Dubcnn: This is Jose with Dubcnn, I’m here chillin’ with Yukmouth and Chop Black.
Yukmouth: What’s rockin’ Dubcnn it’s ya nigs in the building, Dragon Gang, bang bang, nigga. Yukmouth, Chop Black.
Dubcnn: Right now we’re gonna sit here and talk about this new album you just dropped. Tell us about the reception of the new album and what people are saying and telling you about it.
Yukmouth: People are basically saying they love the shit. There are a lot of people saying that I should’ve done a real Yukmouth album as far as the material and how I rock, but this album was really a tribute to the West Coast so I did a lot of subject matter that I don’t usually do. Just basically saluting the West Coast. Mostly everybody’s feeling the album, everybody’s giving me salutes, everybody’s saying I singlehandedly brought the West back, so I’m loving it you feel me?
Dubcnn: Tell us who you got to work with on this one, producers and features.
Yukmouth: First I gotta give a shoutout to my producers. I got a lot of underground producers, on the album and they worked with a nigga. I did this all out of my pocket so they workin’ with a nigga. Shout out to Scorp Diesel, who produced Da Town and Ain’t Nobody Fuckin’ With Me. Da Town featuring Chop Black and Keak Da Sneak and Ain’t Nobody fuckin’ with me. Scorp Diesel did them two. Arson and Hardknocks for doing West coast G’s and Sum Dem Murder. Shout out to Slap Boyz them my niggas for doing I’mma Gangster with Ray J and Crooked I. Shout out to P Killer, use to be down with Ruff Rydaz now he down with the mob. He did the Blind Livin’ and he did the Mac Dre song, Pimpin’ for Real, featuring Dru Down and Mac Dre. I got a lot of underground people, that’s how I’m rockin’ out straight up. As far as the features it’s a West Coast album so I got all West Coast artists on it, Keak Da Sneak, Chop Black, Mistah Fab, Turf Talk, Dru Down, Mac Dre, C-Bo, Crooked I, Ray J, The Regime, Tech N9ne, Baby Bash, Glasses Malone, and The Jacka. All West Coast mothafuckas, but T-Pain, I got T-Pain too, that’s the only mothafucka that ain’t from the West on the album. But I just try to salute the West, and I always be talkin’ on my interviews on how we need to unite and all the big heads need to start fuckin’ with the underground people so how can I talk that shit without leading by example and doing what I want all the big heads to do. So I start fuckin’ with all the West Coast artists, the underground to the big niggas on this album, period. Basically it’s just a West Coast album, that’s why it’s called The West Coast Don, I’m saluting the West to the fullest, period.
Dubcnn: It’s kind of the theme, if you look at the artwork and the music it’s a mafia style and mob. Tell us about the theme.
Yukmouth: It’s The West Coast Don. I couldn’t be on that motherfucker in some skinny jeans and some colorful shirts (laughing) so I had to go with what the title was. So I had to do the mafia don look, with the old school Lincoln with the suicide doors. I threw my big godfather mink on, brought it out the closet, dusted it off. Out here in LA you never get to wear that shit, it’s too hot. Had to dust the mink off and get into action. Shout out to my homie Barry Underhill, doing all my photo shoots, that man is ridiculous. Shout out to him for really bringing to life what I really wanted, that good don, that classic look. My shit don’t look like it’s computer graphics, like it got computer bling shit and diamonds, that old school Master P look. My shit look real crispy and real classy that’s what I wanted and I got what I wanted so shout out to Barry Underhill, and shout out to my nigga James at Fabricali he the one who did the layout as far as the graphics and shit.
Dubcnn: You just got back from the bay and did some promotions stuff for the album. You also shot a video too. How did that go, the shows and everything?
Yukmouth: Basically I was out there I had this album release in this little off city, Oakley, on the outskirts of the bay. It was basically, me, The Regime, Tha Realest was out there, Chop Black, Dru Down, Lee Majors, Cuzzo Fly, shit, the whole fuckin’ mob was there, my ville niggas, two fanga bangaz, that’s the hood I’m from. Shit my LA niggas, E. Blak, Dom Stryke. The whole Regime was in the building period, it was lovely. And the very next day we shot the video for Da Town. Which is the video with me, Chop Black and Keak da Sneak. Keak couldn’t make it so we just had to film me and Chop Black part and do the third verse which was West Coast Geez and hook it up like that. But shout out to Keak da Sneak for even hookin’ up and fuckin’ with it. It was beautiful, it was good to be back in the town, the hood, back in the ville. All my OGs get to see me all my niggas I grew up with from knee high to gettin’ paper they get to see me. People from Oakland I ain’t seen in hella long get to see me, it was a good look, it was a great visit straight up.
Dubcnn: So do you guys have any plans to do a national tour for the album?
Yukmouth: Right now I’m about to do some shit overseas, me and The Jacka are about to go overseas and do some shows in the UK. Right now I’m just doing spot dates. Every weekend I got a different spot I’m hittin’. So if anybody wanna book the kid hit smokealotteam[at]aol.com, shit, login and you’ll be on.
Dubcnn: You’re from the bay but you live out here in LA, so you’re representing for two cities. How do you manage to do that? Not a lot of people are able to do that.
Yukmouth: My whole shit is that it’s hard to come out to LA and be accepted like an LA motherfucker, ‘cause first of all they gangbang like a motherfucker out here. I come from the bay where we say blood all day. “What up blood, my nigga blood, blood, blood.” Right off the top I’m coming here with that lingo. Soon as I get out here niggas pull me to the side like, “Hey man, you can’t be sayin’ all that woot woot woot man ‘cause we crips right here.” My first niggas that I started gettin’ down with was 60 crips. Shout out to Pappa LQ, better know as Kenny Kingpin, shout out to Big U, all the 60 crips, I was fuckin’ with them first ‘cause they was workin’ at New Tribe at Virgin. To make the story short they was pullin’ me aside and said, “You can’t be doin’ that woot woot woot shit over here, you gotta watch your language. It’ll get you fucked up in certain areas.” So I quickly shut that blood shit down. I just really had to adapt to this shit, ‘cause it’s a whole different culture out here. These niggas’ll wack your ass, smack your ass over the wrong clothes, lookin’ at a nigga the wrong way, being at the wrong hood at the wrong time, being with the wrong nigga at the wrong time, you’ll get smacked. You gotta really play strategic around this motherfucker. There’s certain areas you can hang around at, certain areas you can’t. That’s with everywhere but LA is real, oof. You gotta watch with it. It took some time for me to be accepted but it’s good. I’ve been here over ten years and motherfuckers fuck with me. I live like I was an LA native. The LA rappers, I get the same amount of respect they get out in LA and I’m from Oakland so that’s a good thing. Connecting it, the Bay and LA, connecting it, it’s one West, it’s about that, period. I’m out here puttin’ it down for the bay wherever I go. It don’t matter if I live in Hawaii, I’m stil gonna be puttin’ it down for the bay.
Dubcnn: Awhile back you started your own record label Smokealot. Tell us about that process and the challenges of starting your own label from scratch.
Yukmouth: The whole shit is I been havin’ my own label since 97. My first deal was with Geffen Records. I had Phat Bosselini signed, that was my first artist. So I had my first deal with Geffen, then after that I got a distribution deal (joint venture) with Rapalot, 2001. Then I put out the United Ghettos of America Vol. 1 and Vol. 2. with the CD and DVD. Them thangs went fuckin’ bananas. That really set the pace for Smokealot Records. Then after that I put out Thug Lordz with me and C-Bo, I put out hella Regime mixtapes, now it’s my album The West Coast Don. Basically the struggles of having your own label is the financing. You gotta finance everything yourself so it’s different from when a label’s backing you and they puttin’ all that money up front and you just gotta recoup it. It’s easy like that ‘cause it’s unstoppable money ‘cause you got it when you need it. But when you gotta do the shit yourself you gonna iron out what needs to be done first and what needs to be done last as far as finances in terms of what you can afford and what you can’t. It’s a difference, doing this shit by yourself is crazy. But at the end of the day you get all the benefits, you get all the money instead of splitting it with a record label and getting a percentage. ‘Cause as an artist you only get a motherfuckin’ percentage. As an artist, you only get a dollar, 90 cents, off each album when your points add up. Then out of that 90 cents or 70 cents, you gotta split that with all the other motherfuckers that was on the album, so you ain’t getting shit. So from getting 90 cents to getting 8 dollars that’s a big change, so I love it and I’m still mobbin’ with it, Smokealot Records.
Dubcnn: Tell us about some other artists you’re trying to get out there off the label.
Yukmouth: Basically I’m like a label consultant. I consult with all my Regime niggas. I got all my Regime niggas in line. Niggas like Ampichino, niggas like Lil’ Hyfe, niggas like Chop, niggas like Dru Down. All my Regime niggas, anything I can help with I do it. The same with them, anything they can help me with, they do it. It’s just about helping the mob right now. I ain’t even focused on havin’ no fuckin’ artists. Artists is bitches, these niggas don’t understand the fuckin’ business. They think as soon as you sign you’re supposed to have some shit like this, a big ass crib with a pool, hella jewelry, all this shit. Just from signing, all this shit, just from signing, without even selling a single unit. You supposed to have this shit without selling one single unit. They got the game fucked up, you gotta sell some fuckin’ units; get out there and hustle, make some money, then you can get shit like this. You being an artist yourself and a CEO, it becomes an ego thing now. He’s an artist, and you’re an artist. He’s not looking at you as the CEO he’s lookin’ at you as competition as a fuckin’ artist instead of respecting you as a CEO. “Hey nigga I’m the CEO I’m not an artist. I’m an artist, but I’m not on your level, I’m trying to help you get to my level.” So just because we artists they think they on your level. So they think they supposed to have the cars, they supposed to have the bitches. Whatever you got going, they think they should have it. I had one artist, this nigga, I was overseas, I ain’t even gonna say this nigga name. Motherfuckers know when you sign autographs you know what to sign and what not to sign. I had to take a break to go back and count the money. I was countin’ Euro in the back getting cashed out for a show, so I left my hype man in the front to finish the autograph signing. When I come back I see hella autographs with his name signed over my face. You know not to sign. You got a whole poster, he signs over my face and he was saying he was me while I was gone. “Yeah I’m woot woot woot” and signed over my face so they won’t look at it. He was just doing some stupid shit like, "Man, you really want the fame that bad that you gon’ pretend you’re me for five minutes, a quick five minutes, scribble over my face so they just," “Oh it is you.” We both had braids so we resembled a little bit at the time. I mean it was just fucking crazy, these artist niggas is off the fuckin’ hook. On that note, I’m the only artist on Smokealot Records period. And I deal wit the Regime, that’s a group I’m with and the Thug Lordz, that’s another group I’m with, I’m doing joint ventures with. Them ain’t my artist, we mobbin’ together. Fuck artists, you niggas need to really understand some shit before you even come approach me. All you niggas be hungry and humble and appreciate when a motherfucker trying to offer you, when a motherfucker tryin’ to take you to another level. When a motherfucker do that and you bite the hand that feed you there’s nothing else to do but kick you in the ass and keep it pushin’ nigga, period. So I’m done with artists, Smokealot Records, Regime Dragon Gang, bang bang, Thug Lordz, that’s all I’m fuckin’ with.
Dubcnn: So tell us about The Regime. You guys have a record in the works. What are the plans for that?
Yukmouth: We workin’ on that shit right now, we just did a poll on SmokealotRecords.com what the name of the album should be. The fans voted for Dragon Gang, so it’s gonna be called Dragon Gang. It’s gonna have everybody on it. The Regime is Midwest, East Coast, Down South and the West Coast. It’s gonna have Tech N9ne, Lee Majors, Dru Down, Ampichino, Dorasel, Chop Black, Tha Realest, everybody that’s on the mob that’s really active that’s doing they thing. It’s gonna have everybody, I ain’t even named, it’s so many niggas in the mob, Lil’ Hyfe. It’s hella people. It’s just hella niggas in the mob. It’s basically gonna be like a Wu Tang album, hella niggas from different parts of the area, coming in going in on niggas. Like a big ass pot of gumbo, hella different flavors and we just gon’ serve it to you niggas. And not one nigga in the mob rap alike, we all got different styles and different shit to bring to the table, that’s what makes us different. Another thing that makes us different is we was the first niggas with the coastal crews. A lot of crews start in they own hood and they own block and it stops there. Our shit is around the fuckin’ world. You go to Amsterdam, Gangsterdam and you see niggas with dragon tattoos and shit bangin’. You motherfuckin’ go to New Zeland, Australia, you gon’ see niggas with this dragon tattoo bangin’. Not just the States my nigga, everywhere. And it’s a difference, there’s a difference between a fan that pumps you up. These niggas got tattoos, big ones, shoulders, back, everything, gigantic tattoos reppin’ the fuckin’ movement. So the movement is strong worldwide, we just puttin’ it down for everybody worldwide, straight up. It’s gon’ be crazy, fuckin’ crazy. And the States. We got the Midwest, fuckin’ East Coast, Down South and the West Coast all on one album. You can’t beat that, we rep for everybody man, straight up.
Dubcnn: What do you got going on the mixtape circuit. I know you got something going on with Nik Bean.
Yukmouth: Yeah me and Nik Bean about to do that Free at Last. That’s about to come out like probably beginning of October, or shit, September. I’m almost done with that thing. I just been doing so much promotion, ripping and running, shows and shit for this West Coast Don I haven’t really been able to really lock down. But I’m getting’ it in so I’ll be finished with that thing and it’ll be coming out mid-September, October. Shout out to DJ motherfuckin’ Nik Bean. One of the hottest niggas on the West really representin’ underground niggas and the big niggas. A lot of you DJ niggas start makin’ mixtapes and shit and get a couple big heads under your belt, now you want twenty stacks for a fuckin’ mixtape. You know what you can eat my dick, straight up nigga. I’ll slap you with twenty stacks and go spend it in your face, or go throw it at a bitch. I’d rather give a bitch twenty stacks than give it to your ass, ‘cause at the end of the day we givin’ you music. You sellin’ the mixtape, you making money off of me. How the fuck you gonna try to double charge me. So you chargin’ me to make money off me? You chargin’ me to make money off me nigga? I don’t even understand it. So fuck it, I fuck with Nik Bean, niggas like Nik Bean, real niggas, that fuck with underground niggas no matter what, off straight love. So Nik Bean presents motherfuckin’ Free at Last Mixtape. It’s basically saying I’m free at last, I ain’t on Rapalot no more, I’m just free.
Dubcnn: So is there anything you want to say to everyone at Dubcnn or whoever’s watching before we sign off?
Yukmouth: Shit man, go get that album. West Coast Don, in stores right now if you didn’t know. I said everybody on the motherfucker. Look out for that Free at Last, with me and DJ Nik Bean. Look out for the Regime Dragon Gang coming in two thousand dime, not two thousand nine, two thousand dime, 2010 and that Thug Lordz, Thug Money coming 2010. That’s me and C-Bo, we working on that shit right now, it’s about to be heavy. Oh yeah, United Ghettos Vol. 3 comin’ out next summer. Just gonna give you guys a hint, I got some footage of Anna Nicole Smith before she died, partying like a rockstar. This DVD gonna be real interesting, it’s got a lot of shit. A lot of Mac Dre footage, Pimp C. It’s got a lot of footage of people that ain’t here no more, when they was doing it big. Full party mode, full having fun, balling out. It’s gonna be an interesting DVD and it’s gonna be poppin’. And the Eye Candy. Eye candy gonna have Cabana Lust on the cover, that’s the star of it. Eye Candy 2 is gonna be fuckin’ bananas. So yeah, the DVDs, the mixtapes and the motherfuckin’ albums. We lockin’ it down, Smokealot Records, holla.
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Related Media & Links
Yukmouth - Da Town/West Coast Geez (Video)
Yukmouth - Sum Dem Murder
Chop Black - Money 2 Earn (Video)
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Yukmouth // Exclusive Video Interview // Dubcnn
Download The Video Interview Windows Media
Download The Yukmouth Dubcnn Drop Windows Media
Download The Chop Black Dubcnn Drop Windows Media
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