DJ Couz Interview Part 2: 2Pac, Nipsey Hussle and “Be Sincere”

Translation, attribution and safety note: This English edition was translated and edited from Part Two of HIPHOPCs’ Japanese DJ Couz interview, published on November 26, 2025. It preserves the speaker’s meaning while reducing repetition. Stories involving 2Pac, Suge Knight, Nipsey Hussle, DJ Quik, B-Real and other third parties are explicitly presented as DJ Couz’s recollections or as accounts told to him—not independent findings by HIPHOPCs. Private conversations, affiliations and studio files were not independently reviewed. Readers should not use the discussion of Los Angeles neighborhoods as a route guide.

Part One traced DJ Couz from pre-internet record hunting in Tokyo to Big Boy’s Los Angeles circle and a project with Nipsey Hussle. Part Two asks what he learned there. Its most important thread is not proximity to famous names. It is the discipline he believes makes any connection last: work hard, choose the right example and remain sincere.

A studio engineer’s account of working around 2Pac

DJ Couz: I never met 2Pac—he died in 1996. But I once worked with a mix engineer who told me he had been involved in 2Pac’s final period and had credits across much of The Don Killuminati: The 7 Day Theory. He also told me he had worked on Eminem’s “Stan.”

When I asked what it had been like, his first response was that the work was hell. According to him, 2Pac could record for nearly twenty-four hours, leave for only a few hours and then return for another session. An engineer still has work after the artist finishes, so he remembered being unable to sleep.

I connected that intensity with the large amount of music released after 2Pac’s death. Songs such as “Changes” and “Do For Love” were not selected for the core albums released during his lifetime, yet later became classics. To me, that shows how deep the archive was. The engineer’s view was that 2Pac could transform even a simple beat because the lyrics and story kept pouring out.

Editorial verification: HIPHOPCs does not identify the engineer because the Japanese interview did not name him, and we have not reviewed studio logs or complete credit files. The schedule and any characterization of songs as “rejected” should therefore be read as recollection and interpretation—not a settled discography. 2Pac’s official website separately lists both lifetime and posthumous releases.

What DJ Couz says Suge Knight told him

DJ Couz: In February 2002, Big Boy took me to the Death Row office that was then near Wilshire and San Vicente in Beverly Hills. Suge Knight showed us around and spoke about the label’s history. During the visit he asked whether I wanted to succeed in music.

He told me, in effect: if you want success, do not sleep—work more than everyone else. When I later heard the engineer’s 2Pac story, I remembered that advice. I do not believe refusing sleep is automatically healthy or good. My takeaway is that if you live and work exactly like everyone else, you should not expect an exceptional result.

I see that labor across the careers of Snoop Dogg, Dr. Dre and Ice Cube too. Their output takes different forms—albums, unreleased studio work, touring, films or business—but none of it is passive.

Editorial note: The visit and private statement above are DJ Couz’s account. HIPHOPCs has not reviewed Death Row visitor records. Sleep deprivation carries health and safety risks; the quote is presented as a career anecdote, not medical or workplace advice.

Seeing 2Pac’s working notes at the GRAMMY Museum

DJ Couz: Around a decade ago, I visited the GRAMMY Museum’s 2Pac exhibition in Los Angeles. I remember seeing notes that sketched an idea for the “2 of Amerikaz Most Wanted” video—something like two men stepping out of a limousine and the sequence continuing from there. The handwriting felt immediate. I came away thinking that 2Pac did not have to force ideas out; they overflowed, and his work was the process of giving them form.

The GRAMMY Museum confirms that All Eyez on Me: The Writings of Tupac Shakur ran from February 2, 2015 to January 10, 2016 and displayed artifacts preserved by the Estate of Tupac Shakur. The specific interpretation of the note is DJ Couz’s.

The artists he respects—and why

Sei: Which artist do you respect most?

DJ Couz: As a person, Big Boy. If you limit the answer to artists, the names people usually associate with my taste are Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg and Ice Cube. For artistic cool, DJ Quik. For the way he lived, Nipsey Hussle.

DJ Quik has always seemed completely committed to music. I have seen how intensely he can focus. B-Real is another artist whose reach is difficult to reduce to one community or genre. Cypress Hill built an audience across racial and musical boundaries, and artists repeatedly chose B-Real for records that needed his particular voice and standing, including Snoop Dogg’s “Vato” and DJ Quik’s “Fandango.”

Attribution note: The Japanese conversation also discussed street affiliations and stories about private associates. This English edition does not convert those claims into biographical fact. DJ Couz’s central point was about musical respect and cross-community reach, not a determination of anybody’s current affiliation.

Why relationships in the culture depend on conduct

Sei: It is rare for somebody from outside the United States—and outside Black culture—to be accepted in these rooms. How did you do it?

DJ Couz: Big Boy’s presence mattered enormously. Many West Coast artists see him as family, so being introduced as his homeboy is a special entrance. But after the introduction, people look at the work. I have spent my career communicating the appeal of West Coast hip-hop to Japan. Artists I toured or worked with—DJ Quik, Nipsey Hussle, Xzibit, Coolio and Baby Bash among them—could see that I respected them and was helping expand their audience.

The most important thing is sincerity. Do not use somebody’s name without permission. Do not advance a project through lies or bluffing. Follow through. Cultural differences exist between Japan and America, but people recognize whether you handle ordinary human responsibilities properly.

A warning about treating Los Angeles neighborhoods as scenery

Sei: Gang history is inseparable from a lot of West Coast rap. What should visitors understand?

DJ Couz: A visitor cannot understand every local relationship. Sets, rivalries and alliances are far more complicated than “red versus blue,” and they can change. Somebody I knew from Compton gave me simple advice: if you see gang tagging, do not treat it as a photo opportunity. It may mark contested territory. If you cannot read every local sign—colors, teams, clothing and relationships—leave.

People sometimes say they visited a neighborhood and nothing happened. That only means nothing happened at that time. Another day or hour can be different. Admiration for street culture is not protection, and being able to explain yourself after trouble begins is not a safety plan.

Safety note: This section is a general warning, not a comprehensive description of present-day Los Angeles and not travel advice. Conditions change. Follow current guidance from local authorities and trusted local contacts; do not enter private property or seek out active conflict areas.

The 1963 Impala that completed a teenage dream

DJ Couz: I have owned a 1963 Impala SS convertible for more than sixteen years. Lefties in Hiroshima built it. It won Best Lowrider at the 2009 Hot Rod Custom Show and several other awards, appeared in Japanese lowrider magazines and later appeared in a Nipsey Hussle video.

Boyz n the Hood gave me the dream, and DJ work enabled me to realize it. When I showed Ice Cube a photograph and explained that his film had led me to this 1963 Impala in Japan, he reacted, “Ooh, sweet.” In LA, I ride a Harley-Davidson.

Editorial note: The awards, video appearance and private exchange are DJ Couz’s account. HIPHOPCs has not independently authenticated vehicle records.

Club DJ, radio DJ and live DJ are three different disciplines

Sei: How do those roles differ?

DJ Couz: A club DJ reads the floor. If Snoop’s “Who Am I? (What’s My Name?)” works, maybe the room wants Dre, YG or Mustard. If it does not, you test a different coast or era. The crowd gives you information.

Radio is harder because you cannot see the listener. They can change stations with one button, so every record is a test. You work within the station’s rotation while trying not to sound identical to every other DJ. You must hold attention without direct feedback.

A live DJ’s first duty is the artist’s show. You prepare tracks and effects, make cuts at the correct moment and give the artist the right entrance. Even a pre-show set is not an opportunity to steal attention. If the artist opens quietly, pushing the room to maximum energy with “California Love” can make the actual opening feel flat. The DJ builds the precise level that lets the artist’s performance land.

How “I Don’t Give A Fxxk” found AK-69 and MACCHO

Sei: How did the beat reach AK-69?

DJ Couz: Onodub and I were making many beats for a project involving a U.S. artist who had been signed to Dr. Dre’s label. While we were making one beat, I immediately thought, “This is AK.”

I took it to a Tokyo venue where AK was performing. He had just finished a headlining set. When I played the beat backstage, his expression changed from a smile to complete music focus. Before one verse had passed, he told me he wanted it and would finish it properly.

Months later, hearing AK’s verse in the studio convinced me the record would be different. The hook raised it, MACCHO’s verse confirmed it, and their exchange in the third verse completed it. The first time I heard it live was at the Nagoya Gaishi Hall release party for AK’s RED MAGIC. Every level of the venue had its hands up. I still remember that sight.

Attribution note: The pitch, studio reaction and concert memory are DJ Couz’s firsthand account. HIPHOPCs has not reviewed private session files or production contracts.

Independent work between Japan and America

Sei: You also arrange artist visits to Japan. Do you run your own company?

DJ Couz: I once belonged to a DJ label and management company, where bringing U.S. artists to Japan was part of the company’s work. I became independent in 2010 and continued those activities on my own. The main country depends on the project. I still travel quietly between Japan and America for work connected to U.S. artists, and I want to contribute not only to music but also to lowrider and street culture.

“Be sincere”—and look at the right part of a role model

Sei: What advice would you give young DJs and artists who want an international career?

DJ Couz: I am not in a position to lecture people, but I remind myself first: be sincere. Then ask whom you are learning from—and which part of that person you are looking at.

Nipsey Hussle was respected not simply because of the street identity people attached to him. His words and actions moved people. When I first visited his studio, the books on his shelves showed me how seriously he read. He was intelligent, and the knowledge behind his business ideas, advice and conduct influenced people across age, race and profession.

If somebody wants to resemble Nipsey and only copies blue clothing or a tough pose, they have missed the point. His substance was intelligence and execution. In an era of unlimited information, choosing what to learn becomes a compass.

Before asking for a hookup, raise your own level. People working at the highest level generally work with peers who can contribute at that level. Continue intelligently—but remember that being smart and being dishonest are not the same. Stay sincere, choose the right example, listen to trustworthy people and keep improving.

The writer’s afterthought: an LA samurai

During this three-hour interview, a building fire drill made the reserved room unusable. DJ Couz quickly checked the situation, made calls and secured another nearby room. He then handled sensitive questions about Los Angeles with care, correcting vague language without humiliating the interviewer.

That combination—fast judgment, consideration, humility and consistency—is why the Japanese edition called him an “LA samurai.” The phrase was not about romanticizing conflict. It described somebody who acts, keeps faith and does not boast.

Read Part One and verified references

• Part One: Big Boy, Nipsey Hussle and learning West Coast hip-hop
• DJ Couz official website
• GRAMMY Museum: All Eyez on Me exhibition
• 2Pac official website
• Nipsey Hussle at the Recording Academy
• DJ SN-Z on Yokohama, OZROSAURUS and Los Angeles
• More HIPHOPCs exclusive interviews in English

Interview: Sei / HIPHOPCs
Japanese-edition materials: supplied by DJ Couz
English-edition artwork: original HIPHOPCs editorial design; no third-party visual material