- On this episode T-Pain stops by.
(Gary laughs)
(hip hop music)
Hey everybody, this is Gary Vaynerchuk
and this episode 272 of the Ask--
- [T-Pain] Ooh!
- Gary Vee Show.
Actually that little ooh in there is
exactly how I dreamt it up.
T-Pain is in the house.
Let's hear it up for him.
- Yeah, yeah!
(audience applauding)
That was forced, it was forced.
- [Gary] It was forced.
- It was forced.
(audience laughing)
- Basically Justin was like yeah
and everybody else was in a coma.
VaynerNation on Facebook,
put in your phone number,
you get an opportunity to now call in,
ask some questions of a hip-hop
pioneer in a lot of ways
in my opinion and we'll
get into that in minute.
T-Pain for the 70 people
who are watching right now
that don't know who you are,
give me a little bit your origin story.
- Oh you know, Tallahassee Pain, T-Pain,
hailing from Tallahassee, Florida.
Came up pretty much on my own.
Did my thing and I got noticed by Akon.
Akon signed me then it got--
- [Gary] What year was that?
- This was 2005.
Akon signed me 2005.
In the same year he
took me to Jive Records,
got me sign the Jive Records,
which Jive Records is now RCA Records.
It's a lot happening in
between that obviously,
I skipped a bunch, but you know.
I'm super awesome, how about that?
(laughing)
- That's a really good way to put it.
- [T-Pain] Sums it up,
sums it up, I am awesome.
- But in the mid 2000s, in that era,
you really exploded on the scene.
Everybody thinks it's over
night, it's never over night.
you were doing you're thing.
- [T-Pain] Never!
- The band, all the other people.
I know enough of the origin story,
but it happened quick,
it happened because it was
a different kind of sound
and I'm always fascinated by people...
my whole business career
has been doing shit
that nobody else was
doing or more importantly,
people shit on it until they did.
- You gotta go through that part.
- So tell me about your version of that
'cause I think you have
a music version of that,
at least I'd like to hear it.
- [T-Pain] Yeah, oh yeah!
- listen we got a few minutes here,
this is in three minutes on the radio.
So we got a few minutes here,
give me a little bit of that,
how you thought about the kind of sound
that you were bringing
and how the market accepted
it at first, the gatekeepers.
- Right, I mean it was a difficult trial.
I definitely went through the whole phase
of being shitted on continuously,
like no questions I asked,
like soon as they hear it
they like all this guy's
in and out, it's whatever.
I like this song, but you know,
also I don't like that song.
I'm not supposed to like this.
That's what people are thinking.
They're not supposed to
like something that's...
Just so in their face.
- What were the whispers you
were hearing behind your back?
What were you hearing, one hit wonder or?
- One hit wonder, it's a gimmick.
- One year and you won't
remember him in 2009.
- Absolutely, it's a gimmick,
it's never gonna work,
people don't want to hear
more than one song of this,
like you know.
So yeah and I heard this from celebrities,
like from people that was already famous.
- Like who?
- I can't tell you.
- Okay, just curious.
That's alright, I understand.
Fuck you Tom Brady.
'Cause I know it's definitely him.
I'm kidding, I'm just kidding.
I just hate Tom Brady.
I just try to sneak it
into every interview.
- [T-Pain] Everything, I get it.
- That's just a little meme of mine.
- [T-Pain] That makes sense.
- T-Pain, how was that
cycling through your head
and I know what you're saying...
'cause listen I was
close to it a little bit.
I was watching it.
When you say celebrities,
there's celebrities
like some random actress
and you heard it and then
there's people you looked up to
and you respect and that's
a very different thing.
- And that's the craziest thing,
it was all people that I looked up to.
(laughing)
- That's where I'm going.
So tell me about that.
You're growing up, you're a fan of music,
there's all these people you look up to,
in all genres of music.
Now they're saying
you're a one-hit wonder,
a one-year guy, how's that
siphoning through your brain?
- That sucked.
I literally gave up, I gave up.
I told my wife I didn't
want to do it anymore.
It was just a complete blatant I'm done
and people aren't gonna respect me
then I'm completely done, but--
- What happened next?
How long did you sit in that zone for?
- About four years.
- Is that right?
- Yeah, now it created crazy
depression and everything
and then I realized I don't
need their approval to do this.
So obviously people don't, you know,
people fear what they don't understand
and they don't understand me so,
they was just afraid of me.
It was a change in the game.
I was changing the game and
people did not expect change.
They didn't expect change,
they don't like change,
nobody likes to have things different.
- And knowing some of the people
that were saying shit behind your back,
what's most interesting to
me and this is something I---
- You know what's crazy!?
A lot of it wasn't behind my back.
They would hand it to me.
- Okay, listen.
(laughing)
I'm sure you respect
that more so like fine.
What fucks with me in that,
the people that said it to
your face or behind your back,
they're people that change the game.
They love it when they're
the ones changing the game.
- Right!
They love it when they're
able to say I did this
and I did that, but--
- As soon as they become the game,
they shit on people changing the game.
- Absolutely.
You can't and that's
just I mean, obviously.
- I mean it, that's my
number one thing in business.
You're the one that started
a Google website that won
You beat somebody who
was sending direct mail
'cause you used Google and
then Facebook came along
and you shit on Facebook
and then Facebook did to
you what you did on Google
and right now and that
just happens over and over.
- It happens all time.
- If Tila Tequila understood that
she would have been biggest
on Twitter and Facebook,
not just Myspace.
- She's so fine.
- [Gary] Yeah, 2001.
- She still though.
- [Gary] Yeah?
- She still works out.
- Respect, alright.
(laughs)
I'm not up on it.
(laughing)
So four years you were
in a bad place mentally.
- Four years I was in a
crazy bad place mentally.
- What, just sitting
at home and just like--
- Sitting at home
drinking myself to death.
It was crazy, it was over-the-top.
It was just--
- Did anything snap it,
did you hear something?
- My wife.
- Your wife.
- My wife was like what, what?
(laughs)
She's like you're great.
You got this, you're changing the game.
You're making these people uncomfortable,
which is why they don't like you.
- And so when did that awakening happen?
- Definitely had to
run out of money first.
(laughing)
- Got it.
- I ran out of money.
I had to borrow money,
I had to borrow money to get Burger King.
- It really got that bad?
- It got that bad.
And I still had artists and stuff,
I was paying for photo
shoots and all that stuff
and I was like borrow
money to do all that.
- [Gary] How old were you?
- I'm 33.
- [Gary] A fucking kid.
- Oh?
- Yeah, don't get--
- Wait how old are you today?
- I'm 42 and guess what?
I'm a fucking kid too.
- Yeah, what?
(laughs)
- Yeah, I'll tell you what.
You're going to be fucking
doing this for another 60 years.
- Well...
- Well listen if you play it right.
54.
- Ah, black people don't live that long.
How long do black people live?
(laughs)
- What are you giving yourself?
39?
- I'll mean can you
imagine being 90 though?
- Hell yeah I can.
I'm gonna be a fucking gangster.
- I cannot, I'm just gonna--
- I'm gonna make my best
fucking investment at 90.
I'll be like you fucking young fuckers,
I'm 90 worth 7 billion and
I still fucking got it.
- At 90 I'm just gonna
be like dude let's...
I'm good.
- I'm gonna try to squeeze--
- We got it.
I think we did what we're gonna do.
- I'm gonna do my best work 90 to 100.
I think that's 100%.
- Shut up.
- I'm dead serious.
I think I'm momentum.
- [T-Pain] You're gonna Buffett it up?
- Listen, I'm 42.
- [T-Pain] How old is Warren Buffett?
(laughs)
- Warren Buffett is fucking winning.
(laughing)
And fucking hungry.
(laughing)
You know this listen,
what do you love the most?
The hustle, the game, the music,
what are you out of all of it--
- I like the challenge.
- So honestly if you love the challenge,
there's a better chance
that you're gonna still be doing it--
- It's gonna be a challenge
to walk at that point.
(laughing)
- Have you been watching technology?
You came in here with Snap Spectacles.
- Absolutely.
I'm definitely going to have
an exoskeleton for sure.
- You're going to have Snapchat legs
flying up to Mars real quick performing.
- Oh, we're definitely living on Mars.
Is anyone like signing up for that?
I gotta be one.
- [Gary] People are signing up.
- Absolutely, that's happening.
- [Gary] You would crush that.
- Oh my god.
- [Man] Buffet's 87.
- Yeah, Buffet's 87.
- Shut up.
- And looks good.
- He's talking still.
- 100% he's talking.
(laughing)
- Oh my god.
- 100%.
- This man does not eat bacon for sure.
- So talk to me about...
this next chapter.
When did it start really,
when do pieces start getting together?
When did the team--
- [T-Pain] The pieces
literally got together--
- Looking at the team,
like the talented people
you got around you, the mindset.
- This all happened literally
not even nine months ago.
- Okay, so eight and half months ago,
you wake up and say fuck it,
I'm not gonna drink a bottle of Hennessy,
I'm gonna drink an egg and
be Rocky and I'm going.
- Ah eggs, ugh.
That consistency is ah.
- [Gary] Water?
Water?
- Juice.
- [Gary] What kind?
- Cranberry juice.
- [Gary] Okay, respect.
- To get the kidney's back together.
(laughing)
- That's what the Internet says.
So you start drinking cranberry juice
eight and half months
ago and what happens?
Who do you call first,
what do you do first?
There's a lot of people that actually,
we do a lot of shows.
Here's an opportunity for me.
There's a lot of people who've been up,
and you were fucking up.
- I called, the first person
I called was Steve Rifkind.
- [Gary] Steve Rifkind.
- Steve Rifkind.
He was in the room when Akon signed me.
So he knows everything
that I've been through,
everything I've gone through.
I went to Steve Rifkind,
I said I don't know what to do.
I need to change something.
My management wasn't working out
and I had three managers.
Like three full managers.
Not like a manager and a co-manager,
like three full people.
- And when you've got three
managers and only two pockets,
the math doesn't work out.
- Three managers, two pockets,
they each was getting 20% a piece.
So obviously I was either
desperate or just really drunk
when I made that decision.
So probably the second thing.
(laughing)
So it was out of control
so I called Steve Rifkind
and I said do I need to change something?
Something's got to change.
Steve Rifkind--
- [Gary] Jumped in.
- He jumped in--
- [Gary] Cleaned shit up.
- But he didn't even--
- [Gary] Have to?
- He didn't have to,
he just like recommended
me to other people.
Like Steve Rifkin is
like the head of octopus.
He's got eight legs that
can run a circus for you.
So Steve Rifkind hooked
me up with Andy Kabamba
and Andy hooked me up with Johnny Shipes,
which is the head of Cinematic.
Johnny jumped in and changed my life.
Like it's I don't know, I don't
know how this man does it.
- Like black and white, 360.
- Complete 360 like changed my life
and you know what's even better?
He went through the same
stuff I went through,
the depression state, he went
through crazy drug abuse,
he went through alcoholism,
so he knew everything
that I was going through.
My previous managers is like
you need to go to a psychiatrist.
You're crazy, you drink
too much, you suck,
you do this, your music
is terrible right now.
Johnny was like look,
I know exactly what you're going through.
Here's how you work with this.
Here's how you stop doing this.
Here's how you do this.
I'm gonna work with you on this.
I'm gonna go vegan, you
gonna have to do that,
obviously you love bacon so.
(laughing)
- How's the vegan thing going?
- It's not going well.
Definitely had a burger last night.
(laughing)
- Was the burger delicious?
- It was over the top.
Cheese and all kind of shit
all over my bed, it's crazy.
(laughs)
They didn't give me napkins.
The Uber Eats dude didn't bring napkins.
I had to wash my hands on the bed.
- Here's a fun fact, I
never use my napkins.
Do you guys know this?
You've noticed this Tyler?
(laughing)
- [T-Pain] Using your sweater?
- I literally wipe it,
I wipe it on my clothes.
- Yeah, clothes are the
best napkins obviously.
Yeah, but Johnny worked
with me with everything man.
- They're the original napkins, clearly.
- Right, there it is.
Absolutely.
Suck your fingers, I don't know.
- So now what?
- Now Johnny is the king
of independent everything.
So now he's like look--
- [Gary] Let's wrap up this obligation.
- Let's wrap it up, this
is your last obligation.
- How did you feel about this obligation?
- [Gary] Coming out Friday?
What's it called?
- Oblivion.
Oblivion and it's a
tribute and a celebration
to that depression stage.
- Did you write--
- Oh, the whole thing.
- You wrote the whole thing?
- The whole thing.
Yeah, yeah.
There's one song I didn't write on there.
That's only because--
- Who wrote that?
- A1 that works with Chris Brown.
A1 is the--
- The best?
- He's the greatest.
- And you just needed to do it?
- Well obviously.
Yeah, I heard it, he was playing his album
and I was like well--
- [Gary] Can I have that song?
- That's for sure not your song anymore
- Yeah, I need that.
(laughing)
I know exactly what to do with that.
Anybody else on the
album or is it just you?
- Tons of people, Chris Brown,
Ne-Yo, Wale, Tory Lanez.
- [Gary] Everybody came out.
- Right, people showed up and it was...
I mean it was great, the reception--
- That felt good, right?
- Ah man, it feels amazing.
Chris Brown just posted about
me the other day, it's crazy.
- You know what's amazing
about America right?
America loves this narrative.
Build-up, crash down.
- Tear down.
Tear down!
- Say it again.
- Don't just crash by yourself.
You gotta have people to tear you down.
- That's right.
- You're gonna get shot out of the sky.
- You know what's funny?
They love Britney's back.
They love that third chapter.
That third chapter, listen,
when Boyd said something to me
like seven, eight months ago.
Like just in passing is like
yo, there's something going on.
Just like seven months ago.
- They're like cleaning off the cannon
they shot you down with.
Boy, that was crazy, huh?
(laughing)
What!
- It's true, it's true.
- Man, you took a dive there.
(laughing)
- Meanwhile it's like no,
you pushed me down there.
But that third chapter.
I mean it, when he said something to me,
I'm like it felt good, I felt happy.
- You know why, you know why?
Because they did it, they
feel like they did it.
They feel like you wouldn't
have gotten back up
if they didn't pull you back up.
So they feel in control.
People want to be in control.
- Do you like being in the studio more
or do you like to perform more?
- Oh man.
That's hard to say.
- Is it a 50-50 thing for you?
- It's a 50-50 thing for me
because if I'm in the studio with somebody
it's basically me
performing for that person.
- Right, 'cause right
now this many people,
in the same way it does
for me I can see it in you,
if there was two people in
here you'd be at certain level.
But do you get compoundly higher?
Like I only need one,
but if there is four,
I get a little crazier.
This has me going a little bit.
You give me 40,000 and I
get fucking out of my mind.
- Two people in here, I'll shut down.
I got crazy social anxiety.
- I see, so when do you
go from shut down to on?
Seven? 49?
- If I'm performing on stage,
if it's a hundred people in there,
I don't know what to do.
Give me alcohol, give me alcohol.
I need to fucking not think.
- So when do you turn on, a thousand?
Four thousand? 19 thousand?
- 300.
- 300?
- 300.
- So if we throw a show with
299 of my fans in the show--
- I'm shut down.
- [Gary] 301, crunk.
- Out of control.
(laughing)
Out of control.
- Let's get a call in.
Guys, T-Pain's in the building.
Facebook put your numbers,
Andy is going to get you going.
We are unlocking secrets.
The magic number for T-Pain is 300.
300 is when he turns it.
- Like the Spartans.
- What are you listening to?
- James Blake.
- James Blake?
- Yeah, that's the guy.
- You love it?
- Oh god.
He's so great.
You know he didn't know he was great?
- Most people don't.
- So weird, it was like an accident.
He became an artist on accident
from the stories I'm hearing.
He's was like in the AV Club or something
and they had to do like a a video
and then like his teacher
or his professor was like
dude, you what?
Do this, like for a living.
Make money from this and
apparently that's what happened.
(phone ringing)
Oh, we calling Obama?
- We calling.
I don't think it's Obama.
(laughing)
Hello?
- [Fanny] Hello?
- Fanny this is Gary Vee
and you're on with T-Pain.
- Hey!
- Hey Gary, I just saw you.
- You just literally saw
me at the sneaker store
four minutes ago?
- [Fanny] Yeah, I just saw you man.
- Well it's great to see you again.
- You wore this.
- I didn't wear it.
- [Fanny] I was the one that told you
about the basketball thing man.
- Oh that's right.
Fanny I told, so by the way guys,
T-Pain I did not play in those.
(laughing)
I don't know why those smell like that.
Stop breaking my shit T-Pain.
Guys for everybody listening,
Fanny was at the Foot Action.
She said look, I've done the school thing.
I'm at this place.
She looks me dead in
the face and she goes,
but all want to do is play basketball.
And I was like then
play fucking basketball
for the next two years 'cause regret,
focus here T-Pain.
- That's a real Monkian.
- You know I paid a dollar
for that at a garage sale?
- Shut your mouth.
- Dead fucking serious, put
it on Snapchat and everything.
- Shut your dirty mouth.
- One fucking dollar, mint condition,
and you want to hear the best part?
For all the OG garage
sale people that know
that basically you got
to make it all happen
before 8:30 in the morning, 11:17 p.m.
It made it all the way to
11:17 p.m. mint condition
Thundercat in package, a dollar.
- You're officially the
worst person I know.
- I appreciate it, I got
more stories for that.
I'll get really bad.
You think you hate me now,
it's about to get really fucking terrible.
Fanny.
(laughing)
What are you asking T-Pain?
(laughing)
- She wants to know about the shoes.
- No, no, she doesn't.
She knows about the shoes.
Fanny what's your question?
- [Fanny] Yeah, so this
is more for T-Pain.
I was actually talking
to my boyfriend yesterday
about you being on The Gary Vee Show
and he was give me some
insight into your background
'cause I haven't heard
as much of your music.
And he was telling me that...
this controversy or this
debate about how like T-Pain
is the one who spread this new movement
and all these musicians
becoming so popular
because of the sounds that
he made back 10 years ago
and he's not really
getting the credit for it.
So how do you navigate through that?
Do you care about the getting the credit?
- That's a good fucking question Fanny.
- We all want the credit.
That was a great question.
We all want the credit for sure,
but I don't need it to keep moving.
I know for a fact that people know this
in the back of their
mind when they see me.
- T-Pain, do you'll think be historically,
do you think you'll be
historically correct,
that the truth comes through at the end
and that history will look
at it black and white?
- No, not at all.
- You think shit gets manipulated?
- Absolutely.
The originator of anything
gets shaded out in history,
all the time.
- So you're a bigger theory
that the second mouse
gets the cheese, not the
early bird gets the worm?
- Yes.
- That's some pessimistic
bullshit, we need to change it.
- It is.
- I'm going to have to
go on tour with you.
- I think we should change it.
I think we should change it,
but I don't think it will.
I think people would rather--
- So how do you explain Harvey Weinstein,
like what's going on now?
Everybody getting outed, Louis C.K.
that the Internet is exposing everything
and there is no hiding
and you can't manipulate history as much?
- Because of the people
that are exposing it
are exposing it to get fame themselves.
- Get the fuck out of here!
- For sure.
- No, they're not.
- Guaranteed.
- No, I totally disagree with you.
(laughing)
Listen, I've already
figured out all your moves.
You're gonna use your funny rad shit
to try to move it.
- I'm not, I'm not!
- They're not trying to get famous,
they're trying to out
fucking pieces of shit.
- If I'm not trying to get famous,
I don't want people to know
I got my butt hole fingered
like that's not something...
(laughing)
Like I'm not gonna just
come out and say hey guys,
so remember I went to LA awhile ago?
(laughs)
- Fanny, Fanny, Fanny.
What was your boyfriend's point of view?
That T-Pain got fucked
and and he's excited
that he's gonna get his proper credit?
- [Fanny] Oh, absolutely.
We're waiting for you to drop your album
and we're gonna be playing
it all the time man.
- That's what I'm talking
about, November 17th.
You know what's crazy?
Here's what's crazy.
In 2013 I was going to LA
from Atlanta on a plane
and I was on the plane with Usher.
The stewardess woke me
up, or flight attendant,
because they don't like
stewardess anymore, I'm sorry.
- That was way less politically correct
then some people that out people
are looking for fame T-Pain
just to put into context.
(laughing)
I love that you decided to
correct the word stewardess
and flight attendant versus
people that out people
are looking for fame.
That's not even the same
fucking world T-Pain!
- Delta Airlines doesn't have time for me.
- So go ahead, she wakes you up.
- I was on a plane with Usher,
the flight attendant wakes me up,
and say Mr. Raymond would
like to talk to you.
- [Gary] Mr. Pain. (laughs)
- She said Mr. Raymond
would like to talk to you.
Usher meets me where they
bring the food from and shit
like you know where they heat up the--
- [Gary] Yep, in the
front by the bathroom.
- Usher got me--
- [Gary] You didn't know him yet?
- No, no he's one of my great friends.
He woke me up and took
me back there to tell me,
he said hey, so you know...
you know you fucked up music?
I was like what?
- Is this true?
- This is completely true.
- You and him are in the
back where they make food
and the little bathrooms are
and Usher decides it's a good idea
to wake you up on a flight.
- Well, first of all he
has his kids with him.
His kids were climbing all
over me the whole flight.
(laughing)
Because I had the window seat
and his nanny had the
aisle seat right next to me
and she had his kids.
- If you add one more thing
that Usher did wrong on this flight,
this is going to be the all time story.
(laughing)
He also peed in the aisle.
- But he meant it in--
- He meant it for real or
meant it for fake kind of real?
- He meant that so
real, but he meant it in
the most unharmful way that he could.
- [Gary] Did that fuck with you?
- Oh, of course.
This is 2013, this is
like one of the things
that started the depression.
- Does Usher know this?
- I don't know.
- We got to talk to him.
- Well obviously you gotta talk to him.
- Not me.
- You gotta talk to him.
- Okay, I got it.
Andy you talk to him.
- I'm not gonna face my
demons, what the fuck?
I'm not going back to my demons.
(laughing)
- Fanny, real quick.
Before you get excited
about the next album,
you need to go back and listen
to some music for context
before this album comes out.
- Listen to the album cuts,
do not listen to the singles.
Yes, listen to the album
cuts on the old albums.
Don't listen to a singles,
they will confuse you.
- Fanny, listen to the singles too.
- I mean listen to the
singles, I gotta tell 'em.
- Fanny, thank you.
Thanks for coming out
today and supporting me.
I appreciate it.
Let's do another call.
What else is happening in music
that's interesting to you?
I'd love to get, I'm so
curious about your perspective
like give me another artist,
how about an new emerging art,
another new emerging artist
that has caught your
attention or a single song
that you found interesting.
- A new emerging...
Well she's not emerging
anymore, but FKA Twigs
was one of my favorites for a minute.
Oh fuck, there was a YouTuber
that was getting crazy in music and...
- [Gary] What do you remember about it?
'cause one of us will remember.
- He doesn't speak English,
but he does covers of songs in English.
It's like James...
it's not just James Corden.
- Brown? I'm just kidding.
(laughing)
(Andy speaking off mic)
- I did that so long ago
that was like over the top.
Black, Sweeno...
you know all these new artists
are trying to do something
with Scissor, you know.
- Do you have a hometown bias?
When you hear kids coming
up from Florida as a whole,
do you feel anything about that,
different than Atlanta or LA or New York?
Or does it mean nothing?
- I only feel something about it
when it sounds like Florida.
A lot of songs sound like
Florida and you're like dude,
get out of Florida.
- So wait a minute.
You'll hear a sound of a kid,
let's say he's from Harlem.
Let's say he's from Harlem even.
And it's got a little of a Florida sound.
- See that's cool because it's unexpected.
- I see.
- It's unexpected.
Like even one of my artists,
Young Cash is from Jacksonville, Florida.
When his songs sound like Jacksonville
and it sounds like only Jacksonville
is gonna like this song,
like dude change that,
because until Outcast said
they were from Atlanta,
you didn't know where they're from.
- You're damn right.
I remember.
- They sounded like there they could be
from anywhere in the world.
- 100%.
- Fucking sound Norwegian.
(laughing)
So like I don't want, like my artist,
I don't want people to
know where you're from
just straight from your first single.
- [Gary] You're from your couch.
- Right, don't limit
yourself to that sound.
- I understand.
- You're gonna understand
stifle your fucking self.
- Who do we have?
- [Andy] Adrian.
- T-Pain, what do you
think about social media?
- Which one?
- Which one you want to talk about?
- Twitter?
- Hold on one second, Adrian?
- [Adrian] Hey, this is Adrian.
- Adrian this is Gary Vee and
your on The #AskGaryVee Show
with T-Pain.
- Is that how you answer the phone?
- [Adrian] Hey!
(laughing)
- Falafel!
Alright, go ahead.
- How you doing?
(laughing)
- You remember that commercial,
that was my commercial.
- Of course.
Adrian, what's up man?
- [Adrian] Hey what's up?
Well T-Pain first I want to say thank you.
This is Adrian Brambila.
You nicknamed me Mexy Melts
on your Blood Sweat and Dance Contest.
I was one of the dancers
that landed touring with you
for a little bit and that's maybe--
- Oh, is it Adrian!?
- [Adrian] Yes, what's up?
- What's up bro?
- [Gary] We're making connections here
on The #AskGaryVee Show.
- I know this guy, I know this guy.
- [Adrian] Yes.
- Yes, you know him.
- Mexy Melt!
- [Adrian] Mexy Melt, exactly.
- He's Mexican.
- [Adrian] Really quick I wanted
to say you changed my life.
- I get it. I understood.
- [Adrian] It just made
a huge impact on my life,
thank you--
- Adrian, how did it make
an impact on your life?
What is the T-Pain behind-the-scenes doing
that's impacting your
life in that scenario?
- [Adrian] Well he gives
opportunity to people,
dream life opportunities.
I was literally a living room dancer
and he had an open call audition,
which was unheard of for people
trying to make it in the talent world
and so we basically had 30
dancers flew out to Florida
to audition and he was
only gonna pick two people.
He ended up taking 10 people,
increase the chances of
me plus other dancers--
- Now T-Pain, do you do
that because you're nice guy
or because you're indecisive?
- I did it because I'm nice.
- [Gary] Okay, respect.
- I'm a very nice guy.
- [Gary] I can sense it.
- Adrian knows this, I'm a super nice guy.
- Why do you think I'm setting
him up to tell the story?
I want everyone to know how nice you are.
- Do it! Keep saying nice things Adrian.
- [Adrian] I honestly I can vouch,
T-Pain, he would invite it to his house.
We had barbecue.
- Was the food good?
Was the food good Adrian?
- [Adrian] I remember
mac and cheese that--
- Blew your fucking face off?
- That was from Publix.
- [Adrian] Best mac and cheese ever!
(laughing)
- Publix brand mac and cheese?
- That was the only thing
I bought from Publix.
Everything else was cooked.
- Adrian do you have a question
or did you would just
want to send some love
and let him know you're doing well?
- [Adrian] I do have a question.
- What do you got brother?
- [Adrian] Out of all the
things that you've accomplished,
what would be something that
you're the most proud of?
- Being on The #AskGarVvee show.
- Or that.
(Adrian laughs)
You know what it was?
And it just dawned on me
because a lot of people
always ask me how do you
balance having a family
and doing music and business
and stuff like that?
And I always thought it was
the easiest thing in the world
and I just now found out
it's because I wasn't paying
attention to my family
and like it's always easy
when you cancel one thing out.
So I think the most thing
I'm proud of is actually
becoming a father and a husband
and it really put
everything in perspective
as far as you know, back in the days
I was just chasing them hits
and I was chasing being the next person.
I got to get on this song,
gotta go on this song,
and I've never thought
like I need to make sure
my kids know my real name.
(laughs)
It really dawned on me
like in the last year or so
and I really got back to
being a husband and a father.
That's what I think I'm most proud of.
- 2017 is gonna end up being
a big time year in your life, huh man?
- It's huge, it's huge, oh my god.
I got over so many things.
- Do you feel confident?
Do you feel confident
that this is the turn?
- So much.
- You don't feel like this is a blip
and they'll be bad again?
Like where's your mind at?
- No, this is--
- Why, I'm being serious.
- Because I did all the bad shit.
- You feel like it's out?
- Yeah, I know exactly
what leads to that time.
So when I start seeing those patterns,
I'm like wait a minute, back that up.
- [Gary] Lemme go home, let me go do this.
- Right, back that up.
When I see I'm starting
to buy too many cars,
I'm like wait a minute.
I already got 30.
(laughs)
Let's back it up to 29.
- Do you love cars?
- I love cars, I'm a motor head for sure.
- Yeah, what else do you buy?
- I mean it's just cars really.
- That's good.
- But yeah, to answer your
question Adrian is that.
It's being a father and a husband.
- Adrian, thanks for calling in man.
Thanks for sharing that
story, appreciate it.
- [Adrian] Thank you so much.
- Good talking to you bro.
- Thank you man.
Let's get one more in.
Social media.
- He was like one of the dopest dancers.
- Was he amazing?
- Mm-hmm.
- So social media.
Where you at?
What's the current state of
T-Pain's mind on social media?
- Right now?
- [Gary] Right this second.
- Right now I'm super with it.
Super with it.
- [Gary] Okay, what do you like the most?
Personally, one man's opinion.
- What do I like the most?
I think it's the reach obviously.
- Oh I get that, I apologize.
Not from a theoretical,
which I love that you went.
What individual platform
do you enjoy the most.
Is the team doing it for you, helping you?
Are you doing anything,
like where you at with it?
- No 'cause you know--
- Nobody can really capture that voice.
- Right.
(laughing)
- By the way everybody
watching, the team was like.
- And it's crazy 'cause
this is my social media guy.
But he has to send things to me
and say can I post this
or can I put this up?
And I have to like
rearrange it and like yo,
don't say shorty.
(laughing)
- He's like it's not 2014.
- Right, change that you all to y'all.
You know different things like that, but--
- I get it.
Do you ever do it with your own fingers--
- All the time, all the time.
I mean when he hits me,
I just take what he does--
- You ever go live, you ever
like go straight to the camera?
- I can't go live.
I can't go live.
- [Gary] Anxiety?
- Not even know that.
That and I don't think
I'm that interesting.
- What if there's 301 people on the line?
What if the system was--
- Dun dun dun!
(laughing)
- So what about Snapchat,
Instagram, Facebook, Twitter.
- Anything I can post and
I'll have to be a part of,
I can do it.
- Did you play Myspace in the
early days of your career?
- [T-Pain] I did.
- How'd that go?
Terrible, never was a part of it?
- End up doing a video with Tila Tequila.
- [Gary] You did?
- Yeah.
- [Gary] I don't remember.
- You gotta look it up.
- [Gary] Clearly.
- There's a video called Send Me an Email,
that's when email first got popping.
I still got her Hotmail
at the time, it was great.
It was amazing, but I did a video with--
- I literally can't wait--
- [Operator] The number
you have dialed is.
- Andy!
- Oh!
Guess I had to shut you down.
(laughing)
Like Sunshine Anderson.
- T-Pain's reaction to a misdial.
I'm proud of you man.
- That was great.
- [Operator] The number you have dialed.
(yelling)
- [Gary] Twice!
- Two-bay!
- Chris lost, it was Chris' fault.
- [Andy] He said he made $21,500
on the 2017 flip challenge this year--
- But he put in the wrong phone number?
He was able to hustle and make $21,000,
but he couldn't put the
right seven numbers together.
- I mean, 21,000.
(mumbling)
I think I did it, I think I did it.
- [Gary] T-pain, do you like football?
- Eh.
- Did you grow up not liking any sports?
- [T-Pain] I don't like any
sports, I'm not gonna lie.
- Alright, that's a real problem.
Everything was going super well.
- A lot of motherfuckers
on fields and courts
making more money than
me, I don't like it.
(laughing)
- Courts.
- I don't support it.
(laughing)
They got enough money.
- What if they made less?
- Well, obviously they don't make less.
(laughing)
(phone ringing)
These motherfuckers sign
their name on a paper.
- There's plenty of
people that lost money,
Anton Walker lost a lot
more money than you did.
(phone ringing)
Alright, who's this?
- Losing all their god damn brain cells.
(laughing)
(phone ringing)
- Uh oh, from the 305.
- You have reached the voicemail of.
- Man this would be a big L for Tim.
- [Operator] We're sorry,
your call cannot be
completed at this time.
Please hang up and try
your call again later.
- [T-Pain] This is not even a voicemail.
- T-Pain, how are you analyzing
this inability to get
somebody on the phone?
Keep going Andy.
- This is pretty...
this pretty concerning.
(laughing)
I'm feeling bad over here.
- [Gary] Let's talk about New York.
- Wait, give me one second.
How much are you selling this for?
- [Gary] Zero.
- You're selling it?
- Not selling, nothing here's for sale.
Actually you know what?
It's good that the million dollar man
is sitting right above you.
You know that is?
- How much did you pay for that?
- I think that was actually
bought by the team on eBay
so we probably paid the
appropriate price for that.
- No way, no way you did.
- Are you big wrestling fan?
- Yes.
- Did you watch the Ric Flair, 30 for 30?
- I did.
- [Gary] Was it great?
I'm gonna watch it Sunday.
- His hair wasn't.
(laughing)
Ric Flair's always been...
We call, this cousin Ty, we
call cousin Ty Ric Flair,
- I see it!
He looks like a young Hogan.
(laughing)
He's got a Bret Michael's thing going on.
- You gotta think like when dude had
that crazy amount of
hair and then you see him
like the god damn crypt keeper.
- [Operator] The number you have dialed.
- Oh my god!
- This is insane!
- [T-Pain] What's happening!?
What are you doing?
What are you doing to this feed?
- The episode was all time
and then Andy got involved.
(laughing)
T-Pain and I were doing everything right.
Wait a minute, T-Pain,
while actually this is good.
You like chotskas and collectable?
- [T-Pain] Absolutely, oh yeah.
- Can I put you on something?
You wanna make a really--
- My whole basement was
unfinished when I bought my house
and now my wife hates it
because it's full of shit like this.
(laughs)
- I have a huge idea.
Boyd put this together.
Ready, I'm being dead serious.
Me and you next spring.
- You got the schedule already?
- Stick with me, yeah, I got the schedule.
You and I next spring,
we're going garage sale-ing
and we're gonna film it.
- Suck my dick, god damn.
(laughing)
Jesus Christ.
- Done!
- Oh yes!
- Me and T-Pain going to
a town-wide garage sale
coming to a city near you
and we're gonna buy
some under priced stuff.
- This is obviously a show.
- Yes.
We're gonna call it Trash Talk.
- What did you just do?
- [Gary] I just invented
the show called Trash Talk
with T-Pain and Gary Vee.
- God damn it.
- That's what I did.
Who's this?
- [Andy] Jessica.
- Jessica, finally.
- She's still not going to answer.
- The rabbit.
- It's over.
- No, she's gonna answer T-Pain.
No, please Jessica.
- [Jessica] This Gary and T-Pain?
- Ay!
- It is Jessica!
(laughing)
Jessica, how are you?
- [Jessica] This is fucking bananas!
- It is very much bananas and T-Pain--
- B-A-N-A-N-A-S.
- [Jessica] Oh, yeah.
(laughing)
- Jessica, what is your
question for T-Pain?
T-Pain is really starting to
build momentum on this show.
This is the opportunity to strike.
- [T-Pain] We made another show!
- [Jessica] So here's my question.
It's kind of a two-fold question.
I'm 38.
- Young.
- [Jessica] I've been cleaning
houses since I was 11.
- [Gary] Hustler.
- [Jessica] I'm started by
cleaning my friends bedrooms
'cause they didn't want
to fucking do their chores
so I'm like give me your chore money,
I'll clean the fucking room.
- Fucking hustler.
I like you a lot.
- [Jessica] So I've done
that for a long time.
I got married, this motherfucker
thought it was degrading
so I didn't, I did other things.
I had my license to cut hair.
In September I was fired from my job
so I just stepped it up a
notch, collecting unemployment.
I mean let's fucking be
real, I got bills to pay,
mouths to feed, but on the side
I'm building my cleaning business.
Made a couple here and there,
but the problem is this.
I need to clean for
these fucking old ladies
who don't want to do it,
but they're not on Facebook
and I don't want to go
knocking door-to-door like hey,
hi my name is J because honestly--
- Why, 'cause door to door is fun.
Oh T-Pain I'll tell you that story.
- [Jessica] It is, but
let me tell you something.
in the town that I'm living in
there's a lot of mother
fuckers going door-to-door.
- What town are you in?
- I'm in Danville, Illinois.
- First of all I love this town.
If this town is loaded with
people going door-to-door,
this is my fucking town.
(laughing)
I love this town.
- There's an overabundance
of Girl Scout Cookies.
- T-Pain, I think we found the city,
I think we found the city that
we're gonna garage sale in.
It's this Danville, Illinois.
- [Jessica] You're god damn right.
- I'm coming Illinois.
- For sure there's someone near you
that collects porcelain dolphins.
(laughs)
- Jessica, I've been wanting
to do this on the show
for a while and your rawness
and hunger has inspired me.
you're gonna be the first one.
One more time, the name of the city?
- [Jessica] Danville, Illinois.
- And how far will you travel
to clean somebody's house?
Give me a radius.
- [Jessica] I'll go to Indiana
I mean shit, to be honest?
My girl lives in St. Louis
and I'm on her Linkedin.
One of her real estate friends messaged me
and was like hey can you
come clean this house,
I'm like fuck it.
We get four or five, I got a team,
I'll be in fucking St. Louis tonight.
(laughing)
- This is what the fuck I'm talking about!
- Jessica what is your
social media handles?
T-Pain you gotta get quiet.
- I'm chilling.
- Ready?
Jessica give me all your,
do you have a website
for this side hustle?
- You better promote this shit girl!
(laughing)
- [Jessica] No, that's
what I'm working on.
So I'm on Insta.
- Okay, what's your handle?
- [Jessica] It's hair by J.
- Hold on, hold on.
On Insta, pull it up Andy.
It's hair by?
- [Jessica] Jai, J-A-I.
- Okay, see I needed that clarification,
there's a lot of ways to write J.
Hold on, I gotta look at it.
HairByJai, let's pull it up
for T-Pain so he can see it.
- [Jessica] There might
be a couple of them
so you might want to just tap--
- Are you the one that has 48 followers
and you're following 49 people?
- [Jessica] Fuck no, I ain't that bitch.
- That was, those are crazy numbers.
(laughing)
- Spell out your Instagram handle.
- Can you imagine that
one decision though.
Like I'm probably gonna
follow this person but nah.
- Let's spell it out.
- [Jessica] It's H-A-I-R underscore.
- [T-Pain] Oh, underscore!
- B-Y?
- [Jessica] Underscore.
J-A-I.
- Okay, hold on.
- [T-Pain] Oh you got that underscore.
- So you're, this one who has
141 followers, 122 following.
Correct?
- [Jessica] No!
- What!
- [Jessica] Okay, just do this.
Do Jessica Custer.
J-E-S-S-I-C-A.
- [Gary] Hold on, hold on.
- I don't mean to be racist
but that's obviously not her.
(laughing)
- It might be, voices
are confusing T-Pain.
- [T-Pain] No, no, no.
- Jessica go ahead, hush.
- [Jessica] Okay, Jessica
spell J-E-S-S-I-C-A.
- Yep.
- [Jessica] Custer, C-U-S-T-E-R.
Like the general.
- Like the general?
(laughing)
- Alright Jess, is this you?
Is this a private account?
- For sure that's her!
- Jess, is that you?
- [Jessica] I don't
fucking know, I can't see.
- Oh my god.
- [Jessica] I'm following...
- [Andy] 156.
- [Jessica] I'm following 304
people, I have 345 followers.
- Still not her.
- Jess, you've gotta spell
your last name for me.
Jessica, C-U-S-T-E-R?
- [Jessica] Yes, like Custer,
C-U-S, like Sam, T like Tom, E-R.
- Is there an underscore
in between the Jessica
and the Custer?
- [T-Pain] There's like five.
- [Jessica] No.
- I don't know what's going on--
- [Jessica] Okay so try this, try this.
- I'm ready.
- [Jessica] J-A-I-C-U-S-T.
- C-U-S-T-E-R?
- [Jessica] Yes, no space.
- Okay, J-A-I-C-U-S-T-E-R?
- [Jessica] Correct.
- Okay wait a minute, wait a minute.
I think we might be somewhere.
Are you 346 followers,
304 are following you?
- [Jessica] Well some mother
fucker just followed me,
so yes.
- This is you right.
Like blonde hair kissing
with the red lips?
- [Jessica] Well yes.
- Okay, okay, okay.
I want to get you a, T-Pain.
Will you follow Jai Custer on Instagram.
I think this would be very big.
- Is that Conor McGregor?
- No.
- The third guy?
Her third picture is not Conor McGregor.
(laughing)
So J, you have to build
a bio here and put a URL.
Put your phone number here or an email.
We are gonna get you business right now.
So you're telling me J, Jess,
that you are hungry to clean homes
and are somewhere in
the middle of America,
you are willing to travel between Illinois
and most parts of middle America, correct?
- [Jessica] Correct.
- Okay wait, let's.
- T-Pain, I need this, I'm gonna do it,
where's my phone?
- First let's start
with changing the joint.
Let's change the joint.
- What do me change the joint, her name?
Her name's good.
- No, it's not.
- [Gary] Yes, it is.
- You can't say you
guys are cleaning homes
and then your first
thing is the hair by Jai.
- [Jessica] I get that, I get that.
I'm thinking, I'm planning
on starting a page
for my cleaning for Insta
because I just started.
- You have too many pages already.
- Is it clean houses by Jai?
Clean houses by Jai?
- Jessica I just followed you.
- Fuck old people by Jai, I don't know.
- J, just keep it Jai Custer.
Listen to me Jessica keep it Jai Custer,
it's perfectly fine.
Where it says woman of
faith, mother, entrepreneur,
clean that up to speak about
home cleaning entrepreneur
to get your home cleaned email or call,
I don't know how you
want to roll or DM me.
J-A-I.
This is amazing, the
fact that Jessica Custer
is getting followed by T-Pain live here
on The #AskGaryVee show
is a monumental moment.
Jessica did you think you're
gonna wake up this morning
and T-Pain was gonna
follow you on Instagram?
- [Jessica] No, but I'll tell you what,
I woke up this morning
and was I god damn it,
I'm fucking getting on that Gary Vee Show.
I'm hitting my goddamn
numbers so many fucking times.
I'm gonna drive these
son of a bitches crazy.
And I knew you we're
gonna fucking call me.
- She made it happen.
- She did.
- Alright T-Pain is not following her.
T-Pain is now following Gary Vee, what?
(laughing)
- Yeah, suck it!
- Okay J, we're gonna get you business.
If you have an email put
it in your bio right now.
You've gone from 347
followers to 382 followers
in the last second.
This is gonna get watched
over the next 48 hours,
that number is gonna
be 1,500, maybe 4,000,
T-Pain's gonna probably
comment on your next post
so make it good.
Your life is about to change.
You're about to clean
so many fucking homes,
you're not gonna know
what to do with yourself.
- Yeah, if you're next post
doesn't have a broom in it,
I'm not fucking with it.
(laughing)
- Jess listen to me, listen to me Jess.
You've got the haircut
photos in the profile
and to T-Pain's point whether
it's a broom or something
make your next post,
it's fine that it's this,
you don't need a home cleaning account.
You don't need a home cleaning name.
You represent every part of your life.
Change the bio up,
make your next post with
a home cleaning theme,
take advantage of all the exposure
that you're getting right now,
put a phone number or email
there to take advantage.
- Definitely do contacts.
- There's a ton of people watching this
who do not want to clean their
home in a 100 mile radius.
- Me!
(laughing)
- And I think you're going to get business
and I'm being dead serious.
- I'll fly you to
Atlanta to clean my shit.
(laughing)
- Listen J, here's what I'll tell you too.
Jess, here's what I'll tell you.
If anybody's watching this right now
and doesn't feel the same vibe as I do,
they're not winning and my vibe is
your price is a good
deal to clean the home.
- [T-Pain] That's what I'm talking about.
- [Jessica] You got that right
'cause you know what I'm doing?
I'm selling fucking time,
they can go to their kids ballgames,
come home, dishes and shit are done.
- [Gary] She fucking gets it.
- [Jessica] So they don't have
to fucking worry about that.
- You've been hurt.
- [Gary] I don't agree,
I feel like she's just hungry as fuck.
- I get it, I get it, but fuck.
(laughs)
- Listen, T-Pain, I'm being serious.
I'm not hurt and angry and clever as fuck.
- I love her to death but
she's like look bitch,
you want this shit clean or not?
(laughs)
- Jess, I'm gonna give you something else
and don't leave because
it's very important.
Team T-Pain, do not leave, nobody leave.
Do not leave.
Jess, I've been collecting your vibe here
and I want to hear from Team
T-Pain and T-Pain himself.
I think there's a substantial debate
that you should personally be on the remix
of one of the songs from this album
because you're spitting real fire
and if T-Pain was to put you in a remix,
I think it would explode
the entire fucking Internet.
T-Pain?
- [Jessica] I think you're right.
(laughing)
- Because she's coming hard T-Pain.
You're fun but the guest
person that comes in
needs to come in with a little anger.
- [T-Pain] Hard facts.
- Yeah, like 2018s about fun and anger.
You're fun, J Custer is anger.
- [Jessica] I'm not angry, I'm hungry.
And for the longest time--
- Why did that scare me?
(laughing)
- She's hungry T-Pain.
J, we scared T-Pain.
Wait, wait.
T-Pain here's an update from 382,
Andy wants to refresh
and she's now at 403.
- Jesus Christ!
- She's winning T-Pain.
- Jess, you're killing it.
- J you need to hang up on
us and update your profile
because every second you're here
fucking around with Gary Vee and T-Pain,
you're missing out on business
'cause the following is climbing
and there are people with dirty ass homes.
- There's a lot, there's a lot.
I know a bunch of 'em.
- [Jessica] Bunch of filthy
mother fuckers out there, right?
(laughing)
- T-Pain if you do not put
her on the remix, I will die.
- This is a brand new song we gotta make.
(laughing)
It's called Filthy Bitches.
(laughing)
- J, I love you, thank
you for being on the show.
Wow, it's a moment.
Every episode's got a different vibe.
Tim Ferriss yesterday, T-Pain today.
Different, different, but the same.
T-Pain you get to ask
the question of the day.
Everybody who comes on as guests
gets to ask the VaynerNation
the question of the day.
This is an opportunity for
you to get market research
or curiosity of something answered,
thousands of comments and
answers will show up on YouTube.
- I have a question to ask
that has nothing to do with
anything I got going on.
- That's exactly what I
thought was about to happen.
(laughing)
Fire it away T-Pain.
- Okay, I've been asking this
question all around the world
and I will keep asking this question
until Neil deGrasse Tyson
answers this goddamn question.
If we go back in time, follow me on this.
(laughing)
- [Gary] Let me get settled in.
- Right, if we go back in time.
We know the earth moves
through the universe, right?
So the earth is moving continuously.
If we go back in time,
do we go back to where the
earth was at that time?
I think this is why we don't--
- T-Pain when did this
question come to your head?
- So, so long ago.
- I can feel that.
(laughing)
T-Pain, when and why?
- It's time travel.
Have you guys not been
thinking about time travel?
What the fuck?
- Jake?
(laughing)
- Do you?
- So if we're always moving
through time and space--
- I have never thought about
time travel until this moment.
- If we're always moving
through time and space
and we go back in time,
do we go back to where the earth was?
That's why we don't see time travelers
because they just end up in
a fucking void from there.
- Oh wait, that was actually interesting.
Are you telling me I could go back in time
and stay alive longer,
I'm just living in 1437?
- No.
- Okay, what are you saying?
- I'm saying that if the earth
is moving through the universe
when you go back in time, I think you go--
- Can we establish the
when you go back in time,
who's gone back in time?
How have they gone back in time, go ahead.
- There are time machines.
- Where?
- They're in the fucking void
where the earth used to be
because they went back--
- You believe in this shit?
- They went back in
time and obviously died.
Like in the void of space, they fucking,
it's like Arnold
Schwarzenegger on Total Recall.
Head blew up, this crazy.
There's a lot going on, I got footage.
I don't have footage.
(laughing)
So if the earth is moving
through the universe,
when you go back in time do
you go back to when earth was
or does the earth go back with you?
- I don't know if I've
ever been more curious
to see the answers on YouTube
and Facebook than this.
- I'm so ready.
- T-pain, I appreciate it.
Album dropping November 17th.
- That's some quantum shit I just dropped.
- You did.
Like a science professor up in this bitch.
November 17th the new album comes out.
T-Pain thank you so much for the fun.
- Absolutely.
- Thanks for sharing the
struggle, which I think...
if it helped one person in
this hour then we won here.
- That's golden, that's a miracle.
- And I wish you nothing but the best.
- Thank you brother.
- Thanks for being on.
- I'm probably gonna take some stuff.
- Steal something, see ya.
(laughing)
(hip hop music)
