Chicago Talk Show - The Scott Emo Show

Who Is Jay Electronica?

8/16/2013

"In my earlier years from when I first left home, I was embarrassed from being from the South. Not in general, but as a rapper because all of the negative things that people in the States put on the South." - Jay Electronica talks about when he was booed off stage because of his twang

With all the recent ruckus surrounding Kendrick Lamar's verse off "Control" (a Big Sean release), Jay Electronica pops up and makes his name known (once) again to the hip hop fans, but how come we don't hear from Jay that often?

Everyone is talking about Kendrick, which makes sense, but I'm more interested now in what the deal is Jay Electronica. I wonder if this buzz will fuel his likeness to a new fan base. Jay can flow and he's really creative. If you haven't heard "Swagger Jacksons Revenge", you could be missing out on of the deepest songs in hip hop. He also knows how to stay relevant. For example, he talks about (exclusively) female characters from the Wizard of Oz on the new Mac Miller album, on the song "Suplexes inside of complexes and duplexes" - DOPE.

Here's my point: If you type in YouTube "Jay Electronica" the entire first page of search results is copies of the track "Control". PS: Big Sean snapped on that song, too.

Jay Electronica became well-known (in my opinion) when he signed to Roc Nation in 2010. That is when Roc Nation first was becoming what it is today, a multi-facet entertainment firm. Jay Z signs Jay Electronica, huh? If Jay Z cosigns him, he must be off the chain. But, he didn't make that much mainstream noise. Jay has core fans, but a lot of people I surround myself with, I don't hear his name EVER come up in a rap conversation until recently.

I dig his music, I dig his spirit and I dig his style. I like that in a world filled with over-saturated content, Jay Electronica comes out twice a year and makes a HUGE splash in the hip hop world. So, major shot out to Jay and we hope to interview him on our show one day!

Here are a few facts about Mr. Electronica:

He is from New Orleans - The Magnolia Projects
He has a baby with Erika Badu
Before he signed with Roc Nation, he had close ties with Bad Boy (Diddy)
He's in his own lane, but could be compared to the Mos Def's, Talib's, and that style of music

Passion. The Weigh In. Hip Hop Update.

8/13/2013

Passion feeds you when you feed it. Anything that makes you happy, you need to try and make it happy. That can go for a relationship, it's applicable for a job and whatever else you enjoy. Think about how much effort it takes to become good at something, let alone an expert? People who explore their happiness typically find their passion and then fuel it with love, persistence, perseverance and motivation.

You find what you love to do when you get lost in time. Time, days, stop existing - especially when you are just starting out. Going after your dream is empowering. Understanding what you want in life is finding freedom. I can't believe I actually found something I love to do. It amazes me on a daily balance.

If you are seeking, it's out there. All it takes is effort, belief and more effort. You want something, you need to get it.

The recent:
The shows I am working on are so sick. The Weigh In is the newest project I'm affiliated with. The Weigh In is where entertainers and athletes weigh in on anything essentially. Unbelievable opportunity and access that we're getting. I've been searching for the key for a long time, and now my spirit guides provided me that opportunity and I'm blessed for it. We've been to one event and interviewed NBA players, sports broadcasters and many others. Stupid fun! Make sure you LIKE us on Facebook to see our updates - www.facebook.com/TheWeighInTV

Hip hop update:

Can't believe I didn't know Puff and Mase reunited at the OVO festival in Toronto that Drake puts on.He also brought Ye on stage, so mad love for that. He says Kanye is the reason he raps, that must be a cool feeling to bring him to your city on your stage - Mazel tov, Drake! That's awesome.
Master P is coming out with a new album. I'm definitely a No Limit fan. Good luck, P! Make 'em say UHHHHH!
Kendrick Lamar is trending hard right now, thanks to Big Sean with that beast of a track. I will paste it below so you can listen to it. Video to the song below.
50 and Trav are beefing. If you know how Trav is, you know how G 50 gets. He told Trav that he couldn't come on stage. 50 pulled the Heisman out on him. Video below.

Having A Baby...Soon

8/8/2013

Don't worry Sully, you are still my first son and baby!

I'm having a baby. My wife and I are having a baby. Whoa, that's mind-blowing. I don't truly understand what it's like to be pregnant and my feelings are unsure because I don't understand what's going on. I know I'm having a baby, but I don't have that connection to the baby that Lindsay probably has and I guess it's because she's carrying the baby. I wonder if other guys can relate to this....

We are going to have a baby. A baby girl. My mom would have been so happy to be physically here on earth during this time. She loved kids. She never knew I grew up, but she loved kids. I can only imagine her reaction when we first got pregnant and her reaction for the first time seeing our baby.

I guarantee she would call me everyday and make sure that Lindsay was ok and that the baby was ok. I can only see it now. She would call everyday just to see how our baby and Lindsay were doing. I miss that. I miss that feeling of what could have been. I miss my mom and a lot more knowing I'm starting my own family. I am blessed to be in control of the situation and be the dad I want to be to my baby and Lindsay can do the same as well. We are creating our own family now and we'll always be an extension of our parents.

Here's the weird part: To our baby, some of our grandparents and my mom are just stories told through pictures and some video. That's sad to me, but I also know that's reality. Death is inevitable and knowing that and embracing that knowledge allows me to put my time and energy in to things I want to spend my life doing. This also means I want to lead by example for my daughter and show her that daddy made something special out himself while still being a great dad.

I couldn't be more excited to be a dad, especially to a little girl. I can't wait to experience that relationship and love this little thing....forever. Souls are real, energy is real. I feel it and I will definitely feel my mom through our new baby girl.

To life, everyone!
-
All love,
Scott Emo

Media + Detroit

8/1/2013

Can't complain. The show made the front page of the Deerfield Review. The Deerfield review is my hometown paper. The amount of love they've showed us (so far) is second-2-none. Two online stories and one print, and we made the COVER, c'mon! Too much good stuff, is delightful!

Somewhat related thoughts:
I lost two friends (that I can remember right now) to drugs (one during high school and one after). Deerfield has a lot of kids that need help and inspiration. It can be emotionally draining trying to fit in, so we break off and do things we aren't really supposed to do. But, there are other outlets that bring you to a better understanding of yourself, which ends up meaning that you can live YOUR life. It takes time, it takes practice, but always remember one thing: On your journey, be gentle to yourself.

We went on a road trip to Detroit this week. Saw my good buddy Toby who I must say showed us a lot of graciousness and his hospitality was outstanding - dude can be my wife if he treated me like that everyday - LOL. Man, Toby gave me energy I haven't felt since our Premo Records days in college. He brought exactly what I needed, so much love to you my brotha from another motha. See you on the flip side!

We went to American Jewelry and Loan to interview Les Gold, the legendary pawn broker from the hit show, Hardcore pawn. Les is a cool dude, all about his business. Right when we walked in the pawn shop, the production crew was filming, people were standing around waiting for pictures with Les and he obliged. I must say, I've seen a lot of celebs deny people, but not Les. I thought that was really cool to see. Les reminded me of my dad because he had so much going on, but Les is WAY more organized than my dad.

We also got a chance to tape the 50,000 sq ft. super-mega-plex that is filled with TV's to power tools. It was gigantic and seemed like it never ended. They didn't have 500 fur jackets, it seemed like they had 5,000 jackets! It was crazy to see how much stuff they had. The coolest item I saw at his shop was a Dr. Jack Kevorkian's van. The same van he used to perform assisted suicide. Also, the shop he's in now used to be a bowling alley - for any factoids out there.

The interview was legit. We dug deep: Les told us that the arguing goes home with them. Meaning, Les, Seth and Ashley argue outside the workplace too. Shit, I can relate to that. I worked for my dad and we would be talking 24/7, yelling, hugging, yelling and then hugging. It was the best and worst experience of my life. I was so curious how his relationship really was with his dad, kids and what it was like to work with them. From what I heard and saw, it was really good. It's cool to see that "they make it work". Good people, good business, good family and all around we had an awesome time at his shop. Interview coming soon...

The interviews didn't stop there. Rick and Ro are the co-owners of Burn Rubber, a sneaker and street wear boutique in Royal Oak, MI. These 2 guys are so synced up. No exaggeration, they would finish each others sentences - hilarious guys.

They surprised me not by their knowledge of the sneaker culture, the hip hop scene, but they got me with how much they give back to kids. They take time to speak at schools, community organizations and help up-and-coming artists thrive. I got to meet Rick's little kid and you can just see how much he cares about his son. Oh, also, you won't see these two without a cell phone in their hands. The best thing out of that situation was when Rick mentioned "I remember when no one would call".

Ro reminds me of a lot of my friends, really chill, but super insightful. Both Rick and Ro are very articulate, conscious of their beginnings and presence, both very entrepreneurial and they definitely inspired me to hustle harder and learn how to balance a life. Did I mention this interview we walked around downtown Royal Oak? Yea, it was sick! Interview coming soon.

Don't Be Good, Be Great

7/17/2013

I struggled hard today. Today I missed my Big Sean interview. I messed up. I take responsibility on this one. It's like someone knocked me the F out.

What a day. I lost something that was in my control and I struggled with finding a channel to release this negative energy I was harboring. Man, what a day. I felt like I let down my people. Really through off my entire being, my entire stability.

My batting average was strong on locking in interviews and making them actually happen, but missing this one feels like a major disappointment. Can the interview still happen? Of course, but I don't like tripping when I'm running to first base. We are just getting started, but I got slapped in the face so hard today by reality that it stung. Like when Tyson used to just knock his opponents head off.

Got home, realized that today sucked, talked to my Mrs. and had an open and honest conversation about the reality of this situation and our life, like we have a KID coming. Damn. No money coming in. Damn. But, a little love and support can take a man a long way. Also, playing Holy Grail on repeat doesn't hurt either.

Here's the point: I needed this. Time to get it focused. Organized better. Content driven and get someone else to help with the details, that was a slip up, but that's it. Now, it's over and now it's a learning lesson and we will go to Detroit on July 31 to get our interview with Sean. Like Frank Ocean said: Fuck it. And like Hov said: "Don't be good, be great."

All love,
Scott Emo

How To Be Homeless and Happy

7/14/2013

I never thought the words homeless and happy would ever be in the same sentence, until I met Keith. Keith sells Streetwise on the corner of Lake and Michigan in downtown Chicago. Every morning, no matter if it's sunny outside or of it's hailing golf balls, Keith is out there with a smile, acknowledging people and is as genuine as one can seem. I would see him for a year straight walking to work at the AON center and it finally dawned on me that I was going to be the one to stop, say hello and share his story with people. If you saw the amount of people that ignored him from his perspective, I'd hope you'd take action to - to simply say hello back to him as he said hello to you. That is just human courtesy.

I wondered to myself, how is this guy so happy everyday and he sells Streetwise? What dreams and ambitions does he have for himself? But, the main thing that impressed me the most was the simple fact that he had a smile on his face even if thousands of people (daily) would ignore his "Hi, how are you's".

Keith was my first man-on-the-street interviewee and it was such a pleasure getting to know him on a deeper level. If you are happy with your values, who you are, what you believe in, you can be homeless and happy.

I hope you enjoy the video as much as I do and I hope there are things in the video that can inspire you to be happy, no matter what negative circumstance you may face! If you see Keith in Chicago, say hello, you'll lo

All love,
Scott Emo

The Grind

7/12/2013

The struggle of pursuing your dream is a grind. To build something from scratch and to get "consumers" interested in what you're selling (in my case it's stories and content) has been a struggle: financially, personally, spiritually and financially - making money on your own has been hard, but the opportunity of preserving stories, sharing content, loving life is priceless, but the grind is real. Paying bills are real. But, I would never trade it for anything at this stage of my life. Also, the show gives back to charities and the goal is to inspire our viewers that their dream is possible to attain, too! Lots of reasons why the grind is worth it!

Let me give you an example: Securing an interview is like dating - the more you put yourself out there, the more receptive one is to talk to you. When you are trying to date, every time someone says no, that means you are getting closer to a yes. I might ask 50 people for an interview and then I get one YES and that one re-energizes me to keep going after it. Keep pursuing the dream. Keep up the grind. Building a Chicago talk show is hard, but not impossible.

I can be working from 6am - 2am straight and have no idea what day/time it is. One of my friends called it "start up mode". I guess that means when one is so entrenched in the work you love doing, you forget that time even exists - I call that shit passion.

It's easy to see our interviews and say "that's cool", but there are countless of hours that go in to it; from outreach, to research on our guest, to shot lists, question prep, film, editing the video, marketing the video, etc. It's a process in a half, but the end product is worth every second of the grind.

If you find something you love doing, grind it out and go as hard as you can because you never know what may happen!

All love,
Scott Emo

Finding a Work/Life Balance

7/11/2013

Here's the scenario:
Lindsay emailed me today and told me that I am putting too much time and energy in to The Scott Emo Show and that I am missing out on the process of her being pregnant. Think about that shit for a second, from my wife's perspective she feels like I am not present for the development process of our baby. How do you think that would make one feel? I obviously felt like poop, but the truth is raw and can really hurt. And, the most fucked up part, is that I agree with her. I am more focused on the show that I forget (not intentionally) that I have a personal life. I have such a deep passion for the show that sometimes I get tunnel vision and forget about my loved one's.

I didn't respond back to her email right away because I knew it would be more productive to have an in person conversation about what is going on in my head and what is going on in her head. I have a hard time balancing my personal life and the show, my wife feels that and doesn't like it, hence the email.

As part of my daily routine, I pick her up from work and I knew we had to discuss her email, which I knew would be uncomfortable, but I am so sick of bullshitting and avoiding the way I feel that I knew the conversation had to happen. I definitely get caught up in the show and I certainly neglect my home life because I am grinding hard to make the show exactly what I want it to be.

From the tim I picked her up from work to the moment we got home and a hour plus of conversation at home, we realized that my head is in not in the game - the home life game. I am not ready to chill out because I gravitate to the show. I chose the show not over my family, but I chose the show rather than to relax and strike a balance between home and the show. This is difficult to make sense of right now, but I am still working through this process.

I grew up programed that work is what we do - whether it's a distraction or a passion, it's hard to find a balance between chilling out with my wife and not closing my computer so I can continue doing what needs to happen to make the show work. This is what my family is about and has been for my entire life - I have to reprogram my thought process.

So, there is no solution right now besides the fact that I acknowledge I am not ready to balance my life because the show is occupying my brain, but I would like to change and find a balance. I am in charge of these decisions, but my decision is to focus on the show and to work harder on spending more time at home with my misses. I will take this day-by-day and put in more effort than I have before.

We all have a choice to have a work/life balance, but this shit is a practice like anything else. I guess it's practicing to relax and be present and in the moment. Sometimes we all need a good kick in the ass (gently) and to be reminded of what's important in life.

All love,
Scott Emo

Chasing Fame Without a Purpose

7/7/2013

How to become famous?
Put that in Google and look how much content pops up that will get you nowhere. After my trip to LA, it dawned on me. So many people chase fame and fortune. I always knew I wanted to be recognized for the work that I did, but never did I understand what platform was right for me. It started off with "wanting" to be a professional baseball player to a very short-lived music career. After meeting so many actors, athletes, musicians, etc. they all say the same thing: "This is what I love to do". That's how simple it is to be famous - love what you do, do it what a passion, be persistent, be kind to others, giveback when you can and the rest will take care of itself.

Once I got a taste of what it's like to be recognized for the work that I do and love, iI realized that I can do anything I want to do with my life. I realized I was chasing fame and not a purpose or mission since I was 13. I must have been chasing recognition since my parents got divorced.

I was the school clown and back then it was funny, but now I realize how silly and embarrassing that was. I was lacking depth and substance. I've been working towards nothing besides shallowness. Now that I know this, I can work through it and figure out my mission and purpose through the tools I have developed over the past few years: one of my tools is praying. Ask for guidance, ask for strength and it will come.

I am working on this insane new opportunity and it's all about being around stars and legends in sports. The person I am working with wants nothing to do with being in front of the camera and that is when a light bulb went off in my head. I shine the best in front of the camera (even though I know how to produce, script, develop a shot list, incorporate key messages etc.) I feel GREAT when that camera is on and it's time to roll!

I want to be in front of the camera talking to amazing people about their journey, personal life experiences and much more because that is what feels right for me. It's not the fame I am chasing anymore, it's the stories that we need to preserve and capture on film so it can last a lifetime. It's an honor to have people I barely know open up and share their stories with me. share their fears, struggles, successes and much more. That, to me, is the shiznit.

One day, this will all be a story that someone else may care about and I can inspire others to pursue their dreams, passions and mission.

All love,
Scott Emo

Things I Learned in LA

7/3/2013

The LA trip for The Scott Emo Show was a success. Daniel video taped everything, he is now going to edit down all the content we secured from our trip and we'll create a 4 part web-series of our experience in LA.

Expect to see exclusive studio footage, inside artists homes, VIP parties and most importantly the stories that we captured on film! Some of the stories are so real that I was not able to comprehend the magnitude of one's struggles, but I learned a lot on how to be grateful and how much hard work goes in to success: emotional and financially.

It was a pleasure spending time out there with D. Wet. I think he has a great head on his shoulders and really wants to live a good life doing the things he enjoys doing, like the most of us. He slept on the couch and we had a great time talking, working, hanging out and doing what we do. We listened to a lot of Yeezus and had good bonding time.

Here's a bulleted out recap of what I took away from the trip - videos coming soon.

Here we go:

Since we were surrounded by the African American entertainment community, I was a little hesitant that people would have been as cool as they were with Daniel and I. Being white, jewish and from the burbs, no one gave us a hard time and everyone I met accepted me and we were all homies
The African American community are very similar to Jewish people: focused on culture, traditions, community and lifestyle
Thank you to J.S. for allowing us to stay at her apartment - sorry for locking your key inside your house
Daniel and I did great for our first time at a major event with dealing with the obstacles we faced
I need to thank Side Car LA for transporting us around the city of LA - S/O to Strongman
I love Yeezus (the album) more than I did last time
I learned to develop a tolerance if something is not as exactly planned as originally planned out
Some people try to become famous, others have a purpose with the hopes of being recognized for it
We stayed open minded and interviewed non-celebs and that felt so much better and more consistent to our show style
Cali is the entertainment capital
Thanks to Malik for allowing us in to his world and recording some cool content without any issues
Celebrities are simply people trying to pursue their passion and get paid for their craft
So many people have put in years and years (decades) before they received any recognition
I met a tong of people who were in a shitty situation and persevered their way out to something special, like earning platinum plaques
Next time, we have a plan to improve our content/logistical preparations/video quality and promotion

All love,
Scott Emo