Trevor Jackson: From Broadway to Grey's Anatomy & Beyond | SWAY’S UNIVERSE

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.
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>> Yeah.
0:08
>> I I I can't give him the boundaries of
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being flesh, you know, flesh and bone.
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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
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people watched him on Superfly, Planet
0:33
Asia WAS LIKE, "YO, THAT'S YOU." HE SURE
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DID. [laughter]
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>> He was like, "Am I tripping? Am I
0:40
tripping? Am
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>> 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.
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>> 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
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this.
2:06
>> He He wants that spot on [laughter] the
2:08
road.
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>> 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
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>> so I think for me I try to live as close
3:40
to the moment as possible
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>> 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
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>> 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.
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>> Yeah. And art helps my life. Art helps
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my life, I'd say, more than
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>> life.
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>> 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
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get through something in life.
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>> Oh, man. That's that's the proof of
4:14
music. That's why I'm so obsessed with
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music and always have been because I've
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written in such dark spaces and have
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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."
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>> 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
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>> this is part of the the journey. This is
4:45
the stepping stone,
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>> part of the program. Right. Like it's uh
4:48
wow, okay, I get it. New episode.
4:50
>> Right. Right.
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>> What do I walk away with from it?
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>> Yeah. Exactly. Exactly. It's hard to see
4:55
though in in the moment, but
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>> in the moment.
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>> Damn it. When you listen to I I heard
4:59
the EP. The EP is called Goodbye.
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>> 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
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love you. Second one is Goodbye.
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>> 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.
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>> I love you. Goodbye."
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>> You know what I'm saying?
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>> 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
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>> 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
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>> 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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