HHDX: Being that you are both family men and the whole nine, are the hard lyrics going to be toned down or…?

Daz: I’m going hard on every album I do! I got kids to teach. I can’t let them be soft.

HHDX: What are you teaching?

Daz: To stand your ground. He stay his ground, you stay your ground. I’m gonna stand my ground in this rap business.

Kurupt: There is definitely some growth. I’m more mature. I’m a father. Life is looking better in a different light. Then, like, being back with the homies is just like a whole void that’s being filled. We are at our peaks right now. We are at our best right now in our positions, in our organizations, and I think we all respect each other, and we love each other as brothers and family members so it’s a great thing.

HHDX: Kurupt, how are you coming on this album?

Kurupt: I spill that magma, you know. It’s that stuff that incinerates once you touch it, you know. Like I said, with that void filled in, it’ll bring out the best in all of us actually. I am spilling that volcanic (laughing). I keeps it fresh.

HHDX: Specifically, what’s some album bangers off the bat you want to tell

HipHopDX about?

Kurupt: The Busta track is sick. The joint with David Banner is outta here. Outta here! He produced it, too. Also , Heavyweights (featuring producer Ryan Leslie). All of ‘em.

HHDX: Daz, how many beats did you do on the album?

Daz: I didn’t put down any beats, I just rapped.

HHDX: None? Not one?! You didn’t find that weird? Why no Daz tracks?

Daz: Mmmmmm… I dunno. Cheese. Pride. I dunno. On the next Dogg Pound album, I got that but this is Snoop’s album so it’s like whatever way he wanted to put it together. We still made great songs putting ideas down. It’s like tap dancing with the beat.

HHDX: Okay, so Snoop got everybody linked up?

Daz: We all put each other back in the light. We got put in the position and Snoop quarterbacked the deal. [Initially], I was over Snoop’s house and I was asleep and he woke me up like, ‘Man, I got this West Coast compilation thing I want to put together and everybody I talked to has your names keep poppin’ up. So I want you try and get with Kurupt and make this thing happen, man.’

HHDX: How did Kurupt receive the idea when you called him?

Daz: Aww, he was like cool, let’s make it happen and we went into the studio that night. It was the same chemistry. Continued on page 3 »