FREDWRECK (May 2010) | Interview By: Nima Etminan

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Interview was conducted in March 2010
 

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Fredwreck // Video Interview // Dubcnn

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Dubcnn: Dubcnn is in Dubai with Fred Wreck!

Fredwreck: Dubcnn! We back!

Dubcnn: We had to come out here to find Fred Wreck, cause you can't get him any other way. What's going on with you man?

Fredwreck: Just enjoying my time out here, trying to work and do something new and exciting. But I be checking in on you guys! I be on there on dubcnn.com, checking up what's going on on the scene!

Dubcnn: Alright, so let's get right into it, what's going on with you musically?

Fredwreck: I've been out here in Dubai, I've been doing a few things back in the States with Kurupt and Mack 10 and things like that, but mostly I've been out here doing TV productions, just trying to do something different. Doing Arabic music, helping the Arabic Hip-Hop scene out here, there's a lot of really talented Arabic artists out here so I've been here starting new, just to get away a little bit.

Dubcnn: Who should we be checking for?

Fredwreck: I've got this artist from Lebanon, her name is Maleka, she's incredible, her album is coming pretty soon. Then I'm working on the Arabian Knights album out of Egypt. Those guys are like the Arabic Wu-Tang Clan, so they're really cool man, they've got some really good records.

Dubcnn: But what you're most known for is making that funky West Coat music. Can we expect to hear anything new?

Fredwreck: I mean, the West Coast scene is beautiful, it's there, I've just been out here doing my thing. I've been keeping up on the internet, seeing what's going on, but the music business hasn't been the greatest out there and the budgets ain't the same. I'm kind of stubborn about recording music for less than my rate, so here I am! But me and Kurupt have been working on some things here and there over the internet, but I'll be back out there. Everybody needs a break. *laughs*

Dubcnn: One of the greatest projects that, to me, you were a part of, is "Space Boogie". Kurupt was recently telling me that he's supposed to do a whole album with you called "The History Of Violence"?

Fredwreck: Yeah. I hope so, we started recording actually before I left, we did like 4 of 5 songs. Then he kind of went and did his thing with DJ Quik, which was awesome. They just said he got rated Top 4 album in the New York Times of last year or something. So that's really good. Kurupt is always doing something, so I ain't never have to worry about him. Me and his chemistry, we kind of save it. If we do 4 or 5 songs, we're not really trying to leak stuff out, because we're trying to make masterpieces. It's like Dre and Snoop, Daz and Kurupt, Soopafly. We just wanna make sure everything is right. We're at that stage where we don't gotta just put stuff out if it's not gonna make sense.

Dubcnn: You're not really the type of dude who we hear everyday. Nowadays, with the pace of the internet, you've got artists leaking new songs everyday, every week, just to stay relevant. But you stayed away from that. Is that something that you did intentionally?

Fredwreck: I like to have quality over quantity. We have a lot of records that I've done with different artists that are on reels and on hard drives. But the reason that they're not out is because they just weren't up to our standards and we don't wanna just release stuff that sucks and water everything down. I look at all those records that I've done with all those artists, as my babies. I don't wanna look back and be like "Oh we just leaked something out just to put something out." That's a waste of music. It's art at the end of the day.

Dubcnn: I heard it's hard to get some of that sticky icky green out here in Dubai...

Fredwreck: Oh yeah that's absolutely forbidden out here and it actually feels good that I haven't even seen it or touched it or smoked it. It's like a cleansing. There's other ways to get inspired and I've been trying to get in those ways, being inspired by other things. When it's around, everybody's smoking so you just never get out of that bubble to have a clear head of what's going on. It's cool, I love it when I go back to Cali, but it's not here. It's impossible out here.

Dubcnn: Has staying out here influenced the way you make music?

Fredwreck: Yeah, of course. Out here, music is different, there are a lot of Arabic musicians here and you take a lot of sounds, like how they might play a violin, or quarter tones or something. So yeah, it does influence you.

Dubcnn: I know Snoop was out here in the Middle East recently, I saw you in one of his videos?

Fredwreck: Yeah, we did a show out in Beirut, Lebanon. It was ridiculous! Snoop came out and rocked the show, hopefully he'll be out here in Dubai, we're planning on doing a little tour with him in Dubai, Egypt, Jordan, maybe Qatar, a little Middle Eastern tour.

Dubcnn: So you're gonna get Snoop off that weed while he's here?

Fredwreck: He doesn't have any choice! *laughs* Everybody needs a little time off, even the big dog.

Dubcnn: Alright. I don't know if you know anything about this since it's really hard to find out, but do you have any update on Nate Dogg's condition?

Fredwreck: From what I heard, he's been doing a little bit better. I've been asked a few times, his mom is taking care of him and we want everybody to pray for him, pray for the best. He'll be back, he just needs some time off to heal, let's just leave it at that. Let's just give him his time to heal and for his family to be with him. Everybody loves him, we love him and we miss him to death. Trust me, I miss the guy to death. But he'll be alright, hopefully.

Dubcnn: Up until a couple of years ago and I guess it still is now, but the Dogg Pound was always like a big family, and you were a part of it. Everybody is still around, but it doesn't seem to be that same feeling anymore that you had up until a few years ago. Would you say that ya'll just grew up?

Fredwreck: I mean, everybody grows up, everybody goes their own way. We're still all together, we still talk everyday, I'm on the Skype talking to Daz, Soopafly, Kurupt, DJ Pooh, everybody. Everybody is still in contact with each other, everybody got their families and different things going on. But the legacy of what those guys do is still there and in the future, ain't no telling what's gonna happen.

Dubcnn: I'm glad we had the chance to catch up and see what's going on with you Fred. Anything else you wanna let everybody know?

Fredwreck: Just keep bumping that West Coast music, keep supporting music, don't download, go buy a CD if you can. Just keep your ears tuned in to Dubcnn. I'll be back out in Cali soon, I'll see you guys out there!

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Fredwreck // Video Interview // Dubcnn