The first time I ever smoked a blunt was around December 1988. I was a saucy, sprite little white kid, about 17 years old, and was visiting my high school sweetheart (we'll call her Jane), who was staying in New York. Being a native Angelino and in the Big Apple for the first time, my top priority was to smoke some of that famous East Coast ganja. (Little did I know that New York was actually famous for its lack of good weed!) My buddy JJ and I hoofed it to a bodega on First Avenue that sold weed, then headed to Central Park to toke away. Suddenly I realized neither one of us had a pipe or papers. "No sweat," said Double J, as he proceeded to whip out a pack of Phillies. "We'll just roll a blunt." A blunt? What the hell was that? JJ broke out the cigar, ripped it open, dumped out the tobacco, poured the weed in, and rolled a nice fat blunt. We found a nice shady area in Central Park and proceeded to get really, really high.

I had officially entered the world of blunt smoking.

Despite being introduced to blunts more than a decade ago, I never really learned the art of rolling one. I'd seen it done many times, and heard all the rappers break it down in song, but none of my stoner buddies smoked that way in L.A., so I was still kind of a virgin. Then it hit me. What if I could get a bunch of rap and rock stars together, score a big sack of weed, and have them show me the way? I could take my own love of pot, incorporate a bunch of cool musicians, smoke my brains out, complete my blunt education, and turn it into a piece for POPsmear. Brilliant!

"That smokin' shit is like…a nigga gotta have it! After every meal. Yup."–Xzibit

I immediately jumped on the phone to my editor and publisher in New York and made my demands. It went something like this: "Fuss, James: I have a BIG problem. It seems that we haven't done a story in the magazine about the art of blunt rolling. It dawns on me that this is a major creative and editorial problem, and must be remedied immediately or we will all suffer the consequences of being thought of as uncool to certain factions of the pot smoking community. Through much research and contemplation, I have come to the conclusion that the only solution to this monumental problem is for the magazine to buy me an ounce of high grade, top quality marijuana, allow me to round up an all-star cast of hip hop and rock titans, and green light a massive smoke-a-thon that will result in expanding our readership's knowledge of blunt smoking, hip hop, and all that is real."

Amazingly enough, they bought my story–and the weed.

I scored the weed and found a location. The gathering of the tribes was to take place at the Nuttsack, Fishbone studio in Hollywood. The calls were made, and as soon as word spread that POPsmear was offering free weed to whoever showed up and talked to the white guy, the confirmations started rolling in.

Let the smoking begin!

DIRTY WALT: Fishbone dog, trumpet enthusiast, King of the Freaks

Frank: When did you roll your first blunt?

Dirty: I rolled my first blunt in '89 or something like that. 'Til then I was, you know, a joint man or a little pipe man. I was into bongs, wooden pipes. Then I went to New York, and my man broke out one of those real blunts with the real leaf and the whole deal. I was like, "Let me hit that." When I hit it, I was hooked. I said, "I'm not smokin' nuttin' else but blunts from now on." And that's where I've been ever since.

Frank: So you're a blunt man.

Dirty: I'm a blunt man. Fully established.

Frank: So what's the difference between smoking a joint and smoking a blunt?

Dirty: Well, I think you get two times higher. It depends on how much you like to roll and smoke, you know? You can smoke 'em big, you can smoke 'em small, but it's all good. The flavor is excellent, and then it don't run down the side all the time and all that. It's like an even burn mostly, you know?

Frank: And stronger, too, huh?

Dirty: Oh yeah. You get a different kind of buzz off the papers. It like doubles the buzz. That shit's wrapped in tobacco, as opposed to putting tobacco in it, like over in Europe or something like that.

ANGELO MOORE, aka DR. MADD VIBES: Fishbone soldier, saxophone wizard, lead vocalist extraordinaire, bogus poetry

Frank: Tell me about your first experience smoking blunts.

Madd: It was with Walt, our trumpet player, somewhere here in L.A. I used to be like, hey man, why mix a fuckin' tobacco leaf with your weed? You know what I'm sayin'? Just have some paper, you know, roll a joint. But see, smokin' blunts, man, it's a different style of smokin' your weed, and it's all right with me.

Frank: What's the difference?

Madd: For me, it's like, when you smoke with a blunt, you get more tobacco with your weed. When you smoke with rolling papers you get a whole lot less of that tobacco. I don't even think rolling papers are made out of tobacco, but whatever it's made out of, it's thin and you get to smoke the actual ganja, more of it, rather than like the outer layer of tobacco. You know, I can't smoke cigarettes or nothin', but I'll smoke some weed.

Frank: So what is the beauty of the weed?

Madd: It rounds out the edges, man. When you got stress in your life and got just a whole gang of bullshit rollin' on you like a big fuckin' boulder, you can always get a little green. It grows from the earth, it's natural. You know, it helps you relax. It helps keep the devils out, dude.

YUKMOUTH: Member of the Luniz, solo artist with a vengeance, street hustler, master of the rap game, has five on it

Frank: Hey, it's Yukmouth! Dude, do you refuse to brush your teeth like your Saturday morning namesake?

Yuk: What?

Frank: You know, the fat yellow guy who used to teach kids about brushing teeth the hard way, and refrigeration, and making snowcones out of ice cubes and toothpicks!

Yuk: No, man! I'm Yukmouth from the Luni-spigoonies! Thugged out, nigga!

Frank: Oh, well, how did you first get into the art of rolling blunts?

Yuk: Shit, my partner from Frisco! I was in jail in, like, '91, doing some time, that was my camp visit, you know what I'm sayin'? I was in camp, did juvenile shit. So I come on the weekend and my dude, he rollin' shit up in like a Garcia y Vega, right? They smoke this shit in Frisco. So I'm smokin' this shit and I'm like, "Whoa, what the fuck is this?" I think he rolled it in a real muthafuckin' leaf, like off the ground, you know what I'm sayin'? So from there on we just kept smokin' 'em. And we was like some of the first niggaz smokin' blunts in the Bay. But then everybody started smokin' 'em heavy like in '95. Frisco niggaz was up on it! It's like a trend.

Frank: Where did you grow up?

Yuk: East Oakland baby. 69 Village. Dirtiest projects in Oakland.

Frank: So what's the main difference between smokin' blunts and smokin' joints?

Yuk: I like blunts, man. I mean, a joint is just for one dude. But if you got like eight niggaz wit you, don't smoke a joint because it's gonna burn wrong and it's gonna disappear quickly. If you got eight niggaz, just smoke a blunt and it'll go around equally. And I'm always around eight or more niggaz, you know what I'm sayin', so I got to stick with blunts! Plus, it's easier, man. I like rollin' blunts. I roll these while I drive and shit. You can't roll Zags while you drivin'. I mean, you can, but you got to be an expert. I just break the blunt down and just put the weed right down in the blunt and crush it and twist it instantly. Stick shift drivin', anything.

Frank: Is there an art to rollin' blunts?

Yuk: You gotta learn. Some niggaz still can't split a blunt down without havin' a fuckin' knife.…

Frank: Do you use your fingernail?

Yuk: Naw, I just push it back. Bang! It just pops! Just crack it down, slide it out with one finger, and it's done. Expert. Expert. Expert!

Frank: So, what's up with Rap-A-Lot? They kind of invented the Southern gangsta rap shit, but Master P 's No Limit seems to be stealing some of their thunder right now.

Yuk: They still hold down the South, it's all Rap-A-Lot, even with the No Limits and Suave Houses in there. Let's face it.

Frank: Isn't it kinda weird how No Limit started using that cheap Pen & Pixel graphics shit on all their ads?

Yuk: I hate that shit, man.

Frank: Yeah, it looks terrible. But then when their shit started selling, all of a sudden Rap-A-Lot and Suave Houses started using those same shitty graphics in all their ads, too. Now they even have the diamond encrusted necklaces and logos like No Limit, too. Is Rap-A-Lot kinda selling out or what?

Yuk: I hate that shit. I told [Rap-A-Lot CEO] Lil' J myself. He about to come off that shit, too.

Frank: They shouldn't have to jump on the No Limit bandwagon. Rap-A-Lot invented the hardcore Southern gangsta music!

Yuk: Exactly. That's what I said! Fuck an ad! Next to Eazy-E and N.W.A., Scarface and the Geto Boys invented that shit and that's that. They are pioneers and they are legendary. Everybody looked up to these niggaz. So the ad shit, none of that shit even matters, but I told my niggaz that we don't need to be doin' any shit like that because we be looking like we coming out on No Limit. It's cool, though. I'm getting my shit. Fuck how the ad look.

E-SWIFT: One third of the Alkaholiks, aka the Liks, aka Likwit Crew, aka Likwit Coalition, rag tag hip hop mercenary, party animal at large

E-Swift: Yo, yo, what's up? This is E-Swift from the Alkaholik Crew, checkin' it out.

Frank: How'd you get into smoking blunts?

E-Swift: See I smoked blunts when I was living in Ohio, you know. It was more or less like a East Coast thing, but this friend of mine came to Ohio and was like, "Hey man, try this out." He had rolled up some weed in his cigar and I was like, "Man you ain't supposed to smoke weed in no cigar!" I was clownin' him and shit then next thing you know we smokin' it. It's like, damn, this muthafucka's kinda good, so it's become like a habit after that, you know what I mean?

Frank: More powerful than a joint, right?

E-Swift: Yeah, but it's kinda more, like, I think the blunt gives you a different kind of high. You just can't taste the weed as well like a pipe or something, but it's all good.

Frank: Why do you think it is such an East Coast thing?

E-Swift: See, out there their weed doesn't taste as good as ours. They have really bullshit weed, so like rollin' it up in a blunt kinda took some of the harsh taste away from it. It's like you're smoking a cigar, but subliminally it's really weed, you know what I'm sayin'?

Frank: Do you think because blunts are like cigars that they are the classy way to smoke, or is it a street thang?

E-Swift: Aw, man, I think it's definitely not the classy thing to do with marijuana. I think the boozy people would prefer to smoke it in a bong or something, you know, but it's definitely a ghetto thing. The whole cheap cigar thang? That's some ol' ghetto shit.

J-RO: Alkaholik mic wrecka, livin' large and in charge MC, getting' paid and laid player

Frank: So are you rockin' blunts when you're on the road touring?

Ro: We're known as a live group, and we definitely rockin' the blunts, you know what I'm sayin'? 'Cause it's basically like, you throw a party and the Alkaholiks is goin' be there and you know it's gonna pop. You know it's gonna be live as fuck, so the promoters always want to bring us out, 'cause that's what we known for, we're not really known for major rotation on the radio, no bullshit like that, you know. We known for rockin' the house.

Frank: How do guys feel about playing to those punk rock crowds as opposed to like the hip hop crowds?

Ro: I don't feel no different, man. It's all party down. I'm down with the underdog, always, you know what I mean? So it's like a bunch of underdogs in the place, that's how I look at it. We just came to rock the house! It depends on the city, really. If it's more like hip hop audience, they got soul. They're not like the punk rockers. The punk rockers don't give a fuck about bobbin' and shit. They just go crazy and start throwing beer and shit, and slam dancing. The hip hop crowd, they like to bob to the beat first, then when a song come on that they really like, then they just start actin' the fool.

CATASHTROPHE, aka TASH: Alkaholik rap legend, funky rhyme slayer, full tilt boogie smoker

Cat: What's up! This is Catashtrophe, Alkaholik click, baby.

Frank: Tell me about the first time you remember smokin' blunts.

Cat: Shit, I ain't gonna lie, I don't remember the first, first time. But shit, I done smoked a gang of them since though. See I was born in Ohio, and I moved out here in '84. But I'd been going to the East Coast for a while and out there, they was pretty much up on blunts. But it wasn't as popular as it is now. It was only like certain people did it and the first people that really brought it around, nobody even liked that shit at first 'cause you had to lick all on the blunt and shit and it was a long-ass process. But as more and more rappers started talking about it on the records, it kinda caught on in popularity around the world. It was just the United States at first, and now they smokin' blunts everywhere. Overseas, Japan, everywhere.

Frank: Why are blunts so popular with rappers?

Cat: Smokin' blunts is purely a street thing, baby, 'cause we use blunts to kinda camouflage us smokin' weed. 'Cause if we sittin' there with a joint hangin' out our mouth the cops gonna know that it's a joint, but when you rollin' a fat blunt, you can roll by the cops and shit and blow smoke, and they think it's a cigar so we just keep it moving.

Frank: So what's the difference between the way you feel when you get high off a blunt versus getting high off a joint?

Cat: See, I do both. I smoke blunts, but I smoke papers too, because I catch that supersonic chronic and I want to taste it, so I smoke at least one joint. But when my homies start comin' around, you know the joints go too fast. You pass a joint around twice, and it's gone. You can pass the blunt around six or seven times.

Frank: The thing is, too, is that you can get some shitty bunk Mexican weed, and you can put it in a joint, and it might not taste so good, but you put it in a blunt and you don't know the difference.

Cat: Yeah, exactly. Blunts are so harsh, it's like all you taste is blunt when you smoke blunts, you know? Even if you got the stinkiest chronic, you still goin' taste blunt. But that's why people invented bongs, I guess.

Frank: So what's your choice: bong, pipe, blunt or joint?

Cat: My first choice would have to be the blunt, because normally when I'm smokin' weed, I'm smokin' it with all my homeboys around me, and you know it kind of like a ritual. It's like how the Indians used to sit around and pass around the peace pipe, that's how we pass around the blunt. You know, we done smoked a considerable amount of blunts, but we just hope that blunts don't fuck us up for the future, you know what I'm sayin', 'cause we're like an experimental generation. Our forefathers didn't really fuck with blunts, so we gonna see how healthy it is when we get to like 50. So think about that. I'm doin' this interview, but I'm not tellin' you it's good to smoke blunts. I just seen on tv that it's ok to smoke moderate amounts of marijuana. The doctor said it's cool now, so, you know, I guess smokin' weed is cool, but the best way to smoke it is in a bong. It's not the most popular, but it's the best, healthiest way. Like ya'll give a shit about your health!

XZIBIT: Rough and tumble rap superhero, gravel-throated journeyman, Likwit crew member

Frank: Why smoke a blunt? What's the advantage?

Xzibit: Smoking a blunt makes that shit last longer, makes it hit a little harder, if you like that type of shit. It's like the same thing between drinking Hennessy and drinking gin. You can slam down a gang of gin, but you can't slam down a gang of Hennessy or you be on your back. Frank: What's the beauty of the weed?

Xzibit: Well, for me it's just part of my lifestyle right now. It used to be just for recreation, but that smokin' shit is like...a nigga gotta have it! After every meal. Yup.

Frank: Do you think it helps you as far as writing lyrics and stuff? It seems with so much stuff to remember as a rapper, so many lyrics, that it would be hard to remember all this stuff when you're high.

Xzibit: Sometimes when you're high you remember raps that you would have never remembered if you didn't smoke. You remember a rap from two years ago. So it works both ways. It don't really effect the way I do it. I was writing rhymes sober, too, so it don't really matter.

Frank: Have you ever gotten so faded that you get up there on stage and just space out and forget everything?

Xzibit: No, no. The audience don't understand. They don't want to see you up there whoaing, they want to see you flowing.

Frank: How'd you get porn legend Gregory Dark to direct the video for "What U See is What U Get"? He's the king of porn! Do you watch a lot of porn?

"So I get high in like stages. The first level is where the lizard brain is activated."–Norwood Fisher

Xzibit: Nah, I don't fuck with that. I mean, I've never seen his films. I've only known him for the work he's done with the Alkaholiks and he seemed like he was real easy to work with.

Frank: That's cool. He did some crazy porn back in the day, but always real creative, trippy shit. Not like the straight up porn, but weird shit with guys with pencil heads and like...chicken heads and shit.

Xzibit: No, no, man.

MAD LION: Reggae rap spiritualist, dreadlocked sage of the new world, hip hop visionary

Mad: Hello. My name is Mad Lion.

Frank: Tell me about your first experience smoking blunts, Mr. Lion.

Mad: My first experience was sitting in a Buddah Camp, a gathering of a bunch of Rastafarians. You know, I was never a smoker to roll up a spliff until I was introduced to a chalice and it happened to be a morning when I didn't have anything to eat and I went and hit this chalice….

Frank: What's a chalice?

Mad: A chalice is what you would call a bong, you know what I'm sayin', but it's made slightly different. I smoked off a whole bunch of weed and I ended up almost catching cardiac arrest. I had smoked too much. I was smoking it like it was cigarettes. That was the first experience. And ever since then I knew that was for me.

Frank: You wanted to hit that cardiac arrest level?

Mad: No, no, in smaller doses, you know. I prefer to smoke joints because I like the taste. I want as much taste of the herb as I can get. Some people smoke blunts because they like the taste of the tobacco and it gives them a higher rush, but for me, I like the raw essence of it. I'm not a pipe smoker, but I'll roll up a coconut chalice in a minute, you know what I'm sayin'? It gives it a nice aroma along with the weed itself, you know? A word of advice to all weed smokers out there who approach smokin' weed with ignorance–you should never smoke the seed because you will kill the breed. If you respect the plant for what it contributes to your everyday life, you should actually take the time out to find a dirt pot or something to throw these seeds in and you'll spread love throughout the world. And that's some real shit.

LA THE DARKMAN: Wu Tang family member, lyrical assassin, hip hop sniper

Frank: Tell me about your history with blunt smoking.

Dark: I always smoked blunts. I never smoked joints. I was like 13 when I first started. I'm 21 now. Like '89 or some shit like that.

Frank: So you were smoking blunts ever since you started smoking weed?

Dark: Yeah. I roll Dutches. I don't smoke Phillies. Dutch Masters, baby. But I ain't goin' promote them, 'cause they goin' have to give me something for that. I'll leave it at that.

Frank: So what is the difference between Dutches and other brands?

Dark: Dutch leaves burn way slower and taste natural. It lasts way longer. It goes out if you ain't puffin' it.

Frank: Yukmouth was sayin' the difference between blunts and joints is whether you want to smoke by yourself or with a gang of niggaz. You think a blunt is the party way to go?

Dark: I don't know, cause I smoke by myself all the time. Blunts is the shit right now, though, even though everybody be killin' they brain cells.

Frank: What do you think about that?

Dark: Fuck it! The world is fucked up. You might as well smoke some, you know what I mean? Let all the world know we get high. Legalize weed, for real.

Frank: So what's the difference between smoking weed through the cigar papers versus regular papers?

Dark: Joint papers be blowin' away and shit. You in the wind, you roll in Harlem, Brooklyn, you know what I mean, comin' through, the wind and joints be blowin' away. So with the blunts you can keep it all together and you can just thump your ashes like BLAP!

JONAS CABRERA: Lead singer/trumpeter for the Skeletones, ska-soul visionary, high energy revolutionary

Jonas: This is Jonas "Monkey Man" Cabrera from the Skeletones. We're having a great ol' time out here in Los Angeles, California. Rollin' and smokin'. Relaxin'.

Frank: What are your thoughts about blunt rolling techniques?

Jonas: Well, I think that it's one of those things that you need to take seriously, because you don't want to fuck up rollin' a blunt. So if you don't know how to do it be honest and say, "Hey, can someone help me?" or, "Can someone roll this?"

Frank: What's your words of advice to a beginning smoker?

Jonas: Start off with a Philly. That's probably the easiest starter for you. It's like a starter kit 'cause it's big, and you can crack it down the middle with your hands, or a blade. The tobacco falls out nicely. You don't got to worry about it really slippin' through the wrap. And you know, you take the outside off, fill the inside with weed, you lick that, and you in there. That's probably the easiest one for a beginner.

Frank: Where'd you learn to roll blunts?

Jonas: Man, I actually learned how to roll blunts from the Fishbone army.

Frank: Why do I have a feeling that Walt taught you?

Jonas: Well, indirectly. You watch and you observe, and when I was out on the road with them I picked it up because a lot of blunt smokin' was goin' on the tour I was on. I'm a pretty dedicated smoker, but I was having a hard time keeping up. I just learned on the road. I learned from watching other people roll blunts. I started out with a little Philly and worked my way up.

Frank: Worked your way up to what?

Jonas: To bigger cigars.

Frank: Like what? What are the brands?

Jonas: I don't really go for any particular brand. I mean, I like Swisher Sweets and Kings. I like the Kings right now. That's like my all time favorite, because it's got a real leaf on the outside. And also, if you're going for flavor, you want to get a sweeter cigar, obviously. I like the sweet taste rather than like the strong, bitter taste.

NORWOOD FISHER: Fishbone bassist, legendary ska survivalist, master of the groove

Frank: What about you, Norwood?

Wood: I'm just scared of myself when I start smokin', man. My brain is a little too active in the wrong areas. It might not be the wrong areas, but my survival instincts are at a high level as of late, and every time I smoke, those survival instincts go toward the paranoid side.

Frank: So tell me how did you get first into smokin' blunts?

Wood: Dirty Walt.

Frank: That's what Angelo and Jonas said, too.

Wood: There was these hip hop artists off the East Coast who were popularizing the term and the idea and Walt was doin' it and it seemed like a very nice thing to do. This is what I've got to say about blunts: I love it because when you smoke a blunt you go way past that paranoid point. I only get paranoid when I don't smoke enough weed. It's like my body calls for more weed to be smoked. If I don't smoke enough weed then I'm goin' be like crazy. So I get high in like stages. The first level is where the lizard brain is activated.

Frank: What's the lizard brain?

Wood: That's to say man in his primitive state had a brain that was more like a lizard and it was survival only. Everything was to survive because you had the dinosaurs running around and all these crazy things and so you had to always be on point, right? So when you first hit the joint, that paranoia is just your lizard kickin' up. Then you have different levels of thinking that you can reach, but you just gotta keep smokin' and a blunt is perfect for that. It just packs more of what you smokin' for. I used to see the Peter Tosh album covers where they be smokin' those big cones.…

Frank: Yeah, like the old Cheech and Chong-style joints….

Wood: Yeah, every now and again you pick up High Times and you see the people with the big, huge joints. Well, the blunt, it just takes care of all of that, and it's way better than the European style of smokin' weed where they just take some regular papers, put in some regular ass weed, and then add tobacco. That makes me mad. But a blunt...you want to take crack off the street? Give people coco leaves. Go chew the shit and run a mile!

. . .So there you go. Some of the most illustrious figures in rap and rock giving their opinions on the art of blunt rolling and the pros and cons of smoking weed. I think we've all learned some important lessons here. Let's review them, shall we:

1. Do not, under any circumstances, let your kids anywhere near Dirty Walt!

2. Blunts are straight up ghetto!

3. Blunts are stronger and harsher, but add another level of intensity to smoking pot.

4. You must get your priorities straight before you commit to blunts or joints as a means of smoking: Are you interested in the taste of the pot or the overall experience? If you want the taste of the weed, smoke joints. If you want the ritual, flavor and aroma, smoke blunts.

5. Do not smoke a joint if you have a gang of eight niggaz coming over! Blunts are a group activity. Don't screw it up!

6. Be aware that smoking weed in any way, shape or form is dangerous to your health and mental state. But, obviously, that's not much of a concern here!

7. If you don't smoke enough, you will turn into a lizard.

8. The world is fucked up, so you might as well smoke.

9. Never smoke the seed, because you will kill the breed.

10. Do not, under any circumstances, let your kids anywhere near Dirty Walt!

By the way, the downside of my blunt smoking adventure in New York was that the next night JJ and I went out with my girl and some of her hot babe friends and decided we should all share a midnight blunt. As one of Jane's friends took in a monster hit and held the extra strong smoke from the cigar/pot mixture in her lungs for what seemed like minutes, I made the unfortunate remark, "Wow! You must be a pro!" She turned to me with a look of horror in her eyes, and with smoke billowing out of every facial orifice, and said, "What do you mean, 'pro'?" As always, I just kept digging my own grave and retorted, "Well, it just seems like you must have smoked a lot before, since you can hold in such strong smoke for so long. I've never seen a girl do that before." She immediately burst into tears and ran away in a cloud of smoke. All of Jane's friends turned to me and hissed, "I can't believe you just said that" and ran away after her. Even Jane screamed, "You bastard, how can you be so cruel? Now she thinks she's a drug addict!" She, too, ran away.

So, there I sat, on the steps of the Museum of Natural History blunt still smokin', JJ by my side, minus the five hot babes we were sure were ours for the night, taking in the whole series of events. JJ turned to me and said, "Well, you sure have a way with the ladies, Frank!"

Indeed I do, JJ. Indeed, I do.…

Fishbone has an album on Hollywood Records due in late '99 that's rumored to have a slew of special guest stars dropping some serious funk. Fishbone also has a two volume compilation album coming out on their own Nuttsactor 5 Records called U-Nutted We Stand that should drop in late '99. You can check out their website or drop a line to their fan club, the Fishbone Familyhood, at 1626 N Wilcox, POB 611, Hollywood CA 90028.

Norwood's all-star P-funk-style jam band, Trulio Disgracias, will release their debut album Nuttin's Gonna get You if You Don't Look Out on Transmission Records.

Dirty Walt and the Columbus Sanitations will release their long-awaited debut To put it Bluntly on Nuttsactor 5 Records sometime in '99.

Angelo Moore's book of poetry is called Dr. Madd Vibes Comprehensive Linkology. You can order Dr. Madd Vibes, videos, cds and more Fishbone goodies by writing the Fishbone Familyhood. Also check out his refrigerator and poetry.

The Alkaholiks most recent album, Likwidation, on Loud Records was dope as fuck and they're working on a new one that should be out some time in early 2K. Tash has a solo album on Loud that will likely be unchained this summer.

Xzibit is creating a huge buzz with his second album 40 Dayz & 40 Nightz and a slew of cameo appearances on albums by Prince Paul, the Liks, and Defari. You can check him out on the Loud website or peep his new remix of "Shroomz" with Everlast.

LA The Darkman released a smokin' debut called Heist of the Century earlier this year that featured tracks produced by DJ Muggs of Cypress Hill, Havok from Mobb Deep, Wu Tang Clan's RZA, Raekwon, 4th Disciple, and Supreme.

Yukmouth has a massive funked out double album on Rap-A-Lot Records called Thugged Out: The Albulation, and two killer albums with his group the Luniz, Operation Stackola and Lunitik Muzik. Get the scoop!

Jonas Cabrera rocks the house with the Skeletones and you can hear the proof on their new album 2K Soulution on Transmission Records.

Mad Lion's new album, Worldwide, on Weeded Records was released this spring. To quote the Lion himself, "I have three joints on it that are dedicated to the most highest plant." You can also check out his last coupla joints: Ghetto Gold & Platinum Respect and Real Ting.

Looking for Royal Blunts?

Frank Meyer is still saucy, sprite and quite white, and despite pledging his allegiance to punk rock and all it stands for, he is "down" with hip hop and gives "much love" to all the artists involved in this project. And trust us, if we can snag the interview tapes from him we'll put the audio from when he says "gang of niggaz" on popsmear.com.

POPsmear Staff Photographer Steven Dewall is one helluva photographer.