How do you close an album already stacked with surprises? For platinum rapper Doobie’s reinvigorating and rock-centric new album, Give ‘Em Hell Until You Get to Heaven, you go out blazing with an earnest, horns-raising run-through of Danzig’s iconic, anti-PMRC anthem, “Mother.” And you hope that Evil Elvis approves.
“Here’s the thing: you want to make it your own, but you don’t want to disrespect the O.G. version,” the Columbus, Ohio-based artist tells Revolver of hitting the metal classic for his amp-cranking latest release, adding of this high-stakes tribute, “You don’t wanna fuck it up, basically.”
He continues: “I’m having fun, but I am still nervous about dropping it. I feel like Glenn Danzig is probably gonna hate me, but that’s rock and roll. That’s the whole point of this fucking business that we’re in, to piss people off. I hope that he hears it one day. Hopefully he loves it. And if he doesn’t, I still love him.”
When Revolver reaches Doobie, he’s days away from the release of his first rock-centered full-length. To be sure, it’s a major artistic swerve for the rapper, who had spent the past decade building up bars and reaching platinum-certified status off the strength of songs like his self-released, super-personal and sobriety-focused 2017 single, “When the Drugs Don’t Work.”
Give ‘Em Hell Until You Get to Heaven still finds Doobie tapping into that introspective nature, with songs like the vulnerable yet guitar-crunched “Beauty in the Boogeyman” reflecting on his ongoing recovery from cocaine addiction, and the threat of backsliding (“You got to go through it to get through it, to know where you failed… Sometimes I scare myself”).
The big difference is that while Doobie used to build rap beats on his own from home, these days he’s flanked by a full band primed to deliver nu-bruised, Bizkit-belligerent bang-outs (“Krazy Motherfucker”) and Linkin Park-leaning anthems (“Dig Up the Hatchet”). He still brings raps to the table, but more noticeably busts out big screams and a yearning, post-grunge yowl.
While the sonic switchover seems like a big risk, a decade of rhyming had left Doobie wondering whether he’d hit his ceiling in the indie-rap world. Going rock made sense, as Heaven doubles as both an artistically rejuvenating effort and a tribute to the music he grew up on, as his mom was selling merch for heavy groups like Sevendust, Saliva and more.
In a full-circle moment, Doobie brought aboard Saliva frontman Josey Scott for a rap-rocking revamp of the latter’s “Click Click Boom” single, while the record also features guest spots from rapper Yelawolf and Nothing More vocalist Jonny Hawkins.
“I’m really a rock star at heart, like in everything I do — how I maneuver, how I am, just personality-wise. It’s always been such a rock star vibe,” Doobie explains. “So, I was like, ‘Man, I’m gonna fully take it there.’ Now that I’m not on drugs anymore, I’m being more creative. My mind’s getting back to that normal state, if you will.”
Armed with his new, hell-raisin’ album, Doobie discusses his early rock star ambitions, having his face plastered on NASCAR driver Nick Leitz’s latest whip (Revolver are co-sponsoring the vehicle), and more.
There’s a line in “Worth a Shot” where you bring up the idea that people might not expect that Doobie can actually scream. What it was like to play against type on this record by physically using your voice in a different way?
DOOBIE To be honest, making this rock album has been so fun, because I’m not overthinking anything. When we were in the writing process for “Worth a Shot,” my co-writer Connor Matthews and I had just written the hook, and [as] we’re going into the second verse, he’s like “I think you should say something along these lines.” And it was a little more serious. I was like, “Man, let’s just do something fun, like ‘you ain’t know that Doobie could scream,’ you know what I’m saying?” They weren’t really loving it [but] then when I went in there and did it, everyone was like, “Yeah!” It just showcases the personality a little bit.
Where did the love of rock music start for you?
So, my mom used to help out numerous bands when I was a kid, whether it was running their merch or just tedious things. I was always around very popular bands as a kid: Tesla, Drowning Pool, Sevendust, Saliva. But it really started when I was five. My mom had these KISS VHS tapes at the house, and I would watch them and mimic Paul Stanley with his guitar. It was kind of hilarious, but that really was my introduction to music, as a whole.
Since you mentioned Saliva, Josey Scott is on this record. How’d you make that connection? Did your mom reach out to him?
No, my mom wasn’t close with Josey, specifically.
Basically, I was doing a show in Fort Wayne, Indiana. As I’m walking into the venue, we’re loading in everything and about to do sound check — normal, everyday protocol — and the venue manager was like, “Yo, Josey Scott’s in the room next door. You want to go meet him?” I’m like, “Hell, yeah!” So, I went straight over there and introduced myself. We exchanged numbers.
As soon as I got off stage from soundcheck, I went in the green room and I got a text from Josey — like, an hour after I’d just met him. I’m thinking it’s gonna be one of those “Hey, it was so nice to meet you, we’ll be in touch”-type things, but he was like, “I heard the remix you did of ‘Breakdown’ with Tantric… I was thinking we should reimagine. ‘Click Click Boom.’”
Then I was like, “Are you sure?” Like, it’s kind of a big song. [But] we did it. I cannot wait for that record to come out. Shout out to Josey, man. He’s a great dude.
On the idea of reimagining things, have you already started playing shows with your new band?
So, I had a full band two years ago for my last rap album [2023’ self-titled Doobie], but it was nothing like what we’re doing now. I reevaluated my whole situation, got a whole new band.
We’ve been rehearsing like crazy just trying to get everything down, because some of these songs can get a little technical. And then with me using my voice in a different way, I’m just wanting to make sure that I can dial in on some of these notes. With what’s already out [from the album], y’all haven’t really heard much of the versatile shit.
Is there a secret wrestling undercurrent running through this record? You’ve got the “Stone Cold” single, which came accompanied with the Steve Austin-like skull artwork. There’s also “The Roof of Rock Bottom” — maybe we’re pulling this out of context, but that brings to mind Dwayne Johnson’s finishing move …
I mean, the kid in me has always loved wrestling. I was born during the “Attitude Era,” which was, to me, the best era of wrestling — you’ve got your Stone Colds, your Undertakers, your Kanes, D-Generation X, the Rock. It wasn’t intentional [at first], but after we named the song “Stone Cold,” it was like, “We should do a play off of his logo.” It only makes sense, right?
But then, also, the music sounds like something that would be on a wrestling soundtrack. It’s kind of intentional, but not really. It’s just one of those things that happens when you’re having fun.
What can you tell us about this this NASCAR promotion, where your face is legitimately printed on the hood of a racecar?
It’s crazy…I’m just a kid living in a dream at this point.
Did you grow up watching NASCAR?
We raised hell and praised Dale in our house, for sure. Like, my grandfather had Dale Earnhardt everything all over his living room. Old mirrors. Nineties decor. My grandfather had a Dale Earnhardt couch — not a blanket on the couch, it literally [had] ‘Dale Earnhardt’ stitched into it. So, it had an effect. [And] as a kid [I was] playing the NASCAR video game. It’s been surreal, for sure.
Did you ask them whether you could take a few laps in the car?
That was the first thing I asked, and they were like “We knew you were going to ask that…and it’s a hard no.” [laughs]
They’re not allowed to [put non-NASCAR drivers] in the car. And I was like, “Yeah, that’s probably best.” I’m 30 years old, and I’ve never even had a license.
Connecting the new album to your hit “When the Drugs Don’t Work,” it feels like “Beauty and the Boogeyman” follows up on a similar theme. Can you tell us about how you’re currently navigating your path through sobriety?
One of my strong suits, when it comes to my music, is I’m never afraid to be vulnerable. I really home in on who I am and what’s going on in my life, or what has happened in my life. The only thing that’s changed is my habits.
…Nobody’s perfect, you know. I’m very dialed-in on that message.
You’ve called this album the soundtrack of your redemption. Can you dig into that a bit more?
I feel like around the time when I went viral, [when] I would drop them bigger songs like “When the Drugs Don’t Work” and “Nikki Sixx,” I was so deep in drug addiction at that point [that] I didn’t really realize that I was losing myself. I was just losing grip on what I thought reality was.
As of May 8th, I’m five years clean from hard drugs — my drug of choice was cocaine. And they say even after you get clean, it still takes a while for your brain to fully go back to normal, whatever the hell that is.
[But] when I stopped doing drugs, I started thinking a lot different. My mind started opening up; my eyes started opening up, and I started to enjoy things that I just didn’t have time for in the past. And now I’m kind of realizing, “Yo, this is your reality. This is what it’s meant to be for you. You’re meant to be able to enjoy these things and not put yourself through a bunch of b.s. You can make music without drugs.”
It’s kind of a weird process. I feel like I was more out-of-my-body back then, and now I’m [back] inside my body.
Alectra Busey
Do you think you could have made this kind of a rock-infused record, had you not been clear-headed?
I think I could have, but I don’t think it would have been at the level that it is now.
Everything happens for a reason. Again, I was so lost in the sauce back then that [I had] a one-track mind [musically]. And now I’m very big on, like, “What is it that you genuinely love? What do you care about? What are the things that make you happy?”
Even when I rapped…I was always listening to Alice in Chains, or some sort of metal album. It was always my inspiration. I don’t know why I didn’t have the balls to do it back then. [But] a lot of things have changed my life with getting clean, you know.
Sometimes with the friends around you, the habits and the path that they’re on don’t align with where you’re at in life anymore. Things start to change around you, and it changed for the better [for me], in my eyes. Clear mind. Good surroundings. [I’m] just in a space where I’m genuinely happy staying creative and staying busy.
Are you still primarily producing music by yourself?
During my hip-hop time I was very self-produced — everything from writing, production, engineering, and even the mixing. So, “When the Drugs Don’t Work” and “Nikki Sixx,” that’s all me.
In the space that I’m in now, I kind of took a step back. I brought in a producer who’s pretty popular. His name is Andrew Baylis, he’s worked with a lot of metal guys, and a lot of country people like Jelly Roll and Koe Weztel.
Baylis had also brought in a co-writer named Connor Matthews. This was different for me…but now I can kind of take a step back and just be the artist. I can focus on writing good songs. It’s helped tremendously.
We’re literally making songs faster than ever. And, to me, it’s better music, which is crazy. You never know what could happen. Sometimes it’s okay to have help. You can’t do everything yourself.
You close out the record with a cover of Danzig’s “Mother.” Why did you choose this song, in particular?
I mean…if you know rock and metal music and you don’t like that song, I feel like we’ve got beef, you know what I’m saying? But also, I wanted to do something that no one would expect me to do.
It was between that song or “Down in a Hole” by Alice in Chains — [but] I thought everyone would expect me to do an Alice in Chains song. The crazy thing is, I don’t know if anyone’s ever covered “Mother” by Danzig — I’m sure there might have been, like, an American Idol [performance] somewhere. I don’t fucking know, but I’ve never heard it. So, I was like, “You know what? This might be the perfect [cover].” It ended up pretty fucking sick.
What do you think this album says about Doobie that other albums of yours hadn’t?
When I say it’s my redemption, it’s basically like, “Yo, I took back control of my life.” [But] you know, all those negative things only made me who I am today.
Like I was saying earlier, you gotta take the good with the bad. It can’t ever be one-sided. It has to be both. We’re all perfectly imperfect, happily unhappy — there’s so many different ways to say it.
But [the album] is going to show people that its ok to not be okay. You’re not always going to be in the best position, and you’re not always going to be in the worst position.
In an Instagram post reflecting on your gratitude over “When the Drugs Don’t Work” being certified platinum, you mentioned that you could literally do anything with your career right now. What’s the biggest swing you think you’ll take next?
Right now, I’m just trying to take this album to the moon. I mean… it’s not even out yet!
I’ve already had [some] firsts over a decade-long career. Platinum plaques? That was the first of my career, [but on] the hip hop side. But with this rock thing, I’m doing things that the younger me would just love so much. There’s something special over here right now. I’m enjoying it.
But whatever happens, happens — I’m just here for the ride.
This interview has been edited and condensed for flow and clarity.