Episode Transcript
Speaker 0 00:00:01 Good morning for McMurry. My name is Elliot Pierre. I am your host of the Mac city morning show. We're going to start this off the same way we always do with a little bit of gratitude. I want to thank everybody. Who's taking the time to tune in, to watch us may be live and or if you're watching it afterwards, I know you could be doing a lot of other things with your time. So the fact that you're choosing to spend with us truly does mean the world to me on that note, Tanner hit him with the intro.
Speaker 1 00:00:29 Oh, she caught me near listen to the next <inaudible>
Speaker 0 00:00:40 All right. We got a banger today. Today's going to be a good episode. I know it. I can feel it. We got a very interesting, uh, individual from Fort McMurray. Um, I'm going to let him introduce himself, but first and foremost, I know him as Mr. Rory. So Mr. Rory, please introduce yourself to the people at home. Tell them who you are and what you're about.
Speaker 2 00:00:58 All right. Well, thanks for having me, uh, Elliot and Tanner. I appreciate you guys having me on the show today. Uh, my name is Royal Hern and, uh, yeah, I'm a teacher here in Fort McMurray and I've been here for, I guess, about seven years now. So just a bit, there we go.
Speaker 0 00:01:13 Also, Mr. Rory, the reason I call you, Mr. Rory, is that I've been introduced to you. And so it's one of those things. If people introduce me to them with a nickname or something, like I'm going to remember that, right. So you were introduced to me as Mr. Rory. So why, uh, why Mr. Rory, well, how did that all start?
Speaker 2 00:01:35 Well, you know, I've had different names over the years. So being a teacher, um, I've been called teacher in the past, so I used to teach ESL to adults. And so I was always teacher teacher. Right, right. Uh, and then, uh, I actually taught overseas for a little bit. So in Korea, uh, they called me Mr. Rory, but in Korea, there's no art pronunciation. They call me Mr. Lolly. Okay. Okay. Um, and now with my kids, I'm Mr. Rory, but with the younger ones, a lot of them say, Mr. <inaudible>.
Speaker 0 00:02:07 Oh, okay. I love it. Okay. A few different names like that. So Mr. Rory, yeah. I'm bad at it in regards to, we see each other in public and we've been, you've done a few gigs and I'm like, Hey, Mr. Rory and people look at me like, what the heck is this guy talking about? That's awesome. So what I want to talk to you about, and we'll get this kicked off is with music. Cause you are a music teacher. You're passionate about it. Yeah. Uh, you wrote a banger of a song that is a jingle that my kids sings in the shower. I hum it all the time. What is the name of that song?
Speaker 2 00:02:42 Oh, thank you. Uh, thick wood barbershop and shout out to Allien and the guys for, uh, for putting me on for that one. Yeah.
Speaker 0 00:02:49 Yeah. That's cool. So where did that come from? Like, honestly, like Allie's telling me about one day I got this guy, he's going to write me a jingle. I'm like, who is he? And then he described
Speaker 1 00:02:57 Them. Like, I know that guy. That's Mr. Rory. He's like,
Speaker 0 00:03:00 Yeah. And I was like, yeah, I think it's a great idea. I can't wait to hear it. And literally I heard it. He like sent me the audio clip. I'm like, Allie, this is magic. Like, I'm not like, I'm not joking. Like from the second I heard him like, this is it. Oh, thank you. So what was your inspiration for that? Where do you come up with the lyrics? Like where did, I'm not a creative person in regards to music? So it fascinates me when somebody can throw something like that down.
Speaker 2 00:03:24 Oh, cool. Thank you. Well, uh, I went in to get a haircut and uh, the first time I ever went in there, you know, I actually just looked it up on the reviews and saw it was local because I live in <inaudible> and went to check it out. First day I went in there. I think Allie was the first guy that Matt gave me a haircut and he was really nice. And then, uh, started following him on Instagram. And then he said to me, Oh, I didn't know you were a singer. And I was like, yeah. Cause you know, I, I put some of my music on Instagram, so he goes, Oh, well, can you write me a jingle? And I was like, yeah, sure. So anyways, I came up with a couple ideas and send them to him and he really liked this one. So I guess my inspiration, uh, one of my favorite singers is Bruno Mars. So I kind of had this barbershop kind of uptown funk, sort of a vibe in mind. Right. I wrote it with that in mind and sent him some like just a 32nd sample and he's like, Oh, that's great. I love it.
Speaker 0 00:04:16 Yeah. And it's the best thick wood, the barbershop going to thick wood barbershop. Oh man. It is fire. It really is. Thank you. So yeah. So let's, uh, let's stay on this topic and talk a little bit about music here. So I know you're a lover, all type of music. What do you gravitate to more often than not?
Speaker 2 00:04:38 Oh, it's been such a variety over the years, but if I want to be in a good mood, I'll listen to reggae. Some Bob Marley or something, you know? Okay. If I want to just chill out, I'll listen to some newer stuff, you know? Um, but a whole variety, like I've, I've gone through the whole areas of hip hop and uh, nineties rock was huge when I was younger and you know, going back and classic rock, listening to the Beatles and uh, you know, um, that whole era Jimmy Hendrix and all this, I think the best music there ever was was in the sixties 67. I just think that, that was like, when music had such a meaning, like it was a songs were very, uh, important. Like they had a strong social message and nowadays everything's so commercialized. Right. So, you know, I still love music of today. Like there's so many artists I like, but I think that was the sweet spot.
Speaker 0 00:05:31 I'm just getting into, um, classic vinyl in the sixties. And I couldn't agree with you more. Yeah. Um, growing up like my family, very from the Caribbean, like I'm listen to a lot of reggae and soca and R and B and then like I gravitated to like to rap and hip hop. And so for so many years, that's the lane I stayed in. So then two things, I had a child and I got a convertible. Okay. Not at the same time, but my little man Keegan, he just, just loves music and he started, but he digests the lyrics and I'm like, okay, well obviously I can't be listening to like gangster rap anymore. So we got to get rid of that. That's right. So then, so I get rid of gangster rap, and I am like, okay, well listen, top 40 music. But then he started like, you start listening. He starts saying the lyrics of top 40. And you're like, Oh no. Yeah.
Speaker 2 00:06:32 Oh, there's a lot of stuff to win, especially around kids.
Speaker 0 00:06:37 I remember we like, I'm not even gonna say the song cause the songs, a banger ons banger, and we're listening to top 40 and he's like, starts like singing it. I'm like, Ugh. And then as I was like, okay, this is inappropriate change. And it's like, yeah, why are they playing inappropriate music at eight o'clock in the morning, dad? I'm like, I don't know you ain't listening to that.
Speaker 2 00:06:55 Yeah. So I'm going to guess it's Cardi B or something.
Speaker 0 00:07:01 It's definitely within that genre or that's it. So, uh, and Nate, if you're an adult, it's a banger. Listen to it. I'm, I'm a, I'm a sucker for a good hook and a beat that's right. Yeah. So anyways, I'm in place. That's right. Yeah. So I started looking for something else and I started like, and I gotta be honest with you. I had heard of the Beatles. Yeah. Obviously. And a song here in dairy, like, Oh yeah. Yellow submarine. I know that's the Beatles. Yeah. But then all of a sudden, like I started listening to like, Oh, like you got yesterday, this is so embarrassing. I'm going to get murdered about this. I thought the song yesterday was written by boys to men.
Speaker 2 00:07:42 Cause they did a great version of it, did a great version.
Speaker 0 00:07:45 The Beatles wrote it. So I started, I've always listened to Jimi Hendrix and like led Zeppelin and stuff like that. Rock and roll. But yeah, like all of a sudden the sixties are so many good bands out of that era.
Speaker 2 00:07:55 It's incredible. Yeah.
Speaker 0 00:07:58 Yeah. From, yeah. We could go on and on about like, but I think you're, you're exactly right. In regards to talk about being creative and singing a song with a message, but also just being candid.
Speaker 2 00:08:09 Yeah. And also I think it mirrored civil rights and it mirrored like the times, which was like the Vietnam war and stuff. There was a lot going on politically that, that music was kind of yeah. It was a driving force. Yeah. So yeah.
Speaker 0 00:08:21 Yeah. So, and yeah. And as far as the convertible is concerned, uh, I'm driving around the tops obviously down and I don't want to be pumping. I don't want to offend anybody. So I was like, okay, what kind of music can I listen to? That's not going to offend. And so now when I drive my, uh, Ruby, Ruby, red mg around, it's only a like sixties music, like, well, we just went through, so
Speaker 2 00:08:43 There was no swearing back then. No, a lot of explicit content, but it was still great and creative and that's exactly like movies. Right? Like our movies used to be like, they'd say one swear word, but now it's like, everything goes,
Speaker 0 00:08:56 I would just
Speaker 2 00:08:56 Like to point out that music is just as explicit. They just do it subliminally. Oh yeah. Yeah. For sure. Without saying it like
Speaker 0 00:09:05 Directly some of those Beatles
Speaker 2 00:09:07 Songs and you, you got to think that those are a little
Speaker 0 00:09:09 Explicit. Yeah, that's right. Well, there was a time in error. There was the, uh, the error there of, uh, uh, experimenting with meditation and psychedelics. And it was just, it's kind of, when you think about it in regards to the music that was generated before, it's pretty like whatever standards. Yeah. Yeah. And then all of a sudden fashion, boom. But everything from that era, I find from like the clothes to the cars, to the music, even a sports, for example, I'm a big lover of surfing. Um, I don't, obviously I grew up in Fort McMurray. I don't get to surf here, but um, when I do I'll get on a board, I'm horrible. But when you think of a lot of like, um, the sports that we look at today that are huge skateboarding, surfing basketball, like all of these leagues were started, then it's something about that era that like the creativity just exploded.
Speaker 2 00:10:04 It was like a consciousness expansion, for sure.
Speaker 0 00:10:06 Yeah. Yeah. Now in regards to music, let's stick on this topic. Cause that's why I'm excited to have you here. Let's talk about rap music for a second.
Speaker 2 00:10:14 Okay. All right. Now I'm a big lover
Speaker 0 00:10:16 Of rap. Love it. I love new age rap. I love old school rap. I just, that's what I grew up on. Although my parents hate it. They used to throw it all the CDs, but that was my rebellion as a child. Yeah. So let's talk about your rappers. I want to hear, and I don't want to go top five because people get confused. You think you could do top five? Yeah. Totally. All right. Let's do top five. I want to hear your top five favorite rappers and your sixth man award. Okay. Okay. All right. Cool.
Speaker 2 00:10:48 All right. Well top five, number one for me has always been Tupac. Okay. And he's actually my biggest inspiration as a songwriter, just as a poet, Tupac, biggie, and NAS and that era. Uh, and then I would go with M and M and probably since there's six. Okay. That handles the dilemma because I was going to go with either Drake. Like I like Drake from today. Oh. Putting a new school rapper in there. I would throw them in there. Yeah. Because just because it's influences mass and cause I got to rep the Canadian.
Speaker 0 00:11:20 There you go. No, that's why he got the six men award there.
Speaker 2 00:11:23 Yup. And the sixth man then would go to probably an old school rapper, like rock him, like foundational. And I actually saw it perform live once and he was, it was crazy.
Speaker 0 00:11:33 You saw him perform
Speaker 2 00:11:35 Dundas square in Toronto. Yeah. It was wow. It was a free concert. And it was like, wow, like, yeah.
Speaker 0 00:11:42 Yeah. It's crazy. Like we can talk about this and like I can guarantee you that most of your students, even in like high school have no idea who are Kim is even Tupac. Yeah. Well that's what I knew. And that's why they would never know an eighties wrapper. Like the fact that some of these like young children, when they, they, they, they have no idea. Yeah. Is absurd to me. It makes me feel like super old. But when you say like the legends, the route Mount Rushmore of wrappers,
Speaker 2 00:12:11 We have no idea. Right. That's why, you know, I try to teach them cause we do a black history month unit this month. So I try to teach them the foundations of hip hop, you know? Yeah. And a DJ Kool Herc and some of those original, yeah. Those, those were the pioneers.
Speaker 0 00:12:27 That's right. We have, I have a book, uh, Keegan has it like a rap book and it's about, it's like I forget who wrote it a rapper, but it's like a really nice children's book. And it talks about like how it started and all, and then you read it with like a bit of a beat and he's just like, okay, this is, this is it. Yeah. You got a good list. You got a good list of a Utah five with the six men award.
Speaker 2 00:12:50 Thanks. Yeah. That's all artists subjective, but um, I'm interested to hear your,
Speaker 0 00:12:55 Well, here's the thing about my top five. It's constantly changing. It depends on like, so when you're watching this at home, like don't hold me to the top five because it is going, like somebody could ask me this literally in a month and I would change it. Yeah. So for sure, mine and I, in no particular order, except for this guy, he is number one. As far as I'm concerned is Snoop dog. I love Snoop doggy dog. I can't get enough of him. That album doggy style was just
Speaker 2 00:13:24 Yeah. Crazy. Yeah. I remember when what's my name was on the radio. It was like a smash hit.
Speaker 0 00:13:29 Yeah. Everything from his lyrics to the beats, by Dre to the walk, just like snip
Speaker 2 00:13:37 Finished has been a cornerstone for the last, what? 30 years? Like it's hot since 90 something or 92. I think doggy-style dropped in 92. It's crazy. Yeah. Not so bad for that. Longevity that's necessary.
Speaker 0 00:13:54 He he's huge. Um, the next one for me, which, uh, I think people kind of sleep on this guy. Um, cause he was part of a group, the legendary Wu Tang clan.
Speaker 2 00:14:05 Oh yeah. M E T M E T H O D man.
Speaker 0 00:14:09 Yeah. Like method net is a great rapper and he was great when he showed up on other people's albums. I'm one of the only rappers and we should fact check this, but um, I think one of the only rappers to actually rap with biggie and Tupac. Yeah. When they were alive, I know like there's been some albums where yeah. You could say, but I think during the time he was the only one who showed up on,
Speaker 2 00:14:35 He was huge. He was my brother's favorite. Always play to cow album. So good.
Speaker 0 00:14:41 So method man is definitely there. Um, I'm a big biggie and Tupac fan. I think you can't really have a list without those two. They, especially based on when we grew up our age demographic, that that was it. Not to take anything away because they weren't the starters from like, I love boogie down production. I love BDP, you know? And I like Rakeem, like you said and slick, Rick. Um, I know they were like the real pioneers, but for me, based on the age, demographic run DMC and run DMC, like
Speaker 2 00:15:10 Were eighties, eighties kids, right? Yeah. That's
Speaker 0 00:15:12 It. So we came up in the nineties, right. Um, Eddie F Oh, we're going to have to listen to that song afterwards. Tupac's still releasing stuff. I know. Which is crazy
Speaker 2 00:15:27 To me. It goes with that whole theory. Maybe he's in Cuba somewhere.
Speaker 0 00:15:30 A lot of people say is I wish. And then, uh, as of right now I got to put them in here and I it's people forget about them too. I don't know how people forget about him. He doesn't make a lot of lists, but Jay Z.
Speaker 2 00:15:46 Yeah. I got to give it up too. I prefer nods personally with that, from that whole era. But he's been JZ has been chasing me. He's one of the all-time grades. Yeah, just crazy guaranteed.
Speaker 0 00:15:58 So JC has a big one for me. Now my six man award gets me in trouble and I never changed my six man award. And I have a guest coming on in a few days who I, she is going to bring it up and just embarrass me about it. But my six man award goes to will Smith.
Speaker 2 00:16:13 Okay. Oh, that's great. That's fantastic. Did you hear the new song by Joyner Lucas about him? I did. That's an amazing with him. Yeah, that's right. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Will Smith is
Speaker 0 00:16:28 Summertime parents don't understand. Yeah. I'm all that getting jiggy with it. Like,
Speaker 3 00:16:34 Oh yeah. The classic fresh Prince of Bel air. Yeah.
Speaker 0 00:16:37 Yeah. And then like what he's transitioned his life into just
Speaker 2 00:16:41 Will Smith, but yeah. And as a human being, he's he's just way up there.
Speaker 0 00:16:46 Yeah. Yeah. If you, if anybody wants to go out there, I know I'm going to get a lot of hate actually. Don't hate get the red alert album and listen, it's the one with summertime on it and listen to I'm all that his li like his, how he can spit he's phenomenal. So will Smith,
Speaker 2 00:17:03 Do you remember, parents just don't understand. That was great. I do have that old record and like,
Speaker 0 00:17:08 Right. And when he fought Mike Tyson, aye. Yeah, no will Smith. So yeah, man. So those are my top five with the six man award going to will Smith. That's amazing. So on that note though, we're going to put you a little bit on the hot seat here. Okay. We got Tanner with his segment called the Mac city minute. Okay. It's going to ask you five questions, do your best to, uh, answer them and remember, cause a lot of people do forget. Yes. You can look at Tanner, make sure to answer
Speaker 2 00:17:34 Into the mic into the mic. Gotcha. Okay. Okay. Cool. Question. Number one
Speaker 3 00:17:38 For you today. How has working with children changed how you listen to music?
Speaker 2 00:17:45 Well, uh, just, just like you said, I, I have to filter some of the old content that I was used to growing up. So a good example would be, uh, I've done some, uh, I've done some, uh, work with, um, all nations church, which I I've, uh, recently joined. And uh, so they wanted me to do an exercise with the kids, which I did, which is rhythm dribbling. Uh, and so I went in and I was like, we're going to do this song uptown funk, but then they're like, Oh wait, wait, we have a different version of it. Cause it's for church. So it was called uptown church. I was like, Oh great. So it like adoptations of songs works and kids, bop is a good one cause they have, they'll take some pop songs that are like that and they'll make it, you know, more suitable for kids.
Speaker 4 00:18:30 Question number two for you, if you could know how to play one instrument, what would that be?
Speaker 2 00:18:35 Uh, probably I would say something, maybe the violin that, that seems like a really hard instrument, but if I, if I could learn how to play, I love listening to it. So that's one of the nicest instruments. I think
Speaker 4 00:18:53 Number three, what is one song? People won't know, you jam out to
Speaker 2 00:18:58 Mm. Song. They won't know a GMO too. Wouldn't they know I'm trying to think probably, uh, you know, random stuff from like back when I was a kid, like 87, Oh one of the, one of the songs that surprised me that my kids knew. And they were surprised that I knew was that a Rick roll song, never going to give you a, I'm going to let you down. It's legendary, but that's like the Rick roll dollar, whole viewing the restaurant. That's right. You got it. That's awesome.
Speaker 4 00:19:36 Question number four. What is teaching around the world with you affected your life
Speaker 2 00:19:43 Or how's it affected my life? Uh, it's allowed me to step outside of the way I grew up. And uh, you know, I w I was fortunate and blessed to be able to, um, go to different places. Like I went to teacher's college overseas in Australia. And so that opened my world up to being able to explore Asia. And then I ended up later, uh, teaching in Korea for a while. So it, it definitely changed my view. And even, you know, it's weird. You don't think about it, but just being away from American television and sports for a year, like, like I missed the whole NBA season that year. And I, I think I just saw, uh, the Cavaliers winning on YouTube, like winning the championship. And I was like, Oh, go LeBron. But like the whole year I didn't watch any sports. And it was all like a whole different culture. So that kind of allowed me to step outside of, I guess, the bubble, you know? So,
Speaker 4 00:20:33 And your last question, what is one thing Fort McMurray has that places you've traveled don't
Speaker 2 00:20:39 Oh, I could say a lot more than one thing. Say as many as you like, uh, it has, uh, it has such a close knit community. It has like a lot of big city features such as, you know, uh, international cultures and things, very multicultural. Um, but it has a small town feel and there's such a connected, like connectedness between the, you know, the private sector and the, not the social profit and, you know, um, there's just such a, you know, when I first moved here, it took a while, but after a year or two, you really start to get to know people. And this, honestly, I could probably list you like 10 different things about Fort McMurray that you don't experience anywhere else. I guess we'll just have to have you back then. And then again,
Speaker 0 00:21:28 Good job. Good questions, Tanner killing it. Yeah. I want to answer one of these questions to shock the world in regards to a song that people wouldn't know that I listened to. I, uh, back in the day, when I used to throw garage parties, it's been a little bit, I'm getting older now. Um, I'd have it all began for rap. And then every once in a while, spice girls pop up and guys just like the party would be like, stop and be like, what is this? And I'm like, try to listen to this song with out smiling or tapping your foot. You cannot listen to the spice girls without a smile on your face. And once you like embrace, like, listen, it's okay to listen to the spice girls. And like, it's not gonna make you any less. Cool. It is like, Oh yeah. Okay. Spice girls.
Speaker 2 00:22:14 Not bad at all. Yeah, no, they're huge.
Speaker 0 00:22:17 Yeah. I like listening to the spice girls from time to time. They make me happy, just like S club seven as well, throw S club seven in there. So yeah, just, uh, yeah, some pop every once in a while is pretty good.
Speaker 2 00:22:29 Oh yeah, for sure. So there's a time and place for all kinds of music. I try to listen to every,
Speaker 0 00:22:36 There you go. Well, Mr. Rory, we're at the end of the 20 minutes. Okay. I want to thank you for coming today. Thanks for, I want to invite you back again and again, I know you took some time and we had to coordinate stuff. You being a teacher and also, um, thank you for coming. Um, you reach out to us like right, when this first started, you were an early adopter of, uh, the Mac city, uh, brand and what we were trying to throw out. So thank you for that. Yeah.
Speaker 2 00:22:58 Yeah. I want to say, thank you guys for what you're doing. Cause you know, you do so much great work around the city and you promote businesses and you help, uh, you help so many people in this community. So thank you for what you do. Here we go. Tanner. I appreciate you guys doing this for the, for this community.
Speaker 0 00:23:14 Awesome, man. Thank you. Yeah. So it's been a good one. I was excited. I even put a, some old school air force, one suede shoes on for you today for this episode, I'm really excited. Um, and hopefully, cause we talk about shoes a lot. I'm still waiting on somebody out there to send me a pair of those. Uh, Ben and Jerry Nike dunks. If you're out there listening and you want to put a smile on my face and watch me wear some air force or some Ben and Jerry dunks, send me this way please. And thank you. There you go. Yeah. So on that note, everybody, thank you very much for tuning in today. Really do appreciate it, Mr. Rory, once again, thank you for coming out. Uh, this has been the Mac city morning show. My name's Lee Pierre. We'll see you tomorrow.
Speaker 1 00:23:55 <inaudible> talk about quenching your ugly thirst.
