Knoc-Turn’al is back on a Chronic Vacation for weeks 7 & 8 of his “Answers From The Book Of Knoc Series” with staff writer Justin “Lunatic” Melo. He gives his opinion on Old vs. New West and more in this edition.
ANSWERS…FROM THE BOOK OF KNOC
Every Monday, right here on ChronicVacation.com and Raptalk.net, Knoc-Turn’Al will be picking out and answering five questions submitted by fans and Chronic Vacation readers to Lunatic [SUBMIT YOUR QUESTIONS HERE.] We present the seventh and eighth installments right now and urge fans to continue submitting questions as it is never too late and this series will be long-running! Let’s get started!
Chapter 7:
ChronicVacation.com: Meho says, “I’ve been listening to that Ya Boy Is Back track like crazy lately. What is the deal with the song is he planning on releasing as an official single and if so, when can we expect to hear it?
Knoc-Turn’Al: That was a treat to let everybody know that I’m coming back; that’s what “Ya Boy Is Back” represented. I wanted to give it to you (Lunatic) exclusively through Raptalk because this is how it’s supposed to go. This is Rap; this is Hip-Hop. This is what this nation is about. People are turning techno music and European tracks into Rap; that’s not what Hip-Hop is about. I’m a Hip-Hop artist first. I can not transform and cross over into being a pop artist; I just can’t do it. “Ya Boy Is Back” was just a treat for everybody who gave a fuck about it. There are more songs to come and I’m going to keep releasing songs until my album comes out so that people understand that I’m officially back.
ChronicVacation.com: Tha Crip has a question. “What do you think of newer westcoast cats like Bishop Lamont or The Game and do you plan on working with them, since they both came after you left the game.”
Knoc-Turn’Al: If they want to do something…anything that has to do with the west coast, I’m always supportive. If they want to do something, that’s fine with me. The whole point being is that I have a vocal point as well; I’m pretty sure they’re busy as well; hopefully they’re busy as well. All I need them to do is let me know when and where to be there and I’ll be there. At the same time, I can not focus my whole career around doing stuff for people that already have it. I’m building a whole team of people called the MathMadix. This team that I have was put together very well. All I need for my team to do is for them to do their job and will be alright. If I need to work with Bishop Lamont, The Game, Guerilla Black or anybody, it’s not even an issue or a problem. I don’t have an issue with any of them. I have no reason to have an issue with them.
ChronicVacation.com: This question comes from D-Nice. “Do you have any studio memories from recording “Lights Out” with Westside Connection?
Knoc-Turn’Al: Oh ya, the memories are everything was good. One thing for sure is, anytime I can do something to further my career, I’d love to do it because when you start dealing with legends and people who have been here years and decades… and I’m not trying to be funny or call anyone old or anything, these guys have been doing this stuff since I was a kid. To do music with them actually when I’m grown is phenomenal to me; it just gives you a good feeling inside.
ChronicVacation.com: “Are you still down with Snoop Dogg, Kurupt and the rest of the DPG camp?” This question comes from Livio & Hazzard.
Knoc-Turn’Al: I’ll always be down with them; with Snoop Dogg and all those people. I’m from the west coast and I haven’t done anything against them and they haven’t done anything against me. All we can do is just do music.
ChronicVacation.com: Fatdodger wants to know, “Have you had any recent contact with Damizza?”
Knoc-Turn’Al: Right now I and Damizza just talked. We talked for about an hour and a half on the phone. We patched everything up. We realized that everything was just a misunderstanding. He realizes that he had some wools and sheep part of his camp and that’s why I and he ended up falling out. We both got over it, everything is ok. Whatever Damizza wants to do is not even a problem, we can do it. California law is different than any other hood shit. Instead of being stupid, you just leave each other alone. Now that we’re not leaving each other alone and we got over it, it took us a couple years but will sit down and do business again. It takes time to grow and it takes time to forgive. You can’t just expect someone to forgive and just get over it. You get over it when you feel like getting over it and that’s me and Damizza have done. That’s just apart of life.
Chapter 8:
ChronicVacation.com: Dubsmith-NZ asks, “Have you ever done any songs with Eminem?”
Knoc-Turn’Al: Yes I have made some tracks with Eminem but they are unreleased due to some little stuff that was going on. He had another direction that he wanted to go for with his album and he was focusing it on one vibe and one complete thing and I had a certain direction for my album and different things. It wasn’t a bad song but he had one he was going and I had another way I was going.
ChronicVacation.com: This is a bit of a longer question but is really dope and needs to be addressed by you. Episcop Swerving says, “How would you described and compare the situation on the West Coast in the late 90s and early 2000 when he had the doors opened for you through Dre and were one of the biggest “westcoast hopes” and the situation on the West Coast today when there are so many artists that are labeled as “westcoast hopes” like Crooked, G Malone, Bishop Lamont, Eastwood, struggling to get a deal?
Knoc-Turn’Al: Wow that is a good one. I would say that when I had my run, I was out there by myself. I was running as the new west coast artist by myself. I had Hittman for a little bit but it was just for a little bit and then I didn’t have him anymore. After I was up there by myself, I stayed out there for 2-3 years and helped The Game and Westside Connection came back. I helped Guerilla Black be able to come. I did one of the first songs that hit the air for Kanye West which was on the Transporter Soundtrack (“Muzik.”).
I did a lot of work to keep us alive by myself before a lot of people came along like Crooked I; he was here but was signed to a situation where he came in the fourth quarter of it. Now he has a new situation and its better. The way I can describe it is it might not seem like its ok but it is what you make it. This is not a hobby, it’s a career. As much as you put into it, that’s how much you’re gonna’ get out of it. I used to stay in the studio for days at a time. All I could do was shit; I couldn’t shower and I couldn’t shave. I could shit, eat and stay in the studio a couple days, go home, shower and get a little bit of rest, go right back to the studio.
People don’t do that anymore. They think you can just go to the studio and be a star. You have to take your time. Back then, it was analogs – it was step by step. People are getting stuff done now digitally slower than what we got done with analog tapes. Work ethic has a lot to do with it. People think you’re supposed to instantly be a star because you’re making music and that’s not how it works. It’s a long process.
Before I had Dr. Dre, I was in a group with Ahmad the guy who did (raps) “back in the day when I was young” and then I had another management corporation. Then I had these other guys that wanted to deal with me. It wasn’t an easy process. Then I went to the pen and got out of the penitentiary. I did some more stuff with some more people and Heartless Records and some Jamaicans. All of a sudden Dre fell in my lap through a guy named Mark Sparks. There’s a whole process to this. People just say “oh it’s easier for them” but it’s not easy – I went through a long process to get to where I am.
ChronicVacation.com: “What do you think about the new west-old west situation and the OG’s not working with the new cats? Why haven’t you done tracks with G. Malone, Jay Rock, etc?” This question comes from Kurupt4Life & Episcop Swerving.
Knoc-Turn’Al: Why haven’t they tried to find me?
ChronicVacation.com: No doubt. There does seem to be a bit of tension regarding some new(er) artists believing the OG’s aren’t show enough support to the new cats,. Crooked I, G Malone and Bishop Lamont are recording a mixtape titled “No Country for Old Men.”
Knoc-Turn’Al: I have nothing to do with that because I would never disrespect my elders. If the new cats want to deal and support from the old cats, why would they disrespect them? That doesn’t make sense to me.
ChronicVacation.com: D-Nice wants to know, “What is your favorite song released or not that you did with Dr. Dre?”
Knoc-Turn’Al: My favorite song that I’ve ever done with Dr. Dre would have to be… I would say “Bad Intentions.” That song helped me solidify my career. It may not necessarily be the best song I ever did with Dr. Dre, but it’s the song that actually got people to pay attention to my career.
ChronicVacation.com: Booz wants to know, “What producers have you had the best connection with inside the studio?”
Knoc-Turn’Al: Probably Dr. Dre. He took the most time with me and showed me what the game was really about as far as it not just being all fun, fucking with bitches, have some fancy clothes or whatever and all that. He just basically told me “when I met you, it was a part about you Knoc-Turn’Al that you stayed the same; when we go out to eat, you would buy your own food; you wouldn’t wait for me to give you a hand out – you would buy your own food. You ordered what you could afford and you would buy it. Everybody else sits there and waits on me to pay for them; you would sit there with eight dollars in your pocket and had your tab. I appreciated that about you and you always stayed that same way.”
That caps part seven and eight of the “Answers from the Book of Knoc” series! Congratulations to those who got their questions answered. To those who didn’t, don’t panic as we have all the submitted questions on file and will be getting around to all of them! It is not too late to submit questions so if any readers/fans/haters think of anything they would like Knoc to address, feel free to submit them! Check back next Monday for part nine of the “Answers from the Book of Knoc” series.
