[Lyric] Corrupted Conversations Ep. 12: The Man behind the LIGHT (Corrupted Citizens)

Bold: Henry Blanco
Regular: LightUpp

[Dialogue: LightUpp & Blanco]

Yeah my sht is working, I feel real good right now.

I'm excited. I am excited. I’m excited to the point right now where I feel like stealing an Amazon delivery van and driving through Harlem and passing out Nextels for no reason.

Gotta be the 730's, the one with the button on the side.

And they all have the button when you press it, they all play nothing but Lil Jon songs over reggaeton beats.

I'll be very honest, b. I have to givе this man Lil Jon his respect and his flowers whilе he is here. You, sir, have turned me up an uncountable amount of times.

Cheers to that.

We’re going to be cheers-ing a lot my brother so let's start it off right.

Let's get physical with the cups.
If you're not getting physical with the cups, I'm not sure what's going on .

Listen man, Corrupted Conversations, another installment, another chapter. The saga continues. If you hear my voice, call the police and then call them back and say nevermind because I'm here to win. I'm here to escape. If you ever try to trap me inside of a box then I will do somersaults down Steinway just to let you know that it can never be.

I feel like I’m at Corrupted Iglesia right now, I’m telling you. And that's what the world needs.

As you can tell, I’m not here by myself, there's an individual right in front of me
and this is probably one of the most animated, elastic, theatrical, cinematic individuals.

Oh, wow, thank you.

Cinematic…like the Cross Bronx Expressway.

Yeah, I like to think that I am the Matador of Metaphor.

Energy God?

Energy, for sure. I feel I engulf what it is to be a high positive energy, you know what i'm saying?

We got my brother Lightupp aka “m.flow”? You remember m.flow@hotmail?

Yo bro, how you know that email, twin? (Laughs) That's crazy, you’re really one of those.

Listen, harddrive installed at Elmer's Hospital when I was born.

No, you're different for real, yo.
We got my brother Lightupp in here: artist, engineer, like I said, energy god, entrepreneur.

I wear many hats, I do.

Come on man, how many hats you wear? Talk about headgear.

You know I first came into the game producing, twin, if ya'll ain't really know. I used to produce but really the care for producing came out of the care for music. It just kept developing. I loved music so then I used to rap with the homies on the block and on the stoop and then i was like "damn I need to rap on some beats" so I had to make my own then I'm like "damn I got to record this now" so I got to learn how to record myself. You know, when there's a will there's a way. I've never been one of them [ people ] to wait for it. But once I created a way, I created a way for me and my peoples too. And that's when I got more hype is that I seen what I can really do for the community you know.

So I like the word hype. I feel like I didn't do your introduction enough justice so now they know who you are, talk dirty bro.

We gon' talk spicy.

Let em know who you are, where you hail from, how to spell your name. All that crazy sht.

This is M-Dada, Mr. LightUpp, double Ps. Two P's for the haters on my pee-pee, if you don't understand. You know what I'm saying, I'm from the Bronx, New York, to be exact.

Real pornographic.

Born in Brooklyn, you feel me so I got a little bit of this, a little bit of that but before we even start swinging, at the count of three I need everybody in this room to hit me with a “JAHH!!”

(Everyone yells).

We got gang in the building.

[ Fck ] is you talkin' bout, it's Jahhstradamus, Jahh Pacino, i'm Jahhbert Jahhney Jr., I'm Jahhwson's Creek, Michael Jahhdan, Ray Jahhllen, I'm Jahhllen Iverson, should I keep going?
Please do.

Yo son I'm Jahh Pachino, Dave Jahhppelle, I'm Stone Cold Steve Jahhstin, you feel me twin? Like it gets [ crazy ] twin.

Jahhwson's Creek is crazy.

Jahhwson's Creek is crazy. One of my favorites is Jahh Travolta.

I like that.

Jahhdel Castro, I like that one too. Jahhblo Escobar.

Oh man, listen so y'all know who I got in front of me, man. Me and this individual go way back, way way back like an Iverson fadeaway .

Back like a recliner, back like your spinals, I'm trying to tell you.

We got some years into this relationship, into this friendship, and we watched both of us grow you know what I mean like beautiful little plants under the Arabian sun so y'all know what it is. Artist, engineer, entrepreneur, energy god, you could tell and it ain't by accident because my brother, he got the flag on his neck, you know how Dominicans give it up.

Shouts to my Dominicans, all my Latinos worldwide. I do this for us, I do this for we. You know that's what it is, that's what it is.

So the energy ain't by accident this comes from a culture, it comes from a timeline of presence and that's just how Dominicans give it up, and it don't help that you from the Bronx, it's giving it up crazy.

It's a little different in the X, let me tell you man. It's hard to rep a borough, man, that's one of the last of the Mohicans. It's still really gritty over there man.

They can't gentrify the Bronx, but they're trying.

It's hard. They are, though, they're trying.

And they're really tryna call the South Bronx “SoBro”?

When I heard SoBro I was like what the [ fck ] is that? I don't like it but you know what? I understand what they're trying to do with the community and it's to bring more jobs and [sht ] like that. They actually fixed a lot of [ sht ] going on in the X. The X got a big problem, which is pollution. The air quality is one of the worst in America.

It's very industrial. Like Hunts Point and Bruckner.

All the trucks go in and out.

So man, look, another installment. I'm excited to be here all 2021, we keeping the movement going, it doesn't stop. There's no stop signs on my street. There might be a dead-end sign just to let you know that this is where it ends, but no stop sign. So if you wanna drive into a wall it's up to you, this is what we came to do.

My brother Henry talks the best [ sht ] ever, I'm telling you, you don't never hear this. He got the gift of gab. Like when I first met the man, your man was a humble individual, very Queens-ish. And if you don't know a lot of Queens individuals, they're very calculated. Very laid back.

For sure.

That's why I rock with it, you know, my business partner is from Queens. Like half the [ people ] in my crew is from Queens, so I got nothing but love for Queens.

We study. We study a lot when we walk in the room.

Look at Nas, you know, Nas is one of the the hood scholars of our time so to know that you know that Queens bred that [ guy ], you know what it is.

Like you said I feel like I've always had the gift of gab. I just had to activate a different level of confidence, you know what i'm saying, that's all it was .

Okay, I mean you know yourself more than I do and I guess in my perspective I feel like you had to be in the right space. You had to get a couple things done to get Henry back to the Henry that you wanted to create. The shadow work that gotta be done sometimes. [ People ] don't talk about the shadow work. Everybody talks about being blessed and nice things and [ sht ] but [ people ] don't talk about the [ sht ] that you got to actually deal with within, you feel me, which last year brought a lot of that out of [ people ]. A lot of people had to deal with the “within” and that's when you find out what you was without.

I think 2020 showed that the strong will survive and the weak will perish, man. It's just what it is bro cause I mean Rest In Peace to everybody who lost family members but to me personally 2020 was not a bad year for me.


2020 was a breakout year. If 2020 was a shtty year for you then that means that you had a lot of [ sht ] to really handle and take care of within your circle, within your network, you know. And Rest In Peace and throw the liquid up for all those that fell in 2020 and all that like I know I can't pardon that I know there's a lot of people going through sht on that avenue, which I understand but there's a lot of people hanging on this whole avenue of like “damn the outside closed so what do i do?” and it's like what do you mean, what do you do? If you was right from before, you'd be even more right now.

The builders are building and if you build it they will come.

They will come.

So you know 2020 is showing who's really built for this, who's really here to stay, and who's really just gonna fade out.

And I feel like the fade out correlates to how relevant you are or how much people really need that energy or you in the first place, you know what i'm saying. Like [ people ] was able to have outside to fake the funk but then when they only got inside like how much funk can you fake? We're not at the parties no more. Now what you're doing with all that ice and all this and that? Well that was probably a bad investment…even though we're gonna get icy really soon.

100% but listen man, we here, we have arrived man, this is what it is. I'm excited to be here.


Yeah, I feel great. I got the flag with me, I got Henry with me. We got like 80 tracks in, [ people ] don't know my brother. I got a whole tape of Henry music in my computer that ya'll never heard.

Yeah, he literally does.

That's part of the thing about being an engineer too, twin. I get to hear everything before everybody gets to hear it. It's really a blessing bro. I wouldn't trade it for nothing in the world .

I think being an engineer helps you crack the Da Vinci code, lowkey.

It does.

It puts you in a place where you're the mutual element in everybody's process so everybody has this thing with you where it's like “yo everybody loves Lightupp” like “yo he do my work proper.”

It's like you know I got the daycare for the music right now. You bring your babies to me, I take care of them, and they come back really chilling. It's like I'm the uncle so you treat me like I'm family all the time because of music.

I love it, I love it. Shout out to pregnancy.

Yeah shout out to pregnancy, right now, shout out to Plan B too.

I'm gonna chill… I'm trying to turn a new leaf. I want the crackers to sponsor me and give me checks. So… I have this infamous segment, my brother. Even though it's meant to break the ice and I feel like the ice with you has already been shredded, and ain't no polar bears in my section. They will die, the ice is broken already. But we're still gonna go down this path because I have to sacrifice all my guests to the highest source. It's called “Click Bow”.

(Dialogue continues.)

…I got a shoe box that's probably about to turn into dust any moment, right, but it got all my writtens. I got writtens since I was in high school, twin, since I was a little kid. My first ever writtens, I've always held them dear to me. I got these pieces of paper so old, bro. I got my notes like science class. I look back and I touch the pages just to get energy.

When it's all said and done, we gotta put those in your casket.

That's what I'm saying you gotta put those in the casket, put those in the museum all that. Like I wish Nas and Jigga would donate some of their old writtens of some fire to the Hip-Hop Museum, that'd be super fire, but what's up with the segment?

Like I said, “Click Bow”, it's a very infamous segment. A lot of my guests get sacrificed to the highest source with this one. It's a great way to break the ice. I throw 10 words at you and you are to not dissect them. You have to not think about them too much when I say them. You tell me the first thing that comes to your mind. You ready?

Ready.

Firefighters.

My dog, Calvin.

Noreaga.

The greatest of all time.

White people.

(sighs) white people.

Talk about it… speak on it.

I love white people, I ain't even gonna front like it depends how you really look at it. I love all people, I love white people especially too.

He's trained well. Somebody trained him well in the PC department.

(Laughs).

The Cross Bronx Expressway.

Home.

A-Rod.

I don't know about this [ guy ] man.

Speak on it…

Your man came from Texas and your man had like a $200 million dollar deal. When he first came through he was eh, then he warmed up. I ain't gonna lie, he's one of the nicest [ players ] ever…

Is he a Dominican treasure?

Yeah Dominicans really love that [ guy ] for sure, I mean I ain't gonna front, Dominicans used to love Sammy [Sosa] a little more than that [ dude ]. Sammy was a really beloved character even though that [ dude ] was like your hoodie.

That [ guy ] went from black coffee to extra cream.

That [ guy ] went from espresso to vanilla hot chocolate.

Yeah, son really requested a real life white-out.

You know, I [ mess ] with A-Rod, but when I hear A-Rod, I think Jeter.

Wow, okay, we talking real spicy but do we [ fck ] with A-Rod just for the strength of him scooping J-Lo?

Oh nah, you know what, I take it back, he's legendary. He definitely got that legendary status. No matter how, he was a legend in the pin world before, but that secures him right there, I think.

That's a power couple, right there. I need to get invited to the house.

I need to get on the 6 and get to J-Lo.

Let's keep going: Ownership.

Entrepreneurship.

Tattoos.

I need more.

Funk Flex.

Btch ass [ __ ].

Damn, my brother, I didn't expect that. You wanna speak on it?

I [ mess ] with you, Flex, but I gotta call you a btch ass [ __ ].

Oh? Speak on it. What is the reasoning behind this?

I feel like Flex don't really put on for the hood forreal. I feel like he's just a commercial entity now. He's just an industry plant. I love Flex for what he stood for in the beginning even though I used to bump Clue more to be honest. To be real, I used to listen to Clue a lot more. I [ mess ] with Flex, but Flex, you just talk too much man. He talked his way into some sht the other day. I was watching him argue with Gilly, trying to talk about Drake is the best of all time over Jigga and this-and-that, and he's talking all this crazy talk and I was just like damn Flex, I got to call you a btch ass [ __ ] just for that.

I think he's one of those that's trying to master the trolling art form. I feel like he's doing it too much to the point where he's becoming like “bro, now it's not a tool and it's becoming a disadvantage because [ people ] is looking at you like you wyling bro.”

You know what, I didn't really look at the angle of him being a troll but you're right, he is a troll.

He be saying [ sht ] that just be like “whoa.”

He just don't be making sense bro. Your mans don't be making sense sometimes and I feel like as a person of his legendary status, being the person Funk Flex that he is to still be the DJto break these type of records, I feel like you got to be more at one with the game and more at one with the creativity and the energy of the game instead of just dck riding, you know?

I think time does that to a lot of people, time in the game.

That's like my uncle. I'll fight my uncle too if that [ guy ] was talking crazy. I'd slap box my uncle. That's how I feel right now with what I'm doing with Flex you know. Cause I have the utmost respect, no disrespect. That's the guy. But what he's doing right now? I don't know…

Is it safe to say if we would have saw Tupac and Biggie come in the game and still live to this age that they probably would have did some things that would have been corny to you because I feel like that's what happens, right?

I hear you, twin, the longevity definitely gets to people.

Heroes become people that you just look at like “bro, for real?” Our favorites are like that.

You're right, that's a good point.

So I'm giving some the benefit of that but also at the same time bro like relax bro you getting your body done, you screaming all types of crazy sht.

He got his body done?

Yeah, bro, you ain't see that it went viral? He got liposuction.

Shouts to Flex man, I don't if you're on your [ sht ] trying to get your health right bro, get your health right and get your happy right.

Exactly, if you like it, we love it, but one thing I will say about Flex though is even though he's a New York DJ, he's known worldwide. [ People ] in Idaho know who Funk Flex is.

Funk Flex is probably the biggest DJ of all time. Flex, you are, I guess in your perspective, you're the Drake of the DJ game.

And it's hard it's hard to be Drake and not be a btch ass [ __ ] sometimes.

It's true you know, Drake be a btch ass [ __ ] sometimes you know what I'm saying and [ people ] just have you know episodes of btchassness, you know what i'm saying but this ain't no dis or no disrespect to twin, he's just doing some btch ass [ things ] and I call it out just like I'd tell my homie. I feel like we could go talk about it when I see you, you know what I'm saying?

Let's go one more, last one: energy.

The main source.

Without [saying] energy, let's exclude energy out of your formula, what do you think is the other ingredient that makes Lightupp, Lightupp? I wanna talk about energy but name another ingredient that makes you, you. because I just threw you a curveball…

I wanna say bravery, I wanna say “oneness” like it's hard not to conform, twin, and it's hard not to do something that you see working. A lot of [ people ] see a lot of things working and they want to try it because they see it work but they don't understand that only things work for people that work for them, you know what I'm saying? Certain things won't work for you so it's like to me i try to lead by example to [ people ] like you know there's mad times where I was sacrificed for my bravery. [ People ] know me as the go-to. Like “yo Light, go press the DJ” or “yo Light go holla at this person” like when [ people ] don't got the umf for the confidence for it, I won't even have the confidence for it but when a [ person ] asks me then I feel like it's the time to do it so I feel like the bravery is a big aspect to this game. You put yourself out there, you put yourself on the forefront to be criticized.

Bravery, energy.

A lot of [ people ], you know, especially with my team, sometimes I could get ballsy with my guys, but I just want the best, man, I want the best ethic and I lead by example. I'll stay up all night. i'll be the [ one ] that works all day and then when bro come through, we'll work all night and [ people ] will all be sleeping but i'll still be up, just because i want to be that [ guy ] that puts in the work cause I want to even put in more work for your sht than you want to put in for your sht.

That's real, that's real. So as far as that, you brought up gang. You recently dropped a few songs with gang, right? “Big Boi Music”?

“Big Boi Music” is my sht boy.

“Wip” is on the way too. And I bump my brother's [ music ]. I bump all my brothers' [ music ]. if i bring people to this table, goddammit, it's cause i feel like they got superpowers, you heard? They got super powers and my platform is to put that on the display and you are to support. That is not a request, that is a demand and all the information will be in the description of the YouTube. Please stop acting stupid before I somersault and slap your grandmother with my big toe. Support is free.

You know what it is. It's that [ people ] got egos, twin. Ego is a big blocker for [ people ]. They be like “oh, i can't show up to this because I don't wanna look like I'm dckriding.” That dckriding word gotta get out of [ people's ] mouths like first of all don't ever say another man dckriding, Don't ever say that you dckriding. Come on son, adjust your vocab. All this sexual tension needs to relax off of these type of words we're using. I even [ rock ] with the kids these days they'll be on their like “call me he/she/they/them” this and that. I [ rock ] with all that because to me it's a way for people to just distinguish individuality and I always feel like the generation to come proceeds. Everybody unlocks a certain thing. Our generation is the golden one. We've seen the craziest sht but the generation that's coming after me – and this is why I do the sht that I do, it's for the youth and for the future. It ain't just for me to help myself, this is to plant these seeds to grow. I really feel like these kids got it, twin, a lot of people saying that there's a lot of agendas and I agree there's a lot of agenda, there's a gay agenda, there's a lot of agendas going on with the media, but that's what the media do. You already know they do that type of sht but in terms of what the kids is doing and what they're tapping into, wanting to become who they are at an earlier age or whatever the case is, more power to you, man. Just be you and trust the fact that y'all tapping into this type of energy where you're respecting each other in this light and choosing to use these respectful words with each other. Back in the day, bro, when I came up, [ people ] used to just go at [ other people ] and and talk crazy and all types of dumb sht. And i have a gay uncle, I have a gay cousin and it would be crazy for them to be themselves, but now that y'all got the opportunity to be yourself, do it to the fullest and do it with the energy that people have sacrificed a lot for you to be here.

When I see you talk, I already see you on NBC. You ‘bout to have a TED talk.

I'm working on a little documentary right now.

Somebody put you on game bro, somebody let you know about media training, that is awesome.

Oh yeah, for sure.

Good for you, I love it. But check this out, I want to get to the music, because I feel like you're an individual that has a lot of avenues where you penetrate with the Lightupp aesthetic, the Lightupp presence, right, but let's get straight to it as far as the way you do it audio-wise.

So I created this segment to celebrate a specific record you dropped, “No Ingles”.

Oh, that's a good one bro.

I took a liking to that record. I like all your joints but I like this one specifically not only because it's a solo one but I'm looking at it like, yo, when a [ person ] say “No Ingles” it's him basically being like “yo I don't want no parts of this” so i created a segment. I'm very creative with my segments. brother. Jimmy Kimmel, I'm taking your spot, just know.

Jimmy, watch your back, this [ guy ] is next.

Jimmy, stop putting raisins in your macaroni and cheese.

Oh my god.

So for the people that haven't heard. “No Ingles”.

That's pretty much what you say if anything ain't right. Like “yo let me hold something?”...”Me no speak no Ingles”.

You can't even get mad at them, you just gotta accept it, you gotta walk away.

I hit [ people ] with “me no speak no English” sometimes, you have to. But that's the metaphor, you know, I'm saying you don't speak that “language”. It's not just English, but I don't speak “broke”, I don't speak “dumb”, I don't speak “arrogant”, I don't speak that type of language.


So I created a segment called “Me No Speak No Ingles”. I want you to tell me “No Ingles” or “It's Lit”, because you are Lightupp – lit, lit up, lituated, lights on, it's lit. So what I'm doing is I'm throwing three scenarios at you where you're either gonna tell me “me no speak no english” (I'm not jacking that scenario) or “it's lit” (I'm with it).

First scenario: you get to do a song with J-Lo but you have to cut your hair.

Boy, I'm cutting my hair fast. I'm getting that song with J-Lo.
If that's what I gotta do to get a song with J-Lo?

It grows back.

Hair is hair. I'll donate that sht. I'll keep cuttin' it. We talkin' J-Lo… it's probably like 10 legendary – uh let's be politically correct – there's only a couple legendary asses out there, vagina, whatever you want to call it, and we could talk about it. It's J-Lo. There's Madonna, there's Beyonce, …Carmen Electra.

Icons.

I think Monica Lewinsky might be iconic too just because she changed the head game.

A hundred percent. So you're cutting the hair ?

I'm cutting the hair. Which J-Lo tho?

(Starts singing “Waiting for Tonight” by Jennifer Lopez).

I'm tattooing my whole head for that J-Lo. For the one with the Versace dress and the pasties?

Yeah. Before Shyne shot the club up… the safe J-Lo. Right after she played Selena.

That's the one. You want to know what a real body looks like? You want to know what women used to do back in the day? They used to work out, they used to eat healthy.

Word?

It was a thing back in the day…you'd see somebody that looked good and girls used to say “wow, she really worked hard.”

Nowadays, they look like balloon animals.

It's just easy. Like what you working hard for? Your man worked hard for it or the bag got you… let's get back to working on ourselves. Even though shouts to the ladies that did, I'm not taking nothing away from the ladies that did it. If you like it, I love it.

So in this scenario, you're not using “No Ingles”, you're cutting your hair?

I'm cutting my hair and tattooing my head for J-Lo.

Second scenario: you have your own island where you can get anything you desire – and I'm talking about anything – but you can never go back to the Bronx. “No Speak Ingles” or “It's Lit”?

(Pauses to think).

You have your own island and you get whatever you desire but you can never go back to the X.

…It's lit.

I didn't expect that.

But you know why?

These [ people ] gonna gentrify the X and I'm gonna make a new Bronx on the island.

Just invite everybody from the Bronx.

Exactly. Everybody from the Bronx gets a free ticket, pull up to the island. We on the island now. Bring the 6 train, bring everything. I need the 6 train, I need Fordham. I need the piragua lady there. I need Tremont Ave. I need the Cross Bronx Expressway in there. I need to go march down the street. I need something political to happen so I could break into some looting or something. (Laughs) It needs to be the normal Bronx in that [ btch ], you feel me? but cleaner though. I need my peoples to be cleaner, man, the Bronx is disgusting sometimes.

Oh my god, wow, okay.

I gotta keep it real.

So as far as having your own island but you can't go to the Bronx? It's lit?

Oh, it's super lit.

I didn't expect that.

I'm gonna invite everybody that needs to be invited, you know what i'm saying. There's some people that don't need to be there, but it's cool.

I love it. It already has history and nobody's even landed yet. They already built a precinct over there.

(Laughs)

So third scenario: performing at the Grammys but you gotta take the second P out your name.

Oh, Grammys can suck a dck. Ain't nobody taking the P off.

You know what the P originated from? This P is to be original. The P is for the haters on the pee-pee. This is for you not to forget. Don't forget the double O's. [ People] like to forget, [ people ] like to act like [ sht ] ain't real, but [ sht ] is really real… I'll pop a [ person ] for the P's.

That's real.

Silencer on the pistol sound like the letter P.

So in this scenario, “me no speak no ingles”?

Yeah. Fck the Grammys. Don't try to change me.

Don't dim my light.

Don't you ever try to dim my light. I'm un-dimmable. Oh, wait, that's hard, that might be a title for something: “Undimmable.”

Sounds like some Ozzy Osbourne [ sht ].

I might call the documentary that, I don't know.

To segue into this other question… I'm sure a lot of people want to know. I even want to know. Where does the name Lightupp originate from? What's the origin of Lightupp?

Oh, man.

We understand why there's two P's, okay, but what is the origin of Lightupp in general? Because when you say light, it's the opposite of dark .

“Lightupp” was given to me by the people. It's a beautiful story.

I went by the name of M-Dot when I first tried to come out in the world. I started rapping a lot, I was trapping a lot out in Boston. I was trapping with my [ brother ] Big Mike, and me and my brother, we was a group together called “The Bean and the Apple” and I was the apple and he was the bean.

Very nutritious.

“We was like the bean and the apple, the fruit and the vegetable, we turn fruits into vegetables.” Little funny [ sht ] like that like little you know but i had to segue from that because I had to leave the trap because I got a little hot. The P's was on my dck. So I had to come back to the town and I had to understand that I couldn't be a duo anymore, I had to manifest this energy for myself. So “light up” was an adlib I used to say a lot. It used to be an adlib I'd say in my songs all the time… I still do from time to time. I would be like “light up!”

Such an underrated part of music, the adlib.

The adlib became me, which is crazy. Because I used the adlib and I used to say it all the time and people gravitated towards the energy of the adlib so I would be like “light up!” and [ people ] would always repeat it. I wouldn't even tell [ them ] to repeat it, they'd just be like “light up!”

Then it comes to life.

So if y'all know a man by the name of Eric Castro, he's a young historian. I got with him before he started this whole website called The City Don't Sleep. He actually started the website when I met with him and it was him and my cousin, Nicky.

Shoutout Nicky.

So him and Nicky, they was a fan of my music and they was like “yo bro you gotta do something with this, you gotta put something together. You ill, you gotta do this-and-that” so I was like “aight man.” So we used to go to bars and [ sht ] sometimes, with the open mic, when twin would tell me about it. I would go there, we would perform and he would be like “yo what should I tell them your name is?” and I was like “I don't know”... i'm doubting it and he's like “nah nah” and people just started calling me “light up” and I ain't know what to say so i just said “Light Up” because people were saying “light up” and they kept saying “light up” and they were like “yo what's up with light up?” and whatever and it was like “oh i guess that's his name now.” So I remember it was a fateful evening in Queens…it's a legendary bar too.

Shots? Nia's Tavern?

Nia's Tavern.

That's a classic Queens spot.

So Nia's Tavern was where “Lightupp” was officially born, I want to say. That was the day when twin was like “yo we running with this” and I was like “we running with this.” I even had to call my man and be like “yo, twin, I know we used to say this on the addies all the time but I gotta switch up” and it was almost like like a symbolic moment where I had to become the movement, because when I was in Boston and I was going crazy with the energy, they was calling the movement the “Light Up” movement. I used to go around performing everywhere and causing havoc. You know how we do, so I was causing havoc with a bunch of other acts. Like three other acts.

RIP my [ brother ] Stizzy, shout out to my [ brother ] Radar, shout out to all my [ brothers ] i was running wild with. I used to run around with Stizz and Radar, we used to go everywhere, I'd call these [ dudes ] like “what we doing tonight?” We used to do three shows a week, four shows a week. This is before I ever even decided to even try to do music for real. I always just wanted to perform and wanted to be live and wanted to share energy so they used to call us the “Light Up Movement” because I used to have this song called “We Lightin' Up” and that song was everybody's favorite. And now I know how artists feel when you have to play the same song that you don't really want to play all the time because it's played out to you and you think it's played out, but they need it. I couldn't complete a set without that song. I played that song at the end and people would go crazy, they'd go scream “we lightin' up!” They're going nuts and then it was a Light Up movement so it's just beautiful that the movement transcended to New York and I had to become it in the person.

That's crazy, because I didn't even know that. I don't think I knew that Eric played a part in that.

Eric was an energy catalyst. He ain't know what he was doing but he was doing. He probably don't even know how many people's lives he changed.

I've told him when he came for his episode, we need to have a TCDS episode.

We have to.

Where we have like a revolving door of people that come through, because the thing is, I want to show Eric like ”bro, even though you moved on to future endeavors, The City Don't Sleep impacted so many people. It needs to be put on display that it was a home for a bunch of New York kids, a bunch of immigrant kids.

A bunch of kids with no place to call home and to put their creativity at. This is before it was okay to run around being lesbians and gays and all this other [ stuff ]. This is when [ people ] needed a place to really BE and become.To wear what you wanted to wear, do what you wanted to do. It was a period of transition, it was a time where we had to embrace creativity and people.

It was such an interesting time because it was in the height of gentrifying Brooklyn.

What's that spot called that we used to go to?

The Flat.

The Flat, right across the street. It was a legendary spot to many, many people and that was a btch-ass spot son, it was a hole in the wall but why is it legendary? Because the creatives made it legendary. We make sht legendary, not ya'll. Y'all don't get to decide what's poppin', we decide what's poppin'. That's what 2020 was about. Taking away that power from the [ people ] that thought they decided what was poppin'. Like all these btch ass A&Rs, they on TikTok and they on Clubhouse acting like they still got jobs, you ain't got no job no more. We the independent, we know how to do this.

We create the demographic, we don't need that conversation like “we have to find your demographic.” No, we create the demographic.

We create this sht and it started with us doing that type of sht we used to do, like i said. I used to host open mics.

Yeah it's crazy bro. I didn't know Eric had played a big part in the origin of that being your name. That's a beautiful thing.

I used to run around with that [ sht ] and I used to be the interviewer.

I think that was the first time I saw you, when I pulled up to The City Don't Sleep's YouTube and I don't know who you interviewed or if somebody interviewed you, I don't know if Nicky interviewed you, but it was in Washington Square Park and ya'll was sitting by a statue.

Yeah, I interviewed this fighter, I think it was a fighter that Eric knew. He was a UFC fighter, one of his boys. Shouts to him man, I hope he's doing good, doing his thing. I remember we went downtown to watch him fight and he fought outside down by Washington Square and kicked a [ dude's ] ass and all that and I interviewed the [ man ] right afterwards like we were just trying to create, trying to make a way out of something. I didn't want to go back to being a goony googoo.

Listen, TCDS was a special place, I tell Eric all the time, bro. I used to go there when I was running the streets: no job, no money, hop the train, and just go because I knew I was going to hit somebody's blunt

This was evil twin Henry. This is Henry that had no [ fcks ] to ever give. You still don't, but this Henry was a different breed. You was a thug bro. You was a young thug.

That was a great time.

Just to see you being in your zone where you used to catch cyphers.

That was the first place I ever performed.

Yeah, but you know when Henry was rapping with his eyes closed like this and then fixing his hat while he was rapping, just know that the gems was real dangerous.

Real dangerous, real Iraq-like.

I remember when [ you ] was Voltron. I feel like I used to have like eight arms. I'd be like “yo Henry, I don't even gotta rap, Henry set this [ fckin' ] [ sht ] on fire.”

Ya'll worried about Antifa, be worried about Blanco acapellas.

No cap, twin, just the other day – I think it was today or yesterday – I turned on my phone and one of your joints started playing off your album. Your joints stay playing off my [ sht ].

That's funny, I love it. So look, that's for all the fans man, that's the origin of “Lightupp” because he even told a narrative that I wasn't aware of. This is why we do it.

That's hard.

So look, I got another segment, I got segments on top of segments.

This is hard. “Your sht raw, your sht is hard, your sht is authentic.” (Laughs).

What I mean is… I study the people I bring because I truly feel like they have super powers and it's my duty to bring them on the platform and put it on display.

It's these little things that be the support for the artists. Subscribing to Apple, to iTunes and Spotify. Just download this [ sht ], b. Cop a little something here and there, man. It's not even that serious, my [ guy ]. [ We're ] just trying to do [ sht ] to change the mood but I get it. There's a lot of people that just want fame and they want to look cool, and it's like “you want to support a [ person ] that just wants to be cool?” Like, nah… this is forreal. I had no choice. I had no choice but to make music. I had no choice. This was the only way I had an outlet. It was either I was making music or I was robbing your mother or robbing your mother's son or in your crib. I was either gonna make music or end up doing 10 years, end up shooting my brother. This music changed my life, it saved my life. This ain't a fad for me, this ain't because i want mad money or mad ice. I cannot do anything else. It's in my soul.

That's real talk.

I'd rather do what I'm doing now than to have all of that. My main goal anyways is not really to be the richest, but to be the biggest influence… and I know to be the biggest influence you do need a certain amount of riches and you do need a certain platform, you do need things, but I want to influence the world on a platform where I can help people be themselves more and more so let [ people ] know what the real is. There's too much fake [ sht ] being projected, that y'all don't really know what's beauty, what's hard work, what's a real loyal friend. [ People ] over here just capping for clout and all this dumb [ sht ], man.

That's real talk.

So all that clout [ sht ] is dead once I'm on top. We gonna let them have it for real, from the golden claw.

I love it, bro. That's the type of dialogue I like bro. That's the type of talk, that's the type of speeches, that's the type of verbiage that I gravitate towards.

I'm Jahhkiavelli in the flesh. This the [ sht ] that Pac started, this the [ sht ] that [ people ] didn't want to continue that Nipsey started. This is [ sht ] that [ people ] say they want to be, this leader, and they want to change [ sht ], but they just want to conform to this “shoot ‘em up, bang bang” [lifestyle] and I see a lot of lost youth. And it's cool because me, I just tell stories from it man. That's what I'm gonna keep doing. I'm gonna keep telling stories but y'all gonna see the new music crazy, twin, all the work ethic crazy.

I inspire a lot of youth. I'll be consistently talking to kids from schools, I've helped a lot of kids from schools. I'm active in my own community in the Bronx, I've changed lives. I'm a big brother to certain little kids, I'm about to pick up a job holding my [ brother ] Atief down, shout out to Atief, one of my fans, but he's disabled in a wheelchair and he offered me that he wants me to walk him around because he says that soon enough he's going to graduate school so he needs somebody to take him to places, take him to malls and to be outside and and he wants me to do that. I take that to the heart, you invite me to your crib, you gave me water, I met your mother. You know, I'm a real spanish [ guy ], twin, you know what i'm saying? Like you pick me out of anybody to take you places my brother, I'm gonna take you there. I'm gonna look into it, I don't care what it is. We gonna handle that.

I love that, wow. You about to make me cry. Word to my mother though, that's what we in the world to do at the end of the day, bro: contribute in any shape, form or fashion. Whether it be the littlest things and I don't want to belittle things but on a human level, just be a good person.

It's easy man just be a good person, stop [ fcking ] over your people.

That's real talk but look we got segments on top of segments. My show looks like a cuban sandwich.

Your show is like a rubik's cube.

Bro, my show is like project buildings, just [ stacked ] on top of each other like I just got [ sht ] on deck.

Your [ show ] is a layer cake.

Tres Leches.

(Laughs).

So look, I got this segment called “You Jacking It or Alright…”

Okay, let's go.

So let me add a little bit of context. We all know what “jackin' it” means in New York. When we say “I'm jackin' it” that means I'm co-signing that, and “alright…” just means you're doing too much. So I'm gonna hit you with a scenario and you gotta tell me if you jacking it or alright…

Aight, let's do it.

Now let's paint the scenario: you about to have a life-changing meeting and let's say one of your best friends in life that has nothing to do with music but you believe in him, and he believes in you, he ends up being your business partner, like a manager. And your business partner goes “yo we got a meeting and we gotta pull up to the meeting and represent Lightupp” and you're like “bro, you talking my language” and he's like “alright, but I'mma come representing Lightupp” and you looking like “okay, I don't know what that means..."

My mans gonna represent me? Alright, we never did this before but we gonna rock with it.

So you pull up to the meeting, the meeting is on 33rd and 3rd in Manhattan, and you talking to the big wigs. You hop out the whip, you text your man and you see his car pull up, you look at the car and go “okay cool, he pulled up.” And he hops out the whip… in a light bulb costume.

Oh nah….

He's like “yo we repping Lightupp, let's go!” And he's in the suit looking at you like “bro, we going in there, what up?” Now my question to you is… you jacking it or alright??

This is my mans?

It's your man, 100 grand in a light bulb suit and he's really repping Lightupp. So you gotta tell me, brother, on an honest level, you jacking it or alright??

I'm jacking it.

Really?

If that's my mans backing me, I'm with my man. Like [ people ] be wanting to hang out with [ a person ] and don't want to hang out with [ their ] responsibilities or what they represent. Don't hang out with a [ person ] if you ain't [ rocking ] with what he represents or what he's doing.

You're coming with the nuance.

If he's the light bulb, I'm the light that's electrifying this [ sht ].

I'm really trying to paint the images, I know you said you jacking it but really digest it, like I'm talking about your manager hops out, but he's not joking. He's in the suit, he is a light bulb, and he's looking at you like "bro, we repping it."

I'm jacking it, just because if my man's gonna go that hard for me, I'm gonna go hard for you, I'm not even gonna look at you crazy.

And believe it or not, me personally, I think that will kind of benefit you in the meeting.

Honestly bro, just the way my personality is we gonna make that work, that's a fact.

Especially with the nuances of meetings and what these people want to see like they're like "wow look at him coming with a light bulb, that's different".

Looking like a light bulb? That's different. He gon' end up selling mad merch, we gon' go viral.

I think that's a meeting they won't forget. I'm gonna be honest.

They'd never forget that meeting for sure. I've been at meetings with some big wigs and now I kind of feel like I should have had a light bulb suit with me.

It's never too late, my brother. Because, look, just really picture him hopping out the whip.

I pictured it like mad rubbing noises like plastic rubbing against leather and he wipes his head, it's just mad light bulb (laughs).

Hey, because I know a part of you would be like “yo this is brilliant, let's go” but then also another part of you would be like “are you serious?”

Yeah, I'm not gonna lie, twin, just because you said this, this Halloween, mark my words, I'm gonna be a giant light bulb. But i want a big obnoxious inflatable light bulb costume. I always wanted to be an obnoxious ass costume like a shark or a whale or something. I just want to hit people with my costume like “look at this [ dude ] taking up all this space.”

Take it to the next level.

I'm gonna take it to the next level, my brother.

I love it, he's jacking it. That's called loyalty with a capital oil-ty. Fck is you talkin' bout? Because, look, like I said bro, I really stand on that. I feel like that will benefit you in the long run in the meeting, especially if you already have something planned out in a professional manner.

It don't even gotta be the angle, I think the benefit is having a mans that'll go that hard for you. That's the benefit right there. It don't even got to be the costume, it don't got to be the effect of the costume, it don't gotta be the meaning, it's just having your mans go hard for you like that. You might as well say that you're on your way to that big meeting. If you got a homie like that, you're on your way, for real.

I think so. I love it, I love that you jacking it, I love that, I didn't expect it.

But you know I'm wild like that…Yolo, twin.

I think that's the best way to be, honestly. Like they had Bobby Shmurda dancing on the table.

I've been at these meetings with these big wigs and they're not [messing ] with a [ dude ] that's just gonna be sitting back. You gotta get in their face and [ mess ] their head up like they never been before.

Because that's street team material, that's product placement. You're basically creating the stigma of like “I know what I want to sell.”

Where's my pack?

My show is like a cuban sandwich goddammit, don't order that [ sht ] from a non-Cuban. Very ridiculous. God damn, we having fun man. We drinking Hennessy, hypnotic, who am I to [ fck ] tradition up man this is what we came to do, doggie biscuits.

I'm just happy that I got friends like you.

I appreciate and digest those words.

I wouldn't want you no other way. You was the golden child bro, the way you know what it was. Back to what I was originally saying was that it wasn't even my perspective of how ill you are, but it was the people, bro like I saw the people look at you like you everything bro. And sometimes you can't see it… like I could never see the crowd when I'm performing, twin, I just see the souls, I see the energy, you know. I see the hypeness.

I appreciate that, bro, because I wasn't prepared for it.

[ People ] used to look at you like the god, twin. They used to look at you like you was the top lyricist. Like “yo who's the illest lyricist? I think Henry.” Over me, over Boss. You was fan favorite because you touched the people, twin. You related to them and [ what ] you were saying was relatable, it wasn't “oh i'm pushing a dope Phantom and the Hellcat with the ice on my neck, [ fckin' ] your btch and your [ btch ] sucking my dck” like nah you was talking about the trenches. You was really the voice of the trenches before Dirk.

It's tough because I wasn't prepared for it and it fcked me up.

You just came into the war, you was told by a ill General like “yo you got what it takes to sway the balance of this war” and you got this big ass blade. You ain't know what power you had. None of us did.

That's why I say I think 2020 was the year where I had to figure myself out, and not only had to figure myself out, but I had to get out of my own way.

Can you help me understand that for the people out there, to just get out your own way?

A [ person ] will be his own worst enemy bro, a [ person ] will be his worst critic, a [ person ] would look at himself and be like “if you do that [ people ] gonna look at you like this.” And I had to decide one day, like “yo, bro, shut the [ fck ] up and just get out of your own way” because everything that you thinking they gonna think about you, all it is is assumptions. Because at the end of the day you're not that important, bro. People got day-by-days, people gotta do what they got to do, so if you make a choice, they'll probably think about you for a few seconds… but that's the internet. So truthfully, get off your high horse. It's not that deep. Go do what you gotta do cause time is ticking. And that's just the truth yo, I had to get out my own way.

But what you don't know is that you're an advocate. You're gonna be this person for those people. Like you just spoke to me bro. I spoke to you so that you can let me know again. [ You are ] the perfect example of a person conquering themself.

All the time artists – me included, I'll be the first to tell you son, I overthink a lot of [ sht ]. I'll be feeling like something gon' look corny. I gotta ask my shorty, I gotta ask my homie “yo does this look right, is my swag right?” and that's okay to ask your loved ones that want the best for you for their opinion, but at the end of the day, you gotta be you.

You gotta do it to know what the outcome is going to be. There's only one way to test the market and that's to be it. That's to throw yourself out there. You are the example of that. I love you and thank you for being this person to hold that torch for so many people out there that are insecure about their talents, they're insecure about the way they convey, the way they talk.

You must have tapped into something because the way you talk, the way you flow, the way your [ show ] is got me over here like “goddamn, you really do this, you're really that guy,” like “yo, sign this man.” Netflix needs a podcast. Netflix never had no podcast, ya'll need a podcast in ya'll life. Ya'll need New York City. And it could be half this and half real life, walking in the city, chilling, meeting people, like y'all don't know what this real life is about. It's going to change the whole world. We need to see the world again.

Wow, I appreciate those words my brother.

You next, twin.

I appreciate that.

Mishaps happen, but everything happens for a reason.

So as we're gearing towards wrapping up the show, I got this one more infamous segment that I do with all my guests. I gotta sacrifice all my guests to the highest source.

It's Corrupted Conversations, goddamn it, you ain't leaving this show without feeling corrupted and that's word to my mother's mother. So I got this last thing.

I paint a lot of scenarios because I feel like scenarios is what creates results for people. If I put you in a scenario, you got to create the result, so I fall in love with scenarios.

So boom. God forbid, you end up going to the doctor and the doctor says “yo listen, I'm a doctor, I'm professional, I got other patients and I'm not supposed to tell you this but I'm gonna tell you it anyway because I ain't got time to waste. Look, my man, you got one year to live.”

The doctor says “you got one year to live, 365 days.”

What are three things on your bucket list? The last one has to be a crime (no murder). So the last one should be a crime but get creative with it. Give me three things on your bucket list. Let the first two things be wholesome, last one a crime.

So one, spend some time with my mother, tell her I love her.

Of course.

Spend time with my mother, spend time with my sister, my niece, family time man. Spend some time with them and let them know that everything was real, everything was official.

As it should be.

Number two, on the wholesome tip, I might have to throw a party in a hotel. Just rent out three floors, let's get all my [ people ], all my [shorties ], all my homies we gon' have a little party in that btch. I want to run around the hallway dapping my [ people ] coming in the room and have a celebration like “Yo I'm about to go but guess what? I'm glad you all was a part of my life. I'm glad I was here.” …And everybody better be [ fckin' ] and all that man, none of that [ bullsht ] man.

You going raw?

We getting spicy.

We going sushi that night, you heard?

This is Corrupted Conversations so I gotta be corrupted.

So number one, family time, number two, iconic hotel party. Number three? Crime. You gotta shake the world up if you about to leave this earth.

I'm gonna end up riding out, twin. We going to City Hall wit it. We getting strapped with TNT. We gon let [ them ] know what it is. We gon' go out with a bang.

So number one, family time.

Family time, then the hotel party, then I'm gonna go to City Hall and let them have a piece of my mind, you feel me? I'm gonna give [ people ] time though, I'm gonna give [ them ] 15 minutes to run and get as far away as possible, I don't wanna hurt [ nobody ] but I'ma tell [ people ] that this whole area is going underground. Ground zero.

You're about to all be dinosaurs.

[ Fck ] these courts, [ fck ] the tombs, [ fck ] all that bullsht.

So you about to blow yourself up?

Yeah I'm blowing myself up, I'm gonna end it early, [ fck ] all the rest of the time.

And we dropping a song that morning. You have to drop an ill song with like a snippet in the beginning.

I'm gonna drop like a 2020 Wrap Up, like it's gonna be like a Life Wrap Up and it's gonna be featuring Uncle Murder and Skillz on the same joint .

Y'all know what it is bro, y'all hear it: time with family, iconic hotel party with all the little jawns… like all the joints.

I want all the little Instagram influencers, I want a circus.

And the third one is we running up on Capitol Hill bro, very theatrical, very cinematic, ka-boom.

That's how I feel, twin.

Yo listen man, I appreciate you coming my brother. But even though that was the last segment, I created a new segment on the way here. This is the last one.

We do this, I love the segments.

Because I truly feel like scenarios create the realistic results so I don't really get to know you unless I paint the scenario and put you in it. I don't really get to know who you are.

So look, I got this last segment because I feel like this is a proper exit, a good farewell, if you will. We're leaving the building with this thing called “Let me welcome you to the Frank Stand.”

Oh wow, the glizzy stand.

So as as we're as we're gearing to exit, who do you want to just put it out in the world right now look at the camera, whoever's been blowing yours lately, who's ever really been [ messing ] your energy up, invite them to the Frank Stand and tell that [ person ] “hey yo, welcome to the Frank Stand…suck my dck!”

Yo all y'all [ people ] in my DM talking about y'all got cover art for ten dollars, suck my dck. All ya'll [ people ] over here claiming that y'all really ill when y'all really not, y'all could suck my dck. All ya'll [ artists ] making music that don't really resonate with nothing but [ fck ] boys and [ people ] that are [ fcking ] [ people ] over and dumb [ sht], you could suck a dck too.

And all ya'll [ people ] that's not really about trying to build for their brothers, ya'll could suck a dck.

All ya'll [ people ] treating women bad, ya'll could suck a dck.

All ya'll [ people ] who voted for Trump, ya'll can suck a dck but watch it cause that's my [ guy ] Trump, that's my [ guy ] on the low. That's my dog on the low, if you know, you know.

All ya'll [ people ] that stormed the capital, suck a dck.

That's how I'm ending every show from now on because everybody who leaves this show is going to leave a little corrupted. This is what we came to do.

I'm glad everybody enjoyed this episode and if you didn't enjoy this episode, you have a special place at the Frank Stand.

I appreciate you coming my brother.

More content coming soon, Energy God in the house.

I love it.

Corrupted Conversations… if ya'll ain't corrupted, ya'll destructive.

My cup is empty, my soul is empty, but my heart is full, and we came to do what we gotta do.

Let's go, we outta here, have a good night.