Unglossy: Decoding Brand in Culture

TT the Artist: The Evolution of a Multimedia Creator

• Tom Frank, Mickey Factz, Jeffrey Sledge, TT the Artist • Season 5 • Episode 24

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Grab your red hat and buckle up, because we’re diving headfirst into the unstoppable universe of TT the Artist—a visionary multimedia maestro who’s danced her way through both music and film with fearless creativity. In this episode, TT spills the tea on a life-changing mishap (because who hasn’t accidentally lost priceless footage?) that ended up fueling her drive instead of derailing her dreams.

We’ll learn how community and camaraderie are her secret sauce, offering not just moral support but also fresh chances for collaboration in an industry that changes faster than your favorite streaming queue. TT also gives us a behind-the-scenes look at her Netflix doc, Dark City Beneath the Beat, highlighting Baltimore’s electrifying music scene and reminding us how powerful real-life stories and representation can be.

And just when you think it can’t get better, TT dishes about her new project, Denim, where she’s shining a spotlight on LGBTQIA+ creatives and championing inclusivity in the arts. Throughout our chat, you’ll find loads of inspiration to keep pushing forward, discover your own artistic flair, and form those all-important creative alliances.

So, hit subscribe, and join us as we celebrate creativity, resilience, and empowerment. Because if TT can spin a near-catastrophe into a catalyst for success, just imagine what you can do!

"Unglossy: Decoding Brand in Culture," is produced and distributed by Merrick Studio and hosted by Merrick Chief Creative Officer, Tom Frank, hip hop artist and founder of Pendulum Ink, Mickey Factz, and music industry veteran, Jeffrey Sledge. Tune in to hear this thought-provoking discussion on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you catch your podcasts. Follow us on Instagram @UnglossyPod to join the conversation and support the show at https://unglossypod.buzzsprout.com/

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Speaker 1:

This week on Unglossy.

Speaker 2:

I'm carrying these hard drives to work and we were like in the middle of some deadline, of turning some grant at work. So I'm like, okay, I didn't have the money to just have hard drives for separate things. Man, I got up out of my desk and the cord from the hard drive was wrapped around me and the hard drive was flying smack dab to the floor, all my footage gone.

Speaker 1:

From the top yeah.

Speaker 3:

I'm Tom Frank.

Speaker 1:

I'm Mickey Fax and I'm Jeffrey Sledge. Welcome to Unglossy decoding brand and culture. I'm Tom Frank, partner and chief creative officer at Merit Creative. This is Mickey Fax, hip hop artist and founder and CEO of Pendulum Inc. And that is Jeffrey Sledge, a seasoned music industry veteran who has worked with some of the biggest artists in the business. We're here to explore the moments of vulnerability, pivotal decisions and creative sparks that fuel the relationship between brand and culture. Get ready for thought provoking journey into the heart and soul of branding the unscripted, unfiltered and truly unglossy truth.

Speaker 4:

Yeah, I mean today is like. It's like red hat day today. Where's?

Speaker 3:

your red hat. Yeah, tom, you slacking man, you slacking, I mean nobody told me about the red hat in advance. I don't know if I own a red hat.

Speaker 1:

It's a feeling you gotta go cop one.

Speaker 3:

It's a feeling, it's a vibe, it must be a feeling.

Speaker 4:

It's a vibe. It's a vibe.

Speaker 2:

You just got to know, you just got to know to put it on.

Speaker 4:

You know what I'm saying.

Speaker 1:

I hear you. Well, we certainly had a vibe going today with our guest TT the Artist. What did you guys think of that?

Speaker 3:

She's amazing, smart, creative, beautiful spirit.

Speaker 4:

I liked her a lot. Yeah, that's the homie I really enjoyed. You know her, her drive. I think it's important just for artists to hear her story and and and how she's able to sustain a living in this space. I think it's especially as a black woman. I think it's just very, very important for people to kind of know that there's no excuse. It's really literally no excuse. You can make it happen, you just got to do it.

Speaker 3:

It's about the drive and the consistency. You just got to keep going. She talks about that. You got to keep going.

Speaker 1:

And going for it right.

Speaker 3:

Keep going for it. If you're doing something worthwhile and you know it's worthwhile, something will happen eventually. But you can't stop, kind of stops, starts, stops. You just got to keep going, keep going and it'll connect at some point.

Speaker 1:

Mickey, something I wanted to ask you when we were interviewing her is you know she very much is an independent artist and I know you've talked a lot about that. Is there an advantage? I mean, there's independent artists, but at some point you do need some kind of help, right? Whether that's a publicist, whether that's marketing, whether that's a label or what. What are your thoughts on that?

Speaker 4:

I mean, I think you know help is absolutely necessary. I you know I find it compelling to to hear that she's doing it all on her own. But I think a lot of the the issues that she's probably coming across is that she's a woman and there's probably some trust issues going on there and she knows that she has to take care of what she has to take care of. And you know, to get a publicist, to get a manager like people don't want to work for free and a lot of times for independent artists, you know we're making enough money to take care of ourselves. Sometimes you can pay people you know, depending on the deals money to take care of ourselves. Sometimes you can pay people, you know, depending on the deals that are structured, and then you can break them off some money.

Speaker 4:

But if it's not from a consistent standpoint, if we're not constantly hitting the road, if we're not putting a project out every two, three months, it's difficult for the people that you know you want to work for you, to constantly work for you. So you have to kind of adapt and adopt more of these typical, you know job titles that you normally wouldn't. It's interesting, right, and I know this is just our intro, but when you think about artists of the past, if a record stopped moving and that was it, that was it, you know, like an artist from the seventies, if they didn't have like a catalog, they would have to kind of go into the workforce or they could hit the ch didn't exist. So you know, I think now you know it's this opportunity to connect with different people due to the internet. We can kind of like that person she talked about, kira lehman, like he is a one of the the biggest music supervisors in hollywood, like for her to get that email from him and then building a relationship. That would not have happened 20, 30 years ago.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, that's true?

Speaker 4:

No, no, no, yeah. So I think it's going to be interesting for people to kind of hear her story. From the very beginning there's a lot of similarities. I was a church kid too, so I think it's just going to be really, really dope for people to hear her story. I can't wait for people to see what she had to say, you know.

Speaker 1:

I agree, she's genuine, she's authentic and and, and you know what, ever since I met her, I just I liked her. She, she's a good person, and so this is a great interview and let's dive in. Let's go. Tt the artist Unglossy is brought to you by Merrick Creative, looking to skyrocket your business's visibility and drive growth. At Merit Creative, we solve your brand and marketing woes With big ideas, decades of experience and innovative solutions. We'll draw in your target audience and keep them hooked. Remember, creativity is key to success. Partner with Merit Creative and unlock your brand's potential. Learn more at meritcreativecom.

Speaker 1:

And now back to the show. Today we are thrilled to celebrate the unstoppable force that is TT the Artist, the visionary multimedia creative who effuses both beats, kaleidoscopic visuals and fearless storytelling to empower communities and amplify unrepresented voices. Mickey and I first crossed paths with TT the Artist while working on Uncharted, a documentary spotlighting emerging talents, taking part in Alicia Keys' transformative songwriting camp through her organization Sia's the Music. Hailing from Florida and rooted in Baltimore's vibrant club culture and now I find out you were in LA. And now back to New York, and TT the Artist has channeled her passion in the music, film performance and visual art, most notably through her acclaimed Netflix documentary Dark City. Beneath the Beat, she continues to push creative boundaries as a cultural creator, creative coach and movement builder. Her latest project, the groundbreaking film Denim, will premiere at South by Southwest in Austin in March, promising another exhilarating chapter in her ever-evolving body of work. Hello, tt the Artist.

Speaker 2:

Hello nice to be with you all.

Speaker 3:

Wait, can I? Ask you what TT stands for, or is that?

Speaker 2:

private. Nah well, my real name is Tidra, which actually I recently did a little bit of rebranding for my film directing.

Speaker 2:

So it's now tdra, most notable as tt the artist, because tt the artist still exists in my music space, um, but yeah, I just you know, it's a nickname. I had the nickname tt when I was in college and I went to art school, so I always told people I wanted them to know me as an artist, first and foremost, even when I started to do music. So that's basically how I came up with TT the Artist. Okay, okay.

Speaker 1:

Okay, so should we go with Tidra then?

Speaker 2:

Tidra TT. Most of my friends call me TT I feel like I got to call you TT. Yeah, tt is cool.

Speaker 1:

I know you as TT.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, but you know it's elevation Before we get into how we know you, right?

Speaker 1:

I do want to start with now. You were born in Florida, right? I originally thought you were born in Baltimore, but you have Florida roots.

Speaker 2:

Yep.

Speaker 1:

But then you've gotten deep into Baltimore club culture. Absolutely, tell a little bit about your upbringing and how you got into this area.

Speaker 2:

Well, my upbringing was pretty crazy. I feel like you know, in my older self, just looking back in my upbringing, I grew up in Fort Lauderdale, florida. I believe Florida can tend to feel like a gas chamber where it's kind of like south. There's some areas that are very progressive, there's some areas that are not. But even in the more progressive areas, like where I grew up Fort Lauderdale is still is very much country and I grew up very sheltered, you know, from like a very Pentecostal Christian home.

Speaker 2:

I wasn't allowed to wear pants. It was like a cult, like I wasn't allowed to wear pants or hang around with like the kids outside of school, you know. So I was always at church or home or at a family member's house, but I was very sheltered, I wasn't allowed to do anything. So I used to tell people. I felt like my life really began once my mom left that church and I was like entering high school and I attended the Dillard School of Arts. I was in a magnet program for visual arts and I just like, for the first time I was able to wear pants openly, freely, and I just like felt so much liberation and I started doing everything. I was in a marching band. A lot of people you know down South marching bands are like like it's the, it's the culture you know familyAMU Home.

Speaker 2:

Cookman, hbcus and things like that. So I was actually. I made her story at my school because we had one of the most well-known bands, most popular bands. Like everybody wanted to be our band, the Marching Panthers and I was the first ever in the history of the school to go from being a dancer to being a drum major.

Speaker 2:

Like it had never happened before, I'd never played instruments before. But if you know Southern band culture, it's about showmanship, it's about performing. So I, you know, there was three drum majors. I made the third cut. The auditions were crazy because people were like picking on me because I'm like super, just the girly girl. All my dance girls are rooting for me, because they're like we need somebody to advocate for us. You know, because the drum majors role is usually predominantly a male, you know, given role, yeah. So yeah, people were the kids who have been the band since birth. They're like, oh, like, thinking I'm not going to make it. And then we do the auditions, I kill it, and then they announce it's like a movie. They announce who won. So I got the third pick and from there I honestly feel like that's what gave me my musical journey, inspiration on performing.

Speaker 2:

We used to have to perform for, like, nfl games and big college stadium games.

Speaker 2:

So imagine just being on this big field and having to perform in front of hundreds of thousands of people.

Speaker 2:

And then, at the same time I was starting, you know, my journey into hip hop, my friend Kamisha, who reminded me of the brat then she was the first person I encountered that was a rapper and she could freestyle. I mean she used to battle all the boys at lunch and I just was like I want to be cool, like that. I was like I want to be known for my voice and not just how I look as a woman and that's what walked me into wanting to do music. Like she got so much respect whenever she walked in a room just because she knew how to freestyle and battle and so she helped basically show me how to write a 16 bar rap. We used to I was probably whacking shit at the time, but we used to go to the cafeteria, beat on the tables and exchange like notebook pages of like verses that I had wrote and verses that she had wrote. So shout out to kamisha. We actually just recently reconnected, actually in our adult years.

Speaker 1:

What is she doing now? Is she still rapping?

Speaker 2:

I think she still writes. She was always a poet, so she still writes. We haven't linked up yet, so we just fish fresh. We just reconnected, maybe last week, via Instagram. So it's pretty cool. We're going to, we're setting up a time to actually meet in person now and I'm thinking I might bring her in on some of the new music I'm working on, because I think that's kind of cool, Like take it back. She actually put a fire in me that you know. Sometimes we would just call each other on the phone and we would go back and forth and just spit verses Like let me. At that time I felt like it kept me so fresh and just committed to the craft and the artsmanship of just like writing music, you know. So that I say you know, I started out in a very fundamental side of hip hop before I started to transition to Baltimore and go to college and get into the dance music.

Speaker 4:

Yeah, so you know, listening, listening to this story, right, and we know that you know you're from Fort Lauderdale, but we can hear the, we can hear the, the, ooh.

Speaker 1:

Oh yeah.

Speaker 3:

So, we know your Baltimore accent.

Speaker 4:

Yeah, that Baltimore accent is strong, so talk to us how you got into that. If you worked with anybody, you know my mom, my homegirl Rara, you know she's, you know she's out there in Baltimore and that sound has always been a great sound. So talk to us how you got into that sound. You know in Baltimore.

Speaker 2:

To be honest, it was so organic because first of all, I started out, like I said, doing hip hop, but I was very heavily influenced by 90s dance music Uncle Luke 2, live Crew, miami Bass I grew up around that, so that was the culture that you know connected me to music right and I didn't realize me to music right and I didn't realize, wow, how similar Baltimore Club was to, you know, genres like Miami bass. So when I was a college student I first heard Baltimore Club music, I thought my radio was broken because it was just like looping and looping and looping and I was like what is this? And then I started a lot of people don't know before I started doing music, um, more seriously, I was pursuing a career in dance. So when I was in college, I was working, I was a go-go dancer at this like one night club called club one in Baltimore. Then I would go to this club called paradox, which was where the, the culture was. That was where you would go to see the Baltimore club. That's where I got introduced to ballroom and vogue dance styles and music and that's where I feel like the beginning, the seed was really planted during my freshman year, sophomore year of college where I was just like full-time student but also working hella part-time jobs. So I'm over there dancing at the club from 10 to 12. Then I'm leaving, I'm going to Paradox and that was like a late night after hour, so the club would literally close at like five in the morning. So, um damn, I was in the best shape of my life around that time.

Speaker 2:

But uh, then I met a producer at the time His name was Murder Mark, but when we rebranded he now goes by Mighty Mark, and so that actually was one of the first Baltimore club producers that I work with, and he had a group called the Yo Boys and they had did some work with Aaron Lecrae, who is definitely representing for the Baltimore culture in a global way. And I also met Kay Swift, the DJ Kay Swift at the Paradox. She was doing the Baltimore Club mixtapes, the Club Queen, club Queen mixtapes, with showing the culture, showing the new artists and producers that were representing for Baltimore Club. But it was really when I met Mighty Mark and then from there me and him just had this great working relationship. He respected me always as an artist, as a woman, as a just on the same level as a partner when it comes to our business and we've just made so many, so many moves together that you know I literally owe him so much. But yeah, it was Mighty Mark that was who.

Speaker 2:

And you mentioned Rai Rai, but a lot of people don't know is when Rai Rai's stuff was going on. I was around during that time I was Rai Rai's stuff was going on. I was around during that time I was, I was in her life, like I helped decorate her baby shower. I was, you know, doing different things. I saw everybody's grind and so while she was on her thing with Black Star, the producer, black Star because they were kind of like a duo Mark and I were just in our own space and what we were doing in our space was cultivating the culture a bit more in different ways by introducing media.

Speaker 2:

We were actually opening studios, starting record labels, taking dancers on the road with us on tour, doing the, hosting Baltimore Club dance classes and making films. As you can see, you mentioned earlier my film that was on Netflix, dark City Beneath the Beat. So I feel like what we did was we learned how to brand and market Baltimore Club music. So it became a thing where a lot of the press that then started coming into Baltimore. They would go to Me and Mighty Mark when Red Bull would come to town, when Fader would come to town, when Vice would come to town. They would hit up me and Mighty Mark and be like, who do we need to connect with?

Speaker 2:

So a lot of people don't know and that's why I always tell people to think about the relationships you build, because you never know who put in a good word for you for to even have that opportunity.

Speaker 2:

And I'm one of those people that I don't brag about it, but I know that I'm so responsible for why club music has become a phenomena on the global music world platform. I know this to be true and it's interesting to see it all because if you really go back and do your deep dive, you'll see, like the steps that were being made to expand, and not just in Baltimore, but with artists like Unique and people coming out of Jersey, dj Slank just really big DJs and producers who are also making ways and taking the music out of the city and doing things with the music, like creating their own festivals and touring in europe and playing the sound. So there's a core group of people. I feel a part of the generation that I came in that have really shaped and mold this sound to be what it is today it's interesting because I went to morgan, morgan state and years, years ago, um, it was more.

Speaker 3:

boston has always been like a, it was like a real kind of R&B side, but then it was always really a club side. Back then it was more club music, it was like Odell's and those places. So it's always had this club music energy that DC, which is, you know, not too far away, absolutely does not have.

Speaker 4:

DC does not have that at all, yeah, but there's no.

Speaker 3:

I dc does not have that at all. Yeah, yeah, but there's no, there's like there. I tell people that like comparing baltimore to dc is like comparing like it's I don't know like new york and philadelphia. There's nothing alike there. Then there's absolutely no common thread besides geography. They're two totally different cities in all ways. You know dc is very, you know, buttoned up and conservative and government, city, government run, and baltimore is kind of ways, you know dc's very, you know, buttoned up and conservative and government, city, government run, and baltimore's kind of like, you know, based on history, based on the docs and people kind of working from that, and so it's a whole different kind of thing. But I remember the club music scene was really big there. So it's interesting to see what it's morphed into um to the baltimore club scene. It's really, it's really, it's, it's dope, it's super dope. You know, I always saw it where, where would go?

Speaker 2:

yeah, and dc has its own thing. They have go go. Yeah, that's so. Their club sound is the go-go sound you know what I'm saying and um beat your feet yeah and it's cool because when I did my poke and beans yeah, when I did my film because I just wanted to open a window to baltimore club culture. I've now expanded to uh. Now I'm developing a doc series where we will go to other cities to highlight other black and brown communities and their music and subcultures.

Speaker 2:

So um similar to how we did with dark cities, because I feel like if we don't really document these histories and her stories, they will be forgotten or, as we are seeing, a lot of music waves that black people start, as this has been happening throughout history.

Speaker 3:

Um gets appropriated well I gotta correct you, don't, I gotta correct you, I gotta correct you. Not a lot of waves, all the waves all the ways.

Speaker 2:

Like you know, I have to do this. This is just sidebar. You know, beyonce just won um, the best album with cowboy carter, and um, I think she says something along the lines of thank you for allowing me in here to the country music community. I'm like girl, you are the country music community. It started with black people. You don't have to say thank you for allowing me here. No, you were here. You grew up in Texas, it's in your bloodlines in your roots.

Speaker 2:

You ain't got gotta say thank you for allowing me here into my own house. No, make your art, make your music, but always stand on like there. This came from somewhere and we have to sometimes remind people where things come from absolutely, and that don't mean what.

Speaker 3:

That what people are doing now is not dope, but just know what, just know where it started, you know in. In show respect to that, you know, I want to ask you how did the, how did the um, the netflix thing come about?

Speaker 1:

yeah, I want to hear more about the making of that and what that did to help propel.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, you are probably a different stage I say that that was probably one of the most um, challenging journeys because, if you think about it, I was in college. I was a freshman in college around no, I graduated from college 2006. So in 2006 you go to school. I went to the maryland institute college of art okay, so I have a bachelor's in fine arts. Um, so in 2006, that's when I really was like getting into the music scene and, um, I was like no one's documented this. Why, why isn't no one talking about this more? Why isn't it being documented in high quality?

Speaker 2:

And I was one of the first people, to be honest, in the city that started moving around with a HD camera capturing the culture in a in a way, you know what I mean, besides the blogs and stuff like, I was that person. But, yeah, I started to see the parallels between the music and also the need for resources in Baltimore City and how, like, you reach a ceiling when you're there. There's not a lot of media there, there's not a lot of press, and so that's when I started the journey. It was like 2006. I had the idea.

Speaker 2:

But then, from 2006 to 2011, that's when I was really thinking about man, it kept coming back to me like do this film, do this film? And then, of course, I didn't go to film school, so I didn't have any idea on how to make films at all, but I did take a video production class when I was in college, so I learned how to edit and shoot. Do simple stuff like the basic stuff, right? Like the basic stuff right. Um 2011, I've applied for a fellowship. I got a chance to rent gear and go out and shoot like a short version of the film that I had originally had an idea of, um, and you're going out, you, you rent this equipment.

Speaker 1:

You have no formal training in essence yeah you're out there just documenting, yeah, everything that you're seeing, guerrilla style, guerrilla style, yeah.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, it wasn't no shot list, it wasn't no location scout, and it was like hey, I'm shooting a movie, can I come and film and do an interview with you? And the crazy thing is everything that could go wrong went wrong. I had got to a point where I had this was 2011. I had these like clips. I started clipping them up, doing teasers, dropping them on youtube. That it started to kind of go viral a little bit before viral, viral was a thing, and people from france were reaching out like, hey, can we stream your movie, screen your movie when it's done for this festival? Like festivals were reaching out to me, um, and with 30 seconds of an edit. So I was like, oh, okay, I must really have something here. So, at the same time, I'm working this nine to five at a non-profit and I'm like the media specialist at this non-profit, so I'm carrying my hard drives with me and this is when hard drives are like this big yeah, you can have an.

Speaker 2:

SD or nothing. I'm carrying these hard drives to work and we were like in the middle of some deadline, of turning some grant at work. So I'm like, okay, I didn't have the money to just have hard drives for separate things yeah man, I got up out of my desk and the cord from the hard drive was wrapped around me and the hard drive goes flying smack dab to the floor. All my footage gone, damn, except the stuff that I had put online, so all my footage was gone.

Speaker 2:

I went to look about that, looking to data recovery. I was scammed so I ended up paying like $500 for some data recovery. They said it was 99.9% recoverable. I nail in the hard drive, then they disappear and take my money, and so that's when it all started to like same thing happened to me.

Speaker 4:

I gonna do this same thing happened to me.

Speaker 3:

Same thing happened to me, literally yes yep yeah so really it was.

Speaker 2:

It was so crazy because it's not like now. We didn't have the cloud and all of that like it wasn't, like you could just go to dropbox. So now we're at the checkpoint. So this is 2011. All this happened. So then I decided to do a kickstarter and I was like if I could just raise maybe forty, five hundred dollars or four thousand dollars, I can get a camera, my own dslr um, a new computer and I can handle the rest from there. I was just really thinking ambitiously because I'm like in my mind, I'm resourceful, so I could shoot a feature film for four thousand dollars. But you see how ridiculous that sounds like now that I've actually done films. So do a kickstarter. I get in my fundraising bag, I end up I'm like two days away and fifteen hundred dollars short from reaching my goal and a rep from live nation calls me out of nowhere. It's like, hey, I talked to my bosses and we just want to give you the rest of the money for the kickstarter so you achieve your goal.

Speaker 2:

Boom Made that. Get back in motion and guess what happens. We're shooting our location at some like hipster co-op living space called a Copycat in Baltimore. We shoot and we move in gear. Come back, whole bag of gear gone. They done stole my shit and it wasn't even mine. It was like gear it was like gear I rented from a friend, so I had to take my kickstarter money and cover those costs.

Speaker 3:

So now I'm back at square one again. Jesus at this point.

Speaker 2:

People in my kickstarter are leaving comments like is this ever gonna get done? You might as well give this to pb yet, because is it ever gonna get done? And I would keep everybody updated on Kickstarter, like the people who donated and stuff. And then finally it happened. So I'm going to tell you this. It was like a gap between 2011 and 2016.

Speaker 1:

Resilient. I can't believe you kept going.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, I was like I felt like a failure.

Speaker 2:

At first I was like I don't think this gonna happen. But then something tapped my shoulder and was like nah, everything that happened happened for a reason. The way you were telling the story is not the way it's supposed to be told. We've seen that. We've seen talking heads. We've seen kids dancing in the street. We've seen that We've seen talking heads. We've seen kids dancing in the street. We've seen all that Right.

Speaker 2:

Also, throughout that time span I actually had more time to build organic relationships with the community, with the people. That became. I'm going to make a musical doc, like a real musical doc. Like we're going to create an all original soundtrack with Baltimore Club music by Baltimore Club artists and we're going to use the soundtrack to create and imagine the scenes and then I'm going to sprinkle in the stories in between. That which is a different way to do documentary, because usually it's so story driven, it's more about the characters and this and that. But I was like, if I could open a window and I don't have a lot of time to keep your attention and just show you Baltimore and how I've experienced it, this is the approach I would take, and that's when everything pivoted.

Speaker 2:

I started to learn how to write grants and there were some grants that became available. So I ended up getting two grants and the second grant I got, which was called Saw's Dance it was a local grant for Baltimore artists ended up covering all of the production for the feature. So I had to become a resource. I had to learn how to color grade. I had to learn how to do a lot of things to work within that budget. So when you're watching dark city, that's all like I edited it, I did the color grading.

Speaker 2:

I was doing all on my macbook and like I didn't even have like a stable living environment at that time I had an ex-girlfriend. I was living with her parent and her mother's and grandmother's house in one house in a room with a chair, fold-up chair with pillow on the back, not even a proper like ergonomic uh chair, and you know it was a real community effort, a labor of love. And then at the same time my music career locally was doing this thing and I was starting to get more music placements. So I started getting placements on the show insecure. I started to build with isa, isa ray how'd that happen?

Speaker 3:

how'd you link up with isa?

Speaker 2:

it's so crazy because how it all happened was before insecure came out. I got an email from the music supervisor, his name's care, and it was just a general email like hey, ttrs are interested in licensing one of your songs called lavish um for this new show that's coming to HBO Max. And nobody really knew about it. And then they sent links to like her series on YouTube. Awkward black girl.

Speaker 2:

I'm like oh this lady is funny, um, and so I was like, of course you know after I read what the show is going to be about. I'm like, yes, sign me up. But I was like, if you like this, you should check out the catalog.

Speaker 2:

You know, just trying to make another opportunity yeah and they ended up sinking two of my records that first season.

Speaker 2:

And so from there I started to reach out to the music supervisor once I knew every season was coming and I would send them demos.

Speaker 2:

I sent them like eight to ten demos, unreleased songs that I feel like fit the vibe of the show, now that I had seen the seasons, and then, on by the third season, I actually had a record that was a collaboration with Issa, where they sampled her one of her songs it's called Hope For it, but it's me, dreezy and these amazing twin rappers, cam and Chyna, with Issa Rae on the hook. And before that I went on Twitter and I DM'd Issa like hey, I just wanted to introduce myself to you and say thank you for thinking of me, and that's when we actually was able to connect the first time, just like introduce each other. And then, once I was in there, it was like I was going back and forth from Baltimore to LA. I was like building this bridge in some way. So I'm back and forth Baltimore LA and I met Prentice Penny, who was the showrunner for insecure and um, he saw my trailer for dark city.

Speaker 2:

He was like are you interested in shadow directing? Potentially, like you know, even though I had done music on the show, I hadn't been that close, you know, with actual staff and crew, with insecure, until I was shadow directed. And so for two weeks I shadow directed. And so for two weeks I shadow directed during season four.

Speaker 1:

What does that mean? Explain to me what that means shadow director.

Speaker 2:

So basically, the way Insecure was filmed is they might have different directors directing different episodes. So there's a director named Timmy Banks black woman and she had an episode for season four and so basically, when you're a shadow director, your job is just to watch like a fly on the wall. You're invisible, you're just watching and you get to be the director shadow. So wherever they go, you get to be right there. So I was in the sprinters with Issa and the executives, like when I'm on set. And that was like when I also met a woman named Denise Davis who was like a really big producer out there in Hollywood doing her thing, woman of color also.

Speaker 2:

Um, I saw Denise. She would always be on the phone just doing deals, deals, deals, blocking deals. She on the phone with Max, she on the phone with Netflix. She's she. I was like she's a shark. I want to be like that. Um, and what ended up happening is denise heard about the trailer that princess saw. She was like I would like to check it out, I'm gonna show isa. And then they saw the trailer. And then they was like, can you send us a screener to the film? And once I saw it, once they saw the screener within 24 hours. She hit me back like isa, says what do we got to do to get this across the finish line?

Speaker 2:

wow and at that time they were starting color creative, her management company, and they were bringing on new talent. So I was one of the first talent they brought on to manage and, um, we were able they were able to set me up with a sales rep who was then able to pitch the film. A lot of people don't know, you know a lot of these companies don't take unsolicited work, so you either need an entertainment lawyer, a inside connection, or you need to be popular enough that they see your work and reach out to you, or you need a sales rep who is with, like an agency like UTA or CAA and then they'll walk your films through the door.

Speaker 2:

So we had pitched it and Netflix was like it was right around the time George Floyd happened. Netflix came back like, hey, we to. We see the relevance here and the connection and we feel like this is something that's needed and that's how I got to Netflix.

Speaker 1:

In short.

Speaker 2:

I mean it was a lot more. This is like not a quick it wasn't a quick process. I mean, from the time I did the film and met Issa and all that, it was probably like two, three years until the Netflix thing came. So we were still. You know, I did a festival run, so the film streamed in like 40 film festivals globally. I did all those things first, before I even got to Netflix, and we'll be right back.

Speaker 4:

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Speaker 1:

How is that change with netflix? Is that because it's not really the case today the way that you probably did it back?

Speaker 2:

then, is that? Is that true? I mean it's still, it's still today, the way that you probably did it back then. Is that true person at Netflix who's in charge of acquisitions and like distribution deals? Then you can build that relationship and be able to send them stuff directly. But I believe I can't verify that because I had a sales rep.

Speaker 2:

But a lot of times when you're doing film festivals, like if you are a filmmaker, you want to get connected with more people that are making the decisions in these. To get connected with more people that are making the decisions in these businesses like Netflix, these streaming sites like you know, hulu and Amazon you can actually attend film festivals. Even if you don't are not a filmmaker, you know you can go to film festivals and network with these people, like because film festivals is where the buyers go before it hits a lot of the streaming sites Like that's why Sundance is such a big deal, because if your movie premieres at Sundance and you haven't already locked in a distributor or did a deal whatever, those people will be there and be like hey, love it. They see, like, what type of noise it's making at the festival and then they're like OK, we want this on our platform.

Speaker 1:

Yeah.

Speaker 2:

So it's a bit of a.

Speaker 1:

It is a bit of a process, but I always tell people like the film festivals is definitely how you get the networking side out of the filmmaking process well, speaking of those, I mean, that is kind of how we first met and I I kind of want to know a little bit of behind the scenes, right? So yeah, uncharted was, was a, was a documentary. Alicia keys was behind it, was. She is the music. We had the great opportunity to interview you at that point, also got to meet you at the at the premiere, um, which was a thing I I have to say. One quick story about you. Um, I knew you were something the minute I saw you at rehearsal, because I had never been.

Speaker 1:

I was at the rehearsal and I remember you taking the stage and this is no insulting anybody else, it was in the film, but you shined like I had never seen before. You clearly knew how to work an audience, you knew how to be on stage. Like your presence on that stage, even at rehearsal, just blew me away and at that moment I was like I got to figure this person out, because I didn't know a lot about you at that point. That's when I started to look into your films and some of your other stuff and it was that. It was just that moment. You know, you were on stage and everybody at that rehearsal it was a rehearsal but you took over and it was awesome and so if I never told you that, I wanted to tell you that today that I would just I would blow it away.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, thank you. I think you know that experience was very unique and I was the oldest in the room. So, yeah, I'll just start there. When it comes to performance and stuff, I probably have had the most experience than a lot of the girls, because you know great performers. But that might just. It's just. I'm so familiar with the stage of all, just all type. I don't did Coachella, I don't did I've headlined Europe Pride.

Speaker 2:

So for me, just getting on stage to do a Tribeca post performance is like eating cookies, like that's easy to me, and sometimes I almost felt like you know, it's so interesting when you're around people because a lot of people don't really take the time to get to know you in these spaces unless you're like super popular. Yeah, and that's what I felt like with some people, with some artists. They don't take the time to get to know you if you're not lit enough in their eyes, um, or can't use something or provide something from them. But I'd probably say I'm one of the most, I was one of the more. Well, I won't say more, but I was definitely right up there with the credible artists in the room in terms of, like, reputation and things that I have going on outside of music also. So I just we usually just observe, you know, um, I think, with the age being different too, I kind of at times felt like a little bit isolated, you know, um, and I don't I don't, I'm not as hyper, although when I'm in those rooms I know how to like connect with people, and that's why I think a lot of people forget to connect in a way where you know it's not just about, oh, you know you, just just you lit, like I want to connect with you because you lit. I want to connect with you because you lit, but actually connecting with people because of who they are and what they do outside of themselves and how they care for others. So it was cool to be a part of the experience because I got to meet so many new talents.

Speaker 2:

I keep in touch with a lot of the girls, so I'm just enjoying seeing the process. They filmed a lot more of my story at first, but in the editing room they ended up kind of focusing on three of the artists, which a part of me enjoyed that, but at the same time I feel like that's a problem with the industry because I do feel like I'm an older artist and my story is valid too, and I think that we should talk about that more, because in the industry, once you cross that 30 threshold, people look at you as used goods like what can you know? I mean, if you're not selling sex and popping pussy like you know you're used goods. You know if you can't be appealing. But I think it's the exact opposite. My swag has never been better. My image, the way I feel about myself, has never been better, and my music has never been better than now and my confidence. So I think I feel like when you get older and you're a woman in the music industry, you just stand on business a little more, you're more sure of yourself. So that's cooler to me.

Speaker 2:

I'm not looking for validation from this person or that person. I don't need your feature. My music plays overseas honey. I get syncs. I'm actually made a sustainable career, so I don't have to chase a record label to give me an advance just so I could do my next project. I know how to write grants and how to pitch, make pitch decks and do things like that. I know how to pitch, make pitch decks and do things like that. So you know, I just think artists need to get out of that mindset, whatever that mindset, whoever created that mindset. The industry needs to evolve in a different way because there's so many artists that just get anxiety for no fucking reason, about nothing. You're not even like, nobody even barely knows you. Even if you have had a viral moment, moment like, you haven't even figured out how to monetize that moment. So now you're online crashing out about how you ain't make. You ain't making no money. Fuck the industry.

Speaker 2:

I hate this here like I deleted my twitter for my own personal reasons, but um y'all get what I'm saying yeah, and I hear what you're saying.

Speaker 4:

I mean, I think it's important as artists to you know, uh, realize and recognize how to pivot right, like pivoting when things don't go wrong. I think throughout this conversation that's what we've been hearing. If, uh, one tribulation happens, it's like okay, I just keep going, I gotta do it this way. If I don't have the budget to make this happen, let me learn it it, let me figure it out, because, at the end of the day, we are our own responsibilities. We have our own bills to take care of, our own health insurance to take care of, our own future to take care of. And if we aren't the ones that are setting the precedent and figuring out ways to get a budget or figuring out ways to raise the capital or figuring out ways to make money outside of the normal streaming platforms, we literally have to make it happen ourselves. And I'm just listening to this from someone such as yourself, being in the space that you are in, knowing that from Uncharted you were the oldest there.

Speaker 4:

You know, that means there was some seasoning in there. Right, there was a little bit of maturity there. So a lot of artists even myself way, way back in the days wanted to lean on the label, wanted to lean on my name and just have all of the things come to me at that particular time, not knowing that at some point those emails will stop, those text messages will stop.

Speaker 2:

And that's when you really have to do the work. You know the inner work and the outward work, like I'm. I'm there right now, where I came from, you know, having a management situation to all of a sudden I don't have that situation, because that's how quick things change in Hollywood, right, right, um. So imagine how. You know you have some sort of a direct link and then all of a sudden that link changes and now you're back to just being you right. So even with, like, we mentioned the south by southwest thing that we're going to talk about, I'm literally working as my own agent, manager, pr. And that can mentally take a toll on you, especially if you've been in the industry this long and you're like, why is a person as talented as me just not have agents knocking down my door with all of these accolades? And I meant to add to the Uncharted.

Speaker 2:

I got to Uncharted because before that I directed a doc series for Alicia Keys and co-executive produced a doc series for Alicia Keys in collaboration with YouTube Originals and Westbrook, which is Will Smith's production company, and that was how I met Alicia and how I found out about she Is the Music and became a part of Uncharted. So I had a relationship with Alicia. We worked together very closely, like I was in her home. I had to meet her children. I created like a four episode doc series that's streaming on YouTube and it did very, very well. And then from there, that's when I met her engineer, ann, and Ann was like hey, we're doing a writer's camp in LA, you should come and be a part of it.

Speaker 2:

And that's how all of that kind of transpired, prior to me actually being featured in Uncharted, prior to me actually being featured in Uncharted. And I was just happy for the opportunity, because you know some girls who definitely had more stories too and some were not so happy about not being as included in the project. Some were happy they got to be included. So I would always say, with my little 15 minutes of fame in the movie, just take it and run with it, because it's not always about you, it's not always about, it's about just the bigger picture. Um, because you still get those credits, you still get that imdb note you know and you still get, even if it's three seconds.

Speaker 2:

You create the narrative and how you want to promote that. You know what I'm saying like. You create the narrative and how you want to promote that. You know what I'm saying Like. So I think that come. That came with my maturity. You know what I'm saying. That came with me understanding this isn't about me Actually, it never was about me. It's supposed to be about a writer's camp with talented women. So whether I'm in this movie for five seconds or 20 minutes, I'm happy to be able to one have been in the movie but also be able to have performed at tribeca, which is a very reputable film festival, that's not a normal thing.

Speaker 2:

You don't always get to do that and a lot of people don't think you've understood that. You know, it's just like you know, when you're young and you're just out here doing it, you're you rather like they would probably think it's more cooler to be on stage with you know, somebody that's viral than Tribeca Film Festival. So it's different levels to things. But I always do encourage artists to just always think about the bigger picture and just how you want to represent yourself. You know what I'm saying and it's so crazy because sometimes it's a mental struggle for artists too.

Speaker 2:

Even like myself is a lot of times it's the artists that do the least that get the most opportunities right. Sometimes it's the artists with the least talent. They get the most opportunities because they've garnered such a fan base and brands want that, you know. But I feel like that's more of a short term game. I'm 15 plus years in now and I feel like I've never been so sharp, you know. So if a brand works with me, you're going to get some really premium quality stuff. So, yeah, that is always good to think about. The bigger picture, you know, basically is what I'm saying yeah and that was a very unique thing.

Speaker 1:

Try back it to me, because not only did you have a film, but to have the people that were in the film come out and perform. Yeah, it was kind of yeah, it was. It was a really it was a great night. Mickey and I were both there and um I really enjoyed it, it was, it was yeah, and we got to perform with alicia keys like come on man I was like I was like this is really surreal.

Speaker 2:

And to perform with Alicia Keys Like come on man, I was like this is really surreal. And to perform on in New York and do like a free, just remix it on the spot Like come on man, that was cool, that was fun. And one thing about Alicia she's really about she walks the walk and talks the talk Like she talks the talk and she walks it.

Speaker 2:

And I'll just say that I've met different celebrities in different spaces. She is about that work and she's the best representation of a woman in music industry, using her platform to platform others and support other women.

Speaker 1:

You know what I mean I remember I'm gonna tell one last story about that, but the rehearsal I will never forget this was standing there. I was kind of in awe because I just happened to walk in, I was delivering stuff and I got to watch it and somebody's standing next to me and she, and she says to me what do you think? And I was like, and that's when I said I was like man, that girl was good. And then I look and see who it was, and it was Alicia.

Speaker 1:

And I'm like I'm that she's asking me you know she and she put all the work into that, I mean she was. He wanted that thing to be perfect and it did come across absolutely perfect. So, all right, we need to dive into your next film, that's coming up. Denim. It's going to be premiering at South by Southwest. Yep, tell us, tell us a little bit about it.

Speaker 2:

So Denim is a fantastical doc series that celebrates the artistry of LGBTQIA plus creatives in different worlds like fashion, music, film, dance, and what we're premiering at South by is the pilot episode, is the pilot episode. So, essentially, you're going to see this proof of concept pilot episode and the goal would be to connect with producing partners, get financing or get some sort of production deal where we can actually shoot a full season of this and take you really into the world of LGBTQIA plus and their brilliant minds, because in Hollywood, oftentimes when you're seeing stories around LGBT, it's just so centered around sexuality or trauma, and I feel like there's a big gap there, because there's so many brilliant creatives in the community who are influential, they're game changers, they're innovators, they're pioneers, and most of them are behind some of the biggest artists that people love. Right, they're creative directors, but a lot of times they just don't get the same attention, all because they might identify as LGBTQ plus Q+, and I just wanted to create something that felt colorful, that felt just genre-defying, where we're blending genres, so it almost feels like a series of short stories where we focus on the character and they tell their story and then we build their world. Right, so we have this artist named Kid Ken, who's a really dope queer rapper. He has records with like Saucy Santana. He's like really been doing his thing, but he's out there. He's out there and sometimes it can be with hip hop.

Speaker 2:

You know, there's a lot of things that people don't want to get behind. Like it's okay for a girl to wear a thong, show her ass, clap her cheeks, shake them titties, but God forbid a queer male who presents more feminine. But he's kind of got this duality going too. He's cute, he's fly, he styles himself, does makeup, changes his hair. Like he's like Nicki Minaj on steroids you know what I'm saying and he's talented, he actually has bars, but he gets overlooked because of the presentation.

Speaker 2:

That's why I always find it funny when they talk about oh, there's a gay agenda. I don't believe that, because if there was a gay agenda in the industry, wouldn't more people be out? Wouldn't more rappers be okay with just being like I'm gay, hey, like no. The moment a rapper comes out and says they're gay, all of a sudden they have to worry about their fan base. They got to worry about if they can make the record sell, because don't nobody want to hear a male rapper talk about how he want to, you know, do what he do with another boy.

Speaker 2:

So that's why I don't believe in that, because people don't realize we're living at a time where now people are able to feel somewhat safe to be who they are. So it may feel like oh my god, everybody's gay. I want to turn on tv. There's gay stuff. Why are they trying to promote and push this? No, no, when you turn on TV it's still 99.9 percent heteronormative period.

Speaker 2:

So I don't see anything wrong with us being progressive as a society, because gay people have been around since the beginning of time, let's be clear. And in the earlier times people were not safe. You literally could get arrested for being a mask presenting woman just going to the bar and having a drink. People had to like hide. There were underground clubs under, like it was underground Right. That's why it's so crazy to me.

Speaker 2:

I just think people need to educate themselves more on really where we are as a society, and I am a person that feels like I was brought to Hollywood to present new ideas and to show it in a way, and if, even if I got to start in the most stripped down way and build it up, I'm willing to do that work, because it's quite boring to me right now. It's like if the movie industry, they're only putting the big dollars behind major blockbuster films. So if you are a black independent filmmaker, you are still left to kind of fend for yourself and figure it out period. And I'm talking to people who are, who have done it in Hollywood also, who are encountering the same issue, who have done it in Hollywood also, who are encountering the same issue now that things have died down when they had their last big hit show. They're like I'm right where you're at TT, because the budgets are not budgeting. They, they don't want to take, uh, things from black creators that are left like um, sci-fi, fantasy, things that may not, musicals, like things that may not be like, oh, this is something we can instantly make money with.

Speaker 2:

Like, black people are not just in a box when it comes to making films, and that's kind of what I feel like my place in this film world is. It's like when I grew up, I was watching stuff like the labyrinth and dark crystal and these weird dem hints and tim burton like edward scissorhands, stuff like that. That is like a world that I love and I was like I don't feel like we see it enough in the mainstream space. So with denim I'm playing around. I'm like not only are we going to share the stories, but we're also going to try to like, twist people's mind, make it fun so you could be watching and then you you're watching the character, but then you might go to the next story and it's a whole different approach to the, the cinematically to it.

Speaker 2:

Oh, now we're watching an animation where we're talking about sexual reassignment, surgery, what. But we've created this animation to help you understand why a person who feels like they want to make this type of decision. This is the process and this is what they go through. And this is what a trans woman's experience, lived experience, is. And if you can't understand it, you can at least look at the art and you can at least be like, wow, I never really saw it like that.

Speaker 2:

So I wanted to create a series where we are really showcasing how queer people, specifically queer people of color, you know are really shifting, shape-shifting the industry right before our very own eyes. But they don't get the same platforms as more hyper-masculine or more hyper-sexual male and female characters get. And I'm really excited about it because, you know, with my first film took about 15 years to get from idea to reality. This took about two, and I was able to get a grant to make this proof of concept through this organization called Becoming America Pop Collaborative Culture, and it's great because it's like, as long as I can find the funding, I can get these ideas out.

Speaker 2:

I'm not going to wait. I'm not going to wait for somebody to say it's a good idea, because that's not how this shit works. You got to keep doing it until something clicks, until somebody like I thought you know, I was on netflix and I thought my life was gonna change, like after netflix. It didn't, because I'm still independent, I don't have a publicist, I don't have somebody that like says, oh hey, let me tap, let me tap a deadline hollywood reporter's shoulder and be like you need to watch this film and you need to do a review for tt the artist and you need to interview her. Like I don't have that. So even now I've re-released my first film, dark city beneath the beat, and I actually learned how to self-distribute and invested in that because, yeah, watch, it's on tv on tubi.

Speaker 3:

Now right, yeah, you can watch on amazoni Amazon.

Speaker 2:

Apple TV. So I've unlocked a whole new code. Like I don't, even if I can't get a distributor to say we want to, you know, give you a deal on your next project or whatever I've now unlocked the space where I could just put it out myself self-distribution. And it costs money to do it. You got to have some couple racks, you got to have a few racks ready, but guess what? You can do it. And now I'm on this kick where it's like more power to the independent, because you're going to be independent until the right people align with you. So instead of getting frustrated about it, be empowered, be fueled, be charged, because there's nothing that can stop you except you now. But denim is definitely one of those projects.

Speaker 2:

I had the idea years ago, like maybe when I first moved to Hollywood. Six years ago is when I first got the idea, and then it took me some while to just get to the right source of funding. Once I got the funding, I just knocked that thing out. I said let's go next. And so now we're here and I'm excited about South by. I'm hoping that I can attend in person, but it is super expensive. So I definitely launched a travel fund, because that's another thing.

Speaker 2:

I don't know what we're doing with social media. Sometimes I'm like we're so concerned about how many views something gets, but a lot of times things are not monetizing where you are able to sustain off of it, right? So if I have 33, if I have 33 000 followers and like even if% of my followers gave me a dollar towards my fundraising efforts, towards my filmmaking efforts, and then maybe even if 20% gave it to me, I would actually have some money to continue to funnel into my efforts of you know, promoting my work and stuff. But I'm putting it out to my community like we have to really think harder about how to engage our audience and how to make people feel like they want to support us where we're just not a picture that you just swipe, swipe like oh what did you post today?

Speaker 2:

oh, you, outside standing in front of a mercedes, uh, tesla, whatever like oh, mercedes or Tesla or whatever Club At brunch.

Speaker 2:

Oh, she just took a picture with Beyonce. I don't know why I keep bringing up Beyonce, because that's my version of this. I love Beyonce, I love Beyonce. But you know we swiping like oh, they was lit. They was just at the event with Lena Waithe and Issa Rae, like you know what I mean. Right, oh, they was just and we just doing all that, but we ain't clicking on the links to support the artists.

Speaker 2:

So I'm now using my platform. I started doing this live series called Cashing In On Creativity, where I go live and I just talk to people and try to help and give back in that way. You know, like I can't go into all the details, but I can give people a blueprint, I can give them some advice on you know what, what we're really doing, what you're trying to do and how you have to, like, steer that wheel. You got to take ownership of the stuff you're doing, because otherwise you're just gonna sit, sit, sit, sit and wait for somebody to come do it for you, and most people in hollywood are not gonna come to you. You gotta, you gotta make some motion for yourself. That's just how it works.

Speaker 2:

So, um, yeah, south by Southwest is is exciting. This is my first time actually being a part of the official film festival, so I'm excited about that and you know I'm really looking forward to being able to take advantage of like the networking and press opportunities because it's been a while since all that since COVID, since the writer's strike and now the LA fires where I've actually been able to be around a community of like film people, so I'm really excited about it.

Speaker 3:

We got to make sure you get there. Yeah, that's going to be good, that's going to be good.

Speaker 2:

Yep, we are. We don't get there. I got to get there. Actually, I've sent out about like 30 emails to businesses that I've either been affiliated with companies, sponsors Because I guess I'm such a big thinker in my mind I don't even think like I need a whole bunch of people to give me money. I'll be thinking like I need maybe two or three people to bust this budget down. If I get $2,000 from this person, $2,000 from that person, or if I get the full amount from one person, one company, I'm good. That's how I think you know, like I manifest and intentionally set that, and then anybody else that donates, that's just extra cushion.

Speaker 1:

But I don't know, I feel like what's your ideal brand partner in this, like if you could have any brand come in and say we want to be part of this. Why would they do it and who would that be?

Speaker 2:

I think for this, one of the companies that I just you know I've always, has always supported me has been red bull, and one thing about red bull is they put their money where their mouth is. They actually help support dark city. So, because I have a good relationship with them, I've reached out to them. I'm actually just waiting to hear back from them, but they're, to me, an ideal partner because they do have this connection with media and branding and um, they really do and music and the arts, like they just really about the work, um, and I've been a part of the red bull community since like 2015.

Speaker 2:

They've just always supported me. So I definitely think red bull. But also, like I've reached out to a few uh, media outlets like gay center media outlets like glad out out magazine, um, so I feel like maybe a media sponsor too, you know, would be great, because I really want to make sure I'm amplifying what I'm doing. But I gotta see y'all, I gotta see. I don't know if I sent you a screener of the actual episode you did, you did, I watched it.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, yeah, yeah but, um, and that's just like a a piece of what the bigger idea would be. You know, I'm saying because once you get a budget, you know that show goes from 10 minutes to like 30 minutes or an hour if we want, and we just get to have more exposition and actually go into people's lives even more. Um, but like the, the pilot, I mean we shot that in like a weekend. We had to get, you know, do everything tight because, well, you don't have a big budget. It's like you got a plan around people's schedules. So if you just set the time of, like how you want to shoot and just knock it all out, then you're done and you can just go right into your post-production.

Speaker 1:

So but yeah, this is exciting stuff. All right, so tell everybody where they could find you online and get involved.

Speaker 2:

You can find me online on Instagram TT the Artist T-T-T-H-E Artist. Also, you can find me on Threads, facebook, youtube Definitely go over to the YouTube page. I'll be sharing my journey to South by Southwest on my YouTube page as like its own mini series, so you know. If you've ever wondered how you know this works, you can actually come along with me on the journey. I want to shout out everybody who has been so supportive. I've been getting a lot of direct love, which has been really great and keeping me in a positive mind state that I will and achieve the things that I need to achieve. And yeah, that's where y'all can find me TT the artist dot com. All of that. I love it. All right, folks, I love it too. This is TT. All of that own record label. Um, if you need to go tap in and listen to some good music, I do have a woman focused record label club, queen records, and we are always dropping music. We turned seven years old this year wow, you know woman focused.

Speaker 2:

Congratulations, thank you. We were woman focused before it became a quick catch word. So, 2018, it wasn't really no woman-focused labels or nothing happened, and that's when it started, especially Black-owned woman-focused. You know we got Black women executives, but we are just starting to see more of a rise in Black women-led labels. But Club Queen was definitely one of the premier ones, because I did my own research.

Speaker 2:

I looked up black record labels, black owned record labels, and I got this list of all the throughout the history of different record labels that were black owned. I think one was called Black Swan and most of them either most most of them either went under because they just couldn't afford it or got bought out by majors. So but when I typed in woman focused, woman led specifically women of color like record labels. It just wasn't a thing. So it's a very niche lane because we are woman focused, but it's a specifically premier platform for women of color Star Woman Focus but it's a specifically premier platform for women of color and it was built off of the roots of dance music and now we have pop, r&b and other stuff, but dance music is at its core of Club Queen Records and the women pioneering and trailblazing in that space.

Speaker 3:

OK, so yeah.

Speaker 1:

I like it there. It is, there it is. Thank you, thank you.

Speaker 3:

Thank you, thank like it. There it is there it is. Thank you, thank you. Good luck, thank you, thank you.

Speaker 2:

Thank you, guys, it was great to talk to you Keep up.

Speaker 1:

Great to talk to you.

Speaker 2:

Anytime.

Speaker 1:

All right, we will.

Speaker 2:

Post interview once I post up.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, that would be good to hear. All right, folks, that's our show. Tune in to Unglossy, the coding brand and culture, on Apple Podcasts, spotify or YouTube, and follow us on Instagram at UnglossyPod, to join the conversation. Until next time, I'm Tom Frank.

Speaker 3:

I'm Jeffrey.

Speaker 2:

Sledge.

Speaker 4:

Smicky, smicky.

Speaker 1:

That was good.

People on this episode

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Jeffrey Sledge

Host
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Mickey Factz

Host
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Tom Frank

Host