Welcome And Guest Setup

SPEAKER_03 0:00

Welcome back to the Hilltop Glove Podcast. Today we had the pleasure of speaking with the talented Alexis Pipkins Jr., also known as AP. A passionate musician since his teenage years, AP began his musical journey by forming his band with childhood friends. AP's roots are in Florence, but his artistic journey took him to Colombia. As a multimedia artist, his love for photography, videography, music, and production shines through. His mission is to uplift and inspire positive change through his art. His mission also is to touch people's souls. So when you attend his shows, you're gonna leave transformed. The events feature performances by the band, guest artists, and in an open mic section where the audience can perform, often accompanied by the band's musical backing and spoken word poetry. In 2021 and 2022, AP released solo music, including the song Sunday Memories, which reflects on belonging and identity within the church. It talks about childhood and the warmth of Sunday mornings in African American homes. Another song, Black Love, embraces African American heritage and culture. AP is currently working on a solo album for release, while the band is also interested in creating an album together. Stay tuned as we explore the mind of AP during this episode. How are you doing today, my brother?

unknown 1:27

Man, I'm good. How y'all doing?

SPEAKER_03 1:29

Blessed. Blessed. Yes, yes, yes. Man, I'm gonna tell you. I know we were talking before we we started this, and obviously it's something you always do. We always like to have background conversation before we get in. And I know we're gonna get into some of those things that we're talking about because it's very interesting, and it explains a lot now. Explains a lot. Um, because obviously, I always tease Tamaya back there, she does her ninja skills, um, and she finds out a lot about the guests, and then from there we delve in and we also look into you and see what it is that you have going on and how it incorporates into what we do here at the Hilltop Glove and how it might be uh important for our audience, right? But the most important thing, if you have ever watched our podcast, is we gotta ask you about your early beginnings. So um we like to start off each episode with a little background information for those who aren't familiar with you. Um, if you could tell them about where you grew up and do you have any siblings?

SPEAKER_00 2:27

Okay, man. Uh born and raised Florence, South Carolina. Bloatown. Uh I'm the oldest out of four kids. Boy, girl, boy girl, mom and dad, uh high school sweethearts. Okay. Um where did they go to high school? Wilson high school. Oh, you're from real Florence.

SPEAKER_03 2:43

Oh, yes, sir. Okay, so you know Lenora Sellers. No, Hector. I had to say that, y'all. He was in South Florence. I'm not sure. He's from the city.

SPEAKER_00 2:54

Probably test through Wilson, though.

SPEAKER_03 2:55

Yeah, that's true.

SPEAKER_01 2:56

So Wilson, that's Daria Durant, right? Yes, sir. C C A C A. Grand Brothers. Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 3:00

We know. Orange Timmons. Yeah. Yep. Yeah, who else? Uh man, so many people. I'm gonna start forgetting people, but it's a lot.

SPEAKER_02 3:07

Yeah, like Wilson's the truth. Yeah, people don't realize. Yeah, powerhouse right there, powerhouse.

SPEAKER_00 3:13

I mean, growing up in Florence at that time, like all you heard was and all you knew it wasn't because truth be told, Wilson's like a minute HBCU. It is. Yeah, I mean, one if uh I don't know if it's still here, but I know at one point it was the second largest alumni association in the world.

SPEAKER_04 3:31

Wait. If not mistaken.

unknown 3:33

Wow.

SPEAKER_00 3:33

The high school? The high school, if I'm not mistaken.

unknown 3:36

Shh.

SPEAKER_00 3:36

If not the world, maybe in the US, but I knew it was second. Because if you ever go to a Wilson High School homecoming, bro, that's packed. It's packed. It used to it started at the school and had to get moved to the uh high school football stadium, Memorial Stadium, because it was so many people. And even with that, bro, they still round

Florence Roots And First Bands

SPEAKER_00 3:55

the parking. It still is crazy. Wow. Wow Born and raised. Um, but to dive into it, like my beginnings, man, it goes even further than just uh, I mean, it goes back further than just music. Like I moved to Columbia initially because I was working at a television station. And my background is also in media as well. But growing up as a kid, I always weren't, I worked with like the school, morning school uh news show as well as being in like drumline and choir, stuff like that. So all those things I was doing as a kid, I never realized until like I got into my adult life. I'm like, yo, I've been doing this my whole entire life. Yeah. So it makes it easier when you're working and operating your passion because it makes it like alright, this is wake up. Only time it can become frustrating sometimes, and I know all of us probably may have gone through it, is when you're working and people don't see that passion the same way you see it. Sometimes that becomes like it can either kill your uh charisma or it can build it up. It depends on who you are, how you look at it. So I did that and then going into college, uh coming out of high school, I had a band. First band I had was Lemonade. Me and my homies, uh, I don't know if you remember the movie they made on Disney, called Lemonade. So me and the homies like we're gonna make something different. Made a band called Lemonade. Then that turned into a band. When I got to college, I had a band called Movement. Okay. Uh did that. And then I was like, done with bands. Because what would end up happening? You got everybody on the team, but one person always has to be the one making the calls, people calling, ain't nobody trying to get a rehearsal. It's like, bro, I do not want to keep doing this. So I said, at a certain point, I said, if I started back doing a band, I had to create a system where it would push my original music and I could make the sound how I wanted to sound. So that's how APN Silver Touch came to be. Because during COVID, I literally every day I wake up at 8 o'clock, go to the gym, 5 p.m. after I eat dinner, whatnot, 5 p.m. until like four in the morning, I'm sitting at the computer, working on music, working on stuff. And then eight o'clock comes, just repeat, repeat. So I did that all through COVID, even while I get my master's at a time. Shout out to North State. Clap University's undergrad, North Four State grad. Shout out, yes, sir. So I I did that, and that failed me into getting Columbia and worked at a TV station. So while I worked at the TV station, I was doing that. I was pushing my music and built the band. And see, the unique thing about the band is it's so many people that have come in and gone, but each person has come in in the phase they need to be in the phase. So it started this way, had the sound matured, you might have somebody phase out and somebody else phase in, vice versa. And the one the biggest thing I learned is that you have to learn how to nurture relationships. Okay.

SPEAKER_03 7:01

I was about to ask you about that with the band, um, and I'm gonna interjet real quick. I'm happy with what you said at the beginning. You're also, and this is what people don't get, especially about a band leader. You're a manager.

SPEAKER_04 7:13

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 7:13

Just like a manager at any business, corporation, et cetera. And I like what you said about setting in a system and design to make sure that everything stayed on path. It's very important, it's viable.

SPEAKER_00 7:25

Yeah, man, definitely. Um, and that's something that I had to learn too. Um, and I and I say this, I I haven't made every mistake. I mean, every mistake correctly. Yeah, you're gonna make it mistake. I've always said as a leader, I feel like if I ever make the bad call, let me take the bullet.

SPEAKER_03 7:45

Yeah. Oh, you a real leader.

SPEAKER_00 7:47

I mean, that's how it gotta be, man.

SPEAKER_03 7:49

Some don't do that, you know that.

SPEAKER_00 7:51

So that is a leader thing. The question is are you a leader? Because I feel like the essence of a leader is when everything is falling and crumbling, you have to be the one to stand still.

SPEAKER_04 8:00

Yes.

SPEAKER_00 8:01

If you can't see you crack, the moment they see you crack, they know your leadership is is is tested. It's trusted. It's almost like an alpha wolf. If that alpha wolf goes down, it's another wolf that's gonna try to come and take that spot. Preach. So, and and the way this world is set up, we all hear the same, it's enough money out here for everybody. But it's only one you that can do it right one time. So um that has evolved. I've learned a lot. Taking levels, taking what took ones, and just keep developing. And so now I'm at the stage now where I understand, I actually have a manager now. Okay. Shout out to my management team, shout out to my team. And I'm in this phase now where I'm learning the people that come to you that want to help you the most, they kind of work out better. Meaning, like if you ask me, hey, can I be a part of this? They kind of help you to be able to push what you're doing better, push where you're trying to go. Because it's like they see the vision and they want to insert themselves in the vision. Because sometimes we can move too fast and be like, hey, you want to be a part. And then sometimes the accent or the mindset of entitlement can come into play. So we have to think about those things. So that's where um I'm kind of like now having the people that's in the band, and now the new thing is I didn't have the word to describe my sound. Okay. And now I call it gumbo, give unique melodies, be omnipotent. That's all giving because it's what we do, unique because it's different. Melodies that's like the songs, the horn, beat, bass, drums, the heartbeat, and on numbers. That's a religion. That's God, that's power. So that's what we're doing now. That's the push. We're pushing gumbo. Because y'all know you if you like gumbo, it's an assortment of different things. But when you eat that son of a gun, it tastes good.

SPEAKER_03 9:42

They all work in conjunction. Factual. And um still building on this question about your early beginnings, what kind of influences did you have musically? And I we have to ask that because getting listening to your music and see how you get down.

SPEAKER_00 9:58

How did you get there? Man, so I'll stay like this. When I first I've always been musically inclined. My first instrument is drums. Okay. Um, but the crazy thing is, growing up, I grew up in church, but I didn't start playing in church until I was like maybe 13, eighth grade. Okay. So like I was that kid, I had church going on, I'm beating on the back of the puke. Bang, bang, bang. Um humming, humming. I also discovered my singing ability like early, but I was shy. You know, I grew up in that. Well, I mean I'm not gonna say I was shy. I just grew up in that area. If you know if you sung, we got what I'm saying?

Building A Band With Structure

SPEAKER_00 10:43

I know what you mean. I know what you mean. Yeah, it wasn't hitting me at that. Yeah, so I I I I didn't want to sing out in public, but as I got and get started getting older, like kind of became natural for me. You know, more so than that. So what ended up happening for me in terms of what the music aspect, my dad is also a minister. Um wow, okay. He was preaching for a church, and uh I took piano lessons throughout the throughout the years, and the first thing I was able to pick up was I think I was probably like at least seven or eight, but I was doing it with singing sometimes. Then I live, you y'all have to. So I did that, and then I saw somebody do it with two fingers one time, so I just mimicked what that song. Then my cousin did it one time and I mimicked what he did. And then, I don't know if y'all remember the show

Church Influences And Learning By Ear

SPEAKER_00 11:31

Sunday morning Bobby Jones Gospel. Yeah, so when Bobby Jones Gospel was on, I would I would like I had a like a little Casio keyboard in my room. Yeah, and I try to play with the songs. I ain't know nothing about no key changes, key signatures, or none of that stuff. But my mama came, my mom came in the room and she was like, Hold up, this boy playing a playing a real song. Now, mind you, I'm just hitting I'm just hitting stuff, trying to make it fit. And so from there, that led to me playing at the church that my dad was preaching at. Still at the time, I don't know anything about Shah Bad. Do you don't read music yet? No, I can. I can now. Okay. That time I couldn't.

SPEAKER_01 12:12

All right, all right. Okay, so now I got a question for you then. Blowing in my face. So okay. This is more like, and this has to do with production and stuff too. So when you're so when you when you're putting together new pieces and you're working with the band, because like I said, you started out playing by ear, and now you uh write music. So a lot like when you guys are working on things in jam session, maybe you're trying to come up with new material, do you um first play by ear and then you or and then you write out stuff, or do you kind of write it, or do you kind of do it both simultaneously?

SPEAKER_00 12:40

So right now, how the band is developed, everybody has an ear. They know how to play by ear. Yeah, okay. They also read. But usually what I do, I will make a reference if I have time. I'll make a reference, send it. Or we might go, it might be the actual studio cut. The song like Crazy. Um, I just did a different arrangement of Crazy at Finlay on yesterday. Okay. Where we took one part instead of going to like the four, I went to the two, and one just went between those two. I'm already in my head. I might play it out, track it out, send a voice memo, like this is what I'm thinking about doing, break it down. So when we get rehearsal, it's already easy. Because usually I already know how I wanted to sound, so I can be able to articulate that. Yeah. Like one thing I tell I told one cat one time was like, if you're in rehearsal and you hear something that you don't feel comfortable with or don't know, well, you gotta be quick to articulate that. Immediately. When I was in Virginia, um I was given this information that has helped me. You got three chances. The first chance to listen, second chance to execute, third chance to do. If you don't know how to do, you might want to fall back. Don't fall back, you might be telling you to get your bags, and you need a head on back. So you gotta learn how to play the system quick. Either I want to keep this job or I might need to sit quiet. Some high silence. Exactly. And sometimes silence is the winner. Ah I say that I I mean I know how to play around with stuff, but if I don't know something, I'll I know how to make something sound good, sit back. So don't take my don't take that. Let me do me. But that's the uh, but that's the that's the that's the whole basis of it. Like you just have to know how to insert yourself the correct way.

SPEAKER_01 14:25

Yeah. And I love that, especially with everything that's going on now, and I know because we're gonna we're gonna get to this question. I might bring it up a little bit than that. But just with things like like with AI now, especially when it comes to music, right? There's just no, like, and I like in my opinion, there's no way to you can compose anything. Yeah, you can prompt something, but it's nothing like being able to bring it out in real life. Obviously, being able to compose yourself, especially for that real that experience. So, what's kind of your kind of your take with some of the direction that music's going in now?

SPEAKER_00 14:59

Um I would say this, and when it comes like even with the AI thing, I think AI is dope as long as it's being used in an appropriate way. I think that in some ways, when it comes to AI, it's taking away from the creativity and it's making us lazy in some ways. Um because to tell to tell me that an AI system went and created a song, put your voice on it, and it's getting paid. Okay, where's that revenue going?

SPEAKER_03 15:32

You right where I'm at, brother. You're right where I'm at. You're right where I'm at. That's what that's what my question is.

SPEAKER_00 15:36

You know what I'm saying? So like like where where is that going? And like even with the whole concept behind me, I'll I don't really I don't really like singing with a backing track. I'll go and do a piano in me before I do that.

SPEAKER_05 15:48

Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 15:49

Um because my whole thing is it's about connection, it's about understanding the story, especially with my music. My music isn't built off of just I sat down and I wrote something. I literally had to go through something. I can tell you with every song, what it was going about, whether it was a fair relationship, whether it was me dealing with family issues, whether it was just me dealing with my own internal self. Like I just released music yesterday and it's titled The Reset. Um because I had to reset myself from dealing with individuals,

AI, Authenticity, And Real Connection

SPEAKER_00 16:18

dealing with my own thoughts. Like I hold one thing about people that people forget about leaders, a lot of leaders don't we hold a lot and don't say a lot. But at the same time, I've learned you have to say something at some time. Whether it be to just somebody you feel close and confident enough to, and I'm gonna say this, and it's not I don't have anything against therapists, but I feel like you should find a person that is your relative or friend sometimes, because a therapist is fine, that's fine, I'm not knocking that, but sometimes you need that friend that's gonna be like, bruh, you tripping out. Right. That holds your accountable. The therapist is paid to tell you what you need to hear, in my opinion. And that's like I said, no knock. I'm not knocking that. And I want to make sure I'm clear, I'm not knocking therapy.

SPEAKER_06 17:03

I think sometimes sometimes somebody needs to tell you when you're messing up. But your friend can't.

SPEAKER_03 17:09

Balance. Yeah. You can have that therapist, but you need somebody on the other side to hold you to the city.

SPEAKER_00 17:14

You need somebody like because I grew up, I grew up in a direct household.

SPEAKER_03 17:18

Uh-huh.

SPEAKER_00 17:18

And even with that being said, like as a grown man, I see how sometimes that directness helped me, sometimes how it crushed me. And when I say crush me because I'm so direct, sometimes my directness comes off, and I'm thinking I'm just having a regular conversation. Three, four months later, a situation that I ain't been thinking about since it happened. Yeah, yeah, man, I ain't appreciate. I'm just communicating with you. And that and see you just said the word. Yeah, communication is not communication in this world. Yeah. I mean, people say, man, we can tell me this, tell me this, tell me this, tell me, tell me that. Once you do that, man, I wish you ain't say that. Now you mad. You don't want to say anything. It causes so many. I'm like, bro, tell me right here in the moment. Any woman I date, I'm like, if I offend you, please let me know right now. Because once I leave, my mindset don't be on it no more. Yeah. Because I don't know I offend if you don't never say.

SPEAKER_01 18:17

And you know what I think a lot of that comes back to, especially nowadays. I think because of social media and the world we live in, yeah, we're so used to being in echo chambers and hearing the things we want to hear. Oh, yeah. So whenever somebody says something, and it might be truthful, it might be something that can be very helpful to us. Yeah, constructive. It can be constructive. But if it's something we don't want to hear and it's not it's not pleasing to our ears, you know, we turn away from that. Facts. And sometimes it's even a lot of and even now, a lot of times, it's just the package itself. It's who's saying it. And that goes back to what you were and Mike were saying too. It's like sometimes you can have somebody, like, you know, a therapist can say something to you, but your friend can, but it just depends on how you who you weigh, what you weigh it more, so who you'll take it from. And that's something that's happened in a lot of society. It's a lot of times who's saying it that gather that people gravitate towards.

SPEAKER_00 19:09

Facts. And then even the like, like piggyback on that. I've learned this, like you say, in terms of who's saying it. Sometimes people will have will have you around because of what you make expose them to. But when you have to have a real moment with them, they they shun back and everything that they may have been feeling about you at that point comes all out. And it's like, no, like, man, I'd rather you be real with me up front. If I offended you right here, please tell me. I don't have no problem with, you know, auto-correcting because that tells me how to care for you.

SPEAKER_02 19:44

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 19:44

You teach me how to treat you. Exactly. I had a situation one time when um someone, I would share my opinions on on the situation and they got offended because they went through that. I said, look, man, I apologize, but you cannot, you cannot punish somebody for their thoughts or opinions on something, especially if they don't know that you went through it. Yeah.

SPEAKER_05 20:07

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 20:07

And I feel like sometimes we we we we we as a society don't want people to be real and up front because we don't we don't hold each other accountable. We we put each other on pedestals, but we don't hold each other accountable for us to grow. You have to have some form of chaos for something to grow because you have to have that person a negative plus a positive, a negative plus a positive equals a positive. You gotta have that individual to say, I'm gonna push the grain to see where this goes. Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 20:35

Destruction is a part of creation. Exactly. I have to ask you about this because you're you're talking about this in some way, shape, or form, I want to talk about because society we're living in right now and current things going on. But transactional relationships. Some of the things that you're talking about really, really are pointing at that. And as somebody who is in a band and manages a group and around people in the world of art and media, transactional relationships are big. And that can lead you into a situation where, like you said, somebody they may appreciate you for what you're bringing to them, but as soon as they aren't getting something out of you that they want, or you give them constructive criticism that doesn't meet their mettle, they will then turn against you. Now, you what with what you do, have you ran into those issues? And when you run into those issues, do you do you look at it and think, man, I'm gonna cut off transactional relationships, or do you see the positivity in the transactional relationship? Because I'll I'll put point case. I always like throw stuff out like this. Our president is he loves transactional relationships, but you see how they lose the only thing he understands. That's it. And you see what the things likes them that much. It's just that's the only thing he knows. That's all he knows. And you have people who are like that. So how does that affect your everyday?

SPEAKER_00 21:53

Man, honestly, I literally just had a conversation with one of my homies. I met him when I was a freshman in uh college and he was a senior in high school, and we have the greatest relationship. It's one of my bros, he's been to me with my my he's in my current band, he was in my old band. Oh, wow. And me and him had this conversation because of a situation right now that's in my head.

SPEAKER_05 22:17

Okay.

SPEAKER_00 22:19

You know, when you're trying to be a good person, sometimes that aspect of making your mindset switch to just everything's transactual by the standards of the world, that ain't the right way

Accountability, Communication, And Ego

SPEAKER_00 22:32

to go. But truth be told, man, I feel like every relationship is transactional. It's almost like what you get, what you put out is what you get in. Like if I if I if I were to relate it to really even religion, my faith, what I put in the God, if I don't put nothing in the God, I ain't gonna get nothing back and forth. What you give is what you get. So like a lot of times people see the limelight, but they don't they don't see the stuff you do behind the stage to make sure that they look good. They don't see other things. So I think everything is transactional. That goes even with the the EP I just dropped, the reset, like that was part of it. I I went through this phase of being upset because truth be told, and this is no knock to no one that has come to the band. I wanted to be make that clear. But when like I told you guys before, I'm in this phase now. When people come to me, I see it works better out. Yeah. You know, inviting people into your house sometimes, they'll come to the house, but everybody, if I'm asking you to take your shoes off, why are you fussing me at my house? Like they say, doing Rome, do what Romans do. If you guys told me to come in here and be here a certain time, it's my it's my job to respect your home, respect your house. Oh, well, you did. You did, you respect us. But that but that's that's how I've been raised. And I think sometimes people when they see see you in a form of leadership, they don't think that you know how to follow sometimes. Because if they only if they only ever see you as a leader, they never see to see you in the capacity of following. But I tell people this the best leaders are the ones that know how to follow.

SPEAKER_01 24:11

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 24:13

Even when it's wrong. Yes. Or or when I say wrong, like in the wrong position, like I told um MD at my church, I told him this. Bro, I got your back regardless. I don't have to agree with everything. But it's my job, because you're the head of this ship, to follow just like when you go to work. Everybody don't agree with everything their boss tells them to do. No. It's real talk.

SPEAKER_02 24:40

No.

SPEAKER_00 24:41

But they don't want in the head. If you have a problem with that, it's one of two things you can do. Sit they suck it up, but do your own thing. And a lot of people won't do their own thing because they don't want the responsibility of what it takes. Say that one more time. Say that one more time. No, they don't. Man, I had a situation one time where, you know, the band was coming at me crazy. And uh, and the personnel at the time in the band told me straight up, hey, well, hey, can we do this, this, this, this for this song? Now we've already, this comes after they already taught to me about, you know, wanting more structure, giving more structure. So we already have a set foundation on how we do a particular song. I said, well, if you lay it out, um send a voice memo, we list to it, see how we work it, we can go from there. The response I got was, nah, you got a big dog.

SPEAKER_03 25:39

Exactly. That's what I try to tell you. You don't want this lifestyle. Responsibility that wears the crown. Exactly. They don't that, oh, my lord, because you're hitting me in the source button button spot right now. I agree with you. Um, man, I and I'll tell you this too. In in that role, and a lot of people don't understand this, you may want to be a leader. However, and this goes back what we were talking about with football before we even started. Yeah, being able to understand that you have to take the the leader takes the L's just like they take the W. Yeah.

SPEAKER_06 26:18

That's it.

SPEAKER_03 26:19

And in understanding that most people don't want to take L's. And if that's the case, that's cool. But what you have to realize is then, like you said, you need to be supportive of your leader. Like you said, right, wrong, and different. As long as they aren't doing anything that is criminally or morally wrong, right, wrong, and different, you get behind your leader and you make sure that the leader looks good because technically that is a reflection of your job as a follower, making sure that you're supporting and doing your job too. I always tell people, and this is even in my position where I currently work, I always like to tell my staff, I'm like, hey, I can only do my job if you allow me to do it. Yeah. You can't come in and step in and want to be the leader because if you make a mistake, I still have to pay for it. You don't have to pay for my mistakes. I have to take all that on. So for you to try to step in and do that, it doesn't work. And that seems like what you're actually pointing on as well. That's why I say you hit me in the sore spot. Because I know exactly how that feels. And it don't feel good. It don't feel good.

SPEAKER_00 27:15

Facts, man. I had a I had a family member recently ask me, hey, when what is everybody in else in the band doing to help push the band? I said, look, man, first off, my band is not a corporate wedding band. It's it's an artistry band. Gotcha. And I and I use the term artistry brand to help describe it the best way I can picture, I can give you, is James Brown and his band. And then he takes the uh scene from the movie when it was like, Mr. Mr. Brown, y'all not uh you not doing this, that, and the third. He said, What James Brown? Y'all like what James Brown do? James Brown, this that and the third? And it's not to be uh uh uh I almost said something, but it's not to be a villain. Yeah, it's not to be a villain or a bad guy, it's like it's you have to understand someone's vision before you try to manipulate their vision. Yeah, a lot of times is if I bring you to the table, I ask you what something is, I'm asking you just to help you get understanding. Yes. If you guys were to say, Kev would say, hey man, AP, we're filming today. Can I got the layout, how I want everything done? I have the layout and how I want this day to go. It's already written out, the plan is written out. Only time I can pivot if something goes down and needs to be brought back to the home. Yeah, if I take that, his paperwork, no, no, we're gonna do this like this, man. Kev, next time you're gonna even be firing me.

SPEAKER_02 28:40

I'm out of order.

SPEAKER_00 28:42

I'm out of place, I'm out of order. Yeah. And that's not the only way to be elevated, a boss or a leader, or anybody's gonna want to elevate you based off of how you move and how you do, and that they can trust you.

SPEAKER_02 28:54

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 28:55

Trust is a big factor of it too. Some people in society nowadays feel like, man, you you don't need to worry about that, get in that bag. The bag will come when it's done right, still. Thank you.

SPEAKER_03 29:05

Yes.

SPEAKER_00 29:06

I want the bag quick because the quicker the bag goes, the quicker it gets blown. But if I can put myself in positions where

Transactional Relationships And Leadership

SPEAKER_00 29:12

this is a continuous relationship that can keep the bag coming until I'm 70, 80, 90, I'll take that all day. I'm gonna take that all day. Because long money is better money.

SPEAKER_03 29:21

Yes, sir.

SPEAKER_00 29:21

Wealth is not about the dollar. Wealth is about the relationship and how you can build. Wealth is about how you can build something when you're not in that space and it's still working for you. Oh, that's a jewel.

SPEAKER_03 29:33

Yep, you sound like Warren Buffett. That's the jewel. That's what he that's what he would say. Like, it's the wealth builds itself when you're not there. That's how you know you you have a good system in place.

SPEAKER_06 29:43

Well, I think too, like in the creative spectrum, we get stuck a lot of times getting paid for the last thing we produce when you want to get paid, like you want to be working on your project and getting paid for the one that was like two, three, four projects back.

SPEAKER_03 29:56

Exactly. Exactly. Exactly. And I like um this is gonna lead into this next question. Like you're talking about organization, right? Um everybody knows that uh that that that God is order out of chaos. Yeah. Right? And so I know we wanted to ask you about this because I mean we grew up in church. This is how we were. Like I was I was telling somebody this the other day. It's just like, man, we we during the summer times, we would be doing uh revivals and we'd be doing door-to-door knocking and praying with people. People are like, What that we got wait, wait, wait, wait. As children, I'm like, yes, as children, we were staying at the pastor's house, reading the Bible, preparing for sermons. They said, What? For real? I was like, yes, that's what we did. That was our quote unquote our fun time, right? And so obviously we have a relationship with God, and we always like to ask people, especially um in this sphere, in this realm, and what we deal with, especially somebody that has that that has this type of background, how has power prioritizing your relationship with God shaped and strengthened you on your journey?

SPEAKER_00 30:56

Man, honestly, man, that's that's that's that's that's the only way. Um my my routine, I'm not gonna call it a ritual, it's my routine. Um everybody in the band, when you come into my band, man, anoint yourself with all. Oh, wow. I anoint the stage, I anoint myself, anoint your instrument. Because I know that none of what I do now would have been possible without God. And that's just real talk. Yeah because I'm not from Columbia. I don't, I didn't have all the connections. Uh I and I'm a shout out Terence Young because Terence was not for Terence saying, Meet me, coming or coming to the television station to do an interview, talking, hey Terence, can you put me on this? He said, Yeah. Boom, gave me

Trust, Long Money, And Creative Business

SPEAKER_00 31:46

gave me the keys to do it. And then from there, everything kind of just trickled down. Um, you know, I've had the opportunity to open up for Blackstreet, dude. One of my frat brothers and homie Kellow up in Virginia. What frat? Uh Omega Sapphire. Had to ask. Yes, sir. So I had the opportunity to do that. Had the opportunity to open up for PJ Morton with Auntie Karen Foundation of Legends. Okay. So, you know, those those different opportunities. And then, like with Finley Park, man, yesterday, that was just enough. And then some of the feedback, people was like, Man, we can hear y'all in front of Drevace Street. That's not a lie.

SPEAKER_03 32:20

Oh, that sound tunnels down through the streets. That all the way through. They set that up beautifully, and the sound's amazing. Y'all rocked it out too. I had to watch the video. I wasn't, as you can tell, I was a little underweather this week. So I ain't get I ain't going out like that. Yeah, that was awesome.

SPEAKER_00 32:37

So, like all those things, you know, God is definitely the center. And, you know, I did went through being a PK in a sense. Um having these different things. So when I grew up in church playing, my mom and them at one point be like, man, you playing all these RB chords. I ain't no RB chords. I just playing what I heard. Playing them RB chords in the church. So I realized I started realizing that like my the way I hear music and the way I put music together, it's not the conventional way of music.

SPEAKER_05 33:14

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 33:14

And a lot of times when you go against the grain, some may say it takes you longer to get where you need to be. But I feel like if God has given you a vision, you gotta stick to the vision. It may like a lot of times the stuff I do, it don't make sense to me. Why? Only thing I know is I was I feel this is what I need to do. Um, and also like even growing up and becoming in my 20s, I started realizing a lot of stuff that I went through when I was a child, like in second grade or first grade, started coming back to my memory. Oh, now this makes sense why this occurred, that occurred. And that goes back to like going back into your question, like my religion, God, like, yeah, that I mean, that's really just the the leading source, the leading factor, the leading, he's the driver in everything I do. Do I do everything right? Do I do everything perfect? No.

SPEAKER_03 34:06

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 34:07

I'm I'm like everybody.

SPEAKER_03 34:08

Like the honesty.

SPEAKER_00 34:09

I make mistakes, I point my head on the wall from time to time, but I feel like without a mistake, you don't know how to re redirect and recreate and refix and fix what you need to fix. Um in life, we have a series of attempts and series of things that you keep doing, doing, doing until you master what you're trying to be. Yeah, that's silent, that's a solid answer.

SPEAKER_01 34:30

So, our next question. Um, so can you explain how you incorporate other um forms of art into your um live uh performance?

SPEAKER_00 34:40

Okay, so you know, starting out with the uh poetry, um my my set now involves a lot of poetry. Uh background, background vocalists doing their thing, singing songs, then I come in with my original art, my original music. So that lays out, and then artwork. Have a live painter come in and

Faith As The Center Of It

SPEAKER_00 35:06

paint. That's uh the gumbo experience. June the 13th at the Coker Center is uh what that is gonna be full of. It's about culture, it's about art, it's about love, it's about all these different things coming together to create the create this one big melting park on gumbo. So that's how I add the different um elements of art. Uh the photography, the videography, yeah, all the videos you may see of my music, most of the time I'm working either behind the scenes or I might be the one that's editing to put these videos together. Okay, so you do editing as well. Yes, uh my uh I have a background in mass communication, digital media, uh, masters in media production, uh, mining in music, and also uh photography. So like everything in the creative creative hub, that's me. I don't know. I mean, I can do other things, but I love the art. I love the aspect of being every creative, because I feel like when you creativity builds, you it shows somebody who you are when you're by when you're by yourself. A lot of a lot of another interesting fact, interesting fact is that a lot of people that are creatives

The Gumbo Experience Live Format

SPEAKER_00 36:17

really truly introverts. Yeah. Yes. Yes. That's that's that's for me, that's music or it was a way for me to communicate and talk when I didn't when my communication and speaking skills wasn't that strong. Okay. Did you spend a lot of time by yourself as a youth? So crazy thing that you say that in school I was a floater, but I never had like that essential, like this my dog, that we kidnapped. Like I got homies, like we grew up, but we met like we was like 16, 17 from doing music. Okay. But like from high school, elementary up until now, I always kind of was like a lone wolf. I could float in between any group and be fine. Okay. That makes sense. Because you pretty much went to school with the same people coming up for the most part, or did it switch up on elementary school, yeah. When I got to middle school, I went into the IB program.

SPEAKER_03 37:11

So Okay, so yeah, you went different track.

SPEAKER_00 37:14

So yeah, and then high school, you know, I bald, and so that kind of kept me connected with everybody, but at the same time, I always kind of like. Oh, you gotta tell.

SPEAKER_03 37:21

I know we're short on time, but I didn't want to talk about this. You gotta talk about your your your your sports exploits. Yeah, talk about about fall.

SPEAKER_00 37:30

Man I tell people this now. If I would have realized that I wasn't gonna get no taller than what I was, yeah, yeah, I probably would have I probably would have gotten banned. Because the crazy thing is, I stayed in the band room every day, and I was never in band until like my last semester of my senior year. And even with that, it was supposed to be a jazz band course, but we didn't have enough people, so I just stood in the back of the room practicing on the piano all day.

SPEAKER_03 37:55

Yo, so this was like this was not the primary.

SPEAKER_00 38:00

No, man.

SPEAKER_03 38:01

I would we've You gotta tell them what what position you play. I play DB.

SPEAKER_00 38:07

I play my primary position was guard.

SPEAKER_03 38:09

That's all I was. We were talking about this earlier. Yeah, this is a smart man, y'all. You don't realize he's an intelligent man. Offensive linemen are the smartest players on the field. You cannot be a dummy and play offensive line.

SPEAKER_00 38:21

Fact. Real talk. One of my teammates, me and him played on the same seven ball all the way from middle school up until high school. We would do stuff like this. All right, bro. I see he about to cut. You knock him on the shoulder, I'm gonna cut him. Like I would like to get away. Yeah. Because I had I was short, so I had to be quick. Yes, quick feet. And I mean, honestly, I could get away with a lot of stuff that other people couldn't. And I knew how I knew pressure points here, here, if your arm going up, I'm trying to knock the slam, bam, out your arm.

SPEAKER_02 38:53

Yeah, body jerk. Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 38:56

So those different those different little things like that were things that kind of helped me to maneuver through playing football at the height. And then I love football, man. That was that was I wish if I could, I

Football Lessons For Band Chemistry

SPEAKER_00 39:06

I would want to go back to hospital and play support. But you know, life, life, those things you take from football, those life skills is kind of what I use to kind of help me stay straight now, especially with the band. It's 11 movable parts. You play your part if you're on the stage. Don't try to overcompensate your part. Simplicity is always gonna be the win. Play your part and watch how it tastes and watch how it looks. Essence of gumbo.

SPEAKER_03 39:29

Mark that. Put it on a shirt, get a hat. Yeah, the shirt right. No, seriously. That was dope. That was dope drop. Um man, I like that. And that can and and playing football and being in the team sport. Yeah. Um, we got to put that up so y'all can see this. But being in a team sport, I can see how you took that, how it moves directly into making sure that the band's operating properly and doing what they need to do. This is awesome too. Yeah, I appreciate it. This thing's awesome. And the vineyard, all the different uh band members and stuff inside of here, giving their information and who they are. The different, the, the different personalities that you gotta deal with. That is, that is, and I'll I'll tell you, that's one of the hardest things. Anytime you do music um and producing or dealing with folk anyway who are in the arts, creative minds are very interesting. At least for some folks. Yes. Say it's like it's like trying to um herd cats. Yes, it is. Um, and it's not easy to do. Uh so I commend you in being able to do it and do it at a high level.

SPEAKER_00 40:31

I suppose easy. Yes, quick.

SPEAKER_03 40:33

But I got feelings and emotions. Yeah. But that's part of what makes the creative drive work, right? Mm-hmm. I know. Our last question for you, and this this is a question we always like to ask, especially people who are very busy all the time. Because you told us when you came in here that you do have some things upcoming, and we're gonna let you share that information as well. But how do you balance work and life, taking care of what you need to do and getting your business done, but making sure you're maintaining relationships outside of it?

SPEAKER_00 41:00

Man, honestly. Now, I'm not trying to sound like a cliche person, but it's God, bro. That's that's that I mean, that's just the honest to God question that it's God. That's it. Hey, that's it. But I mean, you know, just being real, there's been moments I'm like, bro, I ain't got nothing but like $400 right now. It's like $13.90. I can't really ask too many friends because I just asked them for some help last week. I just paid them back. So I'm about to do this. And a check comes out of nowhere. Or a job comes out of nowhere. Yeah. Get may pay $500. Yeah. And I get paid a day. So um just those those simple things, like to be honest, got God. I mean, sometimes, and then also learning how to say no.

SPEAKER_03 41:56

I was about to ask because they gotta Yeah, you can't take everything that comes, right?

SPEAKER_00 42:01

Like, I I had to turn down something for today and last week. I'm like, already has it on my schedule.

SPEAKER_05 42:06

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 42:07

You sometimes you gotta tell people no.

SPEAKER_05 42:09

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 42:09

And I learned this, somebody told me one time, it's like, bro, you're real intimidating. I was like, I was like, why? Not to say no. I was like, okay, I never I never realized that is something that intimidates somebody. I'm like, you know, you can say no too, and he's not gonna hurt my feelings.

Balance, Boundaries, And Saying No

SPEAKER_00 42:25

Like saying, like that's uh those things like that, man. Know how to say no, but all the forerify of God, because it could become overwhelming, it could become a lot. And then I used to put so much into my music to express myself. But nowadays, as I speak, I I speak more. I uh if you say something, hey bro, uh uh. Go ahead. Because I used to be that mentality, have that mentality of I know a lot of creators are very sensitive.

SPEAKER_03 42:57

Yes, yes.

SPEAKER_00 42:59

Um, I hope nobody don't get mad, but it's the truth.

SPEAKER_03 43:01

Yes, it's facts. They know it's true. Because they feel they're in their feelings right now. If you sense feelings right now, feelings right now, proving it truth.

SPEAKER_00 43:08

Yeah, that's true, right? Like, like I said earlier, man, tell somebody I've I've had numerous, and this isn't even prior to me being in the band. This is like me growing up. I've always been just direct blunt. That's just how I was raised. And to have someone come and tell you three, four months later after something happened, and in your mind it wasn't even that big of a situation, I'd be like, bruh, you could have just said something right there. Yeah. I ain't know you felt that way. Sorry how I addressed you. And and and and then the crazy thing I have to, I've had to make sure I keep myself straight because if you come and it's like at the wrong time, I might still come off like, oh, I didn't know. And that right they can make a make the the little lamp fire turn into a whole house fire, fire house fire, whole house fire.

SPEAKER_03 43:58

Yeah. We're gonna wrap up. But before we do, it's your turn to look into that camera there and let folks know what you have going on. How can they reach out to you if they need to need to? And um projects and events.

SPEAKER_00 44:14

Okay. Uh May 15th, I will be in Orangeburg, South Carolina with my homie, Miss Maddie Yvonne. Uh we're gonna be doing opening up for her June 13th. Meet me at the Coger Center of Arts here in Columbia, South Carolina for Gumbo Experience Concert Series. June 13th, October 31st, December 18th, and February 19th of 2027. Awesome. So meet me there. And then June 19th, we'll be back at Finley Park with Cola Jazz doing an hour set. So we want you to be.

SPEAKER_03 44:48

I know I'm gonna be there. That's my calendar.

SPEAKER_00 44:51

Sir, so uh if you want to find us A P and Sofa Touch on Facebook and TikTok, that's A-P Sofa S O U L F U L. T O U C H E. Apostrophe after the E. Not over, but after. And then um on Instagram is underscore soful touch s-o-l-f-u-l-t-o-u-c-h e. So if you follow those different platforms, it'll take you to our business card and it'll also keep you aligned with what we're doing. Awesome. Awesome, awesome.

SPEAKER_03 45:25

Well, we want to thank you so much for being our guest today on the Hilltop Boat Podcast. As we close out, DJing what? Skip. Mike.

SPEAKER_04 45:34

And Tamaya.

SPEAKER_03 45:35

We also have a special guest over here. Say your name. Yeah. And then our esteemed guest. AP. We appreciate

Upcoming Shows, Socials, And Closing

SPEAKER_03 45:47

you so much. This is a dope conversation. We're gonna have to have you come back on, obviously. Um we're all music lovers here, so it's gonna be great to get you back on, and obviously we're gonna come and see you perform. But until the next time, make sure that you tell somebody out there that you love and you appreciate them, especially if they sit next to you. We we sometimes don't get a chance to do so, and we miss out on those chances. So we want to make sure that we get them whenever we can. And until the next time, Hill Talk Glove, we appreciate you. Peace.