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home sound system today to dissect long for musical analysis broken into short digestible episodes. I'm your host Chael cushion. As you remember, from the first episode two season. Franco began his music career as a songwriter in LOS Angeles. Going then is given name Lonny Breaux, you also remember Frank, was signed to def jam as a solo artist. After meeting a man named tricky Stewart in two thousand and nine well, I recently had the pleasure to visit tricky Stewart in a studio in Atlanta, Georgia. I wanted talk to about those early days with Frank and this going on behind the scenes that led to the release of his first project nostalgia ultra. But beyond that, I someone wanted to talk to tricky about his legendary career in the music industry. If you

happened to recognize tricky Stewart by name you without don't know his work very well he's a songwriter and producer that worked with everyone from Mariah Carey, Rihanna, fiance, Celine, Dion, Justin, Bieber seriously. The list goes on and on and on that little song single ladies by beyond, or how about a by Rihanna, that's tricky. He living legend, that's been working as a producer, since he was a teenager and he's got the plaques to prove it laws. Walls of his Atlanta studio are covered with awards a living history of some of the best pop music over the last twenty years. It was really a pleasure he with tricky we how he came up in the industry, influential figures in his life, how he wrote like hit songs in forty eight hours, his relationship, Frank Ocean, his thoughts on Frank's, new, music and he's been up to these days. He's very did an honest and he had some a stories to tell okay. So without further ado, here's my conversation with the great tricky Stewart recorded in it

for Redzone studio in Atlanta, Georgia, all right well looking to dissect. Actually, it's kind of welcome to your studio, but like some red zone, yeah yeah, thanks for a for taking the time time to talk to me super excited in I building. Thank you for having me cool wow, let's jump right in so I wanted to start just kind of where you're born so you're born in Markham, Illinois, so yeah and it's gone, which is a suburb of Chicago again. You know, most people that are from Markham, let's say, are born in Markham, say that they were. They live in Chicago. I've got it, but I was born and grew up in Dalton Illinois got it okay. We got you come from a musical family right, yeah, pretty musical yeah. You could say that yeah I mean everywhere. I look. My family was music from my mother and my father to my cousins to my brothers to

everything around me. Just all was always music cell. You wrote songs that when you're starting when you're twelve, that was wondering how that have. Is it just because you're surrounded by music girl life is just kind of natural. When, when I started writing at twelve, It was more so that, because that's what my cousin wanted to do- and we just kind of did everything together, yeah cell, I think he was, probably more interested in out, then in it than I was, but because I was more on the athlete side and you know really like playing sports and outdoor stuff motorcycles and all that kind of stuff in music was good. But it was just something that you know. It wasn't like something that used to spend time thinking about other than just loving interesting. So when you start taking it seriously about two weeks now, this kid I don't know, I think. I started taking it serious when, when opportunity

I to come from it in my older brothers, really went and started making their way in music and me At the time I was about fifteen years old watching what they were doing. They kind of moved out of the house kind of spreading their wings as a as young. Will do, and you know they have one up. I started going downtown and you know started company and all that kind of stuff. So you know for me at that point it was just kind of like you know they. You know, brothers were my mentors as their mind. You know like Father figures and brothers and everything, so it was kind of like what they, what they always did, always look fine as well so and have that they've been playing in been playing spore and doing it all. But at the end of the day my music was just something that came very, very natural to me just because it was given to me at such a young age, yeah yeah. So

when did Lou Al Silas enter into your life, it seems like when you met him, that's kind of wind, low, Silas, my fave anr of all time, my favorite executive music executive. All time. I actually start with him, because my oldest brother Laney is a he says well and Laney's, one of my mentors as a producer and really got the thing started for us in the record business and through that his relationship of breaking into the business in his own way through getting a publishing deal in a traditional way he had started. Getting you know really big executives to to pay attention to him in Lowell was one of those executives that, and I believe he was the first executive to ever fly to Chicago to really take Aaron Hall, who was scorching hot at the time and put them in the stew, my brother, and that was a

deal because Teddy Riley was obviously king. At that time they had just split in the respect that he had my brother Laney kind of. And they well. This is Teddy and he's king and we think that you're, the guy that can make the Aaron Hall Album and that was kind of a really big deal for us at that time. Ok, So how do you go from Chicago that so that was happening in Chicago right yeah? So then, how do you get to to Atlanta, which you currently sits a you, know kind of set up the roots here and and really start to take off? Well, I'm What is the one in an up happening was, I went out to we went out to LOS Angeles. We moved seventeen years old at the time and left school at.

Working downtown with my brothers and my brother was getting really busy, so we went out to LA we moved and from there we spent about to two and a half three years out in LA working on just projects, you know my career is semi taking off, but I'm getting opportunity, but not really delivering on anything in a massive way. You know, but at same time. I am a working producer, so in your house, at this time seventeen one thousand seven hundred and I'm doing brandies demos, I'm doing immatures first album things like that. You know I mean so things are. Is it going well well enough to take care of myself so that we're good you know? But with that being said,

what little Silas was doing. That really led me to the love of Ellen Baby Babyface in LA and Babyface, and also Jimmy JAM and Terry Lewis, and at that time they were starting Laface Records in Atlanta and that's kind of how we ended up in Atlanta because through this girl names have type VI. Turman man was, I done. I was doing her album she's in a group called black girl and and black girl assigned to Jill Katz Company here that he had started in a Lana and her and Tony by x, roommates and she was singing demos for LAN face. I was making rockets for her in her on her solo project in LA or her group project She came back telling la you know about this producer that she had met that she was working within. She was really super passionate thought we were super dope at that time. It was tricky in step with

also my cousin and we we came down here La Curtis, brought us down here immediately on. Recommendation and we got in there and the you know, the relationship started hot and heavy, and it led to a great relationship that we still have a la and babyface to this day, but it all really started because time was so passionate about plan. Our music for LA in LA hard it in identified with it. You know this is before we could even record We had to sing a mark for his life in on I mean so, there was no demo that was records. It was like. I sat truck You know from my first meeting with LA in front of the the four seasons and I had my cousin had to sing in the song and that song ended up giving us the life. We have here in Atlanta, which is this stew, know that you

are in right now was built that year from that song, crazy, what song was it? It was a flop, it was it was. It was, I can remember some little something a little something it would fit now yeah. But now you know at that time they were building the company and We were just kind of like yo know, move but. When we move into the area now and my brother mark who's. My manager was a like. We got to get some yeah, something that we can't get from being in LA yeah. You know so which you, when you into this building this fifteen thousand square foot building. That was the thing that we could get in La Us of. It's been day one. I hear they want a crazy. Yes, hello. All the records yeah have touched this place, yeah and saying it's really cool yeah

so it seems like your experience coming up- was pretty organic one thing kind of to another meeting, certain people that then introduce you to other. There was there ever a time where you kind of question you're doing like when you any like local points when you're. Like I don't know. If this is yeah now I know I never question myself because it was easier to be a working producer back then, if you were good, I mean it's a little tougher in today's date today because to be really really good and not really be given opportunity, but back then it was so hard to get in the studio first and foremost, because you That's to know somebody in and if you have to know somebody, you are vetted pretty good about your about to talent level, so it wasn't as hard to get heard yeah. But so it wasn't, it wasn't a situation where ever had to have doubt, because I was constantly being validated by being able to be a working print.

Sir early on in my career, which I know is really challenging to have that attitude right now in twenty eighteen, yeah. It's kind of ironic that it's like people are so connected more than ever, but you're saying that it was easier back then, is that just like a saturation thing, there's just so many people that can make everyone, everyone can do musea everyone can do music. You now is so you're competing again. Everyone is not they're, not competing against twenty five camps that have dedicated their life to the craft of making music yeah and we came and that's how was it was twenty five camps and we fought it out. You know, and you can win, it's someone. You could lose some, but now there's billions of camps, yeah literally everyone's making music could start on camp media. I guess before kind of it started coming. Was there any kind of break that you felt like was like pretty pivotal?

or was it this? What we're in now was it coming to Atlanta starting your studio was that kind of when the break, when things started really happening? Well, it This is in a long career. There's a series of breaks. There's the break of I have some place to work was huge yeah. You know, and that's a break that Affords me to be able to stay in this game to this day so like that is a huge break right, but the break of having your first hit is a completely different break. Yeah of having people want. What do you do you know, and so in? In with that being said, you have to do that. Ever so often just to let to keep make sure that if, phone keeps ringing, and you know what I mean it's like. You can't rest on what you did before or anything like that. So when there's locals, you're always nervous because your own

as good as your last record, sell when there's and in your career and like I had I've had one two and then a third one, but one you know that you're going to work and you're doing the work- and you know all it takes- is one you no in you have all the information of how you got there the last time. It's it's a much easier process yeah. So the first one JT money was at the yeah. That was the first one that took the pressure off. I take the pressure off, got ya ya like I'm, and it says I mean, there's validation. You know this is a business that doesn't necessarily have any gate keeper. So if I said I'm something tomorrow than I am, you know, there's no one going to come in and tell me that I'm not sure.

Sometimes the validation comes from the awards from the accolades, and I think that's maybe that's why we flash them so much yeah and ways but getting your first number one says that you're legit yeah. You know that it says legit so whether it's an american music award, whether to be T award well Grammy, whatever. That is those moments of validation cell. Every teacher that thought you were kind of crazy because you couldn't really stay focused that no! I really was right about my plan yeah. So for me, like from the out it's one thing to have a hit, your one thousand nine hundred and ninety nine. But then you know when we get to two thousand seven, two thousand and eight into two thousand and ten, you had a series of hits and I think it was more than hits it was you in an era of sound in there's a five year stretch there were. You were just on fire. It seems like the what, if we did, that start with Brianna on the

That actually started just with the collaboration of dream, and I gay in the studio that was that was the beginning of too crazy forces coming together at one time. And just using a lot of energy and a lot of educated guesses. Of that I had with success and failure, and he doing the same thing and then it's fine sing, a melody that was going to make the royal saying for five years or have another was so when does dream enter. Well, dream was in an dream: dream was originally summer by my brother Laney, who was working here at the time. So I had a relationship with dream, but it was more when dream stop kind of having his relationship here that he went and worked with Nivia on a prod

that they did and they shot some videos and kind of went out it renegade style, and I got to hear him unobstructed in kind of ah what he did on his own when he went in the studio Ann. I was really really attracted to that sound. Did those records in the Energi that I thought that they were bringing and it just kind of led me to kind going to him one day and going hail. I come this track right here. Next time you go in the studio. Just I don't know what that thing is that you do, but just tried doing it over some chords like this and that's kind of how I felt it out for a while and, like you know, just 'cause. I was kind of locked mentally on what I was I was doing and he was around and he was really really good and had a lot of Energi. And then we got in and. One day um he myself and cooker.

Well, my cousin, my other cousin came the studio. I don't know why we just said you know we need new Vybz. Let's come up to the studio early like for a couple days, just the three of US weekly, the studio, there's no one here and we just wrote and the I think, the very first song that we wrote was suffocate by J holiday. Tell me what an answer do talk to Maine. I can't pay for you touch something go away from me. So much love you take from me a boy. You know a really big record for something it went to number two on the pop chart and

did really well on urban, but was really surprisingly strong on the pop chart, and Philly Road Umbrella so we got here in like seven in the morning to write and by nine hundred and thirty we and written those two songs are crazy. First, two other games with the first two, an from that point. We just kind looked at each other and was like, because this is our first time ever really like getting in a room, an eve, so we kind of worked in this

the way, the studio setup we kind of walked, worked in this cross, pollinating way of where all the rooms were connecting at that time, and we just kind of looked at each other and was like. I don't know if we can let anybody come back in here for awhile yeah. So then we close the studio again and we just kept writing kept writing and kept writing making like. Classic records in fifteen minutes, so you know I mean like so this is this is a whole another level of like creativity like this just happening all at the same time, yeah? That was a great great time, yeah So when did you get into a our work and our work I always been a nr yeah. Ok, I just let other people put their name on it. I mean no, I mean, if you're the producer in a sense, I always feel like you are in a in our an Anr is just some. Thing that I've always.

I looked at myself as being you know: I've been since the the beginning. If I've ever had a deal, you know. If you look on the back, it's always executive produced by me. You know which to me he is really an rs, not really about the song. It's about the whole thing you know. So you know I've I've always done it on and I was afforded the uh activity to go. Do it real with LA over an epic when he started Epic records, and that was that was a cool experience as well so yeah I was so Ed, did def jam and are for to Jan come before epic. I was never an offer deaf, so you are okay. No, I was a consultant okay and pretty much you can say I was a and r, because if I have the home all right Kerry album I got the whole front Nelson album. I got the home dream album like weekly handling the biggest songs on you know, Rihanna doing

Justin Bieber, I'm handling a new stuff. You know we're doing. I am the Anna. I just don't want to come to the meeting yeah yeah, so I was doing some research. I came across this interview in twenty ten that I wanted to read you a little quote from is from the the division of Georgia. Two, tourism is like this really small website, but they asked you any up and coming artists you're working with that. We should keep our eyes out for, and you said quote one of my favorite new talents is this: guy Bro he's really great, with the style somewhere between Maxwell, Robin Thicke and Kanye West Yeezus, fresh young twenty one year old, hip hop poet with an amazing singing voice. An you blend all these different styles seamlessly, which I thought was really interesting 'cause. This is PRI a nostalgia ultra, so

I guess that's my segue into when was the first time you heard the name, Lonny Breaux, I'm don't give me the line because I was lived in a haze back then, but I know there's at my brother Mark Stewart and tab in brought me Lonny Breaux again and after the at like the only thing that I remember I was doing Mariah Carey's album and I was doing a film with Christina Aguilera. At the same time, they brought me Lonnie, and I I heard his music- and I was just like my god like like. I was like this is something I've not heard before. Um and.

I believe that they brought him to me for writing session, like you need to write right with this guy Ann and I just I met him. I was super busy and I was super like all over the place mentally and the thing that I could just get out. Like all the confusion was. I could be my artist. I love what you do. The only thing is, I just never want to hear anyone ever try to sing your songs, yeah. That was my thought. Process on that. When I heard him saying I would I felt like anytime, you can imagine hearing Marvin Gaye Demo in Latin then here in another artist thing it that's what I thought Frank Ocean demos would sound like forever. Do you remember the songs that were on the demo or they kind of never seen the light of day? I remember I remember I'm quite well there. There are some amazing songs that I'm we just entered. I

I mean some of them. He gave away. Ok, you know an they sound like trash compared to what they are suppose. Sound like you know so yeah. So couple of things on that. I guess this is the obvious question, but I'll ask it anyways what about hearing him seeing his own songs made? You realize that you want to just him to sing his own songs, and I guess is the second part is like out or not. How do everyone else? Not hear that ' 'cause, it seems like it'd, be obvious to like someone like me or anyone that loves Frank Ocean, but at that time what? Why do you think that that translate? One thing most people are in such a hustle to try to get something. That's quick and there's a law now people there say a lot of words, but there's very few people who sing from their soul an when you watch people die

thing from their soul. They always win, but most people can't see that because they're always looking for what can help them next. At the point. At that point, I need the next thing that was gonna help me next. I I like. I will write interesting that you learn the other things I knew he was singing from a place of what I I was watching them and I my radar was very high because I it's just of round it every day. Yeah, you know, like you, have different periods in your life, but when you're around Mariah Carey, when you're around minority when you're around, we need Houston when you around, like you know, slim like what the company that I was now that time like from Katie to Frank to dream too yay B2, I'm feeling an ultimate feeling of what it takes to win, because I'm just around it all the time. So when somebody come, then, when somebody walks in with it the same people,

so it looks like when somebody they don't even hesitate. The biggest artists in the world are the first ones. Let you in when they know you got it. I mean yeah, that's why I'm trying to capitalize yeah! That's why I, even if you look back like as soon as nostalgia, which came out and Frank Ocean came out two days later he took a picture in the studio. Will Beyonc know bye. This takes pictures in the studio beyonc, but she knew what it meant: yeah 'cause she smart. She knew it had meant for the association at the time. You know I'm saying yeah now, that's great! I'm curious if you had any other songwriters that you heard them perform their own work and felt the same way What's the question? Is there any other examples like Frank where you heard this song right? perform his own music and then you're like why you songwriting? Why aren't you Is there any other artists that you've had that experience with Lynn Dream, I mean it's connected to the soul. Like he's all fucking encompassing confusing the beautiful.

Nasty all at the same time, you know he's like dream, is a great fucking rollercoaster of a fucking time artist yeah like he makes dope fucking record. You know I'm saying so. It's like that's what I like these guys make roller coasters like emotional roller coasters, and that's what let's like what I fuck yeah yeah. Definitely so I was reading that you're, pretty close with, I guess we'll call come Lonnie after signing you signed to def jam. So what is that where you kind of showing him the ropes or like what does that mean where you just guys just hit it off as good friends or was there a little bit of meant worship going on too? I don't know. I just knew that you know from my perspective, right Bible people will not work with a lot of people, nonviable everybody I work with. There was just something that about in the Bible it, but I thought when I'm,

doing something cool. I want him to see it I don't do that with everybody. I work with, but if I'm doing something that I think somebody could a priest, like. I'm like. Let me show you this, because this might might took him to the Sade concert he never seen Sade before he like fucking bugged out there like you know, I'm saying like for everybody else is like. I don't need to you know. Like you know. I talk. I want to see like dealt designers, and I want to show on my man, Thomas Shoes, like art, studio like where he could just be like. Oh ok, this is. This is where it's at you know, I'm saying self, it's like he's, do that he had the capacity for the art form in its fullest. You know I'm saying most people just want to sing the song yeah, so you sounds like you just need. Right away. First time you heard him now he's I'm really attracted to people with intimate and his insulate through conversation. You know Is that the reason that you thought that

talk about him is just because it requires thought just to even think what he's thinking yeah, yeah, yeah, interesting, so NIST Alja, ultra you produce novocaine, Was that the first session that you had with him as a producer and artist, I think so yeah anything that stood out from those sessions where you were different from there's that you've had or yeah I'm our our session was super meticulous. You know novocaine, I don't know how long we worked on it, but it was a long time he was in this room right here. I was in the room across the way he will write I will produce. I will send it to him. He was right. I will produce that was sent it to him. He will write I would produce and we just kept challenging. That's why this song just keeps

changing and evolving, because we were kind of doing it like in real time, and that was one of the few times that I got him down here in Atlanta, looking back at nostalgia ultra I'm kind of curious to see you like you know some good amount of time has been by since the release of that, where do you see that? What is that project represent to you too frank, oceans legacy, I'm in that project is a classic. That is, that is if I have two classics, which I think I do maybe maybe three but those two

projects, the way that they are put together, that Nostalgia ultra in love hate. I think it's a classic and I think uhm. If it could have been, if it could have been released properly. I'm pro, Be sure that wins the Grammy for Album of the year that yeah yeah, I'm pretty sure that happens, but it wasn't because, with the obstacles we face with the label in the partner an you know, so that was that What that whole issue was, but if that record was a commercial release with proper clearance, I'm pretty sure you're looking at album of the year, I believe it. What was it? What do you remember about the industry's reaction to nostalgia? Ultra 'cause, he was relatively unknown, and at that time I mean it's like getting yeah everyone getting the whole industry was getting the calls that I was getting free. People that were calling

three artists that I was working with when I will come out from working on it. Messing, Frank Ocean or if he was in the studio, will be sitting in the lounge every female artist. It was I lazy people just calling me up, I'm like, working on a novel. Hey now just want to come by tonight, yeah that want to be around yeah the the the things his converse, based on their first record, struck a chord with a lot of different people a lot of dip from a lot of different walks of life like one of the most lyrical albums on bodies of work of all time. It is it probably to a lot of people just felt like it came out of nowhere. I mean he just released it on his tumblr page, no press and it just kind of had this organic impact that mean really start

legacy. I'm curious, you know his situation with Def jam. Obviously not a secret was a little tumultuous. I'm curious no miss all told her was like. I feel like it forced a lot of people's hands and I think that was probably calculator on his part and maybe partially just use artist in in just wanted to get something out, but it really did for Steph Champs and from an outsiders view. I can't really imagine a lot of artists in his situation. You know being signed and then being put on the shelf, essentially doing a similar sing. Do you think there's many artists that would have been able to do what he did and got basically forced us? horses way out of a bad situation with art, essentially I don't know I mean listen. The the truth of the matter is no one really knows all the answers to this. We

snow the result. At the end of the day, def jam, I think, made a huge mistake, an that huge mistake, uhm. I think it's great for Frank as an artist that um he was able to buy that. I think by the time of twenty nine years old, he owned his own masters here, a lot of great things going for him, but I think it's a huge mistake for Def JAM to let a talent like that walk out of the door. ' 'cause, you don't have someone that can walk in the door an and make him feel differently and then and that's a problem. You know at the end of the day, it's like def jam. Yeah, you made a mistake, but people make mistakes all the time. You could fix mistakes with money. They couldn't fix mistakes with the people you,

and that was you know they they had some some. Machines, they would it was regime change is too so it wasn't. It wasn't even like It wasn't even like he was dealing with how it started late. They wanted more. You know, I'm saying yeah somebody should have been and let you had two regimes and nobody kit. Like reeks late, you have a super star yeah and you and you have got Connie W right, yeah, yeah, I can't figure out the Frank Ocean life and you got Connie. Ios come yeah the easier language so uh. I read somewhere that you, you saw his situation with Def jam as a changing of the changing of the guard in the music industry. What did you mean by that? I mean like what you see now they can barely get their hands on a star, the real one. You know 'cause everybody's doing zero sixty. So once you decided to sign up for six hundred and sixteen to one hundred, you know the odds, change you're going to pay going to pay for that.

Yeah. You know and that's why they run big huge checks out here, trying to Those deals on things that they can't create themselves because the talent level is down so I wanted to move on to blonde and endless. I guess since we're on the topic, so you kind of alluded to that Frank was able Because she just sees himself out of the contract with Def jam with the release of and listen, and he puts up blonde the end of mentally I'm just kind of curious about your thoughts on on that hole. I thought I mean at the end of the day like like, I think it's a whole. To Misplays gone like it's. A bunch of misplays Def jam is Miss playing Frank is smart in a dick like at the same time. So it's like he He played them. You know he really really played them and at the end,

like we'll, never really know what the full potential of it is because he was at the right label. They couldn't do the right thing. You know like he still need major promotion like you know, for him to reach the potential. That he has as an artist which I thought is unlimited and still not tapped into. I think he still needs that big nasty machine when it works like an you know, apple is apple, but they can't do that yeah. I can't make you Bruno Mars. They can non silent night and he's he's that guy yeah I mean like he deserves that you think he wants that. I don't know it might be scared.

At least get it did you have any early listens to endless and blonde, or did you hear it when it came out? I heard a little bit of both um. I had a little bit of both. I had to think about that. Yeah after Frank, and I and everybody settled like interesting, interesting We never have really been looking through it. Also after the contract was finished the next day he calmly like YO, you want to so we go out there and we work on a couple of records whatever I can nothing of note new. This is la LA and he place me endless, and then he plays me like you know all the artwork- and you know all the ideas that

going on with it and shit, and I was like yeah that should help you know I mean like yeah as a producer. I guess I'm curious to hear your thoughts on the album's production and specially going from Channel orange to something like blonde and endless. What were your thoughts on them? action my thought on. It really is at the end of the day, I think Frank needs to let the producers produce in some of these cases a lot of these records. I heard the rough and then I hear what Frank does and it's like a super dope, but there something like I've heard some different versions of these records. An this site some of the shit is like gets convoluted because Frank is the classic overthinker. You know what I'm saying so, like some Sometimes less is more in the summer time of some of the shit that comes out of his mouth is so so dope doesn't even really need to be light, doesn't need to you done again but he's like soul, meticulous. So, like he's so meticulous like like I heard there is fifty,

versions of White Ferrari, yeah, that's crazy. I mean he's notoriously, like you know, in la like engineers, get the Frank Ocean color like oh, my god like they want it but it's like you know, you might record one line, one thousand times: ok, yeah I've heard I've heard some stories like that, like you need a slide bro, I don't feel like. None of that- that number three was very restrained. Where do you think that is just same searching for perfection? I'm. I think it's not knowing who's. On the other end of the connection, I think that's where, Producing really that's what producing is really brought where, when you have that trust with that person- and I don't know

Maybe maybe it's just an overall and security of a like. Taking the the takes and things like that, or you know I don't know, yeah yeah you favorite favorite tracks on on blind are endless. No, no, I like them both my favor. After that, he's done is the one with Calvin Harris. That's a great idea, just love them! That's right! Yeah MIKE! That's the that's the one that sticks out to me like, I think. You know I'm come being crazy, I'm all school yeah. I need the records man, I need the records. I need the ones that play on the radio yeah. You know I know that's how I know that shit sounds like old and all that, but it telling is the best records.

Truly play on the radio when you're sitting on the radio. You don't have one, and so I want to switch gears a little bit and talk about some of the stuff you're doing today. That's the kind of going through your history in- and I was studying that it was interesting to me there's kind of this through line of selflessness as a song as a producer as an a and r you're kind of a lot of your job is lifting up other people, and I saw that kind of continue on and what you're doing on social media with you know do it fan responses with the teacher tuesdays and then now propping up producers with your playlist on Spotify, architects, architects, yeah kind of that, helping others, something that was just natural. So there's something that you were drawn to. I think there's a couple things and, like I said, I'm really big into sports and play place.

My whole life. So I understand the concept of having a good game yourself and Julie and losing because someone could make the last play the game right and. From that those lessons that I learned is that it's just it's not important to be it's more of about the greater good you know, then the then just means when I don't when I do things, I don't think about me. I think about us you know, I'm I'm saying I'm I'm in there and it's it's got a healthy portion, but at the same time I don't walk in door and you know not take everybody To me that I think is deserving yeah one of the story stories that anybody ever told me was that when they walk to a room they only think about themselves that shit was scary to me yeah. I never want to be that guy yeah. So yeah, let's talk about tricky Stewart's presents,

architects. Yes, yeah yeah. What's what what's that about? Hey, listen! Brother told me: we would we talk a lot about music and you know we just started seeing all the documentaries and things come out and he just kept saying to me. Like you know, if we don't tell our story who's going to tell it, you know night, I am in who tells the stories if, if someone doesn't deem your story to be told- and I was like man so crazy- because you know and all of our discographies, no matter what we do and no matter how many records in how many years are countless hours that we dedicate to this craft, someone is going to take the time to write you, a Bio, that's going to simplify you into three songs. Now you know- and I just became uncomfortable that factor and I was like you know what you know. Always want to talk about who is now here and talk about how they are after. Gone, but I was like I want to talk about how great people are what they can hear it. You know I started really just thinking about my

once isn't people who influence me to make music and I wanted to make playlists for them, and this whole series is really started out as reflection of my personal influences, it doesn't have an order, it doesn't have. A pecking are two. I think this part is better than this. It just has to do with who has had influence on my career and then once get done with the influence of my career. I'm they just go to the people that I think are amazing. So what that being said, you know I'm getting close to the end people with mine. With my influence. You know I'm going to do a feature on I'm going to like. I wanted to wait to really honor the Virginia sound with timber running and Missy and and Chad, and I wanted save like a very, very special place for Jermaine Dupri, Dallas, Austin, organized noise and some of the hitmakers

and I've come from Atlanta like the early hitmakers, where people would really chilly pop RB music. You know like, things that were taken over the world. So after that the list I have compiled is light, goes on and on and on and on, and it's never going to end because there's so many great produce is that have dedicated their life to this craft. You know, and I'm eight weeks then getting amazing feedback from people. People are already checking in and Teddy'S called me hit me up running Jerry just hit me Raphael, Saadiq, Sodiq, Quincy, actually reached out through through email. So it's like, they appreciate it. Yeah people like being on it in it, a something that, at the end of the day, you're looking for things that feel good for the Spirit people like to work out. I like to

check out and give light sing other people's praises Sophia as a grade five. I think it's it really great way to use today's the you know: Spotify Platform and the x accessibility of music and a really great and positive way, an instantaneous so yeah, I think that's really cool and I'll definitely toss some links in the dissect stuff to the architects. Thank you that be amazing, yeah and then I'm just curious up to these days. Just generally speaking, well, listen here, I'll, tell you exactly what I'm up to. I came back to Atlanta because Atlanta right now. Obviously we know that the trend, then everybody says the is on the run, but the truth of the matter is Atlanta has never changed. Since we came here in the early nineties, and it's a lot going on this city and there's not a record company city and I'm like well, if it doesn't get built by someone else,

who's going to build it, I'm not realize that I was the age that that I should build it. So I'm here working on independent record company content company, so I'm just putting a light on what's going on here at this address for a long long time that has led to a lot of parties in the world globally, dancing drinking having a good time to really don't black music. That's not dirty. Let's not super light like not super trendy, but it's just it's right there. That is what these producers that I'm honoring is what they're made of. So I'm not really focusing right now on, like the labels, then I'm focusing on the focusing on the men that build them.

You know I'm saying sell in the in the people that build these. These labels have to do with, like that perspective, that that a perspective of the things that you're dissecting, No, like the words like Jimmy Ivine, told me that if you drop something important out of a fucking window, it's gonna happen. If it's that good, it's gonna happen. You know I'm saying also trivia, yes cell and that's what my experience has been. You know. I have no reason to doubt that when I've done my best work, this industry people around the world, the fans around the world artists around the world- have rewarded me completely. But when I'm like trying talk myself into something this not as good as I think there is also the same. You know you can't talk yourself out of greatness. You know this is

you have to feel that shit man, it's gotta, be this I come from the soul and that's will wrap is really went in when I was talking about that with Frank Ocean about it, the singing come from Seoul. Well, this is Rapture just come from the soul, yeah, that's how they feel yeah like it or not, yeah that they're not prepared to separate with that feeling yeah, you know train people track that feeling. Yeah, so when you can, when you can deliver that, I'm It's not a hip hop guy like that, but trust me out I'm about to go back into my JT money back, because that's why I was back then, when I was like. Oh I'm getting a little nervous. Because it had been a minute since I struck something, you know, I'm saying and I was like well fuck it and I made those two rap records that. Four hundred and fifty six and had two number ones in a row: yeah, yeah, Roman. So I wanted to end today with the same question that you're asked two thousand ten any up and coming artists that we should keep our ears to,

Well now that you mention no pressure. Listen the truth of the matter is I'll be honest. I started this journey of wanting to build this independent record company and content company with just one artist in mind and that this was is the engine Janine, the machine and Janine. The machine is the artist that I have right now right now. I have about an EPL called on places. It some, I think, she's an amazing talent. I think you're going to see some crazy, the ship from her and and she's intellectual. Like bad woman. And it's amazing and I want one artist and I ended up with three because they were that good and sometimes you just can't. I don't want to be def JAM did not I'm. I just don't want to be def jam like what happened with Frank I'd. That can't be me like. I can't have that be my story, so I just realized that I gotta get up earlier and I gotta go

go to sleep later, if at all, but I the Saucedo, which is formally known the Daniel, but he changes name got a new swag got a hoe new project coming out these dropping this record called the which is like some spanglish trap me world. I don't even know, but let's just say it's going to we're going to challenge for a classic on the first one. I'm really looking forward to that and then through this damn social media and being active, um. Much came to me girl at started following her on on Instagram and just couldn't take my eyes off of her invoice is just is just it was just moving me through the internet, and I just you know. I called her and I said: listen when spring break comes up. 'cause she's in college he's a brainiac till you know

so I, when your spring break comes out. You come see me. I called her mom. I you come see me. Let's, let's get in a studio, we did we five records, promise you forever my hits forever more hits and they dealt with shit. I'll just tell him I was like. I don't want to touch these records again until I can get you back full time different one person my boy z, he went crazy for it Zeke is all over the shit and he's the only person that I played the shit for all right. So that's where we at Coleman last question: where is the name tricky come from hey not listen, will give you the the version that is out there. I see I give you the version. That's out there. I got the name tricky from my mother by the way that I play, football was really hard to tackle. Okay, see that yeah all right, that's not it! This was not was the it goes back to far

in this Aug invent. Well it talking to you today, absolutely great talking to you. Thank you for the opportunity. Yeah appreciate him in tricky Stewart presents the architect will drop. It see man, absolutely. That was fun! Love talking about all the shit yeah, is it takes you back, yeah yeah. I hope you enjoy my conversation with tricky Stewart. I, like the mister Stewart for taking the time to talk to me and the entire red zone team in Atlanta. For being so hospitable, be sure to follow that tricky Stewart on Instagram and check out a spot? I play this series. Tricky Stewart presents the architects. You can that by searching tricky Stewart. Spotify also the links on my social media, special thanks to

K Michelle at Spotify for helping put this interview together. Okay, thanks everyone I'll talk to you next week,.