This week I got to sit down and chat with Freddie Gutierrez. Screenwriter , Director & Boxer. He talks about his new project with DMC from the group Run DMC "Microphone Savage" . He has written for shows like Nickelodeon’s “That Girl Lay Lay” “Young Dylan” and “Sonic Boom."
[00:00:00] Ready, Freddie? Hi, so I'm Vergi Rodriguez and we're here with A Race Of Your Own where we talk about how inspiration leads to resilience.
[00:00:08] And today's guest is a screenwriter, a director, and a boxer. I started boxing because he told me I should.
[00:00:16] He currently is working with DMC on a new hip-hop animation franchise called The Microphone Savage, which we're totally going to get into. I can't wait.
[00:00:24] He's written for shows for Nickelodeon, for That Girl Lele, Young Dylan, and Sonic Boom was on Cartoon Network.
[00:00:33] He also has an episode of The Seas feature for the first time, of Us For The First Time, and I could be totally saying that wrong.
[00:00:41] It's all good.
[00:00:42] And then Ancient Chamorro was ever spoken on television.
[00:00:47] Yeah, it's called Santiago of The Seas. It was a kid's show on Nick Jr., and it was the first time.
[00:00:52] I'm from Guam, and Chamorro is our language.
[00:00:55] And it was the first time they let me pitch this show, and it was the first time that our ancient language was ever spoken on television.
[00:01:01] Oh, wow.
[00:01:01] It was pretty cool.
[00:01:02] And welcome, Freddie Gutierrez, to the show.
[00:01:04] What's up, Verge?
[00:01:05] Yay! What's up, Freddie?
[00:01:06] Yeah, we go way back.
[00:01:07] We go way back.
[00:01:10] Way back.
[00:01:11] Way back.
[00:01:12] Back into time.
[00:01:13] Man.
[00:01:15] Dude.
[00:01:16] For real.
[00:01:16] But this is so dope.
[00:01:17] And we're still here.
[00:01:18] We're still here, and I'm super excited, because you're always doing big things, and I love this.
[00:01:24] Thanks.
[00:01:25] Yeah.
[00:01:25] I'm just a girl in the world.
[00:01:29] Okay.
[00:01:29] Oh, whatever.
[00:01:30] I'm just a girl in the world.
[00:01:32] Somebody told me, whenever somebody says something like that to you, just be like, I'm just a girl.
[00:01:36] You know?
[00:01:37] And I'm like, but thank you, Freddie.
[00:01:40] Stay humble, but it's all good.
[00:01:41] You do big things.
[00:01:42] Thanks.
[00:01:42] I'll big up you.
[00:01:43] Thank you.
[00:01:44] Yeah.
[00:01:44] I appreciate that, but so do you.
[00:01:46] Oh, you know, I'm trying.
[00:01:48] You're always working.
[00:01:49] Yeah.
[00:01:50] I'm trying.
[00:01:51] You're always working on something.
[00:01:54] On something.
[00:01:55] That's what you got to do in this business, right?
[00:01:56] Yes.
[00:01:57] Yeah.
[00:01:58] You got to be multifaceted or whatever.
[00:02:01] Yeah.
[00:02:02] Versatile.
[00:02:02] Multi-hyphenate, apparently, seems to be the phrase.
[00:02:07] And you, as a writer, know that.
[00:02:08] I mean, we go back.
[00:02:09] We first, I mean, can we talk about Soul Plane?
[00:02:12] Oh, God.
[00:02:13] Okay.
[00:02:14] You're like, no.
[00:02:15] It's all good.
[00:02:15] Is it?
[00:02:16] I mean, I should have just embraced it, right?
[00:02:18] I should just embrace it.
[00:02:19] Look, it's a part of your past.
[00:02:20] Yeah.
[00:02:21] I mean, yeah.
[00:02:22] And I mean, it actually opened the doors for a lot of things.
[00:02:25] But yeah, I mean, so me and my old writing partner, shout out to Scott and Wes.
[00:02:29] Shout out, Scott.
[00:02:31] We got hired to do the rewrites.
[00:02:33] We didn't come up with it.
[00:02:34] So I just want to make that like, yeah, very clear.
[00:02:38] But we got to work with you and Jesse Torero, Meth and Snoop.
[00:02:41] Kevin Hart, obviously.
[00:02:43] It was his first big thing.
[00:02:45] I remember that.
[00:02:46] Yeah.
[00:02:46] So it was cool.
[00:02:47] I mean, we got to be on set every day for that production.
[00:02:50] And I mean, we just learned a lot from being there and that whole world because most writers,
[00:02:55] most screenwriters don't get that opportunity to be on set.
[00:03:00] It was a very unique situation.
[00:03:02] So for us to be able to just kind of see that side of the production, being a writer was like invaluable.
[00:03:10] And it was just but it was also fun.
[00:03:11] I mean, how could you not have fun making jokes every day for Kevin Hart, Snoop Dogg and Matt Manning?
[00:03:17] Yeah.
[00:03:17] Yeah.
[00:03:18] And Sophia Vergara.
[00:03:20] Oh, well, hello.
[00:03:21] Yeah, right.
[00:03:21] Hello, Sophia.
[00:03:22] And then, you know, who was honestly one of the dopest people to work with there, too?
[00:03:26] Gary Anthony Williams.
[00:03:28] You got to get him on your show.
[00:03:30] I would.
[00:03:30] Yeah.
[00:03:31] I loved Gary because I choreographed one of the dancing.
[00:03:35] And so I got to work and he like he I didn't even like the stuff that he did do in the movie.
[00:03:41] I didn't tell him to do.
[00:03:42] He did it on his own.
[00:03:44] He made me look so good in a couple of scenes where he ad lives some stuff.
[00:03:47] And it was like, I mean, he had people crying.
[00:03:49] And it was like that was one of the scenes I wrote.
[00:03:51] And I was like, now I look like I did it, which I was like, I'll take the credit.
[00:03:55] But he is honestly one of the funniest people in the world.
[00:03:58] He's so.
[00:03:59] Yeah.
[00:03:59] I would.
[00:04:00] If you have a direct.
[00:04:02] Oh, yeah, that's my guy.
[00:04:03] Like, yeah.
[00:04:03] What?
[00:04:05] He's that's what's so cool.
[00:04:06] I mean, we've stayed in touch this whole time and try to work together on certain things.
[00:04:09] And then just through happenstance, he we had some mutual friends that.
[00:04:14] And so we kept running into each other anyway.
[00:04:16] So, yeah, you got to get him on the show.
[00:04:18] He's amazing.
[00:04:19] I would love.
[00:04:20] Are you kidding me?
[00:04:21] He's hilarious to me.
[00:04:22] He should be working more, honestly.
[00:04:24] But I mean, he was he was.
[00:04:25] I just I forgot what show I saw him on.
[00:04:28] And he just was so he's just he has his comedic timing as like a comedic actor is just.
[00:04:34] And there's a few people that I hold it.
[00:04:36] Look, there's so many comedic actors that are great.
[00:04:38] Like, right.
[00:04:39] He's one of them.
[00:04:40] And then like Matthew Perry.
[00:04:42] Yeah.
[00:04:43] Yeah.
[00:04:43] It's like those two.
[00:04:44] Those timing.
[00:04:45] That timing.
[00:04:46] The timing.
[00:04:46] And his timing is impeccable.
[00:04:48] It's like honestly.
[00:04:49] Impeccable.
[00:04:49] It is.
[00:04:50] Because it's it's a talent.
[00:04:53] 100.
[00:04:53] And his improv skills are.
[00:04:56] Maybe that's what it is.
[00:04:57] The improv.
[00:04:58] He's just so.
[00:04:58] Yeah.
[00:04:59] I went to UCB.
[00:05:00] So I know like that kind of like the improv stuff.
[00:05:01] And like, you know, the Molly Shannons and the, you know, Tina Fey's like they kind of have that too.
[00:05:07] Which.
[00:05:07] 100.
[00:05:08] Yeah.
[00:05:08] Not so much.
[00:05:08] But, but, you know, Amy Poehler.
[00:05:13] That's who I'm thinking of too.
[00:05:14] Yeah.
[00:05:14] For sure.
[00:05:15] For sure.
[00:05:16] When it comes to, you know, Horatio Sands.
[00:05:18] Like a lot of them when if you've watched them do improv, it's like that level time.
[00:05:22] But like Gary's timing.
[00:05:25] It's a great thing.
[00:05:26] And to be on set to watch that every day was just like.
[00:05:29] And then you writing and then seeing him.
[00:05:31] Take what you wrote and just take it to the next level.
[00:05:34] It was.
[00:05:34] Yeah.
[00:05:35] It was pretty dope.
[00:05:36] Yeah.
[00:05:36] So talk to me a little bit about, you know, what you're working on with, you know, DMC.
[00:05:42] I saw you post about this and this hip hop franchise.
[00:05:46] So how did you guys.
[00:05:47] Was that his thing or did you guys come up with that together?
[00:05:50] So I met D on on the set of That Girl Lele.
[00:05:55] He happened to be.
[00:05:56] That was the episode I ended up writing was with him.
[00:05:58] My first episode with That Girl Lele was an episode episode titled Bars and it was about him.
[00:06:06] And coming over and her and him and Lele meeting.
[00:06:08] And so we we, you know, we got on set.
[00:06:12] And I mean, that's a hero of mine.
[00:06:13] Like, you know, I grew up.
[00:06:14] It was one of the, you know, I remember I told him I was I was 12 years old sitting at the table with a Walkman writing down the lyrics of Sucka MCs.
[00:06:23] And we just hit it off on set.
[00:06:26] And I had a script that I've been pitching and which I was trying to get talent attached and talk to his manager.
[00:06:34] Shout out to Eric, Eric Lamb.
[00:06:36] Shout out Eric.
[00:06:37] Yeah.
[00:06:37] And shout out Queens because I'm from Queens.
[00:06:40] Oh, you're from Queens.
[00:06:40] Yeah.
[00:06:40] There you go.
[00:06:41] There you go.
[00:06:41] And yeah, so we we we I gave him the script.
[00:06:45] He loved it.
[00:06:46] And so then since then we've been working on it.
[00:06:50] We've, you know, had some we had a we it should be a little further along them.
[00:06:55] But we than it is.
[00:06:57] But only because we had a one animation director that we were working with and then things just didn't work out.
[00:07:03] But it's you know, it's funny how, you know, when things are supposed to happen, they happen.
[00:07:07] And even though that we went through that whole thing, we ended up getting Chase Conley as our animation director now.
[00:07:13] And that dude is just like his background.
[00:07:17] He's on X-Men 97 right now.
[00:07:19] He's one of the directors on X-Men 97 on Disney.
[00:07:21] Never heard of that.
[00:07:22] I mean, I think I think they just got nominated for an Emmy.
[00:07:25] Of course.
[00:07:25] He's one of the most amazing animators out there that I've like.
[00:07:29] I mean, and the way we vibe off of that he's a hip hop lover, too.
[00:07:33] So, yeah, we just and then I got Warren Hutcherson on board.
[00:07:38] But all of this is wouldn't have been would have been even possible if it wasn't for our producer.
[00:07:44] I got to give a big shout out to Kimber Lim.
[00:07:47] She's basically the force behind all of this.
[00:07:50] So Kimber is man, that's one.
[00:07:54] And she's badass.
[00:07:56] Yeah.
[00:07:56] So it's just it's yeah.
[00:07:58] So, you know, we've been kind of for the last year and a half been working together with D.
[00:08:02] And then this year we ended up doing kind of a D was supposed to be on this panel at Comic-Con in San Diego.
[00:08:10] Nice.
[00:08:11] He got me chasing and Warren on there with them.
[00:08:14] And then at the last minute he had to drop out because, well, he had a concert.
[00:08:18] And he's like, yeah, go make that money.
[00:08:20] He's like concert, Comic-Con.
[00:08:21] Right.
[00:08:21] Concert, Comic-Con.
[00:08:22] I get it.
[00:08:22] But we got we were still on a panel.
[00:08:24] We got to be on there and we were like, you know, yeah, got to.
[00:08:27] Comic-Con's huge.
[00:08:28] What do you mean?
[00:08:28] You're like, you know, we just went to this thing called Comic-Con.
[00:08:31] It was I ain't gonna lie.
[00:08:32] It was my first time being at Comic-Con.
[00:08:33] Oh, really?
[00:08:34] And then being on a panel, too.
[00:08:35] Oh, really?
[00:08:35] It's a little surreal.
[00:08:36] You had never been to Comic-Con before?
[00:08:37] No.
[00:08:38] I've always wanted to go and I always get it.
[00:08:39] It's massive.
[00:08:52] It's unbelievable, man.
[00:08:53] It was like, that's just, it's like sensory overload.
[00:08:55] No, it's when we talk about fandom, because I've talked about fandom before, too, on this
[00:09:01] show.
[00:09:01] Like, when we talk about fandom, Comic-Con is like the epitome of any type of fandom.
[00:09:11] And there's so many different fandoms, right?
[00:09:14] Like, there's fandom within the fandom.
[00:09:16] Comic-Con is fandom, but then like within Comic-Con.
[00:09:19] All those sub-genres.
[00:09:21] It's all the sub-fandom.
[00:09:22] Yeah.
[00:09:24] I can only imagine, like, for what you're doing, do you feel like, like, there must be
[00:09:30] some sort of niche in there that you feel like, because that would be interesting to see,
[00:09:36] like this hip-hop, I'm assuming, animation show, and then creating this fandom around
[00:09:42] it, right?
[00:09:43] Yeah.
[00:09:43] For the people that love animation and for the people that love hip-hop.
[00:09:46] Right.
[00:09:46] I mean, that was my, I mean, look, because I've, not only because I've written animation,
[00:09:50] but I'm just a fan.
[00:09:52] Like, I mean, growing up as a kid and I, because being from Guam, you know, being out there
[00:09:58] in the Pacific, we get a lot of stuff from Japan way before, especially in the 70s and 80s,
[00:10:04] I'm dating myself.
[00:10:05] But we were getting that stuff before it came to the States.
[00:10:08] And we're still only in our 30s.
[00:10:09] Yeah, right.
[00:10:10] Exactly.
[00:10:11] I don't know how that happens, but yeah.
[00:10:15] Reverse engineering.
[00:10:15] Yeah, 100.
[00:10:19] But yeah, no, so I've been a huge fan of anime for a long time.
[00:10:23] And I mean, it just keeps getting bigger.
[00:10:25] But the one thing that I wasn't seeing, and now we're starting to, but when I first created
[00:10:30] Microphone Savage, I hadn't seen, this is like six, seven years ago, we weren't seeing
[00:10:34] a lot of people of color in these anime shows, right?
[00:10:37] And whether you're black, Latino, Pacific Islander, I mean, or Asian, but yeah, they created it.
[00:10:43] But yeah, you don't see a lot of us or any of us, like those other colors.
[00:10:49] Right.
[00:10:49] And so I was like, well, why not?
[00:10:52] And so, and then I love hip hop.
[00:10:54] And actually, this thing actually came out of another project that I had been working on
[00:10:59] with this other group and hip hop.
[00:11:03] They were hip hop based, but they weren't rappers.
[00:11:05] And it, unfortunately, it just, they didn't, our schedules were just crazy.
[00:11:11] And so, but I love the idea so much.
[00:11:13] And so I just tweaked it and I wanted to pay homage to all the stuff that I love.
[00:11:17] And when it comes to fantasy films, like Lord of the Rings, Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe,
[00:11:21] I played Dungeons and Dragons.
[00:11:23] It's funny.
[00:11:23] That's why I got all back into that world during the pandemic.
[00:11:27] And I was playing Dungeons and Dragons with execs from the CW and actors.
[00:11:34] How cool is that?
[00:11:34] And like, it was crazy.
[00:11:35] Like, yeah, it was, it was, we were all on Zoom just playing.
[00:11:39] And it was just fun.
[00:11:40] Like I had gotten in one of my friends who's an actor and he's done, he's been, he's kind
[00:11:45] of blowing up right now.
[00:11:46] Shout out to Chad.
[00:11:47] Shout out Chad.
[00:11:48] And he.
[00:11:49] Shout out a lot of people.
[00:11:50] Shout out.
[00:11:50] I got to.
[00:11:52] Shout out to Chad.
[00:11:52] But yeah, he introduced me to this world.
[00:11:54] And, and, and within all of that, I was like, man, like I would love, again, same thing.
[00:11:58] Dungeons and Dragons, all of those fantasy worlds.
[00:12:00] We don't see it.
[00:12:01] We don't see us.
[00:12:02] Dungeons and Dragons has been a theme lately.
[00:12:04] I don't know if it's because we're like in the fall season.
[00:12:06] I don't know what that, I don't, I don't know.
[00:12:08] It's been a theme lately and I've never played it.
[00:12:09] Like for me, when it comes to like video gamey or like animation kind of stuff, my extent
[00:12:15] when it comes to animation is like Bugs Bunny and like Disney Pixar.
[00:12:19] I love a lot of Disney Pixar and then video games is like Miss Pac-Man or just regular
[00:12:28] Pac-Man and.
[00:12:30] Keeping it old school.
[00:12:31] I like it.
[00:12:31] I, that's the extent of my video game knowledge because that in itself is also a whole other
[00:12:38] fandom.
[00:12:39] And then because they did a Dungeons and Dragons movie too recently, right?
[00:12:42] Yeah, just recently.
[00:12:43] Yeah, yeah, yeah.
[00:12:43] And so I like Lord of the Rings.
[00:12:45] I kind of didn't get into, but I would, I got into like Star Wars.
[00:12:48] Okay.
[00:12:48] I mean, it's all of that.
[00:12:50] I mean, you got sci-fi, science fiction.
[00:12:52] Yeah.
[00:12:53] And I mean, and it's like, but we, now we're just starting to see us, right?
[00:12:58] Even at Star Wars.
[00:12:59] Even at Star Wars.
[00:12:59] Like it's crazy that they're, and then, you know, it's funny to hear people get mad that
[00:13:03] they're seeing people of color and it's like, they're not, they're like, this world
[00:13:08] doesn't, it doesn't work.
[00:13:09] And it's like, wait, so aliens, you can have all kinds of different aliens and Wookiees
[00:13:14] and shit, but then, but you can't have a black person.
[00:13:17] You can't have a black person or an Asian person.
[00:13:19] Like what?
[00:13:19] Like how is that possible?
[00:13:21] Right.
[00:13:22] And so, yeah.
[00:13:23] And, and I'm glad to start seeing that things, I mean, even in Lord of the Rings now we got
[00:13:27] to, cause you know, they, they in the series, brings a power.
[00:13:31] There's a Samoan actor, which is great.
[00:13:33] So it's like, we're starting to see, um, and we're seeing more black and, um, Asian characters
[00:13:37] in that Lord of the Rings, um, franchise.
[00:13:40] And so I'm, I'm, I'm happy that this trend is happening obviously.
[00:13:44] And, and, and so I'm kind of like, even, uh, um, like with, with the project is we're
[00:13:49] kind of just kind of like falling in line with what's going on anyway.
[00:13:52] Yeah.
[00:13:52] Um, so yeah, I just wanted to create that.
[00:13:55] And, you know, I love hip hop.
[00:13:56] Hip hop has been a big part of my life.
[00:13:58] And I mean, Soul Plane was a hip hop movie really.
[00:14:00] Right.
[00:14:01] Um, but I mean, everything, I mean, whether the stuff that we write when I was writing
[00:14:06] with my writing partners or the stuff I write solo, I mean, hip hop's always got a little
[00:14:10] bit of a, um, uh, there's an element of that in there.
[00:14:13] You know, I try and do two things, one, my culture and then hip hop.
[00:14:17] And, um, and so loving that I wanted to take hip hop into a fantasy world.
[00:14:24] And, and so I created this world where, um, where music is magic, but hip hop is the most
[00:14:30] powerful form of magic and, and kind of mixed.
[00:14:32] I just wanted to mix all these different like genres and worlds and pay homage to the old
[00:14:38] school guys at hip hop.
[00:14:40] And then, and the new, new guys to this coming out and, and, and just have fun with it and
[00:14:44] just do shit that we've never seen before.
[00:14:46] Are you guys going to include like other artists?
[00:14:48] Yeah, we're trying to.
[00:14:49] I mean, yeah, I, with this thing, like, so we're working on this project, uh, to like,
[00:14:54] you know, everybody needs IP now.
[00:14:56] Right.
[00:14:56] So we're working on this IP that we're took to create with this.
[00:14:59] Don't say too much.
[00:15:00] Yeah.
[00:15:01] I got you.
[00:15:02] We don't want anybody taking our stuff.
[00:15:03] There you go.
[00:15:04] Without giving us credit.
[00:15:05] Why?
[00:15:06] Because it's not that kind of party over here.
[00:15:08] Nah.
[00:15:08] But anywho.
[00:15:09] Do too much work.
[00:15:10] Right.
[00:15:10] No.
[00:15:10] We've been down this road before.
[00:15:12] Absolutely.
[00:15:13] Okay.
[00:15:13] But yeah, so I'm like, I mean, even with this song, like talking with D and then all
[00:15:18] of a sudden he pulls in Keith Shockley again.
[00:15:20] Shout out to Keith Shockley from Bomb Squad.
[00:15:22] Right.
[00:15:22] Shout out Keith.
[00:15:23] Public Enemy.
[00:15:24] I produced it.
[00:15:24] And then to see when we went to the studio and saw all of it.
[00:15:28] I grew up in New York.
[00:15:28] Yeah.
[00:15:29] Like, I don't, like at a time where like hip hop was just like, it was everywhere and
[00:15:33] it was culture.
[00:15:33] And if you weren't listening to it, like, what were you doing with your life?
[00:15:36] Like, you know what I mean?
[00:15:37] Like, and I'm just glad I grew up in the era that I did because to me, to me, one of the
[00:15:42] ones that we don't talk about enough is like KRS-One.
[00:15:45] But that's just, that's just me, you know?
[00:15:48] We see DMC, we see, you know, Public Enemy, we see, you know, Chuck D and Flava Flav and
[00:15:53] whatever.
[00:15:53] But I'm like, KRS-One, man.
[00:15:55] Yeah.
[00:15:55] I mean, he's talking, but you, you know, like I was watching some stuff just recently and
[00:16:01] that's one of the people like that they're giving mad props to a lot now.
[00:16:04] Like a lot of the MCs that are out there, the Big Daddy Canes and like, so.
[00:16:09] Big Daddy Canes for sure.
[00:16:09] And Rakim and all of those guys.
[00:16:11] And like, I want to work with all those dudes and I've had an opportunity to meet a lot
[00:16:15] of them throughout my career and a lot.
[00:16:18] And they're all just like, the ones that I've met have been amazing.
[00:16:20] So humble and just super cool for what they, who they are.
[00:16:24] Right.
[00:16:24] Same with DMCs.
[00:16:26] And, um.
[00:16:26] Tropical Quest.
[00:16:27] I grew up again, Queens.
[00:16:28] So it's like that, that, I think, I think that might've been the first hip hop record I
[00:16:33] bought.
[00:16:33] Wow.
[00:16:33] Right.
[00:16:34] It's not that I didn't hear everything else, but that's the first one that I was like,
[00:16:38] I'm going to take my allowance and I'm going to buy this cassette tape.
[00:16:42] And I'm going to, and I listened to it over and over again.
[00:16:44] And they just got inducted.
[00:16:45] And they just got inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
[00:16:48] Shout out to Tropical Quest.
[00:16:50] Absolutely.
[00:16:50] Um, you know, so it's come a long way.
[00:16:53] Right.
[00:16:53] Exactly.
[00:16:54] And, and so, yeah, just, you know, it's again, I think if you're not having fun doing what
[00:16:59] you're doing, then it, it, it's going to show.
[00:17:01] And it's, I don't, I think that's part of it too.
[00:17:03] Like, um, that's, I think that's a big part of the success that you have, especially in
[00:17:08] this business.
[00:17:09] If you're not having fun doing what you're doing and I have a lot of fun, um, with this
[00:17:14] cause it just gets to create crazy stuff.
[00:17:17] Um, and it's a fantasy world, right?
[00:17:19] So anything goes for the most part.
[00:17:21] And so, yeah, with Chase and Warren, um, uh, Hutcherson, we've just like really been
[00:17:27] coming up with all these just cool things that within the world of like, um, we're saying
[00:17:33] like just one of the things like, you know, DMs, like different, you know, it's like some
[00:17:37] Harry Potter shit, but with, with rhyming in it and, and, and I've never watched Harry
[00:17:41] Potter.
[00:17:42] I've only watched a couple of them or yeah.
[00:17:44] And I've watched parts of it.
[00:17:45] I've been on the ride though at Universal Studios.
[00:17:47] I just went.
[00:17:48] Isn't it cool?
[00:17:49] It was dope.
[00:17:49] You know what I love?
[00:17:50] Actually every Christmas, I think I, this is going to be like a newer tradition I've done
[00:17:54] with friends is to go see the Harry Potter, the Christmas, they turn it into like Christmas
[00:17:59] Harry Potter.
[00:17:59] Oh, dope.
[00:18:00] It's so cool.
[00:18:01] Oh, I might have to do that, man.
[00:18:02] All right.
[00:18:03] Yeah.
[00:18:03] I'll let you know.
[00:18:03] We should just go in the group.
[00:18:04] We should just go.
[00:18:05] I'm going to be in town for, I mean, well, I'm in town, but, uh, I'll be in town for
[00:18:08] sure for that from my birthdays, uh, right around Christmas.
[00:18:11] That's right.
[00:18:12] Are we doing a bar crawl again?
[00:18:13] I don't know.
[00:18:14] Freddie would have, um, infamous bar crawls for his birthday and it would be like 20 of
[00:18:22] us.
[00:18:23] I don't know.
[00:18:23] It kind of fluctuated throughout the day and it would start at like noon and by nine o'clock
[00:18:29] at night, Freddie was, might've not remembered your name, but he like remembered your face.
[00:18:34] Yeah.
[00:18:35] Um, and he'd be like, where are we going next?
[00:18:36] I would, I would literally disappear into another dimension.
[00:18:39] Cause I remember when people couldn't, we were in a, in that little triangle of bars and
[00:18:44] restaurants and no one could find me.
[00:18:46] And no one could find me.
[00:18:49] And I could, I couldn't find anybody.
[00:18:50] Where's Freddie?
[00:18:51] Like where's Waldo?
[00:18:52] I couldn't find anybody and no one could find me.
[00:18:54] And it was like, wait, where did, and they're like, you, you disappeared.
[00:18:58] I was like, no, I was there, but no, I couldn't find anybody and they couldn't find me.
[00:19:01] You couldn't find yourself.
[00:19:01] I couldn't find myself.
[00:19:03] That, that.
[00:19:04] But it was fun.
[00:19:04] So we had to send the troops out to go find you.
[00:19:07] But it was, uh, those were good days.
[00:19:08] Your birthday's coming up.
[00:19:09] So I'm going to try, I'll try, I might do that, but we definitely should do the universe.
[00:19:13] I was just there for Halloween nights or horror nights.
[00:19:15] That was dope.
[00:19:16] You're not a horror.
[00:19:17] No.
[00:19:18] My girlfriend is, so shout out to my girlfriend.
[00:19:20] Shout out to my girlfriend.
[00:19:22] But I can't do, I can't, I can, no.
[00:19:27] It was, uh, you know what?
[00:19:29] I mean, I, I love, I mean, I don't get scared a lot, which is, I wish I, I wish I could get
[00:19:33] more scared, but I don't know.
[00:19:35] I'm one of the people that's just, I'm too practical and I'm like, yeah, okay, whatever.
[00:19:39] But it's fine.
[00:19:39] And that's the thing.
[00:19:40] Like if I watch a horror movie or whatever, I'm like, that would never happen.
[00:19:44] That's so stupid.
[00:19:45] They're more comedy for me.
[00:19:46] Yes.
[00:19:46] But I love it.
[00:19:47] But I love it.
[00:19:48] They're totally, cause you're like, why are you, why are you running into the woods?
[00:19:53] Right.
[00:19:54] And this guy's chasing you with a freaking chainsaw.
[00:19:57] Like what sense does that make?
[00:19:59] None.
[00:20:00] Get out of the woods, girl.
[00:20:02] But it's fun.
[00:20:02] But it is.
[00:20:03] But I got you.
[00:20:04] Yeah.
[00:20:04] So, um.
[00:20:05] We totally got off topic and that's okay.
[00:20:07] But yeah, so Harry Potter shit, you know, it's that type of shit.
[00:20:09] How cool.
[00:20:10] So yeah, we're having fun like inventing those type of things.
[00:20:13] Right.
[00:20:13] And, um, you know, maybe I said too much, but.
[00:20:15] When is this coming to life?
[00:20:16] I can edit anything out.
[00:20:18] When is this coming to life?
[00:20:19] Is this coming to life?
[00:20:20] When are we going to see this?
[00:20:21] So this IP that we're trying to create, um, hopefully we'll.
[00:20:24] Don't give away any of your secrets.
[00:20:25] I won't.
[00:20:25] Um, but yeah, it should hopefully see it, uh, sometime in the, hopefully the spring.
[00:20:31] Cause we're, it's, there's some, there's an animation that we're creating off of that.
[00:20:36] Um, off of the song that we're working on.
[00:20:38] And, uh, and so, yeah, I'm hoping that, that all of that will be done by, uh, spring,
[00:20:45] summer of, of 2025.
[00:20:46] Oh, nice.
[00:20:47] Right around the corner.
[00:20:48] Yeah.
[00:20:49] Top of a new year.
[00:20:50] So, you know, with, and I always like to touch upon this, especially with people in the industry,
[00:20:54] you know, the state of the industry and where we're at.
[00:20:56] And I know Newsom recently just said something about potentially giving California tax credits
[00:21:02] for production because the city feels, you know, a little different right now.
[00:21:06] Oh man.
[00:21:07] Um, but you know, how, how, how is, you know, how do you, where do you see this going?
[00:21:11] And it's, it's easy to just be like, well, I don't know.
[00:21:13] You know, like I want to be really optimistic, but for people that are actually in the industry
[00:21:18] working, doing stuff like, like kind of where, where do you think this might be going?
[00:21:23] Like an AI playing into this, especially with what you're doing cause of animation.
[00:21:27] Right.
[00:21:27] So.
[00:21:28] Yeah.
[00:21:28] It's, it's a little scary.
[00:21:29] I mean, I mean, we're still trying to recover from the strike.
[00:21:32] Like it's, it's crazy that I was in the 07 strike and it was bad, but it, it, you bounce,
[00:21:38] we bounce back pretty quick.
[00:21:39] Right.
[00:21:40] Um, this strike is way different.
[00:21:43] It feels different.
[00:21:44] Way different.
[00:21:44] And it just feels like it's, you know, it's crazy cause a lot of writers aren't working
[00:21:53] right now.
[00:21:54] Um, there's just not a lot of shows being, um, and, uh, being produced right now.
[00:21:58] Um, and yeah, we're, we're just hoping, I mean, you know, the, the slogan right now has
[00:22:04] been stay alive till 25.
[00:22:06] Is that what everybody's saying?
[00:22:07] Yeah.
[00:22:07] And, uh, and then some people are even trying to scare the shit out of us and say, no, just
[00:22:12] exist till 26.
[00:22:13] And it's like, no.
[00:22:14] Um, but I'm like, I'm trying to be the same as you trying to be optimistic and just like,
[00:22:19] you know, um, I think people are starved for content and they want good content.
[00:22:23] Um, I'm hoping.
[00:22:25] And, um, I think that, uh, that, you know, things are coming up, but it's, it's, you can
[00:22:32] see like with the streamers and a lot, not, not as much as it's coming out, I think is,
[00:22:37] is, is normal.
[00:22:38] And I think cause they, you know, because of the strike.
[00:22:40] Um, so hopefully that those, those kinds of things will kind of jumpstart and things,
[00:22:47] get things going next year for us, uh, and just have more shows out.
[00:22:50] Uh, but it, it, it, not a lot of shows have like premiered this year.
[00:22:55] It seems like, um, you're not, and I'm a comedy writer.
[00:22:58] So that's, what's even tough is that the, the, on the sitcom side, you're not getting
[00:23:02] as much, you know, it, hour long dramas are taken over.
[00:23:06] Um, right.
[00:23:07] They've taken over.
[00:23:08] I mean, um, they, it's been a kind of a staple.
[00:23:10] We, it usually is cyclical, but it hasn't, that's, it hasn't come back around.
[00:23:14] So it's a little rough for us.
[00:23:16] How do you feel like, you know, social media has played into that.
[00:23:19] I talk about that a lot on here too, where, where people want original content.
[00:23:24] I mean, we're moving away from big studio stuff.
[00:23:27] People just want stuff that entertains them.
[00:23:30] That is good.
[00:23:30] And they, I might get a little whatever here, but I don't care.
[00:23:36] Um, people want to know that who they're investing their time is into are like actually about,
[00:23:44] about the art.
[00:23:45] They're actually good people that just want to make people laugh that, you know, they're,
[00:23:49] they're, they're highlighted in that sense.
[00:23:52] There's, there's a lot going on in hip hop right now.
[00:23:55] There's a lot going on in the industry right now.
[00:23:58] And, you know, we've been in it for a minute.
[00:24:00] We've seen, we've seen the twists and turns that it's taken.
[00:24:05] And, you know, there's, um, personally, I just feel like there's a distaste for certain
[00:24:11] things right now.
[00:24:12] I hope that, that, that, that, um, that kind of jumps, kind of jump starts as a spark to
[00:24:19] what's going on.
[00:24:20] Cause I agree.
[00:24:21] Um, and yeah, I, I, I really feel like, um, and I mean, you're seeing kind of a trend too,
[00:24:27] where, I mean, I just saw an article talking about where, uh, not a lot, but it seems like
[00:24:32] there's a trend starting and I hope that, that it keeps going where a lot of like actors,
[00:24:37] directors, directors, and writers are, are funding series themselves and then selling
[00:24:43] it to the streamers.
[00:24:44] Um, because right now what's, what's really kind of, I feel killing.
[00:24:47] And so many people have said that I forgot who on the Emmys one made a point to bring
[00:24:52] it in is acceptance speech.
[00:24:53] When he won is, um, the networks and studios, all they want is IP.
[00:24:57] They don't want original ideas.
[00:24:59] And so like, but we're all sitting here like with amazing ideas.
[00:25:03] There's so many writers in Hollywood with amazing ideas and that no one cares about them
[00:25:08] cause they're not an IP.
[00:25:09] And it's like, but everything that was an IP before was an original idea.
[00:25:14] Right.
[00:25:15] And especially on the TV and film sides, like you're just rebooting all of these things
[00:25:20] that were original ideas before.
[00:25:22] Right.
[00:25:22] So, you know, they came from some, and they came from somewhere else.
[00:25:26] Like, I mean, it wasn't just this IP that just appeared.
[00:25:29] Right.
[00:25:29] And, um, I'm hoping that with, with this trend and if it keeps going, that they'll start to
[00:25:36] go away from that.
[00:25:37] And, and it's gotten so corporate.
[00:25:39] That's what's happened.
[00:25:40] Like you're saying, the art is being lost to, to just numbers and going, oh, that series
[00:25:45] or this book did really well.
[00:25:46] So let's turn that into a movie or a series.
[00:25:49] But it's like, at the same time, you've got all these writers, actors directed with these
[00:25:52] ideas that like they came out of their brain that are unnoticed.
[00:25:56] Unbelievably cool or fun or scary or whatever.
[00:25:59] And, and they're just like being denied because they haven't created a book or a video game
[00:26:04] or something to make it an IP.
[00:26:06] But that's on the high level because you're, you're in that world, right?
[00:26:09] Like you're, you're really in that, you're talking to those people up there in those offices
[00:26:14] and, and you're, you're having pitch meetings for everybody else.
[00:26:17] That's kind of maybe not, and maybe more from the indie standpoint, a lot of independent,
[00:26:21] I don't know if you watch, um, producer Patrick, you know, he's, he gives great feedback on
[00:26:26] like what's happening in the industry and like really what's happening right now.
[00:26:29] And he's like, well, Newsom says he's going to give us his tax credit.
[00:26:32] Let's see what happens.
[00:26:34] Right.
[00:26:34] And he's been, he's been like a voice for a lot of indie producers or just producers,
[00:26:38] right.
[00:26:38] That have worked in the industry.
[00:26:40] And so it's, it's kind of like, it's kind of like, it seems like, and I've been telling
[00:26:45] all my actor friends, all my writer friends, you know, director friends, like, like I, I
[00:26:49] feel like there's like people are saying, consumers are saying, I don't care how many followers
[00:26:56] you have.
[00:26:56] I don't care.
[00:26:57] Like, are you a good person?
[00:27:00] You know, that's what we're moving into.
[00:27:02] Are you a good person?
[00:27:03] Do you support, you know, young talent?
[00:27:05] Do you support other talent?
[00:27:07] Are you funny?
[00:27:09] Are you engaging?
[00:27:09] Are you charismatic?
[00:27:10] That's what we want.
[00:27:11] Right.
[00:27:12] And I, because they think that that's what it used to be.
[00:27:16] And I feel like that world is collapsing and sure, there's new technology, there's AI,
[00:27:21] there's freaking robots.
[00:27:23] Sure.
[00:27:23] But actually the driving force behind that, what people want to consume is original stuff
[00:27:31] from real people.
[00:27:32] Yeah.
[00:27:33] With real talent.
[00:27:34] I agree.
[00:27:34] And I mean, I, I, that, trust me, I've been thinking a lot about that.
[00:27:38] Like you said, I may be pitching to these, you know, execs or whatever in studios, but
[00:27:43] because you have that access and you have those credits and you have, and that's not
[00:27:47] to take anything away from your experience.
[00:27:48] I'm not saying that, but then there's this whole other subset where they're saying it's
[00:27:51] going to go indie.
[00:27:52] And I think it should go indie, honestly, because I think that's where you're going to find the
[00:27:56] dope stuff right now.
[00:27:57] Cause it's not, you're not going to have corporate execs or whatever, like people who don't
[00:28:02] know the art or don't love the art, giving their notes and giving their opinions and making
[00:28:06] you do what they want because they got the money.
[00:28:08] Right.
[00:28:08] But if you do it independently, it's you, it's your vision.
[00:28:12] And then at the end of the day, I, I, what I love about that is if you live in, you either
[00:28:17] live and die on your art, like if it's successful or not, it's cause of what you did, not because
[00:28:22] of what someone else, you know, because I'm being on the, on my side, when you're in that
[00:28:27] world of, of like creating for a network or a studio, there's so many cooks in the kitchen.
[00:28:33] And so, and, and the, the, your original idea by the time you sell it to where it goes, it
[00:28:38] is not the same thing because there's been so many people like changing and giving their
[00:28:43] opinions and you have to do it.
[00:28:45] They're paying you.
[00:28:46] Right.
[00:28:46] And so, you know, your vision, depending on how powerful you are, but like for a guy like
[00:28:51] me, who's, you know, I'm on the bottom kind of thing, but you get there, like much is
[00:28:55] going to change.
[00:28:56] I mean, if I'm like, you know, the indie route I think is right now the best route.
[00:29:00] Um, if you want to see, get your shit out there.
[00:29:04] You know what I mean?
[00:29:04] And then we look, man, you know, like I said, we're dating ourselves a little bit, but like,
[00:29:08] you know, when we, when we were first coming up, you couldn't edit something on your computer.
[00:29:12] You couldn't, right.
[00:29:13] You can shoot a movie on your flip phone.
[00:29:15] You can't go on TikTok and edit a whole video.
[00:29:18] You can do a whole, I think is TikTok opening up to like 60 minutes now or something like
[00:29:22] that.
[00:29:23] I think I read an article and I think it was Hollywood Reporter.
[00:29:26] Actually, I have said this before where they, they were like, YouTube wants to compete
[00:29:30] with Netflix.
[00:29:30] They want to create, they want to have creators go on there and create original content.
[00:29:35] And again, it's like, it's part of kind of what I'm doing here too.
[00:29:38] And just like highlighting the people that are actually in the business or doing something
[00:29:43] cool and like independently going and doing it because it, I think a lot of people are
[00:29:47] just bored of being like getting the same.
[00:29:52] And then, you know, that can, it can get into messaging too, like narratives and messages.
[00:29:56] And I think people are just tired of what those narratives and messages are because
[00:30:00] people aren't just, they're not buying into, you know, what they're being sold now.
[00:30:06] They're not just, they're not just given, you know, if, if, you know, you put out a TV
[00:30:11] show and you put out your microphone savage, they're going to look into you.
[00:30:15] Yeah.
[00:30:15] They're going to look into DMC.
[00:30:17] What are they doing as people?
[00:30:19] Yeah.
[00:30:20] You know, what are they into as individuals?
[00:30:22] That's, that's what people are buying into.
[00:30:25] Yeah.
[00:30:25] And I mean, um, and then, and you, you, I mean, it also keeps you on your P's and Q's,
[00:30:30] right?
[00:30:30] You got to make sure you, you are, I mean, but, but yeah, for sure.
[00:30:34] And you want to be able to buy into it.
[00:30:35] We're skirting around the issue because there's so much going on in hip hop right now.
[00:30:39] And there's so much, you know, me, I'll just say this just to not avoid it.
[00:30:43] It's, you know, I grew up in that world and I grew up as a dancer in that world.
[00:30:46] And I feel like, you know, as much as that is my world and, and it's, it's disheartening
[00:30:52] to see.
[00:30:53] It is, it is, it is to know the level of abuse that was going on is heartbreaking because I
[00:31:02] grew up listening to Run DMC.
[00:31:04] I grew up listening to KRS-One, Tribe Called Quest.
[00:31:09] And then for it to evolve into something bigger and, you know, this thing, and it's like these
[00:31:15] guys and they're touring and that, you know, Biggie and Pac and all this.
[00:31:19] And we're here now.
[00:31:21] Yeah.
[00:31:21] It's, it's disheartening as a dancer.
[00:31:24] I never saw that, but it was so close to me.
[00:31:29] And, you know, I, I think there's a lot of us in the industry and as dancers, as backup
[00:31:34] dancers, we, we might've been exposed to that world, but not to that.
[00:31:38] And not to that level.
[00:31:40] And it's just heartbreaking that for a music genre that I love so much and grew up listening
[00:31:48] to and had these guys that were, they almost came across whether I met them or not or work
[00:31:53] with them or not.
[00:31:54] They were like these big brothers, you know, for us, they were, they were our voice in our
[00:31:58] neighborhoods.
[00:32:00] Right.
[00:32:00] Right.
[00:32:00] Yeah.
[00:32:01] And so to be here now, it is very, it's just disheartening.
[00:32:08] It breaks.
[00:32:09] It really does break my heart.
[00:32:11] Yeah.
[00:32:11] Because it is a, it was ours.
[00:32:15] Yeah.
[00:32:16] It was ours.
[00:32:17] It was the one thing we had and this is what it is now.
[00:32:21] Yeah.
[00:32:22] But I will say the thing that, that kind of gives me a lot of hope is just this year,
[00:32:26] especially, I mean, you know, it was cool to be, I got to, I got to be in New York because
[00:32:31] working with DMC, I got to be in New York last year for the 50th anniversary at Yankee
[00:32:34] Stadium.
[00:32:35] It was pretty amazing.
[00:32:36] There were so many other concerts.
[00:32:38] I wish I could have caught all of them, but.
[00:32:40] Go Yankees.
[00:32:41] I think they're going to lose this series, but whatever.
[00:32:43] I'm a Dodger fan if the Yankees weren't playing.
[00:32:47] But I mean, this year though, the thing that is giving me a little bit of hope is like just
[00:32:51] the hip hop that's coming out this year.
[00:32:53] I mean, you got Rakim dropping stuff, Big Daddy Kane dropping stuff.
[00:32:57] Big Daddy Kane dropping something new?
[00:32:58] Yeah.
[00:33:00] Nas and a lot of these old school guys like reinventing themselves and coming out with amazing
[00:33:05] music.
[00:33:06] Like I love Rakim's new album.
[00:33:07] Right.
[00:33:07] And he's got so many dope guest spots on there with them.
[00:33:10] And like seeing a lot of these MC lights got some new stuff.
[00:33:14] Like, so we're seeing a lot of that too.
[00:33:16] That's just the thing is, it's the messaging.
[00:33:19] Yeah.
[00:33:19] The reason I still listen to Tribe Called Quest is because it's not evil.
[00:33:23] Like, you know what I mean?
[00:33:24] I'm not being, it's, it's positive.
[00:33:27] It's uplifting.
[00:33:28] It's, you know, so I haven't tapped into the Rakim album.
[00:33:30] I need to tap into that stuff.
[00:33:31] You know, it's just, there's no, there's no hidden message.
[00:33:34] There's no whatever.
[00:33:34] So I'm hoping like even what you're doing with DMC, like it's, it's kind of like, there's
[00:33:41] a glimmer of hope in that sense for me, you know, especially for kids.
[00:33:45] Because yeah, my nieces, my nephews, like my little ones that I have around me, you know,
[00:33:50] I, I, I want to be like, Oh look, check this out.
[00:33:52] You know what I mean?
[00:33:53] Like, like, you know, learn your ABCs to a hip hop song.
[00:33:56] I don't know.
[00:33:57] Yeah.
[00:33:57] No, I mean, I think like what you're saying is because you got me thinking it.
[00:34:01] I, the one thing that I think that was so dope when we were coming up and throughout the
[00:34:05] nineties, even two thousands, early two thousands was there was so many genres within hip hop
[00:34:11] and, and I know they're there, but they're not like, you have to really search it now instead
[00:34:16] of it just being there.
[00:34:17] Yeah.
[00:34:17] Um, I mean, you have party hip hop, you had like conscious hip hop, kid in play and then
[00:34:23] the conscious stuff with KRS, but kind of gangster.
[00:34:26] And then you had like public enemy and then like Tupac and Tupac, like you had all of those
[00:34:31] different, like sub genres within sub genres within hip hop that were so amazing.
[00:34:37] And, um, and it just feels like, like, you know, it's become corporate.
[00:34:41] The corporate side of things is again, just kind of like flooded them with one kind of hip
[00:34:45] hop and that's it.
[00:34:46] Like that's what was so readily available.
[00:34:49] You have to go and kind of find the other stuff.
[00:34:51] Um, but, uh, I'm trying to like, you know, keep an open mind, um, especially working in
[00:34:59] this business.
[00:35:00] And like, it also makes me wonder, like, like the, this new generations that's coming out,
[00:35:05] like the stuff that, that this is their voice like that.
[00:35:08] I mean, hip hop has always been about our voice, right.
[00:35:11] And about the voice of like the, of the generation that, that, and it.
[00:35:16] It feels like their voices just, if they are like the things that they're talking about,
[00:35:21] it's a little sad sometimes just because of the, the, their viewpoints on things a little
[00:35:26] bit.
[00:35:26] And I mean, as a part of it is also just the state of what's going on in this world, which
[00:35:30] kind of sucks.
[00:35:31] Right.
[00:35:32] Um, we got a big election.
[00:35:34] There's a, but yeah, it seems like I'll say, you know, it seems like, uh, hypocrisy seems
[00:35:39] like the big word or the, like, um, it, it, it seems like it blankets a lot of what's
[00:35:43] going on in so much of, of popular everything.
[00:35:49] And I think people are waking up.
[00:35:50] I really do.
[00:35:51] I really do believe consciousness.
[00:35:54] People are waking up.
[00:35:55] People are seeing what, what am I investing my time into?
[00:35:59] Whether that's listening to a song, whether that's spending my money on something, whether
[00:36:04] that's actually going to go watch a movie in the theater.
[00:36:07] Like, what am I spending my money on and why?
[00:36:11] You know, like they really want to know that either they're going to be really entertained,
[00:36:16] um, or that they're giving their money to something that like maybe uplifts them, maybe
[00:36:21] feels better.
[00:36:22] Right.
[00:36:22] I think because of everything that we're going on, everything that we're seeing in the
[00:36:25] world, I just, you know, I think as a creator and like what you're doing, like
[00:36:30] and what you do, you've always kind of been on the up and up in that side, especially
[00:36:33] like kids programming.
[00:36:34] Right.
[00:36:35] Like, like it's important, right.
[00:36:37] To, to know that and to know that there's people like you behind the scenes kind of going
[00:36:42] now, like, you know, I'm an upstanding person, you know, and, um, and, and I, I have a passion
[00:36:48] for this.
[00:36:49] I have a passion for writing and hip hop and the culture and what it means.
[00:36:54] Um, and of course, passing it down to like generations to come, um, and kind of like what
[00:37:00] that looks like for them.
[00:37:01] And, and, and, you know, could they learn, could they take something away?
[00:37:04] Where they go, yeah, I remember when I was a kid and I watched microphone savage and I
[00:37:09] learned so much about hip hop that I didn't know.
[00:37:11] And that's why hip hop is important to me.
[00:37:13] Right.
[00:37:13] 20 years from now.
[00:37:15] Right.
[00:37:15] Like, and a lot about what I talk about on this show too, is, um, you know, being in
[00:37:20] a race of your own, right.
[00:37:22] Finding those moments where you're going up, you're going down, you plateau.
[00:37:25] Sometimes there's tumbleweed moments.
[00:37:27] You know, what would you say to somebody that whether they want to break into screenwriting
[00:37:31] or whether that's for film, television, animation, you know, what would be something that you
[00:37:36] would give them as like a feedback as like, I mean, uh, look, I've had all of those moments
[00:37:42] that you said.
[00:37:43] I mean, we've been in it for a minute, right?
[00:37:45] Yes.
[00:37:46] And how do you find yourself when you, like, when you get in those moments, how do you
[00:37:50] get yourself out of that?
[00:37:51] Um, I mean, shoot, I mean, there were some, there's been a lot of dark moments in my career
[00:37:55] just because of this, you know, things happen.
[00:37:57] Right.
[00:37:58] And, um, you, it's, it's really as corny as it sounds, it's just having that belief in
[00:38:04] yourself.
[00:38:04] Right.
[00:38:04] And, and being self-aware and like knowing, like, you know, knowing that the stuff that
[00:38:10] you're doing is, is good.
[00:38:13] Right.
[00:38:13] And, and holding yourself to a standard, like making sure that like, I know this stuff
[00:38:17] is just as good as what's on TV or what's in a movie.
[00:38:21] And, and, and, and, and also having that, uh, that thick skin to basically have your,
[00:38:27] your peers, like, you know, let you know, like, yeah, this is dope or not.
[00:38:32] This ain't dope.
[00:38:32] And, and being able to accept those things.
[00:38:34] Cause I find a lot of times lately, um, with reading young screenwriters or stuff, like
[00:38:40] I'll give them, um, some, you know, critiques or notes on their script and they don't, um,
[00:38:46] take it.
[00:38:46] They don't take it.
[00:38:47] Like they, they get offended.
[00:38:48] Like they were hoping that I was just going to say, this is the greatest thing ever.
[00:38:51] And it's like, like, you know, the, Hey, you know, you've written two scripts in your
[00:38:55] life.
[00:38:55] Like calm down, calm down.
[00:38:57] Like, you know, and it's not, I, I, I went through that, you know what I mean?
[00:39:01] And, and so I get all that, but I think it's that belief in yourself and, and you, it's a,
[00:39:07] I mean, I take it from boxing when I was fighting.
[00:39:09] It's like, you don't give up.
[00:39:11] I don't, I just can't give up.
[00:39:13] I mean, it may take forever.
[00:39:14] And for, for, for me, it, you know, it was like five years out of film school, but I
[00:39:19] literally like lived, eat, eat and breathe like screenwriting and, and making films.
[00:39:28] And like, for those five years, it was just like, I lost a relationship over it.
[00:39:32] Cause I was just so obsessed with, dedicated and obsessed with, with, you know, I wanted
[00:39:37] this to be my career.
[00:39:38] And, um, and so, and it, you know, I, I, I was blessed enough that we were sold a script
[00:39:44] and, um, with me and my writing partner sold a script.
[00:39:47] And I mean, we've, and we've gone through the ups and downs, but at the end of the day,
[00:39:50] it's like, I got in, I know I'm, I'm talented.
[00:39:53] And if you haven't gotten in, just know that you, you know, you got to take every advantage
[00:40:00] of even your failures.
[00:40:02] Cause that just makes you realize what you did wrong.
[00:40:04] So you can make it better.
[00:40:05] Right.
[00:40:06] And look at it that way.
[00:40:07] I mean, you see so many of these things on social media now on Instagram or whatever,
[00:40:12] TikTok, people like, you know, it's good to fail, blah, blah, blah.
[00:40:15] And I mean, end of the day, it sucks to fail, but you got to have that perspective of like,
[00:40:20] okay, I failed.
[00:40:21] Why did I fail in this situation?
[00:40:23] And then, yeah, you know, once you, you know, what are you going to do?
[00:40:27] Sit there and, and quit.
[00:40:28] I mean, if you quit, then that's, that's on you.
[00:40:30] But I just don't want to be that guy to give up.
[00:40:33] And I just got to keep making, you know, keep doing what I'm doing.
[00:40:36] I mean, keep doing what you're doing and, and have that passion.
[00:40:39] Let that passion kind of fuel you.
[00:40:40] Yeah.
[00:40:41] I think, you know, people, and, you know, as a dancer, as a dancer, like it was,
[00:40:45] it's the same thing.
[00:40:46] It's like you live, eat, breathe.
[00:40:48] It becomes you.
[00:40:49] It becomes your life.
[00:40:50] It takes over.
[00:40:51] And it's the only thing you want to do.
[00:40:53] And it's your passion.
[00:40:54] And, you know, you have that drive for that.
[00:40:57] So I think that, yeah, that's great.
[00:40:58] It was, yeah, we, I'm, we're in that, I was in that dancer world, not as a dancer,
[00:41:02] but I was in that dancer world for a while.
[00:41:04] And so I got to, I mean, I saw, I met you too.
[00:41:06] And I, we have so many mutual friends and yeah, it's like, we all were just like,
[00:41:11] it becomes your life, but it's, it's, it's because you're, you're,
[00:41:14] you're doing what you want to do and you're having fun doing it.
[00:41:19] And like, and that, like, like if you get to do that and make a living out of it, like,
[00:41:24] I mean, that's what I chase is like to do this.
[00:41:28] I, I get to get paid for this shit.
[00:41:30] And I'm like, man, this is amazing.
[00:41:32] But it was a lot of hard work.
[00:41:34] I mean, and I think that's the thing that, that you just, I would say is don't expect this.
[00:41:42] Some of us get lucky and hit the lottery real quick, right?
[00:41:45] With one script, all of a sudden everybody's like, oh my God, this is the most amazing thing.
[00:41:48] Good for you.
[00:41:50] And I hope that happens for anybody.
[00:41:52] But most of the time, it ain't going to be that way.
[00:41:56] And you just have to be prepared.
[00:41:57] And, and then if it does happen, great.
[00:41:59] But at the same time, be prepared that you got to put in a crazy amount of work.
[00:42:03] Yeah.
[00:42:04] You know, and, but I mean, again, that's, you're learning your craft as you're doing it.
[00:42:08] I'm sure when you were dancing, it's like you were, you were learning to be a better dancer
[00:42:14] every time you went out for auditions and this and that, like you had to be, you know,
[00:42:18] I mean, you didn't get everything you went out for.
[00:42:20] Yeah, it was, no, I didn't.
[00:42:22] And, but that, that's what built the character.
[00:42:24] Right.
[00:42:24] That's what built, you know, persistence.
[00:42:28] Yeah.
[00:42:28] You know, that's what built the dedication and the discipline came from classes and taking
[00:42:33] my, staying up on my classes and what I, whose class did I need to take?
[00:42:38] And, you know, what, did I need to brush up on something?
[00:42:41] You know, you, you, you get to a certain point where discipline is important, just as important.
[00:42:46] Absolutely.
[00:42:47] Right.
[00:42:47] And then the other thing that you just made me think of when you said that is, um, when,
[00:42:50] when, within your classes and whose, whose classes you're taking and stuff, right.
[00:42:54] Is, um, the, one of the, one of the first things I learned when I was getting into this
[00:42:59] business, I got really lucky to have a mentor who, uh, was a really good friend, but he had
[00:43:03] played in the NFL and then, um, he got injured like in his first or second year playing.
[00:43:09] And so like he had to transition, right.
[00:43:11] And, um, to, uh, a whole new career.
[00:43:14] And, but while he, you know, he saw me coming up at film school and we had mutual friends.
[00:43:19] The thing that, that he, he said to me was like, most important thing in, in, in this
[00:43:24] business or any business, but definitely in Hollywood are your relationships.
[00:43:28] And he's like, make sure that you, you know, your networking is really going to be, and that
[00:43:36] I, I, I mean, it's absolutely true.
[00:43:38] Like the networks, networks that I've built in, in, within my career have paid dividends
[00:43:45] on like, at times when I never thought like, I, like some of the jobs I got when I thought
[00:43:51] I was at my lowest came from people that were just, you know, I had, I had met or worked
[00:43:57] with and just were like, yo, I run into them or whatever.
[00:44:00] And they're like, yo, you know, what's what you doing?
[00:44:02] I'm like, man, I'm still looking for a gig or whatever.
[00:44:04] Like, yo, I got you.
[00:44:05] I actually, let me, and like those kinds of things.
[00:44:08] And, but it's by, it's about making those relationships.
[00:44:11] And, and, and, you know, for me, I will say it's an even bigger burden because I'm the
[00:44:18] only Chamorro from my islands in Hollywood.
[00:44:22] Right.
[00:44:22] Yeah.
[00:44:23] And like, I, I say that because like, I got to be the nicest motherfucker to everybody.
[00:44:28] I am anyway, but at the same time, it's like, I don't want, like you're the, I'm probably
[00:44:33] a lot of times the first person you'll ever meet from Guam.
[00:44:36] And, and so I don't want you to be like, oh, those motherfuckers from Guam are assholes.
[00:44:41] Right.
[00:44:42] I'm going to fuck with them.
[00:44:42] You're carrying your community with you.
[00:44:44] Yeah.
[00:44:45] And so, your heritage, your culture.
[00:44:48] Yeah.
[00:44:48] Yeah.
[00:44:48] It's, it's a big part of who I am.
[00:44:50] It makes me who I am.
[00:44:51] Right.
[00:44:51] And so I want to be able to also like represent.
[00:44:54] Right.
[00:44:55] But in doing that, it also helps me out because like people know how I'm genuine and, and then
[00:45:01] those networks just like, yeah, those relationships are going to pay dividends.
[00:45:05] And it's about like having, and it's just surrounding yourself with people who are like-minded.
[00:45:09] Right.
[00:45:09] Cause then everybody kind of helps each other out.
[00:45:12] Yeah.
[00:45:12] I saw that in the dancing world and the way y'all would just.
[00:45:15] Somebody mentioned that said that like-mindedness was not, you know, it seemed like a separatist
[00:45:21] kind of thing.
[00:45:21] And I disagree.
[00:45:22] You know, I, I feel like saying that means that you meet someone who's on the same page
[00:45:27] that really kind of gets it and gets where you're going and wants to help and wants to
[00:45:32] see you grow too.
[00:45:33] Right.
[00:45:33] Too many people in the world today want to take and not reciprocate.
[00:45:37] Absolutely.
[00:45:37] And then, and then act like it's theirs, you know?
[00:45:40] Yeah.
[00:45:41] But you want those people.
[00:45:42] Oh, I'm sorry.
[00:45:42] Go ahead.
[00:45:43] No, no.
[00:45:43] So it's, you know, so it's, it's interesting because even from those moments you learn
[00:45:47] and you go, Oh, I have that much of an influence.
[00:45:51] You know what I mean?
[00:45:52] I have that much of an impact.
[00:45:54] Um, as small as my following may be, or as small as my project might be, it might not
[00:45:59] have somebody attached.
[00:46:00] It might not, you know, but, but I still have an impact because people like it so much that
[00:46:04] they're, they're actually coming to me for the idea, for the inspiration.
[00:46:10] Exactly.
[00:46:11] Yeah.
[00:46:11] Because they know you, you, you about some shit.
[00:46:13] Right.
[00:46:13] And so, but it, that I think in the industry, then that's a whole other conversation that
[00:46:18] that can really kind of also kind of play into, you know, if you're not disciplined,
[00:46:22] if you're not, you know, kind of on your P's and Q's, how that could really mess with
[00:46:27] some stuff.
[00:46:27] But, um, you know, I'm really excited that I had you here, Freddie.
[00:46:31] Thank you so much.
[00:46:31] I'm really excited about your microphone, Savage.
[00:46:33] I can't wait to hear and see more.
[00:46:36] Oh, for sure.
[00:46:37] Um, with you on DMC.
[00:46:38] Congrats with that.
[00:46:39] Thank you.
[00:46:39] Um, you're welcome.
[00:46:40] Thanks for having me on.
[00:46:41] This is dope.
[00:46:42] Yeah, it is.
[00:46:43] Well, we'll have back Kevin who was, you know, who I've also, you know, said on one of
[00:46:46] my episodes was like, you know, you need to, where's the alcohol?
[00:46:49] And I was like, okay.
[00:46:51] So then he promised to come back.
[00:46:53] So if you promise to come back, we can totally do like shots.
[00:46:57] All day.
[00:46:57] We, you know, we, we, we were, yeah.
[00:47:00] Well, your podcast, which was like cocktails, movies and stuff.
[00:47:03] Right.
[00:47:03] And we'd always, that's what we would do.
[00:47:05] We was doing that.
[00:47:05] Yeah.
[00:47:05] Cocktails, movies and talk about stuff and stuff.
[00:47:08] But yeah.
[00:47:08] So I appreciate it.
[00:47:09] Yeah.
[00:47:09] Oh man, this is dope.
[00:47:10] I really appreciate it.
[00:47:11] Yeah.
[00:47:12] Thank you, Freddie.
[00:47:13] I'm excited for what you're doing.
[00:47:14] Seriously.
[00:47:14] This is, I, I just, I, you know, same thing.
[00:47:17] I've seen you grow and just always just constantly are, are like creating and, and I, yeah, just,
[00:47:27] and then now you're here and this is dope.
[00:47:29] This is dope.
[00:47:30] So I'm excited.
[00:47:31] Thank you.
[00:47:31] I appreciate that.
[00:47:32] Yeah.
[00:47:33] I think it's, it's about the evolution, you know, and.
[00:47:36] And we've known each other for so long.
[00:47:37] And it's like, just to see how we both still doing it and still creating and still being
[00:47:41] successful.
[00:47:42] Yeah.
[00:47:43] And still impacting people, still inspiring people.
[00:47:45] Social media has really helped with that, you know, with, you know, kind of being a sounding
[00:47:50] board almost to like seeing the types of people that you inspire, that, that love to come to
[00:47:55] watch your content, you know, follow you, you know, even though you don't know that they're
[00:47:59] following you, you know, you know, um, and, and, but they are, um, and watching your
[00:48:05] stuff and, and being inspired by it says a lot.
[00:48:08] And I think it says a lot about you just as a talent too.
[00:48:11] So I appreciate that too, because yeah, we're kind of like in the same boat in that sense.
[00:48:15] 100 for real.
[00:48:16] Congratulations on everything.
[00:48:18] Yes.
[00:48:18] You too.
[00:48:19] Thank you.
[00:48:19] And so this is Virgie Rodriguez for a race of your own.
[00:48:23] Remember to subscribe, leave my comments, leave some comments down below.
[00:48:27] Do you want to hear more?
[00:48:28] What do you want to know about screenwriting?
[00:48:29] What do you want to know about the industry?
[00:48:31] Leave in the comments below and see you soon.
[00:48:34] Peace.
[00:48:36] Yay.
[00:48:37] Thanks Virgie.