Kurupt

Ricardo Emmanuel Brown (born November 23, 1972), better known by his stage name Kurupt, is an American rapper and record producer who aided gangsta rap’s rise via 1990s verses helping set lasting trends. He is one half of the rap duo tha Dogg Pound, along with Daz Dillinger. His first solo album arrived in 1998. After feuding, the duo reunited in 2005. Kurupt has been in rap supergroups such as the DPGC.

Kurupt and Daz released Dillinger & Young Gotti II: The Saga Continuez in 2005, Cali iz Active (as DPG with Snoop Dogg) in 2006, and Dogg Chit in 2007; while Kurupt originally touted Dogg Chit as the heir to Dogg Food’s legacy, he later stated that none of the group’s then intermittent releases were to be considered actual albums—more like mixtapes – and that then upcoming 100 Wayz (originally titled Westcoast Aftershocc) was to be considered the second actual Dogg Pound release. In 2006, he also appeared on Snoop Dogg’s album Tha Blue Carpet Treatment. After putting out Digital Smoke with J. Wells in 2007, Kurupt released an album with his younger brother Roscoe titled The Frank and Jess Story in 2008. He also appeared on Snoop Dogg’s 2008 album Ego Trippin’.

Before 100 Wayz was released in 2010, Tha Dogg Pound’s Gangsta Grillz mixtape premiered, hosted by DJ Drama, followed by an album called BlaQKout with DJ Quik on April 28, 2009. The BlaQKout single, “Fuck Y’all,” is a diss to former Quik partners AMG, Hi-C and 2nd II None. During this time, Kurupt was featured on many tracks with other independent artists, and released Streetlights, his first solo album in four years, on April 20, 2010. In 2011, Kurupt started recording with MC Eiht, King T, Jayo Felony, B.G. Knocc Out, Tha Chill, and Sir Jinx for a hip hop group project called “1st Generation”.

In 2012, Kurupt announced plans to release the long anticipated HRSMN project, The Academy, a compilation of collaborations between various artists, and guest featured alongside Slaughterhouse and Big Dave on the single “Hey Girl” from Rocko’s debut album Self Made. Following the death of his son Tren’s mother (Natina Reed of R&B girl group Blaque) in a car accident in Atlanta, the planned release of the DJ Nik Bean-hosted mixtape, Money, Bitches, Power on November 7, 2012 was delayed. The mixtape, which features E-40, Crooked I, Masta Killa, RBX, Ty Dolla Sign, The Rejectz and more, was released on May 1, 2013. In early 2015, Kurupt released another hit single called “I.M.O.” (In My Opinion) with hip hop rapper and producer KingThaRapper, signed under Famous Music Group. In May 2021, it was announced that the long delayed HRSMN project would finally be delivered to fans. The album, now titled The Last Ride, was released on June 18, 2021.

In 2022 he was featured on the track “Curse of Canaan” on the album “Tortured in the Name of God’s Unconditional Love” by artist Vinnie Paz.