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Nate Kemp's Voyage from Mourning to Motivation
Journey with us as we dissect the pursuit of dreams and the cruciality of authenticity, connecting our stories to the larger canvas where the likes of Kendrick Lamar paint their masterpieces. Nate's insights on empowering the youth and my revelations from a life buoyed by faith and clarity merge into a tapestry depicting the resilience of the human spirit. We also explore the paradox of self-expression and vulnerability in sharing one's creations, bringing to light the inherent challenges faced by artists in the quest for genuine engagement.
Our dialogue culminates with a discussion on SOUL, a heartfelt initiative aiming to ignite change through sincere dialogues on topics often skirted around. Unveiling the transformative power of understanding, we deliberate on its role in fostering healthy debates and inspiring the next generation. Nate's social media presence and his work at Voorhees University are signposts for those eager to connect further, promising a blend of educational enrichment and authentic storytelling. Join us for this episode, a mosaic of life lessons, dreams, personal growth, and the art of intentional living.
What's up, yous up, what's up. It is your boy, Mr Zachary, on his Wednesday too, and welcome to Just the Two of Us. We have a brand new episode today. You guys and I'm sitting here with my good friend. Matter of fact, we graduated from the same school, in the same class, and here from the small town, small town, the far south Carolina, I am sitting here with Nate Kim.
Speaker 2:What's up, nate? How you you doing? What's going on? Man, listen, good to see you. Thank you for having me. I'm so honored. And listen, I'm proud of everything that you're doing. You're killing it, you're changing the game, so appreciate you for having me no, thank you, man.
Speaker 1:Like I'm telling you all I mean, bro, seriously, I have been watching you from a distance. I have enjoyed our friendship journey when I met you and we want to talk about that too as well. But let's get into the fact. Like, tell the audience about you, you know, give us a little bit of background on how you grew up and where you grew up from you know and the information Okay, so my name is Nathaniel Kemp, I'm mostly known as Nate.
Speaker 2:I'm from the beautiful city of Del Mar, south Carolina, home to the mighty Vikings, you know, because you know we're a rural area. But listen, we big at heart and we're a family. My mom died when I was 14. She raised me and my brother by battling breast and lung cancer. My dad wasn't really in my life since I was 14. But, like during the latter part of my years, we've grown a relationship together. So that's very, you know, important because you know you want to have both parents in the household at the same time. Everybody's not afforded that opportunity.
Speaker 2:So also, you know, I went into the military. You know, started out to the Army Reserves. You know I did six years in the Army Reserves. I was 42, alpha, which is a human resource specialist. I served as a life skills specialist, helping excuse me, at risk youth basically get a better life in a sense. And then, while I was a life skills specialist, my mentor, cameron McLean. He was like, hey, I need you to come home. And I was a life skills specialist. My mentor, cameron McLean, he was like, hey, I need you to come home. And I was like, listen, I feel like LeBron James going back to Cleveland I said we got to get that rain. I said we got to get that rain.
Speaker 2:So now I'm a mission council recruiter at Voorhees University. Also, I'm a motivational speaker because, like I said, I want to help the next generation excel towards the next level of excellence, and also on my own podcast, soul Food Podcast, on WVCD 96.5 FM 790 AM. I love traveling because I like exploring the world. I love learning. There's nothing more important and beautiful than learning a new skill, learning a new language and whatnot. And also I just love being around family and friends. I love wine tasting. I just love living life, because you only got one life to live and life is too short to be miserable.
Speaker 1:So that's just a little background about myself. If I had to describe you in one word, it's definitely committed.
Speaker 2:You are committed to everything in life.
Speaker 1:So one of the things you touched on earlier is family and growing up. You said you know your mom raised two children. She died of breast cancer. Like during that transition, like how would you describe your mom in that?
Speaker 2:man, listen, my mom. My mom was my best friend and one of the things I can say and this is a trait that I have my mom has a big heart. Like I'm talking about my mom, like she'll help people, like that didn't have a house, didn't have food and we didn't even have it. She'll open her door to the community. That's why I love her so much. She's still to me to this day One of the interesting facts about me.
Speaker 2:I have my mom's last name. Usually, guys have their dad's last name. I have my mom's last name, which is Kemp.
Speaker 2:Each and every day, I try to honor her legacy because it don't matter what I do, whether it's motivational speaking, mrs Counselor, recruiter, or my podcast or just doing community service I know that the more I do great, the more I'm honoring her legacy by having her last name. But so like, my mom was very like gracious, humble and God-fearing too. She always used to tell me you don't come and impress, you come to be blessed. So she always keep that in mind. And then she just always told me to be yourself, and that's what I live to to this day.
Speaker 2:My biggest fear is being ordinary. I would never want to be ordinary, nobody remembers nobody ordinary. So, like when I leave, I want my legacy to continue, even if I don't see it. I want my legacy to continue for the next generation and be like oh, mr Kemp did good in the world. I might not remember him every day, but at the same time I remember the work that he put in, with the type of man that he was, to the point that, okay, I know that I could be just as him or greater than him okay, don't keep your original.
Speaker 1:You gotta stand out. Thanks and Frank. So other things you touched on, like your father. You said your father wasn't there, right? So was that during the time your mom was living, or the position? Then he came around or like, how did like growing up not with your father and now you have a bond, now so I think one of the common things about our generation or our culture, is that forgiveness aspect is missing.
Speaker 2:So when I was born to 14, I always like where's my dad? You know what I'm saying? This is Danny Third. So when it came down to it, when my mom passed, that's when I started, you know, inquiring about, all right, where he is, because I was supposed to go to New York with my auntie but my grandma was like no, you can't do that Because you know you've been expelled from middle school, you're just down in third. You got a bad attitude. You're just down in third. Like you go to New York, you're probably going to be killed or in jail. So she kept me down here. So being with my grandma and my grandma is very God-fearing Shout out to me already. That's my heart, right there.
Speaker 2:So when it came down to it, like I always thought realization, god put this in my heart and my mind. I was like, instead of him being a bad father, I'm being a bad son, because I'm always thinking of the past but at the same time, I'm not even giving him room to improve. You know what I'm saying. So, like when I start and you got to think about it In life. Everybody's really trying to figure it out. I don't think he was an intentional bad dad. This is the fact that he didn't know how, because his father raised him the way he raised me Hard. You know, men can't express their feelings Hustle, hustle, hustle, this, that and the third. So he was only giving me what he know, and if I want grace, I have to give him the same grace that I want.
Speaker 2:So when I started getting that understanding, that's when we start, you know, bonding together. We have the same college football team, which is Alabama. So like every Saturday when they playing, like I go down there. We watch TV together. He cooks and my dad is a phenomenal cook. That's where I get my cooking from. My dad is phenomenal cook I'm talking about he watch like food channel, all type of like everything and he be trying to make new recipes. So that's where I get my cooking from and also that's where I get my hustling from too. My dad has never had like a like official, official, real job Like he be doing, like he like working on cars, like you know, working with yard work, so like he never had an official, like a corporate job like I have, but at the same time time he always hustles, like he always have what he have. So that's where I get that from too. So I can't just have my mom's side and I have my dad's side, because at the end of the day, both sides make me who I am.
Speaker 1:So that's how our relationship improved now you also talked about your grandma, as you know from my knowledge. What did it take to go on this journey, and how did your grandma impact your life as well, growing up?
Speaker 2:So, like I said, my grandma is God-fearing. So, like she was like it don't matter what you do Monday through Friday, or Saturday for that matter, sunday morning, oh, you go to Sunday school, you go to church and you're going to be on time and you're going to be on time. So, be on time and you're gonna be on time. So, when it came down to that, it's just like, like the bible says, train up a child in the way they should go and when they get old, they should not depart from it. So like, even though I didn't want to go when I was a young child because I was like man, I ain't got time for it, and I was always. I was also mad at god for taking my mom. So, like, I was like, bro, I'm not dealing with it, this, that and the third, but it's just. You know, she gave me love, guidance, support, and that's one of the things that I necessarily didn't have, not the fact that my family didn't want to support me, but I always tell my mentees, in order for people to support your dream, they have to understand your dream, and I think my family didn't understand my dream at that point in time.
Speaker 2:So she was the one. Like you know, no matter what happens, you know you always got God with you, just that and a third. And she took care of me because she didn't have to take care of me after my mom passed, let's make that clear. She could have been, like, all right, go to New York, just that and a third. But she really stopped what she was doing and took care of me and she took care of my Like I'm talking about everybody Like so it's just having that foundation, that vessel, you know, even to this day she called me. I'm surprised she didn't call me this morning. They asked me if I'm going to church, like she called me all the time, checking on me this, that and third. So, like my grandma is very influential and impactful in my life and I wouldn't be here without her.
Speaker 1:I am not going. Don't answer to what made you go to the military.
Speaker 2:So what made me go to the military was, for one, I wanted to go to college but, like a lot of students that are in low-income environments, they can't necessarily pay for school. So you only have two options you either, you know, go to like a plant plant, make a lot of money and don't get your degree, or you go to the military and help them and allow them to help you pay for school. So that's what I did. But at the same time I'm glad I went into the military because I tell people all the time I'll do it all over again. Oh, for real. For real, like basic training, ait, like I had the most enjoyable time at basic training, like even even though I was getting like smoked, which is exercise when you do something wrong I was getting smoked every day. But at the same time it gave me that discipline aspect and I really believe that if I didn't went to the military, I would have been dead and in jail, like people told me after I got expelled from middle school, like I was fighting teachers, like I was just doing dumb stuff, like hanging out with the wrong crew design. Third, trying to be cool.
Speaker 2:So when it came down to it, that military experience made me more disciplined and everything I do, like I understood that was bigger than me.
Speaker 2:Like because in the military they break you down but they build you up too, so you have a whole battalion, to the sense that your actions affect everybody else. So being in the military it made me realize that, okay, I have an influence on not only myself but everybody else in my life and everybody that's going to come in my life too as well. So, like I said, it was so fun. And then meeting people from all different backgrounds, different cultures, they go through different stuff, they tell me their stories and then, like I always tell people, you think you got it hard, but when you start hearing other people's stories, they have it even harder. So, even with the small victories, I celebrate because at the end of the day, life ain't going to be perfect, but at the same time I'm going to have a life full of failures and a life full of regrets. So at the end of the day, the military really helped me out when it came to my discipline day.
Speaker 1:The military really helped me out when it came to my discipline. So one is like and so, as you think about it now, like, what would you change in that aspect? Nothing, I want to change nothing. Why nothing?
Speaker 2:and it's crazy because I just got my hair cut yesterday and one of my mentors her name is Stella Sojourner. She used to be the superintendent for Bamberg County. Her husband was in the barbershop and he asked me how old was I? I was like I'm 28. He was like, if you could change anything throughout your 28 years, would you change anything? I told him the same thing. No, because at the end of the day I mean it's life. I've done so much in my 28 years. People wish that they'll do half the things I did in my 28 years For real, even with the bad stuff.
Speaker 2:Like I said, I had it bad, but people had it worse. I always had a roof over my head. I always had food on my table. I had, but people had it worse. I always had a roof over my head. I always had food on my table. I always had the money that I wanted, but I had money in my pocket. You know what I'm saying.
Speaker 2:Also, like the people that I met, I get a lesson in everything. That's just how I am like, even, like, like, even relationships, like. If I break up with somebody and the fact that I hate them, everything has a lesson to it and it's either a you go learn from those lessons and apply them to your life, or B you just go allow those lessons to falter and then you ain't going to learn anything. So I wouldn't change nothing because, like I said, I've had one excuse my language. One hell of a life, really, for real, for real, like I'm doing things that I never thought I'd be doing, like my podcast traveling the world. I've been to california, I've been in vegas, I've been in atlanta and this is just a young man from denmark, south carolina well, we don't even have a warm bar in our town. We don't. We don't have a warm bar. We don't got no target, like, like, and my homeboys in my hometown what risk they could do have the things that I'm doing.
Speaker 1:So I'm blessed and I won't change nothing so, speaking of that, because you speak on religions as well how is god is pointing in your life to you?
Speaker 2:oh yeah, hey, I tell people all the time listen, god is the first thing, he's my first priority, he's won 800. Him, he, him. Listen. Because at the end of the day, like half the stuff that I went through, like I say I shouldn't be in this predicament right now.
Speaker 2:Like living my life, having an influence on young adults, doing what I love to do, being a motivational speaker, like I shouldn't be here Because if you would look at like the script of my life, you'd be like hey, like why here? But it's nothing but God, it's nothing but God and nothing but god. And sometimes I'm blessed and I don't even deserve it. I'm gonna be real with you, like even with my mom dying, like I was so mad at him, like bro, why are you taking my best friend and you know, and like even with relationships sometimes because, like me and god have like a homeboy relationship, so that's my guy. So, like even with the good, I think for the good, but sometimes I question him for the bad too.
Speaker 2:And I know in the bible, like in church let me rephrase that in church they be like you shouldn't question god. But I don't understand that because at the same time, how would you get clarity if you don't question him exactly like what do you want from my life? Why are you putting me in this direction? You know I'm saying so. Like I said, god is the end-all and I think it may be a chance I get. Like I said, I tell people all the time people think that, oh, you have to be perfect to have a relationship with God, and it's not that I don't even think it's like he explained that in the Bible, like that. I just think God wants you to put your best effort into the world. It's not going to be perfect, but at the same time, if you're putting your best effort in the world and you're treating everybody good and with love, then I believe you'll make it to heaven. I'm for real.
Speaker 1:Okay, okay, damn. Look like I wasn't expecting all that. I wasn't. I was definitely expecting that. So let's transform to college. So Voorhees. Voorhees is in Denmark, south Carolina.
Speaker 2:Yes sir, the best HBCU in the land by that.
Speaker 1:Exactly, and the fact that it's Voorhees University now.
Speaker 2:So we had to be precise. We're moving on up.
Speaker 1:So, Grump Mike, when you got to Voorhees College, what was your first impression?
Speaker 2:Oh, I was Listen. Being from People think that when you're from the town that the college is in, that that transition is smooth. It was not Like, even though I'm from Denmark and Voorhees University now is in Denmark, it's just the fact that I had so many people all across like the world in one in my hometown and I didn't know them. You know what I'm saying. So I'm like, okay, even though I'm home, I have a lot of strangers in my home. You feel me, I didn't know.
Speaker 2:But being at Voorhees and meeting amazing people like yourself and amazing people like my mentor, cameron McClain, and just people, that that's why I always give you a lot of respect, because at the end of the day, you yourself, no matter what, and I believe that if the world was really themselves, instead of trying to fit a persona through social media or whatnot, then the world be a better place.
Speaker 2:So when I start meeting people like you and just being in an atmosphere where I'm love, supported and guided towards my goals and dreams like I had the discipline aspect in the military, but so even that when I had the discipline aspect, I was still looking for love and support that I get didn't get from my mom and my dad, because my mom was gone and my dad wasn't really in my life.
Speaker 2:So, boy, I had a lot of moms, dads, uncles, aunties, cousins, friends, away from home, in a sense, and then, like I said, giving me the opportunity to travel the world. I didn't have to take nothing out of my pocket. They gave me money to travel the world and then, like I said, just a lot of people have dreams but they're not guided towards those dreams. You know, I'm saying like people want to be a doctor but they don't know the aspect or the route to be a doctor or a lawyer or author, in a sense. So borges gave me that avenue to pursue my dreams and also, like I said, do it in a fun way, and I do that all over again I don't talk with that and a lot of people are afraid to, and I just had an episode just like last week right people are scared to take a risk exactly when coming to find out what they want to do on it, whatever they want to pursue, yes, right to take risks.
Speaker 1:To be like oh, oh, okay, this is a is a lot of scary, I don't know. Let me box my dream out and do something else. Now you have to take risks, you have to push yourself to the next level that you think that's the stuff that you have not even thought of doing. I tell my listeners that all the time, chase your motherfucking dream, go beyond your mind. I listen to that all the time. Chase your motherfucking dreams. Go beyond your open, up your mind to learn something new, right.
Speaker 2:And I think, just to piggyback on that, I think the hardest thing about life in general is being consistent. It's like I use the analogy of working out all the time because I'm a gym rat, so you can work out like three, four times. It's like I use the analogy of working out all the time because I'm a I'm a gym rat, so like you can work out like three, four times a day and you'd be like okay, you know I'm getting it in. You know I'm out here just pushing rates, I'm running this and third, but you don't see the results right then and there. So you get discouraged because you don't see the results.
Speaker 2:On your timing, but it goes back to the aspect of god your timing is not god's timing. You know what I'm saying and you might think that, okay, even if I take this risk, I might fail, failure is good. I tell people all the time. I tell my young men all the time, like one of the hardest things about dating, men hate rejection. We do, they really do.
Speaker 2:So I'm like, bro, if you get rejected that one time you'll be like all right, if you know what you bring to the table. You know what I'm saying. Like I know what I bring to the table. So if a woman ever rejects me, I'm like, okay, I'm just not your caliber of man, but it's not a reflection of who I am as a person. So when you take that risk, even if you fail or you don't see the results that you want to see in that timing, just keep on doing it, the more you miss 100% of the shots that you don't take. So if you keep on doing it over and over again, if you keep on failing over and over again, that one time you succeed will change your life forever.
Speaker 1:I want you to fail.
Speaker 2:Exactly.
Speaker 1:I tell people that I want you to fail, not because I'm being spiteful, not because I'm rude or disrespectful. No, because if I did not tell you that you would get up and try again, yeah, you wouldn't get up and move. You wouldn't say you got to figure things out. If point A, d, c don't work, find another way to make it work, and eventually it's going to work, especially if you love what you do.
Speaker 2:Because, like it's an analogy, it's about the mule and the carrot. So, uh, the people that go to carry it from the mule and everywhere that carrot goes, the mule goes. So the carrot is a representation of your motivation. So I always tell people remember what your carrot is. If you love what you do, then even when you fail like you were like all, like, all right, I got to get this done because I have a love for it. You know what I'm saying. Like the love for it won't let me sleep at night knowing that, okay, I quit, because quitting is not a pause, it's a reset. So, like, always remember what your carrot is.
Speaker 2:Because, at the end of the, my initial major well, my major was criminal justice. My initial dream was to be a civil rights attorney. So I was supposed to be in a courtroom like helping the world, like fight the police systems down there. That was my goal. I get more enjoyment helping the younger generation, being a motivational speaker, being a recruiter. I get more joy in that than I ever get in a courtroom Because, at the end of the day, I love what I do.
Speaker 2:Some people do things because the money, look good or the reputation I don't care about none of that. I can get paid. I cannot get paid for doing what I do and still go 10 times as hard than what I do because I love what I do. So, like for the listeners out there, just find something that you love to do and that passion is going to wake you up. When you feel tired, that passion is going to make you like, basically, you know, get up in the morning. When you don't want to get up at 8 o'clock in the morning to go to work, that passion is going to make you go harder when you feel like, when you feel it's true, that passion is going to make you get up and go harder when you feel like, ah, it's not working, this damn. Third, so always fall in love with your passion, because your passion is going to make your job a career.
Speaker 1:Word. So those who did not know, so Nate did not mention. Oh, third aside, so Nate can sing his ass off, and that's the fact that I was trying to tell, like yo, you're going to miss what you sing too as well. So to give you a little background on how I met Nick, so I met Nick in choir. I think I missed you. I think I was on the choir.
Speaker 2:No, you didn't meet me in choir, I didn't. No, you didn't what. You met me before choir. You didn't meet me in choir, I didn't. No, you didn't what. You met me before choir Because, remember, they had a poetry club and I met you there, oh yeah, I met you there. Yeah, we used to go to Cloud 9, where they used to do poetry nights.
Speaker 1:Gosh. Yeah, those were the times.
Speaker 2:I miss those times.
Speaker 1:Times man. But a lot of people say you can sing, you can sing your best, thank you. A lot of people Matter of fact you can't sing, you can't sign, you can't sign, you can't sign. There's a different one you can sing and you can sign, you can sign. Yeah, on that atmosphere there's a difference. When you can sing, and you can sign.
Speaker 1:Yeah, on that atmosphere, that power, that voice that you have, you can make people cry, shout, like, fill the room with emotions. Right, and every time I hear you sing, every time I hear you sing, every time I hear you sing, I am moving. Right, I am moving all the time. He gonna do something, he gonna make some things change. Right, we have a concert or we go to a event when you open. It's very good.
Speaker 2:Thank you.
Speaker 1:And it's very. A lot of people can't do that Right. A lot of people can't, and you have and I's a fear that a lot of people have and you have.
Speaker 2:And I didn't mean to cut you off, but even with that it's just, it's experience. Like some people sing because they just, oh, I love music, like when I sing. Like people sing because, oh, they think, like they think sour singing is really singing in a sense. But at the end of the day, when you live what you sing, then that message is moved through your voice and I just that's just how I am. Like I tell people all the time I'm very, I am very humble, like I don't even go back to the singing thing. I am very humble Because at the end of the day I know it's not about me, it's about what God does through me. But at the end of the day, like I said, people and then shout out to Ms Rachel Jones, shout out to I can't even think of her name right now, I can't think of her name oh, ms Griffin. Shout out for Ms Griffin, because Ms Griffin was our choir director before Ms Jones came out. And then, like they said, implementing that message, that you're using a gift.
Speaker 2:I tell people all the time it's the difference between a talent and a gift. A talent is something that you have but you're not using it to its fullest capacity to change the world or transform the world. A gift is a talent that you have, that you're using, that move people. You know what I'm saying. So singing is just a gift of mine that God gave me, because I've been singing in in church since I was like seven.
Speaker 2:I play drums too. I was self-taught playing drums, so like music was my avenue to like cope in a sense, when it came down to my mom dying, my dad not being in my life, personal issues Like I always, even to this day, when I'm having a bad day, I'm going to go put my headphones on and listen to some music, and I have a diverse music catalog. In my opinion, I have the best music catalog in the world. That's just my opinion, because I just don't listen to the rap, I listen to R&B, I listen to neo -soul, I listen to gospel, I listen to Jamaican music, I listen to reggae, international people. I just feel like music has just been a safe space for me. It's a safe haven.
Speaker 1:Okay, so okay. So how did you impact your life? Because I know for me I feel like in college, I know I was in the transition finding myself, so how did we impact that Voorhees college?
Speaker 2:yeah, gabe Voorhees, how can I put this? So Voorhees impacted my life as an institution. The Voorhees family impacted my life by giving me that belief when it came down to like cause I was. The Voorhees family impacted my life by giving me that belief when it came down to like because I was, I'm very humble, but at the same time I was very shy, like even with singing, like even with poetry in a sense. Because, like I like, I like we had a poetry club.
Speaker 2:But even with that, when we used to go like to cloud nine, this damn third, I used to see y'all get up on stage. I'm like, bro, I'm not doing that. I'm like man, that's just not me. You feel me? So, just giving me that boldness and that pride in myself that everything I touch is gold, I really feel like, like I'm not saying I'm the best individual in life, but everything that I do, I want to do it great, I want to do it great, I want to do it great. So the Voorhees family gave me that belief factor and gave me that love Like, let me tell you something If you've never been to Voorhees, let me tell you something Come down for homecoming, because even if you don't go to the school. You're going to feel like you went to the school because there's so much love, support and just like that family-oriented environment. It's just unbelievable. And that's like any HBCU but I can only talk about my HBCU but at the same time, it's just like meeting people that were different than me but at the same time, we had one set goal and that was to change the world. And just finding people like yourself, finding people like Kiana, it's just like people that literally are themselves, like yourself. Finding people like Kiana, it's people that literally are themselves, no matter what the world says, I'm going to be me and I didn't have that before.
Speaker 2:I went to Voorhees. I'm like all right, you got to fit a persona, you got to have more money than everybody else, you got to have all the women in the world, this, that, and third, when I met y'all, I'm like all right, that really don't matter, because I can be me and still be great in what I do and have peace with what I do. I told one of my friends the other day this period of my life has been the most peaceful period ever. I'm not going to lie to you. Really, yes, it really has. So I have my own place, I have my job. I so, like I have my own place, I have my job. I love my job Because, like I said, I'm impacting the next generation. I'm not talking to nobody Like in relationship wise, because I just feel like I've been in relationships Over, like only been in three relationships my whole life but at the same time my last yeah.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 2:Yeah, but my last relationship and like I said, we don't have no beef with each other my last relationship taught me a lot in order to find a mate, you have to be what you're trying to find and I don't and I don't believe I was, I had like characteristics of that. I wasn't there fully. So, like this period of my life, I'm becoming well developed, fully developed in a sense, and I've been at peace, like I don't really go out like that no more. I'm a home but I'm turning into a homebody. I guess that's coming age, I guess.
Speaker 2:And then like, also like I'm very introverted. People do not believe me when I say this. I am very introverted, I have an extroverted personality and I have an extroverted job. Like I have an extroverted personality and I have an extroverted like job. Like I can count on like my ten fingers how many real friends I have. It's just between friends and associates. I have a lot of associates, but when it comes down to friendship, I hold that near and dear to my heart, because you can't call everybody a friend. So, like, just accepting where I'm at right now, accepting, like who I am and planning and basically being more intentional with my life, this is the most peaceful I've ever been.
Speaker 1:And I'm grateful for it. Well, you're not done yet. You might be peaceful now Shortly. You don't know what, I don't know what it is, but it's going to shift shortly. Yeah, my friends, now I'd um go for this year, I might. This might not be my problem right now.
Speaker 2:I'm just playing because I know right, it's definitely going to take off when I'm stopping.
Speaker 1:So I'm like what you said you at peace now I feel good, I'm at peace right now. I'm playing my little seal.
Speaker 2:And then, speaking of years, so, like this year, I'll prioritize myself and I think that's one of the aspects of it too. Like I said, I have a big heart. Having a big heart could be detrimental too as well it is, and I've seen like even with my mom. Like I said, my mom had breast and lung cancer. So while she's taking care of everybody, her health is deteriorating. So it was times she couldn't get out of bed. It's times she'd come back from chemotherapy, radiation, and be like I have no energy, but when she'd meet everybody it's like smiles. So I'm like that, I used to be like that. But this year I prioritized myself. I said this is the year of me. Everything that I want to do, I'm going to do it.
Speaker 2:So I published a poetry book this year. It's called Revelations Lace for love, lessons and lust. So I was sitting on that book for seven years. I was sitting on that book for seven years because of the fact I was worried about that book for seven years, because of the fact I was worried about the content of it, people going to receive it, this, that and the third. I was just overthinking and God gave me this one-on-one. He was like just do it.
Speaker 2:If you sell one book, if you never sell no other books, if one person buy your book, you are an author and you are an entrepreneur and you will always be an author for putting that work in the world. Why are you worried about everything else? I'm gonna take care of everything else. You just gotta do the work. So, like this is you and me. I travel more. I uh, I started like eating at restaurants by myself, like if I want to go to an art because I'm really big on art, like art galleries, museums, like I'm not waiting on nobody else to create my life. I'm creating my life for me and I can do that with people, or I can do that with myself and I'm peaceful with it.
Speaker 1:All right. So one of the things you talked about because I heard this and I like saying things yesterday, because I heard this and I like saying things yesterday why do you think people, even with authors, people who publish books, wait so long to publish their first book? Why are you sitting on it?
Speaker 2:I think it's two reasons. One, you can put content in the world and don't believe in your content because you are afraid or you're worried about how the world will react to your content. And then, two, it's just the fact of. I believe comparison is the thief of joy. So, when it comes down to social media, I believe this is my personal opinion I believe social media has ruined everything Social media has. I believe this is my personal opinion. I believe social media has ruined everything. And this is saying somebody with like this is saying I'm saying this and I have a TikTok, an Instagram and a Twitter. Social media has ruined everything. Because you'll see something on like social media and you'll be like, oh, they got this, I want the same thing, but at the same time, you want to get the same thing by doing what they do, in a sense. So I believe that people that be sitting on their content, they just they afraid because, at the end of the day, what if my book don't sell? What if my art don't sell? Now, realizing being an artist, you don't worry about that, you worry about just putting it out there, cause it's like a billion people in the world, somebody's gonna relate to your story. And when you get the money aspect out of it, when you get the fame because I tell people all the time, being famous is one of the worst things ever I don't even see how they do it Because you got to walk around on edge all the time. I'm not doing that so you get the fame and the money aspect out of it and you just want to create, just to create. I believe more people will start doing more and doing it your way, like the way my book's set up.
Speaker 2:I know people do poetry books, people do books. I want to tell my story. So, like my book, just to give you a little prefix my book tells you about how I try to find love in like women, other vessels, and then I start finding love in women, other vessels and then I started finding love in myself. So it's chronologically telling you that story. In a way it's supposed to be through poems. So the first poem, from the first to the last, it's chronologically telling you my story of love. And I read poetry books and it's just poems left and right. I said I want it to be different. So I did it that way and, like I said, if I sell one book and if I don't, I'm still an author, because my content is out there on amazon. It's out there, it's out there.
Speaker 1:So it is what it is. I will say that I think that's the first time I ever said that in my broadcast. So my first book, I feel like my first book. I feel like I crushed my first book, like I feel like I gave a lot of love to my first book. It's like. It's like that's like that's what I'm saying. I don't talk about my first book a lot and people say why you don't promote it, why you don't do certain things with it, because I feel like people give a lot of attention. Would you just say I didn't sat on it?
Speaker 1:I didn't add a lot to it. What I'm doing now, I'm being very strategic. What?
Speaker 2:it is. By the way, I did love your first book. I'm just going to put that out there. I did love your first book. I'm just going to put that out there. I did love your first book. Your first book was lit, but it goes to show you how like it's crazy.
Speaker 2:I was listening to this podcast. Kendrick Lamar is one of my favorite, favorite artists. I just love the way he does music. But he said in this podcast when he created To Pimp a Butterfly, which is my all-time favorite Kendrick Lamar album the way he did it with jazz and he did it different. The fact that it didn't win Album of the Year at the Grammys is a travesty of all time. And then it was during a time of police brutality this afternoon, so he was telling the message through his album. He said he don't believe that To Pimp, but then it had me thinking. I was like no artists don't see their content as being that great, but I think that's one of the greatest albums of all time.
Speaker 2:So it just surprised me how, like sometimes as artists, we can be so hard on ourselves. We can be real hard on ourselves, like even with my book. Like my book title was not like when I first started it it wasn't Revelations, which is my portrait name by was not. Like when I first started it it was a Revelations, which is my poetry name, by the way, but like I changed my book like seven to like ten times before I published it. I'm talking about like I had like a whole book, because I write poetry in my notes and I do it on paper too, but at the same time I had a whole book of what I wanted my book to do and I threw that in the trash and did a whole new set of poems because I was like that.
Speaker 2:I was like that content was mediocre In my opinion. I like it's mediocre. I was like I've grown as a, as an artist, as a poet. I want to give more in depth content and I was trying to find like, oh, what should I put out? And I was like let me just tell my story, let me talk about me. I could learn. I know about me more than anybody else knows about me because I live me. So I was like and it's very authentic and very genuine, and I don't care what you do in life, whether you're an artist, singer, poet, speaker. If it's genuine, people can relate to it. People speaker. If it's genuine, people could relate to it, people could relate to it. So, like I said at the end of the day, just don't. I add this for all artists or anybody that's in the profession. Give yourself grace because, like I said, like like with you, yo, you don't believe your first, first book was all that great. No, it was. When I read your book I I was like, hey, this is fine.
Speaker 1:So when my brother read it right, so my brothers don't know me as they know me, right. So when my second brother read my book, he's like damn yeah, for me it's like that's not my best pieces, those are not my best. I, those are not my best. I feel like if I had chosen the best pieces to introduce me just a tad bit, I would change my whole form again.
Speaker 2:Right, right.
Speaker 1:So my second one, second baby. I'm very being strategic on how it goes. Yes, it's not telling my whole story because you got to realize Let me bring it back down. Dare you is my whole collection. Dare you has three different parts. My first book is called Journey of Emotions Dealing with my emotions, how I feel where it overlooked at me.
Speaker 2:Wonderful art, by the way. I'm just going to put that out there. Wonderful art, that was wonderful art.
Speaker 1:And the first poem you read out the whole entire book is called that's the first thing you're going to get out of me. I'm gay. You're right, I'm black, I'm gay, I'm brown. So when it comes out in December, I want my readers to understand who am I, who am I, and it's not the fact that you're reading it and also you are going to listen to it. As you're reading it, as you're looking at this reading, damn, I felt that I want you to realize. I want you to take your time and read it and as you're reading that, I want you to picture. As I put my feelings. I'm telling you my story, Right? So that's a story. That's a cover for another day and we gotta give it back. So you have a broadcast. You have a book. You are a more than speaker, yes, so tell us more about that. You know you get the gunk of the book, but let's talk about, like you know, your broadcast. You know being a speaker. What made you start a broadcast? What made you want to impact the next generation?
Speaker 2:So my podcast let me give you the origins of my podcast. I never wanted to be on radio, was playing with that like the origins of that. I was really playing with it like I was, because we have a radio station on vorhees campus, wvcd 96.5 fm, 790 am. So I let mr clarence jones wonderful human being and he allowed me to fulfill a dream now, but my goal was never to be on radio. I did a couple drops as Mr Voorhees. When I was Mr Voorhees and I was like and we had a one-on-one conversation. He was like man, I have a whole radio station here and a lot of people don't use it and I'm like. I'm like back in the day, motherfuckers loved being on radio. You feel me? I was like I have this whole resource right here. I said why not use it? So when we first did because we're on season two now, so season one we were just inviting people Because my podcast name is Soul Food, the Soul Food Podcast.
Speaker 2:Soul is an acronym, so it's Saves of Understanding Life. So what we do is we talk about topics that's not necessarily talked about in the classroom, so it could be like love, sex, money, currency, family, trauma, anything, and it's real, authentic conversations, we debate, we laugh, we joke, we cry, we do a lot. So my first season, I was like I'm just going to do this because Mr Clarence, mr Jones, I call him, mr CJ, mr CJ, just you know, he needs somebody to do this. And third, so my first season, episode four, I was like you know, I'm kind of liking it. I'm kind of liking it, I'm getting the feel of it. But this year I was more intentional. I guess. When I got more intentional I was like, yeah, we about to change the game with this. So it's just like I love it. We record.
Speaker 2:The podcast airs every Thursday at six o'clock and it's just, you know, just like I said, you get the opportunity to. Like I said, I love learning. I'm learning about people's backgrounds, people's family, people's ideas and that's one of the most fascinating things. Like I could think something, but somebody could think something different. And I take it all the time when I, because I want to be a lawyer. So I love debating, I love arguing. I'm not toxic, but I love debating, I love arguing.
Speaker 2:The thing is I don't want people to listen to me and be like, oh, he always want to be right, I don't care about being right. I want to be understood, understand why I think the way I think, and we can agree to disagree, because if I understand the way you think, then hey, you might be right and I might be wrong, but at the same time, you can't get that without understanding. Motivational speaking. I love to talk, as you can tell I love to talk, but the thing is this is funny. So I did a tour with a middle school school. Well, middle schoolers, middle schoolers, a middle school school, it's still early in the morning. It's still early in the morning. So I did a group with middle schoolers and the young lady, she said I did so great on the tour. Miss Peggy Moore, she said I did so great on the tour.
Speaker 2:They wanted me to speak for their graduation, oh, and I was like, okay, you know and that's one of the things too I always wanted to do motivational speak. I just didn't know how to get there Because, like I watched Eric Thomas, you know Inc Johnson and I'm like you know, they're getting paid to speak. I got a free currency through my voice. You know what I'm saying, I get paid. So I did the graduation speech and when I said like, after that, I fell in love with it. Like even to this day I'm speaking at my high school for their senior night on the 23rd.
Speaker 2:So it's just the fact that I get to share my story, I get to motivate the next generation, because, at the end of the day, everybody don't get that I love you. Everybody don't get that, oh, go out there and be great. Everybody don't get that, oh, I'm in your corner. I didn't really have that until I got the more. He's so motivational speaker. It's just I just I just love it. In my podcast, like I said, it turned from being playful to now I love it. That's how all that came about.
Speaker 1:I'm glad that you are taking it very seriously. Yeah, my last question. Before we get to the last question, let me give you your flowers. Thank you, nate. I love you as a friend, a brother, and he is an alpha. You guy, he's an alpha. Oh yeah, the best attorney in the land Alpha fraternity. Let's get that there, he's an alpha.
Speaker 1:You had impacted my life a lot. Like I said, I'm looking. I've been seeing you do what you got to do and I love how you navigate throughout life and how you deal with different situations and you are so amazing. You are so amazing that people who's older than you that they wish they had been. I know I heard the phrase oh, I wish I did this at your age, or I wish I did that at your age, or can you show me this and how you did that? But you are so ahead and you are so ahead and you are on your own path and that's what I love about it. You know what you want in life. You know what Nathaniel wants. You know what you want out of life. That's so amazing. Not everybody going to be there for you. Not everybody going to be there for you. Those who are there are going to be there and keep doing you. You are impacting people that you do not know. You are impacting on Everybody watching you at every.
Speaker 1:You are impacting people that you do not know you are impacting. Everybody is watching you at every level, Whether it's good, bad or whatever it is. As long as you stay true to you, you are going to do amazing things across your life.
Speaker 2:You're trying to be crying in the morning man, chill out, listen, I appreciate morning man, chill out, chill out, man, listen, I appreciate that man Because, listen, one of the things that, like I said, I'm always real so we can be transparent One of the things I struggle with the most is acknowledgement. I ain't going to lie to you. I was the type of guy that you know I raised at my grandma's house. My grandma's house, we always say thank you after everything. You know what I'm saying. You always be like oh, if you do a good job, hey, here's your flowers for doing a good job in life. You don't get that. You do not get that.
Speaker 2:It be plenty of times, whether it's work, whether it's just being a good person.
Speaker 2:Sometimes like you do something and you don't get that acknowledgement that being a good person. Sometimes, like you'll do something and you don't get the acknowledgement that thank you, and you'll be like, damn, why I'm giving these people my energy, you feel me, or why I'm giving these people my time or my hard work. So, even with you just saying that, I appreciate that man because, listen, you don't know how much that means coming from a person that don't really get that that much because it's like, even like, with that balance of being a motivational speaker, a podcast, uh creator, also being an author as well as being, you know, a recruiter, it's just the fact that you know and I want my work to do the talking, because my work does the talking, I know I bring to the table, I know I work hard and people have told me, but at the same time, it feels different when you hear it from your peers so let me tell you this on top of that, I know how you feel, right?
Speaker 1:so a lot of people are not going to give you your flowers. Sometimes you have to give yourself some flowers, exactly, and sometimes you have to give them to have grace because you, exactly. And sometimes you have to give them to have grace here, right, because you might not think you did a good job, but a lot or table or thing that you do, that's all should matter. So give yourself grace, nick. Thank you I appreciate it.
Speaker 2:Listen, I appreciate that.
Speaker 1:I appreciate that. So my last question I ask every guest on my broadcast Okay, as has been said, as has been done, if there was a last moment, that on this earth, what advice? What do you want to be a member of?
Speaker 2:That's such a great question.
Speaker 2:That's such a great question. That's such a great question. I want to be remembered for the work that I do. I don't want to be remembered for the person that I am and I want to influence change. Tupac has this amazing quote. He said I might not change the world, but I can spark the change that changed the world, and I believe that I am continuing to do that. I believe that I am doing it and this is just the beginning. I tell people all the time. People are like oh, you always say this on your social media. This is the beginning. This is the beginning for every accomplishment, because it's the beginning of every accomplishment that I do. It's the beginning of something even greater. So that's why I do that. I'm like all right, I did this. I'm not satisfied. I want more. I want to do more. I want to do more. I want to change the game. I want people to be themselves Creator, life, religion, spirituality. Be yourself.
Speaker 2:Because LeBron James in my opinion, lebron James is the best basketball player of all time. That's a debate for another day, but the thing is the reason why I believe LeBron James is the greatest basketball player of all time it's the way he does it. Besides the decision to Miami, you never heard one bad thing about LeBron James Facts. You never heard one bad thing Like family-wise, no DUIs. Like no conduct misbehavior you never heard one bad thing. The decision to Miami people seen that as bad, but my guy won two rings out of Miami. You know what I'm saying. So it's like, and who he is off the court is even greater. The Unpromised School. He takes care of his family, not his kids, I think. Bronny about to be in the league right now. So he understood that excellence is not only about him, but it's about the people that's around him. He didn't have to do the work that, like Bronny, had to do his own work. You know what I'm saying to be in the league. But at the same time, he had a blueprint and I think when I if this is the last time I ever be on earth, how I want to be remembered. I want to be the blueprint of change.
Speaker 2:If I can sum that all up now, the advice that I would give to, like, the next generation, give yourself, like sometimes we, we fall in the sinking place of complacency and quick success. Social media has a major part in it because, like, you'll see the picture on Instagram of the girl with the big booty, or you'll see the picture on Instagram of the girl with the big booty, or you'll see the picture on Instagram with the dude flashing money you don't know that man flashing rent money. You don't know that big booty is a BBL. You don't know, you don't know. But you see the picture and you're like I want to be that.
Speaker 2:So when it comes down to it and you get complacent with your regular schedule of programming to try to get there and realizing that you have to put so much work and being like this is not just nate 20, being 28 and I just got this all of a sudden, like nate had to go through a lot of shit to get here you get what I'm saying. So, like, even with all that, just go, go, go hard, man, and have fun doing it. Like I don't want people going hard for what they're doing and not having fun because I have a lot of fun, like when I'm on the road, like we have a great time I ain't gonna lie to you. And then, even with recruits, like other recruits at different schools, be like bro, you make me want to go to school. You know what I'm saying. I'm like listen, I'm just having fun. So for my advice I'll give to other people is have fun.
Speaker 2:Also. If you have a goal, you have the autonomy to change your dreams. You have the autonomy to do that. Like people think, oh, I gotta do this one set thing in life and if I don't have nothing else or if I don't get that, then my life is a failure. No, it's not. God has a unique sense of humor. I'm gonna be real with you. Like you might have one plan, god beuh, I got something even better for you. You feel me. So be diverse in your dream, have fun and also have that community.
Speaker 2:I could not be where I'm at without the community of Voorhees, people like Zach. I could not be where I'm at without that, because I thought I could do it on my own. So have that village. I ain't say family, have a village. So listen, cause some people your family gonna be the main people that be like alright, you know you don't need to do that. That's not bringing a lot of money in, listen. So have that village of people that have the same love, support and discipline in their dreams, and people that's gonna hold you accountable. I'm telling you right now, zach gonna hold me accountable. I'm gonna be real with you right now, Zach is going to hold me accountable. I'm going to be real with you.
Speaker 2:If I'm not doing something, right, bro, I get a quick message on Instagram. Bro, you straight, you feel me Like, hey, this ain't you. What's going on? So, like, have people that hold you accountable because you don't want a lot of yes people in your corner, because the same way you can go down, the same way they can go down. And like, keep God first in everything that you do, because without him more than 800 of him, as I would say it wouldn't be us all together. So, like I said, just love, so love. Like the dude said, it don't take too much to sow a nigga love. You feel me. So, love, have love in everything that you do and just be what you aspire to be. And that's all I have to say.
Speaker 2:Thank you, nate. No, thank you, listen, you got to have me back. I want to be back for another episode.
Speaker 1:All right, I haven't gotten a panel seat yet, but we are Season 3. Is there? Shout out to cities that we have. We have 100. Listen, we are in 21 countries. Come on, so shout out to my listeners. I appreciate y'all every single day. So, nate, tell them what they can find you at on social media. Let me get my phone.
Speaker 2:Let me get my phone let me get my phone because you know I'm not social media savvy, guys. I'm sorry, I am not, I'm not, I'd be. Listen, you could find I'm gonna give you my instagram because I don't be like. Oh, you know, they say facebook is for old people. I'm gonna give you my facebook too, but I'm gonna give you my instagram because that's where I'll be all the time. So my Instagram is PoeticTherapy underscore, so you can find me on there. And then also you can find me on Facebook at Nathaniel Kemp.
Speaker 2:Or, if you want to go to school, you can find me at Voorhees University. You can do a tour, I do your tour, I'll get you in school, I'll get you in school. And then, you know, I get you in school. You know I'm saying. You know we got master's programs too. If you want to get your master's, you know, at a cheap rate. You know, guarantee the high paying job immediately after you graduate. Can't beat that. And also, like I said, you know, if you want more content, you know zach, always, you know me and Zach, we got some things in store for you guys. I ain't gonna lie to you.
Speaker 2:I am working on something behind this yeah, we got something in store for you guys and definitely we hopefully it works out no, not. Hopefully it's gonna work out. You guys, we get to exist.
Speaker 1:It's gonna work out so, like I said, thank you.
Speaker 2:Thank you.
Speaker 1:And you are listening to Just the Two of Us broadcast and we are out, guys, we'll get out of here.
