Transcript

T.I. Harris (0:01)

This is Expeditiously. I am Tip T.I. Harris.

Uhhuh. Now, the following experience is not a test. The conversations and stories expressed on this podcast are meant to be an expression of [music] purpose and truth. This show, properly entitled expeditiously, is a free exchange of ideas and opinions.

No judgment, no preconceived beliefs, no fear. [music] You’re encouraged to share your thoughts and ask any question as long as it’s done with respect. And it’s through true love and respect for others that we will change the world and speak truth to power one show at a time. Now, without further ado, this is Expeditiously. I’m Tip T.I. Harris.

T.I. Harris (0:40)

How do you say, “I want to get into—I want to buy the Apollo”? “I want to take the Apollo and take it on the road and have a bus.” How do you go from there? How do you say, “I want to own an MLB team”? How do you evaluate your opportunities?

Kwanza Jones (0:58)

So, I’m going to talk about it twofold: one from an industry perspective and one from a people perspective. Apollo’s not for sale. We all know that. It’s a nonprofit. It used to be for-profit. People didn’t know that. But now it’s…

T.I. Harris (1:08)

When did it switch?

Kwanza Jones (1:10)

In the ’90s. In the ’90s, it turned into a nonprofit.

T.I. Harris (1:10)

So, you didn’t buy the Apollo. You just bought the bus.

Kwanza Jones (1:17)

No, I didn’t even buy the bus. I just came up with a concept, an idea. For me, the Culture In Motion, which is what the project and the platform is, with the Apollo.

T.I. Harris (1:30)

Okay. Culture In Motion. 

Kwanza Jones (1:31)

Culture In Motion

T.I. Harris (1:32)

Please tell us about that.

Kwanza Jones (1:33)

I’ll tell you, I’ll tell you about it because it’s connected to the Apollo because I’m on the board of the Apollo. And when I was at Princeton, I performed at the Apollo.And what I saw that the Apollo did, even for me, is—and this takes it back to you asking, “How did you get to Princeton?” And I mean, how did you decide that this place—I’m at Princeton, you performed at the Apollo multiple times, so you know the Apollo. You have friends who performed at the Apollo. They know the Apollo, whether—

T.I. Harris (1:59)

My wife

Kwanza Jones (2:00)

Okay. Right. Exactly. 

Tip T.I. Harris (2:01)

My daughters

Kwanza Jones (2:02)

Keep going.

Tip T.I. Harris (2:02)

Yeah

Kwanza Jones (2:03)

Exactly. And some, whether you were top billing there or whether you came through Amateur Night. Different people.I remember Fat Joe and I were at the Apollo presenting an award to Babyface, and we were both talking and saying, like, “We won Amateur Night.” That was our Apollo start and our Apollo story.

So we’re like, “Oh, that’s hard.”

Kwanza Jones (2:22)

Exactly. And some—whether you were top billing there or whether you came Amateur Night—different people. I remember Fat Joe, and I were at the Apollo presenting an award to Babyface, and we were both talking and saying, like, “We won Amateur Night.”

That was our Apollo start and our Apollo story. So, we—you may get booed, but it’s a proving ground; here you go. So, I bring it up because, coming from a place like Princeton, performing at the Apollo, my dad had a law office and an employment agency in Harlem.

So, we would have to go work at the law office and work at the employment agency on the weekends and during the summer. So, I would walk by the Apollo all the time, and he’d tell me all the stories. My mother would tell us all of the different stories; we’d go.

By the time I went and said, “Okay, well, I’m going to go perform at the Apollo. I’m at Princeton. It’s only 45 minutes away. Yeah, why not go do that?” So, that’s what I did.

I also knew, for me, Apollo was such a beacon and such a cultural institution that it was not just of Harlem that it was, or just for Black people; it was for all. Apollo is an American treasure. 

Princeton, as you know, is not just Black people that are at Princeton, far from it. So, I said, “Oh, wouldn’t it be great—and here’s the bus tie-in—if we have some friends from Princeton get exposure to the Apollo, because they’ve never had an experience like that before, where you can go to a place, and if you don’t like it, you boo.”

And you are part of that give-and-take, part of that audience. You are part of creating the outcome that you want. So, I had a bus of—I think it was, what, 40 students or so—that came from Princeton going to the Apollo, eyes wide open because a lot of you supposed…

T.I. Harris (3:53)

Who was performing that day?

Kwanza Jones (3:54)

Well, it was Amateur Night.

T.I. Harris (3:56)

Okay 

Kwanza Jones (3:57)

So it was only 90-something?

T.I. Harris (3:43)

Okay. Yeah. It was lit right then.

Kwanza Jones (4:04)

Exactly. So, in this instance, they’re there, and they’re like, “Oh my gosh.”

The takeaway was that when we got back to Princeton—and you know, the Apollo seats more than 40 people, so it wasn’t like I brought people and you’re like, “You’re going to make me win.” No. They didn’t even know what to do. I’m like, “You gotta listen. You’re supposed to boo if you don’t like it, clap if you do.”

But I bring it up because the takeaway was that there was a different understanding that folks had. And it was an exposure to different cultures.

Kwanza Jones (4:35)

And why and how that ties into a story of something like the bus for the Apollo—the bus business opportunity—is its exposure and its people.

The Apollo, in this instance, by seeing how it could connect and open people up to new ideas, meant that many years later, when I was on the board of the Apollo, I think I’m the first person on the board of the Apollo to have—at least that’s what they tell me—to have performed and won at Amateur Night.

T.I. Harris (4:57)

Did you pursue a seat on the board?

Kwanza Jones (5:05)

No, I was asked. I was asked. And I know Pharrell was on the board of the Apollo. His term is over, but, yeah, he was also…

T.I. Harris (5:15)

How long is a term?

Kwanza Jones (5:16)

It’s a four-year term.

T.I. Harris (5:16)

Are you in the beginning of your term?

Kwanza Jones (5:20)

Oh, no. I’m near the end. And, you know, oftentimes they will ask you to extend and renew. So I’m near—I’m in my fourth year.

T.I. Harris (5:28)

Got it. 

Kwanza Jones (5:29)

So, what happened is the Apollo was going dark for the first time, meaning the main stage, which you know very well, it’s in need of renovations. So it was closing. So if it’s closing, then what happens?

T.I. Harris (5:44)

Right? 

Kwanza Jones (5:44)

How do people get to still be connected? 

T.I. Harris (5:48)

Why? Tell us why. Why was it closing?

Kwanza Jones (5:49)

Well, let’s think about—I don’t know—maybe it’s a favorite car you have or a favorite pair of shoes or something. Just sometimes things get a little tired.

T.I. Harris (5:59)

So you gotta renovate.

Kwanza Jones (5:49)

You gotta renovate.

T.I. Harris (6:00)

Okay. Got it

Kwanza Jones (6:02)

It needed more back—it needed technical backing. The whole backline and structure, just even of technology and audio and video and cameras.

T.I. Harris (6:07)

So it’s not closing. It’s being updated.

Kwanza Jones (6:14)

No, right. That’s the renovation. But the main stage means you can’t use it because they’re doing a complete renovation—meaning scaffolding all up, everything around the stage. There’s some pictures online if folks want to see it. Marquee’s being redone. That’s outside.

But everything is unusable. You can’t do anything inside on that main stage, which means where do they run Amateur Night? On the main stage.  Where do they have the performances? On the main stage. If you can’t have the main stage there, now the Apollo has two other smaller stages in a building that’s right next door.

But if you have one of them that’s like a 99-seat theater, and if one of the ways you make money at the Apollo—in revenue—is by having shows there, whether artists are performing there or you’re leasing out the venue to folks, then your revenue stream is gone unless it’s donations that you’re having.

T.I. Harris (7:12)

And that’s what led you to the bus.

Kwanza Jones (7:13)

And that’s what led me to the bus because I said, just because the main stage is closed—and it’s going to be almost a year that that’s done—we can’t have it where folks are like, “Okay, Apollo is gone.” Gone. Like, completely gone. Because, like you just said, “Oh, no, it’s not closed. It’s just being renovated.” Okay. Right. But some people will see it and see that it’s dark and be like, “Oh, Apollo’s gone.”

T.I. Harris (7:35)

So tell me, what is the function and intention for this bus?

Kwanza Jones (7:40)

So the function for Culture In Motion is—the Apollo being such a cultural mecca, if you will—is for folks to understand, and especially maybe even your kids, too.

T.I. Harris (7:50)

I mean, I need to understand. You teaching me.

Kwanza Jones (7:53)

But I’m telling you, the thing is, you know the Apollo because you performed there. Your wife knows the Apollo because she and her group performed there. So your kids, because of that, know the Apollo.

Now, imagine if you haven’t seen Showtime at the Apollo, okay? Which is how a lot of folks were turned on to the Apollo, because they saw it on TV. It’s not on TV anymore.

Kwanza Jones (8:12)

That was before American Idol. That was before AGT—America’s Got Talent. Before all of these things, the Apollo was doing Showtime well, before—and I’d like to say—it’s like, “Always imitated, never duplicated.” Apollo is where culture is created.

T.I. Harris (8:31)

Okay, pop it.

Kwanza Jones (8:31)

That’s what I’m just saying. And the reason I say that is because it’s not just a statement and a testament to the Apollo. It’s a statement and a testament to us, to our background, to our culture, and to what we bring.

It’s the 250th anniversary of the United States, or birthday of the United States of America. At a time when so many things are said, and people are looking at us

T.I. Harris (8:54)

This established territory, this establishment, this collection of states—

Kwanza Jones (9:00)

There you go. 

T.I. Harris (9:01)

250 years of that.

Kwanza Jones  (9:02)

Correct

T.I. Harris (9:03)

But it existed before that.

Kwanza Jones (9:04)

Correct. 

T.I. Harris (9:05)

As something else.

Kwanza Jones (9:05)

Exactly. And as something else. But see, the something else that people don’t even think about, because there’s this narrative that it is only when these folks say that it’s important that it’s important.

So I’m trying to make sure that, again, that folks understand during this 250th, as folks more commonly know about it, that it’s culture, and America as we know it is not just the voices of the people who signed the Declaration of Independence or who signed the Constitution.

There are a lot of people who make up this country, and the Apollo is an example of that.

Kwanza Jones (9:45)

So the reason for taking it on the road, especially even now, is one: the main stage was closed, so there was an opportunity there. So how do you evaluate, from a business lens, what are opportunities? Where are there opportunities when you are looking?

So I’m going to tie a few things together. I’m going to tie Culture In Motion together. I’m going to tie a philosophy and an approach together. And I’m going to tie people together with this, too.

You look for opportunities in places where oftentimes other people do not, right?

And the way you can look for those opportunities is by being open to it. And by being a person of color and a Black person—and my husband is Puerto Rican—we’re just like, we’re used to being underestimated.

We’re used to being the people that folks are like, “Oh, oh yeah. Uh-huh. They’re there, but they’re not really there.”

That’s an opportunity.

T.I. Harris (10:28)

You guys were at Princeton at the same time?

Kwanza Jones (10:31)

Yeah

T.I. Harris (10:31)

Okay.

Kwanza Jones (10:31)

So, it’s like where you—which, by the way, then for folks who are like, “Oh, it’s so funny. People are like, ‘Oh yes, you know, she married a billionaire.’”

I’m like, “Excuse me.”

T.I. Harris (10:42)

Uh-huh. What you mean?

Kwanza Jones (10:44)

I’m like excuse me?

T.I. Harris (10:48)

But I mean, like, as opposed to what?

Kwanza Jones (10:50)

As opposed to—

T.I. Harris (10:49)

I mean, love is love, but it’s better when there’s money.

Kwanza Jones (10:54)

No. I mean, you build. You build. You build together.

T.I. Harris (10:54)

Okay.

Kwanza Jones (10:54)

You’ve been married what, over 15 years?

T.I. Harris (11:03)

I’ve been married 16. 16 years this July.

Kwanza Jones (11:03)

So it’s a partnership. You build. You build.

T.I. Harris (11:06)

That’s right, because I was broke when I met my wife. She had money. I ain’t have nothing.

Kwanza Jones (11:06)

Well, look. See? So you build.

T.I. Harris (11:13)

Not enough to talk about anyway.

Kwanza Jones (11:13)

All right. Look at that.

I’m just saying, the whole concept again of building in people and investing and seeing opportunities. The opportunity for the Apollo to take it on the road was an opportunity to expose people to a culture that also is our culture, that shows how much we are able to contribute and make the fabric of America what it is.

T.I. Harris (11:29)

And this is the bus.

Kwanza Jones (11:34)

And this is the bus.

T.I. Harris (11:34)

So I want to see the bus. I want to show the viewers the bus.

I need to know, though, is this like a philanthropic effort where it’s like a museum, or is this for-profit because the main stage is closed and they can’t sell tickets?

Kwanza Jones (11:51)

Okay, so I’m going to tell you about it.

It is, from my husband’s and my lens, a philanthropic effort because what we are doing is underwriting the cost of the bus. We fabricated the bus. We built a company and a team, and we’re not making any money. We’re not taking any money and not making any money.

We’re putting lots of money into this so that there is visibility and awareness for the Apollo, and that you’re able to have infrastructure. And you’ll see it as we walk through the tour—the different zones of the bus.

Kwanza Jones (12:16)

One of the things that we have as our mission, which is the Kwanza Jones and José E. Feliciano Initiative, is to boost humans and humanity.

And I’d like to say one of our goals is to boost a billion lives.

So boosting whether it’s economic opportunities, whether it’s through philanthropy, or whether it’s through investments.

And I talk about investing in for-profit and also investing in not-for-profit.

Kwanza Jones (12:46)

So the investment in the Apollo—we’re not making money on it. But it’s a—I don’t like calling it donations, and I don’t like calling it charity, because if you do that, then folks don’t have any incentive to want to contribute to the success of it.

We need folks to also have some skin in the game in this instance. So, in this instance, where success will also be is for folks to understand: look, donate at the Apollo. You can go to boostbus.com. There’s a link in there that says “Donate.” It takes you to the Apollo website where, if you want to donate, you can donate. Because the Apollo was here for almost a hundred years.

T.I. Harris (13:16)

Can you invest in the Apollo?

Kwanza Jones (13:23)

Well, I like to call it investing.

T.I. Harris (13:23)

Okay.

Kwanza Jones (13:23)

I like to call it investing, but it’s a not-for-profit organization. So you can invest in the not-for-profit organization of the Apollo.

And that’s what it is. So we’re not making any money. It’s more philanthropic for us to be able to have a literal vehicle that can help continue to sustain culture.

T.I. Harris (13:41)

Now, for my final question before we show the bus—this magnificent bus—off, how do you balance your mission-driven work with your for-profit efforts?

Kwanza Jones (13:50)

Oh, I’ll tell you, because I think of everything as an investment, whether it is mission-driven, philanthropic, or whether it is to increase the balance sheet and have more zeros.

And it’s really always about boosting and building and creating opportunities and finding things and seeing things that other people don’t see.

Kwanza Jones (14:13)

And what happens even—

Oh, got the mic in my way. I was going to say, in terms of this sort of merger…

T.I. Harris (14:19)

It’s all them diamonds you got on. It’s okay. It’s alright. It’s alright. The mic can wait. I’m just saying, the mic—the mic— Protect the diamond. The mic is going to be all right.

Kwanza Jones (14:30)

Oh, my goodness. What I do is—and José and I do this quite often—is when we are evaluating who we want to invest in, and not just individual people but also institutions, too, we’re looking at the people and what they are aligned with.

Because, again, at the end of the day, if you’re not connected and committed to some of the things that we’re connected and committed with and to, then our money may be better spent and better invested elsewhere.

Kwanza Jones (15:01)

So that’s how it’s combined. It’s really looking at who do we want to—and some people call it—strategically partner with. Who do you want to work with?

Kwanza Jones (15:06)

How do you want to make change, and what do you want that to be? And how do you have what I call a double bottom line? I also call it an impact multiplier. How do you multiply the impact that you can make?

You multiply the impact that you can make because, again, at times, if you are given time, talent, treasure—your treasure can be money. Your treasure can be your talents, too.

But if you are able, in whatever way and wherever seat you are sitting in, bring that to the table and then offer that; then that’s going to help boost, and that’s going to help build in an organization.

Kwanza Jones (15:38)

It means if you have the right people there in that organization, taking it back to the people, then they’re going to be the ones that are going to help grow that particular business.

And then that’s going to, in turn, help you when you are investing and hopefully help your mission, too.

And for me, the mission is that it’s just always got to be more than just about the money. It’s got to be about that double bottom line, that double impact—boosting and knowing that no one succeeds alone and you can’t be just for you. You got to be for others.

T.I. Harris (16:09)

Okay. Well, thank you. That was phenomenal. That was a workshop.

Kwanza Jones (16:14)

It was. That’s what I think. I thought it was a workshop for me, too. So thank you.

T.I. Harris (16:18)

I love to learn, especially about, you know, about building and growing wealth.

Kwanza Jones (16:25)

Well, and there are—one day, we’ll have to talk about the technical things.

T.I. Harris (16:32)

Well, why not? We

Kwanza Jones (16:34)

The organizational…

T.I. Harris (16:35)

Well, we got enough time

Kwanza Jones (16:32)

We’ll do it some other time, because there are structures that, as you know, whether it’s operating agreements, whether it’s LLCs, whether it’s entities, whether it’s just all the things that people don’t know.

So I would say one of the biggest takeaways before we walk through this bus, too, is making sure folks understand: open your mind to learning and knowing that you do not know everything. Surround yourself with folks who you can learn from.

I’m sitting here learning from you today. You’re sitting here learning from me today. We’re sitting here learning from each other. And that’s how we continue to grow and build. And then there are other things, too, that can come from that. So this is just the first page.

T.I. Harris (17:13)

All right. No, well, let’s see. Where do we start? Where do we start this tour?

Kwanza Jones (17:30)

We’re bringing part of this here so people understand you are more than just you. You’ve got a whole legacy, like the roots of a tree.

So what we did is, just like backstage we have here, you can sign in, and it’s the wall of signatures.

All of the renovation—the stage is being—this is still going to be there. They were carefully protecting it.

But when we come on back into the discovery and the history and the legacy, it shows you and tells you about Harlem and the Apollo and all the things that have happened throughout there.

While that one’s doing, look, I’ll have this one do “Listen,” because in there, the headphones—you can go and it’s the sounds of the Apollo.

T.I. Harris (18:09)

How much of the historic nature is being kept, and how much is going to be brand new?

Kwanza Jones (18:19)

I would say the majority of it is being kept. That’s why it’s costing so much, and that’s why it’s taking so long, because the goal is to try to preserve the Apollo, but then still make all of the backline, all of the audio gear, the video gear, new and next level.

And, you know, then you turn around, and it’s more than a stage. These are literally seats from the Apollo Theater.

Kwanza Jones (18:43)

So what happens is, with the Apollo being more than a stage—and the Apollo has always been—I just can’t bring a little more energy.

T.I. Harris (18:52)

We had James Brown’s funeral at the Apollo.

Kwanza Jones (18:52)

That’s what I’m saying.

T.I. Harris (18:52)

I had no idea.

Kwanza Jones (18:59)

But this is why you look at this video. Our team did “90 Years in 90 Seconds” because The Apollo’s been around for 90 years.

So this gives you, for all of these decades, a little bit of what the Apollo has been.

And yes, so you can see it’s not just music. It’s not just art. It’s not just politics. It’s not just activism. It’s like really bringing together—

T.I. Harris (19:16)

Quick question. 

Kwanza Jones (19:19)

Yeah. 

T.I. Harris (19:20)

Who started the Apollo?

Kwanza Jones (19:22)

Oh, so it’s an interesting story. Not a Black person, by the way.

The Apollo Theater used to be this burlesque-type of theater way, way back in the day.

T.I. Harris (19:32)

Like Magic City?

Kwanza Jones (19:32)

You know, I mean, look, you said what you said.

T.I. Harris (19:39)

I guess, I guess, I guess. Closest comparison.

Kwanza Jones (19:42)

I’m just like, there it is. And what happened is, at one point, there was a family that took over the Apollo and started booking Black artists there.

And think about it: there wasn’t a place where you could perform. You know, people heard about the Chitlin’ Circuit. That was the only place where you could go.

So then folks ended up seeing that, wow, here are these artists and these performers, and it was really, really great. The Chitlins, I think, was their name.

So, again, it’s about being more than a stage, but a place and a space where you can learn how to use your voice. Then when you come in here on the bus, it’s about taking it from heritage and lineage, coming into this supercharged energy. But it’s about the philosophy, meaning I’m all about boost. How do you boost your community? How do you boost your voice? Boost your life.

We were talking about some of that with entrepreneurship. We’re talking about that with opportunities. How do you boost your creativity? How do you boost your world? There’s so many different things, and you’re seeing the Apollo can be a vehicle for that, but also in partnership with folks.

If we understand you don’t succeed alone, you bring that energy. And that’s why I said, what is shared grows. When you are going, and you’re sharing information, knowledge, opportunities, business partnerships—things can grow.

So that is where people go, here, let me see if I’m out of this—You press the button, and you get a little boost. You got a little motivational word in there, and you got an Apollo sticker, and you’ve got a little Culture In Motion pen.

T.I. Harris (21:19)

Okay.

Kwanza Jones (21:19)

You see, that’s it. So, the whole point is, are there enough things in here for people to be able to take a little bit of Apollo with them?

Because I like to say—and a little supercharged energy. I think almost everybody has an Apollo story. The question is: Where does yours start?

Some people, theirs is only going to start when they get on the bus because they’ve never been. They’ve never heard about it. They’ve never seen it. If we do not remember that it took a lot of effort and energy of a lot of people to enable us to have what we have today, and if we all don’t support it, then what happens? It’s not a given that it’ll be around.

And this is the part I love: infinite possibilities. It just keeps going and going and going. So when you are thinking about literally seeing yourself and infinite possibilities, infinite universe, infinite opportunities—

T.I. Harris (22:08)

Okay

Kwanza Jones (22:09)

You have done so many things where so many folks would think that, “Oh, you should only be in one lane.” But why are you in more than one lane? How are you able to have those infinite possibilities? Why, for you, is that the case?

T.I. Harris (22:23)

Ambition.

Kwanza Jones (22:23)

There you go.

T.I. Harris (22:25)

Belief.

Kwanza Jones (22:25)

You better—

T.I. Harris (22:25)

Effort.

Kwanza Jones (22:32)

See, no. I mean, I’m getting chills because that’s what I’m talking about. Ambition, belief, effort. All of those things are things that you see in you, and then you take action.

T.I. Harris (22:42)

You know—and how do you decide what cities to go to?

Kwanza Jones (22:42)

Oh, see, I wanted this to be an appreciation tour.

I wanted that to go on the road to any place where there were Apollo alums and say thank you.

T.I. Harris (22:52)

Right on.

Kwanza Jones (22:52)

And say thank you for being on—I’m getting a little emotional about it.

T.I. Harris (22:56)

Detroit has to be—

Kwanza Jones (23:02)

Well, Detroit is on there. Yes, we’re heading up there, but we’re not heading in the winter. We’re not going there. It’s going to be too cold.

But it is. It’s going and finding those places and spaces where we’ve seen Apollo alums who are active in their community, like you, who are about doing and being more than just what the stage is.

Kwanza Jones (23:23)

Okay. What’s one of the first words you see?

T.I. Harris (23:25)

Power

Kwanza Jones (23:29)

Oh! Yes!

T.I. Harris (23:30)

What? No, for real. It’s right there.

Kwanza Jones (23:37)

No, but what I’m telling you is this: literally, what I have—and I designed this space to be—the first thing you see is the thing that resonates with you.

Because some people see this and see “empowered.” Some people see “power.” Some people see “build.” Some people see “belong.” Some people see “boost.”

Your core is power. You understand that you are powerful, that you are supercharged, that you are infinite, that you can create and make opportunities not just for you but for others. That’s literally how you’ve lived your life.

We’ve done some college takeovers in different places. Hampton, we did it. Norfolk State, we did it. We were on the yard in some of the colleges

T.I. Harris (24:14)

How many stops have you had? What stop is this?

Kwanza Jones (24:20)

This? I gotta count. Probably third—25. Because we go in different regions. We started—we did the virtual kickoff in Harlem.

And then my point was, how can we show that the Apollo is not just in New York City and in Harlem? Let’s go as far away as we can. So we went to the West Coast and went to LA and started the road show there.

T.I. Harris (24:44)

Of your stops, what was the most engagement? When I say that, I mean, where were the people most unaware before this bus?

Kwanza Jones (24:53)

You know what? For most of them, the colleges, which is kind of shocking and kind of sad, because you’re thinking, “Oh, college, you understand. You have history, you have legacy, you have people—”

T.I. Harris (25:09)

But the college people are from everywhere.

Kwanza Jones (25:12)

There you go. On some of the stops, we have the Apollo Kwanza Jones Culture In Motion T-shirts that we give as a giveaway and as a gift to folks. And then we have these different drumsticks.

There was a student at one of the stops, and it’s like, “Apollo? Well, I’m from New York. I live in Brooklyn.”Had never been to the Apollo”

T.I. Harris (25:33)

But had heard of it.

Kwanza Jones (25:36)

Had heard of it, had never been. So then they see this bus and we’re like, “Hey, come. It’s an opportunity for you to record, for you to tell your story, for you to whatever it is. We want that.”

We tailor the activation based on where we’re going and what we think resonates with folks.

We’ve had the little kids. We’ve gone into schools because the whole point is, if you teach them when they’re younger, they’re going to understand the history, and it’s going to hopefully connect with them, and they’ll remember it.

But the colleges were the ones where most were like, “Oh my gosh.” Because what happens is, when we go outside the bus—we don’t have it out here—we have a stage that we put out. So it’s literally a stage that is almost the length of the entire bus.

T.I. Harris (26:22)

Okay. So who’s the Sandman? 

Kwanza Jones (26:21)

That’s exact.

T.I. Harris (26:22)

[Laughter]

Kwanza Jones (26:31)

Now you’re asking the right thing. So that’s where we tweak it a little bit because we give everybody an opportunity. Because what we’re doing is, you can go in, and on some, when we’re doing it live, we do it on the stage.

Others, they can come in, and they can record for it to be submitted, and then they’ll be able to go to New York once it reopens and be able to go perform at Amateur Night there. And that’s when they’ll get to see—or maybe not see at all.

T.I. Harris (26:57)

When is it expected to get wrapped up?

Kwanza Jones (27:09)

Oh, well, by the time the road show is rolling through with all the different towns and cities and states, right around December. So we’re trying to have it where the bus gets back to Harlem, back to the Apollo, right around the same time.

T.I. Harris (27:19)

That’ll be great. We both know the history of The Apollo, what would you want your impact to represent?

Kwanza Jones (27:27)

My legacy with it is, if people can see that the Apollo is more than a stage. If people can understand that their voice has value, but it becomes even more valuable when you use it. If you can understand that you can take the lessons from the Apollo, whether you consider yourself to be an artist or not, and this Culture In Motion—because it’s the Boost Bus. Get on the bus for a boost.

That if you can quite literally understand that this is a vehicle that can help propel you into things that you have not ever even imagined. That, for me, is power. It’s possibility that’s being supercharged. And that’s what I would just—for that to be—a little bit of what it means to have culture that’s in motion.

That’s coming from a space and a place where so many others made it possible for us, that I can just continue to keep planting.

T.I. Harris (28:19)

Right on

Kwanza Jones (28:19)

So we can keep growing.

T.I. Harris (28:21)

Well, thank you. Thank you. Thank you for allowing us to experience this, because I probably wouldn’t have had an opportunity had it not been for this invitation. I appreciate that. Oh, and thank you for just expounding upon so much of your journey for the viewers and listeners.

T.I. Harris (28:39)

Now, here at Expeditiously, we do something called “Word of the Day.” It’s a word that is chosen to represent the guest or the conversation that has been had.

And today, for you, the word that has been selected—

Kwanza Jones (28:54)

Oh, I can’t wait.

T.I. Harris (28:58)

Vanguardist. Vanguardist is a person who actively pushes new, innovative, or experimental ideas ahead of mainstream acceptance. I’m gonna use it in a sentence just so you know.

Kwanza Jones (29:08)

Go, because I’m here to learn.

T.I. Harris (29:09)

Yeah. Just so people can know how to use it: Kwanza Jones stands out as a vanguardist, using her music and entrepreneurship to challenge convention and push forward new models of empowerment. Thank you for all you do.

Kwanza Jones (29:16)

Thank you again. Thank you. Thank you. And we will connect again once we get MLB approval on the Padres so we can talk sports, culture, entertainment. You know, we’ve got so much more. It’s just beginning again. Thank you.

Kwanza Jones (29:33)

T.I., Expeditiously.

T.I. Harris (29:37)

You feel me? Yeah. What she said. That’s it. This is Expeditiously. I am Tip T.I. Harris`