Hey everyone. Welcome back to another episode of the Hilltop Globe podcast. We're so excited to kick off season three. First and foremost, we wanna personally thank all of our listeners for tuning in with us on this journey. Today we have the pleasure of interviewing lb. LB is the owner and CEO of Mason Entertainment, South Carolina Mason Entertainment.

South Carolina is a music label located in Columbia, South Carolina. Mason e t was forged out of dedication and desperation. They represent unity within the Carolinas and focus on developing artists to understand the business as well as recording and performing. How you doing today lb? What's going on?

Doing great, man. Just happy to be here, man. Happy to just, you know, be honest and be on the podcast. Hey, that's all I'm talking about. Appreciate being here. Yes, . Just as a quick side note, we do know LB from the past. We actually  known him for a while  working within the realm of music and et cetera, and he's actually went to college with us at the College of Charleston.

So yeah, this is gonna be a really good  conversation that we're gonna have today. We do have some insight into each other, but I will tell you that LB is gonna give us some great insight into what's going on in Columbia as well in the music industry and how to operate yourself as a professional. I will say that.

So  man, we're gonna get a kicking quickly today  and jump in here with this first question, but  if there's anything you want to talk about  today, please just bring it up and we will flow with it.  But as we always start off, we have to ask all of our. Guess  if you can give us just a little bit info, a little bit more information about your upbringing and what, in, what influenced you  and what impacted you growing up and, and coming, coming, coming to the point where you are right now, because they don't know who you are, but we do.

Okay. Wow. All well  actually most people don't know I was born in Buffalo, New York. Wow. So, Oh, go. Bill's my . Yeah. So I'm, I'm definitely a bill fan. See El don't like that fan. So when I moved down, when my mom moved down south when I was probably like four or five, I been in Darlington and I did most of my years in Darlington.

So early elementary, everything was in Darlington. Then I went back to New York by high school. So ninth grade, halfway through ninth grade. Yeah. It was definitely different, but. , it helped me adapt to different cultures. Okay. Cause then I came straight from high school to college of Charles. So I went back to New York, back to down south.

So Wow. I'm kind of tied with everything, but I, I'm used to a faster pace, like New York. Mm-hmm. . But I, I grew up down south, so all of my friends, everybody's down here. So that kind of gave me a different perspective than a lot of people. So how my outlook was, is because, you know, my culture was so different from where I had to go.

And so as far as music, you know, in New York, everything was a lot lyrics, a lot of free styling in parts. It was everything. There was technique. And so when you get down here, it's more emotion and it's a lot of storytelling. It's storytelling up there also. But it's a little more technical than it is here.

Here's more emotion driven. Mm. Which is why I went over, Cause emotions always win. Right. Music is what emotions is supposed to sound like. Mm, that's true. Mm-hmm. . And so when people got hold of that, that's why the south kind of took over music. So as far as my background goes, as far as music goes, it's a love for music.

It's, I was in the band when I went in high school, like it was a lot that went on, but music was always sent around everything I did. What, what instrument did you play in band?  The drums  the bass drum, the trombone  we did the marching band, so Oh, wow. I did the big bass . Oh, God. Used to be swinging that drum, bro.

Yeah, yeah. It's, it's man drum line and all that. Favorite movies. When I seen it, it was like the motion, the energy you get and just hitting the right notes and everything goes well. It's just, it's. It's beautiful. Right? And so, so when you were doing that, about, when you were doing that, that was, that was in New York, right?

When you were in the band? Yeah, that was in New York. But you, you feel that the South has more of a connection to music then?  I would say, I won't say more of a connection cuz it's where we are.  It's cause we hear, like when I went to the West coast, I really didn't hear Kendrick and them like that in Tiger until I went over there.

And when you're there in that space, you feel the music differently. Cause that's the culture. So I'm in the south, so of course I feel like the south is it like when I'm in Texas and everything, they're like, yeah. So like, but everybody really has a direct connection. It's almost like a religion. Like Yeah.

Oh yeah, yeah. You know, I can't debate that I have a stronger connection. Person that I believe is my higher being is somebody else who has the same belief, but they believe in something completely different. Right, right. That's a good point. Yeah, that's a good way. That's one those, that's a good, It's one of those traps is to think you more spiritual than somebody else.

That's the ego really making sure you don't get it.

That's extra dope. Okay. But, but continue. Continue. That's a good point. I ain't even think about it like that. Yeah. Wherever you're at, that's the guides of that area. Yep. That's it. And so everything is really about determination of me and consistency.  There's a lot of things you learn as far as music goes, of course, getting older and  doing music, you learn.

It's not always, it's, it's minimal talent. Like it's a lot of talented people out here that's not consistent, don't work ethic. They just don't. Everybody might even have the personality to deal with people, so they might be more of a liability no matter how talented. There's a lot that, and go to just lack of understanding.

So life is business like. Music is business and you don't wanna concentrate too much on the business cause it takes passion out. Music is really a hard business. Like people don't understand how hard it is and still be passionate and still be full business and still make gotcha. Yeah. Oh yeah, Yeah.

Really any kind of creative field, like you, you, you kinda like making money off of something, that you're drawing out the void and that's, that's a very taxing act. It is . You balance it out, you gotta recharge somehow, you know? And you don't want to take the heart, you don't want to take the heart and the soul out of it.

Oh yeah. Cause it happens quick. Yeah, it happens quick. The cold hard business. Right. And it, and that's why say it was forged outta desperation cause. Down here. A lot of people don't really concentrate on the business. Nobody want talk about split sheets. When we go sit down to the studio, man, what, what are those?

Nobody wanna ask? They don't wanna learn. Pops pop Dov. They might gets, but then they don't, the sound and just the full steps it takes. And then after you do that you be like, you know, like, I wanna do this though. Where's the money? Where's the at? Where's the music? We still doing business. It's like, yeah, we're still doing the business part.

Yeah. Right, right. I still, I enjoyed the song. I haven't heard the song cause I've been the all night, I've been typing my lyrics, everything. Like it's completely different. So people, yeah, people don't get the full understanding of me. So like for somebody who makes it and keeps working, I respect it a lot more.

Cause they made it through the business and they still kept. And, but it takes the team. Speaking of this is, I say before, before we get to that, I gotta know this. Mm-hmm. . All right. So you were telling us about your journey from, from back and forth, back and forth. And then you, you do end up here in South Carolina.

I know you've been here, you were interested in music the whole time. What made you want to focus on being an artist?  It was a guy named Joe when I came in my freshman year. I think Joe Wow. Was probably one of the dope. Aren't, not, not Joe Showman. Another joke I'm trying to figure. Joe. Joe was a sig. He was, he was the rapper Joe.

Some point he was like, What's his name? I knew exactly you talking about, Oh what's his, Yeah. I'm trying to think of Joe's last name. It's come to later all was like, Yeah, he was the dopest like battle rapper and Right. He like, just try. And we used to sit there, so like that was one of my first friends when I got there.

Yeah. So I started writing rhythm with them and he was like, Man, you good at it? And then I ended up meeting Brian and it is being all them. And we started doing music and I was like, well I have passion for. I always like to be around it. And that's what really helped me with the label. Cause I'm not one of those artists that be like, I want the attention to be on me or I wanna be heard.

I just wanna be around good meetings. Mm-hmm. I always wanted to see everybody win and I was a fan of everybody I was around. Mm-hmm. . Mm-hmm . So, And you on the team. Yeah. They'd be like, Oh yeah, you right too. Mm-hmm , I get in on this song, get on the song so I do it. But like it was really, I just was happy to be there man.

And you know what I gotta say too, man, And thinking about it now, cause Yeah, we've known each other 20 plus years now. Yeah. Time me that thing, ain't it? You know, you old. That's what I'm people talking about this earlier this week and what annoying things that, and especially with that particular group, I don't even think people realize how many.

Out of that group that was in, that used to be in that part of Craig on a regular basis, how many people went and did a lot of awesome creative things that, that circle of people That was parties. Yep. Everybody was doing music. Yeah. Cause the thing is  cause it was  was  Brandon, Brandon was the guy.

Yeah. That put me on fruit. The only reason I even made beats was because of Brandon and he was their producer when they would, when they were the outfit. Wow. Is that correct? Yes. And Brandon, That's it. Oh, dope. Yeah, Brandon. That's it. But out of that, like I said, you got, like I said, you got lb, you got Brian, you got I, you had Marlin.

I forgot Marlin's name. Marlin has a new single coming out in January too. That's what I'm saying. Yeah, it's a lot of people. It's tantrums. You're right. Cool. Had to like studio in a shut down bank. It was like, we went one night and it was like, it was like this building that was like, used to be a bank or something and they were trying to sell the bank, but then he had just like one room, like one office.

And then it was just a whole bunch of foam on the walls and it was, it was just like This was a Charles studio. Yeah, . I mean, it couldn't have been there very long. Cause I mean, yeah, I forgot about this. Oh. Oh, that's the guy. He was out in West Ashland. Yes. This is a while ago. That's a long time ago. That was around that time though.

Cause that was when they did the video, as a matter of fact. Cause that's what happened. We went through to see somebody record there. That's what it was. As a matter of fact, the very first music video I witnessed, that was their music video I seen. Yeah. Stop first song. Yeah, I remember that when y'all did the video.

It's going down. You remember that? Yeah. I remember that. . Yeah. That was legendary man. That was legendary. Cause we ain't even thinking about that man on you. Go to school. Like I said, you're going to school with like your classmates and stuff to shoot like a professional looking music video. Mm-hmm  man.

We're already even thinking like that. It was crazy cause people catch you on the corner and wrap your, and they'll know you. We up yang. That

was crazy. That was like the, I think that was probably like the best homecoming ever. Was that Y gang one? Nah, that was dope. Yeah it was. That was legend. That was legendary. That state crazy. That was the first chance, First time. Well, that was the second time I was like, Yeah, I really wanna do this. Yep.

Mm-hmm. , I think the first time we had a  a St. Phillips, it was a house party and we had a live van in somebody's living room. Mm-hmm. . And we performed for a live van. And I was like, It's dope. Like, I've never seen anybody do this. Like this is the college experience. This is it, man. They realize, See, see, now it is legendary.

I'm not gonna lie. You know, people still be talking about this stuff to this day. Yeah. Cause I talk. Yeah. I, I talk, you know, I keep, I try to keep in touch with everybody and we talk about these things. This stuff has not, it has not  been, been wasted on time. People still remember this. And that experience that was, that was around that era, it was something else.

It was totally different, man. Totally different. And  speaking of that, it, it leads right into this next  this next point.  Hip hop artists, they often have of a, a persona that they present to their audience. In addition, many people view artists in a polarized manner. Either you're relatable or in loved, or you're fate and hate it regardless of your talent.

And I have to ask you to sell, because of course you have to have a persona in, in being that you understand the vibe of up North and how their personas work, how that vibes with how they become artists and how the personas down south are. What misconceptions have you encountered during your career as an artist dealing with having a persona and having a  you know, a real life and how people perceive you?

It's all, it's all a misconception, I would say that. Yourself. Like all of it is, is just not it. And when you try to follow a mold and a trend mm-hmm.  usually the trend they try to impose on you. Like you gotta have jewelry, you gotta be this kind of rapper. Yep. All this stuff. Here's for that time period.

And you can never. Provide a wave if you're riding away. Cause by the time you got it, it's almost expired, right? And so preach music is new. And so that's something that came about actually doing music so long. You see how people try to do this and people want designer and that comes through it. Nobody wants the designer like you wanna be the first and the easiest way to be the first is to be yourself.

You'd be, you'd be amazed at how many people go through the same things. Cause we're all. And it took a while to realize this, but really being yourself, get you your core fan base, your talent, the creators, they, everybody, They're still not looked at as something everybody wants to be, but I bet you they got a fan base.

True. You know? Good point. Everybody would have to be like, you remember that era, right? Everybody grapple travel extra now four times traveling, then you in jail crying like, and just like, it doesn't work like that. Like yeah, being somebody else is not how you make it in this world. And so, And that's outside of music?

That's outside of music. Oh, that's just, that's outside of music. Yeah. Mm-hmm. . Yeah. So when they see it, really, if you put yourself as a hard working person, there's always people on both sides of the spectrum. And some people can be like, Man, he work every day like me. And then there's other people be like, Oh, he's la he got a regular job, he do this.

Why should I follow him? But the people who work and that feel his struggle. They're listening to him more now because they're actually going through the same thing that he goes through. And that really makes music easier because it's more emotion, it's less technical cause mm-hmm. , you really talking about frustrations, your happiness and your fans relate to you.

Like that's how you really wanna be is relatable. Mm-hmm.  and that's it. But people try to go make hits, They try to go in the studio and track you this. Like all of that stuff is, I would say, perception wise, it's not needed. Be yourself. And your cadence and all that stuff comes from working with real engineers and real producers and actually putting something together.

Like people wanna just make beats and they wanna get the beats and then they wanna just write on their own. But it's really when everybody works together mm-hmm.  that they make the magic. Yeah. Sometimes those perspectives  balance out the stuff we don't see. Cuz we all got blind spots. Yeah. All the time and Yeah.

Yeah. I totally agree with that. It's something that we don't think about when we watch, you know, bigger production and stuff, like movies and that kind of thing. It's not just the writer, it's not just the actor. Mm-hmm. , there's like whole group a hundred people making that thing, not seriously. Right.

Making sure lighting's good, that the costumes look right, that they're on the right scenes and set areas to get it done. An album is smaller but not a whole lot. It's not, you know. Yeah. Still, still. Same thing. Still takes a little, a small universe to make that work. And man, you made a, a really good point.

 About this, About this, You said people trying to go in there and make a hit. Yeah. Right. , could you explain that to audience, like what that means? Cause I, I know what you're talking about, but if you could explain that to our audience. Cause I know our audience, they're very, they're, it's a very diverse group.

Could you explain them what you mean by like just going in there trying to make a hit? Right.  They go with trends like, let's say  f and f the girl Ella that got signed. You have the one good song that everybody picked it up. Everybody wants one song that everybody Instagram be like, Oh, I love that song.

So they're going mimic in with the intention of mimicking something that's close or putting out a sound that they feel like that's gonna make it, instead of being genuine or being who they are, they're gonna, Well, I wanna write a song about this. Cause this is what everybody's talking about right now.

Right? I'm gonna catch the wave. And so when I post. Even if they're thinking a little deeper, I'm gonna catch the algorithms. And if they watching this, then they gonna watch me too. Cause I'm gonna go with it. Yeah. Yep. But go have social media. Yeah. But being the third person to do the same thing is really the problem we have now.

And that's why a lot of the music Cs the same. Nobody wants to be original, nobody wants to be theirselves anymore. Everybody wants to be behind a computer with a avatar and they wanna create what everybody else sees. Real world doesn't like that. And it's horrible when people have own persona of when people in real it like, oh, like oh this is how you doing

Do you have an example? One of them experiences when you met somebody and you had, Cause look, you're the position you're in. I know you have to meet these personas. I hate to say that, but I can't. I'm I'm gonna say it. So we had the show when I was with my group Care Car Tell  Columbia Uhhuh, and we started doing the tours and we went to Miami and we was in Atlanta, everything.

And we had the  the a c three. So we met a lot of people, but Chingy got in the elevator with us and fell.

Ain't

like, like couple years later you can be like, I, man, I wanted Handman $10 and I, we, we in w I don't even think you going the after party. I was like, I gotta go back to the room. Some room service. You know, they trouble, Reality. Reality is totally different and the more you get into music, you learn that artists aren't always artists and like true it's management and there's a lot of people they.

So even though they look like they're doing well, a lot of times they're backing of the deal. Everybody's taking the biggest percentage cause they paying for everything. And so I can't even blame him cause I don't even know if he ain't even put anything behind his music, he might have just been in the back of the label.

Right, true. The face that they tack on to the things. Yeah. So, so like, okay, so if you coming at it from an artist's perspective, like, like there's something about being an artist that you gotta like, like pull this thing outta you and put it out there into the world. You know what I'm saying? And but it sounds like you've always been business minded I guess.

I mean that's, that's something that I know from everybody from New York, this is kinda a thing, right? Some business thing here. Got you. Gotta make that money. Right. So like the balance of that.  And, and you know, like deciding at what point. You  everybody talks about selling out like it this point where at some point they sit you down in a room and they're like, All right, so here's what we're gonna do.

Sign this here, you're gonna sign this, and then we're gonna tell you what to say and then you're gonna do it. And that's how it's gonna be cause you so, Right. But it's not like that. It's like, it's not, it's trying to make that hit, trying to, to follow that wave without being a part of it kind of thing.

But, but you know, and part of that is like maintaining your ownership, not just in your, your  your copyrights and your royalties and that kind of thing, but, but actually just like that it, it's your expression and not somebody else's. Like how, what, what are some of the, like the difficulties that you've faced, like trying to balance that while starting your own business?

Trying to get to income streams and, and still maintain kind of that heart of the artist. But you gotta eat. Cause you, you can't be an artist and be dead. I think. It's hard for me to speak on that one because I've still always maintained a business mindset and there's an artist, they wanna own everything.

But honestly, like if you don't have a fan base, if you don't invest your own money into it, you can't really own it. Like, and I think I've just recently watched the Kevin Hart and  Jay-Z. And he was saying like, Steve Jobs might own like 2% an apple, like, or five, It was some low percent. Cause a percentage of a big amount, a low percentage of a big amount is better than a hundred percent of nothing.

Right. Right. Right. So people keep Good point. People keep all their percentages to say, Well, I can't give nobody nothing. I'm not gonna get nobody nothing. And then for it, it goes nowhere because you don't have funds for it. Did you hear some horror story of somebody getting screwed out of the royalties or whatever?

But then like, if you never were going to make it anyway, like what's, what's wrong? We kind of selling off a little bit of it to, to make the bigger bucks. There you go. Exactly. That's exactly, You gotta cash out that sometimes you can't keep, you can't keep playing the roulette. You can't, and I understand like a 10, 20 year deal, like when it's something crazy, but like, Like when does that happen?

Your royal Yeah. Yeah. You just, But you gotta really think like people work jobs for 10 years to have nothing to show for. Yeah. It's true that point. Say that again. Say that one more time. People were, God, 10 years and they say that somebody sold. As an artist. Right. But, but you're mad because this person quit millions of dollars to invest in your career, and then they got more millions like mm-hmm.

they they doubled their money. Yep. They made all the jambo you. Yep. Like, like with the little Wayne situation. Like, I really got to think like, this man has been investing on this man and taking care of him for 10 years. Yeah. Before you may hit. Yeah. So now that you make hit, you want all the money, but you gotta think of all the money, all the jewelry, all the cause, all the things since early high school that he was 16 years old, Stretch P2 cruises.

Forgot about that stretch. P2 cruise. You, you wasn't selling that many bracket back then, wasn't you at the label? It wasn't. Right. So now that they come back for their money, it's. It's business. So like everything you do with the label, they give you a loan. Yeah. And it's not just that they wanna make hits, but they wanna return on their money.

You get business on anything else. You gotta have a plan. Mm-hmm. . And you gotta return on this money. Like, well, you taking a risk. That's true. Right. Taking a risk, you know, 16 year old man, how, how many 16 year old rapper done, done, died before they made it big. I was about to say, you talking about making an investment on Look, this is one reason, right?

Why now in the music industry, when they sign you to a deal, people don't know this. They take out life.  A life insurance policy. Yeah. Oh yeah. Come on. And I see, I understand why. Cause like you say, it comes down to business. It's not a personal thing. It's not that they're trying to bank on you dying, but if you see how the  music atmosphere is out here, especially going back to personas, these personas that are being placed off, if your persona is that you're a gun tot and who again, I'm putting out a million dollar life insurance policy on you as soon as I get you signed.

Because if for some reason you, you don't make it or you fall off or you say for some reason you die  you gotta recoup something. I gotta that money cuz I went ahead and put a million dollars on you anyway. I have to make sure I can get that money back. And that's, like I said, it sounds real crazy but that's business.

You gotta protect your invest all times. Yep. Got to. Yep. That's part of being an adult. Right. But artists on the artist side, they see it as they're the most important commodity. Nothing can happen on without me. This is my song, This is my talent, this is, this is my blood sweating Tears gonna hit on You don't wanna hear that.

No wanna hear that. Yeah. I mean, in a way it's true. That's the producer, but not the, Not the producer Producer, but the producer of the good of the good. Yeah. Right. Yeah. But at the same time, you also got like some Millie Elli shit. Hey, Like everything that's on the radio. Like they could just find another one if this all that looks looking for, you know?

Yeah, you're right. You're right. But if Michael Jordan didn't go to college, who was Michael Jordan? That's true. Give it to him. Yeah. If you have all the talent, it's a lot of times of people at home. Yep. , true man. Can you, All right. That's something I do want you to, if you can explain how you understand this, and this is something we always conversate about.

You have people who literally, they are a gold mine of talent, but they literally have the must, Like they have the size of a must grain. So it see like must what you, but you ready? But they don't have the potential of the must. See this is size of it, That's their work ethic, but they have a gold mind of talent.

Could you explain how you've seen that in your career thus far, and as you've been working as a ceo, the importance of having that balance? I see it a lot. Mm-hmm. . And so at first when you know you start out in kind and you willing to do 20% everybody and put you all in and then you stop for a second and everything stops.

Hmm. I've learned that. The work ethic is the most important thing. I take somebody that's not as talented but really believes in it, willing, really willing to work at it before I take somebody that's super dope. Everybody loves and then you can't catch 'em for another month or two. Or like they gotta smoke or not smoke, but like they just late everything and they just ain't got it.

Like I gotta see the work ethic. And sometimes life will hit people and they'll get it and then they'll come back with their work ethic. So I never give up on anybody. But that's a good point. I give you that. That's a good point. I gotta see the work ethic. Like if I don't see the work ethic, then I got too many things going on.

I'm always going two or three things, so like I can't invest more time into somebody else then they invested in themselves. I can't believe in anybody more than they believe in themselves. It's just Have you had to give up an artist? I won't say give up. I still never up on anybody. But you ain't gonna drag people

stopped working, but if I stopped you don't. Something in you that was just gonna be detrimental or more of a liability for business later on that I'm just not willing to be a part of. Cause we're all brands. Mm-hmm. So no money isn't good. Okay. So yeah, if you got somebody that's willing to do something or they're doing extra stuff, no matter how they interact with you, that still falls back on you because that they see you with this first.

Yeah, that's true. And so I'm a father and everything I do has to make sense. So I'm not just going. Be a part of something. Just to be part of something like, yeah, I have to believe in it and I have to believe in the person. So no matter how talented we are as far as music and we love music, if you have a different set of morals, a different set of character, or I just see something that's going to be not beneficial for not just me, but everybody around me fall out.

I assess, I assess risk with everything and then I move differently. , like you couldn't pay me to go to a middle trap club in the middle of like Chicago place. What? I don know nobody down. Thank you, Thank you, thank you. I just, I just want audience to hear that logical statement you made. Right. That makes sense.

Yes. Come on. But that's why they want younger rappers too. Cause like the older thing they do, anything more grown the better you see. Mm-hmm . And so other genres, it doesn't matter Age cause it's the content. Yeah. They don't want content. But if they gonna push younger artists, cause he's going be willing to go and risk.

And then worst case scenario, we cash in this life insurance policy. Be all right.  terrible. But yeah, that's how it is. I like hearing it real raw like that. Cause that's the truth. And that's why I always want  the young folk, especially with this podcast, our big thing is about educating people. And you can't educate people by lying to 'em and by sugar coat.

And that is the realest thing. You could look, I tell people all the time, they, Oh, I'm gonna be a such and such. I'm doing this, I'm gonna do this Cetera. I said, Okay, well you better, you better have all of your chips together. You gotta have all of your business plans and together, because I'm sure whoever you're gonna be dealing with, they're gonna have a plan for you.

Right. If you don't have one for yourself, they're gonna have one for you, so please have your stuff together. That's, that is one upside to try and to do everything yourself. Mm-hmm.  is you realize how much everything really is true. And then, then when people are like, Well, we'll take this aspect off of your hands, you're kinda.

Okay. I wanna promote Anyway, that was a, You can do that. Right? So we, we've  you know, there's  we all kind of make transitions in our careers and  and start doing other things and, and you've been getting into a lot more  content creation and  podcasting and that kind of thing. And I, I was wondering if you could kinda like, tell us a little bit about that journey and, you know, what interested you in, in  doing that form of production?

 Okay. Well with the times I understand visuals are definitely important. They took out MTV and the videos they used to have, but there are other ways people wanna see, like everything on social is visuals now. Mm-hmm. So like podcasts and that is another way that you can communicate who you are to the people without, you know, spending a thousand dollars on a music video and trying to make sure everybody comes on time, feeding people, it's a lot easier.

Mm-hmm. . So it's, I believe that podcasts are a lot better outlet to getting who you as artist connecting with your artists. Mm-hmm. . So my biggest thing is now I love the camera, I always love the videos, I always love to write the treatments and to see a video come together is beautiful. So like why not just do podcast and actually get the actual message out there?

And so, We tried it. I think I had Ron Mellon and had an idea for it. I said, I wanna talk about topics. And I know a lot of people that's not into entertainment in regular life that have the personality. I think Bri and  Rich. Yep. That's how they are. Regular life. Like you all sitting there, plains hard and that's the, I was like, Y'all funny.

Why don't we just do this on screen? Right. And give people a glimpse. Cause when I traveled to LA and I travel a lot, I didn't see the difference between chiropractic and people I saw at the caution. It's just that they're LA so they had opportunity to be seen, right? That's, we don't have as much of an opportunity.

So like we have the personality, why not give them a chance? The actually broadcast, they were comfortable with it. Let's do it. And that's how it started. Nice. And from and from there, I, I was able to build more relationships, build with other people. Cause they. And then that's where I met  my other friend, Swift.

And he was like, Well, I got an idea on, I know everybody in Columbia, I'm from 48, we can do all the artists that's already getting paid shows, all the big artists that's already going and they already got movement. I was like, Let's do it. So we came, we and wrote it out. And now that we have access to everybody, I don't, I'm not from Columbia, so I'm not affiliated with this side of town or anybody in particular.

So now you have Mo I see you doing. It's just like they did with Kanye documentary where I can just walk up to people and be like, Hey, I wanna, you know what I'm saying? I want you to tell your story. People are happy to tell it. Yeah. It's just that people feel like people hate on me and people don't wanna talk about it.

I'm doing shows and nobody's recognizing it and I just wanted to feel, I seen the gap and I was like, Well hey, I'll come and we interview you, like let's go. I see you already getting paid shows. Are you free this week to do interview? Yeah. And people come,  people, people don't want to be seen. They want to.

Well, especially if you are artists, you're trying to get it out, especially your local community. And this is like, this is like what we used to listen to on Shak show back, stop playing. You're telling That's I'm saying. But the radio station stop doing all that shit cuz now it's just a bunch of computers running shit on.

Right? Nah, he's so mad. I mean, it is. That hurt my feeling like the local, the local dj, that's what they did is they were the community there and as soon as soon as they started, like prerecording all their shit and only doing what, what came from, you know, From the top. The top down. Mm-hmm. . Yeah. Then all of that, that died, you know, it used to be there, what?

From seven to 10 o'clock every night listening to their stuff. Everybody had their own recorded on the, to record it, man. Yeah, yeah. We did pass some shit around. Oh, it's Memorial Day three. Record. Record. Nobody don't record the radio no more. You don't record the radio. Why would you do that? Lord, that's a good point.

But yeah, podcast takes that place. Mm-hmm. . It does, it does. It does it. Like, man, there's so much you can access in a person with the right questions and everything, and so people will watch a bunch of podcasts with a person to figure out who they actually are. Mm-hmm. , Yeah. Yep. Mm-hmm. . So it's important and it's next, so why not?

Like that's, I feel like that's what's next. That's what's new. So be a part of it. So that's what really pushed me to go toward Podcasted.  I built the studio, I did the music, so we have access. We built that out. And the other side, I was like, I do green screen in case we do videos in here, but I'll shut it up.

Podcasting also. We'll try that and get that together. Smart, very. And I actually started it to rent it out to photographers and engineers. Mm-hmm.  so that we have a spot. Cause I do a video of people gotta go McDonald's to get wifi. Take me months to get my video back. Oh yeah. Computer had so like low memory it took to render.

So Yeah. And I wanna throw this out there. Micro Center in Atlanta, they get your computer bill, you can get the fastest ad tip, whatever.

Good drive. Yes, Yes. I went and got a, a state of the art with two four terabyte like, you know, ssd, like for the music. And I got one for the visual for 12 Ram. So now like we have it. Seriously real talk. Is this at the studio? Yeah, that's at the studio. Drop your studio, drop your studio. Ah, how they contact you.

We gonna talk about that one. Okay. Listen. Teach studios, But we slowed down on the studios cause I opened the club. Ah, got you. Gotcha. Okay, we'll get that. So, but the biggest thing was like, people don't have it and this is what's hindering people. Let's go ahead and provide everything they need and see if we can get the people to come work.

Okay. And that's when you realize people will use excuses more than actual things that's in front of them. Cause you could have everything and they be like, Oh, I can't make it today. I can't do this. Like, okay, if the video took this long with your computer, I get the same exact software. I get all the plugins and get everything here.

We'll have it here and then just set it up. Get your key to studio. Yeah. Can we get it done in a faster timeframe? And then it was something else and then something else. Mm. Yeah. And so I'm really in the space now where if I'm not people, Go ahead. Yeah. I'm not over it. Like I do all the podcasting myself.

Like I'll pull the  the cards from the road and from the  from my Sony camera. Mm-hmm. , I'll put it in, I'll upload it, I'll organize it. I already got the template for the background. Yeah. And then I'll at least lip sync and then I'll come back the next day and I'll go ahead and knock it out myself.

Cause it's hard. And then I feel like it's more, the more that I do it and the more I'm around other podcasts and people, I meet people that are good at it. Yeah. And that's how I feel about everything. You can't just, it's harder to just look, Cause we're not in Atlanta and we're not in LA where people have Good point.

The financial freedom to just be like, Hey, you know what? I don't care about nothing else. I'm just gonna edit for the rest of my life and this is what I'm gonna do. Yeah. Like, people have to work, people have lives. So you take care of children. Come on. Right. So the more I work on it, the more I'll meet people that.

Or serious about it and it'll come together. But it takes me doing my part, my due diligence. I can't just be like, I'm it and still gotta do the work. So people know I have that or I do. And if I don't put a out don't

was on your field of dreams, so , right? Man, I'm angry. I'm angry for you. Cause like, no, you just made them so make it easy for them to do work. I'd have been over there all time. Shoot, that's it. God darn it, bro. Yeah, that's, That hurts your feelings right there. It does, but, And the funny thing is as things come to have motion and people start paying attention, People call you back when they try to come back.

I'm a win again. I see what's going on. Can I, can I stop? Yeah. Right. And, and I don't take it personal, it's just, it's like chicken little everybody else drink. It's like, it's like chicken little, You made that bomb both of bread. You got that strawberry jam and not a cow want something you done Ask the cow you wanna help

Yep. That's, that's exactly it. Exactly. Wait, your vision is people have sight but not vision. Gotcha. People don always see a vision. Mm-hmm. . And so it's okay for everybody not to see what you see. That's what makes everybody special. Like they'll see it eventually. Like people didn't think Kanye was gonna be Target when I started.

Document it. Yeah, that's true. Everybody might not see your vision, so it's okay for everybody. Not see your vision. It's just you're working towards your vision. As long as you do what you're supposed to do, everything will fall in place when it's supposed to. I don't take it person. That's a good, that's a good, yeah, that's a good mindset to have, especially in the industry that you're working.

You, but you're gonna be dealing with some fickle personalities. You're gonna have some people who are actually  consistent and genuine. And you're gonna have people who do have work ethic and you have people that don't, that still want to be in the area. And I always tell people this, this is a weird thing about this  industry.

There's a vibe around it that attracts people like a moth to light. It doesn't mean that they actually want to be a part of it and actually do work and et cetera, but they want to be there to be around. You wanna be in the studio. You see what I'm saying? Yeah, yeah. You just, you wanna smell it, you know what I mean?

You wanna, you wanna be there when the man just get made it. Of course. Feet off of that shit too, man. Literal don't mean they don't do no work and then you don't even have to risk putting your ass out on the stage. You can just sit there and soak it all from behind. Exactly. But they got, That's what I, So it's a weird, it's a weird balance to have.

Like do you think that is? That is, especially when you're creating content, you gotta have their energy around cuz you want to have people's energy because that's what makes everything flow. Do you think there's a balance there to having those people around and to also not having them there so that you can focus and get the job done?

Do you think there's a need for those type of people or do you think it is totally unnecessary?  Well, it's really based on what you're shooting for.  I vote chemistry, so I'm not even gonna do it if I feel like the chemistry doesn't work. Okay. Like I have to have the complete vision of the chemistry before we start and I can see it.

So it's harder when you're trying to sculpt somebody to beat someone. I don't really do movies yet, so to give somebody script to have EmPro is different from, I know that these two natural people, that's what they do. I just know I need, they might not even know each, So I just know, and that's how the

person is one of the biggest, everything comes back to business. Yeah. Like you see talent in people and you put people where they're supposed to be so that they can perform at their best, not try to. One person do five different jobs. Like check doesn't work that way. You gotta do like bill check, right?

Gotta do your job. I just need you to block that gap. That's it. Don't do nothing else. That's it. Mm-hmm. That's it. That's all. So when I put I know are distractions,

I don't in the same call you back late like you Right. That's it. Because it's gotta be productive. Like I, it's been a while since I've been in the studio all. We know we came to do wanna do three or four songs, we already got everything loaded up. Let's get it done, let's do it and make it work. Get on through.

Right. So like, and it has to be, we gotta be professional. Yeah, yeah. MUEs at home. Yeah. And then when you come to the studio and you know, and if there's somebody that is putting that extra bit in there, then probably they need a credit on a track somewhere. . Right, Exactly. I agree. I agree. Yeah. So, so is like, so, so you're telling me that, and, and this makes sense too, and I can understand this.

You, you've had a maturation from where, cause I know how this is from where you go to the studio, it's a place that you go to hang out. It's a fun environment to now where that is literally, like you're saying, that is your business office, You're going in there to clock in and then clock. You aren't going there.

Exactly. Literally hang out and have fun. Right. You're on Tupac level now where you're like, Hey, what are y'all doing in here? We work. Wait right in the studio,  we showing up. Exactly. Going Exactly. It's already done. Yeah. Here and hang out. Right. And it's easier to chill or hang out if you're not paying the light deal or the right about the same.

These are expensive. I you Right. I bet you comfortable. Right. Hey, let roll another up man. Nah, do this work now let cost money like serious. That is really good. Question. Do, do you think that is, that ties into you growing up and like having a family? Did that cause that change as well where you had to look at it differently?

 Or did it occur before? Nah. Cause having a family definitely changed everything. Right? See, that's all I wonder. That's, I was wondering Overdrive. Yeah. But really, really, people wasting your time. Like, I'm going do something once, but you not, I'm gonna, not gonna keep making the same mistake. So good people can't waste your time, but so many times and like, all right, nah, I done messed through this so you be seriously, now go pick kid up two hours so you gotta get this shit together.

She's like, We can't keep, we can't keep punching in. Got smart deadline. You say you need some one. Take wonders to come in there, knock that thing out, keep moving that, that's it. Like we see song with vibe and like, I believe everybody music is something that you don't wanna force. So everybody gotta get to their comfort level.

I try to make it comfortable like every, if we all right and we all getting it together, Some people sit in a part like separate room, everything like got, I want everybody to feel, but we gotta work, Gotta have deadline, Gotta be professional. We wanna treat it just like if Diddy's in the room or Thank you, whatever.

He wants you to hit this song, Thank, he gonna put this playing song and you think you gonna sit with you for six, seven hours? No  , no. He got, he got a boat. He need to be on somewhere. Party, he gonna be with you as a train. Catch your here go. Right. I need my time respected just like him. Mm-hmm. , he breathing.

He just like me. Thank you. He made a way just like I am. So therefore we gonna treat it as such. Now. That's how it's got to be. So talking about, I mean, you've got, you've got multiple podcasts that you do and then of course I'm sure every, every artist you work with has kind of got their own  community and market that they're hidden.

How do you, how do you deal with, I guess like, like targeting down and deciding who your audience is for each of these things? Is it something you just kinda like let happen on its own? Or do you kinda move it one way or another? How's that work? Well  we start with a, a plan. So let's say rob me, I like the relationship part.

I like the back and forth between male and female. So that was what we geared toward. So whatever people attracted as far as different topics, we kind of geared a little bit more toward it. As far as TikTok and everything, I said everything, uniforms, but we start with a point of attack and then we adjust based on our reactions.

And you know, the no is real easy cause it's just musicians being interviewed. And so if there's stuff going on the city, or we got people like Cory Lada through the wings we had come on. Cause they already have motion. And so that music, music, like everything goes together, all goes togethers. So like that's easy.

Everybody already knows trying to get into the, they're. They wanna figure out what they're talking about. So like it makes it a lot easier Yeah. To spread the message that way. So that's really a, a given. But my thing is, okay, once we get this market completely, this will be an avenue to show everybody the world what's going on the South Carolina.

Right. Cause people think LA and Netty and all that, but when you go there, they'll be like, this is it. They still got clothes hangers everywhere, like , even wood. They still got, they still got like the, the bars outside the projects and all of this stuff here. Like seriously. Seriously. Yeah. It ain't, they glamor.

It's not a lot more, Yeah, it's not a lot more than South Carolina. It's just that they're more publicized  when people get to see it, they be like, Oh wow. That's what South Carolina got going on. Now they got all these people and I mean, is that just cause they have like established record labels that are there and they already have the infrastructure and all that to make their sound be heard?

Is that  that and they, they have more of  a collective unit. When you go to Oakland, you're gonna see more of home businesses being popular in pizza. Like, nobody's gonna go to pizza. I got you. Place speak. And they support their own. It's, it's a lot of, you know, the money cycles through the business made in Oakland.

Yeah, yeah. We might, a lot of that happen now post Covid, man. A lot of these chain rates. That's what I like. That's what I like. That's what I like about post covid. Is that communal, that your communal bases are getting way more  established and popularized because, Right. I mean, like, I'll put it like this, especially during Covid, what you realize is, man, I, we do have the same thing.

Everything I want is already here. I just haven't been paying attention to it. And so the, the, the same things you were getting outside or you were having to go import man, you have that same opportunity and it's right around the corner from you and you had no other choice but to use it. So I, I think that force of having to, having to use those local  items and even frequent your local businesses and deal with your local artists, And crafts people and stuff like that.

I think it's been a, a great boom for the economy and it's helped us in the sense of what they called, there's something called a mature economy. What a mature economy is, is when you take that money that is local and it cycles back through that same society over and over. Doesn't show on the Dow Jones.

It don't, Cause they're not publicly. Exactly, but it's, We still eating here. Yeah. We are eating and we're feeling it and it's good for us, right? Mm-hmm. , it's definitely good and it, and the biggest thing that we have to concentrate here and hold each other accountable for is customer. It's just because is our business number one thing doesn't mean customer service.

Yep. Yeah. Customer service. You can't run outta food if you start a restaurant every day. Like I understand things happen sometimes you get busy. Not every day. . Like you have to have the same customer service that Chick-fil-A had. Yep. I wanna go to you over Chick-fil-A and your food might be better cause you took your time with it.

Yep. But you have to plan and treat it like a business and such like. Yeah. Once we got customer service down, I feel like people feel more comfortable going. To like home based businesses than the big companies. I agree. And I think a lot of it too, and I'm glad you kind of  you guys are kind of tagging on  the customer service piece.

I think another thing we also gotta be mindful of too, in our community, especially when it comes to that, is another thing about customer service, and I'm glad you brought up Chick-fil-A, is there's a consistency with customer service. Yeah. Not necessarily a supply, but the way people are treated. And I know a lot of times in our community we struggle with when it comes on a business front of treating every customer at the same level.

Because sometimes, and I know just, Oh my Lord. Yes. Cause it could mean, I mean, from anything, and you notice it could mean anything from, like I said, a brick and mortar restaurant to doing a podcast, right? Mm-hmm. . Well, unfortunately a lot of us, we treat people based on where we see them at or how we see them, or how we see them benefiting us.

There you go. The monetary part, right? The monetary part, right. Or even just the promotion part. Like you can go into a, Like I, several times I've been in the restaurants and I've seen it myself and I've been on different ends of it. Where as I'll get one type of like interaction. I'll see someone get a totally different interaction.

Immediately. Right. Immediately. Yeah. Right. Because it might be something that might be going on. Whoever, whoever's back there that's the cashier or who's working, they might, There's a lot of things they might be going through that we don't know about. Right. But Right. It might be, like I said, but I might trigger something and then, Or they might see it certain way and then I'm treated totally different than somebody else.

Then the other way, then like I said, I might come in and they're triggered by the person that's right in line behind me. Yep. And they act a totally different way. And that happens a lot. And our engagement and our interactions with, with each other  when it comes to that level. Even when it comes to, like I said, and you know this too, even when it comes to content creation, right?

Yeah. Just reaching out, building connections and building relationships with people in order to support people. Cuz you know, there's a, sometimes there's a big, not, don't even wanna say there's, it is a kind, there can be an issue with trust sometimes and credibility because it's like, if somebody reaches out to like, Okay, well what does this person want from me?

Because many times, you know, is this person trying to take advantage of me? You know what, you know? Well, how do I, you know, how do I need to respond to know, how do I need to deal with that? How they say the hood, Oh, they trying to eat up off me, Man, you trying to get bread up off me. Cause like, no man, like that's not

Everybody ain't like that. But we got, we've been trained, we've been conditioned Yeah. To that. And I'm so happy you said that. Cause I like good customer service, man. And, and it's going out the window. Yeah. Like, you can't, you can't, you can't do we walk in the bank now and be like  and they're like, Well you gotta call this 800 number.

And I'm like, what the fuck is your purpose there? Yeah. Why are you here? Right. Nah, I gave  I'm gonna tell you like this LB this is something funny that you said that. Cause I could hard my customer service all day.  I work at an orthopedic office and at orthopedic office we have, you know, customers, they call him Cetera.

They have issues. I was talking to this gentleman, he's 71 years old, pick up the phone. We're, we're in a merge right now. So he was like, Hey. Mm-hmm. .  Blah, blah, blah. I got this going on, Cetera, et cetera. I said, Okay. What I'm supposed to tell this guy right now technically is he's supposed to call back at this other number because this is who's actually gonna assist him.

Right? He's not supposed to call him through the number. He called him through the back line where physicians are supposed to call the emergency room, right? Mm-hmm. . I told the guy, I said, Man, I ain't gonna do you like that brother. I said, What you need man? Let's get you right. He said, he said, Wow. He said, Man, you don't exist no more.

They ain't no more y'all. He said, You really gotta help me. I said, Yeah, why would I not, man, I helped this gentleman out. I got off the phone with him. He said, Man, he said, Man, stay in school and don't drink whiskey. He said, You're a good brother man. You a good brother. And I could tell from that interaction right then, like you said, that stuff just doesn't exist.

Oh no. Uhuh, did you get in trouble for it? Nah. Aint get in trouble monitoring you like that. But some places, some place will monitor you and they won't let you do that. They will not let you give great customer service like that. And so when you're talking about the industry that we're in and what we do, you gotta imagine if that's what you get at an office that's supposed to be giving you assistance, right?

With injuries, right? Man, oh my god, care about you got here, talking about music and food and up here doing stuff fun, you're gonna get even worse. Customer service normally. So the fact that you take that as a paramount in what you do, LB is magnificent. Yeah. That's excellent. That's a great foundation And a way to, to continue building growth and something that I know the people around you that you do business with, they see it and it affects you positively more.

More than likely. It does. It does. Mm-hmm. . It definitely does. Now why do you, like where did you, where did you realize, or when did you realize that was important?  Trying to think of when did I, I ain't never, ain't nobody teach me that at the club when I was DJing at the club. Lb ain't nobody teach me that

I really, everything together I tried to find something absolute or universal understanding of everything I do. And I always take, everything is based on respect. Everything is like when, you know, you grew up like that was one of the southern things. Like you have Manus, that's sounds way you to say everything works.

Yep. Right. Being in the, so like I've really applied it to everything. Like if you're not. Aware of what's going on, then that's one thing. But once you know that, oh, okay, this interaction in front of me or behind me could change everything, it's not me. Mm-hmm. , this person might be going through anything, then you don't take it as person.

Gotcha. And so you, you're there to just provide whatever you can and that's it. You can't do but so much as a person. People times people are traumatized, sometimes people have other stuff going on their mind. Mm-hmm.  that has nothing to do with you. You can only do your best and move forward, you know, keep good energy.

And so I think I've always been kind of myself, but when I had a child, you really start to look at everything in a broader picture. I preach, preach, preach. Yep. And especially for our generation, that's something that I think needs to be, it has to be pressed. That's an issue that has to be pressed. And I agree to that, especially coming into this age.

 One of the things I know is like generational change. And even change as you progress and age, you must mature. You have to take those lessons with you. Cuz I know we did knucklehead things when I was younger than, Shoot, we ain't getting away with now. We definitely shouldn't be doing that. Oh yeah. And if we were still doing those same activities and actions, we wouldn't be where we are now.

And that's something I know for the youth coming up  I do want them to know. And then also  I know for where we're at and how we're trying to move forward and the people that we want to deal with in the future, this has to be something that is understood and they have to see us as mature. Business savvy individuals.

And I know that's real weird. It's weird talking like that. Damn. I'm talking about faking the fun to a whole bunch of burn this motherfucker to the ground. You remember that elephant? You remember how real we had that used to be. How real you had to be. Yeah. Oh man, that's keeping it goes wrong, . Right?

There was better ways to handle that. Yes, exactly. Exactly. So I'm happy, like I said, man, it's cool to hear especially  how you say, to hear your peers understanding that and moving forward on that. Man, that's a beautiful thing, bro. That's a beautiful thing.  And I guess  with that said, and I guess transition to this next.

And the biggest  one of the big things about why we do the podcast is we always like to talk to people about, of course, what it is they do, what they do creatively, and how they're known in the public and in the community. But also we wanna bring it back to really, you know, what's important and that's that maintain, you know, trying to achieve work life about.

It's not saying that you, it's always perfect, but especially when it comes to a family. Cuz you know, as creatives, you know, with a lot of projects, you know, we also, well we got those projects going on. We're also trying to stay involved with other aspects of our life. Of course, with the, with the kids, you know, if you got spouse, partner, and of course none, your family and your friends, and I know sometimes that can be a lot for people to handle to where there's sacrifices that made to be made.

And unfortunately people feel like they have to choose one thing over. Yep. You know, in order to whatever, to whatever goal that they desire to  achieve. But one of the things is I've noticed, and like I said, cuz you know, we've known each other for years and stuff, is I know that you're, you're somebody like, you're somebody that's very involved in your son's life and at the same time you still take care of your business.

Exactly. And so I guess the thing is, how have you been able to remain consistently active and not only your son's life, but also  in  building your  brand?

Sleep . That's the realest answer. Yes. It's not a lot of, it's not a lot of sleep. Like I had this, this whole interview, I'm sitting outside the pit watching my son's football game. I heard it in the background. That's what I was about to ask. I was like, Yo, what game are you at right now? Right. So like, this game started 11th.

I had to be here. I wave to him. He had fun. See he with his mom. Now I'm about to head back and do some editing from Eric K's  video that I did and get her songs together. Yep. It's. You have to be organized and you have to have a schedule, and I think that's the best way to do it. You start out with a checklist and really it's not a lot of time for yourself.

You have to set aside some time for yourself. That's my vacations. But outside of that, most of my week and days are working and getting stuff together every day. And sometimes people like, Well, you work too much. But then I think about it and Diddy does more than me and he has a lot more, so is. How many children you stole.

People's children. You got people . We sure stole fun. People have a lot more. Right. They doing whatever they wanna do, but they they're doing the work. Yeah, exactly. And so, like, I can't do less work than them and expect to have anything. Like, it doesn't work like that. It don't, it don't. I really got try to out work there mm-hmm.

with my resources that I have. So the, the best that I can do is make sure I get up with a schedule. Mm-hmm. Eat properly, drink a lot of water mm-hmm.  and be responsible. I can't get drunk and be up and get work done. No. Like, it's just not gonna work. We gotta grow up and we gotta make sure that we're keeping important thing important and giving your family your time along with making sure that you're conducting business as a profess.

Man. I like hearing that you said that. Like for real? I told you. Yeah. I can't be, You can't be out here while you can't do that. Yeah. You worked, done properly. Nah, you can't. It'll work. We thought we was doing it back in the day. Nah, gee, you weren't doing it. Nah, right? Mm-hmm. Putting a game on hard move for no reason.

Mm-hmm. . Mm-hmm.  for no reason. Right. Duke Newton. What was that? What was the hardest mode called? I forgot what's called. Crazy stupid. Oh, it was something, Yeah, it was like extreme mode. Yeah. Like, nah, you can't do that , you can't do that. That's not how it worked. No, it's not. Make it easier on yourself, man.

Especially,  mm-hmm.  and I know we're gonna start seeing a lot of that right now too. This is side note on this, but with. The baby boomer generation moving to where they're moving. We're gonna see a lot of this because I always hate to say this, but they didn't do a really good job of taking care of their health and cetera about watching what they and make sure they get right.

But they did the best compared to anybody before them. That's the crazy thing. Technology. Well, yeah, technology. They learned it. Washing their hands, hands was a thing.  isn't that saying, but it's true. They learned that. Washing their hands. That's a thing. Like how they take, like, like I said, just make sure you're getting rest, proper rest, making sure you're staying hydrated.

Taking vitamins if you need to take vitamins or supplements. Eating healthy foods. Not trying to stay on fat, fat  high foods, high end, bad fats or fried foods.  Meditation out here, taking care of your spiritual self as well as your physical being like being able to do that stuff is gonna give you the ability to keep up with those people who are out here maintaining and, and, and doing this hard effort and work like a puff daddy.

Like you can't. I like that. I like that you said with the resources that you. In order to maximize those resources, you have to be on your queues, PS and Qs, Everything has to be on one.  And it's, it's refreshing hearing that type of stuff, especially from somebody who's actively involved in what's going on right now.

So, man, kudos to you brother. Kudos. So what, what you got into works right now? What projects you got?  She just recently slowed down on the music per se.  I know working on,

that's really the main artist I'm working, started a cause in the podcast. My main thing right now is build the podcast, kinda work with a lot of the other podcasts in South Carolina and try to build. Yeah. Cause I feel like what everybody with talent. We need more outlets and we need to get, say it, be able to get our stuff out so everybody can't do the same.

There's music and fan base, probably

a lot of as a group, but it doesn't help if you can't go on tour cause you got kids and you got this, you can't really post up at the C three in Atlanta, go to the  festival in Austin. Like, it takes a lot to really push it to the next level. You gotta be realistic as what you can do at this point in your resource.

Mm-hmm. . So I know here we can, we can build the resources with the club and the podcast and build. And bring people to us. Thank you. And that's more feasible than to actually have to go out and spend a bunch of money, so mm-hmm.  with the, I can do an in a week, like, take time. I just need to go in and do it's stuff going on.

So it's more talk about, but how beneficial would that be, not just for me, but my culture and then it's adding on something else to my time that I've been through the circuits, I've been through all the, the shows here, the chi circuit can work. Yeah. Own club, meet all other club owners out who's who and be a part of, and then mm-hmm.

Right. And I feel like that's a better outlet for me now. It just makes more sense. And I love the music, but I hate the fact that I can't do everything. And I, I know that everybody can't do everything. But now as business owner, when you can't control everything around you. And you're kind of waiting for other people to get stuff done.

Like I said, with video situation or like just engineers in general, things like that. It's, it's frustrating cause now you're on the schedule and everybody's not completely on your schedule. But when I come to my bar, I have my waitresses, I have my bartenders, they know what time they gotta be there. I can kinda control the situation.

DJ's better. Yeah. He's gonna play what I need him to play. So it works. Exactly. So like, makes sense. So, and we're making fun and I can put that somebody love music, loves to make things work. I love music, but it's more of my therapy and it has to make sense. You now. Gotcha. Like I'm not just gonna go do shows five days a week.

I don't have to go shake hands and stuff like that. Cause people know me now. I'm coming, if they have something, I'm coming to support them and I'm gonna stay 30 minutes or so on and try to catch everybody. But. That's not something I have to do every night. Take shots with everybody. I can't. Hey, LB grow LB you.

Oh, you grown. I'm you talking right now. Like, oh Lord, now, but that's how you have to operate. That is the way to do it. Yeah. Yes, yes. Yeah, it's different. So shout out this club. Where, where we see you  oh, Club is crazy. It's calling Crazy Cop. She sees right down from usc right by  stage. That's a genius name.

Shut the heck up, bro. I'm gonna come down there and show some love, bro. I didn't know. You say Down Bluff Road? Yeah, on Bluff Road. It's, it's right by the right off the highway. I didn't roll past it. I didn't even know. Okay. Yeah, we brand open, See, heard about. On the what? I didn't know. Oh man. Shit. I'm gonna slap myself in the head man.

Now we know shit. Now we know. Been to the club in years. Cause I'm living that, that life. What you talking about about the club in years? I'm talking like I'm about to show up on Friday. Hey, hey, hey, hey. I'm, I'm gonna roll up though. I'm gonna roll up though. But listen, I wanted some play all nineties r and b.

See that's, I'm saying it's smooth. I know if he says what we've been discussing, if I go to his club and I get shot, I'm gonna beat his ass. , I'm gonna beat your ass because I know I better not be getting shot. Well we've been talking about, we've been too prone to get shot. Right too, Too grown. Like it's all nineties.

R b not gonna hit, Not go ahead, jump boy. And I love him shot that. It's not that crowd that brought to the Trump ain't the mm-hmm. . Right. You wanna have a good time and you wanna, and it's really geared toward winning. So like we have everything, even djb, Lord, he's been trying to do. R and b parties and day parties and stuff like that.

Cause br b Lord he been, he been supposed to be grown. They been this since we was bigg grown. That's what I'm saying. I was waiting for stuff like this to start happening. Cause I, I know the, the era and stuff we kinda like, yo we gotta start doing like grown people stuff. Like we can't be out here in the club with these young folks fighting with them in the club and stuff.

Tearing stuff up. I got time for that. . We need our own space. We can still have a good time. There you go. And still come out and go home safe. There it is. Don't have to worry about all the extra stuff. All the crazy people. We grown gonna have nice drinks. Women gonna dress up, come out live. Yeah. I bring poetry nights, I bring stuff like that.

And then I wanted to be early enough. You can come when you get off. Say it again. And still home in a regional time to get up. Cause we gotta go to work in the morning, you know, I gotta get up at, at six, I need to get up at 6, 5 30, 6. Then we got, so we got games, you know, I like game. Right, right down for the center.

Queen specials, all that. So like I'm going for different demographics. Y'all really gotta be sales though. Really gonna be out there, bro. I'm not even lying. I'm not cap. No cap. And so once I figured out what I can apply to music, I can apply business without limitations. I can't be boxed. Yes, I can always reinvent my me, my extra into music and into podcast and then everything.

Because customer service is the base of everything, man. Why don't sound like, why do you sound like Barry Gordy right now? You sound like Barry Gordy. I'm not even lie. Cause that's how he was. That's how his business model was. He's just like, Hey, I, Cause back in the day when people did music or they owned music things, they did it because they actually liked the music.

They actually enjoyed it. It was their love. Really? Yeah. Oh, it was, I thought. Yeah. Ok. Feel like you just traded it, like concentrated for orange juice, . It was their love. So like everything else, you know, they would have other business. Cause people didn't noticed like about Barry Gordon, but he was a businessman.

Yeah, he was a businessman. So everything else came  on the side of it. And then Motown happened to be, you know, he loved music, he liked black artists. He wanted them to do well. So yeah, man, this is extremely refreshing to hear brother. Extremely refreshing. That's, that's definitely the goal. And  I'm just learning at this age that.

If you don't give people a narrative, they're wrong. And I'm, I'm fairly a quiet person. Like people see me here and there. Yep. You know, I, me, I talk, but like, I'm not very, I'm not one of those people that just go out and I'm, and I like to make, so I know now that I have up and I have to kinda be the one, be like, ok, well this is what I'm, this direction I'm going on.

More people wanna take on that. And they, Oh, that's a great idea. There's more people the same way. Mm-hmm. . But if I don't take the time to educate people, or at least. Figure out. Okay. Well I heard him talk about it. I see it. Yeah. So how did he do that? Yeah. Oh, he focus on customer service. Like that's a goal.

Like I don't about stealing.

That's gonna People like you. Yeah. That's the monster from this mistake. Show customer service, bro. Yeah. Cause you need it now. Like  and before we go, I will say this one thing, and I always harp on this, but one, the thing that must not be lost from the old school. Like we could drop all this other, like, you know how they say you take all the good things that you learn through the trash away.

Right. One of the things left over from the old society that we do need to keep is person to person. Interpersonal skills. Being able to talk to somebody, vibe and actually know who they are. Yeah. In a real environment.    Without avatars or. Personas or that type of thing that, that empathy gets lost when you are out there interacting.

You learn to interact, you know, virtually then, then, and that's what they're doing now. Right? Right. That is, that is right. Like, I hate to be that old head, but that is one of my fears for the next generation. That there were some things that we figured out we did. Lets, let's not lose that, let's lose that stuff, but throw away the trash and keep all the gold.

Yeah. But  Right, and go ahead and I and take it back on that though. I wanna say that it's really easy people, and it's based on hand in hand going out. You who, you, you yourself. It's a lot easy out in the world. Like we had, they played our music back to back, back in Texas. Like we went down there for the festival and everything.

La, wherever we go, it's love. We didn't ourselves to be anything other than who we were. And so, Those hand in hand interactions will take too far, but you have to be able to go get em. Cause people feel like they've known you all your life here, so they might not see you no more than what they've always seen.

Mm-hmm. . But you are who you. So when you go out other you yourself, they like, Man, that's different. We've been waiting for that. And they don't know you for any more than who you are, your personality. So just like that's gonna be a service. Mm-hmm.  that you're right, today's generation won't be ready for, but the people who haven't, you'll be able to sell it.

Help those people get that. That's the goal, to actually find what's missing. That's all business. Find what's missing. Insert like glad to me. Yeah. Dang, that's good point. Good points. Good points. Great interview, bro. I'm trying to tell you this a great conversation we had today.  I enjoyed myself thoroughly.

I know about y'all fellow. I enjoyed myself thoroughly today. This discuss what we talked today with our brother lb.  We're gonna wrap up right now.  Is there anything else you'd like to add on any, We always gotta do this. Do you wanna drop your socials real quick so that people know where to find you out?

You know how you gotta do? We gotta be that new day guys. Drop socials real fast. You wanna give them Instagram and stuff like that? Yes. Yes. Okay. So lb, D a c lb, the CEO and Mason, E N T S C. So that's my Facebook. In fact, Mason e NT s. Is the website. Yep. Social and all the links, all the podcasts, website.

When you get to Instagram, you should see links. Everything there all in will all be linked. And so that makes it easy, everybody, even my email. Perfect, perfect. Again, as you can see, that's that business man right there. He understood it. Easy for I remember people. Yeah. Keep it simple. Keep it simple, man.

Keep it simple. Stupid, like literally kiss. But  man, I'm telling you man, it's been refreshing to have this conversation again.  Just starting off this season three, this the kickoff, man. It's our third season, the Hilltop Glove podcast. We're looking to make this season big. I e this is our profit season.

This is when we're supposed to actually be turning the wheel on things. So this is cool, like going through season one and season two and learning how things work is now, I'm sure you had the same experience  doing what you're doing with the two podcasts. As well.  Yeah, we look to make things, you know, like you said, be become a little bit more vocal, a little bit more  seen out here in our community, but also to actually get back to the community in whatever ways we can.

And that's what we're trying to do through the podcast and we hope we're able to get that done. But man, I know for me, DJ and what I've had a good time today. How about the photos, How y'all got Oh yeah. It was a great interview man. Appreciate, appreciate you coming on. Yeah. Appreciate it. Appreciate had to be here.

Yes. Excellent. Well, I'm gonna sign off for today. Just wanna let everybody know  I'm thank you for joining us here on the Hilltop Globe Podcast.  Every Saturday we always try to put this thing together. This is the first of the season  three episodes. We'll be back for more.  So for our guests, lb, the c the ceo, we wanna say thank you.

 Next time on the next episode, we're gonna have our, our, our first lady, Miss Tamaya Allen up there. So we'll get to hear her voice as well. Actually, real quick, say something. What up though? Yeah, that's how to get her in there so we can have the lady's voice in there. But  other than that piece out to everybody, y'all have a great Saturday, y'all take it easy.

Peace Peace