Throwback Files: Devin The Dude

My 2009 interview with Devin The Dude for Back2Basics

Selected Works is a weekly (usually) newsletter by the Te Whanganui-a-Tara, Aotearoa (Wellington, New Zealand) based freelance music journalist, broadcaster, copywriter and sometimes DJ Martyn Pepperell, aka Yours Truly. Most weeks, Selected Works consists of a recap of what I’ve been doing lately and some of what I’ve been listening to and reading, paired with film photographs I’ve taken + some bonuses. All of that said, sometimes it takes completely different forms.

This week, we take it back to 2009, when I was lucky enough to interview the Houston hip-hop legend Devin The Dude for the now-defunct New Zealand hip-hop magazine, Back2Basics.

Devin The Dude (2009 Interview), by Martyn Pepperell

Back in 1980, in response to the 1979 success of ‘Rappers Delight’ by The Sugarhill Gang, T.K Disco (a sub-division of pioneering Florida Disco giants T.K Records) released a 12inch record by an artist named Blowfly entitled ‘Rapp Dirty’. For a young Devin Copeland, the rapper/singer Hip Hop fans across the globe would eventually come to know and love as Devin The Dude, ‘Rapp Dirty’ marked his first fledgling interaction with Hip Hop music and culture.

As he explains, “I was like 3rd or 4th grade, at the time I was living in Florida. That was one of the first raps I ever heard. It was real funny. I wasn’t able to listen to it around my parents because it had a lot of cuss words in it. So I had to sneak and listen to it. It was just something real new, deep, and it seemed like a poem almost, a ghetto poem.”

Blending late 70s era live disco/funk instrumentation with an undisputedly old-school sex rap from x-rated funk/rap pioneer Blowfly, ‘Rapp Dirty’ is critical here because within its unmistakeable live grooves and gutter lyrical content, one can literally hear the audio template for Devin The Dude and everything he’s stood for as an artist since smoothly sliding together.

Warm in conversation, open and easy to connect with, Devin punctuates almost every sentence, question or answer with laughter when I speak with him down the phone line from his home in Houston.

Mostly known as an MC and singer, Devin is also a competent music producer. Like a lot of Hip Hop artists from his generation, he got his start on the dance floor. “[Me], my brother Dexter and our friend Dexter, we called ourselves 3D and would break-dance, and we would rap,” he remembers. “We were maybe fifteen man, [we didn’t hang on corners], we took our corners to school; we’d be high on the bus before we even got to class.” Despite the early introduction to Hip-Hop and fooling around with its elements, it wasn’t until 1988 that Devin, in his words, “got so fucking serious with it,” and began developing his unique style before being picked up by Rap-A-Lot Records in 1992 as part of The Odd Squad (who recorded Scarface’s favourite album ever released on Rap-A-Lot, Fadanuf Fa Erybody!!)

Blending southern blues and soul samples with straight BoomBap beats, melodic hooks, and weed, sex and party-riddled raps, all delivered in a relaxed, nonchalant manner, Devin The Dude, aka The Richard Pryor of rap; has been an icon in the underground for over a decade. For those unfamiliar with his output, imagine if Outkast got a lil bit bluesier, came a few notches closer to reality, and let some grittier street rhymes slip out every now and then.

Known as much for his sweet hooks (who can forget ‘Doobie Ashtray’ off Just Trynna Live, or ‘I Can’t Make It Home’ from his new album Landing Gear), in contrast to the way his rap style was shaped on the streets, as a singer Devin's style is all family and church informed. “Back before I was able to walk, we was in church and she [my mum] would be doing her thing in the choir,” he remembers. “I would try and see if I could hear her voice separate from the others. If I focused enough and really paid attention, I could hear her voice amongst a choir of about thirty people. I was just absolutely a fan of music. Later on, my older brother [was an influence]. He could sing real well. I was just a kid breaking, I would try and sing every now and then, but I didn’t really get a grasp on the singing at the time.”

Over the years, aside from Fadanuf Fa Erybody!! with The Odd Squad, Devin has gifted us five solo albums and countless classic collaborations, material all guided by one overriding philosophy. “When you start off rapping, it’s a conversation,” he explains. “You rap about who you are, what you represent and what you do, and that’s pretty much it, you know? We did a lot of smoking weed and drinking forty ounces before we started rapping [as The Odd Squad]. So when we started rapping, we had to talk about what we did; and that came across in the rhymes.”

For Devin, his career trajectory has been defined by these album releases, collaborations and the odd tour. In his words, “I would have to say, getting with the Odd Squad, and getting a deal with Rap-A-Lot in 92 [was a big deal for me]. Another point was them having the faith to give me the opportunity to go out there and do something on the solo artist tip. Another point was definitely when [Dr] Dre asked me to be a part of his album (2001), and another point was when he asked me to go on his tour. That did a whole lot for me; people could recognise me and place the music together with the face. Before that, I was heard in rap; but I was hardly seen.”

Outside of his own material, Devin has worked with De La Soul, Dr Dre, Dilated Peoples, The Roots, Lil John, and sadly, the commercial success never really came calling. However, with the recent release of his stunningly smooth fifth solo album Landing Gear, the tide might be finally turning; just don’t count on Devin to be too concerned whether it goes down or not.

“Everybody has their time, or everybody has some point in their career where they get noticed,” he offers. “Some people take longer than others, and I’m just here trying to make the best music possible, you know? And if it do come, that would be wonderful, but you know, that’s not really what I came onto the game for. Mainstream success? That would be cool, but the fan base I do have, I guess it’s enough to keep me uplifted and keep me going.”

FIN.

Postscript: I wish I’d talked to Devin about food. If you check his IG, you’ll see that he’s very nice in the kitchen. The meals he prepares and posts always look delicious. Crazy to think this interview was thirteen years ago. Also crazy to think that at that time, 90% of my writing work was for print magazines. Things have changed so much.