Episode 64 - ALL GOLD EVERYTHING ft. Trinidad James

Summary

Grits and Eggs Podcast – Episode 64: "ALL GOLD EVERYTHING" ft. Trinidad James

Host: Deontay Kyle
Guest: Trinidad James
Release Date: May 6, 2025

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Introduction

In Episode 64 of the Grits and Eggs Podcast, host Deontay Kyle welcomes the multifaceted artist and entrepreneur, Trinidad James. The episode delves deep into Trinidad’s journey from his early life in Trinidad to becoming a prominent figure in music, fashion, and community initiatives. They discuss Trinidad's experiences navigating cultural transitions, overcoming criticism, and his ambitious projects aimed at giving back to the community.

Trinidad James' Background and Early Life

Trinidad James opens up about his formative years, transitioning from South Atlanta High School to the predominantly white White Knoll High School in South Carolina. This cultural shift had a profound impact on him, shaping his resilience and adaptability.

Trinidad James [03:03]:
"It took me 13 years to be doing the things I want to do, which is like community stuff, but like with purpose. That's lucrative. And like, it look good. It's dope."

His immigrant experience in America, coupled with the challenges of fitting into vastly different school environments, instilled in him a strong sense of self-reliance and determination.

Navigating the Music Industry and Overcoming Criticism

Trinidad reflects on his early days in the music industry, facing significant criticism for his unique style and eclectic blend of Southern and Caribbean influences. He was often treated as an outlier, but these experiences only fueled his growth.

Trinidad James [07:59]:
"It grew you up fast, bro. You know, that's the first thing I'm gonna tell you."

He emphasizes the importance of staying true to oneself despite external pressures and doubts, highlighting how these challenges refined his artistry and business acumen.

Fashion, Entrepreneurship, and Building an Ecosystem

A significant portion of the conversation centers around Trinidad's ventures in fashion and entrepreneurship. He discusses his store, Homework, formerly known as Manza, which serves as a hub for his creative and community-driven projects.

Trinidad James [62:23]:
"So that's my big goal. Everything you see here, right now, is just like, this is a part of what's inside my brain. But the goal is to make education more interesting through fashion."

Trinidad’s dedication to merging fashion with meaningful causes is evident in his initiatives aimed at integrating education and creativity. His work with Full Size Run, a sneaker-focused platform, showcases his ability to blend passion with business effectively.

Family Dynamics and Personal Growth

Trinidad shares intimate details about his relationship with his parents, particularly his father’s influence on his work ethic and resilience. Their dynamic was complex, marked by Trinidad’s pursuit of his passions versus his father's traditional views.

Trinidad James [28:03]:
"You have to be there when they can't be there."

Despite initial misunderstandings, Trinidad highlights the gradual reconciliation and support from his father, underscoring the transformative power of perseverance and dedication.

The Homework Initiative: Bridging Fashion and Education

Homework stands as Trinidad's flagship project, aiming to revolutionize school uniforms by infusing them with educational elements. Each piece from Homework is designed to be more than just apparel; they serve as educational tools, teaching everything from color theory to practical skills like baking.

Trinidad James [62:34]:
"The biggest goal with Homework is to make education more interesting through fashion."

Trinidad envisions partnering with local schools to provide uniforms that are not only stylish but also educational, fostering a more engaging learning environment for students.

Future Plans and Expanding Horizons

Looking ahead, Trinidad shares his vision for expanding Homework and his involvement in the upcoming 2026 World Cup in Atlanta. His plans include launching a masterclass through his creative agency, 567-Agency, focused on guiding aspiring artists and entrepreneurs.

Trinidad James [73:54]:
"The biggest goal, and it's going to continue to be our goal until I start, you know, making it happen more and more and more, is doing over schools, uniforms, Homework…"

Trinidad emphasizes the importance of quality over quantity, ensuring that his initiatives are impactful and beneficial to the community.

Conclusion

Episode 64 of the Grits and Eggs Podcast offers an in-depth look into Trinidad James' multifaceted career and personal journey. From his challenges in the music industry to his innovative approaches in fashion and education, Trinidad exemplifies resilience, creativity, and a commitment to community upliftment. His story serves as an inspiration for aspiring artists and entrepreneurs aiming to make a meaningful impact.

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Notable Quotes with Timestamps:

• Trinidad James [03:03]:
  "It took me 13 years to be doing the things I want to do, which is like community stuff, but like with purpose. That's lucrative. And like, it look good. It's dope."

• Trinidad James [07:59]:
  "It grew you up fast, bro. You know, that's the first thing I'm gonna tell you."

• Trinidad James [28:03]:
  "You have to be there when they can't be there."

• Trinidad James [62:34]:
  "The biggest goal with Homework is to make education more interesting through fashion."

Key Takeaways:

• Cultural Adaptation: Trinidad's transition between different cultural environments shaped his resilience and adaptability.
• Authenticity in Art: Overcoming criticism by staying true to his unique blend of Southern and Caribbean influences.
• Entrepreneurial Spirit: Successfully merging passion for fashion with community-driven initiatives.
• Family Influence: Navigating complex family dynamics to forge his own path while maintaining respect and reconciliation.
• Community Impact: Through Homework, Trinidad aims to revolutionize education by integrating it with fashion, making learning more engaging for students.

For listeners looking to draw inspiration from Trinidad James’ journey of overcoming adversity, building a creative ecosystem, and giving back to the community, this episode is a must-listen.

Transcript

[Trinidad James]

When you have high standards and fancy.

[Deontay Kyle]

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[Trinidad James]

Thankful for another day to tell my.

[Deontay Kyle]

Story Put my opinions in the universe.

[Trinidad James]

And let them orbit I'm from the dirty soul with a dirty mouth Might.

[Deontay Kyle]

Need or bit miss things things on.

[Trinidad James]

Me like a norbit had to refuse them cause my bitch no rest Fusion she gorgeous as I doubt my sons up and kiss my daughter forehead tell.

[Deontay Kyle]

Them we gonna get this money to my pockets Morbid remember living in apartments now we playing mortgage you ain't got.

[Trinidad James]

A regardless baby I'm blessed and I keep that blick with me we like grits and eggs as you sip your coffee flick your cigarette and let a.

[Deontay Kyle]

Vent yeah we back oh we back Grist Next podcast episode 64 I'm Deontay Kyle but who's behind the camera? Big ice cup cat hey man, we ain't gonna do all the frills. You know where the email is and where to do the submissions. We got a very special guest in the building today. Ow on the flyest that ever exists. But we gotta call them in. Big cat. Call him in. The genie. Trinidad James. Dad is in the building.

[Trinidad James]

Hey, what's going on, gentlemen? How are you?

[Deontay Kyle]

We're doing good, man. Doing great. Thank you for coming. We here at Homework formerly Manza, where it all started.

[Trinidad James]

This is beautiful to. I. I thought about this 13 years ago. It took me 13 years to be doing the things I want to do, which is like community stuff, but like with purpose. That's lucrative. And like, it look good. It's dope. To be able to just like accomplish great things. Like what you already doing inside of my spot, what this spot means to me. Just the history. I love history so much more now. I appreciate it. Much more now.

[Deontay Kyle]

Yeah.

[Trinidad James]

Compared to living so much in the moment. How I appreciate history. Yeah.

[Deontay Kyle]

Cuz you're making it. Yeah.

[Trinidad James]

So work about it.

[Deontay Kyle]

Yeah.

[Trinidad James]

But what's good, man?

[Deontay Kyle]

It's all good, bro.

[Trinidad James]

Everything.

[Deontay Kyle]

You know, life is good. Everything's good too. Hey, I'll let him talk to him.

[Trinidad James]

You better let them know a sponsorship.

[Deontay Kyle]

Hey, hey. It's gonna happen. Hey, look. He said it. Hey, look.

[Trinidad James]

Come on, man.

[Deontay Kyle]

And we already in collaboration with the Grizzly Ass breakfast kitchen. It's only right. It's only right corporate on these.

[Trinidad James]

We open on Sundays, baby.

[Deontay Kyle]

So let's talk about. Let's talk about just. You said the 13 years to get here, but when you was working in this building.

[Trinidad James]

Yeah.

[Deontay Kyle]

How does that. How does it feel to be in ownership of a place that used to be an employee of.

[Trinidad James]

It's. Honestly, I'm still building it. Like, I'm still building out just this. My ecosystem I already had, but now I felt like my ecosystem had no heartbeat. And now the heartbeat of my ecosystem is back. And it's just been great. Kind of like building on that heart because I built out this amazing ecosystem where it's like how I'm appearing over here, I'm magical over here, I'm majestic over here, but the core of it is conflicted. And then being back home and then this portal, because I kind of call this place a portal, it's allowed me to just really lock in on the heart of my ecosystem. And that's been great. We're literally in a place where right there to the right is where I wrote All Go Everything. Sitting right there with my guy Junior. He's Haitian from Brooklyn. He's sitting right there at our desk. Like, I wrote all. Everything right there. Like right there. It changed so many things, bro. Like, think about how in the genuine part of your heart. Think about how high regard you hold me. And we didn't grow up together based off of something I wrote right there at work, you know what I'm saying? This place is magical. A lot of times we run away from home. Run away from home. We run away from home to just be prideful, just to show that, oh, I can run away from home. But when you become logical and you understand what really matters, when you really want to build something that's long lasting after, like, we don't last, but you got to come back home.

[Deontay Kyle]

You got to go back home. Yeah. And I mean naturally, too. Like, I'm going through some of those transitions too, where it's like I dipped. Like, I did. I went. I took. I took the show on the road. Like, I want to go see what this world can give me.

[Trinidad James]

Amen.

[Deontay Kyle]

And it's like the. The higher you go up, it's like, it's good. You. You got these people around you that really know you, that'll keep you rooted, keep you grounded. But it's also like, no better feeling than building it with them, you know what I mean? Because it's like, it's checks and balances for sure. Like, they ain't letting me get away with the asshole stuff. Like, I can think who I am, whoever I want to be. But I got my man's right here. He gonna remember who you are.

[Trinidad James]

Big Ice, right?

[Deontay Kyle]

Ice?

[Trinidad James]

It's not happening.

[Deontay Kyle]

Yeah. Nah, not with Big Cat behind the.

[Trinidad James]

Cool the fuck down. All right, mister. Take it down a couple.

[Deontay Kyle]

So I'll go. Everything was like, this is polarizing, right? Like, this is you at your job. You got this dream, and we all kind of sit on the clock hoping that, like, one day we can make it off. Like I told people before this thing started, I was like, watch, I'm gonna talk my way out the Matrix. Like, I'm gonna yap my way right out the Matrix, right? And so a year later, to have done it, it's amazing. So I know that you. You caught a lot of, like, criticism early on in your career. Just for you. Extremely eccentric. But I want to put a pin in that, because you were the first eccentric ATL nigga in that generation. And after you, we get the young thugs and we get the little Uzi verts and things like that, but it seemed like everybody tried to harp down and, like, criticize you, overly critical of you for how you expressed yourself. And you kind of, you. You blended the lines of, like, what it meant for Southern Men and masculinity. And also you have a Caribbean background, so that's got to be difficult as well. And they just kind of tried to treat you like the stepchild. So how did that feel to be introduced to your dream with so much, like, flack and criticism?

[Trinidad James]

It grow you up fast, bro. You know, that's the first thing I'm gonna tell you. I truly don't believe that no one could walk in my shoes. Because a lot of the things that you mentioned, like, I mean, they all affected me. I handled it like a G. Right, right. Whatever that's supposed to fucking mean. But I felt every emotion of people who I built so much good rapport with before fame to change on me when fame came. And I was like, damn, like, you don't know. You don't remember me. Because I'm the same person I've always been because I was always pretty good with me. Once I figured out fashion and my style, like, the universe kind of, like, it aligned because it was something I'm walking in. Like, the reason, once again, why you hold me in high regard if we just. Just talk in fashion, however, is because the person that I'm walking with is aligned with how I look. A lot of times we're looking for so many aspects of. We are. We are a Rubik's Cube. So you'll have one side of you all the way complete, all red. But then this part is jumbled. And we're working on completing our Rubik's Cube. Our body, our mind, our spirit is a Rubik's Cube. And, you know, to get it all the way complete, all the way. Like, I mean, what are we talking about? Right? Yeah, that's the Matrix. That shit. Yeah, that's the Matrix you refer to.

[Deontay Kyle]

Yeah, exactly.

[Trinidad James]

Right? And like, for me, it's kind of one of those things where I never been doubted before I got into music and I was like, what is this doubt thing, man? Like, why am I being doubted? Like, do you know that I am not from this country? Do you know the things that I've had to go through to get here and to make it to where we're at?

[Deontay Kyle]

Right?

[Trinidad James]

And I am a people. I am for the people. Like, my favorite consumer are the everyday working people. That's my favorite consumer. That's why I could come and do a shop right here in the underground of Atlanta, right here with the everyday working people. And I'm here.

[Deontay Kyle]

Yeah.

[Trinidad James]

Like, you know what I'm saying? We appreciate it because it's not about being better than Somebody just because your situation is in a better place. It's more of like, what I want to accomplish is building a healthy ecosystem for people to get jobs based off of art. Yeah, Art driven craft, you know, like art driven trade, you know, is like being. Being a painter should mean more, right?

[Deontay Kyle]

You talking about language, bro.

[Trinidad James]

Right?

[Deontay Kyle]

That's why. That's why the set.

[Trinidad James]

Being a rapper is incredible.

[Deontay Kyle]

Nah, that's great.

[Trinidad James]

Being a painter should also be.

[Deontay Kyle]

Because that's. That's actual magic.

[Trinidad James]

Like, what are we talking about?

[Deontay Kyle]

That's why, like, my background in my studio is all black artists. And, you know, I come from the blue collar work, like driving trucks. And so I'm a big advocate for blue collar work and just hard work. It'll teach you everything you need to know before you arrive at whatever your creative destination is. Right? So it taught me how to talk to people and talk to people all over this country. Right. You know what I mean? All races of people, all classes of people. Because you go out and you representing yourself. The idea is that you represent the country, the company. But my ideas, I represent myself. Right? And so when we going out and now we in this position where, like, we are achieving success, we are reaching new heights. But I already know how to talk to these people. I already know how to get down with these people. I don't look down on these people. I actually look up to a lot of them, you know. So when we talking about, like, artists and like highlighting artists and. And helping people, like, I don't know, like coming to like, that identity of like, everybody's creative, especially black people. Black people. We gonna create some shit out of nothing. But you did say that I held you in a high regard in fashion. But I do wanna say that don't be Safe is one of the most well produced lyrical albums that came out that year. 2013. When it finally released. I know it was a mixtape first and I was hip. I was hip. But the official release, 2013, females welcome. We talking about the first rap song that blended EDM into it. I was like, this nigga be in the quad.

[Trinidad James]

In the quad, bro.

[Deontay Kyle]

I'm already knowing. I already know my man Bess be down there.

[Trinidad James]

I learned to pop Molly, bro. In the quad, bro. Like what? Like, come on.

[Deontay Kyle]

Molly was so good, you had to write a lyric about it.

[Trinidad James]

Yeah, honestly, it would the most beautiful thing about music when I was like, kind of like doing homework and like, okay, I wanted to be an artist, my own artist. And I'm listen and paying attention to everything that I'm studying from interviews to going to people's show just to study. Yeah, whatever. Not even to enjoy it. Like, I'm looking at it like a psychopath.

[Deontay Kyle]

It's like market research.

[Trinidad James]

Exactly. You know what I'm saying? To see. Because I only want to be in situations that I could bring value. The only reason I'm still here, the only reason I was able to even get in this thing that we're in, is because I bring value.

[Deontay Kyle]

Right.

[Trinidad James]

That's the only type of people in on Earth that progress are valuable people.

[Deontay Kyle]

Absolutely, absolutely.

[Trinidad James]

And so I say that. To say that being able to start there when it comes like, with don't be safe, like, to bro. To be doubted when you don't know what your value is is a really scary place to be in.

[Deontay Kyle]

Talk about that.

[Trinidad James]

And the reason why I say that to you is because that's exactly where I was at when everybody was starting to find out about me of not understanding my own value and then getting doubted. Like. Like I had already killed somebody. Yeah.

[Deontay Kyle]

And I think, to be honest, a lot of the criticism was just unfair. And it's like, to me, it was unwarranted. And to me also, this was like, have y'all listened to this tape? Y'all can't have listened to this tape. So if we judging this man off of All Go everything, and I know 20 rappers right now that would die for All Go everything, then what are we talking about? I know niggas right now that'll die for All Go Everything right today, right now. But I think that. I think that also too. But. But it's a polar. You. You have a. There was never a character or gimmick involved in this. I think everybody was extremely aware that this is exactly who Trinidad James is. So I want to talk about. Because you did mention, you know, being an immigrant and the things coming up into that. And then I know that you went to South Atlanta High School, but I also know, like, you go from that black ass high school to a damn near all white school. So you just in a. You are like thrown into these extremes and then to make it and then be thrown into these other extremes and the extremes of doubt, for sure. And in a culture that you and appreciate basically turning its back on you, how do we get to All Go everything? Who is Trinidad James as an immigrant to America at South Atlanta High School and then the other school you go to, I believe in South Carolina. Correct?

[Trinidad James]

Yep. South Carolina. Went to White. White Knoll High School in South Carolina. It was so White. They called it white nose.

[Deontay Kyle]

Goddamn. It's the whitest school in America.

[Trinidad James]

Blackest school, South Atlanta High School to White Knoll High School in South Carolina. But no, you know, you said something just a second ago about, you know, being thrown into. Thrown into these unfair experiences. You know, I think that my dad, without even, you know, I wouldn't say his best parenting, but the parenting he knew my dad has always been just throw him in the water and he'll figure out how to swim.

[Deontay Kyle]

Right.

[Trinidad James]

Without teaching me how to swim. And, you know, those type of experiences are traumatizing. But when you don't die, he's like, well, I guess I figured out how to swim. Yeah, I passed this test. Those things add a lot of pride to you and I guess, like, mental fortitude. But it also, it kind of like, it affects your emotions towards people, towards self of, like, not understanding your value. Like, your value is warranted on the wrong connotation. When it's like, your value should be established by what you've earned from what you've done based on what you've had to go through.

[Deontay Kyle]

Right.

[Trinidad James]

Right. And it's. It's two sides of value that I say all that to say to get to your question of how you get to all go. Everything being thrown around is like, pops set me on this mindset of you're going to always have to figure it out by yourself. So eliminated me thinking about team. Anytime I've ever, like, got into, like, a team type of thing, it's kind of me like, I'm my own business within. I'm like my own team within their team. Because I'm my own person. I've always been that way because of the way I had to grow up being an immigrant and just being in super survival mode for, like, you know, those first 15, 16 years of my life. How's the super survival mode? Yeah, that just. It makes. When you're in that mode and then you transfer over into, all right, cool. I'm figuring out how to live, figuring out how to earn in a more, like, peaceful way. That's still a adjustment. And then, okay, cool. Now I'm locked into, like, this is my first dream. Referring to being in the store and running a store where I started off as a sales associate, then in two months end up getting thrown into having to run it because the person who got me the job ended up robbing the place and left.

[Deontay Kyle]

Yeah.

[Trinidad James]

So it was like, you're gonna do his spot, take his spot. And just stepping up to the plate. I've been stepping up to the plate my whole life.

[Deontay Kyle]

Yeah.

[Trinidad James]

Whether I wanted to or not.

[Deontay Kyle]

Right.

[Trinidad James]

And those are the responsibilities that you get asked that or get thrown upon you. Once again, something else thrown at you. It ain't even a black or white thing. It's just as a person, even a man or woman thing. Cause this happens to everybody.

[Deontay Kyle]

Right.

[Trinidad James]

How you show it, how you deal with it on camera, to me is what makes you a star. I felt like the stars that we adorn, half of the bad things that they go through, from business to family to friends, you wouldn't know until now we finding out everybody's tea and everybody's dirty laundry and stuff like that in real time behind the scenes. But like, bro, think about how gracefully Whitney Houston, you know, performed and did what she had to do, you know, when she can, just holding it together, having to deal with mental of so many people wanting something from her.

[Deontay Kyle]

Right.

[Trinidad James]

You know, Michael Jackson, like Prince, like all the days that they walked where we looked at them as heroes when they was going through it.

[Deontay Kyle]

Right.

[Trinidad James]

You know, it takes a certain type of. Like I said, people can't walk in my shoes because you get to all go everything. Because I'm paying attention to everything that's happening to me because I'm having a different experience than a normal American. I'm having an immigrant experience in America around Americans. And I'm enjoying it, but the consequences are different for us. So if you get in trouble, you get a slap in the wrist, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah. I get in trouble, I get two strikes.

[Deontay Kyle]

Yeah. Because you got them, you know, and then you. And then you add what we know. We a long time removed both of us from that trapping life, but you risking that every day.

[Trinidad James]

So that's crazy. You know what I'm saying? It's just crazy.

[Deontay Kyle]

It's just crazy.

[Trinidad James]

It's just crazy.

[Deontay Kyle]

Yeah.

[Trinidad James]

To put that out there. But once again, super survival mode. Super survival mode is when you click off logic and you have to trust only gut.

[Deontay Kyle]

Yeah, yeah.

[Trinidad James]

Like, don't tell me about logic. I'm doing what keeps me alive.

[Deontay Kyle]

All instinct.

[Trinidad James]

Instinct.

[Deontay Kyle]

All instinct.

[Trinidad James]

You know, and so all those experiences of me having to do that consistently, consistently, consistently in every. It feels like in every facet of my life, when I got thrown into or when I'm creating the project, I'll go. Everything is the second to last song that I make for Don't Be Safe.

[Deontay Kyle]

Right.

[Trinidad James]

You know, and for anybody that, you know, is not familiar with Don't Be Safe, the SAFE is an acronym for sensitive as fuck every day, you know, which isn't it. Which was. You know, I get that idea from my ex, who was the first person to, like, tell me, like, man, you. I always feel some type of way about stuff, but that's just because I have to. I gotta pay more attention to everybody around me because people are careless in America because they can. I'm home. If you home, when you're in your house, you don't care how you sit on the couch.

[Deontay Kyle]

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Trinidad James]

You don't care.

[Deontay Kyle]

Yeah. That's just like drinking. Like, if I'm at home, I'm gonna get fucked up.

[Trinidad James]

That's what America.

[Deontay Kyle]

I ain't gotta drive back.

[Trinidad James]

That's what America is for Americans.

[Deontay Kyle]

Right.

[Trinidad James]

Whereas, like, I'm gonna just lay on my America however I want to. That's why you can walk anywhere and you'll see people just doing what they want. You have people that follow the rules and you have people that don't follow the rules and do exactly what they want. Because, hey, this is my crib. You ain't gonna kick me outta here. I'm from here.

[Deontay Kyle]

Right.

[Trinidad James]

It's different for somebody that's not from here, where you always can't be kicked out of the crib.

[Deontay Kyle]

Absolutely.

[Trinidad James]

Because it ain't your crib.

[Deontay Kyle]

And then there's a pressure on you being the son and you have to forge your own path. Like you're charged with forging the American path.

[Trinidad James]

Exactly.

[Deontay Kyle]

I mean, and now as it stands, I'm sure there's a lot of pride to be taken in that, but in that process. Oh, that's what I'm saying is losing his mind.

[Trinidad James]

We talking all. Everything. So all that is in this pin.

[Deontay Kyle]

You know, we're like, you banking your whole life on this pin right here.

[Trinidad James]

Well, that's the beautiful thing about. I am a true. I am the definition of. You have your whole life to write your first album. Because I put everything that I knew at the time up to that point, you know what I'm saying? I don't know where I'm like 22, 23.

[Deontay Kyle]

Yeah.

[Trinidad James]

You know, Saying like, this is. In one summer I write all those records. It's not like records from the year before mixed in was like, no, that's.

[Deontay Kyle]

That one summer, you just collected all of that wealth of experience into that. I mean, but the thing is, it's like, I ain't going to lie, man. N was like, because. Because of how you appeared in the. In the beginning anyway. The genie. The genie bandannaed up Froed up gold teeth, all go. Everything lit. Personified. And then, too, I used to tell people, because when I knew you was from Trinidad, I was like, this is the big pimping video, like, personified, right?

[Trinidad James]

Oh, that's such a great comparison.

[Deontay Kyle]

Yeah, bro.

[Trinidad James]

Yeah, because they were in Trinidad when they shot big.

[Deontay Kyle]

Exactly. Exactly, man. Br. I be doing the Knowledge my name. But, like, I used to, like, play, like, females welcome or like, Madden on GameCube. And I'm like, bro, y'all not listening to this. Like, this is spitting, bro. But I think that we're used to, like, a certain type of lyricism like that. The lyricism has to look stale. The rapper has to look very generic. We expect something different from somebody that is eccentric. Yeah, go ahead and get your grill right.

[Trinidad James]

He made me think about it. I was like, I have my grill in my pocket because I wanted to wear. I just got this. My boy Scotty.

[Deontay Kyle]

What is that?

[Trinidad James]

It's like gold Jesus. And he got antennas on it.

[Deontay Kyle]

That shit is fucking crazy.

[Trinidad James]

I love this.

[Deontay Kyle]

The genie, man.

[Trinidad James]

I listen to you, though. I'm sorry.

[Deontay Kyle]

All right. No, you good. You good, Good. Nah, I didn't know what was going on with the antennas that threw me all the way off. Never seen that before. Never seen that before. Sneakers connecting the satellites as we speak. But I think that. I think that it was like, I have. I have a different appreciation for, like, lyricism and shit like that.

[Trinidad James]

Yes, you do.

[Deontay Kyle]

Because, like, my dad being from New York, so my family from New York is part Brooklyn.

[Trinidad James]

Hey, yeah.

[Deontay Kyle]

And my dad's from Brownsville, so.

[Trinidad James]

Okay.

[Deontay Kyle]

And my mom being from the South, I mean, and we. I'm growing up in North Carolina, so, like, I'm in this middle of, like, I listen to T.I. and Lloyd Banks, nigga. Like, I'm all simultaneously.

[Trinidad James]

I love that random analogy.

[Deontay Kyle]

That's what it is, though. That's like. That's my medium into rap.

[Trinidad James]

I love that.

[Deontay Kyle]

So I think I'm always listening for lyrics. Like, I care more about what the person is saying and everything.

[Trinidad James]

Me, too.

[Deontay Kyle]

So you have a lot of production into it, and people may get swayed or distracted by the production, but I'm like, nah, this nigga is rapping, though, brother. But it's like, with it being your debut, Alba go everything with. It's like the nigga, nigga, nigga. That part, it's like they take away from all the other ability that's being showcased as just, like, more of a pop record. And I think that was, like, just an unfair assessment of who you were. But I think that knowing what the journey was to there, it all clicks for me right now. And it makes a lot of sense. And then I see, like, post that some. The albums that come after that, you kind of rocking with the underdogs. Like, the people that were creating certain sounds. OG Mako. I love Makonan. These people were also unfairly treated in this industry as well. But, like, y'all band together. Y'all make great music, bro. And so I think outside of the. Outside of, like, the. You know, the polarizing aspects of it. I wanted to talk fashion, because, again, one of the most iconic Internet shows, full size run. Hey, Matt Welty, Brendan Dunn, y'all. Y'all had that on Smash for Sneak. Sneakerhead.

[Trinidad James]

Yes.

[Deontay Kyle]

And that's a very important thing to, like, me is shoes.

[Trinidad James]

Yeah.

[Deontay Kyle]

You know what I'm saying? I got the deadbeat ones on right now.

[Trinidad James]

Oh, I see it.

[Deontay Kyle]

So.

[Trinidad James]

Yo, that's crazy.

[Deontay Kyle]

I said that just for him. Deadbeat ones is crazy. Deadbeat Ones, bro. My man bought the child's life. I never seen that before. Million up front. I didn't pay for the child up front.

[Trinidad James]

Pay for the child up front.

[Deontay Kyle]

Still go dunk on the nigga. Still go dunk. Nah, he left nothing on the tab. Then went out there and bust LeBron ass. First night, like, first night, like, posterized refund. How do we get. How do we get from. First of all, too. I wanted to ask you that. Cause I did just mention my dad. My dad does not understand what I do. Okay. Is that like, how do we deal? How did you deal with that? Like. Cause my dad is like, what do you mean apart? Like, just get a job. Like, you drive trucks. You drive trucks. You got insurance?

[Trinidad James]

I love this question.

[Deontay Kyle]

You have insurance. You got a whole. Like, you got the thing. You got a career. Most people don't even get a career. You got a trade. What the fuck are you talking about? You talk to people online. Like, it doesn't make sense to him. And so then when I told him, like, yeah, I quit my job. And he was like, you did that? He started tripping. I'm one year from retirement, and you gonna throw all your shit away? I'm like, bro, you was supposed to retire two years ago. Talk about it, and you won't retire. And I'm taking a chance on myself and, Nigga, you talking about insurance? I said, look, you don't have to understand. It's gonna make sense in a minute.

[Trinidad James]

Boom.

[Deontay Kyle]

Yeah.

[Trinidad James]

I relate with you so much. Your dad is my mom, my dad. That's when we figured it out, when I jumped into music because he had a background. He played bass guitar, however. But before then, we could not be on the same page because fashion is the thing that I like, did first. Well, sports, then fashion.

[Deontay Kyle]

Yeah. Cause you are a true Hooper.

[Trinidad James]

And my pops, he a working man, you know, He a real working man. Like, he's the hardest working man I know. I respect him. Hundred grand. He been owning his own business for 50 years, you know, that's why I can't work for nobody.

[Deontay Kyle]

Shout out to the dad of dad. Shout out to Pops.

[Trinidad James]

Like, come on, man.

[Deontay Kyle]

Brother, that's phenomenal.

[Trinidad James]

You know, that's just who he is, right? And so in the midst of that, our Father's faults are the things that make us more powerful because you get a chance to not be anything like them.

[Deontay Kyle]

Right.

[Trinidad James]

You get a chance to be challenged first from somebody that you care about, to show them that you're going to be better than what they think because of their misunderstandings.

[Deontay Kyle]

Absolutely.

[Trinidad James]

Of what you're doing.

[Deontay Kyle]

Absolutely.

[Trinidad James]

My mom, she wasn't as per se, as aggressive as your pops, but because of religion, my mom was like, I don't want to know about you dancing with the devil. I don't want to know about you dancing with the devil. Right. And you know, that hurt me because my mom is my dog, my dad is my dad. It wasn't until, well, you ain't rocking with me. I'mma go throw myself over here at my dad. And it's so crazy, man. He had got a stroke. And this is us, you know, getting back up. Like, this all happened like, boom. Last time me and my pops was with each other, we was about to get into it real bad. I think he had a brick in his hand. I had a brick in my hand. He had a bat in his hand in the middle of the street in South Carolina.

[Deontay Kyle]

Oh, yeah, y'all was gonna get the.

[Trinidad James]

Real Caribbean Warfare war.

[Deontay Kyle]

It's like real Caribbean Warfare right there. Just whatever you can find.

[Trinidad James]

Like, hey, man, that's that alpha male shit. You know what I'm saying? Like, I'm a big energy matcher type of person compared to, like, trying to start something or come from a place of malice.

[Deontay Kyle]

Just wherever you at with it, I'm gonna meet you there.

[Trinidad James]

You know what I'm saying? Even when I shouldn't, that's the issue. When I should, it's great, because I'm ready for it. When I shouldn't and can't calm Myself down. However, it's a mind fuck. Because it's like, damn, should I choke this motherfucker or not? But anyways.

[Deontay Kyle]

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[Trinidad James]

That's how me and my pop left off in this warfare thing. And then the next time I'm seeing him, he's like, boom. I get in the car, he had a stroke, right? So it's like, you know how that feels?

[Deontay Kyle]

Yeah, I do. Cause the same thing happened with my.

[Trinidad James]

Mom, you know what I'm saying? Like, damn. Now I'm that son, right? Mind you, my pops, he got kids, so it ain't like it's just me, right? You know what I'm saying? So by the time I show up, he's back outside working again because he's just like, if he don't work, he actually will die. You know what I'm saying? Because the thing that. I don't know if it's this country or what, but the thing that happened to our father and father's fathers is that it, like, programmed them, if not tricked into. The only way to show value is through hard work.

[Deontay Kyle]

Yeah, we talk about that a lot. The only thing that's valued is your body and what you can do with that body.

[Trinidad James]

Exactly. Oh, you can hit this hammer, John Henry, a million times. Now you a man.

[Deontay Kyle]

Yeah. And we are of the generation, because I'm 34, same age, same age we come from. The millennial is like, I've seen what my fathers did with their bodies. I've seen what my grandfathers did with their bodies. And I wanna see what I can do with my mind and my body.

[Trinidad James]

And I went through the body slip.

[Deontay Kyle]

No, we did the body stuff.

[Trinidad James]

I went through the body slip.

[Deontay Kyle]

No, I was good on that. I was super cool on that.

[Trinidad James]

Now I'm at a place where it's.

[Deontay Kyle]

Like, hey, the mind is where the magic is, man.

[Trinidad James]

Come on.

[Deontay Kyle]

The mind is where the magic is.

[Trinidad James]

And that's where the misunderstanding comes with parent to you now, right?

[Deontay Kyle]

Yeah.

[Trinidad James]

And so with my pops, I get there on the stroke, he's back working. I'm like, man, what the Hell's wrong with you? But I understand it at the same time, because now I've been through so many things with my friends and, like, just serious things. I'm like, yo, if I could forgive my friends for the things that we've fallen out about, I definitely can let my dad. Whatever, bro. I don't even need you no more, for sure. You know what I'm saying? And this is before music pops. Like, I got to show my dad my music. Corey Davis is a tattoo artist, painter here from Atlanta. Absolutely. He saw me at mjq, the old mjq, and whatever outfit I had on. Something genie like, or whatever. Cause it's who I fuck. I am.

[Deontay Kyle]

I'm glad you, like, you took right onto that, too. Cause we was talking about it, like, this is how we joke, but I was like, that nigga actually cool as a motherfucker. Like, we gonna put this clip out. Hopefully, bro. Fuck with it.

[Trinidad James]

Cause it was one of those things where somebody sent it to me and I was just like, it's New York, bro. It's like I do E popping up. People say it all the time. Like, it ain't like that's who I am.

[Deontay Kyle]

Nah, my nigga, you disappear. We did not know where you went. I just got a question. Where did you go? Where the hell did you go? No, bro. You literally went to the ether, my nigga.

[Trinidad James]

Like, you know how a lot of artists always make it a. They make it a thing to arrive, so you know how they arrive, right? So it's always like some truck waiting. However, I move with people who we park regular so we can get out. So you don't know how I'm coming.

[Deontay Kyle]

Gotcha. I got you.

[Trinidad James]

I got you. We be parked right there on the street.

[Deontay Kyle]

And you just left? Yeah, just got in the car.

[Trinidad James]

Now I'll pull off in a normal car. I don't have to pull off in a truck. Like, I'll pull off in my buddies, this car or something. That's like low key just to get out, right? Because I want to get out without people understanding. I left because it feels like I'm still there. That's smart. I mean, people tell people like, oh, man, you know, Trinidad James is Trent James. I've been left. But, like, you don't know that. Yeah, see, my presence was so felt when I arrived. Got you that. If I never tell you that I left, I'm still there.

[Deontay Kyle]

No, that's genius. The genius of the genie, man. Hey, listen, nigga. Doing Irish goodbyes. Irish goodbye is crazy. That's what it is. That's what it is. Exactly what it is. Hey, man, I'm telling you, man. I'm the multicultural knowledge over here, brother.

[Trinidad James]

I love that so much.

[Deontay Kyle]

The thing is, the funnier thing is this too. My mom. The same. Wait a minute, Wait a minute.

[Trinidad James]

You change the energy. You made me laugh. I had to change it. I wanted to see your eyes again.

[Deontay Kyle]

No, you know, like, I appreciate that. I was wondering what eyes went. The funnier thing about my mom is, like, my mom was always super supportive of my creativity. She kind of made a deal with me, like, when I was in 11th grade, she was like, if you just graduate high school, we're good. She's like, keep drawing, keep rapping, whatever. Cause I played, like, one of my first raps for her, and she was like, you too smart to cuss this much, right? But it was also like, my mom's not super religious. She was in church more for her mother. My grandmother was a super religious person. But so me and my mom always kind of had that thing. She was like, just be creative and stay out of trouble. So then I get 18, 19. And she like, n. If I could just keep you out of jail, we'd be good. Like, me and you would be good. That goes back to that thing at home. I'm experiencing things that you couldn't have experienced. Cause the stakes were higher, right? So I was playing with my life for real. Like, I'm just in jail. Yeah, nigga. I'm just cool. And like, I'm gonna go to the county for 60 days. No big deal.

[Trinidad James]

It's the county.

[Deontay Kyle]

I'll be back on the bullshit when I get out. But my dad was always like, what are you doing out there? Like, you're just wasting your goddamn life.

[Trinidad James]

Hell, yeah.

[Deontay Kyle]

What are you doing? What are you doing? And again, disappointment. This is kind of what whipped me into shape. I had a. I had a kid, but my dad was just kind of looking at me like, yeah, ew, nigga, Yeah. I did all this. I worked this hard for you to be a fuck up. Like, golly. And so, like, all those things. And then, too, you know, naturally, even at his age now he's like, 63. He's supposed to retire. But I have so much pride in the fact that, like, he just won't stop. And it's not a thing of, like, he's breaking down. You know, he's had health scares and things like that. But it actually just transforms what it means to me to work. Like, okay, I just have gifts that he didn't have, right? His thing was football. When that didn't pan out, it's just like, all right, I'm a big nigga. I'm a do security. I'm a bounce niggas up. Like, he told me. Like, we was staying with him and he was working three jobs. So this is where the grits and eggs thing come from. Just struggle. Like, he was like, look, man, I ain't cook, man. Whip you up some grits and eggs, you be all right. You know what I mean? Those days, those formative days, and this is a time of like, oh, I have to take care of myself. And now I got two siblings and shit, too. So he was like, man, you know, I got that third job at that club just to beat niggas up. He's like, I gotta take my frustration out on these niggas. And he said, the Mexicans, they like to get rowdy.

[Trinidad James]

Yeah, they just like to fight.

[Deontay Kyle]

They, like, they like to get drunk. He was like, so it was. It was never the thing of, like, the police or anybody calling the cops. Like, they can't call the cops get deported. He's like, so.

[Trinidad James]

That's such a crazy way to speak.

[Deontay Kyle]

No, my pops. My pop, like, logically went through anger management. Like, life anger management. Like, I'm a beat. Saturday, Sunday, I get to beat niggas up.

[Trinidad James]

Let's go.

[Deontay Kyle]

Go back to the college on Monday and start it all over. But it's like, I took a lot of pride in that. So to take the leap, whether he understood it or not, you know, and my mom not here to understand it, you know what I'm saying? It's like, I know she would have been rooting me on, you know what I'm saying? But I know with him, it's like, he one of those people I gotta prove it to. So, like, we got the meet and greet coming. I'm inviting him to the meet and greet. He gonna bug out. Like, nigga, people pay to see you, you nigga.

[Trinidad James]

Yeah, this is lit.

[Deontay Kyle]

Like, he love that shit, of course, but he still. He just like, I can't wrap my mind around it. So I think, too, to parallel something you said, I had a lot of. I didn't have any guides on, like, how I would land here. I had a lot of examples of things I didn't want to be right. So I was always combating that. But I think the thing is, is, like, when I kind of took on his challenge of, like, bro, just work hard. Like, put your head down and Work hard. It's like, well, my head up, but I'm working hard as a motherfucker. And then I, like, just find my God into that space of, like, I get to be creative. I get to sit down with people that I admire and fucking just. You know what I'm saying? Do my thing. And this shit is love. And it's like, same thing for you. Like, you work your way back to where you started from a position of like. Yeah, the sorrow. The sorrow reds. Right. Right in the background. We working with Saucony now. We doing our thing.

[Trinidad James]

Yeah, man. Nice. Like that. That connection between parent and artist. Creative. Like your mom. Your dad. Like my dad. He picked up. My mom had never. It's really interesting to hear you talk about your mom, because my mom was the same way. My first hustle was selling throwback jerseys and fake Jordans. And she gave me the start money. That's hard, you know what I'm saying? They had just split up or whatever. My parents got divorced, and she was back in the A. I was in South Carolina, and I found a plug. He drove an acura, like a 2000. Like, action of the year 2000. 99. A 98 Acura. Boom. Selling Jersey stuff. Boom. I was buying them, and he was like, damn, are you getting fresh? Every week? But when we should sell this on some real paid in full type.

[Deontay Kyle]

Yeah.

[Trinidad James]

Anyways, boom.

[Deontay Kyle]

She.

[Trinidad James]

She gives me the money to start it, man. And, like, I always remember that, like, it's $500. But, like, that was $500. She had to, like, really hustle up to just support an art dream. Who are my pops? He couldn't see that. Yeah, I'm right there living with him. But then when things turned into music, I go see him for the stroke. Boom, boom, boom. At the same time, my boy Corey Davis, who's a tattoo artist, painter here in Atlanta, he'll see me in mjq. He shoot. He was like, man, I want to shoot a picture of you. How. Whatever. Boom, boom. I was like, hey, man, I'm actually working on music. He invite me over to listen to the music. He loved the music. He said, I wanna shoot your cover. He's shooting a cover. When I pull up on my pops, when he having. When he's going through the stroke situation, he's back outside a little bit when we're working, I'm like, what's wrong with you? I get the COVID He sent me the COVID He's like, hey, I just finished your cover. I was like, yo, Pops, check this out. However I'm doing music, I show him the COVID And I never seen my pops light up like that for any of my ideas until that day. And from that day on, no matter when the whole world has turned against me, because that's happened to me. My pops didn't. You know, my own mama didn't even know how to hold me down because she just didn't know how to hold me down.

[Deontay Kyle]

Right.

[Trinidad James]

She's held me down so much. And that's the transfer of being the parents. It's like, hey, you can't always be there at the same time as the other parent is there, but be there when they can't be there.

[Deontay Kyle]

Right?

[Trinidad James]

You know what I'm saying? And that's great parenting because when you're an adult, it ain't about all that 10 year old bullshit. It's about like as a man, as a woman. Yo, did you come through from me when I needed you? Right now, just emotionally, the showing up part. Yeah, just showing up. And my pops every single time has showed up for me emotionally when nobody else could do it or whatever. So, you know, it's a great thing. He was on my project actually. Father figure. He's on the intro. He done a couple songs on there, had a couple skits on there. That's Brother Joe. You know, my brother got, he got one of those. Brother Joe. He's a Christian man. Brother Joe, Brother Joe. What? When we had to start calling him down, I was like, this is crazy. Yeah, but it's amazing though, because he just, he's still crazy. The crazy man that I know, but. And his holy man that it's become. But he's also being able to take both of it and use his inexperience and the bad times to be able to say more to like, it's just, it's crazy. Like when you trust your gut as a parent, trust your gut as a man or a woman, period, and you have the right intention, how your words actually hit even harder.

[Deontay Kyle]

Absolutely.

[Trinidad James]

You know, and so it's been beautiful. Man.

[Deontay Kyle]

Man, shout out to parents, bro. I'm a dad of three and I like, I'm, you know, if my, if my sons or my daughter talk about me in this fashion one day, I know I did what I was supposed to do. Bro.

[Trinidad James]

Come on, man.

[Deontay Kyle]

How many siblings you got?

[Trinidad James]

Oof. I got four brothers, four sisters.

[Deontay Kyle]

Damn.

[Trinidad James]

Damn. Ice.

[Deontay Kyle]

So ghetto, bro.

[Trinidad James]

Damn.

[Deontay Kyle]

Damn.

[Trinidad James]

Shit. He put a little ant on the back like you put reverb on your dad put reverb on his shit. It Ain't even no effect. This nigga his own effect. He pressed his own button. Fuck, that's how I felt.

[Deontay Kyle]

Just like that, Pops getting busy, son. Oh, God. Hey, if you go nine. Yeah, if you go nine. One of them gotta be a genie. Like, that just is what it is.

[Trinidad James]

Nah. And, yo, it's okay.

[Deontay Kyle]

Sinking the dice, you know?

[Trinidad James]

It's so crazy. It's so crazy you say that, man. Because I.

[Deontay Kyle]

Son, if you put another pair of glasses, I'm a burst into flames.

[Trinidad James]

Got you got to put it on flames. And the camera got to go to, like, a black brother on flames.

[Deontay Kyle]

James.

[Trinidad James]

James.

[Deontay Kyle]

So I think about this journey of, like, blending fashion with the hip hop and you being able to kind of. When. Okay. When this world ain't. When this world ain't. Fuck yeah. Handle. Oh, man.

[Trinidad James]

Fuck your couch.

[Deontay Kyle]

Buy another one. You rich, nigga.

[Trinidad James]

Continue.

[Deontay Kyle]

All right, let's take a moment to. Let's take a moment to, like, really take in the fact that this nigga just laid the fuck out.

[Trinidad James]

It's too good.

[Deontay Kyle]

It's comfort food.

[Trinidad James]

Grits and eggs, bruh.

[Deontay Kyle]

Hey, man, comfort food.

[Trinidad James]

We in the South.

[Deontay Kyle]

Absolutely should have never gave you niggas money.

[Trinidad James]

Niggas wear two shoes.

[Deontay Kyle]

I did notice that you went two different red shoes.

[Trinidad James]

They both black owned, man. I just had to do it, man. Shout out to my boy Joe Fresh Goods. Joe Fresh Goods on my left foot. And then Anominate 1989 is the brand, but my boy Chaz, man, it's hard.

[Deontay Kyle]

And then you got yours.

[Trinidad James]

Yep. Rome, we got my Saucony's up here. Shout out to Saucony, first of all, for giving the culture a chance, man. I just want to represent us, right? But this is our spot built high above me there. And these are cool because they're shout out to Scad University. They have a footwear department that's really on the come up. Support them if you can, but one of their students, she did her own custom design that we sell here in the store. Shout out to Adrienne. She's also my nail tech, so she's just an overall badass. Shout out to yams, too, our other nail artists, because they're both amazing women. But yeah, man, we in the store.

[Deontay Kyle]

So when you go from the hip hop to the fashion world, and we talking about thriving in fashion as well, and then we get the full size run. Cause, like, we're not gonna not talk about it. It's one of my favorite shows of all time, bro. How do you land like there with complex and then how does it feel to be like, damn, yo, my job is just to talk sneakers with people that love sneakers.

[Trinidad James]

Right, right, right.

[Deontay Kyle]

And then you get to, like, Matt Welty just being like, the angry white man. And then Brendan just being like a fucking goofball. Like, he's just naturally funny as hell. And then that relationship. How did we land on full size run into 2017? Correct.

[Trinidad James]

It might be a little bit later than 2017. I did there for, like, three years. So I would say let's say 2019.

[Deontay Kyle]

2019.

[Trinidad James]

2019.

[Deontay Kyle]

And then the finale was last year.

[Trinidad James]

Last year. 2023.

[Deontay Kyle]

2023.

[Trinidad James]

Yeah. Kobe, 25. Time going, bro. Damn. Time going.

[Deontay Kyle]

Damn.

[Trinidad James]

But 2019 is my most incredible year of my career so far.

[Deontay Kyle]

Okay? Right?

[Trinidad James]

Because I don't know, bro. It's just everything. Like, I'm coming off all that doubt and finally feel like my whole. My only battle, my only battle in music has been to let my music catch up with my fashion. Like, because I was starting from. Like, I just started music, but I bait and fly.

[Deontay Kyle]

You bait.

[Trinidad James]

Like, I ain't. Like I told you earlier, I haven't landed in a long time.

[Deontay Kyle]

Facts.

[Trinidad James]

You know what I'm saying? So it's one of those things. It's like, damn. Like, my image is so crazy, but my music gotta play, catch up. Cause I got work to do.

[Deontay Kyle]

The music didn't catch up to how accountability was. Right?

[Trinidad James]

Accountability has always mattered to me. It's always mattered to me. And by 2019, I was like, oh, yeah, nigga. How I'm coming with this project in 2020? I couldn't call it the pandemic. Now we call it the pandemic. But how I'm coming with this project in 2020. My music has met up with my fashion. I'm so proud of myself. However, everything been appetizers. The Trinidad that I want to be known for is coming with this project. It's called Black Filter. I did it with my boy Young Fire, who I met out in la, and we made an immaculate piece of work, man.

[Deontay Kyle]

Yeah.

[Trinidad James]

Um, I'm in Uncut Gems with Adam Sandler that same year.

[Deontay Kyle]

That is a fact.

[Trinidad James]

You know what I'm saying? Playing myself, which is actually a high honor in Hollywood to play yourself, right? It's like most people have to play somebody else or whatever, but you're so good at being you. Like, only you can play you.

[Deontay Kyle]

Only you could be you. Absolutely.

[Trinidad James]

And that's what I always tell people is like, man, I have so much humility because God has Gave me so much power, like, you know what I'm saying? Like, and it's not the type of power that traditionally people value you from. It's just a lot of character stuff mixed in the side of some great outfits.

[Deontay Kyle]

Yeah.

[Trinidad James]

You know what I'm saying? It's like, that's enough.

[Deontay Kyle]

Yeah. I mean, that is enough too, though. But also too. To just like.

[Trinidad James]

Oh. To answer your question, I'm sorry, you asked how I get the complex. How do you get to Boom. I jump in there, I'm paying attention online, and then I see this show. Conceited is who I happen to see it from. Conceited, my guy who does the wild N out freestyling.

[Deontay Kyle]

Yeah, yeah, yeah. Battle rap.

[Trinidad James]

Big shoe guy. Yeah.

[Deontay Kyle]

Lucky small foot, your foot.

[Trinidad James]

That's how that Dan felt. When he said that Dan earlier, I.

[Deontay Kyle]

Was like, what the.

[Trinidad James]

It's my brothers and sisters, bro.

[Deontay Kyle]

My man had to lay down. He had to lay down. Still had to lay down.

[Trinidad James]

Think about this shit for a second. Boom. Conceited, small foot ass.

[Deontay Kyle]

Yeah.

[Trinidad James]

He's on this show. I'm like, damn. Okay, what the hell is this? I had a show called Camp James back in the day, which was my own sneaker show that I did on YouTube. It was like 26 episodes that I shot myself, me and my boy Halo, who was my first camera guy. We started a show together, sneaker show called Camp James, 1st and the 15th. We would do a Java episode on the 1st and the 15th, and it would be about all the shoes that I picked up between the 1st and the 15th. Because this one I was really getting.

[Deontay Kyle]

Shoes. Yeah.

[Trinidad James]

You know, just. I need it. I gotta get it. It's nothing. It. Shoes, right?

[Deontay Kyle]

Yeah, shoes, right.

[Trinidad James]

Anywho, when I see the show, we conceded on it, full size run. I'm like, man, this feels like my show. It's not my show, but it just feels like my show. And so I reach out to one of the co hosts and I'm like, yo, I need to be on this show. And he was like, for real? I was like, yeah. And it was like, you know, if you get your own flight, we'll put you as a guest.

[Deontay Kyle]

Oh, hard.

[Trinidad James]

And so, boom. I got him on flight, came on as a guest, and we did an episode. I wore the big balenciagas at the time. That's what I had on. I always remember, step out of the shoes I have on or the outfit. And so we do it. Great episode. Boom, boom, boom, boom. It does well on YouTube. Whatever. My accountant, he. I made Him a shoe head. Like he wasn't a shoe head. And then if you hang around me long enough, bro, you're gonna love shoes.

[Deontay Kyle]

Absolutely.

[Trinidad James]

Especially back then. Like I make shoes feel great. Like it's. I know, I know it, I've been it, I've been in it. And I camp for shoes. And so he hits me up like three weeks after me being on the show or maybe a month, I don't know. He was like, yo, one of the co hosts left and you should take his spot. And I was like, why would I want to get a job? And then he was like, no, think about it, that's not a job.

[Deontay Kyle]

Not for you.

[Trinidad James]

Yeah. He was like, no, it was like, it just gives you different optics. And then I thought about it. I was like, you know what? I keep being misunderstood with the blogs. They don't get it right when the write ups or it's just I've been misunderstood by the blogs forever.

[Deontay Kyle]

Right.

[Trinidad James]

So the narrative is wrong because people do pay attention to what blogs say.

[Deontay Kyle]

Absolutely.

[Trinidad James]

And then what you're saying, you know what I'm saying? But it's like two different stories. Like being in the court of law.

[Deontay Kyle]

Yeah, yeah. You constantly on the your truth versus the evidence truth. And these are trusted sources oftentimes too, they'll make a trusted source more trusted than the person. Like what's a more trusted source on you than you? But it's like, nah, this is all right.

[Trinidad James]

Like I'm literally the guy who plays himself yourself in the movie. Like, there's only one of me, dude.

[Deontay Kyle]

I'm the source.

[Trinidad James]

I'm the source. I'm the blueprint.

[Deontay Kyle]

Yeah.

[Trinidad James]

And so I was like, yeah, I'mma do that. I was like, you know what? I'm hit him up and say. I was like, yo, I hit him up the same guy again. I think it was Welty. Yeah, I think I hit Welty again. Like, yo, I should be the co host. And he was like, for real? And I was like, yeah. And he was like, I'm gonna talk to the big boss at the time. It's a guy named. I can't think of right now, but he'll come back to me. He was the man though. Oh, man, he's the man. Eat great steaks, great wine. I keep wanting to talk.

[Deontay Kyle]

The proverbial man, the old co host.

[Trinidad James]

Name is who keep popsing. Rich Antonelli. Okay, Rich Antonelli.

[Deontay Kyle]

I sound like the man, right? Yeah, Antonelli.

[Trinidad James]

Antonelli. You know what I'm saying? And he act like that too. Like I'LL throw you in there to fishes. He want no type of. Yeah, like what? Okay, so, boom. He's like, I'm gonna go talk to the boss. And then I get back to you. He talked to the boss. It was like, look, you get a flight to come out here. Boom, boom, you know, say, come talk to us. I go with my boy Sergio, who's from Atlanta. Big sneaker head, an amazing director. He has a nice studio for photography in New York. He's the man. Sergio Santos. He. I was like, man, come with me to this meeting. I think he's living in New York now, actually. At the time, I was like, but come with me. Just meeting the Complex. We go in there and basically I sit down in this office and everybody come in. You know, the owner, Welty, Brendan, the Four Horsemen, who used to be at Complex at the time, is my guy who he runs Dreamville. Shit. Now Damian, this other guy who runs network now, it's like, these were. They all worked at Complex. It's crazy. The guy who runs gq, my boy Summerman, they were all at Complex at the same time. I called him the Four Horsemen. Because now they run blogs separately, other people's companies.

[Deontay Kyle]

That's hard.

[Trinidad James]

But they started. I remember seeing him at Complex. They all come in the room and he's like, bruh, you're here. If you want this. We will give it to you if you want this spot. Because they saw the vision. They saw the optics of, like. It's like. It's like they just lost Joe Button or whatever, but they saw the optics of an artist doing a podcast styles thing with people that are not per se famous or artists.

[Deontay Kyle]

Absolutely.

[Trinidad James]

They saw the value there. And so, boom. That's how. That's how I got it.

[Deontay Kyle]

Yeah.

[Trinidad James]

And then it just. It was beautiful, man. Because it taught me. The first season is us just picking on each other and just being ourselves.

[Deontay Kyle]

Like, and figuring out the chemistry. Yeah. Cause y'all did have, like, great chemistry.

[Trinidad James]

Yeah. And then after a while, it got personal with me because I'm very competitive. I'm like, I wanna be a great host. I wanna be, you know what I'm saying? A great. Yeah. Host on the couch. Absolutely. That situation, you know what I'm saying? To just dealing with all type of celebrities. Like, we end up talking, like 200 different people, bro. You know, Allen Iverson, Deion Sanders, like, just all type of people. Clark, Ken, John Clark, kid. The rest is so havoc of all, bro.

[Deontay Kyle]

Jadakiss. I mean, everybody. Everybody who loves sneakers was there.

[Trinidad James]

Come On Bun V Currency, Everybody, bro. So, you know, and also, too, I.

[Deontay Kyle]

Will say that the thing about that show that was, like, great is that the. The host all had, like. Y'all all have very distinct personalities, but work well together, but had great guests. Like, guests that always made sense. I never watched the episode where I was like, this guy don't make sense being here. Or he just here to promote something. Like, everybody there, like, genuinely love sneakers. And so. And it did broaden my taste in shoes because I was never like a sneaker head, per se. I was just like a nigga. Like, look at some Jordans or some Nikes. I'm cool.

[Trinidad James]

I got them.

[Deontay Kyle]

But, like, Welty is the Adidas, man. So I know I can go over here and get there. Yeah. And then Brendan gon go with a dad shoe every time.

[Trinidad James]

Crazy old school.

[Deontay Kyle]

Yeah. Some real dad shit. And then recite niggas lyrics to him. This is crazy. Yeah. The show itself is just like. It can't be recreated. Like, you can't do it again. It just had to be in that moment.

[Trinidad James]

Yeah. And that's why.

[Deontay Kyle]

That's why you became a journalist in your own right.

[Trinidad James]

Nah. And that's what I.

[Deontay Kyle]

You was asking great questions that I.

[Trinidad James]

Started to become intentional about it because I wanted to become a great journalist.

[Deontay Kyle]

Yeah.

[Trinidad James]

I wanted. I was like. After a while, I was like, I don't want to be picking on him no more. I don't want to be going at it with Waltzy no more.

[Deontay Kyle]

Yeah.

[Trinidad James]

I was like, I'm done with that or whatever. Like, I actually rock with him. I got some Adidas now. I got some New Balances now.

[Deontay Kyle]

Like, Right.

[Trinidad James]

I rock with him. Yeah.

[Deontay Kyle]

He converted me too, man. I'm telling you.

[Trinidad James]

Like, I paid more attention to it. You know what I'm saying? Type situation opened my taste of things I did not know about.

[Deontay Kyle]

Absolutely.

[Trinidad James]

Knowing more infern. When somebody brings more information to you and something that you're already passionate and love, you will be a fool to keep fighting against that person.

[Deontay Kyle]

Absolutely.

[Trinidad James]

Don't let your pride get in the way of value.

[Deontay Kyle]

And we could probably draw a direct correlation from your humility in that aspect to partnership with Saucony Boom. You know, like, because you don't think about that if you stuck in your ways and you don't listen to a. Like, Welty who's. I mean, he got the Adidas and New Balance shit on lock. Like, that's his bag. But I used to be like. Cause I used to fight against it, too. Like, man, Well, T don't know what the fuck you talking about, but then he just always answered on some police shit, like, when's the first time you flipped a pair of shoes? And it's like he's asking the right question.

[Trinidad James]

Logic, you know? Logic is logic.

[Deontay Kyle]

He knows what he's talking about. Yeah, I think. And like I said, direct correlation, we end up here. So it's like.

[Trinidad James]

It'S full size run, then soccer knee, which makes sense because I earned it. Made sense because you would just be a nigga collecting sneakers and labeling yourself a sneakerhead. Or you need to turn that shit into some type of business where these sneakers need to turn into paying you. You have to turn sneakers into paying you.

[Deontay Kyle]

Yes, you have to.

[Trinidad James]

Or else you just a nigga with some sneakers.

[Deontay Kyle]

And then you gotta buy storage space for all them goddamn shoes they falling apart on you.

[Trinidad James]

And you ain't made nothing.

[Deontay Kyle]

Nothing. Getting warm.

[Trinidad James]

What are you doing?

[Deontay Kyle]

Yeah. You know, I ain't going to lie. We got to circle back. I was a little. My heart did drop a little bit when I seen you with the big balencies. Because I was like, I ain't think he would go there with the big balencies.

[Trinidad James]

I had to.

[Deontay Kyle]

You had to, though. I hated them damn shoes, man.

[Trinidad James]

But that's why I was like, I love to sometimes go towards the hate.

[Deontay Kyle]

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Trinidad James]

Because to me, I look at it as different. I look at it as fashion.

[Deontay Kyle]

It's like, it is all fashion.

[Trinidad James]

I'm like, oh, I'm not scared of nothing. I must see what this is. If I look stupid, if I put something on in the store and I feel like, damn, you know how three things I put down, you know what I'm saying? You see me put on hot take.

[Deontay Kyle]

Just popped in my head. We don't appreciate Westside guns. Fashion sense without trend.

[Trinidad James]

Ooh, I love Westside gun.

[Deontay Kyle]

I do, too. Big, big fan. Big Griselda over here. We love him.

[Trinidad James]

Ratchet caviar, man. Ratchet caviar.

[Deontay Kyle]

Yeah, Them niggas are the best. Them niggas make murder sound immaculate.

[Trinidad James]

Like, it's the evolution of ghetto fabulous.

[Deontay Kyle]

Yeah. Because it's high. High art.

[Trinidad James]

It's high level art.

[Deontay Kyle]

Yeah, we love high art.

[Trinidad James]

Like, we love that idea of, like, oh, he's taking and remixing the Louis and you know what I'm saying?

[Deontay Kyle]

Yeah, yeah.

[Trinidad James]

People love. It's just a thing.

[Deontay Kyle]

It's like cooking crack in, like a 24 carat pot.

[Trinidad James]

That part.

[Deontay Kyle]

Yeah. And we love that dichotomy. Like, we love Those two extremes. Meaning?

[Trinidad James]

Oh, you see anybody whipping dope in a gold pot, her eyes light up. We never.

[Deontay Kyle]

We like, that's my boy. I love her low key. Let me try some of that crack.

[Trinidad James]

There's a crack come out the gold bowl, baby. Put it on the. The table.

[Deontay Kyle]

Yeah, yeah. Who got a stem? Somebody called my exy. Tell her he struck gold. Tell her today gonna be the day I support her habit. We smoking that gold plated crack. Matter of fact, get her a gold plated stem. Let's really do it big. What's that? Alonzo pulled out to get the nigga wet. That was fire, right? All right, all right. So I'm start going into, like, my database of, like, drug references, because it's in there. Yeah, yeah, yeah. No, Yeah, I was gonna access that too. I ain't gonna lie. Calm down, son. Calm down, son.

[Trinidad James]

Down.

[Deontay Kyle]

Yeah, I see. Look in your eyes, son. No, look, you know how you. You gotta. You got the master lock. I was finna click on that third number and really open it up. James, please. No, no, please, James, please. One more. I like that fat boy. Get comfortable.

[Trinidad James]

Come on.

[Deontay Kyle]

Cause you was making me uncomfortable. I'm like, am I stiff, nigga? Do I look comfortable? Do I look like I'm having a good time?

[Trinidad James]

Exactly.

[Deontay Kyle]

So the homework initiative.

[Trinidad James]

Talk to me.

[Deontay Kyle]

We're here at homework.

[Trinidad James]

Yep.

[Deontay Kyle]

And it's bigger than fashion. It's more about giving back to the community. Yes, absolutely. This ain't the. See you got the more plush this is on my neck.

[Trinidad James]

Oh, yeah, he have. He going through it right now, y'all.

[Deontay Kyle]

Yeah, we're gonna sit back.

[Trinidad James]

Look, I'm about to say, hey, go for cushion.

[Deontay Kyle]

Oh, well, say less now. We back. So what is. What is your homework initiative?

[Trinidad James]

The biggest goal with homework is and it's own work.

[Deontay Kyle]

Homework. That's the two M's.

[Trinidad James]

Shout out to.

[Deontay Kyle]

Can never just be.

[Trinidad James]

He gave me that bougie ass name. He said, add an extra M. Because, like, extra. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Deontay Kyle]

So you know we never gonna pronounce. Yeah, right.

[Trinidad James]

So homework.

[Deontay Kyle]

Homework. But it's homework.

[Trinidad James]

Homework. All right, so. No, our main initiative, to be honest with you, is we've only done it one time so far. It was with our first collection, is to be able to do over a school's uniform every year.

[Deontay Kyle]

Hold on. All right.

[Trinidad James]

Yeah. I had to sit up for that.

[Deontay Kyle]

And took fashion full circle into. Into, like, education and uniforms. All right, so tell me that. Tell me about that.

[Trinidad James]

So that's my big goal. Everything you see Here, right now is just like, this is a part of what's inside my brain. But the goal is to make education more interesting through fashion. Correct. So that's why all my pieces have some type of school based type of thing to it. All my pieces have some type of. Whether it's teaching you color theory, whether it has actual, like, amused, like Lucia Harris or Margaret Wade or Janelle Commission or my mama's banana bread recipe. Like, you can actually make banana bread off of the shirt.

[Deontay Kyle]

Off the shirt, off the shirt.

[Trinidad James]

Like, you know, I'm giving you a trade. You know what I'm saying? Like I'm giving you a trade. And so it's tangible.

[Deontay Kyle]

It's not just a T shirt. You can actually do something with it.

[Trinidad James]

That's crazy. Yes, sir. And so the biggest goal, and it's going to continue to be our goal until I start, you know, making it happen more and more and more is doing over schools, uniforms, homework, figuring out just how to partner with the city. You know, really getting tapped in with APS here in Atlanta, which is Atlanta public schools system. For anybody that doesn't know watching this.

[Deontay Kyle]

If you didn't go to aps, nigga, you is not Atlanta, you nigga.

[Trinidad James]

Oh, yeah, but. And that's the thing about me that, like, makes it hard for corporate to work with me because I'm still culture. I'm still passionate about just culture. Like, but I care. My intention is in the right place. And when you present the way that I present, it's hard sometimes to like, get it because.

[Deontay Kyle]

Yeah, but like, judge the COVID of.

[Trinidad James]

The book, you know, they can't. Yeah. It's like, I understand how to.

[Deontay Kyle]

It's more untrustworthy than a white man in a suit.

[Trinidad James]

Break this. But we not.

[Deontay Kyle]

Yeah, don't do that.

[Trinidad James]

Yeah, yeah. No, no, no, no.

[Deontay Kyle]

Or you could break it.

[Trinidad James]

Oh, yeah.

[Deontay Kyle]

And then you gonna buy us another one a all gold mic. And it's gonna be my mic for now. Nobody touched my. All right, cool.

[Trinidad James]

But no. So that's why, just in general, man, the path has been longer, my journey has been longer because I look the way I look.

[Deontay Kyle]

Right?

[Trinidad James]

You appreciate it and I appreciate you appreciating it, for sure. But corporate, I scare them.

[Deontay Kyle]

Yeah.

[Trinidad James]

And I don't want to at all because my intentions is all in the right place. I don't show up unless I could bring value to not just myself, to the other people involved.

[Deontay Kyle]

Absolutely.

[Trinidad James]

I would have never hit grits and eggs if I couldn't bring bacon and bread.

[Deontay Kyle]

Oh, my God.

[Trinidad James]

What, that cold ice?

[Deontay Kyle]

Oh, my God, man, look.

[Trinidad James]

All right.

[Deontay Kyle]

Yeah. All right, Tristan, we're gonna make that a sound bite from now on. Oh, that was. Thank you for that. That was. That was very nice. That's. That. That's the rapper that came out. This ain't the fashion. That's the rap. The bar just came right off the top. So. So to take it full circle into, like. I mean, we go from art to music to now the homework initiative, and we providing uniforms. And now you've just, like, extended your career into infinity. Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Trinidad James]

You know, I. I don't subscribe to dying. I truly believe that could live forever. I mean, if you understood how the inner me feels compared to, I guess, what the outer me looks like. I don't know. I feel like I'm 200 more years have left on this earth. Me, personally, like, I don't know. And looking like this, I don't know what it is. It's just a feeling, right?

[Deontay Kyle]

Yeah. We need the vampire to bite you right now. Yeah.

[Trinidad James]

Boom.

[Deontay Kyle]

Right?

[Trinidad James]

And in the midst of that, making it. Making it count, you know, it's like building the. Once again, I'm back structuring the heart of my ecosystem, right? I built out this crazy ecosystem. So all these things, like you said, take it to infinity. But if the heart not beating right, the blood is not flowing correctly. And so I had to come back to get my heart right, which is Atlanta.

[Deontay Kyle]

Yeah, absolutely.

[Trinidad James]

Heart. They molded me. Can we clap it up for a baby? Can we clap it up?

[Deontay Kyle]

Clap it up a little?

[Trinidad James]

You know, it's like, mind you, I'm born in Trinidad. I'm trinity to the bone.

[Deontay Kyle]

Right?

[Trinidad James]

But, you know, this is where it molds you. That's where you from, dog.

[Deontay Kyle]

Absolutely.

[Trinidad James]

Wherever molds you as a man or a woman, that's where you from.

[Deontay Kyle]

Yeah.

[Trinidad James]

Whoever does it, that's your first friends.

[Deontay Kyle]

And speaking of, like, you know, giving back to these students, what type of student were you?

[Trinidad James]

I was everybody's friend. I won. No, I lost. I was top two for best dress. So that was all it was in the cards.

[Deontay Kyle]

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Trinidad James]

Like, style and it was. But the thing about it was that I always wanted to be likable because I didn't want any problems. I knew that, like, my paperwork wasn't good, you know what I'm saying? Like, I'm thugging out here in high school, but people, they found a reason to attract to me, man. Like, even though I wasn't born in Atlanta and they knew that, they still respected Me, you know, let me in on all the jokes, taught me all the lingo, showed me how to hustle, showed me how to gamble. You know, all these things that really ended up mattering to me when I got into, into the entertainment business.

[Deontay Kyle]

Right.

[Trinidad James]

You know, helped me to understand what it is to like, oh, I worked at the Waffle House in an all gay community, you know what I'm saying? Over in Chesterbridge, like my staff was gay. My main night manager, because I'm working nights was a male presenting trans, you know what I'm saying?

[Deontay Kyle]

So.

[Trinidad James]

And her husband, fiance, whatever the heck going on, showed up every night to protect her. And I was just like, damn. Like, this is unity. Like it makes you when you have to see something every night, you know, some people say, well, you're just getting used to it. Yeah, that's true. But for me, I've always looked up for the human part in things.

[Deontay Kyle]

Absolutely.

[Trinidad James]

So I saw the humanity in this of like, dang, this is what caring for somebody really looks like. This is really tough. At any given time, it can get real in here. Anybody say something to her, he finna go off. But then he has to use his discernment of like, they don't wanna go back to prison. He just got out.

[Deontay Kyle]

Geez.

[Trinidad James]

When I'm working there, he just got out. So like, oh, now he's showing up every night. Boom, boom, boom. Nighttime at the Waffle House is crazy. We down the street from Onyx, the strip club. That's why I give the shout out on Allgo. Everything's in strippers. Cause I worked in Waffle House and I used to have these conversations with strippers at night. Cause I'm cooking their pork chops.

[Deontay Kyle]

Word.

[Trinidad James]

And like I'm just hearing what they going through. We got cool. Cause I'm a really good cook. Hey, Waffle House cook.

[Deontay Kyle]

I'm a short order cook.

[Trinidad James]

Yeah. I'm like, hey, like I'm the man. I earned my red shirt.

[Deontay Kyle]

Yeah.

[Trinidad James]

You know what I'm saying? I became grill master operator nigga, you know what I'm saying?

[Deontay Kyle]

Like that I do that, that good work ethic. What you talking about?

[Trinidad James]

I can't scramble to now I'm whipping, you know what I'm saying? And I said that to say where have always paid attention to people's feelings, sometimes to a fault.

[Deontay Kyle]

Yeah.

[Trinidad James]

You know, I don't regret it. You know, even with the. When the New York situation went down and you know, I was blackballed, you know, for saying how I felt about Atlanta and New York music. I love New York, New York. Love me. Right message, right messenger. Also, because they say, right message, wrong messenger. How's the right person to say it? I just hadn't. We hadn't built no relationship, so you don't want to hear it from me, right? You know what I'm saying? But when you actually understand what I stand for 13 years later, oh, it holds weight.

[Deontay Kyle]

It holds real weight.

[Trinidad James]

Like, I love you. Because I love you. I can't lie to you. If I truly love you, I cannot lie to you because it's gonna hurt me more. Anytime I lie to somebody, it makes me feel like I'm scared of them. I don't want to be scared of nobody.

[Deontay Kyle]

Facts, period.

[Trinidad James]

I don't care. You kill me. However, you won't say that I was scared of you. You know what I'm saying? Nah, because I don't want to be scared of nobody, man. And when you lie to people, that mean you're scared of them, and that shouldn't be the case. And so I say that to say, whereas, like, I've been through so many journeys, man, to, like, be here now, speaking with a brother like yourself and just the opportunity that's still in front of me with new music, my heart here in the store and in the city and being able to build the way that I'm building and just. Well, I know my intentions is that, bro. I got to give myself grace to be thankful and, you know, clap it up for myself.

[Deontay Kyle]

Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. Truly one of the more, like, unique pathways to success, especially say that least just in life, you know what I'm saying? It wasn't. It's not a linear thing, but I think I'm grateful, you know, to have witnessed it and paid attention to it the whole way, too, because I think the thing for me is, like, me too.

[Trinidad James]

God damn it. Thank you, nigga. Somebody was journaling the right way.

[Deontay Kyle]

Yeah, well, I think, too, uniquely enough. It's like, I was doing music when you dropped, and I was like, I'm gonna do a song with that nigga one day, but.

[Trinidad James]

And you end up doing a song with me.

[Deontay Kyle]

Yeah, yeah, yeah. It's crazy. So I. I say that I always be telling people, like, I'm not in the chasing business. I'm in the attraction business, right? So, like, bars, we don't have to, like, go after anything. It's like, the. The. The better you are at being yourself, the more rooted you are at being. Being yourself, and the more genuine are what people are. You gotta treat People, right, bro? You know what I'm saying? Like, to a fault, I always say, like, I don't let people change me. If you break my heart, my heart just broken. You know what I'm saying? But that's on you for breaking my heart.

[Trinidad James]

Exactly.

[Deontay Kyle]

I ain't break my own heart. I trusted you, and you fucked me over. But that say a lot more about you than it do about me. I'm going to keep on being myself now. Boundaries for sure, but I'm still gonna extend the same thing. And I think you just, no matter what, you can hang your hat on the fact that you did it your way and you. You was yourself the whole way. And, hey, maybe. Maybe it was like a steep, uphill battle to start with, but now you. Smooth coasting, brother. Smooth coasting.

[Trinidad James]

Nah, thank you, man. I mean, I stay a student, man. I'm still a student. You know? What I know is what I know. And so I don't have to doubt it. So I just move. But what I don't know, I still. I stay ready to learn, man, so that I could be better in the things that I want to be better at. Like, I don't want to just have one mom and pop shop, you know what I'm saying? Like, I want to have businesses now. I also want to drop music that's valuable to our culture. You know, like the song I have out right now, my biggest hater.

[Deontay Kyle]

Yeah.

[Trinidad James]

Like, bro, I want a plaque from that song. That's gonna be a lot of work.

[Deontay Kyle]

But you want to put in work for that song. And the first bar is. What's the manufacturer on that baby maker?

[Trinidad James]

On that baby maker. Like, bro, are you kidding me? Who the hell is rapping like that? Like, must be from Virginia Beach. She a rump shaker.

[Deontay Kyle]

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Trinidad James]

Hey, man, you know, so.

[Deontay Kyle]

But you doing it your way.

[Trinidad James]

Exactly.

[Deontay Kyle]

And your way, it's understood by the culture as well. And which is the most important?

[Trinidad James]

Yeah, now, now, now, now. Like, that's the most amazing. Think about this year. 2025 is the year that the culture was like, all right, man, that's my crazy cousin. Yeah, that's Trinidad. We fuck with him.

[Deontay Kyle]

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Trinidad James]

I said, Jesus, bro. 13 years, nigga. You could have did this five years ago.

[Deontay Kyle]

Yeah, I mean, and 13 is supposed to be an unlucky number, but it's lucky for you.

[Trinidad James]

Oh, exactly. Right, because of my oddball ass.

[Deontay Kyle]

Yeah, yeah.

[Trinidad James]

Damn.

[Deontay Kyle]

Yeah, man. But so it seems like you putting a lot of care into homework.

[Trinidad James]

Yeah, Homework, homework. Just say homework.

[Deontay Kyle]

I'm just going to say homework, bro.

[Trinidad James]

Just say homework.

[Deontay Kyle]

I'm trying, I'm trying.

[Trinidad James]

My got all queer in the waist.

[Deontay Kyle]

Oh, now I tried to get French on real quick. I tried to get a skinny cigarette. Anybody got a skinny cigarette? No, my name. I would love a cigarette right now. I thought about a cigarette 30, 30 minutes ago.

[Trinidad James]

Damn.

[Deontay Kyle]

Yeah, I had to put my whole body into that shit.

[Trinidad James]

That was. That nigga sick. Yeah, that had a 90s RB song, Dog. That was amazing, bro.

[Deontay Kyle]

Yeah.

[Trinidad James]

I was like, shit.

[Deontay Kyle]

But I think it speaks to something that we've been speaking about a lot lately is quality over quantity. Really putting time and effort and care into things. Like the same way we would put time and effort and care into ourselves or our friends, we have to do with our establishments as well.

[Trinidad James]

Right.

[Deontay Kyle]

So aesthetically, yeah, everything looks great, but it's not a finished piece to you. This is like your own gallery, so to speak. Right. And then you have community initiatives there and then you want to expand it, but you have. That starts with doing this one the right way, right?

[Trinidad James]

Yes, sir. Yes. The foundation starts here. This is my Motown to use as an analogy from back in the day where, you know, when this is finished, like this ground zero one is finished, you know, we'll be doing content, doing very thing what we're doing right now.

[Deontay Kyle]

Yeah.

[Trinidad James]

You know, music, like recording and then obviously fashion is still fashion and you know, just expanding on that, man. Really expanding on that and making it something that kids know that like it's always gonna be a place where you can rock if your intentions is right.

[Deontay Kyle]

Yeah.

[Trinidad James]

Not just because you want to get rich off a rap.

[Deontay Kyle]

Yes.

[Trinidad James]

You know, because we are.

[Deontay Kyle]

We are pushing the bad rappers into the trade pipeline right now.

[Trinidad James]

My businesses, they also affect your mindset. Like I'm a mindset type of person. So I want with. If you remember anything about Trinidad James, his know that I always wanted to affect your mindset in a place to put you in a winning position and not a following position. And you could be a follower and win, but it feels so much better to lead and win because you can do it.

[Deontay Kyle]

Say that and you living proof of it. Let's clap it up for Trinidad James. Yeah. You got anything? I just want to say he took those glasses off. I thought he was gonna turn in stone. I was scared to look at him. Yeah, yeah. What you got coming up? Plugs anything like that into the. Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Trinidad James]

Oh, man. What is to come? Keep doing your homework. You know, I really want to shoot my shot at Some really amazing things here in the city of Atlanta. Partner with our store because like we're school based. So my goal is to make school cool. Being an artist is cool, but it's like how do I tap in on the corporate side to bring culture, corporate and cool together in the same space. So own work is kind of like that foundation for that. And you know, I really believe that I'm going to pull off some really cool things, especially by the time that World cup comes to Atlanta next summer 2026. So like I've already been looking at this since 2024 of like 2026 because I just believe that like if you're a true entrepreneur and especially a creative entrepreneur, this is a renaissance year for you and you should really go towards those brick and mortar type businesses that you're passionate about. But having like trusted your gut yet because you're thinking with your gut compared to like trusting your gut, it's different. When you think with your gut, you leave doubt. When you just trust your gut, you just go, so this is the year to if you're gonna jump off the roof, jump now. I would tell anybody that is like a true entrepreneur creative. And that's what we're doing here at Homework new music. My next projects are really good and that's by my definition. The people that are closest to me, who I trust and my peers who've heard my music, you know, they. People been wondering for a while why you haven't been dropping. But I really wanted to get my agency. I got an agency. We didn't get to talk about it, but in the midst of all the own work stuff and back to Trinidad, James, my biggest hater stuff. That gap in between from 2020 when the pandemic, like I told you, 2019, the best year of my life. And then 2020 ended up being like the second worst year of my life, you know. And it was like, oh damn. That wasn't the trajectory I saw. Hannah wasn't Pandemic proof ready. I wasn't one of those artists who music just spiked up in the pandemic cause woo hoo. It did the opposite. And I had to live with that. Shout out to the people who supported James. Woo Woo. Which was a single offer there where I was like, I'm still able to pull in a million views on YouTube without long form video. That was the hope that I used to just remember that, okay, I'm gonna put this Trinidad flame on the shelf myself coming into 2021 because I just feel a type of way to everybody. God, people, consumers, when it came to on a personal level. But everything I'm doing for everybody else behind the scenes, I'm crushing. I'm knocking it out the park, right? We had the number three song in the country that same year. The same year my album didn't work. It's the same year we had the number three song on Billboard with TikTok that we did. So it's like, once again, I've always held myself to accountability and not being delusional. So that's when I just really locked in to. We have our creative agency called 567-agency. The 5 stands for change, the 6 stands for love, and the 7 stands for completion. The idea behind the business is everybody has a step one, and they would love to go to 10. But most creatives or entrepreneurs don't want to go through the process to success, which is the 567, because of the journey that me and you have just spoke about from the beginning till now. You know what I'm saying? It's like, bro, the process. We fucking, like, I love the process. It is what it is, good or bad. You know what I'm saying? So now the process is the fun part. Yeah, bro. Especially when you get the fuck out your own way.

[Deontay Kyle]

Yeah.

[Trinidad James]

Anytime I'm too depressed is because I won't get out my own way. Facts, you know what I'm saying? And you got to let go of whatever you think things should be and look at how it is.

[Deontay Kyle]

You got to submit to the things.

[Trinidad James]

Submit to the thing, bro.

[Deontay Kyle]

What things are you really do?

[Trinidad James]

Exactly. So, boom. I said that to say where it's like, we're launching a masterclass for that company second half of the year. I'm really nervous because. And nervous in a good way. But, like, because we already do a lot of work without people knowing what we do. Now we putting it out there to open it up to all artists. It's kind of like, damn, I don't want to let people down because I can't get to them. Or like, we can't get to them because I'm still building as a team. I got to figure out the solution to that. Like, maybe even partner with another agency so that we could give them clients. But it just got to be worth it because, like, sometimes people don't understand. Like, bro, you don't need a creative agency. You need to study YouTube harder, right? Because you're going to pay somebody, like, to teach you something that you should have taught this much of the journey.

[Deontay Kyle]

At least the Best. Yeah, absolutely.

[Trinidad James]

At this point, like, that's what this is. Like, the kids that are killing it are the ones who already taught the basics themselves.

[Deontay Kyle]

Yeah.

[Trinidad James]

And even some of the intermediate hard stuff themselves.

[Deontay Kyle]

Yeah.

[Trinidad James]

Now they came into the business, we're like, already a good bit of knowledge, already doing their own shows and making their own money or whatever. Now it's learning, features, structure.

[Deontay Kyle]

Yeah. So I don't think you have anything to be nervous about, brother. I think if there's a testament to anything about your career is that you gonna figure it out.

[Trinidad James]

Yeah.

[Deontay Kyle]

And you're gonna land on your feet.

[Trinidad James]

So. I love that you say that, and that's the truth. So, you know, 567, the new music, Trinidad James music. And then as we just keep building with homework, man, and more businesses, when I open my pizza spot, I definitely want y'all to come in.

[Deontay Kyle]

Hell yeah, man.

[Trinidad James]

Pizza on me, I guess.

[Deontay Kyle]

Yeah.

[Trinidad James]

You know what I'm saying? Whatever. And yeah, bro, that's the main things to look out for there. I mean, it's a lot of other things down the road, but I like to focus on the now.

[Deontay Kyle]

For sure.

[Trinidad James]

For sure. And that's where I'm focused at now. Trinidad James music to come. And music I have out right now, just like, bro, I'm dropping again. It's like, whatever that means is what it means.

[Deontay Kyle]

And then whenever you drop Holly me, play it on New Music Monday, for sure.

[Trinidad James]

Thank you, thank you, thank you, man.

[Deontay Kyle]

Thank you for taking the time, bro. Thank you for opening up the store to us for the interview. I'm extremely grateful, man, to this, this. This is a full circle moment for me, you know, more than anything, you.

[Trinidad James]

In my portal, man. I've been doing all my full circle moments right here.

[Deontay Kyle]

Yeah, man.

[Trinidad James]

Because I know it makes the portal stronger. And the things that we wish for inside of here, here, that come to life, I'm. I'm telling you, it's powerful in here, man.

[Deontay Kyle]

Yeah, man. Shrimp D. James, ladies and gentlemen.

[Trinidad James]

Yes, sir. Oh, man. For sure.

[Deontay Kyle]

Might I say.

[Trinidad James]

Conversation.