Yo, it's ex to the motherfucking z. Make sure you tune in and watch me on a Bootleg CAV podcast.
Let's go before we start the episode, man, I gotta remind everybody that we are on the radio in eighty cities every single day across the country. Man Real ninety two to three every day Monday through Friday in Los Angeles, Wild ninety four to one in Tampa, Kkfur, and Phoenix. We're all over the place, Miami, Vegas. We can go on and on. We want to give a shout out to our latest affiliate. Shout out to Knoxville, Tennessee, Man Hot one oh four point five for being the latest
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come and win exhibit in February. I was about to say I'm kind of mad because I put my Albums of the Year a list out. Yeah, now I know it qualifies for next year.
Oh, thank you man. I appreciate that.
Great body of work. Man X to the Z exhibit is here.
Welcome sir, thanks for having me.
Yeah, now this is crazy. Like you just played me your album and I just was like wait a minute, Like bro, you was like really like locked the fuck in? Uh, this album is crazy and it's not. I'm not just telling you like this ship is. It's up there with your you got to Me, you got three classics. It's up there with with with all three of your first three albums.
Thank you man.
You know when when I when I sat back and we talk about this with my circle of friends, we talk about the record, and I think the best way I can explain it is that I found my voice right. Not not the way my voice sounds or the inflection or of it. I'm talking about like I know what I'm supposed to say, I know how I'm supposed to be talking. I know I know what my message is.
Right.
It's crazy because you've had like a was your last album May Pum Yes, And that was in twenty eleven twelve. Yeah, so it's crazy to think, like, in the last twelve years, right, you've been known for a lot of things in terms of like your entrepreneurial shit. Right, you've been leveling up in the weed game, and by the way, put out some amazing stuff with the Serial Killers, Yes, Shout to Be Real and Deemrick. Yes, the last album you guys
dropped was fucking crazy yeah album. Yeah, Yes, it's not a sam shit that But you know, like was there, like you said, you found your voice, Like what was the motivation to get you cause you know, I know what it's like to own a bunch of businesses and have your eye on so many different balls at the same time. But it just, like I said, it just felt like you were just really like re engaged on this album, like in a way that like I haven't heard in a long time.
Yeah, you know, I think.
I think how we all deal with different parts of our life with stress and and finding other things to do and you know, testing the boundaries, and I do that.
I like to take risks. I like to take.
Chances, right, you know, film, television, even going into different aspects of business. It's a risk, you know, because time is the most valuable thing, so you got to spend it wisely, right. And so as I'm doing these things and I'm you know, going out and venturing out. You know when you have that that that thing that you want to feel, you know, full, you don't want to avoid, you know what I'm saying. And I was feeling avoid so and so when I started going back and you know,
working in the studio again, that's what you know. Actually it started when I started with I did a James Savage j O Felony. We did a project called James Savage and that really got.
Me going first, and you know what I'm saying.
And once I produced that for him, then I started like making records for myself again. And then I was like, oh oh shit, you know what I'm saying. Like I was finding what made me feel solid and feel that void, and so I only did records like that. Now we have all kinds of you know, we did I don't know, we did like fifty.
Some records for this, for this that, this album.
Wow, you know what I'm saying, and there, but there's eighteen that made it, you know what I'm saying. And so I feel really good and strong about everything on this record, because I haven't had that before, you know what I'm saying, Like, even though I can go back to Restless and still hear things that I would have did differently.
Which song did you not like Onrestless? I'm just curious which one you would have left off? Was there a song that you like listen back that didn't age the greatest?
No?
Asking which one is curious because I always wonder, like back in the day, right back in the day, when you're on a major label, sometimes the label would win an argument on a song, you know what I mean, Like maybe you were like I would have didn't focus that song with the label wanted it on there, right.
No, I feel like that about different records, but not on Restless.
Yeah, restlessess fucking yeah, I like that one, like one of that. I wanted to ask you something I always wondered, right, because sometimes like it frustrates me because I'm like a fan of your ship from real like at the speed of life, like forty days, forty nights, like chamber music, recard Molly, like oh my god, like just fucking amazing Los Angeles times.
Of course.
You become a star, which you know is I feel like it's very hard to be a certain level of famous and you've achieved that level of fame through a show like Pimp My Ride, through doing movies, through doing TV, through doing films. But while doing all of that stuff, there is like an entire generation of people that strictly only associate you with those television shows, and or while associating you as a rapper, discount your career as a rapper because they just, oh, it's to pit my Ride. Guy.
Was there ever, like the gift in the cause, I'm never gonna call being on pim My Ride a curse because that changed your life, right, But what was the fame and the success of the other stuff in front of the camera. Did it take a hit like on the MU like, did it?
Did it?
Did it affect the music stuff in a negative way at all?
Well?
I was the first, the first, right, because we didn't have a TI reality show.
We had nobody is okay, so let's start. Let's start there. I was the first, so we didn't know at the time what you know twenty some years later was going to look like. So being the first, there was a lot of risk versus reward, you know what I'm saying I was too close to it in the beginning. But as you know, now I look back and I can understand, like this made me a global brand. This made me
somewhere where I can be. You know, the people who don't even know I do music, they they know me, right, and that's something to start with, right, And so when then you look at you know, Okay, so now everybody that's in music is doing something other than music in order to.
Just everybody to get everybody's got their side quest to.
Get it, to get the you know, use the music as a backdroper and then be able to you know, like put them put theirselves out, put themselves out there. So I think that you know, the people that try to dismiss the music because of the show, I don't know. Everybody is entitled to their opinion.
But was that something that you would like notice was happening at the time, like once the show really popped off, Like.
No, it definitely bothered me, you know what I'm saying, because I was too close to it. Like I said, I wanted people to know me for one thing, but then you know, they they recognized me and know me for this other thing.
And then you're doing.
You know what I'm saying.
I had, I had you and you and bust Ryan's had a horrible movie I had. I bought that movie from Hollywood Video. It was terrible, but I bought it and I watched that motherfucker that was on my shelf.
Thank you, man, I appreciate I let him know.
I'll tell yo, it's crazy. So my best friend I have like one of my real first like hip hop two hip hop stories in life. Really, my best friend's name is rams His brother is Raka from Dilating. So Ramses came to LA. It's Roca's dad has a lot. Yeah, that's Buddy. Buddy's my best Yes, of course Buddy who was in the Was he in the.
Paparazza as the Yeah, and now he's a lawyer.
Yes, he's a lawyer.
Right.
So Ramses comes to LA to meet his brothers. And this is a before the platform came out, so this was I don't even know what.
Year this was.
He comes out to LA. I think at the time he's probably seventeen. I'm thirteen something like that, hangs out with the alcoholics you're around, comes back, He's like, Yo, my brother's in this rap group and I was hanging out with Exhibit and whatever the case is. Then you ended up like not long after that, having a concert.
It was like a college show at Arizona State University, and me and Ramses with the hope of finding you backstage so you would remember him, we legit as like children, snuck into the backstage of this concert, was moving around like crazy fast forward. You're on the is it that? What was the tour with Popper Roach Anger Management Tour? And again we're on a mission sophere rest is soul is on that tour, sees Ramses recognizes him and brings
us backstage. Yes, And I'm a little kid back at the Anger Management tour and you're the first Well, no you're not. I don't know if you're the first. Yeah, you're probably the first rapper I ever really kind of like I was a little dirty ass white kid. I was probably thirteen, twelve thirteen, and like you were super cool backstage, and I remember just being like what.
The fuck, Like, yeah, was that what was that?
Eminem?
Yeah, yeah, Roach, elizab Biscuit, Yeah, Biscuit.
It was just yeah, whatever the case. But yeah, man, by the way, man, we got to acknowledge the fear passing away man. Obviously, I know he was a big part of your story.
Absolutely, Yeah, that was that was tough to do, you know what I'm saying. But I'm glad, you know, me and Rasp we were able to go up and see him before he passed.
And that's important.
That was very Uh, that was very dope that we were able to all be together, and you know, shout out to the whole family, all the kids. You know, his brother Sonny, you know from the Hoo Riders. He uh, he was there, you know what I'm saying, Like he did a lot of the heavy liftings, so shout out to him, and uh, yeah, I'm glad we got to see my brother.
That's good. Uh. One of the all time never got an album but needed an album was the Golden State Warriors.
Yeah yeah, you know, yeah, it was supposed to happen, you.
Know, and then like there was like an NBA thing where they stepped in like you can't call yourself then it was like project.
Yeah. When we called ourselves the Golden State Project, we actually got a cease and desist letter from from the Golden State Basketball organization. They was like, yo, if you do that, we're gonna fucking murder you. Like, okay, we won't. Well they didn't say that, but basically it was like, don't funk with our ship?
Was there? Like how how did you guys ever? Like like actually with intent work on that album?
We we had four songs completed and.
Then like that we haven't heard that.
You haven't heard Wow? Yeah?
One day, man, one day.
I got them sitting on das. I know exactly what they got. Yeah, I got them. Yeah, I'm organized like that.
Three is one of the best postall I got.
I got the I got it organized, some other stuff. I got some thing nails. You made me think about it. I have like these big bins of like it kept all my cassettes, I kept all my CDs, and I start going through the CDs.
I got, like Kanye West beat CDs.
I got, like you know what I'm saying, like like like instrumental CDs I got.
It'd be crazy if you like listen, you're like, damn, I passed on this beat.
I want to figure out I gotta I gotta put that ship into some hard drives or I got to get a system where I can like organize it but I want to like maintain that library of ship I have because I've been like collecting.
Remember you used to give out.
CDs like you know what I'm saying, like the like the singles and the little promo CDs and you got instrumentals and ship on there.
I mean that's how everything was. Beat CDs, Like I got beats here you go.
Yeah, I got bet CDs from like man, you name it, I got them.
Can you talk to me about, like, uh, how you're feeling with the because you know, the West Coast has a very interesting opportunity right now to like take hip hop back be back on the forefront, right you know, I feel like, you know, me and Snooper talked about it a little bit. You know, the ball gets passed around and the South has had the ball for a long time. Atlanta's had the ball for a long time. But it does feel like with this Kendrick situation, that
there has been an opportunity to take the ball. You know what I'm saying, How do you feel about about just like the West having that opportunity right now?
I feel the shift, you know, I feel it.
I think, I think, I think timing is everything, you know, I think, you know, to have these records, These records weren't done like in three days or or within a six week period, like we all have been working on our own pace and whatever, and it just so happens that everything everything lined up. Yeah, And I feel like when things organically happen like that, it tends to be a movement. It turns, it shifts the time, you know. So I think there's a lot to be said in that.
And I think, you know, Kendrick Lamar being the two but the spear, you know what I'm saying, and really igniting a lot of a lot of that energy to be uniform. So people are looking out for each other and hearing it and hearing each other and okay, cool. So you know, now we're gonna do it. Now, We're gonna alley open now. You know what I'm saying. Now we're on the court.
You know what I'm saying. It's it's feeling good. It's good.
Yeah. It's been such a crazy year for West Coast hip hop. We were talking about Bence Staples, Tyler Cbe Cube album is Hard, the Snoop album is dog Pound.
Yeah, be Real and Psycholastic Drop Something, hell Ship absolutely your Keeaenmaker's coming. I'm glad I got to get some music out, you know, and then we're coming in February with the whole project.
How did you end up signing with Connor McGregor's new one, because when I saw you announce the label, yeah, and then I want to Now you correct me if I'm wrong, but I want to say Bone Thugs is on the label as well.
I'm not sure if that's done, but.
I mean that was that's the intent. Okay, that was at least in the air. Yeah, yeah, I don't know the first person to sign.
No, I believe Bone was. You know what I'm saying.
I believe they are, you know, but I don't want to speak you don't business Yeah, yeah, but I know we were brought up second, but my project was more close to being completed because I had already been working right right, So that's why we were able to get in, make the announcement, and.
Boom, pull the trigger like I already got music ready, I'm ready to go.
But take me through the process, because a lot of people might see Connor Gregor's got a record lab. We'll be like, well, this is the tax right off for this guy.
Now I said the same thing I was, you know. But then.
Because we were getting close to being done with the record and I wanted to, you know, start, I started looking at ways to distribute it.
How are we going to put this out?
How now that I got the record, I want how am I going to put it out? So we started looking at everything, and you know, shout out to the Russell you know, I want to go see him. I like to Larussell's. Yeah, I love what he's doing. I'm very inspired by that young man. And you know, he got a movement going to and he's gonna do huge things. So you know, I went to go see you know, I familiar with all the DSPs and the sights and
all that other stuff. So I wanted something different because I'm at this point of where I am musically, I have very small windows of opportunity for me to be totally transparent, for me to make the mark that I need to mark, and shift the tie.
And you gotta put some respect on the body of work you're sitting on. Correct, You don't want to just don't throw it out, correct, be patient.
And so I was patient.
And so then the opportunity came from you know, shout out to Bobby D. Shout out to you know, Big Tato, who've been with me for years now, you know what I'm saying. Like, we got a call and said that Connor McGregor was starting a record label and they wanted to hear some music. We sent him the music. They was like, fucking this is we want to do this, you know what I'm saying. So then I was like, well, what the fuck is kind of a what is gonna do?
But then they explained it's like okay, so here's the deal. So everything he does involves music.
You know what I'm saying. He has to pick this for this fight, he has to do that as he trains to it. D da da da da.
He is very locked in on the music side, right, And so I was like, yeah, listen to the music in marketing and promoting and selling music.
Three to seventeen thousand different.
Things, right, And so he's like, okay, well just let's kind of have a conversation. We went out to Marba, Spain, and uh, well, first we went to Ireland and I met the team of people that he wants to form green Back Records with, right, and so there's there's some business side of people that you know, do a multitude of things in the in the McGregor world. But then there's you know, people he brought in specifically to do
the record side of things. And these people have worked in the in the buildings, they've been in their music people with the business people. So I wanted to get check that out. I was like, okay, cool, that makes me feel a lot better, you know what I'm saying. And so from there we went to to actually meet Connor and then sat down you know, got to see the Bare knuckle Box and ship. I No, that was in Spain, man, So so that's basically how it happened. And then when we come home, you know, it was
just like okay, it's time to go. We're gonna push go. And we pushed the button and that ship's working, you know what I'm saying, Like it's fucking working.
So because we've seen athletes try to do the label things, you know.
But he's not in it like that.
No, I know what I'm saying, But we've seen it, right, like we've seen it. It's it's very I don't know if it's ever worked, to be honest.
No, no, it's it's not because he's.
But usually it's like to be fair at you. Usually like football players and basketball players that also kind of want to wrap.
Yeah, no, he's not. He's not trying to rap whatsoever.
So, like you guys have that initial condo and like, was there anything he said to you that made you kind of be like, yeah, fuck it, let's let's let's give this a try.
He's approaching it differently, and he's not jaded by any of the record politics that we all know about, right, He's he's he's literally looking at this like fight promotion.
I love that, you know, a different way to approach to do it.
Yeah, were talking about we're talking about approaching it like that. You know what I'm saying, Like really like build it in that fashion and and and that's exciting to me, you know what I'm saying, Like again, the risk versus reward. I've never been afraid to step out on faith, you know what I'm saying.
So, and like, dude, the video has been insane.
Yes, it's working.
Yeah, you know what I'm saying. You said that that boat, there's a boat in the video you have and that's it's it's that's that's Connor's Lamborghini boats.
Yeah, yeah, it looks crazy. Yeah, it's dope.
I'm glad man shout out to uh the big the big Mac. You know, let me use his boat, like dope.
Would you say there's any misconceptions about that guy because I'm I'm I'm I would say I'm like a surface level fight fan, but not like super in it, you know.
Yeah, yeah, I see.
You know now that we've been you know, collaborating, you know, people like you want to see him fight. You know, the stuff in the press about the whatever suit or whatever he's.
Got going on.
You know, look, dude, I gotta look at it like this. If he can't stay down with the people in their dark times, you don't deserve to stand up with him in the light you know facts.
So you know, like he denies the whole thing, Yeah understood.
Yeah, yeah, but I mean there's no criminal charges. You know, it was a silk suit, So I'm not gonna get in the middle of it.
I don't want to get into the you know, the weeds with that.
But right, right, But but I do I do feel like, okay, cool, yeah, you know what I'm saying, Like we just started collaborating, and from what I've seen, you know what I'm saying, the dude is doing the best he can.
Great businessman too, Like his whiskey is fucking huge.
Yeah.
Yeah, but I think they, I think they actually, you know, went as far as you know, trying to distance themselves from Connor McGregor.
And you know, like, dude, you know.
Oh the whiskey company did. Yeah, I saw that right right, which is crazy because he's just like, like, you know, there's no well, yeah, I mean, it is what it is.
It is what it is.
But but again I'm I'm I'm I stay down, you know what I'm.
Saying, like, and and I don't. I don't. I don't.
I don't desert my people in their time of need. So, you know, shout out to the McGregor family, shout out to his wife and kids. You know, that's that's who's important, you know what I'm saying. So I see him actively, you know, doing that.
Yeah. Yeah, And I also feel like there was just a lot of things that didn't line up with that whole situation where you look.
But that's not that you can't even get into the weeks with that either, for sure, you know, what I'm saying. But but again it's like you know when you when you make a character judgment and you decide to align yourself with someone, you know what I'm saying, Like, you gotta trust your gut, and my gut tells me that we did the right thing.
Take me back. So you come to LA you were was there a certain point in time you were in Was it New Mexico or Arizona.
New Mexico, New Mexican Albuquerque to be exactly.
Yes, you end up in Los Angeles. You end up kind of getting in with the Liquid Crew, which you would have been like the Licks, King T, the Farii and those guys. How do you initially get signed Aloud? Because at that time Loud was they had the I don't know if they had the Lick Shit. I don't know were you first or was the Licks first?
Alcoholics are first?
So they had like twenty one and over and Shit, which was a great album. So was that kind of your pathway to getting on Steve Riff kids? Like? Uh?
Actually, actually King T put me on first through a production group called three sixty with James Broadway. Okay, so that's how I kind of like learned you know, they were the first people I knew with record deals. So being around King T is how I met the alcoholics.
And King T's one of them more like I would say underrated hip hop figures on the West Coast maybe ever, I mean he's up there, you.
Know, like absolutely, yeah, he's one of the forefathers, like he was.
Out he's behind so much shit exactly.
Yeah. But King T gave me my first opportunities in hip hop.
And so.
From there, I never made a demo, I never made a tape. I never made any of that kind of stuff. I was only on King T. He's you know, Keing T for Life album and I did a song called Freestyle Ghetto and that was that was kind of like my demo and it was like out on the record.
And so from there, we were doing a show at Glam Slam, which was Prince's nightclub downtown LA, and we were about to go out because I used to go and due to ad libs and support for the alcoholics on that show and then sometimes I'd be able to freestyle the stuff at the end if they had a spot for me, I would get down. And so we was about to go on and Steve record was acting. He's like, hey, I want to sign you just like that crazy and then yeah, we went there and the next week got it done.
Yeah.
And then when you're working on At the Speed of Life, you got records on there like Paparazzi in Los Angeles Times and just an amazing It was like an undergrounded West Coast album really, because you know, like it was kind of like I feel feel like, is it safe to say, like the what you See is What You Get video kind of like made more the most, Like it got you the most attention at that time, hm hmm, because it was it was like a one on one video is obviously on your second album, But I feel
like At the Speed of Life was a very under the radar project.
Yes, yes, Papa Rozzi was the biggest look from the first album.
The video.
The video was the Orchestra on the Beach, got a lot of got a lot of run. I still performed that song today in my set. What You See Is What You Get was great on a couple different levels, Like it showed the creativity that I wanted to have injected into my visuals and what I was capable of.
For people who don't know it was like the first one take constant shot video.
No edits, you know there was no it was edits.
Oh there was.
There was thirteen edits in that video.
The chops.
Yeah, but you know there's a bunch of stuff in that video I can point out, but you know, what you see is what you get. Definitely got creatively out there and got the conversation going. But you know, it also allowed me to be put on like, you know, an award show.
You know what I'm saying, or it was.
It was a real big moment, and yes, I was really excited to go forward from that, but Steve didn't want to shoot another video and I got so fucking.
Bad because you had the record on there with with meth.
Yeah, he's like on that record yeah.
Yeah, which felt like it was like a radio record. Yeah yeah, pussy pop, Pussy Pop. Pussy had the vinyl. Yeah. My favorite shit on there is three card Moley though, yes, yes, which is fucking just up there.
But they didn't want to shoot any more visuals. I got so fucking hot. I was like what He's like, Yeah, I just gonna make another record.
I was like, We're not then pushing this album?
No, I was like one single, that one.
Yeah, that's crazy when you said, uh, that's like Christopher Reeves doing the crip walk, man, that's like, that's foul.
Yeah, we got away with a whole lot of ship, though, you know, we gotta wait with a whole.
Do you feel like because like that whole pocket of artists right like, and I feel like even like, uh we mentioned Afari ev Rocker dilated all those guys, but I kind of feel like just that pocket of underground la rap was you, the Licks, King, t the FARII
feel the agony all those guys. I just feel like, man like that was such a I feel like when we talk about West Coast hip hop like a lot of times, like those guys get kind of like left out of the conversation and they're so like, like your rap life, Tash's rap life, it's such a great alp.
Yeah.
Okay, So so here's the thing. People have to identify things by name, right, So if you look at you know, the g Funk era to death Row era, people know, yeah, all the exactly people want to name something, right, So we came after the death Row era and all these other things. We were right in the middle right before you know, my era started my graduating class, and so you know we've started calling it like West Coast Lyricists, right, because.
At that time there's there's like Preestyle Fellowship and you know what I'm saying. Yeah, and even guys like Roscoe and.
Yeah, and then you had you know, Crooked Eye was you know what I'm saying, like.
Part of Asia.
Yeah, all these like West Coast lyricists because that was our that was that was our angle, that was what we were doing, you know what I'm saying. Like, And I think that kind of sums it up. So now you can come to mind and think of all these other artists that were around that that genre. You know where I am comes out of.
That graduating Yeah, I mean I think about that. That first Black Eyed Peas album.
Was yeah for sure, Before that he was signed Ruthless, right, Yeah, you know will one X.
Yeah that sh.
It's crazy, man, Yeah, it's crazy. So you end up uh putting out forty Days forty Nights was the black and white soundtrack before Restless, it was, right, Yes, so you had the year two thousand song. Mike Tyson was in that movie, I believe, wasn't he in Black.
And White Yes slapped the ship out of Robert.
How you go from the loud situation and then bridging it to aligning with Dre?
Huh huh?
Like I said, it goes back to that video that they shot one video for that album and then told me to go and make another album.
I was like, we haven't even you.
Know, we haven't even got into the meat and potatoes of this.
Album, Superman, Superman.
So I was, you know, basically throwing the temper tantrum, you know, rebelling, you know, fuck that.
I'm not gonna get another album. So I got a call.
Snoop dogg, Hey, I want you to work on this this record, doctor Dre, gonna do the beat. When when went to the studio, no limit, top Dog, No limit, top dog, bitch please came out that ship out of the out of here, trying a video to it even more out of here.
Oh ship, he's heating up.
No then uh, you know, got the call again, no Doc like working with you.
Come through. You know, we want to see what you can do.
Two thousand and one.
Yeah, two thousand and one, Yeah.
He's heating up yo x Hey hey you uh you guys, what you're doing The next few months, you want to go on this tour.
I bought tickets. That's the first content I ever bought real tickets tour. Oh my god, he's on and the date, the date I went to Q wasn't on it.
Oh man.
But yeah, that was. That was a crazy tour.
So that's the progression. Now, now we got to have that conversation. I don't want to do another record.
You're on fire?
Fuck that? Yeah?
Fuck that I was. I was definitely feeling myself, but you know, we had to we had to find a common ground and uh yeah man, yeah, I'm glad it worked out the way it did.
I mean it did. Uh what was it?
Like?
Can you take me into the session where you're working on what's the difference? Because that is we talked about posse cuts earlier. That's another all timer. You know your verse obviously Eminem's versus fucking crazy, but I feel like you're Lyne. What's the difference between me and about five Baker counts three out of two vehicles? I feel like just an all time verse on that album. What was that studio session?
Like?
I think it was at Larrabie. I think it was at Larrabie and it was like one of the last things that we worked on before for no, I'm thinking about the X record. That was my that was that, that was that record. But in that session, Dre was there, I think Scott Stortch was there engineers, and I think I think that's it.
Down.
Oh we didn't hear I didn't hear I didn't hear that. I didn't hear anything until I laid my verse and so he's like, you got something for this, yeah, yeah, And then went over there and uh, you know smashed it. You know, of course, you know, you know, got the direction from Dre, you know, made sure that it was right in the pocket and had everything delivered in the right way the way he wanted to hear it, and uh, that was it. So then I think Dre's verse was
on it, you know what I'm saying. And then when he put it all together, it came out crazy crazy that could that could That beat was just at the time when you heard it come on, it was like it was it was a highlight, you know what I'm saying. It was it was it was not just like you know it was at the top of the record. It's just like Showcase, this is this is gonna be a big one.
Yeah, you and Eminem have had some amazing moments on records together. Don't approach me as.
A great record by the way, thank you?
Uh bitch please to ended up on his album, yeah, which was random as fuck. Yeah, like, how fuck Eminem get the second bitch please?
Yeah? It was good.
Can you talk about your guys' relationship because obviously you're on tour with him to the up and Smoke tour. Eminem's not quiet Eminem yet, but he's still Eminem. You know, he came out in the fucking jumpsuit and ship. Yeah yeah, but what was what was y'all's like friendship like and and and like. Your guys' chemistry was pretty crazy on songs.
No, it was good, man.
I think we just cut from the same cloth as far as where our taste in hip hop is right. So, you know, everybody has their own original way of presenting themselves, and you know, he's definitely, you know what I'm saying, one of the greatest you know what I'm saying, And so seeing him, you know now from then is dope to be able to see how the integrity of what he's doing is still intact and still in place. So you know, we we were definitely were in the same circles.
But you know, I can't say, you know, like we had like the best of friendship. I think they're like denying it together. Yeah, yeah, denying and and Royce and you know what I'm saying, like his family is Paul and Tracy that you know, like he's he's with his people's you know what I'm saying. But when we do interact, it's love, you know what I'm saying, Like, yeah.
Can you speak to like because you got Royce on the new album? Yes, uh he fucking spazed out a yeah, Royce is I always tell everybody I think, like at the skill of rapping, you know, you gotta talk black thought, you gotta talk question. There's just names that like we don't hear enough. It's like, yo, like Royce is up up you know Loop is up there too. I mean like there's a few. But uh with this new album, man,
you're you're like you are. I don't I don't know how much I could give away about the album because you did play it for me and it's not come until February, but you have a great uh mixture of like OG's. I guess guys from your class, I would say, and then you have some new younger artists. But it didn't feel like See, this is the thing that I feel like when like artists I grew up listening to
work with younger artists, it feels forced. It feels forced, and it's just like yo, like I don't want to hear you on their ship, like I don't mind, you know what I mean. And so with your new album, I feel like you brought people to at your world. And what I appreciate about this project is it feels like an exhibit album. Yes, it doesn't feel like you're washed.
And I mean that, bro. You know you know what I'm talking about though, because you'll hear some of these but you'll hear some of these o gs and they'll put out some new ship and you'll be like this, we don't want we don't want to hear this from you. That's what I appreciated about about the Cube single. It's my ego. I said, this is some fucking ice Cube ship. This is what I want to hear from ice Cubes.
I don't want to hear it, you know, Yeah, put that being said, this album feels like, like you know, the.
Time, I don't think I needed to conform. I don't think I needed to go set find a new sound or try to do what's current. I think I just need to do what I do extremely well. And I think the quality and standard of people that you know,
like music, that it has it, you know. Like you said, I think people, regardless of how they know me, regardless of what they know me from, I deserve one listen for sure, you know what I'm saying, Yeah, yeah, yeah, Before you dismiss it, before you say I fuck you, fuck him, whatever, you know what I'm saying, or whatever you want to come and blast the comments or whatever, just one listen, give it, give it, give it one run.
You know what I'm saying. I think the game on me.
That you have somehow, you're one of the people who doctor Dre has always just had uh an insane amount of love for since you've gotten into his you know circle, I would say, right, I feel like Dre has always had your back behind the scenes. I've heard that he's always had your back. You know, he may or may not have had your back on this album.
I don't know.
What what do you do you remember like kind of like when you and Dre like kind of hit like a real momentum, like oh, like we're this is this is like a this is not a music relationship, This is not a label head relationship. This is like a brotherhood type shit. You know.
Yeah, I think over the time that we spent making those records and then being able to see you know, that might my outside studio activities were just as strong as my inside studio activities, meaning that you know, I'm trying to get the job done. I'm not here for the bullshit. You know what I'm saying, like to be an asset. I want to be an.
Asset, not a liability, correct, And.
So that's always been my drive, you know. You know, sometimes I fail.
You know what I'm saying all that everybody's.
Perfect, but you know I most ninety nine percent of the time I hate the mark, right, And so now being able to you know, go forward and you know, like families be involved and people know, you know, our personal lives, you know, our you know discussed, you know, we we built it over time, and you know, I think that you know, when people get around certain individuals and they I think people's intentions and you know, whatever they they override the desire to be a good person, right.
I think he experiences that more than anybody. But he's he's definitely in ConTroll of his his his circle of people that he decides to associate with. I'm just you know, I'm I'm blessed enough to be able to, you know, have those conversations with him and talk about things other than music, and you know, I get a little I get a lot of wisdom and a lot of you know, like good direction, you know, saying because he's seen it all.
So he's built you know, empires and you know he's seen him crumble and you don't built him again, you know.
What I'm saying. So there's a lot of there's a lot.
Of good ship you can learn, you know, and discussions with him, you know, And I'm glad. I'm glad I had that relationship with him.
When you guys were in those two thousand and one sessions, did you guys have I mean, it's still dre right. Should Knight try to drop like the hater chronic two thousand with the fake snoop?
Yeah, Yeah, that's why, that's why, that's why he named it two thousand.
And one, not come out two thousand and one, but but like was like the y'all like because that I always I do make the argument a lot.
I think two thousand and one age better than the first Chronic. Like to me, like two thousand and one sounds like it could have came out today personally for me.
Okay, so if you go listen to Okay, so look, records are phenomenal, and but you know, if you don't get the first Chronic, you don't get the second one. Of course, so the first Chronic, the dynamics to those mixes are phenomenal because if you listen to that record, I remember how it shifted everything.
I mean, yeah, that's the tree that just comes from just that album. It's forever, like.
Come on, man, it's it's it's things on the it's things on there that kind of set the standard for like the next ten to twenty years of music.
I mean, fu yeah, I mean my opinion, Dog, your Style is the greatest, if not the greatest album ever, it's it's the great I mean, it's it's one or two for me. Yeah, sure, absolutely, And that obviously is a direct cause and effect from the chronic. Yes, but uh yo, what have you have you been able to sit with missionary?
I have?
I feel like I listened to it the first go round, right and I was like, Okay, this is first, but you probably you've already been hearing it.
I was in there.
I was like I was.
I was in there with him listening to it and listen when I'm biased already.
I love the album.
I'm biased. I love I love I love everything my team. Do you know what I'm saying?
But I think people got to know that Snoop is a global brand. He is making music. He feels good right now. He just got done during the Olympics. You know what I'm saying, like like this is a direct representation of how good and how much fun he's.
Having and he's but he is also wrapping his ass.
Off so fucking loly. You know what I'm saying. I heard it through the Big Speak crank. You know what I'm saying, Like, come on, the production is immaculate. Snoop is at an all time high on his game. You know what I'm saying, Like.
I think I think it's an album that like I'm on my fourth listen at this point and I'm like, yo, this ship is amazing.
Absolutely to catch you off guard a little, the first list, Yeah, like you going in with expectations, don't don't go in expecting it here doggy style, because you know that was then, this is now.
I think they pulled it off. And that fucking Tom Petty jelly roll record should be like number one in the world. Like that song is the fucking smash no incredible body work. You uh have had so many different parts of your career, uh, you know, movies, uh, TV, fucking the music and the music has always been a constant in some capacity. What's the worst movie you ever been in? I told ice Cube his worst movie was a movie you were in by the way that she
was crazy, that she was unbelievable. He said it was Ghost of Mars, and I was like, probably right, that's probably worth the Triple X two.
Yeah.
I think I think it's full clip. I think it's a full clip. I think it is I think I think it's bad. I think it's really bad.
Yeah, oh bad, oh man, Yeah, yeah, I like the other you know, but I agree that like Triple X two was was a turning point for me, right because it was the first movie role that I had with a like a major, major motion picture, like.
A blockbuster franchise.
Correct, And it was an offer.
Right, I'm I'm not an actor, you know at this point, I'm not an actor. Here's a here's an offer. You want you to be a ice cube triple X? Oh yeah, stunts, what tanks? Yeah, let's do it. So go do the film and now it's premier. Now the thing about television, because you know, they obviously wanted at the time, pim My ride was at a super hot you know, right, and so fucking I was gonna put acids in the seats. So the straight offering never had an acting think. I
was like, I got this. You know, how hard can it be? I do fucking music videos. Fucking what the fuck? So I do the film. And then the difference about TV is that in film is that your face is like seventy feet high.
You know what I'm saying.
So you're looking at your face at the fucking gigantic level, and you if you don't know what you're doing, it looks like you don't know what you're doing, right, And so yeah, I'm you know, I'm looking at this play. I was like, this is fucking horrible.
You know what I'm saying. I'm like looking at myself like, ooh, this fucking night even you know.
It's not that bad, but it's just stiff, and it's not there's no life.
It's just like.
You know, an actor, Yeah, you're getting through the script.
And I was like, fuck, they let me do this ship and I was like, okay, so this is never gonna happen again.
So I'm always going.
To be prepared and I got to take this serious if I'm because I like the experience.
I love the experience. Right, So.
When uh, I went got an acting coach and she was little, little, little, little little white lady, gray hair. She became therapy in these acting coaches because she wanted she was like, she would let make me talk about my personal life for like an hour before we even do that, and say and then she said, okay, where's the script. And so as we go through the script, you said, that's somebody from that story, that's somebody from here.
That's what makes it real. You have to start putting a name to like she pulls apart all these datas and then she put it on this. She put like, that's to the person that you just had that argument with three days and not think about them when you were saying this line, it's saying talking about this person. And so that's how I started like really learning from her and like the things I used to be able
to pick up and so that doing it. A few years of that, you know, now was ready to do you know, Grid Iron Gang and de Railed and working with you know, all these you know, high level directors. You know, it was really dope to go through that experience and be able to you know, challenge myself because look, I started from that, and yeah, it was a good it was a great opportunity and it led to other things.
But when I took is serious and started really like focusing on Okay, cool, this is what I'm going to do now. And that's another thing it took. That took away from music as well, you know, being able to go.
And like I mean, yeah, I mean that that takes time if you're going to take acting serious, correct correct.
So I had to kind of had to pivot and I had to go that direction, and I'm glad I did.
You if I'm just throwing this out and if somebody took like a legendary West Coast rapper A and ice Cube and put them on like a crazy East Coast hip hop sample. It would just be crazy.
Okay, yeah Yo.
There are so many like uh, like my producer asked you off the air, but there are so many like rumors about pip My Ride. Yes, there's a whole Reddit thread of former people who are on pit My Ride and the one thing I want, well not the one thing. But first of all, I mean that was a paid gig for you. You would show up right when the car was done. I mean it was you know, in and out.
You know what.
Was there any point in time where you knew like, oh, that car is fucked up? Like that's not that's not sustainable. There's a fish taking a car. It happens all the time.
I would walking.
I was walking to the sets and after a while, let's just like, I mean, let's.
Another day at work.
Let's go.
But the producers thought that the show needed that. I was always of the mindset of being like, look, let's just paint the motherfucker. If we're gonna spend some money, let's just do something really dope. The exhaust engine, suspension, RIMS, paint sound system done.
This has been to GMTV, though they got to do crazy shit done.
I know, I know, but it was like, no, it's more entertaining when they was like, Yo, I'm pretty sure these motherfuckers just want.
A dope card to get to work.
Yeah, pick up a girl on a date baby, Yeah, yeah, for sure. What's the craziest thing, Like you saw them do to a car where you were just like, guys like this, who thought of this ship?
Yeah?
Man, I mean there's no shortage of things, you know, but I think I think the craziest thing was when they tried to make that engine run on cooking oil.
Yeah, they were like, we're going to reinvent the entire the car was so dope.
I was like, why y'all do that to that fucking car? Yeah, but but I mean, look, the show was entertaining.
There was was there a video game? Yes, there was a pit my ride video.
It was there was Yeah.
Crazy.
Yeah was.
Obviously when you get coined to do that show, right, like you don't know it's going to be a big success, Like you're like, give it a shot.
So it happened very very very true. You know, we didn't know what we had to you.
Know, at your peak of pint my ride. You have a ton of leverage, right, are you? Like, is the bag just crazy to do an episode?
It got okay, yeah, yeah, but it was nothing compared to the addict that the advertising revenue.
Yeah, I saw that. They we're talking about bringing it back or it's coming back.
I don't know.
Oh, but you're not involved with the with the reincarnation there, Like if they find another rapper, because I got a feeling there's going to be like a younger up. What advice would you give them?
H good luck, good luck?
I love it, yo. Somebody else you're you know, being on Loud Records, you had some legendary label mates, but somebody you had a great relationship with and worked with was Big Pun Absolute You got a pun tattoo? Yes, yes, and uh, you know pun It is one of the biggest what ifs ever. You know, I think if he was still around right now, we'd be looking at him like he's one of the greatest of all time, because I think he's one of the grades of all time. And yes, uh he's you know, by all accounts, one
of the funniest motherfuckers ever. Can you just share a bit like a big pun store you might have with us.
Hell yeah, okay.
So so we went out on this first promo.
Tour together, right, and so.
We had two buses and we go we go out and uh, I think we were I think we were on the East coast working our way through right to Detroit or somewhere in Flint, somewhere, I don't know, somewhere right right, we're out together. Their bus breaks down and so they, you know, puns, like, you know, let me get my family. He got his family with him. It's like, let me get on the bus, like we come on,
y'all ride with us. You know what I'm saying. It's all good, you know, hung out, you know, went to uh went to the gig, right, So they all on my bus, right, and so no, we went to the hotel first. Okay, so I do the night was gonna be crazy, but I didn't know at the beginning of the day how.
Crazy it was gonna get.
So they're trying to get to the hotel and get checked in, so they don't want to be on our bus anymore because they feel like they're in Pete. I was like, no, you guys are good, you know, just just go in a chill, but it's like, nah, we call a car. So this car pulls up and this you know, this nigga jump out Jerry Curll, you know what I'm saying.
Old school?
He got a poop pulled up in a limousine, right, and so something happened. We all on the bus and we see this guy pull up and he gets out with an attitude and it's like watching the Sign of movie.
You know.
We on the bus and were looking out the window and so it's just like you can tell what a body like was that he didn't like what was happening. He was like, you know, you all you motherfuckers can't get in my car. So, you know, the whole terror squads went over. It's like a bunch of shit, right and so and so I see the dude throws hands up and I'm like, oh, this is not gonna end good. So did all the tailor squad niggas come. They start
chasing this nigger around the car. It's like the best shit ever, right, So I was like, oh, it's gonna be a great night. So we end up getting everything together and we get over to the venue.
So we the venues.
Packed, super excited, we going first, it's going down. No, there's a guy named Booby, the boxer that's part of TS at the time. Booby whatever, you know what I'm saying. He was on stage with pun You know he's getting down. We're up on the balcony now, yeah, we're just watching the show. Place is packed. So there's something going on in the front row. Booby's addressing something in the front row. They having another Siglent movie.
Yeah, what it is.
And so then somebody goes off the stage. No, somebody throws something. Then somebody goes off the stage. Now it's a fight. Now the fight's coming on stage. And uh, somebody, somebody from the team pulls out a gun and fires it right in the air. Yo, this nigga had pulled out a pulled out of a briefcase BA in the middle of the stage. No, no, I'm someone everybody in the first ten rows is you know, it gets stuck.
So everybody's trying to get away. So you just see like dominoes like people falls and then everybody else turned around and shout. So we stuck on the balcony. Everybody's laying down on the balcony and he was like, get the fuck up. Everybody, get the fuck up and get out.
So then we.
We we we were getting down to go into our bus, right, we do head count everybody good, all right, all right, let's go. We get into our bus and they trying to come up. They coming out the back door. They're coming out of the back door, so they know everybody's righting. Everybody's you know, we're trying to get pun you know what I'm saying.
So he throw this.
The cops is coming, So he throw the motherfucking thing in the dumpster. There's no trash in the dumpster. The niggas just walk right up to it the paslight like there is Yeah, who threw it? So everybody's in cuss. Everybody's like, you know what I'm saying. It's like, okay, cool Joe here, Joe is not here, all right, So so so end up, you know, got to deal with that ship.
We get to the hotel and.
Now there's these niggas walking around the hotel looking for terror squad.
Right, you know what I'm saying, Like like.
People, that was nothing concept and now when I was niggas walking around, So now we got to run this covert operation to get everybody on the buses and get it go. I mean they shot the bus up, busses up and everything, man, But yeah, it was never a dupe moment.
Yo.
Something I always wanted to ask you about was what I think I kind of know what happened, but you had I mean, you've been a part of some dope situations, shots to serial killers, but also like there was the strong Arm Steady ship, and your guys' mixtapes were crazy and they were very like peaked mixtape era. Shit. It was kind of like you guys were like kind of like West Coast gu and.
It low key. Yeah, yeah, yeah, I think it's dope. Man.
I can't I take I can't take credit for the mixtapes because they brought me in after they had the idea.
Originally started it was like you Crown, don Ye, Bill Mitchie Slick, and then they ended up signing with Talib and then you you kind of exited that situation. And I remember you and toe Lib weerre cool because you're on the reflection of Turtle album Down for was it Down for the count? Oh with Rod Digga? Oh my god, fucking fire amazing song. But did that lead to like some tension between you guys for a while.
Yeah, but it was it.
Listen, you know, I think with strong Arm Steady, you know, shout out to all the brothers, man. I think when people have ambition and my mind comes from a very genuine place, right. And so when I got involved with Strong Arm Steady, I tend to be the kind of leader where I don't explain what I'm thinking or what I'm seeing too far down the road because I know, I know what the goal is. But right now, we just need to do these few steps in order to get to this next thing because I don't want to.
I don't want to waste time trying to explain something that you can't see, right, you know what I'm saying. And so it's a very small group of people that I like to do that with, you know what I'm saying, because then executing is simpler when we break it down
a smaller task, right. And and you know the maturity of what was happening with the mixtapes was preparing us for a record, right, so boom, you know, TYLERB has this this Blacksmith record right in print with Cory, I believe, right, So they approached Phil Phil you know, brought the opportunity to the group. Oh yeah, I just I just I
just I shot it down. I didn't feel like there was enough, you know for us to accomplish the kind of record that we wanted, right, So I went to New York and then I was collecting music for us to do a strong, steady record. Right, if we're going to do it, you might as well do it independently with us, you know what I'm saying, and then work for a bigger situation. You know, at least we can all kind of carve out what we need, you know
what I'm saying. I carved it out, came back from uh, you know, because I had just you know, I turned it down, right, So somehow it was explained to them that I turned it down, But that didn't mean they couldn't they they they they can still take it, and
they did. And I just felt as though, like, guys, you know, like you know, after after investing in what we invested in and going around the world and doing all these things, you know, I think you just trust me a little bit, you know what I'm saying.
Did you guys ever, did you ever get to a good place with those guys? Ever again. Yeah, yeah, doing some acting and.
Yeah, yeah it's a shame because we had such a great momentum and you know, they they killed it.
They put out one album. I don't know if it was on Blacksmith or not, but it was fucking crazy. But it's it's crazy too because it's like, damn dude, Like Phil was so fire. I remember that. I remember that the solo song he had on Expansion Team on the Dilated album was so fucking tough.
For sure.
Yeah, he had a unique voice, and uh, you know he's still ill. I think he's still moving right now. I think I just saw something when he's he's got coming.
Yeah, it's crazy. I remember like when I moved to l A, Like one of the guys that wanted the interview was Tofari and I got him on like when I was I'm still at Real ninety two three, but when I was like actually working there and not contracted there, I had him pulled up to the show and I was like, yo.
Defar.
At the Faria album. He's in front of the forum.
Yeah yeah, focus, daily, focused days so fucking good. Yeah.
Do you know if THEFARII ever got to because it felt damn near like he was like after math ish for a sec.
Yeah, I was trying to listen.
Was he a Tommy boy?
I signed him? Okay, I signed him the open bar.
Oh yeah, that's right.
Yeah, I signed him. And then we got close.
I mean, you guys never did an album.
Though, I never did it, he said.
After Restless came out and there was a pamphlet inside, it was like coming soon.
Yeah, I remember, yeah, I got the album and I was like, you.
Don't have an album ready yet. And at the time, we're the same age. So if he would have heard that from anyone else, it would have resonated because I said it, all right, I'm as peer and and and we.
Had you know, we had just got done.
He just got done and off the excitement and adrenaline of me putting out the Restless record, and he's involved in that, he want to come right now. I was like, listen, we still got a lot of building to do off this record, and while we're doing the building off this record, you can be recording the record that you want. He's like, no, I'm ready to go right now. I was like, all right, just all right, well, let me off the label. Okay, there you go.
Could have well, could have that's another what if? That's another what if? Like what if? Like that's the Thefari album.
I wanted to be here for sure. Yeah yeah, but we were hot headed at the time.
And you feel like you because I feel like, uh, you know, were you like a hot headed guy during that Oh yeah, like you have like anger issues?
Would you say absolutely? Yeah? Yes, listen to those records.
I know, I know, I felt like the exhibit in my head. I just thought this food must just work out and drink. I didn't even know what a triangular push up was exhibiting.
I want kick in the screaming, that's what, that's what. But it was good. I got I got that ship out.
No, that's fucking crazy man. Shout out to Dafari. Do you still talk to any of like the the Licks or any of those guys.
Yeah, shout out to shout out to, Shout out to East West, shout out to j row King, t uh you know, the far right, the whole team, you know, rest in peace, beefin biggo Bee, bigga Bee?
Was was that the that's not biggo Bee's not.
The uh let's chase infinitus brother?
Yeah, yeah, Chase Infinite is doing this thing man, absolutely behind the scenes, becoming a real legend on He's.
An executive and we need to protect him at all costs.
An executive fucking like he's cooking. Yeah, yeah, he's a boss for you. Man. Do you feel like this album scratches the itch? Or are you like, Yo, I'm back?
But are you? Are you like?
Because because the thing is is this is twelve years later, thirteen years later probably prosiputs or no that I mean so like, like you said, you're you're involved in music, right, like you're still doing stuff, but like, are you gonna have to wait thirteen years for another exhibit album? Are you like, do you feel like you're back in the game now because this out of work when it drops? Men, it's crazy.
Yeah, I think, Thank you man, I appreciate it. I feel invigorated, I feel I feel I do that To answer your question, yes, I feel like the void has been filled with this project.
I'm going to.
Go and put my best foot forward in promoting and getting in front of the people and presenting this album the way it's supposed to be presented. That's I'm I'm dedicating my time and energy to that that's.
Going to happen.
But as far as what's going to happen with the next one and the next one and the next one, I'm gonna take a case by case.
Yeah.
I think it's called king Maker for people who don't know, yes, yes, what what? Why that name?
Well, king Maker was decided because it has nothing to do with royalty or riches or any of that kind of you know, stereotypical thought of kings. My meaning behind it is it's a transfer of information. This is about the things that have made me successful, the consistencies, the self discipline, the ups, the downs, you know, my definition of things in the most entertaining way possible that I
could see. Right, there's some bucket list items on here, Yeah, that I've always wanted to do, haven't been able to do it until now, big, big records that you know are very.
True to form, you know what I'm saying.
Definitely Yeah, Yeah, And I feel like I'm I feel like I said, I find my voice. I've been able to, you know, put things in a way that I feel very comfortable with and I feel are unique and I feel good. I feel like you could it can be put up against any music just out right now?
I agree. Can you talk to me. You've had so many, like you said, you've gone through you speak about some of the stuff on the album, whether it's some of your family stuff being on the tabloids or I mean, I mean, damn, twenty years ago now you know you got to an altercation that was why you got a scar on your face. Now you've had some crazy like
lows as well as crazy highs. Can you tell me, like, just like, has there been a moment because I feel like, you know, you've grown as a man over the years to the point where, like you said, like this album is like a transfer of information. Was there like a point in time where you felt like you had like an awakening where maybe you were like in a low place where you kind of like you you really kind of had to only depend on yourself to dig yourself
out of it. Because with that shit comes a lot of growth.
Yeah.
Absolutely, I think it's a combination of things. You know, you know, your family stuff has always found stuff.
You know.
I think when you start losing your parents and your grandparents and all that stuff, you know that that's that's it happens to everyone. But then you know, like when you lose a child or something like that. That's a that's a heavy one, right, So that's what that's what happened to me. And you know, I think also the divorce, you know what I'm saying, it was just like a series of really horrible events, you know that that just
kind of put me in a really dark place. So I would really feel like, you know, being able to get back to music was another reason why I needed to be able to find that outlet again.
You know, did you I can only imagine, you know, losing a kid. That's the ultimate you know, the ultimate thing. It's ultimate nightmare.
It's not the natural order of things.
Do you like, was it was it therapy that helped you get through that? Or was there anything you were able to douse? I can't even I mean, I can't even imagine. Bro Like, like, how do you how do you know, grieve?
You got a grief.
Yeah, you gotta go, you gotta grieve, and you gotta talk about it and you gotta you know, realize what that means and you know, and yeah, it's it's it's one of the things, you know, but death is an our natural part of life, and you know, you you you don't you don't forget, but you know you definitely grow. Yeah, you know, and I think that you know, being in
that dark place, you know, you have two options. Either you can stay there, or you can and die there, or you can stand up and fucking go forward and see you know what life has to offer.
Yeah, because I mean it is I'm sure very easy to stay in that place.
Yeah, people to lie down and self and self loathing. But that ain't that ain't where it's at. You know what I'm saying.
It's it's easy to die, it's hard to live. You know.
I always wonder, like, uh, you having like a public to divorce Dre had a public divorce? Is it because I've never I mean, I'm in I'm married right now.
Shot to my wife. Uh, shot to my wife. But I'm saying, like, but I want to like when you get on the other side of that divorce, Like I feel like we when when you're married, right, there's so much of your like self identification that's dependent on like this relationship, right, and then even like what your kids might think or you know, so much was it like the dynamics of getting over that and like being sleeping alone at night again, you know what I mean, and
not necessarily having like uh, like your fault, like you don't have the like really knowing the answer to I suppose was that easy to get used to? Would you say, yeah, like I'm just gonna go yeah, yeah, yes, like what do I want to do today? Whatever the funk?
I was like that.
It wasn't like right, But you know, here's the things you know, I think you have to You have to be true to yourself. Let me start there. You got to be true to yourself. I watched my father staying in a broken, unhappy marriage.
And I saw his outcome.
And we've had long talks about this. He you know, he stayed way past what he was. It did a lot of damage internally to the family. I didn't want that. I knew where I was, I knew where she was, and I couldn't. I couldn't you know what.
Yeah, it's like past the point in or return.
Yeah, and you know, like even going to therapy, you know.
That couple's therapy trying to save it.
I want to I want a couple of times, you know what I'm saying. But I mean it was like the lady was like you know I shouldn't be saying this, but I'm just saying anyway.
The lady was like, so, uh, how do you feel? I was like, you know, how do you feel about being married? I'm like, I don't want to be agreed, There's nothing wrong with me, you know what I'm.
Saying, Like, maybe I just don't want to Yeah, I.
Don't want to be married. Yeah, to her like.
Like we're better apart.
Yeah, exactly exactly. It was it was you know, it was. It was time. There was there was it was time.
I mean, hey that I think that. I feel like a lot of people, like you said, like are like your dad, like they hang on Yeah, and look, it's not good.
It's not good for anyone. And and I didn't want my youngest to be to see that tension in me all the time or know that something's in.
There, something about it.
Now he's conditioned to live that way.
That makes sense, right, right, So that's that's I think that's the And then and then on top of it, you add that you know things are being put out in the fucking internet or whatever. You know, now everybody's in your business, but don't know ship for sure. You know what I'm saying, you know, but you know, it's it's how you portrayed this, how what you fed you know. But you know, I've I've I've lost contact with you know, a significant about of people connected with that, and that's okay.
That's fine. Yeah, you are also kind of one of the I would say, like one of the guys who I looked kind of kicked off the h being involved in the marijuana industry while being a hip hop artist thing that's happening. I mean, you were behind some really successful brands that ended up I think you told me earlier. I won't say that I want to give them any light, but you but I mean, shit, I remember you had the grenades with the fucking giant, fat ass, fucking napalm
fucking pre roll in it. What is the latest with you in the weed game?
Well, we stopped our California production of napalm, so manufacturing, right, just shut that down. I think it's a really competitive market.
It's sure, it's a tough market, right, it is, it is, and the bougiest smokers in the world are here.
Right, So you know, I just parked napon for the moment, and now I have two dispensaries it's like, you know, instead of building one or two brands, which I've done, why not sell everybody.
Ship and then you're not So I always here, I always hear. The hardest part of the weed uh process is the cultivation.
Yeah, yeah, but but I mean it's it's like when you don't know what you're doing.
Shout out to the homie from Harden like Dane, Yeah, absolutely, like they're uh, they don't grow any of them, they're just selling everybody ship.
Correct, And so we we you know, we definitely have a have a foothold and on the culture and and and the blueprint of of what our DNA is and with the culture, so being able to translate that into a store is for the stores. The first store in bel Air, second stores in Chatsworth got the valid in the value right, So you know we've been exhibits West Coast Cannabis fucking record deal and want more logo on the building.
Do you still have your og X chain, like the chain from like ninety nine.
Yes, I do have it?
You do?
I do have it? Yes?
I told I told you I was. I was like, yeah, bring the old logo bag, yeah, bring that chain back.
Ship.
So the new album's coming out in February. Yes, uh, it is incredible. Uh man, you got the Who's Who won?
There? Yeah?
Man, for sure.
It's a nice blend. It's a nice mixture.
Yeah, it's a nice mixture. And I feel like you know any of the Oh and then your son's rapping, yes, and he's rapping capital Yes, So your kid is like is he like rapping?
Rapping?
Like, is this like something he's pursuing.
Yeah, yeah, he's been. He's been making music since high school.
Can you has him?
Uh?
You know, shout to the homie Chris Rivers. Have they worked together him in Punsa?
Yes? I had Chris Rivers out here.
Chris River's a beast.
He is a beast. He's a beast. Yeah, he's a beast. You know. Trey Capitol my son. He's twenty nine now.
So that's just named Tree Capitol Tree Capital. Oh ship, that's fine. Yeah. I was like, Yo, who's this You're like it's my son?
Yeah? Yeah. Yeah.
He's on a song on a Kingmaker album called End of the Day Dope.
That's super dope. I feel like him and Inhale should do a song be Dope. Nate Dogg's kid is sick.
Yeah, hell yeah in Hell shout out to in Hell.
Yeah yeah, And like you've been running it up doing a lot of show shot to Bobby. I feel like, man, I feel like every three months in Ontario there's just this like fucking summer jam, and then it goes to like Bakersfield and then it goes to like.
And you're like, come on, man, look look we got.
Like the show that just happened. Oh my god, it's that ship was crazy.
Yeah.
But we we have we have we have dedicated people that love what we do. They love the artistic you know, you know, things that we put out, and they dedicated. They come to the shows, they support us. We love our fans. The people that come to these shows up and down the coast, all the way to the Midwest, all the way to the East coast, like we still doing arenas, we're still doing stadium shows.
Is incredible.
Great to see. Man. Well, look the album is out. You got some songs that are out right now, videos that are going crazy. I'm sure we'll get more details on the album.
Yes, yes, soon to come back. We'll come back after it drops.
Exhibit I appreciate you, man, that's all love all right,