i posted this like a week ago in the siccness forum but heres a recent interview with cuzz:.frm: allhiphop.com
Allhiphop: I know you from the Odd Squad [Devin’s first group on Rap-A-Lot], but I have to be honest, I never copped the album. And, still was really into the Rap-A-Lot style at that time. You guys were really different from the rest of the Rap-A-Lot roster.
Devin the Dude: They were the only label that didn’t care about what you say and wasn’t trying to censor too much. They were really letting people have it at that time in the rap game. The Odd Squad was just putting songs together and didn’t even have a name. Pretty soon Rap-A-Lot’s DJ Crazy C let Lil J [CEO of the label] hear it and they gave us a call. In 3 months we sign, in like ’93-’94. We still friends.
AHH: You are well known for doing humor in hip-hop. What advice would you give people to unwind and relax especially in this time of world turmoil?
DTD: First thing, is [understand] that set backs are just tests to see if you are strong enough to pass that obstacle. When you are strong enough to pass that, you are almost immune to that. You can look past it and go forward and be a much better person. Pick yourself up because everything happens for a reason.
AHH: You came with the Odd Squad about ’94 and your solo debut in ’98. Did you have you had any low points?
DTD: Yeah, well the rap thing that is just one side of everything. Everybody has other things they have to take care of. As far as me being down, that happens to me at least one time a week. There is no flower when that rain ends sometimes. But as far as the music and the Odd Squad thing, we were still in it for the love, but Scarface asked me to do a group compilation called Face Mob and I was a part of that in ‘96. After the Face Mob, I was asked to do a solo album. I wasn’t even looking for it.
AHH: When Dr. Dre called you to be on the Chronic 2001, what was the first thing you said?
DTD: I said, “This ain’t no damn Dre! [Laughs] Ya’ll stop f**kin’ with me, man!” I was kind of surprised, but then I was too busy praying in my mind to listen [to Dre talk]. I was thanking everybody from God on down.
AHH: Well if you didn’t rap, would you consider standup comedy as a career?
DTD: As a kid, I used to sneak and listen to the records like Richard Pryor and Redd Foxx. I always like to laugh. I kind of incorporate what I was listening to back in the day in the music.
AHH: When I saw you in the summer in Miami, you had this smile on your face like you had a private joke going on or something. Do you make yourself laugh?
AHH: What happened to humor in hip-hop?
DTD: I wish I could answer that question. That’s what made hip-hop inviting – the humor and the fun. Now, it’s all about who got what and what our crew can do to your crew. That’s not cool to me, but hey…
DTD: [Laughs] Yeah, sometimes I do, but it’s not always funny. They come and go – just thinking about little crazy stuff.
AHH: Will we see an Odd Squad reunion?
DTD: There’s been some talk and some conversatin’ and some “song-putting-together.” Maybe in the next year, you will hear something or see a flyer.
AHH: What do you think about you growing as an artist?
DTD: Growing up our responsibilities change. If a fan likes your music and what you are doing as an artist, you shouldn’t change so much that [your core audience no longer likes you], but I want to let you know its not all about drinking and smoking. It is just trying to live in the music world and just trying to accomplish stuff for your family. Some people don’t think being a rapper isn’t work, but it’s a job and its something you have to tend to.
AHH: What inspires you? You are a different type of rapper.
DTD: Most of the times I let the music [inspire me]. If it’s a freaky beat, it probably needs to be a freaky rhyme. If it’s a slow groove, it may be something people can think about. But you know what, I’ll smoke a lil’ weed and get high…[laughs]. It’s not a major thing but it relaxes me and gets me open minded about a lot of things.
AHH: What goes on behind the scenes with Devin?
DTD: I’m low profile. I’m the family-type. I have a couple kids. I like to barbeque every Sunday and have all the friends and family come over.
AHH: What do the kids feel about you?
DTD: I don’t let them listen to a lot of the songs I do. They will let me know if they like it or not like by their head bobbing.
AHH: You think they are going to be checking you out like you snuck the Richard Pryor albums?
DTD: Man, they sneak outside with the car remote and alarm and listen to it in the car! They on this new wave sh*t.
AHH: But it looks like the cycle is repeating.
DTD: [Laughs] I used to live in front of a radio station and used to go in their garbage cans [laughs] and get the records that they threw away. They would have records and if they scratched, they couldn’t afford that to happen on air. They threw them away with just a little bitty scratch. I’d get my weekly supply of stuff. I’d bring the music home.
AHH: What do you think about radio nowadays? It’s so programmed…
DTD: Unless you go to the country the radio stations have the “Three S’s” way of programming radio. The “Three S’s” meaning, they play the same seven songs. The big companies have taken over.
AHH: Where are you going at this point in your career?
DTD: That’s a good question. Back in the days, it was really easy to set goals, but as it goes, you tend to take things one day at a time, a week at a time. I want to have some music to last. Once I am gone, the music will still be here. And something that will last, when I am gone and even forgotten.
