Note: During our various upgrades over the years certain interviews have been "misplaced." We are now adding them back to our archives. This interview was first published on October 1, 2006.
Former Death Row Records inmate SKG sat down with StreetHop.com a couple of weeks ago and spoke about her time on Death Row Records, and her future aspirations.
Streethop: Firstly, how did you get your name for those that don't know.
SKG: Well Suge said I reminded him of a female him because I was so aggressive for the music u know and my grind was hard body to be 18 so he was like SKG not as his girlfriend but as his homegirl. Alot of people think me and suge had a relationship because of my name means "SUGE KNIGHT GIRL" but that's more of a friendship like his lil homegirl just to clarify.
Streethop: Where are you from, and how was life growing up?
SKG: I'm from Los Angeles, California u know my life is like every other ghetto story ya feel me. Just from a female point of view. I was raised by my grandmother because my parents was on drugs, I was in group homes, foster homes, every juvenile hall from central to L.P to Sylmar. Camp programs, just incarcerated period but it aint nothing to brag about. Not when someone take yo' freedom away that's hurtful you feel me. I been on my own since I was 14, had my own place at 16, made myself graduate at 17 and you know I just had a hard knock life.
I dealt with alot of family member's and friend's deaths as a young girl u know, I just had to deal with alot in life period to where i would see my friends at home with there moms and dads, and I was in tha streets, or house to house, u know life is real crazy like that sometimes.
Streethop: What inspired you to become a rapper, especially when there is so few female rappers out there?
SKG: I been rapping for so long its crazy. I was 10 years old rapping. My older brother was in Y.A and I would go visit him and he had started rapping. So every time I would go he would be like say this or say that. You know he would have raps for me and i liked it. At 11 I started putten tha pen to tha pad and it was on and poppen from there on out; And I wrote my first rap called south central. But i can still remember listening to salt & peppa like at 5 years old, saying they rap "i'll take yo man", that was a classic.
Streethop: What makes SKG stand out from other female rappers?
SKG: What makes me stand out from other female rappers is because 95% of the raps I spit is real talk; thats my life. Not a dude that wrote a rap for me, naw thats me to tha fullest thats what i been through, thats what i lived, thats what i experienced, you feel me. Now I might have some swagger like a metaphor or one of my folks might have a hot line for me to add wit my rap but my life is 110%.
Also im not a hater. A lot, and I mean a lot, of these rap chics are some haten ass b*t*hes. They feel it can only be one rap female and thats not tha business there's really only two chics I'm close with right now and that's mysterious from making tha band I love her thats my sister for real. She keeps it so 100 and shes down to earth and my cousin coniyac from snoop former group Doggies Angels she is crazy, thats my girl, and shes grindin as well. I also looked up to her rapping as a child you know cuz shes older than me but we all got some things poppen. I aint got time to deal with no other chics in this game that's not real cuz you think they cool than u see the fakeness and thats what seperate me from these broads, plus these chics aint had to struggle u feel me. Most of them that I know will get on a mic and pretend, and had a silver spoon the whole time. And im not saying just because they had a good life that's bad but dont make a rap about have to sleep wit a nigga for some money or going through a struggle or being a gangsta chic and you not. Because you have females that really live those type of lifestyles everyday and that listen to our music.
Streethop: What have you been up to the last five years?
SKG: The last five years I been really trying to find myself, do a little soul searching, trying to put pieces of my life back together, as far as my family, I had to get my household right so I can get my music right.
Streethop: How did you end up on Death Row Records?
SKG: Well i was in boot camp and i was just writing alot of raps and i kept saying to myself once i come home im going to get a deal. I mean I promised myself that. I came home and hollered at my homeboy keita roc he told me to come and bring my demo to him. I drop it off. Suge called me from jail like a week later, and it was welcome to Death Row.
Streethop: How long were you on Death Row for, and have you done any material that hasn't been released?
SKG: I stayed on Death Row from 2001 -2004. I just sat my contract out. yea I recorded material. Me and big hutch recorded a remix to "Black Superman" called "Black Super Woman", and I have songs with swoop g, crooked I, Foots but i dont know where they are at u know, Suge got all that.
Streethop: So, What is your relationship like with Suge Knight now?
SKG: Me and Suge is cool my uncle BIG U and my homeboy Carlos are real close with him so we all communicate. You know at the end of the day I just thank him because he did give me a chance and believed in me when no one else did, so for that I will always be grateful. You know we had our ups and downs and disagreements, but thats Suge. I respect him because he put the West Coast on tha map.
Streethop: Where were you before you got on Death Row?
SKG: Before deathrow I was incarcerated came home running the streets with my homegirls, partying, still grindin u know just living my life. Doing what 18 year olds do.
Streethop: I understand that. Do you have any future plans to get back on Death Row, especially with you still being cool with Suge?
SKG: At this point no i already got a deal with a Label that im comfortable with.
Streethop: Do you have any advice to give anyone who want's to enter the music industry?
SKG: My advice to someone who wants to get in tha industry is follow yo heart if this is what you really want to do in yo heart then do it. Dont let nobody discourage you. Grind Grind Grind. Some people will not like your music, some people will love your music in this game, you have to learn how to take constructive criticism. Point blank either GO HARD OR GO HOME!!!!!!
Streethop: Ok, now can you tell us about some of the current projects you are working on?
SKG: I have alot of of stuff im doin im about to drop my mixtape hosted by D.J Warrior thats my BOY!! I'm finally about to drop my DVD/SOUNDTRACK and my album will drop next year also my single "BAD b*t*h" will be available for ring tones on itunes in a couple of months so cop that yall!
Streethop: Tell us more about your mixtape.
SKG: My mixtape is so hot... I really had fun doing this mixtape because I was able to do me you know. I redid Tupac's "Dear mamma" with a song for my Grandmother, I redid 50 cent's "21 questions" I have a song called "f****** an industry n****", and alot of u know; street bangers. Original production was done by my boy jaymez who's actually on tour with Neo, and another producer I worked with was Sclass who I actually came in the rap game with.
The mixtape will be available in the next two weeks and it will be free so people can either download it off MySpace.com - skg - LOS ANGELES, California - Rap - www.myspace.com/skgflava or my forums at Connection Problems.
Streethop: I heard that you had done some tracks with Napoleon from the Outlawz, will any of those tracks be released, or possibly feature on the mixtape?
SKG: Yes, that's also my friend and shouts out to him and his wife. But yea, we did a track for the DVD called "L.A texa$ to the N.Y." it is on the soundtrack and will be released soon.
Streethop: And what about your DVD? What will we be seeing on there? Is it new footage, or older footage?
SKG: I got so much stuff on my DVD, from fights to hood niggas, to industry rappers, to the bloods in new york the gangs in texa$, to me performing to the gangs in L.A. You know, just Whats Really Hood.
Streethop: Do you have any future plans to be on another 2Pac release?
SKG: If the situation presents itself I sure will. But you know you got a lot of these haten ass dudes that try to block us females, but respect a dude that will chin check his ass, its alot of politics but i would love to do another pac album.
Streethop: I heard you and Larceny Entertainment are cool. I recently interviewed Silkk Calone. Do you have any plans to hook up with Larceny, or work on any projects with them? Maybe a Silkk and SKG collabo?
SKG: Larceny entertainment, yea those my boys. I know they're real busy, but anytime they want to collab T.K will hit me. But I know they have been real busy.
Streethop: Is there a particular song that you really enjoyed recording, and listening to as well? What was the inspiration behind it?
SKG: yea, the song I did on my mixtape called "f****** an industry n****", because I talk about LL,Game, 50, Paul wall, Too short, you know, and some other cats. I love the beat, I just really enjoyed doing that song cuz I'm sure every female be like, if u get me in the room with LL for 5 minutes thats all i need!!!
Streethop: And where do you see yourself 10 years from now?
SKG: You know thats hard to say because you know where you are today but you never know where you could be tommorrow, but if GOD spare my life, hopefully I will be financially set raising my son and daughter and doing movies, I really love movies. Also I hope to have already done my masters, I'm in school finishing up my bachelors and its a struggle right now, but u know just doing SKG.
Streethop: Do you have any last words for your fans?
SKG: To my fans, thanks for yall support because its hard for yo girl sometimes, but any support is much appreciated and stay supporting me. One more thing, to my ladies out here I know sometimes we go through trials and tribulations, whether it be with money, relationships, babydaddys, whatever the case may be. Just keep yo head high to the sky because believe me it will get greater later.
Streethop: Thanks for sitting down with StreetHop.com, SKG. Good Luck for the future.
Former Death Row Records inmate SKG sat down with StreetHop.com a couple of weeks ago and spoke about her time on Death Row Records, and her future aspirations.
Streethop: Firstly, how did you get your name for those that don't know.
SKG: Well Suge said I reminded him of a female him because I was so aggressive for the music u know and my grind was hard body to be 18 so he was like SKG not as his girlfriend but as his homegirl. Alot of people think me and suge had a relationship because of my name means "SUGE KNIGHT GIRL" but that's more of a friendship like his lil homegirl just to clarify.
Streethop: Where are you from, and how was life growing up?
SKG: I'm from Los Angeles, California u know my life is like every other ghetto story ya feel me. Just from a female point of view. I was raised by my grandmother because my parents was on drugs, I was in group homes, foster homes, every juvenile hall from central to L.P to Sylmar. Camp programs, just incarcerated period but it aint nothing to brag about. Not when someone take yo' freedom away that's hurtful you feel me. I been on my own since I was 14, had my own place at 16, made myself graduate at 17 and you know I just had a hard knock life.
I dealt with alot of family member's and friend's deaths as a young girl u know, I just had to deal with alot in life period to where i would see my friends at home with there moms and dads, and I was in tha streets, or house to house, u know life is real crazy like that sometimes.
Streethop: What inspired you to become a rapper, especially when there is so few female rappers out there?
SKG: I been rapping for so long its crazy. I was 10 years old rapping. My older brother was in Y.A and I would go visit him and he had started rapping. So every time I would go he would be like say this or say that. You know he would have raps for me and i liked it. At 11 I started putten tha pen to tha pad and it was on and poppen from there on out; And I wrote my first rap called south central. But i can still remember listening to salt & peppa like at 5 years old, saying they rap "i'll take yo man", that was a classic.
Streethop: What makes SKG stand out from other female rappers?
SKG: What makes me stand out from other female rappers is because 95% of the raps I spit is real talk; thats my life. Not a dude that wrote a rap for me, naw thats me to tha fullest thats what i been through, thats what i lived, thats what i experienced, you feel me. Now I might have some swagger like a metaphor or one of my folks might have a hot line for me to add wit my rap but my life is 110%.
Also im not a hater. A lot, and I mean a lot, of these rap chics are some haten ass b*t*hes. They feel it can only be one rap female and thats not tha business there's really only two chics I'm close with right now and that's mysterious from making tha band I love her thats my sister for real. She keeps it so 100 and shes down to earth and my cousin coniyac from snoop former group Doggies Angels she is crazy, thats my girl, and shes grindin as well. I also looked up to her rapping as a child you know cuz shes older than me but we all got some things poppen. I aint got time to deal with no other chics in this game that's not real cuz you think they cool than u see the fakeness and thats what seperate me from these broads, plus these chics aint had to struggle u feel me. Most of them that I know will get on a mic and pretend, and had a silver spoon the whole time. And im not saying just because they had a good life that's bad but dont make a rap about have to sleep wit a nigga for some money or going through a struggle or being a gangsta chic and you not. Because you have females that really live those type of lifestyles everyday and that listen to our music.
Streethop: What have you been up to the last five years?
SKG: The last five years I been really trying to find myself, do a little soul searching, trying to put pieces of my life back together, as far as my family, I had to get my household right so I can get my music right.
Streethop: How did you end up on Death Row Records?
SKG: Well i was in boot camp and i was just writing alot of raps and i kept saying to myself once i come home im going to get a deal. I mean I promised myself that. I came home and hollered at my homeboy keita roc he told me to come and bring my demo to him. I drop it off. Suge called me from jail like a week later, and it was welcome to Death Row.
Streethop: How long were you on Death Row for, and have you done any material that hasn't been released?
SKG: I stayed on Death Row from 2001 -2004. I just sat my contract out. yea I recorded material. Me and big hutch recorded a remix to "Black Superman" called "Black Super Woman", and I have songs with swoop g, crooked I, Foots but i dont know where they are at u know, Suge got all that.
Streethop: So, What is your relationship like with Suge Knight now?
SKG: Me and Suge is cool my uncle BIG U and my homeboy Carlos are real close with him so we all communicate. You know at the end of the day I just thank him because he did give me a chance and believed in me when no one else did, so for that I will always be grateful. You know we had our ups and downs and disagreements, but thats Suge. I respect him because he put the West Coast on tha map.
Streethop: Where were you before you got on Death Row?
SKG: Before deathrow I was incarcerated came home running the streets with my homegirls, partying, still grindin u know just living my life. Doing what 18 year olds do.
Streethop: I understand that. Do you have any future plans to get back on Death Row, especially with you still being cool with Suge?
SKG: At this point no i already got a deal with a Label that im comfortable with.
Streethop: Do you have any advice to give anyone who want's to enter the music industry?
SKG: My advice to someone who wants to get in tha industry is follow yo heart if this is what you really want to do in yo heart then do it. Dont let nobody discourage you. Grind Grind Grind. Some people will not like your music, some people will love your music in this game, you have to learn how to take constructive criticism. Point blank either GO HARD OR GO HOME!!!!!!
Streethop: Ok, now can you tell us about some of the current projects you are working on?
SKG: I have alot of of stuff im doin im about to drop my mixtape hosted by D.J Warrior thats my BOY!! I'm finally about to drop my DVD/SOUNDTRACK and my album will drop next year also my single "BAD b*t*h" will be available for ring tones on itunes in a couple of months so cop that yall!
Streethop: Tell us more about your mixtape.
SKG: My mixtape is so hot... I really had fun doing this mixtape because I was able to do me you know. I redid Tupac's "Dear mamma" with a song for my Grandmother, I redid 50 cent's "21 questions" I have a song called "f****** an industry n****", and alot of u know; street bangers. Original production was done by my boy jaymez who's actually on tour with Neo, and another producer I worked with was Sclass who I actually came in the rap game with.
The mixtape will be available in the next two weeks and it will be free so people can either download it off MySpace.com - skg - LOS ANGELES, California - Rap - www.myspace.com/skgflava or my forums at Connection Problems.
Streethop: I heard that you had done some tracks with Napoleon from the Outlawz, will any of those tracks be released, or possibly feature on the mixtape?
SKG: Yes, that's also my friend and shouts out to him and his wife. But yea, we did a track for the DVD called "L.A texa$ to the N.Y." it is on the soundtrack and will be released soon.
Streethop: And what about your DVD? What will we be seeing on there? Is it new footage, or older footage?
SKG: I got so much stuff on my DVD, from fights to hood niggas, to industry rappers, to the bloods in new york the gangs in texa$, to me performing to the gangs in L.A. You know, just Whats Really Hood.
Streethop: Do you have any future plans to be on another 2Pac release?
SKG: If the situation presents itself I sure will. But you know you got a lot of these haten ass dudes that try to block us females, but respect a dude that will chin check his ass, its alot of politics but i would love to do another pac album.
Streethop: I heard you and Larceny Entertainment are cool. I recently interviewed Silkk Calone. Do you have any plans to hook up with Larceny, or work on any projects with them? Maybe a Silkk and SKG collabo?
SKG: Larceny entertainment, yea those my boys. I know they're real busy, but anytime they want to collab T.K will hit me. But I know they have been real busy.
Streethop: Is there a particular song that you really enjoyed recording, and listening to as well? What was the inspiration behind it?
SKG: yea, the song I did on my mixtape called "f****** an industry n****", because I talk about LL,Game, 50, Paul wall, Too short, you know, and some other cats. I love the beat, I just really enjoyed doing that song cuz I'm sure every female be like, if u get me in the room with LL for 5 minutes thats all i need!!!
Streethop: And where do you see yourself 10 years from now?
SKG: You know thats hard to say because you know where you are today but you never know where you could be tommorrow, but if GOD spare my life, hopefully I will be financially set raising my son and daughter and doing movies, I really love movies. Also I hope to have already done my masters, I'm in school finishing up my bachelors and its a struggle right now, but u know just doing SKG.
Streethop: Do you have any last words for your fans?
SKG: To my fans, thanks for yall support because its hard for yo girl sometimes, but any support is much appreciated and stay supporting me. One more thing, to my ladies out here I know sometimes we go through trials and tribulations, whether it be with money, relationships, babydaddys, whatever the case may be. Just keep yo head high to the sky because believe me it will get greater later.
Streethop: Thanks for sitting down with StreetHop.com, SKG. Good Luck for the future.
