Hip-Hop History

 One of the coolest people I know, who I got to spend a lot of time kicking it with (thanks to one of the best and well known pop lockers I know, Kool Boy) is another Ruthless alumni. Some of you might know him by his "government name" Jerry Long  - but the rest of us....we just call him "Kokane". Got a minute? Let's get into it!

Although he is a west coast jewel, he was actually born in the Boogie Down Bronx. He, and his musically gifted family found themselves moving to Pomona, California not long after his birth. Now, when I say "musically gifted family", it's not just a casual compliment I'm extending to a respected family. No; his father is Motown composer Jerry B. Long Sr. and his mother is singer Debra Long. He was destined to get it in.

He began his career as a vocalist in the mid 1980s before eventually signing to Ruthless Records in 1989. His debut album, Addictive Hip Hop Muzick, was released in 1991, on which he was credited as "Who Am I?" to avoid infringing on laws which forbade the use of his name. I guess the whole "just say no" campaign wanted to get in EVERYBODY'S business. Oh well. His first solo single, "Nickel Slick Nigga", appeared on the Deep Cover soundtrack. In addition to co-writing "Appetite for Destruction" for N.W.A's Niggaz4life, Kane also contributed to other West Coast gangsta rap albums such as Above the Law's Black Mafia Life.

For his second album, 1994's Funk Upon a Rhyme, Kane began to find his style he is now known for today by incorporating a great deal of that P-funk style on gangsta beats, which we would now call "G-funk". He would leave Ruthless Records shortly after Eazy-E's death in 1995. He was supposed to be on Tupac Shakur's One Nation collaboration album, alongside others, before Shakur's murder in 1996 cut plans for the album short. He continued to make guest appearances until releasing his third solo album through Eureka Records in 1999, entitled "They Call Me Mr. Kane".

Quick question: who would you say has the most features of any artist? Too $hort? No. Nate Dogg? Although he gave him a good run for his money, no. The answer is Mr. Jerry Long Jr. - Kokane, if you gangsta.

“It’s been a long road to become the most featured artist in the world,” Kokane tells HipHopDX in an interview. “But to tell you the truth, when I first started in the mid-80s, I never intended to be on so many features years later. My dad Jerry B. Long, Sr. was an original member at Motown Records in the ’60s. He wrote, arranged and orchestrated over 500 music compositions and successful music scores. “It’s quite ironic that I would follow in my father’s footsteps years later to create my own body of work and become the most featured artist in the world with over 4,000 plus guest appearances.”

Let me backtrack a little: It was on the Los Angeles posse cut "Some L.A. Niggaz", from Dr. Dre's 2001 album, that Kane's career found a second wind. While Long had been involved with West Coast hip hop since the getty up, he had been unable to secure any substantial success for himself. This changed after his work on 2001, through which he developed a relationship with Snoop Dogg and Tha Eastsidaz. He soon became involved in Tha Eastsidaz' debut album, and went on to play a significant role in the success of Snoop Dogg's Tha Last Meal. Kane spent the next few years signed to Dogghouse Records, working on Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Kane,
Later signing with Koch Records, forming a new group, The Hood Mob; comprising himself and fellow rappers Cricet and Contraband. They released their only self-titled album The Hood Mob on July 3, 2006.

His eighth solo studio album, The Legend Continues, peaked at number 196 on the US Billboard 200 albums chart.

Over the course of his career Long has worked with artists such as Above the Law, Bad Azz, C-Bo, Cypress Hill, Daz Dillinger, Doggy's Angels, E-40, Eazy-E, Goldie Loc, Ice Cube, Kurupt, Mr. Short Khop, Nipsey Hussle, Roscoe, Brotha Lynch Hung, Snoop Dogg, Spice 1, Suga Free, Alchemist, Big Tray Deee, Too $hort, WC, Weazel Loc, George Clinton, Ras Kass, Boo-Yaa T.R.I.B.E., Ab-Soul, Young Buck, The Game, Tony Yayo, and quite recently released a collaboration with fellow Pomona pioneer Suga Free, called "Sugar Kane", and a joint called "Hush" Kool Rockski from the Fat Boys, among so many others. Crazy, right?

Kokane says ’90s Hip Hop ushered in the “hook game” era, and more artists like he and Nate Dogg were being heavily requested all over the world to bring G-Funk vocal styles to the mix.

“Eazy-E’s Ruthless Records and Above The Law’s Gregory Hutchison gave me my start,” he explains. “They introduced my many styles and characters on platinum and gold albums in the ’90s. After those encounters, artists from all over the world requested my hooks and rap verses, and it’s gone on for the last 28 years. “I knew I was the most featured artist about eight years ago when my wife and team researched this matter, and pulled up all the artist that I’ve collaborated with over the years. I was already at 3,500 features in 2010. Even today’s Top 100 Billboard artists didn’t reach 1,200 collabs. Now, it’s super official.”

Although Kokane says Google will provide 99 million results saying he’s the most featured artist in the world, the next step is getting the Guinness Book of World Records to recognize his achievement.

“We are getting close to solidifying this matter in their history books,” he says. “Since this is a new lane and this accomplishment has yet to be discovered until now, we will continue to press forward toward Guinness Book of World Records to seal this matter. I’m more than confident that it’s coming. But in the meantime, I’m very satisfied with the Google results.”

Over the years, some of Kokane’s favorite collaborations, include N.W.A’s “Niggaz 4 Life” intro, Above The Law’s “Kalifornia,” Eazy-E’s “Any Last Werdz,” Ice Cube’s “Spitting Pollaseeds,” Dr. Dre’s “La Niggaz” from 2001, J. Dilla’s “It’s Gangsta,” Snoop Dogg’s “Stacey Adams,” Busta Rhymes’ “Ass On Your Shoulder” and Cypress Hill’s “Legalize It.”

As proven, you could clearly see he isn't just limited to other west coast rappers. He’s also on Prince Paul’s Politics Of The Business from 2003 and Tech N9ne’s 2010 cut “Hard Liquor,” which was produced by Dre and Blink-182’s Travis Barker.

Like I said yesterday, I'm gonna try not to sleep on giving flowers when flowers are due, because I want my friends, my idols, the pioneers to get them while they are here. The homie Kokane deserves all that. He doesn't get the mainstream love his accomplishments would be afforded by other artists, the hood love, though, and the industry respect by his peers, seems to be just enough to keep him motivated enough to keep knocking it out the box. If I said it, you can bank on it! Much love, king. Keep doin what you do!!!