# Uplift: Singer is dedicated to uplifting underserved communities of color.

An episode of [Money Making Conversations Master Class](https://invisiblenetwork.ai/podcast/1264705641), 18 Jan 2025, 28 min.

Audio: https://podtrac.com/pts/redirect.mp3/traffic.omny.fm/d/clips/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/b1db7263-d1a3-4d00-8976-af62012aab44/51eca760-8654-4c45-8084-b2b8015e3058/audio.mp3?utm_source=Podcast&in_playlist=35a10561-3e1b-4d05-a529-af62012aab6a

Listen and subscribe to Money Making Conversations on iHeartRadio, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, www.moneymakingconversations.com/subscribe/ or wherever you listen to podcasts. New Money Making Conversations episodes drop daily. I want to alert you, so you don’t miss out on expert analysis and insider perspectives from my guests who provide tips that can help you uplift the community, improve your financial planning, motivation, or advice on how to be a successful entrepreneur. Keep winning! Two-time Emmy and Three-time NAACP Image Award-winning, television Executive Producer Rushion McDonald interviewed Raheem DeVaughn. 🎵 Key Topics Discussed 1. Independent Artist Journey • Raheem defines independence as being “self-made,” trusting intuition, and investing in oneself. • Emphasizes the importance of ownership, creative control, and publishing rights. • Crowned the #1 Independent Artist on Radio in 2018. 2. Music Industry Evolution • Independence is now viable thanks to streaming, social media, and direct-to-fan platforms. • Artists can function as their own label if they manage marketing and promotion effectively. • Importance of relationships in radio and music promotion—especially with DJs. 3. Live Performances & Mentorship • Praises his band and their youthful energy. • Mentors artist Tanya Nolan, helping her develop her sound and brand. • Believes in creating a sound and image, not just a song. 4. Radio Career • Hosts the legendary Quiet Storm on 96.3 WHUR in Washington, DC. • Grew up listening to Melvin Lindsey and always dreamed of being on radio. • Sees radio as a platform to uplift R&B and soul music and give artists their flowers. 5. Philanthropy & Community Work • Founded the Love Life Foundation in 2013. • Focus areas: HIV/AIDS awareness, domestic violence, and community outreach. • Partnered with Gilead Sciences, reaching over 50,000 women with HIV education. 6. Entrepreneurship • Recently invested in his own tour bus to reduce travel costs and expand outreach. • Views this as a step toward greater control and flexibility in his career. 💬 Memorable Quotes • “Time is the most valuable thing we have. From the time we’re born, we’re running out of it.” • “You are what you ingest and digest—musically and mentally.” • “Use the gift of time, decision, free will, and one another. Those are the greatest gifts.” • “I don’t believe—I know. I know God exists. I’m an example of that.” #STRAW #BEST #SHMS Money Making Conversations Master Class with Rushion McDonald is America's premier entrepreneurship, business leadership, financial literacy, and wealth-building podcast featuring successful entrepreneurs, executives, founders, celebrities, and industry experts sharing actionable insights for professional and financial success. Business Podcast Entrepreneurship Small Business Business Growth Financial Literacy Wealth Building Black Entrepreneurs Minority Business Leadership Executive Leadership Business Funding Marketing Strategies Personal Development Startup Advice Sales Training CEO Interviews Founder Stories Professional Development Economic Empowerment Business Success Networking Brand Building Innovation How to start a business Small business funding Entrepreneur success stories Business leadership podcast Wealth building strategies Black entrepreneur podcast Minority business development Marketing for small businesses Business growth strategies Startup funding opportunities Executive leadership training Financial literacy education Success mindset podcast See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

## Transcript

[0:00] Speaker 1: Hi, ra Sean McDonald host this weekly Money Making Conversation
[0:03] Speaker 1: Masterclass show. The interviews and information that this show provides
[0:07] Speaker 1: off for everyone. It's time to start reading other people's
[0:10] Speaker 1: success stories and start living your own. If you want
[0:14] Speaker 1: to be a guest on my show, hopefully that excites you,
[0:17] Speaker 1: Please welcome. Visit our website which is Moneymakingconversations dot com
[0:22] Speaker 1: and click to be a guest button. If you have
[0:24] Speaker 1: a product, you're an entrepreneur, you want to tell everybody
[0:27] Speaker 1: about it, come on my show now, let's get this show.
[0:29] Speaker 2: Roller.
[0:30] Speaker 1: My guest represents the word independent. He is a masterful
[0:34] Speaker 1: architect of soul music has continuously ascended the ranks of
[0:39] Speaker 1: artistic brilliance, especially his live performances. That's my boy. I'm
[0:44] Speaker 1: about to introduce you. The Grammy winner and full time
[0:47] Speaker 1: Grammy nominated phenomenon. Isn't just a singer. He's a platinum songwriter,
[0:52] Speaker 1: a passionate health and human rights activist. Please welcome to
[0:56] Speaker 1: Money Making Conversation Masterclass. Raheem DeVaughn. You know what I'm saying, It's.
[1:01] Speaker 2: A lot, a lot, It's a lot. Wow.
[1:05] Speaker 1: Let's let's let's talk about you. The word independent all right.
[1:09] Speaker 1: What does that mean when I say that to you? Oh?
[1:11] Speaker 3: Man, I think for me, it's being self made, you know,
[1:15] Speaker 3: definitely listen to the voice of God at all times
[1:17] Speaker 3: and trusting that voice, that intuition, being a risk taker,
[1:22] Speaker 3: you know, uh, a hard worker. You know, it's a
[1:25] Speaker 3: lot of sleepless nights.
[1:27] Speaker 2: Uh.
[1:27] Speaker 3: And it's and it's constantly you know, it's constantly investing
[1:30] Speaker 3: in yourself, you know what I mean. In some cases
[1:32] Speaker 3: sometimes you have to take uh, you know, five steps
[1:35] Speaker 3: back and take you know, twenty leaps forward, you know,
[1:38] Speaker 3: and uh, yeah, you know it's it's it's it's not
[1:41] Speaker 3: for the it's not for the week.
[1:43] Speaker 1: Right. It's because in twenty nineteen, Yeah, you were crowned
[1:46] Speaker 1: the number one independent artists on radio in twenty eighteen. Yeah,
[1:50] Speaker 1: when that came about. Because I want you to explain,
[1:52] Speaker 1: because a lot of people hear the word independent. They
[1:54] Speaker 1: are by labels, they're a by streaming. The business has
[1:58] Speaker 1: changed so much in the last twenty five thirty years,
[2:01] Speaker 1: and the word independent used to be like a flag
[2:04] Speaker 1: for oh, he's not he's not gonna make any money.
[2:07] Speaker 1: But that game has changed. Social media, YouTube and all
[2:10] Speaker 1: that tell about to educate the young people who trying
[2:13] Speaker 1: to get in the business how being independent has been
[2:16] Speaker 1: actually beneficial to you and other people could do it too.
[2:20] Speaker 2: Yeah.
[2:20] Speaker 3: Well, you know, for me, it's been about again, it's
[2:22] Speaker 3: been about ownership, and we talk about you know, your
[2:25] Speaker 3: master's and creative control. It's not so much to be
[2:30] Speaker 3: a control freak, but it's more it's more about the
[2:33] Speaker 3: legacy that you're building. You know, you spend these hard
[2:35] Speaker 3: nights in the studio and create create this this content,
[2:39] Speaker 3: these records, these songs that are impactful. You know that
[2:43] Speaker 3: that people take their first dance to, can see their
[2:46] Speaker 3: first child, that type of thing. And you know, there's
[2:49] Speaker 3: a lot of money still in publishing and licensing and
[2:52] Speaker 3: sinking and things of that nature. So the more control
[2:54] Speaker 3: you have over your content and the ownership, the better,
[2:58] Speaker 3: you know, right, you know, if you I think the
[3:01] Speaker 3: main thing, you know, as an independent artist, as long
[3:03] Speaker 3: as as long as you can afford yourself the means
[3:07] Speaker 3: to have a you know, marketing and promotional budget. If
[3:11] Speaker 3: you if you're able to provide that for yourself, then
[3:13] Speaker 3: you actually are functioning, whether you know it or not,
[3:16] Speaker 3: as an artist, you are independent, You are functioning. Label
[3:18] Speaker 3: you know, you're you're you know what you renumbany. You're
[3:21] Speaker 3: an entrepreneur, your corporation, you know.
[3:23] Speaker 1: And that's important because in the era that we're living now.
[3:27] Speaker 1: You know, I'm older than you, and I met you
[3:30] Speaker 1: when I was managing Steve Harvey Steve Harry Morning Show.
[3:33] Speaker 1: And at that time, you know, you're that's like roughly
[3:37] Speaker 1: two thousand and seven, two thousand and five, two thousand
[3:40] Speaker 1: and seven, eight in the twentieth anniversary, because that's when
[3:43] Speaker 1: I first started hearing your sound and dragging you up
[3:46] Speaker 1: to the radio station. Every time I came to DC,
[3:48] Speaker 1: I was called you. You said, I'm hey, brother, get your.
[3:52] Speaker 2: Butt up here and get.
[3:53] Speaker 1: It because you know what you you know, I like
[3:56] Speaker 1: to believe I was a mentor and just it. Let
[3:58] Speaker 1: you understand that there are twenty four hours in that clock.
[4:03] Speaker 1: Take advantage of every hour. Talk about that work ethic
[4:06] Speaker 1: that you have.
[4:07] Speaker 3: Absolutely you know, you know some days my day may start,
[4:10] Speaker 3: my day may end at six am and then.
[4:14] Speaker 2: Start again at twelve noon.
[4:16] Speaker 3: You know, if that's the goal, and you know, and
[4:20] Speaker 3: the things that need to be accomplished, you know during
[4:23] Speaker 3: that day, you know, it's again it's about it's about ownership.
[4:29] Speaker 3: It's about time management. I think it's another very important thing,
[4:33] Speaker 3: you know, being on time for things, you know, being
[4:35] Speaker 3: respectful one another's time. Time is the most valuable thing
[4:38] Speaker 3: that we have, you know, and I do believe from
[4:40] Speaker 3: the time that we're born, were running out of it,
[4:42] Speaker 3: so you got to use it.
[4:42] Speaker 1: Was there you go now live performances. So I'll be
[4:46] Speaker 1: remissed if I don't allow you to talk about your band,
[4:49] Speaker 1: because you're not out there by yourself like Frankie Beverly
[4:52] Speaker 1: in May you know what I'm saying, And so talk
[4:55] Speaker 1: about your band, talk about the components of what makes
[4:58] Speaker 1: your live performance is so successful.
[5:01] Speaker 2: You know.
[5:01] Speaker 3: The unit that I have right now, for the most part,
[5:04] Speaker 3: they're very you know that they're young.
[5:06] Speaker 2: It's like fresh, you know, fresh at the.
[5:08] Speaker 3: Game, and you know, and I'm hard. I'm hard on
[5:11] Speaker 3: the musicians, you know, but I'm hard on myself, you
[5:14] Speaker 3: know what I mean. I like to think that I'm
[5:16] Speaker 3: my best and my worst critic at the same time.
[5:19] Speaker 1: You know, one of my favorite friends is Tanya.
[5:21] Speaker 2: Nola Okay, yeah, yeah, yeah yeah, And like Walter here.
[5:25] Speaker 1: She just did a big session on cs X about
[5:28] Speaker 1: forty seven. I was proud of her. How did that
[5:31] Speaker 1: relations come about? You know, she took because we talk
[5:34] Speaker 1: all the time. She's an entrepreneur because she is one
[5:36] Speaker 1: of the largest daycare men in Texas, but she's also
[5:40] Speaker 1: as her own label that's independent. But she also is
[5:44] Speaker 1: a performing artist, so this is not a lonely club.
[5:47] Speaker 3: That so yeah, so we met. We met myself in time.
[5:50] Speaker 3: We met through a mutual producer friend, Corey Mo. You know,
[5:53] Speaker 3: initially started out as as as me being hired to
[5:56] Speaker 3: come in and you know, work for higher things, coming
[5:58] Speaker 3: in and write it right tune and the feature on
[6:01] Speaker 3: the record. And you know, I had I had already
[6:04] Speaker 3: done my research on Tanya and knew that she was
[6:05] Speaker 3: bossed up, self made, you know, the whole.
[6:08] Speaker 2: So that's right up my alley, you know.
[6:10] Speaker 3: And once we connected, you know, Corey had expressed early
[6:14] Speaker 3: that that interested in, saying like, hey man, I'm not
[6:18] Speaker 3: a manager, and I know you're not either, but I
[6:21] Speaker 3: think I think, you know, this would be a great
[6:23] Speaker 3: artist for you connect with and mentor too, you know,
[6:26] Speaker 3: and and and the relationship just really started from there.
[6:29] Speaker 2: You know.
[6:29] Speaker 3: We we we met on the first video shoot, and
[6:33] Speaker 3: you know, I had already, like I said, done my
[6:34] Speaker 3: homework on her, and I was keen on coming in
[6:38] Speaker 3: and not only you know, showing showing her what I
[6:41] Speaker 3: know about the business and what I've learned and tools
[6:43] Speaker 3: that I know, you know, fix to the trade that
[6:45] Speaker 3: I've learned, but also keen on just saying like, let's
[6:48] Speaker 3: let's focus on instead of giving you a record, let's
[6:51] Speaker 3: focus on creating a sound.
[6:52] Speaker 2: Right, Let's create.
[6:53] Speaker 3: A Let's create a sound, Let's create an image, Let's
[6:55] Speaker 3: create a vibe, and uh, you know, quick learner. And man,
[7:00] Speaker 3: she's you know, she's ran off with the ball man,
[7:02] Speaker 3: and I'm extremely excited for her. You know, we're wrapping
[7:05] Speaker 3: up the finishing touches of what would be I guess
[7:07] Speaker 3: like her first uh you know, her first album or
[7:11] Speaker 3: EP by you know, I like to call them projects
[7:13] Speaker 3: these days.
[7:14] Speaker 2: And I'm really, I'm really, I'm really happy for her. Cool.
[7:17] Speaker 4: You know, this industry, you know is dominated by hip hop. Yeah,
[7:23] Speaker 4: hip hop, you know, Drake and Kendrick Ramar dominating with
[7:27] Speaker 4: their beef and performing at the super Bowl halftime talk
[7:32] Speaker 4: about the music, you know, like one of the things
[7:35] Speaker 4: and one of the major roles I played when I
[7:37] Speaker 4: was with Steve Harvey on the Morning show, was making
[7:40] Speaker 4: sure R and B had a voice in this industry, maintain.
[7:44] Speaker 1: The respect that it should be receiving. What is radio
[7:50] Speaker 1: like today for the R and B sound?
[7:53] Speaker 3: You know, let me just say this first and foremost
[7:55] Speaker 3: radio still matters. Yes, you know, it will always matter,
[7:59] Speaker 3: you know now being part of radio understand, don't jump
[8:02] Speaker 3: the gun.
[8:02] Speaker 1: I don't.
[8:06] Speaker 3: So it's still you know radio Still, radio still matters,
[8:09] Speaker 3: you know, uh uh, it serves a purpose.
[8:13] Speaker 2: You know.
[8:13] Speaker 3: I think that there are way that obviously we're in
[8:16] Speaker 3: We're in an era in the age now of music
[8:19] Speaker 3: and creativity where there's way more artists than there is space,
[8:22] Speaker 3: right Uh, you know, which which creates uh you know,
[8:27] Speaker 3: new platforms, your show, Uh you know, uh Front Porch,
[8:31] Speaker 3: which which my little nephew Nucci's doing, you know back
[8:36] Speaker 3: in d C. You know, you know, like the music
[8:39] Speaker 3: for me, you know, the artistry for me, the work
[8:41] Speaker 3: that I put in, the penmanship, the thought that I
[8:44] Speaker 3: put into you know, making a record that you know
[8:47] Speaker 3: uplifts our people up, up lifts women. You know that
[8:51] Speaker 3: that's a constant decision to do, you know, and because
[8:54] Speaker 3: of those things, you know, other opportunities have have have
[8:58] Speaker 3: come my way. You know what I mean, you know, uh,
[9:01] Speaker 3: as a as a as a love of hip hop,
[9:03] Speaker 3: as a love of all genre music. It's like understanding
[9:06] Speaker 3: that you know, you know what what you what they
[9:09] Speaker 3: say you are what you eat, sir. You know you
[9:11] Speaker 3: are what you ingest and digest and you know and
[9:14] Speaker 3: and whatnot. So I just try to, uh to use
[9:19] Speaker 3: my platform as not not always to edit, to to
[9:23] Speaker 3: to entertain, but to educate and and and you know,
[9:27] Speaker 3: I call it eduitainment, right, you know, you know, we
[9:30] Speaker 3: try to.
[9:30] Speaker 2: We try to.
[9:31] Speaker 3: I try to show that that how you can do
[9:33] Speaker 3: that as well, you know, in the music. But I
[9:36] Speaker 3: think I think that R and B is A is
[9:37] Speaker 3: A is a live and well you know, I think
[9:39] Speaker 3: the soul music is alive and well, you know, and
[9:42] Speaker 3: and although the machine is still the machine, you know,
[9:45] Speaker 3: and it's still very useful, radio still still very useful. Uh,
[9:49] Speaker 3: it's not your only means for how you.
[9:52] Speaker 2: Get to continue to absorb the music.
[9:54] Speaker 3: Now you have all these different platforms and streaming platforms
[9:57] Speaker 3: and uh, you know, and content creators that that you
[10:01] Speaker 3: can utilize to expose the world to your music.
[10:04] Speaker 1: It is the question here like you're an independent yeah,
[10:08] Speaker 1: because we are these record labels out here and they
[10:12] Speaker 1: going in there shop the music to the local program
[10:15] Speaker 1: directors who control the music being played on your local
[10:19] Speaker 1: favorite radio station out there. How do you get your
[10:23] Speaker 1: records on traditional free radio?
[10:26] Speaker 3: Well, you know, you reach out, you know now, I
[10:28] Speaker 3: mean with technology, you can live, you can pretty much
[10:31] Speaker 3: you can chat GBT, right, you know, you know, figure
[10:35] Speaker 3: out connecting the dots, you know, and it's it's really
[10:38] Speaker 3: establishing relationships right right.
[10:39] Speaker 2: I think when you I think where you really understand
[10:41] Speaker 2: the relationships, you know.
[10:43] Speaker 3: Uh, one thing that will never change is is uh
[10:47] Speaker 3: is relationships, you know. And a lot of times I
[10:49] Speaker 3: go in you know, I don't I don't go into
[10:51] Speaker 3: the meeting, you know, talking about what I need. I
[10:54] Speaker 3: try to go find out what what's needed first and
[10:57] Speaker 3: how and how I can be utilized, you know, and
[10:59] Speaker 3: that type of thing. And uh, you know, I think
[11:01] Speaker 3: with radio, Uh, it's the same, it's the same approach.
[11:05] Speaker 3: You know, Uh that there are they are cast that
[11:07] Speaker 3: are still out here breaking records, you know absolutely, you know,
[11:10] Speaker 3: I would say start with the DJs. You know, I
[11:13] Speaker 3: feel like I feel like the you.
[11:14] Speaker 2: Know, the DJ.
[11:15] Speaker 3: The DJ's matter, DJ is still matter, you know what
[11:18] Speaker 3: I mean, some of my some of my close friends
[11:20] Speaker 3: you know, Uh are you know Kenny Dope and Louis Vega,
[11:24] Speaker 3: DJ Jazzy Jeff, DJ Terry Hunter out of Chicago. Uh,
[11:27] Speaker 3: you know DJ's DJs, all of your local DJs, your
[11:32] Speaker 3: mix show DJs, your your coalition of DJs. Like DJ's matters,
[11:37] Speaker 3: they stay tapped in with the DJs.
[11:39] Speaker 1: Absolutely cool when when you're looking at you because he's
[11:42] Speaker 1: about to jump ahead and talk about radio and his
[11:46] Speaker 1: new role in radio. But let's let's talk about back
[11:49] Speaker 1: in the day when you and I were we met, Yeah,
[11:53] Speaker 1: and I saw a young person who loved the aspect
[11:56] Speaker 1: of sitting down behind a microphone. That's one thing I
[11:59] Speaker 1: noticed you. You had no problem talking on a mic.
[12:03] Speaker 2: Yeah.
[12:04] Speaker 1: Was that a love for you radio period?
[12:06] Speaker 3: Absolutely, It's something that I've always wanted to do, at
[12:09] Speaker 3: least for the last like twenty twenty five years. I
[12:11] Speaker 3: was always fascinated you know, uh, coming, coming, coming, you know,
[12:16] Speaker 3: sitting down with you guys, sitting down with Steve, you know, going,
[12:20] Speaker 3: going to sit down with Tom Joyner. I was always
[12:22] Speaker 3: fascinated with with with what they did on the other
[12:25] Speaker 3: side of it. You know, I grew up listening to radio.
[12:28] Speaker 3: You know, I grew up listening to h U R.
[12:31] Speaker 3: You know, primarily that was the station of choice, you know,
[12:34] Speaker 3: riding with my mom's.
[12:35] Speaker 1: And d Yeah.
[12:36] Speaker 3: Yeah, yeah, Howard University, Yeah, how the Meccan in ninety
[12:40] Speaker 3: six point three, you know, to be exact, Yeah, So
[12:44] Speaker 3: I grew up, you know, I grew up listening to
[12:47] Speaker 3: listening to h U ARE you know, as far as
[12:50] Speaker 3: I can remember, you know, the Daily Drum, yes, which
[12:55] Speaker 3: is still was just still prevalent, uh, you know and
[12:58] Speaker 3: needed till this day, one of the longest running number
[13:01] Speaker 3: one you know segments in radio.
[13:03] Speaker 2: You know. Uh.
[13:05] Speaker 3: So I again, I just grew up listening to it,
[13:08] Speaker 3: and I always was fascinated with it, and said, and
[13:10] Speaker 3: I felt like, you know, that's something like I was
[13:12] Speaker 3: told myself, I could do that.
[13:13] Speaker 2: You know, that's that.
[13:15] Speaker 1: Why why did you think you could do that? Right?
[13:17] Speaker 3: I just I just felt like, you know, being being
[13:23] Speaker 3: a student of the music, you know, being a student
[13:26] Speaker 3: of the culture. Uh, and then understanding like you know,
[13:29] Speaker 3: it's it's the changing of the guards, you know what
[13:31] Speaker 3: I mean, Uh, not so much. I don't look at
[13:34] Speaker 3: it so much as being necessarily a gatekeeper, being a
[13:37] Speaker 3: condouant for for the culture, you know, and as somebody
[13:40] Speaker 3: who's out here, you know, supporting you know, I support
[13:43] Speaker 3: a lot, not just the Titian Knolas of the world,
[13:45] Speaker 3: but there's so many artists, you know, my even my
[13:48] Speaker 3: peers who've been in this game that have never received
[13:50] Speaker 3: the roses that they deserve.
[13:52] Speaker 2: You know.
[13:53] Speaker 3: It's one of the things that I you know, that
[13:54] Speaker 3: that I said, you know, if and when I'm ever
[13:57] Speaker 3: in position, you know, this is a way for me
[14:00] Speaker 3: to keep the torch burning of the culture that I love,
[14:02] Speaker 3: you know, R and B and soul music.
[14:04] Speaker 5: Please don't go anywhere. We'll be right back with more
[14:07] Speaker 5: money Making Conversations Masterclass. Welcome back to the Money Making
[14:16] Speaker 5: Conversations Masterclass hosted by Rashaan McDonald. Money Making Conversations Masterclass
[14:22] Speaker 5: continues online at Moneymakingconversations dot com and follow money Making
[14:26] Speaker 5: Conversations Masterclass on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
[14:31] Speaker 1: Absolutely Quadstorm, Yeah, what when was your introduction to Quadstorm
[14:37] Speaker 1: and how did it impact you? That's what you're now
[14:40] Speaker 1: hosting at w u R ninety six four and three
[14:43] Speaker 1: in Washington, d c It's so surreal.
[14:45] Speaker 3: You know, I grew up listening to Melvin Lindsay. Not
[14:48] Speaker 3: to be cliche cliche, but if you if you were
[14:51] Speaker 3: if you were Washingtonian, you know you're in You're in DC, Maryland,
[14:55] Speaker 3: Northern Virginia. It was just it was it was the
[14:58] Speaker 3: late night you know, it's the Bible, it you know,
[15:00] Speaker 3: it was written that this is what this is what
[15:02] Speaker 3: we do from you know, from from from seven seven
[15:05] Speaker 3: thirty to midnight, you know, my day Monday through Friday,
[15:09] Speaker 3: you know, so it was I just remember hearing the records,
[15:12] Speaker 3: you know that I love that. I grew up on
[15:14] Speaker 3: the Marvin Gaye Earth Winding Fire. You know, a lot
[15:17] Speaker 3: of Phillis hymen. Uh, you know, Luther and Melvin, Melvin
[15:23] Speaker 3: used to go in. I discovered them, a lot of
[15:26] Speaker 3: these artists, you know, for the first time, you know,
[15:28] Speaker 3: listening to the Choirt Storm, listening to Melvin Lindsey, so
[15:32] Speaker 3: to be, you know, almost some fifty years later, Be,
[15:36] Speaker 3: you know, Be Be the new face and radio you know,
[15:39] Speaker 3: the voice and personality you know for the original Choir Storm.
[15:42] Speaker 2: You know, it's been an honor.
[15:44] Speaker 3: I'm still I'm still I'm still I'm still a semi virgins,
[15:49] Speaker 3: you know, still getting my feet wet and you know
[15:52] Speaker 3: I just.
[15:52] Speaker 1: Been but it was an opportunity you pursue, you pursue
[15:55] Speaker 1: to be the host.
[15:56] Speaker 3: Yeah, absolutely, storm absolutely absolutely, you know not what do
[16:01] Speaker 3: they say? You know when you ask or when you
[16:03] Speaker 3: pray for it, be very descriptive in your prayers. And uh,
[16:07] Speaker 3: you know I always say, I always say that God
[16:09] Speaker 3: has a sense of humans.
[16:11] Speaker 2: You know what I mean?
[16:12] Speaker 3: Because if you know, there's many other opportunities that I
[16:16] Speaker 3: applied for in radio, you know, filling in and things
[16:19] Speaker 3: of that nature.
[16:20] Speaker 2: But to but to be at hu Are just feel
[16:22] Speaker 2: so surreal.
[16:23] Speaker 1: I gotta hit you your your your top three songs
[16:27] Speaker 1: if you you sat down on Quadstone and you had
[16:30] Speaker 1: to say program director because you know your program director.
[16:33] Speaker 1: These are the list I want you to play. What's
[16:36] Speaker 1: your what is Raheem Duba?
[16:37] Speaker 2: Oh man, I'm to three?
[16:39] Speaker 3: I'm it's given uh uh average white band, a love
[16:44] Speaker 3: of your own? Probably go I probably I probably go
[16:47] Speaker 3: with the with the Alia record like one in a million.
[16:51] Speaker 1: Okay, okay, okay, okay, okay, okay.
[16:54] Speaker 2: If you're gonna go, I we're gonna go. If we're
[16:56] Speaker 2: gonna go eighties. I wanna go, I wanna go. Yeah, yeah,
[16:59] Speaker 2: we wanna go eighties.
[17:00] Speaker 3: I mean, we gotta go with one of the greatest
[17:02] Speaker 3: artists and records of all time to thriller album, you know.
[17:05] Speaker 2: And I would go with like Lady in My Life.
[17:07] Speaker 1: Okay, Okay, okay, okay, let me take my three. Let
[17:10] Speaker 1: me tell you my three. Let me my three, Let
[17:12] Speaker 1: me tell my three. My three will be uh uh
[17:14] Speaker 1: let me see. Uh gotta be an o J song.
[17:18] Speaker 3: Okay, cry together, Okay.
[17:23] Speaker 1: Crying and crying the whole time, Okay. And then I
[17:26] Speaker 1: then I go, uh. Then I go with uh, I
[17:30] Speaker 1: gotta go rough a little bit with with with Teddy Pendergred.
[17:33] Speaker 2: Okay, all right, you know, turn them off, turn.
[17:36] Speaker 1: Them out, and then and then then I wrap it
[17:41] Speaker 1: up with a little uh, a little lot Iley Brothers.
[17:43] Speaker 2: It sounds sound Hello.
[17:47] Speaker 5: Here, Hello, Welcome back to the Money Making Conversations Masterclass
[17:53] Speaker 5: hosted by Rashaan McDonald.
[17:56] Speaker 1: You know, we talked about music. We talking to being
[17:58] Speaker 1: an independent artist. Yeah, we talk about do you know,
[18:00] Speaker 1: establishing your brain your DC board new host Quair Storm
[18:05] Speaker 1: a dream gig for you. Now, let's talk about the
[18:09] Speaker 1: foundation that I wouldn't say the human side, but the
[18:13] Speaker 1: philanthropy side. And a lot of people don't get to
[18:15] Speaker 1: know about you and your foundation talk about the importance
[18:18] Speaker 1: of your foundation.
[18:19] Speaker 3: So my foundation, the Love Life Foundation, has been you know,
[18:22] Speaker 3: established since twenty thirteen.
[18:25] Speaker 2: You know.
[18:25] Speaker 3: Some of our major initiatives currently are you know, the
[18:28] Speaker 3: partnership that I have personal partnership that I have with
[18:30] Speaker 3: Gilliad Sciences, you know, to to you know, further my
[18:34] Speaker 3: efforts to fight HIV and AIDS.
[18:36] Speaker 2: You know, I've had similar partners in the past.
[18:38] Speaker 3: That we that we've worked with, you know, doing a
[18:41] Speaker 3: holiday annual holiday concert you know, back in DC Raheemed
[18:46] Speaker 3: Divine and Friends, which we're looking to probably bring back
[18:48] Speaker 3: at some point and the near future, you know, doing
[18:51] Speaker 3: Queen for a Day, spa takeovers, and our efforts to
[18:53] Speaker 3: fight domestic violence, you know, and and to bring that
[18:57] Speaker 3: to the forefront and have that be a conversation not
[19:01] Speaker 3: just with men and women, but children as well, you know,
[19:03] Speaker 3: with the best of violence being such a prevalent thing.
[19:06] Speaker 3: Eight thing related to community, you know to you know
[19:10] Speaker 3: is you know, the Love Life Foundation allows me to
[19:13] Speaker 3: keep a pulse on community, uh, to go into these
[19:16] Speaker 3: different cities that that support me, you know, that buy
[19:19] Speaker 3: a ticket or sell out a show.
[19:21] Speaker 2: And we don't just run off with the bag.
[19:23] Speaker 3: You know, we like to stick around after the show
[19:26] Speaker 3: or to come in town early and just do community
[19:28] Speaker 3: work and touch to people and you know, and get
[19:31] Speaker 3: a pulse for what's going on you know city, the
[19:33] Speaker 3: city and and the woes and you know, things that
[19:36] Speaker 3: we that we that that I can be impactful, impactful
[19:39] Speaker 3: on or to use my voice, you know, as I
[19:42] Speaker 3: said to like Edutain, you know, right, let me ask you.
[19:46] Speaker 1: This because, like I said, there's a journey where you
[19:48] Speaker 1: start seeing things of what I can do. Because like
[19:51] Speaker 1: two thousand and five, we're about to celebrate twenty years
[19:54] Speaker 1: or the first one and that this year. Then it
[19:57] Speaker 1: took you about eight years before you establish your foundation. Yeah,
[20:01] Speaker 1: what were you seeing along the way? You went, I
[20:05] Speaker 1: gotta do this, I gotta make time, Yeah for the
[20:08] Speaker 1: Love Life Foundation.
[20:09] Speaker 3: Well always I was always I realized, you know it,
[20:12] Speaker 3: just I just had the epiphany one day. It wasn't
[20:14] Speaker 3: until I till I till till I received the key
[20:16] Speaker 3: to the city and you know in in d C.
[20:18] Speaker 3: And you know proclamation, did I realized the impact that
[20:22] Speaker 3: I had made, you know, on on my city in particular.
[20:26] Speaker 3: You know, I've always been the guy that you could call,
[20:29] Speaker 3: but whether whether you waited til the last minute to call,
[20:31] Speaker 3: or somebody flaked or or I was the first person
[20:34] Speaker 3: you called, you know, I was being the guy that
[20:36] Speaker 3: you could kind of call locally to do things. And
[20:39] Speaker 3: then I started to notice that it was happening nashally
[20:41] Speaker 3: as well. So you know, when I when I received
[20:44] Speaker 3: you know, when I received the proclamation and you know,
[20:46] Speaker 3: they made it officially rahiem DVN day.
[20:49] Speaker 2: Uh.
[20:49] Speaker 3: You know, in the district of Columbia, I felt it
[20:51] Speaker 3: was a premature thing, and I was thankful for that.
[20:53] Speaker 3: I was thankful, but I was I was you know,
[20:56] Speaker 3: I was a bit in shock. And you know if
[20:58] Speaker 3: that really put the battery in my back to say,
[21:01] Speaker 3: you know, for a city that's given me so much
[21:03] Speaker 3: and that I poured into, you know, uh, let's start
[21:06] Speaker 3: the foundation. And it's really you know, it gives me
[21:09] Speaker 3: more opportunities to say, you know, and and and decide
[21:13] Speaker 3: and support the things that I want to support, you
[21:15] Speaker 3: know directly as well.
[21:17] Speaker 1: Well. You know, it's really important. So that's that's the philanthropy. Now,
[21:21] Speaker 1: you were impacted a lot of women through your whole
[21:24] Speaker 1: foundation just recently talk about that. I think like fifty.
[21:28] Speaker 2: Yeah, so shout out to Gilead Sciences.
[21:30] Speaker 3: Last year I toured with with with the Incomparable Incomparable
[21:33] Speaker 3: lettercy Uh yeah, for the Good for the Good Life
[21:36] Speaker 3: tour right on Fire. Yeah, she stayed Lets stays on fire,
[21:40] Speaker 3: right on schedule. In fact, she's you know, she's about
[21:43] Speaker 3: to go on a tour with Marsha Ambrosius. I think
[21:46] Speaker 3: that I think they're just getting started or about to start. Ironically,
[21:50] Speaker 3: last year this time, we were on tour together.
[21:53] Speaker 2: You know.
[21:53] Speaker 3: We started in the month of March and went all
[21:55] Speaker 3: the way through the month of uh, like mid mid April.
[21:59] Speaker 2: You know.
[21:59] Speaker 3: I was apro by Gilead for my work that I
[22:02] Speaker 3: have done previously involving HIV and AIDS, and they told me,
[22:06] Speaker 3: you know, the demo that they were trying to reach,
[22:08] Speaker 3: and we felt like it was just like a great
[22:10] Speaker 3: partnership and I was able to do uh these thirty
[22:13] Speaker 3: plus dates.
[22:14] Speaker 5: Uh.
[22:14] Speaker 3: And they set a goal, they said they didn't wanted
[22:16] Speaker 3: to reach over thirty thousand women, you know, within thirty days.
[22:19] Speaker 2: And we were able to touch.
[22:20] Speaker 3: Fifty thousand, you know, letting them know the new statistics
[22:24] Speaker 3: and how black women and girls are being affected by
[22:26] Speaker 3: HIV and AIDS here and you know in in in
[22:30] Speaker 3: the country here, you know, and it's been it's been,
[22:33] Speaker 3: it's been great. You know, they've they've been a great partner,
[22:36] Speaker 3: spending over you know, twelve million dollars with their with
[22:39] Speaker 3: their PACE program. You know, also letting let it, letting
[22:44] Speaker 3: women and men know about you know, prep and and
[22:48] Speaker 3: preventative measures. You know, so you know, education is key,
[22:52] Speaker 3: of course, getting tested regularly and you know, and and
[22:56] Speaker 3: and and and breaking and breaking down the barrier is
[23:00] Speaker 3: of all the things that you know, uh, that people
[23:04] Speaker 3: may think you can't happen to them.
[23:07] Speaker 5: Back to you.
[23:09] Speaker 1: Like you've written in this interview, you've written that word
[23:12] Speaker 1: consistently about the educating, whether it's through music, through your foundation,
[23:17] Speaker 1: through the the having a career as an independent person.
[23:21] Speaker 1: Education plays a role in your success story. Now let's
[23:24] Speaker 1: talk about the business man. Okay, the entrepreneur, we're talking
[23:27] Speaker 1: about that. But now you've got this new tour bus,
[23:32] Speaker 1: tour bus, come talk about this and why you need
[23:36] Speaker 1: a tour But you.
[23:37] Speaker 2: Know, it's it's it's it's an investment. You know.
[23:41] Speaker 3: I think one of the biggest expenses that you know,
[23:43] Speaker 3: we have as artists is like traveling.
[23:45] Speaker 2: And you know what I mean. So again, you know,
[23:47] Speaker 2: it's a it's a it's a just for.
[23:49] Speaker 3: You absolutely, absolutely, you know, be able to move around
[23:55] Speaker 3: a lot more that we look I look forward to
[23:57] Speaker 3: getting you know, getting getting getting on the road and
[24:00] Speaker 3: and and and and further my you know, my community work,
[24:03] Speaker 3: you know, being able to touch some of these these cities,
[24:05] Speaker 3: in these in these in these towns that we haven't
[24:07] Speaker 3: been able to go to.
[24:09] Speaker 2: You know, but.
[24:09] Speaker 1: That's that's what your life is now. Man, you feel
[24:12] Speaker 1: like you're in control of your life. Well, you know
[24:14] Speaker 1: we can say that, but I guess understanding there's a
[24:18] Speaker 1: direction in your life.
[24:19] Speaker 2: Absolutely, you know this.
[24:20] Speaker 3: It's the highest source, you know, you know, the creator, God,
[24:23] Speaker 3: God is in control. You know, uh, but but but
[24:27] Speaker 3: but but I'm more intuitive to listening to the whispers
[24:30] Speaker 3: and intuition when when he say go this way, my child,
[24:33] Speaker 3: do this, Oh hold on, take it, take way.
[24:35] Speaker 2: Wait.
[24:35] Speaker 3: Wait, it's not it's not it's not time yet, you
[24:38] Speaker 3: know it's not you know, it's not time.
[24:40] Speaker 2: For syndication, right, you know what I mean?
[24:43] Speaker 3: You know, you know so I think you know a
[24:44] Speaker 3: lot of times, you know what's been what's been a
[24:47] Speaker 3: major key to my success, you know overall and definitely
[24:53] Speaker 3: as of late, it's just understanding, you know, far, far
[24:55] Speaker 3: too many times we we we we focused on what
[25:01] Speaker 3: we don't have, but we're so busy chasing what we
[25:03] Speaker 3: don't have, we don't recognize what's like right in front
[25:06] Speaker 3: of us, the opportunities in the right in front of us,
[25:08] Speaker 3: you know, and you know, and I you know when
[25:11] Speaker 3: I when I'm on h U R, you know, I
[25:12] Speaker 3: constantly you know, I always close out my show saying that,
[25:16] Speaker 3: you know, use the gift of time, decision, free will
[25:19] Speaker 3: in one another.
[25:20] Speaker 2: You know, those are the greatest gifts given.
[25:22] Speaker 3: You know, from the time we're born, you know, we're
[25:24] Speaker 3: running out of time, uh.
[25:28] Speaker 2: The gift of decision and free will.
[25:29] Speaker 3: From the time you wake up in the morning to
[25:31] Speaker 3: the time you go to sleep, you have all these
[25:33] Speaker 3: decisions that you that you can make, you can decide,
[25:35] Speaker 3: you can sell, you can decide to get up, go
[25:37] Speaker 3: out and go get it, you know, be lazy rather
[25:40] Speaker 3: Netflix and chill whatever, whatever your vibe is you. You know,
[25:44] Speaker 3: you can you alterally decide what it is you want
[25:46] Speaker 3: to do with your time and your day. And I
[25:48] Speaker 3: think one of the most the third greatest gift you know,
[25:52] Speaker 3: in no particular order, is the gift of one another,
[25:55] Speaker 3: you know, the gift of people, relationships, you know, cult
[25:58] Speaker 3: of how you cultivate the you know, uh, you know,
[26:01] Speaker 3: how you respect one another, your word being your bond,
[26:04] Speaker 3: and and all of these things you know, and these
[26:06] Speaker 3: values and it's and you know, all roads have all
[26:09] Speaker 3: these things have led me to where I am now,
[26:12] Speaker 3: you know, And I think that you know, if that
[26:14] Speaker 3: was anything, if any advice you know that I would give,
[26:18] Speaker 3: you know, any artists or any dreamer creative out there.
[26:21] Speaker 2: It is to you know, if you respect those.
[26:23] Speaker 3: Things, the gift of time, the gift of decision, and
[26:26] Speaker 3: gift of one another. Uh, there's nothing really that you
[26:29] Speaker 3: can't achieve, achieve or obtained, you know.
[26:33] Speaker 2: It's the art of It's for me, it's the art.
[26:36] Speaker 3: Of knowing, Like you know you I don't, I don't.
[26:40] Speaker 3: I don't believe and I don't I don't I don't
[26:41] Speaker 3: believe it. I know it like I know God exists.
[26:44] Speaker 3: You know, I don't have to believe that, Like I know.
[26:46] Speaker 2: God exists.
[26:47] Speaker 3: I'm an example of that, your example of all examples
[26:50] Speaker 3: of that, you know.
[26:51] Speaker 2: So it's the art of knowing.
[26:53] Speaker 1: My brother. I'm glad you came down.
[26:55] Speaker 2: From d C.
[26:56] Speaker 3: Thank you live in studio or I take this opportunity
[26:59] Speaker 3: to say thank you for being you and what you've
[27:01] Speaker 3: done for us in the platform and for the game
[27:03] Speaker 3: and for the culture, and congratulations on all you're doing
[27:05] Speaker 3: as well.
[27:06] Speaker 1: I thank you, brother. Thank you for having no money
[27:07] Speaker 1: Making Masterclass, I don't. This has been another edition of
[27:12] Speaker 1: money Making Conversation Masterclass posted by me Rushaun McDonald. Thank
[27:16] Speaker 1: you to our guests on the show today and thank
[27:18] Speaker 1: you listening to audience now. If you want to listen
[27:21] Speaker 1: to any episode I want to be a guest on
[27:23] Speaker 1: the show, visit Moneymakingconversations dot com. Our social media handle
[27:27] Speaker 1: is money Making Conversation. Join us next week and remember
[27:31] Speaker 1: to always leave with your gifts. Keep winning.

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