Smoke DZA could be considered one of the crop of artists emerging during the earlier decade solely through the internet. Being a part of Jonny Shipes’ Cinematic Music Group, mixtapes like George Kush Da Button became one of several extremely quality releases. A slot on the then highly popular Smokers Club tour added exposure as well. For someone starting his career with close associations to Big K.R.I.T. and a very young Joey Bada$$, DZA has done more than a solid job in carving a smoked filled lane for himself. Though his official debut album Rolling Stoned served as an adequate introduction, the Rugby Thompsonfollow-up alongside famed producer Harry Fraud rose did a number in raising the Kush God’s profile. Following the release of sophomore album Dream.Zone.Achievein 2014, DZA is back with Fraud for He Is Risen. The project has already gained some significant interest after the “No Morals” single featuring Snoop Dogg.
Getting some quick phone time, DZA explains his first moment with The Dogfather, the vibe of He Is Risen and working with Pete Rock.
“Deep Cover” Inspired The Snoop Dogg-Assisted “No Morals”
“We cut that record over a year and a half ago. I was in Florida where I and Harry were working on the project and that was one of the tracks that we really ended up fucking with because it had a real Snoop Dogg, “Deep Cover” feel to it. So immediately, I thought about getting Snoop on something that wasn’t some weed smoking shit. That’s what people would expect, but I wanted to utilize him to talk about some real shit. I wanted to tap into another side that he really doesn’t show a lot. He’s a legend who has elevated into Snoop Dogg the brand where he’s not necessarily making “Deep Cover” or “Gin and Juice” that I grew up on. Once I cut the record, Snoop had called me to get him in contact with Murda Mook actually. We were talking and I told him I had this joint that I needed a verse on. Usually, niggas be busy to where you send something and you have to wait however long you have to. It just so happens that he was touring in Berlin and he sent me the verse the next day. He told me to check my email and it was there. Just to get a verse from one of my favorite rappers ever that quick and to be that responsive was a blessing in itself.
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“The first time I linked up with Snoop was for GGN. I was hyped that they even called me to be on the show. I was actually shooting a video with Wiz Khalifa and Curren$y that weekend. He had already reached out to me to do GGN. I went over there and Snoop wasn’t there yet. I was in the back room doing what I do. Then he just appeared and came out of nowhere. He was like,’What’s up nephew?’ Then he grabbed my chain because it was the Bob Marley one I have. He was like, ‘ You a cold muthafucka, I wish I would have thought of this.’ One of my favorite rappers knows what time it is and is complimenting my chain. We smoked hella pot and chopped it up. It was more shit from that interview that we did talk about that didn’t get aired. It was a good time. I got to spend a few hours with him and a few months later, we did a show together in Denver with him, Wiz and YG. That’s family.
He Is Risen Is More Up-Tempo & Fun Than Rugby Thompson
“Harry is always challenging me in some kind of way. It’s always him scrapping a song for whatever reason. The record was never really done. It was dope. I wanted to do more up-tempo shit and we were on the same level on that. It was a lot of audibles and we don’t work on emails. We’re in the studio for everything being cooked on the spot. This one is more well rounded and not to say that the previous projects weren’t. It’s more up-tempo and more fun. This is more fun than Rugby Thompson. It’s sonically, one long ass story that people are going to enjoy.
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Smoke DZA Talks Working With Pete Rock
“After this project, I have a full-length project with Pete Rock that we’ve been working on for a minute. I’ve known Pete Rock for years and this was a long time coming. Just that the timing was right. We ended up rocking together two years ago and we’ve been going hard. We got some shit. It’s a different vibe, both Harry and Rock challenge you. I don’t go into the same subject matter with Harry as I might be more conceptual and with Pete, I’m trying to destroy everything. With Pete Rock, I’m really trying to perfect my craft on a classic level with the emceeing. You’ll have to hear the projects to understand. Expect that project maybe around May-ish or June-ish. It’s done. Just trying to make sure the logistics are in order. It’s coming.
Using The Smoker’s Club A Career Launching Pad
“We were definitely spearheading some shit. I’d say that the Smoker’s Club was really the beginning, between the Internet and the whole pool table thing. Even with touring, we were touring off mixtapes at that time. I think that time was a good time because we didn’t know what to expect. We all were trying to get to the point where we’re at now. I’m not where I want to be, but we’re still on the rise. It was good times and humble beginnings because we all got to hang, collaborate, tour the world and other stuff. That’s a time and energy we can’t even recreate. That was a once in a lifetime thing.
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Dreams.Zone.Achieve Needed A Conductor
“I mean I’m a student of the game. I’m always learning. With Dreams.Zone.Achieve, I didn’t have the opportunity to be produced. And when I say be produced, that means having everything I did in front of a producer. Most of the stuff I did on that project were email and kind of like a Frankenstein kind of thing. I had so much so much music, it was like Substance Abuse. Substance Abuse wasn’t all over the place, but there were different vibes. Dreams.Zone.Achieve was a reset to that type of structure so I didn’t get to be produced like I would be produced by Harry or Pete Rock where I’m actually in the studio and they’re crafting it in front of me. Dreams.Zone.Achieve was a smorgasbord of shit and what I learned is being produced as opposed to using email and being all over the place. It’s a different vibe, even in post-production. I’m leaning forward toward being produced because the producer/rapper marriage isn’t spoken of like it should be. All the greats were produced so I’m trying to go into that wavelength.
Being Motivated By Wiz Khalifa’s Success
“They’re motivational and inspirational. Both of them choose what they wanted to do. Spitta can be doing the same shit that Wiz is doing, but he doesn’t care about certain things so he’s comfortable. The same is like Wiz, he’s comfortable in doing what he’s doing. Both of them are good stories and good reads. To see them grow in different directions is cool and lets me know that I can do it too. Both are my peers and that shit is an overwhelming situation to watch them both blossom and continue to grow into icons. Seeing the shit from a bird’s-eye view has been incredible.”
