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interview O.F.T.B. (June 2011) | Interview By: Chad Kiser

   Kevin "Flipside" White and Ronald "Low M.B." Watkins grew up in the Nickerson Gardens projects in Watts, CA witnessing first-hand the harsh realities of life. Coming up from the bottom, they were signed early on in their career to Big Beat Records were they had released then their only album entitled “Straight Up Watts” in 1992 with the hit single “Slangin’ Dope.”

Signed to Death Row Records during the mid-90’s, the group made several appearances on key projects for the label, such as the double-platinum soundtracks to films like Above The Rim (“Crack ’Em”), Murder Was The Case (“Hot One”) and Gang Related (“Keep Your Eyes Open”), as well as the gold-selling Gridlock'd Soundtrack (“Body And Soul”). Alongside some of the greatest names the music industry has ever known like Dr. Dre, DJ Quik, 2Pac, and Snoop Dogg, O.F.T.B. were making their mark at the legendary west coast label.

Dubcnn sits down with Flip & Lo MB of the famed O.F.T.B. group to discuss what’s been going on with them over recent years, how they feel about finally being able to release their original Death Row work, working with the late, great 2Pac Shakur, what the future holds for them, and so much more!


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Interview was done in June 2011

Questions Asked By: Chad Kiser

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O.F.T.B Interview
By: Chad Kiser

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O.F.T.B. - Thinkin’ About That Murder (Audio)


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Dubcnn: We’re sitting here with Flip & Lo MB of O.F.T.B.! Guys, how are you doing and what have you been up to over the years?

Big Flip: Man we been still going strong, getting all business in order and taking care of our family’s. We’ve been putting together new projects with the new record label Tha Payroll Entertainment, and we’re also set to release “Hostile Environment” on 9-11-2011. We have been staying active in our community, persevering for this day, that our history could be told and sold. “Damn Near Dead” will tell it all JULY 12, 2011.


Dubcnn: Tell me about the new record, “Damn Near Dead”, being released on WIDEawake/Death Row Records.

Lo MB: This is the album that was too gangster for Death Row to put out, real shit and raw; the world finna love it and we put in a lot of work. The CEO of Interscope Records, Jimmy Iovine loved it, too; he told us that in a personal meeting back then when we had a listening meeting to see who was next. So, it’s a good opportunity to have it finally come out now.


Dubcnn: How were you guys initially signed to Death Row Records?

BIG FLIP: We already had a big buzz in the streets .with an album out on Big Beat Records titled “Straight Up Watts”. Dr. Dre came up to me at the urban network that was being held at the Marriott Hotel in Century City in 1993 and told us he wanted us to be a part of Death Row Records.


Dubcnn: The group was featured on several Death Row related projects like “Above The Rim”, “Gang Related” and “Murder Was The Case”. Being featured so heavily, what took so long for this record to finally come out officially? What was the real hold up?

It was a lot of bullshit politics, Suge fucked up the whole company!


Dubcnn: How does it feel to finally be able to release this record, with WIDEawake Entertainment/Death Row Records? Is there a renewed excitement?

Yeah, it’s a great opportunity for us to be heard and the world finally gets them historical moments in this life time.


Dubcnn: OFTB is forever immortalized in the line “Got them Watts niggas with me, OFTB / They got some hash took the stash left the rest for me”, from “To Live and Die in LA” by 2Pac. Tell me about the relationship you guys had with ‘Pac?

2pac kept it real with us all the time. When he first got released, he called us and said he was in jail doing push-ups to the album “Straight Up Watts” and “Hot One”, and to come to the Can-Am Studio to do some new songs. He was all ready to work; we did “Better Days” & “The Struggle Continues”. We started being all around each other almost every day! “To Live and Die In L.A.”, yeah he gave us a lifetime shout out ,we miss 2pac, man.


Dubcnn: Where were you guys the night 2Pac was shot in Las Vegas?

That was so cold. Shit, man I still don’t believe it and I seen it with my own eyes. 2 cars behind, wow, yeah like that.


Dubcnn: A surprise signing to Death Row at the time was MC Hammer. You have song with the former pop-rap star on “Damn Near Dead” entitled “So Long”, which was also produced by Johnny J. Tell me about the construction of that song, and what is was like working with Hammer.

Man, Hammer was all the way down to earth with O.F.T.B., he blessed us with game. We spent a lot of time together as well at Can-Am Studio with MC Hammer and did the song “So Long” that y’all will here on “Damn Near Dead” July 12, 2011.


Dubcnn: Did you guys ever hit the studio with Dr. Dre while he was with the label? If so, what was that experience like and what did you work on?

Yeah, we sat in a few sessions with him, he had too much on his plate. Snoop, Dogg Pound, Rage, Sam Sneed, 2Pac, all kinds of motherfuckers, but he always said he wanted to work with us. But when we signed to Death Row, he was trying to escape Death Row at that time, so don’t be surpise when you hear an O.F.T.B. and. Dr. Dre song, we had a brief talk with him at Nate Dogg’s funeral, R.I.P.


Dubcnn: Speaking of Dre, there were a lot of producers who came through Death Row throughout the 90’s like Daz, DJ Quik, Soopafly, etc. The production for “Damn Near Dead” is handled primarily by the group, with added involvement from Brian G and TKO. Why weren’t there any songs recorded with production from some of the more well-known producers the label had?

O.F.T.B. that’s who we came in with, but we worked with everybody; them songs will be out soon.


Dubcnn: You’ve said in other interviews that Westside Connection came about because of O.F.T.B. Can you elaborate on that statement and explain what you mean?

Bryan Turner had our whole album, artwork and all, and they was about to drop it on Priorty Records. It was 3 niggas throwing up the ‘W’, think about it.


Dubcnn: What are some of the differences you see in the music industry today versus back when you were working with Death Row through the 90’s?

The sound concepts, ain’t nobody original no more.


Dubcnn: What are some of the things you learned while at Death Row during the label’s dominance of the industry?

The business, when and when not to be aggressive, how to make hits and not just songs, for the world not just the hood.


Dubcnn: What does the future hold for O.F.T.B.? Will you guys be doing anything else with WIDEawake?

Yeah, they still have a lot of O.F.T.B. material that will be released soon.


Dubcnn: Any lasting words for our viewers out there?

We’d like to thank John Payne, Mickey Stevenson, Sasha Stoltz, Sonya Pead, Chad Kiser, John Hyland, Jon Hay and everybody at Wideawake/Death Row and all the people working on this project. Shouts out to Jay Rock, Pakkafella, Devey2g, Lyrical F, 2g family, Tha Payroll Ent., K One, and TMC Management Bottom Patrol.




 

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