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Keith Sweat Talks 50 Cent, Harlem Roots & The Rise of New Jack Swing | SWAY’S UNIVERSE
Aug 1, 2024
🎤 Don't miss the event of the summer! Join the legendary Keith Sweat at his FREE concert in Harlem, this Saturday, August 3rd, as part of the Rise Up NYC initiative! 🎶
In this exclusive interview on Sway In The Morning, Keith Sweat shares incredible stories from his iconic career, including his groundbreaking contributions to New Jack Swing, collaborating with Teddy Riley, and how he became an R&B legend. Keith also talks about his latest #1 single "Lay You Down," his entrepreneurial ventures, and receiving the key to New York City!
Plus, with surprise appearances from legends like Johnny Gill and playful banter about 50 Cent, this is an interview you can't afford to miss.
Subscribe to Sway’s Universe for more exclusive interviews and insights from the biggest names in music and entertainment. 🔔
#KeithSweat #SwayInTheMorning #RiseUpNYC #HarlemConcert #SweatHotelTour #RNBLegend #NewJackSwing #ExclusiveInterview
#August3RdConcert #LayYouDownSingle #KeithSweatMusicJourney #FreeConcert #SwaysUniverseEvents
CHAPTERS:
00:00 - Intro
00:17 - Keith Sweat Arrives
01:45 - Teddy Riley and New Jack Swing
05:56 - Keith Sweat's Industry Awards
09:41 - Keith Sweat's Real Awards
11:03 - 50 Cent
14:57 - Sweat Hotel Tour Overview
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0:00
Keith Sweat came and saw us back in
0:03
2013 and I made a comment about a lot of
0:06
us you know was using his music to get
0:09
next to women true and then Keith
0:11
revealed that he uses his own
0:14
music to get next to women man let me
0:17
tell you who we have here we've been
0:18
talking about him all day this man is
0:20
truly a icon he's iconic for so many
0:24
different reasons uh would make it last
0:27
forever first came out I recall it you
0:30
know this was this was in the midst of
0:32
the crack era come on Keith don't play
0:35
with me I was there 87 this was the
0:37
midst of the crack era right and it was
0:40
something really fascinating that
0:41
happened with your music and it had a
0:44
lot to do with the lowend frequency that
0:46
a lot of R&B didn't have that that deep
0:49
back then that 808 right and because of
0:52
that that appealed to a lot of people
0:55
especially the D boys folks in the
0:57
streets and everywhere you went
1:00
just like you would hear your favorite
1:02
rap record whatever it was whether it
1:03
was NWA krs1 Big Daddy K you was hearing
1:08
Keith
1:09
Sweat fast forward how many years later
1:12
Tracy doesn't even matter decades many
1:15
decad he still looks the same yeah still
1:18
about the same weight right still
1:21
selling out concerts yeah about to get
1:23
the key to the
1:25
city and he's doing it bigger than ever
1:28
ladies and gentlemen selling over 30
1:30
million records multiplatinum producer
1:32
singer songwriter Grammy nominated about
1:36
to get the key to New York City give it
1:37
up for the one and only Keith Sweat is
1:40
back on the
1:41
S is here thank you thank you thank you
1:44
thank you thank
1:45
you 37 years he said Make It Last
1:48
Forever and it's been going forever look
1:50
at you speaking over your life yo I I
1:54
always wanted to ask you about that man
1:56
you was like one of the first R&B
1:59
artists to really
2:00
it was like you was a rap you got
2:02
accepted and received like a rapper
2:04
right what what was that life for you at
2:06
this is new for you well it was amazing
2:08
I think one of the things is because I'm
2:10
from the projects number one going on
2:12
100 12 oh who's that go ahead answer it
2:15
answer it know don't live Kei that's
2:18
cool I can't do
2:20
that I thought I turned it off but you
2:23
know once you introduced me like that
2:25
you know somebody was going to call
2:27
me like why are they doing you like you
2:30
know how it go you know hey Big
2:32
Head you get to do reg hey Big Head you
2:36
heard heard you he from for a long time
2:39
for years oh hey Big Head how you
2:43
doing lay you down as you got number one
2:47
on the billboard charts right you got a
2:48
number one record the phone is going off
2:52
hey that's when the big head is com they
2:54
trying to get laid down you know what
2:56
I'm
2:56
saying but but but so but back then you
2:59
you know you were really you were from
3:02
the projects right y'all you made the
3:04
first album were you in the project I
3:05
was in the project when I made the first
3:07
album so basically what it is is that I
3:09
think I was accepted because everybody
3:10
knew I was from Harlem everybody knew I
3:12
was from the grand projects uhuh you
3:14
know so when I made the album it was
3:16
like then you know my whole thing was
3:18
when the first song I ever did was don't
3:20
stop your love that's what I got to deal
3:22
from with
3:23
entertainment and then what happened is
3:26
once I got the deal they wanted to just
3:28
release it as a single m and uh I really
3:31
don't stop your love by myself you know
3:33
what I'm saying with Fred mcfallen you
3:34
know who did somebody else's guy you
3:36
know oh wow somebody else is Right Brown
3:39
J brown right so me and him I did I
3:42
wrote the song and we we I went to this
3:44
house and we we put it all together got
3:47
the deal and when I got the deal you
3:49
know they said yo we wanted to drop this
3:51
cuz you know I used to you know write
3:53
for Sut records and you the M leing Adam
3:55
leing back in the day you know a lot of
3:57
people don't even know that I didn't
3:58
know that some what some of the songs
3:59
you wrote
4:00
I wrote U there's some songs I still on
4:02
social media for I used to write for
4:03
this girl named Roberta gilliams all I
4:06
want is my baby My Mind Is Made Up and
4:08
you know I used to work with
4:09
GQ GQ you know with Tony Lopez I used to
4:13
you know before I this is before I even
4:15
had a hord uhuh so then I did don't stop
4:17
your love and I kind of you know they
4:19
want to put it out as a single and I
4:21
went and got got Teddy I said yo they
4:23
gave me a deal over at electure I wanted
4:25
to work with you on my album so he said
4:27
I don't know nothing about no R&B I said
4:29
yo all we got to do is put the hip-hop
4:31
beats with the R&B music wow and you
4:34
know it's a we don't create a whole new
4:36
sound so that's what happened is that
4:37
how New Jack Swing came about uhhuh that
4:40
it happened in that moment when he said
4:42
I don't know what to do you said put the
4:43
hip-hop with the R&B Melodies did the
4:46
hip-hop beats with the the R&B Melody
4:49
and we done created a whole new sound
4:50
808 and everything so we did it and that
4:52
you know it's history wow wow come on
4:55
man Teddy Riley they used to they used
4:56
to call him little half Pine or
4:58
something like that what to call them
5:00
yeah something like that yeah so you
5:01
know because we used to play you know
5:04
the uh we used to do the market uh we
5:06
used to do all the clubs like markv red
5:08
parrot all that stuff we used to have he
5:10
had his little band I had my little band
5:12
and we would we knew each other that way
5:14
cuz we used to perform in all the little
5:16
clubs around Harlem so that's how we
5:18
knew each other wow man come on I love
5:20
this history right now so you
5:23
recorded your first pro I just want
5:25
Clarity your first project in the
5:28
projects right m home studio what do you
5:31
mean yeah yeah but you know this how I
5:33
used to record I used to have two uh
5:36
tape recorders and I used to sing on one
5:38
of them and switch it to the other one
5:40
and then music and then go back to the
5:43
so it go back and forth and then I would
5:45
had come up with a you know with with
5:47
the sound so I said yo okay now let go
5:49
over to somebody let's okay now play
5:51
this play this that's how we that's how
5:53
that all started to happen come on man
5:55
keep swea here you going to keep
5:56
learning today uh you getting the key to
5:58
the city
6:00
right come on you just said right like
6:02
that ain't
6:04
nothing you know what I'm saying I'm I'm
6:07
I'm blessed and you know and and
6:09
definitely you know I feel good about
6:12
getting to key to City I don't get too
6:13
many uh Awards so you know because I
6:16
don't want to play the Pol I don't play
6:17
the politics okay so I never got a
6:19
Grammy never got a BET award never got
6:21
none of those Soul Train nothing Well
6:23
czy Paxton Baker gave me the soul trade
6:26
when he made me or gave me my Lifetime
6:28
Achievement Award but
6:30
let me tell you why you know I you know
6:32
I'm saving all this property but I'mma
6:34
share it with y'all because you know I
6:35
do my own documentary you know and then
6:37
license it out to everybody else you
6:39
know I don't play that uh pay me and
6:41
then you could do my I don't do that so
6:43
anyway so what happened is on the Soul
6:46
Train was which made me feel like I
6:47
didn't want to pay the politics on that
6:50
like the first time I ever got nominated
6:51
was on that first album Make It Last
6:53
Forever went to the Soul Train Awards
6:56
like yo you nominated for the best album
6:58
of the Year award
7:00
like I knew I was gonna get it because
7:02
there was no other album that could
7:03
touch that album you know I'm keeping it
7:05
100 when it came revolutionary the whole
7:08
sound and everything right you know
7:10
every song on the album was a hit they
7:11
played it on radio every song Make It
7:13
Ass how deep boom you know every song
7:16
right so I'm sitting up there best R&B
7:20
album of the year I'm almost halfway out
7:23
my seat yeah foot in the AIS you had
7:26
your foot in the
7:27
a oh man George
7:31
Michaels I remember that year wait for
7:33
the Soul Train
7:35
Awards the year George
7:38
Michaels I said hold up man and I sat
7:41
back down and sloped in my chair like
7:43
this wow so after that I was like Numb
7:49
by the whole award cere ceremony because
7:53
now I'm feeling like like there was
7:55
nobody that didn't have to make it last
7:57
for a cassette mhm well whatever you
8:00
want let nobody that record was being
8:02
played around the country around the
8:04
world you know really go overseas they
8:06
had it whatever so there was no album
8:08
that to me that was bigger than that
8:10
album so after they took it from me then
8:13
it was like I was kind of numb to the
8:15
whole award thing you know what I'm
8:17
saying so it it it still to this day
8:21
numb me up and the and the sad part
8:23
about it my first real award I ever got
8:25
was from the American Music Award wow
8:29
for you know I mean for the best R&B
8:32
album The Years American Music gave me
8:35
the word before any the BT Soul Train
8:38
anybody so the the the black platforms
8:40
yeah the black platform go ahead say
8:41
that you know the black platforms so
8:44
like when I when receiving something
8:46
like the key to the city I feel like I
8:49
earned that yes yes you did and it's not
8:52
that I had to play the politics for it
8:55
or whatever it's like i' I'm being
8:58
acknowledged for something that I really
9:00
really have done you know I mean I put a
9:02
lot of music out sold 30 to 40 million
9:04
albums to
9:07
I I produce for everybody Drew Hill silk
9:12
LSD OJ's immature I've written for
9:15
everybody that you can write for so I
9:17
mean it's like so I I just feel like I'm
9:20
honored to have get that because I feel
9:22
like it's something that's given to me
9:24
because I deserved it not cuz I bought
9:26
it not cuz I had to play politics with
9:29
with it it's because I earned it at that
9:31
man a standing ovation you deserve it
9:34
too 100% that man standing
9:37
ovation look you got the awards in the
9:41
in the hood though they didn't give it
9:42
to you on the stage but you got it in
9:44
the hood man especially when New Jack
9:46
City came out like what but you know I
9:49
just feel like you know and and my award
9:51
comes when I'm still able to headline
9:53
shows and and people come and I'm able
9:55
to rock the stage and still when i s
9:58
make last and see people still singing
10:00
like it just came out yesterday you know
10:03
those are my that that those are the
10:05
things I feel good about you know so my
10:07
kids could see me rocking the stage and
10:09
look at me and say Dad is doing his
10:11
thing and you know these when I when I
10:13
receive Awards like this it it makes me
10:16
proud that my
10:18
kids can see me get things like that so
10:21
my legacy you know what I'm saying my
10:23
aprings can enjoy that moment yeah
10:25
everything I do is about them at this
10:27
time in space what we at in life you
10:29
know what I'm saying with the things
10:30
going on in the world and everything
10:32
else you know everything I do is about
10:34
them and to show them that hey you see
10:36
where we are and in in the world we
10:38
living in you see you know what I'm
10:40
saying it's unfortunate that y'all
10:43
cannot have to enjoy the times we have
10:45
back in the day cuz we used to have fun
10:46
we had a good time we have fun in life
10:48
yeah man it's sad that these kids can't
10:50
not cannot have that or enjoy life the
10:53
way we used to enjoy it back in the day
10:55
CU of all the BS that's going on out
10:57
here so so you know I tell myjoy kids to
11:00
enjoy life while they can and you know
11:01
everything I do I do for them at this
11:03
point it also must be crazy with your
11:05
kids because you are probably one of the
11:09
most if not the most um Nam dropped R&B
11:13
Legend within hip-hop records and so for
11:16
your kids to like Listen to A A A Drake
11:19
track um about me and he calls himself
11:21
the lightskin keep
11:23
s what did that you get phone calls
11:25
after Drake said that yeah but you know
11:28
it's it's funny cuz my kids be like what
11:30
he mentioned you mentioned you in the
11:33
song you know what I'm saying and then
11:35
when when 50 acting crazy and talking to
11:37
me and everything so they be like yo
11:40
what why these people mess with you like
11:41
this you know but they don't know me and
11:43
them are cool you know I'm cool with all
11:45
everybody you know I'm mean when when
11:47
people you I stay out of that
11:48
controversial thing you know what I'm
11:50
saying I don't I don't get caught up in
11:51
all that you know what I'm saying so
11:53
like when you know that's why people I
11:54
can call people on a dime like tank
11:56
Johnny whoever say yo I need you here
11:58
they going to show up because of the
12:00
fact we always been good with each other
12:02
okay that type of stuff so does that me
12:04
like the back and forth with 50 I took
12:06
it as like play time but play time
12:08
that's play time that hilarious that's
12:10
play time you know but it was funny cuz
12:12
you know 50 didn't think I remember that
12:14
line he from how to rob how to rob that
12:18
line stood out what was the line what
12:20
was the line what you say I I have Keith
12:22
Sweat looking down the barrel of my
12:25
KN when you first heard that did you
12:27
laugh you know back in the day I laugh I
12:29
said what he saying you know what I'm
12:31
saying cuz you know you don't pay you
12:33
laugh at things like that you don't pay
12:34
nobody where I was at in my career and I
12:36
said oh he using me but I understand
12:39
that you know what I'm saying that's you
12:40
know you you it he was getting put on at
12:42
that time so it worked you know certain
12:44
when certain things work for you you
12:46
them run with it you know what I'm
12:47
saying so you know so so it was funny so
12:50
when he told me CU I went to his uh uh
12:52
his thing in Houston you know so when
12:55
when he said yo he wanted me to come to
12:56
streetport I said I said okay
12:59
but I told the man say tell 50 if you
13:02
don't show up at my August 3D thing I'm
13:04
not coming to Street for it I zoom up I
13:06
zoom I zoom my
13:09
performance zooming
13:12
in but that was funny I was serious
13:14
about that yo hold up tell if he can't
13:16
make my th thing I'mma Zoom my
13:19
performance into his thing so started
13:21
laughing he said what sweat said to me
13:24
oh hell no he so he said so he got him
13:27
sh man he going to tell me he going to
13:28
zoom performance like that I said and
13:31
then I thought about it I said all right
13:33
I might come and then I started then I F
13:36
hot
13:37
a you a great hum yeah I put out a Rob
13:42
on I said hell no send this to him oh
13:45
man I thought about how you talk about
13:47
you was going to put that nine down put
13:49
that nine on me back in the day hell no
13:51
I'm not
13:53
coming he and then he hit me back yo I
13:56
was tripping back then he get your ass
13:59
on this place come on out I love it man
14:02
so that's gonna happen though yeah me
14:04
and him
14:06
cool y'all good team man make it happen
14:09
man like like like like everybody got to
14:12
stop taking life so serious everybody
14:14
you know me you know this is you know we
14:17
we blessed to be you know where we are
14:19
in life you know what I'm saying is we
14:21
wake up every morning you know I'm
14:23
saying if you if if God has blessed you
14:25
to be in a good place and you know
14:27
you're enjoying life and you gotten
14:29
things that you've always wanted
14:31
everybody taking things too serious that
14:33
going back and forth with each other and
14:35
getting to a point you got to know when
14:37
to play and not when to play but when it
14:39
get to the point where it get that
14:41
serious then just let that [ __ ] go let
14:44
it go wisdom there you go right there
14:46
just that simple sometimes you got to
14:48
pop out on them and then sometimes you
14:50
got to let it go right when you see it's
14:52
getting too serious Let It Go Let It Go
14:55
Let It Go Keith Sweat is here he's
14:57
performing um this Saturday on 125th
14:59
Street in Harlem it's a free concert is
15:02
being set up by Rise up New York City um
15:05
tickets for the the sweet Hotel tour are
15:07
available right now on your site right I
15:09
mean not the sweet The Sweat Hotel call
15:11
the sweet you call the sweet Hotel cuz
15:14
I'm going keep it sweet and sexy okay
15:16
okay the the sweat sweet Hotel Tour all
15:20
right uh that's coming up as well man
15:22
you know the other thing about you Keith
15:25
that I don't know if folks really put
15:27
the spotlight on is you're kind of
15:29
you're you're you're a Serial
15:30
entrepreneur yes you know you got the
15:32
Platinum Status bags you got the candles
15:34
by Keith you you do when did you start
15:37
switching your mindset from just being
15:39
an artist to also being that businessman
15:42
Keith s it it was always like that but
15:44
you know I don't I don't I'm a person
15:47
that I don't like coming to people
15:48
saying can you do this for me can you do
15:50
that for me I like to do it for myself
15:53
so I I look for that time where I can
15:56
you know design my own things because
15:59
excuse me because you're not going to
16:00
find me running up on nobody man I got
16:03
this idea can you help me out yeah I
16:06
don't I'm not I'm I guess from day one
16:09
I've always been letting me put put put
16:11
up a shutter so I put my own money up
16:14
and shut up and make it happen that's me
16:18
that's you man you blowing you on our
16:20
show man it's going to happen yo if
16:23
anybody know Keith Sweat call him now
16:25
hit him text him you know I just turned
16:27
my phone off so if anybody know me don't
16:29
call me cuz you ain't going to get to me
16:30
now
16:31
okay don't do it but but like I put my
16:34
own money up you know what I'm saying
16:36
because you know I feel like I like to
16:38
invest in me like I've always done I
16:41
invest in me so if you really feel good
16:43
about anything you do and you you know
16:45
you I don't I don't want nobody to
16:47
invest in me I invest in myself and then
16:49
all the people that I love and care
16:50
about I want to bring them along with me
16:52
you know what I'm saying because I
16:53
always said to myself that anytime that
16:57
I went on something all the people that
16:58
have supported me and been there for me
17:00
I'm just want to give them shares or
17:02
what I got or something or have them
17:04
invested in what I have that's just what
17:06
I want to do Keith Sweat is here man
17:08
he's executive producer you got some um
17:10
independent films that you're back in
17:12
right now right I've done uh stepmother
17:16
one stepmother you'all seen any
17:18
stepmother movies with Erica men I did
17:20
that my son is uh plays Marcus Houston
17:23
uh son in that movie so and that yeah my
17:26
son Justin sweat he's plays Marcus son
17:29
and stepmother all the stepmother movies
17:31
I've done home alone with Michael J
17:33
white you know I exactly produced that
17:36
MH uh troubl man coming out I'm one of
17:38
the ex producers on troubl man with
17:40
Michael John White Method Man and Mike
17:43
EPs and I'm working with Darren Henson
17:45
on a TV series that we are finishing up
17:48
right now that we're shopping so he
17:51
plays Orlando for those that know who
17:53
Darren H is
17:57
out yeah and family business business
17:59
and you know he was choreographer so I
18:01
mean I'm doing I'm doing a lot of that
18:04
and then the bag line let me see the bag
18:06
line I feel like you brought me one did
18:08
he bring me one wow we just mentioned
18:10
two last backpacks all these reps in
18:12
here not one rep got a bag for me no
18:14
they they be wh they see my reps is
18:16
whack they
18:19
don't this the bag he joking the that's
18:22
a nice bag bro so I'm not a bag person
18:25
necessarily Heather what do you think
18:26
you're a bad person fire like fire I was
18:29
telling him to get it from over there
18:30
put it put it under here Platinum Status
18:33
Platinum statan fanny pack you can pull
18:35
the fanny pack fanny pack comes pull it
18:38
off good weekend bag you know what it's
18:39
like it's like the yeah that's that's
18:41
something I could Rock too right fanny
18:43
pack is deep put the computer in
18:45
everything in it the bag is deep all the
18:47
way down to the bottom ain't one of
18:48
those cheap bags you know what I'm
18:49
saying I love it not a designer bag
18:52
where you know you just paying for the
18:53
design you know designer name right you
18:55
know it's really those in stores we
18:58
could get these online Platinum
18:59
status.com Platinum status.com
19:03
congratulations I wanted to um go back
19:06
again because when I'm thinking about
19:08
that time period that you came out when
19:10
Heavy D and everybody was out it was
19:12
just an amazing time period one of the
19:15
people that was behind the scenes was
19:17
Jean Griffin right and um who uh um Jean
19:22
griffit had a a lot of things about him
19:24
that people talked about but he he
19:26
backed winning you know artist in
19:29
projects what was that like time and era
19:32
working in and around Jean he didn't
19:33
back me he didn't back you I a had
19:35
nothing je had nothing to do with me he
19:37
took he took one of my records but that
19:39
that was it oh okay just got paid I
19:41
wrote that with Teddy rowy and I never
19:44
got no credit for it just got paid so no
19:47
Johnny Kims yeah yeah just got paid
19:50
right I'm the I ran into Johnny told him
19:52
to go over there you know cuz that
19:54
actually just C pay was supposed to go
19:55
on my first album okay and we had
19:57
already put the credits in so it never
19:59
made the first album so I still was me
20:02
and Teddy wrote it but it said something
20:05
totally different on uh the credits on
20:08
the credits yeah right right uh I don't
20:10
blame it on Teddy I blame it on Jane
20:12
because Jane was snatching you know
20:14
doing a lot of things back in the day
20:16
and uh you know and you know me and my
20:19
man Bill Underwood we was having a
20:21
conversation with Jean you know about
20:24
that but you know certain things took
20:27
transpired so we never got it resolved
20:30
but I mean like I said that was one and
20:33
the only one yeah okay you learn but
20:35
that was a learning that was a learnable
20:36
moment well it would you know I mean I
20:39
could have handled it but I didn't
20:40
handle it so let it go you got to let go
20:45
let Let It
20:47
Go you get it because some things you
20:49
really got to let go because I wouldn't
20:50
be where I am today if I didn't let it
20:53
go you know so you got to know when to
20:56
address the situation and when to at
20:58
least
20:59
so and some people don't know that
21:01
that's why some people are here and some
21:02
people are not here cuz you have to just
21:04
know when okay I'll make it up back up
21:07
on exactly that's in you know some
21:09
things is not worth going into like like
21:13
like that even though I still think
21:14
about it like hey it is what it
21:17
is God work in mysterious ways don't
21:19
there you go yeah come on I deserves a
21:21
round of applies cuz had he done that he
21:24
and I wouldn't have been able to co-star
21:26
in a movie together stump the yard
21:28
[Laughter]
21:31
yo you hold on to your co-star credit
21:33
for dear life he was judging and I was
21:35
on there hosting that stump the yard I
21:36
was in they showed us for a quick minute
21:40
we got we got our seconds in I ain't
21:43
never seen stepping like this before I
21:45
remember
21:46
my I don't know what I did I just looked
21:50
up I don't think I had a line they I was
21:54
like hold up man I don't get a line all
21:56
the hit records out had I can't beg I
21:58
can't beging nothing on
22:00
this hey you got to look though yeah I
22:03
got to look but I would I want have say
22:05
something hey please
22:08
baby I wanted to do something something
22:12
say something they didn't have a line
22:13
for them man written hit you could have
22:15
wrote your own line wrote My Own Line
22:17
the camera looked at
22:20
me yo that's you play that judge role to
22:23
the T you could have been nominated for
22:25
that man okay like I'm nominated for the
22:28
[Laughter]
22:33
yo that's funny sway talked about we
22:35
started this conversation talking about
22:36
how you grew up and whatnot but is it
22:38
also true that you were working like at
22:40
Wall Street or in finance when you had
22:43
music out yeah I definitely was I was
22:45
with pay Weber and uh I had at the time
22:49
I war was out because I war was the
22:51
first single and people come up there
22:53
and ask me for autographs I said it's
22:54
time to leave now because because the
22:57
record was hitting so big that I didn't
22:59
want to leave the commodity job and you
23:02
know I I definitely didn't because I was
23:04
working on four World Trade Center in
23:07
downtown crazy and I didn't want to
23:09
leave the the job so uh I remember you
23:12
know my first agency Mark Seagle for ICM
23:15
back in the day it wasm it was Mark
23:18
seagull who came and said man you have
23:20
to leave your record is hitting too hard
23:23
you can't you can't stay down here man
23:25
cuz the people was just sneaking up to
23:27
The Exchange
23:29
oh he work up there he work up so it's
23:30
was getting kind of crazy like that so
23:33
they put the it was it it was crazy
23:36
because when the album came out
23:37
everything was hitting like every song
23:39
every song on that album bro when I said
23:42
every song I mean every writing the
23:43
wrong way Mega Last every he was playing
23:45
every song on the radio so it was like
23:48
man you you you gonna be making crazy
23:50
money you just need to come on so he
23:53
signed me gave me an advance and went
23:55
out there and that was my first agency
23:58
and and my only agency cuz I've been
23:59
managing myself for the last 30 years
24:01
now what come on man come on man you got
24:05
you want to say sway you ain't got to
24:06
give up that 20
24:07
15% yeah yeah I managed myself I got my
24:10
own agency I because what I tell
24:12
brothers and sisters I say listen back
24:14
in the day you needed an agency if
24:16
somebody don't know how to reach you now
24:18
something is wrong with social media and
24:22
you know we we have to be smart I'm not
24:24
giving up 25 or 20% of my money you know
24:27
knowing I can get a good l La MH tell me
24:30
read this contract over tell me let's
24:32
sit down but most people just don't want
24:34
to you know do the work or put work in
24:37
but you going to save 20% of your money
24:39
or you're GNA stop people from stealing
24:41
your money if you put the work in most
24:42
people don't want to put the work in so
24:44
that's why when you come up short that's
24:47
your fault 100% because you didn't want
24:49
to take the time up to wake up early to
24:51
get on the phone 9:00 go over your
24:54
contract you you know that's your fault
24:56
when you and then later on you say
24:59
he my com me on this person took me
25:01
that's your for you allowed that to
25:03
happen you allowed it to happen keth swe
25:05
is here now I ask because I'm about to
25:07
quit on sway he does a lot of stuff to
25:09
me Keith like on and off camera and I
25:11
just wanted to know how you quit cuz
25:14
once you blew up cuz I'm about to blow
25:16
again even super blow up and I didn't
25:18
know if you formally turned in your two
25:20
weeks how did you do that later ke let's
25:23
go into the song I took a leave of
25:24
absence and never came back man hey 742
25:29
3345 he swe in here give him a call that
25:33
still H man man that thing still H that
25:36
thing got bopped word you know what I'm
25:38
curious about Keith um your the
25:41
maintenance of your vocal cords because
25:44
to be performing for almost four decades
25:47
now over and over again in the strain
25:49
that comes is there a difference in your
25:52
regimen from 1987 with the debut of your
25:55
album compared to 2024 and this August
25:58
third show you going to have and the
26:00
difference is I'm more aggressive on
26:02
stage than I I used to be like back in
26:05
the day it was like I was a more more
26:08
laidback on stage now I'm more
26:09
aggressive now more I'm out to prove a
26:12
point so that has a lot to do it because
26:14
you know I'm I've run a lot you know I
26:17
work out and twice a day at home twice a
26:20
day I'm on the treadmill sometime I'm on
26:21
the Trad for an hour and a half
26:24
oh man I keep coming up here trying to
26:27
body shame mother
26:29
come on tce day yeah and people be like
26:31
I wake up 2:00 in the morning be like
26:33
man I don't feel like being in bed I'll
26:35
go and get on my treadmill and stuff
26:37
like that so people see me do that like
26:39
Papa J you know Papa J he was at my
26:42
house he
26:43
said he up at to he told his dad his dad
26:46
said man that's what you need to do but
26:48
that's what oh you know in this game
26:50
yeah you got to do things like that you
26:52
got to that that Stam them is is is
26:55
important right so when I go on stage
26:58
people actually think I'm like singing
26:59
that love song and I'm the I'm I'm with
27:01
12 dancers I'm running back and forth on
27:03
stage people like if you if you didn't
27:06
come to see the new audition show tour
27:09
like I was trying to kill people I
27:11
wasn't I was like yo this is I I felt
27:15
like this is my this is my and that's
27:18
the approach I take every time I hit the
27:20
show I start laughing I sit in the back
27:22
in the and like everybody that know me
27:25
right I come to soundcheck right
27:27
soundcheck might be at 2:00 I don't
27:29
leave the venue wow I might not go on
27:32
till 8:00 at in the evening or 9:00 but
27:34
I won't leave the venue cuz I want to
27:36
see what everybody's doing and I want to
27:37
know what everybody's doing that's old
27:40
school too like the stage show was
27:42
competitive right I want to know what
27:44
everybody's doing I want to make sure
27:46
the sound is right and then people be
27:48
like saying yo he taking up all the
27:50
sound check I don't take up the
27:51
soundrack right CU if you I need to have
27:54
my side feels right my front wedges
27:56
right everything so sometime you know
27:59
they you know you got these sound
28:01
company they be coming with the whack
28:02
sound yeah right and I'll be like nah
28:05
uh-uh that ain't going to work for
28:07
myself so we going to shut this joint
28:09
down and get the right sound in here or
28:11
it ain't going to be no show you know
28:13
I'm saying yeah I think that happened a
28:14
lot with black shows more so than other
28:17
shows yeah but I don't let it happen on
28:19
mine but you don't let it happen but
28:21
enough a lot of artists don't know the
28:23
difference they don't know when they
28:24
have but that's why when people be
28:25
standing up taking up time I'm be fixing
28:27
it so they can sound good because I know
28:30
I got a headline Clos the show so if if
28:35
I make sure the sound is quality so when
28:39
the people that come on before me you
28:40
you better be glad I'm taking a long
28:42
time because that means I'm fixing
28:45
problem the board might be whack yo go
28:48
get another board cuz that board in the
28:49
house is not working them speakers that
28:52
you got hanging they whack you don't pay
28:55
the promoter you don't you you you
28:57
trying to save money that's not what is
28:59
on that Rider so go get what's on the
29:01
rider so we can have a great show I love
29:04
that people have DJs with them a lot of
29:07
people don't have soundmen with them
29:08
when they travel with but he knows the
29:10
difference I have my I have my light man
29:13
I have my monitor man I have my sound
29:15
man I have the monitor man who be like
29:18
yo sweat they a't gave you the right
29:19
sweat stuff the the the see I bring my
29:22
own people M so most of the time they
29:25
people let the house the front house gu
29:29
that ain't that a like you you you get
29:32
what you pay for bottom line if you
29:35
don't want to like if if you want the
29:38
people that just promoted you or gave
29:40
you the money and you go on stage you
29:42
get what you PID for so i' rather hire
29:43
my own house man I rather hiire my own
29:47
monitor guy cuz he's going to make sure
29:49
he know what Keith Sweat need and wants
29:51
to sound like keth sweat he's not gonna
29:53
give me something that I don't I don't
29:54
want so and that's most people they just
29:57
take what they you know take they take
29:59
the money put in the pocket and then go
30:01
through the show and then the crowd look
30:03
at them or the people look at them and
30:04
say y you was whack and it could have
30:06
been the sound all along and was the
30:07
sound all along Keith Sweat is here man
30:09
I want to take some of these callers 888
30:11
742
30:13
3345 come on man let's do it we got
30:16
Jennifer on the line what up Jen
30:18
Jennifer o Jenny Jen hello everybody
30:22
what's up can you hear me yes hey I just
30:25
wanted to um thank you guys for the
30:26
opportunity for bringing there um him
30:29
able to speak with us um although I
30:31
didn't quote for myself my sister's on
30:33
the line she loves him we love him and
30:35
she just wanted to say hello to you
30:36
Keith hey how you doing I gotta go in my
30:39
Sweat Hotel voice right how you doing
30:42
like who is this guy where your sister
30:45
at where is she she's right here can you
30:47
hear her what's her name Jasmine and
30:49
today's her birthday hey happy birthday
30:51
baby girl happy birthday to you happy
30:54
birthday to you happy birthday to
30:59
you happy birthday to you
31:04
baby girl I know you ain't think that
31:07
was gonna happen this morning when you
31:08
woke up and that was free jine can you
31:11
hear that oh my
31:15
God she just came back from fainting
31:18
from Life breathe
31:21
Jasmine so thank you we're not going to
31:23
keep you guys but thank you so much wait
31:25
wait wait hold up hold up hold up hold
31:26
up Jennifer
31:28
ask Keith a question I don't want you to
31:30
get off this phone and not say something
31:31
to him thank
31:34
you I don't
31:36
know I just wish that I could have been
31:39
there and this your
31:42
performance um I just didn't know that
31:45
you were a businessman and you worked on
31:48
Wall Street but that makes so much sense
31:50
how you dress and I always admir your
31:54
sound your your music the way you dress
31:59
the way you dress you've been watching
32:01
me a long time but you been you've been
32:03
watching me through my she said it makes
32:05
sense ke it all makes you the one been
32:07
in them
32:09
bushes you ain't the one that just been
32:11
calling his phone he big head right she
32:15
just called you right that's Jasmine I'm
32:19
just play well Jasmine happy birthday to
32:21
you and you got to hug your sister
32:23
Jennifer for coaching you through this
32:24
call okay take all right
32:29
everybody you guys are citizens citizens
32:32
hold up Maya's on the line from the ATL
32:34
what up Maya what up Harlem stand up
32:38
what's up what's up what's up baby how
32:41
you doing how you doing I'm tched up oh
32:45
my God I never thought I was gonna be
32:48
the old lady on Apollo that's grabbed
32:50
everybody's legs I love you so much than
32:53
first and foremost you are my favorite
32:56
than you the king thank you
32:58
baby then I'mma put Bobby up under you
33:01
but that's family baby I love you so
33:05
much um I do I do have some serious
33:08
questions for you real quick you are my
33:09
favorite I just got to tell you that I
33:12
got two questions real quick um I
33:15
absolutely love all of your Duets that
33:17
you do with other groups and Guy wring
33:19
so I love me from Gerald Levert baby
33:21
period Point Blank you did some
33:23
wonderful songs with him have you and
33:25
Johnny thought about resurrect the LSG
33:28
and doing maybe some type of tribute
33:30
album or doing something um in the
33:33
future possibly even though J's not here
33:36
yeah me and Johnny talk about it all the
33:38
time I just got to get him the right
33:40
place because I I got He he'll be he'll
33:42
be his he'll be here Saturday with me
33:44
you know he definitely he's coming out
33:46
to the performance Saturday Johnny Gil
33:48
will be in Harlem Saturday Harlem stand
33:52
that's what we do that's what we do for
33:54
each other you know there'll be some
33:55
other people there you know some other
33:56
celebr friends said that thing too so
33:59
that's what we do everybody coming out
34:01
to support me and you know and like what
34:03
I do for them they do for me and that's
34:06
why I love being in a position I am
34:07
because if I make one call they gonna
34:09
show up there you go that's how it is
34:11
I'mma show up you make one call to me
34:13
I'mma show up
34:14
well well you got you got it baby
34:17
pretend I made the call to you
34:21
then right I'mma let you go M you're a
34:24
citizen I know she had I know she had
34:26
another question but that could take a
34:27
long time all right Nikki's on the line
34:29
where you hey Nikki welcome to the show
34:31
hey Nick hey I'm here hey hey Nikki how
34:34
you doing baby goody yourself you did
34:37
that thing out in Rochester boy I told
34:39
you you you tore that stage up oh thank
34:41
you thank you I appreciate that and I
34:44
ain't even almost decade but I'm almost
34:46
there and I've been listening to your
34:47
music since I was day high so it's still
34:49
there that's what's up okay thank you so
34:52
much still there all right baby thank
34:54
you keth your women fans are aggressive
34:56
you been like first
34:59
crush like I was at that [ __ ]
35:01
ke I saw
35:05
you like if you don't do good they going
35:07
to jump you boy they they going to talk
35:10
about you I don't mind if I don't do
35:11
good tell me all right okay Cassandra's
35:14
on the line she's in Georgia go ahead
35:15
Cassandra hey
35:17
Cass hey KW you are my favorite R&B
35:20
artist oh my God I love you so much
35:22
thank you baby girl I appreciate that I
35:25
just want to let you know you also help
35:27
me found my husband look it was a yes
35:30
when he turned on that key sweat and
35:31
played it and to me like this is my
35:33
husband it was over with who could love
35:35
you like him
35:37
nobody right right and I thank you I
35:40
thank you for your music and it's still
35:42
going every year look that PE is on
35:46
thank yo man uh thanks for your call
35:49
Cassandra Keith you got a project coming
35:51
too right or is it just the singles uh
35:53
yeah I got a project coming we I just
35:55
put the single out just to see how
35:57
people you you know people miss that key
35:58
with bagging stuff so I put it out to
36:00
see how many people still want that
36:02
baggy foreplay before the love and
36:04
making so everybody be on that that they
36:06
just want to hit it hit it hit it hit it
36:08
everything you come out let me hit it
36:10
right now now don't wait to you got you
36:14
need some more FK playing the music you
36:15
got to you got to finesse it I agree let
36:18
e finesse it before you hit
36:21
it got to warm it up a little warm it up
36:24
you know that put it don't microwave it
36:26
all the time let it put it in the oven
36:31
sometime that's this Tik Tok generation
36:33
you know everything quick man the
36:35
microwaving it here you go put it in the
36:38
oven let it marinate sometimes on I
36:40
agree I agree too why you laughing hea
36:43
I'm just looking at you sway okay
36:46
quit that's it keth got you to
36:50
quit ke got you to quit no he said you
36:54
do it leave AB leave AB leave absence
36:56
and just don't never come
36:58
back all right man Keith man I want to
37:01
thank you for coming by this morning
37:02
brother it it was really amazing to see
37:05
you I think you you know I've been in
37:07
music for since the 80s now you know and
37:10
um you you are someone to study thank
37:13
you so much man and you've been there
37:15
from day one man and you know with all
37:17
the interviews man so I want to thank
37:18
you you've been an icon in this whole
37:21
game as well so you know people got to
37:23
get their flies while they can get them
37:24
because you definitely been a living
37:27
legend
37:28
you know you've been an icon to a lot of
37:30
us that c in the game in the 80s you've
37:32
been there so you know if they don't
37:34
know who sway is people crazy there you
37:36
go come on man you got it s don't say
37:40
[ __ ] to me either keep saying what it is
37:43
that's when you had to dread every day
37:45
that's right come on man playing all
37:48
your music that's right there you go
37:50
tell them there you go telling me now
37:55
again there you go
37:58
you know you know what it is on you know
37:59
what it is that's Tyrese that's he you
38:02
gave birth to Tyrese that know what I'm
38:06
saying but you know what I'm saying but
38:08
no but serious man youve been there MTB
38:10
and all that joint you been there you
38:12
was you was MTV oh man keep it 100 tell
38:16
me keep it 100 so they need they need to
38:18
pay you for what what they did to the
38:22
but they you know say they need to give
38:24
you what your cuz they showing you still
38:26
showing you to the day so get that man
38:28
his money stop playing they get me they
38:30
got they got me in every documentary
38:31
they
38:32
produ and I I don't work for them but
38:35
get that man his money see and that's
38:37
what I talk about you know what I'm
38:38
saying people got to stop taking
38:39
advantage of situations you know they
38:41
know you with a culture they know you
38:43
with a inspiration behind a lot of black
38:44
music and then a lot of music coming out
38:46
they know that come on now everybody
38:48
know that who don't know that they crazy
38:49
come on keep sweat man I'm good I ain't
38:52
he I'm quitting with
38:54
you we both going take a leave of after
38:57
we going on the road with Keith
38:59
Sweat we'll be on the the The Sweat
39:02
Hotel tour come on Manet sweat you know
39:05
me and hea the be we'll be hosting that
39:07
come on man first stop this Saturday
39:09
Keith come back anytime thank you my
39:11
brother you a icon brother thank you hey
39:14
man you ain't got nothing to prove it's
39:15
already done you are the bar thank you B
39:18
okay give it up for Keith SWAT citizens
39:20
he's receiving that key of the city um
39:22
this weekend August the 3D man he'll be
39:24
performing in Harlem make sure you uh
39:27
check out you can go to rise up NYC
39:29
concerts to find out more that's
39:31
Saturday this Saturday that's Saturday
39:33
right this Saturday all right and hit up
39:35
ke sweat atke sweat love you brother
39:40
[Music]
#Arts & Entertainment