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- [00:05]
Ab-Soul
Yeah.
- [00:06]
Python P
Woke up in the morning and to God be the glory Thankful for another day to tell my story Put my opinions in the universe and let them orbit I'm from the dirty south with a dirty mouth My knee orbit miss things things on me like a Norbit had to refuse them cause my no rest and she gorgeous as I doubt my sons up and kiss my daughter forehead Tell them we gonna get this money to my pockets Mor. Remember living in apartments now we playing mortgage. You ain't gotta like 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 vent yeah.
- [00:49]
Ab-Soul
Yeah. Can I do. Can I do this?
- [00:50]
Kembe X
You can do whatever you want.
- [00:51]
Ab-Soul
We gotta make it look like. It gotta be like, let me get my Bradley educating the hoes.
- [00:56]
Kembe X
Everybody be having them Stanley's this a.
- [00:58]
Ab-Soul
Bradley stimulating the hoes educating my perpendicular Mike Vicker.
- [01:05]
Kembe X
Matt Ryan. That's Matt Ryan. That. That may be. That may be when Vic was on the way out. Yeah.
- [01:13]
Ab-Soul
Did y'.
- [01:14]
Kembe X
All. Did y' all have car for a second, too? David Carr. I ain't going to hold you. I tapped out after. After the. After the 28. 3 blown lead. I'm like, man, I'm not with these. I'm a Panthers fan anyway, man.
- [01:26]
Ab-Soul
Them.
- [01:30]
Kembe X
I don't know what episode we going to do this. This is just going. We going to fill it in somewhere.
- [01:35]
Ab-Soul
Yeah.
- [01:36]
Kembe X
You. You want to run it? Let's run that track, though.
- [01:38]
Ab-Soul
Oh, yeah.
- [01:40]
Kembe X
Here, Ferg. I'm going to airdrop you something.
- [01:46]
Ab-Soul
Produ produced by Python P. Yeah, the biggest. The biggest. The biggest. Bucko. Terrence Mac Mini Buckle Bucko Senior. You know what I'm saying at that. You feel me?
- [02:00]
Kembe X
That one, too. Buckle Senior too.
- [02:04]
Ab-Soul
Well, I mean, he's. He's. He's Bucko Senior. I'm buckled. I'm Bucko Junior. Yeah.
- [02:09]
Kembe X
Ah.
- [02:09]
Ab-Soul
But yeah, he produced that, too.
- [02:11]
Kembe X
Yeah, I just sent.
- [02:13]
Ab-Soul
He produced a good portion of that. The Herbert. No. So the Sober.
- [02:18]
Kembe X
Sober.
- [02:19]
Ab-Soul
What you doing Herbert, though? Did you do something good, man? He did good, man.
- [02:22]
Kembe X
On Salberger. So, Burger, you did a bulk of the production on there?
- [02:27]
Ab-Soul
Yeah, a lot. Like.
- [02:29]
Kembe X
Yeah. Cause nine miles. The sound was real cohesive, though. You could tell. I was like, he locked in with somebody.
- [02:35]
Ab-Soul
Yeah. Nine Mile Bucko Junior. Peace. For sure. Righteous, man. You know what I'm saying?
- [02:44]
Kembe X
You think that's a. You think that's a better way of doing the album from where you started to where you are now working With a multitude of producers and things like that. You think it's better to lock in with one? Cause I feel like over the last few years, especially with the way like the alchemist's been doing things and just locking in with an artist, it's been making for a more quality album on the back end.
- [03:12]
Ab-Soul
Well, you know, Uncle Al is. Uncle Al was very. He. He's an alchemist.
- [03:20]
Kembe X
Yeah.
- [03:21]
Ab-Soul
So I mean, you know, he just kind of has a. He. He found. He. Well not found but he just has a knack for that. Like you know, his style is very.
- [03:32]
Kembe X
When we get that. When we get that Abchemist or that.
- [03:36]
Ab-Soul
Soul commits, bro, it's been. It's been heavily, heavily like in the, in the works forever. Yeah. So you know, you know, it, it'll. It'll happen when, when it's supposed to happen. Yeah, for sure. But. But, but yeah, not to. But to answer it. Yeah, yeah. I. If you, if you really look, if you really pay attention, I. I really really like primarily work with the producers that I came in with. It's you know, here, you know, you always go, I always, I'm always fishing. I' new new sounds, new new styles. But you know, like Soundwave bought me in. So like I don't do nothing without, you know, you know, consulting with him. Even if, you know, I, you know, ideally, ideally he has, you know, some, some sort of production on all of my projects. But for the most part he's like, you know, like my, my. One of my. One of my main consultants as far as like you know, like just sound sonically the sonics production. Like he's just up on the, you know, on the. He's current on the. The waves and the. And the new textures and all of those things. You know what I'm saying?
- [05:04]
Kembe X
Just like so being amongst. Yeah. Amongst others. But since that's from the beginning, how is it like never. I think the thing that I kind of paid attention to early on especially with like tde is like it just. It's a very tight knit conglomerate. Like it's like once you in there you lock in. But they also do well speaking for your label from an outside perspective, do really right by they artists and not only in the development space but like everything that the artists do just makes sense for them. You know what I mean? Like whether that be just creatively like how they present how the music sound and getting the right producers around, down to videos, everything merch, the rollouts, all that shit just be making sense for the artist. Whereas like when you're looking from the outside, it seemed like a lot of times it's like they just kind of like throwing shit at the wall and seeing what stick. And by that time, the person might be past a prime or they might be. They. They spotting they 15 minutes might be up by the time they finally figured out and people moved on. Yeah, Well, I think the staying power of the artist that's with TDE is a testament to kind of it being like birth from the culture, for real. Not only just from LA culture and California culture, but like hip hop, you.
- [06:24]
Ab-Soul
Know what I mean? Or Mute or music.
- [06:27]
Kembe X
Music, period. Right?
- [06:28]
Ab-Soul
Yeah, like. Yeah, exactly.
- [06:29]
Kembe X
And then, I mean, of course, you can't see that coming. You know, I'm a fan. I've been tapped in since long term too. I had to go back to long term one, but I was locked in long term too. This why I'm hearing, like, punch rap and all these different things. And druggies with hoes. Y' all niggas was DDT ing n in the middle of the front yards and shit.
- [06:51]
Ab-Soul
The ddt?
- [06:52]
Kembe X
Yeah. So like I was telling Python yesterday, like, bro, I was watching when y' all was freestyling in the crib. Oh, yeah, you was on the Newports like this. Like, I was tapped in way back then.
- [07:04]
Ab-Soul
Yeah.
- [07:05]
Kembe X
So I think to see, to trust my mute, like, my gut as like just a consumer. Like, bro, this shit gonna be big. I'm trying to tell everybody about this shit. Like, bro, these niggas gonna be big, bro.
- [07:16]
Ab-Soul
Right?
- [07:17]
Kembe X
And they. But they don't see it. So how is it, like, how has it been for you just, like to start from nothing in a dream to, like, where it is now? Like, all of y' all have established y' all sales as like, and cemented y' allselves in hip hop and then been able to spread that out to newer artists like. Such as a Rayvon or Dochi and things like that.
- [07:41]
Ab-Soul
I mean, you know, you always gotta. You always gotta. You always gotta pay it forward, you know, it's hip hop, you know I'm saying, Like I said, man, each one teach one man. I'm. I'm KRS too, for sure. You know what I mean? Like, and I'm. I'm really careless too. Like, he. He gave me the blessing.
- [08:07]
Kembe X
That's crazy.
- [08:08]
Ab-Soul
Yeah, you can't. You can't.
- [08:09]
Kembe X
Beautiful.
- [08:10]
Ab-Soul
You can't reach out. You cannot find characters. Shout out to my man Static selector, you know, said I went through many pipelines to find him. You know what I'm saying, you know, he. He doesn't even travel by. By plane, you know what I'm saying? He's, you know, and he's the teacher. He wrote the. He made. He actually made hip hop a religion. Wrote the hip hop bible.
- [08:31]
Kembe X
Correct.
- [08:31]
Ab-Soul
Like, so this is intelligent movement. To be hip is to be intelligent. The hop is the movement. I'm really on that. You know, we're really on that. And like, to go what you were saying as far as, you know, like the artist development stage, you know, it may seem like it takes, you know, a long time to, you know, for. To put records out sometimes, especially the artist development stage. Like, Kembe Kimber is a true testament. You know what I'm saying? Kimber is my favorite. He's. He's a true testament of long term, like the definition, you know what I'm saying? Like. Like he's still, like, I still consult with him. He consult with him to this day. Like, you know what I'm saying? Like, and it's that. It's that type. Type of camaraderie. And I feel like we all. We are trusted. It can be frustrating at times because you. You can have like, things that you believe in and it's like, nah, that's not quite it. But see, what you got to understand is like, I make. I. I do music businesses, products and services. Right? Right. I make music. I'm an artist, I'm a creative. We have a band, we have a management team that does business, which is also an art form.
- [10:03]
Kembe X
Correct.
- [10:04]
Ab-Soul
So you. My goal, my. I can't, you know, speak for everybody, but my goal is to present a product that we all love and that they'll love selling. Right?
- [10:21]
Kembe X
Correct.
- [10:22]
Ab-Soul
Yeah. And these are guys that, you know, we actually, you know, you know, we especially like the founding, like the founding members of tde, like, we're a family knit unit. That's a. That's. And that's a whole blood. A different thing in itself. We're not like co workers.
- [10:39]
Kembe X
Right, Right.
- [10:40]
Ab-Soul
Like, like, like you stayed at the house of pain, right? You like, you like, right? You know what I'm saying? Like, you like, live there, like where, where. Where me and me, like me dad and me, that rock kid, we used to like, fight over who could sleep in the booth because it had a door.
- [10:59]
Kembe X
Yeah.
- [11:01]
Ab-Soul
Like, you know what I mean? Or who gonna take the leather couch and sweat, you know, me like, it's. That's like, was on the floor for this. Like, so we. We trust each other here. We all. We're all skilled we're all. And we still. Well, it's a. You know, it's 20, 25 now, but we still have the, you know, we still have the heart of bodies of work. Right. You know? Yeah, we gotta adapt to the times, you know what I'm saying? This is about 3. 3. Over 3000 songs getting released every day. Making a song on they straight off of their phone on GarageBand and uploading it on Spotify.
- [11:49]
Kembe X
Word.
- [11:50]
Ab-Soul
Like how do you.
- [11:50]
Kembe X
It's another app too that they do.
- [11:52]
Ab-Soul
Oh, man, I don't even want to talk about them all.
- [11:54]
Kembe X
Yeah, but I think, I think, I think, I think. Yeah, for sure. I think that's been a big thing for me. It's like in a very single driven culture, the microwave idea of it. I think that's why like I took my stance that I took last year. Even being from the South, I was like the west coast and snatch the sound. Because they putting out bodies of work, you know, that's from you to Kendrick to Q to Vince to Tyler. Everybody put out these bodies of work that you could really sit down and live with and you could tour with, you know what I mean? And not just show up at a festival, do one or two songs and then a year later, don't nobody want to talk about you no more because they don't have nothing to live with. And that's been the signature of TD since the beginning, putting out these projects. It's never really been like a mixtape or a single driven vibe. It's like, like, nah. Put together something that people can sit with and live with. And then of course the business part of it, be able to tour with.
- [12:55]
Ab-Soul
Right.
- [12:55]
Kembe X
And you come from another pillar of the business, which is the record shop. So that transition into streaming, I mean, I guess it's safe to say that you kind of just always been immersed in the business of music from that understanding. So you also understand what is expected of you as an artist. But then if we get into like early stages, I'm gonna talk for myself.
- [13:17]
Ab-Soul
Yeah.
- [13:20]
Kembe X
I'm like 22 to 24. Somewhere in that age range where, you know, you start taking on your own train of thought. But I don't have no music that's like reflective of this, like new that I'm discovering. And then we get pineal gland and the terroristic threats. And I was like, nigga, we could take over the world for real. We can really do this.
- [13:45]
Ab-Soul
Like saying sovereignty. Yeah, like a nigga saying sovereignty in a rap alone is just was crazy.
- [13:50]
Kembe X
It's big.
- [13:51]
Ab-Soul
Like haile Selassie, like Selassie Eye is crazy, bruh.
- [13:56]
Kembe X
But you also are introducing concepts and.
- [13:59]
Ab-Soul
That'S a red flag. Like, you can't say that.
- [14:03]
Kembe X
Yeah, I be shocking Farrakhan on the podcast all the time and they be saying, don't do that. So it is what it is.
- [14:08]
Ab-Soul
I mean, no, I'm just saying, like you can't go to, if you go to tv, TSA and say terrorist threat, you can't.
- [14:15]
Kembe X
That is gonna be a problem.
- [14:16]
Ab-Soul
It's gonna be a real problem.
- [14:17]
Kembe X
It's gonna be a big deal. You might get low for a few days.
- [14:21]
Ab-Soul
It's a red flag.
- [14:23]
Kembe X
Yeah, so.
- [14:23]
Ab-Soul
And that album was a lot about that too. Like taking, taking those kind of risks, you know what I'm saying?
- [14:30]
Kembe X
For the, you get a lot of pushback for it.
- [14:31]
Ab-Soul
Cause that's like, you know, in the shadows.
- [14:35]
Kembe X
Yeah, yeah. It's alarming though. Cause it's like, you know what I'm saying?
- [14:44]
Ab-Soul
Per se, you know what I'm saying? We don't, we don't know.
- [14:46]
Kembe X
You know, I was just, it was, it was a thing for me. It was like, I got music now that I can like tie into these thoughts that I'm having and also like help you want to discover mo shit, you know what I'm saying? Like, outside of what's been fed to me, especially being from the South, a lot of it is like very Christian based thinking, fear based thinking and a lack mentality too. So it kind of opened up your mind to like alternative ways of thinking.
- [15:16]
Ab-Soul
Correct.
- [15:16]
Kembe X
And then that coupled with the Beast coast pro era movement that you was also lending to and being an intelligent movement, that's kind of like what was my entry point. And like when I get locked in, I just hold on, you know what I mean? I'm with you through. Hey, we in this ride together, you feel me? That's how it is. And bruh, it's just been amazing to see Brian's like, you still here kicking it. Some of the best verses, herses, hearses.
- [15:48]
Ab-Soul
Yeah, do the knowledge.
- [15:52]
Kembe X
Do the knowledge.
- [15:53]
Ab-Soul
You gotta do the knowledge, right? Verses, you know what I'm saying?
- [15:55]
Kembe X
Yeah.
- [15:58]
Ab-Soul
But I, but I, but I do appreciate that, bro.
- [16:01]
Kembe X
Yeah, for sure.
- [16:01]
Ab-Soul
It means a lot like, you know what I'm saying? You know, you know, watching what you do, like, it's, it's, it's so, it's, it's much needed coming like for art, for our generation to hear somebody like our age, you know, that, that, that knowledgeable, that, that, that intuitive, that inquisitive like, questioning things like, you know. You know, touching the people. You know what I mean? Like, raising awareness. You know what I'm saying? Like, that's. That's so important, like, for. For us to see for our generation, you know what I'm saying? So to. You know, I just. You know, I just had to. I gotta give you. You know, I gotta give you yours as well. So. Yeah, you know, I mean, like, it's. It's very important that we. We keep it going.
- [16:57]
Kembe X
Yeah, for sure.
- [16:57]
Ab-Soul
And you, you know, you keep the salt and pepper off your grits.
- [17:01]
Kembe X
Nah, we ain't doing that. Salt, pepper, butter, maybe a little cheese.
- [17:07]
Ab-Soul
You know what I mean?
- [17:08]
Kembe X
I mean, I done elevated my shit. I just started putting a little heavy whipping cream in my shit. My should be smooth, velvet grits. You hear me? Be green, I'm telling you.
- [17:19]
Ab-Soul
Yeah, yeah.
- [17:23]
Kembe X
I'm telling you. Like, once you. Once it start locking up and the bubbling go down a little bit, you hit it with a little whipping cream.
- [17:34]
Ab-Soul
Grandma.
- [17:35]
Kembe X
Yeah, Granny ain't know about the whipping cream. She was making a shake off of all water.
- [17:41]
Ab-Soul
All water.
- [17:42]
Kembe X
That shit lock up like a brick if it sit for five minutes off the heat.
- [17:46]
Ab-Soul
Oh, God.
- [17:47]
Kembe X
Yeah, we was living off of that, bro. That's why, like, that's where it come from. Just living, like, really living off of that. That for a little grip.
- [17:55]
Ab-Soul
Oh, God. And they can really live off of grits and nails.
- [17:58]
Kembe X
Real talk.
- [18:00]
Ab-Soul
I was.
- [18:01]
Kembe X
I. I have. I don't even. Kimber, how the hell did we meet?
- [18:08]
Ab-Soul
Extrovert drop.
- [18:09]
Kembe X
That's what it was. Yeah, yeah, yeah. That's what it. Like, I watch you good. That's what it is. So that's what it was. And so it all go back. It all go back to soul, bro. Like, yeah, I was like, who this he rapping with, though? This hard, so follow him. Then we tapped in. Yeah. And I had told him that. I was like, you know, of course, when folks give me props, it's like I receive it. You know what I'm saying? I don't. I don't try to deflect from it. It's like, nah. Yeah, I believe in what I'm doing. That's why I speak like this.
- [18:41]
Ab-Soul
Correct.
- [18:42]
Kembe X
But I'm always gonna give you, like, the roadmap. And I'm telling you, like, to be sitting here with you, it do mean a lot. Because the roadmap, a big part of the beginning of it is your music. And, like, just.
- [18:55]
Ab-Soul
Yeah, it.
- [18:56]
Kembe X
It kind of. It kind of galvanized you to not be, like, susceptible to, like, whatever is thrown your way. Like, bro, think outside of this shit. It's more. It's more ways of. It's more ways that you can think about things. There's new perspectives.
- [19:09]
Ab-Soul
Right.
- [19:10]
Kembe X
You know, Then naturally you. You know, you start fucking with a little psilocybin. Yeah. I mean, start rocking out with the psilocybin. It'll open your mind up a little bit.
- [19:21]
Ab-Soul
See in the sky with diamonds.
- [19:24]
Kembe X
Yeah, it'll get you. But I think also, too, it's just like, certain shit, once you get. Once you get, like, radicalized towards any type of rebellious behavior.
- [19:37]
Ab-Soul
Yeah.
- [19:37]
Kembe X
And you start compounding that with literature and music that makes sense on top of it. Oh, it just turned you all the way up. And you gonna go through a phase where niggas can't tell you nothing either. I' ma fuck the party up. Like, the. Yeah, like, bro, I'm at the party. Everybody having fun. I'm like, yeah, but what are we celebrating?
- [19:55]
Ab-Soul
Like, what do we even think about it, bro? Like. And that's what I was gonna say. I'm glad you said that, too. And like, even, like, even back to, you know, I mean, like, how you saying. And I. And I do. I like how you said that. You know, people. When people give you your, you know, compliments, you give your flowers, you receive it because you do believe in what you're doing and. And rightfully so. Like, you know what I mean? Like, reward yourself. Like, you know what I'm saying? Like, love yourself. Reward yourself. Believe in what you're doing. Me, I. I have a. I have a real. I have a. I really struggle with that because for a lot of different reasons, you know, I'm. You know, I. I haven't. I haven't been in therapy as often as I should. I ain't even gonna say shared. I haven't been in therapy as often as of late. Right. You know what I'm saying? For. I'm not. I'm not opposed, but, you know, just got a lot of going on. But, you know, a lot. Like, I think a lot of it stems from number one, like, you know, like I said, me growing up in the record shop and really, like, you know, you know, watching in stores and watching artists come in and, like, really witnessing arrogance and, like, ego and these things, like, these artists that I cannot name. Right? Like, and not. Not. Not trying to be discreet, but I don't even remember their name. You know what I'm saying?
- [21:37]
Kembe X
Like, a lot of ego for what?
- [21:38]
Ab-Soul
Like, for What? Like, and, like, nobody's here. Like, this is a waste of my time. You guys didn't promote this? No, bro.
- [21:46]
Kembe X
Like, we don't know you.
- [21:50]
Ab-Soul
I don't know you.
- [21:52]
Kembe X
Yeah, word.
- [21:53]
Ab-Soul
You're making me uncomfortable, dog. But no, like, in watching that and, and just like, not, like, really, really want. Like, you know, this is almost even a form of idol worship.
- [22:11]
Kembe X
True enough.
- [22:12]
Ab-Soul
You know what I'm saying? Like, from the entertainment standpoint. Standpoint, like, you, You, You. You're more in the media. Media journalism, commentary. You know what I'm saying? State where I feel you could. You. You can't. Your, Your opinion is what we come for.
- [22:30]
Kembe X
Correct?
- [22:31]
Ab-Soul
Right?
- [22:31]
Kembe X
Correct.
- [22:31]
Ab-Soul
You know what I'm saying? And, and you. And you'll, you know, you'll. You'll agree to disagree. You'll, you'll learn. You'll. You know what I'm saying? Which, which we also appreciate. But with me, I'll be, I be. So when people give me a compliment, bro, I can literally, like, you know what I'm saying? Because I, I, I, I personally. And you know, you know, words are powerful. You know, I, I, I have. I've had a, A pleasant ego death. And I, and I, I, I, I try my absolute best. Best to remove my arrogance. That's not my, that's not my confidence. That's not my, you know what I'm saying?
- [23:16]
Kembe X
My, like, esteem or belief.
- [23:20]
Ab-Soul
Yeah. My, my exuberance. My, my, you know what I'm saying? Like, my, you know those things. My, you know, my bravery. My. You know what I mean? But, yo, like, in this field, in entertainment, when. Oh, oh. And it, and it depends on the. It depends on the. I don't, I don't like the word fan. You know, the. Yeah, Supporter. Supporter.
- [23:47]
Kembe X
You know, I don't like that. Fan. Yeah, I don't with it.
- [23:51]
Ab-Soul
Yeah. I don't with it.
- [23:53]
Kembe X
I don't. That's why I just call the people who live. I call it the, the people who listen. Yeah, I just call them my cousins.
- [23:58]
Ab-Soul
Because.
- [23:58]
Kembe X
Fan, fam, bro.
- [24:01]
Ab-Soul
Right?
- [24:01]
Kembe X
Cause y' all here.
- [24:02]
Ab-Soul
Yeah, I don't even, like. Yeah, I don't even, like, support. Remember you Support.
- [24:06]
Kembe X
Support. Remember?
- [24:06]
Ab-Soul
You was like, oh, yeah, man, I, I had this. I said, oh, no, I don't need. No, I don't need.
- [24:10]
Kembe X
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, bro.
- [24:12]
Ab-Soul
Like, I ain't. I don't need. I ain't. I ain't never invited nobody to anything, not even my mother. Like, you come see me if you want to come. If you, if you Want to. If you think I'm dope and you want to come see a dope show or you want to be a part of something dope, like, you know what I'm saying? You want to come have a good time, don't come to support me because I need, like, people in there.
- [24:33]
Kembe X
Understood.
- [24:34]
Ab-Soul
And you're not. And you're not my. You're not. Not my friend if you don't show up.
- [24:38]
Kembe X
Correct.
- [24:38]
Ab-Soul
You're actually more of my friend if you don't show up. Most of my real. My true friends, my brother, like, my. My brothers, like, I'm not in their playlist. Gang, gang, gang bang. You know what I'm saying? Like, you know what I mean? Yeah, we with that, too. I with that. But I'm just saying, like, that's how I know they my brothers. They not with me because other music.
- [25:01]
Kembe X
They with you because they fuck with me.
- [25:03]
Ab-Soul
Because they fuck with me. And because we a team. Absol is. I'm Herbert. Absol is a. Is a. Is a brand. It's a. It's a. It's a business that we've. We've created.
- [25:14]
Kembe X
Correct.
- [25:15]
Ab-Soul
You dig what I'm saying? And I understand that. And so when. When people, you know, give me compliments, a lot of times, bro, in the Absol, right, I, like, literally can feel like them knocking on the door of my ego. That door is like, it's cracked. You know what I'm saying? That door is cracked. It's not, like, closed. It's not locked. Like, they're knocking on it. And I could easily just kick that motherfucker open and say, you motherfucking right.
- [25:50]
Kembe X
Yeah.
- [25:51]
Ab-Soul
Yeah, nigga.
- [25:53]
Kembe X
Yeah.
- [25:55]
Ab-Soul
You know what I'm saying? And.
- [25:57]
Kembe X
And easily, though.
- [25:58]
Ab-Soul
Easily, though.
- [25:59]
Kembe X
Because also, too, it wouldn't be unacceptable, you dig? It wouldn't be unacceptable. But that's. By whose standard? Correct. So, like, having an example early on of what not to be.
- [26:13]
Ab-Soul
Right.
- [26:14]
Kembe X
You don't want to be the nigga that nobody know, but got all this ego, like, that's a little insane, you know what I'm saying?
- [26:19]
Ab-Soul
Yeah.
- [26:19]
Kembe X
And I've also seen and been around other Potters, podcasters, you know, the podcast family.
- [26:25]
Ab-Soul
Correct.
- [26:26]
Kembe X
And it's like, I with them, but I can see how this thing could get out of hand quick, you know what I'm saying? Because, especially when, you know, we thug this shit out, bro. We thud it out, bro. I started this shit all audio with a mic and an iPad in the back of my truck, and I would have to turn the truck off. Because the AC was so loud it was picking up on the mic. And I'm in the middle of Texas. I got all the windows down. I'm in that in a. I'm in there in my boxers, not the pit yelling in a mic. You know what I'm saying, bro?
- [27:01]
Ab-Soul
I tell everybody this, bro. I stole a Radio Shack desktop mic. I got a duct tape roll, put a stocking cap on around it, bro. Downloaded acid Pro 4.0 off of some, some kind of bit torrent of some sort and recorded myself and put it up on Sound Click.
- [27:24]
Kembe X
Sound Click. Where you used to go get the beats for real.
- [27:28]
Ab-Soul
Before SoundCloud it was sound click. And you can still look me up to this day. Soundclick.com backslash AB the Great. It's still up.
- [27:37]
Kembe X
Yeah.
- [27:38]
Ab-Soul
Like we did. We did this out the mud, bro. Hey, the.
- [27:43]
Kembe X
The tight battles, bro.
- [27:45]
Ab-Soul
Oh, that's. Oh, that's where I hold my skills.
- [27:47]
Kembe X
I'm already knowing.
- [27:47]
Ab-Soul
Yeah, yeah, my nigga. Shout out my nigga, my nigga Minnesota man. You know what I mean? Like, bro, like this shit.
- [27:55]
Kembe X
But that's the difference.
- [27:59]
Ab-Soul
Yeah.
- [27:59]
Kembe X
When I hear people talk about anything like a lick, I'm out.
- [28:05]
Ab-Soul
Yeah, yeah. Like I just need to.
- [28:08]
Kembe X
When you talk about it like it's a lick, I'm out. Yeah, anything, bro. I had somebody that, he's, he, he's a, a fan of the show. You support what I do and I respect that. And when it came to getting into like what he do, it was like, oh, well, it's just, you know, I'm just here to get the money and woody woo woo. I'm out.
- [28:29]
Ab-Soul
Yeah.
- [28:30]
Kembe X
Because we can't do nothing with that. Everybody. We can get money. That's fine. We gonna get money.
- [28:35]
Ab-Soul
The money is the byproduct. It's a byproduct of doing a good, of doing. Of being of service, of doing a good job.
- [28:42]
Kembe X
I knew when I was, bro. When I'm episode two, three, four, five and ain't nobody listening for real, it's maybe three, 400 people listening.
- [28:52]
Ab-Soul
Yeah.
- [28:53]
Kembe X
And it's only audio, so it's hard to promote on when everything visual I'm like, oh, I'm in here for the love of the game.
- [28:59]
Ab-Soul
For real.
- [29:00]
Kembe X
I'm in the back of the truck sweating.
- [29:01]
Ab-Soul
Hey, hey, P. Remember joint we found living dead. Remember this? You can find living, living dead. I found. This is 0909. Is it 0808 said swear. I've been doing this for six years now. Getting sick of this music industry. Records already watered down yeah. Said should have seen, should have seen my face Waking up to my space only 13 plays the whole. The whole day.
- [29:36]
Kembe X
Yeah.
- [29:36]
Ab-Soul
08. Yeah, like that.
- [29:40]
Kembe X
But you gotta keep put. It's.
- [29:43]
Ab-Soul
Oh, eight.
- [29:44]
Kembe X
Oh, eight.
- [29:44]
Ab-Soul
Six years.
- [29:46]
Kembe X
I'm graduating. I'm graduating high school 608.
- [29:50]
Ab-Soul
You said you graduated high school eight. 0805. Stay lodge. Hey, nah. Yeah, we in the general.
- [30:01]
Kembe X
Pet rallies matter.
- [30:02]
Ab-Soul
Yeah, bro.
- [30:03]
Kembe X
Yeah.
- [30:03]
Ab-Soul
All the pep rallies performed at all Black Student Union. All the pep rallies battled, battled in the street after school. Like, bro, everything.
- [30:15]
Kembe X
We knock on that ego.
- [30:16]
Ab-Soul
Oh, Kurt. Yeah. Curtis tell you. Curtis told you.
- [30:19]
Kembe X
Curtis, come on. Heaven isn't far. Curtis, come on, man. We're gonna knock on the ego a little bit. Speaking of school, right? Speaking of, like, Pat Rallies and how involved you were in just doing your music at your school, which is. First of all, that's where the boldness and the bravery come from. Because it's not easy to put your craft out to your peers. And especially when you that young. The fear of being judged, bro. I remember when I uploaded my first song on MySpace, I was terrified, bro. Like, I had. I was telling somebody, big cat this the other day. Like, when I heard Get Rich or Die Trying, I knew I was gonna rap. But when I heard dedication too, I was like, I'm doing. And now I'm gonna do it today. And I grabbed that Get Em Beat and I wrote my first jump and I put that jump out. And I'm terrified. Cause I'm like, niggas at school is gonna hear this. You know what I mean? I'm like, oh, my God. And they was like, oh, you smoked that shit. I was like, you can't tell me shit. Fuck math class now. Fuck math class.
- [31:24]
Ab-Soul
But now this the question, though. Like, did you pass it out?
- [31:28]
Kembe X
Nah, I just.
- [31:29]
Ab-Soul
You let him. You let them discover. You let him find it.
- [31:32]
Kembe X
I just threw that thing on MySpace and went on about it. And they found it.
- [31:34]
Ab-Soul
They found it on God, Pete. Like Magic. Magic was the first one to come to me. Like, I never promoted it. I just threw it up. And Magic was like the first one to come. I think it was over. Who shot you. It was like, who shot you? Free shit.
- [31:51]
Kembe X
See, that's another thing too. Like, if you. Not if you really. The rapping that I love is like, go, Go rap on the best beats. That's how I'm gonna know what you are for real, you dig? I don't know what you are for real. I don't know what you are you can rap all day.
- [32:12]
Ab-Soul
That's funny.
- [32:13]
Kembe X
You can produce. Niggas can produce it over, produce it under, Produce it, mix it and master it. Who has the classic beats? Go. How are you gonna sound on? You don't know about Jay Z. Rap on that and then we can have a conversation.
- [32:26]
Ab-Soul
Sure I do.
- [32:28]
Kembe X
Come on, like, go, like go stand next to the Giants and see how you compare.
- [32:34]
Ab-Soul
That's my next assignment. I'm gonna do that just for you. I never did it. Need that. We tried. Did we try to. Did we try to. Did we try to chop it, P. We might have tried. We might have gave it a shot. I'm gonna take the instrumental though. I'm gonna do it just, just for my man.
- [32:52]
Kembe X
Yeah. Cause Bucko Jr. I mean, we already know where that come from.
- [32:55]
Ab-Soul
Yeah.
- [32:55]
Kembe X
So go.
- [32:56]
Ab-Soul
Yeah.
- [32:57]
Kembe X
Who are the Giants? Go. See how you measure up.
- [32:59]
Ab-Soul
Correct.
- [33:00]
Kembe X
And, and, and, and, and don't just take they flow and do it like that, like remix it and you know what I mean? Yeah. I think the media like how Wayne was able to like rise so much is. Cause like, nah, this is killing every beat, bro. I don't even remember who made the song originally.
- [33:18]
Ab-Soul
Everything.
- [33:20]
Kembe X
Okay. But like I said to knock on that ego a little bit, right? Speaking of these pet rallies and just the bravery and put yourself out there early.
- [33:28]
Ab-Soul
Yeah.
- [33:29]
Kembe X
How did, how did it feel for you going back and being celebrated like that, man? That was.
- [33:38]
Ab-Soul
Well, because it was the high school career, obviously. Yeah, yeah, yeah. And obviously. And it, it also, it also helps. And it means a lot to me too that I was, you know, I was like the, you know, you know, I'm the, you know, I'm the genius idiot, right? You know, it's the ap. Honor student humanitarian. So I have those accolades with me too. Like, so it's not that I was just like, like a, you know, like a, you know, a fuck up per se. Yeah.
- [34:19]
Kembe X
He's an academic. But you got rough ways.
- [34:22]
Ab-Soul
Exactly. But I, but I, but I jugged though. Like, you know, I was, I was that nigga though, like to where? Cause you know, if you got an AP class, if you get a C, it's a B. If you get a B, you know what I'm saying? Like, and I just charmed my school. Grade school. Teach you how to move socially, I feel. You know what I'm saying? Like, almost had a jug. Like, you know, it is a jug. It's a jug charm.
- [34:52]
Kembe X
Got me a long way in school, bro.
- [34:53]
Ab-Soul
I'm trying to tell you.
- [34:54]
Kembe X
Cause the teachers Is like you disrupting the class, but I really can't hate you. Cool, dude.
- [34:58]
Ab-Soul
Right? Exactly. And so like, what meant the most to me about it, especially with you. You talking about when I just went recently, you know, and you know, me being a part of Black Student Union, like my. My math teacher, Ms. Harris, my favorite te. Probably my favorite teacher, she sold me. She. We used to argue. We used to argue about who's the KRS1 or Jay Z. She was KS1. Obviously, I'm Jay Z. And I'm like, what the. I. You know, like, are you kidding me? Get out. Beat it. Right? Ironically, today's to this day, right? KRS too.
- [35:35]
Kembe X
Now you're KRS too, right?
- [35:37]
Ab-Soul
But. And, and bro, like, sold me my first car. Like, you know what I'm saying? Bang this in your bucket. Don't. My. The 87 Chevy celebrity. She. She sold me that car for. For 250. That's real. I had to. I just had to get a. A. A catalytic converter, then put some. Put a 12 in the back, some tweeters and pass that smog check. Word. You know what I'm saying? And made a shake.
- [36:06]
Kembe X
The Emmy missions, right?
- [36:08]
Ab-Soul
Yeah. And Mr. Lau, who. Who he. He, he. He's. He's. He's more so accredited at the school for, you know, coaching. Like, you know, he coached like, you know, football track, you know, amongst other things. But he was my African American literature teacher, which, you know, which, you know, I was already, you know, I had already read the autobiography, you know, Malcolm X, you know what I mean? And that's what threw me for a loop.
- [36:41]
Kembe X
So I gotta throw you another.
- [36:43]
Ab-Soul
We get into the Willie lynch doctrine, you know what I'm saying?
- [36:45]
Kembe X
I gotta throw you another one, though. Cause that's where I was like, oh, maybe I need to read this book.
- [36:48]
Ab-Soul
But yeah, Pete, this is what he told me. Like. Cause I told him, you know, we used to come to class and he was playing like, you know, Black Star and the Roots and like, you know, like Common and like. So when I told him, I told him I wanted to rap, and he was like, oh, that's cool, Herb. You can rap. I don't got a problem with that. Just make sure you say something. And that, that just. That just stuck with me.
- [37:20]
Kembe X
Yeah.
- [37:20]
Ab-Soul
And the most important thing for him, and I'm. Let you go. Sorry to be so long.
- [37:24]
Kembe X
No, you cool, bro.
- [37:25]
Ab-Soul
I'm a writer.
- [37:26]
Kembe X
We're here for you, bro.
- [37:27]
Ab-Soul
Yeah, I'm very.
- [37:28]
Kembe X
I'm just the host, brother.
- [37:29]
Ab-Soul
Don't go home Write some, make it.
- [37:32]
Kembe X
Suspenseful and don't come back until something dope.
- [37:36]
Ab-Soul
Don't come back until something don't hit you. It.
- [37:40]
Kembe X
You can take the mic home with you. No, it was my. That's how I started when I first started battling. Yeah, I would. Since I had the 8 mile DVD. Yeah, I'm stealing the verses off the X. The, the. The extra scenes where he was battling like Marv1 and them, oh God, I'm taking them and hitting with them in the streets.
- [38:00]
Ab-Soul
Oh, you gotta do it.
- [38:01]
Kembe X
They was like, damn, this 13 year old can wrap his ass. I'm like, it's all him.
- [38:06]
Ab-Soul
You gotta do it. Yeah, yeah, yeah. And so.
- [38:10]
Kembe X
But what was saying something?
- [38:11]
Ab-Soul
What was saying something? And the most important, like what, what, what affected me the most, you know, aside from, you know, just being back in and being able to be something that the kid, you know, somebody like them, you know, was able to do something. Right, Right. You know, do something, you know, of substance, of make. Make something of itself and represent where he come from. But Ms. Harris, she like wrote, she really wrote me a poem. Like she wrote. She wrote something for me. Wrote me a poem and she was so beautiful, bro. Like, I cried like to where she was like, that just was so fulfilling. You know what I'm saying?
- [39:02]
Kembe X
Yeah. Cause it's full circle too, because it, because you got where you are by saying something, right? And you know, like, I'm a, I'm a product of that music as well. But a plethora, bro. There's so many people from our generation and younger are products of like provoking thought. Like, that's what you did for people. You provoke thought. And even if it, you know, this, this whole idea of like, I ain't trying to hear that or I ain't trying to read that, well, that's a you problem, dog. I would never confess to be an idiot. You know what I mean? Like, I don't want to read, I don't want to listen. I just want to vibe. Like, okay, it's time and place for vibes, but when do we stop and.
- [39:45]
Ab-Soul
We think about what vibration really is type shit.
- [39:50]
Kembe X
What vibe are you trying?
- [39:51]
Ab-Soul
What vibration?
- [39:52]
Kembe X
You know, there's a lot of low vibing going on.
- [39:56]
Ab-Soul
Let's talk about the frequency, let's talk about the, the law of vibrational energy. Word love, you know what I'm saying?
- [40:05]
Kembe X
So the revolution is love, bro.
- [40:07]
Ab-Soul
And you know, but then like you. But it, but like you said, I feel like, you know, there's a balance because you you know, as a lot of us know, you know how, you know how far that rabbit hole can go. Yeah. And you know, I, I feel like I found myself getting too far there and losing touch of reality. Reality. Everybody looks, everybody looks stupid to me. Nothing matters. We're all doomed. You know what I'm saying?
- [40:45]
Kembe X
The plight of, the plight of enlightenment. Me and Kembe talk about this, this too. The part of enlightenment that people don't tell you about is if you keep going, you might end up being a nihilist. And that nihilism is where it's like, it gets dark. Because I, I too, I would say prior to me starting a podcast, I think, I think what it was, there was a lot of isolation in the truck.
- [41:14]
Ab-Soul
Lot of isolation.
- [41:15]
Kembe X
So while I was able to reflect on some things that helped me grow.
- [41:18]
Ab-Soul
Yeah.
- [41:19]
Kembe X
I also didn't have anything stop me.
- [41:22]
Ab-Soul
Right.
- [41:23]
Kembe X
So after the third audio book of the day.
- [41:28]
Ab-Soul
Yeah.
- [41:29]
Kembe X
I'm just right. I'm still. And then it's like with more information breeds more curiosity.
- [41:36]
Ab-Soul
Right.
- [41:36]
Kembe X
And then you land in a place where you like none of this matters.
- [41:39]
Ab-Soul
Real talk. P P. How many like you be I be I. The homies be trying to get me outside. Like, bro, like can be being there isolated. You know what I'm saying? Like that's when, that's when, that's when some bad happens now. But also isolation is good for the soul for you to take time to self and you know, be one of yourself, self respect and all of that. But you know, it's so important to like, you know, get out and be with, you know, and, and chop it up and, and, and, and listen versus like, you know. No, you don't understand. When you be, when you, when you. That. Yeah.
- [42:18]
Kembe X
Cause it's gonna be that. Cause when you own that, that's where you at with it.
- [42:22]
Ab-Soul
And we talking about. And we so confident about the unknown.
- [42:27]
Kembe X
Real shit.
- [42:28]
Ab-Soul
Ain't that a bitch? Like we like speak.
- [42:31]
Kembe X
I'll argue. No, you don't understand. Yeah, about guys I don't even understand. Like I'm arguing your unknown. I'm telling you, my unknown.
- [42:39]
Ab-Soul
You gotta listen. Have you ever read the Emerald tab? You know what I'm saying? Like, you know what I mean?
- [42:43]
Kembe X
We start getting into the Samaran battle.
- [42:45]
Ab-Soul
You know what I mean? Like, you know what I'm saying? The Tibetan Book of the Dead.
- [42:48]
Kembe X
I'm trying to like, oh God, Dead Sea Scrolls. When we start getting into them duffs, it's like, woo, I'm way down here. You know what I'M saying, I don't remember the last time I seen the light. I'm really down in this rabbit hole, bro. Like, I'm down here, bro. And I think. But the beautiful thing is this, right?
- [43:05]
Ab-Soul
Yeah.
- [43:06]
Kembe X
If you start on an extreme side of this pendulum, yeah. With how you're raised, and whatever traditions are instilled in you, whatever thought processes and knowledge is instilled in you, when you get to that place that sparks the movement of that pendulum, it's going to go to another extreme side. That's like, that's law.
- [43:27]
Ab-Soul
If, If. If. If you. If you go with it, allow.
- [43:32]
Kembe X
Get too scared, you know, Scared. And I think I remember when I was in that space of, like, pure nihilism, like, don't believe in nothing. Nothing matters when I'm in that space. I was. I really had to look up one day and be like, well, when does this stop, man? Because I. Because I. Because it. It had to keep going for me to get here, right? So I got to come out on the other side of it. And I was like, you know what? And if nothing matters, then it don't matter.
- [43:59]
Ab-Soul
I'll.
- [43:59]
Kembe X
I'll find my way out of this hole, too. Cause I'm. It's dark and.
- [44:03]
Ab-Soul
And. And too, man, once you. Once you in that rabbit hole, you're never really truly out. But I. I can say. I could say, like, I got. I got. I'm. I'm Vince Carter on the surface, like, you know what I'm saying?
- [44:20]
Kembe X
I got your arm is.
- [44:22]
Ab-Soul
You know what I mean? Like, I'm Vince. I'm Vince Carter on the surface, like, my. I got my forearm. Arm on soil. You know what I mean? And that's.
- [44:33]
Kembe X
That's, man, one of the smartest things that anybody ever told me. And this is, like, real. I'm telling. I be telling people all the time, like, the podcast really don't come from any. What I. What I just told you yesterday. Me and Kimber was on the phone, and I was like, you just made it to the big whiteboard just because of the conversation. Yeah, because that's where I put all my talking points. But it come from conversation. And one of the best things that I. Best pieces of advice that I ever got as far as, like, an intelligent advisor, right? Man, I was just in a restaurant when I was on the road, and the waitress was like, you should treat. She was like, you shouldn't marry your ideologies. You should treat all of your ideologies like a book. But you got to know when to close that, man. And I was like, damn sure she. She spitting that shit, right? $20 tip. Needed that.
- [45:26]
Ab-Soul
Got it.
- [45:27]
Kembe X
Needed that on an $8 bill. I ain't do nothing but get a bagel and black coffee.
- [45:31]
Ab-Soul
Y' all got some bookmarks back there.
- [45:32]
Kembe X
Yeah. Nah, she owned that. I was like, y' all know. Y' all in here hiring oracles and shit. Shorty stuff. Cause I'm telling you, it's like, oh, I can close this book.
- [45:42]
Ab-Soul
Yeah.
- [45:43]
Kembe X
Now it may take a little while for me to separate myself from what I learned in it.
- [45:47]
Ab-Soul
Yeah.
- [45:47]
Kembe X
But it's like. But you. Okay, but where's the next book? If you stay in search of it, then you can. You could just store it in your database, and then you can keep moving and then in.
- [45:59]
Ab-Soul
And regurgitated.
- [46:03]
Kembe X
As needed.
- [46:04]
Ab-Soul
As needed in. In your. From. From your perspective.
- [46:10]
Kembe X
Absolutely, Absolutely. It got to come through in your voice.
- [46:13]
Ab-Soul
Exactly.
- [46:14]
Kembe X
And the beautiful thing about it, anyway, is, like, inspiration is, like, one of those things where you gonna mimic, you know, that's even when you start rapping, you gonna sound like somebody because this is the person that inspired you to do it.
- [46:26]
Ab-Soul
Oh. Oh, bro, bro, man.
- [46:30]
Kembe X
Even with you not writing out of pure necessity, you also have, like, one of the greatest predecessors that has that process, too.
- [46:39]
Ab-Soul
Correct.
- [46:39]
Kembe X
And, yeah, now, you know, punch in, punch out. But if you can't just, like, come. Come with the verse and get it. Cause I know.
- [46:49]
Ab-Soul
Cause we. We did.
- [46:50]
Kembe X
Yeah, you did that rap.
- [46:51]
Ab-Soul
We've been to rap camp. Like.
- [46:53]
Kembe X
Yeah.
- [46:53]
Ab-Soul
You know what I'm saying? But now, you know, now I'm really in a space of letting artists be artists. Yeah, we got. We have. We're using pro tools. Let them Let. Use the tools. Yeah, Like. Yeah, let the tools. What they do. Let the tools do what they do. We got. We. We got. We got genius engineers. We got genius producers. We got genius writers. We got. You feel what I'm saying?
- [47:24]
Kembe X
Do you think that, like, the. That purist mentality kind of stops the genre from evolving a little bit?
- [47:32]
Ab-Soul
No, no, that. That. That is definitely. That's. That's definitely a step in. In the right direction, because that allows you to, you know, like, relinquish control and collaborate and work together.
- [47:48]
Kembe X
Word.
- [47:49]
Ab-Soul
You feel what I'm saying? To. To come to a. To come to a common goal, and especially in. In our spin, you know, in our space, like, you know, for the. For the greater good. You know what I'm saying?
- [48:03]
Kembe X
Yeah. All right, we're gonna do one more ego knock, and then we can. I got this. For me. All right, so, P, we like a year removed from the pop out right around now. Nah, we ain't. We ain't. We ain't.
- [48:18]
Ab-Soul
I just had to. No, no. I don't care where it goes. I just had to be that guy. Oh, man.
- [48:22]
Kembe X
Oh, brother. They just won't let it go.
- [48:25]
Ab-Soul
But pop out. Oh, my God.
- [48:27]
Kembe X
I say that.
- [48:27]
Ab-Soul
To say this, though, I'm gone, man.
- [48:32]
Kembe X
As a. As a fan of, like, multiple members of tde, right?
- [48:36]
Ab-Soul
Whether.
- [48:36]
Kembe X
I mean, Kim. Kim turned me into a fan immediately.
- [48:40]
Ab-Soul
Right, Right.
- [48:41]
Kembe X
You Q Rock, Kendrick, Isaiah Rashad. I listen to Z by Sza, like, early on.
- [48:49]
Ab-Soul
Is that. Is that. Is that a shotgun to the back of my heart?
- [48:57]
Kembe X
My Barbie dolls. That bad? Yeah, I was in that bag. I was on my emo.
- [49:02]
Ab-Soul
Yeah, she was on her.
- [49:04]
Kembe X
I was like, I'm gonna get some Chucks. Dirty Chucks, brother.
- [49:09]
Ab-Soul
That Nora Jane.
- [49:10]
Kembe X
Yeah, yeah, yeah. Really in that.
- [49:12]
Ab-Soul
Yeah, but she an emcee, though, too. On the, like, on the low. On, like, on the mid. I think, like, she needs to go to LA Leakers, though. That should be crazy. That should be crazy. Kibe, man, off top, off top. People don't even know.
- [49:28]
Kembe X
They, like, bro.
- [49:29]
Ab-Soul
Yeah, yeah. Like, you ain't seen scissors. I seen scissors, bro. Dead ass, bro. On the dead. Scissors be freestyling, bro. And the dead homies, bro. I seen her going to. Going at Craig house, going to the booth. I never seen nobody do this going to the booth, like, for anybody. Anybody fronting on. On Lana, bro, like, you know, saying, you know, because you know how people be talking about, you know, successful artists and stuff, you know, it's always, you know, especially in the Internet space, the media space. It's always. She did this for this, and she got this. The budget and the. Yo, I seen. I seen Lana and this. This, you know, removing all bias, because that is my sister. Watch your mouth. But I seen her going to the booth, bro, with, like, a few joints. You know what I'm saying? Two, two, two, three big bottles of water, bro. Close that door. Tell. So she probably had. She probably. I don't want to call who she had recording her, but one of the homies and. And she. In one session. No, Kimbe. Load up three records. Like, load up three records in one session. So she don't have to say, all right, let me. Let me. It's already there. So when she's tired of working on one record, she'd just be like, okay, stop. Let's work on the. On the other one. Versus, like, closing out closing out the session. Like, yo, like, that's. And then. And then. And don't leave the booth. I don't care if she got a p. Take a piss. You gotta understand she'll run out that. And gotta piss so bad. Like after she done. After the job is done, where. You know what I'm saying? Like, real talk and take what y' all think. And like, not just. You know what I'm saying. Not a Know it all. Not a open for suggestion. Like, you know what I'm saying? Like a student still.
- [51:44]
Kembe X
So I think that to that point, I'm a purist when it come to rap as far as write your own lyrics. But I also understand a collaborative effort.
- [51:56]
Ab-Soul
Is great in making music.
- [52:00]
Kembe X
In making music. So, like, on a life of pie, you gotta write those bars. On a life of pie. Cause the homie can't tell you. My homies call me Batman. I'm the African Ben Affleck. You can't even take that bar. You gotta come up with that.
- [52:18]
Ab-Soul
Oh, God. Now, Pete. Now Pete, this where. This where, like, this is the point that I've gotten to, you know, I'm saying. And I can. I can. I can attribute this to, you know, many of my, you know, you know, the creators and the geniuses that I'm blessed to be around. Right? You know, like, you know, I. I just. I'm gonna say. I want to say. I just want to point out, Kimberly, who. Who put me on to you. I, you know, I would see. I was. I would see you, you know, here and there. You know what I'm saying? Like, you know what I mean? But like, it was just like, oh, another podcaster that's real. So I'm just scrolling and I can't see that well. So I. I hop on my. My algorithm set. If you see me, man, I'm posting from the philosopher quote that VS Gent with the, like, just Rick Rubin. My algorithm set. Like, I see the homies with the homies got going on. I ain't going down 10 slides. Right? Right? You feel what I'm saying?
- [53:21]
Kembe X
Quick check in.
- [53:22]
Ab-Soul
Quick little check in. Check my numbers. Because that's how we get, you know, that's my business. And I'm. And I'm off that bitch Quincy Jones said that melody is the language of God. And like, and I've seen this done, like, for many different artists that I work with. Like, that I've, you know, I've worked with go in there and like, ladies, these. These references of the. They just be, you know, Just turn the music on and just like, kind of just mumble, like, the melody of what it. And that just comes from that shit that there has to come from.
- [54:09]
Kembe X
That's something else.
- [54:10]
Ab-Soul
That's. That's the language of God.
- [54:13]
Kembe X
That's why I fuck with Future. I ain't going to hold you.
- [54:15]
Ab-Soul
He can't take it away exactly.
- [54:17]
Kembe X
The way he. If you ever seen his, like, recording process is really is the melody comes first.
- [54:21]
Ab-Soul
Right.
- [54:22]
Kembe X
I know in y' all camp, the hook gotta come first.
- [54:25]
Ab-Soul
No, well, no, it's. No, there's no set that. We have no set formula.
- [54:30]
Kembe X
I'm taking that from an interview. You know, I'm.
- [54:32]
Ab-Soul
Oh, I mean, yeah. I mean, that and that. That's in the back of my mind. That may have been 12 years ago. Yeah, that's what I'm saying. Still trying to figure it out.
- [54:38]
Kembe X
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
- [54:39]
Ab-Soul
Trying to find a formula.
- [54:41]
Kembe X
Find formula.
- [54:41]
Ab-Soul
But now we understand, you know, after. You know, after being in the rabbit hole so long.
- [54:46]
Kembe X
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
- [54:47]
Ab-Soul
None of this matters. Rules, man.
- [54:50]
Kembe X
Whatever the beat tell you to do, you do.
- [54:52]
Ab-Soul
You know what I'm saying? Let the beat dictate or. Or. Or make. Or make the beat. Say what you wanted to say you wanted to say. So, like, you know, like, me. Me and Kim. Me and Kim, we're the referees. The. We lay the references. Like, we just go in there and just. And. And. And. And. And make the reference, like, for real. I wish you would have came earlier yesterday. Yeah, with Banner, the joint that we did. I wish you would have came a little earlier. I really just went in there and just laid this. I just every. I just played. Had them play the record. And then, like, I used my first mind, like, based on the music, like, what it would make, what I would do. Just. I don't think it would just go. And then I was like, all right, this is what I got. And I'm just. I'm the last stem in the beat. So I told him, like, so now, like, now produce it. Like, take what I.
- [55:51]
Kembe X
Like.
- [55:51]
Ab-Soul
I let you have all of this. I think I said, okay, bet. Strip the whole first verse, though, Kimberly. Like, nah, that ain't it. Get to the second verse, because that's probably when you start, you know what I'm saying? Picking up, picking up a frequent. Picking up a year. And then manipulated that. Stop, stop. He chopping. He chopping it like, it's like. It's a. Like, like they chords like. Or like a sample. Bringing this back. Moved it. Like, he just was able to use Me as a. As an instrument to where you got to be able to feel this even if you don't speak English.
- [56:34]
Kembe X
Real talk well. And that. That's been proven time and time again that it does translate. Yeah, I know. You wanna. We. We got. Can we get five?
- [56:45]
Ab-Soul
It's really. It's really just my man's.
- [56:48]
Kembe X
Five is cool. Yeah, we'll call this part one.
- [56:50]
Ab-Soul
Yeah, it's really just my man.
- [56:52]
Kembe X
Yeah, we'll call it part one.
- [56:53]
Ab-Soul
Yeah. Oh, yeah, we gonna do. Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah, we go. Yeah, yeah, we got. Oh, we just getting started, man. Yeah, you feel me?
- [57:01]
Kembe X
Cause Carson in the motherfucking house Del Lamo. Watch your motherfucking mouth. So I'm gonna say the reason I bring the pop up up is because as much as a fan of the.
- [57:11]
Ab-Soul
Very, very, very important collectively, right.
- [57:14]
Kembe X
The most important part was the 616 in LA and you getting your flowers on that stage. My. When I tell you I'm at the crib, like, yeah, yeah. I told you. I told you he's the best.
- [57:32]
Ab-Soul
I didn't even say nothing.
- [57:34]
Kembe X
I told you he's the best. All you did. But, but.
- [57:36]
Ab-Soul
But it was Those who know. It was understood. Like, that's what I'm saying. Like, just hitting me like, bro. Like, it was like, bro, you was.
- [57:45]
Kembe X
One of the first people. I was like, this. It can't be real what he's saying. Like, how is he putting these words together?
- [57:50]
Ab-Soul
And that. And that was. That was. That's like a. I don't want to say misconception because, you know, me and Dot, you know, like I said, you know, we slept. We slept.
- [58:01]
Kembe X
Yeah, but he gave me your reference and that was the thing.
- [58:04]
Ab-Soul
No, he gave me my reverence and. And he all. And he does. He does that.
- [58:08]
Kembe X
Yeah, because even on the album, same thing.
- [58:10]
Ab-Soul
Yeah, he was able. But he, you know, he was able to make a song like, kind of that. I think that was more so detailing his parting of. You know, his parting of ways and, like, how he may have. Could have done that better.
- [58:26]
Kembe X
Correct, correct.
- [58:27]
Ab-Soul
I think that's more of what that song was about. Yeah. You know, homage and reverence, all of those things, which is important. But that's more so about him. Like, so everybody understands that we are still family. I don't give a fuck what he does. Right. Like, you know what I'm saying? Just because he's not. We're not under the same label.
- [58:51]
Kembe X
Correct.
- [58:51]
Ab-Soul
We're not.
- [58:52]
Kembe X
You know, like, the history is the most important.
- [58:55]
Ab-Soul
The brotherhood. Like, yeah, like, I He. He's somebody that I have to consult with in everything that I do, like, you know what I'm saying? Especially. Especially musically. But he's. He's my brother as well.
- [59:07]
Kembe X
Correct.
- [59:08]
Ab-Soul
You know what I'm saying? And, like, a lot of people was like, saying, and I. I'm gonna keep real with you. I don't think I've ever said this like, you know what I'm saying? Because I just got to be cool on podcast, you know, you got to be politically correct. Got to be a media training.
- [59:27]
Kembe X
This ain't that.
- [59:28]
Ab-Soul
You know, I was saying that, like, sarcastically, you know what I'm saying? I'm gonna say this is the first. Because you. I'm saying this is why I feel I want to say this. Number one. Number one, there's no way that Kendrick has, you know, learned more from me than I have from him. I want to make that very clear. Number two, I was pissed off that I didn't get to do a song. All the homies got hits except me. Kim, debatably.
- [60:13]
Kembe X
Shut the up, man.
- [60:14]
Ab-Soul
Stop trying to. Yeah, you know what I mean, man? True. I know you debatable. Hear that, man? That part, that part. Hey, win, Win, win. Like, shut the up, man. You know what I'm saying?
- [60:30]
Kembe X
What they was gonna run, though. What they was gonna run. Pineal gland, right?
- [60:35]
Ab-Soul
You know what I'm saying?
- [60:36]
Kembe X
Can't you see I'm floating like ice cream at the five hours. I would have lost my mind, nigga. Yeah. What? The world's still out there. Them same people. That fuck I'm doing talking about plaintive glands. Nah, that would have been missing. I ain't gonna lie. Terrorist threats would have went crazy.
- [60:54]
Ab-Soul
Missing the point, guys.
- [60:55]
Kembe X
Extra pills. Extra pills. We could have went there with it.
- [60:59]
Ab-Soul
Missing the point.
- [60:59]
Kembe X
I'm just saying.
- [61:00]
Ab-Soul
Because, because, because. Because there was a, you know, like, you know, in. In. In their, in the. In. In the. You know, in their defense, like, there. There were a few options, suggestions, but they're very like the, the. The flow of the. Those records did not complement what we were representing at the pop.
- [61:28]
Kembe X
Right, right, right. But terroristic threats could.
- [61:30]
Ab-Soul
And even. And even sonic, just to let know.
- [61:33]
Kembe X
Like. Terroristic.
- [61:34]
Ab-Soul
Yeah. No, but I'm saying even.
- [61:35]
Kembe X
No, also too.
- [61:37]
Ab-Soul
Come on, bro.
- [61:38]
Kembe X
Based on the hook, bro.
- [61:39]
Ab-Soul
I'm just saying, like.
- [61:43]
Kembe X
Standard military tonight. We ain't gonna let you get this off.
- [61:46]
Ab-Soul
Hear me up.
- [61:47]
Kembe X
We're not gonna let you get this off.
- [61:49]
Ab-Soul
All right. No, no, but I get, I, I, I understand that. I get that. I'm I'm saying, I'm so. I'm telling y'. All. That was my way of saying. I feel like what y' all saying, but. But that's why that. That's why, you know what I'm saying? Like, Kendrick, shout out to. Shout out to my Dave Free. You know what I'm saying? Soundway. Like, the whole team. Like, that's what. Like, it's. It's. It's more than just like, all right, you know, do us. You know, let everybody rap. It has to go. It has to work, sonically. It has to be a flow, a cohesion. A cohesion. But what, bro? My part almost. Bro, I'm talking about. That was the COVID of New York Times. Like, my part, like, they almost. They looked at me as, like, the, like, Mr. Miyagi.
- [62:41]
Kembe X
Real shit, though. But that's how it looked. You look like a shaman up there.
- [62:45]
Ab-Soul
Like, yeah, like, he put his hand on my hand on my shoulder. Like, he was like. Like, Calmatic hit me. I think, like, I want to say shout out to Calmatic, too. Man was in with us in the trenches, man. He's doing amazing right now in film. He was like, bro, like, I almost cried, bro. Cause it was like, like, like the. Like the student becomes the teacher. Like, I don't know, you know, it.
- [63:10]
Kembe X
Was like, I ain't gonna hold you. That's where I was at with it. I was like, bro, this is big. I don't know if niggas understand what they looking at right now.
- [63:16]
Ab-Soul
Like, cuz could had to have you on his day. I mean, you know, I'm trying to down. You know, I'm not. But I not let you get that off. I mean, I didn't say that to him. I know what you going with it, but. But no, and. And. And I. And I understand where y' all coming from, but I, I, I, I. I also wanted to say in. In, like, in closing, though, a honor and a privilege, the whole goal was, if all the gangs in the world unify, we stand in chance to get them. That is what we did. If Pirus and Crips all got along. And we've been doing that. We. We've been doing that. We were just able to capture it on a stage for the world to.
- [64:03]
Kembe X
See, and that in a way that it hasn't been seen before.
- [64:06]
Ab-Soul
Like, it literally, bro, I was on stage with people that I should not be on stage with. Yeah, according.
- [64:15]
Kembe X
According. According.
- [64:19]
Ab-Soul
But we were. I. I knew I have relationships with, you know, with just about, you know, everybody on that stage and we were all, you. If you look closely, we're all shaking hands. It was all love. That shit is beautiful. That's what we were fighting for. And it wasn't like everybody just was all on stage, like, to get a. Get a look. Nah, not saying like, bro, that I think everybody really felt like.
- [64:46]
Kembe X
Everybody felt it, bro.
- [64:47]
Ab-Soul
Everybody felt like that this is powerful. And then like how, you know, and we were able to capture it. Like, that's. That's just. That's. That's. I'm just. I'm just very. It's an honor and a privilege to be. Be a part of such. Such a. Such a movement, man.
- [65:05]
Kembe X
Yeah, for sure. Yeah, man. I appreciate you, bro. Taking the time for sure. But I ain't never did this with no other guest. But this is part one of the absol interview. Part two coming soon. Buy your Soul Burger tickets.
- [65:21]
Ab-Soul
Yeah, yeah.
- [65:22]
Kembe X
We taking it up tonight in Atlanta.
- [65:25]
Ab-Soul
In Atlanta in the. In A d. Datl.
- [65:28]
Kembe X
Next stop Philly, right?
- [65:30]
Ab-Soul
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
- [65:33]
Kembe X
I do this little media a little bit. You know what I'm saying?
- [65:35]
Ab-Soul
Yeah, yeah.
- [65:36]
Kembe X
My. Appreciate you, bro.
- [65:38]
Ab-Soul
Yeah. Come on, man. Yeah. So, you know.