A one... a two... a one, two, ready, and Mmm... (oh...) Ohhh... (oh...) Mmm... (mmm...) Oh... (oh...) Mmm... (mmm...) Oh... (oh...) Mm Yeah, yeah God blessed me so I gotta get up Gotta catch the morning paper Can't miss my bus I gotta buss a move I gotta change my luck Gotta pay my dues every first of the month Sweet Maybelline want my love Shuck and jiving tryna get my work done Girl I already know what you want from me You wanna smoke and sip and have a little company Ooh nah I ain't tryna lead you on But you gon' have to catch up to me I'll be ripping and running (I'll be ripping and running) I'll be ripping and running (I'll be ripping and running) Ooh I'm the slick cat (in the trap) And you know (I got my hat) They be tryna sneak up on me But I (never get attached) I be moving super duper smooth, baby (that's a fact) Johnny Law be tryna catch us (We be sliding out the back) You don't even know the hustle why you (faking like you do) Girl I'm tryna feed the fam so I (can't be chasing you) Lady Maybelline I'm tryna be good Tryna go to heaven cause a brother from the hood Ooh, nah I ain't tryna lead you on But you gone have to catch up to me I'll be ripping and running (I'll be ripping and running) I'll be ripping and running (I'll be ripping and running) Watch out there, na na na Yeah, yeah I'll be ripping and running (I'll be ripping and running) I'll be ripping and running (I'll be ripping and running) I'll be ripping and running (I'll be ripping and running) I've been ripping and running (I'll be ripping and running) Lord knows I tried (I'll be ripping and running) I'm trying to do what's right (I'll be ripping and running) I've been ripping and running (I'll be ripping and running) All day, all night (I'll be ripping and running) I've been ripping and running, baby All right, the great Drey Skonie!

What's up, Al?

How you doing, man?

I'm doing alright, what up, doe?

Came all the way from the west side of Detroit to East Lansing to join us on Streetlight Sessions.

That's right.

First of all, man, when we look at your style, I mean, it's a blast from the past.

You're paying homage to, of course, Motown, the 60s.

Yeah.

What inspired it?

Honestly, man, just been growing up from Detroit you know, and seeing my uncles with the hair and platfor shoes, the fish at the bottom, the old school Cadillac pulling up to the gas station.

So, you know, when it was time for me to, you know, figure out what I wanted to do as an artist, it was easy to choose, just come back home with it, you know?

And when looking at your style, of course, looking at the jacket, you are also paying tribute to your band.

Oh yeah, the Klouds band.

The band that you perform with all the time.

We'll get them on the next, you know, the next version of you coming up on the show.

And you see I wore the green for y'all.

Y'all see that, right?

Yeah for sure.

Got the Skonie "S" on there for y'all.

But th Klouds - how did you guys meet and how have they amplified your sound?

We met the grassroots wa just like The Temptations movie at a show.

'Bout ten years ago, we did an artist showcase and they were the band for the full showcase.

And when we had our set, it just got very electrified.

Just fell right, you know?

So when we're done, we talked about I said, we need to keep going, guys.

And, you know, throughout the years we've been doing our thing.

But the past five years has been special to us.

We've been figuring out our branding, you know, figuring out our music and everything just been kind o like the stars aligned for us.

Talk about the, the stars alignin and your star getting brighter.

I mean, Drey, we're talking about Making the Band 4.

Yeah.

We're talking about the NFL Draft.

Yeah.

Also a really cool award, and honor from Motown.

And also we're going to get a Streetlight Sessions exclusive here because I know that you have an announcement to make in term of that partnership with Motown.

Right.

Yeah.

So like the good thing about, you know, winning the, Amplified in 2023, I got to link with the alumni of Motown, like all the sons, daughters, and you name it, you know, producers.

I even got one of Levi Stubbs' old jackets.

Wow.

Yeah.

So things have been handed down to me.

So what I hope to do is create an album with all these people for now, like of this generation, to kee taking to the next generation.

And it's coming together.

We're like 80% done.

And I got everybody tapped in and it's going to be awesome.

It's going to be a real Motow album just like today, though.

Wow.

Okay, well, we can't wait for that.

Coming right now though, is song number two.

Yes, sir.

What is this song about?

I know we are West Side boys, but you're paying tribute to the East Side with this one.

We in East Lansing, right?

We are.

That is true.

So we gotta sing t the East Side Baby, you feel me?

From all the way from the West Side to the East Side, and that's what we're doing right now.

I love it.

EastSide Baby by the one, the only Drey Skonie.

Drey, thank you again.

Thank you, Al.

My man.

Thank you.

I got a East Side baby She lives way cross town I gotta East Side baby She lives way cross town When I'm with my baby I don't want a soul around Got me waking up early She was knocking at my door I knew it was my baby cause she coming back for more She been out there wondering Said it's been a long while I told her I ain't going nowhere if she promised to hold me down I got a East Side baby She lives way cross town Oh, no Chillin with my baby does she know what I want?

I ain't gotta hesitate I shownuff ain't gonna front I just want my loving fresh out the oven darling hold me down Hey, hey, yeah See when I'm with my baby I don't want a soul around Yeah, yeah Somebody say nobody Nobody bae I don't want nobody else around Said nobody I don't want nobody else around.

Yeah See when I'm with my baby She know how to hold it down Yeah yeah baby She lives way cross town Got me spending my gas I got a East Side baby She lives way cross town.

You know them gas prices too high, baby Yeah Listen But when I'm with my baby, she still know how to hold me down Yeah I'll be back.