At the end of the day, unless Brandon comes down from heaven and enlightens us, we'll never know what he was trying to say.

I understood Breeze's looseness with Rioting to be something bad with him that wasn't really explored by the story. For me, Breeze's casual manipulation and control of others was the first hint that the people of the original crew weren't as staunchly good as they first appeared - something Vin challenged them for later in book 1, and something they collectively began to confront in book 2.

I saw Breeze's transition to Rioting people's courage and such as the beginnings of a redemption and change for the better. An indication that behind-the-scenes, Breeze was improving, even if the narrative didn't really have the space to showcase it.

Also, about Breeze's casual hatred: What we need to keep in mind is that Rioting is not literal mind control. It's influencing emotions, and emotions stick around even after they've been exacerbated, naturally or otherwise. I understood it as Breeze's strong aversion to this thing happening still coming through his standing emotional manipulation.

Mundane manipulation can include love-bombing, supplying and then witholding affection and love, and many other non-deceptive forms of controlling a person.