In case you missed it, KXNG Crooked and Joell Ortiz recently connected to drop off an impressive body of work called H.A.R.D, further expanding on their Slaughterhouse camaraderie; in fact, those who appreciate the lyrical quartet would be wise to check it out, provided you haven't already. In celebration of the project's release, we had a chance to connect with KXNG Crooked and Joell Ortiz for a lengthy conversation, with topics ranging from their new music, to Slaughterhouse's future, to working with Eminem on Music To Be Murdered By.
While you can read the full interview right here, there are more than a few gems worth unpacking on their own. Including the origin story behind H.A.R.D's "Get Your Money," a standout cut produced by the legendary Erick Sermon. It started when Joell Ortiz hit up his former groupmate Royce Da 5'9" for some heat.
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"I asked Royce for a batch of beats for us so he sent over a batch of beats, cause Royce is into producing now as well," explains Joell. "So he sent over a couple of beats. I didn't get to go through them all cause the second beat was hitting me. So I’m just like “oh shit, this is fire!” So I told Royce “I picked one” and he’s like “alright cool, just send it to me.” So I sent it to him and I think Crook told me that Royce let him know “that was an E-Sermon beat and I sent it by accident!”
True, an unfortunate, yet admittedly hilarious gaffe. But the saga only intensified when Erick Sermon found out that his instrumental had reached his pal Joell Ortiz and KXNG Crooked. "We’re those dudes that go with the moment, the feel and the vibe," continues Joell, laughing heartily by this point. "It was so right, I was like that's one of those mistakes that’s supposed to happen. I’m not running from this, I'm embracing this, I’m hitting Erick and we're gonna figure this shit out! So I called Erick -- and this is Erick’s voice-- and he's like 'God damnit Joell, I sent that shit for Royce and Em!'"
"He wanted on that Bad Meets Evil project!" chimes in Crooked. ""H.A.R.D is cool. I like H.A.R.D, that’s cool… but Bad Meets Evil 2?” All things considered, everything turned out sound for Ortiz, Crook, and E Double -- who ultimately gave the pair his blessing. Still, it's reassuring to know that Bad Meets Evil 2 is being worked on, slowly but surely, behind the scenes. Check out our full interview with Joell and Crook right here -- you don't want to miss it.