114. Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson: Life Lessons, Leadership, Music, Moana, "Your Dad" & Polynesian Roots

Episode 115: Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson Long before he was one of the biggest stars on the planet, Dwayne was a kid in the backseat of his dad's car, singing along to country and soul, and a Polynesian boy whose family never let anyone sit out a song. That love of music never left him. In this conversation, he leads with the warmth, humility and gratitude that make him who he is, and he speaks with deep pride about his family, his culture and the artists carrying Polynesian music forward. Dwayne opens up about his new album Moana: Voices Across the Ocean, a project he and his wife Lauren Hashian dreamed up 10 years ago that gives 25 Polynesian artists a global stage. He tells the emotional story behind his song "Your Dad," written for his three daughters with Iam Tongi. He shares life lessons from his mom, Ata, and talks about how he leads his teams, his first time in a recording booth with Lin-Manuel Miranda for "You're Welcome," and the time he tried to become a country singer in Nashville at 15. The album brings together some of the most exciting voices in Pacific music, including Dinah Jane, Stan Walker, Iam Tongi, Common Kings and Josh Tatofi, with production and songwriting from heavy hitters like Mike Zombie, Poo Bear, The Audibles, TrapMoneyBenny and Eric Zayne. Dwayne breaks down how it all came together, from the very first song that set the tone to the six-island anthem "TĀTOU" that closes the record. Elmo Lovano and Dwayne have a great energy together from the very first minute. They laugh a lot, reflect on the mothers who shaped them, bond over their musical passions, and share what they've learned about leadership, gratitude and lifting others up. Elmo, a drummer who spent 15 years on the road and founded Jammcard to shine a light on the musicians behind the stars, brings a musician-to-musician perspective that lets Dwayne go deeper than ever on the music that made him. Go With Elmo Lovano is the #1 music professional podcast, featuring deep, honest conversations with the legends, artists, musicians, producers, songwriters, and industry leaders shaping music today about how they got where they are and how they keep pushing forward. Huge thanks to our friends at DistroKid! DistroKid is the easiest and fastest way to get your music on over 150 platforms worldwide! Go to https://distrokid.com/vip/elmo to get 20% off your first year! Big thanks to our friends Moises for supporting the show! If you need stems, they’re the best in the game. Check them out! https://moises.ai/ Elmo Lovano drinks Intelligentsia coffee because he’s an Iced Angeleno. https://www.intelligentsia.com Become a Patreon Member to stay in the loop as we post Patreon-only exclusive content, ad free episodes, and discussions about music and music careers. https://www.patreon.com/gowithelmo Please SUBSCRIBE / FOLLOW this podcast to catch new episodes as soon as they drop! Your likes, comments and shares are much appreciated! Listen to the audio form of this podcast wherever you get your podcasts: https://elmolovano.komi.io/ Follow Dwayne:https://www.instagram.com/therock/ Follow Go With Elmo: https://www.instagram.com/gowithelmo/ https://www.tiktok.com/@gowithelmo https://x.com/gowithelmopod Follow Elmo Lovano: https://Instagram.com/elmolovano https://x.com/elmolovano Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices