Kottonmouth Kings

Kottonmouth Kings - Kotori Magazine Feature

By Darren Duque

Daddy X talks about the makings of the new album as well as the current mind states of the King Klick.

From the backyard to the main stage, it’s about time to give these guys their hard earned props!

With twelve years of hustling behind their backs, ten full-length albums released, over two million records sold and an uncountable amount of marijuana consumed, the Kottonmouth Kings are still smoking strong. Comprised of Daddy X, D-Loc, Johnny Richter, Lou Dog, DJ Bobby B, and Pakalika the Visual Assassin, this Orange County- based group of radical thinkers have left more than a lasting impression on the masses of open-minded individuals across the globe. The Kings have rocked stages all over America and have even ventured as far as Amsterdam and Japan. If you love their music or hate it, there’s no denying that the Kings have accomplished something that most groups can only wish for: independent success.

However, the success of the Kings is very far from an over-night sensation. They’re more of an over-decade sensation. They officially forged the King Klick in 1994 and started out playing backyard party-type gigs across southern California, basically whatever they could get. It was definitely a hard road for the guys for several years. However, since the moment they began writing and performing songs, they knew collectively that they had something special and unique. Eventually, they were able to put out their first album titled Royal Highness in 1997 on Capitol Records. Shortly later, they separated from the label to pursue their own plan of creating a full-fledged and independent Suburban Noize Records.

Over the course of several years, the Kings went to work, building their kingdom brick by brick. What started out as some dingy no-name label transformed into a fierce army of independent musicians. With their own label at their fingertips, the Kings were then able to sign their own artists, which currently include bands like Hed PE, Unwritten Law, and Sen Dog from Cypress Hill. Aside from putting out the music, the Kottonmouth Kings have attained a level of respect in the streets that they didn’t possess before.

These guys literally epitomize the SoCal punk scene. If you’ve ever taken a trip to the Southern end of Southern California, you know exactly what I mean, from the “Bro Trucks” with the banging system and signature SRH decal configuration to the KMK tattoos and Hart & Huntington t-shirts to all the things that the Kottonmouth Kings and their music have propelled over the years. The whole mentality of the music has definitely evolved into a culture filled with ideals of high times, fly rhymes, and really hot stoner chicks.

But I’d be lying if I told you these guys don’t get their share of hatred and criticism. They’ve been labeled everything from “wannabe white rappers from the O.C.” to “punk rock potheads” to “anarchist hooligans.” You can say that all they ever seem to talk about is smoking weed. However, I think that the majority of the critics don’t really get what the Kottonmouth Kings stand for. It’s neither about making hip-hop music nor about making punk rock music. It’s not about smoking weed and it’s not about reeking havoc.

Their music is conceptualized solely around the basis of being free!

Each of the members in the group came from different backgrounds and musical heritages. Daddy X and Lou Dog were in a punk band called “Humble Gods” while D-Loc and Richter were dropping freestyle on the basketball court. Meanwhile, Pakalika was pop-locking on the streets of Hollywood. However, it’s when all these different perspectives come together and mesh musically that this group becomes interesting and unique.

The Kottonmouth Kings have recently released their tenth studio full-length album titled The Green Album. The album features Tech Nyne on the track “Sex Toys,” Brother J from X-Clan on “Free World,” as well as fellow SubNoize artist Dirt Ball on “Green Gas.”

The album showcases everything from club bangers to really mellow acoustic songs. “The record has a lot of songs about personal freedom and enjoying life,” says Daddy X. With singles like “Where I’m Going,” it becomes obvious that the Kings have definitely become way more retrospective over the years.

“Obviously,” Daddy X continues, “everyone understands the crisis that we’re in, both with the environment and financially, so I thought ‘The Green Album’ was an appropriate title.”

Notably, the Kottonmouth Kings have agreed to donate a portion of the proceeds from the album to charities which include the Surf Rider Foundation, Life Rolls On, and Ward 57, which is a hospital in Virginia that helps injured soldiers from the war. “We feel that this record, being the tenth full length, is really a milestone for us. We’ve been playing as a band for thirteen years and so we all wanted to really make a statement not just musically, but physically as well.”

For a band that’s notorious for smoking weed all day everyday, you really have to tip your hat to these guys for their work ethic. It seems like they’re on tour eleven months out of the year. Not even a week after their latest release, the Kottonmouth Kings have already hit the road to promote The Green Album in Tempe, Arizona. “We do it for the fans. I know it sounds cliché but we probably wouldn’t be here if we didn’t have such a radical fan base,” says X.

Kottonmouth King fans are sincerely some of the craziest and dedicated out there. The die-hard fans seem to make it out to every show. They sing along, line for line, like it was the first time seeing one of their shows. From getting tatted with “KMK” to being buried in KMK clothing, the dedication these fans have for the Kings stands out. “We were probably most surprised when we went to Japan and saw dudes tatted with KMK and singing along line for line. That a mind blower for us!” The fans’ unconditional support is the real key element to their success. I mean, you don’t really see guys with Metallica tattoos or even Wu-Tang Clan tattoos, do you?

When most thought that the group would flop like a one-hit wonder band, they kept pushing and even more importantly, kept putting out albums. These guys are a true testament to the backyard band trying to make it big. It wasn’t pretty and it sure as hell wasn’t easy but these guys made it, you can’t deny that. On top of everything, these guys haven’t even reached their full potential yet. For a band that comes out with an album every year, I envision many more albums to be released in the years to come. So as they said before and continue to say to this very day, “Kottonmouth Kings…still blowing smoke rings!”

Kottonmouth Kings - OC Weekly Featured Pick

Yep, apparently these boys are still around. Perhaps you memeber them from the mid-to-late-’90s rock-rap mix explosion. Or perhaps you remember them from your days as a pothead. Either way, if you were ever a fan, check them out and see if the Kottonmouth Kings have grown up any. Probably not. But you might as well bring some leftover Christmas green.

Fri., Dec. 26, 8:30 p.m., 2008

The Green Album - Anti Music Review

by Dawn Marie Fichera

Before the environmentalist movement was cool, and tree huggers became an enviable identity, Kottonmouth Kings has been feeling mother-earth-love for over a decade. Never mind they preferred to smoke it than save it; through the years, they have evolved and their sound has followed suit. But has it evolved enough to make it palpable to the common listener?

Kottonmouth Kings have been dumbfounding critics and mainstream music lovers for the last twelve years. A preliminary look at their work may lead one to believe they were your average freedom-chasing, reefer-smoking, anti-mainstream musicians who performed to their own tune, and shirked the endless shackles of the industry to follow their own destiny. You may be onto something.

Kottonmouth Kings give us their tenth, full-length album, The Green Album, produced by lead vocalist, Daddy X, Kumagai & Patrick “P-Nice” Shevelin. Thematically, “Daddy X” himself states, “we called this album The Green Album because the whole world is starting to wake-up to the realities of living out of balance with nature… the one common thread that we have with each other is that we live on planet earth…no matter what borders surround you or what God you worship or don’t worship, we all inhabit this planet together…” I am a little confused as to what he means by way of universality and bonding and what he is driving at with a collective consciousness based on the lyrics of his chosen tracks but hey, whatever. If you can pull some type of a unity between saving mother earth and smoking, drinking, and getting laid, you got more from this album than I did.

“Legacy” is a short, bold little number, full of flighty refrains that leads into “Blaze of Glory”, where a personal narrative ensues, and a slow, deliberate rhythm underlies the tongue-in-cheek lyrics. It is a clean production, however, heavily layered with instrumentals and vocals but blended and mixed warmly. Imagine taking a shot of Hennessy, a bit of a sting going down but the aftermath is a delicious warmth rolling around your mouth. “Rock Like Us” falls prey to the clubster/hipster lyricism with that turf-challenge that occurs between musicians. A little disappointing and overly mixed. The vocals are a key element that work well together as far as harmony goes, but the track itself is fairly empty and trite. “Trippin” had a funky beginning to it, a catchy beat, and a memorable refrain. Some strange effects laced throughout the track but overall a good impression. “We Don’t Give a F*ck” isn’t particularly daring or groundbreaking, rather, it has a sense of being written and recorded by amateurs, a surprising finding based on their long history of recording. Lyrics like, “we don’t give a f*ck pry that will/ “… we don’t give a f*ck, I told you before, we don’t give a f*ck , now gimme gimme gimme give me some more” leave me wondering where the prolific songwriter of the group went off to.

Track eight, “Happy” boasts lyrics like, “we like p*ssy and weed/ we like smoking and drinking and doing our thing”; which about sums up for this album. Unless you are sixteen, you may find these lyrics tired, overused, and generally uninspiring. The saving grace to the album, should they sell many, is that a percentage of the proceeds from their signature tenth album will go to environmental causes. Perhaps it will be more than reefer plantations. Based on the title tracks, “Blaze of Glory”, “Pack Your Bowls”, “Puff N Tuff” “Green Grass”, and “Plant a Seed”, I can see skepticism rearing its ugly little head.

I had high hopes for this album, and I am sorry to say that my expectations were not met.
Kottommouth Kings’ newest album seems to fall into the trap of commercializing music for marketing gain, and not making music for actual entertainment, evidenced by the list of ring tone tracks available plastered on the back cover of the album itself. I am a bit skeptical regarding their self-proclaimed anti-mainstreamed attitude. It appears to me they have embraced consumerism full on.

After twelve years of recording, Kottonmouth Kings remind us that music has an obligation to talk about the times we live in. Musicians are our modern-day scribes, our poets, detailing the world as they see it for future generations to come to understand their ancestors. This album challenges us to think about where we are, and what we are leaving behind. And if this is any indication, we are indeed in need of change in a bad way.

Kottonmouth Kings - Live Daily News Feature

Kottonmouth Kings and friends ‘Bring Tha Noize’
Published December 29, 2008 12:12 PM
By Kym Kilgore / LiveDaily Contributor

Rap-rock outfit Kottonmouth Kings [ tickets ] will blaze into 2009 headlining the “Bring Tha Noize Tour,” which also includes supergroup La Coka Nostra, Blaze Ya’ Dead Homie, Big B, Potluck and Short Dawg.

The 33-city outing is set to launch Feb. 25 in Petaluma, CA, and criss-cross the US through early April. The itinerary is listed below.

The Kottonmouth Kings are supporting their 10th studio effort, “The Green Album,” which surfaced in October and landed the No. 1 spot on Billboard’s Top Independent Albums chart. The record was pared down to 21 tracks out of 60 recorded over a six-month period, according to the band’s own Suburban Noize Records label. The Kings will donate a percentage of the profits from “The Green Album” to environmental causes.

In a recent interview with The Pier, Kottonmouth Kings’ Daddy X talked about the message behind the new album and its laid-back vibe.

“Really, [the vibe] was because a lot of these songs were written on an acoustic guitar to begin with,” Daddy X told the publication. “Since it is our 10th record, we wanted to make a statement with it. The whole concept of ‘The Green Album,’ is everyone on the planet is thinking ‘green’ these days. We put our own little Kottonmouth Kings twist on it as it is synonymous with the herb and, of course, with the environment, too. We thought those types of songs kinda fit a classic-rock/hip-hop feel.”

The lead single, “Where I’m going,” is streaming at the Kings’ MySpace page.

Among the acts on the “Bring Tha Noize Tour” is new Suburban Noize signing “La Koka Nostra,” which comprises former House of Pain members Everlast, DannyBoy and DJ Lethal, along with Ill Bill, Slaine and Big Left. The band plans to release its debut, “A Brand You Can Trust,” early next year.

Ill Bill, who described La Koka Nostra’s forthcoming album as “a no holds barred burst of hardcore hip-hop to the fullest,” said in a statement that the band is looking forward to “unleashing the LCN war machine upon the current candy-coated, watered-down and auto tuned-out musical landscape that popular rap music has become.”
[Note: The following tour dates have been provided by artist and/or tour sources, who verify its accuracy as of the publication time of this story. Changes may occur before tickets go on sale. Check with official artist websites, ticketing sources and venues for late updates.]
tour dates and tickets
February 2009
25 - Petaluma, CA - Phoenix Theater
26 - Chico, CA - Senator Theatre
27 - Portland, OR - Roseland
28 - Seattle, WA - Showbox

March 2009
1 - Spokane, WA - Knitting Factory
3 - Boise, ID - Knitting Factory
4 - Billings, MT - Shrine Auditorium
5 - Rapid City, SD - Rushmore Hall
6 - Omaha, NE - Sokol Auditorium
7 - St. Paul, MN - Myth
8 - Fargo, ND - Playmakers
9 - Sioux Falls, SD - Ramkota Exhibit Hall
11 - Chicago, IL - House of Blues
12 - Milwaukee, WI - Eagles Club
13 - Detroit, MI - Clutch Cargos
14 - Cincinnati, OH - Bogarts
15 - Columbus, OH - Newport Music Hall
17 - Mokena, IL - Pearl Room
18 - Cleveland, OH - House of Blues
19 - Cheswick, PA - Gravity Nightclub
20 - Worcester, MA - The Palladium
21 - Baltimore, MD - Rams Head
22 - Philadelphia, PA - Theater of Living Arts
23 - New York, NY - BB Kings
26 - Ft. Lauderdale, FL - Revolution
27 - St. Petersburg, FL - Jannus Landing
28 - Atlanta, GA - The Masquerade
29 - Sauget, IL - Pops
31 - Tulsa, OK - Cain’s Ballroom

April 2009
1 - Kansas City, MO - Beaumont Club
2 - Wichita, KS - Cotillion Ballroom
3 - Denver, CO - Fillmore Auditorium
4 - Magna, UT - The Great Salt Air

Kottonmouth Kings - NBC News LA What You’re Doing Tonight: Dec. 26 Feature

What You’re Doing Tonight: Dec. 26

KOTTONMOUTH KINGS: Seeing a band on their home turf is always fantastic for the fans, and the Kottonmouth Kings, purveyors of punk-laden hip-hop, return to a spot they have strong ties with, Orange County. Can’t see them tonight? They’re headed for Agoura Hills and Thousand Oaks this weekend. Friday, December 26, 7:30PM. The Grove of Anaheim, 2200 E. Katella Avenue, Anaheim. 714-712-2700

Kottonmouth Kings - OC Register Top things to do Dec. 26-28 Feature

MUSIC – Kottonmouth Kings  – The kings of cannabis return to Orange County to support the “Green Album,” the groups 10th studio release. 7:30 p.m. Dec. 26. $25. The Grove of Anaheim, 2200 E. Katella Ave., Anaheim. 714-740-2000.

The Green Album - RockInReview.com Review

Kottonmouth Kings - The Green Album
December 24th, 2008 Adam D Posted in CD Reviews |
Kottonmouth Kings - The Green Album
Suburban Noize Records

* * * *
4 Stars

Mixing the musical styles of Rock, Rap, and Punk, the Kottonmouth Kings have been showing the world how the boys from the West Coast do things in the underground since the mid-90s. Now in their 12th year of official business, the Kings have released their 10th studio album titled The Green Album. If this album says anything about their career, it says that they don’t plan on letting up anytime soon. Although I can’t agree with all of the lyrical content expressed in the album involving drugs, I can still see above that to see that this record is insanely good. This is odd to hear from this long time metalhead, but there’s no denying that the Kottonmouth Kings have talent. With twenty hand picked songs out of the original sixty tracks recorded over a six month run at heir studio in California, KmK provides multiple atmospheres on The Green Album with classic Hip-Hop tracks, more mellow acoustic tracks, and even some of the good ol’ Punk tracks. I have to admit that most of my favorites are some of the Hip-Hop tracks such as “K.O.T.T.O.N.M.O.U.T.H. Song” (Track 6), “Blaze of Glory” (Track 2), and “Rock Like Us” (Track 3). To get a good feel for the more Punk side of the Kottonmouth Kings, check out “Super Hero” (Track 12) and “So Cal” (Track 17). Some of the other tracks on the album have some exclusive feature artists Tech N9ne, Brother J, and The Dirtball. One other aspect that should be mentioned for this album, the guys are donating a percentage of profits from the sales of The Green Album to various environmental causes and have issued some, if not all, of the albums in a more environmentally friendly packaging. So, help support the band and saving the earth as well as adding some sick Hip-Hop to your arsenal of music by going out and picking up a copy of The Green Album ASAP!

Kottonmouth Kings - The Pier.org Interview

KOTTONMOUTH KINGS INTERVIEW

By Pilipo

Just like the current Pier background color, the Kottonmouth Kings has been thinking ‘Green’ of late. This So Cal rip hop crew just released its tenth studio album - nicely titled The Green Album. Band founder/MC Daddy X dropped by The Pier again to give us all the latest buzz from the KMK camp.

The Pier: With plenty of acoustic tracks, The Green Album certainly has a more laid back vibe. What was the decision behind that musical direction for this album?

Daddy X: Really it was because a lot of these songs were written on an acoustic guitar to begin with. Since it is our tenth record we wanted to make a statement with it. The whole concept of The Green Album, is everyone on the planet is thinking ‘green’ these days. We put our own little Kottonmouth Kings twist on it, as it is synonymous with the herb and of course with the environment too. We thought those types of songs kinda fit a classic rock/hip hop feel.

We are all fans of classic rock and so that came through in some of those songs and sometimes the best songs are written just on an acoustic guitar, you get to the organic roots of a song that way.

The Pier: What’s the story behind the album’s first single, Where I’m Going?

Daddy X: It is just about trying to find your way in the world - this crazy matrix that we call reality.

The Pier: What was it like filming the video for that song?

Daddy X: We had a real good time. The guy riding the chopper in that video is Seth Enslow, he is a friend of ours and a freestyle motor-cross legend. He had the distance jump record for many years.

The Pier: I know who Seth is. He didn’t break any bones on your video shoot I hope?

Daddy X: Yeah he wasn’t doing too many crazy things. He came out for the day and we filmed it at a ghost town in Southern California. We just wanted to be out in the desert cause I think that visual captures the feeling of the song very well.

The Pier: Any other songs from the album you particularly proud of or are a little different you want to talk about?

Daddy X: There is a song called Superhero. It is very cool because my daughter (Sky Blue) is on that track and I had a fun time doing that with her. It’s more of a punk song.

The Pier: I was going to ask you about that, it must be very cool for her that not only is her dad in this popular band but she gets to be on the records too.

Daddy X: Yeah she has made little appearances here and there on all our albums since she was a baby. There is a song called Size of an Ant, where we sampled her crying and worked it into the beat. It was pretty funny. She is always around and when I am not touring, of course, I want to spend as much as I can with her, so she will be hanging out with me in the studio. She has got such a cute voice and so we just like to put her on. It’s kind of interesting how we have documented her growing up on CD. She will either love me or hate me for that later down the line. Not sure how that is going to go yet.

The Pier: What does her friends think of her recording career?

Daddy X: She is really shy about it and does not like her friends to hear it at all. It is pretty funny.

The Pier: Tell us about the special guests you got on this album, like Brother J and Tech N9ne.

Daddy X: We do a song called Freeworld with Brother J (X-Clan), which is kind of a real melodic track. Brother J is a hip hop and legend and to have him on that song was kind of interesting because it is not your typical “hip hop” track. But because of the lyrical content it just made so much sense. He understood why I wanted him on that song and it is one of my favorite on the record believe it or not.

Sex Toy has Tech N9ne featured on it, well it is always fun doing something with him. I wrote the hook to that song and it has this middle eastern, reggae kind of feel to it. The song has this classic stripper sexual vibe. Tech N9ne is my most favorite outspoken nymphomaniac I know… so I gave him a call.

The Pier: Now I hear you are planning on donating a percentage of the album sales to environmental causes?

Daddy X: The three charities we picked, one was Surfrider Foundation, which does things to help clean-up the ocean. Living in California the ocean has always been a big part of our lives growing up. I used to live a block from the beach and at least once a month the beach would closed down due to the pollution. Our DJ, Bobby B, actually ended up in the hospital for two weeks and had to have surgery and almost died from swallowing polluted ocean water. So that really hit close to home.

We are also donating to Life Rolls On, which Jesse Billauer started. He was a pro-surfer that was paralyzed in a surfing accident and started this organization to help people with spinal-cord injuries. The last charity is Ward 57, which is a hospital for veterans in Virginia. We have been donating to that the last couple of tours.

The Pier: Very cool. Now the band certainly lives the Subnoize party lifestyle. Has there ever been any close calls over the years that may have put an end to the dream. Bike or car accident etc?

Daddy X: Absolutely, that is part of living. Johnny Richter actually in the last couple of years has walked away from two car accidents. One time him and his brother were coming back from the river and they ended up flipping their car. Both ended up walking away from it. Last year he wrecked his Cadillac on the freeway. D-Loc got really sick last year too, those things happen to everybody and at any point it could end, but we are still up on the board riding the wave somehow.

The Pier: You got some pretty sweet artwork for the new album. How did that come about?

Daddy X: I had the concept to make it like an old produce ad. Ricky Vodka, who used to play in a punk band called the Humble Gods, and is Lou-Dog’s brother, he does graphic art for a living so he designed and layed out the cover art. I love the cover too.

The Pier: How was the second Strange Noize Tour you did this year over the Summer? I was at the Seattle Show, it was pretty wicked.

Daddy X: It actually went really good. With the economy we were a little worried people would not have the money to come out. But then they came out in record numbers for the whole tour. It was pretty amazing.

The Pier: It must be hard these days to work out a set-list with so many songs to choose from?

Daddy X: When you do a record, some songs really surface as what will be the better live songs, you know? We will work through those and always play the classics from each record. We have so many songs we are always changing it up, there is only so many songs you can do in a two hour set.

The Pier: For a band that is so openly pro-weed, I always wonder how you are not constantly getting busted by the cops.

Daddy X: We are pro-weed and pro-personal freedom. At this stage in the game, I think as a race the quicker we embrace nature instead of fighting it we are going to be in a better position. As a band we are very conscious about what states we are in when we are touring and how much weed we are carrying. We know we are a target. We have our bus raided but we travel very smart. We don’t feel like criminal for smoking weed, it’s just part of our daily lives.

The Pier: What about Suburban Noize Records, what else have you got planned for next year?

Daddy X: Sen Dog from Cypress Hill just put out an album. (hed) PE has a new record called New World Orphans dropping in early 09. Unwritten Law is working on an album and so is Big B. King Spade is also in the studio, plus Hidden Stash 4 will be coming out soon. X Clan has a new album dropping called Mainstream Outlaw. Potluck too with Pipe Dream. We got lots of albums dropping in early 09. The Subnoize Souljaz is doing a covers album, remaking hip hop classics. All the guys are picking a song from the golden era of hip hop. That should be a pretty fun record.

The Pier: For sure. I heard rumors of a KMK all-acoustic album?

Daddy X: It is something we have definitely talked about. We really want to strip it down to doing a real acoustic jam band kind of record. I am just not sure when we are going to do it. We want to re-do some of our songs in this trippy jam band style and we will probably write a bunch of new songs for it too. We were going to do it before the touring cycle started for this album but we kind of ran out of time.

Speaking of running out of time… thanks again to Daddy X for letting us take up some of his valuable time for this killer interview.

Kottonmouth Kings - Marijuana Radio Interview 12/09/08

Stronger than ever, tonight we pioneered our own personal milestone by doing the 100th episode of Marijuana Radio. The studio was once again packed with the best bud in the state and folks enjoying the yule tide festivities. Starting out, Rod and Randy did a humorous dark diddle about a love triangle. After that, Kottonmouth King’s veteran Daddy X came on the phone to catch up with us. CelebStoner’s Steve Bloom said hello and indulged in some celeb gossip for the ages. Enjoy a few clips from past episodes including Adrianne Curry, Tommy Chong  and Congressman Barney Frank. Comedian Ben Kronberg called in to say hello from Los Angeles during which Paul and DanK got into a hostile screaming match. Moments later came a surprise that brought the party back to happy happy joy joy! Thank you to everyone who appreciates and helps our program be the best, especially The Big C, Suburban Noize Records and Silverback Music. Please tell your friends.

Discuss this episode on the forums!

Brad ‘Daddy X’ - Kottonmouth Kings
Steve Bloom - Celebstoner.com
Ben Kronberg - Comedian
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