Simplify Your Life with Anderson .Paak

Summary

Podcast Summary: "Simplify Your Life with Anderson .Paak"

Podcast: IMO with Michelle Obama and Craig Robinson
Host: Higher Ground
Date: June 3, 2026
Guest: Anderson .Paak

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Episode Overview

This episode features an in-depth, often hilarious, and heartfelt conversation between Michelle Obama, Craig Robinson, and the trailblazing musician, director, and producer Anderson .Paak. The trio dives into Anderson's turbulent upbringing, the resilience that shaped him, his musical journey—including brushes with failure and stardom—and his adventures in parenting and filmmaking. Drawing from audience questions, the guests reflect on how adversity builds character and explore the balance between protecting children and preparing them for life’s challenges.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Upbringing, Family, and Early Influences

• Musical Family and Early Frustrations

  • Michelle and Craig reminisce about their own childhood music lessons, emphasizing how old-fashioned methods ("cardboard piano keys") failed to spark lasting inspiration. They marvel at how Anderson’s music journey took a different—and ultimately successful—path.
    • Young Craig: “We’re sitting next to the piano and I’m like, I want to go on the instrument. And [my aunt] is like, nope. And we did that for weeks.” (03:09)
  • Anderson started with makeshift instruments—couch, bed, pots, and pans—eventually upgrading to a real drum kit in sixth grade thanks to his stepfather.
    • Anderson: “My drum pad was the couch. See, there’s the bed, pots and pans... Eventually, they got a drum kit in the house.” (06:41)

• The Role of Church and Community

  • Church drumming connected Anderson to Black musical culture and community, especially valuable as he was one of few Black kids in majority-Latino Oxnard.
    • Anderson: “I grew up playing drums in church because I had different communities. I had my church family, which was...where I thrived at.” (13:41)

• Multicultural Identity & Family Trauma

  • Anderson details a complex family history: his mother, Korean by birth but adopted by Black parents, raising Anderson in a Black household.
    • Anderson: “When I found out my mom was Korean, I just took it as something I could tell to people and make me exotic.” (15:31)
  • He recounts the traumatic day his father went to prison, revealing his mother’s strength and refusal to vilify his father despite profound hardship.
    • Anderson: “Even though she went through all that stuff with him, she never said anything bad. And it was always very positive.” (18:28)

• Economic Turbulence and Early Independence

  • After his father went to prison, Anderson’s mother built up a strawberry business, increasing the family’s wealth—until both she and Anderson’s stepfather were arrested for securities fraud, leading to another major upheaval.
    • Anderson: “I got called into the principal’s office...my mom on the front cover. She had been arrested and my step pops was in cuffs too...” (28:14)
  • At 17, Anderson was pushed into adulthood, working jobs while pursuing music.

2. Forging a Creative Path

• Early Hustle & Reinvention

  • Anderson recounts hustling mixtapes, working at Ralph’s Grocery, crashing at friends’ places, and constantly shapeshifting—musically and stylistically—before finding his lane.
    • Anderson: “One of my first jobs was working at Ralph’s Grocery...I was bagging groceries and pushing in carts and I was writing songs still.” (33:01)

• Mentors and Pivotal Advice

  • Turning point came when a manager, Brian Lee, challenged Anderson to focus and “simplify your life.” Lee even paid his rent so Anderson could develop his voice and craft in solitude.
    • Anderson: “He was like, if you just sat down in a room, don’t bite anybody, just work on you...you could probably do something. Simplify your life.” (35:21)
  • The evolution from “Breezy Lovejoy” to “Anderson .Paak”—name, dot, and all—becomes a memorable and humorous part of the episode.
    • Anderson: “I put the dot because I said, you know what, when I make it, I’m gonna make people put that dot. They’re gonna have to pay attention because they didn’t pay attention to me for so long.” (40:45)

3. Breakthroughs & Big Leagues

• Working with Dr. Dre

  • Anderson’s major break came when Dr. Dre’s team took notice of his song “Suede,” pulling him into sessions for Dre’s Compton album.
    • Anderson (about playing “Suede” for Dre): “He played the music and, man, he cranks it...he was like, ‘Play that again. What’s your name again? A.P. We gonna call you A.P. Play it again.’” (49:29)
  • This led to a rapid rise—“six track .Paak”—and, crucially, Anderson retained ownership of his master recordings since Dre didn't immediately sign him.

• Learning the Business

  • Hard lessons about contracts, the importance of management, and refusing to sign away publishing are woven throughout Anderson’s ascent.
    • Anderson: “Don’t sign your publishing no matter what. The very first thing people want to do is sign their publishing because they need a big check up front. That’s your everything.” (54:44)

• Partnership with Bruno Mars

  • Touring with Bruno Mars prompted new lessons about business dynamics and artistic identity.
    • Anderson: “Our whole thing was like, yeah, we gotta make it so that, you know, he messed up having us open. We about to steal some fans.” (57:37)
  • Their creative partnership grew out of mutual respect for musicianship and showmanship.

• The Family Balancing Act

  • Forced downtime during the COVID-19 pandemic let Anderson reconnect deeply with his children, inspiring him to adapt, bond, and even co-create YouTube content with his son.
    • Anderson: “If I wasn’t gonna have a lot of time, it was very important about what you do with the time and being present. That was really what quarantine did for me.” (61:45)

4. K Pops, Parenting, and Resilience

• Film Debut: K Pops

  • Anderson’s move into directing and acting comes from a desire to tell new stories—especially ones merging Black and Asian cultural identities.
    • Anderson: “I wanted to tell different stories in different mediums, and it might take a while for me to learn a new medium, but that’s the joy of the whole process.” (64:17)
  • Script co-written with a young Black K-pop fan, the film K Pops draws from real family experiences and crosses generational and cultural lines.

• Parenthood and Building Resilience

  • Listener Amanda asks how to raise resilient children when their life circumstances are comparatively comfortable.
    • Anderson responds with candor and humor:
      • “Sometimes I take him through coach, I tell him, go ahead. Like, y’all gotta sit back there. So I’m sitting up front. Y’all figure it out...Take him down Skid Row, let him see, like, this could be you.” (74:37)
  • Michelle and Craig stress the need for parents to step back, let kids fail, and allow their own discomfort for their children’s growth.
    • Michelle: “Make sure that you aren’t parenting out of fear or out of your own motives.” (77:09)
    • Craig: “[Our mom] always used to say, I can’t let my own fears get in the way of your growth.” (77:09)
    • Michelle: “Parents are trying to curate the perfect childhood for them. And… you’re going to lose. You are going to lose.” (78:26)

5. New Projects and Giving Back

• Return to Live Music
  • Anderson plugs Andy’s, his new supper club in LA, designed to incubate new musicians and real bands—“bringing real music back.”
    • Anderson: “It’s becoming harder and harder to find places where you can perform real music. I started a club called Andy’s.” (82:19)
• Film Soundtrack and Legacy
  • Anderson is excited for the K Pops soundtrack, with K-pop, R&B, and collaborations—
    • “I have a soundtrack that’s gonna accompany the movie where I’m doing some cool K pop collabs and… Earth, Wind & Fire and different stuff. I’m so excited about the soundtrack.” (81:17)
• Personal Life Updates
  • Anderson shares updates about his now-globetrotter mother and his son’s blossoming musical and personal interests.

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Coping with Hardship:
  • Anderson: “There’s a part of [my light] that’s natural, but there’s a part of it, too, that’s like…I feel like a defense mechanism, a coping mechanism that I have from the things that I’ve seen, things that I’ve gone through, and my peace is important for me.” (24:42)
• On Ownership:
  • Anderson: “Don’t sign your publishing no matter what…that’s your everything. That’s your kids’ stuff.” (54:44)
• On Parenting and Resilience:
  • Michelle: “I’m not one of your little friends. That was what my mom used to say to me.” (79:31)
  • Anderson (on teaching his son perspective): “Sometimes I take him through coach…I tell him, go ahead. Y’all gotta sit back there. So I’m sitting up front… Take him down Skid Row, let him see, like, this could be you.” (74:37)
• On Finding Your Voice:
  • Anderson: “If you just sat down in a room, sit your ass down and just work on you... you could probably do something. Simplify your life.” (35:21)
• On Artistic Identity:
  • Anderson, on the “dot” in .Paak: “When I make it, I’m gonna make people put that dot. They’re gonna have to pay attention because they didn’t pay attention to me for so long.” (40:45)
• On Parenting Out of Fear:
  • Craig: “[Our mom] always used to say, I can’t let my own fears get in the way of your growth.” (77:09)

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Timestamps for Key Segments

• Family and Early Musical Lessons: 00:00–04:00
• Anderson's Childhood and Musical Roots: 06:00–11:00
• Moving Through Trauma and Identity: 11:21–19:00
• Losing and Rebuilding Family Security: 28:14–31:34
• The Rebirth from Breezy Lovejoy to Anderson .Paak: 35:21–41:41
• Getting the Big Break with Dr. Dre: 46:02–51:41
• Navigating the Music Business: 53:03–56:07
• Touring with and Learning from Bruno Mars: 57:06–60:33
• Parenting and K Pops the Movie: 61:42–69:29
• Listener Question on Resilience in Kids: 73:26–80:24
• Upcoming Projects and Giving Back: 81:17–82:56

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Episode Tone & Style

The episode is equal parts laugh-out-loud funny, candid, and deeply reflective. Michelle Obama and Craig Robinson blend their trademark warmth with hard-won wisdom. Anderson .Paak’s storytelling is rich with humility, irreverence, and hope, offering grounded, often comical, but always insightful commentary on resilience, family, and the creative process.

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For Listeners

Whether you’re a fan of Anderson .Paak, interested in music industry wisdom, or navigating resilience and parenting, this episode serves a treasure trove of stories, life lessons, and enjoyable banter—essential listening for both heart and mind.

Transcript

[A]

Somebody said, my teeth are like the Temptations. Everybody wanted to sing, Lee. So back then, it was. It was tough. I got them braces on, and then it was a long process. It just happened like this. I didn't come out like this. It was a whole process.

[B]

Your teeth were like that. You probably had the retainer, the night thing. They were like, we gonna work on it.

[A]

Yeah, we're gonna work on it.

[B]

Jaw fasteners and all that.

[A]

You didn't have all that. Why you gotta do me like that?

[B]

I'm sorry.

[A]

I didn't have the head here for

[B]

a couple years of headgear. Just hold on.

[A]

So you gotta get your job. Banging.

[B]

And you were a chubby little dude. Yeah, I was a hefty critter.

[A]

Yeah. Yeah.

[B]

You were eating your way through the pain. Okay.

[A]

I eat because I'm unhappy. Yeah, that was it. My mom, she worked so much. So she. She knows how to cook. She can burn. But she didn't have time sometimes, right. She'd just be like, here's 20 buc. Figure it out.

[B]

Hey, Craig in black.

[C]

I am in black today.

[B]

The man in black.

[C]

Michelle in blue.

[B]

You know, this episode today reminded me of. Wanted to ask if you remember when you used to take drum lessons.

[C]

Oh, yes.

[B]

How old were you when you started?

[C]

I was in elementary school, and I had to be, like, in fifth grade.

[B]

Well, I thought you were even younger than that.

[C]

Yeah. No, I don't think.

[A]

Okay.

[C]

If anything, it was fourth grade, but I didn't think it was fourth grade. I think it was fifth grade, but. And folks out there, drum lessons. Back in the day, I had drumsticks and I had a drum pad that was made out of solid rubber. It was a solid rubber pad. And it was on an angle.

[B]

Yeah.

[C]

And it had a little circle in the middle.

[B]

And then you eventually moved to, like, a pad that was a drum.

[C]

It was a pad. Like, the material that is actually a drum was on a pad about this big.

[B]

Yeah, yeah.

[C]

That was the extent of my drum lessons. I could not get past that drum pad.

[B]

And looking back on how music was taught when we were coming up, man, you know, it is the opposite of wanting to get kids interested in music because we come from a family of musicians on both sides.

[C]

Musicians, singers.

[B]

And we grew up with our Aunt Robbie, who lived downstairs and was a piano teacher. So the music was always strumming through our house. So I, from 4 years old, wanted to play the piano because I could hear the scales happening and I could imitate the scales even at four but you know how she would start us out with the piano keys on a cardboard.

[C]

Oh, it was terrible.

[B]

We're sitting next to the piano and I'm like, I want to go on the instrument. And she's like, nope. And we did that for weeks. And I was so mad because I was like, I. I didn't come down here to play on a. So, you know, I think the approach to teaching kids music these days is a little better.

[C]

Yeah, yeah. My son who has taken piano lessons, his teacher, first thing comes out of her mouth, what song would you like to play?

[B]

Yeah, yeah.

[C]

And he said Old Town Road. And she found him the sheet music for it. That's how you grab. Cause he's still taking lessons now and he's 16. And it's just such a better way of teaching. That's like taking a kid out to a basketball court. You wanna teach him basketball and no ball.

[B]

And no basketball.

[C]

No ball. Just like out here running around.

[B]

Think about it. Hold your hands in the right position. Our guest today is a musical genius who hopefully has a better story than we did.

[C]

Yeah. Yeah. And I can't wait to hear how

[B]

he got exposed to music. But thank God he wasn't. He didn't have Aunt Robbie.

[C]

I want to find out if he had a practice pad or if he got to start straight on the drums.

[B]

But why don't you introduce him?

[C]

I will, I will. And he's a youngin too. He's a youngster.

[B]

Oh, let's see how young. He's got a baby face.

[C]

And we're talking about Anderson Paak, who is a boundary pushing artist, producer, now director, and nine time Grammy award winner. He emerged from his roots as a teenage church drummer in Oxnard, California with a breakout album Venice and the universally praised album Malibu. He's expanding his creative reach through his newest film, K Pops, which you all have to go see. It is wonderful. In which he stars, co wrote and directed. So, Mr. Pack, will you come join us?

[B]

It's good to be with you. It's good to have you here, man.

[C]

Did they make that in a double X?

[A]

They might. Man. I'm about to get some question.

[B]

I mean, I want to zoom in on the shoes. Like, can we do that? I mean, you said that's a. That's a Japanese brand. Are those high. High tops or those. Those are they. Are they mules? What's the back? Lift up the heel? Those are fire. Fire. Well, welcome, welcome, ma', am, welcome.

[A]

Thank you for having me.

[B]

Yeah, yeah.

[C]

Are you kidding?

[B]

We are honored I mean, I love you too, to death. I mean, you are more than just talented. I mean, you. You got. You got, you quadruple threat or all the threats. You know, personality, talent. You can act your butt off. You can produce. You are gifted musician and seem like a really, really good man.

[A]

Wow. Thank you.

[B]

So.

[C]

And now actor and director.

[A]

That's right. As if I wasn't doing it in the Enough stuff.

[C]

Welcome to the club. Talk to her about that.

[A]

Thank you so much. Yeah.

[B]

Did you have a drum pad? Did that.

[A]

Did you have a better.

[C]

Did you start with a practice pad?

[A]

My drum pad was the couch. See, there's the bed, pots and pans. And then I was driving everyone crazy. And eventually they got a drum kit in the house. My step pops.

[C]

How old were you when you got a drum kit?

[A]

About 12. I was in like sixth grade.

[C]

You had real drums in sixth grade?

[A]

Yeah, but it almost didn't happen. I was supposed to play. I wanted to play saxophone, okay. Because I wanted to serenade the ladies. I wanted to be, you know, outside the window. And they was like, we got a saxophones. And I was like, well, I damn sure ain't playing the flute.

[C]

Wait, so you went to get a saxophone and they said they were out.

[A]

I was. It just started sixth grade in middle school. And I was going to. I was like, I'm going into band. Cause before that I was really into music, dancing, everything. But I was like, I wanna play instrument now. And it was the first day and I was so dead set on the sax and there was no more left. And they said, all we have is the drums. We have the bass drum or the snare drum. Which one do you wanna play? And I was. I didn't even think what was gonna be my plan B. So I was like, I guess I'll pick the drums. I picked the bass drum. And they had us in there playing on these big old things. And I'm like, I can't get no girls with this. And I was about to quit. Baby, baby, I love you.

[B]

I'm at the window. I'm down. I'm in the garden. Hold on, let me put this thing on.

[A]

Playing George the Jungle Getting the Cubs called on me up, it would have just been all bad. So I was about to quit. And I was walking home one day and my step pops had a drum kit in the house and he was playing on it. He was playing along to some Prince records.

[B]

Wow.

[A]

And I didn't even know he played. And he was like, yeah, I heard you're playing Drums now. So I got a drum kit. And I didn't think about the whole drum kit in a sense, because in band, it was just separate drums.

[C]

Right, right.

[A]

So he had the drum kit, and I was like, okay, this is cool. And when he finally got off of it, I hopped on, and it was the first thing I ever did where I just picked it up really quick. You did, like, instrument wise. And before that, I was trying to play basketball, everything. I was really terrible. And I got on that kick, and my mom came running out dancing. And she started dancing. I'd never really seen her dance before. So I was like, whoa, this is crazy. I'm making a beat that's causing people to dance. I want to keep doing this.

[C]

And so you're step pops, you called him? Yeah, he was a drummer.

[A]

Yeah.

[C]

So you learned just by hearing him play or you really learned when you were in band?

[A]

Yeah, he was showing me a few things. And then right when I started playing in the house, my mom gave me, like, all her records. She was like, okay, you need to learn Archibald and the drills. You need to learn Earth, point of fire. Learn these beats. And so I was just doing that every day at the house after school. And then my God sister came by and she said, oh, you're playing drums. You need to come to church with me. And she took me to church, and it was the black gospel church. And there wasn't very many black people in the city of Oxnard, where I'm from, but they were all there at the church.

[B]

They all went to that one church. This is where everybody is.

[A]

Yeah. Yes. And that's where I learned, really learned how to play. It was the best musicians in the world coming through and playing behind a choir, playing behind, you know, organists and choir directors. I'm a church kid, so I grew up playing drums all the way till I was, you know, about 30 years old, when I, you know, I couldn't really do it anymore. Cause I was traveling a lot. But since I was little, I was picking up on grooves. And I was really into dancing. Like, I wanted to be like I was. Grew up in front of tv. My mom was always working, and my sisters pretty much raised me in, you know, in front of the tv. So I grew up watching, like, bet, MTV and music videos and stuff. So I would want to learn every new dance that came about. And, you know, now when I listen to music, it's tough. Cause, like, I produce, I write and everything. So it's tough to kind of, like, turn that off and just like, just enjoy a song sometimes. But I really love when something has a nice groove, good drum tones, and I really love chords and also, like clever lyrics.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

So I think that could be, you know, anything. But yeah, when it comes to like dancing and stuff, I guess I'm.

[B]

It's funny when you. Our generation, when you say, I watch TV all the time and I used to. I was waiting for you to say Soul Train, but it was like, oh my God, that's you. Soul Train. Yeah, but it wasn't even on when you were little.

[A]

I mean, you know

[C]

of it. You know us, I've heard of it.

[B]

You know, people have said it. The Soul Train line is part of everyone's culture. It is, but we were there.

[A]

That's where.

[B]

But it's like, I gotta, you know, I'm getting old and I'm like, oh, yeah, they had mtv, you know. And you talk about Oxnard, there weren't a lot of black folks in your neighborhood. Tell us how you. Who lived in Oxnard. And you know, were you born there? Was your mother from there? Was your, you know.

[A]

Yeah, Oxnard is a beautiful place. It's small town. A lot of people think it's like the Valley or it's about an hour north of la going towards Santa Barbara. And it's a beach town. It's a lot of agriculture, so a lot of Latinos. And when I was coming up, it was mostly Latinos, like second generation Latinos and white people. And I was like the only black kid in my high school. And my mom ended up there because she. Well, my mom's story is crazy, but long story short, she was an adopted kid during the 50s, during the Korean War. She was a found kid. Her and my uncle were found abandoned and she was adopted, brought to an orphanage and adopted by black parents who were in the military. And so she was raised in Compton, California, all around LA, up until her 20s. And she met my dad, he was in the military as well. He's from Philly and he was stationed in Point Magoo, which is in Oxnard. And they met there and they met in the club. And eventually my dad battled with addiction and several different things, but they had me and my little sister in Oxnard and that's where we were raised until my pops went to prison. And then we moved to Ventura, which is just the next city over. But yeah, we were just like just a tight family. I grew up, I'm a middle boy of three sisters from my mom and my pops was Rolling Stone. He had a bunch of kids, too, but mostly women. So I was just. Yeah, the boy that was there to, like, provide entertainment and fun and sometimes therapists. You know, everybody's talking about each other and I'm in the middle. Like, I know I told you she was crazy, and I'm saying the same thing to the other sister. Yeah. But, yeah, we're all really close to my mom, and she just, you know, she was a workaholic. She also worked in agriculture growing up, so she was gone a lot doing her own thing. I never seen her work for anybody. She was entrepreneur and, you know, she was just, like, all about her family, keeping her family together and working hard, and we had a lot of fun. It was a lot of trauma, too.

[B]

But, yeah, yeah, you have had an amazing story of a lot of ups and a lot of downs and few curves. But did you feel like you had a community of friends in Oxnard being the only black kid in your school? What was that like for you, just making it as a kid?

[A]

Yeah, I dealt with all kinds of stuff. It was really dope, though, and a blessing that I grew up playing drums in church because I had different communities. So I had my church family, which was. That was where a lot of the black culture and everything surrounding that was where I, you know, thrived at. And then I had. When I go to school, it was like my white friends, my Mexican friends, then I had that, and. And then at home, everybody was doing their thing. My sisters were listening to all kinds of stuff from, you know, swv, the New Edition, Mariah. And my mom wouldn't go past, like, Tony, Tony, Tony or Freddie Jackson. You couldn't play nothing, you know, nothing. After that, it was always, you know, don't touch it. When the fire. It was like, you know, that was what was going on. And then I go to school, and they were listening to Nirvana and Radiohead and all the Foo Fighters, and I was getting all of these things, and I was growing up really quickly. I felt like, I can't wait to get out of this town. It's not enough diversity. I'm too big for this town. Especially when I started doing music, I wanted to escape to all these different places that I seen, like, on television or on movies or on records that were here. And looking back on it, I was just dead set. As soon as I graduate, I'm going to la. I'm gonna make it, I'm gonna get signed, I'm gonna be doing all these different things. And it didn't happen exactly like that. And I'm Actually glad it did cause build a lot of character. And I'm glad that I grew up in a small town now because I think it gave me a different kind of perspective. And I don't even know if I would have survived coming up in la. And when I look back at it now, it was different. But, yeah, battle was like, identity stuff, you know, thinking I wasn't black enough with the kids that I grew up with in church. And then I go to the suburbs and I'm the only black kid then I thought I had to be the black spokesman for the whole school.

[B]

Right.

[A]

I think my mom saw that too. And my mom deals with, you know, being an orphan and growing up.

[B]

So she's biracial.

[A]

She is.

[B]

Right.

[A]

She didn't know anything about her Korean culture, you know, and we grew up black in a black household, and I didn't know about anything about Koreans, anything. When I found out my mom was Korean, I just took it as something I could tell to people and make me exotic.

[C]

How old were you when you found out or when you realized she was Korean?

[A]

I was about, like. I think she was telling us this when I was about 10, 11. When we started sitting down, she started telling us her story. And she wouldn't always do it, but she would open up sometime, you know, and she was like, yeah, I'm adopted. You're your uncle. We were found. And this and that. We'd be like, what? That's crazy. And, okay, so we're Korean. Okay. I'm mixed. Nice. I'm about to tell everybody.

[B]

Yeah. So that's a story to tell. When did your mom tell you the story of your biological father? Because she. Did you remember him because he was in prison. Like, you were seven. And did you remember that story, the story of him, the story of what happened with them?

[A]

Yeah. Yeah, totally. You know, my pops went to prison when I was around 6 or 7, and I saw him, he was a twin and.

[B]

Which is a trip out.

[A]

Yeah. Yeah. There's a whole.

[B]

We gotta talk a little bit about

[A]

that crazy story with that. Yeah. But you couldn't tell him apart, so. You know, I remember we were with my babysitter at the house, and I seen. Heard someone screaming. I go outside and my pops is on top of my mom. There's blood in the street. And he's like, get back in the house. And my babysitter's screaming like, don't do it, don't do it. And he's like, I got a gun. And I. I didn't know it was in complete shock. I was really in denial. I was like, no, that must be my uncle. Like, this can't be, because my mom didn't tell me about any of this, you know, that I didn't see anything. I didn't see anything. I never saw them fight. Now that I think about it, he was gone from the house. But my mom was always saying, like, he's working, he's getting his health together. But I didn't know that he was actually going through rehab. And my mom was trying to get him help through aa, and he was estranged. She didn't know where he was. And she was so many. You know, he was on drugs and everything, but she felt like she was going just as crazy just trying to get him off. She would be chasing people down, trying to find them, doing all these things. And everything just came to a head that day. And, you know, we left, ran out the house, and my pops ended up getting arrested and sent to prison for years after that. But it was around that time that she told me, you know, your pops had a very different life, you know, than a lot of people. He came up in Philly. He got kicked out the house when he was a teen. This is in North Philly, and, you know, in the 70s. Um, and he was a kid out there trying to raise himself and got somehow got into the military early and just grew up, you know, you know, in a different way. And then was really. She's always told me he was really a beautiful person and a great dad. It was just when he got addicted to drugs, he just really turned him into someone different, and he couldn't just. He couldn't win that battle. And, yeah, she told me about that, how they met and everything, and. But it was. It was crazy. Cause even though she went through all that stuff with him, she never said anything bad. And it was always very positive.

[C]

It was very noticeable. In your whole story, she's still trying to. Hopefully hoping that he could turn it around and not ruining your vision of him until she absolutely couldn't help it.

[A]

Yep. Yes.

[C]

That says a lot about her, for sure.

[A]

Yeah. And after she got back on her feet, she was just like, all right, we got a new chapter now. We're going to move out of this house, and I'm going to get back to work. And son, let that be example, do not touch no drugs. Don't get into no drinking. Stay away from all of it.

[B]

Did that do it for you?

[A]

Uh, yeah, it was. It was always like a. A warning for sure. And I I knew that I. I had a. There was a thing in my family where we battled with addiction, you know, and so I was always weary and I didn't do very much anything. It was really scared straight, you know, all the way up into my 20s, 21, when I moved to LA, I hadn't done really much anything. And I was in church, so I was scared of everything. I didn't want to go to hell. So I was like, I'm just doing this.

[B]

Like, let me just play my drums.

[A]

Yeah, playing my drums, being cool. I was a late bloomer. And so, yeah, you know, that helped. But, you know, you get older, you go through life, you got to experience stuff for yourself. But, yeah, she's still like that. You know, my mom is the strongest person. And, you know, it was my mom that when they got together, she found out that he had other kids and everything. And she had two older kids of her own from another marriage. And my mom was going through it. Every husband, she went through something crazy. But she was big on him getting all the kids together. So I remember when we were young, she got us all together with our sisters and my brothers that I had from Philly and brought us all together at the house in Oxnard. And we met everyone. It's like a big family reunion. And then when he got put in prison later when I got in my 20s, it was my sister from his side that really was like, you, you should talk to him. He's not doing well. He just got out of prison, but his health isn't well. And he really wants to talk to you and he really wants to kind of make it right.

[B]

And were you who you are now or were you still making it?

[A]

No, I was still making. I was just barely. I mean, I was doing music, but it was. I was. Nothing was going on for me. And I had just gotten my first, like, shows and started going on tour. And I was, you know, thought I was too busy to talk to him. I didn't really want to have a relationship or I thought I didn't. I didn't need it. And it was still like that trauma when I seen him and knowing all that stuff. But I'm glad I did end up talking to him. Cause I didn't know that you could be going through stuff and not even know it. And when you talk to these, to people that you feel like your parents were always your parents and they weren't adults. And having to go through life just like how you have to go through life. And so I got to talk to him and he told me how proud he was of me and how he wanted to be a singer too. And I learned that he was on the Gong show and they were audition and he had a group and he was you want to he had big dreams too.

[C]

Okay, so fun fact. Kelly has always loved reselling stuff online, whether it's furniture, clothing, old sports memorabilia that only I like looking at. I'm not sure if she's ready right now to open up her own business, but the day she does, I know we'll be checking out Shopify because Shopify really is where you go when you want to turn something from just an idea into an actual business. It gives you all the tools to build something real. And these days you want your business to be everywhere People are already shopping, and Shopify helps with discovery through Google, YouTube, TikTok, shop the shop app, and more. And even just as a consumer, I so appreciate that Purple Shop Pay button their signature at checkout. It makes everything fast and easy, which is great for customers and great for anybody trying to actually close the sale thinking about starting a business. This is your sign. Get started [e-mail] everyone in my family loves dogs. I would even go so far as to say we're obsessed with our pets and as pet owners, want the absolute best for them. That's why Ollie stood out to us right away. Ollie's dog food recipes are developed by real chefs and backed by vet nutritionists. They've made the process so much more personalized than just grabbing a bag of food off a shelf. The meals are fresh and made with real ingredients, and everything is customized specifically for your dog. When you sign up, they've put in the same level of care that you would for your dog. And through the app you can upload a photo of your dog and get insights from real vets on things like their weight, digestion, teeth and coat health. Easy check inside, no vet appointment needed. Get ready for both you and your pup to be obsessed. Head to ollie.com IMO, tell them all about your dog and use code IMO to get 70% off your welcome kit when you subscribe today. Plus, they offer an obsession guarantee. If you're not completely obsessed, you'll get your money back. That's ollie.com imo and enter code imo to get 70% off your first Ali feed. The obsession. Given all the stuff that you've been through at a young age like that, how did you remain so positive, so bright? So you know. Cause when I we met briefly for the first Time before we came out here. And you have this light about you, that this great spirit. How were you able to keep or did you.

[A]

Yeah, I mean, there's times, you know, I have my moods and everything. I've been called moody, and there's a lot behind the smile. And I did an interview recently with a rapper named Nori, who. Who pointed this out. He said, usually people like that, that, you know, they have that smile and they've been through all this crazy stuff. They trying to protect their peace. And I think that's probably what it was. Me having this. How I am now is there's a part of it that's natural, but there's a part of it, too, that's like. I feel like defense mechanism, a coping mechanism that I have from the things that I've seen, things that I've gone through, and my piece is important for me. The things that I do were kind of like, escapism. I feel like for what was going on in my reality. When I think about me going. Watching the TV and learning how to dance and then learning how to play drums and moving on to everything that I'm doing now, it's always that kid that was running to his room and getting away from the craziness, I think, and creating my own world. And music was that. Music was that. And the smile is just, you know, thank God my mom got me some braces, because the smile wasn't always just nice. It was coming at you in 4D. And so she was like, we gotta get a grip on that. Somebody said, my teeth are like the Temptations. Everybody want to see me. So back then, it was. It was tough. I got them braces on, and then it was a long process. It didn't just happen like this. I didn't come out like this. It was a whole process.

[B]

Your teeth were like that. You probably had the retainer.

[A]

The night thing.

[B]

They were like, we gonna work on it.

[A]

Yeah, we're gonna work on it.

[B]

Jaw fasteners and all that.

[A]

You didn't have all that. Why you gotta do me like that?

[B]

I'm sorry.

[A]

I didn't have headgear

[B]

for a couple years of headgear. Just hold on.

[A]

So you gotta get a job.

[B]

And you were a chubby little dude, too.

[A]

I was a hefty critter.

[B]

Yeah, you were eating your way through the pain. Okay.

[A]

I eat because I'm unhappy. Yeah, that was it. My mom, she works so much, so she, you know, she. She knows how to cook. She can burn, but she didn't have time sometimes. So she'd just be like, here's 20 bucks, figure it out. And, you know, we go order some pizza and Taco Bell and man, that's how I was doing. I didn't have good eating habits for so long. I didn't know I didn't have good. It's just how I grew up. Cup of Noodles and Tom Ramen and everything. And yeah, I was big as a house. And then, yeah, when I. After my senior year, I was like, screw this. It's like, I'm still a virgin.

[B]

I'm gonna be fly.

[A]

I'm gonna be fly.

[B]

I put that snare drum down.

[A]

Exactly.

[B]

I'm gonna get me a girl. Yes. Your mom. It sounds incredible. I mean, because it's like, you know, she also was taking care of your stepbrothers and sisters like they were her own.

[A]

Absolutely.

[B]

Even through all that she went through with your father. Right. And never treated them differently. You know, it's like you all were all one family. And for her to be able to hold it together like that through all that she was dealing with. But she had some tough times, and I'm sure that had a lot to do. Well, let me not put words in your mouth, but talk about what your mom went through and how that affected it because you guys were on the upswing with her business. She was into strawberries. Can you talk about that?

[A]

Yeah. My mom had a strawberry company in Oxnard. And we went from. After my pops went to prison, we were in apartments. And every year the business got better. And by the time I was in a senior high school, we were in a big mansion. And we were used to always, like, changing, you know, different houses and everything, but we were doing good. And again, I didn't. My mom, she kept stuff from us. She, you know, she. She thought kids business was kids business and she was going to work and we didn't need to know everything. And I remember just like having everything. I had my own studio. My sisters, my two older sisters, they were married, but she was taking care of them as well. And everything was on the ups. And I got called into the principal's office one day, and my principal just slid the newspaper to me and was my mom on the front cover. She had been arrested and my step pops was in cuffs too, and they had both been arrested. And I was just like, what the hell's going on? He's like, you know what's going on? I was like, no. Then my brother in law called me. He's like, yo, they got mom They've been building a case on them for years. And they got her for like 75 counts, you know, securities fraud and all these different things. And I was just in shock. And the whole school was looking at me like that's how he got that house. Like, you know, again, only black kid in the school. And it was just like, damn, it was messed up and everything just turned upside down and, you know, so from my pops being in prison and my uncle, now my mom and my step pops was just like nonstop.

[B]

And where did you guys go after? Cause she had, she went to prison. She was sentenced.

[A]

Yeah. So she was actually in county for like a year and a half. We were trying to figure out how to get her a lawyer and see if we can fight it and all this stuff. And she was like, I don't want to fight it. We couldn't fight. She was like, we're not. If we can't get a great lawyer. I just going to do my time. I know what I did. I know they're trying to put me under the prison, so I'm just going to do a plea, do what I my time and I'll be out. You should get a job, Brandon, because your sisters are going to come in and watch your little sister. And as soon as you can work, you should figure out something. I know you want to do your music, but do that as well. But you should get out the house and be a man and go and lighten the load.

[B]

How old were you?

[A]

I was 17. Yeah. So I.

[B]

What did that feel like? I mean, what did that feel like to your 17 year old soul to have your world turned upside down and then be told you you gotta, you gotta figure it out.

[A]

Yeah. I mean, one hand it was crushing because my mom is. I just, it would just kill me to know like she was in prison. Like she was not a violent person, the sweetest person. No criminal record. So I was just always so worried, like what's going on in there with her and I hope she's okay. And. And then on the other hand, she was just so positive and optimistic and strong that it made me want to get my stuff together and just keep going. And she was very, just like, yeah, man, I'm going to be all right. You know, I'm worried about you guys more so like, you guys, you know, do what you guys have to do. Don't worry about me. And so. And at the same time, I thought I was going to be like signed by then. Like before that I was making mixtapes. I was DJing. I had my own, like, demo that I was selling at school. Couldn't nobody tell me I wasn't gonna be right outta high school, like signed to Jay Z, you know, and it

[B]

was like that big record scratch.

[A]

Yeah. So there was still a part of me like, okay, I'm still gonna try to do this, but my world's upside down and I had to move out and all this stuff. So right after I graduated high school somehow, and I was like, all right, I'm gonna go to la, I'm gonna make the move, gonna try to do my thing and I'm gonna take some meetings. I had a manager at the time that was taking me around and my two older sisters were taking care of my little sister. And I pretty much was off into the world after there and I did a bunch of stuff. I went to Atlanta and, you know, was trying to get a record deal. Got every door closed on me and got a rude awakening that, you know, yeah, this is cool, but can you do more? Something like this? And we don't. We don't get it. Like, you want to rap, you sing. What do you. Yeah.

[B]

What were you doing then?

[A]

I was doing a lot of everything. I had a little demo that I was taking around and I was rapping, I was singing, I made all the beats, I was playing drums. And back then it was a lot of emulating. And so I was back in Oxnard and my sister lived in Northridge, and I was like, okay, well, let me try to live with you. And that's kind of la. So she was like, you can sleep on the couch if you want, but if you live here, you're gonna have to help on these bills. And so I tried to do stuff and it wasn't happening. So then I had to get a job. One of my first jobs was working at Ralph's Grocery with my brother in law. And I was bagging groceries and pushing in carts and I was writing songs still. I was still writing.

[B]

What was your look then?

[A]

My look?

[B]

Yeah,

[A]

look, very regular degular. You know what it was? I was very anti. After I got chewed and spit out, I was very anti hip hop. Very anti.

[B]

I was like, I'm going this way,

[A]

I'm going complete hipster. I don't listen to that. I listen to Beck, I listen to Radiohead, Coldplay, I have specs, black frame, skinny jeans, button ups with the.

[B]

What'd you do with your hair? What were you doing with it? By then?

[A]

A little part like. No, man, you know, like the little lineup Nothing very, just, yeah, natural.

[C]

Oh, natural.

[A]

Yeah, oh, natural.

[B]

Did you have an accent? Did you play around with that? A little bit.

[A]

You did you listen to them old songs back then? I was like, boy, you are not from Wales. Like, where are you getting this from?

[B]

Who was your crew? Who were the people that you were? Or were you working too much?

[A]

Now I have friends. I had a crew shout out to Benji and Yulia's my crew from like high school. And I had a few people that, you know, that were still.

[B]

I was still Benji, still with it. Did you guys do some stuff together? Didn't one of your friends, the different

[A]

one, this before I actually met my crew that I hang with now because I eventually made my way to music school, but I had a few people that, that I knew from high school that were, you know, taking me and letting me live at their garage and different stuff when I was still kind of do. Always doing music, but I was working jobs because I couldn't make money doing.

[C]

So how did you get. How did you figure out, okay, this is gonna be the lane I'm gonna be in now, style wise or.

[A]

Wow. It took a lot, man. It took a lot of just making a lot of different music. I was playing for a lot of people. When I finally got to la, I did a lot of like, you know, putting bands together for other artists and I would see how they do stuff and everybody was like, you're a great drummer. So I played behind a lot of different people coming up and some of them were really talented, some of them weren' and I picked up a lot of different stuff from different people. And eventually I got to a point where I met this guy and he told me, he's like, you know, you're really talented, but you don't have any work ethic. And I think that because you're so multifaceted and talented, it's kind of working against you because look at all the things you're doing. And this is, you know, I was getting close to 30 at this point and I thought I was going to be young forever. And at this point, I have my little. My son, I'm a Korean wife. And I was still like trying to play drums with this person, make a song over here, do this stuff. And he was like, if you just sat down in a room, sit your ass, Sit your ass down and just work on you. Don't bite anybody, just work on you. You could probably do something. You get a whiteboard, start figuring out how you want to go about it, what kind of Artists you look up to, maybe you could do something different. Draw from there and simplify your life. And he brought up, you're a great husband, quote, where he said, you know, I only had a couple suits and I simplify my life. I don't want to worry about what I'm going to wear every day so I can make better decisions. And so that's what I had to do.

[B]

He did say that.

[A]

He sure did.

[B]

He still does that. We need to get him that jacket.

[A]

Right, right.

[B]

It's like you can unsimplify a little bit.

[A]

I see him. I know you're a fly guy.

[B]

Don't say that. Now his head is just going, Anderson Pax says I'm fly. I'm going to hear that for the rest of the.

[A]

Yeah, but it was those words, man. And I finally he said, and if you do it, if you. I was like, how am I gonna do it? I gotta pay rent. I don't know. I gotta figure out how I'm gonna do it. He's like, I'll pay your rent. How about that? If you just sit in this room. And who was this? This was a manager at the time. His name is Brian Lee.

[C]

Okay.

[A]

Yeah, he gonna run with it.

[C]

Shout out to Brian Lee.

[A]

Lee better take. You better take this little clip. You gonna have a documentary series out there next week. So you heard what Obama said. But I know Obama did not say that.

[B]

He did say, is that Brian Lee.

[A]

Brian Lee sat me in that room. He said, I'll pay your rent. I'll get the little computer. I was like, but I need all this. He's like, no, you're gonna get just this little computer, Mac, Mini, get your little mini board and you're gonna figure out how to record yourself. You're gonna sit here, you're gonna make a bunch of songs, figure out your sound and just do it. And it was in that room that I went from being Breezy Lovejoy to Anderson Paak.

[B]

See, that's what I wanted you to say. You were Breezy Lovejoy.

[A]

Where'd that come from?

[B]

What does that mean? Tell me, tell me.

[A]

Life, you know, Typ, I got you, I got a little.

[B]

He's not the one. It's like you two.

[C]

See, she's mad cuz she knows that DJ in college.

[A]

Oh, dj. Yeah. What's your DJ name?

[B]

Craig. Craig. Craig, Craig, just like breezy, loved.

[C]

Come on, Craig, man. We would have been killing back in the day.

[A]

Top flight security world.

[C]

Craig.

[A]

Shoot, that's incredible.

[C]

Yeah, the old head and the Young.

[A]

That's right.

[B]

There's still time.

[A]

There's something to it.

[B]

We can make it work. Telling you.

[A]

Yeah, but breezy love joy, I mean, okay, well, there's the. There's a story I used to tell people and then there's a real story about how I got breezy. But I used to tell people because I'm Aquarius, you know, I'm an air sign. I go with the wind where the wind blows. I'm breezy. I'm easy breezy. Yeah. You know, and the love joy is like something you need more of. But the real story is I was passing gas a lot as a kid. I was just a little chubby kid farting all around the room. And my brother in law was like, I'm gonna call you Breezy. You always barking like a gust of wind. When it hits you, that's what we gonna go with.

[B]

So that was that where you got your diet together?

[A]

That's right. Exactly. That's what I knew.

[B]

That's what fast food diet exactly mess you up.

[A]

That Taco Bell was an agreeing. It wasn't an agreeance. Yeah. So I had to switch it up. And yeah, Brian was like, what did

[B]

Breezy Lovejoy look like?

[A]

Breezy Lovejoy was chubby. I mean, no, you know, Reese Lovejoy went through that transformation too. So he had like Dreadhawk. He was. He was like, you know, after the transformation, I was working out a lot, so I was always in like a cutoff tee, real rock image.

[B]

And still rapping.

[A]

I was still rapping about what I was doing, all kinds of stuff. What was Breezy?

[B]

What was Breezy's life?

[A]

I was rapping about, you know, being in the streets of Venice and all right. You know, I was with the streets of Venice heart to me. I was going to that music college, so I had been exposed to a lot of different relationships. And I was like a crooner too. I was playing piano, so I was making songs about, you're my girl's best friend and I don't want to be alone no more with you. That was like one of the. Breezy Lovejoy. Breezy.

[B]

Breezy.

[A]

Oh, my God, talk about it. He was still happy. Go lucky. But he was really trying to find his sound. He didn't really have one sound or even one unique tone. And that's where Breezy was at. And I remember Brian was like, you gotta change that name. That's the last thing we gotta do now. You done did everything. Now we gotta change that name. And I was like, what you Talking about, I got 200 followers on MySpace. His name stays. I don't work for that. He's like, roy, this name stays and that on Jack. And he said, you really gonna meet Dr. Dre one day and tell me your name is Breezy Lovejoy?

[B]

And I was like, damn, you got a point.

[A]

You got a point. So he was like, you should go buy your real name. Just go by Brandon Anderson. I was like, brandon, Brandon? Are you kidding me?

[B]

Well, Brandon is.

[A]

Brandon is a little.

[B]

Okay, I love Brandon. Brandon's a mother's name.

[A]

My mom loves it. Brandon, Pac, Anderson. So that's my full name. And so we did a little, you know, jigsaw, and we went with Anderson, Anderson, Pac. And I was like, well, it's pronounced Pac. And he said, nah, say Pac. Cause they won't know if it's a group or a band. And people will argue if it's Pac or Pac. And it'll make you the talk of the town.

[C]

So that was intentional.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

So where'd the period come from?

[A]

The period came. I put the dot on there because. So at this point, I was damn near 30 years old, and I felt like I had been overlooked for so many years. I felt like I used to call myself the most underrated, yet elevated. Like, when we play in the band and we used to. Everybody would be making it, and we just. I felt like, you know, we got ignored a lot. And I put the dot because I said, you know what? When I make it, I'm gonna make people put that dot. They're gonna have to pay attention because they didn't pay attention to me for so long. And now they gotta remember to put that dot. So it's always period, period, period, right? It was like my. My green M&M's, you know, my thing. And I was like, y' all gonna do it? I took the chance. I didn't worked all this, you know, this time to get here. So it's the. It's dot for detail. And, you know, just remember, like, it's the small things, the little things that can get you.

[C]

Something I've learned about grilling is that there's always one thing you forget. You can plan the whole meal out perfectly, and then suddenly you realize you're out of charcoal. Or maybe you have enough burgers, but not enough burger buns because they sell them in non equivalent quantities for some reason. That's why I've really come to rely on Shipt. With Shipt, you can get the steaks, the seasoning, the sides, and even that emergency extra bag of charcoal delivered same day from stores nearby. And the shoppers with Shipt really pay attention. If I'm ordering meat for the grill, I want someone who's actually picking out good cuts, good produce, all of it. That level of detail matters. With an annual membership, you can place as many shipped orders as you want, and you'll pay $0 in delivery fees on orders over $35. You'll also unlock exclusive deals, and you can even request your favorite shoppers for future orders. Get up to 30% off barbecue essentials, travel needs and more during Shipt's Summer of Savings event, now through July 4th. And with Shipt kits, you can add all your grilling essentials to your cart with just one click. Get a $49 annual membership with the promo code [e-mail] offer that's S H ipt.com offer terms apply. Today's show is sponsored by Incogni Now. Whenever I get those scam calls or texts, it's always infuriating to not know how they got my number or email. I'm quite careful in giving those out, but having my info exposed to scammers still felt unavoidable. Our sponsor, Incogni, is a must for the digital age. They go out and contact data brokers on your behalf and request that your personal information gets removed from these databases. You could do it manually, but it would take you years. The setup was really easy. I made my account, authorized Incogni to work on my behalf, and now I can track everything from the dashboard. I also like their new custom removals feature on the Unlimited and Family Unlimited plans. If your information shows up on a specific people search site or random website, you can flag it and one of their privacy agents handles it for you. Go to incogni.com imo and use code imo for 60% off. Incogni helps wipe yourself from the Internet. Click the link below to claim your 60% off and get your personal data off the market. It's officially patio season and this year Kelly and I were committed to sprucing up our outdoor space without completely blowing our budget. The idea was to make our patio feel like an extension of the house, and Wayfair made the whole process so much easier. We got new seating, a rug, some lanterns, and suddenly we're out there all the time. Morning coffee, a few work from patio sessions. It completely changed how we use the space. I recommend starting with the four piece acacia wood Patio Conversation Set, which comes with its own cushions. Wayfair offers installation and assembly services. But I was able to put these together myself in no time at all. Wayfair really is a one stop shop for Home Plus. With over 20 million 5 star reviews and Wayfair verified products that are vetted by their specialists, you'll feel confident about what you're buying before it even arrives. Patio season is here and these deals won't last. Head to Wayfair.com right now to get your outdoor space ready for way less. That's W A Y F A I R.com Wayfair Every style, Every home.

[B]

What was the first break? The first reel where you were like, mm, I'm in.

[A]

Yeah. Yeah. When I got the call to work with Dr. Dre, that was a big break.

[B]

And how did he hear about you?

[C]

What precipitated that?

[A]

So I had a couple songs that were circulating at the time that was big in the streets. This was before, like, Spotify was a really big thing. It was really just about SoundCloud and, you know, Reverb Nation or stuff like that.

[B]

Where can you hum a few bars? What did it sound like? What was the song?

[A]

Can I say this song?

[B]

Oh, yeah.

[C]

Oh yeah.

[A]

We're back.

[B]

It's his song.

[A]

It was a song called Suede. And the song simply goes, if I call you a bitch it's cause you're my bitch and as long as no one else call you a bitch Then there won't be no problems. Now if I call you a trick it's cause you paid rent and as long as you don't call at the six Then there won't be no problems Now Rock with me now.

[C]

Yeah, there you go.

[B]

Oh, you meant. Could you say that?

[A]

Yes.

[C]

Oh, yes.

[B]

No, you absolutely can.

[C]

So Dre heard that.

[A]

That did it all for me.

[B]

That did it.

[A]

Yeah. Well, it was. Yeah, I recorded that song and it was moving around. People knew about it. And, you know, and so when. When they said Dre wanted to hit me up, I was a little shook because that's like the final boss. I grew up in the west coast and nothing's bigger than Dre.

[C]

Yeah.

[A]

And so there was a little bit of Shook and also a little bit of, like, self sabotage. I was like, I ain't going to that session. I don't need that. Like, they gonna try to make me something I'm not. And who knows? He ain't putting out no album no time soon. I'm working on my stuff and this and that.

[C]

And really, you were afraid that you might fail looking back on it? Yeah.

[A]

You know Dre's known for. He don't care who you are. What hype. If you don't like it, he don't like it. And so they begged my new manager at the time. He was like, please go, man. You know Adrian Miller. Shout out to Adrian Miller. Gotta say Brian Lee. Shout out to Adrian Miller. He was like, come on, man. Show. Let's just do it. And I show up, and first person I meet was Dr. Dream, and him and the DLC, and they was like, hey, man, I heard a lot about you. You know, that's what's up. Cool. And then they go off. They was watching the playoffs, and they ushered me into the studio, and I met these two writers, King Mez and jt, and they were like, we love your song, Suede. Like, we love it. We've been playing it nonstop, and we want you to help on this Dr. Dre album. It's top secret. No one knows about it. Don't tell anyone. Bet. Cool. So they played me some music. I'm like, great, let's start working. And they say, hold up. Before we play this, we want to play your song, Suede for Dre. And I was like, oh, no, he hasn't heard it yet. Like, come on, let's get some. Let's just go. And I'm in here. What if he doesn't like it? You know? Like, damn.

[B]

It's like, just leave it.

[A]

Yeah, it's all good.

[C]

That would be deflating. That would be deflating.

[A]

Yeah.

[C]

Actually, you thought that's why you were here, because of Slade, right?

[A]

Literally. I know. Dre didn't have a clue. He thought I was the runner. Dudes, here. Go ahead, man. Yeah. And they were like, we want to play it for Dre. So I was nervous, and he came in there, and they threw on the record, and I was like. I didn't know where to look. I was just looking at the floor. I was looking at his feet. That's where I realized, like, oh, Dre wears the same shoes every day. White Air Force ones. All right?

[B]

So it's like, check.

[A]

Yeah, check.

[B]

Notice.

[A]

Simplify your life. Okay, Got it. And so he playing the music, and, man, he cranks it. You know, he playing. Cranks it up. They blasting it. And I look up, and he's like, hey, play that again. What's Your name again? A.P.

[B]

okay.

[A]

And what should I call you? A.P. we gonna call you A.P. play it again.

[B]

You didn't focus on the period.

[A]

Yeah. Excuse me.

[C]

It's an a period.

[A]

That's Mr. Pacquiao. No, none of that. Whatever you like. Honestly, you like what I love? Yeah.

[C]

You just glad they didn't kick you out.

[A]

Yeah, exactly.

[C]

I was like.

[A]

He was like, play it again. That's gangster. Yeah, yeah, yeah, let's work. It's too much talent in the building. And he just threw on the mic, put on the mic, started doing stuff, and boom. Like, I was back every day. Every day. He hit me up to work on stuff. And they told me it was top secret. Don't tell anybody about this. I told everybody. I told my cousin, man. I was telling everybody, man. I'm like, I'm on. I'm with Dre. Don't talk to me. Don't like your tone, bro. I'm working with Dre now. I ain't got time for all that foolishness.

[C]

Oh, no.

[A]

Yeah. So I was like. I was hyped. That's when I was like, oh, man, this is good. Because before that, man, it was tough. I was making low headway, but, man, I was still struggling. I wasn't making any money really, as an artist, and I was full time artist, and so it was tough. And I had a family. When that moment came, I was like, wow. And then he put out an album. I woke up and he had dropped a surprise album called Compton. And I was all over the album. I was like, on six tracks, they always call me six track pack. And then he had a movie straight out of Compton, and he did the beats deal and. And Dre was popping, and so I was like, wow. And I was like, well, shoot. Guess I should put out something now. And it was cool because he was so busy doing his thing that he didn't sign me right away. So I was working on an album called Malibu, and I had it, like, halfway done, but now, like, people were looking, so I was like, hitting up producers that are, you know, this album was like my dream album that I had been holding onto these songs for a while, and I didn't want to. I was like, when this comes out, I want people to be able to hear it. And now, like, I had a lot of, like, leverage, and people were. Had a lot of eyes on me. So I was hitting up people like Knife Wonder and Matlib and High Tech, and these people were helping me complete the album now. And I was getting these features, and Dre was still doing his thing, so I got to put it out independently. And, you know, now I own the master's album.

[B]

That was probably the best thing that happened. It was like, how fortuitous that he Was too busy.

[A]

Yeah. And I was trying to. You know, we're trying to break our necks, trying to. Everyone was knocking down my door now, trying to sign me. Me before, I couldn't buy a deal. And everyone's like, yeah, we want to sign you now. And I was like, if I do sign anything, I'm going to sign a Dre whenever it comes back around. And I was on tour after that for years.

[B]

I didn't see, how did you finance your tour?

[A]

So it was a lot of things that happened. We started very. After Malibu came out, it started circulating, and I got a Grammy nom for Best new artists and different things like that. And people were seeing that, oh, he's not like, just a rapper. Like, he could play that. He has a band. So we started getting festival offers to play at festivals and stuff. And so the rate started getting better. And then we got on a show called npr, Tiny Desk.

[B]

Oh, I love you on Tiny Desk. That was.

[A]

And that really opened it up. People started seeing, wow. And I didn't know that, like, playing drums and being the frontman was gonna be a big thing. And it was really that. That kind of, like, opened it everyone's eyes. And, man, then we started getting booked for all kinds of gigs, and then our shows were starting to get lying around the corner.

[B]

So how did you know how to line up your team so that financially you would. Because they're the story of a lot of artists.

[A]

Well, I went before that. I was gonna be with anybody who could help pay my rent. I would sign anything. And I got out of the manager who made me change my name. He was like, hey, I don't know what to do now. You're off. But if you ever do make it, you owe me this much. So I learned a little bit. Like, oh, nothing of this stuff is free. Like, these are all partnerships. So he was like, rent. Exactly.

[B]

It's like, I pay your rent, you know, you're not paying my rent.

[A]

Exactly.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

This is an investment. I want an ROI eventually. I don't know what to do with you now, but you gonna figure out. And so he gave me a big old receipt of how much I owed. And then I had a bunch of music, but I just was in debt and no connections. And so I met another manager, and he said, hello, young fella. Look, just look at me. I remember the first thing he said. He was like, just look at me as your personal atm. And I said, bet. I got this debt. I got my rent. I got a wife, I got a kid. I want to do all this stuff. And he said, great, we're going to get you a deal. I'll help you with all that stuff. Just we're going to sign a management agreement, though. And I signed him new manager, and he put together a financial team and lawyer, everything. Some of the people I still have to this day. He wasn't perfect, but he was a bridge over Trevor Water. He was a guy that gave him an opportunity. I didn't have an opportunity. And he was one of the people that got me in front of Dre. And he didn't have all the knowledge of it, but he did teach me certain simple stuff, like, don't sign your publishing no matter what. The very first thing people want to do is sign their publishing because they don't have a lot of. Of finances, and they need a big check up front. So they sign these publishing deals, and that's. That's your everything.

[B]

That's your kids.

[A]

Kids stuff.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

And there you get locked in for years. So I didn't know what he was talking about. And people, up until then, man, people were trying to get my punishment. 5,000 here and there. I'm like, let's sign it. Like, let's do it. I'm broke.

[B]

Like, that's $5,000.

[A]

We ain't walking away from that. That's generational wealth. He was like, boy, don't sign that. I'll give you 500 to get to the next grocery money. Yeah, here. I'm like, oh, calm now. I was just hungry. But, yeah, he would do stuff like that. And like, you know, to this day, you know, I haven't. I'm holding on to that. And so, yeah, he was. He was the person that got my initial team together. And then I started making money and didn't know where it was going. Never was the type to have a bank account before that. I was in collections like, I never had.

[B]

It's like, that's all you knew about the banks.

[A]

That's all. I get a card. I max it out, and I'll be like, all right, on to the next. And I had debt, I had school

[B]

debt, all kinds of stuff.

[A]

My credit was abysmal. And, yeah, it was like, I did. When I started making money, it was just like, I just, you know, here I had a team that he put in place, but I never was checking to see where it was going. And all this stuff, they were just, you know, putting it in places. And thank God, you know, they were. That my first initial team did do really cool stuff. That to this Day I'm really happy about, you know, the.

[B]

I mean, you were lucky.

[A]

Very lucky, Very lucky.

[C]

Nobody's story lines up like that.

[A]

It's like the story I'm waiting for.

[B]

It's like, I don't know nothing. And I gave everything to them.

[A]

Well, that's true.

[B]

And I still have it.

[A]

That's like.

[B]

I lost a lot, okay?

[A]

I had to go through the growing pains. I had to fire everybody, a whole bunch of stuff. But, you know, people, artists, I see a lot of these things where it's like. Like, they took me for this and that and all this stuff, but you only do what you allow people to do. And there's no reason why I couldn't. Picked up one of these contracts and looked it through and figured it out and maybe waited and stuff. It's not. And I didn't. It's not that I didn't know better. It's just like, I was just trusting and doing what I can. And these people were helping me at the time, and I didn't have anything. And so I needed the help. And they saw something in me when no one saw it. And I think, you know, you gotta take the good with the bad sometimes, right?

[B]

Man, Dude.

[A]

Then I met Bruno.

[B]

Ah, yes.

[A]

And I learned a lot about debt.

[B]

Talk about that. How'd you meet Bruno? How did you guys come together?

[A]

We met. I opened up for him at the 24 karat magic. It was one of my first big, like. Like, opening tour offers when. When Malibu had came out, and he took me all over Europe.

[B]

Big arena shows and your first big arena shows.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

Yeah. What was that? What was that like?

[A]

It was incredible.

[B]

Breezy Lovejoy was like, look at where we are now.

[A]

We done made it. Yeah, it was. It was crazy. I remember, you know, like, after one of the shows. Cause our whole thing was like, yeah, we gotta make it so that, you know, he messed up having us open. We about to steal some fans.

[B]

We gonna be killing it.

[A]

That was our whole mentality. And Bruno has that mentality, too. Like, we come from, like, you don't wanna come on the stage after we go, you know, like, that's where we wanna kill the stage and give people the best show possible. We don't care who's coming after. And that's how we went. And I remember one day we played and, like, we had a standing ovation. I was like, ah. And I was like, yeah, we killed that. The next day they said, bruno wants to talk to you. And I said, oh, it's like. And I See a letter. He's like, meet me at for dinner tonight. I want to talk. And I'm like, oh, damn. I'm talking to my band. I'm like, I hope we didn't kill it too hard.

[B]

This might be it.

[A]

Yeah, yeah. So we go and we go to this. This restaurant that's like, at the top floor. He. And they're smoking a cigarette inside the restaurant. That's how I knew. I was like, oh, this is different type levels of famous. I was like, are you not.

[B]

It's.

[A]

I don't think you're supposed to smoke in here.

[B]

It's not right. Non smoking. Excuse me. Do you see the sign? No, you put that down.

[A]

Yeah, yeah. So he's like, I like you. You did great. You know, that was real cute. Listen, I want you to come on the rest of the tour with me. You know, I'm gonna do. We got San Antonio, we got New York. I want to come on the American leg. And you know my crazy self. I'm like, well, okay, but I need a little more money, you know. Cause I got the band and this and that. He's like, you know, the two are sold out. And I said, okay, okay. So that means I don't need you to do this. So you'll take it or leave it, buddy. I'm doing it because I like it. It's not. Cause I need you. All right? And so I said, damn.

[B]

Oh, you got a point.

[A]

Yeah, got a point there. I'm learning business quick. Yeah. All right, I'll be back. I'll figure it out. And that was a big decision because, you know, at that point I had Malibu, and then Dre was like, hey, man, when you gonna come back, make your next album? And I was like, oh, wow, that's right. Make another album. It's been years, you know, And I had been on the road non stop, and if I would have kept going with him, I would. I mean, he's just coming off that 24 karat and he just put out everything. So it's like, it's easy to, you know, get caught up in that where you can be on the road for a long time and you forget or doing different things because it's like, it's fun or. Cause it's like, lucrative and stuff. And then you forget, like, okay, well, I gotta. I still got stuff over here also. I had a family. I also had different things going on, so I had to make a decision. It was a tough one to be like, okay, this. I'm gonna leave the Tour, gonna go work on my album, work on my stuff, go back, be with the family, and, you know, tap in on my own artistry. As fun as it is to open up, I didn't want to get stuck in being an opener, being like some sidekick or something.

[C]

So what was Bruno's reaction to that?

[A]

Good luck.

[B]

He's like, tours still sold out.

[A]

Yeah, ain't nobody come to see you in the first place. And so, baby, we kept in touch and we made some music, and it was just like, right away we hit it off. I hadn't met anybody that was that talented and was my age and that could make hits and was a megastar, you know, Like, I worked with a lot of people that were older or maybe younger, and I was always like, felt like the Lone Ranger. That was still, like, the guy that really wanted to play and perform and listen to old school stuff, and he was that and even more. And so I went off, did my stuff, and eventually quarantine hit, so everything came to a. A hole and everyone was stuck. No more tours. And the blessing of it was I had to be home with the kids. And so my kids now are, you know, eight years old and had a little baby.

[B]

I was like, and you've been on the road since they were born?

[A]

Since 2016? Yeah. Even before that. That was my life. You know, bread and butter was. Put something out, go on the road for months, and you come home and life still goes on without you. And, you know, and daddy's home and the kids run up to you and, yeah, then they come out, like, long time no see. Nobody's saving, you know, chicken and don't get the big piece of chicken no more. And everyone's like, on the iPad, like, you know, so it became apparent, like, if I wasn't gonna have a lot of time, it was very important about what you do with the time and being present. And I know Daddy's working and all these things cost and you gotta do all that stuff, but while I'm here, I wanna be present. And that was really what quarantine did for me. I got to be present, create a bond with my son, figure out what he was into. He's like, I like YouTube. I'm gonna be a YouTuber. I'm like, okay, what's that? I like K Pop. I'm like, k Pop. What you know about Tupac, boy? Bts, what you know about bet? How long have I been away for? What the hell is happening? What's going on? I gotta rectify some things. Yeah. So Then I had to tap in. And I see he like to do YouTube, so I'm like, oh, let's make some skits. Like, I remember brought me back when I was a kid making, like, funny skits with my sisters. And I used to love, like, editing and filming and making home videos, and it brought me back to doing that, and so I became one. I wanted to be a YouTuber more than him by the end of it, really. Come on, son, let's do this. And I realized how funny he was. And he had been in dance classes forever, so he was like a little dance machine. And I'm like, wow, this is 2.0. Like, faster, more handsome.

[B]

Does he have bilingual kind of energy as you do?

[A]

Even cooler energy.

[B]

What's that like in the house with you two?

[A]

Well, you know, he's a sad. And I'm Aquarius, so I don't know. Y' all can do the research on that. Julia knows it.

[B]

We already know he's talking about this,

[A]

but it was a lot of just us staring at each other like, all

[B]

right,

[A]

go ahead with your bad self. All right, I see you over there. You know, I used to do a little. And so he's really much like, I see you doing that. I'm gonna have my own thing.

[B]

And so kind of like you.

[A]

Yeah, yeah, very much so. And his mom and, you know, and he's got the Korean side, too. His mom is full Korean, and he's got a different.

[B]

Is she musical?

[A]

She's musical, sings, plays keys and everything.

[B]

All right, so the K Pops is fully your story? Yeah, not fully fully, but I was

[A]

pulling from the whale. Yeah, yeah, yeah. That was. I was like, son, I'm gonna write a script. Like, this is. This could be something. What if I didn't know how to

[B]

thought of that in Covid.

[A]

Yeah, I was. I was.

[B]

But we're talking about K Pops, the.

[C]

The movie.

[A]

Feature film. And I knew I wanted to, because at that point, I saw that, okay, touring, stop. I love music. It's always gonna be there. But that's when I realized, like, oh, man, you know, different. I could tell different stories in different mediums, and it might take a while for me to learn a new medium, but that's the joy of the whole process, you know? I love it.

[C]

So this was your first script?

[A]

Yeah. Yep.

[C]

So you taught yourself how to do it?

[A]

Yeah, so I had a co writer. I had to come up with the idea first. And, you know, what if I didn't know I had a son, and that son could be the next K pop star. And I come into his life, and I'm teaching him about his black culture, and he's teaching me about the Korean side. Cause I didn't know anything about my Korean side until I met his mom, and then I was reintroduced. So I had all these unique experiences that I could pull from and put them in this movie that I didn't think anybody had really done before. Like, especially Asians and black people. Like, that was real. Like, we got Rush Hour, you know, and that's about it. So I was like, this could be cool. And then I didn't want it to be. I know I had a lot of different things that I could pull from, and trauma and different things. Racism, things that we all been through. But I wanted to kind of pull from the things that helped me cope with all those things, like the love, the music, the fun, the comedy. And I felt like there wasn't a lot of movies that were bringing families together where you saw families on the screen. It was family comedy. No one dies. You know, it's like, different things.

[B]

My kind of movie, right?

[C]

And very uplifting.

[B]

I mean.

[A]

Yeah. And my mom, too. She's like, brandon, you know what? This is like a Hallmark movie. I was like, mom.

[B]

Oh, don't say that.

[A]

You mean Sundance. No, this is Hallmark. This is ready for Hallmark. I was like, all right. But I understood what she was saying. It's like, you know, sometimes you want escapism of knowing that everything's gonna be all right, and. And, you know, that doesn't mean you can't put different things in there. But it's beautiful when you can. It's really hard to do those kind of movies. So, yeah, that was the genesis of it. And I started doing the process, and I met with my buddy Dumbfounded. Cause once I knew I wanted to direct everything, people didn't want me to do it, and I wanted to be in it, and I wanted my son

[B]

to be in it.

[A]

And they were like, okay, that's a lot. It's very ambitious. Like, why don't we give it to somebody? Give it to this. I'm like, I don't want nobody around my son.

[B]

Don't you know who I am?

[A]

Come on, now. Formerly Breezy Lovejoy.

[B]

Really ring a bell? I do. Hard.

[A]

Exactly. Yeah. So I eventually got my boy Dumbfounded, who was one of my best friends that I met coming up in la, who started music but was making the venture into movies, was working with this company, Stampede and est, and he said, bring it to them. They're taking chances on, you know, different stories. And I pitched them the idea, and they said, yeah, cool. We'll give you some money to do it. And I was shocked. I was like, whoa. All right, cool. So then they were like, you want to. You want to direct it, right? I was like, yeah, and you want to write it? And I didn't know how to write a script. It had none. So I was like, maybe I need a. I would love to have a co writer, actually, because I need just to show me structure or whatever. And they blessed me with this really young co writer, Kayla Amazon, this young black writer who was a military brat and who also happened to be a K pop fanatic.

[B]

Oh, wow.

[A]

So she was like, right when got in there, and we was just in here just like this, in the room like this. And I'm like. So she's like, all right, this is K pop one on one. This is movie structure one on one. She graduated from, you know, film school and everything, and I think it worked out because it was those two worlds. And she taught me structure, and she taught me the idea that I had gained all these layers because it wasn't as deep as him being on a show and all these different things. And I learned more about the structure of K pop and how they have this. This incubation system and this whole thing about this person is this person and that and all this thing. And again, it was making me think of groups that I came up with. And so I was like, this is gonna be cool. Opportunity to show how things relate and how much in common things have and how. Yes, people take and pull from different things and have their own interpretation, but that's been going on for years.

[B]

My favorite scene in the movie is when you're out with. I shouldn't say. When pops is out with his son and they go by the record store and he starts pulling out the albums. It's expl. This is what, you know, trying to teach his son some soul and understand what it means. That was beautifully done. Thank you. You know?

[A]

Thank you.

[B]

And was that the first time you acted?

[A]

Yeah. I mean, I'd done different things, but this is the first.

[B]

I mean, you were really good in. Was funny, and, you know, lit up the screen really, truly. You know, I mean, I was laughing out loud watching the movie. Really sweet. And your son. I mean, so now your son is. You said is, man.

[A]

Yeah. I mean, it took forever. He was, like, 8 years old. He was obsessed with K pop. And then by the time we got to shoot, I got all the money and stuff. He was like, 11 years old, and he was like, man, I don't like K Pop no more. I like Slipknot. I'm like, contractually, son, here's that thing. I need this to work. We're doing this. I owe a lot of money. So he was like, all right, I guess, you know, he's going into his teens, and I had to adjust things for him, but he was like, I'm gonna do you a solid, dad. You seem really into it. And I'm like, thank you, son. Let's do this.

[B]

Thank you. This is about your tuition and your life.

[A]

This is gonna mean more than you know later. And so, yeah, and it was cool. Cause, like, the whole thing was like, I really loved being on set with him and being able to kick it with your son and, like, see him grow. And we're working together and we're creating a BO but we also have be on set really early. And I'm seeing him learn about how to be. Learn the language of being on set, you know, be on his mark. And he's taking his acting classes serious and learning his lines and getting me on my game. And it was just so much fun. And, you know, at the end of it, I was like. It was really surprising because, like, I didn't know how he was gonna take it. And I could see him having a lot of fun. Mind you, before this, he was in homeschool all his life. And now he's, like, around a other kids and adults, and I've seen them blossom socially and everything. And I'm like, okay, we might have a little acting bug K Pops, too. And I'm like, what'd you think, son? Would you do it again? How'd you feel? He's like, it was great. I think we had a lot of core memories. I think you had a lot of fun, Jack, But I would just like to be a kid. It's not my passion. And, yeah, that's pretty mature. We'll leave it there.

[C]

Pop culture. That's pretty mature.

[A]

Dang. He's like, but it does depend on the script. And that was cool. I was fine with that. And now he's going to school. Now he's like, it's funny when you, like, back off them. They get to do their thing their own way. Now he's playing guitar, he's playing bass, making beats, and I'm right back in his face, like, all right, yeah, come on, now. Produce the next album.

[B]

It's gotta be their idea. It does, you know.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

How's your mom doing?

[A]

My mom is doing great. She is. Narrowed it down to one boyfriend now.

[B]

Okay.

[A]

She got. She's vegan. Pissing off every restaurant we go to. She is a Dodger fanatic.

[B]

Oh, my God.

[A]

She got me into the Dodgers, so now we be all obsessed with The Dodgers.

[C]

Congratulations.

[A]

F1. Exactly. Shout out to Dodgers. She's F1 fanatic.

[B]

He's an F1 fanatic too.

[A]

Fanatic.

[B]

Oh, my God, all of it.

[A]

So I'm broke, having to get all these passes and tickets. She gotta be front row at everything.

[C]

Did she go to the Vegas.

[A]

She went to. Yep. The Vegas race. She went to the last fight. She gotta feel the sweat coming off of them. I'm like, dang. Yeah. So she's loving life and, you know, she's out in Atlanta and, you know, sometimes she'll tap in, be a grandma, he'll watch the kids and then she be dipping out. She's jet setting now. I'm like, mom. Cause mom, for some reason, she's like, I don't want to go anywhere, Brandon. I just. I don't trust it. The things that people eat. I don't. I'm like, mom, why is that stopping you from going anywhere? Really? Don't go trouble. No, they doing some foolishness over there there with how they do the chicken. You seen that, people? You seen that? I would trust it. I'm scared of that. But now she's traveling. She gonna. She was in Puerto Rico.

[B]

She's packing her own food. No.

[A]

Yeah, yeah, she will. That's one way to piss her clean off. To hell with the whole country. Yeah. So she bringing her food and she's gonna travel London now. Finally gonna get her to go over across the pond. And yeah, she. Dude, she's great. That's my. That's my dog. That's my best friend. And.

[B]

And, well, she did a great job in raising you, dude. She really has and been through a lot, stayed strong, you know, And I like to think that that's also, you know, where you get your steadiness and your. Your drive. And like you said, your mom, you know, has taught you a lot of it. And you can see it, it's spilling out on this table.

[A]

Thank you. Shout out to Mom.

[B]

Yeah, shout out to my. Forget Brian Lee.

[A]

Yeah, Mama, you did it. You did that. Did you need one, Mama?

[B]

Shout out from the Obamas and the Robinson. That one.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

Yeah, we see you.

[A]

We see you, mama. Brenda, we see you.

[B]

Yeah, you wanna do the listener question?

[C]

Yeah, let's hear From Amanda in Boston.

[D]

Hi, my name is Amanda and I'm from Massachusetts. My husband and I have started to discuss growing our family. As a teacher and future parent, I often grapple with the idea of building resilience in young people. I had a fairly unstable childhood. My father battled alcoholism and actively worked on his recovery, while my mother worked long hours trying to make ends meet. Because of this environment, I was forced to develop resilience and grit. I had to learn to guide myself and power through uncomfortable feelings. Without the guidance of my parents, I find myself being able to handle adversity in adulthood. Because of this learned resilience, I truly believe that I have my childhood and struggles to thank for this. As I think about raising independent and resilient future adults, I worry that I won't be able to provide my children with opportunities to naturally build this resilience. How do we balance this idea of giving children a predictable and loving home while also allowing them to naturally build resilience? I want to give my future children everything I did not have, but this can become a slippery slope. Thank you so much for your time.

[C]

Okay. Amanda asks. It's getting the answer from Mr. Resilience himself.

[A]

Load it.

[B]

Really?

[A]

Yeah, you got. Can't be afraid to let them go through their own struggles, you know, sometimes, like, you know, especially my kid, he remember. My oldest one, he remembers, like, the little apartment, you know, and me going for, us taking the bus. And then when we first got our place and first got a car, and he still remembers. I'm a little one. Man, he just born in first class. You know, he's like, he's born, you know, after we had the stuff. So, you know, sometimes I take him through coach, I tell him, go ahead. Like, y' all gotta sit back there. So I'm sitting up front. Y' all figure it out, you know, work your way up. Like how? You know, take him down skid row, let him see, like, this could be you. Now get out the car. Go walk. No. You want to be tough, right? Go ahead. That's what it's gonna get you. Get your ass in the car. Let's get out of here.

[C]

That's some old school lessons.

[A]

You got to do it now. I wanted to protect him so much. I want to give him the life I didn't have. All this stuff, and I realized, like, all this stuff that I went through made me me. And it wasn't like, it wasn't. I don't know how it would have been if, you know, the tables were turned and I Got to live in that lap of luxury and my mom and everything worked out, I might have been still a chubby little spoiled brat, you know, and not know how to treat people and all this stuff.

[C]

That's right.

[A]

And so, you know, the kids have to go through their own trauma, their own set of different things in order. And you have to trust that the things that you installed in them is gonna stay with them when they go out into the world. So now my son is going to school. Now he's made his debut, and he was homeschooled forever. I didn't want to put him in school. I didn't trust nobody. And I was like, nah, we gonna keep him here. And, you know, he was like, please, Dad, I wanna go to school.

[B]

It's like, I want to get out

[A]

sick of my cousins. You don't like, who's gonna watch your little brother?

[B]

It's like, not my job.

[A]

Yeah, it's not my job. So now he's out. And, you know, I trust that. You know, I worry sometimes, but I trust that the things that he learned in the house and the way we raised him, he's out there being a good representation, and he's gonna learn, you know, on his own, and you have to be. You have to let him do that. And now he's around other people and getting influenced and learning different things, and I'm excited for him, but I think that that's what you have to do. You have to trust that you raised him right and that you installed a lot of those things, but can't be afraid to let him go out and adventure and bump their head sometimes and get back up and it's a part of it.

[B]

Yeah, that's a good point. You know, I think sometimes parents, they have to get out of the way, you know, And I would say, Amanda, make sure that you aren't parenting out of fear or out of your own motives. Right.

[C]

Our mom was really good at it. She always used to say, I can't let my own fears get in the way of your growth. And when. And the perfect example was when I got the chance to go out of town for the first time to a tournament.

[B]

Basketball.

[C]

A basketball tournament. My mom was scared to death. And I was going to Kansas City in a van with a bunch of guys and some coaches, and I didn't realize it until I was. She never told me this until I was grown, but she was absolutely afraid the whole time I was gone. And she just ate that fear and let me experience it. And I tell you it's just like what you're saying. It's not doing the homework, not getting in the way of your child's development because of your own personal fears, too.

[B]

So you see it in coaching.

[C]

Oh, man, I see it so much now in coaching kids that these parents are trying to curate the perfect childhood for them. And that's not sports. It's not gonna be perfect. You're not gonna go undefeated. You're not gonna ever not miss a shot. You're not gonna ever run into a kid who's better than you are.

[B]

And you're going to lose a lot.

[C]

You are going to lose.

[B]

You are going to. At some point in life, somebody is gonna be mean to you that you're gonna. You know, you're gonna be disappointed. Something's not gonna work out. That. We've all experienced that.

[A]

Yes.

[B]

So we gotta prepare kids for that. That's what resilience is, you know? And you don't have to, you know, be flat broke to do it. You know, you don't have to have extenuating circumstances to do it, but you do have to let go throughout their childhood.

[C]

And, Amanda, your kids will still love you.

[B]

That's the thing.

[C]

They'll still love you.

[B]

That is the crazy thing about it, you know? And, you know, for a minute, you have to not care whether they like you or not. I mean, that's kind of. That's kind of the secret to parenting, you know? You gotta be able to be like,

[C]

you gotta outlast her.

[B]

I don't really care. You gotta outlast her if you like me. That's not my role in your life. You know my favorite saying that my daughters say, I say. I say this all the time. I'm not one of your little friends.

[A]

That was what my mom used to say to me.

[B]

I just not. And I never felt like I needed to be. Oh, you mad, right? Oh, you mad. You got rent.

[A]

Exactly.

[B]

So who gonna be mad or longer? I was like, who's not. Oh, you're not speaking to me, right? It's like, great, I won't speak to you. And guess who always wants. It's like, you gonna need to speak to me before. I can not speak to you for years.

[A]

Wow.

[B]

And my life wouldn't change.

[C]

She's rough, man. She go, she's rough.

[A]

I'm going, hell.

[B]

That's right.

[C]

She stays high. Except with her kids, it's like, oh, we're going low.

[A]

Crazy.

[B]

Okay, all right, let me show you low.

[A]

Yeah, yeah, yeah. Wow.

[C]

I like it.

[B]

And that Would build resilience.

[A]

Absolutely. Y. Don't hurt me more.

[B]

Therein lies a little resilience there.

[C]

They're never coming on. They're never coming on yet.

[B]

Oh my God.

[C]

Listen, none of our kids want to

[B]

come with us, you know, that's why I'm telling you.

[C]

Aaron wants.

[B]

He's the youngest. This is what you're saying. Your son now, he's like, please, no interest. Yeah, no, no. I don't know. It may change, but, you know, especially when your parents are, you know, he's going to try to create as much distance between you and him.

[C]

Yeah. What's the opposite of the drums?

[A]

Serious? Well, yeah, he's doing guitar and I can't play it. I don't lick. I'd just be like, uh huh. Learn how to play this though. You know, that's what I've been doing. He's just killing it, so. Yeah.

[B]

Yeah. Oh, well, hopefully that helps Amanda, you know, figure stuff out. Anything on the music front coming our way?

[A]

Yeah, I got some. I have a soundtrack that's gonna accompany the movie where I'm doing some cool K pop collabs and also like R and B and reaching back to different groups that I came up with, like Earth, Wind and Fire and different stuff. I'm so excited about the soundtrack.

[B]

Like Anderson Paak plays real music.

[A]

That's right.

[B]

Breaking news.

[A]

Bringing real music back.

[B]

Please keep doing it.

[A]

Thank you.

[B]

You.

[A]

Y' all keep doing what y' all do.

[B]

Yeah. And tell us about Andy's.

[A]

Yes. Actually, can I bring in. Can I give y' all a gift?

[B]

Yes, I got y'. All, please.

[A]

Speaking of real music, it's becoming harder and harder to find places where you can perform real music. Where you see people playing instruments.

[C]

Yeah.

[A]

Hear people. People, you know, having a good time and seeing people dance. And I'm trying to bring that back. And that's how I came up in la. And that was a big part of how we. We made it and made got our buzz. And I think it's important to have a place where bands can cut their teeth and practice. And it can be like an incubation place where that happens. And so I started a club called Andy's.

[B]

What we got?

[A]

Yes. This is a little. So I got a little.

[C]

This is so nice of you.

[A]

Got the supper club. Cause I got food there, Got an excellent menu.

[B]

We coming. I'm coming.

[A]

Live music every night.

[C]

Oh, Andy's hat.

[A]

And I got y' all some Andy swag. Let's chuck your hat in.

[B]

And some breath.

[A]

Mix that's my. Now, this is my other venture.

[C]

Wham.

[A]

Now, I know y' all do a lot of talking.

[B]

Okay?

[A]

Y' all be up here. And so Andy's. I started my own mint with my doctor. He's Harvard graduate.

[B]

You know what? You look like you need? You could have a mint. Well, you know, you look minty fresh.

[A]

Fresh.

[C]

Minty fresh. I mean, everything about him smells good mint fresh.

[A]

And this is meant to be shared. Now, y' all could be. Cause confidence is meant to be shared. All right. Appreciate you.

[B]

Well, thank you.

[A]

Thank you.

[B]

Thank you for the gifts. Thank you for bringing real music back into our lives. Congratulations on the film. Everybody's got to see it. Congratulations on everything.

[A]

I really appreciate it.

[C]

Congratulations, fans here, man.

[A]

Likewise.

[B]

Even bigger after this.