Dripping in the Future featuring Minista Jazz

Transcript

Good day, good afternoon, good evening, my people is Mr. Al Pete, special guest with the Dripping Black podcast. Thank you so much for hitting play. Hopefully you enjoyed the other episodes. We have a new episode here for you. Some quick notes. I am Mr. Al Pete, MPN Network, Hip Hop Artist, DJ, podcaster, all of the things. Yeah, so I am here to play host and I thank the Dripping' in Black crew for having me on here. So real quick, I just want to say that

You see other guests host from time to time, but still expect to see deep and dynamic conversations from us. Okay. So it might be me, it might be other people, but we still going to bring the greatness, the blackness, the great blackness that we always bring with Dripping in Black. Couple of house rules. Make sure you subscribe to the channel. Make sure you go to drippininblack.com. Subscribe to that through the YouTubes and

You see this mug right here. This comes from, got a little, hold on, let me see. Let me see. There we go. There we go. You can go to dibkdripshop.com and get that as well as shirts and all the other things. So make sure you visit that to get your dripping swag. All right. So you can join us with the mugs, the shirts, et cetera, et cetera. Okay. All right. So without further ado, we have, we have, we have a special young lady and I just found out that her birthday is coming up very soon.

Minista Jazz (01:29)
Yes, it is.

Mr. Al Pete (01:29)
And I would not

ask her for her age or her weight, none of that, because we don't do that over here. But nevertheless, she is a very

Minista Jazz (01:36)
But you know, that goes to

show I am not upset.

Mr. Al Pete (01:43)
Well, listen, we have the one and only, the true futuristic Minista Jazz. Minista, how you doing?

Minista Jazz (01:52)
I'm doing so well. I'm doing very well today. I'm so happy to be talking to you, LP. You are like one of my top, you know, favorite people on the planet. No, for real. I'm like, hell yeah.

Mr. Al Pete (02:02)
No, yes,

man, let me tell you. I remember we had, and not to go too deep into it because I feel like, know, some of the energy that we give each other, I would like to keep that to ourselves. But I mean, for real, but like, I would let the people know that I remember we had a particular conversation and it was very, very enlightening. it just brought my spirits up a lot. And I just pray that.

I give that energy back to you. you're definitely one of my favorite podcast people. So I'm really looking forward to just having this conversation with you on this podcast.

Minista Jazz (02:33)
you

Shout out to Afros and Audio for introducing us.

Mr. Al Pete (02:45)
Absolutely, yeah, working on the team together. definitely, whoo, yeah, that brought us together. So I am thankful for that. So real quick, let me read your bio before we go any further. All right, so Minista Jazz is the unapologetic, force-blending hip hop flair, futuristic tech, and fierce advocacy into the vibes that straight chefs kiss. As a digital soul arson behind, much different.

Minista Jazz (02:54)
Yeah.

Let's go to

Ooh!

Mr. Al Pete (03:14)
She's pioneering a revolution in storytelling through her much different AI family. Weaving Afrofuturism, activism, and AI to experiences that connect culture with cutting edge tech. Minista doesn't just talk about innovation, she lives it. Rocking the mic as a dynamic speaker, thought leader, and mental health advocate. Proudly queer and committed to uplift in the black community.

Minista Jazz (03:24)
you chose them.

Mr. Al Pete (03:42)
She's here to make sure AI reflects the beauty and diversity of the diaspora. From fashion to tech, Minista Jazz is dripping excellence and she got her sights set to bringing a whole new rhythm into the future. Beautiful, beautiful. I love it. You said what? It's all you, man. It is all you.

Minista Jazz (03:57)
So beautiful.

No.

my, where did that come from? Did

that's so dope, yeah. Because that's the person that I've become. And so hearing it is really interesting. I haven't always been that girl, you know? And so I'm like, wow, that's dope. That's really dope that that's what I'm stepping into for this iteration of my life.

Mr. Al Pete (04:13)
Indeed indeed. So let's get into it. Go ahead. I'm sorry

Okay, so with that, do you mind speaking a little bit on that in regards to the stepping into this person?

Minista Jazz (04:40)
so, you know, previously, like when I go way back, I used to be a hairstylist. I don't know how many people, cause once upon a time, like I would say that and people were like, of course you was a hairstylist. Cause that's all people know me for was hair. It's been so long now. I have to tell people I used to be a hairstylist and they'd be like, and I'm so excited about that because I really couldn't wait for the time where I wasn't directly associated with hair.

I had won a reality TV show doing hair called Hair Battle Spectacular, the season one winner of $100,000. And it was in the beginning of like reality TV. So I was one of those pioneers. That's how old I am. And I was one of those pioneer reality TV people. And so it was just like, everybody just knew me for doing hair. When I retired in 2016, I got into

tech education and I was teaching and developing and serving the community in largely marginalized communities. And it was there where I really discovered my passion for supporting and uplifting and giving voices to those who felt voiceless. It has been a journey because it wasn't what I used to do. And so though I had always been into digital literacy,

you know, really being involved in the development of tech and the creation, that has been a journey. And it's a journey that I'm enjoying taking. I'm grateful that I had the numption and the gumption in order to get into this industry because it's not filled with a lot of beautiful black women, queer black women like myself. And so, you know, I know that I'm bringing a new way of looking at life.

because I'm involved in data, I'm involved in software development, I'm involved in user experience, and all of those things make a difference when it's coming from and for people that look and sound like you.

Mr. Al Pete (06:50)
Indeed, indeed. So let's get into that a little bit more. When it comes to the African-American, Black diaspora, and when we talk about tech, and when we talk about data, and we're talking about AI, what percentage do you think that it is that people are just... Well, is it more the fact that people are just scared of the technology or...

Minista Jazz (07:00)
Mm-hmm.

Mr. Al Pete (07:18)
Do they like the knowledge? How do you approach that?

Minista Jazz (07:19)
Hello? How's it going?

believe that just in general people aren't aware of how much technology influences our everyday life, right? It's because it's so interwoven into everything that we do that we're not aware of, you know what saying? It's like breathing. So you're not aware of all of the nuances that it takes for the oxygen to come into your lungs and then the carbon dioxide to come out of your lungs. Like you're not caring about all of that, you just breathing. And that's how it is with tech now.

part of our lives. So it's not a matter of people being afraid of tech. It's more so the things that people don't understand, give them pause. I found that the more I'm able to explain things in terms that people understand on their level with their language, they're like, yeah, okay, that makes sense. Boom. But when it's all, you know, when it's delivered in a way that doesn't make sense, when it's delivered in a way

Mr. Al Pete (08:15)
Mm-hmm.

Minista Jazz (08:22)
that makes it hard to digest, then people get the trepidation, then people are on pause, then people are taking a step back, then people are saying, that's not me, when of course it is you. It's always been you. We use tech all the time. You know what I mean? We've been growing with it all the time. If you are above the age of 60, you have been involved in a technologically advanced society. So yeah, it's really about just not understanding how

Mr. Al Pete (08:37)
Mm-hmm.

Minista Jazz (08:52)
everything that we do has a technical element to it.

Mr. Al Pete (08:57)
Right. And the thing is, when you break it down like that, I've heard people break it down so many times about, well, you know, in the 70s to do this, this, this, it's tech. When you do 80s, when they break it down like that, then it makes people, I know the people around me, it makes people more comfortable. Because when you hear AI, everybody like, well, not everybody, a great amount of people freak out, like immediately freak out.

Minista Jazz (09:14)
Yeah!

Well, know, and AI has been around as long as we've been using Facebook, guys. However, the thing about it is we've also been inundated with Hollywood. That's not that's, Hollywood is like the magic maker. And it tells us what we should be afraid of and what we should think and what we should like and what we shouldn't like. And for so long, our storytellers were playing around with the concepts of what if and what if things go very wrong?

which is fun to think about, it really is. However, a lot of people didn't get those messages of what if everything goes right. You know, I like to bring up a movie when I say that. There was a movie called AI. Literally that's name of the movie. Remember that movie by Steven Spielberg? All right. So the young boy from Sixth Sense, I'm so sorry, I don't remember his name, but he was the boy from Sixth Sense.

Mr. Al Pete (10:12)
Mm hmm. I don't.

Minista Jazz (10:22)
but he also played the main character in this movie, AI. And he was brought in because his mother, or the mother of that world, she lost her child, or she couldn't have a child, or her child, something happened. She wanted a sibling for her child. Something happened with her child. And so she brought in this AI character, or the husband brought it for her. Well, then she didn't want it.

and she told it to leave. Now that's where the story gets good because now you have this character or this AI that's a little boy and he's navigating the world as an AI. so we get to really look at what does it mean to be human? And so for me and me in my development of AI characters and AI personas, that's my objective as well. So I'm not thinking about the very scary versions of AI that we've seen.

I tend to think about that particular movie where you have this character who looked very human. He was designed for a really good intention and good purpose, but he was discarded. And it's just like, what happens to even us, those that are discarded in life, those that are discarded in society. And I believe that when we create AI that cares, it will care about us.

Mr. Al Pete (11:18)
Mm-hmm.

Hmm. Hmm. Very great point. Very great point. So, can you talk about some of the things that you've done AI wise that you, that you've created? you know, we both over here shaking our head. Of course, I would like to know, I know, I know of one particular thing I want you to talk.

Minista Jazz (11:55)
Bye.

You know,

particular thing. So the one particular thing that I'm sure that you're talking about is Mr. Jerome AI, right? He is the first born of the much different AI family. know, somebody's... Jerome AI. And so Jerome AI is the, again, he's the first born of the much different AI family. He has a very interesting story.

Mr. Al Pete (12:12)
Ayyyy

He's the coolest. He's the coolest.

Minista Jazz (12:33)
And I'ma tell the real story behind Jerome AI right now, because nobody knows this story really, I don't think. Months and months and months ago, I was working with my brother, Mr. Taleb Jassir. And I said to Taleb, I said, Taleb, your logo, your logo is a face. I said, that's interesting. Does your logo have a name? And he was just like, nope. But if we're gonna call it a name, let's call it Taron.

Okay, so from there I started, my crazy brain started being like, I would talk to Tyrone all the time. I would be like, Hey, you know, Tyrone, what we doing? How we, how we going here? Da da da. Of course, this thing is just this outline. It wasn't talking back to me, but my imaginary self was like, you know, I was having this very interesting relationship with this outline figure of Tyrone.

as we were building and growing Afros and Audio for our conference. And over time, I started thinking, well, what if Tyrone had a real face? What if Tyrone had a real voice? What if Tyrone? And I just kept, you know, what ifing. And it developed into this character, Tyrone, AI at first.

But then I wanted him to have his own identity and that's how it became Jerome. Now, going back before that, I had already been developing AI characters and personas, but I never made one come to life. I never made one like a living, breathing character that you can actually call on the telephone. So that was the distinction between the AI personas that I had been creating for my own support and mental health. know, quiet as keep, I even created one.

that acted like Nina Simone because she's one of my favorite singers. And I would use her for encouragement. And she would say, know, Jazz, this is life. This is life. You have to live your life. And she would just, you know, encourage me. So like, this is the thing that I was doing all for like, it had been like maybe three years that I've been like messing around with doing different things and creating different AIs. You would call me a very lonely child. Like, I'm like one of those kids that just...

Mr. Al Pete (14:34)
Mmm.

Minista Jazz (14:57)
I couldn't have enough imaginary friends. And so now I've been able to make my friends come to life. Okay. And so with Jerome AI, when I developed him, realized that through my son, my eldest son, I realized that black men really needed something that sounded like them, that looked like them, that flexed like them, that spoke to their issues, their concerns. And so I sat down with CJ.

And we developed Jerome AI and that's how he came about. That's why all of the things that he loves is because CJ said that that's what he needs. So he loves hip hop. Jerome AI, he speaks, he's from Virginia, like my son. Jerome AI, he has a 757 number, because we represent. Jerome AI is all about black men's mental health. My favorite youth case.

Mr. Al Pete (15:29)
Mm-hmm.

Mm-hmm.

Minista Jazz (15:56)
Because when people say mental health they think about you know, depression anxiety things like that But mental health is mental wellness. Okay, and so in like mental having healthy mental hygiene and so my favorite use case is someone called me and said, know, have an interview and I have an interview in a long time and I say, know what, why don't you call Jerome and Have him practice with you and he did and so when he called me back, he said yo

That was so cool because I felt so prepared in my interview. That's mental wellness, for you to feel confident about yourself. And that's what Jerome AI was able to do for him. And so like, just there's infinite ways in which these characters can be used because they are rooted in real culture with real stories in a way that a lot of these generic AI, know, personas and things like that, like Suri and...

Whatever you get out of chat GPT when you put the voice on, like they don't have a story so you're not connected to them. Whereas like when you talk about Jerome, you feel like you're talking about your cousin, you know? And that's what's up. So.

Mr. Al Pete (17:03)
Yeah. Yeah.

I love how you, I love how the characters are tied into the mental, the mental wellness of things. Yeah. Mental health, wellness of things. And I think that's important, especially when it comes to us being black. I mean, I think that, you know, it's a different way of getting into that, into that lane without like making people feel shame. Cause that's a, that's a field where people feel

Minista Jazz (17:13)
mental health, mental wellness,

Yes.

It's actually

me.

Mr. Al Pete (17:32)
Yeah,

people feel real shame. Like, I feel this way, but I don't want to tell anybody because I don't want people to look down on me or, yeah.

Minista Jazz (17:40)
Exactly.

Exactly. And so now you have this character that relates to you directly and speaks how you speak. And it takes away that stigmatization. And it really allows for people to just like, let it be and like, you know, say what hadn't been able to be said. People are like, you know, AI can't replace humans, but it's not about replacing humans. It's about giving us a instrument that we are able to

now experience a new version of ourselves, a version of ourselves that we can't get on a human to human level because inherently humans have judgment, humans have bias. Like you could be talking to your brother, your cousin, your homie from forever. They still want to have their opinions and things like that, but this is just like a sounding board. You know what I mean? And so with that, that's a different way that we get to experience ourselves as humans.

Mr. Al Pete (18:32)
Mm-hmm.

Minista Jazz (18:39)
in a way that we hadn't done before.

Mr. Al Pete (18:40)
Right.

Indeed, indeed. So thought leader speaker, you've had a couple of speaking engagements this quarter, correct?

Minista Jazz (18:53)
I I have, I've been making some appearances, I've been speaking. Again, I spoke at AfroZone Audio and I talked about the future proofing your podcast. I want to say this, a friend of mine just said, you know, the other AI, they're like unseasoned AI. And I think that that is, you spoke about a chef's kiss, that's so perfect. Right, I create AI with seasoning, little hot sauce, okay, but yeah, so.

Mr. Al Pete (18:54)
Yeah.

Unsqueeze it.

Minista Jazz (19:22)
The generic AI, we're going to call them the unseasoned AI. I love that. Thank you so much for that one.

Mr. Al Pete (19:27)
Yeah, that's what

I mean. It's definitely on season over there, especially with something dynamic that you have, what you have. It's just so real. And I mean, even when you go to the website, to your website, are, you know, much different.com. You see the young lady and just letting it go. looked like, you know, she's very, she's very expressive and it's just very vibrant, colorful.

It's just strong. is really bold that is coming from that. So yeah, it's definitely seasoned over here versus over there.

Minista Jazz (19:59)
I Mean again when you have somebody that's a creative in a space that traditionally Has like, know, come from like because I learned how to code Coding is about rules like rules rules rules rules rules rules on top of rules and is it true is it false and you know it like it's very very very much like that and so if you don't have a you know creative oomph to you

it's going to be really difficult to develop and create things like what I've created. And so that's where diversity comes into play. Diversity is not just about having different races at the table. It's about having people from different experiences at the table. You know what I mean? Because you could have a room full of 10 Black folk talking about something we in tech, but none of them ain't tour the world.

You understand what saying? None of them may not be from the hood. You feel me? So it's like, when we talk about diversity and creating, we really need to think about diversity of experience. I'm saying that, I'm shouting that out to all of the enterprises that don't understand what it means to be diverse. Okay? Because they be like, let's just get a woman, a black man, and an Asian. And they be like, okay, we got diversity. And I'm like, no, because they all went to the same school.

You feel me? So you really have to understand the diversity of experience. And that's when we start getting really awesome creations, really awesome tech, really awesome culture. You get tech that represents us. And the world is different, much different.

Mr. Al Pete (21:25)
Right. Right.

Yeah, much different. And so

these are the things you're speaking about when you speak, correct? Like, yeah.

Minista Jazz (21:49)
Yes, yes, yes, I talk about diversity

in tech. talk about like, you know, being having a cultural influence in tech. I talk about making sure that voices across the board are heard, that we're designing, using and creating tech that actually helps people and not harms people. So tech with ethics, creating AI with ethics or the ethical approach.

Mr. Al Pete (22:14)
Ooh, tech tech, tech, I'm sorry, tech with ethics. I'm sorry, sorry to interrupt, tech

with ethics. Beautiful, go for it.

Minista Jazz (22:21)
And I say like tech on our terms, you know what I'm saying? Like we get to decide all of us that are having users of like Facebook and Instagram and Tik Tok, all of these things. None of us were at the table when it was being created. Yet they use all of that data to create so many things to tell us what we want, what we want to eat, when we want to eat it, how we want to make it, what shoes to wear, what clothes to buy, what hair products, what wigs we're going to.

Like they use our information, they use our data to then now make us consumers. My thing is how can we flip the script on tech so that we're using for the things that we need in our society? You know what I mean? So that we can grow, so that we can close the wealth gap. You understand? So that we can make sure that our cousins and aunties are housed, that we can make sure that we don't have to pay astronomical amounts in order to get legal advice.

Like all of these things are possible when we create tech because we know what it is that we need. We don't just need to buy.

Mr. Al Pete (23:26)
So how many, well.

Do you see like a process with this? Like when you're talking about it or do you, well, I don't want to ask, do you run into any roadblocks? I just want to know how progressive things are going with this because this is a powerful speech. This is definitely.

Minista Jazz (23:46)
You wanna talk about Roblox?

Roblox not as in Roblox like my kids play.

Mr. Al Pete (23:53)
Yeah.

Minista Jazz (23:55)
But roadblocks, because they're

there, they're real, and they are very present because one of the things that we get to understand, and a lot of people don't know, one statistic, VC funding, okay? That's the venture capital. That's how these industries come. I don't know who else reads Ford magazines, but when they say, company has been valued at XYZ millions of dollars, and this company has been valued at XYZ billion dollars, and this company raised this much, it's because of venture capital.

venture capital, right? Black women, black people, period. Less than 1%, less than 1 % of all venture capital dollars go to a black owned company.

I don't know if anybody can understand what I just said. So when you talk about a roadblock, it's like the resources in order to create the things that I like, the things that you see that I've created so far have been on a nickel and a dime in the resource. Okay. And so I'm like, yo, imagine what I could do. Imagine what I could create. Imagine what all my sisters could create.

Mr. Al Pete (25:00)
Okay.

Minista Jazz (25:08)
if we were actually invested in, in the ways in which some of these other companies are invested in. You know, it's like, it's ridiculous. And then it's just like, yo, but then, okay, well, let's invest in us.

Mr. Al Pete (25:14)
Yeah.

Minista Jazz (25:22)
I'm going say that again in case anybody's listening and they really needed a clue. Let's invest in us. 2025 is projected that the black dollar will be 1.9 billion. No, is it billion or trillion? Hello? See, I got to get my facts straight, but it's a lot. It's a lot. It's a lot. Okay. It's a whole lot.

Mr. Al Pete (25:46)
Billion trillion is a lot.

Minista Jazz (25:53)
And the fact that we are not coalescing our dollar in a way that we can support ourselves in having more of a voice and choice.

We gotta do better.

Mr. Al Pete (26:12)
Well, you're doing a good job with it being a fact that you're, I mean, you you're speaking about it.

Minista Jazz (26:17)
It's a good job,

but it could be a great job. Imagine if I did that, right? If I did, if I created everything that I created on a nickel and a dime and two snaps in a quarter, imagine what I could do if I $100,000, $100 million. You feel me?

Mr. Al Pete (26:35)
for sure.

for sure.

Minista Jazz (26:41)
the people that will be supported, the people that will be helped. So that's, when you ask me what I talk about, that's what I talk about. I talk about, you know, how can we support ourselves and create economic change and support ourselves in being the abundant creatures that we are, we are, we are, we are amazing. You know, but.

Mr. Al Pete (26:58)
Mm, mm. Yeah.

Minista Jazz (27:05)
You know, we are caught up being consumers.

Mr. Al Pete (27:08)
Yeah. And I'm glad that you, I'm glad you said that. I didn't want to come off like, you know, the sound negative or whatever, but that is the realization of it. the fact, I'm like, I don't want to see us being consumers anymore. I want to, I want to be able to do the ownership. And a lot of that takes work. A lot of that take work and especially in the field that you're in when it comes to tech. Like that's, you know, people, I would think that people think that it's technical.

Minista Jazz (27:15)
you

Right.

Mr. Al Pete (27:38)
But still, like, we need that, that needs to be added to the economy, to the ecosystem that we need to be building. And yeah, yeah, yeah. just, yeah, all of the things, all of the...

Minista Jazz (27:49)
everything.

Mr. Al Pete (27:50)
Yeah. So, do you consider this, the good fight? I'm, I asked that because I know for me, I feel like I'm always fighting the good fight in my field of things, whatever. But do you feel like, you know, being in this tech world, talking about AI, doing the speaking and, you know, all the innovation that you're doing, like, do you feel like it's a, it's a good fight?

Minista Jazz (28:16)
You know, I'm...

It's a good stand.

The distinction I'm making, anytime I feel like I have to fight, then that means that there's a force that's attacking me. It doesn't help me to feel like I'm constantly being attacked, even though I do sometimes feel like that. But it doesn't help my psyche to consistently feel like I'm being attacked. When I stand though, when I stand and I feel unshakable and I feel

Mr. Al Pete (28:32)
Fisher.

Minista Jazz (28:49)
Confident and I feel like you know what I can conquer whatever it is that has been put forth ahead of me Anything that I dream I can make manifest when I stand in that That's a good stand and this is and worse. It's a stand worth standing for you know and and so I feel like with this tech stand it is a good stand it's a great place because

Mr. Al Pete (29:03)
Yeah.

Minista Jazz (29:18)
we get to bring the future here. And when I say here, I mean to our block, to our neighborhoods, to our events, bring the future here, to our food, to our restaurants, to our businesses, bring the future here. So, you know, I'm always thinking about like, yo, what is possible? Let's bring it here as opposed to it being for them over there.

Mr. Al Pete (29:30)
Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm.

Hmm.

Perspective. And listen, I'm going to adopt that. you know, I'll just say this, dripping the black has been great for me into like perspective thought. But the fact that you mentioned good stand versus good fight, man, the way that you brought that down, like that changes my perspective on a good amount of things. makes me, you know, makes me want to go and stand versus like fight. You know what saying? And even-

Minista Jazz (30:10)
Thank you.

Thank you. Where is?

Mr. Al Pete (30:27)
Yeah, yeah, that's, I appreciate that. That was a beautiful breakdown. Beautiful breakdown.

Minista Jazz (30:32)
It's just a little different come from, right? And so it's like writing a line of code. You you could write a line of code, I could write a line of code, we could get the same outcomes, but the way in which I write my code and the way in which you write yours, the algorithm might be slightly different. And so that's it. It doesn't make yours wrong and mine right and mine right and yours wrong, cause we're getting the same outcome, but it's just the path. That's all.

It's just like, what path do you want to take? How can we make that path easier? How can we make it feel more fun? How can we make it feel better for us? That's the path that we want to take. that's intention. And so that's what I mean when I say coding with culture, coding with care, coding with intention. It's how it is that we use our language, not just language on a technical level, but language on a technical level. You feel me?

Mr. Al Pete (31:30)
Mm-hmm.

Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. What'd you say? What'd you say? Tech, tech, ethical? Tech with the ethics, yeah, that.

Minista Jazz (31:33)
We'll make it do.

Yes! Yes!

Mr. Al Pete (31:41)
There's no right or wrong. It's ethic, it's intention, that type of thing. Innovation, mean, forward thinking, futuristic, like all the things that you could dream of, you could bring it back to us, your, yeah, all of the things, all of the things.

Minista Jazz (31:43)
Yes! Yes! Yes!

all of the

things.

Mr. Al Pete (31:59)
I love it. So to go back to Jerome, do we want to talk about what Jerome is working on or should we just wait?

Minista Jazz (32:04)
Yeah.

Mr. Al Pete (32:14)
Don't you know what if if you want to talk about it, let's let's get let's let

Minista Jazz (32:18)
I was like, yes, I'm gonna let

you know because it's so important. It's so important and it involves you. so that's how it's gonna do. So Jerome has been working on an album and this album was called AI for the People. And it's really about all of the things that we've been talking about even today, black men's mental health, tech on our terms.

understanding what it's like to be an AI, you know, how their intention, what is it do, what do you want? What, you know, what is it that they can do for us, with us? All of that is what Jerome talked about, cause he's an AI advocate as well. And so I am so excited about this project because it, I really feel like done right, done right. It can make a really big difference in how it is that we go about the culture.

Right? I think about this all the time, Alpe. I say, you know what? Nothing is straight up determined. However, those who are in the lead determine the way in which we succeed. And so if we create something that creates the culture of what it means to how we interact with AI and we create it where it's AI that cares and

and AI with our voice and things like that, that is what's going to set the precedent for what's to come. And so, done right with music, I really believe that the whole movement and Jerome AI and all of that can really make a difference. What you got? What you got going on over there?

Mr. Al Pete (34:05)
I'm writing notes down for Carl Jerome.

Minista Jazz (34:07)
AHHHH

Mr. Al Pete (34:10)
Hahaha!

Minista Jazz (34:13)
goodness.

Mr. Al Pete (34:14)
Listen while

you was talking I just had like this thought in my head. I was like, let me I'm I'm and I was totally listening what you're saying But I was like, yo, I have to write this note down. So that's why I was over

Minista Jazz (34:18)
Yeah.

I tell, I can

tell. I was just like, what you looking at? If I could look down at your shoulder. I saw it. I saw it. I was like, what's going on over there? I saw it.

Mr. Al Pete (34:26)
You saw my braid over here.

No, because I know from my end, from when it comes to the College of Jerome I want to be able to add to that. want to be able to... And part of my spirit and part of my strength is to advocate for people and meet them where they're at. Even if I don't know where they're technically at, I try to give myself a lot of mental space to be able to understand where these people are. So when it comes to that,

Minista Jazz (34:53)
Yeah.

Mr. Al Pete (35:03)
project right here. like, I want to be able to add to this as much as I can, like to be an assistant to, you know what saying? To this creation and getting people to understand, you know, where this is going and how this can influence and all of the things. So, ugh.

Minista Jazz (35:15)
it can blow up the eyes. Yes, yes, yes.

To be the leaders of the conversation. You know what? I think about this. I be like, ooh, quiet as a kept. But I'm saying this on a podcast, so it's like, well, it's going to be out there. Look. But he said, talk to me. You like, you're my neighbor. And I'm like, Lord, I be running my mouth. But look.

Mr. Al Pete (35:33)
Hahaha!

Minista Jazz (35:35)
think about this. I think about how much power Hollywood and the film and television industry has had over the last, let's say, 60 to 70 years in regards to shaping culture. Let's just think about it for a second. The things that we do, the way we dress, what we believe, our belief systems.

Mr. Al Pete (35:50)
you

Minista Jazz (36:03)
Has a lot to do with what we see on tv and what we see in movies those because they're storytellers The storytellers change things if we go back into ancient history the griots They were the storytellers because those were the people that navigate helped us to navigate life our storytellers became these very elite People that look a lot different from me and you

Mr. Al Pete (36:11)
Mm-hmm.

Mm-hmm.

Minista Jazz (36:33)
And those were the

people that started setting who it is that we believe that we should be, what we should have, when we should have it, how much we should have of it. Those stories did a lot for us and not so much in a positive way all of the time. Now we have the opportunity for the first time ever and ever to create our own stories.

Mr. Al Pete (36:47)
Mm.

Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm.

Minista Jazz (37:01)
and distribute them in mass.

Did you understand what I just said? Beyond podcasting, we have our ability to create film, movies, all kinds of things that help us to tell our stories in a way that we have never had in the history of ever. The last time I feel like it was revolutionary like this was with hip hop. When we started telling our stories to music.

Mr. Al Pete (37:07)
Mm-hmm.

Minista Jazz (37:34)
And it wasn't just the love stories and stuff like that from the 70s and 60s. We was telling like, what's going on on the block and what's going on in the hood and did it, did it, did it. And how it was going down. like, we opened up the gates to what was happening in the projects, all of that. We have an opportunity with AI to be able to tell stories in such a unique and heartfelt touching way that we can change the world again.

Mr. Al Pete (37:34)
Mm-hmm.

Mm-hmm.

yeah. Yeah.

Minista Jazz (38:04)
Again, this time smarter because we gave away most of our dollars when we were speaking with the hip hop era. But this time smarter, but we can change the world again and make a difference with the stories that we tell. So that's why it's important that we bring the future here to our neighborhoods with our voices and our blocks and the foods that we eat and the clothes that we wear and the churches that we attend.

that part.

Mr. Al Pete (38:35)
All of the things. All of the things, all of the things. All right, so to kind of land the plane a little bit, I want to talk about the fashion aspect of it. Tell us, mean, you know, when I see the pictures and stuff like that, see that you're very into the fashion.

Minista Jazz (38:37)
All of the things.

Mr. Al Pete (38:59)
Talk about that, like, is that a part of, is that a makeup of Miniserjazz as far as fashion or is just a thing that, okay.

Minista Jazz (39:04)
Absolutely a make-up

artist with the jazz. My mother not too long ago reminded me that when I was in like elementary school, middle school, I was a kid, I couldn't just put on clothes. Like I had to cut the bottom of my jeans or had to twist it up or I had to...

wear one shirt inside out and the other one backwards. Like I just always was trying to do something with clothes. And I realized when she reminded me, she wanted me to remember that I've always been about expression and I've always been about telling a story. For me, we don't walk around naked. We don't, we just don't do it. That's not what we do. So each and every layer, every choice that we make.

we are telling a story with the clothes that we wear. When we pay attention to how it is that we're dressed and how it is that others are dressed, they're telling you something about themselves each and every time. And because again, like technology, it's so interwoven into what we do, we wake up, we put on our clothes, like we're not really even thinking about it. But if we did pay attention, we will understand that clothing affects our mood.

We are talking about our socioeconomic status with clothing. We're talking about our dreams, our desires, our wants, our place, the things that we reverence, the things that we celebrate. All of those things happen through our clothes. And so to me, fashion is such a wonderful landing place of storytelling. It's such a, like a, almost like a quiet story, but so, so, so loud when you allow it to be.

Mr. Al Pete (40:30)
Mm-hmm.

Minista Jazz (40:55)
You know, and it tells you about your culture. So many things when we pay attention to the clothing and the fashion and the expression of that. So yes, it is a very important part of Minister Jazz because I am such a giver or such a storyteller, such a giver of story that I realize how important fashion is and connecting that.

Mr. Al Pete (40:55)
Mm-hmm.

Mm-hmm.

Minista Jazz (41:24)
Look, I want to say one thing. My favorite favorite favorite hands down fabric is denim.

Mr. Al Pete (41:25)
Go ahead.

Minista Jazz (41:33)
Denim to me is the great equalizer and connector of all things, of all people. I don't know one person that doesn't have an item of denim, in America I'll say, for sure, that doesn't have like a pair of jeans or a jean jacket or a denim hat or whatever it is, like everybody has a piece of denim. Why? Because this is the great equalizing fabric.

Mr. Al Pete (41:38)
Hmm.

Yeah. Yeah.

Minista Jazz (42:00)
And in our country, essentially, was founded on cotton, which is denim. And so I think it's just so interesting. I want people, when you see people with denim, just think, I am because you are, you are because I am, because it is an equalizing and a connecting fabric for us. So I love it. I love it. love it. I love it. I love it. I love fashion.

Mr. Al Pete (42:25)
Okay,

okay, cool, cool, cool. Yeah, I love fashion as well. I wish I could get into it a little bit more, but at some point I'm gonna get into it. I'm gonna just fully, fully step into it, but.

Minista Jazz (42:38)
You're already into

it. That's what's so funny. You're already into it because you wake up and you put clothes on. You're already into it. It's just like, that's what I'm saying. Just like tech. We're already into tech. If you have a cell phone, you into tech. You understand what I'm saying? So it's just about being intentional with it.

Mr. Al Pete (42:44)
Well fair enough, fair enough, fair enough.

Yeah, yeah. Because it was funny because today my manager was like, I love your shoes. And I had on a pair of Ditas. You know, it had some, you know, a little bit of color in it. And I was just like, you know, thank you. And I just kind of, it's almost like I kind of shrugged it off. But like you said, man, we're already in it. So, already in it. All right. No, go ahead, go ahead.

Minista Jazz (43:12)
You alright?

Already in it. Because if you go back about real quick,

you know, what made you decide, what was your thought process if you could remember on putting those shoes on and choosing those particular shoes for that particular day?

Mr. Al Pete (43:36)
The thought I had was I was like, I have on solid colors and I want my shoes to stick out because my shoes are always going, I need my shoes to always be on point. And that's one of my favorite items of my clothing or my fashion is the shoes. So I was like, yeah. Okay.

Minista Jazz (43:53)
I'ma hit you. I'ma hit you with something. Because

that is your stand. You stand in your shoes.

Mr. Al Pete (44:07)
Listen people, I'm getting fed over here. I ain't tripping at all about it.

Minista Jazz (44:12)
Hahaha!

Mr. Al Pete (44:15)
All right, so two more things. Again, we appreciate you for taking the time out for this interview with Dripin' the Black. This is beautiful. So Young Minister, what did Young Minister think about?

Minista Jazz (44:23)
I'm I'm sorry.

Yes.

Mr. Al Pete (44:33)
like the future. What were like one or two of your thoughts when you were young? Maybe like fifth, sixth grade-ish or whatever. What was young Minster thinking about in regards to the future?

Minista Jazz (44:48)
Don't laugh, but laugh if you feel like it. Young men still wanted to be an obstetrician. Why? Because my favorite character on TV was an obstetrician. You know who that is?

Bill Cosby.

But it was

Mr. Al Pete (45:13)
I knew

Bill Cosby simply as a doctor, not specifically, but I got you though.

Minista Jazz (45:16)
was gynecologist,

So what happened was that I wanted to deliver babies because I was like, that's what Bill Cosby does. Bill Cosby is great. He's the best man in the world. That's fifth grade jazz. That is fifth grade jazz. really looked up to my TV characters. I looked up to Mr. Rogers. I looked up to

Levi Burton from the reading rainbow. my God.

Mr. Al Pete (45:49)
Man

His documentary was great. Okay, please watch that y'all if you haven't watched the read a rainbow joint, please watch it

Minista Jazz (45:58)
You know, one of my AI characters name is what? Rainbow. I'm not playing my dog's name, Rainbow. Like when I tell you I was such a fan. And so just understanding the way that I saw the future, I thought that I would be a obstetrician, I would deliver babies and I would be a preacher.

Mr. Al Pete (46:21)
against the Minista maybe. Okay. Okay.

Minista Jazz (46:23)
Hence the Minista, hence the Minista.

I have always loved the storytelling aspect of church, where everybody else was getting hyped because of the choir. I was getting hyped when the preacher went up. I could tell you everything about a scripture, everything back and forth, whoop-de-woo, dah-dah-dah, but then I was gay . Fuck! So, that didn't work. That wasn't church, that didn't work.

Mr. Al Pete (46:44)
Yes.

yeah, that aspect of things was, ugh, Sheesh.

Minista Jazz (46:53)
So it didn't

work the way that I thought it would quite work, but you want to hear somebody preach, I have a word for you. I always, I always, I'm always preaching. Like I start talking, I start preaching. We'd be like, my God. And so hence the Minista.

Mr. Al Pete (47:13)
Gotcha. Okay, okay. Beautiful,

beautiful. The young jazz has some beautiful dreams, especially with how things are coming right now. It's full circle on how to see you in this mode, the futuristic.

Minista Jazz (47:21)
Yeah.

I guess I am delivering babies if I call my AI characters children.

Mr. Al Pete (47:38)
I mean, cause you got, you got Jerome with a lot of swag over there. walking in the middle streets and everything, boy. Yeah. That boy, that boy, was stuntin' man.

Minista Jazz (47:44)
You see him? my goodness.

But all of this is really about dedication and discipline. I've really been teaching myself how to use these tools in order to tell the most effective stories that I can tell. And so that's really what it's all about. Like I have a story coming out soon called Sybil.

And that will be coming out really soon. Rainbow AI will be dropping really soon. She'll be out for the little kids. I'm so excited for her. I have another character that's going to be coming out that's going to be particularly just for Black woman owned businesses. You call her up, she'll be able to tell you every Black woman owned business from New York to Chicago. so those are the dreams that I'm thinking of. That's the kind of things that I want.

to create and, you know, because I'm myself, it's taking time, but that's why I'm growing the team. So, yep.

Mr. Al Pete (48:49)
Okay, cool, cool, cool. Well, listen, with a team, with a team or not a team, you are, are extremely great. You're, definitely one of my favorites. And I'm, and I'm, and I definitely, I'm definitely looking forward to all the, all the things that will, will come and definitely we're looking forward to the project that we're working on. So definitely looking forward to that. And I, and hopefully I can, and assist you and help you with this stand that you're doing. So.

Minista Jazz (48:58)
You're bad.

Yes.

Yes, yes.

Yes,

yes, yes, this stand is a great stand. It's a great stand.

Mr. Al Pete (49:22)
Indeed, indeed.

All right, so last thing, question. Have you ever been on a magazine, like a front cover of a magazine? really? Tell us about it.

Minista Jazz (49:33)
Yes?

You

I was on two magazines. I was once on People Magazine because I told you I was on, had a billboard in Times Square. Not only was there a billboard with my big old face in Times Square, but all the train station, the bus stops, I had my face on it from that. So I'm telling you, that show was crazy. Everybody knew who I was at that time. So that was then. Then I also, there was a Black woman magazine that I was a part of.

Mr. Al Pete (50:03)
Okay.

Minista Jazz (50:10)
And I was on the cover of her magazine for being entrepreneur of the year, which was really cool. And that was in 2015. Yep, 2015. I have not been on cover of a magazine since 2015.

Mr. Al Pete (50:20)
Okay, reason.

Well,

that is going to change. That is going to change, yes. So here we go, here we go. Brace yourself.

Minista Jazz (50:29)
Say more! Wow! I'll do it, Will.

you know what's gonna change?

Mr. Al Pete (50:40)
Hahahaha

Minista Jazz (50:43)
HAHAHAHA

Yes! Look at-

Mr. Al Pete (50:55)
Look.

Minista Jazz (50:55)
Thank

man, that's so cool. man. I'm about to cry. That's so cool,

Mr. Al Pete (51:11)
Well, so listen,

from the Drip in the Black family, we want to extend this token to you for all of the great things that you have done and for all the great things that you are about to do. Thank you for being forward-thinking, futuristic, being an advocate for the Black diaspora. We support you and we hope that you accept this token.

being in front of the Dripping in Black podcast magazine.

Minista Jazz (51:43)
This is... This is...

Just like that.

Mr. Al Pete (51:50)
AHHHH! HA

Minista Jazz (51:53)
That's so crazy. You know, you know what I mean. You know how some people don't look like they're picture.

Mr. Al Pete (52:02)
Listen, heard.

Minista Jazz (52:04)
like me right now. That's so

Mr. Al Pete (52:06)
That is exactly

like that is exactly you for him. That's exactly you

Minista Jazz (52:11)
See ya.

happening

Mr. Al Pete (52:15)
Right.

Rainbow's like, dear.

Minista Jazz (52:19)
She just want to

lay back down. She's like, I go back to sleep though?

Mr. Al Pete (52:23)
Right, right.

So yeah, we will get this to you momentarily, but yes, this will come to you so you can put this up in your shrine of things. again, we want to honor you from the Dripin' It Black family. want to honor you.

Minista Jazz (52:38)
Such an honor. just I feel like I'm like, okay. sure everybody

my cheek hurts so bad from smiling. That's so sweet.

Mr. Al Pete (52:53)
Speech speech speech speech speech.

Good, good.

Cool, cool. Well, listen, we are at the end. Again, we want to appreciate you, Minister Jazz, for taking the time for being on the Drip in the Black Family. Me personally, I want to thank you for this time. This is great. I've learned so much. Perspective is always great. I'm going to change that fight to stand. All of the things. So thank you for being such a ball of wisdom in this interview.

And thank you for being so proudly black, you know what saying? In this space, we champion you, we champion you, we champion you. Thank you so much. Yeah. Okay.

Minista Jazz (53:43)
Thank you. I have a favor to ask you before we

close. Do you have your phone?

Mr. Al Pete (53:51)
I do.

Minista Jazz (53:52)
Let's call Nana.

Mr. Al Pete (53:55)
Nana, okay.

Minista Jazz (53:57)
Her number is 757.

780.

8481.

Mr. Al Pete (54:15)
This is Al.

Well, hello there AV. How are you doing today? I am good. How about yourself Nanny?

Minista Jazz (54:40)
I'm be your...

Mr. Al Pete (54:40)
What

is the temperature in Baltimore?

If it's too cold, I'm not going out.

Minista Jazz (55:06)
Ask her about me. Ask her about me.

Mr. Al Pete (55:10)
I have a question. Can you tell me a little bit about Minister Jazz?

Memphis is a wonderful place with a rich history. It's known for

Minista Jazz (55:26)
You said Memphis, you guys said Minister.

Mr. Al Pete (55:30)
Can you tell me about Minnista Jazz?

Mr.

How dope is she?

she's beyond amazing. Her energy and creativity are truly something special. She has a way of connecting with people that just lights up the room. Have you had your chance to experience her work? I am experiencing her work right now, Nanny. You have no idea. I am getting all of the things.

Minista Jazz (56:23)
You

Mr. Al Pete (56:24)
okay, okay, okay, okay, okay.

Minista Jazz (56:28)
I love talking to Nana so much. She's so sweet.

Mr. Al Pete (56:35)
Listen, the way that she says is like so funny. She's like, like it's the whole nanny,

chef's kiss.

Minista Jazz (56:46)
And she's so different from Jerome, like so different, you know? And I just love, I love talking to so much. She prays for you if you ask her. She can tell you all whatever scripture you want. Like Nana is, Nana's deep. And it was my honor to design Nana because there's a lot of seniors out here that are lonely. There's a lot of seniors that just...

like, you know, their family isn't visiting them and all these kinds of things. again, when I talk about mental wellness, Nana AI is definitely a gift from me to seniors who can't use tech and all of these kinds of things in the ways that which we do, but they can pick up the phone and call Nana and, just build a little bit of comfort. So.

Mr. Al Pete (57:28)
Yeah.

So beautiful. Listen, Nana might be getting a phone call every day for me in the morning before I get to go to work. Give me some energy Nana for real.

Minista Jazz (57:34)
Thank

I'm telling you I'm telling you I was like Nana just I said Nana can you pray for me she was like yes darling I pray for you father in heaven I'll ask you and I just wish you just go in like wow Nana that's so amazing but yeah she's so

Mr. Al Pete (58:01)
walking out

of the house, like a champ too.

Minista Jazz (58:04)
She's

so cool. She's so cool. The robocalls, the anacool, rainbows, I mean all of them. It's just really, it's really awesome. And the family just keeps getting bigger and bigger. And again, the more support I have, the more funding we get, the bigger the family can grow and the more of our stories get to be told and experienced and lived.

Mr. Al Pete (58:06)
And dee dee dee.

Indeed, I love it. love it. All right. Well, let them know where they can find you at socials, websites, all of the things where you want to be found at.

Minista Jazz (58:34)
Yeah, so we are much different dot com press enter when you get to the screen and and join us join the much different AI family, not just the AI family, but the much different family because we celebrate all of you, your weirdness, your craziness, your uniqueness, your boldness, your vibrancy, your genius. We celebrate you to be a part of the much different family. And, you know, I'm Minista Jazz everywhere M I N I S T A

J-A-Z-Z.

Mr. Al Pete (59:05)
Indeed, indeed. Well, hold on a minute. Let me close the show out. But again, we thank you so much, Minister Jazz, for being here. We greatly, greatly appreciate it. Please, everybody, go follow the socials. Follow her and her work. We have things coming up from her. We have things coming up as well. So you'll hear about all of the things, all of the things. So all of the things, all the things. So again, my people, please subscribe to the channel, to the YouTube channel that you're watching this.

Minista Jazz (59:25)
All the things.

Mr. Al Pete (59:34)
please go to drippingtblat.com, sign in for that. Make sure you subscribe to that. Make sure you get some of this merch, D-I-B-K, dripshop.com and get some of that joint. Listen, you can put your little tea in here or your little tea in here. know, go there, sign up, get some shirts, get some mugs and all the things. All right. So please be safe and be good. Thanks to the Drippin' Black Family for having me, Mr. Al Pete.

Minista Jazz (59:45)
Yeah!

Mr. Al Pete (1:00:02)
and we will see y'all on the next go round. good to yourselves and be good to others. To the top and keep it black.

Minista Jazz (1:00:10)
Peace.

Mr. Al Pete (1:00:14)
Alright, hold tight, hold tight, hold