Up next in 10
Trevor Jackson opens up about his heartbreaking breakup 💔 and his transformative journey on Sway In The Morning! In this candid and exclusive interview, Trevor shares raw emotions behind his latest music project, "I Love You Goodbye," and the inspiration drawn from his personal struggles, including a life-changing breakup and overcoming challenges like an injury. The talented actor and singer reflects on his growth through pain, his impactful role on Grey’s Anatomy, and the importance of creating safe spaces for mental health conversations, especially for Black men.
Dive into this powerful discussion on healing, self-discovery, and artistic expression, featuring heartfelt moments and never-before-heard insights. Don't miss Trevor's honest perspective and the emotional depth of his new music. Subscribe to Sway’s Universe for more exclusive interviews and groundbreaking content from top artists and influencers in music, entertainment, and culture!
#TrevorJackson #SwayInTheMorning #SwaysUniverse #ILoveYouGoodbye #GreyAnatomy #MentalHealth #ExclusiveInterview #Breakups #Healing #MusicIndustry
#grown-ishactor #trevorjackson #breakupstory #emotionalartist #musicvideo
CHAPTERS:
00:00 - Trevor Jackson
02:12 - Grey’s Anatomy Insights
04:58 - I Love You Reflections
06:49 - This Doesn’t End Like the Movies Discussion
10:30 - Importance of Positive Relationships
11:32 - Justin’s Journey to His New Album
14:35 - Significance of a Support System
18:21 - Kept It
24:47 - Judgment and Accountability
25:03 - Inspiration Behind Trevor Jackson's New EP
27:05 - First Time Caller: Shontay from Cleveland
Show More Show Less View Video Transcript
0:00
Yo, that's so amazing. And that's a clip
0:02
we wanted to play to just kind of I
0:04
think it personifies
0:06
who this spirit is.
0:08
>> Yeah.
0:08
>> I I I can't give him the boundaries of
0:13
being flesh, you know, flesh and bone.
0:17
who this spirit is. Like we watched this
0:19
man literally from Broadway at the age
0:23
of eight playing in The Lion King and
0:26
people watched him on Groanish and um
0:28
American Crime and Burning Sands and
0:31
people watched him on Superfly, Planet
0:33
Asia WAS LIKE, "YO, THAT'S YOU." HE SURE
0:36
DID. [laughter]
0:39
>> He was like, "Am I tripping? Am I
0:40
tripping? Am
0:41
>> I tripping? That's you." and and and um
0:44
and now you can watch him on on Grey's
0:46
Anatomy as well, which you know went for
0:49
as Dr. as a doctor.
0:51
>> Yeah.
0:52
>> West Bryant, which is important because
0:55
I think that aligns with who he is as a
0:57
spirit. And his expression isn't limited
1:00
to just one channel, man. We've seen him
1:03
on the stage. We've seen him on TV.
1:06
We've seen him on the big screen. And
1:08
now we're hearing him being so
1:10
transparent in his music as we talk
1:13
about his new project, I Love You,
1:15
Goodbye. Uh, it'll be out on all
1:18
platforms this Friday.
1:20
>> It's great to have this man back on the
1:22
show. Heather, I'm about to go on the
1:25
road with him.
1:26
>> How many tours you doing, bro? Like,
1:29
man,
1:29
>> quick. [laughter]
1:31
>> Please welcome the one and only Trevor
1:33
Jackson.
1:35
so much. Thank you so much.
1:37
>> It's an honor to be here, man. Sway, you
1:39
know who you are, man. You're a legend.
1:41
It It means the world to me to be
1:43
acknowledged by you, recognized just
1:45
one, just that you even notice me, but
1:46
then to, you know, for you to say
1:47
positive things like that, it makes the
1:49
the younger me inside smile and proud,
1:51
you know, that, you know, I'm here. This
1:53
is a big accomplishment for me just
1:54
sitting here next to you. So,
1:56
>> thank you, man,
1:56
>> man. [ __ ] Don't make me feel important.
1:58
>> Come on now, you are, bro. Come on.
2:00
>> No, he's really trying to go on tour
2:02
with you. That's why he's doing all of
2:03
this. It's so He ain't know me like
2:05
this.
2:06
>> He He wants that spot on [laughter] the
2:08
road.
2:09
>> I I I do, man.
2:12
I ain't even going to lie to you.
2:13
[laughter]
2:13
>> I want to get into the project, but I
2:15
want to say congratulations first on on
2:17
Graves Anatomy. That's just such a
2:19
>> Yes. It's an honor, man. Shout out
2:20
Graves.
2:21
>> Legendary series, you know, and then
2:24
this pro this character
2:27
grew.
2:27
>> Yeah.
2:28
>> Right. It wasn't meant for you to be
2:29
such a reoccurring uh character and
2:32
becoming a staple in the show. How does
2:34
that happen, bro?
2:35
>> Um, I'm by the grace of God. I mean, I'm
2:37
super duper thankful. Again, I will say
2:39
that working on this set has been one of
2:41
the greatest pleasures of my life. Like,
2:44
everybody's so kind, everybody's so
2:46
warm, and that only creates a space that
2:48
actors want to live in. You want to be
2:50
in a space where you feel comfortable
2:51
enough to be vulnerable, comfortable
2:52
enough to take risks and try different
2:54
choices in a scene with your scene
2:56
partners. And everybody is so supportive
2:58
from the cast to the crew to the
3:00
producers. Um, and uh, yeah, man. Yeah,
3:02
I'm glad they like it. You know what I'm
3:04
saying? I I'm glad we went from
3:06
reoccurring to regular. I I couldn't ask
3:08
for anything more. It's It's super dope.
3:10
>> It's super dope. What is a a person like
3:12
you like outside of what we see? What do
3:16
you do? Like how do you prepare? Oh man.
3:19
>> How what how do you live
3:21
>> um sporadically? I I I don't know if
3:24
you've got to hear the whole album, but
3:25
like my album is kind of like how I am
3:27
mentally. I'm all over the place, right?
3:29
like I'll have some dramatic moment and
3:31
I'll be super h I'm kind of you know I'm
3:33
an artist so I feel things so deeply
3:35
like I could just watch something and
3:36
immediately go into that space
3:38
>> so I think for me I try to live as close
3:40
to the moment as possible
3:42
>> okay
3:42
>> um wherever I'm at you know every album
3:44
I've made has been written about exactly
3:46
where I was in life
3:48
>> um so those things help me kind of
3:50
survive you know even in scenes and you
3:52
know different movies or TV shows when I
3:54
do uh when I do it it just it kind of
3:57
helps me survive
3:58
>> so Life helps your art.
4:00
>> Yeah. And art helps my life. Art helps
4:02
my life, I'd say, more than
4:03
>> life.
4:04
>> My life helps my art. Yeah.
4:05
>> So, something you've done in art, you
4:07
know, um, helped inform you on how to
4:11
get through something in life.
4:12
>> Oh, man. That's that's the proof of
4:14
music. That's why I'm so obsessed with
4:16
music and always have been because I've
4:18
written in such dark spaces and have
4:20
been so happy listening back to
4:22
something I made, you know, like, and
4:24
that's been proof of how life works. I
4:27
go through something that I've been solo
4:28
and I'm like, "Man, this sucks. This
4:29
sucks." And then later I'm like, "Oh,
4:32
that's why that went down."
4:33
>> Yeah.
4:34
>> That's why that happened. And then and
4:36
music is just a smaller version of that.
4:38
But it it's helped me, like you said,
4:39
informed me on how to go through life. I
4:41
don't look at stuff as bad. I look at it
4:42
as, oh, this was
4:43
>> this is part of the the journey. This is
4:45
the stepping stone,
4:46
>> part of the program. Right. Like it's uh
4:48
wow, okay, I get it. New episode.
4:50
>> Right. Right.
4:51
>> What do I walk away with from it?
4:53
>> Yeah. Exactly. Exactly. It's hard to see
4:55
though in in the moment, but
4:56
>> in the moment.
4:57
>> Damn it. When you listen to I I heard
4:59
the EP. The EP is called Goodbye.
5:01
>> So there's two EPs and there two halves
5:04
of the full album which is I love you
5:05
Goodbye, the greatest breakup album of
5:06
all time. But the first one is just I
5:08
love you. Second one is Goodbye.
5:11
>> And then the album will drop and it's
5:12
called I love you Goodbye, which was the
5:13
last thing she said to me on the phone.
5:15
That's how I got the title. And um yeah,
5:17
it was like I love you, goodbye. And I
5:19
was like, oh dang. And it just kind of
5:21
rang out right after [laughter] after we
5:24
hung up. They were just like, "I love
5:25
you. Goodbye. Goodbye. Goodbye."
5:27
>> I was like, "Damn, [laughter]
5:32
it just started." It became real, right?
5:34
>> In that moment, it became real for me
5:35
and I was like, "Whoa, whoa." And then I
5:37
was like, "This kind of this sentence
5:39
encompasses everything that I'm going
5:41
through cuz it's not like I have hate
5:42
for the person and it's not like I wish
5:44
ill on that person." Yeah.
5:45
>> It's like, "Yeah, I love you, but we
5:46
ain't for each other.
5:48
>> I love you. Goodbye."
5:49
>> You know what I'm saying?
5:50
>> I would, man. And eventually I knew
5:53
eventually she would be mentioned with
5:55
she um because that was the catalyst um
5:59
that experience you had with this
6:00
amazing person because it sound like the
6:03
pain I hear in your heart.
6:05
>> Y'all must have had some amazing times.
6:08
>> Sure. Sure. I'm a lover. I'm a lover. So
6:10
I don't have I don't have weight in
6:12
terms of how much I give myself, you
6:14
know, for for someone and the things I
6:16
do. I try to go above and beyond. And so
6:18
that's what you're hearing. Yeah. the
6:19
proof of proof of love was there, but
6:21
it's also um the pain isn't just the
6:24
separation from her. It's also a
6:27
separation from my older self, which
6:28
doesn't necessarily mean that's who I
6:30
should have been. Right?
6:31
>> You can be attached to a version of
6:33
yourself that isn't the version you're
6:34
supposed to be, and that's why God made
6:36
this go down. So, you could wake up and
6:37
be like, "Oh, shoot. I was living like
6:39
that, or I was waking up like that." So,
6:42
>> the pain is also separating from my old
6:45
my old self, putting my old self to bed.
6:47
This rebirth is a painful experience.
6:49
Everyone that's born is crying and blood
6:50
all over them. You know, it's it's a
6:52
traumatic experience. But
6:54
>> um what you get on the other end of it
6:55
is life. You know, you get you get
6:57
another view of it, another you know.
6:59
>> No, man. Keep going with it. Cuz I what
7:01
I hear your you know what I'm most
7:03
fascinated by HB is I'm you know I'm
7:05
obviously Trevor Senior only by a couple
7:07
of years.
7:08
>> Only by a couple. We don't really we
7:10
don't focus on math around here.
7:12
>> Hey [laughter]
7:14
math age. I'll be doing the tip. might
7:17
be like, "Uh, I don't know how to
7:19
someone do that." [laughter]
7:20
>> But I I thank God that I'm open enough
7:23
to learn from some someone who may have
7:25
been on this planet shorter than me, a
7:27
short amount of time.
7:29
>> And when I
7:30
>> That's wisdom, by the way. Just so you
7:31
know, like wisdom isn't just learning
7:33
from people. It's it's knowing that
7:34
wisdom can come from anywhere.
7:36
>> If you block yourself off from
7:37
something, that's that's a sign of, you
7:38
know, not being as intelligent, but like
7:40
stay open. I always say life is like a
7:42
grocery store. I get to decide what I
7:44
grab. you know, someone can throw
7:45
something at me, I can decide to put it
7:47
in my basket or not.
7:48
>> Um, so I think that was just super wise
7:49
of you saying that, like to know that it
7:51
doesn't have to be someone that's way
7:53
older than you or someone that's a
7:54
shaman somewhere. You can learn
7:56
something from somebody on the street
7:57
that just the way they spoke to you
7:58
could
7:59
>> have a have an effect. And I and if I
8:02
wish I had the words uh when I went
8:04
through certain situations, breakups,
8:07
the whole nine that you've been able to
8:09
express on your in your music.
8:12
>> Very heartfelt when I was listening to
8:13
these songs. I was like, "Oh [ __ ]
8:15
Trevor."
8:16
>> Yeah. You just sat on the couch and made
8:18
everybody else's life miserable.
8:20
>> I did. I did. Like I I I was miserable.
8:23
You know, when you when when you look at
8:25
uh this song, um this is what is it?
8:28
This is not like the move. It doesn't
8:29
end like the movies.
8:34
>> You needed that line.
8:35
>> I needed that. This doesn't end like the
8:37
movies. You talk about certain movies.
8:39
You sit here and watch this and we got
8:41
this impression on how life is and then
8:44
it happens. And then someone like you
8:46
who's
8:46
>> worldrenowned, critically acclaimed on
8:49
TV, handsome guy. Um to have someone
8:53
break up with you, you know, people
8:55
don't think that happens, right?
8:57
>> Of course not. I'm a human being. Um,
8:59
and in that again is like I would hold
9:02
on even if it wasn't right for me. And
9:03
that's something that's a lesson I had
9:05
to learn within myself, right? Like I
9:06
don't care how bad it gets, I ain't
9:07
leaving.
9:08
>> I'm here. I'm here. That's me, bro.
9:10
>> You know what I'm saying?
9:11
>> Um, and so it was a wakeup call for me.
9:15
>> And again, I think the process
9:18
was so necessary. And I think that's why
9:21
I'm so passionate about it again is
9:23
because I want people, black men
9:25
specifically, to be able to deal with it
9:28
in that way. Like you just said, I
9:29
didn't have the words. And that's
9:30
because a lot of times we're not given
9:32
the space to have the words,
9:33
>> right? You don't have room to be like,
9:35
"Hey, I'm feeling like this doesn't like
9:36
the man, shut up. We got to go to work
9:38
tomorrow, man. Come on. We go." You know
9:39
what I mean? There's not a lot of room.
9:41
Mhm.
9:41
>> So, uh, this project
9:44
>> right after it happened, right, the
9:45
breakup, two weeks after I tore my
9:47
Achilles,
9:48
>> so I couldn't go out and party and I
9:49
couldn't go out and forget.
9:50
>> I had to sit on my butt and be in pain
9:54
and think about how bad my leg hurts and
9:55
think about how I'm not going to be able
9:56
to walk and think about a TV show and
9:57
think about, you know, all this stuff.
9:59
>> And when I get overwhelmed like that, I
10:01
go to the studio. I have a studio in my
10:02
house. I go to the studio. I'm
10:03
overwhelmed. I'm limping downstairs and
10:05
I was down there and I made this uh
10:06
record in like two and a half weeks.
10:08
It's the quickest album I've ever
10:09
written.
10:10
>> Wow. Um, and it was because I literally
10:13
was thinking about all of my emotions
10:15
and I was like, "Okay, let's write about
10:16
that." Okay, let's write about that. And
10:18
then what you say when you did that? Oh,
10:19
let's write about that.
10:20
>> Um,
10:21
>> you pinned it all.
10:22
>> I pinned it all. Yeah. There's maybe one
10:23
or two that we co-c collab. Two records
10:25
maybe. But the like 90% of the record I
10:28
I wrote the whole thing. And that's
10:30
another thing, too. So, I want to go
10:31
>> Born Art is my company. Shout out to my
10:33
brother Jackson who's sitting right
10:34
here. This is my partner, my business
10:36
partner, my brother, my teammate Kobe
10:38
and Shaq. That's me.
10:39
>> That's y'all. Okay. Shack. Him.
10:41
>> He's Shack. He's Shack. [laughter]
10:42
>> Same last name though. You guys related?
10:44
>> That's my older brother. My real
10:46
brother. That's my actual older brother.
10:48
Yeah. I could tell the way he's looking
10:49
at you while you're talking like he's
10:51
proud and he's laughing at you at the
10:53
same time.
10:54
>> He was there. I'm sure.
10:55
>> Yeah. No, he went through it and he
10:56
mixed the whole record. Mastered the
10:58
whole record.
10:59
>> Oh, man. Get on the Let don't let him
11:00
see you, man.
11:01
>> Yeah. Slide your chair down now. You got
11:02
to get on the mic.
11:04
>> You came in the morning. We include
11:06
everybody. We having a pow-wow, man. Say
11:09
your name, man.
11:10
>> Step up to Yeah.
11:11
>> Hey yo, this is INJ. You know, people
11:13
call me Ian. And um yeah, we did we did
11:16
a really cool thing with this project
11:17
and I'm super uh I'm super proud of
11:19
Trevor for handling it the way that he
11:21
did and putting it on the record, you
11:23
know what I mean? Like you said, we're
11:26
all about mental health and uh you know,
11:28
creating uh safe spaces for people to
11:31
you know, really express themselves, you
11:33
know? So,
11:33
>> it's I think it's important too like as
11:35
a believer um I I believe God has given
11:39
all of us more than one gift. That's
11:41
just I I believe that. But I think it's
11:43
up to us to explore all of those and and
11:47
tap into all of those and be comfortable
11:49
like you said, create those spaces to do
11:51
that. And it's important you have those
11:53
right people around you.
11:54
>> I saw you in Lion King. I watched you in
11:57
Grownish. like I had no idea that you
12:01
were this super duper talented, but I
12:04
give you courage to have I mean I I I
12:07
appreciate your courage, let me say to
12:09
tap into it all and do it at such a high
12:11
level because the quiet times can get
12:14
really scary. It's like you to me I just
12:17
feel like that's when Satan is like at
12:19
his busiest and you have to really know
12:21
where your soul sits and know that
12:23
purpose and know like yes God has given
12:25
me these gifts to sing to act to write
12:28
to to create right to be that artist
12:30
that you stand in. So I applaud you for
12:33
your courage to fight through those
12:35
voices cuz when you have oh of course
12:37
for so long the injuries, the quiets,
12:40
the breakups, whatever whatever else is
12:42
going on. We we have families, we have
12:44
other stuff happening and then your own
12:46
confidence is being tested sometimes in
12:48
that. So to me, you figured out a way to
12:52
fight through that.
12:52
>> Yeah. And he's shown up when I when I've
12:55
gotten to my breaking point, right? Like
12:56
>> for instance, this is a great story. I
12:58
love to say like I was having a day like
13:00
that, right? And I was just like, man,
13:02
>> you kind of I felt like I was like we
13:04
were just talking about Kobe and Shaq,
13:05
but I felt like I was on the bench like
13:06
I'm Kobe but I'm on the bench. No one's
13:08
playing me
13:09
>> and I can do everything. I can pass the
13:11
ball. I can shoot the ball. I can
13:12
dribble the ball. I got it all right.
13:14
>> But because I can do that in my
13:15
entertainment field, no one's kind of
13:17
giving me the whatever. And then I went
13:18
to the BMI awards and I met Boys to Men.
13:20
>> Oh wow.
13:21
>> And and God set that ordained that
13:23
moment up for me because I was very
13:25
doubtful that day. I was having a hard
13:26
time and they were like, "Yo man, we've
13:28
been seeing everything you're doing. Hey
13:29
man, you couldn't we couldn't be more
13:30
proud of you." I was like, "I've been
13:32
listening to you, right?" And I heard
13:33
that and I said, "Man,
13:35
>> I'm good. [laughter]
13:39
>> Let's go."
13:40
>> But for real, AND THOSE ARE those are
13:42
them, Brian Mcnite, you know what I'm
13:44
saying? Stevie, Donnie Hathaway, these
13:46
are all people that I grew up listening
13:47
to. And those were the times where
13:50
>> I felt like the talent mattered more,
13:55
right? the work mattered more. Now it's
13:57
people's lifestyles matter more, right?
13:59
That we just want to know what drama
14:00
you're going through so that when we're
14:01
listening to the song, oh, they're
14:02
talking about that instead of just being
14:03
like, "This is a great song.
14:04
>> I connect to this," right?
14:06
>> Might get up on that mic.
14:07
>> Oh, sorry. Sorry. But yeah, um
14:09
essentially that was that was like one
14:10
of the many moments that God has done in
14:12
my life though, like where I felt super
14:14
low or I have Ian, not to put him on the
14:16
spot, but like
14:17
>> he came back from mixing the record and
14:19
like was emotional with me and was like,
14:20
"Yo, like I'm so freaking proud of you."
14:23
And I could hear that from him over
14:24
hearing it from a billion people that I
14:26
don't know. But my older brother, like
14:27
him saying that, I was like, "Oh, shoot.
14:28
I got I got something for real. I got
14:30
something for real." Right.
14:31
>> So, I've had little Exactly. I've had
14:34
little tidbits. He's never let me go
14:36
without those. You know what I'm saying?
14:37
>> Amen.
14:37
>> But man, it was hard.
14:39
>> No, it's hard. But you you figured it
14:41
out. It sound The music sounds so good.
14:44
Like, and I'm a equal fan. Stage,
14:47
television, film, like, but this music
14:50
blew my mind today.
14:50
>> Thank you so much. I really appreciate
14:52
you guys. It's actually listening to
14:53
music. You know, sometimes you go to
14:54
these and they be like, "Oh, so we kind
14:56
of listen, but I can tell you guys love
14:57
music and really So again, he don't
15:00
don't look at him cuz he's going to try
15:02
to sway you." No pun intended. He's he
15:04
you know, he's shady. If he doesn't
15:06
really like your music and stuff, you
15:07
can't come on the show. He'll blame it
15:09
on somebody else [laughter] and stuff
15:10
like that. Oh, my producer said we was
15:12
caught up. God,
15:14
>> we really listen here. We really I'm
15:16
just giving you a secret. Thank you.
15:18
Thank you.
15:18
>> So if you're here, if you're sitting
15:20
next to a secret on air, You're not
15:22
supposed to be here. He's an actor. He
15:24
gets it.
15:25
>> Yeah. So, if you're sitting if you
15:27
happen to sit next to Sway, it's because
15:28
he really wants you here.
15:30
>> All right. Yeah, for sure.
15:31
>> Appreciate you. [laughter]
15:32
>> I'm laughing. I'm just telling the
15:33
truth.
15:34
>> You're embarrassing me.
15:35
>> I've never said that on radio.
15:37
[laughter]
15:37
Decades I've been on.
15:38
>> You said it to me by face.
15:41
[laughter]
15:43
>> You y'all made me think I have an
15:45
amazing like a really beautiful big
15:48
brother, right? And um
15:51
>> I'm usually the big brother in my
15:53
dynamics, you know, and and u because of
15:57
the success and the consistency
15:59
throughout the years, the longevity,
16:02
>> you know, people tend to come to you
16:04
because it look like you got the winning
16:06
formula. Right. But you don't know
16:07
what's going on underneath.
16:09
>> Right. Right.
16:10
>> My big brother sees through all of it.
16:12
And so
16:13
>> whenever even at this stage in my life,
16:15
I need grounding.
16:16
>> Yeah.
16:17
>> Man, Tal, man. Hey, I [snorts] just call
16:19
my big brother and all I got to do is
16:21
listen. And just watching how you watch
16:23
because I've been watching you watch
16:24
your brother.
16:25
>> Yeah.
16:26
>> I don't know if big brothers get enough
16:28
light, you know, especially in our
16:30
community.
16:30
>> Yeah.
16:31
>> Being black men, you know,
16:33
>> having a big brother like it's
16:36
everything. And I tell him every time,
16:38
you know,
16:39
>> you know, we have our yearly emotional
16:41
combo. And I'm always basically just
16:43
saying all I wish for you is that you
16:46
could have someone like you. Like for
16:48
me, right? The way I look at you,
16:50
>> I wish you could know what life is like
16:51
like that because it's a cheat code. I
16:53
do everything I do because I saw him do
16:56
it first. It makes me believe that I can
16:57
do it because I seen him do it first.
16:59
>> He always say that about his older
17:01
brother.
17:01
>> My whole style is his. I jack it,
17:03
[laughter] man. All the time. My little,
17:06
you know, my little thing to it. But
17:08
people who grow up with us will tell
17:10
you, "Oh, he's definitely his little
17:12
brother. I'm the little brother." You
17:14
know, man, T cow's cool. He does this.
17:16
Okay, cool. I jacked all that stuff.
17:18
[laughter]
17:18
>> Like, you know, y'all made it a hot
17:20
line. We made it a hot sword.
17:25
>> We definitely believe in, you know, iron
17:26
sharpens iron and and, you know, that's
17:29
just something that we've always
17:30
preached. But I also do believe, you
17:32
know, spiritually, like we were talking
17:33
about, that God always prepares us
17:36
>> before we even know what it's for.
17:38
>> You know, I grew up, you know, my dad
17:40
was heavy in my life and teaching us
17:42
lessons and really talking to me and
17:44
playing sports and being the leader on
17:46
the team and just trying to understand
17:49
how do we get to a bigger goal with all
17:51
these pieces. And now that we're in this
17:54
business together, that's how I handle
17:56
the business. I'm like I'm thinking like
17:58
how did we get Trevor to get to this to
18:00
that? Like he's talking about Kobe.
18:02
Sometime I feel like Phil out there, you
18:03
know what I mean? So it's just like it's
18:05
cool to see how everything kind of
18:08
morphed its way to where it's so natural
18:10
and Born, you know, we're we're here
18:12
like we're really here.
18:13
>> But Phil was a player, too.
18:17
[laughter]
18:18
>> Was a player, too.
18:19
>> Yeah. Player coach, you know what I
18:20
mean?
18:20
>> I like that. Um
18:22
>> there's there's a lot of beautiful songs
18:24
on here. and and you and you tackle some
18:27
really hard issues that we very seldom
18:30
hear people talk about.
18:32
>> I think the first time I heard anybody
18:34
talk about um
18:37
sharing a child and and making a
18:39
decision to to terminate a pregnancy was
18:43
was with Common and Lauren Hill
18:45
>> I think Resurrection for Life. Yeah.
18:47
Right. Something.
18:48
>> Yeah. Resurrection for Life.
18:49
>> Is that what it's called? Lonnie Light.
18:51
Do you recall
18:53
>> they shot the video?
18:54
>> Retrospective for life. Retrospect for
18:57
retrospect for life.
18:59
>> But Common does have a song called
19:00
Resurrection.
19:01
>> Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Retrospect [laughter]
19:02
for Life was the name of the song.
19:04
>> I want to play this song called Kept It.
19:07
And this song really really made me go,
19:10
man, this this guy is in another
19:12
stratosphere. for his honesty and and
19:15
his willingness to share is going to
19:17
heal and help a whole lot of people
19:19
who'll be able to relate to this song.
19:21
Uh we're going to open up the phone
19:22
lines. Trevor Trevor Jackson is here.
19:24
8887423345.
19:27
>> Beautiful man. [applause]
19:29
[cheering]
19:30
>> Um that's I would imagine a hard record
19:32
to make.
19:33
>> Oh yeah, man. Definitely. Um the folks
19:36
didn't realize what it was. It's well
19:38
the way I interpreted it was you were
19:40
singing about a pregnancy that you and
19:42
your partner decided to terminate.
19:45
>> And I wish we would have kept. Yeah.
19:48
>> That that implies regrets.
19:50
>> Yeah.
19:50
>> Right. And I I don't know if it's a lot
19:53
of people out there that had to make
19:54
that decision for whatever reasons. It
19:56
could have been health.
19:57
>> It could have been whatever reasons you
20:00
had to terminate a pregnancy. Feel free
20:01
to call 8887423345.
20:05
>> Can you unpack that song? And and you
20:08
didn't have to share that.
20:10
>> Yeah.
20:11
>> With the world. What made you decide to
20:14
>> um I just wanted to write about
20:15
everything I was feeling. And when you
20:17
when you go through a breakup,
20:18
everything flushes to the forefront of
20:20
your mind, right? So
20:22
>> all the things in our relationship came
20:24
up. And that was something that I felt
20:26
like I maybe didn't process fully that
20:28
happened quick. And I had to be like,
20:29
I'm fine because I got a TV show I'm
20:30
filming. I got to do this, I got to do
20:31
that, and everybody's not going to be
20:32
worried about how I'm feeling, so I just
20:33
got to keep it. You know what I mean?
20:34
That was my mindset at the time. And
20:37
then when it was over, I was like,
20:38
"Dang, you went through that." And you
20:40
didn't give yourself again the space to
20:42
feel that. And that song was me feeling
20:44
that. That song was a space of me
20:45
because I do remember after it happened.
20:47
You know, I acted like I was good. But I
20:49
remember like looking out the window and
20:50
be like, I could break down right now,
20:51
but I'm gonna keep it together because I
20:53
I want her to keep it together and I
20:54
just got to be the rock and I'm good.
20:57
>> And so for me, that was my way of
21:01
Yeah. Giving myself that that grace and
21:03
space to to feel that. And
21:06
>> it doesn't necessarily mean I still wish
21:08
that.
21:08
>> Yeah.
21:09
>> Right. Yeah.
21:09
>> But it means there was a time where
21:11
maybe I I had those thoughts. I was
21:13
playing around. I was flirting with the
21:14
idea of, hey, what if what if we did
21:16
though?
21:16
>> Yeah.
21:16
>> Where would we be at?
21:18
>> You would still be connected.
21:19
>> Yeah. We still be connected. And it
21:20
could be selfishly. And I had a homie
21:22
after I was like making this record. He
21:24
kind of was telling me a similar story
21:26
and he was like, I know it could be
21:27
wrong. And I was like, well, maybe you
21:28
can ask like, am I wrong? Cuz when I was
21:31
writing it, I was like, I don't want to
21:32
be like,
21:33
>> you know, too whatever. I'm like, am I
21:34
wrong for just thinking about it or
21:36
wondering if we would, you know what I
21:37
mean?
21:38
>> So, it's it's playing with the back and
21:40
forth of it all. Um,
21:42
>> and yeah, man, I I definitely think it's
21:44
a space that a lot of men have been in,
21:46
haven't been able to speak on. Like you
21:48
said before, maybe they didn't have the
21:49
words or have the song. I can't tell you
21:50
the amount of times I've gone through
21:51
something and I put on the right song or
21:53
the right movie that allows me to
21:55
continue on. And
21:56
>> so this project I want to be a beacon
21:59
for people in these spaces to just go to
22:01
cuz I think the biggest fear in humanity
22:03
is being alone. But once you realize
22:05
everybody's kind of going through the
22:06
same thing just a slightly different
22:08
version. You
22:08
>> start to not you don't isolate yourself.
22:10
[snorts]
22:11
>> And that's the that's the key to
22:12
depression is isolation, right? It's
22:14
like no one understands so I'm going to
22:15
go over here and be in the dark all the
22:16
time every day and not right. But it's
22:18
not till you go outside and be like hey
22:19
that that's why people go to comedy
22:20
shows. That's why you laugh because we
22:22
all went through that. That's why we're
22:23
laughing about it because the same thing
22:24
happened to me. just maybe at a gas
22:26
station and yours happened at Target,
22:27
but the same story, right?
22:29
>> So,
22:30
>> yeah, man. Sorry rambling.
22:32
>> No, I like it, huh, man? You helping you
22:33
giving us insight, right? And when you
22:36
watched uh um
22:38
>> you know, a music the music video,
22:41
right? And you're just it's just
22:44
>> that was real.
22:45
>> Those tears that are streaming
22:46
[laughter] the whole time. That wasn't I
22:47
know you're a great actor. YOU'RE A
22:49
GREAT
22:50
>> I AM. I AM. BUT THAT also was
22:52
>> that was tapped in on that cuz again
22:54
when when you're making this right and
22:55
then during the promotional time I'm not
22:58
like giving myself that space to fill
23:00
again right I'm here I'm like I got to
23:01
promote this record I'm not really
23:02
listening to it how I wrote it. So then
23:04
when I'm doing the video I'm like
23:05
listening back to I'm like dang
23:07
>> this is real stuff right and it's
23:09
playing I was like oh this is this is
23:11
some real stuff here.
23:12
>> Yeah.
23:12
>> So I kind of Yeah. It had been a minute
23:14
since I had listened to it in that way.
23:17
>> You're brave brother. I want to give you
23:19
commend you because you know there's a
23:20
lot of people have their feelings and
23:22
their beliefs and especially if based on
23:25
your religion or what you know that you
23:27
might get a lot of
23:28
>> you know fallout because of this this
23:31
>> because of that act too. I think I was
23:33
saying to Trevor while the music while
23:35
the song was playing like in the same
23:36
way Zion for Lauren
23:39
>> encouraged a lot of women to have their
23:42
child. I think this song
23:44
>> will allow women to sit and listen to
23:47
their partner before a decision is made
23:50
>> because to your point
23:52
>> you don't always listen to how a man may
23:55
feel
23:56
>> you know it's just like and I I'm listen
23:59
my body my choice. Right. I totally
24:01
agree. I agree with that. I understand
24:02
that 100%. I agree with that 100%.
24:04
>> This is the first time to hear from a
24:06
male perspective in a digestible way. I
24:09
was telling Trevor without feeling like,
24:11
"Bitch, you got rid of my baby. [ __ ]
24:13
you. I should have like all the things."
24:15
This was like, "Wow,
24:16
>> that was very harsh."
24:18
>> Keep it real. You keep it real.
24:19
>> Okay. Go ahead. I'm sorry.
24:20
>> That's why we have to pretend he's not
24:22
here. This is just me and you talking.
24:24
>> It's not. Yes. This is show. I heard you
24:26
say that. You know, but you know, you
24:28
know, you made it very digestible and
24:30
and like just listening like, wow,
24:33
>> man, maybe he had feelings, you know,
24:36
maybe he thought about this too from and
24:38
and he wasn't given the space. I didn't
24:40
give him the space, you know, to to say
24:42
how he felt. Um, really beautiful.
24:45
Really beautiful. I really appreciate
24:46
it. Congratulations. No judgment. Yeah.
24:49
Yeah, man. [clears throat] Uh, we're
24:50
gonna go to Tmaine in Texas. Uh,
24:53
Tummaine, how you doing? What's on your
24:54
mind, Tmaine?
24:57
Wait, hold on. Tmaine, I don't know.
24:59
Tmaine, did he
25:01
Oh, never mind. We'll mute Tmaine. All
25:03
right. Um, we got Trevor Jackson is
25:06
here.
25:06
>> Yeah.
25:07
>> The This project is, you know, I was
25:10
blown away when I when I start listening
25:12
to it. And then when I start seeing the
25:14
imaging, you know, the videos and the
25:17
the different things that that accompany
25:18
the, you know, you know, the wardrobe of
25:20
the EP songs,
25:21
>> that was a big that was a big part of it
25:23
as [laughter] he was getting sick of it.
25:25
He's like, "Trevor keeps asking about
25:26
this suit. We got to get this. We had
25:27
the suit made."
25:28
>> Really? The garb is like from the 1800s.
25:30
>> Yes. Exactly. What What was the
25:32
inspiration?
25:32
>> So, the inspiration is um two two sides
25:36
of it. One is a groomsman and one is a
25:38
poet, right? And I felt like this album
25:41
I feel like I've always been a cool
25:42
writer and I felt like I was able to
25:43
exercise that throughout the T- mixes.
25:45
When I was doing T- Mixes, people are
25:46
like, "Oh, he really like writes and
25:47
does music. It's not just a hobby." But
25:49
then also, I feel like some of the most
25:51
legendary words were written by poets.
25:52
You know, you got Shakespeare, Langston
25:54
Hughes, Robert Frost, Edgar Alan Poe,
25:56
and a lot of their stories and, you
25:59
know, sonnetss were written from dark
26:01
places. I mean, in the middle of the
26:03
woods by himself in a cabin. Can't
26:04
imagine, you know, being in that time
26:06
and wondering what I would write about,
26:07
but those words lasted and they're
26:09
helping people now. So, I would like to
26:10
be a part of that. And then also those
26:12
garments that I'm wearing, someone like
26:14
me couldn't afford those probably in
26:15
that time or wouldn't not even not
26:16
afford, wouldn't be allowed to afford,
26:18
could have afforded, but you know, due
26:19
to the system, right? So, I'm
26:21
representing them as well. And then I
26:23
say when you show up or when you get
26:24
broken up with, it feels like you showed
26:25
up to a wedding by yourself. So, that's
26:28
why it's kind of the groomsman outfit.
26:29
And um yeah, I was very strict about the
26:32
outfit. I was very strict about the
26:34
suit. Like, we went through a bunch of
26:35
different stuff. The designer, shout out
26:36
uh Puj, shout out Lionel. Um
26:39
>> and they really helped me bring this
26:41
imagery to life. And then, uh we love
26:43
Tim Burton and we love looking at things
26:45
a little differently. So, all the videos
26:46
are kind of having a little layer. It's
26:48
a it's a dramatized um fantastical
26:50
version of all of the things that you
26:52
feel when you break up with someone.
26:54
It's you're it's a torture of yourself.
26:55
It's a torture of the person. It's um it
26:58
feels a little, you know, dark, but it's
26:59
also a funeral because you're putting to
27:01
death that relationship, putting to
27:02
death your old self and rebirththing.
27:05
>> Trevor Jackson is here, man. This dude
27:07
is dropping gems. Shante is on the line
27:09
from Cleveland. Shante,
27:10
>> Shante, Shante,
27:13
say your brother, too, man. Just talk
27:14
about yourself. [laughter]
27:18
Hey Shante,
27:19
how about this music? How about this
27:21
conversation? Good morning. Good
27:23
morning.
27:25
>> Hi. Good morning. I'm finally got
27:27
through and actually had the courage to
27:29
call y'all. I've been listening to y'all
27:32
for quite some time, but just never
27:35
>> Thank you.
27:35
>> decided to be like, "You're welcome."
27:37
Never decided to just be like, you know,
27:39
call in and be like, "Hi, everyone." So,
27:42
this is my first time actually calling
27:43
and getting through. Welcome to the
27:46
show. We got a first time caller, man.
27:51
>> All right. Welcome to the conversation.
27:53
What's on your mind?
27:54
>> Thank you. Thank you. So, really um I am
27:59
I'm a fan of Grownish and also uh
28:03
watching watching him on TV when
28:06
Blackish and I didn't know he knew how
28:08
to sing for a second. It was kind of
28:10
funny. he was he had a little uh you
28:13
know impact on Diane. So, but when I
28:17
actually listened to this song um and
28:20
you guys are talking about it from a
28:22
male perspective, I'm actually talking
28:25
about it from a female perspective and I
28:28
wish I hadn't kept mine. Um 20 years
28:31
ago, I was in my 20s. Maybe God was
28:36
telling me, "You are way too immature
28:40
in your mindset and in your
28:42
relationship."
28:43
And you know, the guy took me to the
28:46
doctor. He basically told me on the way
28:49
to the doctor, uh, I'm not ready for
28:52
kids. And I'm like, "Okay."
28:56
And I had a whole lot of regrets ever
28:59
since then up until
29:02
um almost seven years ago when I gave
29:05
birth to my son during co I had a lot of
29:08
regrets. It affected me traumatically. I
29:12
thought I was being punished because I
29:14
got rid of that child that I could never
29:17
have kids again. And then, you know,
29:19
seven years old, seven years ago, when I
29:22
gave birth to my son, I was like, "Okay,
29:24
well, maybe the timing
29:27
was not the greatest. Maybe I was
29:30
immature
29:31
uh in my 20s. Maybe I was immature
29:35
financially." And it took me to in my
29:38
40s to actually grow up and realize
29:43
what would have been had I kept it at,
29:47
you know, 22, 23, 24 with the guy who
29:51
basically told me and took me to the
29:54
doctor, I don't want no kids.
30:00
>> Wow. And I'm I'm glad for you. I'm happy
30:03
for you.
30:04
>> Yeah. um that you had a child, you was
30:06
able to give birth to a child.
30:08
Congratulations to your your
30:10
sevenyear-old child and
30:12
>> the fact that this this song uh can
30:16
speak to see I was loving his music
30:18
because it spoke to my younger self and
30:21
and this particular topic that it could
30:23
speak to you shows you the gravity of
30:26
what it is you've written Trevor through
30:28
your honesty and how it's how it's
30:30
impacting and relatable
30:32
>> to a lot of people
30:33
>> in this world.
30:34
>> Yeah. And Shante, the beautiful thing
30:36
about God is that he already knows what
30:38
we going to do, right? He already knows.
30:41
And he knew at that time you were going
30:43
to have a son years later. And I think
30:45
what he also does is he allows us to
30:48
learn from those things. You know, we we
30:50
learn we learn the people who we choose
30:52
to have in our circles. We learn from,
30:55
oh, I know what this feels like. I don't
30:56
want to go back down that road. I
30:58
learned those lessons. And I think you
31:00
sound like whatever it was that you
31:02
needed to learn, whatever you had to be
31:04
prepared for, like you spoke about being
31:06
prepared, you know, like you're prepared
31:08
for it. You sound like an awesome mom.
31:10
You sound proud when you mentioned,
31:12
right, that she had that son. And so
31:14
congratulations, Shante, for real.
31:17
Congrats. Supposed to call today.
31:20
>> My my little man, he is if he was in the
31:23
car, he'll be telling you about
31:25
Minecraft. And mommy, who you talking
31:27
to?
31:29
>> [laughter]
31:35
>> Yeah. What's his name? What's the little
31:36
guy's name?
31:38
>> His name is Rashan Jamal. His birthday
31:41
is December 24th.
31:43
>> Really?
31:44
>> Wow.
31:44
>> Yes.
31:46
>> Yeah. My Teller was my my other name. My
31:49
other name.
31:49
>> So Shante, [laughter] I know you listen
31:51
to the show, but Sway also has a double
31:52
life. He goes by Jamad on Wednesday
31:56
nights in his bowling league.
31:57
>> [laughter]
31:57
>> Yeah, Jamad X. So, yeah. This is why I
32:01
don't deal with him. [laughter]
32:03
>> Jamad is crazy.
32:08
>> I hear [laughter] I hear
32:11
>> I hear you two every morning. I try not
32:14
to put it on um listen to you guys while
32:17
he in the car because you know this is
32:19
adult conversations. But when he get out
32:22
the car, I it's just we're going and
32:24
Heather be I I see I hear you going in
32:27
on straight on sway [laughter] holding
32:30
him accountable. It's it's hilarious for
32:33
the little bit of time [laughter] I get
32:35
to hear you
32:38
feel for me. I can hear Shante.
32:39
[laughter]
32:39
>> What is the relationship like in a
32:42
circle in a private setting? Sway. Yes.
32:45
Stop picking on Heather. She She is one
32:47
of the [laughter]
32:50
She has a big huge heart and she loves
32:54
her space. Just leave her alone.
32:57
>> Love her booze.
32:58
>> So, all right. So, so [laughter]
33:00
really quick each other what she's
33:01
referring to. Sway and I actually we've
33:03
known each other for 30 years.
33:04
>> Oh, wow. 30.
33:06
>> Yeah. For 30 plus years, actually.
33:07
>> Shante, you're a citizen, by the way.
33:09
Thanks for your call.
33:10
>> And um obviously through music, we we
33:12
work together and whatnot. And now we
33:14
live across the hall from each other.
33:15
>> Oh,
33:16
>> and Sway has decided my home, my
33:18
apartment is his breakfast, lunch, and
33:20
dinner.
33:20
>> Yeah. Oh, you be cooking?
33:22
>> Yeah, I would too. I'll be over there,
33:24
too.
33:24
>> Oh, go [laughter]
33:26
man.
33:27
>> If you're cooking breakfast, lunch, and
33:28
dinner, I'll be there. Breakfast, lunch.
33:30
So, we go at it.
33:32
>> So, we go at [laughter] it. Um, man,
33:34
man, what a what a powerful and
33:36
impressive
33:38
uh just great sonically well produced,
33:42
>> well written,
33:44
>> incredibly mixed,
33:45
>> you know, um, you you guys really put
33:48
together something special and and and
33:51
go out and know that, man, and thank you
33:54
for coming. And you know, I remember
33:56
what was the residuals challenge you
33:57
did. The Chris Brown thing got you a lot
33:59
of
33:59
>> people really reacted to that. And I
34:01
love seeing you out here having fun.
34:04
>> I love you recognizing that as a as a
34:06
black man in America, you know, uh
34:09
making music that can that speaks to us,
34:12
speaks to all men. Yeah. But, you know,
34:15
speaks to us.
34:16
>> Absolutely.
34:17
>> Through us.
34:18
And you even with the imaging,
34:21
>> you know, putting on those that garb
34:23
that, you know, pays tribute
34:25
>> to artists from that era, uh, your
34:28
predecessors and knowing that now you're
34:30
able to do today what they weren't able
34:32
to do then,
34:33
>> but I can only do it because of what
34:35
they did then. You know,
34:36
>> I always say that we're our ancestors
34:38
dreams come to life.
34:39
>> Yeah. Absolutely.
34:40
>> And the fact that you're aware of that,
34:42
man, that's divine. So, we appreciate
34:44
you, man. I can't even look at your your
34:46
your work. Uh the same way now I'm I'm
34:49
gonna be crying every time.
34:51
>> Oh brother,
34:51
>> this dude gonna be having happy rolls.
34:53
Okay, [laughter] Trevor. Trevor,
34:58
>> I love you. Goodbye. What a powerful
35:01
[laughter]
35:02
>> crazy.
35:02
>> What a powerful breakup. Thank that
35:05
young LADY [laughter]
35:09
>> and I hope she's doing well. Okay,
35:12
prayers to her. All good to her.
35:14
>> Trevor, brother, say your name.
35:16
>> Ian. Ian, I was Ian was on my head so I
35:19
didn't want to say it wrong. That's an
35:21
ill name.
35:21
>> Thank you.
35:22
>> You guys are amazing. Your mom's
35:24
amazing. Thank you.
35:25
>> All right. And u Thank you for being
35:27
here. This was live on SiriusXM as you
35:29
know. People could go back to I suggest
35:30
you go on the SXM app and listen back to
35:33
this conversation over and over. We'll
35:35
have it on Sways Universe in a day or
35:37
so. You'll be able to view this whole
35:39
conversation. Support Trevor Jackson at
35:42
TrevorJack 5 still.
35:43
>> Yep.
35:44
>> Okay. at Trevor Jackson 5. Thank you,
35:47
man.
35:47
>> Thank you, man. This was incredible,
35:48
bro. Thank you, guys. Glad y'all had a
35:51
good time.
35:52
>> Absolutely. This was wonderful.
35:53
>> Y'all in LA, right?
35:54
>> Yeah,
35:55
>> we are too. Let's do
35:57
>> Hey, release party.
36:00
[laughter]
36:01
>> Release party. Where at?
36:02
>> Uh, it's going to be down here in
36:03
Hollywood.
36:04
>> We're around.
36:05
>> We love to come. Yeah.
36:06
>> Is the people is open to the public?
36:08
>> Uh, sway.
36:09
>> Okay. No, if it was I [laughter] was
36:10
going to say promote it. Not doing it on
36:12
trip.
36:13
>> We'll exchange information and we'll go
36:14
from there. Gentlemen, thank you. Okay.
36:16
>> God bless. God bless.
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