Written by: Ghetto Sideburns on September 21st
When ROC, Hektic, and Mr Bones came to Walter Stepanenko to manage their group House Of Krazees, they were told about his knowlage of the music business. Little did they know the man they went on to be CEO of Latnem Entertainment, and the executive producer for their projects would become part of the reason for their breakup. Their first release on Latnem was the infamous Season Of The Pumkin album Walter re-released in 1995.Let me tell you a little bit about Walter before we go into the interview. Walter is a 63 year old man. He owns and operates Master Body & Collision and is a resident of Warren, MI. As we spoke, he informed me hes had a few heart attacks, but maintains a heavy schedual of running errands. He claims Psychopathic Records are crooked and has never seen a cent from various House Of Krazees tracks used on their releases.
With lawsuits, feuds and public comments from his past artists and associates, Walter has kept quiet and out of sight. Horrorcore.com would like to be the first to give you his side of the story for the first time ever.
How did you first hook up with Jamie, Paul and Bryan for the House Of Krazees Project?How did we hook up? I used to go to the store and play the lottery and Bryan (ROC / Sol) used to work there. Thats how we did it. Bryan used to work there at the Party Store and I would come in and play the lottery and Jamie (Mr. Bones / Jamie Madrox) and Paul (Hektic / Monoxide Child) would come in there. They were a lot younger then. They kept coming over to my shop borrowing money to record so you know, they kept coming. They came over all the time. So after a while I said they had to sign contrcts and do it right. If their going to keep borrowing money from me I said we needed contracts. We started recording under Latnem and started a label. I didnt want to keep giving them money without being a part of what they were doing.
Jamie and Paul often refer to you as a "snake", they said during the time of House Of Krazees, you financed the music, but didnt pay them. Whats your side of the story?
I didnt pay them because we didnt make any money! How can I pay them when didnt make any money? I couldnt give them a paycheck because we didnt make anything. When we did a show, we split up what we made from shows. Three hundred here five hundred here... They got their money, and they got as much as I could give them. I payed for shows, halls, equipment.. They are bullshitting everyone! They didnt do a fucking thing, they dogged me and I'm going to dog right back at them. Without me they wouldnt be shit.
When House Of Krazees was touring with Insane Clown Posse, why did you pull them off the tour?
I didnt pull them off the tour they came off them selves. They didnt want to tour. They said it was too hard and they said they wernt happy with ICP. They said they were treated like dogs. They kept saying it was too hard so they left the tour, I didn't pull them off they left.
Ok, let me put it like this, you stopped putting the money up for HOK so they couldn't finish the tour. A tour with the Insane Clown Posse could generate a lot of money, and you just gave up. Many people consider you to be what caused the original House OF Krazees to come to an end.
No no no...not me. I didnt cause nothin. Jamie and Paul wanted to be movie stars right away they didnt want to do anything. Everything in a hurry. Bryan left, Jamie, and Paul left. If they want to dog anyone, dog themselves. I'm the one the one who gave them a god damn break just like little kids. Not there parents. I'm the ones that stayed with them, they are doggin me? They can kiss my ass, all of them.
When Bryan brought Skrapz in for the new House Of Krazees, they released the CD and bailed... People say they had some problems with you and thats when they started their own group Halfbreed so they wont get fucked anymore.
Sure they did. Its the easist way to get out of a contract. How would you get out of a contract? They changed their name so they wouldnt have to pay me nothing. They just changed the name of the goddamn thing and hope and pray to make it, but Halfbreed didnt make a goddamn thing.
Jamie and Paul have said to bought the rights to all of House Of Krazees past recordings. Do you feel the group will finally get the exposure you couldnt give them?
They didnt buy anything. Nothin. They havent bought shit yet. They didnt buy nothin! Alex bought two tapes off of me, and I still own House Of Krazees. I own the name House Of Krazees. So any exposure they get is me. Anyone can own the House Of Krazees name, I offered it to Alex but he wont accept the price. Their doing things crooked over there at Psychopathic Records, they dont do things like their supposed to, I have my lawyers looking into stuff.
Have you ever seen House OF Krazees as a bad investment?
It was a bad investment at one time but now its payed me, and they bought those two tapes from me too.
What do you think of Jamie and Paul success now? They have made quite a name for them selves as Twiztid. They are making money with Psychopathic Records.
I dont care what they do its none of my business. They do what they want now, I do what I want to. I do my own thing now. I have nothing aganst them. They do what they want and I do what I want, thats what I always say.
What do you think of the Samhein Witch Killaz thing they got going on over there?
I dont know what it is, but my lawyers check on everything, I know they used some House Of Krazees tracks on stuff they put out before. They dont do things like their supposed to.
Whats instore for Latnem Entertainment now?
Whats Latnem Entertainment doing? Were going to continue House Of Krazees. House Of Krazees is coming back. It will be back on the road touring, in stores doing shows everything. House of Krazees is coming back.
What do you mean House Of Krazees is coming back Walter? How the fuck can it come back without the original members of the group? How you going to pull that off?
Were going to get some people that are gonna do whats pretty close to the originals. Pretty close to the same merchindise as before. Its the new House Of Krazees.
If you were going to do that why not just start fresh? Why not just let the name House Of Krazees die with some dignity? Why not start another legacy? Get a group of mothafuckas doing their own shit and market them with their own name.Thats what I am doing. Its all new people. I still make money off the old merchindise. I still make money off the CDs House Of Krazees put out. It will be simular to what we were doing before, but it will still be House Of Krazees.