Kottonmouth Kings Johnny Richter
Conducted By: Corey Evans
It's been a very busy time the past few months with you, as always I'm sure. Kottonmouth Kings has a new DVD out, Subnoize Souljaz has a new album out, give us all a little insight to what's on each, who it features, and why people should check that shit out.
The new DVD (10 years deep) is more about the Kottonmouth Kings story. It features interview footage, lifestyle footage, and more discussion about the band itself. It gets a lot more in depth into our lives. Pick it up, it’s basically the band telling you about the band.
Sub Noize Souljaz is a compilation of Sub Noize artists. It’s not KMK feat. someone or Big B featuring someone, its different artists collaborating in different ways with each other. Check it out if you’re looking for a fresh look of classic artists.
Our new record No. 7 is our most recent masterpiece. It’s the most well rounded record we’ve made. The beats are banging, the punk is hard, it’s a CD you and put in, push play, and just let it run. The most sonically sound album we’ve done. This is something we’ve taken more time with, as it’s the album relating to the next chapter in our lives.
Having had the visual and audio pleasure of checking out both, what is next for each, is Kottonmouth Kings going to do another album and tour, are Subnoize Souljaz going out on the road?
Kottonmouth Kings are always pushing forward, making new records, and breaking barriers with music. We’re all about having the freedom to do so. SNS has been out doing shows, they did a tour, and KMK is getting ready to start our next tour this September. Kottonmouth also has a CD release party June 10th at the Key Club in LA.
How was it pulling everyone together for the Subnoize Souljaz project? A lot of people for one disc to hold.
It wasn’t hard pulling everyone together. It was only as hard as saying to another artist “hey, let’s do a track”. I was in there to do a song with Judge originally, while Saint Dog and Big B were in there and offered to get in on the session. It came together real naturally, we’re one big family and it was fun to express ourselves in settings with others.
Watching the DVD, is it a nostalgic trip for you, when looking back does it really feel like its been 10 years?
It’s a trip to watch it for sure. So much happens in our lives and we tour so much (as many as 200 shows a year) you forget some certain shows after a while. Watching the DVD helps remind me how much fun I’ve had. It’s like going down memory lane for me. You can see how much you’ve done personally and how much you’ve accomplished. It’s pretty much your life on tape. It gives me a good feeling and gets me pumped up to go on tour again.
How has the whole dynamic of the group and interaction changed over the course of the band?
The dynamics haven’t changed at all. We were friends to begin with and will be friends when it ends. We’re more of a family than a group. We’re here to stick this out together. If anything we’ve grown closer as family.
Find yourself smoking up more, less, or the same as ten years ago?
More, and better quality.
How has the whole major label experienced aided (or jaded) your experience?
I definitely have a jaded view about major labels. It’s not family, you’re looked at more as an item than a family member. Often times at the major label I’ve felt like a chair. If the chair breaks, they just go buy a new one. Instead, we look at each other like a brother. For instance, when D-Loc broke his ankle we fixed it together and now we’re moving on together.
Of course being your livelihood, music being a business is unavoidable, what do you find to be your best philosophy to follow when it comes to dealing with the details, and separating it from your artistic endeavors?
We don’t think about the business end of matters when making a record. Our music is what we feel. When you start making music for a certain reason (business) then you’re making it for the wrong reasons. You loose touch with yourself and end up turning into something else. We let the business people deal with the business end of things.
A bigger then ever fan base, clothing line, one of the most happening underground labels in the US... what lies in the decade ahead for KMK and you personally? What else do you want to expand into?
Hopefully we’ll be doing the same thing, making music, touring, bringing in more fans, and increasing awareness of personal freedoms. We try to let people know it’s not wrong to question authority. We want to be able to be doing what we’re doing as long as possible. We live in the moment; I’m living for the weekend right now. We take it as it comes, its one of the mysteries of life that you never know what’s next.
Already having a popularity and career longevity that most musicians would envy, how does it feel entering the recording studio from the early days up until now? Being involved with everything from Kottonmouth Kings, Humble Gods, solo, etc. how hard is it get the creative juices fired up once more.
At the end of the day the music is what moves me. You listen to a good beat, you can’t stop. You want to put your piece, your handprint on it. It’s about smoking a joint, putting a track on, and getting down with it. You have to keep it fun, when you stop having fun it turns into something that’s hard to do. For us, we keep it fun first and foremost. The juices haven’t stopped flowing for 10 years with that attitude.
With Suburban Noize Records being the one of the ultimate examples of the do-it-yourself ethic in music, what is the best advice you offer to underground musicians young and old alike, outside of the typical "keep trying"/"work hard" sayings?
Do shows wherever you can, and play anywhere in front of however many people you can. If you are going to do it yourself, try to help yourself by recording music with a computer. Invest in a good mic and home recording software. Don’t sit around, you gotta make it happen yourself. Also don’t burn your bridges, yet be careful who you walk over bridges with.
