DVS Mindz - Later Years and Solo Work

Later Years and Solo Work

DVS Mindz had more than two dozen tracks left over from the Million Dolla Broke Niggaz sessions. These songs included, "Headhunters," "Rowdy Hip-Hoppers," "Central Time Zone," "Let It All Hang Out," "Birds," and "Sleeping on the Midwest." The group also had new material, including tracks such as "Flamethrower," "Desperadoes," "Hatersville" and "Genocide," all of which were performed live at various concerts. Other new songs that were demoed included "Money is the Root of All Evil," "Smoking Song," "The Gospel of John," "Deeper Than Most," and "You Don't Want No Beef." A new song, "Heat," which had become a live staple, was issued on the 2001 compilation "Scars and Tattoos." DVS Mindz also completed a full-length documentary film entitled DVStory, directed by Geoff Harkness, which has never been released to the public.

In May, 2001, DL guested on a track entitled “Devious” by the Lawrence frat-funk group Phat Albert.

In March, 2002, Kutaculous released a compilation disc entitled G-Coffee, that consisted of tracks recorded with various rappers in his Topeka studio. The members of DVS Mindz appeared on the disc, but there was no group track.

D.O.P.E. eventually left the group and began a solo career under the name D Dot. with a slightly more commercial sound (his management company felt that the name D.O.P.E. was not marketable). D.O.P.E. issued a mixtape, Live @ the BarberShop, and a full-length solo album, Dangerous On Paper & Etc.: The D.O.P.E. LP, was released in July, 2005. The album featured 17 tracks, 14 produced by D.O.P.E.> A followup, N.O.C.O.A.S.T., was released the next year. A single entitled "Someone 4 Me" was played on several radio stations across the country. D.O.P.E. also continued to work as a producer, including work on a large portion of Str8jakkett's Mood Swings album. He was offered a major-label deal with Arista Records that fell through when the label folded. He is currently working on a new album, "Beats Rhymes & Life".

Though DVS Mindz has never officially broken up, it remains largely inactive. The group members continue to make music separately, although they remain friendly and work together or reunite on stage from time to time. The group has also reformed under various guises, including most recently as a trio featuring Str8jakkett, Killa The Hun, and former manager Hapacuzz, operating out of the Denver area.

In 2007, Str8jakkett released his solo debut, the 20-track Mood Swings, which received a lukewarm review from The Pitch writer Andrew Miller: “His beats sound like they've been sitting on the shelf for at least a decade ... at 78 minutes, Mood Swings runs a few tracks too long and includes the standard rap-album filler: voice-mail messages, a bank-robbery skit and a fake live radio spot from ‘DJ Dick Goesinya at Club Nutsack.’" Mood Swings included a re-recording of the unreleased DVS Mindz track "Flamethrower," with Str8jakkett replacing the second and third verses recorded by DL and Killa The Hun, respectively. Another old DVS Mindz song, "Birds," was given a complete makeover, as was a retooled version of "DVS Mindbender," which appeared in its original form on Million Dolla Broke Niggaz.