PURSUE YOUR DREAMS & Start Manifesting The FUTURE YOU WANT! | Logic & Lewis Howes
In this candid interview, J Balvin (Jose) shares his journey from a modest upbringing to global stardom, emphasizing the power of gratitude, spiritual practice, mentorship, and authentic self‑expression. He recounts early experiences of feeling excluded on birthdays, the influence of his mother’s encouragement, and a mentor who guided his spiritual growth. Balvin explains how daily gratitude rituals—such as voicemails asking callers to share what they’re grateful for—fuel his creative energy. He discusses the challenges of fear, the importance of trying despite uncertainty, and his strategies for mental health, including meditation and mantra repetition. The conversation also covers his perspective on authenticity in the age of social media, his responsibility to his audience, and his definition of greatness as inspiring and uplifting others. Throughout, he stresses that thoughts become reality, that hard work and aligned partnership are essential, and that living a life of gratitude, loyalty, and dreaming big is the core of his philosophy.
Chapters
If you are doing something where you truly do need education, of course, go get your diploma, do your thing. But if you're starting up a business, college, straight up, I'm going to tell you that you don't need it. This formal education is such because you could be taking time and educating yourself, going out, getting in the field, whether you're interning, you're this, you're that, and making it happen. So it's like you have to make it your everything. And I think you gotta have a dream. The School of Greatness.
Really?
Yeah.
Please welcome Lewis Howes.
You grew up. in a very poor household and with a lot of abuse, with a lot of abuse and trauma. I don't understand how you came out a normal person with so much trauma and abuse. How did you come out with a kind heart, a good soul, and with a moral compass? That's what I'm curious about.
Yeah, I think I always just say it was like God in common sense, and I'm not even like super religious or anything, but I definitely, I always tell people I respect religion and faith so much. I just don't believe in like the classic Sky Dad white dude with a beard on a cloud, but he or she or whatever, I feel like something had to make this. So that being mixed with, I don't know, just something, you know, innately just kind of what I was born with. shaped me, you know, I'd see my dad smoking crack and my brothers, you know, putting guns in my hand and my mom getting beat by men and drinking and sleeping in. And I was like, oh, these are the, this don't do this.
Right.
A lot of other people. Excuse me. And my, you know, a lot of my siblings fell into that kind of same trap of perpetuating that lifestyle. And I just, I don't know, dude. I just knew it wasn't right.
What made you, what made you feel like you want to channel that into something For good of creation as opposed to just kind of repeat the pattern. Was there a polling inside of you, a knowing, was there a calling? Was it a friend, a mentor that kind of guided you along that path?
Not really. It was more so just very selfish, if I'm being completely.
I just want to be rich and famous.
No, not even. It was more so I didn't have anybody there to tell me that they loved me or that, you know, hey, you're doing a good job or you know, wow, you're really improving, you're this or that. So that message of peace, love, and positivity in my music is because I wasn't actually surrounded by any of it. So I kind of created this almost synthetic world within my genre of music that allowed me to spread that message, but first and foremost to myself, you know, on these records when I was a young kid, when I was in my early 20s, I'm like, hey man, like I'm on the song, like you can do it, you listening right now, blah, blah, blah, like you can do it. Follow your dreams, be a good person, spread a good message. But like really, I was like, it was just me. It was just, I was just talking to myself.
So you were coaching yourself?
I mean, not very well, probably. It would have been great if somebody else was there. But yeah, I mean, I just, I don't know. And then I, with the craziest part is then once like the music actually started to kind of like take off and I had like even just a couple hundred fans, I was like, oh, I saw immediately that they resonated with what I was saying because they felt like I was saying it to them. So then I was like, oh, well, let me actually say it to them. Let me let them know that they care enough and I'm kind of in this position of power. I want to use it in a positive way. And that's when the message just got bigger and stronger and yeah.
What was the age growing up that you feel like was the darkest for you? It was like the loneliest, darkest, toughest year.
It's funny, dude, because I got a couple of them. Seriously, it's like, it's like, I mean, I just remember when my mom was locked up in a mental institution and my sisters kind of took over the house and they're like 14 and, you know, they're doing what 14 year old kids in the hood tend to do. And yeah, so I didn't have anybody really. and they kind of looked out for me, which was cool. But then at the same time, one of my darkest and most times of feeling alone was when I was 28 years old and I had the whole world in the palm of my hands and nobody else understood what I was going through. And a majority of people, whether they were rappers, other entertainers that I would go to, would kind of be like, oh, yeah, man. Yeah, yeah. No, it's cool. You'll be all right. Because they're also don't want to deal with what they were going through at the same time. It's kind of gnarly.
What were you dealing with?
I did.
I did.
What were you dealing with? How old were you then at the younger age when your sisters were 14?
Like nine.
Nine. So nine and 28.
What was that?
That's just one of the times.
Yeah, it's probably every year. But I mean, yeah, literally when you were nine, what was the thing you were going through the most? What was the biggest challenge?
Well, I mean, I knew that I wasn't. It's funny. I knew that I wasn't like everybody else in my household. and yet because of coming up in my household, I also knew that I wasn't like all the other kids in the neighborhood or at school.
Right.
Which was kind of like a difficult thing. And don't get me wrong, like I fit in, I had a group of friends and people that I would hang out with, but it was like, I also didn't fit in, you know? It was just really, it was a difficult thing. I think also another thing that was extremely hard to deal with was the fact that, and mind you, I just want everybody listening and watching to know, like, I don't say any of what I'm gonna say here about my family and my childhood with any malice or, you know, it's just, I've forgiven these people for what they've done. But at the end of the day, the truth hurts.
Yeah.
The truth hurt me as a kid, and it is what it is. And though I may be brutally honest, if these people, and this is what I've dealt with while writing this book, because it's been very cathartic, is if they feel any type of way, they should have felt something 35 years ago before they treated a child like sh*t. So that's a, I just want to say that. So I think it was extremely difficult. Like my mom is religious, but like not really. My mom's the type of woman to go, you know, don't take the Lord's name in vain, God mother f*cker son of a b*tch. That's my mom. And whenever you ask questions or, you know, and kids ask questions, you should ask questions. But a lot of faith which I respect and I understand it is faith and that's why they call it faith because you just have to have faith. But when you're a kid, you're like, yeah, but why?
Exactly.
And you're kind of told, you're told, no, we don't question.
Yeah.
Yeah, but why don't we question? No, because, you know, and then so, yeah, I think that was very difficult having these questions or these ideas and always just being met with, because I said so, was extremely difficult.
It's not a good enough response for me either because I said so.
Yeah.
I think especially with my generation, 'cause I'm 31 now, it's just like parents, and they still do this, tend to treat their kids like they're stupid, you know what I mean? But it's like they're the ones who should be educating them. So if they're asking a question instead of because I said so, why not be completely honest? Like my wife, she's the best mom, and little Bobby will take his toy and like throw it 'cause he's like a year and a half and he'll just throw it. And she goes, no, honey, we want to be gentle. and he looks at her and he's like, because we don't want to hurt our toys. And obviously we can't hurt our toys, but we're teaching this boy to one, hold value in something, especially something I didn't have. He's a little spoiled mother compared to me. And, but yeah, you know, so it's, it's, I, I, I saw a lot of things in those dark times, and it really shaped me, and it's, and has continued to help me as a father and a husband.
What do you think you wouldn't say if your nine-year-old self was sitting right in front of you right now, what would you what advice would you say to him to prepare him for what's to come?
Honestly, I wouldn't tell him shit.
I've actually gotten people have asked me that question in different ways. Like, what would you tell the young younger version of yourself who's rapping or this or that? You know, I think the rapper, I'd be like, you,'re never gonna make it just to get him even more fired so he doesn't put his feet up. Yeah. You know, I just think like everything's cool. I mean, It's like I don't really know what I would tell him. I know what he needs to hear.
What's he need to hear?
And I don't think that's necessarily the same thing, but he needs to hear, I love you. You're a good person. You can do anything you want in the world. You're really smart. You know, you're a good kid. I never heard that. I wish I did. That would have been nice.
Really?
Never heard that ever.
Yeah.
No, I never heard that ever.
What do you think would have happened had you have heard that consistently?
Well, if I had heard that, I don't think I would have been in the house that I was in either, right? You know what I mean? It's like I would have had a completely different life, which I talk about in this book and I say how there was times when I really wished I could be a dog in a rich family and people would pet me and tell me they love me and play with me and then I'd get maybe 12 years out of it and it would just be way better than what I was experiencing. So I remember having thoughts like that for sure.
What would you say are the three biggest lessons you learned from childhood?
How not to treat a child.
That.
Your household and your upbringing actually doesn't define you. It doesn't, has a great impact on who you will become. But there are these like anomalies and just these people who, I mean myself, right? It's like I came from, you know, violence and being surrounded by drugs and alcohol and all these different things. Yet, I didn't choose that path. And then you could have, you know, kids who came up in great stable families and they're like Tony Montana, you know, like my best friend Josh growing up. He was walking around with shotguns in his trench coat, but he lived in a three-story household with two parents who loved him. So it was really weird.
Right.
And then the third lesson or thing that I learned from my childhood. Wow, that's a good one. I think as a dad, even more, even though I kind of just said that, but is that's really where you're shaped, obviously. It's like, duh. But it's just I think about how much I did alone. And I wish that if I had a parent there to support my love of anime and sci fi and all this stuff, like it would have just been so cool. I remember being 14 years old and my mom was like, you cannot watch Kill Bill. You cannot watch Kill Bill. You cannot watch. And then, so I watched it anyway, alone. And it's like, I'm 14, man. It's not like, yeah, you know what I mean? Come on. Yeah, yeah, exactly.
And.
And I. It changed my life forever. I mean, that whole. That. That movie literally inspired me. on so many insane levels, like discovering Riza from wuang Clan and then discovering wuang Clan, which is why I started rapping in the first place. Wow. It's like, dude, a couple years ago, yeah, I did a song called wuang forever, and I have every living member of the wuang Clan on one song. It was like this crazy, amazing, you know, Milestone for me. And, yeah, I mean, and it's so much more in anime and filmmaking and. And storytelling and. excuse me, all these different things that inspired me. And it's like, if I had had somebody there just to, you know, like, I remember I used to draw Dragon Ball Z characters as a kid. It's like this anime, this fighting show. And my mom was like, why? Why is everything so violent? Why does it have to be so violent? Meanwhile, then she throws an iron cup and splits the side of her husband's head open, and you can see his skull, and then she gets hauled off by the police. Oh, my gosh. It's a great. And then I was with him for I don't know, maybe like a month, and he didn't go to work, and all he did was drink all day, and his name was Tony Bransford, and he was kind of a nice guy, actually, but he had some demons. And I'll never forget, I had these toy guns, and they were, like, my favorite possession. And I was like, oh, man. And I ran up behind him. Meanwhile, my mom's, like, in jail or something. And I'm like, yeah, Tony, look, bang, bang, bang. And I'm like, seven, six. And he takes them, and he goes, don't you ever. It's like 10 in the morning, and he's point a gun at another person, even if it's not real. And he takes it and he throws it on the linoleum tile floor in our kitchen, and he slams it. He's not wearing any shoes or anything. And, like, five inch piece of now triangular plastic shoots deep under the heel of his foot and back into his heel. And he just goes, mother. And he goes back and he. and he grabs it and he takes it out and it spews all over the place.
Oh, man.
And then there was just this giant puddle of blood on the linoleum floor for a very, very long time. And you could, like, easily write in cursive with a penny in it. Like. Like, that's kind of the vibe that it was. And that's. Yeah, I mean, and that's a light day, dude.
It's just Tuesday.
It's Tuesday morning just showing up.
Yeah. Tony. Tony was a good man, though. Like I said, he just had a lot of demons. He was mixed, like me. He had a black father and a French white European mother. And one of the nicest things that Tony ever did for me, I'll never forget it. I got caught smoking when I was five years old. I didn't want to do it.
Five.
And back then it was, yeah, five. Oh, bro, come on.
Yeah.
And so, I'm sorry, Louis, I keep calling you bro.
It's all good.
It's all good.
Bro, bro, bro.
And so, Yeah, back then it was really easy, right? Because everybody smoked, so it was like, Hey, you know, Ian's mom needs a cigarette. Then you go to Ian's mom and you go, oh, my mom needs a lighter. She can't find a lighter. And she's just around the corner and she asked me, like, what? You need a lighter? You're a smoker? Yeah, and then we got caught. And then I'll never forget, she sat me down. It was the closest thing to a Corey Matthews Boy Meets World moment that I ever had. And she was just like, Listen. Tony's gonna whoop.
Wow.
I was like, okay.
So Tony takes me into the back. And I mean, this guy's got cinder blocks for hands. Oh my gosh. He's like completely bald on top, but really long hair. He's like a cowboy, honestly. And he wears cowboy boots. And I mean, this dude was a welder. And I mean, crazy, right? So he sits me down and I am so scared.
Oh my, you're five.
You're terrified at this.
Yeah.
I'm looking at this giant man. Right? And I'm like, oh my God. And he goes, Now you listen here.
Oh, my God.
And I say, oh, sh*t, here it comes. And he goes, this is actually the nicest thing anybody's ever done for me or to me, one of them. He goes, When I was a little boy, my dad used to beat me till I was bloody, and he beat my sisters and my brothers too. And I promised myself that I would never put my hands on a child. So I'm not gonna do that. And I was like, really? He goes, yeah. But we're gonna make your mom think I'm whooping your ass in here and I'm really taking care of business. So he started like, he starts smacking his hands and I'm smacking my hand. Oh, Tony, no, stop it. Oh, oh my God. And I'm like, you know, we're going, hey, I should have got an Oscar. So this guy, so it's all done, right? And he's like, all right, all right, boy, never forget this lesson. And I'm like, okay, cool. It sounds like a character out of Red Dead Redemption. And so he walks out of the room and I was just still going, ah, Tony, oh! And he comes back in and he goes, Hey, boy, I can't be in the living room whooping your at the same time. Shut the f*** up! And I was like, all right. So that's, I don't know how the.
Hell we got there, but.
That's good. I'm glad he, Mind you, did it beat you? Yeah. Yeah, but it's like my mom tells me this, oh, I know. Another thing that had sparked this was because I said so. And it was, my mom whoops my ass and she gives me this talking to while like her and her second or third husband, I forget what he is, and are both smoking cigarettes at the same time. Like it's gnarly.
Well, they're saying don't do this. Yeah, exactly.
Yeah.
What was the man? You're at the top of the world at 28. But you were just saying a few years ago you were also in a dark place as well and people weren't really able to connect with you or or artists at your level weren't able to really emotionally and vulnerably be able to resonate with you or really listen to you. What was the thing that was going on that was the hardest for you then?
I mean, it was a lot, dude. And I think a re the reason why it was so difficult, too, is because, like, I was then. I then started to make music about it, right? Because I make. I've always made music about every single thing that I went through. I made music about having no money, being extremely poor and feeling unloved. And then I. I would make music about how to juggle millions of dollars and a giant staff and being on, on tour. constantly, da-da-da. And then so it kind of shifted to like, oh, like you're complaining about being rich and blah, blah, blah. So then fans kind of felt a certain way and it's just like, no, I'm not. Everybody's got money problems. And then it's funny because I had released this album in 2019 and it was like, it's funny, it's actually my most popular album and technically most successful album. And yet like critically it was my most hated on album. It was called Confessions of a Dangerous Mind. And then the, and everyone's like, he fell off, he's never coming back, which is just so funny to me, especially in hip hop, but in music where it's like, I just like had the biggest song in the world, the biggest album in the world, the sh*t, platinum, da-da-da, all this other sh*t. And then I could, the next year, it's just like, he's totally off. And then the year after that, I was like, okay, and I say this to say, like, I was like, okay, you know what? I'm gonna write about these things, but in a much more relatable way. I was just being very blunt and like, hey, this is what I'm going through. But obviously people don't want to hear about people's champagne problems, right? So I was like, okay, cool. So then I won't say millions, I'll just say money. I won't say, you know, oh, it's hard being away from the mansion. I'll be like, it's hard being away from my pregnant wife in our home. Yeah, I'll use certain words, you know, on records I have like dad bod and this and that, blah, blah, blah. Long story short, I mean, in the first week I sold a quarter million units albums and it's like, oh, he's back. And then I retired and I took some time off and then I decided to come back and trust me, I'm getting to your 2018 question. I decided to come back this year and it was very short. It was more like a slight intermission. It wasn't really a retirement. But I woke up one day and wanted to release music and so I did and then it's like, oh, he fell off. And it's just like this thing that's so funny where it's just like, what do you what?
What?
Like, what do you even mean? and so in 2018, yeah man, it was really difficult. I made $30 million, it changed my life.
In one year.
Yeah, literally. Well, the thing about me though too is like it's a slow burn. So everybody might know me as like, oh, it's the Suicide Guy, yeah, it's 1,800 song, wow, you know. But as proud as I am of the song, I had been grinding for 10 years and I had built a fan base over that time of very, very big fan base where I could do five, six thousand people a night, which is really, really special. And then obviously I made this song, which I thought would never be a hit record. And then I'm selling out Madison Square Garden, which is really incredible. It's a big milestone for me. Because just eight years before then, I was in a guest room at my godmother's house doing my first signatures ever as Logic. And I actually have it framed over here. And it says me practicing my autograph 12-1-2010 and it's a whole bunch of logic signatures and at the bottom is a platinum ticket to a sold out Madison Square Garden, which is kind of crazy.
That's amazing.
Dude, you know what's really amazing is I've accomplished a lot and I've done a lot and I never thought about it. I never appreciated it. I was always moving on to the next thing. and I think that's what that was, too. I was exhausted. I was tired. And it was just like, you know, people. People saying, like, oh, you ain't never gonna have fans. And you have fans and say, oh, well, you'll never be able to perform. And then you perform for, like, maybe 50 people. Well, you'll never have a hundred people there. Never have a thousand.
And a thousand turns into four and.
Four to eight and eight to 22, 000 people sold out in an arena or outside Amphitheater or this or that. Oh, you'll never. You'll never. Yeah, man, you ain't never gonna Finish a mixtape, then you finish a mixtape. Oh, you ain't never gonna put out an album. You put out yeah, well, you ain't never gonna go gold and you go gold. Oh, you'll never go platinum. You go platinum and I'm 10 times platinum. And it's like, when is when is it enough? And that that's how I felt in 2018. What is enough? I'm not good enough, not black enough, not rich enough, not poor enough, not this enough, not that enough. And I'm constantly being berated, especially on social media. I haven't been on social media in two years. Wow. And I'm the happiest that I've ever been. But it's also had a negative effect on my quote unquote brand, which I could give a f about, because at the end of the day, I would rather be happy and doing the things that I love and spending a majority of my time with my wife and son while also being, you know, creative on the side. So that was a lot to take in in 2018. I mean, to the point where, sorry, I know I'm going on, but, and I was, I had a show in Pittsburgh. I was emaciated. I was throwing up backstage. I was completely unhealthy. Um, I want to kill myself. I didn't, I just was, it was the most difficult thing in the world, you know, everybody online saying you're a piece of s*** or you're this or that or blah, blah, blah, you suck or I hope your baby dies and wife's an ugly and blah, blah. And she was just some girl who worked at a f***ing smoothie shop I met, like, this is crazy. And I was going through a divorce at the time and this, it was, mind you, I'm married now and I'm talking about the woman that I was, that I was with at the time. And so it was just the most difficult thing. And then I got to go out on stage. And I remember feeling like I was passing out. And it was really crazy. And everything started to fade. And I'm in front of all these people. And I kind of stopped the show. And I remember being in the car, I jumped in the truck to just leave in the middle of the show. And I was like, I can't do this.
Wow.
But what I meant was, I can't leave. I was like, I can't leave these fans. I spent my whole life to get here and now I'm just gonna leave. I can't do that. But literally, I was riddled with anxiety, extremely unhealthy both mentally and physically. And I got back out on stage and I told the crowd, and it's in the book, I forget exactly what I said, but I basically said, I feel like s***. I feel like I'm gonna die. I'm so scared right now. I don't know what to do, but I'm gonna be honest with you. And I started fighting back these tears. And I was like, I just am so tired. I was like, I'm constantly on tour. I'm on tour 10, 11 months out of the year. Show after show after show, go after go, people in your ear, people in your pocket, people like, you know, you may never be here again. You got to keep going. And I'm telling the crowd this and I'm like, I just want you to know that you're worth it. And that's why I'm on stage right now because I'm here to spread that positive message of peace, love and positivity and let you know that even in your darkest of times, you can persevere. So that's what I'm going to do for you. here tonight. I'm going to do my best to persevere and not just walk off this stage. And then I broke down and I cried, and then the internet made fun of me. And that was a very difficult year. And that wasn't even all of it.
That was just like such a slight moment. Wow, man. So you were in the back of a trunk ready to bounce.
And then you said, let me get back.
Not the trunk. I was in the truck. But yeah, I thought you were like, you were in the trunk of the truck. Oh, no, no, no, no. Hiding, like hiding in the truck.
But you were in the truck and you were about to bounce, but then you went back out. yeah, I mean, I've done that every, every show I've ever done. I've done shows I shouldn't have done. I've done shows with 103 degree fevers. I've done shows where I'm intermittently puking my brains out on the side. I've done shows hawking up blood from my throat, smoking cigarettes, and it was, it's a, I'm glad I did it.
What do you think?
I did it.
Yeah.
Just because I'm here financially and now I can do whatever I want or not, and I don't plan on going on tour anytime soon.
So, that's nice. What would you say was the root of you feeling kind of that anxiety, that overwhelm, that stress? Was it that you felt like you were never able to live up to what people thought you couldn't do? Or was it just your own internal dialogue? Was there something else going on?
It was definitely a bit of both, you know, because when you have millions of people on the internet, you know, saying that you ain't shit, meanwhile, People are also loving you. Like the good always outweighs the bad. Alan Watts said anything you can be interested in, you'll find others who are. And that's what I found in hip hop. I found other nerds, you know? Like, so when I first started rapping, I'm talking about sci-fi and Star Wars and all this sh*t that nobody really on a mainstream levels was really rapping about your emotions and you're this and you're that. And then meanwhile, people can't really put me in a box because I look white, but my dad's black. So I'm biracial. But then that becomes this whole like meme thing where people are like, why are you always gotta prove? that you black? Like, why you gotta. And it's like, what are you talking about? I just sat down to do an interview, and he asked me what it was like to be a white boy in hip-hop and I just told you that every single person in my family is black with the exception of my mother. And now I'm suddenly, like, defending myself. Meanwhile, Kendrick Lamar, black thought, killer Mike, so many incredibly amazing rappers talk about being black in all their songs. Black. I'm black and them black.
Black is beautiful.
Black is this. And I come on three records for the first time in my career, my third album in going, hey, guys, I'm two things at the same time. And everyone's like, shut the Like it's kind of a, it's a gnarly thing. So dealing with that, dealing with identity. And see, the funny thing is, is I never had an identity issue. I didn't, I never didn't know what my identity was. I did. It was other people who couldn't accept it. They didn't like the fact that I understand anim of the culture. And yet, you know, this is the shade. We call it ultra light skin. No, I'm just kidding. But I feel like that was extremely difficult. And, you know, just not being accepted. I was never accepted, but I say in this book, you can't stand out and fit in at the same time. And so, even though it was a difficult road, I am very happy that I went through it all. But I was trying to.
I was.
Trying to make other people happy. I felt like my music was never good enough or never this enough or that enough. And once again, we come back to enough. And I just had to wake up one day and realize that it is like, For some idiot on the internet to be like, oh, you fell off. And it's just like, what does that even mean? No, I didn't. What are you talking about? But to know that, to know, like, no, I didn't. Everything you're saying is irrelevant. And especially in music and in rap, it's like the critique is not critique. And I say this in my book, my memoir. I say that, for example, my first novel that I wrote, right? So I was the first hip hop artist to ever release a novel, which is crazy. It's a fun fiction. It's really gnarly. And I actually, it's called Supermarket, and I used it as a form to be able to cope with my anxiety and the things that I was going through. So this, this main character is very much so, like myself. Now, it resonated with a lot of people, and then there was a lot of people who was like, oh, this is garbage. It's like it was written by a 10th grader. But honestly, I was like, okay, whatever. That's like, that's not that bad, you know what I mean? And then well, it wasn't number one New York Times bestseller, so I must have been doing something right. But when I say all this to say that, like, if somebody was to critique it, right, you know, you have a publication, and that publication could say something like, oh, I'm not really sure how I feel about the development of these characters. I'm not sure about the hero's journey and the blah, blah, blah. And that's fine. Now, in hip hop, it's completely different, you know? Like, nobody at New York Times ever was like, yo, this book suck ass. So like, and that's what, and that's, that's what I, you know, had dealt with and technically still still do deal with when it comes to music, only I have put it out of sight, out of mind, especially not being on the internet to take such critique. And it's not that I can't take it. A lot of people would say that, oh, he can't take critique, he can't take this. Well, that's not true. I wholeheartedly can. But these this concept of like, you gotta have tough skin. Like, no, I don't. I'm an emotional human being. I'm a man who's in touch with, you know, the essence of his feelings. And these are the things that I rap about. And if you tell me that you think my kids should die and my wife's a, that's gonna make me feel a certain type of way. So I'd rather just not even read that or be on the internet. And because of that, then there's a result of. the internet, which is pay to play. So it's like I have six million plus, I don't know, followers on Instagram, whatever that means, which I used to equate to worth and self-worth. And I used to own a little story, you know, it's like a 15 second snippet. You can just like record something. I used to get over a million hits on every single story. It's crazy.
It's crazy.
It's crazy. And then as I started to pull away from it, I mean, it's just, it's like, I don't know, a couple hundred thousand now, which is still amazing. But the difference is, is I found out that the less I engage, the less I'm rewarded. So I either literally have to pay to have my sh*t marketed and promoted so that everybody could see it, or I have to be on Instagram and Twitter 24/7, which is what I used to do, but it was only perpetuating the depression and the, you know, those feelings that I was feeling. So I decided, nope, it's not worth it. I have a core fan base who all follow me on Spotify and can't leave a bunch of f***ed up comments if they're just there to troll and hate. So I'm just gonna release music and spend time with my family.
Sorry for these tangents, bro. I love these tangents, man. These are amazing. I mean, so much to unpack there. For me growing up in Ohio, you know, in the, I was born in '83, so really like the late 80s, early 90s, we weren't allowed to express emotions. I'm not sure if you were allowed to express emotions as a kid. It doesn't sound like it. the only emotion that I was allowed to express was no emotion or anger. And I wrote a book called the Mask of Masculinity because it was breaking down the different masks that men put on to feel accepted, to fit into society with their friend group, with their family, with school, whatever it may be, their work group, things like that. Because, you know, for so many of us, it wasn't cool. I was a very emotional, sensitive, affectionate young boy. and I wanted to put my arm around my buddies and they would push me off and say, don't be a little girl, whatever it is, some negative term. So then I was like, okay, I have to put on this mask to fit in so people like me and feel like I have worth. So I can relate to that in a big way because. And I think so many young kids feel that way about the followers and engagement, the likes, and they tie it to their self-worth. And if they don't get that engagement, it's. It emotionally messes with them. So what advice would you give to people on the internet right now who are constantly on Instagram or Twitter or wherever it is, TikTok, and it affects them?
The advice I would give them, they're not gonna listen to. Don't be on it. It's completely get off of it, erase it, delete the account as a whole. Don't just, I'm gonna delete the app. That's the biggest thing I hear.
Would you come back out three days later?
Yeah, I'm gonna take a break. Yeah, bro, come on, forget about it. Sometimes I do certain posts if I want it to be very personal, but I don't have it on my phone, my assistant does. So I'll be like, Hey, let me, I don't know, tweet Lil Nas X or something. And so I'll do that from myself. And then sometimes I'll see something and I'll be like, oh, oh, wow, oh my God. And then I'm like, Holy, what am I doing? I'm scrolling. What is this? And then I literally, I'm like, Get this away from me. I say it every time, which is really funny. you know what it is, man? One, it's also a different era. So when social media started to become a thing, I was 17. This is 2007. I remember this because I remember watching the. The Dark Knight was coming out, and everybody was gonna hate on what's His Face for being Joker, Heath Ledger. And I thought he was gonna do great, and he did. And that was awesome. And so I just remember Ashton Kutcher.
Had, like, the most amount of followers. Yes. On Twitter.
Yeah.
It was, like, such a thing. was he the first one to a million or something or.
Yeah, yeah. And so this was, for me, it kind of happened later, right? Like, I was, I didn't really catch myself, like, online, like, all the time until, like, 20, 21. So I was a little older. But what I'm saying is these, these kids are literally born with a phone in their hands, so it's difficult.
Yeah.
Because so much of their socializing actually isn't really even in. in person. And when they are in person, they're still on their phones. So there's no connection.
Right.
So because of this, my nephew and.
Nieces, my nephew and nieces up, we were. We were on a vacation. They were literally on their phone the whole time. And I have been with one of them before where they're with their friends, and they're all friend. They're chatting with each other on the phone next to each other. Go, what are we doing here? You're chatting with each other. through the phone, but you're next week. It just makes no sense to me.
It's freaking weird. Now, the issue is that we. No, the issue is that we can't relate.
Right.
Because that wasn't our childhood.
Right.
So in many ways, even though it's definitely not healthy, there's things that we can relate to about kids. Right. Like, I don't know, you're in seventh or eighth grade, and you're in your first kind of real relationship, and you've been dating for, like, three weeks, and it's. amazing. And then this guy or girl breaks your heart, and then you go home and you act a certain way, and your parents find out, and the parents are like, oh, don't worry. Like, you'll. You're gonna be over this. You don't understand. And it's like, oh, I do understand. Like, it this thing, like, yeah, yeah, but it's okay. Like, so. But we can't do the same thing when it comes to social media because we don't know what that's like. We haven't been there. We haven't been bullied online and in person. We haven't had a crush on somebody face to face and then accidentally liked, you know, their picture and it's like this thing and then I don't, you know what I mean? Like there's a whole world of online bullying and just things that I could, I can't understand or put myself in if I was a kid. So I don't really know what I could say to a child that's constantly on social media. I will say it is, I do believe It is very similar to the this guy or girl broke your heart. Like you're gonna be all right. Like if you get off of this thing, like you'll be okay. But our society is headed to the metaverse, dude. Augmented reality next 10, 15 years. Phones are gonna be obsolete. Everybody's gonna be wearing glasses. We're gonna be having this conversation without any gear, any camera. It's gonna, it's crazy, which I think is good and bad. I think it's gonna connect people in a very positive way. And there's also gonna be repercussions for trolls. You're not just gonna be able to say, the most gnarly s*** in your mouth because you'll be one banned from that person's metaverse or possibly reported and then deleted from the metaverse as a whole. It's funny, I almost sound like a conspiracy theorist. The metaverse. It's a real thing, bro. Look it up.
For people listening, especially the younger generation that's saying, Bobby, this is great and all, advice to get off, but you made $30 million in a year. you've got your life now, you've got sit up, you made your art and expression to the world because of the internet, potentially, you know, you're able to get it out there in a big way.
That's it.
So, you know, for people that are trying to express themselves through their art, their business, their sports, whatever their talent is, their gift, and use the internet, how could they do without wrecking their mental health, without wanting to commit suicide without, you know, feeling unworthy every moment of every day and also use it as a powerful tool to advance their dreams.
What a great question. I think in my previous statement, that was just to the average person, particularly, you know, young kids, teenagers, but honestly, like even adults, like straight up, if you want to be happier, if you want to be happier, just get off the internet. Like, you know, like do other like, or at least these apps, these social media apps, which you're wasting your time in. When it comes to entertainment and dreams, which I totally get, yeah, you have to destroy yourself physically and mentally. If you really, truly, like, want to do, you have to be a psychopath, man. Like, all I did was music, music, music, music all the time. I didn't go to parties. I didn't drink. I didn't this. Not to say that you need to drink, but I didn't have, I didn't get drunk till I was 26, which is great. I mean, that's really cool. Maybe I was 25, but it's like that was my path. But it's just like, and I'm glad I did it, but what I'm saying is there's just certain things that I missed out on, opportunities, experiences, this, that. You have to be willing to do that, and you have to be on social media all the time. Now that's a real thing. If you want to blow up and you want to make it and you want to utilize this, you know, this, this device to your advantage, you have to basically sacrifice your 20s. Here's, here's a big thing. Okay. If you are doing something where you truly do need education, of course, go get your diploma, do your thing. But if you're starting up a business, college, straight up, I'm gonna tell you that you don't need it. Like this formal education is such, because you could be taking time and. Educating yourself, going out, getting in the field, whether you're interning, you're this, you're that, and making it happen, whether it's because it's like, okay, here's another thing. Okay, cool. You get your diploma, and then you go to some place that you want to work at, but then they tell you, oh, you need three years experience. Well, how the f*ck am I gonna get three years experience if I'm out of college and I just got a degree to do this thing? So it's like you have to make it you're everything. And most people can't actually do that. And I wouldn't take, take it back, though. My, my 20s were the most, my 20s were harder than my childhood, like, easily. And it was more so mentally and, and, and, and just what I had to deal with physically and going on tour and just, I mean, relationships, forget about it. It was so dude, grinding. Like, literally, it was the hardest thing in the world. But now here I am, and it's like, dude, I'm 31. And you said yourself, like, yeah, I can do whatever I want. Like, and that is kind of weird to say. It's a really weird thing, but, like, bro, I earned it, and that's not me trying to sound arrogant. Like, I earned it, dude. Like, sure. I remember being alone in very dark places and hotel rooms, like, and I got through it somehow, and I'm so glad I did. Like, I I earned it. So that's what anyone listening now has to do. They have to earn it and they have to be prepared. I would say get therapy, get a therapist and try to find balance as best as you can. But it's when it comes to dreams, there really is no balance. It's kind of just a hundred percent this thing constantly until you reach a peak because there is a, my biggest thing was like, okay, how many number ones can you have? How many this, how many that, da-da-da-da. I was in this hamster wheel and for so long I had these goals and had these goals and had these goals and then I just did, I had no more goals. I mean, you reached them all. Yeah, exactly. So like the only real thing that I haven't done yet is won a Grammy, but like who gives a sh*t? And I realized that that's just a glorified pat on the back. So that's not even really a goal to have a bunch of people in a committee who don't even really understand me or my music tell me, you know, why it's worth something or not or this or that. and that's not me saying that as like, well, you don't have a Grammy. Like, you sound salty. Like, no, this is me realizing, like, that doesn't matter. I'm not gonna kill myself for years and years to try to get a Grammy. So with all that. Yeah, I mean, balance, Focus, and just.
Would there been a. Would there have been a ritual that you would have added in the last decade, knowing what you went through, knowing the ups and the loneliness, the darkness, where there been, like, you know what? Every week. I'm going to talk to the therapist for my 20s or every week I'm going to get seven hours of sleep a night. Or would there have been anything you would have tried to shift that could have been like, you know what? I'm going to get off the internet for one day a week and just sit in nature. Like, what could you have done in a ideal world?
Yeah, you just said it. You said it all like that. All that would have been amazing. But there's just no way you could have told this guy that man.
Yeah.
Like there's just no way I'm going to get off the internet. If I'm off the internet for one day, that's followers. I'm in my head like followers that I'm not getting or fans that aren't gonna come to a city or this or da-da-da-da-da. And in many ways it's true. So that's why it's like you have to be willing, like me, I wanted ultimate success. I wanted the biggest success you could have and I got it. I did it. And the reason I did that is because I sacrificed everything to get it. Now, I don't think that's healthy, but once again, in retrospect personally, I am glad I did it. But I also somehow, common sense in God, just like when I was a kid, made it out the other side of all of this and realized my self-worth and that I don't need to do this and all these other things. I did. I did need to do that, not for self-worth, but to build a brand and a fan base around the world where I could tour for the rest of my life if I want and be financially okay. I had to do that. And now I'm just at a place where I'm like, okay, I could continue to do that. I could keep having 30 million dollar years or I could have a couple million dollar years.
Right.
And enjoy your life.
Right.
And what is that? Like, it doesn't really change my, yeah, my quality of life. And you know what is even more important is I can do the thing my parents did. I can spend time with my child and I can be a good dad. And that's what's more important to me now.
Yeah.
You grew up in a poor household and my audience is really curious about optimizing their life in many different ways, their health, their mindset, their spirituality, their relationships, and financially. And you grew up in this poor household. What was your mindset around money growing up? And how did you shift your mindset at some point to really start building wealth, manifesting and attracting money, and also not blow it? You're not just spend it all and be broke. two years later.
Wow. Okay, so I don't. I don't even remember ever seeing money in the household. I remember when food stamps weren't on a card, on an EBT card, and they were actual food stamps that looked like Monopoly money. I knew nothing of money. I knew no concept of saving it. What that meant. I mean, we had just enough to.
Get by, like, literally, day by day.
Yeah.
Yeah.
For real.
And it's like the first of the month, like. that bone thug song, wake up, wake up, wake up. It's the first of the month. It's like, yeah, motherfucker food stamps, we're eating chicken tonight. And then by the end of the month, it's powdered milk and shits and like gross gizzards and shits. And so, yeah, for real.
So.
I never understood that. I never got that. I never knew any of what that meant. I think that the understanding fundamentally, like how to use and utilize money and save money didn't come till I was 17 and I got two jobs. so I left home at 17. I got two jobs. I worked at a flower shop and I worked at Jiffy Lube, and I'm making like 750 an hour, dude. Like, so it's like you're not even. This is Maryland.
Yeah.
Yeah.
So it's like a suburb of DC, and there's no nothing.
You can't save anything.
Yeah, yeah, exactly. You can't really save anything. So I'm enjoying, like, Kenny's Chinese chicken and like that. Like, I'm enjoying it, you know, Starving Marvin Subs and maybe an occasional video game or something like that, but. for the most part, that was it. It wasn't until I really signed. So I signed my deal with Def Jam in 2012, and I went from having, like, 12 in my bank account to 175, 000 overnight.
Wow.
The first thing I did was I went to Taco Bell because that was, like, Ruth Chris of those.
Luxury.
Yeah.
So I'm like, here we go. and I, I bought my homies, you know, some, some stuff. I got my producer, some, I got my, my videographer, a new camera. I hooked up my mom's, my, my homies mom's car that we used to drive all, all around because it was broken down. But besides that, I saved every, every dime that I had. And I put it into myself and in my craft. And then I moved to La and I was paying rent. We were staying kind of in the hills, but it was like, yeah, it was, it was, it was an all right house. And I did all that. And then I went on tour and I literally, like, it was just investing my money in myself. So I would like, I would pay for the merchandise, we'd haul it around in trash bags, we'd go to these, these, do these shows. I'm selling these tickets. Things are going good. I'm making my money back, making a bit of Profit. And then I remember for the big tour, we needed a tour bus. And this was for my debut album Under Pressure in 2014. And by the time I fronted all the money, I only had 1200 in my bank account.
Ooh.
So it's like, I'm this like, you know, I made it. My album's out. My. But there's always something else that you don't really realize.
And.
That was crazy. But I made my money, and then I. I did good. And, you know, I remember getting my first million dollar check from a merchandise company, which is crazy.
Wow.
Because we were selling such merch and such good merch and things were going well, well, well. And then even when I had that $30 million a year, like people were like, invest your money, make your money, make money for you. And it's not until now, you know, recently that I've actually started, you know, investing certain things like crypto and whatever. But I'm still like that poor kid that's like, no, mine.
Right.
Like if it's in this account, if it's in this account, it's not going anywhere. So like, no, like no. But, you know, I'm at a place now where I want my money to make me money. So, yeah, I think it's trial and error. And once again, God in common sense, something. Don't get me wrong, man. I've had some fun, man. I went to Vegas and blew 120 grand. Oh, like I knew I was going to lose it. And people were like, you,'re crazy. You're crazy. You're just going to, you're going to, you know, you're going to put 40 grand on red. And I'm like, yep. And then I made 80 and then I lost it. And then I'm back and forth. because for me, as insane as it was, it's like this made up for every Christmas I didn't have, every birthday gift I didn't get. Like, I'm having a blast. I am paying 120, 000 right now to have the best time in the world. And I don't do this all. It's not like I do this all the time. It was like, I only ever did it the one time. You know, I bought a Bronco for a quarter million dollars. I bought a bunch of nerd, you know, guitars, things like that. Yeah, for sure. But at the end of the day, it's like, yeah, dude, like, I I did. I saved my money and. And that's because I never got into it like just in boats and boats. And like, I wasn't like rap is what I'm, it's gonna be this thing. I was like, no, I'm gonna utilize it and realize that this is a business and spend, spend my money, where it should be.
For young artists, entrepreneur, athletes, anyone who's building their thing, whatever their thing is, what would you say are the three greatest investments they should be making? you know, once they start making a little bit of money more than day by day, but it's like, okay, I've made, I've got an extra thousand or $5,000 a month. That's a lot of money for younger people, but I've got some extra cash.
Yeah.
What should I invest in? Three things that they should be investing in, whether it's back in themselves, whether it's in their merch or their products or their, you know, hiring a coach, whatever it is, a trainer, a therapist, like what would you say are those three things they should be investing in at an earlier age.
I feel like if they're making pretty decent money, they're already investing in themselves. They're being smart enough to know that whatever their brand is or their sport or their career, they are spending that money to make sure that they can do it well, whether they're in the gym and they're getting pre-workout powder and like, oh, like, you know, so they are already spending their money where it needs to be. It's funny because like I said, I'm the guy that was like mine. So I was just saving my money. So number one, I would say like save your money, like for sure, but put it in a savings account that's going to at least, you know, make a little bit. Yeah, compound interest and all this other stuff. So that's number one. Number two, have fun. I didn't have fun. I didn't have fun at all. And I wish I did. I wish I had a little more fun. nothing crazy, but, like, that's one regret I do have, is that I was so focused that I didn't really even just have, like, eat. Like, dude, I would go on trips with. It'd be like, oh, yeah, we're gonna go to Big Bear, man. And I'd be like, all right, I guess I'll go, because it's, like, my best friend's birthday. So I'm like, okay, but, like, I have to get there. As soon as I get there, I got the. laptop and the microphone set up and, like, I'm, like, still recording and working. Like, I wish, I guess what I'm saying is for a day or a weekend or whatever, that I would have at least just enjoyed those precious moments with, like, family, because they are my family. I don't really have family, so that was family. And it's like, oh, man. But low-key it's like, my best friend's my producer, so it's his birthday. And he's like, yeah. And he's making beats with me. He's just. He's just doing it drunker than usual, right? So it's like, Because so that's another thing. And then third, I don't know. I'm not sure.
No worries. What do you think are the biggest lies around success that you wish people understood more? Because you've accomplished pretty much every goal there is for yourself, made the money, all the, you know, platinum, all this stuff. What's the biggest lies around success you wish people understood more?
Well, one, it's all fleeting. So one, the biggest cliche, money doesn't make you happiness. Success can't make you happy. Like it's just so true. But at the same time, it's a bit of a double-edged sword because we all want to feel worthy. We all want to feel accomplished. And you have to, you know, like I want to be the best dad in the world, but as good of a father as I want to be, I still have my own dreams. And if I don't chase those dreams and follow those dreams even very responsibly to make sure that I'm making time, like I'm not gonna be happy. And if I'm not happy, I'm not gonna be a good dad. So I would tell people, I mean, the biggest thing is like just do it 'cause you love it. Like if you're doing, if your goal or motivation is like money and success, you're not gonna be happy. You'll be successful, but you won't necessarily be happy. So with music, my goal for sure, I was like, I do wanna make a bunch of money. I do wanna be really famous. I do want this. But none of that mattered when I was writing my raps. None of that mattered when I was making beats. When I was actually in the studio with my friends, all that mattered is that we were creating something genuine from our heart. We were having fun. We were making the music we liked and loved. So whether it's a sport you love to play, don't just be like, oh, I'm gonna be the best running back. Or, you know, I don't know about sports. I'm gonna be honest, I watch anime. But whatever that is, it's like, cool. But like, do you love the game? Is it just something that your dad, like, drilled you to do and you're like one of the baller brothers or whatever, you know? Do you love it? I'm not hating. Maybe they love it. I don't know. But I'm just, you know, it's like Joe Jackson. It's like, do you really actually love this thing? So make sure whatever it is, you enjoy it. And honestly, you could enjoy making money. Like that's a real thing. You could be like, I'm gonna start an investment company and I'm gonna this, this, this. And like it gets me excited. I'm gonna make people their money and make money from their money. And that, like for sure, like you can do that. But just know at the end of the day, okay, you got that money now what? When somebody's like, Hey, what do you like to do? And you're like, Make money? Like, come on, get the f out of here. Like, you're going to sit down at a date. Cool. Yeah, you got the bread. You can take her to the, you know, him or her to the nice restaurant. And then, but then what, fool? Like, do you like golf? Like, what do you do? You know, you want to go drive go-karts? Like, life is so much more than just this thing. So I would say, Yeah, make sure you love actually love what you're doing or it's just you're gonna be miserable, dude.
Right.
And what would you say, who would you say was the most influential person in your life growing up then?
Then as in while I was rapping or when I was, I mean, when.
You were a kid, pre 18. Was it a teacher? Was it a sibling? Was it a family friend?
Was it a, I think it was that Josh that I told you about who used to walk around with guns under his trench coat because he actually told me the first he took, he was the first person to ever told me what a kid should hear. I used to skateboard, right? And I love skateboarding, man. And, I mean, really, I'd be doing Nollie flips and switch trade flips and this and, like, I was skating constantly all the time. It was, it was a, it was a way to escape, but also it was my first real insight. into kind of a 10,000 hour, and I definitely didn't do 10,000 hours of it, but that if you put your heart and soul and effort into something little by little, you'll get better at it, right? And so I remember doing that, but there's this term in skateboarding called commitment, being willing to commit to throw your body over a slab of concrete, defying gravity, or jumping down a 15 stair handrail and grinding. No, I wasn't. I was not willing to commit my spine fluid. Yeah, exactly. Exactly. So I was like, no. But he told me that one day, he was like, bro, you're so much better at rapping than you'll ever be at skateboarding, and you don't even have to try. And I was like, wow. And he was like, yeah, man, seriously. He said, I really think you should do this thing. You're really good at this thing. And nobody ever told me that before. How are you? He also, I was like 15, 15, 16. But then a couple years later, he like, gutted this dude and split his intestines all over the sidewalk and went to prison for a while, but now he's out. And he struggles with mental illness and drugs. And I'll never forget, man, he was living at his parents house, and he was like 18.
And.
He was like, I'm gonna take a year off college, which is what everybody says, every kid says before they f*** their life up. And then he went to Amsterdam, and he started doing absinthe. Got really into green and came back and was like, I'm the Joker. And I was like, It was crazy. So, yeah.
But having him tell you something you're really good at and acknowledge you for a natural gift, no one else had done that.
No, never.
Where do you think you'd be without him saying that?
I don't know. I still love to rap, right? It's just, it wasn't my focus and maybe it would have become my focus later. I don't know. It's just such a, like, I love questions like that, but they're just so difficult to answer at the same time because it's like, oh, what if you didn't do music? Well, if I didn't do music, like my gut goes, I'd be a writer or an actor or this, but it's like an actor from Gaithersburg, Maryland. What are they, what are the odds? Like, you know, truth be told, I'd probably be working with my best friend Lenny at a land surveying company living in an apartment. you know, settling rather than, like, actually trying to pursue or follow a dream.
So.
Yeah.
And how old is your child now?
19 months, a year and a half.
What's been the. So, yeah, I mean, all through quarantine, I guess. What's. What's been the biggest lesson for you becoming a father that your child's taught you?
It's. that you're not, you're really not in control, man. Like, it's scary, like being in the car with your kid and there's some jerk off, like, you know, cutting you off at 80 miles an hour. Like, the world is a really scary place. My son went to bend down to grab a ball the other day and hit his, hit his, his chin. Yeah, he was fine, but it's just like, my son is going to feel pain. My son is going to, have his heart ripped out of his chest by someone that he loves. My son's gonna do f*cked up things. We've all done that, you know, make mistakes as a kid, maybe be mean to somebody, and hopefully learn from it. But all the pain and kind of anguish that we experience as human beings, flesh and blood in this world, actually makes us human beings. It is these experiences that we go through. And so I know that as difficult as it's gonna be if he ever breaks his arm or goes skateboarding and actually commits his spinal fluid to a 13 stair, like, I'm not in control of that and all I can do is be there for him. I'm not in control of what happens to me or my wife. And I have these thoughts a lot, you know? It's like, I think like, oh shit, what if I die? What if my wife dies? What if we all die? What if this, what if that? I think about it a lot. And it's not like I go down some spiral you know, it's just honest, natural thoughts. So I think I've learned by having this beautiful little boy in my life, that this world is about acceptance. That's what I've learned from him. Understanding that you are just not in control. As much as you think you're in control, you're just not. I think you are in control of some things, you know, how you react to someone, how I react to my son, you know, I don't yell at him, like. But, yeah, he's taught me that, like, life is so precious, and.
But.
And it's also, like, kids are kids, so. Yeah, bust your chin open, kid. Yeah, you'll be all right. Yeah, it's a weird thing.
Let's hypothetical scenario. Maybe you won't like this question, but. Let's just say you could only share three things with him consistently for the next 18 years. You could only say three different sayings or three things.
I already know.
What would you say to him? Oh, you couldn't say anything else. You couldn't say anything else to your son except for these three things over and over. Like one could be I love you and that'd be one thing. Like if you could only share three things with your son for the next 18 years. and you couldn't say another word.
Oh, what? Yeah.
I thought you meant what could I share with him? Which could be another one.
That'd be interesting, too. That's the second question.
Okay, then I'll get right into that. I love you for sure. 100, because I always want to know that I love you. His name. So that I could always say his name and. And he knows that I'm there and. Probably, I'm here. Just, I'm here. Just so he knows I'm here. He knows I love him and I can always address him. Bobby, I love you. I'm here. I think that's kind of a cool thing that I would say. Now, the other three things that I'd want to share with him, which is one thing that we already have, this it is obsessed with Metallica, dude. Like, you don't understand, bro. He goes, that's how he says it. And he f***ing loves that. He loves this other artist, one of my favorite artists named Toro y Moi, who's a homie of mine. Like, he likes Mac DeMarco, but it's always Metallica. Like, I'll be trying to show him, like, hip hop. I'm like, Hey, don't forget about the rap kid. And he's like, and he'll listen to it. He likes when daddy makes rap music. Like, yesterday I was like making beats and s***. And he was like, he does this thing. He's so cute. Anyway, I'm in love. Um, But music, music is a big one. Movies and conversation. Those are the three things I hope to share and I've already begun to share with my boy because I love film, I love having conversations and I love music and both movies and music spark big conversation.
Yeah, that's cool.
Communication, I guess.
What would you say is also the biggest fear you've had to overcome in the last couple of years? with having your son, with the pandemic, with letting go of the internet, with just the entire... You've transitioned a lot. I mean, lots of letting go and rebirth and transition and self-awareness. What's the biggest fear you've had to overcome?
A couple weeks ago, I had a pretty gnarly cry in bed with my wife. And it just kind of happened out of nowhere. And the reason why is because I've been letting go and I finally fully let it go. that like the $30 million year, I don't want it. Like that, like to value over fear, right? So what do I value more? At that time, I valued the money, not the fear of, oh, I might be running myself to death. Like, you know, like I value that money. And now I'm at a place where I value my son, I value my wife, I value the things that I never really gave a sh*t about before. Obviously, I've always cared about my wife and my son, but what I mean is as they came into my life, I realized, oh my God, these are the things that matter more. So it was a very weird and emotional feeling to know people on the internet might be like, oh, you fell off. because I'm not on the internet all the time and because I'm not in everybody's face, like, look at me, look at me tap dancing for, you know, Massa, this music engine and entertainment. Like, no, it was very scary, and it's. It still can be. You know, I've spent my entire career to be known, respected, loved for my music, for my this, for my that, and then I'm purposefully taking a step back. But it's because I did it. I did it to death. I've done it over and over and over. Album after album, number one after number one, platinum after platinum, money after money after this. Okay, cool. You got it. Like, so what? And that's why I love film. So, like, I'm taking $2 million and making a film right now that I wrote that I'm gonna star in. And it's not some, like, Sharknado 3. Like, we're shooting it on 16 millimeter film. Like, it is gonna be dope. I'm excited. And whether it's successful or not, I'm making it for the same reason that I made music originally, which went on to be successful because I love it, because it's me and my homies making beats and doing raps. And it's like I wrote this script and it's fun. And my buddy Andy Hines is gonna be the director who did the 1-800-Music-Video and so many music videos for me. He's like Spike Jones, like this dude is gonna go from making skateboard videos to big films. And I'm really excited and it's scary, it's scary to know, but I'm also 31. That was another realization that I had, like, Yo, hip hop has always been a young man's game. It doesn't mean that the quote unquote legends aren't invited or involved or this or that, but it's just like, dude.
I'm not trying to like, yeah, 18 year old TikToker.
Yeah.
Like, literally like TikTok, bro. I've never been on TikTok. I don't have a TikTok. I think my manager made me a TikTok and like, might post on it. Like, I could give a f*** about all that sh*t. I think it's cool. I think it's super dope, but you're just not about to catch me out here like, Whip it. Got me on my trip. Like, no, dog. Like, I'm buying Bitcoin, fam. You know what I'm saying? Like, I'm not.
You're that investment guy.
Yeah.
So, yeah, there it is.
Bobby, what's the thing you're most proud of that most people maybe don't know about? Maybe something that you don't talk about or maybe something smaller that's not in the press or, you know, maybe it's just something between you and your family that you're proud of or. what is that thing?
I'm proud and a little pissed off that I'm a very empathetic person. I'm proud of that because my friends and my family and my loved ones, it really matters to me if there's an issue or if we have a disagreement or this or that or they're going through something, it kind of consumes me. It's not good. Even just a friend going through a difficult time, like, dude, it sucks and I'll think about it and think about it and think about it. but I think it also makes me a good person and it makes me care. But yeah, I'm really proud that I'm empathetic and I care for others and feel others.
That's great, man. I got a few final questions for you if it's cool for you. And before I get to the questions, I want people to be aware and get this book. It's a memoir by Bobby Hall, this Bright Future, a lot of great stories and If you've been inspired by this message here, then you'll be inspired by the book and more stories and lessons and things that Bobby's overcome in his life. I think you guys are really going to like this. So make sure you get a copy for yourself. Get a copy for a friend. Share it out there. Share it out there on the internet. Even though Bobby may not see it on the internet because he's never there.
Anymore, but make sure to tag him and let him know that you're reading it, that you're checking it out. I did the audiobook too.
I just want people to know that. So I do all the voices and.
All the this and that.
It'S a really fun one.
That's cool. Get the audiobook as well. You've talked about your wife a number of times in this interview. How long have you guys been married?
We have been married for two years.
Okay. What is the thing you love the most about your wife?
She's my best friend. Sounds cliche, but it's so true. She's f*cking dope. She like, we have conversations, bro. and we actually talk. Like, it's so funny. Like, I I don't. Man, I'm kind of at a loss for words. First of all, she's smoking a.
Right?
So when I saw her, I was like, oh, my God, this girl is gorgeous. Like, I'm in love with this chick. And there's a part of me that, you know, I was just like, well, it doesn't matter. She could be hot. Like, is she a good person? And everything that I hope she would be, she is. I love that she you know, she's the definition of what human beings are best at. And I believe that's adaptation. And she has adapted to life with me. I've adapted to life with her, with our child. And I. I love how much I can talk to my wife. And we're so open about everything. Like, everything, man. Like, we talk about whatever, whatever we're into, what we're not. We truly can't agree to disagree, and we're both. very passionate. But there's no yelling. I love that. We don't yell. We don't scream. We don't this. We don't that. We have conversation. They could get heated. Voices make slightly raised. But there's no you. Oh, and there's no Bobby's little Bobby's, you know, childhood there. And, and, and I, I, that's what I love the most is just our communication.
How did you know that she would be your wife? like, what was it when you were with her dating? When did you know, like, oh, this is the girl? I I I don't know, man.
She just was so cool. And it's like I was. I was. I was going through a divorce and had been separated. And in my previous marriage, I kind of went through, like, I just checked the boxes because I came from dysfunction. So in my previous marriage, I was, like, pretty educated, normal, this, that. But all those things don't necessarily equate to. A healthy marriage, you know? And long story short, that just didn't work because we were two changing people that weren't changing together. It's that simple, right? And with this, I just, all the things I'd kind of wanted to do and was into, and she was just, she was in, like our first date was skydiving, dude.
Wow.
Yeah, so that was fun. She's adventurous, exciting. That's what it was. And then I just noticed she was so different. I mean, mind you, bro, she was like 19. which is really weird. So it's kind of like low-key red flag. Like, all my homies are like, what are you doing? Are you robbing the cradle? She robbed the grave. What's going on? But. But, no, I don't. It's weird. A maturity Beyond her years. It's.
I don't know.
It's. She was just got it. She got it. Like, that's another thing. Like, sometimes you'd, like, date girls or somehow a logic would slip out or something like that, and you're like, oh, no. like, I can't with you. Like, this is, you know, her. She was never that. I was always just Bobby. I was myself. And then the cool thing is, like, I noticed very quickly, one, she's extremely good with money, and she's not materialistic. So I would, like, take her places and be like, yo, what's up? Let's go to Louis Vuitton, girl. Like, I just made 30 million dollars lately. Let's have a little bit of fun. And we'd go, and then she, like, wouldn't get anything. Like, bring her back again. She wouldn't. She wouldn't. And I'd have to, like, force her to get something. That was a big thing that let me know, like, it's not about money, it's not about, but I mean, hey man, there's a reason women date doctors and lawyers and that, like, you want a successful man who has money because at the end of the day, if you take it back to like this primal instinct, you want a man who can forage and hunt and build a house, like you want that. So it's like, obviously she was attracted to my success, attracted to just me as a creative person. So I get that. That's normal. But it was never just that. Just like it was never, like, just her body or the fact that she's so physically beautiful. It's like, yeah, you could be a bimbo, though. I'm not gonna.
Right.
I'm not gonna like you. So it was kind of that. So. Yeah.
What do you. What do you think is a thing? You strip away all your creative success and accomplishments and money and good looks. What do you think is the thing that she loves the most about you?
Probably that I'm really sweet and thoughtful and funny. I think that's it. Because I am, you know, I like to do things. I just surprised her the other day and rented out a whole ice skating rink like a Happy Gilmore.
Nice.
Like that. It's important, man. Anybody listening to this, no matter who you are, do something for your significant other and do it often. and do it by surprise. Like, you know, not so often that they expect it.
Right.
Like, you gotta, you know, you still, you don't want it to be all the time thing, but whether it's a single rose, a dozen roses, 10 million roses, whether it's just a note that they find that you, you put in their purse or their wallet or they're this, like, just these little tiny things that let them know that you care. Sometimes I'll tell, I'll go the easiest. Get yourself a marker and a packet of Post-It notes and write cute little things that you love about them or whatever and post it all over the house. Like, that's awesome. Like, just these, it's not about money. It's not about, you know, mastros or nobu or, you know, going to the best restaurant or it's really not. It's just about caring. And, yeah, so I love this, man.
I could, I could talk to you for a long time, but I want to ask you the couple final questions I ask everyone at the end of episodes. This is called the three truths, and I feel like I've asked you many threes of a lot of things today. But another hypothetical scenario, imagine it's your last day on Earth. Many, many years away, you get to live as old as you want to live, but eventually you got to turn the lights off. And wherever you go next is where you go. And you continue to accomplish all of your dreams and goals or live the lifestyle you want to live and you have the happy life, everything you want to do, it happens. But for whatever reason, you've got to take your creative work with you to the next place or it can't be here in this world. And so this interview, all your music, all your books and writing and everything, all your content is somewhere else. No one has access to it anymore. But you get a piece of paper and a pen, if there's paper and pen at that time, and you get to write down three things you know to be true, three lessons that you've learned in your life that you would leave with the world for them to live by, kind of three principles. what would you say would be those three truths for you?
Always make time for friends and family. You know, always put out good or positive energy into the world, because I do believe you will get that back and have fun. Life's short. For real. Seriously.
So.
I want to acknowledge you, Bobby, for the realness you bring. Man, it's the first time I've connected with you over Zoom. Hopefully, we'll meet in person someday, but I've seen obviously content with our guy Gary Vee and other stuff you put out there in your music. It's always inspiring to see your realness, but to experience it digitally in this sense, I love how authentic you are, man. I love your journey, your growth, your humility, and the fact that you were, you know, for a lot of people at the top of the top. And you said, you know what? What's most important is wife, you know, kid, my mental health, you know, stability, emotional regulation, all that stuff. And you said, I'm going to take a, you know, take a pause or take a break or whatever it is for as long as you need to, to focus on that. And I really acknowledge that, that example, because so many people are constantly striving for more, more, more, more, more Fame, more success, more money. And you said, no, I want less so I can have a greater life. And I think that's something to be acknowledged. And I really, really value that in you as a human being to set that standard and example for this period of time. And I appreciate your realness, man. This is before I ask the final. You're welcome. Before I ask the final question, I want to remind people one more time, get this book, this bright future. Make sure to share. It's got some gnarly stories, some great lessons. You'll be inspired, you'll be freaked out all the stuff.
So check it out, give it to.
A few friends, give it to your kids to read this as well.
And please, it's crazy, man. I got kidnapped, I got held hostage, I ran around with guns, I shot guns, I could crack, my brother sold my dad crack. It's the craziest, like, that is, I'm.
So excited for people to check this thing out, man.
It's a wild ride. Yeah, yeah, make sure you guys get a few copies of this. This is the final question for this interview. and it is. What is your definition of greatness?
Oh, wow. It's funny because, like, everything else you asked, I felt like I. I was like, oh, yeah, I got this definition of greatness. I mean, that's like, so, like, for a human being, for craft, for whatever.
Whatever you're definitely.
I.
This is the question I asked everyone at the end, you know, from. From billionaires to World. to class athletes to scientists and doctors. It's just what is your definition of greatness?
Wow.
I think my definition of greatness.
Is.
For a person to know what success and happiness means to them. And if they can achieve that, they've achieved greatness. And that doesn't have to be being a billionaire, being a sports, you know, somebody who plays sports, being a musician, being famous, being this. It could be somebody who goes to a job and they go to that job and maybe they don't even love that job, but they go to it so that it can support the things that they actually do love in life and that they're focused on. I think my definition of greatness is that happiness and finding success in yourself and in your life.
My man Bobby, thank you so much for being here, man.
Appreciate it.
Thanks, my G. Chicken chicken. I appreciate you. This has been so fun and you're really fantastic at your job, which is super cool. So thank you for having me. I hope to meet you in person. I hope to be back. And I hope the listeners have enjoyed this. And I just would like to thank them for, well, those who have stuck around for listening to my story. And I hope you enjoy the book. And if not, all good. I appreciate you. I appreciate I appreciate just this moment. It's really special. So thank you very much.
It's been beautiful, man. I appreciate you opening up. And for those that maybe will catch you once a month on the internet, where should they go to connect with you the most? If they get a second of your time.
Nah, fuck that. Just listen to my music, social media. So go to Spotify.
Go to Spotify.
Yeah, go to Spotify.
Listen to music there.
Get the book, get the audiobook. You know what? Actually, sometimes I release fun videos on my YouTube channel.
It's called Bobby's World.
So I guess there, that's cool.
We'll link it all up in the.
Show notes and put it out there.
For people if they want to check that out too. But Spotify and check it out. Check out the book. So appreciate it, man.
Swag.
This is awesome.
Thank you.
If you enjoyed that interview, then I know you'll love what we have coming up right now.
You moved to the US when you were 16-17, right?
From Colombia.
You didn't speak English before then.
Not at all.
And why did you move to the US? you moved to Oklahoma and why there?
Well, I didn't, I didn't choose Oklahoma. I think Oklahoma chose me.
Yeah.
You know, like, I was looking for, you know, to be an exchange student.
Oh, really?
Yeah.
So, it was something like just random, you know, like they just, they just, I don't know, they put your name, maybe they put your name in a box and be like, okay, Jose is going to, Oklahoma, Atoka. That was the name of the town.
Really? Small town probably, right? Super, like 20, 000 people or less.
I think this is, this is the town right here.
Sure. Yeah.
So, so you went through your junior.
Year or senior year?
That was, that was senior year.
Yeah.
Yes.
No English. A few words, maybe.
Yeah.
You know, I always been, you know, I was listening to hip-hop since I was a little kid and listened to rock. heavy metal.
So.
I thought that I have some ideas, but when I got there, I was like, now I'm lost.
And you have to listen in class and study and try to figure out what people are saying and learn.
Yeah, you know, I think that was really a blessing because you have to, there's no other way, you have to learn how to, yeah, you have to survive, how to suppress yourself, even with your hands or whatever. you know, somebody will help you like a spoon.
Yeah, exactly.
Eat.
Okay, eat.
Yeah, that's funny, man.
So, yeah, I went there and why.
Did you want to go be an exchange student?
Because, you know, I, I think when you know English and that's basically is kind of like music. It's a universal language at the end of the day, you know, so. I wouldn't be here talking to you. It's true. It'll be different.
It's funny because Anita Nozarrio, who you know, yeah, of course, in Puerto Rico.
He'S like one of the biggest.
I got a star there in Puerto Rico. A good friend of mine is great friends with her. And I said I was interviewing you because I saw he posted a photo of you on social media when he was at your show a couple nights ago in Puerto Rico. And I go, yeah, I'm having him on. He goes, he speaks English. He was like, shocked that you spoke English.
I was like, I'm pretty sure, you know?
So it's amazing because not many people from Colombia or artists, I'm assuming they don't speak English like you do.
Well, I don't know. I just. It depends if you really want to conquer the world or not. That's true. You know, like, it depends how you like all the biggest guys that always dream to meet or, you know, or to be like them. basically they all, most of them are all from here, you know, like for real Williams or, you know, like, even, even Scooter Brown, you know, people that I really like, like, I really admire and say, wow, how nice they are. And when I was a kid, we're like, okay, how am I, how am I gonna talk to them? That they admit, you know, they are just gonna have them in front of me. what I'm gonna do, speaking Spanish, what if they don't know?
Get a translator.
It's not gonna be cool. So, you know, if I really want to conquer the world one day and just try to express what's my point of view, because I don't have to sing in English, you know, because it's all about the right vibes, you know? But when it comes to really express myself and what's my message to the world, I have yeah, of course.
What is your message to the world? What's your vision? Well, for why you do all this?
Definitely. I think, you know, I just. I had a, like, six months ago, I had a airplane crash. Really?
Yeah.
Like a private plane or is this.
Yeah. And.
Everybody in that island, like, we were the only survivors. from all the airplane crashes that had happened over there.
Wow.
Where was this? That was in Bahamas.
Bahamas?
Yeah, Bahamas.
Yeah.
How many people were on the plane?
We were. We were six and you all survived. Yes. And not even one scratch. And everybody died. Last, like, you know, when I got out from the plane, you know, the plane was caught up on fire and. And we all were alive, and I was like, why? So when I started, like, running to the FBO, I was like, I told them a story. They were like, you're lucky because everybody died. You know, like, the last seven airplane crashes that they had there, everybody died. Wow. So there's no. There's no. There's no coincidence. I think life is perfect, man. So I remember that Farrah Williams called me that day, and it was like, listen. there's no life has no mistakes. It's perfect. And you're here because of reason. So he was like, what are the chances to be alive and more from an airplane crash? So that's when I was like, okay, so I gotta. I still have something to do in this world, and. And I always knew it, but I always knew, but now I'm like, I. reassure that, you know, the message that I have to send to people is like, you got a dream, you know, you need a reason why, you know, to get up in the morning and say, okay, I'm gonna get this. This is what I want to. And dreams are beautiful, man, because they keep your, they keep you with hope. And when there's hope, there's a future. And that's, you know, that I think that's the message, you know, music. it's just the way I can get to the people and tell the story.
Yeah.
You know, like go and follow your dream. Everything is possible, you know? And the good thing about dream is just like there, you know, there's no end, you know, you can dream as long as you want. Yeah.
Once you achieve one dream, you use.
Another one and another one and another one and it doesn't matter how big they are. If they're small, small dreams or big dreams, they're all dreams and that's what it matters.
What's your dream right now?
The big dream.
Wow.
One of my biggest dreams. I have a lot, you know, it depends. This professional dreams, personal dreams, spiritual dreams, you know, like I want to have a family. That's one of my biggest dreams. But maybe it's not the moment right now. So that one, I have to wait a little bit. But musically speaking, I think I really want conquer the world, like, at least the farthest I can get with Spanish, you know, like, I'm not in a hurry to do nothing in English, but I'm doing it too because for. But more. I'm doing it for fun.
Yeah.
You know, like, I'm not hungry to be famous. I think I want to be successful, which is different because you can do any stupid thing and be famous. in a second, you know, kill somebody or say some stupid words, you know, be racist, you know, there's a lot of stupid things that there's a lot of famous stupid people.
To get attention.
Yeah. Yeah.
So I want to be successful, and that takes more time. And at the end of the day, when you're really successful, people will know about it, you know, even if they don't understand what you're saying, the music is going to be. so dope they just gotta flow with it.
Gotta move.
Yeah.
You know, it doesn't matter who you are.
Absolutely.
Amazing, man. What's the definition of success for you?
Well, I think it's a good question right now. I think success is.
Feel.
Proud of what you do and at the same thing, at the same time, you're inspiring people. to make their own dream too, you know, because there's no, there's no reason why, I mean, there's a lot of things right now in my mind, so I'm making some translations. It's okay, you know, but, but what I think right now is like, what's the reason to be successful if you cannot share that with your people, your family or with the world, you know, like, what you're gonna do? Let's talk like money wise, for example. What are you gonna do? You have $10 million in cash just for you. What are you gonna do with it? What's the point?
Once you got your house and you.
Got... Yeah, but you're gonna be alone.
Exactly.
Right.
It's different to be with your family and you just share it and then you buy an airplane, just be with your people, your friends, your family, and take them with you and show them the world how beautiful it is. you know, at least you gotta share. I think it's, it's being successful is sharing, and at the same time is giving them hope that if you make it, they can make it, too. I think that, you know, a little bit of what I think that's, what's been successful. But I think there's a lot of ways to express that, of course.
Yeah.
I mean, you know, I was just in Guatemala a couple weeks ago. I was telling you, and everywhere we went in Guatemala, Christine was there. There was Billboards of your face.
You got tired of me.
Like every mile is like a big billboard, a hundred foot photo of you. And, you know, you're like this mega star in Latin America and anywhere in Spanish speaking country. And I think people are starting to know who you are here in the US more and more. But really you're just like well known there, which was hilarious for me to see. It was just like, oh, yeah. Um, how do you handle that much attention? you know, you've got this big audience on social media. You know, every show you do is sold out at 20, 50, 000 people, whatever it may be. You're collabing with Bieber and Pharrell and, you know, JLo and all these other people. How do you stay humble and not allow yourself to get so caught up in the hype so that you can stay grounded and really committed to your vision?
Yeah, there's a lot of things, you know, like, I think family is really important, man, and the way they raise you. Education, that's what we need in the world, more education, you know, and parents that really support their children's worth their dreams. Because I think there's a lot of parents that maybe not, how can I say that? They think they're doing it right for you for the kids but they're doing it wrong and like because they program their kids with their dreams Not with the dreams they want you know you get me. I'm being crazy. No, no yeah, of course so My family I remember, you know when I decided to be an artist my mom said like I'll support you But the day you want the day you think you will start you're gonna stop shining for me the day you think you're.
Gonna start, you're not gonna shine anymore for me.
What does that mean?
The day you think you're gonna start.
The thing you. The day you think you are star.
A star.
Yeah.
A star.
You're not gonna shine more for me.
Yeah.
That's powerful.
That's like. Whoa.
Your mom said it to you.
Yeah.
The day you think you're gonna. You're gonna be a star.
Yeah.
You're gonna stop shining for me.
Yeah.
So I think that. That's powerful. That was good. You got a good mom. I'm really grateful with that.
Yeah.
Because. yeah, I think.
Wow.
How old were you when she said this?
I was like 17.
When you moved to Oklahoma?
Yeah.
When I decided to be an artist. Really?
Yeah.
Why did you decide you wanted to be in music?
Because I remember that I was study. I was studying two careers at the same time. I was studying International Business and how we come in English, like Communications, you know? so I remember that I was in the classroom and every time I was in this classroom I was just writing songs and thinking about how was the clothes that I wore to work for the show.
Really?
So I was like, man, you know my mom and my dad they're making all this effort to pay you know, my university and I'm here just like not caring about this class. Yeah. So I was like, you know what? Nah, this is not for me. Sure. And I remember a guy that is a really friend of mine and he approached to me. He was like, you think Shakira?
Oh, of course.
Okay. So, yeah.
We have Wyclef here a few weeks ago. Yeah, yeah.
Okay. So, yeah. he approached to me. He said, like, you think Shakira or Juanes, which is another big one.
Juanes is amazing.
We'll be here in this room.
Yeah.
He asked me that. Well, I know. How would I know?
In college. In University.
Yeah.
And I was like, he was like, so what are you doing here? I was like, I'm out. Really?
Yeah.
I was. He asked me. I think he was an angel, man. He was an angel. Wow.
Yeah.
And where were you going to school? What college was that?
It was, the name is Elphid in Colombia.
Yeah.
But I, if I called that, you know what? I'm gonna be an artist. Forget about this. And I called my mom and I was like, Mom, I gotta tell you something. And, I don't know how you're gonna take this, but I wanna be, you know, an artist. And she was like, that's what you wanted to tell me? that's it. Yeah, of course. I support you. You know, you can just be whatever you want as long as you do it good. You know, you got to be the best on what you do. I don't care if you want to be a musician, if you want to be a football players, just be the best.
Wow.
And that puts me more pressure, because usually when people don't believe in you, you just like, okay, I'm gonna show them that I got the skills. But when they really believe in you.
They gotta show up.
Yes.
You gotta prove them right.
Yes.
So not prove them wrong.
Yes. So that's how it started.
Wow.
Yeah.
And who was more influential in your life, your mom or your dad growing up?
My mom.
And what was the biggest lesson she taught you?
That we are all the same. You know, like, he always told me, like, my mom always told me, like, if you, I don't know, if you're gonna meet Justin Bieber, for example, like, don't get scared. He's just like you, you know? He got, he got, he got fears, he got feelings, he got your, he got his doubts, you know, like, he didn't tell me about Justin, but for example, you know, like, anybody, you can, you can meet the most powerful guy in the world, and they just like you. so just don't believe that they're, you know, don't feel. Don't feel like you're different. You're all the same.
Right.
And what was the biggest lesson your dad tell you?
My dad. Well, he never told me, but with. With the action, with his actions, I learned a lot. You know, he's a. He's a warrior, man. He's always working, and he inspired me a lot, you know, to be always like. Focused. Yeah.
Wow. So you left school and then what was the next step? Were you just like in the studio every day? Were you trying to network with other artists?
Yeah, I was in the studio, you know, and, but I thought it was too cool, you know, to be in Colombia. So I left Colombia and I went to Miami looking for the American Dream.
Sure.
Which is being so tired and go back to bed. so I started, you know, I went to Miami looking for a label. I didn't have no money, but that was no excuse, because that's another thing that I want to tell where, like, don't make excuses when you really want something, you want to get it, you know, like, I didn't have the money to fly to Miami at that time or to. To have, you know. But when you really want something, you're gonna get it. There's no excuses. So I wanted to go to Miami. I went to Miami and I didn't have money, so I looked for a job. But I was illegal to work because I was with my tourist visa.
You were illegal?
Yeah.
I mean illegal because I'm not allowed to work. I'm allowed to go on vacations. Right.
Yeah.
So like a three month thing.
Yeah. Six months, they always give you six months. months, but you're not allowed to work, but I had to work.
So what'd you do?
I started painting houses under the table.
Getting cash under the table. Yeah, of course.
And, yeah, I was. I was working, man. I was working and looking for my, you know, like, how to, you know, how to read and, you know, just keep looking for. For. For connections for the music, you know?
And you're, what, 20 years old now?
Yeah, I was 20. I was eight, like 18. That was after Oklahoma.
Yeah, so you're painting houses.
Yeah, I was painting houses and fixing roof tops. But it was amazing, you know, like I learned a lot. I learned a lot from that. And one day somebody approached to me and was like, who are you in Colombia? I was like, no, I'm nobody. So he was like, okay, so you gotta go back, you know, get. Get your name big in your country and, you know, let your country take you to another level. So I was like, oh, my God, no, I don't want to. I don't want to go back like a loser, you know, like.
Like he didn't make it.
Yes, but. But I. I took the decision, and I. And I went back.
You did?
Yes.
How long were you in Miami for? Like six months to a year or.
Yeah, like six months.
Yeah.
And I started. I started. Started from the bottom that we're here.
And what happened? What was the next step? Were you just, like, trying to meet managers or other artists?
And did you have a Mentor?
I.
Were you just singing in clubs or.
I wanted to be like Daddy Yankee. I remember all the time. He was my biggest inspiration and. but it was independent. I was independent for, like, I'm in love. It's been like 11 or, like, 12 years of my career now. And I was independent, like, for eight years. Wow. So I. I learned how to manage myself. I used to be my household. I. Yeah, I used to be my own manager. I used to sell my, you know, my music in the streets. The merch here.
The merch.
I used to, you know, it was funny because they called me and I was acting like I was the manager. So I was like, hey, I need you involved. I was like, yeah, yeah. I'm talking with Jose. We need to book him for this day. Okay, I'm gonna talk to Jay-Balvin and I'll let you know guys. Okay, what's your name? I'm Jose. Okay, Jose.
Thank you.
But you were saying you were Jay-Balvin then? They didn't know it was Jay-Balvin. I was Jose.
Gotcha.
Yeah, I gotcha. See? You know, like I was the manager. So hey, let me talk to Jay-Balvin. Okay, what I'm gonna do? So, and I learned that and I started learning how the music business works in Colombia. And I started doing my own promo and going to all the radios and knocking the doors.
Wow.
That's, you know, there's no excuse when you really want something, you know, to make it happen. Wow.
So were you just kind of writing your own songs? Yeah. Collabing with other people then? No.
At the time, I was just writing.
My own songs and just. And the beats and everything.
Or were you just doing the lyrics? Not just the lyrics.
Yeah.
No, I got. You found someone else.
Yeah.
Yeah. I found lay down tracks that were, like, supporting me and, you know, like, they really love my music. And, wow, it was good. But it was amazing, you know, it's been amazing, you know, just. Yeah. To watch the whole process, you know, that it's not like it's not. It wasn't for one day to another, you know, it's a process.
Been 10 years, right?
Over 10 years. And I'm still. I think that I'm just brand new to starting.
Yeah.
Especially in different markets, people.
Yeah.
And the funny thing is, like, I the. The. The bigger I get, the less famous I feel.
Really?
Yeah. Yeah.
Why do you feel that?
I don't know. I don't know. I used to. I used to think that I was famous when nobody knew me, and now that I'm, like, a little bit well known, I feel like nobody knows who I am. Really? Yeah, but it's. I think it's good. It kissed me on the ground.
Yeah.
Sometimes I even forget that I'm j-bobbing. because I'm always, I'm still living in Colombia, I'm still living in Medellin and I like to be around my true friends and they don't see Jay Bob and they say, Jose, Jose, you know, so, but I'm like a week, I just completely forget. I'm like, oh my God, yeah. Jose Bob, yeah. We got these things to do.
And when you come here to LA, do people recognize you or, yeah, no.
The LA community, it's, is big enough. Yeah, but, you know, I love fashion and, you know, this, like, they've been, like, putting me in some fashion blocks from here, and, you know, they started, like, who's this guy? And, and then maybe Skrillex pose a picture of me and then this one and this one and this one, and, and they start knowing, like, who's this guy?
Bieber performs with you live at the Staples Center.
That was beautiful. How was that? It was amazing, you know, it's like, it's like if you, it's like 10 years ago, you just invite Michael Jackson to go to your show. Yeah, it's crazy, right?
It was amazing, you know, but that.
That'S why, you know, I remember that day because I called Scooter like, yo, I'm going to Staples Center and we got this song and why don't you tell Justin to come? You know, I don't see nothing impossible, you know, it's just, what's the worst thing that's gonna happen? No. Yeah. But even the, no, you can change it. he has to keep pushing, pushing. But that was like quick. We're like, yo, it's cool. I'm going to La. I don't know what that you asked your boy if he wants to go with me and them. He said, yeah, he's down.
Amazing.
We're like, yeah, but you gotta try.
Yeah.
You know, there's a lot of people that never try. They keep the. They kept the fear for them, you know, like. Like, yeah, like, nah, that's never gonna happen. And I asked them, have you tried? And they say, no. so how you know it's not gonna happen if you don't even try, you know, so what do you do to.
Train your minds and your heart to overcome any fears or doubts you have? Is there a practice? You have a spiritual practice? Do you have a mentor?
I got a mentor. I mean, I got like, I got somebody that really takes care of me and helping me with all this like the spiritual things, you know, and he has helped me a lot. and he's been like an angel for me, you know, and of course I always try to connect with the, with God or the universe, you know, whatever you want to call, you know, but I, I talked to, to God, you know, like, and I'm. But lately, like, I used to be like, God, give me this, give me that, and now I'm just. grateful and grateful and grateful and the more grateful I am the more things I get. I think it's the most beautiful business that you can make with the universe of God. It's funny but it's true. I don't know how it works but it's like that you know like even when I wake up the first thing I'm like yo, thank you God. Thank you I'm breathing. You know I can see, I can move and then the other thing is more blessings and blessings and blessings, you know, and, and I think it's the best. I think, yeah. If you want to see us as a business, do the business. It's gonna work.
Yeah.
Be grateful, you know?
We preach that a lot at the show, talking about gratitude. For me, it's constantly on my mind. The morning, I talk about it at night before I go to bed. I say what I'm most grateful for. Yeah. On my voicemail for my phone. When someone calls me and it goes to voicemail, I say, if you want me to reply to you, tell me what you're most grateful for today.
That'S dope.
So I'm constantly trying to share it and get it out of other people because I believe in the same philosophy.
Wow. I think it's the most beautiful thing, and it really, really works. Like, when I get up and I just get the coffee, really, just like, like, so grateful. It's funny. People think, like, nah, he. He's a big artist or whatever. And what makes him happy? Like, what I'm gonna give him, you know, like, when it's my birthday, people are like, we're not going to give you nothing. You have everything. What you know is what's everything for you. That's what I asked them like, give me a chocolate man, give me a coffee, give me a hug.
Yeah.
You know like I'm grateful with that. Give me your time. You know so I don't know life is it's full of beautiful and simple things.
Yeah.
And the good things are good too. You know like it's balance. You know I'm grateful for for the little things and for the big things.
Sure.
Yeah.
For the coffee, then when Beaver comes.
To perform with you, both of them are great.
Yes.
Yeah, they're all blessings, man.
When you go to sleep at night, what's the thing you think about? What's the dream or the thing you think about right before you go to bed?
Right now, you know, like right now, honestly, I just go to bed and say, thank you, God. Thank you. And I go to sleep. It's hard for me to sleep because I'm always thinking and thinking.
Me too, man. It's tough.
It's like when I get up, I feel more tired than I used to the last day, you know, because I'm thinking constantly all the time. Thinking, thinking. And it's not like I have done something bad. It's just that I just...
It's hard to shut it off.
Yes, but I can't, man. It's funny because I wake up more tired. You know, do you meditate? yeah, try. I tried to meditate. I look for it and not. I used to try two times a day in the morning and, like, around six. That's what they recommend me.
Sure.
I did the classes. I went.
You went to TM or what did you do? Which classes? The transcendental meditation or.
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. You know, they give you your Mantra and you just repeat it over and over again. Your secret Mantra. Yeah, yeah.
So.
Okay. So I got my secret Mantra and I just repeat it over and over again. But I cannot tell you that I do it every day because I'm not.
It's challenging. It's hard to man.
It's yeah.
I try to do it every day but it's hard.
That shows how sometimes how selfish are we with ourselves. We should give more time for us to meditate than get money or whatever. Because if you're not okay and you're not relaxed, it's not gonna be easy. to get the other stuff. But I'm trying. I try. Sometimes I do it. Sometimes I just, like, stay quiet.
-Huh breathe.
And that's what I'm. That's what I see lately. I rest more when I'm stay quiet, like in the bed like this, that when I'm sleeping. I don't know. It's weird. I'm, like, hyperactive.
Yeah.
You got a lot of ideas, man. A lot of opportunities flooding in every day. Everyone's pulling at you.
He doesn't. And I just.
It's hard to execute it fast enough, right?
Both. But a super fast.
Yeah.
I want. I want things like this.
Yesterday.
That's. Yeah.
Yeah.
Like yesterday. I think it's good and bad, you know, pressure is on and sometimes it's good because that has helped me to achieve a lot of Dreams, but sometimes I suffer a lot because there's things that you just cannot do it.
Yeah.
It just like you just cannot do it right now. Takes time, man.
It takes time.
You didn't get this big overnight. No, exactly.
A decade.
Yeah.
And I know, you know, there's more.
Things that I have to achieve. It's gonna take me a lot of years too, boy. How old are you now? I'm 31.
31?
Yeah. Right.
When's your birthday?
May 7th.
Coming up.
Yeah. 32.
Let me be 32.
That's cool, man. I just turned 34 last week.
Oh, really?
Yeah. How you feeling?
Young.
That's good.
Hungry.
I'm super hungry. But I'm really scared of. I don't want to get old, man.
It's a state of mind.
You think? Yes.
Right. You know, I talk about this a lot on the show that my dad never celebrated my birthday when I was growing up. We didn't have parties. There was no presents. And I used to get very upset and hurt. I was like, do you not love me? Like, all my other friends, I go to these birthday parties and everyone's getting you know, cakes and presents. And I was like, how come I don't have this? My mom gave me like one party when I was like four or five. And then my dad wouldn't let me have any afterwards. Okay. And I finally asked him when I was like seven, I go, Dad, why don't we celebrate my life? You know, my birth? And he said, because I never want you to be limited by your age. Most people in this world are limited by how young or old they are. And when you put emphasis on it, it's going to hold you back.
We should celebrate every day.
Every day. Not one day to be like, oh, I'm a year older or I'm this and that. So for me, it was more like a mindset. I feel healthier now than when I was 22.
Absolutely.
Because it's a daily practice and I feel like I'm so much wiser. Every year I feel like I learn so much because I try and I.
Fail and I... We all students, man.
That's it, man.
School of Greatness for students here. Are there any non-negotiables for you? Things that you must do every single day? It's like call your mom or work out or meditate or something where you're like, you know, it's a must do every day.
I try to work out every day. Try. Try to eat healthy every day.
Mm-.
Try.
I talk to my mom every day, basically.
Yeah.
Since she knows how to use WhatsApp.
What's up, Diga?
Yeah.
Oh my God. All the time sending me pictures and videos. and, you know, moms, you know, and what else? Being grateful is the most.
Yeah.
It's the thing that I really have to do.
Yeah.
Every day. Even when bad things happen. All right, thank you. I don't know why, but I say thank you.
Isn't it funny that sometimes all the things that we think are bad or negative or the adversity we Face, when we look back at it, we realize it had to happen in order for us to be where we're at.
Yeah.
Like some bad, tragic thing happened. Like, I got a car, a plane crashed. Like, tragic.
Yeah.
But what did it teach you that you've developed now?
Yeah.
Your music or your passion.
Yeah. But it doesn't mean that it was your best moment in your life.
Yeah.
Because there's a lot of people that, like, yeah. When I went to jail, I think that was the best moment of my life because I learned. No, no, no, no, no. That's not, that wasn't your best moment.
You learn from it.
But you can be grateful for it. And, yeah, and be grateful for everybody. Don't tell me that was the best moment in your life because it's not right, you know, but. But, yeah, man, I think life is perfect. I think life is perfect, and everything happens for a reason.
And do you feel like you have a responsibility with your platform, with your audience and your following, or.
Absolutely.
And what is that responsibility?
Just to make them. To make them first. Like, I want to show the world that I'm a regular human being, like everybody else, you know, like. Like I. As I told you, like, I got fears that, you know, you're like, I can feel you. Yeah. I cry. I'm heart, you know, heartbroken. So you're fine.
So it's in your blood. You have to be heartbroken, right?
Yeah.
You have the passion.
Yeah, man. And I. I think one of the things that has changed in the music game, as, like, from the Latino and the reggaeton side, it's like, I always wanted to be a game changer, not even just with the music. on a personal level to like to be just real and be who you are and not pretend to have like masks or different faces. You know, I think to have two faces is too heavy, you know, to be walking in the world. You know, like I'm the same guy that you see on Instagram. I'm the same guy that you see me here and I don't It's all about being real. Like sometimes even in the Instagram or on the social medias, I'm like, it's not a good day. Yeah, it happens like yeah, it's just maybe it's not a good day right now, but I show them that I'm not, I don't have a perfect life and I don't wish to have a perfect life. But I tell the world all the time, like all the people that follow me, like if I can make it, you can make it too. And don't worry if you've been through a hard moment because I've been through a hard moment too. And I don't know our time in the moment, I mean, of this world, what happened with the music industry that they just started showing perfect lives. And it's not like that. You know, it's not. And I think the more human you get, the better it's gonna be for you because all these haters or whatever you can call, they're not gonna hate that much because they'll be like, oh yeah, he's real.
He struggles.
Yeah, like you know, because when you show the world like you have the perfect life and nothing happens to you, when something happens to you, everybody is gonna be like, ah, you see, they're gonna be like, touch me.
Not perfect. Yeah, yeah.
I think being real and being honest with yourself and being honest with the rest of the world, it's a blessing. It's real blessing.
What's the biggest fear you have or biggest challenge?
Like fear, like I have too many dreams that I don't want to die. You know, maybe I have, you know, I have a lot of things to do before I live this dimension, you know? So sometimes I'm like, no, I don't want to die. And that's my, that's one of my biggest fear.
It's death.
Yeah, death. Because I'm like, wow, I want to have family. And you see, I'm not saying I want to have money now. Forget about that. I mean, like, I want to have a family. I want to have kids. I want to see, actually, when I have this airplane crash, the first thing I was that, like, crushing to my mind, I was like, I didn't have no kids.
Wow.
I didn't care about the other stuff. I just wanted to have kids. I was like, oh, my God, I'm gonna have kids. Oh, nothing happened. Wow.
Yeah. So.
So why haven't you had kids yet?
Yeah, I think I haven't found the right person or. Or I'm too scared or. I don't know, but I really want to. I really want to, I'm just, I don't know, I haven't found the right person yet.
It hasn't felt right yet.
Yeah, because I was raised in a family that, you know, my mom and my dad are still together and they really love each other and they, and I want to have that type of marriage, you know, like forever, because a lot of people, a lot of people, when they want to get married, they just get, they just happy until they get married. Because they have the, like the, I don't know how you call it, like the, they just can't wait that day.
Yeah.
And then it's like downhill.
Yes, because they think they're getting married because the party, because the society, and they're thinking it's gonna be for the rest of your life. So when you really think that you're gonna get married for the rest of your life, you don't even need a party. yeah, you know.
Yeah.
But you can do a party, too, if you want, but because you're gonna. You go to the party, and then, you know, you have the rest of your life, you know, to share with your family or your. Your girl, whatever. But if you think there's a lot of people right now that you think until the party, and when they get to the party, it's over. That's what this a lot of. I think there's a lot of, you.
Know.
How can you say that? Divorces and, you know, because it was just cool until they get married.
Yeah.
You know? So I want to get. I want to meet somebody. Meet somebody that is gonna be for the rest of their life. You know?
Explain. Describe her to me. What's that? What's that woman?
It's. It's just. I think. I think it's. Everything is a business. I'm saying, like, the dream has to be, you gotta respect her dream and she has to respect my dream and if we are going the same, the.
Vision has to be aligned.
Yeah, it's a business.
Yeah, yeah.
Because you're never gonna find the perfect person for you. You're gonna make, you're gonna build it. Yeah. And she gotta build you too, of course, you know, because it does being selfish. Like, I want you to be like this, but you don't have to do a move. nah, that's selfish. You have to, you know, like, so I think, like, marriage or whatever you can call, I think it's really find your partner in crime, you know, good crimes, you know, and, and just find somebody to dream with you and makes you better, you know, that makes you happy because you have to be happy with yourself. Nobody can make you happy, you know, I think that's another That's another point, like instead of people looking for another woman or for somebody else or another guy, even if you're bisexual or homosexual, whatever you are, I'm cool with that. Of course, it's all about love. So it's, they're looking for somebody to make them happy and nobody's gonna make you happy. You know, you have to be happy with yourself to make others people happy too. you know, so I'm looking for that partner, you know, like, okay, this is what I want to do. If you're done with me and I'm done with you, okay, let's create this relationship or marriage or business or whatever you want to call.
Yeah, that's great.
Yeah.
How do you develop the confidence in yourself? And when you went back to Columbia after you left Miami, a failure, quote unquote, a failure, right?
Big failure.
Didn't make it, went back home. How did you start to build confidence in this mindset that you believed in yourself enough that you could create your dreams? What was that process like?
My mom had a lot of things to do with it because she always told me, like, you're gonna make it. That was a positive proclamatiOn. Because sometimes your dad say you're not gonna make it and you believe in that and you're never gonna make it. But my mom was like, I believe in you. I see you at the Grammys. I see you doing this and that. So she helps me believe in me. And you know, thoughts are energy and energy becomes material. Does it have any sense?
Absolutely.
Right? So everything you think you can make it happen, you know, like you wanna this. I don't know. You want an airplane. So just think about the plane and. And work for it. And it's. Everything started with a thought, you know, with idea, and then, boom, you've got the plane. You know, I'm just doing random samples, but, of course, but I think, you know. thoughts are energy, energy becomes material.
Absolutely. So she would tell you these things and then you started to believe them.
Yeah.
And started to say, okay, maybe I do see myself.
Yeah.
Maybe I see a Grammy.
No, and I started picturing myself getting a Grammy. And it's funny because every time those things have happened to me, I'm like, wow, I pictured this before. So I got it here. you know, like, I found a picture, like, this week of myself with a. It was like a. A gram. It was a picture of a grammy, and I was like this with the grammy in the. In the photo. And I remember that I. That I wrote a post that said, like, I will get there and I'll got them. So you see, it's like. you gotta believe in you and you gotta. And you gotta have good people around you and around you.
Yeah.
To tell you the truth, you know, like, because there's a lot of people that they don't have the talent and they think they have it, but they. They. They won't.
Right.
But maybe they have another talent doing some other stuff.
Yeah.
With me, my people were so real. Like, when I had bad songs, they were like, nah, you suck. Yes. Just like that. Okay. It's not that I, oh thank you, I'm so grateful that you told me that. No, because you're never gonna lie to somebody saying no it hurts. It hurts. But thank you. Not at that moment because it hurts. To be honest, yeah. To be like okay yeah thank you, now we got a good song. Thank you.
Yeah, thank you.
I didn't like that but thank you.
Yeah, of course. Amazing. I'm so inspired by you man. I love the humility you have. I love your energy. I love your spirit, your passion. and your focus to create an impact. You know, I think so many artists, bigger artists, I wouldn't say so many, but there are some of them that kind of fall off the wagon. You know what I mean? They kind of fall off and they stop making an impact and they get in their head too much. Their ego gets too big.
Yeah.
And I feel like you're, you're doing it all for the right reasons, which inspires me even more.
Thank you.
To know. And it makes me want you to.
Have everything, you know?
It's like, I want you to have it all, all the dreams you have.
Thank you.
A few questions for you. How hard is it for you to transfer from the Spanish market into other markets that don't speak Spanish for you?
It's.
It's been amazing, amazing, man, because, like, I've been in Greece, I've been in, well, everywhere. Basically everywhere. Like this, as the first country that. That I went. besides being like a Latino country was Romania. Then I went to Greece and then I started going to Italy and then Germany and then Switzerland and they didn't have no clue what I was saying but they feel the vibe. And right now I think with the social media, I think the world is smaller now, you know? It's big, but at the same time it's small. And you can reach the people easier if you have the right vibes and the right things.
It's funny because passion is a universal language. And I've told you before, I've been salsa dancing for 12 years. And every time I go, I don't understand what people are saying, but I understand what they're saying.
Absolutely.
And I can feel it, whether it's a sad song and someone's heartbroken, or it's about, you know, a dream of chasing a girl or it's about, you know, living a better life. Like, you can always feel it in the music.
It's real. It's real. That is a universal language. You don't have to feel it. You don't have to understand what they're saying. You just gotta feel it. It just has to feel. It has to feel right.
Yeah.
And that's it. And we've been traveling the world, like, just not, as I told you, just not Spanish, you know, people, but. country where they speak Spanish, we've been flying to a lot of countries, sold out concerts, not really big yet, you know, like, you know, 4,000, 5,000, that's people, but we can get, we're gonna get bigger, but it's a process, you know, it's a process.
Absolutely. Where can we connect with you online? Where do you like to hang out the most? Where, if people want to see you on tour, is there tour dates online somewhere?
Yeah, on the webpage. you know, jbobbing.com but I'm really into my social medias, man. I'm on Instagram, your machine chat, man. I'm all the time like that. And I like it because I think social media, if you really know how to use it, I don't know if I really know how to use it, but I think I use it good. At least people get my vibe, you know, like not just the music. not just the music, which is why I'm here. But your energy, your personality.
Yeah, like send them different messages through the music.
Yeah, yeah, that's great, man.
So make sure you guys check out jbalvin.com. J Balvin on Instagram. J Balvin Snapchat.
J Balvin official Snapchat. Facebook J Balvin.
Yeah, he's massive. He's got tons of great content, videos, photos.
It's awesome.
You guys are going to love it. I don't follow you on Snapchat yet. I will. official. I'm more an Instagram story guy now. I used to use Snapchat, but now I'm kind of like, you see both?
It sucks.
It's weird, right? I started, like, super snaps. I was like, why Instagram is doing this? But why they try. And then I started. I like it. And I'm like, I'm not watching snaps.
Because I can see one.
Why do the same thing?
Yeah.
So it was boring, like, to make two videos saying the same thing. No, like, hey, Snapchat. Good morning. Hey, Instagram. Nah, man. And then started, like, Just saying good morning and save it from Snapchat and put it on Instagram. But then I was like, that's not fair for the fans. They're gonna see the same thing.
Yeah.
So right now I'm more sticking into snaps on Instagram. Okay.
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
I saw you on your hike yesterday, Avery. Yeah, what's up? Yeah, yeah, I saw that. This is a question I asked at.
The end for everyone.
It's called the Three Truths. And so I'm gonna ask you to do it in English first, and then when you're done, we'll do it in Spanish. Okay. So the three truths. It's the last day for you a hundred years from now.
You've achieved every Grammy and Oscar or.
Any other thing you want to achieve. You've achieved it all. You're the president of Columbia, whatever it is you want to do, you've done it. You've got the woman of your dreams, the children, the family of your dreams. You've done everything you set your mind out to do. And it's the last day. and you have a piece of paper and a pen, and for whatever reason, all the stuff you've created has been erased. Music, videos, everything gone. But you have a piece of paper and a pen as your final message to the world. And you get to write down three things you know to be true about everything you've learned from your experience, kind of the three lessons that you would leave behind for anyone to ever remember Jay Belvin. What would be your three truths? In English.
Be real, be loyal and be grateful.
And the three truths, how would you say these are my three truths in Spanish?
Estas son mis tres verdades. Se la gradecio, leal. Loyal, Grateful.
What was the last one? Be real, loyal and grateful.
Be real, loyal and grateful. And dream, I got four now.
Let's hear it.
And dream big.
Okay, so in English, what are they?
Dream big.
Dream big.
Be loyal.
Be loyal.
Grateful. Oh my God.
Be real. Dream big, be real, be loyal, be grateful.
Yeah.
Okay, one more time in Spanish. What are they? Four.
Okay. oh, my God. This one missing.
Be dream big. Be real.
See you. I have to write it down, man. Okay, let's do it.
Okay, go ahead. Write it down.
It has to be dream big. It's be real.
Be real.
Which is ser real, you know, be grateful.
See, which is.
Okay, then. Dream big.
Dream big and be loyal.
Ah yeah, we got it. Dream big, Sonia and Grande.
Loyal.
Yeah.
Is that right? What is this one? Be Grateful.
Be Grateful. Be Loyal. Be Loyal. Man and work hard.
Go ahead.
You need to work hard. How are you going to achieve your dreams if you don't work hard for it?
I like it. okay. We'll repeat them again then.
Yeah, we're hard. Okay, we're hard.
Okay, so in English, what are your three?
Okay, be real.
Yes.
Be grateful, dream big, be loyal and work hard.
And in Spanish. Before I ask the final question, do you have any questions for me?
Why you want me, why you wanted to interview me?
Well, first you're the first Latin star I've had on. And I respect your music. And I now respect you even more as a human because of the way you show up and your energy and your passion. So for me, I'm all about energy. And right when I saw your stuff on Instagram, I was like, I'm attracted to your energy.
Okay.
And for me, I don't have people on if they're like famous star, if I don't like their energy.
It's all about vibes.
It's all about vibes. And if I feel like I want to be friends with that person, but if they're just famous or whatever and they have a big ego or they're mean to people, I could care less.
We think the same.
So for me, I want my mission is to inspire 100 million people to show them how to live their dreams. and live a comfortable lifestyle around their dreams. Because I feel like that's when we feel the most fulfilled. That's when we give the most love to ourselves and to others when we're living our dreams, or at least in the pursuit.
Yeah. Of it.
Enjoying the process. It may take 10 years, 20 years, but we're on the path. I feel like we treat ourselves better and others better.
I agree.
So you're a great example of someone who's doing that, someone who's done that, someone who went through adversity, who didn't make it, and now who's on your own path. And for me, that's extremely inspiring. And the fact that you're doing it your way, the way that lights you up, your message, you're being real, you're being loyal, grateful, working hard, and you've got big dreams. That's what excites me. And that's why I wanted to have you on. Thank you. Of course. And before I ask the final question, I want to acknowledge you, even though I just did a little bit there, but I acknowledge all my guests. So, Jose, I acknowledge you for The pursuit, man, the pursuit that you took to go and learn English so that you can impact billions of people more as opposed to just understanding Spanish. For you to take that risk in high school to go learn English is scary. So I acknowledge you for that because otherwise we wouldn't be talking.
Yes, you're right.
I acknowledge you for taking a chance and going to Miami and then going back home when it was actually not the right move to be in Miami at the time. and swallowing your pride as a 20 year old who may have had an ego then to say, listen, I need to go back and dedicating on your craft to get to where you're at today. Because I know you worked 10 hard years to get here. Nothing came easy for you. And there's no way you would have been able to do these things without being a good human being. So I acknowledge you for all those incredible gifts and for all your songs, man. Thanks for giving me the vibes to move.
Yeah.
My final question for you is, what is your definition of greatness? Wow.
Inspire, you know, people who inspire people, that's greatness. Greatness when you wanna be like, when you, wow. But yeah, it's like when, let's talk.
About.
There'S a lot of greatness. greatness in the world. But like, greatness for me, it's to me, it's people that really inspire, you know, like when you wanna like, wow, I wanna be like, I wanna be like that. And, and, and he's guiding me how to get there because when you really When you're a goat, you know, you have to show the world how to get there. You know, like if you really are one of the greatest, you have to show them how to get there. You're not, when you really are the greatest, when you're great or how you call that? Yeah, when you were one of the greatest, for example.
I'm not one of the greatest of all time.
When you were the goat, for example, you're not scared to show the world and you're not to teach others. Yes, you're not. You know, it's like you have to, when you're great, you're great. You have to be great with the people and teach them how to get there and how you got there. Not doing things for them, but giving them the keys, you know, not giving them the fish, show them how to fish, you know, and get there. And so I think greatness is a beautiful process. is a process that you make greatest inspired people.
Yeah.
Inspiring people and being. And being cherish. Like, you want to share your. Oh, I got a little gifts.
Yeah. Yeah.
You want to share?
It's like when you know you blessed, but you want to bless everybody.
Yes.
And.
And you wanna. And you're happy when you see your people is. It's going up and up and you just be grateful like wow, I'm so happy for them that they getting in this level. Yeah, yeah youh know like for example when I'm with Farwell Williams he's one of the greatest for me and he I was like yo, can you explain me this? Yes, of course this is this is what I think you should do. Let's do this. Let's do that. I want to see you there youe know like It's love, you know? It's all love too. Man, greatness is love.
And can you share in Espanol, the definition of greatness?
Grandeza es... Oh, now I say it, so now I got it. Yeah, greatness is like share your blessings. inspire people to get them.
Hey, Jay Baldwin.
Jose.
Yeah.
Thank you so much for being on here.
Thank you, man.
I'm so grateful for you.
I'm really grateful for you. Thank you. Yes.
Appreciate you.
Thank you.
Platform universe of brands, media, community and philanthropy.
Right.
So what did I do? Not only did I create this system for taking businesses from an idea stage all the way to acquisition. But then I'm launching the complete media vertical that starts with.
More from Lewis
Secret Service Agent: Your Neutral Face Is Making People Distrust You (Here's How to Fix It)
