By Andrew Bard
With their new album Krown Power the kings have firmly established their place on top of the hill.
I first would like to say that it’s important to note I typically don’t turn to hip hop as a music choice lately because of the unoriginal watered down version of what it has turned into. An embarrassing regurgitated dried up puddle of what its predecessors made. Instead of creating flow with lyrics that actually hold even the slightest of significance to the artist it feels more like random pages of misspelled grammatically incorrect phrases were forcefully shoved into a cannon then they lit the fuse and whatever half legible words stuck to the piss stained wall of a parking garage in the bad part of town is what was turned into a song.
With that said I was beyond thrilled when I was given the opportunity to listen to the new Kottonmouth Kings album before its official release. To say that I am pleased to not only hear an incredibly well produced album but finally have a reason to go back to hip hop would be an understatement.
Listening to the collaborative work is fantastic and legitimately has enough depth and range to satisfy nearly everyone making the Kottonmouth Kings not only accessible to a wide audience but they open the door to new fans with the skill to keep old fans happy. The fusion of hip hop, psychedelic, punk, reggae and rock is not only something many artists aspire to achieve but they do it so effortlessly that it truly shows the Kings more than deserve that title. With tracks like “Pump up da bass” feat. Marlon Asher, “Keep Moving” feat. Jahred from HED p.e. “Sink or Swim” and “Kronitron” you are really pulled into a musical odyssey with seamless transitions from true artists.
The music industry went from defining lines and talent rising to the top where they belong to a convoluted mess full of musical theft, autotuning and bizarre overly cartoonish characters taking the stage and spewing musical abortions into the brains of the masses tricking them into thinking they offer something of note. I am sorry for people who think Iggy Azalea, Lil Wayne, Nicki Minaj and all the other studio fabricated husks created for a money grab are talented. But much to my delight and sanity I am reviewing real artists who have a greater understanding for music. I am very happy to hear that true talent does in fact still exist in the now bleak world of hip hop. Not only does it exist but could very well be the cure for the cancerous tumor that has plagued this industry for the past decade. Krown Power marks the 13th studio release from the band who’s debut album “Royal Highness” released 17 years ago started it all. With a consistent track record for staying true to who they are and the style of music they want to produce the Kottonmouth Kings remain a powerful force to be reckoned with. Krown Power is available for purchase Friday August 28th and I highly recommend everyone to look for it at Best Buy and itunes. If you’re a fan of not only real hip hop but fantastically produced fusion with kick ass guest appearances on the album by ICP, Marlon Asher, Judge D, Dogboy, C4Mula, Chucky Chuck, Jahred from HED p.e and Saint Dog then go out and get this album and remember what real music sounds like.
I had the pleasure of being able to speak with Drt from the group and ask him a few questions.
AB: With so many hip hop artists coming and going how have you been able to consistently produce kick ass music for nearly 2 decades?
It all boils down to the team and the drive of each individually. We all have a common goal, and that is to deliver dope music that continuously gets doper! Our production squad is amazing which makes it easy for us to create and write. Mike Kumagai, of whom makes the majority of our tracks, and has been the sound of KMK from the beginning, consistently ups his game with every record, staying one step ahead sonically and in every way. Bring it all together, and that’s how we progressively stay in the mix!
AB: Who did you first approach to collaborate with for KrownPower?
We have a great lineup of guests on the record including, C4mula, Chucky chuck, Dogboy, Jared from Hedpe, and more! But we started working with reggae artist, Marlon Asher, known as the ganja farmer, as we were putting together Krownpower. He jumped on a few tracks in the studio, and it was on! Amazing tracks popping off! He is featured on a handful off new record and we have several more in the works! The collaborative sound is incredible!
AB: I know this next question is straight out of the interview handbook. What is your creative process in writing your songs?
We formulate a hook and concept (framework if you will), then work around it. Sometimes together in the studio, and also individually at our home studios. We all really take time on our raps when we release these albums. Once we shape the song, it takes on a whole new life, sometimes allowing us to re-write rhymes and bridges to intertwine with everyone’s ideas. In the end, bringing a solid group effort before mix phase begins. Other times, we sit in the studio with whiskey, vodka, or moonshine, and blaze 50 joints while writing our raps off each other. It’s a constant process regardless where and how. Thankfully, it never ends.
AB: Were there any, for lack of a better term, batshit crazy moments you as a band or individuals experienced that were used as inspiration in making this album?
The entire journey culminates into what you hear on the records. KMK has been touring for the last two decades. The extreme amount of rock and roll party and extreme debauchee would rival Motley Crüe -The Tour bus is usually filled with Smoke from sunrise to sunrise. One night we were traveling to Kansas City from Minnesota where there was more smoke than usual, only this was a suffocating thick black smoke, (the song Black smoke off long live the Kings) was created after this event.bOne of the members awoke from a stoned stupor to realize that this was actually a Bus fire,The entire Back lounge was engulfed with Flames. The back engine had caught on fir and we exited the bus. Fire trucks and emergency units were dispatched- D-Loc in a moment of panic and realization that the pound of weed he had just acquired from the Midwests finest grower was still on the Bus, and like a true Weed super hero, he charged back on bus to rescue the stash-After emerging through the flames and smoke he raised the bag to the Sky Like a Super Bowl champ hoisting the trophy!!! We waited for hours for the replacement Bus and arrived in Kansas City just in time for a Level 5 tornado..I think it was gods way of telling us to keep on rocking!! The show was postponed a day so we played a sellout crowd in KC and continued onto the next city.
Another road story occurred in Michigan where we headlined a Wakeboard festival at one of the Great Lakes. It was a beautiful sunny day, always great to have a outdoor show, BBQ swimming and The Kings took the stage at 4:20. It was a free show sponsored by the regional radio station,As the day wore on, more and more KMK fans were descending on the event. The promoters had brought in some rinky dink stage portable stage and plastic barricades. It was already getting rowdy and there was talk about canceling the show, due to the risk. In the end they decided that they would have more issues if the Kings didn’t play, so the Kings took the stage and within 5 songs the stage was completely over ran by over zealous fans!! The entire stage collapsed under the weight of 200 people. It was a massive dog pile the sound system was tore to the ground. Unbelievably no one was seriously injured. The show was over and we partied into the night.
It has been a surreal experience touring with the kottonmouth Kings. The fans are a radical cross breed between punk rock and new age hippies-The kids you would find at Wall Street demonstrations. They are a very extreme living ,extreme sports and music loving crowd, that love weed, music and freedom. The shows are pure pandemonium with bodies flying everywhere!! It’s a Great party and needs to be experienced to be truly understood. These are the types of things we carry into the attitude and the music we create!