DX: Yeah could G Rap do “I Get The Job Done”?
KGR: Definitely not. See that was never me, so that’s why you never got no records out of G Rap like that. But Kane had the knack for playing both sides. G Rap was only able to conquer that one side.

DX: Do you guys still stay in contact? I know he’s living down south now.
KGR: Yeah, I haven’t spoken to him in awhile but [we stay in contact]. The one [from the Juice Crew] that I stay in contact with or see more of is Kane because it’s been a few occasions where The Roots performed and had me and Kane come out. So me and Kane bumped heads a lot doing that. Me and Marley, we been in contact over the phone. I haven’t seen him in awhile but we spoke over the phone a few times recently.

DX: Switching gears here, I got a couple stories to ask you about that involve you and a couple other Hip Hop legends. First, is it true that you and Tupac were looting together during the ’92 L.A. Riots?
KGR: Definitely was.

DX: [Laughs] How in the hell did that happen?
KGR: [Laughs] I mean, we wasn’t so much looting, we was just out there poppin’ off guns.

DX: So what ‘Pac just called you up?
KGR: We were both in the same studio [in L.A.]. He was working on one of his albums and I was working on one of my albums. I was in there with Sir Jinx. Me, Jinx and my man Gooch from out in Cali, we was riding out there [during the riots] together. And then ‘Pac…I don’t remember if he was riding with us, but we was all together. Everybody was riding around, poppin’ they burner off out the window. Everybody was mad.

DX: I just think that’s like a crazy visual, you and ‘Pac riding around bustin guns during the riots.
KGR: [Laughs] Hell yeah. But you know ‘Pac was fond of G Rap. And I was definitely familiar with some of his earlier music. So we both had respect for each other and we just clicked.

DX: Now the other Hip Hop legend I need to ask you about is Nas. “Fast Life” is arguably the best collabo track you’ve done in your career, and I understand that your relationship with Nas goes back like 18 years, that he first met MC Serch at your crib?
KGR: Yeah, he did.

DX: So G Rap discovered Nas, not Serch?
KGR: Yeah, pretty much. The only thing that would stop G Rap from being known at the time for discovering Nas is that people brought him to me. I first met him through Large Professor. But I introduced Nas to Serch, and that’s basically what got him [his deal with Columbia Records]. That got him his situation.

DX: So you knew he was it back then?
KGR: Oh yeah. I knew this kid had something. I knew he was special. I knew he was a talented young dude, and I was definitely willing to do anything in G Rap’s power to get him heard and to get him out there. When him and Serch met at my crib and all that, Serch was blown away by the kid. They exchanged math and all that, and then G Rap went to Cali to record an album. So everything took place [between Serch and Nas] while I was in Cali. But before I went to California I was shopping Nas’ material. I took his material to Def Jam and all that. He even mentioned that in one of his songs [“Surviving The Times”], how I took him to Def Jam and [Russell Simmons] told me he sound too much like a G Rap.

DX: Another emcee that may owe his start to you is Papoose. How did he end up on your 1998 release, Roots Of Evil?
KGR: I met Papoose through this producer out of Brooklyn I had a relationship with. The dude used to do crazy hot tracks and he used to always be around these young kids that spit. He introduced me to my man Jinx Da Juvy, Papoose, and a kid named Ike. And when I heard ‘em I was like, “Yo, these kids go in!” So I snatched ‘em up and put Papoose and Jinx on the album on a song called “Home Sweet Funeral Home.”

DX: Did you try to do the same thing with Papoose that you did with Nas and try and get him out there?
KGR: Yeah, I was trying to get all them dudes out there. Anybody that would call me for features I would be like, “Yo, my man gotta be on it.” So I would throw him on some of the features I would do. But it was a slow grind because I was just starting to resurface myself and starting to build my name back up. I was just coming from about a three year hiatus period where people didn’t really hear from G Rap like that.

DX: Plus you were an independent artist at that point.
KGR: Exactly. So it was a real slow grind, and some people stayed, but some people strayed away. And Jinx was one of the dudes that kinda stayed around, so that’s the one that I ended up getting a situation for over at Def Jam back in ‘99/2000. Continued on page 5 »