Devin The Dude

Devin The Dude is like Three 6 Mafia-the most known unknown. Despite an impressive résumé of collaborations with Jay-Z, Scarface, and De La Soul, he is still just "that dude." Yet all of Houston, TX knows him as Devin, a local icon to the Lone Star state before they were sitting sideways. After singing the hook on "Fuck You" for Dr. Dre's classic 2001, the Richard Pryor of rap remains an unsung hero in H-town. Complex caught up with the Dude to discuss his four W's: weed, wine, women, and his new album, Waiting To Inhale. Were you expecting Whitney?

Your first single "Lil Girl Gone" isn't your typical smoke-out anthem. Why?

Devin: I usually rap about weed, wine, and women. But I try to broaden it up a little bit. The instruments made me go in that direction, like a story. By the time we mastered it, I kinda wanted to leave it open 'til we got a feature or something cool to bring it alive. So somebody sent the song to Lil Wayne and he blessed me with a verse. Bun B was in the studio the same time I was making the album. He jumped on it and it came to be.

Who else are you working with on this album?

Devin: I got a lot of help from my Coughee brothers, the Odd Squad, DJ Domination, and GT from Dallas.

You're one of a few rappers who still has fun and is comedic on records. What comedians inspire you?

Devin: I like to laugh and I like to make people laugh. I used to listen to a lot of Richard Pryor and Red Foxx. One of the first raps I ever heard was from a guy named Blow Fly. It was called "Rapp Dirty." He was really funny. He had kind of a dirty mouth and at the time I wasn't allowed to listen to it. But whenever my parents weren't around I would sneak a listen. That's basically what I'm about-having a good time. I try not to make it too serious. I wouldn't mind more people feeling free and having more fun with the music like Biz Markie, Chubb Rock, Slick Rick, and a lot of old school artists.

Like them, you've mastered the art of storytelling.

Devin: I figured when I got a chance to do music, I would be as creative and different as far as a conversation. And that's what rap is, a conversation-something small and simple people can relate to. They probably have a car that gives them a lot of problems all the time or probably have a doobie in an ashtray that they can't find [Laughs].

What about the comparisons to Snoop Dogg?

Devin: I don't like to compare myself to anyone. Snoop is Snoop. There is only one Snoop. That's why I love hip-hop because of the creative process from each individual artist. But I was smoking weed and saying it in my rhymes since the late '80s.

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