The Keys Page 3

  —Dre, producer

  DON’T EVER PLAY YOURSELF

  Major key: Don’t play yourself. What I mean by that is don’t do anything foolish to compromise your joy and prosperity. People play themselves in a variety of creative ways. Maybe their ego gets the best of them and they brag about having something when they don’t. Or else they violate the code and try to lie about it. If you’re someone who laughed at me and doubted me—that’s one surefire way to play yourself. For real. I hope I don’t need to spell out all the ways that you can play yourself, especially if you’re of a certain age and level of experience, but if you’re young and new, let me be clear: Just because you play yourself once doesn’t mean they can count you out forever. Just never make that mistake again.

  Playing yourself becomes a cycle. Play yourself once and often you’ll find yourself playing yourself over and over in an effort to dig yourself out. That’s called turning a bad situation into a worse one. You’re turning a tiny speed bump into a serious roadblock.

  When I was a kid, sixteen or seventeen years old, I used to get into a lot of trouble with my driving. I used to get pulled over every day because I had a suspended driver’s license. This was when I had a little career going on in Orlando. Me, aka Beat Novacane; DJ Nasty; and DJ Caesar had just founded Hitmen Productions, and we were all making music, throwing parties, handing out flyers, and selling mix tapes. This was back when they were actual cassette tapes, too, so I’d sell them out of my car. To be honest I just thought I was doing my job and being responsible by earning steady money the best way I knew how. And you know how young people are; when it came to my livelihood you couldn’t tell me nothing.

  Now, if you know anything about me, you’ll know I’m relentless. When people tell me no, it just makes me go harder. Back when I was young I was even more hardheaded, and the way I saw it, I didn’t make these rules; they seemed arbitrary, so neglecting them didn’t seem like the worst idea.

  Besides, this was Florida. The thing about this state is that back then you could get stacks and stacks of tickets. You’d pay your $75, you’d get points on your license, but that was that. A ticket was a minor offense and everybody treated it as such. In any case, I had this lawyer who would always get me out of everything. He was a family friend, and since selling mix tapes and spreading a love of hip-hop felt like a victimless crime, I didn’t think it was a big deal.

  This was the drill: They’d run my plates, pull me over, make me go to court, I’d go to court, and after listening to a speech and paying my fine and getting my points, I’d get off. When you’re young you really think this can go on forever. It doesn’t occur to you that it might snowball into a different type of situation.

  But of course it eventually caught up to me because I didn’t learn from my mistakes on my own. One day it had gotten so bad that the judge had had it. I walked in that morning thinking I was going to get out in a few hours but she made me go to jail. Just like that. She was like, “I’m tired of seeing you in court. I’m tired of you not learning your lesson. Your lawyer isn’t going to save you this time.” Looking back at it now, I realize that it was bound to happen, but that’s the thing about being a kid—you’re just not convinced of the consequences until you have to face them. But boy, that day I got the message. All of a sudden the cops came behind me and cuffed my hands behind my back. That was it, I was arrested, and it felt crazy because it was the last thing I expected.

  Of course my mother and my father lost it. What mother wants her son getting locked up? They were just as surprised as I was, and I was shocked. But that was it—I had to go. Eventually I got out but it was enough. I’m not saying that my experience of going to jail for what was a very small period compares to what other people have to go through. Our prison system is flawed and unjust and the realities of that are heartbreaking, but what I can tell you is that for me, one time was enough. We see prison on TV or in movies, but when you’re inside…All I’m going to say is that that place is not for humans. Places like that will strip anyone of all humanity. I will never forget that, not ever.

  What I’m saying is that I may not have caught on quick enough to avoid jail, but that one time became all the lesson I needed. I didn’t know I was playing myself, but that was what it was. I know it doesn’t sound like anything that deep or dark, and it happened a long, long time ago, but the reason I bring this up now is because I want the young world to know that jail is not for them. Getting locked up, no matter how long, is not for you. And because the system is rigged, once you go in, they do everything in their power to make sure you go back. I don’t want anybody to have to experience that, ever. Fan Luv, keep your face clean and stay out of trouble. Please.

  Now that I had that memory, it definitely stopped me from making that mistake again. And it changed how I made decisions. Now I consider the consequences of my actions and even go so far as to think about the worst-case scenario. This one experience made me appreciate that a lot of bad decisions and shortcuts aren’t for me. I thank God for this wisdom. If you do play yourself, your mind better click fast and you better straighten up quick. How you deal with this setback will determine the course of your future.

  Don’t keep playing yourself. Admit your mistake and then don’t let them end you just because you’re not perfect. Don’t think that just because you went through trials and tribulations and you’re still growing, you can’t be the best. That’s a major key.

  I know the young world might not want to move with someone else’s rules; I told you, I’ve been there. But it costs money to buy water. I say this all the time. It costs money to have AC, just as it costs money to jump on a plane or drive a car to see your mother. Gas costs money, and it costs money to eat food. When you go to a restaurant, they bring a bill. When you go to a grocery store, same deal. I’m not talking about buying Lamborghinis or jewelry or super-yachts or limited-edition sneakers. I’m talking about the fundamentals—the shit you need to survive. It can be frustrating that there are so many rules for acquiring even the most basic level of what you want, but you just have to push through and know when to neglect those rules and when to follow them.

  Here’s the other part of the lesson that I want to leave you with. The reason that making a mistake back then was such a gift is that it made me think about the next chapter of my life. I had time to picture what I wanted my journey to be. If I didn’t want to get the same result and get locked up again, I had to change my behavior. It’s like what they say about the definition of insanity: Expecting a different result from the same actions is crazy. At the time I felt like I was gaining traction with my professional life. I was practicing making beats every day, and these all-age parties we were throwing would actually make money since we’d sell soda for like five bucks a pop, but I couldn’t do any of that during this time. I love hip-hop so much, and to think I wasted any time away from my dream over something so stupid killed me. The day after I got out, I moved from Orlando to Miami. I just had to. It was like a big switch just got flipped on in my head.

  That night I packed up my records—and it was a lot of records. I had less than $20 in my pocket, just like my dad did when he moved to America, and I had the clothes on my back. I left my parents and my brother and sister and all my friends. Nasty and Caesar would have to drive to come see me, but I just knew that I had to get to the next step of my vision. It was time for me to conquer Miami. I didn’t know exactly how I was going to do it, but I knew I had to. And I knew to never make a mistake like that ever again.

  Sometimes when you soldier through hardship, you’ve got to keep your head up and just be grateful. Times of struggle might test you but in them, God is also testing everybody around you. Your family, your brothers and sisters, and the people who really ride for you and have love for you will pass that test.

  Everybody else will fail. They’re “they.” It’s the best silver lining you could hope for. Everybody has a time when they’re down. This is the exact moment that “they” will k
ick you. “They” are so foolish that “they” just assume it’s over for you because “they” see you stressed out. That’s cool, though. Matter fact, it’s fantastic. Just take a look around and start remembering names and faces.

  See who’s got your back, and start taking attendance of who’s on your side. What everybody else don’t know is that while “they” are just wasting their time kicking you and relishing your failure, you’re not even focused on being down. You’re already figuring out how to overcome the roadblock and how not to be down the next time the situation happens. Plus, you’re digging yourself up and rising again.

  Suddenly, “they” see that you’ve got the best logos next to your logo. It feels sudden to them because “they” don’t know that you’ve been planning and focused this whole time. The biggest artists and directors and companies and moguls want to be in business with you, so suddenly “they” really want to kick it with you. It’s hilarious to me how these people want to be your best friend when you’re up. This can be at work, in school, anywhere. It’s a glorious thing to behold, so when you’re down just remember that this moment will come. Just watch and smile. That’s what I mean by “ ‘They’ kick you when you’re down but ‘they’ want to kick it with you when you’re up.”

  I REMEMBER WHEN I met Khaled, he was still a kid. I was a few years older than him and I came to his parents’ store at the mall. This was back when everybody was going there to get their suits made, like, basketball players in the Orlando Magic. I walked in and he immediately starts trying to sell me these pants. I hold them up and I’m a thin guy and these pants were huge, but he kept on like, “No, you don’t understand, we have the best tailors. We can custom-fit these for you and they’re going to be amazing.” I was like, “Nah.” But I’ll never forget how he’s always been such a salesman, even from the time he was young.

  Khaled’s always had that type of talk game. Like, “Yo, come to this party, it’ll be crazy, man.” He doesn’t just hand out a flyer, he sells a party. He’ll strike up a whole conversation with you while he’s handing it out. When we were doing teen parties we were handing them out in downtown Orlando, International Drive, we would hit high schools—you name it, we hit it up. Back in the day there wasn’t social media so we had to be out there so people would know what was going on. I’ve known him a long, long time but I can’t imagine a single time when he didn’t get something that he set out to get.

  We have a lot of memories. I remember us DJing a Biggie concert. It was Biggie, Craig Mack, and they came to Orlando in our younger Hitmen days. Shaquille O’Neal was in the back with us and a fight broke out in the middle of a Biggie set. All I know is that we’re huddled up, me, Shaq, and Khaled, trying to figure out how the hell we were getting out of this shit, because all we hear is, “Pop! Pop! Pop!” We were like, “What is that?” Come to find out it was Heineken bottles flying everywhere that were being thrown. It was wild, because just how Biggie says, “Party and bullshit,” that’s exactly what happened. That’s exactly when the fights broke out. It was crazy.

  Me and Khaled have just seen so much. Orlando was a melting pot. Everyone from New York would move there to get away from any trouble. These were our friends and these were people who influenced us. We’d be going to Tony Touch parties and we’d get that New York flavor and we’d get the Southern from Magic Mike—these were pioneers in Orlando in the early times. Tony’s parents moved to Orlando and he finished up high school so he was there for a year or two throwing parties all over the city. We heard the music he was playing and that was a big deal to us. He was an icon. Me and Khaled grew up listening to all regions but New York was very influential to us. Pete Rock, Brand Nubian, CL Smooth, Gang Starr, that was what we were playing back in the days. We weren’t introduced to Southern music until Luke. But that was a little further in. We were playing Big Daddy Kane, Biz Markie, Eric B. & Rakim, and eventually we were introduced to Southern music and Miami bass. That was huge in Florida.

  We were lucky to be around one of the huge names of Miami bass—DJ Magic Mike. We would always be hanging out with him. Khaled would play dominoes with him and we’d just listen to music. It was good times.

  When Khaled went to Miami that’s when he got into Jamaica a lot but he first fell in love with reggae at Dolly’s One Stop in Orlando. Dolly was the guy’s name. Khaled visited him about a year ago. That’s another thing about Khaled, he don’t forget. Those people who helped him along the way and were genuine to him, he always tries to see how they’re doing and check in and visit. It’s always about family. But there’s so many reasons I can’t see another DJ Khaled. DJs try to do what he’s done, but there’s only one. Come on, man, other DJs can’t do this. Not on the level that he does.

  —DJ Nasty, Power 95.3, producer, manager, and founder of Nasty Beatmakers

  SECURE THE BAG

  When I say, “Secure the bag,” that means don’t play yourself before the wire hits. Fiscal responsibility might be the last key you’d expect from me, but it’s important to learn if you ever want to be a mogul. Don’t do anything foolish before those numbers hit your bank account. People will have the opportunity to get the biggest wire to take care of their families, but they’ll play themselves before the funds hit and they can’t secure the bag, so they lose the opportunity.

  Secure your bag at all times. Get in that zone where you’d rather have money than spend it. Because sometimes when you secure the bag, then you can secure a bigger bag just because you have your paper at the right place at the right time. It’s about having a down payment for the next investment. This is what I mean when I say the answer is always more success. It’s called having enough cash to buy into the bigger deal.

  I got to go on the road all the time. Do you think I want to leave my musical garden? Do you think I want to leave my angels? But I got to work hard to keep the garden and maintain my dream house. I know I’m blessed. I got a pool and a Jacuzzi and I can buy my girl the flashiest car on the road, but if you know us you know that before we buy anything I have to make sure I’m straight. You’ve seen me on Snapchat asking my management team, “Did the wire hit yet?” I ask all the time. Don’t be embarrassed talking about your own money. Securing the bag means knowing where your money is at all stages and all times.

  But that’s not all I mean by “secure the bag.” It’s a metaphor for success and opportunities. When you play yourself in front of a boss, that’s called not securing the bag. When you study hard for ten years to become a doctor but you get drunk and act crazy the night before your final test and fail, that’s called not securing the bag. Being reliant on other people’s money is not securing the bag. You want to be independent? Secure the bag.

  I learned about securing the bag from a young age. My parents always supported me, and they always wanted me to be happy. My family are all hard workers, and that’s where I get my work ethic from. I saw my parents sell clothes out of the trunk of their car on the street and at flea markets because I would go with them to help. For years I would talk to customers and organize inventory. When we started I was a little, little kid—maybe seven, eight, nine. And then my parents owned a shop in a strip mall, and after a while, from working hard, they made it to where we had a store called Park Avenue in the Florida Mall.

  All of this, seeing what my mom and dad had to go through, was inspiring to me. They both have great business minds, but even more than that, they worked hard. They worked twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week. My father and mother had no sleep for years. It’s why I don’t ever make excuses. Matter fact, I hate excuses. It’s an insult to hard workers. I remember I used to work at the store behind the counter. We had the best tailors, and our specialty was high-end suits, and we would suit up NBA players on the Orlando Magic like Shaquille O’Neal. We were well-known throughout the city, and a number of other celebrities used to support and love our shop.

  But “they” didn’t want my family to prosper. One day we had it all—a successful store, a ho
use, a car—but the next day it was all gone. Now, this is a story I don’t like talking about or even thinking about, but when I was young—barely old enough to drive—I was out one night working. I was working a party and right in the middle I saw that someone was calling me from the phone in my home studio. This confused me for two reasons: one, because it was late for anyone in my family to be calling, and two, because the only person who ever went in there was me. I picked up and heard my mother scream before the line went dead.

  You can imagine the thoughts running through my mind as I raced home to find flashing lights and police swarming my house. I rushed in to make sure my parents were all right, and thank God they were, but they’d been roughed up and robbed. They’d tied up my father and mother and sister and taken everything. My mother, being the brave woman that she is, tried to lock herself in my studio to call me before they found her and cut the phone lines.

  At this point I was still just a young man, but I was old enough to feel a mixture of fear and rage and whatever the emotion is when the most important people in your life are threatened with violence. My mind was so overcome with thoughts of vengeance, and as I prayed to God for strength and wisdom, in my heart I just hoped that I didn’t know the people behind the home invasion. I prayed that I wouldn’t lay eyes on the people responsible and recognize them, because I knew that when the time came I would do everything in my power to destroy them.