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Jidenna Talks Polyamory, Janelle Monáe, New Music, and Stress-Free Living with SWAY’S UNIVERSE
Apr 27, 2023
Jidenna's take on Polyamory, His Relationship with Janelle Monáe, Innovative New Music, and the Significance of Rest and Intimacy. Sway In The Morning dives deep on all of these topics with the classic man.
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Exclusive interviews from Sway Calloway and the Sway In The Morning/ SwaysUniverse.com team with some of today's biggest celebrities, like Kevin Hart, Kanye West, Eminem, Usher, Jessica Alba, Steve Aoki, Torey Lanez, Julia Stiles and so much more.
Jidenna Talks Polyamory, Janelle Monáe, New Music, and Stress-Free Living with SWAY’S UNIVERSE
https://youtu.be/lV9x7q9Mjz4
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0:00
[Applause]
0:00
man
0:02
had the beat sway I don't often say this
0:07
it's one of my favorite artists
0:11
of a generation
0:13
I feel like if I kept making music
0:16
you know if I kept going down that path
0:18
somehow I'll be walking a similar path
0:20
to the one this man is walking right now
0:22
I feel like that's a reach
0:27
damn
0:29
since we talking about how we feel but
0:31
continue
0:33
how how is that a reason
0:35
[Laughter]
0:38
I mean this man has flared his
0:41
intelligence his style his experience
0:45
his background all of these things all
0:48
these uh ingredients that make up the
0:51
recipe of his of his presentation of his
0:55
career or the things he has to offer I
0:57
would have wore what he's wearing today
1:03
certain fit there's a certain body type
1:06
you're not there yet somebody got to
1:09
turn their head really came out we have
1:12
in the morning
1:16
the Warriors won last night for the
1:19
Raiders
1:27
downstairs Tracy
1:31
outside what's good it's a crazy room
1:34
game four was lovely talk about Steph
1:37
Steph Draymond was back from suspension
1:39
yeah look unlocked the whole point is
1:42
boys to be emotionally attached to some
1:45
team that you feel like you know that
1:47
you you feel close to from me the
1:49
Warriors they started their championship
1:51
year their first year was 2015 when I
1:55
was I put out my Championship song
1:58
Classic Man classic man yeah yeah so it
2:01
I've watched them I felt like very even
2:04
even seeing them like the last couple
2:06
years people didn't believe and then
2:08
they resurrected like like Lazarus I
2:12
feel like yeah I feel close to their
2:15
whole their whole journey I'm saying
2:17
yeah it ran parallel to your journey
2:19
absolutely yeah so that's why I feel
2:21
more attached to them than some of the
2:23
other teams of places I'm from yeah
2:25
Heather is that okay that's fine because
2:28
you're a guest here
2:41
[Applause]
2:44
so I'm subjected to this every single
2:46
day and I'm quite frankly I'm over it
2:49
okay it's okay it's all right man
2:51
they're the defending Champions and
2:54
they're on their route to defending
2:56
another championship and you know it's
2:58
even with the sack king so I'm a big fan
3:00
of the Kings they're actually amazing
3:02
see boy your fans yeah Fox is amazing
3:05
yeah yeah so this is where we had dinner
3:09
as a winner he's a champion so he relate
3:10
to Winners and champions okay there's
3:13
nothing wrong with that welcome to
3:14
dinner back
3:15
thank you it's good to see you all again
3:18
yes yo man uh it's been last time you
3:22
was here was pre-pandemic yes oh wow
3:25
yeah remember that yeah wow it's a free
3:28
pandemic that's how long ago was okay
3:30
was there really a pandemic in your
3:33
opinion it's so funny I was just uh I
3:36
think the trailer to my my album we just
3:39
put out like two days ago and I said it
3:41
felt like it feels like the Mandela
3:43
effect where you wonder like did that
3:46
happen yeah you know for me what's Wild
3:49
is like we really walking outside here
3:52
and some people I've known for years
3:54
they act the same way they did in 2019
3:58
and that doesn't make sense because that
4:02
was a historic and seismic shift and so
4:05
if you didn't if something about you
4:06
didn't shift then I don't know where you
4:09
were but now I'm feeling like maybe it
4:11
was me maybe I'm because the World
4:14
opened back up for everybody back to
4:15
business back to the Grind back to
4:17
everything they was doing before what
4:19
shifted in you though oh my God the
4:21
[ __ ] cause you're not doing everything
4:22
the same way you did before right that's
4:24
why I walked in here alone I'm just like
4:27
I I was talking to sway and being around
4:30
Janelle Monae shout out to everything
4:33
that she's doing for real and for me
4:35
yeah just being like one of my best
4:37
friends and a mentor for me
4:40
I've seen her now in the Hollywood
4:42
circles and actors do not move the same
4:46
way that artists do the artists walk in
4:48
with the Entourage 20 deep you ain't
4:51
never gonna see Brad Pitt with an
4:53
Entourage 20D Brad Pitt with a walk
4:55
right in here you know so seeing how
4:57
actors move just themselves they're
5:00
confident they don't need the bravado
5:02
they don't need to puff up of having all
5:06
these people around them and so I've
5:08
I've that's how I'm moving now and I've
5:11
lost a lot of the Ambitions I had before
5:14
be specific well the first thing is like
5:17
when you're an artist like you have to
5:19
be uh kind of egocentric a lot of us are
5:24
we have a Messianic complex like you you
5:27
need it that's your first album is
5:29
always I'm him but I'm here yeah my
5:33
first song I'm a classic man like
5:35
everybody has that moment and you run
5:37
that for the first couple years yeah
5:38
some people run at their whole career
5:41
which is wild for me the the that's one
5:45
thing I don't need that anymore I don't
5:47
need that that validation of course you
5:49
like to be recognized for your art
5:50
second piece is like my family
5:54
relationships my my love life my my uh
5:58
my friends these conversations actually
6:01
with y'all
6:02
this matters way more to me than any
6:05
accolades any money
6:08
um I don't need any of that like this is
6:11
this is what matters so it's been it's
6:13
been a shift I'm I was uncomfortable
6:16
last year with it because I felt like I
6:19
lost something like I have I lost
6:22
passion and then I realized nah bro
6:25
the reality is like we don't have to
6:29
work as hard as we think we do that is
6:32
capitalism and it is a a a uh an
6:37
advancement of what slavery was we need
6:39
to rest
6:41
rest can be a luxury yeah or a privilege
6:44
for the rich you can't just work and
6:46
have to make money to rest that's your
6:49
god-given right yeah
6:51
so pleasure rest that's that's what I've
6:55
been doing people like where you been
6:57
I've been loving I've been living loving
6:59
and living I feel a lot better I feel a
7:02
lot healthier than I did when I was
7:04
probably I was in the Limelight all the
7:06
time I feel healthier mentally healthier
7:08
yeah spiritually healthier physically
7:09
healthy yeah do you get tempted still at
7:12
all though you've done them because
7:14
um I don't know if the ego can ever
7:18
fully leave us and sometimes you know it
7:22
can get triggered and not that you
7:24
indulge and you allow it to jump back
7:26
into the driver's seat but you gotta
7:28
remind that it's in the ride but in the
7:31
back
7:32
jidenna Tracy and Michael right behind
7:34
you just in case he looked at me like I
7:35
was
7:38
I was waiting I was waiting for the
7:41
Holograms
7:43
here's the holographic image
7:47
do I get tempted tempted to do what
7:50
exactly to return back to your old ways
7:52
in any form
7:54
I I don't even have the the Vigor to to
7:58
do that like I don't have the want
8:00
that's what was scary all right I I was
8:04
I wanted to be tempted you know I want I
8:07
want I want to feel that like the the
8:09
old me but I can't even do it I can't
8:13
it's hard for me to lie now I was such a
8:16
let me tell you how good a liar I was oh
8:18
my God the classic man was a liar oh man
8:21
amazing liar the trick that I know the
8:24
trick to lying you tell 98 the truth so
8:27
that the two percent nobody sees it when
8:29
I was like in college and broke I used
8:32
to go to Walmart go grab my you know my
8:35
supplies for school you put a lot of
8:38
your supplies on the top of the cart and
8:41
then you put the [ __ ] you want to steal
8:42
on the bottom so that they don't check
8:45
and make sure you have a big box that
8:46
they're not gonna bring out to skin that
8:48
way 98 of what you what they see is the
8:52
truth you're paying for the goods and
8:54
then the lies the two percent on the
8:56
bottom and of course nowadays it's hard
8:58
to pull that skin but like that's that's
9:01
a trick to lying and I got tired of it
9:03
and I got tired of a poker face and
9:07
tired of being perfect all those things
9:09
that I think you know quite frankly Will
9:11
Smith I've been reading his book that's
9:13
what you know I see in his Evolution so
9:16
I don't I don't really I don't get
9:17
tempted I um I can't I can't do it
9:21
anymore you can't lie to yourself like
9:23
that's what it is yeah my mother used to
9:25
say that to me you could lie to him and
9:26
I was lying you know you could lie to
9:29
all about all the people all the time
9:31
but you can never lie to yourself that
9:33
is true all right you can't ah man I
9:36
remember her saying that to me at a
9:37
tender age yeah you know um you talked
9:40
about loving yeah you know you've been
9:43
professing your love oh yeah yeah oh
9:46
yeah how did it hit you man did it hit
9:49
you or did it gradually happen
9:51
um I met this wonderful woman uh at a we
9:56
had a mutual friend but we truly met at
9:59
a beach where when when we were not
10:01
supposed to be on the beaches in L.A
10:03
there was like this secret party Called
10:06
Love Fest and a bunch of community
10:09
activists and artists and whatnot on the
10:12
beach
10:13
and when I met her when I saw her I
10:15
literally dropped my bag my soccer ball
10:17
that I brought to the beach
10:19
gave her a hug and it felt like that
10:22
moment in Lion King that Simba Nala
10:25
moment it was it was that we I think we
10:28
held hands that night yeah there was a
10:30
bonfire on the beach it was romantic and
10:34
to be honest as much as people probably
10:36
think I've I'm Mr romantic most of my
10:39
life I'm not I was a workaholic
10:42
you know sex came after I worked because
10:45
that's what the men that I idolized
10:47
including Malcolm X did and that's not
10:50
the way to live
10:52
um I don't I do not admire that at all
10:54
I'm not looking at somebody who's like
10:56
if you like the hardest working man in
10:58
Showbiz like that I look at that guy I'm
11:00
like that's rough I don't want to be
11:02
that guy I want to be the the hardest
11:05
loving playing and working but I don't
11:07
want to be just the worker Holly yeah so
11:10
yeah the I met her we uh and since then
11:13
it's just been it's been amazing I
11:17
didn't know yeah I didn't know this
11:19
would happen yeah
11:23
you got to see his face
11:29
matter of fact that's one of your songs
11:31
that's called blush right yeah is that
11:33
what it's about oh yeah it's about her
11:36
I am the whole the whole story is true
11:39
driving from the valley to the LBC
11:43
um I have a ranch in in the valley and
11:46
that's a long trip to where she lives in
11:49
Long Beach so the record blush is
11:51
literally our whole story and how I feel
11:54
and I the the reality is like I never
11:59
made time for a proper relationship once
12:02
I started music
12:04
that was not happening so without the
12:07
pandemic I don't think I would have a
12:10
love life to be honest wow I was having
12:12
a great like 2019 was amazing whole
12:15
phase for me yeah and we saw it it was
12:17
playing out on Instagram
12:31
you got out of the whole phase yeah to
12:35
me when you're gonna be a ho be a hoe
12:36
and when you're when you're gonna be in
12:38
a relationship be in a relationship yeah
12:40
I ain't never been a cheater like I
12:42
don't I I that's not to say I'm like
12:44
perfect but I don't I do not cheat
12:47
because I can't deal with the guilt like
12:50
I have too much empathy uh to to do that
12:53
so I'm I'm once we establish a black and
12:56
white agreement I'm with it and I'm like
12:58
that with everything but isn't this
13:00
friendships with the within love do you
13:02
when you said establish a black and
13:04
white agreement that's sitting down
13:07
and speaking out your intentions and
13:09
your purpose writing it down oh you
13:12
write it down I have you know previous
13:14
relationships I have Google Docs you
13:16
know what I'm saying wow I'm like that
13:18
yeah what are some of them what are some
13:21
of the contractual agreements well let
13:24
me let me put this in context in
13:27
polyamory it is you have to really know
13:30
what y'all are agreeing to right like
13:32
monogamy is a little bit easier okay in
13:35
terms of your contract it's there's like
13:37
a a precedent set from like last couple
13:40
hundred years polyamory is different and
13:42
you have to be very specific about uh
13:46
how you're moving you know are like
13:49
because people think polyamory is just
13:50
open relationships it's not for me I
13:53
don't like open relationships so the oh
13:55
damn then what are y'all doing if I just
13:57
meet somebody tonight am I am I do you
13:59
want me to tell you that I met somebody
14:02
or do you want to not know and and or
14:06
know anything about the date and then
14:08
you tell and I tell you later like is it
14:10
before or after you know is there do I
14:13
uh do we have if I have sex with this
14:16
woman
14:17
then can I have sex with you in the next
14:20
two weeks or is it going to be a month
14:22
after I get tested properly like there's
14:24
a lot of things wow like it's not you
14:27
know I'm saying yeah that's dope though
14:28
yeah
14:30
what if they break the contract what if
14:33
they breach the contract what happened
14:35
to you go to court no no the beauty of
14:38
it the beauty of it it is not marriage
14:41
so uh when you breach the contract I
14:44
mean
14:45
in polyamory that pretty much like you
14:48
you can the house can fall on you yeah
14:50
real quick because you have multiple
14:54
Hearts involved now it's not just one
14:56
you you're dealing with two hearts well
14:59
in my case two two women's Hearts my
15:03
heart and then three egos so it it uh
15:08
yeah the breach is not it and
15:10
unfortunately like if you don't
15:12
establish that black and white I'm like
15:14
in the gray areas I'm not to be trusted
15:16
okay ever I tell my lady that now like
15:20
let's please let's be clear because if
15:22
we create any Grace I'm exploring them
15:24
gray areas I'ma test them limits and see
15:28
where we go so the Google Doc had a lot
15:30
of these uh specifics I know it sounds
15:33
really Stern and really serious but a
15:37
lot of people have like oh I told you
15:39
that I wanted it this way right now I'm
15:42
like actually the receipt you said yeah
15:45
on page two yeah article three yeah wow
15:51
so polyamory is your lifestyle of choice
15:53
to Donna or is it like based on the
15:55
particular person you're with like do
15:57
you feel like you could be with someone
15:59
that would change your desires to a more
16:01
monogamous relationship or no matter who
16:04
polyamory is
16:06
uh some people I think that naturally
16:10
um what you call ethical uh monogamous
16:13
yeah I think naturally I'm like I
16:15
actually think a lot of humans are
16:17
naturally like that
16:19
um that's why you see the divorce rates
16:21
so high in this country however I
16:25
believe in monogamy for people that that
16:27
love it and can adhere to it I believe
16:29
that I want I want the room to evolve
16:32
personally the woman I'm with right now
16:34
we're completely exclusive so to answer
16:37
your question I'm in that right now got
16:39
it but she also came from a
16:42
non-monogamous background when I met her
16:43
she was dating two men
16:45
and I had come off a long relationship
16:48
with two women and that's why I loved I
16:51
was like oh this is a match made in
16:52
heaven yeah because I knew she was my
16:55
equal and I knew she wasn't going to
16:56
play no games
16:58
because a lot of people you know a lot
17:00
of women I was dating they'd be like
17:02
okay I'm kind of into it I'm kind of
17:04
open they're getting in they they're
17:06
they do not want that yeah uh but she I
17:09
knew she she was already in it but once
17:11
we met we were easily uh what people
17:14
would call monogamish meaning we only
17:17
see each other but we know you know God
17:20
willing this last forever for a long
17:22
time at least if we want if in five
17:25
years ten years we want to evolve and
17:28
you know something changes then we'll
17:29
we'll have that conversation thus the
17:31
contract extend to that
17:33
this way yo well I ethically
17:38
non-monogamous yes I think I fall under
17:40
that column Heather I don't okay so does
17:43
the contract okay well Tracy wants that
17:46
for me I do Tracy has actually said what
17:49
have you said in the past that uh I've
17:51
always said you're one of the few men
17:53
that I would co-sign having multiple
17:55
wives
18:05
yeah I just feel like sway is definitely
18:08
a charmer but I also know that he's
18:10
responsible with his charm you know what
18:13
I mean and a lot of women gravitate
18:16
towards him charma is cold for full of
18:19
[ __ ]
18:20
I just think that's the way it's
18:23
Charming yeah
18:27
thank you Tracy that's why I know deep
18:30
down inside you're a Warriors fan too so
18:33
if if if if she chooses to evolve in a
18:37
relationship and bring another man into
18:38
this scenario does he have to sign a
18:40
contract
18:42
um so right now with her I don't have
18:44
the Google Doc that I had before okay we
18:47
don't I mean again because I'm exclusive
18:48
with her it's kind of easier we do do a
18:51
ritual every month to to update each
18:55
other on our Delights and our Grievances
18:58
and everything if uh if a man wants to
19:02
come in yeah because then we're we're
19:03
part of the same constellation right
19:05
yeah even though I don't want to be
19:07
intimate with him it's still we're all
19:10
in a relationship in some sort so we
19:14
have to talk about it
19:15
um I've been in situations like that
19:19
um with her is I I can't do that right
19:22
now I wouldn't do that I I don't want
19:24
another woman she doesn't want another
19:25
man so but yeah we would have to discuss
19:28
that so if in 10 years like I said if if
19:32
some if she's like hey you know it's
19:34
been great but like I met somebody I was
19:37
in Spain I was in Madrid I met somebody
19:39
I'm enjoying him
19:41
it would probably be hard for me yeah
19:44
but we can have a conversation I'm not
19:46
as I'm not so insecure that like uh nah
19:50
you mine like women are not property bro
19:53
I think it's lame that we ask women to
19:57
we want to have multiple women we don't
20:00
want women to have multiple men talk
20:02
about it he can't work
20:05
do you relate to that song you just
20:07
pointed at me
20:10
it's natural to be jealous it's natural
20:13
to be insecure it's natural for me I
20:17
grew up socialized as a man I'm like nah
20:19
I don't want you with nobody else yeah
20:21
that's where I'm at right now with her
20:23
what I'm saying is at a certain point
20:26
you have to recognize that it you you
20:30
know if you want to have your cake you
20:32
can't eat it too you know you have to
20:34
you have to she has to have the uh
20:37
freedom to do what you're doing yeah
20:40
otherwise it's already in balance the
20:43
power is in Balance so and I'll tell you
20:45
I've been in that situation it is not
20:48
easy it's uh yeah yeah it's Advanced
20:53
it's that's advanced settings okay
20:55
advanced settings all right we're gonna
20:57
play blush this is the one that started
21:00
it all okay uh well this is this is
21:03
speaking of the queen he's speaking of
21:05
right now this is what this song is
21:06
about and we're gonna come back look I
21:08
want to open up the phone lines too you
21:10
got any comments on this conversation is
21:12
there somebody in your life that's
21:13
making you blush when you mention them
21:17
888-742-3345 it's off the new album me
21:20
and you got out May 5th
21:23
dinner
21:27
wow to dinner brand new it's called
21:29
blush off the project me and you got out
21:32
May 5th we got Cedric on the line for
21:33
New Orleans Eddie what up
21:36
he said good morning
21:39
bro
21:42
yes I'm all right what's good it's your
21:44
dinner man how you doing this morning
21:45
bro what's good Cedric bless bless
21:48
I'm cooling man look uh I just wanted to
21:51
tell you bro that first album you put
21:52
out was a banger bro like helicopters
21:55
beware I love that song right hey day
21:59
one appreciate you brother Brad
22:01
trampolines like man man you got some
22:05
bangers on that first album bro you the
22:07
truth bro like man bro I appreciate you
22:10
calling and saying that
22:12
you you are
22:15
I don't know how to describe it bro
22:16
you're the truth bro like real talk like
22:18
I like it man you got beautiful hard man
22:21
I appreciate that
22:24
no problem bro
22:26
thank you for calling in bro and just
22:28
saying I take all the affirmation bro my
22:31
ego and my soul need it
22:35
hey bro that was one day I was listening
22:37
to your song and I just put your music
22:39
on and you went on live one day
22:41
I couldn't talk to you or nothing but
22:43
you went online right after I put your
22:45
song on I was like man this must be a
22:47
sign but that man
22:49
hey man I appreciate you bro all right
22:52
man City Bowl May 5th the new project
22:54
comes out me and you guy we'll talk
22:57
about that title you're a citizen
22:59
all right I'm gonna open up the phone
23:01
lines hey today
23:02
742-3345 clay we got your dinner in the
23:05
house what up Clay hey clay what's up
23:07
what's up how y'all doing what up Clay
23:08
actually man yeah all right thank you oh
23:13
that's my man I mean I'm light skin too
23:15
and I'm a shooter I'm not him but you
23:16
know
23:24
you know I was in and out so I didn't
23:26
hear specifically who it was talking
23:27
about but about the young lady that's in
23:29
his life and just how he's feeling it
23:31
and that's you know it's a real
23:32
corollary going on in my life right now
23:34
and it's where it meant you know if it's
23:36
somebody in your life like that you know
23:37
I just wanted to call and mention that
23:39
person's name I know they're not
23:41
listening they don't have Accent radio
23:42
but you know it just made me feel good
23:44
to say their name say their name bro her
23:48
name is caitly man and she wonderful as
23:50
[ __ ]
23:58
where you just don't care about nothing
24:00
else but you know making that person
24:02
happy yes beautiful man clay you know
24:06
jadina did something on his Instagram
24:07
where they they just asked I want to say
24:09
like a hundred black men about love have
24:12
you ever been in love and what it felt
24:14
like right you know I thought that was
24:16
mad interesting and Clay it sounded like
24:19
it sound like you describing love
24:22
yeah well I'm 53 years old and you know
24:24
I thought I've been in love a couple
24:26
times before which I maybe was but what
24:28
I got going on now is it's the most
24:31
different stuff so uh maybe I wasn't in
24:33
love I don't know but I am right now
24:36
hey man I'm happy for you bro blessings
24:39
on your relationship lessons on on love
24:42
I'm I'm just happy when I hear people in
24:45
love I'm happy when I hear men who are
24:47
who realize you could be masculine and
24:50
blush at the same time yeah so shout out
24:53
to you bro thanks for calling in and
24:55
sharing your love on air thank you
24:57
Claire you're a super citizen in the
24:59
morning all right let me take one more
25:00
call uh darian's on the line from
25:02
Virginia D go ahead man talk to us hey
25:04
Darian hello hello good morning good
25:07
morning uh long time listener this is
25:09
actually my second time getting in
25:11
called in before uh roll around my voice
25:13
was gone my voice is back today
25:15
um and I just wanted to shout out
25:17
somebody because I wasn't into the song
25:19
and it kind of spoke to me as well
25:22
um her name is Aquila and I just wanted
25:26
to shout out because she's amazing
25:28
and there's nobody's beautiful man like
25:31
her
25:32
uh this is beautiful I can hear it in
25:34
your voice bro yeah I wasn't expecting
25:36
this yeah I love this bro
25:39
[Music]
25:42
what you love about Akiba man what is it
25:45
about Akiba you love
25:47
um
25:48
well she just brings me kind of like a
25:51
piece that I've never felt before in
25:54
life and then she just is so
25:56
understanding because I already had two
25:57
kids when I met her and she was very
25:59
understanding of that and still willing
26:01
to try to go ahead with me in life
26:04
so she she grounds you in a way
26:08
yes
26:10
yeah bro exactly hey that is that is
26:13
amazing bro it sounds like y'all can
26:14
communicate too you said she's
26:16
understanding and communication is one
26:18
of the cornerstones
26:20
yo so I'm happy for you bro wishing you
26:23
and Aquila is it
26:25
yes
26:26
I'm wishing y'all well bro all right um
26:29
man make sure you get that album thank
26:31
y'all so much
26:32
me and you God is out May 5th and when I
26:36
say you got I don't mean from the
26:37
Wu-Tang Clan you know I've been late
26:39
I've been late I've been letting you say
26:40
the album wrong because I've been
26:42
enjoying it it's me you and God oh it's
26:44
me you and God me you and God but I I uh
26:48
honestly I've been loving it because
26:50
it's giving it's giving swaying Tech
26:53
it's giving it's giving Tio it's giving
26:55
up those days I've been loving it
26:58
you guys okay okay it's me and you and
27:02
God me you and God yeah yes don't worry
27:05
I don't I'm not one of them my name is
27:07
jadena you know how many people
27:08
mispronounced my first name this is true
27:11
still mispronouncing uh Mike Muse I'm
27:14
joking Mike Muse come on in man y'all
27:16
are you a man of love oh yeah for sure
27:19
what's up jadena uh it's good uh
27:21
question for you earlier this morning I
27:23
was reporting on political news about
27:24
how often
27:26
um people who Express their political
27:28
views publicly they live differently
27:30
privately their political
27:33
Amorous it isn't a traditional
27:36
partnership that we talk about in
27:37
society I'm just wondering do you find
27:39
like you're more there's more a bigger
27:42
tribe out there uh than what people may
27:44
expect those who are in polyamorous
27:46
relationships or non-traditional
27:48
monogamous relationships
27:50
oh yeah
27:51
um there polyamory is
27:54
one all over the place and two it's in
27:57
Brooklyn
27:59
um three it's in LA and in the in the
28:02
bay as well so I I found I find no
28:05
shortage of poly people around the world
28:08
like some years ago though I had to go
28:10
on like forums to to learn about it okay
28:13
I was trying to figure out like how do
28:14
you get married how does and now in uh
28:16
in Somerville in Massachusetts I think
28:19
they're the only or the first city to
28:22
allow polyamorous marriages actually on
28:25
paper but there's there's a whole poly
28:28
community and that's how I've been able
28:30
to Tinker with my advanced settings just
28:32
by asking people questions but it's all
28:36
over the place and most people are poly
28:38
naturally but don't know it yeah you
28:40
know yeah
28:42
um I want to talk about uh the approach
28:46
to this album because I recall when you
28:49
came last time you told us when you
28:51
approached music you like to pray over
28:53
songs you like the poor Libations and
28:55
your channel uh a character a musical
28:58
person from the past did you do that
29:01
with this project I do you got a great
29:03
memory
29:04
um one I'm very influenced by location I
29:07
made this predominantly in California so
29:10
it has a lot of the Landscapes of the
29:12
PCH Highway up and down the coast it has
29:15
the the Landscapes that mushrooms
29:17
provide
29:19
um and I say the the the 70s I wasn't
29:23
born in the 70s but I always wish I was
29:25
or I wish I came up came of age there so
29:29
a lot of the uh the the people that I
29:32
was typing into whether it was a Marvin
29:34
or Isaac Hayes
29:37
um they're on that they're in there you
29:39
know um The Isley Brothers and then also
29:42
some like 70s psych Rock because I love
29:45
that like anybody from like some of the
29:48
Beatles psychedelic stuff Jefferson
29:49
Airplane but yeah I reached out to them
29:52
I'm always asking can you please help me
29:54
with this song you know everyone want to
29:57
go on uh use AI but we also got
30:00
ancestors okay you can and if you don't
30:04
reach out to them and employ them then
30:07
they ain't gonna help you you got to ask
30:09
for help to receive it ancestral
30:11
intelligence
30:13
well every exactly the original AI yeah
30:25
athletic greens
30:29
all right slow down Tracy yeah I think
30:33
definitely ancestral intelligence I
30:35
think that we uh in the 70s I find a lot
30:38
of the the men were sensual and hard and
30:43
cool and all of that at once it wasn't a
30:46
big deal you'll see a lot of the
30:47
pictures they laying down you ever
30:49
realized that yeah Isaac Hayes spread
30:51
even some of the average time uh was it
30:54
named uh I'm blanking on dude but you
30:56
just see the Albert Reynolds there's
30:59
that spread he just butt ass naked just
31:01
laying down wow people men lay down in
31:04
the 70s what was it about that time I
31:08
don't see that laying down like head on
31:12
the pillow like Marvin Gaye Just laying
31:15
back just laying back we don't see that
31:18
now we up we up we up so it's
31:21
interesting so to to me that was such a
31:23
special time and you know hip-hop had a
31:27
lot of great things but there's
31:28
definitely a part of hip-hop that was
31:29
grind culture and I think we wear all
31:33
the sweats and hoodies but don't be
31:34
laying down
31:35
we're cozy clothes we're gonna be on
31:38
cozy pillows yeah man well I'm a person
31:41
who came up in the 70s and it was a
31:43
beautiful beautiful energy
31:45
it looked like it man my uncles used to
31:48
wear the big butterfly collars with the
31:51
buttons down and the hair on the chest
31:53
and people Men smell like men you know
31:56
what I mean the musk the musk was
31:59
tight ass slacks yeah yeah you know with
32:02
shoes on and
32:03
that's probably why I lay down Heather
32:08
like he just sets me up for one-liners
32:11
all that so I'm just
32:13
um did you know that because we got a
32:15
song called you got a song called safe
32:19
on this album yeah right and man you
32:22
collaborated with one of the greats
32:24
Bootsy Collins man background
32:28
now I know you also a Bay Area
32:31
um uh you're one of us you know so
32:33
you're a Bay Area Bay Area of Citizen
32:36
did you know that Drew Down is the son
32:39
of Boosie Collins oh my God I did not
32:42
know that yeah Drew Down Boosie Collins
32:45
wow
32:47
give it up give it up give it a listen
32:49
to his voice oh look how he has those
32:52
intonations yeah look at him damn that's
32:55
crazy ain't that something I did not
32:57
know that yeah take that Jim go ahead
33:00
man I'm glad I didn't know that when I
33:01
talked to Bootsy on the phone though
33:03
cause you know I might have done some
33:04
like corny Fanboys yeah I didn't even
33:07
know your son but like that's that's
33:09
amazing that's amazing I got the so
33:11
shout out to Jillian
33:13
um who works uh who's our anr
33:16
um she's been pushing me and Roman John
33:18
Arthur the lead producer for this
33:20
project who's the extraordinary music
33:22
it's incredible man salute to him man I
33:24
do plays everything
33:26
um so she's been keeping us along our
33:28
pace and she hit up bootsy's camp was
33:31
like hey would you love to do a song
33:32
with your dinner
33:34
um he said yeah you know he hopped on
33:36
the phone I'm not even going to imitate
33:38
his voice because he was groovy all his
33:41
words like his word choices just out of
33:44
this world it was Cosmic it was you know
33:47
steeped in the 70s uh soul and aesthetic
33:50
and he said I'm down I heard those words
33:54
and it way cooler than I just said it
33:56
and within like a week you know he sent
33:59
back his parts and uh we made the record
34:02
nothing was blown away yeah man I I
34:05
never never dreamed of that I mean I saw
34:07
other artists that some of my favorite
34:09
artists like Tyler the Creator Kali
34:11
uchis do it of course uh silk Sonic but
34:14
I you know I never thought that I I have
34:17
that privilege so Bootsy came on the
34:18
record
34:19
safe is such a special one too it's one
34:22
like Bambi where I feel like oh I made
34:25
another Classic record like my whole
34:28
goal of being a classic man was not the
34:31
suit but to make Classics and to make
34:33
songs that would stand the test of time
34:36
that would stream high in like 2050 yeah
34:40
man that's always been my goal and also
34:42
to take risks to take risks as a man
34:46
classic man was a risk it was a risk to
34:49
wear a suit so wrist to wear a finger
34:51
curl in East Flatbush New York yeah it's
34:53
it's a risk for me now to say I am safe
34:56
with a woman men don't say that you safe
34:59
with me yeah we never say we say so oh
35:03
boy that just hopped on I forgot his
35:05
name Darian I think yeah he said I don't
35:07
know I feel a piece what he's actually
35:10
saying is he feels grounded which means
35:12
he feels safe yes with her the world is
35:15
scary it is a Trippy life every morning
35:19
all the flood of information on your
35:22
cell phones your emotional like one
35:25
somebody's somebody hit you with a text
35:27
so and so is dying next test where you
35:31
at what you doing tonight next text like
35:34
hey uh we need to get this done by x x
35:38
date that is a lot of information every
35:40
day and so to have somebody that just
35:43
grounds you make you feel safe is
35:45
everything so that that record is really
35:47
about that it's one of the best feelings
35:49
in the world go ahead and introduce the
35:51
song man go ahead and introduce the song
35:52
what's up what's up y'all this is jadena
35:55
and it's my brand new record safe
35:57
featuring Bootsy Collins
35:59
thank you
36:02
jadina is here
36:05
meet you and God
36:10
me and you
36:11
you that's so good
36:15
oh you know I often try to rename
36:17
people's albums trying to help them sell
36:20
them you know that's it dog I'm gonna
36:22
try to help you out yeah man
36:24
people gonna be bumping it and expecting
36:26
the Wu-Tang
36:29
me and you God
36:33
all right uh we got Isaac on the line
36:36
from Minnesota Isaac you want to comment
36:38
what up Isaac
36:40
hi um guys how you doing I'm long time
36:42
listener I just want to reach out
36:47
and know Laura Moss
36:49
um jidenna wow bro
36:53
that's crazy Laura is my cousin man
36:55
Laura's amazing that's how cool that you
36:57
call
37:01
um
37:02
oh I'm like freaking out right now
37:04
because I know it's funny as soon as you
37:08
as soon as you hopped on I was like you
37:10
said about like I was like oh he's
37:12
either Canadian or he's from like
37:14
Wisconsin or somewhere up north where
37:17
are you from bro
37:18
Midwest I'm actually from Kelowna
37:21
Minnesota
37:22
but I live in the Rochester area
37:25
um oh nice
37:27
bro Laura Laura lives in the Boston area
37:30
now and we don't get to see her much
37:31
anymore but man yeah every time I see
37:34
her we're always talking about you
37:35
because like I'm just Star Struck that
37:37
you're her cousin and it's just good
37:40
conversations
37:41
hey man thanks for calling bro see what
37:44
I'm saying conversations with fam you
37:46
fam with my fans are you fam bro that's
37:48
what's up thank you brother thank you
37:49
all right guys let Lauren know let her
37:51
know we talked man
37:53
be awesome oh man Laura gonna hear this
37:55
okay
37:57
one of the coolest people in Boston bro
38:00
but Laura's amazing man thank you
38:01
brother all right you're a citizen see
38:03
you in the morning is it to diwa
38:09
did I say it correctly
38:11
okay how you doing
38:13
Sophia okay yes beautiful what's the
38:17
what's the origins of your what's the
38:19
origin of your name
38:20
my name came from Zimbabwe I
38:23
am Zimbabwe I'm actually from Cincinnati
38:25
Ohio but the the Midwife that delivered
38:28
me was from Zimbabwe because my parents
38:30
didn't know what to name me I was at
38:32
accident child it was like we all know
38:33
just give her a name and that's what it
38:35
was
38:36
what does it mean
38:39
gift gift
38:41
that's beautiful that's beautiful wow
38:44
shout out to that Midwife she hooks you
38:46
up
38:52
so the whole name is
38:54
cherished gift
38:56
s
38:57
what I want to say free to you is you
39:00
came so real when you were like what's
39:03
good for me is good for she
39:04
and when you deal with male egos it's
39:08
really hard for a man to accept that his
39:11
woman can find pleasure in another man
39:13
so I applaud you for saying that and
39:15
having that realism but what I wanted to
39:18
ask you was while you're while your
39:22
current woman is out well everybody else
39:23
out here is snatching waist she snatched
39:25
her heart
39:26
do you feel like being in the industry
39:29
that that poly lifestyle is a is it
39:33
should be the norm I mean because you
39:35
just have women at you all day and women
39:38
in the industry have men at them all day
39:40
so if you think that that is probably
39:41
like the norm I mean I know a local
39:43
musician
39:44
and he's like I can't date anybody
39:46
exclusively because every every weekend
39:49
I'm seeing different women
39:51
is that a challenge in that industry
39:54
do you think it should be the norm like
39:56
is it a challenge
39:58
well I wouldn't say it should be
39:59
anything number one but I think that it
40:02
is uh it's a part of it like there's a
40:05
lot of musicians that will say they're
40:06
Polly but
40:08
I think there's a difference between
40:10
being polyamorous and you can't get keep
40:14
your [ __ ] in the your pants like it's
40:16
it's everybody has Temptation and it's
40:19
not just men women are equally as uh
40:23
sexual and sexually stimulated I don't
40:27
think that
40:28
um that a lot of people that say their
40:31
poly have really delved into the
40:34
lifestyle number one two
40:36
from me personally I don't want nobody
40:39
but the woman I'm with I don't have no
40:41
problem bro I I go to plenty of parties
40:44
and events I interview with beautiful
40:47
women all the time my you know my Ig has
40:51
women that pop up I don't want anybody
40:53
because I've made a choice in my heart
40:55
really it feel like it was made for me
40:57
and if we don't want to be with anybody
40:59
in 20 years then we won't be with
41:01
anybody I don't feel like I'm betraying
41:04
my polyamorous Community or anything
41:06
it's just what my soul says so I feel
41:09
like the it's it's up to the person I'm
41:12
sure there's artists it's hard for them
41:13
to to go around and like you know you
41:16
see people all the time but I look at
41:18
people's works of art you know God
41:21
created a beautiful shell there you go
41:24
but that's it I'm not worried about that
41:26
personally I don't think it should be
41:28
the norm I just think people should be
41:30
exposed to alternate relationship
41:32
structures and but most of all be true
41:34
to themselves and and whoever they're
41:36
dealing with thank you for your call
41:39
thank you the new album is called me you
41:43
and God it's out Mayfield all right
41:47
all right thank you all right have a
41:49
great day hell do you want to say
41:50
anything in closing
41:55
[Music]
41:57
I'm so happy that you came by though in
41:59
a serious note thank you for your
42:01
honesty I agree with our caller like
42:03
very open conversation and it definitely
42:06
needs to be extended thank you for
42:08
sharing on and off Mike for real hey man
42:11
we we have to yeah we don't know you
42:13
know we don't know if tomorrow is giving
42:15
like I'm not going to end on a lie or
42:17
end on being shallow we gotta just share
42:20
our truth and that's what we're doing
42:22
and especially with this project like
42:24
it's very different than any other
42:26
project I've seen mostly on the album
42:29
um you sound nice too thank you thank
42:32
you
42:33
yeah yeah yeah yeah I'm trying I'm
42:36
trying like you know different parts
42:38
different tones you know a lot of
42:40
falsetto because I was listening to old
42:42
school yeah yeah yeah and uh and and
42:45
typing into just different sides of
42:47
myself but the big thing is coming off
42:50
of the last project 85 to Africa like my
42:52
offering at that time was reminding
42:55
people of African descent black people
42:57
that we have a larger world at our
43:00
disposal and we can
43:02
we can channel that power wherever we
43:05
are but Africa is our Center absolutely
43:08
uh we are now in that now this is years
43:11
later and everybody's bumping African
43:13
music people are going left and right to
43:15
Ghana I miss you bro by a couple days I
43:19
told Vic and chance and Toby I'm sorry I
43:21
had to go see my sister in South Africa
43:23
but I missed it but I I was in I cry and
43:26
seeing that we like me and our crew we
43:29
we were one of the people uh people that
43:31
made that happen so it's great to see it
43:34
become a black holiday across the world
43:37
but I'll tell you this when you're
43:39
building a bridge you can't just leave
43:41
people over that bridge if people ain't
43:43
safe and for me the number one the
43:47
safety of women to matter so much to me
43:50
and I started realizing in the last few
43:52
years that we can't just like travel on
43:55
a black Highway a global black Highway
43:57
when women ain't safe when the queer
44:00
Community ain't safe when we are safe
44:03
ourselves or safe from ourselves so I
44:06
all this album is more in my own
44:08
personal Revolution as opposed to
44:10
outward facing in the world and that's
44:13
the difference between 85 to Africa and
44:15
me you and God I love that man thank you
44:18
yes and thank you for the work you did
44:20
with my brother Shaka bars oh yeah yeah
44:22
the bars raising money and doing some
44:25
ten toes down work in the Congo bringing
44:27
awareness of what's going on in the
44:30
Congo and I know you worked I've met him
44:32
for the first time in person when I was
44:34
yeah man and uh so we'll talk next time
44:37
I want to go in that direction yeah yeah
44:38
all right yeah okay jidenna this was
44:41
excellent man get this man a round of
44:43
applause citizens come on man thank you
44:45
I loved it brother I love you continue
44:48
continue
44:49
thank you absolutely man
44:54
thank you
44:56
foreign
#Arts & Entertainment