GANGSTA RAP (DU RAG) (March 2008) | Interview By: Peter Relic

       Who would've thought that gangsta rap would've endured this long? It's now been 20 years since N.W.A came Straight Outta Compton. And who would've thought that a new gangsta rap movie could actually be funny? After all, it's been 15 years since CB4 killed theatregoers just for laughs. But now, the Compton group called Gangsta Rap has released their album The Glockumentary (Delicious Vinyl) to coincide with Th!nkfilm's DVD release of the full-length feature film Gangsta Rap — The Glockumentary. (In stores now, fools!)


And while it simply isn't safe to be in the same room as the members of Gangsta Rap — DuRag, Murder Mike and DJ Ballistics — the ever-intrepid DubCNN managed to get on the phone with DuRag long enough to talk about house shoes, gold fronts, and what's really going on with Tracy Morgan.
 

As always we have the transcript for you to check and please feel free to send any feedback regarding the interview to: contact@dubcnn.com

 

Interview was done in February 2008.

Questions Asked By : Peter Relic

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Dubcnn: May I speak with DuRag please.

Yo this Rag! You want a muthaf-kkin' interview? Bring it!


Dubcnn: I have some questions, Mr. Rag, about your whole gangsta lifestyle—

Lifestyles? I don't use those condoms no more. See, We trying to holler at Magnum, get a sponsorship, that's the only ones that fit me. If they're real we'll make a deal.


Dubcnn: I see. Now, approximately how much money do you spend a year on curl activator?

Well, you know, I don't spend the money, I go get my hair did. I go to the shop and let them handle that. That's what the Rag do! Sometimes I gotta take my own rollers out, but that's as far as it's gonna go. I go to the shop and get it did. That's right — unlike you I let the ladies touch my hair.


Dubcnn: Which do you own more of, pairs of house shoes or shower caps?

I got a pair of house shoes to match every shower cap I own. I have a shower cap in every color, and a pair of house shoes to match every one. I guess if you really study it, there's two shoes in a pair, so you could say I say I got more shoes that caps, if you do the mathematical analyzation of it.


Dubcnn: What was the first gun your mother ever gave you?

Aw man, you bringing back memories. It was a water gun. I thought it was murderous. It was green gun, a green water gun. I was shooting kids in the neighbourhood. Oh, my green water gun, how I do I miss my gun.


Dubcnn: How old were you when you got your first pair of gold fronts?

Well you know first I had section fronts. I used to make em. Before all these grills and stuff, me and Murder Mike used to make fronts. We'd put em in DJ Ballistics mouth and mold em. That's why he's not saying much now, we fucked his mouth up. But that's how we came out with the full mouth grill. Do we get credit for that? No. See, it's like we created how to make popcorn on the stove, before all this microwave popcorn shit. We're like the original JiffyPop dudes, but of grills.


Dubcnn: If Gangsta Rap was being shown in a double feature with an Ice Cube movie, which Ice Cube movie would it be?

I don't want it to be shown with none of them muthafukkas! I'm not feeling that. That whole "yay-yay!" thing Cube do? We started that. Quiet is kept, you know. Cube gotta talk to me, then maybe we can do something. Maybe then we can fuck with them. Couple me up with a karate flick before it's First Friday or Last Sunday or any them shit. Hell you gotta show our movie with Breakin', or maybe Breakin' 2: Electric Boogaloo, I know you 'member that.


Dubcnn: Is there any hope for your partner Murder Mike seeing as he's so pussywhipped?

Him and Uretha got something a lotta people got. It's called foolishness. Her species is a different thing. She might turned into a lizard! That's not the kind of species you want to be with. I told Murda Mike that and he workin' it out.


Dubcnn: You're big with the lowrider bicycles. Have your acquired any new bikes lately?

I constantly making bikes, that's what I do. I just put together a nice Big Wheel for my son. I put double spokes, triple beam spokes and triple chrome on the scene and monkey bars. Monkey bar on the big wheel, how 'bout it? I customized it for Lil Rag, put a crusted out diamonds on it, errythang. You know how most big wheels got one wheel in the front and two in the back? He got three in the front and four in the back.

That's how I do it: Pimp My Big Wheel Ride. Them new cats stole everything from us too, Mr. X to the Z who? I was the first one to ride a unicycle and pimp it out. It's hard to ride a unicycle when your pants is sagging! I pimped out go-karts, I even went east and pimped out sleds! I spent time on the east where it's cold, but when I came back to Compton nobody really wanted a pimped out sled.


Dubcnn: What's up with Tracy Morgan? I mean, he's funny and all, but I thought Tracy was a girl's name?

Well you know, that's how some motherfukkas roll. They try to confuse you! You might know a muthafukka named Kelly and then his woman also name Kelly, who you talking to? People don't know who they are no more. Quit giving your kids names like that. Tracey Morgan he alright, he from old school so I give him a little props. Maybe he should just calls himself T. Morgan. Not sing like T. Pain though, fuck that sissy shit.


Dubcnn: I'm concerned that some of the subtleties in your lyrics may be lost on your listenership. When you say "My Mama's A Bitch" what exactly do you mean by that?

The problem here is you don't understand how I live. My mama is a bitch! She's a bitch and she's always been a bitch. She taught me how to be the man I am today. It's not a necessarily a negative thing. You a sucker, so you don't understand. A real nigga will understand when I say "my mama's a bitch" that that's some positive shit. See because if your mama ain't got no bitch in her then you gonna grow up to be a bitch yourself. It's that simple.


Dubcnn: Who is Gangsta Rap endorsing for President?

A lotta people are afraid to say it, but I going to say it. I'm voting for the black man. How come? Just because he's black. I don't care about none of these issues but child support. Stop sending brothers to jail for child support! I owe $162,000 in child support. White lady want me to go to jail for child support, and she's talkin' 'bout health care. I don't care about health care, I take of myself! I want a president who will take care of child support. See, a black man understand that. White woman, no. Maybe somebody need to start a petitionary, yeah, start a petitionary!


Dubcnn: Is Gangsta Rap going to bring coastal beef back into hiphop?

All that east coast west coast shit is over. Once my man Pac died, that was it. Biggie was cool too. So once them cats got away all that went away. No beef no more. Anyway, everybody know the west coast is the best coast! That's been proven time and time again.


Dubcnn: What's the wildest animal you'd be willing to fight?

It's not too many animals you wanna f-ck with. I'm scared of squirrels and pigeons. Rats, mice, naw man. I dunno...I might fight a poodle. Rag ain't trying to come out a loser. Pick your battles wisely. I jumped on top of someone's car once and dented in their hood. One of them German shepherds was growling at me. Police dog. You ever seen the way a police dog look at a black man? Much different from your white ass.


Dubcnn: What's the difference between "gank" and "dank"?

That's simple. Gank's been getting gat. That's when I'm jacking you. Now, dank, that's smokin' a pound, putting an ounce in the air. Now, I could gank you for your dank! Share it with me, that way it I won't have to.


Dubcnn: Your album would've been really hot in 1988. Who do you think is gonna be feeling it in 2008?

Errrbody that woulda been feeling it back then would be feeling it now! If you wasn't on it then, you on it now. You don't understand my logic. Everybody gonna feel it, c'mon, who don't feel nigga nigga nigga nigga nigga nigga nigga nigga nigga nigga! Our song "Rat Pack" it's a parody of reality. We're not really jumping on you, we're jumping on you in your mind. That's that DuRag writing.


Dubcnn: Are you gonna break out and go solo like Cube did from NWA?

You know, I coulda been did that a long time ago. I coulda been done gone did went solo. But I gotta rap where my heart is at. I gotta keep rolling with my dog Murder Mike. That's what the Rag is about! Group unity. I'm like the Pistons, playing team ball. Gangsta straight in '08!  '08 like oh-ate, like I'ma eat. I'm a eat now. I'm a upgrade my house shoes to shoes with leather uppers!


Dubcnn: Alright, in conclusion, what does Gangsta Rap mean to you?

In conclusion, Gangsta Rap is a state of mind, man, that's why we're trying to get people to understand where we're coming from. Didn't understand it then, understand us now. It includes where we come from the streets we come from our stories, can't nobody tell a gangsta rap like DuRag and Murda Mike. And that, man, is Gangsta Rap.