The "east coast Nate Dogg" discusses his "Ain't No Fun" remake, work intended for Dr. Dre, and how "the devil" destroyed his deal with De La Soul.
In the mid-1990’s, three aspiring artists from Brownsville, Brooklyn – blood brothers Smoothe Da Hustler and Trigger Tha Gambler, along with their childhood friend and hook provider, D.V. Alias Khryst - turned the Hip Hop world upside down by managing to make the most rugged records into radio smashes that should have catapulted all three into superstardom.
But unfortunately, D.V., the singer-rapper whose sanpapery soulful vocals drove “Dollar Bill” from Smoothe Da Hustler’s timeless debut, Once Upon a Time in America, suffered similar setbacks to those of Smoothe and Trigger following both his and Trigger’s botched deals with Def Jam Records.
Subsequent deals with Tommy Boy Records for Trigger (as one-half of the Smith Bros. with Smoothe) and Khryst (via Maseo from De La Soul’s short-lived label, Bear Mountain) also failed to produce product for retail. Now the CEO of his own label, DGSUP Inc (distributed by Rap Legends/EMI), D.V. is sidestepping the industry obstacles that once blocked his career progression and controlling his own fate.
In advance of the May 21st release of Is – the second EP available for free download via DgsupInc.com in a four-part series leading up to the September retail release of D.V.’s debut full-length, M.I.N.G. (Money Is Not God) – the east coast equivalent to Nate Dogg spoke to HipHopDX. Khryst discussed his musical tribute to the recently deceased hook king (and how he referenced a hook for Nate that went on to become a standout appearance for another singing spitter), how he nearly sang a Notorious B.I.G. sung hook for Frank White, how his time rockin’ with De La Soul was corrupted by the same foe the GZA once scornfully dismissed, and maybe most notably how D.V., Smoothe and Rhymefest came to be collectively constructing a song for Dr. Dre’s long-delayed Detox.
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