- So like, that's my thing. - When you make a song
do you decide, I'm about to go create
or are you literally like taking a poop,
showering on a plane, and you're like fuck.
♪ Put my money where my mouth is ♪
♪ And I laid my cards ♪
- Hey everybody it's Gary Vaynerchuk
here at Cannes 2018 at the Vayner X lounge.
One of the things I'm super excited about,
as you know, is talent in general.
And for me always emerging talent is the most exciting.
A lot of people at the office
part of our crew, a lot of us are into music,
and I've been really looking forward
to this when big ups to Husein
and the people with, over at Maverick,
that partnership on the Vayner Maverick side.
Created this incredible opportunity where in a few moments
we're going to have Labrinth create
his magic to the audience here.
But before we did that, in my ever quest to continue
to educate the masses on things
that I find interesting and create content.
I'm super excited that you've joined me
for few minutes to kind of - Great to be here my brother.
shoot the shit, chop it up a little bit.
- 100%, yeah.
- For everybody who's watching who may not know who you are
give me the origin story like if this was the first
comic book, who are you, you know?
Where are you from?
How did we get here, what's your music about?
What are you about? - Yeah.
- Mostly, like I play multiple instruments,
I produce my music, I write my music.
I'm basically a creator and--
- Fully sufficient, - Yeah, fully sufficient
you write, you produce, sing. - I write, produce, sing,
perform and I kind of came up--
- And, and do you, do you?
I apologize you'll notice I like to cut off, I get excited.
- Don't worry.
- Do you, do you view that as, we're going to be seeing
a lot more of that, because how old are you?
- Definitely, I'm 20.
- Right.
- Yeah, no no don't worry I didn't get the other number in,
I'm 28, I'm 28. - Got it.
- So, but even at 28, you had the luxury of growing up.
- Yeah.
- In a technology world where new
technology is at your fingertips,
for the nine, 10, 13, 17, 20 year old version of you.
- Yeah.
- Do you believe that very artistic people are gonna be able
to be more multi-dimensional if they're lucky enough
to have the talent, because of the technology they have
at their finger, yeah. - Well definitely,
like the platform. - Was that a big deal for you?
- Without a doubt, like I think I just
I was basically on the cusp of it,
especially with my first record
and it gave, it basically gives you the power
to do what ever you need, especially to communicate
whatever you want to communicate, and that's
mega mega important because there's no middle man.
- That's right.
It's you and the end consumer.
- Like a label with a certain like corporation
in the middle, they have the chance to curate.
- That's right.
- What you've got. - That's right.
- Before it goes out, and they can be like
mmm we don't like that and we don't want you to say that
and it's like, not a true representation of your brand.
- So do you believe, and you know you're preaching right now
so are you-- - But it does also help
It does, it does help to have a label--
- For distribution. - For distribution.
- 100%, but do you believe that means that we're
in the greatest era of artists ever?
Because in the beginning. - Yeah.
- You're able to, you know you think about a lot of artists,
their first album. - Yeah.
- Is always their best.
- Yes, yep. - No different than
a writers first book, 'cause it's
your life built up. - That's exactly it.
- And like, when you see a kid, five years old,
innocent, pure, without all of the shit
that the world's put on them, it's the--
- They're the most beautiful version.
- That's the most beautiful. - Yeah but you'll love this.
- That's the purest dynamic, you know?
- I genuinely believe the reason that I'm successful--
- Yeah?
- Is 'cause I've under-educated myself on purpose.
- I love that, yeah yeah. - I mean it.
- An undereducated in the traditional sense, yeah.
- I know what you mean, yeah yeah yeah.
It's to like, undo, all the, all the things like that--
- Who's an artist that you, that brought you value
and when did you first get into music and why?
- I think Prince has, has been a very
Prince, Ray Charles, all of these guys are
people that, in a time where they didn't have social media,
found a way to create their own brand
and create their own voice, and it took them time.
But like, Ray Charles was a person that,
and I kind of look up to Ray Charles and Prince,
is that they made their own sound, they made their own thing
and they were able to, like,
respect how much time it takes to share that with the world.
To share your own universe, you can't like,
usually what happens in the music industry,
or any, most industries is that you jump on the bandwagon.
- 100%.
- Of the same kind of floor. - 100%.
- That everybody's, someones made the platform for you.
- There's only, there's only one or two pioneers.
- That's what I'm saying. - You know, I agree.
- So to actually make a platform for yourself is like,
that's my thing, that's what I want to do
is to make my own platform and to create my own sound.
- So when I hear you answer that.
- Yeah.
- Is, when people ask you, like inevitably
as your grow, like as your growing.
- Yeah.
- Which is, you're in the heat of that now.
- And you know from our point of view,
why we wanted you here is like, it's the beginning right,
like it's about to get way more serious real fast.
- Definitely.
- We can taste it in the Zeitgeist, in the culture.
Is it hard for you to answer when people say,
who are you like?
- Exactly that, exactly that because,
especially as, if you see yourself like something
or you see yourself as something--
- It's already.
- Then you're, you're that's it!
- I'm with you man, - It's like you're in the line
- I think it limits your up - Stand in the long line of,
of bullshit, and you're gonna. - Agree.
- It's gonna take you a long time to get
to where you want to be because you're not free
from that kind of, like,
from being like pigeon-holed into one thing, you know?
- That's right.
- And so my, because I learnt to produce music
because it allowed me to go okay,
if I want to make a jazz record I can make a jazz record,
if I want to make a funk record or a hip hop record,
and like basically facilitate in myself
of all these things allows me to be whatever
artist I want to be. - Are you, actually
I have a really interesting question.
- Yeah?
- Are you subtlety, in a very weird way,
potentially concerned of having a global smash hit?
- Am I concerned?
- Yeah, it's an interesting question right?
- I see what you mean, - Yeah.
- Am I concerned with that? - Do you see?
- That's a weird. - Concern maybe.
- That's a weird way to say it, I noticed that though.
- Because I'm listening to you.
- Do you know what it is, I'm having a smash hit,
and I've had hits before but.
- You know what I mean.
- Having a smash hit, - The defining song--
- And that's exactly what the word is, defining.
Defining makes you go. - I know, I know.
- And that's what I say is that,
once you become a king, it's hard to crash down
your kingdom, it's basically--
- Your preaching. - It's hard to get off
your throne and say, okay fuck that, I did that.
- Can I tell you something very interesting?
You don't know a lot about me but
this is almost more for Husein and D-Rock.
- Yeah.
- I often think that I'm slowing the role of my awareness.
- Yes, yeah.
- Because I don't want to have
to unwind the pigeon-holed nature.
- Yeah.
- Of a complete and utter one viral moment.
- Yeah.
- I'd rather put a deep body of work, and slowly ascend.
- That's exactly it.
- 'Cause it gives me the freedom to do what I do.
- Yeah, it's like and that's kind of literally my thing,
is that musical freedom--
- Music's tough.
- Yes, I know it is.
- Because, and listen, making videos is tough
but the way I make videos almost
doesn't allow it to ever be a trillion views,
'cause there's so much teeth being it I alienate people.
- Yeah.
- Music's tough because you never, you know,
there's a magic being music that, out of nowhere,
it just becomes, you know the people take it over.
- Very true.
- The, people take it over. - And once it's out,
it's not yours, and so. - 100,000%
- Like to maintain that, as a creative,
to, to go against that when the people said,
we, we follow this church or we,
we love this sound, we follow your, your movement.
Because they see a sound - Yeah.
of movement sometimes. - 100%!
- To literally say, forget that now is
very intense for a, for a fan. - And it's tough
because consumers are cynical by nature.
- Yes, absolutely.
- And so if you change it--
- Yep!
- Even if it's 'cause you--
- It's like when you're in the club, you're in the club,
and the guy's just killing some hip hop
and then he goes, oh now I'm gonna play
David Bowie, John, I'm Only Dancing.
What the fuck are you talking about, are you crazy, like?
- And a small percentage think it's the coolest
'cause you're mixing it, the masses, yeah you!
Nerds love it, but the masses are like ugh,
where's that Biggie shit.
- Yeah, that's it and the masses will do that,
especially when you've got them going on something.
But it is special, when in the long run,
when you see the history like Ray Charles,
when he went from country from soul or like,
he went from rock and roll to country, or blues to country,
people were like, are you crazy, are you stupid?
But when you look at his roster, you're like
what an incredible journey. - What about when.
- What about when Lil Wayne came out with a rock album?
- Yeah, that was hard, even for me.
- Me too.
- And I'm, I follow that. - And you embrace it.
- And I follow that mentality.
- Me too, do you think it was hard because he's so smart?
- Yeah.
- That he did it, he almost forced it
on himself versus it being his natural way?
- That can happen, that definitely can happen.
- I worry about that.
Where you become a caricature of yourself.
- Exactly that, yeah, yeah, and you kind of almost,
you wanna, you wanna, when you're,
when you blow up, you want to become a better version
of what you've blown up with,
and you kinda get bored of yourself before
anyone else does, you know? - 100%.
- Because you've been on yourself
for like five years. - I've been bored of myself
since 1970 fucking five.
(laughs)
- Bro, that's me.
- Aw man, I so get that because honestly,
you know what's interesting about me,
and I wonder if you, like, 'cause I've come
to learn recently, more than ever, that I'm creative.
'Cause I've always thought of myself as a businessman.
- Yeah, but business is creative.
- You're preaching.
- I almost think the second I start something
is the apex, that from that moment on it declines.
- Yeah, yeah, yeah.
- Like from idea to execution,
is the part and then-- - Absolutely, it's like--
- And getting everybody else on is a slow burn
of me not loving it as much anymore.
- Well, do you know what like, it's kind of like,
when you leave things, it's almost like a flower yeah?
And when it's leaving all the pollen
and it's dropping seeds and all of these things,
it doesn't think about the seeds is dropping,
it's like, when you respect nature
and you respect what you're putting out,
you're not going to analyze it too much
'cause you're respecting your creative process,
if you got me so, - I love it.
- For me, it's like, it's kind
of just dropping seeds and walk away.
Like, stop trying to analyze your seeds.
- You're preaching.
- If that makes sense, - Don't look, of course!
- That's what's helping me. - Don't look back.
- Yes, absolutely, that's what I believe.
- It's lit, it actually has no--
- It's the hardest thing
for you to do though. - You have to respect
what you've learned,
- For pattern recognition.
- Yeah, yeah.
- But you can't dwell on it.
- Yeah, and that's why I say respect nature,
'cause that's what nature does.
- Hey, I'm the same way, I call it respect the game,
it's just the truth of that. - I love that!
- Beautiful, that's the nature of it.
- Talk to me about the culture,
tell me what's got your attention right now?
What brands, what artists, what food,
what clubs, what alcohol, what non-alcohol,
what sneaker, what person, give me three to seven
things Labrinth's fucking with, what are you co-signing?
What are you, yeah what are you heavy with right now?
You got fresh white on white converse.
- Ah!
- Like what are you, what are you--
- A pair of converse is always alive, get going.
- Is converse your jam on sneakers?
Or do you mix it up?
- I like a converse, I like, I think Adidas
has delivered some great, great like sneakers
over time, and very comfortable as well.
But for me it's more about mentality,
I'm not really caught up with a brand
I'm caught up with like, like how free can I be?
- Whose mentality as a person do you admire?
- I really respect where J. Cole's going
especially with like social media,
he's like fuck social media and I think for him.
- It works.
- It works, you know?
- 'Cause it's his truth!
- Yes.
That's exactly it - People always say to me like
"Hey, like I don't use social media sorry",
I'm like I don't give a fuck.
- Yeah, like absolutely. - I'm like, I probably
wouldn't use social media if I was normal about it,
I just think it's the most important
communication platform in the world,
like I'm not, I don't give a shit.
I probably would have never drank wine
in my life if I didn't grow up in it.
- Yeah.
- I'm not emotional, I want things to be true to you.
- And that's how I see it as well, Kanye as well like,
I respect-- - Do you struggle with
where Kanye, like, some of the things Kanye's up to?
- Of course, I'm saying I don't agree
of everything he's saying, but I like the freedom.
I like how, how free--
- But do you think he's trying to force, like I almost
- Some of it is -- - I feel like he's,
It's not about forcing to do, I actually
am taking it a little bit different.
I'm wondering if he's so smart
that he understands freedom is the ultimate--
- Yes.
- That he's trying to speed up the process to freedom.
- Very true.
- It's, you know, like, it's how I think about listen,
the only reason I love being
an entrepreneur, I don't give a fuck about money.
I don't give a fuck about anything, you know what I like?
- Yeah.
- Being my own boss, I don't want anybody
to say anything to me ever, about anything ever.
(Labrinth laughs)
- Bro, that's why, that's probably why I produce
and like, record and pretty much do everything myself,
like just sit in the room.
- Did you struggle with signing with a label with the worry
that some of the creative director consumer shit,
like, did you over communicate to the label
of like, hey listen, you got this
but once in a while I just need
to throw something on sound cloud.
- That was a big thing, that was a big thing.
I think, of course everybody wants
to make money out of an idea, but I think to create a brand,
you've got to keep, you've got to, I personally feel
like there's an element of sharing
that has to happen, you know what I mean?
- What about physical places, what places do you like
to visit, like what's been a fresh place like,
whether it's a lounge, whether it's a sight-seeing place,
whether it's a city, what do you fuck with there physically?
- Yeah, yeah yeah, I think--
- What about vacation, where would you go to vacation?
Do you like beaches or do you like
to see the pyramids or shit?
- Bro, I literally, when I'm in this, when I'm creating.
- Yeah.
- I'm flying, I'm on another planet.
So for me, I don't do anything but create like,
I don't need to go anywhere.
- Yep.
- I'm just like, when I'm making a song
it's like I leave earth,
and so like that's my - When you make a song,
favorite thing. - do you decide
I'm about to go create, or are you literally like,
taking a poop, showering on a plane,
and you're like fuck, and you go?
- Well, like literally on my insta live
I just make music in front of,
I'm just like this is what I do
like, and so I'm just like-- - That's fucking awesome.
- It's literally constant flow,
just make and creating. - It's kind of what,
It's kind of how we think about it too,
like I'm just in it, I don't even
think, I live it, - I live it, like, yes.
That's exactly what it is, that's what it is for me man.
- My man, I fuck with you.
- Absolute pleasure man.
- Yeah man, good luck to you.
- Yeah, respect.
- See ya.
♪ I'm a go out fightin' and leave my scars ♪
♪ I don't know about tomorrow, but I know I got ♪