You can now follow me and all my social media platforms to find out who my latest guest will be and Don't forget to click the subscribe button and the notifications button. So you're notified for when my next podcast goes live Grab single mom raised me on in the state, but always my watch my mom work She said she had a normal job that she did and then she Mama will do everything from be the Avon lady Tupperware Selling toys Christmas actually look forward to the music so much that it got to a point that the last school I went to I Just went to music class So I'll go to I'd go to My music class before school so eight in the morning I'm in there the teacher'd let me in and it was like a background where they had a computer because I'd already knew How to use Cubase or make beats from the school that I've just got kicked out of but now I had time to kind of really do it there So so I've got to the point where before school Breaktime lunchtime and after school. I'll just go into music to the point where I actually got kicked out of that school Officially, but the music teacher Niced me and they let me come to school But just come to and stay in the music class.  We were on radio going mad spitting our hearts out and don't even know if 30 people were listening the stabbing thing Probably made me like just look around me more question things that question people one lot You know what and then even two years later.  We get dizzy rascal Honoured man. Honoured first of all thanks for coming on the show brother.  I'll just come across your Your podcast is podcast in it. Yeah naturally. I watched The nutty nutty radio from the guy I was a football team from Essex Glen Tamplin. Yeah. Yeah, I watched the whole thing I said, ah, this is gonna know then I end up getting into just just watching nothing in Darren G I'm watching nothing and sick. Yeah, I appreciate that man It's great to have people like yourself watching my stuff one.   Yeah, synchronicity is a lot of attraction And that goes for anybody watching if you believe it enough that you will manifest that for real So watch what you watch what you watch what you wish for man. Exactly me It's you be careful what you wish for is a very true saying so for a man who has nearly been in the industry for 20 years 2003 your first album boy in the corner. Yeah, unbelievable album proper You brought you started a rap game in the UK. I believe that's crazy Phenomenal album proper especially when you've got Americans who are killing at that point You had them and them on top and then the UK come through at 17 years old and now New album coming out, which will plug straight away. Yes, this is nearly 20 years late.  Okay. Yeah. Yeah. Is that true? You're going that's not my superhero colors No, it's not what they know when it's black and yellow. It's gonna be a time. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah We'll touch on all this stuff. Yes, sir. Wait I'll go back to the start of my guess brother. Yeah, man. Well, you were born and how it all began. So I'm from bow East London If anyone knows what that is just basically if you're coming from the South, it's right outside the Blackpool Tunnel And in between Hattney and Newham pretty much I Was raised there I learned I learned all the I feel like I learned all my best lessons in life or most of my best lessons in life there community Music and that's where I learned music Well, let me get into that then so I learned music just by Say around the early early 90s Jungle drum and bass was massive So you just get guys that were bedroom DJs at the time So I'll just hear it coming out of I know Gary Slater or someone on my on my estate They'll be playing it rinsing it just well that that was the thing then in it So then that's when I discovered pirate radio So I'd I'd listen to it and I find Random times like hardcore and jungle like so that's that's when I got introduced to that So then that that just opened up my mind to something else and just that's the first music I proper fell in love with I randomly got into that heavy metal Young as well. I think that's again through someone older on the state playing it and being like what was that and then just Just we got into it and then moved on to grunge or whatever and Then eventually hip-hop But hip-hop would have been through again a friend whose big brother gave him the Snoop Dogg the second Snoop Dogg album It was the dogfather and then he borrowed it to me and that's time them to these times It was on tape. That's the first rap album. I heard solidly and I had a friend who Played me the Bone Fox and Harmony album and that the rich that I so I said yeah all my all my lessons in life All my music and all that I learned Where I grew up from a very young age. Yeah, I think that's where the best albums come from the people who's Kind of lived it who's kind of seen a lot of shit in the life as well I think that's where people get a lot of the inspiration You look at guys like to pack Snoop Dogg They've lived a lot of life a pain and quite that times and I think that's why because a bit of poetry in there as well Isn't it? Oh, definitely definitely. I was definitely quite vivid and kind of think outside of box Especially talking about boy in the corner and just and then it would and it's all these mad sounds that I'd use and all that as well So that a lot of that came from especially with that album came from guy was my manager now Anyway, it's been my manager since there anyway, but he had a studio and He produced as well over the years So he just had a collection of all different keyboards equipment Not plugins units whatever and it's had all these mad sounds so then me Why Lee roll deep all these like we all use the same shit, but then what when I used it I was just on some different shit. Well, what's that find the dirtiest maddest sound? Yeah, and Use them and play just play different shit and put and whatever spit on top of it So that's why my album just sounded That's the next shit, but I was influenced by everyone you both said as well So that's why I think I had the I was influenced by drum and bass and garage emcees because they gave me the pride to sound like where I'm from because UK rappers at the time Kind of sounded like they wanted to be always trying to be American where garage and jungle MCs We're still kind of more sounding like they were from down the road Even though they'd have some a bit of that Jamaican thing to them They still sounded local But then at the same time I was influenced by a two-pack snoop and all that as far as being like being an album Album rapper like wanting to make albums. Yeah a whole body of work. What is the just start writing for point the corner? Okay, boy in a corner some of them lyrics I had from radio So I know you're saying the album came out like 2003, but I would have written some of them lyrics like from like 2001 So very young age to be yeah, that's a little genius man.  Thank you man. Yeah Well, you know is I learned to rap Bars I learned to rap on drum and bass. So I actually had to slow down So I basically I learned see how you see how you came when like when you commit me downstairs and playing jungle in the car Yeah, I learned that's that's the tempo.  You that's you started you opened the door for a lot of the guys now in this era too Definitely definitely. Yeah, you got a lot of respect from that. Yeah, I feel like I've been giving my flowers man Yeah, you can't have it all because like I said, it's like it's how many years on you You've got people that are smashing it now. They're over 10 years younger than me So and and they've dead of worse of their generation. You're the most successful rapper in the UK I'm the most decorated. Yeah, if I number ones you've got five albums is at the top 10. You've got every British award Yeah, I think tiny's got more number ones. I'll give But he's got more number ones, but I've got more woods I got More I've got what is it free free gold albums to platinum albums. I'm all right. Yeah, how does that make you feel? As it made me feel, you know, no, it's always good for It doesn't really feel as big as people looking from outside exactly Yeah, I heard a thing about awesome. No, I'm not to this extreme. I see like awesome Rengar I heard that he never kept none of the trophies or nothing that in his house. Yeah So he just kind of just got on with it. I'm not quite like that. My shit's up there about the telly Last thing but yeah, you don't always think about that stuff. Sometimes you're reminded. I just got another award recently From grand daily by the time this goes out where you'd be alright bears from grand daily So it was appreciated especially later on. Yeah, but No, it's not it's not why you do it.  That's why you make it. Of course like from from the beginning There's that we used to pay to go on pirate radio just to be heard Like it was only 20 pounds about 20 pounds was something and yeah, 20 pounds to go on there for the month And you just wanted you just wrote your bars and I made beats to so to go on there and hug Like cut them on top or whatever and have them have DJs playing them MCs MC and on there That's the best thing for your first time hearing your shit on radio and all that Yeah, so that's kind of still about that now, but you need to be honest, don't you but you still need to move with the teams Yeah, but again, I still listening to a pack near enough every day I've the game yourself. Do you know what I mean? It's a must put a fire. It's there I've started listening to pack again. No way cuz sometimes the classics are just the classic.  Yeah, a good idea is just a good idea exactly In a hundred years the good content stays forever.  Yeah, so I'm especially to you back. Yeah captured some shit that is rare now Yeah, and I think a lot of rappers American rappers are terrible just now if I'm honest They ain't got the compared to back in the day when you had Dre to pack Jay-Z, but then it's a case of no, but that's but no, you know, we're not see we're at that age Which I think it's cause we're getting older.  Oh, so you're a year older than me.  There are real differences Not just our old cunts How was your schooling because I know you've got the name rasco from that's part of your name isn't it? Does it rascals from your schooling teachers used to call you a rascal? Yeah, so looking back in hindsight. I was troublesome but I Think it was a it was a case of whatever like I guess I'll say boredom Because now I'm older I think everybody is wired differently and everyone's everyone's learns differently So sit when you're when your kids You've got the school structure the school system and their curriculum of how everyone is supposed to learn and then around that Sometimes them they might cater to people with a bit more special needs or sometimes kids who are just way too smart You had some kids in there. You know what? They're geniuses and they They had to have a bring a tutor in there. They were so yeah, I mean then everyone else is kind of just has to kind of fit Into whatever's happening in it. I wasn't a kid that just fitted in easily. So sometimes I'll act up I'd act up a lot to the point where I went when I came to secondary school I went to four schools So but what I did pick up from there what I knew I always loved was music So I actually look forward to the music so much that it got to a point that the last school I went to I just went to music class So I'll go to I'd go to My music class before school so eight in the morning I'm in there the teacher'd let me in and it was like a background where they had a computer because I'd already knew How to use Cubase or make beats from the school that I've just got kicked out of but now I had time to kind of Really do it there. So so I've got to the point where before school Breaktime lunchtime and after school. I was just going to music to the point where I actually got kicked out of that school officially But the music teacher nice to me and they let me come to school But just come to and stay in the music class. So Yeah, that's what that's what school ended up. Yeah, but I think a bit try to fit in the box man and sit at a table 95 and it's not for everyone.    It's not possible for them to be done. Yeah after school You know I'm saying but that system wasn't for them Not even to put down the system because like every system It was obviously designed at one point to kind of just get through people Yeah, I guess it's training people from nine to five Yeah, I think Einstein says I think everyone's a genius and their own rights if they believe something and there's a man Liz Brown who I was listening a lot back in the day was Motivational speaker and he says people's opinion of you doesn't have to be a reality Right because a lot of teachers say oh, you're dumb. You're this you can't do this You're gonna have no career, but yeah The most successful people in the world have but even that isn't that's what what is the teacher there for? Why would a teacher? Say that to a kid. Mm-hmm. It's not it's not acceptable You like you're grown.   That is why 20 years later. You're still succeeding because you know How fast your life can get took away and you know how life is shot because these guys are still succeeding also No, there's a bit of that. There's a bit of that you yeah, you take But to give myself credit like even before that if you think about that I was like 16 17 and in the studio to like six in the morning When yeah, I was out and about running around doing stuff I shouldn't have been doing as well But not as much as I could have been and as soon as I had the opportunity and a chance to Really knuckle down and be in an environment. I was in there.  I'm gonna succeed even to this day. No I want to give it credit like yeah, but I don't know. I just think that you're just all succeeded anyway I even have to give some yeah have to give some credit to my mom because Grab single mom raised me on in the state, but always more watch my mom work She said she had a normal job that she didn't and then she Mama will do everything from be the Avon lady Tupperware Selling toys Christmas after yeah And I used to go to not far from not too far from me and I'll go to slough.  Yeah, go and sell them on the estate Then I picked it up and I stopped going there by myself like from boat Like everyone knows it's quite a far distance to be doing a lot 14 15 whatever so always had drive So as like I said it didn't for me to be in the studio Yeah, like that with cage and all that and be there Like I said to early hours the morning. I'll be there I'll get there with my mates sometimes and then they'll go I'll be there all the way through the night and these times It was in the first one was in Deppford Then it was like then we moved to Burma Z when the corner was made in Burma Z and sheffield randomly enough Part of it.  There's the stabbing thing probably made me like just look around me more question things Question people when yeah, you know what and then even two years later I actually looking back on it.    No, it gets like that It doesn't stop and sometimes you have to just take your mind away from that and just like I have to remind myself to just enjoy what I do because in the day Actually got rich and famous of my hobby Yeah, like for real. Yeah, so every night and I have to tell myself to breathe like you're like you're like Focus guy in it. You just want to You don't know chinks in your armor. You just don't want no else. You just want to think keep going forward Yeah, but then sometimes you have to remind yourself like right you already won From what you've done. I mean where you've got yourself Sometimes it's down to everyone ain't always out to get you some people You know what one thing I'll never forget Richard Russell said to me once he said to reason is in the thinking I was gone on about something and he said People tend to really care more mainly about themselves or what what they think really is basically like telling me Get over yourself a bit Basically, I thought that's true. Most people actually just care about Look at the comments until when people leave comments and thing on there. What are they doing? They want everyone to see what they think. Yeah. Yeah That's where isn't it? Yeah, I get it man and again is to focus on you because I always say well your focus goes your energy flows So I don't give it too much attention But to be successful as a lonely journey as well see after your first album dropped Did you distance yourself from a lot of friends or were you still with the same group? I did a distance but you see as a kid you have different pockets of friends.  You're them something do you get that there's always been a bit of that and that's even when I was helping I was always petitioned for people. Do you know what the problem is? It's when you stop It's not even so much.  It's when you stop That's when you see the problems.  Yeah, it's just the nature of you as your thing gets better and as your life gets better The music industry. Yeah, there's like this. There's some dark parts of it Yeah, why do you think that is like gangsta? Why do you think it's rap as identified like gangsta gangsta rap? Why is it get that reputation do you think because it's just natural same way with grandma where garage or jungle any of these things like Like you're coming from an underground settlement Underground settlement, you know, you're just coming from an underground thing where who put on the rate Okay, it's a pirate radio muffin come from pirate radio and raves who put on the raves and who put on who built the stations Like usually drug dealers Most RMC's are drug dealers or the DJ's are drug dealers It is where it is most we things are coming from council estates. Yeah, so council estate like just like the schemes or whatever Yeah, it's poverty. Mm-hmm.  No, anyway, but the whole gangsta thing around I Guess urban music or whatever They can say the things like to pack baggy shootings and stuff I think that's a that's a that's a society well not because Gangsta shit has been In the music industry anywhere. They're where there's money man. Like Frank Sinatra and that up to you.  They're kind of beginning of a lot Yeah, they get stuff. It's always yeah. Yeah, but he's even two-part. He was never a gangsta He was an asset in poetry. Yeah, but all but anyone is even rapping. It's an art So it doesn't matter how good you could be rapping in the booth with an AK Yeah, but what you're doing. Yeah is no different really to like even if you murder someone in the booth And you're rapping about it's still it's still art. Yeah, just like just whatever any story telling any kind of thing It's there this dish that and entertain to move people Like and because look look at majority of people into gangster rap. They're not gangsters Are they possibly if it was just down to gangsters? Yeah Just the same as movies if it was just down to who reams who reams reads cram of thrillers like books Yeah, and all of that.  Yeah, he thought he he's mama hated him.  It's very young age. How did you deal with that because you seem very level-headed even when your interviews?  So how did you learn to be? Quite level-headed. How did you deal with the fame at the start? I think some of it because I did get to watch Page you go Maxwell So solid to an extent and more for our crew Remember I came directly after But I was around especially that's it more for our crew with page you go. So I watched what happened.  I saw it for myself So I learned how to just okay be low-key. That's what you have to do. Don't don't flash And a lot of it was was people they knew that onto them as well as just whatever city-wide or Nationwide you go to a place whoever's the guys there and trying to make themselves known We'll use to that in it That's that's normal you go to a place guys want to make themselves known They haven't become friends or they're onto you is where is but I just just learn learn to just I try not to attract too Much attention to me early to the extent where it's nice man. You see my first video. I love you I didn't want to be in the video I Was so because that's it on pirate radio People didn't even know know what we look like and then we do these raves and the tape packs went up went around Even with the pirate radio, it was tapes that traveled across the city then traveled across the country But I face what no so I was used to that and I kind of I liked it. Yeah, I mean I wasn't getting stopped everywhere or whatever but Later on it's time to be in videos. I didn't want to do it but Overall, I just laid low and I just tried which tried to just I don't say too much or just try Unnecessary attention. Yeah, I think that's the best way to try and a private life's a best the best life I believe I think that's where a lot of people fail because they chase the fame the attention They feel as if because they don't know what it is.  Yeah Majority of it. Yeah, it is like a lot of unnecessary stuff You and then this whole thing about you and people expecting you to be a role model But but I don't know but they're not there when the type of when I was younger the type of a attention on the track Was like you just be like in a situation like you'll be to mind your own business and get into a situation Like gets dangerous just because but you're expected to just Still be like a role model Like and that's a lot said that's what happened with a lot of people before me like Because you did still that attack even if you're moving on the right path. There's still That element of wherever the streets or wherever a bunch of people that are not looking at you like that Or they're just looking at you as food or did like so you constantly have to deal with that too whilst being in the public I so when it when all that did happen to me and I did blow up around the first time around Like yeah, it was a bit mad because it's saying I was kind of the blueprint as well Because I only want to kind of out of those groups that I named that Kept going as a solo artist on to the next album and onto the next night onto the next day There was there was nothing before Me for me to look to for guidance As far as forward do you feel as if a lot of pressure comes on you then because you became the blueprint that Because if a lot of people are watching you for inspiration and you fuck up then it can Put out someone else's later Do you know what I mean? It's like you were the you were the front-runner from such a to to produce Album after album after album does a lot more pressure come on your shoulders then to release the second album the third album I think that was my own pressure. I Feel as though my own pressure I seen it seem even like what you saying about oh after I got stabbed. Oh, I came back from Napa I was when I went to the studio, but I was still like like That the stitches taken out and I was skinny I went in a great state went to went back to the state went back to the other one. Yeah, say everyone I they thought I was dead. I just Whatever I'm chatting to everyone and then but then I got back into the mold You know is I've just got an obsession With the music side so all that extra stuff that you're talking about all those outside elements of all the pressure of all that There's that in in there as well But the main pressure year was just that I was wanting to be the fucking guy when it came to that It just wrapped it.  So that's when you feel most alive when you're in the booth I'll rate music I Fucking hate recording If you're doing it for it's like it's quite tiring Do that when I'm disciplined I didn't like that take after do it again. Yeah, like otherwise I'll angry with myself when when because you see like Once you're in the vibe, you have to catch it.  Yeah, I'm making a beat and then this time it's like for years I weren't inspired I stopped making beats after my third album up until 2017 is when I started making beats again. So for a whole Bunch of years, I just didn't but they feel as if that's good though to re-energize and get away from all Get away from all and just enjoy your life as well because I'm a workhorse I'm scared to take a step back in case I lose it all so I kind of need to keep But the first few years I think is it is an on-stop hustle I just feel as if I don't want to stop because there's always somebody working try to work harder But I don't believe anybody's working harder than me. Do you feel as if that break though?  It's game time again.  Okay, and and that's where see I was saying earlier and about what you've done in the past It's cool legendary been given your flowers, but It's not enough fuel to drive me and keep me cool today Yeah, it's just done. It's cool if you smash do some puts out in that smash it today Then you can add it to all of that.  Yeah, you're seven albums deep man But you know what I learned as well. I learned that it's actually okay one one year. I think I was in Serbia, I'm sure it was Serbia somewhere like that when when that that part of Europe just kind of Just started opening up to festivals and not nourish the team you got our look festival Croatia I've like that's a thing now, but we're gonna adjust as they kind of open it up and you know that and I was at a festival and there's like a Indian guy come up to me Dizzy was good. What's good? Yeah dreadlocks. I'm like, what's happening, man? It's like, yeah, it's me man Yeah, yeah, um, you know that's Apache Indian.  Why in your body? Remember when I was a kid boom shock a lot And I was like raw and like he was there like he was like he has a rastafarian I had a whole roots band like Said cool know that I had a nice chat left it and I thought about is like raw That guy's got one Song that I know of he might have had some others I don't know But that's he had one song and he's still traveling. We're in Serbia. It's not like we're in England of here We're he's traveling the world have at least I don't know how many years but at least 15 or something years later and probably So it's like, okay, you can live off actually you can actually live off one June. Yeah, like you can he seemed all right Every time I put too much pressure on myself sometimes I remember that it's not it's all right Yeah, even if you didn't really send albums you can still Travel the world and sing your songs because it's on in cheap album.  Took a chance. There's a big gamble.  I don't I can't I Don't really know the answer. I just know if I base it off what I see it do to people when I'm at a show and How people jump up and react only they could tell me but I just know what their actions are telling me You know that they are just jumping up going mad and they're just letting loose all inhibitions They know all the words and they go off. I guess it's it's an event those each one of those songs It's like whatever thoughts of me holiday bonkers, especially those three. They're lacking event It is like kind of euphoric and it's a bring everyone together They bring everyone together songs, but it wasn't like I was making like I need to go pop now It weren't really Like that the first one that came was done to me. So that came off the back of I said I had three gold albums So it's my I was signed to Excel recordings, which were there Indie label, but they're a huge one probably the biggest in the UK is them and Domino. I think what I think Excel might be bigger. So I was done and So it's about about the re-op because I've done my free albums about the re-op What happened is odd whilst making that last album. I Saw Calvin Harris song on the TV. It was acceptable And Forever anyone thinks about what Calvin has done in the last few years.  It was almost like some eighties music Yeah, it's really quirky and I was like, right. Yo, who's that? What's that? And I was like, right, I'll be sick if I could get emcee on one of his beats like over on a beat like that I would be out that be good and I thought about it and the kind of just had it in the back of my mind then he made another song with With the Mitchell brothers the tiny little cool the Mitchell brothers where some from Forest Gate and When I saw that it wasn't a massive tune, but it had rappers on it And that's when I said, yeah Like you can rap on these songs So I've met him at radio one big weekend and I Said I've approached him like, yo, I love like you're sick. I love what you're doing We wouldn't went something like that. I don't know exactly what I said, but like, yeah, like that basically let's work Let's let's do something to be cool in it So then don't I think for you think sent a few ideas I can't remember what happened but I ended up writing something writing those lyrics on dancing me to another beat that I got sent by Another another dance group was I can't remember it was groove. I'm out of it And then my manager's heard it was like, you know, it's good They think these lyrics will go better on something else. That's when I got Calvin to send me something sent me that beat Practiced the words on them that's gone re-record them got the single ring blah blah blah the rest is history. Yeah, but that's That was how I went Got into that's what started that album.  She was big on the underground all the MCs used to MC on it Some people would say that that that kind of birthed Graham. There's kind of the eight bar switch Right, but so that was a big that was a big tune. Yeah But for the record our birth ground Yeah, but um, but stand up tool was like a pop version of that but was made by the guy who made Pole six so I guess that was the first time I tried to make like a poppy kind of chain and it did it did well I'm sure it was I'm sure it was like number 10 in the charts and that was good for me at that time That's only on my second album. Like I said but then fast forward to start to me and then Um bonkers just came Randomly, I didn't ask for that. I was in Denver. So I was doing like an American tour and I was in Denver and a hotel. I Was in the hotel because we'd come back and the show had actually been canceled for whatever reason and I've got sent it listen to it And it had the barn curries on it and I remember thinking all right this sounds like the music I hated when I was a kid. I didn't like house music or that poppy harsh shit By this time it's like 2008 2009 late 2008 and I've been to Ibiza By now I've been to Ibiza now partied in dread understood the music. Yeah Okay, I've never been in a sitting before to get it and understand it. So that's how I was able to rap bonkers Like not even right that still gets played everywhere even to this day, mate.  I did it I did it at the Olympics. Yeah, so see when you when you were writing that I mean then It's all done produced the listening go.  No, was there any son? No, I wrote it That's I didn't even write it down. I just remembered it because it's that easy and And came back to England recorded it and Then didn't think anything didn't think about it again. I didn't think it was that good Because it was too far from What I was doing I guess maybe I mean even I even had to forget you started. Yeah, I was that kind I'm not sure about that. I just knew it bang was like not not something I would have Tried to make it's just I knew what I'm in Van Hilden was because of the Ken Befa Yeah, no, but even before that What's the big tune yet? Don't even know me.   That's how my van held in here I'll do a song of him When when it's all out a few months late. Yeah, a few months later.  Yeah, I said what you think I said, yeah Cool it one and two I did I was doing a UK tour and I just played it. I'm sure I played that was it thoughts of me. I played it Yeah, I played bonkers at the end just just at the end of my show just to let our just black Yeah No, in fact, I've already had no thoughts of me had already been number one Yeah, I was in Liverpool. We played it and it went mad and I'd never seen a song That of mine being played to a crowd for the first time And then be like the climax of the whole night the response.  How do you feel? How's Calvin Harris good Scottish man?   So I'll go LA. He's living in Bella. Go to the house All right, this is how you're moving. I like it and he's got the Dreams studio set up. They built himself like you go there.  I'm out and then jamming for a bit and then yeah, the Vegas residency so then So let's go Vegas. I want to come with you. I like go there drive to Come where it was the one just not that is it my nice. I can't remember who's go there Get on his jet. He's jet. I'm sure it was his jet get on the jet fly to Vegas Go for the hotel the different entrance. He's got the different. He's got the he's got the different The different room. He's good.  I don't know that but that side of it, but I knew it was where the big boys play Went backstage just saw what he was doing looking around like fuck. This is like and just understanding the money And just all the moves that was being made around this whole thing because really what are they doing?    He's a superstar He's a superstar now crazy for where he's came from to what he's succeeding now is unbelievable I think that's also good business for you. It's good strategies. Everything's levels.  Yeah, and also sometimes I just want to see what I can get away with in it I wanted to take all of that Yeah, he's right.  I wasn't ready to be on rude box. I heard that and I wasn't ready I went ready, but then we did our tune and then we actually went to he wasn't supposed to be on the tune actually I had that I recorded that song in LA and Example was supposed to do it and then he couldn't sing it at the time I can't remember why he couldn't sing it and then and then so we had no one to sing it and then somewhere I had a blue monster something about off Robbie Williams is around the world. Yeah, I said Robbie Williams. Yeah That's mad of me on the Robbie Williams on the train. I'll be mad.  Yeah, but this this house he was in Ringo Starr's old house And Paris Hilton and slash were his neighbors. I remember that I remember. Yeah, it's been in the yard He had his own studio. He showed me about his car show me a bunch of stuff We talked about two-pack and hip-hop because he's a massive I saw the photo of him and two-packed of the Zarchi party.   Yeah, there's a better from the ends really in it.  He is yeah, but he's still a good because he is he's like he's from nowhere from a castle He's had these problems as well.  Yeah, he told me that was he taking drugs at the team He wasn't taking drugs at the time.  It comes in every night He told me a bunch of magic.  I've got to see that so I've got not got to Get more background like I said, I know there was no blueprint for me Coming up as a successful rapper. No one else for me to look at no stars for me to look at there was no one like me So being Introduced to that that kind of life and seeing that even though I don't I said I had a bunch of number ones But anyway, but it was nice to see that okay someone who's been huge Him telling me about some of the pitfalls he's been through and under that some of the stuff He's seen and all the crazy shit and all that it's like rough. I can also okay Okay, that's available too if you want it You might want to stay away from some of it But this is a guy that's seen it all has been super honest with you Like you cut that that's the music took me there that that might have stopped me doing some shit That might have destroyed me today.  He's super blessed.  What's his biggest problem?  Yeah, he seems a great good guy because you've you've rubbed shoulders with super snazz like for a Williams What's he like for real for all of our good He's one of them dudes always bumped into over the years Like it'd be one of the first Americans to like bring me out on stage like in like 2005 or whatever He's doing it from then did it in England did it in Denmark.   I was in Miami once I think I see him Was I see him at the job? I see him out somewhere and he said yo I was on the was getting a studio. So we've got in the studio.  I remember yeah He um He just didn't know no big deal, but it's that one of like, ah, yeah, like ah What did he say we was in there say, you know, I'm like No, so I'm thinking of will I am a situation up with who I am What was that this thing we could what will I am was in the studio of me We was playing was produced. He's producing the tune. We did a tune to go. No, no, he didn't produce a tune I'm all over the place, bro. That's okay. Yeah What happened with Will I am we made a tune I made a turn I went into vocalist I went to the studio and he was there dancing around the tune guy I'm like he's a bit wacky, you know, then he gave me this whole speech about our Yeah, I'm not one of them producers that likes to that I like to be there when it's being done I don't like to be I like to be there sitting out cool.  I was in the studio. Yeah, dude. It's like, yo, it's dope. It's dope. It's dope. Cool Just do this bit. I've come did it. I've come out for us fucked off And I'm not allowed to take the music that whammy up Was that we say we had to go I don't know Just to bring more tip context to it. I remember I was doing the TV show called must be the music with Jamie Cullum and I told him about it and then he started telling me about story. He was in the studio for all and They were recording something and they were watching basketball and the same same thing He's doing his thing and then for all said they are I'm gonna be back in a minute Man, just keep doing what you're doing. It's dope. Well, it's a yeah, cool. Cool. Cool. So it was there And it's like it'd been a it'd been a little while on James. Like, yo I wonder where for always this flat is he like where is he? I know where's right? He'll be back. He'll be back you back and I think it said it was a little while And then he looked up on the telly and thrill was there Just just kind of left him there like that. Yeah, there's phenomenal names though to be working with each kind of people's Unbelievable as well. Yeah. Yeah.  There's been other people that has been like Maybe not as big Better experiences. Yeah, of course. Yeah, yeah, yeah 2010 you want to put a word. Yeah best male Phenomenal a word that was crazy to up against two Scotsman as well Palo Natinia and Calvin Harris, but I think Robbie Williams as well. Yeah, but you know what it was more of You know, it meant more because um I've been nominated a couple times But it was like for the urban Or those kind of categories your first few albums Yeah, but it's the fact that it was those categories urban cat, but this one was just like best british mouth Yeah, so that that was like raw and like I said, it was a time where I was independent So so you don't think it's signed after your first three albums like you didn't know I don't think I mentioned that in the story That that was the point. So when um, dance with me, I should have said that I was roughly, you know, but basically they didn't want Dance with me because they did I don't think I was feeling the direction And they weren't giving me the money that I wanted. I thought I felt like I wanted more money Naturally, whatever in it. I thought I'd done I'd earn it. So we ended up putting out dance with me But independently just like Before I've got the record deal with them in the first place We used to basically press up white labels press up records and take them to the record shop. So I thought I thought it would be like Going back to how it was when I was 17 so um So yeah, so when I did go number one, whatever that album I was Proper independent artist. I wasn't signed to anyone. I was signed off It worked on your favor then. Yeah, definitely.  No, it's just more money for you kind of thing How was it did you feel was if when you won your brick though? Your rewards don't make you as a person but to win the best mayor against some superstars Did you feel as if that was you properly arrived on? Music scene or do you feel as if you'd already achieved a lot before that? No, I definitely felt like I'd achieved a lot. It was just the way it happened. Did you expect that? I weren't I weren't sure because like I'd been there a few times and Not one I'd been nominated. Sorry a few times and not one But to win it like that on after a string of number ones these are that four number ones On the on on the album. I had five number ones, but four of them was on the album And then I did that big performance with Florence No, I hadn't had four number ones yet because that song I did with Florence ended up going to number two I'd had I'd had That came off but I didn't expect to win it because The way the Brits is it's all the majors in it. Yeah, basically. So it feels like one of the things where they kind of dish it out to each other So I wasn't I wasn't expecting me just as an artist with not signed to any of them with no just on my own label To be getting the biggest Brit All the biggest Brit Yeah, best meal after having all that success so that it was kind of it was kind of mad So I went I went back but after I won it. Yeah, it was like it's amazing because yeah, because then you've got the mercury The Ivonevelo Brit award, you know, those those are the three like kind of You could say most important British awards So what was it like then taking your break for a few years? Why did you make that decision? What was that about so The next album was the fifth. That was the one where I'd Robbie Williams on it. Yeah Um that came out what in 2013 I think yeah, I just I just went to America It's the first time I went to America to make an album as well. So there was there was that was hopping around And I just I just done so much work back to back. So I think I just was kind of enjoying myself in between Then I put out an EP And I was making no I put out another album But again, I was serious about it, but I wasn't here a lot And I was just kind of finding more Wondering even if I even wanted to come back in Living Endless the first time when I thought about living somewhere else like fully A lot of fame and attention Yeah, I've been through so much like psychologically like I said all just all just all those things I had to deal with from young and then I got Famous famous because I felt like it was popular at the beginning But then like after winning the Brit Awards and all that like your famous famous Oh, well, a D in the bank knows who you are You can't you can't identify who's going to recognize you in it and it's mainly love by then it can be a bit overwhelming So in the 2009 I went on holiday I ended up going to Miami because I couldn't go to Antigua and I remember Just walking to the beach every day and just Just feeling free And I think that's what kept me over there And I was supposed to go for two weeks I ended up staying for a few months and then just kept going back all year and bought a place So and then from from there I got friends that will come and see me from Houston and then I'll go Houston like Bunby and all that I'll go I'll go back and forth and I started going New York again But I never used to go New York on my own. I used to go to New York and LA Just for work. So I'll go with the label manager all this thing do promo and have a bit of free time out there But then I started going to all these places by myself making new friends Then going Vegas then going Grand Cayman and going Jamaica and going all these places on my own and just enjoying them differently and the other thing Growing up here. I won a raver so I'd still get to go west end and all that but I didn't enjoy it like not really I enjoyed some of it or ever but and we're going to do bits and bobs and all that but It wasn't I didn't feel free. We still had to keep Look about what's happening and all that like as if I'm in England any part of it You still have to just keep looking about in it When I went IB for that's when I started enjoying like that different kind of party and house music and Oh, I was different in the vibes different like okay, like it's nice And when I started going to America and that that's when I started going to like the type of like Okay, that's the tiny ones that turn up and all that starting just Yeah, doing all the shit that I see in the rap videos But you're still young man.  I know That's what I'm glad that I was able to do it my own accord But not go too far to the point where I come back and I'm a wreck and I'm fucked. I don't know what I'm doing Burn yourself out. Yeah. I think the break probably done you the world a good No, definitely. How's your family must be proud of you? Yeah, definitely and that's that's the best thing being able to just take care of stuff You know, I mean take care take care of your people and yeah, that's the beautiful thing in life That's why you've got to keep pushing forward to keep succeeding That helps knowing that you can you can do that. Yeah, you can take them holiday when you feel like and Yeah Time time is the most important thing man because you can There's been times definitely where you think just I've obviously gone through in a phase where you think you can just pay for everything and just give people money Or they want that just give them that give them that but sometimes your time Yeah is more important. Yeah money can't buy time and it's a precious thing to able to enjoy life And I think that's to find balance. It's the memory. Yeah. Yeah memories last for a lifetime I believe in the last forever some good some bad, but I believe the bad ones make us who we are today Oh, definitely.  No, African E3 African. So what's that mean then E3? E3 African the AF is just abbreviated Like back in the day like we just someone we've seen so I have to look at the AF in my area AF or you had a Jamaican or Jamal who we call that AF So where's the inspiration from last album come? A lot of it's um I've made an album that's like I've produced a lot of it.  That's what they say in old school dizzy They separate the two in it, but um, so to me making beats, but then I've got a lot of MCs on it. So it's like me back to bar bars basically. So everything from old school dizzy Yeah, I know it's it's man. I'm 35. I don't see old school dizzy. I'm just dizzy in it Yeah, whatever and it separated You see like that you've got the Beatles fans or the Elvis fans.  I'm saying I have to deal with that, but yeah, but um, so then I've got everyone from getz, cano, chip, p-money, frisco, dwe All them people. So you know what kind of album is going to be his bars Like back to back. So it's wicked to work with all those people Nah, I'm not I'm not nervous now. Now I've got the first video out now. Now it's done Is that with Chuck Monk? Yeah, exactly. Yeah, so the stuff the stuff kind of stuff more anxious about Because I produced so much of it. It's just that ha That bass ain't cutting through like I want it to to like it's not like them old jungle records, man Like there's stuff like that. I already know that we're coming like It's a whole new there's so much out. There's so much new New rap new artists that I listen to I do go on grand daily every day and I see what's out So and I listen to especially the young driller use I listen to it So I know that there's no but I'm not trying to compete with them necessarily So and I've got a strong fan base strong low fan base of people All creeds colors or or demographics or whatever That just want to hear some new shit and I'll go it for them.  It's like like a garagey thing garage. What is the garage tune? I actually got the beat because I'm I was in switzerland one day And when I come off the flat a guy introduced himself to me and his name's decline And then I didn't know him but they explained to me he made the song I don't smoke the reefer.  Sometimes people have to explain to me what your name made in It's like, okay. Okay. So then we started working But when I was like years ago, but then he gave me this beat. I had it for a while, but weren't sure about it But then one day I was just sitting down in I think I was in the studio at home and I was just watching youtube I just sit and just watching youtube And then your thing come on. I don't even know why I clicked on it And I just watched the whole thing and there was a part when he was talking about um He was in the club. He did it He did he does and he was popping bottles and doing all that And it reminded me that of when I first did all that and I know that everybody's talking about Because of his age and I know that I came directly behind that So I still saw all of that. I saw china wax. I saw faces and all the then places that are not in my mind I know what he's talking about. So then it reminded me inspired me and then part Part of that is in the verse that I wrote became part of a big part of the tune that he gave me the juice To like to add that part of it or not. So that that was good.  Yeah. Yeah, class What do you think the state of like grime is now? Do you think there's a lot of good boys coming through a lot of good artists? As far as Graham, yeah, it's it's not at the forefront of the charts or Like mainstream right now, but I think It's been so influential even to the weather. There's a lot of the drill scene or even a lot of the life Or else we've got a lot of them were Graham MC's at one point Yeah Then just moved on to other shit and that's what's worked for them. Yeah, like just like I didn't know that a song with Armand van helden would probably mark my biggest song. Maybe It's arguable because it's my biggest tune. Yeah, you try something new and that's what ends up taking I think that's what happened with a lot of the guys that are popping right now. I reckon a lot of them were into Graham But that's not what took them Yeah, of course, you've got utilising to the advantage. You look at Stormzy and that working with Ed Sheeran and It opens doors, man, and it's and I believe it's good business. It's good music and then Staming's like bugs him alone. What do you think of the beef in that? I know Wiley's a king of beef like Hammond He's not the king of beef What do you think about him and Stormzy? Do you think that's good for Graham to get more traffic towards it? So for Dizzy Rasko, seventh album coming out. What's your plans for the future? Another album Like I said, I'm obsessed. This is still my hobby So just I'm still learning about music. I'm still learning about music all the time. I sit and watch documentaries.  It's like, okay.  Yeah I'm 35. I learned that this week I knew what house music was but I didn't know those little details So what I'm basically saying there's so much for me to still learn Like, you know, I mean shit like that today whatever I just in the car on the way to you I just saw What was that? What's that? What's that telephonic? What are they called? Techno-tronic. I just see the pump up the jam video for the first time in my life. I knew the tune Pump up the jam?  It's like acid. It's like something's trapping balls. You see what I'm saying But I've never seen it before. Yeah, like just little things like that I know it sounds like I'm straying away from the point but my point is there's so much to still learn So I'm you I'm gonna continue to keep making music because I'll just keep getting inspiration from all this the all the stuff That's just out there. Yeah, there's so much we will constantly be learning. I know you're big You're not you're big on social media. You're massive but you don't really Interact with it. No I think it fucks your mind. Why is that? Why do you do that though? I think it gets in the way man? I think it gets in the way. It's not it's not every it's not You don't always need to know what people got to say to you got to got like It feels like it's not as intense in person Like people see you it's easy. It's like what's going on? Yo, this is this what's going on brother. You called you want a picture? I called it sometimes you want a picture Sometimes I don't want to take a picture for whatever reason whatever seven in the morning I'm hungry. I ain't eating it or whatever.  I'm not being rude. It just is where isn't it?  So you're a content in it So but you navigate that that's cool. The majority of time I'm nice to everyone and people are nice But online sometimes it just gets in the way man.  Yeah, people can be nasty bastards It's easy to dare on the on the screen.  What do you see when you're driving about?   It can do anything could cause problems, but I've definitely Especially because I've got album coming.   It's a weird different success But you did that how was your work ethic then was it non-stop? Because you never had the social media to utilize as an advantage There was less media. I guess it was more tv and radio than it and then just Well pirate radio was our first social media because that's what brought people to give our people were listening Like we but the thing is maybe it was easier because We didn't know there was no number.  We were on radio going mad spitting our hearts out and don't even know if 30 people were listening Yeah, and it was great and then that that's what elevated us to the raves And that's what elevated us whatever record label signing us and then for taking that out All this I feel like a lot of this shit just gets in the way unnecessarily You know what? I guess it's just how whatever people felt when music videos came in So some people that didn't want to take to it Okay, it's it's a similar thing.  Yeah. Yeah, because I was I was wilding man.     Yeah And it's that full processor.  Yeah, so Yeah, because you're a role model as well people are looking for you as the answers as inspiration for Yeah So for your next you want to try and get do a next an album straight away for next year I've already started any big names coming on that Can't say I can man. I've got I've got a little something with um With no galaga. Oh That'll be cool legendary. Yeah. Yeah, so I'm just right right now. It's being mixed Yeah, but yeah, that's one and the rest I'm just I'm just experimenting.  Yeah bits recorded a few bits But I said this out man even out by the time this one comes this out this out get you back on again Oh, come on. Yeah before we finish up. We'll touch on a couple of things Glastonbury headline. Hmm. It must be happening now You'd think in it.  It's almost like a separate thing. But as far as carrying a show To a massive crowd like Show off the show like Yeah, I did that from like 14 15 years ago Yeah, and I've done Glastonbury so many times And there's a couple times where I should have been the headliner, but they put me the one just one just before Yeah, again, because this is where they they have the faith or maybe whoever it is They this this ain't time that maybe they're thinking they're trying to sell tickets And it was going to be the bigger draw, but it definitely there's one there's one year where Red hot chili peppers, I think dropped out And they put they replaced them with the gorillas instead of putting me up And it's like you definitely you could have just like put me in that Because I've got this my shows are is my show is a headline show. It doesn't matter where we are Because just there's too many bangers It's just too jammed with too many bangers and we give it a thousand percent.  That's what it is and every now and then sometimes Well, you're gonna have a show that wasn't as good as you wanted it to be whatever reason But come on, man.  Yeah, it's like past anyway You've still been on the main stage, but like being second last it's like finishing second Being the second man on the moon Oh, yeah, I was the second man on the moon No one made a fool about the second man on the moon It won't happen.  You're still doing a lot of headlining stuff, but it's drive-thru. Is that no that one got cancelled as well It just went on Piers Morgan for no reason Good morning, Britain. Yeah, I've been cancelled. So do you think everything will be back next year? Then my people can enjoy a concert or do you think Musicians can struggle man. Hopefully you can in it, but I don't know how you're gonna have a festival with ever like I don't know say 80,000 people or even one of the smaller ones 30,000 people What two meters apart?  So like, okay. How's that gonna work in it? Yeah, and then I almost like I want to have to go through all those things Like go go through that bunch of testing before I go to festivals Yeah, hopefully things can move forward, but Dizzy For coming on today, brother and telling your story. It's been unbelievable. I've very much appreciate it For just finishing up me anybody watching just looking for a wee bit of inspiration It's what to start off in the rap scene. What advice would you have for them? What advice would I um don't do it? Definitely do it. Definitely do it. It's not always going to go your way and just If you really want it just don't do anything else That's what I did. I dropped out of college Because I made up my mind like why am I here? I could be doing this outside and within that year. That's when I got the record deal Yeah, so like I said, it's not always going to be easy though I don't want to tell anyone anyone to drop out of college now. Just just stick at it because One thing I've learned anything can happen man Some of these guys that you see and popping right now. They're always smashing it. They've been in the game a while. They look new Their success is new, but they're not new. They just they just stuck at it. Yeah Brother. Yes, sir. Congratulations on the new album coming out. I look forward to hearing it and have a great day Check out more of my podcasts on the right and be sure to like share and comment your thoughts on this week's podcast Thank you


Hi everyone, Joe for jaspeaskacebrakes.com. Happy Saturday. We're coming at you a 2019 Panini Noir basketball. Full case, four box. Pick your team number four from jaspeaskacebrakes.com. A very big thank you to all of these folks who bought their teams straight up. And look at that, congrats to Mr. Mike Samichou who won the Pelicans in that Salo Pack Break we did in that separate video. So good luck to him. Good luck to everybody. We have more noir in the store. We've got random team, half case random teams and full case pick your teams. Pick your team number five has no number blocks, no mini breaks, no fillers, nothing like that in pick your team five and we're at 10 teams left almost in single digits. If you have a feeling we can sell one out straight up or at least get it down to the Pelicans. But let's knock that out and then let's fill up the Pelicans and then we can do another one of these cases tonight. There's been some really nice stuff in here, folks. Tommy Lee Jones is wearing an Excelsior Sport Windbreaker. Excelsior Sport, what a product placement for them or it could just be like a fake movie brand. The only thing I don't like about noir, everything is so awesome about it except for this box. Let's try to slide this out surgically here. There we go. There you have it. Got a base card on the bottom. Let's slide Nikola Jokic out here and let's snag a blank card to slow play the hits a little bit here. Good luck to 25. That's Nikola Jokic. Nikola Jokic again to 99. Oh, that one's out of 25, this one's out of 90. There you go, nuggets. Scott with that one. Out of 99, Gorin Drogic. Daniel Smith saying packaging stinks. Derek saying whoever designed these boxes was probably getting fired. Probably, or they're just never designing boxes again. I don't understand why they just didn't use the immaculate or flawless or NT boxes. They already have those in production, right? So, Bogobotadze jersey for the Pacers. That's gonna go to Kevin. I mean, everything else about this is so great. Maybe next year, Panini, fix those boxes and we got a stellar product here. All right, 12 out of 99, Dylan Winler jersey. That'll go to the Cavs, Jeremy Tillman. We got two-shot dual relic Ignis Rodriguez and RJ Barrett, 44 out of 99. For the Knicks, Wayne Stock and the Knicks. Reigning nice, this guy, Kyle Guy. 64 out of 99, gold ink autograph for the Kings. Oliver with his Kings, he's the Kings guy. Ollie on the board, there you go. We've got, nice, love these. Sneaker spotlight Montrezelle Hurrell, 88 out of 99. Those are really great. Tres going to Derek Disser and the Clippers. Nice. And we got a second seeker spotlight. Two in a row, Zach Levine, 29 out of 99. There you go, nice one, Derek. These sneaker spotlights are strong. Is this a sneaker spotlight hot case? Bulls, Derek Molanson. So back-to-back Derek's. He's having a nice season this year. And, woo, Allen Iverson, 45 out of 99, gold ink autograph. That's a great shot of AI doing work. That'll be for Richard S. Speranza and the Sixers. Nice, strong start, great first box. We've got more in the store, folks. I know it's pricey and people are hesitating a little bit, but the hits have been delivering out of here, boys and girls. It's been looking nice. Roll the dice. Scared money don't make money. That was good. I'm getting good at this. Let's do some more. 4 out of 25, Pascal Siakam. That goes to Daniel Smith and the Raptors. We got Andrew Wiggins. T. Wolves, Wiggin' Out, going to Jeremy Tillman. Malcolm Brogdon to 99. Pacers and it'll be for Kevin. We got rookie jumbo material, Kevin Porter Jr. That is 39 out of 99 for JT and the Cavs. Boyan Bogdanovich to 99. Utah Jazz, Wayne Stock, jazin' it up. That's correct, Craig. You nailed it. We do the boxes once they fill up. Can't do them any earlier, obviously. As soon as they sell out, we'll do it. Unless, sometimes, we get backed up on a schedule just because things are selling out so quickly. But, for example, we got a bowman jumbo break after this, which takes a little over an hour. So if that noir were to sell out now, it would be right after that break. All right, Jared Allen for the Nets, by the way. Mark, we've got, for the Mavs, Isaiah Roby. 43 out of 99, three-color jersey and autograph. That's Lynn with the Mavs. We got, God bless you, or Jay? God bless Joe. That's awfully nice of Mark Jackson. 92 out of 99, I appreciate that, Mark. You as well. Nick's, that will be for Wayne Stock. Couple more here. We've got jersey and autograph, bull, bull. 73 out of 99, we gotta send him to Jaspy's autograph cam. We gotta work on his signature. Especially if he's gonna be a star in this league. That goes to the Denver Nuggets. That'll be for Scott.  Dwayne Wade, 51 out of 99. Two boxes, three sneaker spotlights. This time, D. Wade. Wayne Stock in the Miami Heat. Three sneaks, that's right, Matt Subbalfield. He's got some nice kicks too. Halfway through this full case break. Oh, wow, that is, you're right. David DLP saying that's the picture we're using. This is the picture we're using for the random team break. All right, it is right there. Nice, is that the exact same number? No, I don't think so. On the website, 61 out of 99. We got 51 out of 99. Random teams on the site now, Jaspy'scasewrakes.com. I'm gonna set that aside for picture time. 16 out of 25, Brandon Ingram for the Pelicans. Mike Sommage, who won the Pelicans in that pack break. We got Goga Batadze in the 99 for the Pacers. That'll be for Kevin in Indiana. Nikola Vuzovic to 99 for the Orlando Magic. That'll be for Thomas. Rookie Jumbo material, Brandon Clark to 99 for the Grizz. That's gonna go to Matthew Shearer. 74 out of 99, Box Office memorabilia. Jimmy Butler, Wayne with the heat. We got Rondejoz Jefferson to 99. Critically acclaimed autograph. Raptors edition, that's gonna be for Daniel. There you go, Daniel Smith. 25 out of 25, Kemba Walker. Kemba still with his Hornets jersey in there, but for the Celtics, Wayne Stock. Go by that logo back there. We've got Nasir Little, 62 out of 99, three color patch and on-card autograph for the Trail Blazers Serenity on the board with the Blazers. And look at this, four out of five, everyone's favorite, Christian Leitner. Tag and Otto, and a train whistle. Out of fives and under, get the train whistle. Jeremy Tillman with the T-Wolves. There you go, JT. All aboard, the Big Head Express. I'm not sure what, maybe some people were more familiar with jerseys could identify that tag, but that's pretty cool. And we got a nice Cam Reddish, two color patch and Otto, 49 out of 99. He's got a lot of upside. That is for Wayne Stock and the Hawks. Wayne having a great break. Next box, last box, good luck. 13 out of 25, Jackson Hayes. Mike Somich, Pelicans. Marcus Morris Sr, 12 out of 99 for the Knicks. Wayne Stock. Devin Booker, 75 out of 99. Phoenix Suns Icon Edition, base card for Matthew Shearer. Seth Curry, 40 out of 65. Newsreel jerseys. Seth Mavs Who Who Elin with the Dazz Mavericks. Elegant decor, Mafondoux, Cabinelli. 61 out of 65. Yeah, that's the problem with the box right there. Clippers, that'll be for Derek Disser. Derek D. And we've got a Kyrie Newsreel jerseys for the Nets. 61 out of 65. That is for Mark Nao with the Nets. Should be autographs here on out, yep. And we've got Ignis Bredzigas in focus auto. 68 out of 99. Another Nick for Wayne. We've got Freeze Frame signatures. Steve Francis, 27 out of 99. Orlando Magic, Thomas Chilton. And Tom I saying, got the Sixers in Case 5 looking forward to it. Nice, is that moving? Is that moving and grooving? Yeah, that Noir 5 is down to nine. I mean, Pelicans are still out there so if we get it down to the Pelicans, we'll just do another one of those pack breaks again to move the Pelicans. And then we can do another one of these tonight. All right, we've got Glen Rice, 13 out of 125 for the Miami Heat. Another nice heat card for Wayne. Yeah, Steve Francis was pretty popular in his day. All right, another nice one for Wayne. And the last one here is, of course, another Miami Heat. 269, nice, out of 99. Three color patch and autographed Tyler Hero. RPA, started the season off strong, cooled off a bit, but has showed a lot of future potential here. There you go, him and Kendrick Nunn. Got a solid team down there in South Beach. Wayne Stock with the Miami Heat. And there you go, ladies and gentlemen, thanks everyone for getting in. That was Panini Noir basketball. We've got full case pick your teams, half case random teams available on jaspyscasebreaks.com. Chase some more sneaker spotlights like this and maybe look for our first Zion autograph too. Thanks for watching everybody. We'll see you next time on jaspyscasebreaks.com.


Hi, welcome to International Hawaiian Think Tech, where we showcase local import and export companies and the trade industry. I'm your host Cindy Matsuki, and today we're chatting with Amber Lewis from Hawaiian Islands Freight Association. Hi Amber, thanks so much for joining me. Hi Cindy, thanks for having me. So I'm super excited to share what your organization does. I feel like it can help so many small businesses if more people knew about it. So could you briefly explain what the Hawaiian Islands Freight Association is? Basically we're a non-profit freight association. We're a co-op. So we operate much like a freight forwarder. We do import, export, and we can pick up anywhere in the United States, even some of Canada, and we bring the freight in, bring it to our consolidation facility in California, and we load it onto an ocean vessel and bring it to Hawaii. Wow, so how did the association get started? Like did it start in Hawaii or on the mainland? It actually started in Hawaii and it's an interesting story. It's been around since 1963 and a group of businesses in the area kind of thought they were being charged too much for their freight. So they have a great idea to leverage all of their freight, their volume together, and try to reduce the freight cost. And that's how we got started. Nice. So similarly to a freight consolidator, I guess that's what you are, is that you, if you have less than container loads, then you can fill a container and then ship it and get the lower rate. Yeah, Haifa itself is a paper company. So basically we contract out all of our services. We have somebody that we work with, a trucking company on the mainland, all of our stuff goes there and then they consolidate it all together into the ocean containers, like you said. And yeah, we do less than container loads, but we also do full container loads as well. Oh, okay. So how did the benefits work for members? As far as the benefits go, there's, I mean, more than I can count, the biggest benefit I think is our annual rebate. So the way the rebate works is because we're a non-profit, at the end of every year, we give all of our profits back to our members in the form of a dividend check. So the other benefits that our members have is just using us as a resource.  So basically we'll always fight for lower cost for you. We fight for you to get as much of your claims paid as possible. We can help with complicated logistic moves and just as a resource for information. Wow, that's all kinds of stuff. Yeah. So if I understand correctly, so they actually pay you as a service for the freight forwarding and the shipping. So it runs through you. Yeah, basically facilitate everything. So we do all of the planning and getting everything moving and then the bill at the end of the day will come from us. We put all together in one bill for you. Okay. Nice. And then where can they receive it?  No, we have to unload all the containers here at our facility. So then they deliver to wherever it needs to go from there. So we have delivery available in Maui, Kauai, Big Island, and Hanoahu. Very cool. And what is your target customer? Is it a small business or a large business or is it just people personal shopping? Most of our stuff is industrial resale type stuff. We do construction materials, commercial, not commercial. Basically construction materials, that type of thing, warehouse and stuff. Wow. And maybe about 80% of our members are small businesses. We have about 1200 members right now. Wow. And I guess construction hasn't slowed down at all. Yeah, construction hasn't really slowed down that much. Shipping has definitely slowed down. Oh, yeah? Yeah. The suit of the pandemic. Yeah. Do you think it's because, I mean, I feel like the need is there, but is it just the channels have slowed down or? I think what's happened is due to the pandemic, a lot of businesses, unfortunately, have had their clothes reopened and some of them closed their doors for good. So it caused a really big slowdown in the shipping industry. Now that things are kind of turning around, things are starting to pick back up again. But we are having some issues. We have a mascot. Oh, fun. Some of the challenges we're having right now is a slowdown, especially east of the Rockies, because we're short on, you know, all across the board, short on equipment and short on drivers. Oh, yeah? Yeah. So we're seeing a slowdown with that. Oh, so you guys have a labor challenge too, just like finding workers? Absolutely. It's mostly the finding drivers. Yeah. So there's been a driver shortage for quite a while, but with the pandemic, it's become worse. And then the slowdown with everything changing around because of the pandemic, it's like, it's so unpredictable. So it's so hard to know where the shutdowns are happening, who's shutting down next, who's opening up. So it's been really challenging to get the equipment where it needs to be. So right now, the equipment shortage is due to that. Wow. So what are your customers doing? Like, do you feel like there's been a slowdown in customer demand as well? Or is it just, they just have to wait longer?  Some people for good. So obviously the volume is going to go down. But for the most part, those who are shipping are just having to wait a little longer to get their stuff. Okay. And has your organization had to make any changes during the pandemic? We have made some changes.  So it didn't affect us that much as far as costs, because we keep our administrative costs low. But the main thing we did up to do is make sure our employees were safe. So we did the work at home initiative where we had everybody working from home, because we had the ability to do so.  But as far as changes with our association, I think that's really the main thing. We also reached out and, you know, like we always do, tried to get lower rates to be more competitive and, you know, try to take some of the sting off of the whole pandemic in a whole. Yeah, I mean, I've been reading how shipping rates have just been climbing and climbing. They do. They do when they have. I don't foresee as long as the pandemic stays steady. I mean, who knows, but as long as the pandemic stays steady, and what you're going to start seeing moving forward is that all of the equipment issues are going to start working themselves out because the shipping companies are really diligently, you know, working to get equipment to those areas to try to even think out. So you will see things picking up. And as long as everything stays stable in that, you know, aspect, the only increases, big increases you should be seeing moving forward are just our general increases that happen every year. That's good. That's a good thing. Do you guys work consistently with the same shippers? I guess there's a limited amount that come to Hawaii, but how does that work? Do you have contracts or are you just shopping around and getting the best rates that you can? We do mainly work with PAsia and Mastin for our incoming freight. We do full containers through PAsia. Most of our LCL goes through Mastin right now. So we do have contracts with them We do, when we're doing full container loads, we send a request out to both so we can try to get the best rates. As far as the mainland shipping goes, when they're picking up your freight, we send out a quote and try to get the best rates that we can get. All of our stuff that we, like all of our pickup rates and all of our delivery rates here on the island, we don't mark up. So we give you all of those that cost. Wow. That's amazing. How do you guys, so there is something that you take for just administrative costs for your staff and to keep everything running, but then everything else just goes back to the members? Right. Yeah. So we try to keep our costs very, very low as much as possible. In the history, at least since Jan's been here, she's never raised our rate because of administrative cost increase. So whenever we have an increase, we basically try to be as creative as we can to try to account for that increase, or we try to absorb it. So we've got to make sure our bills are paid, the steamships, when we ship, we have to pay them and within 30 days or however many, whatever their terms are. So we do need to have the money up front, but if we are in a good place and we can absorb the increases, we do. Wow. So maybe could you just walk me through like say I'm a new customer and I'm just, like my business in Hawaii is just starting to scale and so I need to start shipping things or I'm starting to export. Like what is the process that I should go through if I wanted to become a member and how does that work? To become a member, it's really easy. Just give us a call. We can send you the membership packet. You fill it out to your $50 and you can start shipping immediately. You can ship as a non-member. You just wanted the benefit of the rebate at the end of the year. So your shipping will go towards the other members. And it's only $50. That's so crazy. $50 one-time fee and then you're a member for the life of your business. So once you get your membership started, you can contact us and either schedule your pickup or you can ask for a quote and see where we're at cost-wise.  Most of the time we have you call directly to the terminals because that way it's a lot easier to relay information directly rather than third party. So people ask me all the time to schedule their pickup for them and I do forward the stuff to the terminal and get it facilitated but it's pretty easy. You can either contact us for it or you can contact the terminal directly. I feel like the people that we work with at the foreign trade zone, I mean just some of the stories about shipping, it seems complex. And then maybe that includes the stories about working with suppliers as well or your buyers on the other end but just like shipping seems like a complex thing or maybe it's easier just because it's domestic. Is it all domestic for now? Shipping is complex because there is a lot of different avenues, there's a lot of things to learn, things are changing often. The domestic shipping isn't quite so bad but the best advice is just to gain as much information as you can especially here in Hawaii where everything is important. So your shipping cost is a huge cost when it comes to your pricing so it can be the difference between whether you can stay competitive or not in your field so it's important to to gain the knowledge to understand or at least if you cannot if you don't have the ability you know if you don't have those resources you can reach out to help and our association will you know whatever resources we have available to us we give to our members. That's great. Do your members ever get together? Like do you have any member events? We do actually we have an annual meeting every every year in April. It's a big luncheon so you know all the board members are there and we give speeches you know the GM will give a speech and and let everybody know where the how the year went and you know we give the free lunch just as an added benefit for being a member and you know being able to put faces to everybody. Yeah I mean I missed like just the networking like having in-person events and then even though you listen to the speeches it's more like meeting all the other small business owners and talking about yeah. That's really great. Yeah so right now you're providing service to just the mainland or did you say you go international you do international shipping as well? Currently we're not offering international. We are looking to to maybe eventually get into that. It gets really really complicated with international so we're going to have to get a specialist on board to who has some experience in that area but it's not out of the realm of possibility. We try to bring as much services as we possibly can. We do air freight but it's mostly domestic. Oh okay and you use like you use um any of our local carriers for air freight? Yeah we use specific uh specific air cargo and aloha air cargo and then we also utilize that extra some of our stuff to express items. Wow that's really interesting I mean that's amazing I think that's a great service. We are going to take a quick break. I'm speaking with Amber Lewis from the Hawaiian Islands Great Association and this is International Hawaiian Think Tech and we will be right back. Hi I'm Rusty Komori host of Beyond the Lines on Think Tech Hawaii. I was the head coach for the Punahou Boys Varsity Tennis Team for 22 years and we were fortunate to win 22 consecutive state championships. My show is based on my book also titled Beyond the Lines and it's about leadership creating a superior culture of excellence and finding greatness. I feature a wide range of amazing guests who share valuable insights about how going beyond the lines leads to success in everything you do in life. I'm looking forward to you joining me every Monday at 11 a.m. Aloha. Thank you. Hi welcome back to International International Hawaii on Think Tech and I'm your host Cindy Matsuki and today I'm speaking with Amber Lewis with the Hawaiian Islands Freight Association. So Amber we were talking about how people can come to you with their shipments and I know that there's a lot of potential for things to go wrong like either you get the wrong items or something happens during like things are damaged or lost and then I remember that story that was I think it was last year that one container ship lost almost 2,000 containers. I can't even imagine like full container loads sitting at the bottom of the ocean. Yeah yeah so is that I mean do you have other horror stories about shipments going wrong and what can people do? I think that I think that one of the worst things that can happen with your shipment is that it doesn't arrive and nobody knows where it is. So in those cases where like it goes overboard which isn't a common occurrence but it does happen. I think it's important to have certain safeguards in place to make sure that if something does happen to your freight that that you're covered. So what can people do like how do businesses protect themselves? So I think that a lot of people don't understand as far as claims and loss and damage goes in the freight industry. You know you get in that state of mind where you know you broke it then you have to pay for it and unfortunately that's not how it works in the freight claim world. So the most important thing to know about freight claims is insurance. Insurance files, ensuring your freight files back on the person who's shipping it and not on the actual carrier. Most carriers have limits of liability. So in most cases a carrier will have pennies on the pound of how much that they will cover and that's the maximum that they'll cover. So if you have something that's like high value freight let's say it's a $50,000 piece you might be looking just to get a couple hundred dollars on it if you just rely on the freight forwarder themselves to go through the claims fund for your loss. So insurance is very very important. So do you provide insurance or do you help people find insurance and do you have to get insurance per shipment? You do have to get insurance per shipment most freight forwarders. I know we have an insurance company that we work with cargo cover who does marine insurance. Most places most freight forwarders will have somebody that you can work with. I do believe there's outside brokers you can use too. Okay and then what's important about how they file the claim like after if it's lost or if things arrive damaged? The one thing you want to do is document as much as possible. So when you receive your freight you want to yourself or train your employees that they want to inspect every part of the freight. Make sure that the peace count is correct. Make sure that every little tear or if there's a corner of the box crushed you want to notate all of that on the driver's copy of the cruise delivery because any of that that could indicate that there's mishandling or maybe it got banged around a bit. If they don't have that information on the driver's copy a lot of times they want to prove your claim. So it's really important to take photos when it arrives if you see that there's anything that's amiss. Once you've taken the photos and broken down the freight if you see that there is damages you want to take more photos and then contact the carrier right away and let them know that there is a claim. If you've filed insurance you also want to contact your insurance agent. Wow so how did but then I guess I could see there's multiple people that have touched your product right there's the trucking and then there's then there's the freight consolidators and then there's the shipper and then it comes to Hawaii and then there's the trucking and so like does the insurance company kind of figures that out or yeah so I see the claims for our company the way it works is everybody's kind of trying to cover their own self. So if they're all inspecting the freight when it comes in and they're notating any damages going we didn't do it. It wasn't us. So that's kind of works in your benefit because then you can kind of go down the line and have a good idea of where the the damage might have happened. When you're filing an insurance claim usually they'll do that for you you don't have to worry about any of that. Just know that once you receive the freight that you would need to make the appropriate you know notation. Got it. The driver's copy. Yeah the driver's copy. Yeah that's important. So then the trucker if they were unloading the container and they they did see damaged like the boxes or the crates would they actually note that down when they pick it up? Is that how that works? Yeah if they see damage they note it down because they don't want to get blamed for it. Got it. I see that makes sense that's good. Yeah okay yeah that's so important. I think people would just be freaking out and not thinking to like document everything. Most people don't know and it's not that it's not that the thing was in damage it's not that they're you know trying to get one over but unfortunately there's a lot of carriers out there that'll look for any loophole to not pay you your claim. So you really want to be prepared and make sure that you're making all the right documents you know notations and document everything. So that way you have the highest chance of getting paid out somehow. And does the insurance cover most of the value of your goods or does it depend on you know what kind of coverage you get? So it'll depend on what kind of coverage you get. It works a lot like a car insurance right? So you'll have a deductible or no deductible if you want to pay a little bit more depending on you know what insurance company it is. And you write down the value of it and then the freight value and then they'll cover whatever they feel is is necessary or whatever if it's a total loss then they'll look into that and you'll have to prove how much it costs you. So one thing they won't cover what people don't understand is how much that the resale value like how much they're going to sell it for because there's you know you think well I'm out all of this money now because I can't sell this but they only cover how much you need for it. Oh I guess that makes sense but that's tough yeah because as a business that's a big loss yeah we got it. So like for example the one container ship that would be a complete loss right and you know what happened. Yeah and those are the easy ones because you know what happens there's proof that it happens because that's such a big loss I would imagine that the the steamship would use their you know file their own insurance plane to cover it. Got it so the insurance company that you filed with would go after one and then they would have to cover it. Yeah and the one thing that we put in place for you know it's most important insurance to cover on the higher stuff if you have the lower stuff sometimes it doesn't make sense because if you have a $500 deductible but your items only $200 then it doesn't make sense to get the insurance right but our company covers up to $500 on anything that happens over the ocean. $500 per shipping unit so for pallets for peace if it's loose for anything that was damaged during transport in the ocean or our negligence. So we created because you know the carriers they don't want to pay they point fingers at each other so we created a claims fund where all the carriers pay in that we work with and then when things happen if they're pointing fingers at each other we can cover you still out of a claims fund so that creates an extra an extra added bonus and in coverage protection. Oh that's really good yeah especially for small businesses I mean even small amounts could be huge hits right yeah absolutely. What do you see as some of the biggest challenges for Hawaii companies that are shipping? I think some of the biggest challenges with you know any company is rising freight costs when costs go up it's difficult and you can't do anything about it. No in here in Hawaii it's even worse because everything has to be imported so the freight costs I think there's also a challenge with space like we're in a small area there's not a lot of warehousing space for the small guys so they don't get the benefit of being able to buy and bulk and get those discounts so that's where we try to step in and we consolidate everything and try to get a lower price that's why we were created. Hey we should cross market we have warehouse space so let your customers know. Do you foresee the shipping rates eventually coming back down or do you think they're going to plateau and just where they're going to keep going up? They fluctuate you know honestly it's always up and down yeah it's always fuel increases and then the cost of fuel goes down and it goes back down and every year there's a general rate increase so it goes up but I mean I've seen it at one point we were up to six dollars a cube I think and right now we're at five something so it does come back down and fluctuate. We go up and down with the steamship and then like I mentioned before if we can absorb the extra increase we will. Oh that's really good would you have any advice for somebody starting out as a business and starting to import or export? I think the the best advice is to learn just you know get a good grasp on purchasing and shipping practices and what avenues and lanes you have available ways you can lower costs because you know like I said that's that's the difference between whether you can price competitively you know competitively or not is that great cost. Exactly oh that's great and I think your association would be huge to kind of manage like that initial hassle of getting your goods just the logistics. Yeah we always we always ask our members to use this as a resource I mean sometimes there's these complicated logistical moves and you know people don't know where to start because they don't know you know what all the lanes are and and how to get something from from here to there if it's big ugly great stuff like that so we always ask that you just give us a call and let us work it out for you we can tell you which ones are going to be fastest which you know lanes are going to be the best price and you can make decisions from there. That's so great I'm excited to let people know about your organization. Thank you. So I think we're going to leave it there we've been chatting um we've been watching International Hawaii on Think Tech and today we've been chatting with Amber Lewis from Hawaii Island's freight association thank you so much for sharing your time with me Amber it's been great talking to you. Thank you so much for having me. Yeah thank you very much and thank you to our viewers for tuning in I'm Cindy Matsuki and we'll be back in two weeks with another edition of International Hawaii. See you next time. Thanks.