She Was in Hospice When I Made the Hardest Decision of My Life !

That was the same month that my grandma from my mom’s side passed away. She was in Alaska. She was bedridden, hospice. We’re all expecting her to pass away very, very soon. Everyone flew there except for me because I had to film that video. I’m at my credit limit, bro. I had like $1,000 left.

 It was either book the flight or book that church venue, which was $1,000. And I booked that church venue. Life is a roller coaster of heartbreak, hope, tragedy, and triumph. Here we dive into the stories behind the hardest moments and the humans who survived them. Welcome to the Roller Coaster Podcast. My name is Tyler Hall. This community has just exploded and I want to create a way to bring us all together regardless of where you’re at in the world or where you may live.

 That’s why I created Dayby-Day Apparel. Every piece of Dayby-Day apparel is a reminder that we get through life one day at a time. And if you decide to pick something up, it genuinely helps support the podcast. Click the link in the pin comment below. Now, let’s jump into the episode. Thank you, Carl Angelo.

 Welcome to the Roller Coaster Podcast. >> It’s a It’s a pleasure. It’s my pleasure, man. Thank you. >> Yeah, man. I’m excited to have you here. I we we’ll get into this later, but I discovered you online in a reaction video and uh it was Yeah. blew I mean it blew my mind this this one minute video. Yeah. That that video that video changed a lot for you. I know.

 So we’re we’re going to get into that. >> Oh yeah. >> So I want to start with this. So you’re you are Filipino American. >> Mhm. >> And your family migrated to America, >> right? >> They obviously any any immigrants understand the difficulty of doing that. No matter where you’re coming from, they were looking for stability and a better life and just a better setup for them and for you and for generations to come.

And at some point you told him, you know, everything you sacrificed for me and everything that you wanted me to be, I’m not going to be that. I’m going to be a rapper. >> Yeah. >> What did that moment feel like for you when you had to finally tell your parents like, “No, I’m going to pursue rap.

” Knowing that you were choosing a path that your family never would have imagined for you. I know I had to build some years of confidence to tell them, but I know for sure they were supportive of me, but they were not fully content with that. >> Yeah. >> It’s almost as if they feel like how you going to do that? What? Um, how you going to make that happen? There’s no one that does that in our family.

 There’s no one that does that successfully to sustain a career. What makes you think you’re going to do that? I knew that was in the back of their head, but they didn’t want to say it. But because as their child and I know for the most part how they think, it wasn’t a an easy reality for them to accept in the beginning.

 I don’t even think it’s easy now. It’s easier now, but not in the beginning when I told him. >> What do you think that? I mean, look, I have four kids myself, and so I I think about the success and well-being of my children probably more than I think about anything else in my life, >> as you should. >> And I don’t think that’s going to change the older they get.

 Like, in fact, I think it’s going to probably like ramp up as they get older. right now like they’re all under my control and all under my household and they have certain set of rules and but eventually they’re going to turn into >> full-blown adults and they’re going to make their own decisions and you know so what what do you think it is about maybe parents in general or your parents that when you tell them hey I’m not going to be doing the normal thing that you thought I was going to be doing and in fact it’s so opposite from what you

thought I was going to be doing Mhm. >> What sort of alarm bells, if you put yourself in their shoes, do you think are going off, you know, freaking out that their life, your life is over kind of thing? >> I feel like they may have failed us or may have failed themselves, but I don’t want them to feel that way because if anything, they putting us in a a better position than they were growing up.

 We’re not always going to have the same outlook on life on what we want to do compared to what they wanted to do when they were kids. They were raised in the Philippines where >> everything was survival mode. You just got to get it for the family. You can’t think about yourself. When you get kids, you’ll get your turn. >> So, they were living with that expectation that when they go to America, their kids are going to do the same thing that they did for their parents.

And as unfair as that is, you know, kind of thinking for your kids, but I would never understand. I’m at least not yet. I’m not a parent. I’m not going to know. But when your kids end up not doing the thing that you thought they were going to do and you sacrifice everything for them to be here, I can see why it could be a slap in the face to them.

 I’ll acknowledge that much. >> Yeah. But they’re already digging theirelves in a hole with that kind of mentality when you feel like your kids are supposed to do something for you. >> Yeah. >> If when I feel that they should have just been more whatever you want to do will support you, >> which they have been. But I know >> in the back of their heads there’s still that expectation and that expectation leads to resentment >> on both sides.

>> Yeah. And it doesn’t help that it’s not communicated where we just keep it in inside. >> Yeah. You know, it’s interesting because I I think the Filipino um community is sort of known for this, but also >> I’m a lot closer to the Polynesian community. So, I have an adopted brother that’s half Tong and half someone and Oh, >> and so like the >> Yeah, man.

 And I I think the Polynesian culture and the Filipino culture are very similar in that way, which is like, dude, we take care of our own. Yeah. >> I mean, way better than Americans do for sure. Like I think I think I think we’re pretty selfish, you know, by as a culture. >> There’s pros and cons to that. >> There’s pros and cons to that, right? So, I think there’s this line between this nobility that exists with like we take care of our family at all costs.

Like we do anything to like support each other and lift each other and be there for each other. And also the other side of the line is like dude every man for themselves. Like you got you got to like >> you got to take some accountability and some ownership and say like I’m not I’m not waiting for anybody to come save me.

Right. Victor Frankle in a Man’s Search for Meaning. This is one of the greatest greatest books of all time. Are you familiar with this book? >> I don’t think so. >> I’m gonna I’m gonna give it I’m going to gift it to you. It’s called A Man’s Search for Meaning. This is um a story about a guy named Victor Frankl who was in ashawitz in concentration camps.

>> And he basically there’s so many lessons that come out of like the way that he was able to create this mindset or this mentality in such a horrific place. But he wrote one of the ways that he just stayed sane, you know, every day on the brink of death was writing in these journal entries. >> Yeah.

 And one of the things he wrote down is he said he said the moment that a boy turns to a man is the moment that he realized nobody’s coming to save him. >> I feel that. >> Right. >> I feel that. >> And so that’s the other side of the line. That’s the like dude like no one’s coming to save me. Like I got to not my kids, not my parents, not my friends, not my >> not the government.

 Nobody’s coming to save me, dude. Like I’m on my own. I got to figure this out. So, you know, how do you what are your thoughts on that? Just the the line between like we protect and and we’re a family no matter what at all costs and we got to take care of each other and like Yeah. But every everybody should have the mentality of like no one’s coming to save me.

>> Yeah. Yeah. And that’s the that right there is the plight of the Filipino American because especially if you’re raised by Filipino immigrants, there’s pros and cons to everything. Being raised by Filipino immigrants, Filipino immigrants, you are going to have no problem getting any support from the family.

 You’re going to have no problem of where, at least in my case, where you’re going to sleep at night, if you’re going to be fed, if you’re going to be supported with something. But the the con that comes from that is you don’t have autonomy for yourself. So what if there’s a situation where you’re not thinking like the rest of your family? >> Yeah.

>> Yeah. And when they say, “Oh, it’s supposed to be like this, but you living your own experience or me living my own life and seeing things that maybe they may not have seen because we’re all going to be our own people at the end of the day. I’m going to think, oh, maybe it should be this way, but I’m not going to do that cuz I feel I’m gonna piss them off.

” And it’s that guilt and shame that we >> it might not even be them on us. It might be ourselves putting it on ourselves because we feel that they’re not going to rock with what we do. That’s the con about being very family supported is you don’t make the decisions for yourself at that point.

 But then on the other side of the line, being raised in America and that statement that you said, a boy realizes he’s a man when no one comes to save you. As selfish as that does sound, it’s the harsh truth, the harsh reality. We’re all going to die alone. We’re all going to go through our own set of experiences and hardships. And the good thing about that is you or at least I’m sure you could relate to this.

 you start to take things less personally when you know that oh it’s all on my shoulders and sometimes the family’s not going to be there sometimes my wife is not going to be there sometimes my friends are not going to be there and this train still got to keep going >> y >> and it’s my train you think more what can I do to make this happen if I don’t have them and that’s a good thing to have because there’s some people that can’t get away from that family structure, which is a I understand, but because this is not the Philippines where not everybody’s going to save you like that,

as harsh as it sounds, and I still have a lot of unpacking to do about that, I see why I you could relate to that quote and I can relate to it, too. >> Yeah. What is the I I want to I want to now kind of go back, right? I I really want to try to understand what the Filipino culture is like in the Philippines, right? You were only there as like a young kid.

 You came to America when you were how old? >> I was one. >> Yeah. So, you were I mean, you were a baby when you got here. >> Yeah. >> But I presume you’ve been back. >> Yes. >> You’ve seen, you know, kind of the culture there. And can you paint a vision for like what life was like for your family in the Philippines before they came to America? And what is this dream, this American dream, what does it look like when you are in the Philippines and you’re just doing everything you can to try to get here? >> Mhm.

>> Versus when you actually get here and you make it >> Yeah. >> Is it the same as the vision of the American dream? Is it a little bit different? You know, help help me understand that >> it’s all it’s all perception. I’ll tell you that my grandparents were born in the 40s. So 50s60s around this time they want to go to America and America was different at the time and Philippines was different at the time.

 But what they would see from TV or what they would hear, especially with the fact that there’s a lot of military bases in the Philippines and Philippines was colonized by America for a brief moment right before World War II. All they’re getting is information about how great it is in America.

 And it’s true, at least in the financial sense. I’ll put it that way. Nowadays, a dollar in the Philippines is 60 damn near 60 pesos, right? That’s the currency in the Philippines. If you have $200 and you bring it to the Philippines, you already have a lot of money out there. Even a hundred, maybe even 20 bucks, you have a lot of money out there.

>> Truly. >> So, in the financial sense, it’s already >> a dollar is already worth more. Just the currency tradeoff alone is like >> yes foreign exchange is >> goes a long way. >> And then the push and pull factors of the jobs in America where they need people especially with nursing. They get people from the Philippines to go to America sometimes for for free or sometimes for work or school.

 And then when people go here to study from the Philippines and they get a job out here, they can send money back to the Philippines to help their family, especially since the dollar is worth more here. >> Yeah. >> So, in that sense, there’s always there’s already that mentality that being in America is just better, you know. And in my parents’ generation, when they came here, that mentality was passed down to them and they were the ones that actually thought, I could actually live there.

>> Yeah. Now there’s a real opportunity. >> There’s a real opportunity, especially with the immigration law passing in 1965 where the quota of how many Filipinos or how many people from any country can go into America was increased. There was a wave of Filipinos that started coming in around that time 60s7s.

 My my family specifically came from the 70s came came here in the 70s some of them in the 80s some of them in the 90s. So when you grow up thinking that there’s this country where you can make more money and send it back home, work here for a for the majority of your life and come back to retire. It sounds easy and it looks easy, but then living in America comes with its own different sets of challenges, cultures, and ways of thinking that they probably did not even anticipate when they came here.

So, they were in survival mode. They’re thinking the way that they think in the Philippines is going to be the same here in America that doesn’t fly. And then when their kids grow up and then we become the ones that know how it is here in America, but we want to honor our parents, that that tension comes along where what if I don’t want to do what you told me to do.

 The majority of us do, but in this case, it’s at least in my case, a very special case. I didn’t want to do that. >> Yeah. Yeah. Hey, you know what’s interesting about that though, right, is I just want to unpack this for a minute with you, is America from a, you know, like a freedom and uh financial opportunity standpoint.

 Yeah, it’s it’s probably the greatest country in the world. I I would still agree that that is true. But like financial stability does not equal happiness. >> No. >> Like in fact, you know, I think that the studies would show that like the poorest people in the world are actually the happiest people in the world. >> Like lowest resting heart rate, lowest stress, lowest, you know.

>> Yeah. Because they’re not working. >> And you go Yeah. you go to these well it’s that that’s part of it but it’s also like they they don’t associate money with with happiness so they associate other things. So what are the other things? Well it’s like connection. >> Yeah. >> It’s relationships. It’s family.

 It’s you know so you’re you’re focused on >> it’s serving people right like you’re focused on good things that actually create real purpose and real happiness >> moments >> you know. Do you think that that rings true for the Philippines? Like you look at you look at Filipino people and then you look at Americans in general or even Filipino Americans.

 Like would you say that the Filipinos with nothing in the Philippines are happier potentially than the people, you know, that have migrated over to America now are part of this like hustle and bustle and the rat race of like we got to make more money and >> Right. Right. I would say so. >> Yeah. >> Yeah.

 Because my parents, every time I asked them what they wanted to do after they work and they retired, they said, “I just want to go back to the Philippines.” They’re only here to work. >> Yeah. >> And some of them can formulate new reasons for living here. Like, oh, you know, America is the greatest country in the world, or I want to stay here because I just love it here better than the Philippines.

 But at the end of the day, at least for my parents, they always wanted to go back home. Yeah. >> And every time I asked them why, it’s they would say it’s just easier out there. It’s more familiar. I I feel more at home when I’m out there. And it’s true. >> Yeah. >> Yeah. finances is it it’s not always the means to lead to a happier life, but there has to be something to be said about for sure just living a more relaxed life and that’s what it is like in the Philippines. Yeah, for sure.

>> So, at some point I I want to understand like at some point you have this idea of I I want to be a rapper. >> Mhm. Does that start when you’re a kid? Does that start when you’re an adult? Like at what point does this thought creep into your mind? Like you’re listening to rap music, you’re following these rappers, and you go like, I think I could do that. I want to do that.

 And then I want you to kind of tie the bow on like when when when does when do you actually like inform your family who has these expectations and it sort of puts you in a box >> that maybe you’re pursue rap as a career? >> Everything happened within the last 10 years. I feel like my life started in the last 10 years from 2015.

Wanting to be a rapper was never a plan A of mine ever. I never thought about that even as a kid, bro. I thought I was going to be a nurse. I thought I was going to be a pharmacist. I jumped over to chemical engineering. I jumped over to being an accountant. I jumped over to being a business manager and then a professor.

 But all of these and this was all all of those fields that I just said right now. Those are all the major switches I did in college because I did not know what I wanted to do. >> Yeah. >> I there was not a lot of people that I could look up to to be telling myself I want to be like that person. We just kind of our parents didn’t go to college here in America.

 We had to figure that out. And now that we know the process of college or you know that’s the ones that are like me that went to college, I can now inform my next generation that comes through. But my our parents didn’t know that. They just kind of had that same mentality. Hey, we came here to America. You figure it out now.

 Like how do you get through this whole college system? So jumping around in college and realizing that I had a talent for rapping and this is after college, yo, I told myself maybe I could do this. I didn’t realize that growing up, but it was there in front of me my whole life because to cope with the stress that comes with working in America, my parents hosted parties, karaoke parties.

 I don’t know if you’ve ever had a karaoke party, but all their cousins, all their siblings would come together in the backyard, host a huge party. Filipino food, Filipino festivities, singing, and that was their way of venting that out, venting all of that pain, venting all of that stress was singing.

 I knew that my parents at their most vulnerable and most genuine selves was when they were singing on the mic. And I kind of got that from them. Their ability to memorize lyrics. A lot of it is American music, by the way. Filipinos are very, very, very into American music. Uh ‘7s, 80s, like the Eagles, the Beatles, >> Journey, all those ballads, you know.

 So we I’ve always had that growing up at a karaoke party. I’d sing on the mic. I would rap on the mic. Rapping they didn’t do as much or my my dad did, but rapping was something I picked up from the radio here. And I didn’t realize I had like a true gift for it until well, I always knew I had that talent, but I just didn’t have the confidence to tell myself I maybe I could do this because there wasn’t a lot of Filipino rappers >> when I grew up.

 So what when you say like I knew I had that talent, you know, is I mean is when I think about talent. >> Yeah. >> Right. Like you think about um is is is is this something that you were like sort of given like this talent or do you feel like this is a talent that was developed over time and practice and that sort of thing, right? Because for me it’s like and and then at some point it just it just clicked, you know, like I’m trying to I’m trying to go to that moment where it’s like I I don’t think I don’t think someone just like,

>> “Oh, I’m going to be a rapper.” >> wakes up one day is like, “I’m going to be a rapper.” >> Like I think a lot of kids like like think, you know, think it would be cool, >> but to actually be like, “No, no, actually >> I want to pursue this. Like I want to get in a studio. I want to write, you know, like what is that moment? Oh, are you at a karaoke thing rapping going and you see yourself on a stage in a stadium all of a sudden you go you’re you’re just with this little Filipino crew and you’re up there doing karaoke and you

have this like out of body vision like what what happens? >> Okay, so the moment that I realized I had the talent was completely different from the moment like the moment I realized that I could do this. M >> so the moment I realized I had a talent was in elementary school >> but me thinking about being a rapper was out of the question cuz >> again the family yeah >> the box the family dynamic that’s something that I can’t do I don’t even know how I can do that >> I got to be I got to be for the family >> let me do this uh nursing thing or

pharmacist thing and then when I went to college I knew deep down I was I didn’t want to do that but I was still thinking looking for the family going through college around my junior year in 2015. Like I said, everything started in 2015. I went through a bunch of moments that boosted my confidence.

 Whether it be joining club organizations like my fraternity officiro or the Filipino American Student Association at CES Sun, getting with my wife who was my girlfriend at the time and living my very early adult years in college and going through all those experiences and trying new things. That was when I was building my confidence.

 And at the same time, my confidence was building up. That lingering thought of me knowing that music, rapping, singing was a talent that I’ve always had that I didn’t want to develop. It started looking down there like, hey, maybe we could work on this cuz nursing’s not working. Pharmacy is not working. My heart’s not into being an accountant.

 I want to be a professor, but I feel like I can’t be in a classroom. I’d got to be out and about doing my own thing. >> Yeah. >> So, in 2015 was when I thought to myself, let me try this out, not even as a a career. Let me try it out for fun first to see if I like doing this. And after 2 years of doing it, I saw myself actually doing it from 2015 to 2017.

Just rapping for fun and finding a crew and performing at shows, writing my own stuff, recording my own stuff on my phone when I first started. That’s when I was thinking, “Ooh, this looks tangible.” And it helped that I learned about Beat Rock Music, which is a collective that was coming up in the early 2000s, 2010s.

 They had Filipino American rappers on there like Bamboo, Ruby Bar, Rocky Rivera. And it was in college when I finally switched my major to Asian-American studies. And my professor, Alan Aino, showed us a video of these Filipino American rappers. I’m like, “Yo, what’s this? Who’s this? 2015, same year.

 And when I saw those rappers, it just clicked that uh my talent and my confidence were starting to look at each other like, “Hey, if they can do it, I can do it. But let’s do this for fun first cuz I don’t want to rush into it and tell anyone that I’m doing this yet.” >> Well, you know what’s interesting? And I’m going to I’m going to press you on this a little bit live.

 I didn’t want to do it beforehand. >> Cool. Let’s go. Um, you know, technically you still are doing this for fun. >> True. >> And I want to know why. Like, >> bro, like you’ve got it. Like, you know, you’ve got it, too. >> Yeah. >> You know, you’ve got it. You know what I’m saying? >> Like, you have all the validation that you need to know like I can go do this thing.

>> I do. >> And you’re still not fully committed. Mhm. >> You’re not all the way there. >> I’m not. >> Why not? >> I’m still working a job, bro. And balancing. >> But let’s break this down. Why is that? >> I’m still working a job right now because I am supporting my wife who just got a new job. >> Okay. >> And she was in school for the past two years not working.

 It was just me doing everything. And it helped that she had a loan. But even with the loan, I was still struggling to make all of these ends meet for us. And then now that she’s finally got her job and we’re finding a rhythm of how we can pay for things, maintaining our life while I’m still trying to maintain the music life. I’m not fully I can’t fully commit to that yet until I find a system of how the income and the outcome can stabilize.

That’s the only thing. But other than that, I know that I can This is just me doing it with a job, bro. >> I know, man. I know. >> This is me. I tell my my my team all the time and we just got a little concrete ever since I got my manager. But I’m I’m doing my best, man. I’m climbing to that moment to finally just do this.

But is that the answer you’re looking for? >> I’m not looking for any answer. I just want to give you the floor on this cuz look, >> okay, >> I know that you know the moment you go full-time on this. >> Oh, it’s over. >> And you show God and you show the world and you show yourself like I’m committed. I’m doing this.

>> Like it’s everything’s going to change. Everything’s going to change. And I think you’re probably thinking you need this multiple year spool up. It’s like, dude, no, the spool up’s already happened. >> Yeah. >> You’re already right there, >> right? It’s like you just gota you just got to go. You got to commit.

 You got to get in the studio. You got to start banging like you know you got to do it because >> man the longer I think you go kind of trickling along >> Yeah. >> you’ve already had this big like moment, right? Like >> um you’ve you’ve dropped a couple of tracks that have just gone huge, right? So it’s like you’ve had you’ve had that moment.

You got to capitalize on that momentum, right? >> Yeah. >> Listen, I understand. It’s noble what you’re doing. Like you’re saying, “Dude, Tyler, I’m just I’m trying to support my wife, support my family.” Like, >> that means something to you. And and I respect that a lot. Like, you got to do what you got to do.

>> But the sooner that you can find a way to go and pursue this, man, like I’ll give you one example. I had a guy I discovered a guy similar to the way that I discovered you like on Instagram or Tik Tok a couple of years ago and he was this upand cominging comedian and he was hilarious guy named Morgan Jay.

 You ever heard of Morgan Jay? >> I don’t think so. >> I know for a fact you’ve seen him. He’s like the most viral comedian on the internet right now. >> Okay. >> So I discover him. I hit him up similar to like I hit I hit you up and I said, “Dude, I love your work. you’re hilarious. Like shocked at the fact that he didn’t have this massive following, right? >> Yeah.

>> And I said, “Let’s get together. Let’s run a podcast.” So, it was actually up in Utah and we got together and he had a small show. He had, I don’t know, 75 people maybe in the room, which was like a big one for him at the time. >> Yeah. >> And didn’t have a crew. It was like basically just him.

 He he had one dude there filming. He asked us like, “Hey, could you guys like film or take some photos or stuff of like the set that I’m going to do?” >> Yeah. >> Bro, this is two years ago. >> Fast forward like he’s like I I I I can’t even like explain what has happened to him because he’s like he just like went and did it.

 Like he went all in on this thing. He’s got, I don’t know, 10 million plus followers on social media. >> Gez. >> Hundreds of millions of views on his content every month. Like hundreds of millions of views. >> Like huge deals. He like every show he does now is 200 people. He he did a global tour this year.

 He was in like a hundred cities across the world this year selling out like massive venues, right? was on, >> dude. So, it just like it it just clicked. It happened. And I feel like you’re you’re right there. Like, you’re right on the edge. But >> I I don’t know that until you make the commitment. This is what I share with entrepreneurs.

It’s like, dude, you’re you’re never going to build the thing until you commit to yourself, to God, to the world, to like that you’re in. >> Yeah. >> You know what I’m saying? So, what does that look like from from your perspective from the outside looking into me? >> Yeah. >> What does that look like? What do I look like fully committed? >> I think it’s I think you you’re going to start you’re going to get in the studio.

 You’re going to start cranking out music, right? Like right now, what are you cranking out? You’re cranking out a few songs a year kind of thing. I got I got some stuff like I write but the studio’s in LA. >> Yeah. >> And it’s I got to coordinate but >> Yeah. >> Yeah. >> Yeah. Like I see you cranking out two albums in the next year, >> right? >> 25 songs, right? And what does that do? Well, 25 songs means I don’t know 10 or 12 music videos.

>> Okay. which also means tons of content like long form, short form. >> So all of a sudden like there’s just like this this title wave of Carl Angelo that’s going to be happening online. >> Yeah. >> The number of reaction videos that’s able to come from that. The number of like your own content, people resharing it like and then what does that lead to? Well, social media I believe is like the it’s the root of all creation now, right? So like who’s on social media? Well, all the labels are on there.

 All the venues are on there. Anybody that’s going to book you is going to find you through that. So, it’s like you just need to create this title wave. >> And right now, you’re limited on being able to do that. But if you went and said, “Dude, I’m going to spend 50, 60, 70 hours a week for the next year, heads down, writing and in the studio.

” It’s like everything’s going to change because you have it and you know you have it. >> I do. >> You know what I’m saying? >> I do. But you’re just you’re you’re being held back for again for a very noble cause that I don’t want to diminish. >> Yeah. >> Um but it’s like man I I think the moment that you and your wife can get to a place where you can say hey like >> let me go pursue this. Let me try this.

Like what’s the wor what’s the worst thing that can happen. >> Right. Right. >> If oh it’s going to fail and everyone’s going to hate it. It’s like well I think we’re past that. I think we know that that’s not the case. But even if it did, okay, cool. A year from now, I’ll go get a job. >> You know, I got a backup plan.

 But it’s like, you’re not going to need it. And I think you know that. But >> yeah, >> that’s that’s crazy. >> In our own way, >> I did tell her that. I said, yo, >> it’s funny you mentioned this because I did tell her, hey, in 2026, I’m pursuing this. I’ve been gearing her up mentally for that that I’m just going to be going in.

 And you’re right, man. This is this is the thing that I’m supposed to be doing full-time. Full time. Yeah. It’s about time that I’m going to make that happen. It will. It will. My manager tells me that all the time like you want to build off of the momentum that you got because not everybody gets that and because you got it move accordingly and coordinate.

>> Oh yeah. >> All the time. >> You can’t slow play this man. You can’t. It’s like it would be like let’s say let’s say somebody created like the greatest, you know. Shout out Shay Weston protein chocolate chip cookie ever >> and it was like amazing and everyone wanted to have it but like she was like I’ll make some more in like a few months.

Like are people still going to be thinking about that cookie in a few months? Maybe. Maybe some. >> And then like it comes and it trickle and like some people are like yeah I’ll still buy it. And they buy it and she’s like when can we get some more? She’s like h maybe in a few months. >> Yeah.

 Yeah. Yeah, I know what that sounds like for sure when when I got to tell people that. >> It’s like, bro, you want momentum like you like you want to build that flywheel where it’s like, “When can I see you next?” And you’re like, “Oh, this weekend I’ve got a show.” And then the next Monday they’re like, “When can I see you next?” You’re like, “Oh, this weekend I got a show.

” >> All the pieces. Yeah. >> And then they’re like, “When are you gonna drop another?” And you’re like, “Oh, in three weeks I got another tra an LP coming out.” And then they’re like, “When are you gonna” And you’re like, “Oh, it’s you know.” So it’s like >> you you want to keep people like invested in this train, this freight train that’s coming, right? >> I know. I know what you’re saying, bro.

I know what you’re saying. Yeah. You’re a real one for that for sure. >> I agree. Yeah. >> How does it feel just being pressed on that? because I I can feel that like, you know, if I had a heart rate monitor on you and I was tracking it on my screen, that’d be kind of cool. Actually, we should do that. >> You should.

 I’m actually very calm right now. Um because I hear this all the time from my team. Like, yo, when are you gonna >> It’s like, I got something. >> Yeah. Yeah. >> Exactly. Yeah. I got to give them that, but I’ll uh Yeah, I leave it at that. >> Yeah. >> So, >> okay. >> I want to see it happen, man. >> It’s happening. >> And you’ve got um you’re actually in Phoenix right now performing at a festival today.

Yeah, >> I’m excited to go watch that and maybe we can um we can get some clips of you doing your thing and then we can, you know, we can fuse some of that into our content. >> Let’s go. Let’s do it. >> That’ll be fun. >> Um I want to talk about this, right? So, there’s a lot of there’s a lot of people out there who they have these dreams and these goals and these things that they want to pursue.

But there’s a million reasons why somebody should not pursue being a rapper >> or a comic, >> right? >> Or a professional athlete. It’s like the odds are like so stacked against you, right? So, I want to I want to sort of think through like in the early days when you start writing music and you start you put your first track out there and you’re in your room filming from an iPhone or whatever.

>> Yeah. >> And there’s nobody there. There’s nobody watching. There’s nobody listening. Nobody cares. >> Yeah. >> What What kept you going? What What was fueling you to be like, “No, I don’t care. I’m going to just I’m going to just keep doing this. >> Those those times that’s pretty much boot camp. And the reason I was able to tell myself to keep doing this is when I don’t think about how other people are going to feel of what I create.

 That’s when my most genuine expression comes out. And when your most genuine expression comes out, you could care less about what someone says about if they if they hate it or even if they love it. I’m sure you know you understand. So, I also had a story that I wanted to say for not just my family, but Filipino Americans that probably feel the same way that I do.

>> Yeah, please. >> That this story needs to be out there for people to hear, to know that it’s okay to not go the traditional route, the traditional sense. This is not me telling everybody you should be a rapper now, but whatever it is that you feel like you shouldn’t be doing that you really really want to do, but you’re afraid of how people might feel, whether it be your family, your friends, or just strangers, you got to go in there and do it.

 And those times when I was writing, recording on my phone, recording on a a webcam, and using all the tools at my disposal despite not having like a full team, it showed me that I was building the confidence of circle back to that quote, when you realize that no one’s going to save you is when you become a man. you know, >> in those moments because just because I didn’t have the team or the people around me to believe in me yet, that doesn’t mean that that should prevent me from trying this and going in.

 And I just knew even even as a kid, I just knew there was something within my spirit, within my soul that I knew I had to express. >> Yeah. >> And if somebody was going to do it, it was going to be me. I was the person I wish I seen growing up and all the waiting that I’ve done. >> Say that again. >> I’m the person I wish I could have seen growing up when I was a kid.

>> Be the change you want to see. You know, and all of that waiting, I just decided, what if I became that person? And I did. >> Come on. I mean, I I am the person that I wish I saw or that’s could have set an example for me growing up, right? I mean, that’s like, come on. >> That’s profound.

 Have you written a song about that? >> No. That’s just a >> Can we get Can we get Can we get something going on that? >> Something going on that? >> I mean, come on. >> Or maybe in like, you know, a couple months I’ll do it. >> No, don’t start now. I know that’s a joke, bro. >> No, I But look, like you should All right, just hear me out on this.

I want you to like I want you to earmark that as a psalm. >> Mhm. >> That’s I mean that’s inspiring. That’s inspiring not just for the Filipino community, not just Filipino American, but that’s inspiring for the world, right? It’s like, >> and also that the moment you realize nobody’s coming to save you, right? >> Like I think that those those two things go hand in hand. Yeah.

>> You could write a song about that. >> And I think it would inspire a lot of people because >> man, how many people are sitting out there right now going, “Dude, I want to I have a dream and I or I have a talent or I have a I I just want to go pursue this thing and they never do it.” Yeah, >> you know how many I mean, how many amazing rappers could have been? >> Way too many.

>> How many amazing comics could have been? How many amazing artists could have been? How many amazing fill in the blank could have been, but they just didn’t they just never they never took that leap of faith. >> Yeah. For whatever reason. >> For whatever reason. societal pressure, family pressure, economic, financial pressure, you know, >> all that part, >> self-belief, self-doubt.

 It’s like, man, the world would be a different place if everybody who had that thought or that dream would have pursued it. >> Yep. Yep. Hard work beats talent when talent doesn’t work hard. >> Yeah. I mean, bro, what if Walt Disney just never would have listened to his gut and his intuition? >> Yeah. >> Around his dream. >> We wouldn’t have >> What would the world I mean, how many how many Walt Disneys are out there that just never It’s like what would the world have look like? >> Yeah.

 That’s why it’s very important that people just try and you don’t have to look at the whole mountain when you start. Just look at the first few steps because that’s literally all it takes. It’s those first few steps that are the hardest. >> And then from there, once you get the ball rolling, >> the puzzles move themselves. The puzzle pieces move.

>> I had a friend say, “I have this brand called Levels, and it’s for it’s for men to level up in the areas of their life that matter most.” >> Come on. Yeah. >> And we did a retreat a couple years ago in Sedona and I had a friend say, you know, we had hiked to this top of the top of this mountain. >> Yeah. >> And he goes, “You want to know the best thing about life is that we’re at the top of this mountain, but he goes, look over there.

There’s another peak. It’s higher than this one.” And he goes, “And look over there. That one’s even higher.” So he goes, like, you know, the the the idea is like you don’t have to conquer the highest mountain first. just go conquer just go conquer the first few steps >> very first >> and then all of a sudden like you’re going to be where you’re at you’re at this little summit >> right >> but you’re like no there’s another one and we can keep going we can keep trudging up this thing right so that’s the deal >> that’s what it is man

>> I want to show the video of when I of how I discovered you >> okay >> and I want you as you watch this I want you to think about when you first saw this video Okay. And then what this video has done for you of the hustle. I don’t invest a couple thousand but it ain’t about the salary. I’m the mentality the rich poor datain with school waste. I fail.

 I’m earthquaking up in California. Not even the marijuana chilling. I be stressing over in blood pressure. >> Man. >> Yo, I don’t know how I did that. Sometimes I’m rapping and it just it just comes out. It’s not even me doing it. Uh, what do I think about that? Oh, I was hungry. Still am. It’s just in those moments it was uh it was a different circumstance.

And that was that was all two years ago, three years ago. I know that guy’s still in here for sure. He’s still in here. I haven’t seen that clip in a while. You know that? Ever since it started going viral, I just don’t watch it anymore. It kind of reminded me a little bit about what’s going on. Yeah. Damn.

 What am I doing? That was before my grandma had a stroke, too. You know what’s crazy? I filmed that video. That was the same month that my grandma from my mom’s side passed away. She was in Alaska. She was bedridden, hospice. We’re all expecting her to pass away very, very soon. Everyone flew there except for me because I had to film that video.

And for the longest time, man. It was that moment I chose me over the family because no one’s going to no one’s going to Like I said, no one’s going to save you. I remember that, too. I’m They’re asking me, “Hey, you want to go here? Um, we’re all coming. You know, Apple just passed away.” And I told them, like, I was right there at my I’m at my credit limit, bro.

 I had like $1,000 left. It was either book the flight or book that church venue, which was $1,000. And I booked that church venue. I can’t help but feel like I didn’t go

there to film this video. And it’s like my I just feel like me blowing up off of that video and my grandma was like, “Hey, you did what you had to do.” And now my other grandma in that video that’s telling me to be quiet, man. She’s No, she’s better written. I can’t help but feel like I ran away from all of them.

Yeah, man. I feel that. I’m with you. I feel like I’m doing it all by myself, man. But you’re the one, you know? You’re you’re called to be that one. It’s gonna It’s going to change everything. >> It’s been so long since I seen that clip because it just reminds me of that time. I’m sorry.

It just goes to show, you know, Thank you. Sorry. Let me It just goes to show that when you when you don’t choose family, you choose yourself. You’re right. The good things can happen. >> Yeah. >> Yeah. But you know what’s you know what’s funny about that is or not funny but it’s it’s the truth about that is when you choose yourself you’re actually choosing your family.

I think sometimes we get a little we get a little twisted, right? It didn’t feel like that at first, honestly. It’s like a full circle moment because this the reason why that song is called I a i g ht. It means one of the one of the phrases it stands for is all in God’s hands. Talaga. And talaga means

like right in the >> in the Philippine language. All in God’s hands, right? It’s crazy that it’s that song that blew up, you know, cuz it really is all in God’s hands. [ __ ] No one knows that that I didn’t go to my I mean, of course, my family. No one knows that I didn’t go to Alaska because I had to film that video.

>> Yeah. >> Yeah. >> Yeah. >> That video was sick, dude. That video got people >> got the people going. >> It did. >> You know, and you know, it’s fun to it’s fun to read some of the comments in there, too. >> So, like because I want to ask you about to me, every great rapper has a they have a story, but they also have a sound.

 They have like a very unique sound. >> Yeah. So then when you hear other rappers, you can kind of hear bits and pieces sometimes. And and it’s f it’s funny to see the the the comparisons, but like so many people in here saying, “Man, this dude sounds like a mix of Eminem, Kendrick, and NF.” >> Yeah. >> And another guy, man, I I hear I hear Eminem in that. I hear NF in that.

 I hear Joiner Lucas. >> Yep. >> Um >> Spitters for sure. But it’s also like it’s also very uniquely your own your own sound. >> Right. >> Right. So what does finding your own sound look like? And when do you when do you sort of like how do you draw on inspiration from other artists and their sounds while also like no I got my own thing that I’m trying to do.

>> Right. So, it’s coincidentally Kendrick and Eminem are some of my biggest influences. >> Yeah. >> And for all the rappers out there, you already know how it goes when it comes when it comes to rapping like your idols. You rap like your idols because there’s something about their energy, their voice, whatever, their style that you can resonate with.

 And come to find out, the more you rap like them, you’ll start to branch off as to what your sound is, it’s as if you need some kind of pickme up or some kind of foundation to lay down what your style is, where it deres from, >> and then you branch off from there. Um, I’m sure you could probably relate to this where maybe you have people that you look up to in terms of maybe their podcast and life as a family, as a dad.

You mirror or you take pieces of what they do that influence your own and then you find the pieces that work for you. >> Yeah. >> That comes with experience. >> So, with Eminem and Kendrick, I know. And that’s funny because some of the first songs I memorized as a kid and when I discovered I had a a rap talent was when I was listening to Eminem. It’s my uncle.

 He’s a Filipino gangster back in the day and he had all the Aftermath CDs, Death Row, Dre, Snoop, Pac, M. And I felt like when I disco Eminem on his jukebox, he had a jukebox. Yeah. And I felt like I wasn’t supposed to be listening to that music. But it was then where I’m like, yo, this guy’s crazy. And not just rapping, but he’s also just crazy.

>> And I would memorize his lyrics. And I found out, oh, the reason why I feel like I have this kind of natural rapping talent is because I’m cut from the same cloth as these guys. That’s when I was a kid. So, finding your sound, you had to find what is uniquely you, but that starts off by finding what is your foundation, your influences.

>> Yeah. >> Yeah. >> So, I want to end on this, right? You came from a lot of pressure, a lot of pain, a lot of setbacks. >> What do you hope that other Filipino American kids that are chasing their dream take away from your story? It’s okay to be selfish and say no to family. It’s completely okay. Especially when it comes to doing something that you love to do, that you believe that you can do, you can tell them no and you can work on what you got going on.

It doesn’t always have to be about them. Like you said, when you choose you, you’re choosing them. >> Yeah. Amen. >> Yeah. Amen. >> Carl, thanks for coming on the show, my man. >> Thank you. Pleasure was mine. Go on.