Season 2 · Episode 2

Eric Stephens “Beyond The Walls 2” Presented by Redwood Ministry Powered by Rooted In Christ Podcast (Full Episode)

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0:02Welcome, welcome, welcome back to Alienize Photos Industry Talk with your host,
0:12Stephen D. Jackson, aka Photographer Jackson of Alienize Photos Media, bringing you Alienize Photos Industry Talk.
0:21And I am here with Mr. Eric Stevens with Redwood Christian Ministries.
0:27How are you doing today?
0:28Bro, I'm smooth. Thank you for having me on here today. This is fire. This is dope, man.
0:33You know, we had a chance to reconnect at Podcast United Five a couple weeks ago.
0:40You know, we had a brief interview. I'm like, let's get this full length interview as needed.
0:44And then also want to hear more about the concert that you're promoting.
0:49Christian hip hop concert, Beyond the Walls 2. Part 2. Let's go.
0:55Working on three, four or five single games being three, four or five.
0:59We're going to talk about the future, bro.
1:02You say you kind of new to the concert and promoting concerts.
1:07Where did it all come from? Like the idea that spark?
1:11Yeah, I mean, I'm going to tell everybody like from from the beginning, you know, this is this is all a God thing.
1:17This is all a Jesus thing. That's this was not on my radar.
1:22What I don't get on a the young people tell you now, like this wasn't on a bingo card.
1:26Like, you know what I'm saying? Like this was just heard.
1:28Yeah, that just is what it meant for me.
1:31It played bingo a couple of nights ago. Yeah, I probably got smoked.
1:34But, you know, I ended up starting, starting the nonprofit right with Christian Ministries and our whole like mission
1:43and vision is if we see a need, we fill a need.
1:46So let that be mission strips around, you know, Ohio or missions around the United States.
1:51Like we we want to make sure we're highlighting the needs of the community
1:55and that we got to go house to house to do that.
1:57And that's that's how we roll.
1:59And I'm promised I'm about to answer your question.
2:01So that led to the Ruining Christ podcast because that's something that God had put in my heart to really to really kick off.
2:07I have guests going to show and share their testimonies and their life stories.
2:10And I mean, it's the other day life stories.
2:12It's like whether they had miscarriages, whether they had committed murder and got incarcerated.
2:18Like and I'm talking like what these what these rappers we talk about.
2:20No, they actually killed somebody, did it, got caught.
2:23You know what I mean?
2:25Like drop trafficking, you know what I'm saying?
2:27Grew up in a church, whatever your story is.
2:30We got it on there.
2:31That's on all podcast platforms.
2:34But from that, God has sort of put into my heart to really bring like revival to Cleveland.
2:39And and he was like, no, and he was kept coming up.
2:42It was just on me, like super heavy to just do to have some kind of revival in Cleveland.
2:48I said, all right, well, my whole my whole heart is unity in the body of Christ.
2:52Like my nonprofit stands on salvation, discipleship and church unity.
2:58Those three things.
2:58I say a revival.
3:00That's not just doing it once five.
3:02Let's get a bunch of churches together.
3:03Let's have a centralized location.
3:06Unless you know, I love music, so let's do this.
3:09Let's get ready to baptize people.
3:10Let's pray to baptize people in the Holy Spirit.
3:12Let's pray to lead people to the Lord.
3:13Like, let's let's do this.
3:15Like, we're going to do it.
3:16Let's do it big and get a bunch of big a bunch of people involved.
3:20And I had a couple of churches involved that were that were going to be a part of it.
3:25But I had had a few Christian hip hop artists on my podcast already.
3:29And I said, OK, well, I know K Diamond and I know Bruno.
3:32I said, well, let me hit up.
3:34Let me hit them up to see if they'd be interested in coming out.
3:36We had a traditional worship along with a Christian hip hop set.
3:40So I called Diamond and he was like, what are you thinking?
3:43And I said, well, I think we had a rappers that y'all go on.
3:46And then we end the night with the traditional live worship music.
3:50He was like, you know, my opinion is you should probably have because the artist I was talking to.
3:54He was like, you know, you should have the rappers going last.
3:57And I'm like, that ain't no work.
3:59I say because the if the spirit falls.
4:02And the work is traditional words when I first I won't have y'all come out at all.
4:06Like, like my whole thing is I don't want to see anybody go to hell.
4:09Like why as a Christian, why would you want that?
4:11You know what I'm saying? So my whole thing was let's get them.
4:14If this happens, like y'all won't go on for hours.
4:18You know, because in my head, I'm thinking like, man, I'm talking like revival, revival, like old school tent revival spark.
4:23OK. But something in me was like, Diamond is making a point.
4:27And I know and I knew he something was like, he's right.
4:30But I didn't see why he was right about to run a show.
4:33So I said, let me let me get you back.
4:34I need to process some stuff because again, I've been a bit playing my whole life.
4:39OK. But this part was new, like with with the whole Christian hip hop scene.
4:44My girlfriend at the time, my wife now, we went down to the House of Blues.
4:49By the way, this thing was going to be called Unite Cleveland.
4:51That was going to be that that was going to be the name of this event was Unite Cleveland.
4:55OK. I like that name.
4:57You know, I mean, you know, I'm just this kind of self-explanatory.
5:02Yeah, I mean, I was, you know, that's me.
5:04Like simple, like, you know, I mean, he could keep the keep the market easy.
5:06We can just add that up and keep the name straight to the point.
5:08Like, that's me. Yeah.
5:10We go down to the beautiful tour that Hobie's having at the House of Blues.
5:17And we are at the VIP meet and greet.
5:19And I'm like starting to zone out.
5:21And I'm zoning out, not because they're interested,
5:24because the spirit is talking to me and I tap on the shoulder.
5:28I said, girl, I got this feeling.
5:31I said, we should we should do the whole concert right here.
5:37And she turned and looked at me like, who am I about to marry?
5:40This dude is crazy.
5:42But she was like, let's prime in.
5:45But let's pray about it, see how God really wants to do it.
5:49So, mind you, I had already talked to Bruno and Diamond,
5:52so I had already had them booked, you know,
5:55and I said, all right, let me for you had a bit before I've had the venue.
5:59I had them down like I was OK.
6:01So I was like, all right, wait a minute, let me let me let me do some homework.
6:05And I said, but I really think we should do this here.
6:08I'm like, I really I feel like I feel like there's people
6:11who will come to a place like this, like at my church,
6:13we have these things called like connect groups, you know, acts to church type thing.
6:17Or like we have our church on Sunday, but we had these groups during the week
6:20where people will meet house to house. Yeah.
6:22You know, I'm thinking like it's people who go to these connect groups
6:25or go to concerts before they will set foot in a church for whatever reason.
6:29Could be church heard because because they're scared,
6:31because they're accountable, it could be just whatever, whatever the reason.
6:36I said, let me do some homework.
6:38Got a cop filled out there the forms for the House of Blues.
6:42The day I wanted was open.
6:44Carl Brennan, he was free.
6:46Carl Diamond, he was free.
6:49Then this is the crazy part.
6:50I had already reached out to Miles Minnick's team
6:55before before all of this, because I wanted Miles to do my podcast
6:58and his wife, like, first of all, they are a solid couple.
7:01I loved them. Legit team.
7:02But she's about her business. Yeah.
7:05She said, no, we can't do a podcast because he's about to go on tour.
7:09Miles is actually blowing up at this time.
7:11Like, I don't think I don't think Glowfest and all that had happened yet.
7:15I think it was Glowchella at the time.
7:17I don't remember because it all glow.
7:19Like, I don't I don't remember.
7:20But he was she was like, no, you can't do a podcast.
7:23But I hit them back up. I said, what if I'm throwing a concert?
7:26Would he be available for this on this date at this time?
7:30And she was like, that's one of the last two dates he has opened for the year.
7:35And I said, you got to be.
7:36I said, Tina, send me that contract right now.
7:39I'm like, let's get this going.
7:42She was like, you put a deposit down, I guess.
7:44Let's let's do this right now.
7:46So we got Miles Minick.
7:49So now we at the House of Blues with Miles Minick and Breno as my co-headliners
7:54on a concert called Unite Cleveland.
7:56And some of these didn't feel right because I'm like, I'm the only dude from Cleveland on this bill.
8:00Ain't nobody else. Ain't nobody else involved.
8:03Not even my girlfriend was not involved from Cleveland.
8:06I'm the only Cleveland person on this thing.
8:08That night, I'm doing it.
8:09So this is the next night after we leave the House of Blues.
8:13I'm doing a podcast.
8:15Dude comes on a podcast and he's just talking about the Great Commission.
8:18And I'm an evangelist to heart.
8:20But this was not the topic of our show like at all.
8:23And he's just talking about going beyond this and beyond the walls that and we got to go beyond the walls of the church.
8:29And like you can see how abruptly I ended the interview because I zoned out like I glossed out.
8:35I was like, the Holy Spirit is talking to me through you right now.
8:39I ended that interview so quick, jumped off the computer.
8:43I was like, we need to change.
8:46I called the hospital.
8:47I was like, we need to change this to beyond the walls.
8:49Like this is not Unite Cleveland.
8:50We are going beyond the walls of the church to go reach the lost.
8:56And one more time.
8:57Yeah, that's powerful. Beyond the walls to reach the lost.
9:01Yeah. Yes.
9:02So that's kind of the meaning behind all.
9:05Yeah.
9:05The Great Commission walls behind the walls that stand.
9:08Yeah, kind of divide between the church and the street.
9:10It's the Great Commission.
9:12You know, our faith is not meant to be kept, you know, either inside a building or even inside of ourselves.
9:21It's meant to be to be shared.
9:24You know, and it's great to talk about.
9:27I love Jesus.
9:27I have faith.
9:28All of this stuff when I'm talking to another Christian.
9:31But what about that person who doesn't know Jesus?
9:34So my whole thing is.
9:37I want to find the, you know, I want to go where where are those people?
9:41I want to go find those people, not for any my honor, my growth, my glory.
9:47No, like, how do I bring these people to the same power of Jesus Christ
9:50so they don't end up doing the stuff I used to do?
9:54You know what I mean?
9:54So is that that you used to do?
9:56God, you talk I'm talking like.
9:59Man buying drugs by the ounces, I'm talking like nights partying.
10:02I'm talking having 13 dudes outside of a nightclub waiting for me.
10:06I'm talking about having my own gun in my head ready to take my own life.
10:09You know what I'm saying?
10:09I want to get out there and tell people, no matter what you're going through, there's another way.
10:13You don't have to keep living this way.
10:15There's another way.
10:16There's a there is a path to freedom through Jesus,
10:19because the only way the father is through the son.
10:22And if like if you knew somebody was sick and you had the medicine,
10:27why would you not give it to them?
10:29Why would I be keeping that from you?
10:31Right, right.
10:32He came for the loss.
10:34So it's easy to sit here and be Christian when I'm with 18 other Christians.
10:38It's easy to be hard when you're you know, and you would a gang of people.
10:42You know what I mean?
10:43But it's like for those people who don't know him.
10:46That's who we're here for.
10:49It's not the it's not it's not the concert.
10:51It's not the it's not even the music.
10:53It's it's him.
10:53I want to see souls one for him.
10:57Wow.
10:58So we kind of talk about with your story, addiction, depression, suicide, violence.
11:06How did you kind of step out of that?
11:08Yeah.
11:10It took my grandmother passing away to really like show me like you were not untouchable.
11:15You are not immortal.
11:17We anybody can get got.
11:19Anybody can get caught.
11:21And, you know, it was it was crazy for me because she had beat cancer once
11:26and then, you know, she came down glider cancer.
11:30And I got a phone call from my mom one day that basically said, Hey, you know,
11:35your grandmother was in hospice and due to the type of cancer,
11:37you asked her the symptoms of what they're saying.
11:39They're giving her like five days to live, maybe.
11:43And, you know, I wasn't following Jesus at the time.
11:46Like I was still doing my thing.
11:48And I got another phone call from another family member that basically said,
11:52you know, your grandmother is going to be fine.
11:54I don't know who started the rumor.
11:57Well, you know, I had I hadn't been processing my my feelings
12:00and emotions were processed through drugs, through alcohol, through nights out,
12:03to chase some women like my brain is like, yo, I want my hero to rise up again.
12:09But while my mom lied to me, so my head is spinning.
12:12I remember sitting still for like 30 straight minutes,
12:16just being like, man, this is crazy.
12:17But somehow I knew to go pray.
12:19You know, so I went in my room, shut the door, got on my knees.
12:23I'm living in Lakewood, Ohio at the time.
12:25And I said, I said that prayer.
12:27So many people pray, God, if you're real,
12:31make yourself real to me, but I need to know when she's going to die.
12:36I live by the railroad tracks in Lakewood.
12:38So the train becomes like white noise.
12:40Right. That train goes by.
12:42It blows his horn so loud.
12:44I jump out of my skin and I was living there and it blew his horn three times.
12:49And I had this crazy piece that I can't explain.
12:52And I said, she's going to die in three days.
12:56My grandmother is going to die in three days.
12:59You just gave me what I asked for Saturday morning.
13:02First thing, six a.m.
13:03She was gone. I said, all right, Lord, I'm yours.
13:08So that's that's what and did it all happen right away?
13:11No, it did not.
13:13Some of the some of that lifestyle was still too close to me.
13:17I didn't put enough distance.
13:18Some of the stuff radically came off.
13:20Some of the stuff didn't radically.
13:22Some of it lingered, you know, and that's why it's important.
13:26Like we reap what we sow.
13:28So it's important that we sow good seed.
13:30It's important that we sow good seed.
13:31So that's what really that was.
13:33That was a catalyst.
13:35That was a catalyst.
13:36And then we had the Azusa conference that came here in 2017.
13:41And that's what I really rededicated my life to Christ.
13:43Got serious about my walk.
13:46Now, you know, you heard the saying death come in threes
13:49and you said three days and then I don't know if you believe in angel numbers,
13:53but like one, two, three kind of signifies new beginnings.
13:59But that's well, that's definitely deep.
14:01And, you know, lost my grandmother's son.
14:04Definitely could feel for that.
14:05And it is a wake up call and has you think and realize and kind of reflect.
14:11And I'm glad you took that reflection time, that prayer time,
14:14because a lot of people don't.
14:15Needs them alive or they fall back into their old ways, the negative ways.
14:20And that's that's good that you've been through it
14:22so you can be a testimony to early to others.
14:26So going back to Beyond the Walls.
14:31So compare the first one to what we can expect for number two.
14:40It's going to be it's going to be it's going to be different.
14:43It really is.
14:45I'm a little bit more mature now in the sense of that was my first show.
14:50And people would tell you that when they were backstage,
14:53I'm repeating what a lot of people have said on my podcast.
14:55They didn't know that was my first show.
14:59That's how I know is the anointing of God, because you don't just wake up.
15:03I'm going to go host a concert downtown, the House of Blues,
15:05one of the biggest artists in Christian hip hop.
15:07Like what you don't think.
15:08But that's what happened.
15:12So, you know, it was there was just things that I would have done differently.
15:19Like then, you know, now everything is hindsight, right?
15:22There's been more marketing behind Beyond the Walls, too.
15:25There's been a lot more like I'll tell you, there's been a lot more faith I've had.
15:29This one has stretched my faith because this event is donor funded.
15:34This is all donations that have been made, cash donations.
15:38And my top donor for this passed away.
15:41So I have really had to.
15:43And he, you know, he was he was already changing his his mind as far as like,
15:48I don't know if we really want to support this anymore, because I'm not, you know,
15:51he probably didn't see he didn't see the vision, you know, the same way, you know,
15:56his whole thing was the mission trips and all those things, which we're still doing.
16:00But at the same time, like, I'm not sure that he saw the vision with his whole concert thing.
16:04And I get it. I want to understand.
16:06But he passed away before we could even have like really dive into this conversation.
16:11So I was like, oh, man, what are we going to do?
16:14But when I tell you that somebody just messaged me.
16:19Well, somebody just responded to me probably a week or so ago,
16:23covering the rest of the cost for this event.
16:25God is faithful. God is faithful.
16:30The the flow that I say to anybody, especially you're in interest in a concert.
16:35The concert has to make sense.
16:36And that means the lineup has to make sense.
16:38That's what I mean by the flow of the show.
16:40So the actual runner show, all of these all of these guys have songs together.
16:45So you're going to see a lot more collaboration.
16:47And they're all for the Midwest.
16:49So you're about to this is this is really about to be a hometown, hometown show.
16:54So it's a good point, because like even keeping that date,
16:58that kind of like that grit and that the beauty from a struggle type of energy
17:02from the Midwest, specifically Cleveland.
17:05Like that's that's good to have that flow and that same type of energy
17:09and go out back to the House of Blues.
17:12Now, it wasn't free, was it?
17:14No, absolutely not.
17:15So let's let's let's kind of let's kind of talk about now there's
17:19you know, my audience is a creative entrepreneur.
17:21So we talk a lot of business.
17:23So let's talk about some numbers. Yeah.
17:25What is like that break even ticket sale number?
17:33That's tough because the thing was donated.
17:37I'll tell you this, the venue itself costs about four thousand for me.
17:43It costs forty five hundred.
17:45That's also because I paid close your liquor license for the night.
17:48I did not want I did not want that attached to my bed
17:52because of what we're trying to do.
17:54And because I did a lot of people with addiction, the lab.
17:58I'm not about to put that out there.
18:00All right. I guess the last thing I need is you to come to our concert,
18:03get turned up, turned up, drive home, crash, you know,
18:05and you just left the Christian phone.
18:07No, we we don't we don't do that.
18:11Here's what here's what I'm going to say.
18:15Let's just I'll give you I'll give you this number.
18:17Let's just say you could make fifteen thousand dollars off ticket sales.
18:22Your artists, unless you have donations coming in, should not eclipse that number.
18:28You know what I mean? So like I if I had to pat on my own pocket
18:32for artists, it was twenty five thousand dollars.
18:34But I would stand to make fifteen. That's crazy. It's crazy.
18:38All right. So you you want to make sure that like that, you know, like off the off the rip.
18:43This is the percentage that the that the venue is going to take out.
18:47This is what the artists are. This is what the artists are going to cost.
18:51This is what I stand to make.
18:53But here's what I want to say. Anybody who is looking to get in.
18:56This is my rule of thumb. I'm telling this to anybody.
18:59If you are performing any of my shows, they are all paid by sound check.
19:04So to me, ticket sales don't exist.
19:07I do not do anything based off ticket sale revenue.
19:12I pretend like when we get in the room, we're immediately in the green.
19:17Everything is covered. Everybody's paid. We're done.
19:20Ticket sales is a bonus for the second you start promising money you don't have.
19:24I mean, come on, man, you ain't got a dollar until you really got to.
19:26You know what I'm saying? So like until until the money is in hand, I'm not counting that.
19:32I don't want to ever. Yeah, if you perform here, I'm going to pay you based off our ticket sales.
19:36What if we sell 20 tickets? I'm not saying we're going to, but that's crazy.
19:41And I heard truly nightmare stories about artists not getting paid, having a lawyer up.
19:45People promise the self onto venue sales.
19:47Yeah, I don't I don't mess with that. I don't mess with that.
19:50So I appreciate that. I know that's indirectly answer your question.
19:54And by artists, that's not a good context.
19:57But I'm trying to give it to the point. I'm not trying to put nobody's base
20:00out there either for how much they make. You know what I'm saying?
20:01It's like there's I'm feeling so discreet that you don't know.
20:04I don't want to put so that's why I'm working with those numbers.
20:07But your your cost should not exceed what you can make.
20:13But you see, you should not be you know what I mean?
20:16Like you should not be coming out of pocket and being in the red all the time for these shows.
20:22So I know we said it jokingly, but I really am already working on Beyond The Walls three.
20:28And I already know how much that is going to cost budget wise.
20:32So I know exactly what I'm going to need to have raised by November of twenty twenty six.
20:36I'm starting that process now because you have a vision for something you can't be
20:40in the same place as the people who are about to attend your event.
20:44I got to be ahead of them. So I'm playing twenty six, twenty seven, twenty eight.
20:49I'm not going to stop until this is a brown stay until this is until this is at the Kaz arena.
20:54So we're doing this at Progressive Field.
20:56You know, like there's there's no reason why it can't be done other than somebody saying it can't be done.
21:02And then it'll it'll happen.
21:04There's always a can't until it happens.
21:06And I'm not in that camp. So and when is Beyond The Walls to November 1st,
21:12November 1st, House of Blues VIP kicks off at six p.m.
21:16Six p.m. Oh, doors open and not the not the walls,
21:21but the doors are open and six p.m. November 1st Beyond The Wall.
21:27So yes, I must.
21:29I'm a third show it to the other benefit that I have to throw in this at a venue like that.
21:35I'm not a sound guy. I'm not a lighting guy like that.
21:38The media part, though I'm in the media world, that is not my background.
21:43And God was just like, God gave me a courage.
21:46He gave me a voice. Those are my gifts and he gave me.
21:48So I'm in this vein.
21:50But when you're in the venue like that, all that comes with it.
21:53Sound guy, light guy, tech guy, Mike's equipment.
21:56So it's worth the money to rent a space like that.
21:59It's worth it. Totally worth it.
22:01So even as you say that for my new entrepreneurs that, you know,
22:06who call them solo entrepreneurs working by themselves.
22:08Yeah. Do everything by themselves.
22:11How important is it hiring a professional or a team, building a team around them?
22:16It's OK. You're not an expert in everything.
22:19It's OK to not be by yourself, too, because none of us are really self-made.
22:24If you go home and you turn your lights on, somebody had a part to play in that.
22:30I don't believe in the whole self-made concept.
22:34So when you asked another difference between last year and this year, I got my squad with me this year.
22:38I'm building a team with me.
22:42My wife is going to be the one running the show and making sure everything is flowing fine backstage.
22:48I have my own security team to make sure that everything is going smooth backstage.
22:53I have my own DJ.
22:55Shout out to my dog, Eli Williams, because that's my boy.
22:59I have my main videographer and photographer, which is A from Breakthrough Studio.
23:05I'm not going to say his last name, but I don't know if you want me to.
23:07So, you know what I mean? So great talent. Great.
23:10I know he is a monster. Eddie is a monster.
23:14So like that's my like I'm building my squad because it's like, all right, we're here now.
23:22But when God launches this into the stratosphere, these are still the people I want with me.
23:26You know what I'm saying? Who've been down with me since day one.
23:29Through the good, the bad, the ugly. You know what I mean?
23:30These are this is my core group who I want here.
23:34So, you know, those those people, that's that's a big difference from from one into is having that structure.
23:41And honestly, I learned that because I was just at young Chris's concert.
23:46It was I was at HBO Fest and, you know, I was running security for for the event,
23:53but I was his personal security.
23:55And then miles minute came, so I was also his personal security.
24:00So. And I got a chance to really watch how these artists are moving behind the scenes.
24:07And it helped me see like some of their preferences and how, like,
24:12Don ready young Chris were communicating back and forth and how, like, even though I was ahead of security,
24:16I didn't even know miles minute was coming, you know, things like that.
24:20So just seeing like how that team was so tight knit.
24:25I said, I need that for beyond the walls to and beyond.
24:31So I need to have a crew back there with me once so I can just be the host
24:36because young Chris was overseeing that concert like it let him just be an artist.
24:41He never had his hands on all the administration for that night like I did last year.
24:45Like last year, my hands was in everything, including picking up the artists.
24:49And I was I missed like soundtrack was delayed and I missed things that I should not have missed.
24:54So this year, I'll be there for soundcheck.
24:56My wife will be handling the stuff that she needs to handle backstage.
24:59I have a security team moving the artists back and forth.
25:02I don't have to do all that. I will have some runners, you know, some people I can trust to,
25:07you know, understand this is unto God, you know, and not have stars in our eyes
25:12because there's no celebrities in this Christian space like that.
25:15That doesn't exist. If you if you believe you're in a celebrity in a Christian space, you need to go pray.
25:20This is an act of one and it's Jesus.
25:23So we need to make sure that like people get it when they're backstage.
25:27This is not this is not time to give them your mixtape.
25:30This is not time to be like, oh, let me get this interview.
25:33Like we're here to serve right now, you know, and getting people wrong,
25:36but who really understand that was was key.
25:38So that that's going to be a huge, huge difference from the two power of team.
25:43So as the team continues to build, what is something we can expect even beyond
25:48like Beyond The Walls 3.0, a little snippet, a little slither.
25:56I'm going to tell you the expectation.
25:58Yeah, something that you've been thinking about, like, should I experiment?
26:01Should I do this? Beyond The Walls 3.
26:05The two dates are already being held by the House of Blues.
26:09And that headliner and co-headliner announcement is coming sooner to realize.
26:14We're about to rock and roll all the fans.
26:17You're Cleveland.
26:18Cleveland isn't all for that music.
26:20Like Bone Thugs and Harmony kind of preaching that we kind of say that street
26:26disciple, that street gossip, like for rock and roll, Hall of Fame.
26:30There's another icon in the city.
26:32I know I never thought about having an event there.
26:34I didn't even know. I ain't all of you.
26:36You just gave me an idea.
26:38That's because I'm I'll say this.
26:40Will this event stay at the House of Blues?
26:44No.
26:44Will it stay in Cleveland?
26:46It's going to stay in Cleveland.
26:48OK, but that.
26:50So it's going to stay in Cleveland.
26:52But I have some plans to expand this out.
26:56And I'm going to I'm going to I got some I'm in the works with a lot of
26:59things right now as far as what this could what this is going to evolve into.
27:03It's not a matter of could it really is a matter of when.
27:06So it sounds like it's business beyond it.
27:09Oh, yeah.
27:10And I think that's what I would tell any any Christian.
27:12Like, do the business upfront.
27:14Do it with character, do it with integrity.
27:15Do it right, because you're doing it on the Lord.
27:18Because as soon as you put tell somebody you're a Christian,
27:19they're looking at you different than you are.
27:21They just are.
27:23For whatever the reason is, good, bad, ugly, positive, negative,
27:25whatever it is, they're looking.
27:27It's you're you're in a different you're in a different lane.
27:29Real humans.
27:31Yeah. Right.
27:32So is this business to it?
27:34And then like the ministry.
27:36Right.
27:36How do they overlap?
27:38And then when do you turn it on?
27:39When do you turn it off?
27:40I never turn off the Jesus part of it.
27:42That is always on.
27:44That is that's with me.
27:45That's a non-negotiable.
27:47You know what I mean?
27:47Like if I so that is always there.
27:51So for me on the on the back end, I'm praying.
27:54I'm fast and I'm praying and fast with my wife.
27:57God, who do you want at this concert?
27:59You know what I mean?
27:59Like, when do you want it?
28:01You know, I plan on expanding this out to other cities.
28:04So when you say, well, it's staying clean, it's going to stay in Cleveland.
28:06But it's going to be this.
28:08This is not it.
28:09This is just my this is just a jump off.
28:13This is home base.
28:15But this is always going to be here.
28:18But then it's OK.
28:20So, Lord, let's just say you want.
28:23D.K.G. Young Chris and Brennan were beyond the walls, too.
28:26Well, there is a business side to this.
28:28You got to fundraise for the money.
28:29We have to sign the contracts.
28:31We have to honor those contracts.
28:32We have to do it with integrity and make sure because in this case,
28:37if I damage that relationship, I'm damaging their walk with God.
28:40You know what I'm saying?
28:41I'm now being a stumbling block for them and their and their journey with Christ.
28:45So let's not do that.
28:47Let's let's learn how to navigate these waters.
28:49So I started talking and I'm blessed because I started talking to Bailey
28:54Unterweger, who is who is manages Christian Hip Hop Art is doing show promotion.
28:59You know, Eli Williams, I got it.
29:00I got a lot of game from Kay Diamond.
29:02I got a lot of game from Mike Mack.
29:04I got a lot of game from DJ Focus.
29:06You got to be like God put some OGs in my life,
29:09like early on his process to kind of take me to school.
29:12And I mean, it was quick.
29:15It was it was like the summer school version.
29:17Of course, it was like they should take 14 weeks.
29:21Here's four days.
29:24So I'm just learning, just learning that real fast.
29:27So, yeah.
29:28But the business, the business needs to be handled right and with integrity.
29:32So there's contracts run everything, you know,
29:34making sure the market and stuff gets planned out, because that's my weakness.
29:37And I'm stepping my game up a little bit in that slowly, but surely.
29:42So, well, going back to House of Blues,
29:46this is standing Cleveland, everyone standing Cleveland behind the wall, standing Cleveland.
29:53But you like the House of Blues, you love the system that's at the House of Blues.
29:57They are these different House of Blues in different cities.
30:00Ever thought about just turning different House of Blues in different cities?
30:05Thought about it.
30:06Thought about it.
30:08You know, it's we're not there yet.
30:12I feel like the thing about running a business is a business one,
30:16but also a nonprofit is overhead cost.
30:18I want to make sure I keep that minimum, you know, and then.
30:23But it's not a say no, it's a we're just not there yet.
30:26But doing this in multiple cities is the plan.
30:30So that is that is the plan.
30:32So you say you have donors and like the asset for money is it's a task, but it's fundraising.
30:40How do you get these donors to help you fundraise?
30:44You share the vision with them, you know, and you share the cause.
30:47Like, for example, this year, a portion of every ticket sold is supporting Youth for Christ.
30:52So young men who've been incarcerated,
30:55who are in who are either in the juvenile system right now incarcerated or coming out.
31:00I'm making sure they have books that they need to repass a third grade level
31:03because and I only speak in Ohio because I can't speak of this in other places.
31:06But if you are incarcerated in Ohio, odds are you can't repass a third grade level.
31:11It's the one illiteracy and incarceration go hand in hand in this state.
31:15So I'm making sure that the books that need to repass whatever level that they're at.
31:19I also partner with PNC Bank to make sure they're going to teach these these men financial literacy courses
31:25and financial freedom courses so they understand how to spend the money when they get out.
31:28And if they are out, same thing.
31:30We make sure they have the books you need.
31:31We make sure the courses you need so you can stay out the system.
31:35For sure, there's another way.
31:37Because if you can be a drug dealer, you can be a car salesman, right?
31:41Like, if you know how to hustle, you can be an insurance agent like who?
31:45But somebody's got to reach back and tell these dudes that.
31:48So this is the reach back.
31:51The pool is telling you there are there is other ways.
31:52You have other options.
31:54I was going to say that.
31:55So there's other ways.
31:57Just like it's all sales at the end of the day.
31:59And even to the point if they're not selling a product, they're selling themselves.
32:05We all have a vision.
32:06We all have these dreams.
32:08Even like you go into donors, you're telling a vision.
32:11Yeah, you're selling a vision, right?
32:13So yeah, that's powerful.
32:15So let's dive into the podcast.
32:20What does that entail?
32:21So I decided that I wasn't going to do the podcast alone.
32:26I wanted to have like guests come on the show to tell their stories so it can be an encouragement to anybody.
32:34And I think one of the things that I balked against early was people were like, oh, you should segment your podcast.
32:39Maybe you should just do your podcast for young men and maybe you should just do this and you should just do that.
32:44And I'm like, God didn't tell me to do that.
32:47God didn't tell me to go on that lane, at least not right now.
32:50I'm not saying it's never going to be there, but he didn't tell me to segment my podcast out to just one population of people.
32:57Right now I'm going to Joe Rogan approach.
33:00There's a, I don't know when this will air, but there's 160 something episodes on there right now.
33:05Probably close to 170.
33:06So we just park it there.
33:07There's someone there for everybody.
33:08So you're really rooted in Christ.
33:10Yeah, we in there.
33:11Like we really, we, we 10 toes down for real.
33:14Like it's you.
33:15There's something on there for everybody.
33:17You know, if you want to hear a story about brief because you had a miscarriage, we got episodes for you.
33:21You want to go in there and talk about how to battle addiction.
33:23We got episodes for you.
33:25You are a pastor's kid and you were up in a church.
33:26We got episodes for you.
33:28But I didn't want to just be my story, you know, because eventually like you're going to Twitter.
33:34I heard some of this already and there's always power testimony.
33:38But I'm like, yeah, but there's there's somebody else out there whose story can be captured and they don't always have to be this large name.
33:47I think sometimes if people think the anointing of God and the spirit of God is only attached to a name, it's not just attached to one person at all.
33:56You know, so you gave your life to Christ.
33:58You've got a story, a Jesus story to tell.
34:01Hit me up and come on the show.
34:02Let's talk about it.
34:03Let's just talk about it.
34:05So what's the most powerful or deepest conversation you had with a guess?
34:11Who was their story like?
34:13Oh, my goodness.
34:14I don't believe you just asked me that.
34:16That's a hundred something, seventy something episodes.
34:18And which one was the deepest or one that stands out that kind of hits you.
34:24Holy Gabbana stands out right now.
34:27Like for like that was that was crazy because I mean, anybody know him know what he used to do.
34:32He was running grocery stores, jumping on cars.
34:34The dude's life story was crazy.
34:36His story stands out.
34:38I mean, miles minutes car was shot up.
34:40His story stands out.
34:42DKG story stands out because he you know, his brother and him were going to go somewhere one night and he didn't go.
34:49And his brother, his brother, his cousin car got shot up, got like execution style.
34:55He died.
34:56Kyle was in the car.
35:00Those stories stand out.
35:04Man, there's a lot of them.
35:06Some. There's a lot of them.
35:08I hope you keep motivated and you know, to keep going with all of it.
35:13I originally told God, no, that I was not going to do this podcast.
35:18And first of all, so this is all disobedience.
35:21Like telling God, no, it's just crazy word.
35:23Like I just like, who am I to do?
35:24I think we are at some point in our life, especially when we.
35:30But I'm old now.
35:31You know, I'm not old now.
35:32I'm older.
35:32You don't say like I still told you.
35:34Like it's like it's truly.
35:35Yeah, I still I still feel younger heart.
35:39But I'm having fun.
35:41I'm having fun.
35:41I feel free.
35:42I feel loose.
35:43I feel like this is what I'm supposed to be supposed to be doing.
35:45So that's that's keeping me keeping me going.
35:48So wow.
35:49So you say you're in the ministry, but you have a fun.
35:52So we could have fun and still be rooted in Christ.
35:55I've had more fun following Jesus than I did before him.
35:59It's not even close.
36:02I don't got to wake up with hangovers.
36:03I'm not looking over my shoulders.
36:04I got drugs in my car trying to get back home so we can get high.
36:07Like it's easy.
36:08Like, yeah, I got a license.
36:09You know what I'm saying?
36:10Like I'm not driving illegally.
36:12You know, also, it's important.
36:13You know, you know what I'm saying?
36:14It's like, no, I feel there's a there's a freedom in Christ.
36:18Like that yoke, like he carries all of that.
36:21So I don't have to sit there and carry on his weight or freedom in Christ.
36:24And you say Jesus.
36:26And I know there's about three thousand four thousand different sectors of
36:31Christian and Christianity.
36:34So is your take or what is your take on like by God or father and Jesus Christ?
36:42They're two separate.
36:43They want father, son.
36:44We're going to make this real easy.
36:46Let's go.
36:47Father, son, Holy Spirit.
36:48Let's go.
36:49So our Trinity.
36:50Yeah, it's that simple.
36:51And there is there is one God.
36:55There is the only way back to him is through Jesus.
36:58Jesus paid the price for our sins.
37:00He died, buried, rose again.
37:03If you want the freedom I'm talking about, try him.
37:07Because the very thing that you feel like you're missing,
37:10like there's a reason why that you have to keep taking those drinks.
37:13There's a reason why you got to keep taking those hits.
37:15There's a reason why you got to keep stepping out with all these women.
37:17And there's a reason why they call her Mrs.
37:19And she ain't hitting.
37:20There's a reason why.
37:21There's a reason why it's called mystery.
37:23And it's a miss.
37:25There's a miss because the only hit is Christ.
37:29So we said the sun to get to the father.
37:33So it's like the vehicle.
37:35So the music is like the vehicle to Christ in this concert.
37:41So in the New Testament, I love the model that Paul set out
37:46because Paul said when I was a Jew, I carried myself as a Jew.
37:50When I was a Gentile, I carried myself as a Gentile.
37:53When I was around the week, I became weak so that I might win some
37:56for the gospel.
37:58And the whole idea behind that isn't it's the whole idea behind
38:02that is it's the man, the message and the method.
38:06The man Paul was surrendered to the man of Jesus.
38:11The message that he carried was the message of salvation,
38:15the saving power of Christ.
38:17The only thing Paul ever tweaked without using sin,
38:20without using something that was not God under was the method.
38:24So when I'm in the suburbs, I'm talking one way,
38:26but I'm saying the exact same thing.
38:28When I'm in the projects, I'm saying the same thing.
38:30I'm saying this message so you can understand it.
38:33I'm not changing the message.
38:35I'm just changing the method and the approach.
38:37So part of my method is Christian hip hop.
38:40Part of my method is Christian R&B.
38:42Part of my method is this podcast.
38:44Part of my method is going to the other shows in different
38:46locations and talking to people like we're doing right now.
38:49Yeah, I'm not changing the message at all.
38:52It's Jesus all day.
38:53You don't want to hear about Jesus.
38:54I'm the last person you want to come and talk to.
38:56Who else?
38:57That's that's the only way I'm working in one on one.
38:59I know the method is powerful, but it's key.
39:01And I'm going to find a way to talk about it.
39:03It's just because that's if you deny him before man,
39:07he'll deny you before the father.
39:08And that's not what I'm on.
39:10So we can't have fear of man when it comes to that.
39:12So I will tell everybody and glorify his name
39:14because I know that's the healing that people need.
39:18Now, you talk about the message.
39:21And we have the Bible, the greatest book ever written.
39:24Do you currently have a book?
39:26I do not have a book out.
39:27I do not.
39:29You are the probably the third or fourth person
39:30who's brought it up to me.
39:33So I haven't gotten there yet.
39:35I haven't gotten there, but I think I don't.
39:37You just randomly said that.
39:38So I feel like I need to go home and get
39:41reach out to my connection who was like,
39:43I feel like there's a book in you already to get this done.
39:45Yeah, I see that.
39:48And I also see like a documentary for Beyond the Wall.
39:54Or something that go hand in hand a book.
39:56Talking now.
39:57Documentary.
39:58Talking now.
40:00It's going way beyond the wall.
40:01Talking now.
40:02All right.
40:03Yeah.
40:05I love to see it too.
40:07Just the process and let's speak about the process
40:09because a lot of people, they see the end goals
40:11or even on social media.
40:13Like right now, I'm taking a 10 day fast away
40:16from social media.
40:18So I'm having been on social media.
40:19This is my eighth day.
40:20So I'll be back on in 10 days.
40:22I mean, two days.
40:23That would be my 10th day.
40:25And we see a lot of messages.
40:28It's a lot of negativity.
40:30All the different visions and visuals.
40:35But how do you kind of promote yourself
40:39through all the chaos, the madness,
40:42the algorithm, the news?
40:48I don't focus on it.
40:50I don't focus on...
40:54I keep my focus on Jesus.
40:56And I know like, of course he's going to say that.
40:58Well, yeah.
40:58That's like, that's the primary.
41:00And that is my anchor.
41:03So let me ask you this.
41:04Could anybody come to Beyond the Wall?
41:07It's like, say if I'm a Buddhist,
41:11which I have studied Buddhist
41:12and many different religious,
41:13are they welcome?
41:15That's why I said the House of Blues.
41:18I want you to come.
41:19So it's really Beyond the Wall.
41:22Because let's...
41:23I 100% believe in my heart of hearts
41:25that what I am telling you is true.
41:28So why would I not want you to come?
41:30Just because you walk like this,
41:31or you talk like this,
41:33or you carry yourself like this,
41:34or you disagree with me.
41:35It's people who are listening to this right now
41:37who don't agree with what I'm saying.
41:39Come!
41:40Let's talk about it.
41:42We don't got to talk about it on social media.
41:44We don't got to fight about it.
41:44Let's just talk person to person.
41:46Like we're human beings and not argue.
41:48You know what I mean?
41:51Like the Holy Spirit's job is to change people.
41:53My job is to be obedient.
41:55The results are up to God.
41:57I'm just a vessel.
41:58And that's the way it is.
41:59The Holy Spirit is to change people.
42:02So like it's not...
42:05I'm going to give you a message
42:07and I'm going to give you the truth.
42:08I'm going to give it to you in love.
42:10I want to give it to you in a way
42:11that you're going to receive it.
42:14But it is not my job to take to like
42:18just force this down your throat
42:20and be like, you better change.
42:21And that's God's job.
42:22Like my job is the obedience to deliver the message.
42:26The results are up to him.
42:28So Lord, you design these people's hearts.
42:31Prepare their hearts,
42:32what I'm getting ready to say.
42:35So it sounds like hip hop, you know,
42:37hip hop was birthed 50 years ago in the Bronx,
42:42you know,
42:43singing our messages over the streets,
42:47in the streets,
42:48about our pain, our struggle,
42:50our ways to overcome.
42:52It's all like the same similarities.
42:55And now that you're mixing hip hop
42:58with the Christian,
43:00how did you see those kind of audience
43:04coming about?
43:05Because Christian hip hop wasn't always a thing.
43:09Where did you first see that evolution?
43:10Like, wow.
43:12I'm the first person to tell you.
43:13I thought Christian rap was just by the past.
43:18Like I was not like,
43:21I'm from,
43:21so I'm going to date myself a little bit,
43:23but I'm from that golden era hip hop.
43:26So it was Tupac, it was Big E,
43:28it was Nas,
43:29and I was a huge Jadakiss fan.
43:32So we talking about wordplay.
43:34I liked Eminem.
43:35So I heard a piece of lyrics.
43:37Yeah, you know what I'm saying?
43:37So it's like,
43:39this is what I was listening to.
43:41Then I gave my life to Christ
43:43and I'm looking at my options.
43:44And I'm like,
43:46I can't listen to at the time.
43:49I'm talking about at the time now.
43:50So this was 2010.
43:52I can't sit here
43:53and just listen to this traditional worship music.
43:56Like,
43:56ain't not a role with Chris Tomlin
44:00and we'll just leave it with him.
44:01There's only one pop in my head right now.
44:03There's a million artists.
44:03That's what I can think of right now.
44:05Ain't no role it is,
44:06but like,
44:07you know,
44:08I'm getting more into MMA
44:10and like,
44:11I need something else to sink my teeth into
44:14because the music I was listening to
44:15was completely against the message of the Bible.
44:18Yeah.
44:18Like it's hard to go,
44:19lift my hands up at church on Sunday
44:21and then get in the car
44:22and now I'm bumping DMX.
44:24Like this is not,
44:24this is a real contradiction here.
44:27Dude in my church had put me on to like 116.
44:31So it was like Lecrae
44:32and AD Minio
44:33and Trip Lee
44:34and KB
44:35and I'm like,
44:36you know, this is going kind of hard.
44:37Like this is,
44:38this is banging.
44:39I think Bizzle was out.
44:40Bizzle was out at that time.
44:41The truth was out at that time.
44:44So really started getting into,
44:46into that.
44:47But,
44:48you know,
44:49part of my,
44:49part of my stories,
44:50I've lost 115 pounds.
44:52So I would go to the gym,
44:52but I'm listening to the same songs
44:54over and over and over again.
44:55Like,
44:55you know,
44:55the edge is starting to come off
44:57and we just made this JD's playlist again.
44:59You know,
45:00and I was just like,
45:03I'm like,
45:03why am I angry?
45:04Like,
45:04I haven't been this mad in a while.
45:06What's going on?
45:07Like,
45:07why do I feel like more aggressive than usual?
45:10I'm looking at something I'm listening to
45:11and I'm like,
45:14okay,
45:14this is direct.
45:15So to irrigate and agate,
45:16it matters.
45:19And so 2020 nonprofit hits.
45:23I'm like,
45:23podcast is jumping off.
45:25I'm like,
45:25you know,
45:25I don't,
45:26I got to make sure like I'm solid.
45:28This is one of the things I got to put away.
45:31And I'm not telling people,
45:32this is my conviction.
45:33So I'm just telling you my,
45:35my conviction when it came to music,
45:36but I will,
45:37I will press people that it matters
45:39what we expose ourselves to.
45:41I can,
45:41I want you to scriptures about that,
45:43but this is my person.
45:44I'm putting his music away.
45:46So I'm on,
45:47I'm on Instagram one night
45:48and I'm typing in like Christian authors,
45:51Christian this,
45:52Christian that,
45:52because I'm trying to set my algorithm
45:53so I can get more guests for the podcast.
45:55And I'm trying to set my algorithm
45:56so I can be exposed
45:57to what's really going on
45:59in Christianity
45:59across the United States.
46:01And I would actually say across the world
46:02because I've had guests from Australia,
46:04can't all over.
46:05You know what I mean?
46:05I've had guests from all over.
46:08And then I saw this thing.
46:09It was like,
46:10what was this Don ready?
46:11Who is this?
46:12Who is this Bruno dude?
46:13Like, who is this?
46:14And then went to the video
46:16and song just came on.
46:17It was like K I N G D O M dog.
46:19I'm really about it.
46:20And then a beat came back
46:21and I go,
46:21this is crazy.
46:23Wow.
46:24And then that turned me on
46:26to this new wave
46:28of a Christian, a Christian hip hop.
46:30So that's how all of that really, really started.
46:33It was,
46:33I believe that we had to put off
46:35one thing to put on something else.
46:38So if I'm going to stop doing something,
46:41that's just a hole now.
46:42That's just a void now.
46:42I got to fill that with something else.
46:45So I put off all that other music.
46:48I had to put on something much,
46:49you know, something else that was life given.
46:52So I would say
46:54Christian hip hop is not lame now.
46:56It's not hokey, you know?
47:00And I loved like,
47:01let me back up.
47:02And I'm not saying that 116 was lame.
47:04It was solid.
47:05Like that was perfect for where I was, you know?
47:08But I'm saying before them,
47:10I wouldn't have listened to any Christian,
47:12Christian anything.
47:13Like I wasn't into Kirk Franklin.
47:15You know what I mean?
47:15Like I wasn't into some of those artists
47:17coming up at that time, you know?
47:20Like just wasn't where I was at.
47:22Yeah.
47:23I think at the time,
47:25especially male Christian artists,
47:28Kirk Franklin was one of the ones I stood out.
47:30And then like you said, Lecrae.
47:33And just me, you know, growing up,
47:35listening, like you said, Jadakiss, Nas, Tupac.
47:39I used to say Tupac was my father.
47:40I won't play increase.
47:42You know, I didn't have my father around
47:43when I looked at him as a father figure.
47:45And especially as a young artist.
47:48And I had to change my ways,
47:49not listen to the music no more.
47:51And it's hard, you know, being around others.
47:55And especially like being on trips
47:56and, you know, listen to their music.
47:58It's like, ah, I just, I just can't.
48:01And, you know, I used to be a hip hop artist
48:04and transformed to a more conscious hip hop artist.
48:07And then kind of just slowly stopped doing music
48:10and just focused on poetry.
48:12So I wrote poetry books and also performed poetry.
48:16And later equipped like instrumentals
48:19with the palms, making it a full experience.
48:23But all of it comes down to frequency.
48:26And I even have a poem called Frequency.
48:30Frequency.
48:31Your frequency is what you frequently see.
48:34Vibrations all in the universe and also inside of me.
48:38Alien to the world society.
48:40Shooting stars consciously.
48:43Righteously.
48:44Until every dust particle unites in me.
48:47Sparkling.
48:47As water, wine and jewelry.
48:50Jewelry, see, I shine beyond my time of affinity.
48:54Living sea.
48:55Speckles around my eyes as vicinity.
48:58Vividly.
48:59Femininity.
49:00Raise my higher divinity.
49:02Sacred trinity.
49:03Reflects my divine masculinity.
49:06Pumped in the trenches.
49:07Relentless.
49:08Lost my human mind to gain my spiritual senses.
49:12Defenseless.
49:14Elevation.
49:15Through focus and meditation.
49:18Patience.
49:19Eyes closed.
49:20Silent.
49:22Reality is real.
49:24Transcend, be fulfilled.
49:26Energy gathering as magic.
49:28We all have it.
49:29Pass it.
49:31Positivity.
49:32Pass it.
49:33Love.
49:35Pass it.
49:36Around like the Last Supper.
49:38At least in this lifetime.
49:40This dimension.
49:41Keep intentionally moving with the tension.
49:43Open your mind of endless comprehension.
49:46Listen.
49:47And listen with intention.
49:50Listen.
49:51When you complete the mission.
49:54And as I speak about mission, you are fulfilling and doing your mission.
49:59But as I spoke about Last Supper.
50:01And as I think about beyond the walls.
50:05Who do you see at your Last Supper's after the shows?
50:13Who's sitting at the table?
50:18Oh, my wife, for sure.
50:20They sit at the table.
50:20That's like everyone.
50:21Yeah, it's like that.
50:23I'm like, I'm thinking about who else would be sitting there with us.
50:27But like with no hesitation.
50:29Would not like.
50:32She's like that's the cheese like part of the backbone.
50:34All of us.
50:35You know what I mean?
50:36So for sure.
50:38This is her and I.
50:41And if it's a tie, if it works out the way I want it to.
50:44It'll be that team I was talking about earlier.
50:47You know, the people who helped run.
50:50Do the running show.
50:51Do the security.
50:51Run the stuff backstage.
50:53You know, that would be fabulous.
50:54That would be that team.
50:55For sure.
50:57What would you be?
50:57You can't do this by yourself.
50:59That's true.
51:00Like we spoke on.
51:02Can't wear every hat.
51:02I mean, you could, but you burnt out.
51:05I wore a lot of hats of this last year just because I didn't know any better.
51:09Now that I know better, it's time to do better.
51:11You know what I mean?
51:12That's true.
51:13And like you said, now that you know better, you do better.
51:16You're a life coach, right?
51:18Yeah.
51:18Yeah.
51:19So kind of walk me through the process of helping someone overcome what they're coming.
51:23Yeah.
51:24It's a matter of setting the goal because I'm not a licensed like therapist.
51:31You know what I mean?
51:31So it's a matter of like, we're going to, what do you want to achieve unless put together
51:37a realistic action plan to get there that holds you accountable to take those steps.
51:42Yeah.
51:43I kind of chuckle because I call myself an unlicensed therapist.
51:47It's like from late middle school to high school.
51:50Yes.
51:50To help everyone with the problems, relationships, individually.
51:55So, you know, stand up at 2 a.m. when I wake up in school in a couple hours, like,
52:00man, so I'm more conscious of it now, but yeah, I just call myself a licensed therapist.
52:05Yeah.
52:06They might get me jammed up.
52:07Don't even call.
52:09I refer you.
52:10Yeah.
52:12So how does it feel being a life coach, like helping others?
52:15And then I know you kind of tied into the ministry work you do.
52:19I love seeing other people up on it.
52:22Like this is, I'm not going to gatekeep anything.
52:25You know what I mean?
52:26Like a lot of this game I got I was doing for free.
52:28So I'm giving it back the same way.
52:31You know, so helping somebody else get to the very place that God is calling into.
52:36That's fine.
52:36Let's do it.
52:38Like this, that's the making disciples who make disciples.
52:41If somebody helped me, how do I not help somebody else?
52:45So walk me the day of Beyond the Walls and then you did year one.
52:52Now you have some expectations for year two, which is November 1st.
52:56Beyond the Walls 2.
52:58Walk me through the typical day.
53:00Like what is your energy levels?
53:02Are you getting enough sleep?
53:04Are you stand or wake up at night?
53:06Because it's like kind of anxious and like, ah, I want everything to be perfect.
53:10Like kind of walk me through the day.
53:11There ain't no way I'm getting enough sleep.
53:14There ain't no way.
53:15We do a dinner with a shout out to to my restaurant in Berea.
53:20That's one of my sponsors.
53:21So I have all the artists the night before who can make it.
53:24We go to a dinner there.
53:27So is the last supper.
53:28So is it before supper?
53:34I hope that ain't the last one.
53:36But I mean, if it is, you have to have the night.
53:39So we we all go to a dinner.
53:41We all would have dinner here.
53:42They go back to their hotels.
53:44I go home.
53:45I try to sleep.
53:47I'm going to wake up.
53:48Pray.
53:49I probably do some live podcast recordings.
53:53That day, because I want to catch the water in town.
53:56I've been breakthrough sound studios.
53:57My people, your people is, you know, also breakthrough.
54:00Yes, you already know.
54:01You already know.
54:04So do that.
54:06Run home.
54:07Get the fit ready.
54:08You know, I got it.
54:09I got to be clean that day.
54:10You know, so I have my concert outfit ready.
54:15And then I would probably get there sometime between two and three
54:19to start soundtrack.
54:21My wife and I get everything ready.
54:22Set up to had a green room set up.
54:24You know, we're like food and everything.
54:26The artist is going to going to need.
54:28They'll soundtrack.
54:31Once they're done with soundtrack, I'll get everybody back there.
54:33We'll pray after that, because, you know, the House of Blues is
54:38we believe we're calling it back territory from the enemy.
54:40You know, so it's a lot of spiritual warfare in there.
54:43So we want to make sure we we typically pray it up.
54:47And some of you guys say, why don't you start with that?
54:49I typically do the soundtrack first and get everybody in the back
54:51together.
54:51So that's not a back of anybody's head.
54:54Like you once that part is done, anything that needs to be done,
54:57the sound, the line and Ted, they can go do what they got to do.
55:00We're going to be in the back.
55:01We're going to get ready.
55:02We're going to, you know, we're going to pray that place.
55:04We're going to pray that place up.
55:05You know, so.
55:07And yeah, and then, you know, you wait for the VIP, then it's showtime.
55:12We we got a special interest this year we didn't have last year.
55:15So I'm I think the people will be shocked.
55:18There's going to be some surprises at the first.
55:2210, 15 minutes.
55:23Well, you know, see, we got to just wait for the documentary.
55:27I would love to see all this compile through over the years.
55:32And say, as a young, young artist, young hip hop artist,
55:36a young Christian hip hop artist that wants to get into music and performing.
55:41How important is sound check?
55:44Oh, man. And arriving early for sound check your your.
55:50Listen, the Christian hip hop space, it looks huge.
55:54It is, but it's not like you burn a bridge with the right.
56:00But it's like, it's just it's crazy.
56:02Like, it's not it's not as large as you.
56:04So you have your character, you have the integrity, you got your word.
56:08You know what I'm saying?
56:09Like show up on time.
56:12Be there for the soundtrack.
56:14Leave your ego wherever you got to leave it.
56:16You know what I'm saying?
56:18Because for me, like I've seen I'm seeing beyond the walls grow
56:22and I'm seeing some people who want to get attached to it.
56:24And I know their character is not right and they won't be there.
56:28And I don't feel bad about that because I'm going to protect the very thing
56:31that God has asked me to to Stuart and Shepherd.
56:34You know, I'm going to keep I want to keep the right people around these functions.
56:41And I think it's important today that they show up for sound check.
56:44It's important they keep their word for this idea we're going to do.
56:47You know, if you said you were to make the dinner, make the dinner.
56:49You know, if you said you were going to do the podcast, do the podcast.
56:53We didn't negotiate that and then that's on me.
56:56I know you understand. Right.
56:58You know, stuff like that.
56:59You know, so I think I think it's really important for those that do want to get involved.
57:03But you but you said that they're not ready or they're not there.
57:08What is something that your background would like coaching could help them with?
57:12Well, I'm not saying they're not ready, not there.
57:14I'm saying like be about your business, be about your business, because this is not.
57:21This isn't just a toy in somebody's backyard.
57:23You know what I'm saying? Like this is this is the real deal.
57:26I fully plan on having this be one of the major concerts in this region.
57:31Like this is not just just be about your business.
57:36I'm going to say like that because I don't want to give too much away.
57:37So just I would say that. So it's not I'm saying they're not ready.
57:40I'm just saying be about your business.
57:41Have your kingdom and character, have your kingdom integrity and just, you know,
57:48understand it like we serve a God of order and structure.
57:51And there is an order structure to this, you know, so that's that's why I would really say
57:58Well, how would you help them be about the business?
58:02Like you said earlier, someone that doesn't know better being incarcerated
58:07and they have to sell drugs, but they also sell cars.
58:12Yeah, insurance, wherever you're trying to get to,
58:17find somebody who's already there and have them mentor you.
58:21Coach. Yeah, that's like the number.
58:23Like, don't talk to your friend.
58:25Like, why would you take money advice when somebody is broke?
58:28That's crazy. Like, why would you take important advice when you got a job?
58:32No, get somebody who is where you're trying to be
58:36and like learn from that person, like sit under that person.
58:40I want to tell you straight up, like I actually just joined a new jujitsu gym
58:44because they have kickboxing, like legit kickboxing classes there.
58:49I offer to clean the mats because that was my first day in the gym.
58:54I don't walk in there like I know how to throw, even though I do.
58:57I've been doing kickboxing for a while now, but I don't walk in there.
59:00Like I'm God's gift to the earth.
59:02You go in there humble.
59:05And thank God that he has put me in situations where I have been humble,
59:08so I don't walk in there with a big head.
59:11I offer to clean the mats.
59:14You know what I mean?
59:15Like, so sit under that person, take notes, study them, like see how they move.
59:22Then find some people like some people you can walk eye level with.
59:25We're like, yo, we, you know, we're not.
59:29You know, I'm going to go over here, but we're kind of walking that same
59:31that same pace, like we're kind of going in the same direction,
59:34like finds of people you can really do life with.
59:38And then finds of people who you can pour into yourself when the time's right.
59:42But make sure that you are in a position to talk about things effectively.
59:48So I would tell you in a career space, I would say,
59:50make sure above approach in the area.
59:52I can talk to you about what to do when you get off drugs.
59:55Because I'm not still doing them.
59:57You know what I'm saying?
59:57I can talk to you about like, man, after that 21 day mark,
1:00:00go after that 30 day mark, you might get that itch.
1:00:02You know what I mean?
1:00:03Like things like that, like make sure that you are delivered for you.
1:00:06Talking about, you know, make sure in a position
1:00:08to actually mentor someone in those areas, you know, stuff like that.
1:00:11So that's what that's what I would say.
1:00:12Any of them.
1:00:14But you you want to be a preacher, sit under a pastor.
1:00:17You want to be a concert promoter, sit under a good concert promoter.
1:00:21You want to be a rapper.
1:00:22Find some people who are doing it, who are doing it right.
1:00:25And then like pay attention to how they move.
1:00:27Wow.
1:00:28That is very insightful advice.
1:00:31And just wrapping up because we have about five minutes.
1:00:34Yes, sir.
1:00:35It's conference room.
1:00:36And again, I know the first check out the first interview we sat down at podcast United Five.
1:00:45And I said I will be sponsoring a ticket.
1:00:47Oh, and by the time this releases, I'll be back on social media.
1:00:52So yes, stay tuned.
1:00:54Get that ticket.
1:00:57And speaking about tickets for people that can't get a ticket and for anyone that's listening,
1:01:04what are all the ways the listeners can get involved?
1:01:07Yeah, go to if you're talking about buying tickets, go to ticketmaster.com.
1:01:12All the tickets will be type in beyond the walls to if you find me on social media.
1:01:16Believe that link is everywhere.
1:01:17You will have no issues getting tickets.
1:01:19There's an event on Facebook.
1:01:21I actually had a donor recently who just purchased eight tickets.
1:01:26I have six of those left.
1:01:28I'll be giving away for free.
1:01:31We also have two VIP tickets.
1:01:35We're going to be giving away for free.
1:01:37And all you have to do is go follow us on social media and subscribe to the podcast.
1:01:41You'll be entered to win those.
1:01:43What's your social media handles?
1:01:44Yeah.
1:01:45Eric Stevens, 1983.
1:01:48Redwood CM.
1:01:49And we're the Rooted in Christ podcast on YouTube.
1:01:52One more time for the people.
1:01:53Yeah.
1:01:53Eric Stevens, 1983.
1:01:55That's Instagram.
1:01:57Redwood CM.
1:01:58Also Instagram.
1:02:00And then the Rooted in Christ podcast on YouTube.
1:02:03What about if someone wants to donate to you personally?
1:02:05We're going to do that.
1:02:07Yeah.
1:02:07If you have a specific donation link right on our lint tree.
1:02:13So I give you all of that to post.
1:02:15So, yeah, we they can give that.
1:02:17All I got to do is DM me.
1:02:18I can send you a link directly because we are a 501C3 nonprofit.
1:02:21So that is all under Redwood Christian Ministries.
1:02:25I set that up to make sure there was no lack of carriage or integrity.
1:02:28And the money started coming in.
1:02:30You know, so I set up the 501C3.
1:02:33So the business bank account, you know, did all that that way, you know,
1:02:36so it's all the nations go through there and they don't come to me personally.
1:02:40That's beautiful.
1:02:41And just a little bit more game.
1:02:42We've got a non-private board directors, too.
1:02:44So I have other people who are also kind of paying attention to how the money
1:02:47is coming in and how it's being used.
1:02:50So just final words.
1:02:52What encyclopedic can you leave a creative entrepreneur?
1:02:58Be who you are.
1:03:00Somebody else that's already done is done.
1:03:03It's over.
1:03:04Don't worry about that wave.
1:03:06Be be who God created you to be.
1:03:08God created you to be unique.
1:03:11You are uniquely a wonderful maze.
1:03:12So be that just be that person.
1:03:14Don't worry about the next person to do when you got to look like them.
1:03:16You're going to walk like them.
1:03:17You got to talk like them.
1:03:18You got to dress like them.
1:03:19Be who God created you to be.
1:03:22And if you've heard anything that I've said today and it's just resonated
1:03:26with you, I would tell you if you have not given your life to Jesus,
1:03:31sick, talk to God like if you if you want to know more,
1:03:35this Jesus thing is about.
1:03:37Lord, I fall short.
1:03:40I'm not perfect.
1:03:41I've made some mistakes.
1:03:43Forgive me, but I want you to reign over my life.
1:03:46I want you to learn my life.
1:03:47I want you to live in my heart.
1:03:49Let's see what you let's see where we can go together.
1:03:52Or what do you have for me?
1:03:53Forgive me.
1:03:55Live in my heart is my Lord and Savior, and I will follow you
1:03:58for the rest of my days.
1:04:00Say that in your own words, but give your life to him
1:04:03because tomorrow is not promised.
1:04:05But I promise you that piece that you're looking for.
1:04:07You will find it in town.
1:04:09That's amazing.
1:04:10Thank you again with the Eric Stevens, Mel.
1:04:13Anytime.
1:04:14Appreciate you.
1:04:15Mr. Eric Stevens, y'all with Redwood Christian Ministries
1:04:19and also check out the podcast Rooted in Christ on all platforms.
1:04:24Yes, sir.
1:04:24Even YouTube?
1:04:25Yeah. Oh, yeah.
1:04:26It's Spotify.
1:04:27We everywhere.
1:04:28Everywhere.
1:04:30Yes.
1:04:31But I'm getting better with YouTube.
1:04:33We had some discrepancies, but you can follow the audio
1:04:39platforms, alienized photos, industry talk on all audio
1:04:43platforms, Apple, Spotify, ICAST, all that good stuff.
1:04:48And you can follow me at alienized photos.
1:04:52That's alien eyes with a Z, photos with an S on all social
1:04:56media.
1:04:57And I'll be back on social media today, y'all.
1:05:00I'm gonna catch up with all the messages, comments.
1:05:02I'm sorry.
1:05:02I'm sorry.
1:05:04And then if you want more information or to book me as
1:05:07an event photographer or a coach, you can visit alienized photos
1:05:11dot com.
1:05:13Again, alienized photos dot com.
1:05:16And this has been a great episode.
1:05:20Beyond The Walls 2, November 1st.
1:05:24Let's go.