Published: Friday - February 27, 2004
Words by Ruben Diaz
Crooked I (Photo: Dynasty)
The year was 1999 when Death Row Records had acquired a new rap phenom from Long Beach, California. The young man, who would be given the responsibility to bring back Death Row, answered to the name of Crooked I. Had that initial scenario Suge Knight hope,d played out correctly, Tha Row would be reigning atop the charts and Crooked I would be collecting accolades for resurrecting both Suge's career and quite possibly, the whole West Coast.
Obviously, that scenario can now be seen as fictional as nearly 5 years has passed since Crooked I signed with Tha Row, Suge is back behind bars and the label seems to be at an overwhelming pit stop. For a second, though, it might've seemed as though Crooked I and the labels' fate was about to change as the promotion of his debut, Say Hi To Tha Bad Guy, gave some hope to some. The album was promoted, the single was given to deejays, but only a spark was started and the fuse quickly died down and the album, to date, has not seen the day of light.
BallerStatus was granted the opportunity to exchange words with Crooked I, where he offered insight regarding his current and past trials and tribulations.
BallerStatus.com: Ok, first of all, what's Crooked I's current status as far as music goes?
Crooked I: As far as music, out here still grinding, you know, never stopping. I'm Working on a few things, trying to continue the mission to putting out that West Coast classic, that's it.
BallerStatus.com: Are you still with Tha Row?
Crooked I: Um, nah, I'm not with Tha Row right now. We're trying to figure something out right now on how to get everything resolved with no hard feelings.
BallerStatus.com: What happened with that situation?
Crooked I: Well, basically, I did all I could do, really. I signed in '99, that's four years ago. I turned in a lot of material and for whatever reason, it didn't come out. I'm not bitter about it, but it was just time for me to go. I'm trying to do damage in the game, so I can't sit still too long.
BallerStatus.com: There was a rumor that you might be doing stuff with Sway & King Tech's label, Bolo Entertainment. Is there any truth to that?
Crooked I: Nah, that's just a rumor 'cause they know Sway & Tech is my people. But, they definitely always been in my corner, no matter what.
BallerStatus.com: What's your relationship with Suge Knight, are you still on talking terms?
Crooked I: Last time I spoke to him it was good. I'm supposed to reach out to him next week to see what it is. I really just took a minute to take a deep breath and chill for a second and see what I wanted to do. I've been doing a few things in and out of state, but I'm just trying to take it all in and make something happen though.
BallerStatus.com: Shifting gears, what'd you grow up listening to? Because your lyrics are evidence that you listened to some top notch lyricism, or so one would imagine...
Crooked I: Back in the day, when I was young, everybody I knew -- it didn't matter if they was gang-bangin', if they were college students or high school students -- everybody I knew in the 80's out here listened to hip-hop from everywhere. When it was blowin' up, we all listened to Run DMC, KRS-One, Rakim, Public Enemy, as well as N.W.A. and Ice Cube and all of them. I listen to it all, everybody. I don't discriminate. I only put music in two categories: dope and wack.
BallerStatus.com: Most people haven't really heard you touch on your superlyical sh--, is there any reason for that?
Crooked I: A lot of times people associated me with like "superlyrical rap," and that was mainly because I used to get featured on a lot of things. So, every time you only get 16 bars, you're going to go for yours. When you get featured, you're going to try to go for yours, you're going to try to do damage, so the people will say, "Ok this kid is doing his thing" and invite you back. But, there's much more than just being superlyrical, to me. I believe if you tell a story the right way, that's lyrical. I think a single can be lyrical and still be commercial. I mean, if you listen closely to some of the things some of these emcees are saying, there's a lot of thought that goes into some of this stuff, but we pass it off as bling, bling, this that.
We still keeping it thoughtful. Even if you listen to "Still Tha Row," that's probably the first time in a long time that someone makes mention of Marcus Garvey in a rap on a single. I could've done the "jiggy/club" thing all day. I could've bought the track from whoever I needed to have bought a track from, but that song was purposely put out like that. You see what happens -- no spins; no radio [laughing]. That's the unfortunate side of the game. Sometimes you do what you do and people don't support it.
BallerStatus.com: Do you think part of the reason it got no spins, no love was because people are trying to black ball Tha Row?
Crooked I: Yeah. I believe they was trying to black ball Tha Row and I think they still are. On some real sh--, the industry blames the whole West Coast for a lot of tragedies and then there was, of course, 'Pac & Biggie. People don't wanna talk about it, but they blame us for that type of sh--. You come over here and you get robbed at the awards and sh--, so they trying to push us out [of the game]. But, we going to have to change the fate/face of West Coast hip-hop. A renaissance is going to have to take place for that to take place. And all of those that been in the game and are older are going to have to kind of fall back, otherwise, how are we gonna do it without a new generation?
BallerStatus.com: What was it like when you first signed to Tha Row. Here you are going from 16 bars on features to given the chance to start off where 'Pac left off to eventually things not working out?
Crooked I: It was a definite roller coaster ride [smirk on his face]. You saw the news, read the newspapers, if it wasn't a shoot out, it was a police raid [laughs]. It was an experience, but I took that responsibility seriously. Tupac was one of the greatest ever, and a lot of people on hip-hop, even backpacker tip can see that. But, they can't make somebody influence the world the way he did. He definitely did his thing and left big shoes to fill, but I was ready though. I recorded material after material to take Tha Row to another level. I felt like my lyrical skills was like a different shade of Tha Row, so I felt like I could do everything that everybody else did and add something else to it, so I was ready. And it's just unfortunate that it didn't work out.
BallerStatus.com: The music industry, obviously, can be pretty sh--ty, how'd you deal with it then and now?
Crooked I: Patience, man. That's the real virtue in this game, patience. You can talk the talk, but patience is what it takes, and perseverance. One thing Russell Simmons said one time was that he said that he kept going five minutes after the other dude stopped and that's real. You got to stay sharp, have determination and stay focused and have patience, but the industry IS sh--ty. I was on Virgin Records as a teenager. I had eviction notices and sh-- and they didn't give a f---. So yeah, the industry as a whole is real sh--ty. BallerStatus.com: Given those facts, why are you still in it?
Crooked I: Just love for the music. I got a point to prove to myself. I'm not going to stop until I'm at least in the top 5 of the West Coast whenever they say my name, so that right there, keeps me motivated to never stop.
BallerStatus.com: What do you think either makes or breaks you as an artist in this game?
Crooked I: Patience, I think so, man. There's a lot of guys who had a lot of talent that did what they could and gave up, but if they'd of stayed a little longer, they'd of been alright. You gotta be patient 'cause you're going to deal with some weirdos [laughs].
BallerStatus.com: A lot of people don't know that you can flip just as good, if not better, than Twista and that whole style. Is that something you look forward to doing soon?
Crooked I: Yeah man. As a matter of fact, I just did a song that's very similar to that. And a lot of people say, I never really commercially did nothing like that. I like that, that's a fun way to rap, to me.
BallerStatus.com: As far as media outside of the West Coast, do you think they kind of give us and West Coast emcees and music the cold shoulder?
Crooked I: Oh yeah, fa' sho they do! Part of the media is not having to hold my tongue, so hell yeah, they DO! A lot of media is located outside the West -- you know, "106 & Park," "Rap City," XXL, The Source -- it's a lot of influence in New York City. And even when I'm at The Source in New York, we talk about it, but at the same time, a lot of emcees that have power out here, they're not trying to emphasize the situation. Everybody's basically after their own and if they got their own, they're straight. They can do things to help hip-hop out here, too, but they don't.
BallerStatus.com: You've shown your versatility from battle rhymes to gangsta sh--, what do you want your sound to be when you come out?
Crooked I: Life music. Basically, sometimes you have beef, sometimes there's drama, sometimes you're battling, so I just want it to reflect life. I don't want to be put in no category, it's not like, "oh he's trying to do this." Nah, I'm just trying to make life music from Long Beach [laughs].
BallerStatus.com: Ok, now working with a budget as an indie artist is quite different than that of a budget from a big label. What artists or producers do you still want to work with?
Crooked I: I meet artists all the time, I do a lot of networking, do different things and go to a lot of places. But usually, when a dude comes up to me and got respect for what I'm doing, I'm going to want to get down with him just off that. Most people who have respect for what I'm doing are like already on the same page as me. So anybody, really and it's also good when people respect your skill level, then they'll work with you on the price [laughs].
BallerStatus.com: Who are the emcees that you put up there next to you as far as skill on a skill level. I put you up there as the top 3, who are some of the ones who you'd put next to you?
Crooked I: Wow, that's good lookin! I stayed up until four in the morning in the bathroom, so that sh-- could happen [laughs]. Out here, man, it's different little categories: you got Jay-Z who's incredible who has skills and has got a good business mind, then you got Nas, Ras Kass... but to me, Kool G. Rap is still sick as ever. I saw him in The Bassement and he's still sick as ever! It's just a lot, I know, I heard Big Daddy Kane with Jurassic 5 and he's still sick.
BallerStatus.com: How about anyone current someone like Sly Boogy?
Crooked I: Yeah, Sly Boogy! I seen him last night at the Suga Free Album Release Party. That's another thing, West Coast artists need to stick together and support each other and quit bullsh--tin'. Um, Spitfiya from Compton, that's the little homey right there. He did his thing on Showtime (Interscope Presents: The Next Episode winner), I'm proud of that. There's a few other cats out there though. But, I've been so deep in the lab and in the cave that I don't always hear the new cats coming up. But every time I put my ear through a hole in the wall, I hear somebody spit something different. It's just so many out here. We just need to kick the door open and well be alright, EVERYBODY will be alright. Game, I like Game.
BallerStatus.com: Do you have a website people can check you out on?
Crooked I: Yeah, I just got WestCoastDynasty.com. That's going to be my new site, and I think I'm gonna have another one, CrookedIOnline.com too.
BallerStatus.com: Right now, you're just recording material. Do you have any set plans for it's release yet?
Crooked I: Really, I'm just laying ideas, 'cause legally, I probably can't record anything right now. So, I'm just doing ideas right now in my own pre-production spot. I can't sleep unless I come up with a song or a verse, so I'm naturally out there working. But pretty soon when all the legalities are out the way, it's going to be something big.
BallerStatus.com: From the beginning of your signing to Tha Row, what was it like as you inherited Suge's beefs almost automatically, simply because you're affiliation to him and his label?
Crooked I: I mean, the thing about it is, Suge, he respected me to the point where it wasn't like, "Hey, I want you to go talk about him and go talk about them!" He never came at me like that. I told him, you know, I'm not going to talk about dudes. I'm not going to talk about all these different cats that I don't have problems with because it ain't my beef. Now, there was songs where people made mention to me later, so I might've dropped a few things on them 'cause I'm never just going to sit back. But for the most part, I kept it real clean. I didn't really jump into all that. I let the media know from the gate that I was trying to be the future, not the past of Death Row. So, I learned a lot over there, that's what enables me right now to start my own label and feel like I got a real shot at making some bread 'cause I was over there soaking game, you know? And the man (Suge Knight), no matter how the media portrays him, he's not dumb! That motherf---er's smart.
BallerStatus.com: You put out WestCoastaNostra with Darren Vegas, kind of on the mixtape scene, is that something you look to cater to (the mixtape market)?
Crooked I: I'm going to do the mixtape right when we get ready to drop the album, because the industry is hurting right now because of the downloading and all this other sh--. So, I'm going to give [the fans] some free sh--, then I'm going to give them some MORE free sh--. If thats what people want right now, then I'm going to give it to them. I'm just trying to keep my life going, so if they download it a million times, I'm STILL going to go platinum.
BallerStatus.com: When it's all said and done, what do you want to walk away with in this game?
Crooked I: I just want to walk away with respect, and walk away with enough bread to journey into something else. I might try to do something that influences politics 'cause that's another one of my passions, me being active in the community and trying to make a difference. A dude like me grew up pretty hard, so I want to do something to change that [for the youth]. So after the rap game for me, I'll probably jump into something like that.
BallerStatus.com: Do you feel any responsibility then, with your music, for instance, if there's an 8 year-old kid listening to Crooked I, do you care what he's hearing?
Crooked I: Yeah I do, but at the same time, if you listen closely to me, I always put some consequences in it. I'm not going to ever just talk about blowing someone's brains out without talking about what else could happen if you do it. A lot of these dudes, they don't care. I hear cats talk about I don't love the kids. I hear cats say this dude wants to save the world, but I don't. To me, that's just straight ignorance. I can't see how you can say you're from the ghetto or from the hood and think that that's all good to say to the kids. That's a front, but see, you got dudes like me who would love to smash on them kind of dudes that want to act like "Oh who cares, go kill each other." Then you got dudes that will say that's not right, and you got dudes like me, that would love to smash on them. I mean, that's just pure ignorance to me, man.
That's another thing I loved about Pac. He always showed some concern. Recently, the Chief of Police of L.A. showed a picture of a black dude with braids or whatever and said this is a poster boy for what's wrong with L.A. You ain't going to hear nobody rap about that. That's why I go back to Pac, even on his "How Do U Want It," his commercial song, he's talking about Mr. Bob Dole, "you're too old to understand the way the game go," you know? So he was always going to hit em, he ain't going to ever let them slide. And that's big to me, man. Then, I see these articles with dudes talking and it just makes me think that they're really not what they're trying to be or who they say they are.
BallerStatus.com: Do you think that's part of the industry's fault, where in some cases they try to mold these dudes to say certain things and portray this or that because for the most part, most of these labels don't give a sh-- about the hood, and only care about the money and are willing to get it at all costs?
Crooked I: Yeah, that's true, too. I mean the machine is not going to push that hard if you're a Dead Prez. They're not going to give you an Eminem (type) of push [laughs]. You're not going to get a $1 million video to pop that sh-- you're talking (if you're going against the machine). That's not what's selling at the time. But at the same time, you can still drop jewels here and there, and show some concerns no matter what. I'm not saying it's our jobs to raise these kids, it's the parents' job obviously. But, you have to have some type of ear for the hood if you claim that you're hood. If you got no heart for the hood, then you shouldn't be able to come back. That's for anybody out there rapping. I don't care if you're 22 times platinum! If they don't care about what's going on in the hood, and they don't care about people out here killing each other, and people having babies they can't raise and all that, then they shouldn't have a pass to walk through the hood. That's real.
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