Part 1 Interview with Jewell Now Up (AllHipHop.com)

[Styles1]

Armed with a powerful singing voice, Jewell Caples blessed many of the classic Death Row Records tracks that were produced by Dr. Dre. You may not know her face but you definitely know her music, as she sang on songs such as “F*** Wit Dre Day” “Let Me Ride” “Gin & Juice” “Who Am I (What's My Name)” “B*tches Ain't S**t” “What Would You Do” and many more. After that successful run, the Hip-Hop world didn't hear much from Jewell aside from several collaborations, which was a surprise to many who had been anticipating a solo release. Now back after all of these years, Jewell is releasing a book titled “My Blood, Sweat and Tears” detailing her years at Death Row and what happened afterwards. The book looks like it's going to pack a punch – especially based on this exclusive interview that she gave to AllHipHop.com. If you're a fan of West Coast Hip-Hop and the Death Row Era, this interview will be a treat and a learning experience.       

AllHipHop.com: Take us back to your early days in music. 

Jewell: I started in church. 

AllHipHop.com: That seems to be where everybody starts. 

Jewell: (laughs) The good one's at least. I sang solo and in the choir. My mom told that when I was real young, I would go and lock myself in the bathroom and sing in the mirror – which aggravated my siblings because I wouldn't come out. I had a big voice even as a little girl. My mother didn't let me listen to “worldly” music so I was deprived of hearing all of the greats growing up. We went to church about four times a week. That was my life. 

AllHipHop.com: What age did you start catching up on all of the music that you missed out on?

Jewell: My mom is going to kill me when she finds out (laughs), but in Junior High School I had a friend who's house I would go over to after school. Her grandma played all of the classic R & B songs. So it's like if you have a kid who eats fruit and then you give them a taste of candy for the first time – they can't get enough. I began to notice all of the different styles and melodies. I fell in love with music and of course when you have to sneak to do something – it's twice as good! 

AllHipHop.com: So when did your mom find out about all of this?

Jewell: After I was grown and on my own. It caused quite a conflict by me hooking up with the gangster rappers. We had our trials and tribulations over that. It was a very rough time for me. What made the gangsta rap style so different with me is that I softened it up and made it possible to be played on the radio.

"The thing with me and Dre – I always wanted direction but he never gave it to me." - Jewell

AllHipHop.com: How were you introduced to the Hip-Hop music business?

Jewell: 1580 KDAY – the legendary radio station had a performing arts troupe. I was working and on my own at this point. I began to perform at some of these places and I ran in to Russ Parr and the L.A. Dream Team. I did the “Dream Team Is In The House” song with them. Then I did the “Plastic Woman/ Plastic Man” with Bobby Jimmy & The Critters. 

AllHipHop.com: Wait a second. You were on the “Dream Team Is In The House” song? 

Jewell: I did the “Ladies and Gentlemen, the Dream Team is in the house” part at the beginning. They sampled my voice. 

AllHipHop.com: And they sped it up! I can't believe that was you! 

Jewell: Yeah. That was me. After that, I began performing around town and I met Barry White. He became like a Godfather to me and gave me pointers. Of course my mother was not happy at all with this. She didn't support me doing that “devil's” music or being “those” people at all. 

Then one night I was out at Marla's Memory Lane, a club in Los Angeles owned by Marla Gibbs, and I met Dr. Dre. My homegirl knew him previously from another club called Eve After Dark which was off of Avalon near Compton. She told him that I could sing. He asked me to sing and I've never been shy at holding back, so I belted out in front of him. After that, he told me that he was working on the “N***** 4 Life” album with N.W.A and he asked me to come by the studio. I did that song “I'd Rather F*** With You” with Eazy-E. I also did some skits with The D.O.C and The Lady of Rage (Jewell starts singing, “Don't drink that wine. Coke would be better, it's easy to find). When my momma found out that “I'd Rather F*** You” song she was like, “You'd rather what? Ju-Ju, what is the matter with you? God is not pleased!” 

AllHipHop.com: Hold on. How does your religious mother find out about this song? How does she even hear it if she doesn't listen to “worldly” music?

Jewell: Church people were listening to it (laughs). Word gets around. They told her, “Your daughter is singing this gangster rap music.” N.W.A was one of the biggest groups in the world at that time. They went on tour and after that they broke up, but then I ran back in to Dr. Dre and this time he was with Suge Knight. Suge told me that they were starting a label and they wanted me to be a part of it. I was cool with that and we went to work on The Chronic album. 

AllHipHop.com: This I have to hear. Tell us about that please. 

Jewell: With The Chronic, the recipe was so good because a lot of people played an intricate part of that album. We were all at the studio and spent days and days with the beats and with each other – so it fit together like “one.” People used to look at me crazy when Dre would tell me that he had a track and asked my thoughts. I would tell him to get the mic ready, then write down what I would singing, then go in the vocal booth and lay it down. I've never had to re-do what I wrote or sang. Dre would always tell me, “I'm keeping it.” 

AllHipHop.com: What was it like working with Dre? Did he direct you or give you that room to do your thing?

Jewell: The thing with me and Dre – I always wanted direction but he never gave it to me. He would always tell people, “I give her something to do, she does it and it's great.” I used to get a little angry because I would help everybody else with their stuff but would be like, “Dre, when are you going to give me my own track?” He kept telling me, “I don't know what to do with you, Jewell.” I was like, “Just give me the same music that you give Snoop Dogg to rap on! That's my recipe! Let me sing all over that.” He kept trying to make R & B tracks for me and it never worked out. I sounded best over his rap tracks by putting my R & B twist on them. That's what made it different from everything else that you were hearing. He never really gave me any direction. 

What's funny is that the “B*tches Ain't Sh*t” record was the reason that my mother stopped talking to me for about a year. Big Chan who later was a part of the Doggy's Angels group was supposed to rap on that song. I wasn't supposed to even be on it. We were all at the studio drinking Gin & Juice or Everclear – I can't remember. Big Chan had been in the booth for about twenty to thirty minutes. Dre was getting frustrated because he was trying to get her in to a certain vibe to give that record what it deserved. I went in to the booth and said, “This is what Dre wants you to do.” I regret it to this day but I went in to that vocal booth and asked for the headphones from Chan. She gave them to me and I started singing, “I don't give a f*** about a b*tch.” Dre didn't know what I was going to do, but he had been ready to record – and he did. I finished my vocal and verse and I turned to her and said, “That's what he wants you to do on this record.” Dre looked at us and said, “No I don't, because this record is finished.” 

AllHipHop.com: Was Big Chan upset?

Jewell: No she wasn't mad because she was amazed that I did it. I'm not a rapper, but I sang and then rapped. Dre was like, “I'm keeping this.” I looked at Dre and told him, “Um. You cannot keep that. I was just showing her what you wanted her to do.” He told me that he didn't care and that he was keeping it. I was literally almost in tears because I knew the response that I was going to get from my mother about those explicit lyrics. And of course she found out about it! She was like, “You're talking about sucking somebody's Penis!” My mom was upset and I was mad at Dre for a long while – but that happened to be one of the biggest records on The Chronic album.

I did a 2 part interview with former Death Row Records singer Jewell ..... and she really sounds off in Part 2! Part 1 which mainly focuses on her beginning is now up.

http://www.allhiphop.com/stories/features/archive/2011/08/31/22873624.aspx

[Quadruple OG]

I did a 2 part interview with former Death Row Records singer Jewell ..... and she really sounds off in Part 2! Part 1 which mainly focuses on her beginning is now up.

http://www.allhiphop.com/stories/features/archive/2011/08/31/22873624.aspx

Props. She talk at all about the album WideAwake is supposedly putting out in October?

[Darkwing Duck (The Reincarnation)]

great interview

[Styles1]

I did a 2 part interview with former Death Row Records singer Jewell ..... and she really sounds off in Part 2! Part 1 which mainly focuses on her beginning is now up.

http://www.allhiphop.com/stories/features/archive/2011/08/31/22873624.aspx

Props. She talk at all about the album WideAwake is supposedly putting out in October?

Yeah, we get in to the promotional side of the interview ..... but Part 2 is going to make people say "damn"

[bouli77]

great interview

[Quadruple OG]

I did a 2 part interview with former Death Row Records singer Jewell ..... and she really sounds off in Part 2! Part 1 which mainly focuses on her beginning is now up.

http://www.allhiphop.com/stories/features/archive/2011/08/31/22873624.aspx

Props. She talk at all about the album WideAwake is supposedly putting out in October?

Yeah, we get in to the promotional side of the interview ..... but Part 2 is going to make people say "damn"

When's part 2 going to be up?

[Styles1]

Probably tomorrow or by the end of the week.   

[The Predator]

''I've never had to re-do what I wrote or sang. Dre would always tell me, “I'm keeping it.” ''

If only he was like that now, he would have his record finished.

[Giesuz]

very good interview, looking forward to pt.2

[Styles1]

I still can't believe this was Jewell doing the "Ladies & Gentlemen" part.... I grew up to this song as a kid. The DJ's used to tear this up!

L.A. Dream Team - The Dream Team Is In The House http://youtube.com/watch?v=VF5ADzXdIjE

[Dre-Day]

nice.

When my momma found out that “I'd Rather F*** You” song she was like, “You'd rather what? Ju-Ju, what is the matter with you? God is not pleased!” 

lol.

AllHipHop.com: What was it like working with Dre? Did he direct you or give you that room to do your thing?

Jewell: The thing with me and Dre – I always wanted direction but he never gave it to me. He would always tell people, “I give her something to do, she does it and it's great.” I used to get a little angry because I would help everybody else with their stuff but would be like, “Dre, when are you going to give me my own track?” He kept telling me, “I don't know what to do with you, Jewell.” I was like, “Just give me the same music that you give Snoop Dogg to rap on! That's my recipe! Let me sing all over that.” He kept trying to make R & B tracks for me and it never worked out. I sounded best over his rap tracks by putting my R & B twist on them. That's what made it different from everything else that you were hearing. He never really gave me any direction. 

yeah he spoke on R&B before.

Big Chan who later was a part of the Doggy's Angels group was supposed to rap on that song

interesting.

I looked at Dre and told him, “Um. You cannot keep that. I was just showing her what you wanted her to do.” He told me that he didn't care and that he was keeping it. I was literally almost in tears because I knew the response that I was going to get from my mother about those explicit lyrics. And of course she found out about it! She was like, “You're talking about sucking somebody's Penis!” My mom was upset and I was mad at Dre for a long while – but that happened to be one of the biggest records on The Chronic album.

haha, ban that gangsta rap

[Styles1]

thanks. Part 1 is just the tip of the Iceberg.

[Smackdog]

west west yall

[jaytee]

Props Styles! I love me some Jewell.  Really looking forward to part 2.

[2euce 7even]

very good interview.props cant wait for part II.