PBD Grey is a social entrepreneur, a father, and a hip-hop artist. He is passionate, educated, and happy almost all of the time. His message is inspiring and he seeks to change the world and his listener's way of thinking through his music.  In this episode, you will learn exactly what it means to be a "vegan rapper."

PBD Grey on Peach Jam

PBD Grey on Peach Jam

Credit: GPB

 

On having meaningful messages in the music

 

PBD Grey: My name's Grey. I'm a social entrepreneur, I'm an artist, I'm a father. I'm originally from South Florida, based in East Point, and I'm a hip hop artist.

Jeremy Powell: You do a lot. You do a whole lot. And you're one of the happiest people I've ever met. You're in a great mood all the time. But some of the music is heavy in the sense of you're saying some serious things.

PBD Grey: For sure. I mean, I think a medicine in the candy is my type of party. You know, I like as I evolved as a as a man, as a thinker, as a reader and stuff like that, my music changed. You know, I used to write music that I can always rap, you know, rap, run with trap and crap. You know what I mean? But it's like somebody is somebody taking something from this experience when they listen to my music. And I was just I was just evolving. I was learning all about injustices and stuff like that. And I was like, I just need to put this in the music so that that we can get it. Because a lot of times if you just try to come straight forward, Hey man, they're doing us wrong and nobody wants to hear that. But you put it over a 808 and a fire beat, they might listen...spin it again. You know?.

 

 

 

 

Behind the scenes of PBD Grey on Peach Jam
Behind the scenes of PBD Grey on Peach Jam
Behind the scenes of PBD Grey on Peach Jam
Behind the scenes of PBD Grey on Peach Jam
Behind the scenes of PBD Grey on Peach Jam
Behind the scenes of PBD Grey on Peach Jam
Behind the scenes of PBD Grey on Peach Jam
Behind the scenes of PBD Grey on Peach Jam
Behind the scenes of PBD Grey on Peach Jam
Behind the scenes of PBD Grey on Peach Jam
Behind the scenes of PBD Grey on Peach Jam

On the hip hop scene in Atlanta

 

Jeremy Powell: What is it about the hip hop scene and the rap scene in Atlanta that makes it so special?

PBD Grey: Support. Support. That's just the that's is one thing Atlanta does. For instance, I moved to Baltimore, I go to an open mic, I'm the best one in there. I'll kill the whole stage. Two people clap and they know I was best. But they won't. They won't show you love. I come down from Baltimore, to hit an open mic in Atlanta. I don't know anybody. The whole place that runs are like, Grey! Grey! Grey! I'm like, I love this place. I'm coming back as an artist. That's what you want, you know? So I just think that. I mean, Atlanta's a very special place, like, historically. And then you got I just think that we support each other a lot. Like you come to Atlanta and you listen to Atlanta music a lot of places, they play music from other places, but it's like, I don't know, I just can't explain it, man. I mean, I've this city has given me so much. It's given me so much in support and wisdom and everything I was looking for. So it's just special man, I can't really pinpoint it.

 

On being vegan

 

Jeremy Powell: Tell me more about being an entrepreneur because you have an interesting brand. And so let's talk about Plant Based Drippin.

PBD Grey: Plant Based Drippin. So I went vegan in 2016. So actually my girl, Chef Nikki in the Mix, shout out Chef Nikki in the Mix, that's my partner. And she she's like, I'm going vegan and I'm like, You have fun with that. Like, you know what I mean? It's football season. You got to be crazy. I'm eating chicken wings all day. So she's like, I'm serious I'm tired of the videos we're going vegan. And I was like, You're going vegan and I'll support you. I get home that night. She has chicken alfredo on the table. I told you, I knew you weren't going vegan, you know, ate it she didn't say nothing and she's like halfway through the meal she's like, you know, this is vegan, right? I'm like there ain't no way this chicken. This is chicken. She's like it's fake chicken. And I was like, what? Start eating and I was like, well I didn't know you were talking about this kind of vegan. So she cooked all the meals the next day. The next day she turned into a chef. I went walk in the morning, wake up in the morning. She has tumeric on the floor, flour's all over the wall, YouTube channel playing like, What are you doing? She like, I'll make him own chicken and bits of biscuits and gravy. Yeah. Vegan. Yeah. So I was her offical taste test dummy for like three months. And after that, she converted me and I was feeling the best I've ever felt. Like the first thing that helped was my mental clarity. You know, everyone talks about how you're going to lose weight, you're going to die, man. No protein. But I felt so clear up here, and my blood pressure went all the way down. So I thought it was cool to be healthy. You know, I think that's very cool. Like shoot, I've been trying to go to the gym to get this little pudge off, and all I had to do was stop eating a certain thing that pudge went away. Thought that was cool.

 

PBD Grey with Peach Jam Podcast Host Jeremy Powell

PBD Grey with Peach Jam Podcast Host Jeremy Powell

Credit: GPB

The Peach Jam podcast from GPB features songs and stories from a variety of the incredibly talented and diverse bands and artists who call the Peach State home.

Recorded live in our GPB studios, you get a front row seat for the intimate musical performances and free-flowing conversation from a truly eclectic variety of Georgia musicians. You can find more at GPB.org/PeachJamPodcast — please download and subscribe on your favorite podcast platform as well.