In 1989, at the age of 18, multi-faceted artist/producer ProHoeZak secured his first record deal with the late great Cameron Paul and Tandem Records, when his group Rated X was signed to the label. Paul famously remixed the song “Push It” by the legendary multi-platinum duo Salt-N-Pepa. Upon signing with Tandem Records ProHoeZak, along with the other Rated X group members, began opening shows for Public Enemy, N.W.A, Too Short, and Digital Underground, while also getting radio play and getting spins in hip-hop clubs across the US. The group’s first album released on Tandem was their 1990 debut …And Then Came Rated X, which became a bay area hip-hop classic.
For the new Rated X Crunch Time album, ProHoeZak is taking it all the way back to his roots and performing under his original hip-hop moniker, Cap’n Crunch. The new 10-track album is slated to come out for Halloween.
When talking about the upcoming album, East Palo Alto legend exclusively told Chad Kiser, “This new album that I recorded I just did it out of nowhere. I started last Monday and finished it Friday. The whole album was produced on an Akai Pro Mpc 61Keys and an Akai Pro MPCX with multiple expansion pack loops. There are no features on this album, just the intro conversation with my cousin Flavor Flav to let him know that I was coming out with a new album. It’s been 32 years since I dropped my first album and now it’s time to bring the Bay Area back with true hip-hop.”
ProHoeZak produced and featured on the Mount Westmore NFT album Bad MF’s with the song “Mt. Westmore, Pt.1” and is also behind recent hits from Too Short (“Ain’t Gone Do It”, “Big Sexy Thang”), and Snoop Dogg (“Roaches In My Ashtray”, “Say It Witcha Booty”).
Recently, the “Blap God” ran down a long list of artists he’s been producing new music more including the late, great legend Coolio, Long Beach icon Snoop Dogg, the Oakland godfather Too Short, bay area ambassador E-40, legendary duo The Dogg Pound, the west coast kingpin Kurupt, the soon-to-be-retired Suga Free, and the most featured collaborative recording artist in the world Kokane.
ProHoeZak has also dropped a few singles over the last several months including “Don’t Say Nothin”, “Get It Get It”, and the remix to “19 Dollar Lap Dance” which features Kaine of the Ying Yang Twins.