The time’s come for Ruben and Marco to fight it out or bury the hatchet, and with all his inner conflict Ruben’s not sure how it’s going to go. Plus he’s got that therapy session coming up, the one he agreed to for his parents’ sake. Time to face the consequences.
Featuring Def Jam artist Nasty C & his new song “Jack” [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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Yeah to nice tonight, or at least it's supposed to be the night Marco comes over to make peace. I'm still waiting on a confirmation from him. To keep my mind off it. I'm getting back to my meditation. It's been a week now since I came back from viral Villa and got punished with a never ending grounding for my parents. I have not been on my meditation game. To put it mildly, my parents said I can only have Marco over like this if I agree to see a therapist and talk about my so called erratic behavior. I took them up on it, more for the sake of my relationship with Marco and the production of the rest of the podcast, and because I really want to sit with a shrink. The trouble is that I haven't been able to get in touch with Marco. He's still not answering my text and d ms. At least he hasn't blocked me or post to anything else publicly calling me out. But it means I've had to ask Janelle to get him to agree to meet with me face to face. I tried meditating on the Beano, interviewed Janelle, and I dropped last week and Beanos encouragement of just power through problems like anxiety and go for your dreams. That's what I did and going out West at least that's how I feel. I'm proud of it, electrified by it. It feels like what Janelle has been talking about with all her references to Burnee Brown and stuff on in my power. Feeling myself this way gives me the strength to take punishment from my parents like a man. But it's different with Marco. My trip Western the exposure brought us, even Marco setting his trolls on me. It's boosted our listeners and we've been able to score more unique artists interviews. Janelle and I have recorded an interview with an artist from South Africa today, Nasty c at the book of t Audio Lab Studio. The podcast is thriving, and by holding this grudge, Marco was only cutting himself out. I've got to get him back on board for his own sake. I suddenly don't feel like meditated the Texas from Marco. Finally, his ears must have been burning from all my thoughts. Okay, I talked to Jaelle. I'm gonna stop buying your place after school, so you can explain yourself. I'll see you later. One of these days, I'm going to meditate all the way to the closing bell. But not today. I have too much on my mind, too much to accomplish. It's gonna be a long one. I leave school in a good enough moved, even though another confrontation is waiting for me. When I get home, I figure i'll have a little time before Marco arrives. But as soon as I walk up the block to my house, I see that he's waiting on the stoop outside. Hey, hey, come on in and take out my key and unlock the door. No surprise afternoon appearance by my parents this time. We have the house to ourselves. Once we're inside, Marco takes a few steps into the living room and turns to me. He opens his palms and shrugs. So what do you have to say? All right, we're you getting right to it. I'm sorry I should have handled the invitation of viral Villa differently. You agree that if I couldn't go, you wouldn't go, And then I went anyway. It was selfish in me. Selfish that don't even remotely cover it. You two times me, man, We're best friends, and you just lied to get one over. Where the hell did that come from. It's not like I was playing in the scheme in it, man. I wanted to get you in Janelle on board with me to be in the one to go. It was only after our call where we decided nobody would go that I couldn't help myself and take them up on and after all, I knew it was crossing the line. But you don't know what it's like with my parents and seeing you get all these baller influencer invice all the time, I've really wanted this one for me, you know. Marcol takes a long pause to figure out how to respond. He paces his back and forth around the room. It's just not like you, man, and stung the most because it was so unexpected. I don't know what it's like. Do you think I haven't been dreaming of getting an invite like this for years, and I've been putting in the work TikTok's every day, growing my follower account. I pushed you into doing this podcast with me in the first place. I may not know what it's like to have your controlling parents, but I sure as hell know what it's like to want to reap the benefits of your own hard work, and you screwed me out of it. Well, how mature was it to air dirty laundry online and send your followers after me like a troll army. I was getting the endless notifications about how much I sucked, lived by the sword, died by the sword. Besides, you probably loved it. Got you a bunch of fresh new follows. I bet that's how you operate now, isn't that how you operate? No, I've built my following from the ground up. I'm not thirsty for follows and ship. You're acting like a taste of internet fame has gone completely to your head. Bro, You've been this way for weeks. You're acting crazy. It's not cool. The same criticism from Janelle, from my parents, now from Marco piercing through the disbehavior was unlike me that the success of here comes to break is going to my head. I'm stopped short. When you called me crazy, that really hurt. Maybe it's good I had this therapist appointment tomorrow. After all, Marco, there will be more opportunities to do stuff like viral Villa. You should know that more than anyone, and you can take them. I know that my issues with my parents and being jealous of your internet fame, well those are my issues. They're not excuses. But I did what I did and I'm done apologizing for it. Janelle and I need you back with us work in the podcast. It's your creation too. Yeah, you're damn right it is. But I don't want to work with somebody I can't trust you, but trade my trust, Marco. Come on, you can trust me. Don't be ridiculous. How long have we known each other. We can put in the work together. Don't let this little feud spen out of control like some old school be Yeah. I saw that you and Janelle have been dropping episodes without me. I feel like I'm being cut out of my own podcast, even though I'm completely in the right and you're the asshole, Marco. The point is that the podcast is bigger than any one of us individually now, but we should all be a part of it. You've got to come to book a tea and see the audio lab studio. Now that we're using the pod for our class project, we can record any views with a crazy text. It up great. You two really seem to have figured this thing out at your booze school together. It sounds like you don't really need me back at all, at least until you have another panic attack and run away from the bouncer. I'm stunned at the low blow. Maybe I deserve it, but panicky ship like when I ran off from the l A the ghat, or exactly why I needed to take bold moves with the villa. I'm ignoring that last part, and it's not like that. We need you back and we want you back. Don't take your ball and go home. Marco sulked around the room for another long minute. I'm starting to worry one of my parents are gonna get home and ruin the moment. I think he's heard me out, and I know he must want to get back in on the podcast. Deep down, there's no way he's giving that up. He just has to say it. I'm still mad at you. I'm gonna be on my best behavior. I swear he's still holding out. I'm really must have Damnage is trusting me. But I've got an ace at my sleeve. All he has to do is here this new episode Janelle and I recorded today. Without him, he won't be able to leave the podcast behind. When he hears it. Listen. First things first, you can give me notes on this new interview Janelle and I did today. It was a great interview. You gotta hear it. He hesitates, but now I know this is my winning car. We'll see how well the studio of yours boost production. Pew it up. Let's go up to my room in case my parents get home. It's because I'm back on the podcast doesn't mean we're cool, I know. So who's this artist again? Nasty C from South Africa. Janelle has been trying to schedule it for a week. It was so worth it. Listen up in your own words? Who is Nasty? That's to see is just a creatively free artists from South Africa started rapping and I was like nine years old, and I've pretty much just been experimenting with music up until today. I've don't consider myself as artists who's found this sound or whatever. I'm still growing and still experimenting and very open to like new sounds and stuff like that. Wow. I started making music period when I was like nine years old. That was my first time. But the first time I ever paid attention to music at all was because of t I he had dropped this other remix for top Back, and I saw it in this bust that used to take to school, and I was just like a nine year old in a country that doesn't really play hip hop like that, So it was my first music memory, but also just like my first time hearing hip hop like that. Like at first, I started off mimicking T. I just like wrapping his words, wrapping his lyrics and like changing a couple of words so it sounds like it came for me. And then I would remake Little Wayne Beats, t I Beats, T Pain Beats, Chris Brown Beats, like I started remaking beats, and I started making my own beats and writing my own lyrics. And I guess the older grew, the more my story started to developed, and I feel like something I needed to put on tracks as opposed to just like MI making somebody else and fast forward you have for me today? Wow? Wow? And how do social media play into that story? Social media has had a huge impact on many artists careers, more especially in my career because I'm coming from or not only just the city, but a country that doesn't really embrace hip hop like that. If you were a wrap and you sounded like anybody international. People would mark you, people will make you feel stupid. And then social media came around and people started to get a little more familiar with commercial hip hop and stuff like that. It became a lot more accessible and people understood it a bit more so by default, they started understanding us a bit more like hip hop hits word word and one of your songs you wrapped. I signed deals, but I own my soul. Can you elaborate on that? That won't be changing my bigger pictures, my message, what I stand for, how dress, how I love, how I present myself, what I like and what I don't like to do. None of that stuff will be changing. I know a lot of artists. I feel like they're compelled to adjusting and becoming what the label wants them to become, because then they'll appeal more to this market, or then they'll be radio friendly or this and that and that. I know like labels change a lot of artists, and sometimes it's not even like intestingly. Sometimes they think they're helping, but they're really just leading the artists astray. You have to know every single step or your journey, otherwise you're not gonna be able to retrace them and go back to point A or the drawing board whenever you need to. We we all have these times when we're tested as artists and there's people I need to be able to know who I am or where I am at that time when that time happens, I need to be prepared for it. If I just let anybody change me and and present me and give rapped me and whatever they feel like I should be gift wrapped in and that moment comes, I'm gonna be lost. You know, I don't want that. That's very interesting. That's very interesting. You know. I love how your culture is so visible in your videos and fashion. Is that intentional? Yeah? It is. And this is really something that I really started embracing about two years ago. Up until then, I've always just been like a modern kid, just like the rest of my generation. Yeah, a lot of them, they don't really take pride in their culture like that. I'm trying to make it cool to take pride in your culture again. I'm not gonna start wearing animal skin only tests because that's how they used to do it back in the day. No, I'm doing it like I want to do it. I'm ana hip hop head. I'm a pop at a heart, So I'm gonna mix the two and just make it cool for my generation to do that. You know what I mean? A lot of kids my age and like under right now, they don't even know their clan names. We have a thing where you have a surname and then you have clan names that they call praise names. Some people call them praise names. A lot of us don't even know that. We don't even know our clan names. So when the moments like when we have to go propose, instead of just doing it the white way where it's like you just get on one knee and then you guys are engaged and then you're gonna have a white wooden, we have to do with the traditional way where you take your uncle's and you go to the girl's family and before you even walk through the gate, you have to shout that girl's clan names as a sign of respect. We're lost right now that my generation we don't know nothing about that. I'm just trying to make it cool again. I guess it's like passing down traditions. You know, what's your clan name? So my surname is mobile and some of my clan names is like fools there, my sham news sort haveing stuff like that. They feel like ad lib. I'm trying to make it make sense to you. So you recently recorded a single title they don't with t I and all the protests are going to the Until Freedom and Solidarity Fund. How did that collaboration happen? I made the song like a year ago, and that was just around the time I've seen the Netflix series when they See Us, you remember that? So before I saw that series, I didn't really know much about like the racial injustice situation going on in the States, not that much of it, Like I've seen a couple of clips every now and then, but it wasn't like in my face like that. And then after I saw that series, I started to do my own research and just like all the clips that I kept seeing literally broke my heart. So I was like ship, So I made the song. I made the song by myself at first, actually, and it was just like coming from a sympathetic perspective. There's no aggression to it or nothing, because I haven't experienced it. It It was just like it was very sad for me to see that. And then a couple of months down the line, you have to seeing the series. But before I made the song, I was in ne York shooting a video with they said for King, and I have a mild taste of that whole situation we were shooting in. I think we were in Harlem, some rooftop and I don't know what happened, but we got raided and it was like thirteen corps upstairs, like putting us in a line, making us put out. I d s on the flooring ship, our hands up. I was like, what the funk is going on right now? And this was the fresh out of seeing like all these videos in this series, so I was like, I'm for still dying right now. I'm dying to the to the hands of policemen. This is crazy. But luckily nothing happened, and I just decided to make a song and just get it off my chest. I was more making it to just help the mothers and the loved ones of the victims here. And a year later, unfortunately the circumstance and the situation was relevant again, which is crazy. And then a year later me and t I formed like somewhat of a friendship and we have one song already in the bag, and this is not the song that's out. This is a song that's on my album. And then when this ship really got out of control and it just became like the number one topic in the world, we were just like, yo, who better to get on this song and have them put it out then t I somebody who publicly stands for this ship. This is what's happening in the world right now. This is what matters more than streams and usin and this and that and being cool and whatnot. So I was just like, yo, man, this is my idol, this is thing, is the reason I picked up a pin in the first place. So it would be an honor to have him on one of my songs, and a song that actually means something, the song that's not about everything else like that we always rap about as rappers. So we just put him on there and he was mot and happy to do it. I was just speak to do it, and I was just bad. I was just on the respect for putting up that messicy, that's what's up, that's what suck and what do you want people to know who haven't been in Africa? I mean, even for black Americans like I guess a message for those who that haven't visited the motherland the continent. Damn, it's it's so much. There's so much. They just need to come in. They just need to come home and really experience it themselves. Yeah, the pictures and the videos and the stories they don't sell it enough. It's it's not enough. People have to actually come here and see how our values aren't way different from like everybody else in the world. You put culture first, family first, before business, before wealth and stuff like that. Did they really just have to have to come home, man, even if it's for the week and then go back to your life. It's cool, but just come home for a second. I bet you would have changed their minds to to change the way they think, the way they act, the manners, and it a chains all of it. Yeah, I might have to take a trip soon. We'll be right back and now back to the show. While Marco and I spent the rest of the afternoon working on the interview edit, Nasty Seas words they're bouncing around my head. It feels like I've lost that knowledge. I made my own way out into the world, and I like it, but I can't seem to retrace the steps home, get right with the people closest to me who are hurt. At least once Mark was busy working on the pie with me. He's in the right headspace, and it feels like old times. When my parents get home, he excuses himself. It doesn't even stay for dinner. I understand it's gonna take some time and it's gonna be an awkward dinner anyway. Tomorrow is Saturday, and more to the point, my therapy appointment. I feel aunty and anxious thinking about it. I don't even exactly know why, but I don't try to meditate again at night, and even with my meds, I have some trouble sleeping. I haven't seen the therapist in a few years. I used to go to one as a kid when I was first diagnosed with an anxiety disorder. It was fine, I guess, and I get where my parents are coming from now wanting me to go again. But it just feels like a replay of everything that happened after I blew up on vine when I was little, and I'm dreading that. I'm afraid of being poked and prided and diagnosed, label crazy or dysfunctional in some new way. The morning comes and Da gives me a ride to the therapist office. So are you ready for this appointment? I guess. I hope this guy doesn't change up my meds too much that messes with my moods. I'm sure he'll be responsible about it. You haven't been acting erratic aside from this one episode? How's your anxiety doing? The surge of frustration posters through my veins when he describes my jail break to the viral Villa as an erratic episode. It wasn't erratic. It wasn't a manic attack. It was purposeful, a natural outcome of the pressures I was under. But I keep a little my sudden bursts of anger to save it for the therapist. My anxiety has been okay, mostly homes up around me, Marco and Janelle trying to finish this podcast season while I'm under well, you know this grounding. My dad, Grimaces doesn't like that I'm still priding him about the grounding. Luckily, the ride isn't too long, and after just a couple more blocks will be ride in silence. He's pulled up out front of a small office building where the therapist works. I popped the car door and have one ft on the pavement when he taps me on the shoulder. You know, Ben, it wasn't right. And I agree with your mother that it's good for you to have someone to talk to about all of this spots. Just so you know what you did. It took guts. Thanks there. The psychiatrist office is your classic therapy office, tastefully decorated, the neutral colors, some plants. So you say you're here because of your parents. Yeah, they're basically making me come as a condition of getting out of grounding. How to does that make you feel frustrated? Uh? I mean, how am I supposed to get something out of therapy if it just feels like some kind of punishment. Just before I came in and here, my dad said what I did took guts. And Mom sat me down last week and showed me all these photos from when she was young, showing me she was a dancer and stuff. Just as we're really starting to communicate, they want to hand all my problems off to you. It sounds like they're doing a lot to reach out to you. Actually, you ran away from home. I didn't run away from home. I took a trip for a weekend, I left a note and it was kind of for work for work. Well, I had this successful hip hop interview podcast and I got an invite out to the viral Villa, which is one of these like hot influencer arts collectives out west going could completely blow up the podcast horizons. The timing was just bad. My parents had just found out about the podcast. I've been sneaking into the city behind their back to work on it. But I mean, I had to take the invite because I've never done anything for myself ever since I was little. I was the good, obedient kid. I went to therapy, took my anxiety man's, transferred to the right school. I've checked all the boxes. I was so afraid of breaking my parents expectations that with my friends and I launched this podcast. I went under a stage name and we masked my voice. I've been a nervous wreck because of their expectations, and the podcast has been like a way into a whole new life for me. Taking a trip on my almost the first thing I've done for myself in years. I don't want to reject it as some manic episode or something. I want to own it. I wanted to be me reclaiming my life. But my parents just don't see it that way. My friends don't see it that way. My stage name was mask On, and now I just feel like I took the mask off, and now everybody's mad at seeing the real meat. I paused for breath and the therapist takes a second. I came in here feeling defensive, but it feels good to let it all spell out. How have your medications working? Your intake paperwork said you've been having anxiety attacks. They've been better since that's at the weekend a way, but I've been feeling a lot of anxiety the last couple of months. That that's how to balance all this. This guy seems reasonable enough, but is he about to change up my meds and screw with my moods? I need stability now to get through the last stretch of this podcast production. You've obviously had a lot on your mind. Do you know what pressured speeches? I shake my head, no, it's a symptom of bipolar disorder, an urgent need to share your thoughts and ideas. When you speak about your podcast and your trip out West, I hear it bipolar disorder. Like Kanye here, we go. The hammer is coming down. I'm going to be slapped with the new label. It would be premature to label what you did a manic episode. You certainly scared your family and friends, but a lot of young folks don't exhibit bipolar episodes until they're early to mid twenties. And you didn't lose your faculties. You weren't a danger to yourself for others. So let's not worry about your parents diagnosis concerns just yet. I think we can maybe ease up on some of your heavier medication if you haven't been feeling as anxious lately. Are you willing to come see me once a week for a while. I feel the familiar swell of anxiety at the suggestion of being roped into regular appointments like I'm under watch. But I know I need to work with this guy if I'm going to get my parents off my back. He knows it too, and taking fewer meds would be a relief. Yeah, yeah, we can try that. Good. Let's get you on the books for next week. Now tell me more about this podcast and now an exclusive track from Nasty c Are used to have tech in the Fridging Live Bank I'm not going back. I had bed bugs I have which is rats. I'm not going back. Making this cheese cannot be this easy. It must be a catch spending them making them back. So maybe it's balancing that I used to have jack in the fridging the bank. I'm not going back. I had big bugs, I have runches and rats. I'm not going back. Making this cheese cannot be this easy. It must be a catch. I'm spending them making it back. So maybe it's balancing that I ushuld you know I switched his tous and bring this shit home and tipping the hats. I don't want to return from none of my bro switspetching a backs. Some people want to be concy each is. I don't go get you some racks. You're going on win too fast. Only guy knows how. Then't crash as soom as I find me your window, I gott it where I fitted. If I make somebody your lead, she's gonna have us some millies no money. Cons will fuck it. We'll take it where you should be. Broken with city can't be or nobody in my own city. I by like to marry My windows is teeny. These people ain't playing my songs out of pity. They actually genuinely fucking win me. They pay me in hands twenties on this fifties. I'm taking it all, cats, I ain't pick on gimming all. Let me figure it out. I'm not a liability nigga hussling like I go. I don't needed me, nigga. It's tall ratch till in finning. You should have check in the fridge in the bank. I'm not going back. I had bad bugs, I had rotches and rats. I'm not going back. Making the cheese cannot be this easy. There must be a catch spending them making them back. So maybe it's balancing that I used to have jack in the fridge in the bank. I'm not going back. I had bad bugs, I had watches and rats. I'm not going back. Making the cheese cannot be this easy. It must be a catch. I'm spending them making it back. So maybe it's balancing that usaid Here Comes to Break is produced by Double Elvis and partnership with I Heart Radio. Executive produced by Deaf Gym Recordings, Executive produced by and starring Asanti Black is Reuben produced by Danielle Perkins, who plays Janelle Bobby cus It's 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 to Hanley, Sound recording by Colin Fleming, Music Elements, and production by Ryan Spreaker. Additional production support by Jamie Dimons. Executive produced by Jake Brennan and Grady Sadler for Double Elvis Special thanks to Rain Rosenbaum, Shelby Shankman, Sarah Coani and Jordan Garrellic United Talent Agency, Becka Media and Marketing, Barack Moffatt and Universal Music Group, Rich Isaacson, Lindnzalez, Charlene Thomas, Merissa Pizarro, Gabriel to Serrierio, Jessica Manarino and Nya Fleming at deaf Gam Recordings and Conald Burne, 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 Comes to Break. Follow with Double Elvis on Instagram or visit Double Elvis dot com. St