And once I understood that it wasn't, a lot of things weren't our fault, it was easy for me to be like, all right, this makes sense for me.

For me, I would say it was the self-evaluation because I feel like as humans, we always feel that we're right.

Our opinions are what we lead with.

Mike said it, man in the mirror.

I had to look at myself and say, even if I want to forgive him, why won't he forgive me? It's because I'm not accepting and changing based off of what I was.

and what I'm trying to be.

And more so to just shorten it up is I had to tell myself, bro, you was whack for that.

Anybody saying anything bad about Beach Gang is crazy.

Lo guarderò e ti dirò quanto è fantastico.

[risate] Ok, sì.

Di recente ho avuto l'opportunità di visitare la tenuta di Michael Jackson qui nella valle.

La chiamano la tenuta Hayvenhurst Jackson.

E ho pensato che fosse davvero incredibile perché il primo concerto a cui io sono andato da bambino è stato un concerto di Michael Jackson.

E ho anche avuto l'opportunità di stringergli la mano e lui ha influenzato la mia vita.

Ehi, dovevi ballarci insieme, non stringergli la mano.

Sai cosa? Giravo un video, non ho avuto l'opportunità di ballare con lui.

Lo guarderò e ti dirò quanto è fantastico.

[risate] Ok, sì.

Di recente ho avuto l'opportunità di visitare la tenuta di Michael Jackson, qui nella valle.

La chiamano la tenuta Hayvenhurst Jackson.

E ho pensato che fosse davvero incredibile perché il primo concerto a cui io sono andato da bambino è stato un concerto di Michael Jackson.

E ho anche avuto l'opportunità di stringergli la mano e lui ha influenzato la mia vita.

Ehi, dovevi ballarci insieme, non stringergli la mano.

Sai cosa? Giravo un video, non ho avuto l'opportunità di ballare con lui.

Je vais le regarder et vous dire à quel point c'est cool.

Ok, ok. Ok. Donc oui, j'ai récemment eu l'occasion de voyager jusqu'au domaine de Michael Jackson, ici, dans la vallée.

Il l'appelle le Havenhurst Jackson Estate.

Et j'ai trouvé ça vraiment incroyable parce que le tout premier concert auquel j'ai assisté en tant qu'enfant était un concert de Michael Jackson.

Et j'ai aussi eu l'occasion de lui serrer la main et il a influencé ma vie.

Hé, vous étiez censé danser avec lui, pas lui serrer la main.

Vous savez quoi ? Il tournait une vidéo et je n'ai pas eu l'occasion de bouger un peu.

Mais ça a été une expérience très profonde pour moi parce que ça m'a rappelé... ça m'a rappelé à quel point il a influencé ma vocation de musicien.

Does it ever get old doing these, these types of, of projects? Or d- or how do you keep it fresh?

Well, you know, it, it, it is very much so like a recipe.

You know what I'm saying? Like, you always have, you know, your baseline intention, and then also the people that you cultivate music well with, and then you introduce some new people into the mix.

And, you know, that's always kept, you know, my approach fresh because I actually love creating.

Um, and then working with, you know, uh, different types of talent, you know, um, it's, it's been such a joy, and that's how I keep it fresh, you know? And then I also pour a little bit of my own personal experiences and approaches, you know, um, to my music as well.

You know, I'm not just a copy/paste artist.

You know, there's so many great artists, um, wr- great writers out there and it's like, sometimes you're like taking their swag.

Mm-hmm.

What made it come about? Why is it O2?

So 20-plus years in the game, you know, um, when you're a youngin' like myself, you can never really have that kind of foresight to see where you will end up in 20 years.

And it is with such gratitude to, you know, still be outside, still be dropping new records.

So O2 is a owe to my first solo album, which came out in 2005.

And, um, yeah, s- 20 years plus later, we still strong and still singing along to the right damn song.

... talk about that.

Shout out to Pharrell.

Um, the original song is beautiful.

We done been in the house.

Wait, what was that like? Man, that was different.

That was different.

He was the first person who... who bowed as a show of reverence.

You know what I'm saying? Like, I hadn't been to Japan as a young man, so I didn't know people there, they bow as a, you know, show of respect.

Yeah.

He was the first person that bowed to me.

snap.

Mm-hmm.

The single, uh, we just, you know, premiered it last night, so the fans can hear it.

It'll officially be available, uh, July 17th.

Uh, yeah, the new album called Eclipse i- is going up.

Omarion new album actually out today.

... what's the new sound for us, for the fans?

I mean, the new sound is, is a maturation, um, of an accumulation of all this experience of 25 years, you know?

Uh, for people to go to having y'all on the wall, like, Word Up magazines, and for them to still be in the crowd, like, what's that feeling like to still be in touch with, like, your core fan base?

Yeah.

Man, it's, it's, it's a couple of different things, man.

It- it's, it's a feeling that sometime is, it's hard to describe because you know you put something out in the world, and you created a connection.

And you build a relationship with, with people.

And, um, that's really what culture is.

You know what I'm saying? It's like basically coming together and sharing your experience with others.

Mm-hmm

Mm-hmm.

I really feel like, you know, in 2019, things were shifting.

You know, it was a great opportunity for us, but I don't, I don't know that everybody was on the same page as far as life experiences and wins and losses.

I do all the dances

dancesYou change from how you used to be in the beginning-

And then for us to finally be like, all right, n-

Especially the BET Awards.

I was, I was already, me and Boog was like, "Let's go."

Yeah.

I don't know.

Every day I wake up.

Wake your ass up.

The Breakfast Club.

Mm.

Uh, trying different things.

I think that, you know, um, when you're in the industry for a long time, it is peaks and valleys.

You know, you're not gonna have 10 hot moments, you know what I'm saying? You might have a down moment.

You might have a transitional moment.

I think that it's okay, you know, when, um, you're finding your way, and I feel like after my last, like, couple of projects, you know, um, just supporting myself, being independent, like, I started to feel like, "Okay, now I have control of my career.

Oh, I wanna put this out.

Okay.