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The Breakfast Club
INTERVIEW: Swae Lee Talks new Album 'Same Difference', Going Solo, Writing Diamond Record, Kamala Harris + More
00:48:40
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- [00:00]
Angela Yee
This is an iHeart podcast. Guaranteed Human.
- [00:05]
Swae Lee
Hold up.
- [00:06]
Charlamagne Tha God
Every day I wake up. Wake your ass up. The Breakfast Club.
- [00:10]
Swae Lee
Finished or y' all done?
- [00:11]
DJ Envy
Morning, everybody. It's DJ Envy. Just hilarious. Charlemagne the guy. We are the Breakfast Club. La Rose is here with us as well. We got a special guest in the building.
- [00:20]
Charlamagne Tha God
Yes, indeed, ladies and gentlemen.
- [00:22]
Swae Lee
So, so special. So special.
- [00:23]
Charlamagne Tha God
Welcome. What's up, my guy?
- [00:25]
Swae Lee
What's up, gang? What's up, gang?
- [00:26]
La Rose
Morning. How you doing?
- [00:27]
Swae Lee
I'm chilling, man. It's early. It's early.
- [00:30]
Charlamagne Tha God
Debut solo album, man. Same difference. Why? Why it took so long? That sounds crazy. Dropped a solo album, man.
- [00:39]
Swae Lee
It's crazy. I think I got a unique career. Like, nobody ever had a career like that. Like, billion string songs and then like, no album, you know what I'm saying? But it's just like, you know, say I'm in a group and so over the years, I just like, every time I was about to drop my solo album, I had it prepared, but it's like I'm with my brother, you know what I'm saying? So I'm. I'm spinning the block. I'm spinning back. I'm just going to Race Shimmer, making sure. I dropped these Race Shimmer projects, but I always had them prepared. But now it's just like been eight years and I've been telling everybody, like, I'm coming soon, you know what I'm saying? Solo album on the way. Boom, boom. Drop unforgettable solo album on the way. Boom, Sunflower, boom. So it's just like, I don't know, it's just crazy timing.
- [01:23]
Charlamagne Tha God
Was it. Was you getting too much money? Did when. When Mike Will lost all that music, did that affect you? Like, what was it?
- [01:30]
Swae Lee
Definitely been traveling the world since Shrim Life won, you know what I'm saying? So no flex on no type. We've been traveling the world still performing that. You know what I'm saying? So you know what I'm saying? We in Australia got them Romania, you know what I'm saying? Like, all these crazy places. Just those songs had such an impact. It's like it kept moving. Yeah.
- [01:50]
La Rose
So you already had most of this music already because you said you've been had it.
- [01:53]
Swae Lee
But like, oh, yeah, these songs, like, I got songs on there. Like I did a couple months ago, I got songs on there I did a couple years ago, you know, saying I got like. It's like a mix of all crazy vibes.
- [02:03]
La Rose
Yeah. Did you feel the need? Like, did you feel pressure and like. Like needing to change Something up to match other sounds. Or did you?
- [02:12]
Swae Lee
No, I ain't really matching on, like what's going on right now. I just kept it really like my sound and just like the songs like I put out like pop songs, like trap songs, like party music, you know what I'm saying? Afro songs. So it's just like a real. Like a gumbo of all those songs.
- [02:29]
Charlamagne Tha God
Yeah, that's gonna ask like Lauren wants whe to take the gumball. Go get it out of his mouth.
- [02:33]
Angela Yee
No, I'm just gonna.
- [02:33]
Swae Lee
I'm smacking like a no.
- [02:35]
La Rose
Why would I hear.
- [02:36]
Angela Yee
I'mma hand you a nap for it.
- [02:37]
Swae Lee
I'm just being myself. And that's how. That's how I really am.
- [02:39]
Angela Yee
No, it's just the sound that you.
- [02:41]
Charlamagne Tha God
For the mic, he was like, please tell him to take his gum out of.
- [02:44]
Swae Lee
I be getting carried away. Love it. I be getting carried away.
- [02:47]
Charlamagne Tha God
Why not?
- [02:47]
Swae Lee
I'mma control myself. I'm going control myself.
- [02:49]
DJ Envy
I was going to ask, so what is your sound? Cuz, you know, listening to the album, you go Afrobeats, you go trap, you go R and B sound, you singing on some of it. So what is Swae Lee sound?
- [02:59]
Swae Lee
I mean, that's. That's part of the same difference. Like all these are my sounds, you know, So I can do all these like all these sounds if I want to. Like I turn around and do a country song tomorrow. You know what I'm saying? But yeah, like all my fans, they come from different demographics. Like Sunflower. Boom. Those. That's a whole audience. Black Beatles, you know, no type. All the trap stuff, that's. That's a whole separate audience. Unforgettable, like Afro songs, that's a whole separate audience. So I'm just connecting all the dots,
- [03:29]
DJ Envy
you know, I was confused with unforgettable. Right. I heard you do an interview and you said it was your record that French did, that you didn't necessarily know French put out and did, but it was your record. So what was the. What happened with that record?
- [03:42]
Swae Lee
Basically I was working on Shrimp Life 2. So I had like black Beatles, all that stuff. Just about to drop it. And I had made them songs around the same time. And yeah, French heard that song because I was working with Molly Ma and like Jeremiah at the time, all the time. We was always locked in. So song ended up getting his hands. Boom. He did a verse. Yeah, he wanted to put it out. But at this time I'm focused on black Beatles. Boom. But I noticed a smash song, you know, say I love this Song too. It's like I wanted to get a good look too. I wanted to put on my album for show. So I made it initially for my album, you know, say I brought the slim Jimmy, like, bro, and one of the ones, like, we need to throw this on the album. We just wrapping up our album. We're gonna turn it in and like, Black Beaters was the last song we made for that album, you know, So I made that last minute buzzer beater. Boom. So French. French hired the record. It wasn't like the traditional way, like, you put a song out.
- [04:37]
Charlamagne Tha God
Like the Internet say he stole it,
- [04:40]
Angela Yee
in a way, was upset about that too.
- [04:43]
Swae Lee
It's not really like stealing it, but it's like, he definitely contacted me. It's like, it's like. It's kind of like finesse. Like, he finessed it. Like, you know what I'm saying? But I. I wouldn't like, offended. Like, I'm like, as long as they get its proper look, you know what I'm saying? Like, shoot a video for it. Boom.
- [04:58]
Charlamagne Tha God
How does somebody make this throughout the record, though? Break that down. Like, what?
- [05:01]
Swae Lee
No, it's not even finessing me. It's just like getting a good look for themselves.
- [05:05]
Charlamagne Tha God
Okay, okay.
- [05:06]
Swae Lee
Like, of course. It's like taking the opportunity and seizing it, like, you know what I'm saying? Like, if I heard a Michael Jackson record, it's like, it's available. Like, I'm gonna do a verses, boom. And it's a chance I can get it cleared, you know what I'm saying? You're gonna do what you can to get it clear. It's like, boom. I'm. I'm feeling good about. I ain't really tripping. I got like 20 of these on my computer, you know what I'm saying? So.
- [05:23]
Charlamagne Tha God
But you didn't write it for French, though.
- [05:25]
Swae Lee
No, I didn't write it for French for show, though. I just wrote it for myself. I sent it to Wizkid initially in the beginning, you know, so he did a verse for me, but it's like, that's just how everything played out.
- [05:35]
DJ Envy
Was your name on it at first
- [05:36]
Swae Lee
or was it just.
- [05:37]
DJ Envy
Just French Montana at first, Right?
- [05:41]
Swae Lee
I don't know if he did it like that. Like, but definitely, you know what I'm saying? Like, my name should be on, like, the. My face should be on, like, the artwork, you know what I'm saying? Like, I should have been in the video probably more, you know what I'm saying? Like, for sure. I was a young ass. I was like 1922 or some. I don't even know.
- [05:56]
DJ Envy
You told friends, like, you owe me for this one.
- [05:58]
Swae Lee
Oh, yeah. I definitely, you know, say co Ferraris would be nice. You know what I'm saying?
- [06:03]
Charlamagne Tha God
It went diamond, though, right?
- [06:05]
Swae Lee
I think it's like two times diamond or something. Maybe. Jesus. No, sunflower. Two times diamond. That junk maybe, like.
- [06:11]
Charlamagne Tha God
It's definitely diamond.
- [06:12]
Swae Lee
13 times, 14 times.
- [06:13]
Charlamagne Tha God
You made money off the record, though, right?
- [06:15]
Swae Lee
Oh, yeah, I'm making money right now.
- [06:16]
Charlamagne Tha God
Okay. Okay. Just making sure.
- [06:17]
Swae Lee
Okay.
- [06:18]
La Rose
What did you discover about yourself creatively when you didn't have to compromise doing music with somebody else, right? Like. Cause you was in a group at first, but, oh, yeah, this is the solo album. So what did you find out creatively about yourself, Lauren?
- [06:34]
Swae Lee
He took the gum out.
- [06:34]
Angela Yee
I hear it.
- [06:35]
Charlamagne Tha God
You could have just went and got it out of his mouth a long time.
- [06:37]
Angela Yee
You could have.
- [06:37]
La Rose
That is not his mother.
- [06:38]
Swae Lee
That would have been cool.
- [06:42]
Charlamagne Tha God
You see what I'm saying? Every time.
- [06:46]
Angela Yee
Focus on the work. We're here.
- [06:48]
La Rose
What did you discover creatively about yourself doing your solo album that you probably didn't have when you were in the group?
- [06:54]
Swae Lee
Yeah.
- [06:57]
La Rose
Or that you probably didn't notice when you were in the group recording with Slim?
- [07:02]
Swae Lee
It's just. I don't know. It's just jumping out there more. It's like, even with the group, I'm still. I'm still in Ray Shimmer, you know what I'm saying? Like, I ain't leaving Ray Shimmer or nothing. Like, Ray Trimmer. Like, that is so big. Like, we. Like, we started challenges. Like, music challenges. People do challenges to songs. So, like, it's like a Jordan brand, you know what I'm saying? Like, Ray Trimmer, that's like a Jordan 13. Slim Jimmy, like a Jordan 9. You know, say I'm like a Jordan 14 or whatever. We all different Jordan numbers. So it's like they always gonna drop a new season, you know, saying, we're just gonna keep dropping new seasons. Like. Like, you just can't let that die. So, like, shout out Slim Jimmy. You know what I'm saying?
- [07:39]
Charlamagne Tha God
When you type, when you titled the album Same Difference, are you saying you've changed or that at your core you're still the same? Like, what is the. What does that title mean, really?
- [07:47]
Swae Lee
Both. Like, all of that. Like, you know, I'm saying who I was, and goddamn, 2023, that's still a version inside of me, you know, saying, like, whether I had growth or whatever, it's like, it's the same Difference, you know what I'm saying? But that's just like, I'm also a Gemini, too. So it's like they say we see things from, like, two different perspectives. They don't say that. They say we two faced two different people. Yeah. And it's up. Whoever started that about us, like, that's up.
- [08:13]
Charlamagne Tha God
Do you feel like people boxed you in as, like, the hook guy? So this album.
- [08:17]
Swae Lee
Oh, yeah.
- [08:17]
Charlamagne Tha God
Break out of that perception of just being the hook guy?
- [08:20]
Swae Lee
Nah, I think that's. I think that's a great compliment. Like, they call me the hook guy. Captain Hook, you know what I'm saying? So I'm running with them. I'm continuing the legacy, you know what I'm saying?
- [08:29]
DJ Envy
To do more writing in more the hooks. Or do you prefer being an artist? I mean, you've. We can talk Travis Scott. You can talk Beyonce. You could talk French.
- [08:35]
Swae Lee
You could talk.
- [08:35]
DJ Envy
So many different people.
- [08:36]
Swae Lee
Yeah.
- [08:37]
DJ Envy
For that part of it, or do you prefer the. The artist being on stage, people in your business part of it?
- [08:42]
Swae Lee
I mean, I definitely, like. Yeah. Dropping. Dropping the smash songs, you know what I'm saying? Putting the face on it, being the face of it. But I don't mind writing it all, you know what I'm saying? Like, for sure. If artists want to get in, I pull up, play about 30 songs. Whatever they with, take it re. Sing it, and your voice, boom, it's yours. You know I'm saying that's always cool. Just getting. Getting money, like, just. You know what I'm saying? Mysterious money, you know what I'm saying? It ain't even true. Just. Not even your face. Just people not even knowing you wrote it. And you just like, receiving money. It's fine.
- [09:15]
Charlamagne Tha God
What's something that you wrote that nobody know that we don't know you wrote?
- [09:20]
Swae Lee
Really? Just the formation, like, you know what I'm saying? Formation.
- [09:24]
La Rose
A lot of people say formation.
- [09:25]
Swae Lee
Yeah. You know what I'm saying? Got them ladies information. There's some stuff on there just to work on there, for real. Oh, okay, ladies, now let's get information. Okay.
- [09:42]
La Rose
What everybody walk around saying selling.
- [09:44]
Swae Lee
Line up, man. Line up.
- [09:45]
Angela Yee
So when you in with Beyonce
- [09:50]
Charlamagne Tha God
Got caught.
- [09:51]
Swae Lee
Beyonce, man.
- [09:54]
Charlamagne Tha God
Sway Lee of Hip Hop du Race Rumor Co wrote Beyonce 2016 hit Formation contributing to central hook. Okay, ladies, now let's get into formation.
- [10:01]
Angela Yee
That's why he kept that part silly.
- [10:02]
Charlamagne Tha God
For real. Hey, man, you just got to check. That's all.
- [10:04]
La Rose
That's what's up.
- [10:05]
DJ Envy
How did that come about? How did y. How did y' all Hook up to.
- [10:07]
Swae Lee
To do that record, man. That's just. Mike will. Mike Will don't never sleep, man. He be working all the time. So, yeah, he, like, that was the opportunity. He just brought to me early randomly, you know what I'm saying?
- [10:18]
La Rose
So did you believe it when he first hit you? Like, yo, trying be. Trying to have you write something on this album.
- [10:26]
Swae Lee
I just like, damn. First it was like, damn it. It seemed like. It's, like, difficult, you know what I'm saying? So, boom. She just heard that, and just like, first I was like, damn, what I got for Beyonce? Like, I'm thinking herself to the left. To the left. Like, damn, what I got? Like this, like, boom. So for her to just hear that record and just, boom, be fucking with it.
- [10:44]
Charlamagne Tha God
It's like you had to get into, like, a sassy mind state, like, what you was doing, like, in the studio, like, what?
- [10:48]
Swae Lee
Nah, bro. One time, I ain't gonna lie. Early on, I had an experience like that. Like, they had me come to the studio and, like, write for a female artist, and I'm just, like, totally lost. I'm like, my ass fat, like, you know what I'm saying? I'm like, how do I write for a female artist? Say, pussy so wet. You know what I'm saying? I'm in that bitch complet, like, like, algebra 3. I'm in that bitch. God damn. Like, how do I do this? Like, you know what I'm saying? And then, like, the artist ain't not telling me, hey, you need to get your together. Like, you like. You know what I'm saying? They didn't really know who I was. They were like, man, you need to get your. Cause I ain't come with nothing. I'm like, you need to get your together. Then like, a week later, dropped no flex on it and skyrocketed. I'm just like.
- [11:32]
Charlamagne Tha God
You was just in the studio yelling out my ass fat.
- [11:37]
Swae Lee
I'm just, like, puzzled, like, completely lost, like, damn, what do girls like? Like?
- [11:42]
Charlamagne Tha God
But you gotta get into that zone, though, right?
- [11:44]
Swae Lee
I don't even say it's really legendary, but it's like. It's kind of embarrassing. Even say it's funny, though, but it's embarrassing. If y' all knew the names. Y' all laugh like a. Who was it? I can't even do that to myself, man. I'm gonna be.
- [11:57]
Charlamagne Tha God
You know who did that? I was telling him. You ever heard Cardi Be careful? You know Partisan?
- [12:03]
Swae Lee
Yeah, he be right on them girl records.
- [12:04]
Charlamagne Tha God
But he had. I remember him on Instagram rapping the record one time and that is like completely crazy.
- [12:10]
Swae Lee
From the woman seem crazy for real.
- [12:12]
DJ Envy
And even if we go back, Biggie did that for.
- [12:14]
Swae Lee
For Kim all the time.
- [12:15]
Charlamagne Tha God
He would have to write Kim's verse.
- [12:16]
DJ Envy
Could you imagine Kim's verse?
- [12:20]
Angela Yee
City girls too.
- [12:20]
Swae Lee
Yeah, he be doing that. That's dope.
- [12:22]
Charlamagne Tha God
You gotta get into that zone though, right?
- [12:23]
Swae Lee
Yeah, now I could do it for sure. But like coming in the game just like surprised like boom. You, you've been writing like dude songs your whole life. And he's like, you write a song for a female artist, you're like, oh. You know what I'm saying? It's. It can be hard.
- [12:38]
Charlamagne Tha God
But that's a different one though, cuz Beyonce. Cause that became an anthem. It still is like getting in formation. That's a different type of mindset to even think like that. Like what made you even come up with that concept?
- [12:49]
Swae Lee
I just be trying to like say like different stuff that nobody said. It's fun and just make sense, so.
- [12:56]
La Rose
And then it was a lot of pressure cuz it's Beyonce and she's not all raunchy and you know, all my ass fat wet.
- [13:03]
Swae Lee
Yeah, yeah, right, right.
- [13:05]
Angela Yee
Did they. Well first it was a freestyle session, so you came with nothing and we just figured it out right then and there.
- [13:10]
Swae Lee
Right, right. And I was just, I was just rapping some hardship on the beat, you know what I'm saying? I wasn't really trying to think of it. What does this girl need? Like she's like, let me make a banger and then let her reset it. So that became my new thing. And then whatever she tweak and edit to make it more personal for her. She can do that, you know what I'm saying? Or the artist can do that.
- [13:30]
Charlamagne Tha God
Did you put your hand on your hip while you was recording it?
- [13:34]
Swae Lee
That probably would have helped a little bit.
- [13:39]
Charlamagne Tha God
You know when you in Gemini. The two faced reputation of the Gemini stems from the symbol because it's the twins, it's the. It represents a dual nature, so.
- [13:47]
Swae Lee
Yeah, exactly.
- [13:47]
Charlamagne Tha God
Duality, personality.
- [13:49]
Swae Lee
Yeah, right, right.
- [13:50]
Charlamagne Tha God
And intense versatility, which is clearly you.
- [13:52]
Swae Lee
Exactly. Versatility. Yes. And you can adapt like to any situation. It's just like. Exactly. Same difference. Boom.
- [14:00]
La Rose
Gemini, how did you and a Janae Aiko relationship come together every I love you and her songs. I even like the song Merl that you have on her on the album.
- [14:08]
Swae Lee
Oh yeah, that's Friday. So y' all heard the whole album? Yeah, yeah, yeah.
- [14:11]
DJ Envy
They said it to. We, we finally got in to listen to it. Yeah.
- [14:14]
La Rose
Me reminds me of, like, that genre, the same drama genre that Sunflower is in. I like that type of music. How did you and Jana develop your relationship?
- [14:28]
Swae Lee
Damn it. Me and Jana, man. Shout out. Jana. She's. Yeah, she a megastar. Like, you know what I'm saying? She, like. She like a goddess or something. You know what I'm saying? But I met her way back in the day. We did Sativa.
- [14:40]
La Rose
Yes.
- [14:40]
Swae Lee
You know, I'm Saying real quick, 30 minutes. Boom. Classic. So, boom. When I was making this album, I was just thinking, like, damn, what artist, like, could I really, like, put on this album where it makes sense sonically? And I was just thinking, like, I was in that. I was listening to that song, and then I was like, I had a show, and I was just realizing, like, damn, Sativa. Like, one of them classics. Like, the girls, like, they love Sativa. Like, boom. It's like, they really vibe with that song. So I was like, damn, let me hit your nail. Like, I hear on this song, it was different. It was like. Like you said, it's like. It's like a more pop record, so that's a different world for us. So I was like, boom. I could just imagine her on that joint, and then, boom. I sent it to her. Two days later, she sent me the verse back. And just.
- [15:23]
La Rose
Yeah, because y' all definitely make sense when y' all collab.
- [15:26]
Swae Lee
Yeah, I.
- [15:27]
La Rose
It's like a complete package.
- [15:29]
Swae Lee
It's dope, peanut butter, and jelly. You know what I'm saying? Peanut butter. Yeah. For real. I want to do. I want to do a whole, like, project with Shorty.
- [15:36]
La Rose
That'll be fire.
- [15:37]
Swae Lee
For real.
- [15:37]
Angela Yee
Yeah.
- [15:38]
Swae Lee
And we just. We just did that video, too. We just shot the mural video. We're gonna drop that tomorrow.
- [15:43]
La Rose
Okay.
- [15:44]
Charlamagne Tha God
You ever felt like you could have been R B singer?
- [15:46]
Swae Lee
Oh, definitely. I'll be in my R B. Like, that's what I'm saying. Like, now, like, that I'm dropping projects, I'm gonna definitely take them more into, like, showing, like, what I really do. Like, I do, you know, say, I got the R B stuff for the girls, for the players, too, you know, saying, I got. Yeah, I got that. So even on this. On this album, raising awareness, that was kind of like some R B stuff. You know what I'm saying?
- [16:08]
Charlamagne Tha God
So the. The level of global success you've achieved with, like, record, like, Unforgettable and Sunflower, did that change how you view, like, your career ceiling? Even writing records like Beyonce Formation, seeing how Big those records get.
- [16:20]
Swae Lee
Yeah, it just. It just. It's possible, you know what I'm saying? Like, I'm like a. Like a hood pop star, you know what I'm saying? Like, so definitely making those records, kicking those doors in, it just made a new lane for myself, you know what I'm saying? So definitely I'm gonna keep, like, dropping those type songs, like stadium songs, songs that sound like they. They belong in movies, you know what I'm saying? I'm keeping. You know what I'm saying? Keep doing that, for sure.
- [16:45]
DJ Envy
Do you chase those. Those trends like the black Beatles trends? And do you try to chase that? Like, we need to create something around it, or is it just something that happens naturally?
- [16:53]
Swae Lee
Yeah, it's really something that happened naturally. Like, you can. Like, I ain't even start that challenge. Like, the fans, that's what. That's what they did when they listened to the song. It's just like, that's what it inspired them to do. So it's like, definitely, like, you know, so you fingers crossed every time you drop, like, they. They're gonna do some craziest record. Like, you hope they gonna do some crazy challenge to it for sure. Cause that gonna push it to number one, you know what I'm saying? But if they don't, it's cool too. Like, as long as they still enjoy it. I'm saying.
- [17:22]
Charlamagne Tha God
I just saw you somewhere doing the challenge recently. It was a school.
- [17:25]
Swae Lee
Oh, yeah? Yeah. I did a little run. I was. I was going to the HBCUs, so I went to Morehouse, and I went to North Carolina Central, and I went to NYU and did a seminar like yesterday. But yeah, Morehouse and Spellman, they was going up.
- [17:40]
Charlamagne Tha God
Does it shock you that they still vibe to those records like that?
- [17:44]
Swae Lee
It's crazy. Yeah. To me, it's crazy because the challenge, like, 10 years old. So now it's just like something fun to do to the song. It's like, it's dope. The way it aged, you know, saying, I love the way it aged.
- [17:54]
Charlamagne Tha God
Did you lose music when Mike Will lost all that music when he got his hard drive stolen?
- [18:00]
Swae Lee
I had lost the hard drive too. Yeah. And I was like. But I recovered it. I was about to actually drop an album too, like an ep. Then, like, stolen hard drive. Ep. It was crazy. I don't know if y' all see on the ground. Well, this dude was going live with my hard drive. Boom. How'd he get it down? Like, from the airport or some like, boom. Like, going to the airport. Some crazy. Boom.
- [18:18]
Charlamagne Tha God
You took it out your bag or something.
- [18:20]
Swae Lee
I don't even remember how it happened. It was like drives away. It's like we'll be going through the airport.
- [18:26]
Charlamagne Tha God
Forgot all about it on that gas.
- [18:28]
Swae Lee
Yeah. 98 chance.
- [18:30]
La Rose
How does that make you feel when that happens? Like, do you feel like. Like I'm about to throw in a towel. I've been working so hard on all this, and this went live listening to my.
- [18:39]
Swae Lee
No, that. That it'll piss you off for sure. Yeah. But it's like, hopefully you got it backed up on another hard drive. My engineer, I got one of the best engineers in the world. He usually back it up on like, icloud and a hard drive. So a lot of it is recoverable. You know what I'm saying? But that's never a good feeling. I lost a couple laptops. Somebody in Switzerland. Like, I found your laptop. Boom. I see all your sessions right here. I know this is yours. Boom. Like, I want to get it back to you. Boom.
- [19:04]
DJ Envy
But you got to pay this much.
- [19:06]
Swae Lee
That too. Yeah. Hell yeah. I pay for that too. That's a billion dollars on that motherfucker. What you need? I mean, I ain't really had to. I ain't even never paid to do. But I mean, I got to find dude. I got to track him down and shit.
- [19:20]
Charlamagne Tha God
The one that got the hard drive now.
- [19:22]
Swae Lee
No, we got that. We got that back computer. This computer? Yeah, over in Switzerland.
- [19:25]
Charlamagne Tha God
Yes.
- [19:26]
Swae Lee
Somebody hit me on WhatsApp.
- [19:28]
La Rose
Got the laptop on that DJing right now, man.
- [19:31]
Swae Lee
God. Reinging all my stuff. How to get in your.
- [19:33]
DJ Envy
In your laptop?
- [19:35]
Swae Lee
That's like my early day laptop. It was just new, you know what I'm saying?
- [19:38]
DJ Envy
Open it right up.
- [19:39]
Swae Lee
Had. Open it up. Yeah, get in it. Boom. Password. Probably aaaa. Some easy shit, you know what I'm saying?
- [19:45]
La Rose
Now the Afro Beat song on Same difference. Side eye, Right? Did you.
- [19:48]
Charlamagne Tha God
Yeah.
- [19:48]
La Rose
Side eye. Did you sample Young Blue Mind? Mine still that. Did you use the. Because it's like in the background they say time Hills. That's what I feel like I heard
- [20:00]
Swae Lee
on Fav or Sara.
- [20:01]
La Rose
No, it wasn't. It had to be fav. It's at the beginning of the album. The first afrobeat song on it.
- [20:08]
Swae Lee
It's like a guitar.
- [20:09]
La Rose
Yeah, yeah. And that's what I know.
- [20:12]
Swae Lee
That was a sample.
- [20:13]
Charlamagne Tha God
It's probably not. And don't. You better not say it is.
- [20:15]
Swae Lee
Oh, God. I ain't paying no percentages. I'm just saying. I already handled the percentages, man.
- [20:23]
La Rose
I thought he May have sampled it, but now he could have just.
- [20:25]
Swae Lee
Yeah, I hope not. I don't. I don't think I did. I hope not.
- [20:27]
La Rose
That's what I'm.
- [20:28]
Angela Yee
But, okay, what was your.
- [20:30]
Swae Lee
I gotta look into that now. I ain't gonna lie.
- [20:33]
Angela Yee
What was your process of, like, figuring out what songs would go on this project? Because you got songs from, like, the Sunflower Days, like, older music. Right. So I'm assuming there's been a lot of music since then. So how. What's the elimination process like?
- [20:46]
Swae Lee
Um, that's. Yeah, for sure. Very true. It's crazy. Like, yeah, I got a song with Post Malone, we did from back in the day, and it's like, boom. Yeah. Just finding songs that. That are cohesive, that make sense together and still, like, different genres, that was. That was a crazy process. And I just sat down, like, the whole month, just, boom. Playing records and seeing if they made sense together. And this was like. Yeah, this was the combo I just came up with for sure.
- [21:13]
Angela Yee
But nothing sounds old on the project, though. That's what's crazy about it.
- [21:16]
Swae Lee
Like, every time, this music.
- [21:17]
Angela Yee
Yeah, like, it's so timeless.
- [21:19]
Swae Lee
That's why I chose. I made sure, like, they still sound like, you know what I'm saying? Up to date, you know what I'm saying? I feel like that about the. When you would. When you.
- [21:27]
La Rose
With your brother too, like, the whole race room. And, like, it's timeless. You can play it anywhere in any era and it'll still slap.
- [21:33]
Swae Lee
Thank you.
- [21:34]
La Rose
So you said y'.
- [21:34]
Swae Lee
All.
- [21:35]
La Rose
Y' all still together? You all working on music too? We're going to get in.
- [21:38]
Swae Lee
Oh, yeah, for sure. Like, I'm just. Like, I'm just going on a run right now, you know what I'm saying? I got so much music. I just be. I'll be in the studio, like, down there every day, you know what I'm saying? So I'm just making, like, five, six songs a day. So even, like, Over Corona made so many songs, it's just like, gotta put these shits out, you know what I'm saying?
- [21:57]
Charlamagne Tha God
How you know what to keep for yourself, though, and to give to other people?
- [22:00]
Swae Lee
I just let that happen organically, you know what I'm saying? Whatever. Don't go out when it's time to drop, you know what I'm saying? Either I'm gonna drop it or somebody else can use it if they don't. Like, nobody like it. I love that.
- [22:11]
Charlamagne Tha God
Do you pull up and play sessions for people, though? Like, other.
- [22:14]
Swae Lee
Yeah, I pull it Just press play, press play for sure. Like I cook up some new with a too like with an artist or whatever. But yeah, I just really pull up with the hard drives, play some vibes, just see what makes sense, see what they like.
- [22:30]
Charlamagne Tha God
Well, what does piece look like for Swae Lee in this chapter of your life? How old are you now?
- [22:36]
Swae Lee
22.
- [22:49]
Charlamagne Tha God
32. Okay.
- [22:51]
Swae Lee
I'm about to be 33. My, my birthday in June 7th.
- [22:55]
Charlamagne Tha God
What does peace look like for you?
- [22:57]
Swae Lee
Oh yeah, Peace on. Peace. Peace. Day off, you know what I'm saying? Getting a massage. Goddamn about an 80 minute massage. Chilling, just chilling. Literally not doing nothing. Sitting in my crib, walking in my backyard, playing a PlayStation or something.
- [23:17]
Charlamagne Tha God
Do you get opportunity to do. Do that often? Do you get opportunity to enjoy in between movies?
- [23:21]
Swae Lee
Yeah, in between, like in between activities. I'm saying you gotta take the time situation, sit down, sit yourself down. For sure.
- [23:29]
Charlamagne Tha God
How, how has fame like impacted your. Your relationships like with family, you know, women or just even how you trust people nowadays?
- [23:39]
Swae Lee
Paranoid up for sure because you never know, you never know people's intentions for sure. So definitely got to be on your P's and Q's even like relationships like should be looking at the wrong way. Like you got. I could have a girlfriend, boom, go somewhere, honey. Girls in my face, you know what I'm saying? She gonna look at it a certain way. Like even if they fans or not, it's like she gonna feel some type of way. So it's like, you know what I'm saying? It can affect your relationship, but if you gotta understand it, I feel like should'll be smooth, shouldn't be smooth.
- [24:12]
Charlamagne Tha God
Have you found a woman that you trust and can trust you?
- [24:17]
Swae Lee
I thought I did, you know what I'm saying? I got a little shorty. She five. She five. But you know what I'm saying, Get crazy too, you know what I'm saying? You just never know.
- [24:27]
Charlamagne Tha God
How do you know she want to be with you for you and not because of.
- [24:31]
Swae Lee
Just never know.
- [24:32]
Charlamagne Tha God
Yeah, yeah.
- [24:33]
Swae Lee
Just never know. Yeah. You know what I'm saying?
- [24:35]
La Rose
Did you have to have a conversation with your. Or was there a conversation with Jimmy before you decided to step away and do your own solo album?
- [24:44]
Swae Lee
It was always a thing like he know I'm just like we know each other. Like I'm just like pressing the gas like non stop. Just, you know what I'm saying? Dropping and just making songs and just doing stuff. We moving our own speeds and Yeah, I don't know, it's like, it's like, really understood. Yeah, it's doing my thing. He room for me. Yeah. I'm rooting for him. Whatever he do, we come together, we link up like the Backstreet Boys, you know what I'm saying?
- [25:16]
Charlamagne Tha God
We.
- [25:17]
Swae Lee
We just turning up.
- [25:19]
La Rose
How was his support for the album?
- [25:21]
Swae Lee
I think he with it. Yeah. Yeah. So mad lately. Been posting online, showing mad love. And then he. He working on his project too. So dope after me Slim Jimmy project, You know what I'm saying?
- [25:32]
DJ Envy
So when you were in school, right, you. You were diagnosed with adhd, right?
- [25:37]
Swae Lee
No, no.
- [25:38]
La Rose
Oh, yeah. The out me just.
- [25:39]
DJ Envy
No, no, he did the ADHD anthem.
- [25:41]
Swae Lee
Yeah, the adhd, Anthony. Yeah. I ain't never. I ain't never took the test, though, but I just did that. I'm not. I'm not just like, I know my brain work different. I just know my brain work different. And it's people who think they got adhd and it's like. You know what I'm saying? This is for people who think different.
- [25:58]
DJ Envy
They say people usually get, you know, super hyper focused on things.
- [26:02]
Swae Lee
Exactly. Exactly.
- [26:03]
DJ Envy
The fact that you such a genius when it comes to production, that was.
- [26:08]
Swae Lee
Yeah. Very creative.
- [26:09]
Charlamagne Tha God
You're creative. You probably hear beats in your head all the time, hear hooks in your
- [26:13]
Swae Lee
head, all your voices, bro.
- [26:14]
Charlamagne Tha God
You see what I'm saying?
- [26:15]
Swae Lee
Your voices, bro.
- [26:17]
La Rose
For real.
- [26:23]
Charlamagne Tha God
I think God talk to people. Two chains just put out a book called the Voice in My Head is God. I think that when you a creative
- [26:28]
Swae Lee
person, hey, that's real. That's real. That's real, too.
- [26:30]
Charlamagne Tha God
And when you hear them, you write them down and then record them and they become hits.
- [26:35]
Swae Lee
They translate. Yeah, they translate the hits. For real. What's crazy?
- [26:38]
Charlamagne Tha God
What did God tell you this morning before you rolled up?
- [26:42]
Swae Lee
He told me, he said, sway, you got to get up. I know you're a lunch. Lunch club type of, but it's the Breakfast Club. You gotta get up, get. You. Get you some caffeine and get up. Yeah.
- [26:53]
Charlamagne Tha God
Is this the part of the game that you don't like?
- [26:56]
Swae Lee
What?
- [26:57]
Charlamagne Tha God
Having to go out here and sell the music.
- [26:59]
Swae Lee
I ain't gonna lie, bro. When I first. Like when I first came to breakfast at that time, I. I ain't really understand it and I ain't really, like. I had to get used to it, like, waking up early, like, it's. That's. That's so difficult to me. Like, waking up early, like, especially after a long night. So it's like, now I'm used to it. Boom. Like, you gotta get up and chop it up. You gotta pop your. It could be cold as, like, New York be cold. You know what I'm saying? You wake up, it's cold. It's just like, damn, I got to do this.
- [27:26]
Charlamagne Tha God
Like, then you get. Wait. You wake up and you got to get asked questions.
- [27:29]
Swae Lee
You got to be social and everything.
- [27:31]
Charlamagne Tha God
You don't know what somebody going to come at you with.
- [27:34]
Swae Lee
Don't prepare for anything.
- [27:35]
Charlamagne Tha God
Boom. They said you hated Kamala Harris. Is that true?
- [27:37]
Swae Lee
I was ready for that. I wanted you to ask me that, too. Like, that's a great question to ask, and I. I wanted to clear that up, too, for sure.
- [27:45]
Charlamagne Tha God
Yeah.
- [27:45]
Swae Lee
I mean, I don't hate Kamala Harris. I don't love no politician, though. Like, because think about it. If he was the president, like, it should be easy to get, like, people a sense of relief, you know what I'm saying? Like, at the time, like, I just didn't agree with some of the agendas that were being put out. Boom. But, like, I ain't never announced my solidarity with no politician. Like, some people, they want Trump support. I'm like, I ain't. You ain't never seen me with no MAGA hat, nothing. You know what I'm saying? I don't support, really, no politicians, like, because I do my research, you know, I see what they really gonna do for the people. Like, what are they gonna do that's gonna affect my everyday life? Like, I don't really think there's ever been a president in history that really made an impact on our everyday life.
- [28:34]
Charlamagne Tha God
You know what I'm saying, right now as we speak. I mean, when you.
- [28:37]
Swae Lee
A positive.
- [28:39]
Charlamagne Tha God
No, I mean, like, when you think about, you know, Lyndon B. Johnson with the Civil Rights act of 1964, you know, giving black people the right to vote, giving women the right to vote.
- [28:48]
Swae Lee
That's fire. Yeah, stuff like that. That's. That's. That's fire. Like, it's rare. It's rare. I say that it's rare.
- [28:55]
DJ Envy
You know, don't vote for Kamala Harris. People just assume that.
- [28:57]
Swae Lee
Right, Right. It's only two candidates because I didn't. I didn't denounce my. I didn't denounce, like, Trump and shit
- [29:05]
Charlamagne Tha God
either, but do not.
- [29:06]
Swae Lee
It's public. It's public. Everything on that. This. This is a new candidate. That's why I was like, Kamala's boon. Like, don't think. It's just, like, Disneyland, you know? So you gotta look at what. What this person is pushing. You know what I'M saying. And looking back, well, right now it's like, shit, fucked up, you know what I'm saying? Like, I can't see the future. Like, I don't know this Trump gonna get here and do all this shit either. Like, but we. He already, he already showing himself as like a. You know what I'm saying? He already got a lot of negative headlines on his name, you know what I'm saying? This is no surprise with him. I don't gotta speak about that, you know what I'm saying? Everybody already got their opinions on that. But boom, this new person is like, just make sure you agree with everything this person trying to do. Make sure you know who they backed by. I don't want to say too much, you know what I'm saying? Getting myself. Get myself in some more. But boom. You feel me? Yeah.
- [29:57]
Charlamagne Tha God
Did you get. Did you get paid to post that?
- [29:58]
Swae Lee
Hell no. But speaking again, like, I, I could have got paid by Trump, everything. I turned this down. Like, I ain't standing with that either. Like, I don't want people to think I'm standing with none of that. Like, I don't. I'm looking for a real political candidate that's gonna bring some real positive change, you know what I'm saying? Like, and it's rare. Like I said, I ain't never seen it. Like, I ain't never seen a good
- [30:19]
Charlamagne Tha God
politician, even on a local level. There's definitely. Here's the thing. Oh, you know, Nina, I don't really
- [30:27]
Swae Lee
know a local level. Yeah, I don't really.
- [30:30]
Charlamagne Tha God
There's a woman named N. Turner, and she always says, you know, you may not do politics, but politics going to
- [30:34]
Swae Lee
do you for sure.
- [30:34]
Charlamagne Tha God
Like, literally every single thing that we do, every sing, every single day is rooted in some type of legislation that somebody created.
- [30:41]
Swae Lee
Yeah. One evil is worse than another. Like, it's always a worser villain, you know what I'm saying? But I don't know what you said. It's always somebody worse.
- [30:51]
Charlamagne Tha God
Yes, but I'm just saying that there's. I'm talking about politics. Everything we do, every day, there's a piece of legislation that, you know, impacts it in some way, shape or form. That's what I'm saying, for sure.
- [31:03]
Swae Lee
Yeah, like, definitely. Like, I probably shouldn't have said that statement though, for sure. Like, I'm not even speaking on politics, you know what I'm saying?
- [31:12]
Charlamagne Tha God
How much did Trump. How much did Trump offer you and did he offer it to you after? And I know it wasn't himself, but like, he's somebody.
- [31:18]
Swae Lee
The administration. Yeah, of course they offered you money. One before, one after, you know what I'm saying? Like to go perform at this and perform at that, you know what I'm saying? It's like, yeah, I ain't, I ain't taking that, you know, saying I don't support necessarily that either, you know what I'm saying?
- [31:31]
Charlamagne Tha God
So they offered you money before the tweet.
- [31:33]
Swae Lee
I like what Trump did with the taxes. But it's like all this other stuff is fucked up, you know I'm saying taking the black literature out of, you know what I'm saying? Curriculum and all that stuff. Like, so it's like, damn. Like all these people, like, doing fucked up shit, you know what I'm saying? If I was the president, I know what I would do for the people. I had a man. It'd be sunny for everybody. I wouldn't be sending billions of dollars overseas. I had this right here, you know what I'm saying? At the source, like, we up in America, like, and we need to start taking care of, like, America first.
- [32:02]
Charlamagne Tha God
I agree.
- [32:03]
Swae Lee
And then, you know what I'm saying, all the other stuff. But it's like, it's really simple. So I was just like, I just wanted people to, like, had their eyes open and just really know what they voting for. Like, candidate seems sweet. And it's like, it's not really that sweet when you dig into you, like, you're gonna see policies you don't agree with, you know what I'm saying? So I'm just trying to keep people safe and basically just open people's eyes. I would at the day, everybody got their own opinion too. Like, vote for who you want to vote for, love who you want to. You know, saying, boom, all that. But I was just making sure people are aware of everything. Like, so it's like, yeah, I agree with that.
- [32:37]
Charlamagne Tha God
Like, you shouldn't blindly vote for people,
- [32:38]
Swae Lee
right, Just because you think they sound like. But you know who you vote for?
- [32:41]
Charlamagne Tha God
You put, do not vote for Kamala.
- [32:43]
DJ Envy
That's what people assume that you were right.
- [32:45]
Swae Lee
Vote for Trump. Yeah, I get that. I get that. Like, if I could go back, I would probably reword it a little bit. I wouldn't even say it. I wouldn't even spoke about politics.
- [32:53]
DJ Envy
I just would have shitted on Delaware and the whole del.
- [32:59]
Swae Lee
Oh, yeah, for sure. I stayed on that.
- [33:02]
Angela Yee
Yeah, I'm from there.
- [33:03]
Swae Lee
Would you say Biden represents you?
- [33:05]
Angela Yee
He's one of the people. But I understand your comments that represent
- [33:08]
Swae Lee
Delaware, but He don't. He don't do good shit.
- [33:12]
Angela Yee
So I understand.
- [33:14]
Swae Lee
Really impactful shit.
- [33:15]
Angela Yee
People were saying the same thing about Biden. He was saying how he was upset that people were just letting Biden just like be asleep at the wheel.
- [33:21]
Swae Lee
Yeah. Cuz he control. He controlled by somebody.
- [33:22]
La Rose
He back.
- [33:23]
Swae Lee
He control.
- [33:24]
Angela Yee
I wasn't mad at you saying that
- [33:25]
Swae Lee
like he a puppet.
- [33:26]
Angela Yee
I didn't think that that was something you shouldn't have. I know you were trying to clear up the Kamala stuff when you said that, but I didn't think that that was bad.
- [33:31]
Swae Lee
Right. It was like people didn't like the delivery, but it was a positive message behind it, but it came out as a negative message. Like, I get it. Like, you know what I'm saying? But yeah, definitely. Like Biden, like, let's think about when he was in the office, that life was, you know what I'm saying? Like, he ain't really do nothing good for like, sleeping and you know what I'm saying, on dialysis down there. I'm like, you know what I'm saying? Like. But yeah, I ain't. You know what I'm saying? Yeah, yeah. Let me not get too deep into that.
- [34:01]
Charlamagne Tha God
I do want to know how much they offer because there's a lot of people we know that the Trump campaign paid, I think.
- [34:05]
Swae Lee
Yeah, one time. One time was like 90 bands just to come perform or some like, wow, you know what I'm saying? But all money ain't good, and it's not good money, and I don't support that, you know what I'm saying? And I ain't want people to think it's gonna, like, I'm supporting. Oh, he's a Trump supporter. Nah, I got things, you know what I'm saying? I would do differently, you know what I'm saying? Like, that really me up when he like, taking the. Taking a slave out the curriculum and all that. It's like, it's like a lot of things. But yeah, I'm just somebody who do my research.
- [34:31]
Charlamagne Tha God
How do we know you ain't take that money to post that Kamala tweet?
- [34:36]
Swae Lee
Because you would have seen me with a MAGA hat on too.
- [34:38]
Charlamagne Tha God
They wanted you to wear the hat. That was part of it.
- [34:40]
Swae Lee
I mean, you know, that would have been part of the contract. Yeah, yeah. And on Tuesday, post with the MAGA hat, you know what I'm saying? Like, it's just. You don't see me doing that, you know what I'm saying? Like, you don't see me, you Would have seen me actively with. At the White House with Trump performing. Yeah. You know what I'm saying? Shaking hands and you know what I'm saying? I don't agree with no politician, you know what I'm saying? I'm waiting for a real politician that's gonna make some real, actual change in our life, you know what I'm saying? Not just somebody gonna smile and make it look good, you know what I'm saying?
- [35:07]
Charlamagne Tha God
Do y' all still perform up like Trump?
- [35:09]
Swae Lee
Nah, I don't even perform it now. It's crazy. It's crazy. I can't even perform it. It's like, it's too political. And it's like I might have been the reason bro ran for president. Like, I made that song before he was even, you know what I'm saying? He might have heard that shit and just, I can do this, you know what I'm saying? Up like Trump. Yeah. But now I don't perform that at all. What you about to say was the
- [35:36]
Angela Yee
performance offer that you got for the 90, 000, was that the inauguration or was that for something else?
- [35:40]
Swae Lee
It was like one for the inauguration, I think, like one for when he made it or like when he was just running around the country still campaigning.
- [35:47]
Angela Yee
So the second one had to be out of here if the first one was 90 facts.
- [35:51]
Swae Lee
I ain't even really looking too. I just. I know I couldn't do it. I'm just like, I'm not doing that.
- [35:56]
La Rose
He's really good kid.
- [35:59]
Swae Lee
Really good kid. Love that swag.
- [36:03]
Charlamagne Tha God
No type is my type.
- [36:05]
Swae Lee
No type is my type.
- [36:07]
DJ Envy
You know, I wanted to ask, when you came up here a long time ago, you talked about the woman that left you for a truck driver before you blew up.
- [36:14]
La Rose
Damn.
- [36:14]
Swae Lee
Do you.
- [36:15]
DJ Envy
Does she ever reach out back out to you? Do you ever?
- [36:17]
Swae Lee
Hell, see, man, this what I learned from that, bro. I should have finished that story. Like, think I'm just like, SAP ass girl left him for a truck n. I wasn't even. It's like, this is like, let me, let me. Yeah, this is like I'm a 9th grade working at McDonald's.
- [36:34]
Charlamagne Tha God
Jeff's husband is a truck driver.
- [36:35]
La Rose
First of all, that's good money.
- [36:37]
Swae Lee
I a say 12.
- [36:38]
DJ Envy
That's great money.
- [36:39]
Swae Lee
Bring him in here.
- [36:40]
La Rose
Go ahead now.
- [36:41]
Swae Lee
Damn.
- [36:43]
La Rose
Yeah, he is a truck driver. Yes, he is.
- [36:44]
Charlamagne Tha God
And he Mexican and black. And black. He hates that you supported Trump.
- [36:49]
La Rose
What?
- [36:49]
Swae Lee
I. I ain't support Trump though.
- [36:51]
Charlamagne Tha God
His name.
- [36:51]
Swae Lee
He did not say. Yeah, I ain't support Trump. I ain't support nobody anyway. Oh, it's some high school. Boom. I'm with this little John. She a vibe like, boom. My high school crush, Boom. Bad little John. She, like two grades older than me. Boom. She about to graduate, like, a year or two. Bagged her. Boom. I'm walking over to the crib, right? They bonus my little shorty. Yeah. I'm working at McDonald's. I got an apartment. No furniture in the. I'm paying for the bills. All my money going today. I got light bills, 15. Me and my brother. You know what I'm saying? So I'm going to school. So he did some high school, like Shy.
- [37:31]
Charlamagne Tha God
Boom.
- [37:31]
Swae Lee
Yes. She broke up with me. Boom. Boyfriend out of. Out of high school. Boom. He got them driving trucks. He getting good money, 12 bands. I'm getting minimum wage. Whatever. Boom. Broke up with her. Shy. Got them two, three weeks later. Goddamn. Sway, I miss you driving the car over to my.
- [37:52]
La Rose
Wow.
- [37:52]
Swae Lee
To my crib with no furniture. Parking her his at my. You know, I'm driving his to the grocery store, you know, saying, still cracking shot. You know, that's my. It's my. She miss a real. You know what I'm saying? But I ain't even want her back at that point. It's just like. But that's another story. I shouldn't even told that. Took that and just be posting it every week all the time. Sway. Girlfriend leaving for a truck driver. I'm like, man, that lame as hell.
- [38:14]
La Rose
She still hit you?
- [38:16]
Swae Lee
She still hit me up for sure. She knows. She knows that, but shot it cool. She taught me a lies. I learned a lot from that.
- [38:23]
La Rose
Yeah.
- [38:23]
Charlamagne Tha God
Did it ever make you want to go get your cdl?
- [38:26]
Swae Lee
That. That, man, that made me go to Atlanta. Like, I really ain't had nothing to come back to Mississippi for. Like, I moved to Atlanta locked in for, like, two years and ended up, like, blowing up, too. Like, so it's like, all that was, like, written. That was my story. Yeah, I'm glad she left. You know what I'm saying? Hell, yeah. I would have been locked in, too. Locked in. Glad shawty left me earlier. I'm boom. Ain't got nothing to stay in. Missing before hit the road. You know what I'm saying?
- [38:54]
Charlamagne Tha God
What's been the hardest part about, like, maintaining relevance in this era? Because, you know, everybody. Attention span short. Like, the fact that people even still care about y' all after all of this time says a lot.
- [39:05]
Swae Lee
It says a lot. For sure. For sure. And I. I'm. I'm very grateful, you Know what I'm saying? I'm grateful blessed because I didn't seen it happen a lot of times. Like, gone here today, gone tomorrow. For real. Got they six months, you know what I'm saying? Six months hit. I think it's just niggas blessed, you know what I'm saying? Like, all the songs age well with people. Even, like, the research of 2016 against and everybody playing the music again, it's like. Like really playing the music, all the old shit, you know what I'm saying? And I think it's like, I was lucky enough to get those. Those songs that really connected with people. Like, like them. Them unforgettables. Them sunflowers. Like them black Beatles. Yeah, like them. Yeah. You know what I'm saying? They really grew up with people. So I think it's that and just staying active, you know what I'm saying? Staying cooking up, not getting comfortable. For sure.
- [39:55]
Angela Yee
Y' all do good, really good business deals, too. Like collaborations, like Chipotle.
- [39:59]
Swae Lee
Oh, yeah. Oh, yeah.
- [40:01]
Angela Yee
On the business side, is that you guys like, hey, we want to do brand stuff, or is the label or somebody bringing it to you?
- [40:06]
Swae Lee
Definitely. I'm on that. Like, I'm on. I'm trying to be, like, on my Walmart, you know what I'm saying? Like, still. Still turn. Still doing cool. But I'm trying to. With yeah. The Walmarts, and you know what I'm saying? All these type of brand. Yeah, that's what's up.
- [40:21]
Charlamagne Tha God
What was one lesson you learned the hard way in the music industry?
- [40:25]
Swae Lee
Don't speak on certain. I can't tell. I mean, they want to kill you if you have. If you have an opinion these days. It's crazy.
- [40:35]
Charlamagne Tha God
Yeah.
- [40:36]
Swae Lee
But yeah, just. Just don't even say it. Don't even type it. Turn your ex off. Turn your Twitter off.
- [40:46]
Charlamagne Tha God
Put in the music.
- [40:47]
Swae Lee
Yeah, put in the music.
- [40:48]
Charlamagne Tha God
Put in the music.
- [40:49]
Swae Lee
I'll make a song. Do your research.
- [40:53]
DJ Envy
The solo album is out today.
- [40:55]
Charlamagne Tha God
Yes, indeed.
- [40:55]
DJ Envy
What you want to hear after album, what you want to play?
- [40:59]
Swae Lee
Play that Suitcase with French Montana.
- [41:01]
DJ Envy
All right. Suitcase featuring French Montana is Suede Lee. Ladies and gentlemen, games the Breakfast Club. Good morning.
- [41:10]
Swae Lee
Why you think I'm still gonna be mad, though?
- [41:14]
Charlamagne Tha God
Because it's such a sensitive topic. Just because Trump in the office right now doing so horrible.
- [41:18]
Swae Lee
Yeah, so I just told him I don't with Trump, though.
- [41:21]
Charlamagne Tha God
Yeah, but they feel like you holy record.
- [41:24]
Swae Lee
I'm the reason why Trump is. Yes. All right, hold on. They feel like I'm one of the reasons why he's in office.
- [41:29]
Charlamagne Tha God
Hold on.
- [41:29]
Swae Lee
You ready?
- [41:31]
Charlamagne Tha God
They still going to be mad at you, though, Sway Lee, because they feel like you're responsible for getting Trump in office. Because you literally told a generation of people not to vote for Trump, even though that's a lot of responsibility to put on one person.
- [41:41]
Swae Lee
Y' all say, damn, they only listen to me for political advice.
- [41:44]
Charlamagne Tha God
You said, do not vote for Kamala.
- [41:46]
Swae Lee
Yeah. At the time. You know what I'm saying? I disagree with it, but I definitely will retract that statement.
- [41:54]
Charlamagne Tha God
Too late now. He in office.
- [41:56]
Swae Lee
Trump is in office three years, but I didn't really.
- [41:59]
La Rose
Because of Sway Lee.
- [42:00]
Swae Lee
Yeah, people not taking my political advice, you know what I'm saying? It's like, that's just my opinion, you know what I'm saying? Like, at the time, it's like, they still gonna vote for who they saw fit, you know what I'm saying? So I hope they still went to the polls and just did exactly what they wanted to do. Like, that was just. I was just, like, seeing some. That just, like, rubbed me the wrong way. Not invoke. I know, who could I vote for?
- [42:28]
Angela Yee
So what policies have.
- [42:29]
Swae Lee
I'm not voting for Trump.
- [42:30]
Angela Yee
That you didn't vote. That you got on Twitter, like, what was it? And you didn't.
- [42:34]
Swae Lee
That just had me all up. Like, damn, like, why? We got shitty candidates like, that had me up like that. Like, I'm just like, I don't want the blue pill or the red pill. You know what I'm saying? So that was me personally. But, yeah, everybody can do what they want to do. Like, have your own opinion. Whatever you like, go for it. You know what I'm saying? Like, me personally, I'm just. I was just seeing too much. I'm just like, damn, bro, I don't agree with either one of these people. You know what I'm saying? So.
- [43:02]
Charlamagne Tha God
But did you talk to anybody? Like, did you talk to anybody, you know, that actually has knowledge of politics that you could have said, yo, man, tell me why I should vote for Kamala, or tell me why I should vote for Trump or tell me why I shouldn't vote for Kamala?
- [43:14]
Swae Lee
That would have probably been a good conversation, but I just. I just started doing my own research. Like, just looking. Just Googling. Yeah, Googling. Not Googling.
- [43:22]
Charlamagne Tha God
Google.
- [43:22]
Swae Lee
Yeah, actual, like, policies.
- [43:25]
Charlamagne Tha God
What policies upset you?
- [43:28]
Swae Lee
It's gonna upset people if I even say it. Say it. And. And it's looking into it. It could have been propaganda, you know what I'm saying? So that's what I'm saying. Like, I wouldn't even. Like going back. I wouldn't even spoke on that, you know what I'm saying? But.
- [43:41]
Charlamagne Tha God
But you can definitely.
- [43:42]
Swae Lee
It's no better now. Like, what was going on right now is like. It's fucked up, you know what I'm saying? In all type of different ways, you know what I'm saying? So that's why. You know what I'm saying? I never even stood with BRO Either. I never expressed my solidarity with Bruh Either. Trump either, you know what I'm saying?
- [43:59]
Charlamagne Tha God
But you know what's so ill? A lot of the things that's happening now, if you listen to Kamala, when she was the vice president and she was running, she told us exactly what was going to happen. She told us exactly what Trump was going to do when he got in office and he's doing it.
- [44:14]
Swae Lee
She said that.
- [44:15]
Charlamagne Tha God
Yes. There's. There's montages of literally her explaining everything, like, you know, from. I mean. I mean, literally everything from legislation to, you know, the wars, everything. Like, she's explained it all.
- [44:29]
Swae Lee
No, I feel that's. That's real. That's real. I don't really. No, Yeah. I don't really.
- [44:38]
Charlamagne Tha God
You don't know what you was talking about.
- [44:39]
Swae Lee
I gotta do more. I'm gonna do research. Like, more researching.
- [44:43]
Charlamagne Tha God
Next time. Yeah, next time. You're just not even gonna post about it?
- [44:46]
Swae Lee
Not even gonna talk about.
- [44:47]
Charlamagne Tha God
You notice the midterms coming up this year?
- [44:49]
Swae Lee
You're gonna see me actively campaigning in the streets. I might run for president.
- [44:55]
Charlamagne Tha God
Who you campaigning for
- [44:59]
Swae Lee
but Democrats? Republicans.
- [45:01]
Charlamagne Tha God
Yeah. I don't know. I'm not telling you to pick a side. I'm just saying, like, you know, all I would say is next time, just talk to somebody that.
- [45:07]
Swae Lee
Yeah.
- [45:07]
Charlamagne Tha God
Actually knows what they're talking.
- [45:08]
Swae Lee
That knows. Yeah.
- [45:09]
Charlamagne Tha God
That can tell you, you know, why you should be voting for this person or why you shouldn't be voting back.
- [45:14]
Swae Lee
Statements. Yeah. Like, real, actual facts.
- [45:16]
Charlamagne Tha God
Like, because there's so much misinformation online.
- [45:17]
Swae Lee
Right, right. And it could have been misinformation I was seeing. That's why I'm like. You know what I'm saying? I probably shouldn't have spoke on it, for sure.
- [45:23]
Charlamagne Tha God
And the only thing you can do now is, you know, if you feel like you want to apologize, apologize and just, you know, do better next time. But everybody gonna be like, nah, man, you might have cost us democracy.
- [45:34]
Swae Lee
No, not me. Not me. I'm not the. That's at these rallies. You know what I'm saying performing and doing all this, I'm just a. That told people, open your eyes, do your research, and make an educated vote. That's what, that's basically what I'm saying.
- [45:48]
Charlamagne Tha God
But you didn't even make an educated tweet.
- [45:50]
Swae Lee
I did.
- [45:52]
Charlamagne Tha God
No, you didn't. You said, you said you didn't know what was really going on. You said that you got information that probably was propaganda.
- [45:56]
Swae Lee
It could. I said it could have been propaganda, but it could have been true as well. But I don't want to speak on it because it's a sensitive topic.
- [46:02]
Angela Yee
I mean, we here now.
- [46:03]
Charlamagne Tha God
Yeah.
- [46:03]
Angela Yee
You record as a D.A. was that it? People were pushing this whole narrative around her record at when she was a DA in California. Was it that?
- [46:11]
Swae Lee
Oh, it was like all the, like, laws that basically, like, oppress black people, like, laws against black people, like the weed, all that. It was just like, hella, I was just seeing and just endorsing Tim Watts is just like.
- [46:23]
Charlamagne Tha God
You didn't like Tim Wall?
- [46:25]
Swae Lee
Hell no, I didn't like him. Yeah, I got kids.
- [46:27]
Charlamagne Tha God
I like him as a person, but I got kids.
- [46:29]
Swae Lee
And so I'm just like. I don't like certain being pushed on them, you know what I'm saying?
- [46:33]
Charlamagne Tha God
Like what. I know what it is.
- [46:39]
Swae Lee
Yeah. He get it. We had a telepathy moment. Yeah, I know. Yeah.
- [46:42]
Charlamagne Tha God
Yeah, you too.
- [46:43]
Swae Lee
And I ain't getting that, but I don't want that around kid. My kids.
- [46:46]
Charlamagne Tha God
I'm just telling you, there's no winning.
- [46:49]
Swae Lee
There's no winning. That's what I'm saying. I don't even, like, that's why I'm saying, just everybody had their own opinion. Don't be mad at me. I'm just telling people, open your eyes, look into stuff, you know, Even me, I can't open my eyes looking at stuff. I'm not against it, like.
- [47:02]
Charlamagne Tha God
But they gonna say you didn't open your eyes and look.
- [47:04]
Swae Lee
They gonna say that. They're gonna say that for sure. For sure. And that's their opinion. And I, I, I'm, I don't want to kill them for that, you know what I'm saying? You know what I'm saying? I'm open to have any conversation, you know, I'm saying I can be persuaded, you know what I'm saying? I'm a man, I'm a person that love information, you know what I'm saying? So definitely open my eyes. I can see things, like, different ways, you know what I'm saying? Like, show me the facts. My eyes can be open, too, you know what I'm saying? Like, at the time, though, that's just how I was feeling. Boom. You know what I'm saying? I ain't. I'm with the people. I want positive change for the people. I'm standing with the people, you know what I'm saying? Like, I want them to get a sense of relief. That's. That's what I'm just searching for, you know? Saying, like, send a billion dollars to another country, like that just pissed me off, you know what I'm saying? Like, when I go to my city, my city, I grew up in the slums. Like, it's dare to need this billion dollars, you know what I'm saying? So, you know, Sam, I want the exact same people. I want the exact same thing the average American wants, you know what I'm saying?
- [48:07]
Charlamagne Tha God
All right, tell us about this record you wrote for Chili featuring Nicki Minaj.
- [48:11]
Swae Lee
Yo, which one?
- [48:12]
Charlamagne Tha God
Oh, I thought you wrote a record.
- [48:15]
DJ Envy
You do that chilling Nicki Minaj.
- [48:17]
Charlamagne Tha God
Which one?
- [48:17]
Swae Lee
Ray J. The hell is that?
- [48:20]
Charlamagne Tha God
Don't worry about it. All right.
- [48:23]
Swae Lee
April Fool's. Like April Fool's,
- [48:27]
Charlamagne Tha God
ladies and gentlemen.
- [48:28]
Swae Lee
Oh, boy. Hell you talking about? That Republican song.
- [48:39]
Charlamagne Tha God
Every day I wake up. Wake your ass up.
- [48:44]
Angela Yee
This is an I heart podcast. Guaranteed human.