Hiding from the Law or Themselves?

We got a special exclusive joint shout out to Milwaukee's own MJ produced by Eaton and Wavy Boy.

Here's Pretty

Woman.

under this right here

That was an exclusive record, man.

Fire.

Can we get some bombs?

Z, gotta drop some bombs for that joint right there.

I love that joint, man.

We had MJ in the building, E2, and Wavy Boy last week for those who are not familiar.

MJ is or was a part of the cast of Love and Hip Hop Miami.

He's also related to Shay Johnson, Milwaukee's own Shay Johnson.

And then Wavy Boy is a producer with White Clef and Lauren Hill, and E2 also works with...

Rico Love and various of different artists as well.

So again, shout out to MJ, the whole team that joined this fire.

I'm excited, can't wait until it officially drops as well as the video.

So we're talking youth and how come the environment isn't set up for them to succeed?

And what is it that us as a community, as the adults, what is it that we can do to make sure that

we provide better options for our youth.

We also have some special guests that's coming in the building today as well.

Mike Shane and H1ahook, I'm excited to sit down and talk to them.

I know both of them personally, they have been a pillar in the community when it comes to the music industry as well as working with the youth.

So I wanna be able to get their take on what they think when it comes to the state of the youth, the environment, and if we're properly

Doing what it is that we need to do as a community to make sure that our youth is being set up for success.

Mahdi shout out to the chat.

Mahdi said name calling been around since slavery people always addressing bike boys and men with the n-word so disrespectful He also said you guys always have positive shows.

Thank you.

Mahdi.

We try we try in a world full of opinionated people we always talk about the negative and we want to

want to make sure we use our voices in our platform to highlight the positive.

And although we live in a world where there's a lot going on, it's been that way since the beginning of time.

Nothing has changed.

It'll always be that way.

But we have to consistently focus on the positive things as much as I would like to address certain things, especially things that happen in the city of Milwaukee.

For me, it's just always, it's always important to

Make sure that, again, we speak on the positive side.

Meach, we got a special guest and a building man.

The one and holy Mike Mike Mike Mike Mike Mike Mike Mike Mike Mike Mike Mike Mike

Mike

Mike Mike Mike Mike

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Mike Mike Mike

Mike Mike Mike Mike Mike

Mike Mike Mike Mike

Mike Mike Mike Mike Mike Mike Mike Mike Mike

Mike Mike Mike Mike Mike Mike Mike Mike Mike Mike Mike Mike Mike Mike Mike Mike

Mike Mike Mike Mike Mike Mike Mike Mike Mike Mike Mike Mike

Mike Mike Mike Mike Mike Mike Mike Mike Mike Mike Mike Mike Mike Mike Mike Mike Mike Mike Mike Mike Mike Mike Mike Mike Mike Mike Mike Mike Mike Mike Mike Mike Mike Mike Mike Mike Mike Mike Mike Mike Mike Mike Mike Mike Mike Mike Mike Mike Mike Mike Mike Mike Mike Mike Mike Mike Mike Mike Mike Mike Mike Mike Mike Mike Mike Mike Mike Mike Mike Mike

Mike Mike Mike Mike Mike Mike Mike Mike

On time.

On time.

On time.

Yep.

That's my

latest single.

Yeah, I was bumping that on the way here.

So let's jump right into it.

First and foremost, I want to give you your flowers because I haven't seen anybody grind the way that you

grind.

And it's crazy because on your way in, we was playing MJ single.

We just had Wavy Boy eat two up here, MJ last week.

And it was like, man, Mike, listen, most persistent, consistent.

artists that I've ever

seen

dropping.

So again, give us some background about who you are, where you come from, and how you started your journey in music.

Okay, so I've basically been singing all my life.

Yeah.

But for the last seven years, I would say I've been

been

investing.

So I was doing music, you know, before before 2019, I was doing music.

I do music and I stop.

I do music

and I stop

because

I feel like I wasn't I wasn't really finding like the

the right producers, the right studios, and stuff like that.

And I was actually, and to be real, I didn't really have too much money to invest.

But 2019, I linked up with Wavy Boy.

Shout out

to Wavy

Boy.

Wavy Boy and Jarvis, yeah.

And they got my sound together.

And we've been working ever since.

Shout out to them, man, because I don't know where my music career would be without Wavy Boy and Jarvis, for sure.

Absolutely.

You know what I mean?

So I know you, but the world don't.

Who is Mike?

Where do you come from?

Where did you grow up?

What was your family like?

So I grew up, my parents had me when they was young.

High school, you know what I mean?

So my mom didn't move out, her mother house, she was 22.

Okay.

You

know

what I mean?

So I'm kind of, I'm a grandmother's boy.

Love my mama to death.

But my grandmother,

you know, she was there for me.

Yeah, my father has

always been there.

You know that.

Absolutely.

Yeah, he grew up, they all grew up on 14th.

And my dad, my parents played the...

a great part of my life.

As far as me doing music, man, we get together, like my mom's side of the family, we have our get-togethers and stuff like that.

Mike, sing, sing, sing, you know what I'm saying?

Even if I

really didn't know how to sing, they instilled the confidence

in me, you know what I

mean?

So to even pursue it.

So yeah, and I moved to Minnesota maybe for about two and a half years growing up.

So I got people out there who actually support me and everything too.

So yeah, that's been my journey.

As far as musically

so Today we are talking about the state of the youth as far as the environment and What it is that we need to do as a people to make sure that they succeed right and the reason why I'm bringing this up obviously, you know We want to highlight your music, but we also want to know who you are in your

Input on this as well.

As you mentioned, our families, we like four generations in.

We come from 14th and Berlai, which I know there's a lot of neighborhoods who had communities back then, but our community has always been special to me because we did have that support as youth.

We did have, I was just telling me about, you could be outside, something can go on, whether you're on 13th or 14th, but they gonna make sure all of the kids and the elders and the women are out the way.

So growing up,

What was it that your father, your mother, your family instilled in you that you don't see instilled in you today?

Right now, first of all, they don't get their butts whooped.

Ain't no more whoopin's,

but whoopin's

played a big part in growing up and keeping us disciplined.

But what I don't see right now...

I don't see kids, you know, playing football in the streets,

playing

football in the fields and stuff like that.

I don't see kids in the alley.

I remember growing up, I could be on my bike and ride past the alley and I see a group of kids playing

basketball, or

somebody had to, and I'm going up, come in, can I play?

So it's no more that interaction.

To me, the youth, I would say they got more access to more things, you know what I'm saying?

And, you know, I try, you know, I ain't gonna say I try.

I try to give advice every time I can,

you know, rather if

it's about music or just life period.

You know what I mean?

I feel like they don't... I mean, they got access to too much stuff.

The egos, you know, I ain't seen a younger dude talk to an older dude like he was nothing.

Like he's trying to get advice.

I ain't trying to hear that.

So, that's the difference.

So, honestly, I think they ain't got enough.

Discipline,

you know what I mean?

When you see a young man wearing ski mask, clothes, you consider that a Y in?

You label that as a Y in, like pre-judge?

A Y in, a D in, dumb.

Yeah.

Or that, because why?

It's summertime.

Why

you got

a ski mask on?

You know what I'm saying?

Why?

And then you, you, you skin, it ain't about...

You know, I'm trying not I'm not trying to be seen you scaring other people You know I'm saying that's the that's the prototype you you come with a ski mask on like you think you about to get robbed Yeah, you know saying you somebody come in my way with a ski mask on I'm crossing the street.

You know, I don't

care.

Yeah, you know, I mean, so it's just I feel like it's unnecessary

But

what's the difference between now and when we was young I didn't really see people only people only time we wore ski matches in the winter time when

We

on a bus

stop,

you know, or about to go to

school, so we don't want our face to get cold.

These dudes wearing it just because, you know what

I mean?

Part of the style.

I wouldn't even say it.

You could say that.

I would say a trend, you know what

I mean?

But that's the dumbest trend I've ever seen in my life.

That's the

dumbest trend I've ever seen in my life.

Because

they doing it in the summertime, you know what I mean?

They doing it when it's

warmer.

Super hot humidity.

First

thing like we got Columbia.

Yeah, we had Colombian trail.

We had Columbia.

We shooting dice.

It's it's 100 degrees outside still at night.

Yeah.

And dudes walked up, walked up with ski mask hoodies on.

We know what time it is.

So that's so for older people like our age, that's that's what we think.

You know, I mean, the perception perception.

Yeah, definitely.

How do you what as a music artist, do you feel like the industry plays a big part in

why the youth are the way that they are when it comes to the image, when it comes to the CMAS, when it comes to the YN culture, all of the above.

Most definitely.

Most definitely.

You know, they see the Poo Shiesties and all that, but they don't know how to... It's a difference between rap and real life.

You know what I mean?

They doing that for a video.

You know what I'm saying?

They doing that.

They got that mask on for two hours.

You know what I'm saying?

In the video.

So you want to walk around like that, you know what I'm

saying?

All day, everything.

It's been four years now.

Four, five years.

Six years.

It's COVID.

You know what?

I'm glad you said that, because that's a defining point, that they can't separate real from

fake.

The music industry is fake.

Not all artists are fake, but to your point, by the time that video over, them cars is gone, that jury is gone, that mask is gone.

but it's still lingering on in the community.

And it's

always been like that, you know, music perception, but it's what they giving out.

What's

trending right now.

You know what I'm saying?

It's always been like

that.

But, yeah, it's what you're giving out, basically.

Absolutely.

We gotta go to break the pace and builds.

We got Mike Shane in the building.

Do not touch that dial.

101.7 of Truth.

1 on 1.7 the truth.

It's your girl, Jazz Tyler, Digi Meach.

We are live and direct.

We got some special guests in the building.

Meach, we got Mike Shane in the building.

Who else we got in the building?

I'm Rick Taylor from the Rap

Draft.

Let's go.

Get a couple of insights from these gentlemen real quick.

I was going to say, y'all probably younger than me.

We want the same age.

Really?

Yeah.

What's going on?

How you doing?

I'm doing pretty good.

How y'all doing?

Doing good, man.

I want to get your flowers for your platform because I've been watching from afar and I like what you're doing and I really, really, really believe that the city needs this.

It do.

It do.

Truth Nation, tap in with us at 833-212-1017.

We got a question in the chat that's saying, do teens wear ski masks to hide from their crimes, ops, or because they are insecure?

Go ahead and vote.

Let us know.

Tap in, give us a call.

Let us know what's going on.

Like and subscribe to the channel on YouTube.

So, Mike, before we went to break, we were talking about the influence of music in the youth, right?

Again, I know you.

I know your family, your history.

Shout out to TT Mail, the whole Hawthorne family.

Rest in peace to Uncle Mike.

I seen how important your father was for you.

in your life and you are, he played a huge part in you becoming who you are today.

As a matter of fact, I was in my phone the other day and ran across a picture me and him took when you came to perform at the John B show.

And he was so excited to be there to support you.

But for the youth that's listening, I really, really, really want to touch on.

the importance of what it is to have a male figure in your life, so that they can have someone that they can go to.

Right, so what my father done for me, man, isn't...

Give a little background on that, too.

So

my dad, he was in real estate.

You know, he helped a lot of people.

You know, a lot of people go to him

for help, you know what

I'm saying?

And then, you know, that's the type of person he was.

Yeah, for what he did for me, and still for me, like...

If I was about to do something stupid, I

hear him

in my, you

know what I'm

saying?

And just the advice, the advice he gave me since a kid, you know what I mean?

Being in the fourth and fifth grade, not understanding what he telling me, but as I'm older now, I get it like, damn, I'm in the fourth and fifth grade playing like, man, Mike, do pushups, do pushups.

I said like that, I'm too little, I'm too young to do pushups.

No, I do pushups so you can be ahead of the other kids.

That type of

stuff, you know what I'm saying?

He didn't want me to go to college, you know what I'm saying?

And I didn't understand that, but now I do, because he like me and Mike.

You have a whole franchise here.

You know what I'm saying?

I'm going to make that type of stuff.

And this always got me in the right direction, whether if I want to hear it or not.

And that's the most important part, whether if I got mad or not,

he

going to tell me what it is.

So how has the discipline you learned from him translated into your

career?

just even wanting to impress him.

And then he's just like, man, if you're going to do it, you got to do it.

Ain't no half-stepping.

So if

you're going to do music, do music.

You know what I'm saying?

Don't expect people to give you no handouts or woo-woo.

Like, you got to work for it.

And he never missed a show.

He never missed a show.

I don't even know if he know how serious I took music.

until he saw me

like

actually doing it.

He never missed.

He was at every single last show,

you know what I

mean?

So, man, my pops was a big, played a big role in what I do.

Yeah.

And for the youth who may not have their fathers, the moral of the story is find someone.

Find your safe space or someone who can support you and assist you with.

the discipline, the knowledge, the advice, so that you don't have to be out here walking around in ski bars in the summertime.

And I want to add this too.

I know a lot of guys who grow without a father, but they ain't let that define them.

I

know a lot of guys who, you know, using as an excuse, but I know more guys who don't let it define them,

you know what I'm saying?

Who

found them a mentor, you know what I mean?

And just chose

Chose to still, you know, be disciplined.

Yeah,

and one more, you know, I mean, so

don't let it define you.

Absolutely.

We got a caller on the line.

Key, are you there?

Good.

Thank you so much for tapping in.

What's up?

What's up?

What's up, Richard?

Y'all listening to a lot of y'all comment, you know, in this day and time, a lot of kids are mimicking what they see their parents

do.

Mm-hmm.

Cause it's like, uh, improve Shice the case.

When they were our lucha man, he's dead with him.

Wow.

So

he really didn't have a chance.

He really didn't have a chance cause his dad didn't shoot.

And his dad, I think, uh, he's over 45 and he's still got about a known mob boss.

And a lot of situations like that, kids really don't have a chance cause he's seeing what his dad is doing.

Absolutely.

Absolutely.

I agree.

I agree.

We talked about that earlier too.

I know

for a fact and I know for a fact in Memphis, that's what a lot of you rappers, they're doing, they see their data.

They're dating in the street, they in the street.

If they rapping about something, nine times out of ten, they be it.

So what we're supposed to do when the person you're looking up to is influencing you that

way.

Yeah, that's that's that's a hard question.

So a lot of y'all a lot of young men go first to be heroes of day

Yeah, I would encourage that's

a haul.

I

would encourage them to find it elsewhere Find whatever it is because I'm just I don't believe that there's youth out there who go through these situations That still don't believe that what's happening is not right.

It's hard to tell a boy that look up to his daddy that his daddy ain't cool

Yeah,

I mean, I'm not saying that you have to say your daddy isn't cool.

But again, you have to, as you become a young adult, 16, 17, 18, you know, right from home.

Yeah, you started.

You know, you know, right from home.

But to your point, that is, I don't have the answer.

That's a very difficult situation.

Very difficult.

There are some rappers trying to change the narrative though, you know what I mean?

You see what Skillababy doing, you know what

I

mean?

He's preaching that it's okay to have a nine to five.

It's okay to hustle

in different

ways.

You don't just need rap.

You don't just need dope.

You don't just need weed.

He's, you know, it's a couple rappers pushing that narrative, you know what I mean?

So if we can get, I ain't saying it's cool to, you know...

But mix it in,

you know what I

mean?

Yeah.

Let them know.

Yeah, thanks.

Thanks Keith for calling too.

Yeah, yes indeed.

Yes indeed.

Let's get into it.

So before I get to ask you questions, I want because your platform is extremely important.

And you have a platform that a lot of the youth watch, right?

So I want to first, I want you first to, you know,

Let us know who you are what it is that you do and then I want you to speak about the importance of how to properly Utilize your platform to make not you in particular, but just society How can we do a better job at utilizing our voices and platform when we know that the babies are watching?

Well, my name is Rick Taylor on rap draft music platform and a podcast for artists

And I've been doing it for some time and,

you know,

I was an artist myself.

So that's what made me, you know, create a platform because at the time it wasn't no platform

like

that.

And I think the importance of having a platform like this is like to let the youth express themselves, get them something to do an outlet, you know, tell their story with a life or stuff like that.

And I think it's important to be careful about what we push and like how we.

you know, give it to the people because people are watching and the youth are, you know, they do pay attention to a lot of things we put out, whether it's how you move or what kind of message you send in

and they reflect

off of that, you know.

And I think as somebody in my position, it's a certain role that I play trying to, you know, give back to the community and the youth and let them, you know,

get

a story.

And whether it's a positive, give them a positive, a positive

platform to tell their story and also just express themselves.

Absolutely.

So when you have interaction with youth that we're speaking about, do you experience the white end quote unquote behavior or do you experience something different?

Because what I was saying earlier is when I see young men out there, even if they got the mask on, I've never been disrespected by them.

Right.

You know, they in ice breakers is like, like me said, what's up little bro, right?

They also, to my point, have to understand that you have to be approachable, first and foremost.

You know what I mean?

You don't have to be, but it's just like common sense.

You

know you're

scaring

people.

You know

you're

scaring people.

Come on.

You know what I'm saying?

Yeah.

You want to make it to where, you know, that's not the case.

So what do you experience when you deal with the youth?

I experience all kind of different things, but I did have experience like that recently.

You know, my place is in Wauwatosa.

You know, they wear the ski mask and stuff like that.

It was like four young men wearing ski mask and it kind of scared my neighbors.

But it's just crazy because like you're looking at how these people are, you know, how they look, but really deep down, these are good kids.

You know what I'm saying?

Like they just looking for a way to express themselves and just trying to find themselves.

But really deep down, these people be like these kids be really good kids, talented kids, smart people.

You know

what

I'm saying?

So it just.

It's just like the way they get perceived, like because of the ski mask trend and stuff like that.

And that's that's really deep.

Like you got to think about, like, you know, how the world sees you.

We know deep down you might not be a bad

person,

but somebody don't know because we come from an era like you were saying, when we see ski mask, we think trouble.

You

know what I'm saying?

It was or wintertime.

But it's just how, you know,

it's the

culture.

It's

culture now.

So it's like

it's the culture and it's hard to to really accept it.

for a lot of our generation and the elders because they don't understand it.

But we would talk more earlier.

We used to wear, well, not me, but y'all used to wear the 3X white tee.

I mean, you almost admitted to being a YG.

I mean, I was a YG.

I was wearing go's and female jaboes.

But I was a product of my environment.

and saw our day.

But again, that was, we grew up listening to the hot boys.

We grew up listening to certain people.

That was the culture.

This is their culture.

The artists, the movies, everything they're around is telling them to wear this stuff.

So to them, it's cool, just like what you said, back in the day with the... With the back of jeans.

With the back of jeans for what was breakdancing.

Like an aging kid by breakdancing.

We're just,

even on a different race, you see our style, our culture on a different race.

you automatically think that's hip-hop.

Or they can represent it as hip-hop.

You know what I mean?

You won't just associate them with being criminal or doing criminal activity or just a thug, like we say.

Yeah,

absolutely.

We gotta go to break the pace and bills.

Do not touch that dial.

We got Mike Shane and Rap Drive in the building 101.7 of Truth.

One-on-one point seven the trophy should grow a jazz tiger did you meet we got Mike Shane rap draft in the building Mike

It's okay to work on yourself you know I mean

We can't do this no more, because I want to work on myself.

You know what

I mean?

And it's some of the hardest things to do, you know, let go of those relationships, those friendships or whatever.

But

sometimes you got to step back and, you know, work on yourself.

Absolutely.

So that was my

single self right there.

Absolutely.

Well, again, thank you all so much for joining us for those who are just joining in.

We have Mike Shane and Rap Draft in the building.

Two prominent figures when it comes to the music culture in Milwaukee, not just Milwaukee, but just in the industry in general, they just happen to be from Milwaukee.

And we are talking youth, the state of the youth, what it is that we can do to ensure that they are successful.

And so all the youth out there, me and Meesh, like we always say, we want y'all to know, we love y'all, we hear, we want to support y'all, and it's a judgment-free zone.

We're here to help y'all as much as y'all can, as much as we can.

So, Mike, one of the questions I wanted to ask you is we were talking about environments and how to be successful.

Growing up where we grew up and growing up around who we were around and just the culture in general.

How were you able to make it out of that and choose a different path for yourself?

Well, first of all, I always kind of knew what I wanted.

You know what I mean?

And although, you know, we grew up in that environment, I was still kind of.

I was still kind of sheltered by my mom, my dad, and, you know, everyone wasn't as fortunate as us.

You

know what

I mean?

They weren't as fortunate, so, you know, my mom, we all, they was good, you know, my dad was good, so I still was kind of sheltered.

And, you know, you see me at Columbia walking the street, but I didn't stay out.

Too long, you know, I'm saying they still still a you bet my dad made sure I was at home He said just be here for the street lights.

Yeah, I mean and when I was in my mom and my hat, you know, basketball court in the back Yeah,

or even with my father, you know, so I have kind

of stuff to do plus I didn't have too many friends because I had so many male cousins

Yeah, I mean, yeah, so

and we wasn't you know, we barely argue fight and

They'll be like and they was proud that I knew how to sing.

You know, I mean, yeah They

could sing this sing something so it was my environment to the kind of they weren't pulling

me

in You know, they they wanted to see me go.

They

wanted

to see me sing.

They wanted to see me play basketball

Yes, they

wanted to see me do stuff like that.

So It was really my environment the people around me.

So it's the environment inside of the environment.

It doesn't matter

how bad the outside environment it is.

It's all about the up close and personal environment that you have.

And then you will also mention, Ricky, that you feel like the youth don't really have any options or outlets to express themselves.

They don't really have too many outlets to express themselves or even too many people to talk to.

You know what I'm saying?

Like a lot of people growing up without cousins, I guess you see.

Life and family is becoming more distant.

Absolutely.

Some some

family cousins don't even hang together.

Some parents not in the house.

And then when you when you when we was growing up, we also had other outlets in case you didn't have that like Boys and Girls Club or mentorships and places to go like dance awards and stuff where you can be yourself and open up to people is like now it's like it's not OK

to

talk to, you know,

we grew up like it's not OK to

talk about your problems or.

You

know, I'm saying you got to toughen up.

But

it's like now I like I would like for people to beat themselves.

You know, I'm

saying that's what all I'm about.

Like my platform, be yourself.

You had to come up here and be somebody you not.

I'm here for you.

It's like, you know, an open book.

You just tell your truth or whatever, man.

Like I just want you to know, man, people really out here do care about you.

We care about you.

Most definitely, man.

If you have you need somebody to talk to, man, just reach out.

You know,

because

you

never know what somebody going through is so many.

Like, you know, so many sad things is going on today.

It's just like reach out, please.

You know, absolutely.

Absolutely.

I reached out to a couple of youth running a few platforms.

They trying to get their stuff off the ground

and they

was just like, man, thanks.

They was just so happy that

I reached out.

I mean, they was just

like, man, thanks for reaching out.

People scared to reach out to us.

I was just in my head like, I was scared to reach out

to

you.

Why won't they reach while people not reaching out

to you?

Like, I mean,

we extended information, extending, you know, events or extending, you know, resources.

Yeah.

But as we actually reach

out, you know, I mean,

yeah.

Yeah.

I do think we need to reach back more.

That's why I do always come back home.

No matter where I go in the world, I always end up back at the crib because I feel responsible for.

participate in and reach it back.

I definitely feel

responsible in my neighborhood.

Like if

I

see it, if I see a team more than once, I'm gonna ask them what's going on.

Like,

what's

up?

I see you outside.

You say that I've seen them outside, but I just, like, what's up?

Come here.

Absolutely.

You know what I mean?

And just see what they got going on, just because I've seen them more than once, not doing nothing.

You know what I mean?

So I just want to see what they got in mind.

Like yesterday, it's been a youth, 19 in my neighborhood.

You know, he pretty much entrusted me with just like information, just talking to me all the time

and trying

to see me at the store.

He just be like me, you know, yesterday asked me, Ben asked me, do I know somebody that could give him a job?

You know what I mean?

And it just, it made me proud to know that he's still looking.

You know what I mean?

Like after going through the winter time, after the season's changed, you're still looking.

Instead of just like, you know, I told him, I get yourself together, you know, keep an ID, you know, the necessary stuff, stuff like that.

And then, you know, just kind of told him like, uh, man, because he was like, I could go work at checkers, but it's part time to his only check.

My God, check say his checks be like 200.

So I said, bro, take that.

Yeah,

go get another part time.

Yeah.

Check

together.

They got

a full time.

Yeah.

You know, it's it's really just kind of explaining them what they thinking.

He thinking that $200 ain't enough.

But I'm like, look at some jobs.

That's what we get.

Yeah.

That's what we

are getting, bro.

Like it ain't like you ain't.

I just could you see somebody on Instagram come 10,000 or something like that.

You know, I mean, it's all perception.

Like we out here stacking checks together, right?

We stack in the 200, 300, the 500, 600 together to make a thousand.

You know what I mean?

That's how it's going.

So for me to.

You know, explain that to him yesterday.

And like I said, I was just so proud that he's still looking even though he said he worked out a car wash and he had a few little little temp jobs or whatever.

But just just to know he's still on it at 19 with no help.

Yeah.

No help.

No ride.

No nothing.

Can't get a.

He still don't even

know the importance of a of him keeping the idea

You

know I'm saying

he's still trying and that's all they can do But what you mentioned also was accountability from an adult point of view because you are it's not that he don't have He does you created something for him to have if they feel like they they have at least one person That's all they

know he for sure could ask me

you know

cuz I let him to a job before you know and then he

You know, he ended up where that job ended up, you know, it was only temporary job, but he ended up doing it.

And, you know, so now he trusts me with like just information.

He hit me all the time.

Bro, what's up, bro?

And, you know, seeing him yesterday, he just asked me to tell me he's still looking for a job.

That's fire.

So y'all know we are like the 18s and uncles now.

We

don't

want to sit in the backyard playing space listening to music while the kids is running around, which is another reason why I want us to have these conversations.

But as we're talking about perception, Mike, you mentioned perception.

What is something that.

You would like to let the youth know or just anyone in general who may not know what happens behind scenes with the music so that they can begin to understand the difference between reality versus

fake so behind the music this is what I want to say first What I noticed with the youth they don't want to struggle

It's okay and it's okay to struggle because struggle come before the prize

Yes, but

what I noticed they don't want to struggle like I didn't see high school kids want to man won't Prada shoes won't why it's

still this way That's crazy.

Yeah

went to school with white T's and sweatpants.

You know, I mean,

yeah, and that's in it with the music like ma'am What you see you might see three minute a three minute video,

you know

I'm saying you might see a three a three minute

uh what's it called uh the you know instagram

real

a

real you know i mean

but that that uh that three minute video took eight hours

you know i'm saying

that you got to be want to put that work in yeah that three minutes song took ten hours took

three days,

two weeks, you know what I mean?

Yeah, they want to put 10 seconds in for

a second video.

And that's the part I love though,

you know

what I'm saying?

Because I feel like I've accomplished something.

You

know what I mean?

Like a lot of my songs, we're getting a studio and we start from scratch.

We ain't got nothing.

And it might have took me eight, nine hours between taking breaks and getting a fresh mind,

coming

back to it for three minutes,

you know what I

mean?

So it's always a struggle.

You're always going to hit some type of blocks, but it's how you

It's how you capitalize or what you learn from.

Yes, absolutely.

Perception of hard work.

Perception of hard

work.

Hard work.

It takes hard work.

They

want the

microwave option.

Nothing.

But they want that microwave option because look what we did with the internet.

Everything is like this, but in reality it's not that.

You know what I mean?

It's

how we used to think.

Damn, they making money off of doing Instagram reels.

Oh, that looks easy.

Easy.

Yeah.

Until I make

a video and then you ain't getting to get one.

No, but no until I make my singing videos and be like, no, maybe not this.

No,

you know, I'll be doing 30 minutes.

Yeah.

Redoing and redoing.

You know what I'm saying?

So it's it's work even come into the content.

Yeah.

Yeah.

Everything

is work.

Absolutely.

Nothing overnight.

Absolutely.

And to that point, which is a great point because I feel like

Society today always shows the finished product on social media.

No one takes the time to show.

The process it took to get from A to Z. You know, everything that you have to go through, like you mentioned, just to get to where you're going, right?

I feel like we, as a community, as a culture, have to start doing that more.

We got to go to break.

Do not touch that now.

We got Mike Shane and RapDrap in the building, one-on-one point seven of truth.

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It's going down.

It's going to be in the parade.

Catch me in the crowd.

Yeah.

You know,

come say hi to the whole Truth Nation.

Yes, this Friday.

This Friday.

This

Friday.

This Friday.

This Friday.

Yes, indeed.

Yes, indeed.

So, Ricky, I want to ask you a question, right?

So I work, I teach.

music at Howard Fuller High School.

We have DJ and Beats engineering, rapping, singing, everything.

And we have some very, very talented youth.

I would love to do an addition of, and it doesn't have to be continuously, but like youth rap drive.

You know what I'm

saying?

Like something where we can cater it specifically towards them and give them a platform.

Again, it doesn't have to be consistent, but I would love to work with you on that so that they can begin to see themselves.

and other in the platforms of the artists that they look up to.

Yeah, that's cool.

I'm with that.

You know, um, that's what it's all about.

I want to see different, you know, younger people come on, you know, the youth come on a different type of genres come on and, you know, tell they message, spread their music, you know.

Yeah,

just because you rap is called rap.

Yeah, that don't mean you got to be right.

Right.

I don't

know if y'all pay attention to have R&B artists on there.

I also had, you know, Christian rappers on there and stuff like that.

So yeah.

Open to all that.

That's fire.

We gotta get Mike.

We gotta get you on there, man.

We gotta get Mike

on there, man.

We gotta get Mike on there, man.

We gotta get Mike on there, man.

We gotta get Mike on there, man.

We gotta get Mike on there, man.

We gotta get Mike on there,

man.

We gotta get

Mike on there, man.

We gotta get Mike on there, man.

We gotta get Mike on there, man.

We gotta get Mike on there, man.

We gotta get Mike on there, man.

We gotta get Mike on there, man.

We gotta get Mike on there, man.

We gotta get Mike on there, man.

We gotta get Mike on there, man.

We gotta get Mike on there, man.

We gotta get Mike on there, man.

We gotta get Mike on there, man.

We gotta get Mike on there, man.

We gotta get Mike on there, man.

We gotta get Mike on there, man.

We gotta get Mike on there, man.

We gotta get

I guess the perception of R&B is like too soft for them.

I

don't think it's that.

I think it's because we don't have R&B

artists.

You

know, ain't no Jodacy.

You

know what I mean?

Ain't nothing them for the, you know, you got Chris Brown, but that's more pop.

Yeah,

that's

more hip-hop-ish type of, you know, singy little bit.

You know, he rapping, he everywhere.

So it's more so like the artistry of Chris Brown they going for, instead of just the R&B version of Chris Brown and where we seen him grow from a youth R&B singer to a adult R&B singer.

But then once he got a adult, he started transitioning and just dabbling into the culture.

You know what I'm saying?

So that's where I think that's where they, you know, they following that instead of the traditional R&B groups.

that we grew up on the traditional R&B artists,

you

know?

Genuine or something

like that.

I mean, I think that the culture now, the whole bro culture with the young ladies is like, would you call them YGs?

I mean, in the chat,

they call them YGs.

So I would just kind of like, you know, grabbing that from them.

Like, do they even want to hear R&B?

You know, our generation did.

But to

that, is it more so that people don't want to sing?

Because I feel like we got a lot of singer.

Yeah.

Or...

It's the record labels and the radios.

Are they really pushing?

Right.

That's a

fact.

I think it's a lack in that also.

That's a fact.

Yeah.

I agree.

I agree.

I'm asking if there's any youth out there who start making some R&B records, man.

Y'all got it.

Y'all swear y'all sleep well.

Ain't nothing more playing than a boy who can walk outside and sing his way.

to a girl's heart, man.

You know what I

mean?

We need to see that more.

It ain't nothing wrong with being vulnerable.

You know what I'm saying?

I

know you

have

to pause Epidemic

going

on.

It's okay to be

vulnerable, sing, you know what I'm saying?

It's still okay to court, to court your female.

You know what I mean?

If you want to express it through words, you want to express it through rap, singing, man.

Go ahead, do that.

It's okay

to love.

It is okay to love.

I got to do a quick shout out because, and I did earlier,

with TT Mel chewing me out right now.

She said, don't forget to shout out TT Mel.

Yeah, shout out TT Mel if

y'all love her.

She be famous.

And she is the one who keep the family together.

For real, for real.

That's the fact.

Shout out to the whole Hawthorne family, man.

Much love and respect.

So, what y'all have, what y'all working on?

Y'all got any shout outs y'all want to give out?

What's next?

I got a lot of stuff coming, like I got...

you know, some stuff I want to do for like, you know, soulful Sundays with the R&B artists come up on a rap draft.

I even want to get into having some rock artists come on here, some more Christian artists, some younger artists, you know.

I have my gaming show where you can actually win a free full performance just from coming to ask some questions like hip hop trivia and R&B trivia.

So on the clock, that's going on right now.

I'm just going to also start highlighting more artists like just showing love,

like, you know,

giving them a shout out, put them on the page, tagging them and let the fans, you know, see if they really rock with them.

So

yeah, I got a

lot of things coming, you know.

Absolutely.

You got any shout outs and what's your social media?

So my social media handles is I'm Rick Taylor and also at the rap draft on all platforms.

And I just want to shout out to the whole city, Milwaukee.

Shout out to y'all.

Thank y'all for having me.

Shout out to the youth, man.

I want to let y'all know we love y'all, man.

Continue to find yourselves.

It's our right to be yourself.

And

if you ever need somebody to talk to, speak out, speak up and just reach out.

And yeah, just shout out to all the artists in the whole city and everybody going crazy.

Shout out to my

family and my wife always pushing me and helping me do what I do.

Thank you so much.

And thank you.

And I ask that you continue to do what you do because what you do is important.

Most definitely.

Thank

you.

You got some shout outs, Mike?

And what you working

on?

So what I'm working on right now, I currently got my single on time.

My new single is dropping.

I think I'm going to drop it first.

Maybe first week of July called all night.

I sampled R. Kelly and Biggie.

Okay.

Yeah.

Yeah.

That's fire.

Yeah.