man. I'm honored, man.
3:17
>> Uh well, listen.
3:18
>> Appreciate you.
3:18
>> No, you you've done a lot, you know,
3:20
once people uh get to know who you are.
3:23
In fact, I want people to follow you and
3:25
and do the research on who you are and
3:27
let them listen to some of the songs you
3:29
made, some of the projects you've done.
3:31
They're they're very uplifting, um
3:34
very enlightening, very honest, very
3:37
transparent. You know, you've had You
3:39
know, you faced a lot of adversities in
3:41
your life to get to where you are. And
3:43
and so, I want to welcome you to the
3:45
show. They have a new project. What does
3:47
the project call?
3:48
>> It's called The New Standard.
3:49
>> The New Standard.
3:51
>> And is And is is it filled with just Bay
3:53
Area artists or is it
3:55
>> Yeah. Yeah. The deluxe is a little bit
3:58
different. We ain't that we just
3:59
announced that just for the first time
4:00
right now. The deluxe is different
4:02
though. But this this first one that we
4:04
just put out it
4:06
has a lot of Bay Area talent on there.
4:08
>> All right. You know
4:10
um
4:10
>> All tracks produced by DJ D-Sharp too,
4:12
sir.
4:12
>> D-Sharp did all the tracks.
4:14
I want to talk about those tracks. But
4:16
when you go back and listen to King
4:18
NTG's music um he has a project called
4:21
the salvation project, right?
4:23
>> Amazing.
4:24
>> It's an amazing project. Mike Muse,
4:25
you're going to love this. You're going
4:26
to listen to it this weekend and you're
4:28
going to hit me and want to talk about
4:29
songs on it.
4:30
>> I can't wait to hear it.
4:31
>> And okay, one of the songs on it you rap
4:34
about your daughter. And it's a song
4:36
called Save the Children.
4:38
>> Yeah.
4:39
>> And that's what
4:41
the way you rap about
4:44
your daughter, the love in which you
4:47
really put your words into these verses
4:49
really touched me.
4:51
You know, you said I'm scared for her to
4:52
grow up in a world without honor and
4:54
respect.
4:55
>> Yeah.
4:55
>> Um she sees the best in people like her
4:58
mama.
4:59
But how can I explain to my pretty
5:01
little girl that people act the opposite
5:02
of pretty in the world?
5:04
To ever trust anyone but
5:07
for her to be loyal.
5:10
You know, I've never really the verse
5:13
goes on to say so much more, right? Um
5:16
I I got to ask you about your purpose in
5:19
rap, you know. What is your purpose?
5:22
>> So
5:24
early on
5:25
before I rebranded as King NTG I was Neo
5:28
the Gift.
5:29
Um I lived a completely different life,
5:32
you know.
5:33
>> How so?
5:34
>> I was in the streets. I was you know,
5:36
doing what I felt I needed to do to make
5:38
money, survive, taking chances, taking
5:41
risks unapologetic about it. Um
5:46
lacked accountability in certain
5:48
regards.
5:49
And um um
5:51
seeing what I seen, man, I I I've I've
5:54
seen everything that you can think of
5:56
from life to death. And um you know, I
5:59
got friends that are behind bars serving
6:02
30, 7 years. I mean, I've seen so much
6:05
happen in front of me and it it it it
6:08
try it's traumatizing, but coming from
6:11
Richmond, man, it was almost normal for
6:13
me.
6:14
>> Mhm.
6:14
>> And uh
6:15
I started hitting a wall mentally and I
6:18
started realizing that the stuff that I
6:20
was going through wasn't normal.
6:22
Um
6:23
I have a history of mentoring troubled
6:25
youth
6:26
um speaking to to kids with troubled
6:29
backgrounds and trying to uplift them
6:32
when I was struggling myself. And so,
6:35
when I became a father for the first
6:36
time it was when I That was when I
6:38
started to first realize like, "Hold up,
6:41
I can't keep living the same way that I
6:43
once was." And when I started to, you
6:46
know, evolve and have more children
6:48
I really had to pivot. And so, I quit
6:51
everything that I was doing
6:53
um cold turkey. I I I made sure that I
6:55
put all the hustling down.
6:57
>> Mhm.
6:57
>> Um with that being said, money slowed
7:00
up.
7:01
Music wasn't really moving like that um
7:05
and I had to go broke and and start from
7:07
zero.
7:08
And
7:10
um
7:10
it brought me even closer to God. I was
7:12
always, you know, taught to believe in
7:14
God, but I got to know God in my darkest
7:18
hours.
7:18
>> Mhm.
7:19
>> Because I looked for the light, you
7:21
know, I didn't I didn't succumb to the
7:23
darkness that was surrounding me. I
7:26
looked for the light and I really found
7:27
it within. But I I I started to take
7:31
more accountability and I knew that I
7:32
needed to change if I wanted the life
7:35
that I wanted for myself that I
7:37
envisioned. I needed to change. And so,
7:40
with me changing it helped me create a
7:43
foundation for my family to raise them
7:45
on and
7:48
that was the best decision that I ever
7:49
made and then God started to lead me in
7:52
the right direction. So, to get back to
7:55
what your question was
7:57
God comes to me in 2024.
8:00
I I I had prayed for my gifts to go away
8:02
at one point.
8:03
>> Really?
8:03
>> I took 7 years off from the rap game
8:06
just because it wasn't allowing me to
8:09
become the best version of myself.
8:11
Everything that was coming with it, I
8:13
was just like I don't know if my heart
8:14
is here no more. I don't know if my soul
8:16
is here no more for this. I think I want
8:19
to pivot and do something else and help
8:20
people. I got diagnosed with type 1
8:23
diabetes at 33 years old. I started
8:26
training children in basketball at that
8:28
time during the pandemic. Started my own
8:31
business and becoming more of a mentor.
8:34
And that led me to, you know, being more
8:36
of a leader of the youth, helping
8:39
parents out, things like that. So, I
8:41
started to be more of a vocal leader to
8:42
the kids.
8:44
And my kids started to come of age. My
8:47
sons was listening to all this toxic
8:49
music.
8:49
>> Mhm.
8:50
>> And I was like, "Nah, you know, I'm
8:51
raising my my boys to be good kids, but
8:54
they listening to all this violence and
8:55
they inspired by it.
8:57
And I'm listening to it and I'm hearing
8:58
I'm dissecting all the mistakes that
9:01
these rappers is making, but they
9:03
getting rich off of it. And I'm like,
9:05
"Something don't seem right, man.
9:06
Something don't seem right because
9:08
why would y'all pay these kind of guys
9:10
who don't got the the the mental
9:12
capacity to handle all this money? You
9:14
give them this and then they they take
9:17
this ignorance and go make millions of
9:18
dollars off of it. This is this could
9:20
get bad because now the rest of the kids
9:23
is going to think that this is how you
9:24
do it."
9:25
>> Yeah.
9:26
>> And so, I'm raising kids in this
9:28
generation. So, I said I would I would
9:30
tell them like, "You know, your dad used
9:32
to be one of them ones."
9:34
And you know, it started to feel like I
9:35
was just talking to them and I was like
9:39
man I I I wish I was still in this but I
9:41
knew that I was comfortable with my
9:43
life. But really it was my kids. I was
9:45
like I need to figure out a way to let
9:47
them know that their dad's messages
9:50
is what needs to be heard, you know. And
9:53
so um
9:54
in 2024 I woke up at 3:00 in the morning
9:57
man I just had like an epiphany. I
9:59
hadn't written anything for almost a
10:01
decade and I woke up in the morning and
10:04
I wrote this song called God Over Gold
10:06
which is on my Redemption project. It
10:08
was the first project that I did as King
10:10
NTG with Young Simmie out of Oakland.
10:13
And I wrote God Over Gold and I wrote
10:16
three more songs after that. Then I went
10:17
into the studio to record them because I
10:19
was like I just got to get this off my
10:20
chest. And I did everything in one take.
10:23
And that was when um
10:25
my boy V-Dal he was like yo man like it
10:27
sounds like you never stopped. In fact
10:29
you came back better. And he said I also
10:32
noticed something. He said you're not
10:34
cursing in your music. I was like yeah I
10:37
stopped cursing in my music. I
10:39
completely eliminated cursing in my
10:40
music.
10:41
>> Wow.
10:41
>> Because I didn't want to curse my gift.
10:43
>> Mhm.
10:45
>> Mhm. That's good.
10:45
>> So that's that's my rule now is is no
10:48
cursing the gift. I don't even want to
10:50
open doors for that, you know what I
10:51
mean? So
10:52
um I eliminated cursing but I still stay
10:54
true to me. I still keep the music
10:56
honest and vulnerable because the truth
10:58
don't need no additives, you know. You
11:01
just got to put it out there and you mix
11:02
the truth with with with art um and my
11:05
and my God-given abilities or what God
11:07
gave me and you get you get what I have
11:10
to offer right now, you know. And um
11:13
I I just thank God man that it's all
11:15
coming through. Um everything is coming
11:17
to fruition. Uh my covenant with God is
11:20
strong and you know everything that he's
11:23
told me to do and guided me to do I've
11:25
done and
11:27
I'm here.
11:28
>> Here we are man.
11:29
>> man. Man give that man a round of
11:31
applause. King NTG. You went from Neo to
11:35
Gift.
11:35
>> Yeah.
11:36
>> To now, what does the acronym NTG stand
11:39
for?
11:39
>> It's still Neo to Gift, but it's it's
11:41
also
11:42
you know, King for the next generation.
11:45
King next to God is cuz that's where I
11:47
strive to be. I strive to be next to God
11:49
one day, you know.
11:50
>> There it is, man. That setup was great
11:52
for that acronym. And then he just went
11:53
it's still NEO TO GIFT.
11:54
>> [laughter]
11:56
>> I WAS LIKE HE ABOUT TO LAND this one,
11:58
right?
11:59
>> Yeah.
11:59
>> What do you We're from the Bay. When I
12:02
when I listen to some of the lyrics and
12:04
when you talk the reason why that
12:05
particular song Save the Children tapped
12:08
tapped me is cuz I have a daughter and
12:10
and I'm from the Bay, you know, and you
12:12
know, it's a lot of mixed messaging in
12:15
the Bay, you know, people celebrate the
12:17
wrong stuff, you know, not I mean, I'm
12:19
not for involuntary servitude and
12:22
putting women in the streets and forcing
12:24
them to sell their bodies to make money
12:27
and I know a lot of I got
12:29
people close near and dear to me who
12:31
have dabbled in that that I would you
12:34
know, pimping and all that different
12:35
stuff that I would debate with about
12:37
what are you doing, you know, and uh and
12:40
so when just to hear that
12:42
that dichotomy of messaging, but
12:45
do you ever talk to people who are still
12:48
in that life about why do they or have
12:51
you ever considered something else?
12:54
>> So,
12:55
what I'll say to that is, you know, I'm
12:57
I'm very mindful not to judge.
12:59
>> Yeah.
13:00
>> Because I was
13:02
in some dispositions myself.
13:04
>> Okay.
13:04
>> And I made some bad choices myself.
13:06
>> Mhm.
13:07
>> And until you look outside of yourself,
13:10
you don't know that what you're doing is
13:12
is wrong per se. Because you're trying
13:15
to survive your situation. So,
13:19
they're doing what they think that they
13:20
have to do most of the time. Um
13:24
and [clears throat] then some people
13:24
just be overly popping it. It's like
13:27
I'll just ask
13:28
My new thing is like, I'm telling guys
13:31
like, "Hey, you know you could go to
13:32
hell You know you're going to hell for
13:33
that, right? Like, you know you could
13:35
burn in hell for that for eternity,
13:36
right?"
13:37
>> And it
13:38
>> Yeah. Yeah. It'll It'll shake It'll
13:40
shake a demon You will You will see.
13:42
It'll shake a demon out somebody. Say it
13:44
to somebody and and watch it shake a
13:46
demon out. They going to be like,
13:47
"What?"
13:48
It's It's worse It's worse than cussing
13:49
them out. Just tell them, "Going to hell
13:51
for that."
13:52
So, I just like to make people face
13:55
themselves, you know, without judgment.
13:58
You know, it's like, "Bro, you You proud
13:59
of that?" You know, if you proud of
14:01
that, then I can't tell you to I ain't I
14:03
can't convince you. You know, you grown.
14:05
But, what I am going to do is reach back
14:06
for them for them babies that's looking
14:07
at you thinking that it's right. I'mma
14:09
let them see something else when they
14:11
look at me standing next to you.
14:13
And it's I'm not judging you. I'm just
14:15
moving in my truth as a man and giving
14:17
these kids the option to say, "Does this
14:20
inspire me more or does this inspire me
14:22
more?"
14:22
>> Mhm.
14:23
>> If I can pull up in the Benz
14:25
with a pocket full of money, rocking
14:27
designer clothes, and all the things
14:28
that you like, and still get the same
14:30
attention that you getting without
14:32
having to do what you doing, and I'm
14:34
following God,
14:35
that gives that kid a good choice.
14:37
A good good set of options. But, if you
14:40
thinking that this is the only way to
14:42
this these this quality of life,
14:44
you're going to go and do that. So,
14:46
that's why I'm just intentional about
14:47
how I'm moving. So, I'm not judging what
14:50
you're doing. I'm not going to pay
14:51
attention to what you doing too much,
14:53
cuz then you going to look at me and
14:54
think that I think that I'm better than
14:55
you. I'd rather just move my way and let
14:58
the kids see what's better. Once you
15:01
realize that you ain't the dude to be
15:02
following,
15:03
you going to figure it out and look
15:04
inwardly and and and and realize like,
15:07
"Hold on, I need to check myself."
15:09
I think that's what it is with these
15:11
with with with the adults. Y'all got to
15:12
learn how to check y'all selves, man.
15:14
You know, it ain't going to It's not
15:15
going to work forever. Yeah. It's not
15:16
going to work forever. You know what I'm
15:17
saying? And you know,
15:20
I'm I'm I'm a older person now, too, and
15:22
it's like I got to make sure that I'm
15:24
set my life up for the next 60 years,
15:27
you know what I mean? I'm trying to be
15:28
here another 60 years, and you ain't
15:29
going to do it like that.
15:31
>> You in your 30s?
15:32
>> Yeah, I'm 38.
15:33
>> That's so cute, he said
15:34
>> I'm A OLDER PERSON.
15:36
>> [laughter]
15:38
>> I HAVE A QUESTION FOR YOU, KING.
15:39
>> OLDER IN SPIRIT.
15:40
>> I love I love the conversation that
15:43
you're bringing us right here. I'm
15:44
wondering, this state of mind you're
15:46
very welcome. This state of mind that
15:48
you're currently in, does it is it easy
15:52
to stay here? Or does it feel like every
15:55
day is maintenance? Do you ever get kind
15:59
of um seduced by
16:03
the thrill of the past? Because
16:05
sometimes for folks doing the wrong
16:07
thing, doing the bad thing can feel
16:09
really good.
16:12
>> It's so easy for me to be right here
16:13
right now.
16:14
Like I'm so done I like there's times
16:17
where I wake up and I I just completely
16:19
forget like that I used to live a
16:21
certain way. Cuz I'm so far removed. And
16:25
this version of me right now, I would go
16:28
back and grab the old me by the collar
16:30
so quick and say, "Hey, bro, let's just
16:33
come this way. I'm telling you it's the
16:34
grass is greener on this side." You
16:36
know, um I wouldn't even wasted as much
16:38
time as I did in that former life. But
16:42
um
16:43
I live life with no regrets. Um I had my
16:47
experiences and I didn't I didn't leave
16:50
anything on the table. I'm not missing
16:51
nothing. But where I'm at right now,
16:53
every day is is is beautiful. I look
16:56
forward to waking up every single day.
16:58
You know what I'm saying? Like I just
17:01
I don't know. I I it's hard to explain,
17:04
you know? It's just I I'm I'm blessed.
17:06
I'm blessed, and I I wouldn't I wouldn't
17:08
I wouldn't change where I'm at right now
17:10
for nothing.
17:11
>> You radiate it.
17:12
>> That man name is King MTG.
17:15
The new project is called the new
17:17
standard.
17:18
>> standard.
17:19
>> The new standard. What does that mean,
17:21
DJ D-Sharp, the new standard?
17:24
>> It's
17:24
you know, it's really bringing a new
17:26
standard to what's going on. Like he
17:27
talked about like what like I got two
17:30
young boys myself and you know, we be in
17:33
a car and we listening to music and it's
17:34
like, you know, the N-word keep popping
17:37
up and it's just like all of this stuff
17:39
like you talking about pimping, you
17:40
talking about, you know, getting money
17:43
in the in the wrong ways and it's like,
17:45
yo, I turn it off. I find the clean
17:47
versions for them, but I also
17:50
teach them the new standard. I play new
17:52
new stuff and new music and now they're
17:55
fans of King and TG. Like like they they
17:58
come in the car and they're like, "Dad,
18:00
throw that on." They want to hear it.
18:01
So, um but the new standard
18:03
>> The new standard is really what we what
18:06
we preaching and it's basically a new
18:08
standard in hip-hop and especially
18:11
because as you know, being from the Bay
18:13
Area, we're known for like one sound.
18:15
We're known for hyphy, we're known for
18:17
turning up, we're known for just going
18:19
dumb.
18:20
>> Mhm.
18:20
>> Right?
18:21
>> Mhm.
18:21
>> So, now it's like, well, now we got to
18:24
create a new standard and there's
18:25
nothing wrong with going dumb, there's
18:26
nothing wrong with going hyphy. Like
18:28
that's our culture, right? But what we
18:30
doing is we look like, "Look, we got
18:33
music that's worldwide. We got music
18:35
with a message. We got something to say.
18:38
My brother's not cursing on no music.
18:40
The production is top-tier and we're
18:43
just presenting a new standard. We're
18:44
showing people and artists from the Bay
18:46
Area, you don't have to do that. You can
18:49
do this. This is also a lane that you
18:52
can take. So, that's what it is.
18:54
>> Also, I like how you And I know
18:56
judgement to what others do,
18:59
>> Right.
18:59
>> but there's other ways.
19:00
>> There's other ways. Yeah.
19:02
>> the rate to reach similar goals, right?
19:04
I'm going to if people want to find the
19:06
project, they look up whom?
19:08
>> They look up So, the project is under
19:10
King and TG, DJ D-Sharp and Team Bay
19:13
Area.
19:14
>> Okay.
19:14
>> And it's the new standard.
19:16
>> It's the new standard. I'mma play a song
19:18
off this project. Uh and and I like this
19:21
song
19:23
because it just made me forced me to
19:25
reflect on what it is that brings us
19:27
attention um in terms of how do we get
19:30
noticed and people are willing to do
19:31
anything right now
19:32
>> Anything
19:33
>> just to get noticed, man. I mean fake
19:35
fights
19:36
>> Man.
19:37
>> on Instagram, you know, throwing up
19:39
money. I saw, you know, showing up to
19:41
people's houses, threatening their mama,
19:44
using AI, doing whatever, man. Fighting
19:46
with your baby mama,
19:48
you know, exposing your baby father, all
19:51
that different stuff.
19:53
And you got a song called What You Want
19:55
on this project, right? And and tell me
19:58
about that song and how does that
19:59
relate?
20:01
>> So
20:03
that was a big thing for me, you know,
20:05
it's like, you know, a lot of the next
20:07
the the new generation, they like to use
20:09
this term up when you reach a certain
20:11
age. And so, you know, right now like
20:15
the debate I've always I've been sitting
20:17
back for a long time watching and the
20:19
debate always comes up. It's like you
20:21
know, what's what's the message and all
20:23
the guys that's getting the money is the
20:25
ones that's moving a certain way. And
20:27
so, it's like but then we'll we'll see
20:29
people talk about it and it's like
20:31
they're telling you like, "Yo, y'all
20:32
shouldn't move like this." But then we
20:34
still interview these guys. We're still
20:36
holding them in high regard. And it's
20:39
like and this dude is living a toxic
20:42
life but he one of the biggest artists
20:44
in the world, you know, he talking about
20:46
killing
20:48
another black man in in every song that
20:50
he got but he one of the biggest artists
20:52
in the world. And so, now as I come back
20:55
with my gifts, I'm I'm looking at the
20:57
playing field and I'm like,
20:59
"What do you What y'all want from me?
21:01
You know, what do y'all want from me? Do
21:03
you want me to come out and talk like
21:05
this? You want Like why why should I do
21:08
that? You know, like what do you want?
21:10
Why do you want that? You know what I'm
21:11
saying? Cuz I mean, yeah, I could do
21:14
that for you, but what what purpose is
21:16
that serving? So, what you want is like
21:19
I'm I'm I'm asking a rhetorical
21:21
question, but I'm also telling you like
21:23
Nah, that's not how you do that. You
21:25
know what I'm saying? That's not how you
21:26
get your message across because that's
21:28
going to have adverse effects. And so,
21:30
I'm I'm I'm making sure that I'm mindful
21:32
of, you know, not belittling a listener,
21:36
but trying to make them understand and
21:38
look inside themselves and say, Man,
21:40
bro, that makes sense.
21:41
>> Yeah.
21:41
>> You know, that makes sense. I Maybe I
21:43
shouldn't move like that. Maybe I
21:44
shouldn't do that that way. Because you
21:46
got to look in at certain examples and
21:49
understand like this is a a a quick
21:51
ticket to either prison or or or death.
21:54
>> Mhm.
21:55
>> You know what I'm saying? And it's like
21:56
is that what we striving towards? Is
21:58
that what you want for me to entertain
22:01
you by giving you all of the negatives?
22:04
Like you don't need You don't need that
22:05
from me.
22:06
>> Yeah.
22:06
>> what I'm saying? So, I understand what
22:08
you want. I'm asking you what you want,
22:10
but also understand what you need. You
22:12
know?
22:12
>> Man.
22:12
>> Let's go into this. This off the new
22:14
standard. Man, he's here. King NTG, DJ
22:18
D-Sharp. This is what you want. Sway in
22:21
the morning.
22:22
>> [music]
22:23
>> 888-742-3345.
22:25
Y'all want to ask this man a question.
22:27
The new standard project is out right
22:30
now. We mentioned two of the names, DJ
22:33
D-Sharp.
22:33
>> Yeah.
22:34
>> King NTG.
22:36
D-Sharp, introduce the divisionary
22:39
behind the project. Yo, man, we all came
22:42
together because of this brother. Like
22:43
he came to the studio, man. Actually, I
22:46
was playing the me and Ian Kelly's
22:47
project, and he was like, man, what you
22:49
doing, man? And he was like, yo, you
22:51
know
22:52
uh Neo the Gift? I was like, that's my
22:53
brother. What are you talking about? He
22:55
was like, y'all need to do a project
22:56
together. So, Willie Joe from Team Bay
22:59
Area
23:00
>> Come on.
23:00
>> brought us together, man. And he's in
23:02
the building right now.
23:03
>> Yeah, listen. This is one of those
23:05
unsung heroes right here have to be.
23:07
>> Okay.
23:08
>> This is one of those people who be in
23:09
the DNA of a lot of success,
23:12
a lot of successful artists, a lot of
23:14
successful careers.
23:16
Down with our brothers D- DJ Drama,
23:19
Don Cannon.
23:20
And and and I'm super Lake Show. What
23:24
up, Lake? I'm super proud of them, man.
23:27
We don't cross paths that often, but
23:30
the energy cross constantly and people
23:32
are always We're always talking about
23:34
the great work you're doing, man. And I
23:36
want to say salute to you, man.
23:38
Congratulations. Being from where you
23:40
from?
23:40
>> Vallejo, California.
23:43
>> AMINA, Y'ALL SET TRIPPING.
23:46
>> I know Amina from Amazon is listening,
23:48
right?
23:49
>> Amina, what's up with YOU, GIRL?
23:53
>> WHERE JERSEY AT?
23:54
>> WILLIE JOE, WHAT MY shirt [laughter]
23:55
say, man?
23:56
>> Made in the Bay.
23:59
>> I'm trying to get my yay area
24:02
my yay area drop.
24:03
>> She said all that set tripping.
24:06
>> THERE YOU GO.
24:08
>> [laughter]
24:09
>> Y'ALL KNOW WHERE Y'ALL AT.
24:10
>> I'M SURROUNDED. You You was an artist,
24:12
though, right? Tell Tell Tell us your
24:14
origin story, man.
24:15
>> Oh, man. That's a It's It's a long one.
24:18
We keep it short, though. But, you know,
24:19
I'm from Vallejo. I've been rapping for
24:22
a long time, you know what I'm saying? I
24:24
moved to Atlanta cuz my sister went to
24:26
Clark.
24:26
>> Okay.
24:27
>> So, she the first one to go to college
24:29
out of the
24:29
out of the family. So, when she was at
24:31
Clark for her freshman year, sophomore,
24:33
she just kept saying, "Man, you need to
24:34
come to Atlanta and push your music like
24:36
cuz you really, you know, going for it."
24:38
So, I'm like, "Man, you know what? I'm a
24:40
I'm a go there." A year later, I moved
24:42
to Atlanta. This is like a probably 2
24:44
years out of high school, moving around,
24:47
moving with her. A year later, got a job
24:49
at the airport, start passing out my CDs
24:52
at like hearing stuff on the radio,
24:54
start passing out my CDs. One person had
24:56
my CD end up being a manager, my boy
24:58
Fort Knox, shout out Fort Knox, my boy
25:00
Tyree. They introduced me to the open
25:02
mics.
25:03
>> Okay.
25:03
>> When they showed me open mics, you know,
25:05
in the Bay Area at that time, I've never
25:07
seen open mic, never seen showcases. It
25:09
was just out the trunk, you know what I
25:11
mean? That's how you live, build your
25:12
own thing. So, when they showed me that,
25:14
start performing, start performing, I
25:15
won it actually won a showcase at
25:17
Atrium. Shout out to my boy B Rich. So,
25:20
>> when I won the showcase,
25:21
>> Yes.
25:22
>> the prize was studio time. So, when I
25:24
got the studio time, he took me to his
25:26
studio at his house. His engineer was
25:28
his little cousin. He was 15 years old,
25:31
who happened to be B.o.B.
25:32
>> Uh-huh.
25:33
>> B.o.B. was engineering me, and he
25:35
telling me while we recording like,
25:36
"Man, you know I rap, too, man. I'll be
25:38
trying to tell them I rap." I like, "Let
25:40
me hear it, man." He heard I heard it. I
25:41
said, "Boy, you fire." So, I had a song
25:43
called Get 'Em Got 'Em start taking off
25:44
in Atlanta. Uh I had B.o.B. opening up
25:47
for me. One day, I was like, "Man,
25:49
B.o.B., you ready?" He was like,
25:50
"B.o.B., that's my name." And then from
25:52
there, his name was B.o.B. 8 months
25:54
later,
25:55
he signed to Atlantic and became B.o.B.
25:57
>> My gosh. You named him, dog?
25:59
>> Yeah.
26:00
>> What made you say B.o.B., are you ready?
26:02
>> like, you know, I always give my
26:03
partners names, call him Giffy, you know
26:05
what I'm saying? Sharpy. I just give my
26:07
partners names. So, when I was just
26:08
like, B.o.B., it just I don't know where
26:10
it came from. And he was like, "Man,
26:12
that's my name right there." And I'm
26:13
like, "Oh, okay." I said,
26:14
>> Wow, that's crazy. But then you you got
26:17
more into A&R then.
26:19
>> Yeah, yeah. So, later after the music
26:21
career,
26:22
um
26:23
at towards the end of it, uh I had a a a
26:25
real close friend of mine named Pills
26:27
that passed away.
26:28
>> Mhm.
26:28
>> And um he used to always tell me to move
26:30
back to Atlanta when I went to Atlanta
26:31
cuz when I moved back to uh to the Bay
26:34
Area from Atlanta, that's when I got
26:35
with Gift, Tracks a Million, and Erk the
26:37
Jerk, and we made a group called FNM.
26:40
>> Yes.
26:40
>> Fly [ __ ] Movement. And then that's
26:42
actually where during that time is when
26:44
Erk made right here.
26:45
>> Uh-huh.
26:46
>> He took off, and all that happened. So,
26:48
basically later on in my career, I moved
26:50
back to Atlanta, and within the 6 months
26:53
of moving back Piles passed away.
26:55
>> Wow.
26:55
>> So when Piles passed away and I'm
26:57
leaving the funeral, I'm real real close
27:00
with Lake. So Lake called me. He didn't
27:02
know I was at a funeral though. He just
27:04
hit me on some you ready? I'm like what
27:05
you talking about? He was like man Uzi
27:07
just had his you know his early success.
27:09
>> Lil Uzi got signed.
27:10
>> Lil Uzi Vert, you know they just they
27:12
they were building a staff and I think
27:13
you would be a great A&R. I'm like what?
27:16
So this is towards my end of my career
27:17
so when he said that I'm like damn. I
27:20
knew right then and there that was God
27:21
saying this is your transition.
27:23
>> Yeah.
27:23
>> You can you can you can actually go keep
27:25
this going doing something else and
27:27
elevate. You know what I'm saying? And
27:28
once you did it I went to he said we
27:30
thinking about you being an A&R. I was
27:32
at that studio for 6 months. Didn't say
27:34
nothing about no pay no nothing just
27:36
worked on stuff A&R [ __ ]
27:38
We signed Jack. We A&R
27:40
>> And hold up hold up. They signed Jack
27:42
Harlow.
27:43
>> Yeah. Jack
27:45
>> [laughter]
27:45
>> I got you. I got you.
27:47
>> My first day on the job they put three
27:49
people in front of me and said who
27:50
should we sign? I said the white boy
27:51
with the glasses. He fired.
27:52
>> Jack Harlow.
27:53
>> Jack Harlow.
27:54
You know he became Jack Harlow. So you
27:56
know I've been with them for like 8
27:57
years. The something I always wanted to
27:59
do was the game that I got and the game
28:01
I've been getting from my big bros and
28:03
just being in the industry. I wanted to
28:04
pour it back into where I was from cuz I
28:06
knew the Bay Area really had a we really
28:10
got a real dope culture. We really got a
28:12
lot of great rappers and it wasn't until
28:14
I went back and I created the page Team
28:16
Bay Area and that's when I start tapping
28:18
in and seeing what actually was going on
28:21
and seeing all these artists. So
28:23
I happen to be at Studio X and with
28:26
shout out to Karina I was actually at
28:27
Studio X chilling going to my car and I
28:29
seen this guy.
28:30
>> T-Shyne.
28:32
>> And I stopped. He's like man you know
28:33
this is my studio right here. I'm like
28:34
for real. He took me in there. He played
28:36
the Ian Kelly album and I just heard
28:39
about Ian Kelly cuz I saw him freestyle
28:41
with you.
28:41
>> Okay. Yeah.
28:42
>> So when I heard him I said this is the
28:43
guy that I saw on Sway. I'm like man I'm
28:45
seeing this synergy so I saw LE Gino,
28:48
all these people, Red Lotus, all these
28:51
artists just emerging from the Bay Area.
28:52
I'm like, man, this is a whole movement
28:54
that I don't know the Bay even seeing
28:55
right now. And he when he played his
28:57
beats, first person I thought was Neo
29:00
the Gift. Cuz I just seen him a week
29:02
before. I said, man, you heard of you
29:05
you and Neo ever worked? He was like,
29:06
man, that's my boy, we ain't never
29:07
worked. I said, I think that's the
29:09
project they need to come together that
29:10
really would take this to the next level
29:13
and open the door for this movement that
29:14
I see with all these youngsters that's
29:16
really, you know what I mean, doing
29:18
their thing.
29:18
>> Uh-huh. Now, this is amazing, bro. You
29:20
you just gave me a little short movie
29:22
right there, man. So, how does Simba get
29:25
down with Drama?
29:26
>> Uh, so so I was um Simba, you know, he
29:29
been that boy he he's a hustler, he a
29:31
mover. So, he, you know, he probably
29:33
pretty much know a lot of little bit of
29:34
everybody, but I was A&R and actually
29:36
A&R'ing Drama's album, last album that
29:39
just came out. I'm really like that. And
29:42
I forgot what song Simba's on. Simba's
29:44
on the song with
29:46
I think
29:47
G Herbo somebody. He on the song with
29:48
somebody. We pretty much put it
29:49
together. Then from there he was like,
29:52
you know, he did a Gangster Grillz. So,
29:53
once he did a Gangster Grillz, we start
29:55
really like, you know, building from
29:56
there and then
29:58
this first day I told him when we said
29:59
we was going to do the project, you can
30:01
tell him, first person I said, I said,
30:03
we need Simba on this project because he
30:05
represents the vision that I see. Like
30:07
he's someone that's from the Bay Area
30:09
that broke through because of just being
30:12
talented, great MC, knowing how to carry
30:15
yourself, knowing how to handle his
30:16
business. And I think he's a great
30:17
representation of
30:19
what artists need to do to get to the
30:20
next level. So.
30:22
>> Is that Is that the Cause and Effect
30:23
joint? Cause and Effect. Cause and
30:25
Effect. You got ST Spittin on there as
30:27
well.
30:27
>> My boy. Don't forget about me. That's
30:29
the name of the track with ST on it.
30:31
>> Yeah, man. This is Bay Area, y'all. And
30:33
you wouldn't even know, right? Give us a
30:35
big a big round of applause. Give us a
30:37
big round of applause. Plies, rather.
30:40
Big round of applause. It's a Plies,
30:42
too. It's a plan.
30:42
>> It's a plan of a plan. I you know have a
30:44
>> drugs.
30:46
>> Y'all that's crazy right now.
30:48
>> That's so crazy.
30:49
For the people
30:52
you taught me today for the people
30:53
that's just checking in and listening
30:55
it's a new show.
30:56
>> She said get back. [laughter] She said
30:57
we were sad tripping.
30:59
>> Yeah yeah all that all that all that.
31:01
That's what I do. That's what I do.
31:02
>> No no let me explain the drugs
31:03
[laughter]
31:04
here.
31:05
They know me. They know who I am, right?
31:07
But I I have a herniated disc uh from a
31:11
>> From sleeping wrong.
31:12
>> wrong. And so I don't take anything. I
31:14
don't even take Aspirins, right? And
31:16
>> Right.
31:17
>> they prescribed me some muscle relaxer.
31:19
>> No
31:20
that ain't no drugs, man.
31:22
>> [laughter]
31:22
>> Anything I had to go deep. I had to go
31:24
>> Yeah yeah yeah you see see what she did,
31:25
man? She amplified it. Um um and so what
31:29
a what a so team Bay Area, that that
31:31
whole concept, what was your thought?
31:33
And who is team Bay Area?
31:35
>> Uh team Bay Area is all of us.
31:37
>> Okay.
31:37
>> Everybody that's from the Bay Area and
31:39
everybody that loves the Bay Area. The
31:40
one thing I peeped in the landscape just
31:43
I think it's a blessing that I became
31:45
A&R and live in Atlanta but love the Bay
31:48
and tapped in how I am because I'm able
31:49
I removed myself and I'm able to see it
31:52
from a different seat and I'm able to
31:53
see how other people view us to know
31:56
what the void is. Like you know what I'm
31:58
saying? And the one thing I peeped on
31:59
the landscape is
32:01
ain't a lot of flowers given. Ain't a
32:03
lot of like let's come together. It's a
32:04
lot of mess. It's a lot of oh this
32:06
person beefing with this person. This
32:07
person doing that. And I just felt like
32:09
dang we need more culture. We need more
32:11
like celebration reminiscent. Like we
32:13
just need to remind ourselves that where
32:15
we from is really a big deal.
32:17
>> Mhm.
32:17
>> Big deal.
32:18
>> And this can really be some worldwide
32:20
thing. So I just wanted to just do my
32:22
part.
32:22
>> You know what
32:23
>> You're doing a excellent part, man. Give
32:25
this man a big round of applause, man. I
32:28
I'm super inspired by by your movement
32:31
and and I just like to watch, you know,
32:34
from outside perspective looking in and
32:36
utilize these platforms as a conduit.
32:38
I'm happy you said that you saw Ian
32:41
rapping on this show because we bring
32:43
folks like him, Jay Walk,
32:46
ST Skillz, you know, we bring them on
32:47
this show so the world can see. Same
32:50
with NTG, you know what I mean? So the
32:53
world can see and and know what we got
32:55
to offer from the Bay Area. Um and the
32:58
Bay Area's faced a lot of challenges,
33:00
haven't you? You know, we lost the the
33:02
Raiders, right?
33:03
>> Man.
33:04
>> The A's
33:05
The A's The A's official now, right?
33:07
>> It's Oh, yeah, it's been official.
33:08
>> I bought an A's hat and it said
33:09
Sacramento on the side.
33:11
>> [laughter]
33:11
>> I took it back.
33:12
>> Oh, wow. Really?
33:13
>> I said, "Bro, I thought it was the Bay
33:15
Bridge." I went got home, I put it on. I
33:17
said, "Man, ain't no way."
33:19
Sacramento A's is crazy.
33:22
>> Sacramento A's is
33:23
>> Shout out Sacramento, but Sacramento A's
33:25
is crazy, bro. I took the hat back.
33:27
>> You took the hat back.
33:28
>> [laughter]
33:29
>> The hat back, bro.
33:31
>> And authentic.
33:33
>> It's ain't It's ain't It's ain't the A's
33:34
I know.
33:35
>> Okay.
33:35
>> What?
33:36
>> Man, but we still got the Warriors
33:38
though.
33:38
>> Yeah.
33:39
>> Still got the Warriors, baby.
33:40
>> They ain't going nowhere, right,
33:41
D-Sharp?
33:42
>> Nah, man, we Bay Area bred. We staying.
33:45
>> Shout out to the Valkyries. The
33:47
Valkyries doing their thing. Shout out
33:48
to Valkyries.
33:49
>> Yeah, we got our soccer team.
33:51
>> We got the soccer team, Oakland Roots.
33:53
>> Come on. We got
33:54
>> We're owners. You're owner.
33:55
>> I'm owner.
33:56
>> I'm owner, too, man. Yeah, yeah.
33:58
>> You getting any dividends yet?
33:59
>> NOT YET, MAN.
34:01
>> [laughter]
34:03
>> I DIDN'T SEE NONE IN MY MAILBOX.
34:04
>> YOU SEE NONE YET, EITHER.
34:06
>> The drugs ARE WEARING OFF.
34:08
>> [laughter]
34:09
>> HE UP.
34:12
>> MIKE MUSE, YOU WANT TO JUMP IN?
34:14
>> [laughter]
34:16
>> Right on the drug conversation, Mike. I
34:18
know you got
34:19
>> What a great segue. That was awesome. Um
34:21
yeah, what's great great stories that
34:24
we're hearing. Thank you guys all for
34:25
sharing, but I do have two separate
34:27
questions. One is for um
34:29
uh
34:30
Excuse me, for a King NTG. And also too,
34:32
have one for you, DJ D-Sharp. You said
34:34
something really interesting a few
34:35
moments earlier where you mentioned um
34:38
about the use of the N-word. I'm just
34:40
wondering as a DJ, did you ever have
34:43
like this epiphany when you notice that
34:44
something isn't right when you're
34:46
performing in front of mixed crowds and
34:48
the music using such heavy N-word and
34:51
you see the audience responding and
34:53
engaging and maybe even using the
34:54
N-word. I'm wondering how has that
34:56
impacted you or how does that impact you
34:59
because the fact the way that hip-hop is
35:01
no longer just in black culture, but
35:03
it's it's a global phenom. And then for
35:05
you, King NTG, I'm just curious about as
35:07
you're going and changing type of words,
35:09
more of a positive uplifting message,
35:11
has it been harder for you to find
35:14
uh a base for yourself, a fan base?
35:17
>> So, as far as the cursing, man, you hit
35:20
the nail on the head. That is exactly
35:22
why I eliminated the N-word from my
35:24
music because when you look into the
35:26
crowd, there's so many
35:29
different ethnicities in the crowd.
35:33
I get uncomfortable when I when I see
35:35
them all saying that word so proudly.
35:37
And then it's like we get mad in society
35:40
if they say it straight to our face, but
35:43
it's like, yo, like the
35:45
the line in the sand has to be drawn.
35:47
So, for me, I don't I wanted my music to
35:50
feel like a generational language,
35:53
um a language that could be universally
35:55
spoken and you know, it it doesn't need
35:58
any censorship. I didn't I wanted kids
36:01
to be able to play it for their parents.
36:02
I wanted parents to be able to play it
36:04
for their kids. I wanted white people to
36:06
be able to play it and love it while
36:08
they're with their black people, you
36:10
know what I'm saying? And with their
36:11
mixed group of friends and nobody has to
36:14
feel guilty about anything, you know?
36:16
And um
36:18
I'm I'm I'm a I'm a philosophy major, so
36:21
when I write 16,000 word essays,
36:25
I don't use any of those words and I get
36:27
my point across just fine. And so, I I
36:30
treat my music and my lyrics like if I
36:33
need to put on a suit and tie and go
36:35
address the world at a podium, I could
36:37
stand on everything that I'm saying
36:39
without censorship and be okay with it.
36:42
And I don't want anybody to be able to
36:44
look at what I'm saying and be able to
36:46
say, "Oh, I don't like that he said
36:48
that." You know, because you're not
36:50
going to get any of that from my music.
36:51
And it's still It's just It's just
36:53
music. It's just art. And as far as like
36:55
the foundation,
36:57
man, it's it's so easy to tell the
37:00
truth. You know, uh for me. Um I live my
37:04
life unapologetically.
37:07
Um I'm a person that is very mindful.
37:09
Um I'm a person that's very thoughtful.
37:12
Um
37:13
I find purpose in everything that I do.
37:16
Um and every day is different. You know,
37:18
every day is different, and there's
37:19
always something to learn. And so, uh
37:21
and there's always stuff in the world
37:23
that's going on that needs to be talked
37:25
about. So, um you know, the hardest part
37:28
would be having to continue a lie or
37:30
live a facade. That I find that harder
37:33
than telling the truth or just walking
37:36
in my own truth every single day. And
37:38
so, um
37:39
there's nothing easier than just being
37:41
100% authentically myself. You know what
37:43
I mean?
37:44
>> King ENT J
37:46
>> Oh, yeah. I mean, I make my my my answer
37:49
um short and sweet, but it gets
37:52
uncomfortable. I've been in those
37:53
situations where, you know, I'm planning
37:55
an event, and then, you know, that word
37:57
comes, and you know what I do? I censor
37:59
it myself. I
38:01
you know, you know, take it out and um
38:03
But yeah, it's crazy, man. Like um
38:06
they uh
38:08
people
38:09
And you know, being from the Bay Area,
38:11
like we got Filipinos, we got Mexicans,
38:14
and these brothers come up to us every
38:17
day saying this word. Like
38:19
it's like it's part of the vocabulary.
38:21
It's part of the the you know what they
38:23
do, but I don't know if people know and
38:25
I don't know if I should say but I know
38:27
Short got a song called just don't say
38:28
the R or something like that about to
38:30
drop. And I think that's how our culture
38:33
has adapted it now. Just don't say the
38:34
hard R, but you can say, you know,
38:37
the the N-word.
38:39
>> [laughter]
38:40
>> But
38:41
>> Yeah, that might That's crazy.
38:42
>> That's not my philosophy. That's not my
38:44
philosophy, but that's that's what you
38:46
know, that's that's what's going on.
38:47
>> song that he's about to drop. I'll go on
38:49
record as not Sway's position, but I I
38:52
I hope that's not a record. That I think
38:53
that's irresponsible of a conversation
38:57
for our society and in particular as we
38:59
are trying to take back our agency,
39:01
taking back the dynamics that is eroding
39:04
so many things about our social
39:05
constructs, but then still give
39:06
individuals permission. And the reason
39:08
why I asked that question DJ's because
39:10
you know, I was
39:11
I'm around mixed groups pretty often and
39:14
over the weekend I was with my white
39:16
friends. I'll just say it. I was with my
39:17
white friends and we were playing this
39:18
drinking game. And part of this drinking
39:20
game is that you have to go around like
39:22
this kitchen island and it's like I
39:23
think it's like flip cup but like dance
39:25
flip cup. And so like once the music
39:26
stop you flip the cup over and whatever
39:28
whatever. And each loser has to select a
39:31
song for the group to continue to play.
39:33
And I swear to God every time a song
39:35
came on that is had the N-word I just
39:37
cringed and it was just so uncomfortable
39:41
and it happens to me all the time in
39:43
spaces and places and
39:45
it's just such heightened awareness for
39:46
me. So I'm just curious as performers
39:48
and DJs, um did you guys sense that same
39:51
uncomfortability and cringe?
39:52
>> Most definitely. Most definitely.
39:54
>> Man, I love this conversation, man. The
39:56
project is the new standard. It's on all
39:59
platforms right now.
40:02
ST Spitten featured on this. Simba's
40:04
featured on this. This is a team Bay
40:07
Area vision right here.
40:09
Produced by the one and only DJ D-Sharp.
40:13
Lyrics and bars by King NTG.
40:16
>> Yeah.
40:22
>> Uh-oh.
40:24
>> Uh-oh.
40:25
>> Uh-oh.
40:27
Uh-oh.
40:28
>> What we doing?
40:29
>> You know what we doing.
40:30
>> What we doing?
40:31
>> [laughter]
40:31
>> You know what we doing. You came all the
40:33
way to LA for this moment right here.
40:36
They told you you was coming to Sirius
40:38
XM, but I hope they informed you that
40:40
when you come to Sirius XM Shade 45, you
40:43
have now entered
40:45
THE VALLEY OF THE HYENAS! [screaming]
40:46
YO, DJ, DROP A BEAT on them.
40:49
>> Ayo, we forging a winner so season
40:51
[music] spring. We harvest some and sure
40:54
that we all eat. Enjoy the fruits of our
40:56
labor shade from tall [music] trees.
40:58
It's a breeze till it's time they'll
40:59
break up the fall leaves. I done seen
41:02
winds [singing] change plenty as far
41:03
seasons go. You know friends change
41:05
plenty as [music] our season go. I ain't
41:07
never changed on any. I had reasons
41:09
though. How you backstabbing a king like
41:11
it ain't [music] treason though. I paint
41:13
visions with words and art seasonal.
41:15
Authentically handcrafted [singing] as
41:17
our seasonal. They try to steal it but
41:19
acting like they ain't needed though.
41:21
[music]
41:22
I'm acting like I ain't peeped it
41:24
though. It gets deep like I ain't peeped
41:26
[music] it though. Get your confession.
41:28
Sometimes I hate people bro. Want me to
41:30
play peacekeeper [music]
41:31
and sell it cheaper bro. It's hard to be
41:33
a ghost writer with a reaper flow. Life
41:36
been stressing me. Time keep testing me.
41:38
Seven [music] years hidden still
41:39
couldn't hide from my destiny. Try to
41:41
steal my conscience beat me when they
41:43
[music] arrested me. It happens to the
41:44
best of us. They didn't get the best of
41:46
me. Crazy how my worst decisions made me
41:49
a better [music] person. They try to
41:50
bring out the worst in me. How's my
41:52
better version? You never If you doing
41:54
the same things the boy became man.
41:56
[music] The man became king. Never let
41:59
my crown fall. Walking with my head high
42:01
they praying on my downfall. [music]
42:03
I know when the haters near I feel when
42:04
I'm around y'all. We all having sin but
42:07
we ain't all heaven [music] bound y'all.
42:09
Look, I know how that sound y'all. I
42:11
ain't trying to clown y'all. I was once
42:12
[music] a lost soul hoping to get found,
42:14
y'all. I'm trying to leave you in a
42:16
better state than I found y'all.
42:18
Just like a rescue [music] mission.
42:20
Tired of seeing rich rappers die and
42:22
they start them a GoFundMe.
42:24
Politics, [music] I'm starting to go
42:26
numb.
42:27
Damn, I'm starting to go dumb.
42:29
Respectfully, I represent excellence
42:32
where I'm from. [music] Richmond,
42:33
California, I know I'm making the city
42:35
proud. So, please pardon my greatness. I
42:37
know [music] it's been a while. Excuse
42:39
me, I mean lateness cuz they'll
42:40
villainize you. Either belittle yourself
42:43
or you let them minimize you. Why you so
42:45
concerned with how I feel about me?
42:46
[music] But you want to say you will
42:48
never be [ __ ] without me. The internal
42:50
battles I fought when I let them doubt
42:52
me. Used to control [music] the
42:54
narrative. Now it's about me. I worked
42:56
hard for all the ground that I gained. I
42:58
sat [music] quietly while y'all all
43:00
sounded the same.
43:02
Yeah. I caught them found in my lane. Go
43:04
take it up with God [music] if you hate
43:05
the sound of my name. IT'S THE KING.
43:07
>> THE KING! WE GOT THE
43:09
>> [screaming]
43:10
>> UP IN HERE. KING BAY AREA, RICHMOND,
43:12
STAND UP.
43:13
WE GOT A HYENA UP IN HERE.
43:18
BAY AREA!
43:22
>> OH MY GOSH. Come on, man. My brother,
43:25
man, you were so necessary to this
43:28
>> Pardon my voice, too, man. I'm over here
43:30
getting over something right now.
43:31
>> That's all right, man. That sound like
43:32
passion to me. We got it, man.
43:35
I love it, man. We got a hyena, Bay
43:37
Area, stand up proud, man. I'm about to
43:39
put together my starting five.
43:41
I'm about to put together my starting
43:43
five. We going to tour We going to tour
43:45
the country heavy. You want to be with
43:46
us? Let's go.
43:47
>> I'm from Jersey.
43:47
>> Either with us or against us, which one?
43:50
I'm about to put together my starting
43:51
five. Bay Area, Simpa, he's on my
43:53
starting five.
43:54
>> Okay. Okay. Okay.
43:56
>> King N T G, he's on my starting five.
43:59
Okay. I think I put E N Kelly on my
44:01
starting five.
44:02
>> You got to do it.
44:03
>> Okay.
44:04
>> I'mma throw J Watt in there on my
44:06
starting my five. We got to do that.
44:10
>> That's four.
44:11
>> He's number five.
44:12
>> T Spitn.
44:16
>> That's my starting five right now.
44:18
>> What?
44:18
>> I appreciate that. You like my starting
44:20
five, Willie Joe? That's my
44:24
Okay, that's good. What do you think of
44:25
D-Sharp? How do you like my starting
44:26
five?
44:26
>> That's That's a That's a strong starting
44:28
five right there. I'll put them up
44:30
against any MCs across the country, too.
44:32
>> That'd be great, man.
44:33
>> amazing.
44:34
>> Now, hold up. There's some honorable
44:36
mentions, too, cuz my my second five is
44:38
>> [cough]
44:39
>> just as good as my starting five, but uh
44:41
we won't get into the second five just
44:43
yet, but those came off the top of the
44:45
head.
44:45
>> man?
44:46
>> Ah.
44:47
>> Who's the sixth man? Who has been Who
44:49
would be the sixth Well, see I Listen,
44:51
let me say this first of all, FAB
44:54
>> Oh.
44:55
>> is all That's all Let me just say
44:57
>> He's hosting?
44:58
>> Yeah, FAB is in the rafters. Like his
45:00
his his jersey
45:02
He's hanging right now. So, I could
45:04
throw him in and just rattle off
45:06
everybody.
45:07
>> Locksmith?
45:08
>> Locksmith.
45:09
>> 100%.
45:10
>> Oh my gosh. Well, I got to RETHINK MY
45:12
STARTING FIVE.
45:13
>> RETHINK THAT, BRO.
45:14
>> ABSOLUTELY.
45:16
>> You got to rethink that.
45:17
>> Stop plucking them jerseys off.
45:20
>> All right. [laughter] Locksmith is on my
45:22
starting five.
45:23
>> Easy.
45:23
>> Easy.
45:25
I'm just going to give you Yeah, yeah,
45:27
yeah. I got to re- cuz Locksmith
45:28
>> you got to move somebody from the
45:29
starting five to the sixth man.
45:31
>> Yeah, I know.
45:32
>> Jay Walter?
45:33
>> You think Jay Walter would be the sixth
45:34
man?
45:35
>> He has to. You
45:36
Locksmith?
45:37
>> No, not [snorts] Yeah, nobody's out
45:39
spitting
45:39
>> [laughter]
45:40
>> Locksmith.
45:41
>> Seniority alone.
45:42
>> Jay. That's my That's my guy.
45:44
>> But it is what it is.
45:45
>> Locksmith. Ain't nobody out spitting
45:47
Locksmith. I'm sorry. I didn't even I
45:49
didn't even I don't know why I even
45:50
think cuz see, people like FAB and
45:52
Locksmith, they've been putting on for
45:54
the Bay for decades, bro. And I I've had
45:57
them guys on, and they really To me,
46:00
they did they do for the Bay what Souls
46:02
of Mischief and Del and them have done
46:03
for the Bay in terms of elevating
46:05
lyricism. And I think King and TG, you
46:08
are part of this lineage now of a Bay
46:11
Area artists that elevate lyricism.
46:14
Willie Joe, uh D Sharp, let's get
46:16
together, put a council together, and
46:18
come up with a a top five with a sixth
46:20
man, and then we going to start
46:22
challenging regions.
46:23
>> Let's do it.
46:23
>> Y'all with that?
46:24
>> Let's do it.
46:25
>> [laughter]
46:27
>> For the sport.
46:31
>> Jersey going to be heavy cuz Jersey
46:32
throwing in females.
46:35
>> We could throw in females.
46:36
>> Let's go.
46:36
>> Females, too.
46:37
>> Who you want to throw in D Sharp?
46:39
>> Paris night, Paris night.
46:40
>> Paris night got bars.
46:42
>> Jean Hancock.
46:43
>> Jean Hancock.
46:44
>> We got Lauryn Hill.
46:46
>> Lauryn Hill.
46:49
>> YOU JUST WANT TO SHUT IT DOWN.
46:51
>> YOU JUST WANT TO
46:52
>> THAT'S WHAT I'M HERE FOR.
46:53
>> SHE JUST CAME TONIGHT.
46:55
>> [laughter]
46:56
>> GOODNIGHT. THE MIC IS DROPPED.
46:57
>> LET'S GO.
47:00
>> [laughter]
47:00
>> DAMN.
47:01
>> DAMN.
47:02
>> LAURYN.
47:03
>> All right. Okay.
47:05
Look, we're going to we're going to
47:07
That's the next conversation. Let's
47:08
Let's get Let's That's the next
47:10
conversation. Who's our top five with
47:11
the sixth [laughter] man? Locksmith is
47:13
definitely on the top five.
47:15
>> You know what I'm saying? I'm just
47:15
holding it.
47:16
>> Woah.
47:17
>> All right.
47:18
>> You and I T1.
47:19
>> Calm down.
47:21
>> We'll call Kamaiyah. [laughter] We'll
47:22
call bring Kamaiyah. Okay.
47:24
>> Let's go.
47:25
What do you want to do?
47:26
>> Hey, what a beautiful week, man. I love
47:28
that we we we solidified the week with
47:30
this Bay Area greatness. King and TG,
47:32
man, you're talented, you're special,
47:35
you're necessary, brother. I'm glad we
47:36
finally got a chance to do this, man.
47:38
>> Thank you, man.
47:39
>> Absolutely, man. Anybody you want to
47:41
shout out?
47:42
>> Man, shout out to my family.
47:45
Shout out to my children. Shout out to
47:46
my wife. Shout out to God.
47:49
>> Amen.
47:49
>> Shout out to the whole Bay Area, the
47:51
West Coast, man, LA.
47:53
Um this is like second home, you know
47:55
what I mean? Uh man, shout out to
47:57
everybody, man, that's out there, man.
47:59
If you listening, shout out to all the
48:00
listeners out there, man. And big shout
48:02
out to Sway and Heather. I've been
48:04
watching y'all for years.
48:05
>> Thank you.
48:06
>> Since I was Since I was young, man. And
48:09
you know, we caught up outside and I
48:10
told you how we had first met.
48:12
>> Yes.
48:12
>> You know, so
48:13
>> Let me tell you how we first met.
48:15
>> Bro, I was nervous, man, on this mic,
48:16
man. I'm a grown man. I'm over here
48:18
nervous cuz I'm with somebody that I
48:20
idolize, man, like Sway and Tech and all
48:23
that, you know what I mean? Like Dog,
48:25
it's it's it's a special
48:26
>> it done.
48:27
>> It's a special moment, man. So, you
48:29
know, but I ain't afraid to be
48:31
vulnerable, man. I'm a human being, man.
48:33
I'm going I'm going to stumble. I'm
48:34
going to get up, you know what I mean?
48:36
And I'm going to keep trucking. It ain't
48:37
no It ain't no issue, you know what I
48:39
mean? So, the message is always going to
48:41
be clear, you know what I mean?
48:42
>> got it off your You got it off your
48:44
chest, man. We met at the same Laney
48:46
College event that Mr. FAB was there,
48:51
Big Von was DJing,
48:54
Kehlani was there.
48:56
>> Was she?
48:57
>> Was she there?
48:57
>> If she was, then she was still in
48:59
Poplife.
48:59
>> She was in Poplife. Poplife performed.
49:02
>> Rest in peace Dwayne Wiggins. He was in
49:04
that group.
49:04
>> Yes. And they were all You guys all
49:06
performed that day. You was a little
49:08
guy.
49:08
>> Yo, that's crazy.
49:09
>> Yeah.
49:10
Yeah, her her
49:12
>> Wow, that's crazy, dog. Wow. I didn't
49:16
even think about that.
49:17
>> Y'all were all youngins.
49:18
>> Was that at Play?
49:19
>> I was like 21.
49:20
>> That was at Laney College. Laney
49:22
College, okay.
49:23
>> I was at Laney, yeah.
49:23
>> Laney College, yeah, man.
49:25
>> And I remember you brought me back up.
49:27
You was like, "Hold on." And you put
49:28
your arm around me. You was like, "This
49:30
brother is really spitting." And then we
49:32
connected off the stage. And I just
49:34
never made it to New York, man. And me
49:37
and my boy, man, me and actually my
49:38
cousin, we was talking, man. He was
49:40
like, "Man, dog, I wish you could get
49:42
that moment back, that chance back, bro,
49:44
to go there with Sway, man, cuz you was
49:46
in New York then."
49:47
>> Yep.
49:47
>> I was like, "Damn, dog, I know, man.
49:49
That would have been crazy." And then we
49:51
right We right here, man.
49:53
>> man. Hey, bro.
49:56
I just I I appreciate you so much, man.
49:59
Shout out my brother DJ D-Sharp,
50:01
>> Yes.
50:02
>> my brother Willie Joe, Team Bay Area.
50:04
>> Come on, man.
50:05
>> We we we doing something special, man.
50:07
And And we we cultivating something
50:09
special right now. And I just hope that
50:11
we can get the world to pay attention
50:12
cuz this is not just uh Bay Area music.
50:16
I'm not a Bay Area artist. I'm a artist
50:18
from the Bay.
50:18
>> There you go.
50:19
>> I'm saying? It's So, when you listen to
50:21
me, listen to me how you listen to a a
50:23
worldly artist. Don't listen to me like
50:26
a regional person. You know what I'm
50:27
saying? Listen to me like you listen to
50:29
somebody from the world, you know? We
50:31
trying to take this thing global cuz
50:33
it's it's special like that, you know
50:34
what I mean? And we already getting a
50:37
lot of love.
50:38
Uh but we need we need more love because
50:40
we need to start championing something
50:42
different, you know? I don't even care
50:44
if it it it was me making the music or
50:46
not. We should We should just be
50:48
championing different messages that we
50:50
want to
50:51
push to the next generation that's
50:53
following us cuz we got to create a
50:54
better world for our babies to live in,
50:56
you know what I'm saying?
50:57
>> Man, I love it, man. King MTG, the
51:00
project is the new standard. Thurston,
51:02
thank you for guest DJing from the Beat
51:05
Junkies Institute of Sound, Beat Junkies
51:07
Fridays. Thurston, thank you and your
51:08
whole family for coming up here.
51:10
D-Sharp, thank you, too, man.
51:12
>> No sway. I just want to thank you,
51:14
brother,
51:15
for, you know, opening your platform to
51:17
us, man. You do it like
51:20
just
51:21
just man, I I have no words, brother.
51:23
Thank you. I'm I'm just
51:25
Thank you. Thank you, Heather.
51:27
You know? Thank you, Tracy G.
51:29
>> Love.
51:30
>> Mike Muse. You know, I listen every
51:32
morning like religiously.
51:34
>> He texts me.
51:35
>> I text him a lot. So, [laughter]
51:37
to be here again, man, is a wonderful
51:39
thing. And to bring my brothers here and
51:41
and and you open your doors for them to
51:44
um
51:45
just get the word out on this new
51:46
standard, man. We really appreciate it,
51:48
brother. Thank you.
51:49
>> Absolutely. Well, man, listen, man.
51:50
Thank you, brother. Yeah, man. Pleasure
51:52
having you. Can't wait to get them
51:54
Warrior tickets.
51:55
>> I got you.
51:56
>> Wow.
51:57
>> I'm joking. I've [clears throat] never
51:58
asked him for tickets.
51:59
>> have, but I got you, bro.
52:00
>> You know I'm not talking. I'm not
52:01
talking. I got you.
52:02
>> Sharp is the man to walk through the
52:03
arena with, [laughter] boy.
52:05
>> Yeah, man.
52:05
>> Sharp going to walk you through the
52:06
tunnel like a player.
52:08
>> Yeah. That's Yeah, man. I'll just call
52:10
my cousin 40. I'll get some tickets.
52:12
>> There you go.
52:12
>> Wow.
52:13
>> Willie Joe, man, I appreciate you, man.
52:14
You are one of those people that the Bay
52:17
Area may not realize, but you've been a
52:18
staple for quite some time, and you've
52:20
been waving that Bay Area flag and just
52:23
even beyond that what you've
52:24
accomplished in this music business, us
52:26
coming from the same place is
52:27
phenomenal, man. So, salute to you,
52:29
brother. And I'm And then you know,
52:31
Drama and Cannon and O and Lake, those
52:33
are my brothers. So, you know, I was in
52:35
the shopping mall with Lil Uzi Vert and
52:38
Lake and them back in the day, you know.
52:40
So, Jack Harlow, all those artists, you
52:42
know, we've always supported. So, thank
52:44
you, man. Family, tell me your name
52:45
again.
52:46
>> Chef Wood.
52:47
Chef Wood.
52:48
>> Chef Wood. Chef Wood.
52:49
>> Oh, Chef Wood? Yes. Oh, my man. Good to
52:52
see you, fam.
52:52
>> [laughter]
52:54
>> Okay.
52:54
>> Chef Wood from Vallejo.
52:56
>> From Vallejo. All right, we're going to
52:57
close the show today, man. You guys,
52:59
man, God bless you. Thank you for riding
53:01
with us this week. We'll be back Monday,
53:03
God willing, man. In the meantime, y'all
53:05
stay on the right side of positivity.
53:07
This was live today. You could go to the
53:08
SXM app and and play go on demand and
53:11
hear it back. We'll be posting it on
53:13
Sway's Universe. And definitely this
53:15
freestyle will be on the SKT Network,
53:18
our new network. You could download the
53:19
app on all phones. Check it out for
53:22
yourself. We got a lot of bars, a lot of
53:25
interesting content SKT Network.
53:27
Download it. I'm at Real Sway. We're
53:29
going to close like that. And on that
53:31
note, citizens, we have nothing
53:34
left to say.
#Arts & Entertainment