By Tim “Styles” Sanchez
Philadelphia native and California adopted son Ricardo Brown a.k.a. Kurupt first came to the attention of the rap world as part of Snoop Dogg’s crew The Dogg Pound back during the rise of the West Coast based Death Row Records. Kurupt stood out from most West Coast artists with his unique delivery and emphasis on sharp lyrics as heard on such classic albums as The Chronic and Doggystyle before embarking on his own classic album Dogg Food with Daz Dillinger as part of The Dogg Pound.
Kurupt took a solo route and released the much heralded Kuruption in 1998 and the classic Streetz Iz A Mutha in 1999. 2001’s Space Boogie: Smoke Odyssey was met with mixed reviews and was the last time we would see the Dogg Pound together for a few years as Kurupt took a Vice President position with Death Row Records not too long after that album’s release. Since the reformation of The Dogg Pound after the 2005 West Coast Conference put together by Snoop Dogg, the group has released several albums which were met with disappointment by many of their longtime fans.
The Dogg Pound’s upcoming album 100 Wayz has been described by the group as their actual real return although there hasn’t been a release date given to the new album. Kurupt however seems ready to show fans that he can once again be a force on the mic as gears up for a brand new release with West Coast legend Dj Quik called Blaqkout and another upcoming album called Streetlight with rising producer Terrace Martin. AllHipHop caught up with Kurupt at a taping of Snoop Dogg’s MTV show Dogg After Dark to give us a very brief interview about his upcoming moves.
AllHipHop.com: You have the Blaqkout album coming out with DJ Quik. Tell us how you two hooked up for that?
Kurupt: We had talked while working on Snoop Dogg’s Ego Trippin’ album. I told Quik that it was about time for him to get down on that mic. We decided to go ahead and make a historical album together and that’s what we did.
AllHipHop.com: What can we look forward to from the album?
Kurupt: You can look forward to some classic music – some of the best new music coming out of the West Coast. You already know that with Quik doing his thing musically. Lyrically we are both back on our steez. It’s a great album – more of a party than anything else. It’s not about being super hard or anything. It’s just about having a good time – and it’s also some grown folk music – music that our generation can love and have a ball with as well as the younger generation. Get your step on to this!
AllHipHop.com: What was it like working with DJ Quik on a complete album together?
Kurupt: There are certain people that you work with where it’s a real experience and Quik is one of those people. Both of us have great experience in making music so it flowed like water. After I finish my Streetlight album with Terrace Martin, me and Quik will be back in the studio to work on the next DJ Quik & Kurupt album. That is something that we plan on putting out once every year.
AllHipHop.com: A second DJ Quik & Kurupt album is planned?
Kurupt: Oh yeah. The second one might be a little more hard-edged because we’ve got so many different ideas that we want to do together. Right now for Blaqkout we just wanted to make an album for people to have fun, get their step on, and just enjoy themselves. When your day has you down, this will bring you up.
AllHipHop.com: You mentioned the Streetlight album with Terrace Martin. Give us some insight on that.
Kurupt: Terrace and I are putting that together. We are about eight records in right now – bangin’ em’ out. Come May it will be complete and the mastering process will begin. We’ve got classics on that one too. Bobby Valentino gave me on that was straight stupid.
AllHipHop.com: Any new word on The Dogg Pound’s 100 Wayz album?
Kurupt: I just landed from Atlanta about four hours ago. I’ve been working on that with Daz for the past four days. We are just getting it right so that we can take it to Snoop so he can hear it and add his touches to the ballgame, you know, to the records that he wants to jump on. Daz put his imprint on that music too. We are trying to him them with this good a** West Coast motherf***in’ music. This is classic music that we are going to hit them with, from me and DJ Quik to me, Snoopy and Daz. Snoop did an album on me called Niggarachi Presents Kurupt the Kingpin. We are going to hit them off with that one too.
AllHipHop.com: What’s going to drop first out of all of those?
Kurupt: Me and DJ Quik’s Blaqkout. That’s coming out June 10th. After that album, I don’t know. Me, Daz and Snoopy are still working on 100 Wayz and Terrace and I are still working on Streetlight. Plus I have a movie that I wrote and that I will be co-directing called Emerald City. That’s a movie that me, Daz and Snoopy will be putting together.
AllHipHop.com: So you are still acting? What other roles are you doing these days?
Kurupt: I’m still waiting for the Days of Wrath movie that I did to hit the public so they can enjoy it.
AllHipHop.com: That’s the movie that you did with Wilmer Valderamma, right?
Kurupt: That’s right. Wilmer did his thing in that movie too. I have this other movie that Sticky Fingaz is going to drop, it’s a Hip-Hop opera. It’s a musical that Sticky Fingaz put together. I’m in it with Miki Phifer, Omar Epps, Fredo Starr and Lil Zane.
AllHipHop.com: How have you managed to stay around in this rap game for so long since 1993?
Kurupt: I have good partners and I keep my head to the grind. When you have your grind on, you stay relevant. Lately, all I’ve been doing is just keeping my business together and raising these kids but now I’m ready to go full force again. I also have great teachers who have taught me well from my dad to Snoop Dogg. I’ve got my deal with Fontana/Universal and I’m ready to push out these projects.
AllHipHop.com: You mentioned raising kids. Does being a family man have any impact on the kind of music that you make?
Kurupt: I’m going to continue being me. I make music that my kids and my mama can listen to and I also make music that is not for them. But I’m going to continue making the music that the public wants to hear from me.
DJ Quik & Kurupt - "Hey Playa"
DJ Quik & Kurupt - Fuck Yall (Extended Version)
Kurupt - Poetry (feat Terrace Martin)