00:00It was like therapy listening to the song, you know what I'm saying?
00:02It was like very special to me.
00:04I knew it was going to touch the world, how it did.
00:06Everybody got their mama's song or their grandma, but I knew it was going to touch a lot of
00:11people's hearts, like two black men speaking about the loss of their fathers.
00:14It's a rare thing in our community.
00:15I think we was one of the first people to do it, for sure.
00:24When I made this song, it was just like, I looked at it like perfect timing.
00:28I was having like a simple issue with my album.
00:30So my album was supposed to be Ben Turkin then.
00:33I just went in the studio, just probably like creating for somebody else's album.
00:36And I played them chords and I Know You Proud of Me was like the first thing that came out.
00:40Freestyle, that whole song, it was like a therapy session really to my father.
00:44And then I sent it to Meek Mill and I was like, yo, we got to put this on the album.
00:47I played it, I went to New York, played for the label.
00:49Label got chills, everybody got chills.
00:51So it was just like, it was like God.
00:53I look at it like perfect timing in God, for sure.
00:55I Know You Proud of Me.
00:58Look at all the shit I prevailed.
00:59He passed away last year, so I bought him a crib.
01:02I was feeding my family, like taking care of my whole family before he was gone.
01:05And he knew that.
01:06I knew he was proud.
01:07Even before that, he was proud of me because he taught me how to make music.
01:09He introduced me to it.
01:10He forced me to just make music to stay out the streets or stay out the way.
01:15I Know You Proud of Me, for sure.
01:16For the youngest of your seeds, make sure the family eat well or I'll give them what
01:20they need.
01:20Usually like the youngest is just like, we're going to let him do whatever.
01:24Like we cherish the youngest.
01:26So my parents, my mom cherished me.
01:28My two older brothers was really like taking care of the family more than anything.
01:32I was just running around doing my thing and finally locked in on music and took it very
01:36seriously.
01:36Years go by like I'm the one that's taking care of everybody now.
01:39So that's what that line is about.
01:40The youngest of your seeds.
01:41I know they look at me like, damn, like this really are the youngest.
01:44You feel me?
01:45Taking care of us right now.
02:02Top three, like if I'm making a decision, I'll think about my family, God and money.
02:07So it's like, I'll sacrifice myself.
02:09I'm that type of nigga.
02:10Even today, like I'll take a loss so I can see my brother win.
02:13So ain't no telling what I'll do in a good or bad way.
02:16You know what I'm saying?
02:17And that's the same with them too.
02:32Being successful could be a blessing and a curse for sure.
02:34I feel like coming where we come from, like we've been cursed our whole life for real.
02:38Like we like 20 steps behind of America, living like in Philadelphia in the hood.
02:42When you finally get that money, it come with a lot of people hating on you.
02:46It's like, why him and not me?
02:47People will think you're heavy, but it's like a lot of people change on you because what you're
02:51doing at this moment, you can't bring everybody with you.
02:53Having nightmares of my brother clutching on me.
02:55You know what I'm saying?
02:55Gotta watch your back, even the ones you love.
02:57You know what I'm saying?
02:58That'd be the people that cross you the most, the people that's closest to you.
03:16Yeah, my dad gave me that advice.
03:18Stay about them streets, it could get lonely.
03:19Like that's all advice he told me.
03:21You could do whatever you want to dream of.
03:22I just ain't know what I wanted to do.
03:24And once I locked into it, it's like, damn, I hear his voice like, damn, I really, I did it.
03:28I'm walking on the stage, they waiting for me like 23,000, you know what I'm saying?
03:31Word for word too, hit after hit.
03:40Sometimes I clock out on stage, crowds singing word for word.
03:43And it's like, sometimes I really like, like blocking them out in a way like,
03:48then I ain't getting to a deep thug.
03:50And I just think about my dad, especially when I was on tour, that's when I lost him.
03:53The shows I did after that, it was just like seeing him and like singing to him and hearing
03:58his voice.
03:58Everybody could be here in the crowd, I'm hearing him.
04:00You know what I'm saying?
04:01Even after the show.
04:14I wouldn't even say it's coping because I know, I know it's not helping.
04:17I'm not like a dummy like, yeah, diamonds make me happy.
04:20It's helping me with my loss of my father.
04:22It's just something that make me happy.
04:24If I'm having like a bad day, I just count my blessings and less focus on the negative
04:29and focus on the positive.
04:30Like we're at the jewelry store.
04:31Let's, let's, let's, let's be happy today in a way.
04:33Let's do something, make me happy.
04:35Jewelry make me happy.
04:38Both my parents Haitian, you know what I'm saying?
04:40Growing up in a Haitian household, it's like, I'll be like, I'm going to my friend's house.
04:44They like, the fuck is a friend?
04:46Ain't no such thing as a friend.
04:47You got family.
04:48You know what I'm saying?
04:48You got, you got three brothers and eight cousins.
04:52That's all the friends you need.
04:53Growing up, you really realized that like meeting other people and like,
04:56niggas, you meet somebody, fade away a year.
04:58And like, the only thing that you left with is the same family.
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