After more than a decade of rapping about weed with Kottonmouth Kings and three years after making a straight-up party record as Kingspade, old friends Johnny Richter and D-Loc are getting personal on their new album.

The two rappers, who grew up in the same neighborhood in Placentia, Calif., unleashed ”P.T.B.” on the world April 24.

While there’s no teary-eyed Barbara Walters moment on the group’s sophomore effort, the lyrical content does signal a new direction for Richter and D-Loc. There are still party anthems stocked with hot beats, but the guys also tackle some of suburbia’s biggest issues.

Targets include drunken driving (”Brotha Brotha”), the war on terror (”Follow The Leader”) and the time-worn lesson that you can do anything you put your mind to (”Dreams”). Of course, it wouldn’t be a Kottonmouth side-project without shout-outs to drinking and smoking. (And we’re not talking about Kool-Aid and tobacco.)

”People have put all kinds of labels on Kottonmouth Kings because we mix punk rock, hip-hop and the political causes we support, but Kingspade is just two kids from Orange County getting back to our roots,” Richter says in a statement about the new record. ”With Kingspade there are no rules, so we can just go in and write about whatever we’re feeling.”

D-Loc elaborates:

”I think this record will surprise a lot of people,” he said. ”There’s a lot more personal stuff on this record that people can relate to, but it also has really great beats and songs. We’re really stoked about this record, and we’re just gonna put it in people’s faces.”

Kingspade will perform Wednesday at 9 p.m. at the Domino Room, 51 N.W. Greenwood Ave., in Bend. Doors open at 8 p.m. Subnoize Souljaz and Potluck will open.

Tickets cost $16 plus service charges in advance and $18 at the door. Tickets are available at Ranch Records (389-6116) or through TicketsWest at ticketswest.com and the Safeway at 642 N.E. Third Street. Charge by phone at 800-992-8499.

Contact: 388-1106 or www.random presents.com.

LOCAL FLAVOR: One of Bend’s most successful MCs, The Dirtball, will open for Kingspade as part of the Subnoize Souljaz. The Dirtball (aka David Alexander) was born in Bend and graduated from Mountain View High School in 1993.