THE OG & THE PUPIL | Kurupt & Junya Boy

INTERVIEW KB Tindal

Kurupt’s musical roots are firmly planted from California to Philly. He's one half of the legendary duo Tha Dogg Pound. He has put out so much music and so many projects in the last 30 years that he's earned the right to be called an icon. From Dr. Dre’s “The Chronic,” to Snoop Dogg's “Doggy Style,” to Tha Dogg Pound’s “Dogg Food,” to his countless solo projects and endeavors. He has a plethora of singles and features including his latest full-length project Don't Be Stupid with C-Mob, his latest single “Don't Ask Me,” featuring Suga Free and Prohoezak. He's been touring around the world and being featured on reality TV. With all of his accomplishments and accolades, he has cemented his legacy in the world of hip hop and music. I got the chance to talk with the legend about life, his career, his fondest memory of Nate Dogg and he even brought his artist Junya Boy along for the conversation. Enjoy.

Validated: What was your earliest memory of Hip Hop and the culture in general?

Kurupt: Oh my God. My cousin Skippy G, Philadelphia. I tell them all the time Skippy G, Philadelphia. I was eight years old watching him rapping. Him and his partner rehearsing their rhymes or just busting out in front of the porch at my aunt Marie's house. Oh, that was it. They was doing the battles too. So that was it. And then Skippy was the one that introduced me to Hip Hop music. Like Maestro. I think it was Trisha who introduced me to Sugar Hill Gang. Man, you know, my whole entire family was embedded in music. Fred was the first of Hip Hop though. Fred and Trisha. When I was eight years old. Ever since.

Validated: When you first started in this game, man, did you ever think that you would be here 30 years later? And what's the defining factor as to when you get on that mic you still give it your all man?

Kurupt: I've never thought that I would be anywhere near here. “It was all a dream, I used to read Word Up Magazine”, (quotes Biggie) that’s real life. I really lived that life. It was all a dream. 

I came to California to be with my father because I fucked up when I crashed my mom's car. She said I had to go. So, you know, she called my father and said, It's your turn. He had to move from Compton to Hawthorne because he wanted me to have a better life. He didn’t want me to grow up in Compton. So he moved me to Hawthorne. And back then that was a good place to move, you know, suburban life, and that was ‘86. 

It's crazy how there is a positive in every negative. I tell Junya Boy this all the time. There is a positive in every negative. You just got to find it. It's right there in front of your face if you look hard enough. 

But my skills was so impeccable coming from a Hip Hop foundation in Philadelphia, Darby Township, Sharon Hill 2-5, North Philly out there in Germantown being out there and all that mixed into one. Going to California mixing this 2-5 Philadelphia connection with the West Coast vibe created a different kind of hybrid. I got three different versions of Hip Hop in my soul. 2-5s Hip Hop vibe is different from Philly’s. Philly’s is different than LA's, I got all three in my soul. So it's like when I bust, all of this intertwines with each other. That's a beautiful thing. And that's what Hip Hop is. You know, the crazy thing is Hip Hop is a community and a culture. But you know, you burn off each other, you have to have somebody that can give you some game. The greatest of emcees… because there's a difference between being a rapper and being an emcee.  Which is what I try to teach all my pupils. They start off as emcees or they start off as rappers. I try to teach a rapper how to become an emcee. It's not that hard to do. It's all about your community and who you are around that will change your vision of how you see yourself on the mic. That's another thing that I added to the table which I learned from Snoop. Snoopy added the fun to take table. Snoop taught me how to have fun. Talk about the raggedy -ass hoes. Talk about something funny. Talk about these dust-bag bitches for a second. You can't be just killing all the emcees. You know what I’m saying? You know have some fun with it. When we talking about these hoes and bitches, we ain’t talking about the ladies. I tried to tell so many of the ladies, When we're talking about these ratchet-ass bitches and funkified-ass hoes, funky hoes we're not talking about you. 

When Junya Boy be talking about these funky-ass hoes and bitches, he's not talking about the ladies. Hell no. I tell them all the time, we got mothers, grandmas, you know what I'm saying? Daughters. So you know, it's like, nah, we're not talking about you. But we are going to talk about these other females, hello? Guess what? Some of them like it when we talk about them, some of them don't. Nobody's perfect. I'm not perfect. I'm a dirty gee. I'm dirty dog-ass nigger. Yeah I know. Hello? I’m a dirty dog-ass nigger so I know who I am. So hey I accepted mines. It’s all fun. 

Validated: The latest single  “Don't Ask Me” with Suga Free and Prohoezak. How are the people receiving that?

Kurupt: Oh, man, it's lovely. Let me tell you something. You know, when Snoop likes it, I know I'm doing something right. When Dr. Dre likes it, I know I'm doing something right. So if any one of those two likes it, I know I'm doing something right. But if both of them like it, then I know I'm doing something incredibly well. In this one Snoopy gave me a shout out to show some support and it's like damn. So I know I was doing right with it. It's doing well. 

A lot of people are receiving me and Suga Booger, you dig? And receiving this connection we have because we've always had it. This connection me and Suga Free Cocaine, Weasel Low. We've always had the connection because you know, Cocaine, Weasel, myself, Big Chill from CMW, Tray Dee we formed a group called “The Dirty OGs”. So we've always had that connection. And they from Pomona, I'm from LA. So lyrically and being from the city, from the land we've always had that connection. Because I always stuck with my uncle. Snoop always fucks with Suga Free and Kokane. Then me and Kokane started pushing the line heavy. 

So we all one family. This is all just one big pot of gumbo of family. And now I’m fitting to grab Junya Boy and just throw him in the pot. If you've got to swim nigger throw him in. Go Swim. Or you gon drown. Throw him in there. It's gonna be easy for him because he did well. He got some good music and he does some great records, records that I think are going to attract a lot of great attention because they've worked hard at it and that's what I've learned. When you work hard at your craft and you focus on your craft that's what I teach all my killers. “Perfect your craft first.” He perfected his craft, which is the mic and the next craft is learning how to make a song or a record. He perfected that one, now make me a hit. And he brought me a hit. 

Validated: There you go. 

Kurupt: Roddy Rich and his homies, he laced the Chuck's of his homie. I said, Damn, you ain't even put yourself on all the way and you already lacing the Chuck's of your folks? That's how you do that.

Validated: Junya Boy, man from Dallas, Texas, man tell me a little bit about your history man. How did Dallas influence you as a young man growing up?

Junya Boy: Oh, well, I'm Junya Boy, you know I'm from South Dallas, you know to be exact. Southside of Dallas, the roughest part of Dallas Period. You can ask anybody. When I was growing up I mean my daddy you know my uncles and everything they always done music like so I always been around it in my life. But I never did really get into it until I went through a lot. I went to prison, shoot outs, all types of stuff like that to where I didn't have to be here today. You know what I'm saying? 

I knew I could do it you know so I just came to my uncle one day who got Non Stop Grind Entertainment everything, Mitch. Shout out my uncle. I came to my uncle one day and told him like, I want to do music. Like what’s up? Put something behind this music. From there here we is. It was six years ago. 

Validated: Nice. That’s what’s up. You got the new single “Out the Hood” with Roddy Rich and Rischod King. Tell me how that got cooked up. How did that connection come about with them to put the single out? 

Junya Boy: There's a producer by the name of Mr. Lee who used to be Rap A Lot Producer. He’s like family to me. So like we are really good. So like when he get in contact with artists and stuff like sometimes he'll do a barter trade for me like he'll get him a couple of tracks you know for them to give me a feature or something like that you know what I'm saying? That just came out of a really good relationship. Rischod that's kind of like my brother. He's like my partner but he's kind of like my brother. So it only made sense to me to call him and put him on there because I knew he was gonna fit. I'm one of them people where I don't care if you my blood brother. If I don't feel like you fit on the sound it's not gonna happen. I just felt like he fit on there. So I called my brother. We got it done. Got it over to Kurupt and they loved it. 

Validated: That’s what’s up. What’s your earliest memory of Hip Hop man?

Junya Boy: Oh, I remember when I was a little kid every morning we would get dropped off at school my granny husband used to be listening to that damn Too Short song, “The Ghetto.” That’s the first Hip Hop song, I can just remember just listening to that. One of my biggest influences ever in life as far as music was Biggie, just because of the flow and overall delivery. That was my biggest influence ever.

Validated: Kurupt, I know you got the Kurupt Presents: A Toast to the Coast project dropping soon. Tell me what we can expect to hear on that project. Who are some of the producers you're working with? And what's the mindset behind you putting that project out?

Kurupt: You know, I'm doing it like Nas. Because Nas and Hit Boy, are the ones that inspired me to get back on the saddle. Even though I'm still touring. I've been touring Me and Daz for the past two and a half years. So I was like I’m watching Nas and Hit Boy, they taking it back to The Essence. Sound familiar? The Essence.

Validated: Yes sir. 

Kurupt: Get it together. Hello. He gave some shout out to everybody and said, basically to his era of Hip Hop artists, to get back on the mic.  Do y’all thing. He's looking for that. That's the type of music that he's into. He's doing well. Doing it again. And you can as well. So don't worry about what people think. All this type of knowledge, he was kicking. So I said, you know what, I'm gonna do something dedicated to my coast. That's what inspired me. So, I was like, okay, we got Glasses, we got a lot of the young generation, or, I don't even know I can call them young now. Because they are so seasoned in game.

The era of Nas that's us. Nas is our era. So there's not a lot of us coming out there, shaking, quaking, baking. So I said, okay I'll do this, toast to the coast. Give it up for the coast. So I kept it in house like Nas. I only dealt with the chosen few, like Prohoezak. I went back to the grain and hollered at Storms in Jersey. Fredwreck, of course, gave me stuff. I got one from Fred, that I'm gonna do some film type shit to because it's heavy and tells my story. I made it fun. My whole project is going to be fun. The one I did with Storm was a dedication to the 50 years of Hip Hop. I flipped something special in that and so I hope people enjoy that dedication. 

Validated: I know, you also got another project called Transition. What's that going to be all about?

Kurupt: Oh, that's about my change. You know, I had to grow up. Gotta grow up and be a man. So, you know, I've kind of changed my format of music, that I worked on and stuff. That’s why on Toast to the Coast, I took them back to the original Kurupt. Transition I took them through the growth of Kurupt. So you know, that's why I'm still giving them this original Kurupt. They want that original Kurupt. 

They don't want that transition yet. It's all good. We gonna get it to them in due time but you know, in our time. So I talked with Joe Vine, my CEO from HMG Heritage Music Group, and we about to go in and do the first video for the project. We've been working on it for three years getting it right, sound wise, music wise. The features on it are great. Ice Cube, Too Short. There's so much more in it and so much more to it, with it and the music is just so different so grown. So I think people are going to enjoy this transformation of my musical stretch. The music flies on. The music goes to a different parameter or different zone. That’s my mission right now, taking it to a different world that I had not been to yet that I want people to experience with me. 

Validated: When can we expect the new Dogg Pound album?

Kurupt: To be honest with you, me and Delmar have been talking about that for a year. Me and Daz. Dogg Food 2. It is in the works. But you know Daz is a stickler for this sound. We got to have it right. He's been working on beats for this for a year or two. But we've been talking about it for years as well as working on this Inmates project with me, RBX, Rage and Daz. We concentrating on two different levels of our family at the same time. We do Inmates and we're doing Dogg Food 2. But I'm really waiting on Snoop because ain’t no Dogg Food without the Dogg. But you see Dogg is everywhere. So while he's doing all of that we soak up this Inmates thing, throw this at the people and give them some of this Inmates thing straight from the row. We locked up and getting these lyrics hardcore, coasts. No game. And lyrics. And then Dogg will let us know when he's ready to concentrate on his Dogg Food 2. And then we're gonna hit y'all with another classic project.

Validated: Junya Boy, what's one strong lesson that you've learned, from Kurupt about how to become a veteran in this game as opposed to just somebody that's going to be around for a little while and then disappear?

Junya Boy: The biggest thing really, stay consistent. Like, you got to stay in they face. That's really like the biggest thing. Give em that game. You gotta give them that game. 

Kurupt: Give them that game. 

Validated: Gotta keep writing and putting out that music. Absolutely.

Kurupt: He looks good. He smells good. He feels good. Let the people know. They want to see how you look. They want to be around you to see how you smell. They want to feel that feeling when you drop that music on them especially the records he's making. He's got so many good records. We got a surprise for his next single. You never believe who we got to feature on it and bring this classic Dallas vibe with this classic historical feature. 

So it's like we got a great plan for Junya. Me and Junya gonna ride it all the way into 2024 and then we're gonna keep on going riding strong. We just began with the new things that I'm putting to the table- me and Daz putting to the table. Junya Boy putting to table. Kid Gotti putting to the table. Pentagon as a whole nonstop, all of us amped, Empire we got a whole thing that we just gonna lock in, lock and load and let off and hopefully the people will enjoy it. Man, you know, that's what it's all about. It's all about the essence baby.

Validated: What's been your most memorable moment in your career so far, man?

Junya Boy: I remember I was in Memphis. And I had just done a show in Memphis. And we walk out of the back of the show. We go into the little bus. I had just performed for 8 Ball & MJG Heritage Festival in Memphis. So we headed to the bus and I really not too long been doing music. So I'm not even really feeling like no sex symbol or nothing like that. We hearing feet, and then we turn and look, it's like 50 females chasing us. My manager run me to the bus and locked the little bus door and stuff. I tell him “I’m fitting to get out and sign some autographs.” He said, “Look out this door. You don’t see none of these hoes with no pen, or no paper. They ain’t trying to get no autograph.” I’m like “Oh man, they tripped out”. They ran me, they chased me to the bus man. That was the most memorable day I got so far. (Laughs) 

Kurupt: They wanted that love. That shit crazy, that nigger was running for his life.

 Junya Boy: I was trying to get away. 

Validated: What about you Kurupt? I know you've definitely got a bunch of memorable moments man but tell me something.

Kurupt: I'll be honest with you man. It's totally difficult to say one is greater than the other. They topped each other as we went. I’m sorry, there was just you know it was just a spectacular like God has blessed me with and each one of them it’s just stupendous every time I thought that, oh my god I can't believe... then within a year something else would happen that was just amazing. So I'm trying to narrow it down and I just can’t.

Junya Boy: Shout out to that shit.

Kurupt: They say keeping its real, I’m keeping it real.

Validated: Like I said, you got a long career brother. It's hard to pick just one yeah. 

Junya Boy: Most definitely.

Kurupt: So much like the time Chronic came out and I heard it on the streets and the Radio. To 2 Pac when he first came home. To you know being put up for a Grammy. To me and Daz finally got the opportunity to work on our album, done it and it was put out. We sold two point something million copies. That fam, I don't know which one to say.

Validated: Those are some amazing moments man. You've given the game a lot bro. And you continue to bless us man with your art. And that shit is priceless to people, man. That shit is gonna live forever.

Kurupt: I met Rakim. He taught me my style. So it's like to meet the creator. Wow. 

Validated: Yeah that’s amazing.

Kurupt: Meeting Quincy Jones. First time I met Russell Simmons and Lyor Cohen and Jimmy Iovine. All of those were spectacular times. When they come to you and tell you they know your music. How great you are. Your future's bright. They tell you all these things. I'm thinking to myself like, damn this is Steve Stoute

Junya Boy: Nah for real.

Validated: That's crazy. Yeah, that's a life.

Kurupt: This is Quincy Jones. This is Brad Pitt. And he knows Kurupt.

Junya Boy: For real.

Kurupt: Being with Snoop, you get the opportunity to be able to be around all this greatness. That's what I love about my brother Snoopy because he always includes you in greatness. The greatness comes around, and he brings it around all of us. So we can be a part of the greatness, and we can actually talk to the people. We can talk to them. Nine times out of 10 they say something to us. And that's what's astounding. It's just amazing. So, I really don't have one definitely.

Validated: Definitely an amazing career, man. You know much love on that man. You know, you talk about Snoop all the time, and Dre all the time and the approval from them. And that goes without saying man that those are the people that you look up to that brought you in this game. How did you feel when you finally saw Dre and Snoop touch that Super Bowl stage a couple of years ago?

Kurupt: I'll be honest with you, right. They're older than me. But I felt proud like a poppa. But that's every time with Dogg and Dr. Dre because once they together, you fucking forget about it. Them separately as well. You know, it doesn't matter. But when they are together, though. oh, my god. And then they wonder why sometimes I forget my lyrics. Nigger be up there with this great shit going on and a nigga just get caught up in the moment. Heart racing and shit and nigga nervous. Sometimes I can’t believe I'm here. You still get caught in that moment like, wow cuz. I've made it cuz, I’m here my nigga. Like wow. Because it ain't easy to make it with Dr. Dre. and Snoop. Just because you on the records and shit don't mean you'll be on that stage. They’ll go past your part quick. They have you there because there's a greatness about you. There's something about you, besides the fact that they love you. The people want you or you have that talent that they want to be seen. There's got to be something special about you for you to get on the Dr. Dre stage or Snoop stage. So every time I'm making it on either one of those stages it’s just an accomplishment. Every separate time is a new accomplishment. So it's just greatness and that's what I try and keep Junya around, greatness. I try to keep him around the system. That's how I learned. That’s how I won, was constantly being around greatness and that's how you learn how to be great. 

Validated: I know for me I listen to West Coast Hip Hop whenever I hear something that sounds classic, that just sounds so West Coast man, I always miss hearing Nate Dogg's voice on something man. 

Junya Boy: Most definitely. 

Validated: He was one of the greatest, man. Tell me a memory about Nate Dogg that you remember that keeps you smiling.

Kurupt: Nate Dogg heard my production. And he said, Kurupt, basically I’m glad you made that. That was it. He took my record that’s it. And I was like, damn, Nate you like that? He was like, yeah, that's right. And then we made “Never Leave Me Alone.” The first hit record I produced. Then Nate came to me and this is what makes it so dandy. He came to me and said, well, man, you got to bust on this. That's going to make it. That's what's going to make it the one. I said, Nate, I'm a producer man. I produce the record. I'm not going to rap on it. I said, you know what's gonna be great. We got to throw that 213 on there. We got to go to Snoop. He said, Kurupt, you finally did something right. I said, “You got to call Snoop cuz. And he was like, you right. We called Snoop and that's what took it. Because I could have rapped it. But, you know, it's not the same as Nate Dogg and the big dog- my god, which is going to take this record to the highest and that's what he did, man. It's a classic “Never Leave Me Alone.” Nate Dogg featuring Snoop produced by Kurupt. You can't buy that. So it was that epic cause many records was being thrown at Nate. Then this is what leads on to the closure of the epicness of it. It was time to pick his first single with Nate Dogg. And the company picked; not just Nate, the company out of all his records picked “Never Leave Me Alone.” The number one record that they wanted to put out first for me, his first single was produced by Kurupt. I’m like, oh my God. I said, “I made it. I made it. I’m a producer now. I’m a producer”. You can do that, you just producing. (Laughs) I told Daz, “I don’t want to hear shit. I’m a producer like you cuz. Daz was like, oh, shut up man.

Validated:What does Hip Hop mean to you? Junya, tell me what it means to you first.

Junya Boy: Hip Hop is kind of like a feeling to me. You know, it's like it's kind of like an expression. It's an escape for a lot of people even if it's not being heard. It's a way to vent and to escape without conflict or trouble. I really just love music. You know, I listen to country and rock. And I listen to everything. You know, I do all those kinds of genres of music. But I mean, Hip Hop is really an expression. You can be the best you can be without conflict. That's really what it is to me.

Validated: Kurupt, what does Hip Hop mean to you man?

Kurupt: Life.

Junya Boy: Most definitely.

Kurupt: Life.

Validated: That's what it is. 

Kurupt: Without Hip Hop I’d be dead or in jail, facts. I couldn't breathe without Hip Hop. That don't mean putting out music or putting out records. That means in general, being able to hear it. Being able to rap on the street corners and battle on streets just rapping in the ciphers or the streets just as long as I can get on that mic. The invisible mic or the real mic. As long as I can bust,  pause, that’s what I’m saying. Hip Hop is life. I can't live without it.

God blessed me with a great career to take care of my children for the rest of my life. The great support and belief that Snoopy groomed me first and foremost my brother, Snoopy, Dr. Dre, Suge, Warren G. all their beliefs in me and gave me the opportunity to grab the mic. My first record I was ever on in my life at 17 I think was the SOS Band. Yes sir. And I made three records. You know, I did one and they said, bring that kid back. They wanted a rapper on there but not a superstar. So they could’ve added any rapper they wanted. They said, we want this kid. Bring him back. I did another one then another one. And I made three records on there. So you know like I said, Hip Hop to me means life. Boom!