New Kurupt Interview

[Darksider]

KURUPT INTERVIEW INTRODUCTION
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"What made you leave Death Row because you were with the label for a few years?", I asked Kurupt. He stated, "Suge gave me a position at Death Row. I was never on Death Row. He gave me a position at Death Row being the Senior Vice President over the music division, and that was basically my operations. I was on the music side of the Company, but I was still signed to Antra."

"So this was like a normal position at a Company where you can resign and leave at any time?", I sought to clarify. "Yeah..it was a job." was his reply. "So was there any reason to quit in particular?" I asked back. "I did my job, and it was time for me to concentrate back on my rap career and that’s what I did. I patched things up with my homeboys and we were ready to fly again. I can’t do the job no more if the concentration is strictly on the rap career. You know?" he answered.

"Is everything still cool with Suge?" I asked. "Oh definitely. Suge gave me his blessings when I left" said Kurupt about his former boss. "What about Antra? I know that you are no longer a part of that label. What prompted that?" was my next question. "They are not even an existing company anymore. So there is no reason for me to even be on Antra. They don’t put out any records. The company folded. Its not a company anymore", was his answer. I then asked "Was this something that you still had to negotiate out of even though they are not an operating company?" "Of course yeah, because its still a business. Everything is cool. I want you to make clear that I was never signed to Death Row. Kurupt was never signed to Death Row. He’s always been a part of Antra. He just now got off of Antra. My relationship with Suge was a business relationship. He’s always stayed cool with me. The man has never come at me in an awkward way. He’s always allowed me to do what I wanted to do and he’s always supported me. I have no problems with Suge in any shape or fashion. There was no split on bad terms. Everything is gravy. He’s always been great with Kurupt. And that’s just the real. Suge has always been cool. Straight with me business-wise as well as personally. The decision to leave was just that I can’t perform that job anymore because its now career time. That’s basically the whole push behind it. I got back with my homeboys, we’ve straightened out our differences and we are riding. Its all about DPGC and nothing else" said Kurupt.

"In our last interview with you, you were so excited about the Against The Grain project, and you mentioned all of these tracks that you were working on. It seemed like it was a glow in your eye. Basically what went wrong with that album?" was my next question. His answer was "Koch didn’t want to do it right. Being back with the homies, I told them that they had to take the negative records off the record. The second thing was that they needed to pay me." he continued, "It wasn’t just about the negative records about the homeboys, but the negative records period. A 2002 feel about how Kurupt was feeling then ain’t the type of record I want to release now. We need to update it and get rid of the old records. We need to get rid of the negative records. That ain’t the line that me and the homies are pushing. We are pushing a positive line now. Everybody’s heads are on straight and the negative records need to be eliminated. We are not supporting any negativity and that’s just the bottom line. We are supporting growth in game. So the negative records need to be terminated and I’ll replace them with new real records and they need to pay me. Other than that, we could have it fly. But they didn’t want to do that. They didn’t want to pay me and they didn’t want to get rid of the negative records. That was basically the problem.

"Was Suge disappointed in all of this too?" I asked. "On the Death Row website, Suge said don’t support Against The Grain. Its not the REAL record!" Kurupt laughed heartily. "Not even Suge is supporting this shit", he further stated and laughed.




Interview (video and text)

http://www.westcoastrydaz.com/interviews/video/kurupt_interview_part_3.wmv

Kurupt: After the western conference, I decided to get my thing straight with Antra. Get off of that label. So that's where I'm at now, I'm off of Antra. Im basically finna lock in a deal with Snoop. Me and Snoop gonna take my solo career, my solo album and do something big with it. I got another solo album coming called DPG Presents Young Gotti. It's gonna come out in February, produced by Daz. It's the real official Kurupt solo album. We got a solo album dropping on major market with Snoop

WestCoastRydaz.com: So you left Death Row, and we have the westcoast conference. Why don't you talk about that for a bit. How that came about, you and Daz reuniting. There was alot of bad blood going on there and you put the word out through the site that you wanted peace. He reached out through various outlets and you guys finally came together.

Kurupt: Yeah. We put it all together. It was long overdue. We chopped it up. Basically everybody really missed each other. The homies missed me, I missed the homies. It was time to put the bullshit aside and time for us to fly.

WestCoastRydaz.com: Was it hard to get past any of the harsh things that were said about each other?

Kurupt: Nobdoy wasn't givin a fuck. We was just like, the past is the past. We push it, and no need to really discuss all that. We got back together and started flying. Like old times, it was crackin. We went to the studio, knocked out a couple records and just started making some plans. Going over what we gonna do next as an entire organization and getting ready to run over this game. It's alot of people out right now that's doing so well, rap game is so huge. Rappers need to start supporting each other. Alot of people trying to tear down hip hop in it's entirety. We not helping it with the little petty fueds that we have. But you know, everybody has they reasons for what they do. We can't really speak on nobody else's beefs. What they going through. We can just help by us staying high and dry from the bullshit.

WestCoastRydaz.com: Do you think the conference was a success in itself?

Kurupt: I think it was a total success. One, it got the Dogg Pound back together. Two, it was alot of other things that got squashed. Jayo talked with Xzibit, which was a good thing. It was alot of good things. Alot of people got things off they chest. The main focus of the Western Conference was to show that we gonna take the first step to this positive push here. We need to all support each other on the west coast. Get off ya chest what you gotta get off and alot of people got things off they chest that they been holding in.

WestCoastRydaz.com: Do you think we need another one?

Kurupt: Oh definitely. Definitely.

WestCoastRydaz.com: Things are starting to stir up a bit here and there.

Kurupt: It's record time now. It's records. We did the first step. I think for the next step everybody else need to do the steppin. We can't really have too many sit downs and conversations and everybody be on the same page it was before the conversation. It's like, the main thing I think Snoopy was saying was, Snoop's always gonna do Snoop. He's always gonna stay in the game and stay right. Everybody can't really blame their success, whether they made it or not because Snoopy ain't here fuckin with him. Or Snoopy ain't there fucking with him. Cause Snoop is gone! He's travelling, he's working, he got a family to feed. He's about getting his money. He's like everybody else need to step they game up and do some deals with these companies they dealing with and drop some good albums. That helps everybody. Cause this is a business most importantly. It's not about, oh hey I want this guy on my record. Oh he won't get on my record, fuck em. Naw that guy's working. That guys out there getting his money, getting his game off. You should be doing the same thing. Alot of people don't wanna open no doors to the west coast artists. Alot of people feel there's alot of violence, they afraid. You can see the west coast took a chill pill and that type of stuff is gonna be there regardless. With it being directed toward us. We gonna set an example with there records.

WestCoastRydaz.com: So you went on tour with Snoop. What was that like?

Kurupt: It was crackin. It took me a little time to grasp it all. Like damn this is for real. Me and the homies is really back together. It was an exciting thing.

WestCoastRydaz.com: Did you guys go to the Apollo?

Kurupt: We rocked there two nights. It was crackin. It was a big thing.

WestCoastRydaz.com: Let's talk about this album for a second. You guys went into the studio, started knocking out these songs and everything. Who basically put this album together?

Kurupt: Me and Daz. Daz basically took control of the musical side. Like he always does. basically this was to just show me the game and for us to make a little bit of change. Also to get them ready for this big Dogg Pound album we about to be dropping.

WestCoastRydaz.com: This is just a prequel basically.

Kurupt: Basically. Daz always keeps the records poppin. He always keeps somethin new out there. So we was figuring the first thing we gonna do is give them some new Dogg Pound shit. It's super and it's all g'd up! West Coast.

WestCoastRydaz.com: This one's dropping November 1st?

Kurupt: November 1st. In stores everywhere. Doing it real super big. And also Daz has shown me this independent game as we do it. Packaging it up, putting it together. Getting it to the distributors, showing me the whole ball of wax. Like the Young Gotti album, I'mma do that one like that. Package it up, put it together and put it in the stores. I'm just now getting my distribution deal set up with the company Delmar has. I'm gonna be dropping independent albums, major ones with Snoop. Independent ones with Daz. We really finna hit this game heavy.

WestCoastRydaz.com: So right now the highest bidder could win huh? You can pretty much go anywhere.

Kurupt: Man! I'm shouting out to my nigga Baby and Slim over at Cashmoney. They fucking with me pretty tough. I'm also hollerin' at Kimora Lee. Cause Keymore holla'd at me about the new label her and Russell got. So I'mma do that album with Snoop but it's about who we gonna have distribute it basically.

WestCoastRydaz.com: Isn't your wife dropping some albums too?

Kurupt: Yeah Gail's getting ready for hers. She going to New York to work on a mixtape there with Storm. SO she getting hers together. We finna just package it all up, I'm gonna be dropping independent records on Gail, YA, Scoldie, Anterazh, a group we got in Philly called The Armory. We finna really move it.

WestCoastRydaz.com: How's Scoe doing?

Kurupt: Scoes chillin. He out there in Orange county posted up working on his album, working on his projects that he got crackin. All the boys working, getting they game faces on. Doing they lil things. It's a big thing. Everybody happy to be back in this game in this positive note. That's why Against the Grain like-- Fuck Against the Grain. They didn't wanna put out a good album. I heard if you went to Death Row's website it was like don't get Against The Grain. It's not the reals. Because Koch fucked that whole thing up. Suge wasn't supporting it. I'm not supporting it whatsoever.

WestCoastRydaz.com: I really didn't see any ads or any type of push. You didn't really call me to push it so I figured you didn't want to.

Kurupt: Yeah. I talked to DMX at the airport when I came in a couple of months ago. I squashed that with DMX. It's a cool thing. Nas I ain't really had a problem with, we straight. 50 is cool, I ain't got no problems with 50. It was alot of things on there that was through my little anger time and that's not the line that we pushin. It's about the positive push, dropping good albums and supporting other rappers that's successful like 50 Cent. Cause I'm loving Tony Yayo. He's really killin em. It's about the positive push as a whole. East coast, west coast, and the south. My nigga Young Geezy is killin these niggas. I'm lovin his shit too, that nigga hard. It's time for us to get the grasp on this man.

WestCoastRydaz.com: You still working with Jayo, I know you had the Riflemen with him.

Kurupt: Definitely. Jayo right now is getting his situation straight. Mobb is over there at G-Unit now. 40 is with Mobb. So everybody is getting they piece of business straight. We getting it straight for ourselves. We gon' rack it back up, I'll put that Rifles album together the right way like we supposed to. Definitely.

WestCoastRydaz.com: You guys gonna be touring?

Kurupt: Me and Daz put one together but we might have to scrap that. Cause there's a Reunion tour that's happening right now that Snoopy holla'd at us about with The Fugees. Sick right? Sick! We finna make it happen. We're coming to ya soon.

WestCoastRydaz.com: Dillinger and Young Gotti 2. Now what's the name of the one after this, the Dogg Pound one?

Kurupt: We ain't came up with a name yet but we are done with the album and we probably got 6 more records to make for it. Snoopy got such a big thing he wants to do with it. It's gonna take a little time to do it. First thing is we got a Dogg Pound movie we doing that Snoop put together. Second is my Young Gotti independent album with the DVD attached to it. We gonna be dropping it right after the album. We just keeping it moving. It's crackin.

WestCoastRydaz.com: Most of these records, is it just DPG, or do they feature big, new artists of today?

Kurupt: Naw we have no features. Me and Daz been away from each other for so long, we finna take it back to the Rakim days where a group album is a group album, a solo album is a solo album. We don't have a gang of features, we gonna give em something we been starving for a long time. So this album DPG is me and Daz at our peaks. Me and Daz giving them that gangsta shit that they love. The Young Gotti album is like The Streetz Iz A Mutha. It's Young Gotti at it's rarest form. We finna hit em. We don't need no features. We gonna give em what they want. That Dogg Pound gangsta shit..

WestCoastRydaz.com: Heard it from the man himself all the questions you been wonderin about. There on the positive tip, not on no bullshit!

Kurupt: Get it and bang it in your jeep man. It's a winner. It's that G Shit.

WestCoastRydaz.com: Its ya Boy Styles, Ret one, Kurupt.

Kurupt: Next one gonna be with me and Daz, Dogg Pound. We gonna give yall the exclusive. Ya dig?

WestCoastRydaz.com: Anything to say for the fans at West Coast Rydaz?

Kurupt: Definitely! I love yall cuzz, yall always supported me. Even when I was on my little slight slope, everybody was still pushing that positive shit. "Dogg Pound need to get back togeher." I love yall for being truthfull too. Like "Kurupt you need to get back to your A game on the mic. It's time to wake up mayne and get back on the mic like the old Kurupt." I love yall for yall honesty. I defintely love yall for yall suppport. I couldn't do it without yall. I gotta let ya know yall was one of the main things that pushed this Dogg Pound Reunion situation. Also gotta give it up to my brother Draws he was a major pusher in the Dogg Pound getting back together. Draws and Hump. Bearclaw, Tiny Cobb, Lil G Bob, all those major supporters. Getting everything back together. All the homies, I love yall for that. Scoldie and YA and all of them. Lil Kurupt, Tri. Tone, Slowe. We gonna get this crackin.

WestCoastRydaz.com: Tri is another one man. We're about to blow that guy up.

Kurupt: He been working boy! Him and Jinx got something so fly together. It's a big west coast thing. Pushing it hard, pushing it strong. Good looking out to all my West Coast Ryda folks thats been supporting. I jump on every once in a while to see what yall talking about and yall always support the Dogg Pound. We love ya for it. Please believe it.

[The Watcher]

nice.. glad to see they're not packin that album with guest appearances

[Maxin in the Shade]

yeah i agree, its how it should be

just kurupt and daz

more albums should be like that.
im sick of seeing so many guests on peoples albums

[smp4life]

This interview makes me want to hear ATG.

[Tha G In Deee]

Very dope interview...can't wait for D&YG2 & tha new Dogg Pound album...

[WestCoasta]

damn this is good news 

[Sweet & Tender Hooligan]

This interview makes me want to hear ATG.

Yeh me 2 coz i knew he dissed x n the firm a while back but a dint think that was nethin new...n duz he mean he dissed 50?? Dint really understand that bit..but yeah a want 2 heer that album now....

[Stone Cold is Bout It, Bout It]

Kurupt likes Tony Yayo!!!    ..and he doesn't have beef with G-Unit

[makaveli11]

Very dope interview...can't wait for D&YG2 & tha new Dogg Pound album...

Damn I am mad hyped for D&Y2, new dogg pound album, and kurupt's solo. He sounds really motivated and it looks he knows what the fans been waiting for...kurupt on his A mic game again. I am hyped to the point I going to listen 'Tha Streetz iz a Mutha' right now.

[Mo Z. Dizzle]

Kurupt likes Tony Yayo!!!    ..and he doesn't have beef with G-Unit

[late night]

props good read...

[SlickPants]

Kurupt likes Tony Yayo!!!    ..and he doesn't have beef with G-Unit

lmao he was prolly just sayin that shit, man can have his own opinions

[jeromechickenbone]

First, i've been waiting for a good interview with Kurupt just to hear his state of mind.  And it actually sounded like he got his mind right.  When i first read when he said he likes Yayo, i was like what the fuck? But then thinkin about it all he's sayin is he's not gonna waste his time hatin on anybody, he's gonna focus on himself and try to bring his A game on the mic. 

I really hope he keeps his hunger going and delivers some more classic shit. Peace

[cobra]

that nigga said:

" and supporting other rappers that's successful like 50 Cent. Cause I'm loving Tony Yayo. He's really killin em. It's about the positive push as a whole. East coast, west coast, and the south. My nigga Young Geezy is killin these niggas"

thats what that nigga said.