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Rap Radar: Will Smith | TIDAL | YouTubeToText
YouTube Transcript: Rap Radar: Will Smith
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you see us out here man Aliya Mustafina
rap radar podcast well we have
Budapest's well yeah we're hungry
well hoagie man we bout to get an iconic
person on a couch man the legendary Will
Smith man yep on you rapper in our
podcast titled yeah rap radar podcast
Elliott Wilson speed art you know what's
up baby hey I heard you in Budapest I
feel like I moved in with my auntie and
uncle in bel-air if your son's an icon
what do you like the chip oh gee I can't
explain I tell him all the time I was
like you should the song should be my
dad is the icon living who's supposed to
say that was what the hook was supposed
to be yeah I just did a verse on that
he's dead it comes out next week so I
mean in case you don't know this is Will
Smith thank you thank you guys man you
know it's like Jay was that Jay was like
yo yeah I talked to these dudes data
truth thank you already stole my rapping
man first of all you put out this free
stuff without this dude he's kind of
messing around but it shook the game up
man it went viral I know right I was
like I've been probably for two years
trying to find you know that way back in
it's like I had a I stopped working for
for two years and I did it like I was
like a serious deep dive on you know
finding that new flavor that new me the
new life so I gonna went back to the
drawing board so reason I'm excited to
do this interview I got so much it the
same so much stuff I want to shut up and
let will talk but now but I'm uh you
know just started started writing again
and just trying to find the way to say
to stuff this in my mind your dog that
will braggadocious minutes want to use a
swag you just wanted it like yeah you
know the thing is he's telling the truth
I don't know
yeah yeah now you don't be listening to
people you know talking about stuff so I
was like yeah when I say this stuff I
want it I want it to be true and give it
a look give it a little extra little
extra flavor to it when it's actually
true right people are surprised when you
actually wrapped like he's a rapper you
do know that right it's funny I so I put
that out and uh Anthony and Esther hit
me and he was like yo it's crazy he's
like dude but you're not gonna believe this
this
he's like my son asked me he said yo he
said just Will Smith rap he say he's
like he's like dude I couldn't believe
he's like me and my son had to do two
hours I was like he had no idea that you
raps was like wow so I'm really I'm you
know I'm looking forward it really is
it's a whole new generation it's a whole
new world it's like with social media
the beauty of that for me is the
short-form content right like so I
didn't have to go in the studio and make
a whole record like I had a verse I had
a track I laid it put it out you know so
that's really given me the opportunity
to to kind of find my new voice like I'm
I'm burning again creatively and I have
outlets that I never had before
you're like the prince but now you're
the king of Instagram I know it's like
how come you've embraced social media in
this way like cuz for the longest you
know you have this mystique behind you
well you know when I when I started the
the the only way to be a movie star was
through distance and mystery and
mystique right that was the the the way
is that you know yeah you could see me
on July 4 in the movie theater right so
that was the way keeping that distance
was how you maintained our star power
and in the last five years that shifted
much more to a friendship model like
people support artists that they feel
they know thoroughly that their friends
right so that the social media the the
daily interaction is much more like a
family friendship kind of interaction
that is an audience demand for for you
know their loyalty but is there such
thing as revealing too much not in this
world too much data that's personal
you know by it's it's what can you
handle you know I think one of the major
one of the beautiful parts of social
media that I think is a beautiful
evolutionary thing is that social media
demands authenticity right so social
media pushes you more and more into
having to reveal what's true because if
you don't you know TMZ is going to you
know so it's you know it's a beautiful
thing I'm and I'm actually enjoying the
push right nobody's happy who doesn't
get to beat himself right so the the the
eyes and ears of the world are starting
to demand more and more authenticity
where you gotta say what's true for you
and live or die by what that is so I'm
enjoying the the social demand for
authenticity I'm coming into a space how
have you maintained your authenticity
because I mean you come from Philly
going through everything like your
journeys being crazy like how have you
maintained that um you know it's really
interesting is it's like the idea I I
haven't maintained my authenticity per
se I've maintained my character right
I've maintained my beliefs character in
two senses I've maintained my character
of Will Smith and I've maintained my
personal character of what I believe in
so but in terms of authenticity the
character Will Smith signs every
autograph and is always happy and wants
to see
the fans and is always in a good mood
and that's actually not often authentic right
right
I actually I do want to slap somebody
you know every once in a while so in
terms of authenticity I have
successfully maintained positivity and
now I'm working more to maintain
authenticity I'm granting myself the
freedom to not give a [ __ ] when I don't
give a [ __ ] yeah right and now I'm
working into a space of much more
authenticity it's funny just fine that
reminds me I was in Russia I was like
probably a year and a half two years ago
I don't know if you I remember when the
like one of the reporters tried to kiss
me yeah that's right so I was in Russia
so I get back I'm pissed like that
somebody like think cuz you famous they
get to do whatever they want to do to
you so I'm in my room and I have ten
urgent messages from jay-z right I'm
late it's like Jay don't hit you or he's
like call me now with exclamation points
I wasn't yo like Jay Jay don't do that
in there so I get a knock out yo what's
up and he sounds when did he say yo
what's up so y'all what was happening he
said hey I just saw the video of you
slapping to do it Russia
he said just want you to know you'll
never make a better piece of
entertainment it's the funniest thing
I've ever seen he said me and B we got a
show tonight and we thinking about
canceling it and just staying in and
watching you slap this dude but it was
like it was hey you know we talked about
it after he was like it was such a
breath of fresh air to see you just be
yeah authentic Yeah right that's what
you know that's what you were feeling
and that was like one of the first
things and I was like cuz I'm like it
was my natural reaction but it was it
was my space I'm from Philly like yo but
I thought that it would be negative and
everything and in this new yeah social
media world it actually the authenticity
was accepted and respected and that was
a really that was another thing for me
was interesting about
if you go through because I'm old enough
to remember to prime Jazzy Jeff Fresh
Prince era he was always challenged for
that right like all yourself you're
different the positivity was always
challenged yeah I always wanted you to
justify being positive right absolutely
yeah no that was a that was a difficult
time coming up cuz it's like I'm from
I'm from Philly right so during that
time in Philly it was Joe Frazier and
rocky so this fight was common yeah
Chuck D used to he called it pug City
he's like pug city is like he's like
Chuck was like you can't go to Philly
without getting in a fight so it's like
I grew up in that so for me too it was
always difficult for people you know to
say I was soft and I was you know my
music was cotton candy you know that's
all I always wanted to fight to try to
to prove myself but the be fighting
yourself to maintain positivity as the
hardest fight you ever gonna have
right and it's like that struggle to
just stay my course to you know be the
person in the world that I wanted to be
no matter what people said and it was I
started to call it offensive positivity
right like you know I wasn't gonna be on
defense with my positivity I was gonna
be on offense with it yeah but it seems
like the world embraces that more now
yeah looking for inspiration motivation
like like are you cognizant of that like
when you speak and say things because
people don't make videos of just yours
statements and how much that impacts
them yeah more once I feel it more now
than ever and is there's probably a
couple of factors in it I think one of
it is like I actually have experienced
some stuff so now now I actually have
something worth saying but I also think
that the world with the also with the
nature of Technology people see more
negativity people ingest more negativity
they did when we were coming up you just
didn't you didn't see that much stuff
and you know the magnet the magnetism
towards it like even on your IG you
can't help but to stop and watch the
fight you can't even make yourself go
past you know the the dude getting hit
with the bat you know it's like so I
think that in this time it's much more
needed the the assistants for
gravitation towards positivity on a more
positive note man you know you got a lot
of inspiration out here man you started
off when you were young mm 16 years old
we first exchanged yeah first record Wow
right what was that experience like just
being in high school have your first
single and being on the radio oh man
that that's not that's not good
it's like you do not want to be in high
school with a hit record it's too much
power for one man you know but that was
you know to be in a position to at that
age to start tasting your dreams and
yeah it's double-edged it was it was a
double-edged sword at that time but the
I got my first thousand dollars at 17
years old and they handed me ten hundred
dollar bills for rapid and I like it was
it was it was crazy
and I knew that I was never ever gonna
do anything that would stop somebody
from handing me tear when I did Oliver
and you know like word up records yeah
that was word up yeah right so it you
know it was it was helpful for me in the
sense that it immediately curbed my
vices like I was I was you know 22 years old
old
b-before I took a drink I've never
smoked weed I haven't done drugs like I
was like I I was I so
enjoyed getting $1,000 that it it
knocked out you know everything other
than my love women so that was that was
the only thing in my life that I that I
struggled with but and the son was girls
ain't none but yeah right but it really
just it really knocked out that it
knocked out a lot of the potential vices
that that I could have fallen into it
listen to your early stuff it sounds
like as if you were a product of Slick
Rick but I feels like you predate slick
yeah a lot of storytelling and things
like that like what was the inspiration
behind those early roms Grandmaster Caz
so Grandmaster Caz at a coke rush yeah
he was my he was my model and he had a
record called Evette yeah and it was
actually a record wasn't even a record
it was a it was that there where there
were no records right but he had a rhyme
Evette and you know girls ain't nothing
but trouble was you know pretty much a
straight bite of Ivette you know I heard
I heard him do that record and he was
the only person that was doing full
stories that were funny and you know
busy bee was funny and had fun but but
there was but with it with little bits
but Grandmaster Caz like had an entire
verse that was it had comedic punchlines
and that was the first time that I'd
heard anybody doing comedic punchlines
in in their in their music and you know
Rick was was after that but Grandmaster
Caz was my absolute rhyme a model and
really the storytelling became the
signature of the the fresh brass it's
interesting you say that because you
know when you think guys you got fresh
much you think commercial success but if
you really look at it you guys were like
technicians it was serious about the
craft of emceeing yeah for sure Jeff
with his transformer scratch all these
guys were very much like technicians to
the culture like why did that
partnership work so well and how did
that form so what so the Jeff was the
most ridiculous DJ that the world had
ever seen at that time I remember we we
came to New York and there was a battle
for world supremacy the Newmark battle
for world supremacy and we came out of
Fillion Jeff won the battle for world
supremacy doing stuff with turntables
that really defined how DJ's would to
this day perform so it was it was at
that point it was all about the DJ so
you know Jeff was constantly innovating
so the way that we would work is he
would create and then I would come in
and I would name it and then I would put
rhymes that went around the scratches
and things that he did so he invented
the Transformers scratch but I named it
alright so I came up with the the name
and then so that's what we would do and
we would create like that but it was
strictly about parties it wasn't about
it wasn't really about records at that
time so it was about being able to reach
the crowd and pop people's heads being
being live on stage so he would do the
most of the structuring and then when we
moved into records he has a huge jazz
background so his his parents were into
jazz so he is like he's musically he is
versed and a genius so he would handle
the crafting of the records I didn't
know anything about Bar structure and
nothing like that so I would just just
rap and lay it out and then he would say
well no end it here and we'll put a hook
in and do all that so it was a it was a
great collab that you guys had a Union
Square which was like yeah the Union
Square oh yeah that was ridiculous
coming coming to New York from Philly to
rap was excruciating like is because if
you weren't from New York it was like no
respect like it was any any anywhere out
of them borough [Laughter]
[Laughter]
like a book was an ounce burgers yeah
right everybody right but Jeff Jeff and
ready Roxie were the they would smash
the beatbox adware would smash right so
it's like once people heard Jeff cut
that was the thing that would would
absolutely obliterate the hate and I
would just sneak my rhymes in under you
know under what what what Jeff was done
and ready Roxie with the beatboxing at
that time was just you know you would
just watch him and you couldn't figure
out how he was getting no sounds out of
out of his mouth so that I sort of
tucked in under the two of them yeah you
know while I developed my skills people
is I mean Jay was saying eyes in his
Letterman interview about how
eye-popping notice that MC was there to
pick up this yeah yeah it was all about
the DJ and that that that shift probably
the the the top of the 90s started to to
shift a little bit where the DJ was
sliding into the background and it
happened on the west coast and in the
south with the DJ was shifting to the
the background before before on the East
Coast the East Coast we stayed hard you
know Eric B and Rakim Grandmaster Flash
and the Furious Five Jazzy Jeff and The
Fresh Prince so was that the reason why
you guys like you know you celebrated 30
years of he's the DJ on the rapper he's
the focal point on the cover yes
pointing right yeah that was always the
idea that MCS pointing at the DJ right
but even that record in particular like
do you felt that was redemption from
rock the house because like on the
record like here we go again you talk
about like how people didn't buy the
last album yeah yeah try to steal from
you yeah do you feel like validated with
that particular album you know is uh
that was our first like big success the
the he's the DJ it's a double album
embers a big as a double album yeah and
make hip hop double out yeah well what
happened with that is we had made we had
made our
we made our second album and the the
record company didn't accept it right
and we were like damn so we went back to
the drawing board did it accept it
didn't it yeah no it was like it was a
gift well they they thought it was
incomplete right so we were like I
forget it so we throw it away and start
scrapping it and then started a whole
new album and because if you notice the
that the one half of the album is really
DJ said yeah it's all that stuff and it
was really Jeff that was like you know
what we have to shift this is party
stuff we have to shift to records we're
gonna make records so then we went back
in the studio and we actually made
records and that's where the parents
just don't understand and the the
nightmare omage greed and stuff like
that where we shifted to record format
and then we did you know we did 10 songs
that way and then when a record company
heard that they thought it was beautiful
that they both would would go together
that as a you know double album they it
made sense so we released that and I was
a that was our first big success and
parents just don't understand was the
first we won the first Grammy ever given
to to wrap her so he just reminded
everybody about that on his song I know
yeah yeah that's like okay but yeah I
say it was and we boycotted right that
year so they the the Grammys weren't
televising the rap portion and we felt
like you you know we had done enough
that deserved to be in the televised
right and they they really they they
everybody was still scared of rap music
at the time and thought it was a fad and
all that stuff so we received our Grammy
in in absentia I've never used that word
before I like that in absentia yeah but
what are you still happy that you
received that Grammy
was like bittersweet you know I've never
really been awards minded right so I
like it everybody you prefer to win and
lose all right I have no I actually
don't know you know Jeff asked me are
the job like he's like where is your
Grammy I was like dude I have no idea
I've know and I'm just not awards minded
I'm much more box office box office yeah
always yeah open a weekend open a
weekend yeah I'm much more it's like
total ghosty total like I like winning
at the box office
I like numbers are like sales and awards
are cool but it's like I never uh never
really I never really got into the
excitement of winning and a war it's
like what you know with you know I've
been nominated for Academy Awards twice
and it's like it's it's nothing
it's like well even that feeling with
the film stuff that's never yes like I
like box office assassination how did
you become that monster in a sense
because you told the famous story behind
you kind of backed into acting Fresh
Prince of bel-air yeah and the next
thing you know you start making these
movies and I forget that bad boys
actually came before Independence Day
right yeah yeah tennis day just was like
one of the biggest of all time like what
was that transition like for you yeah
you know actor and like the biggest
actor in the game no it was um that was
like the first real goal like that in
terms of setting goals I was like I want
to be the biggest movie star in the
world right and every up until that
point everything was like it was fun and
it was happening and we were creating in
Jeff's mom's basement and it was
successful but that was like when I
moved into acting that was the first
time I started applying skill to my my talents
talents
and you know I always look I look at
skill and talent separately like Pete
you're born with talent you know it's
like there's certain things that you
just do naturally you were gifted with a
talent and you have it but skill is
acquired through discipline and you know
I've never seen myself as particularly
talented where I excel is I'm willing to
die in the process of acquiring skill
like is you know when I put my obsessive
mind or sign the Executive Assistant
working sickening work ethic exactly
it's like you know so for me to be a
movie star was the first thing that I
ever really wanted like that and set my
he was like all of them I was like I was
like you know because I went out when I
looked I always felt like there weren't
a lot of people I saw do things that I
felt like I couldn't do right when I
when I look at people and I see things I
don't I don't feel like I can't whether
or not I will is something different but
I don't ever feel like I can't Denzel
was the only person that I looked at on
screen I was like I just can't do that
like I you know he just he just got a
thing that was so extra that I just felt
like I couldn't I could never I could
never live up to that but for the most
part when I look at people when I when I
looked at things I always feel like I
can when I look at Jay right now I see I
said I can't do that when I see stuff I
can't do when he when he writes though
the way he writes the way his mind works
I look at Jay I'm like I can't do that
I looked at Eminem I was like I can't I
can't do that you know this is right but
for the most part I don't I don't live
in a space if I can't I live in this
space of I feel confident that if I put
in my 10,000 hours that I can I can
achieve anything when you shoot an
Independence Day did you feel like that
was gonna be the breakthrough like this
is the this is a this is a blockbuster
this is like now you know actually
Independence Day my character is third
billing like they they it was a you know
bill Pullman's character was the lead in
Independence Day so I wasn't to me I
thought Independence Day was gonna be a
stepping stone and be something that I
that became fun that I would have a
chance to be able to move on and do
something else
I didn't I had no idea that it was gonna
turn out to to to be how it was it's
funny that was the day so Fresh Prince
was out so everybody would call me well
well well the day that Monday morning
after the box office receipts came out
for Independence Day was the first time
somebody called me mister Smith right so
I was like yeah so that was that that
movie success really was addictive for
it and then Apple I'm sorry Men in Black
II was trying to replicate like the July
for off the idea of having the big
summer moon yeah Big Willie weekend that
was Big Willie weekend in my mind I'm
kind of like I must I'm a scientist
right so if I wasn't if I wasn't in in
entertainment I would definitely be
somewhere in the world of science cuz
that's how my mind works right so once I
see a pattern and I'm always looking for
the pattern trends yeah looking for the
trends looking for cuz I want to do the
the least amount of grinding that I have
to do and I just want to slide into the
great river you know and let the great
river take me so when I when I found
July 4th it was at that point it was the
biggest biggest weekend yearly for
movies guys kids out of school you know
you would usually have the four day or
five day weekend sometimes so I saw that
as a pattern so I just want to do to
replicate that pattern and just ride her
till she bucked me you had great success
obviously at the box office but you know
you did your thing on a small screen to
show called The Fresh Prince yeah
it was like our first time really seeing
hip-hop culture reflected on television
yeah was how much input did you have you
know as that far as like the creative
with the Jordans in the fashion HBCU
sweatshirt yeah it was all that with my
character I have free rein on on my
character the the team on that show was
ridiculous Quincy just he knows how to
put stuff together and I don't know how
he sees what he sees but Quincy just
knows he got this crazy sense you know
and he went he picked Michael Jackson
Oprah and me right so in putting
together the the the full production so
I don't I don't know what he's looking
at that he could see but I learned
really young and that you just you
follow who knows you know you just shut
up and do with the person who knows says
you know and you know Quincy he you know
he set me up really beautifully on fresh
press yeah
when did you realize this you talk about
beginning like you even had the mouths
of actors oh man tragedy like when did
you think the show started to hit this
Drive when he was like okay this is like
this is a sequence with Chris he
believed in like I feel like I'm
creating something that it's really
impact you know when when we started the
show it was a lot of there was a lot of
hate around the idea when people was
like you know rap in primetime
you know the hip-hop culture in
primetime can't work and you know Fresh
Prince was Monday night at 8:00 so it
was like you know dead center starting
the week so there was a lot of it was a
it was a really insecure time for me and
I had never acted and because Quincy
picked me nobody actually ever asked me
if I could act right so I didn't you
know I auditioned at Quincy's house and
his birthday one night he's I cleared
out the living room I was like yeah you
know so Quincy Quincy did that but
nobody had ever asked me if I could act
right so
Quincy has seen my music videos and
stuff like that so he assumed that I
would be able to but once when I got on
the set of fresh prints like it was that
it was big dogs on that set James Avery
had 40 years of stage experience you
know by the time he was stepping onto
that you know Alfonso Ribeiro had
already been in the business for 14
years you know so Michael Jackson yeah
you know so everybody around me in that
time was was you know serious real deal
performers Janet Hubert Janet Hubert
Witten was a as a triple threat who
could sing dance and act like that's so
such a rare commodity you know so in
that in that situation I felt both
intimidated but protected at the same
time so I felt confident that I would
find my way and the mouthing of
everybody's mouth and of everybody's
words was terrible for like the first
six episodes because I learned the whole
screenplay so I did I didn't learn just
my lines I learned everybody's lines
because I was like I will not be on this
set and not the little performance
yeah performing at the level so I was
mouthing you can still see it if you
watched the first like the first six
episodes it was like Karen Parsons was
the first person it was like you have to
stop that because she was like you are
throwing me off so that was like and I
didn't even realize it you know but
everyone mouths the theme song man I
never see ya
was it your idea to write it and like
later repackage it as a single
that was actually Jeff's idea because
they had another song Quincy was you
know he brought people in to do the
music and they had a song and Jeff
pulled me it was probably three nights
before they were gonna you know final
the music and Jeff was like yo man you
cannot have a show where we don't do the
theme song
and he pulled he was like yo listen to
this so he had done the beat and he
started running me through the ideas and
he was like this is what you do he was
like just write the story so I sat down
and I just thought about what the story
was got the script and everything I ran
through and I wrote it and we showed it
to Quincy that next day he was like god
damn boy Quincy's mr. reality that you
want the truth you go to you go to
Gray's mr. reality shows impact the
long-lasting impact and I got ask you
about the infamous episode where you
were Ben Vereen Avery yeah yeah that's
become his own yeah man you know that it
was um when you're doing something like that
that
or at least me when I'm doing stuff like
that I can't tell I can never tell
whether or not something is gonna work
whether or not it's gonna be successful
in the process I gotta like get away
from it a little bit then and then come
back so I had no idea that Fresh Prince
would have that I that that kind of
impact when I look back on it I can I
can see it was like oh uh uh yeah you
know it's like you know the into the the
the intercultural all right that would
be intracultural
racism right like the the you know
between the the rich blacks and poor
blacks and the the the idea and then
being uprooted and put into the you know
the the full mainstream white world like
I can see where those ideas would make
for a rich show but at that time I
couldn't I couldn't see it at all like
what you say you know you had a great
relationship with your father you know I
know you that's the way year-and-a-half
ago but you know that scene has taken on
a life of its own on the internet you
know with you and Ben Vereen makes
everybody cry like what was the source
of inspiration for that particular scene
yeah you know it's funny like that the
behind the scenes of that James Avery was
was
relentlessly on me to elevate like James
Avery wouldn't give me a damn inch like
everything I said everything I did for
James Avery was like nope not good
enough you know he was like if you you
have this position look where you are
look what you are blessed with it was
like I'm sorry but I'm not accepting
anything other than absolute committed
perfection from you and at that time I
was bawling you know and James Avery
wouldn't give me nothing and it's like
he was he was the model for me of an
actor you know so the craft it's like
James Avery was no [ __ ] like he was
so like serious and I would look at him
and and he just had that acting power
that I wanted to have right and you know
as he was listening to my music and I
know know and so we're doing that scene
and I'm having a hard time getting you
know he was off because we were
rehearsing and everything so and then it
comes to the moment and we're in the
scene together right so we're doing it
and I'm messing up the lines cuz I want
it so bad and we're in front of the
audience and I'm doing it I'm furious
and he holds him he says hey he's like
relax relax it's already in there you
know what it is he was like look at me
use me
don't act around me act with me he's
like so he's talking me through and
everything so I get it together
so I do the scene and you know the thing
and he hugs me at the end and while he's
hugging me he whispers in my ear easy
that's [ __ ] active right there it
makes me teary right now because it was
like I was using he I was using him I
wanted him to want me I wanted him to
approve of me so actually in that
demons with him I was transferring that
energy on to James Avery it's fun that's
the [ __ ] amazing like people bug out
to ever hear you curse yeah no you said
it was a lesson from your grandmother I
think yeah so you challenge yourself a
lot of times I mean what does even when
wrap you was like idea I dare rapper to
write a verse verse without a curse yeah
so what is it now you think you've
loosened up kind of on us that's more
like you don't mind yeah you know for me
it's um it's it's much more about
authenticity right so you know even you
know in in talking about Trump and so my
my my father died on November 7th and
Trump was elected on November 8th and I
literally don't know which one of those
was worse for me you know but and you
know that time was a deep changing for
me in my life my father died in sort of
released me to be me right so two things
happened so my for my father's death I
for some reason I wasn't now I'm in
charge of my family so I get to do it
how I want to do it I get to lead my
family and my people the way I want not
the way that he raised me to so there
was a there was a freedom in that sense
and then the the Trump being elected
made me realize nobody knows anything I
was like yo I talked to people all the
way at the top and nobody knew he was
gonna win all of the big data all of the
information all of the pundits even Fox
News didn't know he was gonna win right
and those two things back to back really
shook me in a way that I had to go back
to the drawing board again I was like so
if nobody knows
then I have to trust me so I have to
know for me
nobody can know for me and now that I'm
totally free to be me and do me what
does that even mean how am I going to be
me and do me in this new world and in in
these the new experiences I'm about to
have and one of the major things was the
idea of duality right
the idea that right and wrong aren't
separate things they're together
right so something that happens to you
is the best thing and the worst thing
that happens to you you can't you can't
separate them like they go together
everything has its yin and it's Yang and
you can't get around it so the idea that
my grandmother teaching me about
profanity during that time was what
worked to help elevate my career that
helped elevate my experiences but it's
not necessarily right to not curse you
you curse when it's the right thing not
gratuitously not gertrude right you know
it's like when it makes your point like
telling telling somebody to shut the
[ __ ] up at the right time is the right
thing right so it's like giving myself
rather than specific hard and fast rules
and paradigms now I'm trying to feel the
universe and feel the moments and feel
the opportunities for what is right for
me in this moment
that's that recent of a change yeah yeah
for sure I know that you mentioned your
dad I remember on the record I'm all
down a Homebase talked about how he gave
you a lot of confidence and you know
when did a lot of criticism came your
way like what was he do you remember
things that he said to help you know
during that period yeah he you know he
was uh my father was a
serious disciplinarian like he he he did
not play with he was in the military
right so everything was about command
structure so my father would stop real
quick you know he looked you know he
told me one time you know we're working
on the in the supermarket and I got this
wrench and he's telling me a don't don't
use that don't use that wrench and I was
a tall dad I think I can get it with
that one and he stopped he said so are
you in charge I'm in charge because if
you in charge I will defer to your
leadership no I'm just saying a you in
charge well I told you to use the other
wrench if two people are in charge
everybody dies right but it's like
that's the kind of you know the kind of
serious disciplinarian he was and it was
it was all about command structure it
was all about right and wrong and where
that worked for me as a child with some
ideas you know it was it was you know
there was one way and you know sometimes
that one way was right but as I as I got
older and you know specifically after he
passed being released into you know my
own perceptions of right and wrong and
my own perceptions of good and bad and
you know the realization for me that
it's not singular right it's like
there's a there's a time when you should
lie right you just don't want to be
addicted to it you know what I mean
there's a time to tell the truth but
there's an absolutely perfect time to
tell a lie lying isn't inherently wrong
or bad it's only wrong or bad when
you're not in a position to choose from
the tools that you have to create love
and connection I said there's some stuff
that you just don't need to
right this some stuff is not helpful to
say you know so for me giving myself the
the freedom from you know singular
rightness it out to be able to open up
to the to make more colorful choices and
decisions what's been your girlfriend
evolution as a father Trey it's also
seems like when you look at Jade in the
willow you seem like you have most the
most coolest free thinking kid powerful
kids in an alright powerful young man
and woman no but what was what was
beautiful for Jaden eyes we actually had
nieces and nephews that you know we were
raising along the way you know so you
know you you you sort of messed the kids
up incrementally less as you move like
willow got the best of the best so you
just get it you get it more and more
right as you move move through the kids
you know but it's been parenting is
especially girls it's like there's you
know with with boys boys are easy like
until they can beat you in a fight like
they got to do what you say right you
know it's real simple you know you just
you just hurry up and you check them
real good when they're young you know so
by the time they get they when they can
take you they don't feel like they have
to yeah right but with girls it's a
willow has been like the the most
challenging most beautiful relationship
I've ever had in my life will willow is
willow got the best of me that any human
being has ever gotten and it is you know
it's just a beautiful thing to watch her
develop and know how to love her better
than I've ever been able to love anybody
and it's uh there's a thing I was I was
talking about what willow taught me just
i used to define love and i grew up with
being that you push and you mold and you
you you know you Jam people into
achieving and building and growing and
you know what I realized with willow I
sort of shifted from I guess what I
would call the desire and pleasure
paradigm of love if somebody does what
you say you desire something you want
them to behave a certain way and if they
behave that way you love them right so
that's sort of the desire pleasure
paradigm of love hey you know I'm gonna
give you this and then you're gonna
behave like this and we're gonna love
each other right and Willow short sort
of shifted me into more what I call the
gardener flower paradigm of love where
the flower already is what God intends
it's a seed and I take out what I want
it to be release what I want I want it
to be what its intended to be right so
my definition of love shifted to a
gardener I just want to create a place I
know what I have water and I want you to
become what you want to become I'm not
going to demand that you become what I
want you to become and that was sort of
the evolution and transition for me into
loving willow and then ultimately
everybody around me in helping them
become what they want to become not
demanding that they be what I see in my picture
picture
well they've become forces in the music
business what do you think about the
career Jade is out here on the Met
carpet I don't know yeah that's it
that's another that's another difficult
part of the garden or flower paradigm of
love when you just allow people
you allow people to to be themselves
I remember Jayden was gone on the prom
he had never been on a prom the kids
were homeschooled so this girl asked him
to go on her prom so a night before we
get like an urgent call from the girl's
father you know so we could to call
relay hey what's going on he's like hey
guys okay thank you for taking a call it
was like what's going on he says um
Jaden has informed my daughter that he's
gonna wear a Batman suit to the prom yes
right right that's the one who boy but
see but yay was cool Kim was a little
bit like Jaden yo I love the Batman suit
but the girl's father was like um she's
like I don't I don't know what what I'm
asking you
yeah um but it's her Jada was like sir
can I be honest with you like tell her
to not go with Jaden just tell her not
to go with him it's like it was like she
was like listen we don't you know with
our kids their clothes have always been
their domain like we don't interfere at
all with what they wear and and she was
like J Jada was like I completely
understand like but it will be no slight
against this family if she just onion
fights Jaden so she was like but we'll
talk to him so we called Jaden and we
like dude man dude dog this is her prom
he was like dad dad I promise she's
gonna be number one on trending it's
gonna be the best thing that ever
happened he was i Jada was like baby a
girl's prom is like before her wedding
on kid you and he was like mom I'll put
a tie on so he went to the prom with a bad
bad
man / Bruce Lee yeah duality but yeah
but it's hard it's hard what's let you
know giving your kids that that that
kind of that kind of freedom said yeah
the 20 years though 20 years I know 20
13 no 13 is good now me and Jada is fine
Ruby Dee died a few few years ago on her
and Ossie Davis have been together for
50 years so me and Jada was was
struggling hard so we went to go talk to
Ruby Dee
so we sit down and Ruby she's just just
you know when people have that look like
when they just you just understand they
get life they got it you don't know what
it is but you can just see the look
where they got him Ruby got that look
and she sitting so Ruby Turner returns
to Jada and she said how long how long
do you know him and Jada said at the
time it was 17 you said I've known him
for 17 years he's a seventeen yeah [ __ ]
she said just relax and that was her
whole advice she's like you don't even
know him yet and it was like the idea
that 17 years you don't even know him
yet and that is so deeply true it's like
as much as marriage as a relationship
commitment it really is a singular
commitment to yourself that you are
going to use your marriage to develop
yourself right marriage demands that you
be the best version of you where it
ain't gonna work right so you know that
she you know Ruby really locked us into
that space where Jada and I realized
that we were on individual journeys we
were both trying to force a marriage
when actually you know the you know you
think of us in terms of a seed and soil
are they married right is a seed it's
not married to the soil it's just
growing together both doing what
they were designed to do and me and Jada
sort of found ourselves into that space
where we don't even we don't even say
we're married anymore we refer to
ourselves as life partners right where
you get into that space when you realize
you are literally with somebody for the
rest of your life there's no deal-breakers
deal-breakers
there's nothing she could do ever
nothing that would break our
relationship she has my support
till death you're not on me and it feels
so good to get to that space where you
not complaining and worrying and
demanding that a person be a certain
thing to to sort of satiate your ego
deficiencies you know you're not
demanding that somebody be a certain
thing so you feel better about yourself
you know and we've sort of come into
this really beautiful place she said a
couple of months ago she said you know
what people think love is red it's not
it's blue it's like water it's not like
fire right and I was like but it's just
such a deep concept and you know coming
in into that space this right now is the
best time in my life ever I've never
been happier and I hate using the word
happy because it really doesn't describe
what I am
it's like happiness is peace it's not
pleasure right and everybody thinks
happiness is trying to get as much
pleasure as you can get there is nothing
more agitating to your mind than extreme
pleasure right it's like peace and as I
just come into that beautiful state of
needless nasai realize you really don't
need nothing you know and I'm just I'm
ecstatic you know and in the in the
peace of my life right now well let's
talk about wrap a little bit yeah
sorry I go you know yeah well good thank
you thank you
19 minutes of our it will thank you like
man please I am going to design a palace
of pleasure on a song for you once said
how do you measure a rapper you know
what makes a great emcee in 2018 what is
your idea of that you know it did at
this point I think what makes a great
emcee is the same thing that makes a
great father it makes a great husband
makes a great politician makes a great
human being and it is your commitment to
your personal evolution your personal
growth for the purpose of assisting
others like you know I'm working on this
record now called a it's called the
mountaintop and the the ideas I've been
to the mountaintop right and it's like
I'm gonna do reports from the summit
right I've been to the top of money I've
had all the sex that I've ever wanted
I've had all of the adulation and and
adoration and I've been to the top of
all of those material world mountains
and nothing makes you happy other than
being useful to others that's it's the
only thing that ever will satisfy that
thing is that what you are is useful
right and so that's what makes it what
makes an emcee great is an MCS ability
to create music that elevates other
human beings you know and that that's
not an easy task you know to be able to
say and and do things that elevate
people and ice like that's what I love
about Kanye right now it's like he's
willing to take this
down in order to push ideas you know
he's he's making people think even in
the twisted sort of backhanded success
of Donald Trump like I think wait who
did the joke Chapelle Dave Chappelle did
to Joe he was like no y'all don't understand
understand
he's like Donald Trump's the best thing
that other have ever happened he's so
bad he gonna make Jesus come back so the
the the idea of being able to push
people to evolve and elevate you know to
to a greater harmony and a greater
interaction what do you think about when
rappers name-dropping Olano J Cole's a
big fan of yours name drops you lie on
his records man let me tell you I love
that so much cuz like ya know I spent my
whole career being like the outcast talk
to me about being soft yeah yeah weak I
was always whack yeah that was all of
that you know so to to have have elevate
elevated to a space to to you know hear
positive positive things about myself
from people I admire is spectacular she
said Will Smith numbers on the stone
black that would be yeah yeah I was like
yes thank you
you talk about how you you the decision
to make acting that ended up probably
certain set you have to put music on the
back burner yeah like do you look back
on that do you feel like that also why
you don't get you just do in terms of
your impact on music yeah you know I
never really you know I think summertime
and brand-new funk are really the the
the only songs that I get full you know credit
credit
for yeah and nobody nobody's hating on
summertime people look at you like you
crazy if you you know but summertime in
brand-new font gotta to to records I've
made and I think I got more in me so I'm
in the studio now and I just I just I
have real things to say you know and I
think that's the that's the thing that
that's that's the thing that's going to
be new and different and interesting about the the music that I create going
about the the music that I create going forward a lot of people don't know that
forward a lot of people don't know that you know you're part owner the 76 the
you know you're part owner the 76 the feel yeah yeah what did you think about
feel yeah yeah what did you think about when Meek Mill came home dude and that
when Meek Mill came home dude and that whole experiment with meek while he was
whole experiment with meek while he was on the floor at the game you know so
on the floor at the game you know so it's I love the position that he has
it's I love the position that he has found himself in that he's embracing
found himself in that he's embracing right it's like you know we you know I
right it's like you know we you know I talked to him about it briefly and
talked to him about it briefly and historically for the african-american
historically for the african-american male the road that he's traveled has a
male the road that he's traveled has a beautiful historical pattern to it that
beautiful historical pattern to it that is imbuing him with a massive amount of
is imbuing him with a massive amount of power right now right and the if he you
power right now right and the if he you know he's educating himself he's taking
know he's educating himself he's taking a position in the world that I think is
a position in the world that I think is he's going to be life-changing for for
he's going to be life-changing for for him and you know he has my full support
him and you know he has my full support I was like I want to see him win and you
I was like I want to see him win and you know it's just in general you guys to
know it's just in general you guys to like I want to see y'all win I'm sitting
like I want to see y'all win I'm sitting down on my day off because I want to see
down on my day off because I want to see you win you know and he there's this
you win you know and he there's this this time in my life this time in the
this time in my life this time in the world is different than it's ever been
world is different than it's ever been and it's it's exciting and I'm really
and it's it's exciting and I'm really looking forward to you know see how
looking forward to you know see how things unfold well how do you get new
things unfold well how do you get new music how does new music come to Will
music how does new music come to Will Smith's desk like our you know I got I
Smith's desk like our you know I got I got
got dueces upstairs right now but we get out
dueces upstairs right now but we get out of here what's the plan do you have it
of here what's the plan do you have it man ah man my full it's the the I
man ah man my full it's the the I studied the the Medici family for the
studied the the Medici family for the last like year and a half and the the
last like year and a half and the the the Medici family historically had
the Medici family historically had probably the greatest amount of artistic
probably the greatest amount of artistic success of probably anybody in history
success of probably anybody in history the Medici family for hundreds of years
the Medici family for hundreds of years they had ad Galileo they had some some
they had ad Galileo they had some some of da Vinci's work they have
of da Vinci's work they have Michelangelo you know so it's like for
Michelangelo you know so it's like for whatever reason they they they know how
whatever reason they they they know how they know how to pick artists and they
they know how to pick artists and they knew how to design spaces for artists to
knew how to design spaces for artists to thrive so I'm using that model creating
thrive so I'm using that model creating an art house to be able to to have young
an art house to be able to to have young artists and you support young artists in
artists and you support young artists in the process of creation you allow them
the process of creation you allow them they were to create freely and then you
they were to create freely and then you know you you as the structure around it
know you you as the structure around it you take things to market separate from
you take things to market separate from you know the artist creating it's funny
you know the artist creating it's funny that's what Kanye was saying and people
that's what Kanye was saying and people were people were saying it was the
were people were saying it was the people are saying it sounds crazy when
people are saying it sounds crazy when Kanye was saying to Mark Zuckerberg
Kanye was saying to Mark Zuckerberg who's gonna be the Medici family s like
who's gonna be the Medici family s like and it's like and you know it doesn't
and it's like and you know it doesn't nothing I was just saying I think I want
nothing I was just saying I think I want to be the celebrity translator cuz I be
to be the celebrity translator cuz I be hearing people say stuff and then people
hearing people say stuff and then people go go crazy about it was like no no that
go go crazy about it was like no no that was actually right that was actually so
was actually right that was actually so is there anyone in particular that you
is there anyone in particular that you listen to on a constant basis in the
listen to on a constant basis in the hip-hop world now like I just try to
hip-hop world now like I just try to listen to to everything that that comes
listen to to everything that that comes out and your knowledge just I was just
out and your knowledge just I was just listening to you know push and Kanye
listening to you know push and Kanye both came out and the seven song thing
both came out and the seven song thing was interesting too like I was like oh
was interesting too like I was like oh cuz I've been trying to I thought I had
cuz I've been trying to I thought I had to do 14
but you know yeah I try to I try to listen it's hard for me now to listen
listen it's hard for me now to listen for for a pleasure I'm always listening
for for a pleasure I'm always listening 40k yeah and it's like I'm gonna just
40k yeah and it's like I'm gonna just let go and just listen listen for for
let go and just listen listen for for for pleasure but you know Drake I think
for pleasure but you know Drake I think has had the most interesting success you
has had the most interesting success you know in the last you know four or five
know in the last you know four or five years it's like it's so hard to sustain
years it's like it's so hard to sustain yeah success today it's like the social
yeah success today it's like the social media part of it is such a burn like
media part of it is such a burn like that is hard to sustain and the fact
that is hard to sustain and the fact that Drake has been able to sustain is
that Drake has been able to sustain is really interesting to me it's why I like
really interesting to me it's why I like working in the Instagram 60-second form
working in the Instagram 60-second form that too it's like you get to feed it
that too it's like you get to feed it but you know you're not burning right
but you know you're not burning right 1518 minutes worth of content you know
1518 minutes worth of content you know it takes months to come up with 18
it takes months to come up with 18 minutes of music that's spectacular you
minutes of music that's spectacular you know so yeah it's it's a it's a it's a
know so yeah it's it's a it's a it's a fun game for me right now
fun game for me right now like in a great space man thank you for
like in a great space man thank you for loving hey brother respect yeah
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