COOL NUTZ & BOSKO  (May 2004) | Interview By: Westcoast2K

      

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WC2K: Can you speak on the projects you have been workin on?

Cool Nutz: Basically, we started puttin out our albums out in 92. The first Cool Nutz album was "This Nigga's Nutz". Then we put a Cool Nutz single which did real well. Then after that we did a deal with Big Beat / Atlantic and we put out our albums independently with one of my groups Kenny Mack & G-Ism which was called "Nuthin But The Family". Me and Bosko were workin on our albums on Big Beat / Atlantic, but that didnt work out so we got out the deal. Then we put out the first real Cool Nutz CD which was "Harsh Game For The People", it had Yukmouth on there, Poppa LQ, Bosko, and the whole roster from the label. After that we came back with a Portland Hip Hop compilation double CD called "The Western Conference Allstars" which featured alot of Portland artists. Then after that we put out 2 albums on the same day, we put out G-Ism featuring Cool Nutz "On A Mission" and Izay as the next which was an R&B album. After that we put out Cool Nutz "Speakin Upon A Million", then Maniac Lok "I'm Back" and then the D.B.A. album "Doing Business As..." and then we did Cool Nutz "Verbal Porn". And right now we're putting out Cool Nutz & Maniac Lok "The Goon Sqwad" album, and we're puttin that out with C-Bo. That has E-40, B.G., Kurupt, C-Bo, Yukmouth, all my artists from the label. And then we also have the compilation "E-40 Presents Super Producer Bosko's That Fire". And those are both coming out on West Coast Mafia in June.





WC2K: So how did everything start for you, from growing up to gettin in Rap business as an artist?



Cool Nutz: I mean basically we started out Breakdancing and stuff. And at the time we started Breakdancing it kinda went out. So Bosko had some turntables and a keyboard. And we decided that we were gonna get serious about the music thing, so we started puttin together demos, and as we started puttin together demos we decided we should put out some albums. And from there Jus Family Records started, and we started pushin it. Bosko started producing for other people. And then the business side of things started rollin.





WC2K: Did the street life influence your music?



Cool Nutz: Yeah definitely, cause we both grew up in Northeast Portland which is basically Portlands inner city. So we were always in the Urban enviroment so of course that kinda stuff always rubbed off on you. We had gangs migrate to Portland in like 1986. And that started poppin off here. Cats started gettin shot and killed and drugs came in. The city kinda changed so the whole street element was always around.





WC2K: Can you talk about Jus Family Records, who's signed to the label?



Cool Nutz: Right now who we have on the label is of course Cool Nutz, Bosko, Maniac Lok, Brotha Luv, The Phranchise, Bleek, and my boy Dj Chill are all on Jus Family Records. And what you can expect from the stuff that we have coming out, like the Goon Sqwad album is basically more on some West Coast G-Unit type of stuff. Its street but not super-street, kinda inbetween. Its something on there for everybody, its a real versatile album. A lot of people gonna be real surprised with the production. We got Bosko on there producin, my boy Toywoard, my boy Underrated from Humble County, Jeff Simmons. We just got some fire on it. And on the Bosko compilation, he produced the whole thing. He got E-40 on there, Lil Jon, C-Bo, Bubba Sparxxx, Kurupt, Tray Deee, Outlawz, Truth Hurts and a host of other people. You know we been in the game and people know who we are, but feel like we still haven't got our fair shape. People know us but now its time for people to start knowing us and the music.





WC2K: Portland might not be the first place that is thought of when Hip Hop is mentioned to the average Rap listener. Are you trying to put out a message and prove those people wrong by puttin Portland on the map?



Cool Nutz: I mean, of course you want people to recognize your city. But first and foremost we want people to respect us. And after they respect us, they respect where we coming from. Like when they first heard Nelly, they heard Nelly and then they found out he was from St. Louis. So we want people to hear Cool Nutz, Bosko, Maniac Lok and everybody. And then, once they hear the music and they feeling the music, then they equate us with being from Portland.







WC2K: Are you happy with the Hip Hop scene out there in Portland?



Cool Nutz: Honestly, I dont really look at it as me being happy with the Hip Hop scene, because I'm really concerned with what I'm doing. I mean there is stuff out there that I do enjoy, but there is Gangsta Rap songs that I dont like, there is Radio songs that I dont like, there is Backpack Rap songs that I dont like, its with any kind of music. But right now Im so focused on what Im doing that what everybody else is doing is not important cause I feel like they're gettin my money and my attention.





WC2K: What keeps you motivated to keep on releasing albums after being underrated for so long?



Cool Nutz: Because even though I'm not Jay-Z, I'm not E-40 and I havent had that kind of success yet, I have done alot of things that I'm proud of and I've sold records and I got fans. I worked with cats that I grew up listening to, and now they respect me they know who I am and we're doing songs together. Its a constant progression, so its alot of things going on where I feel like we have elevated what we're doing and we're constantly elevating and its only gonna get better.





WC2K: What happened to your solo album "I Hate Cool Nutz"? Is that one still coming out?



Cool Nutz: Yea, the "I Hate Cool Nutz" album will be out after the Goon Sqwad & Bosko compilation. And that will be "E-40 Presents I Hate Cool Nutz". But we did this deal with C-Bo to put out 2 albums, so we're gonna put out the Goon Sqwad album and the Bosko compilation before that.





WC2K: What's the vibe on those new records like? Is there any new sound to it?



Cool Nutz: Its not really a new sound, its just more progressive. I've been doing music for a long time, but at the same time I feel like I'm always trying to progress and be better than I was last time, and I feel like we've gotten better. So I feel like the music is just more progressive, the delivery is better, the song ideas are better.







WC2K: Jus Family Records released the "Militia Mixtape" which was slept on. Talk about that real quick.



Cool Nutz: Well the thing is, the "Militia Mixtape" has new stuff on it, there is some classic stuff on it, and then there is stuff with us rappin over other peoples beats. Songs with E-40, Yukmouth, Jayo Felony, D-Shot, Richie Rich, Pop Lock, my boy E-Dogg from Seattle, Mr. D.O.G...and of course the whole Jus Family Records roster, thats Bosko, Cool Nutz, Maniac Lok, Brotha Luv, The Phranchise, Bleek, and Poppa LQ. And thats basically the sound of it, but you would have to hear what we're doing to get in touch with it you know.

And then there is Boskos mixtape, "The Next Files". That has some fire on it too. You can hit us at the website and order that from JusFamilyRecords.com or at Bombay2K.com. All we want from people is to send us a postage, a $1.10 and we will send them a free mixtape. Because its basically free, all you're paying for is the shipping. Cause we put it together, and how much music can you get for a album or for a mixtape for $1.10.





WC2K: Do you think your album will ever have the chance to make it to the forefront of the mainstream?



Cool Nutz: Yeah I definitely do. But I think we just need the right push behind the projects, thats all.





WC2K: What are the benefits of rollin with an independent label?



Cool Nutz: The benefits are that we're able to control what we wanna do. I can put out records when I want to, I can record when I want to, I go on tour when I want to. Its not for a label to do what I do, I pay for what I'm doing. I make a living doing music, thats all I do full time. So theres no control factor in what we're doing. We do what we wanna do. And Im not saying that we wouldnt want a major to be involved. We want a major to be involved, but just help us keep on doing the way we doing it.





WC2K: So would you rather keep it the underground way or sign with a major again?



Cool Nutz: I mean, yeah.. when we did the deal with Universal, that was a blessing. I learned alot from it, we got alot of money from it. The whole thing was real beneficial. And if we went to another deal, we would have more knowledge from what we did with that deal. I mean everything is a learning situation. It wasnt a bad situation, it was just that the industry changed, the company changed and certain things you dont have control over.





WC2K: Why do you think that West Coast Rap doesnt get any recognition from the masses anymore?



Cool Nutz: I think what happened is that the kind of music that we're doing has to envolve, it has to grow. It kinda stayed the same and theres only a couple artists that elaborated on that. And when the major labels came out here and signed everybody from the Bay and everybody from LA, they kinda just like picked them up and dumped them. They left them and never made any more commitment to them. So its attributed to couple of things, part of it is the music, and part of it its the way the industry threats them. The industry doesnt really show the West Coast artists the same love as they show other artists, and that affects the whole industry.





WC2K: When you say its the music, do you think its lacking in the production or the lyrics?



Cool Nutz: I think its a litte bit of both. I mean I feel like you have artists out here that are progressive and that are doing things. But those artists dont get the proper spotlight. I mean you got artists like E-40, WC, Yukmouth, you got Mac Dre. You got alot of artists like that, they're just not getting the push from labels that they deserve. Somebody like E-40, he should be really going Gold everytime out. But its hard when the label is not giving him the proper push to see him succeed to what he's capable of doing.





WC2K: So when your record drops, what are you hoping for and what will make you happy?



Cool Nutz: What will make me happy is if I do it on the independent level sale considerable units. Me to be able to go out on tour and people respect me and what Im doing. And have some longetivity in the game. I mean I already have longetivity and been in the game for a minute, but being able to turn it up a little bit, as opposed to just tourin the West Coast. Being able touring the West Coast, the Mid-West, Down South, the East Coast. Being able to get on a nice tour with somebody else and expose people to what we are doing. Let people know that Jus Family, Cool Nutz, Bosko, Maniac Lok, we aint playing. And if we do it on a major level, do it where we have the videos, and we have the push that we deserve from the label, radio support and all of those things. Those are the things that count that will make a record successful.





WC2K: I guess thats gonna be kinda hard with the situation and how it is right now!



Cool Nutz: Yeah but I feel like one of the things that we have is that even though that we're doing it from a independent level, we do certain things from a major standpoint in a sense of publicity and press and gettin out promoting our stuff and touring and things of that nature. We do alot of stuff that alot of independent West Coast artists dont do. You can only create sales if you're out workin, but if you're not out workin and not trying to make a project successful, it aint gonna happen, even on a small level. Everybody's hoping to take it back to the days when the West Coast was running it. But right now we're not at that point, we just gotta get back on deck, get back on board, get people back to understand that they need to feel what we're doing. Because we do got alot of hard artists. I mean you got the Jayo Felonys out here, you got the Xzibits, Dj Quik, The Relativez, theres so many cats that deserve the spotlight. And thats what its gonna take for the West Coast to get back where it needs to be. Its beyond the music, its about the labels pushin us. Cause you see that people are listening, because you got people like Jay-Z who're getting Quik to make beats, So So Def signed Daz Dillinger. People are paying attention to the West Coast, its just that we need to get it back where the West Coast is a powerhouse.





WC2K: I guess thats kinda frustrating isnt it?



Cool Nutz: I mean its a little frustrating, but we got a whole West Coast market out here, people that wanna hear it. I mean there is a whole nation, Snoop still goes platinum, its just that we need more artists that go platinum other than Snoop and Dre. Like I said, we need the Quiks, the E-40's, the Yukmouths, the Relativez, and people like that that are puttin out good albums, that need to be heard and need the push and the attention.





WC2K: You mentioned your website JusFamilyRecords.com, is the whole internet helping you push it in any way?



Cool Nutz: Yeah I definitely feel like it helps. Cause if you dont have a video and you aint on the radio all the time, the internet is one way for you to get in touch with the world. I mean Im doing this interview with you because of the internet, so thats a typical example that there is alot of opportunities out there. I mean there is alot of artists that are selling alot of records off the internet that would never be really selling them kinda units if it wasnt for the internet.







WC2K: Aight Bosko, whats going on with you?





Bosko: Man Im in the studio right now rockin the talkbox! Right now doing something with Dj Felli Fel from Power 106. But look out for the "That Fire" compilation with the self-titled first single, thats with E-40 on it, C-Bo, Cool Nutz and myself. Im rappin on the compilation, singin, producing, doing the talkbox, playing the ukulele, everything man. You know, I produced the whole thing, from top to bottom. And we got a whole bunch of guest appearances too, we got a cut with Lil Jon on there, Kurupt, WC, B.G. of The Hot Boyz, Tray Deee from Tha Eastsidaz, C-Bo and E-40 of course on a couple of different cuts, Cool Nutz, Maniac Lok, Cryciz, Max Julian, Truth Hurts and some more.






WC2K: How did the joint venture with C-Bo and E-40 come into the picture?



Bosko: Well me and E-40 been workin together for years, so it really made sense to talk about doing something together. And I kinda started workin with C-Bo in the last few years, we been workin real tight. Like I mixed the last 3 albums with him. And I produced like 20 tracks for him in the last couple years, we just had a good vibe and they had a good situation so we figured why not team up and do something together.





WC2K: Now that you worked on it so hard, do you got any expectations for the project?



Bosko: You know I think its just one of those things where the Sky is the limit because not only do we have records for the streets of the following of C-Bo, and E-40 kinda gives us a little bit of that crossover. And then I'm bringin production style one some of the tracks that are heard around the country, worldwide, the radio and clubs, its not really too street so its like universal. And then the singing that I'm doing is a whole other dimension. Its gonna start slow and it can build, you know we're trying to win Grammys around here.





WC2K: Is there anything else you wanna say to the people who read this?



Cool Nutz: I just wanna make sure that people are paying attention, and are getting ready for Cool Nutz, Bosko, and the whole Jus Family Records. All the albums we got coming, everything we doing, Portland, Seattle, the whole Northwest. Keep your ear to the concrete and keep on listening. Log on to JusFamilyRecords.com to see what we got coming as far as shows, news and updates. Log on to Bombay2K.com to stay up to date of what we got going on.