Kinfolk
Kinfolk
Episode 1: “Where Do We Go From Here?” with Corey Paul
In this episode we talk to husband, father, and storyteller Corey Paul. Corey shares how growing up on the hard streets of South Park Houston, Texas, led him to the rap game, how marriage and fatherhood forced him to evolve as an artist, and how he uses his artistry now to build literacy and the culture through his new podcast 'Literacy Kings.' We talk to Corey about race relations and tensions in the U.S. and how his story informs his response to the question, "Where do we go from here?"
Literacy Kings Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/literacy-kings/id1516540952
Hey, man. Welcome to kinfolk. You guys are joining a man, us for the first series. And our first series is where do we go from here, man? I'm new at this. So man, bear with me. But uh, today I have my brother activists.[inaudible] artist's father, husband. I got Corey Paul with me and a man. He is one of the, and just the most talented brothers I know are working humble brothers. I know. And, uh, man, we're gonna tackle this topic. Where do we go from here? Corey, Paul, what's up man, rather than my brother. I appreciate you having me on man. I'm I'm, I'm honored to be here, man, man, this is, this is, this is good times, man reminds me of when we were in the space space for years, man. And so, uh, man, I'm always in a good spot when I get a chance to talk with you, man, a man for the people who, uh, may know you and may not know everything about you, man, a man, uh, tell us about your family life and where you live in and, and, and uh, we're going to get into like what you do in a second, but yeah, well, it's important to note that I'm born and raised, uh, in Houston, Texas, uh, Miami Houstonian in my heart. Uh, currently I'm in West Palm beach in West Palm beach. My wife is, uh, in medical school, so that brought me, her and my two year old daughter, uh, down here to West Palm man. Cool, cool. Uh, so you from South park, Houston, Texas pork Houston takes his baby a little bit about that, man. Uh, going up to South park. Yeah. So, uh, I'm from South port, uh, right off of MLK. So you know what MLK is in every city, you know what I mean? Uh, it's in the hood. So, um, when I was growing up in South park, it was like, uh, 30% of people that didn't, uh, have high school diplomas. And so, you know, I was in love with, you know, just the culture street culture, you know, I'm five, 10 minutes from screw house. Um, and it, it meant everything to me to just be with my hood embodied, you know what I mean, strength, money, cause you know, uh, respect all of that. Um, and we always talk about the downside of the hood, but a lot of the lessons I learned growing up at South park, um, were really applicable to me as a, as a man. You know what I mean, as well. Um, you know, it was just about understanding how to decipher them and use them in the right way, man. So growing up in South park and I wouldn't, I wouldn't change it out, man. I know you're your mama, Betty. Uh, and I know a little bit about the history of your parents, man. Can you, can you delve into that a little bit? Yeah, yeah, for sure. Yeah. So my mama man, um, yeah, my mom was a soldier man, so she, she raised us up, uh, just like that. Um, we came up tough man. So, um, my old man, he was a, he was a great man, but um, he got, um, he got hooked on crack in the eighties, you know what I'm saying? And so then that just progressively turned into, uh, a man turning into a monster, you know what I mean? And so when I was young in my life around five or six, I even remember the shift happening where he started going super hard, you know? And um, so I, I witnessed a lot of, you know, violence and abuse real early on in my life. And uh, to the point where the kind of, uh, climax to the story was when I was nine, my dad, you know, needed drugs. Uh, and he came to the house and was, uh, trying to kick the door in and take whatever he could. And that's when the first time doing it to my mom, she, uh, she actually had went and bought a pistol and um, she told him, man, you come in here tonight, you know, I'm gonna pop you and sure enough, he kicked that door in and she popped him, man. You know, and I remember hearing all of this, you know, at that age. Um, unfortunately, you know, he didn't die, anything like that and he recovered and um, I wish that would've been his wake up call, but it wasn't man, you know what I'm saying? It wasn't a lot of the same continue to progress Indian. My dad actually, um, he committed suicide when I was like nine, uh, 19 years old. So all that happened, it's been like within a space of a year that happened within the space. Yeah, man, within the space of like, uh, yeah, bro, like a year, a year to, uh, to a year and a half maybe like maybe I was like, almost not, maybe I was like eight and a half to nine, almost 10. Like, you know, something like that, but yeah. Yeah. It was, it was definitely within, under a two year span. Yeah. Did he, Oh, well shoot. I know I'm asking questions now and you know me, Hey, I'm wide open. Yeah. You got me anything. Did he leave a note? No. Well he, he didn't leave a note, but he, so he, you know what, see, that's why you say ask questions. Nobody asks me a question. Um, he a voicemail back in the day with the, you know, the voice machine, the voicemail machines. Yeah. He, he didn't leave a note like a, I mean a voicemail saying he was gonna commit suicide. He was more, he left one that was talking about like, you know yeah. You know, he'd been struggling and he wanted to get better and you know, he loved, you know, that kind of stuff, but it wasn't like anything about it. That was, you know, unfortunately this was a cycle him, but then I had my mama kicking them out, him calling I'm going to do better. He, I went to rehab a couple of times and you know what I'm saying? But it just, that was the last one, but it was nothing on there that was like alarming to, to that extent because he had been battling this for a long time and had said stuff, you know what I mean before, man? Um, yeah. And, uh, my Mark and I'm saying it like it's in the moment, but my condolences, you know, um, man, you're one of the most positive and, and I don't mean that as a trite statement. I mean, as genuine, you see hope in everything and I re, and I know this to be your, your, your character and how you are, but I, I especially noticed it a man about a year and a half ago when we were, uh, you, you came into town, we had a restaurant and, uh, man, I was like, Oh, Corey is one of the most hopeful, but for what he has gone through in his life, he's one of the most hopeful people I've ever encountered. Um, and so as, as I think about that and I think about man, you're, you're a part of your life story. How do you think that has, uh, what the, the passing of your father and the, the things that you saw with your father? How do you think that is impacted or is impacting your life today? Man? So man, so I, I think this answers that question. Um, we live in a fallen, broken world, uh, best my belief. That's what I believe. I believe that, um, since Adam, um, and seeing enter the world is rough man, you know? So that that's all, that's in different areas. That's what all of us, you know, whether you got bread or not, you know what I'm saying? Like canceled, I don't care. You know what I'm saying? So, so I understand it. So to answer your question, how does that play a part in my life today? The, the strength and the power and the purpose that is birthed through adversity, I believe is unmatched. Um, I believe that when you go through things like that, when you come out of the wheel, you know, when you, uh, go through the fire, when you come out on the other side and you receive God's grace and Lee, and you know, he's the one that allowed you to come out, then you realize like the, the, the power in the midst of all of the pain, you know what I'm saying? Because I'm a pass away. You feel me, but what I can give to my daughter, you know what I mean, what I can encourage other brothers and sisters through my pain. I believe that was, um, that, that lives on you feel me and sell, bro. My mama told me a story about how, when she was, uh, she had, she was pregnant. No, no. She had me. I was three. She was pregnant with my brother. And when she went to the hospital, um, to deliver my brother, my daddy took her, but then he left her at the hospital and burnt off. Right. So told you my dad was on drugs. And so he left at the hospital. Didn't come back. You know what I'm saying? And you know, my aunt had to come up and you know, they by a car seat for the baby to go home, somebody to be at night, you already a woman going through labor. You know what I'm saying? And, and your, your husband, you know, has left. And so after my brother was born, my mama was in this apartment, in this one, in his hood in Houston. And it caught Broadway square, you know, from Houston. Yeah, exactly. She needs one bedroom and Broadway square with his three year old and a newborn. You know what I'm saying? And my old man and burnt off on her, end up cars end up reappearance. Like a few days later, it's stripped down, you know what I'm saying? And where do we go from here? Right, man, bro, you fast forward to my mother being who she is as a woman who raised their children provided is a light in BA you know, all of the things that she is today and seeing what she made it through. There is the most powerful thing that encourages beyond line. You know what I mean? So I want my story to be like that you feel me? I want to be able to tell where I was and where I came from so that the next time somebody's going through it, which they will, you know what I'm saying? They can pull on that kind of strength dog, man. That's that's crazy, man. I never I've known part of the store, but I never got an opportunity to ask you some of these, um, these questions. So, uh, man, fast forward in a little bit, man, you started to rap. Yeah. What, what influenced you to rap? Uh, and men just tell a little bit about man. How, how, how you got from, um, your beginnings of rap to, to, to kind of the evolution of what you are now. Yeah. Show. So me, I'm gonna keep your Jeep. Will you try and get that bag man jacket? Yeah. That's what it is for real. I don't understand, man, that curse of poverty. When you come from that, man, you could be a grown man and you still have that thought like, man, you know, it's almost like PTSD, if you will. Like, I think it is man. That's what I've thought. Like you could have 2000 in the bank, 3000 in the bank, all money enough of this month and next month. But still in your mind, man, it's like, man, I gotta get it. I got hit. I got it. I got it. Get it. That's all you ever knew. That's all you ever knew. That's all you ever saw your whole life. You know what I'm saying? So you just trying to get enough to where you know what I'm saying? You ain't gotta, you feel safe. You feel me, you feel safe, feel enough safety. Yeah. It's a feeling of safety. And man, we can talk about my feeling of safety comes from having enough money in the bank to not worry about that. But yeah. Yeah. If I feel like I'm good that month I breathe and I wait until the next month and I know it's an idol, but man, it's a, it's a, it's a thing that comes from my childhood. I just think people don't don't understand. Don't realize the complexity of when you come from some of the places we come from and some of the situations that we've been in that you, uh, carry with you, we all have our idols, but you may carry different idols and somebody else that may have come from a different type of situation. Yup. And because n***a about the different levels B, think about the different levels that you deal with it on. Like as I've gotten older and the thing is, you don't understand it when you're younger. A lot of times you just like, Hey man, we broke, I need this bag. You did this. That's all you got, you know? Yeah. That's the vocabulary. Get the, is it you feel me? And but then I start to think about it, man. God graced me. As I got older, I started to think about it more and think about it. Pete, think about when you're growing up and you broke one, your parents, you know, they like, you know, your idols, your heroes, you know what I'm saying? They know everything. They all powerful when you're young, you kid, but then you seen was posed to be your hero. They struggling lights off. They can't, they ain't got the money for this. They ain't got the, you know, they can't get food for that. So that's kinda messing with you. You know, if you got to move from this place to that place or this apartment, we ain't got a yard, you know what I'm saying? So, you know, we moved like 13 times, literally every year I went to a different school since high school. That's crazy, bro. So you see what I'm saying? Like that it builds that, you know, unsettled ness and then mentioned that high school, bro, if you broke, when, if you, when you broke in school, children are monsters. Boy say man, they savages. They coming for them shoes. You know what I'm saying? They coming for them. Dirty uniform bands. No, you ain't got no line up. They come in man to this day, man. It's crazy. I always get on people that get on people's clothes. Yeah. He always asked me, why am I doing like, well, and it's not that I'm uh, uh, it's not that I'm better because they might be talking about something else. Like, Oh, you know, you know, he needed to do this. He, she needed to do that. But when they talk about like clothes, it's like something like, Hey listen man, back up off, they'll have this look like, man, you ain't said nothing this whole time. You know? Cause I'm talking about nah, man, I don't play that. But it comes from where you a kid. When I was a kid, I was poor. I had three shirts and five pairs. No, no it was five shirts and three pairs of pants. I had a pair of shirt, a shirt for every day of the week. Yeah. And then I mix and match my pants to get to the end of the week. I was Canada. That was zero that's real bro. And you know what I'm saying? That's, that's what I'm saying. Like dos you learn, you know what I'm saying? Like I remember learning, you know, like my mama time's bed. She go buy me some shoes from, uh, we back in the day in Houston, we had wieners, you know what I'm saying? Or pay less and you ought to take it one time coming to school with them, shoes on. And you like, I, ain't never going to come back foot for our way them shoes again. You know what I'm saying? Far away, these shacks back to school, you know? So it's like that stuff scar you bro. You know what I mean? Like that's, that's real pain, you know? And so you're trying to get away from there and it always looked like, well, we just had money. We wouldn't have to deal with it kind of stuff, you know? Yeah. Yeah. So that's why you started to rap. Yeah. So I started rapping bro. I needed that bag. I started, he, I saw these, uh, cash money and no limit with all these diamonds and these cause and P Diddy and biggie and mace. You know what I'm saying? With these suits on these boats and me and my cousin was like saying bag man. Oh man. And that's the sole reason that we started. I started rapping and then that switched up when I was about 1920 ish is when I is, when I switched it up to, you know, it being about something a lot deeper than that. What, what happened at 19 and 20 that it, uh, transitioned you from, uh, from this type of rap to what you w what you were, were you referring to? Yeah, man, I messed around and found the Lord. No, see, well, I didn't find him. He wasn't lost, you know what I'm saying? Uh, he, he, he, uh, I accepted, you know what I'm saying? I accepted him. Um, yeah, man, I was, when I was about 17, my partner, he, uh, he put me up and he started going to church and talking about the Lord and all of that. And, um, uh, before that I had already was like, you know, I gotta get this money so I can get my momma and get my people out of the hood. And we gone. That was my whole thing is getting the money by Dean man. I was talking to him, I talked to my, this is my first pastor who will go on to be my first pastor. And he was just like, yeah, tell me about your plan. Well, you know, I'm telling them about my plan B rapid, we're gonna get this money. And he said, so you feel like money is the solution. Yes. And he said, well, what have I told you? It wasn't the solution. Well, you know, what was your response to that was like, I was like, no, I don't, I ain't grew up in the church beat. So I ain't had no past the etiquette. I didn't know. I was supposed to respect him. Like, you know what I mean? I'm talking to him like a regular person. He's like, what are we going to tell you? I'm like, I wouldn't say you tripping. You know what I'm saying? So bro P he said this man, I never forget. He said, uh, cause we talked about, we talked for a long time. He said, do you think money would have saved your dad? And I was like, I'm thinking my dad would have got 10,000. He would've just smoked up. You feel me? Ooh. And it was dead right there, bro. That statement he made that caused my whole ideology on life to get flipped on, to get flipped on his hair, bro, bro, that is powerful. Yay money would have saved your dad. And I knew unequivocally unequivocally, no that man might've just blessed me too. You know, it's something about man and it's something about the community of people, whether it's two, three or 10, when they get together, there's something that God does in that. Right? Like you couldn't have got that without a relationship with that person. Cause they gotta know your facts, your circumstances. Yup. They gotta know something about your dad. Yup. You know, and man, it's just, you know, I started this podcast cause it was like too many times, man. We think about God in, um, about me and God when it's really we and God and just how God works through the we Ryan man, that right there is is, is powerful bro. Yeah. Yeah. You're a hundred percent. Right. And I mean, God, he tells, he shows it to us in the Bible. Right? Like he created all of these things. He created Adam and then all this other stuff. Then once he created Eve, right. And he was like, okay, now is a good, you know what I'm saying now is good. You know, the, uh, I think, you know, and even guiding in the beginning, you know, it, it being God, Jesus, the spirit, you know what I'm saying? So I think a lot of that pushes towards, you know, community and togetherness and you're right. It, it, it brings out things that being alone just can't. Yeah man. So, um, you, you decide to rap. I think I remember, uh, probably a few years after you started, uh, well you'd on to the other side. I think I met you. Did I meet you? You were what? Yeah. When you met me, I probably was. Yeah. I'm pretty sure. I was like 22. When you made me. I like 22. So I was, I had just started really. Cause I got, I, I first heard about, I didn't know I'm from Houston bro. We, you know, we from, we from Texas. So everybody believe in God, you know, that's true. That's true. The price to every, to the dealer, the dealer, everybody got it. Tatted on your own Bible, on your dash. Everybody believe in God, bro. I remember the first time I went to New York and um, I saw it as Darwin's sticker. It was like the Jesus fish, but it had feet on it and it had Darwin in the middle. I was like, what is that? And I was realized up here, everybody don't believe in God, they got they different. But in Texas you throw a rock and you probably gonna hit a Christian or Christian I'm air quoting. I know y'all can't see me, but right. I see you. You hear me? No. So I thought I knew who God was, but I didn't know what I was talking about. You know? So I saw that was my introduction to God at 17. And then he would eventually save me and start the progress of sanctification up until, and my music slowly transformed into being no cursing or less cursing, no cursing, you know, more positive. And then eventually I'm just wanting to contextualize the gospel and, and, and, and tell the story of, you know, the hood in my life. Man. You tell pregnant powerful stories, bro. Like you, you remind me and you know, I'm officially an old head still. I'm old now. Okay. I've got to tell you boy the last year. Yeah. So I would talk over here. So, you know, back in the day we had this guy named Scarface, you know, face mob, right? Yeah. Nah, bro. You, uh, your storytelling ability reminds me of people like Scarface old school Scarface. Right. And man, just what are some of your influences in, in the art of what you do? Yeah, no there's love. Yes. Scarface is one of them. You know what I'm saying? Yeah. Scarface was definitely one of them. Um, coming up, man, I loved, uh, Scarface, um, um, juvenile from cash money. You listen to juvenile album juvenile. I can tell you, he tells stories. You know what I'm saying? He, he, his hits or, you know, back back that thing up and all that. When you listen to his album, he'll tell you a whole story. Um, so Ken's like juvenile, but then also, you know, um, um, I'm a pock fan, uh, JD kiss, you know what I'm saying? I was a big JD kiss fan. You know what I'm saying? When I was coming up, um, um, also, uh, be creative, you know, I was a crit fan for a long time. Um, and then I think one of the big influences that I didn't even realize was, uh, as big of an influence on me was Jay, you know what I'm saying? Like my cousins used to listen to Jay Z and I didn't understand them cause it was over my head cause I was too young. But then as I started honing in my pin game, you know, you go back and listen to the reasonable doubt. People think Jay over-hype he night, bro. You know, I got people saying that I'm like, yeah, you've never listened to it. Reasonable blueprint, all of that. So yeah. Jesus, Jesus, wherever it comes from. Yeah. That's not even a doubt. Yeah. So, um, right now your evolution as an artist, how would you describe who you are and what you're? Well, we know who you are, but who you are as an artist and what you're doing as an artist. Yeah. That's a great question. Um, so, uh, I'm a storyteller and that's what I do. I tell stories. Uh, I try to look at a subject and present that subject in a way that may help shed light, um, expand or connect the listener to that story. So I started doing that with rep and then I evolved and it came to a point where I wanted to do it with rap, but because of my life, it was hard to do it in a practical sense. Once I became a husband and a father, the rap life is tough because it's, it's really a young man's game. Like, you know, you got to put a lot of music. I do a lot of touring. You got to, you know, so, uh, that was, it was tough for me to figure out what do I go from there now prison data evolution is, well, I just happened to use rap as the platform to tell stories. So that was all the way. Cause that's what I knew. So now I've expanded. And my primary, the primary way that I tell stories now is, um, is through books. Um, we have a podcast called literacy Kings with my homie, Jay, and we we're essence in essence, we take books, we take the valuable information and then we tell the story of our culture in relation to that information, you know? And uh, so we're going to get to literacy Kings. Yeah. What, what made you that transition? I'm thinking was difficult for you at first, right? Oh man. Can you walk me through that? It was wheeled in his pee. I ain't lying to you. Alright so PV. Okay. All I, when I was 12 is when I said I wanted to rap and that's when I started doing it. And now even as I look back where I was dedicated, like, this is not me. If you, if anybody in on me, you know, I ain't, it ain't about bragging or whatever. It's by telling the story, I look back that's all I did was write rhymes, write lyrics, rap into contest, rap, battle, all of that. Right. And that was my whole life. I always knew exactly what I wanted to do. So from 12, all the way to 30 years old, bro, that's what I wanted to do. And then that's what I did. And God graced me with some success to billboard albums. You know what I'm saying? Millions of streams online, torn in and nationally, um, you know, uh, on the radio, all of these things. Right. And so, um, you know, a, a following on social media, all of the things, right. But even deeper than that, Pete then the accolades and things like that. What did it done for me as a person? I literally understood myself better through music. Right? God would grace me to write things that I didn't know about myself. I didn't know. I felt that way until I, I wrote it out. Right. So all the, uh, all sides, it was PR it was positive. Okay. Then within a span of a month, I found out we needed to leave Houston to go to Kansas city because my wife got into medical school and she also was pregnant. Right. So that's a trauma, right? So I know once, once I daughter comes, she's going to have to be as a student still. So I'm now neat. I need to be a stay at home father. I'm working on my tree on King album while I'm thinking through all of this. So anyway, to make a long story short tour, I realized that that moment I can't keep doing what I've been doing because the whole goal and rap is to not lose money when you were independent artist, not even to make money, you know what I'm saying? You're trying to gain fans, go to, or get music out and not lose money. Right. But now I have a daughter on the way I have to provide, you know what I'm saying? So from that happened. So from that, uh, being 30 it's for like two years, Pete, like 30 to 32 was me trying to figure out where do I go from here? What, uh, what do I do now? How can I be of service and how can, um, I still live passionately but responsibly at the same time. And that was, that was tough. I realized I had a lot of areas to grow in my faith. You know, it's easy to be faithful when you, when you're comfortable, you know what I'm saying? Like, you know, so, um, I was out of my comfort zone. So I realized I lacked faith. I realized that I had a real heavy poverty mindset that you talked about in the beginning. Um, I had a real heavy poverty mindset in a sense of, you know, uh, being scared to lose, you know what I'm saying? Being scared to lose this, this money. Okay. What are we gonna get the money from? How are we going? You know, there was a battle. Um, and then ultimately, um, you know, trusting the Lord where you take a step before you see the step, cause I could not see. So it was starting to paralyze me on, well, where do I step? If I can't see the step, I've always saw my steps. You know what I'm saying? So that was like two years of my life, man. You know, it was just trying to be a good husband, a good father, um, and figure out where do we go from here knowing for at least the next four years from 30 to 34, I wouldn't know where my home would be because we would be traveling based off of where my wife needed to do school. You know what I'm saying? So, um, that's kinda like a snapshot man of that experience, man it's so me, at least from afar off, the guy was like at working your life and as, uh, you know, the will say it was good to me that I was afflicted that I might learn your statutes and you know, we all go through those similar wilderness. And I think, I mean, even personally I was going through my own wilderness situation probably at the same time he was going through yours and just seeing man how God was faithful to, um, men kind of, uh, push you in a direction where, uh, you would be most fruitful for him and for, uh, for him in the kingdom, of course, but also for your family. Um, so talk to me a little bit about literacy gains, man. Yeah, that's, that's my that's everything, man. So, um, in that time, in, in, in that wilderness time, um, I read a lot. I read a lot, I read a lot. Oh. Uh, I read about money. I read about, um, God, uh, I read about parenting. Um, I read about business. Uh, I read about culture and history, American history, black history. I read a lot and there's no way that I would have came out on the other side. Mmm. The way that I did without, um, God guiding me to read like that. And what I realized man is, is so much information that I did not have, did not know, was not exposed to. I mean, bro just felt like, it felt like I was just, you know, coming out of elementary, trying to live life as a man after I realized, you know what I'm saying? Yeah. Yeah. And so from that, I was like, say, man, we gotta read more doubt. You know what I mean? Like we, we, we have to read more our people, our culture, we have to read more, you know what I mean? And how do we do that? How do we go about sparking that? And so that led me down the path of eventually create literacy Kings and what we do literacy King's me and my homie, Jay, is we break down books to build up coaching. So we take a book and we go through that book. We dissect it, analyze it and interpret it in a way that is palatable. You know what I'm saying? Um, well received or interesting to people from our culture. People who've been marginalized, low sales, socioeconomic background, people of color, like, you know what I mean? Anybody that fits that description, um, we're curating the content specifically for yeah, man. I've, I've, I've uh, listened to a number, uh, of the scripts. And uh, we now we, my wife and I announced subscribe to the podcast, my brother, uh, the, the idea, what strikes me is this idea that in order for you to serve people, you gotta go lower, not higher. Um, man is something, man. I think it just be lost on us. Sometimes, man, we like yo, I need to get to the next level and the next level and the next level. And it's like, well guys, like, man, if you learn how to demote yourself, you'll be more used to the kingdom. And man, just that's why like that, that principle that you just applied to and I'm going to do literacy, King's broke. I don't need to speak this into your life. This guy's already doing it, but man, you're going to serve so many people. Amen. By the fact your humility man, man, most of us think and how do we, you know, jumping climbing, you know, what's the next day and what, and you're like, yo, okay, I'm gonna take these books and I'm gonna make them even simpler so well and pretty simple, I'm a relate them is the better term to people who may not have access to them so that they can grow and be all a, what God's called him to be and grow. That is, that is the call to disciple that man, you, you know, in the area of finance and Hey man, we think of, uh, Christianity as man go to church, pay the ties, go home, come back. Right. And it's like, uh, a worship to the Lord is not just, it. It is yes. Pay the ties and um, come to the church house. It can't, that is a form of worship, but it's, it's, it's all of life. And so man, you're preparing people for the all of life part he's at that, man. We didn't get, you know, like exactly, like you said, I mean, know I'm really in the same boat you are. Yeah, man, I went to school, I still was a PA I still had a poverty mindset, clear pass, little education, whatnot. I was 25, 26 learning what it meant to and still to this day was shaking that off. There's some things, man, that, that, uh, only God and people with wise counsel and people who say, you know what, I'm going to come down and help you be where you need to be. You only get it from that game is the game is not told, you know, for most people, you know, until somebody who's got it says, you know what? I ain't going to sell it. I'm to just help you. Exactly, exactly. 100% bro. And I think that that's the cause I mean think about like, you know, anything that is foundational, right? Like Heath information, you need the community, you know, you need to be able to apply it and practice it. You know? So like these things have to come together in order for it to make sense. Right. We know that just off the muscle, like you can't pull up in, in any situation and be unattached to the people you're trying to serve and the place you're trying to serve with raw data and expect them to get it. You know what I'm saying? It doesn't cause, cause we move on different courses. If we talking about financial education, financial literacy, and uh, you just come with this, this Excel spreadsheet that doesn't move the needle, you know what I mean? Like, you know, where's the relation, where is the intersection? Where's the engagement when all that comes together, um, then I feel we can start moving the needle in these areas. And so that's where we just trying to help, you know, be a part of that. And I agree with you 100% you go lower to go higher. Um, and I think that's just, that's evident, man. Yeah, man. That's crazy. Um, last few questions and then we will wrap up. We'll have another conversation court. Yeah, we got it. We got to, uh, I, um, I need to be like, it's not enough. I know if, how many listeners notice like so flat, you know, he had his like regulars on his, on his show. You know what I'm saying? Like little Boosie gonna be on flat like once a month, you know what I mean? Just like clockwork, you know what I mean? I mean, I mean like clockwork dog, so I might need to be like that on here, man, just every now and again. No bro, listen, listen, we can do this at least once a month. Cause I don't know. It's a, it's an easy synergy. Like, I mean, I can't get to my questions cause there's more things that pop that you're saying and you know, like I'm excited because I'm learning more about you as we go along. So I mean, we were supposed to go to where do we go from here, but I want to go ahead and give you the floor to answer that question in the way that you would answer it, uh, knowing the tensions and the things that are happening. And I know, you know, it's crazy that we're having this conversation because I think, I think some of our, where do we go from here? Can't be a reaction it's gotta be systematic. Yes. The problem systematic. Yeah. And the reaction systematic. And so man, like, uh, so don't feel the pressure to man, give me some one offs, but um, where do you think we should go from here based upon, and some of the things that have happened, uh, with our brother, George Floyd, uh, the racial tension that is the, that exists country being split apart because of some of this stuff, you know, all this stuff we we've gone through in 2020. Where do you think we go from here? Yeah, man. So, so I think a couple of like large picture overview, my, you know, those kinds of minds mindsets, a large picture overview, a long haul. I think that's where we have to store, you know, to find inspiration and hope. And so we, we can see clearly that, um, that there's a shift right in the normality of how we normally have been living. That's not even debatable. You know what I mean? We can see that shift coming. And I believe that in the midst of that shift where we have to ask ourself is what is God doing and how can we come alongside it? Right. Because God is already in the midst he's already. And I don't mean that in this like kind of vague Christian, you know what I mean? You know, you know, God is there, no, no. I mean, literally God is already doing a thing. And if we seek to come alongside of what he's doing, then it will be done. But if we don't genuinely believe and seek what God is doing, then we will see with our eyes. Right. So, you know, it's like the phrase, um, you don't see things as they are. You see things as you are. Right. So if I am, you know, if I am paranoid, I'm going to see things through a lens of paranoia. Right? So that's what I'm saying. We, we, we have to genuinely seek like, what is God doing in this moment? And how can I be a part of that? And I say that because with so much noise going on, it will cause us to be, uh, not prison and unconscious to what God is doing. Cause we're just seeing all of the media clips and the things that are upsetting us or enraging us. And so we'll miss what he's trying to do in this opportunity that we have, you feel me. So I think that we have to look at the Rashidun risk is changing their name and logo. You know what I'm saying? Dumb taking Anja mama off of, you know, the pancakes, you know what I mean? Musicians changing their name. Um, even in Houston, I'm not sure if this is true in IP. Have you heard of that in Houston? It's a neighborhood in Houston, Texas called Sienna plantation. Yeah. Yeah. Well you did you tell me about that? Well, I didn't. I was probably, yeah. Is that, is it true that they take in the plantation off the name? They are, they call it now it's going to be called Sienna girls lives there. Yeah. Yeah. Call them, call it Sienna. So all of these different things that are happening, you got to train of thought, you got people going. I just doing that because you know, they trying to be on the right side of history and politically correct. That does not matter. They didn't do it before and they're doing it now because for some apparent reason they feel they have to. So the bigger question is what will I response be to that? Right. So I feel like that's the thing, man, is that timing is everything. So if we look at seek what God is doing so we can see not as things are, but as we are right, then we are seeking to see what God is doing. And then we can come alongside. We can come alongside of that, trusting that this can be that third movement. You, the release of slavery, the civil rights movement. And then now this can be there if, um, we come alongside thinking, optimistically thinking, hopeful Indian tie and actions. Yeah. Yeah. That's what's up, man. Um, uh, and I'm a close with this one, man. When you hear the word kinfolk, uh, what does that remind you of me? So, uh, I got a good answer for this. I feel like I practice this cause I just got a good answer for it. I didn't even know that was going to be a question. So I got a song called kinfolk. Okay. I got a son called kinfolk and I don't know my memory. Ain't that good? So I don't know how I be coming up with stuff. Cause this song came out in 2013 or something like that. But you say kinfolk you've said can't fall for a long, long, long time. And the first time I learned about community was when I met you. Right? So you, you were the, I didn't know what community was. I didn't know what discipleship that type. I didn't, I didn't know what that was. I had never seen it. I had never been a part of it. So when I met you and I saw hi, y'all got, it was like, Oh, this is this crazy. You know what I'm saying? And people talk about family and stuff, but it really was just that, you know what I'm saying? And so, um, when, so when you, when I think about the word kinfolk, it brings me to those memories of learning community and creating that song, uh, based off of that inspiration that I can, I can have a group of people that are not related to me by blood, but they are my family in a, in a general sense. So I experienced that for real, for real, you know what I mean? And so kinfolk is, is one of the, the, the best words I feel you can have in your vocabulary. If, when you use it, you, you know what I'm saying? You mean it, man, man, this is, this has been good. I've been inspired bro, in so many different ways. Soon as we get off, I want to talk to you more about this, but man, Corey, thank you for, uh, coming on to the podcast, sharing your life, sharing your hope. And man, I just continue to play. Pray, play, pray. God has blessings over you, your family and all that. Your hand touches my brother. I appreciate it greatly, man. Thank you for having me, you know, let me run my mouth. I never know what I should or shouldn't say when I be in the interview, sometimes people don't want you to just keep it. You know what I'm saying? So I'm glad to be on here. You know what I'm saying? Cause I ended up yeah. And, and one day, man, I'm going to put you as the host and then me, I would love to know. I would love to chop it up like that too. My brother is love, man. I appreciate you. Alright man.