Gravediggaz Declining Deal From Ruthless Records

[IronFist]

Prince Paul, founding member of '90s Rap group Gravediggaz, recently spoke about the crew's debut and why they refused to sign a record deal with Eazy E and Jerry Heller, despite his respect for N.W.A.'s legacy and Eazy's career.

"He’s a real nice guy. It’s funny, I’m thinking N.W.A. is all street and gangsta, but he was a real nice dude, man," Paul shared of his meeting with Eazy. "I remember going to Los Angeles, going to Ruthless Records and I remember he had the demo in his hand and he’s like, 'Yo, Gravediggaz… I really like this, I wanna sign y’all.' I’m like 'Really? Wow! One, I’m a big N.W.A. fan to begin with. People don’t realize how huge of a fan I was so this was kinda going full circle for me. So I’m like, 'Wow, he get’s it. After all this rejection, Eazy gets it.' So I’m like, 'Yeah, let’s do this deal,' and I remember Jerry Heller was there at the time making an offer."

Paul continued, explaining that Heller didn't seem interested in the music and that the offer was one that did not please him.

"I talked to Jerry Heller," he told HipHopSite. "He was okay but was very disinterested. You know, he doesn’t care about the music. He’s just the business dude. But that contract, I don’t remember the details, but I do remember it was probably one of the worst things I’ve ever seen in my life…It was almost like, [we were] better off not putting out the record at all [laughing]. I’m not saying it was this bad, but it was like yo you wanna put out a record? Pay me and we’ll put out the record [laughing]. It made sense why a lot of the people at the time had beef with Jerry Heller because it was that bad. It was like, 'What? Are you kidding me?' It was horrible. So I still had a little faith and I was like, 'Yo, I’m gonna wait out for a better situation.”

Paul also added that the album is important to him.

"I’m still satisfied with this record. It’s probably my favorite record that I’ve done and I don’t like too many records that I produced. I think the records I’ve done are okay but that one I listen to and I enjoy it from front to back. When I listen to the album, it’s a little different for me because I hear all of the production and all the hard work. I’m sure it would be okay if I came to the studio, did the rhymes and then I’m gone…but I pieced a lot of that together so when I listen to it I’m usually like, 'Wow, I can’t believe I did that and the equipment I did it on. Now everything is done via computer.' I did everything on DAS-950s, I had a sequencing program called Master Tracks and I used the SP-12, did things by writing stuff down on paper and numbers. There were no screens to look at and move things so it was hard. So when I listen to it, I appreciate a lot of the hard work. When I listen to it I miss Poetic because throughout the whole project me and him were probably the closest, he was a Long Island dude, we talked all the time. It was nice at the end of the day for guys like Poetic and Frukwan, them especially, to be able to buy cars, take care of their families. So for me to help provide that, to me that was a better feeling."

Gravediggaz featured Prince Paul along with Frukwan, RZA and Poetic. Their debut album, 6 Feet Deep, was released in 1994. Gravediggaz released The Pick, the Sickle and the Shovel in 1997 and later Nightmare in A-Minor in 2002, with less members.

http://www.hiphopdx.com/index/news/...ediggaz-declining-deal-from-ruthless-records/

 

[Mr. Negative]

Interesting.

Eazy discovered and signed the Black Eye Peas, too.

Truly a visionary with an ear for unique talent.

 

[The Bilingual Gringo]

Didn't even realize they released that 3rd album.

Cool hearing stories like this from back when. Would have been weird seeing a Ruthless logo on that first album.

 

[DaveyDave]

Didn't even realize they released that 3rd album.

Cool hearing stories like this from back when. Would have been weird seeing a Ruthless logo on that first album.

they've had a few other albums but only 2 with all the members and even then i'm not sure how much Prince Paul really had to do with the second one (little to none i see from the credits on discogs)

 

[JulesWinfield]

they've had a few other albums but only 2 with all the members and even then i'm not sure how much Prince Paul really had to do with the second one (little to none i see from the credits on discogs)

Yeah RZA and the Wu-Tang associates produced most of the second album. Poetic had a couple production credits as well if I'm not mistaken.

 

[DanielAlfredsson]

Yeah, Jerry Heller was one of the OG paperwork gangstas in rap music. Shame Eazy was so influenced by him, you can't help but wonder what could kind of legacy N.W.A. would have had had they been able to stay together as the original unit.

 

[TEKBEATZ]

Jerry Heller is a snake

 

[IronFist]

Jerry Heller is a snake

you right about that. remember reading how he diss easy in a old article years ago

 

[JulesWinfield]

Does anyone have a link to Too Poetic's unreleased album Droppin Signal? I can't find it anywhere anymore.

 

[mortuus est]

"I’m still satisfied with this record. It’s probably my favorite record that I’ve done and I don’t like too many records that I produced. I think the records I’ve done are okay but that one I listen to and I enjoy it from front to back. When I listen to the album, it’s a little different for me because I hear all of the production and all the hard work. I’m sure it would be okay if I came to the studio, did the rhymes and then I’m gone…but I pieced a lot of that together so when I listen to it I’m usually like, 'Wow, I can’t believe I did that and the equipment I did it on. Now everything is done via computer.' I did everything on DAS-950s, I had a sequencing program called Master Tracks and I used the SP-12, did things by writing stuff down on paper and numbers. There were no screens to look at and move things so it was hard. So when I listen to it, I appreciate a lot of the hard work. When I listen to it I miss Poetic because throughout the whole project me and him were probably the closest, he was a Long Island dude, we talked all the time. It was nice at the end of the day for guys like Poetic and Frukwan, them especially, to be able to buy cars, take care of their families. So for me to help provide that, to me that was a better feeling."

very crazy, one of the best albums to me and it was made using all that.

imagine some people cant even make good music with the shyt we have to day.

Prince Paul da gawd.

i wanted to listen to 6 feet deep today aswel before i came on the coli, will listen now

 

[daze23]

very crazy, one of the best albums to me and it was made using all that.

imagine some people cant even make good music with the shyt we have to day.

Prince Paul da gawd.

i wanted to listen to 6 feet deep today aswel before i came on the coli, will listen now

I feel like that old, rather limited, equipment forced people to be more creative

 

[weMFR]

good read, never heard about that

which songs was on the demo tape?

 

[nineteeneightysix]

I feel like that old, rather limited, equipment forced people to be more creative

It limited creativity...

There was only so much you could with that archaic equipment...

The great thing about it is that classic "grimmey sound"....

Producer's today can be way more creative, but sometimes I don't like this new crispy clean sound...

 

[bangbreh]

imagine a wu-tang affiliate and west coast record label

 

[mortuus est]

I feel like that old, rather limited, equipment forced people to be more creative

im sure it gave them that go hard or go home mentality, im even shook to touch an mpc 60 or the sp cause it looks hard to use