The Complex 7: DJ Muggs

Few hip-hop producers have the pedigree of DJ Muggs. In addition to his pivotal role in one of rap’s most successful groups (Cypress Hill), Muggs has produced monster songs (“Jump Around,” House of Pain; “Insane in the Brain,” Cypress Hill) that are still earning him that Jock Jam royalty gwap. Along the way, he’s influenced countless other beatsmiths as well as helped foster the careers of The Alchemist, tattoo icon Mr. Cartoon, and photographer Estevan Oriol. You just can’t fuck with the résumé, dunnies.

After two critically acclaimed releases, Muggs’ longtime Soul Assassins crew is back from a near-decade hiatus with Intermission, which hits stores today (Click here to buy it on MP3 for $8.99). “This album is a preview before the release of Soul Assassins III,” says Muggs. “The fans can check out the Intermission before the third album and the movie, which will be a documentary on how the Soul Assassins formed.” In our extended Complex 7 with Muggs, he talks about why producers should own their songs, his love for his daughter, and why he thinks Ice Cube is better than Biggie. Check out the interview and the Soul Assassins’ new video below…

Interview by Jaeki Cho

#1: IF YOU HAD A WEEK-LONG HOLIDAY, WHAT WOULD YOU DO?

DJ Muggs says: I’ll just chill, man. A lot of people want to jump on these fucking planes and that’s a lot of work, man. I’ll just lay on the beach in North Shore of Hawaii. Then again, I got a place out in L.A. next to the beach. Living in L.A., I kind of live a vacation lifestyle. I kind of mix my work into my play.

#2: WHAT HAS TO BE IN YOUR FRIDGE AT ALL TIMES?

DJ Muggs says: I have a 7-year-old daughter, so I always keep fruit and vegetables. Granola and fresh vegetables. My daughter knows about eating healthy. She knows that shit because they didn’t teach me when I was a kid, man. When I was young, my mom was always working so all I ate were TV dinners. That fucking apple pie was cracking! But I didn’t know that shit was bad for you. I thought that shit was always good.

#3: WHEN’S THE LAST TIME YOU CRIED?

DJ Muggs says: Probably when I see my daughter doing Tae Kwon Do. I was so happy laughing like, “Look at this kid! She’s killing him!” Those were tears of joy I guess. I didn’t cry since I was like 13. Wait, you know what? When my grandmother died back in 1989. That’s the only person I gave a fuck about like that next to my daughter. I mean, a few tears when my homies passed away, but not feeling the emotion to sit there and cry. But I know people cry just by watching TV. How do you watch TV and cry? I can never watch TV and get sad enough to cry. But I’ll cry every week watching my daughter doing something that makes me happy.

#4: WHAT’S YOUR NUMBER ONE DEAL-BREAKER FOR A POTENTIAL GIRLFRIEND?

DJ Muggs says: A broke hoodrat with no fucking dreams, no ambition, and no spirituality. I’m fucking miserable by myself and I don’t need your help. You have to bring understanding and your own career because that’s what I bring to the table.

#5: WHAT’S THE WORST WAY YOU’VE BROKEN UP WITH SOMEONE?

DJ Muggs says: Oh, man. There is no worst way. If you’ve really loved somebody it’s just never good. It’s all fucked up for everybody that’s involved. Be on the phone, or be with that person…it just kills you. It’s just life and you get tired of people. It’s nothing more complicated to explain than that.

#6: WHAT’S THE MOST EMBARRASSING PIECE OF CLOTHING YOU’VE EVER WORN?

DJ Muggs says: I don’t wear bad shits. I wear basic shits. I wear T-shirts and Levi’s. But when we were kids I wore Lee Jeans with permanent pleats, pinstripes, and Pro-Keds. My friends wore some tight pants back then, but that was just the way it was. It’s not as tight as these motherfuckers that got their pants spray-painted now. I can’t say it was embarrassing. That was just the way things were. That’s what hip-hop was.

#7: WHAT’S YOUR FAVORITE SNEAKER OF ALL TIME?

DJ Muggs says: Probably just basic black-and-white Converse Chuck Taylors, man. Simple shit. I’m not into sneakers like that. I like basic Vans. I never got on the Nike shit. I own a clothing store in Pasadena called Soul Assassins, but I’m not into fashion like that. I don’t think about asking a man, “What the fuck are you wearing?” Jimmy Hendrix said, “People are too busy listening to music with their eyes than with their ears.” Oh, “I’m the fashion rapper.” No, shut the fuck up! You’re a fucking idiot! Go make some fucking music.

BONUS QUESTIONS:

Complex: Given your simple tastes in clothing, what’s your take on “fashion rappers” that are influential musicians? Like Kanye West, for example.

DJ Muggs: I love Kanye’s music, man. I think it’s fucking incredible. I let my daughter listen to his last album. There’s a lot of shit on the radio I can’t let my daughter listen to. Like Pussycat Dolls? I ain’t letting my daughter listen to that. But Kanye’s positive, man. Now the way he dresses, that’s his thing. That’s cool. Whatever you want to do go ahead. I’m still going to listen to your music if it’s good.

Complex: Do you still blaze?

DJ Muggs: I blaze occasionally. Not like when I was a kid. I don’t smoke to get stoned, but I smoke to get high. When you get stoned you sit on the couch like a rock and that’s a waste of fucking time. When I smoke I go work out, I make music, I write, I study, and I read. When it becomes this monotonous fucking thing and you are not getting any good out of it then you should move on to something else, man.

Complex: When was the highest you’ve ever been?

DJ Muggs: I’ve had brief periods during my first tour with Salt-n-Pepa, Kid ‘n Play, Tony! Toni! Toné! and MC Hammer. I’ve had some moments playing Mike Tyson’s birthday in 1987 in Cleveland with Slick Rick and Run-DMC. There were moments during the first Cypress album.

Complex: What’s your relationship with The Alchemist?

DJ Muggs: I met Al when he was in high school. He was about 14 or 15. He was just a little kid that rapped. They wanted me to produce The Whooliganz album, and I was like, “Get the fuck out of here, I ain’t producing that shit.” But when I met them kids, [Alchemist] reminded me of myself. He’s a little hungry and he just wants to work because he loves it. I didn’t have a mentor so I decided to mentor this kid. I took him on tours, I introduced him to DJ Premier, Infamous Mobb and that’s how he got with Mobb Deep. I created these avenues for him and I gave him the keys to the doors. He went in and opened the doors, and created his own things while I just showed him some guidance and directions. I’m fucking proud of that kid. There are few other people I’ve done that for but they didn’t make it happen for themselves. And they would go, “Oh, what the fuck? Man, can you do this?” I’m like, “Homie, I made you $85,000 dollars you better go out there and hustle.” And they didn’t, that’s why you don’t hear about them.

Complex: Tell us about the Soul Assassins.

DJ Muggs: A lot of people don’t know how the Soul Assassins function. We’re probably the number one artistic movement to ever come out of Los Angeles. We got rap groups like Wu-Tang Clan where it’s made of rappers and producers. But on top of musicians, we are made of graphic artists, tattoo artists like Cartoon and photographers like Estevan. We took Cartoon on tours with us and introduced him to Eminem and 50 Cent. When I hired Estevan, he was House of Pain’s road manager. Now he is one of the biggest photographers out of L.A. We are a unit. And the Soul Assassins are a brotherhood that’s helping each other out with our personal goals and our artistic goals.

Complex: Why do you think your name often gets overlooked amongst hip-hop’s greatest producers?

DJ Muggs: I have no idea. I mean the two biggest producers out of Los Angeles are Dr. Dre and me. The way we changed the game and made international impact for hip-hop? Maybe I’m not black? I don’t know and I don’t care because at the end of the day I’m more than just a hip-hop producer. Or maybe I’m just not done, man. I’m still drilling and I’m still hungry as I was when I was 16. People forget things. I think Ice Cube is one of the greatest MCs of all time. I think his shits were better than Biggie’s. Don’t tell me Biggie’s first two albums were better than Ice Cube’s first two albums. Lyrically, the impact they had on society, the times they were released, what they meant…People forget, man. Or the people writing for these magazines weren’t bumping our shit at the time.

Complex: Do you own the record “Jump Around” by House of Pain?

DJ Muggs: Yeah, I own that record. I want to own everything I do, man. If I sold beats, I get the publishing from these artists, but I still have to wait for the next guy to buy my beats. Beat style changes so I have to chase the new trends. But I’m cool with what I’m doing the way I’m doing it.

Complex: Why weren’t you into selling beats?

DJ Muggs: It was kind of boring for me. Going around selling a beat means you are dependent on an artist to buy your beat as a form of survival. And I like to have ownership and control my own things. So in the end of the day I got records that I own and I don’t depend on anybody for my livelihood. One time I remember talking to Diamond D, I said, “Your shits are banging.” But he was like, “Yeah, but you own your shits, you create your own groups and your own beats.” But when brothers sell a beat, they got to wait until they get the next paycheck. So I never wanted to put myself in that position. That’s why I took my route and created brands through my things that pay me every four months.

VIDEO: Soul Assassins feat. Evidence & Sick Jacken, “Classical”