The Copacetic Hour
The Copacetic Hour is a podcast for reformed city boys and city girls. Tune in as everyday listeners-turned-panelists reflect on outrageous past escapades & discuss relationships, situationships, black culture and society. Although we may not always agree, we always keep it copacetic. --
The Copacetic Hour
Copacetic Hour One on One: Stepping Out on Faith...
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Episode: 208
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We sit down with filmmaker and producer Brandon Morson for a conversation that goes way deeper than lights, camera, action.
We dive into what it really means to hear from God, trust that inner voice, and move even when the path isn’t clear. Brandon opens up about chasing the unknown, stepping out on faith, and navigating moments where everything on the outside looks successful… but internally, something still feels missing.
Because sometimes, even when life is going amazing, that doesn’t mean you’re truly fulfilled or walking in your purpose.
This episode is about alignment, risk, and understanding that the journey toward your dreams isn’t always comfortable, but it can become your biggest blessing with some wild escapades along the way.
Featuring:
@Iambemore
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@Thecopacetichour
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Copathetic is determined everything is fine, cool, and in excellent order. This podcast is an area for open discussion, but not for the weak hearted or the simple-minded. And although we may not always agree, we will always exemplify respect. But at the same time, nobody, and I do mean nobody, is exempt from getting these jokes. Everything is copathetic. Yes, this is the copethetic hour, and we are back with a one-on-one with the copethetic hour where pop culture and creativity collide. Today's guest is a man who doesn't just step into the entertainment industry, he's building in it. He's an actor, writer, director, producer, brand strategist, and author with over a decade of experience in the game. From television to film to music videos, he has been behind the camera and in front of the camera, bringing powerful stories to life. His work has touched some of the biggest platforms in entertainment, including Apple TV, Amazon, VT, Tube, and Pluto TV, proving that his creative vision travels across every corner of the industry. This award-winning filmmaker has already stacked over 24 projects in television and film, with several of them holding IMDB ratings above 8.5, which in the film world is no small feat. Across YouTube, Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, storytelling, and visual creativity have captivated audience around the world, generating over a million views and likes while building a digital president that continues to expand with every project he brings to life, driven by his unique voice and vision. Today we're going to talk about the grind behind the camera, what it takes to build a creative brand, navigating Hollywood, and how you turn passions into real projects that the world can see. So if you're creative or if you're someone chasing a dream, this is the conversation for you. Ladies and gentlemen, someone who's paved the way for me and your favorite podcast, Mr. Brandon Morrison. Let's give it up. Let's give it up.
SPEAKER_02Wow, thank you. That was an amazing uh introduction. I don't think I've ever been introduced so well. Uh so I appreciate all the flowers that was that was thrown out right there. That's that was, yeah. When you when you put it all together like that, it's like, wow, that's kind of I'm kind of proud of myself. Thank you, bro. Thank you for having me.
SPEAKER_03Yes, of course. You should be definitely. I don't think you left anything up. Oh yeah. I've I spent about two, three hours writing that for you. He did the research. Yeah.
SPEAKER_02He does his research. And so that's that's very, very, very professional.
SPEAKER_03I love it. Facts, facts, facts. Uh jumping right into our why don't you chill? Icebreaker. If you could direct or act in any movie with any three actors that are alive in history, who are you casting and what genre is the movie?
SPEAKER_02Yeah, I would definitely direct. Okay. That's what that's that's where my most passion lies. I would love to direct something with I'm gonna go with Jamie Foxx. Okay, because I just think I just think his range is just he just can do so many different types of things. And he's probably one of the most talented uh individuals on this earth. The most talented for sure.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, uh, so I would go with Jamie Foxx. Um let's do Chris Brown.
SPEAKER_02Okay, okay, okay. For some of the same reasons. Like these these people are just like, I feel like, as far as like how much talent did God has blessed them with inside of their vessel. Facts. Like, I can have I have a limited, I have unlimited possibilities on which way we can go. Right. If you look if you look at the their body of works. And then I'm uh for the third one, I'm gonna go with my homeboy, RJ Kyler, who's uh recently he's in a he's in a uh show with Kiki Palmer, that's the burbs. He was in uh Power Ranger film. Yeah, um he was in um let's see, he was in uh uh uh what was that uh that that that uh Jesus, that black Jesus movie that just came out a couple years ago.
SPEAKER_03Um I know what you're talking about with Lakeith uh Lake Stanfield. I know what you're talking about.
SPEAKER_02So he was in a couple movies with Lakeith, The Heart of They Fall, that was a Western, a Black Western movie. Okay, the uh the you know that that other movie with Lakeith. So RJ Kyler, that's my homie. He's super talented. I can't wa I mean the world has already seen a lot of his work, but I just I just don't think they really know like really how talented he is. And like he I think he's the next like the guy Samuel L, Denzel. I wouldn't be surprised in the few in in the within the next five years if he's nominated for an Oscar or an Emmy or something like that of that caliber. He definitely deserves it. So yeah, Jamie Pops. Yeah, all of them have range. Yeah, they have range. That range. So um man, as far as what genre that would be, uh I the reason why I picked them is because we could do anything.
SPEAKER_04Yeah, yeah, yeah.
SPEAKER_02Um, but maybe I would go um uh I mean my main lane is comedy. I probably would do a comedy with all of them. Okay, but if I really wanted to just like it uh like because I have all of them, I would really stretch the range and probably do something that's a drama thriller. Okay. Uh yeah, just because like I wouldn't want to waste that much talent on just the comedy that I could do, you know. So it's like, okay, I got all three of them. We gotta just really go for the Oscar.
SPEAKER_03Oh uh, you know, there's a specific filming right there. You gotta be strategic with the Oscar for sure. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Yeah.
SPEAKER_01So yeah.
SPEAKER_03That's what's up. That's what's up. So let's uh let's get to know you. Like, where are you from? Where'd you grow up? What was your neighborhood like? How did we get on this path?
SPEAKER_02Yeah, but um, let's see. Well, I'm from Detroit. Um, the neighborhood, I mean, I grew up, I I grew up with, you know, I had my mom, my parents were divorced, um, but cool. They, you know what I'm saying? The cool kind of divorce, like were they still friends, and and it really, it really wasn't affecting um how they how they co-parented.
SPEAKER_03Okay.
SPEAKER_02But, you know, Detroit is Detroit. It's the it's the you take the good and the bad and you get the products. The the people to come out of it is like we it's is because of what is because of Detroit. We come out of it the way we are because of Detroit. And so it's a lot of hustle, it's a lot of culture, it's a lot of, you know what I'm saying, just um people that are ambitious, um, and people that are are just just willing to work hard as a hardworking town. So yeah, I'm from Detroit. Um, around like around high school, my family, we moved to um the like the suburb of Detroit, a suburb of Detroit. So then uh huge cultural shock for me because I've grown up from zero to 14 in an in a Detroit, I think is probably the most black populated city in the United States, like 99% African American. Sure. As far as I know. So when you when you when you're moving from like, okay, I'm 99%, it's 99% African American, and then boom, all of a sudden I'm thrust into uh an environment in a school system that's 99% white. Yeah, you know what I'm saying? It was just a culture shock from from the beginning. Um always did well in school, so that wasn't an issue, but it was just like, okay, um social. Um I think that affected like my social, but I've always been kind of like an observer of humanity and an observer of the world and kind of adaptable to my environments. But I think that move kind of is what made me um who I am as far as like being able to adapt to uh you know being in different environments because it's like okay, I was in Detroit for my first 14 years of my life, and then all of a sudden I'm in uh Canton, which is a suburb of Detroit, which is you know what I'm saying, 90 90% white. So I think I'm just looking back and like, oh, that probably shaped who I am because I'm I'm coming from two different worlds and now I'm product, I'm a product of both of those.
SPEAKER_03Yeah, for sure. Now, did you go Detroit surrounding areas are known for like performance arts high school? Did you go to a performance art high school?
SPEAKER_02No, I didn't go to a performance art high school. Um, but I will say as far as like how like what inspired me to, you know, be a creative and be in the entertainment industry today, um my mom was a huge film buff. Okay. We would just, you know, when you when you growing up and we we we didn't have much film me, but we but as far as like the experiences that I had, like, invaluable, rich as hell as far as like love and experiences. But she was a huge film buff, and we would just, I just remember nights just binge watching marathons. We have marathons and popcorn and pizza, and just we just have a marathon of different films that she grew up watching, films that are in the in the 80s and the 90s that that we all wanted to watch. So um we always watch the Oscars every year together as a family. Okay, um, so I'm just growing up like watching the Oscars. I'm like, damn, I wanna we'll be a part of this one day. It just and her love for her love for movie TV and movies, it just kind of led into me. Um and and you know, being it also being from Detroit, you don't really know what the what the possibilities are, what the options are. Like I didn't know you can be a filmmaker. Right. You feel me? Like uh you see the actors, then you start to learn about the directors eventually, but it's like in the beginning, you like you don't really know that like okay, this somebody like pro is the producer of this, and somebody is the writer and director of this, and somebody like that's a this is a job that you can have as a filmmaker. That was never like my thought process growing up. I'm like, oh, uh how do you how do you be a part of it? Like, really, everyone just wanted to be an actor.
SPEAKER_03Yeah, because you don't you don't even know none of this exists. Yeah, I didn't I didn't really know that much.
SPEAKER_02Um, but I will say, like, in school, I was always um active in extracurriculars that involved um whatever, like if uh if if say my middle school had like the uh you know the the announcements in the morning and the news. We had like a little news team for the for my middle school, and like, okay, how did how did the sports team do it? What was the news? What's the weather? Okay. So I was always a part of like okay, the production that puts together the announcements for the school. Um, if there was a play, I was in a couple plays, kind of like in elementary and middle school. So just kind of warming up. Um, and then coming from a church family too, I was always in like choir or church plays and things like that. So um just kind of like I think a lot of folks, especially coming from Detroit or even just Michigan, it like the black towns in Michigan in general, is very church heavy. So that culture, that culture is like is is one is just like you know about the gifts of God, and you know, and you know that like we all have these talents, and then and and then coming up in church culture, you get to like exercise those in a way that you normally wouldn't wouldn't be able to because there's always programs for us to shine and have talent shows and have just different opportunities. Um, and then you get to see um I I will say like you get to see people performing every week. You feel me? You get to see people performing every week. Now we're performing for the Lord, but we, you know what I'm saying? We're we're doing it for the Lord, but you get to see it like, oh wow, she's an incredible vocalist. Yeah, yeah, they take it seriously. There's a lot of incredible, incredible vocalists in the in the in your in your neighborhood church. Yes, yes, and so it's a lot of incredible actors in your neighborhood Easter play. So I think that uh that those are the kind of things that inspired me. Um and then in high school, same thing. I just tried to stay active in whatever creative opportunities that were that were available as you know, extracurriculars.
SPEAKER_03Nice now. What was the start? What was the first project that got you behind the camera, directing, filming, and on your path?
SPEAKER_01How did you get there? Um first start, I would say college.
SPEAKER_02Okay. Um when I when I got to Western, you know, shout out to the Broncos. Um go Broncos. Uh but when I got to Western, I don't really know what I wanted to major in because uh again, I didn't know I didn't I wasn't really fully uh I guess a believer that like filmmaker was a career. Okay. Feel me? Um and just coming from you know a black family, like we they want our my family wanted us to just you know go to school and get something that they knew was gonna be able to make a lot make good money. Yeah, you know, like go to college, get a good job, go make some money, you know what I'm saying? Get into that thing. So kind of being, you know, being in entertainment was like not really like that. Wasn't an option. Like, okay, you want to sing, you wanna like, and so I originally I came to I actually came to Western on a vocal music scholarship because I was in choir in high school. What? Okay. Exactly. Not shocks the mics. No one knows. No one knows. Yeah, my voice changed. Well about about 1920, my voice started to change, get a little deeper. I wasn't able to hit the notes the same, but I still could carry a tune, whatever. But in high school, I was very active in in uh in the choir. Okay. Um and I and also growing up, I was in church choir. Um, my parents are uh the ministers of music at at church. Okay. So I was always in in the uh in the music growing up. So come to Western on a Vulcan Music Scholarship. Um and then didn't really know what I was a major in. So I think I was like a general major the first year, and then I realized like, okay, there's a TV and media studies uh uh you know curriculum. So boom, I joined that, and that's kind of where I got my start, and I'm you know, I started to meet some of my you know, some of my peers on campus that were interested in the same thing.
SPEAKER_03Okay.
SPEAKER_02Um got with Kenny, um, and we just started shooting skits. We started shooting skits with, you know, Kenny and the brush.
SPEAKER_04Yeah.
SPEAKER_02We started shooting skits, and those were my first thing. Uh I think I don't even remember what my first actual skit was. I got with Tremaine, and he was riding skits, so we were we shot some skits. Um there was a couple different programs on the campus where like, okay, we were doing they were doing like wildin' out, and then they needed skits for wilding out. So I was always just like the the person like, oh, y'all doing a we doing a comedy thing, let me write, let me shoot some skits. Or we doing a uh Divine Nine needs a promo video, let me shoot the promo video. So I was doing stuff like that. I don't know, I think my first one was either with Tremaine in Kenny, or I know J. Cam was running for Homecoming King, and that might have been one of my one of my first ones.
unknownJ.
SPEAKER_02Cam was running for Homecoming King, and he needed a promo video, and I think he had an idea, and I kind of shot and directed it. So either between J Cam's video and Tremaine's skits and KP skits, that's kind of where I first got started, like behind the camera, like writing and directing and editing um comedy skits. And then from there, me, me and KP still at Western, we got with our other homeboy Stan, who's a filmmaker, and we made a we made a short film. Okay. We entered it into the uh there's like a Kalamazoo 24-hour film festival, and boom, we entered it to the Kalamazoo 24-hour film festival, swept all the awards, and that's when I knew, like, oh, we might be kind of good at this. And then we then we can we came back the next year, entered again, swept all the awards again, and I was like, okay, yeah. Um, that's that's when I was like, I'm seriously um I'm trying to gonna try to do this like for real, for real.
SPEAKER_03That's dope. Now, what led you leaving Western Michigan and going out and going to Hollywood and pursuing it? Like, was that tough? Like, how did you come to that decision? How was it when you got there?
SPEAKER_01Tough.
SPEAKER_03That was all God, bro.
SPEAKER_04Okay.
SPEAKER_02That was all God. Trust me. So still, I ended up I end up uh leaving Western. I was working for um So I think when you came at Western, I was still at Western, but I wasn't in school anymore, I was working. Yeah. So um Yeah, you was around very seldomly.
SPEAKER_03Yeah.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, I was I was working at first I was working in Lansing for the state of Michigan doing uh this was like when social media first came to corporations, and they were like, oh, we need a social media presence. Okay. So the state of Michigan needed like a Facebook presence, and I was like work, I was like, got hired up there by a bruh. He worked in Lansing. Um he worked in Lansing for the state of Michigan, he had a high title, whatever. He was like, and I would just hit him like, hey, Frat, hey Frat, uh, I heard you you, you know what I'm saying? Give me a job. All right. He got me a job.
SPEAKER_03That's what's so shout out to the bruh.
SPEAKER_02Like again, got me a job up there, and that started my uh kind of started my career in kind of marketing, right? Then for there, I moved to Detroit for like a couple years, right after I left Western. Um, I was working in Lansing for like a year, and then boom, I moved to Detroit. I was working for General Motors in the marketing department at General Motors, doing content marketing for General Motors. Okay, and I had a really good job. I ain't gonna hold you. Working downtown Detroit in the uh Renaissance Center. Um I'm living downtown on the waterfront, beautiful condo. It was like a beautiful condo.
SPEAKER_03It was like a hotel, but it was like where they lived. I was like, this is crazy.
SPEAKER_02People lived in my building were judges, attorneys, red wings players, lions, like restaurants, all types of stuff in there. Everybody that's popping in Detroit, that people lived in that building. Um but I had a, you know, so I had a LaCondo in this building. Boom, I'm living good. Like, as far as like the dream that my parents wanted, this was it. Okay. Now I got a good corporate job working for General Motors, who they love because this is a Detroit company. And it, you know what I'm saying? So I'm I'm I'm working downtown, living downtown, living good. I'm young, I got a nice marketing career. And so worked worked there for maybe two, three years, and then I still wasn't feeling fulfilled, bro. And I wasn't feeling fulfilled in my creative, I wasn't feeling fulfilled in my passion and my purpose. And so I knew that I that I still wanted to pursue uh um television and film, and I knew the only way to do that was to move to uh California, but I still I but I still was just like, whatever. This is good right now, let me just you know keep doing this, tax the money, and then I swear to you, God, I heard God as clear as I can ever, and he told me a date, and it was March 26th, and he was like, You moved March 26th, you move into Los Angeles. I'm like, but how I don't like, how I don't have nowhere to this was like this was like December. This was like December 2014, and it's like March 26, March uh March 2015, you're moving.
SPEAKER_04That's a quick turnaround, yeah. Well
SPEAKER_02Three months away. That's three months away. I don't have no job. I don't have no leads. I don't have the only person I know is Kenny there. Um and plus, I already got a good situation right here. Yeah. Boom. But and I continued to be in my spirit. And then I told my mom, and I waited till maybe like mid-January, and I was like, hey, told everybody in my family, in March, I'm moving to uh LA. And they thought I was crazy. They thought I was stupid. They thought I was dumb. They thought it was the dumbest idea. And it was just like, why would you do that?
SPEAKER_03Make sure you would make sure you played them that intro I just gave you uh five minutes ago.
SPEAKER_02They're like, Do you have a do you have a job? No, I don't have a job. Do you have an interview? I don't have an interview. Do you what are you gonna do for money? What are you gonna do for housing? What are you gonna do? I I don't know. Yeah. So that's what I'm saying. That's the biggest like leap of faith that I've ever done because I was already set up with a good situation and I had nothing out here. And um I just had I just had this date in my in my heart, in my spirit that I heard and I knew. And I was just like, all right, well, let's do it. And so I was like, if it's gonna work, if it's meant to be, then it's gonna work out. And just things were lining up for me that when that day came, it just happened. I was ready and I was just I was just out. And now when I got there, boom, it's still a journey because I didn't have nothing still.
SPEAKER_04Yeah, yeah.
SPEAKER_02But I'm I'm I'm just telling you that that to say it was not really planned. It was not really planned. I was like three-month notice, and I was out.
SPEAKER_03When you got to LA, what was it like? What was your first experiences?
SPEAKER_02Um, I had visited a few times, so I kind of knew what the vibe was. Okay, and so checked it out. I had already, I had I had met a few people that I knew were kind of um getting started, getting started in film and TV. And and KP, you know, KP's a social butterfly, so he kind of had a network set up, so that was a blessing. Um, but I one, I was kind of it's kind of uh surreal to, you know, I kind of grow up and looking at Hollywood your whole life and then finally like be here and then you're just kind of looking around. I'm like, I want to see everything. Yeah, yeah. I want to go on Hollywood Boulevard and walk to the Walk of Fame and see all the stars on the sidewalk, and I want to go to where they made Boys in the Hood at and see where they shot Ricky, and I want to go to where they made Friday at and see where that. I wanted to go, I wanted to see all the sites that you could possibly see. So I'm my first day, I'm in, I'm in, I'm I'm in South Central.
SPEAKER_04Oh wow.
SPEAKER_02Okay, I'm in South Central because I wanted to see what it was like. I'm in comp I'm going to all the spots you ain't supposed to go to. Right. I'm in South Central. I'm like, what's up? Where's the boys in the hood, Alley? What's up? Where's Compton at? Where's the and then I'm but I'm in, but I'm in Hollywood, I'm in, I'm in Beverly Hills, I'm in, I went to all the places from the hood to the to the wealth. Right. Just because I wanted to take in that energy from all of it and just and just feel what it was like. Um but then when I got out here and start and started like, okay, well, now we gotta make something happen. Um I went back to my roots, which was you know, shooting skits. And I was like, I know how I know I know how to make comedy, I know I know how to shoot these joints. This was at the pinnacle of where like vine was cracking. Okay. And so uh we were just able to network with a bunch of vineers. Um and this was like the right when the truth they transitioned from Vine to Instagram, and Instagram skits really first took off. We just happened to be at the right time in the right place, where like everybody's transitioning from Vine to Instagram, and here we are, the guys that want to shoot these joints every day. And so I was able to help a lot of Vine people transition because they're just used to shooting, um, and Vine was like, I think like six seconds, like the video can only be six seconds, so everybody's getting famous just doing like this for six seconds. They didn't really know how to make longer form content, and so I took a lot of bonders and I helped them like um kind of create their brand as a longer form content creator. Um, just because I had the skills of a writer and a and a and a producer, I was just like, hey, we could you you got the followers, yeah, but I know how I know what storytelling is. I know what, you know what I'm saying? I know how to I know how to frame what you're doing and make it into a full-pledge, like you're gonna have people hooked. So I took a lot of honors um and a lot of uh comedians and helped them make longer form content and just like that's what me and KP we kind of took off in the skit world.
SPEAKER_03Do you remember like your first like skit that hit? Do you remember what it was or how I felt? Hmm.
SPEAKER_02The first skit I shot out here was with creators. Man, it's crazy that we've been friends this long. And a lot of people that I'm that I that I shot with in the beginning, they've all kind of blown up now.
SPEAKER_04Yeah, yeah, yeah, for sure.
SPEAKER_02So first first get I shot out here was with uh creator John Jahan Jones and Terrence Green, Terrence Rosswagger, Rosswagger Green. Um Terrence, I think he's on tour with Neo now. He's been on uh a bunch of stuff. He's been on a bunch of stuff. And Jahan is a you know a comedian, actor, producer. Um both of like Jahan has millions of followers on every platform. I think Terrence does too. Um but they both kind of just blew up in Skit World, and then from there continued to flourish their careers as uh outside into mainstream uh TV TV media. Um but those were the that's what that was the first skit I shot was with Terrence and Jahan. I think we were in a barber shop. Um and I think we did maybe like three skits that day. Um I just re- I don't remember I don't remember how well they did. I think they did pretty well, but I just remember that experience of like, man, we thought that was so cool back then. That was everybody's first one. That was everybody's kind of like first ones doing them because they had came from Bind. Right. So it was like it was it was new to all of us, and it was just cool experience. We felt like we was, we felt like we was uh John Singleton or like, you know what I'm saying? Because we had the cameras out. We try to be, we try to make it, you know what I'm saying? We try to be serious, we try to have the cameras out, we try to do right. Um so yeah, that that that the first joints were john and terren, shout out to them for believing uh in all of us. Shout out to all of us for believing in ourselves.
SPEAKER_03I was gonna say, yeah, for sure.
SPEAKER_02We just started. That's the thing. We just we didn't know, we didn't have all the answers, we just started.
SPEAKER_03Now, what were the most difficult parts that have been so far for you as far as directing and filmmaking? What's been your challenges?
SPEAKER_02Challenging is is really like not having um a mentor and not having kind of a uh uh a roadmap, not having a roadmap. Yeah, and so I can you know what I'm saying? Like you kind of make the you kind of make the roadmap for yourself, and now if I know if I was to go back and do it again, I know what the roadmap is because I've I walked the road. I walked a bunch of different roads, and now I know which road, like how I would have how I would redo it. Um but yeah, not having a not having a roadmap, um, but even not having the mindset to know that I needed a roadmap, and not having the mindset to know that I needed, you know, to connect with folks that could guide me or um or or or do my or do my research myself where I can get my create my own roadmap before I you know before I went too far. But sometimes like when you just go and don't even know no better, yeah. Like you end up stumbling into the right kind of situations and it and and sometimes you hold yourself back when you're trying to overthink. Um but I think you know the the difficult part of like trying to be a director and and producer and in Hollywood, not having a roadmap, not knowing exactly what to do, not having the res re not having the the network and the connections.
SPEAKER_01Um but you know, you make your own connections and you be and you be the connector, and and and that leads you to you know the next the next level.
SPEAKER_03Now as a filmmaker, because this baffles me, how do you get the resources to create a film? Like I would say, like for me, like I took six months to stack my my money and then bought all my podcast equipment and just dove in headfirst. Like you said, no roadmap, no nothing. But like I don't are actors just like coming to the city. But now look at you now.
SPEAKER_02You feel me?
SPEAKER_03You think you like 200 episodes in or something like that? Yeah, 200, yeah, for sure. Yeah.
SPEAKER_02And so now you and now like you know. Yeah. Now I now if I want to get started, I will call you. You feel me? Because it's like you already made mistakes, you done already kind of got the uh this the standard operating procedures kind of down, like you know how how the flow of it goes. Facts. I think that's exactly it.
SPEAKER_01It's kind of like believing yourself, invest in yourself, um, and just and just start, and just start and just fail, and just make mistakes, and just make more mistakes.
SPEAKER_02But but but get better every time you make more mistakes, and just like okay, and you make something, and at first is really not that good, but you like it because you made it. Facts, it's it's your baby. It got it got done. You feel me? And it's like, okay, I know that I can do this again, and I'm gonna be better next time. I'm gonna be better the next time. So I think I think that I that was exactly what we did, what you did, is just kind of believe believe enough to stack my money and put my money into into it and say, hey, this is my last thousand dollars, I'm gonna buy a camera. And then this is my last, whatever, I'm gonna get the microphone to go with it, and I'm gonna just shoot, I'm gonna shoot stuff, and then it and I'm not gonna know how to shoot it properly, but I'm gonna learn. And uh it's it sounds like okay, that's not gonna work, but that's that's that's really what you have to do is um not make excuses to not start. And yes, of course, ask questions to somebody who's done it before. That's like what I would definitely do if I had to do it over. I would be like, okay, you because along the way I found different mentors, and I'm like, oh wait, you're a producer, you've been doing this for 15 years. Help me. Yeah, give me, and not help me by give me some money or give me a job, or but help me be but just let me ask you some questions. Facts. Let me ask you some questions, give me some advice. What did you do? How would I how what would you do if you were in my situation? How did you, you know, how would you navigate this? And along the way, you just like continue to be able to tap into people that have have walked your path or some version of your path and get their advice, and you don't have to take every bit of advice because some people are jaded from the industry themselves. And so, but you get but you get that information and you can do what you want. You have you have to use your own discernment on how you want to use that information, but having that information is like the most valuable key that you can have.
SPEAKER_01That's what's up.
SPEAKER_03Now, talk about the bad, and we gotta talk about the good, you know what I'm saying? What have been the uh what have been the amazing parts? Like, I mean, you're in television and film, there has to be like amazing things that have happened for you so far.
SPEAKER_02Definitely, man, just get in to meet and work with some of the most talented people in the world, getting to meet some of my heroes, getting to meet some of the people that I've always uh been inspired by. Um and that's been huge because every and anytime I get to meet somebody that I was inspired by to create, um I one, I never like let the opportunity slip by without telling them thank you for the ins. Like you don't even know that you touched my life. I wouldn't even be in LA if I wasn't watching in Living Color. You feel me? Yeah. But because you made a Living Color, thank you. And then I'm gonna ask you a question. You know, I'm gonna ask you something that like that I can hold that I can hold inside of me that can never be taken away from me. That's not that I'm not gonna ask you for, hey, can you can you hire me on your set? No, I'm gonna ask you for something that I can hold forever. And that would just be the information on how did you do it and what what should I do. So, yeah, some of the amazing parts, meeting some incredible actors, directors, producers that I looked up to that I never would have thought, like, man, we're sitting on the same couch. And that's what you gotta realize is that when you're, I guess like when you're in Michigan and and you and you're just watching people on TV, you don't realize that like I guess you do, I mean some people do. You realize that okay, they're just like me. Yeah. They're just like they're no different than they're no different than us. They're niggas just like us. And they're like, and they're men just like us, and they go through stuff just like us, and they're cool. Some of them are cool, some of them are assholes, and that's just how everybody is, and every every everywhere you go. Every facet of life, for sure.
SPEAKER_03Yeah.
SPEAKER_02But it it is cool to realize, like, oh damn, you just you're just a regular nigga, just like my niggas.
SPEAKER_04Yeah.
SPEAKER_02Okay, cool. Like, we can do this then, because it's like it's nothing that there's nothing more special than to than you than us.
SPEAKER_03And and um Who are some of those like people that inspired you that you didn't meet?
SPEAKER_02Man, I got to be really cool with Benley Kyle Evans, who's the creator, uh, who's the creator and producer of the Martin Lawrence show. Okay, and he and and the Jamie Fox show, and a bunch of stuff he created is are the things that inspired me to write comedy and and and be out here. And so um Benley has helped me a lot as far as just being a mentor, um, showing me the play on how he's an independent creator and how he creates his own shows and he doesn't have to rely on the networks. And he makes the he makes the shows in his studio with his team, and then he sells it to them, and his whole business model is something I aspire to be like. Um, because he was in the studio system with the Martin Lawrence show and the Jamie Foxx show, and then he got out, and then he created his own. Basically, he's the he has his own Tyler Perry situation of sitcoms, though. You feel me? So he has his own Tyler Perry situation of sitcoms where he allows me to go to his studios and shadow him, and he allows me to, you know, and then and and um the talent that he has on his sets, he has Columbus Short, he has Jamie Foxx, like um I I I met Jamie Jamie Foxx, I've met um Martin Lawrence, I've met um let's see, who else have uh gotten to work with?
SPEAKER_01Man, there's just so many people. Um in in TV and film and music.
SPEAKER_02Uh let's see, I've I've gotten to meet uh um Snoop Dog and Kelly Clarkson and Tori Kelly and you know um Tyrese and all the Wayneans, and you know what I'm saying, it's just a lot of folks, so it's just like damn, it's crazy. Couldn't imagine it, huh?
SPEAKER_01That's it.
SPEAKER_02I can I can go on and on about you know the celebrity names, I could keep name dropping, but it's just like that's uh been one of the greatest parts. It's like some people I just you know I meet here and there, I just meet them and then it's never again, but some people I meet and like now we know each other. You feel me? And I'm able to have their phone number or talk to them every time I see them in because we're in the same spots. So yeah. That's what's up.
SPEAKER_01Having a relationship is is been great.
SPEAKER_02Another great thing is just being able to uh have see my progress unfold and see the faith that I've had be, you know, be fulfilled. When you read that uh intro, I'm like, wow, that's crazy. If you would have told me that, you know, if you would if you would have told my mom that, you feel me, that this is what was gonna happen, they would have been like, okay, well, how much do you do you need us to put in put down? We can put a little bit for it, you feel me? Because like if I would have told myself 10 years ago that 10 years later this is what we'd be talking about, then I would have had no, I would have had no doubt. I would have had no, I would have been like, let's go. Can we go today? Can we go tomorrow? Was good. All right. But that's not how it works. That's not how it works. Got that right. You don't get to see that, how it's gonna unfold. You just have to believe that it's gonna unfold, and you gotta take a step, then you gotta take another step, you gotta take another step, and then you look up in 10 years, and then you're on the copacetic hour.
SPEAKER_03Facts, facts. Oh, yeah. That's the hardest part, like uh not knowing that what you're passionate about is gonna work out. You know what I'm saying? Like you you'll do it anyway because you are passionate about it, but like you really wanna most people don't get to live in a world where they get to do their passion as their main thing that supports them. You know what I'm saying? They get to get up and go to work and have doing something that's not only providing for you, but being therapeutic to you in a way. Like it's amazing.
SPEAKER_02Absolutely, yeah. It's definitely amazing to be able to be like, oh, I'm a filmmaker, and this is like what I really do. And so so many years I've had uh what do they call it? Um imposter syndrome about who I am and what I do and what it and and how to really like own that and live that and not be ashamed to say that, and I feel like, oh, I'm just I ain't doing it like they doing it, so I ain't really doing it. Like, nah. You feel me? You're doing it. Because you're doing it, and then the sooner that you know that, the sooner that you can level up in that.
SPEAKER_03When y'all, when y'all both, when you and Kenny, when y'all uh got out here and y'all started doing your skits and then y'all started releasing movies and stuff, I was like, man, that is that's cool. You know what I'm saying? Like, it inspired me while I was in school, like, these are people that I know, like, you know, so I got their phone number. You know what I'm saying? Like, so that definitely inspired me for sure.
SPEAKER_02Definitely that's been a highlight too. So many people have told me how what you know what we're doing is an inspiration to them. Um, I've been able to help hundreds of creators, um, whether whatever they want to do. I'm all I've always been a resource to other creators where they can reach out to me. And if they want to learn how to shoot skits, they can come to my house and shoot skits. If they want to learn how to edit, pull up, I'll show you how to edit. They want to learn how to whatever produce, direct, I've always been a resource. Um, I've all I've always lent out my advice, I've always lent out my, you know, like I've always tried to be what I needed, what I needed someone to be for me when I was coming up. And so I'm like, okay, if anybody I can help inspire or motivate or educate or whatever, help you help me, we can help each other, we can create together, whatever. Yeah, um, I've tried to be be that, and uh, so many creators have uh you know told me that thank you. Thank you because I inspired them, or thank you because I created a space for them to get started, or thank you because whatever. And so that's been one of the biggest wins as well.
SPEAKER_03Oh, that's 100% facts. Now the future. What is if you could uh we just talked that you can't map it out, but if you could map it out, you know what I'm saying? Dreams come true. What are your goals of like the highest success you want to reach and what steps are you think you can take to get there?
SPEAKER_02That's a tough one because this is I'm at a point in life where this changes for me like all the time, and I'm just like, where do I want to take this? And I see how the industry how the industry's changing and shifting, yeah, and things in Hollywood are not the same, and you you have to be adaptable to what's happening. You can't be so Tunnel vision that you don't see that, like we're in an era where the world is changing very fast. AI exactly. So whenever you're in an era in a time like that, you don't want to get left behind by being so like okay, I still I have this old vision, and it's like your old vision can still live inside of this new world, and it can even be more amplified. And so I try not to put a cap on what where my where my ceiling can go. But of course, some things that I do want to accomplish is like I want to do, I want to direct network television, of course. Um, and that's not that's not too that's not too far of a goal. I have that's that's something that I can see the path for right now. That's that's I see the path where like, okay, I can go do this and that and that, and I can connect with this person, I can be in network TV. And so, yeah, I would definitely love to be at these award shows. You know, I would definitely like to be included at these award shows. I don't know what capacity yet, but also I feel like these award shows are kind of losing their aura. They're kind of losing their aura, they're kind of losing their steam, they're kind of losing like their importance and their value. And that's what that's what I mean. It's like that's the old Hollywood. And it's nostalgic, but I don't know that it's really gonna hold up in this new generation. Like, do they really care? I have a daughter, I have a son now, um, and things that like I because I grew up watching Hollywood, the the Academy Awards, and that's just a dream that I had to be, I that I have that I want to be at the Academy Awards. But also my passion extends beyond just being a filmmaker. Like, I'm not just a filmmaker, I'm a creator, I'm an entrepreneur, I'm a visionary, I'm a I'm I'm more than just a filmmaker, and I have more things going on, and so I would be okay with putting this on the side for a second to you know pursue my other aspirations as far as like being an entrepreneur, and and and you mentioned AI, and I think that's a there's a huge opportunity for black people in tech. And um I think there's um I just think like there's an opportunity for wealth to be shifted right now and new wealth to new new people to come into wealth, and I don't want black folks to miss out on that on that opportunity of like, okay, this is a period of time where it's like a whole bunch of new millionaires can be made right now. Right, black people should be in the center in the center of the mix of that, and so definitely entrepreneurship, definitely tech, definitely like AI focused uh goals and aspirations, and uh and figuring out how that works with uh as a creator, you know, like yeah, okay, so tech and AI are taking over. How is that factor into me as a filmmaker and storyteller and content creator? What can we do to utilize this technology to you know make us all more money, yeah, and and offload the workflow of what we do as creators um because that's essentially what AI has come in to be our helper to um you know offload work that is tedious for humans to do that, you know what I'm saying, that we that we that that we don't that we don't necessarily want to do. I know it's like okay, I think it's a huge opportunity for independent creators like yourself and my and myself because like we don't have the money and the resources that studios have to pay a hundred editors to chop up our clips. Yeah. You feel me? So it's like, oh, okay, now I have a I now have more helpers because I can utilize this technology to do that for me. And so I want to utilize the technology to offload my work and help me level up as an independent studio, you know, that I am, and um, and then those things along with you know getting me into television directing and and you know, and and what comes next in my film career, my filmmaker, and my television career. Yeah, all of that. I want to I want to be able to combine all of that.
SPEAKER_03This week's episode is sponsored by the design lab at Shutter Shock and Co. From logos and business cards to invitations and custom tees, the design lab is your one-stop shop for graphics. The design lab is the sole creator for copesthetic merchandise available now. Use your promo code Copashetic for 10% off your copesthetic merchandise. Shop now using the link in our bio. Back to the podcast. Moving into our next segment. Storytime. All right. So tell us a story from beginning to end of something crazy or amazing that happened to you that you experienced since you've been on your journey.
SPEAKER_02Man, okay. I'm gonna tell the story how I met and smoked with Wiz Khalifa.
SPEAKER_03Okay. Okay. Legendary weed smoker, okay.
SPEAKER_02Legendary weed smoker. So I'm just um, I was asleep in my bed. And it's like what?
SPEAKER_04Okay.
SPEAKER_02It's probably like 8 a.m., okay? Okay. And then I'm in the bed, it's 8 a.m. I might have a little, I might have had a little chick in the bed with me, I think, at that time. Um, yeah. And so I wake up because I hear a lot of like noise in my house. I'm like, it's like, I feel like it's like 50 people in the living room or something. It's like, okay, so I'm like, what? Who the like, but it's not unusual because at my house at this time, we used to shoot skits, and people used to like use our house to um as a set. Okay. Feel me? So it could be like, okay, one of the homies pulled up, and maybe he got some people over here shooting a skit, so but it's early. This is normally not the time or the day. So I get so I so I'm like, okay, well, maybe let me get dressed. I mean, and then I hear a voice and I recognize the voice immediately. I'm like, oh shit, that sounds like Wiz Khalifa. I'm like, no, but there's no way that Wiz Khalifa's in my living room right now. Right. So I'm like, okay, let me put on some clothes. Let me have, let me freshen up and whatever. Put on some clothes, go out in the living room, Wiz Khalipa sitting on my couch. Okay. Like, just sitting on my couch and meet at the crib where me and my boy, my homeboys at KP stays. And you just woke up, that's crazy. I just woke up and I'm like, am I still dreaming? Am I what is going on? Like, it's like Wiz and like a couple of his homies are in the living room talking. And so I'm like, KP, what come here? What's going on? Right. Yeah, oh yeah, I forgot to tell you. I'm like, nigga, well, you forgot to tell me what? You're like, oh, uh, so uh one of Wiz's one of Wiz's uh homies, uh Chevy is an artist.
SPEAKER_01Uh name is Chevy, he's a rapper.
SPEAKER_02And Chevy, um, Chevy had hit up someone that we that we know and was like, hey, do you have a house where I can shoot you know part of my music video at? And then so uh that dude hit KP and was like, hey yeah, Chevy wants to shoot his music video there. He didn't know that Wiz was gonna come too. Okay. So he's like, yeah, uh, my homie Chevy wants to shoot his music video at your house. Cool. KP forgot to tell me there was a music video happening at our house. But he also didn't know that Wiz was gonna come too. So then we so I get I'm like, damn, Wiz is sitting there on the couch. So I was just like, I wanna, I want to go say what up to him. I want to go say what up to him. Uh but I but I'm but I'm kind of green in LA. We knew still. We just we had a our house is just like a it's like nigga. Our house is just very humble and modest and very just like a frat house. Anyway, KP's like, oh, Chevy uh actually used the house for the video. Yep. I'm like, well, Whiz is over there, I'm about to go say what's up. So I just go over there, I sit uh, I just sit on the couch next to him, and I just I didn't say anything. I I was just like I was kind of nervous. I didn't know what to say.
SPEAKER_03Trying to play cool. Yeah, trying to play cool.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, it was it was it he's he's somebody that you know I really respect. I look I I love his music, I love you know what he what he brings to kind of weed culture. Yeah. Um and you know, I when when I kind of you know, kind of when like I when I first like was introduced to weed, that's when Wiz was like popping. So he kind of he he's you know he kind of the grandfather of that for me for me or the whatever the big growth to that for me. So I just sit on the couch next to him, I'm just like sitting there like this. I didn't really need to say anything. And then Wiz just like has his joint, and then he just like passed it over to me, and I was like, thank you. And it was just for me, it was nothing to him, but for me, nigga, I'm smoking with Wiz Khalifa, and this nigga just passed me his joint, and it was no words said, and then after that, the rest of the day, he we laughing. Wiz is like, he's very charismatic. He's telling jokes, he's telling stories, he's giving us all kinds of stories and all kinds of jokes, and it's just it's just a great day. One of those days I always remember like nigga, I smoke with Wiz Khalifa. He passed his joint, and then after that, it wasn't it was no worse, it was just like it was almost like a skit.
SPEAKER_03Right, it was just a regular session, like it was just understood.
SPEAKER_02You feel me? All right, and then Wiz was just cool as hell. That nigga's cool. He he tells great stories and he gives good jokes. That's what's up.
SPEAKER_03That's what's up. Yeah, I couldn't imagine just waking up. Wiz is sitting on my couch. Who knows what I just did last night?
SPEAKER_01You know what I'm saying?
SPEAKER_02Like, wow.
SPEAKER_01I'm just like, exactly.
SPEAKER_02I'm just like, what? Miss Khalifa in the live room? What? Yeah, I'm going out there, I'm trying to put on some put on some clothes real quick. Yeah. And it's like, you know, you know, when you got company and you're not ready, uh, but then the company is is whiz, it's like, come on, bro. You gotta like heads up. Get up, man. You gotta give us a heads up.
SPEAKER_03But yeah, that was cool. That was a good day. That's what's up, that's what's up. All right, I got two more questions. So if you could see one person on this podcast, who would it be? Other than obviously Kenny, because I just you know I interviewed Kenny yesterday. But if you could see one person on this podcast, who should I reach out to? Who would you think should be on?
SPEAKER_02Oh, who should you reach out to? I was gonna say, like, I can't wait. I could see like if you having somebody eventually like Will Smith on here or something like that. Like I'm just I'm just like speaking into existence the future for you.
SPEAKER_01But like, um in the in the immediate, in the immediate, who could you have?
SPEAKER_02I could probably refer some folks to you that are that are there that are in my community, like some comedians that I know.
SPEAKER_04Yeah.
SPEAKER_02Some uh some you know, some some some Instagram comedians that I could that I can show, like uh um Jahan Jones, person I shot my first skip with. Okay. You feel me? Yeah, I can see him out here.
SPEAKER_03That's somebody who I I follow uh right now, who I'll be looking at his videos. That'll be what's up. That's what's up.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, yeah. That'd be a good one.
SPEAKER_03Shout out to Jahan Jahan, when you watch this, I'm I'm in your DMs, but I'm not in your DMs. All right, man.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, yeah, I mean, I'm gonna hit him up. I'm gonna hit him up. Send me the send me the info you want me to send to him. I'm gonna I'm gonna hit him up.
SPEAKER_03Bet, bet, bet. All right. Last question. If you could give one piece of advice for someone who's looking to pursue the path that you're on, what would that be?
SPEAKER_02Um DM me. Ask me, ask somebody. Um, but no, no, no, all jokes aside, like um, we kind of touched on it earlier, and really just start. Just like um be relentless, like be uh, you know, perseverance. That's the word. Be, you know what I'm saying? Like decide that this is what you really want to do. Decide. And then take action. And then don't make excuses for not taking action, just take action, and then you're gonna make a lot of mistakes, and then learn from those mistakes and keep doing it. Uh, a lot of people uh someone told me when I first moved out here, the difference between the people that like that make it and the people that didn't make it are the people that didn't quit. You feel me? So it's like people that don't quit, they're eventually they make it. You feel me? So don't quit. Start, don't quit.
SPEAKER_03That's what's up. That's the advice. Words to the wise. Words to the wise. All right, we're gonna end the show there. Uh give them your hit up. Anything you want to promote, anything you got going on, let them know.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, uh, I'm everywhere on socials as at IMBore. I am B More, everyone knows me as B More. Um, what's going on with me? Uh, I got a bunch of films on Tubi and Amazon. Go check those out. I got um Lovers and Friends, Airbnb, Suckers, uh, another love story, Hope Street Holiday. Um, You Married That, Ron Nixon with Lil Fizz, Afraid also has Lil Fizz, Mace. Uh, all of those joints are on Tubi. What's coming up next? Uh, this summer I'll be dropping a film called Play Cousins with Kenny and Problem, Jason Martin. Um, and yeah, stay tuned for Play Cousins coming soon, the movie.
SPEAKER_03Facts. Make sure y'all tune in to Play Cousins. You know what I'm saying? I'll be watching all y'all movies. It's crazy. I'll be seeing y'all on TV. Like, that's just it's my favorite.
SPEAKER_02I can't wait for everybody to see it. I can't everybody wait for everybody to see this next one, Play Cousins. It's funny as hell. Um, and then we, you know, we just keep getting better every time. So it's like, okay, if you didn't watch this far, you might as well watch this next one because it's better.
SPEAKER_03I am your host, five. You can catch me at notorious underscore V-I-G underscore E or hit up the podcast Instagram at the Copacetic Hour. Podcast, TikTok, Copastethic Hour, Podcast, YouTube, Copacetic Hour. Season one will all be on YouTube coming soon. Uh, keep buying your merchandise at www.thecopastetic hour.com. Like I said, that's where it's at. You know, if somebody just bought 20 uh hoodies, you know, I appreciate you, whoever you are, because uh, yeah, that was a big order. I haven't got an order like that before or after. So I thank you. I appreciate you. Hey, you on your way, bro.
SPEAKER_02That that merch is where it's at. Like, yeah, but all the the views, the views lead to m lead to sales.
SPEAKER_03Yeah.
SPEAKER_02And so uh, yeah, I'm I'm I'm glad you figured that out. It's all about having a product that you can have all of this thing, all of this flowing into. And so, yeah, that merch. Please buy the merch, my boy.
SPEAKER_03Thank you, thank you. And that's always please walk by faith, protect your peace, secure your wealth, and define your destiny. Peace.
