Kawan Prather Interview: Crushing The Industry For 30+ Years (Outkast, Usher, TI)

I mean, relationships are built on trust, right? It's the same thing when you're talking about music and you're talking about the people that are supposed to help you with your life's dream. If you're going to somebody who you respect enough to ask a question, if they don't give you the honest answer back, it's almost like they don't respect you. Artists have to be able to understand that respect isn't always cute and cuddly and sometimes it's I've seen you do amazing. This is me. I'm beyond thrilled to be welcoming in on the one more time podcast legendary Hooper from the Clippers. It's Kawhi Leonard Kawhi Leonard. I've actually heard that before. Kawhi Leonard. No. Kawhi Prather. Kawhi Prather. KP the Great. Let's go. Okay, I just I have to pop your s*** for you for our audience, like before we get started. So like just bear with me. It's a long list of things that I have to actually read off. So he was an original member of the dungeon family.

This dude worked at at LaFace Records, the legendary LaFace Records, Outkast, Pink, Usher, etc. This dude signed Yellow Wolf TI to Ghetto Vision, which he didn't even realize he was wearing his own merch. Before they had any music. Young Bloods. Yep, he now manages TI, so that that's come full circle. Productions, songwriting credits, might or might not have won a Grammy for all right with Kendrick. Uh he's head of music at I Am Other with Pharrell. I mean, he's a DJ that does like huge festivals as well. I mean, like, what does this guy not fucking do, Henry? I can't think of anything. This is this is like the ultimate guest. This is the ultimate guest for the One More Time podcast, bro. So really appreciate you dealing with my professional persistence as Amber Grimes would call it. I like it. That's how we got her on the show, and I'm assuming that's how we finally landed the KP. Yeah. I mean, well, I watched the show because I like I like that you guys talk about actual music business. Yes. And like, and y'all give information.

So it's like I check in every now and again, and I feel like every time I pop up on y'all live, I get a hold up, KP. So when you do it, exactly. Damn it, KP. Henry might not have known about those. I need a burner. I'm proud of that. Yeah, that's cool. He literally needs a burner account because you know, at this point, actually, you can just, you know, chime in. So yeah, so I think the way that we wanted to frame this conversation up is that there's very few people. Um, you're in a select group, I would say, of people that have really spanned over three decades in the music business. Yeah, I'm old as fuck. And it's not to make you feel old. It's really not to do that, bro. I actually like it. It's it's it's meant to showcase that like you're not only still around, but you're still like operating at the highest level. Still crushing it. Um, you know, you you know, you just executive produced uh ghetto gods with EARTHGANG, right? And so like that's that's just one of the most your more recent things that I know of, just because I'm a huge EARTHGANG fan, for example, right? So you're still like active in this shit.

And so I think that with the music industry evolving over the last 30 plus years, I really want to dive into kind of some of the like, you know, comparing and contrasting the different uh facets of the business, right? Because like you said, we are here to talk about like how this shit works because we're all trying to help our audience figure it out. We're trying to figure it out along the way. Um, but so just to start it off, like as someone who has achieved this, you know, longevity in your career. If you had to sum up kind of like three reasons or like three characteristics that you possess, like let's just start it off with like why do you think you've been able to do this? Um, I think one because I can see really clearly. Even through those shades? Damn, bro. That was bopsies. That was tough. Easy. Y'all, y'all know each other. We need to take a break, bro. I hang out with him way too much. That was wild.

The shades help, actually. But no, and I'm I'm not a hater. Ooh. Like, that's that's that's first. It's like, because what I see, I can appreciate, and and if there's something that I can do to help and support, I do. Um three. Three. Yeah, is that a lot? I don't know. I was trying to think of the number of things he needed to say. Three too much. Three or nothing? Let him cook. Okay, cool. I'm trying to think like three is a good one. Okay, I thought he was like, I only got one. Making me like think about this. Perfect. We like to make you think. I mean, I and the other one I think is I'm always I'm always in a very student position. Like I always want to learn something else. Yes. Major. Yeah. Rico Brooks hit that nail on the head pretty hard when we had him on. He's constantly learning. Yeah. Because shit's always changing to your point with the you know, the whole point of what we want to talk about. Yeah, I try not to know too much. Yeah. You you mentioned this in another interview.

We talked about this off camera, and I did see this, okay. So um you know you mentioned that you are I thought I told you exactly. You all you are always curious. So they didn't ask you this question though. What's the most recent thing that you've learned that's helped you in your your career? That you don't always have to have it all the way together to start. And it's it's funny because walking in, we were talking about departments. Um TI's movie that he directed, he wrote, directed with champ, um and financed, it's fully independent. And it was done during pandemic. Obviously, like when you're doing your first thing, like your first podcast, you kind of don't have all the the things that you know, that will make it professional and shiny and perfect. And watching him go put this together, and then you know, when we decided that, you know, we're gonna put it out independently. I mean, first of all, by force, because it just happened to be that the strike and all these things were happening that made it almost like it bottlenecked the options into the only way you can do it without getting without getting in trouble with SAG, you have without getting in trouble with the writers' union, you have to put it out completely independent. And in doing that, it it just worked out because now people are actually, you know, it it's we're learning the entire game of it.

And and he's getting the gratification of seeing his vision through the way he wanted it to. Kind of higher risk, higher reward. Yeah, kind of method. And you know, and now it's at the point where it's you know it's made a couple dollars. And and it's like Did it recoup everything It's almost a recoupment. Okay. And that's and which is you know, which is a big deal because he really did come out of his pocket for it. Yeah. And to, you know, not only that, pulling together all the his people, his actual people he actually knows, runs with, we call them the Ha Ha Mafia. Um The Ha ha Mafia. Yeah, you know what I'm saying? That's great. Yeah, you can't RICO that. Um but it's it's it's it's just a a real communal, you know, thing that came to fruition, and that that's that's dope. So just just do it is the whole point. Yeah. Man, I feel like as someone who's arguably, I mean, you've just had your hand in so many things over the years. I feel like being a part of something like that, right? Even it even like by the way, I didn't even have anything to do with it other than I read the script when he sent it.

Sure. He wrote it. And after he finished, he did like they it was done. I was living in LA when he wrote this. They filmed it while I was living in LA. I came back to Atlanta, he asked me to manage him. Like it wasn't. But you weren't even managing. Oh wow. At the time he did it, I had nothing to do with it. Okay, wow. Never mind. Yeah. Yeah, like this happened. Like I started managing Tip and a part of his team, but manager. Um at January of 2022. Okay. And it was like the week after he had done his first comedy set. And it was just like, oh, this actually feels like it's gonna be interesting because it's it's some new things to it. It wasn't like me coming back to just manage him as a as an MC. Yeah. Right. It was like, oh, it's more layers to it that not only are we gonna have to figure out that that could be possibly really fun. And that was what I was gonna allude to, even though you didn't have a hand in departments, right? Uh as far as like I did the alley of connecting for distribution.

Like that was my job. So then he did have to that is important. How are we gonna distribute this thing? Okay, I know a guy. Yeah, um, but but yeah, so like for me, I think that is what is so cool about you is that you're just constantly challenging yourself creatively and to and to just be involved with new things because yeah, you've done the you've done the rapper or artist only specific things over the years, right? So, like someone like Tip, who's podcast, comedy, movie, TV, exactly like he was borderline one of my favorite characters in American Gangster. Like, I'm just gonna call that. I mean Is it because you knew it was him or I mean maybe don't fucking don't question it from the South, exactly. Don't fucking question it. All right, uh, but no, man. So obviously AR has been a huge part of your career. Uh you've held executive titles at you know, Sony, Columbia, obviously at LaFace, right? Back in the day with L.A. Reed. Yeah, Def Jam. Everywhere, pretty much everywhere. All of them.

He's made the rounds. Yeah, I went to uh as many labels as I did high schools. I love that. It's a Great way of putting it. We're not gonna unpack your high school at this point, but it sounds like. I was curious. Okay, there we go. Um, so like, you know, you've you've told this story kind of, but I I you know, I want to ask it a different way. Like, what what were you told that AR was by LA Reed or Pebbles even back in the day? Ironically, it was it was told to me that it was what I was doing already. Which was what? Which was kind of like at the time I was a sober person in the crew. Okay. You know, like, and I just kind of paid attention to everything. I was like, why is why are things happening? Um, like for Pebbles specifically, I I think it was the group I used to be in parental advisory, yeah, PA. We were doing our first video, I think it was our first video, no second, um, maniac. And the director kept putting like a beer bottle on my turntable table. And at the time I didn't drink, so I just kept moving it.

Yeah, like it was just like not even like a thought. It was like, oh, he must have somebody left a beer of 40. This is, this is in my way. It was a 40, it was a big bottle. Yeah, it was a big bottle. So it's like I was like, I noticed it. So I kept moving it, but it kept popping back up. So finally I was like, you know, I asked the question why, and blah, blah, blah. And and and I think I said something to the effect of this. I mean, what are y'all getting paid for this shit? And and so I and it went hush. Like, oh, it was a hush over the video set. And and Pete Pebbles came over to me and kind of explained, like, yeah, that this beer bottle pays for the lights. This beer bottle is doing. I was like, oh, okay, cool. We'll let Reese hold it because he drinks. Yeah, you know, but it just from a she it was one of those things where I just wanted to know, but it was curiosity plus instinct because it felt like it was insistent. It kept, it kept popping back up. And that made me want to, when she said that that made me want to learn more about the business, like the whys of you know, like when you see stuff in in videos, why is it there? Like it's probably a purpose.

And that's easier probably to, you know, notice when you're sober, right? Yeah, so yeah, so so then meeting, I mean, her letting me come around, hang out in the office and learn stuff, led to her introducing me to her husband in a in a real way. Like she intro'd me in a way that was like, you should really pay attention to him. And he asked, he would ask me questions, and randomly one night he asked me about um, we were in the studio working at their house at the time. The studio was in their house. And he came down and played me like some Toni Braxton records before her album came out, the first album. And it was like seven whole days, Breathe Again, um, another set sad love song. And he just asked me what I thought. And I was like, well, I like, you know, he played me a bunch of songs, and I was like, I remember those. And I think he asked me something to the effect of which one would you put out? And I was like, well, this this song sounds big, and it seems like not just black people, but white people were like this, but I wouldn't start there. That was Breathe Again, and the another let sad love song, it had the words another sad love song on the radio.

And I was like, just as a very obvious kind of thought, I was like, well, it seemed like radio would play that because it's a great song and it's talking about them. So it was like applicable. And he was like, uh. And not that I'm not saying that he's did it because of that, but But maybe but that but but it uh possible but the thing is I the question was asked, and I answered it in a way that was in line with what happened in in the success of it. Yeah. And then he explained to me, like, what you're doing is like a job like this was a year a couple years later after we had been out with our first album I think we were touring and I met you know I was meeting people on the road and kind of like LA I met this guy like you should know him and he was like this is a whole thing the thing you're doing I pay people to do this and I was like oh that sounds cool you wanna pay me to do that or and and honestly one day I took one of my homeboys up there to meet him as an artist um order in life um he didn't sign him but he was like the way that I went about it he he thought I was doing A&R. Wow so he asked me to actually take a job and I did wow Damn. so in 2023 now how do you like how would you define A&R to someone who's like what's what's A&R what's an A&R like if I'm talking about it in its fundamental state it's the it's like the person who is supposed to be the translator between the artist and the company Mm-hmm. and the company being the label the label right sure and or and and the person who facilitates new relationships that you feel like would help that artist get to the said goal right like for me I'm sorry for me and R is like getting to know artists seeing what the character of the artist is right and then figuring out who would understand that who could help highlight and amplify the cool the coolest parts of it and yeah it's kind of like a I guess an alchemist in in that way it's a producer too but it's a lot of the the same muscles being used but in some cases Mm-hmm. yeah, because there's we've talked to people and I it seems like there's different kinds of ARs.

Yeah, absolutely. And I think there's the one that's in the studio all the time, real close to the music. There's the one that knows everyone and connects the dots. Yeah, like I've heard called like the socialite A&R, the data A&R, and the kind of taste AR. Yeah. Right. Um, and even influencer ARs, right? But which do you think you have been or are even still in this day? I think I have the ability to be any of them, depending on who the artist is. That's why he's KP the fucking great. Come on, drop some bombs and let's go. It's not KP the mid. No. it's not. It's not KP the rich. It is It's fucking not. We wouldn't have gotten that guy on the podcast, I'll tell you that. That guy has no self-confidence. Yeah. So, yeah, so you have been able to maybe like I no, I recognize who people like I really try to get to know people and figure out what they're trying to do. I ask the questions, what's the goal? And then we figure out what's needed. Because sometimes like some artists need way less.

All they need is a point in a direction. Sometimes it's, you know, an introduction to the right producer. Sometimes it's finding a right writer who can help them. Um, you know, it's like it's it's just never, it's not one thing. If if you're doing it right, you should be fluid. Sure. What are some so obviously like when when you know LA and Pebbles recognize like your innate ability to kind of just observe and ask the right questions and present things in a certain way and give your opinion that that's a valid opinion from that day, to then obviously like fast forward through all the legendary like projects that you've been a part of, all the legendary artists that you've A&R'd and you've worked with, right? Like how would you say your approach evolved? And can you point to any like man? When I worked on this album, that's when I figured like this shit out, for example. Like, you know what I mean? Like, is there any like specific milestones or points in the evolution of your AR abilities? Because you clearly, I'm assuming you've grown as an AR, even though you had that like kind of natural talent to begin with, to get to like where it got, it got crazy, obviously, over the years. So it's like, what what did you do or what did you see and how did it actually play out?

Okay, and it's funny because I think this is a a good and bad thing. I found it when I'm being in my most honest, the the room feels that. And and I can translate a lot easier. Honest in the sense of what? Just so I'm not. My my opinion, my feeling. About the music? Yeah, it's not like I don't it's funny because I don't think I'm smart about music, but I know what I feel. Like I'm really clear about, and you know, I'm a DJ first, so I'm really like thinking about music in context. Like how important how connected are those two titles, right? For me, for me, it's it's probably the most. Being a DJ was the thing that LA recognized and asked me about about the Tony Braxton shit. I was a DJ in the group. Like I wasn't a rapper. I wasn't like I could write, but I wasn't, like, I wasn't up front, but I understood how music played against other music and even how you do things to make sure I I noticed the things that stood out on certain songs. Um, yeah, it's like I I understood how people received music.

And so I have an advantage on understanding like, yeah, this could be a great song, but how are we gonna market it if it doesn't like what where are you where is this to be played? Who is this for? Because I know there's different clubs, there's lounges, there's hotels, there's so many places you can introduce music to people, but how does this stand out when you do it? Like, where will it stand out the most? Um so those things always played a part in how I listen to music. Like I don't if something feels like me, it is me to me. I don't I don't try to overhype it, I don't try to try to convince myself that it's something else, because I'm not a salesman. Like I'm not a like I'm actually not a good salesperson. Like I can't sell anything. It's funny how in how powerful that is. We we started doing like live music reviews. We'll get on Instagram live and people will submit music for us to listen to. And I can just tell by the way that me and Ben will, you know, say how we feel, honestly, about something. It's very often not positive.

You know, so a lot of times it's positive, but we'll say something that, you know, like this could be worked on, just the reactions, it's like they're hearing for the first time. For the first time, no, they love it though. It's like it's hearing they're hearing it for the first time. It makes me feel like they're surrounded by yes men all the time, yeah, who just love everything they do and want to support them, and they think that that's helpful. So it's like the first person that's like, well, you kind of like got real, like you sound like you were reading it right there, and the energy got kind of off on these two bars, like something as little as that makes them appreciate that. But that's how I mean relationships are built on trust, right? So it's the same thing when you're talking about music and you're talking about the people that are supposed to help you with your life's dream. So if if you're going to somebody who you respect enough to ask a question, if they're if they don't give you the honest answer back, it's almost like they don't respect you. Ooh. And I think that artists have to be able to understand that respect isn't always cute and cuddly and shit. Yes, you know, it's like love isn't always that, you know, like, oh, you're so great.

Sometimes it's yeah, you you I've seen you do amazing. This is mid. You know, it's it's like it's it's um, yeah, and I think it's based on I love music. I like I'm a fan. Like all of my musical taste is based on early hip-hop rules, like don't bite, like, you know, the whole be original, um, bring something new to it, like show up, be fly, like be noticed, don't just blend in. So um, so when I listen to music, it's the same, it's usually the same thing. So sometimes I can I can miss, not necessarily miss a hit, but sometimes I can be dismissive of a hit if I know it's not necessarily as creative. Like I've I've definitely like what's a song you've missed. What's a song you fucking miss, KP? I know you got one that you remember, like, damn, I was wrong about that one. Wrong, wrong. Um, and the thing is here's the fucked up part about it. It's because I can I can separate my opinion from what I what can work as a DJ.

So I'll get the oh, one of the biggest ones, probably T.I. You don't know me. Oh no! You gave it the you gave it the I didn't give it a thumbs down. I was he was like, man, I'm about to put this out now. I was like, oh, okay, feel like Project Pet. Like, I feel that. And it was, and it was, you know, again, at the time, it was like again, jamming, be easy was my jam. Like, you know, it was it's kind of like those, like be easy felt special and different, and I never heard again, never heard a dope boy play piano vibes. It was, it just felt like something that stood out. And I'm not saying that sometimes those records sometimes those records aren't the most commercially successful records, but they're the records that sow the seed that you have a lifetime fan. So, you know, that's a good one. That's a fucking bar right there, bro. Because we we like are kind of the like, I don't know, opposite, or not opposites, but like we just challenge each other in that and challenge our audience in that same thing of like we're here to try and help them understand the music business and how things can be commercially successful. This is the business.

Like these are people that are listening, they're trying to like monetize their music and their art, right? So I lean more towards maybe the you don't know me's and the you know that type of thing where it's like I know that that's gonna work with you know the masses or that's gonna have a fan base like automatically, but to your point, that life that that that lifetime fan, like those. those records. Yeah, like I'm I'm I'm I'm I'm more a career artist, you know. Like I'm I'm more attracted to that idea. Yeah, like I've done like records that have just been a hit. Like my first real successful thing as an AR person was that's just my baby daddy. Yeah. Like huge for that summer. Yes. And and by the way, and and and and and as far as one hit wonders go in that, that conversation. That's just my baby daddy. You still know it. So it's like making sure I remember them. No, no, no, no, you do.

Like the thing is it's you understand it's just a hit. You like don't you know, yeah. But like not a lifelong fan. But but the thing about that, and this is why I'm I'm I'm weird about it. Anybody who can make a hit is could possibly make another one. That's the Kenny Beats tweet. Right. Yeah, it's if you've done it once, yeah. You now know what it feels like. Yeah, like you have an advantage over most people. Yeah. And by the way, making a one hit is as hard as fuck. Yeah. Like, it's not like a like, it's not easy. And by the way, B Rock is a real producer. Like, you know, what I mean, it was a lot of real things happening to make a novelty record. Yeah. But it took a profession, it took professionals to do it. Yeah. Um, so it's not like a because I don't ever want to slight things that like art, anybody's art, and how especially when it works. Um, but I also understood that that wasn't going to be the thing that kept me in the music business per se. You know, not that one thing or that one kind of thing.

Um, and I'm, you know, just based on my my feeling of old school crews, like Marley Marl had a crew called the Juice Crew. And that was Big Daddy Kane, it was Roxanne Shanté, it was um Kool G Rap, it was all these different Biz Marky, every it was all different personalities. The fire ass group. The symphony, yeah, they made the symphony. I didn't know about the script. Okay, so but this is what I'm saying. It's like, but they are the the cornerstone of it for me. Like Marley Marl produced most of LL Cool J, not most, but a lot of LL Cool J records. Um But you you I understood early that it's like that taste, his taste was what dictated how I learned about New York hip hop. Yeah, and I took that kind of thing serious. Like I felt like that about that. was my space in the, in, in our, in the Dungeon Family at LaFace, um, for for ghetto vision. Everywhere I I've gone, I've tried to take that sensibility of like, okay, do we have this? Like, what is this for?

Like, who's it serve? Who, you know, yeah, I guess that, and by the way, that's what Tip is for me. It's like it served like a real section. Like, it was like it spoke directly to some people. And and I knew that if you can get a um a base of people who can true your words, then you can you can you can you can you can make a career out of that. I I feel like almost nobody, especially just independent artists think about like who who is my who are my people you know who am I talking about what's my avatar who am I talking to it's so important to like understand that well be because the majority of us and even you and I included sometimes man and I think we're we're getting better about this of knowing that we don't need millions of people to fuck with us to have a sustainable business and that goes for art too like any art. This is art the in real art exclusivity is more valued yeah like it if if if what you have is is deemed worth more everybody shouldn't have it yeah like why would everybody get it and by the way those are that makes those other kind of the FOMO fans yeah like there's not that many Van Gogh paintings. There's not so like you have one, yeah you gotta be a thief to get one so we should make the KP interview exclusive paid only content I mean the problem is that's what we did with departments it worked.

I mean listen because now you know who wants it.500 other interviews is the problem it's not it's not ours bro one more time I can't I can't win with this guy's attitude like that Jesus trying to be constructive anyways um all right so kind of you know piggybacking off of the hit record thing right so I know that you didn't feel like you were super into you don't know me for example right but obviously it was a smash like it wasn't my favorite record okay exactly but but just overall in the course of your career do you know what a hit sound like did you know all of the hits or were you surprised by some of the ones no no, no. I think it's probably by it's it's backwards on that for me because I kind of picked the the other records. And and there, and by the way, those were the ones that were hits for me, like ordinary people um shit. Random enough. And I don't in any way try to take credit for the making of any of the anything that went into this record. But my opinion definitely helped sway Crazy and Love coming out as a single.

Yeah. Because at the time it wasn't, it wasn't being seen as a hit. It was, it was like, oh, that, you know, I worked at Sony at this moment, and the record that was supposed to be the first single was Baby Boy, Her and Sean Paul. And I, you know, again, great song. But I but I had the I had the the um the pleasure of hearing Crazy in Love in a earlier um incarnation of it from uh Rich Harris, the producer. He played me the song. It wasn't Beyonce's vocals. Um just to make sure y'all know it was a writer. It was it was it was a reference of it. And I was like, oh, that shit's crazy. And look, how about that? Oh, come on, Henry. Henry, Jesus Christ. I don't want I did. Yeah, exactly. Like, oh my god, way to ruin that.

No, no, no. I got to see what you did. Pick it back up, pick it back up, buddy. Come on. But um, but we were in a in one of these big AR meetings, and they played Baby Boy, and I was like, oh great, cool. But something in me was like, hey, what happened to the record, the Rich Harris record? Now, at this point, I had already heard that Jay-Z was on it. I hadn't heard this version. Um I hadn't even heard Beyonce's vocal yet. But I was like, I just wanted to hear it in this room because it was like this big Sony studio, huge speakers, and I had only heard it in the car in a demo. So they played it. And I just remember like kind of blacking out like clo closed eyes, going, Oh my god, this is amazing. But when I opened my eyes, nobody else was Yo, imagine. Like looking at their phones. The best picture. No, it was like this huge room, too, by the way. It was like it was a lot. Board room of bored people. Right.

It was. It was a board room. Board room. I see what you did. Dude. Okay, give me the come on. Yeah. Well, I was with you on that. That was a good one. I was with you. Thank you. Yeah. You're gonna I'm gonna do the sound effect for KP. Majority rules on this one, but. Right. Okay, good. Okay, so turning Ben's mic off for a second. Hilarious. Hey, hey, hey. That's amazing. That's a hell of a control. Um he has all the fucking power over there with his soundboard. Like Thanos. But the song goes off. I'm like geeked up, but nobody else is. And it's great. It's amazing. someone says something to the effect of it's not really urban. And I think I threw a pencil at the person. It was like I lost it. And um somebody else told me about it. I didn't remember the pencil, actually. Somebody else um You really blacked out. I blacked out for real. Wow. Yeah, um violent. I was black out. My homeboy Salim told me, he's like, Yeah, you don't remember throwing the pencil? Okay, so um, but anyway, and then the our boss at the time, Donnie Ienner, I guess he saw my my visceral reaction and you know, thought there was something to it, and called up, you know, this guy, Footy, who was the the mix show guy.

And Footy was like, he's that dude in the streets. He's a guy with the Funkmaster flex relationship. I can go, I can go get Flex to play it tonight. To see how everyone would respond, how everyone responds. So he did that. Wow. And I think that night Flex played a record for like 30 minutes. I love Flex for doing that shit. bro. Like, no, But it was crazy because it was like me and Footy were in the car. He was like, it's about to go. He came and got me from a hotel. We sat in his car, and he was like, he's about to play it. Watch. He played it. He was like, Oh my god. You know, he did the thing. He shared the palms and again. And it kept going. And to the point where me and Footy were in the car looking at each other, like, oh shit. Like, I'm like, and in my head, I'm like, what did you what do you know? Like, what do you know on this dude? Like, what like I thought it was something else, but it was really that Flex said that when he dropped it, the phones, like this was an old school. People were calling, go, what is that? Yeah. And that, you know, that night it went up. Wow.

That's crazy. But but it was, again, I feel like it was the feeling. It was just a feeling. I can't like I love to be like, I know what a hit sounds like. I don't, I know the, I know what the truth feels like though. Yeah. Damn. It was that brass. It's a fucking amazing story. Yeah, it's like it's not urban, but it's like a Chi-Lites sample with a go-go beat with Beyonce and Jay-Z on it. Wow. So I I guess, you know, in your experience, then, like, is there a formula for hit records where there's like certain elements that all of them have? Yeah, you remember them. Yeah. I did start singing the. Yeah, that's the difference. It's like when people say, like, it's like the difference in a hit to me and a vibe. Like, you know, vibes are like, yo, that's cool. I fuck with it. I can smoke to it, blah, blah, blah. But you don't, you don't go to it for a reason. Like a hit song is applicable to something. Yeah. So it's intangible. And that's something we actually give feedback on in, you know, in those same live reviews, is that like if we're repeating the lyrics at the end of it, it's a very good sign.

It's a very good sign. Absolutely. If we're singing along by the second hook, you've done something incredible. Yeah. If we know the hook after listening to the hook one time ever, you're doing it right. No, it's true. It's absolutely true. Um, okay, so how you know, obviously, radio was still extremely important. Like a phone. Yeah. Yeah. Exactly. You know, it was extremely important still at at that point in time. But you know, fast forward, like how how are artists breaking now that that you see, right? I mean, this still starts at the product. Um, like people like water, the Tyler record, right? Yep. People call it a TikTok hit. It's just a it's a hit record. It's just a great song. It makes sense. It's applicable to if you want to dance, if you want to dance and feel like it's some sexual shit, it's it gives you energy and it's memorable. It's a great written song. Like lyrically from top to bottom, it makes sense.

Um, you know, and produced properly, like not and not just properly, because I don't know if that's a thing, but it's produced in a way that you you feel, you feel it. But but did did TikTok make it a hit? Because I can I can sit here, I can sit here and make it a hit. The the writer and producer made it a hit. But if no one's around to hear it. TikTok is a tool that you use to get people to hear it. Like, that's what I'm saying. TikTok radio, it's at one point MTV. Like there was always a tool or a medium that people used. The medium doesn't make people like things though. No. Like now, you can try to pay for the medium to be repetitive, but that doesn't make it successful. That just makes it like sometimes annoying. I mean, literally, Amber Grimes talked about they've spent like Addison Rae level TikTokers on campaigns that have just not worked. Flopped. So you you can you can pay radio all you want back in the day. You can pay MTV. You can pay anybody, but that you can't pay people to actually like you.

Yeah. Like you can't buy friends. Right. It's real, real ones. I've tried. That's my point. It goes, but it goes it goes into the shit that your grandma I know, right? Like that's a different, that's a whole different conversation. Different conversation. Do we have time? No. No. Nope. I'm just all right. I have a newborn baby at home, KP. I'm just a little bit in my head right now. Yeah. What is life? I don't know what's happening. Right. Um, damn, no, that's that's actually it's so true, man. Um, we've just had we've had so many people talk about that. Yeah, I mean about again, it's the truth, like the truth resonates. It you'll you hear the truth in more conversations than a lie. So same for music, same for artists, same for basketball. Like the truth is the truth. But okay, let me ask you like if I had five hits sitting on my hard drive over there, okay that no one's heard, but they are they're them. You know, what I mean, like these are the ones. Um, how are how are people like making that, you know, how how do they get to that level, I guess, these days. Again, it's still gonna be pairing that song that's the one with the artist that's the one for it.

Mm-hmm. Because sometimes you, you know, you can get a writer, producer who made a song and they want to be the artist that presents it. They may not necessarily always be the personality that best sells it. Like, it's it can be your idea, but sometimes again it a front man for a band isn't always the most talented, it's not always a writer, it's not always the producer, but it's the person that people receive it from. Yeah. Easier. It's the mouthpiece. Yeah. No, and and that's huge, man. We've heard so many songs from our community where I've actually given the the feedback of like, I think that is a hit record, or like the way the the lyrics are written and the melodies and all the things, but but you're just not the artist to deliver it. Yeah, it just your delivery wasn't the right pairing to your point. And I think that's okay. And I it doesn't mean it doesn't say anything less about you or better. Like no, you know, again around another random, but or not so. Um, and I guess I'm going in concession with other stuff, but like I hate really talking about old shit, but this is just a perfect example.

You don't have to call was Pharrell's um second record he was gonna put out with Frontin'. Like those are his singles. Like, like I kind of begged and you know, like, yeah, I begged for that record for Usher. But but I also put it in a in a way that made sense. It's like, okay, if you have this hit with Frontin', you're probably gonna go back in the studio at some point and not want to be on tour. Usher's gonna never want to be off tour. He'll sell your record for you for the rest of his life. And you know, and it's like So Pharrell, so for everyone that is listening, Pharrell wanted you don't have to call that was his song. Okay, I just you talk sometimes and like you understand what's happening. I just need everyone to understand. Break it down for the people. Yeah, no, that's fine. Okay, so you should go everywhere with me. No, I I would love to. Let's do it. I mean, I do you might get annoyed by me sometimes. I don't know. Henry does a lot. It's fine. But yeah, so explain explain the situation a little bit more. So Pharrell Pharrell Williams is an American producer. Okay. Not that far.

I was like in the middle of those two. I was like a wiki. I did wiki you. I don't know if you've ever wikied yourself. I haven't, because I think anybody can put information on it. I think don't you want to make sure it's accurate? You tweeted something about like someone uh said that you were the founder of the dungeon family. Yeah, and I'm like, I wasn't. I was like, I thought that was so funny. I was like, Yeah, but that's what I'm saying. I'm like, but like those corrections, because those are my, you know, like I know the answers to those people, and I don't want anybody thinking I'm co-signing this shit. Right. Like, no. But I am a original founding member. Yeah. Yeah. Okay. Um, but yeah, anyway. So Pharrell. Pharrell. We've heard of him. Who writes songs and produces. Yes, she does. Sing sometimes. And Creative directs for Louis Vuitton. And he's a happy guy. He's very happy. Yeah, he's a joyful dude. Um, but he, you know, this is I was an A&R at Arista at this point. Yeah, this is Arista. And he really did every fucking every label. Label, bro.

All of them. Yeah. Yeah. The wiki didn't cover all of those. Because LaFace is looked at. Oh, that's Arista. Yeah, okay. That's right. It wasn't like I had to go. Sure, sure. You didn't get a new job, but new boss. No, same boss. All right. Um so, but but again, we went for a whole nother record. We went for the I don't know record. That's on the 8701 album. And when I got there, he played me this other one. You don't have to call. And I'm like, oh shit. Like Usher would kill this. Like, you know what I mean? But it's the in understanding that what Usher's gonna do, he's gonna dance. He's gonna do a bunch of shit to make this record that much more special. But when you so you so you hear the record that Pharrell plays, you don't have to call. Right. And is he asking an opinion of like I don't think so? Who would kill this? Or is he just like, here's my song? And you're just like, oh man, this other artist would fucking kill this one. But nah, not like how did you how did you deliver Because we were already working on Usher? We were already working on with Pharrell.

Yes, on the other song. Okay, so it was top of mind, him and him. And again, I think again, I I this could be totally wrong, but I think that when people play me stuff, they have to know that I'm thinking of uh if I'm working on something, just know that that's on my mind. So I think that they know this. Like, so it wasn't like a surprise. He knew it was a he knew it was a hot record. But I don't think he knew that I was going to argue my case the way that I did. Because I'm sure I wasn't the first person to ask for it. Oh yeah. Yeah, definitely not. Like how does that work when like songs get played? Is it like vultures coming around? Yeah, absolutely. It's Like oh, yeah. It's like is that a sound you made when you did Usher make it? No, Usher wasn't there, but but it was definitely like in my head. Okay, wow. But no, but again, it's like it's not to say obviously uh Pharrell's a superstar. he's a superstar producer, he's a superstar writer, he's a superstar, fashion designer. he's a superstar.

Yeah. Amen. so it's not like a slight, it's just saying that, okay, first of all, this could be this could serve better here. And yeah, and it's again, it wasn't me trying to yeah, I can't slight who Pharrell is or was at that moment. What was your in well, why did you think that? Like, well, what was your instinct about like what was the difference in the Pharrell cut versus what you heard for Usher, I guess? It's her and it's kind of saw. Well, it's seeing I've seen what Usher does with hit records with great and I maybe I'm gonna take that out of it. It's not the hit records, but like great songs, like great artists who are performers, who have the ability to sing, dance, and and emote these songs to people. Like I just know what that does, and I know what Usher's capable of. And at the time I just really knew that he would, I knew what he would do with it. And it was just it was kind of like the passion of if I had a pencil, I probably would have threw it at somebody.

At Pharrell. Maybe back then, maybe maybe maybe like security wasn't in the room. Not now, he's your boss. Well, he's my friend. You know, we work together. Oh, boss. But um sorry, KP. Um, but in that in that way, you know, it it's the I think he trusted my opinion and trusted I was coming from a real place. Yeah, did he feel any type of way or was it automatically like an easy actually after Usher sang it, he was like, Okay. Yeah, he just had to hear it out loud one time. Damn. It just took up the personality and the the presence of an Usher to like do the song justice. I think. Well, no, he did it justice, but it's just to make it supersede what the original thought might have been. That's what I mean, like justice as getting it to the world and and you know, getting it heard and getting it performed like on tour to your point, right? By as many people as possible.

Like that song, you that song plays every night at a club. Yeah. Everywhere. Like, because it's a hit record, right? Like Pharrell made an amazing song. Yeah. And he does that. Yeah, he's amazing at it. Yeah. And all right. So you mentioned obviously Pharrell's a superstar. You've had the pleasure of working alongside and with a ton of superstars, right? And so I'm always fascinated by like, do superstars have the same qualities always? Um DNA trait. Yeah, like is it like you have to have these things? Yeah, I think, but it's the same, it's yeah, it's the it's a it's a winning spirit and it's coachability. It's um it's the want to be better. It's the understanding that they're talented, but knowing that it requires uh, you know, sometimes things that you're not seeing. Mm-hmm. So most I call them winners or superstars, they, they really are really discerning in the people in the room and why they listen to them. Like they're very clear about, you know, they're clear about who they are and they're clear about who they aren't.

Mm-hmm. Yeah, damn. It's it's that self-awareness. Self-awareness is everything. everything. It's literally, I love you know, after you do this 150 plus episodes, you start to like hear every story is unique, and that's why we love doing this, but like there's still some recurring themes, themes, yeah. And like self-awareness. Yeah. Oh, people lie to themselves every day without knowing it. Oh my God. It's crazy. It is mind-blowing, right? And it is something so blatantly obvious when we've gotten the pleasure of talking to people like yourself who have just achieved so many amazing great things, right? And have worked with other people who have just achieved even greater things, right? Um, it's that self-awareness, man. It's it's knowing exactly who you are and what you're good at, but also equally important, knowing what you need to learn and and where you can improve and like where you can be coached to your point. And that's yeah, that's huge, man. Um, all right. So I do want to get like one perspective. As someone who, like you said, you've worn the AR hat at every label under the sun, it sounds like, right? So um, you know, for someone like you who's worked on so many albums, like I'd love to contrast like two albums.

I don't know if this is too hard for you to like think of uh off the cuff, but like you know, two albums that you've been a part of that were just so drastically different in their uh like creative processes, right? Because I'm assuming there's some parallels and some similarities amongst how albums are made, right? Like there's some playbooks, maybe I don't know, like some blueprints, if you will, but there's probably some like extremes of like, oh man, the way that we made this outcast album versus the way that like this Usher record, you know, came about. Like, is there any two that really stick out in your head as like like polar opposites on how they were like how they came to life? And I don't know if that's too hard of like a question because you've worked on so much, but what are you saying? I'm sorry to uh pause. Um all of them are different. Um I would say, okay, like EARTHGANG. Yeah.

Okay, so here's a here's a good one, right? EARTHGANG, who people compare to a Dungeon Family act, or you know, they it it there's a similarity in it, right? How do you feel about that? No, I think I think they're of the the the generation after us, and they have traits that hopefully we laid in the you know in the DNA of the music in Atlanta. Yeah. Like so it I hope that there's some thread, right? But um Yeah, I would hope for it, I would hope it wouldn't just die with the like when people are comparing them and feeling like some type of way about it, I'm like, why would we not want like some sort of resurgence of that like feeling and that aesthetic and what it is is I think that again, like we're all from we're all from the same city. Yeah. Like so that DNA is in the city. Um they're totally different though. Like, whereas Outcast, we had a a core group of producers that did everything that that helped with the writing, helped, you know, like with hooks and melody and and just direction. EARTHGANG was more they, they, they they they understood who they are as artists, but they weren't necessarily um dead set on a group of producers.

So we worked with more than, you know, we worked with multiple people. Um and the hardest part on that was just trying to get things that were c cohesive. But it's it's the same goal, same vibe, but it's just it's totally different because you get to, you know, we traveled more, we went to different studios, we did we dealt with different producers, different musicians, got more information, you know, more things to put into the pot of the gumbo. Well, so were there more uh records to choose from at the end of the day? No, it's but no, it was harder to figure out in the beginning what the the through line was gonna be. Because they had been working way before I got there. Um because I feel like Barry said it's like I want you to Rick Rubin this shit. Whereas you come in and listen to what's there. not necessarily re reduce, but refine. Yeah. So it's like just figure out what what are the things that stick out to you as a person coming in from the outside. And what are the things that are that that you know that you would showcase more? So I came in from that side of it as a executive producer, right?

So and because of my history with not just outcast, but with other successful artists, it was like the same question. Like, what's the thing that's cool about them? And we had to focus on their voices and the differences in their voices and the differences in their opinions, the differences in their styles. So I I could take that idea from Outcast of you know, two polar opposites that are that sound like one thing, and take that over here, but I couldn't do it in a way where it was one producer who was you know a one producer producer camp doing it. It's just I don't know, it's different. I can't um I don't know, it's so many differences that it's weird. Is the no, I think I understand that piece because it's actually a perfect because I was gonna talk about the comparison that EARTHGANG always gets to Outcast, anyways. Yeah, so it's actually kind of perfect that you like used that as the example of like having worked on a lot of outcast, you know, projects, and then obviously most recently doing the ghetto gods by EARTHGANG. So it's it's it it does sound like there's gotta be pros and cons to the multiple producers versus the camp, right?

Absolutely. Like it's so much easier when you have a when it's a camp, versus in camp, you know, music, because it's like the conversations are easier and better, like everything's kind of out and open. It's like friends talking, and you can get to take all these conversations and put them into the music. Like you can hear somebody walking through the through the room going, ain't no thing but a chicken. Hey, come say that. Like, you know what I mean? It's it's it's different in that way. It's no one's saying that in the curated session that was set up in LA, yeah, with random, or not random, but like producer, you know, X, Y, Z. But but that's what makes it hard. Trying to find those producers who aren't gonna feel random. Yeah. Who aren't gonna come in with a totally different energy that off puts the artist or vice versa. Yeah. You know? I don't know if you're around for the recording, actual recording process of any of that, but I am curious um how EARTHGANG, like just in an age now where you know, people are freestyling and punching in and just kind of coming up with shit, you know, is is because I feel like OutKast was, you know, they were either they or you know, the producers to your point, writers, whoever was probably, you know, people back then took more time. Every verse that was ever said, everything written down was ready to go, right?

Yeah. Um is that different now? No, I mean with EARTHGANG, they had a lot of stuff done. And and by the way, we went in and redid verses, you know, took verses off, changed them. Like pay attention to that, by the way, everybody. Like, it's so your first take is probably not the one. Well, it or if it is, you'll know. Right. Because the room will like we we did a lot of cool shit, like having people in the studio. Like, we would make sure they were in with producers, um, and even bringing other people into the studio just to to hang, like good energy people in the room. And you see when it's right, like the room moves different. Um, yeah, like it's when you say it and you gotta tell somebody why it was dope, it's not dope. It's not dope. You got you should probably. So do you so you're big advocate of having people in studio sessions? Because some artists like people. Some artists like to work by themselves. Just give me the engineer, you know what I mean? Yeah, I'm not a fan of that. Yeah, I don't, I don't know why a I don't know a lot of really great records that came out that way.

And I don't understand and by the way, someone, and I'm sure there are, I know there are sure. But you're missing out on the data that you get by the reactions from the people. And just coming from a DJ A&R, it's it makes perfect sense. That's what I was gonna say. And at the end of the day, I mean, artists, a big part of your job is performing in front of people. So for me, if you can't give the room the emotion that you need to be able to give time and time again when you're touring this shit and whatever, I I don't really know what, like, I don't know. Like you said, I there's tons of records I know for a fact have been created where it's maybe just producer, one producer, one engineer, and artist, and that's cool. But like I'm totally understanding like the value you can get by having like the right people in the room. Those right people in the room. Yeah, because listen, man, like it's nothing worse than uh like the dungeon family. The reason why I think everyone in the crew is so good is because everyone in the crew is so good. So if you're in the booth and you say something and you see CeeLo or you know, or Andre go, ooh, you know that was it hit something, right?

Because that's a discerning ear. It's not just somebody who's happy to see you in the studio and you're happy to smoke your weed. It's being tapped in with tapped in with your emotions, man, and like just letting you yourself feel things and then recognizing when you feel things is so right, it's so simple to say, but man, yeah. Well, I I guess my question would be do you think that some people's feelings are you know more right than others? Like, for example, your feelings have had a pretty good fucking track record of being the right feelings are good, being the right feelings, okay? So, but do you think that you know shit? Just anyone, like, you know, because everyone's a consumer of music, obviously, or at least most people are a consumer of music. So, like, is their feeling like are all feelings created equal? I guess is my question here. Yeah, but I think some feelings aren't ready to be in the room because yeah, in your car, you you'll probably in the car by yourself, you'll be honest. You'll either turn the shit up or turn it off.

In a room in that you're not used to being, that you're not used to being in, where you're trying not to get kicked out of, where you're impressed by everyone in the room. You're you could possibly lie in that room to to not because you don't know how to feel, you don't want to be the person that says no, you don't there's a there's a you can't have fearful energy in a room. Like you can get like all opinions matter. It's just depending on how you process it and who if you care. If you're trying to get that person, then it matters. If you don't care as much, it won't matter as much. Yeah, and it goes back to kind of you know, the beginning of the conversation, full circle of like why you've maybe been so valuable is that you have a tendency to be very honest. And I think that to your point, it might not even be like blatant lying, it might just be no uncomfortability, insecurity. It could be, I don't know.

Yeah, but I should say something. So I might as well just bob my head and vibe. Yeah, because that's what everyone else is doing, or whatever. Like that's what I think I should do. I've been in the studio before. Oh god, this is amazing. It's cool. And probably the free weed thing is. The free weed. Is always a thing. Probably the thing, and these speakers are very big, and the bass is just very loud. I love it. It makes my heart vibrate. It's so true. Um, all right. So I I you know, I did want to ask this. Like, what's what's getting you well, you know, we kind of touched on this with the whole, you know, you know, managing TI, and he's got his hands in a lot of different things creatively. Obviously, working at I Am Other, you guys have your hands in a lot of different things as well. But like, what's getting you excited, you know, creatively right now? Um, because you've just done so much over the years. So it's like writing. an out okay, writing. Yeah, I'm actually writing a TV show. Really? Yeah. Any anything you want to share? No? Okay, just like but it's that's what you're doing. That's the yeah, that's the move. Like, I've I recently um mute started doing music to music supervision and and music consulting and for TV stuff, right? I did the music supervision for this, um, it's a documentary on the The Godfather of Harlem.

And like it was based on the music that they used, so I got to do the music supervision for that documentary. Then the first season of Harlem, I was brought in to be a music supervisor, which was way harder than I thought, and I ended up needing help and and took the music consultant credit. But that experience in film and TV, it was kind of like, oh, this is this looks fun. And it's a lot, um, yeah, it's just it's, it's, it's, I'm going into film and TV. Yes. That's fucking dope. Wait, go on. like, do you have any? Is there like who's held? How do you know how to write like what how do you know how to write a TV show? So again, how do you write a TV show? Yeah, No, Well, first you get um final um final draft. And okay, that's yeah, that's the one I've heard. Yeah, that's the one I've heard of. But but you read, like they're they're just they're books on on writing. Okay.

Like, and you know, and you get good mentors. I I have like I'm blessed enough to be connected to a lot of really great talented people, artists, writers, and directors, actors, and I get to see I like I feel like everything I do I get to kind of intern first. Like I get to go hang out and see how things move. And when I recognize that in TV and film production is just like movie, I mean music production, if you do it right, where you just make sure the right people are in the room, you make sure that the right writers are there to help. You make sure that the the authentic voices are in the writer's room, you make sure that the the person who's filming it can see the the the scenery almost, like the the details and things, and they understand it. Um Are you writing this for uh specific people in mind? Yeah. Okay. Yeah, but uh and well it's a couple of people, like it's because it's based on some things that I knew. So it's like it was a lot easier to kind of start.

But what I did was I got with someone who who was a real writer, showrun, you know, professional credited writer, showrunner, to help. And and it and it's making it I guess that much more of a fun process because first of all, there's some b uh some validation in my idea and and the original script that I wrote is like like oh that's a real script. How long did it take you? Ooh, like four years. Really? Believe it. Is that and you wrote a whole like season? Yeah. Oh no, no, no, no, it took four years to write a pilot. A pilot? Yeah, because again, no, I mean I don't know. No, no, no, but but but again, I say that because again, in in those four years, I had to learn how like the first time I wrote it, I wrote it in my notes. Sure. As this person, then this person's gonna say, like, but it was like literally like this long drawn out way of writing, like, oh, and then they would be like, and they would drive up in this car, and you know, and then when I the first person I showed it to was like, oh man, I I see the story, but it's not at all written well. I feel you KP.

Yeah, like but for real, it was it was that it was like that's actually a really great premise. It's a great story, it's a great it's a great, now. You need to learn how to write it in in structure. Yeah, like you know, it wasn't written bad, like grammatically, it was written bad, like it didn't have a structure. It's like you're talking to yourself, yeah. And this guy's gonna pop out from the left. Yes, and it's like the way that you say that is seen, it opens. Um learning that was the four-year process because just because you read it doesn't mean that you can apply it all all the way. And then I had to go through the process of sending it to really smart people and let them criticize it and let them redline it and and and get feedback. And it was fun because it put me in the position to in the the other side of the position that I am, I'm in on AR. Like where, you know, you're You're that person. I'm now having to like You're the artist. Yeah, you're the writer.

Well, yeah, but I mean, but like but what's funny is the the person who's helping me do it, I sent her the script. It's to her. I sent it, yeah. We just narrowed it down 50%. 1000%. But when I sent it to her, she was in the middle of doing something that was really important to her already that was that was happening, and it took her like three or four months to read it. No. And in those three or four months, I I was rewriting, I was doing everything because I was like, she don't, this shit sucks. Oh God. But it was that she just didn't have the time. Like I've sometimes not had time to listen to a demo. It was that kind of that feeling. But when she hit back, she was like, Oh, this is dope. I definitely want to help. Wow. Just like that. That's awesome, man. No, it's once again, full circle from kind of how you started this as far as like wanting to learn and just always like being curious and not you know being satisfied with like what you know already. Like that's that's how I feel too, man.

It's like we we're trying new things right now with the podcast and just with our company, and it's like the most exciting shit is the new shit. You have to admit. Of course, because it's like, I'm not saying we're like podcast veterans and shit, but like I mean, but y'all got like a hundred interviewing a hundred thousand interviews, right? Exactly like something like that. We've interviewed a lot of people, we've done a lot of like short form content, and like that's awesome. We're really we've we've we've found ourselves to be like getting pretty good at that, right? So it's you know, kind of doing these other things, like we have a concert coming up in February, um, you know, here in Atlanta, and so like doing stuff like that, and then these other things that we're getting ourselves into, it's like that's what we're very comfortable also with shit not working out, which is why it's fun. We're gonna find out if it works, and that's it's like, oh shit, is this gonna work, or can we cross it out the list and try the next thing? You know what I mean? The art tight rope, you know. what I mean, it's like where it's only fun if there's a a chance of you fucking it all up. Yeah, if it was a guy walking across the street, it's not interesting. But if it's a highway, tight rope, yeah, across the highway.

You might be onto something for sure. Henry, we've been able to enter the final segment of the podcast. Are we there? We're there, man. Oh shit. Let's let's take this. Let's take this shit home. I just flew by, man. I know. Um I could talk to KP for hours, hours, days. We're not fucking Joe Rogan. Right. Um, before we get into the rapid fire rampage. Just selfishly, I just want to ask. So picture a young Henry. I want to say like 2006, maybe. You're killing me, Smalls. No, he would be uh the other the catcher, the chubby catcher, right? No, that's who actually said it. Oh yeah, that is him. He's right. Yeah, he's right. Never mind. Yeah, I stand corrected. KP's right, of course. I just want to know selfishly. Um I'm getting driven home from like a summer camp by my cousin, and he turns on this music I've never heard before. What is this? Uh oh. And it's Top Back. And it's the song that I come I've always my whole life given credit to getting me into hip hop. Just do you have like any um involvement, any memories, any quick story about that song? I heard it, it was dope.

Period. Period. That's it. But but I wasn't no, but by this time, Top Back was that was King. Where was that? It was on Urban Legend? Urban Legend. It was on Urban, yeah, I think Urban Legend. Oh no, it's trap music. Oh. It was way back. It might have been trap music. It was Top Back. It was Top Back. Yeah. Top Back. Not way back. I said Top Back. It was Top. Back. He did. He said Top Back. I know, but you said it was way back. No, now you're doing the dad jokes. I know. Come on. It was actually King. It was on King. Go with your instincts, man. Okay. So I was, I had nothing to do with like making the album by this time. Okay. T.I.'s on cruise control. He knows what he's doing. Yeah. He's working. He's he's good. Like, but was he still on ghetto vision at that point? No, it's just always been my brother. Like, you know, from that point on, it's like I call him my little big brother sometimes because you know he's accomplished a lot. Yes. Um, but when I like that song I heard when it came out. Mm-hmm. Like I didn't hear that during the process of songs that I that he would play.

Okay. Fair enough. because I was at Sony doing Sony things executive VP shit. Yeah. Doing Sony things. Yep. Okay, cool. Awesome. Yeah, just selfishly wanted to get that out of the way. But here's the thing though. If that was such an important song, make sure that you go. Ha ha. Make sure that you go on um Opus Entertainment Group. And we're doing the 20-year anniversary of trap music with the Atlanta Pops at the Woodruff uh music. Oh, the Art Center? At The Art Center, yeah. Coming up. Shit. Yeah, we're doing a Symphony show with T.I. When is that? December 28th and 29th. We had to add a show because the first show sold out. Oh my god. Damn, bro. Okay. So, and I just because of that song, it's like we've already that's like one of the ones that you know is like, oh my god. I can't imagine. All right, I'm just gonna shoot my shot right now. I'm just gonna shoot my shot right now. Okay. Could we get some passes, bro? Like, what's going on, man? Yeah, yeah. Opus group entertainment. God damn it, KP.

But but you know what? What's the date? If you I can give you a 10% code. All right. Oh, we'll take it, man. We'll take that. We'll take that. We'll take it. Let's go. I had to shoot the shot. No, I know I appreciate it. You respect it? Um, respect it, I guess. Respectfully. Okay. He doesn't respect that. Anyway, this is the Rapid Fire Rampage KP. It's just a three-part rampage. We're gonna have a little fun here. It starts with some short answer questions. Here we go. I'm gonna get the like really tough uh ones out of the way. Starting with, how are you doing? Great. Okay, moving on. KP, what is the last song that got stuck in your head? This is gonna be great. Sexyy Red or eggplant. Ooh, shut up, Coop. Yeah, we interviewed Cube. Did you call him Cube? Cube. this has been a long week. Yeah, wow. KP, can you name a super important truth about the music industry that people don't want to accept, but they really need to.

You get what you negotiate. So have someone that can do that if it's not you. I'm sure. You can only eat one meal for the rest of your life. What is it? Houston's. What's the what's the meal? Steak. A steak, potatoes, and fries. Well, I actually do fries with the mashed potatoes. It's weird. That's awesome. That's a lot of potatoes, but yeah, Hey, man. I'm a growing boy. Is it weird that I is it weird uh my head immediately went to went to uh peaches and eggplants when you when you said you know, one meal? I'm turning your mic off again. So eggplant. KP, for this one we're gonna need your phone. Do you have it? Yes, it's over there. Okay, well, okay, we'll skip that one. KP moving on. I mean, but what is it? I might yeah, you might know actually. Uh, what are the open tabs currently on your internet browser? Oh wow, no, let me get my phone hold on.

Yeah, I kind of I want to know this. Yeah, I think it could be interesting. to see. This is great. Ben, say something interesting. Quick, tell a joke. This episode is brought to you by our sponsors. Who don't exist, reach out anytime. Okay. Opus Entertainment Group. Straight up. Straight up. Use OMT10 for a 10% discount. Okay, there's an SVA payment because my daughter is in SVA and I just paid tuition. Okay. Um departments. Yep. Feature film. Um guitar center. Uh what are you buying? Um Christmas gift for my son. Okay. Um Atlanta Journal-Constitution. So I've got something to say. Hmm. Actually, I'm pretty PG over here. Yeah. Uh how'd you feel about that documentary, by the way? I thought it was dope. You thought it was dope? Yeah. Okay. Um, I luckily, oh, I don't know why this is here, but this was one of the ones. It was like John Gotti, Time Magazine.

On Time Magazine? Oh. Yeah. Oh, I know what it is. Me and Barry were talking and Barry Hefner. Shout out, Barry. Who will not come on the podcast? He will not do podcasts. He needs a podcast. I think he'd be great. Sure. His tweets are a podcast. They are. Okay, I think he understands his audience. Yeah, he does. He does. Last one of the short answer. This is called Ideal Audio. KP. You can pick any artists, producers, writers, alive or dead. Just create the perfect song right now. It's perfect question for an A&R. This is perfect for KP. Um Quincy Jones producing with Pharrell. Oh my god. And put anybody on it. Possibly you on it. Drums by like Metro. Oh wow. Written by Stevie Wonder and Dream. Oh my God.

Literally, it doesn't matter who the artist is. Uh just wait, Henry. No, I mean, um I mean, just cause it just makes sense. I'm gonna say Usher. Wow. God. Usher's set up for greatness. Man, crazy. Have you uh have you been to his Vegas residency? Yeah. Is it amazing? It is. Is it at Dre's? Um no, no, no, no, it's at MGM. Why do you say it like that? It's Dre's? No, because Dre's is a club. Yeah. And MGM is like a ballroom. Like a theater. Yeah, like a big arena. Like not arena, but theater. I didn't mean to like uh minimize usherness. How dare you? How dare you offend Usher? Singing in dress. All right, all right. Um this next part is called the this or that. I'm gonna just give you two choices. Pick one. Here we go. Starting with hooks or verses. Yeah. You can't say both. Um I gotta say hooks if I want to stay in business. Smart man.

Books or podcasts? Books, actually. Good job, Henry. Saved it. Yep. Hard work or talent? Hard work. I just want to like ask everyone that and then make a compilation of everyone answering hard work. Doesn't matter how good you are. TikTok or YouTube. TikTok. Concept album or collection of hits. You can't ever say both. No, that's why it's a good question. But my like my career has kind of been both. So but hits. Yep. Hits, man. Fair enough. K-pop or death metal? K-pop. A million dollars or invisibility? Invisibility. I thought you were gonna say or dinner with Jay-Z.

Hilarious. Jay-Z already answered that question. Can we just dead that forever? No. You better get some money. Yeah. It's all in my lyrics. And finally, become a full-time rapper or leave the music industry. Like I can only be a rapper in the music industry. That's it. Even though that's not my talent. Correct. That's what makes it a fun question, KP. Full-time rapper. He's got the tools already, He's set up. I think he could do it. I just don't want to be famous like that. Well, yeah, too bad. You're on the one more time podcast now, my friend. You're blowing the fuck up, bro. You're out of here. I mean, look, man. Yeah, for real. Okay, the last section is the word association. I'm gonna say one word. Just give me the first word right back that you think of off the top of your head. There's no right answers. You're only judged on speed. You're only judged. We're judging. Starting with hip hop. Great. Umbrella. Rihanna. COVID.

Fucked up. Bow and arrow. Out. Za. Za. Completed the. I should have said Zaza. Perfect. That was good. Two. One. Cybertruck. Content. That was it. I was gonna say it sounded like his answer. Hit song. Riz. Uh I like what he did there. So fire. What a bar. Op. You don't have one. Me personally. He's got so many, bro. He's got so many ops, this guy. Listen, if you're a car pull-up, like pull the strap out. That was all I was saying. saying. Lil Baby. Ghetto.

Vision. Let's go. KP the Great on the One More Time podcast. As always, please like, comment, and subscribe. If y'all didn't get game from this episode, this is just one of those ones where like it's my fault. No, I mean, yeah, it's probably KP's fault. But no, or they just they speak Japanese if they didn't get it, I think, is what the problem was. Yeah, I guess that's the only it's the only explanation, Henry. Yeah, sure. Nah, but appreciate you coming on, man. Seriously.