Smokers Holiday: Kurupt Exclusive Interview

[Lunatic]

http://raptalk.net/website/content/view/2324/54/

Raptalk.Net hooked up with an up beat Kurupt for an exclusive interview. Finally enjoying life and music for a straight successive period of time, Kurupt is releasing his “Streetlights” solo album on April 20th – and of course, that is the main topic of conversation here between us and Kurupt the Kingpin.

At a glance, the “Streetlights” title is short and sweet – but Kurupt explains the deep meaning to us behind the name of the album and the very night he decided to title it what he did. Kurupt goes into detail regarding working with Terrace Martin and why he feels he’s been making one producer-one MC albums his entire career.

Shortly after confirming an upcoming DJ Quik solo album and a part two to their “Blaqkout” album, Kurupt details us with the guest appearances on the album – something you’ll have to read on below to get the full information on.

Touching on the new generation of the west coast, Kurupt moves on to talk about his many upcoming projects – including a slew of different albums completed by different producers; he gives us an update on every single album you’ve read about him doing – from DJ Muggs, Bink, Fredwreck, Pete Rock and more, plus a new announcement album that he’s doing with another producer – Get a Raptalk exclusive word on that below, and of course an update on “100 Wayz” with Daz, Tha Dogg Pound.

We try to get a word out of Kurupt regarding any recent dealings with Dr. Dre and his Detox album – see how he responds!

Enjoy…

Read Full Interview Here:
http://raptalk.net/website/content/view/2324/54/

[Lunatic]

Raptalk.Net: This is familiar territory for you – Raptalk.Net.

Kurupt: And you do know that!

Raptalk.Net: Yes sir, you go way back with us. What’s good with you bro?

Kurupt: I’m just trying to make it happen and I’m enjoying, you understand me? Finally [I’m enjoying], for a long time now.

Raptalk.Net: I can tell your feeling better these days. “Streetlights” your solo album is dropping on 4/20, April 20th that is. The first thing I want to ask you is why you titled the record “Streetlights?”

Kurupt: The whole title is based upon a good night I had. I was rolling down the streets and the lights were just passing a nigga man. I was like man, that’s how life passes a nigga by. I was going on by; it was time for me to get my game together. I stopped at the stoplight and just looked up, looking at the streetlights shining in my face man. Right there I said I’m going to name my album “Streetlights” because that’s how life passes you by, just like streetlights. You just watch shit pass you by and I’m going to make me an album that follows that same pattern that shows you what life is about. Life is real and it’s a much more mature album. It’s more of what I want to do. This isn’t just for the fans; it’s for Kurupt.

It’s just like “Kuruption.” This is my outlet to the game of what I’m feeling right now. That’s where I got it all from. I was chilling and watching my life pass me by at one time. When you’re wandering the streets at night, you just watch the lights flying by. That’s how life does you man. My life has passed me by and I just had to stop and say you know what? That’s how fast the game can go by you, like each streetlight that passes you is how the game can go past you. That’s how you lose all time.

Raptalk.Net: Wow, that’s deep. I like that right there man. What made you want to do an entire project with Terrace Martin?

Kurupt: Terrace, I think he deserved it. A lot of people were doing one, two or three records with him. I thought he deserved an opportunity to do an entire album. It’s practice for both of us, basically to get in there and make a whole album and see what we came out with, we came out with a great project. I was like you know what Terrace? I want you to do the whole project. When I first got back with Snoop [Dogg], Terrace Martin was the first producer Snoop put me onto. Terrace worked on a Kurupt thing like BattleCat worked on a Kurupt thing. I said you know what Terrace? Let’s just go ahead and do us a whole album together. We have this chemistry that the world needs to hear.

Raptalk.Net: No doubt – that shines obvious through the music. Lately, we’re seeing you do quite a bit of projects with one MC and one producer, you being the MC of course. You did “Blaqkout” with Quik and now “Streetlights” with Terrace. Why is that? Why is Kurupt currently feeling the one MC-one producer projects?

Kurupt: Kurupt’s career, I feel like I’ve been doing that my entire career. “Kuruption” may be the only album where I’ve done where I had a group of producers on there. “Tha Streetz Iz a Mutha”, I went and got Daz [Dillinger] and Soopafly, one producer mainly. I got different music from other producers, maybe two or three tracks but I appointed one producer to oversee the whole thing – Daz & Soopafly, they’re like one. You go to “Space Boogie” and I had Fredwreck do the entire project. That’s the Kurupt formula. I like to stick with the grain. I learned that from Dr. Dre. You get one producer who produces your shit and brings one sound to the table and together y’all make a classic. This is the Kurupt formula. I call it the Kurupt formula. Actually it’s the Dr. Dre formula that I learned so it’s the Kurupt/Dr. Dre formula. I like to fuck with one producer man and just get it in. if you look at my history of records, I’ve been doing that ever since. That’s my formula.

Raptalk.Net: You kind of touched on it, but how do you think it helps the cohesiveness of the project?

Kurupt: You stick with one guy and come up with a sound. You just stick with that, go in there and that’s a great album. Most of the classic albums are made by one producer bringing his head to the table and you make albums like you make movies. Your album is like your soundtrack to your life.

Raptalk.Net: Do you feel it gives an old school feel to it? That’s when you would see one producer-one MC albums.

Kurupt: No because Terrace is not an old school guy. He comes with a new and updated flavor. He comes with the Terrace Martin flavor which is a new flavor for Kurupt; it’s a now flavor. I don’t see a lot of old in it; I see a lot of new. Hopefully the people will feel the sound me and Terrace were feeling.

Raptalk.Net: We mentioned the last album was also with one producer; “Blaqkout” with Quik. How do you think this album compares to “Blaqkout”?

Kurupt: It really doesn’t. There two different types of records.

Raptalk.Net: So in general, how do you compare Terrace Martin to DJ Quik? Even if its differences, how do you compare and contrast the two?

Kurupt: I make one type of music with one of them and I make another type of music with the other. Me and DJ Quik are coming out with the DJ Quik and Kurupt two [album]. The next album we’re going to be working on after I drop my solo album and Quik drops his solo album because he has a spectacular new solo album that slaps.

And then we’re going to work on the new [DJ Quik & Kurupt] album. You can be the judge of that yourself. With each person you work with, you have a different vibe and a different feeling. It’s a different you that comes out with the music that they bring to the table. There is not one producer that is the same with the way that I work. Each one of the producers I fuck with has a different sound and it brings out a different Kurupt. “Streetz Iz a Mutha” was different than “Space Boogie” and that’s different than “Streetlights” and that’s different than Kurupt & DJ Quik. With each one, you get a different thing.

Raptalk.Net: No doubt. And for the fans, there you go, Kurupt just confirmed that there is a Kurupt and DJ Quik part two in the works and that DJ Quik is working on his solo album.

Kurupt: Right - And you do know that!

Raptalk.Net: In terms of “Streetlights”, how many tracks appear on the album and when can the fans expect to see a leaked track listing?

Kurupt: We’re going to hit them with about 13-14 tracks, including two bonuses. I did a Kurupt remix to “Bounce, Rock, Skate” which people will enjoy because I extended my verse and laid some new vocals to it; they should love that. I have the “I’m Burnt” G-Mix which Terrace did with me, Snoop, Roscoe and Problem. They should enjoy that as well.

Raptalk.Net: You just mentioned some guest appearances right there – any other names you want to let the fans know about?

Kurupt: Yeah, you know I have a couple – DJ Quik jumped on something and that’s going to be one of the bonuses. I have a different CD that will be dropping through Best Buy and then the regular CD people will have. To get the CD with the four extra bonuses, you need to go to Best Buy in particular. I got DJ Quik, Murs, Uncle Chucc, J. Black; Tone is on there who is a female vocalist who is very spectacular. Actually she made the theme song for the album called “Streetlights” – that’s the record I made with Tone.

I got a couple of other producers on there – Pete Rock and I got something from Lil Jon. There are a couple of other people on there that are really slapping besides Terrace Martin. I really spread it out but I didn’t do too much. I got Snoopy [Snoop Dogg] on there of course, on another record with me and J. Black. I really just spread it out real thin. I did the Rakim – I call it the Eric B. & Rakim – you really make it about yourself. It’s not being selfish; it’s just music coming from yourself and from your heart. I’m talking about what I talk about. I got Xzibit on there as well; Xzibit did a record with me that is pretty slapping. My little loc Tri is on there; I had him touch up a record I did called “You’z a Scrape.”

I kept it all in house basically.

Raptalk.Net: You just mentioned Lil Jon and Pete Rock. Terrace Martin obviously oversaw the project but he didn’t produce every single record on there?

Kurupt: I never get one producer to produce every single record. I get a producer to oversee the project and do the majority of the project. I’m still going to reach out to my folks and get about one to three records. With this album, I’d say I have about two extra producers on there which is basically Pete Rock and Lil Jon. The rest of them, I stuck with the in house team with me and Terrace because that’s what I put Terrace in charge of. I’m a firm believer of giving people an opportunity to produce whole projects. I start with leading by example by them producing my albums. Each hand washes the other and it’s great. They bring the best out of me and I bring the best out of them. It takes a team to win a championship.

Raptalk.Net: One of the first records fans got to hear and see a video for was “I’m Burnt” with Problem. Tell us about that record and your overall thoughts on Problem because I see your working closely with him.

Kurupt: OH yeah, Problem is my killer. He’s not playing man. Problem is a fly guy. He’s all about being fly. He’s a sharp, young cat. He’s from a new generation in the west coast that we all support and believe in. We all look at Problem like what you do; we’re all behind you and support you. We look for Problem to make a big dent in the game for the west coast as well as for himself. He’s a worker man. Problem doesn’t play any games. He also producers; he co-produced “I’m Burnt” with Terrace.

Raptalk.Net: No doubt. As mentioned Problem and I know you got Tone, Uncle Chucc, J. Black and so on, but are there any other young artists you’re working with that you want to inform us about?

Kurupt: I’m working with them all man. I support all of the west coast youth because they’re coming up next. You can’t even call them youth anymore because they’re all grown men. The next generation is here to come out and represent the west coast like we did. Everything isn’t about representing the house though. It’s a lot about just making some good music. I always say that. It isn’t just about repping the house; it’s about making good music. It’s about making music that people want to have a good time to. You can do it in the name of the west coast but don’t make that your whole thing. You’re a bigger commodity than just the house. Once you become that bigger commodity than just the house, the house is going to roll with you regardless so don’t pinpoint the house.

I think everybody is basically doing that kind of stuff. I fuck with Nip [Nipsey Hussle] and I fuck with Roscoe; I still look at him as the next generation for the west coast. I fuck with all of them that are really doing something, and I fuck with those that ain’t. I fuck with Jay Rock because he’s doing something real big.  I fuck with Rocko from out there in Atlanta; I think he’s doing something pretty big. I like him as well.  Two other youngsters that I fuck with that is real trump in this game are Roccett and 211. I always push a line with them; also my boys Y.A. – Big Tri, Tone, Slo, Bizzle and my boy YG – Free YG, he’s locked up down south.

I fuck with all the people from all different genres and coasts of this game. Everything that is useful and doing their thing, you have to support them. They’re the next generation of this music and that’s what I try to explain to everybody. It isn’t just about the house; it’s about this music and the music game.

Raptalk.Net: As mentioned, you’ve already confirmed a sequel with Quik in the works. In a lot of other interviews, you’ve mentioned a lot of one producer-one MC albums. You’ve mentioned projects with Fredwreck, Bink, QDT, DJ Premier, Pete Rock and DJ Muggs. Do you want to give an update on any of those and if they’re still a go?

Kurupt: All of them are still a go. In terms of albums with the people you just named and the new shit that I’m gonna’ be coming with, I’m still working on the Pete Rock album he’s gonna’ produce on me. I’m still working on the one with [DJ] Muggs because he’s a busy guy and I’m still dropping these records, I’m a busy guy. All of those projects are still in effect. I’m still gonna’ make it happen. I’m a stand up guy; if I say I’m gonna’ do something, I’m gonna’ do it. It just has to be the right timing. I’m still gonna’ do it. Me and DJ Quik are gonna’ do this next one and will see if we can make this all happen. Everything is going to happen in due time. We’re just gonna’ keep working.

I have music with Pete Rock man; we’ve been doing this for so many years. I got music just lined up. It’s the same with Muggs. Also, Bink has left me with so many classics and he’s still here; me and Bink just actually started re-messing with the album that we were fucking with. I got something that is bomb with Bink that is crazy called “I blame it on you.” It’s out of this world.

Also, Dame Grease – I got a whole album I’m doing with Dame Grease. We already started on that. We also have a mixtape coming out, “Grease & Kurupt.” You know, I’m working.

Raptalk.Net: In terms of DPG & Daz, what’s next up with that?

Kurupt: Yep, we’re going to be dropping close to the summer. Kurupt, Daz, Snoop and Soopafly – Tha Dogg Pound new age killing them always. “100 Wayz” is the title of the album. It’s super big. Daz & Soopafly put they foot in there and produced the whole project. We went back to the grain on these mother fuckers. Hopefully everybody will enjoy that because it’s a great record. “100 Wayz” is off the chain. It’s actually the biggest thing will be dropping this year minus “Streetlights” and Snoop’s “Malice in Wonderland.” And Daz is also working on his solo album so we’re all just staying busy.

Raptalk.Net: You mentioned Dr. Dre a little bit. Have you been in recent contact with him and done any work on Detox?

Kurupt: The good doctor? Dr. Dre! I’m gonna’ tell you like everybody else should tell you – everything dealing with the good doctor is under wraps. You just gotta’ hear it when it comes.

Raptalk.Net: Fair enough. What are your overall thoughts on the west coast right now?

Kurupt: I love it. Everybody is working hard. You see a lot of unity, bloods and crips together concentrating on this ball game. We’re all working together. I love the way the west coast is operating as one unity. Dada and Snoop Dogg got this thing they just put out, “We the West” it’s a record that we have everybody on here, showing what we’re doing. Mykestro is also another cat that I’m fucking with. He’s BattleCat’s brother and his lyrics are just phenomenal. That’s another artist. I fuck with Bishop Lamont as well. I even fuck with Crooked I – that’s my guy right there. Me and Crooked have always been solid together. He’s one of the west coast greats. It’s real big right now for the west coast. I’m very proud to say I’m from the west coast.

Raptalk.Net: We’d love to hear another Kurupt and Crooked I record.

 Kurupt: Wouldn’t that be grand? You know what, I’m gonna’ have to make that happen. I’m gonna’ holla’ at the homies and get at Crooked so we can just annihilate this game. I’m gonna’ do another one with me, Crooked and Xzibit.

Raptalk.Net: You should because the first was classic. We’re going to let you go on that note. “Streetlights” drops April 20th and we encourage everybody to check out the album. Do you have any last words before I let you go?

Kurupt: Stay positive and keep it going. Don’t hate on anybody. Get your own!