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Tracer Rounds Welcomes the Topaz King · Military Broadcast Radio | MBR Talk

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MBR giving veterans a voice. And welcome back to Tracer
1:16
Rounds. And you're on military broadcast
1:18
radio where we're giving veterans a voice.
1:20
And tonight's voice is going to be to the Topaz King.
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Welcome. Thank you, thank you, thank you
1:26
for having me. So excited to have you in the
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studio tonight. I was like the first time I
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heard Devil Dog salute. I was like hooked immediately.
1:37
I played it like 10 times thereafter and man, it just
1:40
raised something in me. I was like, man, I have to find
1:43
out who this guy is and get him on my show because I thought
1:47
that that song just really encapsulated what it means to be
1:52
a Marine. Thank you.
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My ex's grandfather was, was a Marine.
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He passed away. He was awarded being the eldest
2:04
Marine in Vegas. And I took care of him for a
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while and he told me a lot of stories and stuff.
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And after his passing, I was doing a holiday album and I, I
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couldn't forget about, you know, Marine Corps birthday.
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So I was like, you know what, I'm going to do this song for
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him and for all the other Marines, and then I was just
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trying to do my part. I love that.
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And I know we kind of talked a little bit by e-mail and you're
2:35
not a veteran, but you support veterans and then a lot of the
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songs you've been creating are about veteran service.
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And so I really love that you're supporting the veteran community
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that way. And I know you told me you're in
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Vegas. Tell us a little bit about what
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you do. Tell us a little bit about your
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background and how you got into and before I give it all the way
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music and I'll let you tell us what kind of music you create.
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OK well all about me I guess. I was homeless for most of my
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life from about 1516 till I was about 30.
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I met a lot of homeless vets that actually became like family
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to me out there on the streets. So I've got told a lot of
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stories from then. I'm 12 years going 12 years on
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September 28th. Clean off the streets.
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I'm a veterinary assistant and every Sunday I do a BBQ for the
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homeless and the hungry in the neighborhood where I was
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homeless. I'm just a way to bring us all
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together. Let at least I'm have a good
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meal once a week and when they're ready to get off the
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street or off whatever they're on, I can guide them into the
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direction how I got off. That's awesome.
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Who, who reached out to you or how did you find your How did
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you get yourself in a good place where you're off the street?
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What did that look like for you? Were you offered some services
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or did you just figure it out on your own?
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Well, I was slowly realizing I need to stop.
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I was a math addict and I started telling people I didn't
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want to use anymore so they stopped getting me high.
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And then when my dog passed it hit me really hard and made me
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think you know, I need, I should have, would have, could have
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moment. And I decided to lay everything
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down and get off the street and become a veterinary assistant
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since I couldn't help my boy. I want to be able to help
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another and luckily one of my friends that were on the
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streets, my one of my best friend Rooster, he heard that I
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went in to get clean and he came in swooped me up, brought me to
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his place. Stayed at my brother's for a
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little bit. But then I ended up going back
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to Roosters and he sent me showed me his way.
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He got clean. So I went with his his plan to
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see how it works, went to rehab, did all that, got all the
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resources and from there. That's amazing.
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That's a long time to be homeless and to be on the
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streets. And then all of a sudden just
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to, I mean, it's not all of a sudden, but I mean, seemingly
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it's, it's a, you know, like all of a sudden you turn to page and
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you said no more. I don't want any more of this.
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I want to be in another space. I want to, you know, be able to
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contribute and I can't do that where I am right now.
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So I love that you found that avenue of approach to Wellness,
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overall Wellness and getting off the street and becoming healthy.
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That's amazing. Not a lot of people can do that,
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especially being as long as you were on the streets.
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That's that's amazing. It's like getting
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institutionalized. That's the only life I knew.
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Thank God for the doctor, George.
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He's my veterinary. The doctor, he knew me when I
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was using and he saw me when I got cleaned.
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And he gave me a chance and taught me how to do, you know,
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the 9:00 to 5:00, the 10 hour work.
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And he worked with me, taught me how to, you know, actually work.
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And I'm actually back working with him again, so I'm happy.
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Well, that's awesome. I mean, that's what you need.
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That's what a person needs. And even if they're not
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homeless, some they need somebody to mentor them or to
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grow them or to invest in them, you know, to really contribute
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to their life. And it sounds like you had some
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people that did that for you. Yes, and This is why I do my
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Sunday BBQ, you know, to let them know I got their back
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whatever way I can. Either show them the right
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direction, a meal every week to listen to them.
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It's my way of giving back and it keeps me sober.
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You know, doing good does keep you in a good headspace too,
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because if you're doing stuff for others, it's hard to then,
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you know, do something negative because you've got the the warm
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feelings of helping others and you know that that really does
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something to a person. It really invests in our own
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self when we help with serve others.
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And so you know, it does put you in a good place when you're able
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to contribute back and give back like that.
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Definitely. So tell us what type of music
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you create and tell me how you started it.
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I do AI music. At first I was just playing
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around, just playing random stuff, hit generate.
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And then one day I'm like, you know, I always had lyrics in my
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head, but no way to express myself because I can't hold the
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beat. I wish I could, but I love music
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and I listen to all types of music.
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Vegas is a tourist place, so we get I get a lot of people from
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all over and you know IA lot of their music.
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I fell in love with and with the with AII can learn how to mix
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different genres together. Yeah.
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Like stuff you never even think of.
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I'm like, let's see, how would this sound?
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And then go even further and then even further.
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So I just been doing it for the last about two years, just been
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playing with it, been riding it. And at first I was hitting
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generate, but it showed me how to basically I use that as a
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template now just to make it so I know, OK, this is I need a
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chorus right here to make it that let's say Blues mixed with
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rap with a little bit of add a little bit, you see neo soul to
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it or something and see how that comes out.
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And I ask AI, how would I make a song with this kind of beat,
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this kind of feeling? And it showed me different
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templates. Then I go from there and just I
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look at the words that's I can't free flow, but I can look at a
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piece of paper with words already on it.
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And then words start popping in my head.
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And lately I've been a lot of my music is not necessarily about
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me. It's about other people's
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stories they tell me. And I kind of tried to embody
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how they would feel. And then I ask a lot of
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questions and then I just start writing.
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And next thing I know, I come up with a good lyric, a good, a
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good song. And then from there, I try to
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look at different genres and different instruments to me
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makes you have a different feeling.
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So I try to use that. I'm like, OK, this is how I'm
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trying to make it feel. I need to add this there.
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And I'm just it gives me a couple options and I listen to
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it. I'm like, OK, it needs a
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saxophone right there or like the violin for me is love.
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So I had a little bit of violin right there.
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I love eight O 8. So I always start a little bit
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of that West Coast bounce to it. Yeah, well, I think we should
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play Devil Dog Salute and let people hear the kind of music
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you're creating. And then maybe you can tell us
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where some of the lyrics came from.
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I know you said you talked to a bunch of vets and you're get,
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you're gathering people's stories and their and what they
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say into this song. But I, I really want to hear why
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I, I know you said you because Marine Corps birthday, but I
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think there's something else behind it.
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And I just want to hear a little bit more.
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But let's go ahead and play Devil Dog salute and then we'll
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be right back with the Topaz key.
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Oh. Semper Fi Keep it tight.
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Hoorah. The station where our veterans
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voices are heard MBR talk. Hey, thanks for supporting our
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channel by watching and listening find.
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Us on the web at MB Radio. Dot.
12:58
And welcome back to Tracer Rounds.
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And you just heard Devil Dog salute by Topaz King.
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And I tell you what, if that don't get you jazzed up, nothing
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will, because just the beat, the words, everything like it makes
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me want to have been a Marine. Right.
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Right. So where did you get all the
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lyrics in it? Did you just pick and choose
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from what people said or did you research any?
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Like how did you start that one? It's a mix.
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I started with what people said and all the stuff that I called
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them Fapa. But it was my ex's grandfather.
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He had all the little stickers and little sayings around and I
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always loved it. So I used to write.
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I wrote those down and then I was like, OK, let me talk to
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some more Marines. I started talk to a lot of
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people, homeless vets that were Marines.
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And you know, I had them tell me stories and their favorite
14:00
sayings and stuff. And sometimes when they say
14:04
something and like one of the things you sent me about the
14:07
Army, that you put it in the right area, the, the words, when
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I read that, the lyrics just start popping in my head.
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And that's where the whole song came from.
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It originally started with the tracer rounds and the red, white
14:22
and blue. Just how you phrase that just
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had my head, like thank you. And I just, I kind of embodied,
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try to embody you or, you know, another female army and then
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just go on from there. That's how I usually do.
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I try to embody them with their stories and then I go on
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research mode, start Googling stuff and I'm like, OK, that's
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OK. Because a lot of the stuff I'm a
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civilian, so I'm like, I understand some of it.
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So the rest I go Google or go talk to another person and I'm
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like, OK, that makes sense. And you just start doing
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research. And then with that, how it made
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me feel, I would how I would think they feel.
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And then I start asking him how they felt during those things.
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And they start telling me. And I just start writing stuff
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down. And then I get in the zone and
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sometimes I don't even realize a lot of stuff I wrote down until
15:27
later. And I'm like, whoa, that that
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hits just right. And then I go finish the song.
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I go show one of the Marines. I'm like, OK, how does this
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sound? What can I change?
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Does it sound right? Some of them are like, OK, you
15:44
should add that there. I'm like, OK, so a lot of it's a
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mix between everything. People I know help me write some
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of the little lyrics. It's a group effort, so I want
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to try to humanize it and make it, you know, a Marine feel
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like, you know, because I'm not a Marine, so I can't truly feel
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it. So I try to get to the people
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that can and I try to embody them.
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I think it does. I think it rocks or or or I
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don't know what the right term is, but I, I love it.
16:20
So how did you choose the voice for that?
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Because I, I think the voice is perfect.
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So does it give you like or do you just say I want it to sound
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like this or? Like that I kind of describe it
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how I and how I hear it in my head.
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And then I ask AI, how would I would describe this to be able
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to put it into this AI so it'll understand.
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And it gives me some options. And I'm like, OK, no, that
16:50
doesn't sound just right. And you see a more raspier voice
16:55
Barrow tone or yeah, you kind of have to describe it and it gives
17:01
you a couple different options. And when you find that right
17:04
voice, I kind of say that voice, so I can do other songs for that
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album with that voice. Yeah, I, I think that's the
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perfect voice. Absolutely.
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And so you sent me two songs that you haven't put out
17:18
anywhere. And do you want to play them?
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And do you want to talk about them before we play them, or do
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you want to talk about them after they're played?
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Let's do it after and see what people think.
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I would say Crucible this. I'll say one thing before it
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Crucible, I had sure getting a following from the Marines
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because of the song, the double dog salute.
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So that's where I got this story from.
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I asked him to send me a story and some of the stuff about it
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and he sent me stuff about Crucible.
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Nice. Well, let's play it.
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Here we go. All right, 13.
18:05
Weeks now, the final Test begins.
22:25
The station where our veterans voices are heard.
22:28
MBR talk. Find us on the web at MB Radio
22:33
dot US. And we're back on military
22:37
broadcast radio on the Tracer Rounds podcast and we are with
22:40
the Topaz King. And that was his new song
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Crucible. So I think that one really hits
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too. I mean, it's, it's got the, it's
22:50
got the right vibe to get people pumped up.
22:55
Thank you. Yeah, I try to make that one.
22:58
If you notice, as the song goes on, it gets more hallucinogenic.
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Trippy because they've been up for so long, the world starts to
23:10
change a little bit, but they keep marching on.
23:13
So I wanted to be in the sound to go with that.
23:17
And even his voice starts sounding a little trippier
23:21
through the eyes. That sounds.
23:22
A bit different, yeah. So I wanted to get that feeling
23:26
in it, but that was just from stories from one of a couple
23:31
different fans on the my Instagram and TikTok that they
23:36
shared with me about the Crucible.
23:38
So I was like, OK, I need to do a song about that.
23:41
And that's what I came up with. I think that's great and I love
23:48
that you have the ability. So I realize it's AI generated,
23:54
but you still have the ability to pick and choose the sounds
23:58
and pick and choose the instruments and the voice and
24:00
all that. So really, that's a skill to
24:03
trying to figure out how you mesh all those sounds and voices
24:09
and beats together. Yes, I'm, I'm, I'm trying to be
24:12
original. I wish I had a gift to be able
24:16
to play an instrument or have the vocals.
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But like you said this, the vocals really count in the song.
24:24
You need to have that right sound, that sound of voice to
24:28
really put that soul or that fill into it.
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And I know I have. I made a couple songs with my
24:35
voice. It sounds good.
24:38
But with the music I like, I want you to actually feel.
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Feel the voice, feel the beat. I want you to feel everything
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because music makes is what gets me through life.
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Yeah, I think it gets a lot of people through.
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It's gotten me through a lot of tough times too.
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Nothing like what you've experienced, but I definitely
24:57
feel like music is the the calming force in life.
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When you're when life is too much, music is the outlet.
25:06
Exactly. Yeah.
25:09
So if you don't mind, let's go ahead and play Oh RA Through the
25:13
Fire too, and they'll let people hear that one as well.
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And our executive director's on tonight, and he's really enjoyed
25:20
both songs so far. He said they were fire.
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Thank you. Thank you all.
25:25
Right, so we're going to play Oh RA through the fire.
25:27
Here we go. Simple following
28:51
That's awesome. I think that's exactly the right
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voice and the right like combination of beats and
29:00
instruments and like it. It really hits home.
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You listen to the words and you're just moved.
29:08
Oh, sorry, we got you muted. Hold on, let's see.
29:13
Let's unmute you real quick. I don't know if I can unmute
29:19
your mic. Can you unmute on your side?
29:21
Because I'm not able to for some reason.
29:24
There we go. There we go.
29:26
Sorry we had you muted for some reason.
29:28
I don't know what happened. But yeah, I that song really
29:32
moves me too. It gets me jazzed up.
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I mean, just hearing all the different lyric in there, really
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just it sets you to a place and of remembrance for a lot of
29:42
people, I'm sure. Thank you.
29:44
Thank you. With that one, I try to get some
29:47
military instruments in there too and mix that with the West
29:52
Coast bounce. Like I said, I like to mix
29:57
different instruments and different sounds and see what I
30:00
can come up with. Definitely very creative and and
30:05
and a really good mix. Thank you.
30:08
Yeah, I I love the combination of all the instruments together
30:12
and then the lyrics are spot on. I mean, like, I mean they really
30:17
resonate with somebody with, you know, has served or been in a
30:22
combat situation or just been in, you know, any particular
30:26
role in the service you remember or hear those things.
30:29
And it's just something that I think just music brings people
30:35
together and I think songs like these bring people together and
30:38
unite and and kind of really seal that brotherhood or that
30:43
brothers in arms Esprit de corps that we're also in need of all
30:49
the time, even after service. I mean, we need it while we're
30:53
serving and then we need it afterward.
30:54
And then so those songs really help do that too, because it
30:58
brings back those those times of service and those brothers and
31:01
sisters we serve with and that we're missing because, you know,
31:06
they've retired or they've gone on and or we have.
31:09
And so those kind of lyrics and those kinds of songs really
31:14
bring us back to that place where we we were happy.
31:19
A lot of us were. I mean, I don't know that
31:21
everyone's happy with all their service, but being a part of
31:24
something bigger than ourselves brings joy.
31:29
Those those songs and and that uniting of those perspectives of
31:35
war and service really help drive that message home, I
31:39
think. Thank you.
31:42
Yeah. I just want to be able to do
31:44
something for the people, for everybody.
31:47
And doing this it it's it's fun being able to help inspire
31:55
people to get their stories across where they can't.
32:00
So yeah, it's it's fun all day. I'm even when I'm at work, I'm
32:07
lyrics start coming to my head and I just have to write stuff
32:10
down or I'm doing research and talking to people about
32:14
different stories. And like I told you, I'm working
32:19
on an album, a military mixtape. Basically I want to go through
32:26
different branches and put like 3 songs that's dedicated to each
32:32
branch and then maybe a one or two that's just all just
32:37
military without, you know, saying any kind of special
32:41
things for any branches. Right.
32:45
Yeah, I love that night that I was going to bring that up.
32:47
So I'm glad that you did. But I think that's a really nice
32:50
way to honor service is those songs do that, they honor
32:55
service. And thank you for doing that,
32:56
because I feel like everybody that hears those is going to be
33:02
drawn back into those moments when they felt needed and wanted
33:07
in the service, like they were part of something this big
33:10
machine that operates and does these missions.
33:13
And so these songs really solidify that, I think.
33:19
Thank you. So you wrote one for me too,
33:22
'cause I was just asking. And then you were like, well,
33:24
give me some words, give me some things.
33:26
And I was like, gosh, I don't know where to start.
33:28
So it took me a little while to really, you know, put pen to
33:31
paper and like, think of some of the things I'd heard.
33:34
And then I'm like, well, you know what?
33:35
I think I really gave him very much.
33:36
I'm like, I don't know what I've given you to go on.
33:39
So I was really surprised when you and it had so much in it and
33:47
you know, you just put put stuff in there.
33:50
You added some of the words that I had, but then you added more
33:53
and I was really impressed with what you did.
33:56
And, and it was a surprise because it's a little bit
33:58
different than these three songs and the way it sounds and the
34:02
way it comes across. So do you want to talk about
34:07
that? And then we'll play it.
34:08
OK, yeah, I love music. I grew up on all types of music
34:14
and I try at least once every week or two to play with
34:20
different genres and see how that would sound.
34:25
Right now I'm I'm in love with the 1950s soul mixed with a
34:30
little bit of Southern rap. I like the feeling this.
34:33
I love soul music. So that's where it started
34:38
there. And then with the list you gave
34:40
me, sometimes it only takes a couple words.
34:44
Some of my songs come from memes off Facebook and just stuff
34:49
start popping in my head and I just start writing and start
34:51
writing. But it just takes a couple words
34:55
sometimes. And I'm like, OK, I know where
34:57
I'm going with this. Then I do research or calling
35:00
some people. I'm like, OK, does this make
35:02
sense? And, and I was thinking about
35:07
you women in the Army. Thank you.
35:12
And then what? And the title of your show, I'm
35:16
like, come on, this is like perfect.
35:18
This is I know exactly what I'm doing.
35:21
And then it since you gave me that list the whole weekend,
35:24
I've been writing stuff down, doing research and been stuck on
35:28
it. Yeah, you're busy.
35:31
You got it done fast. And I was like, good grief, that
35:33
was quick. I wish I was that talented.
35:37
Sometimes it does quick. Sometimes with this one, I, I
35:41
took a lot of stuff from my archives.
35:44
I've been doing since I've been making music for about two
35:47
years. I got stuff that I wrote that's
35:50
missing something and I when I thought of that, I might grab
35:55
this piece from there, grab this there or rewrite this here.
35:58
I'm like I know exactly what I'm doing.
36:02
That's awesome. Well, let's go ahead and play
36:05
it. And it's Topaz King Tracer
36:08
rounds. Here we go.
41:23
The station where our veterans voices are heard.
41:27
MBR talk. Hey, thanks for supporting our
41:30
channel by watching and listening.
41:32
Find us on the web at NB Radio. Dot and welcome back to MBR on
41:39
the Teresa Rounds show and with us is Topaz king and that was
41:44
his new song Teresa rounds. So I had just asked him about an
41:49
army song because he did the devil dog salute.
41:52
And so I was like, was there an army one too?
41:54
Like we can't be left out. So, so he created this song over
41:58
the weekend. So I was like, wow.
42:00
And you know, The funny thing about that song is I as a kid, I
42:05
played saxophone. So hearing the saxophone in the
42:07
song is really cool to me because I love the saxophone and
42:11
it sounds like it's a baritone saxophone.
42:15
If, if I'm, if I'm guessing right, it sounds like a
42:17
baritone. And I and I played it for a
42:19
while too, and I loved it. Thank you.
42:23
Yes, I'm I'm in love with the saxophone too.
42:27
One of my albums is called Blue Notes and I just went through a
42:33
bad relationship and so the saxophone it Blues it, you know,
42:40
really helped me get through it. So I started making my own Blues
42:43
and that's I started throwing the saxophone and most of my new
42:48
songs has a saxophone in it somewhere.
42:52
The saxophone is very versatile and it's very jazzy and it also
42:56
can hit some really important keynotes to it.
43:00
That's why I always loved it. Saxophone is very expressive
43:05
instrument in my opinion. It's very versatile and very
43:08
expressive. So I think it it was very
43:11
expressive in that song and I loved it.
43:15
So I was going to ask you something and my brain just
43:18
stopped. But so if somebody wanted to
43:21
reach out to you, is the best way on your YouTube or is it
43:26
somewhere else? I have your YouTube there.
43:30
That that work on there. You can e-mail me at You have my
43:37
e-mail, my Gmail, Roy. Yeah, you can put it in there
43:44
for him. OK, Roy.
43:47
Sasna one at Gmail. At Gmail.
43:49
OK. And yeah, give me stories, stuff
44:00
that you would like me to write about, and I'll see what I can
44:05
do, and even throw in some genres that you'd like to hear.
44:13
How did you choose that voice? I'm curious.
44:15
It's. Pretty soulful, yes.
44:23
I had it for one of my other songs that I made and yeah, I
44:28
fell in love with that soulful voice and I and with that song I
44:35
needed a song that will match that.
44:37
What's going on there, you know? So I needed that soulful voice
44:41
for it. I listen to a couple of your
44:47
other songs and one of them is Clock on the Corner.
44:51
Clock on the Corner I liked. I liked one of the lyrics in
44:55
there. I think it's from this song if
44:56
I'm not mistaken, but it says I'm not AATM dummy.
45:01
Yes. So tell us about that song.
45:04
Tell us a little bit about it. I don't have it to play tonight,
45:07
but I really like the lyrics in that song.
45:09
And I was like, you know, that's really on point.
45:12
Like he's really telling somebody something because, you
45:15
know, there's so many people in life that want to take
45:17
advantage. They don't want to do anything
45:19
to earn, to earn anything. They just want stuff handed to
45:22
them. And I think that one's I'm not
45:26
your sugar daddy. Oh, sugar daddy, OK.
45:29
That's it. That's.
45:31
It yeah, you're right. Sorry.
45:32
I like clock on the corner too, by the way, but I had I had them
45:34
mixed up. But so tell us about Sugar
45:37
Daddy, because I think it's a very on point.
45:42
I live in Vegas and there's, I've seen so many of them that's
45:47
always hitting me up or hitting my friends up and I wanted to, I
45:54
don't know if anybody knows who Sugar Free is, but he's a, a
46:00
rapper, a pimp rapper. So he's one of my main
46:04
inspirations. He he's funny and yeah, it's
46:09
just a lot of these songs are stories about people.
46:13
I either happened to me or it happens to my friends and I'm
46:17
like, OK, I embodied them. I just started writing it down
46:22
and just having fun. Yeah, you said that you that's
46:28
what I was going to ask you and I remembered you said that you
46:31
did sing on a couple of them. What ones did you sing on?
46:37
Well, there's some that I use my voice on there.
46:40
I haven't released any of them yet, but bold voices are usually
46:45
when I do my 1950s Doo wop because I love the nostalgia.
46:51
Yeah and my voice sounds right for it.
46:53
Or when I do my old school funk my voice seems to be fitting.
47:00
I have a couple rap songs with my voice on it.
47:09
It's on the My Pimp one. It's one of the last songs on
47:16
the album. I'll have to check it out.
47:20
Rap song my with the voices you have to it has to be the right
47:25
song and unless or it won't sound right to me.
47:30
So I know I don't got the vocals for some of these songs if y'all
47:34
want you to actually feel it. Right.
47:37
And, and the voices you've chosen, I think you feel the
47:40
lyrics and you feel the vibe that you're trying to portray in
47:44
the song. So I think you've chosen well
47:47
when it comes to that. So you know, I don't, I don't
47:51
know your story and you certainly don't have to tell us.
47:54
But what advice would you give somebody that has been kind of
47:59
walking in the same path that you're walking in?
48:01
What advice would you give them to try to get to a good place
48:04
themselves? Because you know, like you said,
48:06
you're in a good place. Now that you've kind of come out
48:10
of some of this homelessness and this other things that were kind
48:13
of dragging you down, what advice would you give somebody
48:16
else that's walking in your shoes or what advice would you
48:19
give your younger self if you knowing what you know now well?
48:26
I'd say, you know, I, I wouldn't change anything that happened to
48:31
me because whatever happened to me shaped me.
48:35
But I would tell people, you know who wants to get clean and
48:39
get away from there, that you need to get away from
48:42
everything. It's not just a drug.
48:44
It's the people, places, things, the things that you do when you
48:48
are using because it all leads back.
48:52
For an addict, you have to quit for yourself.
48:55
You can't quit for somebody else because that won't work.
48:59
Because when that person's gone, you're going to relapse and
49:01
you're going to relapse hard. You have to do it for yourself
49:06
and there's hope. We do recover.
49:12
That's why. That's why I do my barbecues on
49:14
Sundays and there's people there that knew me when I was homeless
49:18
and see me now and I'm a walking proof that if I can make it,
49:23
that's all I knew for 15 years, since I was 15 till I was 30
49:27
something. If I can get off the street and
49:33
do something with my life, they can do it right.
49:36
I love that. Did you say you have some family
49:39
too? Have they have they been a part
49:41
of this new chapter in your life or I know you talked about your
49:46
brother. I have an older brother, my
49:49
older brother Mikey. We talk, we don't talk as much
49:52
as we should. But when I was using, I tried to
49:57
stay away from him because I didn't want him to use.
50:00
And then once I stopped using, we started talking more and
50:04
more. And he has a he has a family and
50:06
stuff. So we talked here and there.
50:10
My biggest family is my best friend Rooster.
50:13
And when I was talking about earlier, he passed away.
50:17
So I adopted his mom, his adopted mom.
50:22
So now she's my adopted mom, so I go out with her for my 12
50:28
years sobriety for holidays. We hang out, we go on hikes.
50:33
I try to do what he would do if he was still here.
50:38
So that's my family and my girl, my girlfriend Ashley.
50:42
Hi, Ashley. Well, that's really cool.
50:45
I love that you've embraced family that's maybe not blood
50:50
family, but family that's around you that needs as much support
50:54
as you do. I mean, someone, a mom that's
50:57
lost a son obviously needs support and it's nice to have
51:00
somebody to, you know, power around with and to, you know, be
51:05
be kind of a a mom or A at least a mentor too.
51:10
So you know, you're you're doing her a favor while she's doing
51:13
you one too. So I think that's great.
51:15
You know that you're able to connect that way.
51:20
Yeah, the BBQ, they're all family to me.
51:23
Everybody there. That's how I like, I like doing
51:26
it. Go there with the BBQ, we play
51:28
Domino's, we talk like we're family.
51:31
Whenever I could help them, I help them.
51:35
They came and actually celebrated my girl's birthday
51:38
because my girlfriend came and they went out and panhandled,
51:41
got money for some Hostess cakes and made a cake for them and
51:45
wished her a happy birthday. So we're.
51:49
That's nice. Oh goodness.
51:52
So what's next for you? Because you said that you you're
51:55
currently working and you're a vet tech currently.
51:59
And not a tech yet, but an assistant.
52:02
Assistant OK. And so is it in your plan to
52:06
become a tech or what? What's in it for you next?
52:09
I mean, what's your next chapter?
52:11
You you've started off strong, so I'm curious to see what's
52:13
next for you. I'm just planning on making more
52:17
music for different fields. I'm working on veterinary music.
52:21
How nice. Something with medical terms
52:25
that you know the vet techs can listen to and just just trying
52:30
to make it and to make different music to inspire different
52:34
people and maybe one day vet tech.
52:39
But I'm happy where I'm at right now.
52:43
I'm getting kind of old. I'm 43 so it's getting harder to
52:46
bend over and do a whole bunch of stuff like I used to, but I'm
52:53
just hoping to make more music and inspire more people.
52:57
Have you been invited to do anything with your music?
53:00
Have you been showcased anywhere?
53:04
Have you been played on any other radio station?
53:06
Because we do play your music. I've performed a couple times,
53:12
Money over everything, entertainment, some of their
53:15
shows. I did a Halloween, my Halloween
53:18
album. I did a couple songs on there.
53:20
I did a live show, which is different because it's not my
53:24
vocals, but it worked. Yeah.
53:28
And I've sold a couple songs. Well, I sold a song to a vendor
53:34
about one of their raps and stuff, so I made a song for
53:37
them. So that was fun.
53:43
But usually just making videos, doing some.
53:47
I'm probably going to do some holiday shows.
53:51
My goal eventually is going to try to get a live band to play
53:54
the instruments in my Blues album to do more humanized
54:00
because since it's like the opposite of rap, rap is real
54:04
vocals, fake beats. I want real instruments and I'll
54:10
be like to show man, you know the but trying to humanize it a
54:15
little more. Yeah, well, that's awesome.
54:21
So we have about 5 minutes left and I know I've asked you, you
54:24
know what you'd tell your younger self if you were to give
54:28
advice from where you are now. And I know you've told the
54:33
audience that people that have challenges can overcome them
54:37
because you overcame yours. So is there any final words
54:42
beyond those that you'd like to put out to, to family or to
54:48
those that you're serving the meals to or anybody that just
54:53
words of advice or just anything you'd like to just say before we
54:57
get off the air? Don't give up on them, don't
55:00
give up on yourself. You got to push forward.
55:05
That's for everybody. For all the vets that are
55:08
homeless that I feed, there is hope.
55:14
One day you'll realize it and look back.
55:17
The family members, it's don't give up on them.
55:24
Yeah, maybe not keep them too close, but don't give up on
55:27
them. So.
55:31
So from that perspective, you said that you didn't get close
55:35
to your brother because you didn't want him to use.
55:39
So is it, is it your advice to, well, I mean, from the
55:44
perspective of the family for the addict or the person using
55:49
is for the family to give a little tough love and say if
55:52
you're in this space, we can't, we can't have you around us
55:56
until you find your way through this or out of this.
55:59
Is that good advice? Would you recommend that
56:02
families do that? I mean, is that the way it
56:04
should go? It's different for everybody.
56:09
I, my parents did a tough love and they kicked me out at a
56:12
young age. It didn't really help me until I
56:16
was ready, but and it made me think no one wanted me.
56:24
So it's kind of. It's a double edged sword.
56:27
It's a balance. Yeah, because.
56:31
I think tough love is good, but then I think there's such a
56:34
thing as you have to still love the person and find a way to
56:37
support the person but not they're what they're doing.
56:40
Yeah, showing that you still care.
56:42
But I'll still be here for you. But you can't stay here if
56:46
you're using. Yeah, I'll buy you food.
56:52
I won't give you money. Yeah.
56:57
And just and you know, when you're ready, I'll take you to
57:02
rehab. I know a lot of people don't
57:03
like rehab. I didn't like rehab.
57:06
I didn't think that I needed it when I did.
57:08
But they got the resources. You at least use it for the
57:11
resources. Use it as a vacation and use the
57:18
resources. They got the good resources to
57:20
put you in the right direction. Yeah.
57:25
That's good advice. You know, because people,
57:28
families, our friends don't know what to do with someone that's
57:32
struggling with either, you know, drugs or alcohol or some
57:35
other type of advice and they're not sure the best way to support
57:39
them without enabling cause. And, and the other part of that
57:44
part of that too is you can't make someone want to.
57:48
I mean, you can't force someone to get better.
57:51
They have to want to get better. I mean, you can offer all the
57:53
resources in the world, but if that person doesn't want to be
57:56
better, they're not going to be better.
57:58
Exactly. They're going to have to hit
58:00
their rock bottom. Whatever their rock bottom may
58:02
be, they have to do it for themselves or it's not going to
58:06
work. Right.
58:08
No, I, I totally agree with that.
58:10
So it's a really tough place. And you know, your parents, I'm
58:13
sure they struggled real hard with trying to figure out what
58:15
the balance was. And it sounds like they didn't
58:17
quite pick the right balance, but it sounds like you found it
58:22
eventually. And you and you knew that you
58:24
were loved and cared about and that you mattered.
58:27
And that's the that's the beauty of that, that you came out on
58:31
the other side and you can look back and go, yeah, that wasn't a
58:34
good chapter in my life, but I learned a lot.
58:37
Yes, you got pain gain. Well, I want to thank you so
58:43
much for coming on the show tonight because I just, I had to
58:47
have you on after I heard that song.
58:49
That song just resonated with me.
58:51
And I'm going to be looking forward to seeing what else
58:54
you're going to be doing because it sounds to me like you've got
58:58
a really good head on your shoulders and you're going to
59:00
really go places and do things. And I'm really very proud of the
59:03
progress you've made and the like you've chosen for yourself.
59:07
I appreciate it. Absolutely.
59:10
Well, this is Teresa Round signing off.
59:14
Hi, I'm beaker with Military broadcast radio TV.
59:18
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