John and Connie: Hi and welcome

to another episode of Celebrating

Small Family Businesses.

I'm John Kuder.

And I'm Connie Kuder.

And we are virtually in Los

Angeles with Kimeyo Daniels.

Hi Kimeyo.

Kimeyo and Sons: How's it going?

How's it going?

John and Connie: Welcome.

Kimeyo and Sons: my two sons with

me chunky and George made it.

You know, you

John and Connie: Hi Chunk.

Hi George.

Welcome to the party.

Kimeyo and Sons: in our family

business is Kimeyo Records.

John and Connie: Like

the sign says behind you.

Okay, cool.

Kimeyo and Sons: Exactly.

John and Connie: And so for

our audience, what kind of music

and, how did the business start?

What led you to being a recording artist?

Kimeyo and Sons: Um, it's predominantly

hip hop music and uh, what got

it started is I wasn't doing it.

From the time I was 19 and as of

and said, dad, we not going nowhere.

We moving in with you.

It developed into where we are today.

And, um, I got them, uh, uh, a Mac

computer with some sounds on it and

just let them take over the living

room with a dining room at the time.

and just keep making music

until we came with something.

And one day I decided, you know,

I'm gonna start making a record with

the music that they was making and

at the same time show them how to

pursue this career in entertainment.

But that's my take on it.

So you can ask either one of

them how it, how it developed.

John and Connie: Okay.

So, Chunk, what is your, what is your

specialty in the, in the business?

What, are you musician, technician, what,

Kimeyo and Sons: Mainly I just make music

mainly

John and Connie: and, and how

long you been making music?

Kimeyo and Sons: realistically since I

was like, I don't know, like elementary

school, but like seriously, I'd say I'm

my dad probably like, like seriously, but

John and Connie: Is there, do

you play a particular instrument?

Is there?

Kimeyo and Sons: nah uh, I just

play everything like on my,

um, my laptop in the studio.

like, I kinda creating playing

with the piano and stuff.

I'm not really serious

with it, I don't play.

John and Connie: Okay, so like would it

be GarageBand or a program like that?

Kimeyo and Sons: Yeah, I use FL Studio.

What do you do?

Yeah, he said FL Studio.

He talk real low, you

gotta, yeah, you know.

I need him to speak up.

You gotta speak up so

he can hear you, chump.

I use FL Studio.

I'm

John and Connie: FL Studio.

Okay, I wasn't familiar with that one.

I, uh, always looking for new things.

I played with, yeah, I played

with GarageBand years ago when

I was, had a lot more free time.

So, uh, George, how about you?

What's, what's your specialty?

What's your, what's your interest?

What, how got, how did you get into this?

Kimeyo and Sons: I'm mainly a producer.

I just be making beats almost every day.

I started when I was like

younger, when I was like 12,

like he, my brother inspired me.

So he's who got me into

making beats and stuff.

So I just started since then.

And then like my sound

over time, like evolved.

And then, yeah, that's basically it.

John and Connie: Okay.

And again, is that all electronic?

Uh, I mean, I've, you know,

I've, I know people do beats

with their mouth and stuff, but,

Kimeyo and Sons: yeah,

like everything is digital.

I do everything like

digitally on the computer.

Um, yeah.

John and Connie: so that's

percussion, uh, really, isn't it?

Is that right?

Kimeyo and Sons: Most different sound

modules, like you might have a drum pack,

keyboard sounds, different elements of

sounds, and they just blend it together.

Like they, they probably not going to tell

you what programs they using, cause that's

telling everybody what they secrets are.

John and Connie: But fine.

Yeah.

Kimeyo and Sons: what they

predominantly just, um, they use

different sound modules and different,

um, programs and that's how

they come to create their music.

But their same driving force is FL

studio, they both work on FL studio.

John and Connie: Okay.

I'm kind of old.

So I've been, you know, listening to

rock and roll and synthesizers and all

that stuff that I was really in love with

synthesizers back in my teenage years.

And they had, uh, one of the big

developments and I can't remember the

name of the company now, but they had

tapes that they could plug into the,

it was a keyboard, and they had sample

tapes, and so they might have a sample

of a train whistle, and they'd plug

that in, and then the entire keyboard

would be that train whistle, you know,

over a, you know, multiple octaves.

And, and they could, you know, then plug

in a different sound, and it'd be, uh,

I don't know, seagulls, and, but they

could play whatever they could make,

capture as a sound, and they could

play it on the keyboard, and that, you

know, then I think that all evolved

into, you know, just, Built in, it's

all digital now, but sampling is the

only word I can remember about that.

But, well Kimeyo, how, how old were

you when you got started in all this?

Kimeyo and Sons: well, I've been like

rapping since I was like 12, maybe even

earlier than that, when it first got

introduced, like when hip hop first

got introduced, I started rapping.

So in elementary school, I used to be

a battle rapper, junior high school

battle rapper, high school battle rapper.

And then after my father

passed, I started writing.

And once I started writing

and I became an artist.

I started like maybe let's say 19.

So at 19, I started writing songs and

a lot of the songs that I was writing,

it had to have some meaning to it.

So I kept doing that.

And, uh, my first record that

I did was called The Lesson.

And it was basically different,

um, elements in my life

that I experienced that.

I wish I could have had my father

around to, uh, show me the ropes on.

So all of those songs was,

was like me figuring it out.

And that was the first record

that I ever wrote The Lesson.

I had like several producers, all

the up and coming producers that

was in Los Angeles at the time.

And that was me rapping.

And then, um, when, when everything

kind of went haywire with that

record, I ended up moving to Miami.

And when I moved to Miami, I

which is a drum machine, a MIDI

sequencer, and a KORG Karma keyboard.

And I started producing.

I started, um, getting sounds

from different producers and

then I would make my own beats.

And then I did another record called

The Lesson Part Two, I predominantly

did all the production for myself and I

started learning how to use the MIDI and

then play keys and add elements to it.

I was even sampling some records and I was

learning how to, and what I would do is I

would sample a record and then I'd try to

replay it the way that I want to hear it.

So I wouldn't really

use that record anymore.

So after a while.

I might start off, let's

give you an example.

I might've take a Ozzie brothers

record and then I'll sample it.

Then I'll play the drums the way

that I wanted the drums to sound.

Then I'll play the keys the way

that I feel the keys can sound.

And there's some strings.

And once I get the beat kind of full,

then I'll take the sample all the way out

and won't use the sample anymore and just

keep building on what I have from there.

And that's how I kind of taught

myself how to, make beats because

copyright infringement if you sample

when you don't have the money to

pay to get it clear Then, you know,

you can't really use that record.

And I wasn't one of the artists

that wanted to deal with

legal issues in that fashion.

So that's how I taught myself

how to produce records.

So let's just say it

started about 19 for me.

And, um, became passionately serious

about it, maybe around about like 24, 25.

And then it was off to

the races after that.

John and Connie: Nice.

That is so cool.

And at some point you moved from

Miami back to, back to LA, I believe.

Kimeyo and Sons: Yes, because, um,

when, well, I lived my whole life

in Cali and I went to Miami to get

a publishing deal for one of my

dear friends that was a producer.

And, um, I had an independent record

company at that time with my ex girlfriend

at the time we was in a relationship.

And, uh, Everything didn't kind of pan out

and I got real depressed because I spent

like almost nine years putting The Lesson

together, my own money and everything.

And when I had to, uh, separate

from that relationship, that record

was collateral damage for me.

So I didn't really want

to, uh, be in California.

So I ended up staying in Miami.

And when I lived in Miami,

I met my buddy, JV, big JV.

And, he used to let me come in his house

and, and set my equipment up in his patio.

And his grandma, she

like had to be about 70.

His dad was in his 60s, mom's in the 60s,

and I would come in that house at 9:30

every morning and just start making beats.

So I had a whole house shaking and

grandma, Abuela, because he killed me,

Abuela would be sitting right there

in the, uh, in the living room or in

the kitchen counter, just chilling,

not, not telling to turn it off.

Pops would be sitting in the sofa chair

watching TV and I got the whole house just

rattling and they would just be there.

And, uh, so we ended up booking some

studio time and I ended up working

with an engineer by the name of

Frank Socorro, who did a lot of work

with some other engineers, a lot

of Remy who worked on Amy Winehouse.

He also worked on a lot of the bad boy

project, but me and Frank Socorro, we

set in the studio for like I'm gonna

say about five months just working

on, on just learning how to really

cultivate my production and my writing.

Cause I didn't have no friends there.

I was in Miami, strictly just me, my

keyboard, my drum machine and the studio.

And that's when Pro Tools first hit.

So I did that whole record on pro tools.

And ironically, when I was

working, Shakira was working

right downstairs from me.

So every day I would see Shakira,

she would come up to my sessions.

And you know, not one time did I ever

ask her, could she be on a record?

I'm pretty sure she would have

did it because she used to

come to my sessions every day.

I would see her every single day.

And, And, um, and, and it was just,

It was just that that moment in

Miami is when I really knew like

my confidence level was was there

because I didn't have no friends.

All I had was my music And I was working.

And from there, me and JV, we

used to go like back and forth.

Cause I ended up showing him the

business and when he got it, he

started having his own vision.

So our visions did, our

visions started splitting ways.

So rather than continue to be frustrated,

I just, um, came back to Cali.

And when I came back to Cali, I started

producing my little brother, Cali.

And, um, other artists, another

artist that was from Florida.

And I used to go back and forth to

San Francisco producing my cousin

Dirty Dane out of, um, the bay.

And I was just going around, just doing

production for people, you know, I

would charge some and some I wouldn't,

if you was a friend of mine, I wasn't

going to charge you, but if I didn't

know you, I was pretty much charging.

And then a couple years after

that, I met their mom and it

was, it was like I paused.

I was still doing music because

when, when we was together, I had a

studio in the house and a recording

studio in High Point, North Carolina.

And, um, I started just continuing

to keep producing and then, uh,

I ran into some rough times there

and I had to come back to Cali.

And when I came back to Cali, you

know, I had to get a job and all

this other stuff, but I kept working.

I kept trying to do music,

kept trying to finish songs.

And then I, um, ended up

bearing off to Atlanta again.

So I went back to Atlanta

and I had to stay in Atlanta

for a year and three months.

So when I stayed in Atlanta for that

year and three months, I met a lot of

people, uh, um, was, I wasn't producing

now, now I'm strictly just the artist.

So now I'm buying beats

from other producers.

And when I came back to Cali, I was,

um, trying to find myself again.

So I ended up going to a musician's

Institute and took the music business

course where I got to be educated by

Ken Kerner, the guy that discovered

KISS, um, uh, one of my other

professors, Bobby Borg, who is, uh,

matter of fact, he's a consultant.

He's all over YouTube, helping

do, do it yourself, DIY,

um, um, skills with the music business.

And One of my professors was Barry

Squire, who was a big A& R for a

lot of rock bands back in the day.

And that's when I really learned that

what I knew for the record business,

I kind of understood it because in

class I was excelling everywhere, you

know, so that was that transition.

So I, um, I just kept dealing with

music, kept working, kept working.

And fast forward.

Um, to let's say COVID era, right?

So that was two years after COVID.

So whenCOVID hit, that's when I first

started putting music out on CD Baby.

I put my first record

And that was a record that I ended

up working with one of my peers, but

somebody I look up to in the record

business by the name of Big Hutch, but

He's also known as Cold 187um from a

group Above the Law, which was signed

to Easy E. So me and him did a whole

record together in the studio where

he did the majority of the production.

And I had a couple of my friends come in.

I'm very good at that.

Like I will find one producer

and work with that one producer.

But then I would always

bring in other producers.

Cause it's like my way of maintaining

control and ownership of my projects.

So that's how I work.

So instead of me just allowing one

person to have a monopoly over the

project, I would always bring in

other people so that I can make sure

that I kept the ownership rights

and I was the one behind everything.

So I was very adamant about that.

John and Connie: Yeah, that seems to

be a theme that's, you know, in the

entertainment industry, whether it's film

or music or anything, is that battle for

rights and how many artists have signed

away their rights somewhere early on in

their career when they didn't realize

what they were doing because, you know,

to try to get to get that break, right?

Kimeyo and Sons: And once I was educated

on the business now, see, it's like

I'm, I sped through a whole lot.

I gave you like a good 20

years of history, condensed,

like maybe seven minutes.

But if I,

John and Connie: That's fine.

Kimeyo and Sons: I broke down each one

of those stages, let's just talk about

The Lesson, the album, The Lesson.

At that time, how The Lesson came about

was, uh, I was trying to manage and find

other artists and manage those artists.

So I had a couple of producers,

a couple of artists, but

we wasn't in major studios.

We was in the house because I was

under the impression you make a

good quality demo, you shop it.

You get somebody to put the money

up and then you go do quality music.

But I come to learn that,

nah, that's just a myth.

You know what I'm saying?

You really got to know somebody.

So you had to invest the money

into the quality studio as well.

At that time, my childhood friend, who I

ended up getting in a relationship with,

which is my daughter's mom, Marlene.

She had a job where her boss's

husband happened to be well

known entertainment attorney.

And the boss, Miss Leslie Perlstein,

introduced me to her husband, and her

husband was Michael J. Perlstein of the

firm Fischbach, Perlstein Lieberman.

And when I walked in his office,

he gave me a book on publishing.

And I tell everybody this story

because this is what changed my life

as far as pursuing this business.

He gave me a book on publishing

and he gave me a meeting.

So when I came back, like maybe

two weeks after he gave me the

book on publishing, he asked me a

question that was on the first page

of the book and I didn't answer it.

And he yelled at me from his office in

the back of the firm all the way through

the law firm where all the associates,

paralegals, receptionist, secretaries,

everybody watching him just go off on me.

I mean, he was very, very upset with me

because it's like he took the time out to

teach me something and gave me something

and I didn't take the time to read it.

So he cussed me out all the

way out the office door,

you know.

I promised myself that he would

never have that one on me again.

And, and I, I learned the business.

I learned, I started reading up.

Not only did I read that publishing book,

I ended up buying the book, This Business

of Music, and I read that cover to cover.

So I started learning what the

language was and the contracts and

what each one of those clauses was.

Control composition clauses and

transferring of rights and the

ownership and mechanical royalty.

So I started reading and learning

what all of these different things

was, because I was not going to allow

him to yell at me again for that.

You know, so, um,

John and Connie: Which is a small price

compared to, you know, getting caught

in one of those, caught not knowing that

thing and getting in a business deal and

losing the rights to something, you know,

much more costly than getting yelled at.

So, you know, I understand why

you say he did you a favor there.

Kimeyo and Sons: so for me, learning

for me, learning the business now

I'm trying to manage other artists.

and while Managing the artists, they not

putting forth the effort that you want to

see when you're trying to get somewhere.

Like they passionate,

but they not consistent.

They not, you know, aggressive about it.

I really got to do a lot of the pushing

and motivating to get them to work.

And then because I knew the

business, they would always feel

like I'm trying to steal from them.

And it was not to say one day,

let me just do it for myself.

And that's when I went, put the money

down and started producing myself.

And I met Mark Palladino at a studio

called the edge and Mark Palladino

taught me how to make records.

He sat me down and showed me what each

one of them channels are for the sounds.

And at this time I was

working on a two inch reel.

They don't even use

two inch reels no more.

So if you made a mistake on a two

inch reel, you had to literally go

all the way back and start all over.

So that's where my foundation comes from.

I'm working on two inch reels, reel

recorded, 24 track studios, right?

So, now, I'mma fast forward to

2021, when they come into the

John and Connie: Yeah,

let's get back to them.

We're,

Kimeyo and Sons: So, I, um, I got this

old school formula of making records.

They totally new school

with making records.

So, we would clash.

And it got to the point to where

I would just leave them alone.

Like, let me just, I'll come in there

and maybe say one or two lines, but

I'll, I'll be very passionate about it.

So it's kind of like I'm going off

on them and I'll leave them alone.

But I'll say my two, three, four,

fives, you know, which is publishing

writers, copyright infringement.

Make sure you talking about something.

So I would always be on their

head about don't use samples.

Make sure you did this beat.

Try not to use them MIDI loops,

learn how to create it yourself.

Cause you want to make sure you,

you have the rights and nobody

can come take what you do.

So that was me, right?

And, um,

John and Connie: So, hard won lessons.

Lessons you learned the

hard way, and, and, you

Kimeyo and Sons: Yes, yes.

So after a while, they got so

good at it, I just had to respect

their methods, their decisions.

Like, got to the point to where I couldn't

come in there and critique them no more.

I could just only tell them, I

like this, I don't like this.

I give them my opinion,

add this, add that.

But they was the ones driving the vehicle.

They was the ones that understood

what they was looking for when

they was creating this music.

So this is where we are now.

And so only thing I do right now is just

make sure I teach them how to protect it.

and and I'm doing a lot of talking.

I mean, you can ask them some questions

about how they, how they developed

into who they are and what role I play.

Cause I would love to hear what they would

have to say about my position with them.

John and Connie: Me too.

Okay.

So, who wants to go first?

Shall I pick?

Kimeyo and Sons: George,

John and Connie: Go, George.

So, regarding that old school versus

new school, what's your take on that?

And how, how did you show Kimeyo

that you were doing what worked?

Is that a fair question?

Kimeyo and Sons: Well, I feel like some of

the old school stuff, we still use it now,

like the same techniques, same thinking,

same patterns and stuff like that.

Like music patterns, basically.

we could still, we still

use it like at this time.

But then also some of the new

stuff, it's like, I feel like it

helps like amplify what you create.

Does that make sense?

John and Connie: So how is

it working with your dad?

Kimeyo and Sons: Um,

or sometimes he's like, I feel

like he, like he said, he's

passionate about what he does.

So he takes it like seriously.

You have to like be serious about what you

want to make, how you're going to do it.

John and Connie: Well, let me

ask a slightly different one.

What have you guys figured out about

how to manage the business relationship

versus the family relationship?

Like when you're working What like I don't

know what different people do different

things some people, you know, they say

okay We're you know, that's family stuff.

We're going to set that aside This is

business and and they even go so far as

to call each other by first names instead

of dad and you know son or whatever.

Other people, you know, maybe you

know get hats made there's all kinds.

How do you manage that?

Like, do you, do you draw lines between

the family and the business or, or

does it just all work together for you?

Kimeyo and Sons: I

feel like we do we do draw lines like

certain points Like certain times we're

talking about like music or talking about

like, um, yeah, basically we're talking

about music that's like one whole thing

and then just like family matters who

like Talk about that different time.

Not all in the same thing.

Basically,

yeah,

John and Connie: Cool,

Yeah, keeping it separate.

Chunk, what about you?

What's coming to mind for you in all this?

Kimeyo and Sons: uh, what you mean?

John and Connie: Well, I, I

mean, you heard, you heard

all the stuff your dad said.

Did anything, as you're listening to

that, did anything like jump up in

your mind to say that's a, you know,

that's something like a really good

point or, you know, well, different

way you look at it or whatever.

I'm just kind of throwing it out there.

Kimeyo and Sons: No, I'm not

really make sense, but he has

his own, uh, his own vision.

I mean, I can't really put on top

away, but somebody else's vision.

No, I

John and Connie: Okay, right there.

I'm going to ask you to speak,

say that again just a little

bit louder, but I'm, I'm

Kimeyo and Sons: top away

about somebody else's

John and Connie: like, wise words here.

I don't want, I want

everybody to hear that.

Kimeyo and Sons: Stay

John and Connie: Do what?

Kimeyo and Sons: You got, he's 16, so

you know, you gotta be prepared for him.

John and Connie: But, yeah, vision,

that is such, you know, especially

you're in the creative field, right?

You're making music, and

you're, and it's important.

It seems to be music, again, I'm,

I'm a 70's rocker, so, hip hop's

is kind of not in my wheelhouse,

but it seems like it's really

passionate, you know, personal music.

I mean, like when they say Taylor

Swift, all of her songs are about

somebody she used to date or something

like that, it's personal that way.

But your music just sounded

like there's an edge.

It's an emotional edge to it.

I was getting choked up.

So When you talk about vision

what well I was listening as far

as the music I listened to is

what was on the Kimeyo website.

But what influenced your

vision for what you do?

Kimeyo and Sons: I do.

Um, I don't know, I just mainly just

talk about, I guess I don't know my

life or, you know what I'm saying,

certain things that I feel about like

how I feel about certain situations.

I was like, because one thing is

like if I make a song about one

thing, I will just make a different

song about that same thing, but

just change like everything else.

It's not like a whole different song.

So,

but majority of them all

have the same meaning.

It's all about my experiences or stuff

that I'm going through, stuff like that.

John and Connie: So in, this is so

new, I almost don't know what to ask.

It's so interesting.

I've got a question.

Yeah.

Is it fun working together?

Kimeyo and Sons: Is it fun?

Sometimes.

Sometimes.

Personally, I just kind

of like working by myself.

I feel like it's more efficient

because I'm trying to do

my own stuff, my own thing.

Punch it up, he can't hear you..

So, uh, personally I kind of like

working by myself because I work more

efficiently, like doing stuff on my

own, like, you know what I'm saying?

I like to do my own stuff.

I don't really like people who are

kind of Trying to take my vision

and you know what I'm saying?

I mean, I can, I take suggestions,

but I don't really like people

trying to put their hand in my stuff.

John and Connie: Sweetheart,

we've worked in family businesses.

We understand people in your

business that you don't want there

and then know nothing about it.

do understand that.

Yeah.

Yeah.

Thinking they know better

and, and, and with the best of

intentions sometimes, right?

Kimeyo and Sons: But what we , clash at.

That's what me and Chucky clash at.

I'll come with a suggestion, I

don't just do the suggestion.

I actually try to put hands on it and he

just like, he don't want to be bothered.

So he just, he go on his own little zone.

And then it takes me like a week to

get something out of him after that.

He's mad now.

I got to wait for him to calm down before

I could go ask him for him for anything.

John and Connie: You

crossed the line, man, yeah,

Kimeyo and Sons: George is over

here, George'll just do it, get

it done and get me out the way.

And he'll go back to do whatever.

George has learned how to let me

just get rid of him real quick.

I can do what I want to do.

So,

John and Connie: easier to do what

he says, right, and just get it done.

Kimeyo and Sons: What is it, George?

You ain't got nothing to say?

John and Connie: That's cute.

Well, you find, you know, you,

you, you try stuff, right?

You try different things

to see what works.

And that's, I mean, whether it's

Trying a different sound or a

different way that you produce that.

I think producing is the way you're

mixing and putting things together.

But you know same with with how you work

together, you know Sometimes it's that

again That's where we work like what we

were talking about from our video being

you know Kind of being conscious and

intentional about it And, and asking

questions, like, so if somebody's

getting mad with you, maybe it's time

to stop and ask a question, like, what,

what's not working about that, you know,

and, and try changing things up, put

somebody else in charge and let them

run with it and let them make mistakes.

That's, that would seem like the

beauty of what you're doing is that,

you know, when you're making a song.

I mean, if you're not burning $500 an hour

of studio time or something, it's kind

of low stakes to just run with something.

And if it blows up, what did it cost you?

Except a little time.

Kimeyo and Sons: Um, I respect them.

I respect them.

So when they, when they working,

like I know when I'm getting on their

nerves a little bit and sometimes

I, I do get, I do get in my own

feelings that they kicking me out.

You know, it does kind of, cause

I be wanting to be all involved.

I, I, I, I want to be very hands

on in the chemistry of it, but.

I could kind of sense when

I'm getting on their nerves.

So I kind of leave them alone.

That's why they both got their own system.

George has his own laptop.

Chunky has his own laptop.

And, uh, they got us a little

home studio in the garage.

And, uh, it's just, then it's

like, who gonna come work and

who's not going to come work.

George don't want to do no rapping.

So George can predominantly be self

contained with some headphones and

his computer and make the beats.

Chunky, he wants to rap.

So he'll be in the studio

rattling the room and then

coming in here and making vocals.

But now he done, he done got dusty in

here cause he done figured out a way

to do it all from his phone and the,

and the laptop without coming this way.

But I respect him.

That's the, that's the biggest,

you know, Advantage for me to

be dad as well as like a mentor.

Cause even though I know that I know what

I'm doing and I got my own understanding

of everything, I had to learn how to

follow their lead in order for them to

get the confidence level that they have.

So I started respecting what

they was doing individually.

Cause it would be one time where

was feelin' like Chunky was more

developed in production than George.

then I learned that because

I'm giving so much praise and

accolades to Chunky, I'm smothering

George from expressing himself.

So I started shying away

from Chunky a little bit and

started acknowledging George.

Because I noticed they

got two different sounds.

George has his sound.

Chunky has his sound.

But it's rare when you can

get them to work together.

You know, because like Chunky said, he

don't want nobody Interfering with him.

He wanted to be by hisself.

George is open to it, long as it ain't

going to crash what George is looking for.

And they, they'll argue all day long.

They'll argue all day long

about weirdest things on

production, or who drums is right.

Who's kick is right.

Who's playing the sound and the right key.

So those little, like bickering, get

to sit back and listen and kind of be

proud because it's like, they're actually

bickering over their creative visions.

It's not like one is doing everything

and other one is following.

No, they both have their own direction

and which way they're going to go

and they both respect each other's

judgment because like George mentioned

earlier, see, I didn't know that

Chunky started and inspired George.

I thought it was the other way around.

I thought it was George started and

inspired Chunky, but to hear it was

Chunky and then George caught on and

boom, now I see what it is, because what,

as far as both of them and they

respect and they, and they respective

lanes, I've learned that both of

them are very, very in tune to all

aspects of the production process.

They understand what the plugins are for

and the arrangements of the drums and

the arrangements of the keys and how to

put the sounds here and there and I was

extremely impressed with the production.

Like I told my engineer Box

Cutters, Mike Hernandez.

I told him like could have went and

paid money and got other producers to

create this project, but it would take

away from the credit that I want my

sons to receive for what they're doing.

So I would rather put this record out

and let everybody critique it, knowing

they're in their development years,

than to have somebody else come in and

take that credit and rob them of what

they rightfully worked and earned.

They earned the right to

call themselves producers.

They earned the right to tell people

that they need to be paid for their time.

They earned that.

They put that work in.

They, they developed

themselves to be producers.

And I, I didn't want to take that away

from them by going to other people.

I was going to take what they gave me.

clean it up with my engineer and

make the best possible sound that I

could from that and then present it.

And, I'm very impressed.

I like what we came with.

I mean, they collectively, they

did nine records on my album

and as a dad, I'm so impressed.

I'm so proud of my boys.

You know what I'm saying?

And I spreaded the music out so it's

not like you're hearing all Chunky,

then you're hearing all George.

It's like, it's a sprinkle of

Chunky, sprinkle of George,

sprinkle of somebody else.

Sprinkle of George, sprinkle of

Chunky, sprinkle of somebody else.

And when I did the writing, I wrote

songs in different delivery methods,

different cadence, so that I can marry

myself to the music rather than the

music dictating how it's going to go.

And, and I'm, I'm just

extremely impressed.

And I haven't let anybody hear the record.

Like it's only maybe been a handful of

people that actually heard the record.

I just gave it to my manager today

for him to hear because it just got

back from mastering and I wanted

to get his opinion on the album.

And right after I gave it to him,

I told Box Cutter, man, why did

I even mention that I had it?

I want to protect it like this is gold.

And I'm in San Francisco,

I found me a gold nugget.

So I don't want anybody to

know about my gold nugget.

You know what I'm saying?

I got two perfectly pristine

gold nuggets right here.

And I didn't want to present it to nobody

until it was all the way developed.

So.

I'm, I'm I'm very appreciative that God

blessed me with these two young men and

their creative vision and their skill set

and their methods of creating what they,

what they gave me to go do what I'm doing.

And I respect them.

I respect they, they movement.

So sometimes I am, and it's hard for

me not to be a dad, you know, it's

hard for me not to be a dad because

I only want the best for them.

But sometimes I kind of get carried away,

you know, I go a little overboard because.

I want so much for them, you know,

so I try to, I try to push them.

I push them as hard as I can.

And then when they get to that line

and they feel like they're going to

break, I give them one more push.

And when I push them right there,

what they come back with, it's like

amazing because, uh, George was at the

point where he was feeling like, you

know, he couldn't figure out nothing.

He's like, man, I'm making

everything every day.

I'm, I'm blocked.

I'm blocked.

And then I'm like, man, well,

just give me what you got.

And he went in there and he

made something totally different

than what he's been doing.

And that came and boom.

And with Chunky, I just, I stay on Chunky.

I stay on him because his ego, Chunky has

the ego, he has the confidence, he has

the skill set, and he's very, very cocky.

So I, I wrestle with him.

That's like a wild mustang

that I got to constantly call

me down.

John and Connie: Okay.

Kimeyo and Sons: And George, on

the other hand, is real humble and

confident, and he knows what he knows.

You're not going to tell

George something different.

George is already like, alright,

you can think what you want.

Let me go on and give you what you

need so you can let me go back to

where I want to be in my position.

So if we had to put it in an aspect of,

uh, let's say, We had a, um, a warehouse

because I worked in the warehouse

and I can make this, this parable.

Chunky, I could leave chunky

alone in the warehouse.

And he's going to do the job,

but he gonna have fun all day.

You gonna have fun and everything is

going to be all over the warehouse,

but it's going to be organized.

So when I get to wondering where

this is and why you got this over

there, you're going to be mad

at me that I'm coming at him.

But he knows where everything is in

the warehouse and he can and get it

all done in his own pace in mind.

George is going to already be organized.

Everything is going to be where

it's supposed to be and organized.

And then if I ask him why did he do this?

He'll tell me, well, I moved it over here

because I needed more space to do this.

And I'll do that.

And then if I get on his nerves,

he'll just move it where I want it.

So I won't bother him about it no

more, but in his mind, he'll let me

see I should have left him alone and

did it his way because I actually

could have utilized that space

that he already allocated for me.

But Chunky just gon do

Chunky, it's gon be how it is.

You just gotta accept it for what it

is, but everything's gon be organized.

And he's, and he's paying attention.

So, I get the best of both worlds

with him from that perspective.

That's why I have so much respect and

appreciation for their work ethic.

John and Connie: Yeah.

Yeah.

And it's, it's about, I mean,

I'm hearing a lot there, but

respecting their differences, right?

Their, their uniqueness,

each person is unique.

And it sounds like from what you talked

about the different roles in the business

that George not really being interested

in doing the rapping and just more of

the technical side that really fits his

personality and his way of thinking and

Chunk is like, he's got to have that

that bravado, that self confidence, the

little bit of wildness to do the rapping.

Right?

I mean, that's not something, that's

not a real quiet, passive thing, is it?

So, what's next?

Yeah, what's next for the business?

Where, where do you see it going?

Kimeyo and Sons: Well, we're

putting out my record, uh,

John and Connie: Is that a CD or,

or is it, I mean, when you say

record, I'm thinking vinyl, so,

Kimeyo and Sons: I'm still,

I'm still debating on if I want

to make physical copies of it.

But the next stage for me, after we

put out The Process is to work on

getting Chunky on either an EP or a full

fledged album and start letting George

and Chunky become producers, producing

other artists and developing them.

And if they don't have the capital,

then we can produce them and

put them out through our label.

If they do have the capital,

then we'll show them how to do

it themselves, you know, and, and

I think that's the next stage.

But Chucky has a whole

vision, a whole plan.

And I'm, and I'm just kind of like,

I'm trying to understand it, but I

got to show him, let's do this first,

so you can see all aspects of it.

So when you go on to do your plan, you

can already check this off the box.

and and with George, George already

just knows, I just want to make music.

You know what he told me the other day?

That was kind of.

Awesome.

He said, when you go start on the

next album, you know what I'm saying?

You know what you're going to do?

So he's already ready to

move to the next project.

This project's done, dad.

We mixing, we mastering, it's done.

Let's, let's, let's start

working on the next project.

So George is gung ho producer, you

know, and, uh, but I'm speaking for them

when they could speak for themselves.

John and Connie: So,

what about the marketing?

Who, who does, who handles marketing?

I mean, how, how does it go from, we

mastered this, It's in some form, whether

it's MP4s or pressed on a CD or whatever.

Then how does it get in people's

hands that the people are paying

for it and you're getting paid back?

Kimeyo and Sons: well, I'm using CD Baby

as my distributor and CD Baby has a lot

of affiliate partnerships with different

viral companies and they put it in all

the DSPs, the digital streaming platforms,

the Pandoras, the Instagrams, the Spotify,

the iTunes, the Deezer, Amazon Music.

So CD Baby gets it everywhere

that it needs to be.

And then, and I've been working

with another social media marketing

company to do the awareness

campaign and drive traffic.

So that was my my main machine is just

having the internet company drive the

traffic there and because they only got

two choices when they once they get there,

either they like it or they don't like it.

I just need them to get

there to make that choice.

So, um, that's what I've been utilizing.

And then I also hired an independent

streaming company that works with a lot

of the curators and the playlists to

get music put on particular playlists

to help you get the streamings up.

So, uh, that was my method.

Now, Chunky, he has a vision.

He has some idea of what he wants to do.

We going, we might incorporate some of

my ideas, but when he's finally making

his decision to rock and roll, of

course, I'mma give him the blueprint,

but he's gonna have his own vision.

Now, with George, it's just a matter

of, I don't know, like, that's what

I'm saying, they could do, they

could tell you what their plans is

next.

I'm, I'm

John and Connie: George,

what's next for you?

Where do you want to go next

with the, your business, their

business, uh, independent artist

or, or teamwork or whatever?

What's your vision?

Kimeyo and Sons: George,

John and Connie: Yeah, George.

Sorry.

Kimeyo and Sons: um, I don't know.

I just kind of want to make

beats for like more known people.

So I could like build my credibility

up so more people like know what I could

do and then, yes, I could like have

better connections with more people

that I could like make music in general,

like more music, like more known people.

So I can work with more people that

are like already at that level.

So I can work with them as well.

Yeah.

John and Connie: Cool.

Chunk,

Kimeyo and Sons: Ooh,

John and Connie: what's your big dream?

If you can, if you don't mind

sharing, like where do you want to

Kimeyo and Sons: dreams.

Uh, I just want to be able to make

music without any distractions.

That's all I really do.

I don't really like, I gotta play

sports and stuff for like fun, but I

don't really take it seriously because

I think it's a waste of time and stuff.

I just want to be able to make

music, but I ain't gonna lie.

You know what I'm saying?

I ain't gonna lie.

Lately, I've been making

more songs than beats.

Uh, I've been making songs like everyday,

but I just haven't recorded them yet.

I just been writing them, so, that's

John and Connie: Oh,

Kimeyo and Sons: just, that's what

I want, I just want to make me a bit

calmer and care about what I'm getting

paid from the most significant lesson.

Um,

does it have

John and Connie: Wonderful.

What?

Okay.

I'm gonna wind it up with

one question for each of you.

What?

And I'm gonna stick with you,

Chunk, since we're talking to you.

What is the most significant lesson

you've learned from watching your dad?

Kimeyo and Sons: Does it

have to be like music wise?

John and Connie: No, I'm

thinking life lesson.

Like, he's done a lot of living.

Kimeyo and Sons: significant,

uh, I say like how do you like

if I'm gonna do something like at

least to think ahead about it.

Just whatever I do,

make sure I do it right.

You know what I'm saying?

Like think ahead, basically, put more

John and Connie: Solid.

Kimeyo and Sons: Put more thought into

stuff is probably the significant,

I'll say, cause that really playing

different situations, other stuff or like.

Kind of strictly for certain

situations, but I guess that could

play out for everything that you do.

John and Connie: Cool.

Thank you.

George, what about you?

You had time to think.

Kimeyo and Sons: Uh, um, I feel

like a life, like a life lesson

that I, like, picked up my dad.

I'ma just go with him always telling

us to, do something that we're,

like, actually passionate about.

Don't do something just because

you see somebody else doing it.

Just to be passionate about what,

what we do to like, make sure we're

doing something that will help

benefit us in the future, basically.

John and Connie: Thank you very much.

Nice.

Nice.

Kimeyo, last words of wisdom from you.

Thank you guys all so much for being here

with us, but Kimeyo, anything to add?

Kimeyo and Sons: Well, I could just

say I appreciate you and Miss Connie

for allowing us to be on your platform.

I'm very appreciative of that.

It was really enlightening

hear what they had to say.

But I could tell you what life

lessons I learned from both of them.

Like what I what I learned about

George is feelings, emotions,

like, learning how to curb them.

Like every, every emotion don't

need to be exposed, you know?

Some things you can

hold together, you know?

And I learned that from him.

And with Chunky, it's like

life isn't necessarily over.

You still can do some more living.

still going.

They still going to need me in a

way like don't just think that they

done because they getting older now.

They still can come and ask me

little things and this and that.

They still gonna want to be around me.

They still watching and learning.

So I learned that from Chunky.

I enjoy being their dad right

now and working with them.

This is the best dream come true

to be able to work with my two

boys doing music to where I know

I don't have to babysit them.

I could just let them do it

themselves and they'll figure it out.

And then if they do have an issue, I'm

pretty confident they'll come back and

ask me for my advice, but for the most

part, I don't have to babysit them.

That's like anybody that helped anyone

in life, taught anybody how to fish,

anybody how to do anything where you

don't have to babysit or micromanage.

I love the fact that I do not have

to babysit or micromanage them.

And I can, I can tell them something

one time and they'll catch on.

You know?

John and Connie: Nice!

Smart dad.

Good job on all of you.

It gets better from here.

Yeah.

Awesome.

Well, thank you again so much for

taking the time and for you guys

coming on together and sharing

your life and your passion with us.

And your wisdom.

We'll, look forward to,

following your story, ongoing.

Kimeyo and Sons: No problem, man.

I was about to call it The Lesson,

Records, distributed by CD Baby,

produced by Chunky on the track, and

George made it, and we hope you like

the presentation that we give you.

John and Connie: Great.

Awesome.

We will make sure to put that in the show

notes in the description on YouTube, and

we'll let you know when we publish it.

It's going to be a few weeks.

Kimeyo and Sons: No problem, no problem.

And it's Kimeyo.Com.

K I

John and Connie: com.

Yes.

Great.

Kimeyo and Sons: E O. com.

Yes, ma'am.

Yes, sir.

John and Connie: Thank you so much again,

and you guys enjoy the rest of your,

well, it's still almost afternoon there.

Kimeyo and Sons: Yes,