Soopafly

MVRemix: What are the similarities between yourself and the icon that was Soopafly of the 70's?

Soopafly: Playeristic vibes, the mould, the mindframe. The way I go about situations of handling my business. If there's a problem or even if there isn't a problem, with my everyday routine I've got the same vibe that he'd got.

MVRemix: What's your musical background? I heard that you played a variety of instruments...

Soopafly: I wouldn't say a variety...I play the piano, organ, a little drums and I fiddle around with the bass and saxophone. But my forte is the piano of course. My background is really my Grandfather. He was a Jazz musician; Genghis Khan. Real name Alfred Khan. I got it all through him. Also, when I was younger I used to listen to music a lot in Church. I listened to Rn'B, I just listened to a lot of things.

MVRemix: How did you and the Dogg Pound clique hook up back in the day?

Soopafly: Dogg Pound had already formed when I hooked up with them. They'd been together for years, that was '93. I heard about them in Long Beach, us being from the same city, a friend of mine asked me to go into a studio one evening. It turns out they were there, they spoke about me playing keyboards and I played for them. They liked it and the rest was history, I started playing for Dr. Dre.

MVRemix: Which do you prefer...rapping or producing?

Soopafly: Producing. I wouldn't say prefer, excuse me. I'd say my forte is producing. My cornerstone is producing. Rapping is a hobby.

MVRemix: Where do you stand with regards to Snoop throwing less than favourable comments Xzibit and Suge?

Soopafly: I stand right next to him. Fist's balled up just like his. Whatever he say, I double/triple that emotion. 100% I hate Suge Knight and Xzibit is a bitch.

MVRemix: So what exactly went on with regards to "Like It Or Not" [Soopafly's unreleased Death Row album] being shelved. Is it likely that "Like It Or Not" will ever see the light of day?

Soopafly: No, it will probably never be released. Haha, it'd probably be released if I were to die. That's how he works. Other than that I don't think it'll be released properly. I just forgot about it. Whatever...it was my heart and soul back then, I put a lot of energy into it. I just feel that if it wasn't released when it was supposed to be released, it's Suge's and I guess he's holding to that. I don't see any proper release of 'Like It Or Not.'

MVRemix: Do you think we'll ever see the people within Death Row/G-Funk era back on the same page?

Soopafly: Knowing his mind frame, "Big Suge" Knight's, I doubt it. I doubt we'll ever get back together. It's just something we've got to deal with in life. It's not detrimental to us if we're not back on the same page; we're not even looking at them right now. We're just looking at doing our own thing. If it was to happen, then you know, it happens. But I doubt it would.

MVRemix: What can you tell me about the 'Dogghouse Allstars' compilation?

Soopafly: That was a compilation put together solely for the purpose of introducing Snoop's new acts; myself, LaToya Williams, E White and Kokane. It's to give a flavour of what's to come on their solo projects.

MVRemix: What about your own single, what's going on with that?

Soopafly: 'Tell It Like It Is' - yeah, that's the new single off of the "Allstar Compilation." That's the one we chose to go with, it's featuring myself, Snoop Dogg, E White and RBX. There's some flavour we picked from New York; we got EZ Elpee to do the track for us - we went down there to do the track with him and come back with a hit.

MVRemix: Will there be much more in terms of your own solo material arising, or...

Soopafly: Yeah. Right now I'm working on my artist, LaToya Williams. She'll be coming out early next year, first or second quarter. During that time I'll be working on myself and I'll be out shortly after her.

MVRemix: In your opinion to the way things are, you're perspective on life as a whole - is the glass half full or half empty?

Soopafly: For us? Half full. I feel we've still got some growing to do, as men and as artists, but we really need to get to a whole full glass before it becomes half empty. I think we're still at half full right now.

MVRemix: Are there much more porn related releases coming from the Doggystyle records camp, and, excusing the pun, do you have much of a hand in them?

Soopafly: Haha. Not too much of a hand in them, no pun intended. But, that's something that Snoop Dogg did good business with and I was with him 100% I was not actually there, not physically, but I'm there for him in whatever he does. We are adults, haha.

MVRemix: What can we look forward to that you've had a hand in that's yet to bless our ears?

Soopafly: Of course, my solo album. That's gonna bring a whole lot of light to the day. Even before that I would say LaToya Williams, that's just a different page. Her album's out at the beginning of next year, I'm working on hers so it'll be out first.

MVRemix: How complete is it?

Soopafly: I'd say about a fourth. We're just starting to crack down on it - it'll be out in a minute.

MVRemix: Any interesting guests going on there?

Soopafly: Missy, Tweet, we've got Puffy doing something on there. Neptunes doing something on there.

MVRemix: Sounds good.

Soopafly: Everything to make it a hit!

MVRemix: What do you think about the recently surfaced, supposedly conclusive allegations about Biggie being involved with the death of Tupac?

Soopafly: I just say "Wow!" That's all I said about it. Wow.

MVRemix: Do you at all side with what was alleged or do you think it was...

Soopafly: I don't side with any of that, I wasn't even there. But really, it ain't my business. I feel bad for both of the families of both parties and it's tragic. But I have no comment about that. I wasn't there.

MVRemix: What would you say you're most proud of being involved with and what would you like to re-do or re-mix, if you had the opportunity?

Soopafly: Proudest things I was involved with, I'd probably say were the early days of Death Row. I was proud to be a part of that sound. If there was anything I could remix or do over, it might be Aretha Franklin. My artist sounds just like Aretha Franklin. I don't know if you've heard of the movie "Fargo" - I'd like for her to do that again. The whole movie and the whole soundtrack.

MVRemix: Now with all the beef and dissing in the mainstream, what is your view on the music currently being delivered to the masses? The Jermaine Dupri's in comparison to Nas etc. Do you think that artists like Jermaine are taking away from the value of the mainstream, or that they're contributing?

Soopafly: I would say he's contributing to the mainstream. Hip Hop is based on beef and battles. Unfortunately they go too far sometimes. But, as far as the masses, they're always going to want to listen and buy into someone that's doing wrong. If you're talking about dissing somebody, of course they're probably gonna want to hear it. That's just a fact, you know, so...I don't think it's hurting anything. What will go on is gonna go on, regardless. Mainstream or not, the real tragedy is what happens sometimes when shit goes too far. That's mainstream or underground, I mean it's not gonna hurt Hip Hop. We're still gonna keep doing it, we've just got to keep a hold of the reigns as to how it goes.

MVRemix: Could you die today saying you'd lived?

Soopafly: Yes I could.

MVRemix: What are your thoughts on Gun Control, now that lunatics like the Washington sniper seem to be more abundant?

Soopafly: Too late, too late. If somebody wants to get a gun, they're gonna get one. There is no gun control. Gun control happens when they catch you with a gun. Unfortunately, that's too late half the time. It's too late for that man, they should have cracked down on that years ago.

MVRemix: Any last words you'd like to put to your fans/potential fans.

Soopafly: Stay true to yourself. If you've got kids, always know that the future is within the kid. That's really all I've got to say, you know. Support our music, cop 'Tell It Like It Is' the new single off the "Allstar" compilation. Keep representin' yourself.