Latest / Born To The Game Podcast / Cameron Levert on Gerald Levert, R&B Royalty & Starting Over | Born to the Game Podcast

Transcript

Cameron Levert on Gerald Levert, R&B Royalty & Starting Over | Born to the Game Podcast · Born To The Game Podcast

• 0:00
  Speaker 1: Welcome to Born to the Game, produced by Arkham Media
• 0:03
  Speaker 1: Group in collaboration with Inflection Network and distributed through iHeartMedia.
• 0:08
  Speaker 1: This is a space where the children and families of
• 0:10
  Speaker 1: iconic athletes, entertainers, and cultural figures share the truth behind legacy.
• 0:15
  Speaker 1: Not just what their families did, but who they were
• 0:18
  Speaker 1: and how that legacy continues. And today's guest was quite
• 0:22
  Speaker 1: literally born into R & B royalty. Her grandfather, Eddie LaVert,
• 1:00
  Speaker 1: is the legendary lead singer of the OJs, the group
• 1:03
  Speaker 1: behind timeless records like Love Train, For the Love of Money,
• 1:06
  Speaker 1: and Backstabbers. And her father, the late Gerald Levert, created
• 1:10
  Speaker 1: an incredible legacy of his own. From leading the R &
• 1:13
  Speaker 1: B group Levert, to becoming a successful solo artist, songwriter,
• 1:18
  Speaker 1: and producer, to joining forces with Keith Sweat and Johnny
• 1:21
  Speaker 1: Gill as the supergroup LSG. Gerald became one of the
• 1:26
  Speaker 1: defining voices of R & B. His catalog gave us
• 1:29
  Speaker 1: records like Casanova, Private Line, Baby Hold On To Me,
• 1:34
  Speaker 1: and My Body. And his work earned him a Grammy.
• 1:38
  Speaker 1: But today, we're getting to know the next chapter of
• 1:41
  Speaker 1: that story, Cameron LeVert. Cameron is a singer, a songwriter,
• 1:46
  Speaker 1: building a sound career and identity of her own while
• 1:49
  Speaker 1: carrying a last name that already means so much to music. Today,
• 1:53
  Speaker 1: we're talking about what it was like growing up as
• 1:55
  Speaker 1: Gerald Levert's daughter, discovering her own voice, navigating the pressure
• 1:59
  Speaker 1: of a multi-generational musical legacy, losing her father at such
• 2:04
  Speaker 1: a young age, and what it means to honor where
• 2:06
  Speaker 1: you come from without allowing it to define where you're going.
• 2:10
  Speaker 1: Because this isn't just a story about the legacy Cameron
• 2:13
  Speaker 1: was born into. It's about the one she's creating for herself.
• 2:17
  Speaker 1: Cameron LaVert. Cameron! Welcome to Magic the Game, girl. Look,
• 2:23
  Speaker 1: just reading your family's accolades, I'm over here like, ooh, Lord.
• 2:27
  Speaker 1: That was pretty cool. Iconic. Iconic, honey. I know it's
• 2:35
  Speaker 1: a lot to take in. You probably don't hear it
• 2:37
  Speaker 1: every day. I mean, you know it, but hearing it
• 2:39
  Speaker 1: has that feel.
• 2:40
  Speaker 2: Every time it's inspiring. It's astonishing. It's really cool. The
• 2:47
  Speaker 2: things that my dad and my grandpa did.
• 2:49
  Speaker 1: Oh, my goodness. Well, we thank you for joining us.
• 2:53
  Speaker 1: It's an honor to hear your story and your experiences
• 2:57
  Speaker 1: and your journey. So we want to go back before
• 3:01
  Speaker 1: we dive into the fishbowl here. Just take us through
• 3:04
  Speaker 1: what your life was like just being the child of the, right?
• 3:09
  Speaker 1: You got to add the Gerald Leverts.
• 3:13
  Speaker 2: Yes. Well, growing up, I was eight when my dad passed.
• 3:21
  Speaker 2: So prior to that, I didn't really grasp the magnitude
• 3:26
  Speaker 2: and just everything that was going on until, you know,
• 3:33
  Speaker 2: growing up. But when I did realize, I just... knew
• 3:41
  Speaker 2: that it was crazy, the fans. And even after his passing,
• 3:45
  Speaker 2: the fans, he still has such an amazing fan base
• 3:51
  Speaker 2: and supporters. So it's really cool to see. It's really
• 3:57
  Speaker 2: cool to have grown up that way. Yes.
• 4:01
  Speaker 1: What are some of your favorite memories of your dad
• 4:04
  Speaker 1: that have absolutely nothing to do with Gerald Levert, the artist?
• 4:09
  Speaker 2: Yes. So... I didn't get to have very many moments
• 4:13
  Speaker 2: with him, but the moments that I do have, I
• 4:16
  Speaker 2: remember vividly. There was... I was going back to school
• 4:22
  Speaker 2: and I was at his house and he had gotten
• 4:26
  Speaker 2: me and my cousin some school supplies. And I remember
• 4:30
  Speaker 2: him coming down the stairs singing Hey Ya by Hellcast
• 4:35
  Speaker 2: because the song had just came out and he loved
• 4:38
  Speaker 2: it so much. And he was so excited that we
• 4:40
  Speaker 2: were starting school and to give us school supplies. So
• 4:43
  Speaker 2: That memory is very near and dear to me. He
• 4:47
  Speaker 2: also did come and sing at my school.
• 4:50
  Speaker 1: What? He did.
• 4:52
  Speaker 2: And it was just a fiasco. But it was so
• 4:56
  Speaker 2: cool just to see all my friends. And he was singing.
• 5:00
  Speaker 2: And I remember being in a circle and just everybody
• 5:03
  Speaker 2: just having a good time. And I Looking back, I'm
• 5:06
  Speaker 2: very thankful to have that memory and that he came
• 5:10
  Speaker 2: out and did that for me.
• 5:11
  Speaker 1: What age were you when he came?
• 5:13
  Speaker 2: Probably like six. I was at a Montessori in Ohio. And, yeah,
• 5:20
  Speaker 2: he came through and sang songs.
• 5:23
  Speaker 1: Well, the teacher's, like, just swooning and falling in love
• 5:27
  Speaker 1: with the teacher. I'm like, okay. He's like, no, girl,
• 5:29
  Speaker 1: that's Gerald LaVert, honey. That's the Gerald LaVert.
• 5:34
  Speaker 2: Yes.
• 5:35
  Speaker 1: So when did it click for you that he is
• 5:38
  Speaker 1: the Gerald LaVert? Yeah. You come from such an iconic musical.
• 5:43
  Speaker 1: He's literally iconic.
• 5:44
  Speaker 2: Yes. I think that moment.
• 5:47
  Speaker 2: Happened not when he was here but um during his
• 5:52
  Speaker 2: service um the turnout was crazy and all the celebrities
• 6:01
  Speaker 2: that came and I know it's a funeral but I
• 6:03
  Speaker 2: was like oh Usher like yeah and I'm like wow
• 6:09
  Speaker 2: but also you know but um yeah I was like
• 6:12
  Speaker 2: whoa this is this is he was really something so.
• 6:15
  Speaker 1: Um So I know you didn't have that many experiences
• 6:20
  Speaker 1: with him, but you're able, thankfully, even with the rise
• 6:23
  Speaker 1: of social media, you're able to still have some access
• 6:26
  Speaker 1: to him. So is there something about him that you
• 6:30
  Speaker 1: just gained from just who he was and his artistry
• 6:35
  Speaker 1: that you carry with you today? Any advice or anything
• 6:39
  Speaker 1: like that?
• 6:39
  Speaker 2: Absolutely. I feel very lucky to be able to just
• 6:43
  Speaker 2: go on YouTube and type them in. And there's new
• 6:48
  Speaker 2: stuff all the time. And I'm like, well, I've never
• 6:50
  Speaker 2: seen this music video or I've never seen this performance.
• 6:53
  Speaker 2: And just his consistency and his love for what he did,
• 6:59
  Speaker 2: it shows in every performance, every song. He put his
• 7:05
  Speaker 2: all into it, and that's very inspiring. And yeah, I
• 7:11
  Speaker 2: love to just be able to look him up and
• 7:13
  Speaker 2: see him singing his heart out and rolling around. Yes.
• 7:15
  Speaker 1: And we talked about that in R & B music today.
• 7:18
  Speaker 1: They don't do it no more. They don't cry and
• 7:21
  Speaker 1: moan and beg anymore. They don't moan and beg. And
• 7:25
  Speaker 1: he was doing it. He really did. He was. Nobody
• 7:29
  Speaker 1: was doing it like him. Really, like truly, truly. Yes.
• 7:32
  Speaker 1: That is phenomenal.
• 7:34
  Speaker 2: Just roaring and rolling and all the things. It's really
• 7:39
  Speaker 2: cool to see.
• 7:39
  Speaker 1: It is.
• 7:40
  Speaker 2: It is.
• 7:41
  Speaker 1: So how does it make you feel just even hearing
• 7:43
  Speaker 1: us or like, I know people, fans are still just
• 7:46
  Speaker 1: so in love with your dad's music. How does that
• 7:49
  Speaker 1: make you feel?
• 7:51
  Speaker 2: It's truly, it just makes me smile and it makes
• 7:55
  Speaker 2: my heart so happy. Just it's this year in November
• 7:59
  Speaker 2: will be 20 years of his passing. So for his birthday,
• 8:04
  Speaker 2: Just the way... We posted a collab post, my grandpa,
• 8:08
  Speaker 2: my sister, my brother, and I. And just a memorial
• 8:12
  Speaker 2: for his birthday. And it just went off the charts.
• 8:16
  Speaker 2: And there's still messages to this day for that one post.
• 8:19
  Speaker 2: And it's really... It means a lot to me and
• 8:23
  Speaker 2: my family that they're still remembered. Yeah, my dad and
• 8:30
  Speaker 2: my uncle, Sean.
• 8:32
  Speaker 1: Absolutely. Also, your granddad. I was going to say, since
• 8:34
  Speaker 1: you brought him up. Oh, my gosh.
• 8:36
  Speaker 2: Yes.
• 8:37
  Speaker 1: Can you tell us just your relationship with Grandpa Eddie?
• 8:41
  Speaker 2: Yes.
• 8:42
  Speaker 1: Yeah.
• 8:43
  Speaker 2: So after my dad passed, we ended up moving to
• 8:46
  Speaker 2: Vegas where my grandpa was living at the time. And yeah,
• 8:52
  Speaker 2: we would go over for holidays and stuff. And it's
• 8:55
  Speaker 2: always really nice to see him. And he's still kicking it.
• 9:01
  Speaker 2: He's still doing all the things. He's still performing, which
• 9:06
  Speaker 2: is so crazy to me. It's just like the fire
• 9:10
  Speaker 2: for the music never... Never stop.
• 9:13
  Speaker 1: Never extinguish. Yeah, ever. I love it.
• 9:16
  Speaker 2: Yeah, he's always like, whenever I come over, you'll find
• 9:19
  Speaker 2: him in the studio just playing the piano and recording
• 9:23
  Speaker 2: himself writing something new. Wow. It's very inspiring.
• 9:28
  Speaker 1: Do you join him? Have you joined him? Have you
• 9:30
  Speaker 1: gone into?
• 9:31
  Speaker 2: We have talked about it, but we never, we haven't.
• 9:37
  Speaker 2: done that yes okay sometime soon but not yet okay
• 9:42
  Speaker 2: so you live in vegas yes how long have you
• 9:44
  Speaker 2: been there since i've been in vegas i want to
• 9:47
  Speaker 2: say a collective of 18 years oh okay we moved
• 9:53
  Speaker 2: to atlanta for four years.
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  Speaker 1: Oh what part of atlanta were you living in that
• 9:56
  Speaker 1: is so funny You can't remember. I live in Atlanta
• 10:00
  Speaker 1: too and I went to college there.
• 10:03
  Speaker 2: My sister is from there and we had visited and
• 10:05
  Speaker 2: we loved it. But living there, it was.
• 10:08
  Speaker 1: A little something.
• 10:09
  Speaker 2: So we went back to Vegas.
• 10:11
  Speaker 1: Okay, and you love it there.
• 10:12
  Speaker 2: I love Vegas.
• 10:14
  Speaker 1: So how did you get off into music?
• 10:16
  Speaker 2: I feel like When did you realize that you were singing?
• 10:20
  Speaker 1: That you were bit by the bug. Yeah, you were
• 10:22
  Speaker 1: bit by that bug.
• 10:25
  Speaker 2: I remember loving music ever since I can remember, which
• 10:28
  Speaker 2: is like five. I would do little talent shows and
• 10:32
  Speaker 2: my mom would take me to vocal lessons. And I
• 10:37
  Speaker 2: did get to see a few of my dad's shows live.
• 10:40
  Speaker 2: So I'm sure that had something to do with it.
• 10:44
  Speaker 2: And Yeah, we just were always listening to music in
• 10:47
  Speaker 2: the car, and I just loved to sing all the time.
• 10:53
  Speaker 1: So I didn't realize you were able to go see
• 10:55
  Speaker 1: your dad perform. That is a big deal.
• 10:57
  Speaker 2: Yes. Do you remember the experience? Yes, it was amazing.
• 11:01
  Speaker 2: crazy just to see all the women. I think I
• 11:04
  Speaker 2: saw all the women.
• 11:05
  Speaker 1: Oh, she said all the women. Were they throwing panties
• 11:08
  Speaker 1: on the stage? Oh, I'm sure.
• 11:11
  Speaker 2: My dad was doing crazy stuff that I didn't really
• 11:15
  Speaker 2: want to see.
• 11:15
  Speaker 1: He would have that shirt button in the sweats right now. Yeah,
• 11:21
  Speaker 1: that was her. Spooky for me, but great for him.
• 11:26
  Speaker 1: You said great for him. She said it was spooky.
• 11:29
  Speaker 1: And you were how old? You were young. That's my wife. Five, six, seven.
• 11:34
  Speaker 1: That would be spooky.
• 11:35
  Speaker 2: I'm like, how?
• 11:35
  Speaker 1: Kind of like wrap that around my brain at five. Like,
• 11:38
  Speaker 1: why is my dad?
• 11:39
  Speaker 2: What's happening right now?
• 11:40
  Speaker 1: Gyrating. Doing all this on stage.
• 11:44
  Speaker 2: Yes.
• 11:45
  Speaker 1: You know, but that's so cool. That's cool. Yeah, very cool.
• 11:48
  Speaker 2: There was a moment I did get to sing for
• 11:50
  Speaker 2: my dad at his house. He would host little parties
• 11:55
  Speaker 2: all the time. Not little parties. He would host very
• 11:58
  Speaker 2: fun parties. And he had a talent show. So my
• 12:02
  Speaker 2: sister and I, we sang Alicia Keys. And he was
• 12:07
  Speaker 2: just smiling ear to ear. And he was like, oh,
• 12:10
  Speaker 2: I think we might have something here. So that's something
• 12:14
  Speaker 2: that I hold close.
• 12:17
  Speaker 1: So before he passed, he knew that you wanted to
• 12:19
  Speaker 1: pursue music.
• 12:19
  Speaker 2: Yes, yes, he did.
• 12:21
  Speaker 1: And so what did he say? How did he feel
• 12:24
  Speaker 1: about that when he found out?
• 12:25
  Speaker 2: I think just excited. I know for my grandpa, he
• 12:29
  Speaker 2: was like, Okay. But my grandpa has been supportive. But
• 12:37
  Speaker 2: I know that he knows the business, and that's what
• 12:41
  Speaker 2: he talks to me a lot about. Just make sure
• 12:45
  Speaker 2: you have your P's and Q's and everything aligned. And
• 12:51
  Speaker 2: I'm sure my dad would feel the.
• 12:52
  Speaker 1: Same way if he was here.
• 12:54
  Speaker 2: But I think that he would be very... supportive and
• 12:57
  Speaker 2: very oh absolutely I think you would enjoy I know
• 13:00
  Speaker 2: you're making him proud I know.
• 13:02
  Speaker 1: Oh yes I hope so I try before we get
• 13:06
  Speaker 1: into the fishbowl I do have to ask you you
• 13:08
  Speaker 1: know obviously your world was very normal to you right
• 13:11
  Speaker 1: was there anybody that you around you know now that
• 13:15
  Speaker 1: you're older you look back and you're like oh I
• 13:16
  Speaker 1: didn't realize I was hanging out with this person or.
• 13:19
  Speaker 2: Yeah I mean, my dad had such fun friends. Stevie Wonder.
• 13:26
  Speaker 1: Come on.
• 13:27
  Speaker 2: Mike Tyson.
• 13:28
  Speaker 1: No big deal. No big deal.
• 13:31
  Speaker 2: Jamie Foxx. Wow. It's just crazy. Yeah. My dad was
• 13:36
  Speaker 2: pretty cool.
• 13:36
  Speaker 1: The man. He was that guy. He is the man.
• 13:39
  Speaker 1: The man. Okay. So now I think we should dive
• 13:44
  Speaker 1: into the fishbowl.
• 13:45
  Speaker 2: Okay. Okay.
• 13:48
  Speaker 1: Well, actually, no. Let me ask this last question. Two questions, actually.
• 13:56
  Speaker 1: When you look at yourself, your dad, and your grandfather,
• 14:01
  Speaker 1: what similarities do you see between the three of you
• 14:04
  Speaker 1: beyond music? That's a good one. I think.
• 14:10
  Speaker 2: Heart. We've all got a lot of heart. Yeah. and
• 14:17
  Speaker 2: consistency um I have been doing music professionally seriously since
• 14:28
  Speaker 2: I was 18 and I've really never taken a break
• 14:33
  Speaker 2: one because I don't want to and two um I
• 14:37
  Speaker 2: don't know I'm just having such a fun time yeah
• 14:41
  Speaker 2: and I see that in my grandpa I'm like whoa
• 14:44
  Speaker 2: wouldn't you want to like rest and But no.
• 14:48
  Speaker 1: Music brings you joy. It brings some glory. He loves it.
• 14:52
  Speaker 2: He loves the crowd reactions. I was just talking to
• 14:56
  Speaker 2: him about it the last time I went to a
• 14:58
  Speaker 2: show that he did in Vegas. I was like, aren't
• 15:02
  Speaker 2: you tired? And he was like, no, I just, he
• 15:05
  Speaker 2: was telling me about the different people he saw in
• 15:07
  Speaker 2: the crowd and just how happy he was that he
• 15:10
  Speaker 2: could make them happy. And I know that my, I
• 15:14
  Speaker 2: feel like my dad was like, working his booty off crazy.
• 15:20
  Speaker 2: I think consistency and heart and love.
• 15:24
  Speaker 1: You light up when you talk about them. It's beautiful.
• 15:28
  Speaker 1: What's something about the LaVert family that has absolutely nothing
• 15:31
  Speaker 1: to do with music that you hope gets passed down
• 15:34
  Speaker 1: for generations?
• 15:35
  Speaker 2: I hope that... Maybe.
• 15:45
  Speaker 2: Just how family-oriented we all are. We have a really
• 15:50
  Speaker 2: big family. And yeah, my dad loved hosting gatherings, and
• 15:58
  Speaker 2: I hope that continues on. I love seeing my family
• 16:01
  Speaker 2: and being around family. So I hope that continues on
• 16:05
  Speaker 2: and on and on forever.
• 16:07
  Speaker 1: How often do you guys get to be together? How
• 16:09
  Speaker 1: often do you get to see everybody?
• 16:11
  Speaker 2: Not as often as I would love, but... We are
• 16:14
  Speaker 2: planning a little family trip to the Bahamas next year.
• 16:18
  Speaker 2: So that'll be fun. Have you been?
• 16:22
  Speaker 1: Oh, my gosh.
• 16:23
  Speaker 2: I do, too.
• 16:24
  Speaker 1: And you have to play the family reunion song.
• 16:26
  Speaker 2: Oh, yeah.
• 16:27
  Speaker 1: Like, what?
• 16:28
  Speaker 2: Yes.
• 16:29
  Speaker 1: We play that every year. Every year. We have our
• 16:32
  Speaker 1: family reunion every other year. And we play that song.
• 16:35
  Speaker 1: We've been doing it for a very long time, as
• 16:37
  Speaker 1: long as I can remember. But the whole family gets
• 16:40
  Speaker 1: around the whole place in a circle. And we hold
• 16:43
  Speaker 1: hands and sing family reunion songs. And we do this
• 16:46
  Speaker 1: like back and forth. And my mom and her mom
• 16:50
  Speaker 1: and our cousins, they cry every single time. They cry
• 16:54
  Speaker 1: because it's just such a meaningful song.
• 16:56
  Speaker 2: That's beautiful.
• 16:57
  Speaker 1: I love that. It really is. I'll have to show
• 16:59
  Speaker 1: you some of the videos. Please. No, I do. I
• 17:02
  Speaker 1: have videos. Now, do you sit and listen? Do you
• 17:04
  Speaker 1: have any on your phone, like songs?
• 17:06
  Speaker 2: Oh, yeah.
• 17:08
  Speaker 1: I love the OJs.
• 17:09
  Speaker 2: Yes.
• 17:09
  Speaker 1: And I love my dad too. Absolutely.
• 17:13
  Speaker 2: My favorite song by my dad are probably like the
• 17:16
  Speaker 2: slower sad ones.
• 17:18
  Speaker 1: Okay.
• 17:18
  Speaker 2: Just because I feel closer to him when I'm listening
• 17:22
  Speaker 2: to those. There's a song called My Angel. And I
• 17:27
  Speaker 2: feel like it was written for me and my siblings.
• 17:30
  Speaker 2: Because at the end... He's just saying I love you
• 17:35
  Speaker 2: and just like all this sweet stuff. So, yeah, no,
• 17:40
  Speaker 2: I love all their discography catalog.
• 17:43
  Speaker 1: Well, girl, you got a lot to choose from. Yes. Absolutely. Okay,
• 17:48
  Speaker 1: so let's get into our fishbowl. And there's a reason
• 17:52
  Speaker 1: why we did choose a fishbowl. A fishbowl is transparent.
• 17:56
  Speaker 1: You can see what's inside. And when we think about legacy,
• 17:59
  Speaker 1: so much of it is viewed from the outside, right?
• 18:01
  Speaker 1: The name, the success, the accomplishments. But there's always more
• 18:05
  Speaker 1: beneath the surface, the pressure, the expectations, the choices, the
• 18:09
  Speaker 1: experiences that shape who we all become. So inside the
• 18:13
  Speaker 1: bowl are different parts of that journey. And whatever you pull,
• 18:17
  Speaker 1: we talk about. And once it's out, it's out. So
• 18:19
  Speaker 1: go ahead and pull your first token. You can pull it.
• 18:23
  Speaker 1: There you go. Yeah. Let's see what she gets. That's
• 18:27
  Speaker 1: been happening all day. My hand is the only one
• 18:31
  Speaker 1: that can fit perfectly in it. It's okay. miscellaneous okay
• 18:35
  Speaker 1: we're already ready for it look we love it these
• 18:38
  Speaker 1: are kind of like popcorn so you can just kind
• 18:40
  Speaker 1: of answer we'll do a few okay this is a
• 18:42
  Speaker 1: good one old school r & b or current r &
• 18:44
  Speaker 1: b all right now old school absolutely absolutely can't disagree
• 18:56
  Speaker 1: okay studio or stage.
• 19:05
  Speaker 2: Studio are you sure are you sure oh man okay
• 19:13
  Speaker 2: who is your dream collaboration probably brandy oh yeah.
• 19:20
  Speaker 1: Brandy the the vocal bible yes okay that's a good
• 19:24
  Speaker 1: one go-to karaoke.
• 19:25
  Speaker 2: Song probably Ooh, like a Pussycats doll song? Interesting.
• 19:35
  Speaker 1: Don't do it. But there was another one that they
• 19:39
  Speaker 1: were known for. It's like a slower song.
• 19:41
  Speaker 2: I don't want to go.
• 19:42
  Speaker 1: Yeah. That's it. Yes, girl. I love that song. Oh, man.
• 19:46
  Speaker 1: You ready? We have to. Okay.
• 19:49
  Speaker 2: So. next.
• 19:50
  Speaker 1: We have to. Before Evan starts. Before I say that.
• 19:54
  Speaker 1: I had two more. The red glare. Okay. Okay. Grief. Grief. Okay.
• 20:01
  Speaker 1: So you lost your dad when you were still very young.
• 20:06
  Speaker 1: At that age, how did you even begin to understand
• 20:08
  Speaker 1: what happened?
• 20:12
  Speaker 2: I think, honestly, the day it happened, I really don't
• 20:20
  Speaker 2: feel that I grasped what was happening. Being eight, it
• 20:28
  Speaker 2: wasn't until just growing up and having milestone moments without him. Yeah, that's... Yeah,
• 20:45
  Speaker 2: as I was growing.
• 20:50
  Speaker 1: Are there milestones? You talked about different milestones. Are there
• 20:53
  Speaker 1: milestones you've reached as an adult that you found yourself
• 20:55
  Speaker 1: grieving him in a new way or thinking of him
• 20:58
  Speaker 1: in another way?
• 20:59
  Speaker 2: Yeah, definitely for like my birthdays. I'm somebody who likes
• 21:04
  Speaker 2: to celebrate and have my close family around. So it's hard,
• 21:13
  Speaker 2: but a lot of the times I'll just throw on
• 21:15
  Speaker 2: one of his songs and, you know, have all my
• 21:18
  Speaker 2: friends or, you know, whoever sit around and.
• 21:21
  Speaker 1: Be like, look at this.
• 21:22
  Speaker 2: Yeah.
• 21:23
  Speaker 1: So you do just sit and watch his videos and
• 21:26
  Speaker 1: just kind of.
• 21:26
  Speaker 2: Yeah, when I'm missing him, I do. Okay.
• 21:31
  Speaker 1: So when you hear his voice, it's comforting, right? Is
• 21:34
  Speaker 1: it comforting or does it make it hard?
• 21:37
  Speaker 2: Sometimes. There's times where I feel like I haven't really
• 21:45
  Speaker 2: even completely dived into his catalog because... Maybe I'm scared,
• 21:50
  Speaker 2: I don't know. The songs that I do listen to, though,
• 21:58
  Speaker 2: really help me. There's a song that he has, it's
• 22:02
  Speaker 2: called Closure, and that song helps me through hard moments.
• 22:08
  Speaker 2: I'll go to my older brother, he knows every song
• 22:12
  Speaker 2: down to the words and everything, and I'll be like, hey,
• 22:16
  Speaker 2: what's a song... a song of dad's that will help
• 22:18
  Speaker 2: me with this moment and he'll tell me and he's
• 22:21
  Speaker 2: kind of like my karaoke box machine of my dad
• 22:25
  Speaker 2: yeah yeah no that's special yeah.
• 22:28
  Speaker 1: So if there was one thing you could ask your
• 22:31
  Speaker 1: dad or tell him what would it be.
• 22:35
  Speaker 2: If I could ask my dad a question I would
• 22:38
  Speaker 2: want to know what his happiest moment of life is.
• 22:44
  Speaker 2: Just to know him on a deeper level because I
• 22:49
  Speaker 2: didn't really get to have that connection with him, get
• 22:53
  Speaker 2: to know him deeper. So I just would want to
• 22:57
  Speaker 2: know what makes him happy.
• 23:01
  Speaker 1: Which is a beautiful question to ask. So you've started
• 23:05
  Speaker 1: to pursue music yourself. Have there been moments where you
• 23:09
  Speaker 1: wish that he was there or if you had questions
• 23:11
  Speaker 1: or just business questions to ask about the industry, about music?
• 23:14
  Speaker 1: Do you find yourself having those kinds of questions or
• 23:17
  Speaker 1: just kind of yearning for him there in those moments?
• 23:19
  Speaker 2: Absolutely. I would love to know when he was doubtful
• 23:26
  Speaker 2: what he would do to get him out of that funk.
• 23:32
  Speaker 2: My mom told me that He was constantly chasing after
• 23:38
  Speaker 2: Casanova's success. He never really felt like there was that success. So, yeah,
• 23:47
  Speaker 2: just different questions like, okay, what kept things going? But
• 23:52
  Speaker 2: it is pretty cool that me and my siblings are
• 23:56
  Speaker 2: over the estate and the trust. Wow. I'm constantly learning
• 24:01
  Speaker 2: new things, even now. So I feel like even though
• 24:06
  Speaker 2: he's not here, he's still teaching me a lot about
• 24:09
  Speaker 2: the back end and the business end of things through
• 24:13
  Speaker 2: not even being here, which is crazy.
• 24:16
  Speaker 1: Yeah, no, yeah, for sure. That's a good point. So
• 24:20
  Speaker 1: what do you wish people would understand about losing a
• 24:24
  Speaker 1: parent so young? Or what would you say to that? Yeah.
• 24:30
  Speaker 2: Honestly, I feel that's not something you can explain to
• 24:36
  Speaker 2: someone unless it's happened to you. But what I can
• 24:42
  Speaker 2: say is it's just important. For me, it taught me
• 24:47
  Speaker 2: to love on everybody harder and just to hold on.
• 24:54
  Speaker 2: your people close and go all out and do all
• 24:59
  Speaker 2: the things that make you happy with the ones.
• 25:01
  Speaker 1: That you love. So what has grief taught you?
• 25:06
  Speaker 2: Grief has taught me that it never really goes away. Um,
• 25:13
  Speaker 2: sometimes it's stronger than other times, but, um, just to,
• 25:21
  Speaker 2: learn when to slow down when those moments are feeling
• 25:24
  Speaker 2: heavier and do things that make you feel good and safe.
• 25:30
  Speaker 2: And I like to watch his videos when I'm missing
• 25:37
  Speaker 2: him and just keeping his legacy alive how I can.
• 25:43
  Speaker 1: So, yeah. Do you lean on your grandfather during those times?
• 25:52
  Speaker 2: Probably not as much as I could have. Sometimes I wonder.
• 26:03
  Speaker 2: He's lost a lot, so I don't even know how
• 26:06
  Speaker 2: to navigate that.
• 26:07
  Speaker 1: No, that's real. Which is real, yeah.
• 26:11
  Speaker 2: But he still, every day, goes on. And he does
• 26:17
  Speaker 2: his shows, and that brings him happiness. Yeah. Yeah, maybe
• 26:24
  Speaker 2: we should go into a deep convo.
• 26:26
  Speaker 1: Yeah.
• 26:27
  Speaker 2: Hey.
• 26:27
  Speaker 1: But, I mean, I think, like what you said, watching him,
• 26:30
  Speaker 1: I mean, that's teaching you also. Yeah. I mean, a
• 26:33
  Speaker 1: person that has lost so much, how he still gets
• 26:35
  Speaker 1: up and does what he loves. And it's keeping him. So,
• 26:39
  Speaker 1: I mean, we can all learn something from that. Yeah. Yeah.
• 26:42
  Speaker 1: Very good. I think that's good. Well, I wanted to
• 26:45
  Speaker 1: ask you, too. You did a music video.
• 26:47
  Speaker 2: Yeah.
• 26:48
  Speaker 1: I miss you.
• 26:49
  Speaker 2: Oh, yes.
• 26:49
  Speaker 1: Walk us through that.
• 26:51
  Speaker 2: Yes. I miss you.
• 26:53
  Speaker 1: I had.
• 26:55
  Speaker 2: Just finished my very first EP. And I'm trying to
• 27:02
  Speaker 2: take myself back to this time. I think it was 2018.
• 27:07
  Speaker 2: And just released an EP. And a lot of people
• 27:11
  Speaker 2: were asking me, like, oh, are you ever going to
• 27:14
  Speaker 2: talk about your dad? Because a lot of my music
• 27:16
  Speaker 2: is very... live, laugh, love and happy and yeah, dance.
• 27:21
  Speaker 2: Cause that's what I want to instill. Um, but I
• 27:27
  Speaker 2: did want to honor him and I wanted to make
• 27:33
  Speaker 2: this song for him. So I sat myself down. It
• 27:37
  Speaker 2: was at a period of time that first EP I
• 27:41
  Speaker 2: was prior to that. I had always been doing music,
• 27:46
  Speaker 2: but not writing because I wasn't really comfortable with that.
• 27:50
  Speaker 2: And I didn't really know if people would care what
• 27:51
  Speaker 2: I have to say or if I even know what
• 27:54
  Speaker 2: I want to say. So that EP taught me that.
• 27:57
  Speaker 2: And then after that is when I sat with my
• 28:01
  Speaker 2: feelings about my dad and what I would want to say.
• 28:05
  Speaker 2: And that's kind of how I Miss You came about.
• 28:08
  Speaker 2: And yeah, I directed the video for I put together
• 28:13
  Speaker 2: little clips that I could find.
• 28:15
  Speaker 1: Wow, it was beautiful. You did a great job.
• 28:17
  Speaker 2: Thank you.
• 28:17
  Speaker 1: Yeah, you did a great job. It was beautiful.
• 28:18
  Speaker 2: Thanks so much. Yeah, so that was I Miss You.
• 28:23
  Speaker 2: That's a nice song.
• 28:24
  Speaker 1: You did a phenomenal job.
• 28:26
  Speaker 2: Thank you.
• 28:26
  Speaker 1: In a way, it's you being able to get it out.
• 28:29
  Speaker 2: Yes, yeah.
• 28:31
  Speaker 1: And be expressive about your feelings. I know it's obviously
• 28:34
  Speaker 1: at times probably very challenging for you to do that,
• 28:36
  Speaker 1: but you were able to get out. It was a beautiful,
• 28:38
  Speaker 1: beautiful production. Thank you. Thank you.
• 28:39
  Speaker 2: My mom was really proud of me, which meant a
• 28:42
  Speaker 2: lot to me. Oh, yeah.
• 28:43
  Speaker 1: No, that's sweet. It was beautiful. Thank you. It was beautiful. Okay.
• 28:47
  Speaker 1: Back into the fishbowl we go. All right. Let's do it. Slay.
• 28:53
  Speaker 1: Slay all day. Hey.
• 28:55
  Speaker 2: Hot take.
• 28:57
  Speaker 1: Hot take.
• 28:59
  Speaker 2: Oh, my gosh. I'm scared.
• 29:01
  Speaker 1: We love hot takes. Okay, so for hot takes, we
• 29:04
  Speaker 1: are going to give you some hot takes statements.
• 29:07
  Speaker 2: This is so fun.
• 29:08
  Speaker 1: And you're either going to agree, disagree, or say it's complicated.
• 29:11
  Speaker 1: Tamara and I will join you, and then we will
• 29:13
  Speaker 1: go over why you chose your answer. So let's get
• 29:17
  Speaker 1: our hot takes statements together. Come on, cue cards. Come on,
• 29:22
  Speaker 1: hot takes. All right, let's see, let's see, let's see.
• 29:25
  Speaker 1: The pressure.
• 29:30
  Speaker 2: Pressure.
• 29:32
  Speaker 1: A great voice isn't enough to make you a star anymore.
• 29:37
  Speaker 1: Do we agree, disagree, or is it complicated? A great
• 29:40
  Speaker 1: voice is not enough to make you a star anymore.
• 29:45
  Speaker 1: I would say agree. Why do you agree?
• 29:48
  Speaker 2: I hate that that's the case.
• 29:49
  Speaker 1: Yeah, it's unfortunate.
• 29:52
  Speaker 2: But you gotta have.
• 29:56
  Speaker 1: Everything. You gotta do it.
• 29:58
  Speaker 2: All, which I hate for myself, but Yeah, you got
• 30:02
  Speaker 2: to be able to have the look, have the content
• 30:07
  Speaker 2: on deck.
• 30:09
  Speaker 1: It's a lot. Yeah.
• 30:11
  Speaker 2: Unfortunately, people don't want to just hear a voice. They
• 30:17
  Speaker 2: want to see.
• 30:18
  Speaker 1: A lot.
• 30:19
  Speaker 2: I think it comes down to our attention spans, too.
• 30:23
  Speaker 1: I was going to say that's a great point. Yes.
• 30:24
  Speaker 2: Yeah.
• 30:25
  Speaker 1: So we were talking with another guest and he was
• 30:28
  Speaker 1: talking about how they want you to have the whole
• 30:29
  Speaker 1: package already done. So the development stage is not there
• 30:33
  Speaker 1: anymore in the industry. And so you have to have
• 30:36
  Speaker 1: followers and you have to have all these things. Because
• 30:39
  Speaker 1: let's be honest, there are people out here that cannot
• 30:41
  Speaker 1: sing that are pushed forward. Right.
• 30:44
  Speaker 2: Yeah.
• 30:44
  Speaker 1: Yeah. But to me, the whole package is like when
• 30:49
  Speaker 1: your grandfather. Yeah, no, you're right. But when I hear
• 30:52
  Speaker 1: people say that, like, oh, we're looking for talent who
• 30:54
  Speaker 1: has the whole package. I'm like, well, people back in
• 30:57
  Speaker 1: the day to me had the whole package.
• 30:58
  Speaker 2: Yeah.
• 30:59
  Speaker 1: Like, again, natural charisma. Just natural. Like vocally talented.
• 31:04
  Speaker 2: Yeah.
• 31:04
  Speaker 1: Right. And they didn't need to have social media to
• 31:08
  Speaker 1: push their brand, their artistry, their music. So now I'm like,
• 31:12
  Speaker 1: when you say the whole package, do you mean sex appeal?
• 31:14
  Speaker 2: Yeah.
• 31:15
  Speaker 1: Is that what that is? No, they want a built-in audience.
• 31:18
  Speaker 1: To me, that's what it seems like. But I don't
• 31:22
  Speaker 1: think the vocals are there. It doesn't have to be.
• 31:25
  Speaker 1: You know what I mean? I mean, what do you think?
• 31:26
  Speaker 1: I mean, it's like, doesn't it feel like they have
• 31:28
  Speaker 1: to have like a whole thing? But it feels like
• 31:31
  Speaker 1: that they want you to have like followers already and
• 31:34
  Speaker 1: all this different kind of stuff. And it's just like
• 31:35
  Speaker 1: the people that, I know people that are completely unknown
• 31:38
  Speaker 1: and can just clear a room. You know what I'm saying?
• 31:41
  Speaker 1: With their vocals. And nobody knows them and they don't have,
• 31:44
  Speaker 1: you know what I mean?
• 31:46
  Speaker 2: I feel like it's tough because when we go on,
• 31:50
  Speaker 2: We want to see. So when we go on the
• 31:53
  Speaker 2: page and you're just singing like in your room or
• 31:55
  Speaker 2: on the couch. and you sound beautiful, I'm, you got me.
• 31:59
  Speaker 2: I'm intrigued.
• 32:00
  Speaker 1: Literally, I'm intrigued. Same, same.
• 32:01
  Speaker 2: But sometimes, I mean, I think what we're conditioned to
• 32:05
  Speaker 2: now is seeing, okay, the short content. And it takes
• 32:11
  Speaker 2: a lot out of an artist. We have to be, well,
• 32:14
  Speaker 2: for me, I have to be my own booking manager
• 32:17
  Speaker 2: and my own makeup artist and hairstylist and this, that,
• 32:21
  Speaker 2: and that. So, It's tough.
• 32:24
  Speaker 1: I just want to sing. Mama, I want to sing.
• 32:26
  Speaker 1: That's it. I just want to sing the song, write
• 32:28
  Speaker 1: the song. Look, for all those who can't sing, I'm like,
• 32:31
  Speaker 1: can y'all just sit next to me? But there's so
• 32:34
  Speaker 1: many amazing artists, though. Oh, there are. But they're not
• 32:37
  Speaker 1: getting the media attention that they deserve.
• 32:40
  Speaker 2: More like you were saying, the artist development.
• 32:44
  Speaker 1: It's not there.
• 32:45
  Speaker 2: That step's gone completely.
• 32:47
  Speaker 1: That's sad.
• 32:48
  Speaker 2: It really is.
• 32:50
  Speaker 1: Okay. Another hot take. Having a famous last name can
• 32:55
  Speaker 1: hurt you just as much as it helps you. Do
• 32:58
  Speaker 1: you agree, disagree, or is it complicated? Having a famous
• 33:02
  Speaker 1: last name can hurt you just as much as it...
• 33:06
  Speaker 1: I would think it's complicated. I would think it would
• 33:09
  Speaker 1: be complicated. I'm going to say I agree.
• 33:11
  Speaker 2: I agree with it.
• 33:12
  Speaker 1: It can hurt you and help you at the same time.
• 33:14
  Speaker 2: Yeah, it can do all the things.
• 33:16
  Speaker 1: Yeah, it can do all the things. I mean, it's
• 33:18
  Speaker 1: nice when it helps you, but then it's also not
• 33:20
  Speaker 1: very nice when... It doesn't help you. It doesn't help you.
• 33:24
  Speaker 1: Like that sucks.
• 33:25
  Speaker 2: On more of like a personal or mental level when
• 33:28
  Speaker 2: you're being compared to or expected to be the same.
• 33:38
  Speaker 2: It's like, oh, boo. But I mean, I can't deny
• 33:41
  Speaker 2: there's I'm very grateful and honored and She said, oh, boo.
• 33:46
  Speaker 1: She said, oh, boo. Oh, boo. But thankfully, I feel
• 33:51
  Speaker 1: like Gerald and your grandfather have fans who just adore them, too. So,
• 33:58
  Speaker 1: you know. I'm just, like, thinking, like, who wouldn't love
• 34:03
  Speaker 1: Bella Burt last name? You know?
• 34:05
  Speaker 2: Like. Yes. I think, I don't think I've, literally every
• 34:10
  Speaker 2: time I come across somebody and they're like, oh, like,
• 34:13
  Speaker 2: they have a story about my, like, everybody knows my dad.
• 34:16
  Speaker 1: I'm convinced.
• 34:17
  Speaker 2: Yeah. Be like, oh, yeah, I worked on your dad's
• 34:19
  Speaker 2: one show and he was just, he was a godsend. Girl, yes.
• 34:23
  Speaker 2: Every time. I've never heard a bad story. I mean,
• 34:26
  Speaker 2: I've heard some stories.
• 34:28
  Speaker 1: I mean, there's, yeah. That's always going to happen.
• 34:31
  Speaker 2: My dad, at the end of the day, he was,
• 34:33
  Speaker 2: you know, he was about his stuff. But, I mean,
• 34:36
  Speaker 2: never anything bad about his character.
• 34:38
  Speaker 1: Yes, exactly. Or his talent. Exactly. People can't deny the talent, honey.
• 34:42
  Speaker 1: At all.
• 34:43
  Speaker 2: At all.
• 34:44
  Speaker 1: I don't know if I told you, but your grandfather
• 34:47
  Speaker 1: and my dad know each other very well. yes very
• 34:50
  Speaker 1: well my dad was like oh yeah i just spoke
• 34:52
  Speaker 1: to eddie a couple days ago i'm like amazing um
• 34:57
  Speaker 1: yeah that was that was good very good don't you
• 35:00
  Speaker 1: just love i'm looking like should we ask anymore that
• 35:04
  Speaker 1: was i know that was pretty good that was good
• 35:06
  Speaker 1: one more maybe let's do one more um your parents
• 35:10
  Speaker 1: definition of success can get in the way of creating
• 35:12
  Speaker 1: your own Agree, disagree, or it's complicated.
• 35:18
  Speaker 2: I agree with that.
• 35:19
  Speaker 1: I mean, I agree that it can. Your parents' definition
• 35:21
  Speaker 1: of success can get in the way of creating your own. Yeah,
• 35:24
  Speaker 1: I agree. I agree. Okay. Because they could think success
• 35:27
  Speaker 1: is you getting a 9 to 5 and working for
• 35:31
  Speaker 1: 30 years. And that may not be what you want
• 35:32
  Speaker 1: to do. That's definitely not, you know what I'm saying,
• 35:33
  Speaker 1: my idea of it.
• 35:35
  Speaker 2: I think it's all love. Yeah.
• 35:37
  Speaker 1: But....
• 35:40
  Speaker 2: Sometimes we agree to disagree.
• 35:42
  Speaker 1: Yeah. And you have to live your own life. You
• 35:43
  Speaker 1: have to live it. You have to live your own life.
• 35:45
  Speaker 1: This is your life. Absolutely. Totally. Amazing. Defining success, that's
• 35:50
  Speaker 1: an individual. It's a tough one. It's very individual. I agree.
• 35:53
  Speaker 2: I feel like it's ever-changing as we grow and learn
• 35:57
  Speaker 2: and experience. Yeah. Because I know it's changed quite a
• 36:00
  Speaker 2: bit for me.
• 36:01
  Speaker 1: Yeah. And it probably will continue to change. Oh, yeah.
• 36:03
  Speaker 1: Because you're how old?
• 36:04
  Speaker 2: I'm 28.
• 36:06
  Speaker 1: Oh, yeah. It's going to change.
• 36:08
  Speaker 2: Yes.
• 36:08
  Speaker 1: And you want it to. And you want it to.
• 36:10
  Speaker 1: That's the whole point. Wasn't that fun? Evolving. We love
• 36:14
  Speaker 1: the hot takes. I just want to wear them. I know, girl.
• 36:17
  Speaker 2: Thank you.
• 36:18
  Speaker 1: We're going to have to talk about your style, too. Oh, yeah.
• 36:22
  Speaker 1: We're going to get into that. Okay, so let's pull
• 36:25
  Speaker 1: our next one.
• 36:26
  Speaker 2: Purpose.
• 36:31
  Speaker 1: Purpose. Oh, wonderful.
• 36:33
  Speaker 2: I love that.
• 36:34
  Speaker 1: Okay. So, oh, I like this one. Who is Cameron
• 36:38
  Speaker 1: Levert outside of music and outside of Levert legacy? I
• 36:43
  Speaker 1: love this. Or can you come outside of it? That's
• 36:46
  Speaker 1: a good question. Like, who are you inside and outside
• 36:50
  Speaker 1: of it? Yeah.
• 36:52
  Speaker 2: I'm just a girl.
• 36:53
  Speaker 1: No, I'm kidding. Aren't we all just a girl? I know.
• 36:55
  Speaker 1: You're just a girl.
• 36:56
  Speaker 2: Yes. I'm a girl who... You can find me hanging
• 37:02
  Speaker 2: out with my mom and sister every single day. I
• 37:06
  Speaker 2: live with my sister, and my mom lives like 20
• 37:08
  Speaker 2: minutes away. We're always on the phone every single day,
• 37:12
  Speaker 2: like five times a day, just chatting. I have a
• 37:18
  Speaker 2: little doggy, and I like to travel a lot. I
• 37:25
  Speaker 2: made a goal... in like 2019 to go somewhere once
• 37:28
  Speaker 2: a month.
• 37:29
  Speaker 1: Good for you.
• 37:30
  Speaker 2: It hasn't ended. Good for you though.
• 37:33
  Speaker 1: Good for you. I just kept going.
• 37:36
  Speaker 2: My mom's like, what are you this time? Literally when
• 37:38
  Speaker 2: I was coming here, we were in Alaska a day ago.
• 37:42
  Speaker 1: Yeah.
• 37:43
  Speaker 2: I was like, okay, mom, see ya.
• 37:45
  Speaker 1: She's like, what? Good for you though. Keep doing it.
• 37:48
  Speaker 2: Yes. So I just love traveling and experiencing new cultures
• 37:55
  Speaker 2: and food and people yeah that's That's really mean.
• 38:02
  Speaker 1: That's good. You got to keep doing it, girl. Just
• 38:05
  Speaker 1: live your life. Be free. Travel, travel, travel. And I'm
• 38:09
  Speaker 1: sure that helps your artistry, too. Absolutely. Just being able
• 38:12
  Speaker 1: to see the world. Yes.
• 38:13
  Speaker 2: I think that's why I find myself wanting to get
• 38:16
  Speaker 2: out all the time. And I think that's why I
• 38:18
  Speaker 2: constantly have stuff to write about.
• 38:20
  Speaker 1: Yeah.
• 38:21
  Speaker 2: True. Because I'm always on the go.
• 38:24
  Speaker 1: That's cool. Yeah. When you hear the word purpose, what
• 38:27
  Speaker 1: does that mean to you? And do you feel like
• 38:29
  Speaker 1: you found yours?
• 38:30
  Speaker 2: Yeah. I feel like purpose means, wow, just finding what
• 38:42
  Speaker 2: makes you happy. And I feel like it can be
• 38:49
  Speaker 2: a lot of different things. I'm finding my purpose in music.
• 38:56
  Speaker 2: I'm finding my purpose in helping out my community. I'm
• 39:05
  Speaker 2: finding my purpose. I feel like always, yeah.
• 39:11
  Speaker 1: Very good. Very good. It's deep. It's very deep. What's
• 39:15
  Speaker 1: the best piece of advice you've ever received and who
• 39:18
  Speaker 1: gave it to you?
• 39:22
  Speaker 2: I feel like I've been given a lot of great advice.
• 39:27
  Speaker 2: What's coming to my head right now... and I can
• 39:31
  Speaker 2: see her saying it, is my mom. She always instills,
• 39:36
  Speaker 2: say what you mean and mean what you say.
• 39:38
  Speaker 1: Great advice. Because.
• 39:42
  Speaker 2: As human beings, we're emotional. Things are happening all the time.
• 39:47
  Speaker 2: And you want to be very intentional with the things
• 39:51
  Speaker 2: that you say and do. And I think I use that.
• 39:57
  Speaker 2: I try to use it almost every day. And just
• 40:02
  Speaker 2: be mindful.
• 40:03
  Speaker 1: Be mindful. I like that. Yeah, you seem like a
• 40:05
  Speaker 1: very mindful person.
• 40:06
  Speaker 2: Yeah, you do.
• 40:07
  Speaker 1: Which is great. It'll take you far. It will.
• 40:10
  Speaker 2: I try.
• 40:11
  Speaker 1: Yeah, I know, because people will enjoy just working with
• 40:13
  Speaker 1: you and being, you know, in your company. So it's great.
• 40:17
  Speaker 1: I feel the same way about you. It definitely suits you. Yeah,
• 40:21
  Speaker 1: it does. So this is the last one for purpose.
• 40:23
  Speaker 1: Beyond streams, charts, or recognition, what do you ultimately want
• 40:27
  Speaker 1: people to feel when they experience Cameron LeVert's music? Hmm.
• 40:34
  Speaker 2: Just I would want people to feel a safe space
• 40:38
  Speaker 2: of love, of feeling confident. My most recent single, it's
• 40:48
  Speaker 2: called Cherry. It's just about being confident and loving yourself.
• 40:53
  Speaker 2: And when you step in the room, you're that one.
• 40:56
  Speaker 2: You're that person. Yes. Yeah, yeah.
• 41:02
  Speaker 1: Um, what, I guess, trials and tribulations have you gone
• 41:07
  Speaker 1: through in the music industry? Any challenges that you have faced?
• 41:12
  Speaker 2: Hmm. I feel like I'm always learning. Okay.
• 41:16
  Speaker 1: Um... And it may not be any. It just.
• 41:22
  Speaker 2: Yeah.
• 41:22
  Speaker 1: Oh, okay.
• 41:23
  Speaker 2: You're like, well.
• 41:25
  Speaker 1: She's like, well... No, I'm kidding. Yes.
• 41:30
  Speaker 2: Um... For myself.
• 41:33
  Speaker 1: Mm-hmm.
• 41:34
  Speaker 2: Just sometimes being impatient.
• 41:36
  Speaker 1: Okay.
• 41:36
  Speaker 2: Like, am I, like, not good enough because I'm not where.
• 41:41
  Speaker 1: You thought.
• 41:42
  Speaker 2: I thought I would be. Yeah. Okay. But then just
• 41:45
  Speaker 2: reminding myself that it's all the journey.
• 41:48
  Speaker 1: Yeah. Yeah.
• 41:50
  Speaker 2: Absolutely. And I'm having fun. Mm-hmm. I get to make
• 41:54
  Speaker 2: music and put it out, and the reactions are... Always
• 42:02
  Speaker 2: very loving and.
• 42:04
  Speaker 1: Kind and positive.
• 42:06
  Speaker 2: Good.
• 42:07
  Speaker 1: Okay.
• 42:08
  Speaker 2: If it can reach anybody that it's supposed to, then
• 42:11
  Speaker 2: I'm happy.
• 42:13
  Speaker 1: And I always say, if one person enjoys it. Yes. Yeah.
• 42:16
  Speaker 1: If one person is moved, you've done your job. Absolutely.
• 42:19
  Speaker 1: You've done your job.
• 42:20
  Speaker 2: Absolutely.
• 42:20
  Speaker 1: Beautiful. Very cool. All right. Next token. I feel like
• 42:25
  Speaker 1: I know what this is.
• 42:26
  Speaker 2: Oh. Okay, let's see.
• 42:27
  Speaker 1: There's only two options, really. Fair enough.
• 42:30
  Speaker 2: Come here.
• 42:31
  Speaker 1: Okay, girl. All right, so let's dive into your music career.
• 42:34
  Speaker 1: So obviously you come from a music family, so it
• 42:38
  Speaker 1: only makes sense that you are an artist, a singer, songwriter.
• 42:42
  Speaker 1: But you're a pop artist. So what about pop? I
• 42:47
  Speaker 1: know you love that it's upbeat, it's positive, it's jovial, so...
• 42:51
  Speaker 1: Is that why you gravitated towards pop specifically?
• 42:55
  Speaker 2: I think so. Growing up, my mom would always play
• 42:59
  Speaker 2: all the divas, Mariah Carey and Whitney. All the greats. Yes.
• 43:09
  Speaker 2: And I normally would gravitate towards the, I want to
• 43:12
  Speaker 2: dance with some bodies. What's the Mariah Carey song? Just
• 43:19
  Speaker 2: like the fun, just like, ah, I want to dance.
• 43:24
  Speaker 2: And living in Vegas, hanging out with my friends, we're
• 43:27
  Speaker 2: always going out. And I just like to make music
• 43:31
  Speaker 2: that caters to my lifestyle. I'm a girl who likes
• 43:35
  Speaker 2: to go out and have fun and let loose. So
• 43:38
  Speaker 2: I like to sing about that.
• 43:39
  Speaker 1: Love it. So how young were you when you took
• 43:43
  Speaker 1: the stage for the first time? You were young.
• 43:45
  Speaker 2: I was. I was. I was five, like the very
• 43:50
  Speaker 2: first performance that I did. Oh, wow. And I did
• 43:54
  Speaker 2: a Toni Braxton song. No!
• 43:56
  Speaker 1: Can you get down there like she can? Can you
• 43:58
  Speaker 1: get down there? You know what?
• 44:00
  Speaker 2: That's exactly why. I loved Toni Braxton and Anita Baker
• 44:04
  Speaker 2: growing up because they had the lower register. And that's
• 44:10
  Speaker 2: kind of where my tone is. So I loved... I
• 44:16
  Speaker 2: love the lower queens.
• 44:18
  Speaker 1: The lower queens. Is that your sound? So when did
• 44:21
  Speaker 1: you discover your sound?
• 44:23
  Speaker 2: I think, I mean, I knew from, like, my teens that, okay,
• 44:29
  Speaker 2: I would compare myself to, like, not being such a
• 44:32
  Speaker 2: powerhouse like my dad and my grandpa.
• 44:34
  Speaker 1: Yeah.
• 44:37
  Speaker 2: Being able to see myself and artists like those ladies
• 44:43
  Speaker 2: and like Colby Calais and just women who would sing
• 44:48
  Speaker 2: songs that were more so, like on the softer end.
• 44:52
  Speaker 1: Okay.
• 44:53
  Speaker 2: That matched my vibe, yeah.
• 44:55
  Speaker 1: Did we talk about like dream collaborations? Yes, Brandy. Oh,
• 45:00
  Speaker 1: you said Brandy, okay. Brandy, yes. I was like, I
• 45:01
  Speaker 1: feel like we answered the question, but so why Brandy?
• 45:04
  Speaker 1: I mean, you didn't expound on it, so.
• 45:05
  Speaker 2: Yes, just... Her control and her runs and her tone
• 45:13
  Speaker 2: and just all of it.
• 45:14
  Speaker 1: She can get down there, too.
• 45:16
  Speaker 2: Yes. Her range is crazy. Yes, it's so silky, and
• 45:22
  Speaker 2: there's nobody like Brandy.
• 45:24
  Speaker 1: I mean, no arguments here. The song I have on
• 45:29
  Speaker 1: repeat is, I can't sing, so y'all don't judge me.
• 45:34
  Speaker 1: Y'all don't think y'all want me to sing. So which
• 45:35
  Speaker 1: Brandy album?
• 45:36
  Speaker 2: Yeah.
• 45:37
  Speaker 1: Don't, I don't, are you mad that I'm making you
• 45:40
  Speaker 1: pick one? Which Brandy album? All of them. Oh my gosh.
• 45:45
  Speaker 1: That's hard. Full Moon is my favorite, sorry.
• 45:48
  Speaker 2: That's, yes, yes, yes. Full Moon.
• 45:50
  Speaker 1: All of, yes.
• 45:50
  Speaker 2: Yes.
• 45:52
  Speaker 1: Any dark child, anything.
• 45:54
  Speaker 2: Yes.
• 45:55
  Speaker 1: There's so many to pick from. Oh my gosh. So
• 45:59
  Speaker 1: your style, because I've seen your work and I've seen
• 46:03
  Speaker 1: your style evolve with your artistry. So how did you...
• 46:07
  Speaker 1: So I guess take us through the evolution.
• 46:10
  Speaker 2: Yeah.
• 46:11
  Speaker 1: Because you're stunning, and it's a very specific style that's
• 46:15
  Speaker 1: just so cute and flattering. And girly and whimsical. So
• 46:19
  Speaker 1: tell us about that.
• 46:24
  Speaker 2: Honestly, traveling, going out. I love people watching and just
• 46:31
  Speaker 2: getting inspiration from people on the street and... I just
• 46:38
  Speaker 2: love picking up different pieces, online shopping. I'm pretty addicted.
• 46:43
  Speaker 2: It's bad. I'm a tourist.
• 46:45
  Speaker 1: When's your birthday? May 10th.
• 46:47
  Speaker 2: May 6th.
• 46:47
  Speaker 1: I feel like it's always you who have talent. that are, like,
• 46:53
  Speaker 1: near your birthday. And I never have anyone that I can, like,
• 46:58
  Speaker 1: be a birthday twin with.
• 46:59
  Speaker 2: So, hey, girl.
• 47:00
  Speaker 1: Okay, sorry.
• 47:01
  Speaker 2: I love that.
• 47:02
  Speaker 1: Okay, you like to shop.
• 47:02
  Speaker 2: Yes, I love shopping. It's pretty bad. But it's okay.
• 47:07
  Speaker 1: But it's so good. So pink is your favorite color,
• 47:10
  Speaker 1: I'm assuming.
• 47:11
  Speaker 2: Yes. Right? Okay.
• 47:12
  Speaker 1: I'm going to just assume that pink is the color.
• 47:15
  Speaker 1: You see me. Yes. Okay. So I'm loving the pink
• 47:17
  Speaker 1: and brown, though.
• 47:18
  Speaker 2: Yes.
• 47:18
  Speaker 1: It's beautiful.
• 47:19
  Speaker 2: It's like a chocolate brown.
• 47:22
  Speaker 1: Something. It's cute. Have you always loved pink?
• 47:25
  Speaker 2: Honestly, no.
• 47:26
  Speaker 1: I was going to say, because there's some of your...
• 47:28
  Speaker 1: And you have work on YouTube that's like 10 years old. Yes.
• 47:33
  Speaker 1: And so when I kind of was looking at how
• 47:35
  Speaker 1: you evolved, I'm like, oh, this is recent, right? Within
• 47:38
  Speaker 1: like the last few years?
• 47:39
  Speaker 2: I would say like five years.
• 47:40
  Speaker 1: Yeah.
• 47:43
  Speaker 2: Yeah, starting out 10 years ago when I was 18,
• 47:46
  Speaker 2: I was still... I was really figuring out where I
• 47:53
  Speaker 2: wanted to go, who I wanted to be, how I
• 47:56
  Speaker 2: wanted to be. I had just released my EP, just
• 48:00
  Speaker 2: started writing and feeling confident within myself. And then, yeah,
• 48:05
  Speaker 2: I just started to grow with that. And then I
• 48:09
  Speaker 2: met my team, my manager and my producer, Ryan, and
• 48:15
  Speaker 2: we kind of just... built the brand and worked on that.
• 48:19
  Speaker 2: And that's kind of how we solidified it all.
• 48:22
  Speaker 1: I'm trying to.
• 48:22
  Speaker 2: Think when pink came into play. I just bought a
• 48:26
  Speaker 2: pink wig and I was really nervous about it. But
• 48:30
  Speaker 2: I was like, I'm going to put this on. And
• 48:32
  Speaker 2: then I really liked it.
• 48:33
  Speaker 1: And then.
• 48:34
  Speaker 2: Pink was just everything.
• 48:35
  Speaker 1: It's part of your look. That's cool. Yeah, no, it's
• 48:39
  Speaker 1: really cool, though. It'll define you. Yeah. But I think
• 48:42
  Speaker 1: it's cool just to... It turns into somebody else.
• 48:45
  Speaker 2: Right?
• 48:45
  Speaker 1: But I think it's cool that you went through the evolution, right?
• 48:48
  Speaker 1: Because it just, again, it relates to everyday people who.
• 48:53
  Speaker 1: Are on their journey and they evolve and it changes.
• 48:56
  Speaker 1: And so you're at this place in your career and
• 48:58
  Speaker 1: it's beautiful. But I just think it's beautiful that you
• 49:01
  Speaker 1: can see it.
• 49:02
  Speaker 2: You can see the- Honestly, just talking about it, I
• 49:05
  Speaker 2: didn't really think about it that way.
• 49:08
  Speaker 1: Right. But yeah, that's pretty cool. So does everything change
• 49:14
  Speaker 1: with your fashion? So does your sound and things, does
• 49:18
  Speaker 1: it all kind of match together or is it separate?
• 49:21
  Speaker 1: Your lyrics?
• 49:22
  Speaker 2: I feel as though that kind of stays the same.
• 49:28
  Speaker 1: Okay.
• 49:28
  Speaker 2: In a sense of it's just like getting more polished
• 49:32
  Speaker 2: and better.
• 49:33
  Speaker 1: Yeah.
• 49:34
  Speaker 2: Because I feel that my music has always been pretty similar.
• 49:39
  Speaker 1: Yeah.
• 49:41
  Speaker 2: Just a little bit better every time.
• 49:44
  Speaker 1: Which is great. Yeah. Which is great. Have you pulled
• 49:47
  Speaker 1: anything from dad and granddad as you are just on
• 49:52
  Speaker 1: this journey?
• 49:53
  Speaker 2: Not yet.
• 49:54
  Speaker 1: Okay.
• 49:54
  Speaker 2: My brother.
• 49:55
  Speaker 1: I love not yet.
• 49:56
  Speaker 2: Yeah.
• 49:56
  Speaker 1: I love not yet. It's a great response. Yeah.
• 49:59
  Speaker 2: Not yet.
• 49:59
  Speaker 1: Okay.
• 50:00
  Speaker 2: But I just know that when I do. Mm-hmm. It
• 50:04
  Speaker 2: has to be the one. Yeah.
• 50:07
  Speaker 1: Or just any, like, style that they did.
• 50:09
  Speaker 2: I want to do it justice.
• 50:11
  Speaker 1: Okay.
• 50:11
  Speaker 2: So I haven't... I've been thinking about it.
• 50:16
  Speaker 1: Okay.
• 50:16
  Speaker 2: I've been talking to... My producer about a little bit
• 50:20
  Speaker 2: of something, something. Okay.
• 50:22
  Speaker 1: Cool. And songwriting. How important is that for you? Like,
• 50:26
  Speaker 1: what goes into... And you mentioned travel, and that inspires
• 50:29
  Speaker 1: a lot of it. But is there any, like, other just, like,
• 50:32
  Speaker 1: technique or anything that goes into your... Or your process.
• 50:34
  Speaker 1: Your process of choosing lyrics?
• 50:38
  Speaker 2: So, when I travel... Or whenever I'm feeling something or
• 50:42
  Speaker 2: whatever the case may be, I will write down the
• 50:47
  Speaker 2: sentence or whatever comes to my mind in my notes.
• 50:50
  Speaker 2: And I record in Pittsburgh. Very random, but that's where.
• 50:54
  Speaker 1: That is kind of random.
• 50:55
  Speaker 2: Why Pittsburgh? That is where my team is. oh okay
• 50:59
  Speaker 2: and also it's very close to home um cleveland okay
• 51:02
  Speaker 2: so whenever i go to visit family um i'm just
• 51:07
  Speaker 2: able to drive down there or vice versa so um
• 51:10
  Speaker 2: yeah i'll have like from my trips or my experiences
• 51:14
  Speaker 2: i have my little notes and then when i go
• 51:16
  Speaker 2: in the studio and ryan plays a beat for me
• 51:21
  Speaker 2: um i'll just go into my notes and be like okay,
• 51:24
  Speaker 2: this is something that I want to expand on. And then, yeah,
• 51:28
  Speaker 2: I just go from there. And then I write it out.
• 51:31
  Speaker 1: Are you a person that do you like to write
• 51:34
  Speaker 1: with a pen and pencil or pen and paper? Or
• 51:38
  Speaker 1: do you put it in your phone?
• 51:39
  Speaker 2: I am one to put it in my phone. My
• 51:42
  Speaker 2: therapist has been trying to get me to journal for
• 51:44
  Speaker 2: a while, but I don't know why I just cannot.
• 51:48
  Speaker 1: Put pen to paper. Everybody has something different. That's why
• 51:51
  Speaker 1: I asked. Because everybody, some people are like, no, I
• 51:53
  Speaker 1: have to have a pen to paper. I have to
• 51:54
  Speaker 1: have a journal. And then other people are like, I
• 51:57
  Speaker 1: need the voice. They want the voice. They don't do either.
• 51:59
  Speaker 1: They just use their voice memos to pick up everything.
• 52:02
  Speaker 1: So it's a part of the artist process.
• 52:04
  Speaker 2: I feel like. I don't like my handwriting.
• 52:07
  Speaker 1: That's legit. That's legit. I don't like mine either, come
• 52:13
  Speaker 1: to think of it. I love pen and paper, but
• 52:15
  Speaker 1: I really hate my handwriting.
• 52:16
  Speaker 2: Yeah, I love seeing others. I judge mine.
• 52:18
  Speaker 1: I should be on my handwriting class. So, okay, fun fact.
• 52:21
  Speaker 1: I was not good at that. Fun fact about me.
• 52:24
  Speaker 1: I used to practice for hours when I was a
• 52:26
  Speaker 1: kid with my handwriting. Like I would sit and like
• 52:29
  Speaker 1: write the alphabet for hours. That's a skill. Because I like,
• 52:32
  Speaker 1: I was a perfectionist when it came to my handwriting.
• 52:34
  Speaker 1: So even now like, If I don't like the way
• 52:36
  Speaker 1: it looks, I will throw it away. You start over.
• 52:38
  Speaker 2: I will start over.
• 52:39
  Speaker 1: I'm really serious about it.
• 52:40
  Speaker 2: Mrs.
• 52:40
  Speaker 1: Campbell was my handwriting teacher, and she told me to
• 52:43
  Speaker 1: do it over and over again.
• 52:44
  Speaker 2: I couldn't stand her for that.
• 52:46
  Speaker 1: I don't know.
• 52:46
  Speaker 2: And that will make you hate something. I agree.
• 52:49
  Speaker 1: I think maybe that's what it is. I don't want
• 52:51
  Speaker 1: to practice it because she was just so on me
• 52:53
  Speaker 1: about practicing. Dang, I should have practiced it. It's okay.
• 52:57
  Speaker 1: It's not for everybody. Mrs. Campbell, she just, I don't know.
• 53:00
  Speaker 1: That's a hard one. Is there a song you've created
• 53:04
  Speaker 1: that you feel represents who you are most authentically right now?
• 53:08
  Speaker 1: You have a lot of songs out. So which one
• 53:12
  Speaker 1: would you say just represents who you are? It could
• 53:14
  Speaker 1: be multiple. Who you are right now. Yeah, right now
• 53:17
  Speaker 1: I think is.
• 53:18
  Speaker 2: Okay. Right now I think the song that defines me
• 53:23
  Speaker 2: is Live, Laugh, Love.
• 53:27
  Speaker 1: Okay.
• 53:27
  Speaker 2: Okay. I'm always saying that at the end of everything.
• 53:30
  Speaker 2: And I feel like that's just like a feeling. And
• 53:33
  Speaker 2: I feel that eight times out of 10, because you
• 53:36
  Speaker 2: can't have the happiness without the sadness. But yeah, just
• 53:42
  Speaker 2: live life, love in life, the world, experiences.
• 53:47
  Speaker 1: What are you proud of? If you could say, if
• 53:49
  Speaker 1: you could look at yourself right now and be like, Cameron,
• 53:51
  Speaker 1: I am proud of you for X, Y, and Z.
• 53:54
  Speaker 1: What would you tell Cameron?
• 53:56
  Speaker 2: Yeah. It's so funny. I was on the phone with
• 54:00
  Speaker 2: my mom the other day, and she was like, I'm
• 54:05
  Speaker 2: so proud of you. I was like, for what? Oh,
• 54:07
  Speaker 2: my gosh. I didn't do anything.
• 54:09
  Speaker 1: And she was like, you.
• 54:10
  Speaker 2: Just go for it. You just do whatever you set
• 54:15
  Speaker 2: your heart to. And I was like, thanks, Mom. And
• 54:19
  Speaker 2: that really stuck with me. So I'm trying to... find
• 54:25
  Speaker 2: that within myself too. Being proud of just, you know, doing,
• 54:31
  Speaker 2: doing it all, doing everything, even when I don't want
• 54:35
  Speaker 2: to or I'm tired. Yeah.
• 54:37
  Speaker 1: Is that hard for you to say to yourself that
• 54:39
  Speaker 1: you're proud?
• 54:40
  Speaker 2: Yeah. Why? I don't know.
• 54:43
  Speaker 1: Because we're just women and we're always so hard on
• 54:45
  Speaker 1: ourselves about everything. That's true. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. But we
• 54:49
  Speaker 1: give you permission to say that here, right now. Because
• 54:52
  Speaker 1: you know what? Like, a lot of people... Are not
• 54:55
  Speaker 1: doing it. Like they have aspirations and they want to
• 54:57
  Speaker 1: do it, but they just haven't started. And at least
• 55:00
  Speaker 1: you started and you're keeping it up.
• 55:03
  Speaker 2: Yes.
• 55:04
  Speaker 1: I can say that.
• 55:05
  Speaker 2: I'm proud for her.
• 55:07
  Speaker 1: Yeah.
• 55:08
  Speaker 2: Keeping it going.
• 55:09
  Speaker 1: Yes.
• 55:10
  Speaker 2: And also, I still enjoy it.
• 55:12
  Speaker 1: Good for you. You're doing something that you love. Yes.
• 55:15
  Speaker 1: And that deserves, you did that, girl. High five. You
• 55:19
  Speaker 1: did that. You're doing it, girl. We're proud of you. Yes.
• 55:25
  Speaker 1: What does the next chapter of Cameron LaVert's career look like? Yeah.
• 55:29
  Speaker 1: And what is your vision?
• 55:31
  Speaker 2: Yes um I have had a project in the works
• 55:38
  Speaker 2: before it's been I feel like all my projects take
• 55:42
  Speaker 2: about two years so this one has been about two
• 55:44
  Speaker 2: years in the making with Cherry being the first single
• 55:48
  Speaker 2: and I have a single coming out very very soon
• 55:51
  Speaker 2: um and I feel like This new song is kind
• 55:55
  Speaker 2: of like how I'm feeling. I'm in my fairy era.
• 55:58
  Speaker 1: I love it. I love a fairy.
• 55:59
  Speaker 2: I love a fairy girl. I love a fairy moment.
• 56:01
  Speaker 1: She was a fairy. Yes, we love it. We love it.
• 56:04
  Speaker 2: Yes. Yeah, so the song called Fairy, or I don't know.
• 56:10
  Speaker 2: We don't have a title yet. Okay, but it's giving fairy. Yes.
• 56:14
  Speaker 2: And that'll be out soon, and then a full project
• 56:17
  Speaker 2: very soon. And then just keeping it going. I love
• 56:21
  Speaker 2: making music and albums and- I want to make another one.
• 56:25
  Speaker 1: I mean, you light up every single time you talk
• 56:27
  Speaker 1: about it. So it's clear that you're doing... Passion and purpose...
• 56:32
  Speaker 1: it just it seems like it because you're you're so
• 56:34
  Speaker 1: happy talking about it would you prefer i want to
• 56:36
  Speaker 1: ask this yeah this is a very specific question okay
• 56:38
  Speaker 1: go ahead girl okay which festival coachella or rolling loud.
• 56:42
  Speaker 2: Oh coachella for sure.
• 56:46
  Speaker 1: I can see you eat down the coachella outfits like
• 56:49
  Speaker 1: you are the fits would be so gorgeous are you
• 56:52
  Speaker 1: into like festivals absolutely yeah yeah what are some other
• 56:56
  Speaker 1: dream ones okay How was Baychella? I'm sure that was just.
• 57:00
  Speaker 2: Draw on the floor. Yeah, absolutely. It was on a
• 57:05
  Speaker 2: whim that I decided to go. That was my first Coachella.
• 57:09
  Speaker 2: And I didn't know what I was getting myself into.
• 57:11
  Speaker 2: I was, I think, maybe like 20, super young and Beyonce, wow.
• 57:21
  Speaker 1: She said, wow. That's enough.
• 57:24
  Speaker 2: Beyonce, period. Yes.
• 57:26
  Speaker 1: That's it. And there hasn't been another like that since. No, no.
• 57:31
  Speaker 2: But I love Coachella. I went last year, and I
• 57:34
  Speaker 2: think I'm going to go again next year.
• 57:35
  Speaker 1: Good for you.
• 57:36
  Speaker 2: Festivals are a lot, but I always tell myself, okay,
• 57:41
  Speaker 2: I'm not going to go until I perform. But I
• 57:43
  Speaker 2: just love music, and I love performances.
• 57:47
  Speaker 1: It's a good time.
• 57:48
  Speaker 2: I'm always inspired. Yes. So I think I'm going to
• 57:50
  Speaker 2: go again.
• 57:51
  Speaker 1: What other spaces would you like to occupy or just
• 57:55
  Speaker 1: to play at?
• 57:57
  Speaker 2: There was a new festival that just happened not too
• 58:01
  Speaker 2: long ago, Daisy Chainfield. Oh, okay. It was an all-woman
• 58:05
  Speaker 2: festival put together by Olivia Rodrigo. And I love stuff
• 58:09
  Speaker 2: like that. But I love everything. I love performing, so.
• 58:15
  Speaker 1: Any chance they give you, you're going to take it.
• 58:17
  Speaker 2: I know.
• 58:17
  Speaker 1: That's right. We don't say no. Absolutely. We talked about
• 58:20
  Speaker 1: that on a previous episode. Any opportunity. Very good. Awesome.
• 58:25
  Speaker 1: So for someone who's found their passion and is trying
• 58:27
  Speaker 1: to build a real career and ascend in the music industry,
• 58:30
  Speaker 1: what advice would you give them?
• 58:38
  Speaker 2: To stay true to yourself.
• 58:44
  Speaker 1: Mm-hmm.
• 58:45
  Speaker 2: And stay the course because it can be very disheartening
• 58:52
  Speaker 2: and it's very easy to get on the internet and
• 58:55
  Speaker 2: compare yourself. Yeah. Um, but just remember why you do
• 58:59
  Speaker 2: it and hopefully it's for yourself and to spread love
• 59:05
  Speaker 2: and yeah, stay true to yourself and don't give up.
• 59:10
  Speaker 1: I will say that's what I and I'm so far
• 59:13
  Speaker 1: removed from the music industry I can't sing a lick
• 59:16
  Speaker 1: but what I've heard is that it's so easy for
• 59:19
  Speaker 1: you to lose yourself in the music industry because of
• 59:22
  Speaker 1: the comparison and you have so many people in your
• 59:24
  Speaker 1: ear trying to direct you one way or the other
• 59:27
  Speaker 1: so It's good. Like, that's a great piece of advice
• 59:30
  Speaker 1: to give just anyone. Just stay true to yourself. Yes.
• 59:33
  Speaker 1: In any art form. Yeah, like in any position. Yeah,
• 59:36
  Speaker 1: in anything, really. Very good.
• 59:37
  Speaker 2: Great. I have to remind myself that because.
• 59:39
  Speaker 1: Right. It's hard.
• 59:42
  Speaker 2: Yeah, the doubts.
• 59:44
  Speaker 1: Yeah.
• 59:45
  Speaker 2: But just come back to yourself. Take a bath.
• 59:49
  Speaker 1: Take a bath. Light a candle.
• 59:52
  Speaker 2: I love that.
• 59:53
  Speaker 1: Take a bath. And remember why. Yes, yes. Remember why
• 59:57
  Speaker 1: even during those challenging moments when nothing is making sense
• 1:00:02
  Speaker 1: or you feel like you're not having that win. Just
• 1:00:04
  Speaker 1: remember why you do it. Yes.
• 1:00:06
  Speaker 2: And there's more than enough room for everybody.
• 1:00:09
  Speaker 1: I think that's a great point too. There's so much room.
• 1:00:11
  Speaker 1: There's no room for envy or jealousy. There's enough room
• 1:00:14
  Speaker 1: for everyone to win.
• 1:00:15
  Speaker 2: Yeah, yeah. I love it.
• 1:00:17
  Speaker 1: Love it, love it. We got one more took. Well,
• 1:00:19
  Speaker 1: really two more, but we'll see what. Well, now I
• 1:00:21
  Speaker 1: really know what this one is.
• 1:00:22
  Speaker 2: There you go, girl. Yay. Pressure.
• 1:00:27
  Speaker 1: Pressure. The pressure is getting worse. The pressure. The pressure.
• 1:00:33
  Speaker 1: The pressure.
• 1:00:34
  Speaker 2: Hmm.
• 1:00:34
  Speaker 1: Hmm. The pressure. The pressure of finding two really good
• 1:00:43
  Speaker 1: ones on here. The pressure. Okay, let's start with the
• 1:00:47
  Speaker 1: first one. When your father is Gerald Levert and your
• 1:00:49
  Speaker 1: grandfather is A. Levert, does choosing music come with a
• 1:00:53
  Speaker 1: different level of pressure?
• 1:00:54
  Speaker 2: I think it can. But I don't let it for myself.
• 1:01:05
  Speaker 1: Good.
• 1:01:06
  Speaker 2: Because... As artists, we are all so different. I am
• 1:01:14
  Speaker 2: like this very pop princess gal.
• 1:01:18
  Speaker 1: We love it.
• 1:01:19
  Speaker 2: And yeah, my dad and my grandpa, they're these soulful crooners.
• 1:01:26
  Speaker 1: Like sex symbols. Exactly.
• 1:01:32
  Speaker 2: So I just remind myself that, I mean, we're just
• 1:01:36
  Speaker 2: different people with different... ways of doing things. But the
• 1:01:44
  Speaker 2: pressure definitely does exist. It's there.
• 1:01:49
  Speaker 1: It's life. It's always going to be there. There's really
• 1:01:52
  Speaker 1: no skirting around it. Was there ever a part of
• 1:01:54
  Speaker 1: you that considered doing something different outside of music because
• 1:01:58
  Speaker 1: of the pressure? Or has it always been music?
• 1:02:01
  Speaker 2: I feel that it has always been music. Sometimes I.
• 1:02:11
  Speaker 2: Think about like other things. My mom was very successful
• 1:02:15
  Speaker 2: in working for the airlines and she found a lot
• 1:02:20
  Speaker 2: of joy in that. And I know that I could
• 1:02:23
  Speaker 2: do those things too. So I'm, I like to try things.
• 1:02:28
  Speaker 2: I'm interested in different things. So I'm open to trying
• 1:02:32
  Speaker 2: to be a flight attendant because I like to travel.
• 1:02:34
  Speaker 2: So I get to travel for free now. with my
• 1:02:41
  Speaker 2: mom's benefits. So I'm like, I love this. Why not just?
• 1:02:48
  Speaker 1: I hear that. What's the pressure you're learning to let
• 1:02:54
  Speaker 1: go of as you become more confident in who you
• 1:02:57
  Speaker 1: are as an artist?
• 1:03:05
  Speaker 2: I am trying right now in the season that I'm in.
• 1:03:10
  Speaker 2: I am trying to, I had a vision of what
• 1:03:16
  Speaker 2: life was going to be. I was engaged.
• 1:03:21
  Speaker 1: Oh, we didn't get off into that. Like, oh, did
• 1:03:24
  Speaker 1: you want to go there? Yeah, let's talk about it. Okay,
• 1:03:27
  Speaker 1: let's talk about it.
• 1:03:28
  Speaker 2: Okay. And we recently, almost a year ago, called it off.
• 1:03:37
  Speaker 2: And we were together for 12 years. So right now
• 1:03:40
  Speaker 2: in this season of my life, I'm learning to let
• 1:03:45
  Speaker 2: go of what I thought the way things were going
• 1:03:48
  Speaker 2: to be. And just allowing myself to have different experiences
• 1:03:54
  Speaker 2: and not feel guilty. So yeah, I think that's letting
• 1:04:03
  Speaker 2: go of the... Pressure of, like, guilt. Yeah.
• 1:04:06
  Speaker 1: So are you taking a break from relationships or are
• 1:04:09
  Speaker 1: you just kind of... Are you still looking and wanting.
• 1:04:12
  Speaker 2: Sometimes I try and pop in on the dating apps.
• 1:04:15
  Speaker 2: But then I get so overwhelmed.
• 1:04:17
  Speaker 1: Like, this isn't it.
• 1:04:20
  Speaker 2: Yeah. So... Love is something that I love. And everybody...
• 1:04:28
  Speaker 2: that I've ever had a romantic connection with, I've met
• 1:04:31
  Speaker 2: in real life. So I think I'm just gonna try
• 1:04:34
  Speaker 2: and let things be and come as they are.
• 1:04:38
  Speaker 1: It's the dating scene in Vegas, is it hard?
• 1:04:41
  Speaker 2: Oh, it's awful.
• 1:04:42
  Speaker 1: Oh, it's awful. I can only imagine.
• 1:04:46
  Speaker 2: I have a little sister. She's three years younger. And
• 1:04:49
  Speaker 2: she's been single for a lot less longer than me. Or, yeah.
• 1:04:55
  Speaker 2: Did I say that right?
• 1:04:55
  Speaker 1: Yeah, we... I think I got it. You got it.
• 1:04:57
  Speaker 1: You good, girl. You got it.
• 1:05:00
  Speaker 2: You good. So she'll just tell me her stories and
• 1:05:04
  Speaker 2: I'm just like, hey.
• 1:05:04
  Speaker 1: You're like, I'm good.
• 1:05:06
  Speaker 2: Right. So now being in the field, I'm like, girl.
• 1:05:08
  Speaker 2: She's like, I told you I wasn't lying.
• 1:05:10
  Speaker 1: I'm like, yeah. So what are you looking for?
• 1:05:13
  Speaker 2: If Mr.
• 1:05:13
  Speaker 1: Or whoever, if that person is out there. I'm just
• 1:05:15
  Speaker 1: looking for somebody who.
• 1:05:26
  Speaker 2: I have a lust for life. Did you say a
• 1:05:29
  Speaker 2: lust for life?
• 1:05:30
  Speaker 1: A lust. I love it. I love it. Yes.
• 1:05:32
  Speaker 2: I love that. Yes. Somebody who is emotionally available in
• 1:05:40
  Speaker 2: the church.
• 1:05:41
  Speaker 1: Look.
• 1:05:42
  Speaker 2: You know.
• 1:05:45
  Speaker 1: That's it. Look.
• 1:05:45
  Speaker 2: Hold on.
• 1:05:46
  Speaker 1: That's it. That's it. That's literally it. We talk about it.
• 1:05:50
  Speaker 1: Tamara and I talk about it all the time. Emotional
• 1:05:53
  Speaker 1: availability is key. It's key. Go ahead. We're sorry. Sorry.
• 1:05:57
  Speaker 1: We just had to take a drink on that one.
• 1:05:59
  Speaker 2: That's a real one.
• 1:05:59
  Speaker 1: Yeah, that's real. Okay.
• 1:06:01
  Speaker 2: Yeah, communication and comprehension. And just somebody who's open-minded. I'm
• 1:06:07
  Speaker 2: a very open-minded person, so I don't do things the
• 1:06:11
  Speaker 2: traditional way. Which is good.
• 1:06:14
  Speaker 1: It's so fun. It makes you so much fun. It does.
• 1:06:16
  Speaker 2: It does. As long as we can, like, talk about
• 1:06:19
  Speaker 2: things and just... Yeah.
• 1:06:21
  Speaker 1: It makes you fun. Yeah. We love it. I love it.
• 1:06:24
  Speaker 2: Well....
• 1:06:25
  Speaker 1: Sending positive vibes your way. Thank you. When it's time,
• 1:06:28
  Speaker 1: when they're ready for you. You know what I mean?
• 1:06:30
  Speaker 1: When they're ready for you to receive all that you
• 1:06:33
  Speaker 1: bring and have. Because you're such a beautiful spirit. And
• 1:06:36
  Speaker 1: I would hate for the wrong person to get a
• 1:06:38
  Speaker 1: hold of you. You know what I'm saying? We don't
• 1:06:40
  Speaker 1: want that. We don't want that. And this will be, again,
• 1:06:43
  Speaker 1: you're in a chapter of... Focusing on Cameron and your
• 1:06:48
  Speaker 1: work and even healing, right? 12 years is, that doesn't just...
• 1:06:51
  Speaker 1: That's a long time. It takes a while. And it's
• 1:06:54
  Speaker 1: okay for you to heal and grieve and still be
• 1:06:57
  Speaker 1: excited about what's ahead in this next chapter.
• 1:07:00
  Speaker 2: Of your life.
• 1:07:00
  Speaker 1: Absolutely. We wish you luck when it comes to you.
• 1:07:03
  Speaker 1: And thank you for sharing. Yes. That's personal. That's a
• 1:07:05
  Speaker 1: personal topic. But you brought it up, girl.
• 1:07:07
  Speaker 2: Yes.
• 1:07:08
  Speaker 1: Because I didn't. I was like, wait a minute. I
• 1:07:10
  Speaker 1: was like, I have that in the cue cards, girl.
• 1:07:13
  Speaker 1: I was like, did that? Was that a? But I'm
• 1:07:15
  Speaker 1: always up for talking about it.
• 1:07:16
  Speaker 2: Yes.
• 1:07:17
  Speaker 1: Okay.
• 1:07:17
  Speaker 2: Yes.
• 1:07:18
  Speaker 1: Absolutely. So we have one token left. We always like
• 1:07:23
  Speaker 1: to end with this one. Legacy!
• 1:07:30
  Speaker 2: Yes!
• 1:07:32
  Speaker 1: You know, it's a big word, right? And it means
• 1:07:38
  Speaker 1: something different to everybody. But what does legacy mean to you?
• 1:07:42
  Speaker 2: Legacy means to me, I think, impact. Legacy means to
• 1:07:51
  Speaker 2: me what you leave after.
• 1:07:58
  Speaker 2: You leave a room or you finish a project. Yeah,
• 1:08:03
  Speaker 2: that's what legacy means to me.
• 1:08:06
  Speaker 1: So what do you want people to just, what legacy
• 1:08:11
  Speaker 1: are you wanting and hoping to leave behind for people?
• 1:08:16
  Speaker 1: What do you want your legacy to be? Known for.
• 1:08:18
  Speaker 2: Yes. I want my legacy to be that I lived
• 1:08:24
  Speaker 2: and did all the things.
• 1:08:26
  Speaker 1: The lust for life. I love that. Your smile is
• 1:08:30
  Speaker 1: so beautiful and contagious.
• 1:08:32
  Speaker 2: Thank you.
• 1:08:33
  Speaker 1: Yes.
• 1:08:34
  Speaker 2: Just hopefully my music can... help somebody through a dark
• 1:08:46
  Speaker 2: time or a hard time and just be impactful in
• 1:08:51
  Speaker 2: that way. I want to leave behind... love and a
• 1:09:01
  Speaker 2: sense of just light that's what i want people to
• 1:09:05
  Speaker 2: feel when they think of me and when they when
• 1:09:09
  Speaker 2: i have an interaction with somebody that's what i want
• 1:09:12
  Speaker 2: yeah just happy positive things.
• 1:09:16
  Speaker 1: Even outside of your grandfather and your father.
• 1:09:19
  Speaker 2: Yes.
• 1:09:20
  Speaker 1: And we pick up on that. We pick up on
• 1:09:23
  Speaker 1: the lights, the love, the energy, the fairy. The whimsy.
• 1:09:27
  Speaker 1: The whimsy. You know, get you a whimsical girl.
• 1:09:29
  Speaker 2: Yes.
• 1:09:30
  Speaker 1: Get you a whimsical girl. We love it. We love that.
• 1:09:34
  Speaker 1: We're so much better. Yes. It's just, I love good
• 1:09:39
  Speaker 1: energy people. Yes. Absolutely. It's like, to be around people
• 1:09:42
  Speaker 1: who are negative or heavy... yeah it's just oh it's
• 1:09:47
  Speaker 1: like it's draining but you're so positive and you have
• 1:09:49
  Speaker 1: the most contagious smile like you smile and i'm like
• 1:09:53
  Speaker 1: oh and i can see your dad oh.
• 1:09:55
  Speaker 2: I can see your dad and it's so funny growing
• 1:09:57
  Speaker 2: up you know like on facebook i don't know but
• 1:10:00
  Speaker 2: like back in the day it would be like um
• 1:10:04
  Speaker 2: what would it say it would say like like for
• 1:10:07
  Speaker 2: a raid or like for a da da da people
• 1:10:09
  Speaker 2: would do like to know your celebrity lookalike.
• 1:10:12
  Speaker 1: And I would do it.
• 1:10:13
  Speaker 2: And be surprised every time they say my dad.
• 1:10:17
  Speaker 1: Girl, you knew. Girl, you already know. Girl, we can't
• 1:10:21
  Speaker 1: give you any radio. Facebook was like, no. Which is
• 1:10:26
  Speaker 1: a great thing. Absolutely. That's a great thing.
• 1:10:30
  Speaker 2: I have his nose.
• 1:10:31
  Speaker 1: It's stunning. Again, you know, because we love your daddy.
• 1:10:37
  Speaker 1: Me too. I mean, the aunties, baby. When we get
• 1:10:40
  Speaker 1: in the car, Casanova and my body will be a... Oh,
• 1:10:42
  Speaker 1: we have to show you the video that we made. Oh, please, yes.
• 1:10:47
  Speaker 1: We're sorry to embarrass you, but we're going to show it. No, never.
• 1:10:50
  Speaker 1: I love it. Oh, my gosh. And we're so serious.
• 1:10:53
  Speaker 1: I was the background dancer. I was singing. Hump in
• 1:10:58
  Speaker 1: the air. We did a little bit all over my body. Yeah,
• 1:11:00
  Speaker 1: I was straight hump in the air.
• 1:11:01
  Speaker 2: I was.
• 1:11:03
  Speaker 1: Enjoying myself. I love that.
• 1:11:07
  Speaker 2: I love seeing the TikToks. I just recently went in Cleveland.
• 1:11:12
  Speaker 2: They did at the Jazz Fest. They did a tribute
• 1:11:15
  Speaker 2: to my dad and they played my body. And there's
• 1:11:18
  Speaker 2: this person. and that was my favorite part of the
• 1:11:25
  Speaker 2: whole thing.
• 1:11:26
  Speaker 1: I don't know how many babies were probably made. I
• 1:11:29
  Speaker 1: got a two year old, almost three. And I'm just
• 1:11:31
  Speaker 1: going to say that. My mom. Yeah. My mom is
• 1:11:34
  Speaker 1: so silly. She was like, Oh, yeah.
• 1:11:41
  Speaker 2: We were looking at pictures and she was like, oh,
• 1:11:43
  Speaker 2: that's the night you were going to eat. Or like
• 1:11:45
  Speaker 2: a song will come on and she'll be like, that's it.
• 1:11:48
  Speaker 2: I'm like. You're like.
• 1:11:49
  Speaker 1: And I understand. I understand. But we get it. We
• 1:11:52
  Speaker 1: get it. I mean, come on. We get it. But
• 1:11:54
  Speaker 1: we get it. That's real. We get it.
• 1:11:56
  Speaker 2: We get it.
• 1:11:56
  Speaker 1: Understandable. That's what it was made for. It was made
• 1:11:59
  Speaker 1: for that, okay? He did his job as an artist.
• 1:12:02
  Speaker 1: You did the Lord's work. He did the Lord's work.
• 1:12:06
  Speaker 1: There are many of us that are here because of
• 1:12:07
  Speaker 1: your dad. You know, a lot of us are here
• 1:12:10
  Speaker 1: just because of the OJs. And that's the legacy.
• 1:12:12
  Speaker 2: We owe a lot to you, baby.
• 1:12:13
  Speaker 1: That is the legacy, okay? You would not be alive
• 1:12:16
  Speaker 1: had it not been for the OJs.
• 1:12:18
  Speaker 2: You wouldn't be alive.
• 1:12:20
  Speaker 1: But that's real, though. That is real, Sunny. I love it.
• 1:12:22
  Speaker 2: I love it.
• 1:12:23
  Speaker 1: So we're going to do one more activity. Before we
• 1:12:27
  Speaker 1: let you go, there's one last tradition we have here
• 1:12:29
  Speaker 1: at Born to the Game. Every guest who sits at
• 1:12:31
  Speaker 1: the table leaves behind one question for the person who
• 1:12:34
  Speaker 1: comes next without knowing who that person will be. So
• 1:12:39
  Speaker 1: before we get your question, we'll have you answer the
• 1:12:42
  Speaker 1: question that our previous guest left for you. Okay. Drum roll.
• 1:12:49
  Speaker 2: Yes. Yes.
• 1:12:54
  Speaker 1: I feel like Christmas. It's my birthday. And we have
• 1:12:57
  Speaker 1: no idea what the question is. We turned our head.
• 1:13:00
  Speaker 1: We were like, let's not look. It's a surprise for us, too.
• 1:13:04
  Speaker 2: What's your favorite meal to have abroad? Also, what time
• 1:13:09
  Speaker 2: in your life do you wish you could go back
• 1:13:11
  Speaker 2: to and why?
• 1:13:12
  Speaker 1: Oh, wow. Great question.
• 1:13:15
  Speaker 2: Absolutely. My favorite meal abroad, I recently... Went to Thailand.
• 1:13:25
  Speaker 2: And it's so funny because if you met me maybe
• 1:13:29
  Speaker 2: four years ago, I was just chicken nuggets and french fries.
• 1:13:33
  Speaker 2: But I don't eat meat, so maybe just french fries
• 1:13:35
  Speaker 2: and salad. But, yes, I've expanded my palate. And I.
• 1:13:43
  Speaker 2: Honestly, now that I'm thinking about this, probably isn't that expanded.
• 1:13:47
  Speaker 2: But the pad thai in Thailand.
• 1:13:50
  Speaker 1: No, that's great. The question was, what was your meal abroad?
• 1:13:53
  Speaker 1: And I'm certain a genuine, authentic pad thai would be
• 1:13:59
  Speaker 1: probably tastes much different than the ones here yeah now
• 1:14:02
  Speaker 1: i want some pad thai.
• 1:14:03
  Speaker 2: Okay so good fried shrimp fried rice just everything in
• 1:14:06
  Speaker 2: thailand is just better.
• 1:14:08
  Speaker 1: Yeah and cheaper and cheaper and just beautiful stunning like
• 1:14:14
  Speaker 1: pack my bags and go.
• 1:14:16
  Speaker 2: Yeah we went out there for my birthday in may
• 1:14:19
  Speaker 2: and my brother literally just got back he didn't He
• 1:14:23
  Speaker 2: didn't want to leave.
• 1:14:24
  Speaker 1: I don't blame him.
• 1:14:24
  Speaker 2: He just got back two days ago.
• 1:14:26
  Speaker 1: Don't blame him. Don't blame him. He was like, leave
• 1:14:28
  Speaker 1: me here.
• 1:14:28
  Speaker 2: Leave me here.
• 1:14:29
  Speaker 1: Actually, let me throw my passport in the ocean.
• 1:14:31
  Speaker 2: I had to drag him back here.
• 1:14:33
  Speaker 1: He lives in L.A.
• 1:14:35
  Speaker 2: And I'm actually going to go see him tonight.
• 1:14:38
  Speaker 1: So I'm excited.
• 1:14:39
  Speaker 2: I love that. And then, what time in my life
• 1:14:44
  Speaker 2: do I wish I could go back to and why? Maybe...
• 1:14:54
  Speaker 2: Any moment with my dad and my mom. Maybe the
• 1:15:00
  Speaker 2: moment of the talent show. That day. Just to talk
• 1:15:07
  Speaker 2: to him and really take in time with family.
• 1:15:11
  Speaker 1: Yeah.
• 1:15:14
  Speaker 2: Beautiful. Beautiful.
• 1:15:15
  Speaker 1: I love that question. I mean, you're so cool. She's
• 1:15:18
  Speaker 1: so sweet. You're just so cool. You're so cool. You're
• 1:15:22
  Speaker 1: so sweet. You're just so cool. Okay. No, it was amazing.
• 1:15:26
  Speaker 1: So I'll close this out and then we're done. All right.
• 1:15:29
  Speaker 1: Thank you guys for tuning in to today's episode of
• 1:15:32
  Speaker 1: Born to the Game. I'm your host, Mariah. And I'm Tamara.
• 1:15:35
  Speaker 1: And we will see you next time. Make sure to like, follow, subscribe,
• 1:15:39
  Speaker 1: share it. And tell your mama name. Tell your mama name.
• 1:15:42
  Speaker 1: Thank y'all.