The Keri Croft Show
The Keri Croft Show
SZN 4, EP-4. Mekka Don. Lawyer gone Hip Hop. How he Defies Norms and Lives his Most Authentic Life!
The minute I talked to Mekka Don on FaceTime I KNEW this guy was somethin' special.
In this episode we talk about how Mekka boldly stepped away from family expectations to carve out his own path in the music industry, challenging conventional norms and embracing his true passions along the way. His story is a testament to courage, authenticity, and the pursuit of one's dreams amid societal pressures. Bias disruptor all the way, baby!
Mekka Don sheds light on the skepticism he faced stepping into rap, a field deeply rooted in street culture, without the traditional backing many expect. From proving his legitimacy to confronting stereotypes, he discusses the importance of perseverance and staying true to his narrative. Drawing parallels with artists like Drake, Mekka underscores the need for authenticity in earning the emotional investment of fans, illustrating how mental agility and resilience are key in navigating such a transformative journey.
With a nod to his upcoming projects, including an anthem and other projects for the Ohio State Buckeyes, Mekka's journey inspires us to recognize our potential and fearlessly pursue our passions.
There's so much goodness and energy packed into this hour and I can't wait to share it with you!
Thanks Mekka Don, you're a total BADASS in my book!
Hey there you beautiful badass. Welcome to the Keri Croft Show. I'm your host, keri Croft, delivering you stories that get you pumped up and feeling like the unstoppable savage that you are. So grab your coffee, put on your game face and let's do this thing. Baby Ready to elevate your self-care game, bosco Beauty Bar is a modern med spa offering everything from cosmetic injectables, lasers and microneedling to medical grade facials and skincare. Conveniently located in Clintonville, grandview, powell and Easton, making self-care a priority has never been easier. Use code KROFT for $25 off your first visit.
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Speaker 1:She does all kinds of cool shit, but these are like eye candy. They're the best mecca. Don. Welcome to the k Keri Cross Show, thank you. Thank you for having me. I feel like I got big time in here.
Speaker 3:Well, you know it's time we level up, you know what I've been waiting.
Speaker 1:You know what I've been trying and waiting to level up. Now I'm here. I'm finally leveling up with you let's go, what's good?
Speaker 3:You know, 2024 was such a good year. 2024 was such a good year. I think it was like a foundational year. I'm just excited for 2025. You know, I'm excited for one of the things about me I just love possibilities you know what I'm saying? Oh, I do look at you, I don't have to necessarily know exactly what's gonna happen, but I like to know that there are possibilities, and that just keeps me excited. I don't know I know you.
Speaker 1:You are, you're like a person that just oozes with like it's it's somewhat positivity, but it's charisma, like you just have something that's like this it's. I can feel the energy with you and I love that. And so just for people, um, that are just click, play and like, well, who is mecca? Yeah, up, right. So a girl that I know went to school with you she and I are buddies. She's like I can't believe with how much you love hip hop and all this. You don't, you don't know Mecca Don. I'm like no, but I feel like I need to. So she does. The reach out connects us.
Speaker 1:You and like there was some like serious, like I could feel your energy, I'm like I need to know more about this guy, and not only because you just have that off the rip, but I think once you start to peel back who you are and like it's just not what somebody would expect not knowing you, so, you're kind of a bias disruptor. So a couple things about you. You went to NYU for law school. Your brothers are doctors. You have this really crazy smart family.
Speaker 3:Yeah, so let's talk about the roots for a minute, yeah.
Speaker 1:Before we layer on the other stuff.
Speaker 3:Sure. So my family, my parents, are both Nigerian. They moved here to Columbus, ohio, in the 70s, early 70s, and literally landed at Ohio State on academic scholarship. That's how they got here, and so we grew up close to Upper Arlington area. And I'm the youngest of four kids. My brother is the oldest, I have two sisters and then me, and you know we come from a pretty traditional Nigerian household.
Speaker 3:As far as you know, emphasis on education I'm sure everyone knows that, right and so. But middle class, you know, just like, just you know, get it done. My parents have 10 degrees between the two of them. So I think education was just primary focus, obviously, but also just the way of life, right, in terms of how they viewed what life was supposed to be, kind of a never ending quest of learning, and and I, there's some aspects of that that I think are amazing, some aspects I feel like they were a little bit misguided, particularly particularly how this society works. But that emphasis was was important for us, for all the kids in my family.
Speaker 3:My brother, like I said, is a doctor and a lawyer, my sister's a doctor and then my other sister's a lawyer, and then there's me. I'm a lawyer also, but so you could see, obviously you know those are things that didn't happen by accident. They didn't happen, you know. It's just like when you see, you know, peyton Manning's kid, or you know, in playing football, it's like, yeah, it makes sense, that's what, that's what his parents emphasize, so um. So that was big for us, but for me I always had an itch to do other things. You know, I knew education was important and obviously I still value it and I will never talk down on it. But I had, I always had an itch to do other things.
Speaker 1:So in your mind, being the youngest too, and you're watching everybody else like follow suit, follow suit, follow suit. Did you even want to be a lawyer?
Speaker 3:Yeah, you know, actually I wanted to be a doctor growing up I really wanted to be, and I don't know if, like it's so hard to separate Like did I actually truly want to be or was I, like you know, somehow like mind-fucked into thinking like this is what I want, you know? But I really think I did want to be that. And you know, when I got to Ohio State for undergrad, I was pre-med. You know, I was like literally going across that path when I graduated from high school, I was telling everyone I was going to be a doctor.
Speaker 3:And then what happened was, when I got to Ohio State, my brother and sister I think we're both in their like in their fourth and third year of med school at that time and they were doing like 36 hour shifts and shit like that, and that was like legal back then, it's not legal now. And so I was like no way, no way, I'm not doing that, I'm not doing 36 hour shifts. That's crazy, like no. So I was like I got to, I got to find something else. And so, again, education was still important to me. I wanted to do something that I thought thought was still, I don't know, prestigious, so to speak, something that could make you money, right Like, but then also something that I felt like it just helped me, help me in life as I continue to kind of pursue, you know, my dreams and my passions and entrepreneurship. And being a lawyer was like yo yeah that that that's going to be helpful in a lot of different ways, oh for sure.
Speaker 3:So some people look at it like all the stuff I do is disconnect and I'm like, no, it's not.
Speaker 1:Oh, I don't, I don't believe that at all I think you just happen to have a lot of different talents and you're just a multifaceted guy.
Speaker 3:Well, I think also, being the youngest is a privilege in some ways, and being able to watch and see all the different things that people do and say, okay, I like that, I don't like that. Yeah, I like that, but I'm going to do it this way and kind of just pick and choose.
Speaker 3:I think there's a certain level of freedom that the youngest has. I mean, you look at the youngest in a lot of different families, you'll see there's a certain level of freedom that they have that they don't even necessarily realize that they have. It's subconscious, in some ways. There's a protection that they feel right so they can make mistakes and do things differently that don't get scrutinized the same way the oldest does Like. The pressure my brother had is totally different. We grew up in the same household but totally different lives and I've realized that as I've gotten older. So for me I think that was just. It was a blessing in a way, because I was also very observant, right. So it was. I was able to at a young age kind of say all right, this is what I like, this is what I don't like, and you're not going to box me in, you know, to this one thing.
Speaker 1:Yeah, so you're. So. At the time, though, you're boxed in, you're in it, you're a lawyer, you go to New York and then talk about the evolution then of you ramping out of that and then into what maybe you were meant to do next.
Speaker 3:Yeah, so I think it's. It starts, you know, when I was a kid man, when I was four years old, and obviously I don't remember these I remember kind of but not like my siblings do I was break dancing for people in the neighborhood. You know like I was into performing and into, you know, kind of being like an entertainer early. I was doing commercials when I was young, local commercials and you know, obviously an athlete and played multiple sports and so I always had, you know, kind of an interest in entertaining. But music was like the big one because my parents loved music, they were always playing music and my siblings all loved music and they're, you know, my brother probably introduced me to a lot of the hip-hop and especially New York hip-hop, and I remember doing videos with my sister like crisscross shit and dressing clothes backwards and like doing all that yeah and so it was like that was always a big part of like our life.
Speaker 3:Growing up was just like music and entertainment, um, but I don't think I ever really thought like I'm gonna be that until later, when I got to like high school, I was like I really started to fall in love with music and I was my brother and I started a band. I was the drummer in the band, he was the guitarist, and then, know, we played all different types of music. But then I really started to like really fall in love with hip hop and the art of creating and writing and, and you know, just storytelling, right, and messaging and um. But again, coming from the type of family I come from, you know I knew like education first. You know that's, that's the thing that I got to figure out first. And so, uh, when I went to law school, you know I, um, I, it's interesting.
Speaker 3:So I got into law school and then I deferred for a year and then that deferral year I moved to New York and I, my brother, my sister happened to be there in New York and I like stayed on their couch for a year, which is a dream If you can live in New York for free for a year. It's like a miracle, right, because it's so expensive and it's just hard to find those opportunities and they didn't really know anybody there at all because they're both in like the medical field. And so that year I just like ran the streets literally like I met everybody that year and you know just, I was just like I'm just I'm just going to go do it, right, and so I started modeling. You know, I got a modeling agent. In fact, tyson Beckford's mom was my agent for a little bit HBM was the name of her agency, hillary Beckford Management and I started, you know, just meeting people.
Speaker 3:I was like going to parties and you know I eventually started throwing parties and really like making my way in the industry and it happened pretty quick. But then the next year I started law school. So once that happens, it's like, well, you got to shut down. You can't be out here running like this, like you will, you will lose this opportunity. And so I was still performing a little bit um, but not like that during during law school, but you were bit by the bug, though you know a hundred percent.
Speaker 1:It was too late probably.
Speaker 3:It was, and I and I, so I, but I knew that I still had to like follow through, follow through, you know, and I liked it, I enjoyed it. It wasn't like I felt like, oh man, this is a crazy task, but at the same time it was, you know, the entertainment bugs eating at me constantly. And I was still, you know, I was still going to parties. I was one of my roommates played for the New York Giants and I used to throw parties with them. So I'm at parties, literally I'm at parties with, like Nas and Serena Williams and Russell Simmons, and then I'm back in class the next morning. You know what I mean. Like that was literally like the kind of life that I lived, even in law school and so, and being in New York and being in the village, like downtown, like where there's a lot of action was happening, it was kind of you know.
Speaker 3:So I had to set some of that stuff aside after I graduated, took the bar, past the bar, worked at one of the top 10 firms in the world. I had offers from every firm that I interviewed with and I was looking for a firm that I felt like would have some type of aspect of things that I wanted to do entrepreneurially later, like would have some type of aspect of things that I wanted to do entrepreneurially later so intellectual property stuff, trademark copyrights, music licensing, sports marketing or sports management, like any type of stuff like that and I ended up finding a great firm that did that, and so I was able to work kind of in that department. But I knew the whole time I was like this isn't going to last long, like this bug is too, like you said, it was too itchy, you know. So I'm going to have to get out of here, and under what circumstances I don't know, but it's going to be crazy when I decide to leave.
Speaker 1:What was the biggest thing holding you back from that? Was it telling your parents letting your parents down?
Speaker 3:Yeah, I think, telling my parents, particularly my dad, because my dad is more traditional than my mom my mom is like you're the baby. She always thought I was going to be a star, that type of thing. Um, but my dad, I think, you know, given the fact that I'm the youngest and it's kind of like, and now that I'm a parent I can kind of see this right it's like okay, this is my baby, he made it, I can exhale now. I got everybody set up, I can, I can rest peacefully now, and you know, and if happens to me, I know that everybody's taken care of right and then all of a sudden you get this curveball, like well, I'm about to leave this and I'm about to jump out into something that you, I don't know what's going to happen, and so uncertain. I didn't have a record deal, I didn't have an investor, I wasn't backed by a lot of money or anything when I decided that I was going to leave the firm. So that obviously created a certain level of uneasiness and I knew it would. So it was that. And then it was also just like society, you know, like what is society going to say? What are people going to say? You know, are people going to—and people said some shit. You know what I mean. Like what I you know, I don't know feared to a certain degree that people would say. People said it was.
Speaker 3:I mean, this was a story and part of it was our own doing because of the way we like kind of positioned the story and it got covered. It was in XXL Magazine. I'm in American Bar Association Journal. Like you know, lawyer leaves top ten law firm to go be a rapper. You know, like those are the headlines and in some ways those were headlines we fed people because we wanted to get the attention. But what happened was it became like I almost became like a joke in some way. Right, like this crazy dude. What the fuck? Who is this crazy dude? Like it's a joke, you know, yeah, but I guess to me it's like you still could fall back on being a lawyer it's like you know not
Speaker 2:a lot of people can say, like I think that's so cool about you is like okay, you have the lawyer thing.
Speaker 1:Yeah, how many people have those tools? In their arsenal, not a lot.
Speaker 3:So I think no, but it was a gift and a curse, right, because there's a pr aspect to this too, especially when you're talking about positioning yourself and having people as a, as an artist, and having people take you seriously and the branding and so on and so forth. And then also, I always talk about fans, like I think they're like what I call emotional investors, right, and so they want to be invested in you because they believe that you are representing something that is, you know, important to them in some aspect of their life. But they also want to know you're going to be here next year, next year, you're going to keep doing this, right, you're not going to just hop in and then next year you're like okay, I'm going to go back to be a lawyer, right? So people are skeptical of like is this dude really serious? Is this dude real? What is he doing? Does he just want to be a star? Is he like? You know that type of thing?
Speaker 3:So there was that hurdle, getting over that For me. I knew it was valuable, right to both. But I had to like even figure out as I'm navigating this, like, when do I say that I'm a lawyer and when do I not. You know, like there's times when I would go in meetings. I'd be like I'm probably not going to say it in this meeting, you know, because then they're going to view me this way, right?
Speaker 1:but that's so true. Yeah, and did you ever get any? I don't know if hates the word, but what was the hurdle of you? You know, when I think about rappers, I would listen to tupac and biggie or whatever they they're. They're running the streets, bone thugs. They're fighting for their next meal yeah and their stories are so coming up from the hood, hood. And so here here you are, in this different scenario. I think that would have to be something for you to overcome, too, right.
Speaker 3:Huge, huge thing to overcome. Huge Because that's part of the aspect of people thinking you're real right, because part of you know hip hop comes from the street culture originally and obviously we have a lot. You know, hip hop has expanded and grown and a lot more people are participating in it now and really it's a method for people to just tell their story, so long as it's authentic and I think that you know, and not everybody came from the street, but I mean that's kind of you know. You know what I mean.
Speaker 3:That's a general, I mean yeah, sure, and so I think that convincing people that I'm real, that this is real to me, took a lot of time and for some people, some people are still not. It doesn't matter what I do, they're still not convinced. They're like that's the kid from the suburbs or whatever they think I'm from. I saw some online and somebody sent me like people think my parents are loaded. My parents were not loaded. We were were middle class family that they, they worked hard to provide what they provided, but we were not loaded, you know. And so these are the type of things that, like, people talk about because it's not. Hip-hop is so much. Nobody cares where ariana grande is from, or taylor swift or you know even some of these rock bands. Like nobody really cares, but in hip-hop there's a real like care from where are you from, where do you represent?
Speaker 1:how hard? Yes, did you, because listen, you know like. Look at drake, yes, he's soft right people say he's, I mean his skin color. He gets you know that's colorism but that's a whole different thing. But he's got that going on along with like he was on disney or whatever he in his raps. Like I have, I have enjoyed and love his music, I have to say, but like every once in a while I'm like yep Drake, he's a little soft you know, it's just it's. I have no idea.
Speaker 3:I know, but it's.
Speaker 1:It's a thing yes, it's a.
Speaker 3:Thing it's a thing, it's a real thing, and so that's something in hip-hop. And then what? One other thing you know, and I've, you know, met with a lot of different like rappers and celebrities over the years, and people have given me tips and different things like that. And I remember somebody told me they said look, they're not going to like people, are not going to like you in this game because you're essentially taking up spots. You're taking up a spot that you don't have to take up. There are other things that you could be doing. He's like a lot of us that are in here are doing this, are doing this because this is the one thing that we know, the one option that we have to kind of make it out and to kind of. He said you could be rich doing a lot of different things. He said so just understand, I'm not saying you're not dope, he's like you're dope, but that's not really the point. There are gonna be people that don't fuck with you because they're like look, you're taking up spots and I was like wow, I never, I mean, I understood that generally, but when you know how sometimes somebody says it to you a certain way, it hits you a certain way. I was like wow. So I realized that that was a real thing, you know.
Speaker 3:So I think for me one of the things that I wanted to make sure of and early on when I'm rapping I was Pac, was like my guy. So I'm like trying to be him, trying to be DMX. You know, I'm like not original at all and I think that happens with a lot of rappers early on and then you kind of come into your own. So I made like a very conscious effort to decide like I need to make sure I am my absolute, most authentic self.
Speaker 3:The things that I'm saying are things that you can verify. You know the things are from my experience. I'm not trying to portray a life or a lifestyle or you know, coming from certain things that I didn't come from. And I think once I kind of settled in on that, things kind of started to change for me, right? I think people started to view me differently, like okay, all right, he's not trying to be, because that's part of the tension early on. It's like is this guy going to come in here trying to talk gangster shit? What is he about to be on? So I think that evolution was really important.
Speaker 1:I think you figuring out how to lean in to the places that are going to be the most fruitful, like what you've done with Ohio State, and I think your positive vibe that you have there's space for that in hip hop. Are you kidding me? I mean, let's look at this, let's going back to what we just said the hip hop you know being like, you have to be the the you know hard knocks of the hard knocks to be respected. Well, isn't there a lot of room then for, like, some positivity and some people that may be like like, let's diversify that a little bit. And I think you leaning into that and you know that's the smartest move.
Speaker 3:Yeah, I think well, and part of it is just also, you know, when you talk about leaning in, it's also about what are your experiences, what is your, what is? Where did life take you, what are the things that you actually know about? And so for me, kind of leaning into, you know, like anthems and you know kind of the sports team collaborations and stuff like that. That's I come from, I come from sports. I played four sports growing up. You know, I played four sports in high school. I played football at Ohio State, like yeah, that's I don't understand that.
Speaker 3:I understand that world and there's always been a unique marriage between sports and music that you know. Maybe it hasn't been as like seamless as what I'm doing, but there's always. I mean, you can't watch a football game or a basketball game without hearing music. You can't watch a volleyball game without hearing music. You can't go to any sporting event really without hearing music. And then you've always had artists that have, you know, worked with. You know creating anthems and you know that. You know we them, boys, are black and yellow and you know all these different things that. So that was always a and I kind of a space that I always looked at. But again, as an independent artist and you know you have to find your way, you know. And the thing is, how do you get people to listen to you? And you have your own platform. So I'm sure you know this Even people that you're friends with sometimes will not listen to your shit. No, no, you learn more. Sometimes they're the hardest people to get.
Speaker 1:And I don't even listen, I don't even like, I do not like. That has been a very interesting thing. Yes, that has been a very interesting thing.
Speaker 3:Yes.
Speaker 1:You get support, and I'm not saying I mean I have my ride or die awesome friends. But it's surprising. It is Sometimes your friends are like a little bit, and then people who you don't know really step up and you're like wow.
Speaker 3:Yes.
Speaker 1:The contrast here.
Speaker 3:It's very interesting.
Speaker 1:Mental note.
Speaker 3:It's crazy, and so I've tried to analyze it in different ways and and um, not try to put too much emphasis on it, because I think there's there's some type of uh, there's a psychology behind it but you know what like, and I like to always kind of challenge myself to look at the other perspective.
Speaker 1:If the shoe was on the other foot and one of my friends had a show, yeah, I don't know that. I could like be a loyal fan and listen to every. There's so much taking your attention so I mean I don't expect everyone to be like oh dial in carrie's on friday, but nothing like that yeah I think just over time you start to notice yeah here and there like huh there's a and then there's also a difference between like people who aren't necessarily listening, like because they're just busy, and like they're like oh, that's carrie.
Speaker 3:I talk to carrie all the time like I already know what she's probably saying, versus someone who's like who does carrie think she is? Oh, believe me, you know, I get that all the time right who?
Speaker 1:I don't know, I just am who I am, I am who I am. When you are someone who is, um, audacious by nature, someone who naturally goes against the grain and sort of hears your own voice as loud as the noise, yeah, that's a, it's a. It's definitely. It's not a norm.
Speaker 3:It's not, and I think that also, you know. Sometimes, you know, for people who are bold, right, I think there's there's a lot that comes with that, right, you know, because most people are not bold, you know, and most people are actually enamored by people that are bold and they are willing to either follow and say, wow, that's someone I want to be just like, or they're going to find something about it to nitpick at, and so that's the other thing that you're balancing. There's so many things when you're going for your own thing, there's so many things that you're balancing. People think they don't realize it's not just the thing that you're going for, it's a lot of mental stuff that you're dealing with, right, and emotional stuff.
Speaker 3:And you know comments and you know self-doubt and you know, even when you're successful you know I've talked to a lot of successful people, and I'm sure you have as well and you think that they're all like just ultra-conf, confident all the time, like in the middle of success they're like doubting themselves. You know, and part of it could be from one comment that you saw. 99 comments were like yo, you're the best, you're the most amazing ever, I love you. And that one comment is like this is terrible. Who the fuck is this person?
Speaker 3:And that thing just rings in your head. You know what I mean. Like randomly you're on an airplane, like working on, and that you that comment rings in your head, and so just balancing that, and then some of those things can really seep into your brain and say, hmm, why did somebody say that? Who am I? Do I? Am I really who I think I am, or did I create this thing? Is this real? Like what? Is this Right? Because at the end of the day, it's hard to figure out what's real and what's not.
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Speaker 1:You know, what I like to when I'm doing my internal dialogue, because you're right, you're battling, you're swinging from vines, man yes and you can really let that derail everything and then you go back into the sheep, like I think a lot of people are. Just they dilute themselves so much and they're just all the same. So you have to be mentally athletic.
Speaker 3:Yes.
Speaker 1:And this is a term that I have really started to get real close with, and I'm using it more and more and it's like but are you mentally athletic, like I see that you're going and you're working your biceps, I see you got some nice quad, I see what you're doing here. Physically, yes, but are you?
Speaker 1:mentally fit for this. Because if you're going, I mean my piece of advice if you're going to start something and you're going to step out into your authenticity, first of all don't let anybody stop you. I don't care if it's your dad, your mom, your, whomever. You were born to do it, you were destined to do it. But be ready, Be mentally athletic and train your ass.
Speaker 3:And you know what that may mean.
Speaker 1:Be quiet for a while, separate for a while, get in there and just know like you were born to do it and don't let. One day you're over here on this vine, it's like I suck, I suck. Next day you're like.
Speaker 3:I'm awesome.
Speaker 1:Don't think you're too awesome. Don't think you suck too bad. Just stay right there and just know you have a purpose.
Speaker 3:And you got to talk to yourself, oh yeah, and also remind yourself of why you're doing what you're doing and that's why the original purpose I mean you can pivot, but the original purpose is so important. I remember somebody said recently and this isn't new, but they said, if you were to evaluate where you are now versus where you were when you first started, you know you'd probably be like, oh my God, I can't. You know, someone would tell you like two years from now you would be here. You'd be like, oh my God. And then you're now you're here and you're not happy because you're trying to get to the next, next point. So that's another thing.
Speaker 3:For me is like also just evaluating and celebrating wins. Right, you know, understanding like this is a marathon, this is, you know there's like people say, success is a destination, a journey, not a destination, understanding that type of thing. But that's a lot of talking to yourself, that's meditation, that's surrounding yourself with the right people, with good thoughts, reading the right things. You know who are the people that are influencing you and what you're hearing, what you're seeing, what you're thinking, celebrating wins, taking in the good stuff, you know, accepting criticism when it's necessary and understanding the difference between criticism and hate. Not all criticism is hate and sometimes it is hate, but sometimes there's still valid points within that criticism that you could take to make yourself better. So there's a lot of that challenging yourself consistently, and that's why I love the mental, mentally athletic, because that's why I love the mentally athletic, because that's the same thing as being an athlete. You know, it's like I could do one more rep or I could run five more minutes. You know. I mean, obviously some of that's mental too, but it's also pushing yourself to the limits to be the best version of yourself and understanding that.
Speaker 3:You know, no matter what it is that's getting thrown at you, you know whatever punches are getting thrown at you, you got to bob and weave and you still have to be effective in executing. You know, and so that is part of, I would say, entrepreneurship and really any part of success, even if you're, you know, working somewhere and you're trying to be successful. Those are the challenges that you have to deal with, and I don't think people talk about those things enough. And so one of the things also for me that I always realized and I think well, let me not say always, but at a young age I realized was that there was inspiration. People were drawing inspiration from me, just deciding like yo, I'm going for mine.
Speaker 3:And I was like and it almost became like a responsibility now, like to continue. And I love that responsibility in some ways, but it's also a burden in some ways too, because you're like all right, you know, in the downtimes, when something's not happening, you're like all right, what's the next thing that's going to happen, you know? Or else, because people love, some people love to watch the rise, but some of those same people love to watch the fall. It's like almost like, and they don't care about, about what happens ultimately at the end, how that makes you feel. But sometimes the rise for some people is like, so exciting to watch and then for some of those same people they say, ah, that person got a little too big for me.
Speaker 3:I saw that happen with, like Cardi B, for example. There are people who love Cardi B when she's coming up, and now they hate her. She's pretty much the same that she's always been, but now they can't stand her. Now she's the same, pretty much the same that she's always been, but now they can't stand her. Now it's just too much. Now she's in my face. Now she's everywhere, blah, blah, you know, and it's like, hmm, so there's. So, there's that thing too. People that were once supporters of yours, even friends once you got too big, like, ah, I don't really, it's cool. When it was a cute little thing that you were doing and it was, you know, you're performing for 10 people and I was was like, yeah, go Mecca. And now you're on Fox Big News kickoff in front of the world. I'm like, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait. This thing, this isn't what I thought this thing was going to be. So now you're dealing with that too.
Speaker 1:Well, but just remember, for anyone that's listening, that is on the precipice of doing this, and it happens to everybody, but it's a, it's part of it. It's hurts.
Speaker 3:But the other thing that happens too is you also pick up some, some people, some lifelong friends and supporters, people who are along the same journey, who understands you. That energy just ends up finding each other. And you also pick up some really dope people along the way too. You know what I mean. So that doesn't mean it doesn't hurt when you realize that one of your friends was probably a hater, you know. But you also will pick up some dope people along the way.
Speaker 1:Without a doubt. And that far, I think, outweighs everything, because to me I just believe so much in your ultimate destiny and how the things that you put out come around, like I just. I mean, I've seen it so many times.
Speaker 3:I'm a big energy person Me too, big time and I think that that's all we're doing really is just transferring energy. I mean, look at this Like.
Speaker 1:so just this little show, who it's like, who does? I remember actually a little story as I was trying to name the show, my little internal dialogue. I wanted it to be the Cary Croft show because I don't know. It seemed very simple, like it just, and then everything I would try to come up with felt sticky. And then I'm like well, what if I want to build another business? Like I had a lot of like reasons for things, right, and I'm telling you what I did graphics, and I literally like made three or four different names and finally I like showed my husband and I was like well, what do you think about? Like the? This name or that name? Like what do you think about? Like the? And he goes it's the carrie croft show. Like you're, you're trying to dress it up, but I'm like who? Who the fuck am I? I know to to have the carrie croft show and then I was like, well, you're carrie, fucking croft.
Speaker 1:You are like I like, why? Why wouldn't I have the show? And if somebody has a problem with it, yeah I'd be the first person. You want to call me up and you want to have a jim smith show. Right, I'll show you how to do it yeah, yeah, I'm in for that jim smith, like I.
Speaker 1:But I feel like if I wouldn't have started this show and had kind of the audacity to be like in my little office, like who am I? Well, yeah, I would not have met, I mean, the number of the energy sources and the number of people that I have met and shit that has already been changing it. The game has changed, yeah, and it's been less than two years, it's crazy and audacity is a big word. I love that word and it's.
Speaker 3:It is, you know, because a lot of people don't have audacity and the way society has like this is a little bit maybe philosophical. But I think the way society is kind of shaped, we're not, we're groomed to be like these humble employees that just are nameless, faceless, go work for these big corporations, make them money and you retire and then you go on and let the big people at the top do the thing that they're doing, right? So anybody that kind of steps out of that and says wait, hold on, I'm my own, I'm my own person, I'm my own person, I'm my own name, I'm my own brand. I want you to know my name. No, I don't just work for such and such. I'm Carrie Croft, I'm Mecca Don.
Speaker 3:Like that is people, oh, oh, oh, and they try to make you feel like that's arrogant or it's you know who do they think they are? No, it's just that I've decided that my life matters and that my name matters and what I have to say matters, and that I don't want to necessarily be like everybody else. And so I think people that audacity which in some ways shouldn't really truly be audacity, that should be how most people are thinking is something that some people are turned off by, intimidated by, but it's also something that some, a lot of people love oh you know, and so I've also chosen this year and I've had these conversations with some of my friends I've really chosen so much to just focus on the love and the support.
Speaker 3:I get messages after messages on all social media of love, and, yes, I get hate too, but it's not. It pales in comparison to the number of just messages of love that I've gotten, and so I really really focus on that and even in my like dark moments or like my moments, where I'm feeling whatever, like things aren't going the way I want them to go, or as fast as I want them to go, or whatever, I'll like draw back on some of that stuff and I'll realize, like you know, that audacity is actually something that people are really drawing inspiration from, and I can't tell you how many messages I've gotten for someone like yo you inspired me to start this or you inspired me to do this or do that. I've been so vocal about not letting society put me into the box that they want to put me in. It's very convenient for society to box people into one box because that's how they organize society.
Speaker 3:Okay, she does this, he does that, she does this, she does that. Right, when somebody comes and disrupts that people are like oh my God, I don't know. People are like what exactly is it that you do? I'd be like everything you see me do I do. I don't understand why it's so hard to understand. I don't get it, but I do get it at the same time.
Speaker 3:right, because that's not how most people in society operate, but it's so great, but it's literally like, yes, but like Mike, I just saw you in a commercial. But aren't you a lawyer? Yes, yes, I'm an actor and I'm also a lawyer. Why is that so hard to get? But for some people it really is, and so I've realized that part of this is again, again, going back to like the audaciousness is that a word, audacity? And also, just um, the, the responsibility. It's like no, okay. So there are people out here I'm not the only one out here that's multi-talented, you know. There are a lot of people out here that have other talents that they're not tapping into because they feel so constrained or confined by what society says or what their family says or whatever. And so I I really take that seriously, you know, just to let people know, like, listen, you can, you can do multiple things, you can be multiple things, and it's okay.
Speaker 1:People are so afraid to, they're afraid to start and they don't really know how to start. You know, and I um, that's one of my goals for 2025 is like fine, tuning this brand into that. That's something I've always been really good at is figuring out a situation and being able to start it and follow it, like figure it out whether it's starting a business, whether it's finding a surrogate, without an agency, I mean talk about who does that who in an emotional turmoil, goes and finds a surrogate without an agency.
Speaker 1:I did. No one in their right mind would have done that right. So now it's like how do I give back to people who want to start something, whether it's something inside of you, whether it's an external thing or whether it's infertility? I'm so excited to be able to fine-tune that message because I feel like so many people are being stopped because of that.
Speaker 3:Well, one of the things that I've realized, too, is that I think part of it is because people, a lot of times, when they're going to start something, they're looking at the biggest and the best in whatever that industry is and looking at that as what they feel like they need to be. For example, they're like, okay, how do I become the next Apple? It what they feel like they need to be. For example, they're like, okay, how do I become the next Apple? It's like, wait, hold on, let's slow down. You have a technology product or you have some type of app or whatever. You don't have to think about how you're going to become Apple. Yet I was actually working on a book concept, so I was listening to just a couple different former authors and some tips that they gave. One of the things that one of the guys said was that you have to like really break this down and into kind of segments, right, because if you look at it holistically, it's going to be overwhelming. You're going to be like, oh, there's no way I can do that. I can't be the best seller, you know. It's like, no, no, that's not. Wait, slow down, let's work on this thing in segments, right, let's create an outline. We're going to work on chapter one through three first, and then three through five, and if you view it that way, it doesn't feel so overwhelming.
Speaker 3:And a lot of times people start to doubt themselves once they view it this big, audacious goal because they feel like they have to accomplish all of it at once and it's like that's not really how it happens. But I also think you're right that there are probably not enough mentors, people who are really showing people how to do stuff In the entertainment industry. That's one of my biggest goals and that's why I deal with young artists all the time, because it looks like you know, they're like I want to be a big artist and all of a sudden it's like okay, hold on, there's steps that you can take. It's not going to guarantee your success, but there's steps that every single artist that made it had to take. These steps. They had to practice, they had to write, they had to work on their beat selection, they had to build relationships with producers, they had to work on their marketing, their branding, their messaging, who am I, their story, all these different things that you have to build.
Speaker 3:And then you have to go out there and you have to actually deal with people. You have to go talk to people. You have to actually be in front. You can't just be on social media, you know, and say you know, just spamming people with links. You actually have to go and do it. But I think a lot of times people are so they're stopped because they're so intimidated by what they think the ultimate thing is, and it's like there's so many steps before that.
Speaker 3:And so for me, that was one of the things that I think has been a key to my success is that, you know, I have a mentor that told me. He said that you know, he was like this music game specifically. It's probably true for everything, but it's like the law of attrition Whoever can withstand the bullshit the longest and stay standing will end up winning. And so when I look back at that, I'm like it's so true. There's so many things that I've been through. I was booed off a stage when I was in college at Apollo style type talent show. You know what I mean. Like I don't even you know I've been through how many boos Was it? The whole crowd. They booed me. It was me and my cousin. I don't even remember what song it was. This was 20 years ago, probably more than that, but it was like an Apollo-style talent show and some song.
Speaker 3:We didn't have good production, we were just. You know, we had just started and we had the audacity to be on stage and we probably should not have been up there and they let us know. But that's part of it, that comes with the game, that is part of this game. You have to be able to go through that and learn and still stay confident and work through that right and then go through. You know you release this mixtape. Maybe it didn't get the reviews you wanted it to get.
Speaker 3:You know somebody tells you you know you suck you. You know somebody tells you, you know you suck you give this demo. They're like bro, you're not ready. Then you start learning about production, like the sound quality, all these different types of things that I wasn't thinking about when I started. You know, like sound quality is a great one, for example, like you might have a great idea and a great song, but if it's not mixed and mastered next sounding the way that all the songs they're hearing that are getting from major record labels every day, they don't even listen to it. So there's all these different things, that you realize that you kind of have steps that you have to go through and you have to be able to withstand, and sometimes people just aren't willing to withstand all that. They get booted off stage. They say you know what? This isn't for me and I'm done.
Speaker 1:They're not mentally athletic, they need to work on those reps.
Speaker 3:And I really imagine I always think like, wow, what if I just said and there are multiple points in time in my career where I could have said you know what, that's enough. It's not going the way I want it to go, I'm not getting the respect I want to get yeah, this one great moment happened, but then, you know, it didn't translate to what I thought it was, and then I would have never gotten to the stage I've gotten to now, and so it's just so.
Speaker 1:It's just like a testimony, in some ways too, of like, uh, perseverance, you know, oh, you have to keep coming.
Speaker 3:You have to keep getting up.
Speaker 1:Yeah, you know like, and there's a kind of a you're just built different. You know like, I. I try to think and I've been spending a lot of time too like what, what has made me this tenacious? Like, what is it about these challenges and the things I've been able to sort of like rubik's cube, and I think one of them is you have to see an obstacle or a problem. It has to kind of like. I think a lot of people naturally see an obstacle or a problem, and they have. They feel a certain type of way like oh man, overwhelmed, this is hard, they want to cower from it. When I, when when I have a like an obstacle or a problem, I almost get an adrenaline rush Like so that's the best way I can explain it and so I get super dialed in I don't want to call it excited Like.
Speaker 1:I don't want a problem, but there is something with me from a chemistry perspective where I get almost like jacked up. So I don't know if I'm just built that way. I do think if you're, if you work on the mental athletics, you can get there, cause I think, acknowledging that and going all right next time there's a problem or a challenge, like let's, let's try to see it a different way, like wait, the universe brings problems. They they bring brick walls to see who wants it more. I don't know if people know that or not. Hopefully I'm not the first person to tell you but the brick walls are there to see who wants it more. Randy Posh he's like this amazing guy that passed away, wrote a book for his kids and I remember so many things about that book. But it's like, yeah, the universe will put brick walls up. Are you going to be someone who wants it more? Yes, A hundred percent?
Speaker 1:And if the answer is yes, then start running toward the brick wall and start scaling that fucker and figuring out a way to get over it.
Speaker 3:Well, I do think some people are built differently and I wonder, like, is that a skill that can actually be taught? But I think, and then the other thing too is I think this is the experience and also seeing yourself overcome challenges. So like when people talk about confidence, for example, there's a certain thing as like natural confidence. For sure, but I think as you continue to experience things, overcome things, reach certain level of success, get different points in your life, that kind of validate where your confidence is coming from. It kind of continues to build and at a certain point it gets to a point where it's like alright, I can overcome anything. And so that is like where certain people get to. And it's like for me, right now, same as you, I don't, I don't feel like there's anything I can't overcome. And that might be crazy, Maybe I'm wrong, but the feeling is there and it's not arrogance, it's not like, oh, like nothing can stop, no, things can stop me. I can walk outside and get hit by a train right now, right. So it's not that, but it's just that feeling of confidence. But I think part of it is without persevering, it's very hard to ultimately get confident because you're not going to see enough of the signs that you need to see that show you that, okay, you are talented enough, or you are good enough, or you are smart enough to figure out what the next thing is.
Speaker 3:But what is it that makes people persevere? And to me I feel like a lot of times it's grit. How do you teach grit, I don't know, but also passion. How do you teach grit, I don't know, but also passion. So, anytime somebody, you know, when I talk to somebody and they're talking to me about what they want to do and stuff like that, I really try to gauge their level of passion. Like, what is this about, you know? Are you doing this because you think it's cool? Are you doing this because you think there's money in it? Are you doing this because you want to get girls? Are you doing this because, obvi, are you doing this because I'll be right and that's cool? I'm not saying those can't be like, you know, secondary or things, but like or are you doing this because you're passionate about it? Because if you're passionate about it, there are certain things you will do not do and there's certain things you just will not accept.
Speaker 3:Period, real good sense of what somebody's capabilities are and how much time I want to invest in them. You know, I meet a young artist. There's a young artist right now that is just super, super talented. His name's Drip Da Don and I'm just so invested in him because I know that he's really, really cares about this. You know, and I see a lot of young artists that, like you know so, when I grew up, writing, like writing music and like trying to be the best and come up with the best bars and, like you know, trying different styles and stuff like that, that was the game.
Speaker 3:Like you didn't want to come out with a whack rap. Like you, every verse you cared about, every line of every verse you cared about. If you wrote a whack line in a song and then you heard it later, you would like not even be able to listen to that song. You're like, why did I say that? And then you heard it later, you would not even be able to listen to that song. You're like, why did I say that? That was how serious we cared about the craft of actually creating music and songs and lyrics.
Speaker 3:This generation is different, and I'm not saying it's just different. They don't care necessarily about that as much. They don't necessarily care about the instrumentation as much, like when to use this type of drum or what type of instrument are you going to use, or you know, I'll take this out like they're not involved, like we were. We were literally in there with the engineers and the producers like, all right, take the kick drum out here, but can we, can we turn this up over here? You know, like that level of involvement in the creation now it's much more of a kind of a microwave society in general. But even with music it's like all right, put on the beat. Let me go rap and do a couple things who's the best rapper right now in the game?
Speaker 1:kendrick and then, who do you like top three rappers that you listen to right now? Of all time no, just that you would listen to, like, like to have shit out that you like um kendrick definitely is number one man. I was listening to him this morning when I was working out like his he's so good.
Speaker 3:The reason why I like kendrick and I'll answer your question but the reason why I like kendrick so much is is he's like just based on what I was just talking about he's like a true artist yeah no song necessarily is going to necessarily sound the same.
Speaker 3:He really uses his voice in different ways as an instrument. These are the things that I learned from you know watching other rappers growing up. You know like Busta Rhymes and you know obviously, jay-z and Pac and just like how they use their voice as an instrument. Right, it's part of the song, it's not just the lyrics DMX.
Speaker 1:RIP, rip. I loved him. That's my guy and you know.
Speaker 3:So, like that's what Kendrick, like you listen to certain songs and he really understands, like music, this is music he's making, it's not just rapping, you know yeah.
Speaker 3:And so little baby, he's one of the yeah like, I just like him. I like just how he moves and how he operates. Um, who else do I like? Uh, I like rhapsody. She's a dope, she's like super dope artist. I feel like she's like totally under respected. You know, part of it is because the industry doesn't promote artists like that so much. You know what I mean. She's like real. I don't want to say conscious, but she's, you know, she talks real shit and she doesn't shake her ass. And you know what I mean.
Speaker 3:All that type of stuff, but um what about the one um?
Speaker 1:is it young, dolph? Dolph yeah I like that one song. There's a song out that I I don't even know if it's, it's just on my hip-hop um mix.
Speaker 3:It's like murdered he died yeah oh yeah, it's, it's uh and that's the other. So I'm gonna touch on that too, if you don't mind. Yeah, one of the other things that was like, um, I say scary in some ways getting into the industry, hip-hop industry in particular was you know, there's, there's, uh, it's very cliquish, right, and so a lot of times people want to. You know, like, who are you affiliated with and you know like who you come in with. A lot of times matters, right, and then also, you know who you're cool with. You might, because you're cool with one person, you might inherit inherit the beef that they have with somebody else and not even know it. You know what I mean.
Speaker 3:Just because you did a song with such and such, or you hung out with such and such, and all of a sudden you know there's that and so and there's violence in the game, right, it's not. You know, and I'm not saying there's not violence in the rest of the world. There is, but there's violence in the game, and so that was another thing. When you talk about fear, like for my parents, for example, or people who cared about me, they're like Mech man. This is a dangerous game, not to mention the entertainment industry as a whole and a lot of things that I was very naive about when I was younger. Different events that I was at, places I was at lots of different parties Were you at a Diddy party.
Speaker 3:I never had a Diddy party and I was at parties that Diddy was at.
Speaker 1:Aren't you glad now? Yes, I was around him.
Speaker 3:I was at his restaurants, I was around Like that was not abnormal.
Speaker 1:But isn't that funny. Like at the time, you would have probably like given your left nut to be at a Diddy party. It's crazy because you know. But the thing is is I definitely saw a lot. Yeah, like, can you comment on, like what you think in terms of like Jay-Z, like he's under, like he's getting some heat Diddy like because I try to separate fact from fiction Like you have got so much out there, but when you like you were in, like you saw, yeah, I don't think jay was operating, the way diddy was operating at all, and, and part of it is.
Speaker 3:You know, even being there in new york, I'm in the heart of this stuff. I'm I'm throwing parties in new york with celebrities.
Speaker 1:You know what I'm saying so I'm in the heart of it. Were there already? Were there rumors?
Speaker 3:oh yeah, so let's let's go to that.
Speaker 1:So, like back in the day, there were already like people were talking about diddy, like so so you, alreadys.
Speaker 3:There was nobody that wasn't hearing about Diddy. You know what I mean. In New York I'm like, no, that was the thing I mean, we weren't hearing it, probably to the extent that some people are hearing about it now, but that was not a secret. That was not a secret at all, and not just him, other people in the industry and how they were moving. Also, a lot of this is like pre-internet. Most of it is pre-internet and pre like social media. So there are a lot of things that you know people were getting away with and the type of power dynamics in that industry and this entertainment as a whole. You see this in Hollywood, weinstein and stuff like that. The power dynamics are crazy because, because you talk about someone giving their left nut, yeah, people will sell their soul for the level of fame and they know that. I've had situations personally where someone said what are you willing to do for me? I swear to God, god strike me down if I'm lying. What are you willing to do for me for this thing? I swear to God.
Speaker 1:When they say that what? What are they asking Like? What are they asking Like sexually? Are they saying like really?
Speaker 3:Men too.
Speaker 1:See that that doesn't anymore. That doesn't surprise me at all.
Speaker 3:And it's crazy. But it's crazy how in your face with it. It's one thing if it's like kind of coming on to you or whatever, or like develops into something and then they put you on as a result of a relationship that you guys built. It's another thing when they're literally willing to say to your face what are you willing to do. And I remember the situation that happened to me in new york. Just like that I'm sitting almost across from someone, just like this. It was a modeling, big modeling gig potentially that I was about to get. And I was stunned. I'm young, I'm 20 years old, I come from Columbus, ohio. I'm not used to this world at all. I was naive, completely to how things worked. And I sat there and I was like what do you mean? And he was like what are you willing to do for me? I was like, oh, I was like I'm sorry you were probably polite as fuck impression.
Speaker 3:You know I'm sitting in the guy's apartment. You're like yeah, I'm like I'm sorry, I must have given you the wrong I'm so.
Speaker 3:I completely misread this situation he's like no, no, no, you read it right. I was like no, I didn't, I didn't where's. And I literally was like, okay, now I'm in danger Because I'm in somebody's apartment. I don't know them, like that. I thought this was something totally different because it was set up by a friend that I knew and all this other stuff, and I was like no, I just got to get out of here. I don't even know if anyone else is in this apartment or I don't, I don't somewhere in the Bronx. And I got out of there and I ran and I was crying. To this day I'll never forget I was crying so hard. I called my sisters. I was like you're not going to believe what just happened.
Speaker 3:That was one of my kind of welcome to the industry moments, like you want this, this is what it's going to take. You think we're were just gonna put you here on this pedestal and not get Anything from it. You think that's how this business works. That's essentially what that conversation was and I was like, wow. So when I see a lot of this stuff happening now and people are commenting and stuff like that, I'm like you guys don't even. This shit is real. I Personally have been through it. You know what I mean. This is real and I never my soul for it. That's why a lot of reason why I was never signed to a record label I never wanted to, part of it is because I also didn't have the leverage that I wanted to have just from a business perspective Like let me be honest about that too, but also because I saw how this industry worked and so I always kind of wanted to move. I hated the music industry but I loved music, so I love music. So it's like how do I kind of be a part of this thing without necessarily being all the way in it? And it's a hard, it's a very, very hard thing to do. And the more you, the more fame that you get, the more notoriety you get, the more people are going to test you, the more people are going to proposition you, the more people are going to promise you things that are, you know, that can take you to the next level. And you really have to decide and you have to have your principles in order.
Speaker 3:And a lot of young people who are trying to get in this industry. They either are just young and naive and just like whatever I'll do whatever it takes, or sometimes they get tricked into situations Like some of those parties that people were at. They didn't realize that that's what was happening. They just wanted to go party. You just wanted to be at a party. The next thing you know it's after hours, doors are locked and you have what do you? You have no security, your cell phone's been taken. What are you going to do? You're going to fight. You can fight, you know. But I mean and then some people probably did, but I'm just saying like that's a very dangerous and scary situation that a lot of people probably ended up in. Then, next thing, you know you're on tape somewhere on something, cause you were drugged or maybe you didn't even realize what happened, and you're on tape somewhere. So now, what are you going to do? You're going to go to the police against these big shots. You know what I mean. And now? So now what are you going to do? And now you're under the.
Speaker 3:So there are a lot of people that are not coming out and saying any words about this and they'll never speak on it because they know that there's stuff out there on them. It's a crazy industry, and so for me, that's another thing. I don't talk about it a ton. This is like probably the first time I've really even talked about it this much. But it's another thing that you have to really really balance when you're saying you want to be an entertainer, you want to be a star, you want to be this, and that there are real costs that come with that. There are some real grimy-ass people in this industry and there are a lot of people that are power abusers and they know how to manipulate people and they will stop you Gatekeepers, they will stop your progress if they're not benefiting somehow. So what does your dad think today about the move?
Speaker 3:I think my dad is so happy because he's able to actually see the success now in a way that feels good for him right. So you know, like watching me, for example, work with Ohio State he came here on a scholarship to Ohio State in the 70s. He understands exactly what Ohio State is Right and he had no influence on me working with Ohio State. But him being able to see that, he can see that. Him seeing me on national television, like, yeah, he knows, ok, I know what that means. He sees me in a commercial with Aaron Judge. Yeah, I know, I know what that means he sees me in a commercial with Aaron Judge. Yeah, I know what I know what that means.
Speaker 3:Before it was like what is going to happen? I don't know what's going to happen, um. And also I think my parents had developed a um, a trust for me over the years, that um that they always kind of had. But I think that you know that I was, I was smart with my decision making right. I was intentional with what, what I was doing with my decision-making right. I was intentional with what I was doing. I always had a plan, didn't really ask them for much along the years. So that was also good. But I still think that there's just general nervousness, right, because at the end of the day, it's still the industry, is still the industry, you know. But now I'm also older, which is, thank God, right. So some of the things that I may have been susceptible to before or naive to before, you're like no.
Speaker 3:I'm clearly not.
Speaker 1:Right.
Speaker 3:And then also I've done other things. So it's like I've I've actually set my life up in a way to where, um, I think they trust that I can, I'll, I'll, navigate it Right and I can make the right're very capable human being Well, I believe in myself man, I have good support system, yeah, I was going to say so.
Speaker 1:Any last minute shout outs anything you want to make sure we, you know, get out into the universe before we wrap up.
Speaker 3:Yeah, I think that, um, I think people, another underrated thing that people need to really focus on is is, you know, choosing who you're around.
Speaker 3:That definitely starts with your boyfriend, girlfriend, spouse, mate. You know what I mean, and my wife has been super dope and I think that it's an underrated aspect of people's success. Even when you talked about earlier your husband saying like yo, it's the Keri Croft show, like even just having someone that you can even talk to about, that you know, that even cares enough to even give you insight or perspective, that wants to see you be successful, I think it's a very, very important thing and so, even for success, I think people should, even outside of your spouse and stuff like that. But you got to really choose who you're around and the energy that you're taking in, because that stuff becomes really, really contagious. And so for me, I've really filtered my life and moved in a way where it's like if I don't, if I'm not fucking with your energy, you're probably not going to get a lot, a lot from me, you know, and if I do like it, you'll probably get a lot from me, and that and it becomes reciprocal. So that's just um amen.
Speaker 1:Yeah I mean I, I second that and third, that I mean it's so important, so important, so important. What do they say? The? You're the average of the like, the five people you hang out. You know it's 100 percent, it's true.
Speaker 3:It's so true. When I look at people and I see who they hang with, you know, people say, oh, don't judge a book by its cover and don't judge people by who they hang with. Well, I don't know. There's there's there Even the things that, even the words that you hear, so you know. One other thing I'll say too is just last thing is just for young kind of artists, entrepreneurs is like just be comfortable being yourself. You know, you're you, you are the product at the end of the day and you are uniquely built. There's not, there's nothing more unique than you. You're the only person in the world like you, you know, and so lean into that.
Speaker 3:I think sometimes people try to emulate other things that they've seen, and that's cool to a certain degree, but your authentic self is ultimately what people are going to love. And I think once I decided to just say look, this is who I am, you know and accept that some people are not going to like it, some people aren't, it doesn't matter, it's like I don't need everybody to like me to be successful. I think it just brought out a new energy. That's just. It's like an unstoppable force. So there you go.
Speaker 1:How did I know this was going to be an amazing conversation? And you and you, even, you know what you even, uh, overwhelmed me over delivered.
Speaker 3:Oh good.
Speaker 1:Thank you so much. I appreciate you. And then, how can people find you?
Speaker 3:At Mecca Don Music, so that's M-E-C-K-A-D-O-N Music. If you're on Spotify, apple Music, whatever, soundcloud, amazon, it's Mecca Don.
Speaker 1:Look them up.
Speaker 3:Buckle Up is the new anthem for Ohio State Buckeyes.
Speaker 1:That's right.
Speaker 3:They ran out to all season and did a dope collaboration with Ohio State with that, so check that out too.
Speaker 1:You Keep on the radar of Mecca. Don Trust me, I know these things. 2025 is going to be big, damn right. And if you're still out there following your girl, follow me on YouTube, spotify, apple or wherever you get your podcasts. And until next time, be mentally athletic. All good vibes in 2025 and beyond and keep moving, baby, that was great, great you are like hi-ya, you're like lightning.
Speaker 3:Thank you, that was great Seeing this. Just like you said. I remember you said that you were like oh too bad.
