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Unsigned518 - Episode 225 - Rodney Dukes · Unsigned518

• 0:01
  Speaker A: He was born on a Saturday in 73 he loves punk rock music fighting the 13 jabbing the dazzle on the beat Guitar with the short with radio
• 0:13
  Speaker B: back
• 0:15
  Speaker A: his motherfucking Envy SC Motherfucker. Cuz here he comes Andy Sculling wearing
• 0:25
  Speaker C: his orange welcome to unsigned 518. I'm here with Rodney Dukes of Legacy Music Group. What's up, man?
• 0:32
  Speaker D: How's everything on this beautiful Sunday?
• 0:35
  Speaker C: It is finally a beautiful Sunday. It's been so rainy all week. I'm, like, very excited, very excited for it.
• 0:44
  Speaker D: It was like. It was like 40 degrees last week.
• 0:47
  Speaker C: Yeah.
• 0:47
  Speaker D: I had on sweatpants, sweat. Like, it was crazy.
• 0:51
  Speaker C: Now going to be 93 on Tuesday.
• 0:54
  Speaker D: That's crazy.
• 0:55
  Speaker C: It's crazy. But, you know, I guess we're not here to talk about the weather. Although, you know, we could. We wanted, you know, we want to talk music. And we met actually at Metroland. Like, we have like the open public forum or whatever. And I. I liked your style right out of the gate because you came with honesty and the. You know, because a lot of times people will heap praise and you're like, do you really mean all that? And you kind of came with a little bit of, hey, this is a void that you're missing. You know, this is a thing that you need to fill. You weren't like, you need to pay attention to this. And I was like, I like that, you know, someone that's coming with honesty. And I was like, can you please come on my show?
• 1:42
  Speaker D: I tried. I tried the nice. The nice approach. I tried the political correct. None of that work. So now I'm just transparent and honest about, you know what I'm saying, The obstacles and barriers, the who, what, where's and why is out here.
• 1:57
  Speaker C: And it's how you get shit done, you know, by.
• 2:00
  Speaker D: By.
• 2:00
  Speaker C: And it's not like you're like being a dick and being. No, but you're being like, hey, this is something that needs to be addressed and I'm addressing it to do something. So. And, you know, we were basically talking about a void in the music scene.
• 2:14
  Speaker D: Yes.
• 2:15
  Speaker C: And what you and your group are doing, and it's super fucking important and it's engaging and. Let's talk about it.
• 2:25
  Speaker D: Well, first and foremost, it's just not just about legacy. I mean, you know, we're. Because, you know, we're one of the more popular ones and we have range and we can play every venue, but it's more towards, you know, the little ones, the slingshot funk bands, the Doc Hortons, the Prime Times the, the ones that like, basically tan in the shades, that aren't getting the opportunities. Like it's an uphill battle for us. So just imagine what, you know, they're going through. So like I'm representing the Motown R and B pop soul scene as a whole.
• 3:01
  Speaker C: Right. And you know, finding like that void, like, is it a challenge of like venues to book at? Like, what are, what are, like the biggest.
• 3:12
  Speaker D: The problem is, first and foremost the problem is lazy booking. The. That's number one. So what they do is in the turnover for some of these venues and booking managers. So let's say you're the booking person and you're going on to something else and then you bring me in. There's a list on the wall and it has all your heavy hitter bands. And what I mean is Skeeter Creek, Big sky, country, the refrigerators, the accents. So what they do is, right, you got this list. All right, so now there's 52 weekends in a year. If we book these six bands five times, we're already 30 out. Now we only got to find 22 bands for the rest of the year for that Saturday night. So that's, that's part of the problem right there.
• 3:57
  Speaker C: So like, it's almost like they're. They get their bread and butter and they don't care about.
• 4:02
  Speaker D: And then because it's not necessary, they don't want to put the work in to find the certain band. So that's one of the issues that, that the. Another one is just like, I don't know, I don't want to. I don't know if it's unprofessionalism or they're just busy. A lot of them just don't get back to you. A lot of them don't have no courtesy to be like, hey, we are booked up or hey, try this or.
• 4:26
  Speaker C: And that's your whole job. Yes, cash them on that bed.
• 4:29
  Speaker B: That's what I've done.
• 4:29
  Speaker D: And I know they get the email.
• 4:31
  Speaker B: Yeah.
• 4:31
  Speaker D: Because I send them. I go in like I've gone to these places and knocked on, you know, the manager's door and I've done the footwork, the legwork. Like I. And like, if it's because it's so passionate for me, like I, like if I feel as though it's a good fit, I don't stop. So it is just not one or two. Like there's venues I've emailed four times and I know they got them right.
• 4:57
  Speaker C: And it's almost like that kind of lazy it's almost like not even lazy. It's like something else. Because by reaching out to them that many times, you're doing the work for them.
• 5:11
  Speaker D: Exactly.
• 5:11
  Speaker C: You know what I mean? Like, you're already doing like 70% of their job.
• 5:16
  Speaker D: There you go.
• 5:17
  Speaker C: And for them to just flip that into a booking, it feels like it would be a win. So if there's not a response, there's something else going on.
• 5:25
  Speaker D: And that's crazy to me because we've headlined the Victorian Stroll, We've played at the Egg. We two years ago, we opened up for Morris Day in the time. Yeah, we're at Rivers four times a year now. So it's like, you mean to tell me we could play at Rivers, which is kind of the Mecca around here for bands, but we can't play this pole dunk hole in the wall that accommodates, you know, 20 people.
• 5:51
  Speaker C: Right.
• 5:51
  Speaker D: And sometimes I just send emails out and just to see if there's going to be a level of professionalism or if they're going to get back to me.
• 5:58
  Speaker C: And, you know, you were saying, if I'm remembering correctly, because it was a couple months when we first met, but you were saying Legacy Music group can be adaptable and, you know, can go to smaller events, bigger events, less people, less, you know, and that, again, is doing the work for them.
• 6:18
  Speaker D: Listen, we were the first all, all minority band to play at the Victorian Stroll. We killed it. We were the first all minority band to play at the Scattercoat Fair last year. We killed it. So we play at Rivers. So we play. We play at the Whiskey Pickle, we play at Ophelias. So that right there should tell you the range that we played at an 85th birthday last year and we played at the 50th last year. So that's telling you right there that we'll have our core songs, but we'll look in the crowd and be like, no, no, stay with the Motown, right? Like, we just played at the Glove. They sold out the Glove Theater last weekend. We. We stuck. We did a little bit of the 90s, but we stuck to predominantly the Motown because that's what they wanted. So we have the reins to literally play any venue.
• 7:06
  Speaker C: Do you do that on the fly? Like, if you would literally look in the crowd and be like, oh, let's mix in a little this. Mix in a little.
• 7:14
  Speaker D: So for instance, the 85th that we did, right, we already know that. The Motown, the Temptations, the Earth, Winds and Fires, the Whispers, the OJ all that stuff, that's Their music. So we stayed right there for the first hour and a half. Now, as the elders started to clear out, the people in their 40s and 50s, like, all right, let's get into that 90s stuff. So that's how we broke it down. So we literally will do that.
• 7:42
  Speaker C: And it's just like basically call an audible, like, kind of look around, let's do this.
• 7:47
  Speaker D: That's exactly what we do. So we got our core, like I said, 15 to 20 songs that we mix in. But again, we'll look into the crowd and, you know, so if we play a nightclub, for instance, that's more of that 90s, that's more of the Bell Bibdevo, the New Edition, the Jodeci's, all those records that. For the nightclub. So we'll probably stay right there. But if it's a festival, again, those are all those 60s 70s classic.
• 8:15
  Speaker C: Yeah, those are ones that every. I mean, there's not a fucking person alive that doesn't know these.
• 8:21
  Speaker D: So we'll start. We'll start. So, for instance, anywhere we play, we'll start with My Girl, Everybody. I don't care what. What age you are. Iconic record My Girl. Then we'll go into the Papa was the Rolling Stones, the. What's going on. All those records that people know now as we, you know, get a little bit further in, we'll go to Michael Everybody. I don't care what age you are. You know, Michael Jackson.
• 8:46
  Speaker C: Sure.
• 8:47
  Speaker D: So stuff like that.
• 8:48
  Speaker C: Yeah, that's, that's. And I love the adaptability, you know, like, there's like, I'm, you know, we were talking a little bit before we got recording about, like, my band, how I'm more about, like, the visual and the fun and getting the crowd involved, about. About perfection. And, you know, there are a lot of. A lot of bands and a lot of acts that, you know, you're like, sure, they hit every note, but they stood there looking at their fucking fretboard the entire day.
• 9:14
  Speaker D: There it is. Exactly. Where's the engagement? Where's the interactiveness?
• 9:19
  Speaker B: Yeah.
• 9:19
  Speaker D: Where are you letting your crowd sing along?
• 9:21
  Speaker C: You're a performer.
• 9:22
  Speaker D: Fucking perform.
• 9:23
  Speaker C: You know what I mean? Like, and when. Practice in this room, like, we're pouring sweat. Every practice we practice. You know, if I can't jump around like a jackass in this room, then I'm not going to be able to do it on stage. So, you know, and I think like, the, The. The performance is such a part of it, but also, you know, because I, I did a little research On, on, on. On your music. And, like, it's so fucking good. But the performance is there too. So that, to me is like a. It's not like something that's even practiced. It's something that's in. You know, it's in you. Like, if that performance is that natural and easy, it's a different thing than just a musician that picks up a guitar and noodles around for 10 years and then begins to.
• 10:14
  Speaker D: And, like, we're not even. I don't even consider, like, a band. I would consider us more of a supergroup.
• 10:20
  Speaker C: Right, Right.
• 10:21
  Speaker D: And that's why we're so good, because we all have showmanship. We all come from a music background. And then we all kind of came together like Voltron. So I would consider us more like a local New Edition. Cause, you know, New Edition has the Bell Bib, devoe. Then they have Ralph, then Johnny. But Johnny's in three groups. You see them. And then Ralph has a solo career. Then Bobby is over here. And then four will perform together sometimes. And then the whole group will come. So that's kind of how we are. So everybody has their, you know, perspective. Things outside of Legacy. But then when it's time to come together is go time.
• 11:00
  Speaker C: And everybody's at the top of their game. So there's no weak link. There's no getting up to speed. There's no, like, let's. You know, we got to teach you this. We got. It's just like. And, you know, the. Not to go to another group. But yesterday down in Albany, there was the 518 day.
• 11:15
  Speaker B: Yes.
• 11:16
  Speaker D: And heard about that.
• 11:17
  Speaker C: I was emceeing that, you know, introducing the bands. Whatever and Kaima Clinton Band. Their bass player was running late and he literally came. I saw him running across the street. The band's on stage, ready, ready to go, ready to go. And they're literally going, he'll be here any second. He'll be here any second. And you see him fucking come booking across the street with his base over his shoulder and, like, comes in, basically plugs in. One, two, three, boom, start, like. And I was like, I would need. If I ran like that to a gig that I would need. I'd be like, give me 20 minutes. I gotta catch my breath. Like, dude, just like, literally plugged in and went. And I was like, that's a professional. So I love. I love shit like that. So let. We should hear some music. We were gonna play. Play something. So what did you want to share?
• 12:08
  Speaker D: We're gonna play everything real.
• 12:10
  Speaker C: Okay. Anything you want. To say about the song before we roll it.
• 12:13
  Speaker D: It's kind of, you know, it was a song they probably most famous song. So they sampled one of the late great Notorious BIG they sampled a little bit of one of his songs and. Yeah, so it was before I got into the group, but it's when they actually play and they still played like locally and in the clubs and stuff like that. So.
• 12:34
  Speaker E: Cool.
• 12:35
  Speaker B: Yeah.
• 12:36
  Speaker C: All right, well, let's check out everything real then. We'll be right back to talk some more with Rodney.
• 12:44
  Speaker E: Now come on and go with me girl Come on over to my place yeah feel so nice yeah come on go me come on over my place. Trying to get my hands on some grands like corners yeah leaving the wrong deal Greek cost me spaghetti fetuccini and ve but still everything's real nice Town with the top down Sounds banging out the back street Legacy we deep passion is fine we blowing in the air maybe we can take it there Whatever it is you need for me Champagne, bubbly I'mma make it look you see maybe you should be my girl look back at Johnny she know where to find me Bottle in my hand like a se behind me I just want to sing My beats work for that I wonder what she do Forward back I'm the one you need Baby, come with me Put your legs in the air like the letter B Touching on your body Just me and you girl I need you better you won't do call me people.
• 14:33
  Speaker B: As you can see we giving what you need Legacy and all the needs as you can see we're giving what you need Legacy and all the need Come on.
• 15:06
  Speaker C: All right, we're back. That was everything real, you know. Now, Rodney, when we first met back, I don't know, a couple months ago, I guess it was, you were talking about the music festival that you were getting together and that's. We're getting closer. I mean, I've certainly been seeing the hype build for it. So I guess tell us. Tell us a little bit about that.
• 15:23
  Speaker D: So how that kind of came about was last year. There was a little bit of miscommunication or whatever you want to call it. So we were supposed to perform at some couple of events in Troy, and then it ended up not happening. So a friend of mine, Kevin Pryor, who is the. Who works for the mayor, he's the coordinator of DEI in Troy. As I'm trying to get that situated, he was like, well, Rodney, why don't we do our own festival? And I'm like, well, that kind of Defeats the purpose. So I was really adamant of not doing it. And he was like, well, if you really want to get it out there. And I'm like, yeah, you're right. So just started out as, you know, came from a place of frustration because of the lack of diversity in music. We ended up having six bands, Burkstar, Doc Horton, Legacy Music Group and a few others. And then it went great. We had about 300 people attend last year and we had a bunch of musicians and singers in the crowd that were like, can we get on that next year? And then I was absolutely. So what started out as, you know, a thing of frustration now has morphed into this thing of love. So we expanded it. So we got, like I was telling you earlier, two youth dance teams. We got six hip hop artists, including jb, AKA Dirty Moses. We got Albany Lou, which is huge, to get him to come out and perform. Yeah, we got eight or nine solo musicians coming out. I got Lacey Allen on there, and she's tearing things up right now. And then I got eight or nine bands. And I know we spoke about Kai McClinton. So they're on there. Yeah. So we got quite a list of heavy hitters in the 5, 18 to come out and perform. And they're all doing it out of love. Like, they're all volunteering their time and talents for this.
• 17:26
  Speaker C: And that is a lesson that a lot of people can take is, like you said, you know, it came out of a place of frustration. I feel like you're being gentle when you say frustration.
• 17:33
  Speaker D: Oh, yeah, yeah.
• 17:34
  Speaker C: But like. Oh, but like you turned it into something different. Whereas I think a lot of people take that and go the opposite way. If it starts with a place of frustration or they feel like they've been slighted, they just fucking dig in and go to the negative, which gets nothing.
• 17:50
  Speaker D: You know, vinegar. You know, vinegar and bees. Honey and bees. I could, you know, I can stay in my feelings and be spiteful and yada, yada, yada. But where would that have got me? That wouldn't have gotten me? The relationships that I've built now, that wouldn't have got me to the point I'm at. So the things that happened to us with being left off of certain events, that was rectified last year. So we did get to perform at the Victorian Stroll. We did get to perform at Powers Park. We did get to perform at Scattercoat Fair. We did get to perform at Flag Day over in Rensselaer. So the amends were made. Everything, you know, People kept their word about, you know, going forward. So like I said, so that's why I was able to transition and make it about now music. And we've actually expanded it. So now not only we're gonna have music there, it's gonna be a resource fair. So I got verbal commitments from 20 employers and 15 nonprofits. So now I'm in school for my getting to get my K sac. Like, I'm big on recidivism. And if people don't know what that is, that is for men that were formerly incarcerated. One of my goals is to keep them out of jail. So if I can bring the resources to the waterfront park, bring the employers down there in an environment where they're not intimidated, where it's not an indoor job fair, where they can dress how they want, where music is going now, okay, go talk to dss. Go talk to this employment program. Go talk to this employer that is felon friendly. So that's one of my, one of our big emphasis on the year as well.
• 19:30
  Speaker C: I like, I mean, I like that like you said, like the, like, because I'm, I'm big on like in any thing of taking the stigma out of things. You know, like, if you need help in something, you should be able to seek help. And it fucking sucks when societally people like, make you feel like you should feel ashamed of it.
• 19:47
  Speaker D: Exactly.
• 19:47
  Speaker C: And you know, I'm always like lifting that. And so like you said, bringing these programs that are super fucking helpful, but sometimes people can't get through the door.
• 19:57
  Speaker D: There you go.
• 19:57
  Speaker C: Because of the pride and bringing it somewhere where they're there anyway. And they could just be like, I'll just go over and check this out. And then they're like, oh, my God, this is great. You know, like, even if it's one
• 20:09
  Speaker D: person, there you go.
• 20:10
  Speaker C: Then, you know you've done your job. Even if it's one person.
• 20:13
  Speaker D: So, you know, and we're figuring between the farmer's market down there, which is every Saturday, which is a national event, like, people come from all over to Detroit's farmers market. So between that and all the traffic that the, that the event is bringing, there might be anywhere from a thousand to two thousand people down there this year. So that's going to be huge for the community. And with no. There's no rocking on the river. There's no rocking on the river. Yeah. So now we can make that the focal point for music.
• 20:48
  Speaker C: So those that don't know where is the event taking place, it's going to
• 20:52
  Speaker D: be down at the truck. The waterfront park right there.
• 20:55
  Speaker C: Okay. And that's the. I mean, it's so funny because when I lived in Troy, up until maybe, I don't know, a dozen years ago, and I remember the first time I went back and saw what they did to that park and I was like, oh, my God, I want to move back. Like, that shit is dope. Like how they, they made that whole park like that. Like with the stage right there on the waterfront. Because it wasn't there when I was there.
• 21:17
  Speaker E: No.
• 21:18
  Speaker C: But, yeah. So right there on the stage again, what was, what was the date?
• 21:22
  Speaker D: July 25th. So it's gonna start at 12 o' clock and then we're gonna go all day. So it's gonna be an all day event. And then just a case of any bad weather, the alternate site is gonna be at the Troy Boys and Girls Club.
• 21:36
  Speaker C: Okay.
• 21:36
  Speaker D: Yeah.
• 21:37
  Speaker C: So, I mean, either way, it's happening.
• 21:39
  Speaker D: Oh, either way it's going down.
• 21:40
  Speaker C: Cool.
• 21:41
  Speaker D: Like, we have to, like. It's been a lot of work. A lot of people are looking forward to it a lot. The magicians are excited because some of them have never played. There's only a handful of that have played big platforms and played in front of hundreds and thousands of people. So I told them, this is your opportunity. This is the networking. This is your chance to collaborate with other artists that, you know, this is your chance to see what they're doing, right. You know, their stage presence and performance. So this is the opportunity for a lot of these musicians and bands to kind of kick start or jumpstart what they're looking to do.
• 22:15
  Speaker C: Yeah. And you can learn a lot of shit by being a fly on the wall backstage at a production man. Like, there's, you know, a lot of times when I've been at these huge productions, just standing there, not talking to
• 22:25
  Speaker D: anybody, being soaking up the information, just be like, oh, that's how they do that.
• 22:29
  Speaker C: Yeah, yeah.
• 22:29
  Speaker D: That's the profession. Oh, that's how they transition. Oh, that's their quick wardrobe.
• 22:35
  Speaker C: Yeah. That's why they do this thing.
• 22:37
  Speaker D: Exactly.
• 22:38
  Speaker C: Totally. I love that. So, I mean, it just, it just seems like you're. It's more than, you know, it's more than music. It's. You're building something more than just a, yeah, hey, come see some bands. And. And that's it. Like, you're not only helping the community, but you're helping the musicians themselves.
• 22:56
  Speaker D: Yes.
• 22:56
  Speaker C: Get to that next level if they do the work, because that's the other thing. It'll show Them like, oh, shit, this is a lot of fucking work. Yeah, do this, you know, and if you're willing to do it, it's cool. But at least know it's gonna be. So I. I think we should hear another tune before we go. And they'll be right back to wrap it up with Rodney Dukes.
• 23:20
  Speaker B: Baby, tell me if you like it sexy I like to feel it so don't quit. You got the lock, I got the key so let me open it and let me get you in the mood.
• 23:38
  Speaker E: I don't have time to play games, girl, I wanna take you places. So let's see the world. Just think of all the places that you want to be. See us and just have faith in me.
• 24:06
  Speaker B: Yes, it is, yes it is.
• 24:35
  Speaker E: But when I met your bab, you were the light for me so a
• 24:40
  Speaker B: different way now we are here, baby, what you want to do? I know you're feeling me and I'm feeling you.
• 24:50
  Speaker E: You the one I want to run to keep me humble. Put it on me now I want it coming back for more. You saw the best in me when nothing was lifting me. We play like a recipe. You're giving me all I need. I just wanna bring type of loyalty. If you wanna be like me, don't lie to me. I know there will be times that you get tired of me. I just wanna let. Baby, I love, I love.
• 26:04
  Speaker A: I've been waiting so long for someone like you. You make my life complete and all my dreams come true. You turn my fantasies into reality. I don't need no one else. Girl, you are my.
• 26:26
  Speaker E: I'm giving all my love. I'm living for your love. I'm giving all my love forever.
• 26:46
  Speaker A: He.
• 26:55
  Speaker E: Goes on and on and on.
• 27:22
  Speaker C: Rodney, I want to thank you so much for coming out and doing this. It was a great conversation as I knew it would be. And before we go, I want to give you the chance to say what I refer to as your gratitude. So microphone is all yours.
• 27:34
  Speaker D: No, I just want to shout out Legacy music group, Shout out Tan in the Shades, which another band that's up and coming at. I just recently began doing a little work with here and there. So be on the lookout for them and shout out to you for having me on this and the Metroland, because it is huge and it's also, as I was telling Aaron, it is very influential, especially for the minority community, because there's just not a lot of representation for us right now. And it is changing, but like, we're trying. Yeah, very much. Listen, when I seen Jamel on there, Mosley intel, like, I was very impressed because that's, you know, one of my guys and we've performed down there. And then we also, you know, got a show coming up there in September. So that's my guy right there at the Pickle. So when I saw that and then when I saw the executive director, I believe, for Trinity on there as well, so I'm like, yeah, I like this. I like what they're doing.
• 28:34
  Speaker C: Yeah, we're trying. Yeah, I think we're doing okay.
• 28:37
  Speaker D: And just a shout out to everybody that, you know, supports us and, you know, that comes to, you know, all our shows and stuff like that. So we'll be back at Rivers on July 11 and then just come on out to, like I said, unity and community July 25th. We have one of the best lineups of talent, musicians, singers, hip hop artists and dance scenes probably assembled in over a decade or so. I'll be there.
• 29:07
  Speaker C: All right. Well, he is Rodney Dukes. I am Andy scullin. This is unsigned 518. I'll see you on the road. Unsigned 518 is produced and hosted by me, Andy Scullin. New episodes are available every week wherever you stream podcasts. If you'd like to help support the show, please like and subscribe wherever you are listening. Or you could buy me a coffee@buymeacoffee.com unsigned 518. If you would like to advertise on the show, send me an email at unsigned518mail.com and to be a guest on the show, reach out to me through Instagram at unsigned518. Take care of one another and I'll see you next week.