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Xolo Maridueña On His New DC Movie 'Blue Beetle' + FREESTYLE 🤯 | SWAY’S UNIVERSE
Jun 21, 2023
It is not every day that you come across a rising star who is constantly impressing audiences with his performances. Xolo Maridueña is one of those exceptional actors who is making his mark in the entertainment industry. Some of his recent roles include Victor Graham in Parenthood and Miguel Diaz in Cobra Kai. He even has an upcoming project in the DC Extended Universe film Blue Beetle, where he will be portraying the iconic character, Jaime Reyes. Recently, Xolo Maridueña stopped by Sway In The Morning to talk about his success, his struggles, and his upcoming projects.
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Exclusive interviews from Sway Calloway and the Sway In The Morning/ SwaysUniverse.com team with some of today's biggest celebrities, like Kevin Hart, Kanye West, Eminem, Usher, Jessica Alba, Steve Aoki, Torey Lanez, Julia Stiles and so much more.
Xolo Maridueña On His New DC Movie 'Blue Beetle' | SWAY’S UNIVERSE
https://youtu.be/em_eu_Nu4uw
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0:00
wow man that that right there let's clap
0:02
it up for that trailer right there
0:04
whenever you hear a trailer that make
0:06
you want to immediately get in line and
0:07
buy tickets to a movie you know it's a
0:09
good one and um absolutely man he's he
0:12
he's no stranger to the show it's
0:14
interesting for fathers that I went to
0:15
Universal Studio City walk right and I
0:18
went to see Transformers to see our good
0:19
friends Anthony Ramos Dominique Fishback
0:21
Toby Toby and wig way right Stephen
0:24
Caple Jr who directed it number one
0:27
movie huge all of these folks are
0:30
friends of ours and are walking out of
0:32
the theater my daughter Kiyomi and she
0:35
says daddy look and we see this big
0:38
poster of Blue Beetle the movie's coming
0:41
August 18th whether you like it or not
0:44
whether y'all like it or not you gonna
0:46
like it you're gonna love it right and I
0:49
was like hey you know that's your cousin
0:51
right there and she was like really how
0:54
you know like we don't know we're Brown
0:56
we got a bunch of cousins just people
0:58
you grew up with you're like Mom family
0:59
friend
1:06
who our next guest mother is and how we
1:09
came up in the game together she's a
1:12
sister to us and she knows your mom and
1:15
she remembers you
1:16
um you guys are probably about the same
1:18
age oh yeah yeah 22.
1:21
yeah she sees 20 actually she's two
1:24
years older than you and um I said yeah
1:27
I'm actually going to be speaking with
1:28
him today and it's always a little uh
1:31
it's different for me to interview him
1:33
because I I feel like his feel you know
1:36
and so I I you are yeah
1:39
so you know I'm like it so it's hard but
1:42
you Google that word before the
1:43
interview no he knows the easy ones like
1:46
yeah
1:54
and so and I told her you know you saw
1:57
him on COBRA Kai yeah that's right
2:00
um he's done a lot of things he's a
2:02
great actor he's a great thespian but
2:04
most importantly man he's an amazing
2:06
spirited human being last time I talked
2:09
to him I was visiting his mother's
2:12
organization as compound what is it
2:14
called the Boyle Heights Arts
2:15
Conservatory yeah and they teach they
2:18
teach a lot of kids in the neighborhood
2:21
and a lot of kids who felt gone through
2:23
some challenges they put them in an
2:24
environment where they could learn
2:25
broadcasting journalism all sorts of
2:27
stuff production she does amazing work
2:30
Carmelita Sanchez let's give her a big
2:32
round of applause and we got my nephew
2:35
here starting a new film Blue Beetle
2:37
August 18th the one and only Show Low
2:40
marijuana thank you
2:44
thank you all so much
2:47
man how you doing today brother I'm
2:50
doing well I'm excited to be here I'm
2:51
glad to be in New York every time I come
2:53
I enjoy it more than the last time so so
2:55
I'm I'm happy to be here grateful that
2:57
you guys have me on yeah yeah man this
2:59
is great man I just you know I'm trying
3:01
to you know I told your mom it's really
3:03
hard for me to interview you you know uh
3:06
because I'm just I'm just so proud of
3:07
you I look at you I smile but we're
3:09
going to get over that okay okay we're
3:11
gonna get over that because this role
3:13
you're playing in Blue Beetle is so
3:14
important for so many reasons uh the
3:17
first Latino superhero the headliners on
3:19
film all right get that big round of
3:21
applause I'm telling you if you have
3:22
Latino descent I want to hear you call
3:24
right now
3:26
888-742-3345 we got a superhero is here
3:29
we got two superheroes don't we mural
3:32
man in Blue Beetle
3:36
[Applause]
3:38
yeah wait
3:40
it's mural man
3:43
you're old man the black man is gone
3:49
so I got a mural in Oakland okay yeah
3:53
there we go yeah they did a mural of me
3:54
in Oakland so um and so I've been mirror
3:56
man ever since yep with the power of
3:59
graffiti yeah hey oh my God you even got
4:01
a slogan come on man that's what I do
4:02
man so it's sexual it's factual so let's
4:05
get back to seriousness okay well not
4:07
even seriousness just celebration you
4:09
said the most um what what you're most
4:11
excited about having is roles not so
4:14
much that this is going to lead you to
4:16
even more Hollywood Fame uh the
4:19
accolades that's gonna come with it but
4:20
because of representation in that he's
4:23
Latino yeah you know I I think that is
4:26
definitely the most important part and
4:28
it's not to say that there haven't been
4:29
before right yeah because because I
4:31
think a lot of people are saying like oh
4:33
you're you shouldn't be taking all the
4:34
credit for it but but really what what
4:36
it is for me is the opportunity to show
4:38
a new generation of kids that that that
4:41
not only do they deserve to have their
4:43
stories told but you can have a like a
4:45
fun good story too even through strife
4:48
and and hardship like there's nothing it
4:50
doesn't have to be you know like the
4:53
biggest trauma contest like more often
4:55
than not you have these stories of
4:57
Latinos who who you know we we've told
5:00
just a fraction of the stories you know
5:02
it's not a monolith no no two you know
5:05
Latinos are the same you have Mexicanos
5:08
you know Cubanos all of these different
5:09
cultures so so what we wanted to do in
5:12
this movie was have you know two
5:15
something hours of a bunch of Latinos
5:17
and you get to see all of them it's not
5:18
just one person it's an ensemble and and
5:21
we have a great cast George Lopez George
5:23
Lopez
5:30
yeah she's the voice of kajida um but
5:34
really it was just such a learning
5:35
experience for me first yeah yeah so so
5:38
this is your first movie first movie bro
5:40
your first movie and you land the lead
5:43
role that may be one of the most
5:44
important roles ever created in
5:46
Hollywood
5:47
yeah from your mouth to God's ears I I
5:50
was I was very fortunate very lucky very
5:53
blessed
5:54
um and and I just hope that it opens
5:56
doors for other people
5:58
I was very fortunate I didn't have to
6:01
audition I had a I had a strong strong
6:03
relationship with the director
6:04
beforehand and really the biggest part
6:06
of this movie is the family aspect and
6:09
the love that that this family has for
6:11
each other
6:12
our director was like you sholo you got
6:16
that love for your fam so that's why
6:17
that's why you're the guy for this and
6:19
outside of that we'll figure out the
6:21
other semantics of how to make it like
6:23
the character or not but you got that
6:24
part down I know that you you ride for
6:26
your family like nobody else so bring
6:28
that energy to it and we can't lose so
6:30
yeah man I like that solo Maddie yeah
6:33
all right uh DB is of you got Cuban
6:37
blood in you I do down the line you know
6:39
all right all right claim that [ __ ] yeah
6:42
I grew up with with a Mexican mom so
6:45
that's the one that I identify with you
6:46
know blood Wise It's Cubano and
6:48
Ecuadorian as well okay
6:50
um but it's a you know born and raised
6:52
Los Angeles it's a Melting Pot I feel I
6:54
feel everything absolutely you feel it
6:55
all right yeah yeah come on man you
6:57
can't help do you feel each other right
6:58
now
7:02
family I I did want to ask you about
7:05
this because I went to Midtown Comics
7:06
yesterday and I picked up the highway as
7:09
uh action figure The Funko Pop yeah it
7:11
was the only one left so I was like a
7:12
snap I called ahead these things are
7:14
selling out like crazy and it just made
7:15
me think about like that moment when you
7:18
finally when it Dawns on you that like
7:20
oh [ __ ] like I'm famous you know and and
7:23
I feel like if it was for me having my
7:25
own action figure would be pretty cool
7:27
and that would probably be the moment
7:28
where I'd be like oh this is like really
7:29
happening what was it for you I mean I
7:31
know you've been doing Cobra Kai
7:32
Parenthood you know what I mean so
7:33
there's a lot to think about in the of
7:35
course the time but when was it for you
7:36
that you were just like oh this this is
7:38
real
7:40
um there's been a couple of moments in
7:42
my life a couple of Milestones you know
7:44
definitely like landing on the first
7:45
show having my young I started when I
7:48
was 10 you know so so the first kind of
7:50
big Milestones were like people my age
7:52
that I went to school with being like
7:53
are you the kid from the Gogurt
7:54
commercial or like I saw you on the
7:57
Verizon ad or the Sears print or
7:58
whatever and then it slowly evolved into
8:00
their moms being like I cried watching
8:03
you on Parenthood and then and then the
8:06
husband's being like you were so badass
8:08
on COBRA Kai
8:10
um and and nowadays kind of the one of
8:12
the craziest Parts is is getting to like
8:15
I I get to go about to some of these
8:16
comic-cons and and getting to meet
8:18
people face to face who have connected
8:20
with whether it's my character or the
8:22
show or the movie
8:24
it's it's really uh it makes it tangible
8:27
and palpable yeah and uh you know a lot
8:31
of the job for me happens you know on
8:33
the day and and then it's kind of like
8:34
all right out of the head but when you
8:36
when you meet people on on a day-to-day
8:39
basis or whenever it happens that say
8:40
like yo I I liked it or I hated you you
8:43
were the worst character you're crazy
8:45
and it just is um it's a it's a blessing
8:48
it's a little I you know I think right
8:49
now it's about to head into a realm that
8:51
I haven't every steps you know
8:54
is a first first step for me and the
8:57
whole fam so that's kind of been a
8:58
little interesting to navigate with my
8:59
family who has no how-to manual on this
9:02
and we're kind of just rolling with the
9:04
punches as well but but I want to make
9:05
sure that they feel like they're their
9:07
own sons and not like they're just moons
9:09
revolving around my son so so as long as
9:11
as long as that is uh in place I'm proud
9:15
of him right now look at your nephew she
9:18
said my own son their own sons
9:21
and my I mean when you look at my family
9:24
I mean you know my family they are
9:26
definitely their own they don't need him
9:28
you know what I mean like but you gotta
9:31
you gotta remind them too you know of
9:32
course it's it's like sometimes it
9:34
happens so quickly you forget to just be
9:35
like wait we're family you know like
9:37
it's but uh I'm so excited and so so
9:40
blessed wow I would imagine because you
9:43
as a young girl I got pictures of this
9:45
dude it look like a cute little button
9:47
yeah pick me up like a suitcase
9:50
you know carry him in one arm and a lot
9:53
of stuff in the other arm
9:54
um but you you have some experience
9:56
being around the business right with
9:58
your mom the hip-hop business yeah the
10:00
hip-hop business right so how how did
10:02
that groom you
10:04
I feel like it was in my blood yeah you
10:07
know growing up days into my life coming
10:09
into the wake-up show and and you know I
10:12
just remember chilling in the side room
10:14
with you know you guys had like a early
10:17
vitamin water case or something with the
10:19
balcony in the back and and I just
10:21
remember kind of just chilling there and
10:23
and you guys would have the craziest
10:25
people come through and I definitely had
10:27
no knowledge of it at the beginning and
10:29
and honestly my mom was pretty
10:31
protective yeah because she's like uh
10:33
you know these guys they they have some
10:35
they say some tomfoolery you know so I
10:37
don't want you getting any ideas
10:38
thinking that you could talk back to me
10:40
right so so
10:43
um it really wasn't until I hit like
10:46
eight or nine that I really started
10:47
listening to hip-hop it was kind of
10:48
Bruno Mars Maroon 5 before that and then
10:51
you know my dad was like good kid Mad
10:54
City
10:55
you know Kendrick Lamar wow this is this
10:57
is it and I listened to that and then my
10:59
whole world changed from there I was
11:00
like
11:01
just like where where was this wow and
11:04
then from there it was and then I went
11:06
you know back forward did you become a
11:08
student of the culture like of course so
11:10
you start doing a dive yeah yeah of
11:12
course I mean I I I really feel like
11:14
I've you know I've been blessed to kind
11:17
of have the opportunity now to kind of
11:19
start coming up with my own music and
11:21
and and using my own influences and I
11:23
find that a lot of what I enjoy and a
11:25
lot of what I gravitate to in terms of
11:27
the hip-hop world are kind of like the
11:29
90s okay early 2000s like definitely
11:33
tribe yeah you know Public Enemy most
11:37
deaf these types of these types of guys
11:39
are are are
11:42
you know some of the the what do you
11:44
call it the the Mount Rushmore of of the
11:47
game for me absolutely and I didn't want
11:48
to come in and and make it like a a
11:51
mockery or or use it as like a parlay to
11:54
to do something else it was just a a
11:57
passion project a thing of Love uh it
12:00
really feels like I've it's taken my
12:01
whole life to kind of be ready to even
12:03
start to write down words on a page or
12:06
or look at beats and stuff like that but
12:09
I I'm always such so blessed to have
12:12
like a great family who's who makes me
12:14
feel so like sometimes they make me
12:16
delusional I feel like I could do
12:17
anything my fam's like yeah you got it
12:18
yeah yeah yeah no it's it's a blessing
12:21
but
12:23
um it's it's it I can't help but feel
12:24
like it's in my blood
12:26
in general because because it's not just
12:28
hip-hop I have I it's eclectic I love
12:31
all different types of music and I've
12:34
had the the privilege of getting to kind
12:35
of travel over the past you know few
12:37
years and experience you know Brazilian
12:39
music European music uh African music so
12:42
so getting to getting to experience the
12:45
world it really opens up your mind and
12:47
and I have such a I feel like such an
12:49
American right like oh it opened my eyes
12:51
but but I I love it yeah and I like the
12:54
solos here we talking uh Blue Beetle uh
12:57
which is in theaters August 18th but
12:58
we're learning he's in the music Heather
13:00
I saw you light up when he started
13:01
talking about well the writing the
13:04
reason why I lit up and and he started
13:06
talking about writing is because we had
13:08
Devon Franklin here Devon Franklin ep
13:10
the film about the um Mexican I believe
13:13
January yeah
13:16
and he was talking about how Eva
13:18
Longoria came in Longoria came in like
13:21
totally directed it but not on before
13:23
they direct him she totally got rid of
13:26
the script she was like this is wrong
13:29
this is wrong that's wrong a a person of
13:32
this descent would not say this normally
13:34
and naturally and so we heard that from
13:37
him as the EP but as sway made in the
13:42
interview made the note an interview
13:43
this is the first you know superhero
13:45
what takes so long for these stories to
13:47
get told and to break some of the
13:49
stereotypes
13:50
um you know from different ethnicities
13:52
because that's what stuck out to me when
13:54
um he spoke about what Eva came in and
13:56
did with the script of course and and
13:58
and I gotta tell you I totally agree
14:00
with what you're saying and and it's
14:01
that's the that's the most crucial part
14:03
is authenticity right especially
14:05
especially right now as Hollywood starts
14:07
to move in a direction that it implores
14:09
you know that it's it's looking like
14:11
it's starting to you know take kindly to
14:13
these types of stories and what I really
14:15
think it was and and I experienced it
14:17
for the first time like firsthand on
14:19
Blue Beetle the writer the director the
14:23
people working on the movies The Sound
14:24
Department the costume Department you
14:26
know props Department set deck Brown
14:29
Latinos wow and they understand and and
14:32
to have you know to to it would it
14:36
couldn't help but feel authentic and it
14:38
made me realize like it I didn't realize
14:41
that I had a Latino childhood yeah I
14:43
just had a childhood I was I was eating
14:45
dinner I wasn't eating Mexican food for
14:46
dinner like it was just food but when I
14:49
was reading the script and hearing you
14:51
know the writer and the director talked
14:52
about it I realized like ah we we these
14:55
are people these are members of our
14:56
family that all of us whether you're
14:58
black brown Asian I don't care what you
15:00
are like we all have these family
15:01
members that we know and that we can
15:03
relate to and and when the writer and
15:08
the director were were authentic it
15:11
couldn't you know it started it had a
15:12
strong Foundation that's what it is it's
15:15
when you have that weak foundation and
15:16
you start to build on top of that that
15:18
and then when nobody you know is double
15:20
checking or there's no checks and
15:22
balances in place and people are just
15:23
like duh just Google translate it
15:24
whatever like it it it kind of you can
15:28
see it right you understand it and that
15:30
really turns people off it feels forced
15:32
and we didn't want to do anything for us
15:34
and we don't want to shove any anything
15:35
down anybody's throat either like what
15:37
we wanted to do was was highlight to
15:40
celebrate to to to to empower and create
15:43
a hopeful story and and I think that we
15:46
set out to do it and we accomplished it
15:47
and I just can't wait for it to come out
15:48
because it's it's um it's it's different
15:51
right different okay it it really is
15:54
yeah man I love it but authentic yeah
15:57
yeah and grounded too like like this
16:00
story Little Beetle you see these
16:01
superhero movies that deal with with the
16:04
Alien Invasion or the planet about to
16:06
explode and these guys you know problem
16:08
is that they're losing their house and
16:10
you know the dad it has some heart
16:12
issues right so so it's like you know
16:15
getting to those those issues are are
16:19
sometimes more palpable more more
16:22
worrisome yeah you know sometimes it's
16:24
like yo figuring out rent next week is I
16:26
wish an alien would take over
16:29
here
16:31
so that I'd rather have an alien in my
16:35
landlord
16:37
so strike the tax office first exactly
16:40
so so that having that type of story was
16:43
the perfect mix of that you know that
16:45
large scale with that grounded
17:00
um you have so much pride for your
17:01
heritage but at the same time you're a
17:03
global citizen which I think is just
17:05
like the perfect blend
17:06
um I can't help it with how unique your
17:08
name is I think about a lot of people in
17:10
Hollywood who have changed their name in
17:13
the past whether it was because they
17:15
felt like it would be easier for
17:16
audiences for fans for producers to not
17:19
only pronounce but remember their name
17:21
or maybe they just wanted whatever they
17:23
felt as the formula for star power
17:25
totally did that ever enter your mind
17:27
and that anyone ever tell you about that
17:29
you know it's it's it's kind of crazy
17:31
what sholo is my middle name Romario is
17:35
my first name it's an amalgamation of my
17:37
mom's you know closest Family relatives
17:39
and and but sholo is what I always went
17:41
with I don't know you know for whatever
17:43
Rhyme or Reason
17:44
and I really thought my whole life that
17:48
nobody would ever know how to say my
17:49
name because you know if I wasn't an
17:52
actor or if I wasn't like
17:55
you know if I wasn't in a position where
17:57
people you know were learning about how
17:58
to pronounce my name I truly feel as if
18:00
though I would have gone my whole life
18:02
without anyone knowing how to pronounce
18:03
my name and it's been a weird phenomenon
18:05
I don't want to say weird but it's been
18:06
a really kind of surreal phenomenon to
18:09
have people pronounce my name correctly
18:11
on the first time it's kind of it's like
18:13
holy [ __ ] maybe we are making progress
18:15
right yeah but but it's it's um but I
18:18
also like you're saying I take pride in
18:20
it as well yeah it's you know we can
18:23
pronounced XYZ names right so so I feel
18:26
like really my name is it's four letters
18:28
right so so I I wanna it always has been
18:32
important to keep it because the the end
18:35
of the day too my mom only gave me one
18:36
name right so you know even when
18:38
thinking about the music or the acting
18:40
like there's there is a part I suppose
18:42
that feels like ah it's easier to
18:44
distinguish my personal self from
18:47
whoever write the the alter ego is or
18:50
the person you know front-facing but for
18:52
me it keeps me in check it's like you
18:54
better say that you better believe that
18:55
everything you say is true because you
18:57
know there is no there is no Alter Ego
18:59
to hide behind so I and and it you know
19:02
it's authentic as well it represents
19:04
more than you yeah no absolutely and and
19:06
I had the you know opportunity of
19:08
talking to people who were kind of in
19:09
this position who had changed their
19:10
names and gotten huge as Xyz and and a
19:13
lot of them said like I kind of wish I
19:15
just stuck with my regular name like and
19:19
it's it's it's it's something that I
19:20
still think about and it still crosses
19:22
my mind but sholo is I've I've written
19:25
it out this long so it sounds like a
19:26
sway
19:27
about your name
19:31
my regular name wouldn't have worked
19:35
well hey
19:36
it definitely wouldn't have worked here
19:39
like
19:40
four letters let's imagine like if
19:43
somebody saw your name they'd be like
19:45
who that yeah they really wouldn't know
19:47
who it was yeah that's my regular name
19:51
Callaway close yeah
19:57
you said four letters I was like no no
19:59
okay okay eight letters but we're gonna
20:02
leave it right there
20:04
uh it wasn't like hey don't be putting
20:07
my government name out there get that
20:09
cough button ready yeah it ain't nothing
20:11
nobody can find out about you anyway so
20:13
yeah it's true but to his point it's
20:16
like you we get so used to the names
20:18
that people give us then that's just
20:21
what it is like I've read those stories
20:23
with Whoopi Goldberg that's not her real
20:25
name Tom Cruise that's not his smart
20:27
machine Jamie Foxx that's not his real
20:29
name you know so but that's how we see
20:31
them
20:32
what's up yo Kalani what wait you didn't
20:36
know that no I didn't I didn't know that
20:38
at all yeah yeah like so you learned in
20:40
this like if you saw their real names
20:42
you would have no idea so I think it's
20:45
beautiful I'm a fan anyway thank you
20:48
once again what do you hope once this
20:50
movie drops what do you hope people
20:53
learn or get from this movie Blue Beetle
20:56
not not just folks in in your culture
20:58
but even outside of your culture
21:00
I hope people just hug their families
21:02
tighter okay I think like it's such a it
21:05
you know I I had the privilege of
21:07
getting to see the movie with my mom and
21:08
dad it's a big family movie and I just
21:12
can't help but think it's it's one of
21:13
those movies that you know the credits
21:15
Are Gonna Roll and you're gonna think
21:16
like I'm so I'm so glad to have this
21:18
family and and you know a big sentiment
21:21
is that nobody nobody rides for you like
21:23
your family and you know sometimes
21:25
you're going out into the world and you
21:27
know you're gonna be distance from them
21:30
and it's it's always good to kind of
21:31
come back to those roots and and and I I
21:34
feel that resonated with me in my own
21:35
life uh and yeah what's worked for you
21:40
because you you've done this really well
21:42
as you navigated through your success
21:44
and you know star estate is constantly
21:47
glowing and it's growing and it could be
21:50
difficult for family members when you're
21:53
having a certain level of success
21:54
especially in the public eye when you
21:56
become a celebrity a public figure of
21:58
course and there's no manual for a fan
22:00
family members to react or respond no
22:03
you just said what I do is make sure
22:05
that everybody is included they're their
22:07
own Sons or however you put that you
22:10
created a pathway to Harmony with their
22:13
family during your success it's hard
22:15
it's hard bro like we've seen we just
22:16
had a story about a big family that came
22:18
out that you know exposing celebrity
22:21
family exposing celebrity Secrets it's
22:23
hard yeah and and you touched on
22:25
something really important because you
22:27
know I got younger siblings too yeah and
22:30
what ages I got you know the next the
22:33
next closest one is 15 and then seven
22:36
and then you know five so so wow to to
22:40
kind of it's It's hard to boil it down
22:43
or or have you know some of my siblings
22:46
go to school and have them say like you
22:49
know just the kids are dumb like and I I
22:53
hate to just generalize it like that but
22:55
but I I I I it's hard not to feel
22:58
remorseful in a way yeah because you
23:01
think like oh shoot it's it potentially
23:03
can only get bigger and I and I don't
23:05
wanna cast a shadow over my family and
23:08
and I and I do everything that I can to
23:10
not do it and and I think you know the
23:12
the key the the the beacon for me has
23:15
always been just that supportive nature
23:17
that that my family kind of instilled as
23:20
long as I you know make my make my fan
23:22
make my siblings feel like they can
23:24
conquer the world yeah that you know no
23:27
matter what they pursue they'll they're
23:29
gonna succeed and and even if they don't
23:30
succeed we're gonna we're gonna have
23:32
their back and and
23:34
I it's it's still hard like sometimes I
23:37
I guarantee you my sisters are like I
23:40
don't like this guy like when they when
23:41
when when people come to school and
23:43
they're like we're friends with you
23:45
because cholo is your brother and you
23:48
know or teachers are like oh you know oh
23:50
did you hear the kid from Cobra Kai's
23:52
sister is here it's like
23:54
it it you really start to see like how
23:57
how people are and and I just you know
24:01
it maybe it sounds stoic but the only
24:03
thing I can control is myself yeah I can
24:05
I I and and how I react to what other
24:08
people say I can't control how other
24:09
people think how other people act I can
24:12
just you know make sure that what I'm
24:13
putting out there is is is as true and
24:15
as honest as as I want it to be and then
24:18
you know then it's that's that's what I
24:21
have in my control man I love it man
24:22
give it up for solo Mariana don't know
24:26
marijuana
24:27
you know what this is like this is like
24:29
when my mom this is like when I when I
24:31
buy something it always the the price
24:33
tag always increases every time my mom
24:35
tells the story she'll be like you spent
24:36
fifty dollars on a pair of shoes and
24:38
she'll say it again y'all can't believe
24:39
you spent 200 on a pair of shoes
24:49
you know she my I butchered the language
24:51
even before you were born so this is
24:54
about it though yeah she's really kind
24:56
she's got a welcoming a welcoming Spirit
24:58
absolutely she never but sometimes she
25:00
does have those I don't know if your
25:02
moms are ever like this but sometimes
25:03
she'll say things that are that I'm like
25:05
oh she thought it was just a throwaway
25:07
comment but it just stays with me for a
25:08
long time that hurts I can't believe you
25:11
just didn't die
25:13
yeah she's hey man she's well respected
25:16
in this game
25:17
yeah I mean she used to hate that too
25:19
Blue Beetle is the movie we're gonna uh
25:22
open up the phone lines
25:26
888-742-3345 we're gonna come back and
25:28
talk a little more okay Sway in the
25:29
Morning shave four or five
25:31
right man prep it right now BP let him
25:34
know who we got in the building man I
25:35
don't know who we got in the building
25:36
well we got two superheroes as I stated
25:38
ladies and gentlemen boys and girls we
25:40
got one who stops the needy with the
25:42
power of graffiti Euro man
25:46
and the other one is the newest member
25:48
of the dceu he's bad he's blue and bad
25:51
guys he's coming for you he's the Blue
25:53
Beetle Jaime Reyes played by solo
26:07
after this movie you'll be able to get
26:09
us all jobs
26:11
um uh King Tech my longtime partner
26:15
brethren we grew up together before we
26:18
got into the music business uh just
26:21
texted me apparently he's listening to
26:22
this conversation
26:24
he's like where's my shout out and he's
26:27
sending me Corrections oh right now so
26:30
the day wait he's he's putting you on
26:33
spark notes yeah bro yeah he's got the
26:35
the footnotes
26:37
so what are the first days you actually
26:40
came to the wake up show Studio Tech and
26:42
for me and I remember this day we had
26:44
cool herc since we're celebrating Hip
26:47
Hop's 50th year anniversary we had cool
26:50
herc and Africa bambaata that day in the
26:52
studio yeah so those folks you were
26:54
seeing
26:55
the founding the did yeah The Architects
26:59
the you know the the pioneers and you
27:02
got a chance to be around both of them
27:04
uh which is pretty damn amazing and and
27:07
then listening to your taste in music
27:10
who else like current more current are
27:13
you into right now or is it just really
27:15
primarily you know past or no no no
27:18
there's there's a bunch of you know cats
27:20
kicking it right now that I love Denzel
27:22
Curry I'm a big fan of Remy Remy wolf
27:26
um you know of course I'm a fan of like
27:28
I said the Kendricks and and the greats
27:30
of Our Generation I think Jordan Ward
27:33
he's doing a bunch of cool stuff okay
27:35
um
27:36
yeah yeah
27:38
uh I could go you could go claro she's
27:41
not hip-hop but I like claro I love
27:43
Brazilian music I've been rocking with a
27:45
bunch of like 70s BPM Brasilia
27:50
you know centropicalias I'm like from
27:52
tropical yeah of course yeah not
27:55
Tropicana oh okay
27:59
all right okay
28:01
um but yeah I I like it all when you how
28:04
how is your approach to music differed
28:06
uh from your approach to acting like or
28:09
is there some common threads well
28:11
they're definitely some common threads
28:13
but I feel like acting my career in
28:15
acting has has been motivated a lot of
28:18
the times by people who have believed
28:20
that I could do something that I didn't
28:21
believe that I could do really someone
28:23
someone said we think you could do this
28:25
and whether or not I was ready for it I
28:27
was placed into the position and you
28:29
know made it work out with with the
28:31
songwriting and with with
28:33
the music
28:34
because it's all coming you know
28:37
internally it's it's it's one of the
28:40
most you know personal and intimate
28:42
things there's there is no like it's
28:44
it's coming you know from from you're
28:47
not bringing a character yeah yeah
28:48
there's no there's no character to life
28:50
you know at the beginning of me thinking
28:52
oh [ __ ] like am I gonna make music there
28:54
was that conversation of kind of what
28:56
you were saying am I gonna you know do
28:57
the Childish Gambino route and be Donald
28:59
Glover and then Childish Gambino and I'm
29:01
just gonna be sholo
29:02
but I think it's I think it's just Show
29:05
Low it's a solo yeah I I think I don't
29:09
know I I it's it's still something that
29:11
I've been waffling around in my head but
29:12
but um how'd you find your voice like yo
29:16
you know the emcee voice yo I got to be
29:19
honest with you for so many years I was
29:21
so insecure about my voice okay I I had
29:24
the highest pitch voice I still have a
29:26
pretty high-pitched voice and they were
29:28
just some musicians some artists that I
29:30
that I loved that that were able to use
29:32
their voices in ways that were unique
29:34
and that I was like oh shoot it doesn't
29:35
matter like and they they found smino I
29:37
really love smino I mean chance chance
29:41
at the beginning I was in Middle School
29:42
when Acid Rap came out I mean that album
29:44
was super
29:46
formative and me enjoying hip-hop and
29:49
being introduced with with like this
29:51
world that that you know of of whoever
29:54
you know chance was influenced by and
29:56
and and uh it I think that's really
30:00
where it started and and that's those
30:02
are the differences I'd say the biggest
30:03
differences at least but it's so fun
30:05
music I mean yo there's there it's there
30:10
haven't been many acting projects where
30:11
I've been like yo let's stay up till
30:12
five in the morning you gotta you know
30:14
that but with but with the music thing
30:15
it's it feels so great to to push while
30:17
the iron's hot and while my heart is
30:19
like in it and and I think that that's
30:21
where kind of a lot of the best work
30:23
comes out when you're when you're super
30:24
invested and you're hungry you judge
30:26
differently too like Marsha like the
30:29
outcome of your creation active versus
30:32
your music okay wait which one which one
30:34
is more critical music music
30:40
but I I hear you but you know what do
30:43
you think about actors who like I guess
30:45
do you think the director is at fault or
30:47
the actor nobody cares They Don't Really
30:50
Care it's just like all right this is
30:51
cool not and they'll give you another
30:53
chance okay
30:54
yeah music it's like yo he sucks he said
30:58
like it is just
30:59
he's great great yeah you know so yeah
31:02
so it's I think music is a bit harder
31:04
yeah I can see that I hit it yes but in
31:06
rap music rap it's the hardest yeah how
31:10
many singers you hear singing off key
31:12
and got hit records and nobody's
31:14
critiquing that [ __ ] about Ryan cougar
31:16
last week told us he said to his mom why
31:19
does Will Smith keep trying to rap and
31:21
she was like you idiot he started out as
31:24
a rapper he didn't know what he was
31:26
younger yeah of course no I know I know
31:28
I mean I mean Men In Black I've probably
31:30
seen that movie like 10 000 times yeah
31:32
Wild Wild West yeah he didn't understand
31:33
he didn't know yeah
31:40
no no Men In Black is the like that's
31:44
the one yeah so who are some of like the
31:48
Latin Latino artists and Latino actors
31:52
that really made you say okay the world
31:54
is ready for us
31:57
I mean we just we just you know I just
31:59
spoke about him off there Jerrell Jerome
32:00
wow I'm really a big fan I mean he's
32:03
afro-latino
32:04
um but when he when they came out with
32:06
when they see us
32:08
um and his new his new his name I'm a
32:10
Virgo he's you know I I really think
32:13
that he's gonna be one or he is he is
32:16
one of one of our greats Oscar Isaac I
32:18
love
32:19
um you know guys Garcia Bernal and Diego
32:21
Luna those are those boys from from down
32:24
south and and
32:25
um in the in the music game there's a
32:28
bunch of I mean it's it's a little bit
32:30
harder I gotta be honest I haven't
32:32
gravitated too much towards the
32:35
reggaeton like I think a lot of my my
32:37
influences come from like
32:39
instrumentation that that you know Latin
32:41
artists and Latinos and Chicanos and and
32:44
insert umbrella term here have have put
32:46
out into the world but I still rock with
32:48
a little you know the bigs the grace
32:50
gotta mention Caesar Romero too the guy
32:53
who played The Joker the first uh yeah
32:55
yeah you play The Joker yeah Latinos
32:57
well yeah there's I mean yeah there's
32:58
been there's been a lot of us here and
33:00
there right it's like uh but but now I
33:03
think we're finally getting the mic and
33:05
and it's you know we're we're ready for
33:07
it what was it like working with the
33:09
legendary King Tech in the studio y'all
33:11
y'all burned a lot of electricity at our
33:14
home in the valley we're still paying
33:16
for it so what was that but what does
33:18
that experience like working with it was
33:20
surreal yeah I mean even even just
33:23
getting to you know when you think about
33:25
it it's surreal on one level but but
33:27
looking around and seeing you know
33:29
most deaf Lauren Hill you know insert
33:35
great here and seeing the pictures of
33:37
you two and and everyone and being in
33:39
the studio hot as hell I guess the AC
33:42
just blew out yeah that's always there
33:43
but but uh it was it was incredible it
33:48
was incredible right it's there's a
33:49
there's a sense of euphoria like a sense
33:51
of elation that comes with like being in
33:55
the place where it all happened and and
33:57
and even regardless you know outside of
34:00
that there's nothing like being around
34:01
someone who's just so passionate about
34:03
you know their work with with Blue
34:04
Beetle it was so refreshing to be around
34:06
a writer and a director that needed to
34:08
tell a story that were like the story
34:10
has to get told and with tech you know
34:12
reuniting with him it was kind of like I
34:15
I it all started you know with Blue
34:16
Beetle I wanted to make a concept album
34:18
from the perspective of the character
34:20
you know do a couple of songs for this
34:21
for the soundtrack and then that turned
34:24
into Tech being like yo he he it was
34:28
just like a a
34:29
second life like a second wind that all
34:32
of us had and we and we you know started
34:34
collaborating together mix matching this
34:36
that and the third and um he keeps you
34:39
honest in there though right like when
34:40
it comes to Liam the vocals or yeah he
34:43
definitely has taught me even in this
34:45
short time that we've been working
34:46
together like he's very and producers
34:49
and just music people I feel like in
34:51
general are are very uh
34:53
blunt yeah yeah there is there uh yeah
35:01
yeah okay like there there's definitely
35:03
been times where like that's not you
35:05
that's you know this ain't it but just
35:07
needed though no it's it's needed and
35:09
and that's something that I don't have
35:11
with my family because my family's gonna
35:13
say everything's good if I were to
35:15
become a director a writer I couldn't
35:16
ask for my family's opinion because they
35:17
would just say it's great no matter what
35:19
yeah but having people like Tech around
35:20
who are like
35:28
yeah
35:30
Tech is is nice though he'll just be
35:32
like I don't know about that yeah yeah
35:35
let's keep throwing stuff at the wall
35:37
and see see what's but but it's funny
35:40
that you said you know it keeps texting
35:41
you that is the one thing that guy's
35:43
like he attacks too much he's he does
35:46
too much no no no he does he does just
35:49
the right amount no no no solo you don't
35:51
have to say this I'm saying no he's
35:53
listening okay yeah yeah I know I see
35:54
you backing out he's ready to be typing
35:57
in the comments
36:05
you know what my favorite thing about
36:07
tech is no this is my favorite thing
36:08
he'll text me yo hit me up and then
36:10
he'll put his number in the text like
36:13
like it doesn't show that it's coming
36:16
from his number I'm like hey
36:21
bro I got you saved my brother
36:26
just mad I do the same thing to him
36:31
no you know we needed to talk about this
36:34
Tech we we I had to explain to him look
36:36
bro I'm on the same email you're on you
36:40
don't have to afford the email to my
36:43
text message in case anything you know
36:45
you do the same thing what are you
36:47
talking about but why you're texting
36:49
saying you know solo considering how
36:52
busy you are and all these different
36:54
parts of entertainment and how young you
36:56
are your social life specifically when
36:58
it comes to romance as well do you see
37:01
that more as like a distraction or
37:03
something that you do care to embrace
37:05
because it could Inspire your music uh
37:09
that's an interesting question
37:11
I think
37:13
it's for me personally I found both
37:16
right I found sometimes it you know I
37:18
guess it just depends on the type of
37:19
relationship you're in you know
37:20
sometimes I've definitely been in those
37:22
where it's like I'm ready to drop
37:24
everything all right like let's just
37:26
travel and do all this
37:28
and and
37:30
you know you learn things from those
37:32
types of relationships but I think at
37:34
this point right now it's just hard I
37:35
feel it would feel selfish for me I
37:37
think to to think I have the bandwidth
37:40
to to care for someone like that and
37:45
I mean yeah
37:47
it's yeah I I
37:50
I think of course everyone everyone
37:52
loves companionship and whatnot
37:54
um but I think right now especially I'm
37:56
22. I'm a hopeless romantic too
38:02
I'm a [ __ ]
38:06
no no I'm just like I'm just a I'm a
38:10
relationship person too so I I know that
38:13
I couldn't rise to the occasion if it
38:14
was just like and and also people my age
38:17
are just too fickle so yeah I'm not I'm
38:19
not trying to play games so it's like if
38:21
we're yeah we're playing games save it
38:23
for someone else or clothes ladies are
38:25
closed it's my and plus you got to get
38:27
through his uncles you you got to make
38:29
it through his mom anyway
38:31
don't joke around yeah okay if you to
38:34
get past her you earned him yeah okay no
38:38
don't be no I'm sorry I ain't gonna put
38:40
that out people be scared all right hey
38:43
but um this has been get this man a
38:45
round of applause
38:46
for all that this has been a great
38:48
conversation and uh it's interesting man
38:51
we've been one time he came out here we
38:54
took I took him and his friends to lunch
38:55
and we were having these real good
38:57
hip-hop just music conversations
39:00
right now yeah the boys my boy Isaac is
39:03
here Isaac show that hoodie he didn't
39:05
know that she said illmatical yeah wait
39:07
wait wait
39:13
every every hip-hop group has the Jewish
39:16
friend who loves Hip-Hop come on
39:17
boy right here okay come on because you
39:22
know he's connected yeah yeah
39:23
yeah
39:30
man
39:31
he tells the truth all right
39:35
I love it man and then we talked you
39:37
know
39:38
um about your love for the for the music
39:41
you love for art and and then you came
39:43
up here again and we talked again and we
39:46
just keep [ __ ] talking yeah so what
39:48
are you thinking
39:49
enough talking already
39:52
I know you my nephew oh no and I know
39:56
your mother is my sister but your mother
39:59
can't save you and you being my nephew
40:01
can't save you when you come to the
40:03
Valley of the hyena
40:06
all right how do I raise this right
40:08
what's happening here all right that's
40:11
it that's it you got to deal with what
40:13
you got all right you ready solo let's
40:15
get it baby can you hear it all right
40:18
yeah yeah
40:20
let me get it in from the start of it
40:23
talk about the art of it some of y'all
40:25
are counterfeit fake rapper starter kit
40:27
you don't put your heart in it that part
40:28
of it never hear your whack garbage if
40:30
we subtract mark it and I'll be hitting
40:32
targets like friend talking can't argue
40:34
pull up in a golf cart rock in a black
40:36
cardigan bars up the car I'm sliding my
40:38
black cardigan give me my credit no all
40:40
this hard as the rap Artisan I'm in my
40:43
zone again sway your song again shout
40:45
out to flex but I had to bring it home
40:46
again hair loss coming off the Dome
40:48
again R.I.P the soldier Slim even in the
40:50
end oh they gonna know I'm him 16s and
40:53
big screens I kill both of them that's
40:55
why directors cast me like a broken limb
40:57
I came to end why the trophy win they
41:00
about pronounce me with a golden temp uh
41:03
a wild beast is the mode I'm in feeling
41:05
like I got a knurling planted below the
41:07
skin full length Burberry player strikes
41:09
on the trim hustlers in a trenches
41:10
filling a trench coat I'm in hold up we
41:13
ain't gotta bring the pole up I hope the
41:15
murder's in my generation slow up all
41:17
Glocks down like Heather because I'd
41:19
rather be on a position to be a better
41:21
me has to blow up down like I'm coming I
41:24
tell them so what I'm eating winches in
41:26
a Hellcat bumping J dilla doing donuts
41:28
hit the tracking go nuts I Sun y'all
41:30
let's discuss it like grown-ups because
41:32
my mom's the culture pops is the culture
41:34
swaying Tech is gambling my uncles and
41:36
they the culture anyway look it I was
41:38
raised by the coach as a kid I took pics
41:40
well cool her I'm the culture 33 bars in
41:43
and I'm still certified let me give you
41:46
a gym by bar 35 I ain't afraid of
41:48
lessons that I learn in life I lean into
41:50
my future like dirty sprite early night
41:53
getting rich sex from a dirty white
41:55
that's a rich type yeah you heard me
41:56
right text from these words are right
41:58
quick text from a hunk imma squash in
42:01
sex when I murder Mike my mind is
42:03
quicker than artificial intelligence
42:04
this is empirical evidence a lyrical
42:06
Elegance one Grandma my DNA holds 200
42:09
million gallons of information so my
42:11
lyrical Elegance rappers and Excellence
42:13
a certain presidents for Dead Presidents
42:16
I'ma getting set in the pestilence swipe
42:18
look how I caught that scheme but now
42:20
I'm off that scene Advance Park that
42:21
thing oh oh part that ring who didn't
42:24
know that I could talk that mean a let
42:26
off that sting yo will I get it in again
42:28
that's a crazy ass question [ __ ]
42:30
riddle on riddle of these goofy
42:32
splitting dividends I'm independent like
42:34
a first class ticket that's two seats
42:36
middle man
42:38
how many men I'm a rapper slash actor
42:41
I'm 50 Cent synonym taking control of
42:43
any building I'm sitting in it's my
42:46
house like I brought it from Eminem I
42:48
call it sholo45 if you're curious my
42:50
initials at XM now you know I'm serious
42:52
[Music]
42:56
oh Blue Beetle August 18th
43:02
[Music]
43:02
[Applause]
43:05
you
43:08
[Music]
43:25
[Music]
43:35
see what just happened that's my nephew
43:37
damn you whack rappers you you so whack
43:41
you act like a rapper just as good as he
43:43
is an actor oh
43:47
give him an Oscar that girl was little
43:50
yeah
44:06
yeah man they're just super duper proud
44:10
and ready oh
44:12
got a lot of nephews in here yo that was
44:15
great bro thank you I love your passion
44:17
you was ready
44:21
after we mentioned that he's doing all
44:23
Glocks down so many metaphors yeah
44:25
that's dope man have a seat man let me
44:27
see what kind of stuff
44:30
let's talk about the uh the actor
44:33
rappers that we've had up here we found
44:34
some pretty iconic ones yeah
44:38
shy came in kuji on my toonies what did
44:41
he say yeah he only told me with Lauren
44:43
yeah yeah yeah no he's I mean there's
44:46
been some Tyler James
44:57
[Applause]
45:00
yeah yeah yeah
45:02
I mean childish
45:04
Ice Cube well Cube the other way around
45:09
I always secure yes yo Big O is in
45:12
Florida what did you think of Show Low
45:13
man hey bigger man listen hey good
45:16
morning everybody I just had to call in
45:18
this cat this body the whole network I
45:23
mean body the whole network this is
45:27
crazy
45:30
oh my goodness oh man that was great man
45:33
make sure you check them out in Blue
45:35
Beetle all right
45:37
okay you're a citizen Sway in the
45:39
morning let's go to Louisiana Cedric in
45:41
Louisiana what are you thinking what
45:43
I've said what's good solo man I wanted
45:46
to say bro you killed that food
45:49
I love I love the so the slim reference
45:53
bro like I honestly didn't think you
45:55
could rap but no that [ __ ] was tight as
45:58
well
45:58
I honestly didn't think you could rap it
46:06
did good man Cedric thank you brother
46:08
blueberry
46:13
[Music]
46:17
thank you you killed that homie okay
46:22
hey you heard it here first you coming
46:25
back for the five fingers I'm gonna put
46:27
something special together for that
#Arts & Entertainment