And everything, your taste is more refined.

Right, right.

I feel like the taste is more refined.

And it just depends on right now.

musically and in in in jewelry they kind of kind of coincide so like a new album may bring on a new direction a new look and it's like you know you know right now i'm i'm i'm i'm i'm battling back and forth with my jeweler saint jules right now to make yellow gold i haven't done yellow gold in a minute okay we haven't found anything great yet we haven't we're trying to figure it out so um okay listeners keep an eye out but that's the energy you know that's the energy of the of the of the new music that i'm making and you know just things i'm trying to make i say

What is the vibe? Walk me through, because I've heard some stories about the studio, but walk me through the studio because it's like, how closely tied is it to the corporate environment being in the same building? Are you seeing like the atelier or are you going to your own area? No, no, no.

It's the full atelier.

So you walk in and it's sewing machines.

Uh-huh

... um, they come in the uniform from different eras of Pusha T clips, so on and so forth.

So it's like I can, like we can have a show and I can see Bape, Pusha T Bape T-shirt, Pyrex lines across the Bape head, um, uh, uh tee that I, that I did-

Mm.

Um, I think, I think it was a spark, a, a, a definite spark lit under Pharrell with the whole Clipse album.

And, um, and then, you know, just spending a lot of time in Paris, man.

Like, you know, the cl- the clothes is one thing, but having that energy around, um, musically while he is in Paris away from everything else-

What makes the Cousin's Festival, like, special? You know what I'm saying? Like, what can people expect from it?

I think, I think the Cousin's Festival is special 'cause, for us, it's about the give back.

It's basically telling, telling the area to give back to one another.

We basically provide the platform, the space, for vendors, food trucks, everybody local, to come together, get notoriety, get some money.

Mm-hmm

...

in music.

So, you know, you...

Yeah

... people, um...

Mind you, we're recording this in, in, in, um, in Paris, in the, in the actual, uh, he- headquarters.

The atelier where they're sewing or whatever.

I'm talking about people at the sewing machines crying.

You know what I'm saying? Some days it's like, "Yo, all right, I ain't doing no more today."

What does Virginia understand about you that the rest of the world never fully will?

Uh, Virginia knows that we're, we're never giving up.

Mm-hmm.

Um, we know that the, the, the, the people are there.

We know that that energy is there.

Um, you know, just trying to reinvigorate it is, is basically what we were trying to do, and also bring that sense of community.

Um, I, you know, I, I've never left Virginia.

[laughs]

You have to, um...

I mean, the way I look at it, the way I look at it, you know, I think it had a lot, it has a lot to do with, um, being competitive and knowing what you're competing against.

So whether you're a solo travel veteran or you're too nervous to book your first trip, I hope you listen to Solita on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

And, um, the conversations, uh, with, with that record, you know, Pusha talking to my mom and- Yeah ... me talking to my dad, um, and being able to document those last conversations.

Even those conversations- Mm-hmm ... uh, was a type of preparation, you know, getting you ready for what was about to take place.

So, like, I'm, I'm cool with it all.

Well, condolences first and foremost.

Thank you.

My condolences.

What, what, what made you say, "This is, this [beep] going too far"?

I felt that one the most on the album

...

so, yeah.

So finally, like when, when we cracked that code, you know, we were, you know, we were putting the order in and we was like, "Man, nah, this, this, this has to start.

Like, this has to start the album." Um, it was, it was polarizing, um, the, the response, you know, just in the creation of it, man.

Everybody who heard it, you know.

And there were people in there, like, you know, we, we recorded it in the, in the LV headquarters.

When do you, um, pick and choose when to say something about something, though? 'Cause you sit on a lot of stuff for a long time.

... discourages you and make you just wanna do other things sometimes.

Basically we had the album, uh, had the album, put the album together, so on and so forth.

And, um, you know, they got...

W- we, we turned it in and we turned it in with the Kendrick verse.

Mm-hmm.

And they didn't wanna put it out.

They didn't wanna put it out.

Let's get to it.

Damn.

So, um, you know, with that being said and, you know, being in it, you know, 23 years, um, I feel like I, at this point, I liken it to, uh, you know, only, like, you know, somebody who loves mob movies or a person-

Fuck you.

Like, that's what I- that's what I care about.

Like, you know, I know that- that my taste, my ear and what it is that I wanna hear, um, that resonates with a certain type of person.

That's the type of person I wanna talk to.

That's the person I like.

The person...

I felt that one the most on the album

...

so, yeah.

So finally, like, when, when we cracked that code, you know, we were...

You know, we putting the order in and we was like, "Man, nah, this, this, this has to start.

Like, this has to start the album." It was, it was polarizing.

The, the response, you know, just in the creation of it, man.

That's 20% off at baskandlatherco.com, code BREAKFASTCLUB.

Mm-hmm.

Me and my mom had got into an argument centered around her driving herself to dialysis and not calling my brother.

So that was an issue for me.

You know, like, "Why are you driving?" Like, "You don't even have to drive." Gene would go to her house in the morning.

Before she could even get to her car, he would be outside waiting for her and be like, "Get in the car.

I will drive you to dialysis." My mom real, you know, tough lady, tough.

Like, if you argue with her, it's like she's getting the last word.

Hm.

Hmm.

... you know, at the time, I think it was his last year in office, and he was like, "Man, you know, what are the issues you think we should tackle?" And it was about, um, uh, sentencing.

Um, uh, fair sentencing.

You know, uh, sentencing guidelines and things like that.

That's what was on my, um, was on my plate at the time.

So, um, you know, I, I, I was invited a couple times, and then when I couldn't make it, they had, um, they let a, a friend of mine named Tony Lewis Jr., uh, come and, you know, speak on behalf of prison reform.

Quote, "I love my two sons," was the code to your phone.

To your phone.

That's the one.

Um, we had, uh, a mutual friend.

Like, one of my best friends, uh, Cam, he would always tell me about this dude that made crazy beats or whatever.

And Cam would tell Pharrell about, you know, me rapping and whatever.

So one day, we was, like, at the ocean front, and we were just, uh, out there freestyling or whatever.

And, uh, you know, Pharrell came up to me.

He was like, "Yo, Cam told me about y'all." I was like, "Yeah, he told me about you too." And just from there, we just linked and was tight ever since.

"You want me to tell you how broke I am or some shit? I gotta heat up the house with the stove and shit like that?"