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 due to illegal business handling. Crooked I and Virgin Records dissolved their contract in 1999 while he searched for a new record label.

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. Later on that year, Daz left Death Row Records to run DPG Records independently, but rather than go with Daz, he opted to sign with Death Row Records instead.

Crooked I had considered signing to Dr. Dre's Aftermath imprint, but Dre's recording priorities at the time were focused on Chronic 2001 and Eminem's Marshall Mathers LP, leaving Crooked to wonder where he would fit in Dre's busy schedule for his own album? He was also pursued by other major labels, but none of them appealed to his business and artistic vision. It was around this time that Crooked I was contacted by Suge Knight, and he set up a meeting to negotiate a solo deal, while Suge was serving time in prison. He 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 were offering him. This gave Crooked artistic freedom and control over his own music. Therefore he accepted the deal with Death Row Records in November of 1999 becoming the label's new flagship artist to lead the fledgling label into the new millennium under a new name called Tha Row.

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. 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 the album changed to Boss Music, and he created a buzz with the song, Boom Boom Clap. 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, dropped 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 also started his own successful weekly freestyle series in April of 2007 titled Hip-Hop Weekly, where he raps over popular beats, and releases them on the internet every Wednesday. 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. Phoenix Entertainment, who handled the distribution for Life After Death Row, are releasing a live DVD titled Crooked I Live From the LBC along with a bonus CD containing remixes of his infamous Hip-Hop Weekly series, and is slated for release before B.O.S.S..

The next installment in his mixtape series is Young Boss Vol. 3 hosted by DJ Warrior of the Cali Untouchables. It's set for release before B.O.S.S., and is intended to have nationwide distribution, which is how Young Boss Vol. 2 was originally supposed to be released.

Crooked I's debut album B.O.S.S. will be released in 2008, with the first single being N.W.A.(New West Anthem).

Crooked I was featured on the front cover of the the November 2007 edition of the Hip-Hop magazine XXL as part of their future Top 10 feature , and went on to win a subsequent web poll on the XXL Magazine website where people were asked to vote for the MC they thought had the best chance of "taking over the game" due in no small part to Crooked I's dedicated fans .

On November 12th, 2007, Crooked I was awarded "Best West Coast Lyrical Assassin" at the 1st Annual Hip Hop Regional Awards. Other nominees for the award were Ras Kass, Kurupt, Xzibit, Jayo Felony and Brotha Lynch Hung.

Brooklyn-based rapper ILL BiLL and the San Francisco-based production duo Blue Sky Black Death have confirmed in separate interviews that Crooked I will be recording a collaboration album with them in the near future. It is slated to be an ILL BiLL/Crooked I album produced entirely by Blue Sky Black Death.

The D.O.C. (Dynasty Online Community)

The D.O.C. (Dynasty Online Community) is the name of Crooked I's official forum community. In December 2006, The D.O.C. released an unofficial Crooked I mixtape called The Dynasty Online Community Presents: Crooked I Evolution Of A Boss. The mixtape which was compiled by The D.O.C. members, was a free download, double-disc release containing Crooked I's underground hits spanning from 1996 to 2006. The mixtape was downloaded over 6,000 times in the first 10 days due to extensive internet-only promotion by Crooked I fans. Within 7 weeks the mixtape had been downloaded 12,000 times . As of November 2007, the mixtape has since been downloaded over 20,000 times. The mixtape was billed a success by fans and critics alike considering the grass-roots method put forth by the members involved in promoting it.

Hip-Hop Weekly

While fans patiently await the release of B.O.S.S. (Beginning Of Something Serious), Crooked I has started the Hip-Hop Weekly series via the internet. Every seven days he releases a new freestyle over a recycled mainstream beat. His ability to personally connect with online hip hop fans through his Hip-Hop Weekly series is evident since he has been known to fulfill beat selection requests as well as give shout-outs over any given track to those fans who ask for it via his myspace page . This series began in April of 2007, and is expected to continue throughout the remainder of the year.

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 "Bo$$"/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

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. 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 Siegal, and Andrew Dinero)
On One Squad (Members: Sauce Tha Boss & Adolf)

Producers

Jim Gittum

Discography

Albums

2000: Untouchable (Unreleased)
2001: 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

Soundtracks

2006: Life After Death Row DVD Soundtrack

Dynasty Online Community Mixtapes

2006: Dynasty Online Community Presents: Evolution Of A Boss
2007: Dynasty Online Community Presents: Boss Blends Volume 1
2007: Dynasty Online Community Presents: Boss Blends Volume 2
2007: DJ Age Presents: Crooked I Dynasty Boss Volume 1
2007: DJ Age Presents: Crooked I Dynasty Boss Volume 2

Bootlegs

200x: Freestyle CD
200x: I Con
200x: Tha Bad Guy
200x: Way Too Crooked
200x: An I For An I
200x: Evolution Of A Crook
2002: Taking Over The West
2004: Concealed Weapon
2005: The Boss Is Back

Guest Appearances

Ride: Music From The Motion Picture (1998)
Feels So Good - Snoop Dogg ft. Lil C-Style, Techniec, & Crooked I
Caught Up: Music From The Motion Picture (1998)
Girl - The Luniz ft. Crooked I
Big C-Style Presents: 19th Street LBC Compilation (1998)
Stay Out Of L.A. - Lil' Tip/Coco Loc/Shorty K/Crooked I/Sho Shot
Success Before I Die - Legacy/Coco Loc/Lil' Tip/Crooked I
Rap Killer - Lil' Tip/Shorty K/Lil' J/Crooked I/tech-Nique/Tray D/J Money
Jackin' For Flows - Coco Loc/ Lil' Tip/Sho Shot/Lil' J/McGruff/J Money/Crooked I/ Diceman
Gangsta Gangsta - Legacy/Crooked I/Sho Shot/Tray D /J Money
Servin' & Swervin' - Legacy/Shorty K/Lil' J/Crooked I /Sho Shot
Bounce To This - J Money/Crooked I/Sho Shot/ Bo Roc/Amber Davis
Ashes To Ashes - Lil' Tip/ Shorty K/Lil' J/Crooked I
Big C-Style Presents: Straight Outta Cali (1998)
Barrington Levy - Living Dangerously (1998)
Poor Man's Cry - Barrington Levy ft. Crooked I, Daz Dillinger, Soopafly, & Snoop Dogg
Big C-Style Presents: Escape From Death Row (1999)
Black Pussy - Crooded I, MC Eiht
Way Cool - Mr. Tan, Crooked I, B-Legit
King Pin - Jay Money, Kurupt, Crooked I, Big Tray Deee
Don't Test Me - Jay Money, Crooked I, Big Tray Deee
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)
Tha Dogg Pound - 2002 (2001)
Gangsta Rap - Tha Dogg Pound ft. Crooked I
Soopafly - Dat Whoopty Whoop (2001)
Can I Git Bucc? - Soopafly ft. Daz Dillinger & Crooked I
Sway & King Tech - Wake Up Show Freestyles, Vol. 7 (2001)
Irv Gotti Presents: The Inc. (2002)
Nexx Niggaz
Ja Rule - The Last Temptation (2002)
Connected - Ja Rule ft. Eastwood & Crooked I
Irv Gotti Presents: The Remixes (2002)
Baby (Remix) - Ashanti ft. Crooked I
Dysfunktional Family Soundtrack (2003)
Still Tha Row (Crooked I & Virginya Slim)
Dysfunktional Family Theme (Crooked I, Eastwood & Danny Boy)
We Ballin' (Eastwood & Crooked I)
Who Wants To Fuck (Eastwood, Crooked I, Ja Rule & Danny Boy)
I Thought U Knew (Crooked I, Eastwood, Danny Boy & Eddie Griffin)
2Pac - Nu-Mixx Klazzics (2003)
2 of Amerika'z Most Wanted (Nu Mixx) - ft. Crooked I
The Boo Ya T.R.I.B.E. - West Koasta Nostra (2003)
Take Yo Fade - ft. Eastwood & Crooked I
Yukmouth - United Ghettos of America Vol. 2 (2004)
California G's - ft. Crooked I, E-40, & Nate da Nut
K. Young - Learn How To Love (2005)
Take It Easy - ft. Crooked I
Sway & King Tech - Back 2 Basics (2005)
Ras Kass - Institutionalized Vol. 1 (2005)
We Run The Streets - ft. Crooked I, El Dogg, Spider Loc, 40 Glocc & Cali Casino
Syndicate Villain - Army of One (2005)
Greedy Eyes - ft. Crooked I
Celly Cell Presents: The Gumbo Pot (2006)
Str8 Bosses - Crooked I
Phathom - Poetical Minded (2006)
Collateral Damage - ft. Chino XL, Crooked I & Canibus
The Relativez - Legendary (2007)
California - ft. Crooked I
Blue Sky Black Death & Hell Razah - Razah's Ladder (2007)
Halos - ft. Crooked I
XL Middleton - Barliament Drunkadelic (2007)
Major - ft. Black & Crooked I
Odious - Gather Around (2007)
Elevate - ft. Crooked I & Ras Kass
Q.P. - The Track Record (2008)
Tha Introduction - ft. Crooked I & Glasses Malone