I. Origins & New York Underground
HHHEADZ: “Real Kukoo” was a Top 10 Independent Single in Source Magazine in 1996—what was it like receiving that recognition? Did it change your path, or did it add pressure?
Kukoo Da Baga Bonez: Not at all because I didn’t really know what it was to get that kind of praise as an artist. My whole focus was getting a deal so until I reached that goal I didn’t really get a chance to stop and smell the roses. I only realised the impact Real Kukoo made many years later when it was all said and done. Not understanding my worth and not being business savvy stopped me a little from basking in this glory and putting together a proper strategy to utilise this accolade at the time.
HHHEADZ: You emerged from the open mic nights and freestyle battles of the New York underground scene. What moment, what night, what battle shaped you the most back then? Is there a story you've never told?
Kukoo Da Baga Bonez: I would have to say when I first did the open mic night which was held before the official Lyricist lounge showcase. This night was electric, me and my brother got on and performed “Big Queens” and it was rocking in this basement club which probably held about 75 to 100 people. I would also have to add being on WNWK 105.9 Kevin Keith and the Dirty Dozen as well as WKCR-FM Stretch and Bobbito show played a major role in shaping me as an artist.
HHHEADZ: Brooklyn in the early '90s was culturally huge—Wu-Tang, Biggie, the whole thing was exploding. What was it like being right in the thick of it, but consciously staying outside the mainstream? Was that a conscious decision, or did it just happen?
Kukoo Da Baga Bonez: I feel the politics of the business kept us out of the mainstream light because labels and industry executives always had an excuse as to why we weren’t good enough or didn’t have what it took to make it in the major leagues of the music industry. We didn’t have the corporate machines behind us to get the music to where it should and needed to be but we were resourceful and capable to do what we did which actually worked out for the best because now the name Kukoo da baga bonez is affiliated with straight raw hip hop and what it should sound like. That’s why I embrace being underground labeling myself the “Underground Star”. I feel I never was or am accepted in hip hop as far as the industry goes, that’s why I carved my own lane keeping a connection between me and the hip hop fans and supporters. I believe in making and putting the music first.
II. Collaborations & Credits
HHHEADZ: You were on track 11 of DJ Krush's “Zen” album—along with Black Thought, Questlove, and Zap Mama. That's an exceptional lineup. How did this feature come about, and what does this album mean to you today?
Kukoo Da Baga Bonez: The name of the track is called “Whutz Da Solution” and this came about due to Mista Sinista connection and business affiliation with DJ Krush manager at the time. Whutz Da Solution was the second collaboration I did with Krush, with the first being “Krush Ya Dreams”. That album means a lot to me, also the time spent with Krush making music. Both of the songs we did are considered classics.
HHHEADZ: The X-Ecutioners—Mista Sinista and Rob Swift—were an early part of your sound. Turntablism was an art form in its own right back then. What did these collaborations give you musically that you couldn't have developed on your own?
Kukoo Da Baga Bonez: Well Sinista was an early mentor to me. Sinista showed and taught me a lot about the business he has always creatively been on point with my rhyme style and lyrical prowess. Rob Swift was around but we really didn’t mesh like I did with Sinista because Sinista lived in my old neighbourhood. Working with Sinista enhanced my talent as a lyricist. I was frequently around the whole X-Ecutioners even from the start when they were called the “X-Men”.
HHHEADZ: Then, in 2002, came "Insane Psycho Home" with the artist World—an album many had been waiting for. What was the story behind this project, and is it true that you and World are related?
Kukoo Da Baga Bonez: The Insane Psycho Home album came about because I was working with an Atlanta producer by the name of Michael Woodruff. We recorded many songs together then soon after he wanted to release a solo album of our material but I decided with the assistance of Rob Principe that we should release the Insane Psycho Home album. Michael Woodruff agreed and he pressed it up off of his independent label “Analysis” records. Yes it is true that we are related, World is my middle older brother (I have another brother who is older than us both)
III. The Kukoo's Nest Release & 90s Tapes
HHHEADZ: "Kukoo's Nest" compiles material that had been stored on tapes in your mom's house for years. What was your first thought when 90s Tapes came to light? Relief? Nostalgia? Was there also something painful about unearthing this material again?
Kukoo Da Baga Bonez: When I was contacted by HHV and the 90’s tapes family it was a blessing in disguise because until that point of making a connection with them I was hoping one day to meet professional and serious people that can help propel my music to where it needed to be and that is what exactly happened with 90’s tapes.
HHHEADZ: The album also includes previously unreleased tracks—"Kukoo's Nest" and "Trife Life." Why were these songs never released before? Were they deliberately withheld, or simply forgotten?
Kukoo Da Baga Bonez: The reason them songs weren’t released before was because I didn’t even know I still had them tracks until they were found on a cassette tape at my Mothers house some years ago. In the 90’s we pressed up Real Kukoo and then went straight to doing the Insane Psycho Home project with World and Rhas Los. The timing is perfect for them to be released now because that is how the universe works.
HHHEADZ: Many say the album doesn't sound like an archive—it sounds alive. How did you prepare the material for 2026 without losing its original character? Or was that even a question?
Kukoo Da Baga Bonez: Music is timeless when you create from the heart instead of trying to make something you feel people will feel. I was told many times that my music wasn’t commercial enough to sell and that turned out to be a blessing because more than 30 years later Kukoo’s Nest is released and doesn’t skip a beat and preserved its sound and became timeless.
HHHEADZ: 90s Tapes is a Berlin label, an HHV imprint. How do you see the relationship between New York underground hip-hop and the European crate-digger market? Does Europe appreciate your sound differently than the US?
Kukoo Da Baga Bonez: I feel that there is definitely a higher appreciation for more authentic hip hop in Europe and amongst the crate-diggers but let’s not forget Latin America, Asia and many other places in the world that salute and appreciate artist for their talent, works and sound. There are still serious crate diggers in the US as well they’re just not so focused as the European markets in my opinion.
IV. The “Grustler” Philosophy
HHHEADZ: In 2007, with “Da Grustler,” you not only released an album but also started a movement—coining the term “Grustler.” What does Grustler mean to you, and has this definition changed over the years?
Kukoo Da Baga Bonez: Da GRUSTLER movement actually started in 2004 when I started working on Marketing projects with Westcott Marketing and trying to tap into doing music for video games. That’s when the two words “Grinding and Hustling” was combined to come up with the the term “GRUSTLER” in 2006 when I came to Switzerland and traveled Europe the movement was intensified and that’s how the album Da GRUSTLER was born. Songs from New York, Switzerland and Austria solidified my movement then soon after many others started coming out of the wood works trying to act like they coined the word which I confronted most of them with facts and receipts.
HHHEADZ: You've licensed music to TV shows (Unique Whips / Fuel TV), worked with snowboard brands, and performed at DC Shoes events. Was that a conscious strategy, or did you just grow into it? And how did the hip-hop world react back then?
Kukoo Da Baga Bonez: I was introduced to the whole action sports network when I came to Switzerland and linked up with pro snowboarders and skiers. I was collaborating with a Snowboard/ski camp by the name of DEMONIUM and we had the Ski resorts of Switzerland and France on lock with our hip hop/action sports movement that I labelled “hip hop shredders”. I feel and think like many of my music and creativity that we were just ahead of the curve and the hip hip world wasn’t ready for it. Lil Wayne and Nas to an extent tried to tap into it after me but in order to be apart of that world you have to connect with the people of that world, unfortunately it’s all business for the music industry. I was chilling in the mountains and chalets amongst the people. Da GRUSTLER album will be appreciated in time like Insane Psycho Home and now Kukoo’s Nest. GRUSTLER already has a solid following it is just some different looks on there because as an artist you should never limit your creativity.
V. Identity & Longevity
HHHEADZ: You've been in the game for almost 30 years—what keeps you going? Not the romantic answer, but the real one: what were the moments when you almost quit?
Kukoo Da Baga Bonez: What keeps me going and continuing my music is the fact that I am an artist and creativity lives inside of me. I am not a “rapper” I am an artist and being an artist is something you can’t shake in your everyday life. I quit a couple of times because I felt like I was being denied my place in hip hop and wasn’t appreciated as a top tier lyricist but later came to terms that it is not about the accolades but rather the people you touch with your sound and how you make people feel.
HHHEADZ: It's said that you've influenced many mainstream artists, brands, and corporate entities with your style without getting a mainstream deal yourself. How do you deal with the fact that your influence might be greater than your public footprint?
Kukoo Da Baga Bonez: I deal with it by accepting that my talent and creativity is stronger than a public image. I don’t need the fame or attention because what I do and have done made and makes a bigger impact on the world in general.
HHHEADZ: What should "Kukoo's Nest" mean to a teenager who hears your music for the first time in 2026? Not to the old heads—to someone who's never even heard of you?
Kukoo Da Baga Bonez: I mean, from the feed back that I am already receiving is that they are totally in tune with my sound and love it. I had 2 mothers of teenagers reach out to me and say not only do their teenage sons love my music but they do as well. I transcended the music industry trope of what you should or should not do to be accepted. I used to get salty with my peers and many others when they didn’t acknowledge me but I realise I don’t belong in one category because I carved my own lane and will continue to walk my own path. I don’t need or choose to be accepted by anyone or nobody, my music speaks for itself.
VI. Closing—Personal
HHHEADZ: You've been using the name "Kukoo Da Baga Bonez" for decades. Where does the name come from, and does it still feel the same today as it did in the beginning?
Kukoo Da Baga: Bonez Kukoo is for the crazy skills I possess and Da Baga Bonez is because my mother used to call me that because I was really skinny when I was younger. It doesn’t feel the same because I am not skinny anymore but can be with discipline ha ha ha!
HHHEADZ: If you were to pick one track from "Kukoo's Nest" and use it as a calling card for your entire work — which one would it be, and why?
Kukoo Da Baga Bonez: I would pick “You Must Understand” because the chorus says “Struggling in this game to bubble my name” and that has been the way I saw it for the majority of my career but not anymore at this point. I was struggling because I was trying to fit in a industry that wasn’t ready for what I was bringing talent and creativity wise and now I realise it, am fine with it and can move on to bigger and better things in a progressive way.
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