>> it was taking a step back. i used to be able to walk into a room and say, i'm bruno mars, i'm signed with motown records. now i have to say i got dropped from motown records. you lose leverage and people believing in you. why didn't it work? >> how did you get told the news? >> it was like this. hey, we don't want you anymore. >> as brutal as that. >> it wasn't as brutal as that. it isn't motown's fault. i was too yuck. i didn't know what it was like. i knew i could sing. i knew i could sing but there's so much more i had to learn. i didn't come from the recording background. i came from doing live shows and performing with bands and that was my craft. i didn't know what it took to record an be a recording artist. now you have to write songs. now you have to establish who you are. i don't know if anyone knows who they are at 18 years old. >> did you react well or like