Welcome to the Music City Mindset podcast, where hosts Blake Harris and Deon Giddens explore the remarkable journeys of those who have moved to Nashville in pursuit of dreams in music, business, or pro sports. In each episode, hear inspiring stories from people who weren’t born here but now call Nashville home. Whether they’re navigating the challenges of the music industry, launching a business, or chasing pro sports success, these guests share their love for the city and how it’s shaped their lives and careers. Tune in to discover what makes Nashville so special!
Nashville Fit Magazine Podcast
Welcome to Music City Mindset
(upbeat music) - What's happening? You've just pressed play on the Music City Mindset Podcast. - This is where we tap in the Nashville as most influential people and see why they love Nashville. - Let's get it started. How's it going? My name is Blake Harris. I am your host of this show. The Music City Mindset is now officially on the NFM Podcast Network, which is an amazing experience that is gonna allow us to get to all kinds of guests from all walks of life. The one thing that our guests are gonna have in common is that they are not from here. So sitting down with a couple of Nashville natives, we are gonna really dive into why Nashville. But I could not do this alone. Your co-host sitting along with me during this journey is a guy that is a husband, he is a father. He is a Glen Cliff High School icon, a Tennessee State All-American that got him onto the Buffalo Bills. He trains people in the MLB, the NFL, pro boxers, collegiate athletes of all kinds. The current defensive back coach for Lipscomb Academy, owner of the training corner, my buddy, Dion Giddens. - Hey, you got me blushing with that intro, man. Good and this. - Hey, what I need to pay for that, man. Hey, pleasure to be here, man. I appreciate you being here as a host, man. - I'm happy you're here. We got a lot more in common than people realize. So your experience, not only with who you are in Nashville, but because of what you did in Nashville, has taken you all over the country, all over the world. But now you're still coming back here to give back to the immediate community that's here. Why do you love Nashville so much? - Man, first of all, I was just being born and raised here. I think it's, I think somebody called me a unicorn. I think two weeks ago, which I don't know if the field offended or what, but it was-- - Was that your first time being called a unicorn? - First time, I didn't know what didn't mean. So, but once they explained, like, oh, okay. Well, I stand up for that. But on Nashville, especially in dear to my heart, been all over the world, traveled a lot of places, lived in different places. But it's something about this city, man. Just seeing it grow from the time I came up to now, it's just, it's capturing my heart. And I always had the college home. I mean, no matter where I go, I couldn't see myself living somewhere else. And if I did, I always make sure I have a house right here in the middle of the city. But with that being said, just seeing the opportunities to come and also some of the ones that I didn't have growing up in Nashville, made me want to create a platform to where I can kind of reach back and present that to the upcoming youth and some of the current people living here and doing what I do. So it's fun doing it. So, and they have gotten bit by the Nashville book. Nashville, a short story, I was in a wedding in Mexico about two, three years ago, met a guy from London. And I told him where we were from, his eyes lit up. It's a bucket list city now. Nashville has become a bucket list city. And you couldn't have told you or I would have never imagined that. - You grew up Eastside? - Southside. - Southside. - Southside Nashville. Yeah. It's done nothing but continue to grow since before we were born. - Oh yeah. - It's not even the same city. - No. - But we've gotten into a climate where it's such a different city, a bucket list city like you said. - You're a bucket list city now. - But now us being from here is the anomaly where like, I don't know about you, you were down Southside up Northside to meet somebody from London. - Oh yeah. - That was like, you didn't just meet people from Europe. - No. - Around Nashville. Now, it's the people that are here that are not just visiting, but living here, investing into the city, they're not from here. Why do you think that is? - I think they're one of the top reasons, the food. This has become a food city or foodie town, quote unquote. But everybody loves southern food. The weather can be the weather. And then the hospitality here, right? So that varies from city to city, state to state. But I know in Nashville, I've had a lot of good experiences and some of the people that are not from here, they feel at home. So you put that together. I mean, why would you leave? Why would you leave? I mean, I had the opportunity to and I still won't. So, I think that's part of the reason. But I think once they get into the Nashville culture, and we can talk about that too, but I know the TSU culture, when people come in, I take them around to some of the TSU campus and some of the events, they're like, oh, wait, I didn't know this was here. Like, so, you know, me being black, I know a lot of people say Nashville is just such a, it's only country music, but it's not. And I love country music, don't get me wrong, but it's more to it. So with that being said, once you tap in everything that Nashville has to offer, I think that's the big draw. - Yeah, it's, so tapping into like the food conversation is that is one of the like the front line leading rains as far as like the culture of the city. Like growing up playing football, things like that, you got to get a meal after a game. - Yeah, I see. - Like growing up, what was kind of like that post-game restaurant, like where would you go? - I mean, my mom cooked, so I'm not gonna lie to you. So, spaghetti. - Yep. - Spaghetti and maybe, you know, I love episodes growing up, so. - And that was, that was post-game. - That's a terrible combination, by the way, I wouldn't recommend it to anybody. - You mix it together? - Absolutely not, but I just like applesauce. So, she had that in maybe some fish, spaghetti and fish or something in Nashville that we eat down here. So, a lot of people are like, you know, grits and fish, fish and grits, whatever, but when you say spaghetti and fish in Nashville, like, you know, it's a Nashville thing. So, she always had it ready for them, and maybe a salad on the side. - Yeah, so, I mean, like, the point is that like, the restaurant's available at the time for either eating late at night or something that was-- - Crystals. - Yeah. - McDonald's. - That's true. - I wouldn't bless another half Chick-fil-A at the time. I don't even think they were here, was it? - I don't remember if there was one. - I don't think Chick-fil-A was even here, but if they were, I probably would have had that, but. - But now, if we wanted to go watch a Titans game, something 'cause I think you and I are both done playing. - Yeah, I'm done. If you didn't know I'm done, yes, it's over. - When we go to a Titans game, the length of conversation of us deciding where we'd wanna go eat, it could take longer than us actually sitting down to eat. - Absolutely. - There's so many options. - Tons of options. - And like, you look at the restaurant tours that are coming in here, the Sean Brock, the Manit Show Hons, like, it's not just more options, but they're like, high quality options. - Oh man, you get everything coming here. It's like, you can go to Broadway now, you can go downtown to where you have them. Eddie V's here, there's a big chain there, moved in. Oh, you have Slim and Husky, shout out to Slim and Husky, TSU guys, so they got a spot, Eddie V's is right there. You got so many restaurants and chains, not even these restaurants, chains coming in the Nashville, so, and you can't forget about the homegrown people, man. Like, Princess I chicken, people love that. - Cows, country kitchen. - There you go, all that stuff. The staples in the city, so, people can spend a week here that's eating at restaurants. You know what I mean? - That's probably the number one question I get when people are like, hey, I'm visiting here for a week. What restaurants do you recommend? I like, you only got a week? (laughing) You don't take longer than that, but yeah, I mean then, but that's why they need us. You gotta work out if you live it. I feel like if people don't, if you don't, you'll be in trouble. - Yeah, for sure. - You enjoy why you can, but you're gonna have to be active here though, which we can solve those problems too. But you're not a fool, man, it's a foodie city. It is, and then it's a college sound too, you know what I mean? So college, that's what it's name. So you got, you know, TSU, Vanderbilt, Belmont, Fish University, you got a lot of colleges within like a 10-mile radius here. - Yeah. - So when school is in, I tell everybody, when school is in, Nashville's a different city. In my opinion, it's from growing up here. - Oh, 100%. - Yeah, Nashville turns into like, I mean, like you said, you think you're in Atlanta somewhere as far as the traffic goes. - Especially 'cause like, what people don't realize is there are three HBCUs clustered together. - Yeah. - That a lot of people don't even know there isn't HBCU here or what that even stands for, but to know that there's three right there together, it does get a little wild sometimes. - Yeah, so HBCU, historically black colleges and universities, so you have Tennessee State, university, you have Fish University, and Manhattan. So they all, you can walk to those actually. - Yeah, and the culture of what they did for our city is incredible, not even just from a like civil rights, black versus white type situations. I mean, you got Ed Toutal first, HBCU number one overall. - First round, first peak. - And a lot of people, you kind of touched it on it, and I'm glad you said something. The fact that we're called the music city, that actually didn't come from country music, it came from Fisk. One of my favorite things to drop on people that they might not know, and you can look this up, the Fisk Jubilee Singers, they sang for Queen Elizabeth. - They did. - And out of everyone that performed, she gave them the only standing ovation, she didn't know who they were, or where they were from, she said that where they had to come from the city of music. And as coming back into the music scene that was here, that's when they started running with music city, but people just know country music. So there's so much deep culture that's hidden within within the city that a lot of people don't even realize, which is another reason of wanting to start this show, because I feel like I'm telling people about the history and the good things that Nashville has to offer that's not getting black out on Broadway, that can kind of taint someone's opinion of what the city has to offer, that there is a whole culture there. A lot of culture that I really, even in my own city, really fell in love with with my time at TSU. When did you get to TSU? - So '99. - You were '99? - '99, so I got ready to shut it. So that was the, man, we had Leon Murray, we won the OVC Championship actually, yeah. So EVC called recruiting me, so I got red-shirted, but I graduated in 2004. So I did a five-year stint there. - Gotcha. - Which people don't know, we both attended TSU. - Yeah. - And the part of the football program, so that's something that's a little known fact, but now, how was your time there? 'Cause I know how mine was. - Yeah, I mean, I guess the only thing I could ask you is like, how was it going from South Nashville to North Nashville? (laughing) - I know, right, it's different. But guess what, believe it or not, though, when I got there, I was maybe only one of two freshmen from Nashville, believe it or not. So it's still, even though I was in Nashville, it felt like I was in a different city. - My recruiting class didn't have that many people from Nashville, but the class before me-- - Same. - With like Lil Riley, you know, C. Young, you know, a bunch of them, they all were all from here. Now, it was a little bit of a culture shock, even though it was the same city. - That's right. - I came from good pasture, little hoity-toity, church or price. - I know you were the good pasture. - Yeah, I wanna stay tight on a good pasture before going to TSU. - You got some on me, Andy. - Yeah, well, that's why I don't love that you're at Lipscomb 'cause we were rivals back then. But, you know, I'm not a coach there, you're a coach there, so. - Yeah, it's like, what are the bridges out there? - Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. (laughing) - I guess I still like you, though. (laughing) - First episode, we hate each other. - Yeah, yeah, I hate this dude. - No, but it was a little bit of a culture shock. - It was like, I hate phrasing it this way 'cause now, after my college experience, I hate people who talk like this. But, I didn't think it would be that much of a culture 'cause I would go down and see games down the whole, you know? And then when the Titans came here, they would do some practice and stuff on there. So, I was kind of familiar with campus, you know? It's not like I hadn't been around, I've been friends with black people growing up. So, like, I was, you know, had black friends, you know? And then I just get completely submerged into the HBCU culture. And, I mean, it was just interesting because it was, I got received differently than I expected to be received. - In what way? Good, bad. - That as long as it was authentic, I could just be me. - That's a good thing. - But in every other culture I was in, it was a predominantly white culture. I had to, like, fit into the box of what their culture was. Where then when I go into college at the HBCU, it was more like just be you. And that was so refreshing 'cause I've always felt like a misfit. I've never felt like I fit in anywhere I was at. So then to go there and be like, not just be you, that I realized that, like, being around in a culture that was majority minorities, I could fit in and be myself more in that situation than any other situation I'd ever been apart of. - That's a key point. That's why I tell people, man, this be you. No matter where you are, what you do, black, white, or the other. If you are you, genuine people connect, regardless. First time me and you, third time, well, I've been friends for years. Nothing matter like genuine people, that's the way to go. So glad you had that experience at TSU. So that's a good thing. - There were definitely some groups that were not thrilled that I was part of, so what? - Acting an ass, but I didn't just, like, keep to my room and be like, oh, no, I'm gonna stay quiet. - I just like that. - But they also sold me a dream, too. They told me it was like 19% Caucasian. What's your take on there? - That included Avon Williams, that included online students, that included the, he's already loved it. The Dennis program and the nursing program that's like barely across the line on the campus. - So you probably saw maybe five white people. - Yeah, well, walking through, it was like, where's the other 18%. - All right, we love everybody. You've been a TSU, you know what I'm talking about. This is kind of funny, but it's all over. - So, yeah, I mean, that was really where I actually first really started getting the confidence to be myself. - Which is great. In the clubs, everything. - You know what I'm saying? I think Nashville brings it alive, too, though, because you can go anywhere and get that same experience. - Good, bad, and ugly. - Yeah, I mean, even the culture of, like, Broadway, I think something about this city, sober, drunk, whatever you want to do, you get to just be whoever you want to be when you're here in Nashville. - And that's the draw to it. - Yeah. - So I feel like everybody I've run across from, you know, that wasn't from here, but end up standing, like, "Man, I can just do me." - It's been a wild experience to meet people that are not from Nashville, whether it be a big city or some small town, and this is their first big city. The amount of people that feel like this is home because they found themselves when they were here. And that's something that I can relate to, because I feel like even though I'm from here, I still found myself here. And I feel like that's just such a draw of why people feel like this is home, even though it's not where they're from. - Right. - But I don't, this whole concept kind of started because I do feel like as more people started calling me a unicorn and realizing that my circle wasn't from Nashville anymore, and realizing that they have this unspoken bond. - People that find themselves here in the city. - Yeah, that two people that aren't from here that find themselves here, they don't have to talk about it. They know what went into them getting here and what they can assume someone else went through to get here. And it's like a life experience that I'll never have, 'cause at this point, with owning businesses and things like, I still got grandparents, and like, I'm not going anywhere anytime soon. So I'm not, there's a life experience that I'm trying to use this show really to vicariously gain that experience of what it would take to pack up all of your belongings that can fit with wherever you're going. Cash out your accounts. Leave that security of your friends, family. It's tough, have you ever actually lived somewhere? - I actually, I have actually. So I had the funny story, well not funny, but real story. So I graduated from TSU 2004, but during that last semester, I was going back and forth to Camp in Buffalo. So I had a rookie camp to go to, had another camp to go to. So I had to tell the teachers, hey, I'm missing, and they was very understanding. So fast forward, graduated. They already had my plane ticket ready. So I had family from LA. They came in, everybody was in town. They were still kicking in the podium, but I had to catch a flight the next day, and I was out. So that's kind of how I started, like kind of live away from Nashville. But I was in Buffalo the next day. Did that, and I would come back. So even there, you know, you get some of the perks from playing. - Did you know anybody in Buffalo? - I actually, I did, I had a Nashville teammate. They believed not from TSU. - Okay. - I did. So Lawrence Smith, he was there. He was the old lineman. Big L's what they call him. Shout out to Big L, but he was already there. So he let me use his car and everything. You know, I haven't, I haven't anything. I'm a freak. - That had to make a huge difference. - Oh man, it made me feel so at home. Like he just showed me. - Did you know where Buffalo is? I don't mean to like, - Oh, 'cause I'm black. (laughing) - Oh, you didn't mean to 'cause I'm black. No, I did though. - Okay. - Yeah, I did. And then it's like cold, you know what I mean? So here we in Nashville's 100 degrees, get off the plane in Buffalo, man. Sometimes you get freezing rain still. - What? - So it's crazy. - But bug's there when you got there? - No. - Okay. - No. So we're in Buffalo and they going around at the practice one day or at the summertime deal. Like, hey, Kanye West is in town. You know, you stay in town. You can get the backstage passes. We got a limo, Zimazin picking you up. He ain't even put you on stage. I like, now I'm going back to Nashville. I live. That's how much I live the city. You know what I mean? Like, now I'd rather come back, kick with my friends and you know, get a look like. - I mean, do you like Kanye? - That's a whole 'nother topic. But yeah, I do. - Okay. - I mean, he has great music. - All right. - The old Kanye. - Yeah, yeah, yeah. - But I can deal with the old Kanye. In 2004, Kanye, yes. - Okay. - I can deal with that. But at that point, it's like, hey, man, you know, it's a real corporate. But I love the city this much. I love Nashville so much I bypass it. Like, I don't know anybody else who would do that. You know what I mean? Like, get pulled up on stage at a real concert. Kanye West, 2004, when he's popping. Came back home. - Can't you, I'd rather come home. - I came home. Came home, kicked it, hung out, ate good food. Got some workouts in and just kicked it with my buddies, man. And then it flew back. So that's the love I'm talking about. So once you get that, you can understand like, the Nashville, the concept of why we're doing the podcast. And then the mindset, you know what I mean? Like, once you get here, you'll find every way to get back. So I think that's kind of what it is and what people are like. - I kind of had a similar experience. My first year going up and playing arena ball, you played a little arena ball. - Oh, yeah, played that too, yeah. - So it was in Evansville, Indiana was my first pro contract. And we got our first win. We went out to the bar at Evansville, Indiana. There was like, nickel beer nights. Like, the team was called The Rage. And I talked to a club owner. And from like 11 p.m. to midnight, it was Rage Hour. All draft beer works. - What do you mean rage though? - That was the name of the team. But it was nickel beer. - Oh, okay, okay. - Yeah, so all draft beer was a nickel. And that 11 is usually when we showed up to the club. And it was the same thing. They wanted to roll out the red carpet. They wanted to make sure like their club felt like, you know, a premier club. And, you know, we had a good time. But I pretty much use my whole first paycheck. You know how arena was. I use my whole first paycheck just on beer for everybody else. - Just give them back. - Yeah. And so I got time to like leave the club. And I was driving back to the hotel where I was living at. And it was like, take this exit to get off at the hotel. And then I don't know why. I just didn't get off and just drove home. Like two o'clock in the morning. - Did you go back? - Yeah. I was like, man, he just left. Yeah, I just left. I was supposed to like, we didn't have practice. We once, we didn't have practice for a few days. - Right. - So had a long weekend anyway. - Yeah. - And I somehow just clicked in my mind. If I stayed in like, went to the hotel by the time I get up, get some food and do some laundry, I'd lose that whole next day. And so I just, it just clicked instantly. And I didn't get off the exit. - So you didn't even think about it. - Didn't even think about it. - How long a ride is it? - Two hours. - It's not bad. - No, not too bad. That's the thing. You're where the ride two hours and go back to home country. - In the middle of the night, just to get back home. - Yeah. And so at the time I was staying in North Nashville, but I would drive by. Everything, I started doing this every time I go home. I would drive by home, keep going, circle around on 65, the loop of the city, just to see the Batman building. And then I go take it to the crib. - Well, see, man, it's like an iconic scene though. You know what I mean? - It was something about the-- - The Batman building. - It just made me. - You know what I mean? Like it draws you here, I don't know. It's like a, some type of secret powder here, but I don't know, man. - The skyline's telling me like rock on. I don't, like it, but I would have to see it when I saw that, no matter how much time I spent away from home, even like vacations and stuff. I started, I started doing that, even if it was out of my way. I'd go out of my way. - So they became like your routine? - Yeah, to go by and see the skyline. Yep. - Really? - And I give one of these to the Batman building. - Every time we ride by. - I don't know, it just makes me feel good. - Feel good, like I'm home. I mean, I had that same feeling though, I just got for flight, Monday and I was in LA for a couple of days, man. Kicked it, had a great time, but it's something about being back. Even just getting off the plane is different. Like just the smell of the city is different. From anywhere you go, I feel like. So that's still a little, man. Like, I don't know. It's something about it, man. So I can't wait to dig into these, the minds of these other people, man, to come in and tell us their story too, because I'm pretty sure we can relate on a lot of different levels, a lot of them. So with you working with some of the high-level athletes that are coming here, people that have the finances to literally go anywhere they want to. After they kind of spent some time here, what are you hearing them saying if it's our first time here, or is Nashville what they think it is? Do they expect, do the people working with you, do they expect a little bit like, hokey country, rednecks? And then they get here. Listen, they think, I mean, that's shocked when they see black people in Nashville. I guess it's like the perception that they have of, I don't know, but when they get here, it's like, "Oh, man, I didn't know this thing was here." "Well, I didn't know this was going on." So it's an out-opening experience for them when they come in for the first time. But as they get here and they go back home and come back to Nashville, like, "Wait a minute. "In the upcoming years, I'm gonna move my family here." I'd rather be in Nashville than go back to where I'm from. So, our opening experience for them initially, didn't really know how big of a deal the city was, just mainly for us, a culture here. But once they get here, it's like, "Oh, man, they tap in." I mean, this is within the first couple months. They're like, "Oh, dude, I didn't know." Didn't came to get the prices here compared to LA or New York, but you know. - People from the small towns are that grew up in Nashville. - Right. - It's like the prices are going through the roof. - Yeah, I mean, they are. - You ever spend time in LA, New York? - Yeah. - It's still different. - And that's the one thing they say, like, this is to raise the family here, 'cause a lot of those guys have kids, you know, and wives, and even the ones that are single, they still like the same here, though. - Taxes? - Well, the property taxes look different, right. So they come, big corporations come moving in. - Income taxes are different. - Yeah, everything. You know, 'cause what people don't know, who haven't really played ball or had the opportunity to experience that, you know, state taxes are different in every single state, hence the state tax. But if you're 18-year-old kid or 20-year-old kid, leaving college and even going to play professional football, you go to Texas, they take up way more than your check. You come to Nashville, they're like, oh man, we can, I can live here, you know what I mean? So they're really spending time here in Nashville for a lot of different reasons, but, you know, cost is definitely one, for sure. - The city you grew up in, turning 18, hitting the clubs, versus now, fast forward in over 20 years. If you could have taken, you growing up and put them in this city that we have now, what do you think would be the most shocking part of any other? - Going back to how we grew up, oh man. The club saying, I mean, just the nightlife, nightlife has changed big time, you know what I mean? So I remember going to mixed factory for team, like, you know what I'm saying? Like, team like back then, so a lot of stuff has changed for us like this, the hip hop scene. But we started to kind of get it back, but that's the one thing I do, I have noticed, like, hey, the scene back when we grew up, it was a lot of places to go to, for us just-- - Dancing and hip hop. - Yeah, actually just dancing to a good time, you know what I'm saying? - Grand Central. - Yeah, all that, all that, you know what I mean? So it's a lot of places that, you know, I wish they brought back, not matter what they're doing now, but we need more of a kind of hip hop scene for just, and all lines, quote unquote, you know what I mean? Someone just kind of chill, hang out. So they're here, so I'm liking what I'm seeing out of Nashville, but this far, the era I grew up in, late 90s, being a teenager in the late 90s, I was crazy. - Yeah. - Pre-Titans, you know what I mean? Pre-Titans, so. - Well, and the Titans coming in to Nashville, I think is what helped kind of change the nightlife of a little bit to have somewhere for them to go. - Right. - You gotta cater to those guys. - Yeah, you have to. - I mean, you have to. I mean, you get in a group of young kids coming in, man, and young men coming in with disposable income, they gonna get into something. So I might as well set something out and, you know, make sure they have a good setup and enjoy their experience in time here. - So tomorrow you hit the lottery. 300 million hits your account tomorrow when you wake up. You're still living in Nashville. I will have a house in Nashville, bottom line. Now I'm going overseas and getting, you know, a Caribbean, Caribbean something as well, you know, something's an ocean front, but I will have a home in Nashville. - Where's your lady from? - She's from here as well. - Y'all got school together? - Did not, did not. But she went to Hillsborough High School. - Okay. - So another South South school. - Yep. - So shout out to Hillsborough. She actually won the state championship there too, basketball. - Okay. - So she has another thing over my head. So you got to state championship and football. She has one in basketball. So, you know, I'm the short end of the stick on that, but yeah, she's from me. - You made it to the league, you got me. That daughter years. - Yeah. - She'll be good. - Yeah. - Took us swimming for the first time yesterday. - Yeah. - And she tried to go full on underwater. Not scared, kick in. So I'm like, yeah, we got an athlete on the hands. So yeah, I think she's good. - The direction of the WNBA. - Some, some, she'll do some quick, soon and fast. I promise you that. But now we both born and raised in Nashville. Her parents are from Fayetteville. So Lincoln County, for those that don't know, Lincoln County. But my parents are born and raised here as well. So it's cool, man. And the funny story about that is my parents move once I left college. And both of our parents live about five minutes down the street from me, Joe. Never knew it. - Really? - Before we met, never knew it. Yeah. So now with the babysitting, it's a lot easier. I go five minutes, man, I'm good. Five minutes down the street, I'm good. - You just got to street a babysitter. I might throw up there, you know what I mean? Like, whatever, but yeah, it's good. - Yeah, both sides of my family. Like my grand, the people who became my grandparents, like all grew up together. My grandparents first house was actually like right there in Germantown, before Germantown was anything. - So how about that though? You remember seeing like Germantown before it did? What are you getting there? - I'm trying to get all this framed up. This would have been, oh, my mom's gonna get mad if I get this wrong. But like early 50s, my grandparents got engaged. But my grandfather gave my grandmother the option of like, do you want a house or a ring? - House or a ring? - Yeah, 'cause I mean, couldn't do both. - I can't wait to hit it with she peak. - She picked house. - Okay. - He worked at the, you know, there's a loft there by on Rosa Parks, right? Like across the street from the Kroger. That used to be a factory. My grandfather worked at that factory. She chose house, he chose a house right beside the factory so he could be very accessible to work. I don't have the exact numbers, but she says that somewhere like in the attic, she has all of the paperwork. They stayed there until they decided to grow a family and they need a little bit more property. And he transferred over to the Ford glass factory. But when they needed more property to raise a family, they sold their house to their neighbor who is renting that. So to give that neighbor the opportunity to be a homeowner. And she talks about the feeling that they had that in the city of Nashville in the '50s, they over doubled their money of flipping that house and selling it. - In the '50s, wow. - On 7th and Taylor in Germantown, they sold it for something like just less than $4,000. - Wow, that's great. - On that same block, there's a house that's like going for 1.4 million. - I'm gonna say, those are million dollar houses, man. Wow, see, my grandmother stayed on the other side of the Kroger's right there. So right behind like Louis Center and all that stuff. So had a lot of family on that side. My dad grew up in North Nashville. So I'm familiar with that area. - Yeah, I really only spent time in North Nashville, North up Nashville. - I got to take you to the south side, man. - Yeah, show me where I go through. - What's it called? Like we hoe, whatever it's called. Y'all don't know what I'm talking about. West Houston, I don't know what they call it now. - Yeah, I guess it's like the real estate agents that are like coming up with these neighborhoods. - I don't know, man. - Names, there's so many names, man. - And people will talk to me like I should know 'em. - I have no clue. So I mean, this is a funny poem. They come to me like, you're supposed to be from me. You don't know any of the new names. You don't know anything. I'm like, no, I grew up on 8th Avenue South. Like I know that. I know Wedgewood. All this other stuff we're talking about, a wood binary. That's the reason why I'm from is wood binary. - Okay. - So a lot of my friends, we grew up in AHEO. So I spent a lot of time in AHEO. I hate to have a new South. - Yeah. - And that's, you know, that's a Glenfish song. - Fridge. - Yeah, so I know, yeah. That's what I gotta tell him, Fridge, man. Yeah, so he's younger than me though, you know what I mean? So they all young. I'm old, man. - You look good, though. - I thank you. I'm not gonna date myself, but yeah. I'm old. (laughs) - All right. - 14-up, hallelujah. - I'm almost there. I'm almost there. All right, we're gonna take a quick break and hear from one of our sponsors, and we'll be right back. And we are back. So you're saying you're more from like the Woodbine, grew up around AHEO? - Yeah, grew up in Woodbine. - Woodbine. - To spend time in AHEO. So, you know, like I said, these names with these locations now, the neighborhoods, I don't get, but Woodbine is home to me. So that's kind of where I got all my stuff at in Woodbine. So, just looking at the climate of the city. Celebrations, parties, things like that. Like, where was, obviously you said your mom did a lot of cooking, but if you were gonna go out for like a birthday or if your parents would've been celebrating an anniversary or something, like what was the typical like go-to restaurant? - Ben? - Yeah. - I mean, my dad is kind of a cheesecake, man. Sorry, dad, but you got a cheesecake. So, we'd be a Chuck E. Cheese for a birthday, man, or kind of do stuff at home, and make it on cakes. But you remember Showbiz? Y'all too young? - Yeah, no, no, I remember. - We had that, but we had discoveries on up in Rivergate. - Yeah. - Yeah. - You remember Showbiz had this like this big rat playing the drums or something like that. - Yeah. - He was a show man and it's kind of scream. But yeah, that's why I did my birthday. Or the skating ring, bring with skating ring. - Skating ring. - We're in Wood, the skating. - Yeah. - That's what we did on this side. We didn't go our way to Rivergate. - Okay. - That's too far for me. Or Charlotte, we didn't do Charlotte. - Okay, yeah. - But we did, we did Brent Wood. - Yeah, we had one in Joltan, 'cause I spent a lot of time growing up in Joltan, but the big one was Rivergate. Rivergate, Skating ring. - My aunt, she taught at Joltan, but yeah, we went to Brent Wood, man. So, those are fun times right there. So, that's like birthday. So, me would be like Showbiz, Sugi Cheese, Brent Wood, Skating Ring. Now, it's like, I make a list of restaurants of like, okay, for the next time we're going out on this kind of date night or celebrating this, and it's like, there's more restaurants popping up that I can't even work through the list. - Listen, to get through, like, all right, so you gotta check out the Nashville food scene for us, like, date night dinners. It's crazy. You like seafood? - Love seafood. - Eddie V's, have you been? - I have been to Eddie V's. - All right, that's a good one. My wife just took me to Frank Shonatra's restaurant. - Okay. - For the first time. - It's like the old downtown. - Yeah, yeah. - Phenomenal. - Had your guy in there singing all the Frank songs, you know what I mean? It's a natural song, so it's a nice vibe. I mean, I recommend everybody go to it. - What did you have? - We had pasta. So, we shared, like, two different pasta plays, man. Champagne, wine, it was good. Yeah, so, shout out to Frank Shonatra's restaurant, man, downtown, it was awesome, phenomenal. But, all the steak houses are popping up everywhere. - Yeah. - There's a-- - I'm not a huge steak eater like that, believe it or not. - Is that a health thing or? - Yeah, it's kind of like dialed down on the red meat. So, every now and then I treat myself, but red meat and pork-- - Is your body not like, do well with it? - No, not really. - I gotta have it. - Yeah, I mean, but it's good for you though. - Yeah. - It's good. So, when I get it, I want it. Bourbon steak is great. Bourbon steak has a great, great steak house. Good steak, good vibes, good views. And then, like, the rooftops. What rooftops do you like to go to? - If we get out right now, like, all right, let's go. We hitting a rooftop. - Well, it depends. So, my girlfriend works downtown at Newties. So, she's working, gonna pop in there. Some of the hotel, I like going to the hotel. The bars are one thing, like they're cool. But like, the hotel rooftops tend to be a little very-- - Chiller? - It's chill, yeah. - But, that seems to be the move if we're going to rooftop. - Yeah, the rooftop. - There was no rooftops growing up. - I mean, the mix factor had a rooftop. - You know, Graham Central Station did have a rooftop. - They did. - But that was really just like the smoking section. - Yeah, you were, you went up and bought that. - Yeah. - Oh man, I was, uh, Newport all day. - Newport? (laughing) - The thing you working on there. - Yeah. - Yeah, they're like a live band while you up there. - Yeah. - Ripping a steak, trying to cool off on, going back down to the light up dance floor. (laughing) - They need to bring those back. - I don't, they don't-- - Do you think you can do that in today's culture? - Or dance like that? - No, no, I mean, obviously dancing like that. But like, it was, you went to Graham. I know you said mix factor, but you go to Graham's? - Yeah, go to Graham's. - 'Cause like downstairs was like, almost like coyote ugly, like, dive bar. - It's like five levels to Graham's. - Yeah, but like each level like had its own like, - It's like playing a video game. - Yeah, it was like, it was like, where the, where the white dancing people hung out, where the black people hung out, where the rednecks hung out, like, and where the old people hung out. - Oh yeah, they had like five different levels, you know, five different vibes, different scenes, but-- - You think we can mix like that now? - I think we could, I think we could. Just gotta be strategic on like where you, placement of it and just kind of like what levels, what, you know. - I'd like to think we could, we need something like that. - I think we could do it. We should talk, that's our next venture right there. - Yeah, pin that, we're gonna start that. - Yeah, it'll be cool though, it'll be cool. - Oh man, but yeah, restaurant scenes different, bars are different. - Yeah. - There is not a lot of hip hop anymore in Nashville. And I think that does lead to why people think that music city is associated with country music, 'cause there's not a lot of hip hop. Why do you think there's less hip hop here than it was in the 90s? - I think it is, yeah, I think it's just being presented a little differently now. - You gotta, you gotta go out of your way to find it. - They don't have it mainstream falls like in your face as much as country music, but it's a big rap scene here too though. - It's hip hop dead? - No, hip hop not dead. - Beyonce is doing country, a post is going country, everybody's going country now. - I mean, but it's hot. I mean, country's always been hot though. I mean, I'd compare country music to rap anyway though. - And there's so many similarities. - And people laugh at me and then I say, well just think about it. You say what you want to say, you don't care who has anything to say about it. And it's all coming from, it's genuine. It's not a pop song, it's not just like, it's coming from the heart. Like you telling your pain, your struggle, good, bad, it's a lot of crossing. - My mom was not a fan of real rap. - Yeah. - What's real rap to you though? - So I came up, my favorite bone thugs in harmony. I'm a bonehead. If you give me one album that I've got to listen to like on a deserted island type thing, I'm bone thugs. - There you go. - But she just, it's something about like the wholesome of what is country music. And I was like, mom, they talk about the same thing. - She said, oh no, they do not. And I'm like, you've been hotter than a hooch koochie? (laughing) - What's she saying? - She didn't know what to say. - I would just be saying stuff to people who don't know how to take me. - Nah, man, it's all the same. - But it's all the same. It's just again, it's how it's presented. - So that's my thing, it's just about how it's presented. You know what I mean? It's just, but I do feel like it's a growing, it's coming back. - Yeah, it almost seems like people gravitate towards whatever is the rebellion. Like, there was so much country in the 90s. And but like, if you wanted to not be mainstream, you went hip-hop. They seemed like everything went hip-hop. And then now it's like now the rebellion to be against what is mainstream is coming back to country. And that directly does affect this city as music city, the fact that people associate country music here. The amount of stars that are just hanging out here. - That's unbelievable. I mean, like, when we go, I keep saying LA just 'cause I just got back, but they're flocking to Nashville. Like to not even just country music, just the recording studio alone here in Nashville, like the top of the line across the world. So you get so many people, you can go to Green Hills Mall and run it to anybody. - Who's the first celebrity you just ran into? - Ran into, oh man, I got to think back on that. Ran into probably Stephen there. - Yep. - Just back in the day, just running around. You know what I mean? So I'm at the barbershop actually. So end up having the same barber back then. So that's just one of the few, but it's so many. - But now it's like everywhere. - It's kind of spread out, but you'll see 'em anywhere. Like anywhere, does not matter. Your local bar, restaurant, workouts, the workout seem to be here too. So fitness is big. So a lot of people want to stay in shape. So Nashville is a fit scene too. So I mean, all that combined is why we doing this. We touch every single category, different genres, all that comes together right in Nashville. So that's what makes it space so special. - To me, and of course, obviously I'm very biased, but I agree with you 100%. If I hit the lottery tomorrow, I'm still gonna live in Nashville. So money aside from anywhere, being able to have the opportunities to go anywhere, I'm gonna stay here. And to me, this is the greatest city in the world. Why would you say that? New York, LA, Texas, you got land, Florida. - Part of it is my perspective, is I haven't really spent a lot of time in those cities. So to me right now, I would feel lost in those cities. If I could just teleport, and I'm right in the middle of Times Square, I don't get real uncomfortable in a lot of places, but I would be lost. I don't know how to navigate that. So for me, it is more of a familiar territory. It is home. But it's just been growing so much. And to the point where some of these people came here for college or a job, and they've been here since 2012, and they all stayed, but now they're the ones complaining like, well, this isn't the Nashville that I grew up with. You're a Nashville, it wasn't the Nashville I grew up with. - And yours was the one I grew up with, 'cause of the age group. So it was like, man, it's like an ongoing thing. So for me, it's like, I've seen so much change, you know what I'm saying? It's like, you got to embrace it though. It's only for the better. - But I think it's the people that are here. I mean, the city, it's not the buildings and the architecture, 'cause everything is new. It's the people that are here that make it great. You've got so many people that are here trying to find themselves that it's such an open-armed city ready to just accept you with however you are, whether you're a multimillionaire developer or you're a struggling musician trying to find a way to make it. - Man, shout out to the old guys, and girls, man. That's tough. - And it's still happening. - I see it all the time, it's tough. That's tough city, you know what I mean? - So I worked downtown for a while, and there was a guy that showed up, just showed up one more and drove all night long just so he could plan on being at Broadway when the bars opened. Then what he didn't know is the night before a bunch of people got fired 'cause they were doing some dumb shit. - Oh, man. - At Tootsies. And he walked in. - Which is legendary, by the way, that's legendary. - I worked in that purple building for a long time. - Yeah, that's legendary, man. - And he walked in, and he walked in and was like, one of the guys that got fired the night before was supposed to be the opening bar bag. So when they opened, there was no bar bag, and he just happened to walk in this bar and asked if they had a job, and they were like, we were just trying to figure out what happened to our bar bag. He got fired last night. Can you work right now? And he just jumped in and started working. - It's crazy. - But he was a musician, so he started dabbling, like jumping up, he would be bar backing, and then jump up and play guitar with some of the bands. - Oh, wow. - Yeah, and then things just started evolving with him musically, and now he tours with Trick Pony. So like those stories of like making it are still happening. - Oh, they happen. - And if it's the people that are here, this, like, especially in fitness or any problem, I try to reverse engineer problems to find a solution to where I am now. And if I'm gonna say that this is the greatest city in the world, it has to be because the people that are here, but if the people that are here are not from here, why are they coming here to make this city great? And essentially that's why we're sitting here. - It's gonna be a deep question for a lot of people, but it's gonna be heartfelt too, 'cause a lot of these stories are like heartfelt stories like that, you know what I'm saying? Like sometimes the struggle or the pain will lead you right here to Nashville. And you can kind of, like you said, rebrand yourself. You can kind of just be you, you know, to be authentically you. - Exactly. - And that's what the city offers, man. So it's gonna be fun getting into these brains of some of these people coming on in the guests, man. I can't wait to do it. - It's gonna be exciting because there's gonna be a lot of successful people here, and I don't want this being in a show where we're just talking about this success and how things are great now. Now that you got money, you won't get the struggle. The mindset that it took for you to start something new here and fall in love with the city is what anyone, any of these listeners can expect to figure out. So whether you are someone who is obsessed where B&A hats, or if, you know, you're one of these people out there that's-- - A bachelorette party, man, going down to the-- - They're so many. - There's so many. I, kind of funny story. I was still in Tootsies-- - Was you all one? - You did one? - No, no, no, no. But I was a bouncer at Tootsies for years. And I guess it would have been 2011, maybe, very beginning in 2012, right after New Years. There was a girl, the line wrapped around the building, wrapped around the corner, and we're one in, one out. And all of a sudden, a group of these girls, all wearing pink, walk up, I didn't know what they were celebrating or anything. And one of 'em has a giant inflatable penis. - Double to Broadway. - In Nashville, yeah, in 2011, 2012. I don't know why she has that. I don't know what's going on. And I was telling her, I was like, I don't know that I can let you in with that. Like-- - With that. - I don't, what are we doing here? And it ended up, where she was like, almost trying to hit me with it a little bit. 'Cause she'd have to wait. They had a group of like seven or eight of 'em. And so I've gotta wait for seven or eight people to come out before I let any of 'em in. And so now I'm getting annoyed. - 'Cause you're getting hit in the arm with it. - Yeah, and they're wanting to go in, and they're wanting to party, and they're finally made into Tootsies, and I'm not letting 'em in. So I'm making it take a little bit longer than I probably should have. - Yeah. - And then she starts tapping me with it. (laughs) And I put my hand on it, I said, I said-- - The inflatable penis you got tapping me with. - Yeah. - Okay. - I'm talking, I said-- - Then if I hadn't caught it anywhere, do you? - No, I mean, if you know anything about Tootsies, you know those security cameras didn't work. - Yeah. (laughs) - You can't say it again. - I put my hand on it, I said, "Hey, I know y'all waiting that long ass line, but if you hit me with that one more time, you're not coming in." And she started wanting and complaining, and she rared back and hit me with it. (laughs) I mean, that security, I had like a little knife on it. I just popped it and told him to get out of line. But I didn't know, at that time, I didn't even know that that was a Bachelorette party. - That's a big deal, though. - And now, literally, past Vegas for Bachelorette capital, and now everybody's wearing like little, you know, penis necklaces, straws. - Oh my God. - Now it's a symbol. You can see a penis, like a silhouette of a penis. It's like a bat signal. - Yeah. - And like, no, know that it's a Bachelorette. But no one knew what it was back then. - No, you didn't. - I didn't know that that brought it to be, I just ruined her night. - You didn't? - Yeah. - But she remember that experience, I was 26, forever. - Yeah. - Forever. - My wife did a Bachelorette trophy. - Really? - Yeah, she stayed right here, had a ball. Dropped all picked up, man, they had something. - Did you go, did you leave? - For years? - Oh, yeah, I like it. - No, no, no, no, I didn't. - For your Bachelorette party? - I chilled out, yeah, that's your real low key. I went to Louisville, you partied in Louisville? - Oh, what's the twice? They got some underground scenes there that's really cool. - Yeah, what's the twice? - Yeah. - A lot of those guys come here, though. - Yeah. - I mean-- - I just couldn't do it here. - Yeah, no, no, no, that's too much. - No. - But if you're all looking for a place to come, Nashville is a great city for it, though. - Yeah, it is. You gotta do the Broadway thing once if you've never done it. - It's a must. - Yeah. - It's kinda like going to the beach in LA or, you know, Miami or South Beach thing. When you're from here, you kinda don't do Broadway as much. But what it's coming into now, it's a lot of stuff to offer on Broadway now. - Yeah. - Now. Back then, that was one of them things. Like, if you had the beach, you don't really go that much. - No. - So-- - And that's how it always was growing up, 'cause I mean, it really wasn't nothing, but a group of country dive bars and hot dogs and, even before that is-- - Who are the authors? - Hooters on Second Avenue. - Yeah. - Yeah. - It's crazy how much it changed. - Yeah, I know it's crazy. It's wild, but I mean, I love it, though. People here love it. That's why they stand. That's why they stand. So we gotta make sure that they stay. It's our job to make sure they stay. I feel like if you coming to Nashville, you claiming this is your home, quote unquote, or if you are native, then you showing the Nashville way. - How long do you, in your opinion, do people have to live here before claiming Nashville native? - The rude, unwritten rule. I think you gotta give yourself anywhere between like three to five years to say that. - Okay. - I mean, I mean, I've lived in New York, lived in D.C. - Hey, you're more lenient than I am. - I'm just saying it least. I mean, I'm saying it least to say, not saying it from here, but you know, at least to say, all right, that's why I'm here. Like, I'm in the city, I'm enjoying it. So at the bare minimum, but I mean, that's for anything, though, five years, but some people claiming Nashville in six months. - Yeah. - Seven months, a year. And you don't know anything about the same. Not knocking, I'm glad you love it, but it's a lot to do, it's a lot more to it. - There's a lot of history here that you're claiming that, yeah, it does get annoying. - It does. Especially when they do all the commercial stuff. - Yeah. - You know what I mean? We on this show, we gonna get into like the real stuff, some of the rules and, you know what I mean? - The show Nashville, I was on an extra for that for a long time, I did some acting stuff. - I do remember this show, Nat. - But like, I'm sure within some realms of the country music world, it wasn't completely inaccurate. - Right. - But there were people that I met from England, from, you know, Spain. - No, no, no, no. They would come to Nashville and expect. - All for it to be that. What was the point of the show? - Yeah, that our downtown like, you know, was gonna be what they saw in the show. - What did they show in the show? I don't think I saw a couple of episodes. - I only, to be honest, I only watched the ones I was in, but hang it over there. But no, but everything was very country. It was not as wild and drunken that it is when they get here. It was just expecting everyone to have cowboy hats and boots. - I do, even with the Titans game, we haven't paid attention to like the music being played, the commercial breaks of the Titans game. It's always country. - It is. - And it's more to it. I like country, don't get me wrong, but it's more to it. You know what I'm saying? - It's so much more to it. - Yeah, it's more to it. So that's why we gonna die. - You ever own the pair of boots? - I did as a kid, I did. - Like cowboy boots. - Yeah, I had the cowboy, I had the cowboy boots with the planched shirt. - Did you ever have? - No. - Okay. - No. I didn't go there for, but I like the boots though. The boots are cool, man. - I was actually looking at some snake skins of the day. - All right, they got all kinds of stuff, man. Crocodile, like they got everything. We'll see you back, see what high grew up though. Like, it was flashy. We had to like the crock boots and all that stuff, man. You know what I'm saying? You can dress up and throw the boots on and do anything. You know what I'm saying? So it's the boot game that's seriously in there, man. - I'ma tell you. - It is. - It's a real thing. It's a real thing. You come with your boots ready, you come to Nashville, for sure, for sure. Yeah. - Do you have a favorite local artist? - Ah, man. See, I grew up with late '90s, man. He talking like pistol. You talking, the early beginning of this young buck. You talking Star Lio, All Star, you talking paper. I mean, it's so many people here, man. Like bottom boys, it's a lot of music. - You still listening to their stuff now with everything that's out there? - Sometimes I do, to get back to the roots. You know what I mean? My brother, Tragic, man, listening to him. So you know, it's just-- - You getting into white boy stuff? Haystack. - Yeah, I'm cool, man. - Jelly. - Yeah, all that. Haystack, Jelly Row, yeah. I listen to all of it. Yeah, it's good music here though. So that's the thing. Like, to see Jelly Row doing what he's doing now, to know where I know he came from. I don't know him personally, but I know, like, his story. - Yeah. - It's amazing to see. Yeah, same with book, you know what I mean? Like, he blew up. He was with a platinum seller, an artist, with one of the biggest roots at the time. - GG unit. - Right. Right. So, but yeah, I mean, it's cool to see, man. - I mean, that was like, natural getting put on the map, seeing him with it. - It was, though. So I was down there to, you know, one of the video shoots when he came. And it was crazy to see, like, 50 Cent in the middle of the hood in Nashville. You know, juvenile, they come through, writing a project in Nashville, you know what I mean? So I'm out there with my buddies, man. You just seeing all these people come through. It was like, this is back. Then, so now it's crazy. It's crazy, you know what I mean? So it's a good vibe, though. Yeah, people love it, man. All the stars love it in Nashville. It's laid back at cheer. Like, anywhere else, though. Just staying in lane, do what you do. - How do you feel as the city's growing, how do you feel about the gentrification that's happening? - It's ups and downs to it. I mean, just like anything else, you know, when you see some things getting pushed out further, but going to other cities, you see why that's the case. You know, once everything comes together, meaning the, you know, getting more highways, we get more public transit going on. It'll make sense. But the thing is-- - Growing up, there was definitely some places that, at least me as a white dude, I just couldn't go. - Right. - I don't know that that really exists anywhere. I mean, except getting into like, actual like J.C. Napier, like-- - Yeah, and my buddies grew up over there. You know, Edge Hill, like if you're there, I'm good. But like-- - Yeah. I mean, you still get it. Same on a black side too though, like used to be, you go to Green Hills Mall, they looking at you like, all right, it's gonna be still in the, you know, or what. But now, that's just not the case, man. Like everybody, Hillsborough High School is right across the street from Green Hills, which a lot of that zone is South Nashville, which are, you know, guys who grew up in the hood, and they go to this school, and it's like, to me outside-- Imagine if Green Hills was what it went, Mark Till, Marcellus and all of them. - It was crazy. And it's like, man-- - The fridge was coming through in Green Hills is like that. - Yeah, so, you know, it's Edge Hill, boy. So it's like, you know, they're coming right to Hillborough to where this is across from one of the, you know, the richest spots in the city. And it's eye opening, you know what I'm saying? Like to mix those two. But I think that's what gives Nashville such a good culture though. 'Cause you can mix those two and blend them, and they can kind of go, you know, parallel line side by side, or, you know, even cross over and blend. - So, 'cause I love the growth that's happening. That's a big question I get. I don't know if you get it a lot. It's like, you know, how do you feel about the growth and, you know, price is going up. It's like, I personally, I love that it's growing that we're becoming that bucketless city. Especially if I'm coming from somewhere where like, when I was growing up like downtown, really wasn't something you were like proud of or like-- - It's not yet what it's saying. - You know, if I had, you know, taking a girl, like I wouldn't have taken a girl downtown. - Know what, right around, like we used to do, and that's it though, like, you know. - So, I'm happy that it's there, but with it growing, with it becoming a safer city, which I do think is all necessary things, but there is a push out of people that have been there for a long time and that does teeter into a race conversation. - Right. - But it's the real conversation, because in Nashville, you know, a lot of black people live around the downtown area, you know, due to maybe like, public housing, or just, like you said, in your grandparents' case, like, you know, you buy property or your grandparents had enough money to get a house then, and it just kind of stays in the family. But now, they know those people are getting older, so to develop the land or develop stuff that's around Nashville, downtown area, you know, specifically, they just throwing money on left and right and trying to get people, whoever can bite on it, we pay e cash and get it out. And, you know, whatever they spend, they'll double back in one lot, and that's kind of what's going on, so. - I'm actually part of a, like a board, like a committee over for anyone who owns like a business in North Nashville, specifically, became an arts district of how we can accelerate the growth of that neighborhood and doing it our way without losing the culture of the city, and I don't know any other way to say it, but how to accelerate the growth of the city without waiting for outside money coming in, so it just doesn't get whitewashed. But that hasn't really been done in any other part of the city. You know, you look at East Nashville, what it was growing up versus what it is now. - No, it's totally different, things like that, so it's like-- - Cool saying, it's different, no, yeah, it's different. - Yeah, but it's just different. And there's some people that basically are saying that, like, what we're trying to do just can't happen. - I think it can, I mean, you know, you say Buchanan, I say Buchanan, but the same thing. I mean, you see what they doing over there, like, you know, Black Rob is trying to keep it, keep it to where the culture's still there. And then it's their whole Jefferson Street area, TSU, like, you know, leading up to that. It's a strong host, it's a culture thing that needs to be preserved over there as far as, you know, the Black community. And I think they're doing a good job of bringing it back and trying to keep it there. But also being invited to everybody else and everybody else in knowing that, hey, the city is growing, it's not just a black or white thing, or any other race like, hey, we gonna do what we supposed to do, meaning like, keep the growth growing in the direction it's supposed to be going, then it's for everyone. And I think that that's what's big for Nashville now. Like, they're really offering stuff to everyone. But at the same time, going back to the cultural side, I think that's the neat part about it. I think it is a way that we still can kind of, you know, keep the Nashville culture there and keep people growing and keep, you know, the Black community there, keep Black businesses going, small businesses, 'cause that's what really built Nashville, small businesses. And now the big ones are coming in. So that's always a battle too, back and forth. You know what I mean? 'Cause these big corporations are coming in, which is good for the growth of the city. But to your point, it kind of kicks out, you know, the native people that have been here for a while. So that's a constant struggle, you know, no matter how you slice it. But at the end of the day, I think, you know, part of business is adapting and growing and, you know, just finding your niche here within the new, I say new Nashville, but for us, it's Nashville, it's home. So just part of one of the things you just gotta do, you know what I mean? If you're gonna survive here, you gotta do the same thing in New York, same thing in Texas, same thing in Houston, which is, you know, it is what it is. So if you come here, there's no, it's competition, but the upside to it is, man, it's beautiful here. And the people I love and it's nice and, I mean, you really make good for yourself here in Nashville. - If there, when I called you talking about this show, the concept, when you really, like, thought about it and it marinated on you and you were thinking about, like, the type of people we're gonna sit down to, the type of brains we're gonna get to, like, try to, like, understand and expose some of those struggles of how people did it, why Nashville, things like that, is there somebody that came to mind that you might not know personally, that you were like, oh, what can we do to get that person? Like, who somebody you would love to see on the show, that you would be excited to talk to? - Man, I would love to see not just by name, but I like the people who kind of up and drop and leave everything come here, find a way, and they carve it out and they're successful. So that might not be an athlete in the case, but maybe some of the restaurant owners. You know what I mean, who come, like, you know what? This is the spot. I know one or two that have come, like, you know what I had placed in Atlanta, I had a restaurant somewhere else, but I'm coming to Nashville. And I want to do the same thing, but do it in the Nashville market. So, to become like this, like-- - To become that starving artist. - Yeah, 'cause I feel like I'm-- - Took him a chance here. - The underdog. - I want to hear the underdog story. Whoever that is, you know what I mean? I feel like Nashville has so many underdog stories. You know what I'm saying? So I think-- - Do you feel like that's you? - I definitely feel like that's me. That's why I want to know. You know what I mean? - Were you projected to go to the league all growing up? - I mean, growing up, I was good, but it's something that you don't really find out until you start playing college. Like, you know what, I can see it. My cousin actually went to the NFL, so he went to USC, got drafted by the Oilers back then, so this is, you know, a little bit before the Titans came into play. But he always kept me around it to the point that where I was going to move out to LA at one point. - So even with the legacy of family and how good you were from like a young age all the way through, like you still felt like an underdog on that journey? - Always, and I don't know if it's something I told myself to keep my motivation going, but I just always felt like that. And so, you know, even when I do some sense that I did have, I'm not a real like in your face, shout about what I've accomplished type of person, you know what I mean? I kind of let it speak for itself, but to see other people do it and go through that story and go through that journey, man, I think it's really intriguing that something that always draws my ears in heart too. So, yeah, whoever it is, man, we talking to you. So I want to make sure we hear a story about how you did Nashville and how you, you know, kind of stayed on top and stayed afloat amongst all the changes that we have going on here. Yeah, so it's gonna be cool. - Well, I'm excited. I'm honored that you're doing this with me. - Pleasure, my brother. - I'm excited to see where this goes. - All right, let's do it, man. So, hey, if you like the podcast, make sure you share, subscribe, and we'll catch you on the next one. - Thanks for listening to the podcast. Be sure to tell your friends if you liked it, subscribe, share, we'll catch you on the next one. - And remember to choose kindness, change the world, we're out. (upbeat music) (upbeat music)