Ruben sets his plan into motion and runs away to Viral Villa for a whirlwind weekend in SoCal. But when it’s time to come home, everyone feels betrayed: not just his parents, but Marco and Janelle too. With his team’s trust at an all time low, Ruben must find a way for the show to go on.
Featuring Def Jam artist Saint Bodhi & her new song "Heaven is Real." [Stream|Download]
Executive Producer: Asante Blackk
Producer: Daniella Perkins
Starring: Asante Blackk and Daniella Perkins
Co-Starring: Bobby Cius, Rayme Cornell, Christopher V. Edwards and Taylor Bettinson
Written by: Taylor Bettinson and Nakia Hill
Directed By: Christopher V. Edwards
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It's morning and today's today. If I'm gonna make a run for it, live my best life in Viral Villa, I have to go now. First step, I sneak into my parents bedroom and steal my phone back from my mom's night stand downstairs. I make it past the breakfast table as if I'm going to school. Meanwhile, upstairs, I left the note to my bed explaining where I'm actually headed. I feel like I'm pulling off a heist of some ship. That kid all sleep well, Yeah, slep fun. Oh, your backpack looks heavy today. I can't tell if it's a leading question or not, but I need to have a reply ready. Yeah, I'm I'm bringing some podcast equipment Janelle and I are going to use. Here Comes to Break is our big semester project, at least that part about the podcasting project. It's true when we decided to use our experience with the show was the foundation of a joint audio lab project. But actually my bag is heavy because I'm all geared up from my exclusive invite to the Viral Villa in l a three jam packed days making fresh content, gaining the mutual follows, and revealing myself as the man behind mask on sounds like a good idea. This is exactly how you should be applying your extracurriculus. Have fun at school, baby. Luckily, that's the last of the raised eyebrows from my parents as I grabbed banana and bust out the door. From there, it's talk to JFK. One of the advantages of living out in Rockaway Beaches that I can take the m T A to the airport and under an hour comes in clutch right now is I'm pulling off the craziest play I ever made. After pushing my way through a couple of transfers, it's airport time, security, the works. It isn't until I'm sitting at the gateway and the board that the true insanity of what I'm doing lands home. My limb starts to rattle in a pressure like a ton of bricks hits my chest. What am I doing traveling across the country without telling my parents, breaking ranks with my podcast team to make the trip, even though we agree none of us would go. I'm blowing up all my closest relationships for this one shot to cash in on everything we've worked for. But hell no, I'm not gonna have a panic attack. Now I've come too far. I fight through it, I stay focused. I have to do this for myself, a statement that I'm ready to pursue this Internet fame thing, that I'm finally ready to own it. And then of course my phone goes off with notification bells. We saw the message sent back to the villa. What's the deal. Marco's already wise to what I've pulled off. Janelle is probably in shock, but it's all gonna work out. They'll see. I'm sorry, but I'm going We can't miss this chance, and I need to do this myself. I can't. This is incredibly irresponsible with that I turned my phone on airplane mode, a point. They're getting caught out now. There will be hell to pay when I get back, but I won't let my nerves get to me. I've been letting those nerves keep me from pursuing my goals for so long, and the success of here comes the break has been like a cure. Oh, I feel driven, focused, able to do anything. I'm locked in. The plane begins border, so I put on my headphones and get in lined viral villa. Here I come. As soon as I get off the plane that someone from the house to pick me up and drive me over. I flew on the Burt back less traffic to l X. We head back to the East Side bungalow that's both the viral villa itself and home to the art collective of the same name. The works inside. My host, Corbin is called blind Fit All American type. He introduces me to the other members of the collective and the other busitors for the weekend. Aleck j ted a string of names, stone Cold, influencer, hat to a one. I recognized them all from the ship time. I settled into the spare room, changing to swim trunks, and we spend the afternoon in their pool, partying the sun, the skin, the pool itself. Everything glows in the California air. I make guys with the flight chip Alie, and get to the Corbyn over a grim. Over dinner, we bring storm ideas for TikTok videos to make the next day. I pitched my reveal of my mask on identity in one of the videos, and everyone's into drinks. Go around after the food, and I'm living my best life. So I get drunk with Corbin, Athlete and an influencing name Cat. We talked about life in the twenty century, kind of running for president by Scott and commerce, all of the ship that I love to think about, and then they follow me on the ground. I crashed hard after that. But up early in that breakfast, everyone is already starting to send out live terms and make videos on their phones. Corbyn says, that's ca cameo on his feet to reveal my identity and I'm not about to say no. He shows off the breakfast spread and afflis the camera catch me loading on my plate out out the right way beach. Yo, we got mask on in the house this weekend. He's flowing over with this podcast. Here comes the break You've got a less sidleless side. It takes all my accounts to the post and pretty soon the follows are flooding it. It's like Magic Cat and I go for a drive around the city and she takes me to a meeting with an agent name or After that we hype Griffith Park Observatory. When we get back to the villa, we end up making out in the pool. Atlice seems disappointed, but what can I say? But when you're making fresh clips. I checked my messages, nothing from anyone back piece they're probably stealing, and how mad they are that I did this problem From Monday bub back to the lines, where I end up smoking the joint and then meeting a rapper who wants to be on the podcast. I tell her hook her up with my people when I get home. I'm getting used to acting like I belong here. On the second night, we ordering for them Thai food. It's better than any tie I've ever had on the East Coast. Everybody crowds around the kitchen island. A couple of to make YouTube videos decides to make a month bang out of it, grabbing something from every platter in the huge spread. By this point, the number of followers on my social feast has gone out of control. I'm not doing monk on numbers. But but when more crossover events like this, we could get there and everyone will be in all new. Here comes to break listener. Finally I'm going to be able to interact with the online audience directly. No more smoke screen with market Engine. Now. I stumbled in my room at one a m after another night of drinking with Corbin in the house regulars. Someone's passing around Zandis and I take the the booze mixes with the pills and the weeds from earlier. He got me favor. For the second night in the row, I forget to take my meds, but I'm living off the high of just being here right now. I wake up with a hangover on the third morning, I have to go back east and think something went at home soon harder to keep that thought from my mind. Went off gonna like ship. As soon as I make my way to the common area, I'm lit up by all the energy of these creatives. Everybody's at it, the game driven. It's a high. I came here win some tiktoks with Ted, Jagan, Natalie. Before it's time to head back to the airport, Corbyn offers to drive me back to Bourban. We squeeze in one more swimming the pool when we leave, and I try to get Cat's numbered, but she shoots me down. Can't win them all. As far as business goes, this weekend has been a total success. Put Once something back on the plane, the reality starts to set in. I went behind markt with Janelle's back, I basically ran away from home. Mission accomplished in terms to grow on my social following in the podcast. Mission accomplished in terms of taking the power back for mom and Dad. But holy shit. At first I laid my phone off during the flight avoid checking my messages again. But now that I've got nothing to do but sit and think, my mind is going crazy with the worst case scenarios, Marco Originelle quitting for one, being grounded forever. In a day, my phone burns a hole in my pocket. I have to smooth things over somehow. Now that I've run off with the inviting parties, it up with the highest TikTok stars in that leg ship. There's no easy way to do this. It's gonna ring hollow. Eventually I can't take it anymore. I pull out my phone and turn it on and log into the plane's WiFi. Still no messages from my parents, and nothing from Mark Riginelle either. When I didn't hear from them over the weekend, it was easy to avoid feem bad. But now the silence puts a pit of dread in my stomach. I get one message Marco starting to the podcast. Damnit, worst case scenario getting way too close to reality. I immediately start drafting the message to Marco, Hey man, I'm really sorry for the way I pulled this move. It wasn't fair to you. Let's talk about it. And then as I'm back, I hit sin and wait, nothing comes back right away. Damn. I was so focused on getting this experience living an influencer of life, I just barreled straight ahead and now it's all in danger. On a whim, I checked my podcast feeds and I see that Marco and Janelle posted a fresh episode over the weekend while I was away. Our interview with st Body one of the ones we already had in the can. It's a glimmer of hope if they finished the mix on their own and posted it. Marco hasn't quit yet. I can still make it right in your own words. Who is sat both? Same body is rebellious, crazy, sensitive, intuitive, Jesus. It's kind of like all over the place. But I'll make sense at the same time, like you might catch me on it. Oh, I want to give everybody flowers and rolls. And the next day I'm just like, no, none of this makes sense. We've got to change the order and this is how it's closed to be so. But at the end of the day, I'm usually helping people out with their lives, and I usually make sense at the end of the day, with so much going on in the world, what role does your music like during the time of revolution? And that's crazy because I've been like reflecting on that. It's Anita Simon interview that she did and she said that as an artist, our job is to reflect the time, and so I've been been pushing It's difficult because when you start off as a certain type of artist, everyone just like, are you staying the slame famous lane? But when you start seeing your people in your black women and black men dealing with so many things, you start kind of getting that revolutionary strike going on. And so it's just been forcing me to a more so to speak about what I've dealt with as an African American artist. You know, sometimes you can't just release a record we want to. So I've just been kind of hammering people on the head like this isn't right. Aggressive. I guess you can say I've been a really aggressive artist. This is not only their problem, it's my problem. Dyeah, how is that influence? She was an artist? I appreciate my experience kind of like moded me as a woman and as a human. I've seen a lot of things. I've seen a lot of darkness, depth, you know, just I can go down the list. But it helps me. I guess it helps you be strong and sensitive at the same time. And creativity, Like it's so much art. I know. Sometimes I'll just drive down to the hood and I like, I'm in the hood all the time, and I'm shopping sloughs in and everything. And that's where all the art comes from. It doesn't come from being in Beverly Hills and being in sucking Santa Monica and all these things. It's like the arts where the people are. I have a show, remember all the grinding, and so sometimes I'm just like, I deserve this. I deserve this, I deserve this, I created this, I made this. But what I've been noticing now as a young woman is that my over it. And so because I dealt with so many traumatic experiences like throughout my career, and so the thing that's helping me let it go is alright, create the music, talk your feelings out, and then you have to let it go or else I'm not gonna be able to evolve until the next person if I keep holding onto all the trauma. And so I think that's how the background is starting to shape me. It's just I'm starting to process. Hello, dude, you're not always okay, and this ship was sucked up and you gotta release, and so that's what it's doing. I don't make music, and it's it might sound crazy, It's like I don't really make music because I wanted to help people. But I'm doing it because this is my only sense of therapy at itself. I can't talk to someone about it because no one gets it. If I make the music for some reason, that's the only way I can help. Wow. Wow, that's powerful. Um, Okay, what advice would you give to emergent artists just getting started who wanted signs were labels? I mean, I guess the best advice to be got to be patient. You know, this is a new generation, no in my twenties, and so we want ship expeditiously like instant coffee. Be patient, have intuition about the situation. There's gonna be times where everyone is wrong and you're the right one, and you're gonna have to speak up for yourself and just be like no, man, like that's not what the hell I want to do. But you also have to continue to be humble because you know, don't treat yourself at the foot because your label, they're all working for you, not against you, you know, so I guess that would be the big the big message. Just be motivated and motivate your team. Like a lot of artists get shine and they don't motivate their team, and they're just like, well, do this for me, do that for me, and it's just like no, you actually gotta sometimes you gotta make those phone call. Hey, you what you're doing? How are you feeling today? All right, what we're doing today? You know, you've got to kind of be the leader. I'll say, not gonna know how to leave. And it's a successful artist what a self killing looked like to you? Man, that's so crazy because it's keeping my house together, in my car together. I know that sounds like minute, but when my house is organized, when my car is organized, I feel very calm. When I speak into my family and giving them their praises and love, that makes me very happy. And then I'll disconnect. Sometimes I'll turn my phone off for like a day or two, and it irritates people sometimes, but I don't care, and I'll just go into this self love of doing my nails in my hair. Sometimes I won't even get my nails done. I'll do that myself. It's just a self care thing. And I have like this little pyramid and like my crystals. I'll meditate, I like candles, write notes to myself. I do a lot of like keeping my mental and check because as artists, our brains are all over the place, so I have to do certain things like that. I'll play video games. I'm a nerd, so I love video games. I love anime. I love to read and just disconnect. Last question, and this is something I asked every artist, what do you want your legacy to teach people about? So I feel like we're in this really weird period of life where a lot of people are selfish, and a lot of people are in this like each your bag, and men are like, oh, I mean, I like five teen seven eight girls and you know, let me not be transparent and honest blah blah blah and show. I feel like I want to teach people to do more transparency. Like one of the reasons why some of my songs are so jarring is because it's very pure honesty, and so I just want to teach people that it's okay to tell that girl, yo, I got four girlfriends and a baby mama, but you have a choice, or I got you know, this is my life situation, or I'm depressed today? Why am I telling you I'm great? Like if you go to a barber shop and you get your hair cut, how you doing today? You say I'm fine, but you're depressed, then it's just like you know you're lying. So I just want to teach people to come from the pureness of their heart and just be honest, like there's nothing wrong with it. And that's like the main motive. Most irritating thing to me is when people are not honest. We'll be right back and now back to the show. M I get home in the evening Eastern time, make my way back to the house and St. Bodie's words about dishonesty are ringing in my ears. I paused at the front door, filling the full way to my backpack on my shoulders and a ton of bricks to bury me alive that my parents are about to lay on me, and take a deep breath and turn the knob. Inside. Mom and Dad are waiting for me in silence. He's in the recliner. She's on the couch in Their faces are stone cold. How long have you guys been waiting like this? Mom doesn't say a word. Her stare alone burns right through me like a laser. She's gonna wear my ass. She gets up and storms out of the room. Up the stairs, Go to your room. It's gonna be comforble quinces for this severe consequences. We're talking the morning. My dad heads up the stairs behind my mom, who slams the room door. That's why I felt the house shake. I'm left in the living room alone, but I'm confused. That was short and almost too easy. I thought for sure I was in for a fight right away. I sit in the silence for a moment. It feels heavy, with nothing left to do. I head up the stairs too, to my room. The house is so quiet. My parents reaction was so muted. It's it's unsettled me on a selfish level. I know that even if they ground me till Kingdom come, we got work arounds to record the remaining podcast interviews from my closet. But I also worry I've damaged that trust beyond repair, just like I might have with Marco. I checked my phone. I'm just telling the reply from him. He he's tight, or maybe he's just blown off steam. Either way, I haven't felt this alone in a long time. Under the way of the guilt, I start reviewing the crazy weekend in my head, but for some reason, it just doesn't seem as glamorous. I remember my second night, drinking, smoking, taking pills, stumbling in my room at one am. I remember making a rejected pass a cat. I haven't been taking by meds. I haven't been taking my meds. I got so fixated on this trip as some wild break from my stifling home life. Except it wasn't a clean break. It was just a vacation. I'm sitting in the records that I've created with parents who are going to make it as hard as they can for me to finish the podcast, and my crew maybe done with me too. There's no escaping it, no pretending my problems don't exist. Now it's my reality. I turned on my phone again and text you, now, Hey, that's Marco. Haven't really heard back. What's this headache? For a moment, I'm in suspense, but soon I see the three little floating dots to say, now is typing back. Hey, at least somebody's still talking to me. Marco was hurt. Your parents have been reaching out to everyone all weekend for more info. We put out the episode Well You're Away, but I had to drag him, kicking and screaming. I hope you brought him back a souvenir. At least he's pissed to say. In the least the sixteen thousand new followers count with him, I'm sure I'll take the followers. However, that's your boy. You have to make it right for him. Honestly, I'm pretty disappointed in you. That's straight up a trail. You refused to let Marco go, then you ran off yourself without permission. I think it's a whack of you to sacrifice your friendships for a weekend of fame and late night sessions in the pool, hardying it up, cuddling up with that girl Cat. It was right in Marco's face. Damn. How the hell did you know about Cat? Do you think she wouldn't post about that? You spent a weekend at a place called viral Villa with influencers who live on their phones. Dude, you still have a lot of growing up to do. Nothing is private. How long have you known Marco? Because we were little six seven? You're cold blooded. Her clap back hits me hard across the face. Marco Co founded his pot with me. I mean, he's the reason I mask on really and I did him dad wrong. Point take it. I'll reach out to him again the mom and I'll see you with school. Hopefully you're still alive in the morning. I put the phone aside and collapse on my bed. I feel the weight of every burned out nerve and impressing in on me, anxiety from every direction. What is this with me? Lately? I've been having so many panic attacks, missing my man's and then I blow up my life for this weekended viral villa out of nowhere. When I take a step back, I to don't feel so good about it. I feel uneasy, sick, sick to my stomach. Janelle not blowing up at me is a clear sign that I've dug a grave for myself. She's detached. She thinks less of me, that's clear, but she wants in on the show and the grade for the project. My worries from before about competing for her with Marco seems like nothing now. Stupid teenage stuff, and morning will soon come, and then I'll have to face my parents, which will be less about the punishment and definitely more about the scare that I put them through. I'm sure that it's keeping me up. I expected to have the memory of the week and to hold onto like like like a source of pride and energy when it came time to face these consequences with the actual cost of it hanging over me. Now, I'm not sure. One clod up in later and I am hoping to fade out so I fantasized about the glamour. Coming back to this weekend's memories, I'm remembering all the people I met, the California's son, the surf, the pool, the food, all of my horizons expanding. I can't go back to just being a student at a STEM school, planning for a normal life. I've had that taste again, the taste of online fame. It's all within my reach. I'm about to drift off the pleasant dreams when my phone buzzes. It's an instant notification. It's from Marco. He's gone public with our beef. He's tagged me in and he's now calling me. I'll for abandoned my team to go to viral Villa. Man I shifted up in bed. This is worse than I thought. I want to respond with something, but the men's to taking me down and and internet flame war is Marco's home turf. He posted a parody of my cameo on Corbin's feed, with him making the screwed up face and airing all our dirty laundry in the caption mask on. My good friend turned his back on me this weekend and ran off to viral Villa like a villain. But don't worry, here comes the break still dropped. No thanks at all, Robinson, We're not cool. I mean, we'll seeven the appropriate response to that. It's childish, right, but he hates me. I'll deal with this in the morning after my parents. I feel like I took my mask off and everyone in my life recoiled in horror. What do I do now? And now? An exclusive track from st Body see Thank Kevin is v But the was that shot and the brand new balls trying to make the ditch. I see the streets of paper with gold when the blackheads dropping needles. No one know mm hmm, no, nohe knows. No one knows. Sackhead drives his needle. No one no, but I know Heaven is weird. I'm still learning my wife because where I'm from Black Girls there treated like bod manipulated right than the end of bo t Shirts, Long Beach Boulevard. In the Mini Stird Large, save a couple of shoot ups, I didn't want to be involved. I needed guy this because I didn't feel important. I let him touch because I didn't have a voice. Took many things den Black Girls and it doesn't need love and learning the war and you'll be game. No hearts, but you got to brush your dirt off. Let the angle jeans of the fine. Oh. I feel like Kevin is real, but the devil's that shot in the brand New bullsh trying to make the deep. I see the streets of paper gold or on the Blackhead dropping needles. I don't want know, mm hmm, nor knows. No one knows, no, No, Backeat drops his needle. Non't know, but I know Heaven is flirts and the doctor reveals herself in a light scars on your back, show to st I think you'll flight and I know it ain't needs it. Wait Jeous bullet proves you don't fue blood. The suberstrass old on breaking should don't to bid up because behind all that thing, Shanno Glitch, you shine like that to him, you shine too many seas dead blood girls and it doesn't need to love and learning all any of the game. No not spill be No, No, they are find another. I feel like Kevin is me, but the Devil's I shot and the brand new Pauls trying to make the deep. I see the streets of paper gold or in the clackets drapping needles. Don't want know m hm, you're sec Jeff Steed, but I know heaven is here. Comes to Break is produced by Double Elvis and partnership with I Heart Radio Executive produced by Deaf Jam Recordings Executive produced by and starring Asanti Black is Ruben, Produced by Danielle Perkins who plays Janelle, Bobby cs is Marco, Christopher V. Edwards as Dad, Raymie Cornell is Mom, and Taylor Bettenson. Written by Taylor Bettenson and the Kia Hill Artist Interviews conducted by Nikia Hill, directed by Christopher V. Edwards, mixed and edited by Matt ta Hainy. Sound recording by Colin Fleming, music Elements and production by Ryan's Breaker, Additional production support by Jamie Dimons. Executive produced by Jake Brennan and Grady Sadler. For Double Elvis Special thanks to En Rosenbaum, show B Shankman, Sarah Cone and Jodian Guerilla, United Talent Agency, be Comedia and Marketing, Barack Muffatt and Universal Music Group, Rich Isaacson, Lind Gonzalez, Charlene Thomas, Merrissa Pizarro, Gabriel To Serrierio, Jessic Commanderino and Naria Fleming at Deaf Jam Recordings and Conald Burn, Carrie Lieberman, Will Pearson, Noel Brown and the entire I Heeart Media team to hear bonus content, meet the cast, and go behind the scenes of Here It Comes to Break. Follow with Double Elvis on Instagram or visit double Elvis dot com