Transcript of Wiz Khalifa: How to Build Your Schedule to Make You Happy & Strategize Your Life 5 Years in Advance

Hi. I'm Essie Cupp, and I've spent my career interviewing people about politics, presidential elections, and some really tough breaking news. But now I need a break, and I think you do too. So on my new podcast, Off the Cup, I'll still be interviewing people, usually famous and most likely my friends. But about life, you know, the stuff that consumes us when we're not consumed by politics?

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What's up y'all? This is Questlove, and, you know, at QLS, I get to hang out with my friends, Sugar Steve, Laia, Fontigolo, Bill. And we, you know, at Questlove Supreme like to nerd out and do deep dives with musicians and

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that we feel really deserve that attention. We learn, we laugh, we fall down rabbit holes. Listen to Questlove Supreme on the Iheart radio app, Apple Podcasts,

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Hey. I'm Jacqueline Thomas, the host of a brand new Black Effect original series, Black Lit, the podcast for diving deep into the rich world of black literature. Black Lit is for the page turners, for those who listen to audiobooks while running errands or at the end of a busy day. From thought provoking novels to powerful poetry, we'll explore the stories that shape our culture. Listen to Black Lit on the Black Effect Podcast Network, Iheartradio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

The craziest part of my life, I can go from performing in front of 40,000 people to either being in a dressing room, being in a plane, or being back in a bed all by myself. He is a multiplatform selling recording artist, mini mogul, and an actor.

But you're not the 1, the only 2 in Dreamboat.

Did you feel like a big break was coming?

I didn't know what that big break looked or felt like, but I knew that what I was doing was working. The gang banging and the drug selling, that's not really for me. But the looking cool, the having girls, the making music, I'm like, I like that part of it.

What's it like to get a record deal and then lose a record deal?

Oh, there's no bouncing back from that.

How unsafe was it where you were in Pittsburgh?

The streets is crazy out there. Like, I remember, like, 1 of my first friends getting shot and killed in in 7th grade.

Wow. When when was your sibling who passed away? She passed

away, I think, maybe 7 years ago.

How was that experience for you, losing someone so close to you that you love?

I am grateful that I was able to have, like, the last moments that I had, and to be able to prepare for it, and it's something that I'm still dealing

with.

What's a misconception you think people have about you?

The number 1 health and wellness podcast.

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Hey, everyone. Welcome back to On Purpose. The number 1 health and wellness podcast in the world. Thanks to each and every 1 of you that come back every week to listen, learn, and grow. Today's guest is the 1 and only Wiz Khalifa.

Multi platinum artist and Grammy nominee who rose to fame with his 2011 debut album, Rolling Papers. Featuring the hit Black and Yellow, Wiz won best new artist at the 2011 BET Awards, and top new artist at the 2012 Billboard Music Awards. His song See You Again from the Furious 7 top charts in 95 countries, and earned a Golden Globe nomination for best original song. Today, we're talking about Wiz's newest album, Kush plus Orange Juice 2. Please welcome to the show Wiz Khalifa.

Hey.

What's up, man?

What's up, Wiz?

I'm chillin'. How are you? I'm

good. I'm good. It's great to have you here.

Yeah. Good to be here.

You walked in with this real chill energy today. I was like, it was it was very calming.

Yeah. I'm a super chill dude.

I love that, man.

Yeah. Yeah.

But what's the first thing you do in the morning?

Smoke weed.

Every day?

Yeah. Yeah.

First thing?

Well, I take my dog out outside. I have a doberman. He's a puppy. But he's a big puppy. He's, like, he's 10 months now, and he wakes up pretty early.

So I take him out, and then I smoke weed.

Do you ever remember a day before that was the case?

Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. I remember the days before that was the case.

What were those days like?

I was in school, so I would just get up and iron my clothes and, you know, go off to school.

Yeah. Was there was there ever a time in your life where you tried to stop smoking, or has that ever been a a goal?

No. I never I never really never really fell back off of it. I never had a reason to.

Yeah. Yeah. What what does it do for you that you feel it needs to be your first habit of the day?

For me, it just kinda gets me in a relaxing mood. I have a lot of things on my mind, like, as soon as I wake up. So it's like, I'm here. I'm there. I'm everywhere.

But if I smoke, I kind of chill, relax, put everything into his place. I write my goals down. I start to, you know, make some text messages or phone calls or whatever, depending on what the situation is. So So everything just starts to come into place.

Yeah. You're right. You go that goes down regularly. Is that like a regular habit, a consistent habit?

Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Definitely. Walk us

through what that looks like.

It's really like me kinda like just spitballing stuff, whatever it is, like short term goals of mine, whether it be about clothing, music, family, visuals, content, just kinda like just writing the first ideas, like really short, really just to the point, nothing really crazy. I have a blackboard, so I'll sit in front of the blackboard and physically write it. Or if I'm in my car or something like that, I'll write it down in my notes. You know what I'm saying? Just to like little reminders and things like that.

Yeah. I love that. Man. How long have you had that habit for?

It goes on and off just due to like necessity, like how crazy my life is. So I just I feel like I don't know how long it's been because I do it, like, so regularly. And then I look back and I see how much I've done, and I'm like, wow. I've been doing this for a long ass freaking time. Yeah.

So I think it's kinda like, like a second nature type of thing for me. Yeah.

What do you find is the craziest part of your life?

The craziest part of my life. I think the entertainment part is the craziest part. And I think it's because I can go from performing in front of 30000, 40000 people to either being in a dressing room, being in a plane, or being back in a bed all by myself. And it's like to go from that much energy to just be it all by, like, back by yourself. I think that's pretty crazy.

Walk us through what that feels like mentally. Like, you just described 2 polar opposites, and the majority of people on the planet will never really experience those extremes. They might experience the loneliness in a room Mhmm. But they won't experience the 30,000 people screaming your name

Right.

Wearing your merch.

Right.

You know, whatever it may be singing along to your music. Mhmm. What are you feeling in the in betweens and the transition of that to that? You have to

have, let's say, this thing where you kinda wind down and you know what is for where. Like, you can't bring the stage home because eventually you have to, you know, wind down and go to sleep and wake up and do it again. And you can't be, you know, too turned off when you're on the stage because you have to bring enough energy to where somebody is way in the back and they can feel you. So it's really just like a projection of like, you know, your energy and how you feel. And majority of the times, I'm in a great mood.

I have great interactions with my fans and the people around stage and things like that. So it it goes good. I'm in a great mood, but it's just a lot of this goes from really, really intense, and then it could just all just be shut off at 1 second. Mhmm. And I think that that's like the craziest part to me.

Yeah. I I can relate. You know, I'd heard that before, and I can relate in a small very small way comparatively. But I remember doing my first ever live show Mhmm. In 2019.

It was at the Ace Theater Mhmm. Or maybe 2018, something like that in the Ace Hotel. And it was like, I don't know, 1500 people, 2,000 people maybe. Mhmm. It's my first ever show.

And I remember walking off stage jumping into the car Mhmm. To get driven back home and it was just the strangest feeling. Yeah. Like it's so hard to explain it.

Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.

And I wasn't, you know, it wasn't like I don't do music. So I've I haven't got even with that experience but I'm feeling connected with my audience. Yeah. Then you get into the back of a black, you know, a black car. You'd you barely know it.

Yeah. I didn't know anyone in the car with me. I was alone and I'm driving home and I just felt I was like, wow. I don't even know how to describe Yeah. The juxtaposition.

And then I went on my world tour last year. We did roughly 40 cities around the world and that was like you're in a new place every day. Mhmm. And now you're feeling that

Every

same thing every day. And so I know it's much smaller compared to what you've done. But to me, just getting that experience and I remember that night, I was lucky. I came home and my wife had planned a surprise party. Mhmm.

So all my closest friends were back in my house. Yeah. And that kind of, like, it was a relief. Yeah. But it but it is a really weird feeling.

Yeah.

I don't think the feeling is smaller Yeah. Due to the crowd or whatever. I think that the feeling is the feeling. Yeah. It's like when you're on a roller coaster and, like, you get back and, like, you're in your bed and you still feel like you're on a roller coaster.

Yeah. It's like you know what I mean? So I I feel like we still have that in common even though it might be at different levels. And it's it's not even always 30,000 people. Sometimes it could be a a private event, or sometimes it could be an event with some kids or something like that to where it's like you just get really 2 totally different, you know, parts of life.

And they're both great. I love my normal life, and I love my work life too. It's just the difference between them is crazy.

Yeah. What's helped you continue to love them and deal with that paradox with that ease and comfort? What's really soothed your relationship with those, you know, challenging or crazy experiences that you mentioned?

I think it has a lot to do with, like, my relationship with my fans because I love the people that I do music for, and they give me a really, really great response and reaction, not only to my performance, but to my music and just the appreciation that they have for it. So I appreciate them as well, and it makes it easier because I enjoy it and I love to create. I love to be on stage. I love to be in front of people. Yeah.

So it doesn't feel like I'm, like, doing anything out of, oh, I just want the money or this is just for this certain reason. It's really, really enjoyable for me. So Yeah. Beautiful. Yeah.

It's a great experience.

That's such a beautiful place to be.

Yeah. Yeah. For sure.

Yeah. Yeah. It that that gratitude to your community for for being there for you Yeah. For being present with you.

Yeah. Definitely.

Yeah. What's what's been, what's been, like, your craziest fan experience or fan interaction, a memory that you have with 1 of the audience members that I think

the craziest stuff is when people like come up and get me to like sign my name on them so they can get a tattoo.

Wow.

Or they showed me like tattoos on my face on them. I think those are the craziest interactions because I have tattoos. I'm covered in them. So I know how important that is and to be, you know, just me as an artist and doing what I'm doing and to want to have people to wanna, like, tattoo me on them. Is pretty, is pretty tight.

Yeah. Have people ever done a lyric as well? Or

Yeah. Yeah. They do lyrics. They do song titles. They do pictures.

They do autographs. They do all types of stuff.

Wow.

Yeah. Yeah.

What what's your most meaningful tattoo or 1 that really, speaks to you?

Probably, I got a couple. I got, you know, my mom's name. I got my brother's name, my siblings who passed away. I got my little sister. Yeah.

Probably like my family tattoos mean the mean the most to me. The rest of them are just like stuff about life that I've learned throughout the way or things that I've called myself throughout life. Yeah. Yep.

When when was your sibling who passed away?

She passed away, I think, maybe 7 years ago. I don't I don't remember exactly how many years ago. It could be, like, could be more or less.

Yeah. And and how old was she then?

She would have been 40 now, so she was probably 33 when she passed away. Right. Yeah. Yeah.

So you had some life together, like, when

you were younger? We grew up together. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.

Same mom, same dad.

Yeah. How how was that experience for you? Losing someone so close to you that you love?

I wouldn't say, like, rough because, you know, you get through that type of stuff. You learn how to deal with it. But it's definitely a situation that I never would have expected. Like like, we weren't sick growing up or anything like that. We were we were always the same.

So it's like when you get to a certain age, you don't plan on losing a sibling. And, yeah, it was just something that we had to deal with. And, you know, as her health declined, it was something that we knew was gonna happen. So it was like, all right, cool. Let's get ready for it.

You know what I mean? And I am grateful that I was able to have like the last moments that I had and to be able to prepare for it. And, you know, my son has memories of my sibling and things like that. And, her birthday was actually on on Halloween, so we celebrate every year. Annually, we throw a party.

So, yeah, it was definitely an experience, but, you know, it's something that I'm still dealing with. Like, you know, like, a lot of the times, I'm doing, like, really, really well. And then sometimes it might, you know, it might hit me to a point where it's like, alright. You know? Let me just slow down and kinda deal with this and or just think about it or talk about it or just whatever it is that gets me through it.

But, yeah, it's just like a continuous Yeah. Thing.

For sure. Yeah. How did you prepare for it at the time? You said you kind of knew Yeah. It was, you know, her health was Right.

Diminishing over time. How did you prepare at the time? Like, were there specific rituals or things you did or memories you made together that stayed with you?

No. It wasn't really too many rituals or memories or anything like that. I was traveling a lot at the time, so I did make sure that I went home and spent some time with her before she passed away. And then my mom was really the 1 who was, like, right by her side the whole time. So she's giving me kinda, like, blow by blow of everything

Mhmm.

And just how the situation was gonna go. And I just did my best to try to make her as comfortable as possible, you know, for those last couple moments. Mhmm. And, yeah.

Yeah. That I mean, it sounds like you said you're still dealing with it even though it sounds like you made the most of that time. Yeah. And now now you're saying you reach out to people and talk about it. Who who would you reach out to when you wanna talk about something like that?

I would talk to, like, my aunt Rachel. We had like, you know, we all just laughed and joked and just had a real good time together. Talked to my mom, talked to my dad, talked to my baby sister about it. I most recently talked to like just 1 of my other aunties about it just randomly. Because I I feel like we all feel the same, and we all have losses and, you know, can relate in certain ways even though it's not the best thing to be relatable about.

But, you know, we we feel similar about it. So it's cool to have those conversations and, you know, feel good about it afterwards.

Yeah. Yeah. I love that you still celebrate her birthday.

Yeah. Yeah. For sure.

That's that's a beautiful way to think about it.

Yeah. Definitely. Definitely.

It's such a hard balance I find in terms of mourning or grieving someone's death Uh-huh. And then celebrating the life you had with them. Yeah. And it's such a fine line. Mhmm.

And often you're pulled in either direction, but I think it's so important that we do celebrate life Yeah. And memories we had with someone and celebrate their life as well.

Yeah. Absolutely. I just look I look at it as, like, if she was still here, we'd be partying. So let's not stop the party.

Yeah. That's beautiful.

Thank you.

I was I was diving into your career whiz and I feel like when someone like you becomes as successful as you become and, you know, is dropping successful hits here and there, you almost forget the journey that they've been on and the graph that they've been on. And I was really fascinated by that because it hasn't just been like a smooth easy linear journey. I think people think of success as like you tried something out, it worked and now you're this, you know, this big phenomenon. And yours had lots of twists and turns. When like, what was your life like before black and yellow

Mhmm.

Compared to what it is now? What was it like before that?

I would say it was pretty normal. Like, it was pretty regular. I was just, you know, like any other 20 something year old. I think just the way that we were working and traveling and like going on the road and kind of the money that we were dealing with, a lot of it was getting reinvested back into the business. So I was making money, but I was spending money on myself and like, not even in a big way, but it would just be, you know, hotels, travel, things like that.

So I was putting myself through like courses and business and how to like, you know, make money, spend money, reinvest, blah, blah, blah. I was doing all of this stuff naturally. But, it wasn't on that level yet because we hadn't met, you know, anybody who was in the game. We hadn't had business managers or anything like that. So it was just, you know, me and my friends, we were kinda just really, really hustling and making the best out of out of what we knew how to do.

Mhmm. Yeah. Mhmm.

I mean, did you feel like a big break was coming or did it feel like, god, we don't know how this is gonna go?

Well, being that I already had a record deal and then essentially lost that record deal, I didn't feel like a big break was coming. I didn't know what that big break looked or felt like, but I knew that what I was doing was working. And I knew that the people who were into me and the movement that I had created, I knew that that was more popular than, you know, the mainstream and, like, what was really, really popular at the time. So I I was really confident in that.

Yeah. But

I didn't know, like, a big moment was coming or anything.

What's it like to get a record deal and then lose a record deal?

It sucked for me. Like, just because in those days, like, if you had a record deal, like, that was it. And then if you didn't have a record deal, like, you were done. So to have 1 and then lose it is like, oh, there's no bouncing back from that. Like, I never knew anybody but who bounced back from that.

But

in my mind, it was never over. I never counted myself out. I just never knew what the next situation was gonna look like or how long or what what that time frame was gonna be like.

Where did that confidence come from? I I love how self assured you were. Mhmm. That, like, what you were doing in the community you were building Mhmm. Was resonating with what you were doing.

Yeah.

Where does that come from? Because I think, like you said, so many people today who might be listening, and they maybe they just, you know, got kicked out of a job. Maybe they got rejected from their record deal. I remember when I when I was first coming up with the idea for this podcast 6 years ago Mhmm. I had a production company and a a partner that was gonna launch the show with me.

I went away for the holidays, Christmas holidays, came back, and then I was told that it wasn't on anymore. So I remember that feeling Mhmm. And having to launch the show on my own. If someone's going through that right now, how did you maintain that composure and that confidence? Like, no.

We're doing something here. Yeah. We may not know when that break's coming, but we're gonna keep moving.

Yeah. I think it was just by, like, standing on the things that I believed in and the stuff that made me most comfortable. And if I wanted to show it, I was gonna show it. If I wanted to talk about it, I was gonna talk about it. It might not have been what everybody else would would have considered was gonna take somebody to the top, but it made me feel free.

And I enjoyed myself by doing it. And I think just in turn, a lot of people have fun enjoying watching me do it. Yeah. Yeah.

Yeah. If if you could give your younger self any advice before black and yellow came out, what what would it be?

I was good. Keep doing what you're doing.

You gotta you

gotta figure it out, fool.

Is there is there anything you would have liked to have known for how to deal with it afterwards?

No. No. Everything that I've that I learned and that I figured out, along my way, I think happened in its time and how it was supposed to, and it's positioning me for even greater points in my life as well. Yeah.

Where did where does that come from? Because that's such a peaceful thing. And and like I said, from the moment you walked in, there's there's such a peace and ease about you Mhmm. In a in an industry where people can get jaded. Yeah.

People can get ruffled. They get flustered. Yeah. How have you kept that peace and composure for yourself? Like, where where's that coming from?

Really, like, just my goals in this shit. I have my own personal goals, and I've reached a lot of my old goals that I was trying to do. And I reached them by being myself and doing exactly what I wanted to do and how I wanted to do it. So, you know, knowing that that's possible and seeing that it doesn't make me want to rush to the next point or the next situation, I'm comfortable waiting for what's mine and, you know, just seeing what, how everything plays out as opposed to, you know, trying to make it be somebody else's story. Like I feel like my whole story and everything, of as far as my life, if I see it, I wanted it.

It's just a matter of time until I get it. So, you know, I'll just wait that, that, that amount of time and, you know, just keep, just stay down and just, you know, just be very, very like have a lot of gratitude for where I'm at and what I've done so far. And even when I was coming up, I was really, really happy with what I had. So the more and more that I started to get, it wasn't because I wasn't happy where I was at and I had to get more. It It was just because I was so happy.

It just, you know, just kept turning into more and more. So I just keep it like that.

Yeah. There's a there's a beautiful quote that says, when you're grateful for what you have Mhmm. You'll receive more to be grateful for. Mhmm. And I think it's true that gratitude expands.

But it's beautiful hearing you say that. Did you learn that from anyone? Did anyone teach you, mentor you, guide you, or is this an internal thing that's kind of evolved over time?

This is definitely some internal that's evolved over time, and it's, like, gotten me really, really far dealing with people in business or dealing with the law or dealing with just different personalities in general. As far as, like, just getting what I want creatively and not, you know, freaking losing my mind and, you know, just being able to talk to people and and have clear conversations with an understanding of, you know, what what works, what's real, and what's not, and what we can make real.

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What's been the hardest conversation you've ever had to have with someone?

The hardest conversation I've ever had to have with someone. I think the toughest conversations that I have to have are when I have to explain my ideas. Yeah.

Yeah. Because?

Because I'm so hyped up about it, like, before it start before I verbalize it. And then as soon as I start to say it, I just feel like the level of intensity of it just comes down. I'd rather just do shit sometimes and like just show you and like what I learned, you know, by working with so many other people, how valuable it is to like have a team. So I learn how to be able to express, you know, what I'm thinking and have that go through a whole process, and then and then we, we make it real.

That's so true, man. Yeah. I feel like that sometimes that you can see in your head. Yeah. But then you're like, you can't press play on the projector, and then it comes out.

And so when you're explaining it, everyone's, like, looking at you like Yeah. You're crazy.

Yeah. Exactly.

And you are right. Sometimes I do feel we live in a time and an industry where people have heard so many ideas Mhmm. That until you see something Mhmm. You don't even understand it.

Right. Right.

And I feel like when you look at music or you look at movies or film or TV or whatever it is, when you watch something, you're like, oh, that was amazing. But, like, someone, when they talked about it, no 1 wanted to buy it.

Right.

Did you find that record labels and people that you've worked with the music always understood you immediately or no? You kind of had to go prove and show.

Oh, man. They didn't know what to do with me. Like, hey. There was no clue what to do with me early on. That's why I lost my first record deal because when I came in, the song was really good and it was a sample from a popular song that people, you know, was really recognizable.

But after that it was like, well, what do you do? Do you make like 5 more of these songs? Or like, what, what are we going to do? And they really didn't understand, like, me being from Pittsburgh, me smoking weed, me being lyrical, me, you know, being a cross between like, you know, really, really hard hip hop culture, but then, like, really cool, trippy, hippies, skating. You know what I'm saying?

Earthy mop.

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What's up y'all? This is Questlove, and, you know, at QLS, I get to hang out with my friends. So did Steve, Laia, Fonsecolo, unpaid bill. And we, you know, at Questlove Supreme, like to nerd out and do deep dives with musicians

and actors and politicians and journalists.

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1 of the things I love the most about this show is that we get to learn from the masters. I look at being on this show as my graduate program in music.

Listen to Questlove Supreme on the Iheartradio app, Apple Podcasts,

or wherever you get your podcasts. Supreme.

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Too. Like, there was no cross between that at the time. Like, you really had to be, like, big white tee, like, chain. You know what I'm saying? So like a lot of labels didn't understand what to do with me.

And it wasn't until, you know, I built my, my fan base of people who believe the same thing that I believe in. And I was able to, you know, travel and do shows and then they were come and see the show and they'd be like, these mothers are going crazy over this dude. Like, it doesn't matter what we say or what we think is dope. It's obviously, you know, there. And I feel like that whole format, you know, has been done a lot, like, especially in rock and roll and and pop music where the act will be bigger in real life than they are.

You know what I mean? To to other people, like, they're they're bigger in real life than they are, like, to hype. Like, as far as the hype goes, once they started to see that that was my situation, then that's when people started to pick up on me.

Was that the way you built this audience that understood you? Was it performing live? Do you feel like that was the significant part for you in creating this amazing connection you have with your audience?

Yeah. Absolutely. Yeah. Performing live, going to a lot of different colleges and festivals before they were as big as they are now. Like stuff like South by Southwest and the really like grassroots underground stuff is like what, what built, you know, us and we packed into a van and just went on our own tours, just up and down and just drove ourselves.

And then on top of that, YouTube had just came around. So, you know, I was recording myself and putting my vlogs on YouTube. I call it day to day and I still do these to this day. But like a compilation vlog of like a week in in my life. And I just started doing it because I was like, my life is so crazy.

Nobody sees it, and it's so much fun, and there's so much, like, stuff that goes on. I was like, so I might as well turn it into, like, you know what I mean, a little 10 minute short.

Yeah.

And it worked. It worked a lot. It helped sell a lot of merch. It helped sell a lot of tickets. It helped build a really consistent fan base of people who are still here to this day.

Yeah. Do you remember any of those trips, certain places you went to where something crazy happened that you caught on camera?

Man, it's all on camera so you can it's something you can see.

Anyone that stands out to you?

Yeah. I mean, I think, like, there's really classic episodes. There's, like, Australian tour with me and ASAP Rocky. You see, like, me and Jay Cole in his early days. You see me and Currency in our early days.

You see, a lot of artists. You see me and Kendrick in his early days. You see me with Nipsey Hussle. Yeah. You see like the whole community of people who we really came up with, who are like OGs in the game now, but there's really classic footage of us when we all just started out.

Mac Miller, a lot of people, everybody, man. Everybody who you listen to now was on was in those day to days, like, originally.

How did you guys all meet each other back then? Like, how did you connect? Yeah. We would I guess there was no Instagram DM. Maybe there was.

Maybe there was.

No. We would connect through Twitter. Right. Yeah. Twitter was the vibe back then.

There was no IG. We weren't like DM ing each other on there, but we would connect through Twitter and clothing. And if if anybody needed clothes or weed, like we would all hit up the same people's for clothes, weed and, you know, just vibes and stuff like that. And we just all clicked. And as we started to like take off on different levels, we would just bring each other with us based off of who we, you know, not really like the most, but were who were who we were closest knit with at the time or who it made the most sense with.

Yeah. What's it like watching Kendrick then and Kendrick now?

It's really dope watching Kendrick then and then now because we all came up together. So we were all doing the same things. We were all speaking to the same crowd and we were at different levels in our career. And I just remember performance wise, Kendrick will kinda like scream on stage. Like, he didn't sound like he did on the record, but now he's like 1 of the best performers.

And he's like 1 of the you know what I'm saying? The the guy's really carrying it for our generation. So to see him, like, just jump up levels and levels and levels through like hard work and branding and, you know, just being around the right people at the right times, bringing people along with him, like baby came and all of them. Like, you know what I'm saying? He's he's just really doing every move to the tee of how you're supposed

to do it. And how's j Cole evolved as well?

Cole is the same thing. It's like, you know, we all started out just the homies, like trying to get a verse on each other's tapes. And now dudes are like elite rappers up there. You know what I'm saying? And it's like, it's cool to see him have his own festival.

It's cool to see, like, he doesn't have to do as much work throughout the year, but when he does drop, people pay attention how they're supposed to. He's he does great tours. And, like, as a as a performance artist and as a substance artist, I feel like he has a type of career. Like, that's all you can ask for. Mhmm.

Yeah. That's powerful. What does it feel like? You were saying there, like, in some ways, things have changed. Like, what's changed for up and coming artists today?

Like, what are they doing right? What are they doing wrong? How How would you advise someone if you were starting out from scratch

Yeah.

Today again Mhmm. How would you approach your career differently or in the same way?

I think that there's levels to it. I think that a lot of people aim for like the surface level where it's like you get 1 or 2 things and you're good and that's what takes you to the top. But usually that, that, that works against you because you'll have that spike, but then you'll go back down and you'll have to go back up again. It's really difficult to have that spike and to have that feeling of validation and like, oh, yeah. Everybody's doing me, blah, blah, blah.

And then boom, they're not with you. And then you gotta try to do something to get them back on your team. So, you know, a lot of people are gonna wanna go that route, but it has a lot of negatives that come with it on the back end. And it's a really good time for artists to, you know, cultivate a real fan base, whether it be in front of people's eyes or whether it be behind the scenes. It's a really great time to cultivate a fan base of people that understand you, understand your slang and how you dress and what your lifestyle is about and really push that to the forefront.

Let that slowly build. And eventually, whether it's a year, 2 years, 3 years, or 5 years, you know, you're always making a little bit of progress here, here, there. And wherever you land at, you're gonna permanently be there.

Yeah. Yeah. There's a lot of people today who get told you've only got 12 months. You had your hit. Mhmm.

You got 12 months to make as much money off of you as possible. Mhmm. Like a lot of people hear that like, hey, look, your career is not gonna be that long. Mhmm. Let's make the most we can.

What would you say to someone who feels that fear themselves or gets told that like, hey, look, you had 1 hit. Let's just, you know, crush this peak.

If somebody tells you that, you better get some drugs and start selling them. Use that money. Flip it. No. Get some real estate.

Because if, I mean, like, somebody who only has a year plan in you and they're like, yo, you're only gonna be here for this amount of time. They're gonna move on. They're gonna find other artists or, you know, different people to represent, and you're gonna be asked out. Like so any artist or any personality who somebody is already talking about, like the limit of the lifespan of their career, they should definitely be worried and not try to race to, you know, do the most in that amount of time, but to try to figure out how to extend that lifespan. Mhmm.

So let's take what that person just told you and let's try to figure out, you know, what what the next 5 years looks like instead of the, you know, next 12 months.

Yeah. That's good advice.

Yeah. Definitely.

How far into the future do you look when you're planning music, work, life?

I always try to look at least 5 or 10 years in advance. Yeah.

How different is where you are today from where you looked at where you'd be 5 to 10 years ago?

I'm doing way better business wise than I've ever done. Mhmm. Not just making money, but, managing money. And I feel like I'm getting better and better at that. And, you know, that's what's gonna take me, you know, into the into the future as well is, not only just, you know, the making of the money, but the money management.

Mhmm. Yeah.

What what have been your best moves in money management or business that you think people could learn from?

My best moves in business is just, being accountable for everything. I think in rap music, we get so caught up on on the lifestyle, and we're like, I have to have this, or if it's a new truck, I'm buying that, or but me, I'm more like, I'm only gonna spend this much on clothes this month. You know? If I want a new car, I'm gonna wait a year and a half until I get it. You know what I mean?

Or I'm gonna move money from this account to spend on this. So this is here and that's there, and, you know, we could still pay for tour. And, you know, how much are we spending on tour? How much are we making off a tour? How much comes in off of merch on top of the other businesses and things like that.

But really the money management, like the everyday type of spending where it's like, you know, you could get carried away buying too many clothes or, you know, getting too many nice rooms or you know what I mean? And and I I have a lot of luxuries that come with my life, but I could also do without a lot of that stuff too. So the unnecessary stuff and knowing what the stuff that is not really needed, paying attention to that, not letting just those things just slip through the cracks because they all add up and shit. So I think just being way more conscious of of that type of stuff.

Yeah. Did you learn that the hard way because you were overspending, or did you learn that because you saw other people before you were overspending?

Luckily, I didn't get to a point where I overspent or overspent. I just re received large ass amounts of money. And with that comes advice. And, you know, so it's like yearly or quarterly. You know, we need to have these conversations where it's like, this is what the money looks like.

We had to spend for this because of that, or, you know, you had a little bit of fun spending this. So let's just bring it back on this, this, that, and the other thing. And just throughout time of having those conversations, you start to figure out where the unnecessary spending and the problems come from. Or even if you start to create little different issues, you you you'd be like, okay. This isn't really working in our favor, so we need to wiggle out of this.

And, you know, if it even if it's spinning this big chunk over here, that's gonna take away from the, continuous spinning that's kinda like bleeding and taking away. So just to learn that and have that visual in my head, you know, while I'm making decisions, A lot of people do they feel like they're being controlled if somebody's telling them that. But for me, it's a choice. It's like, do you wanna be broke 20 years from now, or do you wanna be having more money 20 years from now? Alright.

Well, this is how you do it. So

yeah. Good advice, man. It it makes sense. And it's it's hard to do in the moment because you just you wanna get that thing or you wanna buy that thing and and it applies across the board. What what's the dumbest thing you ever bought?

And now you look back, go, oh, god. That was dumb.

Man, I don't think it was ever, like, 1 dumb thing. I just used to be dumb how I how I bought stuff. Like, I would see anything and just like it and buy it. It didn't matter how much it cost. If if it was a car, I wanted it.

I would buy it, like, right then and there. Sometimes it'd be a watch or something like that. Like, a lot of these watches, I don't even have no more. So I was like You

gave them away or sold them?

Sold, gave away, lost. Yeah.

And and what was the best investment you've ever made?

It probably be, like, some stocks or it's, like, some, you know, like, a percentage of of a business that I've invested in. Yeah. Yeah. I've I've had multiple, but there's some really good ones that, you know, I put some money into that is gonna come back in in some really good ways.

Yeah. I hope people get inspired by hearing you talk about how sometimes you gotta put off those big purchases, wait a year for that card. Because Mhmm. I think when when we're young, especially and and you come into even a little bit of money, which feels like a lot of money Mhmm. It's so easy to to spend and just get carried away.

And especially now, I feel like with all of us just ordering things off of Amazon and everything else all day, it's like you have no idea how much money you spend.

Oh, for sure.

It's so easy.

It's super easy to look up and, you know, however much just be gone. And when it's gone, it's gone.

Yeah.

And to me, I I feel like you have to go through that. You have to really feel that and understand it and whatever, you know, you believe in, I believe in God. So it's like, that's God telling me like, okay. You spent this much. It's gone.

You're gonna get more, but you need to deal with the feeling of you having it and it being gone. And then now we'll see what getting more feels like. But some people, when they have it and it's over with, they don't even know what that bounce back feels like or it looks like. So, you know, unfortunately, the the best way to learn is to go through it. Mhmm.

Yeah. But You're right.

Yeah. Yeah. But afterwards, like, you know, it's only you after that. Like, you gonna keep doing the same thing over and over, or you gonna learn from, you know, what happened?

What is what is your relationship with God look like?

My relationship with God is the shit. I pray all the time. I thank God all the time. Yeah. A lot of people there there's certain people who don't feel like God is, like, a higher power or anything like that, but I like to just imagine that my God is just, like, chilling up in the sky, like, with a big deep voice.

The the sun could be going down and I could be driving, and the hotel California could be on. I'd be like, thank you, God. Like, you know what I mean? Because, like, the situation just feels right.

Yeah. Yeah. And what does God say to you in God's deep voice?

You're welcome. You're you're you're supposed to have this.

That's awesome. Yeah. Has that always been there since you were young, or is that it's come with time as well?

Yeah. Definitely since I was a teenager. Definitely since I was, like I could remember, you know, being in, like, 9th, 10th. No. Probably even, like, 8th 8th grade.

Just praying every night, thanking God for a wonderful day, asking him to bless everybody that I care for. Yeah. Just, like, really cool stuff. Like, just normal normal ass shit that I want the world to feel.

What would you pray for? What else apart from other people?

To be safe. I was I was in a crazy ass place when I lived in Pittsburgh, so I definitely asked for, like, that that safety. The older I get, you know, I I ask for, like, patience and understanding and things like that. You know what I'm saying? So just regular shit.

Well, that's not regular. That's that's

pretty deep. Yeah.

Yeah. How unsafe was it where you were in Pittsburgh? Like, what

was that? Unsafe in Pittsburgh, man. Like, the streets is crazy out there. Friends of mine started getting murdered when I was in, like, 7th grade. Like, I remember, like, 1 of my first friends getting shot and killed in in 7th grade.

Wow. And then when did you leave Pittsburgh?

I came to Pittsburgh permanently when I was in middle school, and I stayed throughout high school. And I probably didn't dip until, I was, like, 23 years old.

Right. Right. Because you moved around a lot growing up. Right?

Mhmm.

Or at least as at least as far as I saw. Yeah. Probably like Japan.

Yeah. Every 2 years, I would bounce around and my mom was always in Pittsburgh. So I would go live with my dad for 2 years and then I will come back to Pittsburgh. Then I will go live with my dad and then I will come back to Pittsburgh. So I was in Pittsburgh in 3rd grade and I was also there for middle school, and then I came back for high school.

And then other than that, I live, like, in Oklahoma, South Carolina, Japan. Yeah. Those were a couple of other

places. Your favorite place?

I think Japan was my favorite place.

How old were you when you were in Japan?

I was in, like, 5th or 6th grade.

Okay. Yeah. Yeah. What was that like? I mean, Japan at that time, but now I feel like everyone's like Japan's the place to go.

Yeah. It's cool when you're, like, exploring Japanese culture, but I I just realized, like, as an adult, that that shit was kind of fucked up. Because it was like, I'm living on an American base in Japan.

Right.

And like just the concept of like Americans occupying Japan was like, you never find a Japanese base in America, but like, we have the audacity to like go over there and just be like, here, here's our base. We're gonna operate as Americans. We're gonna send our kids to school here. Don't teach them your language. Nothing.

It's just gonna act like America in Japan. So that's that's yeah.

You never learned Japanese.

I learned a little bit of Japanese, but it was like basic. It wasn't like really any, like, diving into the culture or anything like that. Like, it's just you live on post and you travel from 1 base to another base. And that's pretty much what it was.

How do you think that experience impacted you now? Like, how is that childhood experience of moving around, darting around every 2 years defined who you are today?

It was cool because I was able to just be a regular kid, and I was able to, like, meet friends and different groups of friends and run around and play and knock on doors and ride bikes and climb hills and stuff like that. So it was super chill, man. It was fun just being normal and not really worried about too much. I think the older that I got and the more settled that I got in in Pittsburgh, that's when I started to, like, figure out, you know, who I wanted to be later in life. But in those early years, it was just all about, like, being a kid and just playing with my friends.

Mhmm. When you saw all of that around you, how did you have what gave you that feeling to dream and to want something more? When you're seeing, like, the violence around you, you're saying it's a rough neighborhood. Mhmm. What what's given you the ability to go, there's there's more to life than this?

I think it was just, like, knowing that I had talent with music. I always did music since I was younger. My, my uncles and my cousins were older than me. They were like, you know, 15, 16, all the way up to almost like 20 years old. And I was like the baby I'm 13 years old.

So I'm really kind of trying to do what they're doing, but I'm picking the parts that make the most sense for me. So it's like the gang banging and the drug selling and the guns and all that shit. I'm like, that's not really for me, but the looking cool, the having girls, the getting money, the making music, I'm like, I like that part of it. So that's what I always really stuck to. Like, just even as a kid, like, I was just like, I'm a just do what I know is cool for me, which is just making music.

And, you know, that's kinda like what led me on my path.

Yeah. How could you how did you stay away from all of the other things? Because sometimes those can look cool when you're young. They can they can be attractive when you're young.

Yeah. I didn't really stay away from it. I definitely like, you know, the older that I got and the, you know, the more, fun I started to have, I kinda was in and out of that stuff, but it wasn't for me, you know, like just there's it's a lifestyle for some people and for a lot of those people, like, they're still doing it now. And for me, it was just kinda like, you know, being a kid or like a right of right of passage type thing or it's like product of my environment type stuff. You know, like the little stuff that I would get into is like, I'm here.

So, you know, I'm I'm getting down. Like, I'm not gonna be the only 1 who's not down. Mhmm. You know, you grow out of that stuff too. Yeah.

And you learn from that stuff as well. So I learned from the the things that I did do and I learned from the things I didn't do as well.

Yeah. I mean, now you're a father yourself.

Yeah.

How do you feel looking now from the perspective of being a dad? Mhmm. You've been a father to Sebastian for a while now.

Right.

And then you just had a daughter cadence, I believe. Congratulations. Thank you. And, like, what's it been like to be a father to Sebastian? And then how is your views of fatherhood changing now that you've had a daughter?

Yeah. It's been really good, having Sebastian and having a boy, especially at his age. He's 11 now, and there's just certain instincts that are starting to kick in. You know, whereas like he was a young boy and now he's like a, you know, a young man and he's growing into a more of a young man, every day, really. And just that programming of, you know, life and discipline and, being polite and, you know, on top of, you know, just everyday stuff of like handling his emotions with his friends and things like that.

It's a really like fun experience going through all of that with him because I'm able to remember what it was like for me as a kid. So instead of just like telling him the rules and what you should and shouldn't do, It's more like guiding him of, you know, how to, you know, navigate through these situations, which is really, really fun. And I had that with my dad as well. He was always, you know, there for me and talk to me about a lot. And he was way more disciplinary than lenient.

And I'm a super lenient parent with my son, but I'm also like really real with him. And he's able to be real with me and he's able to talk to me about, you know, real life things. And when I think about the stuff that I did when I was, you know, coming up, you know, by the time I was his age, I was doing a lot more stuff because like I said, my uncles and my cousins were older and I'm just thankful that I was able to have those experiences and know what's appropriate and what's right and what's not. So I'm able to monitor what goes on with him and what will affect his behavior later. And then just having a baby girl, I think it just adds to it now because I'm able to just give all types of love.

Like, I got the tough love with my boy, and then I got, like, just the sweetness of having a daughter, which, you know, helps, helps out a lot.

Yeah. How do you think you're gonna shift your strategy as she grows up?

I think I'm gonna do it pretty much the same. Just like cater to her needs, like whatever she needs. If she's like super girly girl, then we doing, you know, ballet and we doing dance and we doing drama and we doing all the girly stuff. And if she's a tough girl, then we doing kickboxing, and we doing whatever else to rough her up. We do horseback riding.

We do whatever we wanna do. Like, you know what I'm saying? There's no the sky's the limit, but, you know, keep her active, keep her entertained, and just cater to her needs.

Yeah. What's Sebastian into right now? Like, 11 year old. What's what's, like, his obsession?

He loves basketball.

Okay.

Yeah. He loves to play basketball. He's really just now learning, like, the fundamentals of it, but he's good at it. He's a athletic kid, and he's like, it's good to see him, like, roughing around with the boys, like, being 1 of the boys. They talk shit to each other.

They get in each other's faces and, like, they really get after it. So he's he's, like, gravitating towards basketball more than anything.

Nice.

Just that and just being with the friend, being with his friends, like just being a kid.

Were you have any good at basketball? Was that

Hell yeah. I do. I never had, like, like, official training, like, what he's going

through. Yeah.

But if I did, bro, I'll be so much better than I actually am, and I'm really, really good. So I would be like, I'll be deadly if I knew how to do it. Well, he's learning right now. So you

could give him some pointers along the way.

Just, like, naturally.

You know what

I'm saying? Hell, yeah.

Yeah. Yeah. I love that. And you never did ballet or anything or anything?

No. No. I never did that. I did, like, acting classes and shit like that. I was in, like, speech and drama and all of that shit, but never know dance, though.

Did that help speech and drama classes? Like, how did that

I think that helped. Yeah. Yeah. I think it helped a lot because it was like, you know, you learn how to project your voice and all of that stuff and you learn how to, like, hit cues on stage and, you know, just kinda, like, get outside of yourself in front of people where you're still yourself, but then you're, like, outside of yourself. I definitely think that helped for my performance.

Yeah.

If Sebastian came up to you and was like, I wanna be a rapper too. Yeah. What what would you say to him?

I'd be like, let's go. Studio's downstairs.

What advice would you have for him to find his voice?

Studios downstairs.

Just get in there.

Get get in there and start rapping. Yeah. Yep.

Yeah. Hell, yeah. Would you want that, or you you you're kind of open to whatever?

I wouldn't mind. Especially the way that I'm implemented in in the game. Like, I do what I wanna do. I'm not like nobody controls me. Nobody tells nobody's like working me harder than I need to be worked or anything.

So I see the same vision for him, especially in the age that we're in. So So it's like, if you're gonna be an artist, you're gonna be in complete control of everything. So it starts now.

Yeah. And then Yeah. The team was saying that you plan a lot of your life around him.

Yeah.

Like, they were saying that, like, sports sports games and things like that. Like, you've you've really taken that idea of an art should be in control of their own life. Yeah. Like like, walk us through that mentality, that mindset.

A lot of people focus so much on their work, and they think, like, that the work is gonna come to an end at some point, or they have to sacrifice things that are important for work. And I believe the opposite. I think I, I should sacrifice work for my family and it should just be the other way around because of how much that work and how fortunate I am to be in the situation where I put in a lot of work. I've done a lot of things. So I don't have to, you know, feel this sense of urgency that things aren't gonna go my way if I miss out on something or if I, you know, speak up and just try to make sure that everything works out how I would rather at work.

And, you know, I had the point in my life where I would be in the studio every day or I would be, you know, a different country every day or I would be, you know, a show, fitting, assigning, TV appearance, blah, blah, blah. I would do all of these things back to back to back to back to back. So I've done that already, but now it's more important for me to just wake up, work out, spend time with my family, make sure that he is at his best because he needs to go to practice. He needs to train every day for him to be successful later on in life. And if I'm not there to, like, motivate that, either he's gonna get it from somebody else.

I don't know who, or it's just not gonna happen at all. And that's my job right now is to make sure that he's successful. So, you know, if I've missed this or if that doesn't, you know, go the way that it's supposed to, I'm cool with that because in the end, he's gonna get to be as successful as he needs to be.

Yeah. That's beautiful, man. Yeah. Because I feel like there's such a oh, it's wonderful to hear because I feel like we're living at a time where there's such a pressure to constantly be relevant, to constantly like keep up Yeah. With, you know, what everyone's doing.

And now you've got a million platforms to stay relevant on and Mhmm. Everyone's doing this and that. And so it sounds like you've created like a healthy detachment Yeah. Between who you are at your work and who you are at home. Yeah.

And that's that's quite a beautiful thing.

Yeah. I see that better working out long term. Like I said, I look like 5, 10 years Yeah. Into the future. And me chilling and me with my family seems way more realistic than me, like, ripping and running around still.

So I might as well get used to it.

Did you feel your dad was super involved in that way as well? You were saying

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Yeah. Yeah. Absolutely. My dad was super involved with with me, especially, like, through my teenage years. A lot of my time that I spent, like, early in the studio was with my dad, because he built a studio and was running it.

He didn't know about music, and he didn't know about any of that stuff, but I told him I was into it. And he built a studio and was like, alright. Learn how to use the equipment. Start writing songs, put an album out, do this, do that. And I did it all.

And he was like, damn. I didn't know he was really gonna do it. I'm like, yeah. This is what I wanna do. So, like, just through, you know, seeing how important him being involved with what I was passionate about took me to the level that I'm at.

It lets me know, like, whatever my son and my daughter are passionate about, I have to experience those things with them. I can't just give them money and provide it for them. I have to actually do it with them, and it's gonna make a hell of a difference.

Yeah. How does your dad feel about seeing you now?

My dad loves it, man. He's like in awe, like all the time. And I think out of everything, he understands, like, how hard I work too. And he's really proud of it. Sometimes he gets a little bit worried.

Like, he's like, is this too much? Like, you know what I mean? Like, I know you do a lot. I'm like, no. It's cool.

I'm built for this. Like, this is what I do. So he sees how much I work, and he sees how much effort I put in, like, constantly, but he he's really proud of me.

What's something you learned from your mom?

The value of family. Yeah. My mom taught me the value of family. She always kept me around my family members. She kept me around my cousins, my aunts, my granddad, my she even keeps me around my dad's side of the family, and they got divorced when I was 2 years old, but she still hangs out with my dad's sisters, my aunts Amazing.

My cousins and all that on their their side. So she keeps me in touch with them. She keeps my kids in touch with them. She does the whole genealogy of the whole family. Like, my mother is so family oriented and that like rubbed off on me as well.

That's beautiful. Yeah. What's a misconception you think people have about you if they have 1 at all?

I don't think at this point there is any misconceptions. I think there's just like learning more about me. I think that the more people learn about me, the more they see like how chill, how educated, how well spoken in like thought out a lot of things that I do are. And they start to really understand why the people who love me, you know, whether it's my music or I changed their life or whatever way they start to understand like where that comes from.

Yeah. What what's something about you that people may not know that you'd like them to understand along those lines?

I think right now, I just want people to know, like how you said, like how detached I am from the whole success world. Like I'm cool with it, but like, that's not the goal. And it's not and a lot of people say like, oh, well, you have money. So it's easy for you to say that. But I think you just reached certain points in your life where different things are important, no matter how much money you have.

And you know, some people I'm 37 years old, some people reach my age and this is the time that they start their business. And they're like, I'm gonna go hard and I'm gonna build my empire now. I was just lucky to have got a head start in my twenties, build my empire. And now I really understand, like, you know, how to sustain it and maintain it and keep it going for the next 10, 20 years. And those are the things that I'm really, really working on, along with the music, you know, which is super duper important, but it's really just about, like, making this thing last.

Yeah. And I don't I think you're right. I don't think it's about how much money you do or don't have. I think anything can become a drug. Mhmm.

And you can get addicted to

it. Yeah.

And I remember, you know, Kevin Hart was sitting in that chair and he was talking about how success became a drug for him.

Mhmm. He

was just addicted to more and more

of it. Mhmm.

And so it's easy for you to get addicted and obsessed and just and you're actually saying, well, actually, I'm I I don't wanna get addicted to that.

Yeah. No. It's my work. It's my job.

Yeah.

It's what I'm really, really good at, and I don't never wanna give that up for, you know, the a normal life or anything like that. But I do value my normal life Yeah. As much as I value, you know, the the I value the 30,000 people on stage, but I also value being in my bed alone at night when the lights are off. But I love

it. Yeah. Yeah. I'll I I I appreciate that. And I think I think we need more of that healthy thinking because I think if you only like 1 or the other Yeah.

Or if you start to detest 1 or the other

Right.

That's when it starts to get scary. Like, a lot of people love being in the audience. They don't like being alone.

Yeah. Or a

lot of people like, oh god. I hate being with the fans now. Mhmm. I love being alone. Mhmm.

And I think both of those can lead to a lot of, like Right. Pain in turn.

Yeah. You have to work on both. And when you know what you're here for, you know what, which time is to do, which 1 I spent a lot of time working on the other side of it to where I love my job and I love what I do. And I'm very grateful to be able to make the amounts of money doing what I do, but that's not everything to me. I work as hard on my personal life as I do on that side of it.

I'm in the you know, if I'm in the studio 12 hours or if I'm on a plane, you know, 16 hours and I barely get any sleep and I don't eat and I'll do promo and I do a great show and I do a meet and greet and I smile and I take everybody's picture. That's all part of the game. That's me going hard to make sure that that part of it lasts. When I'm by myself, I'm waking up, you know, at a good at a decent time. I'm going to sleep at a decent time.

I'm working out. I'm spending these certain hours. I do yoga. You know, there's just certain things that go with the process, and then, like you said, planning things around my kids. So it's like, I'm making sure that I'm spending this family time where it's not they're getting the short end of the stick off of anything.

So I'm working passionately and hard on my normal life the same way that I do in, you know, my professional life. And sometimes it takes more energy in normal life than it does in a professional life.

I agree with you. Yeah. Yeah. It's not that it's easy to be disciplined at work. Right.

But to actually show up for your family and be disciplined at

home Right. Right.

It requires a whole nother thing.

And a lot of people, they run from that because it's easier to, you know, just put all the put all the guilt and responsibility. Oh, I gotta work. It's my job. It's this it's easy for you to do that. Take some time.

You know what I'm saying? You know, be a little bit nervous, be a little bit uncomfortable, be a little bit bored, but you're not gonna be bored if you're around people you love. Like, I'm never bored around my kids. But, you know, take be passionate about your normal life as well. Yeah.

It sounds like you have so much order and discipline in your life. Mhmm. Like, when I'm hearing that, I'm like, sounds like everything is very structured and organized and intentional. Yeah. It's not like this random, like

Yeah. It's not random

at all. Every day is very regimented.

Yes. Definitely regimented. You know, I look at my schedule regularly. I'm updating the schedule regularly and it just really built to make me happy. Like, I'm cool with everything that I have to do as long as I'm happy.

Like, you know what I'm saying? And if we talk about it and we arrange it and we put it in all the times that it's supposed to be, I'll be really, really happy, and I'll love to do it. But when things start coming out of left field and you have your idea of what an appropriate time is and we didn't run that by each other, like, that's not gonna make me happy to do this. And I'm doing this because I love it.

Yeah. I saw your men's health video with the MMA Yeah. Which has become your fascination and I guess Yeah. Workout routine for a couple of years now, I feel. Where where did that start and how did that come about?

A lot of my my big homies were getting in. When I say big homies, I mean security. They were getting into MMA and doing jujitsu and just martial arts and just meeting all types of people. And this was like almost 10 years ago. And they were just telling me like, bro, this is the next wave.

Like everybody's about to be doing this, blah, blah, blah. This other thing you gotta get into it. You gotta get into it. I'm like, yeah, it's cool. But, you know, I'd rather like, you know, smoke weed and be in the studio.

Like, you know what I'm saying? But as soon as I started working out, I just developed like a passion for it, like, out of nowhere. And it didn't make me slow down smoking any. Like, I was able to, like, still get stoned, but I love training and I love working out and I love, like, learning new things. So it just just kept building on top of each other and just building and building.

And then I just, you know, started to develop, some skills that, you know, we're still sharpening to this day.

Do you go to watch as well or you just, like, train

Oh, yeah. I watch the shows as well. Yeah. I got a company called PFL that I'm involved with. I go to their shows all the, I mean, I go to, their fights all the time.

I go to boxing matches, there's wrestling matches, there's jujitsu matches. There's all types of stuff. Combat sports is like, as you've seen, has grown so much and so many influencers wanna do it. And it's just a really good lifelong thing too. Like, it's gotten popular for how much money it makes people and things like that.

But as a lifelong practice, like, I would suggest that for any and everybody.

Yeah. If if there are men who are watching who wanna get into health and fitness, what would be your best advice for them to motivate them, inspire them, let them know how important it's been for you and it could be for them?

I would just try to paint the scenario of you being about late thirties, out with your kid, somebody, like, is just in your face, and your kid is standing right there, and you only got 30 seconds to prove to your child that you're their protector or somebody who's finna get whooped. Start working out now.

That's hilarious. It's funny because my next question was gonna be about, like, you know, I feel like masculinity is such a big talking point right now.

Mhmm.

And, you know, a lot of men feeling like they've inherited the mistakes made by men in the past. Mhmm. And so men carrying a lot around a lot of judgment. Men feeling left behind in the conversation. Mhmm.

The different things you've talked about today and the way you're organizing your life. Like masculinity is a very broad spectrum. It's not just

Right.

1 way. Right. And so how have you ever thought about that raising a son for yourself, the message you put out? I feel like rap and hip hop had Yeah. A version of masculinity

before and that's right.

And what do you what are your thoughts on that?

I think I've always, like, approached masculinity just off of my vision of it and the most masculine and people that I respect and just the the situations that I look at as what, you know, a man should model themselves as are usually the most, like, moderate and mild tempered and just chill and kind of, you know, observant and just guiding the situation. In any way that you can position yourself to be that type of person, I've always felt like that was the more, you know, respectable thing. And we all have feelings and we all have emotions. And that's where, like, training in combat sports, it helps you like to put all of that stuff in the right place. Because when you get a chance to get that stuff out, you realize where it has a place at, where it doesn't.

And a lot of people, they don't have a place to get that stuff out. So they think that they're being masculine by, like, shouting or yelling or being rude to somebody. But, really, that should be, like, the last case scenario. Like, you know what I'm saying? Like, that's why I say protecting your child because I would never use what I know to hurt anybody unless it was to protect my family Yeah.

Or myself. It wouldn't be in any other situation because to me, like, that's not cool. That's not tough. That's not even what it's for. So I think the idea of masculinity, it just comes from whoever is putting it out at the moment and what they've learned from it.

And, you know, the world judges the way that it does based off of their experiences because they think, you know, the most mean or the most scary or this, that, and the other thing, but they haven't they they show that, but there there's not a lot of real situations that people are in that prove that that that that's the right thing. And from my experience, what's proven the most is the most mild, chilled, moderate people are the ones that you should probably be, like, the most worried about.

Yeah.

So the more that you can position yourself in life to have an understanding of your own emotions and be in control of your reactions to things, I think that just makes you more looked at as what people would consider masculine or a leader or a provider or something like that rather than, like, an emotional, you know, person.

Yeah. That's a really powerful answer, man. I feel like you you kinda feel the world going through 2 extremes where it's like masculinity used to be this bravado, chauvinistic, arrogant

Yeah.

You know, alpha male type. And then it swung to, like, being vulnerable and soft and this. Yeah. And now I kind of feel like it's kind of swinging back the other way. Yeah.

And and it's almost like I like how you described it because it's not really hard or soft. It's kinda like Yeah. The person who can, like, calm it down, guide it, move it along, knows what to do with everything.

Exactly. Yeah. Exactly. Because I've seen both, you know, and I've been around, like, growing up in Pittsburgh, you see a lot of dudes where it's like the street nigga type is like the hyper masculine. But a lot of those dudes end up, like, going to jail, getting shot, or when they come home from their jail, they're not who they used to be.

And all of that masculinity kinda goes away when you see, like, the the perception of this person go away. You see who they really are. So it's like deep down, who really are you inside without this whole thing that you're, like, putting off on people? And men have a lot of pressure, especially, like, growing up because we're more we're, like, really competitive. So it's like, I could see it with my son, like being in sports with him and his friends.

You know what I mean? They just off rip, just go to this certain type of personality. And I'm like, bro, you know, you're like a better teammate if you tell dudes like, yo, good shot. Like, you know what I'm saying? Good job.

I see you. Blah blah blah. But they don't understand that now as kids. They're so competitive, and they're so at each other's throats.

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And sometimes that carries on in life, but I think you just have to have an example of somebody to, like, let you know, like, yo, it was cool to just be like chill and you know what I mean? Like the homie, it's cool to talk shit sometimes too because that shit is fun. But like at the root of it, y'all still gotta be friends and care about each other and take care of each other. And that's the the more, you know, I mean, brotherly dope part about it Yeah. Other than going at each other's necks.

Yeah. And we need to see that model more. It's hard. You don't see it that much. Yeah.

So it's hard to know as a man how to

Right.

How to do that. But you're right. If you look at the best athletes in the world Mhmm. They're the ones who kept their calm when things were Right. Tough.

Right.

They they weren't the ones spewing anger. And it's interesting because MMA I think people who haven't been trained in martial arts or don't know people who have often can think of it as like combat sports are like angry. Mhmm. But but have you learned any practices from MMA that you feel apply really well to what we're talking about right now?

I think just getting punched in the face. You learn how to be calm and like not get emotional when somebody hits you in the face and you still got 3 rounds to do work, or you still got 3 minutes in around or 5 minutes in around to do work. Like you can't let your emotion you have to be calm. You have to think. You have to remember your footwork.

You have to remember your breathing. You have to remember defense so you don't get hit again. There's way more to the story than just I got punched in the face. And a lot of people will never really get that, that lesson or get that feeling of I got hit and I gotta keep it moving. You know, most people want something to happen as soon as they get hit.

But, you know, I think just through martial arts and it sounds extreme and it sounds crazy, but I think everybody should get punched in the face.

I know what you're saying though. I get what you're saying. Like, it's like, it's only at that point do you know how tolerant and still you are. Mhmm. Yeah.

Because up until then you can be like, I'm I'm super chill. Yeah. I'm calm, but it's it's responding to that. Yeah.

And there's a lot of dudes who's like, if somebody punches me in the face, I'll kill them. Yeah. But, like, no, you won't. Yeah. You gotta fight back.

You got 3 minutes or you're gonna keep getting punched in the face. Yeah. Yeah. So it's like, it's fun when you just remove everything and hit somebody in the face.

How often do you get punched in the face when you're?

We do sparring off and on, especially cause I gotta do like appearances and shows and shit like that. Cause anything could happen. Like my nose rings could come out. I get black eye. Like my forehead could get split.

You're gonna protect the face.

Yeah. For sure. So I I when I know I'm not having to do too much, that's when we usually do do some sparring.

Yeah. Yeah.

Yeah. Or we'll do light sparring where it's not like, you know, nobody's in too much danger.

Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. That makes that makes sense.

Yeah.

I was trying

to figure out how you're Yeah. How you're doing that. Yeah. No. I I'm really glad we dove into the masculinity thing because Mhmm.

I just feel like it's it's such a need right now. And I want, you know, men and women to both feel like, you know, that we're we're kind of having these conversations that I think sometimes on the on the bigger screens, you don't see them.

Yeah. You know? Yeah. And I think it's like the word masculinity has gotten like so abused.

Oh, interesting. Yeah.

To where people like think it's a bad thing. And it's like, there are good examples of masculinity. Like I have a daughter, so she has to see what a masculine man is like. She has to see what a provider is like. She has to see what somebody who is gonna make her feel protected as well as cared for.

And, you know, all of the things that that describe what real masculinity is beyond, you know, what you can do physically to somebody or even, financially. You know what I'm saying? Emotionally being there for her. There's a lot of things that me having the right types of masculinity are gonna be, you know, positive for her to see.

Yeah. 100%. 100% man. And with this new album, what was the energy that you put into it? Like, it's a sequel.

So there's that. There's was there something you're trying to revisit Yeah. And bring back?

Yeah. I think I'm just revisiting, like, when I did cushion orange juice, the, the, the style of it was like, you know, stoner kid, everybody just smoke weed, be cool, be chill. And this is the soundtrack to the lifestyle. And, I've done a lot with my music to where I've, you know, had my take on what I think music should sound like at certain points. I've had, you know, my take on what I think are like really big, huge records and what those should sound like.

And then I've also just experimented with, you know, what street culture is at the time and just what's popular to the kids. And I think with Cushion Orange Juice, it really resonated with people because of the lifestyle that it created and the things that I talked about in that lifestyle and the way that the music sounded and grooved with that lifestyle. So just being aware of that and knowing what type of chaotic state that we're in right now, I just felt like it was the perfect time to just reintroduce people to a more laid back, chill, just smoke some weed and vibe out, you know, and, create a whole crowd of people who wanna do the same thing. Yeah. Yeah.

Yeah.

And it's interesting. Right? Like you it's like you're chilled out, but then you're super productive.

Yeah.

How how do you hope that your audience kind of feels both of those as well? Because it's

It's been good because I think just through experience, I've learned that the majority of people who listen to my music end up bossing up.

Yeah. I love that.

Yeah. Like I've, there's a lot of artists now, you know, who were in like middle school, high school when Cushioners just came out or they watched my day to days and they're like, man, this is what really, you know, let me know this is what I needed to do to be an artist or I studied you every day, blah, blah, blah. Or I dropped out of college and I got my friends and, you know, we started our label and now we're big Sean and low. You know what I'm saying? So like I've seen a lot of people who have taken my blueprint and turned it into, you know, exactly what I've done with it.

So, I think the message gets across really, really well that, you know, you you'd be a pothead, but you'd be productive, and you boss up and put all the homies on. I think they get that that message really well.

I love that.

I love that. Thank you.

How does how does it feel that see you again is the 2nd most viewed video Yeah. On YouTube, music video of all time? I mean, that's insane.

Yeah. It's pretty cool.

How does that feel?

It feels good. I think it feels better that I'm able to, like, walk around because most people, they, they would think that if your video is that popular or if you have that much success that you're just like not even real. But like to me, I could still go to my son's games. I could still, you know, go pick records out. I could still go to the gym without a fleet of security with me.

So, like, I didn't sacrifice my, sanity Yeah. To be the 2nd most viewed person in the world. So I'm happy about that.

Yeah. And it's it's such a great song too to be known for, I feel.

It's a really good song. A shout out to Charlie too, man. Like, Charlie did his thing. And Yeah. The whole process of, like, making that song was like a dream come true because it was for soundtrack.

So you never know how that's gonna go. There was like 10 other people who were supposed to be on the song. So, you know, me writing a verse, I was just like writing a verse. I wasn't like, this is the song is gonna change my life. I need to sit down.

I was just like, yo, yeah, here you go. Like, it's dope verse. Like, I love the verse and shit, but they were like, you know, they re it really connected with the people who were doing the movie at the time. And, you know, shout out to Weave and then Constance and Will and everybody, but we just kinda, like, just shaved it down. And it just ended up making sense with it just being me and Charlie on there, and that song has taken us, like, super duper far.

Yeah. It's dope, man.

It's

amazing. What what was your motivation to go sober from alcohol?

I my motivation to be sober from alcohol was just I had drank for so long since I was able to drink. I've been drinking, and I never seen a reason to really stop because, like, I just love partying. I love being around people. I love, you know, just being a vibe. After 1 I think it was 1 show I just got, like, completely wasted, which was normal.

I was like, man, I don't really have too many, like, memories of of places. Like, I was like, I I mean, I I love doing these shows and shit was like, I don't be remembering, like, you know what I mean? Anything. I was like, I wanna kinda like experience this stuff, remember where I'm at, remember the people who I'm dealing with, actually enjoy it, and not just be, like, turned up. You know?

So, yeah, it was just a time of, like, just gathering information, and I'm real happy for that.

Yeah. Was it hard to break away? Because the no.

No. No. It wasn't difficult at all. I think when when I wanna do something, I'm good at it. Like, if it means something to me, I have my own reasons for doing it.

Nobody's making me do it. Or even I feel like even if somebody made me do it, if it was like a challenge or something like that, or if like I had to for legal reasons or something like that, I wouldn't have a problem doing a lot of things. But, you know, for me, it's just my lifestyle is so free and it's so fun. So half of the time, it's like, why would I stop? Yeah.

But if I make up a a reason for myself, I usually end up sticking to it. Yeah. Yeah. Yep.

Wiz, at the start of the interview, asked you what's the first thing you do when you wake up? Yeah. What's what's the last thing you do before you go to bed?

Last thing I do before I go to bed, kiss my son and my daughter.

Nice.

Yeah.

I love that. Yeah. Beautiful. Wiz, I end every episode. You've been amazing.

So generous with your time. Great. Just great energy. I've really enjoyed spending this time with you, man. Yeah.

I appreciate you. Feel like I've learned so much about you today that I didn't know for sure.

Thank you.

We end every episode with a final 5. Mhmm. These have to be answered in 1 word to 1 sentence maximum.

Okay.

And so, Wiz Khalifa, these are your fast 5, final 5. The first question is, what's the best advice you've ever heard or received?

Just be you. That's from Snoop Dogg.

Nice. Question number 2, what's the worst advice you ever heard or received?

Change your name from Wiz Khalifa.

2?

I don't know. They just told me that that name wasn't gonna work.

Why didn't why didn't they like the name?

Because it's just too different. You know what I'm saying? Like, it didn't sound like nothing. It didn't give off. You didn't get any visual from that back in the day when I told you that that was my name.

So a lot of people close people to me was like, I like you, you can rap. You're really cool, but you need to change your name. And it ended up working out for me because in the years that I was being discovered, it's a brand new name. So when you Google that name, I'm the only thing that comes up. Yeah.

So it was like 1 of the most Googled names, like, you know, for that year. Yeah. So the thing that people told me wasn't gonna work ended up working.

I love that. Where did it come from?

Wiz is short for wisdom and Khalifa is leader or successor. Yeah.

Yeah. How did you come across the word Khalifa? Because that's

Khalifa, my parents, well, my grandparents. My granddad is, Muslim. Right.

Right. Right. Yeah. It's wonderful.

Very cool, man. Exactly. I think so.

Thank you, man.

Yeah. It's cool. It's cool. I love this hat too.

Yeah. Good look.

It was

I saw this on your on your merch yesterday.

It came out. Merch. I'm a walking billboard, baby.

This hat. Yeah. I like it.

All I wear is me.

Yeah. I love it. Question number 3. What's something that you used to value that you no longer value?

I used to really enjoy going to nightclubs. I don't enjoy it anymore.

Because?

I feel like the music isn't the same. I feel like people don't really dance anymore. Like they're just in like sections, just kinda chilling and it just kinda defeats the purpose of going out. Like I never went out just to look cool. I will go out to get girls and I really don't like chase women all like that no more.

And I think it's just the polite thing to do. Like normally, like, like I said, anymore, because like normally even being in a relationship, I would just be like, yo, it's a part of my life. Like, you know what I'm saying? I'm gonna be around hella chicks. Get used to it.

You know what I'm saying? That's what I would do before. Like but now I don't really, like, I don't really care for that shit no more.

Question number 4. How would you define your current purpose?

I would define my current purpose as a leader and as a provider and as somebody who a lot of people look up to. So it doesn't matter what I get personally. It's more about what I do for for others.

And 5th and final question, we ask this to every guest who's ever been on the show. If you could create 1 law that everyone in the world had to follow, what would it

be? Smoke weed every day. I love it.

Wiz Khalifa, Christian Oranges too.

Yep.

Thank you so much.

So thank you.

This is so much fun.

Thank you. Yeah.

I had a good time too. Yeah. I

hope you did, man.

I like your genes too, man.

Thank you, man. I appreciate it.

Cool. If this is the year that you're trying to get creative, you're trying to build more, I need you to listen to this episode with Rick Rubin on how to break into your most creative self, how to use unconventional methods that lead to success and the secret to genuinely loving what you do. If you're trying to find your passion and your lane, Rick Rubin's episode is the 1 for you.

Just because I like it that doesn't give it any value. Like as an artist, if you like it that's all of the value. That's the success comes when you say, I like this enough for other people to see it.

Hey. I'm Gianna Parente,

and I'm Jamey Jackson Gadston. We're the hosts of Let's Talk Offline from LinkedIn News and Iheart podcasts.

There's a lot to figure out when you're just starting your career. That's where we come in.

Think of us as your work besties you can turn to for advice.

And if we don't know the answer, we bring in people who do, like negotiation expert, Maury Tahiripour.

If you start thinking about negotiations as just a conversation, then I think it sort of eases us a little

bit. Listen to Let's Talk Offline on the Iheartradio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

Wanna know how to leverage culture to build a successful business? Then Butternomics is the podcast for you. I'm your host, Brandon Butler, founder and CEO of ButterATL. And on butternomics, we go deep with today's most influential entrepreneurs, innovators, and business leaders to peel back the layers on how they use culture as a driving force in their business. Butternomics will give you what you need to take your game to the next level.

Listen to Buttermix on the Iheartradio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast.

Bring a little optimism into your life with the bright side, a new kind of daily podcast from Hello Sunshine, hosted by me, Danielle Robae, And

me, Symone Boyce. Every weekday, we're bringing you conversations about culture, the latest trends, inspiration, and so much more.

I am so excited about this podcast, the bright side. You guys are giving people a chance to shine a light on their lives, shine a light on little advice that they wanna share.

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