Ari Lennox is Pure Joy

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injection are at highest risk side effects may include allergic reactions neck and injection site pain fatigue and headache allergic reactions can include rash welts asthma symptoms and dizziness don't receive botox if there's a skin infection tell your doctor your medical history muscle or nerve conditions including als lou gehrig's disease myasthenia gravis or lambert eaton syndrome and medications including botulinum toxins as these may increase the risk of serious side effects why wait ask your doctor visit botox chronic migraine dot com or call 1-800-44-botox to learn more i'm trying to get someone to come in and stay there they won't stay there so how many times i gotta tell you ain't nobody home i want to have all the animals in my house a cow too huh i want to go in a 90s kind of world do you eat in the bed i eat in the bed your dating experience anus what wow yeah wow can we whoop your child and my dad was like no my mama told him yes i lit a fire once in the house welcome welcome i'm so glad to have you thank you baby i figure you know you're a tea kind of girl yeah i love tea right what's your favorite kind of tea i hope it's you like chamomile i love chamomile do you really yes i really do it's one of my favorites mine too okay so we're going to relaxes me i wish there was tea at the club because i don't because i don't drink yes that's why i'd be trying to look for a hot water so i could put my tea in it or a relaxing powder that i have at the club at the club so i can relax while everyone is turning up yeah we all together yes i'm drinking my tea drinking my tea i just see you in the corner like at the hookah spot too drinking my tea everywhere when i'm gonna tell you at the hookah spots you can find tea at the hookah lounges but i had to stop with hookah i got addicted it's easy to do it but then i stopped in october i made a pact with this trifling man and um so i'm thankful for that part of that but yeah done what brought on the the pact was it you were doing it too much or what oh i was doing it like every day and my heart was racing fast as fuck yeah to get you yeah my heart and then i think it upset my stomach stomach too like it'll wear you out yeah but i sometimes i miss it but i miss it for all the wrong reasons you know like what just i feel that i need better coping mechanisms yes no that's real and i don't want to roll my lungs like i found out my lungs are good i don't want to like undo that yes yeah especially like because you're a singer yeah literally that what i love about you and i'm also just so glad that you are here thank you i have to be real like your music got me through some thangs that album the visuals the whole the whole situation thank you so much it's so good i was reading about you and saw that you had decided to yeah i'm gonna clean some things up this drinking thing i'm gonna i'm gonna back up off of that yeah what brought that on what made you decide you know what i'm gonna i think that i'm gonna make a different choice i just kept doing really stupid shit like what really brought it home was a connecting flight in detroit well i started off in la that morning i had a glass of wine because i knew i had to fly and i'm like incredibly afraid of flying really yeah what you do yeah all over the world it's a lot it's a lot of flights it's a lot of flights and then i spent the first 16 years of my life looking at plane crash documentaries so it didn't help at all i didn't think i'd ever be famous for or if i like i didn't think i'd have to fly i take a boat drive everywhere but no like that's not how this industry works you know don't fly yeah and i love that for her she'd be like if you want me to be there you're going to give me some time she's so successful too so she did make it work there are people that make it work you were dealing with some some flight anxiety oh incredibly so and i was drinking some chardonnay in the morning then i got to the airport and i had a glass of chardonnay there at an irish pub then i got on that plane i had about two three glasses and i think a guy was like i want to have what she's having and then i'm having a good time on this plane finally not anxious yes because i was relaxed and then we got to the connecting area detroit right and so i had this big big old bowl i don't know why they would i just remember it being like a very large bowl also chardonnay yeah that don't that seems like a sleepy go to bed and that's why i like it that's why i like it i just want to be sleepy i love it i was i don't want to be on this plane anxious i want to go to bed i still like i still like being sleepy but it's with the healthier natural things exactly you know like chamomiles but yeah so i was i had this big bowl of chardonnay that's what it felt like that's what i remember and then i remember going to some random gate random gate i was like hey is my flight is is it here she was like no it left like it left and i was like okay and then i walked to this table this high table and i sat there and my prada jacket my louis louis duffel bag right and the next thing i know i'm being woken up by emts with puke all over my prada jacket and yeah and they had to wheel me into a hotel in the airport and it was crazy and i'm so lucky i could have been an easy lick someone could have snatched me up right the detroit and i and i'm like no one had a camera out i got so lucky wow nothing happened like nothing happened to me i'm really grateful and so that was that kind of a wake-up call like it was a wake-up it was one of the first wake-up calls there was a few more after that but i think it'd be too intense to go into but no but i'm with you i get it i get it once you got it you've been able to stick to it and so right i mean it's been pretty incredible i still miss the escapism but that's that's the problem like i don't know if i should be escaping through it but like i do miss feeling like feeling nothing sometimes but it's also a lie because maybe you feel nothing for like the for a few hours but it's a chase you're chasing after okay now i gotta read up endless what we put our bodies through in that pursuit yeah is usually not worth the pursuit like we're not gonna ever really get that thing anyway right so how do we find ways to heal that yeah how are you finding ways to heal that i mean i know your fitness has become a part of that journey for you i would imagine maybe is songwriting a part of that is performing and singing a part of that or not is that totally separate that what makes me want to drink sims three helps oh yeah i like sims so you have found more healthier ways and she gives me work workbooks to do like you know with my self-esteem and so i'm i'm really working you know on you know self-love it's a battle you know growing up being me yeah how would you describe your childhood it was chaotic everybody was always living with us so my parents attention was kind of split between me and my six siblings and there were traumas that were going on and just just yeah different family members in and out and um lots of dogs snousers and labs and all kinds of animals my brother david uh god rest his soul he was just a beautiful man and you know i'm just like i'm just like i'm just like i'm just like i'm he loved animals he got me into animals and we would go on nature walks together for some reason he had the whole his school had like animals for some reason like a lot of animals it's chantilly virginia i don't know he's different different times and he brought all the animals home for some reason so we had a tarantula now now i have more questions they were in his room it was a tarantula he brought him home and i was like wow he took he saved a dog he saved a dog that they were going to annihilate because he was blind so it was a childhood filled with love chaos animals um i lit a fire once on a paper towel in the house in the house and then i blew it out no one knew it was a fire now i did what's up neighbor count this as your reminder to check and see if you have subscribed to the channel because that little bitty action goes a long way for us. We have so many things planned for House Guest and House Party and want you to be a part of it. So come join the neighborhood of over 200,000 people who are already subscribed. Just hit it. Just check right now. I'll wait. Thank you. Back to the episode. So tell me about Vacancy. This album, I feel like for you, you're going places we ain't never seen before. You also telling us a story you want people to know. - Yes, I do. - You know? - It's a story that's been in my heart for a long time and I just have this void that I've just been just continuously looking for someone to fill. So that's a journey in itself. - Yeah. - And it's just an empty space. And then the idea of just someone in and out. You're welcome in, but you're also welcome to get the hell on out. - Yeah, and don't be running in and out. - Running in and out. - My life. - My life. What they do. - Baby. Okay, so in the vein of Vacancy, your new album, we're gonna play a little game called check-in or check-out. - Wait. - And we've got some social prompts, some situations that come up in all of our lives. - Okay. - If you check in to that idea or that scenario, that's a yes. That's a check-in. - Okay. - Okay? - I like this. - Okay, you pull first. - Okay. A partner who cries openly. That's a check-in for me. - Yeah? - Yes. - A cry baby. - Well, I don't want you to cry because-- - Of nothing? - Because the cookie-- - Was good. - Was good. - Or something. I'm like, no, no, no. Yes, no. Do not cry because it's a check-in. - Yes, no. - Do not cry. But like, I don't know, emotional moments. You're opening up to me. You're being vulnerable. That is so attractive. Cry into my soul, baby. - I agree with you. I want to be with someone who is, people, not even just my partner, but people around me in my life. People who are in touch with their emotions, who are able to communicate their emotions. - Right. - Not necessarily overrun by their emotions, but definitely aren't hiding from them, running from them, available to them. I'm gonna check in on that. - But now that, think about it. Like, crying over a cookie, it might be a deeper thing happening. - Yeah, like this cookie reminding my grandma. - Yeah, like, naturally, if I'm in the moment and someone just starts crying, I am very empathetic. I think I would be like, wait, what's wrong? You know, that what's wrong is probably gonna happen. So it's like, oh, okay, this is when I would be pissed if he started crying. If I am trying to hold you accountable for something, and like-- - You're trying to get out of the accountability. - And you're trying to get out of it, that is unacceptable. - Why are you talking to me like this? - That is the only time, yeah. - Yeah, all that. - Like, come on, you slapped me. - I don't know, and now you crying? - Yeah. - He did. - Check out, motherfucker. - But he didn't, I don't want you to think no one slapped me. - You're saying nobody slapped me over here? - No one does slap me. - Okay, a partner who's never been to therapy. I'm. Okay, here's what I, okay. Immediately I wanted to say check out. - Right. - But I think it's less about have they been to therapy, and are they willing to be in therapy, right? 'Cause like some people, I think you are able to expose people to things for the first time. You can't dictate someone's past or where they come from or what they're used to, but I think the idea here is that we're growing together. - Yes, absolutely. - We wanna do better, we wanna be better. - Mm-hmm. - And I think it's a great tool. - I think so too. - So let's check in on therapy. - I think so too, I check in, yes. - You know? - Ooh. You know what? Dating a man that has a cat. I have two big old dogs. I have an American Akita and I know he's gonna eat that cat. - What's a big? - He's a werewolf. When he jumps on me, he's taller than me. - Yeah. - He's a werewolf. - That's a big ass dog. - He's a big baby. - Where did you get that dog? - That cat ain't gonna live two seconds in my house. So I feel like-- - For safety reasons. - For safety reasons, I don't think it would work. Even my golden retriever, I feel like she gonna retrieve that cat. She gonna retrieve that cat. The cat gonna get obliterated. The cat, she gonna retrieve that cat. - Are you a cat person? - I love cats. - Same. - Yeah, I wanna have all the animals in my house. A cow too. - Huh? - I want a cow. An island cow. They're so cute. - An island cow? - They're why I stopped eating beef. But then I started again 'cause my arm was low. - Sweat. - Sweat. Sorry, cows. - Bye, cows. - Sorry, cows. - Bye, mwah. - Bye, mwah. - Wait, so that's a little shaggy one, right? - Yeah, they're brown and-- - Yeah, they like-- - Yeah, they're shaggy. Yeah, they are. - Yeah, I do like a, I like a cow. - They're cute. - They also are tasty. - They're sweet, I know. - Someone who lives with a roommate. - Oh, that's checkout. You gotta go. - So fast. What, have you ever been in that situation? - Yes, and that's why I just, I can't. - Take 'em seriously. - Right. - I just, I need, when I come over to your house, this is your space, and other people are always in our business that way. - Literally. - Or I'm in their business, 'cause I'm nosy. - Correct me if this is incorrect, but I have read that in your dating experience-- - Heinous. - Yeah. - That's how you would describe it? - Yes. - What? - Yeah. - Heinous? You even like, explored outside of the hetero situation. - Well, not even, not deeply, not like, like, sex. - What are you saying? - Not like, sex. - But like, dates? - Actually, I've never gone on a date with a woman. - No? - I've gotten to know women, but I think it never gets there. It just never gets to a place where it's just like, sex. Or even kissing. There was a kiss one time, it's on the internet. I was in the club. - Right. - And we just kissed, and it was just lovely. And then, she wound up working at this apartment complex. That I was living in, in California. - See? - Yeah, I was so embarrassed. - And you were like, "Oh no, that's all right. "That was just me at the club, I'm sorry. "Hey, girl." She was like, "They're gonna shave out a baby right there." And was that a situation where you learned, and not necessarily that situation in particular, but was that, "I don't know if I'm gonna go down that route." - Yeah, I, you know, not really. I'm still waiting on the route to feel natural. - I hear that. - Yeah, 'cause I feel like if it's natural for me, then, I would be open. I'd honestly be open to dating all kinds of people, honestly. - Yeah? - Yeah, absolutely, yeah. - I've got friends here who are-- - Maybe not all kinds. - You can take it back. - Man, maybe not all kinds. - But like, new kinds. - Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. - And broadening my horizons. - Maybe not a, no, I don't see it, I don't see it. - Wait, there's a-- - I'm not a supporter, I'm not. - Well, I mean-- - I don't think I-- - Sometimes it has to be said. - Yeah. - You know what I mean, sometimes-- - I don't think I could go there. - Speak your truth, speak your truth. - I'm polarizing. - I wanna know the story behind the interlude on Jasmine Sullivan's album. - What story did I tell you? - I just wanna know who it was. - It wasn't even that good. I just, it was fresh off my mind. The way I was googling, I was like, who could she be talking about? - He's trifling. If you knew, I would get canceled again. Like, I could not ever tell anyone. - He said, no way. - No way. - No one can know. - No, no one could know. I would never get a date again. Another date. - Oh my God. - Dating someone who isn't spiritual at all. Like an atheist? - I count spiritual as even, like, people who are into astrology. I count spiritual, people who are into, like, the energetic, you know, the mystic-- - So someone who isn't into, like, signs and stuff? - Yeah. - Ooh, I got a song called "Horoscope." - You-- - I just want you to know. - Could I-- I mean, yeah, I don't-- I don't expect my boo to be, like, super into astrology, but I guess it's cool. - Not at all. - Atheism? - I couldn't do it. - Not at all? - Not at all. Check-- check out. - Yeah. - Nothing? So we just die and that's it? - Right. OK, here's the thing. I like people who are leaning towards-- I'm open to all of it. - Yeah? - I'm open to all of it, yeah. Maybe not, like, you believe in nothing. I-- that would make me sad. - True. - But I don't know what the answer is in the same breath. - True? - Like, I am still trying to figure out the path that I want-- - I want to take. - Yeah, that I want to take religiously, spiritually. I'm not sure. I'm-- I'm open to it all. I'm scared of it all. And then I'm scared of becoming some-- because I'm extreme of a person. Like, will I become too extreme of a Christian or too extreme of an atheist or too extreme of a-- I don't know. Anything. Will I be a cult? Like, I don't-- I don't-- I'm scared of it all. - All right. I'm open. - I feel like I am highly susceptible-- - Wow. - --to cultish phenomena. - Oh, my god. - I feel like if the packaging is good enough-- - Oh, my. - --I might try it for a little bit. - Wow. - Like, I was very curious about Scientology. - Do you know what it-- what it is? - Not at all. - I don't either. - No. I just know a man who is a science fiction writer, had a lot to do with it. - OK. - Then I found out you got to give him a lot of money. - Oh, hell yeah. - I said, well-- - That's-- that's the part where I would be like-- - Hi. - --insufficient funds. - Hi. Like, no. There are things that I do like, like near-death experiences. I love-- I love that you're making-- - OK, let me tell you all the things I thought you were going to say. - Oh. - None of them were near-death experiences. - Oh. - You like them? - I love hearing people's stories of their near-death experiences. - Oh. Oh. - I thought you were like, I liked your picture. - It's not my own. - You were like, I like to push this shit to the edge. - I was like, throw myself into the fire, dude. in this car go no I'm so scared so wait so like when people talk about what they like when they like they die and they come back like that kind of stuff I find it very fascinating that people from all walks of life who've never even met each other have similar experiences to this light and this life review of like what this guy that takes them through like their life and showing them the things that they've done wrong, how it made people feel and then things they've done right and and how it changed somebody's life. So I think about that actively, like when I'm like being trifling to someone or when I'm being sweet to someone like, damn, like I wonder what my guide would say. So whatever type of like religion that is, I find the most excitement there. It feels very energy based, but I've also heard people say they've seen God, they've seen Mother Mary, they've they've seen alien looking people. So it's it's just interesting to me, like whatever that is, I like that because I believe in energy and stars. I think that's my religion a little bit. I'm with that. But I'm Christian leaning. I don't know. I don't know. I don't want to go to hell. I don't know if I get it. I don't get it. Like, why are you doing this? Why are you saying this? And then. Why do I have to read this book? Why do I got to be scared to go to heaven? I love you so much. I knew I did, but I really do now. Are you ready to eat? Yeah. Let's not go to hell. OK. Welcome to the garden. Oh, my God. You designed all this? Yeah. Oh, my God. Everything the light touches. You have an eye. Yeah, you know, that's what they say. When they see me, they be like, that man know how to garden. Yeah. And it's not true. Really? It's not even a little bit. The only thing I think I really picked out in this garden, that's not true, I've picked out quite a bit. But this rosemary, this creeper rosemary, it has flowers on it. I didn't know that rosemary had flowers. Me neither. This is rosemary you eat? It's in your pasta. Oh, my God. Probably shouldn't be, but. No, I like this. I'm down for it. Whatever happens. Whatever happens will happen. I love it. Thank you. I love rosemary. And I guess I just told on myself, so whatever does happen. Is seafood your thing? Oh, I love seafood. So, I'm from D.C., so it's heavy on the crabs, the Maryland blue crabs. We have this thing called the wharf where it's a lot of seafood. Yep. I've not had a whole lot of seafood pasta. I'm not, you know, when it comes to pasta, I like, I keep it simple. OK. Seasoning. You know. Go better. You know? You understand. I'm glad. My life and soul. I love lobster. So, do you cook? Hell no. What? Like, I try every now and then, but it's horrifying. What do you mean horrifying? I mean, I'm getting better. Like, Camelia, she did my makeup, and she says I make a good garbanzo bean soup. Garbanzo beans. That's a chickpea. Chickpea soup. Mm-hmm. I learned that. Baked mac and cheese. It's getting really good as the years go by, but I still-- You do the--are you a roux? I need to work on it. Yes, absolutely. You do the cheese roux? Absolutely. So, you're like a creamy-- I do. I do. I put all kinds of cheese and seasonings in it. And you still bake it? And I bake it, yes. Right. It's my favorite side dish. Same. So, I had to learn it, especially because while my father was beefing, I was hungry. So, I had to learn to survive. I feel like this album, you are going in some different directions. Yeah. You are going in some different places. Thank you. Vacancy is--it feels true to who you are as an artist, but it also feels very fresh. I feel like there's some reggae. Mm-hmm. Boozhoo Banton. Mm-hmm. He's on this song called "Company," and I'm so grateful for him for doing that. He brought it to life. I want it to be as authentic as possible. Yeah. How do I approach a reggae record with authenticity? Yeah. I mean, it's Boozhoo Banton every time in "Super Dupes" and "The Genius," as producers, and "Lunch." Mm-hmm. He wrote it. So, yeah. It was just a dream working with all of them. I love Miami, too. I love that place. Yeah. The energy in Miami. Everyone's so pretty. Everyone's all worked out. Makes me want to run. You know? Because you're going to sweat. Yes. When you were on this fitness journey right now, what was it about this period in your life? You were like, "Now, we're going to get in this gym?" I just was too thick. I was just getting too thick. I was in the house. I was eating in the bed. I was eating a lot in the bed. Was you eating in the bed? I eat in the bed. Like, food? Crumbs everywhere. No. Yes. You said, "I hate to tell you." Yes. Hate to break it to you, but crumbs be in the bed. Yes. I clean the hell out of my bed. But, yes. And it has to be often, because of how much I'm eating. And it's Thanksgiving in the bed. And my cousin, Danielle, she's a trainer. Okay. And she's been helping me. And so, now, I'm a lot more confident. Was this, like, self? Like, I'm a little more confident. Like, I be doing the ropes and shit. The ropes? Like, it's a damn horse. Like a western. Yeah. The ropes. Ain't no way. The ropes. Yes. Your face just lit up. Sorry. Because my reactions to the ropes are totally different. Really? It's like death to me. It is death. It's a good death. But it's what we need. It's full body. You said it's a good death. We die every day. You used to work in a gym. Is that right? I did. Oh, my gosh. I used to work in a gym. Oh, my God. Tell me about that. It was lovely. It was the longest job outside of Uber that I've ever had. Okay. I was there about eight months. The manager, I forgot her name, but she was so lovely, so supportive. I mean, it was just a good atmosphere. Okay. Working there, I was able to get my mom's membership canceled without her coming in and paying. And my manager was like, "Hey, don't do this again." And I was like, "Okay. I won't." And this will be my last day. It will be. No, no. Not that day. But it was just. Yeah. She was understanding and sweet, and she didn't reprimand me too crazy for it. Right. And so then you said you also drove a Uber. Yeah. I drove Uber. What? Were you singing while you were in the. I needed money. I'm about to start now, actually. Sure. I'm so sorry. Sure. I can see that. Insufficient funds. Yes. It's insufficient. I'm about to start back. Get out of here. Absolutely. It's going to be a party Uber, I would imagine. We got to. It's a sing-along Uber, at least. I'm pretty avoidant. So I'm quiet. I'm very quiet. We're going to be listening to D'Angelo, Tame Impala. Maybe I'll sneak one song in there. What was your Uber experience like, driving? Well, it was beautiful until people started throwing up. Three times. I'm sorry. In the car? They were puking their asses off. So you were like. On me. On my shoulder. All over. Projectile. You were picking up people from the club. You were like. I was picking up people from the club. Late night. I shouldn't have. But that's when you make the most money. So it took three times and you were like, "I think I'm done with this." That third time did it. Because the smell just didn't get out in my car. But I remember this one couple came in and they were like, "Wow, it smells so good in here." Because I thought I cleaned. I thought I cleaned and the windows were rolled up. It smells so good. As soon as we started driving, it just got eerily quiet. The windows slowly started coming down. They said, "Actually, it doesn't smell great in here." And I was just horrified. Like, it don't smell good. Y'all want to hear something? Y'all want to hear something I made? Do you remember your rating? It was pretty damn all right. It wasn't no five. But it was. Wait. There was a few times people didn't like how I was driving. I was lane switching a little too much. So there was a few times my rating dropped because of that. Too fast. Too furious. Before you leave, we have to go for a ride. Oh, my God. No. No, we have to go for a ride. Okay. We have to go for a ride. Okay. Okay. have to go for a ride. Oh my God, no. Okay. We have to. I'm intimidated. Well, let me tell you somewhere you were not intimidated and you already know this. On stage. I think I have actually seen you now perform. Damn, thank you. Maybe five times. You have? Yeah. And there's not a lot of artists I think that can do this where they sound better than the album live. Because you sound incredible on an album. Like, well, I've been singing along with you. You know what I mean? Like, I've been eating whipped cream, having vivid dreams. Facing the people on TV screens. When I tell you, I'll be thinking, I sound just as good as you do. You do? You sound good. No, because then I turn it down and I hear me. I'll be like, and I wish I didn't care. I just heard you. And you, the broader. You're better. Stop it. How long have you been singing? Oh, since I was probably three or four. Seriously? Always. Yeah, it was therapy. It was how I communicate, how I express myself. More than talking for sure. Now I talk too damn much. But back then, I just, all I knew how to do was sing. Like, and like, diss records from like early on. Yes. Like my sister, Tiffany, when she was pissing me off, I'm writing a diss record to her at like five. And I don't know how much I was writing and how well I was spelling. Do you remember any of it? No, but my dad, I did a diss record to him in middle school. But I can't tell you. The diss record is crazy. I can't tell you the instrumental that I use. I don't know if it's bad to say. You can say. You're a jerk was the remake, but the song was I'm a flirt R. Kelly. Yeah. But I flipped it to you're a jerk. Sorry, dad i love you now like back then and we went through a lot he doesn't even know this song exists he said we're healing now we're healing we are so good he has changed a lot it's amazing do you remember when your first bit of success the thing that let you know that this was what you wanted to pursue i got really blessed because there was a lot of adults that affirmed me and really empowered me so mr ring in first grade i guess he heard something isn't it crazy how we remember their their names yes and that's how i realized recently oh my god like the impact he knew he cared about me i've been looking for this man for years i don't know his full name but he changed my life mr ring mr ring and he was white he was tall and he was skinny that's and then he had i think he had some hair he had some he had he had some hair he had a face there was there was a face he's a white man and he was lovely and he was a man he was a man he was tall and skinny but he was just wonderful and he saw something in me and he taught me how to sing the star swingle banner and it's crazy how i'm so intimidated by that song now but that was the first song i believe i've ever sung in front of a large group of people he prepared me for it was amazing prepared me for months and i sung it before the whole school at an assembly in first grade yeah and you were like yeah i could get used to this i could get used to this and you then you start hearing i've been i don't know what it is about that song what did that song do for you professionally what did that song do for you as a creator as a singer i think it brought me it bridged that gap between me and erica badu a bit because she loves the song and so i feel like we should do it together and i think it's a great song and i think it's a great song and i think you shared something really special in that which it just made me realize wow you did something special in people that didn't really care for my other songs it's something about that song um that they really really clung on to and even me for it to start off with grieving for like a ex that just doesn't want me or whatever but i have to see his face everywhere and then it turns into oh my cousin jaylen who passed away and i'm grieving her and and my aunt jewel who passed away right before the song even dropped and so i'm grieving her it's just it's like oh i made a universal type record where it could just literally be about just missing anyone which is like oh i didn't even this is not even where it started goosebumps i can't really perform it in certain but i can't perform it in houston because i'll cry every time for my cousin yeah i get choked up and i start sounding like a walrus and that's not what you came here for you didn't hear me you did not come here come here for a walrus anytime someone also like a friend or family moves into their new apartment like do you help people set rules for their life in their new place i remember listening to the line i think it's about kept the lights on because i was afraid of the dark then i got that bill and said because i used to see things in the dark what was that yes when i was little that i had this uh mickey mouse on the dresser and the way the moonlight would come into the room it made it look like a hand and i just always thought this is the devil's hand and so i just imagined you and i just was so scared i was a scary child but i loved scary movies which is probably why you felt like that the scary movie is all in your head you try to go to sleep so in october i watch a my goodness until halloween and then i need to be with you come on you saw the screening and then on the eve of halloween it's either hocus pocus oh come on candy man if i'm with the right people that's re-traumatizing yourself who's traumatized watching the candy man candy man that's not traumatizing that's a lovely lovely scary film that's a classic yeah classic but also trauma i can't look at myself in the mirror and i gotta walk into my room i got a wall of mirrors i'll be like this okay okay i want to validate your experience i'm sorry i'm just like that's not that's nothing okay so talk to me about uh vacancy when you think of vacancy that the idea is that it is full yeah and it right now is not right is this a new place for you oh it's the same old shit for the last 34 years i'm trying to get someone to come in and stay there they won't stay there so how many times i gotta tell you ain't nobody home and i need you to come over how many fucking times do i have to drill this what was it like writing this what was it like being in collaboration with other creators to bring this one to life antoine harris incredible um he is a rapper he is a spitter so he was talking that shit i was talking my shit we were talking our shits together he knows i like to talk nasty so i said yes right let's get nasty and jermaine dupree is everything i adore him i love him i feel honored that he cares about me and making music with me he's just so sweet and i feel lucky that he believes in me and not only that but this man is promoting 24 7 all of the artists that he works with that is a loving guy you could just go to a party with all jermaine dupree discography and it is the most lit party in the world a hundred percent down on the first night monica okay to always be my baby my bride let's go you know to bow out everything like come on what do you want more people to know about the process of of creating this album like where you are now musically i'm free okay like i will not be caged i will never be placed in a box i've never been able to do it that's why i was always getting suspended in school and always getting kicked out not asked to come back all that ever since i was in preschool waving my hands in the line and and the headmaster lady was like can we whoop your child and my dad was like no my mama told him yes well they they probably should have whooped my ass because they've been whooping me i've been trifling ever since i've just been always been a wild free child yeah and a rebel at heart and now i feel like i'm finally continuing to own my shit and i'm not afraid to try different types of r&b you know pop leaning r&b neil soul r&b soul r&b straight up r&b it's all of it i'm not afraid and then some of it even has a little country twain i was gonna say yeah i love and i mean love you and duran bernard together there is something about your approaches to music your respect and love for one another how did y'all meet oh my goodness youtube youtube i just was trifling making songs making i don't know diss songs the pizza hut and all kinds of stuff i love pizza hut it's just i used to work there and i just it was just these weird parody songs but duran saw something in me he loved me before everyone knew like about ari when i was coke court when i was courtney salter that's my real name yeah and so he just always loved on me and i sounds like nobody he's beautiful runs beautiful control excellent tone loved me saw something in me and we he welcomed me into his world and um i think the first thing we ever did was no love little dragon cover and it just was magical and oh my god just a beautiful beautiful human being i'm gonna tell you that facetime thank you and he did that and he elevated that y'all did that he's bad he is that guy you're not about to give me on his today oh because it's a good you go right back that's the thing about excellent music you go right back to the moment you first discovered it how it helped you through hell yes and you are one of those artists i think that a lot of us talk about music that helped us move through a situation or that becomes kind of the soundtrack of a particular relationship or time in your life and i'm just so happy to know that you are happy with where you are now and happy with how things are going now and cannot wait to support more thank you truly you were trying to play this game yes are you down i'm gonna do one more i was about to say can i just um we get a couple more bites i have a hard time eating and talking and i would love to just um fuck this up fuck this up so why would you do this i'm still trying to understand like how do you season the macaroni like stages stages okay you gotta season the water with that you that you put the the noodles in you gotta season the cheese roux you gotta season once you make it you gotta build on that you gotta build on the flavor people be trying to see if you can make it you gotta build on the flavor you gotta build on the flavor season of just one stage you gotta it's levels construction who said that somebody good it wasn't paula dean let him use you let him use you okay okay this is a little game we're calling that's a hit that's a hit that's a hit think of it kind of like battleship okay right so you've got five records on your turntable right there okay and you're going to place them anywhere on your grid and then we're going to take turns guessing the different coordinates on the grid okay be looking at my grid now never never I'm not a cheater. I'm not a cheater. I don't cheat. If you get one right, then we pick up our card. In order to keep that point, you've got to sing your cue that's on the card. First, let's put our records down on the grid. OK, anywhere. Probably should do some sort of like-- Oh my god. I mean, I feel good about that, but I don't know why. I guess go first. You can guess your coordinate. Day two. Your competitive side just activated outside. D2? Yeah. Nope. C3. Shit. I got one? Yeah, you sure do. Sing a theme song for a TV show. OK. It left like blue. Olivia, single. Ooh, in a '90s kind of world. I'm glad I got my girl. Keep your head up. What? Keep your head up. That's right. That's right. Keep your head up. Keep your head up. That's right! Like blue. Like blue. I got a point. Was I supposed to help you sing it? No, but I mean, you know-- Oh, sorry. My bad. But if the spirit moves you-- I don't sing no more. No, listen. Please. OK. Damn. Oh, so I lost. Yeah, you lost that one. So I shouldn't be happy. No, you can be happy for me. OK. Yeah. B4. Yes. OK, here you go. Sing a song with a-- with a number in the lyrics. Four minutes, do what I gotta say to make you stay. Why don't you touch my booty that way? Four minutes. Yes! OK, that's your point. OK, let's see. I like this game. I get it. Right? Yes. I'm going to go A4. All right. Yes! Sing a song by an artist who has changed their stage name. Changed their stage name? Oh. Hold on. I can't sing that one. I was about to-- I was about to-- OK. OK, here we go. Here we go. Here we go. OK. You don't have to be beautiful to never turn me on. Ah, you just need experience. Da-da. Da-da. Da-da. Still no. You don't have to be rich to be my girl. You don't have to be cool to rule my world. Ain't nothing but the best I've had to go with. I just want your extra time and your kiss, hey. Wow. Hey, hey, hey, hey, yeah. That was great. That's my favorite one. I'm happy about losing. Did you say something? Wonderful. OK, so I get my little record. Oh. I'm for Puerto Rocan with this Rocan. She not a Puerto Rocan, but the girl who play is a Puerto Rocan. Biddy, biddy, bamba. Sorry. Because you woke something up. See? See? Toro, toro, tauro. Sonny, sonny, hello. Ho, son, hmm, hmm, na, na, dun, dun, na, na, na, na, hello. You know what? You might have missed your calling as a Tejano. Oh, thank you. It might be a rodeo circuit we might have to jump on or something. I just have to learn the language like respectfully. You know, como la flor. Yes, yes, yes. Yes. Yes. Si desayuno por aqui. Oh my goodness. Yes. Si. Sabado gigante. Wow. Yeah, wow. This is amazing. OK, now it's your turn to guess. OK. C3. Nope. Fuck. C1. No. C2. No. E2. Nope. Damn. D2. Yes. Yes, that's what's happening. I'm reading mine. I'm telling you. I'm giving -- I don't know how to do it. Wait. I need help. OK, so give me -- give me a -- give me what's my cue. Fine. Oh, God. I should -- Can you sing a song that mentions money? Y'all shouldn't know me. What's my cue? Fine. Oh, God. Well enough, bitch better have my money. Come on my blood, pay me what you owe me. That's good. Ballin' bigger than LeBron. Yes. Who y'all think y'all frontin' on? Like, blah, blah, blah. Yes. That's fire. That was funny. The music video for that was nuts. When she put the body in the trunk. I actually didn't see that. And I saw -- I shook my head like I did. I wanted to be cool. I didn't have seats. I love Rihanna. You did sit. Please. You paid -- You just -- Yeah. Oh, you gon' ask me about it? You keep trying to be cool. Yeah, I loved it. So much water. Do you think we'll ever get R9? I really do think so. I think so, too. I think that, especially with all these beautiful blessings and things happening in her life, I think she'll be free one day to just -- Yeah. Just make some music from her heart. And I think it's coming. By the time they get in college. Yeah. Yeah. Not by the time they get in college. I think maybe middle school. You think middle school? Yeah. Okay, that's not too far away. There's something in me that -- There's something in me that feels like, since A$AP is making music, that maybe that's gonna, like, inspire her to, like -- Yeah. Or he might, like, wanna, like, push her in there. Come to one of the sessions. Yeah, I could see that. And do something together. 'Cause they're a musical family. Let me tell you -- So I could see it naturally. When I woke up to the news that Rihanna had dropped new music, and it was to the -- from the Smurfs soundtrack, all I saw was Rihanna drops new music, and I was like, "It's here!" Don't get me wrong, I played the mess out of that Smurfs soundtrack. But I was like, "Now, y'all know y'all got to add more stuff to the headline." I mean, it's beautiful, though. It is! Babies deserve Rihanna, too. 100%, you know? But where have you been? Yeah. All my life. C4. Nope. B4. Nope. D3, damn it! Nope. Where did you put everything? A1. Yes! Oh, thank God. Okay, here we go. "Sing a song that was a debut single." "Sing a debut single for an artist." ♪ It's gonna be the sound ♪ ♪ When it's going down ♪ ♪ You got me singin' ♪ ♪ Oh ♪ ♪ It's gonna be the name ♪ ♪ Girl, I'm so glad you came ♪ ♪ You got me singin' ♪ ♪ Oh ♪ ♪ Sorry ♪ ♪ Whoa ♪ ♪ Whoa-hoo ♪ ♪ I don't really know it like that ♪ No, but you went on "Mario!" Yeah. I love it! On "Mario." His debut album was everything to me. Fire. That whole album, I was obsessed with. Was that the one with the ice bags? Icebox? Icebox? Was that not? I'm going to change. Icebox? Was it? You got me singing icebox with my. Icepack. Icepacks. Icepack. That ain't it. But you got the point. Icepacks? That's what, he got icepacks on it, ain't it? Wait, same era, but different artists. Remember Lloyd? Yes. Where he yodeled? Where? Leave your head on my pillow. Lay it down. Lay it down. Lay it down. Lay it down. Lay it down. Lay it. Oh, lay it down. Lay your head on my pillow. And then he was like, lay, lay, lay, lay, lay, lay, lay, lay, lay, lay, lay, lay, lay. Wow. I said, this man is really yodeling. I could never. I'm going to go B, two. Yeah. Yes. Sing a song that mentions food in the lyrics. I've been drinking. I've been drinking. I get filthy when I get that licking to me. I've been spanking. I've been spanking? That's crazy. Spanking is. Oh. I've been drinking. Watermelon. Yeah. You got me. Diddy, diddy, diddy, diddy, I want you. Nah, nah. Remember when they did the cut with the goat? It was like. Ah! Instead of doing the. Never mind. Is that a meme? Yes, I took it to somewhere it doesn't need to go. I'm a granny, so I don't know all these things. You don't be on line like that, you don't be on the line. It's like I do, but. OK, that's you. Oh, all right. I cheated, but A3. It was a long time ago, but I had. I don't remember. But at least I told you that. Yes, A3. OK. Sing a song by an artist who has acted in a TV show. An artist that was in a TV show? Mm-hmm. Have you ever loved somebody so much it makes you cry? Have you ever needed something so bad it makes you want to die? Have you ever dropped that Gucci so motherfucking high? Have you ever? Have you ever? Have you ever? Have you ever loved somebody so much it makes you want to die? Have you ever? Yes. Ah! Yes. Please, Brandi, if you're watching this, put it on the concert. I love you, Brandi. And your concert made me cry. You cried? Mm-hmm. What made you cry about it? Because she was just singing her ass off. She really was. And I just felt every moment in there of her singing that ass off. Yeah. And I felt like she's just a real performer. I could feel it. Like, she was really present. And like, it was like it was taking her to a place. Monica watching her, like, ooh. Girl, you are really singing this song. Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. The microphone is on. Yeah, literally. And Brandy doing the same to Monica, too. Oh, it was magical. It was so good. I loved it. I got tears in my eyes. Right now? You ever pop that Gucci so high? Really? Oh, yeah. Make you want to die. Okay, I'm going to go A. Did I say A2 already? Probably, but it ain't. Okay, what you got? D1. Nope. D1. No, that's my turn now. I'm going to go D1. Yes. You went right back to it. Oh, this might be shady, but sing a song that was a one-hit wonder. Oh. Yeah. You better not say nobody that's your friend. I know. Unless they know. Oh, wait. That's messed up. What you trying to say? I don't know. I don't know. I don't know your friends. Girl, you know it's true. Ooh, ooh, ooh, I love you. Girl, you know it's girl. You know it's girl. You know it's girl. You girl. You girl. Girl, girl, girl, girl, girl. I was thinking on that end. I was shaking some ass. I was. I'm sorry. What is that one? It was just the Milli Vanilli. Milli Vanilli. Wow. But then the meme is right where she was like, I was down by the river. Oh, it was down. I was down by the river. River. River. River. River. River. River. I'm making the cash. You know what I'm saying? Yes. You never know. I'm going to take my little record, though. Damn. Uh-huh. How many records you got? How many hits you got? I have one. So I won? What? I won. No, if you only got one record left on the board, it looks like I'm in the lead. It's your turn. You got to guess. Right. I'm not. I'm sorry. Let's see. You said it already. Oh, really? Yeah, but it just wasn't your turn. Oh, wow. B1. You keep saying B1. I keep saying no. You have said B1 at least two other times. My brain keeps collapsing. C1. Just give it to me. A1. Say C2. C2. Yes. C2. Okay, here we go. Sing a song by an artist who has performed at the Super Bowl. Tonight, I'll be a naughty girl. Tonight, calling all my girls. I'm going to set this party out. Can you fuck my body tonight? I'll be a naughty girl. I'm going to sex this party out. Can you touch my body? Sorry, I promise I won't. I don't know the lyrics. B, listen. I don't know my own lyrics. I don't want the legends to think I'm disrespecting them. Okay, let's see. I'm going to go A2. No. Three. No. A4. Nope. A2. Nope. B, five. There's not even a five. It's B1. Yep. No, it's not. It's C1. That's because it's C1. Nope, it's not. It's A1, actually. Nope, it's not. Okay, is it A1? No, RDA. Is it A1? Is it A1? Is it A1? I didn't know what it was going to be. You just been doing the whole game. Just A1? Ooh. Sing a song by an artist who has a fashion or beauty brand. Okay. Rah, rah, rah, rah, rah. Oh, yeah. Rah, rah, rah, rah, rah, rah. Ooh, la, la. One jump and romance. I want you ugly. I want you ugly. I want you diseased. I want you feminine as long as she's free. I want you alive. Live, live, live. I want you alive. Fair part right here. Ugh. Oh, I don't remember that. It's an ad-lib. It's in there. She went, ugh. She came real quick. Oh, God. Wait, so I get a little. Is that my last one? Damn. Thank you. I think in a strange turn of events, somehow I won this game. Oh. I'm going to be honest with you. I don't ever win the games on this show. For real? Yeah. I don't know if that says more about me or more about you. Makes me feel worse. God damn it. Listen, this has been so much fun. You are the bomb. Thank you, my dear. You're the bomb. Anytime, please come over. You are magical, lovely, beautiful. You are the best. Thank you for looking for me. Come on. For me. Anytime. This was lovely. Let me go show you this song. Okay. Because she really does go, ugh. Ugh. Maybe we'll laugh. Maybe we'll cry. But best believe we'll have a time. Hey, neighbor. Come inside. Musical guest and a little perspective. Seeing the stars and a new light. Hey, neighbor. Hey, neighbor. Starting a business can seem like a daunting task. Unless you have a partner like Shopify. They have the tools you need to start and grow your business. 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