Drake, Lil Wayne, Kendrick Lamar and Game are among the rappers who have said they’ve written material for Dr. Dre’s Detox album. In an exclusive interview with HipHopDX, Scoe, Kurupt’s younger brother and the rapper formerly known as Roscoe, shares his own story about working with the acclaimed producer and how it inspired him to make his own street album, Tha Influence, which is slated to be released on DJBooth.net tomorrow (October 17).
The Philaphornia emcee recalled being introduced to Dre by Kurupt in about 2010, around the time when it seemed Scoe was on hiatus.
“I spent like two years writing for Detox,” Scoe says. “That’s why I started working on this album, Tha Influence, ’cause it’s just all the influence that’s been around me, the influence that I came up under. When you get up there with the Doc, you finally up there at the top of that influence.”
Scoe also spoke about the lessons he learned from Dre during the process.
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“Dre told me your ego is not your amigo…and he taught me to think bigger,” Scoe says. “Always think bigger. Never ever stop thinking about how big something can be. As much time as you have to think about it, use every single second you can. He taught me that there’s a thing called a ceiling. A lot of people say ‘no ceilings.’ Lil Wayne says ‘no ceilings.’ And they talking about just no ceilings, just on they lifestyle. You know, to the sky, to the moon, to the stars. Dre was thinking really, as far as talent goes. We sat down and we talked about a few different artists. He let me know, which artists he had what he called, a ‘ceiling’ on their talent. There is only as high as you can go before they’re as good as they can get. You got to be the type of person that constantly gets better.
“So when I wake up in the morning after working all night and I’m in the kitchen, I’m making bacon and eggs and shit, and Dre is already up running laps around the house and shit,” Scoe continues. “Swimming laps around the pool and this nigga old enough to be my daddy. That’s how you understand where the success come from. It comes from the drive and the push. I think the most important thing he taught me about the business, is about to never stop. To be the last man to go to sleep and the first one to wake up.”
On Tha Influence, Scoe’s new street album, has a song featuring Kendrick Lamar where both artists pay homage to the veterans of the game before them who helped pave the way. Dr. Dre is one such figure who is mentioned in the song.
“We can never pay you back,” Roscoe says on the song’s chorus. “All the shit you did for Hip Hop and Gangster Rap, for that (Thank you darling) / Without further adieu / Diggy Doc this one is for you.”
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Scoe explained the songs intentions.
“It was more like all my influences at once,” he said. “Dre is the influence that has put out all my influences, from Eazy-E all the way down to ‘Pac. For me it was like graduating out of the ultimate class. I finally graduated with my masters. Really my doctorate.”
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