SLIP CAPONE  (September 2002) | Interview By: Westcoast2K

      

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Westcoast2k.Net: Alright first of all, introduce yourself to the people who don’t know you and let them know where you from.

Slip Capone: Im originally from Hawtorne, California. Im kickin it on 118th Street in Oxford Ave.



Westcoast2k.Net: Alrite, How did you get ur first break in the rap business and who or what motivated u to start rapping?

Slip Capone: Sheeeit, I used to write stories when I was in school. And I just got in the rap and was influenced by like Rakim. I was really into him.



Westcoast2k.Net: How did you hook up with LA Confidential?

Slip Capone: My homeboy Time Bomb, he was here before me. He just gave me a call and told me to come down to LAC. Before that I was fuckin with Kurupt and the Dogg Pound.



Westcoast2k.Net: Are you happy with LAC and how they threat you?

Slip Capone: Oh yea definitely. Im 118% pleased.



Westcoast2k.Net: And before that, were you signed to any label?

Slip Capone: Nope, I was never signed before. I never had a deal before, I was like a free agent.



Westcoast2k.Net: So Are you the next cat to drop on L.A. Confidential?

Slip Capone: Yeah, more than likely.



Westcoast2k.Net: You started working on your solo album?

Slip Capone: Yea we did. We’re still working on it. So far Ive recorded, lets say about 30 songs.



Westcoast2k.Net: Whens the album coming out?

Slip Capone: I don’t know yet, theres no date set.



Westcoast2k.Net: Can you talk about it, like who is doin the production and all that stuff?

Slip Capone: So far I got a little bit Budda, a little bit Battlecat. Probably get some tracks from Fredwreck.



Westcoast2k.Net: And what Rapping wise?

Slip Capone: Uhh, Rappin wise I don’t know. Besides me, Time Bomb and Knoc-Turn’al, I don’t really know who I’m gonna do some features with. Im looking to do some features with some East Coast artists though, cause I pretty much got the West locked.



Westcoast2k.Net: After all this time, how come you never had the chance to put out your own album untill now?

Slip Capone: I did, it was just a matter of time and getting the right deal and not being caught up no where, that you don’t wanna be out of later on, you know?



Westcoast2k.Net: People heard you on lots of featurings and Soundtracks for a long time now. And Knoc-Turn’al just came out and put out his album. How do you feel about his album coming out before yours?

Slip Capone: Shit I aint got a problem with it. I aint got nothin but support from Knoc. His album coming out before mine aint gonna do nothing but increase the built up on mine, you know? So that’s more hype for me.



Westcoast2k.Net: But what exactly went wrong with Knocs album? Was the bootlegging the only reason? He was supposed to come out with a big album, and he came out with 6 tracks.

Slip Capone: Watch, we put the EP out just cause uhhh…..uhhh…Well Bootlegging is a problem. All these bootlegs, and all this computer shit. Getting shit off you can download for free and all that, that’s really no help to an artist in the industry.



Westcoast2k.Net: Yeah right, I agree with you. but I think nowadays you just have to go through that shit, like every rappers album gets bootlegged, so you cant do nothin bout it.

Slip Capone: Right, that’s hard for us. Its just gonna get bootlegged. That’s just they way of the world.



Westcoast2k.Net: So you’re worried that the same could happen to you and your album?

Slip Capone: Naw, I aint worried at all. They can bootleg my shit as long as they want to. I wont do nothing but rewamp it, respice it, throw some new shit on it. And plus Imma drop albums back to back to back.



Westcoast2k.Net: Word..Besides your own album, you got any other projects you’re workin on right now? Maybe collabos?

Slip Capone: Uhh, not right at this very second, no.



Westcoast2k.Net: You gonna hook up with CPO again in the near future?

Slip Capone: Oh yeah that’s definitely something in the future for me and CPO. Definitely, I cant never forget him. He actually helped out way back in the day when I had nothing.



Westcoast2k.Net: Who are some of the artists you would look forward to working with in the future?

Slip Capone: Well, that’s a good question.. Rappin wise or Production wise?



Westcoast2k.Net: Both?


Slip Capone: Production wise Id definitely like somewhere on the line to get a beat from Trent Reznor, Nine Inch Nails. He’s great on production. I love that.



Westcoast2k.Net: And Rappin wise?

Slip Capone: And Rappin wise it would definitely be an honor to do a song with Rakim.



Westcoast2k.Net: What was it like working with Dre?

Slip Capone: With Dre its coo, you know. Dre is a professional. They been watchin me since I was a youngster, since I was about 14. So it was easy for me and Dre getting to do something.



Westcoast2k.Net: You were 14 on the Murder Was The Case Soundtrack?

Slip Capone: Yea, 14 years old.



Westcoast2k.Net: Damn, I thought you were like 18 or 19…You appeared on several DPG songs, how did your affiliation with DPG first come about?

Slip Capone: Me and Kurupt go back to when I was about 10, and he was about 16 so we know eachother for a while. But way back then it was just his doing and me just being around him and Daz and Snoop and everybody.



Westcoast2k.Net: I don’t know if they squashed that, but Daz has openly dissed Knocturnal? You heard about that?

Slip Capone: Nahhh I aint heard about that. Tell me about it, what you know about that I don’t.



Westcoast2k.Net: Well it might not be my business to speak on this, cause I don’t know if they still beefing. But he was sayin some stuff about him cause Knoc claimed to be from Long Beach and Daz didn’t like that so he said what he felt.


Slip Capone: I mean I did never know that Daz really even knew Knoc-turn’al like that to really open his mouth and speak on it.



Westcoast2k.Net: Yeah.. I just told you what I heard, not trying to create anything.


Slip Capone: Well you know, I don’t really know how he would even know that to say that. But for the record, Daz Dillinger is my nigga. He just gets caught up in alotta Drama. I talked to him not to long ago. But I don’t really want to do that in the middle back and forth with all this Hip Hop shit. Everybody know where to find me, if they got something to say about me personally, and if they speaking bad about Knoc-Turn’al, they speaking bad about me too cause thats my nigga.



Westcoast2k.Net: Yeah I hear ya. So you still workin with Deathrow?

Slip Capone: Not really. I would but I’m not at this current moment. Its not something I would like to do, my homebody Kurupt is still over there. You know, I would always work with him, I mean that’s my dogg. Its either way with me you know, I don’t care about do, don’t care about don’t.



Westcoast2k.Net: How did you feel at first when you heard about him going back to Tha Row?

Slip Capone: I feel however he feel about. If he’s happy over there then Im happy for him. If he’s upset about something over there then Im upset that he is.



Westcoast2k.Net: What did you learn about the music business during these past years?

Slip Capone: Umm, shit aint easy at all man. Everybodys in for a certain amount of money, and I mean if you aint it for the Money, Hell. Its like this, it aint nothing gonna happen over night. Lets say you wanna be a Lawyer, right? That’s 7 years of college before you finally get out and get a good job. If you gonna play pro-ball that’s 4 years playing in high school, 4 years in college, then theres a slight chance you might not make it into the NBA, or you might make it. So, anything you wanna do, 10 years putting work in, it will get you somewhere.



Westcoast2k.Net: From all your collaborations, back in the day, to your work today, what memory, good or bad, stands out the most in your head?

Slip Capone: Well, good memories. I had a lot of good memories being around 2Pac. Had a lot of good memories just hangin out at Snoops Dogghouse. Niggaz showin me love. Being able to see the game from a youngsters point of view. You get a lot of game, first hand just being around as supposed to reading a book or taking a class or whatever.



Westcoast2k.Net: You've seen a lot of fashions come and go. How do you feel about rappers that aint from the West jacking the West Coast style just to sell records?

Slip Capone: I mean L.A. is the gangbang capitol of America. The gangbang capitol of the world. They say its gangsta life. We rapping up in bandanas and converse tryin to keep it like colors or something. The West don’t run like that. It is what it is. I mean rep something your not from is wack as its gonna get. Whenever you tryin to be anything that’s out of your element or anything other than yourself it aint gonna last. The public eye can see right through it, you know. People that listen to records know when you’re lying to them, unless you just got a real good thing going.



Westcoast2k.Net: How do you feel about the current state of West Coast hip hop?

Slip Capone: Uhh, I mean its going good. Yeah, the West is looking real good. I like a lot of new artists that’s coming out. I say along line the people like myself, and you got your Xzibit’s and Ras Kass’, and the people that’s showing more lyrical skills from the West, instead of your same ole stereotypical Gangsta Rap, you know?



Westcoast2k.Net: You want it to change in the future or stay like it is?

Slip Capone: I want it to be built on, I mean nothing can stagnant. Its gonna have to be made bigger and stronger.



Westcoast2k.Net: If u could make one change in WC Rap be it in the past or to date what would it be?

Slip Capone: If I could make one change in West Coast Rap Eazy E would still be here. You know you got all these people that put so much on Biggie & Pac. Yeah, we love them and we will never forget them or forget what they did. But I remember Eazy E.



Westcoast2k.Net: Word. Too many people sleep on him and his music.


Slip Capone: Right, that’s what im saying. Cause if it wouldn’t have been no Eazy E, Biggie or 2Pac wouldn’t have been what they were.



Westcoast2k.Net: I got alot of questions from upcoming rappers they told me to ask you. Is there any advice you could give to aspiring rap artists?

Slip Capone: Aspiring rap artists watch your ass and don’t get fucked (laughs).



Westcoast2k.Net: What do you see yourself doin in 5 or 10 years?

Slip Capone: Ahh man, movies. Ill probably be writing scripts or somthing. Im heavily into writing. Raps aint all I write. You know Im a writer so I gotta do bigger things than just writing rap songs.



Westcoast2k.Net: Alright do You got a message for all your fans out there?

Slip Capone: Oh yeah sure. Go get my album, its called Caponey Boy, and don’t worry, it will be out soon. But theres not set date. And I wanna give a shout out to all my fans and family all over the world. I got family in England. So make sure England gets a shout out (laughs).