Ace Hood Responds to DJ Khaled On The Breakfast Club + Future Vs T-Pain + Fake Watch BET Moment , Ace Hood pulls up to It’s Up There Podcast for a rare, executive-level convo on faith, reinvention, and the business behind the hits—“Bugatti,” “Hustle Hard,” “Body 2 Body,” “Ride,” “Cash Flow.” Loon and Ace break down label politics, independence vs. majors, the million-dollar exit talk, why some features never clear, radio strategy, Miami/Broward support, and how artists get trapped paying $10–25k/month to “teams” that don’t produce. They also unpack the T-Pain / Future / Auto-Tune discourse around the “Bugatti” era, the Breakfast Club clip with DJ Khaled, and Ace’s perspective on keeping God first when the industry turns weird. Plus: the infamous Rolex bezel moment (and why independent verification matters), building a real PR/marketing stack as an indie, and how to choose brand deals that actually fit your identity. If you’re an artist, podcaster, or entrepreneur, this episode is a blueprint: ownership, accountability, real relationships with radio & DJs, outsourcing the right work (PR, social, distro), and knowing exactly what you want before you walk into a label meeting. We talk Joe Budden, Chris Brown, Trey Songz, Mike Will, Watch Busters, playlist leverage, why some records stall without infrastructure, and how to protect your spirit—and your business—through all of it. #ItsUpTherePodcast #AceHood #Loon #future #djkhaled — Tap in with the movement • Patreon (early access, longer audio, lives, community perks): https://patreon.com/ItsUpTherePodcast • Discord (community, ideas, watch parties): https://discord.gg/3AwsHfDcJB • Full playlist of past episodes: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLnwwxLxHiDWYLCXvb81w69QAfr6cc1Y3N If this episode gave you game, drop a comment, share it with someone who needs it, and make sure you’re subscribed—most viewers watch without subscribing and it hurts what we’re building. Salute. #IUTPNews #HipHopPodcast #ArtistBusinessJoin 00:00 Intro — Ace Hood on growth & presence 01:03 Keeping faith under pressure; accountability & God 03:37 Acceptance, grief, and finding light in dark seasons 05:00 “Develop in the dark room” — rebuilding mindset 06:06 Why Ace is so well-spoken (reading, travel, writing) 07:37 Southern MC stigma vs. lyricism (craft over swag) 08:27 Early influences (Canibus, Eminem, Mr. Cheeks) 09:47 Biggest records rundown (Bugatti, Hustle Hard, more) 10:23 How “Bugatti” was built (Mike WiLL, Future, anthem playbook) 11:27 T-Pain’s Bugatti in the video & culture context 14:25 Addressing the T-Pain talk — did it matter? 15:49 “Seven figures to leave?” — breaking down the We The Best exit ask 18:01 Breakfast Club clip vs. Ace’s reality; clearing the air 19:11 “No relationship currently” — where things really stand 26:11 Radio/marketing realities; why Drake-level push is infrastructure 27:15 Indie playbook: outsourcing PR/marketing/distribution 29:11 Paying teams vs. ROI; what actually moves the needle 30:39 Don’t just “work hard”—bring ideas & outcomes 33:03 Brand deals, pitch strategy, demanding results 34:21 Hire the right roles; know what you want them to do 36:04 Advances aren’t free—contracts, recoup, and real numbers 37:52 From Deerfield, FL to global records 38:52 Did Miami/radio block him? Relationship-based radio talk 41:09 Losing support vs. focusing on the rebrand; fragile rebuilding window 43:03 Keep contacts, build your own Rolodex; those streams add up 45:42 Why labels chase analytics; circling back on collabs 46:18 The BET Rolex moment — what really happened (bezel) 47:22 Cost, shock, and why they weren’t tripping (it was real) 48:19 Same jeweler tied to Baby’s fake-watch saga; Watch Busters verified Ace’s watch 50:02 Why you should independently verify expensive pieces 52:16 Looking back at an early viral moment; not throwing the jeweler under the bus 57:26 Grief, healing, and keeping composure as a man 58:26 Closing message + tour & “SOUL” album plug 59:04 Post-roll ID (“It’s Up There” x Ace Hood) Our Its Up There Podcast Clip Channel now https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCEh6Wk40kcNcMJ4t_jtmluw Discord https://discord.gg/GJKXMWQS For all exclusive interviews & more content not here click here https://www.patreon.com/itsuptherepodcast 🚨Unreleased Interviews https://www.patreon.com/itsuptherepodcast 👣FOLLOW ITS UP THERE PODCAST HOST : INSTAGRAM | fogfo_looney TIKTOK | https://www.tiktok.com/@fogfo_looney PATREON| https://www.patreon.com/itsuptherepodcast SUBSCRIBE TO Youtube Channel ➡️ https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCl_GorAVekpEVDlk1Yc8giw WATCH MORE ➡️ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JwNIuOcAtoo&list=PLnwwxLxHiDWayq4HPgNYUtsAGvqe3liOO

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