Jamie Foxx Believed in EJ Rogers’ AI Music, Then Timbaland Got Him Signed

I know how to make content and how to make music. You know, I had 2 kids in the same year. You got 8 kids?

You have 8 kids? Yeah. Oh honey, first 2 kids, that didn't hit you that, hey, this is going to come with child support?

Because I was behind on child support. I was on probation. I can remember performing in front of 32 dead people. I ain't got no money. These people coming with $750. They said, Jamie Foxx wants some songs. You know, when you, when you see a blue check on Face— on IG, you ain't really believing this shit. You're like, I All right, what they do 10, 8, 9 hours, this shit do that within 20 seconds. I don't give a damn what nobody say about it being AI. Just write some better songs. No, it ain't no real music out there. My kids were sleeping on sofa. It can get bigger. Oh shit, see, nah, see, you don't supposed to pick up the phone. You don't become a legend by being nasty towards people. If you got a good heart, somebody gonna remember you.

This is Talk Less. Talk less, do more. You did something with Kevin Hart?

Who?

You.

I did.

You did something with Kevin Hart?

Hell no.

That's what I'm saying.

I'm like, what are you lying about? No, hell no. I would not lie about that. No. Shit, I did.

Who did you— like, what are the biggest comedians that you worked with?

Um, um, Bad.

Of course, Moneybagg Mafia.

Yeah, my boy. Um, I haven't did— like, I've opened up for G-Thang. I opened up for, uh, DC Curry. I opened up for— I did 10 minutes in Augusta, Georgia for Desi Banks.

Um, just recently?

Um, in October.

In October?

Yeah.

Because he's back on tour.

Yeah, he was on— he was on tour.

So is he bringing you or no?

Nah, nah. But see, that's what I'm saying, like, I've been had connections or been in talk because I'd have been in a couple Desi Banks skits. So I'm around— I've been around the whole comedy thing. So, um, when it came to this, this music, I was at home. I had no— I ain't have no job. Let's just be 1,000. I ain't have no job. I was at home. Old lady, she working. I know how to make content and how to make music. So I started mixing that shit together. Then I found this app called Suno. Boom, it went from there. The dude, you know the dude who made the song?

I know. I— oh yeah, so hold up. Let's, let's give people a little bit of a backstory. What did you say before we turned the cameras on?

What I said?

What'd you say about me?

Oh, this one. This is the biggest platform I've been on thus far out of this whole situation for me going viral. Yeah, this is one of the biggest ones I've been on.

So I'm actually honored.

This is dope.

I thought you've been doing the podcast.

No, not yet because not because I ain't in the Atlanta area. I'm from Augusta. So too wild. Yeah, I live in the city.

Ooh, you know that that's how people start moving to Atlanta.

Yeah, I know. But see, that's the thing. Like, I always been a homebody. But it's so many people in my city saying, man, you just need to move. You need to go. People was on my case like, bruh, man, you ain't gonna make it here. Just move. Just go. They was like, man, you scared? I'm like, no, I ain't scared. It's just I don't wanna— I didn't wanna make that the thing. Oh, you moved away and that's how you blew up. Nah, I ain't doing it like that.

So, but you're not doing that because you're scared that people are going to tell you that, or because—

I wanted to— I want to be the one to say I made it happen where I was. Because regardless, you're still going to run into those same problems that you're running— that you're trying to run from. But no matter where you— no matter where you go, it can happen in Atlanta, it can happen in New York, it can happen in California, it can happen anywhere. So why you can't make it happen in your own city?

No, no, I get it. But as far as like opportunities, because, you know, my friend G, she had to move from Columbus down to Atlanta so she can keep her show going.

Yeah.

So, you know, I think because realistically, if you do want to make it happen, you have to be around the crowd so you can network, you can meet more people.

For sure.

And, you know, all that. And I think it makes sense, like logistically, to be in the city or maybe like maybe get a place where you can be here for a week or something.

Yeah. And I will say, when you when you here, you run into some everybody. Oh, you run into somebody know somebody that know somebody.

Yeah.

Yeah, for sure.

Because that's how I found out about you. It was well, it was actually mutual connections. It was it was multiple mutual connections. First of all, you're with Moneybag. The Moneybag, that's my boy.

Yeah.

So Moneybag, he did my show, and I think he's gonna make a comeback again.

Yeah. So Moneybag, what up fool?

He's in your music video.

Yeah.

Then Secret, who is my best friend, is in your music video, which I— and, and at the time when you guys shot the video, me and her were just coming back on good terms because, like, we were— we kind of didn't speak, so we had our time apart. And then I was like, wait, it's crazy. And then not only that, but Terius and Athena are the ones that are filming your stuff.

Yeah.

And I was like, this is just a full circle moment, so might as well make it happen. Yeah, that's why I was like— I was like, oh, I have to get you on. And then, um, and then when we went to 85 South Day, that's when I was like, oh, okay, like, I really would love you to come on because you definitely have a story.

For sure.

You definitely have something to tell. And I didn't— I was under the impression that you've already done the 85 South. Maybe by the time it comes out.

Not yet. They, um, it's coming, it's coming up. But, um, but out of anything, I want to say I can remember being at work and watching these same exact people that I'm around or running into, or like even your show. from they show. I mean, I was just at they show. I wanna say they had a We the Ones tour. And I can remember like right before, I wanna say in March, they just had a show in March. And I was sitting in them seats and I was sitting there like, damn, bro.

Wait, you were at the We the Ones tour?

Yeah, I was.

You were in the seats?

I was in the seats.

Wait, I was there, but I was backstage.

I was on the far right side. If this the stage, I was on the far right side and I can remember Seeing them on stage, from Mojo Brooks to Mike Epps, and I'm sitting up there like, bro, one day I just I gotta get on there. I don't know.

One day it took you like a week to get there.

No, no, listen, listen. But you gotta think about it like this: when you're in certain situations, money ain't coming in. You got eight kids.

You have eight kids?

Yeah.

Oh, honey, okay.

Yeah, yeah.

Get into that.

This shit poking. This shit poking.

How old are you?

35.

Ooh, baby, okay.

Yeah. So like, these are the people that motivated me or like showed me that it could happen. 'Cause I feel like they everyday people like us. They just used their talent and made it happen. And like, I'm somebody that I know for a fact I'm talented in so many different ways from comedy to music. to acting. It's like, it's like they my cousins or like they my uncles or some shit like that.

I am mind-blown right now that you were sitting in the stands because We Them Ones tour was in April. It was, I remember it was after Carlos's birthday.

Yeah.

Um, cuz I remember I went there and—

Nah, look, I got chill bumps talking about this shit. This is crazy. Like, for real, for real.

And it was, it was actually insane because that's when, um, I met Mojo. So I actually had a dream of Having Mojo on my show. So, but I mean, I'm watching Mojo's content every day. I'm seeing his skits. I'm like, this is hilarious. So that's when I started interviewing a lot of comedians. So I started coming around, you know, Carlos Moneybagg, Nav Green, everybody who was, you know, Jack Thriller and all of them. And my friend Trey Mo, he— so Carlos was like, hey, I will get you the ticket because I was like, I want to go. So he's like, hey, I got you the ticket. So I'm thinking like, I'm just gonna go, you know, like you in the stands. And then my friend Trey Moe was like, 'cause he's a comedian too. So Trey Moe was like, no, you're gonna come with me backstage because you've always wanted to meet Mojo and Mojo is backstage. And then I go backstage with him and the first thing I do is I meet Mojo and Mojo is the coolest guy ever.

Yeah, man.

He shakes my hand and he goes, Les, I fuck with you. I watch your content. I'm like, what?

Yeah.

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Yeah, you miss them.

And I love to respond to comments. I love to engage with people, especially on YouTube or like on Facebook or Instagram. And I remember that I missed the— I missed the comment and Mojo was actually under my show commenting.

Yeah.

And I was like, this is so fucking surreal.

This is so crazy. Yeah, man. That's how all of it feel. Because like I said, It was my uncle's birthday. My whole family, we went to We the Ones tour in Charlotte.

Mmhmm.

When they was in Charlotte.

Mmhmm.

And I'm sitting in the stands. Like I said, I'm just watching. I'm like, damn, bro, this shit's so dope. It's like, it's not a— it's like not a hating thing, but it's like, damn, how can I make that happen for me? It's like motivation type of thing. And I'm like, bro, something gotta happen. And I remember I didn't have no job. I just got fired from Target.

What did you do at Target?

Huh?

What was your job at Target?

Stock shit.

Stocking shit. Merchandising.

Yeah.

Is that the word?

Yeah. I was working my, uh, carts. Working my carts. You work there for 4 hours, then you get off. And then they offer you the hours, but shit, you don't even want to do it. They'd be like, you want to stay over? Hell no.

Oh my God. Oh my God. Hold up. Let me text Court. DoorDash is here. Hold up, the DoorDash is here. Can you open the gate?

Oh man. Oh, the store get crazy.

That is crazy. So hold up, you're at Target?

No, no, no.

Why did you get fired from Target?

Okay, I've— within the past 6 months, I had— I want to say I had about 2 or 3, 4 different jobs because of the job that my old lady was working, working on. Okay, me, I was working at a job called AGY. They do fiberglass, fiberglass frames. That's— they make that fiberglass, it makes stadiums, phones, all this shit. I was working there and they end up firing me because I didn't make— you know how some jobs have a quota that you have to meet?

Yeah.

So it's this thing called frames, and if you don't do 7 frames before the end of the night, then you're not able to make quota, and then they have to lay you off. So I worked there for— I got hired in August. They laid me off, I want to say, a couple days before my baby mama passing.

Holy fuck.

Like, like, it was like her yearly— it was like her year. You know how somebody passed away and it'd be a yearly thing that you remember the date? It was a couple days before that. That next week I'm supposed to open up for Desi Banks. I get fired, open up for Desi Banks, and I'm thinking to myself, I'm like, damn, man, this shit can happen. Something gotta give. She kept her job. So it's like when I got her the job, it's like they walked me out the door. Now the whole time, whole time I'm working, the actual day they, they, the day that they fired me, I'm, I'm in a good mood. I said, okay, I'm gonna get 7 frames today. I see them walking people up to the front. It's like 10 o'clock in the morning. I'm like, shit, well, we must be got lunch today or something. I'm thinking they finna, you know. So then they came and got me. They said, hey man, come here. They said, uh, get your stuff. I was like, what, we, uh, we got some lunch today? It was like, no, they just want to talk to you. They sent me to the office. They gave me my layoff papers.

Did they pay you any severance or nothing?

Yeah, they paid me the next week.

Okay.

Yeah.

At least something.

Yeah, they paid me, but it was just hurt. I was just hurt because I was behind on child support. I was on probation. What else? It was just a bunch of shit.

How do you get yourself in that position though? Because it's like—

What you mean?

And I don't know if that's just where you grew up, like the environment. And I understand your ties to your hometown and everything. But again, the story goes to Eight kids, probation.

Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. It just worked.

No money.

It just.

But it's like, but you still have the dream.

But how do you? And still, and still, and still doing comedy shows here and there, getting booked here and there.

How do you get yourself to the point where, like, what?

Keep going.

Huh?

Keep going.

No, but how do you get yourself in a position where you have eight kids? Now you have child support that you have to pay for, and also you have probation and all of that.

So I can women dealing with dealing with women here and there, you know.

But okay, after like the first two kids that didn't hit you that hey, this is going to come with child support?

No, it didn't.

So because I feel like it's not just you, right? There's so many people that go through that, right? We know people that have ten kids. We know people have twelve kids. We know very famous people who got it.

You still got to make something happen regardless on regardless on what. No matter how many kids you got, you still got to make it happen. So I still did what I was supposed to do as a dad. My kid, all my kids know me. So when it— I'm not no deadbeat dad, you know what I mean? My kids know me top to bottom. I know them top to bottom. So when it really boils down to it, I just love kids, you know? I had 2 kids in the same year. Yeah, I was toxic, you know? I was just hopping around here and there, you know what I mean?

Would you do it again?

Hell nah.

Why?

Nah.

But why?

If I could take all of them and just crumble them into a boy and a girl, I would. But they here now, so we just gonna take care of them.

But I feel like because so you already made the mistakes, right?

Not mistakes.

No mistakes, but you made decisions.

Decisions. Yeah, for sure.

Because kids are never mistakes. Kids are God's blessing, and I firmly believe in that. And I don't I don't judge. I'm just saying that let's say that somebody else is in that position and they don't know how to get out of it. And I think that's the most important thing that we can give them is that okay, I got out of it. But like what are the steps that you had to take? Because yes, you were without the job. You got the child support. You already made those decisions. Now what?

Keep going. Find a way to make it happen because they can't live off of excuses. Shout out T.I. for that line.

Ooh, shout out. We want him on the show too.

T.I. said that line.

Have you met him yet?

Hmm?

Have you met him yet?

I would love to. Because that's one of the dudes that— like I said, these people, these are the people that I look up to, listen to every day. You know what I mean? It's my everyday thing from Tupac, T.I., Dro, who else? Like I said, 85 South. These are the people who I, you know what I mean? My whole little cup of recipe.

But you already met, I mean, if you were around 85 South.

But see, that's what I'm saying. That's what's so crazy to me. Like, I'm still in disbelief about it all. I just got, Bootsy just called me last night and he put me on his show. It's gonna be August 23rd, the Dukes and Boots. He just put me on that. So like me and my brother, we was talking about it like, to be in contact or these people contacting me, it's like I'm still in disbelief about it. And I know I may be rambling, but it's just to know what type of situation I was in to fast forward like this, this ain't nothing but God. I'm sorry, this ain't nothing but God.

That's how it happens.

Yeah, this ain't nothing but God.

Do you think that like all of this happened overnight?

No. No.

It's not just only God, but it's also work that you put in.

I can remember performing in front of thousands 32 empty-ass chairs. Nobody at the show. I'm at the malls passing out my flyers, CDs. Hey man, come to my show. They hit you with the, hey, I'm gonna be there. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, that type of thing.

Because I'm gonna be there, it's not gonna do nothing to me. But you actually show up, then they inbox you, ask you stupid-ass questions.

Hey, what's how you say the show was again? That type of shit.

Yeah, or like calling you the day of the show.

Yeah.

Yeah, and you know, because I just had my first live show, and but I was blessed. Yeah, I really didn't think that I was gonna pull it off, and I didn't think we were gonna have— I honestly didn't even think we were gonna do even 10 people in there, like when I'm being completely honest.

You know, you know, most of the time as humans, when we think something gonna happen and it don't work out, we'd be disappointed. Most of the time when you don't think, that's when it really happened. And this is like with this whole situation, I was trying my best to get in some of these people comedy skits and here and there. I remember going in my email. I emailed Desi Banks, I wanna say about 4 or 5 years ago.

Mm-hmm.

I had forgot about it. I hadn't said this story on my IG. I didn't really remember until I went in my email and searched. that I was trying to get in these skits. And then fast forward, I'm in the skits now. It's like, oh shit. So yeah, it's awesome.

It's called manifesting, honestly, because I've said that story before, but I had a lot of episodes. I had 50 episodes that I've done my first year of podcasting, and I don't know if I'm going to bring them back. I might just drop them somewhere. Yeah, because some of them, you know, I was just getting started. I didn't know what I was doing. Yeah, but there was a story that I told I remember when I just moved to the States and I was— I went on my first date with, um, first NBA game I've ever seen in my life.

Yeah.

Okay. So it was a date that my boyfriend took me on and he got tickets from some, some rich family that had season passes. And it was like lower level. We were in California. So mind you, that's like at the time when Warriors were playing at the— at the— not the Chase Center, but the Oakland Oracle Arena. So it's like this big arena. Super expensive. Mind you, like when I tell you at the time, $700, that was just something that you can't even fathom having. I was 19 years old. I couldn't even fathom those money. And I remember I was, you know, I was looking at some of the players that were down playing at the, on the, you know, on the field, whatever you call it, on the court. And, and I was like, oh, I would love to meet him. I would love to meet him. I'd love to meet them. And I was just like sitting and thinking like, that would be so cool.

Yeah.

A couple I've met every single person I've ever wanted to meet, like especially from the sports world. Yeah, every single person. And it got to the point where apparently I've DM'd some of them too.

Yeah.

And then I didn't know that, but when we were having a conversation, like I told that story about when I met Jimmy Butler, we were sitting and talking about like women DMing him, and I was like, yeah, that's so stupid when women DM. Yeah, I go into my DMs, oh shit, the first thing I see is I DM'd him. And I was just— and he— and thank God he said, I don't ever read my DMs and I don't ever respond to DMs.

And what'd you say? You said went back, unsent it.

Listen, when I— you know what I said? I said— and that was, mind you, that was like 5 or 6 years before meeting him. Yeah. I said, you are the perfect man, heart eyes.

And I go, unsend.

It was the fastest unsend of my life, cuz I'm like shaking, cuz I'm like, what the—

I was like, unsend. Yeah, I'm only fucking right now.

Thank God that that became a feature, cuz it wasn't a feature prior to that, you know. I was sitting there, I was like, yo, this is just like— this is And like, I don't even know how I got in the room. I think I was, I was dating one of his friends who was friends with him. And so that's how we were all in the same room. And we just ended up having like this like banter about some stuff. And, and I'm, I always just get in, I like to put people on spots, you know, especially 'cause like, to me, I don't care what's your status. Like, you're just a person to me.

Yeah.

And so, and I was like, this is the funniest fucking shit in the world. I was like, what the fuck? But that's how it works.

Yeah.

I was also— I remember I kept saying, I was like, I want to meet T.I. and I want to have T.I. on my show. Yeah, it was on Sunday. I remember my friend convinced me to go out. We go out that night. I'm outside of MCK. Guess who gets out of the car? T.I. and Tiny.

Yeah.

I didn't have balls to say hi to him. And I was in the event with Newface the other day and he was there. But I think we, like, missed each other by a couple of minutes.

Yeah.

And the same thing, Killer Mikey was there, and I'm like, I'm so stupid.

Like, I should just— it's gonna happen.

But I'm like, I should just go and talk to them, you know, man?

Yeah.

And then, um, the young manifestation— it's crazy how it works.

It's gonna happen.

And in Atlanta, it just works like that.

Yeah. But see, the only reason why I'm not scared— but you know how they say sometimes the people that you look up to be the, be the wrong ones that you want to Yeah, like that's the only— that's the only— what is it? It's not cliché. What they call it? The shit.

Saying it's like the—

Yeah, yeah, the worst saying. Yeah, I don't believe in that. But because of these people, like, it's like, damn, you him. You did what I'm saying?

But they're still people.

So yeah, yeah, I get it.

The reason why this is a very dangerous game to play.

But it's just like me and Tupac though. Yeah, you get what I'm saying?

But Tupac has his own, you know, Tupac had his own issues. Like, you know, I'm sure if we were to go and look deeper into his life, He might have done people wrong. He might have— he's not perfect. And I think that's the idea that we have.

I'll say this, let me say this. I wouldn't say that— well, you said might, might have done people wrong. But in a way though, like, you don't get that far, you don't become a— you don't become a legend by being nasty towards people. If you got a good heart, somebody gonna remember you. It's a lot of people that— it's a lot of great people that passed away that nobody don't talk about. But for him to have— for him to have that legacy for this long, he been dead for so many years, everybody knows about him. Everybody, even from Michael Jackson. It's just like the greats, you don't forget about, you know what I'm saying? So, and that's them the seats that I put them people in, because them the people that gave us stories, them the people that taught us something. The people that, that ain't really teach us nothing, it's like, damn, they passed away, but damn. You don't hear shit about them. You know what I mean? And that's how that's that's what I mean by how I view them people. You know what I mean?

I just think you always have to, and you you learn that because I went through the same experience, right? Like I'm a girl from Russia. Like I'm not even supposed to be here. You know, it's just like all of it just happened.

You got your green card.

Talk about it later. Um, we'll talk about it later.

Yeah, for sure.

But I I just I just remember I was like, oh my God! What did I do to deserve to be in those rooms? Or how, you know, like, I mean, when Cam Newton hits you up on Instagram and he says, hey, let's go play pickleball, I'm just like, hey, come on my show. And he's like, bet, if you come play pickleball with me, I'll come on your show. And he for real shows up and sits across from you.

Like, listen, nobody can't take— nobody can't take what God got for you.

No. And the thing is, like, but that's what I learned about, you know, I look up to especially people like Cam Carlos. Like, those are people that, I mean, they're GOATs of what they're doing. And like Cam, the way that he was, man, he was like the most talked person in the NFL. He still is.

Yeah.

He is still like one of the most honored people. And I don't give a shit who says what. I don't care about this whole Super Bowl bullshit. Like, fuck all that. I don't care. But the fact that he was able to turn his career into this whole content media empire that he has right now, That is just insane. But he told me that. He said he's like, I don't understand why people always put me on the pedestal. I'm just as human. I am just as humble. And he truly is one of the most humble people you can possibly come across. Yeah, he will talk shit.

Yeah, but that's a human thing.

But he's very humble. And that's like, it really— that conversation really taught me to look at them as human. And, you know, because people— some people look up to me, but it's like, man, I can snap sometimes. I'm not perfect. I can say things that that can be hurtful. I can upset somebody, and it's like, I'm trying to do better, but like, I'm also human, and I'm also a woman. Yeah, I can be emotional sometimes.

And you from Russia, so your anger kind of probably different, ain't it?

Yeah, that's my issue.

Like, I bottle up my— You cuss niggas out? Like, get the fuck out my face? Like, do you do stuff like that?

Like— No, but Russians, they will—

They'll fight you?

They— I mean, nobody's going to fight you. We fight with words. We don't fight with—

Okay, cuz I be seeing movies and shit, you know, Miss Trunchbull, she, she was rushing, wasn't she? I don't know who Miss Trunchbull from Matilda.

I don't know.

You never seen Matilda?

I don't remember. I've seen it, man.

You gotta look at that shit, bro. You know what I'm talking about? Matilda and shit. She was kind of rushing with the shot put shit.

Oh, like the one that's like the, the one that looks like, like super pale one?

No, no, she wants— she's not pale. She just big than a motherfucker. She do shot put and shit. Check the movie out, Matilda. Okay, y'all gotta put it down, man.

Yeah, I know Russian. Sometimes like I watch some content of Russian women talking to their men, man, I'm like, damn, I've become very Americanized talking to men.

I seen this one girl on IG, she Russian, beating the shit out them girls. They put her on a talk show, they know they put on a reality show, and they'll be talking and she'll just turn around and do a back kick and just be just standing there like a Mortal Kombat type shit. You ain't never seen that?

No. I'm not a violent person. I'm very— I will—

I'll keep my word. My algorithm, maybe.

Yeah, cuz not— I'm— but, but I'll play a mental game. I'll fuck you up mentally. I'll fuck you up to the point where you, you be like, I don't want to fuck you.

You'll do it? You'll do it on purpose? Like, what you do? Like, give, give me— like, give me your best shit, your top shit.

My top shit?

Yeah.

I used to do this thing with men, right? Every time I talk to somebody Before I hang up the phone, I'd be like, "Tell me you love me," and I'd be like, and they'd be like, "Why?" I'd be like, "Tell me you love me." Yeah. Then I'd be like, "I love you." Like, all right, bye. Hang up the phone.

You don't say it back?

He don't fucking know.

I ain't calling your ass back.

What?

I'm gonna call you.

I understand. But now they're like, and then they call me back, and they're like, "Wait, hold up." I'm like, "What?" Nah, see, uh uh.

See, you're supposed to pick up the phone, so you gotta keep playing. So next time when you do that shit, like.

Because you play the mental game. Say you love me. But you're like, wait, what? What? But you just wanted to tell me you love me. And I'd be like, oh yeah, now I'm busy. So now I hang up the phone. Now I just— but like, I would do shit like that. I would play the mental game to the point where some people, they think that there's still some— I'm like, I don't fucking like you. Like, I'm just—

that was just shit crazy.

It's crazy. But especially it's like, I think for women sometimes I think it became a topic how to like, how to, um, train, how to train a fuckboy.

Yes, that's bullshit.

That's some bullshit. But it became a thing, I think, like maybe around—

And they're the ones that get cheated on easily.

Yeah, but it's like, so it became a thing like how to trap a fuckboy or something. It was like, it became a concept in like 2018, 2019. And that's when women started, oh, like the first thing you do is you mirror him. I'm like, bruh, I ain't got time to fucking mirror no fuckboy because That's just, that's just not, it's not the concept that I want to live by, or it's not something that I want to do.

Yeah.

Because now, especially now in my life, I'm like, I just want to be on higher vibrations. I don't need to trap nobody. You don't fuck with me, you don't fuck with me.

If you don't want to be here, you ain't got to be here.

No. And I, and I'm not the person— I had to learn something. And I was actually just talking about that with Secret. I said, you know, before it was kind of like, oh, let me get like a big guest. Let me get somebody who got a lot of followers, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah. And now I'm like, nah, I want to give a platform to people who have something to say. Yeah, I don't really care. Like, I want to give it—

That's where you go far, because most of the time all them followers don't mean shit. Like, I know, I know a lot of people with under that, but they talented, talented as hell. And most of the time, some of the people who in big positions, they don't really have a big following. The record label that I signed to, they following— they got like at least they under 20K.

Yeah.

From where they reached out to me from.

Oh wow, okay.

And I'm like, I thought, 'cause the whole time I'm ignoring the inboxes, 'cause I was getting a lot of that before I signed the deal or anything. It was a bunch of people hitting me up. It was people with 1 million followers hitting me up. Hey man, I can get you this, I can get you that. I'm like, all right, bet. So I'm believing it, like, but then when I seen what they was bringing to the table, I'm like, oh, this shit don't mean nothing.

It's it. So that's that's something that you learn. Like the the higher you go, that's why you know I will always praise 85 South for that because those are the most real people. Yeah, and they might not be the most luxurious people or whatever, but they're the most real people you could possibly be around.

Yeah.

And not just the people who are the faces of 85 South, but the whole team behind them.

Yeah, yeah, for sure.

The team behind them, man. When I tell you when I had my live show, those people were like J O N.

Yeah.

Picked up the phone and called me multiple times. He's like, Lesya, I know you're stressing out. He's like, I'mma pull up. And mind you, he had a concert that he purchased tickets to go to, and he still pulled up with his people. He still pulled up even for 15 minutes. And this is way out of the way. Like, he doesn't have to be here because this is like, you know, it's, it's not on the way to the concert.

The root, the root is always what sprouted. So if they— if Carlos is the root of it, Then everything else that sprout out from it, they greatness within itself.

So. Yeah, it's beautiful. And that's when I was like, you know what? That whole chasing, you know, clout or only being around people who got all this and that. I'm like, it ain't going to get me far. What's going to get me far is being with people who actually believe in me and who want to be around me. Yeah, for sure. Not because I need them, but because we actually need each other. And what I can— if you can use my platform, hey, come on, use my platform.

Yeah.

And it just, it really opened up my mind to all of that, especially like this past couple of weeks when I just, I just had to put the outreach on social media and people just showed up.

Yeah.

And the way that they showed up and they showed out and I'm like, this is crazy.

Did it make you tear up a little bit?

I was crying. I wasn't even— it wasn't like I didn't cry the day of, but like afterwards when I saw, like when I first saw the actual recording of the show.

Yeah.

I literally just like started bawling, crying. I was like, this is crazy. Yeah, and I don't know what it's gonna do. It might not do numbers, but do you think I give a fuck? I don't give a fuck because it's not about doing numbers.

You made that first step. You, you made it happen.

Yeah, I was very worried about numbers and all of that, and I was so like, you know, you go on YouTube and you're like, damn, my numbers are so low, and it's like maybe nobody cares. I'm like, that— but that's, that's the— you're at the mercy of the algorithm. It ebbs and flows. It's like sometimes you're gonna go 200,000, sometimes it's gonna be 1,000.

Yeah.

Sometimes it might not do it.

You can't pay attention to that number because it's plenty of influencers. Uh, I remember I seen B. Simone say something about that if you pay attention to the numbers, then it's gonna make you go crazy. Like, damn, oh, I ain't hit 50,000 today, or I ain't hit 20,000 today. You focus on that, then you losing sight of what your actual dream is. So focus on that Focus on that more than the actual numbers.

Yeah, because the other day I posted the video when I was crying. I was like, I'm just gonna record. I'm just, I'm just, I don't care. I was like, I'm just gonna post it. The amount I had, like, man, I think it's like 250 comments right now. It got like 25,000 views, but the amount of comments, the amount of DMs that I got, I was like, goddamn. Yeah, I didn't even think it was gonna do that. And then it's just because, like, you know, again, people look at me and they're like, oh, she got it all figured out. I'm like, I ain't got shit figured out.

What the fuck?

Like, I ain't got—

I'm still listening. When I say a lot of people hit me with that, well, you the you the social media person? No, hell. Uh uh. I'm I'm I'm just like you.

Mm hmm.

You did what I'm saying?

So how did you come across? So you said that you did the the the the AI music video, right? But how did you come across that whole concept?

Okay. TikTok was shutting down. Well, it was during the time TikTok was shutting down. Fast forward, I'm gonna say a whole year. It was just the same sounds on there, but I kept seeing these, seeing these funny songs. I'm like, where's this coming from? So King Willis, the dude, he made BBL Drizzy, right? You remember when that song came out, right? It was floating around the internet. I clicked on his page And his YouTube page, and I started doing the voiceovers. That's when he came out with the No Murda song and, you know, My Turtleneck. And I seen the funny songs and he had a whole bunch of them on YouTube.

Mmhmm.

'Cause I was getting tired of doing the damn TikTok sounds. I was trying to create my own skits. Those, my skits, it wasn't catching because it's not in the algorithm with the sounds or anything.

Mmhmm.

And the other sounds, they'll have Friday on there. You know, the typical TikTok stuff. I was just tired of doing it. When y'all remember when the Boyz II Men trend was going on? Stop pulling that thing, girl, the bling bling, and everybody was going around. That was me.

Really?

When I had on the jumpsuit, I had on a red jumpsuit and had on some black and white ones. I was going around to different stores doing that trend.

Oh, okay.

That's when that song, people, I started to, people started putting in requests for me to go to these different stores. Then that's when other celebrities started doing it. Of course, a Chinese dude did it. It was somebody else who did it, but other people said they got it from there. But I was doing the trend. I was doing it, I wanna say, 2 years straight.

Mmhmm.

Wanye ended up doing it. And I just got discouraged because I'm like, damn. I'm thinking this my moment. I'm thinking this finna make me viral because I didn't have no niche. My only niche was that. So me doing the lip-syncing thing, that's something I always did. So I was like, okay, let me do this. So fast forward, I stopped doing that trend, found King Will and his sounds, and I started doing the same thing, lip-syncing his songs and creating the content, doing the content that I normally do and mixing music together. Boom, got these songs.

Mmhmm.

So I click on his page and I seen that he's in a writing competition or something. Or a songwriting thing. And it said Suno. Now I heard of Suno because, you know, it was another artist in my city, her name Cree. She was telling me that she was writing these songs. Now being that I rap, I'm like, I ain't messing with that shit. I ain't feeling— I make music for real. So I, I really didn't understand it in the beginning.

Yeah.

So I want to say, I click on it, I see his page, I said, let me download it. So being that I know how to write music, I done wrote music for artists that Didn't make it anything, but I know these songs was good. And I would just ask God all the time, why is music in my brain all the time, but I ain't popped? I ain't made a hit song.

It's not about popping.

I'm like, well, what's going on? And then I did have people in my ear saying, hey man, you getting too old. You need to, you need to put that music shit down.

35 is too old?

Yeah, that's what they were saying, saying to me. Even 34, 34, 35, they was like, hey man, you too old for that, you know. And you know, we'll see these posts on Say Cheese TV, Spice TV, where they say, you know, if you are in the age range of 25 to 30, you can make it. But 30 and under, you ain't, you know, you need to give music up. They was like, what age are you? You unk status, you need to go ahead and put it up. So I was like—

I didn't know that music had an age. I'm sorry.

This is just— And that's what I'm saying. But I always related, I was like, well shit, 2 Chainz, He ain't pop to a certain age. Shit, he popped right at the right time, and look how dope he turned out. You know what I mean? He changed. He did a he redid his name and everything. So I'm like, no man, that shit ain't true. So I'm like, all right, what I'm gonna do? I download the app, start writing so many songs. I started doing my own shit viral. I kept going, kept going, kept doing it. Then Jamie Foxx hit me up. I talked to Jamie Foxx. Shout out to Jay Youngin'. Jay Youngin' reached out to me. He one of the dudes who helped write Somebody. You know when Jamie Foxx came out with Somebody?

Mmhmm.

He reached out to me and he was like, hey man, Foxx wants some songs. I was like, you know when you see a blue check on IG, you ain't really believing this shit. You like, all right. So he was like, nah man. He said, Jamie Foxx. He said, nah, this legit. He said, Jamie Foxx wants some songs. I was like, all right. He said, I'm gonna— he said, give me about a week. He said, but just keep sending me the songs. He said, I'm gonna see if I can get Jamie Foxx on the phone. I was like, all right. So that whole week, we just came back from the 8 to 5 South show on We the Ones tour. Just came back from that. And every day I would wake up at like 3 o'clock in the morning. I'm like, hey God, I'm just keep writing these songs, make these contents, make the videos. And that Friday I get up, go to the room where I was sitting in, and Jay Young, I see Jay Young FaceTiming me. So he FaceTiming me, he was like, oh man, you know, I told you I was gonna, you know, see what I can do as far as getting Jamie on the phone. He said, man, here go the legend himself. Then he put Jamie Foxx on the phone. I'm like, bruh. He said, hey man, listen, man, this shit dope, man. He said, man, I listen to this shit like it's a playlist. I said, but you know, it ain't me singing it, it's the AI shit. He said, yeah, I know, I know it ain't you singing it. He said, but I know AI ain't writing all this shit that you saying in these songs. He said, man, this shit dope, man. Keep doing. So for that, when somebody like that, of that stature, tell me something like that, for this somebody I used to watch when I was a kid, that we all watched as a kid.

Oh yeah.

That's legendary status. It ain't nothing you can— you can't go against that. So when he said that, it confirmed to me that I don't give a damn what nobody say about it being AI. If you feel— if you have an issue with it, I just feel like, you know, just write some better songs, get your lyrics up. And that ain't me on no arrogant shit. It's just like what— it separated me instantly, my mindset.

That's literally all it takes.

Yeah.

Because I think a lot of times we rely on AI and we think that it's going to magically change something. But at the end of the day, like, yeah, because I write a lot of stuff on AI too, but it's me giving the prompts so it can just Structure it better so people can understand. But then in the day, it's like me coming up with everything.

And see, like, and see, this is what the whole big beef is. It was other— I wouldn't say it was other artists who actually know how to sing under my post saying it's AI. They knew instantly. But the more and more I was putting them out, because like I said, I'm at, I'm at the house with my kids, I ain't got no job. This all I know how to do.

Mm-hmm.

I'm sitting there, I'm writing the songs, but I'm seeing different stars from every angle, from Stevie J, Mimi, Timbaland. Um, who else?

Has Timbaland reached out to you?

That's who got me signed.

Oh, for real?

Yeah.

Okay, because I know that Timbaland has been messing with a lot of AI stuff.

Suno.

Suno? No, no, not just that, but, um, when Space God came out, because Space God did my show too. When Space God came out, I remember—

Shout out, man. Shout out to him. Shout out Space God. Listen, and see, like, Like, this the thing, man. This how long I've been around. Like, I watch— I could— he Q, I call him Q. But—

Don't tell them who it is.

No, no, no, I ain't, I ain't. But, but I'm just, I'm just saying, like, my bad for— if I blow—

They wouldn't know who that is.

Yeah, but for me watching him—

Just say God from space.

Just say God.

Just say way.

Yeah, yeah. But for me to watch him go from that to pop to that and take off, Like, I remember when he was doing these skits and shit like that, and me and him would chop it up. I'm like, bro, we gotta link up. And we never could. We never could link because it's either his schedules, um, one way and my schedule, or I ain't have no car, shit like that. So I'm, I'm watching it, and then he just popped, and then next thing you know, he everywhere now. So—

You know what the craziest thing is? Me and him, July 2025, it was literally around my birthday last year. Yeah, me and him were on set. We're sitting across from each other, and I was like, "Dude, this podcast is not taking off." I'm working this job that I hate. I'm in this. I just got this new job, and I was like, "Dude, I don't know how much longer I can go. I'm burnt out because now I have to film." Like mind you, I'm doing everything on my own. I'm editing everything. I'm I had a studio where I was going. They were recording everything else, producing, writing. I'm doing everything on my own, editing, posting. Yeah, and posting not just on Instagram.

It's some work. You gotta post Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, IG.

Everywhere.

Sometimes Snapchat.

Snapchat, Twitter, YouTube.

Yeah.

So everywhere. And I have a full-time job at the same time. And the full-time job in sales. And I remember I was like, dude, something gotta give because if it ain't, then I can't keep going. And he was like, man, he's like, I don't know what I'm gonna do. And the guy who was on set with them, Sean, that's my good friend. That's like actually one of my closest friends, like my brother. He came up with that whole concept to do the AI avatar, and that's when everything took off. And then they were like, okay, now we have to— literally, it was weeks after that.

Yeah.

Next thing in August, you know, he's traveling, he's popping.

Crazy.

Metro Boomin is getting him in the video.

Travis Porter. Yeah.

Lil Yachty. All of them people like Atlanta Hawks. He's everywhere.

When I say I was looking at— I said, bro, What the hell? But the, the thing about it is, I want to say, when you connected and people already know who you is, when you got it, when you got a good spirit, people gonna fuck with you.

Mm-hmm.

You know what I mean? If you a real one, they, they gonna rock with you. So shout out to him, man. But so when, when the names kept popping up, Timbaland hit me up himself. He said, man, what you gonna do with these? You gonna put them out? Now I'm like, can I do that? I didn't know. I didn't, I didn't know. So we ended up getting on the phone. He said, man, I think I can get you signed. I said, for real? He said, yeah, it's, it's called something. He said, but what is that? Because the difference between me and the other AI artists, most of them have an avatar. I don't. I'm singing my own shit. I'm, I'm doing my own shit. I could perform my own shit. So I am on a small little tour right now, but more shows on the way. So the whole entire time we was in a bidding war for at least a month. And when I say that was the longest month that I ever dealt with some shit from people, different people trying to sign me. We got deals on this table. I ain't got no money. These people coming with $750,000, $350,000.

You're like, I need $7.

Hey, hey, bro. Hey man, somebody about to get damn fired. Somebody about to get damn fired.

Gosh.

But hold on, hold on. Let me go back. Let me go back. Jay Youngin ended up giving me some managers. Because in the beginning I didn't have no representation or nothing. Jay Youngin was like, hey man, I think I can get you some representation. I said, all right. So he made the call. So Jamie Foxx got Jay Youngin to end up giving me some managers. So I feel like Jamie Foxx was how I got, management, including Jay Youngin, Brad and Jennifer. They end up being my representation. Couple months later— we— this happened in a week time span, weeks, weeks time span. We get— we go through bidding wars. I end up getting signed. Now my life is totally different. My kids were sleeping on sofas.

Hold up, how big is the deal? Is it— I don't want an exact number.

Yeah, is it—

is it 6, 5, 6, or 7 figures?

It was, it was 6. It was 6.

Higher or lower?

Um, it can get bigger.

But is it like for a certain amount of time right now?

Yeah, yeah, yeah. Okay, 18 months.

18 months?

Yeah, for sure.

Oh damn, that's a lot of money.

Yeah.

And then you just got everything?

Only for 24 songs.

Is it upfront?

Yeah, yeah. Oh, that's what I'm telling you. Like, I was— the house that I was staying in, my kids are sleeping on sofas. I don't have no car. The car that I did got— did get— my mom ended up giving me a car. And I'm somewhat— I'm known in my city.

Mm-hmm.

It breaks down in the middle of Riceboro Road. Breaks down at a red light. You know how when you come around the curve and the light right there? It stopped in the middle of the damn street.

So you're blocking the street?

I'm blocking the street. People are going past me beeping the horn. Beep beep. EJ, what up, boy? Hey man, don't tell nobody on Facebook. Beep beep. Police officer, he pulled over to the side. I'm thinking he finna come help me. He— shit, he mad. He mad. He gotta come help me. Middle of the street. I got $100. No, I didn't even have no money. I don't have no money. The insurance on the car lapsed.

Oh, wow.

So the police, he didn't run my license. He didn't run no insurance. He was like, yeah, man, just call the insurance people so they can come tow it. All right. Yeah, they ain't— damn, they ain't picking up. Oh, I'm picking up.

I'm fucked up.

I'm scared as hell. So my manager Brad, he was like, hey man, he said, bro, I got you, man. He gave me the— he, he cashed out me the money to get my car towed. The car get towed to where I was staying at. The car never moved, never crunk up. It cranked, it cranked. You put it in drive or anything, you press on the gas, it don't move no nothing. So this all happened before I get signed, get the money. Um, what else happened? It was so much going on that week.

And then you just get the money at the end of the week?

Get the money.

What do you do with the money?

Oh, I have a 4-bedroom townhome now.

Did you save the money?

I have a truck now. I paid my rent all the way up till, till next year.

Okay, I will give you one advice.

Don't say no.

Listen. No, I'm gonna give you one advice. And now, if you don't have an accountant or somebody who can help you manage the money, yeah, I will give you that person because I know somebody who's amazing.

Yeah, for sure.

Don't, don't make them— we've all made that mistake of spending money on jewelry and bags and all that.

No, no, no. See, I took, I took care and take care of the shit that I needed to take care of. Yeah, I ain't just somebody that just want to go out and splurge.

No, absolutely.

Yeah, no, because my kids, my kids wasn't—

because yeah, you got to worry about tomorrow. Yeah, versus worrying about—

yeah. Oh, just because I'm sparkly don't mean I spent my money on all this shit.

Oh no, and I hope you have some brand deals with clothes.

So yeah, yeah, man. Yeah, it's on the way. It got to be on the way. I got my— I just got my— I just got my own clothing. I just invested. Really? Yeah, yeah, you did? Yeah.

That's awesome. What is it going to be called?

Funny Business.

Funny Business?

And it's all dedicated to my album that, that, that's on Apple Music right now. My AI, my AI album that's on Apple Music right now.

That's so crazy. That's such a crazy story. And this has all just happened this year?

Yeah. No, a couple months.

A couple months.

It's not even a year. No. I signed in May. I signed in May and it's August now.

Damn.

That's crazy. Beginning of August.

So the kids have the beds?

Yeah.

Okay. And then you said the baby mom passed away?

Yeah, one of my kids' mom passed away.

So you have full custody of the kid?

No, no.

What happened to the kid?

No, he stayed with his aunt. He stayed with our sister. She made a promise that, you know, if something was to happen, then, you know, that was her dying wish that she had with her sister. So her sister like, she gonna She gonna do that. So yeah.

That's heavy.

Yeah, it is. But it's, it's, um, I want to say this though. I, I will say with that happening and for me to be in a position that I'm in now, it's kind of like bittersweet because I'm able to do what I need to and provide for my kid, but at the same time, it's like she ain't here to see it because like she was one of the people that was with me when I was in the clubs trying to perform and trying to make some shit happen. And I never, I never made it, you know what I mean? So for that to happen, and like, uh, I remember just not too long ago when I was in the mall buying my kids school clothes and her sister, and I, you know, I just paid for her son and my kid, um, school clothes and stuff, and I hugged her.

Aww.

And it was kind of like, damn, it, it hit me that day. I kind of teared up a little bit, but at the same time, it's like, damn, bro, it's like, I just wish she could see. But I feel like she's somewhat responsible, like she put something— God, they're like, hey man, look out for him. Because that, that's how I feel, Missy, because like I said, I didn't— I didn't know what was gonna happen. I didn't know that this was gonna happen.

Yeah, my mom always says that, that sometimes like either animals or some people, they take that on them. And when they leave the earth, the physical earth, that's when a lot of blessings start happening.

Yeah.

So the same thing with me. My dog passed away, like the dog who was my soul puppy. Like, that was like the closest. I mean, he was the connection to home that I had because my mom brought him from Russia. And so like, I went through school with him. I went through literally not having a home with him. I went to move into Atlanta with him, like through every single up and down. Like, he was there for me.

Yeah.

And then he passed away February 2025. And that's when I dropped, like, literally the next— in the week after that, that's when I dropped my first episode in the studio, like, with a podcast. And I always said, I was like, oh, when he's gonna leave, I'm gonna have a baby. I didn't know that this is gonna be a baby.

I thought it was just gonna be like a physical child. Yeah.

And then I'm like, damn, because now every time you— even Secret yesterday, she was like, the only thing you care about is your podcast. She's like, you— she don't go nowhere, she just cares about her podcast. And I'm like, Yeah, because that's my life. Yeah, like you got to invest. Unfortunately, you have to give up a lot, you know, in order to make it happen. Yeah, and it sucks, but you have to lose friendships and relationships just because you really want to make this work.

I will say my circle has got smaller because it's just— it was so much— it was so much blurry shit with a lot of people, like the whole entire time I was going through this, like Damn, do y'all believe that it's gonna happen? Because I was getting them talks like, hey boy, I don't know what the hell you gonna do. You better do something.

Yeah, so, but those are the ones that keep you going though. Yeah, I love those, those conversations. And it's okay. I mean, it's a, it's an, it's a natural experience for everybody. Sometimes people are gonna— I love when they hate me. Yeah, come on. And I love when people love me. Hey, it's just, but sometimes it's like, it's It's very surreal to this day where I'm like, oh damn, you actually rock with me. Like you actually fuck with me and you will. You know, like this whole studio was built because somebody believed in me.

Yeah.

He didn't charge nothing. He didn't. He was just like, let's do this.

Yeah.

He was more excited than anything and he was like literally.

See, you know the type of people you need to have around.

Oh yeah.

No.

Keep around. I told. I said Xavier. Xavier said he's the set designer. Xavier. I think it's like. David Perry Art, that's his Instagram. He's, uh, the live show, he built the whole set and he's just like, he believes. And I said, you know, he wants to build a roller coaster. And I was like, well, we're going to build a roller coaster. Whatever that roller coaster is, we're going to build it. And, you know, I said, the moment I have my first big payout, that's— he's, he's getting at least 30% of that because he's invested so much time and he's just been there. And I think like those are the things that matter more than actual money.

Yeah.

Because money is like, oh shit. Yeah.

That shit can be here today, gone tomorrow.

Because I'm sure like, you know, the first day you're probably like, Damn, my life changed. The second day you're like, well, now this is normal.

Yeah. No. What was—

like I said, at what point did it become normal? Because it did become normal.

It still ain't normal because stuff is still happening. Like, it's, it's something every other week, you know what I mean? Either going viral or getting in touch with somebody, getting on a show, being told, hey, you gotta fly here. It ain't normal to me yet. Like, I feel like the first year everything will be new, and then next year same thing happen again, then that's when it'd be normal. Because you got to find a way to keep it. You got to stay humble, got to stay, uh, modest when it comes to things.

So yeah. Well, I think that the most important part is just to continue. Don't lose yourself in that process because a lot of people do, you know. Yeah, head becomes so big that—

Oh no, see, see, see, and see, that's where, that's where it come. That's another thing. That's why being humble come in it. You can't think just because some good shit happened to you that it can't be taken away from you because of how you treat people, how you talk, and how you act towards people. You gotta walk around with respect, integrity, have, um, still be focused, you know what I mean? So, um, from there, I just— that I always had that in me. So, you know.

But so how do you plan to blend comedy in all of this?

That's what this— that's what this is.

Like the music, the songs itself?

Yeah.

The whole thing, Is You Cheating? That was— that was the craziest.

Like, and like, honestly, like, that come from inspiration or seeing different posts and, um, being around, or just like being that I do comedy. Like, I say this, my 8 years of comedy, I write, but I wasn't like a full-fledged writer. Like, okay, verbatim, line for line, having jokes. It's just, you know, a mental thing. I improvise a lot. So when it came to music, all I did was take the writing style of comedy and just put it into my music.

Mm-hmm.

So when I was able to do that, and then the more and more these people was messing with it and rocking with it, I'm like, well, damn, okay, this is what y'all want. All right, I'm gonna give it to you. So Um, being told that you can't do comedy and music. Hell, Jamie Foxx did it.

Yeah, no, and your video, that, that is your cheating video, that got like hundreds of thousands of views on YouTube. Yeah, yeah, because I watched it. I remember the moment you dropped it, I was like, click, because first of all, it's my people.

Some people said it was too long.

Uh, no, it was amazing. It was like a story that was being told.

Yeah, and see, like, that's the thing, like, I— that's how I envision this, because when they When I came across some producers, it was a, it was a couple good bit of producers that we talked to. They were saying, oh well, sooner go want their money, and oh, you gonna have to pay this, you're gonna have to do that. They was downing it. But I, I looked at it like this: the reason why most producers are upset about it or have a pushback about it, because what they do 10, 8, 9 hours, this shit do that within 20 seconds, less than that. So if it take that job away, if soon— if AI or Suno is doing that, what it's gonna do for them? It's gonna take their job.

So of course, yeah, so that's what people are scared of. But that's the thing, that, that's the point of AI, is that AI is not going to take your job.

Yeah, you have to use it as a tool.

Use it as a tool because it will help you being efficient at your job.

But what they don't know is like most of the artists that's in the industry, they using that shit now. You better use it. It's just like Auto-Tune.

Yeah, so I mean—

You just gotta find a way to work it to your favor, and that's what I did. I took advantage of it, not a foot on the gas. So when it come to these songs, look, I can show you now how many songs I have. Like, I was listening to it on the way here. Like, some of these gonna be turning—

Oh, wow. 'Cause somebody asked me actually to come out to the studio and record and all of this. And then they gave me the potential bill for it, and I was like, listen, I don't want to disrespect you because you've been doing this. You're a big-time producer, and I appreciate for you even trying to because they said you need to record a song for the show. I already have something for the show that I've created with his name is Drake Beats. He's a phenomenal producer. Worked with he produced Purple Lamborghini. It he did me a favor. a favor. So because when I started, I didn't even know that you had to have a song for the podcast or the intro or anything.

So I just wanted— People ain't had an intro in a minute.

Yeah, but I—

But it's— but it still be dope because it'll be like an actual talk show, like Ricky Lake, you know what I mean?

I had no idea that I had to do that. So I called him and he was like, pull up to the studio. So he did it for free. And so when, when those people are like, well, you need to update the DC, you need to do this, then they show me the price and I was like, honey, I'm so sorry, I ain't got the money like that. I, I understand you look at me, but it's like, I will be the first person to tell you I ain't got it. If I got the money, I will pay. But if I ain't got the money, I'mma be very straight up.

Like, my boy, I ain't got it, my boy.

I ain't got it. I know it look like—

Just hold it for me. Just hold it, hold it down.

I respect you, but it's not, not in the budget right now. And then, uh, one guy, Suno or whatever that, that he called me, he was like, hey, just do that. And I'm like, for real though?

Yeah, cuz paid $30.

Literally.

See, see, look, they, they may clip this. They may clip this, uh-huh, or they may take one of these one of these sections that I talk about this AI thing to try to flip it or to try to, you know what I mean, down it. But I'm not saying anything against producers. I'm not saying anything against artists. Hell, I was a struggling artist.

Mm-hmm.

Been— listen, I've been rapping since I was 15. I done been in the rap stage. I've been through the, through the blonde patch stage. You know, I had a blonde patch in my head, had the waves going. I thought I was finna pop then when everybody was talking about sauce and everybody was doing that one dance. I was I was trying to do it then.

Yeah.

Then pop, I got on the radio for like 3 months. That was it. But in the industry, you, you, you gotta have— you either gotta have connections or money. If you ain't got either of those, you ain't, you ain't gonna go far no matter how good you, you can rap. Unless you in— unless you're in the streets. And see, the reason why AI music is going how it's going today, because ain't nobody talking about shit. Nothing. It ain't no, it ain't no real music out there. The only people that's really making some real music, it's the artists who's already been known or have legendary status. Like T.I., he just dropped this album.

Fire album too.

You, you like, you, when you drop shit like that, then it means something. Your time means something. But being that everybody attention span is so short, people just throwing out shit and then it may be hot for 10 minutes. People hold on for, for 20 seconds. All right, yeah, that shit hard. All right, now what you got over here? Everybody talking about spinning today. It ain't no real shit out there. So if you put some real emotions into your music, or you talking about something that you— that other people can relate to, that's the way to get to the people's hearts and minds. But if you don't do that shit, it don't really mean nothing.

Yeah, and that's why I like the whole— the phrase, is you cheating, is like stuck in my mouth. It's like embedded in my head. Same with T.I.'s, the, the, the Me and mine till the end of time. Yeah, like that will forever be something that you want to use on your post because it's relatable. Yeah, for sure. Or Live Your Life with Rihanna, like that. I mean, I'm sorry, that, that song will forever be— yeah, it hit. Like, it's just, it is what it is. So, so that— I, I agree with you. I think it's, it's very important to— and it's important to talk about those things because people don't, and they, they say, oh, like, you know, if you're using AI, man, the shit that I found yesterday with AI, I'm like It will change my life tomorrow.

Yeah, it can.

Because unfortunately right now it's becoming hard to rely on human beings cuz everybody wants to do nothing.

But the only thing that I'm concerned about is that now that the news is out or people know what it is, people gonna go to it and then they oversaturate it like they did the podcasting thing. Like once people find out, shit, you got some money off of it, now I'm gonna go to it too. Because everybody's trying to, everybody's trying to make it.

I get you. Let them, because again, we literally, we just had a discussion with, uh, with, with my friend Reggie about that. It's always about, it's 85 to 15, 85% of mediocrity and 15% of excellence. For sure. Everybody can try and they can do it, but are they gonna—

but they ain't got that recipe. They ain't got the sauce.

Like the recipe, they don't have the work ethic to continue. Yeah, it's not even, it's not even the recipe. People can have the recipe. You can give them the recipe every single day. Are they actually going to cook? Yeah. Because you can have the ingredients, but the ingredients are gonna go bad in the fridge because you are lazy to actually get them out and cook.

Work hard for yourself. Work hard and then do it. Listen, and I didn't have that. I didn't have that. People hit me up, hey man, what you using? What you do? It's like, I can't—

Just because they're not—

No, no, I tell you, hey, it's Suno. Go ahead, write some songs. But it's not gonna come out the same way like how I did because it's yours. I write music for real. And that ain't even on no arrogant shit. It's like, I know how to write a song for a female or just anybody in general. It just, you know what I mean?

I'm big on that. Listen, I've always said I write a lot of my questions on ChatGPT. But again, the way that I ask questions on ChatGPT is not going to be the way you ask questions on ChatGPT. So we will never have the same output. We'll never have the same outcome just because we're different people. And just by definition, we ask about different things. Same thing with music. Sure, you can go and create AI music. Now, do you have enough consistency to post it every single day on your platforms? Do you understand how to actually even go viral with your music? Do you understand who to market that music to? Do you even know how to— like, what is your end goal with that music? Because you can go create the AI music, but what are you trying to do with it? Are you trying to get signed? Are you trying to go perform? What— like—

But you got to have a following. See, and see, this is where y'all came from. Build a following. Build a following. You got to have somebody to actually view this shit.

Yeah.

Or to even hear it. So once they start tagging all these other people who they hear in this song, or, oh well, he write like R. Kelly. If you go on my post, you'll see they say that all in the comments. Like, oh, he storytell like R. Kelly. Or they compare it, like they even be compared to that. Not saying nothing, you know, condoning this shit. It's just, but as far as like the storytelling and the music, It's like, damn, it's like, that's, that's dope, dope as hell, man. So like I said, man, to even be in these areas or walking past these people or people reaching out or saying they want to do this, it just— I'm still in disbelief about all this shit, man. For real. I really am.

Believe it, it's happening. It's already here for you.

So like being at work, somebody the same age as you telling you go pick a damn box up. Hey, go get that shit up over there. and they the same age as you, and you like, hey bro, how, how do y'all do it? And I ain't saying it's anything against working. Go get your paper. Like, chase your dreams at the same time though. That's all.

Some people are going to be the ones that are going to lead the way. Some people— we need people who work, you know. Some people are content with it and they love it, and let them do that because that's, that's, that's what gets the world going. We need, we need leaders and we need people who are going to perform, for sure, especially like employees and all of that. But this is great. You got a dope story. Yeah, I can't wait to see you on 85 South in a lot more—

man, listen, man, it's coming. It's on the way, man. Manifesting it. What's on them cards? It's already here, actually.

I don't have, uh, the printer broke, so I don't have anything. Okay, I'm thinking the whole time, uh, yeah, like, I, I would love to read something off the cards, but, uh, I just like to keep them. I actually never really read off the Cards for real. I because I already wrote it, so I already know.

Yeah, I thought we was gonna talk about relationships and shit because I seen you do that with other people. Let's talk about hoes and stuff and what they be doing.

It's been talked about. Like what is what what what what what new hoes are gonna do? Hoes are gonna be hoes. They're gonna be fucking and sucking. Yeah. It's not really. I think this is more important to talk about than relationships and hoes and and all of that because see look and see look and see like that's how That's how God use you.

Like, you know, like you talk about your stuff, not the stuff that you want to talk about. Most of the time people be— you be wanting to, like they say, tell God what you want to do and that's how you make him laugh. Goddamn it, I got my damn phone over here. But you're good. You got what I was trying to say. The analogy, you know, as a man thinketh so, so shall he get. Some shit like that. You read the Bible?

I just, I just think that There's a lot more to people's stories and to conversations than just relationships. And, and it, it just gets to some point where it's just like, ah, go listen to your relationship podcast. I'm not really that. I will, I'll talk about it here and there. Mm-hmm. If the conversation permits. But I think that you have a bigger story to tell than just relationships.

Yeah, for sure.

Cause it's like, that's your business. But the way that you just made it in the last couple of months, like, that is crazy, man.

Listen, man. I ain't— listen, I still— I'm still shocked about getting my own car. It ain't about what type of car I got, it's just—

You got a nice car.

Yeah, that's what— but that's what I'm saying. A couple months ago I didn't have that shit. A year ago I didn't have that shit. Hell, I ain't had no car last year. I was riding out— listen, I would come up here to Desi Bank Skits, use my old lady van, wear and tear on the tires, the engine. Like back and forth trying to make it like, hey babe, I gotta like, hey, I need, I need the car. We'll get into it. We'll be arguing about that shit like, man.

But you know, some people would be like, oh, I ain't driving this. I'm just not gonna.

Hell no. Pull up, pull up, bump it with the speakers loud as hell.

But that's why, that's why again, God works in mysterious ways. And God will always, you know, if you go through all that struggle and suffering, you will always gain something out of it, whether it's—

And major, major shout out to Desi Banks, man, because anytime, anytime— like, I'll say this, it meant something to me because it's people here, you know what I mean? It's people here that's in the vicinity already. For him to even say, yeah, man, still come through, or come through like Detroit Reed— he— I hit Detroit up when they, when they, um, I never forget Desi Banks came to Augusta. I think it was for the first time, and I just inboxed. I said, "Look, man, I'm an upcoming comedian." Now granted, Desi younger than me.

Desi is dope. Me and Desi—he's gonna come on the show too. Yeah, he hasn't done the show yet, but he's—I know he's been traveling, so he's—we connected too, and he actually started following me. I was like, "What? Desi Banks follows me?" Like this. All of it is still surreal sometimes when I see people before. I'm like, "What the hell?" Shout out to Desi.

So he's younger than me, and most of the time, like, when you older, you look like you trying to— you trying to make it happen, or you know what I mean? But I was like, man, look, I'm an up-and-coming comedian, bro. Hey man, can I do 5 minutes on stage? If not, can I just come back there, kick it with y'all? He was like, um, what city you in? I said, I'm in Augusta, Georgia. He said, yeah, come through. So I'm backstage, and this, this year Ronnie Jordan, Detroit Reed, uh, And I'm just back there looking. I'm like, dang, I'm here. They let me in a prayer circle that they do, um, every time. And I'm sitting on the side of the stage and I'm just, I'm just watching. I'm like, damn boy, I'm watching my city go crazy. I'm like, shit, I do comedy too, y'all. Like that, that's just what I'm thinking. So the next year I did the same thing. I said, hey D, I can come through? He said, you already know. So do it. But during that time span, he was allowing me to come up there Being the skits, and you know I mean he always looked out for me when I came through. He was like, man, bro, I don't like you being on that road. I'm like, shit, fuck it, man. I'm trying to get it. He said, I get that, but at the same time, bro, it just you know I mean. I end up I ask him now how this story happened. Well, how this situation happened the week I got fired. I'm there now. I'm talking to the dude that run this stuff. Um, like, I think it's a road manager. I think that's what they call it. But he was like, um, who are you? I said, I'm EJ Rogers. Desi Banks told me it was cool that I can come back here. Um, I don't know if they was gonna let me perform. He said, hey, I don't know about that, but, uh, I get with you.

Is it Mike?

I don't— light-skinned cat?

I think it was Mike. Okay.

Okay, so, uh-huh. And I'm just standing there, I'm like, Everybody hit me up, hey man, you gonna open up for him? I was like, nah. I was texting him, I was like, nah. So me and another dude talking, he come back downstairs, he said, uh, Red Hat, hey, you got 5 minutes. So Champ came from the back, he said, hey, you ready? So it was happening so fast, it was happening so fast. Champ, he said, hey, you ready? He said, you got 5 minutes, you good, you good. Deep down I want to say hell no, but Hey, let's go ahead and go.

Gotta take the chance.

Yeah, I said, hey, yeah, let's go. So they introduced me, a couple people in the audience, hey, EJ. I'm like, hey, man, this shit hard. And that, that, like, that meant so much to me because it's like the year before I was just standing back there regardless of it was 5 minutes, 2 minutes, 1 minute. Hey, I was, you know what I mean? I still made it. God still made it happen. Desi Banks made it happen, man. Shout out to him, man, for real.

I love Desi Banks. What you got going on, uh, next? What's coming up?

Oh, um, Hit the Flow. This video is coming out this Friday, which is— well, it's gonna be tomorrow. Tomorrow, the 8th. Um, I got a character named Uncle Elson. Um, it's about a sugar daddy, you know what I'm saying? He wants some sugar. He been paying his girl rent and shit. Hey, time to get that shit up.

Okay.

Time to get up.

Okay.

So then I, um, my next video is gonna be called Nor— it's Norbit. Okay, so if y'all, y'all ain't checked that out, how often do you drop the videos? Um, we just started dropping them. We just started dropping, but we already, we already in the works of working on the next one. So my Norbert video, I'm manifesting Kelly Kills go be in it. Shout out to Kelly Kills, I love her. She dope, she got good energy. She's another comedian. And see, that's why how I envisioned this was Because being that they were scared that they was gonna flag me for having AI, I was gonna do it like In Living Color, like, you know, have all my videos as like skits but in a music type form, you know, the same way Concho Wayne doing his.

Get Money Bag on.

Yeah, so that's the reason why I'm incorporating comedian. Yeah, yeah, but I just gotta— and see, like, I don't want to be those type of dudes being that I didn't been around them. I don't want to be like, hey bro, hey, I got this, I want you to be on this.

This isn't AI. I don't know how to— business, you are signed to a label, you have official relationships.

Yeah, that's how you approach it.

Yeah, because they've been, they've been making music. And see, that's it.

That's a small mind. And that it is. I even told him, like, I don't, I don't know if you remember, I said, DC, man, bro, push that music out, man. Go ahead and put that shit out. He said he's talented, man.

Hell yeah, man. DC can do it all. I cannot wait for DC to come on. We were supposed to film last month, but, um, DC is just feeding me breakfast So, you know, he'll come on, whatever, whenever. Chico is coming on in September, so.

That's dope. That's dope as hell, man.

Chico is just as talented. But yeah, get one of those.

I got another, I got another album coming. Got another 12 songs. But I already got, you know, and then I'm doing my shows and stuff. So I got a lot of shit going on, man. I really do appreciate it even having me here.

Of course.

For sure, man.

Thank you for coming on.

I even come back if you want me to.

You definitely will come back.

For sure.

And we'll probably do some more funny stuff.

Yeah, for sure.

We're gonna do more. We're also evolving and growing. It's just a matter of financial support right now. So once we can get that, then we're just, you know, we're gonna— listen, I've got big plans for this whole brand.

Yeah, yeah, that's dope as hell.

Thank you for coming. This was amazing.

No problem. I am EJ Rogers, man. Y'all follow me everywhere, Comedian EJ Rogers. Y'all make sure y'all go get the album Cry Now, Laugh Later. I even got it tatted on my arm. Like, I had it tatted on my arm way before I even started doing this.

Way before, because I feel like the same license plate before I even started a show.

That's crazy. And see, like the the reason why I say cry now laugh later because you know they always say laugh now cry later because why you why you go laugh first and then cry afterwards?

Yeah, no, you got to do it.

No, no, hell no. First and release your emotions. Yeah, then laugh about that shit. Like ha ha! You thought I was down. It's over with.

That's how I like to do it. I will cry and then it's like whoo. Now I can laugh.

Yeah. So, all right.

Well, thank you. You guys let us know what you think about the episode in the comments. Like, share, subscribe, and go follow EJ. EJ is, man, listen, he about, he about, he's already surpassed me with the followers. So he's about to go to the next level, man.

I appreciate y'all, man. Look, they go, they go pick on how I talk because how fast I talk and how backwards. I always talk front to back, back to front. I don't know. It's crazy. ADHD.

Who cares? That's you. Yeah, whatever it is, that's your style of talking. Yeah. And if we have a problem—

That's my fault? It's your tight shit. All right, well, that's it.

All right, this is fire.