Keep it Positive, Sweetie - En Route w/ Durand Bernarr

Episode Date: July 23, 2024

This week I have the uber talented Durand Bernarr on the couch. It was a pleasure to get to know him as his star is on the rise. Not only is he Erykah Badu's longtime background singer, he's an amazing R&B singer and now a DJ. We talked about his journey to stardom, new album and his skating tour. If you love good music, make sure you check out his music.

Hey, sweeties, we all know the importance of building a bright future and that includes feeling secure That's why I keep it positive. Sweetie is a proud partner with State Farm a good neighbor who understands the importance of protecting What matters most in the black community? State Farm isn't just about insurance They're committed to investing in our communities because they believe the future of black excellence is a future worth protecting communities because they believe the future of black excellence is a future worth protecting. From supporting HBCUs to promoting financial literacy, State Farm empowers black families to thrive. Stay tuned after the episode to learn more.

Hello and welcome to this episode of Keep It Positive, sweetie. Guys, Kiff's is taking over LA. I'm here catching up with some of my favorite, favorite people and we are filming inside this beautiful black owned store owned by Nikaio Greco where 90% of the products sold here are BIPOC founded. Thank you so much 13 Loom. Today I have with me none other than Durand Bernard. Guys, he is described as gangster musical theater by Queen Herbie. Durand Bernard combines elements of Little Richard

and Rick James with his own unique flair, characterized by his powerful vocals and clever storytelling. The result is unmistakably Duran, earning him the title of Your Favorite Singer's Favorite Singer. The Cleveland native performing artist, vocalist, producer, and songwriter recently debuted his latest visual EP, In Route, a genre-bending compilation of Duran's musical influences and serves as a transitional bridge

between his sophomore album, Wanderlust and his forthcoming solo and collaborative releases. Ladies and gentlemen, Durand Banar. You guys have probably seen him sing background for some of your favorite favorite artists, but you've also known him as a solo artist. So you have really built your own lane outside of singing BG. I started just posting content on the internet. I saw that YouTube, right? And that's how kind of things picked up with just getting notoriety.

What was your goal when you were like, I'm going to start doing covers on YouTube? That was like 2008? Yeah. So it wasn't really a goal. I just wanted an objective opinion on what it is that I do. Because you know, when folks are in the family and your friends, you know, that they'll gas you up. And so I just wanted to make sure that what I was doing like this is this is the calling. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Awesome. So tell me about your childhood because I know the way you sing.

I want to know what the inspirations were like. What were your parents playing when you were at home cleaning up on Saturdays? Because you have so much soul in your voice and there's so many different textures. What was that like growing up and what did you guys listen to? So my mother was very strict on what was being filtered in the house. So it was really just gospel and jazz. My dad was doing the jazz stuff. But then also they would listen to Marvin Gaye and the Commodores and stuff like that.

Sade. Whitney and Mariah would be played on the jazz stations. And Michael Jackson actually was cool. Because we grew up with him. But it wasn't until later on, I was able to, what I call a contraband, you know, listening to the Waiting to Exhale soundtrack. And I don't know how I got ahold of the Velvet Rope.

I just remember that she got ahold of them lyrics as back then, you know, you used to put lyrics in the book, like, child, and child, she got the rope burn and I ain't seen that album since. Well your mama burned it. Listen she she got rid of that she was just like no I'm not in this house. Listen I remember about my first like explicit I think it was like Mace or like an album from Mace and it had the E on it for explicit and my mom found that and she was like mm-hmm I'm on two BET shows

and I couldn't watch BET growing up. I mean, listen, I knew friends who couldn't watch the Rugrats. What? You know, because they felt that that behavior was not, you know, becoming for children. So it just really depends on what everybody's capacities were.

But you know, we kind of loosened it up as we went along. So you are known for your energy on the stage. Were you always full of energy as a child or did this come up? Did you find yourself later on in life? I have always been myself. Really? I've always been myself. As my mother said, you always let us know who you were. There was no like us controlling or molding you into, even though I'm a very great hybrid of my mom and my dad being the only child. But yeah, it's, I've just always been me. I've always just been this ball of energy,

always wanting to entertain people, always wanting to laugh, always up to mischief. You know, but yeah, it's, and it's just been more refined. You know? Over the years, yeah. Okay. Throughout your journey, like,

because you sang background for Erykah Badu for how long now? I still do. I saw a video recently. It's been the intrusive thoughts. 13 years. So 13 years singing background. A lot of vocalists get pigeonholed singing BG for artists. How did you say I'm gonna do this for 13 years and still doing it, but I'm gonna also do my own thing?

And how'd you find the time to do that? So she was never, at least when I came along, she wasn't gigging to the point where it was taking me away from the things that I needed to do. So I was able to balance both. And I told her, I will juggle both as long as I possibly can until I I just can't But I it helps when you you know have a great relationship with not only the artists

But the crew the band you know it's this has been a family affair For me for a while now, so I'm just now getting to a position where I'm like Oh, I can't do this kid because I'm gonna be an Afro punk or you know I'm just now getting to a position where I'm like, oh, I can't do this gig, cause I'm gonna be an Afro punk, or I'm gonna be over in Europe. But that's something that she's always proud of. I love that. It's always good when the person that you've worked for

for so long is supportive of your dreams as well. Oh yeah. She told me early on when I first joined, she said, I don't feel my stage is big enough for you. And that was me at like 22, 23. Yeah, I was really trying to just digest that. How do you process Eric about you telling you that? When you are in a position

where you can inspire your inspiration, it is unlike any feeling that we, and it's not that it's not common in certain spaces, but to just be aware of it, to really take it in like this is a moment, you know, or you value my thoughts or my feelings, you know, that type of thing. Yeah, and I know everyone doesn't have that when they say don't, you know, don't meet your heroes or don't meet your favorites you know but I think my expectation for our relationship was so low like I thought it was just I was going to be able to shake her hand and you know just thank her for you know inspiring me and it was just you

know she reached out to me. Wow so how did that even come about? The internet. Oh she saw you online and was like I want you come come with me Let's run this world together. Yes, indeed. That is amazing. So being that close to Erica, it reminds me of my relationship with Tyler Perry. I styled him for five years and I was with him all the time. What things have you taken from Erica

that have helped you in your own personal journey as an artist? No my shit. No my shit. No my shit. No my shit. But then also have fun. Have fun. Trusting your band and then trusting you, building that rapport.

Not to take myself so serious, especially on stage. It's like, yeah, okay, I didn't hit the right note, that's fine. Like, this is live. When did you not hit the right note? As she said, first of all, how y'all gonna tell me I hit the wrong note? How you know which note I was gonna hit? Right, exactly.

So, no, all of those things, and just other mental notes that I've taken over the course of This time especially as I've seen the production grow, you know last year she did her first arena tour and that was something that was you know, just To go from the the theaters that we did right Once let she hadn't put out new music in almost ten years and yet you're able to sell out 18 to 22,000 seat. Crazy.

That's amazing. Business wise, has there been anything that you've taken from her that helps you develop your business? Because as an artist, it's just not about being creative, it's also about being a businessman now. What have you taken from her to show, okay, this is how I need to handle my business as well? So my business aspect of it really honestly came from my dad

because he's been, you know, managing me. Oh, really? Yes, since I decided that this is what I wanted to do. So, yeah, so having someone to have your back in that kind of way. Yeah. And I have an amazing team that believes in me that you know enhances what is what is going on. However, when our senior just takes the

cake when it comes to someone really going to bat and making sure that I'm taking care of in the best way. I love that and a lot of not a lot of artists can say that their father their mother back everything they're doing. But to have that family support, I'm sure means the most, because you can really trust your family. Absolutely. Especially navigating this industry is a little tough.

Yeah. Yeah, that's incredible. Now most recently you just did the Juneteenth celebration at the Hollywood Bowl. Ooh, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. Let's talk about it. Cause honey, I saw the video with T-Pain standing on the side

of the stage losing his absolute mind. Don't you just love it? I love it! I was um so first and foremost I want to go on the record and just say Lloyd who was there is one of the most sweetest and warm delightful human beings that I've just immediately come in contact with. And he just poured so much positivity and encouragement into me before I went on stage. And I was telling him, I feel full, I feel supported, and I feel loved, and I also feel

acknowledged. All of those things happening simultaneously to have people that I again am inspired by, that I'm motivated by, that I've grown up with are now paying attention. Because we've been doing this for a long time. Yeah, yeah. So that is something that I'm and then the fact that my parents are for a long time. Yeah, yeah. So that is something that I'm and then the fact that my parents are are able to witness all of this to witness the seeds that they

planted and to see all this flourish is just everything else is a as a perk. Right. That is the main thing that has been the most gratifying. I want to ask you something because just thinking about your journey and you saying finally being acknowledged and seen and loved were there any moments in your journey where you felt like they don't see me the world doesn't see me I know who I am you know you're still getting those and trying to build how did you navigate through those seasons of your life I did have a a real moment I think maybe in 2015 where where I felt maybe I need to just completely shift who I am and how I'm presenting myself

because this isn't getting me the new pair of shoes that I really need to be able to stride properly. And it's all about timing and it's all about what is being said and who is saying it and how they are saying it. And I think for a long time, people were trying to tell me to tone it down or to dumb it down. That was another one that I just,

I didn't understand. What do you mean? Right, dumb what down? And it wasn't until someone actually had the language for me to be like well actually All we need to do is just simplify this you can still be yourself But present it in a way where you love it, but also it makes sense to everyone else so that's where my song melody came from and I was just talking about that journey of And so that's where my song Melody came from. And I was just talking about that journey of finally finding my sound and my approach to music,

which is implementing my personality in there and leaving room for where everyone can sing along. And then those little pockets of me doing my stuff, you know, we tuck her over here in the cut and you gotta really pay attention. And then, yeah, so that's been, and that's been like my formula. I love that, I love it. I know a lot of times we deal with imposter syndrome or feel like we don't belong knowing we do but we get to that

space we're like wait is this what I'm supposed to do? Yeah. So I know I all too well myself like how they can feel when you know what you're capable of but the world doesn't see it yet. That part. You know? Yeah. I love that. So you also did the Tiny Desk. That's like a big platform. Listen, that is like a huge, huge, huge, huge platform. And everybody wants to make that, but not a lot of people do.

How did you feel when you got that call? And then how did you come up with your set list and everything you're going gonna do for that? So first and foremost just walking into the space knowing that I've been doing this independently and I also had you know my village there you know where it's people that I've been reaching to the side of that I've known since I was 12 and 18 and, you know, the past 10 years just building this, helping add on to this machine. It was, again, just the acknowledgement. No, actually, no, we don't want you to do Tiny Desk at home. We need to get you

actually behind the desk. And then just the introduction that Bobby Carter did where it was just, he's like, I've been around for every tiny desk, and I've seen amazing acts. Bless this space. He said, however, this is special. Yes. And it's just like, oh gosh.

And so I've been dressing up on my tour that I was on, and so we kind of slept that right in the middle of five shows, and it ended up being number six. Oh wow. We had been on the road for three weeks by that time, so we were very locked in. It was just a condensed version of my set. Okay, dope.

And I was dressing up, I was the mask one night, I was Beetlejuice, I was Popeye, Carmen Sandiego, all those things, but I didn't get a chance to trick or treat when I was growing up, you know, again, hallelujah harvest, okay? Hallelujah night. So yeah, so I was just allowing my inner child to just kind of have a moment to just have fun.

I love that. We talked. Hallelujah night. I remember those days. We are not going trick or treating, we are going to the church. We got some candy for you there. Speaking of growing up in the church, do you feel like that has been your foundation and what has carried you throughout the years? So my, the development, the artist development being in church and not just in church, in theater as well,

singing choral music and being a part of an ensemble where you are learning how to blend into the bigger piece of the puzzle and then when it's time for you to shine, you step out and work the stage. And so, and I also got a lot of inspiration indirectly. Like I didn't grow up listening to the Clark sisters, but I listened to people who listened to the Clark sisters. And so certain things that were done,

I picked up from other artists, which I think is really dope about just music in general, how we can be indirectly inspired, just from someone's take of how they interpret what they've learned. And I'm a sponge, so it's all different type of things. I love it. I grew up in the church and I sing as well.

Not like you. Uh-uh, you ain't gotta do that. You sing. You sing. But you sing. I sing,. You sing. But you sing. I sing, you sing. You sing. I listened and I was like, oh my goodness. You definitely have an anointed voice because the things, the acrobats you can do with your

voice, I'm just like, whoa. The human voice just interests me so much. Just the things that we can do specifically like Phyllis Hyman. Yes, oh my gosh. Like when she did Broadway, it's just the things that can be done. How you can emulate Jamie Foxx is another one where his impressions. Oh my goodness. So good. Yeah so good. Yeah. I love that. A few other things. Tell me what else you got coming up. I know you have a Six City Tour skate. Yes, you're gonna DJ. Yes.

That's incredible. I, okay, let me tell you a story. I was, I had a skate party in the third grade, fell and busted my lip and I haven't skated since. Yeah, so I- Not the trauma. The trauma, honey. You can't, and then I tried again when I got old

and I fell and just the vibration from your butt to your mouth when you fall like that, it's like, this is why I didn't do this. So like, I love, I think it's so cool when I see people out there skating backwards and doing the dances. Do you do all that? So I, I'm, see, I need everybody to calm down

because they be sending me videos of folks doing back flips and front flips into splits on the edge of the curb. No, I have not done any such thing. Okay. What I'm doing is I'm line dancing on my skate. Now I know financial stuff can sometimes feel confusing or even overwhelming, but listen, you got this.

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A secure future where you can travel the world, spoil your grandkids, or finally write that book. Okay. And line dancing is a Midwest South thing. So it makes it look like I'm doing something, but I'm just stepping. It's just a little jig. And you're DJing on this tour as well. So when did you get into DJing? Last year.

Wow. Yes. I mean, technically I've been DJing because my taste in music is impeccable. But it's just now I have a controller to kind of blend and remix and whatnot. So yeah, I want to give that a shot just to see what other avenues I can have to be myself and that make a way for me. I love that. I love that. So it made you say I want to do a tour, a skate tour. This is very like I don't think you might really do anything like this Yeah, this is very specific because I'm a skater and I grew up, you know Skating every Friday Saturday night. Yeah, and also too. I feel like there is a there's an art to

Curating music specifically for skating and specifically adult night. Like I just, as much as Act Up by the City Girls gets me going, that is not a proper skate song. Like we need, you know, Pistol Grip Pump, okay. We need like, you know, those type of things. We need some Patrice Rushin, okay. We need some, you know, Mary Jane Girls, you know. That's the thing to get that going.

So yeah, I want to just showcase how I, first of all, how I interpret the music, but then how I blend it and then, you know, just giving the folks things that they didn't know that they needed. That's so true. I love that. And I feel like skating is a part of our culture, such a big part of our culture. Oh, absolutely. Absolutely.

Because in Atlanta, I live in Atlanta now, I'm from Tennessee. But in Atlanta, like Sunday nights is the skate night. Everybody makes their way to Cascade or Sprinkles. It's another little sparkles. There's another skating rink in Smyrna. Everybody goes there on Sunday. It's a thing. And I sometimes I've been there with friends and I'm like, I cannot do that. That is crazy.

I mean, luckily, you know, you don't have to necessarily know how to skate to pull up. I would beseech you to get your own skate so that you can at least learn. You gotta start somewhere. Yeah, absolutely. But then just to be in the space. The music is gonna be dope,

regardless if you're on your wheels or not. You're gonna be dancing. Right. Yeah, no, that's fun. Yeah, I love that. Anything else you have coming up that you're gonna be doing? Any music that you're working on that you can tell us about? I mean well so I'm doing a couple joint projects. Okay. I wanted to do some cross-promotion and I haven't revealed who it is yet. No one that like that is no known, I just want to say that, but this is some a group that I think is really dope and they have curated a sound for me that is very cohesive,

it's something I've been wanting to do. So yeah that'll be out this year. That's dope. I love it. I love it. As artists, I know sometimes what I talked about, we deal with imposter syndrome, we deal with depression, with different types of mental challenges throughout your journey. Has there been any moments or scenarios that you can share with us that were difficult for you and how did you see them through? I mean, outside of, Hmm, I mean outside of, you know, really just trying to find my sound, I think the biggest, the other hurdle that would probably be the biggest one would be just me coming into myself and finding, you know, to be able to hang on to my humanity and not denigrate myself or repress myself out of just trying to be obedient in a certain space. But then also coming to a space

where at least my mother was able to affirm me in a way that let me know that there was nothing to fix because I wasn't broken. And so now I'm able to have know have this this new life being breathed into me which is like and love for myself yeah and that is the confidence that I have because it's all about the the company that you keep as well yes and a lot of us have let our relatives get away with things that we wouldn't let strangers get away with. So we have to take the emphasis off of that and learn to separate our relatives from our family

because they're not the same. They're not, oh that's strong. That is so real because a lot of times we do put our family members in a different box than we do other people. We let them get away with more than we would let just anybody else in our lives. That is so true. How have you navigated friendships through this journey? Because I mean, you've been doing this for a long time, but I'm sure there's people that you have thought like, are you just surrounding me because of who I'm attached to or are you

here for me? Yeah. That, you know, that ebbs and flows, you know, especially being out in the industry, being amongst it. It's one thing to be in an environment where you're kind of like a shark in a pond. And so a lot of focus might be on you and the things that you're doing. But then when you're kind of like a shark in a pond. And so a lot of focus might be on you and the things that you're doing, but then when you're in an environment

where you're not the only one doing what you're doing, and then finding people that are either heading in the direction that you wanna be or already there, I think there's a little, you come across people that have just as much to gain and as much to lose. You know, so the dynamic is a little different. Even with people that aren't necessarily known, but they have shown themselves to be very dependable

in ways that I didn't think that I could depend on a person that wasn't my parents. You know, so I was like, man, okay. I clearly how I'm carrying myself and the content of my character is so enriching that people are opening their homes to me because you know, I'm in between spots right now or you know, so I don't I don't I never take that lightly.

Yeah, that's amazing. Being when you just said that sometimes you've been in between spots. Were there any moments where you're like, oh my goodness, I got to get it together? Because I know for me, when I moved from D.C. to Atlanta, it was a really hard time for me. I was working on Capitol Hill, very secure job, and was like, I want to be an actor and a musician.

And I'm going to move to Atlanta and do this thing. And I got to Atlanta, it was one of the hardest years of my entire musician. And I'm going to move to Atlanta and do this thing. And I got to Atlanta, it was one of the hardest years of my entire life. And went through depression, I went through doubt, you know, where I'm just like, is this what I'm supposed to be doing, God? Like, do I, like you said before, like, do I need to completely like restructure this thing?

Did you ever have moments in the journey or were you just like, ooh, this is tough? I was Ubering and lifting from like 2016 to 2020. Wow. And yes, I was getting recognized. As you're picking up people like, what are you? Yes, getting asked to sing. And I'm like, babe, I'm just supposed to get you

from point A to point B, that's gonna cost you extra. Right, now if you cost you extra. Right! If you wanna tip me. Yeah, stop playing with my face. There was one time where I ended up all the way out in Calabasas. And I needed to pull over because I was nodding. And I thought to myself, I mean I could go back to Cleveland, my mother would love my company back in Cleveland.

However, me, the idea of me sleeping in my car out here is more productive for what I'm trying to do than going back to Cleveland. Being comfortable or somewhere where I've now developed an animosity for being because I haven't gotten to where I feel I need to be in my career, being in the environment that I need to be in and so on and so forth. And I just had to like,

f**k that out for 375 days. Just not being able to be comfortable and sleep in because I'm on somebody's couch or I'm in the living, you know, in the common area. And when they get up for work, like, you know what I'm saying? Unless it's a situation where I've been working all night and then as I'm coming in, they're leaving to go. Yeah, that was another thing that that was actually pretty cool. But yeah, other than that

It's it's the grind but then the grind is the When you get into the hustle, there's a little bit of like flow. Yes room Yeah, yeah, do you find you finally find yourself in the flow now? Are you comfortable? You know, there was a flow and now it's just go, go, go, go, go, go, go, which is a good problem to have. I'm just now reaching for moments of not having to do anything so that I can really rest. Yes, I wanted to ask you about that because we came in and I was like, how are you doing?

It's like, uh. Man, listen. I'm here. Listen, I wanted to ask you about that because we came in and I was like, hey, it's like, uh. Listen. I'm here. You listen, okay, and even seeing, you know, certain people seeing me right before I go on stage, there's been times where I rolled out doo doo doo doo doo doo doo doo doo doo doo. Foo doo doo doo doo doo doo doo doo doo doo doo doo doo. Okay, okay, I'm on, I'm on, I'm on. I'm on, okay, right here. Like that's what it feels like. Sometimes when you got them up, but...

Yes, that's a good analogy. I would, but I would so much rather be tired and exhausted from doing what I love, from doing what I like, from doing what is effective and adding change, the change that I would like to see in the world. And that is also necessary. Yes, it is. Are you finding any time to balance that out and take time for you? I know you said you would love to have time just to lay down and do anything.

Are you still in those moments at all? Because I find time I had to be like, no. At least naps. Good, okay. Naps are amazing. Naps are just, see we slept on naps. We did when we were kids. But yeah, it's something that is absolutely necessary.

I actually now have that blocked out in my schedule when I'm like on the road or whatever, like this between I need to be sleeping. Yeah, that's good. But that's, that and getting massages. That's my plan this week at some point. Deep tissue slash sport massages specifically. Yeah, I have a, my massage therapist is a sports trainer.

Like she does sports therapy, so. And then, and then Stretch Lab. What, have we met? My massage therapist also trained, like she's certified in Stretch Lab. She has a hat that she brings and everything. Yeah, so good. So just those two things, and IV every so often.

Yeah, just to keep yourself going, cause it's a lot of wear and tear. Just bouncing from time zones or three shows back to back and they're all in different cities. Yeah, you know. So and there might not be a bus, it might be planes. Yeah, you're right. Yeah. How has that hustling bustle taken until on your mental and do you have someone that you talk to? Because I know for me as my success and fame grew I found myself having more anxiety because it was just like some people pulling at you and it's a lot and it's just like Oh my goodness, like sometimes you can't even hear your own thoughts and sometimes you just need to talk to somebody

Um, do you have someone to talk to or have you been faced with that as things have started to go? Like that for you. So luckily i've never been in a position where I didn't have anyone to talk to. That's good. Yeah, no, very good counsel and I have a great therapist. Amazing. But yeah, for the most part I have access to just safe spaces to be able to not just be handed a yes or what they think I want to hear, you know, but to actually have a rapport with people that have seen you at your best and will hold you to that standard. Yeah, yeah, yeah. And you feel like a safe space.

You know how some people you're like, I don't know, but just even your energy is very calming. It's almost like a juxtaposition from who you are on stage to just sitting on the sofa. Like, on the stage, like that, like it feels like a totally different person. And also too, it's different dimensions of the same person. I would like to think that isn't it amazing we live in a world where you can get practically everything you need, when you need it right to your door. Talk about convenience. I travel a lot and I'm notorious for leaving something at home. But I never stress out about it

because no matter where I am, DoorDash has me covered. DoorDash is like having my own personal shopper for everything I need or could possibly even think of. Whether it's wanting to order in food for the night, or I forgot my charger, or I need some makeup essentials from my fave makeup store. Or that one time I had a horrible headache in the middle of the night, it was DoorDash to deliver my medicine right to my door. Whatever I need DoorDash has me covered. With the convenience of being able to order everything straight from my

phone it just makes life easier. DoorDash your door to more. Download the DoorDash app now to get whatever you need delivered. Must be 21 and up to order alcohol, drink responsiblyibly alcohol available only in select markets you know in certain spaces like being around Terrell I will definitely be bouncing off the walls because he's also bouncing off the walls but I feel it's also important for people to see the different layers and dimensions of me where I can sit down and have a conversation and still be as engaging. You are, yeah. You know, or in tune, you know.

Absolutely, I love that, I love that. Is there anything that you would like to tell our audience about you or anything that we may have missed that you wanna make sure we get across? I wanna make sure anything that you wanna talk about we hit on it. So we have a new project out in route, okay, for the fancy girls in

route okay and it's a story about a road trip you know we're going from one one destination to the other and we have stories to tell in the midst we're making sure that even on this journey of ours we make sure that we make time for rest yes because there is a rest in the work. Come on now. There's a work in the rest. That's a bar. We're gonna scroll there around the bottom. So yes. There's rest in the work, there's work in the rest. You must do that and take time to really just take in what's gonna be present. So present that nostalgia won't kick your ass and tomorrow will not worry you not. I love that. That's, and then before you know it, 15, 20 years then went by of friendship

or just being in a certain environment that you've been able to decorate and make your own. Right, yeah, I love that. I love that so much. So I have a song on the top 50 dance billboard charts. And that is with Mr. K. Trinada. That's huge. Yes.

I've been sitting on that since 2021. Are you serious? Isn't that crazy how some of the greatest hits can be set on for a while? And you're like, we need to put this out. What made you guys put it this out now is the time to put it out? So we were just recording, went back into the lab after Bubba the the last project and

He was just collecting songs and then one month. He hit me up and was like, okay, it's time to get weird and I was just like Like yes, and it already cracked a million streams I guess and it already cracked a million streams. Wow, that is incredible. Yeah, now this has been a very productive year thus far and I really didn't have any other intentions other than what adventures are we gonna go on this? You know, let's go around.

That's the best I got. I love that, that is amazing. I'm happy for you. Thank you. Yes, thank you so much. Absolutely. So before we close out, This is amazing. I'm happy for you. Thank you. Yes. Yes. Thank you so much So before we close out, um, if you want to hang out with just a little bit longer We do what's called positive outcomes where our listeners write in and we give them advice what they write about

Okay. All right. So this one says hi crystal. My name is mariah and i'm 26 I'm an aspiring screenwriter author Some days I feel so confident like I have the skill and ability and do more than I'm capable. Then other days, I feel where I'm not good enough. I'm not smart enough and I just like to give up. Most people don't know this, but I suffer from schizophrenia.

So it's double the intrusive thoughts and I'm constantly getting beaten down by my own mind. About a year ago, I started a new journey of getting to know God all over again, thanks to you and Change Church, of course. Aw, it felt so refreshing and my mind was finally starting to be at ease. That was until I lost my sister

and everything was back to square one. Now I'm back to constantly overthinking, feeling worthless, and I don't know how to shake back. I don't really deal with death like anyone else. I tend to just let it fade away and not really face it. But it's tearing me apart mentally. Do you have any advice on how to keep your faith and keep it positive while grieving?

I'm losing this battle with myself and I'm really trying to stay afloat. Wow, Mariah, thank you so much for writing in. And I am so sorry for your loss. I am not very knowledgeable in schizophrenia but I'm sure that like you're saying, you have the double the intrusive thoughts and then you're constantly beating yourself down with your own mind. I can't imagine what that battle is like, like an internal battle that you're having. But what I will say is that one, I feel like you

should definitely find the professional help that can help you either balance that or medication or any type of holistic routes that you can take to kind of battle that schizophrenia. And then when it comes to loss, everybody deals a grief differently. And you're gonna have days where you're okay and days where you're not. It just, it comes and goes. I know I can attest to that. But I would say that I would pray

because death is a part of life. And I think a lot of times we hold on to people, want them to be here forever. And then we allow it to affect us in a way when we know that eventually we're all gonna go at some time. So I would find the reality in death and then look at the amazing moments and memories that you built with your sister and focus on that and not the loss as an entirety. I would also say to continue to work on your

relationship with God, continue to be around like-minded, positive people that can inspire you and encourage you to think good of yourself, to tell you the haystits, come on, let's go out, don't stay in the house, let's have some fun. Anything that you can do to keep your mind off of the loss that you had and continue to move forward. What would you tell her? That last part was key.

When we're dealing with loss or change in that way, it's important for us to be around people that are going to uplift us, that are going to end, I guess, in environments where even if the waves do come, we can't revel in it too long, you know? Whether that's getting out and going hiking, or you know, going skating. You know, just again, being around your folks

that you know you're gonna get a laugh out of. I think that's really, that's so key. And I know I talk about the destination and the journey, but really it's truly about the company that you have along the way. It is, that's so true. I look at life as sometimes like a job that we really don't like working.

But if you know your homegirl Lisa is working that shift, it's like, oh, okay, okay, that like. So look at it like that. Make sure that the folks that you need to be there in their time are working that shift. Oh, that's good. Thank you so much for that. All right, so we also like to ask our guests

if there's something they're going through and what they're growing through. What are you going through and growing through in this season in your life? Going through, I'm going through these different tiers of my career where I'm grateful enough to be able to kind of get acclimated with what's going on before I go to the next one because I mean I could drop a song and then you know six months later the trajectory of my career is just completely a 180. Just making sure that I have people around me that can keep me grounded. And what else? What am I growing through? I guess just finding other things out about myself. What are some other healthy outlets

that I can find? What are some people that I haven't met that I could really use around? You know, vice versa. You know, yeah, I think the main thing is just to be as present as possible. That's the main thing. That's good, yeah, I like that.

Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. To close out, we do this thing where we fill in the blank, keep it blank, sweetie. OK. And for this episode, I am going to say, keep it creative, sweetie.

Mm-hmm. What would you tell the people? Keep it audacious. That's the word, honey. Sweetie. Yes, I love it. My therapist let me know you have the audacity to be yourself. Yes, and it's beautiful and the world needs more of that.

Thank you so much, Jermaine. Thank you. I appreciate you. Guys, thank you so much for tuning into this episode of Keep It Positive, sweetie. If you want to write into our positive outcomes listener letter, you can write into keepitpositesweetieatgmail.com and that's sweetie with an I-E. You can follow me on all platforms at Love, Chris, or Nate and that's L-U-V. Durand, tell the people they can find you.

They can find me on the TikToks and on the IGs and on Twitter. Okay, your mama named you Twitter. That's what I'm going to call you. That's D-U-R-A-N-D-B-E-R-N-A-R-R-A. Okay, the not so quiet song on your favorite cousin on your daddy's side. Okay, don't you forget it. Don't you forget it. Alright guys, that's it for this episode. In the meantime, in between time, you know what to do. Keep it positive, sweetie. Love you guys. Love you guys.

So Lord, thank you so much for this opportunity. Thank you for the blessing of just waking up every single day, dear God, and continue to live in our purpose. I ask that you just bless this conversation. Let someone be inspired, let someone be healed, and let someone see themselves in us, dear God, because we know that we are nothing without you. In Jesus' name we pray, amen. There you have it. These are just a few steps to build financial security. And remember, like a good neighbor, State Farm is there. Not just with insurance, but also by supporting resources that empower Black women financially. Head over to statefarm.com to learn more

and find a local agent who can guide you on your financial journey. Keep it positive, sweeties. And remember, like a good neighbor, State Farm is there.