1
00:00:00,010 --> 00:00:03,340
David Pere: Coming up secrets of the
music industry for my true entrepreneur.
2
00:00:03,610 --> 00:00:07,560
If you're new here, we help service
members and vets achieve financial
3
00:00:07,560 --> 00:00:12,580
freedom through the military millionaire
community, which is comprised of an
4
00:00:12,580 --> 00:00:17,629
incredible Facebook group with over
64, 000 members and TOK, a Pinterest, a
5
00:00:17,629 --> 00:00:19,689
social media, everywhere you want to be.
6
00:00:20,290 --> 00:00:21,140
We've got a blog.
7
00:00:21,150 --> 00:00:23,009
We've got a podcast that
you're listening to right now.
8
00:00:23,009 --> 00:00:23,870
We've got a YouTube channel.
9
00:00:23,870 --> 00:00:25,939
You should check them all
out because each one is.
10
00:00:26,160 --> 00:00:26,410
Awesome.
11
00:00:27,060 --> 00:00:29,750
We also have the war room, which is
a paid mastermind group and the best
12
00:00:29,750 --> 00:00:32,080
military investing community in the world.
13
00:00:32,860 --> 00:00:38,640
And today's guest is Raymond Lott,
AKA the Marine Rapper or TMR.
14
00:00:39,510 --> 00:00:42,090
He's a multi billboard
charting recording artist.
15
00:00:42,269 --> 00:00:44,859
His music is heavily
influenced by metal hip hop.
16
00:00:45,095 --> 00:00:51,215
country, and his service as a U S Marine
from 2004 to 2014, where he completed two
17
00:00:51,215 --> 00:00:53,075
combat tours and one deployment to Africa.
18
00:00:53,485 --> 00:00:57,034
In February of 2021, the Marine
rapper achieved his first billboard
19
00:00:57,035 --> 00:01:01,485
number one hit single featuring on
hip hop artists, Topher's track.
20
00:01:01,630 --> 00:01:02,360
The Patriot.
21
00:01:02,680 --> 00:01:06,400
Now, in October 21, the Marine
Rapper achieved his second billboard,
22
00:01:06,400 --> 00:01:10,190
number six hit single featuring
Tover's track, Let's Go Brandon.
23
00:01:10,200 --> 00:01:13,649
And in November 21, the Marine Rapper
achieved his third billboard hit,
24
00:01:13,890 --> 00:01:19,789
number seven, featuring on hip hop
artist MJ Hank's track, I Left My Home.
25
00:01:20,200 --> 00:01:22,429
And there's a whole bunch
of other good stuff.
26
00:01:22,809 --> 00:01:25,960
They even wrote a song about Yogi
Bear and it's actually really catchy.
27
00:01:25,960 --> 00:01:29,259
It's a cadence and uh, you're definitely
going to check out this interview because
28
00:01:29,259 --> 00:01:33,729
Raymond is smart and he's really, really,
really done some cool stuff and he's
29
00:01:33,730 --> 00:01:36,130
going to help us understand how the
music industry actually makes money.
30
00:01:36,440 --> 00:01:39,319
So the entrepreneur in you is going
to be curious and the veteran in
31
00:01:39,319 --> 00:01:42,800
you is going to be stoked that you
hung out because this guy's fun.
32
00:01:42,899 --> 00:01:43,904
So have a great day.
33
00:01:44,395 --> 00:01:45,024
Welcome to the show.
34
00:01:45,434 --> 00:01:45,845
Ray!
35
00:01:45,865 --> 00:01:46,835
Welcome to the show, brother.
36
00:01:46,835 --> 00:01:47,035
How are
37
00:01:47,035 --> 00:01:47,374
Raymond Lott: you?
38
00:01:47,805 --> 00:01:48,625
I am great,
39
00:01:48,625 --> 00:01:49,015
David Pere: bro.
40
00:01:49,145 --> 00:01:49,565
How are you?
41
00:01:50,245 --> 00:01:50,925
I'm good, man.
42
00:01:50,925 --> 00:01:51,765
I'm excited to do this.
43
00:01:51,765 --> 00:01:55,845
I've been following you on Instagram
for, uh, a minute now as the Marine
44
00:01:55,845 --> 00:01:59,265
Rapper, and I love your stuff,
and so, uh, this is, this is gonna
45
00:01:59,275 --> 00:01:59,695
Raymond Lott: be fun.
46
00:02:00,325 --> 00:02:01,194
Appreciate it, man.
47
00:02:01,194 --> 00:02:04,374
Yeah, I was like, cause a lot of times,
like, if people don't interact or I
48
00:02:04,375 --> 00:02:07,935
don't see a like or something like
that, Sometimes I'm like, who is that
49
00:02:07,935 --> 00:02:10,725
person or whatever, but then if I see
them engaging, I'm like, oh wait, oh
50
00:02:10,755 --> 00:02:13,265
snap, let me show some love back, you
know, because sometimes like you get
51
00:02:13,265 --> 00:02:16,165
caught up, especially entertainment
industry, you get caught up in like the
52
00:02:16,535 --> 00:02:18,404
glitz and glamour and stuff like that.
53
00:02:18,404 --> 00:02:21,875
So I keep on trying to remind myself,
don't forget you came from the
54
00:02:21,875 --> 00:02:25,175
hood, you know, don't act like, you
know, you ain't better than nobody.
55
00:02:25,275 --> 00:02:27,874
So go ahead and and show love or whatever.
56
00:02:27,934 --> 00:02:29,075
And I tell people that all the time.
57
00:02:29,255 --> 00:02:30,235
Oh, you're such and such.
58
00:02:30,265 --> 00:02:31,815
And I'm like, no, no, no, I'm just right.
59
00:02:31,905 --> 00:02:32,454
You know what I mean?
60
00:02:32,454 --> 00:02:34,855
So like, yeah, man, I
really appreciate that.
61
00:02:34,855 --> 00:02:35,815
And so like, that's why.
62
00:02:36,124 --> 00:02:38,954
I was like, I got to show you love
and, and, and show the same type of
63
00:02:38,954 --> 00:02:40,534
love that you've been showing on IgE.
64
00:02:40,534 --> 00:02:41,154
So I appreciate that.
65
00:02:41,714 --> 00:02:42,665
David Pere: Well, I
appreciate it, brother.
66
00:02:42,665 --> 00:02:42,864
Yeah.
67
00:02:42,864 --> 00:02:46,274
It's a, it is a weird game where people
start recognizing you and you're like.
68
00:02:46,855 --> 00:02:49,695
Dude, when I bought my first house,
I was a, I was a sergeant, you
69
00:02:49,695 --> 00:02:52,875
know, I was recruiting, recruiting
duty and I was broke as shit.
70
00:02:52,895 --> 00:02:57,394
So, um, all right, so, uh, we're going to
dig into the story more later on, but I
71
00:02:57,395 --> 00:03:00,684
like to jump into something big right off
the bat and then they go back in time.
72
00:03:00,685 --> 00:03:03,294
So having seen massive success, uh.
73
00:03:03,554 --> 00:03:06,274
With a song only for it to have been
removed from streaming services.
74
00:03:06,285 --> 00:03:07,204
Like two weeks later, right?
75
00:03:07,204 --> 00:03:09,165
You had the highest of
highs and the lowest lows.
76
00:03:09,165 --> 00:03:10,005
And we'll talk about that.
77
00:03:10,595 --> 00:03:16,124
I'm curious how you deal with like the
dopamine hits the highs and lows of
78
00:03:16,125 --> 00:03:18,405
social media and, and just like life.
79
00:03:18,445 --> 00:03:22,014
Um, because dude, I mean,
I'm in social media.
80
00:03:22,325 --> 00:03:23,524
On a smaller scale.
81
00:03:23,864 --> 00:03:27,345
And I know like there are days
where things don't hit and
82
00:03:27,345 --> 00:03:29,445
you're like, it's a weird ride.
83
00:03:29,465 --> 00:03:31,315
So I can't imagine that, how that felt.
84
00:03:31,355 --> 00:03:33,585
And I'm just curious how
you kind of manage the
85
00:03:33,585 --> 00:03:35,085
expectations there for yourself.
86
00:03:35,814 --> 00:03:37,305
Raymond Lott: Um, it's crazy because.
87
00:03:37,730 --> 00:03:41,269
In order to not get emotional,
you have to know emotions and
88
00:03:41,280 --> 00:03:42,850
use emotional intelligence.
89
00:03:42,850 --> 00:03:43,850
I learned this a while ago.
90
00:03:43,859 --> 00:03:48,099
Emotional intelligence is like
understanding why everybody's there,
91
00:03:48,169 --> 00:03:51,249
understanding why you're there,
and understanding that everybody
92
00:03:51,249 --> 00:03:52,480
is living in their own world.
93
00:03:52,579 --> 00:03:56,989
So if somebody, after I, I drop a new
song or drop a video when I post it
94
00:03:57,130 --> 00:03:59,089
online and somebody's like, This sucks!
95
00:03:59,760 --> 00:04:02,160
A happy person isn't saying that.
96
00:04:02,700 --> 00:04:05,260
A happy person isn't logging
online and saying, Hey!
97
00:04:05,715 --> 00:04:08,115
I'm so happy and I just want to
tell you how much your song sucks.
98
00:04:08,115 --> 00:04:10,055
No, it's an unhappy person, right?
99
00:04:10,255 --> 00:04:14,875
Or, or, you know, a happy person
isn't logging onto your account
100
00:04:14,915 --> 00:04:16,414
and going, I hate this podcast.
101
00:04:16,445 --> 00:04:18,625
They're not saying that
because they're happy.
102
00:04:18,625 --> 00:04:19,034
Right.
103
00:04:19,315 --> 00:04:22,935
But only an unhappy person only,
you know, as the saying goes.
104
00:04:23,955 --> 00:04:25,335
Misery loves company, all that.
105
00:04:25,335 --> 00:04:28,335
So once I use my emotional
intelligence, realize, man, this person
106
00:04:28,335 --> 00:04:29,594
probably just wants some attention.
107
00:04:29,905 --> 00:04:34,005
They're just upset because you know, their
wife, their kids, whatever thing they're
108
00:04:34,005 --> 00:04:36,995
going through at home, their family,
whatever thing they're going through is
109
00:04:36,995 --> 00:04:40,874
affecting the way they're talking to me,
or it could just be like a little kid.
110
00:04:41,195 --> 00:04:45,294
Online trying to troll trying to brag
about something at school next day or
111
00:04:45,294 --> 00:04:48,635
like, Oh, yeah, I got the Marine rapper
mad or, you know, I, I hate it on this
112
00:04:48,635 --> 00:04:50,275
guy's podcast, whatever it may be.
113
00:04:50,965 --> 00:04:54,855
I, I just consider the source is an
old saying that I've heard a consider
114
00:04:54,855 --> 00:04:56,384
the source consider what's going on.
115
00:04:56,574 --> 00:04:59,594
And then once I realized that I'm
like, man, they don't hate me.
116
00:04:59,595 --> 00:05:01,135
They just they're just mad at themselves.
117
00:05:01,385 --> 00:05:03,295
There's been times where I was
just like, Hey, man, what's you
118
00:05:03,295 --> 00:05:05,705
know, they somebody was negative
on my account or one of my songs.
119
00:05:05,705 --> 00:05:06,445
It's like, okay, well.
120
00:05:06,860 --> 00:05:08,130
They're like, Jason's
song sucks, or whatever.
121
00:05:08,130 --> 00:05:10,430
I'm like, okay, well, since
you're the professional, let
122
00:05:10,430 --> 00:05:11,660
me know what I should do.
123
00:05:11,660 --> 00:05:13,440
And I'm like, I'm not
being facetious at all.
124
00:05:13,440 --> 00:05:14,410
Tell me what I should do.
125
00:05:14,420 --> 00:05:14,860
Whatever.
126
00:05:15,415 --> 00:05:18,645
And then once I respond, you
know, like, just with honesty,
127
00:05:18,645 --> 00:05:19,705
Hey, are you, are you okay?
128
00:05:19,705 --> 00:05:20,385
How are you feeling?
129
00:05:20,405 --> 00:05:21,215
The stuff like that.
130
00:05:21,375 --> 00:05:22,295
They're like, Hey, you know what?
131
00:05:22,335 --> 00:05:23,475
I'm actually a fan, man.
132
00:05:23,475 --> 00:05:24,495
I just wanted to get your attention.
133
00:05:24,515 --> 00:05:26,025
I've actually had comments like that.
134
00:05:26,345 --> 00:05:28,195
They're like, I wanted
to get your attention.
135
00:05:28,525 --> 00:05:31,784
So I put some negative energy
out there because people do not
136
00:05:31,785 --> 00:05:33,385
respond to like, happy stuff.
137
00:05:33,605 --> 00:05:36,605
If you go on anybody's account, if
somebody goes, Hey, congratulations,
138
00:05:36,605 --> 00:05:41,015
good job, yada, yada, yada, you
won't see as many responses as
139
00:05:41,025 --> 00:05:42,365
the ones you see on the negative.
140
00:05:42,895 --> 00:05:45,485
Like you'll see that that's,
that's how the industry is.
141
00:05:45,495 --> 00:05:46,295
That's how news is.
142
00:05:46,295 --> 00:05:47,445
That's how podcasting is.
143
00:05:47,715 --> 00:05:48,655
That's how music is.
144
00:05:48,915 --> 00:05:52,625
People only care about,
um, the, the negative.
145
00:05:52,695 --> 00:05:57,274
Um, you know, I was in the journalistic
field for many years in the Marine Corps
146
00:05:57,275 --> 00:05:59,185
as well as outside of the Marine Corps.
147
00:05:59,195 --> 00:06:02,805
And there's a saying, it
goes, if it bleeds, it leads.
148
00:06:03,075 --> 00:06:03,575
So.
149
00:06:03,865 --> 00:06:08,865
I just realized that people love to see
destruction and violence and all that
150
00:06:08,865 --> 00:06:12,894
type of negativity and me realizing that
I'm like, Oh, I can deal with this or
151
00:06:13,055 --> 00:06:18,875
some, or a lot of times I'll be like,
Hey, I can't get upset if I don't log on.
152
00:06:19,154 --> 00:06:20,245
I want to be happy today.
153
00:06:20,245 --> 00:06:21,274
Sometimes I'll detox.
154
00:06:21,284 --> 00:06:23,569
Sometimes I'll be like,
no, no social media today.
155
00:06:23,860 --> 00:06:24,760
I won't log on.
156
00:06:25,140 --> 00:06:30,080
Um, and also, or the first thing in the
morning, um, especially because I have a
157
00:06:30,080 --> 00:06:35,020
routine, um, I go, the first thing I do
today is not going to be open Instagram.
158
00:06:35,130 --> 00:06:39,219
It's not going to go to Facebook because
if I do that, if I get, you know, I
159
00:06:39,219 --> 00:06:41,870
get up, wash my face, brush my teeth.
160
00:06:42,145 --> 00:06:45,195
You know, do my, do my
daily routine, all of that.
161
00:06:45,555 --> 00:06:50,365
And I stick on schedule, then
everything's going to be on my terms.
162
00:06:50,385 --> 00:06:51,904
I'm controlling my own world.
163
00:06:51,915 --> 00:06:57,095
I can, can only, I can only control
what, um, what I can control.
164
00:06:57,135 --> 00:06:58,714
You know, I can't control
somebody else's life.
165
00:06:58,714 --> 00:07:02,914
So if I go, Hey, I'm going to do these
things and nobody else around the world
166
00:07:03,055 --> 00:07:04,305
can get in between it, because I'm just.
167
00:07:04,705 --> 00:07:06,655
In my studio, then I'm going to be okay.
168
00:07:06,655 --> 00:07:07,565
And I realized that.
169
00:07:07,575 --> 00:07:12,815
So it, I deal with it with a combination
of things, emotional intelligence.
170
00:07:12,815 --> 00:07:17,534
I deal with it with strangely enough,
some people may call me, you know, okay.
171
00:07:18,015 --> 00:07:21,224
Uh, what we used to say in the Marine
Corps, they'll MOTAR, they're like, you're
172
00:07:21,225 --> 00:07:23,625
a MOTAR or whatever, MOTO, I don't know.
173
00:07:23,905 --> 00:07:25,585
And I'm just like, okay,
whatever you want to say.
174
00:07:25,585 --> 00:07:27,635
But I literally use the leadership traits.
175
00:07:28,460 --> 00:07:32,660
To, to guide my life and I go,
okay, I know myself and seek self
176
00:07:32,660 --> 00:07:34,790
improvement, things like that, the
leadership traits and principles.
177
00:07:34,990 --> 00:07:36,160
And I go, okay, cool.
178
00:07:36,350 --> 00:07:37,270
What do I need to do?
179
00:07:37,299 --> 00:07:37,549
Okay.
180
00:07:37,589 --> 00:07:38,680
I'm not good at graphics.
181
00:07:38,700 --> 00:07:42,789
That means that instead of me trying
Photoshop right now, I need to hire a
182
00:07:42,790 --> 00:07:44,680
graphic person to do my album cover.
183
00:07:44,979 --> 00:07:48,069
And when I do that, that takes the stress
away from me, and then I'm happier.
184
00:07:48,069 --> 00:07:50,990
And then I don't treat somebody
bad, whether it's family.
185
00:07:51,195 --> 00:07:54,975
Uh, or my daughter or whoever it may
be, I'm not treating nobody else bad.
186
00:07:55,015 --> 00:07:59,675
And then I'm not triggered by some
little kid online saying my song sucks.
187
00:08:00,045 --> 00:08:05,895
So it just kind of like just situational
awareness, knowing yourself as well
188
00:08:05,995 --> 00:08:07,885
as having some emotional intelligence.
189
00:08:07,904 --> 00:08:11,205
And then once you're ready and once
you're solid and you take care of
190
00:08:11,205 --> 00:08:14,765
your own household, so to speak,
far as like your body, when you log
191
00:08:14,765 --> 00:08:17,664
on and like your podcast sucks and
you see that, I'm like, okay, cool.
192
00:08:17,685 --> 00:08:18,715
I hope you find a good one.
193
00:08:18,745 --> 00:08:19,095
There's.
194
00:08:19,864 --> 00:08:22,275
Tens of thousands or hundreds of
thousands of podcasts out there.
195
00:08:22,315 --> 00:08:22,924
I'll be finding a good one.
196
00:08:23,515 --> 00:08:26,385
And then they're, then they have
nothing to say at that point.
197
00:08:26,705 --> 00:08:27,545
Like, I hate this song.
198
00:08:27,585 --> 00:08:28,665
Okay, cool.
199
00:08:28,705 --> 00:08:29,485
Have a great day.
200
00:08:30,434 --> 00:08:32,514
I'm like, that's not what my numbers say.
201
00:08:32,514 --> 00:08:33,984
I do have people who do like it.
202
00:08:33,984 --> 00:08:35,194
So can you get out of the way?
203
00:08:35,194 --> 00:08:38,254
So people who want to listen
to it can listen to it, you
204
00:08:38,254 --> 00:08:39,645
know, those type of things.
205
00:08:39,645 --> 00:08:44,585
So like, I just realized that everybody
has their own priority in their own world.
206
00:08:44,585 --> 00:08:45,685
And once you realize that.
207
00:08:46,045 --> 00:08:49,605
You'll be happier, they'll be happier,
and I've actually had some of those
208
00:08:49,655 --> 00:08:53,395
naysayers, or disguised naysayers that
are actually fans, they're actually fans,
209
00:08:53,395 --> 00:08:58,125
all these people who comment, I'm like,
man, if I had naysayers like the fans that
210
00:08:58,134 --> 00:09:02,165
I want, I would be platinum every time
I drop a record, you know what I mean?
211
00:09:02,744 --> 00:09:05,855
Um, so, or, you know what I mean,
or you, you, those numbers, because
212
00:09:06,105 --> 00:09:09,415
haters are actually fans in disguise,
by the way, and when you realize
213
00:09:09,415 --> 00:09:12,954
that, you can actually use that to
your advantage, be like, okay, cool.
214
00:09:13,345 --> 00:09:14,175
Well, what don't you like?
215
00:09:14,195 --> 00:09:16,295
And they're like, I hate, I
hate the way your voice sounds.
216
00:09:16,295 --> 00:09:16,895
Okay, what else?
217
00:09:17,085 --> 00:09:19,535
Oh, I don't, I don't like
that green light behind you.
218
00:09:19,535 --> 00:09:20,355
I was like, okay, cool.
219
00:09:20,605 --> 00:09:21,925
And you, what, anything
else you don't like?
220
00:09:21,925 --> 00:09:22,475
I don't like this.
221
00:09:22,715 --> 00:09:31,404
And then I actually use haters as a, a,
uh, like a testing group for research.
222
00:09:31,775 --> 00:09:33,695
So I'll be like, somebody will hate on me.
223
00:09:33,695 --> 00:09:35,445
I don't like how this
looks or this and that.
224
00:09:35,445 --> 00:09:36,645
And I'm like, okay, tell me more.
225
00:09:36,645 --> 00:09:38,345
And they're telling me all
these things that are wrong.
226
00:09:38,800 --> 00:09:41,550
And then I just take all that
data and use that data to
227
00:09:41,550 --> 00:09:43,380
improve my brand and it's worked.
228
00:09:45,340 --> 00:09:48,810
So, so it's just, it's, it's
all perspective and all and
229
00:09:48,820 --> 00:09:50,660
all, um, self awareness.
230
00:09:50,660 --> 00:09:54,010
And once you have that down pat, you're
able to conquer anything, especially
231
00:09:54,010 --> 00:09:56,590
this stupid thing called social media.
232
00:09:56,640 --> 00:09:57,199
You know what I mean?
233
00:09:57,810 --> 00:10:00,199
David Pere: Yeah, it's funny
because I, I've, I've definitely
234
00:10:00,199 --> 00:10:02,310
responded to some people my like.
235
00:10:02,605 --> 00:10:05,705
Go to when someone leaves just
ridiculously hateful comments
236
00:10:05,705 --> 00:10:07,815
is just to be like, I hope
you find happiness someday.
237
00:10:08,915 --> 00:10:12,895
And it's like, it's totally said in like
a, you know, kind of a snarky, whatever,
238
00:10:13,145 --> 00:10:16,565
but it's like, I mean, that's, that's,
it's so, it's so true that deep down.
239
00:10:16,565 --> 00:10:18,964
That's, that's exactly
what's usually going on.
240
00:10:18,965 --> 00:10:20,575
It's, they're not mad at you.
241
00:10:20,674 --> 00:10:24,395
They just, you know, they're mad and
they just lashing out wherever they can.
242
00:10:24,745 --> 00:10:25,305
Um, but
243
00:10:25,565 --> 00:10:28,025
Raymond Lott: don't, but one thing I
got to know, don't get it twisted, bro.
244
00:10:28,025 --> 00:10:30,025
Sometimes I do wake up
and choose violence.
245
00:10:30,740 --> 00:10:32,130
Like, I do.
246
00:10:32,170 --> 00:10:32,830
No, I do.
247
00:10:32,840 --> 00:10:33,970
Like, sometimes I choose violence.
248
00:10:33,980 --> 00:10:37,490
Sometimes I make a whole,
like, diss song on somebody.
249
00:10:37,490 --> 00:10:39,820
Like, I just, sometimes
I just have that happen.
250
00:10:40,130 --> 00:10:41,179
Sometimes I have time.
251
00:10:41,180 --> 00:10:43,279
You know how they say,
Oh, he had time today.
252
00:10:43,279 --> 00:10:44,019
Yeah, I had time today.
253
00:10:44,200 --> 00:10:44,530
You know?
254
00:10:44,830 --> 00:10:47,569
Sometimes, sometimes you just gotta get
your rocks off, you know what I'm saying?
255
00:10:47,569 --> 00:10:48,319
So sometimes I'll do it.
256
00:10:48,770 --> 00:10:50,290
You know, the Marine is still there.
257
00:10:50,310 --> 00:10:52,150
Sometimes it's good engagement.
258
00:10:52,510 --> 00:10:53,780
David Pere: It's it's good engagement.
259
00:10:53,820 --> 00:10:56,240
You go, you go back to those
guys and they always comment.
260
00:10:56,260 --> 00:10:58,700
It's like, I can get like 10
or 15 comments out of this
261
00:10:58,700 --> 00:11:00,680
Raymond Lott: on my, thank you.
262
00:11:00,789 --> 00:11:01,990
I'm like, for the views.
263
00:11:02,380 --> 00:11:02,500
Yeah.
264
00:11:02,749 --> 00:11:03,709
Thanks for the engagement,
265
00:11:03,709 --> 00:11:04,099
David Pere: buddy.
266
00:11:04,505 --> 00:11:05,915
I know that's not what you were going for.
267
00:11:06,185 --> 00:11:06,584
That's funny.
268
00:11:06,605 --> 00:11:06,885
All right.
269
00:11:06,885 --> 00:11:10,375
So if we go back in time, you were a
Marine, obviously the Marine rapper
270
00:11:10,495 --> 00:11:13,794
wearing his red hat, USMC hat,
which I need to buy one of those.
271
00:11:13,794 --> 00:11:16,004
I don't, I was just talking the other day.
272
00:11:16,005 --> 00:11:18,334
I was like, when I was a recruiter,
we used to talk shit about how all the
273
00:11:18,334 --> 00:11:20,005
old vets come in, like red hatters.
274
00:11:20,005 --> 00:11:21,155
That's what they, that's
what they call them.
275
00:11:21,155 --> 00:11:23,095
And I'm like, I'm like, why
don't I have one of those yet?
276
00:11:23,095 --> 00:11:23,275
I need
277
00:11:23,275 --> 00:11:23,545
Raymond Lott: to wander around.
278
00:11:24,805 --> 00:11:26,415
That's when you, that's when
you know, that's when you
279
00:11:26,415 --> 00:11:27,275
know, we're getting old, bro.
280
00:11:28,015 --> 00:11:28,445
I know, I
281
00:11:28,445 --> 00:11:29,855
David Pere: know, I'm like,
I need one of those hats.
282
00:11:30,265 --> 00:11:33,135
Um, so what's your, what's your, uh,
what'd you do in the Marine Corps?
283
00:11:33,135 --> 00:11:34,605
You said journalist, were you ComCam?
284
00:11:35,444 --> 00:11:38,085
Raymond Lott: No, well,
people call me that anyway.
285
00:11:38,085 --> 00:11:42,114
They go ComCam or Combat Codec
or Hey Photo Guy or whatever.
286
00:11:42,114 --> 00:11:46,645
But I actually was what you call a
combat correspondent or a war journalist.
287
00:11:47,204 --> 00:11:50,835
Yeah, so if you've ever seen that
movie, uh, Full Metal Jacket, Private
288
00:11:50,835 --> 00:11:55,935
Joker, he was a photojournalist
that was embedded within an infantry
289
00:11:55,935 --> 00:11:58,334
battalion, and that's exactly what I did.
290
00:11:58,334 --> 00:12:01,924
So I served, um, 10 years in the
Marine Corps as a combat correspondent
291
00:12:02,885 --> 00:12:07,235
with infantry battalions in Iraq
and Afghanistan, Africa, all around
292
00:12:07,235 --> 00:12:08,325
the world and stuff like that.
293
00:12:08,665 --> 00:12:12,395
Um, and I was just covering stories
and taking photos and stuff like that.
294
00:12:12,435 --> 00:12:15,215
And, uh, my number one mission as
like first sergeant would say, it
295
00:12:15,215 --> 00:12:18,435
would be like, don't get nobody
killed, you know what I mean?
296
00:12:18,585 --> 00:12:20,024
Like just get this stay out of the way.
297
00:12:20,024 --> 00:12:23,804
So like I had to be faster
than everybody and like.
298
00:12:24,509 --> 00:12:26,459
The most concealed type of individual.
299
00:12:26,469 --> 00:12:29,869
Imagine if you see a photo, a war
photo of somebody going like this,
300
00:12:30,119 --> 00:12:31,709
there's a com cam down there.
301
00:12:31,819 --> 00:12:34,829
I usually use the term com can
because they call us all com camp,
302
00:12:35,069 --> 00:12:38,939
but there's a combat respondent
or combat photo down there.
303
00:12:39,275 --> 00:12:41,085
Um, taking a photo.
304
00:12:41,085 --> 00:12:45,805
If you see this, there's a, he
was a, uh, a lanky fast guy.
305
00:12:45,814 --> 00:12:50,175
That's down, down range, like trying not
to get shot, trying not to get shot, man.
306
00:12:50,175 --> 00:12:53,505
I was, I was jumping rooftop to rooftop,
like Aladdin, like boom, boom, boom.
307
00:12:53,505 --> 00:12:57,205
Cause, um, in Iraq where I was,
the rooftops were like literally,
308
00:12:57,595 --> 00:13:02,115
uh, so I was running, but because I
would like to get like arrow shots.
309
00:13:02,560 --> 00:13:06,230
Um, I would like to, you know, get
some really cool shots of, in front
310
00:13:06,280 --> 00:13:08,000
of the troops a lot of the time.
311
00:13:08,000 --> 00:13:08,350
Yeah.
312
00:13:08,630 --> 00:13:11,510
And I was, I don't know what I was
thinking or what was in my mind, but
313
00:13:11,510 --> 00:13:14,810
like, when you're like super young
and you want to like prove something,
314
00:13:15,090 --> 00:13:17,510
like you're just doing all this stupid
stuff and they're like, and I was like,
315
00:13:17,560 --> 00:13:19,350
how did I get shot in that situation?
316
00:13:19,880 --> 00:13:20,210
David Pere: Yeah.
317
00:13:21,080 --> 00:13:21,110
Yes.
318
00:13:21,110 --> 00:13:21,590
Yeah.
319
00:13:21,590 --> 00:13:22,549
Oh, yeah.
320
00:13:22,550 --> 00:13:25,790
We've all, all of us have those, uh,
those stories, I think from our time
321
00:13:25,790 --> 00:13:29,629
in the core of like, Ooh, I probably
shouldn't have been doing that thing,
322
00:13:29,629 --> 00:13:31,890
but, uh, I'm glad I'm still here.
323
00:13:32,550 --> 00:13:35,750
Raymond Lott: Yeah, no, I'm, I'm, I'm glad
I'm still here, but it's crazy, I have,
324
00:13:35,829 --> 00:13:39,069
I have, you know, the stories to tell,
but I think they call it, um, Comistrat
325
00:13:39,089 --> 00:13:40,319
now, they like combine everything.
326
00:13:40,319 --> 00:13:40,599
Yeah, yeah,
327
00:13:41,089 --> 00:13:44,309
David Pere: it's, it's a whole weird
hodgepodge now of everything, yeah.
328
00:13:45,059 --> 00:13:47,109
Raymond Lott: But I didn't do that
the whole time, I actually, me
329
00:13:47,110 --> 00:13:51,039
and you actually have a parallel,
because I actually was the, um,
330
00:13:51,930 --> 00:13:53,580
I did an A billet at recruiting.
331
00:13:54,220 --> 00:13:56,270
Oh, so you were a recruiter?
332
00:13:56,540 --> 00:13:59,030
I did, I was an MPA, I don't
know if you remember those guys.
333
00:13:59,079 --> 00:13:59,790
Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah.
334
00:14:00,165 --> 00:14:00,515
Yeah.
335
00:14:00,515 --> 00:14:04,305
So I was, I was actually, um,
up in, up near the Dallas area.
336
00:14:04,355 --> 00:14:09,095
Um, Dallas Fort Worth area in a town
called Pantigo, but right by Arlington
337
00:14:09,455 --> 00:14:12,645
where like, you know, all the sports
teams and stuff, play and stuff.
338
00:14:12,995 --> 00:14:15,684
Um, but yeah, Ranger go, go Rangers.
339
00:14:15,685 --> 00:14:15,905
Right.
340
00:14:16,175 --> 00:14:17,985
Um, but, uh, cause they won.
341
00:14:18,215 --> 00:14:19,615
Uh, I got a crazy story about that.
342
00:14:19,655 --> 00:14:22,925
I got a crazy story about the Rangers
and both of the bushes little later.
343
00:14:22,925 --> 00:14:26,415
I'll tell you, but, um, yeah,
I was up in Pantigo off of
344
00:14:26,695 --> 00:14:27,925
eighth Marine Corps district.
345
00:14:28,325 --> 00:14:32,715
Um, uh, out there in, you know, Dallas,
Fort Worth area and stuff like that.
346
00:14:33,005 --> 00:14:38,125
So I was doing all the like inflatables
and the, uh, educators workshop and,
347
00:14:38,185 --> 00:14:41,935
you know, I was being the nice guy with
the teachers and kind of like a caveat.
348
00:14:41,935 --> 00:14:45,295
I mean, it's kind of like a conduit
and kind of like a middle guy
349
00:14:45,295 --> 00:14:48,695
between, you know, the recruiters and
the teachers and things like that.
350
00:14:48,695 --> 00:14:55,375
So, yeah, so that was, uh, 2011, 12,
around that time that was winning.
351
00:14:56,010 --> 00:14:57,330
I asked out Betty White to the ball.
352
00:14:58,040 --> 00:14:58,329
Yeah.
353
00:14:59,250 --> 00:14:59,810
. I saw that.
354
00:15:00,280 --> 00:15:00,569
Yeah.
355
00:15:00,569 --> 00:15:02,905
So I asked out Betty White
to the ball during that time,
356
00:15:02,905 --> 00:15:04,464
and it caused a whole issue.
357
00:15:04,464 --> 00:15:09,125
And, uh, you know, Betty White, you
know, I, I, I didn't take Betty White.
358
00:15:09,125 --> 00:15:11,585
I actually took Linda
Hamilton from Terminator.
359
00:15:12,455 --> 00:15:13,355
Oh, I didn't realize that.
360
00:15:13,595 --> 00:15:13,865
That's awesome.
361
00:15:14,165 --> 00:15:14,555
O'Connor.
362
00:15:14,885 --> 00:15:19,005
So after Betty White said no, when I
asked out Betty White to the ball, um,
363
00:15:19,005 --> 00:15:22,545
and it went viral and stuff like that,
at the time it was on YouTube and nobody
364
00:15:22,545 --> 00:15:24,704
knew what viral was at that point.
365
00:15:24,704 --> 00:15:25,110
There was no Instagram.
366
00:15:26,270 --> 00:15:30,599
And that's how Betty White and I was
getting all these views on YouTube
367
00:15:30,599 --> 00:15:31,589
and they're coming on the news.
368
00:15:31,589 --> 00:15:34,500
Gayle King, Oprah's friend is all
talking about it and stuff and
369
00:15:34,579 --> 00:15:37,430
I'm just like, wow, this is like
big leagues and stuff like that.
370
00:15:37,729 --> 00:15:41,129
And then Betty White's like, yeah, I can't
go, but if you want to, you know, stop by
371
00:15:41,129 --> 00:15:44,089
at any of my shows or hang out with me or
whatever, we could do something like that.
372
00:15:44,464 --> 00:15:47,824
And then, Sarah Connor makes a video,
it's still up there on YouTube, Sarah
373
00:15:47,824 --> 00:15:51,625
Connor makes a video on YouTube and says,
Hey, I feel so bad, I've been bawling
374
00:15:51,625 --> 00:15:53,715
my eyes out because Betty can't go.
375
00:15:53,965 --> 00:15:56,805
So if you would, please,
please, please, go with me.
376
00:15:56,815 --> 00:15:59,424
She like basically begs me, it's up
there on YouTube, you can pull it up.
377
00:15:59,885 --> 00:16:05,140
Uh, Sarah Connor asks, um, Uh,
Marine to ball, something like that.
378
00:16:05,480 --> 00:16:06,830
It should be, yeah,
379
00:16:07,250 --> 00:16:07,400
David Pere: I see.
380
00:16:07,460 --> 00:16:07,810
I am.
381
00:16:08,090 --> 00:16:08,360
Yeah.
382
00:16:08,420 --> 00:16:10,510
Raymond Lott: I'm going to totally
put that in the show notes later.
383
00:16:10,510 --> 00:16:10,870
That's awesome.
384
00:16:11,530 --> 00:16:12,130
Absolutely.
385
00:16:12,130 --> 00:16:12,760
Put it in there.
386
00:16:12,769 --> 00:16:13,720
It's a hilarious thing.
387
00:16:14,000 --> 00:16:18,219
There's another one of me asking out
Betty white and I'm like doing like a mock
388
00:16:18,229 --> 00:16:20,390
PFT, but I'm only doing like one pull up.
389
00:16:20,900 --> 00:16:23,390
Um, It's just like a ridiculous thing.
390
00:16:23,990 --> 00:16:28,780
David Pere: It's funny because I
wrote three letters to Taylor Swift
391
00:16:28,780 --> 00:16:32,139
asking her to go to the ball while
I was in Afghanistan, but, uh,
392
00:16:32,140 --> 00:16:33,370
you know, I never got a response.
393
00:16:33,399 --> 00:16:35,149
Two of them came back, returned to sender.
394
00:16:35,149 --> 00:16:36,169
I don't know if the third made it.
395
00:16:36,529 --> 00:16:39,240
Um, I found like every address I
could online and I'm like sending
396
00:16:39,240 --> 00:16:40,849
them from like the MWR online.
397
00:16:41,810 --> 00:16:44,170
Um, because that was like kind
of during that, I forget who
398
00:16:44,180 --> 00:16:45,550
it was who started that trend.
399
00:16:45,930 --> 00:16:46,730
Um,
400
00:16:46,980 --> 00:16:49,114
Raymond Lott: was it,
uh, He did a guy over.
401
00:16:49,114 --> 00:16:49,704
It was a sergeant.
402
00:16:49,734 --> 00:16:50,334
He did it.
403
00:16:50,344 --> 00:16:50,785
He did it.
404
00:16:50,785 --> 00:16:53,665
Um, the first person was made from
405
00:16:53,755 --> 00:16:54,335
David Pere: Mila's.
406
00:16:55,005 --> 00:16:55,555
That's what it is.
407
00:16:55,555 --> 00:16:55,704
Yeah.
408
00:16:56,335 --> 00:16:56,635
Yeah.
409
00:16:57,085 --> 00:17:00,035
Raymond Lott: And then the girl
asked out Justin Timberlake.
410
00:17:00,944 --> 00:17:01,305
Yep.
411
00:17:01,714 --> 00:17:02,064
That's right.
412
00:17:02,604 --> 00:17:03,884
That's, that's actually my buddy.
413
00:17:03,895 --> 00:17:07,454
Cause like I actually got to know her and
we have the same birthday and everything,
414
00:17:07,454 --> 00:17:11,814
which is another weird thing, but she's
an MMA, she's an MMA fighter, bro.
415
00:17:11,875 --> 00:17:12,294
All right.
416
00:17:12,304 --> 00:17:14,034
So MMA fighter.
417
00:17:14,310 --> 00:17:17,250
And then we got to know each other and
become friends and stuff like that.
418
00:17:17,510 --> 00:17:21,569
And then, um, then I asked out Betty
white after that, because we're like,
419
00:17:21,569 --> 00:17:23,020
there was like three of us who did it.
420
00:17:23,290 --> 00:17:25,609
And then after that, the Marine Corps
was like, we need to cut down on this.
421
00:17:25,610 --> 00:17:28,019
Which
422
00:17:28,019 --> 00:17:31,529
David Pere: is weird because like,
that's, to me, that seems like a good
423
00:17:31,530 --> 00:17:35,110
publicity thing, like celebrities are
like, Oh yeah, the Marine Corps ball.
424
00:17:35,120 --> 00:17:36,340
Of course I want to do that.
425
00:17:36,710 --> 00:17:38,000
Raymond Lott: But it's crazy.
426
00:17:38,000 --> 00:17:41,480
Cause like back then it was like
taboo for military to be online.
427
00:17:42,365 --> 00:17:42,735
True.
428
00:17:43,015 --> 00:17:44,795
That's true, but it was so crazy.
429
00:17:44,795 --> 00:17:45,565
Now you think about it.
430
00:17:45,565 --> 00:17:49,055
Now they have all types
of online extracurricular
431
00:17:49,055 --> 00:17:49,615
David Pere: activities.
432
00:17:50,205 --> 00:17:50,685
Oh yeah.
433
00:17:52,335 --> 00:17:52,845
Some of it.
434
00:17:53,125 --> 00:17:55,895
You're like, that doesn't even
meet like uniform codes at
435
00:17:55,895 --> 00:17:58,325
all, but nobody seems to care.
436
00:17:58,325 --> 00:17:58,845
So whatever.
437
00:17:59,334 --> 00:18:00,634
Um, all right.
438
00:18:00,635 --> 00:18:03,805
So were you always into music or when did
you decide you wanted to be an artist?
439
00:18:04,275 --> 00:18:05,155
Uh,
440
00:18:05,295 --> 00:18:05,685
Raymond Lott: okay.
441
00:18:06,225 --> 00:18:09,745
So I always listened to
music, but it wasn't rap.
442
00:18:09,745 --> 00:18:09,774
Yeah.
443
00:18:10,504 --> 00:18:15,385
I've always, so, so I was born in
Newark, New Jersey, former murder capital
444
00:18:15,425 --> 00:18:17,305
across the bridge from New York, right?
445
00:18:17,784 --> 00:18:18,034
Okay.
446
00:18:18,044 --> 00:18:25,145
My mom, um, so, Newark, New Jersey, Shaq
is from there, uh, Naughty by Nature,
447
00:18:25,165 --> 00:18:30,635
they're from there, Queen Latifah's from
there, um, A red man is from there, like
448
00:18:30,635 --> 00:18:32,425
a lot of people are from Jersey, right?
449
00:18:32,445 --> 00:18:34,475
So a lot of successful people
come out of there, but it's
450
00:18:34,475 --> 00:18:36,345
not a nice area in some case.
451
00:18:37,014 --> 00:18:38,735
Um, so my mom wanted to get out of there.
452
00:18:38,735 --> 00:18:39,855
She's like, let's get out of here.
453
00:18:40,004 --> 00:18:43,135
So like when I was like four
or five or whatever, my mom,
454
00:18:43,135 --> 00:18:44,814
my dad broke up or whatever.
455
00:18:44,815 --> 00:18:47,885
I went over to, uh, San Diego, California.
456
00:18:48,315 --> 00:18:52,210
Um, and I moved out there to a
place called Oceanside, California.
457
00:18:52,890 --> 00:18:53,850
Oceanside, California.
458
00:18:53,995 --> 00:18:58,075
Oceanside, California is a city outside of
a Marine Corps base called Camp Hampton.
459
00:18:58,075 --> 00:19:01,015
I know, I, I know, you know, but I
just wanna share it with the people.
460
00:19:01,020 --> 00:19:04,645
If you guys don't, don't know or
whatever, but I, that stuck there twice.
461
00:19:05,245 --> 00:19:08,845
It's man, and I'm gonna tell
you how I got there, but like.
462
00:19:09,220 --> 00:19:13,120
Before any of the Marine Corps stuff
happened, I was just like an awkward
463
00:19:13,130 --> 00:19:17,110
kid, listening to rock music, because
out there in Oceanside, California, it's
464
00:19:17,110 --> 00:19:21,740
an area called Tri City, and all they
did was skateboard, rollerblade, bike,
465
00:19:22,080 --> 00:19:25,380
and listen to rock music, and listen to
grunge music, and that's what they did.
466
00:19:25,380 --> 00:19:26,279
So that's like, that's like, uh,
467
00:19:26,279 --> 00:19:26,959
David Pere: Yellow Card's
468
00:19:26,959 --> 00:19:27,569
Raymond Lott: backyard.
469
00:19:28,029 --> 00:19:34,960
Yellow Card, X Games, uh, Sublime, um
All that type of stuff, that, that whole,
470
00:19:35,399 --> 00:19:39,210
like, skateboarding culture, and then
not until they started incorporating,
471
00:19:39,210 --> 00:19:42,720
like, hip hop and skate videos, was when
I started getting into hip hop, and I
472
00:19:42,720 --> 00:19:46,959
started to freestyle, and started to rap
battle people, like, There, we had a movie
473
00:19:46,960 --> 00:19:50,269
theater, and there was like a, um, there
were stairs, and underneath the stairs,
474
00:19:50,300 --> 00:19:53,000
we would rap battle and stuff like that,
and I started getting better and better
475
00:19:53,000 --> 00:19:57,110
and better, because I was, like, really
bullied, and the way to get back at people
476
00:19:57,110 --> 00:20:00,479
would be, like, I want to hurt you with
my words, because I couldn't physically do
477
00:20:00,479 --> 00:20:01,919
it, because I used to be four foot eleven.
478
00:20:02,200 --> 00:20:03,300
And like 90 pounds.
479
00:20:03,870 --> 00:20:06,670
Um, and yeah.
480
00:20:06,720 --> 00:20:10,560
And so like I got made fun of and
then I kind of like found hip hop
481
00:20:10,560 --> 00:20:11,890
and freestyling and stuff like that.
482
00:20:12,129 --> 00:20:14,089
And then also wrestling, I
got on the wrestling team,
483
00:20:14,090 --> 00:20:15,250
but I was still four foot 11.
484
00:20:15,300 --> 00:20:17,760
I used to wrestle a bad one 12.
485
00:20:17,760 --> 00:20:18,379
It's kind of crazy.
486
00:20:18,379 --> 00:20:20,980
Cause I'm like, man, if I was stuck
with wrestling, would I be like,
487
00:20:21,880 --> 00:20:23,370
would I be doing MMA right now?
488
00:20:23,380 --> 00:20:24,620
It's just crazy to think about.
489
00:20:24,620 --> 00:20:28,080
But I was like 112 pounds and
then I got a growth spurt and
490
00:20:28,080 --> 00:20:29,550
I grew like a foot or whatever.
491
00:20:29,915 --> 00:20:35,955
Um, but I'm still in the rock music
still, and then, um, then I started
492
00:20:35,965 --> 00:20:37,715
working at Taco Bell as a rapper.
493
00:20:38,014 --> 00:20:39,494
I was wrapping up the tacos.
494
00:20:39,664 --> 00:20:41,215
I was literally a rapper at Taco Bell.
495
00:20:41,215 --> 00:20:45,754
And I don't know if you know, the
creator, Glen Bell, is actually a Marine.
496
00:20:45,784 --> 00:20:49,014
He just passed away, but Glen
Bell, Glen Bell made Taco Bell.
497
00:20:49,705 --> 00:20:53,135
Um, cause he was doing burgers
and tacos, and he was like, I
498
00:20:53,135 --> 00:20:54,355
wanna do something nobody's doing.
499
00:20:54,355 --> 00:20:57,774
So he, he went, and he, uh,
went that route, Glen Bell did.
500
00:20:58,274 --> 00:21:03,280
But anyways, like I just was into rock
music, but not that much into rap, uh,
501
00:21:03,310 --> 00:21:07,550
but I was like, getting better at rapping,
but I wasn't like, the level I'm at now,
502
00:21:07,590 --> 00:21:11,670
like, there's so many nuances, like, to
be a full artist, like, I produce my own
503
00:21:11,670 --> 00:21:14,769
stuff now, but I wasn't there, I was just
freestyling, like, rap battling, like,
504
00:21:14,769 --> 00:21:18,610
if you've ever seen, like, um, 8 Mile
with Eminem, like that, in somebody's
505
00:21:18,610 --> 00:21:22,520
face, and saying, oh, look at your shoes,
you know what I mean, stuff like that,
506
00:21:22,520 --> 00:21:25,700
you just make fun of them, basically,
and your mom is so fat, like, you know
507
00:21:25,700 --> 00:21:30,090
what I mean, like, the stupid stuff,
And then I was working at Taco Bell and
508
00:21:30,090 --> 00:21:33,629
then I came across my recruiter and she
was just like, hey, look at yourself.
509
00:21:33,710 --> 00:21:35,929
Like, what are you going to do with
your life, et cetera, et cetera.
510
00:21:35,929 --> 00:21:37,360
You're going to work at Taco
Bell for the rest of your life.
511
00:21:37,470 --> 00:21:43,149
So imagine my recruiters, a female for
one small little blonde ball of fire is
512
00:21:43,149 --> 00:21:45,010
telling me I need to get my life together.
513
00:21:45,260 --> 00:21:47,480
It's like, Hey, what are you
going to do with your life?
514
00:21:47,480 --> 00:21:48,300
You need to do something.
515
00:21:48,830 --> 00:21:50,670
And she thought, what are you waiting on?
516
00:21:50,690 --> 00:21:52,840
And I didn't tell her what I
was waiting on, but she did.
517
00:21:52,930 --> 00:21:55,500
She didn't know at the time I
was like, am I afraid to die?
518
00:21:55,810 --> 00:21:56,129
Right?
519
00:21:56,669 --> 00:21:58,090
That, that, that was in my brain.
520
00:21:58,090 --> 00:21:59,020
That was the thing that was weighing more.
521
00:21:59,740 --> 00:22:02,370
Because all the, you know, recruiters, you
being a recruiter, you know, you put out
522
00:22:02,370 --> 00:22:08,610
those frickin square little tabs that says
money, food, travel, et cetera, et cetera.
523
00:22:08,899 --> 00:22:11,810
And she's putting these stupid
little Lego pieces in front of me.
524
00:22:12,149 --> 00:22:14,949
And I'm like, not
interested in any of them.
525
00:22:14,949 --> 00:22:15,820
But she doesn't know it.
526
00:22:15,820 --> 00:22:18,785
And I know that's You know, when you're
trying to like, what do you guys call it?
527
00:22:18,785 --> 00:22:23,185
Pack somebody out or whatever you guys
are trying to figure it out and you
528
00:22:23,185 --> 00:22:24,524
don't know what the kid is thinking.
529
00:22:24,695 --> 00:22:26,685
And I was thinking, am I afraid to die?
530
00:22:26,715 --> 00:22:27,415
You know what I mean?
531
00:22:27,595 --> 00:22:30,814
Because my mom's like, your dad,
by the way, also, my dad's a
532
00:22:30,814 --> 00:22:33,394
Marine to like, every male in my
family has ever been a Marine.
533
00:22:33,504 --> 00:22:37,014
My dad, my stepdad, my,
uh, my cousin, my uncle.
534
00:22:37,300 --> 00:22:37,780
Everybody.
535
00:22:37,810 --> 00:22:38,169
Marine.
536
00:22:38,879 --> 00:22:40,220
So she's like, you're gonna go to war?
537
00:22:40,220 --> 00:22:43,810
Cause this was like after I
had got my degree in drafting.
538
00:22:44,720 --> 00:22:49,299
This was after I, um, after I
knew everything about my dad and
539
00:22:49,299 --> 00:22:50,439
it was after 9 11 and everything.
540
00:22:50,599 --> 00:22:53,159
So my mom was like, you're
gonna die, da da da da.
541
00:22:53,439 --> 00:22:54,800
She's like, I don't want
my baby going to war.
542
00:22:54,980 --> 00:22:56,629
She's like, they're
gonna make you infantry.
543
00:22:56,629 --> 00:22:58,599
You're gonna go overseas to Iraq.
544
00:22:58,879 --> 00:23:01,209
With infantry and I'm like,
mom, I'm going to be okay.
545
00:23:01,209 --> 00:23:02,020
I'm going to be okay.
546
00:23:02,370 --> 00:23:04,639
And I'll tell you what happened
later, but like be okay.
547
00:23:06,169 --> 00:23:12,739
And then I gave up rap music at
that point because I got over it.
548
00:23:12,739 --> 00:23:14,610
And I was like tired of
my mom, like living in the
549
00:23:14,610 --> 00:23:15,879
apartment and stuff like that.
550
00:23:15,879 --> 00:23:17,460
And I wanted to help my
family and stuff like that.
551
00:23:17,469 --> 00:23:18,619
So I was like, I'm gonna
join the Marine Corps.
552
00:23:19,010 --> 00:23:20,579
How bad could it be?
553
00:23:21,899 --> 00:23:24,100
So I go there and I'm
like, I'm gonna join.
554
00:23:24,300 --> 00:23:24,930
What's my job?
555
00:23:24,930 --> 00:23:26,300
She's like, I got you open contract.
556
00:23:26,340 --> 00:23:27,860
I said, oh, okay, cool.
557
00:23:28,160 --> 00:23:28,790
I go home.
558
00:23:28,800 --> 00:23:31,110
My mom knows all about the
military because her husband.
559
00:23:31,475 --> 00:23:34,755
Marine said, Hey mom, uh, they gave me an
open contract and I'll leave in two weeks.
560
00:23:34,775 --> 00:23:35,845
She's like, open contract?
561
00:23:35,845 --> 00:23:36,645
She's like, you're smart.
562
00:23:36,655 --> 00:23:38,035
You just graduated drafting school.
563
00:23:38,235 --> 00:23:40,175
Go back and tell her you want a smart job.
564
00:23:40,605 --> 00:23:44,405
And I go back and me, smart job
translated into something in
565
00:23:44,405 --> 00:23:46,764
entertainment because I was rapping kinda.
566
00:23:47,314 --> 00:23:49,534
I go back, I tell the recruiter,
I went up to entertainment,
567
00:23:49,534 --> 00:23:50,624
she's all, entertainment?
568
00:23:51,224 --> 00:23:54,715
She's all, get out of here, come back
tomorrow, I'll get you something.
569
00:23:56,804 --> 00:24:00,605
I come back, she's like, I got you public
affairs, now get the F out of my office.
570
00:24:01,375 --> 00:24:05,224
And so I, then I go to MEPS and stuff,
she didn't tell me like, that I have to
571
00:24:05,225 --> 00:24:09,035
do this test and stuff, but anyways, I
ended up scoring like higher or whatever.
572
00:24:09,784 --> 00:24:14,770
And um, Then I go to bootcamp and stuff,
and I'm doing my bootcamp thing, and
573
00:24:14,770 --> 00:24:16,960
then they, they reveal the jobs, right?
574
00:24:17,870 --> 00:24:21,690
And the drill instructor's
like, Private Joker?
575
00:24:22,279 --> 00:24:22,840
I'm like, what?
576
00:24:22,840 --> 00:24:23,740
What's a private joker?
577
00:24:23,770 --> 00:24:25,590
He's like, you're a
private joker, you'll see.
578
00:24:25,990 --> 00:24:30,600
Anyways, then afterwards I go to,
um, MOS school, and they're like,
579
00:24:30,600 --> 00:24:34,230
alright, MOS school, you guys are
in public affairs MOS school at Fort
580
00:24:34,230 --> 00:24:37,030
Meade, Maryland, you're gonna learn
how to write and take pictures, and
581
00:24:37,030 --> 00:24:37,910
this is what you guys are doing.
582
00:24:38,470 --> 00:24:45,010
So I go and do that, I pass it, um, after
the second time I flunked, which is kind
583
00:24:45,010 --> 00:24:48,710
of crazy, I flunked the first time because
I, I did like a wrong error, you can't
584
00:24:48,719 --> 00:24:51,530
have errors in writing because they're
trying to teach us not to have errors in
585
00:24:51,530 --> 00:24:56,020
the newspaper, so I flunked the course,
I redid it, and then after I redid it,
586
00:24:56,069 --> 00:25:00,350
they're like, hey, we're gonna Approved
10 people to go to Japan to do this
587
00:25:00,350 --> 00:25:02,510
radio thing to be a radio journalist.
588
00:25:02,560 --> 00:25:06,600
And so imagine me, I was in the
music and I was like, Oh cool, maybe
589
00:25:06,600 --> 00:25:10,060
I can like finagle something, you
know, doing the like radio thing.
590
00:25:10,560 --> 00:25:14,520
So I go and I do the audio edition
and they're like, yeah, you failed.
591
00:25:14,520 --> 00:25:15,479
And I'm like, how'd I fail?
592
00:25:15,489 --> 00:25:17,600
They're like, you
mispronounced the word ask.
593
00:25:19,560 --> 00:25:22,905
Me being a Me being a black, yeah,
me being a black kid or hood, or
594
00:25:22,905 --> 00:25:25,085
if you're using any slang, I know
you know what I'm talking about.
595
00:25:25,435 --> 00:25:27,085
We, a lot of us, they ask.
596
00:25:27,305 --> 00:25:28,685
We say, hey, let me ask you a question.
597
00:25:28,945 --> 00:25:30,944
Like, ask me a question.
598
00:25:31,845 --> 00:25:34,395
And so, like, that's how I
grew up and stuff like that.
599
00:25:34,435 --> 00:25:36,025
Us, all our neighborhood kids.
600
00:25:36,634 --> 00:25:38,534
We say, ask you a, let
me ask you a question.
601
00:25:38,970 --> 00:25:40,520
I never pronounce the word ask.
602
00:25:40,540 --> 00:25:44,360
If you go into the, if you go into
like my catalog, some of the words in
603
00:25:44,360 --> 00:25:48,260
there is the word ask, just as a like,
if you know, you know type of thing.
604
00:25:48,260 --> 00:25:51,330
I say ask in my rap just to show
that I can do it rapping fast.
605
00:25:51,749 --> 00:25:54,469
But that, so they're like,
because you mispronounce the word.
606
00:25:54,700 --> 00:25:57,890
Ask, you cannot go to Japan, you
cannot be radio, you cannot be
607
00:25:57,890 --> 00:25:58,950
Robin Williams, not happening.
608
00:25:59,740 --> 00:26:03,200
So I'm like, man, so they're like,
they're like, but what we're going
609
00:26:03,200 --> 00:26:06,260
to do is we're going to send you to
a prestigious unit in California.
610
00:26:06,260 --> 00:26:07,490
And I'm like, okay, what's that?
611
00:26:07,720 --> 00:26:09,110
They're like first marine division.
612
00:26:09,160 --> 00:26:11,209
Cause I had first class and everything.
613
00:26:11,249 --> 00:26:12,319
I didn't know what it was at first.
614
00:26:13,284 --> 00:26:17,084
And, uh, I go to first, and then I
realized that First Marine Division
615
00:26:17,254 --> 00:26:20,735
means that I'm going back to my
hometown of Oceanside, California.
616
00:26:20,885 --> 00:26:25,094
So, basically, I felt like a reservist
of sorts or something because I just
617
00:26:25,534 --> 00:26:28,985
went on base, and then anytime I
wanted to come off base when we had
618
00:26:28,985 --> 00:26:33,159
liberty, I went off base and, like,
Did that type of thing, and then
619
00:26:33,179 --> 00:26:34,479
they're like, who wants to go to Iraq?
620
00:26:34,570 --> 00:26:36,270
Me, like, I was like, I gotta get out.
621
00:26:36,550 --> 00:26:37,739
I was like, I gotta get out of here.
622
00:26:37,929 --> 00:26:39,300
I gotta get out of here right now.
623
00:26:39,670 --> 00:26:42,349
I didn't join up to go nowhere.
624
00:26:42,530 --> 00:26:47,620
So, like, at that moment, all of my
music aspirations were put on pause.
625
00:26:47,660 --> 00:26:49,099
I'm not, like, doing nothing, right?
626
00:26:49,580 --> 00:26:54,250
And then, so, like, when I was over in
Iraq, I'm, like, freestyling and stuff.
627
00:26:54,605 --> 00:26:58,105
And I'm just like, man, I wish I
would have like had like a recorder
628
00:26:58,105 --> 00:27:00,825
or something that I could have be
like putting all my wraps down with.
629
00:27:01,255 --> 00:27:06,584
So the next time when I deployed
to Afghanistan, I made sure that I
630
00:27:06,584 --> 00:27:08,664
had a whole like portable studio.
631
00:27:08,664 --> 00:27:09,595
I'll send you the picture.
632
00:27:09,595 --> 00:27:12,374
You can, you know, show the people
that the picture later, whatever.
633
00:27:12,375 --> 00:27:13,935
But it's me inside of 1 of the.
634
00:27:14,305 --> 00:27:18,565
The tense, like mixing my own
stuff with headphones on, like,
635
00:27:18,585 --> 00:27:21,385
and I have a shaved head and I'm
in my skivvies and stuff like that.
636
00:27:21,385 --> 00:27:23,435
And it's like one of the
dopest pictures ever.
637
00:27:23,545 --> 00:27:24,655
Not because I was good.
638
00:27:24,655 --> 00:27:29,834
Cause I sucked, but it was
because, um, it's the beginning.
639
00:27:29,835 --> 00:27:30,364
You know what I mean?
640
00:27:30,364 --> 00:27:31,184
It's just the beginning.
641
00:27:31,204 --> 00:27:32,114
So, so
642
00:27:33,345 --> 00:27:35,514
David Pere: it's like that picture
of Jeff Bezos working on a table.
643
00:27:36,745 --> 00:27:39,225
Raymond Lott: And it's just like,
what, Amazon in the back or something?
644
00:27:39,225 --> 00:27:41,884
Yeah, it says Amazon
645
00:27:41,884 --> 00:27:44,964
David Pere: like on the side and like
some crappy poster with like, doesn't
646
00:27:44,964 --> 00:27:46,154
look anything like their logo now.
647
00:27:46,384 --> 00:27:48,764
Raymond Lott: No, it looks, it
literally looks like hip hop
648
00:27:48,764 --> 00:27:51,034
because it looks like spray paint or
something on the wall or something.
649
00:27:51,754 --> 00:27:55,514
Uh, but yeah, so like I started to
pick up music back up in Afghanistan.
650
00:27:55,855 --> 00:27:59,405
And then after I got back and
then asked out Betty White to the
651
00:27:59,405 --> 00:28:02,635
ball, that was when I noticed that
I had a knack for social media.
652
00:28:02,945 --> 00:28:05,685
And then my sergeant at the
time, he was like, Hey man, this
653
00:28:05,685 --> 00:28:07,295
social media stuff is picking up.
654
00:28:07,705 --> 00:28:10,805
Why don't you use social media
stuff to propel your music?
655
00:28:11,625 --> 00:28:14,625
And I was just like, Oh snap,
I can leverage the social
656
00:28:14,625 --> 00:28:16,164
media to boost my music up.
657
00:28:16,625 --> 00:28:19,554
And so that's when my music
stuff started to pick back up
658
00:28:19,564 --> 00:28:22,344
was like in 2011 stuff like that.
659
00:28:23,360 --> 00:28:27,960
And then, after I spent 10 years in,
I, I did like a two, two year extension
660
00:28:27,960 --> 00:28:31,960
down there in New Orleans at Mar 4
Rez, um, down there in New Orleans by
661
00:28:31,960 --> 00:28:33,060
the Coast Guard and stuff like that.
662
00:28:33,060 --> 00:28:33,670
And they're like, what do you want to do?
663
00:28:33,670 --> 00:28:34,620
Do you want to stay in?
664
00:28:34,829 --> 00:28:35,770
Because I was a sergeant at the time.
665
00:28:35,770 --> 00:28:36,700
They're like, do you want to stay in?
666
00:28:36,890 --> 00:28:37,650
Do you want to get out?
667
00:28:37,710 --> 00:28:41,570
And I was like, I'm a sergeant right
now, and I don't want to be a staff
668
00:28:41,570 --> 00:28:44,699
sergeant that's not thinking about
the troops and stuff, so what I'm
669
00:28:44,790 --> 00:28:46,100
going to do is I'm going to get out.
670
00:28:46,320 --> 00:28:47,360
They're like, what are you going to do?
671
00:28:47,530 --> 00:28:49,109
And I'm like, I'm going to be a rapper.
672
00:28:49,110 --> 00:28:50,300
And they're like, yeah, right.
673
00:28:50,860 --> 00:28:51,719
Which is like, so funny.
674
00:28:51,750 --> 00:28:52,490
It's a part of the journey.
675
00:28:52,490 --> 00:28:53,000
You know what I mean?
676
00:28:53,399 --> 00:28:54,249
They're like, do you have a plan?
677
00:28:54,249 --> 00:28:54,879
And I was like, no.
678
00:28:55,139 --> 00:29:00,120
And like, My staff and CEOs were
very smart by saying that I needed
679
00:29:00,120 --> 00:29:03,530
a plan because I figured that out
afterwards, but I started to pick
680
00:29:03,530 --> 00:29:05,229
it up after I decided to get out.
681
00:29:05,300 --> 00:29:09,019
I went to, um, it's called the Los
Angeles Film School off of Hollywood
682
00:29:09,019 --> 00:29:10,809
Boulevard, Los Angeles Recording School.
683
00:29:10,820 --> 00:29:12,199
A lot of people have been there.
684
00:29:12,199 --> 00:29:13,479
A lot of famous people and stuff.
685
00:29:13,479 --> 00:29:14,539
They record there all the time.
686
00:29:14,999 --> 00:29:18,530
Like when the school closes, like a lot
of your favorite acts, they go in there
687
00:29:18,530 --> 00:29:20,770
and they record in those school studios.
688
00:29:20,800 --> 00:29:21,320
That's cool.
689
00:29:21,825 --> 00:29:26,045
Um, so I, I went there and I started
taking music seriously, really there,
690
00:29:26,305 --> 00:29:31,385
uh, because imagine I have this American
flag jacket, wearing all black leather,
691
00:29:31,385 --> 00:29:35,985
I have a red mohawk, I have a bandana on
my head, and I'm sitting there, and then
692
00:29:35,985 --> 00:29:39,754
we're doing like this, like introductions,
so I'm sitting there, and then next to
693
00:29:39,754 --> 00:29:44,465
me is another guy who looks kind of like
gothic and stuff, a black guy in, in
694
00:29:44,475 --> 00:29:49,215
like black gothic gear, dreadlocks and
stuff, and then, so the teacher asked,
695
00:29:49,500 --> 00:29:51,719
That kid, he says, hey, what do you do?
696
00:29:52,100 --> 00:29:58,360
And he's like, well, I'm, I'm in a metal
band and I make like metal beats, but like
697
00:29:58,915 --> 00:30:04,225
I put the metal guitar on top of a rap
trappy beat, but I don't know any rapper
698
00:30:04,225 --> 00:30:06,385
that could do that or likes rock music.
699
00:30:06,985 --> 00:30:10,325
And I'm like, I'm sitting there
next, about to introduce myself next.
700
00:30:10,715 --> 00:30:15,015
And I'm like, bro, I grew up off
of rock music, and I can rap.
701
00:30:15,025 --> 00:30:15,715
He's all, nah.
702
00:30:15,735 --> 00:30:17,035
He's all, you can rap on these guitars?
703
00:30:17,035 --> 00:30:18,015
I was like, bro, I got you.
704
00:30:19,215 --> 00:30:22,445
And then after that, we made this song
called Star Spangled Banger, which
705
00:30:22,445 --> 00:30:27,815
is like my flagship song that, that
kind of like expresses how I feel is
706
00:30:27,815 --> 00:30:32,605
like a patriotic American being black,
because that's so controversial, um,
707
00:30:32,605 --> 00:30:37,075
that, because you're not supposed to be
Patriotic if you're a black, but people
708
00:30:37,075 --> 00:30:38,355
were like, how could you be patriotic?
709
00:30:38,355 --> 00:30:39,945
How could you be patriotic
and stuff like that?
710
00:30:39,945 --> 00:30:41,495
So I was just like, whatever.
711
00:30:41,865 --> 00:30:43,035
Um, so I just explained that.
712
00:30:43,045 --> 00:30:47,145
And then because I explained my emotions,
talking about how patriotic I am and how I
713
00:30:47,145 --> 00:30:51,005
serve the country, and this is the things
I get after I come back, that was like.
714
00:30:51,075 --> 00:30:55,985
My first biggest hit
and Apple featured it.
715
00:30:56,205 --> 00:31:00,685
Um, it's got millions of streams and
views and all types of stuff across
716
00:31:00,685 --> 00:31:02,115
all the platforms and stuff like that.
717
00:31:02,115 --> 00:31:05,245
And, you know, it generated a whole bunch
of revenue and stuff, but it kind of like
718
00:31:05,245 --> 00:31:06,845
set the tone for the rest of my career.
719
00:31:07,055 --> 00:31:10,545
And then I realized that it
was cool that I was freestyling
720
00:31:10,545 --> 00:31:11,585
and rapping and stuff, but.
721
00:31:12,060 --> 00:31:15,880
All I had to do was combine my love
for rap music, rock music, and social
722
00:31:15,880 --> 00:31:17,410
media, and I was able to make a career.
723
00:31:17,460 --> 00:31:22,900
And so, that is how I was able to,
uh, take my love and my interest
724
00:31:22,900 --> 00:31:24,400
for music and make it into a career.
725
00:31:25,300 --> 00:31:26,070
David Pere: I love it, man.
726
00:31:26,070 --> 00:31:26,810
What a journey.
727
00:31:26,810 --> 00:31:31,470
I mean, that's, uh, like, full circle,
and it's, it's funny how life works out.
728
00:31:31,470 --> 00:31:36,745
People say, uh, you know, you're
lucky, but it's like Luck is
729
00:31:36,755 --> 00:31:39,535
when opportunity meets hard work.
730
00:31:39,575 --> 00:31:42,635
Like you were in the right place
at the right time because you were
731
00:31:42,635 --> 00:31:44,725
trying to accomplish something.
732
00:31:45,025 --> 00:31:46,115
And the guy next to you is like.
733
00:31:46,545 --> 00:31:48,455
I'm looking for this and you're
like, Oh shit, that's an opportunity.
734
00:31:49,025 --> 00:31:51,625
Like that's, that's just
life works that way.
735
00:31:51,625 --> 00:31:53,485
If you're looking for stuff and
if you're working towards your
736
00:31:53,485 --> 00:31:56,655
goals and, uh, that's super cool.
737
00:31:56,855 --> 00:31:57,865
Um, all right.
738
00:31:57,875 --> 00:32:01,375
So out of curiosity, um,
let's see where we go next.
739
00:32:01,755 --> 00:32:03,695
Uh, I guess really just curious.
740
00:32:04,205 --> 00:32:05,605
Um, you know, in the music
741
00:32:05,605 --> 00:32:06,245
Raymond Lott: industry,
742
00:32:08,065 --> 00:32:12,585
David Pere: like I don't, so I've got a
friend who's a producer and he's always
743
00:32:12,585 --> 00:32:13,865
like, you know, the money's in producing.
744
00:32:14,325 --> 00:32:17,655
Um, but I'm curious, like, like, how
does it work from a financial aspect?
745
00:32:18,330 --> 00:32:22,590
On the rap side, like, I don't
like is, is most sure, like when
746
00:32:22,590 --> 00:32:25,400
you went as far as like income
streams, is that like ad revenue?
747
00:32:25,400 --> 00:32:27,030
Is that labels that views?
748
00:32:27,030 --> 00:32:30,850
Like, where, where do you see the
majority of the impact for your efforts?
749
00:32:31,570 --> 00:32:32,360
Raymond Lott: Great question.
750
00:32:33,160 --> 00:32:38,550
So as I was in school, and I was about
to graduate, um, just the, the music
751
00:32:38,560 --> 00:32:41,910
course, music production, being able to,
you know, play keys and stuff like that.
752
00:32:42,890 --> 00:32:46,660
I thought, what would master P do?
753
00:32:46,670 --> 00:32:48,780
What would the big moguls do?
754
00:32:49,205 --> 00:32:52,215
Would they just go to school
to learn the music side?
755
00:32:52,445 --> 00:32:57,305
And I said, no, when I watched Master
P, he always knew the business side.
756
00:32:57,625 --> 00:33:00,835
And the reason why Master P
is killing it right now in any
757
00:33:00,835 --> 00:33:04,505
business he does is because he
always goes, this is a business.
758
00:33:04,735 --> 00:33:10,335
How can I leverage whatever talent, skill,
product to turn into a business side?
759
00:33:10,335 --> 00:33:13,735
So I was like, okay, I'm going to
stay in school two more years to
760
00:33:13,755 --> 00:33:15,685
get my business degree in music.
761
00:33:16,225 --> 00:33:17,195
So that's what I did.
762
00:33:17,945 --> 00:33:21,365
Um, and because I did that, they taught
me everything that I needed to know as
763
00:33:21,375 --> 00:33:27,105
far as copyrights, as far as royalties, as
far as streaming, as far as sales, as far
764
00:33:27,105 --> 00:33:29,155
as, uh, marketing, as far as transmedia.
765
00:33:29,575 --> 00:33:30,775
Are you familiar with transmedia?
766
00:33:31,225 --> 00:33:32,025
I'm not, no.
767
00:33:32,710 --> 00:33:36,430
I think, most people are actually, if
you think about it, so if you know Disney
768
00:33:36,430 --> 00:33:39,890
and you know Marvel, if you know Star
Wars, if you know those brands, then you
769
00:33:39,900 --> 00:33:44,630
know that what they leverage for, uh,
their sources of revenue is transmedia.
770
00:33:44,920 --> 00:33:50,740
So, I may go, hey, I, I know
I have a great personality.
771
00:33:51,125 --> 00:33:52,625
But they're not into rap.
772
00:33:52,635 --> 00:33:56,535
My, this, my, my fan base isn't into rap,
so they haven't bought a rap song yet.
773
00:33:56,765 --> 00:33:58,835
However, they may, they may buy my book.
774
00:33:59,455 --> 00:34:02,975
So I'm transferring my
story from rap to a book.
775
00:34:03,275 --> 00:34:05,975
I'm transferring my story
from rap to a podcast.
776
00:34:06,055 --> 00:34:08,685
I'm transferring my
story from rap to a toy.
777
00:34:08,755 --> 00:34:09,085
I'm sure.
778
00:34:09,245 --> 00:34:11,305
So that's what Disney and Marvel does.
779
00:34:11,870 --> 00:34:14,490
So everybody is kind of like familiar
with it, but they probably didn't
780
00:34:14,490 --> 00:34:17,700
know the term, but they taught me
that in school, but you, but you know,
781
00:34:17,700 --> 00:34:18,990
Disney and you know, all of them.
782
00:34:19,940 --> 00:34:23,810
So it's like, I may not, you know, we may
have grown up with the comic book, but the
783
00:34:23,810 --> 00:34:25,100
kids today, they don't care about that.
784
00:34:25,100 --> 00:34:26,260
They care about the pop doll.
785
00:34:26,270 --> 00:34:31,230
So I want a pop doll of Spider Man instead
of the book, but you know, um, a girl
786
00:34:31,230 --> 00:34:32,430
wouldn't care about nothing like that.
787
00:34:32,430 --> 00:34:35,040
She may want the spider
Gwen stuffed animal.
788
00:34:35,160 --> 00:34:36,150
So you go, what is.
789
00:34:36,625 --> 00:34:43,225
How can I leverage my content or my
IP into another stream of revenue?
790
00:34:43,415 --> 00:34:45,725
So that is what I learned
in school and how to do.
791
00:34:46,515 --> 00:34:52,545
So, knowing that I go, okay, I have the
back end of the streaming coming in.
792
00:34:52,715 --> 00:34:53,155
Okay.
793
00:34:53,285 --> 00:34:55,985
And I, and I make sure that I
get as much percentage of that
794
00:34:55,985 --> 00:34:57,565
streaming revenue by creating.
795
00:34:57,945 --> 00:34:58,855
Most of the song.
796
00:34:58,855 --> 00:35:04,475
So, um, if either I buy the beat or I make
the beat, so then now I own that ownership
797
00:35:04,475 --> 00:35:07,995
is key that's so musicians, producers,
if you're listening, ownership is key.
798
00:35:08,185 --> 00:35:12,115
If you don't own the beat, you don't, if
you haven't written the music, you fail.
799
00:35:12,485 --> 00:35:15,365
T one of the most famous stories is TLC.
800
00:35:15,445 --> 00:35:18,285
Most of them didn't make money
because they didn't write those songs.
801
00:35:18,525 --> 00:35:21,805
The person who was making the
most money off of it, RIP is Lisa
802
00:35:21,805 --> 00:35:24,765
Left Eye Lopez, because the right
rapper was writing her own lyrics.
803
00:35:24,955 --> 00:35:28,515
So when it came for the royalties of the
writing that we get paid every quarter,
804
00:35:28,755 --> 00:35:30,605
um, by the, uh, they're called PROs.
805
00:35:30,605 --> 00:35:31,755
They're called performance, right?
806
00:35:31,775 --> 00:35:32,785
Organizations.
807
00:35:33,015 --> 00:35:36,465
Um, and if your producer friend is not on
there, he needs to be, cause that's a back
808
00:35:36,485 --> 00:35:38,575
end type of, uh, music stream revenue.
809
00:35:38,915 --> 00:35:45,480
Um, Every quarter, you get paid for
the royalties for the writing, for the
810
00:35:45,480 --> 00:35:47,680
actual performance, and the mechanical.
811
00:35:47,700 --> 00:35:48,480
So there's three things.
812
00:35:48,480 --> 00:35:52,610
Mechanical used to be CDs, but
mechanical is actually the production.
813
00:35:52,940 --> 00:35:54,250
If I made the beat, right?
814
00:35:54,250 --> 00:35:56,100
If I made the instrumental,
I get paid for that.
815
00:35:56,150 --> 00:35:57,850
If I wrote it, I get paid for that.
816
00:35:57,910 --> 00:35:59,760
If I performed it, I get paid for that.
817
00:36:00,030 --> 00:36:06,295
So, for example, if I'm Michael Bublé,
and I sing a Christmas song, And I'm just
818
00:36:06,295 --> 00:36:09,865
singing it and somebody else, and you
know, Bing Crosby, he did everything else,
819
00:36:10,155 --> 00:36:11,905
then that means I only get one third.
820
00:36:11,935 --> 00:36:15,035
If I made the beat as Michael Bublé, that
means I get two thirds, because I made
821
00:36:15,035 --> 00:36:18,755
the beat and I sung it, but the writer
credit is still going to go back to Bing
822
00:36:18,835 --> 00:36:21,305
Crosby, and that's an example for you.
823
00:36:21,555 --> 00:36:25,395
So you want to make sure that you have as
much ownership as you can of that record.
824
00:36:25,685 --> 00:36:27,165
We call it a record in the music industry.
825
00:36:27,165 --> 00:36:28,405
We don't say song, we say record.
826
00:36:28,800 --> 00:36:30,440
Uh, control of the record.
827
00:36:30,740 --> 00:36:34,520
We want to make sure that we have a
physical product, whether it's merch, a
828
00:36:34,520 --> 00:36:36,350
stuffed animal, a comic book, whatever.
829
00:36:36,740 --> 00:36:39,290
We want to make sure that we do shows
and we want to make sure we control
830
00:36:39,290 --> 00:36:44,940
as much as we can of that show for,
so if you can, um, cut out some of the
831
00:36:44,950 --> 00:36:46,440
middlemen, you can make money there.
832
00:36:47,690 --> 00:36:51,540
Also, there's also one of the big money
revenue streams is synchronization.
833
00:36:51,540 --> 00:36:52,680
So I've done this before.
834
00:36:52,920 --> 00:36:56,900
Uh, I've synchronized
my song to a commercial.
835
00:36:56,910 --> 00:37:01,120
So if you've ever watched UFC or you've
ever watched Disney or you watched,
836
00:37:01,170 --> 00:37:05,100
um, any sports show and you'll see a
song pop up for like five, five to 10
837
00:37:05,100 --> 00:37:07,150
seconds, that's called a synchronization.
838
00:37:07,380 --> 00:37:08,710
Um, you can do that on sports.
839
00:37:08,710 --> 00:37:10,090
You can also do it on a reality show.
840
00:37:10,090 --> 00:37:11,000
So if you hear like a.
841
00:37:11,315 --> 00:37:14,805
You know, a pop song or a hip hop song in
the back of keeping up with Kardashians.
842
00:37:14,845 --> 00:37:15,905
That's a synchronization.
843
00:37:16,195 --> 00:37:20,875
Um, recently, one of my biggest
things was with a movie by Denzel
844
00:37:20,875 --> 00:37:22,665
Washington called Journal for Jordan.
845
00:37:22,935 --> 00:37:25,905
So one of the big songs that I've
done that was a bill also billboard
846
00:37:25,905 --> 00:37:27,525
hit is called I left my home.
847
00:37:27,875 --> 00:37:30,685
So they paid Sony paid us.
848
00:37:31,365 --> 00:37:35,095
To use a a 15 second
snippet in that movie.
849
00:37:35,875 --> 00:37:36,395
That's cool.
850
00:37:36,715 --> 00:37:41,545
So there is there's about, um, 7
to revenue 5 to 7 revenue streams
851
00:37:41,545 --> 00:37:42,905
that artists can take advantage of.
852
00:37:43,105 --> 00:37:46,295
But you want to make sure that you
register your music through the
853
00:37:46,295 --> 00:37:48,215
performing rights organization.
854
00:37:48,425 --> 00:37:52,059
You want to make sure that you own
this music because once you own it.
855
00:37:52,060 --> 00:37:57,970
Then when Sony, Disney, whoever come
along and say, Hey, I would like
856
00:37:57,970 --> 00:38:02,010
to synchronize this music, then you
could get paid off of the licensing.
857
00:38:02,540 --> 00:38:08,510
So it's like you can, so, so, you
know, Sony pays you, ESPN pays you,
858
00:38:08,530 --> 00:38:13,020
and you can get, keep, you can keep
getting paid because one thing that
859
00:38:13,080 --> 00:38:17,230
artists don't do, one of the biggest
mistakes, and it's crazy because if you
860
00:38:17,230 --> 00:38:22,090
listen to Jay Z, Jay Z is one of the
biggest, um, business people in music.
861
00:38:22,385 --> 00:38:25,585
He says, one of his, my favorite
lines that I use as inspiration,
862
00:38:25,595 --> 00:38:27,405
he says, I'm not a businessman.
863
00:38:27,455 --> 00:38:32,145
I'm a business man, which means
is I treat myself as a business.
864
00:38:32,165 --> 00:38:33,155
I treat myself as an I.
865
00:38:33,155 --> 00:38:33,505
T.
866
00:38:33,765 --> 00:38:36,895
So if you want me to show
up, I'm, I'm an appearance.
867
00:38:36,895 --> 00:38:37,715
You need to pay for that.
868
00:38:37,725 --> 00:38:39,785
If you want me to speak,
that's another fee.
869
00:38:39,785 --> 00:38:42,145
If you want me to perform,
that's another fee.
870
00:38:42,165 --> 00:38:45,495
If you want me to sit there and
sign albums, that's another fee.
871
00:38:45,605 --> 00:38:46,215
That's another fee.
872
00:38:46,215 --> 00:38:48,935
So look, I just, I just, I told
people how to get four strings
873
00:38:48,935 --> 00:38:50,765
of revenue on an appearance.
874
00:38:50,825 --> 00:38:51,495
You see what I'm saying?
875
00:38:51,525 --> 00:38:51,775
Yeah.
876
00:38:51,805 --> 00:38:53,275
So, so.
877
00:38:53,525 --> 00:38:57,335
If you treat yourself and look at yourself
differently and you say, Hey, I'm worth
878
00:38:57,335 --> 00:39:01,135
this amount of money, and why am I amount,
why am I worth this amount of money?
879
00:39:01,135 --> 00:39:04,285
It's because I bring this, this, and
this and this and this to the table.
880
00:39:04,665 --> 00:39:05,085
You know?
881
00:39:05,295 --> 00:39:07,365
Um, and, and that's
basically how I make money.
882
00:39:07,370 --> 00:39:11,145
I make money treating myself
like an ip and I say, okay, cool.
883
00:39:11,325 --> 00:39:12,315
How can I leverage this?
884
00:39:12,315 --> 00:39:16,815
And then, or you know, I'm gonna ask you,
Hey, can I grab a snippet of this podcast?
885
00:39:16,845 --> 00:39:17,505
I'll grab that.
886
00:39:18,135 --> 00:39:20,085
And then what we'll do,
both of us can do it.
887
00:39:20,165 --> 00:39:21,395
We put it on social media.
888
00:39:21,435 --> 00:39:27,915
We can, um, we can generate revenue
through the ads that's on this piece
889
00:39:27,915 --> 00:39:29,295
of content, you know what I mean?
890
00:39:29,305 --> 00:39:30,245
A snippet from this.
891
00:39:30,465 --> 00:39:36,445
So if, if people are, are really
true, um, entrepreneurs, if they're
892
00:39:36,445 --> 00:39:42,425
really true business people, they can
leverage their skill as a product.
893
00:39:42,705 --> 00:39:43,585
And that's what I do.
894
00:39:43,585 --> 00:39:45,785
I don't look at myself
as a, as a musician.
895
00:39:45,785 --> 00:39:47,875
I look at myself as an entrepreneur
because an entrepreneur
896
00:39:47,885 --> 00:39:48,775
is trying to make money.
897
00:39:49,145 --> 00:39:49,725
Everywhere.
898
00:39:50,095 --> 00:39:52,025
I want to, I want to show what
I want to, you know what I mean?
899
00:39:52,055 --> 00:39:54,715
Cause Gary Vee said something
I saw the other day.
900
00:39:54,725 --> 00:39:56,645
Cause somebody was like, I'm
an entrepreneur like you, Gary.
901
00:39:56,675 --> 00:39:58,495
And Gary was like, hold up.
902
00:39:58,695 --> 00:40:00,125
He's all don't take this.
903
00:40:00,175 --> 00:40:01,255
Don't take this bad.
904
00:40:01,555 --> 00:40:05,235
Don't take offense to this, but you're
not an entrepreneur and entrepreneur
905
00:40:05,525 --> 00:40:08,385
like me is showing up at a garage sale.
906
00:40:08,485 --> 00:40:10,905
An entrepreneur like me is
selling a baseball card.
907
00:40:11,015 --> 00:40:12,865
An entrepreneur like me is selling wine.
908
00:40:13,015 --> 00:40:13,945
I have no shame.
909
00:40:14,005 --> 00:40:14,935
I'm an entrepreneur.
910
00:40:15,510 --> 00:40:19,120
You may be entrepreneurial,
but you're not an entrepreneur.
911
00:40:19,190 --> 00:40:21,590
Me, I'm like, how can I get
my music on a kid's show?
912
00:40:21,670 --> 00:40:22,960
How can I get my music on UFC?
913
00:40:23,770 --> 00:40:25,600
How can I sell my shirt to a girl?
914
00:40:25,600 --> 00:40:27,170
How can I sell my shirt to a boy?
915
00:40:27,180 --> 00:40:27,810
You know what I mean?
916
00:40:28,110 --> 00:40:29,000
Like, that's what I'm thinking.
917
00:40:29,210 --> 00:40:32,130
How can I get a grandma
to listen to my music?
918
00:40:32,635 --> 00:40:33,095
You know what I mean?
919
00:40:33,125 --> 00:40:33,745
Things like that.
920
00:40:33,755 --> 00:40:34,665
That's entrepreneur.
921
00:40:34,665 --> 00:40:38,675
It's like grabbing whatever product
or skill you have and finding
922
00:40:38,675 --> 00:40:43,775
a way to monetize it or connect
that service with an individual to
923
00:40:43,775 --> 00:40:45,525
solve an issue and solve a problem.
924
00:40:45,955 --> 00:40:51,715
Uh, but I just don't, like, I don't
look at myself as a, a rapper or
925
00:40:51,725 --> 00:40:53,145
just a rapper or just a musician.
926
00:40:53,165 --> 00:40:56,955
And then once I changed my mindset,
I was able to generate more revenue,
927
00:40:57,225 --> 00:40:59,165
um, with the different streams of, of,
928
00:41:05,495 --> 00:41:09,435
David Pere: Um, so we got a little bit
of time left and I got at least two more
929
00:41:09,435 --> 00:41:12,825
questions I want to run to, I'm going to
skip ahead to this one though, because it,
930
00:41:13,075 --> 00:41:17,005
it fits, because obviously you're smart
enough to have done the business finance
931
00:41:17,015 --> 00:41:18,365
side, which I really, really, really like.
932
00:41:18,365 --> 00:41:19,765
I think there's some great advice there.
933
00:41:19,855 --> 00:41:21,965
Um, and I, and so I learned some things.
934
00:41:21,975 --> 00:41:25,225
I didn't know that if you, if
someone covered your song, you still
935
00:41:25,225 --> 00:41:27,055
got, that's, that's really cool.
936
00:41:27,365 --> 00:41:30,190
Um, So I'm curious that kind of
leads into this one, I guess.
937
00:41:30,450 --> 00:41:32,980
So your three biggest hits, uh, well,
I don't know for sure that they're your
938
00:41:32,980 --> 00:41:36,740
three biggest, but from what I could tell
your three biggest hits, um, all seem like
939
00:41:36,740 --> 00:41:38,740
they're perfectly timed for trend jacking.
940
00:41:38,920 --> 00:41:42,830
Um, is that intentional or is
it just kind of a coincidence?
941
00:41:42,830 --> 00:41:47,520
So like You know, patriot was
right around number one election.
942
00:41:47,530 --> 00:41:47,860
Right.
943
00:41:47,880 --> 00:41:52,380
And then, uh, so like your three biggest
hits, as I can tell, um, all seem to
944
00:41:52,380 --> 00:41:55,070
have been timed around specific events.
945
00:41:55,080 --> 00:41:57,950
And I don't know, uh, if that
was intentional or if just
946
00:41:57,950 --> 00:42:00,380
coincidence for how you were, how
you were feeling at the moment,
947
00:42:00,930 --> 00:42:04,300
Raymond Lott: bro, very, very much
intentional, very much intentional.
948
00:42:05,180 --> 00:42:06,750
Um, because.
949
00:42:07,390 --> 00:42:08,620
The thing is, is
950
00:42:08,770 --> 00:42:11,240
one thing that I learned from
life in the Marine Corps is
951
00:42:11,240 --> 00:42:13,000
like, you gotta be fast, man.
952
00:42:13,420 --> 00:42:15,450
You gotta be, you gotta be fast.
953
00:42:15,670 --> 00:42:17,700
And I, I realized Speed.
954
00:42:18,160 --> 00:42:26,810
And then I realized that if I'm able to be
the first out there with a solid product,
955
00:42:27,290 --> 00:42:30,260
I am going to be in on first to market.
956
00:42:30,350 --> 00:42:33,440
I am going to be able to get everybody
garnered everybody's attention.
957
00:42:33,840 --> 00:42:35,690
And then they are going
to be interested in that.
958
00:42:35,900 --> 00:42:38,294
And they're going to
notice me as the person.
959
00:42:38,585 --> 00:42:40,875
Who brought them that news.
960
00:42:40,965 --> 00:42:42,785
I broke it first and that's what happened.
961
00:42:42,785 --> 00:42:44,795
That's why TMZ is so big because
they're always the first.
962
00:42:45,045 --> 00:42:47,765
So yes, and I was only able to do that.
963
00:42:47,765 --> 00:42:51,205
Like how you spoke before was
because I record every single day.
964
00:42:51,675 --> 00:42:55,565
So when news broke, I was like,
Oh, I can record this in 30
965
00:42:55,565 --> 00:42:59,575
minutes and have it up on Spotify
because I already knew the game.
966
00:42:59,595 --> 00:43:00,725
I said, Oh, I know how to do this.
967
00:43:01,215 --> 00:43:04,965
But if I, if I, if I wasn't recording
and if I wasn't ready, it was, it
968
00:43:04,965 --> 00:43:08,805
was luck, but it was also, I had,
you have to be ready when, when a big
969
00:43:08,805 --> 00:43:10,285
moment comes, you have to be ready.
970
00:43:10,285 --> 00:43:15,305
So yeah, it absolutely was trend jacking
or whatever, whatever you want to call it.
971
00:43:15,565 --> 00:43:15,765
Absolutely.
972
00:43:15,845 --> 00:43:16,845
Absolutely.
973
00:43:17,695 --> 00:43:18,645
Why would I not?
974
00:43:18,705 --> 00:43:22,165
If you're independent artists, why
aren't you going to take advantage
975
00:43:22,475 --> 00:43:24,155
of everything you possibly can?
976
00:43:25,160 --> 00:43:25,940
I think that's brilliant.
977
00:43:25,980 --> 00:43:26,940
Yeah, I feel like that.
978
00:43:26,960 --> 00:43:29,590
It's not even mute, not even
for musicians, but anybody
979
00:43:29,600 --> 00:43:31,570
you need to be like, what are
they talking about right now?
980
00:43:32,240 --> 00:43:33,520
They're talking about a holiday.
981
00:43:33,520 --> 00:43:34,330
They're talking about this.
982
00:43:34,330 --> 00:43:35,170
They're talking about election.
983
00:43:35,180 --> 00:43:39,000
They're talking about, you know,
Taylor Swift, whoever it is, if you
984
00:43:39,000 --> 00:43:45,230
are in this space, and you are not
trend jacking, regardless, whether
985
00:43:45,310 --> 00:43:47,910
you're in music, whether in your
real estate, whether whatever you're
986
00:43:47,910 --> 00:43:51,480
in, you're not saying, Hey, this
house is identical to Taylor Swift.
987
00:43:51,785 --> 00:43:54,235
And that's why you need to buy
it or whatever, however you would
988
00:43:54,235 --> 00:43:55,555
say it in, you know, real estate.
989
00:43:55,895 --> 00:43:59,495
If you're not trend jacking, you're
missing out on free advertising.
990
00:44:00,075 --> 00:44:05,345
Because the thing is, if everybody is
talking about Taylor Swift, the news
991
00:44:05,345 --> 00:44:09,255
is already saying that, everybody is,
and then the news and all these other
992
00:44:09,505 --> 00:44:11,665
outlets are paying for that advertising.
993
00:44:12,005 --> 00:44:16,065
Why not piggyback off of that
and get that free advertising
994
00:44:16,095 --> 00:44:17,575
to push your product or service?
995
00:44:18,130 --> 00:44:21,060
It would be stupid not to now you
save the money on the advertising.
996
00:44:22,850 --> 00:44:23,040
That's
997
00:44:23,040 --> 00:44:24,090
David Pere: great All right.
998
00:44:24,100 --> 00:44:26,550
So the one thing I do want to make
sure that we get to before we wrap
999
00:44:26,550 --> 00:44:29,490
this up Uh is so you we alluded to it.
1000
00:44:29,490 --> 00:44:34,520
So january 6th 2021 the patriots topping
charts You know number three on your top
1001
00:44:34,550 --> 00:44:38,445
four on r& b 36 and all digital songs
crushing number one It was number one.
1002
00:44:38,555 --> 00:44:39,315
Oh, I'm sorry.
1003
00:44:39,375 --> 00:44:39,615
I
1004
00:44:40,435 --> 00:44:40,985
Raymond Lott: know a bit.
1005
00:44:41,105 --> 00:44:41,975
No, no, no.
1006
00:44:41,975 --> 00:44:43,355
When it came back, it was okay.
1007
00:44:43,355 --> 00:44:45,655
So that's what I was going to ask
was, was, can you tell us about
1008
00:44:45,655 --> 00:44:48,415
David Pere: the experience and like,
if you ever got clarity on why it
1009
00:44:48,415 --> 00:44:50,175
got removed and how you got it back?
1010
00:44:50,405 --> 00:44:53,085
I know we don't have a ton
of time left, but yeah, yeah.
1011
00:44:54,300 --> 00:44:55,330
I'd love to hear.
1012
00:44:55,400 --> 00:44:57,680
I mean, that's, that's, I
can't imagine the emotional
1013
00:44:57,680 --> 00:44:58,630
Raymond Lott: ride that must have been.
1014
00:44:58,680 --> 00:44:59,980
Bro, it was so crazy.
1015
00:44:59,990 --> 00:45:00,550
It was so crazy.
1016
00:45:00,550 --> 00:45:04,530
So like, so like we're topping the charts
because Mariah Carey just had her number
1017
00:45:04,530 --> 00:45:05,740
one and then it was the week after.
1018
00:45:05,740 --> 00:45:07,020
So nobody cares about Christmas anymore.
1019
00:45:07,030 --> 00:45:07,610
And we knew that.
1020
00:45:08,060 --> 00:45:10,670
So we knew we can get in that
hole where nobody's dropping music
1021
00:45:10,670 --> 00:45:11,730
because people were being lazy.
1022
00:45:11,730 --> 00:45:12,070
Right?
1023
00:45:12,840 --> 00:45:15,630
David Pere: So how did, how did that
feel like the emotional rollercoaster
1024
00:45:15,630 --> 00:45:18,730
between having a hit song, get yanked
and then come back and everything else?
1025
00:45:18,740 --> 00:45:20,420
How did, how was that experience?
1026
00:45:21,880 --> 00:45:23,800
Raymond Lott: It was a test of resiliency.
1027
00:45:24,830 --> 00:45:25,210
Yeah.
1028
00:45:25,650 --> 00:45:27,240
It was a test of resiliency.
1029
00:45:27,810 --> 00:45:33,480
Because that was, uh, my first
billboard charting single.
1030
00:45:33,490 --> 00:45:38,160
So imagine I was in the Marine Corps and
I had a lot of naysayers and people saying
1031
00:45:38,160 --> 00:45:44,680
I could never do it to charting on the
highest music chart with industry people.
1032
00:45:45,500 --> 00:45:47,140
So, so it was like.
1033
00:45:47,720 --> 00:45:50,170
So it was like, I finally
made it, you know what I mean?
1034
00:45:51,020 --> 00:45:54,880
Um, you know, made it out the hood,
made it on the charts, you know,
1035
00:45:54,890 --> 00:45:56,660
prove some naysayers wrong and stuff.
1036
00:45:56,720 --> 00:45:58,960
And then it gets yanked
and I'm like, what?
1037
00:46:00,240 --> 00:46:02,280
So I was like, okay.
1038
00:46:03,550 --> 00:46:09,150
Then I thought, how does billboard
collect their data on sales?
1039
00:46:11,080 --> 00:46:16,780
And they said there is no restriction
on selling hard copy person to person.
1040
00:46:19,230 --> 00:46:23,140
So that's where Master P keeps
coming up because I love that dude.
1041
00:46:24,170 --> 00:46:25,620
I said, what did Master P do?
1042
00:46:26,150 --> 00:46:30,260
He's like, he, he parked in the
parking lot and said, Hey, want a CD?
1043
00:46:30,270 --> 00:46:30,780
Want a CD?
1044
00:46:30,810 --> 00:46:31,390
Want a CD?
1045
00:46:31,430 --> 00:46:32,690
If you don't want it,
you just kept walking.
1046
00:46:32,910 --> 00:46:33,340
Want a CD?
1047
00:46:33,340 --> 00:46:33,860
Want a CD?
1048
00:46:34,440 --> 00:46:37,230
So what we did, we didn't literally like.
1049
00:46:37,725 --> 00:46:43,195
Sell it hand to hand, but I, I,
uh, put hard copies on my website.
1050
00:46:44,730 --> 00:46:48,040
There you go to the now
you can't do that anymore.
1051
00:46:48,710 --> 00:46:49,720
Like, they, they made.
1052
00:46:49,970 --> 00:46:50,890
Yeah, it's crazy.
1053
00:46:50,890 --> 00:46:51,420
It's crazy.
1054
00:46:51,420 --> 00:46:54,000
We, we was in there in a crazy,
like, loophole type of time
1055
00:46:54,200 --> 00:46:58,290
where they had no rule against
selling hard copy CDs of 1 single.
1056
00:46:58,600 --> 00:47:02,530
Now, you can't sell 1 single on
a hard copy CD to count towards
1057
00:47:02,620 --> 00:47:03,770
the numbers on billboard.
1058
00:47:03,950 --> 00:47:05,530
Now you have to sell a whole album.
1059
00:47:05,700 --> 00:47:09,170
And I know for a fact, we
had a big impact on that.
1060
00:47:09,180 --> 00:47:09,490
100%.
1061
00:47:10,340 --> 00:47:10,360
Yeah.
1062
00:47:10,730 --> 00:47:11,270
I know it.
1063
00:47:11,270 --> 00:47:12,520
You know, everybody else listening.
1064
00:47:12,520 --> 00:47:15,210
You guys know it for a fact
because you couldn't go nowhere
1065
00:47:15,210 --> 00:47:16,030
without hearing that song.
1066
00:47:16,030 --> 00:47:21,350
If you were like, I don't know if you
see it's at, um, but I did 18 million.
1067
00:47:22,290 --> 00:47:27,020
So, yeah, so, um, yeah, so the
feelings, the feelings sucked,
1068
00:47:27,450 --> 00:47:28,610
but then it was resiliency.
1069
00:47:28,610 --> 00:47:32,730
I was like, okay, we're going to sell hard
copies and we sold so many hard copies and
1070
00:47:32,730 --> 00:47:35,100
I'm going to tell you the price we sold.
1071
00:47:35,925 --> 00:47:38,805
A hard copy of the single for 20 each.
1072
00:47:39,205 --> 00:47:43,645
Damn one song, 20 each hard copy CD.
1073
00:47:44,085 --> 00:47:51,385
We signed it and we sold, we had to cap it
at over, over 2000, something like that.
1074
00:47:52,365 --> 00:47:59,335
So if you do the math and no, no,
no labels in it, dude, that's so
1075
00:47:59,335 --> 00:48:02,615
we, but that's, that's on top of
all the other stuff we already got.
1076
00:48:02,825 --> 00:48:04,055
So as an independent artist.
1077
00:48:04,410 --> 00:48:08,350
They're not seeing that they may have it
on their events, but people don't people
1078
00:48:08,360 --> 00:48:11,060
don't realize that the artists have to pay
it back We didn't have to pay that back
1079
00:48:11,960 --> 00:48:14,550
40 grand right bam in in a week's work
1080
00:48:16,055 --> 00:48:16,875
David Pere: Yeah, because you guys had
1081
00:48:17,595 --> 00:48:18,775
Raymond Lott: one song one song.
1082
00:48:19,055 --> 00:48:21,555
David Pere: Yeah, that song was
killer I mean, that's how I found
1083
00:48:21,555 --> 00:48:26,075
you is I was listening to you at
tofur busting it out to patreon and I
1084
00:48:26,075 --> 00:48:29,125
Raymond Lott: was This is something
that people don't know the
1085
00:48:29,125 --> 00:48:30,755
producer is actually a marine too.
1086
00:48:31,105 --> 00:48:34,945
His name is kilovic Yeah, and i'll
i'll connect you with him because
1087
00:48:34,945 --> 00:48:35,925
he has a lot of music and stuff.
1088
00:48:35,945 --> 00:48:39,455
Maybe you could um, You know
connect with him who knows but
1089
00:48:39,455 --> 00:48:40,775
anyways, his name is kilovic too.
1090
00:48:40,775 --> 00:48:43,045
So we all basically team
huddles You know what?
1091
00:48:43,045 --> 00:48:43,245
I mean?
1092
00:48:43,255 --> 00:48:45,605
Hey Team circle, what are we going to do?
1093
00:48:45,605 --> 00:48:47,965
We're going to give up or we're
going to, or we're going to, uh,
1094
00:48:48,035 --> 00:48:49,165
or we're going to make this happen.
1095
00:48:49,675 --> 00:48:50,965
And I was like, we're
going to make this happen.
1096
00:48:50,965 --> 00:48:53,055
They're like, Hey, TMR, you
got the marketing background.
1097
00:48:53,055 --> 00:48:53,385
Right?
1098
00:48:53,425 --> 00:48:54,325
So what should we do?
1099
00:48:54,465 --> 00:48:55,585
I said, we're going to do it.
1100
00:48:55,595 --> 00:48:59,325
How I said, how I said, uh, I
told him we're going to do it.
1101
00:48:59,325 --> 00:49:00,745
Just how a master does it.
1102
00:49:00,745 --> 00:49:01,895
Then we're going to sell it off the trunk.
1103
00:49:02,695 --> 00:49:07,295
Virtually, and then that's
how it happened, but like, to
1104
00:49:07,725 --> 00:49:11,405
really kind of like, sum it up,
like, I just use my military.
1105
00:49:11,425 --> 00:49:14,745
Like grid and said, we're
not going to give up.
1106
00:49:15,305 --> 00:49:16,035
We're not going to give up.
1107
00:49:16,055 --> 00:49:16,715
We can't give up.
1108
00:49:17,355 --> 00:49:18,245
We went too far.
1109
00:49:18,625 --> 00:49:21,535
So not only did we get back on
the charts, we debuted at number
1110
00:49:21,535 --> 00:49:23,135
one by selling hard copies.
1111
00:49:24,425 --> 00:49:24,915
I love it.
1112
00:49:26,005 --> 00:49:27,805
So we, and you know what I mean?
1113
00:49:27,805 --> 00:49:28,595
It's a perfect storm.
1114
00:49:28,595 --> 00:49:31,025
You just have to pay attention and
pay attention to the market and pay
1115
00:49:31,025 --> 00:49:34,255
attention to everything and, and you
can make anything you want happen.
1116
00:49:34,255 --> 00:49:35,385
It doesn't matter what industry.
1117
00:49:35,415 --> 00:49:38,325
I did it with music, but you can do
it like, you know, it was real estate.
1118
00:49:38,565 --> 00:49:42,965
Um, you can do whatever, but the, the
trend jacking thing, it works, but
1119
00:49:43,130 --> 00:49:47,200
People think, Oh, yeah, I could just
jack a trend or whatever you could,
1120
00:49:47,280 --> 00:49:49,970
but you're not going to have that level
of, you're not going to have that level
1121
00:49:49,970 --> 00:49:52,710
of success, or you're not going to be
able to repeat that level of success.
1122
00:49:52,710 --> 00:49:54,200
If you're not ready the next time.
1123
00:49:54,490 --> 00:49:57,310
So that's why you see consecutive times.
1124
00:49:57,320 --> 00:49:59,540
You see, it was, yeah,
the Patriot, but then.
1125
00:49:59,915 --> 00:50:00,635
I left my home.
1126
00:50:00,785 --> 00:50:03,845
And then, um, let's go Brandon.
1127
00:50:03,845 --> 00:50:08,885
And then, uh, what is it we have, I have
one, a new one called Yogi Bear is dead.
1128
00:50:08,890 --> 00:50:10,175
Like a I was gonna, I was gonna bring
1129
00:50:10,175 --> 00:50:10,565
David Pere: that up.
1130
00:50:10,570 --> 00:50:13,355
I've been jacking, I've been
rocking out to that one.
1131
00:50:13,360 --> 00:50:13,865
I love it.
1132
00:50:14,170 --> 00:50:15,665
Raymond Lott: Like, like,
you know what I mean?
1133
00:50:15,665 --> 00:50:20,285
Like, so Bear is dead , and, and
we, we were talking to people, me
1134
00:50:20,285 --> 00:50:21,545
and my buddy, his name's Jonathan.
1135
00:50:21,635 --> 00:50:24,305
Jonathan Michael Fleming, he's,
he's an army guy and I'm Marine.
1136
00:50:24,305 --> 00:50:28,645
So we got the, we got the two, you
know, the juxtaposition, um, and.
1137
00:50:29,245 --> 00:50:31,595
We talked to people and they're like,
we want a funny cadence and we're
1138
00:50:31,595 --> 00:50:33,235
like, okay, we listened to that.
1139
00:50:33,255 --> 00:50:34,555
We listened to the audience.
1140
00:50:34,705 --> 00:50:37,495
We said, all right, we'll make 1 and
then they, and then it's about to
1141
00:50:37,495 --> 00:50:40,475
hit a million views on on YouTube.
1142
00:50:40,675 --> 00:50:41,285
You know what I mean?
1143
00:50:42,055 --> 00:50:44,395
And we just wish like, hey, we're
not going to take ourselves too
1144
00:50:44,425 --> 00:50:46,015
seriously to that's another thing.
1145
00:50:46,435 --> 00:50:47,035
A bit of advice.
1146
00:50:47,035 --> 00:50:47,615
I want to give people.
1147
00:50:47,615 --> 00:50:49,165
It's like, don't take
yourself too seriously.
1148
00:50:49,165 --> 00:50:49,475
Like.
1149
00:50:49,710 --> 00:50:51,010
You're human like anybody else.
1150
00:50:51,010 --> 00:50:52,629
We make mistakes.
1151
00:50:52,630 --> 00:50:53,430
We do great things.
1152
00:50:53,430 --> 00:50:56,210
We do, you know, we mess up
whatever we get back up and keep
1153
00:50:56,210 --> 00:50:57,600
on fighting and keep on striving.
1154
00:50:57,840 --> 00:51:00,730
But if you take yourself too seriously
all the time, you're not going to
1155
00:51:00,730 --> 00:51:05,290
be able to really have that level
of success that you want to attain.
1156
00:51:05,300 --> 00:51:07,760
You know, even Einstein,
he would like juggle.
1157
00:51:07,990 --> 00:51:08,440
You know what I mean?
1158
00:51:08,440 --> 00:51:10,210
He would do like silly
stuff, you know what I mean?
1159
00:51:10,210 --> 00:51:13,210
So like, there's a lot of great minds that
would always do silly stuff and not take
1160
00:51:13,210 --> 00:51:17,460
themselves too seriously, because in order
for you to do great stuff and do serious
1161
00:51:17,460 --> 00:51:22,230
stuff and, and hit those high levels, you
have to be able to decompress with some
1162
00:51:22,230 --> 00:51:24,089
type of hobby or some type of, a hobby.
1163
00:51:24,290 --> 00:51:26,170
Like fun thing, you know what I mean?
1164
00:51:26,170 --> 00:51:28,170
You just can't, you just can't
work, work, work all the time
1165
00:51:28,170 --> 00:51:29,030
or you're going to burn out.
1166
00:51:29,320 --> 00:51:34,470
So because we were able to, you know,
have that balance and, and know our
1167
00:51:34,470 --> 00:51:37,570
market and stuff like that, we're able
to achieve the goals that we want to.
1168
00:51:37,600 --> 00:51:39,640
So, and that was, that's
what I'll leave you with.
1169
00:51:39,650 --> 00:51:41,930
It's just kind of just
like, just be aware.
1170
00:51:41,930 --> 00:51:42,944
And if you're aware.
1171
00:51:43,235 --> 00:51:46,485
You're going to be able to really
have the competitive advantage.
1172
00:51:47,035 --> 00:51:47,245
David Pere: Dude.
1173
00:51:47,255 --> 00:51:47,745
I love it.
1174
00:51:47,745 --> 00:51:53,355
You've dropped some bombs on this and I,
I really like your, the entrepreneurial
1175
00:51:53,355 --> 00:51:56,985
side of how you figure things out and
you overcome obstacles and you've got a
1176
00:51:56,985 --> 00:51:58,095
bunch of different streams and you're.
1177
00:51:58,365 --> 00:52:01,695
Thinking outside the box and you know,
when I, when I hit you up, I was like,
1178
00:52:01,695 --> 00:52:02,925
dude, this guy's he's killing it.
1179
00:52:02,925 --> 00:52:03,585
He does music.
1180
00:52:03,585 --> 00:52:04,265
This is awesome.
1181
00:52:04,265 --> 00:52:04,975
We were Marines.
1182
00:52:04,975 --> 00:52:05,585
Like, cool.
1183
00:52:05,975 --> 00:52:09,425
I don't know that I realized how
deep in the business side you were.
1184
00:52:09,685 --> 00:52:12,905
And this has been really, really
cool to see how insightful and how
1185
00:52:12,905 --> 00:52:15,165
thoughtful you are about the way
that you go about these things.
1186
00:52:15,585 --> 00:52:18,651
Um, I may, I may just have to convince
you to come back on sometime and
1187
00:52:18,651 --> 00:52:21,215
we go way deeper because this is,
this is a lot of fun conversation.
1188
00:52:22,040 --> 00:52:22,990
Raymond Lott: Anytime, bro.
1189
00:52:23,050 --> 00:52:23,740
Anytime, bro.
1190
00:52:23,740 --> 00:52:26,140
And you know, whatever else you
want me to talk about next time.
1191
00:52:26,140 --> 00:52:27,080
I'm totally down.
1192
00:52:27,080 --> 00:52:29,420
But yeah, man, I just have
so much respect for you.
1193
00:52:29,420 --> 00:52:32,890
I just see your grind and your
hustle and, and what you're doing for
1194
00:52:32,890 --> 00:52:37,060
this whole community and, you know,
beyond for, for serving the country.
1195
00:52:37,060 --> 00:52:38,580
So, first of all, thank you for that.
1196
00:52:38,580 --> 00:52:43,110
But then also, you're still serving,
you're still adding to the community and
1197
00:52:43,110 --> 00:52:44,740
the nation with what you're doing now.
1198
00:52:44,940 --> 00:52:47,570
So it's just that mutual
respect that I have for you too.
1199
00:52:47,570 --> 00:52:49,970
So I had to come through on the pod, bro.
1200
00:52:50,275 --> 00:52:50,725
I love it.
1201
00:52:50,725 --> 00:52:50,805
I
1202
00:52:50,815 --> 00:52:51,165
David Pere: appreciate it.
1203
00:52:51,175 --> 00:52:53,355
Where can people get ahold of you when
they want to check out your tunes?
1204
00:52:53,355 --> 00:52:53,735
Where's the best
1205
00:52:53,735 --> 00:52:54,015
Raymond Lott: place?
1206
00:52:54,965 --> 00:52:57,675
Like they told us in the military
kiss method, keep it simple.
1207
00:52:57,675 --> 00:53:00,655
Stupid everywhere at the Marine rapper.
1208
00:53:00,675 --> 00:53:03,015
If you type that in, I pop up easy
1209
00:53:03,235 --> 00:53:06,175
David Pere: TMR, Raymond
Lott, the Marine rapper.
1210
00:53:06,655 --> 00:53:08,265
And it's just, I love it.
1211
00:53:08,375 --> 00:53:10,495
So Raven, thanks for joining us today.
1212
00:53:10,495 --> 00:53:11,785
This has been phenomenal.
1213
00:53:11,815 --> 00:53:12,555
I've had a great time.
1214
00:53:12,555 --> 00:53:15,495
Thank you for tolerating my
technical difficulties in the middle
1215
00:53:15,495 --> 00:53:16,875
there, making this a very unique.
1216
00:53:18,585 --> 00:53:20,295
Raymond Lott: for tolerating
my scheduling too.
1217
00:53:20,295 --> 00:53:21,295
I really appreciate you.
1218
00:53:21,295 --> 00:53:23,735
I know it's hard on the, uh,
the holidays and stuff like that
1219
00:53:23,735 --> 00:53:25,335
and, and bear with me as well.
1220
00:53:25,335 --> 00:53:27,515
So I appreciate you much
love to you and your fans.
1221
00:53:28,085 --> 00:53:28,845
David Pere: Absolutely brother.
1222
00:53:28,925 --> 00:53:29,655
You have a great day.
Sign up to receive email updates
Enter your name and email address below and I'll send you periodic updates about the podcast.
Episode: 236
Raymond Lott
Does the struggle of breaking into the music industry sound familiar? You’ve been told just to keep pushing through and things will eventually fall into place. But instead, you feel frustrated and discouraged as you continue to face rejection and setbacks.
Raymond Lott, widely recognized as the Marine Rapper, is a distinguished recording artist with multiple Billboard chart-topping hits. His music, influenced by a fusion of metal, hip hop, and country, reflects his extensive service as a US Marine from 2004 to 2014, encompassing two combat tours and a deployment to Africa. Raymond’s notable achievements include three Billboard hits, notably the number one hit single “The Patriot” and the number six hit single “Let’s Go, Brandon.” His remarkable success and resilience in the music industry position him as a credible source of expertise in managing expectations and fostering a positive mindset, making his insights invaluable to independent musicians navigating the intricacies of the music business.
What You’ll Learn:
- Learn the importance of emotional intelligence in the competitive music industry.
- Uncover effective strategies for managing expectations and staying resilient in the music industry.
- Explore the prevalence of negativity in the music industry and how to overcome it.
- Gain valuable leadership principles from the Marine Corps that can be applied to the music industry.
- And so much more!
Timestamp:
00:01:13 – Achieving Billboard Hits
00:02:18 – Dealing with Social Media Highs and Lows
00:03:40 – Managing Emotional Responses
00:11:49 – Raymond Lott’s Marine Corps Experience
00:12:09 – Introduction to Combat Journalism
00:14:28 – Recruiting and Celebrity Invites
00:16:47 – Online Engagement and Celebrity Requests
00:18:38 – Early Life and Introduction to Music
00:23:58 – Decision to Join the Marine Corps
00:24:30 – Military Journey and Training
00:25:13 – Challenges in MOS School
00:27:09 – Deployment and Music
00:31:35 – Leveraging Music and Social Media
00:34:49 – Transmedia and Revenue Streams
00:36:49 – Importance of Ownership in the Music Industry
00:37:25 – Synchronization and Revenue Streams
00:39:41 – Treating Yourself as a Business
00:45:41 – Resilience and Overcoming Challenges
00:49:27 – Military Grit and Market Awareness
00:50:28 – The Power of Humor in Music
00:51:10 – Achieving Success
Favorite Quote:
“Treat yourself like an IP. You’re not just a musician, you’re an entrepreneur. Leverage your skill as a product and find a way to monetize it.” – Raymond Lott
How to Connect with Raymond Lott:
Dive into the rhythmic world of The Mariner Rapper, where creativity knows no bounds.
Explore his website at https://themarinerapper.com/ to discover a musical voyage like no other.
For an immersive visual experience and behind-the-scenes glimpses into his artistry, follow him on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/themarinerapper/?hl=en.
Connect with The Mariner Rapper on a professional level and delve into his journey on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/rlott.
Don’t miss the chance to be part of this lyrical odyssey—follow The Mariner Rapper and join the rhythm that echoes through his captivating beats.
———————————————————————————–
Snag a FREE copy of my book, and get connected to the Military Millionaire community on all of your favorite platforms: https://www.frommilitarytomillionaire.com/free-book
Join The War Room Mastermind (no, not Andrew Tate’s knockoff), the only mastermind exclusively for service members and veterans striving to achieve financial freedom: https://www.frommilitarytomillionaire.com/mastermind-application
#militarymillionaire
–
Recommended books and tools: https://www.frommilitarytomillionaire.com/kit/
–
SUBSCRIBE: https://bit.ly/2Q3EvfE
–
Website: https://www.frommilitarytomillionaire.com/start-here/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/frommilitarytomillionaire/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/militarymillionaire/
–
My name is David Pere, I am an active duty Marine, and have realized that service members and the working class use the phrase “I don’t get paid enough” entirely too often. The reality is that most often our financial situation is self-inflicted. After having success with real estate investing, I started From Military to Millionaire to teach personal finance and real estate investing to service members and the working class. As a result, I have helped many of my readers increase their savings gap and increase their chances of achieving financial freedom!
–
Click here to SUBSCRIBE: https://bit.ly/2Q3EvfE to the channel for more awesome videos!
