From Legendary R&B Group 112 to Prioritizing Quinnes

00:00:00
Speaker 1: Calling all my Sweetish to the forefront. I'm your host, Christophine.

00:00:04
Speaker 2: Hazel, and this is the Keep It Positive, Sweetish Show. Welcome to the Keep It Positive, Sweetish Show, the place where we he'll grow and learn together. Today's guest is Grammy Award winning singer and songwriter Q Parker. Q Parker is someone many of us know through his music, but today's conversation is about where he is now, from continuing to create and release music to prioritizing health and discipline. This is a chance to hear how C is moving and what's guiding him today. Kill Simley, please give a very warm welcome to Q Parker, right right right.

00:00:43
Speaker 1: You gotta really know him to call him. Quitnes quick, Yes are you?

00:00:48
Speaker 3: I'm well. I'm well. I can't complain. Just enjoying life, family, career, community, just smiling while doing it all.

00:01:01
Speaker 1: Well you good friend. Life has been good.

00:01:04
Speaker 3: Hey, I appreciate it you as well.

00:01:05
Speaker 1: Thank you, thank you. We finally got you on. We were talking as you were walking in. We are in our tenth season of Keep It Positive sweet and you're like, wow, He's like, that's crazy.

00:01:15
Speaker 3: Two things. Two things. It's bad that it took ten seasons to get your brother on. But on the flip side of that, I'm really proud of you.

00:01:25
Speaker 1: Thank you.

00:01:26
Speaker 3: I'm really proud of it. I mean, we'll get into the story, but there's more meat into why I'm proud of you.

00:01:33
Speaker 1: Yeah.

00:01:33
Speaker 2: Yeah, So let's start with that, because a lot of people don't know that I've known you for almost twenty years now. That's crazy, crazy twenty years. We met when I was still living in DC and I up and decided that I was coming to Atlanta, Georgia, and in one of the most difficult and transformative years of my life, you were one of the people that believed in me.

00:01:52
Speaker 1: I was one of your artists.

00:01:53
Speaker 2: People don't know that Q took me on and really like put your money where your mouth was, and you put your time behind it, and we created some amazing things.

00:02:04
Speaker 3: We did, y'all, And some of that music I haven't heard it in years, but I believe it will still have a place. And so for y'all that don't know, every time, every now and then, our head chase and I'm like, I'm like, y'all, what's up with your artistry? And I love to see you doing all these amazing things. In television and business and all of that, but you also have an instrument that's incredible that I think the world needs to hear. And the stuff that we did, I mean, we can always re visit those things, but I think that there's a folder in your sphere where music plays a huge part too.

00:02:43
Speaker 2: So yes, and I'm glad you said that because I recently when was it, well this, I don't know when this is gonna air.

00:02:51
Speaker 3: But her artists, I called you Chase.

00:02:55
Speaker 1: Let's get Yeah, we need to give a backstory on Chase.

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Speaker 3: Okay, So.

00:03:00
Speaker 1: Yeah, this is listen, this is real history here.

00:03:02
Speaker 3: Listen. We went into the full fold of artist development and artistry and all of those things. And so her name being Crystal Hazelt, we was like Chase. So we took the C and then the H A Y s of her last name, and that's how we came up with Chase. And so it's hard for me to call her Crystal. It's hard for me to call her all these other character names and all of that, because when I see you, all I see is Chase Cha Chase face.

00:03:30
Speaker 1: Yes, yes, that still caused me face to this day.

00:03:37
Speaker 3: That's what's up.

00:03:38
Speaker 1: Yes, Oh, I love that.

00:03:39
Speaker 2: No, we did, and I remember I was just saying on stage with Adam Blackstone, which was like a dream of mine, and in that moment, I was like, oh my goodness. I was like it's time, like I got to get back in the studio. I did a live show in Washington and I was singing other people's songs and I was like, it's time for me to.

00:03:59
Speaker 1: Get on stage and sing my son.

00:04:01
Speaker 2: So I'm definitely gonna call you because we need to get back and do some news.

00:04:04
Speaker 1: Yes, it is.

00:04:06
Speaker 3: It's just time to unveil that part of you as well.

00:04:09
Speaker 1: No, that's so true.

00:04:10
Speaker 2: That is We're gonna get into your music because you have a lot of things going on.

00:04:14
Speaker 1: But I want to know what is life looking like for you right now?

00:04:18
Speaker 3: Wow? So right now, I am a compartmentalizer. My life is in folders, right and my job every day is to prioritize and balance those folders. You know, there's the father folder, there's the grandfather folder, there's the artists folder, there's the businessman folder. There's a philanthropy folder, there's a husband folder. And so it's all of those things that I have to make sure stays in a healthy place every day, and how do I adequately give the necessary time for all of those things? And so that's that's what the typical day is. And so one day this folder may fall short, so then I know the next day I gotta maybe give that one a little bit more time and attention. But the beauty of it is I am operating in full and total independence. Wow, you know, I go at my own pace. I'm an independent artist, which gives me the freedom to do the things. I'm an independent businessman. I can do the deals that I want to do. Now I have the freedom to move in certain ways with my grandchildren, with my wife, with my family. And so it's just I laugh because I get to almost twenty five thirty years of being a professional to now being able to really live in the freedom of which I feel like all artists and all creatives should have come into the game with that type of creative freedom, but to now live in it as a fully independent artist, self funded. I'm having the time of my life. This is the most fun I've had in years. Man, It's just it's just a good season.

00:06:03
Speaker 1: I love it. I love it.

00:06:05
Speaker 2: I want to talk about I use tell all these different folders and I love how you compartmentalize, because a lot of times we can have so much going on that we forget.

00:06:13
Speaker 1: Okay, let's focus on what we need to focus on. When you wake up in the morning.

00:06:18
Speaker 2: What is Q's like, first thing, what it's like your morning routine and day look like to even be able to pour into all those folders.

00:06:24
Speaker 3: All right, So the first thing is obviously spending the time with myself, praying, meditating. I get up at four thirty every morning because what I didn't mention in those folders is Q Parker, right, And so I have to give myself the time and pour into myself so that I'm at a full capacity to even give to others. Right, I can't run myself down so much given to others when I have not given myself the time. And so from four point thirty till about seven o'clock seven thirty, that's all my time. And it's my time because normal people are sleep, my phone not ringing, it's just that's just my time. And so during those hours, I work out, I'm praying, I meditate, I'm sitting in the sauna, I'm going to the stretch lab, I'm going to yoga, like I'm doing all of those things for me, yes, and then I'm able to go upstairs, spend some time with Shawland and spend some time with my wife. My oldest grand baby he damn then lives at our home, and so then I'm spending time with him, getting him dressed, taking him to school, and then I start my day. And then that may be meetings and with my partners of Paramount Collective Ventures, which is my independent label and managing company, we have our touch points, and then I'm starting. I'm just kind of I look at what's all in my day, and then I try to just find some time within that day to go sneak and get a massage or something, because at the end of the day, I have to continue to prioritize quinness.

00:07:59
Speaker 2: It's so good, and he talked about this is like the most freedom you felt the world knows you or was introduced to you from the prolific R and B group one twelve, which was like one of the best R groups of our generation. Like listen, one of the best R and B groups of our generation.

00:08:16
Speaker 1: Do you hear me?

00:08:17
Speaker 3: I remember groups?

00:08:20
Speaker 2: Okay, we got one twelve boysmen. I love TLC, SWV Thinking Groups, Destiny's Child.

00:08:38
Speaker 3: A new edition.

00:08:41
Speaker 2: Yeah, yeah, okay, yeah, I know that's fine, but yeah those that yes, I remember, I'm from Martin, Tennessee. You've been, You've been to my hometown, and you all came. One twelve performed in Martin, Tennessee. Martin when I was in college. Listen, it was like the best thing ever. Wow, yes, a long time ago.

00:09:03
Speaker 3: You know what. I loved those times. And you know, when people ask me about the current Q Parker, it's hard for me to tell the Q Parker today's story without giving love to my group members and as well as the brand one twelve because what you see in Q Parker now as an artist and all of these things I learned from one twelve. Yeah, and see one of the reasons why even today, I'm constantly on the road. I'm constantly going into the radio stations, I'm doing phoners, I'm calling them, shaking hands, kissing babies and all of that, because back then one twelve we were in the major college to the small college, to a major city to the small city. If there was a demand for the group, we were going to be there. And that just kind of molded me into my philosophy of how I think about marketing and promotions and presence.

00:09:57
Speaker 1: No, I can see it.

00:09:58
Speaker 2: I've got to see you perform a year ago at an event that I was helping host, and just to see your stage present at presence as a group member, to how you transform solo and let I say, demand the stage commanded the audience is like at attention, you just captivate everybody in the room, even come off the stage and like you just like you are an entertainer.

00:10:22
Speaker 1: Man.

00:10:23
Speaker 3: This is how I was raised. Started as an eighteen year old Max. Sure, I'll be fifty and so you're talking about thirty some years just constant working, and I'm so grace. I'm so grateful that in my era, artist development was something that was a priority because it molded us in ways that allowed us to sustain sustainability. And if we only just continue to tap into those early teachings, this is why a lot of the nineties artists are still moving around. You're still make a living and still they are. The nineties artists are probably the highest grossing touring acts presently.

00:11:07
Speaker 1: Look at Monica.

00:11:08
Speaker 2: Yeah, and I don't know when Brandy came out in the area, like late nineties and early two thousand, but listen like literally that music. And when people ask them what kind of news do you want to do, I was like, I want to do a modernized version of nineties R and B because I feel like you listen to it today and it has stood the test of time.

00:11:26
Speaker 3: Yeah, and that's a great formula. Like even with this this latest project, I just released Evolution of Romance Volume one, it's me tapping into who I am and what I know. I'm a nineties artist, yeah, but I also can incorporate some of the modern sounds and ways of delivery, certain terminologies now to just create a great hybrid. And I think that's one of the reasons why this latest project has been received so well, because of that nostalgia, but also so being able to incorporate some modern stuff as well.

00:12:03
Speaker 2: I love that saying relevant rebranding. I think people forget that it's a constant evolution. You're constantly evolving, You're constantly rebranding, and you have to stay up with the times.

00:12:14
Speaker 3: You know, always say if I don't move, it don't groove.

00:12:18
Speaker 2: So true, that is true. I want to know because you have been in this industry for a long time. What are some lessons that you've learned, especially navigating from being in a group to now being a solo and independent artist running your own label, being ahead of everything and making these decisions. What are some lessons that you learned along the way?

00:12:35
Speaker 3: Lessons with I think the main lesson is you have to be a student of whatever sector you are going to spend time in. You got to learn the business, you know, study those that came before you. Why did this work, Why didn't this work? What can I use to incorporate into my system of systems?

00:12:55
Speaker 2: Right?

00:12:56
Speaker 3: And so the biggest thing, even in this today's this is really seeing the business, you know, being a part of the companies and inside the label business buildings. A lot of the things weren't necessarily available to us. They probably were if we had asked, but we didn't because in those times the main focus for the artists was just be the artist, create the songs, work on your stage presence so you can go out on the road and tour, but understanding like the behind the scenes and peeling the onion back to really see all of the departments and what really are they doing. You know, I don't become an overnight success I don't become a success just because my record is good, because we know, many good records don't climb the charts. Many good records doesn't equate to you being you know, a touring at with the demand. There are these things that are happening in these buildings that contribute to your success, like a marketing department, promotion department, video apartment, artists, development, like all of these things. And so just understanding those details is what I've incorporated now as an independent artist, because even though I'm independent, I still need promotions, marketing now, social media.

00:14:18
Speaker 1: Oh gosh, now, content creations.

00:14:22
Speaker 3: So it's all of those things. And so just understanding the business and then, you know, for the first time in my entire career, being the owner of all things Q Parker, come on, like, that's the game changing. You know, we were never owners back then. We were selling all the records and making all the tool money and all the merchandise money. But in terms of master's ownership, that went to the labels and the companies. And so it's a beautiful thing to put out new music and not only get paid because you are the performer, you are the writer, you are the publisher, but you are now the owner too, and that's a totally different ball game that a lot of us artists rarely get a chance to live in. And so I'm really enjoying the fact that, man, I own it all. And you know, if somebody wants to license Q Parker music, they gotta come and talk.

00:15:18
Speaker 1: Come on, you know, listen for a price. It's I guess yesterday's price is not today. It's nice, man.

00:15:31
Speaker 2: I love that with ownership comes a lot of responsibility, and oftentimes we don't talk about the weight of it. I know, for me, even in my position, with everything that I have going on, it's a lot to carry.

00:15:43
Speaker 1: How is it for you? How do you handle it?

00:15:46
Speaker 3: Have an amazing team? I mean that that can actually answer the previous question. Something that I've learned. Man, You're only as strong as your.

00:15:56
Speaker 1: Team and as much as you.

00:15:58
Speaker 3: Are capable of on it yourself. It's just not wise.

00:16:02
Speaker 1: It's just not wise.

00:16:04
Speaker 3: You're gonna tie yourself out. And so I grew up playing sports, right, I'm huge in athletics, right, and so early on I learned the importance of teamwork and camaraderie. And if I do my job and you do your job, we get to the end zone and we celebrate. That's why they dance and all because, man, we worked hard to get to this touchdown, so I want to celebrate. But because of that mindset, it's easy for me to say, hey, you're great at this, You're great at this, I'm great at this. Let's be great together and now let's go as opposed to me trying to be great at everything, all these things, which I can be, but in the long run for longevity, it's not sustainable. You'll burn yourself out and it's not sustainable. So, man, having an amazing team is something that is just so critical and vital.

00:16:52
Speaker 2: No, for sure, I love that something else that you are known for, which is probably a testament to why you don't look your age like your granddad.

00:17:01
Speaker 1: I can't believe that that's three.

00:17:03
Speaker 2: That's crazy here, yo, of three.

00:17:11
Speaker 1: Of three, But you are.

00:17:13
Speaker 2: You've taken since I've known you, health and fitness has been a huge part of your life. Are you still doing the calendars? Does he does the calendar? You've been doing calendars? And like, I know that that was a big part of like your focus. And is that something that you you still do yoga? You work out, you do the sauna. Why and has that always been a part of your life or when was that switch for you?

00:17:35
Speaker 3: So I go back to artist development and the way that I describe it is kind of kind of funny. Right the day that we signed to becoming a male R and B artist, we agreed to do certain things and uphold certain things, create great songs. The majority of our songs we create are two the female demography, which presents this idea, this image, this fantasy, and we marry what our presentation is to the songs that we're singing, and we would just talk early on that presentation is everything, and that's something that I just I really just grab hold of that because I guess playing sports, I understood that if I practice, then it's going to become a common It's not gonna be something that I'm just having to push myself, but it's just a regular occurrence. And so early on, big shout out to k Wells, Courtney Says, and even Puffy who instilled in us like, no, you're gonna be these R and B guys, you gotta look to part at all times. And I just always had this idea that if I'm sing the type of music that I sing. I want when you see me to match the type of music that I'm singing. I don't want to be singing anywhere or pictures and cream from the one twelve catalog. But I don't look nothing like that's cute. No, it's not no offense to nobody else. That's not gonna be a Q Parker. And that's why I value, you know, the smaller things like getting manicures and pedicures and facials and my teeth clean, and keeping chapstick on and making sure you're groomed and smelling good. And you know, it's great when I walk in the room and people are like, yo, you smell nice.

00:19:25
Speaker 1: You always gotta like what you're wearing about three different things.

00:19:28
Speaker 3: I'm a grown man, and so those are the things that we're supposed to take pride in. Clean sneakers and making sure you're dressed to part and making sure you just look good like all of this stuff is what we signed up for. And so that's why I prioritize health and working out and watching what I eat and when I eat, and drinking water and no stress, no drama, getting adequate sleep. All of those things contribute to the way of life a mental My aunt told me, you say, when you're born, you look like your parents. When you die, you look like your choices. So our choices determine what we're looking like.

00:20:11
Speaker 1: They do.

00:20:12
Speaker 3: Yeah.

00:20:13
Speaker 1: Yeah, so that's.

00:20:14
Speaker 3: Why, man, I'm very particular in the choices that I'm making because I want to define what fifty years old look like. I want to define what sixty years old look like like. I'm not going to be the average sixty, seventy eighty ninety year old. I'm just not.

00:20:27
Speaker 1: Yeah, no, you're on to listen your trajectory. Listen. Yes, I love that. So your new music, the evolution of romance.

00:20:36
Speaker 2: You have been very intentional about bringing romance and how to love back into the conversation.

00:20:42
Speaker 1: What was really something? What sparked that?

00:20:45
Speaker 3: So big shout out to Al Jamal, Elvis Felly, the Voice, Antario J. Bush. Those are my partners and Rico Love in this so crazy. Yeah. So they are my production team, and we set out and had a conversation before the two week recording time it took to make this record.

00:21:10
Speaker 1: And you know, so you record this in two weeks.

00:21:13
Speaker 3: Yeah, two weeks. Ten songs in two weeks. But that can happen when you are intentional, not just recording just to be recording. Like, we knew exactly what we wanted to record, and the nine songs that are on the album are the only nine we recorded. Wow, that's our spot on and laser beam focused. We were on this and in the past, I may record thirty.

00:21:37
Speaker 1: And choose twel right exactly, that's no record.

00:21:40
Speaker 3: Twenty and choose eight. But no, we only recorded what the World Here as volume one. And so in this initial conversation, I said, man, I could sing anything, right, I can. It just flows through my vein. But I don't like to do things just because I can. I like to have a mission and a purpose and a reason as to why I'm doing what I'm doing. And we were able to identify that romance is missing. You know, guys aren't really like it ain't slow cooking stuff no more. Everything is just fast and just so direct. Well, what happened to the wining and dining and then sugars and being gentlemen, and we just we defined that romance is missing. And so when we said romance, it was like.

00:22:28
Speaker 1: Bam, that's it.

00:22:31
Speaker 3: That is Q Parker embodiment. Like anybody knows me know that I'm all about love songs. Like I grew up watching the soap operas, and so everything about the soap opera is soft and passionate and affection and touchy and hugging and kissing and slow dancing. Like yo, we got a whole generation that probably don't don't even know what slow dancing is, probably has never slowed down. And the slow dance is in some ways you can look at it as exploration. It's research because now this is the first time you may have been this close to whisper, to smell the cologne, to say a little nothing's in the ear, kiss on the neck, you know, waistline, you can feel his back, like all of those things. It's like discovery, right, but we're in the world where it's just hey, what you're doing, so it's no connectivity. And so we wanted to sing and just bring romance back into the marketplace man. And so you know, I committed to this evolution volume series. This is volume one. I'm committed to doing at least four to five.

00:23:42
Speaker 2: Okay, So, like, what made you want to do volumes instead of just like one project?

00:23:46
Speaker 3: Because I knew that I didn't want to have a triple a triple release with like forty some songs. And you know, there are different levels of romance. You know, we talk about the evolution of still being defined, and it could be defined in so many ways, and so it was no way that I wanted to try to force the full embodiment of romance into nine songs.

00:24:10
Speaker 1: That's so true. Yeah, I know that's real.

00:24:12
Speaker 2: I love that and I'm excited to see what the evolution of romance is.

00:24:18
Speaker 3: Romance is just it's just so key. And you know, as I've been on this, on this campaign, Johnny, like, I've I've coined myself the romance dealer. Yes, just dealing romance, just campaigning romance and bringing it back into the homes, the hearts of these relationships.

00:24:36
Speaker 2: Now to get in your business, how do you He's like, okay, how do you show up romantically for CHARLANDA Like? What are things that qth Parker does? And maybe you could share and get some fellows some So romance to.

00:24:50
Speaker 3: Me is it's deeds, it's things. It's not necessarily a particular thing, right, but it's the little it's that they always say, the what's it called it? The something that's in the details.

00:25:05
Speaker 1: That the devil is in the details.

00:25:07
Speaker 3: Well, but the details matter. It's the small things, right, And so U romantic to me can be gassing her car up on Sundays. Yes, so it's cold outside. She don't got to worry about putting gas in the car. Romance. Romance could be listening. Man, I've had a long day, so you get home, don't worry a by dinner to day because I just went ahead and order dinner. Listening is important, yo, Man, I've been on my feet all day. Man, Man, my back is Hey, you get our work today, go to such and such such, or when you get home, the massage person is here. Like it's all of those things because I believe, just like my first single was a song called beg right, and we made it into an acronym bringing endless gratitude to your partner. And so in this iteration of the word, it's not because you thatsed up. We're not begging because I'm sorry that It's just we're begging for you to keep the relationship in a good space. And begging becomes deeds, it becomes the small things. And so if we're constantly begging for each other, then that too can be romance.

00:26:17
Speaker 1: Yes, yeah, I love that. That's good.

00:26:20
Speaker 2: Listen, guys, I know it's a lost art, you know, and I find myself when I'm dating.

00:26:25
Speaker 1: I'm having to like teach people like music, teach me.

00:26:29
Speaker 2: Howl tired trying to teach you.

00:26:32
Speaker 1: It's certain things that come on.

00:26:35
Speaker 3: It's not okay, you know, just just being a gentleman. Yeah, you know, my mama raised us to be respectful. That can even be romantic. The way you talk to somebody like you don't got to be so direct. Put that shit on. Put that babe. What happened you remember that Black Dress war? I really like that. I would love to see you in that. You know what I'm saying, Like, it's the small things, Yes, it's the small things. And you know, I think society has just fast paced everything. The micael wave. They want the quick return, They want to make an investment. You want to just see it right, you want to see the blow up tomorrow. But sometimes you got to play the long game, man. The long game will prove way more dividends than something that's just this overnight.

00:27:27
Speaker 2: Yeah, and we see it now. Is this something that you always knew in your marriage or did something.

00:27:30
Speaker 3: You had to absolutely not. I had to grow into that. I had to grow into that. You gotta understand, like, I was married at twenty six. Wow, and so at twenty six that's the height of maybe this is anywhere or peaches and cream, And so it's just like, man, I know that I didn't really fully understand the totality of that type of a commitment. But again, man, you live, you learn. Kudos to Charlenda and her just having patience to allow me to grow into that true manhood and fatherhood and being present and all of those things. So, nah, I didn't know all of that. But what's crazy, Chase is when I started to have these revelations, I just remember my mom and my dad because my dad always handled my mom in a gentle way. My dad was the ultimate provider. He was firm in an extreme disciplinarian. But I just saw them love on each other in ways that I think defied what society and how society defined what a relationship should really look like, and the nuances and the balance of work versus nurturing at home, nurturing at home versus work right, And so I think those things have always been in me because of my surroundings. I just had to mature into those spaces to connect with what I knew all along.

00:29:00
Speaker 2: Right, Yeah, what are those conversations like when you are having to your learning and maybe charls like quinnis.

00:29:08
Speaker 1: This is what I need you know and like because a lot.

00:29:11
Speaker 2: Of times in relationships, and there's so many couples that watch this show, I want to show them, like, this is what it looks like, what marriage looks like over years and maybe not all having it all together in the beginning, but through communicating and learning each other, this is how we got to this side of it.

00:29:25
Speaker 3: Absolutely. You know, marriage is it's a partnership. It is a commitment. Yeah, it is a sacrifice. It is understanding. Its effectively communicating, it's paying attention, it's listening. It's speaking delicately to the person that you care about and you love, Which means I need to choose which words I'm going to use in trying to get whatever said point across right, right, Because if my and it's being results oriented, that means let's spend as much time as we need here, but let's spend the bulk of the time on talking about the solution and the results it's a lot of forgiveness and understanding. It's patience, and it is committing every day. It's a daily commit because if I keep bringing in yesterday and the day before and last week and last month and last year and ten years ago, like it's almost like driving like this, right you don't know where you're going? Who drives like this?

00:30:37
Speaker 1: That is such a good analogy, So you.

00:30:40
Speaker 3: Know, keeping keeping here, Hey, today is today. Today is today. Let's commit today and just having that mindset that I ain't going nowhere, You're not going nowhere. Divorce is off the table. So that means it's not an option, So don't ever, that's not an option. We got to work through these other things because that's not an option.

00:31:08
Speaker 2: Now.

00:31:09
Speaker 3: That means maybe I ain't liking you right now. You may not be liking me right now. You're making respectfully say hey, give me a minute, has some time, I need space? Blah blah blah blah blah, and it be received like I respect that, because I don't think it's fair when relationships try to live or move their relationship the way that society has defined it, or what Mama and them and Grandmama them did. Because we are us. We got to define our own relationship and we get to say what we want to do, what we don't want to do, what boundaries we want to set, what we don't want to do. And that has nothing to do with nobody but the two individuals that are involved. And I think if we keep those types of things as the top lines, we have a better way, a better goal of it being successful, because that's at the end of the day. People just want to be happy. They want companionship, We want to have some fun, we want to laugh, we want to share some intimacy and have intimate moments and then be building legacy. Yes, all that fussing and fighting and yelling and cussing, and.

00:32:30
Speaker 1: I don't ever see you like upset raise your voice.

00:32:33
Speaker 3: It's very rare because I just I just try to be controlled in all spaces. And again I'm in control of my response. I'm accountable for what I do, not for what you do. You can look like the food, but I'm not because I know how to and I'm a word or to chase like I care. I take a beat before I speak, and when I need to say some something that's razor, it's gonna be collected. It's gonna be well thought. I'm just not lashing out saying because I might forget something like I got, I gotta get all over there. So I'm gonna take my beat to gather all my thoughts because when I let it go, but it's gonna be it's gonna be delicate. Yeah. It reminds me of So my son is a senior at Family, right. Wow, he's a theater major. Right you remember Q Jr. He's a senior. Yeah, and so he's a theater major. And so he would come home and I would he would have to put itself on tape. Yeah, and so I remember, I remember when he first started, there was this this line that he had to or this passage and the person had to have be angered, right, And so the first past he was he just went yelling and screaming and he delivered it so big as my mom. And so I set them down and then I was like, yo, that there's another approach that you can. You can show anger through frustration, you can show anger through disappointment. And so I'm never gonna be this guy right here because I can. I can sit down and be like Chase, that was really messed up, and all the things that you've done, like I can, I can deliver the same message.

00:34:25
Speaker 2: Calm and those always they always work.

00:34:30
Speaker 1: Like when people do that on screen, it's like.

00:34:32
Speaker 3: Oh my god, exactly. So that's that's how I approach. And then you know, lastly about that, I have to protect my blood pressure. I gotta protect my stress level. And nothing hit me out. Nothing is worth me stressing over nothing. I don't care how big it is. There's a solution and we can work through everything. I don't care how big, how grand, how Oh my god, the world. The world ain't.

00:35:04
Speaker 1: Ending, right, it's not. No.

00:35:08
Speaker 3: So that's why you probably would rarely ever see me like just and if you ever see me losing my mind or some you got to know somebody went to the ends of the earth to really just get me off my.

00:35:20
Speaker 2: Square right, right, and so true, So you did what you called the Manuel. Yeah, so was that a collection of all the lesson that you learned to teach me?

00:35:29
Speaker 3: And how pretty much that? So I just always believe, you know, as a musician and as an orator, a speaker, a deliverer of messaging, you have a responsibility. I don't want to just create songs and music just for no reason. I like to always have a message behind it, and again, like I said previously, I like to have an objective as to why I'm recording. And that first album, which was in twenty twelve, was the very first time of me branching out on my own, and I needed to show you know, just how I've grown and how I've matured, and how and what type of lessons I've learned in my young adulthood and in my young marriagehood and fatherhood and parenthood and all those things. And so I was very intentional about capitalizing m an location the ul because I wanted the listeners to understand that this was a man coming into his own. But then also using what I've experienced as a manual how to God on, how to love, how to forgive, how to be present, how to get a do over, like all of those things.

00:36:41
Speaker 1: I love that. Didn't You also have like a men's community?

00:36:44
Speaker 3: Yeah, Brothers United of Atlanta We're still going strong and I founded it in twenty sixteen. This upcoming year would be our ten year anniversary and it's just Brothers United is probably one of my most proud art is creations because we know all over the world. Men just need safe places to be vulnerable, to be our true optimal selves. You know, we possess all that's needed, but we only probably using fifty or less percent of all the qualities and traits that we have because of the stereotypes, because of the social climate and status. And you know, men can't do this, and men should do this, and you're not this if you don't and you should be. All that stuff is just tearing this down even and we even getting into the systemic stuff and the history of stuff and ancestrals. Right, it's a lot that men are carrying. And so to be able to create an atmosphere in an environment for God to just come and be loved on, be motivated, encouraged, championed, cheered on, man hugged, that's just something that I get so proud. And so every Monday we do a prayer and meditation call via zoom and then once a month we do an in person meeting where we have like a speaker that'll come. But it's also just giving guys a voice.

00:38:13
Speaker 2: Yes, and they need that, they need it. I love that and I'm proud of you. Ten years congratulations. Yeah, that is amazing. I love that you wear so many hats. You also act you've done place TV and film. What is something that you haven't done yet or something that you really want to tap into more in this season of your life.

00:38:36
Speaker 3: I want to do a fitness competition.

00:38:39
Speaker 2: Really, like what's that show that we used to watch on Saturday mornings?

00:38:44
Speaker 1: Like Gladiator kind of thing?

00:38:45
Speaker 3: Really so so that type of like like I would love to do Special Forces a Fox get at your boy listen. Yeah, yeah, yeah, I would love to do stuff like Special Forces or like the competition type of reality shows, but also like a real life fitness competition, like a male physique or something like. I'm not I don't really believe in all too too muscular, but yeah, like a male physique, like a fitness type of competition. I would like to do that, And so I may do it. I may do it next sure, my fifty fifty years, you may do it next year.

00:39:23
Speaker 1: You should. That's gonna be crazy.

00:39:24
Speaker 2: I have someone who just did special for us, so I'll see if they have a connect.

00:39:30
Speaker 3: Yeah yeah, see, it's good to know people, man in big places.

00:39:37
Speaker 1: I know a few people I love that.

00:39:41
Speaker 2: Is there anything that we can look out for? You have your album the well the beginning.

00:39:47
Speaker 3: Of Yes, this is the volume series, so we just released Volume one. Things that are on the horizon is obviously competing completing the volume series. I do have a couple of acting opportunities that are have already been filmed that are slated to come out next year. Philanthropy, continuing to support the children by way of our music developmental summer camps, and then also the senior citizens. We do annual programming for the senior citizens. And then just kind of and then building a model for peers of mind to be able to still have a voice, but also know that there's a home where they could go where they can still release new music, have ownership and not just have to rest on what they've done in the past, but now can put out current music, have a direct connection to your fans, be directly to the consumers, and just still have a voice. So many of my artists from my from my peers from my era can still sing, they still look good, still have the energy to get out here. Yeah, So just trying to create a blueprint for for artists to be able to still put out music there.

00:41:04
Speaker 1: I love that. I love that and have ownership, ownership listen. That's one thing Tyler taught me ownership.

00:41:09
Speaker 3: Owners ownerships.

00:41:11
Speaker 1: You don't want to look up.

00:41:12
Speaker 2: You've done all this work. You work so hard and there's nothing to show for it. And that comes to ownership.

00:41:17
Speaker 3: You got to own it, man, and especially now in the world of independence, because the reality is everybody's not going to get a record deal. Everybody's not going to be you know, supported by lions Gate and MGM and Columbia Pictures and all of that. And so, you know, how can you gain interest from somebody else if they don't see that you have the interest in your own self, you know, creating that value so you can have people coming to the table. But then you're in a position of power because by the time they get to you, you may not even need them.

00:41:52
Speaker 1: Yeah, come on, that's weird because you've done the work.

00:41:55
Speaker 3: Because you've done the work.

00:41:57
Speaker 2: Yes, I love that this season's theme is unapologetic. I want to ask you, Q Parker, what are you unapologetic about in this season of your life?

00:42:08
Speaker 3: I am unapologetic about just being Q Parker and all that means, and that is bottling up what was, but most importantly what is. And there are no limits I wake up every day. If I have an idea, I can really do the things that that idea can become a real thing. And when I tell you that kind of freedom, everybody needs to experience that type of freedom where you don't you don't have deadlines that you didn't give yourself. You don't have the pressures of somebody else telling you I need it by tomorrow. That brings on stress, that brings on all these other stuff, right, but you are in control of setting the deadlines and the barometers and all that. And so I'm unapologetically proud that I can show up every day as Quinnis Damon Parker Senior Q Parker the romance deal of Baby, I love it. Thank you, thank you, and hold on before I get out of here, let me just give you something real quickly. When I met you, you had these big dreams and I don't remember if you remember, me and my partners, we would have these conversations with you and you would say, man, I want to do this, I want to do this, I'm going to do this, I'm going to do this. You had a list of things. We were just in position to help you kind of get into these spaces and so when I fast forward to the present, I've watched all of your ascension and for somebody who witnessed it in the beginning phases, and to see where you are and where you're going as your brother the man, I'm really really proud of you. I want to tell you that I love you. I'm super proud of you. And this is the true testament of having a vision putting in the work right. I live by model that says regimen plus consistency equals results. You had a regimen, you were consistent in that, and now you're living in the results. And so I'm proud of you.

00:44:25
Speaker 1: Thank you, thank you so much. I love you. Thank you.

00:44:31
Speaker 2: Wow, you're gonna try to make the cry. So every week a listener writes in and we give them advice. So this week for positive Outcomes, Chambria Brown writes, what advice do you have for someone who is trying to rebuild their relationship with God? Trying to rebuild that's been like the story of my last few years. My advice would be to be very intentional about your relationship with Christ and also understand that the walk will not be perfect. I think a lot of times we see what looks like this is just perfect path for everyone who is following Christ right, but people don't show their shortcomings. And I talked about it earlier, is that when you're on this path and you're trying to do what's right, even if you fall down, get up, don't give up.

00:45:29
Speaker 1: That would be my advice.

00:45:32
Speaker 3: I would say, first and foremost, God understands who we are way more than we do, and your small effort is just you really tap into who He already know you are. And so it's just like riding the bike. You gotta get on the bike every day until you become better at it. Again, regimen and consistency builds results. And so if I start giving time time today and I come back tomorrow and the next day, I'm gonna look up and the week has gone by, and now I'm getting more and more confident, the relationship is becoming more and more solid. So again, I don't know if I'm gonna make the shot. If I don't shoot the shot, come on, So that's real.

00:46:17
Speaker 1: I love that.

00:46:18
Speaker 2: Thank you Schmbria for writing, Oh my goodness, that was such a great conversation and a reminder that growth doesn't stop when you stay consistent with yourself and your purpose. Thank you so much for tuning in to another episode of the Keep It Positive Sweetie Show. Don't forget to subscribe, Share this episode with someone who can use a little positivity, and it's always Stay blessed, stay encouraged, and remember to keep it positiveweeties.

00:46:46
Speaker 1: I love you guys until next time.