Knocturnal, the latest high-profile rap artist to venture into porn with Fatt Entertainment, told AVN.com he was in the midst of a nationwide tour to promote his upcoming album and adult video.
Knocturnal's Record Release Party, the follow-up to Fatt's best-selling debut release, Ice T's Pimpin' 101, is a wild day-in-the-life of the rapper in which he is so swamped with girls that he starts hooking up his friends. Knocturnal hosts the video and made some original songs for the soundtrack, but he doesn't perform in the sex scenes. It is scheduled for a January release.
The rapper said the public's response to his jump into the X-rated world has been positive.
"People love it. They consider it to be a bold move at this stage of my career," Knocturnal told AVN.com in an exclusive interview this week. "I'm just showing people how I have fun."
The Long Beach native began his promotional tour in Los Angeles two months ago and has since visited San Diego, the San Francisco Bay area, Phoenix, Portland, Seattle and Bakersfield, Calif. He plans to make an extensive East Coast swing after appearing at the AVN Adult Entertainment Expo in January at Fatt Entertainment's booth.
Knocturnal, a protégé of legendary producer Dr. Dre, said he doesn't get caught up in the "Hollywood bullshit" that changes some rap stars. In fact, he still regularly visits his grandma in the same neighborhood where he grew up in Long Beach.
"I was just there yesterday," Knocturnal said. "And nobody in that 'hood has a problem with me."
Meanwhile, Knocturnal and his record label L.A. Confidential are preparing to drop the defining work of his career, his first LP called "The Way I Am," on Jan. 27. He collaborated with Westside Connection, Snoop Dogg, Warren G., Nate Dogg, DJ Quik, Precision, Scott Storch and, of course, Dr. Dre on the album.
"A bunch of powerhouses," Knocturnal said, adding he made over 900 songs in the past two years and will release 14 on "The Way I Am" along with three skits.
"I was a studio rat," he admitted. "'The Way I Am' is the first single. …
The album is basically what is Knocturnal about? What does he like? What are his dos? What are his don'ts? It's a piece of me."
Knocturnal said some other tracks to watch for include "I Like," "Have Fun," "Love LA" and "Until That Day." He said this album taught him a lot about himself.
"I learned to thank God a lot more. I've been through four years of vacationing, just being stagnant," Knocturnal said. "I've been out for five years and I met Dre two months after I got out. He's a man that works very hard in this business. … Anything he puts out is platinum, but Dr. Dre don't fuck with whack people."
Knocturnal said he already is talking with the Fatt Entertainment executives about doing another hip-hop/porn video.
"There will be more adventures," he said.
