Kurupt
Kurupt | |
|---|---|
| Born | Ricardo Emmanuel Brown November 23, 1972 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S. |
| Occupation(s) | Rapper, music producer |
| Years active | 1991–present |
| Known for | Member of Tha Dogg Pound, The Hrsmn; solo albums including Kuruption! |
Ricardo Emmanuel Brown (born November 23, 1972), professionally recognized as Kurupt, is an American rapper and music producer. Originally from Philadelphia, he was raised in Los Angeles and co-established the rap duo Tha Dogg Pound alongside Daz Dillinger in 1992; together, they have produced eight albums. In 1996, he launched the hip hop collective The Hrsmn, which has released two albums. His first solo project, Kuruption! (1998), was issued through A&M Records and peaked at number eight on the Billboard 200 chart.
Personal life
Born in Philadelphia, Ricardo Emmanuel Brown relocated to the Greater Los Angeles area at age 16, initially residing in Hawthorne before settling in Los Angeles by the time he was 18. From 1997 to 1999, he was engaged to rapper Foxy Brown. In the early 2000s, he became engaged to Natina Reed, with whom he had a son named Tren Brown before their separation in 2002. Brown wed Jovan Brown in 2007; however, she filed for divorce a decade later in 2017. That same year, he began a relationship with Toni Calvert, and the couple appeared on the 17th season of Marriage Boot Camp in 2020.
Music career
Kurupt made his initial recording appearance contributing three tracks to the S.O.S. Band's 1991 album One of Many Nights.
Death Row Records
At 19 years old in 1992, Kurupt signed with Death Row Records, the label founded by Suge Knight and Dr. Dre following Dre's departure from N.W.A and Ruthless Records. While at Death Row, Kurupt collaborated with artists such as Daz Dillinger, Lady of Rage, Snoop Dogg, Nate Dogg, and RBX. He gained prominence through guest spots on Dr. Dre's solo debut The Chronic. Together with Daz, Kurupt formed the duo Tha Dogg Pound, who appeared on Snoop Dogg's first album Doggystyle with the track "For All My Niggaz & Bitchez."
By 1996, during the height of the East Coast–West Coast hip hop feud driven by Suge Knight and rapper 2Pac—who had joined Death Row and accused New York's Bad Boy Records of orchestrating his 1994 shooting—Tha Dogg Pound released the contentious single "New York, New York," featuring Snoop Dogg. Their debut album Dogg Food, produced by Daz and mixed by Dre, was met with critical acclaim and achieved solid commercial success.
Career after Death Row
Following the 1996 murder of 2Pac, many artists departed from Death Row Records. After Dr. Dre's exit, Kurupt was among the next to leave, signing with A&M Records and co-founding Antra Records with lawyer Joseph M. Marrone. His first solo album Kuruption! was released in 1998. After his second album Tha Streetz Iz a Mutha, which featured the diss track "Calling Out Names" targeting New York rappers including Ja Rule, 50 Cent, Irv Gotti, and DMX, accusing DMX of involvement with Kurupt's then-fiancée Foxy Brown, Kurupt parted ways with Antra.
During this timeframe, Kurupt established The HRSMN alongside Ras Kass, Wu-Tang Clan affiliate Killah Priest, and rapper Canibus. However, only an unfinished white label surfaced from this collaboration. Since Death Row retained ownership of Tha Dogg Pound’s name, Kurupt and Daz operated under the moniker DPG (Dogg Pound Gangstaz) and occasionally as part of DPGC (Dogg Pound Gangsta Clique), which included artists like Nate Dogg and Snoop Dogg. As DPG, Daz and Kurupt released Dillinger & Young Gotti, an album that received mixed critical responses. Kurupt’s solo effort Space Boogie: Smoke Oddessey, produced by Daz and Fredwreck and distributed by Artemis Records, enjoyed improved commercial performance; its lead single "It's Over" featured vocals from his then-fiancée, the late Natina Reed.
Return to Death Row
In the early months of 2002, an unofficial remix and compilation titled 2002 sparked speculation regarding Tha Dogg Pound's association with Death Row Records. Shortly thereafter, Kurupt rejoined Death Row, assuming the role of vice president. This move rekindled conflicts with Daz, resulting in public disputes conveyed through music and interviews.
By 2003, Kurupt achieved chart success in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland with DJ Tomekk's track "Ganxtaville Pt. III". While guiding emerging Death Row talents such as Spider Loc, Crooked I, and Eastwood, he developed his album Against tha Grain. Additionally, he established The Riflemen alongside Mobb Deep, Jayo Felony, 40 Glocc, and producer The Alchemist, although a formal release from this ensemble appeared unlikely. In 2004, unauthorized versions of Kurupt's postponed solo project Originals surfaced, accompanied by similar leaks from other Death Row artists.
Reports suggest that Kurupt internalized his rivalry with Daz more deeply than publicly shown. However, in April 2005, during a West Coast unity event hosted by Snoop Dogg, the two reconciled and revived Tha Dogg Pound. Following his departure from Death Row once again, Kurupt released the long-awaited Against tha Grain in August 2005; he later distanced himself from the diss tracks featured on the album, although an EP titled Against tha Grain E.P., containing those songs, was issued in 2007.
Dogg Pound reunited and HRSMN returns
Kurupt and Daz issued several projects including Dillinger & Young Gotti II: The Saga Continuez (2005), Cali iz Active under the name DPG with Snoop Dogg (2006), and Dogg Chit (2007). Initially promoted as a follow-up to Dogg Food, Kurupt later characterized these releases more as mixtapes, positioning the forthcoming 100 Wayz (originally titled Westcoast Aftershocc) as their second official Dogg Pound studio album. In 2006, Kurupt contributed to Snoop Dogg’s Tha Blue Carpet Treatment. After collaborating with J. Wells on Digital Smoke in 2007, he partnered with his brother Roscoe for The Frank and Jess Story (2008) and appeared on Snoop Dogg's 2008 release Ego Trippin'.
Before unveiling 100 Wayz in 2010, Tha Dogg Pound debuted the mixtape Gangsta Grillz, hosted by DJ Drama, followed by the joint album BlaQKout with DJ Quik in April 2009. The lead single "Fuck Y'all" was aimed at former collaborators AMG, Hi-C, and 2nd II None. During this era, Kurupt worked extensively with independent artists and released his solo album Streetlights in April 2010. By 2011, he began recording a group project titled "1st Generation" alongside MC Eiht, King T, Jayo Felony, B.G. Knocc Out, Tha Chill, and Sir Jinx.
In 2012, Kurupt announced the anticipated HRSMN project called The Academy, featuring collaborations with acts such as Slaughterhouse and Big Dave. The passing of Natina Reed—mother of his son Tren and member of R&B group Blaque—delayed the DJ Nik Bean-hosted mixtape Money, Bitches, Power, which eventually dropped in May 2013. This mixtape showcased guest appearances from E-40, Crooked I, Masta Killa, RBX, Ty Dolla Sign, and The Rejectz. Early in 2015, Kurupt released the single "I.M.O." produced by KingThaRapper under Famous Music Group. He also featured on Jhené Aiko’s 2017 track that included a voicemail tribute alongside two music videos. Finally, in May 2021, the long-postponed HRSMN album was released as The Last Ride. Kurupt also appeared on Vinnie Paz’s 2022 album track "Curse of Canaan".
Impact and Heritage
Renowned artist Kendrick Lamar has identified Kurupt as one of his primary inspirations, placing him alongside icons like 2Pac and Ice Cube. In the track "'Till I Collapse," Eminem acknowledged Kurupt among the elite rappers, grouping him with legendary figures such as Reggie, Jay-Z, Tupac, Biggie, Andre 3000, Jadakiss, Nas, and himself. Additionally, Kool Moe Dee positioned Kurupt at number 39 in his ranking of the greatest MCs of all time in the book There's a God on the Mic.
Discography
Solo studio albums
- Kuruption! (1998)
- Tha Streetz Iz a Mutha (1999)
- Space Boogie: Smoke Oddessey (2001)
- Against the Grain (Original Version) (2003)
- Against the Grain (2005)
- Same Day, Different Shit (under the name Young Gotti) (2006)
- Streetlights (2010)
Collaborative projects
- The Horsemen Project (with The Hrsmn) (2003)
- Digital Smoke (with J. Wells) (2007)
- The Frank and Jess Story (with Roscoe) (2008)
- Blaqkout (with DJ Quik) (2009)
- Tha Tekneek Files (with Roscoe) (2009)
- We Got Now and Next (with Diirty OGz) (2016)
- The Last Ride (with The Hrsmn) (2021)
- Don't Be Stupid (with C-Mob) (2022)
Film
| Year | Title | Character | Additional Information |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1995 | Murder Was the Case | Small Change from Philly | Music video appearance |
| 2001 | The Wash | Maniac | |
| 2002 | Half Past Dead | Bernard "Twitch" | |
| Dark Blue | Darryl Orchard | ||
| 2003 | Keepin' It Real | Raw-D | |
| Hollywood Homicide | Oliver "K-Ro" Robidoux | ||
| 2004 | I Accidentally Domed Your Son | Krego | |
| Johnson Family Vacation | Himself | ||
| 2005 | Brothers in Arms | Kansas | |
| 2006 | Cut Off | Joker | |
| 2007 | Half Past Dead 2 | Bernard "Twitch" | Music video appearance |
| 2008 | Loaded | Jimmy Dyson | |
| Vice | T.J. Greene | ||
| The Adventures of Tha Blue Carpet Treatment | Himself (voice role) | ||
| Days of Wrath | Bobby | ||
| 2009 | A Day in the Life | "Murder" | |
| 2010 | The Penthouse | 'Strangers' Host | |
| 2017 | The White Sistas | Terry | |
| 2018 | Bachelor Lions | Beat Masta G | |
| A Talent for Trouble | Himself |
Television
| Year | Title | Role | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2003 | Fastlane | Fallon | Episode titled "Dosed" | |
| 2017 | Grown Folks | Normal Eyes Joe | Episode: "Snitches Get Stitches" |
Video game
| Year | Title | Role |
|---|---|---|
| 2013 | Grand Theft Auto V | Voice of The Local Population |
Documentary
| Year | Title |
|---|---|
| 2000 | Straight from the Streets |
| The Up In Smoke Tour | |
| 2002 | Eazy-E: The Life and Timez of Eric Wright |
| 2003 | C-Walk: It's a Way of Livin' |
| Beef | |
| Tupac: Resurrection | |
| 2006 | DPG Eulogy |
| Rap Sheet: Hip-Hop and the Cops | |
| 2011 | Tupac Shakur: Thug Angel 2 |
| 2012 | Uprising: Hip Hop and the LA Riots |
| 2017 | G-Funk |
| 2022 | The D.O.C |
Grammy Award nominations
Kurupt earned a Grammy nomination as a member of tha Dogg Pound:
| Category | Song | Year | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| Grammy Award for Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group | "What Would You Do" | 1996 | — Nominated — |