Episode Transcript
R and B Money.
Speaker 2We are.
Speaker 1Than take abologized.
We are the authorities on all things R and B.
Ladies are filming.
My name is Tank.
Speaker 2This is the Army Money podcast, the authority on all things R and B.
Speaker 3Yes, yes, yes, all things, all things, all things.
Speaker 1You know what you know the most important nuance?
Yeah?
To R and B?
What is it to singers?
Are you sound?
Speaker 4How you sound to songwriters?
Speaker 1Songwriters?
How your song?
To producers?
How your song?
Speaker 3What does the A n R say when it gets to them?
Just you know that the mixing?
Speaker 1Can?
Speaker 2They turn up when someone is explaining to you that demo and they don't want you to judge it all the way.
Speaker 1They say, it's not.
Speaker 2Yet, give me some grace until we take the record to Marcella.
Speaker 5Thank you, thank you?
Ain't that?
Ain't that the truth?
Though it ain't mixed yet.
They always want to give you the disclaimer.
Speaker 3They lead with that they gotta be a T shirt that says that, actually I couldn't wear that T shirt because I'm I guess I'm mixed.
Speaker 6But.
Speaker 1Can I wear it?
Ain't mix?
Speaker 2That's the disclaimer, because because a bad mix, oh can fuck up your I remember, I don't know who mixed it my first album, You're My Freak, that was produced by Fort Knox.
I was so enamored with this song when we recorded it.
Speaker 1I was like, oh my god, this is a big record.
Speaker 2This is gonna be And the mix came back and I said, there's no way we can put.
Speaker 1This out of this song, right.
Speaker 2My whole perception now, mind you.
When other when the album came out, everybody else, Jamie Fox runs up to me and he says, you're freaking I know that's my favorite song.
Speaker 1I'm like, you like that with that bad mix on it list.
Speaker 4Because there's also a thing called Demo Ritish and.
Speaker 5That's big too, that's really big.
Speaker 4Yeah, we're gonna get into all that.
We're gonna get into that.
Speaker 2I remember when I when I first met you, I had been waiting on Timbaland to to do a record.
He'll promise to do a record with me, and he's like, come on down here to Miami.
Speaker 1I got you and I said okay.
Speaker 2When I got there and he said, we just I'm gonna call you when I'm ready, all right, I say, cool, you, Tim, you call me when you ready, because I'm ready.
I am ready.
Day one at the studio.
I'm at the hotels.
Who Tim's gonna call me?
Get to the studio and it's gonna be crazy.
Speaker 1Day two, I'm like.
Speaker 2All right, one more day waiting, But Timpleland, he's gonna call me in.
It's gonna be so crazy.
Day three, this nigga, Timberland is not gonna call me.
No way, it's not gonna be crazy.
Speaker 1Day four, I'm gonna go home Tim and call Day five, Tim Carr says, I got something for you.
Come on up.
Speaker 2He's like, come on in.
So we go to the studio and you're there and I'm like, okay, what are you doing?
You know because when we go to the studio there there are there are sometimes there are ladies there, you know, the producer writers have ladies there.
Speaker 1They have beautiful women there.
Speaker 2And it's like, walk in and there's this beautiful woman here and I'm like, hey, are you you're drinking?
Speaker 1What are you to do?
Speaker 5No?
Who is Who's is you?
Speaker 2And he's like, no, I'm working.
I'm the engineer.
I was like, oh, that's different.
That's very different.
And the soon as you got to doing all that, everything else, all of the unprofessionalism went out.
Speaker 1The wins.
Oh you're an engineer.
Speaker 6Engineer.
Speaker 2Okay, I'm sorry.
I apologize to everybody.
I was my mind.
I'm some sing R and B.
Speaker 1Here for me.
I don't know, you know, she's not all right, Okay, thank you.
Speaker 2And and that was my first time meeting you, and you were just you were as dope then as you are now.
Speaker 1And I'm saying that as a person.
Speaker 2As a personality in terms of your work and all of those things, they speak for themselves, you are, you are amazing at that, But just in terms of a person, it's always has been day one love.
Speaker 5Oh yeah, yeah.
Speaker 1You were like and then and then it was like but.
Speaker 2She's like one of us though, like you, I was like, that's my minute.
Speaker 5Yeah, No, definitely I felt the same way.
First of all, I'm super excited when I got the call to come hang out with you guys, because it's been a minute.
Yeah, And that it's just always been fam like you know what I mean, Like we just had a lot of history, years, moments, memories like and it's just so funny to kind of go through all of them.
But yeah, I do remember that time.
You know, Tim has a thing about making people wait, but he but you're waiting on greatness.
Speaker 1Listen.
Tim.
Speaker 2Tim is my favorite producer of all times.
So there there aren't enough days in the year that I would not wait for a Timberland call.
That's just what it is, you know what I'm saying.
So I was, I was there for what And that's the day we did.
We did we did the remix to I Let Them Girls.
That's when Sean Garrett walked in there.
It's like, I got a melody.
You should be Marvin, Yeah, yeah, six And Tim was just on the on the he was on the A s R.
Speaker 1He was just like and he said that right there?
What's that?
He said, you like that?
That's how he said, yeah, that's it.
And I didn't.
Speaker 2I had never been in the studio with Tim before, and I didn't know how he did beats.
So he he literally just did this little four bar loop and said, all right, do you think is there anything else you could.
Speaker 5It's so crazy too, because back then the process is so much especially from that as R because that as R keyboard is ancient, you know what I mean.
So a lot of times, I mean not a lot of times, the way the process was what you're saying, He would do the little four bar loop, throw it, throw it over to us, you know, and they throw it in the pro tools, and then he might throw another thing in.
Then we gotta line it up, you gotta move it on.
So it was like it was very like manually, you know, like there was parts that were programmed in the keyboard, but then there was parts that he was just spitting at just on the like put this in, put that in, you know.
Speaker 2And I said, And the reason I say that because for you as an engineer, like that's a that's a very tedious process, and you gotta know, like knowing the ASR and knowing pro tools are like two totally different worlds.
Speaker 5It's two different languages, two.
Speaker 2Different languages, and you as an engineer with a guy like Timberland, you gotta quickly understand what that is and what that is so that you can you guys can communicate properly.
So he'd be like, I'll be right back on you do X, Y and Z, and when he gets back and stuff.
Speaker 5It's done, Like yeah, because he's not he's not like he like making people wait, but he don't want to wait, you know what I mean.
Like, so that's just you gotta be quick, You gotta be ready.
You know, he come from an era of doing music with some of the greats, you know, including Missy, so Missy work super quick, and I think, like, you know, he's just kind of groomed.
You know, he groomed himself to kind of be that way.
And you know, I mean, and that's not just Timberland.
I feel like in general, when you work with artists, when you work with producer songwriters, as an engineer, you got to be ready to be just you got to be a step ahead, you know what I mean, you just because the creative flow is happening, and you don't want to be the reason because when it stops, oh my gosh, I feel like it is.
Speaker 1The slowak sweat.
I got it, guys.
I'm just making sure you know what the room got too.
And in the computer.
Speaker 3Restart, you know how many times the engineered hadn't done that.
Speaker 5Listen, I've done I don't even know.
I kicked the bug out, like, oh man, going on back here, let me go back here, back your life, dude.
Speaker 1Let me act like I'm calling.
Speaker 5I'm like, oh my gosh, what's going on?
Speaker 1Listen?
Speaker 5Little you gotta yeah.
Speaker 1Well, let's go to Mercy Alo.
Speaker 2How do you get to I just wanted to get that out the way first and then we'll go back.
Speaker 1How do you get to Mercy Aligo?
Speaker 5Oh my gosh, So Marci Alago was Marci Alago came from an experience that I had working with Missy Elliott.
Now you have to understand like I was when I when I started in the industry.
I got an internship here in Miami at the Hit Factory, even in Hit Factory and so legendary studio, and so I had.
Speaker 2A Yeah, I felt good because it was technically Timberland's room.
Speaker 5Yeah yeah, yeah, Well he got one, so he got the experience.
But no, so I'm working with Missy.
I'm I'm an intern at the Hit Factory.
I end up starting to work with her two months after my internship, which was like an unheard of, you know, transition.
So I'm with Missy working as an assistant in the room for a few months.
The opportunity came where her main engineer was running late, right and she was like, I need to work can you record me?
I said, yeah, I got you.
I knew I wasn't the best at pro tools at the time, like, but I'm not gonna let her know that.
I'm just gonna jump in the seat like this is a moment.
And so I start recording her and like she's like, all right, fly that hook.
Well now I'm like.
Speaker 1Oh shit.
Speaker 5Now I'm like, oh god.
So I'm trying to I mean, for those that those pro tools, you know, there's the different you have slip mode and grid mode.
I'm trying to fly this damn hook and slip modes.
When I hit play that thing come in like so off me Like like she like, what the like, what what's going on?
I said, I'm trying.
You're talking about the sweet you sweat?
Speaker 2Man.
Speaker 5I'm like, oh god.
She's like, you know, she gets intense and so no, I got this.
I do it again, like I'm not in grid mode.
Hit play it's off.
She's like, man, you're fing me up, Like man, like are you working like a turtle?
I can't mess with you, Like you got to get the f out of here.
And I said, like I was like, oh my god, and I'm still trying to fix it.
She's like, what are you doing?
Still sitting down?
You gotta go, And so I'm like, oh my god.
So I leave right with the feeling of like, all right, as long as I have a job tomorrow, I'm gonna come out of this like I'm gonna rise above this moment.
So literally, I literally just like immersed myself into learning this program.
So when the moment came, if the moment came ever again, not just with her, hopefully or with anybody, I would be red tea, you know what I mean, like not ready, but red tea, you know.
And so literally, maybe a few months went by again, the call comes in the engineer's late.
She's like, man, Carlos messing up like he and here I'm ready to record, And I'm like, I got you.
Oh hell no, like you'd be messing me up.
I said, man, miss, trust me, like I got you, Like I just just trust me, right, Like I didn't even say trust me.
I mean I beg without sounding like I was begging please, you know.
She's like, all right, come on.
So I go in there, but this time it was a whole another beasts behind the computer.
I'm in there, but like flying hooks adding effects, the layser is flying everywhere.
She's like, dang, you went from a turtle to marcilago whoaghin.
So basically that's where Marciolago was birthed.
And then over time my name just started people just started like shortening it to Lago or miss Lago, that's Queen Lago.
So it came into so many different ways, and Miss Lago just stuck.
Like I just was like, I'm you know, because Marciolago is a long thing to she's calling me miss Lago.
I feel I feel respect.
Speaker 1Shout out to miss.
Speaker 5She sure didn't, man, because you know what, but there's a lot behind that story.
Because I could have really like walked away from there and just said, man, forget this, this isn't for me.
You could I could have been like, this is like not really what I want to do.
I just got cussed out by Missy Elliott and it felt horrible, right.
Speaker 1You know what I mean.
Speaker 5But I was like, I'm just somebody that always likes to like I take that as like something that I'm like, Okay, I need to ride above this the challenge.
I live for challenges, you know what I mean.
And I think that's a big part of my twenty year success, twenty plus years success in this career is yes, I will have you know, because it's it's been a career that it's first of all, as you know, there's not a lot of women that do what I do.
You walk into a room, you're like and so like.
For me, it's like, no, I'm gonna take this challenge and I'm going to beat it, and I'm gonna keep going forward and just keep you know, addressing them one by one.
Speaker 2There's so many challenges as being a woman in this business right right, and I want to I want to get to those.
I do want to like, I want to go back to the beginning.
Though, What makes you say I want to work at a studio and figure all of that stuff out?
Speaker 5Yeah, well I didn't know it was an industry of dusty men.
I'll tell you that.
Speaker 1The challenges, So.
Speaker 5I mean, just to go back, I was just from what I from how I remember as a kid.
I was I was enamored with sound.
And I say this because my dad used to play a lot of music in the house.
But I was more intrigued on why this vinyl was going onto this you know thing on this stereo system, and why this needle and how like transmitting this sound to these and then he had this equalizer on the front and I'm over here messing with it.
I've just been that girl since I was a kid, and as I grew up, I remember just thinking about where I wanted to go in life in school and people always telling me like, what do you want to do when you graduate?
You know, like your count when you graduate high school?
Where do you see yourself going?
Maybe a doctor?
I'm like, no, I want to be in music.
They're like music, And I'll tell you, guys something like I don't have, like, I don't sing, I don't play like I don't like for me, it's just all about my ears, you know.
And so I just was like, I want to be in the music business, and they just were like, well, we don't really how like how do you want to do?
Like like, I don't know, I just want to do it.
And they're like, well, we don't have anything for you.
How's that?
Like, you don't have you don't play an instrument, you don't sing a lick.
Sorry, figure out another career.
And I'm like whatever, I'll figure it out one way or another.
So over time, a few years after high school, I was in college for like psychology, trying to learn to mind, you know, and my brother and the.
Speaker 4Women love taking psychology, like, you know what.
Speaker 7There's something about it psychology exactly.
Speaker 5No, there's a thing about it.
Speaker 1But no.
Speaker 5So I ended up being introduced to a school in Florida, up in the Orlando area called full Cell University.
Yeah, and so I went up there for a little like let me go check this out and see what it's about.
And I did a little tour and I remember when they were like, here's our studio A and they opened this door right and I walk into this SSL console in there and I'm like, oh my gosh, I never seen like I've seen them in pictures to see it in person.
Yeah, it's just like it's a thing.
And when I tell you I like challenges, most people would be like so afraid.
They'd be like or like, you know, just like intimidating.
I was like, I want to learn that.
What is that?
Speaker 2Like?
Speaker 5What does that do?
I want every you know, I want to learn every little button.
And so six months later later, like I saved my little coins and you know, dropped out of regular college, worked my ass off.
I'm sorry if I'm not allowed to courage, but perfect, thank you, thank you.
You know, I'm passionate.
I'm lad so happens.
Yeah, and I went, and that's what it was.
And going to full Sale is when I was introduced to the I guess what the industry looks like, you know, male domination.
Because my classes, like I remember our lecture classes was somewhere around one hundred and fifty kids and or students or kids or adults and stuff.
It was only five of us or four or five of us that were female.
And I was like, oh, that's interesting.
And then the instructors would tell us like, you know, this is a male dominated industry.
It's going to be you know, it's very hard for women to break through.
Mind you, this is over twenty years ago where it was probably okay to say.
Speaker 1That, you know.
Speaker 5But I didn't even think anything was wrong.
I was just like it was okay, yeah, I didn't I didn't take offense to it.
To me, I actually was like even more intrigued, like oh yeah, even better, like I'm coming for this, like I want to do this, you know, And I went.
I graduated at the top of the class.
I I ended up graduating with honors, got like the highest award, Advanced Recording Engineering Award, like I studied like all the way.
Speaker 4Through, but you still couldn't fly hook.
Speaker 2That's hysterical, you mother, you know, but yeah, yeah fly freaking.
Speaker 5Hook rights though.
Yeah, top of the class, but on the engineering side, yeah, so so so so, so what do you in terms of the school, because I know about these schools, but I'm not sure how in depth you know they go.
Speaker 2As it as it relates to, you know, simulating real sessions, like how far did it take you to where you know where you're getting a session with Missy.
You're still maybe just a little behind on things like what is what is the difference?
Speaker 5So you're very behind on things.
So Full Sale is set up to be an accelerator program.
So back then it was a two year degree that I received in one year.
So you go to school NonStop, like you you're like your lectures are during the day, and you're going to class at night anywhere between nine pm to one am, one am to five am, five am.
Then those are your little.
Speaker 4Studio hours.
Speaker 5Yeah, studio hours.
So it's it's considered a real world education, so you're you're they're simulating it as much as they can.
Where you're doing your sessions, which is called your labs at in the middle of the night.
Sometimes I would be in school from nine to five, and then I would only be able to study from five to nine because I'd have to be back in school from nine pm to five am right to do my labs.
My sessions are artists coming in, bands and stuff.
Yeah, like yeah, there's bands and artists that come in, ye, and you're recording them.
You definitely should.
Speaker 2We can talk about that working at your pace because they understand that it's a it's a it's.
Speaker 1A school in your life.
Yes, so you're you're getting a lot.
Speaker 5Of it's more like the local artists.
You're not getting in sync in there, yeah, exactly, you're getting a lot of grace.
Yeah, and you're just kind of set up like it's you know, there's six people in your labs and there's the engineer, there's the person that's basically that's the assistant engineer that's kind of patching things in for you know, like like there's there's jobs that you have to do to come and simulate this kind of thing.
But I will say I didn't know how to fly a hook because we didn't get a lot of time on pro tools.
Yeah, like it was very back then, and I keep saying back then, and I really feel like I'm aging.
Speaker 1My no, no, because it's all good.
Speaker 5We were actually learning two inch tape, like cutting the tape.
We were still we were just getting into like dats and you know, like digital audio tape and stuff like that.
So like we like pro Tools was actually not even the premiere.
It was like it was busting through the door.
But like people were still like kind of like we don't know, we don't know about this yet, you.
Speaker 1Know, because it does sound different.
Speaker 5Yes, absolutely, that's a whole other thing.
Does sound very different.
So my entry into the business was like we were still recording to two inch tape.
The mixing engineers were printing to half inch tape, you know, so there was a lot of that still happening.
Speaker 4You should have told Missy, Yeah, you go to lunch and I'm gonna fly this.
Speaker 1To lunch.
Speaker 3We always joke about that that we've been in the industry so long that we remember when you used to have to like take two hours go to lunch and you.
Speaker 1Come back and they've flown the hook for you.
Speaker 3Yes, I remember when they like the.
Speaker 2First pro toos rig into the studio at the Music Grinder.
It used to be down on Western in Hollywood, and we're in there and we're like, what.
Speaker 1The fuck is this there?
Speaker 2Like it's pro tools, it's just the new you record your vocals into the computer.
Speaker 1I was like, I'm not doing that ship right, where's my master?
Speaker 5It's too colorful?
Speaker 1Why is that?
Speaker 5Why is it?
Speaker 1I'm just looking like none to this the rest of it.
Speaker 2Because we got to two inch real right there in the concept, I'm like, I don't this doesn't make that.
Speaker 4Makes you feel like you're in a real studio.
Speaker 3They used to make you feel like you were because because I've anybody had that.
Speaker 1I've gone from I've gone from D eighty eights to A dads all that.
Speaker 2And when it was like D eighty eights and A Dads, you still kind of felt like you were amateur a little bit, and I mean you.
Speaker 1Were getting a sound.
But when I moved, when I went to.
Speaker 2L A and saw two inches real right right, I was like, and I saw the sun move this big, I said, I'm here, I'm here, this is studio, And did you bring in this little computer?
Speaker 1That's the studio?
Yak with me?
Y'are fucking with me.
Listen.
Speaker 5It was it was a hard transition, and I was in that gap where it was like the two inch was still there, but we were you know it, you know.
But then I was working with engineers, you know, like in my beginning, like in the beginning with like engineers such as like Jimmy Douglas, who was working with like Timberland, who like hated pro tools.
He was like, oh my gosh, he was trying everything in his power to just stay on that board, and or he.
Speaker 1Was I'm gonna just fly it back to the two yeah, listen.
Speaker 5He was the crazy thing.
Is I kind of blame him for the whole No, I don't blame him.
But it's interesting because he would actually run pro tools like a tape machine.
So when we talk about flying things in slip mode, he would do that.
But he was like good at it.
It was the weirdest thing.
He would be maybe be off by a few samples, but it wasn't like by like me.
I was probably off by like large like the of course came in for no words came in yet, like so you.
Speaker 1Didn't even label the hon't even have a.
Speaker 5Market I think there was no marketing that was not Listen, I wasn't there.
Speaker 4Okay, I wasn't there.
Speaker 5Listen, I wasn't there.
Speaker 1We all got to get there.
Speaker 5We got to get there, and I got there, got there.
Speaker 2So so you graduate, and what's the first thing you do after you graduate?
Speaker 3Yeah, because we need this information, because we need the young kids that are there now, Yeah, to understand.
Okay, this is this is going to be the process.
You're not going everybody's not going to be as lucky, even as going from full sale to work with Mystery with Missy at the Hit Factory in a matter of months, right, Like, this is a this is a process.
Speaker 5Yes, no, it is a process.
But I'll tell you the process started for me.
Three months into my program.
I already started thinking where do I want to work in the next nine months, because it was you know, I had a one year program.
So I'm like, all right, what do I want to work?
Am I going to want to move to New York, LA?
Or do I want to stay home?
Well, for me, the easy bit was I'm going to stay home.
Miami's home for me.
Why money I need?
I don't have money, you know what I mean?
So I can like finagle the system, stay back with my parents for a bit and work.
And so I started doing the research research.
I found the Hit Factory, and I said, and I found a bunch of Circle House.
I found a bunch, But the Hit Factory to me was just like wow.
It was like it was it.
Speaker 1Was an incredible studio.
Speaker 5Yeah.
I was like, oh my gosh, the legacy in this place, this is incredible.
I need to work there.
So three months into the program, I reached out to the studio manager and I'm like, hello, like, I'm a student here and uh, interested in wanting to work for you when I've graduated in nine months blah blah blah.
And he's like, all right, that's great, call me when you graduate.
I'm like, damn, all right, I just tried it again.
It's a different way here.
So six months into the program called them back.
I'm like, hello, I want to tour the place.
I'm interested to tour the place because you know, I would love the one.
I would love to work there.
But you know, I had heard that they would do these tours.
He's like, sure, let's just call my assistant.
We'll set up a tour.
So I went on a weekend where I wasn't in class.
And I toured.
And when I went into that building and walked around those halls, I said, whoa, I felt like a spirit.
Like I felt a spirit.
I was looking at all the plaques said, oh my gosh, I have to work here.
I have to work here.
So again, like the nine month mark, wrote, I wrote again, and then like a few maybe, like on my last month, I was just like, I'm graduating in a few weeks.
Do you have an available position?
Studio managers like I don't.
I'm sorry.
I was so sad.
I was like, hey, so all right, back to the drawing board.
What am I gonna do?
So I think I reached out a circle house and like an audio post house here in Miami, and I was waiting, waiting, waiting.
I graduated two weeks.
Three weeks after I graduated, I got the call from the Hit factory like, we have a position open.
Can you come in for the interview?
I said, yep.
Speaker 1You know.
Speaker 5I was still living in Orlando though at the time, and he's like when can you come.
I was like, I'll come tomorrow and he's like, well, don't you live in Orlando.
I was like, yeah, I'll get in the car right now, jump in the car right now, and so he was like like, just you know, why don't we do it for like two days whatever.
I went down there.
I thought I bombed this interview because Trevor Fletcher, who's the manager and still the manager of the Hit Factory, he's intense, like he has no like he has like no type of like nothing on his face.
He just kind of looks yeah, and he's asking me questions and I'm just like who, Like it's hot in here, you know, And he's like thank you for coming in, and like I didn't get no type of temperature from him, like if I did good, if I got the job, I was just like okay, like you know, and I'm just like dang.
And I got in the car and I remember like just upset.
I was upset.
I was like, yo, I bombed it.
I killed the interview, like not in a good way.
And I had a moment and I just was like in tears, you know, because I was just like, man, this was the one thing I wanted.
A Leah's record Try Again jumps on the radio right and the lyrics of that of that song come on.
If at first you don't succeed, you dust yourself off and try again.
And I remember looking at myself in the mirror and being like, this isn't the end, Like you're gonna keep going and if you get it, amazing and if you don't, it's okay.
And I just wipe my tears.
A few hours later, I get the call I got the job.
Wow, Yeah, I got the job.
And I wanted to start like the next day.
And he's like, well, don't you live in Orlando And I was like, it don't matter, like I'll get.
Speaker 1Don't figure it out.
Speaker 5He's like, how about you take the weekend and you start Monday?
And I said I'm there.
So I literally drove back up, grabbed my stuff, and the rest is history.
Speaker 1Yeah.
Speaker 4So when you get there, are you just an intern?
Speaker 1Oh?
Speaker 5Yeah, beginning, I'm just an intern.
Listen when I get the job.
The job that I got was called general assisting.
Okay, I'm not in the studio.
I my job is to make fruit baskets, like set up nice little I'm a runner food, make coffee.
I'm in the studio.
Speaker 2Because people don't know how the fruit gets there.
You just think it's there, shows up.
Speaker 3People don't know how to stop being mean to people when you walk in there, they might be.
Speaker 1Preparing that fruit and.
Speaker 2Listen and when there was food budgets, yeah, you will go get that food.
Speaker 1What else eat you guys were eating?
Speaker 5Yes, we were the uber.
Speaker 1They will eat some of your fries.
You know, manin't somebody.
Speaker 3Was broken Because that's the thing, and that's the information that we love to give and the insight that we want to give to you know, up and coming you know creatives right right right right where they just think a lot of them really believe that you do a TikTok and the next day you're whatever you said you were going to be.
Speaker 1That is not reality.
Speaker 5It's so true and it's and it's horrible because that's it's like a dying breed of that mindset of how I took my approach.
That's not even there because now when I try to interview people from the studio, my studio, that's their So so when do you think I'm going to be able to mix I'm like, what.
Speaker 1Like yeah, like, and I'm just like I'm running.
Speaker 2Corn to give these these these.
Speaker 5Young this young generation of reality check.
I'd be like huh, and then I just find something real bonkers to do.
I'd be like, you know what, I got a warehouse down the street.
I need you to go organize the where they'd be like huh yeah, like there's no mixing, Like what you mean, I'm the mix like you know, it's like, that's not the way it works.
I was even an overnight mixer.
It was years and years of work that I had to do to get to that point, to get to the trust of a client, you know what I mean.
So it's like the mindset for someone's walking and be like, do you think I'm going to get in instant and just start mixing or even recording like you I'm not higher if I Otherwise the job posting would have been I'm looking for a recording engineer.
That's never the job posting.
I am looking for an intern or general assistant.
But they're just so like they're ready to do.
Speaker 2Everything is happening at warp speed, and so they're just used to that exactly, scrolling and getting right to it.
Speaker 1No o contra frayer, Oh contrare.
Speaker 2So you so you get the job at the hit Factor.
Yeah, you're in charge of fruit baskets right now, right now.
Speaker 1Right now.
Speaker 5You said I had them know that my fruit baskets were fly Okay, like I made taking pride.
If I'm going to do a job, I'm going to do this thing like or they know it was a Lago basket.
I mean Lago wasn't born yet, but you know, like they need Marcela the flowers edible, Oh yeah, that flower Like listen, I was the one.
Speaker 2Because then you go from there and then you graduate?
Do you graduate straight to assistant?
Is that the next So.
Speaker 5That story was actually crazy because it wasn't even a graduation.
It was a it was an opportunity to happen.
I was a general assistant.
It was Missy that called the studio and told Trevor that she was coming in.
She was twenty minutes out.
Well, Trevor didn't have anybody in the building that can assist this session other than like because it was like early.
It was like ten or eleven in the morning, so there was nobody there yet.
So he calls me up to his office and he says, you ready, And I said, thinking he is he talking about?
What am I ready for?
But I didn't want to ask the question because he's intimidating everything out of me.
So I'm like in that moment, I just said, girl, you better say yes.
I was like, yeah, I didn't know what I was saying yes to yes, And he was just like, great because Missy just called and she's on her way and she'll be here in twenty minutes.
I need you to assist the session.
Set up the mic, get our hard drives going, get the vibe right, get whatever Carlos needs, which was her engineer at the time, and it's your gig for today.
And I said, oh my gosh, all right, got it.
So I did my thing, worked met Missy.
Missy was like, you know, she was super cool.
You know, she had an assistant back then.
Her name was nut Nut.
I don't know if you know noth nut was, but that was her name, man nut.
But nothing was my girl.
Speaker 1She was.
She was.
Speaker 5Y'all had to know, okay, yeah, yeah, shout out.
Speaker 1Nut.
Speaker 5But yeah, so like you know, like she was just like, you know, everything went smooth, and uh, I guess her assistant ended up calling Trevor.
I don't know if it was nothing.
Her mom pat and she was and they called Trevor and was like, yo, Missy, she loves Marcella.
She wants her to be all her sessions, so she like she wants her to be the you know, working on the sessions.
So I basically was two months as a general assistant and then all of a sudden I became.
Speaker 2I went right in and it was literally just oh.
Speaker 5Listen, you have no idea.
There were assistant engineering general assistants waiting for their turn.
They've been there over a year and not even had the moment to be an assistance and well they never had.
Speaker 1It was like.
Speaker 5Eleven in the morning, right right like, and that's the thing, Like I didn't mind being the morning person, like I liked it.
I was like, I'll do the morning shift.
Speaker 2Whatever, Yeah, everybody else is trying to sleep exactly.
Speaker 5I was like, I'll be there, but no.
So I became the main insistant engineer with Missy and it was the under Construction album that she started working on at the time.
So it was that moment when Timberland showed up on the on the tour bus.
I think back then he wasn't even getting on planes.
He was afraid of flying, so everywhere he went was on a tour bus.
So he pulled up and that's where you know, I segued into meeting Timberland.
It's all kind of started to you know, the one and you know, I was so wild about it, and I promise y'all, I promise y'all.
Tim and Missy were my favorite among everyone else.
Right, it was just like they were my favorite producer, artist, songwriter, Like they everything, they touched back everything, you know, genuine the aliah Like then you know, you hear the stories of their time in Rochester, New York, and it was like they were putting like they just came from the stuff that Missy was putting out.
It was just phenomenal, you know, And I'm like, I want to work with Timberland and Missy if I ever get in the business and loan and beholden that's what happened.
Like you know, you don't get to you want, you don't get to really you know, like Trefor could have put me on Latin sessions because I'm Latin, you know, and he could have put me or he could have put me on anything, and my career would have went in that direction because that's what I That was the clientele that I was working with.
But my first client was Missy Elliott and it was that to Timberland and then I was working with Tweet.
I worked on Tweet for on her album.
Yeah my love shout out the Tweet for sure.
But yeah, like it was just like a constant like.
Speaker 2And this is like in the assistant days.
In these days, like you actually had work too, You.
Speaker 5Had work to do, you had to patch, you had the like.
Speaker 1No, the patching was a thing.
Speaker 5Yeah, the patching was a thing.
Yeah.
It was like, yeah, come in and documentation.
You have to do all the paperwork, you know.
It was like, I mean everything was analogue, so it was nothing, but you had to recall things by hand.
It was nowadays like.
Speaker 1That's all you need this system for how do you turn the TV?
This?
Speaker 2Yeah, you got a good weed, man, you make me a drink.
It's so different now, but like you say, you come from a different kind of work ethic.
Speaker 1I do.
Speaker 5I do, and and I and it's and it's interesting, you know because now it's kind of like when I hear stories of some of my colleagues are younger, I get a different experience.
I'm like, dang, you really didn't really have to do any of the things, you know, And I mean like even like recalling an.
Speaker 1Entire forgot about that channel by.
Speaker 5Channel, So if your mix was on a seventy two channel eighty channel so side remember No, you don't have to remember.
There was actual it was like like a super whack computer system that was like it was like DOS basically.
I don't know if you'll remember what DOS was back in the day, but like it was so like whatever, mediocre and like it would show this picture like a screenshot of where the where the knobs were, but you had to manually do so if like I said, the mix was eighty channels worth, I'm going eighty channels worth of recalling and not by not and it had to be.
And then the outboard year was another, you know, the whole another.
Speaker 1So it was like we started working on the G series.
Speaker 2But then like everybody was so excited when the K and J came and I was like, okay, okay, the recalls are going to be easy as I.
Speaker 5Really No, no, no, they're not, No, they're not.
Speaker 2There's the same thing I forgot about the recall.
The recall got about that.
Speaker 5Yeah, And so I definitely come from.
Speaker 2Because you know, I'm the artist, so I would just get there and it's recalled.
Speaker 1Right, yeah, you know what I mean?
Speaker 5Yeah, if you were coming in at two, I'm coming in at twelve because I not only was it like let me just recall, but I need to make sure I think sounded like right, you know, like as close as possible to the mix.
So during that time where I had to do a lot of you know, like you naturally if you're you know, you should be doing it if you're studying, but like I'm studying, my my ear is like training.
I have to ear train to the sound, you know, making sure that these things are coming back the right way, because when you walk in or even the main engineer, like I'm not the main engineer, will usually walk in like ten minutes before y'all walk in, they're not there.
They want to, they don't, they're not they're.
Speaker 1Not really they're the stars, right there are rock.
Speaker 5Stars in their own levels.
Speaker 1Yeah, there's levels everything.
Speaker 5Absolutely, Yeah, So you know, I just had to make sure everything was right.
Speaker 1You know, So are you?
Speaker 2So you you have desires to mix at this point when you're when you get this studio job and now you're assisting or does that come later?
Speaker 5As it comes later, because like in the beginning, once I started the record, you know, after working with Tweet and Missy for so long.
I made the transition into wanting to work with Timberland under Jimmy Douglas.
I was like, you know what I want to I want to learn under one of the great.
Speaker 1Are you still at the Hit Factory?
Speaker 5Yeah, I'm still a the Hip Factory.
Speaker 4I'm at the Hip fact technically still an employee.
Speaker 1I'm still an.
Speaker 5Employee of the Hip Factory.
Yeah.
And so I end up like basically working with Jimmy Douglass.
Speaker 1And so how do you get the Jimmy though?
How does you just ask Trevor.
Speaker 5Trevor, I'm like, listen, I think I've learned all I can learn from working with these Missy sessions.
She had her engineer, so I was only jumping in as an engineer for her when when either the engineer didn't know what was late or needed to leave early.
So I was substituting more like you know, I'm like, I wanted more of like a gig, you know, I'm like, all I need to like, I need to figure this out.
So I ended up asking Truvor if I could, like work with Jimmy as his assistant so I can learn that side of it and working with Jimmy.
Carlos was only a recording engineer, so everything coming out of Carlos's room was going to Jimmy.
So I'm like, well, I already see the recording process.
I want to hear that.
I want to now see the mixing process.
And it was there where I really became a student of the craft, where I just really ear trained.
Every time he was dialing in on a kick, on a snare, on a sound, on a vocal, I started to really understand those frequencies.
Like I really was like, where's he going with that?
Speaker 1You know.
Speaker 5I wasn't over his shoulder like this.
I was just more like sitting in the back, you know, just kind of listening.
Yeah.
And then and then when he would step out the room, I would look on the console to be like, let me see where he went with that, because I would know frequency wise was but I didn't really understand it.
I've always been I've always understood frequency as an emotion, you know, So I all that technical gibberish was just something that I needed to know.
But it's more of the background for me.
Like for me, it's like everything is by ear.
Everything for me is by ear.
It's an emotion.
It's how it makes me feel.
And as an engineer, I do know where to go or what to take away to achieve, to achieve what I need to get to, but it's all driven by my heart and my you know, like an emotion.
So yeah, just learning under him, I was just like, all right, cool, this is great.
But then I started to want to be more like you know, eventually we got done with the mixing, and so we started working with like, you know, Timberland started having like jay Z come through and just you come through.
Speaker 8You know.
Speaker 5It was just like all these like artists now more like in the recording side, and with Timberland, like I started to record more, you know, because I would just jump in the chair.
Speaker 1He'd be like can you record me?
Speaker 5Or like I would just jump in.
So I got more opportunity.
And then it was around this time where he signed an artist, Carrie Hilson.
So he signed an artist along with Polo the Don and so I met Carrie and and actually just to I kind of missed one step Before Carrie, tim brought in a young producer that he wanted to train and bring in as his protege, by the name of Danger.
So you know, Danger came into the picture, and you know, it was real funny about Dangers.
When he first came in the picture, I couldn't stand the guy.
I couldn't not stand him.
That is the nicest guy I know.
But you know, it's so funny because if he was here right now, she thinks she was running shit in there.
He come in on his first day.
I didn't know who he was.
So the door opens to the studio, I see him just walk in Ahll Bay and Tim had his keyboard set up in there, and he gets on the try and immediately just starts programming and I'm like, yo, who are you?
He's like, who are you?
And I was like And then Demo, who was an engineer in the room, was like, oh man, that's Danger.
Like I'm like, all right, well man, screw him.
Like that's like I was like, from him.
Speaker 1Touching ship, right, he touches yboards.
Speaker 5He ain't even introduced himself.
That was the whole thing.
He can't come in and introduce.
Speaker 4You don't touch him.
Speaker 5You don't touch Siman's keyboard.
So the crazy thing though, he made a beat on this trite and one of the most incredible sounding tracks in like ten minutes.
I ain't never seen nothing like it, so silently I had to give him my respect.
I ain't given my respect.
I was like, but I'm still giving you the cold shoulder.
But you know what it was about Danger that I didn't He just he's just a quiet dude.
He quiet I thought.
I interpreted that as mean.
I interpreted that as like cocky.
I don't know what.
I just didn't like it.
Speaker 7And then all of a.
Speaker 5Sudden, like over time, I get to know him and I'm like, yo, you are like the nicest guy in the world, right, And so I had backed it up because I had to say, like I start working with Tim Dangers in the room.
Now there's another engineer in the room by the name of Demo, and myself, like Jimmy comes in in and out, Like there's a lot of work that Jimmy's doing that is either in New York, so he's not really in So I'm kind of still staying put in Miami still as like, you know, assistant engineer.
I'm still working for the Hit Factory, so at this time, like Tim, but engineer though, I'm still on the payroll.
Yeah, which is great because I'm still getting insurance.
So I'm like, I'm not trying to leave yet, you know, I'm still stacking money like you know.
And so Tim would tell us, yeah, yeah, I'll be in two o'clock tomorrow, two pm.
This man will not show up to the studio till midnight of course, you know.
So Danger would be like, well, I'm gonna come in, like if you don't mind, like I won I'm like, yeah, come in.
So I would be there because I'm working for the studio.
He'd be in their programming, and then eventually I was like, hey, man, if you want like throw me your parts and like I'll just get it nice and blended and I'll blend it and and you know, get mixed it for you.
Because the one thing Danger didn't have with Timberland, with like Tim Kupress play and the damn speakers would catch was incredible crazy Danger didn't.
Danger had a great body like of work, but it just didn't sound right.
So I'm in there tweaking the sounds, getting all that.
So we had time because Tim would to show up to the studio till midnight.
So by the time ten, yeah, it's a whole session.
So by the time he would show up he would want to hear what Danger did, and over time his music just started sounding bigger and fat, you know what I mean, Like it just started to have like a sound to it, and so it that was a thing.
So with Danger in the picture, tim then Carrie gets signed.
Carrie's hanging out in Miami just kind of like in the beginning, just.
Speaker 4Kind of like all right, I'm just here.
Speaker 1I'm waiting.
Speaker 5I'm waiting, you know, like what you Diday, four day live whatever.
She's hanging She's writing songs with us, but we're not really focusing on her, you know, Carrie Hillson music yet.
And then I think Danger starts making tracks like that.
She starts like feeling and she's like writing, and I'm like, yo, like why don't we get a room upstairs?
Like the that sounded crazy?
Like why don't we get around I'm feeling?
Speaker 1No.
Speaker 5So there's a studio the Hip Factory called Studio B.
So I'm like, why don't we get the studio up there?
And we just vibe out so we get the approval, we go up there and we just start making music like just dangering myself and Carrie.
Speaker 4And you had to end because technically you worked there.
So it's because that's listen, yeah, this is just not happened.
Speaker 1Guys, you just can't be at the studio.
It did take over another room.
Speaker 5Exactly exact you.
Yeah, yeah, so we just up in this little you've been in the studio, b I feel like it's on the second floor.
Man.
I to me, I think it's the dopest room because it's away from everything.
They don't have the best console in there, but I mean I think now they put something digital and work for what it is.
But I love that room, Like I did the entire tweet album in that room.
Like I have some stories in that room.
Speaker 3Like it's for the money I paid it hit factory, you should have.
Speaker 5Did you want the main room you want to get?
Speaker 1I want to storage rooms.
That's who I was in with.
Yeah, I was in with Scott Storage.
Speaker 8Yeah.
Speaker 5Yeah, so you were in studio E.
Speaker 1Yeah, it's cracking.
The two rooms.
Its cracking.
You know what I'm saying.
I'm gonna get my budgets work.
I'm gonna blow this budget.
In the right room, the top of the room.
Speaker 5But I couldn't get in those.
I can get into the reject room was the like the isolated, nobody wanted it.
I'm like, well I love this, I love it.
But yeah, so we in there making music and whatnot.
And it was recording Carrie.
I got a lot of you know, just hours in on that.
And it was working with Carrie where my mixing skills really started to shine through.
Because I would do these rough mixes.
Tim would be like, let me hear it, and then he'd be like yo, and Polo too.
They'd be like, man, you got Carries sounded amazing, like you thought her harmonies the way you would blender, and so I was like yeah, so Like it was those opportunities where light bulbs went off and Tim's head, Polo's head, Danger's head like, yo, she's not just a recording engineer, she can mix too.
I had my first mix I ever did was a song for Usher.
Speaker 6Oh my God, too much night over there?
Speaker 1You know what I got?
Speaker 2Yeah?
Yeah, I don't know if that night you came through you.
I don't know if I sang to you that night, but I'm gonna sing to you now.
Speaker 1Okay, yeah, please?
Do people want to know?
Come on, what they want to know.
They want to know your ears, Mercy Alaco, your.
Speaker 8Top, your top five Come on, top Fire, Hey, your.
Speaker 1Top five RB singer.
Speaker 2The song.
Speaker 9We want a New Almost you go Mercy, We want to know?
Speaker 1Yes your time five.
Speaker 5Yeah, I do love this.
I do love this little intro and somehow you might have just shot somewhere near about.
Speaker 2Just a quick reminder, it's not the bark, miss Iago.
Your top five R and B singers, Top five.
Speaker 5R and B singers.
All right, let's see in no particular order, no particular all right, here we go, mm hmm.
I'm going to start off with number one because this was my first love as a child, would be Stevie Wonder.
Speaker 1Yeah.
Speaker 5Yeah, Stevie Wonder was where the vinyl playing was in the house and I was like, oh my goodness, what is that.
Yes, I'm uh you will see from my list.
I live a lot in the past because it's so good.
Luther Vanras I love Luther.
Sorry, it's just he just makes me cry.
Next, I'm going to have to go to Joe.
I love Joe like I.
Speaker 4Love shows a favorite.
Speaker 5She's what you mean?
Yeah, when that man lives on a playlist that doesn't quit for I'm going to have to go with the false settle grade of Maxwell I actually named my son Kayden Maxwell after Maxwell.
Speaker 1Oh.
Speaker 5Yes, I do love Maxwell.
I do love him.
I love his music.
I love him like he's just incredible.
And number five?
Where am I at with number five?
Oh my gosh, don't go blank, Mars, don't go blank, man, I'm gonna have to give it to one of my own, mister Luke James.
Speaker 1James.
Speaker 5I'll give it to Luke James sang He's just too good, yeah, I mean.
And we talked about singers.
I know sangers, yeah, you know, for no different reasons and maybe songs just a voice, but Lucas voice is.
Speaker 1Pristine.
Yeah, flat out.
I like your list top five R and B songs.
Speaker 5This one's gonna be hard.
Speaker 6Mm hmm.
Speaker 1You heard a lot of songs.
Speaker 5I heard songs.
Okay, let's see a woman's work.
I just love me.
I just love that.
Speaker 1Yeah, yeah, I can just hear it.
Speaker 5I don't know like that record can still make my skin crawl, you know what I mean, which is it's just crazy.
You know, Black Street it's coming to head to my head right now with uh, don't lead with.
Speaker 6It, don't leave.
Speaker 5Don't let me sing either, Please don't let me sing you do not let me sing, So thank you for for for backing me up there.
Yeah, that's that's.
Speaker 2Just the first came out and they played that that that song came over.
We was like this, yeah, what is this sound?
Speaker 5And then way just kept growing at the end and it just didn't want to quit.
It just kept going.
Yeah.
So okay, so that, uh I need something sexy.
What's the sexy stuff that I like?
Emotional?
Speaker 1Karl Thomas.
Speaker 5Yes, sir, you guys coming to Miami.
Speaker 4We're gonna make that happen.
Speaker 1It has to happen.
We just had a conversation about that too, because I'm like, I was so excited somebody who can.
Speaker 5Help me come up to Atlanta.
But I'm like, you know, you.
Speaker 2Gotta, I gotta makemi Yeah, dang, I got a few list here all the things I'm Joe.
Speaker 5Of course, that damn song just speaks everything.
Speaker 2I mean, I'll be on the road with I'm like, you you really out of control?
You're really out of control?
Speaker 5Yeah, and the last one, I mean, there's just so many.
That's why I have a hard time.
I've never liked these type of questions because just there's so like, I don't have a top, and.
Speaker 1You have a different feeling to the Army podcast.
You have a different feeling every day.
Speaker 5Every day.
Speaker 4It's just like, you know, it just depends on where I'm at, you know, so on today.
Speaker 5So I mean, look, if I really wanted to feel freaking, it's gonna be somewhere in the joys world's.
Speaker 1Yeah, I mean, it's just gonna be.
It's just why not.
Pick one?
Yeah?
Pick one?
Yeah, any of them?
Speaker 5What's that one slide?
Speaker 1Come talking to you?
Speaker 5Talking to no?
Man?
Come on, like, that's that's that.
I love that.
Speaker 1You're the first person to bring that one out.
Speaker 5I'm telling you because I'm like, I'm I'm a laugh in the past, I think it was like number six to on the app.
Nobody everybody just kind of like, I don't know, everybody sat.
Speaker 1Half of an album the whole.
Speaker 5Thing is and I'm like, man, that song is crazy with the whole album.
Speaker 2Okay, uh, let's do your volte ron all right, you're gonna make your super r and B artists.
You're gonna get the vocal from the performance style, the styling, the passion of the artist, and who's going to mix that record?
Speaker 5Here we go, Okay, who are you getting the vocal from Whitney Houston performance style Michael Jackson, Yeah.
Speaker 2Styling or Prince, that's way different.
You gotta that's two different, both flying their own way.
Speaker 5I'm gonna go with.
Speaker 1Prince eclectic, stand out.
Speaker 3No boxes exactly, not a one boxers either.
Speaker 2He out here with all right, that my friend is a thong that you know that's that's not a box of bre God, let's.
Speaker 3Some damn pants on man, all your pants man, he told you like that.
Speaker 5Uh, the passion of the artist, the passion I'm gonna say you.
Speaker 10Hm hmm man, passionate man, passion man.
I'm gonna say you, sir, passion.
Speaker 1I'm a passion man.
Speaker 2Ship alright, that's my name in restaurant to think of name the rival pleasure p I'm passion pe, I'm passionate.
Speaker 3Just passion man, none of it man, you know, passionate.
He wants an R and B name because he doesn't feel like he has an R and B name.
Speaker 1Pleasure.
His name is pleasure.
Speaker 2You know how many ways you can work that in R in an R and B s Like just in a conversation, you know what I'm saying, And I just like, yeah, girl, you're gonna get tanked tonight.
What you're gonna get this tank on you tonight?
How you have been rolled over?
Speaker 5Aggressive?
It's really aggressive aggressive?
Speaker 1You want me to fill up your tank?
What you want?
So you want to go to this listen yas it's high.
I want you to feel like that goddamn tank.
Speaker 2Wow, we're working on it.
Who's who's gonna mix for this artist?
Speaker 3The goddamn.
Speaker 1Better believe it?
Yeah, yeah, like.
Speaker 9This, Send us out, Send us out.
I ain't saying no next.
I ain't saying no next, no name, I ain't saying no name.
Speaker 8Who he was?
Who?
Speaker 2What you did?
Speaker 1Don't say she?
I ain't saying the name who?
Speaker 5Passion fee, ladies and gentlemen, your passion pee?
Speaker 1Oh my god, I love you guys.
I'm not pounding you out for that.
Speaker 2Fee eedn name this man passion pee pee, passion p pleasure has a rival.
Speaker 1Oh my god.
Speaker 3But before we get out of here, we have this great segment.
I know you, I know you've seen it.
I know you've seen it.
It's called I ain't saying no name.
Tell us a story funny or fucked up?
Are funny and fucked up?
Speaker 1In life?
Speaker 3And times and the travels of Marcia a Lago, the Lamborghini herself herself.
Speaker 1You know what I mean, we knew you know, you need.
Speaker 3You're driving a fast car around Miami, you know, even though you're supposed to jump in the fast car and hang out with us one time, and then you did show up.
Speaker 4You know what, But we ain't gonna talk about gonna talk about it.
Speaker 1Talking about thinking it's a great song was made the next day.
It's cool.
Ship we played basketball?
Speaker 5Yeah yeah, that's for part two.
Speaker 1Oh boy, only route to the game, no name.
Speaker 4Oh that's easy, okay, Oh yeah, yeah.
Speaker 1I like that.
Speaker 5It's kind of like a damn for really happened to you?
But I laughed whatever.
I enjoyed myself after.
It's all good.
All right.
So there's a time where I was flown out to New York.
Speaker 1Flew flown out.
Speaker 4He was flown out because if it was flood out, you know what I mean, you know what I'm saying.
Speaker 2Inolved, No, No, it was fluid is personal flows business.
Speaker 5I was there in town to work with a very very high profile female artist, and so I was excited because I've been listening and loving this artist since I was a kid, and I just remember getting that call and just being like, wow, I'm so excited that this is it.
Like, I'm whatever.
We're in New York.
We're sitting there waiting and she shows up about four hours late.
She walks in.
I'm like, you know, I'm professional, so I'm like, oh, how you doing.
She comes around the room.
I'm in the room with two other guys, the writer and a producer.
I'm the engineer.
And she comes in.
Let me not even acted out, because let me not let me just stay poor.
And so she comes in and she's four hours late.
Then she walks in like at one am, and so whatever, We're like, okay, cool, no problem.
She comes in and she's like, Hi, I'm so sorry.
Oh gosh, I'm acting out.
Sorry for god.
Hi, I'm sorry, like I'm late, you know, I am so and so, I am so so.
And she comes around to me and she's like, Hi, gives me one of these one of these fingertips.
Hi, And I was just like, okay, that was different, and so whatever.
We sit down, we start grooving, we start trying to start the creative process.
She stopped, everybody stop, I'm sorry, what's your name again?
And I turn around like, oh, Marcella.
She's like, yeah, I'm that bitch in this room.
You gotta leave.
And I was like, I was like, is this like am I being punked?
Like you know, Like I was like, is this for real?
And so I was like and she's like yeah, She's like like you gotta go.
And I remember looking turning around and look at the producer and writer and they were like they didn't know what to say, like you know, I enjoy I told you high profile, so like you know, there's not a discussion to be had.
It's just so I'm like, okay, no problem.
So I just like walked out and I stayed.
I stood outside the studio doors in case the producer needed me for anything, and I just was like I'll be outside the doors if you need anything.
They called in a guy engineer to take over, and I remember just being like dang, that was rough.
Dang, And I just remember being sad, and then the sadness turned into like like annoyance, and then I was kind of mad and then I'm like dang.
So then the label calls and was like, man, we're so sorry what happened?
Like yeah, like we're so sorry.
But like I already they had already you know, booked the hotel out, and the hotel was like, what do they call like the prettyem what do you call them?
When you can spend whatever you want?
Oh?
Yeah, yeah whatever, what do you call it?
We had no we have no like limit, no limit, you know what.
I know exactly what I'm about to do, And in her honor, I'm buying champagne and sushi.
Yeah, inviting all my friends over.
I literally had a party party out on her dime.
I was like, I'm going in, Yes, sir, I was in.
Speaker 4I said, I was like, you know what, champagne, sushi and friends.
Speaker 5Champagne, sushi and friends.
Speaker 2Here's the thing, right as it as we as you said in the beginning, right was it's a male dominated industry, right, and there are challenges and things you go through with men.
Speaker 8Right.
Speaker 2People don't really understand what it is to be an attractive female.
Speaker 5And the star walks in and it's like, oh yeah, no ah, now.
Speaker 2You're taking up too much of the Yeah, like other thing you have to you got to go or you can't dance with me?
Speaker 1You no, you.
Speaker 5Yes, yeah, but yeah that happened.
Speaker 2Wow.
Speaker 5In the end, I prevailed and had a great time in New York City.
Speaker 4Wow, not expect that limited, I believe it, But I believe it.
Speaker 5I did not come back it up well in the room obviously, no name, no name.
Speaker 1Yeah, we've done that.
What we do it?
All this?
Please do?
Wow.
That's a great story, though.
It's a great story.
Speaker 5And it's so interesting, right because like it's all you know, all this happened before obviously, all this woman empowerment movement, right, So isn't that interesting that if I ever really wanted to unleash this story?
Speaker 2Oh my goodness, here's a question, though, have you ever ran back into her again and at least had like eyes or like you know something where you.
Speaker 5Know, no, but not face to face.
But I ended up having being hired to do a mix for her, and she ended up knowing who I was, but was okay with it.
It was fine, And she ended up loving it and approving it and like singing her praises through her management to let me know how much she loved it.
Speaker 3So and they paid the incident about to say she paid the incident and then she paid the fee for you to for you?
Speaker 5Yeah, then I got paid.
Speaker 1Yeah, listen.
Sometimes you know it's all so good, it's.
Speaker 5All good, But you know what it was for me?
It was because I loved like we love the excitement.
Yeah, of someone that I grew up like, they say, yes.
Speaker 1I've been there, exactly, I've been there.
Speaker 2It happens well, Doctor three oh five, the original doctor Man.
All right, let me tell him him.
Speaker 1The log.
Speaker 5In d O H two oh creative Asylum, dream side, dream side.
Speaker 2Yes, that's what I was getting to that.
I was just saying, creative to dream dream Asylum.
Your family, you know, we love you, and we thank you for just coming and giving us be a hitmaker.
Yeah you know, yeah, thank you for thank you for caring about caring about it and and and putting your heart on the line too.
Speaker 1To help enhance the soundtrack to the universe.
Speaker 3Always, I must save up my money so you can do a mix.
I'm gonna save a little bit coins, a lot of coins.
Speaker 2Maybe we put our coins together, Maybe we could just at least get a deal on maybe.
Speaker 1You know what I'm saying.
I ain't gonna even go in the master because that could.
Speaker 5Be a whole nother oh man to the mastering engineers.
Speaker 2Look at you being like me, do what I do.
Thank you, and we appreciate you.
And you know this is you know, this is your house.
So you got love over here.
Speaker 5Thank you.
I love you, guys.
I appreciate you, ladies and gentlemen.
Speaker 2I am Tank and this is the R and B Money Podcast, the authority on all things R and B Sounding good.
Yeah, yeah, yeah, it's important, looking good, Okay, it's core.
Yeah.
Speaker 1Make sure that's to be a limit.
Man.
When your.
Speaker 2We all start from somewhere, do you take pride in your humble beginnings?
Speaker 1Yeah?
I hope you do.
I hope you do, because.
Speaker 5Thank you, Thank you, Thank you.
Speaker 2R and B Money.
Speaker 4R and B Money is a production of the Black Effect podcast Network.
For more podcasts from iHeartRadio, visit the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to your favorite shows.
Speaker 3Don't forget to subscribe to and rate our show, and you can connect with us on social media at Jay Valentine and at the Real Tank.
Speaker 4For the extended episode, subscribe to YouTube dot com, forward Slash, R and B Money
