KROOK  (March 2005) | Interview By: Nima

      Dubcnn.com introduces you to artists before the mainstream picks up on them. This time we got R&B sensation Krook. Krook is a real R&B singer from Riverside, CA, no fake ass R&B thug shit, straight true, soulful R&B. He told us about his album, influences, future plans, and why he's a ladies man. Krook is definitely one to watch out for. As always we have both the transcript and the audio for you to check and please feel free to send any feedback regarding the interview to: nima@dubcnn.com



Huge thanks to Krook for taking time out to answer the questions fans wanted to know! (Interview was done by phone in March 18th 2005)

Questions Asked By : Nima

Krook Gave Dubcnn.com A Shoutout! Check That Here

Full Interview In Audio : Here
 

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dubcnn.com: To start it off, introduce to all for the Dubcnn viewers out there. Who is Krook?

Wow, who is Krook! Krook is a R&B, soulful, lyrical artist to sum it all up, who has a driving passion for music!


dubcnn.com: Where are you from?

I'm from Riverside, California.


dubcnn.com: How did you get started in the music game?

Pretty much started like everybody else with talent shows and studio nights listening to beats, listening to other tracks, singing in the church.. A whole arrangement of anything that had to do with music. Me and my boys sitting around in garages, making beats, writing songs and just singing my heart off!


dubcnn.com: How would you describe yourself as an artist?

Very humble. Very lyrical.


dubcnn.com: What are you talking about? What can the listener expect when buying a Krook CD?

It's gonna be alot of expression of relationships, from a males point of view, but still being very sensitive to the ladies. Krook is definitely what would be considered a ladies man. Definitely.


dubcnn.com: Who have you worked with up until now?

Well alot of the local artists that are around in the I.E., Diamonique, Lunch, Homeless Nation, Kurupt, Roscoe, Kid Frost, mostly in the West Coast. I'm looking to venture out though, working with all frames, artists from everywhere.


dubcnn.com: You worked with the producer Fingazz too right?

Yeah, yeah, most definitely! Fingazz, the I.E. master.


dubcnn.com: Yeah he has some banging beats!

Yeah that he does, that he does! I worked with him very closely, he actually produced 11 out of 12 tracks on my album!


dubcnn.com: Oh really?

Yeah, most definitely. It is a Fingazz production.


dubcnn.com: Is your record like a R&B record with alot of Hip-Hop features on the songs? Or do we have alotta solo records on there?

Yeah, definitely alotta solo. I definitely enjoy and dwell in the Hip-Hop era though. So you'll feel alotta the Hip-Hop influences in alot of the tracks. But for the first album I really wanted to express myself just as Krook the artist. So I didn't really have alotta features on this album. Diamonique is featured on this album and J-Walk from Homeless Nation. Other than that, it's all me. It's alotta singing.


dubcnn.com: I'm happy to hear you don't fit the R&B Thug stereotype.

Oh no, not at all. I AM R&B in every sense of the word. I love Hip-Hop, a fan of every era. But no, strictly R&B. I sing, and that's all I try to do. I don't try to go any other rounds, it's very expressive as far as singing.


dubcnn.com: What's your goal in the Industry, what are you trying to achieve?

My goal? If you wanna do the high mark... diamond album! *laughs* Obviously, for everybody to feel and love what Krook does, in aspects of writing, in aspects of singing and entertainment. I love the live band sets, so most of my shows are gonna be very interactive, but my ultimate goal is to definitely get the ideal deal, and just travel the world and sing and express myself as an artist to everybody who's willing to listen?


dubcnn.com: Are there any other R&B artists you'd like to collaborate with?

R&B? Well, across the board, I would say Fantasia is definitely one. I would love to hook up, enjoy and definitely admire her music. Faith Evans, Musiq Soulchild, definitely an influence. Hip-Hop, probably Twista, Kanye West, definitely love Mos Def.. Other than that, I mean there's alotta artists that I love out there, so I'd be willing to take offers from anybody to work with, but those are my top ones that I love.


dubcnn.com: What do you feel about the Westcoast scene, and how can you as an R&B artist make a difference in helping bring the Westcoast back to the forefront?

Well, as I see it, there has not been alot of West Coast R&B hitting the scene these days lately. I definitely wanna be one of the icons and one of the artists to step out the forefront and let them know that the West COast has alot of talent. Hip-Hop, R&B, just as artists period, it's full. And to even detail it more, in the I.E., it is something that is amazing, some of the talent that's out here. We've been slept on for a little while, but it's aight, I figure that our time is coming, and when the West comes back, we'll be ready to go!


dubcnn.com: Do you feel you have any competion right now?

Well, I have a different style, so not necessarily saying that there is competition, but I'm in a genre, so you're always going to have competetors, so yeah I guess you can say I have a little bit of competition. But I stand on my own, cause my sound is so different.


dubcnn.com: Tell us a little bit about your label & management company.

Okay, Royal Palms management. Suave Churchill and Leslie Strickland, they are my managers, and have been doing alot of work, getting out there pushing me as hard as possible. Soul Lyric Enterprises, is the label, extend with Eternal Soul Records undermine of Derika Dean. These are the people that have been the icons in the Krook project right now. Just very business minded and about they business, so be looking out for them very very soon!


dubcnn.com: Tell us a little bit about your first single "Shake That Thang"!

Oh, real feel good track! Definitely wanted to get the aspect of that old school feel with some new R&B style to it. Definitely something straight out the 70's, but with a 2000 twist on it. So it's a feel good album, definitely a summertime joint, so look for it to be a platinum single!


dubcnn.com: I heard you've been getting some radio play in different markets..

Yeah definitely, the West Coast of course, back in the East Coast, and a little bit out in Germany! It's been a road, the single has been travelling and doing it's thing. I'm starting to get some airplay in Florida, South Caroline, and just really starting to push it heavily in rotation as far as nationwide now. The single should be in every area very very soon!


dubcnn.com: Are we going to see a video for it too?

Oh most definitely! The video should be shot in the next couple of weeks! So it's going to be one of those things, a full package.


dubcnn.com: I heard that Interscope and Kevin Black has something on the table for you, so what's the deal with that?

You know, I never let the business out of the wraps until it's a done deal, but defintely have given a package to the Interscope fam and I just appreciate the fact that they're taking a realistic look at Krook the artist. Nothing offered exactly as yet, but soon to come, soon to come.


dubcnn.com: If 50cent wanted you to get on a diss record, would you except the offer or would you turn it down?

I turn nobody down in the business. Business is business to me, personally, if I feel good about it, if it was a collaboration, I'd be all for it. But definitely understood that Krook is his own individual, so, the beef that comes along with it, I don't really have any parts of! Business is business.


dubcnn.com: Okay, well that's about it for the questions, is there anything else that you'd like to let everybody know out there?

Oh yeah, basically that Krook is ready to come at the industry on a whole new level, just to get back to the form of some good feel good music, definitely something you've been waiting on in R&B, specially in the male area. And just wanna continue doing great music and doing good business with any artist that's ready to take it to the next level!