Crooked I about the Dysfunktional Family Ost, the Eastcoast, Still tha Row Lyric

[Darksider]

Interviews
Crooked I
Crooked I- 04.21.03


Crooked I "Tha Bad Guy" his Debut Album Titled Say Hi Tha Bad Guy set to drop in August



Go Scoop up DysFunkTional Family Soundtrack In Stores April 22

To Purchase The Soundtrack online: Click->
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/t...=music&n=507846

SoHood Statement: Crooked I Tha bad Guy there's no doubt in my mind or Suge or any savey hiphop head, that he's the future of hip hop and the future of Death Row. It was a pleasure talkin' to Crooked I; he's an intelligent and funny guy and very down to earth. Much thanks goes to both Jonathan for hookin' up the interview and Nate at Death Row Records for his additional help. One Luv.

His Record Label: DeathRowRecords.Net

His Official Site: ThaBadGuy.com



SoHood.com: How important is the Dysfunktional Family Soundtrack for Death Row ?


Crooked I: It's very important because it's the first release since Suge Knight came out of jail, cause you know every project that Death Row releases we have respect for the consumer so we puttin' hard work into it. So it is important, we in the studio working hard, bringin' some heat, hopefully they'll feel it.


SoHood.com: Death Row gets a bad rap by the media and the music industry in general, what are your thoughts about that?

Crooked I: You know, how it goes down, they always gonna talk about the bad, they are not really gonna ever speak on the good, the media gets their rates off negative. Like Suge rebuilding nursings and helping families of murder victims. There a lot of good things that go down, but they always just focus on the negative.

SoHood.com: Is that why u said "What about the hospital trips givin' gifts to sick kids.." Crooked I Feat Virginya Slim "Still Tha Row" off (Dysfunktional Family Sdtrk) In Stores April 22


Crooked I: Yeah exactly, we go down to the county hospitals down here in L.A.,we give gifts to sick kids, we buy about 25 to 30 thousand dollars worth of toys and we give them out every Christmas. You know things like that, need to be known to balance it out. Because they ain't gonna let people know how we really get down and how we help out our community, they not really gonna put that out there.

SoHood.com: The lyrics that you said from "Still Tha Row" "I don't need y'all to start me Ten million albums sold? Maybe if I look like Paul McCartney But I'm dark as dark Bacardi, dark as Marcus Garvey"- Was that directed to the white hype ?

Crooked I: Well, you know that was directed to the real, you know everybody in Hip-hop want to be so politically correct, and I'm going to spit the truth. You know there are some rappers out there I'm not hating but they know where I fit in at.You know my main focus ain't even to sell ten million albums, that was to say that also my main focus isn't that, because at the end of that line I say "lets spark the cigars and party....." Because no matter what, we still gonna have fun, make our music and give something to the streets that they could feel.

SoHood.com: Yeah.

Crooked I: I'm dark as dark Bacardi, dark as Marcus Garvey, I said that so kids could find out who Marcus Garvey is, they hear that line, and there like who the hell is Marcus Garvey? He was a black activist, I mean a thing like that needs to spark the interest rather than a diamond ring and a pair of rims, ya know.

SoHood.com: How eagered are you to battle someone on wax ?

Crooked I: Well, you know, I'm not that eagered but if someone were to battle me my lyrics are pretty sharp.


SoHood.com: A lot of people sleep on the West Coast.

Crooked I: Yeah that's true, we gonna wake them up, because some of these people are starting to get slept on. Alot of people out here are just dragging their feet, some deserve to get slept on.

SoHood.com : A lot of people felt you on "So Damn Hood", when they played it out here in New York.


Crooked I: Right, right, "So Damn Hood" was a song that I just made, I wanted to let the people know that, out here you got artists that are So Damn Hood. (Laughin')

SoHood.com : Why did you change the beat?


Crooked I: Well, you know we got two versions it's not like we changed it, we actually got two versions, we got a version that's more bangin' for you ride to, and then we got a version when you get out the car and hit the club. One for the streets and one for the clubs, but it's still the same song and still playin' the same message. We don't care about the police raiding the office, we don't care about the media being negative you know.

SoHood.com: Is your debut album "Say Hi To The Bad Guy" finished?

Crooked I: yeah yeah, the album is complete, mixed and mastered and ready to go. First we gonna ship this soundtrack out (Dysfunktional Family), and then we gonna hit'em over the head with the album, it's an incredible album because we put our heart and soul in this you know what I mean.

SoHood.com: Who's going to be featured in your album ?

Crooked I: Like I said I have Ja Rule, I did a few things with a few different artists on the album, but my main concern was opening up the doors for the West. Of course, Tha Row Family: Eastwood, Spider, Big foot, Danny Boy but you know we're more interested in opening the doors. A lot of these cats put all these famous dudes in their albums so they could sell more records. We're not really concerned with all these dudes running around already in the industry. We're concerned on bringin' brand new faces from the West Coast, there a lot of true cats on there, we got Too Short, Treach, because they were the cats that opened the door for us to do what we're doing, so we have to pay homage to the O.g 's.

SoHood.com: Can you name a couple of title tracks off your album?

Crooked I: We got a song called "Welcome To L.A." We got another song called "Live At Tha Row " it's a tight track! Because it has no hooks; it's all rappin' with the beat steadily changing during the song, drums, live drums and then live bass, live DJ scratching and then live pianos, that song came out great. We just got a lot of stuff on there, we got club ****, we got party ****.

SoHood.com: I can't wait for your album.

Crooked I: yeah man, I can't either man, ya know maan it's been a long time coming for me.


SoHood.com: Yeah.

Crooked I: I think the passion is missing from the West Coast. The reception we used to get, you remember how it use to be like really poppin back when Death Row was doing it in 95-96' you know what I mean?

SoHood.com: Yeah, I remember.

Crooked I: It's kinda died down.


SoHood.com: Do you consider yourself a policital rapper?

Crooked I: Nah, I would have to say I'm just ghetto. Growing up in the ghetto you could be policital without even trying because we are subjected to so much bull**** know what I'm sayin'. I'm just ghetto, I say things the way I see them.


SoHood.com: Do you feel like Hip-hop is moving forward or backwards?


Crooked I: I think Hip-hop is moving forward because honestly there's alot things going on in hip hop right now, that wasn't going on back then. As far as the music goes a lot of people think the music isn't as pure as it use to be. But cha know it's a billion dollar industry. It influences TV, Fashion, so it's definitely movin' forward you know what I'm sayin'. I just think the West Coast has been standing still to be honest with you.

SoHood.com: As far as, East coast rappers , who are you feelin'?

Crooked I: First of all, the O.G's Rakim, Big Daddy Kane, KRS One, Chuck D, and then as far as today; I got respect for Jay-Z, respect for Nas you know what I'm sayin.


SoHood.com: What' going on with Triple 7?


Crooked I: You know what, we kind of broke the Triple 7 down man, the thing was that Triple 7 was a production company we had, so then we came up here to Tha Row. Well, they came up to Tha Row rather, they kinda just signed on as Death Row producers. Now it's just Death Row, it's all under the Death Row umbrella, it's still the same cats ya know, still bangin' the same heat it's all under the Death Row Family.


SoHood.com: Five years from now as far as the music industry and in life, where do you see yourself?

Crooked I: Well, five years from now man! Hopefully, I'm done man, I'm in Maui on the balcony you know what I mean, just loughin' ya mean (Laughin') with a fat ass bank account (Laughin') and just chillin', and rollin' with a few *****es, cause the thing I want to stress is these young cats out here, is that you know rappers get royalities, but if you want to get cha real money, you have to be an owner of some thing. Five years from now, I plan to be an owner of a company, you know what I mean in business. And continuing to be part of Hip-hop because you know I have been doing it for life, you understand business is life. And as far as life goes; let there be happy peace of mind, I guess that's what everybody hopes for right?


SoHood.com: Yup.

SoHood.com: Any last thoughts you would like to leave your fans with, who have supported you since day one?

Crooked I: Any last thoughts, um, man! Support the West Coast! Because I've gone to New York and I don't hear anyone playin' West Coast music and out here we play East Coast music. It disturbs me, because I'm not a hater, they play everybody **** so I think everybody should play our ****. I think it's your duty as a west coaster to support West Coast music, cause you know we're like the second largest market out here. And a lot of people ain't even getting it, when it comes to soundscan know what I mean. And a lot of people out there, just support West Coast music, if you like it, pick it up don't burn it, don't download it, support the artists so we could keep makin' this music and by buying the albums, you know BANG !! and that's about it.

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