Kottonmouth Kings

Kottonmouth Kings - Abort Magazine Feature

Kottonmouth - Denver Westword Backbeat Online Featured Pick

This Just In 1/8/09-1/14/09
The Kottonmouth Kings visit the Fillmore on April 3.

In addition to a bunch of Bluebird and Fox shows announced this week, Live Nation revealed that the Fillmore will host the Bring Tha Noise tour on April 3, with the Kottonmouth Kings, Blaze Ya Dead Homie, La Coka Nostra, Big B and Short Dawg. Here’s a rundown of the other shows going on sale this weekend, or recently announced. For ticket information, click on the venue links. — Jon Solomon

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

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 - Daily NORML Audio Stash Featured Music 12/09/08

Music: Kottonmouth Kings - “Where I’m Going”

Hey Stashers, I’ve got good and bad news.  First the good news: my brother, Less-Than-Radical Josh, has started his new full-time job at the THC Foundation’s medical marijuana clinic here in Portland.

That bad news is that my musical director, Less-Than-Radical Josh, has a new full-time job that prevents him from adding more music to the Stash!  That means more work for me!  Yikes!

Both Josh and Cannabis Karri will be stopping by from time to time to drop some new tunes.  But for now, you’ve got me, so I’m digging up the latest CD from Suburban Noize Records artists Kottonmouth Kings.

The latest CD is called The Green Album and we already played the track “Pack Your Bowls” back on Halloween. The latest track we’re playing today is called “Where I’m Going”.

Check out KottonmouthKings.com for more info, including tour dates and music downloads.

Kottonmouth Kings - The Pier.org Favorite Albums of 2008

WELCOME TO THE PIER’S FAVORITE ALBUMS OF 2008

Welcome to the Best of 2008. As The Pier did last year, we gave bands
the opportunity to submit and have published their favorite music of the
year. This is just another way for folks to discover GOOD music.

Feel free to discuss your thoughts of the lists and share your own on
The Pier’s Chat Boards RIGHT HERE. We have even created a thread already
for you to share your favorite things of 2008.

Anyway… enjoy the feature and a big thanks to everyone that
participated. Also look out for a Most Anticipated Albums of 2009
feature dropping on the site on the 1st of January. Like last year (over
20,000 reads), that feature is going to be huge, with all the lastest
inside info from the band’s themselves of what you can expect on their
upcoming albums. Anyway here are the lists of favorite music from 2008:
Kottonmouth Kings - ThePier.org
http://www.thepier.org/Bestof2008-01.html

Daddy X, MC (Kottonmouth Kings)

TOP 10 ALBUMS

1. Jack Johnson - Sleep Through the Static
2. OPM - Golden State of Mind
3. Dirtball - Crook County
4. Sen Dog - Diary of a Mad Dog
5. Tech N9ne - Killa
6. Kottonmouth Kings - Green Album
7. (hed) PE - DIY Guys
8. Young Jeezy - Recession
9. DGAF - Self-Titled
10. Mia - Kaya

Check out the Kottonmouth Kings MySpace

Kottonmouth Kings are today’s featured music video over at Ripe TV

Cotton-Pickin’ Positivity

Kottonmouth Kings “Where I’m Going?”

04:07     Posted: 11/25/2008
Here’s the video for “Where I’m Going” by the Kottonmouth Kings off their new album, “The Green Album.” At a time where it seems like everything’s spiraling out of control, who better than a group with “kottonmouth” in their name to inspire us with lyrics of hope and optomism.

Kottonmouth Kings - Hartford New Times Feature

Kottonmouth Kings drop ‘Green Album”
10th studio CD marks major milestone for hip-hop/punk rock act
By David Friedman
MUSIC WRITER
Updated: 11/20/2008 06:17:56 PM EST

“The big misconception is that we’re a weed band. We’re a freedom band.”

– Emcee Johnny Richter

Releasing their 10th studio album is a special occasion for southern California hip-hop and punk-rock hybrid the Kottonmouth Kings. Actually, releasing 10 studio albums and proudly watching as your audience grows over the years is quite a feat for any act.

So when I recently caught up with three of the Kings — rappers Johnny Richter and D-Loc and rapper-producer Brad “Daddy” X — needless to say they were all excited and had plenty to talk about when it came to “The Green Album,” which came out Oct. 28.

The well-traveled act will headline Nov. 29 at Webster Hall in New York City, with the trio joined by band mates DJ Bobby B, masked visual assassin Pakelika, drummer Lou Dog and stage director Taxman.

“We’ve been in it for years,” Johnny Richter said of the group, which released its first EP in 1998. “Obviously those who know us know about us and know what we’re about. They come to shows and they see the hard work and dedication that we put into this. We’ve dedicated our lives to this. A lot of other people and a lot of other acts, you don’t see that. They’re in it for another reason.

“At the end of the day, yeah, it’s nice to get paychecks, it’s nice to be able to feed your family, it’s nice to be able to travel the world and all that,” Richter added. “But at the end of the day, I don’t get a greater feeling than being able to put on a song that I made and listen to it. And that’s what I enjoy, playing my songs and making my songs. It’s amazing. It’s a great feeling.”

Unleashing “The Green Album” on their own Suburban Noize Records — which serves as home to 30-plus acts, including X-Clan, Sen Dog, (hed) p.e. and OPM — the Kings have added another 20 tracks to their catalog. And fans who pick up the CD at Best Buy receive a bonus disc containing 10 more new songs.

“When we went in to make ‘The Green Album,’ we wanted to first of all have a great time making it,” Daddy X said. “We didn’t want to put any boundaries on ourselves when we made the record. We went in and a lot of songs started with straight acoustic guitar, a lot of songs are classic hip-hop songs. We did a song with Tech N9ne called ‘Sex Toy.’

“We’re donating part of the proceeds to environmental causes,” Daddy X added. “So we just wanted to make a positive impact, make a bunch of songs about peace and freedom and just have a good time and enjoy life. There are a lot of mellow, melodic songs and there’s some straight bangers, a couple punk rock songs. It’s one of our favorite records we’ve ever made. It’s a pretty adventurous record when you hear the whole thing in its entirety.”

In terms of messages, D-Loc said, it’s all about being yourself, preserving nature and taking care of what’s around you. The Kings’ appreciation of the land started at a young age. The entire band grew up in southern California. The three emcees, in fact, all grew up in Orange County in the city of Placentia, an old farming community that’s situated near Disneyland.

“We grew up skateboarding and riding our BMX bikes and listening to punk rock,” D-Loc said. “That’s pretty much Orange County. It was punk rock and N.W.A. That’s how we grew up in the suburbs. We were skateboarding, riding our BMX bikes and playing basketball, listening to punk rock and N.W.A. at the same time. I grew up listening to a little bit of Agent Orange, Social Distortion was always big, Minor Threat was cool, Black Flag of course, and I listened to Humble Gods.”

Collectively, Richter, D-Loc and Daddy X count the Beastie Boys, LL Cool J, Cypress Hill, Public Enemy, N.W.A., Too $hort, X-Clan and Run-D.M.C. among their influences. Daddy X, who goes a little further back, got into funk acts like Parliament, Cameo and Zapp before progressing to hip-hop.

After spending years touring and recording with punk bands that included Doggy Style and Humble Gods, Daddy X formed Kottonmouth Kings in the mid-’90s. With the exception of rapper Saint Dog, who’s now back with Suburban Noize as a solo artist, the Kings’ lineup has remained intact all these years.

“You know what I think it is?” Daddy X said. “We all have a mutual respect for each other and everybody understands their roles and we all make a living doing this. We all kind of depend on each other. The chemistry flows pretty naturally and I think there is something magical when Kottonmouth Kings hit the stage. There’s a natural chemistry in our band that can only be explained as one of those things. It just works. It just seems to work.

“Most people don’t even have relationships for a couple years with one individual, let alone 11 or 12 with the whole organization,” D-Loc added. “Everybody has mutual respect for each other. Everybody respects everybody’s space. Everybody respects what everybody does. It’s a real honest business, up front. And if there’s a problem, we pound it out and we talk about it right there and we resolve it and move on.”

Over the years, the Kottonmouth Kings have shared the stage with Snoop Dogg, Method Man, Cypress Hill, No Doubt, the Offspring, Green Day and the Red Hot Chili Peppers. But what they’re even prouder of, to this day, is being able to continuously pack venues across the country as headliners.

They’ve done this by creating memorable fan-favorite songs on every album. And some of these songs represent yet another facet of the Kings’ repertoire — stripped-down, melodic songs that stray away from straight-up punk and hip-hop to recall the work of Bob Marley and John Lennon.

“We could make hip-hop tracks all day long and keep doing that, but you’re gonna get the same record over and over and over again,” Richter said. “I notice that when we do (stuff) live, the hip-hop ones and the punk ones get the crowd going and excited and everything and get the people pumped up. But when we do ‘Can Anybody Hear Me’ or ‘Positive Vibes’ or ‘Rip The Night Away’ or ‘(Smoke Weed For) The Rest Of My Life,’ it seems like it actually touches the people more.

“They really feel that and they sing it with you,” Richter added. “They’re more vibing. And that’s been a thing with me for my classic rock influence of just stadium bangers, anthems. I was just going for anthems on this (new) one, (stuff) that’s timeless, that you can play for your kids too. You can drive to it and it just puts you in a whole different mind frame and zone. It gets rid of everything for you. That’s what I mean when I say the more melodic stuff. That stuff moves people.”

The show begins at 8 p.m. and is part of a “Wonders of Cannabis” event that runs from noon to 9 p.m. The venue is at 125 East 11th St. Tickets are $47.50. Call etix.com at (919) 653-0444.

Kottonmouth Kings - The Monitor Feature

Kottonmouth Kings playing tonight
Comments 0 | Recommend 1
November 6, 2008 - 5:47PM
Zack Quaintance
The Monitor

Kottonmouth Kings just dropped its 10th studio album, dubbed The Green Album. And they didn’t name it that in honor of environmental awareness.

No, the Southern California based group named the album after its favorite color to smoke. And that’s no secret. These guys make music about corruption in the war of drugs and legalizing marijuana. It’s controversial subject matter, and one of the reason’s the group has kept its blend of hip hop and punk rock away from major labels, said Brad “Daddy” X, the six-member collective’s front man.

LIVE TONIGHT: KOTTONMOUTH KINGS

* With: (HED)p.e., The Subnoize Souljaz and more
* When: 7 p.m. tongith Cine El Rey
* Tickets: At the door, at Melhart’s Music in McAllen, all Wireless Toyz locations and online at www.ez-tixx.com.
* Online: www.myspace.com/kottonmouthkings or www.kottonmouthkings.com

But the band has stayed successful, touring and making original music since 1994. Tonight, the Kottonmouth Kings play McAllen’s historic Cine El Rey Venue.

Daddy X called from California just before the tour started to share some thoughts in the most recent Festiva interview. Here are a few clips.

Daddy X on blending hip hop with punk rock….”We all grew up surfing, skating and living the Southern California lifestyle. Living in Southern California is like a melting pop of cultures. A lot of people I grew up with liked punk rock and hip hop. Nowadays everybody listens to everything. It wasn’t always like that. I think those walls started coming down through the ‘90s and into the 2000s.”

Daddy X on The Green Album….[Fans] can expect 20 songs of peace, truth and freedom. Some good party songs. Some good hip hop songs. Some acoustic, mellow songs. I think it has all the elements of the Kottonmouth Kings.

Daddy X on his dream collaborations….we’ve had a chance to collaborate with so many great artists. I’d still like to work with the Beastie Boys, and I’d like to do something with Snoop Dogg.

Daddy X on the band’s influences…TSOL, the Vandals, Minor Threat and then of course hip hop. NWA, Public Enemy, Cypress Hill and the Beastie Boys.

Daddy X on what to expect from a Kottonmouth Kings show….if you can’t have fun at a Kottonmouth Kings show, I guess you don’t want to have fun. And bring a change of clothes because you’re going to sweat your ass off.”