In this episode of Kingdom Building Conversations, Holy Culture CEO, James Rosseau Sr. AKA Trig welcomes Alex Jean, a successful Christian hip hop musician, to discuss his journey in the music industry. Alex shares his background in music, his transition into Christian hip hop, which he felt was a calling from God, his recent marriage, the significance of maintaining a spiritual foundation, and his aspirations for the future.
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[00:00:06] I got a brother in the house who's been making a lot of noise, okay, on Spotify alone. This brother has a catalog that's over 70 million streams. And if you assume Spotify is about one third of the streaming market, that means he's well over 200 million overall. He is killing it in a number of different ways. I love the transparency of his communications, the storytelling, the transparency, having a wife with him as he does on social. So this is what he does. This is how he showed up, okay?
[00:00:36] So if you don't know who I'm talking about, this brother's name is Alex Jean. He's in the building.
[00:00:42] Hey, what's good?
[00:00:43] What's good, brother?
[00:00:44] Appreciate the intro.
[00:00:46] Oh yeah, for sure. How you enjoying the East Coast?
[00:00:48] It's good. Food good. Hotels nice. Everything's smooth.
[00:00:52] You know, you started with the food. That's always interesting. So what did you have?
[00:00:56] We went to, what's it called? It's called Top 3, I think, right? Three times, bro. We had Chinese food at three times. It was smack.
[00:01:03] Is that New York? Yeah. What part? Times Square. Times Square. Okay, I've never been there. Okay.
[00:01:08] Did y'all get some Dallas BBQ? Why y'all was over there? No. We hit the art, though.
[00:01:12] Yeah, we had a chopped cheese hit the art. Okay, but y'all going back up. Tomorrow, Dallas BBQ.
[00:01:18] Yeah. Dallas BBQ. Barbecue.
[00:01:21] All right. So barbecue chicken. Seafood. If you like tempura, tempura covering vegetables, covering shrimp, covering chicken.
[00:01:29] I'm a big tempura dude. Okay, where are you?
[00:01:31] I'm trying to get off of carbs, but it's- You hit a lot of Asian food, too?
[00:01:35] Oh, yeah. Oh, yeah. No doubt. No doubt. No doubt. So tell me, man, what's the journey been like so far?
[00:01:43] Man, it depends when, from when you sang.
[00:01:46] Well, when did you get into music? Because one of the things I saw was a picture of you with a guitar.
[00:01:50] So I know you've been at this- A minute.
[00:01:52] For a minute. Yeah. So I ain't been rapping for that long, but at least putting out music for that long.
[00:01:57] But I've been a musician my whole life. Your whole life?
[00:01:59] Yeah, dang near my whole life, bro. Since I was 11 years old.
[00:02:03] That's dope. Not 10. 10 years old.
[00:02:04] Now, your father who was a musician?
[00:02:07] Yeah, my dad's a pianowist. Okay. Okay.
[00:02:09] Yeah, he a popular pianowist all around Orlando, Florida and things.
[00:02:12] Okay.
[00:02:13] I rocked with him with my little guitar as a kid and just played everywhere he was.
[00:02:17] How'd you transition into Christian hip-hop?
[00:02:19] It was really God. Like, I can't really explain it as nothing else. It was like one day, like, I didn't even like rap, to be honest with you.
[00:02:28] Like, I was listening to everything but rap. I was listening to dubstep. I was listening to classical music because I was a musician, jazz, all that.
[00:02:36] And then one day, I was like, hey, bro, rap though. I was like, huh? For real?
[00:02:42] But he put the passion in me. And since then, that was like in middle high school. I just started writing, writing, writing. And then 2023, yeah, 2020. No, 2022, I started putting music out.
[00:02:57] So you were already saved when you felt that.
[00:02:59] Yeah.
[00:03:00] When did you come to the Lord?
[00:03:01] I grew up in church.
[00:03:02] Grew up in church.
[00:03:03] Yeah, I grew up in church, family, all that. Like, whole family on both sides is super, like, church-oriented. You know what I'm saying?
[00:03:11] So it was second nature.
[00:03:13] So when did y'all get married?
[00:03:14] Last December? So this is fresh?
[00:03:16] Yeah, it's real fresh.
[00:03:16] December 23?
[00:03:17] Yeah, yeah.
[00:03:17] I love this.
[00:03:18] Yeah, appreciate it.
[00:03:19] Appreciate it.
[00:03:19] I love this.
[00:03:20] I love this.
[00:03:21] Real motion, all motion.
[00:03:22] Oh, I love this.
[00:03:23] Man, listen, I love new marriages. My wife and I will be celebrating 28 this year.
[00:03:28] For real, congrats, bro.
[00:03:29] 28, brother.
[00:03:31] 28.
[00:03:31] Trying to get like that.
[00:03:31] I can share.
[00:03:32] I can share, bro.
[00:03:34] All right?
[00:03:34] And like we say, man, finding a good wife, he finds a good thing.
[00:03:38] Yeah, good life, bro.
[00:03:39] Bro, I can testify.
[00:03:40] Real talk.
[00:03:41] Be vibes.
[00:03:43] So 22 you started doing this?
[00:03:45] Yeah, 22 started putting this.
[00:03:46] 22.
[00:03:47] So I've seen in your catalog, I want to say about 35 songs.
[00:03:51] And that's at least what I could see.
[00:03:53] Yeah.
[00:03:53] In almost every song.
[00:03:56] There's a lot of not seeing it, right?
[00:03:58] Yeah.
[00:03:59] Yeah, yeah.
[00:03:59] What am I not seeing it?
[00:04:00] How many more?
[00:04:00] No, no, no.
[00:04:01] You're right.
[00:04:01] You're right.
[00:04:02] Dang near every song was last year.
[00:04:04] You're right.
[00:04:04] Because I did see the first date was like 22.
[00:04:07] Yeah.
[00:04:08] End of 22.
[00:04:09] Yeah.
[00:04:09] So you've done 35 songs over like 18 months.
[00:04:13] Basically.
[00:04:13] Basically.
[00:04:14] That's crazy when you put it like that.
[00:04:16] Yeah.
[00:04:16] That is.
[00:04:17] Right?
[00:04:18] Because that means that's, I mean, literally two songs a month.
[00:04:20] A Spotify algorithm rate.
[00:04:22] Like that.
[00:04:23] Every six weeks.
[00:04:24] Is it all?
[00:04:25] And they have been, I mean, statistically, bro, there have not been any misses.
[00:04:29] Right.
[00:04:30] Thank you.
[00:04:30] So, which begs the question of how.
[00:04:34] How do you explain that, bro, from song one?
[00:04:39] Right.
[00:04:39] Just bangers.
[00:04:41] I would say it's the musicianship.
[00:04:44] Like it was cultivated for years already.
[00:04:46] So like hopping in the studio, learning how to make beats, doing all that wasn't hard.
[00:04:50] Yeah.
[00:04:51] Because I was into music already.
[00:04:52] So the moment I step in the studio, I already know what I want.
[00:04:56] I just got to draw it out.
[00:04:58] You know what I'm saying?
[00:04:58] Got it.
[00:04:59] So going through that motion, really last year locked in with it though.
[00:05:03] Mm-hmm.
[00:05:04] Last year I had the formula down.
[00:05:06] So I said, mm-hmm.
[00:05:07] Just started going crazy with it.
[00:05:09] Gotcha.
[00:05:09] Yeah.
[00:05:09] It was kind of like, I've been doing it for so long already.
[00:05:13] I know what I want.
[00:05:13] I know I want to make great things.
[00:05:15] So it was like y'all getting like years, dang near a decade of intentional music crafting.
[00:05:23] You know what I'm saying?
[00:05:23] And I'm still in that mode.
[00:05:24] And you started as a musician.
[00:05:26] Yeah.
[00:05:26] And so you can, when you're going in, you have like a full mindset of how you want the output to sound.
[00:05:33] And not just, what's the word I'm looking for?
[00:05:35] You're not just dreaming it and kind of thinking about it.
[00:05:37] You can see it and direct it.
[00:05:39] Yeah, yeah.
[00:05:40] Because there's times like we'll play for dope artists, dope gospel artists like Fred Hammond.
[00:05:45] Yeah.
[00:05:45] Or other artists like Kiki Wyatt.
[00:05:47] And you have to learn your part.
[00:05:50] Yeah.
[00:05:50] But also if you really want to be great, you could figure out the other musicians' parts and how it all comes together.
[00:05:56] Yeah.
[00:05:57] And then that makes how you play it even better.
[00:05:59] Yeah.
[00:06:00] And if you also know, because I was a guitarist, and what a guitarist does is they complement the structure of everything.
[00:06:07] So if you can make little things better by knowing everybody else's spot, you can make the whole thing sound amazing.
[00:06:15] Yeah.
[00:06:15] So from that understanding, it was easy to, okay, 808, this, that, this, that.
[00:06:19] I know how to complement the whole thing to make the beat sound amazing on top of my voice.
[00:06:23] Are you producing as well?
[00:06:25] Yeah.
[00:06:25] So you don't have any other producers working with you?
[00:06:29] As of now, yeah, finally.
[00:06:31] Now that you're with Aliens, we're going to come to that.
[00:06:34] Yeah, we're going to come to that.
[00:06:35] Yeah, all right.
[00:06:36] So, okay, so earlier when you were starting to record, I mean, it's almost like, man, this pent-up emotion, this pent-up expertise and whatnot,
[00:06:45] you go into the studio, you start laying tracks, it's hyper-natural for you.
[00:06:49] Sure.
[00:06:49] You start by yourself?
[00:06:50] Yeah, Dolo, career.
[00:06:53] I had worked with my dad all summer.
[00:06:55] He do electrical work.
[00:06:56] Uh-huh.
[00:06:56] I worked with him all summer to afford a computer, a MacBook.
[00:07:01] Then there, I got, like, you know, the focus right, I bought everything.
[00:07:04] Yeah, yeah.
[00:07:04] And I started watching YouTube videos on how to mix and master.
[00:07:07] Mm.
[00:07:07] And then I figured out at the crib, then we started going like that.
[00:07:10] Yeah.
[00:07:11] I mean, what I love about the story, too, I hope people take away is sometimes we think there's, like, overnight success.
[00:07:17] Like, people love thinking it's overnight, I see this, we get this clip, the highlight reel, and it's like, nah.
[00:07:23] So behind that.
[00:07:24] Yeah, yeah.
[00:07:25] It's never.
[00:07:26] It's never.
[00:07:27] It's never.
[00:07:27] But we need the stories told so people will get it, particularly for our younger folk.
[00:07:30] You know what I mean?
[00:07:31] So you're, like, 10 years of working on music.
[00:07:35] That's a dime.
[00:07:36] You surpassed the 10,000-hour rule, if you believe in the 10,000-hour rule.
[00:07:39] Did that first year, probably.
[00:07:41] You know what I mean?
[00:07:41] Like, that's just love for the heart.
[00:07:43] That's just love.
[00:07:44] That's dope.
[00:07:45] Yeah.
[00:07:45] So as you progressed through those 35 songs, did you start to do more collaboration?
[00:07:51] Like, obviously, you've got collaboration songs in terms of rapping.
[00:07:55] But musically, did you start to collaborate more or still kind of do it yourself?
[00:07:58] Still doing it myself, but not because I wanted to.
[00:08:01] But because I ain't really.
[00:08:03] I was still just meeting people in the industry and things like that.
[00:08:06] And I'm still getting more, like, integrated in there.
[00:08:08] So I didn't really know no producers I really locked in with like that.
[00:08:12] You know what I'm saying?
[00:08:13] They really go crazy at the moment.
[00:08:14] Yeah.
[00:08:15] That's good.
[00:08:16] That's good.
[00:08:16] When you look at this, again, when I say 35, 36 songs over, let's just say,
[00:08:25] estimating 200 million streams, most people would go, that's not a little successful.
[00:08:29] That's kind of crazy successful.
[00:08:31] It is.
[00:08:31] Actually, it is.
[00:08:32] That's kind of.
[00:08:32] How have y'all been soaking in that?
[00:08:36] I wish I had a mic for a listen because.
[00:08:38] Going to the beach.
[00:08:39] I got to speak for it.
[00:08:40] Okay.
[00:08:40] Going to the beach.
[00:08:41] Going shopping.
[00:08:42] Chilling with homies.
[00:08:44] Yeah, yeah.
[00:08:44] Going to Disney.
[00:08:45] Like, appreciating it.
[00:08:46] Yeah, yeah.
[00:08:47] I've seen some of the, I was watching the video when y'all went to the new church and
[00:08:51] meeting people and then playing the new Afrobeat song.
[00:08:54] I was watching her reaction to see, you know.
[00:08:56] I mean, y'all living.
[00:08:58] We vibe.
[00:08:59] Yeah.
[00:08:59] Look out.
[00:08:59] We having fun.
[00:09:00] It's a lot of work, though.
[00:09:01] Yeah.
[00:09:02] Behind the scenes.
[00:09:03] Yeah.
[00:09:03] It's like, the fun is what y'all see.
[00:09:05] Right, right, right.
[00:09:06] Right.
[00:09:07] Right.
[00:09:07] I sent the emails and I'm like, I don't know.
[00:09:09] Yeah, it's a lot of work.
[00:09:10] Yeah, it's a lot of work.
[00:09:11] Are you, how are you managing all of that?
[00:09:14] She managing that.
[00:09:15] She managing that.
[00:09:16] Uh-huh.
[00:09:16] She my wife still.
[00:09:17] She gonna help me manage.
[00:09:18] There you go.
[00:09:18] That's a great wife, bro.
[00:09:20] Love it.
[00:09:20] Love it.
[00:09:21] So, again, a lot of people will say, well, man, you're having tremendous indie success.
[00:09:26] What makes you then sign with a label?
[00:09:30] Because, like I was saying, so, the thing is about a lot of success fast, there's a lot
[00:09:38] of requirements.
[00:09:39] And then you have higher responsibility from-
[00:09:41] Talk about it.
[00:09:42] Every single last aspect of your life takes a 180.
[00:09:46] And it was like, especially last year, the crazy success, so much I had to manage, it
[00:09:53] wasn't humanly possible.
[00:09:54] Like, there wasn't enough hours in a day for 65 days straight, 165 days straight.
[00:09:59] And I was like, bro.
[00:10:01] You said 165 days?
[00:10:02] Oh, yeah, yeah.
[00:10:03] That was the hardest year I ever worked.
[00:10:05] So, what was happening in those 165 days?
[00:10:07] Label meetings.
[00:10:10] Creating the music.
[00:10:11] Meet with new people.
[00:10:12] Setting up new ideas.
[00:10:13] Making music videos.
[00:10:14] Writing the scripts for them.
[00:10:16] Writing the next songs.
[00:10:17] Making sure my relationship with God is straight.
[00:10:19] Setting, like, everything was organized to a T.
[00:10:22] Then you throw, like, doing your own shows on there.
[00:10:25] Then flying out to different places and certain meetings and meeting on the phone and emails.
[00:10:29] Right.
[00:10:29] Crazy.
[00:10:30] You know what I'm saying?
[00:10:30] And I know from reading the word that God loves great management.
[00:10:35] Like, we're called to manage things.
[00:10:37] If you want something to grow, you manage it great.
[00:10:39] The hard go is like, the one who manages little good can be able to do with much.
[00:10:45] That's right.
[00:10:45] That's a measurement thing.
[00:10:46] So, I'm like, bro.
[00:10:47] That's right.
[00:10:47] I can't have all this great stuff and then not be able to manage it.
[00:10:51] That's lame.
[00:10:52] You know what I'm saying?
[00:10:53] I'm better off getting a team, you know what I'm saying, to help me manage this stuff
[00:10:57] than taking places I can't ever imagine.
[00:10:59] When you first started, did you feel like you were headed this direction?
[00:11:06] Heck yeah.
[00:11:07] Heck yeah.
[00:11:07] I'm not going to care.
[00:11:08] I've been here since I was 11 years old, bro.
[00:11:10] Yeah.
[00:11:11] I'm not even, like, trying to flex or nothing, but, like, God let me know from a young age
[00:11:16] what my aunt looked like.
[00:11:17] Yeah.
[00:11:18] You know what I'm saying?
[00:11:19] So, I used to always tell my wife, like, I love this because it's not me getting to
[00:11:24] experience it.
[00:11:25] Because I already experienced it in my mind a thousand times.
[00:11:27] Sometimes it's letting people see what I've been seeing my whole life.
[00:11:31] Man, that's...
[00:11:32] It's so cool.
[00:11:33] That's good.
[00:11:34] So, if you think about that, man, it is really crazy when you think about 18 months.
[00:11:39] Like, at what point in those 18 months did you look up one day and go, I didn't expect
[00:11:43] all of this.
[00:11:43] I was going to...
[00:11:44] I'm just going to storytell, bring my gifts to the table, let the Lord use me.
[00:11:48] At what point did you go, oh my God, we had an inflection point.
[00:11:52] I got to get a team.
[00:11:53] Like, what was that realization?
[00:11:56] What was that realization moment?
[00:11:57] I did my own show.
[00:11:58] I did my own show last year.
[00:12:00] She laughing already.
[00:12:02] The craziest week of my life.
[00:12:06] It was back to back to back.
[00:12:09] Not only was, like, we're having crazy, like, even tragic stuff happen with the family side,
[00:12:16] my friend's side, the money side.
[00:12:19] I didn't get to do it.
[00:12:20] It was bad, bro.
[00:12:22] It was insane.
[00:12:24] After that, I sat down.
[00:12:26] I was exhausted.
[00:12:27] I was like, bro, I need a team, bro.
[00:12:29] I can't keep doing it.
[00:12:29] That's good.
[00:12:30] Yeah.
[00:12:31] There was, like, no rest periods.
[00:12:32] No rest periods.
[00:12:33] Yeah.
[00:12:34] I was like, all right, let me get this team together, bro.
[00:12:37] Now, I mean, you working with a legend, Rodney Jerkins, obviously.
[00:12:40] I mean...
[00:12:40] That boy Roderius, man.
[00:12:41] I mean, his resume speaks for itself.
[00:12:43] Yeah.
[00:12:43] Crazy, right?
[00:12:44] Everybody from Brandy to J-Lo to, I mean, his roster goes on and on.
[00:12:50] What's it been like so far?
[00:12:52] When did you join the label?
[00:12:54] When I joined the label?
[00:12:55] What was it?
[00:12:57] May.
[00:12:57] Yeah, May.
[00:12:58] Okay.
[00:12:58] In the end of May.
[00:12:59] And what's it been like so far?
[00:13:00] It goaded, bro.
[00:13:02] It go, bro.
[00:13:02] It's like, whatever you need, bro, they're with you.
[00:13:07] Yeah.
[00:13:07] You know what I'm saying?
[00:13:08] So it's either they got it or we're going to go together.
[00:13:10] It's like a family.
[00:13:12] You feel what I'm saying?
[00:13:12] That's good.
[00:13:12] And it feels amazing because you get to bounce whatever your ideas are.
[00:13:18] If I'm like, yo, I want to build a rocket tomorrow, they'll be like, these are the people we need
[00:13:23] to make it happen.
[00:13:24] You know what I'm saying?
[00:13:25] And what do you think that rocket should look like?
[00:13:27] You know what I'm saying?
[00:13:28] Like, they're willing to build ideas with you.
[00:13:30] That's good.
[00:13:31] For example, like, I started doing this Afro stuff, right?
[00:13:34] I said, okay, I want to make some Afro music.
[00:13:36] And I sent it to Rodney.
[00:13:38] Next day, he sent me the song with Africans singing the vocals from Africa, a choir.
[00:13:46] I was like, what?
[00:13:47] See, that's access.
[00:13:50] Rodney's access is ridiculous.
[00:13:52] I was like, nah.
[00:13:53] Yeah, yeah.
[00:13:54] How do you know them first of all?
[00:13:55] Hey, listen.
[00:13:56] Public service announcement for everybody looking for a label.
[00:13:58] Not every label can do that.
[00:14:00] Okay?
[00:14:00] I just want everybody to be clear.
[00:14:01] I don't think when you sign with Sid and D label tomorrow, they can pull that off.
[00:14:05] That is crazy access.
[00:14:07] He has, man.
[00:14:07] They got my head in motion, bro.
[00:14:08] So stuff like that, I just love it.
[00:14:10] That is beautiful.
[00:14:11] Yeah.
[00:14:12] How has the business part been settling in with you?
[00:14:15] Like, you're full-time now.
[00:14:17] Yeah.
[00:14:18] When did you go full-time music?
[00:14:20] I went full-time before I had the money.
[00:14:23] Yeah, since the first song, January 1st, 2022.
[00:14:27] I said, all or nothing.
[00:14:28] I was surviving off dollar store gift cards I got for my birthday.
[00:14:32] And then whatever else, I'll do a little guitar games.
[00:14:35] You just took Polar Air Plunge.
[00:14:36] You said, I'm doing it.
[00:14:37] I'm jumping it.
[00:14:37] Yeah, yeah.
[00:14:38] I need all the miles to go to it.
[00:14:39] What?
[00:14:41] What drove that level of conviction to jump in like that?
[00:14:44] Had it since I was a kid, bro.
[00:14:45] Ted, like, I just knew.
[00:14:48] And somebody told me, my homie, I think it was Kayla, Kayla Gordon.
[00:14:51] Mm-hmm.
[00:14:52] He told me, he was like, bro, I was with him the year he first blew up, too, 2021.
[00:15:00] We was vibed up.
[00:15:01] I just ain't dropped no music.
[00:15:02] Yeah.
[00:15:02] And then he was like, yeah, bro.
[00:15:05] Oh, I don't know if you want me to say this or not.
[00:15:07] But at the end of that year, he showed me, bro, this is how much I made that year.
[00:15:13] I was like, people can make this from music?
[00:15:16] You said, I can do that.
[00:15:17] I can live with that.
[00:15:17] Yeah, yeah, yeah.
[00:15:17] I can live with that.
[00:15:18] And then I heard a quote that was like, if you go really hard for one year, it can set
[00:15:24] the rest of your life.
[00:15:25] So, like, after seeing them two things, I was like, let's go.
[00:15:28] You saw some evidence.
[00:15:29] Okay.
[00:15:30] Ah.
[00:15:31] Quote or quote, Kayla song.
[00:15:32] Evidence.
[00:15:33] I didn't even hear that.
[00:15:34] That wasn't even on purpose.
[00:15:35] Okay.
[00:15:35] Okay.
[00:15:36] Okay.
[00:15:36] That's dope.
[00:15:37] Okay.
[00:15:37] So, you take the pull of it.
[00:15:38] What did your dad say, having been a musician, when you told him you were taking the plunge like
[00:15:43] that?
[00:15:44] Bro, until last year, he kept trying to get me a job.
[00:15:48] Even when I was making it.
[00:15:50] Really?
[00:15:50] Even when we was straight.
[00:15:51] And you showing him checks.
[00:15:52] He still.
[00:15:52] No, I wasn't showing him.
[00:15:53] You weren't showing him.
[00:15:53] Okay.
[00:15:53] You ain't showing him anything.
[00:15:54] I didn't want to pay no bills yet, for real.
[00:15:56] I was at that man's house, bro.
[00:15:58] Yeah.
[00:15:59] But I was like, no, it's great.
[00:16:00] It's great.
[00:16:00] It's great.
[00:16:01] I think after I got married, and then he saw how well I managed everything, and
[00:16:05] that we weren't, that everything was good.
[00:16:07] He was like, oh, you good, for real.
[00:16:09] Yeah.
[00:16:09] You know what I'm saying?
[00:16:10] Yeah.
[00:16:11] That's when it clicked for him.
[00:16:12] What, again, I saw y'all, and you mentioned this earlier, like, dealing with all the things,
[00:16:17] right?
[00:16:17] So writing, composing, producing, mixing, being involved in the mastering process, getting
[00:16:24] on the road, doing shows, your shows, all that, right?
[00:16:28] Responding to PR, being out at radio stations, all that.
[00:16:31] But also keeping your spiritual man fed.
[00:16:35] And, you know, I saw y'all recently finding a new church.
[00:16:38] What initiated you moving churches, if I can ask?
[00:16:42] If that's too personal, feel free to.
[00:16:43] Yeah, yeah.
[00:16:44] I'll say, because I don't want to, like, shoot no shots at my past church.
[00:16:49] You know what I'm saying?
[00:16:50] Sure, sure.
[00:16:51] But I don't know.
[00:16:53] Like, we personally felt that things that should be focused on weren't being prioritized.
[00:17:01] You know, and then we decided, like, okay, we want to, because we weren't feeling fed personally
[00:17:08] with how much was coming in our lives.
[00:17:10] And we're not the ones to be like, all right, if it's not going to work, slide.
[00:17:14] Like, that's not cool to me.
[00:17:16] It's like a, okay, these are my people, this relationship.
[00:17:18] Like, you really only slide if it's really, really, like, it's just not going to work out.
[00:17:24] Right.
[00:17:24] You know, I wish the best of them.
[00:17:25] We still pray for them all the time.
[00:17:27] Sure.
[00:17:27] And things like that.
[00:17:28] But it just wouldn't work out for us.
[00:17:30] So we still on the look.
[00:17:31] You know what I'm saying?
[00:17:32] We love, we love Transformation Church, though.
[00:17:34] Yeah.
[00:17:34] Bro, if we could fly there every Sunday, we would.
[00:17:38] Yeah.
[00:17:39] Because Mike Todd is such a great guy.
[00:17:40] We love their vision and how they're moving and stuff.
[00:17:44] Yeah.
[00:17:45] Yeah.
[00:17:45] But sometimes it's time to move, right?
[00:17:46] I mean, whether it's milk or meat, question, problem, you've grown and it's time for, you know, different, you know, new seasons.
[00:17:54] Sometimes it's time for move.
[00:17:55] Yeah.
[00:17:55] Now everything is meant to last forever.
[00:17:57] Yeah.
[00:17:57] No doubt.
[00:17:58] I feel like that's something that should be.
[00:17:59] I love the term seasons because I think they give you permission.
[00:18:03] Right.
[00:18:04] Some time to realize it's time to transition from one thing to the other.
[00:18:07] And that doesn't mean that that thing was bad.
[00:18:09] It's just the end of that season.
[00:18:11] Right.
[00:18:11] Right.
[00:18:11] You can't take what's in your last season and your new season.
[00:18:14] No, sir.
[00:18:14] Because it's going to mess up your new season.
[00:18:16] It's going to mess up your new season.
[00:18:18] So when people, have you experienced this where, I mean, you've got a unique trajectory, again, over a short period of time.
[00:18:26] You also have a unique voice.
[00:18:27] I'm sure you hear that.
[00:18:28] Every day.
[00:18:29] Did you say every day?
[00:18:30] Oh, yeah.
[00:18:30] Every day.
[00:18:31] Every phone call.
[00:18:32] It's like.
[00:18:32] Yeah.
[00:18:32] First time I heard one of these songs.
[00:18:34] Who is this dude?
[00:18:35] I was like, who is this dude?
[00:18:38] And my wife would tell you, I was walking around the house.
[00:18:40] Who is this dude?
[00:18:41] Who is this?
[00:18:42] Who is this?
[00:18:43] What is that?
[00:18:44] I said, I got to let you hear this dude.
[00:18:45] Yeah.
[00:18:46] So when people say to you, oh, you rap.
[00:18:50] Okay, cool.
[00:18:51] And then you probably say, because a lot of your songs are labeled Christian rap.
[00:18:54] Sometimes people just do hip hop.
[00:18:56] Most of your joints say hip hop Christian rap.
[00:19:00] You know what I mean?
[00:19:00] When people ask you, what is that?
[00:19:03] Do you get that question sometimes?
[00:19:04] Yeah, yeah.
[00:19:05] I ain't gone in a while, though, to be honest with you.
[00:19:07] That's good.
[00:19:07] That's a good question, man.
[00:19:08] That's good.
[00:19:09] I say Christian rap is music originally.
[00:19:14] That's the thing.
[00:19:15] Christian rap is music, right?
[00:19:17] It's the culture of, it's just what we talk about our culture, right?
[00:19:22] And then all other music is the twisted version.
[00:19:25] But Christian rap is actually how music started.
[00:19:29] For you, that's the original.
[00:19:30] Yeah, that's the-
[00:19:31] That's good.
[00:19:31] That is, it's not you for me.
[00:19:33] That is the original.
[00:19:34] You know what I'm saying, sir?
[00:19:35] That's good.
[00:19:36] And it's the original, too, because I just look at the fruit.
[00:19:39] Yeah.
[00:19:39] You know what I'm saying?
[00:19:40] Yeah.
[00:19:40] What our music produces versus what the world music produces.
[00:19:44] Yeah.
[00:19:44] Me and my wife are talking about it today.
[00:19:46] We're like, bruh, it's like how much more sexual music is getting pushed.
[00:19:52] Mm-hmm.
[00:19:52] And the limit is constantly getting pushed.
[00:19:55] Continue to move the line.
[00:19:56] Higher and higher.
[00:19:57] Bruh.
[00:19:57] And we're like, we were like, bro, the fact that we're going down the street, my wife
[00:20:02] was like, the fact that there's a trend for miniskirts is wild.
[00:20:07] And they're shorter than ever, like outside.
[00:20:10] Everything.
[00:20:11] Yeah.
[00:20:12] Nothing left to the imagination.
[00:20:14] Well, mama said, yeah.
[00:20:15] Nothing left to the imagination.
[00:20:17] And we're like, that wasn't like that until artists was talking about that.
[00:20:21] Right.
[00:20:21] And that became a trend, and then boom.
[00:20:24] Y'all making me feel better, because sometimes I feel like when I say it, I feel like I'm old.
[00:20:28] You know what I mean?
[00:20:28] I'm married 28 years.
[00:20:29] I got a grandson.
[00:20:31] So you know how you think about it with your parents?
[00:20:33] You're like, man, they say that about us.
[00:20:35] You know what I'm like, am I that guy now?
[00:20:36] You know what I'm like?
[00:20:37] I'm that old.
[00:20:37] So I'm glad to hear y'all say it.
[00:20:39] Yeah, yeah.
[00:20:39] I'm much younger than I am.
[00:20:40] No, you're right.
[00:20:41] You got it.
[00:20:42] Yeah.
[00:20:42] Yeah.
[00:20:43] It's crazy.
[00:20:44] It's crazy.
[00:20:44] And to your point, the line keeps getting pushed, and it feels like not just the moral and the immoral, but the Christian and the non-Christian.
[00:20:57] All these lines are getting so blurred that some people, I think, are confused about what is what.
[00:21:03] First, I was talking about what I was going to say, too.
[00:21:05] I was like, look, a lot of times you got to ignore or forget about the culture you live in.
[00:21:13] And ignore all of that stuff and then compare it to the truth so that you can be like, is this legit?
[00:21:19] Yeah.
[00:21:19] You know, you do that with everything.
[00:21:21] Yeah.
[00:21:21] That's how life should go.
[00:21:22] So it's like, you try and figure it out, step out of what you're used to, and then look at it for what it is.
[00:21:28] Yeah.
[00:21:29] That's good.
[00:21:29] Yeah, man.
[00:21:30] So you said you love Transformation Church.
[00:21:32] Transformation Church is one of the things that you love is obviously the word and the preaching and so on and so forth.
[00:21:39] But are there any other things there that like really, man, that is touching me.
[00:21:43] That's moving me.
[00:21:44] That's the word shit.
[00:21:46] Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah.
[00:21:46] The word shit.
[00:21:46] The word shit.
[00:21:47] For me, that's for her for something.
[00:21:49] Yeah.
[00:21:50] That's good.
[00:21:51] The creativity be hitting me, though.
[00:21:56] It's so immersive.
[00:21:57] Like, it really takes you there.
[00:21:59] Yeah.
[00:21:59] My Todd.
[00:22:00] My Todd.
[00:22:00] Yes, that's my Todd.
[00:22:01] I saw him at Stellar's last week.
[00:22:03] You know, he was.
[00:22:04] Oh, word.
[00:22:04] You know, his fit was crazy.
[00:22:05] Yeah, yeah, yeah.
[00:22:06] Him and the queen.
[00:22:07] Yeah, yeah, yeah.
[00:22:08] You know, they were crazy.
[00:22:09] That's fine.
[00:22:09] Yeah.
[00:22:10] Pull it clean, boy.
[00:22:11] Yeah, he was clean, man.
[00:22:12] Had the social media team follow him and doing the thing.
[00:22:16] Got Alex G in the house.
[00:22:18] We got his wonderful wife and manager, Alyssa.
[00:22:21] She is now on the mic.
[00:22:24] So we've been talking about, man, the career trajectory.
[00:22:27] Again, 35 songs in 18 months.
[00:22:30] Doing 200 plus million streams assigned with aliens.
[00:22:35] I asked you about, you know, what you say when people say, what's Christian rap?
[00:22:39] And I'm so glad you said that people don't ask that as much anymore.
[00:22:42] Yeah.
[00:22:43] When people ask you, how's the music business on this side?
[00:22:47] What's your answer to that?
[00:22:48] Like, bro, give me some inside game.
[00:22:51] What?
[00:22:51] How would you describe the music business?
[00:22:53] How do you answer that?
[00:22:54] Man, it depends who you work with, bro.
[00:22:56] Yeah.
[00:22:57] Because some be slimy.
[00:22:59] Yeah.
[00:22:59] And then others.
[00:23:00] But not on the Christian side.
[00:23:01] Yes, on the Christian side.
[00:23:02] Not on the Christian side.
[00:23:04] No, never on the Christian side, bro.
[00:23:06] Alyssa, correct him.
[00:23:08] Nah.
[00:23:08] You're right.
[00:23:09] Hey, even outside of Christian music business, it'd be hard to just work with Christian people
[00:23:15] on the business side in general, bro.
[00:23:18] But music-wise, it depends who you get with.
[00:23:21] Yeah.
[00:23:22] You know what I'm saying?
[00:23:22] Yeah.
[00:23:23] For me personally, you don't have to sign with a Christian label.
[00:23:26] Right.
[00:23:26] You know what I'm saying?
[00:23:27] It's like, we called the Occupy, so get it how you got it.
[00:23:31] You know what I'm saying?
[00:23:31] Do you think that can work, though, being on a secular label?
[00:23:34] Oh, yeah.
[00:23:35] You don't think there would be a conflict of vision, direction, interest?
[00:23:42] There could be, but then put it on the contract.
[00:23:45] Have you observed it?
[00:23:46] Have you been close to it?
[00:23:48] No.
[00:23:48] Any partners who've done it?
[00:23:50] I put that mug in the contract.
[00:23:52] Anything we worked on, it's like, no, I got that.
[00:23:55] No, you don't want to leave it to, oh, we'll talk about it later.
[00:23:58] None of that.
[00:23:58] You want it in the contract.
[00:24:00] Every idea we have, everything we do, I'm in the room.
[00:24:03] It's that simple.
[00:24:04] Creative control, bro.
[00:24:06] So to that point, though, of even, man, some of the challenges, because I assume people
[00:24:11] would probably be surprised when you say, yeah, even on the Christian side of the business,
[00:24:15] it can be messy.
[00:24:17] What would you say is, if you had three things you'd like to see done better on the Christian
[00:24:25] business side of music, what would you say?
[00:24:27] Like, man, if y'all did the, if we did these three things, it could be very different for
[00:24:31] us.
[00:24:32] I'll say excellence.
[00:24:36] It's really just that.
[00:24:37] I'm not even going to cap it.
[00:24:38] Just do what you do.
[00:24:39] Sonically?
[00:24:40] And music-wise?
[00:24:41] Or just everything?
[00:24:42] Everywhere.
[00:24:43] Just do it with excellence, because that's how the world does it.
[00:24:45] That's why I'm like, there's no problem with it.
[00:24:49] Because, like, they're not really, honestly, I've had better relationships and better experience
[00:24:54] with worldly companies, and most of my rough experiences have been with the Christian side.
[00:25:00] You know what I'm saying?
[00:25:01] Because there's just a lot going on and things like that.
[00:25:04] Do you think it's ignorance or incompetence?
[00:25:06] I don't know what it is.
[00:25:08] Because I'm not dumb.
[00:25:09] You know what I'm saying?
[00:25:09] I feel like it's over-spirituality, honestly.
[00:25:12] A lot of it is bad doctrine.
[00:25:15] Yes.
[00:25:16] Over-spirituality.
[00:25:17] Yeah, corrupt doctrine.
[00:25:18] For sure.
[00:25:18] But really, it's like, just excellence, too, bro, because if you just value, I don't know
[00:25:26] how to, I can't get in their head.
[00:25:27] I don't even know what to say, bro.
[00:25:30] I could just call it excellence, bro.
[00:25:31] Because to me, if you really care about what God gave you and use it as a privilege, why
[00:25:39] would you move like that?
[00:25:40] Yeah.
[00:25:40] You know what I'm saying?
[00:25:41] That mother just won't click on me.
[00:25:42] Like, I won't do someone dirty, for real, because I'm like, this ain't even mine.
[00:25:49] You know what I'm saying?
[00:25:50] So, I'm going to do it the best, because at the end of the day, I got to go to him about
[00:25:53] that.
[00:25:53] Yeah.
[00:25:54] You're going to be like, what did you do with this?
[00:25:55] I'm like, okay, I did him dirty.
[00:25:57] I ripped him off.
[00:25:58] I signed this bad deal for this dude, and I got a billion dollars.
[00:26:02] Put me up there.
[00:26:03] That's not going to be fair.
[00:26:04] You know what I'm saying?
[00:26:05] Y'all going to look at you and be like, next?
[00:26:07] No.
[00:26:08] Don't work.
[00:26:13] They're not looking at the numbers.
[00:26:15] We don't care about that up here, bro.
[00:26:16] Exactly.
[00:26:17] You know, what Alyssa said kind of struck a chord with me.
[00:26:21] You said over-spiritualizing.
[00:26:23] You know, when I was at the Stellars, and shout out to the women's panel at the National
[00:26:28] Association of Gospel Radio breakfast that morning, chicken and waffle breakfast.
[00:26:33] Totally off the wagon.
[00:26:34] We off the wagon like a mug.
[00:26:36] I ain't going to lie, bro.
[00:26:38] But one of the people, it may have been Ebony Funderbrook or someone else said, you know,
[00:26:43] when we're doing this Christian business, we need to do a better job of separating some
[00:26:49] of the spiritual conversations and the business conversations.
[00:26:51] Yeah.
[00:26:52] Like straight up.
[00:26:53] Is that kind of what you were hitting on when you say that?
[00:26:56] I believe so, yeah.
[00:26:57] Yeah.
[00:26:57] Because a lot of times people like, because God is in everything, obviously.
[00:27:02] Right.
[00:27:02] But some people kind of twist his word into their own and mistake his word and try to use
[00:27:09] it kind of against you in business in a way, or they use it in their favor.
[00:27:13] And they're like, or they just use it like, let's say they got you an opportunity and they
[00:27:17] were like, God told me no, so it's no.
[00:27:20] Bro, we literally went through that struggle.
[00:27:22] And it's like, God didn't tell me no.
[00:27:24] Like, what do you mean?
[00:27:25] God told you no.
[00:27:26] Can we get a three-way?
[00:27:27] Yeah.
[00:27:28] I'm like, we signed a contract.
[00:27:30] Yeah.
[00:27:30] We signed a contract.
[00:27:32] You gave us your word.
[00:27:33] We bought the tickets.
[00:27:35] We're ready to go.
[00:27:37] God said no.
[00:27:38] I'm like, what's going on?
[00:27:40] I'm like, where's your professionalism?
[00:27:42] Exactly.
[00:27:43] And also like giving your word.
[00:27:45] Like, you know, a lot of people don't value.
[00:27:46] Obviously, God's word is over ours.
[00:27:48] Yeah.
[00:27:48] But a lot of people don't even value when they give their word to somebody as well.
[00:27:52] You know?
[00:27:53] Yeah.
[00:27:53] And that's huge.
[00:27:55] Gotcha.
[00:27:55] So excellence.
[00:27:56] Holistically.
[00:27:57] Holistically.
[00:27:57] From the studio through the paperwork.
[00:27:59] Do everything.
[00:28:01] Do everything.
[00:28:01] Do everything.
[00:28:02] The link us.
[00:28:02] Everything.
[00:28:03] I hear that, bro.
[00:28:04] I hear that.
[00:28:05] Well, you know, you've got a lot of people, man, watching you right now.
[00:28:10] Yeah.
[00:28:10] No doubt.
[00:28:11] I'm sure you're getting collab requests out the...
[00:28:14] Wazoo.
[00:28:15] Wazoo.
[00:28:15] I'm sure that collab requests stack is like this.
[00:28:18] Alec, when you gonna get back with him, brother?
[00:28:20] Yeah.
[00:28:21] Or sister?
[00:28:22] You know what I mean?
[00:28:22] When you gonna get back?
[00:28:23] What, what's your advice for that up and coming artist trying to figure it out, man?
[00:28:29] What's your advice?
[00:28:32] I say it's unique to each person.
[00:28:34] I like to meet people and then analyze them and then give them advice based on that.
[00:28:40] But on some broad stuff, I say don't even chase it, bro.
[00:28:45] Because if it's good enough, we gonna chase you.
[00:28:50] That's good.
[00:28:50] You know what I'm saying?
[00:28:51] That's good.
[00:28:51] As long as your music...
[00:28:52] Like, my story sounds crazy, but it's only crazy because I made...
[00:28:57] I spent 10 years, or whatever time it takes you, but for me, 10 years to make something
[00:29:01] so good that y'all felt like y'all couldn't live without it.
[00:29:05] And then the day I put it out, it's been getting chased ever since.
[00:29:08] You know what I'm saying?
[00:29:09] Y'all hear what that man said.
[00:29:10] That man said, it's so good y'all couldn't get enough of it.
[00:29:13] I'm okay.
[00:29:14] I just did.
[00:29:14] You're cooking.
[00:29:15] I didn't say y'all couldn't get enough of it.
[00:29:18] Come on.
[00:29:19] That boy threw the hook and pulled that mug back and just kept throwing it.
[00:29:22] I love it.
[00:29:23] I love the confidence, bro.
[00:29:25] Well, and it's facts.
[00:29:26] Yeah, yeah.
[00:29:26] I love the...
[00:29:28] You're right, because a lot of your songs are on replay.
[00:29:31] Like a chant, man.
[00:29:32] And, you know, two minutes, two minutes, 30 seconds.
[00:29:34] Hey, listen, I'm not trying to give quick advice to everybody who want to be on radio,
[00:29:36] but there's something to be said for a two-minute song.
[00:29:39] There's something to be said when you...
[00:29:41] Our parents used to say, when you go to someone's house
[00:29:44] and they invite you to stay for a while,
[00:29:46] leave before they want you to leave.
[00:29:49] That's true.
[00:29:50] Don't stay too long.
[00:29:51] That's true.
[00:29:52] Like, you know what I mean?
[00:29:53] Leave before they want...
[00:29:53] So, you know, my mom used to be like, you know,
[00:29:55] you had to be home before the streetlight came on.
[00:29:57] I'll pick up what you're putting on.
[00:29:58] You feel me?
[00:29:58] Mm-hmm.
[00:29:58] Yeah.
[00:29:59] Like, leave...
[00:30:00] Make them want you to come back.
[00:30:02] Yeah, that's a very cool point.
[00:30:04] Right?
[00:30:04] When you hang around too long, it's like, what a hell.
[00:30:06] Yeah, put a bad taste in your mouth.
[00:30:08] And then they start...
[00:30:09] You know, they start accumulating...
[00:30:11] What you eating and whatnot.
[00:30:12] He eating that ball of food.
[00:30:13] Yeah.
[00:30:14] Drinking that ball of...
[00:30:16] Are you still here?
[00:30:16] Salsa water.
[00:30:18] He left the light on when he went on.
[00:30:19] Yeah, you know what I mean?
[00:30:20] We told him he could spend the night,
[00:30:21] but we ain't mean nights.
[00:30:23] The whole night.
[00:30:25] I'm at leave before I wake up.
[00:30:27] Yeah.
[00:30:28] You know what I'm saying?
[00:30:29] And I think...
[00:30:29] I hate to say it.
[00:30:30] I think it's sometimes like that with a song.
[00:30:32] When a song goes off and you're like,
[00:30:34] oh, I want to hear that joke again.
[00:30:35] Yeah.
[00:30:36] Right?
[00:30:36] Versus it's four minutes.
[00:30:38] And sometimes it's like,
[00:30:40] it's just not good enough to be four minutes.
[00:30:42] There it is.
[00:30:43] Yeah.
[00:30:43] It's just not like...
[00:30:44] Sometimes there are...
[00:30:45] Some of Hoey's joints.
[00:30:46] Beautiful.
[00:30:47] And Alter, I think, were more three...
[00:30:49] Late Threes, close to four.
[00:30:51] But the song Construction...
[00:30:53] Is what it saves me.
[00:30:54] Made it feel like that.
[00:30:55] Yeah, it doesn't make it feel as long as it is.
[00:30:58] You know what I mean?
[00:30:58] The musicality of it,
[00:30:59] the Sonic, you know,
[00:31:00] Reach, everything they do is sonically great.
[00:31:02] I mean, and so...
[00:31:03] No question there.
[00:31:04] Shout out to everybody at Reach, man,
[00:31:06] and what they do.
[00:31:07] So yeah, brilliant strategy, man.
[00:31:10] What's next for you?
[00:31:12] Man, next we got this...
[00:31:14] I'm going Afro, bro.
[00:31:15] Yeah, I saw the one song.
[00:31:17] Is that out?
[00:31:17] That's not out yet, right?
[00:31:18] No, it ain't out yet.
[00:31:19] Okay.
[00:31:19] Yeah, we're going to do an Afro EP, bro.
[00:31:21] I'm going 110,000% all the way down.
[00:31:24] With Africans singing in the background
[00:31:26] that Rodney's already...
[00:31:27] Bro, I'm telling you,
[00:31:29] I'm like, bro,
[00:31:30] I want to sit in a room
[00:31:30] with the best of everybody in this genre,
[00:31:33] the best that I could put up,
[00:31:36] and then create 100 million
[00:31:38] of the best things I could make,
[00:31:39] and then pick four for this EP,
[00:31:41] and then pick 10 for that.
[00:31:43] All right, so I got two questions.
[00:31:45] If Rodney said,
[00:31:46] all right, bet, we're going to do it.
[00:31:48] Here's the two questions.
[00:31:50] One, where do you want to record it?
[00:31:52] Where?
[00:31:53] Yes.
[00:31:54] First in the crib,
[00:31:55] next in the studio.
[00:31:56] What studio?
[00:31:57] But where's the studio?
[00:31:58] What studio?
[00:31:59] He built one of the...
[00:31:59] Stateside, or do you want to go...
[00:32:01] Oh.
[00:32:02] Do you want to go to Africa?
[00:32:03] Do you want to go...
[00:32:04] I want to know,
[00:32:05] like, how you thinking about it?
[00:32:06] How you dreaming?
[00:32:07] Okay, we do it like this.
[00:32:08] Ooh, that's such a good question, though.
[00:32:10] I would shoot the music video...
[00:32:12] Yeah.
[00:32:13] ...in Africa.
[00:32:14] Mm-hmm.
[00:32:14] We just found out,
[00:32:15] like, with children with boys at BET,
[00:32:17] they were like, bro,
[00:32:18] one dude will go to Africa
[00:32:20] just to get inspired
[00:32:22] and come back and forth
[00:32:24] and then write
[00:32:25] and things like that.
[00:32:26] That's insane.
[00:32:27] That's big budget.
[00:32:28] Yeah, that's big budget.
[00:32:28] Yeah, that's big budget.
[00:32:30] Rodney like, all right,
[00:32:31] we're going to fit that down.
[00:32:32] Right, right.
[00:32:33] But I'm more like, yo,
[00:32:34] get me in the room with them,
[00:32:36] like, let's get on the phone.
[00:32:37] Let's...
[00:32:37] Yeah.
[00:32:37] ...whatever we got to do
[00:32:38] with the space we got in between
[00:32:40] and then make it like that.
[00:32:42] But for the music video...
[00:32:43] Yeah.
[00:32:43] ...where I'll go to London,
[00:32:45] I'll go to Nigeria,
[00:32:46] I'll go to Africa,
[00:32:47] like, I want to meet them
[00:32:48] and, like, things like that.
[00:32:50] Yeah.
[00:32:50] Now, okay,
[00:32:50] so the second question is,
[00:32:52] is there a top five
[00:32:54] in terms of who you want on it
[00:32:55] with you on the CP?
[00:32:56] If you can get five
[00:32:57] or any one.
[00:32:59] I don't know if we could,
[00:33:01] but in my head,
[00:33:03] I would love to have...
[00:33:05] And to get, like,
[00:33:05] a dope Christian verse from them.
[00:33:07] Mm-hmm.
[00:33:07] Boom, Friday.
[00:33:09] Mm-hmm.
[00:33:10] Boom, uh,
[00:33:10] we're saying scissor.
[00:33:11] Yeah.
[00:33:13] If scissor wasn't saying
[00:33:14] nothing crazy,
[00:33:15] we're good.
[00:33:16] No, no, no, no.
[00:33:16] That would be insane.
[00:33:17] Yeah.
[00:33:18] That would be tough.
[00:33:19] The boy CG,
[00:33:20] Caleb Grant.
[00:33:21] Mm-hmm.
[00:33:22] I probably thought...
[00:33:23] That war song is tough.
[00:33:24] Yeah, that war song is tough.
[00:33:25] That war song is tough.
[00:33:26] Yeah.
[00:33:28] Yeah.
[00:33:28] As soon as it come on,
[00:33:29] you just can't help yourself.
[00:33:30] You know what I mean?
[00:33:30] Popping your head.
[00:33:32] Yeah.
[00:33:32] And then, um,
[00:33:34] Kenny Rivers for sure.
[00:33:35] He'll give me a tough verse.
[00:33:37] Yeah.
[00:33:38] And Forrest Frank.
[00:33:39] Forrest Frank.
[00:33:40] Gotcha.
[00:33:40] Yeah.
[00:33:40] That's your five.
[00:33:41] Yeah.
[00:33:41] I don't know how Forrest Frank
[00:33:43] would sound on an Afro beat,
[00:33:45] but I'm interested enough
[00:33:46] to hear what it sounds.
[00:33:47] I agree with you.
[00:33:48] I feel like he could do
[00:33:49] like a cool sample on it.
[00:33:51] Yeah.
[00:33:51] Like, slide on that.
[00:33:53] Yeah, that's what I'm saying.
[00:33:54] That'd be tough.
[00:33:54] And he great on keys too.
[00:33:55] Uh-huh.
[00:33:56] I feel like he could make a tough chorus.
[00:33:57] He played guitar too, right?
[00:33:59] Does he play guitar?
[00:33:59] I haven't seen that,
[00:34:00] but I've seen him play the piano.
[00:34:01] Didn't play piano.
[00:34:02] Yeah.
[00:34:02] Yeah.
[00:34:02] That would be tough.
[00:34:03] That would be tough.
[00:34:03] You know, one of the things I noticed
[00:34:04] on your gram, man,
[00:34:05] in the comments is, uh,
[00:34:07] people, people want to tour.
[00:34:09] Yeah.
[00:34:10] What y'all, what y'all playing?
[00:34:11] What's, you gotta answer to people.
[00:34:13] Well, you spoke about it.
[00:34:14] Yeah.
[00:34:14] Yeah.
[00:34:15] Yeah.
[00:34:15] Yeah.
[00:34:15] I'm ready.
[00:34:26] And personally, I was like,
[00:34:27] I love what I made.
[00:34:28] I love what I'm doing.
[00:34:30] But trying to do drill and perform it,
[00:34:34] it's not what I envision.
[00:34:36] Mm-hmm.
[00:34:37] For myself and my music and my shows,
[00:34:39] like, it's hard to translate.
[00:34:41] Okay.
[00:34:41] In a lot of senses.
[00:34:42] Yeah.
[00:34:42] The most you can do is move your hips a lot
[00:34:44] and then yell the lyrics.
[00:34:46] But I want a more intimate crowd.
[00:34:48] I want an intimate family.
[00:34:49] Like, I want to really bring people together.
[00:34:52] Yeah.
[00:34:52] And I found, not only does Afro come so naturally to me,
[00:34:57] that it has that effect too.
[00:34:59] That's true.
[00:34:59] So I'm like, okay, I'm gonna go all the way in this mug,
[00:35:02] make the best joints, and then run a little tour.
[00:35:05] And then do a tour?
[00:35:06] Yeah, in my head.
[00:35:07] Okay.
[00:35:08] Run a little tour, go like that,
[00:35:09] and then peep it with the vibe.
[00:35:11] Like, that's what I want to see.
[00:35:12] So if you were designing, like,
[00:35:13] your concert and event experience,
[00:35:16] what would it look like?
[00:35:18] Bruh.
[00:35:19] Bruh.
[00:35:21] I'll never forget this, bruh.
[00:35:22] I went to Hoby's show in Texas.
[00:35:25] He had brought me up by surprise in Texas.
[00:35:30] This is exactly, my blueprint is based off that one show.
[00:35:36] Right?
[00:35:37] So, so, let's say we go to Houston,
[00:35:40] we go to New York, we go to London, all that.
[00:35:42] I'll set it where, like, we all together.
[00:35:46] We set the tone.
[00:35:47] We got the smoke.
[00:35:48] There's a full band.
[00:35:49] There's a choir.
[00:35:50] I got my guitar.
[00:35:52] And, like, we going at it.
[00:35:55] Like, it's a performance.
[00:35:56] I'm dancing with the dancers.
[00:35:58] Like, it's a performance.
[00:35:59] Help me see the venue size.
[00:36:02] Is it, like, 250?
[00:36:04] Is it 800,000?
[00:36:07] Is it?
[00:36:07] How do you?
[00:36:08] Because you said intimate earlier.
[00:36:09] Yeah, yeah.
[00:36:10] So how do you see intimate?
[00:36:11] Intimate as in everyone is on one accord, bruh.
[00:36:15] Got you.
[00:36:15] My buddy in the back is screaming just as hard as shorty in the front, bro.
[00:36:20] So they with you.
[00:36:21] They are with you.
[00:36:22] Yeah, yeah.
[00:36:22] Like, we together type.
[00:36:24] Yeah, yeah.
[00:36:25] In my head, I want to do, like, a thousand cap.
[00:36:29] You know what I'm saying?
[00:36:30] Each show, a thousand cap.
[00:36:31] I believe this joint is that good, and they deserve that.
[00:36:34] That's good.
[00:36:34] There's a time for everything, too.
[00:36:36] If it's not there, then it's the next one.
[00:36:37] Yeah.
[00:36:37] That was the next one.
[00:36:38] But I'm going to get that.
[00:36:39] Yeah, yeah.
[00:36:40] Like, that's how I see it in my head.
[00:36:42] That's good.
[00:36:43] And let's wrap here with this.
[00:36:46] As you think about, I mean, man, y'all less than a year in, right?
[00:36:51] So how do you think about the next two to three years, given the pace you're running at,
[00:36:55] given the, you know, the newness of family and marriage and all that?
[00:36:59] How do y'all think about the next two, three years?
[00:37:01] We were talking about it last night.
[00:37:02] I was just like, right now, kids are off the table for the next two, three years.
[00:37:08] I hear that.
[00:37:08] All the way off the table.
[00:37:09] Because I feel like we're enjoying, like, being young and just on go and, like, you
[00:37:15] know, building our businesses.
[00:37:16] Yeah.
[00:37:17] And really just having fun, getting to know God better.
[00:37:21] Like, we really just happening with everything.
[00:37:25] I don't know.
[00:37:25] I don't know if I totally buy it.
[00:37:26] I can see September, him coming out with a song.
[00:37:30] I can't sit the door.
[00:37:31] I'm having a kid.
[00:37:33] Who is the job?
[00:37:34] But let me tell you.
[00:37:36] I can hear it.
[00:37:38] I can hear it in September, bro.
[00:37:39] I'm telling you.
[00:37:39] Since we got married, though, people been wishing pregnancy on me.
[00:37:43] That's what I'm saying.
[00:37:44] And all those comments is like, she's pregnant.
[00:37:47] But I ain't having no baby.
[00:37:48] That pressure gets to you.
[00:37:49] My mom.
[00:37:50] And then you land in a church.
[00:37:51] You know, the church mother's going to be on you.
[00:37:53] Oh, really?
[00:37:54] I mean, so like I said, just remember you heard it here first.
[00:37:57] I canceled it, too.
[00:37:58] I'm having a kid.
[00:37:59] I was like, I'm fine.
[00:38:00] I'm going to stand on Billy.
[00:38:01] No.
[00:38:02] I'll do that baby on tour.
[00:38:04] We want to do it all, though, before we really, like, settle down.
[00:38:08] Yeah.
[00:38:08] Yeah.
[00:38:08] I heard that.
[00:38:09] But I say the next two years, bro.
[00:38:11] I don't know.
[00:38:12] There's so much that can happen.
[00:38:14] Yeah.
[00:38:14] Like, it can really be just straight motion, no breaks all the way.
[00:38:19] Yeah.
[00:38:19] And constantly going.
[00:38:21] I'll give it to God, to be honest with you.
[00:38:23] I heard that.
[00:38:24] Whatever he planned it.
[00:38:25] I heard that.
[00:38:26] I got a plan in my head, too.
[00:38:27] I heard that.
[00:38:27] A plan in my head is, it's like, next year, near summertime, it's the mainstream.
[00:38:36] You know what I'm saying?
[00:38:37] Mm-hmm.
[00:38:37] Mm-hmm.
[00:38:37] Like, it's really like that.
[00:38:40] Like, the same way we're seeing the artists, like, great artists like Ice Spice and the
[00:38:45] dope people coming out, like, Cass Cobain.
[00:38:48] Like, it's to the eyes of the pilot like that.
[00:38:52] There's no distinctive line between, you're still calling it Christian hip-hop, but it's
[00:38:56] reaching the mainstream.
[00:38:58] Is that how you see it?
[00:38:59] Yeah.
[00:38:59] Which is what Caleb's doing, right?
[00:39:01] Yeah.
[00:39:02] I mean.
[00:39:02] Yeah, we're not boxing it to just Christian people.
[00:39:05] Yeah.
[00:39:05] Because that's what God put us here to do, like, to reach everyone.
[00:39:08] To reach everyone.
[00:39:08] You know?
[00:39:09] Yeah, everybody.
[00:39:09] That's what we got to do.
[00:39:10] I love it.
[00:39:11] I love it.
[00:39:11] And then a year from, about a year from there, it's like arena sold out type stuff because
[00:39:20] the performances are something nobody's seen before.
[00:39:23] You know, it's something like, I got to see this before I die.
[00:39:27] Like, Michael Jackson.
[00:39:28] You know what I'm saying?
[00:39:29] Yeah.
[00:39:29] That's how I see it.
[00:39:30] And y'all got some good label mates, too.
[00:39:32] Oh, yeah.
[00:39:32] I mean, you got some good label.
[00:39:33] You got John Keefe.
[00:39:34] Gavi's coming back.
[00:39:35] Who else?
[00:39:36] We got TJ Carroll.
[00:39:38] TJ Carroll.
[00:39:39] There's, um...
[00:39:41] Who else was in there?
[00:39:42] His name is like, I'm Rescued.
[00:39:44] I don't know if I'm saying it correctly.
[00:39:45] I'm Rescued.
[00:39:45] We haven't got to meet with everybody just yet.
[00:39:47] Yeah.
[00:39:48] But those two, those are homies.
[00:39:49] Yeah.
[00:39:50] You said, man, you got signed this shit, right?
[00:39:52] So it's still fresh.
[00:39:53] Yeah.
[00:39:53] It's still fresh.
[00:39:54] Everything's so fresh.
[00:39:55] Yeah.
[00:39:55] It's still fresh.
[00:39:55] And I don't think they all live in Orlando either.
[00:39:58] Sure.
[00:39:58] I don't believe they do.
[00:40:00] Where's John?
[00:40:00] I can't remember.
[00:40:01] He be moving, bro.
[00:40:03] I don't know where he's going for.
[00:40:04] We know TJ, though.
[00:40:05] He's cool with TJ.
[00:40:06] Yeah.
[00:40:06] TJ the home.
[00:40:07] Yeah.
[00:40:08] TJ in the O, dang there.
[00:40:10] Gotcha.
[00:40:10] He in the O.
[00:40:10] I think Gavi in Miami.
[00:40:12] Yeah.
[00:40:12] And John just be on the road.
[00:40:14] That's road, John.
[00:40:15] That's dope, man.
[00:40:15] Road, John.
[00:40:16] But listen, we're going to be supporting you, praying for you, bro.
[00:40:19] Consider this a home.
[00:40:21] When you got a story to tell you want to come through, consider it done, bro.
[00:40:25] Most definitely.
[00:40:26] Tell people how they should be following you, man.
[00:40:28] Again, look, it's how you follow me.
[00:40:32] Me and Alex on IG, on all social medias.
[00:40:35] And if you want to find my music on any streaming platform, Alex Jean.
[00:40:40] Y'all heard it, y'all.
[00:40:41] This has been a kingdom building conversation.
[00:40:44] Alex Jean and Alyssa up in here.
[00:40:46] And y'all, let's keep them undergirded with prayer for real.
[00:40:49] We know the enemy loves to attack new marriages and particularly of those who are doing the Lord's work.
[00:40:55] So let's keep them in prayer for real.
[00:40:57] Matter of fact, we're going to pray right now.
[00:40:59] We can do this because it's Holy Coach Radio.
[00:41:00] Father, we just thank you for the calling on their life.
[00:41:03] We thank you for their obedience to your word.
[00:41:05] We thank you for the label they're on, that it's a God-serving label with God-serving people with incredible influence.
[00:41:11] We pray you use that influence for your glory.
[00:41:15] In Jesus' name.
[00:41:16] In Jesus' name.
[00:41:17] Amen.
[00:41:17] Thank you so much for having us on the show.
[00:41:20] For sure.
[00:41:20] For sure.
[00:41:21] So good to meet you, sis.
[00:41:22] Nice to meet you.
[00:41:22] Wishing y'all the best.
[00:41:23] Yes, sir.
[00:41:24] Thank you.
[00:41:24] Thank you.