From Chaos to Career Comebacks: Behind the Scenes with a Concert Booking Agent
Welcome, everybody, to another episode of Ten Steps Ahead. I'm your girl, DeShawn Snow.
Skido Ortiz:Hey, boys. Skido's in the building. What's up?
DeShawn Snow:And we have a special guest in the house today.
Skido Ortiz:Man, V. A. Is in the building.
VA:How y'all doing? How y'all doing? Man, V.
Skido Ortiz:We're happy to have you here.
VA:Definitely. Happy to be here.
DeShawn Snow:a little bit about how you know.
Skido Ortiz:Nah. Nah. So first, first, first, let me do a a nice introduction for you. And I ain't gonna take credit for it because Deshaun wrote it. I'm a real one.
Skido Ortiz:You feel me? But she wanted me to read. Today's guest, the man who spent years turning no one to hell yes for some of the biggest names in hip hop and entertainment. VA isn't just a concert booking agent. He's the secret weapon behind explosive careers, turning underground talent into household names.
Skido Ortiz:But here's what most people don't see, the grind, the rejections, the chess move. It takes it takes to make magic happen. It takes a lot to make magic happen, and you make it happen. And that's respect.
VA:Hey, I love that.
Skido Ortiz:Listen, what's happening?
VA:I need that clip. Make sure you get send me that clip. That was great. Thank you.
Skido Ortiz:That was
VA:great, man. That was great.
Skido Ortiz:Well, She said it from my heart, and I mean it, because I've seen you in work. As matter of fact, me and Deshaun seen
Skido Ortiz:you in Yes.
Skido Ortiz:You know? And I came to VA, I was like, yo, listen, I wanna put on a concert.
VA:Yeah.
Skido Ortiz:But I don't wanna deal with the artist and the headache or the egos and all the stuff you I can't do it. You're the man. Yes. And that's when it all happened, man. It was a pleasure.
Skido Ortiz:So I had to get you on this show, to show behind the scenes of what the real work is all about.
VA:Oh, yeah.
Skido Ortiz:And on that note, I mean, Dee was we was excited to do that concert with you. Deshaun was there.
Skido Ortiz:We did a couple.
Skido Ortiz:Did a couple. And we saw you work, sweat, and the artist up there. Right, Dee?
DeShawn Snow:Oh, yeah. He's a booking agent, so all He booked the artist for us. Yes. And
VA:I stage directed also.
DeShawn Snow:Stage directed.
Skido Ortiz:Book ins.
Skido Ortiz:Well, see, when you book for an agent, you book it, they take the money and they say, Okay, that's it. We did our job. Not only do you book them, you book them, he takes the job serious. He'll go to the venue, then make sure the artist's on stage. All of sudden, now he's directing the stage.
Skido Ortiz:Now he's putting the time. He's screaming at artists to come in and out. That's more than a booking agent.
VA:Oh, yeah. Definitely. And that that's what, you know, distinguish me from a lot of other booking agents. You know, I go that extra mile. You feel me?
Skido Ortiz:Absolutely, man. I love it. Don't you like that, Dee Dee? Yeah.
DeShawn Snow:So how long have you been doing it?
VA:Fifteen years now, since 2010.
DeShawn Snow:Oh, wow.
Skido Ortiz:Yep. Yeah. Fifteen. Yeah. 2010 is a long time.
Skido Ortiz:Yeah. But, you know, like we were saying, fifteen years in the game is a lot of experience. Yeah. That's the behind the scenes of the works that a person like you do. Like I said, I never seen I'm not gonna say a booking agent.
Skido Ortiz:I'm gonna say great businessman, a great entrepreneur, or somebody that cares. Like, people would take how you look and how you're screaming and yelling and get on time. But these artists don't know. It's because you care. You're a perfectionist.
Skido Ortiz:Yeah. And you want them to look great.
VA:Oh, yeah.
Skido Ortiz:Remember I asked you, dude, I said, Y'all don't know how he do that. I'll be choking these. I'll flip because I don't got no patience for that, because they look at you. But he makes them money, and they respect him.
DeShawn Snow:And make them wanna get booked again.
Skido Ortiz:Yeah. And they get up there, and that takes a lot of patience. How did you create that patience, dealing with all the me?
VA:I'm just passionate about what I do, man. You know, I wanna see the promoter win, and I wanna see the artist win. You know, so that just kinda coinciding both of those together is kinda how I develop what I do, you know? Definitely.
DeShawn Snow:What's up? So you said before the best bookings come from believing in the artist, not just the numbers.
VA:Yes.
DeShawn Snow:So was there a moment early in your career where you had to bet on your gut over money, and how did that shape your approach?
VA:I mean, it's You know, I gotta vet the artist and vet the venue and the promoter. It all has to make sense for me to wanna take the booking. You feel me? So there's been some bookings I didn't feel like would make sense for me or my brand or the artist brand, you know, whether it was a safety issue, a money issue, or just a location issue, you know, I I take all that into consideration when I'm doing these bookings.
Skido Ortiz:I see.
VA:So yeah.
Skido Ortiz:That's what so you you got you something? Do you pray before you deal with these artists? Every day,
VA:I pray. I wake up God first. That's that's the most important thing. I wake up. I look at bible sermons every day.
VA:I pray. That's that's important with what I do, because I go in a lot of crazy places. I'm in Chicago, East St. Louis, St. Louis, something like the most dangerous cities.
Skido Ortiz:I saw you in the hood in Chicago in the projects. I said, Yo, what you doing? Maybe
Skido Ortiz:they get out of there. They don't play.
VA:And this business has taken me in a lot of places that a lot of people can't go. You know, I'm in a lot of cities with guys, crazy gang bangers, drug dealers, and they actually respect me because they know I'm the one that's providing the talent or I could possibly help them to get to the next level in their career. Absolutely. Definitely. That's beautiful.
Skido Ortiz:Awesome.
Skido Ortiz:That's like you So, you go in places people are scared of going. But, you know, at the same time, you're going in places and pulling people out of their situations. A lot of people are stuck in places where they have artists and they got the money or, you know, they just don't know what to do. And you go organize it. You're almost like a I'm a consultant in the industry.
Skido Ortiz:You're almost like a consultant. Yeah. Right? Because he shows them the plan. This is what we do.
Skido Ortiz:You're more than a booking agent, bro.
VA:Yeah. Definitely. Definitely. You know? That's amazing.
VA:I just go with the flow, man, and play all positions. I'm a team player. I could play this position, that position. As long as we get the job done and we win in the end, that's the main goal. You know what I'm saying?
Skido Ortiz:Yes, sir. I can stamp that one because he definitely did it for me. We made And he was like And then the crazy part, he was more upset where you know, I thought it was great. He said, Nah, it
Skido Ortiz:could have been
Skido Ortiz:better. It's
DeShawn Snow:High level of excellence.
Skido Ortiz:The excellence. You understand that, dude.
DeShawn Snow:Yeah, yeah. Everything he served due to excellence.
VA:Yeah, I'm a perfectionist when it comes to this business. I'm tedious all the way down to the minute. I don't want an artist to come on a minute late, you know, because it can affect other factors. You feel me? So in this business, everything gotta hit to make it, you know, to make it look good, you know, definitely.
DeShawn Snow:So in this industry full of egos and smokes and mirrors, how do you stay true to yourself when everyone else is playing a role? Oh.
VA:I stay humble. I don't look at myself like a lot of people look at me. A lot of people think I'm this big guy, which I am. You know, I feel like I'm getting to that level. But I just try to stay humble and just just stay real to myself.
VA:You know what I'm saying? You know, once you start getting the ego and feeling like you're this big guy, that's when things kind of shift. You feel me? I'm still the guy I can go on the block. I'm at milking honey every day in the hood.
VA:You feel me? I ain't too good to go over here, go over there. So I just stay I just chill and be me. You feel me?
DeShawn Snow:Got it. Authenticity.
Skido Ortiz:But that comes from This thing is funny because I talked to Okay, because I don't know if y'all noticed, but the reason why me and V eight are so connected, because all of us are connected, because we got a strong faith in God. So don't get confused by where he's at, what he's doing. This man holds Bible studies.
VA:Yeah. Matter of fact, I gotta teach Bible study tonight. No, have to teach Bible study You all even need I gotta do the sermon tonight at seven So when I leave here, I'm going to prep my sermon for tonight. So I'm kinda, you know, I'm I'm I'm doing it all.
Skido Ortiz:Hey, quick questions.
Skido Ortiz:Are you going to Bible study? Praise the Lord, love.
VA:Yeah.
Skido Ortiz:Thank you, mama. We good. And then all of sudden, you're
Skido Ortiz:a club. Booty, booty, booty, everywhere. Booty, booty, booty.
Skido Ortiz:How how do you just how do you do that?
VA:I'm pastor. I'm prophesied that with an artist, talking to people about God, you know? So I feel like that's just my calling. Yeah. Know?
VA:A lot of artists I talk to, hey, man, pray for me. Get me on the bible line. You know, this and this and that. So I just feel like this is a part of my calling. You know what I'm Then when I'm in a club, I'm really not indulging in the club stuff.
VA:I'm in there, but my mind is not in there most of the time. I'm just trying to get the job done. You know what I'm So that's a difference in being in the club physically and mentally. You feel me?
Skido Ortiz:Nah. You separate all that
VA:stuff. Definitely.
Skido Ortiz:Always on your job.
DeShawn Snow:Yeah. Bring the fruit. The fruit. Why you got so much fruit in your life, because you're led by God and not
VA:Oh, yeah, definitely. Definitely.
Skido Ortiz:And people wouldn't know that. They know that now. This man, really faith is high. And that's why we connect and sit down. We be talking.
Skido Ortiz:We go to Milk and Honey. You know, our little spot that you guys gotta go there. Promote Oh, Yeah. We go there, and we just let And really, you see V serious, but I know V outside, he's hilarious. This dude is the funniest.
Skido Ortiz:He should have his own show. I told him that, but he's Yeah. But he's just He's an amazing person, man.
VA:Yeah. Thank you, man.
Skido Ortiz:He's an amazing person.
VA:Thank you.
DeShawn Snow:Okay. So walk us through a time when an artist's career was flatlining, and then you pulled off a booking that changed everything.
Skido Ortiz:Wow. Because
DeShawn Snow:we know everything is cyclical.
VA:Just went through that. Shout out to my guy Young guy late. I've been with the brothers since 2010 also. We came up under TI's record label. And for a while, you know, he had a breakout record back in twenty ten, twenty eleven.
VA:And for a while, it just went flat. And then he did an interview recently where it went viral. And just a little clip from his interview went viral. And we took that, ran with it, and we just did like almost a 40 city tour. Wow.
VA:Yeah, we got five dates this week.
Skido Ortiz:That's strategic.
VA:Yeah. So that's definitely probably the biggest comeback that I've seen an artist make in a
Skido Ortiz:long time. Would love for him to get
VA:on the
Skido Ortiz:show and talk about that, because that was powerful. Yeah. That's And so people to say not to give up. Yeah. And just don't because he was at his worst time.
VA:Yeah.
Skido Ortiz:But you know the good part I love about you, V? You don't turn your back on people. Even when they get in the worst time, you reached out and you said, Yo, we're gonna do it. And just like that, he knows that.
VA:Yeah. And a lot of people was kinda like, hey, why why are you still working with him? This and that. You bigger than that. You bigger.
VA:But he actually took me on some of my my first arena show back in '20 And I always felt like I owed my guy that. That's why I stuck around so long. And it and it paid off. I mean, I just brought a Porsche truck off the tour money we just It was worth it.
Skido Ortiz:You know
Skido Ortiz:what I'm saying? So basically,
Skido Ortiz:he believed in you when they didn't believe in you. When he felt See, that's what happened with
Skido Ortiz:the Lord.
Skido Ortiz:Y'all forget the people that believed in you in the beginning, and then when they fall off, y'all keep going and leave them behind.
VA:Exactly.
Skido Ortiz:That's your problem. That's why we out here bringing the people behind the scenes to the forefront. And we definitely needed to have you, and that's a great situation
VA:right there, man.
Skido Ortiz:I know he's happy to have you around. Yeah. Because it's real.
VA:Yeah, it's definitely. He just called me last night, kinda, you know, down and out a little bit. He feel like I'm the only one that's in this court, you know, right now. And I really am. It's just been me and him for a long time, you know, even with the new success and all of that and all the people that's coming around, you gotta kinda know and distinguish what's real and what's not, you
DeShawn Snow:-MIKELLE: Yeah.
Skido Ortiz:That's sad.
DeShawn Snow:Okay, so you book shows for everyone from rookies to superstars.
VA:Yes.
DeShawn Snow:What's the most ridiculous no you've ever heard, and how did you flip -MIKELLE:
VA:You say no.
DeShawn Snow:Whether it's the artist saying no, they don't wanna do it or the promoter saying no, they don't wanna book them. Where it was like ridiculous. Like, Craziest.
VA:Like the craziest show I've ever booked or
DeShawn Snow:Situation.
Skido Ortiz:Situation.
DeShawn Snow:That you had to like It worked out in the end.
Skido Ortiz:You had to bring you thought it wouldn't work out, then it all of sudden because you did this and made this move and it worked out. You probably had a whole bunch of those.
VA:I did. I don't wanna name the artist.
DeShawn Snow:Don't have no names. Don't to name the artist.
VA:You don't
Skido Ortiz:drop names, but Yeah.
VA:But it was, I'm a say the most dangerous shit.
Skido Ortiz:Okay. I like that. I
VA:had two artists that was beefing with each other. Oh.
Skido Ortiz:And I
VA:was bringing this particular artist to Atlanta. Okay. And it's crazy because I do a lot with the other artists now. And this particular artist called me and say, Hey man, don't bring them to the city or it's gonna be a problem. And I told the promoter, Hey, we don't need to bring this artist to the city.
VA:It's gonna be a problem. Promoter didn't care because they already had their money tied up in the show, radio, promotion and all that. The day of the event, the artist called me that morning, do not bring this artist tonight to the city. And I told him, Hey man, it's not on me, it's on the promoter. Next thing you know, I get a call from the club owner and he's, Man, the club just got shot
Skido Ortiz:up. Oh. He
Skido Ortiz:kept warning
Skido Ortiz:you. Kept
VA:warning us. Around 03:00, I get a call to club owner, Hey man, the club just got shot up. I don't know what we gonna do. I let the promoter know, Hey, you know, they told us not to do it. She didn't care.
VA:She went up there with posters and plastered posters all over the bullet
Skido Ortiz:That's hard. Yo, that's hard. The show must have We are moving on.
VA:She was determined
Skido Ortiz:to get to the show.
VA:So they went and plastered posters over the bullet holes.
Skido Ortiz:That's crazy.
VA:That was the first one. Later on that night, the artist pull it to the parking lot. Next day, I'm getting the artist out the car. Next day, you know, it's gunfire coming from the back of the parking lot again. Me and the artist under the car, rolling up under the car.
Skido Ortiz:In that moment, while y'all looking at each other under the car.
VA:No, we under the car. It was the scariest thing. I literally had to run him inside the venue with the security surrounding him with guns to the stage to perform one of the And it was a packed out night. That's why the artist, I mean, the promoter wanted to keep it going. But that was the most scariest show that I told him not to do, but it ended up working out in the end.
VA:But I was like, never again.
Skido Ortiz:That's crazy.
Skido Ortiz:Yeah, that's
VA:the person
Skido Ortiz:that goes on for you. He's under the car with the artist. Yo, I'm just the booking agent.
VA:I'm caught in the middle. I think I was holding a girl trying to protect her. Some strange girl, we all under the car. -Wow. Was crazy, man.
Skido Ortiz:-Man. -Wow.
Skido Ortiz:Man. That funny. That was funny, man.
DeShawn Snow:Go ahead. Okay. What's a behind the scenes truth about booking tours that will surprise fans?
VA:The crazy stuff artists want on the ride. Rider? Yeah. That's crazy. You know, they might want Skittles, milk sitting Some
DeShawn Snow:color skittles.
VA:Some crazy mess, you know. And just all the behind the scenes stuff is leading up to the point of doing the show is crazy. And I've learned now if it's not hectic, it's not gonna go good.
Skido Ortiz:If it
VA:go too smooth.
DeShawn Snow:You need the chaos.
VA:Yeah. I'm expecting chaos before every show, If it go too smooth, it's not gonna be a successful show. So now I'm used to a chaotic environment going into anything that I do now.
Skido Ortiz:Wow. Yeah. So on that note, what was the funniest situation when a person didn't have what they wanted, but they needed to go on stage? What was probably the most serious or funny? I'm not going on unless I have my Skittles or whatever.
Skido Ortiz:I've had
VA:that with a certain female artist. She's crazy, but I love her to death. We were in Augusta and the show I think was like $2,025,000. Had the back end money, it's a packed show, but she wanted Tangerine and a 1942. And we only had the 1942, no Tangerine.
VA:And she was not going into the venue unless we had the So the club owner literally had to go to another club that was open down the street, buy a bottle from him. Jesus. And then come back for her to go in. Wow. So I thought that was the craziest thing.
VA:Like, lady, we got your money. That's all that matters. I'm here to make sure the money is here. Yeah. But if we don't have this particular bottle, you know, the show gotta go on.
VA:And she was not going in the building unless we had this particular bottle.
DeShawn Snow:Because the writers are in a contract anyway. So technically she
VA:was right at the was at the same it's about the money, man. You know what I'm saying? If you wanna be technical, that's cool. But it's about the money at the end of the day. I see it.
VA:We were short a couple thousand, couple 100, but we're talking about a bottle of alcohol and your fans are sitting here waiting for you to perform. At the end of the day, that's just common sense.
Skido Ortiz:You know
VA:what I'm saying?
Skido Ortiz:It gotta be God with you because I think when a lot of these artists are very ungrateful. Yeah. Okay. You don't have to be my friend. I get it.
Skido Ortiz:You know what saying? But you know this man gets you that money and that bag. Definitely. Have a little respect.
VA:Yeah,
Skido Ortiz:definitely. You know, I'm saying it. You know what
VA:I'm saying?
Skido Ortiz:Yeah. He ain't gonna say it. Like, have a little respect for somebody that's putting food on your table, paying you helping you pay your lights and your bills. He cares.
VA:Yeah, definitely.
Skido Ortiz:And I see it. And ain't no smoking mirrors here. He really cares.
VA:Yeah.
Skido Ortiz:And that's, I think you over care because we done sat there. I'm like, man, don't give Man, it don't matter. No matter what, damn if you do, damn if you don't. You know what But I love the fact how you said, Ski, I could do this every day. He was saying that.
Skido Ortiz:-'Cause he
VA:passionate about love it.
Skido Ortiz:He was so pumped up bringing him up there. It was like a rush.
VA:It's a thrill.
Skido Ortiz:-So he really loves what he do. You don't just get a great businessman because you can sell you do everything. He ain't no it's bigger than promoter. You get a great human being, a great friend, a sincere friend, and somebody that really wants you to win. And that's the difference between you hiring some other boogie who cares because you're a number to them, or they just give me my money, thank you, bye.
Skido Ortiz:You get what I'm saying? They care about that's it. But you care about things behind the scenes and making sure they look good and presentable.
VA:Yeah. I'm like an insurance policy to the promoters now. Most promoters I have a lot of promoters that can call the artist directly, but they'll rather deal with me because they know I'm a make sure the artists show up on I'm a get them on stage. I'm a show up and do what give them that extra. So it's kinda like I'm like the insurance plan for the promoters now.
VA:You know? They look forward to me coming to the venue with the artists now. You know?
Skido Ortiz:That's what's up.
VA:Love it.
DeShawn Snow:No, I love that too.
VA:I love it, right?
DeShawn Snow:That's your unique selling
Skido Ortiz:proposition. Yeah,
Skido Ortiz:man. I told them because we said that they I know VA and something shared, I said, Y'all don't know that VA drives everywhere.
Skido Ortiz:-Yeah.
Skido Ortiz:-He don't get on planes. But there's people all over the world that wanna deal with him. -Yeah. -And I think, right? That note, how's that going?
VA:Yeah, I'm working on it. And it was a health situation. It wasn't that I'm scared to get on I was dealing with some hypertension stuff. And I'm just now, God pulling me through, and I got cleared through my doctors to start I just gotta take that leap of faith and go on and get out there on the plane now. You know?
Skido Ortiz:Because you
Skido Ortiz:know he's supposed to be going to Japan with me.
VA:I got to. I gotta make it, man. Even if I gotta swim over there. Damn.
Skido Ortiz:My man, though, when he really is going to Japan with us, he he which is he gotta I'm trying to stretch him in, but he's gonna do some short trips, forty minute plane ride. It's building up. Yeah. They wanna deal with him everywhere. Yeah.
Skido Ortiz:So he's just limited by driving, he'll drive twenty hours, twenty
VA:five hours. He's on the road all week. Oh, you driving in the I I gotta drive. Shout out my man Ski too. He's been with me about eight, nine years now.
VA:Dependable brother, go everywhere with me. You know, Tall Dread had that be with me. Yeah, man. That's a great brother. I can count on him.
VA:He's been around the world with me, man.
Skido Ortiz:So he'll drive you everywhere?
VA:Yeah, everywhere. He don't smoke. He don't drink. He just drive.
Skido Ortiz:You know what I'm saying?
Skido Ortiz:That's good. I love that. Yeah. I had it. That's why I threw it out there.
Skido Ortiz:I had a shot. I see what he do. Yeah. That's what's up, man. Yeah.
DeShawn Snow:It's good to have solid people in your -Man,
Skido Ortiz:come on, man. It takes a team to win.
VA:-Yeah, definitely.
Skido Ortiz:-Even if it's one.
DeShawn Snow:-Yeah. So more about community and legacy. You've built relationships with venues, promoters, artists. What's the lesson in trust in this cutthroat industry that totally defies conventional wisdom?
VA:It's definitely you know, you gotta just I just be me. And then that builds my relationships with the promoters and and the artists. You know what I'm saying? When you when you keep it real with everybody, you don't gotta worry about nobody trying to go around you or stab you in the back or stuff like that. You know what I'm saying?
VA:Like how, you know, my guy, Ski. You feel me? I'm just I just be me, a a person, and it works out. You know, if you wanna go and do this or you wanna go right or go left, cool. I'm not mad at that.
VA:You know? You know, at the same time, I congratulate you. But me just being me, I don't really have to worry about that. People just keep coming back. You know what I'm saying?
DeShawn Snow:So was it like that from the very beginning or
VA:did you grow to No, you build a relationship. I've been doing this, like, you know, like I say, fifteen years and the word has to get out and spread, hey, this guy's consistent. He's gonna make sure the artists show up, you know? And this took me I didn't my bookings just really started taking off within the last five six years. It took me a few years of getting out there and people having to see me on the scene to even establish who I am now.
VA:You know what I'm saying? So it wasn't overnight. Definitely wasn't.
Skido Ortiz:Yeah. I mean, it's hard work, sorry.
VA:Yeah, yeah.
DeShawn Snow:Did you have trust? Was it hard, was it like, because I know it's a cutthroat game, so did you have like, was it hard for you to develop trust to the other people? Not them trusting you, but trusting like the promoter or venue.
Skido Ortiz:Yeah. Mostly just put a Yeah, I get it. Yeah. I mean,
VA:it's Yeah, definitely. It's definitely a trust because I had a hope that the promoter's gonna have the money when they show up. Then I gotta trust the artist that they're gonna show up on time and do what they gotta do. So it's a trust game, and that's something that'll never stop. Every show, you're counting on all parties to do what they're supposed to do.
VA:You feel me?
DeShawn Snow:And I'd imagine it's like a small circle in the fact that if people are notorious for not doing this or doing that, you all hear
Skido Ortiz:about it.
VA:Oh, the word is certain. There's certain booking agents out there that their name is dirty. You know what I'm saying? People, hey, don't book with this guy. Don't book with that guy.
VA:Thank God everybody's telling me right now I got the crown with this booking in Atlanta. Coming out of Atlanta, I'm probably the biggest doing this right now. You know what I'm saying? You are
Skido Ortiz:the biggest. See, he won't say you are number one, but that is based on you not worrying about, you just doing you.
VA:I stay in my lane. And I get a certain book and they just call me, Hey, I'm doing this big show. I'm doing that big. I don't care about that. Even if I do 30 clubs to your one big arena, I'm staying consistent.
VA:I'm constantly pumping out content on my page. You constantly seeing me looking better than the artist. You feel me? And it's working for -I stay
Skido Ortiz:in my my lane, though. I stay
VA:in my lane and it works for me.
Skido Ortiz:-It works. It works.
DeShawn Snow:So what is your sweet spot then? The what's your sweet spot in terms of the types of bookings that you prefer or that you excel at?
VA:I do great doing arena shows. I love arena shows. There's nothing like it. It's a thrill from getting a production to going on stage and handing the artist the mic and walking them on that big stage. But, you know, I excel in these shitless circuit markets.
VA:That's what pay the bills. You know what I'm Every week, I'm in a different small country town every week. You feel me?
DeShawn Snow:Yeah.
VA:So that's where I'm excelling at. But ultimately, I wanna get to where I'm only doing venues, hard ticket venues. You feel Yeah.
Skido Ortiz:No, that's where it'll be. I like how you do that because you go to any circuit and you bring in all these promoters up. A lot of big companies won't deal with them little circuit things. They think there's no money in that. But you actually building an empire.
VA:Oh, yeah.
Skido Ortiz:Because if know what I'm saying? And crazy part, your driving is keeping you limited. And I'm glad that your health is good. When you start getting on the planes, it's gonna be worldwide. I just see that.
Skido Ortiz:I'm just speaking life over you, bro. Because you deserve it. I appreciate that. Know, are hard to find, but not only that, you're a great friend and human being. And it's just insane.
Skido Ortiz:It's nothing phony about you. It's real. And you always want people to win. They might get rough edges mixed up. Like me, I love seeing people win.
Skido Ortiz:That's how we connected. When you see the outside, forget the outside what you think you know, you don't know until you sit down and communicate and talk to that human being. You feel what I'm saying?
VA:Definitely.
Skido Ortiz:But VA, them artists should be happy and excited to have somebody, and you don't steal from them. You don't do none of that funny stuff. I seen it, and that's why your rep is getting so good.
VA:Oh, yeah. That's saying. I just want my booking fee. What I require Just let me get my booking fee.
Skido Ortiz:He gets the booking fee, but remember, he does the extra work behind that. You can't pay for that. That's supposed to be another fee. Two other matter of fact, two to three other fees.
VA:Yes. He
Skido Ortiz:does, but he does one fee.
DeShawn Snow:He could charge a premium, really.
Skido Ortiz:Yeah, definitely. Could. And he don't.
DeShawn Snow:Oh, and you don't?
VA:Nah, because I you know, a lot of my promoters are repeat, you know, repeat, they book from me all the time. So I don't try to charge them for this, charge them for that, because they're gonna keep coming back. You know, when you give people deals, it's just like in the street. When you give people deals, you're gonna take over block. You know what I'm And that's how it is.
VA:I don't wanna, oh, I need this. I need a fee for this. I need a fee for that. You feel me? Because then it'll kinda deter people from wanting to book with you.
VA:You feel me?
DeShawn Snow:Okay.
Skido Ortiz:I I wanted to say share something. I just wanted people to understand that where you what god where you came from and god delivered you from and who he made you the man to be. Yeah. And and you see, he can go in places that nobody could go because he's from those places, which I That's what I relate. Yeah.
Skido Ortiz:But can you give me a little example of where you came from, how you in VA, what you was into a little bit, know, a little brief for the kids and what's going on, how you can make it and how you came to be.
VA:Yeah. Well, I was in the streets heavy. You know, like, when I say heavy, like, I don't know how explicit it gets.
Skido Ortiz:Know what You suck
VA:it heavy, like heavy in the streets, you know, in the weed business, we'll say, like, a lot of it. You know what I'm And I actually had took a robbery, man, which I talk about this all the time. Some guys had robbed me for a lot of stuff. And I thought I was out of here. I shared this story with you, Ski.
VA:And I thought I was out of here, man. And after that robbery, I came to Atlanta. And basically
Skido Ortiz:I didn't wanna cut you off. Yeah. Can you give a little detail of what the consequences are, just so people know to be alert? This what happened to you a little bit?
VA:During the robbery? Yeah. Yeah. Okay. It was a guy who I was trusting for a few years, and he told me to bring him two pounds of weed.
VA:You know
Skido Ortiz:what I'm saying? We wanna get
VA:He told me to bring him two pounds of weed. He didn't know I had 50 pounds in the trunk. And me being greedy, I should have dropped that off before I went to his house, but I'm trying to make a move on the way home. And I went in the house, you know, like normal, and he had three guys come out the bathroom, man, with shotguns. And one of the guys hit me in the head, and that's when my hair started falling out.
VA:You know what I'm saying? And they tied me up, pillowcase over my head, tied me up, had me in the house for about two, three hours, man. They were debating if they were gonna kill me or not. And it was, that was like, I still deal from post traumatic syndrome to this day. Some days I might wake up in a sweat because that really, you know, changed my life.
VA:And they were debating if they were gonna kill me. You could hear it. Yeah. I'm listening while they got me tied up. Pillowcase over my I'm listening to them saying, we gotta kill him, man.
VA:We gotta kill him. And I know it's God's divine intervention because the guy who set me up was like, man, we can't kill him, man. We can't kill him. I'm listening to them say this. And they got everything out my car, came in, I hear them screaming and hollering.
VA:Because like I said, they were only trying to get two pounds of weed. They went in my trunk and hit the jackpot. You know what I'm saying? So after that, man, they ended up letting me go. Like, I'll never forget this day.
VA:They untied me, walked me to the car, still had the pillowcase over my head and kicked me in the car and let off a couple shots and told him to get out in the neighborhood. That day changed my life. After that, my dad has been in Atlanta all my life since I was like two. So I called him like, man, I'm just tired of being in the business, dad. Came out here, got me a house and never looked back ever since, man.
VA:And then that day I told God, if he could bless me to make it, I will never touch another gram or anything in my life again. That was 02/2008. Fast forward 2010, I used my last $10,000 to do a party. And the party flopped, but I met a guy who was working for the street team at grand hustle, T. I.
VA:Is record label. And me not knowing about marketing promotion, he was saying, Hey man, let's do a Grand Hustle Fridays and we'll split the door fiftyfifty.
Skido Ortiz:Me,
VA:I put TI, Young Dro, every artist on the label I put on the flyer, but I wasn't supposed to do that because I didn't get permission from the label. Two weeks later and it started working. The party started cranking up. People started coming. I get a call from Jason Jeter and Clay Evans.
VA:Shout out to Clay RRP, my brother. He's my He's the one that brought me in. I get a call from them and they call me, Homeboy, ain't no guy from Virginia gonna use our brand. It took us ten years to build this brand. You got our artists on the fly, yada yada.
VA:And they called me and told me to meet them. I went and met them in the parking lot of Club Crucial on a Monday night and they chewed me out. They were talking about they were gonna sue me. They were gonna beat me up this and that. But I always had a little style, been fly, a little jury.
VA:And they was like, we heard you've been working hard out here. You can start working for months. And from that day on, that's how I got into business on a flute. God, flute me into this. Yes.
VA:Right. Started interning. I was working in the office. Then they moved me from the office to the studio, from the studio. So I started driving the artists on the road.
VA:Then from that, I took over the street team and then they made me big Country Cane's road manager after like four years. I was there five years.
Skido Ortiz:Wow.
VA:And that's how I got into this business on a flute, man. You know?
Skido Ortiz:And that's a resume.
VA:Yeah. Definitely.
Skido Ortiz:From the streets to Wall Street, brother. Let's Man,
VA:I ain't looked back at the street since, man. And I got double, triple what I got now than what I had when I was in the You know what I'm So I'm just thankful for that. You feel me?
Skido Ortiz:That's what's up, man.
DeShawn Snow:God had his hands on you
VA:for Oh, definitely.
Skido Ortiz:Got a chill on me, man. I just need you share that
VA:for
Skido Ortiz:one time.
VA:Oh, yeah. Oh, yeah.
Skido Ortiz:You feel me? That was good, man.
DeShawn Snow:Do you bring people up, like how they brought you
VA:up? Yeah. I had a couple of guys up under me right now. You know, definitely. So, you know, they they they in training, ages in training.
VA:Like I say, I eventually wanna do bigger venues, but I'm still gonna do the B and C markets, I'm gonna have those guys handle that for me.
Skido Ortiz:Yeah. Well, I just wanted to share something because you're always a blessing in giving away. I met Dre, the videographer, who you. He came in his suit and tie while we was in We was at Milk and Honey. And he just popped in.
VA:And we
Skido Ortiz:had actually a meeting before that, and we didn't feel it. We lock in on the spirit, like, Man, this is corny. He came and he said, Man, let's help this dude. That's what it's about. We helping each other.
Skido Ortiz:He said, Ski Man, this man is my man. He got vision. We gave him a shot, I hired him, the new son. And yo, he actually did, just to congratulate you, just showing you where the blessings went, took him to LA. We were around all the celebrities.
Skido Ortiz:He's gone, and he's a great human being. Yeah. He's he ended up doing Cee Lo's fiftieth birthday party. I got him in.
VA:You know
Skido Ortiz:what I'm saying? And he ended up had some epic shot that hit GQ magazine.
VA:Oh, wow.
Skido Ortiz:His name is now entitled Hashit. He's dealing with the PRs. That was just based on you saying, Yo, ski, show love. It just takes a person, all that, just to go, Man, listen, let's help the next man.
VA:Yeah.
Skido Ortiz:So I just wanted to share that with you, you know, Kyle and Dre and all that, but that was through you saying, Yo, man, we gotta help him out. Yeah. And we on the same accord, and that's what these people don't understand out here. Y'all so selfish and funny and closing doors and trying to control situations. I can't stand I mean, I got passion, but you know, just That's why I've been in this game for seventeen years.
Skido Ortiz:That's why I link up with people like VA, because we gonna change all of that. We gonna just open doors because we know where our blessings come from. Yeah. I just wanted to share that on you all.
VA:Oh, yeah. Know what I'm saying? Yes.
Skido Ortiz:It all started from you saying, let's help them. Oh, then all of me and you agreeing on it.
VA:Oh, yeah. Yes, sir. Yes, sir.
Skido Ortiz:I'm just
Skido Ortiz:on that note.
VA:Yes, sir.
DeShawn Snow:Definitely paying it forward.
VA:Oh, yeah.
DeShawn Snow:That's how you continue to bless them.
VA:Absolutely. Yes, ma'am.
DeShawn Snow:So the job means sacrificing weekends, holidays, stability, and all of that. Yeah. So what's a personal cost people wouldn't guess, and how do you make peace with I
VA:mean, like Father's Day this weekend, I'll be in Jackson, Mississippi.
DeShawn Snow:Working.
VA:Working. Definitely. Every weekend, really. I'm a single guy, so it really don't bother me. You know what I'm saying?
DeShawn Snow:What about kids? Do have kids?
VA:I got one. My son, he's 23. He's in college in Virginia, and he worked. I tried to get him to come after college, but he don't he's a mama's boy. He ain't wanna come out here.
VA:But this business requires a lot of sacrifices. My dad, he used to play for SOS band, Gap, Cameo. He's a famous drummer. And he was touring and made a stop in Atlanta and never left. That's how he ended up in Atlanta and how I so I have music.
VA:Come from a musical background.
Skido Ortiz:Yep.
VA:And my dad told me he had to stop because he got married, you know, had a wife, kids. And, you know, this business really isn't for family Yeah. You can do it, but it's hard to pull off. Because it takes a lot of sacrifice. It's a lot of nights you on the road, a lot of days you gone, you know.
VA:So right now it's working for me.
DeShawn Snow:Okay.
VA:I'm looking for a wife. So ladies, if you see this I'm
Skido Ortiz:gonna go there. Plug this. But
DeShawn Snow:then are you willing to sacrifice?
Skido Ortiz:Yeah, I'm
VA:willing to I take on the role
Skido Ortiz:with my But wait, wait, wait, wait, let's go to the sacrifice because you're a female. Because I got what is the sacrifice? What the woman gotta sacrifice?
DeShawn Snow:Woman gotta sacrifice is kinda like an athlete because I was married to an athlete. I mean, but that was his job, so I know So, we work around that. Yeah. But I would go on a You accepted that. Yeah, because that's
Skido Ortiz:the- Exactly. That's the thing with the women. They can't, they say it's easy, then it's not.
DeShawn Snow:No, but it's all perspective. Mean, you know what saying? That's what's paying the bills. That's the job. So, but you still gotta put in the effort.
VA:Yeah.
DeShawn Snow:You know, having your lady come on the road with you, or when you home, you know, you do have, because you are your own boss, so you can carve out time where, you know, you're off this day.
VA:A woman,
Skido Ortiz:coach. I don't want my woman on the road.
VA:Yeah. A woman gotta know how to play her position also. Because I've had a girlfriend where I take her on the road and I'm in the entertainment business. A girl might come and hug me or blow up my head or something. You know, I know how to, you know, but you can't sit there and micromanage me.
DeShawn Snow:Well, you gotta be a certain type of woman.
VA:You gotta have tough skin and be secure if you out on the road with me or it's not gonna work. Yes. And I kinda like stopped taking girls on the road with me because of that situation. I don't got time to try and worry about my movement or how I'm gonna move. Because I'm entertain I'm in the entertainment business.
VA:I might have to pour these girls some drinks or, hey, here go a bottle, or grab some girls on stage. And you can't be sitting there pouting like this with your hands.
DeShawn Snow:-This all comes down to trust.
VA:-Staring at my movements all day, you know, all night. You feel it?
Skido Ortiz:Trust is one thing, but I can relate to you.
DeShawn Snow:And you I guess you couldn't take everybody if this is your wife or something like that. Mean, y'all should already have an understanding.
Skido Ortiz:Well, that's two different industries.
Skido Ortiz:Girl I
DeShawn Snow:mean, yeah, I'm not comparing it.
Skido Ortiz:No, no. It's like you're right, though, because even in your sports
DeShawn Snow:industry, personal place.
Skido Ortiz:Going to places that's dangerous sometimes. You know, and there's a lot of women, there's a lot of chaos. Yeah. So, but the thing is nice to say this, you're not coming with me
DeShawn Snow:to work.
Skido Ortiz:Because my we're in the industry. So we know entourages act up, shootouts act up. I can't be worrying about my girl, something break out. I know how to handle it, but she might get stuck in the middle. So I think in that world where we in, you understand?
Skido Ortiz:But, you know, that's dangerous. But I know a woman gotta be secure. They gotta know, listen, like she said, listen, go do that. When you get home, we do. We're trying to figure out you the balance, because we lost a lot.
Skido Ortiz:I've lost a lot of relationships being in this industry because they thought they can do it, but they couldn't do it. Because a hustler is always gone. We're thinking of things on how to make money. You understand? And we're always gone.
Skido Ortiz:We got clients and all of that. And on that note, being with you, did you lose a lot of time with your son? How's your relationship with that? Because that's important with the kids. Because I had my son say, Dad, you wasn't there.
Skido Ortiz:I'm just being real with you. And even though when we slow down and make up, we lost so much time with him. Yeah. How does that affect now?
VA:I lost a lot. And my son recently, we had a talk, I think when he turned 18, he told me I left in 02/2008. My son was like maybe four or five years old, but I had to leave.
Skido Ortiz:Yeah. All that stuff. Yeah, absolutely.
VA:You know, leave or go to jail or You know what I'm Yeah. When I explained to him, Hey, dad was in the street heavy. I was doing this, I was doing that, son. I wasn't gonna be here if I didn't leave and come to Atlanta and do what I did. You know, he kinda understood because I lost a lot of time, but now I try to overly be there, especially financially.
VA:I brought him two cars in the last two years, whatever he want. His mama say I spoil him all the time. So even though I'm not physically there a lot, I try to make sure he doesn't want for nothing. Whenever he needs something, I'm always there. You know But you're
Skido Ortiz:definitely putting that time with the time. You could buy anything, but time,
VA:time is I try to spend as much time as I can with But now he's older. He got a girlfriend. He used to come out here every summer with me. But now he kinda-
Skido Ortiz:See, when I see you dad. We missed that, dude.
Skido Ortiz:They're like, yo, what's up, man?
VA:Two, three months with me. Now it's hard to get him to come two, three days. You know what I'm saying? It's a flip down. He on his thing now.
VA:You know I'm saying? Now we gotta wait. He definitely love me. And I've been to Virginia a lot this year, and we was just on the beach Mother's Day, me, him, and my mom out there eating. So every time I go back home, he's with me, you know?
VA:Definitely.
Skido Ortiz:That's good.
VA:Yeah.
DeShawn Snow:So let's do You wanna do some rapid fire questions?
Skido Ortiz:No, no, because he was going to So this is the thing, right? So VA is looking for that right woman. Yeah. Right? But this
DeShawn Snow:is the Are you ready though?
VA:No, I'm definitely But this thing,
Skido Ortiz:gotta But I told him, Sean, you're gonna laugh because you help us out with this. I told him he has another sensitive side to him. He likes flowers and he makes beautiful cakes.
Skido Ortiz:And he's
Skido Ortiz:doing landscapes.
Skido Ortiz:That's beautiful. So no, no.
Skido Ortiz:So I'm like, Oh, they gotta see that. See, they see
Skido Ortiz:that other side.
DeShawn Snow:Put that on your
Skido Ortiz:social When you're
Skido Ortiz:on your social media and you see a big booty right here on the left and one head no matter See, you thinking, Hey, this is business. A good woman's going, Hell no. But they don't know that VA's really a God fearing person. We putting it live
VA:here. Is gonna be the- Put it out here.
Skido Ortiz:This is gonna be it right
VA:here. Hey, this might help
Skido Ortiz:me likes to bake.
VA:Somebody else
Skido Ortiz:be like, what's some
VA:of this I plant flowers, do
Skido Ortiz:a lot
VA:of yard work. Yeah, man. You know, is your own. You gotta take care. You know that.
Skido Ortiz:Own his own
VA:home. Man. Good credit. Yeah, man. You know what
Skido Ortiz:I'm saying?
VA:You know
Skido Ortiz:why I said take
Skido Ortiz:your credit. Y'all be like,
VA:I ain't using my credit, Yeah.
Skido Ortiz:No, he's a good man.
VA:That's probably the missing factor You
DeShawn Snow:gotta show that side. Gotta show that side.
VA:Yeah. And most women think I'm unapproachable, I guess because I serious all the time. And that's something that I'm having to work on myself is my mom smile, do this and that.
Skido Ortiz:You do look serious. I lie because I know you. But you be serious,
VA:I keep my game face on all the time. You know what I'm saying? I'm just so used to, you know, this, that, this, But you gotta turn
Skido Ortiz:it on.
DeShawn Snow:You gotta be vulnerable.
Skido Ortiz:Yeah. Yeah.
Skido Ortiz:And it don't show that. So we gotta say, we're gonna keep it real. The seriousness is carrying on to your personal. Yeah. So when you doing your flowers and somebody drives by
DeShawn Snow:You need to screenshot. You have your store if you don't wanna mess up your You
VA:worried about a drop by.
Skido Ortiz:She's just trying to say, Bye,
Skido Ortiz:you're grilling
Skido Ortiz:them. I'm plating flowers. No, Ruth smile. Hey.
Skido Ortiz:You know what saying?
Skido Ortiz:How are you doing? How's the pottery? You don't have those conversations, right? Type of woman
DeShawn Snow:are you looking for?
VA:Right woman.
Skido Ortiz:What's the right
VA:woman? Right woman not specific. I can't
DeShawn Snow:Well, gotta How can you ask God for what you want if you're not specific?
VA:She gotta love God
Skido Ortiz:first. Okay.
VA:That's the most important thing. And I do a test with women. I send a picture to my mom. My mom has like a discerning of the spirit. So every woman that I've dated, I'll send a picture to my mom and she can tell me off the rip if that woman is right.
VA:And everything my mom tell me, it always be true. You know?
Skido Ortiz:So I
VA:look at that with a woman.
Skido Ortiz:Women know.
VA:Yeah, mama know. And I look at that, if a woman ain't into God, she ain't talking about going to church. It's already a dead deal for me. So that's the first thing. Gotta love God.
VA:Of course, I gotta be attracted to you. Can't be too young. Can't be too old. In the middle. You know what
Skido Ortiz:I'm saying?
DeShawn Snow:So what's that? Because how old are you?
VA:I'm 45.
DeShawn Snow:So what's in the middle?
VA:Five and nothing. Can't be. And you know, the way I dress, I get a lot of 18, 23 year olds that still come on to me. I can't do nothing with that. My son, 23.
VA:You know what I'm saying?
Skido Ortiz:I know how I get You
Skido Ortiz:feel me?
Skido Ortiz:Be out there at the game saying, man, no, we're not 23.
VA:My son, 23. And I, you know, so, you know, it's just different things that I'm looking at. I did have a one and none rule.
DeShawn Snow:One and none?
VA:One child, but no child. Only because I got one child. And I've noticed I like the woman that can move around like me. You see what I'm saying? Okay.
VA:So that's my one to none rule. You see what I'm And if God brings me a woman with multiple kids, cool. You know what I'm saying? You know, I'm not gonna turn it down if it's a good fit for If she's a good woman and a good fit for me.
DeShawn Snow:But how will you know she's a good fit if she already if it's one and none?
Skido Ortiz:I don't know that room should work. I think you need to take that out
Skido Ortiz:because not
DeShawn Snow:because of the Or least put a low on the list.
Skido Ortiz:Yeah. You don't want So now if one got two and she's a superwoman, you already turned off that superwoman. Because I don't think they looking
VA:five kids, they can be older. I don't got time to be changing no Pampers right now, looking for no kid, no babysit.
Skido Ortiz:You ain't got that.
VA:I'm on that road. I'm moving around too much and I need you to be able to pack up at the drop of a dime. We ain't gotta be trying to call grandma. We got need two, three babysitters and what You
DeShawn Snow:like go hire have to hire Uh-uh.
Skido Ortiz:He likes to He want a vacation. What'll take around? He wants to spoil this Exactly. One thing you're gonna get, he's gonna be, when they sit down the side, he wants to spoil it.
VA:I take care of the woman that I'm with, but we gotta be able to move around. You know, like I say, it's easy to get a babysitter for one child versus when you got multiples. Okay.
Skido Ortiz:So the age group gotta be up high.
DeShawn Snow:Right. You know that.
Skido Ortiz:Do they do
DeShawn Snow:Kids are not gonna be old.
VA:Mess up 35 year olds.
DeShawn Snow:Unless they don't have kids
VA:yet. 16, 15,
Skido Ortiz:16. No.
VA:They ain't gotta be adult kids, but you know, they can-
Skido Ortiz:Well, they want teenagers.
VA:They
Skido Ortiz:can't the teenagers where we
VA:go out for a weekend, they can stay home by they self. I don't want no five year old running around, and then my nerves kinda bad, I'm a be honest. So like two, three year old running around, screaming, hollering, you know, I ain't really experienced that with myself. Oh, that's
Skido Ortiz:right. That's what it is.
VA:And I only have one. So I like, I really can't deal with a lot of noise and screaming and stuff like that and a lot of children, you know? And I actually had a girlfriend, beautiful girlfriend. Everything was perfect about her, but she had four kids. At that time, I was struggling and just trying to be the guy who I am.
VA:So now when it's time to eat, I gotta try and make sure I'm feeding four kids, her, me and my son. Gotcha. And then I didn't have it like that at the time. Oh, gotcha. You know what I'm saying?
VA:I regret that because I ended up leaving, and she was a great woman. You feel me? And now it's like, man, you know, the guy I am now, now she got somebody. You know, it's like, that's cool. No, it is.
VA:You got somebody for that.
DeShawn Snow:Just gotta stay open.
Skido Ortiz:Yeah. Break down the rules.
Skido Ortiz:Give him some time. No, I'm
DeShawn Snow:just saying stay open, but be clear on what you want. Don't be this, not that, this,
VA:not that, because you can't beat double minded. Nah, I'm stay open. You know, hopefully something gonna come through from
Skido Ortiz:So that's the only that to help you out with this. So that's the only page you have? That's your personal page that people, when they go to your page,
VA:you look at Yeah. Yeah. Only got
DeShawn Snow:one You might need any of stories to soften it
Skido Ortiz:up something.
DeShawn Snow:I mean, well, I mean, I don't know.
Skido Ortiz:That's the irony of the show. Do a baking show.
VA:Yeah. No.
Skido Ortiz:Because he really did.
DeShawn Snow:Then all his his interview with rappers gonna be like, I
Skido Ortiz:don't wanna sit with Listen,
Skido Ortiz:a real man I know how
Skido Ortiz:to cook. I'm a chef. I get busy. I ain't
Skido Ortiz:got nothing to do with what we do when we doing high enough business. That man got another side of him that women need to know.
VA:Yeah. Yeah, I do.
DeShawn Snow:Right? You gotta a YouTube channel. Yeah. Then do it on there.
VA:Yeah, I do.
DeShawn Snow:Keep your social media for yourself. Yeah.
Skido Ortiz:You do. They gotta see that. That's what it is. It's open up that other part of women like that sense of they already know you on that rough that rough stuff yeah, that's the thing. But women need to know real women that are looking for a great man too.
Skido Ortiz:They don't want no person that
DeShawn Snow:can't turn it But when get to know you, though, they not judge you by your
Skido Ortiz:social media Yeah. Absolutely. But it's good to know because everything going there is I
VA:get judged by my social media. Right now, I'm only meeting a lot of strippers, prostitutes. Hate to say, attracts that type of woman. You know what I'm saying? So that's my problem right now.
DeShawn Snow:So maybe you need to scale it down a
VA:little. Yeah. Mean,
Skido Ortiz:You know the apron when you bake your cookies, you gotta tell them the big pop hat.
Skido Ortiz:You be called big, putting on there.
VA:It's like
Skido Ortiz:this is showing another side of us, man, putting on that dope, man.
DeShawn Snow:This is a great conversation.
Skido Ortiz:This is great conversation.
DeShawn Snow:I appreciate you coming here, dropping your gems.
Skido Ortiz:And I think from this show,
DeShawn Snow:the girl the woman's coming.
Skido Ortiz:Maybe they might find you.
VA:Wow. I'm looking for you.
Skido Ortiz:Basic cooks.
VA:Looking for
DeShawn Snow:you right
VA:now. Social media. -Follow me on vabooking on Instagram. That's vabooking on IG. That's mainly my main page, man.
VA:-Okay. -You know, that's where I That's my resume. That's You can go and see everything I do on a daily basis up there.
DeShawn Snow:All right, man. Well, we thank you for coming.
VA:I thank y'all so
DeShawn Snow:And we hope you guys enjoyed this episode of 10 Steps Ahead.
Skido Ortiz:Yes, sir. VA, so grateful to have you here, Thank
VA:you, brother.
Skido Ortiz:First one on my show, like I promised.
VA:Yes, sir. Thank
Skido Ortiz:you, I love your work out there in the community and the youth, helping all the artists and getting people where they need to be. If y'all got a record and need to break it, y'all better bring it to VA because he's gonna set it off. Let's go. My man.
VA:Let's go. Appreciate you. Definitely.
DeShawn Snow:Love and light.
Skido Ortiz:Let's go.
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