1st year band goes from Marcell to M&TT (2003)

Any fighter that made it to the big “fight” because of that special trainer OR any artist who developed a career on the back of the support and efforts of their manager understands what it feels like to have unconditional belief in someone…that's what Bags means to me. He has been one of my best friends on the planet for almost 12 years now. This man's faith in me runs deep. It feels great for sure to have the support of a woman you love, it's soft and safe. To receive the same from parents is almost expected, but still needed and, without question, appreciated. To have the love of your siblings helps you accept you, in an often un-accepting world.  But, as a man, when you have the privilege to forge a few brotherhoods of men that choose to support and strengthen you after they know the truth about you, there are no words. The Bible says, "A true friend sticks closer than a brother".

CJ, Gerald, Mike, and Austin have a special place in my heart as my brothers, always, but Bags will forever be the big brother who got me here despite myself. Bags is like that cat in the 5 Mile movie with Eminem that challenged and loved Eminem to his fame and success. I guess the roles are reversed in our story though.

I met Bags in 1997 when I answered an ad in the paper. He was just starting a Soul-Rock band. I auditioned for background. At that point, I was just getting back into music after a few “label horror stories”. I really didn’t trust anyone in the music business by this point. When the band would go on break, Bags would always sneak and ask me to stay behind to hear some of his ideas. I wasn’t much of a writer then, just really getting into composing for real. I sang to a few of his ideas and he would make me feel like I was going to change the world. Not long after, the band faded to nothing. I was so inspired from being in a real band that I talked to Bags about starting my own with him. It was just me on the mic and Bags on guitar, and in my mind, – this was a “band”. Bags would become over the years my first white male friend; up until that point, I had little to no trust in white folks, especially white men. But, after a few months, I realized how hard it was to build a band and I bailed on the idea and left Bags.

I tried the studio thing again with traditional tracks but it just wasn't working for me. I called Bags back; he met with me and challenged me. He said,”I need your word that you will never quit again".   I looked him in the eye and said, "For sure, even if you quit I will never quit again. I will write music through a band and live instruments; whatever I have to learn, I'm willing. We will make at least 10 albums before I quit" and that folks is the true beginning of M&TT. We started bringing everyone else in shortly after. I was the creative leader and Bags handled “behind the scenes” - the details. I’ll stop here, but I owe this cat so much more than I can offer right now in words.