Paradise Interview (Talks Death Row, Suge Knight, much more)

[D-Nice]

http://illuminati2g.com/site/2012/07/08/paradise-interview/

I2G kicked it with former Death Row Records artist Paradise for a exclusive interview. We discuss her time on the label and her explosive relationship with Suge Knight. We also discuss her upcoming book, and her thoughts on 2pac, Dr. Dre, and many more so check it out.

So I am here with Paradise. What’s up?

Not much, just chillaxing.

So tell me how did you get your start in music?

Well actually I started out in a singing group, it was me and 2 other girls, Tori and Candy. We were called All Access back then, and we did some local shows, talent shows and there was this one rap song that I had written for the group that Columbia Records was interested in. I was hyped about it but the other 2 girls all of a sudden this local DJ who had this so called label and rap group, talked to the other 2 girls behind my back and was trying to sign them. I told them if you 2 want to sign with him over Columbia Records, then I quit.

Laughs

So that is basically what happened, they signed with him and I quit. Eventually I started to venture out on my own and started going by the name Paradise. Then I met this guy named Ashton but back then he was going by the name Cassanova Fly. He was a producer and he produced this group in Austin, Texas I can’t remember their name but he started to do music on me. I would go to Austin on the weekends and record music and then I met White…, I don’t know, I linked up with alot of people. I also linked up with Smooth, and he wrote this really dope song called Poetry In Motion.

I will never forget it, it was the most awesome song ever.

How did the song go?

Wow, you gonna have to give me a minute because that song was so long ago (laughs). That was around 1989 that he wrote it for me and it is the same rap that I did for Suge when I went to California.

Right. So how did you get hooked up with Suge, D.O.C. and Chocolate and the rest of those guys?

Chocolate and I knew each other in Texas. I met him through this guy named Emmanuel and I would sneak over to D.O.C. and Rodney’s house. They were like brothers to me, D.O.C. ended up going to California so it was mainly just me and Rodney. My car was broke down at the time so Rodney would take me to work and eventually he ended up moving to California with D.O.C. as well. I went out to California one time to visit and I had no intentions of staying or doing any rhymes for Suge Knight. I was just out there to kick it and have fun, so one day the guys told me to come up to the office. This was the office the label had back in the day off of Wilshire Blvd in Beverly Hills, it was Tom Kline’s office.

Right

So I went up there, I met Tom and I met Suge and Smooth along with one of my other friends was already there, so it was pleasant so see them. So Rodney was telling me that I should rap for Suge and that I should do Poetry In Motion. I decided to go ahead and do the song, so I go in the office with Suge, D.O.C., Rodney and Tom. I do the song and they were amazed. They were like wow when you talk you have a very feminine voice but when you rap it is hardcore. We could marketing you as a even younger rapper, 15 or 16. So I then became this 16 year old teen rapper (laughs), although I was 19.

So what ended up happening with that situation? Did you record any tracks over there?

Oh god, you know so much went on during that period because I met pretty much everyone when they were working with Tom. To distinguish it as far as a timeline, it would be a little off as far as in order.

Doesn’t matter.

When I was there I did alot of tracks. I did tracks with Unknown, Erotic D, Dee-Lite. Dee-Lite is a producer and he has done quite a few tracks in Atlanta. I did songs with Daz, Kurupt, Snoop wrote songs for me, actually Snoop was not even there at that time, so that was later. I think when it was just Tom Kline, D.O.C.and Suge, the artists that were there at that time were myself, Smooth who is now Chocolate, D.O.C., Dr. Dre had not joined us yet, Erotic D, Miss Allen, Jonesy J? and this white guy named Flint who was a awesome producer.

Really?

Yeah, well you know Suge he renamed everybody, because Flint became Punch B, Sean Thomas he renamed him Barney Rubble because he thought he looked like Barney off the Flintstones. Suge was constantly doing that.

Wow.

I must admit when I first met him, I could not stand him, I hated his guts.

What did he do to win you over?

Well it took some time. When he first met me, he said I have a big ass head.

Laughs

So I looked at him and said you got a big ass head too.

Laughs

He just busted out laughing and said you funny I like you. I said yeah whatever, but yeah at first I did not like him because of his mouth, the things that would come out of it, make you want to cuss him out from head to toe. He would say stuff like you gonna give me some and I would look at him like who do you think you are. I guess he thought he had it going on. How we eventually ended up hooking up was there was a concert in Hollywood. It was Kool Moe Dee and EPMD there and it was me and Keisha, she was in a group called Times 3, and she was dating Dr. Dre although yes he was with Michel’le at the time.

Laughs

It was me, her and Rodney and before I met them up there I was leaving the office and I was talking to Suge. He said are you going to the concert? I said yeah and he said you gonna be with me after the concert? I said no and he said yeah you gonna be with me after the concert and I was like ok we’ll see. He told me to give him a kiss and I said no, and I was running around the office while he was trying to kiss me. I went up to the elevator because I was going to go back upstairs. Suge is a big guy but he can move really fast and he catches me at the elevator still trying to kiss me but my head is turned. He said well if you give me a kiss, I will let you go. So I give him a really quick peck and then he said ok well I will see you later. So me and Rodney were at the house getting ready to go to the concert, we get ready and we pick up Keisha and go to the club and Suge is there and he is dancing with me. It is getting close to the end of the concert and I told Rodney let’s go and Suge made this motion to him if he left with us, he was gonna punch him in the eye.

Laughs

So he would not leave and I am getting pissed off. After the concert he pulls up in this limo and then he takes me to the Sheraton Hotel near LAX and I am thinking to myself ok this fool is bold. He said oh we don’t have to do anything we can just talk and I am not buying that. He gets a suite, and we order something to eat and then he said something off the wall to me in the room so I took my water and threw it on him.

Laughs

So he takes his water and threw it on me, I take a big pitcher of water and throw it on him, so this fool goes in the bathroom and fills a trash can full of water and chases me around the suite trying to throw water on me. So I eventually come to the conclusion that he is gonna keep pursuing me and he is gonna be wack in bed so yeah I’ll just do it and it will be over.

Laughs

Ok so he was a lil better then I thought he would be.

Laughs

Long story short, that kicked off our relationship.

Wow, that’s crazy. So how long did you guys have a relationship for?

We were together for about 5 years. We had our ups and downs and it started off fairytale like in the beginning, and he was sweet and affectionate. But then he became really possessive, insecure and jealous over time and when you mix those together over time, it becomes violent.

So how was Death Row actually funded? How did it actually come to be, since you were one of the first people there.

Well from day one, it was mostly Tom Kline’s money. I mean Suge did not have alot of money in the beginning and everybody thought that he was so rich and had it going on, but he really didn’t. Basically I was getting alot of gifts off of his moms American Express card.

Wow.

Seriously, I mean on those cards you don’t have a limit and he would pay the bill, but yeah in the beginning he did not have alot of money. He ended up paying his rent, my rent, his artist rent, so nah he really did not have it like that to start. But mostly Tom Kline, he was the one that had money, well his wife had the money.

Laughs

Tom funded mostly everything. Once he moved on when he went to Solar Records building, Suge started learning more about the business. As far as money at that time, it was mostly from hustling and once we did the soundtrack, that is what really set it off. I can’t really say it was all Harry O or Lydia, it was mostly from hustling to be honest. Because when we first met Lydia, she was living in Culver City, lived in a 2 bedroom apartment and was driving a piece of crap old car. Once she hooked up with Suge, I would drive down with Suge almost every weekend to go see Mike, and I would stay in the car because I would not have anything to say to him. Mike and his wife had a bunch of keys and he wanted his wife to be taken care of, so basically Suge had the right connections with people in Vegas and LA and he was getting money off the top of that. That was how he was earning money was off of selling keys.

So this is on the record right?

You know, it’s whatever.

So basically Death Row was funded by drug money, just not directly from Michael Harris?

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.

Right. So what happened that made Tom Kline disappear from the picture before you guys got to Solar?

It’s called DR. DRE!

Laughs

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…,

There was no stopping him.

Exactly.

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?

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.

And then after Dick Griffey kinda got screwed then shit changed right?

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.

That’s true.

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?

I guess karma is a bitch huh? laughs

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.

Right, I feel that. So out of all the people that you worked with on Death Row, who do you think was your favorite to work with and why?

Umm I would have to say…, well I can’t pick just one.

Ok, pick your top 5.

I always had so much fun with Daz, Kurupt, and Snoop. I also liked working with Erotic.

So how many songs did you end up recording over there?

Oh my god, I know I have recorded at least 20 songs that I can remember. Could have been more.

So did you write all of them or did you have co writers?

I had co writers, like Snoop and 3-2 from the Convicts I had them for a song I did produced by Rhythm D and Unknown. The song I did for the Above The Rim soundtrack, and that song was not originally mine. I don’t know why they did not want the original artist that did the song to do it, but at that time I was in Texas and I just had surgery. I get this phone call saying that I need you to come back to LA and I was in pain because of my surgery. Next day I am on a plane back to LA, back in the studio, knocked the song out in a couple of hours.

Wow, that’s crazy. You also did a song for the Gang Related soundtrack correct?

Yeah I co wrote that song with another guy and we actually did the song long distance over the phone. I can’t remember his name to save my life but I remember that he had his own studio at his house and that was where we recorded the song.

So tell us about your new book, what is the title and what is it about?

Well the original title was going to be My Life With Suge Knight The Man The Mogul The Monster, but then I changed it to Surviving  The Man The Mogul The Monster. It is a book about abuse, and my relationship with him while sometimes it was loving and affectionate, other times it was violent, explosive, brutal. I remember when I finally left him, all my friends were like I can’t believe you lefted him, he had all this money. For me you know what, money isn’t everything.

That’s true

I don’t think people realize that if I would have stayed around I could have been killed or been in jail for killing him. Some women just don’t understand, but I don’t want this book to be just about Suge or based on him, the book is about abuse and I want other women that are in similiar situations and relationships that I was in, to be like you know what I am going through the same thing and I need to do something about it.

Definitely

I mean I have seen my life flash before my eyes, things that he did to me, like playing Russian Roulette at my head with a revolver. Choking me so hard that my neck was fractured.

Wow

It’s a trip and I don’t know why…, you know people say all the time that they will never be in a abusive relationship. As a child I never witnessed abuse and I was never raised that way, but I was in a relationship that was.

It’s crazy but it’s something that happens to the best of us. It’s sad that there are so many women in physically and verbally abusive relationships and they refuse to get out of them.

Yeah alot of that to has to do with self esteem. A man can tell a woman no one wants her, no one thinks that she is pretty, and that constant beating verbally it makes some women really think that man is all they are worthy of. I have one chapter in my book called You Almost Killed Me.

Wow, that is a great name for a chapter.

Seriously, here I will read you a part from it. “Wow can you imagine what it feels like when your life flashes before your eyes as the cord of the vaccum cleaner wraps tightly around your neck.” “Can you desperately see yourself clawing at the cord trying to reach it to give yourself a release?” “Can you feel yourself gasping for every small breath as if each were your last?” “Can you feel the oxygen supply lessen to your brain until you get weaker and weaker and are about to pass out?” “Well I can because that happened to me.” Doesn’t listening to that make you want to read on?

Yeah actually it does.

My book is really good, you will have to check it out.

True, but there has got to be more that you can tell us.

Well if I tell you everything then there is nothing left to say. I got to leave yall wanting more.

True. I thought this was real interesting that you told me and Erotic told me this as well. How come Suge never released a solo album on you?

Well when I went to California in 1997 to work on Gang Related, he was in prison at the time and I went to go visit him. But basically he told me that he would not put out a album on me because he thought I would blow up and leave him.

Wow, that is sad, but it is what it is. 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?

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.

When it came to album credits, how often were credits given to the wrong people?

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.

I mean could you be more specific?

There were songs that were done that Dr. Dre did not do and he got credit for it.

Umm you have a example? laughs.

I mean I love Dre, don’t get me wrong, but at the same time alot of times that was not his idea either.

Right

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.

So Suge was the main reason alot of people were not being properly credited?

Yes.

Did the same thing apply to people not getting their money as well?

Yeah! I never got paid 50 grand for the song Down With My Nigga. I seen the check and everything, never got paid

That’s sounds like Suge.

Yeah it was a trip.

I also remember reading a statement that you said you felt you would have been a bigger star then Lady Of Rage. Why do you feel that way?

Well to be honest, I do believe that. I feel that I was a better all around artist, I had the look, the voice and I had really dope songs. Her voice was not all that great, her look was not all that great, but what I can say is that her delivery was perfect. If you compare her album to the songs that I had at the time there was no comparison. My songs were far doper, better music, better lyrics, I mean that is just the truth. I mean Rage was alright, but did she really blow up?

True

Did she go platinum?

I think she went gold and that was it.

I seriously believe that I would have blown up, because when we went on that promotional tour when Dre came out with The Chronic, I got mad love. Off of one love I was getting mad love.

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?

He wasn’t, I mean don’t get me wrong, 2pac as a artist, great. 2pac as a person, fake.

Laughs

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 ok to be that but when you go out in public, talking smack because you have protection. That ain’t you so just be quiet.

Do you think that 2pac was afraid of Suge?

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.

What was the craziest fight that you ever had with Suge?

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.

Wow

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.

He just did not want to let it go huh?

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.

Yeah that is what abusers do to have the advantage.

Yeah but when it got to the point that it was really bad, it just did not matter anymore. I made sure though to talk to his family and let them know what was going on and why I had to leave. Because it was either going to be he was going to kill me or I was going to kill him. I had actually planned on writing a book years ago but he was in prison at the time and his mom asked me to wait until he got out. By that time I had really lost interest and I did not end up writing it, and my attorney for years was telling me that I need to write a book. So now that I started writing it, he is really excited and everytime that I submit a chapter to him, he can’t wait until it’s finished.

So if you could give any advice to someone that is in a abusive relationship, what advice would you give them?

Really it depends on the situation and the level of violence. If it is emotional or verbal abuse, I would first ask both people how much do you really love each other and want to work it out. If the desire to work on it is there, I would recommend counseling. If he or she refuses it, then they don’t love you as much as they say they do. At that point it’s time to leave because at some point, that mental and emotional abuse is going to lead to physical abuse. I can say for me that is how it started for me was the emotional abuse, the seclusion, the no one is going to love you, keeping you from family and friends, basically keeping you alone. Then you start to feel lonely and depressed and when it gets to that point, it’s time to move on. Run!

Laughs

That is how it started for me was the emotional abuse. I did not have alot of friends and when I did go out it was mainly shopping or to his parents house. At first it was cool because we were together all the time but mentally it got to the point to where I was alone most of the time.

Wow that’s bad

But I would say for those women that are in a physically abusive relationship, there is really no coming back from that. Run, because it is only gonna escalate from there, and if you have kids it’s worst because if you go to jail over abuse or murder, you won’t be able to see your kids. Some people are able to work out verbal and emotional abuse, but once it turned physical there is no working it out. It’s also good for women in either type of relationship to get personal counseling as well to try and build their self esteem back up because women are worthy to be treated as such.

We are not possessions, animals, we are people, we are women and we deserve respect on a whole different level. There are women that are abusive as well and I say to everyone, personal counseling can go a long way to healing that abuse. I hope people can learn from what I went through and be able to look at their lives and say hey you know what I am going through the same or similar things or this is where I am headed. I want the book to be more positive and not negative.

Do you have any closing words?

I’m not holding any grudges and I wish everyone the best. I am at a point now to where I am doing this for me and it is not to hurt anyone or I am trying to come up, it is my personal experiences and I want to help people. I am not pulling back any punches and if certain people don’t like it, tough. I am telling it all, I am not trying to hide anything.

That is the way it is supposed to be done, the truth is always better than a lie.

Definitely and I am going to tell you like this, nothing in this book is a lie, it’s all the truth. People can go and get lawyers and I say come with it!

Laughs

I am actually putting myself out there more than other people because yeah of course I am going to be criticized. I thought I was in love, I was so emotionally abused that I thought I could not do any better.

I appreciate your time and the time you have shown to I2G to tell us about your book, your time on Death Row and your relationship with Suge. Thank you.

You are so welcome babe. 

[bouli77]

thank you. good read. lol @ her thinking rage was just "alright" and she could have been bigger.

[2euce 7even]

she was dope.great interview.

eric, where your interview?

[Black Excellence]

thank you. good read. lol @ her thinking rage was just "alright" and she could have been bigger.

[Eric - Dubcnn.com]

she was dope.great interview.

eric, where your interview?

This is my interview. I did it in collaboration with i2G.

[caffeinefiend]

Great interview, good work Eric!

[polepositon]

He does hit women.

[Sami]

So basically Suge was fucking and abusing all the female artists?

That's evil, but to steal their money on top of that is just fucked up.

I'm ashamed of myself for being a fan of DR all these years...Adults don't act like Suge did, that's for sure.

Seriously, as I get older and know more about the situations people went through to make this music I like it a lot less.

[Black Excellence]

So basically Suge was fucking and abusing all the female artists?

That's evil, but to steal their money on top of that is just fucked up.

I'm ashamed of myself for being a fan of DR all these years...Adults don't act like Suge did, that's for sure.

Seriously, as I get older and know more about the situations people went through to make this music I like it a lot less.

what's even sicker is her stayin' in the relationship and when she decided to leave her friends tellin her she shoulda stayed because dude had loot. i don't blame suge i blame those women who allowed themselves to stay in that kinda situation.

[krzieg]

http://illuminati2g.com/site/2012/07/08/paradise-interview/

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 ok to be that but when you go out in public, talking smack because you have protection. That ain’t you so just be quiet.

Really good read about Suge. Interesting take on 2pac as well.

[Sami]

So basically Suge was fucking and abusing all the female artists?

That's evil, but to steal their money on top of that is just fucked up.

I'm ashamed of myself for being a fan of DR all these years...Adults don't act like Suge did, that's for sure.

Seriously, as I get older and know more about the situations people went through to make this music I like it a lot less.

what's even sicker is her stayin' in the relationship and when she decided to leave her friends tellin her she shoulda stayed because dude had loot. i don't blame suge i blame those women who allowed themselves to stay in that kinda situation.

You have a good point.

It just takes away from enjoying the music for me because I can see how she got stuck there and I'm realizing now that DR was a destructive cult(worshiping Suge), not a record label.

Also, I think I just might be getting too old for it. (I'm 25.)

[Black Excellence]

So basically Suge was fucking and abusing all the female artists?

That's evil, but to steal their money on top of that is just fucked up.

I'm ashamed of myself for being a fan of DR all these years...Adults don't act like Suge did, that's for sure.

Seriously, as I get older and know more about the situations people went through to make this music I like it a lot less.

what's even sicker is her stayin' in the relationship and when she decided to leave her friends tellin her she shoulda stayed because dude had loot. i don't blame suge i blame those women who allowed themselves to stay in that kinda situation.

You have a good point.

It just takes away from enjoying the music for me because I can see how she got stuck there and I'm realizing now that DR was a destructive cult(worshiping Suge), not a record label.

Also, I think I just might be getting too old for it. (I'm 25.)

you're not ever too old for hip hop.

[BiggBoogaBiff]

Didn't Suge beat that other chick driving down the freeway too?  Or am I getting the two mixed up?

[Sami]

Yeah, hip-hop is still good just not a lot of the hyper-thugged out bullshit.

I love ATL because Hutch and KMG and Kaos were Gs but they didn't front and they made good music, that I can still play today and enjoy without feeling shitty.