New Interview with Coniyac (of Doggy's Angels)

[Styles1]

Read my new interview with Coniyac (formerly of Doggy's Angels) at www.wethewest.com ...She talks about her new EP with Crooked I as an Executive Producer and her fiance' Tray Dee.

WeTheWest.com caught up with former Doggy’s Angels member Coniyac for an exclusive new interview. For those that need reminding, Doggy’s Angels was an all female rap group started by Snoop Dogg which was a take on the popular 70’s/80’s TV show Charlie’s Angels. The group itself didn’t last too long but that hasn’t stopped Coniyac from pursuing her dream still. Now engaged to incarcerated rapper, Long Beach legend Tray Dee of Tha Eastsidaz, Coniyac is gearing up to release hew new EP which will be Executive Produced by Crooked I. Read this new interview and see what Coniyac has been up to. This Doggy’s Angel isn’t finished yet.


Styles: I spoke to you a few years back and you were working on new music. What have you been up to since then?

Coniyac: I am working on the EP now. Its being put out by Tray Dee, Crooked I and myself. I’ve also been building up my management company with artists that I’m dealing with that do totally different music. I have 3 artists that I’m managing now – and R &B act, a neo-Soul group and an alternative pop group that just went on tour with Raphael Saadiq. I’ve also been doing some features on some different mixtapes.

Styles: Tell us more about this EP that you are working on.

Coniyac: I was going to call it “Blue Velvet” but I’m probably going to change it. I’m about 60 percent in to it. I’m going through beats right now with different producers. I’m just trying to get features that really work with me and my style. I’m not in to using somebody just to get some publicity. Crooked I is on there of course. I also have my artists and I’m still working on a few more people.

Styles: Crooked I is one of the Executive Producers for this project. Tell us about your link with him?

Coniyac: Crooked I is actually like my brother – we go back to the days of High School. We also started in the same circle. We’ve got history.

Styles: You listed Tray Dee as an Executive Producer too.

Coniyac: That’s my fiancé. He’s always giving me advice and lets me know what’s best for me. He helps me to be better at what I do.

Styles: This is a personal question. How are you dealing with him being locked up?

Coniyac: Honestly, it’s a lot of pressure. It can be stressful. This is not something that I am not used to. I have a brother that is doing life right now. When I received my first advance with Doggy’s Angels, the first thing I did was pay an Attorney’s fee to help get my brother out of his situation -so I really know how to deal with this. To me it’s worth the wait but it can be a little hard because I feel like he’s a talented individual and should be out here building, as opposed to where he is now.

Styles: How is Tray doing?

Coniyac: He is doing great! I just spoke with him a couple of days ago. I also saw him a week ago. He is doing real well. He wanted to give a shout out to you and to everybody. He appreciates the support that he’s received from a lot of different people – Mack 10, Fredwreck, 40 Glocc, Bad Azz and others.

Styles: Do you still associate or talk to your former group-mates in the Doggy’s Angels group?

Coniyac: We’ve gone our separate ways. Everybody is basically CEO’ing themselves right now. You kind of grow up and grow out of things. It was fun while it lasted. I have no complaints.

Styles: You all have never hit each other up to do a song or get a feature?

Coniyac: No, we don’t do any of that. We don’t even talk to each other. Everybody is just doing “them” right now. I get a lot of questions asked about the other girls. I know that Chan has a clothing line that she’s working on but as far as the other one – I have no clue.

Styles: What about people in the Dogg Pound camp? Do you still associate with anybody?

Coniyac: Yeah, we all kind of see each other here and there and we talk. I see Bad Azz every now and then. I just spoke to Soopafly. I went to Snoop and his wife’s event where they re-did their vows. When we all see each other, it’s all love. That was my first family and I learned a lot from them.

I respect somebody that gave me the opportunity to get a little closer to my dream. Just being around all of that, I learned a lot and I was the youngest there. I got to soak up a lot of game and there will always be love.

Styles: Do you still listen to the Doggy’s Angels music that you all made?

Coniyac: Oh yeah. I still listen to our music, Tha Eastsidaz, all that. I get a lot of people that tell me that they still listen to our music. They’ve had their CD’s stolen or lost and they want to re-purchase it. It amazes me that there are still people out there listening to it. I get hit up online and on myspace and I appreciate it.

Styles: If memory serves correct, you guys had some trouble from the people behind Charlie’s Angels, right?

Coniyac: They were really going hard on us for the silhouette used on the CD cover. Honestly, it was something that we as a group didn’t like. We saw the silhouette and thought that it was ugly but it was used anyway. Then the lawsuit came in and slowed up everything.

Styles: Did the lawsuit take away from your royalties?

Coniyac: The label dealt with that out of their own pockets.

Styles: I ask that because I’ve heard of labels recouping lawsuit losses from the artist’s royalties.

Coniyac: No, plus Snoop would never let that happen.

Styles: Do you like what you’re hearing from the female MC’s today?

Coniyac: There are a lot of dope female MC’s out here. It really bothers me that they don’t get the same push as a male artist would. That’s a problem because when you look at most of every successful camp, they had a female backbone. You look at Biggie and Lil Kim, Jay-Z had Foxxy Brown and Trick Daddy had Trina – you know what I’m saying? We deserve to be heard just as well. I feel like female MC’s get brushed under the rug as if they’re not important. There are a lot of females that I’ve heard that are really nice but they just don’t get that push.

Styles: Is there any pressure from the people that call the shots for female MC’s to be sexually suggestive in their lyrics and appearance?

Coniyac: I don’t think there’s much pressure. To me, that stuff is kind of old anyway. The best Lil Kim record was the last one she put out before she did her time. That whole album spoke about real topics and what was going on. When we are overly sexual, I don’t think that people take us seriously as artists. I really don’t think people take us serious – especially from my personal experience. I’d rather have a guy listen to a female and say “damn” over what she’s saying as opposed to “I want to lay up with that.”

Styles: In your opinion, how much does a woman’s looks play in to her success?

Coniyac: It comes in to play to a certain extent. A record executive once said, “The girls have to want to be like you, and the guys have to want to be with you.” That’s why Beyonce’ is so successful. You can’t even hate on her! You want to be like Beyonce’ - whether its looking beautiful or working hard to be successful -and the guys want to actually be with her! In my opinion that is important. There has to be something, but you also have to look at Da Brat. She’s the first solo female to go platinum and she covered up from neck to ankle. With female rappers I think it’s more geared towards your music and how well you put your album together.

Styles: How much does personality play in to a factor?

Coniyac: It plays a lot. Lil Kim has a lot of character. The females that have stuck out have had their own personalities. Queen Latifah had the “Ladies First” attitude. MC Lyte was the boss Mafioso type with her lyrics. Personality is who you are times 10. Males have swagger but I feel the same thing can go for females too.

Styles: Do you feel that star personality is developed or something that you are born with?

Coniyac: I think its something that you just have. If you try to create it then it’s fake. Its like you are trying to convince yourself.

Styles: What about an artist that has a lot of talent but not a lot of personality?

Coniyac: I think that if they look deep within themselves, they can find what really works for them. Maybe they are just shy and they need their personality brought out? You can go in the booth and knock it out with your talent but if you want to project it to everybody else, then you have to sell it. I might hear Beyonce’ sing a song that’s cool but when I see her perform it and sell it – I like it better. Her personality sold it. That’s something that an artist has to try to develop. People forget that this is entertainment. At some point you have to entertain people.

Styles: How are you adjusting to the way that the rap industry is now as opposed to when you had your major label record deal?

Coniyac: I am adjusting to this whole situation because back then when we got deals, we had some nice checks cut! There were nice checks cut like “Wow!” But there are ways around everything even if it’s a slower process. My father used to tell me, “Don’t get out of line because if you do, you will never get closer to the front.” Don’t get out of line – keep it going. Keep doing you! Artists trying to be like the next person is hurting the industry. I told Rage once that she was the dopest and she was like, “Naw. People doing things different is what makes everybody tight.” I can write lyrics on the spot while she needs to go sit down and marinate on it, but she said that’s what makes everybody dope at what they do. There is room for everybody and you have to be yourself. Don’t try to be like anybody else – that just kills it when you do that. Be individually dope at what you do.


Link: http://www.wethewest.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=235:coniyac&catid=34:2009-04-19-16-25-13

[Kool Beenz]

gonna read right now

[Kool Beenz]

wow good read

good to know Tray is still doing good and how his bitch ended up

i see Crooked smashin that though while Tray Dee is locked up lol

[LONDON!!]

good shit, i'll definetly look out for her product, that 'against the grain' tune she did back in the day was some classic club shit, how club records are supposed to be, grown an sexy, but still street, no corny shit, that tune still gets rinsed out, truss me on that

its good to hear tray dee is holding his head up too, thats big, fuck the system, free tray dee

[Mietek23]

Good read - propz for the interview

[Okka]

Good interview. Nice to see that Bad Azz and others are still supportin' Tray Deee, even though he said in the last interview that they ain't visited him.

ConiYac yo X did u get that letter from Tray Deee @mrxtothaz

I hope Tray Deee and Xzibit will we workin together when he gets out.

[GimmeYourShoes]

Coniyac. That's just a bad name to give a child.

[Jaydc555]

She's one of the few female emcees I'd buy an album from

[DOGGSHIT]

Cool interview

[kuruptDPG]

is she good looking?

[2euce 7even]

good thread..good interview..2 bad yall fooz didnt ask bout death row..!

[Okka]

is she good looking?

[kuruptDPG]

good thread..good interview..2 bad yall fooz didnt ask bout death row..!

yh id give her the dick

[Jaydc555]

Why would they ask about death row?she had nothing to do with it.What are you just wanting them to ask random artists about death row?LOL

[Soopafly DPGC]

Styles: What about people in the Dogg Pound camp? Do you still associate with anybody?

Coniyac: Yeah, we all kind of see each other here and there and we talk. I see Bad Azz every now and then. I just spoke to Soopafly.

Best part of the interview right there.  So what did her and Soopafly talk about?  Why didn't you explore this more in your line of questioning?  You kind of slipped up there, you had a window to ask her about Soopafly and you didn't!  He worked with her on the Doggys Angels album, he did a guest spot on it!  I want to know what they were talking about.  Can you get in contact with her again and ask her what they were talking about?