TSS Presents Smoking Sessions With J Wells & Kurupt

Unless you’ve been keeping a close ear to the Los Angeles streets the name J Wells will probably strike a new chord, but in the days of the almighty co-sign with the help of the Dogg Pound’s Kurupt, that is all about to change. After collaborating on Wells’ debut, Digital Master, Kurupt got on board with the budding producer/MC for the collaborative effort Digital Smoke. Taking a page from the Doctor, Wells serves up heavily produced and concentrated tracks with a twist of West Coast funk to a bevy of friends and family, and the result is just as banging as is it contagious. The symbiotic nature of the project is evident in every corner with a feel similar to, dare I say it, The Chronic. As the first album distributed by Fontana through Wells’ Bonzi Records, Digital Smoke is the start of something big.

Words by Corey B.

TSS: What’s happening man? How are you guys doing?

Kurupt: Uhhhh, you know, I’m making it. Can’t complain.

TSS: Doesn’t sound too convincing.

Kurupt: Well, you know.

TSS: Alright, I want to start off and talk about how you guys linked up.

J Wells: We were on the same bus on the Puff Puff Pass Tour in 2001 with the big homie Snoop Dog. I came through with J-Ro from the Alkaholiks, walked on the bus, and there was Kurput sitting right there. We’ve been friends ever since, making music together.

TSS: What was your role on that tour? Were you rhyming alongside the Liks?

J Wells: I was going there to do just that, bring my beats and get with the homies.

TSS: Ok, so it was some pre-destined type thing then?

J Wells: Exactly.

Kurupt: J-Ro brought him to the table, and gave him the opportunity to even be heard and seen like that. The whole entire Alkaholiks, that’s what they brought him along for, give him some light. You had to apply yourself, and J Wells did that. That was the first thing I saw in him, his hustle. He had a hustle, but his beats were tight too, so it was like ok, I gotta fuck with cousin.

TSS: How did you link up with J-Ro?

J Wells: I met J-Ro in high school through Styliztik Jones, he already knew him and we went to high school together. I met J-Ro and started giving him beats, and kept giving him more and more. They were working on the XO Experience album and I was still in high school. One day J-Ro called me like man, come bring some of them beats to the studio. We’ve been cool ever since, just up in the studio working.

TSS: So you consider him a mentor then?

J Wells: J-Ro taught me so much just about hip-hop in general. There were a lot of things I just didn’t see. I’m a young cat, just 24, and I didn’t see the culture before all of this. He taught me a lot about breakbeats, sampling, and just real beat making.

TSS: Is there a similar role with this album, like Kurupt did you find yourself playing the mentor at all?

Kurupt: Nah, not really. As J-Ro was there and he saw the ropes, the same applied with Wells. Experience, I believe, is the best teacher, and that is what the Alkaholiks did with Wells. They put him in the game so he could experience it, and teach him most of the things. There wasn’t too much I could show him, besides the fact of just being in there with him and giving him the experience of working with me. I was still learning while I was working with Wells, we were both learning at the same time as we were going. I know a lot about the ins and outs, but musically we were both growing at the same time. I think that is part of the bond because we were both trying new things.

J Wells: I’m gonna tell you this, that is very very very humble of him because Kurupt taught me so much stuff.

Kurupt: (laughs)

J Wells: You gotta understand this man came from Dr. Dre and everyone knows he is one of the best. What I learned from Kurupt was song structures, building up songs, like lets have Roscoe come in for eight bars here and then have this crazy interlude and let the music breathe before the next person comes in. That’s what I learned, just making more commercial records. I had the hip-hop experience through the Alkaholiks, but Kurupt got that lets make these records that’ll get on the radio, feel good summer records.

TSS: Kurupt I read a quote where you saying that this album was more in Wells’ direction, and that it was a different flavor for you.

Kurupt: Well you know, J Wells basically brought the records to the table and helped pick them out with him. It was more or less his flavor, it wasn’t too gangsta, wasn’t too lyrical, it was more or less…I told him man we need to do summertime fun type of thing. Wells basically pieced it all together, and I just picked them out. I just followed his lead, and I think he did the same with me and followed my lead. As we were leading each other we came out with the kind of record we have now.

TSS: Did you guys set out to make an entire album from the start or did it come from doing a couple tracks here and there?

Kurupt: Wells was like “Come get on this record Digital Master“, and the song I had on there was one of the biggest ones on there so he came and hollered at me at like we should do something whooptywham. I said you lead the parade and I’ll fly with you. I told him he should apply his artistry more. Apply that a little more and let them see you out there like that because I thought he was tight on the mic.

J Wells: Yeah, he was the one who kept telling me, get on the mic, get on the mic.

TSS: So is that something you’re not too comfortable with?

J Wells: Nah, it’s just when you come into the game, it’s a growth. I heard Jay-z say it’s beautiful thing to see an artist go from a baby to a full-grown, like Kanye West. You learn as you go through things. I worked with a lot of different rappers and great talents, you learn and you grow, but there are stages to everything. I just felt like this is my time, this is my stage, and I have something to talk about. The more and more you see in this game, the more you got to talk about.

TSS: One of the things that I noticed about the album was all the collaborations. The album in itself is a collaboration, but every song features another artist as well. Going from that I get the feeling it was a very loose and fun, family type album.

J Wells: Yeah definitely. It was about showing light to people we’re brining out that we want to shine light on like Gail Gotti, Styliztik Jones, Y.A., Roscoe, our homies just like The Chronic. It’s like that. The other ones are our crooners, Butch Cassidy, Kokane.

TSS: There is the Goodie Mob track on there as well. Wells, I know you did the track “Play Yo Flutes,” I’m curious where that connection came from.

J Wells: When I did “Play Yo Flutes” that was a direct thing from Kurupt. He put on with Big Gipp and me and Gipp became good friends. We were in the studio vibin one day, Sleepy came though and put the hook down, and there it was. But Kurupt has always been Dungeon Family ever since Tha Streetz Iz A Mutha, representing Dungeon Family West.

TSS: And your wife is on the album as well.

Kurupt: Oh yeah, that’s what I love about J Wells, he keeps it in the house.

TSS: What’s that like working with your wife? Is it a relationship enhancer?

Kurupt: You know, it all works together. That’s what makes it the best, be able to do what you do, but do it with your family, that’s everything.

TSS: What was a typical studio session like?

Kurupt: It was most likely like I’d come to Atlanta, I’d hook my man J Wezzywhatiteazy, cause you know I’d probably go to Daz house or Sky. We had records that we were doing before he moved to Atlanta and all that, so we comprised all that. Roscoe’s record, is also on Fight Night for Xbox, big record. We got something real tight.

TSS: Is there a certain session that sticks out in your memory, something funny that might have popped off?

Kurupt: Aww man, everytime we’re in there.

J Wells: Man, so many.

Kurupt: Just know there is a lot of smoking.

J Wells: Ok, I got one. If Kurupt (laughs)….Gail and Kurupt, they will go at it, back and fourth on the mic. It’s almost like they get in the studio and battle each other man. Gail Gotti is crazy with it.

Kurupt: (laughs)

J Wells: She is crazy with it. And if Kurupt says something, he says the wrong thing, aww they go chasing each other. But then they’re right back to making a classic and that’s the beautiful thing. It’s funny though.

TSS: And you just gotta sit back, being the producer you can’t really step into something like that.

J Wells: Yeah, I just gotta chill back and let them go through what they’re going through (laughs).

Listen to “Get It” Featuring Goodie Mob & Roscoe

For more info on Digital Smoke, visit myspace.com/jwellsmusic.