Why I Turned Down Saturday Night Live at the Peak of My Career | Lil Jon

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Listeners of this show will get a $75 sponsored job credit to help get your job the premium status it deserves at indeed.com slash podcast. That's indeed.com slash podcast. Terms and conditions apply. Starting now? Then this is a job for Indeed Sponsored Jobs. If you have any doubt, it's like cancer. It's going to cloud it, and then it's going to block it. Do you keep saying what you want, but then quietly wondering, why is this happening to me? These challenges, these obstacles, this pain. Maybe you've written down the goals and said the affirmations, but deep down, you don't believe any of it will actually happen for you. And maybe you think the big dreaming stuff belongs to somebody else. Well, if that's you, then this conversation is going to shift something inside of you. Today, you're going to learn three affirmations that my friend repeatedly said to himself every single day to pull himself out of anger after his divorce and why he says they started working right away. He explains what most people get wrong about manifestation and how to believe in something that you've never, ever had before, and also how a shy kid from a town ended up giving Usher the biggest song of his life. He is the king of crunk, the legendary producer behind Yeah and Turn Down for What. He's worked with Ice Cube, Too Short, E-40, Eminem, Pitbull, and many more. He's also released the meditation album, Total Meditation, and his new memoir is I Only Shout So You Can Hear Me. I'm so excited about this episode with the one and only Lil Jon. So let's go ahead and dive in. We met, I don't know, almost a decade ago through Pencil to Promise, through our shared love for giving back, for helping youth education in the world for those that don't have the ability to go to school. And we were building schools together and we've been a part of that community for many years. And we've been talking about doing this show for a long time, probably a decade. And you were saying how you're glad we're doing it now because you've been reflecting on a lot of your past, on the mistakes you've made, and also the successes you've had. And the person you are now, 54 years young, looking healthier than ever. Thank you. Probably look better than you did at 21. Oh, yeah. I never looked like this. You look really jacked, man. I like it. I'm curious, you were just mentioning like you were able to finally, you're vibrating at a different frequency now. You're tapping into a spiritual, I guess, level different than you ever have by looking in the mirror and reflecting on things that you've maybe made mistakes on, things that you're maybe ashamed of from your past, or just things that you feel like you could own and accept now. So I'm curious, what were a couple of things that you feel you had to look in the mirror, see yourself in the eyes, and be honest with the most? Well, number one, my divorce. I had to look and say I wasn't the greatest person in the marriage. I didn't see that my ex was showing me, she was trying to tell me, screaming out that she needed more love. And I didn't realize that until I was out of the relationship, and I wasn't able to give her that love either, I don't think, because I wasn't, I think we were just on different paths. You know, sometimes that's how it is in relationships, you're on different paths, and you think differently, and you move differently, and I think the reflection in that also, I came to the realization that God brought us together to birth our son, to have our son, and to raise our son. And I think that was the purpose of that relationship. One of the major purposes was that, that's why we were together. And it wasn't supposed to last forever, sometimes things don't last forever. And I was just able to see that I wasn't the greatest partner, and I could have been there for her more when she was yearning out for me. Another relationship of mine was a guy that mentored me when I was early 20s, we produced together, his name is Paul Lewis, and we, when I first started producing, me and him were producing together. And then slowly I kind of started to do stuff on my own. And I didn't end the relationship well, when he was there for me, showed me a lot about, he was kind of like a second father to me too, like he showed me a lot of man things, like when we were working together, he's like, yo, put your money aside for your taxes. You know, I would go to his house, his wife would cook, I would sit down with him and his family and eat dinner. He would take me around with him all of the time and he just showed me a lot of things. And I didn't handle that well because I'm in the mindset of just go, go, go, I gotta make it. I can just do this myself because I can do this quick. But it was wrong, you know, and I, me and him talked and we cried about it, you know, because that was the 90s. You know, and I had all this success, but it didn't sit right with me for a while. And it was finally time for me to just be able to come to him and just say, Hey, you know, I didn't handle that situation well. I appreciate you. I love you. Thank you. Wow. So you, you, that was 25 years later after this kind of ended, you, you re-approached him, you reached out to him, you had that conversation and kind of took ownership and responsibility. Yeah. How did it feel after you finally did that 25 years later? It felt good. It felt really good because it put me at ease, you know, one thing that happened to me when my mother passed away at her funeral, a young lady spoke and said her and my mom had an argument and she was never able to make up with my mom. So that's something that sat in my brain since that day. And even with any relationship I'm in with someone close, I don't like to end the night with it in a bad place. I try my best to come to some kind of mutual understanding and, and, and smooth it out because of that situation. So with Paul, it just had been lingering with me and not sitting right for a long time. And I just was like, I need to make that right. You know, as I, as you spiritually become more elevated, you realize things that are lingering bad energies. You want to get rid of all of the bad energies because that blocks your blessings. And it blocks, yeah, it blocks your blessings and it blocks new things from coming in. Good things from coming in. If you've got lingering bad energy, I don't like any kind of lingering bad energy. I don't like that around me. I'm, you know, whoever's around and they got issues with somebody and I'm like, yo, go handle that. Go squash that because that's going to block your blessing. So we had a conversation and I felt, I felt just, just so at ease and he did as well. I think he needed that closure as well. And also for us to just rekindle our friendship because we had such a great friendship. And then just my son and myself talking through the last four years, he came to me one day and was like, I want to have a better relationship with you. So that was a man of him. He was a man enough to come to me and say, Hey, I want to repair some things. And I was like, 100%. And we had conversations and I got him to understand like, Hey, I was a first time dad. I didn't know what the hell I was doing either. And how old were you when I was twenties? That was, yeah. Ninety eight. First time dad, you also were starting to get a lot of success and fame and money and traveling and doing. I was like, I was just trying to, I said, I, I did the best that I could, you know, for what I thought I was doing my best, you know? And I said, I'm sorry if some of that wasn't good enough. And we, we came to the understanding on both sides. Sometimes it's communication, sometimes it's expectations are too high, but we started to do more things together, talk more. And you know, I also realized some things I could have done better 100% as a father, but I was doing the best that I could. I thought I was doing a great job, but we have to sometimes own up to, sometimes we, we ain't doing the best job, you know? And that's what a lot of things that, you know, I started to realize, but those are three instances where I was able to just say, own it, you know, even, I will even say my, me and my son's last conversation, the Saturday before he passed, we had a conversation on the phone and it got a little, not, I wouldn't say we didn't argue, but we kind of got a little contentious in the sense of, I was just being a father, like, Hey, I sent you these supplements. Make sure you do this. Yeah. Make sure you do it. And I didn't realize in that conversation until I, so that Monday I talked to my therapist and she explained to me, she just made me look at it from a different perspective. And all he wanted to, to, he will, all he wanted to come across was that he was trying, he wanted to be seen and heard for his efforts. Yes. And I didn't see that because I'm just being the parent. Yes. Like, I don't want to hear that. You supposed to take this so you can get better or whatever. And we had a conversation and the first thing I said to him was, I'm sorry. I called him on the phone after my therapist, after my session. And I said, I'm sorry. I hear you. And I see you. Wow. So this was a few days before that was the next day he was gone. Really? So he was gone the next morning. Holy cow. So that was the last conversation we had. And he was on a cloud from that conversation because his best friend told me later, like, because he had came in town at night to stay with my son. And he said that my son, the first thing he said to him when he walked in the doors, man, guess what happened? You'll never believe this. My dad apologized to me. So owning up to my thoughts and issues that that's right there at a pinnacle, a peak of how I've changed so much as a person. And I've been able, I don't have a problem with saying that I'm wrong. I have no problem with that. Did you ever have a problem with that in the past? I'm a Capricorn, you know, I'm the boss. So I get stubborn, you know, you don't realize sometimes how you talk to people. You know, that's one another thing I had to realize. Sometimes my tone might be come off a certain way, even though I'm just trying to get the job done, but I have to be conscious of other people's feelings and so on and so forth. So those are, all of those are things that I came to realize over the last four years about myself and this growth. Was there a wake up call for you? Like that said, I need to go on a spiritual journey. I need to start blocking bad energy so I can create blessings for myself. Like what was the wake up or the moment that got you to unlock this? Turning 50. Uh huh. So four years ago. Yeah. Turning 50, one day I asked myself, what makes you happy? I could not say anything that made me happy besides doing stuff for other people. Really? I couldn't say anything that was for me that made me happy. And that made me say, I need a change. I don't know how much time I have left. I need a change in my life. I need to go find my happiness. And that was the spark that year of things starting to change because then I maybe a month later went to my wife at the time and said, I want a divorce. You said that to her? Yeah. Because I realized we were on different planets. We were in totally different sides of the universe. I'm an optimist. She's a pessimist. That's the number one thing that hit me like a ton of bricks. This never going to work because we never going to see eye to eye because I'm an extreme optimist and she's an extreme pessimist. No amount of therapy in this world is going to make it where we can be on the same page because that's the way she is and this is the way I am. And so that started to happen. And then. Going through the divorce process. I Started to be angry Cut over at yourself just life. I think that just everything because I was just like I Was just thinking about myself though. I realized that I Wanted it to move faster. I'm like, why can't we just I'm a business man. So, you know be done like this Yeah, exactly why we got to talk about that for six months and deal with why we got yes But I had to understand she's dealing with a lot of emotional Whatever from you know, it's 18 years. She's dealing with it differently I'm looking at business minded and the way I move and she's this is emotionally. Yes. It's her life It's our family. This is all she knows she's poured into this marriage to her whole life and She emotionally and then she you know was looking at it like her world was crumbling It was you know, so I I had to respect that I had to step back and respect that But I had to change my mindset of thinking Angry and mad and so what I started to do Was like I was like nothing's gonna good It's gonna come out of me being like this and thinking like this and I don't like the way this feels so I started to kind of Every day, I would say affirmations every day throughout the day so I had a copper pyramid on my my deck of my patio and I would give me some ginger tea and go sit in my copper pyramid every day and just say Affirmations. No, the main affirmations. I would say is I am happy. I am healthy. I am at peace and I would say that every day in that pyramid and just throughout the day I would just take time and meditate and just say it because I believe if you change your mindset Then you change your world around you. Mm-hmm So if the world around me, I'm getting mad and I'm like always it's like ah Then that's what's going to keep coming. It's going to be turmoil and chaos and negativity But if I change it to positivity Then I don't have to see it in that way and I can grow I can continue to grow and and fly so That affirmation was the first thing that so before you said I want to go figure out what makes me happy because you didn't know What made you have right except for giving to others, right? But then you started doing you were angry from the divorce You said I'm gonna go do affirmations daily. You said I am happy. I am healthy and at peace Mm-hmm. How many days weeks or months did it take for you to embody that affirmation and not just say it right away? Really I'm that type if I'm the type if I want to do something I'm gonna do it like I remember the first time I started trying to get healthy and My training was like you can't eat bread. You can't have rice. You can't have sweets. I quit cold turkey immediately and was able to Not I was fine because I'm like really strong mental You know, I have a strong mental ability to just focus once you decide you do it I do don't go back if you've decided, you know, like it's too hard. I need to go have some candy or something Yeah, I go shopping. I go get what I want and leave. I'm not indecisive. You know, I women are like, oh, yeah Should I go get I should I go back and get that top? Yeah No, that's not me I know what I want I do it so like I would say pretty much right away I started to believe and I understand that about Manifesting you have to believe it. If you don't believe it is not gonna happen if you have any doubt It's like a cancer. It's gonna cloud it and then it's gonna block it interesting So you have to totally believe whatever you're trying to manifest and I believed I was gonna find happiness I was going to be healthy and I was going to be at peace and later on that started to be what happened but in starting to Say those affirmations around that same time a good friend of mine Doug Davis introduced me To a guy named Kabir Segal who was in the meditation space so I have been kind of wanting to do some like I had listened to like a lot of Binaural beats I was listening to binaural beats to sleep and to relax and That frequency three four seven frequency. Yeah like they're all of that Yeah and then I was listening to ocean waves and all that so I was kind of wanting to do some stuff like that to Also like put that stuff out and so then when me and Kabir me to make it Yeah, make to make it interesting when me and Kabir met we started to talk about Meditations and I told him I was doing these, you know saying these affirmations I would meditate every day and then we decided to record The meditation album that I ended up releasing now the first one we put out was total meditation but that's how I got into the meditation space because I didn't like my mindset and I started to Embark on meditation and then I met someone in the space and we were able to now Collaborate collaborate and then share that with the world and inspire people to meditate that never meditated Wow But you were manifesting in a lot of ways for the last 25 years What seems like to many on the outside looking in everything you wanted you were man that you were Producing records and albums and number one hit songs and tours and you had all the success money and fame Yeah, so you were manifesting that but you weren't able to manifest happiness. Is that right? I guess so Yeah, cuz that didn't make you happy That's that makes you happy. But that's it's not complete. That's only one side of the coin You know, that's the public and the money but at home It's turbulent interest. It's not it's not a happy home I felt you know, I was walking on eggshells a lot really, you know So and then we don't think the same so it's always going to be some head butting So it wasn't that wasn't where I was supposed to stay for the rest of my life and I thought about it I don't want to be in A turbulent relationship for the rest of my life. I don't I feel like it's more to life for me. Yes, I felt and That was you know, I didn't plan on that day saying hey, I want a divorce it just came out You weren't thinking about this or internalizing it or saying I'm gonna say this one day. It just came out No, I wasn't playing, you know how people planning on how it is week. I'm gonna do this yeah, we were having we were I remember we were like in my son our son room and we were having a conversation and it just came out and I'm a spiritual person in a sense of also like I don't move unless my spirit tells me to move a certain way I don't like Go do something if it doesn't feel right, right So I go with the I've learned I learned to listen to my spirit and let that guide me So at that moment my spirit was telling me let it out Say your truth Wow The School of Greatness is brought to you in partnership with Airbnb Some of the trips I remember most are the ones where the main event is only part of the experience You go for one reason, but then you find a great local spot you explore a neighborhood You've never seen before and suddenly the trip becomes so much more than what brought you there I think about that from the other side also because I list a space on Airbnb as well when a big event brings people into that area it gives travelers a Comfortable place to land and experience more of what's around them and for me the extra income is an amazing benefit I can put it towards a project for the space or toward another trip and in another experience somewhere new Sometimes a big event gets the big attention for someone but your space can get some of the spotlight as well Your home might be worth more than you think find out how much at Airbnb Dot-com slash host does it feel like it's getting really hard to figure out the best way to save for retirement? 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You'll be set to take on retirement your way get started at fidelity.com Slash future expenses charged by your investments and other costs and fees associated with trading or transacting in your account apply Fidelity brokerage services member NYSE SI PC When you're at work, you never know when you'll be interrupted But with the Dell Pro powered by Intel core ultra with vpro, no matter what to stress you your laptop won't it's battery Optimized for the way you work with built-in intelligence that quiets distractions when you need to focus your laptop Will help keep you locked in even when it's bring your dog to work day built for those who stay in the flow the Dell Pro built for you dell.com Dell dash Pro There's something you said just before about Manifesting you said something like if you don't fully believe it that it's possible or it's gonna happen Then it's it's gonna be a cancer if you have some doubt. I think you said yeah like that You can't have doubt when you're manifesting, but how do you believe? You can manifest something if you've never had it before you just have to know and trust I'm gonna give you an example Jermaine Dupri, I was working in his label in the 90s and I was producing a little bit He's working with usher. He produces ushers big song at the time. You make me wanna He gives me an opportunity to do a remix It's no way in my mind. I'm thinking I'm ever going to have a chance to produce usher Yet alone give him His biggest song of his entire life So think about that. It's no way even if you were back then at that time You're never gonna be like, yeah, look. Yeah, nah, so it's something that Is it possible you didn't believe that then? No, but I didn't even think it was on my radar, right? That's an impossibility for me to ever give usher the biggest song of his life But it happened so if you're something's that you believe It's something's that you're trying to manifest and you think it can't happen then You that's doubt but it can and I'm a I'm right here showing you that things and possibilities can happen Why do you think that did happen? Even though you thought that was not even on your radar? That's the universe That's that was my plan that's what God had ordained for me to happen like I was born Southwest Atlanta, I'm a shy kid you know and never I would I thought I would grow up to be one of the a Rapper that's known around the world by the way. He looks You know like or by shouting also. Yeah, like yeah. No. Oh, yeah, you were shy and now you're shouting, right? Exactly even more. Yeah. Yeah, so like It's things that are so many impossibilities that happened in my life And that's all in the book like all of these things are impossibilities, but they can happen. That's fascinating Did you feel like early on in your career then? When these things weren't even on your radar were you thinking about manifesting at that point? Oh, we just thinking about how do I make money and how do I get the next opportunity? You were DJing in the nightclubs in Atlanta. I think in high school. Yeah, we just think about making more money Essentially, it was opportunities. Yeah, every time an opportunity I look at I've always looked at things like this If an opportunity is presented to me, I'm gonna seize it. Mm-hmm like I'm uh, I'm a hard worker and I'm gonna like when somebody else is slacking. I'm gonna do whatever it takes and then also I've always been Obstacles have been put in my way since I was a little kid I you know I had an eye injury when I was a kid and I think that made me have to work hard because I had this eye Injury, and I'm just a little little kid and I got to do all these eye Exercises and I have to go to the eye doctor all the time and I have all these surgeries and I'm picked on so I Had to work hard harder than the other kids because I'm different and then I'm picked on because I'm I got an eye patch on and then or my eye is drifting and so I I used people's doubting me and people whatever is fuel to achieve and To show them that you know, you're wrong about me. Interesting. So I've always used That like early in my career the first song I produced I remember taking it to a radio station The song that I did with Little Johnny Eastside Boys called who you with and I remember taking it to the hot DJ at the time who I knew personally His name was Greg Street, he's still the homie now and I remember he laughed at me but in my mind, I'm gonna prove you wrong so The record got hot in the streets and the clubs and so on and so forth and it became a hit But whenever an obstacle was put in my way, I didn't give up I always figured out how to go over it under it around it or through it How did you come up with that mindset who gave you that? I don't I think it's I think it's my mom I really think it's my mom. My mom is one of 18 Wow, she had 15 brothers and it was two or three girls total. So She my aunt I say this talk about this in the book My aunt told me my mom was the first one to give her a doll She had never had a doll before my mother gave her a doll because my mother She became a nurse and she moved they were from a small town called the grains, Georgia and so she was the one that got out of the small town came to the big city and and hustled and made it and Did her thing, you know being in a medical profession nursing? And my mother was just she was always a hard worker and in my household. She was the leader of the household So she kept things together. So I think I learned it from her without even You know you pick up things from your parents without even realizing you do but I think that work ethic come from my mom Was there ever a time you doubted yourself either before you started to take off in the global stage? During it or now at this season of your life I Think when you I I've had a moment in their 2000s the late 2000. I was burnt out Did you have a hit after hit after hit? Yeah, I'm Lingan and and at one point The creativity was gone. Really? I couldn't everything I was making I didn't like it wasn't the magic was gone I think I had given so much of myself out without a break that I I Had given it all out. And so I kind of just stopped trying to make well, I kept trying to make music but it was I slowed down on it and One thing that happened was Reggie Bush invited me to the first game at the Superdome after Katrina Cuz he'll play with the Saints for many years. Yeah. Yeah, it was with the Saints USC guy to the Saints. Yes So that night he had a party and it was a DJ rocking the party and it just really Made me fall in love with music again. I was like, wow, he is killing it Like it's inspiring like I kind of maybe I should start DJing again interesting And then so the next day I'm in the airport and then his white kid comes up to me. He's like, yo, what's up? I'm like, what's up? And he's like, it's me the DJ from last night away and shout out to my man DJ spider His name was DJ spider. And so we linked up I think that was God putting him in my path again and make sure That I called him and connected because I got his number to connect but then I see him in the airport There's a synchronicity that was too strong. Yes Yeah, I believe in all of that to like stuff does not just happen just randomly It's a reason, you know, the universe is putting people in your alignment and so on and so forth Yeah, so you got to be willing to see the signs. Yeah, you got to open your eyes A lot of people are like this But I open my eyes so not interesting and you had an eye challenge most of your childhood that you've learned to expand your Awareness, right? I think it made me work harder. And then yeah, it may admit, you know, they say when you have Disabilities or whatever. It makes other senses better. So I maybe it helped my creativity or creativity. Yeah But so me and spider connected and he got me into DJing and I started to well I got me back into DJing and so we started to collaborate and do mixtapes and DJ parties together and that got me in that open format scene and that eventually got me to Vegas and So I that's my second win came, you know after Producing and being an artist was being in the clubs of Vegas starting in 2008 I had a residency in 2008 going into 2009 and And I was in Vegas for a long time that was my my new place and that's where I learned to Find myself again in Vegas and have fun in the clubs again, you know have fun in music again When do you feel like you've been the most? magical in your creativity and Artistry of what season of life the 2000s really because everything was just flowing There's that what does that feel like when something is it's something coming through you Is it is that you just see something and then you start connecting dots? And then it's just I know this is gonna be a hit like how does that even come to you? Well, I always say that it's God because we go in the studio We don't know what we want to do sometimes and then all of a sudden out of nowhere You get a million dollar idea in your head, you know A million dollar lyric or a million dollar whatever catch line or whatever. I think it's God giving it to us So I learned to like we were just talking about listen I learned to open my eyes and listen and just let the vibes flow let everything flow and that's how you can figure you feel it and yeah, when when the vibe is flowing the right way and Sometimes when you lay all of the tracks down and you listen like for example turned out for what I remember DJ snake sent me to beat it had a sample in it of Redman and I was like Nah, this beat is too dope. I'm not he wanted me to just say over the Redman line I'm like, no, I'm not gonna do that. So many instrumental and so I go in the booth put on the headphones and the first thing that comes in my head is turned down for what and soon as I said, I'm like That is crazy. That's out of here. I knew as soon as I said the word the phrase That that was it. That's it. That's the song. Yeah, I knew that that was no I knew not just a song I said, this is a smash I knew immediately Because I did it on the drop, you know, I mean, so I knew it was I knew it was special So sometimes we feel it we know and sometimes we don't know was there ever a time where you? Thought in your mind, this is a hit and then it was actually like just such a failure a million times Yeah, I'm sure a lot of producers to tell you the same thing this is the number one song This is the hit of the summer. This is the one and then Yes, cuz timing timing is everything interesting when it's released how is released? What the sentiment of the world is it could be a numerous amount of things? but sometimes it's just the timing and the dots don't connect it doesn't line up and Yeah records don't always work To elaborate more on that I did an album called crunk rock after I left TVT records I went to universal and I recorded this album. I put together a great album the album flopped dud not one song did anything and A lot of people give up I could have given up cuz I'm this is the 2010s. It's like 2012 2013, you know, oh my washed up. Oh my yeah, I like my stuff anymore I don't have a song then, you know, I need to just DJ for I could have said that but I kept Producing music. I kept working on music. The next thing I did was turned down for what shut up biggest song Really besides yeah, that's the top two records of my life. What year was turned out for what 2014 10 years After yeah, shut up. It's turned out for what how do you or other artists that you see? navigate This 10 20 30 year career that has such a journey for so many of you, you know, you're starting out You're not you're first the up-and-coming guy from Atlanta doing the DJ scene Yeah, but you're not big yet. And you're trying to get an opportunity, right and You get a few opportunities you get a hit and now you're crushing for a decade, right? But then maybe you're not crushing it as much as the next guy who's up-and-coming But maybe you co-signed them early on and now maybe they're a little bigger than you or there were the moment this year or two They're having a big run and you're not getting that much attention anymore But then you come back on top and they fall down How do you navigate the ups and downs of the industry of Not being the guy being the guy Someone else that you know that maybe you liked or didn't like now They're the guy for a while and you're not like, how do you navigate all that? I think it's hard from anybody in any kind of entertainment because you are when you be you work hard and you get to that pinnacle of success and Then you start to come down Some people can't take it not being at the top and it destroys them and they never recover But someone like myself like I just Always look into positive. We look at the positive from anything and I know I have talent I know I have the talent God gave me talent I'm supposed to keep using it like in a prime example of what you're talking about is pitbull is a monster star He didn't have to take me out on tour with him But he reached back and pulled me at you know Pull me back out with him and what's crazy is when we booked the tour the song wasn't hot yet. The song blew up Getting ready for the tour. So by the time we get out on tour the time song is boom, so 25 years of friendship and we got a hit song together how that doesn't happen often You know, that's that's a rarity for something like that to happen now you're saying he didn't have to do that Do you also feel like you know, you've been friends for a long time? You also co-signed him early on when you were having more success Then you feel like maybe he should bring you on something like that or people should bring you back Whether it's you or anyone else because you were there for them for so long. Also, it's just everybody just doesn't do that Yeah, everybody doesn't Ever it's just like when I said, I apologize to my friend Paul Lewis, you know, I had to Own that. He taught me a lot so out of respect It's only right that I apologize to him because he helped me to be able to go and produce by myself Mm-hmm. I have to show him respect So it's a respecting that's Pitbull showing a lot of respect for me saying, you know when his company that You know the booking him might be like take this guy out take this guy out They got more stuff going on that and he was like, no, I want to take John. That's pretty cool, you know and the timing works where we got a hit song and we were able to perform this hit song and that Hit song is also bringing younger demographic out to his shows Expanding the audience So it's just blessings man. I look at I have that's one thing. I wake up with every single day is gratitude Gratitude to just open my eyes Gratitude to just be able to get out of the bed Some people can't get out of the bed. Some people wish they could get up out of the bed so I have gratitude for simple things every single day and Every blessing that comes my way I give gratitude for my friend I hope you're enjoying this episode and the school of greatness drops new conversations every Monday Wednesday and Friday around money mindset healing manifestation and Relationships and if you're not yet following the show, then you're missing all of them Please tap the follow button right now and you'll get notified the moment every new episode drops because the next one Might be exactly what you need now. 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This is it head to Walden you Edu Walden University set a course for change Certified to operate by Chev. What do you think? Most people get wrong about manifestation? I Think they get wrong That they can just say it and it can happen You know and I think they also get wrong day They might say I want to be president like it has to be, you know in a certain if you're Everybody can't be president, you know, you can manifest a lot of things, but you have to be realistic about your manifest manifesting goals You can't be like I want to go to Saturn You know, they like bro. Come on, like let's work on some things that you can see, you know They're more tangible but I think they think they can just say it and That it'll happen, but you can't say it like we were talking about earlier and have any doubt you can't have doubt You can't you can't say it and be like God ain't this ain't gonna work This is not gonna work It's not gonna happen because you don't really believe it Mm-hmm you we can create our own realities if you want to be happy you're gonna be happy If you got a mindset of negativity and always mad and angry That's what your life is gonna be where you can create your own reality but you have to believe that is your reality and I think most people get that wrong so wrong They always saying what they want. They always saying why is this happening to me instead of saying? Here's what is going to happen to me in a positive way Mm-hmm, you know like stop talking about the negative to negative things The negative is gonna keep coming to you to keep speaking negativity. Yes That's all the universe knows is what you put out what you put out is what you get back So if you're putting out negativity, you're gonna get back negativity If you put out positivity and love and uplifting of others, you're gonna get blessings. Mm-hmm so You mentioned when you were doing turned down for what when you went in this in the studio Recording in the booth like right away. You said that before the beat dropped, right? Was there an intention you had before that studio day like the day before the morning of did you have an energy or a thought? process that said like I'm gonna go make something special today or God give me the gifts to come up with something creative today Or was it just I don't know what I'm gonna do, but I'm just gonna show up and be myself Did you have an intention before that moment where you said turn now for what and you go boom electric in my body This is it. It's gonna be huge. Yeah, I didn't have an I just knew Today I'm off the road. I Can DJ snake sent me this song three months ago I'm gonna go ahead and work on it because that's what I would do when I get some time downtime I jump out of mode. I'm gonna DJ mode. I'm in dad mode. I'm in you know Executive mode today. I'm gonna be in artist mode. So I Just went in and just work mode just do what I do do my best on every song and Yeah, as soon as I said it. I just knew it. I knew it and You just felt it in your soul. Yeah, I knew it was a smash just like when we did Yeah, you knew it then too. We knew who knew that was a smash really? We knew that was cuz we so did you know what like in the middle of recording or producing or was it? When did you feel I think when we listen back? I'm the first time or a few Like after we lay everything down. I can't remember exactly but we knew it was a hit and then everything had to change because The beat that we recorded. Yeah on was actually the beat. That's freak a leak So we had to go in And you know re-record not re-record, but I had to go in and do new music So I didn't think this Petey Pablo's song was gonna be that big so I was like They just take all the music off and keep the drums and then we played new music on top So me and my boy L rock who plays a lot of keys on a lot of records that I'll produce He went in with me and he he was playing around. He had done. Uh, don't know. That's it. That's it And So I knew immediately so at that point, yes, I knew right when he laid those lines four notes, right? I was that was that is it you heard it. I knew immediately. This is that's that's notes Yeah, like done. I just knew cuz he's playing the beat. He does it to the beat. I'm like, that's it That's it. And we put the vocals on it. Are we I think we already had the vocals Yeah, we had the we had the session. So we just got it took out the old music and he played that's it That's it. That's that's it's that it was a bigger song Than it was before the other beat interesting. Yeah, it was it was Destiny for that song to happen the way it happened because if it would have come out the way it was an originally Recorded it wouldn't have been. Yeah. Wow that we know right now. It wouldn't have been there Hit it would probably would have done well, but not when we need this, how did your life change after? Yeah, I mean cuz you weren't you were known locally right Atlanta vibe, but you weren't like a National sensation yet or you kind of were but wasn't like I became a major producer after that everybody I mean, it's the biggest song of the year You know So I got calls from everybody any and everybody to work on music and right after that I had Goodies with Sierra, so we did that like I don't know how many months later, but I think the same year 2004 I'll probably produce that so like it was and I've been blessed like I've been you know, I did records with Nas and their records with Eminem I got a d12 song. I think I did a remix for d12. I did Fat Joe I've done, you know ice cube too short E40 been able to give too short an e40 big records of their careers Like I've produced so many people man, it's just been you know, you know such a blessing. Yeah. Yeah I'm Mobb Deep. I did Mobb Deep and I did Nas Like so even on the hip-hop side I've heard being able to produce some some greats Of all the artists you've met whether you've worked with or just you've met and you've been able to be around Who and I'm sure there's you know, lots of inspiring artists, but who are three that you really felt like Inspired you the most I was a big NWA fan growing up So to finally be able to work with ice cube was awesome And and not just work with him because I remember we were in the studio and he laid down a verse on something and I was like That ain't I want something crazy and in that that ain't it and I was like, how do I tell ice cube? But he didn't kill it. Oh, and so what'd you say though? I went and talked to him I was like, I wanted something more like this and then I was like bet no problem. He let me produce him and so He went and laid a Crazier verse and then I still kept the other verse and used it somewhere else so ice cube and you know, just being growing up on someone and Never would have imagined I would be able to work with him. Yeah So ice cube and marching band high school to ice cube, right? yeah, then too short I also was a big too short fan in high school and To I used to listen his life is too short album every single day and then one day Produce him and give him the biggest song of his career is crazy Me and e40 has some really really good times in the studio and You know producing his album my ghetto report card and has some big records on that album, too Just a good, you know, we had created a good friendship me short E40 we're like all really good really good friends. So those are some guys. I really really love, you know That's cool. And has some and I've loved that. We've been able to create history together. Let me have well Your book is really inspiring. It's it's I only shout so you can hear me You were talking about earlier about how you are shy kid from Atlanta, right? You know you had this kind of I Disability that you had to constantly work on and improve throughout your childhood that affected you that made you feel a little shy but Then you became the guy that was like the club guy the shouting guy, you know and Your your name Jonathan is not your name now, right it's like little John When did that come about and how did the identity shift when you took on little John over Jonathan? Well little John came in high school because I was like the shortest John. Yeah, I was the smallest John I'm only five seven and it was you know guys six foot and so on and so forth. So That was from high school. I've been little John since high school. And so as I started to get, you know Popular and started to DJ. I just went with the same name and I just been little John forever and people ask me sometimes we don't drop the little I'm like, well, it's kind of part of my Identity, you know, I mean, is there a different identity to little John and Jonathan? Oh 100% little John is the rowdy crazy party guy and Jonathan is like the guy you have here right now like the chill guy meditation and it's a health and wellness or Yeah, you know Christian but little John is the guy that I thought would never stop partying really, you know Never stop, but now I've slowed the partying down, you know and Yeah, it's just Yeah, all of those. That's you know, I believe you got kind of different personality, you know different facets of your personality and Yeah, little John is that is me people who partied and hung out with me know that that is me Is there a dark side to little John? No, I don't have darkness. No darkness for me only positivity and love good That's where I am now in my life positively and love and that's one of the affirmations I used to say I used to say I have no negative thoughts. I am positivity and I radiate Positive. Mmm. I used to say those affirmations to I radiate positivity so and that's one thing I kind of Brushed over real quick. But at that same time with all of this stuff going on with divorce I told myself I have to eliminate negative thoughts out of my psyche So that's one thing I instituted into my life, I don't wish any ill upon anyone I always say God is gonna handle it something to happen. Somebody does me wrong throw my hands up a lot gonna deal with them and I just eliminate negative thoughts because negative thoughts also block your blessings. Yes, so that's whatever you think say You that's what you're putting in the universe. So I don't want to think anything negative I want to only think not positive thoughts if someone if you feel like someone might be trying to Take advantage of you screw you over Hurt you in some way How do you shift your perspective when you feel like someone's done wrong by you lied to you abandoned you you just check them or Put your guard up and distance yourself from that that negativity. You gotta I try to eliminate any negativity in my life You know, like I said, I had You know Any lingering bad energy? I want to get rid of that. I want to get that off the plate I don't want to block any blessings Yeah, you finish your book, but then you were talking about how earlier this year your son passed. Yes. Sorry for that loss as well and Then you read You took the back of the book back on and wrote about this. Yeah, can you share? I guess the biggest blessing you've had since the passing of your son Um, one thing I tell people a lot is that don't put things off, you know One of the things me and my son did together that he one of the greatest thing greatest trips he ever took in his life He said the funnest time he's ever had. We took a trip to Japan, right? Because when he came to me and said let's start You know having a better relationship. I said, okay, let's I'm gonna take you somewhere for your birthday And so I could have easily said it's too expensive Let's do something else. I could have been like I got this going on. I got that going on But I said no I'm we're gonna do it and he had the best time he's ever had in his entire life going anywhere I have never seen him this happy We did so much stuff together as father and son and then even he did some stuff on his own, too He was really in the anime so he did saw anime stuff and we went on food tours and we Went to see a guy forged samurai swords. It's not many of those guys left. We got to swing samurai swords We did so much. He got to learn how to drift a car. That's pretty went to where they learn Tokyo drift. Yeah He we went to where they started where the drifting started at and he drove down that mountain where they all started. So People think they have time and you never know how much time you have with somebody So don't ever push people off and say I can do it later I'll give them time later do it what because you do it now because you don't know how much time you really got. Wow I'm a new dad. I've got twin girls almost one year if you could go back 27 30 years ago before you became a father. Yeah, what advice would you give yourself before? Your son came here and essentially what advice would you give me going into fatherhood right now? Well, I'm a believer in everything that we go through shapes us to who we are now and I love who I am right now I love it was a journey and it was a lot of ups and downs and bumps and all kind of stuff, but I Feel like I'm living in my purpose God's purpose for me but I would tell myself just you know, and Enjoy it and You know do I Don't know. I would just tell myself to Enjoy fatherhood just enjoy it and maybe you know, like I just said don't push things off Yeah, you know I kind of I did make a point when my son was born. I said, I'm not gonna miss his birthday I'm not gonna miss Christmas. I'm not gonna miss Thanksgiving. I set boundaries So I was always it was always family time and those nothing could compete and Something came about on his birthday Yeah, was it the biggest song in the country? They call for Saturday Night Live. I Turned down Saturday Night Live because it was my son's birthday. Come on. I put my son over there Wow, that's pretty big Yeah, because I made a promise to myself and to my son And I was gonna be there for him for every birthday Wow, so did you ever do Saturday Night Live I never did it Really? It's okay. You gotta bring you back. Yeah, maybe one day Wow You turned it down for your son's birthday. That's kind of cool. Yeah, so yeah, we gotta we gotta always We make sacrifices for our family, you know, I mean, so that was a sacrifice But you did do the Super Bowl Right, that's pretty cool. Yeah, I mean super my son. He came out so he got to witness it. He was there What was that? Like it was awesome to get him to I Always like him to just come and be a fly on the wall sometimes because I think it's inspiring for him Because he could see that he could do the same things Yeah, he could you can you were here when you saw me make this song you here when you see your dad doing Super Bowl That's it would inspire anybody if you were around. Yeah, so Yeah, he was able to come to rehearsals So he got to see a rehearsal this for anybody was in the stadium and he gets to see it in the stadium That's pretty cool. So yeah, you got a two-year-old now, right? Yeah. I have a daughter first time dad of a girl which is way different but man, I thought God was Here's what here's what something I looked at in my life. I said My life was slowing down and God was slowing me down to get me ready for my daughter her birth But then I realized he was also giving me my daughter giving me my my daughter to help me get through the loss of my son. Oh my gosh. Yeah. A hallway count. Cause she's been something that has just given me, just made me smile. Whenever she, you know, when I'm down and she comes around, I smile while I feel her love. Like she's helped me get through this tough, tough time. The School of Greatness is presented by ChatGPT. Now, personal growth looks different for everyone. Maybe it's exercising more. Maybe it's learning something new or making time for a goal that you've been putting off for a while. The hardest part is finding time in your busy schedule. And that's where ChatGPT can help you. Give it your goals. Connect your personal calendar and tell it how much time you can commit to. And ChatGPT creates an adjustable weekly plan and progress tracker that fits your lifestyle. I use ChatGPT with the work toggle enabled to research guests, organize information, and create reports for the School of Greatness. So I have more data. It helps me stay organized and focused on what matters most. Get started at chatgpt.com. This episode is sponsored by BetterHelp. You ever have one of those embarrassing moments from years ago that your brain just refuses to forget? You're lying in bed, trying to fall asleep, and suddenly you're replaying something awkward that you said 10 years ago. And you're thinking to yourself, why am I still holding onto this? Well, sometimes our minds hold onto things we'd rather let go of. BetterHelp therapists can help you work through those thoughts that take up way too much mental space. And with insurance, many members pay $15 or less. Some pay $0. BetterHelp therapists are fully licensed in the US with at least three years and 1,000 hours of hands-on experience. Just answer a short questionnaire to help find a therapist who fits your needs. And you can switch therapists at any time. BetterHelp is now in network with more than 125 health plans with many co-pays as low as $15 for eligible members. And if you don't have eligible insurance or live outside the US, you can still get 10% off your first month. Sign up and get 10% off at betterhelp.com slash greatness. That's betterhelp.com slash greatness. Where do you think you'd be if you didn't have your daughter during this time? I think if it was even like 10 years ago, I don't know how I would have been able to take this loss. If it was 10 years ago when I was really in a crazy partying state and just not in this mental place I am now, this elevated spiritual and mental state, I don't know how I would have been able to get through this. It would have been hard. I don't know. I probably, I don't know how I would have been able to do it without her, honestly. But she was there giving me a lot of comfort. Of course, friends, family, my partner, but it's different from the child that you can hold and just look into their eyes when they crawl up underneath you and it just makes your heart melt. It makes you warm and it just also gives you motivation to keep living, to keep going. I'm also healthy for her because I gotta be here for graduations and walk her down the aisle or whatever and protection of her. I gotta be here for my daughter so I can't be here a long time if I'm eating chicken wings and pizza at four in the morning and I gotta be healthy. So how's your relationship with God or your faith through the loss of your son transformed or enhanced or gone away? Like how do you make sense of this with this type of loss for yourself? Well, some people right away would curse God and why and I immediately felt like it was a reason he was putting me through this. I was like, maybe he's using me as a vessel to help other people because I'm the guy known for partying in such fun times and then something like this happens and if I can get through it, it's inspiring for someone else to say, I can get through it too. They can get through it. If I can get through it or if this can happen to me, it can happen to someone else and if you are going through it, you can get through it. So I just look at it like I don't forsake God ever. It's a reason always for things happening and I give gratitude to God for giving me my son for 27 years. All of the great times and being there from when he came out to seeing him DJ, graduate his graduation, being there with him, graduating from NYU, putting out his first song, producing with him in the studio. We had so many great nights producing music together. So I give gratitude for that. I'm not mad because he's in a better place but it takes discipline and to be in an elevated spiritual state to be able to have acceptance of that nature. That's hard. What's the greatest lesson he's taught you? I mean, number one, love. He taught me love when he was born. Never knew I could love like that. Love and just, I don't know, just love. Love. That's beautiful, man. It sounds like love is expanding more in your heart now with your daughter and where you're at now, which is pretty cool, man. We met, I think it was around 10 years ago through being of service. We're both in service through Pencils of Promise and you were talking about how when you turned 40, oh, excuse me, when you turned 50, you realized that the only time you were really happy is when you were giving to others. And I would acknowledge you, though, John, for just being a giver, a giver of positive energy, a giver of your creativity, of your artistry, of your love to so many people. You know, we've only seen each other a handful of times, but every time I'm around you, you've got good energy. Thank you. I wanna acknowledge you for- You too, bro. Appreciate it, man. I wanna acknowledge you for, man, being a first-time father of twin girls, that's probably my greatest fear. I get emotional just thinking about that, if that would happen. And it's not something that any parent can think about and wanting, obviously. So I wanna acknowledge you for how you've been able to get through this emotionally and how you've connected spiritually stronger to your purpose as a human being. And you've continued to keep your heart open and grateful to love instead of resentful and angry, which could be easy to do for anyone. So I acknowledge you for bringing soul, spirit, light into the world, even though you're going through a lot this year and so is your family and friends. So I acknowledge you for that. You've got an amazing book out, sharing a lot of your lessons and stories that go even deeper than what we talked about here. I only shout so you can hear me. I want people to get the book, the legendary award-winning producer, global hype master, and king of crunk, Little John, on the story of his life and his transformation into the high volume showman behind a musical evolution. So make sure you guys check out the book. You can get it right now. And you also got, I mean, you're pretty, every time I see you, you're looking swaggy, man. You're looking swaggy, your energy is high, but you got everything on, which looks cool too. I wish I could look as cool as you. You got a new line of merch called Crunk Cowboy, which I think it's a hat right now. Yeah, it's Crunk Cowboy. You just ooze cool, man. I just wanna be around you, just feel cooler. So people can check out your merch if they wanna look as cool as you and be stylish. Check out Crunk Cowboy. What's the website for that too? Crunkcowboy.com. So cool, man. And it's just, this kind of came about this year just kind of like randomly, because I just, I wear my cowboy boots every day. I'm on my grown man-ish, you know? Like, so it's just, I'm feeling different, I'm looking different, and I kind of created a brand that's for, it's like, however you feel, do whatever you feel. And it's also like, Crunk and cowboy connect, because we are millennials, we are older now. A lot of us are older, and the term, we know the term crunk, and people listen to hip hop, people listen to country, whatever you listen to. Like, it's just for everybody. It's just an attitude thing. It's like, you got a badass attitude, like, in the meaning, in a good way, then Crunk Cowboy's for you, man. Like you said, swaggy too. Crunkcowboy.com. Lil Jon across all social media platforms as well. I got two final questions for you. This is called the three truths hypothetical scenario. Imagine you get to live as long as you want to live, and manifest and create everything you could dream of and beyond. But for whatever reason, on the last day of your life, many years away, you have to take all of your work with you. All of your music, art, content, your merch, whatever it is, your book, it's all gone. It's a hypothetical scenario. But on the last day of your life, you get to leave behind three lessons to the world. Three truths that you believe in that you would share and leave behind. What would those three truths be for you? One of the things that I live by is acceptance. The key to happiness in life is acceptance. Because if you have acceptance, nothing can bother you, nothing can hurt you. And you're also, you learn when you have acceptance. Whatever the situation is, you can say, oh, okay, I went through this, I'm gonna learn this lesson. I accept that I had to go through this to learn these lessons, and move on. So acceptance is number one, because we also, as human beings, we want to try to make something, we want to wield things the way we want them to be. But that's not what you're supposed to go through, that's not how you're supposed to learn the lesson. So you have to have acceptance for the cards you're given. So acceptance, and then number two, thing that I live by is get in the passenger seat and let God drive. Trust in God, if you trust God, if you truly trust God in your heart, no matter what you worry about, it's always gonna be fine. It's just like manifesting. If you believe that God has got your back and God has got you, it's gonna be okay. Always gonna be okay. We worry about so much stuff, and it's situations that don't even exist sometimes. They don't even exist, they haven't happened. Imaginary. Yes, and then things that we worry about, they're gonna end up working themselves out in the end of the day. God always, we get put through stuff, but he doesn't put us through stuff that we can't handle. So those two things, and then just love. We're here to love. We need to love one another more. We need to love each other more. We need to be positive to each other more. And just all I feel, like you said, you can feel it, it's radiating from me, love. My daughter has brought love into my heart when part of my heart was ripped out. The loss of my son, my daughter brought the love back into my heart. And I hope that I'm always radiating that back out to others and they can see that if you love too, goodness comes to you. And that's what we're supposed to do for our fellow man and woman is we have to love each other as a people to move forward into the future. Without love, we don't have a society. Wow. Before I ask the final question, is there anything you wish more people asked you that they don't? How's your day? How was your day? My day is great. I woke up today, it's beautiful. But most people just say, can I get a picture? Yeah. Really? They don't, people who have gotten so accustomed to just, you know, we got camera phones, well, we got phones on our cameras and they just get what they want. They want to just- But they want to take. They want to take, but they don't want to just say, hey, how are you doing? Let me give you a hug today. Let me give you some positive energy. Yeah, every time I see you, I'll make sure I ask how's your day. Because sometimes I see people and I can feel their energy because I'm an empath. And I just give some random people something. I might be walking through the club and I just feel some energy and I feel someone needs some uplifting and I might just give them a hug and say, it's going to be all right. And then I just keep it moving. Imagine walking through the club and little John just give you a big hug. You know, it'd be amazing. Hey man, it'd make a year. It would. For real. Final question. What's your definition of greatness? Greatness is living in God's purpose and being true to yourself. You know, both of those. Because if you're true to yourself and you live in God's purpose, you're doing what you're supposed to be doing on this earth. To follow up with that, I got one more question for you. We're talking about your gifts and talents that you've developed over your life. From drumming, to music, to DJing, to producing, to collaborations, to touring, all these talents and gifts that you had to bring joy to others and also to create opportunities for yourself. I believe there's a difference between your gifts and your calling. Now that you're going into 55 years of life and you've cultivated your talents and gifts for so long, what do you feel like is your calling moving forward? Well, my calling, it's interesting, has always been to uplift. My music puts people into a vibration of happiness and joy. And I figured that out years ago. I was like, something about when me creating music and my voice, it just makes people have a good time and forget about their problems. Now, my calling is to help to heal. Come on. Because through the meditations, you know, so many people, when I put out the meditations albums, hit me and said, hey, I never meditated before. Thank you for turning me on as people that probably would have never thought about meditating. I turned them on a meditation and some people that said, hey, your meditation of sleep helped me to sleep. I don't sleep well or someone even hit me. A couple of people even said your meditation about grief helped me to get through the loss, this loss. And so it's it's just I understand. And even now with the book sharing all the things that I've been through with, you know, not just my son, but even finding out my father is not my biological father and sharing all of these, all these intimate secrets that could have been tucked away forever. Interesting. Sharing these things in the book and and and, of course, sharing how I dealt with the loss of my son is also. Could be inspiring and could help somebody being able to relate to my situation and get through their situation. Like I said earlier, I can maybe help someone that's struggling with it. And they see me, the party guy that they're always smiling. Yeah, guy, if he can, if this can happen to him and he can get through it, I can get through it. So I understand God is speaking to me in that way because he's he's given me these talents to to get to this point. And now I have to keep using them. But now for other reasons. So you're really tapping into healing. Yeah. Helping others heal now. That's your calling. And it started with the meditations. Yeah. From turned down to turn on, turning people on to healing, turning. Yeah. Turning people on to healing. Well, obviously. Yeah. Well, John, my man. Thank you, brother. Appreciate it. Thank you for having me, my friend. I hope you're enjoying this episode right now because we are on a mission to impact one hundred million lives every single week. And every follow here on this podcast helps us reach more people. Make sure to hit the follow at the top of this show's page right now. It's a single biggest thing that you can do to support the show and the impact of us reaching you every single time we have new episodes. I appreciate you and I can't wait to see you in the next episode. I hope you enjoyed today's episode and it inspired you on your journey towards greatness. Make sure to check out the show notes in the description for a full rundown of today's episode with all the important links. And if you want weekly exclusive bonus episodes with me personally, as well as ad free listening, then make sure to subscribe to our greatness plus channel exclusively on Apple podcast. Share this with a friend on social media and leave us a review on Apple podcast as well. Let me know what you enjoyed about this episode in that review. I really love hearing feedback from you and it helps us figure out how we can support and serve you moving forward. And I want to remind you, if no one has told you lately that you are loved, you are worthy and you matter. And now it's time to go out there and do something great. Still have a few names left on your holiday gift list. Tony box to from Tony's is worth checking out. Listening grows all kinds of kids and whether they're into dinosaurs, princesses or something completely different. There's a Tony for them. 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