Searching for Something #31- BXI

What's going on everybody? It is the searching for something podcast. We'll look at everything and anything from every angle to see if there's something worth talking about and today I'm going to be having a very interesting conversation with arguably one of Seattle's biggest up-and-coming artists to date I know him as Anthony, but the world is going to remember him as B. X. I So with that being said, I welcome our guest. How are you sir? I'm doing pretty well. Thank you for having me of course You know before we start going into it. We're kind of having a little bit of a heat wave in Seattle and man's is really wearing a hoodie Man's is wearing a hoodie. How are you surviving in a hoodie right now? It's got to see it through. Yeah I love it. Well before we just start jumping in to the wild amount of success that you've already been getting You know from millions of streams signing deals before we get into that You know, I always like to kind of start from the beginning So you know talk to me a little bit about your upbringing upbringing because I think you're from the Midwest So let's just kind of start there. Oh, yes from Missouri Actually, it was born in Illinois. They're moved to Missouri. My childhood southeast Missouri small town I was very I was a very troubled kid So what do you mean by that already like how are you troubled you gritting rocks and throwing them through windows? It's a smart complex in that I was you know small town. So it's nothing but gang activity So I got tied up into that and you know found myself in jail multiple times and then But I was always the smartest kid on the block in the class graduate high school at 16 whoa Came out here for their school So that was pretty much it Dang, so you got caught up pretty early. So yeah, growing up in the small town Was it one of these things where I mean when it's small towns a lot of people already know everybody Oh, so it's like as you were growing up Did you already kind of know some of the folks that were affiliated and how did that even happen because I feel like that's kind of an important part of The transcendence that you do in your music now where it's like pretty much the opposite of that life that you came from yeah Yeah, yeah, so most of my fellow who was into gangs and You know big drug dealers in the southeast Missouri So I watched my uncle, you know going through that lifestyle and I just kind of felt Felt with it and then a lot of my friends elementary friends grew up with they were in that lifestyle too So I just kind of got suckered in when it's a follow Everybody and be pretty much a A clown in a sense so just ended up falling to that lifestyle and Yeah, I just felt myself getting arrested that one last time and it was syrup for me Yeah, so talking a little bit about how like that first experience was of getting kind of affiliated It sounds like you know your family was kind of tied to it and you know as kids were products of our environment So you're absorbing everything that's around you and clearly that's gonna have a big influence So what was kind of one of those first things where you know, there's being an outsider where you're seeing it happen But then it's a whole different thing to not be an insider and you're like whoa Like I'm kind of getting wrapped up into this. Yeah, I feel like it started with so it started as innocence back in Elementary school we will back up, you know Kool-A And we'll like wrap it up. We'll sell it And that was like the start of everything that we started again to realize how much money we made just off Kool-A and We started getting a bigger things and you know, I started stealing from my uncle his supply of like cocaine weed and stuff like that Actually selling it so I kind of got myself wrapped up into like some gangster disciples and some vice-lords out there and You know, we're just kind of went bad from there. Wait, wait, so I'm not from Missouri. So Kool-Aid selling Kool-Aid? Yeah, it was a thing. It was a thing school. You take one of the Kool-Aid packets and you put like some sugar in it You're putting like a plastic bag you're tired of like it's cocaine or so But I mean so for about like a dollar a bag and back then you know, that's a lot of money to us, especially with kids You're rich as a kid pretty much with the dollar. I'm bringing home like at least $15 a day But yeah, that's how I'll start. Hey, okay, so you start, you know, sling in the Kool-Aid and then it gets to the point where you're like Hey, I want to put my hand in the cookie jar and start kind of leveling up a bit Yeah, and you start doing that and and how old are you as it gets to the point where you first made that transaction with like Other than just Kool-Aid and now we're into the big boy league. I want to say 11 11. Yeah, I was very young 11 years old And so who is it that you're even selling to as a 11-year-old? Adults adults people in my class at that time. I was transitioning from elementary to junior high, so people Yeah, people in my class adults And at that time I was actually part of a gang. I actually got jumped in at 11 by grown man at 11 Yeah, you had jumped in yeah by grown man By like 18 19 20 year olds. Yeah, and how many people were there like for the jumping I was about four or five four or five and then you just beat the shit out of you pretty much. Yeah Yeah, this people I go back home now is like eight year olds like and jumped in a gang Are you serious? What the fuck that's insane. So you're 11 years old getting this shit kicked out of you get your face kicked in And then once that had kind of finished and you're laying on the ground I'm sure maybe you're bleeding a little bit like what was going through your head then because like you said You've always been somebody that's been smarter than the average. You've always been ahead of the pack So in your moment right that in there like what was going through your head? Oh I was just I Really don't know I was just pretty much Just wanted to be like everybody else and I said so I'm not sure what was going through my mind at that time I was just like I'm glad it's over So I can start doing my own thing out here You know making money stuff that was my main focus just making money just make your money But yeah, don't know exactly what was going through my head I just know I wanted to be like everybody else and back then to me those were leaders, so Okay, so you wanted to fit in you want to be like everybody else and then fast forward a little bit You know, that's 11 so what we're like kind of the next couple years like next couple years which is you know My mom figured out and I started running away from home guy risk for running away from home. I started still in breaking his robberies and then around 12 12 and a half going on 13 So I got my first guy And then what kind of gun? Oh, I don't even know. It was some cheap. I think it was I want to say a rouger or something. I don't know but it was very cheap It was so no bang on it. Yeah That's all he cared about my son that go bang so got myself wrapped up into trouble with that At two attempted murder charges Got arrested. I'm on put all of her money for me to get out And then everybody the police knew me the police know how smart went to court and Pretty much it's got off. It's got free Yeah, I'm okay, so was this is because I knew you so well They're like hey, we don't want to fuck up this kids future or you had a great attorney like how do you get away? Just got free with like charges that are that big. I had a good attorney, but everybody in the city knew me and they knew that This was not me. I did Spend some time in jail about two months Before the trial and then after the trial probably like Another month then and how old are you at your first time in jail like spending time was this my first time ever in jail? I say 10 was 10. Yeah, so before you got jumped in. Yeah, before you already serving time Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, and what was that? It was actually for running away the first time Because I think my mom they got had an infamary poor cart And I was terrified because all I had all eights before so I just ran away and then you know they come scoop you up And they put you in jail for night and you go back to your parents, so yeah She okay, well the time that you did spend time in jail like how old were you then? Um actual time I want to say Around 13 around 13 so it sounds like there's this theme where it's like a lot of people knew you and they knew that You were bigger than just kind of the crimes that you were getting wrapped up in so yeah, how did people know that you were More than just the stuff that you were getting in trouble for um pretty much. I was also an athlete. I was a very good track athlete I went to state multiple times one state for you know my high school during a high Um, so pretty much I may even name for myself um With track everything and then everybody's like oh, okay. There goes Anthony. There goes Anthony. He's doing big things Everybody knew me and my family me and my brothers are so smart Like where I think my younger brother averaged to 35 on his ACT, I averaged to 32, like we're damn near geniuses. But yeah, everybody just knew that we were different. Like you can see it in eyes that we were different. And that we didn't deserve this life, so yeah. So even then, did you feel like you had that self-awareness where you're like, I am different? Like when you're getting arrested and you're like 13, 14, you're actually spending time in there. Like what's going through your head and your head? Or you're like, I am different. I'm built for it, like I'm built for more. Or like, what's going through your mind? I've always known I was different. And you know, every time I got in trouble, I must definitely thought about it. But it's like, I just want to be a crowd pleaser in a sense. You know, I thought I had to do certain things to get friends. So I thought I had to be this tough guy, 'cause that's what everybody was going back to. So I thought I had to be this tough guy. So I'm gonna, you know, I'm gonna go jump you, rob you, whatever, just to make friends. Yeah, but always know I was different. So. - Okay, so it seemed like you're doing all these things just because you felt like you kind of had to to get the respect and admiration of the people around you. Or like, hey, this is just kind of what I know. This is how people, you know, get liked around here. But you knew in the back of your head that, you know, this wasn't going to be the end all be all. So kind of fast forward a little bit. I guess what was like the next milestone in your early years or four week, you know, start transitioning, talking about your artistry. My next milestone is actually, when I graduated high school at 16, I went to, then my first year at Purdue, I graduated with my associate's degree. So then my first year at Purdue, then went to Colorado State and came out to Seattle for math school. So that was kind of like the transition from that life and my mom put up a lot of money for me to go to school. So I couldn't really disappoint her. Even though, you know, I got tied into life, I still wanted to do it. Even though I'm like, I got all sky free with everything. But that was pretty much the transition came out here. I feel like Seattle was a big blessing for me. Pretty much just turned my life completely around. Yeah. - Wait, so how does that happen? Going from like 13 attempt and merge charges you're in a jail cell for, you know, a couple months, you're like, whoa. And then, 'cause it sounds like, you know, when you were 10, you had always before that and you got the F of a report card and you ran, you're like, "Yo, I don't want to deal with this at home." I'm sorry. So when did you start like taking school seriously to, you know, graduate at 16? There's not a lot of people that I know that graduate at 16. - Yeah, I've always took school fairly serious. It was just that, no like that transition from elementary to junior high school where, you know, everybody's trying to fit in. So you're trying to be a class clown, crowd pleaser. And so things fell, things start backsliding. And then I was, I feel like even to this day, throwing person I'm scared of was my mom. Oh, so I didn't want to get that ass with, man. (laughing) She'll go get that switch off of tree. So tell me, go take a shower. And then she'll hit me while I'm wet, like that. Oh, geez. You don't want to go through that. No. - Definitely. - Yeah. But yeah, I always been a cookie in a sense, so. - Oh, okay, so if I'm understanding you correctly, you're like, hey, I'm getting locked up when I was a little kid, that's happening. But those were more so just the extracurriculars. - Yeah, yeah. - Where you're like, hey, when I'm in school, you were taking it serious. You were paying attention. So did you like skip a couple grades? Like how did that happen? Where, you know, you're graduating at 16? - Oh, yeah, skipped. - Nine and fifth grade. - Nine and eighth grade? And like, how does that come about? - Pretty much, there was a placement test after high school and eighth grade. And if you did well on it, you get to skip a grade. But I end up skipping two grades because I got a perfect score. And I feel like I did a perfect score. - Yeah, I got a perfect score. I think it was like a 65 or something like that. So I got like 65 out of 65 on this placement test. And they're like, okay, you can't invest it at 10th grade. I was like, oh shit. So yeah, I was 14 and yeah, 14 and the 10th grade. So, dang, that's crazy. Like that's not an easy thing to do. - It's not, it's not at all. - Barely no. I know a couple of people who's done it before, but it's just a handful, yeah. - So would you say like, as a kid, this higher level IQ that you just have, like did that kind of translate into some of the, you know, affiliated work that you're doing there, like were you kind of doing creative stuff in your extracurriculars too? - No, just pretty much. Just a following whoever I could point. Yeah, have you ever heard the, have you ever seen like a smart S child, but they're like troubled as hell. Like they got all the brains in the world, like they're a trouble pretty much, that was me. - Dang, okay. So you skipped the two grades after junior high, though hey, take this placement test. You get a perfect score, which is still fucking insane. I had this kind of absorbing that. Now you're this 14 year old kid in 10th grade, like when, so then you kind of finish out the two years, did you get any trouble like before graduating high school? - No, I kind of kept my head clean. It was a couple of times I got in fights and stuff 'cause I have a high temperament, but got a mouth on you sometimes, maybe? And it says, I pretty much just kept my head clean and just finished up everything, so. - Okay, so then after you graduate high school, you said you went to Purdue? - Yeah, I went to Purdue for a year. - Well to Purdue for a year? And what were you initially studying there? - Computer science. - Computer science? - Yeah, and then. - That's just, okay, here's a kid who gets affiliated. 11 years old, he gets the fucking shit beaten out of him by all these grown up kids, skips two grades, and then now he's studying computer science. - Yeah. - So it's like, were there people around you that were studying computer science or like, how did you then, like, know to go that route? - No, I was the first one in my family to ever go to college. Yeah. - Wow, so. So what made you choose computer science at first? - It's pretty much back then. I know, even to the state, it's still, you have a computer science degree or an engineering degree, you make a lot of money. So that was pretty much my sense of doing it, and plus my mom was like, oh, you're gonna do this, you're gonna do computer science. She was pretty much telling me what I'm gonna do. (laughing) But yeah. - Dang, so since the beginning, like you said, you're 11 years old, you've been about that money. - So you're like, hey, here's this route to make money, computer science, sure. So you did that for a year, and how was that going? Like, being from somebody where you're in a small town, probably one of the smartest kids in your school, to now being in college, doing computer science. So what was kind of that level up? Did you feel like you were still much farther ahead than everybody around you, or was now the level, like the playing field turned a level out a little? - I still feel like I was much ahead until I actually got out in Seattle. I was like, not that smart. But yeah, pretty much, and Purdue, and then Colorado State, I was, I always felt like I was ahead to everybody else. - So you, and Purdue for a year, and at this point in time, are you like not affiliated without doing any hoodwrap shit behind the scenes? - No, not doing hoodwrap shit. Technically, until you get jumped out, you're still affiliated, so I mean, I never got jumped out, but I don't do none of that anymore. I'm scared to get jumped out at this point, but the jersey's been retired. - Yeah, it's definitely retired. (laughing) - So okay, so what made you then go from Purdue to Colorado State? - Colorado State, I actually got a scholarship for Colorado State. So my mom didn't have to pay for my last year of undergrad. So I took that route, I got an academic scholarship, and then I also a half of a track scholarship. So there's pretty much took that route, and they computer science there. So my undergrad has a BS computer science. - Whoa, and you were an athlete? - Yeah. - Wow, so what was that like? - It was fun, it was fun. You gave all the girls my athlete, for sure. (laughing) I was barely 18, and yeah, so. - So even when you were a kid, affiliate getting all this money, 'cause you were rich as a kid at that point, you know what I mean? - Yeah, yeah. - So were you getting the hose then? - No, I wasn't getting the hose. - Yeah, I wasn't getting the hose. - No, that was a kid, that was a young adult. - I don't think I got my first hose, it sounds like 17. - So you're 17, whoa. - Let your old kids own Kool-Aid and Kool-Kate, no hose though. - No hose though. - Dang, just money. - Yeah, money. - Yeah, we got money though, where you get the money, then maybe the hose. Dang, so then once you were kind of in college, and kind of now this athlete, you know, your big man on campus, was that kind of just showing you? Like when did that, I'm trying to understand, like when you really made that separation from like here's who I was growing up, and here's who I can be, what I really like put my heart and soul into being a better person. - I felt like when I, so I applied to a med school out here at University of Washington, just to apply, I didn't really think I was gonna get in. - So wait, before we even start going there, how do you go from computer stuff? I just wanted to save lives and be a doctor. So when I was younger, I've always had this dream about being a doctor. At first I wanted to be a dentist and then it just kind of changed. I was like, okay, I just kind of want to be a doctor at this point. So just kind of testing my luck there with University of Washington. What made you want to be a dentist? Money. Money. Everyday one. It's been about money. But my mom really didn't want me to go down that route because she was like, that's too much school. Like, you need to get money, like, you need to graduate and start making money in a sense like now. You're like, shit, that's what I'm saying. Cool, eh? Yeah. Yeah. She didn't prove it. Nothing. Yeah. But yeah. That was pretty much the route. I always had that dream. So I just kind of put it to work and wish for the best. And I happen. So you graduated BS, computer science, and then you're like, hey, fuck it. Let's just try to apply to med school. I've always wanted to be a doctor in the back of my head. And then what was it like when, you know, you got that offer you're like, oh, I call my mom so fast. I got the, so I applied for University of Washington last semester. And I was like, January, January of my last semester, and then I took the test, which I thought I did pretty bad on, but apparently I did good. And then I got the letter in my email about three months later, it was about April at this point, end of April, I call my mom so fast, I was like, ah, guess what? She was like, what? I got a sub in the med school. She did not believe it at all, she was like, shut the fuck up. I was like, yes, like, here goes the email, like boom, boom, boom, she was like, you didn't tell me this, and so she was kind of, she was happy for sure, but she was trying to figure out how she was going to pay for it. Yeah, yeah. She's like, money. Because I got out of the money. I'm going to try it back down to the money, but yeah, she was most definitely ecstatic. I was ecstatic. And then it was just a point of time where I was like, you know, going into that last month of school, I was like, I kind of got discouraged because I was like, you know, I didn't grow up with money, I know my parents don't have $200K to put me through med school. So I was like, it's probably not going to happen, but she actually picked up two or three jobs, started going at it because I was seeing pretty much, she felt like I was the chosen one because I was the first to go to college and so she just pretty much did what she needed to do for me. Wow. So before fully kind of going into that, we were talking about family and it sounds like my family is important to you. You have a really close relationship with your mom. So definitely. Like, is your dad in the picture and like, do you have siblings too? Yeah, yeah, yeah. So my, some brothers. Yeah. So my dad was kind of on and off. I felt like that was the main part of me getting in trouble as a, as a teen because I didn't have no mail got into my life. So I felt like that, he played, that played a big role into me getting in trouble and not figuring out my purpose sooner. So like did you know him? I think I seen him tour through times before I graduated high school. Yeah. So he just kind of come around when he wanted to. Yeah. And what about like your siblings? My siblings. So yeah, I have a brother on my dad's side that I talked to when my dad has like 13 kids. He was a rowing stone. 13 kids. Yeah. So it can't entite me. Yeah. Still, still paying a child support to this day. But yeah, yeah, I met my older brother, Jaylin, through, it was some weird thing. I think my mom received a wrong letter. And that's how we connected with my brother from his side. And then my got a younger brother named Omari and then a younger sister. And then Omari, actually, he passed away last, this may actually because he was taught into the gang like two, but you know, I tried to save him multiple times and he was actually getting on the right path, but yeah. So when it was like you at home growing up, like in your immediate household, like who was in that compound? You, your mom, me, my mom, and Omari and then my sister came when I was like 13. So, got it, got it. And so are you still close with any of your other siblings? Ah, yeah, yeah. Most definitely my older brother or my dad's side and then my younger sister for sure. What was their reaction like when you got accepted at their medical school? My older brother, he was a side it, we, we were talking for a minute and then we just kind of like stopped talking because life and we were growing up trying to go to college and everything and then, but he found out probably like a year after I was in, met school and it was like bro, like you're living life, you're doing it, you're doing it and he just kept giving me words of encouragement that just to keep going and never quit because you know, be the first, first ever to do anything in my family. So yeah, that's so inspirational and powerful, like it's so easy to see somebody growing up in a kind of environment and be like oh, they're just going to, you know, go to jail and that's where they're going to be forever, but you were able to transcend and go above that and now you're in medical school making stuff happen there. So now that we kind of have that background, like when did music start really coming into the picture? Um, I would say music fully started coming to a picture during the pandemic after I graduated at med school, um, 2020, that was a sucky ass time. Oh, so you've already been there, done that with med school? Yeah, yeah, yeah. You're done with that. Yeah, I'm done. I'm done. Whoa. Yeah. And so with med school, like, you know, you always being that guy who's always farther ahead is this now when you were kind of challenged a little bit? Yeah, I was very challenged. I barely pass. I barely pass. Barely pass. Yeah. See, that's what I feel like a lot of people don't realize when they tell me oh, I want to be a doctor. Like you realize you have to be like top echelon, like IQ distribution to take in all these different information and then stress on top of that. So to hear somebody like you skip two grades, have gotten all these perfect scores his whole life. And then you're struggling a bit in med school. Yeah. I feel like the education system and like Midwest is pretty trash. I feel like if I was somewhere else like West Coast or probably like the East Coast, I'll probably one F skip two grades because it's just trash in a Midwest. Everything's so easy and they just pass you like that just to get you out. So God's playing though. Yeah. God's playing. There we go. So what would like when you're in med school, do you pick like a certain kind of concentration like a certain route that you take, like what's not like? You can, but it's usually after you graduate and you start your residency. That's when you pick your concentration and that's when people are like, okay, I want to be a surgeon or they probably already know coming into med school and until you start doing your clinical thing like, okay, I want to do this or I don't want to do this. At first, I wanted to be OBGYN. Okay. Here we go for the wrong reasons. There's money in there as well as you can imagine for the wrong reasons, but actually I was doing my clinicals like my last year of med school and I was like, this is fucking disgusting. And not to say I love all my women, for sure. So much love, so much love, but I can't, I can't. This is so much, I'm like, okay, but I switched it from that to pediatrics. I want to be a pediatrician because I do love kids and I feel like I can pretty much help kids and help pretty much kids in need, that's cancer or whatever. So when was that moment when you're doing like the, you know, a giant doctor type work? Yeah. When was that moment where you're like, okay, I might not have the stomach for this. It was after I, I cystic given birth. Oh. Yeah. It was, it was that time. I was like, and it was going well, it was going well, kids, and I kid you not, baby comes out. Nothing, but I say about a gallon worth, down there half to a gallon worth of fluid comes out and it's on my feet. Oh my feet. It goes through my shoes and everything. I'm in jaze, I think I have some kids, I think I have some kids over my work shoes. But yeah, yeah, I was like, this is it, I'm not doing this. Like, what color fluid was it? Just like yellow shit like that, yeah. It's a right thing in there, you're like, nah, yeah, yeah, I try to play it off because you know, I'm nice. I'm nice, I was like, he's even the cool guy in there too, he's just like, you just hear my feet, shh, shh, shh, they tell my wife, it's like, I need to go home. But yeah, oh my gosh, that's incredible. Okay, so you're already done with med school and so are you like still on your medical route? 'Cause sooner we're gonna be talking about all the amazing things you could do with music, Are you still doing medical? old stuff? No, no, no medical stuff right now. And it's mainly because of the book crap I did when I was younger and it kind of just caught back up to me. So I was, I want to say back in January, yeah back in January, I got an email from University of Washington because you know you're a doctor, you're transitioning from being a residency until full blown. So they do a stencil background checks, fingerprints, all that like FBI grade. And yeah, apparently I thought juvenile files were still, apparently they have access to those. So yeah, pretty much they sent me a long email. They're like, hey, like we're sorry, we're just gonna have to let you go pretty much well, I had to go talk to the director and then he was telling me face to face. I was like down like, what the fuck? Like we wasted all this money all this time going to school and you tell me I can't be here just because of why I didn't pass. And it was like I feels like something you know like stealing or Walmart shit, but it's filing crimes. So that's it. We're like, yeah, we're not having that here. So so what was going through your head then like you said all this money this time barely was going through. We put in countless amounts of hours to just have that the very end. I was I was probably the most piss I've ever been like I kind of wanted to like just kind of smack him in the face, but I know it wasn't his fault. And he has a job to do so I'm like okay. And I can take it up with the Supreme Court, but I just chose not to just let it go for now. Maybe if music fails, hopefully it doesn't. I'll take it up. But as for now it's just I'm just leaving it where it is. Interesting. Okay, so that happened. You're incredibly angry rightfully so. Yeah, I mean, I don't even know what would be going through my head of putting all these years of sacrifice. And that's kind of the answer that I get like heartbreaking. So then what then from there, because you were talking about the pandemic is when you first are getting introduced to music. But after that, it happened like what were you doing with your day? How are you spending time after that? So this this conversation that I had with the director and everything and get fired happened this past January. And then from there, I was already into music from there because I released my first song back November 22. Thanks, given it's called yours. The boys go crazy for it. Well that sounded that sounded homo no homo. My guys go crazy for it. But yeah, guy introduced to music when a pandemic hit because everything was just so slow. You can't go anywhere. So I just started right now. It's like, huh, like I can write to this and watching I think I was watching like while and out when I kind of got the idea. And you know, they put on they do the ciphers and stuff. I'm like wrapping along to it. I'm like, bro, this is kind of easy. And so I just started, you know, pen pad. I was so afraid to release anything until this past year. And then I just kind of, yeah, interesting. So you first got some of the inspiration to start making music, watching while and out. Yeah, yeah, yeah. And you're just like, wait, I'm fucking better than these people like this ain't that hard. Yeah, yeah. I was like, okay, I can wrap like a freestyle. I can't freestyle though, but wow, pen pad, I'm definitely. So it's like, before that while and out experience, and you're kind of making that like light bulb moment in your head with music, where you ever are doing music stuff like growing up, like, you know, play instruments or anything. I was never the type to play instruments. I was, I don't have any rhythm. I try playing the drums. My hand, I coordination is terrible. Um, yeah, it sounded like I don't even know what it sounded like, but I should be sent to Hill for it. Um, I just about that money. So you think the drums going to make money or something cool. But yeah, um, never really had a musical experience until, um, about like 20, yeah, 20, 20. I just started giant stuff down. Was always scared to release or show anybody. So why do you think that is? Because it's like the reason why I ask is because you seem like somebody that's always like you said, you know, you've been ahead. You've always have known that, you know, you're met for bigger things. And so now that you're kind of venturing off of this new discipline, what was making you kind of feel a little anxious about showing anybody about some of your creations? Um, because when you hear the word, like rapper, you automatically think to yourself, oh, bum. No money. No job. I mean, I don't got no job now, but, uh, that's besides the point, you know, just, this individual that just doesn't have a shit together in a sense. And I don't want anybody, you know, they give me as that. So I was just always scared. And so it was a lot of self-doubt in my music too, especially like recording. I'm like, I don't sound good. I sound like ass. And then my best friend, Nico, I showed to him. He was like, bro, release that shit now. But, yeah, it took me like two years just to even release yours, uh, because I was so scared. So when he told you, like, yo, you need to release this now. What the fuck? When did he tell you that versus like the, you know, the two years later to releasing it? Like, was it around that time? Like, was it the same year that he told you, like, that you released that he told you that? Or is it like way back when you first did it? Uh, it was back in 2021. He told me to release it. Uh, when he started figuring out, like, I was doing music. Uh, you know, he just became my mentor and everything. And then he was like, bro, like, this is insane. You need to release it. I was like, after a song, like, you know, I'm just thinking he's hyping me out because, you know, that's my guy. That's the homie. Yeah, the homie, the homie's gonna have hype you up no matter what. I mean, they'll keep it real with you. But yeah, you know, homie's will hype you up. So I was like, nah, I ain't releasing a shit. It's just ass. Um, but then I just kept listening to it for like another year. And then I was like, you know, fuck it. Like, we're just about to see what happens. So, yeah. So during that time, because it's like, that's a big gap of time for you. First, make it to when you released it. Were you making other music too? And like, were you trying to, like, study it or was it kind of more passive in the background? Um, I was doing a lot of ride and I probably had like two other songs I recorded, uh, but those got thrown out real quick. Um, I feel like yours was the one that was like, the main one. I was like, okay, even though I thought it was trash, I was like, it might do something. So really didn't have, I just had a lot of, I just had a lot of notes and no pads in my phone or whatever. Um, I was like, uh, I'll say I was like a drink. I like to feel like notebooks or just like stuff. And then after I released it, I seen everybody was liking it. I started recording a lot more in the sense. So. So what made you decide to release it on Thanksgiving, like a day of gratitude? Yeah. Yeah. Um, pretty much. I think we had a France given that day, that, that day or the day before or day after, I'm not for sure now. Um, which pretty much, it's just like a holiday song, you know, Thanksgiving. You're really not listening to me. You're just with family. So I'm like, let me give people something to actually listen to on Thanksgiving, whether Turkey or whatever. Um, so I was like, just did the complete opposite. What any rapper would do because he released song things, given it's probably not getting place. Um, my thing didn't get no place at that. I probably had to, um, but it blew up like a couple of months later. So. So what did you, like what made it then, like blow up? Because I feel like that's kind of the biggest thing for a lot of artists is they, they're sitting on the pot of gold. Yeah. But then the park part is like, well, how do I let the world know? Like this gold exists. Um, I would say we were actually. And it was the hope from my guys. We were actually in a lot of places where we go to sounds, we'll go to, you know, like you district or whatever and we would tell the DJs, it's been this. And they'll actually do it. And so people started to know it since I know it's a lot of shins and so I'm probably like 24,000 shins, um, of the song yours. And, you know, it's like a music recognition, uh, software on your phone. It automatically comes with your iPhones. I guess like scroll down. If you don't know the name of song, you just, oh, and it tells you day. There's 24,000. Yeah. Yeah. So I was like, okay, down. All right. And then yeah, that just kind of took off. And I got it. I started getting noticed a little bit and I started releasing other music as well during that time, during like January through about April. I started releasing more music. And then, um, I got reached out by a and our sub pop. It's the record label here in Seattle, and he was like, "Yo, I fuck with your music." I was like, "Yeah, bet." I was like, "Thank you, thank you." At first, I was kind of just brushing it off, and then our brother passed and I was like, "What would Amari want me to do?" And I saw a column back, and I'm like, "Yeah, I'll sign." So I prayed my sign, and then made my record, my actual biggest record to date with Libyanca. Well, she already had her song "People Out" and it came out like 2022. Yeah, 2022. And then just pretty much just hopped on the remakes, remade the beat, and hopped on that. And it just kind of took off from there, and that's why I actually started, started again, notice. Yeah, and that's currently sitting at over 30 million streams right now, right? Yeah, yeah. It's great to hear. People are listening right now. This is a couple of hundreds. This is a 30 million fucking times that people are listening to this song. So what was it like being somebody like, it started where, you're like, "I don't know, dude." And this is ass, I don't know if I want to put it out. And then you drop the song, people are really liking it. And then you start going to these different bars and clubs, and people are loving it. You know, they're got the shazam going. So in terms of just your overall outlook on you as an artist, how did that change when you started to see people are actually fucking with your work? So we just pretty much played it to people, and they were like, they were just popping their heads and shit, and people were just like, "What is you?" They have no idea that it's me. I'm just so humbled about it. And you know, my guy, Jason right here, he would be like, "No, that's, that's Ed." That's him, that's him. But I was like, "Damn, that's him." I'm like, "Yeah, that's me." I'm like, "I was trying to be quiet about it." But yeah, pretty much the help of them got me recognized, all these guys a lot for sure. So have you always been humble? Because I feel like once people start making it, they're like, "Yo, this me, this me." And you know, you don't have the homie, like Jason, you know, for you. A lot of times people are jumping up on the table and say, "Look at me, look at me." I've always been humble, still humble. I just feel like, what's the point in doing it? You know, if I'm in my own function or whatever, my own party, you know, I'm like, I'm like full. I'm like, "Yo, this me, like, what's up, what's up?" Because that's your people. Yeah, yeah. But if I'm out in public, I'm not making a scene. I don't really like attention like that. So very humble. You probably wouldn't even know it's me that you're listening to. You can be listening to me right in front of me. And I won't say nothing. That's how I might say a long, but I probably won't say anything. So for somebody that doesn't really like attention that much, I mean, 30 million streams. That's a lot of attention. Yeah, it is. Like, what's it been like navigating this newfound success and fame that you have now? Success part is just, I feel like I can always do better even to this day. I still self-doubt. And for us fame, I don't feel like I'm famous. Most definitely not. I'm still underground for sure. But I know for sure it will get to that point where it's like, I'll wake up one day. I'll be like, down. Like I'm actually famous. But that's a, that's a ways for now. But yeah, hopefully I can manage it because I do have anxiety. And I'm like, kind of shy too. Hey, well, that's as nice though as like people were able to relate to that as opposed to the ostentatious, like super in your face. I'm better than you. Like, honestly, nowadays I feel like with, especially because of the pandemic, you know, everyone's in home. And they see somebody that's more along the lines of who they are. They're like, oh, I actually like that guy. Yeah. So when the record label had reached out to you, what was kind of like one, how did they discover you? And two, like, what made you make that decision of signing with the record label? Because I feel like nowadays, too, a lot of times I see these other artists, you know, kind of like prints where he's like, hey, like don't sign. You know, they're going to fuck you over with the contract deal. And so I mean, you have a head on your shoulders. So I'm sure you're going through all of it, but I'm just curious on how you viewed them. And your perception of like, how is this going to make me bigger? Oh, yeah. So we actually, I had this bright idea one day. I released this song called Feel. And I had all of my friends spam sub pop in the comments. Is spam what? Sub pop in the comments. Oh, sub pop. Yeah. And they did it. And they did it. And you know, at first, I was like, they, like, they just ignore me, whatever. Like, they definitely see it. Like they spam them in the comments. So they definitely see it. But I'm like, okay, it might just be trash. And they're not fucking with it. So they didn't have, they didn't hear anything from them after that until about me. And I was like, down, like, okay, you guys actually did see it. And you guys actually did take a listen. But you know, they'll never tell you, they'll never show you. They'll probably watch your, watch your page from a fake page. So I feel like that was, that was in a sense. They were just watching me the whole time. So when it came down to you actually, like, sign on the dotted line. Like you said, you were thinking about your brother. And he's like, yo, like, what would he want me to do? Yeah. And so what made you make that decision of like, yo, these are the people that I want to work with. Oh, it's just a trustworthy record label. Of course, record labels are in it for the money. But you get, uh, they've been around since 1988. Kirk O'Bane was made the record label big. Kirk O'Bane. Yeah, Kirk O'Bane. Whoa. Yeah. So they've been around for a while. And they're known, they're, they're known as Seattle to be just genuine great people. And the people who's been there has been their sense to record labels open. Um, and so you got, uh, the owners still own it. They, of course, they show like their profits, uh, to warn her about 49%. Um, just to make them bigger. So they did that, but they're pretty trustworthy around Seattle. And if you mentioned sub pop to anybody, most likely, I would say about 95% of people know what sub pop. And who's sub pop is and the owners and everything. And it may seem big, but it's very small. It's a very small world and sub pop has some great reputation and great people. You know what, you know what? I, I want to work with these people because it's just their track record and everything that you looked into. So now when it comes to what's next, like what is it that's been kind of on your radar? Uh, radar is, um, uh, transition over to Warner music. And then I also have my own record label. I'm starting, uh, it's called root records. Root records? Yeah. Well, it's cool name. Yeah, yeah. I, um, I actually found out it's a clothing brand called root as well. So I was like, dang, okay, whatever. But, um, fuck 'em. Yeah, fuck 'em. (laughing) Soos me through years later. Could be a cool collab. Yeah, yeah, yeah, definitely, definitely. I'll probably have to talk to them too. I don't know, figure out the owner. But, yeah, in a sense, that's pretty much the next steps for me. Um, and I actually got a project, uh, releasing, uh, tomorrow. It's about to song project. Nothing too big, but it's just a project for the wait until the album. So. So how would you describe your sound? Because, you know, in the beginning, we're talking about you being a rapper. Yeah. I feel like the more I learn about you and the things that have read, like, it's more described along the lines of, like, alternative pop. And, so, like, how would you describe your sound? Um, most definitely, even the song yours. Even though it was, like, a rap song in this sense. It was still, like, any pop. Um, it still had that pop sound to it. So, I've always described myself as a pop artist, even when I, you know, rhyme, don't rhyme, don't a beat, or just had a hard beat. Um, it was just that I've always been, like, distinct from regular rappers in a sense, you know. All my music's pretty much positive, really no cousin. Uh, I don't talk about, I don't call women, bitches, holes on it. In my music, mainly because my family does listen, listen to it. Um, so I try to be respectful in that manner just 'cause they listen to it. If they didn't, I'll be wilder. But yeah, um, I would say I describe myself as a, I don't know, I feel like I may be in my own genre. Um, because you can define me as an Afrobeat artist. Uh, when I, I just feel like I release an Afrobeat, uh, pop artist, any pop alternative. I just kinda have the sound for it all, and you can hear it, and the music, you're like, okay, like, he has a different type of sound to him. I'm kind of still trying to figure out that, but as far as I just describe myself as an alternative indie pop artist, so yeah. Yeah, I remember when at one of your release parties and the song was playing, and I remember liking the song. I'm like, "Whoa!" And they're like, "Yield, that's Anthony." Oh yeah. And then I was like, "Whoa!" It gets one of those sounds that I know for a fact will take on, like this life of its own. You know what I mean? Because it's got that energy where, like, what I like about your music is it's so much different from what's out there right now, where, you know, when it comes to the music industry, a lot of times people say, "There's a lot of these devil worshipers." And there's all this, like, Satanism that's in there, and all of these weird, just kind of tropes involving Satan. So the fact that you're leading with love and leading with light, I just feel like it's different, but I mean, what's your kind of take on the music industry in general? Because now you're starting to really dip your toes into that world. Um, yeah. The music industry, you know, being signed to a major, you do see a lot of shit and it's like, it's a lot of bad shit, that's gonna be honest. So it's kind of discouraging to, especially like with major, major labels, they're just all-power money hungry, so it's like you most definitely have to watch, watch, um, pretty much everything. You always have to be in your peace and cues, and pretty much different artists who have actually made it big are kind of in the same way, you know, they're like, you know, they're just all-power hungry in a sense. So music industry is a tough, is a tough space once you get to a certain level. Um, but you can most definitely, you know, if you have street smarts and because you just can have book smarts and a music industry, you have to have street smarts too. I feel like that my past helped me in a sense with it, but yeah, definitely you have to have street smarts because somebody will try to fuck you over some, somehow some way. Um, and you're probably already getting fucked over, um, no matter who you are, you're probably already getting fucked over, you just don't know it. But yeah. Yeah, it's like they're always kind of waiting for you to slip up so they can take a couple of bucks out of your pocket. Oh, definitely. Yeah. She is. It's just when I see the music industry and I see where it's at, it's nice that we have somebody like yourself that, like I said, is leading with light, leading with love. It's a lot different from what's currently out there. So I'm curious, like, you know, when it comes to marathon runners, they always have like a why? Like, oh, why do you run? Like, oh, here's my answer. And so we've couldn't kind of talking around it, but I'm just curious, like, when it comes to you making music, like, what's your why, like, why are you doing this? Um, to, I would say to make people happy, feel like when I, every time I make music, I really saw it, just see how people happy, how happy people are, especially my family. You know, there's so much energy, so much life in it, you know, I'm actually speaking, you know, realness, other than sex, money, drugs, all the time. So the unholy trinity, holy trinity, not that quite, but the unholy trinity, the unholy trinity for sure, but yeah, just pretty much just like seeing people be happy dancing to my music. You know, I feel like that's the main reason because if it wasn't, if I was just doing it for the money, I tried quitting a lot of times, but people been telling me not to give up. And so I feel like that's it, that's really it, so. So why BXI? Cause I know you had a name before that, yeah, it was downstairs and then I had a little hiccup with trademark and everything, so I was like, okay, what's still in that realm, what still is going to be marketable. And I was just like, you know, I just picked like three random letters, I was like BXI. All right. And it really doesn't have any meaning to it, but I almost definitely got a trademark this time around because downstairs, I neglected to get a trademark and I ran to some complications where it was like, I just simply couldn't use that name anymore. So most of it got BXI trademark down and say, I always say it's a marketable name. So yeah. So why downstairs to begin with downstairs, it was pretty much just coming, just my name just meant like coming from the ground up pretty much, it's coming from that basement where common stairs to get up. So spelled DWN, STRZ, you know, took out a few letters, but yeah, there we go. I love that. Well, you know, this has been an amazing time to talk with you. I really appreciate it. You know, people are going to be streaming you everywhere. So I guess where can people find you? Um, yes, on, since I just changed my name, but Apple Music Spotify, YouTube, I actually have a video coming out in a couple of weeks, pretty much every store, possible known a man. Yeah. And that's just BXI. They search on any of those. They just find out. Yeah. You'll see my picture. Yes, sir. Well, thank you so much, Anthony. A-K-A B-X-I. Thank you. This has been the searching for something podcast, and I really had a great time to speak with you, sir. So thank you again for your time. Sweet. Appreciate you. Yes.