Devin The Dude Interview

[D-Nice]

http://www.illuminati2g.com/devinthedudeinterview.htm

I2G kicked it with Devin The Dude for a exclusive interview. We discuss his upcoming album, Suite 420, dropping on E1 Music 4/20/10, we also discuss his favorite tracks from his solo albums, his favorite Biggie joint and a rumor about him taking a trip to see the Doctor. Check it out.

For audio of the interview, click on the link below:

http://www.mediafire.com/?gnje4jmjet2

Illuminati 2G is here with Devin The Dude how's it going?

Devin: (Sings) Just coolin, we are coolin, coolin (laughs)

I2G: (laughs) You have a new album coming out, called Suite 420, appropriately dropping on 4/20. Tell me how you came up with the title and the concept for the album.

Devin: Suite 420 well at first it sounded like a cigar, Swisher Sweet. The 420, the everyday holiday man at 4:20, smokers anthem. It was kind of a smokers title but it is not necessarily a whole smokers album. It then evolved into the more a hotel suite, like 420, where a group of people, regardless of race, color and rank could chill in one room.

Weed tends to bridge the gap with alot of people and alot of things and open the minds of people. I figured it is a hotel suite, 420, and weed (laughs). But for the most part it is a more grown up project.

I2G: Tell me a little bit about your new single, What I Be On.



Devin: Yeah that is my first single, produced by my man Reggie Coby out of Austin, Texas. Over the years people know that I mention weed and brew alot (laughs).

I2G: Right. (Laughs)

Devin: And that is pretty much what I be on. As I travel and do shows, I am on weed and brew while I am out there grinding and hustling. Whatever I do, I do not allow it to stop my work ethic, and it is not a crutch for me but it is something that makes me feel good. Everyone has their own niche and I am just letting people know what I be on.

I2G: This is your second solo album now that you are off of Rap-A-Lot. Why the split from the label a couple of years ago?

Devin: This is actually my third project. We did a Coughee Brothers Waitin Our Turn album, Landing Gear, and I also did a Smoke Sessions Volume 1, the first official mixtape, but we had alot of original music that we did in there also. It's called a mixtape but it is production that we have. As far as leaving from Rap-A-Lot, it was a contractual thing, the contract was over and it was a 10 year thing.

It was like 4 or 5 albums or 10 years, whichever came first. I think I was at both of them at the same time. It ended pretty cool, nice lil rip and run and I learned alot from being on the label. It came to a point that if I wanted to have music come out when I wanted to or wanted to develop groups, I would have to create a label and or find a nice distribution company to filter our music out through and that is what I did.

I2G: What would you say is the one thing you learned from the label and the one thing that you miss from the label?

Devin: Well I have learned as far as promoting out on the road. Being on tours and dealing with radio stations, video people and thing that are expected of you, the attitudes that you should bring to the table knowing that you are always at someone elses place when you are traveling. You respect them as such and if you respect others in travel, it with come back to you.

Studio time, when you are in the studio, time is precious. Taking care of your business in there and there is no lolly gagging around in there and not getting any work done. That was another thing that was real cool, you know back then the time was not available like it is now. There was no Pro Tools and you could not go anywhere to record like that.

You had to spend a nice little piece of money to record in the studio. The expectations of the artists and the people around you to maintain a good record company, it works like a well oiled machine. Every part has to be in place, everything has to be in line and that is what keeps it moving. They set standards as far as independent records, there was not too many independents fucking with Rap-A-Lot.

I2G: Absolutely and still don't for the most part.

Devin: What I missed was that it was like a family. So many groups on one label, so many ideas and people vibing with each other an that lead to us helping each other out with different projects. People that during any other time we would not be dealing with, we are writing and recording songs together and it was a melting pot.

Rap-A-Lot had so many groups, and within those groups, we all became tight. There was no real beef and strife, there might be a incident here and there, but you are talking about around 100 artists individually that came through that label. It was a whole bunch of people. I miss that, the big family thing.

I2G: Getting back to the new album, do you have any other singles picked after What I Be On?

Devin: Well actually we were just talking about it and we are going to get some radio edits together and a song called Ultimate High, if not the next one, it will be the third one. It has my homeboy Smit D, he was with the original Facemob back in 1996. He went and did a 12 year stint on lock but he is back out now and he hit the ground running and he has been recording and he is on a couple tracks. One is Ultimate High and the other is I Got A Ho with Jugg Mugg from Odd Squad. Ultimate High is looking like the next one man. We are working on putting a video together for that and bang em out.

I2G: I just wanted to go through your solo albums and ask you what your favorite joints or memories are from them. The first album is The Dude, what is your favorite track or memory from making that album?



Devin: It is hard to have a favorite, but one that is close to me is See What I Can Pull. Because that was one of the first tracks that I got my 2 cents on producing. I co produced that with DJ Domo. That particular song, I wrote it as a rap at first, and sometimes as quick as you write it, is as quick as you can get into the studio to record it.

But what happened with that track, I wrote it, but I did not find it until 2 weeks later and when I went to go record it, I forgot the rap pattern. So I just sang it, because I forgot totally how the rap went. I was in there tripping, we finished and we was like yeah let's keep it. I was just going to keep it until I found the rap pattern but I never did and it stayed as is.

Alot of people like the song, but if they would have only knew how it came to be. Now they do.

I2G: Was that always the concept for that album cover? That is one of the classic hip hop album covers of all time, funniest too.

Devin: Nah man it just came up out the blue. (laughs)

I2G: Laughs

Devin: Literally like 800 pictures man, and while we were in the midst of that, and Big Keith from the label he was like say Devin you got a song called Boo Boo'n right? You should take a picture with you on the toilet Boo Boo'n (laughs)

I2G: Laughs

Devin: I was like man I don't know what this is, but I was drinking and I was high at the time so I was like fuck it let's do it. I did it and we took 2 snaps of that and we wrapped it up. When it came time to choose what pictures we were going to go with, we were trying to decide with 8 of them, and so we had Coughee Brothers and Odd Squad there to help pick them.

I was like what picture should be the album cover. Unanimously it was the cover that it is today, the boo boo'n photo. I was like come on man yall got to be kidding.

I2G: Laughs

Devin: They was like nah that's it. I just said fuck it we gonna go with it then.

I2G: Next album is To Tha X-treme

Devin: Well actually you forgot Just Tryin To Live

I2G: Your right.



Devin: But for To The Xtreme it would probably be the song Anythang. It was a sample from the Rick James song, Hollywood. We all from the Odd Squad had been trying to hook up that sample since 1992, 1993. We would always loop it but we would never get a chance to put a beat to it, kick and bottom to it and maybe add some strings.

We never quite came with a idea for it. While I was in the studio recording the album, Cory Mo, we went over to his house to record this song called Don't Go. We was recording that and we took a break and he was like I am going to run to the store right quick, you want anything? I was like yeah bring me Rick James Hollywood.

He was like you tripping and I was like nah pick it up if they have it. Sure enough about 30 or 40 minutes later he came back with some food and Rick James. He hooked it up and put the same loop we had earlier and he hooked up some bass to it and I started writing on the spot to it. What I felt at the time was alot of weight on my shoulders because alot of my friends was going through things. They were asking me how to do this and how to get out of that.

I was overwhelmed with helping my friends out, by talking to them it was a strain on me. So I decided to put it into a song but I could only write 1 line before I ended up talking about myself. I started off with you are not the only one with problems, you ain't the only one with pain, and then after that I started talking to myself because I was going through alot of stuff myself that I did not know about.

It took me to start writing a remedy for somebody else and it ended up being for me. It worked out because I get a good response from that song and people tell me man it seemed like you were talking straight to me on that song.

I had actually skipped Just Tryin To Live and you had mentioned that earlier. What's your favorite off that?



Devin: I don't know if I have a favorite, but a good memory is DJ Premier came through and helped me out on the song Doobie Ashtray. Dr. Dre came through also on a song called It's A Shame with DJ Pooh.

I2G: Yeah

Devin: Well actually it is with Pooh Bear, but DJ Pooh wrote the hook. Alot of people did not know that, but Pooh wrote the hook, and Pooh Bear sang it. That was a good memory there too, but the Premier joint is special because it was a song that I produced, Doobie Ashtray and it was on the album. I had a loop and I hooked it up and everything and Premier was visiting his people from Houston.

He heard my album and what I was about to come out with and he remembered hearing Doobie Ashtray. Man he was like I like that cut, and I was like man if you like it, I love it. I get my lil producer props and so we go to mix the album down and come to find out the people that I looped the song from did not clear the sample.


I was upset and I did not know what to do because I was already at the point where we were mixing. I was not at home where I could start creating a new song because time was money while I was mixing. Premier happened to call me and he was like man you mixing the album? I was like yeah it should be coming out in about a month or so.

He was like cool, did my fav joint Doobie Ashtray make it? I was like nah man it did not make the cut, I did not get sample clearance. He was like send me the accapella and I sent it to him. Within a day or two he had me on the phone and he was like listen to this and tell me if you like it. He just had a skeleton of the song and I liked it.

He said he would get his homeboy to add some guitars to it and I will hit you up tomorrow. The next day he called with the guitar part in there and everything. You know how the intro to Doobie Ashtray is?

I2G: Yeah

Devin: That what was added and other stuff. He let me hear it on the phone and I was like oh shit, that's it. He got back on the phone and said is that it? I was like yeah that will do it Premier. He said anything else, I said yes, man I need some Premier cuts on the song. He said oh you want some cuts on that joint? I was like YEAH!

I2G: Laughs

Devin: He said done deal. The next day he added cuts, it was mixed up and ready to go and he shot it back to me and I could not ask for more man. It was a blessing.

I2G: Cool story. How about Waitin To Inhale?



Devin: I would have to say What A Job. Because actually it started off as a skit. It was produced by my boy Chuck Heat out in LA, which is Chaka Khan's nephew. He got some heat, just like his name, you will be hearing from him soon with some new stuff. He sent me the track and what I did was I just put a hook on it and then I went back to put a verse on it.

But I wanted the skit to be a public service announcement about how it is not that easy being a rapper. It is not all glitz and glamour and popping bottles because there is alot of work involved. I just wanted to bring that point up, so I just did a hook then a verse and I closed it. It was like that for a long period of time until we got towards the end to mix it.

The people at Rap-A-Lot were then saying what is up with the track and I told them it was going to be on the album but as a skit. They were like nah that should be a song. They had connections so they reached out to Andre 3000 and Snoop. Snoop that is my dog and someone got in touch with him and within a week he came back with his verse.

I guess we both thought that it was going to be me and Snoop but then J Prince's son got in touch with Andre 3000 and they sent the track to him. Andre smashed it as he does and he sent it back and when we got the mix to that, I was once again overwhelmed how a song came together with just a skit and turned into a song with sense and meaning and with 2 of the best MC's that you can get features with in my opinion.

Who could ask for more then that? I wanted that to be the single, I wanted a video for it, I just wanted everything for that song. I felt so near to it and dear to it. Outkast had just did a song with UGK and they were already doing songs for Rap-A-Lot that they was doing videos to. Somebody thought it would not make sense to do a video for it and they already had a single out.

They went with plan A, but all in all, the audio and the song itself became very meaningful to me and others that listened to it. It did what it was supposed to do.

I2G: What about Landing Gear?



Devin: Well I guess the project itself as a whole because it was a brand new thing for me. It was my first solo project that I had control over. It was like here you do it. I went and got some music, get studio time and I had to prove to myself that if I am going to be doing this on my own, then I am going to have to fullfill all these jobs. (With Jamacian accent) You gonna have tree jobs, four jobs to make tings happen man.

I2G: Laughs

Devin: I just took that weight and ran with it man. I have been used to working with weight on my shoulders, this should be a breeze. Especially when you have something to prove to yourself, I went with a label, Razor & Tie, that they did not have alot of know how when it came to urban music because it was their first urban project.

Rap, R&B, whatever it was their first black experience (laughs). But they gave me a shot and I gave them a shot, lets hope and pray and see what we come up with. The record came out and it got good reviews but the record sales were not all that huge, but that was not my main focus. Appreciation of the music, if it sounds good, let's keep it, if it fucked up, let's scratch it, we are not going to do it.

It could have done alot better as far as units sold, but since that was not the main goal, I was not mad at it or tripping about it. I take my hat off to the guys at Razor & Tie too for taking a chance on me and believing in me and doing something to where they could make it happen. We set a mark over there anyway, the first urdan album at that label so it's cool.

I2G: Stat Quo said in a recent interview that his dream collaboration group would be yourself, himself and Scarface in a group. You think that would be something that you would be interested in or maybe we could see the 3 of you guys working on something in the future?

Devin: Man I just talked to Stat about something like that a couple weeks ago! I went out to LA chillin and he brought that up to me. Man I would love that, it is cool to have someone want you to be a part of what they are doing or wants to create something with you because they appreciate what you do.

Man that is more than what I can even ask for. Man if that comes about and we can make that happen, the powers that be, we get it in and make it happen, that would be cool with me.

I2G: Do you have any plans of putting together another Coughee Brothers or Odd Squad album sometime in 2010?

Devin: (sings) Oh yeah yeah. Yeah we working on it right now! We got a Coughee Brothers album in the chamber now, we just need another 2 tracks or so and that is cool. We will be ready to get that distributed and 14K, which is a group from Hobbs, New Mexico, they were on some of my songs, Somebody Elses Wife and a song called I Need A Song that was on Landing Gear and they are also going to be featured on the Suite 420 album.

They got fire, they produce and rap. Look out for them guys. The Odd Squad believe me, you are going to hear from us again! Our studio is together and our minds are right and we are getting our lives and our families together and when all the stars are aligned, then boom, we are going to be right at it.

We have not only been group members, we have been friends and brothers for the past 20 years. We are going to always have that connection. My homeboy Tony Mac that is with the Coughee Brothers he is working on a album and he got some heat too. He sings and you have probably heard him on quite a few of my tracks too over the past 3 or 4 albums. So be on the lookout for Tony Mac's solo album as well.

I2G: Just a little off topic, today is the 13th anniversary of Biggie's death (interview done March 9th). What is your favorite Biggie joint of all time.

Devin: Laughs. (Recites first line of One More Chance) "I Big Poppa, freaks all the honeys, dummies, playboy bunnies, those wanting money". (laughs) That one man, he got alot of them, I like the 10 Crack Commandments too though.

I2G: Yeah that was a crazy track too.

Devin: That was witty. It was kind of touchy, anytime you talking about the Bible, people get real touchy like oh man. But there are pretty much no boundaries man on this hip hop, well maybe there is one but you just got to pay close attention. I think he did well with it.

I2G: Definitely. Do you have any upcoming shows or tour dates?

Devin: Yeah I actually have the Suite 420 tour that starts on 4/20. It starts here in Houston, continues to Austin, we going to El Paso and go to the west coast, back around to the midwest, east coast, New York and then back down south. We gonna circle the map, month and a half, in and out and I am going to have the Coughee Brothers with me and Odd Squad and we just gonna bring what we usually bring, which is a party man.

I2G: What is your website information?

Devin: www.myspace.com/devinthedude. I have my schedules and everything up there. www.facebook.com/devincopeland. I just got a twitter page. Man I tried to stay away from twitter for so long man.

I2G: Laughs

Devin: It was inevitable man. The label said you have to have a twitter account. So my twitter page is www.twitter.com/therealdevin420. And the album will be out April 20th.

I2G: And I also heard a rumor that you are working with the good Doctor again. Is there any truth to that?

Devin: Ohhhhh yeah (sings). (laughs). I was blessed to get another call to go out there man. I went out there for a few days and I am telling you man, they are not tripping. The Doc is not tripping, he has producers, artists, everybody that I think he listens to and likes. It is going to be incredible I believe. There are actually so many songs done, if I am on there I am blessed. If it don't, I am still blessed just to be able to be part of history man, to even be asked to lend a helping hand to it. It has been a blast so much love to Dr. Dre and I am letting people know when that album comes out, they gonna feel it.

I2G: Alright well that is all the questions I have for you, appreciate you getting down for the interview. Is there any last words or shoutouts you want to get out there to the people?

Devin: Much love to all my friends and family out there. All my Coughee Brothers and sisters out there. Stay tuned for this tour coming up and if we coming anywhere near you, come holla at us and party with us. We gonna create new memories, we gonna have a blast, have a ball, that's right yall.

I2G: Appreciate the interview.

Devin: Alright good looking out man.

Sidenote: Devin would also like to send get well wishes to Guru of Gangstarr. Get well soon brotha.

[hey hey hey hey smoke weed everyday]

great interview man! suite 420  cant wait for the album!

[machete]

nice interview thanks

[CJMacc]

great interview... the new album is goin' to be bumpin'.... always wondered about the premier track and how he hooked up with dude.... luv that jam...

[Laconic]

Props for the interview, D.  Hopefully the new album is better than Landing Gear which was, by far, his worst record.

[jeanmiche777]

Very nice interview! Doobie Ashtray, one of my top 5 hip hop tracks almost never happened, cool lil story

[Muhfukka]

cool interview

[Blood$]

Very nice interview! Doobie Ashtray, one of my top 5 hip hop tracks almost never happened, cool lil story

[Lunatic]

very dope!