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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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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