The Legendary M$.T

David Adams: All right, guys, thank you for joining us on the Elation podcast today. We are with the legendary M$. T.

M$. T: Yes, the legend in the building, the legend is in the building. Bout time I had to fuss to get here.David Adams: I know, I know, but it's my fault. I have to get up my status before I can interview someone like yourself.

M$. T: I understand that. And I also understand that this industry is male-dominated. So all the guys stick together and forget about the women.

David Adams: I definitely like women more than guys, I can tell you that much. Even though it is Pride Month, we are definitely on the women path over here.

M$. T: It's Pride Month? Oh, I should go to Coach because they have all the pride designs. I love them, all the colors, the rainbow colors.

M$. T: Well, you don't know?

David Adams: No, I wouldn’t know they have all the colors this year.

M$. T: Oh, yeah, you don't know nothing about that, but us girls, we’re into that. I love Coach

David Adams: Well, how you doing?

M$.T: I'm doing fine.

David Adams: Good?

M$.T: Excellent.

David Adams: It's good, it's good. Well, you know, I mean, I know we know a lot about your legendary status, but we like to get into a little bit of the origins. So, let's talk about your back history and where you're from and all that stuff. So, let's just tell the people where are you from.

M$.T: I am from the Sixth Ward. They call it the Sixth Ward, the T area.

David Adams: The T area, what an amazing place to come from. That's in, uh, around N. Claiborne, right? And a lot of the second lines always happen around that area, right? So it's kind of in the middle of everything.

M$.T: Absolutely. Louis Armstrong, Armstrong Park, Mahalia Jackson Theatre. The area I'm from is very historical, so I have to put that out there.

David Adams: Absolutely. Lots of music has come from that area.

M$.T: Absolutely.

David Adams: Well, I know music isn't exactly everything you've done because you've done some work at school too in a different field, right?

M$.T: Yeah.

David Adams: What did you get your degree in?

M$.T: I got my degree in medical billing and coding.

David Adams: Coding?

M$.T: It's a technical degree, yes. And I went back for medical assistant. I really wanted to do phlebotomy. I wanted to learn how to stick people, so I just wanted to get all my certifications up.

David Adams: You got to tell me, was that just like a childhood thing that you liked?

M$.T: No, it's just I like the medical field for some reason. I don't know why, but it's a part of what I'm doing and music also, too. So, yeah, I'm doing both.

David Adams: Awesome. Entrepreneur in both.

M$.T: Entrepreneur, yes.

David Adams: I know you're proud of the coding degree, which is crazy. It threw me off when I read that.

M$.T: Oh really?

David Adams: Yeah.

M$.T: Why would it throw you off?

David Adams: Well, just because, you know, I see you as legendary Miss T. So, you know, coding isn't exactly something I would have put in the realm of an artist.

M$.T: Sometimes, I mean, depending on if an artist wants to expand and want more than one stream of income, like I do.

David Adams: Right, right, right, right. That's why.

M$.T: Right, because you understand what music is, which isn't always steady.

David Adams: Not always steady.

M$.T.: Sometimes slow. Then sometimes you could be having a good month. Like one month I remember I made like $5,000. I was like, damn!

David Adams: In one month?

M$.T: Yeah, I did good. You know, and then one month I make a thousand or fifteen hundred, you know what I'm saying? So it's off and on. So it's just good sometimes to be consistent with other things and have, you know, your hands in other things. Like it's a good thing because if one thing ain't working, you got this one working.

David Adams: Absolutely. Also, I have two books, right?

M$.T.: Yeah, we definitely going to get into that. So, tell me about the books.

M$.T.: One of my books is called "I'm Stronger and Wiser Now," and it's talking about what happened when I was younger. It's about trial and error, going through things, you know, being a blamer, then, you know, getting to know yourself as a woman and knowing that the storms and stuff don't last forever.

David Adams: Yeah.

M$.T.: So I had to go through everything that I went through to know that storms don't last forever.

David Adams: Right.

M$.T.: So that's why I get it from just going through everything that I ever been through, musically, personally, or whatever. I know that it ain't going to last for a very long time.

David Adams: No, absolutely.

M$.T.: Yeah, whether it's good or bad.

David Adams: Right, right, right.

M$.T.: So, "I Am Stronger and Wiser Now" is my testimony. Also, I was the first girl that was signed to Cash Money.

David Adams: I know, I know. A lot of people don't know that, but I met Cash Money.

M$.T.: I was 13.

David Adams: You were 13?

M$.T.: I was in a club, sneaking in a club. The club called Big Easy, and I was in there with another artist. They used to call me Terrible T. That was my name because I wanted to be gangster. And they had, I don't want to say her name, but she was, we was like a group or whatever. And we started performing, and Slim saw me, and someone was like, I like your voice. And he gave me a card, but I didn't really call him right then and there.

David Adams: No?

M$.T.: I didn't call him because there were so many guys that were interested in me, and you know, I was like boom, boom, boom. I had the body and everything going on when I was like 13. So, when I was like 13, 14, I looked like I was 18 and 19. And I used to be lying.

David Adams: That's why you were able to get in, right?

M$.T.: I'm 18. So I used to lie and everything. But anyway, I didn't call Slim right then and there. Slim from Cash Money. And then I saw Baby was in there also, and he gave me a card. So they both were interested, but they didn't know how old I was. Once I heard DJ Jimi, that really influenced me. DJ Jimi was like the bounce pinnacle back then, like he was the king of bounce.

David Adams: Right.

M$.T.: You know what I'm saying? They said Juve helped him on that album and Juvenile also on that album too. And I tell you, it was like New Orleans' own culture. New Orleans finally had something for us, right? Our own bounce music. So it was like exciting. So when I got hip to DJ Jimi, one day I saw that Cash Money card, I said, let me call Slim. Let me call. And I called him and he was like, I've been gave you this card, you just calling me? And I was like, yeah, I want to do music. And they didn't know I was that young because I was lying to everybody.

David Adams: That's crazy.

M$.T.: Yeah, I'm 20. I'm 20.

David Adams: That's crazy. So what was the first thing they did with you? Did they put you in the studio right away?

M$.T.: Man, we didn't go to the studio. I kind of like hung around them, and it was like bust this rap, you know, and I started rapping and they'd be like, you sound like the Brat, you sound like. No, rap it like this. It was like the concepts they used to give us. Baby and Slim is good with like up artists and like, you know, arranging songs and stuff. Like one of my biggest songs from New Orleans is "Creepin," and that came from Baby.

David Adams: Okay.

M$.T.: He heard an artist and he was like, you need to do an answer back to that. But mine is totally different. You wouldn't even know it's an answer back.

David Adams: Right.

M$.T.: They had MC Spud had a song called "You Better Watch Them Hoes While You're Sleepin', Dog Ass Hoes Be Creepin'." And Baby heard it. He was like, T, you should do that song. And I was like, what song? You should make a girl version, "Creepin." And I was like, you think so? And I did it. I did my own version, but mine lasted longer than his.

David Adams: That's what matters.

M$.T.: Yeah, that's what really matters. That's what matters.

David Adams: And it shows you what artists got talent and which ones don't.

M$.T.: Listen, longevity is what stamps you.

David Adams: Oh yeah.

M$.T.: And I'm still getting booked off of stuff that I've been doing since I was 13, 14.

David Adams: Yep.

M$.T.: I'm serious. "Creepin," "Fuck Them Other Hoes," all songs.

David Adams: Wow.

M$.T.: And funny, that's me. The girl me. That's me, legendary Miss T. The song with BG, "Wheelchairs," all those songs. All those songs are still moving.

David Adams: Oh yeah, yeah.

M$.T.: Well, that's awesome. But you also have some family history in music too. I heard your grandfather sang with Fats Domino.

M$.T.: Oh, my grandfather did. And my grandfather is 94.

David Adams: Wow.

M$.T.: 94 years old. And he had the opportunity to go on tour with him, but he chose his family.

David Adams: Got to.

M$.T.: You know, and you know sometimes men don't do that.

David Adams: Most of the time they don't do that.

M$.T.: Yeah, they don't do that. They go on tour, mess with the hoes or the groupies.

David Adams: Well, even go make the money, you know, even if it's just about that part.

M$.T.: Yeah, he chose his family though. He wanted to be a dad, you know, whatever. But I wish he would have, could have made that.

David Adams: Yeah, it would have made it a little easier for us. But I mean, Fats Domino is one of my favorites.

M$.T.: Fats Domino is. Because one of my good friends is Donald Marshall and his dad wrote songs for Elvis.

David Adams: Oh, wow.

M$.T.: Oh, when I tell you, he really, his foot is really in the industry. He be at Grammy parties and everything. That's my partner. He was the first one that started recording me when I was with Cash Money.

David Adams: Wow.

M$.T.: Because he had his own studio and stuff. You know what I'm saying? You gonna meet him. You gonna meet him.

David Adams: You know what's funny? Most people don't realize how many black writers wrote for Elvis.

M$.T.: Yes, yes.

David Adams: I think there's probably, I've only heard of black writers writing for Elvis. I haven't heard of any white ones, if I'm being honest.

M$.T.: I think it was only black ones.

David Adams: Yeah. Well, I mean, we need to get him on this podcast. He could talk about that.

M$.T.: Yeah, that'd be great. His dad was phenomenal, like for real.

David Adams: That's awesome. You know what? I love the history of New Orleans, and I kind of get mad when I don't see the representation.

M$.T.: Right.

David Adams: You just can't say bounce is hood and it's ghetto and all that. Hood, ghetto, and all that, that's still a part of this city. It's still a part of the culture.

M$.T.: Exactly.

David Adams: So I just feel like it really needs to be like, they need to really protest it, like really talk about it more, you know, and put it in more of the historical museums and stuff. Like, I wanted to do a bounce museum.

M$.T.: Right. You know what I'm saying? And you still could include No Limit, you still can include Cash Money because that's a part of the culture. But sometimes when people come down here, they want to shh, shh. They're not understanding the culture.

David Adams: Well, but if we had it in textbooks or we had it right.

M$.T.: Right. Well, but I also feel like a lot of the South is great with opening uptight people up.

David Adams: Yeah.

M$.T.: Especially when you travel around a little bit, you realize that people aren't as relaxed with culture as we are down here. We're open to it. We want it. We appreciate it. A lot of places are kind of tight in that sense where they. But that bounce museum would be so dope.

David Adams: Right. Well, I agree, but the bounce music allows people to be free and get into that.

M$.T.: So that's why, because they keep changing the story.

David Adams: Right, right, right, right.

M$.T.: People not really telling the old authentic story. Like Club Rumors, Big Easy, Detour, Big Man's. They be coming up with clubs and I be like, but where that club was? Because I was out at 13. I was hopping in all of them, one of them.

David Adams: Yeah, oh yeah.

M$.T.: So, you know, I just feel like some, well maybe it might be me and you could really like, really explore and tell the story about bounce music and have it accurate. At least it'll be accurate.

David Adams: Yeah, yeah.

M$.T.: And not tainted, not, yeah, the real people. Like Gregory D, you had Gregory D in the beginning, you had Manny Fresh. Manny Fresh and Gregory D was a group at one time. You had Mia X, you had Females in Charge, you had Juicy, you had D.J. Jubilee, you know what I'm saying? Like all of these people played parts when it comes to bounce, and it needs to be showcased.

David Adams: Was Mia X, and I know Mia was, no, No Limit was. But Mia came after you or Mia came before?

M$.T.: Mia came before me with bounce.

David Adams: Okay.

M$.T.: And with, I was out before her No Limit thing.

David Adams: Okay, I got you.

M$.T.: But what I'm saying is.

David Adams: Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. Mia, Mia is phenomenal in everything that she does. So I'm just saying, like, it needs to kind of be showcased, you know, upcoming females that's coming up. You know, history and even what's going on now in bounce because it's continuing.

David Adams: Yes, and it's a, it's a history and it's going to keep changing like, like a genre of music. And I just feel like it needs to be showcased.

M$.T.: 100%. But somebody has to take control of the leadership of it.

David Adams: Well, look what we were talking about earlier. Nobody, nobody's leading this. And I just feel like it could happen. Like, you know, like even though, you know, I'm an older artist now, so I understand my position, even though I do still make money and everything off of music, I like to tap into A&R or tap into a CEO of a record company and stuff like that. Like I'm starting my own company, you know, Top Tier Entertainment or whatever, because I love business.

M$.T.: Right.

David Adams: You know what I'm saying? Like when people are like, oh, you going to the medical or you going to, I ain't going. I probably work for somebody for a little bit, but I'm really going, I'm, I'm going to teach. Yeah, I'm a student. I'm a student.

M$.T.: I wouldn't live up there and go to a music. I know a lot about music. I want to learn how to do the piano, not whatever, but I could play off the top of my head. I'm just saying like I wouldn't go for that, but I'm a student when it comes to everything and anything that I do. Believe me, it's going to have entrepreneurship in it.

David Adams: Right, absolutely.

M$.T.: Oh yeah, man. That's the only way to keep things moving.

David Adams: But leaders do that. Leaders just keep moving, you know, and entrepreneurs kind of find what's missing.

M$.T.: Right. And see that, that, that history of bounce, it needs to be told because there's another museum I went to and it's right there by the Riverwalk. They had Freedia in there, another group, but they weren't even bounce. And maybe we, and that was it. And it's like, it's a whole culture.

David Adams: Yeah.

M$.T.: That needs to be talked about. And we all, we all, we, we could have the second line history and all that in there, like in that museum where everybody could come and know about bounce culture. So people, we could stop saying they're stealing our stuff.

David Adams: Right. But I also feel like it's a great time and age where like the legendary bounce artists are at the right timing in their career to, to, to pass the torch, but talk about the history and make sure that it's moved on properly. You know what I mean? And, and, and be more of leaders. And, and I see that a lot. Like a lot of us don't want to let that go. Like the artistry, but you're going to always have it. Right. You're going to always have it.

M$.T.: Yeah, no, you never let go of your legendary song. But it's good to evolve.

David Adams: 100%.

M$.T.: 100%.

David Adams: So what do you think about some of the new bounce artists? Like, um, I mean, I know Subtweet Sean says he's bounce.

M$.T.: I like him. Yeah, I like him because he's a little different.

David Adams: Yeah.

M$.T.: I like the different ones.

David Adams: Yeah.

M$.T.: They come in a little different. But see, the ones that keep talking about the same thing, I'm tuned out. Like I tune out quick. I'd be like, I don't want to hear that. I want to hear about dick all the time.

David Adams: Right.

M$.T.: Dick is not my savior. Dick, dick, dick, dick, dick. I'd be like, what the fuck? Turn it off. Fuck.

David Adams: You've heard that one before, huh?

M$.T.: Oh, I hate it. But I don't knock them for what they do. I just feel like at a time they got to have to evolve.

David Adams: Be more creative.

M$.T.: Be more creative. Like even with my album "Bounce Legend," right? I have dance songs on there. I have songs about not messing with a dude. I have a song about loving the dough, you know, like it's like a variety. It's just not on one thing. I got another song called "On My Body," and "On My Body" is about me and a man making love, but it ain't eatin' in the pussy, eatin' in the pussy. Eat it. It's like, well, you know, there's no imagination anymore. It's right on. I mean, you know, you can't imagine even like with a girl, the girl's dress code. I remember we wanted to be when we were younger. We wanted to be fly like Eve.

David Adams: Right.

M$.T.: You know, on our shit like Queen Latifah because she was more like a boss. You know, right now they want all the ass cheeks out. Well, shit, why you ain't come outside with drawers on? Want some fucking drawers.

David Adams: I, I can't. I don't like it.

M$.T.: I don't blame you. It's a different culture.

David Adams: It is. It's a different culture.

M$.T.: And it's like they do, it's like attention-seeking. Like everybody doing something to go viral. Nobody wants to be themselves. Everybody wants to be fake rich.

David Adams: Well, that's the social media thing. That's what killed everybody.

M$.T.: I hate the fake rich.

David Adams: It killed everybody.

M$.T.: But that's, that's unfortunately like, that's a bad place for the culture to go, you know, in my opinion. Like, man, you know, just, it scares me a little bit because like, what's next? You know, like, I think that, that, that we need the kind of the legends. We need to kind of usher in, excuse me, younger people.

David Adams: Yeah.

M$.T.: And just telling them the right thing instead of the wrong thing. Show them some accountability, responsibility. Because I played my part talking about dudes creeping and like the whole, like all dudes creep, like just one mindset, you know. But I had to get older and mature to know that, you know, there's different type of dudes. And I have dated different type of dudes to know they're different type of dudes.

David Adams: Right.

M$.T.: You got to go through the life experiences.

David Adams: Yeah, the life experience and stuff. So, you know.

M$.T.: But we have, we also have to pass that down because it definitely gets lost in translation.

David Adams: We have, we have to. And we have to kind of like teach them the proper way because some shit just be like, damn, you did it like that? Now that's too ghetto. Like, you could have did it this way, you know.

M$.T.: But see, I see Fi doing that a lot. I see Fi talking a lot young.

David Adams: Shout out Fi.

M$.T.: Man, I love Fi.

David Adams: That's my partner.

M$.T.: When I tell you Fi is like the godfather, I don't know if he, uh, what you call him? Barry White, that voice.

David Adams: Oh yeah.

M$.T.: Have an excellent radio voice out of this world. He could take a job on being a, um, for, for characters talking.

David Adams: Yeah, yeah, yeah. Characters and voiceovers.

M$.T.: Yeah, voiceovers.

David Adams: 100%.

M$.T.: Especially could do an audio book, "Sleepy Bear."

David Adams: 100%.

M$.T.: Oh yeah. 100%. Shout out to Fi, man. That's my partner.

David Adams: Absolutely. Absolutely. Well, so I guess not to create some controversy, but who is the real queen of bounce?

M$.T.: Me.

David Adams: I know.

M$.T.: The woman.

David Adams: Because they keep bringing up Big Freedia.

M$.T.: I think Freedia good at what he do.

David Adams: Right.

M$.T.: But, uh, the only queen is a woman. The king is a man.

David Adams: Right.

M$.T.: High five.

David Adams: High five.

M$.T.: I agree, and I like Freedia. No disrespect, but there's not a queen. A man cannot be a queen.

David Adams: No.

M$.T.: Even if you want to be a queen.

David Adams: Right.

M$.T.: You know, so no disrespect.

David Adams: So they got to give you, they got to give you your flowers, man.

M$.T.: They need to because I'm sick of these people. I'm sick of coming out with songs sounding better than the, uh, their new songs.

David Adams: Right.

M$.T.: Than their new songs.

David Adams: Right.

M$.T.: My old songs sound better than the new songs.

David Adams: The queen, man.

M$.T.: The queen.

David Adams: Well, so the queen has a princess of bounce too, huh? Who?

M$.T.: Quay.

David Adams: Oh yes, uh-huh.

M$.T.: My little princess.

David Adams: Your little princess.

M$.T.: Yes, yes, yes. She's an artist as well.

David Adams: How long she been doing it?

M$.T.: Six, seven years now.

David Adams: Yeah, yeah.

M$.T.: I didn't even know she wanted to do music.

David Adams: Really?

M$.T.: Quay was in college playing around, and she used to watch everything that I used to go through in music. So she just figured that everything was bad, so she didn't want to tell me until she got into school. And then when she was in college, she was like, uh, I wrote a song. You want to hear it? What you writing a song for? Let me hear it. Oh, all right, it's all good. Here she comes, another song. Like, uh, oh.

David Adams: Got caught the bug, huh?

M$.T.: I said, Quay, if you really want to do it, write the song for real, for real. And I'mma pay for your studio time. And she wrote a song, and I paid for her studio time.

David Adams: There you go.

M$.T.: Yeah. Both of my kids, I think, got the music bug.

David Adams: Well, it's hard not to, you know, when it starts with the family.

M$.T.: I got it from my grandpa, remember?

David Adams: Yep.

M$.T.: Not only my grandpa on my daddy's side, but my whole side of my mama family. These people can sing way better than me. They so cold, like gospel.

David Adams: I mean, well, and I'm sure in the church too.

M$.T.: Yeah, they dope.

David Adams: Yeah.

M$.T.: I started off in the church though, but these people, they cold. So yeah, it came from both sides, my mom's side and my dad's side. But you know, I watched my grandpa playing the piano, like, you know, had his own band. He used to have his band like in the garage. They used to play, so we used to watch that when we was younger or whatever. I also got a famous cousin named Laxary. Remember that.

David Adams: Wow.

M$.T.: Laxary be having soldiers on my new album "Bounce Legend." He produced most of the tracks, and he's still doing music too.

David Adams: Okay.

M$.T.: Yeah. So don't think everybody's not doing it.

David Adams: No, absolutely. Now, it's one thing about music is there's a lot of people working in closets that nobody listens to or hears right now.

M$.T.: You know.

David Adams: And there's only so much space in the universe for marketing, I guess.

M$.T.: You think so? I don't know.

David Adams: Or you think they pick and choose who they pick?

M$.T.: Of course they pick and choose.

David Adams: I mean, I guess, come on, let's be honest.

M$.T.: Trying to be nice about it, but it definitely is a...

David Adams: Do you think that's fair?

M$.T.: Oh no, absolutely not. But has it ever been fair?

David Adams: No.

M$.T.: I mean, it was always, wait till it blows and then steal it. It was kind of always...

David Adams: That's what they used to do.

M$.T.: You know, and now it's, wait till you blow on social media and steal your fans. So it's a little bit different. But I'm glad you're holding it down.

David Adams: Yeah, I'm glad too.

M$.T.: In plain sight, because I'll be putting a lot of new shit up there. Nobody ain't get me yet.

David Adams: Listen, if you can stay independent and still make money, that's the best way to go.

M$.T.: I think so too, but I think also if you could kind of broaden your horizon and get more fans than New Orleans.

David Adams: Yeah.

M$.T.: And a little bigger than that, like four, five, four, five states, you could be rich.

David Adams: That, I agree.

M$.T.: That people think platform.

David Adams: But that's what we were talking about earlier. The platforms for those things don't exist down here right now. Nobody is uplifting these younger artists and creating a lane for them to truly make money.

M$.T.: And the radio station's wack too. We need to buy.

David Adams: Because everything's corporate.

M$.T.: Yeah.

David Adams: Everything gets a list of what to play. They don't actually pick it. There's no DJs breaking songs anymore.

M$.T.: It's like fucked up.

David Adams: I mean...

M$.T.: Tell me about it.

David Adams: I hate it. I mean, it's just, it's just not the way, because it's kind of like dampering people's dreams.

M$.T.: You know, it's also...

David Adams: I was that young girl that was listening to Tina.

M$.T.: Force feeding the culture.

David Adams: Yeah.

M$.T.: You know, making me like something I really don't like.

David Adams: Right.

M$.T.: You know, and after I hear it 12 times on the radio, I'm probably going to sing it because it's the only...

David Adams: Right.

M$.T.: I've been listening to it. It's repetition, you know?

David Adams: Yeah, so there's no real...

M$.T.: That's like programming.

David Adams: Yeah, but that's what all radio stations are now.

M$.T.: But I'm just saying what we could do. I'm just saying like if we going to complain about shit, I want to find a solution too.

David Adams: I want to find a solution too. And honestly, this podcast is one of my answers to a solution because we're talking about it. But it's the first step. Now we got to find an answer where we go.

M$.T.: But we still need people down here like A&Rs and people with the will.

David Adams: Yeah, I agree.

M$.T.: That's what we're missing because I feel like we could cultivate anything that we got.

David Adams: We got it. We've got enough.

M$.T.: So how the movie business able to do it down here and the music can't translate?

David Adams: Well, so the movie specifically really started for, for actually, you know, New Orleans. And I found this out just a couple of days ago. You know, we had the first indoor movie theater in 1876 in the country. We were the first ones. So the movies have actually been like here a long time. They filmed the first Tarzan movie here, I think in 1915 or 1912 or something. So they've been filming movies here for a long time, only because I think the landscape is so different. You can go get all kinds of different landscapes. But what started to boom was the tax incentives, which we wrote before most states did outside of the California, New York. And so the tax credits are what brought these big companies like Disney and Netflix and Amazon and HBO and all these people filming down here. But music isn't involved in that.

M$.T.: I know that don't make sense though, because music is entertainment.

David Adams: Listen, I have the Dolby room next door. The part of what we are actually all participating in with legislation right now is trying to get them to add the post into the film so that at least the audio in the film can be covered by the tax credits. But right now all the post editing leaves. So it just, it's stupid that it's not included.

M$.T.: Right.

David Adams: But it's no one advocated for it. They were advocating for film, you know? And so it's one thing that I learned about legislation is you can't force a door open. They have to give you the door because there's only so many go-arounds you can jump on every year and how many sessions and da, da, da. So you really kind of have to...

M$.T.: Don't you agree that at least New Orleans should be the musical capital of the South?

David Adams: Oh, I agree. At least.

M$.T.: At least.

David Adams: Well, so it goes back to the Grammys. They're saying it's Atlanta.

M$.T.: Well, so wait, but you know, in the Grammy Association, we are in the Memphis chapter.

David Adams: Really?

M$.T.: We don't even have our own chapter.

David Adams: I didn't know that.

M$.T.: Yeah, how screwed up is that?

David Adams: Like, so I met the guy that's over the Grammys.

M$.T.: You talking about Reed, right? Reed Wick.

David Adams: I met Reed, but there's another one. So Reed stepped down. I don't know the new guy's name. But Reed's doing more for Memphis now than New Orleans.

M$.T.: But see, Reed work at Loyola, right?

David Adams: I know he works a lot with Loyola.

M$.T.: Yeah, because he's over a music program over there. You talking about up there?

David Adams: No, that's up and Reed though. Reed, I think Reed is over Loyola.

M$.T.: Oh really? Okay, all right. But I didn't realize that we didn't have our own chapter until I got involved with Reed and all them down here with the Grammy Association. And I was like, New Orleans doesn't have its own chapter. Like we invented a lot of music.

David Adams: Exactly.

M$.T.: So, but that respect level has to be brought out.

David Adams: Why don't you tell me a little bit about your experience filming here with Quay in the video? Because we shot her video here, didn't we?

M$.T.: Oh yeah, this was my first time.

David Adams: Oh yeah?

M$.T.: Yeah, so I didn't even know this existed. And we met up with Fi, and then Fi was telling me about Elation and stuff like that. I didn't know it was a spot where you could put a car in. I didn't even know none of that, you know? So I was just like amazed. And then they was like, they got studio, studio this, they got interns. And it was just like amazing to me, you know? Because I want to do a video here soon.

David Adams: Yeah, awesome.

M$.T.: But we loved having you here.

David Adams: So dope.

M$.T.: This though, and New Orleans needs something like this. They don't have nothing like this.

David Adams: No. Well, I tried my best.

M$.T.: Try to bring LA to LA.

David Adams: Oh yeah, this is LA, baby.

M$.T.: I love it.

David Adams: Well, so tell me a little bit more about your books and like, how did that come to?

M$.T.: Oh man, I'm always was like a writer. Like I always write songs. Like it take me nothing. Like you could give me, you could say something and I make a whole hook out of a word. Like I always was a writer even when I was younger. So, you know, writing songs, I started writing down like journal and then writing out my experiences, what I've been through. And then sometimes, well, not sometimes, most of the times, writing for me, it helped me therapeutically. Just writing everything down. So it helped me move to the next segment in my life instead of being stuck.

David Adams: Right.

M$.T.: You know how sometimes you could be stuck because you haven't got that out?

David Adams: Right, absolutely.

M$.T.: Needed to get it out. So I said, let me talk about what I've been through with Cash Money. Let me talk about what I went through with my mom. Let me talk about everything that I went through, but not being a blamer, just being a person that learned from her mistakes.

David Adams: Right.

M$.T.: You know what I'm saying? So that's how the first book came about. So then I taught myself about affirmations. I read the book "The Secret." I watched the video "The Secret." I done manifested a lot of things in my life. I had a vision board one time when everything on my vision board came true. So then I came with the second book, "Morning Affirmations and Inspirations for the Soul," because when you keep saying it, you being, you know, repetitious, you could really start feeling it. You know what I'm saying?

David Adams: Right.

M$.T.: Like now, like, and sometimes people think when you do affirmations that you're not going to have a negative day. You probably going to have a negative day, but if you keep saying it, you remember that's the tools you need to go back to what you were saying earlier. Oh, I might have a good day or everything working out great for my good. You don't want nothing to change that energy.

David Adams: Right.

M$.T.: You know what I'm saying? So that's what I kind of do now.

David Adams: Well, and I feel like the best books are the ones where you don't write yourself as the victim. You write yourself as the storyteller, telling what happened and then the answer afterwards. You know what I mean? But if you read it as being a victim, it gets to be not, someone really can't learn from that, I feel like, you know.

M$.T.: Yeah, it's weak.

David Adams: It's weak.

M$.T.: It's weak playing the victim. And it's like you're patting yourself like, feel sorry for me. You know, and I hate that. I like to learn from what I've been through, and I also like to teach. And so many years in my life, I didn't always told people the wrong things that not in my 40s. I'm like, now I'm going to tell you the right thing because that's wrong because I went the wrong way. You know, being evil and conniving and the reason why I let people know about that side, because I want everybody to know that you are going to carry negative and positive with you all the time. It's that choice.

David Adams: Right, right.

M$.T.: That decision you got to make when things happen, you'd be like, I could do this, but then I could walk away. Because sometimes that could be life saving to a person just walking away or you want to sit there and entertain that person and they get stupid, then it gets bigger than what it all needs to be.

David Adams: Yeah, a little Miss legendary Miss T right here.

M$.T.: You need that.

David Adams: You need that.

M$.T.: I need it.

David Adams: You need that.

M$.T.: And then I have another book that I'm currently writing called "Let Your Heartbreak Push You Towards Your Greatness." This book going to be so good for women, but also for men because it's talking about three different relationships I was in and how they all pushed me towards my greatness, whether they were negative or whether it was good. It still pushed me to not give up, to keep going, or I'm crying today, but the storms don't last, you know what I'm saying? Like telling you with the first book.

David Adams: Right.

M$.T.: So like I said, I'm into the medical field, writing a book, still doing me as Miss T. Like I said, because I want my hands in different things and I want multiple streams of income. And in my, you know, with my legacy or whatever, I just want it to be way more than music. I want you to learn something from me.

David Adams: There you go. Well, you can put all that in music too.

M$.T.: Yeah, you could.

David Adams: Yeah, you could put it all, put it into that music.

M$.T.: Yeah, but it's good to.

David Adams: That's awesome.

M$.T.: Want to be a little beacon of hope, huh?

David Adams: There you go. Absolutely. Absolutely. Well, so I know where most people are probably going to know where to find you, but why don't you let people know where they can find you on your socials and your music and everything about you.

M$.T.: I was talking too much, huh?

David Adams: No.

M$.T.: Okay, so basically you can find me on Instagram at the legendary Miss T, M-S-T, the legendary M-S-T on Instagram or go to legendary.com to my website and you can check out the books. I'm going to put t-shirts up. I'm going to put a fan page up. I ain't put that up yet, but you guys, if y'all want to find out more information about me, y'all could Google me and find out, you know, I was the first girl that was signed to Cash Money.

David Adams: Well, and the bounce, bounce, bounce history, the bounce museum coming soon.

M$.T.: Yes, it's really coming soon. It's really coming soon.

David Adams: All right, that's coming to fruition. We making it work. We speaking it into existence.

M$.T.: Better.

David Adams: Right now. Right now.

M$.T.: Well, great. Thank you, guys.

David Adams: Thank you for your time.

M$.T.: Thank you for joining.

David Adams: And we had a great conversation.

M$.T.: Thank you, guys.

David Adams: Thank you for coming to Elation, where we find exhilarating euphoria through creation and collaboration.

David Adams: All right, guys, thank you for joining us on the Elation podcast. Today we are with the legendary M$.T.

M$.T: Yes, the legend in the building. The legend is in the building!

David Adams: How you doing?

M$.T: I know about you! I know, I know, I know. But it's my fault. I have to get up my status before I can interview someone like yourself.

David Adams: I understand that, and I also understand that this industry is male-dominated.

M$.T: Yes, it is. So all the guys stick together and forget about the women.

David Adams: I definitely like women more than guys. I can tell that much. Even though it is Pride Month, we are definitely on the women path over here.

M$.T: It's Pride Month?

David Adams: Yeah.

M$.T: Oh, I should go to Coach because they have all the Pride designs. I love them, all the colors, the rainbow colors.

David Adams: Well, you don't know?

M$.T: No, I wouldn't know.

David Adams: Coach? Coach?

M$.T: I know the brand, but I wouldn't know they have all the colors.

David Adams: Oh yeah, you don't know anything about that, but girls, we into that.

M$.T: I like that. I love Coach.

David Adams: Well, how you doing?

M$.T: I'm doing fine.

David Adams: Good?

M$.T: Excellent.

David Adams: It's good, it's good. Well, you know, I mean, I know we know a lot about your legendary status, but we like to get into a little bit of the origins. So, let's talk about your back history and where you're from and all that stuff. So, let's just tell the people where are you from.

M$.T: I am from the Sixth Ward. They call it the Sixth Ward, the T area.

David Adams: The T area, what an amazing place to come from. That's in, uh, around N. Claiborne, right? And a lot of the second lines always happen around that area, right? So it's kind of in the middle of everything.

M$.T: Absolutely. Louis Armstrong, Armstrong Park, Mahalia Jackson Theatre. The area I'm from is very historical, so I have to put that out there.

David Adams: Absolutely. Lots of music has come from that area.

M$.T: Absolutely.

David Adams: Well, I know music isn't exactly everything you've done because you've done some work at school too in a different field, right?

M$.T: Yeah.

David Adams: What did you get your degree in?

M$.T: I got my degree in medical billing and coding.

David Adams: Coding?

M$.T.: One of my books is called "I'm Stronger and Wiser Now," and it's talking about what happened when I was younger. It's about trial and error, going through things, you know, being a blamer, then, you know, getting to

M$.T: It's a technical degree, yes. And I went back for medical assistant. I really wanted to do phlebotomy. I wanted to learn how to stick people, so I just wanted to get all my certifications up.

David Adams: You got to tell me, was that just like a childhood thing that you liked?

M$.T: No, it's just I like the medical field for some reason. I don't know why, but it's a part of what I'm doing and music also, too. So, yeah, I'm doing both.

David Adams: Awesome. Entrepreneur in both.

M$.T: Entrepreneur, yes.

David Adams: I know you're proud of the coding degree, which is crazy. It threw me off when I read that.

M$.T: Oh really?

David Adams: Yeah.

M$.T: Why would it throw you off?

David Adams: Well, just because, you know, I see you as legendary Miss T. So, you know, coding isn't exactly something I would have put in the realm of an artist.

M$.T: Sometimes, I mean, depending on if an artist wants to expand and want more than one stream of income, like I do.

David Adams: Right, right, right, right. That's why.

M$.T: Right, because you understand what music is, which isn't always steady.

David Adams: Not always steady.

M$.T.: Sometimes slow. Then sometimes you could be having a good month. Like one month I remember I made like $5,000. I was like, damn!

David Adams: In one month?

M$.T: Yeah, I did good. You know, and then one month I make a thousand or fifteen hundred, you know what I'm saying? So it's off and on. So it's just good sometimes to be consistent with other things and have, you know, your hands in other things. Like it's a good thing because if one thing ain't working, you got this one working.

David Adams: Absolutely. Also, I have two books, right?

M$.T.: Yeah, we definitely going to get into that. So, tell me about the books.

 know yourself as a woman and knowing that the storms and stuff don't last forever.

David Adams: Yeah.

M$.T.: So I had to go through everything that I went through to know that storms don't last forever.

David Adams: Right.

M$.T.: So that's why I get it from just going through everything that I ever been through, musically, personally, or whatever. I know that it ain't going to last for a very long time.

David Adams: No, absolutely.

M$.T.: Yeah, whether it's good or bad.

David Adams: Right, right, right.

M$.T.: So, "I Am Stronger and Wiser Now" is my testimony. Also, I was the first girl that was signed to Cash Money.

David Adams: I know, I know. A lot of people don't know that, but I met Cash Money.

M$.T.: I was 13.

David Adams: You were 13?

M$.T.: I was in a club, sneaking in a club. The club called Big Easy, and I was in there with another artist. They used to call me Terrible T. That was my name because I wanted to be gangster. And they had, I don't want to say her name, but she was, we was like a group or whatever. And we started performing, and Slim saw me, and someone was like, I like your voice. And he gave me a card, but I didn't really call him right then and there.

David Adams: No?

M$.T.: I didn't call him because there were so many guys that were interested in me, and you know, I was like boom, boom, boom. I had the body and everything going on when I was like 13. So, when I was like 13, 14, I looked like I was 18 and 19. And I used to be lying.

David Adams: That's why you were able to get in, right?

M$.T.: I'm 18. So I used to lie and everything. But anyway, I didn't call Slim right then and there. Slim from Cash Money. And then I saw Baby was in there also, and he gave me a card. So they both were interested, but they didn't know how old I was. Once I heard DJ Jimi, that really influenced me. DJ Jimi was like the bounce pinnacle back then, like he was the king of bounce.

David Adams: Right.

M$.T.: You know what I'm saying? They said Juve helped him on that album and Juvenile also on that album too. And I tell you, it was like New Orleans' own culture. New Orleans finally had something for us, right? Our own bounce music. So it was like exciting. So when I got hip to DJ Jimi, one day I saw that Cash Money card, I said, let me call Slim. Let me call. And I called him and he was like, I've been gave you this card, you just calling me? And I was like, yeah, I want to do music. And they didn't know I was that young because I was lying to everybody.

David Adams: That's crazy.

M$.T.: Yeah, I'm 20. I'm 20.

David Adams: That's crazy. So what was the first thing they did with you? Did they put you in the studio right away?

M$.T.: Man, we didn't go to the studio. I kind of like hung around them, and it was like bust this rap, you know, and I started rapping and they'd be like, you sound like the Brat, you sound like. No, rap it like this. It was like the concepts they used to give us. Baby and Slim is good with like up artists and like, you know, arranging songs and stuff. Like one of my biggest songs from New Orleans is "Creepin," and that came from Baby.

David Adams: Okay.

M$.T.: He heard an artist and he was like, you need to do an answer back to that. But mine is totally different. You wouldn't even know it's an answer back.

David Adams: Right.

M$.T.: They had MC Spud had a song called "You Better Watch Them Hoes While You're Sleepin', Dog Ass Hoes Be Creepin'." And Baby heard it. He was like, T, you should do that song. And I was like, what song? You should make a girl version, "Creepin." And I was like, you think so? And I did it. I did my own version, but mine lasted longer than his.

David Adams: That's what matters.

M$.T.: Yeah, that's what really matters. That's what matters.

David Adams: And it shows you what artists got talent and which ones don't.

M$.T.: Listen, longevity is what stamps you.

David Adams: Oh yeah.

M$.T.: And I'm still getting booked off of stuff that I've been doing since I was 13, 14.

David Adams: Yep.

M$.T.: I'm serious. "Creepin," "Fuck Them Other Hoes," all songs.

David Adams: Wow.

M$.T.: And funny, that's me. The girl me. That's me, legendary Miss T. The song with BG, "Wheelchairs," all those songs. All those songs are still moving.

David Adams: Oh yeah, yeah.

M$.T.: Well, that's awesome. But you also have some family history in music too. I heard your grandfather sang with Fats Domino.

M$.T.: Oh, my grandfather did. And my grandfather is 94.

David Adams: Wow.

M$.T.: 94 years old. And he had the opportunity to go on tour with him, but he chose his family.

David Adams: Got to.

M$.T.: You know, and you know sometimes men don't do that.

David Adams: Most of the time they don't do that.

M$.T.: Yeah, they don't do that. They go on tour, mess with the hoes or the groupies.

David Adams: Well, even go make the money, you know, even if it's just about that part.

M$.T.: Yeah, he chose his family though. He wanted to be a dad, you know, whatever. But I wish he would have, could have made that.

David Adams: Yeah, it would have made it a little easier for us. But I mean, Fats Domino is one of my favorites.

M$.T.: Fats Domino is. Because one of my good friends is Donald Marshall and his dad wrote songs for Elvis.

David Adams: Oh, wow.

M$.T.: Oh, when I tell you, he really, his foot is really in the industry. He be at Grammy parties and everything. That's my partner. He was the first one that started recording me when I was with Cash Money.

David Adams: Wow.

M$.T.: Because he had his own studio and stuff. You know what I'm saying? You gonna meet him. You gonna meet him.

David Adams: You know what's funny? Most people don't realize how many black writers wrote for Elvis.

M$.T.: Yes, yes.

David Adams: I think there's probably, I've only heard of black writers writing for Elvis. I haven't heard of any white ones, if I'm being honest.

M$.T.: I think it was only black ones.

David Adams: Yeah. Well, I mean, we need to get him on this podcast. He could talk about that.

M$.T.: Yeah, that'd be great. His dad was phenomenal, like for real.

David Adams: That's awesome. You know what? I love the history of New Orleans, and I kind of get mad when I don't see the representation.

M$.T.: Right.

David Adams: You just can't say bounce is hood and it's ghetto and all that. Hood, ghetto, and all that, that's still a part of this city. It's still a part of the culture.

M$.T.: Exactly.

David Adams: So I just feel like it really needs to be like, they need to really protest it, like really talk about it more, you know, and put it in more of the historical museums and stuff. Like, I wanted to do a bounce museum.

M$.T.: Right. You know what I'm saying? And you still could include No Limit, you still can include Cash Money because that's a part of the culture. But sometimes when people come down here, they want to shh, shh. They're not understanding the culture.

David Adams: Well, but if we had it in textbooks or we had it right.

M$.T.: Right. Well, but I also feel like a lot of the South is great with opening uptight people up.

David Adams: Yeah.

M$.T.: Especially when you travel around a little bit, you realize that people aren't as relaxed with culture as we are down here. We're open to it. We want it. We appreciate it. A lot of places are kind of tight in that sense where they. But that bounce museum would be so dope.

David Adams: Right. Well, I agree, but the bounce music allows people to be free and get into that.

M$.T.: So that's why, because they keep changing the story.

David Adams: Right, right, right, right.

M$.T.: People not really telling the old authentic story. Like Club Rumors, Big Easy, Detour, Big Man's. They be coming up with clubs and I be like, but where that club was? Because I was out at 13. I was hopping in all of them, one of them.

David Adams: Yeah, oh yeah.

M$.T.: So, you know, I just feel like some, well maybe it might be me and you could really like, really explore and tell the story about bounce music and have it accurate. At least it'll be accurate.

David Adams: Yeah, yeah.

M$.T.: And not tainted, not, yeah, the real people. Like Gregory D, you had Gregory D in the beginning, you had Manny Fresh. Manny Fresh and Gregory D was a group at one time. You had Mia X, you had Females in Charge, you had Juicy, you had D.J. Jubilee, you know what I'm saying? Like all of these people played parts when it comes to bounce, and it needs to be showcased.

David Adams: Was Mia X, and I know Mia was, no, No Limit was. But Mia came after you or Mia came before?

M$.T.: Mia came before me with bounce.

David Adams: Okay.

M$.T.: And with, I was out before her No Limit thing.

David Adams: Okay, I got you.

M$.T.: But what I'm saying is.

David Adams: Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. Mia, Mia is phenomenal in everything that she does. So I'm just saying, like, it needs to kind of be showcased, you know, upcoming females that's coming up. You know, history and even what's going on now in bounce because it's continuing.

David Adams: Yes, and it's a, it's a history and it's going to keep changing like, like a genre of music. And I just feel like it needs to be showcased.

M$.T.: 100%. But somebody has to take control of the leadership of it.

David Adams: Well, look what we were talking about earlier. Nobody, nobody's leading this. And I just feel like it could happen. Like, you know, like even though, you know, I'm an older artist now, so I understand my position, even though I do still make money and everything off of music, I like to tap into A&R or tap into a CEO of a record company and stuff like that. Like I'm starting my own company, you know, Top Tier Entertainment or whatever, because I love business.

M$.T.: Right.

David Adams: You know what I'm saying? Like when people are like, oh, you going to the medical or you going to, I ain't going. I probably work for somebody for a little bit, but I'm really going, I'm, I'm going to teach. Yeah, I'm a student. I'm a student.

M$.T.: I wouldn't live up there and go to a music. I know a lot about music. I want to learn how to do the piano, not whatever, but I could play off the top of my head. I'm just saying like I wouldn't go for that, but I'm a student when it comes to everything and anything that I do. Believe me, it's going to have entrepreneurship in it.

David Adams: Right, absolutely.

M$.T.: Oh yeah, man. That's the only way to keep things moving.

David Adams: But leaders do that. Leaders just keep moving, you know, and entrepreneurs kind of find what's missing.

M$.T.: Right. And see that, that, that history of bounce, it needs to be told because there's another museum I went to and it's right there by the Riverwalk. They had Freedia in there, another group, but they weren't even bounce. And maybe we, and that was it. And it's like, it's a whole culture.

David Adams: Yeah.

M$.T.: That needs to be talked about. And we all, we all, we, we could have the second line history and all that in there, like in that museum where everybody could come and know about bounce culture. So people, we could stop saying they're stealing our stuff.

David Adams: Right. But I also feel like it's a great time and age where like the legendary bounce artists are at the right timing in their career to, to, to pass the torch, but talk about the history and make sure that it's moved on properly. You know what I mean? And, and, and be more of leaders. And, and I see that a lot. Like a lot of us don't want to let that go. Like the artistry, but you're going to always have it. Right. You're going to always have it.

M$.T.: Yeah, no, you never let go of your legendary song. But it's good to evolve.

David Adams: 100%.

M$.T.: 100%.

David Adams: So what do you think about some of the new bounce artists? Like, um, I mean, I know Subtweet Sean says he's bounce.

M$.T.: I like him. Yeah, I like him because he's a little different.

David Adams: Yeah.

M$.T.: I like the different ones.

David Adams: Yeah.

M$.T.: They come in a little different. But see, the ones that keep talking about the same thing, I'm tuned out. Like I tune out quick. I'd be like, I don't want to hear that. I want to hear about dick all the time.

David Adams: Right.

M$.T.: Dick is not my savior. Dick, dick, dick, dick, dick. I'd be like, what the fuck? Turn it off. Fuck.

David Adams: You've heard that one before, huh?

M$.T.: Oh, I hate it. But I don't knock them for what they do. I just feel like at a time they got to have to evolve.

David Adams: Be more creative.

M$.T.: Be more creative. Like even with my album "Bounce Legend," right? I have dance songs on there. I have songs about not messing with a dude. I have a song about loving the dough, you know, like it's like a variety. It's just not on one thing. I got another song called "On My Body," and "On My Body" is about me and a man making love, but it ain't eatin' in the pussy, eatin' in the pussy. Eat it. It's like, well, you know, there's no imagination anymore. It's right on. I mean, you know, you can't imagine even like with a girl, the girl's dress code. I remember we wanted to be when we were younger. We wanted to be fly like Eve.

David Adams: Right.

M$.T.: You know, on our shit like Queen Latifah because she was more like a boss. You know, right now they want all the ass cheeks out. Well, shit, why you ain't come outside with drawers on? Want some fucking drawers.

David Adams: I, I can't. I don't like it.

M$.T.: I don't blame you. It's a different culture.

David Adams: It is. It's a different culture.

M$.T.: And it's like they do, it's like attention-seeking. Like everybody doing something to go viral. Nobody wants to be themselves. Everybody wants to be fake rich.

David Adams: Well, that's the social media thing. That's what killed everybody.

M$.T.: I hate the fake rich.

David Adams: It killed everybody.

M$.T.: But that's, that's unfortunately like, that's a bad place for the culture to go, you know, in my opinion. Like, man, you know, just, it scares me a little bit because like, what's next? You know, like, I think that, that, that we need the kind of the legends. We need to kind of usher in, excuse me, younger people.

David Adams: Yeah.

M$.T.: And just telling them the right thing instead of the wrong thing. Show them some accountability, responsibility. Because I played my part talking about dudes creeping and like the whole, like all dudes creep, like just one mindset, you know. But I had to get older and mature to know that, you know, there's different type of dudes. And I have dated different type of dudes to know they're different type of dudes.

David Adams: Right.

M$.T.: You got to go through the life experiences.

David Adams: Yeah, the life experience and stuff. So, you know.

M$.T.: But we have, we also have to pass that down because it definitely gets lost in translation.

David Adams: We have, we have to. And we have to kind of like teach them the proper way because some shit just be like, damn, you did it like that? Now that's too ghetto. Like, you could have did it this way, you know.

M$.T.: But see, I see Fi doing that a lot. I see Fi talking a lot young.

David Adams: Shout out Fi.

M$.T.: Man, I love Fi.

David Adams: That's my partner.

M$.T.: When I tell you Fi is like the godfather, I don't know if he, uh, what you call him? Barry White, that voice.

David Adams: Oh yeah.

M$.T.: Have an excellent radio voice out of this world. He could take a job on being a, um, for, for characters talking.

David Adams: Yeah, yeah, yeah. Characters and voiceovers.

M$.T.: Yeah, voiceovers.

David Adams: 100%.

M$.T.: Especially could do an audio book, "Sleepy Bear."

David Adams: 100%.

M$.T.: Oh yeah. 100%. Shout out to Fi, man. That's my partner.

David Adams: Absolutely. Absolutely. Well, so I guess not to create some controversy, but who is the real queen of bounce?

M$.T.: Me.

David Adams: I know.

M$.T.: The woman.

David Adams: Because they keep bringing up Big Freedia.

M$.T.: I think Freedia good at what he do.

David Adams: Right.

M$.T.: But, uh, the only queen is a woman. The king is a man.

David Adams: Right.

M$.T.: High five.

David Adams: High five.

M$.T.: I agree, and I like Freedia. No disrespect, but there's not a queen. A man cannot be a queen.

David Adams: No.

M$.T.: Even if you want to be a queen.

David Adams: Right.

M$.T.: You know, so no disrespect.

David Adams: So they got to give you, they got to give you your flowers, man.

M$.T.: They need to because I'm sick of these people. I'm sick of coming out with songs sounding better than the, uh, their new songs.

David Adams: Right.

M$.T.: Than their new songs.

David Adams: Right.

M$.T.: My old songs sound better than the new songs.

David Adams: The queen, man.

M$.T.: The queen.

David Adams: Well, so the queen has a princess of bounce too, huh? Who?

M$.T.: Quay.

David Adams: Oh yes, uh-huh.

M$.T.: My little princess.

David Adams: Your little princess.

M$.T.: Yes, yes, yes. She's an artist as well.

David Adams: How long she been doing it?

M$.T.: Six, seven years now.

David Adams: Yeah, yeah.

M$.T.: I didn't even know she wanted to do music.

David Adams: Really?

M$.T.: Quay was in college playing around, and she used to watch everything that I used to go through in music. So she just figured that everything was bad, so she didn't want to tell me until she got into school. And then when she was in college, she was like, uh, I wrote a song. You want to hear it? What you writing a song for? Let me hear it. Oh, all right, it's all good. Here she comes, another song. Like, uh, oh.

David Adams: Got caught the bug, huh?

M$.T.: I said, Quay, if you really want to do it, write the song for real, for real. And I'mma pay for your studio time. And she wrote a song, and I paid for her studio time.

David Adams: There you go.

M$.T.: Yeah. Both of my kids, I think, got the music bug.

David Adams: Well, it's hard not to, you know, when it starts with the family.

M$.T.: I got it from my grandpa, remember?

David Adams: Yep.

M$.T.: Not only my grandpa on my daddy's side, but my whole side of my mama family. These people can sing way better than me. They so cold, like gospel.

David Adams: I mean, well, and I'm sure in the church too.

M$.T.: Yeah, they dope.

David Adams: Yeah.

M$.T.: I started off in the church though, but these people, they cold. So yeah, it came from both sides, my mom's side and my dad's side. But you know, I watched my grandpa playing the piano, like, you know, had his own band. He used to have his band like in the garage. They used to play, so we used to watch that when we was younger or whatever. I also got a famous cousin named Laxary. Remember that.

David Adams: Wow.

M$.T.: Laxary be having soldiers on my new album "Bounce Legend." He produced most of the tracks, and he's still doing music too.

David Adams: Okay.

M$.T.: Yeah. So don't think everybody's not doing it.

David Adams: No, absolutely. Now, it's one thing about music is there's a lot of people working in closets that nobody listens to or hears right now.

M$.T.: You know.

David Adams: And there's only so much space in the universe for marketing, I guess.

M$.T.: You think so? I don't know.

David Adams: Or you think they pick and choose who they pick?

M$.T.: Of course they pick and choose.

David Adams: I mean, I guess, come on, let's be honest.

M$.T.: Trying to be nice about it, but it definitely is a...

David Adams: Do you think that's fair?

M$.T.: Oh no, absolutely not. But has it ever been fair?

David Adams: No.

M$.T.: I mean, it was always, wait till it blows and then steal it. It was kind of always...

David Adams: That's what they used to do.

M$.T.: You know, and now it's, wait till you blow on social media and steal your fans. So it's a little bit different. But I'm glad you're holding it down.

David Adams: Yeah, I'm glad too.

M$.T.: In plain sight, because I'll be putting a lot of new shit up there. Nobody ain't get me yet.

David Adams: Listen, if you can stay independent and still make money, that's the best way to go.

M$.T.: I think so too, but I think also if you could kind of broaden your horizon and get more fans than New Orleans.

David Adams: Yeah.

M$.T.: And a little bigger than that, like four, five, four, five states, you could be rich.

David Adams: That, I agree.

M$.T.: That people think platform.

David Adams: But that's what we were talking about earlier. The platforms for those things don't exist down here right now. Nobody is uplifting these younger artists and creating a lane for them to truly make money.

M$.T.: And the radio station's wack too. We need to buy.

David Adams: Because everything's corporate.

M$.T.: Yeah.

David Adams: Everything gets a list of what to play. They don't actually pick it. There's no DJs breaking songs anymore.

M$.T.: It's like fucked up.

David Adams: I mean...

M$.T.: Tell me about it.

David Adams: I hate it. I mean, it's just, it's just not the way, because it's kind of like dampering people's dreams.

M$.T.: You know, it's also...

David Adams: I was that young girl that was listening to Tina.

M$.T.: Force feeding the culture.

David Adams: Yeah.

M$.T.: You know, making me like something I really don't like.

David Adams: Right.

M$.T.: You know, and after I hear it 12 times on the radio, I'm probably going to sing it because it's the only...

David Adams: Right.

M$.T.: I've been listening to it. It's repetition, you know?

David Adams: Yeah, so there's no real...

M$.T.: That's like programming.

David Adams: Yeah, but that's what all radio stations are now.

M$.T.: But I'm just saying what we could do. I'm just saying like if we going to complain about shit, I want to find a solution too.

David Adams: I want to find a solution too. And honestly, this podcast is one of my answers to a solution because we're talking about it. But it's the first step. Now we got to find an answer where we go.

M$.T.: But we still need people down here like A&Rs and people with the will.

David Adams: Yeah, I agree.

M$.T.: That's what we're missing because I feel like we could cultivate anything that we got.

David Adams: We got it. We've got enough.

M$.T.: So how the movie business able to do it down here and the music can't translate?

David Adams: Well, so the movie specifically really started for, for actually, you know, New Orleans. And I found this out just a couple of days ago. You know, we had the first indoor movie theater in 1876 in the country. We were the first ones. So the movies have actually been like here a long time. They filmed the first Tarzan movie here, I think in 1915 or 1912 or something. So they've been filming movies here for a long time, only because I think the landscape is so different. You can go get all kinds of different landscapes. But what started to boom was the tax incentives, which we wrote before most states did outside of the California, New York. And so the tax credits are what brought these big companies like Disney and Netflix and Amazon and HBO and all these people filming down here. But music isn't involved in that.

M$.T.: I know that don't make sense though, because music is entertainment.

David Adams: Listen, I have the Dolby room next door. The part of what we are actually all participating in with legislation right now is trying to get them to add the post into the film so that at least the audio in the film can be covered by the tax credits. But right now all the post editing leaves. So it just, it's stupid that it's not included.

M$.T.: Right.

David Adams: But it's no one advocated for it. They were advocating for film, you know? And so it's one thing that I learned about legislation is you can't force a door open. They have to give you the door because there's only so many go-arounds you can jump on every year and how many sessions and da, da, da. So you really kind of have to...

M$.T.: Don't you agree that at least New Orleans should be the musical capital of the South?

David Adams: Oh, I agree. At least.

M$.T.: At least.

David Adams: Well, so it goes back to the Grammys. They're saying it's Atlanta.

M$.T.: Well, so wait, but you know, in the Grammy Association, we are in the Memphis chapter.

David Adams: Really?

M$.T.: We don't even have our own chapter.

David Adams: I didn't know that.

M$.T.: Yeah, how screwed up is that?

David Adams: Like, so I met the guy that's over the Grammys.

M$.T.: You talking about Reed, right? Reed Wick.

David Adams: I met Reed, but there's another one. So Reed stepped down. I don't know the new guy's name. But Reed's doing more for Memphis now than New Orleans.

M$.T.: But see, Reed work at Loyola, right?

David Adams: I know he works a lot with Loyola.

M$.T.: Yeah, because he's over a music program over there. You talking about up there?

David Adams: No, that's up and Reed though. Reed, I think Reed is over Loyola.

M$.T.: Oh really? Okay, all right. But I didn't realize that we didn't have our own chapter until I got involved with Reed and all them down here with the Grammy Association. And I was like, New Orleans doesn't have its own chapter. Like we invented a lot of music.

David Adams: Exactly.

M$.T.: So, but that respect level has to be brought out.

David Adams: Why don't you tell me a little bit about your experience filming here with Quay in the video? Because we shot her video here, didn't we?

M$.T.: Oh yeah, this was my first time.

David Adams: Oh yeah?

M$.T.: Yeah, so I didn't even know this existed. And we met up with Fi, and then Fi was telling me about Elation and stuff like that. I didn't know it was a spot where you could put a car in. I didn't even know none of that, you know? So I was just like amazed. And then they was like, they got studio, studio this, they got interns. And it was just like amazing to me, you know? Because I want to do a video here soon.

David Adams: Yeah, awesome.

M$.T.: But we loved having you here.

David Adams: So dope.

M$.T.: This though, and New Orleans needs something like this. They don't have nothing like this.

David Adams: No. Well, I tried my best.

M$.T.: Try to bring LA to LA.

David Adams: Oh yeah, this is LA, baby.

M$.T.: I love it.

David Adams: Well, so tell me a little bit more about your books and like, how did that come to?

M$.T.: Oh man, I'm always was like a writer. Like I always write songs. Like it take me nothing. Like you could give me, you could say something and I make a whole hook out of a word. Like I always was a writer even when I was younger. So, you know, writing songs, I started writing down like journal and then writing out my experiences, what I've been through. And then sometimes, well, not sometimes, most of the times, writing for me, it helped me therapeutically. Just writing everything down. So it helped me move to the next segment in my life instead of being stuck.

David Adams: Right.

M$.T.: You know how sometimes you could be stuck because you haven't got that out?

David Adams: Right, absolutely.

M$.T.: Needed to get it out. So I said, let me talk about what I've been through with Cash Money. Let me talk about what I went through with my mom. Let me talk about everything that I went through, but not being a blamer, just being a person that learned from her mistakes.

David Adams: Right.

M$.T.: You know what I'm saying? So that's how the first book came about. So then I taught myself about affirmations. I read the book "The Secret." I watched the video "The Secret." I done manifested a lot of things in my life. I had a vision board one time when everything on my vision board came true. So then I came with the second book, "Morning Affirmations and Inspirations for the Soul," because when you keep saying it, you being, you know, repetitious, you could really start feeling it. You know what I'm saying?

David Adams: Right.

M$.T.: Like now, like, and sometimes people think when you do affirmations that you're not going to have a negative day. You probably going to have a negative day, but if you keep saying it, you remember that's the tools you need to go back to what you were saying earlier. Oh, I might have a good day or everything working out great for my good. You don't want nothing to change that energy.

David Adams: Right.

M$.T.: You know what I'm saying? So that's what I kind of do now.

David Adams: Well, and I feel like the best books are the ones where you don't write yourself as the victim. You write yourself as the storyteller, telling what happened and then the answer afterwards. You know what I mean? But if you read it as being a victim, it gets to be not, someone really can't learn from that, I feel like, you know.

M$.T.: Yeah, it's weak.

David Adams: It's weak.

M$.T.: It's weak playing the victim. And it's like you're patting yourself like, feel sorry for me. You know, and I hate that. I like to learn from what I've been through, and I also like to teach. And so many years in my life, I didn't always told people the wrong things that not in my 40s. I'm like, now I'm going to tell you the right thing because that's wrong because I went the wrong way. You know, being evil and conniving and the reason why I let people know about that side, because I want everybody to know that you are going to carry negative and positive with you all the time. It's that choice.

David Adams: Right, right.

M$.T.: That decision you got to make when things happen, you'd be like, I could do this, but then I could walk away. Because sometimes that could be life saving to a person just walking away or you want to sit there and entertain that person and they get stupid, then it gets bigger than what it all needs to be.

David Adams: Yeah, a little Miss legendary Miss T right here.

M$.T.: You need that.

David Adams: You need that.

M$.T.: I need it.

David Adams: You need that.

M$.T.: And then I have another book that I'm currently writing called "Let Your Heartbreak Push You Towards Your Greatness." This book going to be so good for women, but also for men because it's talking about three different relationships I was in and how they all pushed me towards my greatness, whether they were negative or whether it was good. It still pushed me to not give up, to keep going, or I'm crying today, but the storms don't last, you know what I'm saying? Like telling you with the first book.

David Adams: Right.

M$.T.: So like I said, I'm into the medical field, writing a book, still doing me as Miss T. Like I said, because I want my hands in different things and I want multiple streams of income. And in my, you know, with my legacy or whatever, I just want it to be way more than music. I want you to learn something from me.

David Adams: There you go. Well, you can put all that in music too.

M$.T.: Yeah, you could.

David Adams: Yeah, you could put it all, put it into that music.

M$.T.: Yeah, but it's good to.

David Adams: That's awesome.

M$.T.: Want to be a little beacon of hope, huh?

David Adams: There you go. Absolutely. Absolutely. Well, so I know where most people are probably going to know where to find you, but why don't you let people know where they can find you on your socials and your music and everything about you.

M$.T.: I was talking too much, huh?

David Adams: No.

M$.T.: Okay, so basically you can find me on Instagram at the legendary Miss T, M-S-T, the legendary M-S-T on Instagram or go to legendary.com to my website and you can check out the books. I'm going to put t-shirts up. I'm going to put a fan page up. I ain't put that up yet, but you guys, if y'all want to find out more information about me, y'all could Google me and find out, you know, I was the first girl that was signed to Cash Money.

David Adams: Well, and the bounce, bounce, bounce history, the bounce museum coming soon.

M$.T.: Yes, it's really coming soon. It's really coming soon.

David Adams: All right, that's coming to fruition. We making it work. We speaking it into existence.

M$.T.: Better.

David Adams: Right now. Right now.

M$.T.: Well, great. Thank you, guys.

David Adams: Thank you for your time.

M$.T.: Thank you for joining.

David Adams: And we had a great conversation.

M$.T.: Thank you, guys.

David Adams: Thank you for coming to Elation, where we find exhilarating euphoria through creation and collaboration.