758: Toyalove: Embracing The Unknown | Praise Podcast

In this engaging episode, Trig catches up with the talented Toyalove, a dynamic lyricist, speaker, and artist whose music spans hip hop, rap, trap, and faith. Originally from South Carolina and now based in Atlanta, Toyalove emphasizes her mission to bring healing and connect people to God through her music. They dive deep into her journey, from her surprising past as a Clemson University rowing team member to her current efforts in the music scene. Toya shares personal anecdotes, her creative process, and the importance of maintaining faith and authenticity in her work. The discussion also touches on her upcoming EP 'Closer,' her ambitions to empower women, and her vision for future projects. Whether it's discussing the nuances of gospel rap, her dynamic stage presence, or her advice for aspiring artists, this conversation is filled with insights and inspiration.

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[00:00:00] Listen, I got a treat for you today because I have someone in the building who is doing so many wonderful things. We just had some time catching up. I'm so glad we did that before we jumped on. Let me introduce her properly. Today I have the pleasure of speaking with Toya Love.

[00:00:13] Yeah. Dynamic lyricist, speaker and artist whose music bridges the worlds of hip hop, rap, trap and faith. Hailing from originally South Carolina, now in Atlanta, Toya Love's mission is clear to bring healing to the soul and connect people to God's life.

[00:00:30] Through her music, her ability to craft relatable cross-cultural messages while staying rooted in her faith has captured the hearts and audiences of all ages from a vibrant stage presence. We're going to talk about that to a heartfelt lyrics. We'll talk about that. Toya Love is making waves in the music scene and inspiring listeners to see music as more than entertainment, but a vehicle for healing and hope. Y'all know I'm in the healing. Let's dive into her journey, her music and her incredible mission. Welcome to her love.

[00:00:58] Yeah, it's nice to be here. Thanks, Trey. Thanks for the hospitality.

[00:01:02] For sure. For sure. Thank you for coming on a, seriously, I didn't even think about it being a, you know, pre-holiday weekend. So I know travel is a little more hectic than normal. So thank you for making the investment of time and taking the travel risk.

[00:01:15] For sure. You know what I said, Trey, call you, you know. Hey, I'm here. How is Rackley Health? I love the mission. I love what you stand for. I love what you're doing. So why would I not come through?

[00:01:24] I appreciate that. Thank you. Let's start here. What's one thing you can share that even those closest to you from South Carolina to Atlanta and beyond don't know about Toya Love?

[00:01:36] Like they would be surprised to hear. Like I've known Toya for well over 10 years. I've never known that.

[00:01:43] So this is silly. It's not silly. Like it's different. So I went to Clemson University, right? But I hooped and you, I know you've seen the shot.

[00:01:52] Yes, I did.

[00:01:53] You know, it's valid.

[00:01:53] I've seen it.

[00:01:54] I saw it at the, uh, where was it? It was at, was it the Doves? The Doves, uh, game event?

[00:01:58] The Stellar.

[00:01:59] The Stellar one.

[00:01:59] The Stellar event. Yes. Yeah, I've seen you.

[00:02:02] However, I did not go to school for a basketball scholarship. It was like, would have been a D2 school and I could have got a scholarship. I was like, nah, I'm gonna go to Clemson.

[00:02:10] The reason why I went was because they gave me a rowing scholarship.

[00:02:13] A rowing?

[00:02:14] I was the cox in the front of the boat with the mic saying, you know, half, half quarter, you know, pull on the starboard port.

[00:02:21] Like I was doing that and a lot of people don't know I was on the rowing team. I absolutely hated it, but hey, it was the season.

[00:02:27] How'd you get, um, okay. So if you hated it, what, well, first of all, how'd you get on the rowing team? What, what, what led to that?

[00:02:34] So I wanted to, I don't even know how they found out. Maybe my basketball coach was like, hey, do you want to go to Clemson?

[00:02:40] And I think we should just drive down there and see what this rowing thing is about.

[00:02:43] And I was like, hey, I'm not even really good at swimming. I'm not proficient at swimming.

[00:02:47] Like, why would I go? So we went and they were like, we love what you do on a basketball end.

[00:02:52] And it's like the energy and tenacity. We think it will roll over to rowing.

[00:02:56] I've never heard that kind of, uh, what's the word I'm looking for? That's such a leap.

[00:03:02] Like, I love what you do on the court. I think you even do better in rowing.

[00:03:06] Like, I've never heard anything like that before. Interesting. So, so you did it all through college?

[00:03:12] No, I just did my freshman year.

[00:03:13] Okay. And they gave you a scholarship for that?

[00:03:15] I did.

[00:03:16] Wow. Good ride.

[00:03:17] I know.

[00:03:18] Good ride.

[00:03:18] You never know where I'm taking.

[00:03:20] I mean, that's a lesson to take from that. Be, be open to opportunities, right?

[00:03:23] Yeah.

[00:03:24] Yeah. Do you regret at all not going to play D2 basketball?

[00:03:27] No.

[00:03:28] Okay. I mean, as you look at the WNBA now, I mean, it's on fire.

[00:03:34] Yeah.

[00:03:35] Yeah. No, I don't regret it.

[00:03:36] No regrets.

[00:03:36] No, I might try out for the dream if y'all see me.

[00:03:39] Is that the Atlanta team?

[00:03:41] Yeah.

[00:03:41] Nice.

[00:03:41] You don't know, Trey?

[00:03:42] I am not. So first of all, I'm not going front. I watch when it gets close to like,

[00:03:49] you know, when it gets in playoff season.

[00:03:50] Respect.

[00:03:51] Yeah.

[00:03:51] It just starts getting high.

[00:03:53] Yeah.

[00:03:54] But I enjoy watching the last couple of games. I mean, it's crazy. Crazy.

[00:04:00] You hoop.

[00:04:01] Huh?

[00:04:01] Did you ever hoop?

[00:04:02] I did.

[00:04:03] It's good that you can hoop.

[00:04:04] I did. I played power forward in high school, but I was definitely much more of a football

[00:04:08] player.

[00:04:08] Okay.

[00:04:08] Yeah. Fullback, tight end, defensive end. Yeah. I kind of built that way. My jump is awful.

[00:04:14] Like, I'm just too heavy. So yeah. Yeah. But I like to play. You know, Focus plays.

[00:04:20] You know, Focus was a hooper.

[00:04:21] Focus talked a lot. I've never seen a shot.

[00:04:23] He's a good trash talker, isn't he?

[00:04:24] He does. We love you, Focus.

[00:04:26] Yeah. Much love, brother. Much love. All right. So listen, let me just say this. To those who

[00:04:30] are on the YouTube, we will answer questions if you've got them. What's up? SBG Chuck.

[00:04:37] Good to see you, brother. But yeah, if you've got questions for Toy Lab, I will be checking

[00:04:41] from time to time. And so bring it. So let me ask you this. Growing up in South Carolina,

[00:04:46] we were talking about this a little earlier. To me, the South is special. And one of the

[00:04:52] things I think sometimes we can do accidentally and just not know is lump all of the South

[00:04:58] together, right? As if it's all the same. I think South Carolina is different from Atlanta,

[00:05:04] is different from Florida, right? Is different from other spaces in between to the East and

[00:05:12] the West a little bit. How did your South Carolina upbringing play into who Toya Love

[00:05:18] is now in terms of this desire to spread healing and hope? Great question, Trix. So like being

[00:05:28] from South Carolina, you got to understand like my city, Clio, shout out to everybody from

[00:05:32] Clio. Say the name again, Clio? Clio. C-L-I-O. It's like maybe 800 to a thousand people. It's

[00:05:38] not very big at all, right? And it's a lot of cotton fields. It's a lot of, not a lot of

[00:05:45] opportunity. I'll say that. Wait a minute. I'm sorry. Cotton fields.

[00:05:48] Was cotton fields back in the day or even today? Yeah, cotton fields right now. Got it.

[00:05:52] Yeah, it's a really rural area. Got it. And you just, it just, I don't know. It just made

[00:05:58] me want more. So my aunt, my mom never went to college, but my aunts went to college and

[00:06:04] she says you couldn't go to college because all of them were in college. So she didn't

[00:06:06] get to go, right? Yeah. So however though, my aunts and uncles, they were educators. So we

[00:06:12] used to always have these great discussions and they always tell us you can be what you

[00:06:16] want to be. You can do what you want to do. Cause see, they went to college and they kind

[00:06:19] of had the vibe of, you know, we're going to make sure the next generation does well.

[00:06:24] Yeah. And just being from, from that environment and just wanting more. Cause like the top positions

[00:06:30] in the city I'm from is like, um, working at a, what's it called? Not like a warehouse,

[00:06:36] but it's like, like a factory mill. Yeah. Factory mill are the biggest positions, but I had an aunt

[00:06:41] that was a nurse and you know, my other, um, family members were educators and they always tell

[00:06:46] me it's more outside of that. And it just made me want to work hard and just be the best and like,

[00:06:50] just give everything a hundred percent. Those aunts and uncles, when they went to college,

[00:06:54] would they, did they go near or they go far, you know, North? They were probably, they probably

[00:06:58] went to like, they were close to home, maybe no later than an hour, um, longer than an hour drive.

[00:07:04] I think it's always interesting to understand those origin stories, right. And how someone kind

[00:07:10] of, I don't want to say broke out, but let's just say elevated to where the family hoped they would.

[00:07:15] Right. Because you have to, to me sometimes figure, you know, I think, think through, well, who,

[00:07:20] who, who got the inspiration to even push you and what helped them get that inspiration?

[00:07:25] Right. Right. Because sometimes when you're in this, when in the center of what is normal for

[00:07:30] everyone, sometimes there's just no aspirations. This, this is, this is life. This is what

[00:07:34] it is. Right. And then like during the summer, I used to work with the summer program called CDF

[00:07:38] Children's Defense Fund. And the whole initiative is just to like get kids reading. So I would be in

[00:07:43] high school and I would be an intern and we would have a class and we help kids read books and we'll

[00:07:47] do, uh, different activities about like loving yourself. Maybe that's where that comes from,

[00:07:51] like loving yourself and all of that. And it was a little girl in my class and I was like,

[00:07:56] what do you want to be when you grow up? She was like, I just want to, uh, I just want to be,

[00:08:00] get food stamps and live in section eight. And I was just like, wow. Okay. Like they gotta know

[00:08:07] you can be outside. Like some people have never left South Carolina that live in South Carolina.

[00:08:12] Right. You know what I'm saying? When you see that you got, it just made me have a hunger to like,

[00:08:17] be successful to let them know like you can do anything.

[00:08:19] Anything. Yeah. Even you doing rowing is such a departure because most of us have,

[00:08:24] have who have grown up in urban centers, right. Are used to football, basketball, maybe some softball,

[00:08:30] baseball. Right. But I remember, you know, going to the first one, when I went to high school,

[00:08:35] I went out in Northeast Philadelphia, which if you live in the Philadelphia, you get it. It's,

[00:08:39] it's a huge departure. It's like that is a predominantly, at least at that time, a white

[00:08:44] area, right. Or upper income area. So you're busing in from somewhere else. And I remember the first

[00:08:50] time I saw like, um, what's it called? Field hockey. What's that? You know what I mean?

[00:08:56] Right.

[00:08:56] Or, and then they had a, um, a golf team at my high school. And so lack of exposure

[00:09:03] translates to lack of aspirations sometimes. Right. You don't, you only know what you're exposed to.

[00:09:07] Right. And lack of opportunities because you don't even know that you don't even,

[00:09:10] that it's a possibility.

[00:09:11] Absolutely. Yeah. So that's so dope. That's so dope. So Toya Love is also,

[00:09:15] so anybody needs, um, rowing consultation, uh, in terms of how to make it onto a rowing team

[00:09:22] and be successful, be sure to go to, uh, at Toya Love and, uh,

[00:09:27] I got you. I can answer. It's cold on that water. And they used to practice at three or four,

[00:09:32] well, no, like five and six o'clock in the morning. And it's 20 degrees colder in the water

[00:09:36] than it is on land. So I'm already cold nature. Now I'm sincerely freezing. Yes.

[00:09:41] But I love the girls. It was cool. So, so I would say something that, uh, you would never guess is I

[00:09:46] used to be on, um, the Philadelphia swim team. Wow. Four years. There was a, uh, across the street

[00:09:53] from us was called Marcus Foster, a big swim thing. And I forget what happened, but one summer

[00:09:57] spending time there, I met a coach and he convinced me to be on the swim team. And I did the freestyle,

[00:10:02] the breaststroke and, uh, did that for four years competing, like getting on the bus on the weekends,

[00:10:07] going to different meets and whatnot. So you guys, if you need swim, unless it's called.

[00:10:11] Yeah, totally. Like, you know, and then, uh, yeah, fell out of it. Tried diving once. That was not

[00:10:16] working. The dive thing did not work. Every, every swimmer is not a diver clearly. So, and I'd be the

[00:10:23] first one to tell you, be careful swimmers being overconfident in that. I'm impressed though. Like

[00:10:30] that's, I would have never known. Would have never known. I know. So, so,

[00:10:33] so now you're so cemented in, um, your faith and expressing it artistically. You have a track record

[00:10:41] of songs that to me are fun, but also hit a lot of substance. When did you get firm in your faith?

[00:10:50] When did you feel this calling to do what you're doing now? Man, like my whole family was so solid

[00:10:56] in Christ and in church. Like my, the majority of my family is on the choir. My cousin is playing the

[00:11:03] keyboard. I had an uncle that preached. So like, I've always been in church my whole life. You

[00:11:08] know what I'm saying? I always knew God was real. I never really doubted him in my experience. And I

[00:11:13] thought that disqualified me. Like for real, cause you know, a lot of artists, I used to sell

[00:11:17] drills. I, I'm like, man, I don't, that's not my story. You know what I'm saying? That's not my

[00:11:22] story. I just always love God. And I, and I see what girls that didn't like that weren't in church.

[00:11:30] They didn't have family room. It didn't have that structure. I kind of saw how their life took a

[00:11:35] kind of a turn. I was like, dang, like it's so much more for you. It's so much better for you.

[00:11:41] Like this is not where it ends. And I think that's where my music's like, well, this is a whole therapy

[00:11:45] session. That's good. Yeah, that's good. I mean, and that's, um, I think that comes across in your

[00:11:51] writing, you know what I mean? And, and, uh, I, one of the things I read in your bio was to bring

[00:11:56] others closer to God by using music as a vehicle. Do you think, um, music is that kind of vehicle

[00:12:04] that people can attach to? And like, if so, what gives you the confidence that it can be transformative?

[00:12:11] I think people are drawn to you by different things. So I think people are drawn to me by my music,

[00:12:16] but when you go on my page, you're going to get my music, but you're also going to get some

[00:12:20] scriptures. You know what I'm saying? So you might not, I might not necessarily have a scripture in

[00:12:25] my song. It might be, it's going to be based on the scripture, but if you go on my page,

[00:12:29] you're going to get that content that will give you the word. Like, yeah, because I don't believe

[00:12:34] in like trying to, I feel like the word is the word and that's what it is. I'm not about to,

[00:12:39] what, what they call it, interpolate it. Like we doing music now, I'm going to give you this and I'm

[00:12:44] not going to add to it or subtract to it. That's what, that's what the, uh, the Bible says. Don't add

[00:12:48] to subtract. I'm going to give you that. Um, but I'm going to give you this music. That's going to

[00:12:52] remind you of that, but I'm not going to like, I'm going to give you the straight word. That's

[00:12:56] good. So, you know, one of the things I appreciate about, um, some of the things you've done too,

[00:13:02] is also you've kind of worked along a lot of different projects. You've got your own projects.

[00:13:07] You've been doing some collaborations. Obviously one of the most played collaborations I think

[00:13:12] is stay low. Um, how did that, how did that come to be?

[00:13:16] I didn't. So, wow. I think Ace hit me about stay low. He was like, I got this record. I want you to be

[00:13:22] a part of it. I can't think it, remember if it was Ace or Dreya, but then, um, Dreya produced that?

[00:13:27] No, Dreya didn't produce that. She was a part of the songwriting though. Okay. That's her in, um,

[00:13:32] pretty much the hook. That's Dreya. She'd have known. Dreya the goat. Dreya Penn is like crazy.

[00:13:39] Dreya is. Yeah. She's so talented. She is. Yeah. Um, but yeah, that was her idea with the stay low,

[00:13:48] stay low. She kind of pitched the hook and then we all created verses to it. Um, let me know.

[00:13:57] Spirit speak. Tell us where to go from the south side to the north. Yeah. So that was a dope

[00:14:02] experience. It was like a songwriting camp. It was like three days, maybe a week count.

[00:14:05] Is that right? And then we just came in and we wrote to different things with stay low was the

[00:14:09] song that, that stuff. Well, the three to five days where you're together, you mean like, no,

[00:14:13] it was like, it was more than us that was invited to the camp. Got it. Cause Mike Teezy was there.

[00:14:18] Got it. So they had it in whatever day you could come, you would come in and, you know,

[00:14:22] late. Nice. In Atlanta. Nice. Are writing camps happening a lot? I'm curious.

[00:14:30] I think, um, this is good. This is, I was actually thinking about this other day.

[00:14:35] They're not as no, they in, in, um, majors that happen all the time in the majors.

[00:14:42] Yeah. Right. Before it, but if you're not in a major,

[00:14:44] you might be invited to one. Okay. Got it. But most of the collaborations and whatnot that

[00:14:50] are happening are virtual. You get a track. A lot of more. Most of them. Would you say 75,

[00:14:55] 80% right? Get a track. Send me your, send me a vocal back.

[00:14:59] 95, 99, 98%. And I'm not, I'm, well, I'm curious. I just feel,

[00:15:05] ah, man, I'm aging myself, but I just,

[00:15:09] I'm a fan of the process too. I enjoy the process of the art creation.

[00:15:15] Right. And I'm just a fan of like when Biggie's album was done,

[00:15:19] them going to that Island for however long it took the producers,

[00:15:23] the hit was the hit hitman. Um,

[00:15:26] and the other guy not to be named who led the whole thing. You know what I'm saying?

[00:15:29] And not right now, I don't want to pick it up on my SEO results. Um,

[00:15:34] but I love that process of people being committed to spend time together until

[00:15:39] they get something created that they're all in love with. Uh,

[00:15:43] and that seemed to be a thing back then. Even I think, uh,

[00:15:45] when I remember watching some of the,

[00:15:47] I think some of the naughty by nature stuff from back in the day,

[00:15:50] obviously ice cube when he did his first album with, um, uh,

[00:15:54] P E's producers, I can't think of Hank Shockley and all them,

[00:15:56] like people burrowing together to create great content and great art.

[00:16:02] You know what I mean? And so I'm wondering, you know, do we,

[00:16:05] do we lose some of that community building time, right?

[00:16:08] When we don't do that. I'm just, just curious.

[00:16:11] What's your take on it?

[00:16:11] I was literally thinking about it the other day. That's so crazy.

[00:16:14] You said that I think, but now you think about that music,

[00:16:17] timeless music. Yeah.

[00:16:19] It got a lot of pain. It got a lot of time.

[00:16:21] And see, that's the right there. Tomless music. And I don't,

[00:16:24] I don't want to say that what I don't want anybody to take away from this as

[00:16:27] I'm, as I'm taking anything away from the music being created.

[00:16:30] Now we're getting some great content. Right.

[00:16:32] I just wonder if it's that much more.

[00:16:35] So if you have great today, would it be like in 20 years?

[00:16:39] Are people going to be singing this song? Yes. Right. Yes.

[00:16:42] That's why I'm at with it. Yes. Like joyful noise.

[00:16:44] To me is a classic, but crazy, joyful noise.

[00:16:47] That thing can still, it's 20 years removed or so, right?

[00:16:50] For me it's anomaly.

[00:16:51] Anomaly. Same, same. Right.

[00:16:53] And so I just wonder what the, some of the processes and whatnot.

[00:16:57] And by the way, listen, let's not be naive.

[00:16:59] The algorithms encourage you to do faster as opposed to deeper.

[00:17:03] Right. True.

[00:17:04] Right. But if you get a deep hit and you get something timeless

[00:17:09] and you create an audience around that. Right.

[00:17:11] Yeah. I think that's, I, I think that's where, yeah, I think we're going to be doing more.

[00:17:15] I definitely doing more than like just getting people in and, and really just sitting down and taking time.

[00:17:21] I'm a fan of those writing camps. I'm a fan. I'm a fan. Okay.

[00:17:25] Yeah. Um, so talk about lyricism and your speaking abilities.

[00:17:30] One of the things I don't know if most people know is you could for sure be a speaker and it's in your bio.

[00:17:37] So I'm not sharing anything that's not publicly available, but I just think most people may not know.

[00:17:42] Talk a little bit about what you do as a speaker.

[00:17:45] Why don't you speak?

[00:17:46] Why don't you speak? Um, sometimes I'm booked to go and speak.

[00:17:51] Why don't you change your voice? What just happened?

[00:17:53] You know, I just go, you know, I go into that mode.

[00:17:55] I just, you know, I get to share the gospel and I get to share about why it's important to love yourself.

[00:18:00] People say, oh, you know, they don't like when you say you should love yourself.

[00:18:04] Sometimes I get, I get like pushback.

[00:18:06] But, um, if you don't know yourself, it's hard to love yourself.

[00:18:10] If you don't love yourself, it's hard to love others.

[00:18:11] But to love yourself, you got to be pointed back to God.

[00:18:15] Yes.

[00:18:15] You got to be pointed back to Christ.

[00:18:17] You got to understand how, um, what, what, what do I say?

[00:18:21] How God sees us.

[00:18:23] We don't see ourselves how God sees us.

[00:18:25] I might wake up one morning and I feel like trash, but then it's like,

[00:18:28] I know that God sees me in the same way, so I can't stay there.

[00:18:31] But if you don't even know how God identifies you, what he means, what, what he says about you,

[00:18:38] your identity.

[00:18:40] If your identity is not sitting in Christ, your identity is sitting in the trend, the new BBL,

[00:18:46] the new body changes, getting your nose, you know what I'm saying?

[00:18:49] So when your identity is in Christ, you can, you can stand on it.

[00:18:54] But a lot of people don't have anything to stand on because we're looking at everything else.

[00:18:57] That's good.

[00:18:58] That's good.

[00:18:59] You know, uh, when you, I think it's interesting because being an artist and a speaker,

[00:19:04] you can, you can provide a lot of service and be in service, uh, and people in so many different ways

[00:19:10] in an engagement, right?

[00:19:12] You get to do the concert.

[00:19:14] You could do the seminar.

[00:19:16] You can then do the keynote.

[00:19:18] It gives you a lot of flexibility.

[00:19:20] How are you thinking about that?

[00:19:22] I'm thinking about it a lot, truly.

[00:19:24] Okay.

[00:19:24] I think, yeah.

[00:19:25] Oh, good.

[00:19:26] Good.

[00:19:27] Good.

[00:19:27] If people want, by the way, just quick infomercial, if people want to book you for a speaking

[00:19:30] event, same thing.

[00:19:31] Just go to at toy love on all socials.

[00:19:33] Yeah.

[00:19:34] Yeah.

[00:19:34] At toy love.

[00:19:35] Or you can email me at info at toy love.com.

[00:19:38] You know, it's just a tapestry of things.

[00:19:39] It's working.

[00:19:42] Oh, that is hilarious.

[00:19:44] Oh, that's hilarious.

[00:19:45] You guys, I'm not going to tell you what she just did.

[00:19:48] That's hilarious.

[00:19:49] That's good.

[00:19:49] Very good toy.

[00:19:50] You know, it's interesting.

[00:19:51] I, uh, hopefully it's not me.

[00:19:52] If hopefully y'all, are y'all seeing how her voice changes when she talks about the speaking

[00:19:57] thing?

[00:19:57] I know.

[00:19:58] It's like, I just go into my mode.

[00:19:59] Like, I don't know.

[00:20:00] That's good.

[00:20:01] Okay.

[00:20:02] So what's your creative process like?

[00:20:04] You've created a lot of songs.

[00:20:06] We're going to talk about this new coming EP soon.

[00:20:08] How do you create?

[00:20:09] How do you start?

[00:20:10] One time I used to just write, but now I like meditate as I just grown as a person.

[00:20:15] As I meditate, like God, whatever you want to come out of this song, let's do it.

[00:20:19] If you don't, it's cool.

[00:20:21] But what I've learned is I might write 75% of the song, but I might not have that 25%.

[00:20:27] I no longer, I don't force it.

[00:20:29] I just didn't live it yet.

[00:20:31] Once I live it, it's like, boom, I write it like that.

[00:20:34] I just didn't live it yet.

[00:20:40] That would infer that what you're talking about is a lived experience most of the time.

[00:20:44] Yeah.

[00:20:45] Most of the time I'm writing to myself.

[00:20:46] Yeah.

[00:20:47] You're writing to yourself.

[00:20:47] Yeah.

[00:20:48] Got it.

[00:20:49] Be yourself.

[00:20:52] Oh, true.

[00:20:52] Be yourself.

[00:20:53] Love your hair.

[00:20:54] Love your smile.

[00:20:55] Yeah.

[00:20:57] Everyone's taking.

[00:20:58] Everyone's taking.

[00:20:59] Be yourself.

[00:20:59] Yeah.

[00:21:00] That song was rent free in my head for a minute.

[00:21:02] Okay.

[00:21:02] I mean, just something about the melody and the message.

[00:21:06] The message was so potent.

[00:21:08] Yeah.

[00:21:08] I feel like pre-Kanye, like if you're a fan of my music, you're a fan of yourself.

[00:21:12] Yeah.

[00:21:12] Because I'm trying to hype you up every time.

[00:21:14] That's good.

[00:21:15] Yeah.

[00:21:15] That's good.

[00:21:16] That's good.

[00:21:17] What comes first?

[00:21:19] The chorus, the lyric, the track?

[00:21:23] What comes first for you?

[00:21:24] Most of the time it's a track because I'm not, I wasn't producing.

[00:21:27] I'm dabbling in it now, but it was me listening to the track and then a song comes.

[00:21:33] Just like Love It Here.

[00:21:34] Love It Here came off of the bad experience.

[00:21:37] Like I lost the album of songs.

[00:21:39] Won't go too much in there about it.

[00:21:41] But then the song came on and I was like, if you're like the Christ, you're tight.

[00:21:48] You're going to love here.

[00:21:49] Everlasting life.

[00:21:51] We the light.

[00:21:51] You're going to love here.

[00:21:52] All my sisters and bros, we ain't sing.

[00:21:54] But that just be the Holy Spirit.

[00:21:56] That's the Holy Spirit.

[00:21:58] And when he gave me that, boom.

[00:22:00] That song did well.

[00:22:02] Okay.

[00:22:03] All right.

[00:22:03] We have to go back though.

[00:22:04] What do you mean you lost the album of track?

[00:22:05] This sounds like another What Up RG story.

[00:22:07] Like what?

[00:22:09] It just didn't work with me and the producer.

[00:22:11] Okay.

[00:22:12] And just went in the flames.

[00:22:13] Got it.

[00:22:14] I thought you meant like you, you know, you had a bunch of stuff on the laptop and the

[00:22:17] laptop got destroyed.

[00:22:17] I don't know how they keep it.

[00:22:19] Okay.

[00:22:19] I do sometimes.

[00:22:20] Keep my computer in my car, but it rarely, seldom.

[00:22:22] I'm not keeping it in my car.

[00:22:24] It's close to me.

[00:22:25] Well, and just have a copy in the cloud.

[00:22:27] Right.

[00:22:27] Do it in the cloud, people.

[00:22:29] Please.

[00:22:29] Y'all killing me with these stories.

[00:22:30] Because I think Tory DeSean got his computer stolen too.

[00:22:32] Really?

[00:22:33] Yeah.

[00:22:34] Got to make a copy in the cloud.

[00:22:35] Well, okay.

[00:22:36] I guess I'm guilty too.

[00:22:37] Because I have some tracks I just did in Logic Pro that are on my laptop and it is not backed

[00:22:43] up.

[00:22:44] All right, Trig.

[00:22:45] Get it together.

[00:22:46] This is sad.

[00:22:47] This is sad.

[00:22:50] What's your take on collaborations?

[00:22:52] Because you've done a few.

[00:22:55] And is there a difference between a collaboration and a feature?

[00:22:59] So I think the biggest thing with collaboration is just how they're categorized.

[00:23:05] So if you, if I make a song with you and I make you a feature, you don't show up on

[00:23:09] my Spotify thing.

[00:23:10] Like it just shows up as you're a feature.

[00:23:12] But if it's a collaboration, it's going to show up on both of our pages.

[00:23:14] It's together for real.

[00:23:15] Yeah.

[00:23:16] Yeah.

[00:23:16] What's your, what do you prefer to do?

[00:23:18] I prefer to collaborate.

[00:23:19] I just really like to work with people I like.

[00:23:21] Like it doesn't matter, you know, their social standing on social media.

[00:23:25] If I like them, I like what they do.

[00:23:27] I'll do it.

[00:23:29] I'll do it.

[00:23:30] Okay.

[00:23:31] All right.

[00:23:31] So people, that means Toya Love is open to collabs.

[00:23:35] All be it.

[00:23:36] I feel like I want to play that part from Jackie Hill Perry.

[00:23:38] That doesn't mean everybody.

[00:23:39] Right.

[00:23:42] Doesn't mean everybody.

[00:23:43] All right.

[00:23:43] So the new project, Closer EP.

[00:23:46] Closer to God and closer to the women.

[00:23:49] Excuse me.

[00:23:49] Closer to the woman God wants me to be.

[00:23:52] Say more.

[00:23:53] You said it.

[00:23:54] Yeah.

[00:23:55] I'll just get it closer.

[00:23:56] Like sometimes you have periods in life where God is the closest person to you.

[00:24:00] Yeah.

[00:24:01] And then you like reading deep into his word and he's just talking to you.

[00:24:05] It's like whatever you're worried about, it can send to your heart.

[00:24:08] You open your Bible, he'll talk to you.

[00:24:09] Yeah.

[00:24:10] And I just became closer with him and I'm becoming closer to the woman that I want to be.

[00:24:15] Yeah.

[00:24:16] You know, it's like a, you know, I feel like a butterfly a little bit, you know,

[00:24:19] we're always growing and transforming.

[00:24:21] So I'm excited to see what this next level looks like.

[00:24:24] The woman you want to be, the woman God wants you to be.

[00:24:26] How would you, you know, of course, everybody says it's a P31 woman, but, you know.

[00:24:31] Are you saying you tired of that?

[00:24:32] No, no, I'm not tired of it.

[00:24:33] I mean, I just, I just think there's always just like everything else, right?

[00:24:36] There's always more specificity underneath it, right?

[00:24:39] We're just, we're different people.

[00:24:40] So what is, what does it mean for you?

[00:24:43] What, what, and you're, and you're, are you single?

[00:24:45] Are you married?

[00:24:46] I'm married.

[00:24:46] You're married?

[00:24:47] What?

[00:24:47] Yeah.

[00:24:47] Ba-ba-ba-ba.

[00:24:48] Ba-ba-ba.

[00:24:50] So what, so what, um, uh, you know, this is always a tough thing too.

[00:24:55] So was that wrong?

[00:24:56] Because I know there is a, uh, a train of thought for some that you should keep your

[00:25:02] marital status under wraps as an artist, because as soon as you do that, you may disenfranchise

[00:25:08] yourself from some people.

[00:25:09] Like right now you just broke some hearts.

[00:25:11] You think so?

[00:25:12] I don't know.

[00:25:13] Well, I know that's what some people think.

[00:25:14] Like right now, you know, you had a bunch of people, a bunch of maybe young gentlemen

[00:25:17] who were like, you know, you know, I love toy love.

[00:25:19] Right.

[00:25:20] And yeah, I hope, I hope one day to me heard, get a chance to, you know, so now that they

[00:25:25] know you're married, I'm unfollowing her on Spotify, can no longer listen to be yourself

[00:25:30] because you're not going to be, you know, whatever.

[00:25:33] So it is a school of thought.

[00:25:36] Have you heard that before?

[00:25:37] I have.

[00:25:37] Yeah.

[00:25:38] And do, have you ever got coaching to keep it, keep it concealed?

[00:25:41] I have.

[00:25:41] It just depends on the people you're around, but I really truly feel like what God has for

[00:25:46] me is for me.

[00:25:46] Yeah.

[00:25:47] It can't be taken away.

[00:25:47] And that might give me a large audience of married women.

[00:25:50] You know, I'm, I don't trip about it.

[00:25:52] Yeah.

[00:25:53] Cause God's plan is going to get done.

[00:25:54] There's plenty of advice out there about how to run your life as an artist.

[00:25:58] What are two or three things that have been imparted to you that you're like, man, that's

[00:26:04] gold.

[00:26:04] Like I am following that advice.

[00:26:06] It's worked out for me.

[00:26:07] And then I'd love to hear one or two that you said, I had to discard that.

[00:26:11] That just doesn't work.

[00:26:14] Okay.

[00:26:14] I think people always talk about being yourself and sharing your story.

[00:26:18] I feel like that works.

[00:26:19] I have not done it yet, but I feel like I need to.

[00:26:21] Um, what people say, um, consistency.

[00:26:27] I think I kind of do well and feel cause I don't have on pink today.

[00:26:32] Just branding.

[00:26:33] Like I usually wear pink.

[00:26:34] However, Drake didn't tell me it was negative three degrees in Philadelphia.

[00:26:38] So I have on all the hoodies that I pack right now because it's, um, yeah, just branding

[00:26:43] and consistency with that.

[00:26:44] Um, but again, I just feel like God going to take you when it's your time.

[00:26:47] He's going to take it up.

[00:26:48] No matter if you wear pink every show or you know what I'm saying.

[00:26:50] Yeah.

[00:26:51] And what was the last one?

[00:26:52] Uh, something, some advice that people are giving you, you know, one or two that, that

[00:26:56] you've had to discard.

[00:26:58] I think that no matter how big the success of a record is, you can, you should never be

[00:27:03] Hollywood.

[00:27:04] You should never be above speaking to others.

[00:27:07] You should never like have an attitude of, Oh, I can't go there now because of this.

[00:27:11] I just think, I don't know.

[00:27:12] I don't think I like that.

[00:27:13] I got you.

[00:27:14] I don't think that's biblical.

[00:27:15] That's good.

[00:27:16] That's good.

[00:27:16] This close to the God project and we're going to tee up a track, uh, and let you do something

[00:27:22] live.

[00:27:23] Okay.

[00:27:23] Um, when does it drop?

[00:27:26] Next week on even next week.

[00:27:28] Cop it.

[00:27:29] It's going to be available.

[00:27:30] Next week on even even.

[00:27:31] Even is the new thing.

[00:27:32] Yeah.

[00:27:33] It was just your, it's your first one you're doing on even.

[00:27:35] Okay.

[00:27:35] So I'd love to hear how it works.

[00:27:36] It's going to be trial and error.

[00:27:37] I'll let you know.

[00:27:38] Yeah.

[00:27:38] I'd love to hear how it works.

[00:27:39] Um, Max, how are we, how are we doing?

[00:27:41] We ready?

[00:27:41] I need a signal, a hand sign.

[00:27:46] So, okay.

[00:27:47] We're ready.

[00:27:47] All right.

[00:27:48] All right.

[00:27:48] We're going to drop it.

[00:27:49] We're okay.

[00:27:54] Let's hear it.

[00:27:55] Look, never gonna waste my time.

[00:27:57] It's expensive.

[00:27:59] Underline.

[00:28:00] It's expensive.

[00:28:01] Guys playing.

[00:28:02] Locked in on the mission.

[00:28:04] Beauty, brazen, ambition.

[00:28:06] Never gonna waste my time.

[00:28:07] It's expensive.

[00:28:09] Underline.

[00:28:10] It's expensive.

[00:28:10] Guys playing.

[00:28:11] Locked in on the mission.

[00:28:13] Beauty, brazen, ambition.

[00:28:16] Underground.

[00:28:16] Make it move.

[00:28:17] There were successes.

[00:28:18] Bossed up.

[00:28:19] Kingdom work.

[00:28:19] My profession.

[00:28:20] Took a L to the chin.

[00:28:21] It was a lesson.

[00:28:23] Now I'm counting up these wins and these blessings.

[00:28:26] It did me bad and it hurt.

[00:28:27] Crazy thing is I could have did them worse.

[00:28:30] Took my feelings and I put it in a purse.

[00:28:32] Good girls, when it hurts from me first.

[00:28:35] Uh, you might take a lick.

[00:28:37] Had a lot of boy cousins.

[00:28:38] I could take a hit.

[00:28:39] Live, live before the Lord.

[00:28:40] I'm not faking it.

[00:28:42] Know your time coming soon.

[00:28:43] Yeah, you making it.

[00:28:44] Yeah.

[00:28:48] Tell them the name of that one.

[00:28:50] Hey, this is, that's expensive by Toy Love.

[00:28:53] Yeah.

[00:28:53] I had that on repeat this morning.

[00:28:54] I was listening to them and, uh, yeah, that one hit me.

[00:28:57] I like it.

[00:28:58] I like it.

[00:28:59] I like it.

[00:28:59] So y'all cop that EP.

[00:29:01] Go ahead and get it on even.

[00:29:02] She gets a higher rate of earnings if you get it on even.

[00:29:04] Just being transparent.

[00:29:05] Yeah.

[00:29:06] If you want to pay a thousand dollars, you want to pay a dollar.

[00:29:08] Go on now.

[00:29:09] Wherever you want to be.

[00:29:10] Giving Tuesday's coming.

[00:29:11] So go on and give early.

[00:29:13] I got to give.

[00:29:14] Make sure you give the whole culture.

[00:29:15] We all got to give the whole culture.

[00:29:16] You know what I'm saying?

[00:29:17] Go on and give now.

[00:29:18] So now, uh, you've been known for dynamic stage presence.

[00:29:21] What?

[00:29:22] What?

[00:29:24] Why are you laughing?

[00:29:26] Because me and you, like, it's so, okay.

[00:29:28] Let me.

[00:29:29] All right.

[00:29:30] All right.

[00:29:30] Trick.

[00:29:31] You've been known to have a dynamic stage presence.

[00:29:35] What?

[00:29:36] What has helped you create that?

[00:29:37] And I've done so many shows for free.

[00:29:40] So many shows with two, three people in it.

[00:29:42] I used to do shows all the time.

[00:29:45] So that's why I kind of feel comfortable.

[00:29:46] But I still do kind of get goosebumps before I go.

[00:29:49] I heard you killed it at the, um, Future, Future Legacy.

[00:29:52] Oh, really?

[00:29:53] Yeah.

[00:29:54] I was there the year before.

[00:29:55] I'm on the, on the panel on the, uh, I'm sorry, the committee.

[00:29:58] And, uh, unfortunately couldn't make it, but I heard great things.

[00:30:01] Did my best.

[00:30:02] Yeah.

[00:30:02] I really did.

[00:30:03] I just tried to do my best.

[00:30:04] That piece of performer for two or three people.

[00:30:07] It still happens every now and then though.

[00:30:08] Maybe 10 people.

[00:30:09] Sometimes you get to a place and you, you, you're kind of surprised that it's not packed.

[00:30:14] Not your fault.

[00:30:15] Promoters or whatever fell down.

[00:30:17] Um, one of the things I think probably helps with your stage presence.

[00:30:21] You get the same show regardless of how, who's in the room.

[00:30:24] Yeah.

[00:30:25] So like when I moved to Atlanta, I didn't know anybody.

[00:30:27] I didn't have nobody.

[00:30:28] I didn't have a foot in.

[00:30:29] Yeah.

[00:30:29] So whenever it was a show, I'm like, I'm, I'm, I perform.

[00:30:33] Yeah.

[00:30:33] And I did that for like a year or two years consistently.

[00:30:36] How long have you been in Atlanta now?

[00:30:38] Like four years.

[00:30:39] Okay.

[00:30:39] What made you, what made you guys move?

[00:30:41] I just wanted to get out of South Carolina.

[00:30:43] You know what Lamar looks like.

[00:30:44] Yes.

[00:30:45] Yes.

[00:30:47] Yes.

[00:30:48] I just feel like I had to be in Atlanta.

[00:30:50] Okay.

[00:30:51] It's funny that Atlanta is, well, not funny.

[00:30:53] I mean, haha, but just from a, for, for me who was born and raised in Philly, you know,

[00:30:59] Philly at one time was the center Christian hip hop.

[00:31:01] Right.

[00:31:02] And that has shifted to Atlanta.

[00:31:03] So, um, it's always funny to me to hear people, my, uh, people migrate.

[00:31:07] Right.

[00:31:07] And was it purposeful about the music or was it just in general?

[00:31:12] I want to move and get close to, you know, to that culture.

[00:31:15] My friend, I have an EP I released just for fun.

[00:31:19] It was like 20.

[00:31:20] I forgot when it was.

[00:31:21] And my friend, he went to the studio with me and he threw the whole thing.

[00:31:25] It was like, yo, you're good.

[00:31:27] You should go to the studio.

[00:31:28] And he went to every session with me.

[00:31:31] So I finished EP.

[00:31:32] I only needed like three sessions because I had already had it written.

[00:31:35] And he provided a place for safety.

[00:31:37] I felt safe in the studio.

[00:31:39] Like, I didn't feel like I had to worry about anything.

[00:31:41] Cause you know, you go to a studio, you never know what you're going to walk into.

[00:31:44] Like, so he was like, you really need to take it serious.

[00:31:46] He said that.

[00:31:47] And I was like, you know what?

[00:31:49] Like, I don't think God gave me this gift for no reason.

[00:31:51] Gotcha.

[00:31:51] Like, I'm going to take it serious.

[00:31:53] Moved to Atlanta.

[00:31:54] I had maybe like $3,000.

[00:31:56] I think I took it out of my 401k.

[00:31:58] I don't know.

[00:31:59] You were married then, right?

[00:32:01] Yeah.

[00:32:01] Okay.

[00:32:02] So then, um, we're in Atlanta.

[00:32:05] Nobody has a job.

[00:32:06] Like, I was like, you want to move to Atlanta?

[00:32:08] I was like, yeah.

[00:32:09] I was like, this is enough to make it.

[00:32:10] Pick that moved on faith.

[00:32:12] Nothing but a mattress.

[00:32:13] Wow.

[00:32:14] Yeah.

[00:32:15] And it took me like three months to get a job.

[00:32:17] Cause I had to get credentials.

[00:32:18] So it was just like, but he was able to get a job.

[00:32:20] Right.

[00:32:22] So yeah.

[00:32:22] But that was like a trying time.

[00:32:25] But I mean, looking back at it, it's like, wow.

[00:32:28] Like we really did it.

[00:32:29] Like we really did it.

[00:32:30] And we're doing it.

[00:32:31] Not there yet, but we're doing it.

[00:32:33] How was your, how'd your family react to picking up a mover?

[00:32:36] Uh, I think they think, they just think I'm just so unpredictable.

[00:32:39] They don't, they don't, I don't really feel like, but my mom is like, my mom's always

[00:32:45] like, you should, you should just start a practice.

[00:32:47] You should do that.

[00:32:48] What kind of practice?

[00:32:49] A healthcare practice.

[00:32:50] Something in healthcare.

[00:32:51] Healthcare.

[00:32:52] And I'm just like, mom, that's not what my heart is.

[00:32:54] Like, I love this.

[00:32:56] Like, this is what my heart is.

[00:32:57] She just could not see it.

[00:32:59] But yeah.

[00:32:59] And I could cry talking about it right now, but I'm not.

[00:33:03] My mom heard, love it here on Holy Coach Radio.

[00:33:08] Oh wow.

[00:33:09] And she heard it and she was like, you know, Toya, I believe in what you're doing.

[00:33:12] I think you might just make it.

[00:33:14] Wow.

[00:33:14] And I could have cried because I went through this thing three years with her looking at

[00:33:18] me like I'm crazy.

[00:33:19] So she was like, yeah, I see what you're doing.

[00:33:20] I believe, you know, I think you're going to be okay.

[00:33:22] I think you're going to make it.

[00:33:24] Yeah.

[00:33:24] Wow.

[00:33:24] So you introduced your mom to Holy Coach Radio.

[00:33:26] Yeah.

[00:33:27] And my cousin was in the car listening to it too.

[00:33:30] Yeah.

[00:33:30] And she put it on the page and like, my family was like, oh, snap.

[00:33:34] Like, and I'm like.

[00:33:34] Wow.

[00:33:36] That's so good.

[00:33:37] Mm-hmm.

[00:33:37] What's your mom's name?

[00:33:39] Wanda.

[00:33:39] Hey, Miss Wanda.

[00:33:41] Thank you for listening.

[00:33:43] Right.

[00:33:44] Hey, Miss Wanda.

[00:33:45] Thank you for listening.

[00:33:46] Wow.

[00:33:47] Wow.

[00:33:47] I love that.

[00:33:50] You know, your music is fun.

[00:33:55] Substantive.

[00:33:57] How do you think about your target audience?

[00:34:01] You know what I'm saying?

[00:34:02] Yeah.

[00:34:03] Yeah.

[00:34:04] Yeah.

[00:34:04] I mean, the work you did at, what was it?

[00:34:06] DFC?

[00:34:06] Was that the name of it?

[00:34:08] That you said in South Carolina.

[00:34:09] Helping kids in the room.

[00:34:11] Oh, CDL.

[00:34:12] CDL.

[00:34:12] It's almost like you lifted and took with you that training, that coaching, that mentoring

[00:34:20] of women and now put it on wax.

[00:34:22] You know what I'm saying?

[00:34:23] I don't know.

[00:34:24] I don't know.

[00:34:25] I don't know.

[00:34:26] I don't know.

[00:34:28] I don't know.

[00:34:37] I don't know.

[00:34:38] This EP drop.

[00:34:40] Closer.

[00:34:47] Closer.

[00:34:49] Closer.

[00:34:51] Closer.

[00:34:53] Closer.

[00:34:54] Closer.

[00:34:55] Closer.

[00:34:55] Closer to God.

[00:34:55] Closer to the sound that I want to be.

[00:34:57] Yeah.

[00:34:57] Closer to, just getting closer to everything by just like really knowing who I am.

[00:35:02] I feel like I'm getting so close to knowing.

[00:35:04] I don't even really feel like I know 100% who I am because things are constantly changing

[00:35:08] and different things are always coming to your life to challenge you.

[00:35:11] And, you know, so I'm not her that the her, the woman that I want to be where I feel so

[00:35:17] close to her.

[00:35:18] Yeah.

[00:35:18] I'm saying.

[00:35:19] Yeah.

[00:35:19] That's good.

[00:35:20] Well, I mean, you're bubbling.

[00:35:22] You're well over 50,000 monthly Spotify listeners, 70, 73,000, if I remember correctly.

[00:35:28] Yeah.

[00:35:29] Which means, you know, I always think of it this way.

[00:35:32] Spotify is a third to 40% of the market.

[00:35:35] So let's just say for all intents and purposes, you've got 150,000 across all platforms and

[00:35:42] whatnot.

[00:35:42] It's pretty, pretty significant.

[00:35:44] It is.

[00:35:44] I'm thankful, but I would like to be able to touch 150,000 women a year, you know, like

[00:35:49] being in the room, like being in the car.

[00:35:51] That's cool.

[00:35:52] But to like touch the people and like being there and like hear their pains and concerns

[00:35:56] and like that kind of thing.

[00:35:57] I think I also want that.

[00:35:59] So you want conversation with these women.

[00:36:02] Yeah.

[00:36:03] Yeah.

[00:36:03] What does that look like?

[00:36:04] Does that look like, uh, amphitheaters?

[00:36:07] Does that look like, uh, with Jackie Hill Perry and, uh, the Perry's just did like video

[00:36:12] podcast tour.

[00:36:13] What does that look like?

[00:36:14] If you could have it your way, if right now, if right now a booking agent promoter was listening

[00:36:21] and said, whatever you want, I'm going to help you set this up.

[00:36:25] What would you tell them?

[00:36:27] I don't think I'd tell them anything right now.

[00:36:29] Cause I really got to pray on it.

[00:36:30] Okay.

[00:36:30] And I feel like whatever I'm doing, it's not going to look like what's already out there.

[00:36:35] I think guys are going to give me some, some different, some special.

[00:36:38] And I just want him to really have his way and get out the way.

[00:36:41] That's my biggest thing.

[00:36:42] Like get out the way, because I feel like we could be so much more creative.

[00:36:45] We just stopped looking and just start focusing and like lock in for real.

[00:36:49] That's why I got the song locked in.

[00:36:51] Cause I'm lucky.

[00:36:55] Yeah.

[00:36:56] I need, I'm going to get a button right here where I can just go air horn.

[00:37:00] I'm going to put it right here.

[00:37:02] Um, okay.

[00:37:03] Okay.

[00:37:04] So, so for women who are listening and, you know, getting the message of, uh, almost

[00:37:10] like a message, almost like a message of liberation.

[00:37:14] Um, what typically holds people back in your experience as you're working with women?

[00:37:18] I think people just don't think they're enough.

[00:37:20] If you don't think you're enough, it's these standards, um, that the world gives you.

[00:37:25] Like you have to look a certain way.

[00:37:27] You have to be a certain build and it's just not realistic.

[00:37:30] Yeah.

[00:37:30] And then most of the people who look like that do not have healthy mental health.

[00:37:33] You know what I'm saying?

[00:37:35] So it's like you get there and then you have to stay there.

[00:37:38] Right.

[00:37:38] Then you have to, and you just stretching yourself and just like be who you are.

[00:37:41] Yeah.

[00:37:42] And I think God's going to use just us as who we are right now.

[00:37:45] That's good.

[00:37:46] What, um, well, I'm putting myself out there and I'm going to say, let's say myself, us,

[00:37:57] excuse me, Holy Coach Radio, Rapzilla, Proper XL.

[00:38:02] Uh, I'm missing people.

[00:38:03] Track stars to fix.

[00:38:05] Everyone was together and we gave you the microphone and said, tell us what we do to help.

[00:38:12] Hmm.

[00:38:13] With the challenge and the opportunity you've identified of empowering women.

[00:38:18] What would you tell us?

[00:38:18] What would you tell us to do?

[00:38:19] Listen, if you guys are going to yield for a minute to support this, what would you tell

[00:38:23] us to do?

[00:38:24] Well, I'm taking the sabbatical next week.

[00:38:26] I'm going to let you know after that.

[00:38:27] Oh gosh.

[00:38:28] All right.

[00:38:29] I'm taking like a week.

[00:38:30] I'm just wanting to lock in and just like, just be, be out the way.

[00:38:34] Yeah.

[00:38:34] Really just tapping with God.

[00:38:35] Okay.

[00:38:36] Cause that's why I'm just really wanting to hear from him to know how it looks.

[00:38:39] Then I'll call you.

[00:38:40] Okay.

[00:38:40] Might have to have you do a virtual thing and we, we got to get a download.

[00:38:44] All right.

[00:38:44] What's going on?

[00:38:45] What, um, what's the future look like for Toyota?

[00:38:48] Right.

[00:38:49] Hmm?

[00:38:49] Bright.

[00:38:50] Bright.

[00:38:50] Yeah.

[00:38:51] Bright.

[00:38:51] Right.

[00:38:52] Okay.

[00:39:00] I'm going to show you that your life is going to be so lit with God.

[00:39:03] It's so lit being married.

[00:39:05] It's so lit being with practicing monogamy.

[00:39:08] Yeah.

[00:39:08] It's so lit.

[00:39:09] I don't think people see that.

[00:39:11] I want to show you that.

[00:39:12] I want to show the lifestyle.

[00:39:13] Um, your, uh, your socials always just have a fun spirit to them.

[00:39:18] Like, you know what I mean?

[00:39:20] Just fun.

[00:39:21] Just, just fun.

[00:39:22] Um, what, what do you, if you were, if you envision yourself sitting here a year from

[00:39:28] now in this chair, what do you think you'll be saying?

[00:39:32] Hmm.

[00:39:33] I'm going to be like, God has really blown my mind.

[00:39:36] He's truly faithful.

[00:39:38] And everything that I have asked him for direction for he's touched and he's done exceedingly and

[00:39:45] abundantly.

[00:39:45] Yeah.

[00:39:46] And I'll let you know what that looks like.

[00:39:47] That's good.

[00:39:48] The projects you've worked on so far, who are some of your first, who are some of your

[00:39:51] favorite people to work with?

[00:39:53] Oh, I'm working with some, I'm working with some really.

[00:39:58] My favorite.

[00:40:00] Favorite people.

[00:40:01] You don't have to limit it to one person.

[00:40:02] Me and Reese always have a good time.

[00:40:03] She's crazy.

[00:40:04] She's really crazy.

[00:40:06] Um, and I just been working with these new like producers and really, you know, tapping

[00:40:10] into the things that you've been saying about like really locking in and I'm really about

[00:40:15] to lock in and try to create some stuff that's timeless.

[00:40:18] I don't know.

[00:40:19] I want to hit it.

[00:40:20] I want to hit that mark where it's like, you know, you listen to Michael Jackson stuff.

[00:40:24] You can still listen to it today.

[00:40:26] Yeah.

[00:40:26] Why?

[00:40:27] Do you think you'll know when you hear a timeless song?

[00:40:33] Hmm.

[00:40:34] I think it's kind of indicators.

[00:40:36] I think, I think, I think some songs that will live forever.

[00:40:39] Yeah.

[00:40:40] Okay.

[00:40:40] I'm going to say what my songs I think may live forever.

[00:40:43] That could live forever.

[00:40:45] For some reason, I like love it here because of the message.

[00:40:48] Mm hmm.

[00:40:49] Um, I have a song called letter to myself.

[00:40:52] I like that could be a classic.

[00:40:54] Mm hmm.

[00:40:57] I don't know.

[00:40:58] Worship for real is doing kind of good, but I don't know.

[00:41:00] I like it.

[00:41:01] But they said it sounds nostalgic.

[00:41:02] However, it does because the people who inspired that song would be, um, Erica Campbell

[00:41:10] and Mary Mary.

[00:41:11] Mm hmm.

[00:41:11] Canton Jones.

[00:41:12] That's when I, my introduction, it sounds like my introduction to.

[00:41:15] Gotcha.

[00:41:16] Yeah.

[00:41:16] And that's what that song represents.

[00:41:17] My introduction to Christian hip hop.

[00:41:19] Cause it sounded like that.

[00:41:20] Yeah.

[00:41:20] I'm five seconds away from giving you the most amazing.

[00:41:23] That's one of my songs.

[00:41:25] You know, it gets, I feel like it gives that feel to like, that's how it felt when I was

[00:41:29] introduced to Christian hip hop.

[00:41:30] Last 12 months, without a doubt, Canton's performance the night before the, um, gospel hip

[00:41:38] hop, uh, awards, uh, induction thing.

[00:41:43] Favorite performance.

[00:41:44] Mm hmm.

[00:41:46] Canton's favorite performance.

[00:41:47] I don't know if I've ever told him that.

[00:41:48] I need to tell him that.

[00:41:49] Favorite performance.

[00:41:50] He, he came out and I forgot how many hits he had.

[00:41:53] Yeah.

[00:41:54] Hit my.

[00:41:55] He stood in a three by three square and went from song to song and probably did a minute

[00:42:02] of each song.

[00:42:03] And I don't know, maybe he did a eight minute, 10 minute set, but he went, he's, you know,

[00:42:08] he started doing, uh, uh, five minutes and then he went right into, I'm a body of devil.

[00:42:13] I'm going to body that.

[00:42:14] They went right to the next song.

[00:42:15] And we were like, ah, ah, ah, you just couldn't, you know, you couldn't calm down because he

[00:42:21] was just hitting them and you were just man.

[00:42:23] And the, the, um, you can see the mastery.

[00:42:27] Mm hmm.

[00:42:27] You can see the mastery of what he does.

[00:42:30] Right.

[00:42:30] I would say when someone like the game slows down for them and when they're doing it, it

[00:42:36] looks so effortless.

[00:42:38] Right.

[00:42:39] Right.

[00:42:39] It was like, it was, it was one of those.

[00:42:42] Yeah.

[00:42:42] It was one of those.

[00:42:43] So, so, so folks who are trying to improve their stage presence, obviously check out

[00:42:47] toy love, but check, check out my man, Ken Jones.

[00:42:51] Speaking of that, speaking of growth and whatnot, how do you think you grew to the stage you're

[00:42:56] at now?

[00:42:56] I mean, I'm sorry.

[00:42:57] I missed, I missed the number earlier.

[00:42:58] I said at least 150,000.

[00:43:00] No, it's gotta be closer to at least 180, 190,000 across all platforms.

[00:43:05] It's gotta be closer to that.

[00:43:06] How do you think you grew?

[00:43:07] What, what, when did you see the, you know, what were some of the inflection points and

[00:43:11] you know, what do you think you did to create those inflection points?

[00:43:14] Like on Spotify, this, you have to drop consistently on Spotify, which is, it messes up the radio

[00:43:20] thing.

[00:43:20] A lot of people drop consistently.

[00:43:23] And they don't grow that way.

[00:43:26] No, I'm just saying, I'm just trying to, no, I'm trying to get to like, no, I'm just trying

[00:43:31] to, because that is true.

[00:43:33] That is the published do these things.

[00:43:37] Right.

[00:43:37] But there's something else that happens with certain people and they really grow.

[00:43:42] You've really grown.

[00:43:44] And so beyond the, this is the printed.

[00:43:47] Yes.

[00:43:48] Drop it.

[00:43:48] Like, you know, if you, you go Google, how do you grow?

[00:43:51] There's going to be these bullets, right?

[00:43:52] Drop every six weeks.

[00:43:53] Right.

[00:43:53] You know, make sure you include all the metadata, you know, right.

[00:43:59] Right.

[00:44:00] Right.

[00:44:00] Now you.

[00:44:01] So what?

[00:44:02] Okay.

[00:44:02] So let's beyond that, what would you say?

[00:44:04] Like, okay, for me, these are some of the things I did that I think are in addition to

[00:44:10] these things.

[00:44:11] Anything come to mind?

[00:44:13] I don't know.

[00:44:14] It gotta be God because I literally just, I'm coming back to that question.

[00:44:20] I don't know.

[00:44:21] Oh, true.

[00:44:21] That's a good question.

[00:44:22] Okay.

[00:44:22] You really laying it hard today.

[00:44:24] Well, no, only because I'm trying to, I'm trying to continue to get, you know, help us

[00:44:28] all learn.

[00:44:29] Me too.

[00:44:30] Right.

[00:44:30] You know, I'm curious because think of it this way.

[00:44:33] When you moved to Atlanta, well, you had already done some songs before you moved to

[00:44:38] Atlanta.

[00:44:38] I dropped the EP.

[00:44:39] Yeah.

[00:44:39] I mean, nobody heard it, but.

[00:44:40] Okay.

[00:44:41] So then you really started dropping once you got to Atlanta.

[00:44:43] So think of it this way.

[00:44:44] When you really started dropping at that point, if you look to the left and right, there were

[00:44:49] some people starting around the same time.

[00:44:51] Yeah.

[00:44:51] If you look to the left and right now, some of them are not there.

[00:44:54] Hmm.

[00:44:55] Yeah.

[00:44:56] You would have to look back.

[00:44:58] You are.

[00:44:59] They don't know how funny you are.

[00:45:01] They don't know.

[00:45:02] Why?

[00:45:03] They got to look back.

[00:45:04] You would have to look back.

[00:45:06] And so you can start saying, well, okay, what, what did I do that they did not do?

[00:45:10] Okay.

[00:45:11] I got you.

[00:45:11] So listen, I never told you I played the saxophone in high school.

[00:45:16] No, in middle school, I played sax.

[00:45:18] I played the drums for my church forever till I went to college.

[00:45:21] I played some keys.

[00:45:24] So I studied music from Mozart to Beethoven to jazz.

[00:45:28] See?

[00:45:28] So.

[00:45:29] See, now we're getting to it.

[00:45:31] Now we're getting somewhere.

[00:45:33] Now we're getting somewhere.

[00:45:34] Okay.

[00:45:35] Which explains, because I was going to ask you this too, what makes you think, what is making

[00:45:39] you go into production?

[00:45:40] So you've got a broader musical background.

[00:45:43] Yeah.

[00:45:43] How long had you been playing other instruments and doing that stuff?

[00:45:47] So I think like fifth, sixth grade, I picked up the sax.

[00:45:49] Oh, Toya.

[00:45:51] I don't play it now, though.

[00:45:52] What are we talking about?

[00:45:53] I don't play it now.

[00:45:54] What's the reverse of it?

[00:45:55] Like, I want to give you that.

[00:45:58] What?

[00:45:59] You are, you're holding back.

[00:46:01] You're holding back.

[00:46:02] I didn't realize.

[00:46:03] Yeah.

[00:46:04] Yeah.

[00:46:04] I mean, because that means you understand some music structure.

[00:46:07] Mm-hmm.

[00:46:10] Then how to read music.

[00:46:11] I don't know if I can still read it, but yeah.

[00:46:13] But you have a, you, you have some, I mean, it's like the 10,000 hour rule.

[00:46:16] If you've been doing music that long, you've got some natural instincts around what sounds

[00:46:23] right.

[00:46:23] Right.

[00:46:24] Around the song structure.

[00:46:26] That is true because I know I'll be, it'd be a, it'd be an instrumental and now, you know,

[00:46:31] have laid the song.

[00:46:33] Right.

[00:46:33] But then I'll tell the producer, hey, get a violin out.

[00:46:36] And I was like, it need to sound like this.

[00:46:38] Yeah.

[00:46:38] You right.

[00:46:39] Right.

[00:46:40] How to intro a song, how to end the song, the strength of the chorus, the cadence, whether

[00:46:46] it's legato or staccato.

[00:46:48] Right.

[00:46:48] I mean, all those things matter.

[00:46:51] You got a point.

[00:46:52] There's a lot of people who I hear on a track sometimes and they'll do something and you go,

[00:46:57] man, it's just way too many syllables in that bar.

[00:46:59] But they don't, they don't have a feel for that.

[00:47:02] Thank God for the country, man.

[00:47:03] Like being in church at every quiet practice, you know, I think that comes like having that

[00:47:10] gospel background from the South.

[00:47:12] I think that counts for something.

[00:47:13] Being on the drums with the piano player, listening to how he play.

[00:47:17] He going to tell me when to hit.

[00:47:18] It's like, yeah, all of that.

[00:47:20] That's why I love where I'm from.

[00:47:21] I never like take away from me.

[00:47:23] That all matters.

[00:47:25] I think, because again, I think sometimes when you look at an artist and a rapper and

[00:47:29] you think they're just a rapper, unpacking this helps because that broader understanding

[00:47:36] that you now take for granted because you just do it.

[00:47:39] You're right.

[00:47:40] Right?

[00:47:41] You look back.

[00:47:45] I mean, some of the people don't have that.

[00:47:50] I have like, I do have a love for music.

[00:47:52] Yeah.

[00:47:53] I really do.

[00:47:53] Yeah.

[00:47:54] That's good.

[00:47:54] So as you produce, I can see that coming to life.

[00:47:56] I mean, it reminds me a little bit of the conversation with Alex G.

[00:48:01] Guitarist.

[00:48:01] Right?

[00:48:01] I mean, boy can play.

[00:48:03] He's tough.

[00:48:04] He's tough.

[00:48:05] And so it makes sense when you think about some of his songs and the way he approaches

[00:48:08] it.

[00:48:10] Right?

[00:48:11] I mean, he's killing it.

[00:48:14] But you listen to the tracks.

[00:48:15] Those tracks are laid.

[00:48:17] They sound simple, but the musicality of those tracks.

[00:48:21] I think he produces a lot of his stuff.

[00:48:23] I believe so.

[00:48:24] Yeah.

[00:48:24] Or at least start some of it or collaborates.

[00:48:26] And you know, so mad talented.

[00:48:29] So could you see yourself producing for other people?

[00:48:33] It could happen.

[00:48:34] Yeah.

[00:48:34] It could happen.

[00:48:35] That could be interesting.

[00:48:37] It's interesting.

[00:48:38] It's interesting.

[00:48:39] It's interesting.

[00:48:39] The last couple of weeks have been interesting.

[00:48:41] As I go into this road, like what we talked about, it's been some opportunities come across

[00:48:46] that I wouldn't have thought about.

[00:48:49] But a lot of times, like, I have songs that will never drop because they don't sound right

[00:48:54] for me.

[00:48:55] Gotcha.

[00:48:55] You know what I'm saying?

[00:48:56] But they would sound right for somebody else.

[00:48:58] Yeah.

[00:48:59] And if you, I can't remember.

[00:49:01] Is Dre in Atlanta?

[00:49:01] Is she in Nashville?

[00:49:02] Dre in Nashville.

[00:49:03] She's in Nashville.

[00:49:04] That's interesting, though.

[00:49:05] Because when you think about what you want to do, I mean, this is just like literally

[00:49:08] off the top of my head.

[00:49:09] Here we go.

[00:49:10] And working with these.

[00:49:11] Where are we going?

[00:49:12] Go ahead.

[00:49:12] No, I'm just, you know, maybe I shouldn't say this on YouTube live.

[00:49:16] Maybe I should hold this for later.

[00:49:18] Yeah.

[00:49:22] Listen, with what you do and what you want to do, helping women be liberated, unlock their

[00:49:32] potential, push back against, let's call it the culture's definition of who they are.

[00:49:38] That's a whole, yes.

[00:49:40] Right?

[00:49:41] Correct.

[00:49:41] Having a center of not only learning, but of arts where women are helping women could

[00:49:49] be so, so nice.

[00:49:52] Like a camp.

[00:49:53] But it's a center.

[00:49:55] Almost like this building.

[00:49:56] Come, tell your story, unpack, debrief, get it out your system.

[00:50:05] But then also let's go right into this next room and start building your thing.

[00:50:09] That's like a, wow.

[00:50:10] Yeah.

[00:50:11] Detox and then let's build.

[00:50:15] A lot of times you don't have places to do both.

[00:50:17] No, you're right.

[00:50:18] You have places you can do one or the other.

[00:50:20] Get detox and, you know, get all the bad stuff out.

[00:50:23] And then, you know, we'll send you down the road somewhere.

[00:50:25] But imagine a place where they can come, kind of do both.

[00:50:28] See, and that's what opportunities.

[00:50:29] I told you there's so many opportunities.

[00:50:31] That's such an opportunity I didn't even think about.

[00:50:32] Yeah.

[00:50:33] Yeah, that's good.

[00:50:34] Sorry, I'll, you know, you can give a donation later when, once you get, as you get

[00:50:37] your donations in, you know, send a little something over.

[00:50:42] Oh, my gosh.

[00:50:44] That's good.

[00:50:45] All right.

[00:50:46] Listen, man, thanks for coming.

[00:50:49] For real.

[00:50:50] For real.

[00:50:51] Thanks for coming.

[00:50:52] You want to play a song?

[00:50:52] Well, actually, the second hour of the show is going to kind of be dedicated to you.

[00:50:57] So I'm not going to ask you what you're going to play.

[00:50:58] I'm going to play a bunch of your stuff during the second hour.

[00:51:01] Let me just check YouTube.

[00:51:02] And I'm going to be rude because I told people I allow them to ask questions.

[00:51:06] While I'm doing that, let me ask you this.

[00:51:08] If after the EP, you go to create, and it's not an if because you will go to create.

[00:51:15] But if you could have your list of who was on the next project with you, five names, who

[00:51:21] will be on it?

[00:51:22] Five.

[00:51:22] Give me five.

[00:51:23] Who will be on it?

[00:51:25] I want a gospel.

[00:51:27] Who do you want?

[00:51:28] I want Erica Campbell.

[00:51:30] I want Kira Shear.

[00:51:31] I want Doe.

[00:51:32] I want Donald Lawrence.

[00:51:35] And I want Brad Hammond.

[00:51:39] I mean, that's classic gospel.

[00:51:41] Outside of Doe, I mean, that's, well, Kira, too, is younger.

[00:51:44] But, man, when you talk about Donald Lawrence, that's like the song maestro.

[00:51:50] That's what I was raised off that music.

[00:51:53] That song he did with, what's her name, that sings so well.

[00:51:58] I think she's so underrated.

[00:52:03] Oh, God, I can't think of this one.

[00:52:04] It'll come back to me.

[00:52:07] And then Kira Shear and, you know, the whole Shear family.

[00:52:10] I mean, and, you know, the Clark sisters.

[00:52:13] I mean, they.

[00:52:13] Crazy.

[00:52:14] And they so fly.

[00:52:15] Like, how y'all so fly?

[00:52:17] Like, they show you that you can be seven.

[00:52:19] They be putting it on.

[00:52:19] Twinkie and Karen.

[00:52:21] And, I mean, I saw this piece the other night where Karen was riffing.

[00:52:25] And it went on for at least 60 seconds.

[00:52:27] I mean, she was just.

[00:52:29] Twinkie's like, this girl.

[00:52:32] But, you know, Beyonce did an interview and she was like, we are the R&B girls listen to Kim Burrell and try to do her runs.

[00:52:38] Like, they're inspired by gospel.

[00:52:41] Yes.

[00:52:41] I was raised up with gospel.

[00:52:43] Yeah.

[00:52:43] Fred Hammond, too.

[00:52:44] I was on a flight to Dallas from somewhere, maybe from Philly to Dallas.

[00:52:48] And Fred Hammond was on the plane and we got off the plane.

[00:52:52] I just have to go over to him and say, man, I, Pages of Life was stuck in my car for months and purposely stuck.

[00:53:01] Like, I couldn't stop playing Pages of Life and just telling me that.

[00:53:04] It was so nice, too.

[00:53:05] It's nice to talk to for a second.

[00:53:07] But it's like, why did you, why could you not stop playing that?

[00:53:09] Those songs, man, just spoke to my heart in every way.

[00:53:14] I mean, whether it was a moment of praise, whether it was a moment of I needed a sense of restoration, whether it was a moment of I wanted to worship.

[00:53:24] That Pages of Life, it was a two CD set, remember?

[00:53:28] It had so much on it, man.

[00:53:31] That, man.

[00:53:33] Can you sing, Trick, a little bit?

[00:53:35] I feel like you're hitting notes.

[00:53:39] I sang in a choir.

[00:53:40] I know it!

[00:53:42] They passed me!

[00:53:43] You cannot get anything passed.

[00:53:46] Wow, you're good.

[00:53:47] You're good.

[00:53:48] Yeah, I sang in a choir.