Believe it or not, the story of how West Coast rap legend Kurupt ended up on the Gee Mix of “Welcome 2 LA” alongside songwriter Scipio, Grammy-nominated vocalist Eric Bellinger, and up-and-coming L.A. rapper AD, begins eight-years ago.
“Welcome 2 LA” was originally released for sync and licensing back in 2012, most notably receiving support from ESPN on Sportscenter and at L.A. Clippers and Lakers games. The track took on a life of its own, though, and ended up as the unofficial anthem to Kobe Bryant tribute videos, accruing over six million plays on YouTube as a result, in addition to serving as the theme song for E!’s Hollywood & Football reality show about the L.A. Rams.
Now the track is being revived by platinum producer and ESPN Music supervisor Manoj, who originally produced and co-wrote on the original track. Manoj, who has produced for artists like Bow Wow, and Shaggy and done music supervision for Beyoncé, the NBA and more, explained the entire motive behind remixing the track was to “update” the sound.
“The remix was made to bring new life to the welcome 2 LA brand and update the sound while also paying homage to my era of hip hop but still making it sound fresh,” Manoj said in a press release.
“The perfect features were someone from the new era — Eric Bellinger, and a legendary MC with LA roots aka Kurupt young Gotti.”
Scipio, the creator of the world’s longest rap song “10,000 Hours” and songwriter for prominent artists like Ty Dolla $ign and Terrace Martin, also reprises his role on track. The new and improved “Welcome 2 L.A.” (Gee Mix) is a precise hodgepodge of old and new school — led by the melodic cadences of Bellinger and backed by new verses from AD, Kurupt, and Scipio.
