John sits down with boundary-breaking hip-hop artist, creative chameleon, and all-around renaissance soul Tedashii for a powerful conversation on identity, belonging, creativity, and the long road toward becoming who you actually are. From growing up biracial in the South, to navigating family dynamics, to discovering musical freedom beyond the “rules,” Tedashii shares the deeply human story behind the art.
He opens up about meeting his Polynesian father for the first time at age 20, feeling “too much” for every world he belonged to, and the lifelong search for a community that resonates not just with your mind — but with your soul. He and John unpack how that journey shaped his music, his refusal to “play the game,” and his evolution from label-defined rapper to full-spectrum creator who follows what the song itself asks for.

Together they discuss:

• Growing up half-Black, half-Samoan — and the ache of never fully fitting anywhere
• The moment his mom finally understood he was really an artist
• Why pretending is the enemy of connection — and why misfits find each other
• Creating lifestyle music: honest, vulnerable, genre-bending, rule-breaking
• How Dialect House unlocked flow state, kindredness, and true creative safety
• Making art from the “stone itself” — letting the message shape the medium
• What it means to stop performing for acceptance and live as your true self

And yes — this episode ends with an improvised cypher, complete with violin chopping, flow state magic, and a reminder that creativity is what happens when you let the walls fall and the real self walk in.
If you’ve ever wrestled with identity, longed for your people, or wondered how to create without losing yourself, this conversation will meet you exactly where you are.
Plug in. You’re not alone.