It's August 29, 2025, 03:36:39 PM
Dubcnn.com: So basically Death Row was funded by drug money, just not directly from Michael Harris? Paradise: Well I am going to say it was a combination of drug money and legit money. He had money coming in off of music but a large part of it was also coming from drug money. Dubcnn.com: Right. So what happened that made Tom Kline disappear from the picture before you guys got to Solar? Paradise: It's called DR. DRE! Dubcnn.com: *laughs* Paradise: You know when you have someone like Dr. Dre do you really need other outside people? No because now the money would be coming in because people wanted to work with Dre and he was the biggest thing in LA at the time. Once Suge got him on his team..., Dubcnn.com: There was no stopping him. Paradise: Exactly. Dubcnn.com: So before The Chronic actually came out, during the early Death Row days, what was the atmosphere like? Did you record in the Solar Studios all the time and who was all there? Paradise: The early days the studio was there, on the floor that we were on. It had office spaces, a rehearsal room, and it had the studio so everything was there. Dubcnn.com And then after Dick Griffey kinda got screwed then shit changed right? Paradise: Well you know..., like I said when you have Dr. Dre, D.O.C., when you have those names on your team, I can't really say that Dick Griffey got screwed. I think that he wanted to be a bigger part then what was really needed and he was more of a mentor to Suge. He taught him alot about the business and I am sure they had their agreement as far as renting the space because it was not free. He had to pay for that space so it was not like they were business partners and he was giving him something to have a percentage, Suge paid to be there. You know how it is when you are doing good and someone is there and gave advice and watched you flourish, that does not mean you are a part of it. Dubcnn.com: That's true. Paradise: Alot of people got money off the deal because people were saying well I put in this amount of money to get this started because I guess Suge did not want to reveal this is how I really got the money. That would have been even worse, but at the same time you have to pay this woman (Lydia Harris) 107 million dollars? Really? Something that was a lie? Dubcnn.com: I guess karma is a bitch huh? *laughs*Paradise: Yeah it really is, because the bottom line is if Suge would have done business like he should and could have, instead of bringing the hood to business, keeping them separate, then he would not have gotten caught up like he did. To this day if he would have done business right he would still have the best hip hop label ever. He would not have lost his key producer, Dr. Dre, he would not have lost his key artist, Snoop Dogg, he would not have lost all of that if he would have just been a businessman.
Dubcnn.com: There was a Dr. Dre remix song that we discussed, Down With My Nigga. That is not a Dre remix right or what's the story behind that song? Paradise: No it's not and really I don't think that it made a difference because it did what it did. They did not really promote it because there was no video, and I am surprised it did as well as it did and even before Dre put his name on the song. I guess they thought that putting Dre's name on the song would mean more sales. Dubcnn.com: When it came to album credits, how often were credits given to the wrong people? Paradise: All the time (laughs). Because you had engineers and writers who would do all the work and the people around all of that reaping the benefits. Dubcnn.com: I mean could you be more specific? Paradise: There were songs that were done that Dr. Dre did not do and he got credit for it. Dubcnn.com: Umm you have a example? *laughs*Paradise: I mean I love Dre, don't get me wrong, but at the same time alot of times that was not his idea either. Dubcnn.com: Right.Paradise: The one thing I can say about Dre was that he was fair. When you signed to Death Row it was Suge's way and that's it. People were not doing like they do now and saying oh I need to get a lawyer and read over this contract as dumb and obvious as that sounds. Dubcnn.com: So Suge was the main reason alot of people were not being properly credited? Paradise: Yes.
Another snippet from the interview about "Down With My Nigga".QuoteDubcnn.com: There was a Dr. Dre remix song that we discussed, Down With My Nigga. That is not a Dre remix right or what's the story behind that song? Paradise: No it's not and really I don't think that it made a difference because it did what it did. They did not really promote it because there was no video, and I am surprised it did as well as it did and even before Dre put his name on the song. I guess they thought that putting Dre's name on the song would mean more sales. Dubcnn.com: When it came to album credits, how often were credits given to the wrong people? Paradise: All the time (laughs). Because you had engineers and writers who would do all the work and the people around all of that reaping the benefits. Dubcnn.com: I mean could you be more specific? Paradise: There were songs that were done that Dr. Dre did not do and he got credit for it. Dubcnn.com: Umm you have a example? *laughs*Paradise: I mean I love Dre, don't get me wrong, but at the same time alot of times that was not his idea either. Dubcnn.com: Right.Paradise: The one thing I can say about Dre was that he was fair. When you signed to Death Row it was Suge's way and that's it. People were not doing like they do now and saying oh I need to get a lawyer and read over this contract as dumb and obvious as that sounds. Dubcnn.com: So Suge was the main reason alot of people were not being properly credited? Paradise: Yes.
is it just me or do most of these Death Row Interviews retread the same events over and over to the point where its not even worth the look anymore?
so whens the interview droppin?
Dubcnn.com: I also remember reading that you said that 2Pac really wasn't what people thought he was. Could you explain what you meant by that? Paradise: He wasn't, I mean don't get me wrong, 2Pac as an artist, great. 2Pac as a person, fake Dubcnn.com:*laughs* Paradise: Seriously. I mean when he was around people he was always a big shit talker because he knew there were gonna be people there to back him up. But by himself, quiet as a church mouse, would not even look people in the eye, walking around with his head down. I mean he was a studio gangster, and it's okay to be that but when you go out in public, talking smack because you have protection. That ain't you, so just be quiet. Dubcnn.com: Do you think that 2Pac was afraid of Suge? Paradise: I think everyone was afraid of Suge, on some level. I mean this was a man that said he loved me, and even though when we would get into it, I would fight him back, on some level yes I was scared of him. I was taught growing up that if someone hits you, you hit them back. Dubcnn.com: What was the craziest fight that you ever had with Suge? Paradise: When we were rolling down the 405 freeway in rush hour, bumper to bumper traffic. We start arguing and he punches me in the eye and I am doubled over with my hands over my eye waiting for it to stop throbbing. Once that stopped, I made a fist and connected it with that jaw and then we got into a straight fist fight on the freeway in traffic. Dubcnn.com: Wow Paradise: I don't know how I got out of the car, but when I did, I got out on the drivers side. So, I get out of the car and I am walking across the freeway in front of all these cars. Suge starts driving his Blazer in my direction and I had almost got down to the off ramp and he pulls over to the side of the freeway and we are back fighting again. Dubcnn.com: He just did not want to let it go huh? Paradise: Nope. So I told him you are too big to be fighting with and I am going home. He said well let me take you home and I said no. He picked me up and put me back in the truck, and whenever we would get into a really bad fight or argument, he would always want to go to his moms house because he knew how much I loved his family. When his mother seen my eye, she started going off on him and reading him the riot act. I ended up staying at her house but all in all Suge knew how to act and what to say to make it to where he knew I would not leave.
Just got to clarify things with a few of the staff and fill in a few blanks I missed in the interview, and we'll be good to go. Till then, here is another snippet. The interview is over an hour long, so we may have to drop it in parts unless you guys want to read all of that.QuoteDubcnn.com: I also remember reading that you said that 2Pac really wasn't what people thought he was. Could you explain what you meant by that? Paradise: He wasn't, I mean don't get me wrong, 2Pac as an artist, great. 2Pac as a person, fake Dubcnn.com:*laughs* Paradise: Seriously. I mean when he was around people he was always a big shit talker because he knew there were gonna be people there to back him up. But by himself, quiet as a church mouse, would not even look people in the eye, walking around with his head down. I mean he was a studio gangster, and it's okay to be that but when you go out in public, talking smack because you have protection. That ain't you, so just be quiet. Dubcnn.com: Do you think that 2Pac was afraid of Suge? Paradise: I think everyone was afraid of Suge, on some level. I mean this was a man that said he loved me, and even though when we would get into it, I would fight him back, on some level yes I was scared of him. I was taught growing up that if someone hits you, you hit them back. Dubcnn.com: What was the craziest fight that you ever had with Suge? Paradise: When we were rolling down the 405 freeway in rush hour, bumper to bumper traffic. We start arguing and he punches me in the eye and I am doubled over with my hands over my eye waiting for it to stop throbbing. Once that stopped, I made a fist and connected it with that jaw and then we got into a straight fist fight on the freeway in traffic. Dubcnn.com: Wow Paradise: I don't know how I got out of the car, but when I did, I got out on the drivers side. So, I get out of the car and I am walking across the freeway in front of all these cars. Suge starts driving his Blazer in my direction and I had almost got down to the off ramp and he pulls over to the side of the freeway and we are back fighting again. Dubcnn.com: He just did not want to let it go huh? Paradise: Nope. So I told him you are too big to be fighting with and I am going home. He said well let me take you home and I said no. He picked me up and put me back in the truck, and whenever we would get into a really bad fight or argument, he would always want to go to his moms house because he knew how much I loved his family. When his mother seen my eye, she started going off on him and reading him the riot act. I ended up staying at her house but all in all Suge knew how to act and what to say to make it to where he knew I would not leave.
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