Driving north on the 110 freeway with Japanese Magenese’s “Cali Jap” blasting, the buildings of downtown Los Angeles rose up like a mirage. The day was unfortunately cloudy, but a surprisingly comfortable 23 degrees Celsius. On the afternoon of the final day of the Memorial Day holiday weekend, we headed to the studio and home of DJ 2high, a legendary Japanese West Coast producer and the only Japanese member of the Dogg Pound – the purpose, of course, being an exclusive interview.
The survival story of a man named DJ 2high
With information about him on Japanese Wikipedia fragmented at best, DJ 2High is an enigma, a legend in the West Coast hip-hop industry. Discovered by none other than Snoop Dogg, he is the sole Japanese member of the Dogg Pound and one of the most knowledgeable people in the scene.
2high, a man with a shaved head and tattoos which could appear intimidating at first glance, greeted our interviewer with a big smile. His studio walls were hung with rapper and Star Wars figures, autographed t-shirts, and notably, illustrations by Joe Cool, as would be mentioned later. In the back of the room sat music-making tools like computers and keyboards. The interview began over takoyaki.
SEI: Thank you very much for agreeing to this interview with HiphopCs. You are famous in the industry, but for the sake of our readers who are new to hip-hop, could you please give a brief self-introduction?
2high: I’m DJ 2high. To put it simply, I’m the only Japanese member of the DPG. Actually, there are no non-Black members at all. There are staff members and cameramen, but they don’t have the ‘DPG’ stamp on them.
SEI: Could you tell us about some of the hardships you faced and dangers you encountered while traveling to Compton, Long Beach, and other places that tourists typically avoid, and how you integrated into the West Coast culture from the age of 18?
2high: Before music, I actually was working at a shoe store for a while, and I was coming to LA frequently to do the buying. While I was doing the buying, I was also digging for records. I was 16 when I had the shoe store, and at that time, Nike Air Max 95s in yellow were inexplicably popular. It was during the ‘Max-hunting’ era, where if you wore them, you’d get mugged. At my store, the yellow ones were selling for 250,000 yen and the purple ones for 380,000! I was coming to LA a lot during that time, to Compton and other places. My partner (the president) of the shoe store, Mr. Hakozaki, had a clothing store called ‘Indoor,’ which is still a long-established store in Yokohama. Since he sold West Coast culture clothing, he would go to Compton and other places to source things. I tagged along with him, so that’s how I got started. When I first came here, they often had block parties and house parties in Compton, and I would frequently DJ at places like that. At times like that, various things would happen, you know… like bang-bang-bang! That was common. And if a fight broke out, we’d be throwing beer bottles at each other.
SEI: At that time, I imagine the red and blue gang conflicts were intense. Was that related?
2high: Oh, yeah. The crew I was with was a group of taggers called DMK. I was staying at Kiki Smooth’s place at the time. To put it simply, they were a street graffiti crew, but what they did was no different from what gangs do. So, yeah, there was a lot of gang violence… In ’98, a girl I was friends with named Imelda got killed. She was pretty bold and pulled a gun at a party, but ended up getting killed herself. After that, things got really hard, like a vendetta, and at one point, the five guard dogs at the house where I was living were all killed. That’s when I thought, “This is bad,” and I moved from Compton to Long Beach.
SEI: That’s really hardcore! (laughs)
2high: The one who killed Imelda was the brother of her “baby daddy”. That baby daddy was a completely crazy delinquent, in and out of prison constantly. The last time he was caught, a public defender was assigned to him, but he was the kind of person with a “F**k the World” attitude, so he was rude to the lawyer, and the lawyer didn’t do a good job. So what he did was, he hid a razor blade in his eyelid from the prison all the way to the courthouse, and the moment the trial started, he attacked his own lawyer with that razor blade (big laugh). It was in the news, you know. But this baby daddy was killed in a riot inside (the prison) about two years ago. His son was raised by Imelda’s sister, and he called me the other day to tell me his father had died.
SEI: Karma really is a b*tch, isn’t it? By the way, were you okay, 2high? Have you ever been hurt?
2high: Well, most recently, my friend C-Knight, the leader of The Dove Shack, passed away, and I was at his candlelight memorial. I was in the VIP section. A lot of people had gathered, and we were all singing a song together at the end. Then, bang-bang-bang, bang-bang-bang! “Huh? What was that sound?” I thought, and the old lady next to me went, “Ouch!” (big laugh). “What?” I thought, and ducked down. That was scary. It’s on YouTube, you know. You can hear the bullets flying by. That’s a recent one. There have been many others.
SEI: Thank you for sharing such valuable stories. But back in the ’90s, the East Coast was hot too, so why did you choose the West Coast?
2high: Ah, that also goes back to the Dove Shack, whom I just mentioned. Back around ’95 or ’96, when they came to Japan to perform, I had been following hip-hop in general without really distinguishing between West and East. But when I saw the live performances by Dove Shack and TWINZ, I knew this was it! After that, 2Pac was killed, and that’s when I grew to hate the East Coast. At parties, I would constantly scratch the “Fuck Biggie!” part from 2Pac’s Hit ‘Em Up over Biggie’s instrumentals. I even performed by breaking Biggie’s albums. Now that Puffy has been arrested, from my perspective, I’m like, “See! I told you so! I’ve been saying this for 30 years!” I’ve been talking about it since ’96. Back then, there were rumors that he was bisexual, but they were just rumors, like some urban legend. But there’s no smoke without fire.
The Advice from His Father and the Start of Music Production
SEI: That’s amazing. Can I ask a bit about your family? Can you tell me about your relationship with and the influence of your famous father (famous Japanese songwriter/author Takeshi Matsuyama)? Does your father support your career?
2high: Of course. He’s very supportive and tells me to “do what you want!” But that being said, I’ve only used my dad’s connections once or twice (laughs out loud).
SEI: (Laughs out loud). I thought you were going to say never! You’re too honest.
2high: My dad did help me out with business connections once, but music is different. I’m doing my own thing now. My dad’s debut record sold 2.8 million copies. The next one, Imjin River, was banned. I actually played a small part in getting that ban lifted in 2000. The movie Pacchigi! came from that. I guess that’s the only thing I’ve done for my parents. My dad has this unbelievable record, so I’ve always fought with the ambition and feeling that I would surpass it… but it’s impossible (laughs out loud). But even if I can’t beat it in one go, I’ve switched my mindset to thinking, “if I can get 100 hits of 28,000, maybe I can get to 2.8 million.” So, I’m working at it steadily. He is a wall I can’t climb over, and I respect him as my father.
SEI: Your father is a lyricist and writer, so I assume you inherited that amazing creative gene. Of course, you got to where you are in America through your own hard work, but why did you become interested in DJing and beatmaking, rather than dancing or rapping? You’re not a writer either, are you?
2high: When I was in junior high school, I’d go to the U.S. every summer. The things that were playing on TV then were Public Enemy, the first TLC album, Kris Kross, and live performance footage. That’s when I first discovered what a DJ was. I think it was JD (Jermaine Dupri). I was so incredibly influenced that when I got home, I scratched my dad’s high-end stereo, which cost millions of yen. I got yelled at so much, “What the hell are you doing?!” That was the beginning of my obsession with DJing. I think I have a rebellious spirit and want to go against what everyone else is chasing. At that time, it was the era of the CD Walkman, a transition from cassette to CD. I went in the opposite direction and was constantly digging for analog records. While all the boys were at the arcade playing Tekken, I was spending my time after school crate-digging.
The catalyst for me to start making my own music was in ’96, when a record company in Tokyo sent a track by a rapper I knew to Death Row Records. The response came back saying, “Come to the U.S. in October, and we’ll do a collab with 2Pac.” So, I started making tracks right around the time I was going to work with him. But you remember what happened in September, right? (2Pac died on September 13, 1996). That was the trigger.
The West Coast culture only really exploded in Japan around 2002, didn’t it? I actually hate the term “Westside,” but I had been doing this since around ’98. My dad always told me, “Look three years ahead and work on what’s going to be popular in three years.” That was his lesson to me, from when I was a kid. He still tells me that, and now I can use that “three-year yardstick.” But back then, there was no way I could know.
Win with “sound,” not “words
SEI: Awich is currently aiming to break into the U.S. market. As an Asian person trying to integrate and be recognized within Black culture, could you share any necessary insights?
2high: Hmm. What is it, I wonder? I want to know myself! I think there are many different ways to do it.
SEI: You’ve not only integrated into Black culture, but you’re also incredibly respected by the industry. It must be difficult for Asians to break in. American high schools are often segregated by race, right? The groups that gather in the cafeteria are split up. It seems culturally difficult, so if you have any advice, please share!
2high: Maybe it’s because I was a beatmaker and not a rapper. It might not be very good advice, but the answer is that I was fighting with “sound,” not “words.” So, I think that’s how I was able to fit in.
How DJ 2high met Snoop and joined DPG
SEI: Could you tell us how you got into DPG and if there were any requirements to join? Also, we’re curious about the private lives of the DPG members, so please share what you can.
2high: The person who brought me in and said, “You’re DPG,” was Snoop, back in ’98.
SEI: Snoop? Then, could you first tell us about how you met Snoop and any stories about him?
2high: Going back to ’96, when Snoop came to Japan, the Mr. Hakozaki I mentioned earlier (my partner at the shoe store) suddenly wanted the bandana stage outfit Snoop was wearing. He asked the promoter to sell it to him. He offered 200,000 yen and got an immediate “NO.” 300,000 yen and 400,000 yen also got a “NO.” At 500,000 yen, his expression changed. When he offered, “I’ll give you all my money for today, 550,000 yen!” Snoop ripped it off and said, “F#cK YEAH!” After that, Joe Cool told us to come to the hotel because he would draw a picture on the inside.
SEI: I was planning to ask about Joe Cool later. Did he come to Japan with them too?
2high: Yeah, yeah. That’s how it started. We went to the hotel the next day. I only met Snoop for a minute or two, but I was just trying to promote myself the whole time. Snoop is almost two meters tall, so he’s tall, you know. I’m short. I didn’t realize he had a video camera in his hand. I didn’t think I was being filmed. But I was, and he took the footage back to the U.S., edited it, and released it as a World Tour VHS. I was in it. I had no idea.
In ’98, when Snoop came back to Japan, I was booked to open for him, but a lot of annoying things happened, and it fell through. The person in charge arranged for me to meet Snoop, and I was called to the exact same hotel near Kannai Station as in ’96. They told me the media had 20 minutes with him first, and then he would make time for me. From the hotel entrance, there was an elevator straight ahead. I knew he would use the elevator to go up, so while the reporters were all crowded in the lobby, I waited there. I waited, and then Snoop came in. All the reporters surrounded him, but Snoop totally ignored them and kept saying, “YOSHI! YOSHI!” I was thinking, “Who’s Yoshi? Some lucky Japanese guy,” and I looked around, but there was no one. He was definitely looking at me, saying, “YOSHI!” “Huh? My name’s not Yoshi,” I thought, and then he shouted, “YOSHIIIIIIIIII!!!” and gave me a hug. I was like, “Me?!” He said, “Yoshi, what are you doing? You’re in the movie.” In ’98, Snoop was with No Limit, and the flier said he was coming with the No Limit crew, like Mystikal, Silkk the Shocker, and Mia X. Honestly, I was secretly more interested in them. But none of them came. Then Snoop asked me, “Yoshi, you got any w**d?” “Yeah.” “Let’s go!” “What about the interview?” “F#cK that!” he said, and he took me to his room. I explained everything that happened with the canceled opening act in my broken English at the time, and he told me, “F#ck all that!” and then said, “From today, you’re Dogg Pound!” That’s how I got in. And right after that, I came to America.
Meet Daz Dillinger: Pokémon Repayment
SEI: So, when did you meet Daz Dillinger?
2high: What happened was, I came to Compton to dig for records, and I met this guy named Bigg-A, who ran a record store called Underworld. It was a really old, established record store in Compton. But he wasn’t very business-minded, you know? There was a time when he seemed to be struggling financially, so during the first Pokémon boom around 2000, which was before Pokémon cards became super valuable like they are now, I would send him tons of cards from Japan as gifts for him to sell to get by. Easy-E’s son and other customers shopped there. Pokémon merchandise became a lifeline for him. But then I went back to Japan for a while and wasn’t able to send him any Pokémon. When I returned to the U.S., the store was gone, and I lost touch with him.
After I met Snoop around 1998 and moved to the US, I used to go to his house in Chino Hills almost every day. I’d go there, hang out, and get completely blazed, but there was no productivity. I was in such a great environment, but I wasn’t accomplishing anything. I realized that my own level—my English, my communication skills, my music skills—wasn’t up to par. I had an epiphany and decided to stop going. I deliberately stayed away to focus on improving myself. But they change their phone numbers all the time, and eventually, I lost contact.
Then, around 2006, I think it was, Snoop was headlining the Power 106 radio Powerhouse event at the Honda Center in Anaheim. I was there, wondering if I knew anyone who could get me in. That’s when Bigg-A from the Pokémon days found me and got me backstage. Pharrell, Nigo, Daz, and Kurupt were all there on stage at the time.
SEI: Daz and Kurupt… Kurupt had a falling out with Daz for a while after joining Death Row, right? I think they made up around 2005.
2high: You’re right! So it must have been 2005. The day after the Powerhouse event, Bigg-A called me at 6 a.m. and told me to come to Newport Beach right away. I woke up my friend and had him drive me. When we arrived, Bigg-A was flustered and said, “I have to go! Knock on that door, open it, and go inside! Bye!” and he left. I was like, “Seriously?” I was confused, but I opened the door, and there was a strong smell of marijuana. Then I saw Daz and Kurupt inside. Daz looked at me and said, “Yo, you’re gonna be my DJ, right?” I was totally caught off guard. It came out of nowhere, but I said, “Probably…?” (laughs out loud). After his record store went under, Bigg-A had become Daz’s manager. That was 2005. And that’s when we started DPG Japan.
SEI: So that was the trigger for you getting in. What were the conditions?
2high: The condition was Pokémon (laughs). Charizard.
SEI: You’re on good terms with Daz, right? What kind of person is he?
2high: He’s exactly what you’d expect. But in the last three to four years, things have been great for him. He’s finally getting money from 2Pac. For a long time, it was all tied up with Suge Knight. Different people were fighting over the masters and publishing rights everywhere. Daz produced a quarter of 2Pac’s album, so he received a significant amount. He has 10 “baby mamas” (mothers of his children) and 14 kids. What’s incredible about him is that he treats all of them equally. He used to have to provide for each mother, which was a huge struggle. But recently, he received a lump sum of 2Pac’s royalties. He acquired houses and land for each of the 10 mothers to settle things. If one kid wants something, he gets one for all of them equally, so it’s a lot of work.
It’s the same with Snoop; his parents are from the South, so he owns several mansions there, but in LA, he was staying with his cousin. At the apartment where the speaker lived, there was a referral program where a small amount was given for each new resident introduced. So the speaker referred friends, eventually bringing in about 30 people. Daz was one of them. They lived together for a couple of years. Daz’s body clock was on ATL time, so every morning early, he would interact with the speaker. That was a regular routine for a period of time.
SEI: That’s a great story about Daz’s private life.
Secrets with Tha Eastsidaz
2high: Before that, I lived with Goldie Loc of Tha Eastsidaz. That story is incredible, too! Do you know why they’re called Tha Eastsidaz?
SEI: Uh, isn’t it because they’re from the East side?
2high: The reason is a “ceasefire agreement.” In Eastside Long Beach, you had the “20 Clips” and the “East End Clips,” and although things are calm now, they used to have an ongoing war over territory. It was pretty bad, so they decided to call a truce. Goldie was the representative for the 20s, and Tray Deee was the representative for the East End, with Snoop in the middle.
SEI: So that’s how it happened!
2high: Since Goldie was a representative, he was an executive, right? My place started to become like an executive meeting place. Because I was with the executives, people on the outside automatically treated me like one. Things are calmer now, but back then, Goldie was a crazy drunk. He treated Hennessy like water. On the days he’d decide to drink, he’d buy it by the case. It would be gone by around 6 a.m., so he’d go to the store and buy two of the biggest, half-gallon (2-liter) bottles. The people around the 20s would drink one, and Goldie would drink the other straight from the bottle. There was an old lady housekeeper named Nikki at the time. She would make 20 eggs, 20 slices of bacon, 20 sausages, and 10 cheese toasts, and Goldie would eat 20 of each himself. Since he was a 20 Crip, he would eat 20 of each like it was nothing. But why only 10 cheese toasts? Because two slices of toast make one, so he was eating 20 of those too (big laugh). After he ate all that, he’d sleep for about 48 hours. It was insane.
SEI: There’s nothing but incredible stories! (laughs)
2high: I think it was about two weeks after I moved in. He came back from a meeting in Hollywood with a quarter-million dollars in cash (35 million yen). He said he got it from someone who owned a diamond mine in Africa. Apparently, he was given it in exchange for a promise to perform a live show, but he just took the money and never did the show (laughs). The next day, he went car shopping, bought a Mercedes for himself, an SUV for his girlfriend, and a car for his mom. The day after that, he wanted to buy a boat. He came to me and asked, “Hey, where do you buy a boat?” and I said, “You grew up in Long Beach, why are you asking me? Go to the pier!” About three hours later, he called me and said, “I decided!” so I went to see it. Since he said he was buying a boat, I assumed it was a cruiser, but he was looking at a speedboat. He said, “How about this one?” and I said, “No, that’s not right!” “It’s not?!” “No!” I pointed to a cruiser and said, “How about that one?” “Ohhh! Let’s buy this one!” he said and paid with $90,000 in cash right there. At this point, he was already down half the money, right? (big laugh).
SEI: So he didn’t have any savings?
2high: No way! And every Friday was strip night. He’d invite five strippers over. It cost him $100 for each one, then a bundle of $500 worth of $1 bills to throw around. The other $500 was for liquor. That’s $2,000 every Friday. But by Saturday, the house would be a total mess. It was getting out of control, so I told him to stop doing it at my place. Then he started doing it at a hotel instead. He wanted to throw money around, so it had to be a place with a loft. The room was $800. It’s so stupid, honestly (laughs out loud). He was doing things like that. He was a pretty heavy gang-active guy. He had this trauma from when his sister, Pancake (that was her name), was killed by a stray bullet. Someone was coming to kill him, but his sister was hit instead. So when he’d get drunk, he would patrol with a handgun, making these low groaning sounds. One day I was out on an errand, and my housekeeper Nikki picked me up from Long Beach and we were on our way back. Goldie called and said, “Don’t come back right now.” But we were already on our way, so we returned anyway. There were about 20 patrol cars in front of the house. It turned out the house had been attacked while I was away. There were bullet holes all over the wall next to my work table. I was like, “If I had been working here, I would have been hit” (laughs). I think this was around 2008. After that, he gave up and moved downtown to start living with Daz. Oh, it was awful (laughs). It was fun, but it was awful.
SEI: Did you learn anything from Daz?
2high: I was influenced by everything (laughs). The good and the bad (big laugh). Hmm, something good, huh… (ponders for a moment) Early to bed, early to rise.
SEI: Huh?! Is that it?!
2high: Also, he doesn’t drink alcohol.
SEI: What about you?
2high: I don’t drink either. Maybe once every few years. Yeah. I guess that’s one of the things I picked up from Daz. No drinks. The bad influence… being a womanizer (laughs out loud).
SEI: You’re probably closer to Snoop than any other Japanese person. What is Snoop like from your perspective?
2high: Hmm. He’s a businessman. A total businessman. It feels like he’s become even more business-minded recently than he used to be. Before, it was all about “for the homies,” but that’s gone now. Some parts of that have worked out well for him, and others have not.
DJ2high’s X: https://x.com/dj2high
DJ2high’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dj2high/
DJ2high’s YouTube Channel: https://youtube.com/@dj2high_tv?si=IQADNRi2IBuG1i_i
Materials and filming cooperation provided by: DJ2high
(To be continued in Part 2)
