Manhood Episode 7 Music and It's Influence
Manhood Episode 7 Music and It's Influence
Transcript
00:00 Manhood, brought to you by Jameson, natural sources since 1922 and Racetrack.
00:08 So this is yet another episode rather conversation of manhood. Today's topic is
00:17 a really really important one. One where we just discuss how does music affect
00:24 generations. So from my generation, generations in the past, to our
00:29 generation now. How is that music impacting the way we go about doing
00:34 things and our safety more importantly and how are men and boys being affected.
00:40 So I have a really great cast with us today.
00:43 Johan Seyahudike, behavior change consultant, KG music producer and Blaze
00:49 media personality and myself Robert. I just want to pay attention, just pay
00:54 some attention to our really swanky set today. Our really cool vibes.
00:59 This is what it's made of. Racetrack, thanks so much. We love this.
01:05 It's very comfortable. I feel like I am in the seat of my Ferrari. It's just
01:09 downstairs you know. It gives you the Ferrari feel. P-E. Yeah, P-E. You know I mean so
01:17 so well done to Racetrack and you know I mean I want to take it
01:21 from you immediately Robert. Because this, what we're going to discuss is an age-old
01:27 argument. This is age-old. This is from my time when I used to play in parties in
01:33 the 2000s with cell construction and it had radioactive and I have all these
01:36 different things and used to say well you know look at the kind of music all
01:39 they're playing, all they're doing song killing and you know. So these,
01:43 this is an age-old argument and now it has returned for the next generation.
01:49 So I mean. I just wanted to open with with a definition because I always like
01:55 to make sure that we have some sort of definition to presence the conversation.
01:58 So the definition that I would have would have seen with regards to the
02:02 music and it shows that studies have shown that music has the ability to
02:07 influence mood, emotions and even physical actions. For example, listening
02:13 to upbeat energetic music can increase feelings of happiness and motivation and
02:17 may encourage a person to be more active and productive. On the other hand,
02:22 listening to slow mellow music can promote relaxation and calmness and may
02:28 help to reduce stress and anxiety. Additionally, the lyrics of a song can
02:33 also have an impact on a person's behavior particularly if they contain
02:37 messages related to social norms, values and beliefs. For instance, songs that
02:43 promote violence, drug use or other harmful behaviors may encourage
02:48 listeners to engage in those activities. So overall, music can have a powerful
02:52 effect on our emotions and behavior and it's important to be mindful of the type
02:57 of music we listen to and how it may be influencing us which is the topic of
03:05 today. And specifically, we're not listening to slow music, we're not
03:10 listening to love music, we're talking about music that's inciting violence and
03:16 how do we how do we deal with that. Let's have the discussion of as around and KG
03:22 you know I know we've had these discussions a couple times where the
03:27 discussion might have been around well you listen to music as Blaze said
03:31 initially you've listened to music like that in your past but what I would say
03:36 to that is that music back then would have been about killing a sound as
03:44 Blaze mentioned. It was always dancehall artists was you know you have your song
03:48 system and who could play a particular song or a performance that
03:54 will kill that. So it was never about when we hear things like you know whether
03:58 it be Ninja Man, Beanie Man and you hear things like test my sound, kill a sound,
04:02 me sound at the number one. All those are references to the music and not to
04:09 killing someone. And is it then that because you know what we hear is you
04:15 know that that's what that community knows. That environment that that music
04:19 is part and parcel of that message you know that that does he sort of dialogue
04:23 I'd really like to have here today on is not coming down on any one person. It's a
04:28 matter just trying to have that understanding. I mean my point of view
04:31 as Blaze say this is a conversation that we've been having for generations you
04:37 know. My point of view on the whole violent music I mean it is a broad
04:43 conversation. We could go deep and deep and you know deeper into it but I always
04:47 look at it as the music is a reflection of society not society is a reflection
04:54 of the music. You know that is my only argument when it comes to this like we
04:58 cannot blame the artists for the crime. The artists singing about what they
05:03 already know. So like for instance I'm a quote-unquote Trinibad producer you know
05:08 people will know me for producing a lot of Trinibad music. Trinibad is only six
05:13 years old. Trinidad been this country since I was six years old. So how can we
05:20 blame the music for what is going on in the country and we very well know it's
05:25 been happening. It's a systematic problem it's not a musical problem you know
05:29 that is how I look at it. That's interesting what you say because I was
05:35 thinking about as you're saying music is imitating society. So let's say you know
05:41 the saying art imitates life and I was thinking does life imitate art and that's
05:48 kind of the argument that like the chicken and the egg which one comes first.
05:51 Right and we may not ever get it that exact answer. So I think is really
05:59 understanding what influence music really has on society because we know
06:04 for sure let's go to research but even personally all of us has been influenced
06:09 by some sort of music right from a child right even even a teenager when we hear
06:15 a song most times if it's a song that resonated with us we could complete the
06:18 lyrics. Even if we don't actively say it with our mouth it's in our brain and
06:22 then we know music instill some sort of emotion. So you feel good, sometimes you
06:26 feel angry, you feel something. So once there's a and human behavior is
06:31 thought into feeling into action and once we get that connection it develops
06:38 and creates a paradigm and if you have it enough times it will create a habit
06:43 or behavior. So we know for sure we know for sure whether it is research or even
06:47 personal that it affects. So therefore now we have to figure out if it's the
06:53 responsibility because I hear that often responsibility of the artists to say
06:59 things that that right quote-unquote or whoever decides right for society or
07:05 which is sometimes my experience of life I want to sing about it I want to
07:09 express that whether it is a grimy way is a happy way is is whatever it is. So
07:15 is us this this discussing who responsibility quote-unquote is and even
07:20 us as men how we are our role as men in terms of the music and society.
07:27 You know I hear in hearing this and you know I have been in the middle of this
07:35 from ever since because people say well you know Blaze always you know
07:40 announcers and they always DJs all they play in that type of music you know I
07:43 mean and I always say I listen to it too because growing up we listen to violent
07:50 music. Bung D Killer didn't sing Kumbaya you know Ninja Man himself he he's a he
07:58 sing badness right through that how that's how he made his money. I think he
08:01 created it. Yeah he was part of that and many people who we play that type of
08:09 music and we listen that type of music we never turn it into action you
08:15 understand so so there is a there is a point that we need to draw and
08:19 understand well okay I could listen to the music but I am responsible for my
08:24 life you know. So if a song tell me if the new song is Jumbo for Cliff, Jumbo
08:28 for Cliff, Jumbo for Cliff, Jumbo for Cliff and I real like Jumbo for Cliff. I
08:32 like the melody it real nice I like the verses so I just supposed to just Jumbo
08:38 for Cliff? You know it it it's it's something to where we as well we have to
08:45 know yes this is happening but we need to take responsibility for ourselves.
08:50 Correct. We we have to do that because we can't just let things slide and say well
08:55 I did it because of the music. But our question though like do you all believe
09:00 that a song can influence let's just say for example this is another opinion of
09:07 mine right another argument I have with a lot of people I don't think a song
09:12 let me say Batman music as they call it I don't think a song could turn a youth
09:18 into a Batman. Meaning you're bad you're bad as we say it he had no belly like we
09:26 tell people do you think from since we young he had no belly he can't hit nobody
09:29 he can't shoot nobody because it's not music don't influence what I look at it
09:37 I never see a youth grow up as a good youth you know good good youth to heart
09:42 and listen to her vibes cartel and turn a murderer. Now he might feel bad you know
09:49 he might go in the party and throw up gun sign he might little aspects of it
09:52 might be there but to say that the music is creating monsters the monsters are
09:57 already there with or without the music you could take off the dancehall music
10:02 and it will always have criminals. Is it amplifying certain things like I'm as I
10:07 say I'm on my going up at the end feeling bad you know like the lifestyle
10:11 the the dress code the way you might talk the way you might wear pants but is it
10:17 really you know. But KG I was discussing this I think I'd mentioned to Blaze
10:23 where when someone says when someone says you know he feel bad if I pick up a
10:30 gun or a bottle or whatever or encourage somebody at what point do you say I feel
10:36 a bad you're bad if you if you if you do the action or you even think any thought
10:42 well I say some of them not even doing action they're just listening to the music but the people who
10:46 doing the action the people who doing the murders and doing the kidnappings do
10:50 you already believe that is music have these people doing these things? But the
10:54 music the music might be playing a part if I if I am there and say for example
10:58 you're drinking Hennessy or you know you're all charged up I remember growing
11:02 up with music like AC/DC and Metallica and Kiss, Nights in Satanic Service and
11:10 all these sort of real I wasn't called acid rock or hard rock you know it would
11:14 it would stir you in put you into a frenzy so it is it's not just the music
11:19 but but it's part and parcel of that environment so for example I went to
11:24 Redemption and I must note that Boozoo Banton didn't sing even though the
11:31 crowd may have called for it songs like Mumbai but he can't you know so if he
11:38 could have he probably might have but he can't. So the music he didn't perform
11:45 certain songs and I was hoping that there was a changed environment but on a
11:48 change of lifestyle but if you're saying it's simply can't well the point is that
11:52 he didn't sing it and I'm but there was music that I grew up on Boozoo Banton so
11:58 hearing that music in itself and you know people let's say the little smells
12:03 around and things like that you know the aromas, the romancing in the nose, the environment
12:09 in Boozoo and of course these artists who came out they sounded just like you know
12:14 they have no they have no auto tunes or lip-syncing they just like it and it put
12:19 me into like you know they say do I feel dread to be Rasta you know I I felt I
12:25 felt at one I also did a quick interview with Luciano and we took a photo
12:34 afterwards and I did the sign and I got I got some backlash with on social media
12:40 because people said boy there's a Rastafarian sign, how you going up with
12:43 that you know Rasta one thing I said well what's the issue here so you heard
12:48 about you know they do it you know they do it meet you know they might be on
12:52 you know into certain on folly on you know things like that and one of the
12:58 other things was that they not on you know it was their understanding they not
13:02 on Christianity now I don't know enough about Rastafarian to make that
13:07 judgment but to me it was a connection it was a vibe. You was feeling it.
13:11 This is Luciano the messenger. But Johansi let me ask you, you coming from a place, a studied place.
13:23 All right. I want to ask you this right do you think in terms of the music as
13:29 Robert was talking about do you think the environment also would contribute?
13:33 So yes so you said something before and KD said something before and everything linked
13:37 right before you're saying we grew up listening to Bounty Killer and he's no no
13:41 Kumbaya music and you use you would it never made us do something negative
13:46 right and I would give the caveat not everybody because I remember I listen
13:51 to Bounty Killer and think to and a lot of us in school right and most of us it
13:56 didn't do anything to us but some men it had them a little violence some men they
14:00 got aggressive even some men who we didn't think had it in them right but
14:05 but got aggressive. Scrape a bottle. Some think so right and then KG
14:11 you're saying you never see the music change somebody who typically grew up
14:15 good. I never really. If he did change music was least of what we think
14:23 changed that person. Well let me say we don't know but what the caveat is is
14:28 that you didn't change or a lot of us didn't change because of the values that
14:33 we grew up with. Correct. And that has something to do with our parenting and in our
14:36 environment also. So the the susceptibility to being influenced may
14:44 have been may have been lower for us because of how we grew up. So I put in
14:48 that fact into because even what you're asking me about in environment because
14:52 the the strength and the resiliency here is important. Now what I've noticed since
14:59 I was a child till to know is the resiliency the mental resiliency of the
15:04 youth has dropped significantly. So if if I using that correlation with the music
15:10 because let's say there's always music that wasn't perfectly positive right
15:15 where it is love songs right it had some real raunchy love songs back in the day
15:20 right and even some violent music where it is we want to call it modern or not
15:25 and it have but back in the day the susceptibility was less. So now I think
15:31 even putting that in the mix why it is now even the youth are more susceptible.
15:36 So at immediate life so we see in the drug use we see in the the gangster we
15:42 see in the murders right that is evident but now the youth and I've noticed even
15:47 and just just quick back in the day when ludicrous had come out with the song
15:51 "Throw Them Bows" right I was seeing people hitting people
15:55 everyone was like why are they doing that? I hear what Ludacris is trying to
15:59 understand the the freedom and the wildness of it right but not necessarily
16:03 it will still meet actually hit somebody elbow but I noticed people they were
16:07 hitting people elbow so I noticed it had a certain degree. Soka pick up something
16:12 anything the whole thing Toro the all of these things are to get you to do a
16:16 certain action right so I am saying that the music plays a part yes you're still
16:21 responsible for your actions ultimately with the music people look at some of
16:25 these artists as mentors as idols and therefore they must be a responsibility
16:30 but I want us to take a pause there and come back with that with some further thoughts on that.
16:36 So this is manhood and what we're discussing is how does music impact our
16:54 generations and somebody thought that we had some differing in terms of does
16:59 music actually impact someone to be bad or is it that they were bad already and
17:06 some of the concerns I would have expressed and of course you know
17:11 Johanse and Blaze to KG would have been around the sense of that it has it does
17:20 have some sort of additive or it does impact in certain ways as I mentioned
17:27 you're listening to rock or listen to certain music and Johanse you made a
17:31 point before about some people may have like like I said in my day was scrape a
17:36 bottle now is a gun listening to certain bits of music they may be the few but
17:42 that the few would of maybe as to what you said KG might have already been bad
17:46 I would like to say that even though we recognize that it must have an impact in
17:55 the same way the person has a responsibility to what they're listening
17:58 to to not act but the music that somebody's producing you know that you
18:03 produce it with certain elements in there that are gonna get me gonna play
18:08 on my many senses be it a woman doing you know a clap and things like that you
18:14 know and all of these different things there's a lot of sexual there's a lot of
18:18 sexual stuff in there you know and and and so when I see that and I'm seeing
18:26 all these signs I would just like the presence when I was growing up one there
18:32 was also the fact that you didn't have access to farms like you have now it
18:37 wasn't as readily available and in your face as you're seeing now the other
18:42 thing is I am one of those that even though I love the music even today only
18:47 when certain like coming to this show or even friends before would mention
18:51 certain things about the lyrics that I recognize what the lyrics will to me I
18:55 just enjoyed I enjoy the beat and the vibes and the feeling it gave me as
19:00 opposed to really understanding what specifically they were saying so even
19:05 though they were areas like ninja man might have been really talking about you
19:09 know killing a man and now we see maybe some other you know other artists as
19:15 you go along very similar to treat bad maybe in Jamaica space speaking
19:20 specifically about killing someone to me it was just about killing a song man as
19:24 in you know winning a clash and I wasn't aware of maybe some of the other
19:29 instances like you know it was against a person's sexuality it was just me
19:33 enjoying music and yes sing along to the music and and so is it then I feel like
19:43 I sort of rambling on well you know it happens yeah it's up is our podcast we
19:47 are allowed to talk right that's what we here to do we talk any things that come
19:49 to your mind and talk as plainly and honestly as it comes to our mind and in
19:54 this particular instance as we speaking about Trinidad not to say that Trinidad
19:59 is the only music that incites violence and many other genres I'm saying that is
20:03 Trinidad simply part and parcel of what they see is what they sing about of
20:09 course so I'm like I was over I have so much arguments with a lot of people you
20:15 know who were who probably didn't come from certain backgrounds or whatnot so
20:19 they didn't really see what I would see you know I was called Trinidad music
20:26 self-defense music you know like when you listen to lyrics closely not just
20:30 listen to words but listen to what they are saying somebody might say if a boy
20:36 violate you know if a boy violate we will do this you know so mostly lyrics
20:42 is like self-defense lyrics why I say self-defense is because growing up in
20:46 these communities is a certain type of culture you know the life that these
20:50 youths live in is not the same life that a youth who grew up in a middle-class
20:55 home or upscale home you know they live in amongst envy greed poverty so many
21:02 different problems going on in these areas and like for me for instance right
21:09 I'll give a story when I was younger I went to St. Joseph College well I passed
21:15 for St. Joseph College I never knew where our school was I didn't know
21:19 anything about our school I didn't want to go to school I wanted to go to QRC or
21:23 CIC or you know something where I could play intercol and be a good youth
21:27 basically you know and I went to the school and the first day I went to the
21:31 school the first first day I went to the school a man bashing a man head on a
21:37 wall so I see in this form one first day I come from a private primary school
21:41 everything good parents know what we know what a chair and property and this
21:46 school know was a more violent so I was like I shocked him you know like this
21:50 way what kind of madness is this and I remember going home and tell him my
21:54 mother mommy the school mad I don't want to go back to that school but she just
21:58 thinking I just talking you know like I mean you know after school but I know
22:02 that school mad so she she basically she never take me to school so for one form
22:08 to why going to school again bully men take him money it's all kind of thing
22:13 going on form tree I decide I fed up and as I say if I can't beat them join them
22:18 and I basically what I did in the school I started to defend myself you know
22:23 instead of this rock back and be like I saw a good child I don't fight you know
22:28 I do I don't curse I don't do no this thing I started to defend myself I
22:31 started to act like them because if I didn't act like them every day I go into
22:36 school people it didn't meet people doing me all kind of thing fast forward
22:41 now into the society we live in today is the same thing these youths who live in
22:44 only come most of the Trinidad youths come from the ghetto you know they come
22:47 from love until I come from beat them see lots they grew up in a place where
22:50 you can't be no punk you can't be no M's you can't be soft you can't be going to
22:55 the police and be like hey damn I know teeth my watch because I make it worse
22:59 for you so they grew up in a society where they have to be like this people
23:04 might look at it like that a man might be like why them single a gun thing and
23:08 content well you go and live in the beat them the police going in the beat them
23:12 and love until with high-powered rifles three four jeeps why because they know
23:17 this is a dangerous community so we have to protect ourself if the police
23:22 officers could protect the self we not supposed to protect we said KG who known
23:27 as this producer and some of people envy in him because he would he he produced
23:32 ever so I supposed to not protect myself I supposed to walk go to the law and
23:37 wait for them to protect me so this is so these youths see things you know they
23:42 see things like all you might not understand because all the living all
23:45 the nice house and everything good but we live in in a place where I could walk
23:50 out my yard and I'm on shoot me for my gin so I have to protect myself and
23:55 through that protection know it has creates and not right but it is real and
24:01 it just creates a type of energy know where the youths and them believe that
24:05 this is the life and this is just how the thing said you know like I I have
24:09 friends that they able to go to carnival fests normal you know they go in fat and
24:14 they whine and they die and they drink and I'm drunk in the party some of these
24:17 get to you to do even know about our kind of life because in their head every
24:21 time we go out a is some kind of madness now but you could this is what we know
24:25 so we have to protect ourself and that's the only thing they know so when they go
24:29 in the studio now they sing this kind of music and the people who don't know
24:32 about the life that is looking at it as violent music but it's our culture is a
24:36 lifestyle is something that they grew up from inception this whole we know is
24:42 there is there who is there hope how do we how do we reach those young men by
24:48 supporting them into the fight in them you know like I was always be like
24:51 Trinibad was like opportunity for the youths on them to do something regardless
24:56 of what I was singing about it was opportunity for them to just make a
25:00 change within the community could have so many opportunities in the ghetto now
25:04 like so many users want to be singers and producers and videographers and
25:09 graphic artists and they want to be in the industry true Trinibad now you know
25:14 but have a lot of unfortunate situations in the Trinibad a lot of youths die and
25:19 what not and it give the music a bad name not realizing as I say a criminal
25:25 is a criminal regardless if he was singing or not if you do any wrong
25:29 things in your life people will kill you nobody gonna kill no artists because he's
25:33 singing gunman music they're going on kill you because you're singing it and
25:37 doing it in the real life is a lifestyle these youths running down now and I think
25:42 that is the only problem is not necessarily music because the Jamaican
25:45 artists and I've been singing the gunman music for years and none of them again
25:48 shoot so we are tax ourself how come Dana again shoot and they create the
25:54 gunman dance all how come we can shoot because this is a problem in Trinidad
25:59 that been happening the murder the murder rate been out of control since
26:04 Abu Bakr days you know so I guess we just had a continue supporting the youths
26:09 and I mean I appreciate you sharing your story because I think that more artists
26:18 should be able to share their story to give context to the music because
26:23 even outside of Trinidad music when listening to other types of music let me
26:28 say even rap old-school music many times when you hear the story of the artist is
26:33 born out of some kind of pain right even Eminem if you remember Eminem music
26:38 right it is or out of some kind of pain and the truth is none of us have a
26:42 perfect life all of us have something painful that we went through that we
26:46 also express in our art and whatever we do because even for myself in counseling
26:50 is because of how I grew up right and one having a platform and even as men
26:57 this is something that we could consider having a platform where the artists
27:00 could be able to speak so the the same audience whether they are susceptible to
27:05 the influence or not they could hear your story and be able to understand the
27:10 context and also I want want to say the the solutions part of it because in in
27:18 the music yes we might express the pain of it but even how even how I approach
27:23 approach my stuff is based on solution based on solution focus because the
27:28 point if you come into therapy at the end of the day you want some kind of
27:30 solution at the end so even in the expression of the music is maybe the
27:36 approach now could be something with a with a solution versus just what it is
27:40 because even though the music and the approach may have stayed the same that
27:45 could be erroneous because nothing stays the same so if the approach of music
27:49 before was different we have been a new time now so maybe approaching music
27:53 could be different because before music videos even was nothing usually here
27:58 yeah right so we hear it and we come up with our own own interpretations based
28:02 on our values etc but now we have music videos so now that bring out even
28:06 certain degree of real estate so even if I don't understand what he was saying
28:10 before I might not understand now but I could see so sometimes all I could do is
28:14 imitate the action and to understand the impact of it so I real happy that you
28:18 share story and I even encourage that even more now would encourage the
28:22 approach to be a little different because at the end of the day I think
28:26 this could be my utopian view but the point of anything we do in even even
28:31 manhood is solution business to make things better and if we're going by
28:36 stats if you notice things not getting better then we should do something
28:40 different okay I I agree as well and I also want to add to that in terms of
28:46 music what I think is happening with with Trinibad I'd like to see Trinibad
28:54 but you know it is what it is but I think it's it's real now when we used to
29:02 listen to Jamaican music what they were speaking about and the areas and the
29:07 people and the gangs the Rima and the jungle and we've always heard of these
29:13 things we didn't know it we didn't know it but when I hear when someone hears
29:21 someone singing about a gangster here and a area here like I remember I was
29:27 here in a Trinibad song a few years ago and he say I'm if you think we go meet
29:33 you outside C3 and look over your head and I could I know where C3 is. Rebel 6.
29:38 Yeah Rebel 6 I know where it is so immediately it hit me different now
29:44 than if they say well if we catch you outside Montego Bay I don't I don't
29:50 really know where that is I just sing any song now you know so that's why.
29:55 And not in your garden. Right so but now I think that that gives you the the movement a
30:00 more realness and as KG said remember they're singing about real things
30:05 they're not singing about fake things you know. And I said to music it's a reflection of the life.
30:10 Of the life. It's our real life. Like growing up I always knew Jamaica was a
30:14 dangerous place regardless how nice it was you always knew because of shutters
30:19 and all these things you're watching. Like they are painting the real picture of
30:23 where they are from Trinidad no it's a kind of fake island where we used to
30:29 always project this carnival thing and the steel band thing when people die in
30:33 human trafficking drugs all over the place the place. So Trinidad need to
30:39 fix a lot of things right but coming up they never advertised that to the people
30:44 we always try to make it seem and now they come down for the carnival. We never expose the underbelly.
30:49 Never we hide it we hide it for years and Trinidad is literally the first time
30:55 we literally say look at what happening and I've been real since Trinidad was
31:02 created everybody know what's going on now. All they didn't know was the bosses name and
31:07 who's the boss in B-Town and who's the boss here. Nobody didn't know these things.
31:11 So now everybody knows. Let me just ask one question. You think though in terms of the as
31:19 you answer you are saying in terms of the approach of the music I mean we we
31:24 seeing that people dying yes but but but there are people who are posing you
31:30 don't think that they're there men who are bad bad men you don't think about
31:34 bad men posing as artists. Definitely. Because that is why some of the things
31:38 happening. That's why they're dying. That's why they're dying. These are men posing as artists. They're not really
31:42 artists you know. They don't really love music. They're just bad men and they get to write.
31:46 Correct. So that and all is something we need to also look at. Yeah. That we need to look at
31:52 that is the problem. So I want us KG to further
31:59 ventilate and discuss that point. We just taking a pause and that that really is a
32:05 good topic. We are we really still living in Sweet TNT?
32:10 Hey friends welcome back to Manhood and we're all here and we we've got into a
32:25 lot of great discussion from different forums and so on and we continue here on
32:31 CNC3 and I mean I want to continue where I left off KG where I was I was making
32:37 the point and I observed because you know you're looking at current affairs
32:40 I work on a urban station and you know you're looking to these things and you're
32:46 hearing a lot of death, destruction, threats, everything around the Trinibad
32:50 music and you're looking at men who may be quote-unquote gangsters or bad men
32:58 and they want to sing. So they bring in that ill repute into the thing into your
33:06 session. Yeah and that is the problem. That is like my only problem like I did a
33:11 video a couple days ago that went extremely viral on the internet because
33:15 of the things I was seeing a lot of people didn't like what I was seeing. I
33:18 was seeing like the so-called bosses that we look up to in these
33:25 communities and like they're not really doing anything or whatever but also I
33:28 was seeing that a lot of men coming into the industry to amplify the wrong that
33:36 you're already doing in the life and that's why you're seeing so much Trinibad
33:39 youths dying because the ones that are dying is not necessarily artists you know
33:44 they are gangsters that see a lane because I mean if you have all the guns
33:49 already and you have all the chains and you have everything that the Trinibad
33:52 industry they love just go in a studio and sing a song you know
33:57 and I guess that is the problem that going on in industry right now that I
34:01 don't really agree with you know. Lead the artist to be artist, lead the bad man to be
34:05 bad man you know. Yeah. Well KG, truth is an important thing and I like how you said
34:13 you know that we may have been hiding things as a nation right and you
34:19 highlighted the word underbelly and for the only way for us to even solve
34:23 anything is to understand the truth of it and after exposing the truth now is
34:30 where the solutions come and to even take the courage to want to expose the
34:37 truth puts yourself under the fire and I believe and this is my opinion is that a
34:44 man does the role of a man. Each one of us have a certain skill set, a
34:48 responsibility even a certain power influence over a certain part of society
34:53 that we responsible for and that DSA and those of you who familiar with
34:59 Jordan Peterson, Jordan Peterson say a man should be able should be able to die
35:04 for whatever he believe in. So if it is your role or the role of Trinibad in
35:10 its in its purest form is to expose the truth of it then it may sound a little
35:16 morbid but we are to be willing to die for it and that's how any chain, no I'm not
35:23 saying you should die for it you know or that is okay to die for it but being
35:27 willing to die for it because some of the opinions you're sharing many people
35:31 wouldn't like and you'll put yourself under disrepute danger even now even
35:36 actual threat to your life and even us as men here we speaking the point is for
35:40 us to speak honestly and we may be come under some kind of backlash because
35:44 somebody disagreed with it but the point is if you're if you're you're committed to
35:49 something and even inspiring the youth because the youths have a truth they
35:55 want to also also disseminate and for us to even even as elders because we older
36:00 for us even help them we have to understand what the truth of things and
36:04 understand it so I appreciate it and I will say it again I appreciate here is
36:08 saying this story and if if no and as Robert here say before adding the
36:13 element now of one solutions to if we know that there are elements that
36:20 bringing the music to distribute is to expose it and I seen that with a little
36:26 apprehension but also with conviction because how else we will change things
36:32 we yeah I was a question if TNT still sweet I think our rating went down on
36:37 the happiest nation right and it and the truth is is that we a lot of us and this
36:43 is from almost 10 12 years doing doing this this this field of psychology
36:49 counseling behavior change in Trinidad is that we tend to go from carnival to
36:55 Christmas that is the drug carnival the Christmas carnival the Christmas and if
37:00 even if I go statistically when we not in carnival season there's a high influx
37:05 of clients coming for help as soon as carnival and Christmas come clients
37:09 clients go down because now we have the drug and it was interesting I remember
37:14 one year ash Wednesday morning I got a call 7 a.m. somebody ready for a session
37:20 because they already get a drug and he hired come on you come down right and
37:25 now the commentate so I believe is really important for us to see the truth
37:31 of our nation because only way for us to really reach where we want to be right
37:35 vision 2020 vision 20 to do wherever we want to go is to expose the truth of
37:42 things I want to just touch on something I said a Johansson and I want a presence
37:50 two things based on some feedback that we've seen on on you know a couple of
37:56 the episodes that have been shown already or conversations rather that
38:00 we've had with manhood I want a presence first off when we discuss what it takes
38:05 to be a man we're not saying that a man has to be what is may be considered a
38:10 manly man you know testosterone high in this good in sports you know plenty
38:15 girls all of this a man as we discussed and we want to define it is based on
38:22 your value system and being that man is based on having values that are accepted
38:27 by society and more importantly the person which you have that those
38:32 interactions with that you leave the room better than you found it and that
38:36 is what we I think from my perspective we determine to be a man and so when we
38:41 go on values and our responsibilities the second thing I want a presence is
38:46 that we are not in any way trying to undermine or stop the movement of
38:53 Trinibad or is it is that does that's the name of the genre right it's called
38:58 Trinibad and even that may need to change at some point because if I call
39:02 it Trinibad you have already put that negative connotation on it.
39:07 I mean it's a trend in our culture like we grew up saying that car real bad, that shoe real bad.
39:11 Right, now I understand so Trinibad in that sense. It's really good. So if you say something so like in so like in my
39:18 growing up we would say that real sick. Right, so so therefore again as even
39:23 Johansse was was speaking about maybe KG you as as far as I'm as far as I am
39:30 aware the best or the number one producer of that music the person
39:35 everybody goes to that we meet people where they act and have that
39:40 understanding of in the same way like I was just educated the person's listening
39:44 on here now educated as to what you mean by bad as opposed to a bad man. Correct.
39:49 And we're not in any way trying to cry down the music because you know I've
39:56 listened to a couple tunes and it is certainly potential and the beats and
40:00 all the rest of it what I'm saying to you is right now when we were growing up
40:05 the I'm still growing up the areas is that as Blaise mentioned we are not I
40:13 didn't know those areas or I wasn't in the face of crime the underbelly as we
40:18 put it was hidden and and so the music was just about vibes so even though the
40:24 lyrics might have been bad meaning bad not bad meaning good it was still
40:31 unknown to me and I'm saying but no they always say meet people where they at and
40:37 with the fear that we are going through now of crime and gun mounting and and
40:42 any any number could play it's like a lottery right now that you hearing that
40:47 music is is just going to it is not it is not in any way giving me pleasure and
40:52 it seems like what we're doing is further dividing the artist from the
40:57 audience in terms of the audience you may then want to get to so that it may
41:01 be played on radio stations but that's not because no sponsor or no person
41:07 listening on is going to really feel good hearing that music knowing that a
41:11 I know here about three man get shoot so I'm saying that we look at maybe
41:20 recognizing that acknowledging that and even somehow explaining more this as you
41:26 mentioned you all discussed it again it was another educating moment for me
41:29 which is that it's a story but to me I look at the video and it just comes
41:34 across as opposed to them telling the story of what they see and what they
41:38 know it seems as if they're saying I am going to do this to you and all the
41:42 signs like that of course yeah also people need to understand that
41:48 everything is stages you know like we grew up listening Jay-Z 50 all these
41:53 people and they start singing a certain type of music when there was any hood
41:57 and then there became successful and the music change but I was a like we have to
42:04 support the youth agreed I you to always start singing what you know all I know
42:09 is this I would say I never been to high up I never been to America I never been
42:14 to so they can sing about these things that don't know anything about these
42:18 things all they could sing about it what is seen in the community the more we
42:21 support them is a bigger they will get the money real stations continue
42:24 supporting them and stop pushing the narrative of a them singing gunman music
42:27 because reality is all of us listen gunman music so that we just stop
42:31 fighting on the local youths because for example Prince Wani he is like the
42:36 Mecca of Trinidad he stopped the hype you know he come out with the big up the
42:41 bees and big up the season but today you know really on that you know he more
42:46 doing collabs with Kodak black and you know he doing bigger things you know
42:52 because he came out yeah and the reason why he got so big is because we had the
42:58 support of Trinidad at that particular time before all the deaths are to happen
43:03 and people as you say people start to get scared and sort of put away and we
43:06 had the support so he was getting the 10 million views and 15 million views and
43:10 because of that support we as literally as big as the Jamaicans so these
43:16 Jamaicans was coming to Trinidad to collab with us but he was looking at
43:19 Trinidad as the new dance all right then the killing started to happen and whatnot
43:24 and the people started to divide and now it kind of come back down. So how do we get it
43:30 to as we have Calypso and we have Soca how do we get that to be another genre
43:35 that globally people will want to... Support as I say like support like I
43:40 personally do not like when we try to fight them down like we try to bring
43:46 down the name like if we do not listen to this music internationally why is it
43:51 a problem as Blaise say is it because it close that is why we don't want to
43:56 support it because it could be one because it close because we generally
44:04 humans let you know Trinidadians it a lot of times we uncomfortable when our
44:10 shortcomings get exposed you know and not to say even exposed privately because
44:14 I'm like we is light ourselves but especially publicly right and and as I
44:20 was saying I appreciate it so you would have a back that's not that I don't know
44:24 anything about that but you're listening to the music right so that so that's one
44:29 two you're saying in terms of support right and that's why I glad you even on
44:34 this forum because based on the feedback thus far even from the area of the first
44:39 conversation that we've had we there are lots of people support even on my way
44:43 here some some people stop me and say you know what I didn't even know men
44:47 distinct these things I didn't even know men going through these things and of
44:50 course each each man here is in a different field so in your field the
44:54 opportunity for you to be able to tell a story again and I going each each
44:59 artist now that we know we know a jury have podcast we have we have YouTube
45:03 telling a story could be even part of your format no so that people understand
45:07 it and then if I go back I remember I was analyzing this might sound a little
45:12 strange but I used to analyze things long time right so I was analyzing
45:15 sizzler music at a time and from when he went to black woman and child to pump up
45:20 our right I was wondering okay why he did that and even was the impact and
45:24 doing some research when he was singing the black woman and child type music the
45:30 crime rate in Jamaica actually went down right so so there's actually
45:34 statistical evidence to correlation right so even understanding that and
45:40 even he used use Prince Prince one even him could also be part of the revolution
45:45 of change the things because he could tell in his story of him him telling his
45:49 story because just like Jay-Z Jay's when Jay-Z came at Beyonce knows a different
45:53 type of music here but it telling the story yeah where it is musically or I
45:57 think I think I think I saw a major problem the youths in the local industry
46:02 again we do we have much platforms like like when I see this I was like this is
46:07 what we need you know we need more of these things the other day the fix from
46:10 Jamaica came down and if you all know about the fix that's a Jamaican podcast
46:15 yeah they came down and they interviewed the whole of Trinidad you know and
46:19 they were actually doing a documentary about Trinidad and those getting all the
46:23 key elements in Trinidad and people was coming and telling the story you know
46:27 swan he come and tell them where he come from hunger there's that and you know
46:31 people felt it people was like I cool cool toppy boss came on and he talked
46:36 about the crime and what going on so people started to understand more you
46:39 know I came out I say certain things so I guess we need again we need more
46:43 support and we need more platforms for the youths for them to be more creative
46:51 not just going a studio sing a song put it on YouTube it going all day two man
46:55 get shoot tomorrow no we need a little more belly but we need it from people
46:59 like you all you know people who have that type of influence out there because
47:03 these are ghetto youths these are not you know youths that know what they're
47:08 doing these are you so come last in test and as I know I said I'm in the back of
47:13 the class but I got opportunity to do something so we know who have the
47:16 mindset that way I just try my best because I know and why there's more
47:20 intellectual and them and why didn't grow up in no beta more sealers no my
47:24 mother and them try to you know put a certain foundation for me that's why I
47:28 could speak the way I speak today so all the youths in Trinidad I always sit down
47:33 with them and I talk to them and I try to mentor them and regardless of the
47:37 gunman music I try to put some things in their head you know simple things as
47:41 getting a passport you know getting a visa showing them some things on my
47:46 phone hey look where I went look at LA look at Miami you see that way they do
47:49 that just yeah because I don't know and I something I notice about them they
47:55 literally don't know and in the kingdom of the blind one I man is king and what
48:00 and what you focus on is what you see and what's in your environment as we
48:04 said what they see is what they're singing about but it needs to become
48:07 more more of a story of letting us know and exposing that underbelly to everyone
48:14 to be able to for both parties on both sides of defense to understand and to
48:18 elevate and to bring Trinidad and Tobago back to where we all wanted because we
48:23 wanted to be a safer place I don't think they want to be doing what they're doing
48:27 or be an environment they're doing but we have to make we have to ensure that
48:30 we're we're meeting each other and we're not I remember one friend of mine in
48:35 doing research said that a lot of persons go into these environments or
48:39 try to do these give backs but they do it from the position of guys or just
48:44 stay where all you are stay stay there so we want to help me not so you don't
48:48 come into my environment or my homes so you're not doing it your position is
48:53 still work out of fear and you still and and they those environments those
48:58 communities receive that and they know that they know that and therefore you
49:01 become more and more feral as you go along generation to generation not
49:06 understanding maybe what was the the what may have started everything from
49:10 the embryonic stages of it and now as you grow up and you're into those
49:14 environments you just become more you're surviving we might see to surviving
49:18 because our survival is different their survival is that and they're singing of
49:23 that so they as you said most persons might even know what they're singing is
49:27 of that environment the to them it's this is this is normal convo but I want
49:33 to personally end end on that note for me as as part of my wrap-up on this
49:40 particular conversation of manhood which I thought was very very insightful and I
49:45 want to go around the table with everyone having their closing thoughts
49:48 and KG if you could you know you normally have these inspirational
49:52 messages that I know that you send in the community if you will do us a solid
49:56 today as a brother and close off after everyone has gone around the table and
50:01 and we'll certainly like to welcome welcome you back to have these
50:05 conversations as we continue so blaze the answer you'll thank you right you
50:14 know the same knowledge is poor so the more we understand even what Trinibad is
50:20 is the more that we could even assist as men I am sharp men I am having your
50:26 brothers back because as Robert was saying I believe that all of us want a
50:31 better shouldn't I want to be a better world for us to live in as as cliche doesn't
50:36 mean song the thing is I want to be able to walk the street in our gold chain
50:39 anytime I want because that's why I like I want my children to be able to do that
50:44 I want to see your children do it right and whatever we could do to better
50:49 understand it because I'm sure even people listening to this today's
50:52 conversation got some new knowledge into what even Trinibad is and understanding
50:58 your story and even now they could even analyze even outside of us how they could
51:02 help what solutions are possible so KG thank you and I actually look forward to
51:07 even hearing the story that somebody other artists right so we could
51:12 understand exactly how we could help not just as men but even as brothers and as
51:18 citizens of Trinidad and Tobago and recognizing you can't say that they too
51:24 are our brothers and sisters we're all part of this we're all part of being
51:31 Trinidad and Tobago please well the thing is I totally agree and you know
51:37 what I mean this this segment this conversation is far from finished you
51:44 know I mean I mean we could discuss so much more about the elements of the
51:50 music the elements of why the music is like that how it affects people I think
51:56 this is this is just the tip of the iceberg that we discussing here I would
52:01 encourage to probably have KG on again later on or bring a partner or something
52:06 like that and see how that would happen but we also must in terms of music how
52:11 it affects people it is age-old I mean there's a story all nobody Pied Piper
52:16 that story is a story we grew up with and we saw what the Pied Piper can do
52:21 and that is music you know so we have to always be careful but we as a society
52:28 and we as people and we as leaders of our homes and so on we must also take a
52:34 responsibility to look at the youth and the next generation because we are not
52:39 without fault we can't just blame it on the music and say well is the music you
52:44 know because we are we are you know we we ought to be better parents we have to
52:49 be better parents we ought to be better fathers we ought to be better uncles we
52:53 have to we have to be better people you know because we have to take part of the
52:58 responsibility too because even when I was in my music phase and I I like my
53:03 music phase I always tell the story I remember Chaka Deema singing young girl
53:07 business control Jamaica and my mother say no no you understand we as parents
53:16 have to do that too so the artist can sing what they want you know but we have
53:22 to also filter you know I mean and the more we filter they realize well then
53:27 I really take into this you know this is what we know here when when sizzler when
53:32 sizzler was sizzler in 95 and 96 and thing I know plenty partners who I grew
53:37 up with Dayton Rasta yes or for the music you know I mean so we have to be
53:42 we have to be careful and we can't just cast blame on the music alone we can't
53:46 just cast blame on the artists and the producers alone we also have to be
53:50 better and I'm talking in terms of men we have to be better men and we have to
53:56 show the example and we have to set the pace and say this is not what it's
54:00 supposed to be or this is the way it's supposed to be you know I mean so I was
54:06 really happy because we hear the next side - yes it's very important to hear
54:09 the three sides you know they will always have different sides you know and
54:14 that was like my arm when I started to really push the whole Trinidad movement
54:20 that was like my my whole team I grew up in a country where if I wanted to be an
54:25 artist I had to be a so-called this but I don't like rum I don't like Hudson you
54:31 know like it's me yeah you know so it was hard for me to be creative because I
54:35 was used to look at it like why my country so boxed in and why we hide in
54:40 every like even the regular all-stars like they just disappear I grew up
54:44 listening to this music I wanted to be a reggae artist and as soon as I was the
54:48 age where I could have been a reggae artist and groom a little ox and thing
54:52 the luck of that you know so it was like real stifling and I know a lot of
54:57 creatives could agree as in we feel very stifled as creatives you know we feel
55:04 like we have to choose one thing to get through in Trinidad or we have to be a
55:09 certain way to get you have to speak a certain way like I remember the days
55:13 when me staff to go on the radio station and we couldn't even talk Trinidad
55:17 dialect but the Jamaicans would go on their radio station I'd be like yeah by
55:22 blood and yeah I mean I mean me I figure on the road and think and people
55:26 still look at us as that is how the artist talk but in Trinidad we had to be
55:30 like the you know because we are we so caught up in how it look and what it
55:36 really is my vision was never to promote violin music because I always tell
55:41 people that Trinidad is not only about violin music you have a lot of other
55:45 music in the Trinidad general but you know the thing does go people love the
55:49 action thing we love the John wick we love the the Call of Duty we love the
55:53 bad man music we love action thing you know and I was already sell the Trinidad
55:58 general but the mission was never to promote violence the mission was to
56:02 promote reality and to promote what is really going on in the inner cities of
56:07 Trinidad and Tobago you know so um thank you for being here you know I appreciate
56:13 it I must say you know I always appreciate platforms where I could you
56:17 know just bring the other side to the coin you know so yeah man make up all
56:23 this it was a very very insightful conversation nothing more to be said on
56:32 my part but a lot still to be said on this topic so kg we certainly want to
56:37 have you on set again and I would like to go on a Trinidad set - I want to see
56:45 yeah I was like behind and I think that's that's another thing soon as I
56:49 love that's another thing remember you see some videos and thing but being
56:52 really get to go and see it now to be part of it look at it and be scared and
56:58 yeah I would see yes feel so safe in these communities the only thing that
57:03 bring in on these communities is the crime you know but there's so much love
57:06 in these communities beat em see lots love until there's so much love when you
57:09 go into these communities you realize that this is the real life here you know
57:13 families in the road children playing football cricket is love it not like
57:18 oh I know I could tell you first hand I mean I've been to what what people say
57:24 somebody darkest communities and five never never never had anybody come apart
57:29 from say boy a sportsman boy yeah I'm a lot of people like you would go into
57:34 these communities and think that they might know they actually appreciate that
57:40 when they see kg come get a camera they're happy they don't take my camera
57:43 they want me to put it on I'm saying that my experience has been quite the
57:47 opposite I don't feel fearful I've never gone through even all the
57:51 motherhood sending people to a board I'm like hey you know it's a conversation I
57:55 do I don't feel that way but my point is is that people there are people that
57:58 feel that way we can't ignore the violence and crime is happening to
58:02 Beagle and this this genre is is being perceived as contributing to that so the
58:09 point of the conversation today as we was very good Convo and hearing all the
58:14 sides and I'm certainly better off for it is to understand where the vision of
58:19 the music is and how we can do better to be able to you know to get to that
58:25 vision you know to see that vision so once again you know good conversation
58:30 another another really insightful episode of manhood you want say always
58:36 a pleasure kg welcome anytime brother and blaze I think I remember time you
58:41 were fearful somewhere no and you call for rescues yeah he was fearful
58:52 somewhere
58:55 manhood brought to you by Jameson natural sources since 1922 and racetrack