WestcoastDynasty.comCrooked I on MySpaceHip-Hop Weekly DownloadsDUBCNN.COM2DopeBoyz.comHipHopDX.comWestCoastRydaz.comDominick Wickliffe, better known by his stage name Crooked I is an American rapper from Long Beach, California. Crooked I is currently CEO of his own record label, Dynasty Entertainment, and Senior Vice President of Treacherous Records. Before he became his own boss, he was also signed to Virgin Records, and most notably, Death Row Records, where he spent four years working under the infamous Suge Knight.
The 19th Street Era
Crooked I originally got his start appearing on compilations released by Big C-Style's record label, 19th Street Records, such as 19th Street LBC Compilation and Straight Outta Cali. He also appeared on the soundtracks to movies such as Ride and Caught Up, where he collaborated with Snoop Doggy Dogg, Tha Eastsidaz, and The Luniz. At the time, Crooked I was signed under Virgin Records, who handled distribution for 19th Street Records. It's not completely known why Crooked I didn't stay on Virgin Records; some say it had to do with Noo Trybe - their "urban" division - folding, and Crooked's even said it had to do with one of their top employees committing bad business practices behind the scenes. Either way, Crooked I and Virgin Records no longer did business together as of 1999, and he was once again looking for a new record deal.
During this time, Crooked I started making music independently with two football players, who are also from Long Beach, Chucky Miller and Leonard Russell. It's not known how many songs were recorded, and the music recorded during this period still remains unreleased to this day. Crooked was later contacted by Big C-Style and Daz Dillinger to form DPG Records, which was originally going to be a sub-label under Death Row Records at the time. Crooked was going to be 20% owner of the label, and the first act released as well. Daz left Death Row Records to run DPG Records independently, but rather than go with Daz, Crooked was trying to figure out his options.
Crooked I even had talks of signing to Dr. Dre's Aftermath imprint, but Dre wanted to release Chronic 2001 and Eminem's Marshall Mathers LP before releasing Crooked. He also had talks with other major record labels who wanted to sign him, but they too were waiting for Dr. Dre's Chronic 2001 album to be released before they would consider signing another West Coast MC. It was around this time that Crooked I was contacted by Suge Knight, and he set up a meeting to negotiate a solo artist deal, while Suge Knight was still in the penitentiary. Suge promised Crooked I he would get his music released and keep him paid at the same time, which wasn't the same deal other labels had previously offered him. With that in mind, Crooked I accepted the deal with Death Row Records in November of 1999 and knew it was up to him to lead the infamous label into the new millennium.
Death Row's Second Dynasty
While on Death Row, Crooked I appeared on a number of compilations, such as Too Gangsta For Radio and Dysfunktional Family, and appeared on various releases, such as Tha Dogg Pound's 2002, Ja Rule's The Last Temptation, and 2Pac's Nu-Mixx Klazzics. He also recorded two albums, Untouchable and Say Hi To The Bad Guy, both of which were unreleased due to various label issues and industry politics. He did manage to release a mixtape along with Death Row's then in-house producer, Darren Vegas, called Westcoastanostra Vol. 1 in the Summer of 2003.
The Start of a New Dynasty
By 2004, Crooked I's album had not been released, Suge Knight was constantly in and out of jail, and Crooked I's contract had expired by late 2003. He left Death Row in early 2004 to start his own label, Dynasty Entertainment. It wasn't long after that when Crooked I signed a distribution deal with Treacherous Records/Universal, but more legal trouble from Death Row surfaced, and Crooked I had to stop production for his then titled album, Mama's Boy, which was actually going to be the name of Crooked's second release under Death Row Records. Later on the title of the album changed to Mama's Boy Got a Loaded Gun. In the meantime, Crooked I released the online mixtape, Young Boss Vol. 1 through his official website. The mixtape received critical acclaim throughout the underground Hip-Hop circuit, garnering an impressive "XL" rating by the Hip-Hop publication, XXL Magazine.
After the legal matters settled, Crooked began recording again, and prepping the release of his documentary Life After Death Row. He appeared on compilations such as Yukmouth's United Ghettos of America Vol. 2, Sway & King Tech's Back 2 Basics, and on fellow Treacherous Records label mate K. Young's debut album, Learn How To Love. In 2005, the name of Crooked's debut album changed to Boss Music, and he created a buzz with the song, "Boom Boom Clap" in the summer of 2005. He also recorded two songs with producer Scott Storch, "Cali Boyz" and "You're So Bad". In 2006, he released his heavily anticipated mixtape, Young Boss Vol. 2 hosted by DJ Skee, and his DVD, Life After Death Row, followed later that Fall.
Present
At the start of 2006, Crooked I changed the title of his debut album from Boss Music to B.O.S.S. (Beginning of Something Serious). He started a weekly freestyle series in April of 2007 titled Hip-Hop Weekly, where he rapped over popular beats once a week, and released them on the internet through numerous Hip-Hop websites for free download. The Hip-Hop Weekly series ended in April of 2008, lasting 52 weeks. Life After Death Row was re-released in the Spring of 2007 in a new jewel case with working bonus features, since they didn't work properly on the original release.
Young Boss Vol. 3 was finished as of January 2007, but due to legal issues, Crooked I and DJ Warrior of the Cali Untouchables are unable to release it. Their intention was to release it in stores with nationwide distribution and they signed a contract for this. They're currently in litigation with the company to release the mixtape.
Crooked I, along with DJ Felli Fel and DJ Nik Bean, released St. Valentine's Day Bossacre on February 14th, 2008. Although it's called a mixtape, it consists of all new tracks by Crooked I, much like Young Boss Vol. 2, and boasts guest appearances by Royce Da 5'9", and Roscoe Umali, with production from DJ Felli Fel, Rick Rock, Komplex, and MG. The February 2008 issue of Ozone West reviewed St. Valentine's Day Bossacre and rated it 4 slaps out of 5.
Two more mixtapes are expected to be released this summer by Crooked I, the first being The Block Obama: Hood Politics, which is hosted by DJ Whoo Kid and DJ Strong, and should be released some time in May. The next mixtape is called The Dream Tapes, which consist of acapella tracks Crooked I recorded into a tape recorder he keeps on his dresser, and does this upon waking up in the morning. It should be available on the internet some time this summer.
Crooked I's debut album, B.O.S.S. (Beginning of Something Serious) is intended for release sometime in 2008, but no date is set. Nor is it known who is handling distribution for the album. The first single will be "Dream Big" and features Akon.
Hip-Hop Weekly
Crooked I started the Hip-Hop Weekly series via the internet. Every seven days he released a new freestyle over various Hip-Hop beats of old and new instrumentals. His ability to personally connect with his fans through his Hip-Hop Weekly series is evident since he would fulfill beat selection requests as well as give shout-outs over any given track to fans who requested it via his MySpace page. The Hip-Hop Weekly series began on April 4, 2007, and ended on April 3, 2008.
Below is a list of the instrumentals Crooked I has done his freestyles over:
Week 1 - Straight To The Bank
Week 2 - I'm Throwed
Week 3 - Vibe Wit' A Pimp/Take You There
Week 4 - 2nd Coming/Tuck Ya Ice
Week 5 - Umbrella/We Takin' Over
Week 6 - Get It Shawty/Amusement Park
Week 7 - Cruisin'/Just The King
Week 8 - Make Me Better
Week 9 - Deep Cover
Week 10 - You Know My Steez
Week 11 - Boy Looka Here/Go Getta (Remix) featuring The Horseshoe G.A.N.G.
Week 12 - Big Shit Poppin'
Week 13 - International Players Anthem
Week 14 - Pop, Lock & Drop It
Week 15 - Can't Tell Me Nothing
Week 16 - My Bitch
Week 17 - Oh My God
Week 18 - Uh Oh
Week 18.5 - Died In Your Arms
Week 19 - Real Muthaphuckkin G's
Week 20 - Big Spender
Week 21 - Blueprint 2
Week 22/23 - Doin' Dat/C'mon Baby
Week 24 - I'll Still Kill/Big Brother
Week 25 - Imagine
Week 26 - One Mic
Week 27 - Kill Us All
Week 28 - No Stoppin' Carson
Week 29 - Certified
Week 30 - Xxplosive
Week 31 - Dogg Pound 4 Life
Week 32 - Leather So Soft
Week 33 - Get Away
Week 34 - I'm A G
Week 35 - Dynasty
Week 36 - Ten Rap Commandments
Week 37 - Boyz-N-The Hood
Week 38 - Forgive Me
Week 39 - All Eyez On Me
Week 40 - Dey Know
Week 41 - Best Rapper Alive
Week 42 - Put You On The Game
Week 43 - Takeover
Week 44 - Till I Collapse
Week 45 - Ether
Week 46 - Hit 'Em Up
Week 47 - Love Me No More
Week 48 - Mary Jane
Week 49 - That White
Week 50 - Back Down
Week 51 - Big Dreams
Week 51.5 - Lollipop
Week 52 - The Finale
The freestyles can be downloaded here.
Dynasty Entertainment
While Crooked I's label, Dynasty Entertainment, has not yet released any albums, they did in fact release a DVD documentary titled Life After Death Row in August of 2006.[5] The DVD is about Crooked I's experiences on Death Row, and what he's doing now. It also features the stories of other artists who were on Death Row, and why they left, starting with RBX, who was the first artist to leave Death Row Records. There is also appearances made by Russell Simmons, Master P, Kurupt, WC, Big C-Style, Eastwood, Loon, and more, plus a segment dedicated to Lisa Lopes, also known as Left Eye of TLC, who was signed to Death Row before her untimely death in 2002.
Artists Under Dynasty Entertainment
Crooked I
Horseshoe G.A.N.G. (Members: Demitrius Capone, Julius Luciano, Kenny Siegel, and Andrew Dinero)
On One Squad (Members: Sauce Tha Boss & Adolf)
Producers
Jim Gittum
Discography
Albums
2000: Untouchable - Unreleased
2002: Say Hi to the Bad Guy - Unreleased
2008: B.O.S.S. (Beginning Of Something Serious)
Mixtapes
2003: Westcoasanostra Volume 1
2004: Young Boss Volume 1
2006: Young Boss Volume 2
2008: St. Valentine's Day Bossacre
2008: The Block Obama (Yet to be released)
Soundtracks
2006: Life After Death Row DVD Soundtrack - Unreleased
Guest Appearances
Ride: Music From The Motion Picture (1998)
Caught Up: Music From The Motion Picture (1998)
Big C-Style Presents: 19th Street LBC Compilation (1998)
Big C-Style Presents: Straight Outta Cali (1998)
Barrington Levy - Living Dangerously (1998)
Big C-Style Presents: Escape From Death Row (1999)
Kurupt - Tha Streetz Iz a Mutha (1999)
Sway & King Tech - This Or That (1999)
Sway & King Tech - The Wake Up Show, Vol. 5 (1999)
Sway & King Tech - The Wake Up Show, Vol. 6 (1999)
Death Row Records Presents: Too Gangsta For Radio (2000)
Soopafly - Dat Whoopty Whoop (2001)
Sway & King Tech - Wake Up Show Freestyles, Vol. 7 (2001)
Irv Gotti Presents: The Inc. (2002)
Ja Rule - The Last Temptation (2002)
Irv Gotti Presents: The Remixes (2002)
Dysfunktional Family Soundtrack (2003)
2Pac - Nu-Mixx Klazzics (2003)
The Boo Ya T.R.I.B.E. - West Koasta Nostra (2003)
Yukmouth - United Ghettos of America Vol. 2 (2004)
K. Young - Learn How To Love (2005)
Sway & King Tech - Back 2 Basics (2005)
Ras Kass - Institutionalized Vol. 1 (2005)
Syndicate Villain - Army of One (2005)
Celly Cel Presents: The Gumbo Pot (2006)
The Relativez - Legendary (2007)
Blue Sky Black Death - Hell Razah(2007)
XL Middleton - Barliament Drunkadelic (2007)
Yukmouth - Million Dollar Mouthpiece (2008)
Filmography
2004: Bank Brothers
2005: Slumber Party
2006: Life After Death Row
Interesting Facts
Crooked I recorded his first song, "Microphone Controller", when he was 8 years old.
Crooked I's mother and his aunt were in an R&B group together.
Growing up, Crooked I moved around a lot, living in Las Vegas, Oklahoma, Texas, and Philadelphia.
Crooked I has three children total, two daughters and one son. He had his first daughter at the age of 17.
