Dai By Dai

Heather Victoria Talks Relationships, 90's R&B & New Album

• Dai By Dai Network • Season 2 • Episode 2

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In this episode of Dai By Dai, Recording Artist Heather Victoria talks about her new album "Can't Make This Up", relationships, 90's R&B, North Carolina roots, working with Conway The Machine, and more!


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SPEAKER_01

When your birthday?

SPEAKER_02

November 29th.

SPEAKER_01

When's yours? November 17th.

SPEAKER_02

Scorpio. Okay.

SPEAKER_01

So you a Sage.

SPEAKER_02

I'm a November Sag beta. It's a difference.

SPEAKER_01

My very best friend is a Sag.

SPEAKER_02

Do you have a preference of signs that you prefer? Whether it's befriend, date, anything above or in between, just in general.

SPEAKER_01

I'm trying to think of the best experience I've had. Um I thought it was What was it was a cancer. It was actually really, really good until it wasn't. I did not know he dated motherfucking cancer. You didn't? He was my first cancer I dated. It was really, really good until the end. I feel like we were really compatible.

SPEAKER_02

Well, whose part till the end?

SPEAKER_01

His motherfucking part. I'm not sure.

SPEAKER_02

What John, what John, you're an angel. You want to know what's crazy about that statement? Every girl I've met that says she's an angel usually at least meets in the middle as far as the problem.

SPEAKER_01

You ain't never met me.

SPEAKER_02

That is true. So you'll so you'll be the anomaly.

SPEAKER_01

I'm like, I just don't. I think my problem has been I give too much grace. And I won't I'm I'm bullshitting. I ain't no goddamn angel. I wouldn't say that, but I am a very um intentional person if I'm going to be dealing with you and I'm not gonna play games. So I think I have some angel in me, but I'm not perfect.

SPEAKER_02

Nobody is.

SPEAKER_01

Yeah, we do.

SPEAKER_02

Oh, we're rolling.

SPEAKER_01

Oh, we're rolling? Yeah.

SPEAKER_02

I know what I'm doing. We are rolling.

SPEAKER_01

I'm not an angel though. Um I'm not perfect, but I am really, really intentional with if I say I'm a lock in with you or you know, I'm like serious, I'm a play no game.

SPEAKER_02

I mean, I think every person should move that way. Especially someone of substance.

SPEAKER_01

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02

You see, I mean, I I and a maturity. Yeah. I sense substance and maturity from you.

SPEAKER_01

That's what's up.

SPEAKER_02

That makes sense.

SPEAKER_01

That's what's up. I appreciate it.

SPEAKER_02

And it it in general, this is our first time meeting in person, but I sense that you're one that takes accountability. You spoke about it on multiple tracks on I can't make this up. So let me ask you the personality, yours, that went into it with certain tracks, like I said, where you definitely toxic. I love that joint especially. I think that and maybe I don't know, maybe I'm toxic for saying this myself. But I think that I think that it's some very I don't know, toxicity is just captivating in general. It may not be healthy, but it strikes the dopamines for sure.

SPEAKER_01

But it's temporary.

SPEAKER_02

Exactly.

SPEAKER_01

It's not sustainable. Nope. And that's the issue. People get so excited about toxic energy or, you know, not excited in a good way, but it's just like an excitement. And it's like, okay, but is this sustainable? Is this something that you feel like, you know, we at the age, you want to start to think about is this somebody I'm gonna align with for the next 30, 40, 50 years? Do I want to spend my life doing this or do I want peace? Well, some people choose the opposite way of like getting away from peace. I don't understand that shit. Well, I can't do it.

SPEAKER_02

Ma, since you mentioned that, because you're saying it's not sustainable. Can I see myself 30, 40? I think when I think why people like dealing with toxicity is because they don't want long term in that moment. They want short term. So, like if it's gonna be short term, I don't want it to have long-term vibes. If it's short term, I want it to be thrilling.

SPEAKER_01

Hmm. But does thrilling does that mean it can't be peaceful? It can be peaceful.

SPEAKER_02

If you can't for my dog, or if I call my mom, I go to church for peace. I got enough peace going on. I want thrilling.

SPEAKER_01

Enough peace going on is crazy. I want thrill. No, no, no.

SPEAKER_02

I want thrill.

SPEAKER_01

You can have both. You just gotta keep dating to find that person that it meets in the middle.

SPEAKER_02

So then why are so many, let's let's stick, we'll we'll go both sides of the spectrum. Why so many women like Brent Fayez, the person and his music? Why do so many women like Future, his music? Why do so many men like discussing and involving Summer Walker, personality and music, Scissor, best BBL in the game. Why do so many people like their music, they exude toxicity, right? So if it's you can you know, like, yeah, it's not attractive, why are we so attracted to it?

SPEAKER_01

The same people like Luther.

SPEAKER_02

The same people like Luther?

SPEAKER_01

Don't they? You can have both. You need both. And that's it's like it's okay to like toxic energy and the music, you know, it's exciting, it's in it's thrilling. But at the end of the day, when you lay your head down at night, I would rather much have someone who's gonna intentionally bring peace into my life.

SPEAKER_02

That makes sense.

SPEAKER_01

Yeah, not like Luther do.

SPEAKER_02

Yeah. What's your favorite song by Luther?

SPEAKER_01

I'm gonna say hearing now.

SPEAKER_02

How does that go again?

SPEAKER_01

Hearing now. I promise to love thatefully.

SPEAKER_02

I can say song. I knew what it was. I just wanted to hear you sing.

SPEAKER_01

That wasn't me singing, that was a little something.

SPEAKER_02

Good enough. You ever sing a man out of his drawers?

SPEAKER_01

I'm gonna play the film.

SPEAKER_02

I wonder if like women use that, because like, like, okay, my my dad, I was born in '94. So like my dad, he was like one of them Jodice ass type back in the 90s, right?

SPEAKER_00

Okay.

SPEAKER_02

My mom said he sung out of her drawers. That's how I got here. And just in the 90s, and well, she ain't said that verbatim, but yeah, I know. But just in general, like, that was like the big thing. Like, men, you know, and then you know, women go crazy over dudes that sing. So I wondered, like, can women or do women use that same power?

SPEAKER_01

I'm the type when I'm not working, I'm outward. I'm not the singer who always liked to sing, just be singing. Like, I'm I don't like just singing in good. But if they ask me to, I will. Yeah. Um, I'm a humble. Sometimes people say I'm too humble, but um, I just be chilling.

SPEAKER_02

Yeah, it's like that clip with Flavor Flav when he could, though.

SPEAKER_01

I could probably sing in a guy's draw.

SPEAKER_02

Yeah, you could.

SPEAKER_01

If I wanted to. I already know you could. People really don't even know the skills I really have. I've heard this.

SPEAKER_02

I've heard listen, I do research. I've heard your voice, Heather. That was a rhetorical question. Because if it was me, if you're rubbing my shoulders and you sing it to me, I'm coming out my drawers.

SPEAKER_01

Oh my god.

SPEAKER_02

Well, let's take it back to the beginning.

SPEAKER_01

Let's get back to it.

SPEAKER_02

Ladies and gentlemen, if you don't know by now, if you can't tell by now, first and foremost, you're tuned in the day at night. And tonight I have a great one for y'all because we are joined by singer, songwriter. A woman of many talents, former rapper. We're gonna get into that. Hold on. Listen, I do my research by way of Wilson, North Carolina.

SPEAKER_01

Wide awake.

SPEAKER_02

Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, Heather Victoria.

SPEAKER_01

Hey y'all. Wide awake is in the house. 25, what's up?

SPEAKER_02

Wide awake 25, Wilson.

SPEAKER_01

How are you guys doing?

SPEAKER_02

Where? You know it's crazy. I did research on everything except for exactly where Wilson is. Where exactly is Wilson in North Carolina?

SPEAKER_01

Eastern North Carolina on your way to Greenville. Okay, so you're going to East C U.

SPEAKER_02

Okay. Greenville, North Carolina.

SPEAKER_01

You can't miss it.

SPEAKER_02

Okay.

SPEAKER_01

Yeah. You just hop on 264.

SPEAKER_02

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01

You can go east. You're going to see Wilson.

SPEAKER_02

Nice.

SPEAKER_01

It's going to be about 50 minutes east of Raleigh.

SPEAKER_02

Nice.

SPEAKER_01

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02

It doesn't sound like a big of a place.

SPEAKER_01

It's not a big place. It's very small. Um tight knit, but you know, a good, strong, well-known town if you're from the East Coast or North Carolina. Um, particularly East Coast, but we're known for our barbecue. Parker's Barbecue used to be a place called Bill's. Um you know, I'm not old enough to know, but from some of my elders who are from Wilson, they would always tell me about how back in the day people like 301 used to be the main road versus 95. Like before 95 was open, apparently.

SPEAKER_00

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01

301 was the main road and Parker sits off 301. So it was like A barbecue spot?

SPEAKER_02

Yeah. Okay.

SPEAKER_01

It was like nationally known. Okay.

SPEAKER_02

So it was really.

SPEAKER_01

It still is. It's still there. Yeah. So.

SPEAKER_02

Now, when you say barbecue, are we because you know it's different types of barbecue.

SPEAKER_01

It is.

SPEAKER_02

You got honey barbecue, you got vinegar base, you got honey mustard base, Wilson, North Carolina.

SPEAKER_01

Where they do honey mustard base.

SPEAKER_02

Honey mustard base? Mm-hmm. Oh, you said you do or don't.

SPEAKER_01

Where they do that at?

SPEAKER_02

Oh, where? Yeah. In North Carolina. The first time I've had honey mustard barbecue was in North Carolina. Oh no. At um Max Speed Shop.

SPEAKER_01

I ain't never heard no honey mustard base.

SPEAKER_02

Megan, why you do that? Is that that spot no good? Well, I have yet to go to like an official barbecue spot since I've been out here.

SPEAKER_01

My personal opinion, vinegar based is the best.

SPEAKER_02

See, that's not what I'm talking about.

SPEAKER_01

You might have to go to Wilson to see. You know what I'm saying?

SPEAKER_02

Wilson does vinegar based?

SPEAKER_01

Yeah. Yeah.

SPEAKER_02

I ain't gonna lie.

SPEAKER_01

First off, when I first vinegar. It's there.

SPEAKER_02

Barbecue.

SPEAKER_01

Mm-hmm.

SPEAKER_02

To me, for I mean, you know, I mean, we we're not known for barbecue in Maryland. We're known for seafood and blue crabs and crab cakes. But still, you know, we I have spots, I guess. Not really, but anyway. I didn't even hear about vinegar until I got to North Carolina.

SPEAKER_01

Well.

SPEAKER_02

I thought they I thought people were joking.

SPEAKER_01

Oh, okay.

SPEAKER_02

I thought it was like a joke. I was like, vinegar.

SPEAKER_01

No, you never put no vinegar on your fish.

SPEAKER_02

No, ma'am.

SPEAKER_01

Are you kidding me?

SPEAKER_02

No, ma'am.

SPEAKER_01

Gotta put the vinegar in the hot sauce.

SPEAKER_02

Hot sauce and tartar sauce, yeah.

SPEAKER_01

Change of life.

SPEAKER_02

Vinegar. I've done vinegar on fries.

unknown

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02

That's decent.

unknown

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01

It'll work.

SPEAKER_02

Yeah. She's like, eh.

SPEAKER_01

Try it on the barbecue though, you know.

SPEAKER_02

Or the fish. The fish, yeah. I'm gonna try it on the fish.

SPEAKER_01

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02

I would have to get over that, over that mental barrier. Um, so growing up in Wilson, getting into singing, or did it go from rapping to singing, singing and rapping, then back to the singing? Like, how did that happen?

SPEAKER_01

So I'm originally from Fayetteville.

SPEAKER_02

And two sisters.

SPEAKER_01

We moved to Wilson when I was eight years old from my mom's job. Okay. So I kind of like I repped both because like my entire family is from Fayeville. I was born there, um, mama and daddy side. But Wilson raised me, you know, we were there for my mom's career. So it was a lot of like community, like church uh family, all my friends from school, their parents, you know what I'm saying? Yeah. Um, and I started just getting into music going to Rocky Mount, which was like 30 minutes north.

SPEAKER_02

Yeah, I'm up to Rocky Mount. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01

So I had um I had a friend from college that was from Enfield or around, you know, Rocky Mount area, who introduced me to a producer who's from Rocky Mount. Um, so I said all that to say. I went up there and just started doing hooks. I was taking like things I was doing, poetry and like turning into verses or turning into a hook. Okay. Not even knowing if I want this to be my career, but really just being creative, having fun with it. Okay. So I did a a little bit. I'm I'm trying to figure out where you get with this rapping though.

SPEAKER_02

Like I know it's on your background. That's it.

SPEAKER_01

But it wasn't, it was never like a serious thing. It's always like, you know, just having fun with it. Kind of like how Beyonce do every now and then. And again.

SPEAKER_02

Yeah, that holds a lot of weight. I mean, I'm not ready. I'm not ready to ask you, you know, like who's your favorite member of Wu-Tang and nothing like that. I just I just know you're knowledgeable in it and you've touched in it. That's that's all it is.

SPEAKER_01

That's right. And it's funny you you brought that up though, because um what I'm working on for my next project is I think people are are gonna be a little bit surprised.

SPEAKER_02

Okay.

SPEAKER_01

Yeah. I'm excited.

SPEAKER_02

I would just um listen. I I I like serious radio. Um over, well, I guess you could say over Apple Music, but I listen to Sirius a lot. And I just heard a track with Jill Scott rapping, like rapping.

SPEAKER_01

Is that on her new album?

SPEAKER_02

I think so. Oh, okay.

SPEAKER_01

Like rapping. I've listened to, I gotta get all the way through it. I can't wait. I'm excited.

SPEAKER_02

But I think it is.

SPEAKER_01

Okay.

SPEAKER_02

Jilly from Philly. I love Jill Scott.

SPEAKER_01

You know, I feel like singers sometimes, like if you're a singer and a writer, like, you know, we can get busy either way. Low-key. If you're like a real, real writer and a real creative, like it's fun to kind of do a little bit of both or dabble in a little bit of both. Like, even if you're not super serious about it. Yeah.

SPEAKER_02

But, you know, like you said, yeah, like you said, like do it for fun. Plus, you have singers that have done, and then vice versa. Speaking of singing, and speaking of North Carolina, let me ask you this yourself, many, many other vocalists and artists, Anthony Hamilton's, Fantasias, North Carolina seems to have a rich creation of soul artists that can sing very well. What do you think yourself, along with the ones that I listed, like what goes into that mixture? What creates that with y'all as far as like the soulfulness and like the singing that comes from the soul? What is it about North Carolina and your you know expert opinion that goes into that?

SPEAKER_01

I would say church for real, you know. Um, I come from the church, um, born and raised going to church, singing in the youth choir, singing in, you know, going to the revivals. You know, it's just like kind of embedded in you when you're from the south. I wouldn't say everybody go to church, but a lot of people grew up in the church, especially in the 90s, early 2000s. Um, you know, I think that a lot of us really came up in the church. And that was very helpful in terms of like understanding musicality and understanding um, you know, learning your parts, doing harmonies, the grooves. Even RB back in the day was like a lot of gospel coded, if you, if you say, if I could say that. Like um, just the drums, the swing of things, you know how it used to feel. Um, I feel like gospel and RB used to kind of intertwine a lot more than it does now. And not even just North Carolina, but just as a whole. Oh, yeah, very much so. But especially the South. Like we come from the church, you know. Um, we're in a new time and era of of life, and people, you know, wanting to kind of move how they want to move and have more um opinions or, you know, like direction for themselves, as far as like, I don't know, just trying to figure things out, but I'll say the church.

SPEAKER_02

But nonetheless, you know, you're right. Like, everyone out here goes to church. I mean, it's called the Bible Belt, so you know, but everyone out here goes to church. And I mean, everyone. Everyone out here goes to church. And, you know, I mean, like where I'm from, you know, people go to church, but it's not a lot.

SPEAKER_01

Did you grow up going to church?

SPEAKER_02

I did.

SPEAKER_01

Okay. Um I think everybody who was growing up going to church, it was um, you know, now we we just kind of have more of our own mind. And, you know, it's also not the same as it was back then, as far as the um, I think people be intentional as far as like the leadership in church. You know, it's a little bit um, you kind of gotta really be more particular and watch who you're going to allow you to lead you. You really can't do that. And we're a little bit more aware of that right now. Um, I hope I'm making sense.

SPEAKER_02

But oh yeah, because what I like with I my grandmother raised me, so she took me to church. You know, with our grandparents, old school, they was just like, no, go, whatever, whoever's up there, whatever they're saying, that's what goes.

SPEAKER_01

And we not, we we don't have any opposition. And, you know, we're just kind of in a place I think we're a little bit more open-minded and aware of things. But, you know, when it comes to the music though, the church was such a foundation for me and a lot of artists, um, particularly here, I think in North Carolina, and you think about Fantasia, um, Anthony Hamilton, the Hamilton's like I know them. And them some church boys, them boys sang down, and you can hear and feel the references from the gospel.

SPEAKER_02

Yeah, yeah. That's deep. And I and I figured that when I asked you like growing up how it happened, I was willing to bet the bank that you was gonna say that. All right, now speaking of coming up, we both experienced the 90s. I want to ask you something, because I was thinking about this earlier. Which era as far as black music do you think was or is goaded? Just one.

SPEAKER_01

It's hard. It's so hard. What what genre though? RB, yeah, hip-hop, gospel.

SPEAKER_02

Let's do let's do R B.

SPEAKER_01

R B.

SPEAKER_02

Yeah, you're you're gonna be able to give expertise in that lane. RB.

SPEAKER_01

If I had to pick one, it gotta be the 90s. It gotta be.

SPEAKER_02

Yeah. Break it down.

SPEAKER_01

Okay, okay, but but the 80s is right there as well.

SPEAKER_02

Break that down, poor favor.

SPEAKER_01

I mean, I was born in '89. So by the time 94 came around.

SPEAKER_02

Hey, my birth year.

SPEAKER_01

Shout out to 94, bringing in day. The best year to coming on in, joining the party. Um, it was heavy Whitney Houston.

SPEAKER_00

Okay.

SPEAKER_01

Whitney Houston was in her super bag.

SPEAKER_00

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01

You know, it's the way to Excel soundtrack, 95, it's Mary J. It's the girl groups.

SPEAKER_02

Wait, we're talking 90s or 80s?

SPEAKER_01

We're talking 90s. Okay. We're talking 90s right now.

SPEAKER_02

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01

Um, for me, it's the 90s, though. I mean, that's that's what I remember the most, but it blends with the 80s because my mom and dad was so heavy on the 80s music. So I was getting the 80s music in the car, the Shaka Khan, the Stephanie Mills, all of those really, really good, rich music. You know what I'm saying? Like I feel like it changed a little bit. It went less live in the 90s, but the 80s, the live music was still coming over in from the 70s, you know? It and then into the 90s, I feel like that's when they started to get more into the more modern production of things. Um, you know, adding in different beats that, you know, they might not pull people in with a live guitar as much as they did in the 80s. That's what I mean. But for me, the 90s was superior and still is because I mean, I was there, you know? So um I enjoyed that the most. I think it was just so much greatness going on. It was like um the golden era of RB. Yeah.

SPEAKER_02

And I agreed for many years I did.

SPEAKER_01

Okay.

SPEAKER_02

Here's my synopsis on it.

SPEAKER_01

All right.

SPEAKER_02

Like I said, my grandparents raised me. And I really sat and thought about it. I would go back and listen to a lot of 90s RB. I mean, help me out with this. Let's tag team some of the groups you had. You had Tony Tony Tony, you had Mary J. Blash, one of your inspirations, you had um um uh Jodice. Uh you had uh my mind is blanking, but you had all types of people, right?

SPEAKER_01

Just I mean, we could go for days. You got SWV, you got Drew Hill, you got Destiny's Child popping out, you got Boys to Men, um 702. You know, it was just like endless. It was endless. Right. I mean, it was just so good, but everybody was so good.

SPEAKER_02

Yeah, it was kind of it was kind of like being spoiled, if you will. And we didn't even talk about hip hop. We just focused on the high-house.

SPEAKER_01

We ain't even talk about the hip hop yet.

SPEAKER_02

Like the fact that both RB and hip hop in the 90s were that stacked is insane. Now, here's my take on it.

SPEAKER_01

Okay.

SPEAKER_02

Heather, this here's my take on it. I think that theoretically. Theoretically, 90s RB is the greatest. It's the GOAT. But I think technically it has to go to the 70s.

SPEAKER_01

I knew he was gonna say the 70s. I knew he was gonna say the 70s.

SPEAKER_02

I think technically because the 70s birthed the 90s RB era.

SPEAKER_01

I can't argue with that.

SPEAKER_02

Look at how many hits from the 90s are sampled from the 70s.

SPEAKER_01

My only like talk to me, I'll talk back. I'm thinking for me, it's so hard to choose between the 70s, 80s, and 90s because it's just so much really, really good music from every decade. And you should be able to do that. So the 70s was like a blend to me. And that's why I stick with the 90s when it comes to the superiority.

SPEAKER_02

What do you mean a blend?

SPEAKER_01

The 70s gave soul, punk, disco, yeah, and RB. Yeah. And for me, just RB was 90s, man.

SPEAKER_02

Like Well, I don't even consider 70s. I think they technically had RB, but I I consider Soul. I think Soul emerged into RB. So excuse me, when I say 70s, I more so speak soul. Like uh Curtis Mayfield, Bill Weathers, Al Green, Marvin, Teddy. Like those dudes were soul, but it formed naturally through the 80s and to the 90s into what you know we consider RB. And I mean, shout out to the 80s because we're saying this and we're kind of like skipping over the 80s.

SPEAKER_01

Unfortunately, we gotta talk about the 80s too.

SPEAKER_02

Unfortunately, the 80s is stuck between two rocks.

SPEAKER_01

Yeah. But people be asleep on the 80s, including myself. Like, my mom was born in 64. So my mom was in her 20s and 80s, and she always rip and rave about the 80s. She's like, it was the best time for the club. It was the best time for music. Shaka Khan was on fire. You got Patrice Russian. You know, you got the Odyssey brothers coming in from the 70s, like all those wonderful groups. Look, they were still doing that.

SPEAKER_02

They were 60s, 70s, 80s, and Ron's still torn and shit.

SPEAKER_01

Yes, that's so true. So I don't know. It's it's just so much, so much greatness in all those decades. But for me, it was the 90s for sure. But I ain't mad at you though. The 70s was really one of my favorites too, because that's all my dad played. Was the 70s music. My mom more so played the 80s and the early 90s music. My mom was putting me on to the Mary J and the Tony Brass and then the Shantae Moore. Yeah. You know? And my dad was playing Isley Brothers, Commodores, a lot of jazz, a lot of instrumental music. Um, so I got the best of both worlds. I'm really grateful for them like introducing a lot of music to me.

SPEAKER_02

Yeah, that's dope. Um, pretty pretty sane for me. I was back and forth between my mom and my grandparents as far as being raised. Grandparents, grandfather, it was all 70s, so like that's that's all it was.

SPEAKER_01

Embedded. You said Al Green, like, yeah, that was definitely an experience for me too.

SPEAKER_02

It's still on my playlist today.

SPEAKER_01

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02

And um, my mom, on the other hand, she had me, I was born in 94 and she had me at 18.

SPEAKER_00

Okay.

SPEAKER_02

So as far back as I can remember, it's like four or five years old. So imagine you, you know, you having a child being what, 23, you know what I mean? You're gonna be playing some shit. I remember when I was playing 23, I was listening to elite shit, and I'm gonna let my child listen to it too. So I vividly remember early 90s music. Well, not early 90s, I was born in the mid-90s, late 90s, early 2000s music.

SPEAKER_01

But the good thing, like, the good thing that we were able to experience is a lot of the music was so good, it would carry on for years and years. And, you know, so if a song came out in 91, you born in 94, they was still playing that shit on the radio in 97, 98, you know. So it was like the songs and the quality of music was so good that it could carry on for years and it wasn't like come and go as it is today.

SPEAKER_02

Well, why yeah, I was right to say, why do you why is that today? Because today, when you go to the club, if I hear something that's out now, cool. But if I hear Biggie, if I hear get if I hear get money come on with Big and Kim part in the club, I'm grooving. And that's from what 30 four thirty years ago?

SPEAKER_01

The 90s being 30 years ago is actually insane.

SPEAKER_02

But you hear something now that came out last year and you'd be like, oh, I forgot about this song. Why is that?

SPEAKER_01

That's a good question. I think it's really because I don't know. I can't even say.

SPEAKER_02

Ain't that crazy?

SPEAKER_01

I don't want to say it's because music is oversaturated. I'm trying to figure out what what is the answer, you know? It's like I don't know. I don't want to say the quality going down either. I don't know what the answer is, honestly.

SPEAKER_02

I if I had to bring something up, I would say this. Cause we just said how stacked the 90s was. I think because they had to give everything and songs to stand out then, that it really made it that like when I say give everything, I mean they show they spirit, everything. That much so that it made the song that much better. Because big is going against Tupac, Nas, Outcast, the later years of Rock Kim and Big Daddy Kane, DM, uh, two.

SPEAKER_01

It sounds like what you're getting to, and what makes sense, what or what makes the most sense is the intentionality.

SPEAKER_00

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01

And it also used to take a lot more to cut a record back in the day. Like now we have so much, you know, new things going on with software and you know, all the things and the access to a studio. You anybody can make a studio at home now. It wasn't like that back then. So I think there was just a little bit more intentionality and that made for better quality.

SPEAKER_02

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01

Yeah. More timeless music.

SPEAKER_02

There you go. What did it make me halfway on that, Heather?

SPEAKER_01

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02

Thank you for that.

SPEAKER_01

Yes.

SPEAKER_02

Well, let's get into your music, shall we?

SPEAKER_01

Yes.

SPEAKER_02

I can't make this up.

SPEAKER_01

I cannot make this up. No, no.

SPEAKER_02

Well, first off, I love your accent, by the way. I love like a Carolina accent, like a true Carolina accent. Like just hearing you and Meg like talk early. I was like, God. It was one of the reasons I moved out here. I ain't gonna lie.

SPEAKER_01

I love that. We don't need her.

SPEAKER_02

Yeah, see, yeah. That was that was it right there. That was it right there. How y'all say I got one out here, Mine? That was it right there.

SPEAKER_01

I love it.

SPEAKER_02

Well, let's get into it. First of all, the name, let me ask you, was that any type of inspiration by the late great Kevin Samuels? Cause he used to always say that.

SPEAKER_01

That way that what Kevin used, he used to say that.

SPEAKER_02

You can't make this shit up.

SPEAKER_01

I didn't watch enough of his video to know. God rest his soul.

SPEAKER_02

Wow.

SPEAKER_01

Yeah, the pandemic on fire.

SPEAKER_02

Wow. I've no well, I'm not gonna say I'm never, but you rarely hear like that. I was kind of like not expecting, but I wouldn't be surprised if you said like, fuck him, he can ride in hell. Because I get that a lot whenever I bring up his name.

SPEAKER_01

No, he never bothered me that bad. I mean, it's plenty of Kevin Samuels out here judging women, and we just don't pay attention to his ass. We didn't pay attention to him like that. I don't I don't know if you know why he got so much publicity.

SPEAKER_02

But and see, just in not even just him, just in general, with the whole gender war thing going on today in the black community, because we the only ones doing this dumb ass shit. I be telling people that. Why pay attention to the dumb shit?

SPEAKER_01

Exactly. I mean it was just so like now I'm not saying Kevin Samuel shit was dumb.

SPEAKER_02

I thought he was on point, but I'm just saying in general, if you hit if you hit, I think for the most part, but that's another conversation for another day. But I think just in general, okay, boom. You think it was harsh, you don't mess with him, but you're like, okay, I'm not gonna pay attention to it. I respect the hell out of that. Right. Me, if I hear somebody say something about whether it's black men or black women, and I think it's bogus, I'm not gonna feed into it. I'm not gonna get hot about it.

SPEAKER_01

Right.

SPEAKER_02

You know what I mean?

SPEAKER_01

People be going off about what they don't like. It's like, why don't you pop your shit about what you do like? Yes, you live.

SPEAKER_02

Like energy is scarce. Scarce, scarce. Which one is it? Scarce, scarce?

SPEAKER_01

I would say scarce.

SPEAKER_02

Scarce?

SPEAKER_01

I would I would say scarce.

SPEAKER_02

Thank you. Energy is scarce, goddammit. So, like, like you like people don't realize you you use energy on yeah. All right, but let's get back to it. I I can't make this up.

SPEAKER_01

I can't make this up. It is um an album of discernment coming into play and lots of reflection.

SPEAKER_02

I'm sorry. What does discernment mean?

SPEAKER_01

What does discernment mean? Why do you put me on spotlight it?

SPEAKER_02

I don't want to carry it. I ain't got my willster on because I know.

SPEAKER_01

I ain't got my Webster brain on. Let me look at it. You're supposed to know what discernment means.

SPEAKER_02

Because I know that that has a big impact. I could tell it has a big impact on the music, so I want to be aware of it.

SPEAKER_01

Tell me the Google definition of it because I don't want to be completely off.

SPEAKER_02

Discernment meaning. Awareness. Okay, yeah. I like that. Yeah, yeah, pretty much. Ability to ability to perceive.

SPEAKER_01

Okay.

SPEAKER_02

Okay, so please start from the beginning.

SPEAKER_01

I can't make this up. The album is me stepping into really like being aware and trusting my discernment and being honest with myself and reflection. So discernment and reflection. It's um, you know, I went into the pandemic turning 30 and having spent most of my 20s in relationships and situations that were long term, um, centering relationships and like trying to find love. But for me, it was a a good time to be single because it was completely unexpected. I was coming off the road, being on tour with Rhapsody, um thinking that my life was gonna look a certain way at 30, and it was the complete opposite. So I finally had some time to myself in solitude and realized, like, okay, in my reflection, now I'm able to sit with myself and understand all of what I've allowed to happen, and I can't make none of that shit up. Nothing. So if I would like, you know, just share with my friends or close people in my community or my village, and we be talking about the shit I was going through or allowing, and they're like, really, bitch, like why? You know, like why did you allow this? Why did you stay that long? Um, why did you go back and forth? The toxic energy, why did you feel like there's something you deserve? And I'm like, you know what? Sometimes when you sometimes you don't like understand all of what you're allowing until you're out of it. Yeah. And you're in your solitude.

SPEAKER_00

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01

So that's where I came up with the title. It's like, I can't make none of this up.

SPEAKER_02

Yeah. You can't be.

SPEAKER_01

And you can't understand what I'm saying until you listen to the album from top to bottom. And it starts with the intro. Niggas always want to talk about real shit till it's time to talk about real shit. Till it's time to be a man and really deal with all the things that you've been doing to me. So, yeah.

SPEAKER_02

That's good. Yeah, yeah. I like how you said you can't really see what you're dealing with until you step out of it.

SPEAKER_01

Um, I mean start centering yourself.

SPEAKER_02

Yeah. Especially if the sex is good. I mean, just to be completely honest.

SPEAKER_01

Like especially that's a whole nother card you just pulled. But yeah.

SPEAKER_02

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01

That is absolutely a factor.

SPEAKER_02

Red flags are they're just tossed out the window by them. Are you kidding me?

SPEAKER_01

Yes, yes. And that's where the discernment comes back into play. Because you can't allow like good sex or, you know, like intimacy to be a determinant factor as a mature woman or man.

SPEAKER_02

Yeah, fact.

SPEAKER_01

You gotta allow yourself to think bigger and to think about okay, is this somebody that's really aligned with me and my future?

SPEAKER_02

Yep. That's why I always recommend every man should at least go, and I mean at over 21. Uh yeah, over 23, 24, I guess. Because when you're 21, you're still in college, you're still, you know, getting stuff out the way. But 23 over. I think every man over 23 should go at least six months celibate. And I mean by by force, by choice. So I'm talking about not you don't get no ass in any way, so you're just gonna say you're celibate just to throw the stamp on it. No, I mean you have to turn down ass for six months. Cause it's gonna get thrown at you, especially if they know that you're trying to be celibate or absolutely.

SPEAKER_01

How many men have actually done that intentionally?

SPEAKER_02

Just to get some ass?

SPEAKER_01

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02

Oh, yeah, that that you get that too. You get that too. Because like I went, I've I've done it here and there. Like, I keep doing it, well not keep doing it, but I've done it a couple times. And like one time a girl's like, are you doing it just because you want me to fuck you more? Because it's working. I'm like, no, I'm trying to, this is why I'm doing it. To work on that discipline towards lust. Because I mean, look at how many cases, especially with men, how many I learned from other people's experiences. Now I done slipped up to, I ain't gonna lie. I've had some scares, but I learned from other people's experiences. I know so many people that can't stand they baby mothers. I know so many people that are dogged by child support. I know so many people who have something, not so many people. I know one or two people in person know. Well, unless they I don't know, but it's people that have shit that they they can't get rid of. You know what I'm saying?

SPEAKER_01

Like you you being real raw right now, but I like the raw. It's so because the younger generation needs to hear this.

SPEAKER_02

Yeah, because it's real.

SPEAKER_01

Yeah, and and you know, once you do some shit and you can't get out of, that's it.

SPEAKER_00

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01

And it's like really important to focus on yourself.

SPEAKER_00

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01

Um, if I can talk to my 24-year-old self, I would say, girl, focus on you. Yeah, you will have your relations, you will have the love of your life someday, but it's not today. I need you to go to hair school now. I need you to like do other things and not focus on finding the love of your life at the moment. You know what I'm saying? Like, I'm the oldest of three girls, and like I've always told my sisters, like, just have fun, but like you don't have to center your life in your 20s around trying to find the perfect match. Um, it's important that you decide that you you your perfect match right now.

SPEAKER_02

Yeah, and that attracts it.

SPEAKER_01

So you never gonna get your 20s back.

SPEAKER_02

That attracts it. Once you feel confident about yourself, you feel good in yourself, and you don't depend on another person, men and women. People feel that.

SPEAKER_01

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02

And then it attracts the type of substance of person that you want. Because if you ain't ready for that, you ain't gonna attract it.

SPEAKER_01

That's real.

SPEAKER_02

People gonna sense it, either walk past you or just use you for whatever it is, whatever it may be. I don't I want to rewind a little bit. And I know we're kind of veering off. Well, no, this still goes with the album. We're still gonna talk about it. But you said in 2020 at 30, you said um that isolation moment was good because it helped you realize that even though you're not where you wanted to be at 30, it was still a blessing that you were in the place that you were in. Yes. Where did you before then envision yourself at the time by the time you were 30?

SPEAKER_01

I would say, first of all, turning 30 happened so fast.

SPEAKER_02

It didn't it?

SPEAKER_01

Um, I was like, well, damn, here we are, you know. Um, I picture myself at least like being in a happy relationship, living together. I wouldn't say married. Um, but what's wrong with that? Nothing wrong with that, but I just I didn't it wasn't like, okay, I had to be married at 30. You know what I'm saying? Like I just attacked. You wouldn't have minded if it's Yeah, I wouldn't have minded it. I mean, marriage is still the goal. Marriage is still the end goal, always has been. Um, but I thought that I would at least be in like a happy relationship, us living together or whatever. But um, you know, it just doesn't happen that way, you know, as you expect it every time.

SPEAKER_00

Right.

SPEAKER_01

Right? So for me, it was like, okay, I'm entering my 30s. Now I gotta kind of like change things around. I need to just center myself and allow love to come when it's supposed to come, versus trying to like just pursue it.

SPEAKER_02

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02

So I like that. And it it is something about hitting 30, right? Like I turned 30 a year and a half ago. And uh I was like, damn. I don't think anyone really, I think we at least people like us, we're our biggest critics. So we put expectations on ourselves, which is good. Goals, high goals, expectations. You're supposed to think, dream, and reach big. Because that's how you get big results. Right. But when we don't always hit it, like we kind of like, damn. And I I felt the same when I hit 30. I was like, damn, I'm not where I thought I'd be by 30. And for a whole year, Heather, for a whole year, like I was stuck. And then like once I hit 31, like I kinda I kind of like shook out of it. But I was like, bruh, like, okay, yeah, I'm not where I thought I was gonna be at 30 when I was 23, but I mean, the world the world is real.

SPEAKER_00

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02

And then you reflect, you're like, but shit. Like I done done, like, I done done some good shit. Like, yes, and I'm that's healthy. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01

And I I love that because now that I'm in my 30s and I still feel so vibrant and so young, I'm like, girl, you was really tripping off turning 30. Like, but to turn 30 in the pandemic was so different. Like, it was just yeah, you know, I could imagine a lot of uh heavy weight, especially as a woman. You know, we got the time clock and all that, but it is what it is. I I would just want to tell my young girls, like, I'm the oldest of three. I didn't really have a big sister to kind of tell me, girl, leave these man alone. You alright. You ain't gotta center yourself and becoming a wife. You know, focus on your career. Do things that you, you know, knock these goals out, focus on that. The right one is gonna come and lead. The wrong one's gonna come and bring chaos and play games. And sometimes for me, I wouldn't say everybody, for, but for me personally, I have given so much grace to people, and that was a mistake. And I want my young women to understand stop ignoring those red flags, stop giving so much grace because them Negroes would not give you the same grace.

SPEAKER_02

Well, do you think that will hinder you from giving grace to the right person in the future?

SPEAKER_01

Not necessarily, because with time and wisdom, um, your discernment becomes more sharp. So I think you should I love discernment.

SPEAKER_02

This word, I love it.

SPEAKER_01

That's one of my favorite things. Like it's just like you have to tap in. You have to listen to it, though. It's there, especially for women. It's we're born with it. It's like, are you gonna listen or are you not gonna listen? Are you gonna ignore the signs? You know, sometimes we ignore yellow and red flags because we do see the good in people, but it's like, all right, here you go. It'd be a pebble first.

SPEAKER_02

It'd be a pebble of good though.

SPEAKER_01

It'd be like sometimes it's more than a pebble. It'd be a people be fooling, uh-huh. People be fooling and people be acting. Some people need to win an Oscar or how much bullshit they be playing.

SPEAKER_02

But if someone from the outside can see that this person is a bum with a pebble of good, how come you can't see it from the inside?

SPEAKER_01

Because you allow yourself to be so emotionally involved with people who don't deserve it when you're not using your discernment the way it needs to be used.

SPEAKER_02

So you is that is the discernment intentionally, are the shields intentionally put down?

SPEAKER_01

Hmm. What you mean when you say shields?

SPEAKER_02

Of discernment, of awareness. Like you know you should be more aware of the situation and you know, like your spidey senses are going off more so, but like do you intentionally put it down or do you think it's unconsciously?

SPEAKER_01

It's a little bit of both.

SPEAKER_02

Okay.

SPEAKER_01

It's a little bit of both because once you're like intimate or once you're emotionally involved, and you got somebody telling you one thing and their actions are saying this, but then it's not aligning with, you know, when it comes to having the conversations about moving forward or, you know, defining things. You know, people have a lot of options these days. So it's kind of hard to really define things as to what it is. Are you intentionally doing this or are you unconsciously doing this? You know what I'm saying? Like it just gets a little tricky.

SPEAKER_02

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02

I can see that. Yeah. Well, listen, we we're talking about some real life shit over here. We are. I like that.

SPEAKER_01

We're getting into it.

SPEAKER_02

All right, back to I Can't Make This Up. First and foremost, the album cover. I don't know if you ever spoke on this. I've done some research on prior uh previous interviews. I didn't hear one of you speaking on it, but can you speak on the cover? I really like the cover, first and foremost.

SPEAKER_01

Thank you. It was shot by Surf Mitchell, Charlotte's own.

SPEAKER_02

Shout out to Surf.

SPEAKER_01

Um, it's it's been a few years um since we shot that cover. Um yeah, I I I mean it was a fun shoot.

SPEAKER_02

I like the landline. Well, this is old school landline. This is like what, like 50s, 60s with the bottom joint that comes up?

SPEAKER_01

It was from the 60s. It's actually a phone from my grandmother's house.

SPEAKER_02

Wow.

SPEAKER_01

Yeah, so we had a lot of fun with the shoot. Um, it was simple.

SPEAKER_02

That is dope.

SPEAKER_01

I just wanted it to be classy and um, you know, something timeless.

SPEAKER_02

Yeah, I like it. Remember on speaking of landline phones, remember like when you were on a phone boo loving and cupcaking, and like your mom or your brother or someone would get on and embarrass the hell out of you while you're absolutely because it used to be right in that moment where you, you know, y'all kids don't know.

SPEAKER_01

We used to say Jonesy on the phone. Jones and you cupcaking.

SPEAKER_02

Yeah, I like Jones.

SPEAKER_01

You right in that moment. Soon as you it always was that moment where you really getting into some shit.

SPEAKER_02

But to work it.

SPEAKER_01

You hear that phone pick up. Y'all don't know nothing about that. Y'all don't know nothing about that life with no privacy.

SPEAKER_02

Girl, get off this phone. And whole time, get off my phone. And whole time, you be like, all right, and you talking to the person, like, hey, I gotta call they don't they don't hang up. Your mother don't hang up.

SPEAKER_01

Oh, that's still there.

SPEAKER_02

I'm like, damn, let me get like the last second time.

SPEAKER_01

Can I at least say my goodbyes properly? Yeah. No.

SPEAKER_02

Those were crazy times.

SPEAKER_01

We ain't had no privacy. We had no respect, none of that shit.

SPEAKER_02

But that's why that's why we so G now.

SPEAKER_01

I was just telling my mama that the other day. I was like, we come from being super independent. Yeah. And, you know, not like getting over overly sensitive about things. Like, we ain't had no privacy. You know, back in the day, like a boy called your house, he has to speak to your mama first.

SPEAKER_02

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01

You know what I mean?

SPEAKER_02

How can I speak to such and such?

SPEAKER_01

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02

Yeah. Who is this? Break it down, who you are, how you know her, all that good stuff. And then, yeah.

SPEAKER_01

Oh my goodness.

SPEAKER_02

Well, uh, again, back to it. Let me ask you just in general, like, what do you want to give to the world through I Can't Make This Up?

SPEAKER_01

What do I want to give to the world through I Can't Make This Up? That's a good question. Thank you. Um I just want to be a vessel. I want people to be able to relate. I want people to want people to be able to listen to the album and feel and be seen and be heard. Um you know, it's it's just something that is from the heart, from top to bottom. The musicality of the of the project is really good. If you're a music lover, you will um really appreciate it and um enjoy it. You know what I'm saying? I want people to be able to listen to the records and be seen and and be able to relate to it.

SPEAKER_02

And and that's like the perfect, you know, like definition of art. Especially like today with content mixed with it in general, because there's so many people that relate to it, especially that we don't even know.

SPEAKER_00

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02

We don't even understand, like we don't get it. It's people that oh I can relate to or get inspired by it.

SPEAKER_01

Yeah. And women in particular, I want to be able to listen to it and understand like it's okay to have been thrown off balance a little bit with your relationship or your situation. Um and when I say I want women to be able to feel seen and heard, I want you to understand like you're not alone when it comes to having made mistakes and being a little bit off with your determinant. But that's life, that's love, that's how it goes sometimes. But it also is a great album for me for people to just listen to and to go back and say, okay, now that I've gone through this and I can reflect, let me learn from those mistakes that I made and going forward, choose the better. Choose better for you.

SPEAKER_00

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01

And I think ultimately that's what I want people to be able to understand. I can't make this up. We all got shit that we be we've gone through. Oh yes. We've all got shit that we've gone through that we're not proud of.

SPEAKER_00

Yeah, especially that's true.

SPEAKER_01

So it's all about, you know, just going back and reflecting on the things that you've gone through and understanding that there's better on the other side of choosing better and not giving so much grace that people don't deserve.

SPEAKER_00

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01

And putting yourself first moving forward. Yeah. Yeah. So I pray God give me a beautiful, healthy, happy relationship that I can just write super duper love songs for going forward. Um, I'm looking forward to that era in my life. But for now, I'm just focused on myself and I'm like, damn, what am I gonna talk about? What am I gonna write about? Yeah, let's talk about a little bit of self-love. Let's talk about, you know, whatever it is. It ain't gotta be toxic all the time. But going back to what she was saying earlier, people love toxic, you know? Unfortunately.

SPEAKER_02

People love toxicity.

SPEAKER_01

People gravitate to it. And but you know, it's a part of life. You gotta go through, you gotta go through that to get to the beautiful days that that you deserve.

SPEAKER_02

Yeah, and it's chapters. We all live in chapters. So you're saying like your chapter now is the self-love chapter. Um, but you're also saying you're welcoming. You you just saying like you're focused on you doing you, but you're still welcoming of a happy, loving relationship.

SPEAKER_01

I am I am. Okay. But I'm more focused on me than I've ever been before.

SPEAKER_00

Okay, good.

SPEAKER_01

Um, you know, I'm in my mid-30s now. Time is pivotal. Um last year I was I was locked in with someone and I thought they were the one. Um but it's just so funny how God shows his sense of humor. Just when you think it's the one, he's like, okay, maybe is there a little bit something better for you. And I think processing that and being okay with that, even if you have a little bit of darkness and trying to go through processing that, it's it's okay.

SPEAKER_02

Was it a red flag shown, or was it literally like it's something better for me?

SPEAKER_01

I wouldn't say red flags, I would say yellow flags.

SPEAKER_02

Okay. Um I mean, I have to ask, can we get an example of a? I don't know, I've never, I don't know what a yellow flag is.

SPEAKER_01

I would say a yellow flag is something that's not like stop sign hard red. When I'm an example of that, like in the middle.

SPEAKER_02

Are you able to say exactly what it is?

SPEAKER_01

You say, are you able?

SPEAKER_02

I'm very clear. Of course I'm able.

SPEAKER_01

I'm just trying to think about whether I want to.

SPEAKER_02

You can cover it up or you can give something just as close to it. You get what I'm saying?

SPEAKER_01

I would say just just um from my personal experience, be careful about be careful about locking in with people who may or may have not closed chapters from their previous life.

SPEAKER_02

Okay, I got you. Either a crazy ex or a baby mama drama. One of the two, yes?

SPEAKER_01

One of the two.

SPEAKER_02

There we go.

SPEAKER_01

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02

I got y'all.

SPEAKER_01

It could be either or, but it's like, look, I got y'all. Stop trying to build a new house when you're still over there at the other one here and there.

SPEAKER_02

I got y'all. So it was either he was either dealing with his baby mother or an ex still. Or an old or an old joint or an old hoe. She ain't even got to be an ex. It could be an old ho. It's one of the three, y'all. Not me. That's pretty much what she said. All right. I had to pull it out of a little bit, but you see, I do this. I got y'all.

SPEAKER_01

Don't try to move on when you're not ready.

SPEAKER_02

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01

And don't half-ass try to move on.

SPEAKER_02

Well, can you be ready to move on with your heart, but still a piece of you belong to someone else?

SPEAKER_01

Absolutely not.

SPEAKER_02

Why not?

SPEAKER_01

Because, like, either you getting on the train with your suitcase or you not.

SPEAKER_02

I am. It's just a big thing.

SPEAKER_01

Did you get all your shit from her house and moving on with your life?

SPEAKER_02

My suitcase is on the train. But a pair of my drawers are still back in the crib. That's it. But you got the suitcase. That's trauma bombing. You got my suit for work, everything.

SPEAKER_01

No, because if I'm coming correct, and I'm not coming as a woman with my ex-man in the background, and I'm not still allowing him access to me anytime that he would like, I need the same from you.

SPEAKER_02

Okay. Reciprocated energy.

SPEAKER_01

Reciprocated energy. And if you're trauma binded, or if you still want to hit your baby mama every now and again, I ain't got shit to do with me. I don't want no purse. Or if you want to share a dog with your ex, I ain't got shit to do with that.

SPEAKER_02

Sharing a dog with your ex.

SPEAKER_01

I ain't got shit to do with it. So wait, I love dogs.

SPEAKER_02

Uh-huh.

SPEAKER_01

And I understand emotional attachment with dogs.

SPEAKER_02

How does that work exactly? Like it's at the ex's house, but it's still y'all's dog.

SPEAKER_01

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02

So like you go visit it.

SPEAKER_01

That's what they thought they had going on.

SPEAKER_02

And you're saying I'm visiting the dog?

SPEAKER_01

That's what they try to play. I'm a that was it was just too much. It's too much. And y'all could argue. Y'all can argue to y'all blue in the face. I'm not a fan.

SPEAKER_02

Are you kidding me?

SPEAKER_01

Because the dog is only gonna be loyal to whoever house they at. You know what I'm saying?

SPEAKER_02

Whoever feeds it.

SPEAKER_01

Whoever's feeding the dog, that's the dog is not missing the baby daddy.

SPEAKER_02

Nope.

SPEAKER_01

Okay? If you're a dog baby daddy, cut that shit out.

SPEAKER_02

Yo said I gotta Yo said I gotta go to her crib to see to see little Lil Roscoe.

SPEAKER_01

Which is which is you're lying to yourself.

SPEAKER_02

It ain't got nothing to do with Shorty. I want to go see my dog. Like we both bought the dog. What do you want me to do?

SPEAKER_01

And it's like, damn, I want to give you a little grace because I understand having the love of a dog, right? But when you're doing things like that, like it's out of control. Like you gotta confront yourself. You gotta look in the mirror and say, all right, it's not about a dog. I'm still attached to this person. I'm not ready to move on. Oh, yeah. I remember when I had like that dog ain't worried about your ass for real. Nah, I remember That dog ain't crying. Nah. Talking about I miss my daddy.

SPEAKER_02

Man, please give it some kibbles and bits. It don't even know who Sean is. I remember when I had got, I remember I broke up with an ex once, and I was like, yo, I gotta get my calculator from her. I ain't give a fuck about that calculator.

SPEAKER_01

Not the calculator.

SPEAKER_02

I just I just wanted a reason to pull up. That's what it was.

SPEAKER_01

So you could have took your ass right to staples.

SPEAKER_02

Yep.

SPEAKER_01

But you want to go to her house and get your calculator from the city.

SPEAKER_02

It was that T something, something. The joint. That was like this tall, TI-83. There we go.

SPEAKER_01

What year was this? I ain't heard nobody say CI 83 in like 10 years.

SPEAKER_02

That's the joint was like this tall, right? Yeah. It was like 10 years ago.

SPEAKER_01

That shit used to be very pivotal.

SPEAKER_02

Yeah, it was like 10 years ago.

SPEAKER_01

I ain't even gonna lie. That thing was dope. T I 83 calculator was kind of like serious.

SPEAKER_00

So yeah, it didn't be like that. I ain't even mad at it.

SPEAKER_01

But you still definitely wanted to see shoddy.

SPEAKER_02

Hell yeah.

SPEAKER_01

You wanted to see shoddy.

SPEAKER_02

My part my partner was like, bro, get the fuck out of here. Like, who are you talking to? Um, back to the album. I can't make this up. Okay, pick one that really embodies your spirit through that album. One song.

SPEAKER_01

Hmm.

SPEAKER_02

And why?

SPEAKER_01

A song that embodies my spirit?

SPEAKER_02

Through the album. Everything you left on the table for that album, one song. And why?

SPEAKER_01

I would say I would say the the song is rescue me.

SPEAKER_02

Rescue me.

SPEAKER_01

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02

Why rescue me?

SPEAKER_01

Rescue me is like it was a moment in my in my life and you know in my solitude and understanding, like trying to move forward and understanding it's okay to ask for help. I'm the type of person that I don't like being vulnerable when I'm going through things, even with some of my closest friends. But because we was in the pandemic and because I had so much more time to really think about things and be in solitude, I understood the importance of wanting to reach out to my community and my really good friends, and like going out and filling my time and trying to understand what am I going through? You know what I'm saying? And in the song is it's saying, like, it seems like we've been here before. We keep going back and forth. You you pack your bags up to leave, but you're coming back. So it's on and off, on and off. But if I'm choosing to move away from this person and I'm am not afraid to ask for help from my friends in my community, it's like it was like an awareness that I I I started to embark on and understand that I needed my friends and my family to help pull me out of such toxicity.

SPEAKER_02

Somebody throw me the life jacket.

SPEAKER_01

Okay. Throw it to me because I'm tripping. And I'm so far deep down in this toxic bullshit that I'm now understanding as a 30-something. It's okay to ask for help. It's okay to ask for a little bit more time and attention from the people that I love and understanding I need that in order to move forward.

SPEAKER_02

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02

Yeah, I agree. And those be the best friends. That keep it a buck, what you tell you what's really going on. Could you still be cool with somebody that doesn't give you that rescue, whether it's because they know it and want to tell you what you want to hear, not what you need to hear, or they just subconsciously don't know it. Could you still like be cool with someone like that?

SPEAKER_01

Yeah, I think so. Because everybody has their own timeline and understanding like what they need or what that looks like.

SPEAKER_02

Yeah. So cool. Well, I gotta ask you this.

SPEAKER_01

We didn't talk about the hoop though. What you what you what you what else we got? Yeah.

SPEAKER_02

Well, I mean, North Carolina took an L, so I didn't I didn't know if you were too psyched about speaking on that. That's why I kind of left it alone. But the Charlotte Hornets are doing very well. We can speak on them.

SPEAKER_01

Yeah, I didn't expect you to go there. I just want to talk about the love I have for who, and you just casually bring up the stupid ass loss that we just had.

SPEAKER_02

Yeah, because I I played devil's advocate sometimes. So, you know what?

SPEAKER_01

You know what's crazy?

SPEAKER_02

What's up?

SPEAKER_01

One of my good close friends and brothers cashed the other night. The game was on, I'm at the studio, and I'm a UNC fan. And we was like 20 points up.

SPEAKER_02

Yeah, I was up. I think 16.

SPEAKER_01

And Cash was like, Y'all good. I was like, it's March madness. You know how this shit go. And he was like, nah, y'all good. And he proceeded to go about his way, start making beats. As you know, they came back.

SPEAKER_00

Yep. OT.

SPEAKER_01

And I was so disappointed. And I actually took a picture when it was 75 to 75 tied. And I was like, yo, Cash, I think you just jinxed us. Like, this is crazy. But anyway, I'm I'm very disappointed. I'm very actually embarrassed.

SPEAKER_02

Well, outside of them, your love for basketball, um, how did it come and where is it at now? Like, what teams do you root for? I'm a Lakers fan. Okay.

SPEAKER_01

I was I became a Lakers fan in 2008 when Kobe was still playing, and it was like the series between the Lakers and Boston.

SPEAKER_02

That was a good one.

SPEAKER_01

It was. And I don't know. I I used to play basketball in high school. Okay, what position? Yeah. I was like a two and a three.

SPEAKER_00

Oh, alright.

SPEAKER_01

I was off the bench. I ain't gonna see her as like I was partying. I made a thing. I made varsity.

SPEAKER_02

You made you let her. I can dribble. There we go. You let her, you can dribble. What's your what's your shoot game like? You cool?

SPEAKER_01

I'm alright. All right. I'm all right. I ain't no, I ain't no, you know, I ain't no superstar. Yeah. But I can hoot and I really do like basketball, though. Yeah, I can tell. A lot of people know about it.

SPEAKER_02

I can tell. What about college?

SPEAKER_01

Yeah. US.

SPEAKER_02

Oh, yeah, you did say that.

SPEAKER_01

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02

All right. So no, well, I can't ask you to.

SPEAKER_01

You're a Carolina fan.

SPEAKER_02

Okay.

SPEAKER_01

So Dukies.

SPEAKER_02

Okay, cool. So I was right. Yeah. So do you root for Duke since NC is out? Yeah, I know that. I know I'm tripping. I'm tripping.

SPEAKER_01

You talk to a North Carolina person talking about do I root for Duke? I don't know.

SPEAKER_02

I'll be seeing. I'll be I'll be forgetting how big that rivalry is. That's what I thought. That's my photo.

SPEAKER_01

Who's your team? I don't. You ain't got no team. You a football person?

SPEAKER_02

Yes, I'm big on football. Basketball, I used to be a Wizards fan, you know, by default, because I'm from that area, but they haven't been on shit for so long that I don't really care for them. They might turn up next year with A.D. and Trey Young. But I mean, they haven't done nothing for so long that I just stopped. And then after them, it was Boston. Uh like I'm a big Ray Allen fan. Um so I like Ray Allen. Ray Sean Rondo was my favorite point guard at one time. So that one too in Boston was my favorite. Um, and then after that, it was the Thunder. I think it was because Russell Westbrook, but then they got KD, who's from Maryland, so that made it even more dope. Um but then after that, I mean, I just, you know, I I don't even watch I don't watch NBA. I watch college sometimes, but not NBA as much. I don't mind basketball.

SPEAKER_01

LeBron was going off the other night.

SPEAKER_02

Yeah, he usually, I mean, for him to be, what and he like, he's 40, right? He's over 40.

SPEAKER_01

He's 41.

SPEAKER_02

He's 41.

SPEAKER_01

Mm-hmm. He probably retired soon.

SPEAKER_02

Yeah, he's gonna wait, he's gonna wait for Bryce.

SPEAKER_01

I want to see him hoop again, but it's hard to be able to tell when he's really gonna show out. You know what I mean? Yeah. But the other night when he played, um, when they played Houston, he was going in. He was going to give him a game.

SPEAKER_02

You was at that game?

SPEAKER_01

Yeah, he was there. He was going in.

SPEAKER_02

I'm saying you was at that game?

SPEAKER_01

No, I was watching at home.

SPEAKER_02

Oh. Because you said like you don't know what I thought you knew.

SPEAKER_01

No, I've been thinking about like I need to catch him before he does retire.

SPEAKER_02

You came to Charlotte what? Last year, right? You came to Charlotte last year. Mm-hmm. You can still make it.

SPEAKER_01

I don't think he played. I don't think he played a lot. I actually was singing at that game last year. Really? No, no, no. It won't last year. Was it like? I think it was 2024.

SPEAKER_02

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02

Damn. That's what's up.

SPEAKER_01

I kind of like, I kind of got a little choked singing the national anthem. Yeah. I was like telling my friend that got me the gig. I was like, I can't sing in the Lakers game no more.

SPEAKER_02

Why? Like the amount of people, the pressure was.

SPEAKER_01

It was so, it was sold out. It was packed. My nerves was so bad, and I don't get nervous.

SPEAKER_02

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01

But when I sing LeBron, my nerves was towed up, Henny.

SPEAKER_02

I was staring at you.

SPEAKER_01

He was there. He was right there. I was like, oh my God.

SPEAKER_02

Not La Breezy.

SPEAKER_01

Yeah.

unknown

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01

But it was fun, though.

SPEAKER_02

I mean, did you still, you know what I'm saying? You still have the name. You held your hands.

SPEAKER_01

Okay, I did my third thistle. I could have done a little bit better. I'm just really hard critique on myself.

SPEAKER_02

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01

But my nerves definitely got the best of me for the show. For sure.

SPEAKER_02

So like after you got the first words out, did the nerves kind of calm or were they still there?

SPEAKER_01

When I say that was my first time singing at an NBA game and it was sold out. Yeah, that's a lot. From the root to the tuna. From the bottom to the very top. I ain't seen no seats. It was like, oh, okay. You know? But now that I've got my feet wet and I've kind of like, I feel like broken in. I think if I was asked to do that again, I would be all right.

SPEAKER_02

Oh, yeah, of course. The first is always the worst. And then after that, you be good.

SPEAKER_01

I was definitely in shambles inside, but I I did a good job. Yeah. I'm a professional.

SPEAKER_02

There we go. Well, you've been professional. Yeah. That was just your you've been that was your professional. Yeah. I like how you did that with the hair.

SPEAKER_00

Yeah, you see.

SPEAKER_02

Yeah, I meant to say at the beginning, you know who you remind me of? And I heard Megan mention it, I think. Betty Bop. Is it Betty Bop or Betty Boop? Betty Boop. Betty Boop.

SPEAKER_01

I get that all the time. I get that all the time. I love that for me. Y'all know Betty Boop was black, right?

SPEAKER_00

Really?

SPEAKER_01

If you didn't know that. She was light-skinned? Now you know. Oh, I think she was like caramel.

SPEAKER_02

Okay, because she was portrayed as like white throughout cartoons and stuff.

SPEAKER_01

They tried to whitewash my girl.

SPEAKER_02

Wow.

SPEAKER_01

But Betty Boop in real life was a black woman.

SPEAKER_02

That's what I like to hear.

SPEAKER_01

Yeah. Yeah.

SPEAKER_02

Betty Boop and I mean Betty Boop, as far as like the baddest like female cartoons, Betty Boop is easily top two, really.

SPEAKER_01

I think it's Betty Boop.

SPEAKER_02

And what was uh Rob?

SPEAKER_01

People don't I don't think a lot of people understand she was a real person. Like she wasn't uh just a cartoon.

SPEAKER_02

So you know the history behind this?

SPEAKER_01

A little bit. I can learn a little bit more. She was a black woman.

SPEAKER_02

Wow.

SPEAKER_01

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02

Wonder do you know what like went into them saying, hey, let's make a cartoon out of her?

SPEAKER_01

Racism.

SPEAKER_02

Really?

SPEAKER_01

Trying to turn her into a white woman. If you look into like, you know, like cartoons and like, you know, the history of it, they literally whitewashed her. And people had to do their research to understand she was black. Yeah.

SPEAKER_02

I thought she was white.

SPEAKER_01

Yeah, she's a black woman.

SPEAKER_02

Wow. Well, okay, Betty Boop, I see you.

SPEAKER_01

Rest in peace, Betty Boop, girl. I don't know when you was passing, but we out here repping for you.

SPEAKER_02

Yeah, and your your pre her your predecessors right here with us.

SPEAKER_01

They stay on favor, you girl.

SPEAKER_02

Yeah. Yeah, that's definitely a good thing.

SPEAKER_01

I got a little big C now. Maybe I'll do it for Halloween.

SPEAKER_02

You should.

SPEAKER_01

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02

I'm gonna do Day Day, and my dog's gonna be Chico. I'm gonna no the target dog hasn't. But I'm gonna I'm gonna do Day Day. I'm gonna get the Oh, that's gonna be good. I'm gonna get the Pinkies outfit.

SPEAKER_01

That's good.

SPEAKER_02

Day Day and Chico.

SPEAKER_01

That's gonna be funny. Yeah.

SPEAKER_02

I gotta ask you this. As someone who is a huge Griselda fan, you can't kill God with bullets. Conway the Machines as of today, his most recent album. Yes. You're featured on his track. Don't even feel real, aka Dreams. How did that even come about?

SPEAKER_01

First of all, thank you for asking about that. I didn't even think we would talk about that, but that's just me being humble again, you know. Um so everything is community and um I'm noticing in my career, and um everything happens for a reason. So shout out to Conway for choosing me for his album. I am absolutely an underdog, and I'm just so appreciative of him calling on me. First of all, um secondly, shout out to my boy Soundtrack. He's a producer, uh, he's a part of the Soul Council, which is a production team that was curated by Knife Wonder and our team of Jamla Records. Um, so Soundtrack is a producer and it's also one of my really good friends and my brother who was working with Conway on the album and um had already sent him beats. He has several tracks on the album. But um apparently they they just needed a hook. You know what I'm saying? They needed a hook for this bonus track. And um Soundtrack put my name into the bit. He was like, I think my girl Heather can definitely lace this track for you guys. And he hit me off the whim, off the random and was like, I need you to do this for Conway. I was like, Bet, send the send, you know, send the um send the session. So I sent them um, I sent them something back and they was like, girl, you saying it too damn much. Hold on. Come run that back, but dial back a little bit. They like, we don't want it to be so sinky, you know. So I was like, okay, let me dial back and just do my little one two. So um, yeah, I sent it back and they was happy with it. I wasn't sure if it was gonna make the album or not. I didn't know when the album was coming out. Uh one day off the random last year, they was like, Yeah, you're out, your your cut made that project, and we're really excited to let's get this paperwork done. I'm like, okay, let's get it.

SPEAKER_02

Yeah, what's that like when you know for sure it's happening?

SPEAKER_01

It was like a really, really like happy feeling. You know what I'm saying? Like, first, I'm a Conway fan. Um, I just love real bars, yeah. Intentional rap music, no bullshit, no games. Yeah, um, he gets it. Yeah, you know, so um I'm always happy to be a part of somebody who's an artist who is intentional in contributing to the culture. And that's something that Conway does. And I work with so many rappers over the years. I'm really humble. I don't even talk about all the people I work with, but every time that somebody calls me and thinks about me, the underdog, to just give a little bit of sauce to their record, I'm happy.

SPEAKER_00

Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_01

It was a it was an overwhelming feeling. I'm happy. Yeah, um, I think mostly happy to contribute to the record, but also to um allow his fans to be introduced to me as well.

SPEAKER_02

Yeah, yeah, yeah. And and just that happened. That was that was dope. And I saw on your IG that you posted a clip from I don't know if it was not hot 97, but power. Was it Breakfast Club?

SPEAKER_01

The Breakfast Club.

SPEAKER_02

And um, Nyla, shout out to Nyla. I actually went to high school with Nyla. Oh my God. I love that.

SPEAKER_01

Hey, Nyla girl, that's my boo. Yeah, um, I'm so, so happy that, you know, she chose that for her um platform that day. Yeah. And, you know, she she goes through her new music and introducing new music to people. So I was happy that she chose that, you know, that's my girl. Shout out to Nai. Hey girl.

SPEAKER_02

Yeah, she's definitely like she did her thing. Yes. That's very inspirational.

SPEAKER_01

She's definitely doing her thing.

SPEAKER_02

Seeing people that you went to school with, grew up with, like, really get it on that level, like that's definitely inspirational.

SPEAKER_01

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02

Uh is Conway non-biased is Conway your favorite from Griselda?

SPEAKER_01

Um, I would say, yeah.

SPEAKER_02

How would you, how would you, I like asking people this. How would you separate the three from Griselda?

SPEAKER_01

Separate the three? How would you label West Side Gun, Conway, and Benny? Benny.

SPEAKER_02

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01

I don't know. I wouldn't say I wanna like separate them, but I feel like they all had their own identity and they all brought their own energy to the group. Um I don't know. I can't really I you know, if you don't have enough knowledge because I like I don't know enough of their music to make a stance.

SPEAKER_02

Got you. But you but you definitely know.

SPEAKER_01

I think out of the three, I've been more of a Conway fan.

SPEAKER_02

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01

Um, but I think they're all super dope. Yeah, for sure. So and I actually got a chance to meet Benny one time. Um cool people, and I think that everybody's on their own journey, and I'm happy that they're figuring out their, you know, their career and their trajectory individually and as a group. I don't, I'm not even sure if they're together or not, but yeah, I think they're all dope.

SPEAKER_02

Yeah, I mean, but that's usually how happens like with Wu Tang. Like they first came in, they was 100 deep, then everyone kind of had their own identity and you know, they space. I think that's how it's supposed to be. Well, you can easily come together at any time and it'll still be greatness. Absolutely. I think like the intention is to at some point you'd be able to have your own avenue. Um, yeah, I've I'll just end with this. I'm a huge Griselda fan. I got hip to them. The first time I heard Griselda was during COVID, actually. It was actually on whose album was that? It was actually on Alfredo by Freddie Gibbs, my personal favorite album of all time, by the way. When I heard one of my favorites. Yes. When I heard it got me through COVID or quarantine. When I first heard Babies and Fools with Conway on it, and then I heard uh uh uh damn, what's the joint with Benny? Oh my god. Frank Lucas with Benny. I had no idea who they were. I was like, who the hell is this? Because just like you say, I like bars. Like beats and shit is cool.

SPEAKER_01

I'm real bars.

SPEAKER_02

I love bars.

SPEAKER_01

Like, you're not gonna get it the first time bars.

SPEAKER_02

Yeah, and when I heard them, I was like, wait, this isn't nobody from today. Then I did my research, and like, you know what I'm saying? Like, oh, it makes sense now. Okay. Older cats. Yeah, older cats. They got some wisdom on them. Yeah, and they from Buffalo. It's not New York City, but you feel New York in general. Feel it. I was like, okay, it makes sense. And ever since then, been huge fans. And over the years, it's changed between who I like more. One year I'll like West Side, one year I like Benny, one way, one year I like Conway. I've always said, as of now at least, I'll say, Conway, I think, is the best lyricist. Benny has the hardest bars. Westside is just an overall curator. If that makes sense. It does. He really dives into that art and he really brings it to his music.

SPEAKER_00

Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_02

Well, um, listen, what you got going on after this? I know you asked me, you got anything going on after this in Charlotte? Are you staying in Charlotte? What's going on?

SPEAKER_01

I'm probably gonna head back. Where's back? To Raleigh.

SPEAKER_02

Okay, you're in Raleigh.

SPEAKER_01

Yeah, I am in Raleigh. I was in Charlotte for like two years, but um, I'm also a hairstylist and I do lashes. I've been doing that for like six, seven years now.

SPEAKER_00

Okay.

SPEAKER_01

Um, so my business is thriving in Raleigh Durham area.

SPEAKER_00

Nice.

SPEAKER_01

Shout out to, you know, my baby, Pristine Bavi.

SPEAKER_02

Okay, shout out to Pristine.

SPEAKER_01

I encourage all of my artist friends, make sure you keep you a little job or keep you a little trade.

SPEAKER_02

Oh, yeah.

SPEAKER_01

You know?

SPEAKER_02

Shoot. You see, I got this studio. It's real out here.

SPEAKER_01

For sure. So, um, but you know, going forward, I just want to continue to push the album.

SPEAKER_00

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01

Um, it's been out for a few months now, but you know, in just the the state of the world that we're living in right now, sometimes it's a little bit challenging to lock in and just focus on I'm pushing the album, but I'm I'm doing my best. And I I really want people to listen. I want people to get into it. Um, and I'm also working on the music as well, always. Looking forward to um people hearing what we're working on now. And like I told you earlier, I think people will be a little bit surprised, but I'm excited about that. Um got some shows coming up. I have a show coming up in um in Raleigh next month.

SPEAKER_02

So what's the specific date? Because this will drop beforehand. Okay. And I just want to make sure people are you know caught up on the actual date and time and everything.

SPEAKER_01

The show is April 24th at the poor house in Raleigh. I'm headlining a show. Um, and it'll be my first time performing uh some of the new music with my band.

SPEAKER_02

There we go.

SPEAKER_01

I'm really excited. You guys make sure y'all pull up in the area. Even if you're in Charlotte, like come take a little trip to Raleigh. We got a little something going on.

SPEAKER_02

Yeah, yeah, Raleigh's straight. I've been I've been through there a few times. I'm like, well, we haven't fun.

SPEAKER_01

We were just talking about it's a lot of things going on in Raleigh all the time. It's so much to do. Um, I've been in Raleigh, you know, since college, outside of when I came to Charlotte for a few years, but it's so much to do and it's it's a lot going on.

SPEAKER_02

Almost moved there before I came here. Okay. Yeah. Well, listen, Hello Victoria, appreciate you for coming on here. Giving game on music, giving great opinion and taste with 90s, 80s, 70s. Yeah. Uh being vulnerable in the state of mind and body that you were in through the album, through COVID and everything else. Uh, I really know that you know your fans will appreciate, you know, the personality side that you displayed on this uh conversation. I don't want to say interview, I think this was more of a conversation.

SPEAKER_01

It was. It was a conversation. Thank you for having me.

SPEAKER_02

Of course. Thanks for pulling out.

SPEAKER_01

Yes. Yeah, it's been amazing.

SPEAKER_02

Thank you. And thank you all, of course, tuning in, whether you're watching or listening. If you're listening, go ahead and tune over to YouTube. And if you're watching, if you want to listen on the road, it's available on the Apple Podcast and Spotify wherever you listen to your spot, uh listen to your podcast. Until then, like and subscribe so that you can be kept up to date on every new episode. But until then, until then, make sure that y'all stay safe, stay sane, but most importantly, stay blessed. We out. Good night.

SPEAKER_01

Good night.