Author Topic: New Top Dogg interview (Read 177 times)

The "Untouchable" DJR · « **on:** June 06, 2006, 03:26:21 PM »

Source: http://www.worldwideconnected.com/modules.php?name=Content&pa=showpage&pid=603

WorldWideConnected.com: What did you do before you hooked up with Death Row?

Before I hooked up with Death Row I was really just hustlin’. Just anywhere I could get it, ya know. Haircuts, tattoos, artwork… just anything. Just hustlin’.

WorldWideConnected.com: When did you take the rap thing seriously enough to, you know, go for it…

I took the rap thing seriously when I was like 16… Or 15. Yep at 15 I took it serious and I made my first demo. I hooked up with a cat named Roy, my boy Roy, he was an artist and always into artwork so I had seen a lot of paintings he had and shit like that… Suge Knight and 2pac and Snoop and the other gang… just portraits and I was like “damn” and I just got into it. He knew someone who had all these connections with Suge and all that. One thing led to another. I did a demo and slid it to him, he slid it to Suge and that was that.

WorldWideConnected.com: Was Suge in prison when you signed to the label?

I was fuckin’ around with them cats before that but I signed to him when he was in prison.

WorldWideConnected.com: A lot of former Death Row artists say they never got their money from them and all that. Did that happen to you?

I say mothafuckas should’ve taken care of their business from the jump, ya know what I’m sayin’. I can’t speak on who got paid or not but I got my share and I can’t really speak down on that man. Not because of no scary shit or nothing. All I had to do was put music out and I got paid. Other than that, shit, I feel like everybody should’ve taken care of their business.

WorldWideConnected.com: So there’s no hard feelings or anything…

Nah I’m straight. That’s real.

WorldWideConnected.com: A lot of people say you sound a lot like Snoop.

Yeah.

WorldWideConnected.com: Do you think that’s a good or bad thing?

Well shit they’re comparing me to one of the best on the west. He’s a household name doing his thing. I feel like they can compare our voices and everything, but as far as style there’s no comparison. I’m really puttin’ my foot into it, I’m not watered down., ya know what I’m sayin? And I mean it when I say it and I say it when I mean it feel what I’m smokin’?

WorldWideConnected.com: Yeah.

Hell yeah.

WorldWideConnected.com: But is it true that Death Row told you to sound more like Snoop than you already did?

Naw naw. I always had that sound.

WorldWideConnected.com: I guess that was just a rumor at the time.

Yeah that’s a bunch of bullshit media hype shit.

WorldWideConnected.com: Yeah.

But I’mma let them mothafuckas know that it’s not a fluke it’s not a gimmick. It’s some real shit, dawg. It’s gonna be for real when this shit drops.

WorldWideConnected.com: Do you have any hard feelings towards Snoop right now? I mean you dissed him a little bit…

Oh yeah I ain’t gonna sit back and let an other n*gga diss me. I’m gonna do what I gotta do. Shit I’m a man and it’s every man for himself in this game. It’s like in High School if them mothafuckas push you. They’re gonna keep pushin’ on you until you stick your chest out and say something. But that’s me. I ain’t gonna back down or bow down to no man, feel me? That’s real. I just never did that. That’s how I was taught.

WorldWideConnected.com: Ok…

But now, I ain’t really trippin’ off of that n*gga like that. He’s doing his thing.

WorldWideConnected.com: What about that track tho? Top Dogg Cindafella. A lot of rumours about that. How that came along and everything.

What kinda rumors did you hear about it?

WorldWideConnected.com: Basically two rumours. One saying that Snoop made the song first and then you made it to show that you’re better. The other rumour I heard was that you made the song and then basically Snoop made the song too cause he thought he was better than you.

Yeah the second one is the right story.

WorldWideConnected.com: So you made it first?

Yeah. It was on the radio and everything first. Then when we did the video that was the reason I dissed him on the video. And the video played all day.

WorldWideConnected.com: When did you leave Death Row?

I left Death Row in about 2001 when the contract expired, and you know there was just so much bullshit going on. People were trying to sue Suge back and forth left and right. Trying to fuck up his shit. So things were really slow because they needed to concentrate on that. It was hard for them to feed mothafuckas. That’s what’s up with that. There ain’t no hard feelings or anything. That’s my nigga. If they go back up and running and wanna fuck with me again I’ll go fuck with em. It’s like that.

WorldWideConnected.com: So you left the label before Too Gangsta 4 Radio.

That was around the time when my contract was already expired. I didn’t really do no songs on TG4R I only did the intro.

WorldWideConnected.com: So you made the call yourself to leave the label…

My contract expired. My time was up. It was like “are we gonna renew this contract or not”? And it was all this other bullshit… We had a couple of meetings but we never got around to it. I mean there was a lot of bullshit… Daz and everybody’s suing him. So everything was real slow.

WorldWideConnected.com: You had a strong team on Death Row at the time, man… A lot of people think we missed out on a lot of classic albums.

Yeah basically. It was just songs done but I never had an album done over there on Death Row so that’s what I’m here to go with. I never gave them my album I just gave em some singles. People heard me on a couple of soundtracks and that’s all they heard me on but they’re gonna get my solo album called “The Renegade” and shit…

WorldWideConnected.com: Are you still cool with Tha Realest?

Yeah we cool.

WorldWideConnected.com: Are there any other former Death Row artists that you…

Yeah I’m cool with everybody from Death Row, man.

WorldWideConnected.com: Allright. So what have you been doing since 2001?

I was just working on my project. Just working, trying to perfect my album. Stand invincible.

WorldWideConnected.com: Didn’t you release a mixtape?

I got a mixtape that coming out real soon.

WorldWideConnected.com: What’s the title of the mixtape?

The mixtape is called “Top Dogg Presents: Dark Sige Mixtape Vol 1”.

WorldWideConnected.com: Are you gonna use industry beats or original beats for it?

I’m gonna have a few, like 4, mixtape beats and the rest are gonna be original. The mixtape is gonna be a party all the way through, dawg. It don’t stop. It just go all the way through.

WorldWideConnected.com: Cool. Do you have any guests on the mixtape?

Yeah I’m having Eastwood, my boy Hooks, Mike G, I got my girl Cabby Cane on there, Young Gotti aka Speedy, Gina Ross, D.M… Basically it’s gonna be in-house artists from my label and on the album I’mma put a few big names up there. Gotta give the artists that’s gonna come out their shot. I got my boy The Rock on there… The mixtape’s hot, dawg.

WorldWideConnected.com: What about producers?

We got all in-house producers too.

WorldWideConnected.com: What’s the name of the label?

Dark Side Music.

WorldWideConnected.com: What’s the title of the album?

The album’s called “The Renegade”, because I have to do this shit myself.

WorldWideConnected.com: When do you plan to release it?

I plan to release it in the summertime. Around that time. I don’t have a specific date right now.

WorldWideConnected.com: How far into it are you?

The album’s about halfway done.

WorldWideConnected.com: Do you have the in-house producers on that one aswell?

Yeah in-house producers and I’m trying to get DJ Quik this time. You know I did some shit with DJ Quik in 2000 so I’mma try to go fuck with him. Trying to get some tracks from Kurk Kobane, from my boy Hook, Tefmine and some other cats. It’s gonna be hot, dawg.

WorldWideConnected.com: What are you gonna speak on on the album?

I’m gonna speak on a lot of shit. There’s gonna be something for everybody. It’s gonna be versatile. Some of this and some of that. The album’s gonna be based on skills and talent and technique and style.

WorldWideConnected.com: Do you have any guests on the stuff you recorded so far?

I got The Relativez on some shit. Like I said Eastwood. Speedy, Gina Ross. Everybody else is like up-and-coming.

WorldWideConnected.com: So it seems you’ve been staying cool with the people you worked with in the past…

Oh yeah. You can’t burn bridges, ya know what I mean?

WorldWideConnected.com: Ok. So have you been recording all this time? I mean is there a reason for you coming back, not necessarily calling it a comeback, right now?

Like you say I don’t really wanna call it a comeback because I ain’t never came out. I just had singles. When I drop this first album it’s gonna be like history though, because I plan on selling a lot of records. I’m in it to sell records. The world’s ready and I’m gonna sock it to em, dawg.

WorldWideConnected.com: Are you looking for distribution?

Yeah if somebody wanna come with that, but right now I’m just pushing everything independent. I don’t really have any distribution or none of that but I’ve got everything lined up. I ain’t really trippin’ on that.

WorldWideConnected.com: Do you have some kind of deal with Suge Knight that you can’t release an album before he give you the OK or anything like that?

Naw I ain’t got no deal with Suge about nothing like that. Ain’t no deals like that. I can do whatever I want to.

WorldWideConnected.com: Why do you think you’re the first artist to actually release an album from the old Death Row roster? (EDIT: Mac Shawn and Swoop G has both released albums) I mean Tha Realest has been talking about an album for like 5 years.

Well you know some of us talk about it and some of us be about it. I’mma talk about it AND be about it. That’s probably why they don’t have no album out. They should’ve had an album out but waiting and staring at the mirror ain’t gonna put one out. Like I said I’ve been asleep in the cut trying to perfect it and I’m ready. It’s the season and I’m hungry. I’m just gonna do it.

WorldWideConnected.com: Do you have any plans for after the album come out?

After the album come out I’m just gonna do it big. That’s my plan. I’mma act a fool.

WorldWideConnected.com: Ok so there’s not any specific projects…

Oh there’s an other project I’ve got too it’s called the “Naked Barbie” project. That’s my female artist. We’ve got to keep it going. We ain’t gonna sleep on nothing.

WorldWideConnected.com: How about the Last Circle? How involved were you in that?

The Last Circle was Tha Realest group. I was never in that circle. I did a couple of songs here and there but I was never really a group artist like that. I was always solo and I’m still solo.

WorldWideConnected.com: You get the impression that you worked real close on the Chronic 2000. Like you, Tha Realest and Swoop G. How was that?

Yeah. That was cool. I mean we worked with eachother along and all but it wasn’t like we were with eachother 24/7. That’s how it went down over at Death Row. Everybody was cool with eachother.

WorldWideConnected.com: When Daz left Death Row there were rumours about him fighting with you and Tha Realest which resulted in him leaving the label. What was up with that?

Me and Daz never had no fight. Actually, me Daz and Tray Dee were cool as fuck. Those were the first two cats I had really met. We was always cool. So it wasn’t over no fight or nothing. I guess he just had issues over money with Suge.

WorldWideConnected.com: Where do you see yourself in 10 years?

Shit. An entrepreneur. Having a couple of businesses. A barbershop, tattoo shop. Shit like that.

WorldWideConnected.com: Yeah you said you do a lot of art stuff. Do you still do that? What exactly do you doo?

Yeah I grew up doing that. I do tattoos, portraits, paintings, animations… I’m an artist. I’m an artist before a musician. I’m still an artist.

WORD ASSOCIATION

Tha Realest

Cool.

Reggie Wright

Hahahaha… ohh shit… that’s what I have to say.

K-9

Oh he straight. He talk a little bit too much and be beside himself, but he’s a cool mothafucka though.

The Outlawz

The Outlawz they cool.

Mac Shawn

That’s my n*gga.

Doesn’t he have like a big Death Row tattoo on his back?

Hahaha. You’re talking about uhm… my boy. He cool. Whoo Ryder. He was like a bodyguard/artist.

Is that common at Death Row? Security trying to be an artist?

Nah not really. Not usually.

Notorious BIG

He dope.

You had a diss track towards him… Goin’ back to Cali…

Oh yeah. I had to do that for the West Coast tho.

Did you regret doing that song after he passed?

It was kind of like… shit happens. I mean it wasn’t me but I don’t regret that song. That was an attitude like that. I gotta keep doing what I do and other than that I don’t really regret no song.

Suge Knight

That’s my n*gga.

What do you think about what’s going on with him now?

I think it’s a bunch of bullshit and a bunch of media shit. I think he need to really take a few steps back from the game and look at what’s going on and then step back to it with a big master-plan like he always do it.

Crooked I

I don’t really fuck with that guy. I mean I’ve seen em and he’s cool. I don’t really know him though but other than that we cool.

Tupac

Yeah he was cool.

Keita Rock

Oh yeah that’s my n*gga.

Ja Rule

I don’t know that cat. He’s straight. He’s doing something with himself.

Yourself, Top Dogg.

Oh shit I’m real extravagant right now. I feel I’m real good though. I finna really drop something and come with it upside ya head and keep going and don’t stop.

Is there anything you wanna say before we wrap this up?

I appreciate the interview and shit. I’m gonna keep coming with it and shit.

After interviewing Top Dogg, WWC discovered that one of his artists, Nekkid Barbie, was in the building. We saw the opportunity to have a lil’ talk with her too. Here’s what was said:

WorldWideConnected.com: So you’re the first lady on Top Doggs label huh?

Nekkid Barbie: I’m an upcoming solo artist. I’m from the west coast. I’m like the California Barbie girl. I’m like a West Coast Lil Kim.

WorldWideConnected.com: So you’re gonna speak on a lot of things then, huh?

Nekkid Barbie: Yeah. That’s what I’m here to do. West up.

WorldWideConnected.com: So you got the album coming too…

Nekkid Barbie: Yeah I got the single pressed up already. “Barbie girl”. And I’m slowly working on another album too.

WorldWideConnected.com: So that album’s gonna be released after Top Dogg’s album then?

Nekkid Barbie: Yeah. We’re working on my album in the process and we’re trying to get this mixtape out too. Trying to work on these mixtapes and these feature songs with a few artists.

WorldWideConnected.com: So how much have you done on the album?

Nekkid Barbie: So far I’ve only been working with different artists. I’m like a unsigned undiscovered talent just thirsting to come out. I got a lot of songs but not all is even put down yet.

WorldWideConnected.com: So are you gonna be on Top Doggs projects aswell?

Nekkid Barbie: Yeah I’m gonna feature on the mixtape and the album

WorldWideConnected.com: What do you think you’ve got that the rap game needs?

Nekkid Barbie: I’m a female rapper speaking the real.

WorldWideConnected.com: So you don’t think there’s a lot of females…

Nekkid Barbie: I don’t really remember a lot of females from the West Coast blowing up other than Yo-Yo. I mean I got my own style, ballistic style… I do commercial songs and x-rated stuff too. Club music too. I try to do a lot of different stuff. I’m not only bringing one style, I’m bringing different flavours within myself.

WorldWideConnected.com: So how did you hook up with Top Dogg?

Nekkid Barbie: Haha. Through a mutual friend of mine, also a rap artist… I hooked up with him back when he was on Death Row. I wasn’t working on music really… But there’s so much to rap about and now, man, I do my thing.

WorldWideConnected.com: So why did you choose to enter the music business?

Nekkid Barbie: Well I’ve been wanting to ever since I met Eazy.

WorldWideConnected.com: Eazy.E… What was he like?

Nekkid Barbie: He was real cool. He had a good personality. I mean I didn’t know him well or anything but I talked to him and everything… I was only 15 years old but he was a real cat. After that, I’ve known all my life I was gonna end up rapping or producing. I mean I’ve been around meeting a lot of other artists aswell but meeting Eazy was special. Suge, Kurupt, Battlecat… I know a lot of people. They just don’t know I got this hot music spitting what people are thinking about and talking about…

WorldWideConnected.com: So what made you take the step to being a recording artist then?

Nekkid Barbie: Well I just thought I’d try it out and the people around me liked it and said I should do it. They’d support me. I actually spit my first verse in a bathroom, haha. That’s how it all got started… about five years ago.

Copyright © by World Wide Connected Hip-Hop & R&B All Right Reserved.

Published on: 2006-06-06