00:00Hey, Essence fam.
00:01My name is Empress Varnado, and I am the senior social producer
00:04here at Essence.
00:05Today, I'm speaking with hip hop legends.
00:07We have Styles P, Jadakiss, and Sheik,
00:11aka the locks in the building right now.
00:13The group is bringing that New York City fire
00:16to this year's Essence Festival.
00:18What's up?
00:19It's always a vibe when the locks is in the building.
00:22How does it feel to be back on stage at Essence Fest this year?
00:28Amazing. Amazing.
00:30Wonderful.
00:31I've never been.
00:33I've actually sent my mom there a few times.
00:36To perform there, I think, is an excellent first experience.
00:41It's going to be dope.
00:43If you want to know why, because I know it for, like, you know,
00:45as far as me, I know it for, like, a lot of legendary R&B people.
00:48Maxwell and all these kind of guys.
00:50Like, you know, for us to touch the stage, you know,
00:52we bring, just to let y'all know, we coming raw, baby.
00:54We're going to bring it.
00:55Hey.
00:57Yeah.
00:58I feel like we made it.
00:59Yeah.
01:01I feel like we made it.
01:03I feel like telling all the important Black people
01:06I know that we're going to be on Essence Fest.
01:08Yes.
01:09Essence Fest is all about community, culture, blackness.
01:12And we back outside.
01:13We got the locks in the middle of building the roots,
01:16like the hip hop.
01:17That the night you all perform is going to be so much energy.
01:20And you're bringing that New York energy,
01:22that Yonkers energy, that brotherhood.
01:24Like, that would be so good.
01:34Yeah, it's fire.
01:35Word.
01:36So what can we expect from your performance?
01:38Just give me a little bit.
01:39Oh, we're going to take, you know, it's like a live mixtape.
01:43It's like a visual mixtape.
01:46We're going to take you on a journey.
01:48You know, we got a lot of music, heartfelt, joints for the ladies,
01:54hardcore, all kind of, you know, it's going to get a beautiful experience with the L-O-X.
02:03And yo, listen, listen.
02:04We know how to rock them groom crowds, too.
02:06Yup.
02:07You know what I mean?
02:08We know what to do.
02:09Yup.
02:10So with that being said, y'all are all considered to be showmen, right?
02:14And you've been in this industry for a long time, rocking the crowd.
02:17Every time I personally go to a club and a lot of speed starts, people don't necessarily wow out, but like the energy, just everyone's head just back and forth, back and forth, right?
02:27Yeah.
02:28So what are your tips to having that stage presence and that energy and even having a career that lasts this long?
02:35Put the young folks on because they need to know how to last this long.
02:39You know, for one, I'm going to pass it to you, Styles, in a minute, but for one, I mean, of course, taking care of yourself.
02:46Look, feeling good up there has got to be important, especially at my age.
02:49Like, yo, you know what I mean?
02:50Like, I got to be in shape to be, to rock with these young boys out there.
02:53So that, that helps.
02:54You know what I mean?
02:56Mm-hmm.
02:56Yeah.
02:57Staying creative.
02:58Staying creative.
03:00Keeping your ear to the street.
03:01Yeah.
03:02Embracing the new kids, embracing the new stuff, giving them game, chopping it up with them, kicking it with them, empowering them.
03:12Yeah.
03:12And I think that gives your career legs as elder statesman.
03:17Yeah.
03:18And eat good.
03:19Eat good.
03:20Drink good.
03:21Use the bathroom.
03:23Use the bathroom.
03:24Exercise.
03:25Jog like three miles like she does.
03:28Meditate.
03:30Pray.
03:31And, um, get good management and learn, learn to read your contracts.
03:35Do your paperwork.
03:36Stay with your, you know, stay on your business and you'll be okay.
03:39So in general, the fact that we have the three of you all here immediately when we got on the call,
03:46the energy is there, the brotherhood is there.
03:48And the lots of proof that we respect one another, don't allow outsiders to influence anything.
03:54You could really be successful as a group.
03:56Fast.
03:57How do you all keep your friendship intact?
04:00How do you guys even check each other when we need to do that?
04:02We brothers, man.
04:05That's for one.
04:05You know what I'm saying?
04:06You said friendship, but like we brothers.
04:07So that, that separates.
04:09You know what I mean?
04:10Yeah.
04:11Yeah.
04:12Yeah.
04:12Yeah.
04:13Keep it inside.
04:14Keep it inside.
04:15You know what I mean?
04:15Keep everything in the house and leave it in the house.
04:19Word.
04:20I don't know those other people.
04:21Why am I telling them anything?
04:22Yeah.
04:23Right?
04:24That's your social media thing.
04:25We don't know you.
04:26Ain't telling you nothing, man.
04:28Yeah.
04:29Word.
04:31And the money, you know, the money and whatever you're going through in life can't be
04:34more important than, you know, your brotherhood, your friendship in the first place, that money
04:39come and go.
04:40You know what I mean?
04:41Brothers don't.
04:41So you just keep that in mind and just keep it G.
04:45Well, those are some real gems, real gems.
04:48Thank you so much for that.
04:49So one thing, you know, for sure is that when the Lops hits the stage, like I said, you're
04:53going to give a fire freestyle, some hard hitting lyrics.
04:58In general, where does your personal creativity and motivation come from?
05:02Y'all are still writing, still performing, still being everyone's favorite group and
05:06individual lyricists.
05:08How do you stay motivated and creative in this industry?
05:12Um, not to sound generic, but definitely hearing, um, Styles and Kiss rap for me.
05:17And like, yo, I gotta, I gotta, and stay competitive.
05:20Like I gotta kill that verse.
05:21I gotta, you know what I'm saying?
05:23And like that.
05:23And then, and then also like, um,
05:25hearing my son and I'm running around this house talking about who's hot.
05:28And I know that little, that little dude ain't hotter than me.
05:31It makes me want to even go crazier.
05:33You know what I mean?
05:34You know, man.
05:38The love for the craft.
05:39I mean, um, hip hop is an amazing craft.
05:42It's awesome.
05:44You know, to be able to turn it into a, um, more than a job, get a career out of it.
05:49And for people of all ages, all different backgrounds, love you and love what you do.
05:54It keeps you motivated.
05:55It keeps you pushing.
05:55Like we booked for the Essence Fest.
05:57See that, that, that adds a couple more years on how good you feel about yourself.
06:02You keep pushing, you know?
06:03Yeah.
06:04Yeah.
06:06Yeah.
06:07Just music is something that you can listen to it and it makes you want to create.
06:13So anytime you get in the zone where you feel like creating and all you need to really do
06:20is whatever you like to indulge in or, you know, that nature.
06:25But you can put on R&B.
06:26You can put on some rap.
06:28You can put on anything that it can make you want to create.
06:32So that's what's good.
06:33That's the good thing about music in general.
06:37So Stiles mentioned craftsmanship, right?
06:39And so that's what the world knows the locks for.
06:42Craftsmanship, stage presence, box all day.
06:45Um, but another thing that you all are really big on is just community, right?
06:51So just tell us about how it felt to receive the keys to the city of Yonkers.
06:57I would say we, you know, it feels good to be recognized.
07:00I think we've put in a lot of work for the city.
07:03Um, we, we've built, we've made sure we've rebuilt three parks, got a few more parks to go.
07:09We make sure we know what's going on with the citizens and try to speak out, you know,
07:13be the voice for them when it's not there.
07:15And, um, we're cool with the mayor.
07:17We're cool with the police officers.
07:18So we're cool with the criminals.
07:20So if we could be the bridge to the, you know, if we go always bridge the gap and be the bridges
07:25to get people, bring people together, that's what we work on doing.
07:28So it's just part of the work.
07:29If we, you know, our city has always backed us up, always been behind us, always roll with us.
07:34So just giving back.
07:38Yeah.
07:38I ain't mad at that.
07:39That's exactly what he said.
07:40Yeah.
07:41Yeah.
07:42I think that's like the heart of what Essence Fest is about.
07:45It's about community culture and unifying people from all over, unifying black people in general.
07:51So again, just having y'all be here this year, it's just, it's alignment.
07:55You know what I mean?
07:56Right.
07:56It's, it's divine alignment.
07:58Um, so this year's Essence Fest theme is it's the black joy for me, like a hundred percent.
08:05And as black men, I know some of you have black boys.
08:08Um, it's just important for us to like a hundred percent stand in our joy, especially right now.
08:14So I want to know from each and every one of you, what brings you joy?
08:19Like, yo, my, my, my, not to cut you off.
08:23My son is graduating right now from high school.
08:25Nice.
08:25That's bringing me joy.
08:27You know what I mean?
08:27He about to head out to college and all that.
08:29I felt like, I tell my wife, like, yo, he, he ain't do it alone.
08:33It started from when we was down at that bus stop waiting for him every morning and all that.
08:37It's been like, we did this together when we, we all getting that diploma.
08:40You know what I mean?
08:41We back.
08:42We back, man.
08:43So that's, that's, you know, like that's one of them.
08:47Love that.
08:47Being my family happy brings me joy.
08:50Word.
08:51I know that.
08:53You know?
08:55Being alive.
08:57Being alive.
08:58Being alive.
08:59That's rough now it is.
09:00Yeah, word.
09:02You know?
09:02But yeah, like, I mean, I'm making music and, um, selling juice, being with the family.
09:08Actually, to be honest, peace and quiet brings me a lot of joy now to be able to just
09:12sit on my deck with my dogs and breathe in the air and just.
09:17Welcome, baby.
09:17You know, I'm a loner.
09:19Welcome, baby.
09:21Tranquil.
09:21Very tranquil.
09:22Being tranquil brings me a lot of joy.
09:25Just at home chilling.
09:26One pound of speck, you need to lie.
09:28One pound of speck, you need to ride.
09:31One pound of speck, you sleep at night.
09:33You'll see the light.
09:35Keep alive.
09:36One pound of speck.
09:37One pound of speck, you need to ride.
09:38One pound of speck, you need to ride.
09:39One pound of speck, you need to ride.
09:40One pound of speck, you need to ride.
09:41One pound of speck, you need to ride.
09:42One pound of speck, you need to ride.
09:43One pound of speck, you need to ride.
09:44One pound of speck, you're sleeping at night.
09:45You'll see the light.
09:46You'll see the light.
09:47Keep alive.
09:48One pound of speck, you need to ride.
09:49One pound of speck, you need to ride.
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