JED XO and Music NFTs | We Them EP 9

0:00Maceo: All right. Hello everyone. Welcome to another episode of the We Them Niggas podcast. Today I’m here with Jed, a friend of mine who I made on the internet in my engaging with the music NFT space. And he’s probably the only artist that I’d say I actively listen to that I found through Twitter. And so I’m really excited to be able to collaborate and bring this content together. Jed, thanks for being here with me this morning. I know for you it’s later in the day. What time is it for you?

0:26JED XO: Uh, it’s 2:34 PM right now, so yeah, it’s noon for me.

0:30Maceo: Yes, afternoon. Yeah, for me it’s 9:30. I’m working on my, on my early rising. I’m taking a break from smoking marijuana. I’m trying to give myself more focus, be more present. And one of the major, major benefits of that is that I can be up in the morning like a spring chicken. And so I’m happy to be here with you this morning and not be feeling groggy. And like, really, thanks for being here. Do you want to take a second to introduce yourself?

0:52JED XO: Yeah, uh, it’s nice to be here, you know, always a pleasure hanging out with you, Marcel, and, uh, We Dem Niggas. Um, yeah, I’m, I’m Chad XO. I’m a singer and a songwriter from Lagos, Nigeria. And yeah, that’s, that’s, that’s basically what I do. Uh, I’m gonna be having a, a chat, hoping to enjoy this podcast with Marcel right now. And speaking of which, actually, actually, I heard you say you’re taking a break from, uh, smoking marijuana. Like, how’s that going? How, how long have you gone clean so far?

1:28Maceo: How long have I gone? Yeah, I mean, it’s been like -- I’ve been saying I’m taking a break for a week. It’s been very on and off. I mean, it’s not really been a break, that’s what I would say. I haven’t bought any marijuana, I haven’t bought any weed in the past week. Um, I’m not going to be buying any weed for the next year. That’s my intention, that’s my commitment.

1:45JED XO: Oh wow, cool.

1:46Maceo: And I’m really, I’m really interested in having more discipline around it. interested in like thinking about like, how do I like have more discretion? I feel like in the past I’ve been really impulsive. I smoked like every day from pretty much when I woke up till I went to sleep for the past 4 years, barring like me when I really had a lot of philosophy homework in college, then I would like take my Adderall and like not smoke weed because I couldn’t do both. If I could have, I would have, but it wasn’t a reality.

2:13JED XO: Yeah.

2:14Maceo: And So it’s been like a week, and what I’ve kind of like -- I just came back from Israel. I was in Palestine last week, and there, like, my friend, he was -- I was talking to them about smoking, and I was buying weed, and I was buying it, and it was way more expensive. And I really wasn’t in love with the fact that I was kind of spending a lot of time doing that. I think there was so much more I could have been doing. I was waking up late and stuff like that. So it kind of inspired me to want to just like, you know, be more present in life and not really give up some of the, the agency and like ability to be present that I trade off sometimes when I smoke weed at night. I was waking up at like 4 PM in a different country and I was like, well, this is ridiculous. Like the only thing I’m doing shouldn’t be bar hopping.

2:52JED XO: Right. Yeah.

2:53Maceo: And so I’m interested in kind of making some changes so that I can be more, more present, like I said. And I’m kind of like, when weed comes to me, you know, somebody else offers me to smoke, I might say yes, I might say no. But it’s, it’s more about like Is this going to make me like, am I going -- am I worried about something I have coming up in the next 12 hours? Worried about something I have coming up in the morning? Is this something I really want to do right now? But yeah, it’s been, it’s been going like I’ve been trying to, like I said, acknowledge more where I have resistance to smoking, be less impulsive, be like just trying to develop more self-control and overall just give myself more space to be productive. I feel like I get in my thoughts and I have great ideas and stuff.

3:33JED XO: Yeah.

3:33Maceo: But then I take a nap or then I eat a lot or then I like, it just I think I might get high and have good ideas, but I don’t execute well on them when I’m high.

3:41JED XO: Yeah.

3:41Maceo: And so I’m trying to just give myself more space to focus on executing, focus on shipping, focus on creating content that like it’s going to make me excited, you know, about what I’m up to and like giving myself days that feel fulfilling and not days where I just feel like, like I feel good about like what I was thinking about. That makes sense. So that’s kind of what’s up. That’s where I’m at. And it’s -- I smoked weed yesterday, so I haven’t smoked any weed yet today. I was, I was visiting college friends yesterday. And I smoked some weed before I took the train back home. Um, and because yesterday was Easter, so I went and I saw my great aunt out in West Philadelphia and then had dinner with her. And then I came back to my grandma’s last night and saw my niece, nephew, sister, and my parents were here. And yeah, but the -- like, I’m going to New York this week for NFT NYC, and like, I know that’s really where temptation is going to be, you know?

4:29JED XO: Mm-hmm.

4:29Maceo: Like, I can go into a smoke shop on any street. I’m sure I’ll see people smoking weed at some events I go to. Um, and that’s really like where I know like I don’t want to be in like a professional setting or like a setting where I know like I have like intentions.

4:40JED XO: Yeah.

4:40Maceo: Um, like, like that, that, that like become sidetracked because like I’m higher in my own head or like distracted by substances. So that’s more so what I mean. Like, I don’t want substances to feel like a distraction. Like, if they feel complementary, um, and non-intrusive or invasive, that’s fine. But I also just want to get in the practice of saying no, um, and creating more boundaries between like, like like myself in that because I feel like, like I’m interested in living a life where that’s not like, uh, like, like where I can say no, you know? And I feel like I’m, I’m, I’m way more often a yes than even a considered no. So I’m just trying to give myself more space to take a pause, take a break, take a breather, take a moment, um, to appreciate what it’s like to be sober before I decide I don’t like it enough and like want to smoke something.

5:22JED XO: Yeah, that’s all right. Yeah, that, that definitely makes a lot of sense. I like that, man.

5:30Maceo: I appreciate that. Yeah, self-control. That’s like, I’m trying to be less impulsive and just be more, more, more present, honestly. Um, are you a, are you a big smoker? What’s your, what’s your relationship to marijuana? Like, I listened to your song, you have a song about stone, Super Stone.

5:45JED XO: Yes, Stone Stupid. Yeah, yeah, I smoke.

5:48Maceo: Stone Stupid.

5:49JED XO: Yeah, I smoke, uh, like every day, maybe a joint or 2.

5:56Maceo: Mm-hmm.

5:56JED XO: Yeah.

5:58Maceo: And how, how long has that been a part of your life? I started smoking at like the beginning of my college career, so like I’d say just over 4 years now.

6:04JED XO: For me, it’s been like since like, uh, 20 -- 2013, right? Or 2014. So that’s -- yeah, it’s been a while. It’s been like -- yeah.

6:18Maceo: And how old are you?

6:19JED XO: I’m 26.

6:22Maceo: 26? Yeah, in 2013. So that’s like 10 years.

6:24JED XO: Yeah.

6:26Maceo: And, and, uh, like, what are like, like when you first started smoking, like, like who are the people like that, like, like, like that I guess kind of brought that into your life? Like for me it was like one of my best friends in college. I won’t name drop because I feel like I don’t need to, but like I feel like, uh, I started and then I never looked back.

6:44JED XO: Yeah, for me it was, uh Just, just some friends that I had around, you know, the neighborhood growing up. Yeah. Actually older than me, you know, but I guess I, I wouldn’t say I was influenced by anyone, you know, I just wanted to try it. I don’t know. I don’t know what prompted me to, and I did, you know, and I liked the way it made me feel.

7:10Maceo: I like that. I think that’s very responsible, a very like, yeah, responsible, accountable take on it. I definitely would say, like, I wanted to try it as well, but I feel like, yeah, I could have, I could have had a more mindful approach. I feel like any substance I’ve taken in my life, like whether it was alcohol, I could have been more present to what that was going to be like for me when I first started drinking. Um, to smoking, I could have done a little bit. I could have Googled, you know, anything. Like, yeah, when I first did acid, I was in Manhattan. Like, that was dumb. Like, I don’t know what it was. Yeah, because like my first time doing mushrooms, I had done no research. I’m like a very impulsive drug person. And so that’s really like when I got prepped, like I was in Israel and I was like, damn, you know, all these things I did with no research, like no idea what was gonna happen. Like maybe that’s not how I should be living life.

7:55JED XO: Yeah, right. Yeah, that, that makes sense for me. Yeah, I like to, to take responsibility, especially with, you know, how I started smoking. It’s because I figured out that if, if, if I wanted to be like influenced by anything around me in terms of like, uh, habits, I think it, it would have been drinking because, you know, like all, all the, the older siblings that I grew up around, you know, they were like drink -- drinking. And even, even my, like, my parents, right? You know, so.

8:27Maceo: Mm-hmm.

8:28JED XO: Yeah. So, but I don’t know, for some reason I just, I don’t, I don’t drink till date. Like I can, but it’s not something that I like. I wouldn’t just go and buy a bottle of beer or something with my money, you know. So yeah.

8:42Maceo: No, I get that.

8:43JED XO: Yeah,

8:44Maceo: but that’s like stuff that you grew up around. How many siblings do you have?

8:46JED XO: So I have -- I grew up a lot of around a lot of family. Not, not -- so I had like grew up around cousins, a lot of my cousins, you know. I have -- yeah, so I have like 3 main siblings -- sorry, 2 main siblings, my sisters, my older sisters, and a lot of cousins. And, uh, and some step -- step, uh, brothers and sisters as well. So I come from a kind of a large family, you know.

9:12Maceo: I got that. Like, when you say large, like, what’s like a number? Like, what’s the estimation?

9:16JED XO: Um, like, uh, like 10.

9:21Maceo: 10? And that, that means like your cousins, you mean? Like, like people like, uh, like your generation, quote unquote, like I guess you’d say?

9:28JED XO: Okay, I’m talking about like my My siblings and like my, my step, uh, brothers and sisters as well, right? My step-siblings.

9:39Maceo: Yeah. Oh, so that’s not even including your cousins?

9:42JED XO: No, that’s not even including my cousins. So you think you could imagine how big of a family I come from, you know?

9:48Maceo: Yeah, that’s huge. And, uh, and I saw like on your Spotify description, I was reading through your Spotify ahead of the interview as well Um, like you said, you’re born in a royal family and then you moved, um, to like the countryside with your aunt.

10:04JED XO: Yeah. No, no, no. I moved from the countryside.

10:07Maceo: You moved from the countryside to Lagos?

10:09JED XO: Yeah.

10:10Maceo: I got it. I got it. There we go. I got that now. And so what is that like? What does that look like? Like, what was it like to grow up in like this family and then move to Lagos? What was that transition like? What was the before and after?

10:21JED XO: Well, uh, what A lot of what it was like before, I have no idea of because I was a child, you know. I left that like when I was like 2 years old, right? I was little. Yeah. So I lived the better years of my life so far in Lagos. And I mean, I go back home sometimes when I want to, but it’s a lot different because it’s rural, right? It’s like, it’s cool, pretty chilled, you know, everything natural, surrounded by the mountains. But it’s like when it comes to stuff like, um, uh, internet and good network coverage, you know, it’s, it’s poor over there. So a lot of times I can’t even be there as much as I want to be. But yeah, it’s, it’s just, it’s basically the same life, you know, the life in Nigeria, but Way different because I have access to a lot more things here in Lagos than I actually do back home.

11:28Maceo: I got that. And I also saw that like moving to Lagos with your aunt, like religion was a big -- like coming into the church, that was a really big community for you. And like that’s been a big part of your life. Can I hear about like what that was like entering that community and like some of the influence that being in the church has had on your -- even like your relationship to faith? I’m interested in hearing about what does that look like?

11:50JED XO: Yeah, my relationship to faith. Okay, right now at the point where I’m at, you know, I’ve just decided that, you know, I believe that there’s a higher power, right? I know that there’s God, but I’m not gonna attach -- I’m not gonna attach him to anything or whatever it is. I’m not gonna attach it to anything, you know. I’m not gonna be religious. I just have that belief because from what I know, you know, from the little understanding that I have, that I’ve learned from the Bible, it just tells us that we are all gods, you know. There’s no God without us, so God is in us, you know. And what that means is we all have a conscience. If you do something good, you know, you know it. And if you do something bad, you also can tell. So I feel like that’s all it takes for every human, you know. We are all our own gods. We, we decide how we want to live. The power has been given to us to do that on here. So, um, yeah, I believe that there is God, but other than that, you know, I’m not religious at all and I don’t stand for any religion at this point, you know. Yeah, yeah. But,

13:04Maceo: and I’m still interested, I guess, in like, like I saw also that like music in that space, like in the church, was a big part of what kind of got you to become a musical person.

13:11JED XO: Okay. Yeah, that I first actively got involved with music, like from the church, right? Mm-hmm. I grew up always go to church Sundays and, you know, some weekdays for specific programs and all that. So drums caught my attention, you know, to music. I was very interested in the drums growing up. You know, I just would always pay attention to the guy that was playing the drum, you know, in church. That one guy that always did, you know. So I would just try to, you know, imagine that in my head sometimes and trying to have imagination of me doing that, or even having like cans and sticks, you know, hitting and just trying to get my own drum and stuff like that, you know, growing up. And

14:09Maceo: so you were a drummer before anything?

14:11JED XO: Yeah, yeah, exactly. So, so yeah. Um,

14:16Maceo: and what did that look like, I guess, like moving from like when you first got into music, like, like in church, um, and then like think seeing yourself as a drummer? Like, what did -- like, did you have -- did you learn any other instruments? Were you involved in groups? Or did you join like a band in church or anything like that?

14:31JED XO: So here’s what happened. Um, there was this Sunday I can’t remember how old exactly I was, but I was like 11 or 12 or 13 or thereabout, you know. And so the guy that was supposed to play drums that Sunday at church didn’t show up, you know, and I just stepped up to it, you know. I said I was going to do it. Yeah. And I did, you know, for the first time. Like, I had never played drums prior to that day. Really?

15:02Maceo: Yeah, that’s dope.

15:04JED XO: Yeah, but I was somehow -- I was able to, you know, and I was little, right? So I just, I just got involved in the choir. Like, my, my parents, they were just like, ah, nah, you need to go get involved, you know, go learn some more. And the, the guys at the choir also wanted me to like get involved, so I did, you know, just -- so yeah, I -- that’s how I, I actively got involved. You know, I played, played for a while, for like, say, 2 or 3 years. And so, yeah, I basically --

15:37Maceo: Were there any people?

15:38JED XO: Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. So I had like other drummers in church, right, that they were already doing it, like they, they were already going out to play events and all that, you know. So I learned, I learned, I learned a little from them and just got better with my skills. So my parents had to get some drums at home, you know, so they got the, like, the conga drums. They didn’t get the drum set, right? Uh, the ones that you hit with the, with the hands, the conga, right? So -- Yeah,

16:07Maceo: yeah, I’m familiar.

16:08JED XO: Yeah, so play that at home, you know, when we have like morning devotions and night family devotions before going to sleep, you know, and all that. Just, just, just have a little praise session in the house and they just worship and all that kind of stuff. Man. And yeah, so I didn’t learn any instruments. I had a lot of interest in the piano, but I don’t know, at that point I just, I don’t know, I was just lost in the drums. I just couldn’t focus on anything else apart from that. And yeah, man. Uh, so I stopped right before, for like after 2 or 3 years, stopped any of that. Um, but I always had interest in music apart from even the drums. I would also, I would listen to a lot of music, you know, growing up around so many,

16:57Maceo: So I know you were just talking about like, uh, like, like even beyond drumming, musical influence, but I, I did have one more question. So does prayer -- like, do you still do morning devotional, like evening devotional? Like, do you still pray? What does prayer look like in your daily life now?

17:09JED XO: Um, what prayer looks like in my daily life? So I wake up in the morning and I pray, you know, I pray when I wake up, uh, I, I don’t have a specific bedtime, you know, so it’s hard sometimes. I just fall asleep from doing stuff, you know, so I, I can’t really say I pray when going to bed, but when I wake up, I pray, you know. I just say prayer to the Maker, you know, to the Creator of everything. And yeah, basically just appreciate life and be grateful.

17:42Maceo: Yeah, I think that’s -- I think that’s beautiful. I was gonna say, it makes me like -- I really enjoyed your song Free. It’s probably one of my favorite songs. Um, and I like, like how you say to appreciate the things in life that are free. Like, there’s a lot of value. Um, like, I think, I think you have like a lot of philosophical music, which I enjoy, honestly. I think you speak to, um, not only your own experiences, but it’s, it’s cool to hear your perspective on the world and what we ought to prioritize. And even like your work ethic, I think your work ethic is really impressive as well. And so I really want to continue to hear about, like you were saying, your musical journey. So beyond the drums, what showed up next for you?

18:18JED XO: Um, yeah, so after the drums, right, uh, fast forward to when I got -- uh, not before I got admission into college, I was waiting to like get results for my, my entrance exams into college. Mm-hmm. And so I was basically spending all of the time by myself in the house, you know, my parents go to work. And so I don’t know, at some point I got bored and I was listening to a lot of music. Prior to that, like a whole lot, you know, I like music so much.

18:48Maceo: I could tell.

18:50JED XO: Yeah, so I got, I just got inspired one day, you know, I just got this website. I found out about this website. Oh no, prior to that, yeah, while I was in high school, there was this app that was popular around here in Africa, you know, it was called 2Go.

19:13Maceo: Okay, what’s that?

19:14JED XO: It’s, uh, it’s a social app, like a social networking app, right? Like Twitter, but it was an app where, you know, you get to add people with their usernames and they have different chat rooms, like chat rooms for sports or music or, you know, different stuff like that, right? So, um, that’s how almost everyone communicated, like, uh, like high school kids and even adults. It was a trend back then. That app was one of the biggest apps back then. And so I would go to some of the chat rooms, the hip-hop chat rooms, and just watch. So what happened was people just basically dropping their bars, writing bars and sending like bars over bars, like 16 bars or 18 bars and stuff like that, right?

20:09Maceo: Oh yeah, that’s super cool.

20:11JED XO: Yeah, so it was really cool to me, like, just reading what, um, niggas were like coming up with, right?

20:18Maceo: Mm-hmm.

20:18JED XO: So I was like, ah, I think, I think I could do something like this. It’s fun, you know? So I, I started, um, trying that out as well. And, uh, along the line, I got to like, uh, make friends with a lot of other dudes that, that were like really good with raps and just writing really good bars. at that time because I was, I was too young. So it was more adults in there, right? So a lot of the content, a lot of their stuff were adult stuff. Yeah, but you know, it’s the internet, right? Yeah, yeah, yeah. So I would just try to get in and just do my own thing. So I made a lot of friends and they were like, yeah, you, you know, I think you’re good. Just, just keep practicing. Just the more you write, you know, the better you get and stuff. stuff like that. So it kind of got interesting. I’ll just participate when I could. And I had a lot of other friends that were into music. So I had this one friend, uh, also he’s still into music to date, and we’ve still been friends, you know.

21:19Maceo: What’s his name?

21:20JED XO: His name is, uh, J Moda.

21:23Maceo: J Moda?

21:24JED XO: He’s good. Yeah.

21:25Maceo: And you guys met through this, the 2Go app, you said?

21:28JED XO: Yeah, yeah, yeah. We met through the 2Go app.

21:33Maceo: That’s dope. Was there like a -- do you remember when you were like, oh, I could really be a rapper? Like, do you -- was there like a moment like that for you where you were like, like, I could do this because it’s a serious part of my life? Like, like hearing yourself or seeing something you wrote?

21:44JED XO: Nah, never at all. I was basically just doing it all for fun back then, you know? Like, yeah, it was all for fun. I just, I just, I just thought it was fun, and I never really thought it was something that I could You know, I could pay much attention to, you know.

22:04Maceo: Like, as like a professional endeavor. It was more just like a hobby, like a thing that you did to enjoy yourself. That makes sense. Were there any other people that you saw on that app that you thought were like really stand out that you haven’t seen anymore?

22:16JED XO: Like a lot. So the dudes that I was really in contact with, they were twins actually.

22:27Maceo: Oh yeah?

22:27JED XO: Yeah, like 2 boys, 2 guys. And yeah, uh, David and Daniel. But I don’t know, I kind of lost contact and I didn’t -- I haven’t heard from them. I’ve tried to look for them a couple times, but no way. Um,

22:43Maceo: well, shout out to them. Hopefully they find -- they find their way back to us.

22:45JED XO: Yeah, yeah, man, like for real, because those, those, those dudes were really amazing. Like, they were cool.

22:53Maceo: I got that. And so then how did you end up in like the Web3 music space? Like, you tell me about that transition, that journey. Like, what was blockchain like for you? And like, here we are, like you’ve been, you’ve been minting songs, doing free mints, worried about quality in the studio, um, and now you’ve even been able to raise money as well. I’m interested in like, um, getting like how that journey started. I want to have my audience, like people understand, you know, like this is -- this was -- it’s been a lot of work for you.

23:19JED XO: Mm-hmm. Bruh, it’s been -- I, I would say it’s been fun because, uh, all the times when I started thinking of it like, you know, I, I was trying to, trying to work or trying to grind and all that mindset, you know, things were messed up in my head. So I’ve kind of been enjoying it, you know, uh, from, from the beginning. Um, so, uh, the, the -- from my friend that I told you about that, that still does music and we met on Sugo, right? J-Mother.

23:48Maceo: Yeah.

23:49JED XO: Um, so he happened to be in Nigeria like last year, 2022,

24:00Maceo: I

24:00JED XO: think. Yeah, no, he was in Nigeria in 2021, December, and it was like, uh, so then already I was always thinking of like making music, like giving it a try and just focusing my, my attention on it and making it a thing that I could do, you know, like professionally, right? Yeah. Because, yeah, because I was tired of -- I wanted to do something for myself, you know, something that I enjoyed doing regardless of whatever happened. So he was like, I couldn’t afford to like pay studio sessions where I was. I told you I was in Cyprus, I wasn’t in Nigeria. Like, everything went really bad for me, so He was like, you? And I was like, uh, I, I really wanted to come back to Nigeria, but you know, I couldn’t even afford my ticket back. It was crazy. So yeah, exactly, it was like kinda, you know, and my permit was almost getting expired. Like, it was a lot crazy. Yeah, bro, like, um, so he sounds like he came back.

25:06Maceo: He came back? Yeah,

25:07JED XO: yeah, he came back. And he came back like with his studio, ’cause he had like the mobile equipment, right, for studio. So he packed up everything, came back for a while.

25:19Maceo: Mm-hmm.

25:20JED XO: And I was like, bro, yeah, I’d like to come back, you know, like just -- he was like, yeah, just come whenever you can, you know, I’ll be here for a while and you can, we can work together, you know. I don’t, ’cause he doesn’t produce, so he just records his stuff and sends it to the engineer, right, to get the mix. the master stone and all that. So somehow, you know, I just saw that as something that I could make possible. So I did, you know. Mm-hmm. I sold my computer and got me a ticket, and boom, I got back to Nigeria. You know, I was with him for like 3 months. Nobody knew that I was in Nigeria. I couldn’t tell anybody, you know. That’s cool.

26:11Maceo: And so you were with him, like catching up, working on music with him when you, when you first came back to Nigeria then?

26:16JED XO: Bruh, I was, I was recording songs like almost every day, bruh.

26:20Maceo: Wow.

26:21JED XO: Like almost every day recording songs.

26:26Maceo: How were you living? Like, were you working when you got back?

26:29JED XO: Nah, I wasn’t working. I was basically living with him, you know.

26:35Maceo: I see, I see.

26:36JED XO: It was hard. Yeah, he was supporting me. Yeah, because, um, it’s, it’s so hard to get a job in here. Like, right now, if I would get a job -- because I don’t, I don’t have a degree, right? And even if I have a degree, I, I don’t think it’s something that I would want to do. Like, I can work. It’s like getting a job of like, uh, what, say $20 in a month. That’s like crazy. Yeah. Or even $50 in a month or $100 in a month, you know. Yeah. I know I could, I could get that. Yeah. So I was like, nah. And, and, and, you know, it’s gonna take all my time. So just like, I was just trying to figure out, you know, what to do and how to start coming up with some funds. ’Cause then I, I knew that I, I started gaining confidence. Mm-hmm. Because by the amount of songs that I was able to make, even over a period of time, like just looking back, I’ll be like, yo, damn, I actually made these songs. Like, sometimes I’ll make 3 songs in a night and 4 songs in a night and stuff like that, just because I had access to the whole studio, just recording myself. So I’ll just pull up beats from YouTube and just, you know, record my vocals on it and just enjoy them, you know?

27:55Maceo: Yeah.

27:56JED XO: So, yeah. So his producer talked, introduced him to the space on Twitter that it was like, it was a token. It’s called Ape In Records token. So I don’t know how far, I don’t know much about them right now, but they were holding like 1 ETH giveaways. on a weekly basis.

28:21Maceo: I remember you mentioned this to me before. Yeah. And so, okay, that’s cool. Yeah.

28:28JED XO: So, um, he told me about it and I was like, yeah, let’s, let’s, let’s, let’s go, let’s go see what’s, what’s going on in there, man. So, uh, the first week, uh, he shared his music and it was cool because, you know, we’re Nigerians, right? Just the majority of the folks in there weren’t from Nigeria, like they were from the States, and it was like Okay, you know, they were spamming emojis. The, the host comment -- gave good comments about the song, like good feedback. They liked the song. And I was like, oh damn, this is cool, you know, like if they vibe to it, you know, that’s nice. And I was like, okay, you know, I think now I, I need to start getting on my -- some of my songs mixed so I can jump on stuff like this as well. But he didn’t win, right? Um, And the next week, I think he missed the space and I got in. I got in the space that week, you know, so I got in, I went in with one of his songs because I had a lot of, what do you call it, I had a lot of demos, but I didn’t have anyone, any finished song. Yeah, it’s mixed in mass, right? Yeah, yeah, right. So I couldn’t -- I, I didn’t think that I could, you know, uh, present any of those, you know, you know. So I went in, I went in there the next week with his song and I played his song. I asked if I could play my friend’s song because he wasn’t around and they were like, yeah, cool. So I played it and they were excited. They were like, yo, this dude came last week, right? Did he win? And I was like, nah, he didn’t win. Okay, okay. they liked the song again. And I don’t know, I was kind of nervous, so I didn’t understand the space at all back then. That was like the second Twitter Space I ever went up to speak in. Yeah. So someone else then asked in the speaker panel if they could share a song that it was a demo that were working on, you know. And I had it in mind to ask, but I didn’t have the confidence to at that point, you know. So someone else asked the question that I had in mind, and they were like, yeah, sure, you can play anything, you know, demos, whatever. I was like, okay, you know, I’ll be, I’ll be coming back here with my songs, with my demos. So, uh, yeah. So that week passed. The next week, you know, I got back in I don’t know, my friend kind of lost interest. He was like, nah, because he was like, nah, he’s not really, um, I don’t know, he’s not really, uh, tech smart. But that’s what he says. But because I believe that, you know, you can do anything, right?

31:15Maceo: Yeah.

31:15JED XO: But he -- I -- yeah, I feel like he doesn’t -- he didn’t really have much interest in it. So I, I was just like, yo, bro, I think this is really cool, you know, if, if it’s just a platform where I can even share my songs with people, like random people, and get feedback, you know. Uh, so that’s how I started getting involved in Spaces, sharing some of those demos. And, uh, so I got -- I never won any of those giveaways, but I got really curious, you know, just from hearing, uh, people talk about their drops and stuff like that. I was just curious. enough to, you know, wonder what was going on in the space. So I was sharing a demo in one of the spaces and someone reached out to me and he was like, um, yo, actually it was, it was okay. Yeah, someone reached out to me in, in, in a space and it was like, yo, that song is fire, you know, send me the demo, I’m gonna have it mixed and mastered for you. And I sent him the thing.

32:17Maceo: That’s dope.

32:19JED XO: Yeah, I sent him the thing and he didn’t respond to me, you know, like 1 day, 2 days, 3 days he didn’t respond. Then I think like someone -- I was in another space playing the same song that he requested and someone else asked for me to send him the song that he was going to get it mixed and mastered for me because he thinks it wasn’t mixed. And, you know, I sent him and he sent it back to me the next day,

32:42Maceo: you

32:43JED XO: know. Mm-hmm. And that was like Uh, yo, I think like this space can actually offer a lot, you know, then if people, if people can be this, you know, this real. And, you know, he kept on telling me one thing, like even up to today, like we’re not, we’re not really in communication, you know, we try to stay in touch every once in a while. I’d say once we get a text once in a month or even, even more. And It’s -- he always told me, you know, like, I’m not always going to be available for you, but I heard what you got and don’t stop, you know. I just want you to know, just keep going, you know. And that was so motivational to me. Like, he -- it was like all I needed at that point because, you know, prior to that, like, I never, I never put out any song or anything, you know. So, and he liked it. He told me, you know, he said, I mixed, I mixed a lot of people’s songs, but yours It’s different, you know. Just keep doing what you do. If I can, I’ll support you, but I’m not promising you anything, you know. I’m not always going to be there. Kept on telling me that, and, you know, I just, I just, yeah, that I just ran with that, you know. I just kept on grinding, kept on.

33:55Maceo: And what song was that? What song was that?

33:57JED XO: That was actually No Us.

34:00Maceo: Okay. Uh-huh.

34:02JED XO: Yeah, that was No Us.

34:04Maceo: I Still Believe in You. I know what you’re talking about. Is that right?

34:08JED XO: That’s the same song? That’s dope. Yeah,

34:11Maceo: I’m telling y’all, I listen to Jed XO on Spotify.

34:15JED XO: I do. That’s dope. Yeah, and yeah, and until then, you know, I like that mix. I like my other mixes, but that one is way different because he did a lot of, a lot of good stuff on that. So yeah, um, man. That’s, that’s basically the summary of it all, man. You know, like just fast forward, showing up every day, supporting friends, making new, uh, meeting new people and just, just being genuine. And, you know, for, for a while I kind of was, um, kind of was, was, was pressuring myself on like wanting to add value, you know, how can I add value to the space? What do I do? You know, and, and then I, I realized that a lot of that doesn’t even matter. Like, people appreciate just, just the music that, that you, you share with them, you know, like it actually means something to certain people. So I figured that out and, you know, I’ve just been, just been having fun and, and, and building, you know, uh, in the space for, with people that, that are interested in what I do and, and, and believe in what I do, you know.

35:25Maceo: Mm-hmm. That makes sense. And are there people like, uh, like, so who was the person that did your audio engineering on the, on that song?

35:34JED XO: On Know Us? Yeah, so I know him by Digital.

35:40Maceo: Digital? Shout out Digital.

35:42JED XO: Yeah, shout out Digital. That’s, that’s, that’s a, that’s a homie right there. Real one.

35:48Maceo: Yeah, we wouldn’t -- I mean, it sounds like we wouldn’t really be here necessarily without, without that offer. So that’s, that’s beautiful. And when you look at now, like, who are the people that you would say are really supporting you now? Who are the people like showing up, um, like, like doing your audio engineering and stuff like that now? What is your -- like, what does the ecosystem for you around music look like now?

36:06JED XO: Uh, the ecosystem looks really good. Like, I have -- I’ve been blessed to be like able to work with a couple producers, you know,

36:16Maceo: uh,

36:16JED XO: and Also, it’s cool, you know, even, even, even down to people that, uh, the ones that finance the whole everything I do right now. Because it’s like, honestly, it’s all financed through sales from my NFTs, you know, like being able to like sustain as an artist and even promote myself and, and do necessary stuff, you know.

36:42Maceo: Mm-hmm.

36:42JED XO: And so Yeah, it’s -- I, I don’t know, it’s, it’s so many people, man. But for the production, yeah, shout out to GCN.

36:52Maceo: Shout out GCN.

36:53JED XO: Yeah, GCN. If you hear mixed feelings in any of my songs, you know that was mixed and mastered by GCN. That guy is an amazing dude.

37:02Maceo: Okay, noted, noted.

37:04JED XO: Yeah, and, um, yeah, uh, shout out to all the, all the, all the token holders, you know. The ones that are pumping the bags. Uh, yeah, I would say one, one person that I want to give special recognition to as well is, uh, Sam, you know, like, um, oh my God, like, Sam is amazing, you know. Uh, she was the, the first person to actually buy any of my tokens, you know, and she’s been like, uh, a core member of, of my, of, I’ll say my team. Yeah. She’s, she’s been a core member, like helping me make major decisions and just, just being such a, uh, a good, uh, person to work with, you know, just, just having her being a part of, of this journey with me. So, uh, yeah, I’d like to give shoutouts to her. I don’t know if you know Sam, you should know Sam.

38:05Maceo: ’Cause I do know Sam. I have, I’m a huge fan. Huge fan. I saw her in Denver. at ETH Denver. And actually, like, like, I, I’d say Sam actually kind of got me -- like, uh, I met Sam through Watered Music where I was doing research on music and tech. I was involved in their fan journey, like, research project. Our article actually just came out, like, last week or the week before that. And so anybody can go check that out. Google Watered Music Web3 fan journey if you want to learn about user interviews and people buying music and NFTs. And, uh, Sam reached out to me to connect on, like, Discord, and then we had our call And I was like, wow, you know, I haven’t really been putting any time into networking in these Discords, like meeting people. And so after that, I set up a Calendly, I started talking to people, I started reaching out to random people on Twitter that I like what they’re doing. I sent them my Calendly link, hey, I’d love to connect, hear what you’re up to, and do like just like pick people’s brains and get a sense of like where they think the space is going and stuff like that. And so I definitely say Sam kind of got me more confident that like I have an opinion and I have a perspective and I do kind of know what’s going on and like that maybe I should start asking more people what they think. Because for me, it was really like, I’ve had so much fun talking to Sam the times that I talked to her. So I definitely, I support the recognition. I’m happy to hear she’s been such a big part of your decision-making, um, as you’re moving forward. I’m a big fan. Um, what do you think about like the, like the future of the music NFT space? Like you said, you’ve been being supported really by like the sales of music NFTs at this point. Um, like a lot of artists don’t even know about this space. They have no idea that people are doing what you’re doing. And so do you think it’s sustainable? Um, do you think it’s like a growing space? Like, what do you think about the future of it and where it’s headed?

39:39JED XO: Yeah, I think it’s, it’s, it’s 100% sustainable if it continues to yield results, you know. And so far, I think it’s, it’s been doing that, you know, especially from Uh, like, uh, looking at it from the, from the music NFT side, right? Uh, this is a lot newer than even, uh, like NFTs itself, right? Yeah. And there’s been growth, you know. I hear a lot of people talking about, I got in when I could basically write, write my own smart contract, you know. I did that with my Genesis Drop and I didn’t even have -- I did that on my phone, you know, on my MetaMask. mobile. That’s how I did it, you know. Yeah. So, so, you know, it’s -- if it’s that easy and the tools are out there, like there’s different tools you have, uh, you have a variety to, to, to choose from easy, then it’s just about utilizing the tech with your music, you know. I feel like, uh, it’s not, um, it’s not yet widely adopted because, I mean, just like everything else, right, it takes time. It hasn’t gotten to that stage. If we keep building and it keeps yielding results for me. You know, uh, this is like the first -- before music NFTs, I never bought and sold anything, man. I never had an idea that I could sell my music for the price that I want to sell it for and, and just get some money off that, you know, to actually do stuff, you know, like, so it’s a lot. It means a lot. I feel like that’s result. And if I can do it from being here, in Nigeria, you know, by just actively, uh, being present and, and, and, and, and doing that consistently as well, you know. So anyone else can do it.

41:33Maceo: So you said -- so MetaMask, for everybody, MetaMask. MetaMask is a wallet, um, to interact with the blockchain. You need to have a wallet, uh, big wallets, um, that I use. I use them on my phone. I use the Rainbow Wallet. On my computer, I have MetaMask. Um, and that’s pretty much where you store your private -- it’s like you use your private key. You get your private key when you first set up your, your Bitcoin or cryptocurrency wallet, and then that lets you interact with the decentralized internet. And if you have cryptocurrency in that wallet, you can buy NFTs, you can pay gas fees, you can interact, you can sign contracts. And so it just pretty much enables you to participate in the, in the ecosystem as an identified individual, but it is anonymous. Your name’s not associated with it unless you’re on like a platform where you’re putting your personal information. But I just wanted to backtrack and say that you said that, that you set up your first like NFT, like, uh, through MetaMask on your phone, right?

42:26JED XO: Yeah, that’s right. That, that’s right, bro. Like, um, yeah, man, uh, through Manifold. So if, if, if I could do all that, you know, I believe that it’s possible. Like I was saying, it’s just, it’s all about, um, delivering good product, you know. Whether it’s art or music, right? Yeah. If people vibe with it and they believe in you and just being you, you know, as a person, because I found a lot of people that I don’t know, you know, like they just, they just vibe with me, you know, they just not, not even off the music or something, you know, you can tell. But so it’s just about being you. And yet the music is an addition to it all. Like your talent is an addition to it all. So So if that’s, if that’s good as well and it’s what people want, then they’re gonna show up and support you, you know.

43:16Maceo: That makes sense. And so what was it like using Manifold? Have you used any other platforms? What do you think of the platforms you’ve used?

43:25JED XO: Um, so far I’ve used Manifold and Decent.xyz and They’re both cool. Manifold, uh, I think decent also. Like, they let you have to -- they let you have the drop on your smart contract, right? Uh, like, the smart contract is written on your wallet address. So that’s something that I feel like is cool. So, you know, it doesn’t depend -- What does it matter if -- Yeah, it doesn’t matter if any platform, you know, shuts down. You still have the whole thing on your contract. You know, you can deploy it anywhere. You know, so.

44:02Maceo: Okay, so that’s what Decent is. And whereas, and so what’s the difference? So Manifold doesn’t let you like deploy the content? No, no, no.

44:10JED XO: That’s what Manifold is. You know, that’s the reason why I use Manifold, you know, and it can let you do a lot of things. You can have open editions at that time, you know, it can let you do open editions. I think they started open editions before any other platform.

44:27Maceo: Oh yeah.

44:28JED XO: Yeah, you could have open editions, uh, limited editions, and all sort of, uh, ways to, to, to have your drop. So yeah,

44:40Maceo: that’s pretty cool. And what was your first drop on Manifold?

44:44JED XO: Can’t Stop.

44:47Maceo: Can’t Stop. Ah, that was the first song I heard. That was like, oh, he’s a drill rapper. I like that one. I like

44:52JED XO: that.

44:53Maceo: And And what’s been your most recent drop that wasn’t, uh, that, that wasn’t free? It was Soul Cry, right? And so talk to us about the process of making Soul Cry. I think that’s a beautiful song. That’s like your most recent release. Yeah.

45:05JED XO: Yeah, that’s my most recent release, Soul Cry. Um, Soul Cry, so Soul Cry came about very, uh, I made that one easy. Mm-hmm. So I had my producer sent me a couple of beats, like, towards the end of the year, and that one happened to be one of them. I heard it and I was just vibing, just reflecting and just basically pouring out my feelings on the beat, how I was feeling at that point in time. Uh, yeah, that, that’s where the title comes from, you know, like Soul Cry.

45:51Maceo: Yeah.

45:53JED XO: Yeah, so there’s not much explanation to it, man, because I just had it and, you know, as soon as I, I was getting the vibes, I just got my phone out and opened my notepad. I started writing the whole thing, you know, less than an hour it was made.

46:09Maceo: Insane. You’re like Lil Baby. You’re like in and out. You’re like, like, you’re pro. I mean, we could tell you’re pro listening. And, um, I guess I’m interested in like, so like this was your first in like a song that you’ve sold like at a price, right? And so what was that like? How did you feel leading up to that? Were you nervous? Um, like -- No, no.

46:29JED XO: Yeah, it’s not my first that I, that I sold at a price. So Can’t Stop, the Genesis one, was, uh, was, was priced at 0.035 Ethereum as well. I think that was about $50 at that time. And, you know, up to, up to date, I still feel like I was dumb for making that decision. I feel, I feel bad and good about it, you know, in the sense that, um, if I had priced it lower, I most probably would have had a lot more sales. I got 10 sales, which was good, you know, like, like a brilliant start in my opinion for me because Man, I, like I said, I never sold anything all my life, right? And like, I sold my music as NFTs for the first time and I got like, what, like $400 or $500? So

47:16Maceo: that’s beautiful.

47:17JED XO: Yeah, that, that was like, uh, I, I saw that, you know, it was possible.

47:22Maceo: I mean, you said like that, that showed you it was possible. I mean, I, I hear you. I think I’ve minted like a -- like when I was first trying to figure out how to mint like music NFTs, I was on Zora and I think I minted it at like 0.05, something like that, some absurd price. Nobody bought that thing. It’s up there. The sound file is like corrupted. It’s like half the song and then it like cuts out and then it plays the first half again. I don’t even tell -- I don’t even tell people it exists. And I think the price point was absurd. But I think, you know, it’s like it’s -- right now I think people are finding out that this is a real way to sustain your life as an artist, you know? Like, I think the idea that 100 people that give you $10, like, that’s $1,000. Like, that’s true. And when you, when you get that, like, that money going directly to you makes a huge difference. I think it starts to make a lot more sense how this space can grow and scale, um, because not everybody’s giving $10 to every artist, but it’s like the artist that you love. Well, you don’t have to do it even every week consistently. I think it just gives people the opportunity to show they appreciate you and engage with you in a new kind of way. And I like Can’t Stop. I think was the first song I ever heard by you. That’s like, though, that’s like, I have a drill playlist. I listen to drill rap like more than anything. I got into drill rap, like New York drill rap, like maybe like 2 years ago now, like summer before my senior year of college with like Kay Flock in New York and then Fivio Foreign. He’s still one of my favorite rappers. I actually showed my great aunt Fivio Foreign last night. I was showing her his music video. She’s like, he’s pretty good. He has a song called Sick and Tired, um, that I’m a big fan of. And I mean, I think it’s, it’s cool that you’re taking this so seriously that you’ve been able to explore it because I think you’re not just like -- and I’m really excited to have you on the podcast today because I think you’re not just like, like discovering for yourself that it’s possible, but you really are a pioneer helping people understand that this can happen. Um, and I think it’s exciting to see someone put in the work and like, and be paid, you know, like what it’s worth, like, like by people that know it’s worth something. So I think in the traditional, like in the, in right now, people don’t pay anything for music, you know. We pay for Spotify or maybe we just go on YouTube, um, and all the money is generated from advertisements. There’s no direct, like there’s very infrequent, especially in hip-hop, I think There’s not a lot of direct patronizing of artists. And so I think this can be a cultural shift that means something the same way we buy like in-game skins. People spend money, you know, in different parts of their entertainment lives. But I think reminding people that the artists that are making the music that we live our lives to, I think it’s really important to make sure that they’re taken care of as well. I think that’s why this space excites me because I think what does the future of the industry look like? I have no idea. But I know that in the future, like, people are going to want to see artists taken care of. People are going to want to see themselves taken care of. And they want more music. Nobody’s ever going to be like, I want less music.

49:53JED XO: Yeah, right.

49:57Maceo: I

49:57JED XO: always want more music.

49:59Maceo: Yeah. And how do you see yourself moving forward? Like, you have -- you started doing Twitter Spaces, um, you talk -- I’ve seen like the Jettyverse. Like, talk about like, what is -- what does that mean to you? Like, what is the future of your like career? Like, like, how do you envision that? What do you want for yourself?

50:11JED XO: Yo, man, bruh, it’s been a long coming. I’ve, I’ve been trying to get, get, uh try to understand how I actually wanna build. And, you know, even with the Twitter Spaces. So I’ve been doing Twitter Spaces for a while, like since last year actually. I tried doing them every day, but, you know, man, it just wasn’t my thing. Uh, I couldn’t keep up with that. So I, I, I, in some time in, I think it was in February or towards the end of January, you know, I just decided it was gonna be weekly spaces. So I’ve been doing that, just trying to, trying to build a hangout with, uh, my, my holders, supporters on, on Twitter, you know, weekly. And there’s a Discord as well for, for holders, more access to -- yeah, more access to holders. Um, yeah.

51:09Maceo: And how’s like the, like, so the Discord component, I feel like that’s like for a lot of artists, they don’t really think about having community I think that’s something that’s big in the Web3 space as well as creating a Discord for the people that are supporting you. What does that look like? How do you organize it? How big is your Discord?

51:23JED XO: Yeah, my Discord is not big yet because I just started it. I just posted about it, I think, a week or two ago. So I’m still trying to get people in there. I’m trying to have people go in there because they feel a need to. You get what I mean? I have a show coming up actually in real life.

51:46Maceo: Oh yeah?

51:47JED XO: Yeah, it’s coming up on the 30th of this month.

51:52Maceo: Congrats, bro. Is this your first show?

51:54JED XO: Yeah, the first show. So I want to hopefully be able to have it live streamed for holders. So I think that’s something that might want to, you know, get people in there, right? If, if they’re holders and they’re interested in watching me, uh, perform live.

52:15Maceo: That makes sense. How’d that come to be? Like, so tell me about this. Like, you have -- this is the first time hearing you have a performance coming up, bro. Congratulations, that’s exciting.

52:23JED XO: Yeah, thanks, man. Um, all made possible by Music NFTs once again, like I said. But I just thought of -- because I noticed that I have a lot from the demographics and the data that I get from my streaming platforms on my audience. I find out that a lot of people that I have more audience overseas, like from the States and UK and Europe, more than I even have fans in Nigeria right now. So it’s like people from Web3 actually streaming my songs, you know. And yeah, that’s good. But I’m trying to incorporate local

53:15Maceo: people

53:15JED XO: too. Yeah, my local audience as well. Yeah. So this is a way of just like introduce them to my sound, you know.

53:25Maceo: And

53:27JED XO: yeah, it’s not like a big show, right? It’s free. It’s not ticketed or anything. It’s just a hangout. Just, uh, I invited a few other local artists and yeah.

53:40Maceo: That’s dope. I mean, I think I got -- so for everybody, I think that’s like a big component of why I like music NFTs and like the online space is like the idea that you have like an international audience before you have a domestic audience. That’s not normal. Um, for like, uh, for a lot of artists, you know, a lot of artists say that when you have like captivated like your local community, that’s really when you’re like primed to grow because now you have a city of people behind you, like a community of people behind you. I think the idea that like your quote unquote city, the people that are behind you can be an online group of people, but maybe 300 from all over the world is a complete -- it’s a paradigm shift really in what it means to be an artist. Um, and, and, and to find support from, from community. The idea that your community doesn’t have to be right around you, I think isn’t what a lot of artists are accustomed to thinking about. And I actually think some artists focus too much on the local audience and not enough on getting in touch with people who aren’t necessarily in their immediate sphere of relevance. So I definitely commend you, you know, on like the Twitter Spaces, like the hustle, like putting yourself out there, making people know what you’re doing, connecting people, connecting with people. Like, I think those are the things that, that I, I view as making artists Making or breaking what it means to be successful for an artist in this space. It’s really like, are you putting yourself out there? Are you trying to add value? I think even like you’re doing your first show, but your first show is with other artists. So that means their fans that come, the people, their friends are going to come in and learn about who you are and what you’re doing. You’re positioning yourself to help them learn about this space, which has made such a big difference for you and what it means to be a professional artist. And I think it’s just -- I think it’s leadership, dude. And I just, I want to commend you and just like, it’s inspiring to me. Like, I make music, but I almost refused to make music first. I was like, I’m gonna make my podcast first. I’m gonna build a platform. I’m gonna think about how can I add value in a sustainable way and create content that speaks to me. And like, somebody asked me before, like, podcasting or rapping, which one do I like more? And I definitely love rapping more than podcasting, but I love talking to people more than anything. Like, I freestyle with my friends, but I talk to everybody. Like, if I see anybody and I have like a free time, Like, I’ll stop. I’ve got lunch with homeless people, like sit down and talk to homeless people, sit down and talk to teachers, sit down and talk to kids, like really anybody. Like, I just love being in conversation. And I think like, like the music for me though is still like so important, but also it feels like so unrealistic. Like, I don’t really see it as like a safe, a safe thing. It feels like I need a safety net. I need to have like, like I want to do it and not have to worry about the money. And the idea that you can do it and not have to worry about the money um, by using these tools, I think, is, uh, is, is going to be eye-opening to a lot of people. So I really appreciate you kind of sharing your perspective on that and your journey into the space and what tools you’re using and like how much support you’re getting. So I think a lot of people are skeptical, um, and so I think it just -- I think it’s like I said, it’s leadership, and I think you’re paving the way for a lot of people. We haven’t seen mass adoption in music NFTs, um, and I don’t even know if you know any other artists locally that are in the space, but Um, I think it’s exciting that you’re making sure people, people understand this is, this is real.

56:41JED XO: Yeah, thanks, man. Uh, honestly, I don’t, don’t, uh, I know a few artists that are in the space, but some of them not, not based in Nigeria but in the States. And so, yeah, but yeah, um, I’m excited for what each day brings and most importantly, you know, like just getting to meet new people and good people every day, you know, that, that’s all that matters to me.

57:10Maceo: And, uh, I guess my next question is like looking at like the future of making music, who do you want to collaborate with? Like, who do you look up to in the music world? Like outside Web3 stuff, like just as a musician and a fan of art and music?

57:24JED XO: Uh, if I would want to collab, um, outside Web3, I would look at, uh, I’ll look at Burna Boy.

57:34Maceo: Absolutely.

57:35JED XO: I would look at, um, Fireboy.

57:40Maceo: DML, insane.

57:42JED XO: And Tems.

57:44Maceo: Uh-huh. Okay.

57:46JED XO: Oh yeah, Wizkid too. I like Wizkid too. Sorry, I almost forgot. Yeah, Wizkid is good.

57:51Maceo: Yeah, but yeah, I think Wizkid was the first African artist I, I ever listened to, uh there were kids in my high school that -- he had like a song with Future called like Everytime I Heard, and that was probably the first song I ever heard by him. And it’s not just --

58:04JED XO: Oh yeah.

58:05Maceo: But it was funny. Yeah, the Atlanta-Africa crossover. I was like, Future? Yeah, I love those artists. I’m a big fan of Tems. Um, I like, uh, Wait for You, obviously, with Drake and Future. It’s funny, Future, he’s right there all the time. But, um, it’s -- I, I like her songs. Uh, Free Mind. I love that song. Uh, I listened to that song on loop for weeks, like earlier in this year and ending last year. Uh, Burna Boy, beautiful artist. His last album, Love Damini, insane. I’m so happy for him and all the success he’s having. Um, getting more interviews. He was at J. Cole’s festival, Dreamville Festival, like last week. Um, like he’s doing huge things, like absolutely deserves all the recognition he’s getting. Um, and I like that. I think that’s, I think that’s a good list. And do you have favorite songs? Like, you have a favorite Burna Boy song? You have a favorite song by, like, uh, by Wizkid you want to shout out?

58:57JED XO: Uh, Burna Boy favorite song, it’s a lot, man. That dude is hard. Like, I don’t even think -- but if, if, if you talk about the songs that I can just remember, you know, it’s a lot. So the ones that I can remember off, off the top, I’ll say, uh, one of them should be If People Must Die. That’s one track that I like.

59:24Maceo: Oh, I don’t even know that song. I gotta listen to that.

59:26JED XO: Yeah, that one’s cool. And, uh, who else did I talk about? Tems. Um, uh, I think, uh, what’s the name of the track? I can’t remember what it’s called right now. Um,

59:47Maceo: how’s it go? You can give us a little snippet and let us hear the voice, the voice that, you know, is changing your life.

59:54JED XO: Um, oh, my voice is a mystery. Oh, my voice is a mystery. Yeah, that, that’s how it goes.

1:00:03Maceo: You guys hear that? You hear that beautiful voice? You gotta go stream Dead XO.

1:00:08JED XO: Yo, my voice isn’t beautiful, man. I don’t think, I don’t think it is.

1:00:12Maceo: I mean, I think, I think it’s all about what the voice has to say. I think every voice is beautiful.

1:00:17JED XO: Um,

1:00:18Maceo: I

1:00:19JED XO: like that.

1:00:20Maceo: And so like Tems, and then yeah, like for me, my favorite, like I said, Freedmind is definitely my -- and she has a song with Brent Faiyaz too I like a lot. Uh, but I haven’t listened to a lot of older, older Tems. I’m not too familiar with her work preceding like the past year. and what I’ve been exposed to. Um, with Burna Boy, I love his song with Dave, Location. That’s probably like my favorite Burna Boy song. I listen to that song like -- that song’s in my top 100 songs probably ever streamed at this point on Spotify. And then like I said, the Wizkid song with Future, Everytime. I feel like that’s just sentimental to me because it reminds me of high school. Um, but I think that’s dope. And so what artists do you know? How do you know about -- like, how do you know the artists that you’ve invited to this performance you have coming up on the 30th?

1:01:00JED XO: I knew them through, um, through the DJ. A DJ that’s -- yeah, that plays at the venue where I’m gonna be hosting the show.

1:01:16Maceo: And what’s the venue? You can shout it out as well.

1:01:18JED XO: O2. O2 Paraguay Park.

1:01:28Maceo: O2, Padagri Park.

1:01:28JED XO: Uh, yeah, Lagos, shout out to O2. Yeah, it’s not the -- it’s not the O2 Arena, not yet, but we’re getting there, you know.

1:01:43Maceo: Yeah, it’s a journey.

1:01:45JED XO: Yes, sir.

1:01:47Maceo: All right, well, do you want to let people know where they can follow you, where they can contact you? Um, like if they’re interested in collaborating, like just whatever you want to share. You can give people your social media and whatnot.

1:01:58JED XO: Yeah, um, I’m on all platforms. Twitter at, uh, 1, the number 1, and J-E-D-X-O, @1jedexo. And, um, Instagram, jedexo_1. And yeah, uh, you can hit me up on my -- on either Instagram or Twitter, you know, shoot me a DM or get information on how to contact me on there. And yeah, my songs are out on all streaming platforms. Jed XO is the name, capital J-E-D space X-O. And yeah, that’s how you find me.

1:02:49Maceo: How did you come up with the name Jed Exo? Like EXO? I know your name is Jed.

1:02:54JED XO: I’m not -- Yeah, yeah, some people call -- just call me Jed, and other people call me Jed Exo, you know. Anyone is good.

1:03:04Maceo: Is this your first name, Jed?

1:03:07JED XO: What?

1:03:08Maceo: Is your first name Jed?

1:03:10JED XO: No. That’s, that’s gonna, that’s gonna be for the next podcast, man.

1:03:16Maceo: All right everybody, so that’s the, that’s the We Them Niggas podcast interview with Jed Exo, a beautiful man. I’m so excited that he’s with us today. Um, thank you so much for listening. You can find me on Twitter at wethemniggas.eth. Um, my@ is @Maceo_Watley. W-H-A-T-L-E-Y, the same name by which this podcast is under. Um, thank you so much for listening, and I’ll catch you guys next time. Peace.