CeeLo Green and Dallas Austin give Billboard an exclusive tour of James Brown's home in Augusta, Georgia in partnership with Primary Wave.
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00:00I know between you and I, I'm not the biggest James Brown fan.
00:03Yeah.
00:04I bet you don't know his highest charting hit.
00:06I might say like, Livin' in America just because of Rocky was so big.
00:09That's a good one.
00:10But, nope.
00:12Incorrect.
00:13I got you.
00:18What's up everybody?
00:19This is yours truly, CeeLo Green.
00:20And I am here transmitting live from Augusta, Georgia
00:24with my big brother Dallas Austin.
00:26And we are, believe it or not, in James Brown's estate.
00:29Wow.
00:30And I'm here with Billboard, and we're gonna take him on a tour.
00:33Let's go.
00:46Big bro, what's up?
00:47What up?
00:48What's up my brother?
00:49I beat you the other day.
00:50Wow.
00:51Check it out.
00:52Wow, this is crazy.
00:54So everything's left as is.
00:56Yeah, this is probably, besides the entire property,
00:59this one piece of archive history is probably the most important
01:05and significant for me because it's right when you walk in the front door.
01:08Yeah.
01:10And was this the tree that he put up the same Christmas as the Christmas of him passing, right?
01:15Yeah, so James passed in 2006, if I'm not mistaken.
01:20And, you know, the people that worked underneath him,
01:23they just kind of honored his legacy by just leaving everything untouched.
01:27So this was really moving for me to first walk in here and see it.
01:30This gave me chills myself.
01:31And it inspired a Gnarls Rockley song called,
01:33Who's Gonna Save My Soul Now?
01:35Oh, it did?
01:36I was talking about James Brown.
01:37Yeah.
01:40For me, it was a trip because for us, all Christmas we play James Brown Christmas songs.
01:44Right.
01:45Santa Claus, Straight to the Ghetto.
01:47That's just like, we just play all James Brown Christmas songs.
01:49It was a weird kind of thing because we never played it in that way.
01:51It was just awkward, but still we did the same thing.
01:54Right.
01:54It was like our own version of a tribute.
02:01Holy Bible.
02:03The man himself.
02:04This is crazy.
02:06Key still left in place here?
02:07It's beautiful.
02:08It's surreal, man, because just starting to listen to James Brown from like,
02:12I don't know if I ever remember a world without him, to tell you the truth.
02:15Obviously, my stepdad is Jimmy Nolan, so it's been a part of my life, period.
02:23Probably by the time I was five, six years old, my mom met Jimmy Nolan.
02:28And Jimmy was the lead guitar player for James Brown.
02:31So I kind of grew up playing guitar with him every morning.
02:34And then there was this one summer where I went on an actual road with the JBs
02:38to go on tour with them for the summer.
02:41I was probably like about seven, eight years old at that point.
02:44I would be in rehearsals with them before the shows, and I would be under the organ
02:47playing with my cars.
02:48And so I would just be in there just being a kid, really.
02:51Still was starting to be into music, but I was always infatuated by music
02:56and always wanted to do it.
02:57And that's when I really dove in harder.
03:02So my earliest recollection of James Brown was a performance of James Brown
03:07and the Famous Flames doing Night Train.
03:10Oh my god.
03:11It was that black and white video.
03:13Are you ready for the Night Train?
03:15Yeah!
03:16Are you ready for the Night Train?
03:18Yeah!
03:19Night!
03:20Night!
03:21So I was just like, wow.
03:23We remember how people were crying when they saw that.
03:25Going crazy.
03:26They were doing crazy over that video.
03:28That was a natural, raw magnetism of this man that we here to honor today.
03:33James Brown.
03:34We're the god sons of James Brown.
03:35The godfather.
03:36We ain't kidding, man.
03:37We ain't kidding.
03:38All right, so cool.
03:39This is his bedroom.
03:40Check it out.
03:41Oh, OK.
03:42Wow.
03:43The yellow one.
03:44See, I got my outfit in the car.
03:46Really?
03:47I got the orange original Sex Machine outfit that I have from the estate.
03:51But I bought it just so that one time I'm going to have it at the property.
03:54So it's crazy that I got the yellow one in here.
03:56I got the orange one in the car.
03:57So this purple joint back here, I've gotten some pieces inspired by that purple one back there.
04:01But yeah, I've seen you perform in that one.
04:03Famous glasses.
04:05Yeah, that's my favorite interview from them guys.
04:07I swear, mine too.
04:08That's James Brown's closet, bro.
04:10That's the bathroom.
04:11That's the bathroom.
04:12People throwing in bamboo straight from Cambodia or something.
04:17Check it out, though.
04:18Man.
04:19It's crazy.
04:20Wow.
04:22Step into my office.
04:24Dang, bro.
04:26Look at this equipment.
04:28Oh, my God.
04:29Oh, my God.
04:30Oh, my God.
04:31Oh, my God.
04:32Oh, my God.
04:33Man.
04:34Oh, it's still got records in here?
04:36It's got roots in there, bro.
04:38Come on, guys.
04:39Look at these 45s.
04:41You think those released or unreleased?
04:43Unreleased.
04:44Damn.
04:47Unreleased James Brown 45s.
04:49That's the part of me I'm trying to contain myself.
04:50I really want to ramble through it, bro.
04:52Like, I'm saying.
04:53Like, what is it?
04:54You know what I mean?
04:55Can you imagine, dude?
04:56Like, 45 is a note nobody ever heard.
04:57It's a 45?
05:00This is what Dad used to handle that business.
05:06Man, pajamas.
05:07Okay.
05:08I don't know.
05:09The JB on them?
05:10Oh, that's hard, bro.
05:12Look at the TV up there.
05:14You know how hard it was to put that TV up there?
05:17How heavy that thing is compared to the flat screen.
05:20Oh, yeah.
05:21This was a love.
05:22Love.
05:23It's got the hearts.
05:24Heart mirrors.
05:25Heart mirrors everywhere.
05:26It's a love nest.
05:27Okay.
05:28Let's talk about it.
05:29So, we are in the coolest part of the house, if you ask me.
05:38I can imagine the soirees.
05:40Can you imagine the party in this place right here?
05:42Yeah.
05:43I feel it already.
05:44I wish I was here.
05:45It's super flashy.
05:46Look at these fabrics.
05:47Even the colors and everything.
05:48Marble.
05:49You could never get the same thing again, ever.
05:50Look at the picture.
05:51Imagine coming in here.
05:52I got my silk shirt on.
05:53I got my whole outfit on.
05:54You got yours on.
05:55You got the picture up there.
05:56Going out to the bar, right?
05:57Get some drinks.
05:59This is probably where they could have filmed this scene from Woody Dynamite here.
06:06We right here in the vibe.
06:07Look at him.
06:12We come in this room right here.
06:14Wow.
06:15Like a den area probably.
06:17Smoke a cigar.
06:1970's man cave.
06:21Yeah.
06:22You know what I mean?
06:23Look at this Grammy.
06:24The Grammy even look different.
06:26It's beautiful though.
06:27That's classic.
06:28Wow.
06:30What song is it for?
06:31Can you sing?
06:32National Academy Grammy Association Award to James Brown for Best R&B Vocal Performance
06:39Male.
06:40That's 1986.
06:44Limited America.
06:45There you go.
06:50Can you imagine the industry at that time and the caliber of artists you would have
06:54to be to cut through?
06:55That's what I'm saying.
06:57All of the greats of that time.
07:07Wow.
07:08That's heavy.
07:09I was talking about this the other day actually.
07:11Today you just couldn't do it.
07:12Period.
07:13The closest you get to it is probably the Beyonce's or something like that.
07:15But even that's different because it didn't have anything to help you out.
07:19You know what I'm saying?
07:20It wasn't whether it was technology, whether it was whatever it was.
07:23Everything had to be twice or three times as hard to accomplish something to be that
07:26perfect than you get.
07:27But nobody understood the work ethic that it would take to put behind.
07:30Especially in a time like that.
07:32There was segregation and everything else.
07:34Right.
07:35So I think to truly or accurately be able to gauge his greatness you would almost have
07:38to account for his limitations.
07:40All of the limitations of that time.
07:42When you say something like, say it loud, during that time when you start to use your
07:46voice.
07:47Because even hip hop started to get it from that same thing when it started.
07:51Whether it was N.W.A. or Tupac or Goody Mob speaking the truth.
07:56But it really came from James having the courage to do that at a time where things were that
08:03detrimental.
08:04But that's some tough odds to be against.
08:06You know what I'm saying?
08:10So let's come back here to the office and talk some business.
08:14Talk some business.
08:15More James memorabilia.
08:17I got one of these.
08:18I have one too.
08:21I got that too.
08:22Actually.
08:23But it came from his estate.
08:27I got all the kids.
08:29I think his influence resonates in more ways than one.
08:32Because these kids today, they're more independent than ever.
08:36So he's the first masterpiece.
08:38He's the first cash money.
08:40You know what I mean?
08:41He had his own radio station right next door to his own studio.
08:44So he could press up wax.
08:46And pressing.
08:47He could press up his own wax.
08:49Cut a record with the band.
08:50Decide whether or not it's a hit or not.
08:52You know what I mean?
08:53You know he know.
08:54You know what I mean?
08:55So commit.
08:56Cut the wax.
08:57Take it right next door.
08:58And put it up.
08:59So basically that's the equivalent of SoundCloud or Dish Stroke Kid or what have you.
09:04These kids are making records in the basement, in the bathroom, in the closet.
09:09You know what I mean?
09:10Putting it up on the DSPs and going viral.
09:20Yo, man.
09:21Wait, hold on.
09:22What's up with these light switches?
09:23Every light switch is like this in the crib.
09:25No matter what.
09:26I thought it was just one.
09:27No, it's all of them.
09:28Look how abstract that is.
09:29Jay's brown light switch is on there.
09:31What can you say?
09:32He was a powerful man.
09:33I love that.
09:34That's a powerful man.
09:37Come on, D. Let's go this way.
09:38Alright.
09:39You hungry?
09:40Yeah.
09:41Well, you're going to have to stay hungry because you can't eat none of this.
09:43It's been here since 1986.
09:45Check it out.
09:46Oh, man.
09:47What?
09:49Wow.
09:50Ain't that crazy?
09:51Is that greens?
09:52Nah.
09:53It looks like what I ate as a kid.
09:55Now, wait a minute.
09:56You got Jif.
09:57You got Welch's Grape.
09:59Easy Crab, Easy Cheese.
10:00Oh, man.
10:01You got Ball Peas.
10:02You got Easy Cheese.
10:03All of that.
10:04Look at this.
10:05Ball Peanuts.
10:06I knew that Paul Newman had salad dressing.
10:07I didn't know he had spaghetti sauce, though.
10:09Sardines, dog.
10:11With the Chuck E. Soup.
10:12This looked like my refrigerator as a kid.
10:14But that's what we love about James Brown.
10:16He was just so real.
10:17And I love the way everything was kept.
10:19There was such reverence and care and respect for his space and his taste.
10:26Man, I'm telling you.
10:27There's a certain thing about beer from the South that's different from everybody else.
10:30You know what I'm saying?
10:31Even when it comes to the music that we've all made.
10:33It's just like that core, essential, intangible thing.
10:37You know?
10:38I guess it's Southern hospitality.
10:40Yeah.
10:41It's Southern air.
10:43You get your head knocked off if you say the wrong thing to your grandma or your dad.
10:47That's a fact.
10:48Or your auntie or your mama.
10:49It's just a respect thing.
10:50And then what's crazy is, I don't know if you've seen the time that we got to perform behind James.
10:54It was me, Pharrell, Chad, Rodney Jerkins, Colin Wolfe.
10:58We all played.
10:59What it is is what it is.
11:01What it is is what it is.
11:02So when James came out, you know, to do the part.
11:05Right?
11:06All of us been to JB's.
11:07I'm not sure he knew that all of us was going to be to JB's.
11:09Once he finished playing the record, he looks back and goes,
11:11Now where's Jimminola's boy at?
11:13And he points me out on the stage.
11:15He goes, Do you know how long I've known this boy?
11:18And for me, I'm sitting there going, Now this is a chick because I remember him.
11:22But I didn't know that he associated me with being the same kid.
11:25They used to be on the road with them.
11:26Right.
11:27Like that when I was little until that moment.
11:28And then after we talked after the gig,
11:30He was like, Boy, you used to be on the Sweet Child Organ.
11:32And I was like, Dang, that's a chick.
11:34That's my version of being on the wall, I guess.
11:39Man, this is crazy.
11:40This is like the president's wall.
11:41Yes, Lord.
11:44Regan, Shaq, Bobby Whitney.
11:46Yeah, Bobby Whitney.
11:47Hammer.
11:49Now, Hammer is on James Brown's wall.
11:51Come on, man.
11:53How does Hammer feel about being on James Brown's wall?
11:56That's quite an accomplishment.
11:58The president's wall at that.
11:59For real.
12:00It's a trip that all of us, I think, from a Georgia standpoint, period,
12:04You forget how much music comes from Georgia.
12:06That's right.
12:07And you forget that, especially from James and Little Richard and Otis
12:11All the people we had a chance to come up on.
12:13We was talking about Cameo and all this.
12:15There's legacies of all this stuff that really originated right here.
12:19You know, coming up in music, you always sample James.
12:21We always sample James Brown.
12:22You know, if you listen to my TLC records or my Boyz II Men,
12:24Everybody records, I've always sampled James Brown in the records.
12:27I had developed a relationship with Deanna Brown, the daughter of James Brown.
12:31And we spoke.
12:32In order to kind of revive his catalog,
12:35I took it upon myself and said I wanted to honor him in song and in tribute.
12:41By doing a James Brown review show of my own.
12:44And I took it on the road, man.
12:45And it was really well received.
12:46But, you know, again, it's a testament to his willpower
12:50And commitment to craft and community.
12:53Because he took care of a lot of people.
12:54And that's why I really believe in music education.
12:56That's why, you know, opportunities like this.
12:59And thank you, Billboard, too.
13:00For just bringing some insight, you know.
13:02And shining some light on what this is all about.
13:06Okay, so believe it or not, this looks more like a sauna.
13:09But it's actually a salon.
13:10Wow.
13:11You know, James is serious about his hair, man.
13:13Oh, this is a salon.
13:14This is a real salon right here.
13:15Oh, wow.
13:16As a matter of fact, I think this is a sauna right here, too.
13:18Oh, man.
13:19Get your hair done.
13:20I got to take a picture in this chair.
13:22Finishing.
13:25He would just buy the stock out.
13:26Like, he said, let me just get what y'all got.
13:30Because I don't want to come at you.
13:31I'll be sold out.
13:32I don't want nothing to happen.
13:33Crown Royal.
13:34Got the slippers.
13:35This is the real salon right here, baby.
13:38You know, as the old saying goes, man, they got to see it to believe it.
13:40You know what I mean?
13:41Wasn't that porcelain on a fade cream everybody was using in the 70s to try to lighten themselves up?
13:45Before you did sail out on black and on brown?
13:47That's right.
13:48It's a trip how his skin has always been perfect, though.
13:51He's always had his skin immaculate.
13:53I remember in one of the documentaries, he was telling them how important it was for them to look right.
13:56And to wear their suits.
13:58And to dress up and be respected.
14:00In a time where they wasn't really respecting you like that.
14:02He was real adamant about the way you looked.
14:04That was something to aspire toward.
14:06You know.
14:07Quality of life.
14:08So that's what it's about.
14:09So you have to, as they say, dress as you want to be addressed.
14:12That's right.
14:18Okay, D, check this out.
14:19I wanted to save this for last, man, because this is like the jewel.
14:22That's the truck.
14:23The truck is famous.
14:24Everybody knows about his music.
14:25So if you also know about his life and career, you got to know about this really infamous incident of the police chase.
14:34And he was in this truck.
14:36It was depicted in the movie.
14:37Yep.
14:38This is it.
14:39Wow.
14:40Got the bullet holes to match.
14:41I'm glad he made it out of that situation alive.
14:43I'm glad he made it out of that too.
14:44That was crazy.
14:45It was definitely on him.
14:47I don't know when he had the time to drive none of this stuff, man.
14:49He was the hardest working man in the show business during this time.
14:53Whipping wood and the gust around here in this joint.
14:56I know he had the gust under control, man.
14:58That was the man.
14:59Because even across the way, I don't know if we'll make it over there.
15:01We got some old school tour buses over there.
15:03I guess I'll have to touch right back on the James Brown tour that we did.
15:06Because we did it in that fashion.
15:07How'd it feel with that many people on the road like that?
15:10You got a sense of what James was like?
15:12He took them private.
15:13Y'all get on the bus, I'll meet you there.
15:15That was his thing.
15:17So I was doing stuff like mixing Rick James, you and I, with Superbad.
15:23Do do do do do do do do do do.
15:26Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh.
15:32It's right in front, right in the pocket.
15:34Watch that.
15:36I got it.
15:37You know what I'm saying?
15:38Come on, man.
15:39Ooh, that felt good.
15:40That felt good to just do that.
15:41That'd make me want to dance.
15:43His rhythm is life.
15:45I feel like James is alive.
15:47I'm looking at his spirit, looking at his style.
15:49I'm looking at the things that he left as monuments.
15:51That's what this is, you know what I mean?
15:53If there was any one thing I would take from James,
15:55it's that work ethic, man.
15:56That work ethic is something else.
15:58If there's any young artist that hasn't checked out
16:00any of the James Brown documentaries
16:01or did their research on James Brown for real,
16:03get your work ethic up like that
16:05so you can even get at a start
16:07of what it's like to be that kind of successful.
16:09Come on, man, we gotta keep the heartbeat going, dog.
16:10Gotta keep the heartbeat going, dog.
16:15Ha ha ha!
16:18Man, that was crazy.
16:19Wow, that was fun, man.
16:20That was wild.
16:21Thank you so much for that.
16:22Thank you for coming, bro.
16:23You know how much James means to me, man.
16:25I know.
16:26I feel like his spirit's still in the house.
16:28I can feel his energy just like going in the kitchen
16:30and seeing the food and the cereal box is still there
16:32and the Christmas tree is still there.
16:34It's like, you can't even explain
16:36what that experience was like.
16:37I want to use some of that energy.
16:39I was talking about coming down here
16:40and just probably spending the night
16:41one time just sitting.
16:42Come on, man, we need to record.
16:43We need a little recording set up in there.
16:45I think it would be cool, man.
16:46We'll talk about it another time, man.
16:47Anyway, Billboard, man, thank y'all, man.
16:49This is James Brown House, baby.
16:50Thank y'all, that was crazy, man.
16:51Augusta, Georgia represent.
16:52We out.
16:53We out of here.
16:54Peace.
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