world, you’re with your life, Chris and your 2 beautiful
daughters, how you guys and open up.
>> We’re good where we’re getting through it isn’t as a
amazing. Mother and partner and she was right there that’s why
I say oh yeah, she gave me a look as soon as you buy.
But now she’s all we’ve it’s it’s definitely been a learning
experience we
I think one thing that I was by myself is just between many and
the Niners for the youngest one and school and my parents like
there are a lot of you know
ways that I had helped that don’t have anymore and in the
beginning of it was like.
You know just kind of overwhelming I think I thought
it was at least and and I quickly just learned that this
is this is what it is and this is the best time in the world
to it’s a really you know spend time which it isn’t this is the
most time I’ve ever spent with my with yeah, my weight,
my need to.
>> Means I thought I knew my kids but now I really know and
I know you’ve got little Marley who is 8 months. We’ve got a
little gold be our new baby whose. Just about 6 weeks and
you know my wife give birth, you know Long Island know
during the whole craziness tonight to drop know, I never
knew the strength, my wind issues strong woman obviously
like eyes. So much respect now, you know with the view that I
have given birth in the middle of all this we think about this
whole time that we’re in right now like when it’s over we go
back to whatever version of normal will be when you look
back on this extended time.
What are some themes that will stick out for you.
>> That’s a good question. I feel like you know for 1,
1, we already touched on his family like I have way better
understanding of the value of my family and like who they
really are in terms of like what makes me me or what what
makes life comfortable for me.
I think another big thing is empathy I think that this is a
time where
because the amount of of
you know of infections and deaths that have happened
because of the media coverage of of you know
the actual health crisis.
In addition to the economic crisis in addition to just like
the in the you know the humanitarian crisis. It’s
that there is this is the most important time to care about
other people other than yourself and I think that’s
something that we’ll we’ll carry on hopefully after this
just people’s level of understanding.
>> Both share a great sense of faith, you know my my faith is
the most important thing in my life, you know phase. My
family, my friends having some fun.
>> Yeah,
>> I’ve been you know praying a lot and I wondered like how
much should you be leaning on got during this kind of crazy
time of what it is that’s what spiritual conversation about
like you don’t want your.
and like reading the Bible eoc in in a few years and you know
my wife says constantly reminded me that we have to
have a relationship based in Christ and just you know to to
to respect each other with you know the grace that Christ
doesn’t so has been extremely helpful on the yeah I think
it’s just been you know there’s nothing
nobody I think you know at least on our level just like
people saw this coming and it just remind you that they’ve
got is in control and you know things that you think you know
to be so finite ensure absolute you know they can you know it
it get taken away or turned upside down at any moment,
>> You know my guys got this right. Yeah that’s got got this
so.
is like we’re all you know, we’re all freaking out it’s a
whole crazy time but as I think about its reminder of how small
we are that is like breath of fresh air is the breath of God
coming through it’s going now better you better recognize
like right just the reminders like winter swimming in the
ocean here, we’ll let you get caught in the West was like
man, I kind of forgot Mother Nature doesn’t mess around by
yeah
like just with its tail around and that’s what this time feels
>> It’s definitely a reminder that.
like.
>> Yeah member after the financial crisis of 2009 and
the like people kind of went away with the idea of
materialism for change a little bit you don’t eat 8 cause,
you know come in pairs of shoes, you need how many houses
you need those kind of like you know be kind of scale back a
little bit that’s all that portion right people or kill
everybody. I feel like the end of this pandemic I know from
being in New York Chicago like.
When there’s a sunny day I wake up Mike man I got this
quarantine I can’t wait for my kids, but if it rains for 2
straight days are among the hands of these got to get
through this. Yeah, the weather like I have a new found respect
the weather.
>> And that’s I feel your total, I mean it’s like that
today was the first sunny day in a few days in Chicago has
been gray and you know and foggy
and that completely like you know sometimes dictates my I
think the the best thing that I’ve I feel like I figured out
is that
God is faithful and that at the end of the day. There’s always
some time in the day to connect in the war and that you know
fear where areas like you know.
Well, let’s just in terms of in in terms of the things that we
have no control it we just have control over
how much faith with but it.
>> Yeah, I think that’s well said on the music front me
you’re so great lives. So obvious you love being why it’s
you can see it in your fans waited they react to you being
live obvious, none of that’s happening right now. Do you
feel like is there a void that you’re trying to fill with that
or would you handling that definitely.
>> Yeah, I mean like so for me like performing is like the
most
you know is the best part of the music I like it more than
writing music morning. According to music. It’s as my
of my favorite thing in the world. So I I think the fact
that the large gathering entertainment world is like
kind of like at a standstill has been everybody in the
business that does anything with large gatherings and stuff
so
you know was was really cool is a physical weeks ago or not a
couple weeks ago these days feels a lot like yeah, actually
I did. I did a lot of strewn with with rising where
performed a few songs and and use the last streams based like
shout out and support like local businesses as well.
And we you know benefit if you,
small businesses in Chicago and make sure that to shout them
out and and and try and just like gather, even if if people
want to Chicago just understand how important to the small
businesses are and yeah, it’s specially on from Chicago down
from 79.
>> And a lot of the you know, so you know.
>> Strong predominantly black neighborhood and a lot of our
businesses over there are owned by people in the community and
so for the few that are and taking a major hit on the
schools, you know open demick in your home order time so it’s
got to support them and try and make sure that they’re right
thing not just through this pandemic but also afterwards.
>> And you know many rappers I’ve interviewed him many
artists I’ve talked to I so seldom Lee here. This real
sense of team humanitarianism by here and you manage you’re
talking like this students like 40 years old you’re not.
So wise beyond her years you care so much about though you
don’t just talk about it. You do it in your actions and
your wallets and your deeds hear words like it’s you who
you are where does that come from as that your face a
family’s su, yeah, I think is.
>> Isn’t directly my faith I think I get a lot of like my
since serve
understanding the kindness from among who is a big
to me she exemplifies that the essence of like you know be
kind of a neighbor like the kindness of Jesus the that
through the spirit and then my my dad and his side of this and
we’re all community organizers are you know grassroots
activists and they my my great grandmother March we can
organize my grandmother, we’re fair Washington when ran for
mayor of Chicago and so it’s I think my.
>> I just and those are cheaters those are that’s those
are doers right, I mean, yeah I call I call him happened makers
it. Yeah happened that night everybody happened maker you
know if you have like your mom. It is like the perfect
Christian red Christians crisis like no other she exudes that
and then like pop side have size like happen makers.
Yeah, they’re just like this this spring that’s just got
both those qualities minuscule.
>> Thank you man, yeah we try we try and stay involved in and
work in and you know, I got
social works the the nonprofit was started back in
Jesus I think it’s like 20’s, 1520 1420 16. And we’ve we’ve
been able to do like some really dope stuff in the city,
I like what you break it down, what’s it like there’s a
program in a social works too. So we’ve done a lot of stuff
over the years we did my state of mind which was we compiled
like a list of all the mental health facilities, president
and publicly on that or government on that. When the
state Illinois work with the state and local governments to
like make it all accessible for people we did.
The new chance fund I donated 2 million dollars to to CPS and
raised think over 7 million dollars since then. We we’ve
open Mike is actually how we started basically I grew up on
open Mike seen us to name brother Mike Hawkins was like
my mentor and the light show we had you know the stage presence
and kind of just talking about like galvanizing the fan base
and like you know, I have only had a few people just how to
keep them updated on myself and you put on a lot of artists at
it from Chicago that have gone up since and sovereign no-name
Vic Mensa and I passed away, I think when I was 19 or 20 and
was like this, I’m sorry
for the Mike passed away. Yeah, I’m sorry brother,
my chest away. I think 6 years ago now, and right after that
we started on the Mike and his memory and brought back this
might think that we would do and we made it a monthly event
has been going on for 5 years strong now. This is one my
favorite things but you know since the
the pandemic is going on a lot of our programming has been
kind of kind of moved around so over might now actually has we
did a really cool thing called out to Mike why we did crops
every week and every week we give away $500 to a different
student who will win and and kind of just use that to keep
people in the keep these these young creatives on kids these
young creatives and yeah in a creative space and and they
they put together some amazing pieces and I was just really
proud of that.
What are some of the most creative things you saw these
guys do.
I mean the the cool thing is like so with open Mike, it’s
it’s always like and been kind of format platform right so
it’s like you get on stage you can dance you can say you can
wrap you can do standup you can.
But the other power point whatever you know I like it’s
almost like a touchdown run, it’s not just like wrap,
it’s and and there’s no and our history we’ve never had a
competitive. You know feeling to it so it’s it’s not a talent
show it’s literally like to to hone your skills and we first
first started we we would do these products like I used to
grow up doing where they you know, so we can yeah like up
owners to work cultures spot to whatever and you would make
your peace based on that I just thought it was cool to see
these these these these young creatives we’re faced off of I
thought that was just like the coolest thing in the world is
that yeah, they were you know
kind of like.
I don’t know the right word, but just like you know
streamlining their constant 31, yeah, you know me.
>> Well they just needed like a little like slow platform to
jump off on a starting point is that it’s fun to see these
creative minds if given out probably like where they take
it because they’re going to start to feel good about
themselves right now because they’re creating this like this
forward momentum whether the magic wrapping our point what
exact moment, you know one of the zone as well as teachers,
I know, you’re a kid you’re probably misunderstood every
twilight towards with the school and that would you know
raise a lot of money you’ve given a lot of money as you
mentioned to us special teachers out there, how’s your
perspective of teachers changed over the years now to your
father a successful businessman.
>> And it’s so different.
I feel like well for one like just at the biggest problems
when I say like well, I’m so appreciative of teachers now
that I’m with my kids, 24 hours a day likely. Take these kids
but I think at the same time I think it’s like
what really helped me out was when I did the when I first
donated the first million to CPS I didn’t I didn’t really
understand on how we’re going to basically put this money
into the schools will write I knew that that we were going to
create these menu items for for teachers to to use and and give
it to them in a grant format so that they knew exactly where
they could apply the money but
we really got in the weeds with the teachers and the principals
and and really like help them put together. A comprehensive
plan on how they were going to use this $100,000
going school to school and we’re going to and just seeing
how best to how much money these teachers have put into
their own classrooms already.
Just give me a new appreciation for yeah, I was a kid I and I
get along with the teaches at all and I think it’s the truth
is just like everybody is a person you know, I mean at the
end of the day. It’s like when you find a teacher that’s a
great person. They’re they’re usually
a superhero in a super important role in. Yeah,
people that are great beyond just that job that they have,
but they’re placed in a very important position and so yeah,
I had a few teachers that
conducive in the growth of my confidence or or or even and my
knowledge of certain subjects, but yeah, you know those were
they were people and they were learning at the same time
they’re teaching us and so it to me just makes the special
teachers more special.
Well, and you do such great work chance it so.
>> And we’re all so grateful to be able to talk to you and I’m
a huge fan of the music and are you making new music in
quarantine and I love some of the technology that’s come out
>> Yes, I’ve been recording a little bit at the crib and and
what are you doing.
I live my story my studio so I I’ve gone down there a couple
of times. What this fire you.
It’s I think really what inspires me is other music.
I like the more I listen to music in Austin just like you
know sing in the shower enough, or whatever is going on it’s
like a scene from where I got to get back in the studio.
But it’s
it was a cool thing happened recently I was doing a feature
for a song and I have been instrumental in the studio my
library back there and my daughter came in and and
I’d like to like a 57 like a hand-held microphone and yelled
like back in and my daughter brought pick that up then and
started saying it was the first time that ever say no I really
Anna.
You know performance like she’s things around the house a
little bit the shoes like
acting like guy when she sees me, yeah, it was you never seen
him before never never in my life and she’s she can get
really can get pretty shy was that like you know, let’s start
a business which is just to get shot and I think yeah it was a
cool thing to see open up. And a moment that you know you
all in on it.
I did I recorded and once the sun comes out probably.
>> Posted on that but I would you feel she started to go down
that path and wanted to I don’t know get into the business.
>> You know, it’s funny is I think before I was very when I
first had I just have thought of that I was always kind of
anti just because yeah, you know how you know
just being honest treacherous as businesses and how you know
like it doesn’t always align with my faith and stuff and I
think just over time just seeing how
smart she is and discerning she is and her young age is just
made and then just say how much she loves she loves music.
It’s not something that I would you know want to keep her away
from but I also think that she could be great at whatever she
does so there you go right, yeah, whatever she wants to do.
>> And that’s where we got it, we got to stay in touch and I
just had my hair, my 4th kid is my 3rd girl terrified a lot of
them out so crazy to think
about their lives. I look at my stare out I start to think
about the future like when I’m not around and all those
tempting moments and those things that like you and I’ve
been through yeah like like we don’t make sure that our part
we have to go through them so now that it’s you know man on
that stuff that’s a really together definite link with you
ought to listen. Appreciate you appreciate your time. The men,
I mean it’s just it speaks volumes, but character and the
music and can’t wait to hear the new track that’s coming out
so thank you thank you man.