BBoy Donovan of Rockforce Crew - Dancer, Breaker, DJ, MC, and Entrepreneur - Noise of the Broke Boys Episode 017
Manage episode 279346359 series 2835172
Noise of the Broke Boys Episode 017
BBoy Donovan, of the world famous Rockforce Crew, discusses the hard work and dedication needed to be a successful entrepreneur and the importance of tough mental fortitude and using therapy as a way to strengthen himself. He also shares his predictions about the covid crisis in America and how it will effect the hip hop scene.
Follow @
Instagram: noiseofthebrokeboys
Twitter: BrokeBoysNoise
Listen to the Audio on all Podcast platforms.
All The Links Here: https://linktr.ee/NoiseOfTheBrokeBoys
A broke degenerate hooligan documents conversations about being a Bboy, Breakin', Hip Hop, Dance, Art, Music, Creativity, Innovation, and the slow subtle crumble of society in audio form.
----more----
[Music]
this episode of noises a broke boys is
brought to you by yoga pants are you
someone that doesn't do yoga but are hip
with the culture and want to let
everyone know by wearing pants that
smash your blobby legs into an appealing
form or maybe you participate in yoga
regularly and want to celebrate the
ancient techniques of the Yogi's by
wearing an article of clothing that
reveals the intricate shape of your
rectum well I'm happy to announce to all
my cultural enthusiast listeners that
yoga pants' is here for you
come appropriate ancient yogic culture
and style with a fresh pair of yoga
pants use the search code thought on
Instagram to follow this cultural
phenomenon that's th o T on Instagram
and now on to the show
[Music]
in this episode I talk with one of the
most industrious guys I know he's known
for organizing some of the best hip hop
events in the northern and southern
California areas not only does he have a
ton of experience in entrepreneurship
but he is an amazing b-boy skilled MC
and a dope DJ I forgot to press the
record button in the beginning because I
have a complete and utterly incompetent
production staff written directed and
produced by Kurt the hurt so please
pardon the audio quality at first it
gets fixed at about the five minute mark
please enjoy the episode with b-boy
Donovan welcome everyone to this week's
episode welcome everyone to this week's
episode of chaos in the streets nothing
makes sense and the world is falling
apart today I have an amazing guest he
grew up in the mecca of hip hop
Fairfield California and has much
experience dancing rapping DJing event
planning and much more I'm happy to
introduce the king of government the boy
names b-boy dominant actually it's your
middle name
I actually kind of wanted to hear the
like this super petty gripe about like a
service described about like Lululemon
pants oh yeah what's your which is which
are cool is they like looking up and
like I mean girls are paying anywhere
from seventy to a hundred person
freaking pants with the Lululemon's logo
yeah but it's a not to be all
superficial when a girl's like kind of
too skinny
mm-hmm they don't hold up his nice and
the logos all saggy
you know y'all know Pantera trip
but anyways thanks for having me yeah
yeah man so we're living in some kind of
crazy times dude that's like like Kovan
stuff I mean it's been kind of crazy for
me because I've been trying to push out
more episodes on less and stuff and so
I'm really interested because you know
me and you starting to like train a
little bit recently
um and I'm curious like how do you think
COBIT is affecting the hip-hop scene oh
well I think hip hop's gonna keep on
going you know and if you're talking
about martial events with hip-hop live
events with hip-hop I mean for now it's
just gonna be what its gonna be you know
I just I just seen a live stream
yesterday you know events or scaled-down
you cater to social distancing and not
having too many people and you know
having a high risk people catching
Kovach 19 but I think we're just gonna
have to take what we can get for now I
think eventually I can't tell if it's
gonna be months from now a year or more
than that I think eventually it'll get
back to normal mm-hmm because as much as
like people are trying to improvise and
pivot and some people are doing a damn
good job like Dana White is it doesn't
mean yeah and I'm sure he's faced but
he's someone I look at like damn he's
making no excuses to keep his little bit
yeah you know I'm here like tamanna like
dude this is so wack you know what it
was a right when they were promoting the
Tony person and I forget who it was but
someone one of the
the news reporters got up and said are
you worried about copa90 nandini I was
like no like basically shutting the dude
down yeah the next week they had to
cancel stuff and I was like oh man this
is kind of crazy
I feel like Dana White probably was like
dude fuck this we're gonna make this
dead and now to like make it happen so
he's been he's been hustling to me that
guy he makes it happen yes I've always
looked up to him in regards to being a
promoter I guess you could say I could
call myself that but since I kind of
want i'm always looked into my like I'm
not a promoter Dana White's promoter and
now he's showing like you I still think
it'd happen yeah you know and most
people would be like well yeah he uh Fox
owns UFC and there's millions of dollars
that they have at any time but I
honestly feel like Dana White would do
whatever the hell he wants even if he
was in my position you know so it's
pretty cool that he's doing that but
going back to your question um so I
think you know we're just gonna have a
table you get for now mm-hmm
we're all kind of looking forward to
things normalizing so to say and once
that happens I think people are gonna
have to incorporate all the the live
resources that we've been using and the
the streaming and all that I think
that'll be implemented more so with live
events I know Coachella was already
doing a live stream a lot of the b-boy
events excuse me breaking events that we
go to I wanna go do we watch the live
stream but now I feel like things are
gonna get a lot more virtual but the
actual live event catering to the masses
you know will still need to happen in
regards to them both being SuperDuper
effective but um you know I'm just kind
of waiting waiting for that you know
people are really itching to to compete
or to do whatever you know there's
platforms through the internet through
zoo or whatever they're using
they could go ahead and battle I'm sure
I'm sure a lot of you know people in the
music industry or finding different ways
to either get hurt or connect and build
right now secure that fools careers like
blowing up from jail I didn't get caught
snitching you know I'm not trying to set
up crazy fights and uh you know I have
no excuse not not to stay busy social
distancing saved his career I think he'd
probably be Jeff probably dead if it
wasn't yeah I think he's he's coming out
with new songs and you still haven't
liked some super crazy features on his
tracks yeah I think he had Nicki Minaj's
he's something like that yeah yeah yeah
I mean he's making it happen he's a
hustler - yeah props to that guy for
sure um definitely but yet like hip-hop
for me it's it's such a social theme oh
yeah like it inherently doesn't work
with social distancing you know what I
mean like we grew you know battling is a
thing you can't do that with social
distancing I know people are trying yeah
the internet with these like yeah video
battles it feels like this is freaking
you know 1999 back when they had the
free year there's a website where you
post a picture a boy dot-org that'll is
um there was a whole bunch of all right
not a whole a handful of them yeah yeah
b-boy or yeah so I don't know I like I'm
what I'm worried about is that the
social aspect of the dance which is like
uh I want to say it's like 80% of what
we do I'm really curious how that's
gonna get affected by it I mean I'm
hoping that everything closes down but
then I know that it's never gonna be the
same because they're still gonna be
people you know I mean this has been a
huge wake-up call to people that you
know this is an issue that can happen
again
and so I'm just I'm really curious if
that's actually
you know how the scene could really mold
itself to be I guess I guess more of a
scene that accommodates for that but
still have a social aspect it's such a
way you know I definitely I definitely
get what you're saying especially with
breaking I mean to be honest I feel like
there's a lot of things that kind of are
in the same boat mm-hmm I mean Kevin
Durant posted tested positive right
mm-hmm Donovan Mitchell yeah it's like
they got a play ball all right Rudy go
bears yeah brought it in probably and I
you know I don't know I they're just not
gonna let them play yeah I don't know
yeah and I can Stage four can't happen
unless there's like proper treatment
and/or vaccine
I think so I mean there's a lot of
companies out there I mean the industry
the industry that I'm involved with is
all about live events you know and
everyone's just out there praying for a
vaccine or yeah well I feel like I see a
lot of people trying to improvise but I
feel so bad because you know it's not
the same and then you get you got shut
down again because of rising numbers
mm-hmm but man we should say we shall
see you know I don't know yeah it's just
weird to think you know if you know say
like you threw your next event
uh-huh let's say it's in let's say it's
even in a year people come in they're
still you know coming off of this whole
like Kobe let's say we're already past
Stage four oh yeah it's completely
opened up okay
I feel like still people will be a
little bit skeptical to come to an event
uh-huh you know there'd probably be a
lot of people wearing masks and doing
some stuff do you think that's gonna
affect the events I think it will yeah
but that just means you know it's up to
whoever still in the event to step up
their marketing ten times a hundred
times more so let's say you're the way
you know you're used to marketing is
good for 500 to a thousand people mm-hmm
post post Co vid that's those same
methods will bring maybe half or less so
you're talking about 200 people okay to
be
back to just a 500,000 I got a freaking
step it up five to ten times more that's
how that's how I look at it um I'm just
trying to be positive with whatever the
hell were going through yeah uh not not
that I'm demeaning all the unfortunate
things that have happened the lives lost
the jobs lost the money lost he all that
but um you know I think mmm
we all realized what we took for granted
we all we all should kind of hone in and
learn all these virtual tools and all
these other ways because eventually
again things will get back to normal and
I feel like there's gonna be some people
that were on the same bullshit you know
prior talk all the shutdowns and they go
and they're gonna be those people that
have been really learning really trying
to adapt or just add to when things get
normal again hmm
so you know just really trying to take
the time I should probably speed it up a
little bit or learn a little more in
regards to resources I can use but you
know I think I think Colvin's gonna
teach event promoters I hate it I hate
that word promoter I keep saying that
organizes the set a little more
professional to implement those kind of
things you know so if you have a badass
live event now people are gonna kind of
expect you to be in that online space
you know at the same time because you
know I mean I really wasn't too big on
it with my events I mean cross did it I
be so many people did it which was cool
which is automatic I'm talking like live
stream yeah live streaming it yeah but
now I feel like you kind of have to you
know even though even when things get
back to normal then that is gonna be the
new norm is to live stream your evenings
so what I've been seeing a lot of
recently is like I think what they're
doing is they're doing like it's like a
like a zoom battle or whatever yeah
which is kind of goofy but it seems to
me like what they're trying to do is
then get it like they're doing a
qualifier
way and then once they get there top
group they're gonna try to maybe do an
event with just them mm-hmm
I guess kind of similar to how UFC is
doing it now and it's just like that
they're just battling and then they'll
livestream it do you think that that's
probably a viable way so there is each
dancer in their own space so they're all
in the same space together I think it's
it's I think well I actually don't know
this is what it seems like I've yet to
talk to someone who's actually throwing
one of these events but it seems like
what they're trying to do is in stages
do like a qualifier to get down to like
a certain amount of dancers and then
then they would do a regular battle in
person oh okay I don't know if that's
exactly what they're doing but let's
just say that was what I'm doing do you
think that that's a viable way to do I
mean that's kind of how the UFC is doing
yeah I mean it wouldn't be the way I
would want to compete yeah but if that's
one of the few things offered I mean you
kind of got to take it right I get it
there are some dancers that thrive off
of the energy of the crowd a lot of us
do just actually it's weird to not yeah
yeah it was like a practice if you're
just dancing and like there's no one I
mean that's that's the thing but if you
love it you know and you're really doing
it just because you love the dance I
feel like you know it is what it is and
you know the top guys that could that
could hone in and you know do it yeah
you know we'll kill it shoutout to moyes
been doing a lot of work with the online
battles yes and still making it happen
yeah yeah I think he's been putting
together like a lot of classes since -
yeah class yeah yeah for real classes -
but really just he it doesn't seem like
he's wasting time I feel like he's being
a really good example on you know what
there's no break free in Houston this
year mm-hmm but I'm still gonna have
something for the community yeah for the
culture yeah
and where was the bullseye gonna I was
gonna say something after that but yeah
anyways just hopefully I feel like I
kind of want to do something like that
but it seems like it's a little more
tricky mm-hm then than I thought it
would be because not everyone's gonna
have some fire internet you know yeah
and then it's like you have a live DJ
like how you know you can't really
expect them to be on beat if they're
dancing your G so I'm assuming over the
Internet yeah like is there a song pool
they they choose from yeah it's it's a
weird it's a weird thing i I mean or do
you just let them play whatever music
they wanted yeah or you give them the
mix or something I don't know it's weird
vacancy yeah no I mean it and this and
these these are the this is the reason
why it's like a problem for me is that
because again we're like it's such a
social thing that when you cut out the
socialness of it you get into these
really weird situations that I don't
think any of us have even thought about
and yeah breaks it breaks down hip-hop
to its core almost you know it does but
you know it kind of breaks down humanity
to its core it does because we are
social beings I get it I could be a
super-duper introvert you know I
definitely love being alone but you know
people are starving for social
interaction mm-hmm you know shoot I was
it happened like twice this week and I
was at Ralph's and then I was at a state
herb rose and I just said hi to a couple
people and they were trying to get him
to some like conversation conversation I
kind of like more so than that are you
doing good oh yeah like tell me how the
process of cooking is steak and shit or
is roast I do that sounds like a
three-hour process like yeah you got a
lot of time on your hands to do that and
you know a lot of time your hands cuz
you're trying to break down the whole
damn process to me yeah but I was
telling my partner Peter from feel-good
collective we were talking about these
online battles if it keeps going this
direction I feel like we're gonna see a
lot of new talent we haven't seen mmm
for a few reasons
because they don't need the plane ticket
anymore to go to a jam mmm that's
interesting and just imagine right you
got this b-boy that just his talent
level is so high and it's like this in
sports it's like this in different arts
and different in even different dances a
guy that just he is skill level so high
or he's so good in sparring just when it
comes to those performing under the
lights they're just not they don't
perform as well yeah so now what if you
got this dude or this girl in the
comfort of the studio garage or whatever
they practice that every day they train
out every day you should maybe even have
some padding under the floor cement some
puzzle mat under the linoleum or even
softer then you got your friends like as
close homies that thing he or she is the
best dancer in the world hyping them up
and they're in their comfort zone you we
might get some talent
we don't even know come yeah yeah I have
a feeling that we're gonna see some some
dudes just out of like I don't know
India or some random country that we
haven't really seen competing at the
high level before but now that I guess
the spotlight has to be put on to the
online community and that they've
already been in that online community
you know for a long time because they
don't they never really had native
b-boys in their trailer countries so
it's like they've always been getting
everything from online and now they have
it's like a home game for them now you
know what I mean it's like yo let's
throw our shit out there yeah maybe
people are seeing it now and you might
see I don't know like some super star
online b-boys and maybe no I really I
really think it might be like that you
know again I'm really trying to be
optimistic I think everyone's like
everyone's trying to be optimistic about
this whole thing because it's so
uncertain but for the you know but
sometimes I get caught up in like damn I
really I really don't know what's gonna
happen you know and just try to embrace
uncertainty I guess you know you know
and make the most of it you
because I don't know man but anyways
with online stuff shit people need to
get their decks ready and all their
pitches the sponsors ready because I
feel like you know whether it's an
online battle or it's sports or more
maybe you're more on the broadcasting in
sports are still gonna happen people are
gonna watch I mean I get it there's no
live gate you know those ticket sales
are very crucial to profit but since
there are gonna be more views you know
God willing the sponsorship could
balance out the ticket sales if not
helped out a little bit you know so I
guess you know you as I guess an event
promoter or whatever I like to be called
it a coordinator coordinator as long as
I've known you've been like this kind of
Hustler an entrepreneur type of person
if you're in the situation right now I'm
going to do an event like say say you
had a big sponsor already lined up
they're like you got to make this happen
what would you do what would be your
game plan um game plan so it's okay like
it for instance the the sponsor said I
could do it online they said you can do
it online they have you know they're
giving you the full support whatever
what would be your first thing to do I
guess to get that event off the ground I
mean I mean I'm just imagining some if
somebody who's listening right now wants
to throw an event mm-hmm you know you
with the long history of experience
throwing events what would be a thought
process to actually start getting into
this I guess new realm I guess it all
depends what kind of event you know I
mean I'll just keep it simple so if it's
breaking mm-hmm you know reaching out to
the people in my circle that you know
are very very vital and very important
to the scene getting them involved but
obviously I have to go through that
because I know there's some people that
probably do not wouldn't want to do it
you know either they're getting older or
you know their parents are getting older
they're just around people where I can't
even take that risk so you know getting
everyone involved if I'm talking about
something more musical booking the
talent you know just making sure
everyone's down to you know be a part of
it I guess this is just me saying if we
were happy to have an event with a small
group altogether and then live stream it
if everyone is individually kind of
zooming or facetiming that might be a
little different but I would honestly
really invest in the marketing I'm like
obviously Morgan Marketing okay cuz
marketing is kind of everything right
yeah yeah and obviously production you
know really really get keen on the
production and you know everything else
should fall into place I I know it's
very vague but I feel like that's all we
can do I just try to focus on how we're
gonna get a bigger reach mm that we have
quality talent and that the productions
on point because we I feel like now
deejays and now a lot of people that
started live streaming are getting the
hang of it you know you no disrespect to
the people that were doing the verses
battles and I'm not disrespecting that
company just like there were some
battles where it was like damn the OGN
really up on these damn which ones were
those there was baby face for his Teddy
Riley okay
there was primo versus RZA there was I
think t-pain and Little John kind of
just did it on off the strengths like
together unless it was coordinated I'm
not sure but it was stuff like that
which was pretty dope think they had
some dope ass battles you know yeah my
thing now people like okay we got to
keep it either keep it simple or if
we're gonna kind of be a little more
intricate with our production really
really really beyond it yeah
like make sure you have a good product
and then get it out there in market a
online is that's kind of yeah I mean I
feel like the focus of having worrying
about your door person your security the
venue the parking and all these other
logistics aren't there so those efforts
definitely should go to make sure that
the event runs good on time the
production is good the marketing the
promotion everything is on point
you know I've yet to I've yet to even
like entertain that idea there's a you
know with the feel-good collective we've
done some live streams but nothing as in
like a live stream show or a battle we
we we actually were talking about that
recently if we might do it but um yeah
that's pretty much I do hmm marketing
and production yeah um so you mentioned
feel-good Inc which is your company
right outfielder collective yeah and
that's basically like your event uh yeah
we do oh we do events we do marketing we
we have a collective of different
artists we have DJs photographers oh
I'll go first so it's like a we do yeah
so our bread-and-butter are events his
events excuse me uh we're kind of like a
mini agency I guess you could say we
don't really it like it's like a non
verbal agreement we have all the
resources to mark it you know I'm saying
the artistic things we do okay and yeah
we just kind of we kind of build off
that we have we have a clothing line
called feel good supply yeah we were yet
to put out the new line most of this
stuff has been is sold out already okay
but yeah you guys have like a website
the website is under construction right
now but you can still check out the
clothing and feel good dot supply the
website the feel good collective calm
should be up soon you can check us out
on soundcloud we're still putting up
weekly mixes you know for okay for
people to at least get that feel-good
vibe you know out there at their parties
or freaking
zone parties or whatever they're doing
and are you making the mixer you got
like I got we got a whole bunch of dope
talented DJs I mean I've it's very
important to me and my partner would
feel good Collective Peter just kind of
be surrounded by creative individuals I
know the word creative I know the word
entrepreneur everything gets thrown
around so crazily nowadays yeah but I
feel like it's very helpful especially
for me because I get to stay I stay on
point and get put on game with what's
happening whether it's on social media
whether it's entertainment music and all
that so we're just really um you know a
collective of creatives that just makes
shit happen yeah cool shit happen that's
dope though I mean cuz it's kind of like
it's a group of just probably
like-minded individuals
yeah you guys have a new project or
whatever you're like let's all get our
brains together and make that happen I
mean I think that's really tight because
in my perspective I feel like when
people use their creativity they can
really push through bounds yeah to make
something happen so you as like an
entrepreneur I feel like you know you
constantly have to use this kind of
creative mentality then you've grown up
you know developing through through all
the arts you do dancing music to become
a better entrepreneur and I think that's
probably why you're so so good at it
would you agree with that or no no no
yeah I totally agree
you know i-i've had a team I had another
company when I lived in the bays some
small-time stuff but he was a lot of fun
called plus I'm vibes like I come I had
a team I kind of had a team mm-hmm and
there were times I didn't have a team mm
you know I think again a lot of people
are okay just running things by
themselves but the team makes a big damn
difference you know and you have a team
work could be delegated more ideas could
be freaking ideas and resources
and shooed you'd even be enlightened you
know just like oh shit maybe I was doing
that wrong you know thanks to a team
member but yeah everything kind of it's
still coming together the it's not a
full circle yet but I could see how
everything has came together throughout
these years of hustling and putting on
events trying to maintain as an artist
and all that stuff yeah I think I think
what's cool about what teams is that
you're pulling in everybody's little
idea that maybe they think is shit but
let me just throw it out there yeah and
you know everybody's little shit idea
kind of comes together to become like in
real city that's how it really be not
not such a bad idea and then you kind of
you're all like thinking on the same
wavelength to get to like an actually
good idea and I think that's probably
why it's so good now it's amazing it's a
mate
I am so freakin blessed to have the team
that I have to have the leaders that I
have and that team I miss sometimes will
have meeting meetings and sometimes I'll
put out some stupid ideas you know and
sometimes someone else will have a fire
idea sometimes I will some people
sometimes people just have some ideas
we're all just kind of like okay you
know were just like acting like we
appreciate the idea but you know like
you said sometimes it's just like there
it is
you know like you have to get those
ideas out some are gonna work some are
it you know but yeah having a team is
great we've been we've been a little
quiet obviously due to Co vid mm-hmm I
think everybody yeah everyone's been a
little quiet but all I could and I
respect it you know I totally understand
even myself you know I'm just hoping
after all this is done everyone's kind
of been working whether it's on their
own craft or just on themselves everyone
has just been working on themselves so
that we're all just stronger
individually so when when we are the
collective that we are you know we just
we just murk shit
and what else was I gonna say after that
do you think that the way your team kind
of works together is similar to like a
breaking crew or like a rap crew a
little bit but with it depends what
breaking Coon what rap crew you're
talking about right so what I really
really encourage with everyone from the
feel-good collective but everybody got
to focus on them damn selves you know
their art yeah aircrafts on whatever
hustles they're doing you know be solid
with your with your own foundation you
know when we come together yeah it's
like a it's like a commission table so
to say it's uh it's like Voltron yeah
yeah I need to show my age yeah it's
like Power Rangers yeah yeah but Captain
Planet intend oh that was like one of
the Yankees games but I love the card
too and so yeah I feel like the Warriors
right we're like the Power Rangers oh so
would you would you agree me on this and
this is very subjective if the Warriors
are the Power Rangers middle east were
talking about to like three years back
three seasons back uh-huh
we Kevin Durant be the Green Ranger so
we're just like don't really need me but
I'm here and I got my own fucking sword
yeah no yeah well at first he was the
bad guy oh fuck that dude and then when
they're like oh actually I'm not the bad
guy let me join and they're like oh hell
yeah now we're gonna really fuck these
uh buddies all the buddies yeah dude I
would agree with that yeah he was the
one I was trying to discredit his staff
maybe Steph could be the freakin Green
Ranger the white ranger but I was just
saying he was kind of like you know he
had a fire team without him and then
they bring him in and it's like oh we're
just that's icing on the cake we're just
gonna blow everybody up even yeah so
yeah no he was the Green
that's tight yeah yeah but going back to
uh feel good collected man I just yeah I
love it because we're all individuals
interested in either the same thing or
really freakin different things yeah you
know and that and I look at it more so
as uh you know as well it was the word
I'm looking for mainly we get back to
that man but I'm very thankful for them
and you know that circle keeps me very
very charged up you know there been
times you know even you know before but
before Cove it was just like I'm tired
from these these other projects that I'm
working on these other jobs from from
training from other things and you know
when I see them they give me energy
oh yeah you know they're very they're
very big source of inspiration for me
just like it's different having a team
you know the energy it's about support
yeah it's support things are
reciprocated and you just you know it's
hard to explain it you can't even
quantify it you know yeah well you guys
are better the sum of your parts makes
you guys even better you know no I think
that is one of the most important things
about the team is that you got all these
brilliant people coming together and you
make something even more broad from the
summer nah definitely definitely just
look just like a b-boy crew just like a
b-boy yeah yeah I mean DJ crew yeah so
it's a feel-good collective yeah so um
what actually got you into like I guess
being an entrepreneur I mean like as
long as I've known you you've been like
that I mean and you're in Fairfield I
think when I first met which despite
what I said in the beginning it's not
quite the mecca of hip hop yeah it's
kind of just what a cow town you know
that's back of the old vac appeals back
of the cow town pocket yeah this is next
to the the came here the second last
city of the Bay Area right so I think
Vacaville is the last city consider Bay
Area so goes Vallejo Fairfield backfill
the bay doesn't actually touched
it touches Vallejo right edge Fairfield
I don't know get a touch Cordelia no
Green Valley corner maybe doesn't know I
actually I mean I guess I don't really
understand what is the Bay Area yeah
because some people will even say
Sacramento is the Bay Area my god I
don't think so it's a it's in a valley
and it doesn't touch a bay there's like
and people from the city won't even
consider them like anything really
outside of you know San Francisco or
this Oakland you know Daly City some
they don't consider anything outside of
you know the Bay Bridge San Mateo Bridge
and the Golden Gate Bridge to be even
the Bay Area yeah is what it is I mean
he's still 7 l7 all day I'm not really
worried about it but yeah Fairfield uh
yeah that's home and I miss it I miss it
I need to go back uh-huh but how I got
into like events but I mean just being
like just hustling was just always
something that I think a lot of people
do as a kid you know like for instance I
remember going to the spot it was in
Pinole or Hercules okay it was called
Ichiban okay and they would have all the
Dragon Ball Z they had you know man I
hate to be you know Ranma 1/2 you
remember that what was it Ranma 1/2 that
yeah yeah you're like I'm old but not
that old you know a Ninja Scroll okay
you know they just they had Sailor Moon
stuff oh yeah Vallejo baseball in
Springs town had it too but anyways so
it wasn't like a typical comics all
right it's more anime focused oh so I
would just you know when we go visit
family around that area be like hey mom
can we stop by there I'm not sure I like
should I know my neighbors will like and
then I was you know I'm saying I would
just double triple the price you know
yeah sell it off like you mean you know
what uh Patrick you may not eat lunch
for a week but this Dragon Ball scroll
is so fire yeah you don't really need to
eat lunch for a week you know so you
know as a little kid I was always
hustling and stuff like that but I got
into a van
because of my first J I only want to say
my or I but my first break and crew NSP
non-stop b-boys we threw unbreakable
yeah
unbreakable one shot out - unbreakable
in Belgium but it's totally different
right we had unbreakable March of 2002
in Fairfield California yeah so how that
came about really was I was driving I
had seen a dance rehearsal they are a
dance recital they're at this church
yeah and I was like owner if you get the
breaking combo if you throw a jam here
mm-hmm
and then I don't know if you remember
spunk yeah okay dope man a lot of people
know him but a spunk we were in my cars
driving I was like I was 17 he must have
been 15 mmm you know probably driving to
Paris and I was like hey man you choose
should we try to throw this Jam
yeah and he's like yeah let's do it
you know so he did it the rest of the
crew everyone was on board this church I
randomly let me sign the contract that
was 17 I'm not even like legally liable
for if something were to happen they
gave me the keys I paid two hundred for
rent uh-huh and five fifty almost six
hundred people come into this like
Methodist Church in Fairfield hmm thank
God the talent level is high because my
resources were small you know everything
was ran very very uh I don't want to say
janky but let's just say it was my first
event but that's one Kareem EJ and our
monkey one okay what year was that
2002 okay yeah right there Ajax battle
drift hmm
there was uh what other was there
another exhibition but yeah man so got
in some more breaking events hmm
somehow I would just always take the
lead on them and then I ventured off to
events nightlife events corporate events
winning and making some decent dough as
a kid losing
you know I remember my first lost being
18 and like you know $800 as an 18 year
old kid you thought it was a lot you
know and just kind of was like okay
these are solid these are hit or miss
this is more miss this is uh you know
some I got events of all kinds car shows
nonprofit events weddings a lot of
nightlife stuff cuz my life was pretty
consistent oh yeah and that that kind of
that that's really how a lot of my
ventures and a lot of my endeavor
started was because I started throwing
breaking events you know and kind of
taught myself other things from that you
know like okay this worked for breaking
let me try in this realm but I'm still
in regards line still in the line of you
the event industry let me try this let
me try that and then you know I mean you
meet different people you you get new
ideas you get new passions and you know
it's I feel like I'm just on to
something new and
kovat has also been a blessing for me to
kind of have some downtime and figure
out what I really really like or love
and what I want to do because before
Kovan man I was my head was literally
all over the place it's like we're doing
events once or twice a week I have my
own gigs like I might have a wedding
that weekend I have my own Club bookings
that I'm doing personally okay I'm still
practicing yeah yeah you know and I
still got other projects I want to
monetize off of I got passion projects
and I'm yeah
socially I'm trying to still be you know
whoever Donovan is to them I was just
very very stretched thin yeah you know
and kovat uh really taught me what I
miss and probably took for granted and
what actually I probably don't mind not
going back to even if things do go
normal again so it kind of reframed like
uh yeah yeah I'm a goalie I'm really
excited for these next few
months man god-willing uh something
comes out of you know fruition with
everything yeah oh yeah so can you
mention any of those projects are they
kind of not really I'm not really the
type to be like you know I can't really
you know I hate when pew yeah he likes
it okay man before it's actually
anything I mean the funny thing is I'm
gonna be a hypocrite and probably not
tell you everything but um so I hate
when you're super close to somebody
uh-huh and I'm like oh yeah what you've
been working on yeah this one thing man
I really can't say cuz I'm like well
fucker I've known you for a hella long
you swear like on the body how
disrespectful but yeah you know just
music I'm working on a few projects as a
as a as an MC as a DJ I'm working with
other a couple other producer homies and
you know some lines and brands that are
some lines and brands that have to do
with other interests I know you a lot of
people see me and ike hip-hop or you
know nightlife they see me in that light
but you know I'm working on a few
projects that's like showcasing my other
interest um that people aren't used to
seeing me yeah stuff like that man yeah
like that ya know it seems like you're
always like busy and trying to work on
the next thing and kind of like lining
stuff up yeah I mean it's important it's
you know the beginning of kovat I
probably wasn't busy I was just living
in my head stressed the fuck out to be
quite honest yeah a lot of you probably
yeah a lot of people were and you know I
mean but pushing through you know
pushing through that I think is probably
something that a lot of people have
trouble with it but you as like this
entrepreneur it's probably helped you a
lot because you've always been like at
least for what I see when I look at
entrepreneurs it seems like they're
always kind of like playing chess in a
way where they are moving like steps
ahead in their mind before they actually
are doing that so then when you know
they when when you know their opponent
takes a that they weren't expecting
right you can actually quickly read
what's going on in and that
essentially what kovat probably did to
you is I mean yeah but it took a while
you know just be completely on it like I
would say the first four to six weeks I
was in a pretty dark place I mean
luckily I already started I already had
started going to therapy once a week not
in February okay you know and so I'm
going to therapy then the shutdown's
happened quarantine happens lockdowns
all that and you know my therapist
reiterated like you're not the only
person feeling uncertain right now you
know and he's like a lot of people are
gonna be stressed not do nothing about
it but they're gonna be those people
that are not saying they're not gonna
get phased but they're gonna use that
energy to be productive to be um to make
something of themselves or make some do
more yeah and then what's expected
during these times you know there are
some people it's like okay I get where
I'm at but there are some people that
already had less than what like or well
where we're experiencing through kovat
here in California United States some
people are like man I wish I could do
that I wish I could be in California on
lockdown
you know and I'm you know I wasn't I
don't have the resources I don't have
the income I don't have the family I
don't like a lot of people have less
than what we're feeling right now and
you know I was kind of like my ego is
telling me don't come out of this you
know what I'm saying not not in better
form than some of these other cuz there
are some people man that are working
right now there are some people whether
it's physical whether it's you know
hustling whether it's starting a new
business or making music whatever
they're gonna be some people out of this
that are actually just gonna be you know
flexing and have a lot to show for this
quote-unquote downtime you know so my
therapist kind of preached that and he
said okay you don't know what to do just
do something he's like in a sense have
productive distractions you know because
it's like stop worrying about this
contract to go through if you did your
best you know it is it's gonna be what
its going it's in the world much about
yeah you can't do much like the word you
know he was always saying like the worst
thing you could do
is nothing you know and sit so whether
it's me working on a passion project me
riding some rhymes thinking of some
breaking moves cleaning the house if
it's me organizing something not to say
I use those as reasons to not do the
stuff I really really need to do that
make me fulfill but it's still better to
do something rather than just dwell on
this craziness that we're in right now
no you know right when this happened
well so for the this podcast I've been
recording episodes since I want to say
October or maybe even September of last
year 2019
I was just stacking shows and shit and I
was always like oh I'm gonna release it
release them but I want to do whatever
the huh and then right when this
lockdown happened I was kind of like man
dude this freakin psycho yeah something
clicked in my mind that was like dude
you got all this work to do to get this
show that you've always wanted to get
and so that was when I I kind of changed
my perspective instead of like feeling
bad for my let me just start putting in
the work to like get this shit off you
know kicked off and so then that I feel
like it almost wouldn't have happened if
I didn't if it's the Kovach's you know
what I mean which so it's kind of a
blessing in a way yeah shitty bless yeah
I was able to like at least like some
some kind of positivity from know that's
important I feel like okay we're alive
yeah you know we're alive I do know some
people whose family members you know
unfortunately passed from it
[Music]
but you know though were affected we're
still here mm-hm and if we're still here
what is the good that's in front of us
due to it and you know I think um you
know that downtime is important I mean
to be quite honest uh shoot if I'm done
with the gig sometimes I'm coming home
be like 3:00 in the morning you know and
then it's like I have relationships with
these venues so I'm obviously getting
free drinks yeah fuck around and get a
midnight snack there's a taco truck
outside that yeah you know and it's just
it's so weird because after I snapped
out at that dark place I probably
honestly haven't felt this healthy
physically and mentally and a long
freakin time you know I could look
myself in the mirror a lot more and kind
of you know break down what I see my
sleeps a little better though I got some
bags under my eyes but hey yeah sleepy
be a little better but you know sleeps
sleeps better not having them late ass
meals all the time stress levels aren't
as high cuz man there's a lot of stress
and anxiety that not all the time but
once in a while could come up you know
in the industry that I'm in you know
some people deal with it way better than
me yeah I mean yeah yeah a few people
were like man I think you kind of
manifested that's this downtime because
I used to say like I kind of want to
fall back a little bit I kind of wanna
maybe focus on some other things not
that I don't miss there are certain
events that I do with the feel-good
collective and then also um I do for
certain clients that I do miss but
there's a lot of stuff I was just doing
for a consistent dough you know or doing
more so just for the check and you know
it was really tiring and then like i
like i said earlier trying to keep up
with training you know those just having
such a busy definitely like elevate your
stress yeah you gotta have good
management up that oh yeah I wish I
haven't kind of like I guess a stoic
attitude towards it is
is I think important because it's like
if you're working your hardest to make
something happen and you're putting it
out in the world you know I guess what a
stoic would say is like yeah out in the
world I don't have any control over it
at this point but you you put your
hardest effort into it like and be happy
happy that you were able to do them hmm
so I think that's a good way to like
really Varian you know as artists I feel
like we're so I don't want to say in
institutionalize but in a sense we're so
stuck on the way we process our thoughts
uh-huh you know cuz maybe the those
thought processes excuse me
made you the great artist you were mm mm
or you are excuse me yeah yeah but maybe
on certain day-to-day activities that
mindset is not the healthiest you know
yeah and just learning to
compartmentalize my thoughts
I know super basic stuff but usually it
does go back down I mean if you look at
the the way you're feeling if it's
uneasy it really goes back to some very
very simple thoughts and no whatnot but
yeah man just just trying to freaking
organize my thoughts organize my life a
lot better you know man yeah anyways
that's that I'm gonna getting tired
thinking about mold not playing hey I'm
not getting tired but you were
mentioning um therapy I actually had
someone on do you know you know peter
dinh yeah yeah he's like a family
therapist I had um before and so he was
talking to me a lot about like how
therapy how he uses like therapeutic
exercises to kind of I don't know boost
his like creative men mentality and and
I don't know kind of just run his life a
little bit better do you think I mean
you were saying that therapy's helped
you a lot it's amazing yeah
yeah do you think that it cuz the way he
was talking to me it seems like it kind
of just like aligns your life you know
it really does man I think honest Peter
right the one that always has like a new
stretch frickin kij like every practice
yeah it has a band he'll have like does
he still have dreads yeah he's got your
idea okay the air flare guy right you've
seen him forever but he'll do a hair
flip yeah yeah man therapy I think is
super important I mean me personally I
go every week I feel like it's helped me
so much I could probably go a little
less I could probably go like every
other week but I still go okay every
week I know some people that go once a
month but the reason I really wanted to
go is because I kind of was looking at
my expenses and I was like okay I'm
paying 40 for my 24-hour Supersport
mm-hmm I'm paying a hundred for my
boxing gym mm-hmm paying 16 or 60 bucks
a month for the class pass okay I don't
know if you know the classes classes
beautiful as hell anyway so I'm paying
$200 just to be I'm not fit but just
from my physical fitness I guess you
could say right I'm spending 200 bucks
that's not even counting what the hell
if I you know my food whether whether
it's healthy or unhealthy spending $200
just on gym memberships mm-hmm I'm
reading a book try to read a book once a
month or whatnot but still what what
investment some are really making on my
brain oh my yeah which is like super
duper important yeah and it's been it's
been awesome yes it's been freakin great
and I feel like we all should you know
see it therapist if you're not
frequently once in a while you know I
know it's SuperDuper taboo yeah to talk
about that but man man but it really
shouldn't yes it's kind of like a
checkup
it's like a doctor's checkup but for
your brain uh-huh maybe you that's how
people have described it to me oh man
it's awesome I mean it's your freaking
brain it's your well-being you know
thank god there's been so many advocates
for mental health you know putting it
out there the last you know five six
years
shout out to Paul see Paul's
he's actually when that preached it to
me the most hmm and through that from my
crew from rock for screw pushing mental
health it was kind of like was a wake-up
call like yeah Brad your mental health
my me needs some working out you know
because um you know I noticed I was
getting a lot of anxiety yeah and uh
from from everything that I'm juggling
again yeah if i if i compartmentalize my
brain a little better maybe not but you
know as a kid excuse me not a kid but
you know as when i'm like 18 19 20
actually maybe even up to my late 20s I
was so used to this the anxiety the
stress doing a million things
now I'm getting older it's kind of
affecting me different mm-hmm you know I
mean I'm still diving I still look good
but now that getting season he are just
kidding you know it's affecting
affecting me differently
yeah to where it's almost it was almost
taking a toll okay so that's what I was
like okay time to go to therapy oh thank
God I got insurance yeah we good man but
I think I think it's important man yeah
I know from everything I've heard it's
something that I should really be doing
too I mean even if someone that
SuperDuper positive and maybe someone
that's a million times more mentally
stronger than me
you know maybe go just a few times a
year maybe you know should its your
freaking brain yeah Peter definitely was
like a good he was like a wake-up call
to me to like kind of convince me that
this is its shouldn't be as taboo as it
really as it has been and cuz it's just
it's it's something that like it makes
you more powerful you know what I mean
it helps you kind of just take a step
back and realize your thought process
realize why you feel a certain way
mm-hmm and I think it's kind of really
important for people like us you know
that are trying to balance breaking that
we love mm-hmm
having stable income you know having a
significant other and then it's like
we're wearing so many different hats
every frickin day you know it's like
okay I'm a brother on my son I'm a
business partner I'm a team leader I'm
an employee I'm a project manager I'm a
crew member I'm oh man you know it could
get tiring and you know I think it's
really important I think um I think yeah
people should definitely reach out
especially during these times man it's
crazy time so yeah anxiety levels are
yeah for sure
do you so do you think therapy has
helped you be more creative uh I think
it has to be quite honest okay because
now I'm using the my my energy on you
know building off of ideas as opposed to
stressing over shit I can't yeah and I
have no control over anyway again it
sounds super duper simple and some
people like oh you know I hear people so
as someone told me man why am I gonna go
therapy and talk to someone I don't even
know about my problems you know and I'm
like oh yeah I get you it's that's kind
of funny but I kind of get you mm-hmm
but still it's like well who you gonna
talk to your homey that's just gonna be
a yes man in your damn living room yeah
you know I mean you you you spent you
know hours and days weeks months you
know venting to your your parents and
your friends and your family members
that are probably just gonna act like
they agree with you maybe try to get
another opinion yeah out of your body
yeah getting in a perspective out of
your bubble especially a knowledgeable
perspective is super helpful yeah man
definitely is business artistically yeah
you know everything something that Peter
was mentioning to me was like if you
think about your mental capability it's
somewhat finite um you know you can't
you don't have just like an unlimited
decision-making and so at a certain
point when you stretch it too far you're
just making
bad decisions and so if you think of it
as like a currency and every day you're
spending that currency on a decision or
just some mental activity you want to be
spending it on the stuff now that is
important to you so unfortunately though
stress and stuff like that you're you're
spending currency and so just framing it
that way it's it's I mean it's like a it
should be a wake-up call to everyone to
realize like you know I knew I should
really pay more attention to these
things that I actually care about yeah
and have more of a stoic attitude about
the things that I don't want don't want
to worry about like you know necessary
stress and no it's true you know I've
had jobs that are a little more labor
intensive or excuse me like yeah it's a
lot more physical work involved you know
and I can still go to practice I could
still do all that just fine yeah you
know but some of the jobs I've had where
it's very sales oriented and I'm talking
to people I'm trying to hack people's
brains trying to get them buy this
product or the service that my company
is offering I noticed like trying to
train after that doing a hundred times
less of physical work but using you know
all that mental energy I was putting in
sales actually made me more tired at
practice you know than me doing
something yet is a lot more physical and
you know I've been noticing that a lot
more lately like you know I actually
took a step back from teaching a few
years ago I used to teach a lot when I
first moved to Orange County okay
I just know you know I mean there's
still I teach a couple people
individually but you know God bless the
teachers
god bless the therapist God like it
takes a lot of your own mental energy
you know you're giving it too you're
giving it to your students you're giving
it to your patients man yeah yeah you
know I'm trying to unfortunately these
days be a little more selfish with mine
mmm because I could tell like show my
brain is fried right now what did I do
to uh
maybe a little less time with this
person maybe a little less time doing
this and you know well I feel like
calling it selfishness is what we're
trained to think of it as but it's not
really like that because I mean it's
really you're doing what you need yeah
you gotta take care of yourself first
yeah exactly
well you can't help anyone if you're in
bad conditions all right I mean so if
you actually want to help somebody you
do need to be somewhat selfish to
yourself so that you're actually capable
of helping them
that's how someone framed it to me and
it I was like oh yeah obviously if I if
I if if I'm over here being crazy
there's no way I can help anybody so you
know in a way me being selfish is
actually being so no it's true I mean I
think it was Tony Robbins I was
listening to one of his episodes on his
podcast yesterday and just like they
obviously tell you if you're a parent on
a plane you know if the frickin life
vests come the oxygen masks come down oh
yeah make sure you're good first you
know what I'm saying like so it's
obvious man I just you know I know it's
gonna take more than just me to kind of
let people know that there are options
for mental health but a man why now
we're so obsessed with you know I love
breaking you know I break about three
times a week I boxed about three times a
week I go by him I love I love the
physical aspect of life you know but
everything got to ally me
you freak yeah is that what drew you to
breaking the physical aspect of it no I
just think I was like a low-key like
hyperactive kid like a kind of an
artistic kid maybe you like that just
saw it and was very intrigued by it you
know when I was younger it's just school
was cool
I mean preschool is lit man okay I
remember I went to walk through my pasa
bomb into preschool and there was a walk
blue I named it before I started and I
saw one of the kids there and he had the
Ghostbuster the car the the car they had
yeah yeah and I was like damn I don't
have that this is gonna be so dog
anyways I'm getting off the subject yeah
I I just always like doing things like I
used to play the piano
okay you know I used to play the talent
shows in elementary school okay you know
fifth grade I think I played some boys
too man I took martial arts as as a kid
okay you know I like that I like the
competitive part of that and I was just
like man I would do such cringe-worthy
stuff as a kid just like acting like I
was a radio DJ recording it on a
freaking cassette player and then yeah I
would do stuff like that I would try to
remix songs weren't even the same BPM
but I was like ooh this this tape came
with the acapella on this side this one
has the instrumental on this like
there's a sight you know like it don't
make sense
but um yeah man I've always been kind of
music competition like physically
physical competition I've always been
really drawn to it and you know and
should be told like before breaking the
I actually wanted to DJ before I started
breaking okay but yeah I don't know how
I go this is gonna this is gonna sound
super cliche but you know the term oh I
didn't choose hip hop hip hop
chose me hmm like to be quite honest
that's kind of how it was not to get
off-topic I know we're trying to go into
breaking but I was just intrigued by the
culture I don't know how my dad was
really into music a lot of people his
age were but I saw how much he took care
of his records and his tapes and his age
he took they were in great shape even
his boot the shit he bootlegged had like
typed out labels and everything so like
it meant something to him yeah you know
nothing was warping nothing none of his
tapes were breaking so I saw how much
music meant to him you know with all the
music he was collecting and I remember
and I don't know how I had that idea
hip-hop musta I must have seen on MTV or
something
memories usually good but I don't know
how I first saw scratching I remember in
second grade second grade my teacher
every week would have this little shop
like set up with little like knickknacks
shrink its books and all that like if
you you rack up points during the week
if you did some good shit right okay and
then I know she pulled this gift out of
the freaking you know out of her closet
she hasn't been to in like 20 plus years
but there's a book so it was a
read-along book but the read along audio
was a record all right so she was like I
was like I want this with my points and
she was like oh oh that's a record I'm
sorry and I was like no my dad has a
record player I'm gonna freakin play it
at home she's like are you sure because
I think it's like a Clifford the Big Red
Dog
Audio my god mile something and then I
get home and I'm on my dad's belt drive
yeah record player right but I'm trying
to scratch this audio file and it's not
working and my dad is and he's like what
the hell are you doing with my dam tell
my oh my I got this one my teacher and
he's like what
clearly no cliff I think he'll shut out
the Clifford the Big Red Dog
yeah and going up like I think I was
like around 9 or 10 I would see my
cousin's DJing okay and you know my shy
passive-aggressive ass is like then you
know they even ask me hey you want to
learn I'm like no no I was like shy so
I'm getting a little older and then
realizing all that shit that shit takes
money
you know if the turntables ain't cheap
yeah you know my parents at that time
we're not in the best financial position
and be splurging on me like that okay
yeah but yeah man I got into break you
know because I used to see people I took
fYI Taekwondo and another are called
tongs to do another martial uncle you
can see which a lot of people don't know
shouts a Ryan Porter he's the only
person that I've met that has also taken
tongs sudo okay yes you know I would see
people you know maybe once in a while do
a drill or a flare just on the side it's
like damn that looks that looks cool
okay
but man really got into breaking because
again things I don't think the circle is
finished but I was blessed enough to
live two blocks down from
second-generation rock force members
like two blocks in this little city
called Sassoon City yeah well I mean a
lot of people just say Fairfield
but Sassoon City Fairfield is kind of
like Lake Forest
Irvine or like Midway I'm gonna grow
like like Sacramento even right it's
good like 30 miles apart right oh no no
no uh Sassoon in Fairfield yeah no no
it's like by back it's back to back I'm
trying to think oh the other city would
be like that kind of like Pinole and
Hercules oh you feel me yeah something
like that but um man I was just so
blessed to live two blocks down from
them their names were Elmer Daytona and
Eric Daytona and randomly I went to
kindergarten on Eric
Tona okay you know at that being that
you know I knew nothing about breaking
we're just some baby ice kids and in
kindergarten even went to my so I had
second generation rock force remember at
my fifth birthday is Scandia you know
like and that's why I love rock force
cuz it actually means more to me more so
that like it means more it's deeper than
breaking yeah it's deeper than rap you
fill me so I remember just being a being
a little kid man and freaking riding my
bike around the neighborhood and then I
see the garage halfway open halfway and
I'm like what are they doing and you
know and I'm like oh they're breaking I
just stopped and and stopped and just
watching all I oh that's so cool how old
were you I was probably like during that
sounds like nine eight or nine and then
again I saw Elmer and Eric practicing
one other day and I was like man he's
still he's actually he's braking like
for real and then I was like you know I
see a shirt I mean my memories so crazy
um he had this shirt that was airbrushed
it said babylegs hmm I think and I have
the Filipino flag on and I think he won
a Great America or something okay and
then randomly my cousin my mom and my
first cousin his mom is my mom's sister
had moved two houses down from Elmer and
Eric okay so I guess I'm only two blocks
away he's a kid I'm not really I'm going
there once in a while on my bike you
know but now that my cousin moved right
there I was on the air street all the
time the street was blue jay and you
know my cousin was kicking it there I'd
go I'm like damn what is this uh what is
this big-ass trophy and Eric's like Oh
Erica be all that trophies bigger than
you man uh
Elmer Wanda I believe he wanted at best
of the best okay it was a pretty known
Jam in San Jose back in the 90s
so I was like oh wow these these
brothers especially Elmer are really
serious about this breaking stuff um so
I kind of got reacquainted with Eric
right because we went to a year-round
schools after kindergarten and he was on
yellow track I was on blue Chuck so I
wasn't seeing him all the time like I
did in kindergarten but it was
you know it was it was always love but I
would see him more and I'd see them
breaking I think Elmer may not have been
as active by the time I started coming
around but even before I was breaking I
would ask my cousin if you think it a
bug Elmer let me borrow best of the best
you think you could let me ask him let
me borrow world wars do you think you so
I would just my cousin would just come
to my crate with these VHS tapes you
know years go by I'm not even breaking
yet yeah you know and then I see bow the
year 98 since videos were produced on
VHS right it's like six months to a year
for them to be produced and you could
buy him so I'm actually I actually
bought it from my friend Edie and
driver's ed I mean I think I was like
fifteen and I watch it Rock Force one
that and I was like okay that's the name
of the crew of the kids that I grew up
with yeah if these cats are associated
with some champs you know from the 707
yeah you know rock force was created in
Union City yeah you know but for a
little bit there were some hitters out
of Sassoon in Fairfield you know it's
just like yo this is where you're from -
and with that that was kinda like okay
I'm really gonna try this thing you know
I mean that's a little kid I think I had
a little drill I I learned you know just
on my own try to do it at parties and
stuff like that I think in Taekwondo
someone taught me like the basis of a
flare but it wasn't till I saw value 98
I really started breaking but even then
it was kind of inconsistent for the
first year - breaking because I was
wrestling in high school okay and that
would that was that was awesome and then
after after wrestling you know I felt
like I was in really good shape leaned
out a little bit and then it was just it
was breaking from there yeah so sorry
for the long story but it was it's just
so weird how you know breaking came into
my life ya know it was kind of yeah it's
it's cool cuz it's like it kind of fell
in your lap but mm-hmm
it is it made you who you are who you
are
yes so there's like you know there's a
lot of local local crews you know shout
out to dream team there is nation Rock
UBC was actually before me mm-hmm
but they they were some that was a real
respectable crew out of out of the 707
shout out to ground mm-hmm
but you know though there were all these
crews it was like a les Elmer from rock
force you know that song from rock voice
and then you know oh that's Jeff from
rock force as time starts to go and it
was just crazy how you know especially
being a young Filipino kid we didn't
know who we didn't really have too many
role models I mean a lot of my no
disrespect but you know a lot of my
Filipino homies want to be the first
Filipino Michael Jordan you feel me
unfortunately the average height isn't
you know I'm saying really up there I
mean I still feel like we're gonna get a
full-blooded Filipino or Filipino
American in the NBA one day hopefully
sooner than later but hip-hop to at
least to how I felt was really open arms
mm-hmm you know kind of like you don't
matter where you come from and don't
matter your your height or don't matter
that you know let's just do it so those
are the cats that I looked up to man
it's so it wasn't really just a hip-hop
thing it was just like the kids around
the neighborhood on top of the crazy
shit they were doing his kids bored as
hell in Fairfield California they also
did some hip-hop shit they also breaking
they're also popping oh yeah so and I
know you're talking about DJing earlier
did they introduce you to it or well I
know you were saying that you saw
scratching at some point no I know what
it was um I've always used to um I used
to go to DJ Flo one of my best friend
Chris hey can you dip Flo I used to go
to his house a little bit and kind of
just try to play around with scratching
and little stuff so honestly it was
really just breaking and events um nine
of fives but breaking and events and for
a short period of time battle rapping
right that's what I was doing but I was
throwing events whether it was breaking
whether it was nightlife where there was
a private event and I
and some of these venues didn't have
turntables right there was no
controllers like there are nowadays yeah
yeah and some of these easily on cjs I
can't play on this and that I need
turntables so I was like okay so one day
I just bought turntables just for the
sake of my DJ's having some for backup
if we were at a venue that didn't have
one oh I have a pair okay and then yeah
it was it wasn't honestly till later
well until I was just at my house board
and I was like let me just set this damn
okay set these turntables this mixer up
kind of taught myself got some good game
and some good pointers um from my
friends but yeah that wasn't till later
and it's still kind of weird
I like when whenever you hear me promote
one of my gigs I always say like I'm
spinning I'm playing music just because
being from the bay especially being a
filipino from you know NorCal man
they've set the bar really high for DJ's
you know like and so it's like I don't
want to disrespect the crap because you
know obviously there's cats that just
start dancers like I'm a b-boy I'm like
you just started a month ago you know I
guess you know you are and you know I'm
this and that uh-huh we'll see so I kind
of had this insecurity where I didn't
want to use like the word DJ with my
name but you know just just learning
having fun and trying to be in the
pocket world whatever the hell I'm
trying to do but no man that was kind of
a I kind of started doing that like
around 2005 but didn't really get into
it into it until I moved to Orange
County probably okay yeah hmm that's
interesting yeah I I used to DJ a little
bit when I was a kid um I feel like I
basically started it when I started
breaking oh really yeah I just has this
I started in
no so there was no Serato yet no yeah
there was no cirrhotic as well I just
had this shitty turntable I can't even
remember it was an Gemini it was a
Stanton videos like the shittiest and
well drive it was a belt drive but
really it was it was it was some like DJ
in a box set up basically something I
did
our Center I think what's so like but we
would we would bring it to our practice
and we would just take turns DJ Wow yeah
yeah so it sounds like shit but it was
like we would have you know some legit
break records that we were just juggling
so we'd be juggling for like 10 minutes
like the same frickin song while people
are breaking and stuff and then we
switch out and whatever yeah and so so
that like I learned how to DJ and you
know
soon after I don't know when cerrado
came around it I was already out of the
game
oh okay I've just always been into music
and so it was fun to kind of like learn
how to you know have my elementary level
freaking DJ that's cool though yeah at
least you doubt it doubled into it a
little bit yeah you know I look back in
hindsight I go oh man that actually
taught me a lot about hip-hop and I
didn't even know what the fuck I was
doing I was just like you know being
introduced to hip-hop seeing DJ's do
that house like all that's kind of cool
you know they're taking just some shitty
record that my mom has or my dad has and
then they're just looping it and making
a dope song out of it let me try to like
you know you know my parents got a ton
of shitty records so let's do it so bad
so it's like I don't know we just tried
to we started messing around and like
but I don't know I guess that gave me a
good foundation for like what hip-hop
you know I guess you know as it was
birth it's kind of like we recreated
that almost in our own little yeah yeah
in hindsight I'm glad that I kind of did
know everything kind of come relates in
some weird crazy way you know I mean I
didn't really get in by the time I was
like getting heavy into it or at least
what gigs I should say yeah I could
always practice more right but doing
more gigs I mean unless you're spinning
like a all-vinyl night or all 45 night
or you know specifically playing on wax
I mean Serato was go to or
- right but cerrado cell I feel like
maybe that's why I was like a little
insecure about calling myself a DJ
because I literally seen my friends
transition from a shitload of crates
mm even at the club you know what I'm
saying yeah yeah you're too short your
little John's
yeah and you had all these Bay Area
Records and then you know you go they
transition on Serano kind of like they
earned Serato that's how I feel like
they earn sarado and I feel like now I
don't know yeah they and it's a juggle
with just a button or just cool I mean
to each his own you know I'm not you
know as I'm getting older and doing
things more and seeing the good and the
bad things the elders did the good and
the bad things the you know the younger
ones are doing I'm like to each his own
whatever works I guess
mm-hmm but you know I was collecting
vinyl but definitely when it came to
gigs I was not hauling and no no crates
of vinyl yeah yeah yeah I mean that all
my friends that were like heavy into
DJing they would carry you yeah shit
tons of crates Castle there's some DJ's
man even though they don't look the
healthiest they're kind of low-key
strong as hell yes oh I used to bring in
speakers stuff setting it up by them
sometimes so yeah I mean they yeah they
had a hustle for sure I mean my my boy
in sac he who cool cuts nah cool look
cool come yeah I got a friend named rip
one oh yeah yeah yeah that dude used to
have this thing goes like this crappy
Jeep or something and it was fucking
filled with crates uh-huh and I would
help him set up stuff sometimes and I
was like dude you got hella shit that
you're bringing in here dude is crazy
hello he's playing I get get a clue and
shit right yeah always I used to work
though I think that's how really um I
think I met him there and then he was
just out of practice one time cuz he
used to break - so we and then we were
just we would just dance together and
shit so how is he man Wow I mean I hear
he's still doing gigs and shit oh yeah
he's on his own thing I don't think he
brakes anymore yeah yeah no you look
like you just enjoyed the time you know
with the floor if there was a open floor
we fuck around ya know try some shit out
I liked him cuz he would just play some
tight song and he would just dance for
like 10 minutes like I remember when we
would do shows sometimes I would just go
like oh I want to dance to this song and
he would dance the songs oh yeah it's in
the middle of like a show that we're
doing yeah ever and it's like oh dude
you kind of like took the whole time oh
yeah shout out to him shout out rip one
rich I don't get a clue we're in hour
and 17 minutes right now um we didn't
even talk we did bad if I was going on
crazy-ass tangents no no it's good I
think this has been good this has been a
good discussion we hadn't talked about
rap yet but maybe we should just close
that out close out the show with just a
quick discussion of that cuz I know you
you've been like a battle rapper for a
real long time right uh I mean I dabble
I did it for like two for like three
three almost four you're only a little
bit lonely a little bit I I did it I
started doing in 2002 yeah
and I think I stopped around 2000 so you
don't do much anymore no no I mean I had
a such a good time doing it mm-hmm don't
get me wrong I mean I was pretty garbage
I mean a lot of this shit
it's pretty cringe-worthy I just happen
to get lucky to get those wins that I
did surprisingly I don't know how I got
him but you know for the little amount
of time I was in it I mean you know I
had some fun with it the first the first
trip like actually got out of state
through hip hop wasn't even through
breaking it was through MC battling oh
yeah yeah it wasn't even through
breaking um but yeah it was kind of
short-lived but you know I'm still I'm
still riding even more so now like I was
always kind of writing but now I'm like
okay I actually like the stuff that I'm
writing oh I'll probably be spending a
lot more time in the studio hopefully I
will be putting out a project maybe
closer to the fall or maybe during the
fall but you know but battle rap I don't
know if it was cuz the environment I was
in I was just able to like kind of you
know grab their energy a little better
than the people I was battling but man
those are some interesting times but uh
yeah what's fun man that's just one
aspect one little aspect of rap you know
cuz rap is really a lot more complex
than idiot and a lot of people think I
mean but just the justice complexes yeah
I mean me being competitive and like
growing up on people roasting each other
yeah the older kids around my block is
roasting each other I just felt like
okay this is this is something I kind of
want to go around with batter I've
always looked hella fun to me but I'm
like dude I don't know if I'm witty
enough to do that moment like make it
rhyme in like just clown someone hella
hard I'll tell you this much man the
gentleman you get that's why I know
there's some battle rappers like til
this day that I've been better would
like seasoned whether you're watching
King of the dot or you're watching URL
smut or these other leagues so many
human doing for a while but I know why
man that that adrenaline rush you get
from the crowd reaction is ridiculous
just do more at least for me personally
moreso than breaking oh really it's
ridiculous yeah but I would also notice
especially how you know I never really
tried my shot at the written leagues you
know everything back down I was like
freestyling over B or whatnot my brain
would be freakin exhausted you know
trying to freestyle trying to freakin
size up your opponent trying to you know
sometimes she would hear sometimes it
wouldn't but yeah man it's a it's
different it's different you know yeah
because you definitely got to use your
mind your body and all that for breaking
don't get me wrong the physical aspect
not so much with MC battling but damn
you my brain would feel fried after
after after a battle you know but it was
so fun
yeah are there any similarities between
like battle rap and in breaking um I
definitely think there
is so if you don't mind I'll kind of
like compared to rap in general right so
there is right so me being a b-boy me
you know breaking for Holi breaking for
three years three four years already
before I started getting into battle MC
battling yeah being from Cali the Bay
Area the style I had was very kind of
based on bigger moves right the bigger
execution so when it came to battle rap
it's like I'm all it's all about the
punch line it's all about the boom the
bone the bump and now when it comes to
me trying to compose songs me trying to
write music you know yeah I can maybe
take the same idea of just the punch
line or the blow up but you know I
remember Flo DJ Flo I always just stay
here I'm talked about yeah this project
school and this is cool because he's
just in the pocket as someone that's
pushing creativity I'm like no man fuck
being in the pocket you got to be
outside the box you know and then I'm
hearing and then when I did the tour I
was blessed enough to do a tour in China
in 2017 with Jabbawockeez I would hear
them preach about stay in the pocket you
know when you're moving but sometimes
you're doing too much not just stay in
the pocket hmm and that's good and so I
saw that I I heard that from fee a lot
shout-out to feet mm-hmm from Jabba and
then when it came to music I heard that
from Flo and then when I started like
it's so basic but it was something I was
like overlooking was when it came to
even breaking but music like oh
sometimes you just gotta stay in the
pocket you got a like like you got to
find you know the cadence is and the
flow deliver you got to be on point
regardless if you're you know spin bars
a punch line or you're just talking some
shit on a track but same thing I think
would break into kind of you know
sometimes you just got to be in the
pocket and then once in a while come
with that punch line you know
maybe punchlines back-to-back you know
so now comparing punchlines to blow up
right which is a big was like your
crowd-pleasing move and breaking so now
it's like okay but me coming from like
breaking that so battle and competition
oriented me coming from MC battling
which is just all you know competitor
when it came to when now when I'm
writing music I'm trying to understand
pockets I study a lot of artists and
I've been studying you know even after I
quit battle rap in 2005 I've always
studied different styles but even more
so the pockets and saying like okay you
know what maybe you don't have to be so
in term a B don't have to have a punch
line every freaking bar yeah you know or
maybe you could ride the beat in a more
chill way but same thing that same thing
I feel like when breaking you don't
always have to be it a hundred percent
and you know you'll always have to go
110 you got to fall back to fifty maybe
forty and then get up to eighty and then
boom hit him with that with that um that
line so yeah it there's like a you can
control the build up a little huh I mean
it's a story right I mean you're telling
a story whether you're rapping whether
you're doing whether you're dancing
you're telling a story and a story isn't
a bunch of damn exclamation point yeah
you know exactly that's like it has its
ups and it's downs and as its build ups
and has its climaxes pause it has
everything and it applies to to spinning
it applies to DJing as well you know
because when I first I was so obsessed
with this trying to drop fire ass tracks
at these parties or even trying to go
over people's heads like I picked you
them they don't know about this shit
yeah it's like Donovan you're at
Sharkey's in Newport Beach yeah there's
three people on the dance floor like
come on yeah like you think this dude
and some flip flops and cargo shorts
really cares about this crazy yeah pop
shit you just came up on yeah yeah but
anyways whether it was a big nightclub a
bar you know less than a hundred
hundreds thousands of people you know
pockets really important some people
especially the younger cats
I get why they do it now it's like
they're so impression of bullets wanting
to just go hitter hitter hitter banger
hitter when it's like gauge the crowd
stay in the pocket of what they like ok
now you could kind of feed them some
some left-field shit maybe you could
feed them some something different but
you got him now and I feel like same
thing would rap same thing would break
in at this point at this time in my life
me being in my mid-30s I'm not that you
know I'm still learning I'm still
studying new moves no new rappers new
DJ's and producer I'm still studying I'm
still trying to add to my vocab but also
be trying to be resourceful and
efficient with what I know you know so
with breaking ok I want to learn to do
this and that but what do i what do I
have right now that I can make dope as
hell you know yeah there's a lot of shit
that I have that other people I don't
have that people have but there's a lot
of stuff that I could do a lot of people
can't do you know so trying to really
just be resourceful safety with the
Reimann ok maybe I don't have this
artist as the same strengths as these
artists I could kind of be witty I could
be fucking clever you know I have a
strong voice so yeah man it all goes
hand in hand like straight up like at
least in my experience I'm not a master
in any of the things I do so it's hard
for me to say you know what it really is
but at least for me personally with
DJing rhyming and dancing everything is
uh everything relates and everything
it's kind of like yeah based off the
same rules yeah this is really crazy
yeah it all kind of yeah do they do
that's dope well yo with that being said
I think that's a great way to end the
show yo man thanks for coming on yeah
follow you and what's your Instagram
Instagram is do and OVA and underscore
7:07 this
on event underscore 7:07 feel-good Inc
is or you got elected happy to feel good
Collective follow us on facebook follow
us on instagram soundcloud Forshaw I'm
in we're around yeah
reach out man yeah yeah we still working
still working yeah dope thanks for
coming on I feel like I can keep talking
you forever place I know at a certain
point people are gonna be like so you
know I'll probably hit you up to do
another episode if you're down with that
yeah anyways thanks for being on the
show
thanks for listening thanks for
listening y'all shit my camera turned
off oh well fuck it
[Music]
[Music]
you
[Music]
45 bölüm