On the latest episode of Killer Mike's PBS program Love & Respect, the activist and rapper was joined by rock musician Jack White to talk about the preservation of their hometowns, learning trades, White's recent marriage to Olivia Jean, how performing on stage is similar to preaching in a church, and much more.
Killer Mike asked about the public marriage ceremony and if White is opening up to sharing more of his private life with fans. "I was going through this metamorphosis on my own already," White said. "In the last couple months of 2019 I thought, 'When 2020 hits, I'm going to not eat any sugar and see how long I can go without eating any sugar.' I went 30 days and then 60 days." That experiment with his dietary habits avalanched into other changes. He changed his manager and lawyer, people he'd worked with for 20 years. This period of changes, which coincided with the pandemic, had him reflecting on what an artist is required to do today versus 50 years ago.
The "expectation to share or overshare, which for some people is great and is a cool thing and they're good at it—it's an enjoyable experience for them, [whereas] to me it doesn't fit very well. Sometimes I'll share things that are important to me. Getting married on stage, that day was so beautiful, and the building we were in meant so much to me and my wife. It seemed to be the right moment. I kept thinking that if it doesn't go that way, there'll be a sign saying that this is not the time to do it."
He later added, "When you put out things that you hold dear and you really love, if you really put them out there, people can walk all over them and destroy them. Then you're left with these crumbled pieces of these things that are so important to you. So I only let out a truncated version of things I'm interested in."
Check out their full conversation—which is listed as "Part 1"—below.
