Waiting - Ozone Magazine

YOUR FAVORITE RAPPER’S FAVORITE MAGAZINE
TRANEG
YOU
O
DDR
IDDY
ARN
SE
AR ETT
G
ICEBERG
PAUL
W
ALL
& DJ
SMALLZ
I
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AFGHAVADE
NISTAN
OZONE WEST:
AUDIO
PUSH
E
M
A
G
WARREN G
KAFANI
N
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BIR STILLFLY
OZONE MAG // 1
YOUR FAVORITE RAPPER’S FAVORITE MAGAZINE
BIRDMAN
YOUNG
O
DDR
IDDY
ARN
SE
AR ETT
G
ICEBERG
OZONE WEST:
AUDIO PUSH
THE
E
M
A
G
WARREN G
KAFANI
PAUL
W
ALL
& DJ
SMALLZ
I
N
AFGHAVADE
NISTAN
E
A
R
T
H
T
U
R
T
A
TH
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OZONE MAG // 3
4 // OZONE MAG
OZONE MAG // 5
6 // OZONE MAG
OZONE MAG // 7
8 // OZONE MAG
OZONE MAG // 9
PUBLISHER/EDITOR-IN-CHIEF // Julia Beverly
cover stories
MUSIC EDITOR // Randy Roper
FEATURES EDITOR // Eric N. Perrin
58-60 BIRDMAN
W14-15 KAFANI
42-44 TRAE
ASSOCIATE EDITOR // Maurice G. Garland
GRAPHIC DESIGNER // David KA
ADVERTISING SALES // Che Johnson, Gary Archer
PROMOTIONS DIRECTOR // Malik Abdul
SPECIAL EDITION EDITOR // Jen McKinnon
WEST COAST EDITOR-AT-LARGE // D-Ray
LEGAL CONSULTANT // Kyle P. King, P.A.
SUBSCRIPTIONS MANAGER // Adero Dawson
ADMINISTRATIVE // Kisha Smith
INTERNS // Devon Buckner, Jee’Van Brown, Krystal Moody,
Memory Martin, Ms Ja, Shanice Jarmon, Torrey Holmes
CONTRIBUTORS // Anthony Roberts, Bogan, Camilo Smith,
Charlamagne the God, Chuck T, Cierra Middlebrooks, David
Rosario, Diwang Valdez, DJ BackSide, Edward Hall, E-Z Cutt,
Gary Archer, Hannibal Matthews, Jacquie Holmes, J Lash,
Jason Cordes, Jelani Harper, Joey Colombo, Johnny Louis,
Kay Newell, Keadron Smith, Keita Jones, Keith Kennedy,
K.G. Mosley, King Yella, Luis Santana, Luvva J, Luxury Mindz,
Marcus DeWayne, Matt Sonzala, Maurice G. Garland, Mercedes (Strictly Streets), Natalia Gomez, Portia Jackson, Ray
Tamarra, Rico Da Crook, Rohit Loomba, Shannon McCollum,
Spiff, Stan Johnson, Swift, Tamara Palmer, Thaddaeus McAdams, Ty Watkins, Wally Sparks, Wendy Day
STREET REPS // 3rd Leg Greg, Adam Murphy, Alex Marin,
Al-My-T, Ant Wright, Anthony Deavers, Baydilla, Benz, Big Brd,
B-Lord, Big Ed, Big Teach (Big Mouth), Big Thangs, Big Will,
Bigg P-Wee, Bigg V, Black, Bogan, Bo Money, Brandi Garcia,
Brandon “Silkk” Frazier, Brian Eady, Buggah D. Govanah (On
Point), Bull, C Rola, Cartel, Cedric Walker, Cece Collier, Chad
Joseph, Charles Brown, Chill, Chuck T, Christian Flores, Clifton
Sims, Dee1, Demolition Men, DJ Commando, Danielle Scott,
DJ Dap, Delight, Derrick the Franchise, DJ Dimepiece, DJ
D’Lyte, Dolla Bill, Dorian Welch, Dwayne Barnum, Dr. Doom,
Dynasty, Ed the World Famous, DJ E-Feezy, DJ EFN, Episode,
Eric “Crunkatlanta” Hayes, Erik Tee, F4 Entertainment, Fiya, G
Dash, G-Mack, George Lopez, Gorilla Promo, Haziq Ali, Hezeleo, H-Vidal, Hotgirl Maximum, Hotshot, J Hype, Jacquie “Jax”
Holmes, Jae Slimm, Jammin’ Jay, DJ Jam-X, Janiro Hawkins,
Jarvon Lee, Jasmine Crowe, Jay Noii, Jeron Alexander, J
Pragmatic, JLN Photography, Joe Anthony, John Costen,
Johnny Dang, Judah, Judy Jones, Juice, DJ Juice, Kenneth
Clark, Kewan Lewis, Klarc Shepard, Kool Laid, DJ KTone, Kurtis
Graham, Kydd Joe, Lex, Lucky, Lump, Lutoyua Thompson,
Luvva J, Marco Mall, Mario Grier, Marlei Mar, Maroy, DJ M.O.E.,
Music & More, Natalia Gomez, DJ Nik Bean, Nikki Kancey,
Oscar Garcia, P Love, Pat Pat, Phattlipp, Pimp G, Quest, Quinton Hatfield, DJ Quote, DJ Rage, Rapid Ric, DJ Ricky Ruckus,
Rob J Official, Rob Reyes, Robert Lopez, Rob-Lo, Robski, Scorpio, Seneca, Shauntae Hill, Sherita Saulsberry, Silva Reeves,
Sir Thurl, DJ Skee, Sly Boogy, Southpaw, Spade Spot, Stax,
DJ Strong, Sweetback, Syd Robertson, Teddy T, TJ’s DJ’s, Tim
Brown, Tonio, Tony Rudd, Tre Dubb, Tril Wil, Trina Edwards,
Troy Kyles, Twin, Vicious, Victor Walker, DJ Vlad, Voodoo, DJ
Warrior, White Boi Pizal, Wild Billo, Will Hustle, William Major,
Wu Chang, Young Harlem, Yung DVS, Zack Cimini
SUBSCRIPTIONS // To subscribe, send money order for $20 to:
Ozone Magazine, Inc. Attn: Subscriptions Dept
644 Antone St. Suite 6
Atlanta, GA 30318
Phone: 404-350-3887
Fax: 404-350-2497
Website: www.ozonemag.com
COVER CREDITS // Birdman photo by Diwang Valdez; Trae
photo by SLFEMP; TV Johnny photo courtesy of TV Jewelry;
Young Dro photo by Travis Pendergrass; Kafani photo by
Trevor Traynor; Warren G photo by D-Ray.
DISCLAIMER // OZONE Magazine is published 11 times per
year by OZONE Magazine, Inc. OZONE does not take responsibility for unsolicited materials, misinformation, typographical errors, or misprints. The views contained herein do not
necessarily reflect those of the publisher or its advertisers.
Ads appearing in this magazine are not an endorsement
or validation by OZONE Magazine for products or services
offered. All photos and illustrations are copyrighted by their
respective artists. All other content is copyright 2010 OZONE
Magazine, all rights reserved. No portion of this magazine
may be reproduced in any way without the written consent
of the publisher. Printed in the USA.
10 // OZONE MAG
monthly sections
13
10 THINGS I’M HATIN’ ON
22
ARE U A G?
30
BOARD GAME
65
CAFFEINE SUBSTITUTES
62-63, W17 CD REVIEWS
20
CHAIN REACTION
18
CHIN CHECK
28, W6 DJ BOOTH
26
DOLLAR MENU
66, W18 END ZONE
12
FEEDBACK
22
HOOD DEEDS
W4 I’M JUST SAYIN’THO
57
INDUSTRY 101
13
JB’S 2 CENTS
16
MATHEMATICS
18
NAMES OF SHAME
32-39, W8-9 PATIENTLY WAITING
17-37, W5-7 PHOTO GALLERIES
14-15 RAPQUEST
24
SIDEKICK HACKIN’
features
46-55 SOLDIERS OF LOVE
45
PRAY FOR HAITI
interviews
W12-13 THE GAME
56
TV JOHNNY
W10-11 WARREN G
40-41 YOUNG DRO
OZONE MAG // 11
Send your comments to [email protected]
www.myspace.com/ozonemagazine
www.twitter.com/ozonemag
I read your “Scam Afta Scam” article. I work in media as well and have
done some work with So Ice. Everything about that label is shady, from
the receptionist to the managers. I live in Daytona Beach and was trying
to set up an interview with OJ da Juiceman while he was in town. I called
So Icey and the receptionist told me that I would have to pay $500 for an
interview. I almost fell out of my seat. How are you going to charge media
for an interview when they are promoting you for free? I also spoke to his
management, who told me they would give me an interview for the low
price of $300. Every time I deal with So Icey it’s always on some fake shit,
that’s why I refuse to support their movement any longer. It’s a shame that
they’re doing such bad business and I’m happy that you shed the light on
this. Thank you!
- Jennifer Cortez, via email (Daytona Beach, FL)
Your “Scam Afta Scam” piece about Gucci Mane’s management is hardcore
journalism. This is the missing link in music media. Keep up the trailblazing.
- Ali Muhammad, via email (New York, NY)
Great article on Gucci Mane’s management scamming promoters. Kudos
for having the balls to expose the truth as it appears to be. I’m sure you may
have some backlash, but I am also certain you will have more support. It
takes a lot to speak up for yourself but it takes an even bigger voice, spirit,
and heart to speak up in defense of others and in defense of right from
wrong. Everyone wants to be treated fairly but so many get away with
treating people unfairly because so many are too scared or embarrassed to
speak up for themselves. I truly appreciate OZONE Magazine, and TJ’s DJ’s,
your hustle and drive is admirable and it motivates me to keep chasing my
own dreams. Thank you and keep reporting “the real”!
- Rashanda Payne, via email
I read your “Scam Afta Scam” article and I have to take my hat off to you for
taking the time and effort to put together such a sound article. I’ve been
an international promoter for over 11 years and have toured a vast majority
of urban acts in Australia and New Zealand and Europe. I started from the
clubs and worked my way up to arenas and played an integral part in the
growth and commercialization of urban music in those markets. I have
great relationships with some of the leading booking agents in the business. I’ve been here [in the States] for a year now as I’ve expanded my business to now encompass management, and as I’ve observed the promotions
game here I can only shake my head and some of the stuff I’ve seen or been
approached with or offered. In reading your article I really thought I would
come across Mark Reeder’s name (Logantown Entertainment – google him)
but I didn’t. He was also in the mix of some of this and on top of that he
told me about these two characters [Debra Antney and Johnnie Cabbell]
in a conversation about two weeks ago. I also know a couple people who
lost money booking Gucci shows through him as well as other acts such
as Soulja Boy. He owes me money for Jeremih shows booked in L.A. and
Australia. I think your story needs a part 2 or a list of warning signs for
newcomers or smaller promoters. I’ve seen and dealt with a lot on the inter-
12 // OZONE MAG
national level but I’ve never been held for ransom as these poor promoters
have. Being a female tour promoter (quite different from a party promoter)
is quite rare so I had to work extremely hard over the years to build a solid
reputation in the business. I’m a strong advocate for anything that is about
doing good business. Congratulations on such an insightful article.
- Mariah Athans, via email (Atlanta, GA)
Hey JB, I’m glad someone is putting these scam artists [in Gucci Mane’s
camp] on blast. Good shit. I saw how that one website was trying to put
you on blast about getting some artist a feature and it was the stupidest
shit I have ever seen. I looked through the whole story and email correspondence between you and that dude and I saw nothing that you did
wrong. You were simply doing business selling verses like anyone else.
Those people had no idea what they were talking about. This Gucci Mane
shit is the definition of a real scam, and there’s a bunch more scumbag
promoters, managers, and booking agents just like them.
- Lil Fats, via email (Portland, OR)
How much does Jazze Pha weigh? I’m just kidding…unless you’re gonna
tell me? I’m looking at the OZONE Mag photo galleries now. I will always be
a fan of OZONE Mag: Your favorite rapper’s favorite magazine. In “Sidekick
Hackin’” y’all got Diddy on point, and Drake is all calm and shit. Any time of
the day or night, you’ll see Diddy tweeting something. He’s crazy! Missing
in Action? Khia ain’t missing… I saw her at Waffle House selling CDs. Lil
Flip must have followed the rainbow home. My last comment is about this
picture of Suge Knight and D-Ray. What does he do now besides smoke
those dick-sized cigars?
- Eric Hayes, via email (Detroit, MI)
I wanted to say thanks for the heads-up on Gucci’s “vampires” that are
scamming promoters. I picked up the issue of OZONE with Yo Gotti on the
cover, reppin’ Tennessee, and read it twice on my way to L.A. Still doing the
good work, I see. Keep it up and I’ll still be reading.
- Dee Prince, via email (Nashville, TN)
I understand you’re in the entertainment business and I have been watching in amazement the success OZONE Mag has had ever since it was a little
magazine being passed out in Central Florida. However, I’m disappointed
that you switched the online photo galleries back to where people can
leave comments. I absolutely hate with a passion that people can leave
comments and literally beat down and massacre a person’s image and
self-esteem. I’m a fan of your site and your magazine but I refuse to take
pictures for your website for that reason. I feel like you’re putting black
artists in the spotlight but you’re also exposing the hate and ignorance we
can have for one another. It’s such a disappointment looking at the lack
of support we have for ourselves. I plead with you to not allow comments
under the photos. PLEASE!
- A longtime fan, via email (Jacksonville, FL)
JB’s 2cents
Q
uite often, if I tell someone I publish a Hip Hop magazine, I get
a skeptical side-eye in response. Every time I’m interviewed for
another media outlet, there’s some form of the “how did you
make it as a white female in the Hip Hop game?” question. I
guess from the outside looking in, it might be amusing to see a white girl
such as myself forming unlikely friendships with platinum-grill-having,
gold-chain-wearing tattooed rappers or producers. But to me, it’s just life.
I’ve never viewed us as being that far apart. We share the common creative spirit,
which knows no racial or cultural boundaries.
10THINGS I’M
HATIN’ON
by Mack Moli
With Mr. Marcus @ T-Pain’s
Christmas party
As a relative newcomer to the rap game (been a fan since ‘94), I recognize what a
privilege it is to have formed friendships with legendary artists like Scarface and
UGK. Trust and rapport isn’t something that can be faked or purchased. I believe
you’re drawn to home. If I was trying to be something I’m not, or trying to fit
somewhere I don’t, OZONE wouldn’t be successful. It’s the intangibles. OZONE is
here because of those bonds that exist; the bonds aren’t formed because I own
OZONE. It has to come from within.
MALIK ABDUL
2. FACEBOOK
I don’t want to YoVille, FarmVille, or LoserVille with you. Stop asking before I upload
pictures of you and tag your acne, flat
chest, or 40-year-old baby teeth.
3. Twitter
I’m hating on everything from the ignorant
trending topics to every celebrities’ inanimate objects having a Twitter account
(@___’s Socks). Also, I get hit up with more
Spam than a Hawaiian BBQ Joint.
With Birdman on the set
of “Roger That” in Miami
All artists share a common bond. We’re the ones who live life on edge, waiting for
that next burst of inspiration which we can sense coming on instinctively. I wake
up in the morning and it’s either there or it’s not; it’s either a day for creating or a
day for handling more monotonous business while waiting for that inner spark
to kick in. We’re the ones who push ourselves to the limit waiting for creative
energy to flow, no matter what hour of the night. We’re the ones who can’t be
satisfied with mediocrity, living safe comfortable 9-5 lives with 2.3 kids, a dog,
and a white picket fence. Many of us secretly crave “normal” lives, but having gotten a glimpse of the heights we’re capable of achieving, can’t settle for less. We’re
the ones who need repetition to function and utilize all sorts of vices - weed, sex,
alcohol, candy, whichever poison you choose - to get us in the zone where we’re
most comfortable. When I’m designing I’ll listen to the same song 100x in a row,
which isn’t much different from your favorite rappers’ recording method.
D-RAY
1. Nicki Minaj
I’m tired of having late-night fantasies
where I’m giving it to this Barbie like the
kid next door on Toy Story only to be rudely awakened by my three-star girlfriend.
4. VH1
I hate the hypocrisy of this channel hosting Hip Hop Honors. Tune into next year’s
BET Awards hosted by Hannah Montana.
5. TAYLOR SWIFT
In the blink of a bloodshot eye, Kanye’s
drunken escapade catapulted you into
super-stardom. But we all know that Beyonce was more deserving of that award.
Even Sasha Fierce was more deserving.
Reppin’ Nappy Boy with
Ne-Yo in ATL
7. NICK CANNON
I don’t care if Kimbo Slice calls your wife
out by way of sign language. You better
man the fuck up and do something. Your
response was as non-existent as your rap/
acting career. Just go host a show you’ll
never win, like America’s Got Talent.
D-RAY
6. “SWAGGER”
This word has served its purpose. Its
lifespan has now been stretched out more
than Kate Gosselin’s uterus.
On the set of Trae Tha
Truth’s “Inkredible” video
shoot in Miami
8. DANCE SONGS
When I go to the club, I don’t need some
random rapper telling me how to do some
dumb-ass dance. Half the time I’m too
drunk to follow along anyway.
9. APPLE
You guys make me update my iTunes
more than I update my iPod. And as soon
as I stack up enough money to buy an
iPhone, you release a cheaper one with
some more shit you left out.
10. Jay-Z
You’re 40 and still doing things I can’t do
at 19. You have sex with a woman who
doesn’t want kids. That woman is Beyonce.
Your annual income increases more then
your relevance. If I can say it, why can’t the
other haters?
With my CORE DJ Vegas
buddy Big Dee
Having been blessed to spend some time in the studio observing the best of the
best, I see many parallels between the creative process of producing an album
and producing a magazine. Repetition, repetition, repetition. Listening to the
same hypnotic beat for hours on end while chain smoking blunts might not be
your cup of tea, but for many rappers, it’s heaven. Most of you don’t have the
patience for multiple all-nighters editing either, but I do this. You have to find
something you love enough to do it 24/7/365. In the ADD-inspired age of the
internet and milli-second attention spans, consider it a blessing if you’ve found
something you love enough to concentrate on obsessively. Focus, focus, focus.
Talent isn’t enough. Your work ethic makes all the difference in the world. To find
those people who have honed their talents, the true artists who are able to reach
within themselves and continue competing with themselves, to always strive to
make their newest work their best work, inspires me to perfect my craft. I must
admit, after eight years publishing a magazine, it isn’t easy to stay motivated and
inspired. Seeing others’ passion reflect in their work - whether it’s in the form of
a painting, a photo, a beat, or an album and the countless hours they’re willing
to dedicate to perfection - is enough to keep me going or send me back to the
drawing board, knowing I can do better.
To have produced full-size 82 issues and dozens of mini special editions of your
favorite rapper’s favorite magazine from scratch is an artistic accomplishment,
no less than a fully-packaged concept album birthed during months of sleepless
nights in the studio. In the beginning, it was a blank canvas; a challenge. These
days, I look at it as putting together a puzzle. Many editors, photographers, and
writers contribute pieces and it’s my job to make them fit. I just wish the creative
juices would release during normal business hours so I could get some sleep
once in a while. =P
- Julia Beverly, [email protected]
Wale f/ Melanie Fiona & J. Cole “Beautiful Bliss”
Spark Dawg f/ Paul Wall, Yung Texxus, Tum Tum, & Lil Flip “No Relationship”
Juelz Santana f/ Yelawolf “Mixing Up The Medicine”
Timbaland f/ Drake “Say Something”
B.o.B. f/ Bruno Mars “Nothing On You”
Chip Tha Ripper “Movie”
John Mayer “Assassin”
Travis Porter “Go Shorty Go”
RE’Splaylist
[email protected]
Jay Electronic “Exhibit C”
Skewby “No Handlebars”
Lil Hot “I Fucked Her”
Siya “Fadin’”
OZONE MAG // 13
AUSTIN, TX:
RIP Hot 93.3. The Austin Hip-Hop station changed formats and the entire staff
was unfortunately let go. The station had been on air for 6 years. Dorrough,
Gorilla Zoe, and Del tha Funkee Homosapien all came through for shows at
Aces Lounge on 6th Street. Area artists appearing on the lineups included KJ
Hines and 2 Gunz Up. Lil Keke came through for a show at Fuze night club.
J-Kapone won the Up-and-Coming Artist award at the 2009 Texas Latin HipHop award show.
- O.G. of Luxury Mindz (www.luxurymindz.com)
BAY ST. LOUIS, MS:
There’s a new spot that highlights locals as well as national favorites. Club Kick
Shots played host to New Orleans own Hot Boy Ronald, and 5th Ward Weebie.
Yo Gotti visited B.J.’s in Gulfport, and even though he didn’t hit the stage
‘til late, he didn’t disappoint. Jacksonville, Florida’s own Pimp G hit regular
rotation on J.Z.94.5 with his single “Cuddy Buddy.” The legendary Rakim threw
down at the House of Blues in New Orleans. Charlie Murphy hit the Gulf Coast,
and the Bay Boyz released their mixtape It’s in the Air.
- DJ Deliyte ([email protected])
BIRMINGHAM, AL:
Juvenile hit Mike’s Crossroad. K.D. dropped the Soul Inn mixtape with DJ Burn
1. DJ C. Ross & Freewill Records dropped Live From The Classic 5 featuring
Corey Barbar, B.A. Boys, Fatthead, Nino Brown, Yelawolf, Kastro Murc, Camp,
Ms. Carie, Eldorado Red, Young Breed of Triple Cs, and more. D-Real is working
hard around city. Trick Daddy hit the The Palace. Nina Labelle is doing her
thing at The High Note Lounge with her Wed. open mic night. Brian Todd
dropped a video. Kandi & Calvin Richardson hit the M Lounge for the Swac
Championship Weekend.
- K. Bibbs ([email protected])
CINCINNATI, OH:
DB Entertainment and the Mixx Ultra Lounge, along with Spade Kreations,
kicked off their 5 Tha Hardway Basketball Tournament. Mixx Ultra Lounge
took 1st Place and Tha Rock took 2nd Place. Count Much More Entertainment’s new single “Goon Walk” has got the G’s in the Nati slidin’ across the
floor like they doing the “Moon Walk.” Newcomer Young Ex definitely has
some hit records like “Popular” and “Party Girl.” Knowing Young Ex’s relationship with the Lil Wayne and Young Money camps, I expect to hear these songs
nationwide real soon.
- Judy Jones ([email protected])
COLUMBUS, OH:
Jay-Z’s Blueprint 3 Tour came to Columbus. R. Kelly stopped through on
the Ladies Make Some Noise Tour with Pleasure P. Talib Kweli and Ghostface Killah came and brought capacity crowds with them. Columbusbased rappers The 3rd performed with Talib Kweli and announced
the iTunes release of their debut album. Another Columbus group, Fly
Union, got their record played during Monday Night Football on ESPN.
Former NBA star Ruben Patterson got arrested and slapped with weapons charges while celebrating an Ohio State win over Michigan.
- KayJay of the FlyPaper ([email protected])
DALLAS/FT. WORTH, TX:
VK Studios (pictured above) is recording everybody. The NGenius Ent.
label is becoming a household name. NGenius is home to Dorrough
Music, Da Block Boi – whose single “Bottles and Models” f/ Chalie Boy is
getting requested – and their newest member Lil Tony – who has the
streets waiting on his Posted, Loaded, Floatin’ mixtape. Big HoodBoss
signed with Soulja Boy’s SODMG. T-Kash dropped “Get 2 Da Real” and
the Definition DJs celebrated their 3rd Anniversary. Flonitti’s “Steppin
Out Clean” and Mashmode’s “So Fly” ft. Twisted Black are keeping Fort
Worth strong. Tristan Trotter, Bigg V, and GO DJ Phat keep DFW artists
on the road weekly.
- Edward “Pookie” Hall ([email protected])
DENVER, CO:
Rockie has the hottest song in the club with “Loaded.” Young Doe
dropped another classic album titled The Secret. The Black Chamber of
Commerce hosted the Mile High Legends Gala which honored Denver
legends Chauncey Billups, Philip Bailey, Pam Greer, Big Jon Platte, and
more. Not to mention the Nuggets, Broncos and Avalanche are looking
good. W.O.W. at the Iliff Park Saloon is the newest outlet for artists every
Wed night. Artists such as Mr. Midas, Fat Lee, Tone Skarfo, Juessman, Box
Boyz, Big Rich, Moi Yo Yoi Boyz, and many more have already performed
there. For info email [email protected].
- DJ Ktone (Myspace.com/djktonedotcom)
LAS VEGAS, NV:
A new mega-community called City Center opened on the Strip.
14 // OZONE MAG
Included in the megaplex are luxury condos
and four new hotels – the Aria, Mandarin
Oriental, the Harmon, and the Vdara. Also
advertised is an array of new shops, spas, and
entertainment to fulfill your pleasures. Manny
Pacquaio defeated Miguel Cotto, hopefully
gearing up for the ultimate fight – Pacquaio
vs. “Money” Mayweather. The Core DJs brought
their retreat to Vegas at the Stratosphere Hotel.
Included in the crazy weekend were multiple
parties, listening suites, a new artist showcase,
panel, and a brunch attended by Diddy and his
new group Dirty Money.
- Portia Jackson ([email protected])
LOS ANGELES, CA:
DJ Quik, Snoop Dogg, Nipsey Hussle were
all on one stage at Club Nokia. Quik brought
out 2nd II None, and Snoop had Lady of Rage,
Xzbit, and Too $hort in his set. Raphael Saadiq
had a packed house at The Wiltern, where his
show turned into a 3 encore jam session. I also
checked out the mixtape release of emerging
artist Skeme put on by the LAX Paperboys. Tweet
me! @DeviDev
- Devi Dev ([email protected])
MEMPHIS, TN:
Long-time rap group The Shelby Forest Click
announced they’re releasing a tell-all video
documentary about former group members Lil
Wyte and Brave Dave. This could get interesting…
Do I smell beef? Rapper Teflon Don picked up a
national video game distribution deal for his album release God, Government, The Game. It seems
Memphis’ legends are making their way back into
the scene – from DJ Zirk to Playa Fly, they’re all hitting the studio and stage hard to bring Memphis
back to its rap roots. Boo Money, son of DJ Zirk, is
stepping out on the scene with a new song.
- Deanna Brown ([email protected])
MILWAUKEE, WI:
Look out for Baby Drew & Coo Coo Cal’s Kokain Kowboyz
(Myspace.com/CooCooCalandBabyDrew). Both hometown legends are now together for a full-length album.
More Mil-Town artists to check for are Ray Rizzy, House of
M, Que, and Viva Fidel. The R&B and spoken word movements
are alive and thriving here. Also watch for singers Rodney Poe and
local favorite Cincere. The Record Breaker DJs are working hard. Visit
www.miltown.latestparties.com for updates on events and parties.
- Gorilla Promotions ([email protected])
NASHVILLE, TN:
Drake smashed through Nashville and showed much love to the city at
Karma & Grammy Foundation. Juvenile manhandled L.A.X. for an official
album release party. Darquan is going crazy (literally) and has a hot new
single. The Hip Hop In The Ville’ Awards was hosted by Destiny Raine & Rob
Dee, who are both fresh off the screening of their movie Still Broke. Crisis
The Rhyme Don is ready to spark the 1st quarter.
- Janiro ([email protected])
PITTSBURGH, PA:
Waka Flocka, DJ Holiday, Stix Malone, DJ Jelly, Nicki Minaj, and B.G. all came
through to kick it while BET’s own Q45 celebrated his birthday with the
whole Burgh. Now if that ain’t big, then what is? How about Wiz Khalifa
dropping Deal or No Deal (above) and landing the #1 spot on iTunes? The
original S. “I’m The Man” Money is making a comeback in 2010. Chiops,
Freezy, G. Money, Brucey, and Beans are all back in the studio, while Train,
Shawn, & Chill continue to hold it down for the Burgh.
- Lola Sims ([email protected])
PORTLAND, OR & IDAHO:
The ‘80s group Nu Shooz did an online acoustic remix of their record “I Can’t
Wait” with a deeper groove. Cool Nutz had his annual Po-Hop (Portland
Hip-Hop) Conference with E-40. Cool Nutz is a true ambassador for his
town. Atlanta’s transplant to the Pacific Northwest and 25360 DJ of The Year,
DJ Drastic, holds down major club nights at The Greek and Club 720 in PDX.
- Luvva J ([email protected])
RICHMOND, TRI-CITIES, VA:
On a sad note, WCDX Power 92.1 Jamz’ DJ Peachez (who recently released a
mixtape titled Make A Bit@h Rich hosted by Tina Marie and Nikki Minaj) passed
away. She will be missed. Kenny Kenny! earned 3 nominations at the 2nd Annual
RockTheMic Awards including Best Male Solo MC (he won), Most Creative Song
(for “I’m Blessed”), and RTM Honorary Ward. Graphic artist Qwaisan (Team Brinkz)
is one of the hottest designers in VA. Fat Kat holds the crown as one of the top
party promoters.
- Atiyyah Wali ([email protected])
ST. LOUIS, MO:
Phat Pheezy had his “Pocket Flooded” video shoot at Plush. Murphy Lee shot
his video “STL N*GG$z” featuring Hitman Holla. Block DVD Vol. 4 features Yung
Ro’s “Donk Dat” remix video, Yo Gotti, Jim Jones, KRS One, and a lot of STL artists. DerrtyBoi Montana’s DerrtyBoi Muzik is moving units in local stores and he
appears on www.Blockdvd.com. Ray Goss is also on Block DVD’s website. -Man’s
video “Where Dey Do That At” and Yung Ro’s “Runway Model” video are on
WorldStarHipHop.com.
- Jesse James ([email protected])
TAMPA, FL:
DJ Knucklez flooded the scene with 9 mixtapes including new installments of his
Re-Up series with Hardtargetgfx.com, I-95 North series, and his Secret Session R&B
series. The Korean Supreme’s latest release was Knuckle Up Round 9. The Basiqs
released their sophomore album This Lie with a rooftop party and art show
sponsored by Marc Ecko’s clothing store, at one of Channelside’s premier condo
buildings. Mark Victor performed his single “Cake” at Southern Swagfest in Lakeland. Also performing were Trina, Mullage, Javon Black & Lil Kee, and Plies.
- Slick Worthington (Myspace.com/SlickWorthington)
WASHINGTON, D.C.:
The Oy Boyz released a mini-movie based on “Rob Me” and “Neverbeena” from
their Back In Black album. Den Den from BBU and Dre “All Day in the Paint” put
together the 16 Bars From Greatness showcase. Kingpen Slim, X.O., K-Beta, and
Angel Lola Love are headlining the Capitol City Music Tour. Brother Maniac is
getting airplay with his dance hit “Do The Big Mo.” Likeblood opened for Raekwon on the Only Built 4 Cuban Linx Part 2 Tour. New mixtapes to check out
are DJ Torkaveli’s Metro Rap Radio - Mumbo Sauce Edition, and Kingpen Slim’s
Capital City Kingpen.
- Sid “DCSuperSid” Thomas ([email protected])
OZONE MAG // 15
CLEAR ANCES | By Wendy Day (www.RAP-COALITION.COM)
You are an unknown struggling artist. Rick Ross is in town performing
and you have the ability to offer him a few thousand dollars to come by
the studio and drop a quick 16 bars. Your cousin knows Akon and said
for $80k he’ll sing the hook on your song, you just have to send him the
money and the ProTools session. Lil Boosie went to jail and his manager
has some verses for sale to keep money flowing to him while he’s locked
down. You’d like very much to have Rick Ross, Akon, or Boosie on a song
with you. But it’s not as simple as just having the money to pay for that
feature…
Anyone who is signed to a record label is technically OWNED by that label.
This means even if a rapper is my friend and I want to feature him or her
on a song, I MUST get the permission of the rapper AND his or her record
label to use the song IN ANY WAY. Whether that song that the artist is
featured upon is my single, album filler, on a mix CD, or just featured on
my MySpace page for free. Legally, JUST TO RECORD the song, I must have
the permission of the artist and the label to which the artist is signed. If I
plan to use it commercially (even for free promotion or on my demo to get
a deal), I need the permission of the artist and their label. That permission
is called a “clearance.”
I am giving you the legal, raw explanation here! But what’s legal and factual rarely happens in the underground music business where everyone is
struggling to be heard or stand out. All those songs that you hear floating
around the internet by rappers you’ve never heard of, but that feature
known artists like Gucci Mane or Lil Wayne, were probably never cleared.
So this is where every signed artist is about to get really pissed off at me,
because doing features is one of the ways rappers make money…but
without a clearance from the rapper and the rapper’s label (business affairs
department or lawyer) you legally can NOT use the feature…even if you
paid for it. That little piece of paper (the clearance) means everything!!
It gets worse. In order to CLEAR the feature, you must submit the completed song. It doesn’t have to be mixed and mastered, but it does need to
be relatively tight. So, you ask, how do I get a Lil Wayne verse on the record
without paying him money to be on the song—a song I might not be able
to use? You pay him half upfront to record, and half when it clears. Now,
I can’t speak for Wayne, but I can speak for most artists. If you don’t pay
them in full for the song upfront, they aren’t stepping into the studio to
record with you because they know there is a good chance the song will
never clear. This is a gray area that has plagued the music business forever.
Most rappers will tell you that’s why they charge indie artists so little,
because you might not be able to use it “commercially.” If a signed rapper
charges another signed rapper $25,000 for 16 bars, but you’re getting a
verse for $7,500, it’s not hard to figure out that there’s a catch.
But what does a local label do that has NO connections to the industry
or the major labels? The real answer: You don’t feature their artist. Now
here’s where the line gets real murky, because often the more savvy
street labels (like CTE, Grand Hustle, Slip N Slide, Big Gates, etc) want their
artists performing along with the hottest local artists, but the major label
does not. Let’s use Jeezy as an example because he does so few features
anyway because he’s smart about retaining his value. A new artist would
want Jeezy on a song because he’s well known, has street credibility, and
it’s instant name recognition for an unknown artist to say he has Jeezy on
a song. It makes the newer artist look well-connected, and it might even
make it easier to get radio spins. Jeezy may want to be on a song with whoever is the hottest up and coming artist from an area because it reaffirms
his connection to the streets. But for Jeezy to appear on a song, you need
a clearance from CTE (which is Jeezy’s label that he owns with his partner,
Kinky B) and Def Jam.
Most new indie labels don’t have access to a label like Def Jam to clear a
song, so they pay the artist to get on the record and then they throw it
out on the streets hoping that is blows up. Their mindset is that they will
cross that clearance bridge when they come to it. They are hoping that the
noise the uncleared song will make for their artist will outweigh the bullshit
they are going to suffer. And let’s be real—if it’s a hit record, the major
label won’t complain about Jeezy being on it. Protecting their investment
in Jeezy only really matters to them when the songs don’t blow up, or are
garbage, because it makes their national artist look bad. Imagine if Jeezy
had been on that hit Drake record. Def Jam would have happily cleared
that! That’s what I mean by murky…
Most smaller labels don’t have the budgets, or the proper connections, or
even the experience to make a hit record blow up. The major labels know
this, so they are reluctant to allow their artists to perform on a feature.
On the flip side, some major labels look at clearances as a come up. Their
attitude is ‘if you want to use our national artist that we’ve invested millions
of dollars into building, pay us too. You can use our artist and we’ll clear
the usage, but it’ll cost you $30,000.’ So, if you are paying the artist and the
major label, you can see where this gets a little costly, right? Plus you need
radio money, promotion money, DJ money, promo tour money, marketing
money, etc….and you’re on your own to market and promote it.
I rarely encourage features on my client’s music until they have a record
deal. And if we do a feature, I make sure I can clear it using my connections,
my clout, or my experience in clearing features. Having said that, if you absolutely need to feature Lil Boosie on your record, you will buy the feature,
record the song, and then submit the song to both Trill Entertainment and
Warner for clearance (unless Trill owns the masters, then just Trill—Warner’s
legal department would inform you of that). Or, you will do what so many
others in this industry have done before you: record the song and put it out
and say “fuck it!” I don’t believe in doing business that way, but many can’t
afford the money, or time, or possible “no you can’t use the song.” If you
are buying a Boosie feature in hopes of using it as a radio single for your
unknown artist, and you have no connection to Boosie, Trill, the industry,
or powerful lawyers, you are an idiot trying to use someone else’s artist to
benefit your own pocket. Why would any established label in their right
mind want to help you do that? Look at it from their point of view. This is a
business. Now maybe, with someone with power in the industry on your
side you could get it cleared, but it’s still a risk and you’re asking a lot.
Lack of knowledge in this industry is the #1 killer of artists’ dreams. Trying
to make moves that connected and experienced people make, when you
aren’t either one, is #2. Making bad decisions (for example, pissing off the
person with power who’s trying to help you) is #3. I see these mistakes being made everyday...
Welcome to the music business and have a nice day. //
16 // OZONE MAG
(above L-R): Ice Cube & Young Jeezy @ the BET Hip Hop Awards in Atlanta, GA (Photo: Terrence Tyson); Monica & Diddy @ Velvet Room in Atlanta, GA (Photo: Julia Beverly);
Unladylike & DJ Drama @ Bash at the Bay in Toledo, OH (Photo: Eric Perrin)
01 // DJ Drama & Lo Fat @ Bash at the Bay (Toledo, OH) 02 // Jody Breeze & Gorilla Zoe @ Sobe Live for Tony Neal’s birthday party (Miami, FL) 03 // Monica, Kyle of Jagged Edge,
& Tiny (Atlanta, GA) 04 // Play N Skillz & DJ Krave @ Club Joyce (Dallas, TX) 05 // Fonsworth Bentley & his girlfriend @ The BET Hip Hop Awards (Atlanta, GA) 06 // Mighty Mike &
BloodRaw @ The Moon for TJ’s DJ’s 15 Year Anniversary party (Tallahassee, FL) 07 // Young Dose, Rick Ross, & Lil Ru @ Upstart Record Pool (Jacksonville, FL) 08 // Lil Kim, Bryant
McKinnie, & Lisa Raye @ Miami Standup weekend (Miami, FL) 09 // J Money & Lil Bankhead on the set of Yo Gotti’s “5 Star Chick” remix video shoot video shoot (Atlanta, GA)
10 // Aziattik Black, DJ Smallz, Jo Nasty, & guest @ Freelon’s (Jackson, MS) 11 // Rob Green, DJ Ace, Zaytoven, Yung Ralph, & guest @ The Gate for Yung Ralph’s birthday party
(Atlanta, GA) 12 // Bigga Rankin, Ms Rivercity, & Spark Dawg @ Upstart Record Pool (Jacksonville, FL) 13 // Young AC & Young Cash @ The Moon for TJ’s DJ’s 15 Year Anniversary
(Tallahassee, FL) 14 // Guest, Victoria, Kandi, & guest @ Hoops 4 Hope (Atlanta, GA) 15 // Definition DJs Butch, Pay, Curdy, Darkness, & Papa Ron on the set of their “Franky” video
shoot (Dallas, TX) 16 // Statehouse Records @ Club 127 for OZONE party (Hickory, NC) 17 // Bettie Grind & crew @ Club 127 for OZONE party (Hickory, NC) 18 // Bigga Rankin &
Nicki Minaj on the set of Yo Gotti’s “5 Star Chick” remix video shoot video shoot (Atlanta, GA) 19 // Terrence Tyson & G Mack @ Primal (Atlanta, GA)
Photo Credits: Edward Hall (04,15); Eric Perrin (01); FastLifeFastMoney.com (08); Freddyo (03); Julia Beverly (13); Kool Laid (10); Malik Abdul (09,18); Ms Ja (11,16,17); Ms Rivercity
(14); Terrence Tyson (02,05,06,07,12,19)
OZONE MAG // 17
CHIN
CHECK
By Charlamagne Tha God
DEAR T.I.,
Peace. What’s cracking Black Man? The Original
Dope Boy in the Trap, Rubberband Man, King of
The South.
tell you that the rap game is bullshit right now,
do I? Not just the rap game, but black culture in
general. We have a black president in office and
I thought that would have fueled more of our
people to reach for a higher level of consciousness, but it seems like we took one step forward
only to take 50 steps back.
First off, respect to you. I hope this kite finds you
in good spirits, my brother. They’ve got your
physical locked down, but your mental is free. I’m
typing this and giving it to the world to see because the truth is that we live in a society where
we don’t give our black stars enough respect.
We live in a world full of negative criticism of our
people and I’m guilty of dishing out a lot of it my
damn self. Recently I had to ask myself, “Am I a
hater or is the quality of the products being put
out by these artists just that bad?” The answer
is…it’s just that bad.
The reason you’re important is because you are
the closest thing to Tupac that the rap game
has. A lot of people are going to shit on me for
that statement, but it’s true. You are street yet
conscious, lyrically respected by emcees and
fans from all regions, and you deliver a positive
message without being preachy. Both the hood
and mainstream America fuck with you, you’re
not afraid to talk about God, and the ladies love
you. That’s a powerful combination. Because
of it, Tupac was dangerous. It also makes you
dangerous.
Because most of the products out there are
bad, people have every right to talk about just
how bad it is. Some say that if you don’t have
something nice to say, you shouldn’t say anything at all. I don’t subscribe to that philosophy.
I believe the person who created that saying
probably knew what he or she was doing was
some bullshit and they didn’t want anybody to
call them out on it. But I do believe that we need
balance. When something is great we need to
show respect to that greatness, especially while
the person is still alive. Give them the flowers
while they are still able to smell them. T.I.P., here
are your roses from me, brother. (Pause)
I know some people say, “Well, what does ladies
loving him have to do with anything?” Well Willie
Lynch said, “If you break the FEMALE (mother),
she will BREAK the offspring in its early years of
development.” So I say if you UPLIFT the mother
she will EMPOWER the offspring in its early years
of development. There are no songs uplifting our
women right now. There are actually a bunch of
records downing our women. They need someone that they admire to say, “You are more than
whores, bitches, and sluts.” We have to embrace
these young girls like they belong to us, like they
are our biological daughters.
Clifford Harris, you’re necessary, sir. You are in my
Top Six Favorite Emcees of All Time list, which
includes Ghostface, Nasir Jones, Rakim Allah,
yourself, Scarface, and a man you recently signed,
Killer Mike. The emcees that I love speak to me.
They speak on experiences that I can relate to
and put them in a way that captures the exact
emotion of those experiences. Being born and
raised in Moncks Corner, SC on a dirt road, I can
relate to your tales of being a young man growing up in the dirty South. We did things we were
not proud of but we did what we had to do at the
time to get by. Now we are grown, and you are
one of the few artists whose growth as a man is
reflected in their music.
A lot of people said that you snitched to get out
of the situation that has you presently incarcerated, but I never thought that. I’m one of the
few people on this planet who still believes in a
higher power. I said, “Allah (God) caused that to
happen because he has a greater plan for T.I.” He
allowed you the opportunity to teach. I can only
imagine all the youth whose lives you touched
in a positive way by going out and speaking to
them the way that you did; or how many you
encouraged to choose the right path in life by
simply sharing your experiences.
That is the main reason for this letter, my man.
This is to remind you that your job is not done
and to encourage you to come out the same way
you went in. Come out a man on a mission, inspired to change the minds of the youth because
they need it now more than ever. I don’t have to
18 // OZONE MAG
The Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan was
quoted as saying that rappers should teach
young girls, “Where there are no decent women,
there are no decent men; for the woman is the
mother of civilization.” He added, “We should
teach young people to admire women and not
abuse women, to respect and honor women,
and not defile women.”
You, T.I.P., have the power to change the way
people approach the microphone and you have
the ability to show people Hip Hop’s true power
potential. Minister Louis Farrakhan tells all rappers, “Your potential to change reality is so great
that if you learned the skill of words and how
to use words, if you learned how to say what it
is you want to say, but say it in a way that gains
universal respect; then the rap would evolve to
an art form that will never be replaced. It will
evolve to be that form that will set the stage for
the next phase of its evolution.”
Accept the responsibility of leadership, T.I.P.
Someone has to lead this evolution of Hip Hop’s
consciousness. The younger generation needs
direction. You said it on “Ain’t I,” “They don’t
know which way to go, I’ll make it easy, follow
me,” so lead them, T.I.P. People listen to those
who are in the position they want to be in. All
you have to do is look around at those who are
being influenced negatively by the content they
are taking in from other artist. I wish you well,
brother. Respect.
Streetfully Yours,
Charlamagne Tha God
Follow Me On Twitter
www.twitter.com/cthagod
1. SMACKA BATCH
www.myspace.com/smackabatch
With a name like Smacka Batch, you wouldn’t expect this guy
to have songs named “I Just Wanna Talk 2 U,”“Bedroom Eyez,” or
“Sexy Lady.” But he’s actually quite the ladies man, rapping and
crooning about taking women on shopping sprees and holding
hands. This only forces us to quote the legendary Pretty Tony
when he told Goldie, “You ain’t no pimp…you’re a rest haven
for hoes.” Oh, did we mention that he heads up a label called
Southern Plantation records? As outrageous as that sounds, his
crew has a song called “Blessed” on YouTube that’s really worth
checking out.
2. Gaggie
http://twitter.com/chitowngaggie
Not sure how or why someone would decide to name themselves Gaggie, but this Chi-town MC
doesn’t seem to mind the name at all. Not much of his music is floating around on the net, but…
it seems to make some people want to, eh, you get the point.
3. Swagzilla
http://www.myspace.com/lilaldagoon
If Kanye’s swag is on “a hundred, thousand, trillion” then Swagzilla’s must be in the zillions, euro
even.
by Maurice G. Garland
(above L-R): Playaz Circle & Ludacris @ The Ritz for Playaz Circle’s release party in Atlanta, GA (Photo: Ms Rivercity); Too Short & J Diggs @ Black Biker Round Up in Atlanta, GA
(Photo: Julia Beverly); Michael Watts & Slim Thug @ Hot 93.3 Summer Jam in Austin, TX (Photo: Edward Hall)
01 // Fella & ladies @ Ale Gators (Lakeland, FL) 02 // Jeff Johnson & BloodRaw @ The Moon for TJ’s DJ’s 15 Year Anniversary party (Tallahassee, FL) 03 // Young Joe & DJ Spinatik
@ Whiskey North (Tampa, FL) 04 // Rob G & Charles Chavez @ Latium Entertainment’s 10 Year Anniversary (Houston, TX) 05 // Trai D & Sho from Skyhighworld @ K104 (Dallas,
TX) 06 // Monica, Debra Lee, Tiny, & Toya @ The BET Hip Hop Awards (Atlanta, GA) 07 // Lil Kim & Busta Rhymes @ Miami Standup weekend (Miami, FL) 08 // Alex Thomas
plants one on Lisa Raye @ Take One (Miami, FL) 09 // Waka Flocka Flame & OJ da Juiceman @ The BET Hip Hop Awards (Atlanta, GA) 10 // Michael Watts, TV Johnny, & Paul
Wall @ Hot 93.3 Summer Jam (Austin, TX) 11 // J Futuristic & Ms Ja on the set of J Futuristic’s “This Is How We Play” video shoot (Atlanta, GA) 12 // DJ Reave & Dorrough Music
@ Ultra Lounge for Dorrough & Dr Teeth’s BET Nomination party (Dallas, TX) 13 // Keisha Zackery, Rochelle Brown, Simon Gidewon, Jasmin Franjul, & GMack @ Hip Hop Diva’s
Award Show (Atlanta, GA) 14 // Guest & Bertell @ Velvet Room for Don Cannon’s birthday party (Atlanta, GA) 15 // Carol O’Connor, Stunna Man, & Ms Keke @ JSU Athletic Center
(Jackson, MS) 16 // DJ Demp, Kevin Cossom, & Red Rum @ The Moon for TJ’s DJ’s 15 Year Anniversary (Tallahassee, FL) 17 // Pill & DJ Burn One @ Echo Studios for 8Ball & MJG’s
Listening Session (Atlanta, GA) 18 // Young Dro & ladies @ The Moon for TJ’s DJ’s 15 Year Anniversary (Tallahassee, FL) 19 // Alley Boy & Big Bank Black @ Clark Atlanta University
Homecoming concert (Atlanta, GA) 20 // Bigga Rankin & Gucci Mane on the set of Yo Gotti’s “5 Star Chick” remix video shoot video shoot (Atlanta, GA)
Photo Credits: Bogan (08); Brandon Holley for SLFEMP (04); Edward Hall (05,10,12); Ericka Hicks (15); FastLifeFastMoney.com (07); Freddyo (13,19); Julia Beverly (06,14,16); Malik
Abdul (20); Ms Ja (11); Ms Rivercity (17); Terrence Tyson (02,03,09); Travis Pendergrass (01,18)
OZONE MAG // 19
She Liked my NECKLACE and started relaxin’, that’s what the fuck I call a…
SEAN GARRETT
TOOLS OF THE TRADE
T
he first piece I wear is a scroll. It’s like an old-school
piece of paper, like an 1800s piece of paper, like a
parchment or something they wrote the Declaration
[of Independence] on. There’s a pen laying on there in
black diamonds. The whole paper is studded out with diamonds
and it says, “The ink never dries.”
My man over at Jacob’s [the Jeweler] always looks out for me. I explained how I wanted it laid out. As far as [the price], man, no comment. Y’all know what I do for a living, so I don’t have to do nothing
fake. It definitely cost a couple hundred thousand and it’s a couple
hundred carats. There’s always somebody waiting in the wings [to
snatch it] but I’m always straight. I’ve learned valuable lessons in
life and you’ve gotta always make sure you’re in a situation where
you’re straight. There’s a lot of lurkers.
My second piece is a little backpack that I always wear. It’s where I
20 // OZONE MAG
As a songwriter, Garrett has penned many of your favorite
radio hits for artists like Usher, Beyonce, & Chris Brown
keep my pens and stuff. I carry around a backpack all the time and I
always have pens in my backpack. Jay-Z named me “the Pen,” so I’m
like a literal backpacker. I always have the backpack and pens in the
stash. I’ve got a smaller chain too that’s just a pen.
Ironically, I generally don’t use a pen when I write. [The song] is in
here (points to his head). I only use the ink to sign checks (smiles).
[The chain] is definitely symbolic of the pen because that’s my
moniker. If you hear a smash on the radio, “I penned it,” that’s my
actual moniker.
I like jewelry and if I’ma wear jewelry, I definitely want it to have
some significance. The pen is definitely a significant part of me, you
know? //
As told to Julia Beverly
Photo by Julia Beverly
(above L-R): Lil Boosie & his daughter @ the BET Hip Hop Awards in Atlanta, GA (Photo: Freddyo); Big Gates & Plies @ The BET Hip Hop Awards in Atlanta, GA (Photo: Julia Beverly); T-Pain & his father Shaheed Najm @ the Nappy Boy Mansion for T-Pain’s birthday bash in Atlanta, GA (Photo: Malik Abdul)
01 // Clay Evans & Lil Duval @ Morehouse Homecoming concert (Atlanta, GA) 02 // Travis Porter & Tity Boi of Playaz Circle @ The Ritz for Playaz Circle’s release party (Atlanta, GA)
03 // 3Feet & DJ Chico @ Balla Bash (Texarkana, TX) 04 // Rook & 9th Wonder @ The Earl (Atlanta, GA) 05 // Eric Perrin & Young Jeezy @ Young Jeezy’s Adidas in-store (Atlanta,
GA) 06 // Polow da Don, Monica, T-Pain, & Usher @ the Nappy Boy Mansion for T-Pain’s birthday bash (Atlanta, GA) 07 // Lil Wayne & fans backstage @ America’s Most Wanted
Tour (Atlanta, GA) 08 // Ludacris & Aiyisha Obafemi @ Hip Hop Diva’s Award Show (Atlanta, GA) 09 // Soulja Boy & Monica (Atlanta, GA) 10 // Orlando McGhee & Jason Geter
@ Stankonia for Big Boi’s listening session (Atlanta, GA) 11 // Aziattik Blak, Montana Esco, Lil C, & Stax @ JSU Athletic Center (Jackson, MS) 12 // Hip Hop Friends & TJ Chapman
@ The Moon for TJ’s DJ’s 15 Year Anniversary (Tallahassee, FL) 13 // Kane Beatz & Lil Bankhead @ Club Crucial for Killer Mike’s release party (Atlanta, GA) 14 // DJ Nasty & Sam
Sneak @ 02 Arena (London) 15 // Hutch Daddy & Lo Fat @ Bash at the Bay (Toledo, OH) 16 // Supa Chino & Young Cash @ Plush (Jacksonville, FL) 17 // Jadakiss & DJ Sandman @
95.7 The Beat (Tampa, FL) 18 // Boo & Young Jeezy @ America’s Most Wanted Tour (Atlanta, GA) 19 // Geter K & Triple C’s @ Primal for Triple C’s release party (Atlanta, GA)
Photo Credits: Edward Hall (03); Eric Perrin (05,15); Ericka Hicks (11); Freddyo (08,09); Julia Beverly (01,07,10,12,14,18); Malik Abdul (06); Ms Ja (19); Ms Rivercity (02,04,13); Sandman (17); Terrence Tyson (16)
OZONE MAG // 21
Are You a G?
7 Questions to FIND OUT if R&B STAR STEPH JONES
is the 7th letter of the alphabet.
We put former DTP
crooner and Patiently
Waiting alum Steph
Jones to the test to
determine if the Texasborn model/R&B singer
is G’ or just as soft as the
stereotype.
A. Have you ever been
to jail?
Yes, I was in prison for 2
years actually. When I was
in France I ran into some
people that I knew from
L.A., but I didn’t know they
were being investigated
by the authorities. As
soon as I got home, when
I got off the plane, the
authorities demanded I
give them the real names
of like 9 different people
who I was hanging out
with. They said if I didn’t
give them the names
they would send me to
jail. So I ended up taking
one for the team because
the people I was with
weren’t the type that you
snitch on; I love my life
and my family so I didn’t
say anything. I ended up
spending 25 months in a
French prison.
Not snitching
keeps you and
your family safe,
and it also earns you extra
credit on OZONE’s “Are
You a G’” scale.
B. What the worst thing
that happened to you
in jail?
People turned their backs
on me. I wrote over 125
letters to people while I
was in there and nobody
wrote me back. That was
the hardest thing, and
I didn’t get any visits or
anything.
Friends turning
their backs on
you is a lot better
than turning
your back towards your
22 // OZONE MAG
fellow inmates. As long as
none of that went down,
Steph gets credit for this
response. We’ll take his
word for it.
C. What gangsta movie
do you identify with?
Godfather. It’s just the air of
the whole movie. Maybe
it’s the way it was directed,
but I really can’t explain it,
I just love watching that
movie. Anytime I think of
a gangsta movie I always
compare it to Godfather. I
can picture it really going
down like that.
Godfather or
Scarface were the
only two movies
we would accept
for this answer.
D. What’s the most devious line you use to get
girls in bed?
The crazy thing is I don’t
really have game, man. I
just be saying anything.
Whatever I say they go
crazy; it’s just my personality. If I decided to wear
pink and brown hair, I’m
gonna wear it better than
anybody, cause I just don’t
care.
Yeah, and we just
don’t care for this
answer. Sorry.
E.Most embarrassing on
stage encounter?
The bottom of my
microphone fell out
one day, but I didn’t get
embarrassed ‘cause I ‘m
really good at improv. I
reached over and grabbed
the background singer’s
microphone without skipping a beat; everybody
started clapping.
Eh, not bad, but
not gangsta
either.
F. You used to model, but
did you actually get paid
abcdefG
for it, or were you like a
“Myspace model”?
I was a professional
model. I still get paid
from it. I used to do stuff
for Old Navy, Enyce, and
Wilson’s Leather, but
modeling doesn’t give me
self-fulfillment like writing
a song and having someone listen to it and [react].
That means more than
any modeling campaign.
Sorry Steph,
that was a nice
answer, but we
can’t award you
G’ credits for anything
related to modeling.
G. Growing up in Texas
what was the roughest
thing you saw firsthand?
I was born in 3rd Ward,
Texas and as a 12-year-old
I witnessed my father
being murdered right
in front of my face. [The
murderer] left me there as
a trophy, so that’s something I had to live with my
whole life.
Not much humor
to find in this
response. Real G’
shit, unfortunately.
Score 4/7
Admissions of modeling
and pink and brown hair
ensure that Steph Jones
definitely needs a lot of
work to solidify his G’
status, but the fact that
he spent two years in a
foreign prison just for not
snitching is worth a passing grade alone.
Make sure to check out
Steph’s new Lifetape
called Gravity (“most
people would call it a
mixtape, but this is part of
my life, and I’m injecting
it into y’all’s life, so it’s a
lifetape,” says Steph).
Words by Eric Perrin
Hood
Deeds
WORDS By Eric Perrin
PHOTO BY ANNETTE BROWN/GETTY
Sean “Diddy” Combs isn’t the kind of guy you would expect to see riding around in a cab, but last year he spent close to a million dollars on
cab rides—in one night alone.
This past New Year’s Eve Diddy encouraged partygoers in New York
and Las Vegas not to drink and drive, and he was so vehement that he
paid the cab fare for thousands of New Year’s Eve. Diddy, along with
Ciroc Vodka and E Entertainment, employed street teams to distribute
thousands of debit cards worth $15 each in the respective cities high
traffic areas, including bars and clubs in Times Square and Las Vegas
Blvd. The goal was to ensure that everyone made it home safely.
The Diddy Debit cards were redeemable in over 15,000 yellow cabs
from 11 PM on New Year’s Eve to 3 AM on New Year’s Day.
“As the ‘Official Vodka of New Year’s Eve,’ we have a responsibility to remind everyone to get home safely on this most celebratory of nights,”
Diddy said through a video message aired on taxicab televisions leading up to New Year’s Day.
He added, “New York stands as the world’s icon for a New Year’s Eve
celebration and Las Vegas is the biggest party destination in the
country. By bringing this program to both of these great cities we will
continue to show the rest of the country that a sophisticated holiday
celebration doesn’t end when the ball drops, but when everyone gets
home safely.” //
(above L-R): Block & Gorilla Zoe @ Florida Music Conference in Miami, FL (Photo: Terrence Tyson); DJ Q45 & Fabolous backstage @ the BET Hip Hop Awards in Atlanta, GA (Photo:
Malik Abdul); Free & Lisa Raye @ Miami Standup weekend in Miami, FL (Photo: FastLifeFastMoney.com)
01 // Blow & Travis Porter @ Scores for Young Quez’s birthday party (Atlanta, GA) 02 // Cagle, Mami Chula, & Smurf @ Young Jeezy’s Adidas in-store (Atlanta, GA) 03 // P Brown &
M Beezy @ The Moon for TJ’s DJ’s 15 Year Anniversary party (Tallahassee, FL) 04 // Teddy T & Pretty Ricky @ Florida Music Conference (Miami, FL) 05 // 2wiceburg Slim & J Rich @
the BET Hip Hop Awards (Atlanta, GA) 06 // Goodie Mob & DJ Q45 @ the BET Hip Hop Awards (Atlanta, GA) 07 // Rocko & Monica @ the Soul Train Awards (Atlanta, GA)
08 // Stax & Lil Boosie @ JSU Athletic Center (Jackson, MS) 09 // Triple C’s & Ace Hood @ Triple C’s listening party (Atlanta, GA) 10 // Rook & DJ Premier @ The Earl (Atlanta, GA)
11 // Tanza @ The Moon for TJ’s DJ’s 15 Year Anniversary (Tallahassee, FL) 12 // Young Dose & Ms Dynasty @ Silver Foxx for Ms Dynasty & Bigga Rankin’s bday bash (Jacksonville,
FL) 13 // 1st Lady, Strizzo, & ladies @ 1st Lady’s Birthday Bash (Tampa, FL) 14 // Benz & Bay Bay on the set of Benz’s video shoot (Jackson, MS) 15 // Bay Bay, Big Chief, & Deville @
Club Joyce (Dallas, TX) 16 // Lil Bankhead, Lil Duval, & DJ Drama @ Clark Atlanta University Homecoming concert (Atlanta, GA) 17 // Maurice Garland, Terrence Tyson, DJ Smallz,
& Randy Roper @ 595 North for DJ Hero launch party (Atlanta, GA) 18 // Supa Cindy & Jamal ‘Gravy’ Woolard @ Karu & Y (Miami, FL) 19 // TayDizm, Bu, & guest @ the Nappy Boy
Mansion for T-Pain’s birthday bash (Atlanta, GA)
Photo Credits: Bogan (18); Edward Hall (15); Eric Perrin (02); Ericka Hicks (08); Freddyo (16); Kool Laid (14); Malik Abdul (06,19); Ms Ja (01,07); Ms Rivercity (10); Terrence Tyson
(03,04,05,09,12,17); Travis Pendergrass (11,13)
OZONE MAG // 23
TIGER WOODS & TRINA
TRINA: Hey Tiger. What are you doing boo?
TIGER: Look, Katrina. Please, leave me alone. I can’t talk right now. My wife and
I are in counseling.
TRINA: Ok, just text me when yall done.
TIGER: Well actually, I’ve been meaning to talk to you about something Katrina,
can you change the name on your phone. My wife found your number and
she might be calling you. You have to do this for me. Quickly!
TRINA: WTF! Fuck that trick, Tiger. She can’t throw it back like the baddest bitch.
TIGER: Who is the baddest bitch?
TRINA: Me motherfucker.
TIGER: Yes, I agree. I definitely have fond memories of you “throwing it back,”
but could you please refrain from disrespecting my wife.
TRINA: Ok, I’ll leave your wife alone. But I don’t appreciate you fucking all them
other hoes. What’s that about?
TIGER: I’ve made some heinous transgressions in my past that I thoroughly
regret. Please allow my family and I time to remedy our wounds. I’m working
on becoming a better husband, father and person.
TRINA: Nigga, shut the fuck up. You weren’t talking that shit when you were up
in this pussy last week.
TIGER: I told you Katrina, I am not a “nigger.” You are beginning to offend me!
OZONE EXCLUSIVE
TRINA: Come on Tiger, you don’t know nann hoe.
TIGER: Who is Nann? I didn’t have relations with any woman named Nann.
Textin’ is no longer safe now that OZONE’s
dangerous minds have hacked the system.
TRINA: Naw, nigga I meant you don’t know nann hoe like me who’ll keep it wet
like me, make it come back to back like me, lick a nigga nut sack like me
TIGER: Hold up baby hold up, what you said you’ll do bitch?
TRINA: Nigga, you heard what I motherfuckin said!
TIGER: Oh God Katrina, I love it when you talk like that. I need you!
TRINA: Then get your tight ass over here and visit me
TIGER: I will wear you out soon
From the minds of Eric Perrin & Randy Roper
Trina photo by J Lash
24 // OZONE MAG
(above L-R): OJ da Juiceman & Nicki Minaj in Atlanta, GA (Photo: Terrence Tyson); James DuBose & Monica @ Bocado for Monica’s Still Standing premiere party in Atlanta, GA (Photo: Julia Beverly); Christina Milian & The Dream @ the BET Hip Hop Awards in Atlanta, GA (Photo: Freddyo)
01 // Lil Twist, Tezz, & Toya @ The BET Hip Hop Awards (Atlanta, GA) 02 // 8Ball & MLK @ Echo Studios for 8Ball & MJG’s Listening Session (Atlanta, GA) 03 // Yung LA, Young Dro,
Red Rum, Too Official, & Buck @ The Moon for TJ’s DJ’s 15 Year Anniversary (Tallahassee, FL) 04 // Ahmed Obafemi & Lo Fat @ Stankonia for Big Boi’s listening session (Atlanta,
GA) 05 // 1st Lady & Bad Guy @ 1st Lady’s Birthday Bash (Tampa, FL) 06 // Young Jeezy autographing sneakers @ Young Jeezy’s Adidas in-store (Atlanta, GA) 07 // Big Boi &
his umbrella carrier @ the BET Hip Hop Awards (Atlanta, GA) 08 // BOB & Julia Beverly @ Morehouse Homecoming concert (Atlanta, GA) 09 // Monica & her brother Montez @
Bocado for Monica’s Still Standing reality show premiere party (Atlanta, GA) 10 // Toccara & Eva Pigford (Atlanta, GA) 11 // DJ Dr Doom & Aquarius @ Club Ivy for Dr Doom’s
birthday bash (Jacksonville, FL) 12 // Bigga Rankin, BoB, & Spodee @ The Moon for TJ’s DJ’s 15 Year Anniversary party (Tallahassee, FL) 13 // Paperchaserz on the set of their
“Franky” video shoot (Dallas, TX) 14 // Trump & guest @ Club 127 for OZONE party (Hickory, NC) 15 // Rock City @ Morehouse Homecoming concert (Atlanta, GA) 16 // J Diggs
& Cavario H @ Velvet Room for Don Cannon’s birthday party (Atlanta, GA) 17 // Playaz Circle (Atlanta, GA) 18 // Johnny Nunez, Howard, & Lyntina Townsend @ the BET Hip Hop
Awards (Atlanta, GA) 19 // Primetime Click & Dorrough @ Plush (Jacksonville, FL) 20 // Boo & JW @ Club Crucial (Atlanta, GA)
Photo Credits: Edward Hall (13); Eric Perrin (06); Freddyo (07,10,17,20); Julia Beverly (01,04,08,09,15,16); Ms Ja (14); Ms Rivercity (02); Terrence Tyson (11,12,18,19); Travis Pendergrass (03,05)
OZONE MAG // 25
In music, royalties are how an
artist gets paid; in the strip club,
Royalty is where those checks get spent.
Meet Royalty, a vivacious 26-year-old from Orlando, Florida
who is quite proud of her pole prowess and uses her head to
get whatever she wants in life—literally.
“One night I made $1500 in 2 hours,” exclaims Royalty. “And
that’s because I can stand on my head for 20 or 30 minutes
straight, depending on how long you want me to.”
In fact, Royalty is so confident in her dancing ability she likens
her on-stage tactics to a Broadway musical. “When people see
me dance they always say, ‘Oh, my God! She was born to do
this.’ And that’s because it’s all about the show with me,” she
says. “I want people to come watch my performance and be
intrigued, ‘cause it really is a show.”
Perhaps it’s more than just a show for Royalty, as she claims
dancing brings out the best in her. “It makes me happy and
takes away any negativity in my life. I feel the music so much
that I make love to it, so when you see me I’m dancing, I’m really making love to the music.”
And when she’s not making the love to the music, the auspicious Aries is a self proclaimed homebody who got rejected for
a living in her previous profession. “I used to be a telemarketer,”
admits Royalty. “Doing that job you gotta get used to people
yelling ‘fuck you, stop calling me!’ all day.”
Needless to say, she likes dancing a lot better.
And while many strippers have long-term goals outside of
dancing, Royalty is the exception. Her career ambition is to be
an exotic dance instructor. “I want to teach housewives how to
dance for their husbands,” she says. “I want to show them that
they’re able to perform for their men and be happy with what
they’re doing. Dancing can bring out a lot of love.”
Words by Eric Perrin
Website: Strokersclub.com
Booking: myspace.com/strokersatl
Photography: DC The Brain Supreme
dcphotoimaging.com
Make up and Hair Styling by
Mike Mike 678-732-5285
26 // OZONE MAG
(above L-R): Yung Joc @ The BET Hip Hop Awards in Atlanta, GA (Photo: Terrence Tyson); Bun B & Jazze Pha @ The BET Hip Hop Awards in Atlanta, GA; JW & Rich Boy @ Triple C’s
video shoot in Atlanta, GA (Photos: Julia Beverly)
01 // DJ Khaled & Ace Hood @ Florida Music Conference (Miami, FL) 02 // Rick Ross & Bigga Rankin @ Upstart Record Pool (Jacksonville, FL) 03 // Mr & Mrs Michael Saunders
& Spectacular of Pretty Ricky @ Florida Music Conference (Miami, FL) 04 // Young Tone, Guest, & Juney Boomdata @ Ilovemyplug.com’s Labor Day Bash (Atlanta, GA) 05 // Dru
Brett of The Runners & Kiko @ Triple C’s video shoot (Atlanta, GA) 06 // Buttahman, Amir Boyd, Lil Duval, Young Dro, & Clay Evans @ City Cuttz (Atlanta, GA) 07 // Guest, Simon
Gidewon, Julia Beverly, GMack, Jasmin Franjul, Rochelle Brown, & Aiyisha Obafemi @ Hip Hop Diva’s Award Show (Atlanta, GA) 08 // Toya, Ester Dean, & Tiny (Atlanta, GA) 09 //
Lil Boosie and a fan @ JSU Athletic Center (Jackson, MS) 10 // Jeevan Brown & Nicki Minaj on the set of Yo Gotti’s “5 Star Chick” remix video shoot video shoot (Atlanta, GA) 11 //
Chucc & Bay Bay @ Balla Bash (Texarkana, TX) 12 // DJ Q45 & DJ Koolaid @ Club Christophers (Jacksonville, FL) 13 // Big Bodie, Terri Sherman, Wendy Day, 4-Ize, Tuesday Knight,
Grand Prix, & Shane @ The Moon for TJ’s DJ’s 15 Year Anniversary party (Tallahassee, FL) 14 // G Fresh & KC da Beat Monster @ Ilovemyplug.com’s Labor Day Bash (Atlanta, GA)
15 // Papa Duck & Young AC @ The Moon for TJ’s DJ’s 15 Year Anniversary party (Tallahassee, FL) 16 // Suga D & Fella @ The Moon for FAMU Homecoming afterparty (Tallahassee,
FL) 17 // Young Breed, Torch, & Gunplay @ Upstart Record Pool (Jacksonville, FL) 18 // Rob Green, Ms Rivercity, & DJ Ace @ The Gate for Yung Ralph’s birthday party (Atlanta, GA)
19 // Rashad Tyler & Amir Boyd @ The Moon for TJ’s DJ’s 15 Year Anniversary (Tallahassee, FL)
Photo Credits: Edward Hall (11); Ericka Hicks (08); Freddyo (06,07); Julia Beverly (04,19); Malik Abdul (05,09); Ms Ja (03,14,18); Terrence Tyson (01,02,03,12,13,15,16,17)
OZONE MAG // 27
Where are you from originally, and how did you get into Hip Hop?
I’m originally from Ludlow, Massachusetts. I got into Hip Hop when an eventual friend moved into the neighborhood when I was in 6th or 7th grade.
He put me onto Wu Tang Clan, Das EFX, The Fugees, groups like that. From
there I started hearing it on the radio. I’d make pause tapes from whatever
the DJs played on Friday nights. So, the next Monday at school, I’d have
all the new music. After a while my friend said we should go in on some
turntables and make mixtapes ourselves. I saved up enough money for a
beginner’s set of turntables. They were really crappy, though.
They only played Hip Hop on Friday nights at the time?
It was a college station, so they played Hip Hop regularly. There wasn’t a
“Hot” or “Power” station there at the time. Back then you only heard Hip
Hop through the pop station, and it was just the mainstream stuff. You had
to listen to the college station to get the Hip Hop. Niko and Jay-1 were the
main DJs. They were dope.
Did working on crappy turntables hinder your progress?
I got all the practice I could on them, but I couldn’t even blend. Once I got
my Technics, I was hooked. I practiced everyday. Jay-1 was one of the local
DJs and he showed me some stuff. He would take time and go to this local
music store and give me lessons on Saturdays. I practiced hard. It took me
months to even learn how to do a flare. Learning from Jay-1 taught me a lot.
I was into learning the tricks moreso than wanting to rock parties.
What was it about turntablism that attracted you more than party
rockin’?
Its not that I didn’t want to rock parties, I just wanted to stand out and have
something distinct. Nowadays guys get turntables or Serato and a library
of music and they just start DJing with no practice. The tricks are the things
that people notice. Everybody has to know how to rock a crowd, but it’s the
tricks that set you apart. I also liked it because it was the first thing I learned
how to do. I didn’t go out and start DJing parties at first. I would just be in
my room with those crappy turntables that happened to come with a DMC
video starter kit. It had Kraze, Roc Raider and all those guys on it. So I didn’t
even see party rockers at first, I was only watching them. It was entertaining. Then when I started going to the club is when I saw how to actually
rock a party. Plus, I used to breakdance too because I was really into B-Boy
battles. I went to a lot of the Rock Steady reunion shows in New York. I have
a love for Hip Hop. I really understand the culture of it.
You pretty much built your name and presence in Atlanta. How did you
end up down there?
Before I moved I used to be a high school teacher. I started DJing my Junior
and Senior years in school, doing a lot of parties. I got a degree in science
but all I could do with that degree was teach. I hooked up with these guys
named the Short Bus Alumni and they said I should come down to Atlanta
with them as their DJ. They said I’d get a lot more DJ work down there.
Things didn’t even work out with them, but while I was in Atlanta I wanted
to link up with DJ Jamad because I always enjoyed his mixes, and mine had
similar music. I went to a Sol Fusion party my first time down and gave him
one of my mixtapes. He liked it and hit me back and just took me around,
he pretty much brought me in under his wing. If it wasn’t for Jamad I
wouldn’t have met anybody. From there I started DJing for Hollyweerd, then
different promoters saw me, and then I wound up linking with Asher Roth.
How has it been being his official tour DJ? He’s had a lot of hype surrounding him.
It’s been incredible. All I ever dreamed about was going on tour. Asher is
one of the most humble people I’ve ever met, and his whole crew is humble
too. The crowd response on his tour has been great. But to be with people
who are about having fun is what makes it enjoyable. We just got off tour
with Blink 182 and seeing their reaction and having Travis Barker watch all
of our shows is awesome. We’ve gotten to rock Madison Square Garden and
arenas with 20,000 people there.
As Asher Roth’s official tour DJ,
DJ Wreckineyez has started on a journey
that will surely lead him to being the next
big name DJ in Hip Hop. skilled in both turNtablism and party rocking, it’s only a matter of time before you see him on TV mixing
for celebrity-filled events that you wish
you could attend.
28 // OZONE MAG
Since you’ve accomplished your dream, what are some goals you’ve set
for yourself along the way?
I’m setting myself up to do this for a living for as long as I can. I’m really trying to go to the next level. I’m moving to California. I want to be like Jazzy
Jeff. I want to rock parties and have people trust me to play different stuff,
instead of promoters telling me what they want me to play.
I’ve seen you step from behind the turntables and start breakdancing. Is
that something that you’re incorporating into your show regularly?
(laughs) No, that’s just me having fun, getting caught up in the moment. I’m
not trying to incorporate dancing into my routine. I’m out of shape, I can’t
do that anymore. //
Words by Maurice G. Garland // Photo by Hannibal Matthews
(above L-R): Fella & Plies @ The Moon for FAMU Homecoming afterparty in Tallahassee, FL (Photo: Terrence Tyson); Pretty Ricky @ Locker Room Studios in Atlanta, GA (Photo: Ms
Rivercity); BOB & Fabo @ The BET Hip Hop Awards in Atlanta, GA (Photo: Julia Beverly)
01 // Bones, Gator, BloodRaw, & Mighty Mike @ The Moon for TJ’s DJ’s 15 Year Anniversary (Tallahassee, FL) 02 // J Diggs & Big Dante reppin Mac Dre and the Furly Ghost Rydahs
@ Black Biker Round Up (Atlanta, GA) 03 // Lil Duval & Jas Prince @ America’s Most Wanted Tour (Atlanta, GA) 04 // Charles Wakeley & Swazy Styles @ The Moon for TJ’s DJ’s 15
Year Anniversary party (Tallahassee, FL) 05 // BoB & Clay Evans @ Morehouse Homecoming concert (Atlanta, GA) 06 // DJ Bobby Black, Rocko, & Montez @ Bocado for Monica’s
Still Standing reality show premiere party (Atlanta, GA) 07 // Trai’D & Freddy Hydro @ The BET Hip Hop Awards (Atlanta, GA) 08 // Suga D & Plies @ The Moon for FAMU Homecoming afterparty (Tallahassee, FL) 09 // Kevin Cossom & DJ Q45 @ The Moon for FAMU Homecoming afterparty (Tallahassee, FL) 10 // Ms Dynasty & Young Cash on the set of
Young Cash’s “Money” video shoot (Jacksonville, FL) 11 // Rick Ross & Derek Washington @ Upstart Record Pool (Jacksonville, FL) 12 // Mayne of The Runners & Marco Mall @
Florida Music Conference (Miami, FL) 13 // Mac Boney & Bigga Rankin @ The Moon for TJ’s DJ’s 15 Year Anniversary party (Tallahassee, FL) 14 // Geter K, Sinsay, & Lou @ Triple
C’s video shoot (Atlanta, GA) 15 // DJ Q45 & DJ Dr Doom @ Club Ivy for Dr Doom’s birthday bash (Jacksonville, FL) 16 // Bigg DM, Tony Neal, & Jason Geter @ The Moon for TJ’s
DJ’s 15 Year Anniversary (Tallahassee, FL) 17 // Sam Sneak & Geter K @ Silver Foxx for Ms Dynasty & Bigga Rankin’s bday bash (Jacksonville, FL) 18 // Pleasure P & Lil Chuckee @
America’s Most Wanted Tour (Atlanta, GA) 19 // Youngbreed & Torch of Triple C’s @ Club Kufa (Saarbrucken, Germany)
Photo Credits: Julia Beverly (02,03,05,06,07,14,16,18,19); Terrence Tyson (04,08,09,10,11,12,13,15,17); Travis Pendergrass (01)
OZONE MAG // 29
You may have heard Lil Wayne
shouting out his name (“Kane on the
beat”) on the Kane Beatz-Produced
“We Be Steady Mobbin,” but we doubt
you know the whole story behind
this Orlando beatmaker. Luckily,
OZONE persuaded Kane to step away
from Fruity Loops and Pro Tools
for a second to tell us how he went
from selling beats on Soundclick.
com to producing for rap’s biggest
names.
I was making beats in high school and selling
them on Soundclick.com. I started getting a lot
of buzz on there. I ended up doing my [publishing] deal with Warner/Chappell and Mike Caren.
That happened in like 2006. So, really since 2006,
my first placement was [Trick Daddy] “Tuck Your
Ice.” That was my first single. It didn’t really go
huge, but it was big for me. From there I was just
working, building my name, constantly getting
placements. I was getting placements every year,
just working trying to get singles, and in the process building my name, getting to know people.
People spend so much time complaining about
wanting to get on, and for me, I didn’t understand music that much. I just knew I was good
at making beats. I was just working, man. I sold
beats on Soundclick, and the hustle from it, I realized I was getting real good. And then, just the
idea of branding myself, just working so hard on
Soundclick ‘til I was #1. Then, I was giving beats
away for free for the longest time. At the time,
I wasn’t getting crazy money for beats, but the
shit was everywhere. At one time on Soundclick,
your shit could be all over the country. People
everywhere were talking.
I didn’t know who [Mike Caren] was. I didn’t
know nothing about it. He was like, “I’m Mike
Caren,” and he was telling me about [the publishing deal]. I was like, “Cool, that sounds tight.” I
didn’t realize how big it was at the time. When he
first contacted me I was in high school. I looked
him up on the internet, and I was like, “Whoa,
that’s crazy.” I told my partners all the things we
were about to do, but it actually didn’t happen
for a year and a half after that. It took awhile for it
to happen. But when it happened, it happened.
[Publishing] deals are a good opportunity where
you get to work on a lot of projects. Being with
a publisher, in a little bit of time, he was able
to get my records to a lot of artists. I wouldn’t
have been able to do that myself. It really got
my sound in a lot of people’s ears fast. ‘Cause
sometimes, when you’re a producer or anything
new, you gotta be local first, then this person has
to hear you, versus me just working, working,
working. I was already going straight to album
placements. So, it gave me that opportunity. I
started working with Wayne, then [we] did “S On
My Chest” with Birdman, on Khaled’s album. I
did like four [songs] on Chamillionaire’s [album].
After that I worked with Birdman, Flo Rida, and
Plies. I did a couple on his second [album].
I was getting album placements fast, but the
singles didn’t come fast. “Tuck Your Ice” was my
first single. Since then, “We Be Steady Mobbin” is
going good. Tity Boi had the song, then Wayne
had the song. I’m not exactly positive how it
went, but I know they both had the song. I know
Wayne kept the record and got Gucci on it. He
called me and was like, “We wanna put it out.”It
kinda caught on its own. And now everybody’s
talking about it, everybody’s playing it. But it
wasn’t intended for that. It kinda was a record
that just caught.
Now, I’m working on a lot of Young Money shit. I
just came back from Canada, where I was fucking
with Drake. Working on Wayne’s new album. I did
some crazy shit with T-Pain. Birdman, he should
be dropping soon. Chamillionaire, I just did some
crazy shit on his album. Juelz [Santana], they just
leaked that record, I don’t know how it leaked.
I had a record on [Gorilla] Zoe’s last CD. Some
kid leaked the track, so Zoe didn’t want to put it
on his album no more. It pissed me off ‘cause it
messed up the money for everybody. Now, [leaks
are] never going to stop. You can’t do nothing
about it, you’ve just got to be as careful as possible. But when it leaks, you just got to make the
best of it. When a song leaks, for me, all you can
do is push it. Push it to the point where it’s still
forced to be on their album. ‘Cause it depends
on the intention of the leak is. It’s different now,
‘cause when “Bedrock” leaked, it didn’t kill the record. But it depends on what the artist originally
had intended for the song. Now when it leaks, I
just use it to blow myself up. //
//Production Credits
Trick Daddy “Tuck Your Ice,”
Lil Wayne f/Gucci Mane “We Steady
Mobbin,” Young Money “Bedrock”
30 // OZONE MAG
(above L-R): Toya, James Hardy, & Tiny @ the BET Hip Hop Awards in Atlanta, GA; Stephen Hill, Toccara, & Busta Rhymes @ the BET Hip Hop Awards in Atlanta, GA; Kandi & Big
Bank Black @ Clark Atlanta University Homecoming concert in Atlanta, GA (Photos: Freddyo)
01 // DJ Princess Cut & Trai D @ Urban South Radio (Dallas, TX) 02 // Gabriel Hart, Yung LA, Young Dro & crew on the set of Young Dro’s “I Don’t Know Y’all” video shoot (Atlanta,
GA) 03 // BoB, Playboy Tre, Stay Fresh, & B Rich @ The Moon for TJ’s DJ’s 15 Year Anniversary party (Tallahassee, FL) 04 // Young Breed, Carol City Cartel, Rick Ross, & Bigga Rankin
@ Upstart Record Pool (Jacksonville, FL) 05 // Tank & Hutch Daddy Dollars @ Bash at the Bay (Toledo, OH) 06 // Yung B & Bun B @ The BET Hip Hop Awards (Atlanta, GA)
07 // Simon Gidewon being impolite @ Hip Hop Diva’s Award Show (Atlanta, GA) 08 // Pleasure P & Shawty Lo @ America’s Most Wanted Tour (Atlanta, GA) 09 // Dru Brett of
The Runners & DJ Khaled @ Triple C’s video shoot (Atlanta, GA) 10 // Tricky & Big Swoll on the set of Benz’s video shoot (Jackson, MS) 11 // Freddyo, Simon Gidewon, & Rochelle
Brown @ Hip Hop Diva’s Award Show (Atlanta, GA) 12 // Bigga Rankin & Elora Mason @ Triple C’s listening party (Atlanta, GA) 13 // Rip, Spinz, & DJ MLK @ Primal (Atlanta, GA)
14 // Cannon, Trey Songz, Morace Landy, & Hurricane Dave @ Hot 107.9 (Atlanta, GA) 15 // Lil Meany & guest @ Club Crucial (Atlanta, GA) 16 // Gyant, Young Jeezy, & Smurf @
Young Jeezy’s Adidas in-store (Atlanta, GA) 17 // Ms Dynasty & Bigga Rankin @ Silver Foxx for their bday bash (Jacksonville, FL) 18 // Mon E G & Ms Rivercity (Jacksonville, FL)
Photo Credits: Edward Hall (01); Eric Perrin (05,16); Freddyo (07,11,15); Julia Beverly (06,08,09); Kool Laid (10); Ms Rivercity (02,13,14); Terrence Tyson (03,04,12,17,18)
OZONE MAG // 31
T
eiron “Iceberg” Robinson never imagined one
day he’d be rapping alongside a Southern
rap icon like Trick Daddy. But when Iceberg’s
freestyle over Nas’ “One Mic” attracted Trick’s interest
in the then 15-year-old rapper, Berg’s farfetched
fantasy soon became a reality. “I was just happy to
be around him,” the now 20-year-old says of the day
he met Trick Daddy. “I was born and raised in Miami.
In Miami, niggas look up to this nigga Trick like that
nigga is a fucking God.”
Iceberg, whose first taste of rapping came at the tender age of 5, after his father wrote his first rhymes,
had already begun establishing a name for himself
through a series of mixtapes. The day he met Trick
Daddy, Iceberg found himself in the studio, auditioning for a spot in Trick’s Dunk Ryders group. “I went
to the Dunk Ryders tryout,” Berg recalls, of a session
that also included Miami standout artist Brisco. “It
was me, Trick and a room full of 10 niggas trying to
get in one booth. It was me, Brisco and Soup [Trick’s]
brother, [and] I remember Trick walking in the studio
after all of us dropped our verse, and he said, ‘Take
Berg, and Brisco off that song, they already Dunk
Ryders. They already official.’”
While Brisco went on to sign with Poe Boy/Cash
Money, Iceberg signed with Dunk Ryder Records,
and joined Fella and Trick’s brother, Soup, in the
Dunk Ryders. The group wasted no time making a
name. They were featured on Trick Daddy’s 2006 album, Back By Thug Demand, and released the single
“Fuck The Other Side,” which became a popular underground hit and was later featured on DJ Khaled’s
third album, We Global. And in 2008, Trick Daddy
signed a joint venture deal with Cash Money Records
to release the Dunk Ryders album.
However, a legal situation involving Soup (who’s
currently incarcerated) and a radio and video ban
of “Fuck The Other Side” set back the Dunk Ryders’
progress. Still, Iceberg hasn’t allowed that to slow his
grind. He went back to releasing his own mixtapes
(including Bandana Music, Strictly For The Streets, and
International Billion, among others), and co-starred
on Trick Daddy and DJ Scream’s Drunk Ryder or Die
mixtape.
Majors have taken notice and offered solo deals, but
Iceberg insists he’s waiting for the right situation. In
the meantime he plans on releasing another mixtape called Mr. L.I.V.E., he’s featured on Trick Daddy’s
new album Finally Famous, and the Dunk Ryders still
intend to release an album through Cash Money. But
until then, Iceberg is going for self on the mixtape
circuit. “I’m addicted to doing mixtapes,” he says. “My
CEOs be telling me, ‘Man, chill or you’re gonna be
labeled as a mixtape artist.’ But I go against the grain
anyway because I’m like, shit, I guess that’s what I
am…a mixtape artist. I just like feeding the streets.”
Words by Randy Roper
32 // OZONE MAG
Patiently
Waiting
Patiently
Waiting
W
hen Interscope recording artist Maurice “Verse” Simmons first recorded
his smash hit, “Buy You A Round” he
didn’t think it was going to be a big deal.
“I just thought [the record] was cool,” admits the
rapper/singer/songwriter behind the song that
is currently the favorite of “that girl” in the club. “I
didn’t think it was [a hit] like it’s becoming now.
I just thought it was a good song for the clubs.
But when the DJs heard it, they’re the ones that
brought it to life. I was like, ‘Damn ya’ll like it like
that?’ Okay.”
As the first audio example of what he is branding
“Island B,” “Buy You A Round” has made Verse
a burgeoning international superstar almost
overnight. Born in Puerto Rico and raised in the
Virgin Islands before moving to Ft. Lauderdale,
FL, Verse’s current show schedule is already looking like a mini-World Tour with dates in and out
of the country.
“With the background I have, it definitely gives
you an edge of appeal,” says Verse, who also recorded a Spanish version of his hit single. “Other
artists may not be able to get into that market,
so my background and the type of music I make
helps me touch more people. It makes them
more familiar with my sound.”
But first, he had to get familiar with himself. As
the first person in his family to delve into music,
Verse didn’t have a blueprint to follow. He got his
start by writing his first song in sixth grade and
performing other people’s songs in talent shows
growing up along side childhood friend Theron
Thomas, who would go on to become one half of
the Caribbean-hybrid group Rock City.
When he moved to Florida after high school, he
crossed paths with fellow music maker Shama
Joseph. The two eventually formed their own
production team, The Jugganauts. They moved
to California in 2003 and contributed to many
major label projects, which allowed Verse to
hone his songwriting skills until he was ready to
introduce himself as a recording artist. Four years
later he moved to Atlanta and hooked up with
uber-hit makers Akon and Rodney Jerkins, who
would eventually help broker his record deal
with Interscope.
This past summer Verse released his first mixtape
The Sextape Tape Chronicles offering a unique
blend of sexual but honest tunes that pushed
the envelope, but not the ladies away.
“There are things you can say that are edgy, but
still acceptable,” says Verse, who credits his knack
for talking to women to his days growing up
working in his grandmother’s hair and nail salon.
“But I still want to make music with class, I don’t
want to just say things to get attention.”
As the buzz behind him continues to grow, he
will surely get plenty of attention when his debut album Stories of a Bachelor hits stores soon.
Words by Maurice G. Garland
OZONE MAG // 33
W
hen PI Bang emerged in the Orlando rap
scene in ’01, his expectations were high.
He expected to shine immediately and
automatically receive credit for his talent. But things
didn’t exactly go his way.
“When I first started, I thought if you were hot you
would just get on, and they would sign yo’ ass,” the
independent rapper explains of his misconception.
“It’s nothin’ like I thought it was gonna be – it’s more
of a challenge.”
PI expressed his initial frustration by freestyling on
an underground radio station, where he dissed a lot
of the movers and shakers in Orlando. He explains,
“I wanted to make a name for the O ‘cause wasn’t
nobody doing it. I was like, fuck everybody – if I
gotta push everyone else down to do it, then that’s
what I’ma do.”
While dissing the locals wasn’t the most political
move to make, the controversy did get PI Bang’s
name out there, and he was given his own radio segment. From there, he started throwing concerts and
teen parties in an effort to stay relevant. Promoting
shows allowed him to open for major acts that came
through the city, increasing his buzz.
He continued making music and promoting himself.
In 2006, he dropped a popular mixtape with White
Boi Pizal. The tape brought him the attention he was
seeking. Once people knew his name, all that was
left was finding a hit.
“I had good records,” PI explains, “but never really
had a hit song.” In hopes of finding that song, last fall
he reached out to producer Zaytoven via Myspace. “I
had just got out of jail and the first thing on my mind
was coming up with a record and getting on the radio. I hit Zay and his people sent me some beats.” The
end result was “Trap Keep Jumpin,” which is currently
in heavy rotation throughout central Florida.
Area DJs were the first to cosign the record before
it hit the internet machine. “The night I recorded
it I went to do a show with Dawgman,” he recalls.
“I performed it and [the DJ] Disco J.R. was like, ‘Oh,
that’s it.’” The encouragement ignited his campaign
and once the song got hot, a video was released.
Currently increasing in spins, the song has placed PI
Bang on the one-to-watch list.
Years after his freestyle, sneak-dissing days, PI now
has a better understanding of how the business
works. He’s learned the importance of marketing,
relationship building, and patience. And while he
strives to reach a national level, PI keeps his sights on
what’s most important. “I’m trying to turn a negative
into a positive,” he explains. “I come from the street
and ain’t nothin’ good out there.”
Words by Ms. Rivercity
Photo courtesy of Colourful Money
34 // OZONE MAG
Patiently
Waiting
(above L-R): Rick Ross @ 02 Arena in London; Jeremih @ House of Blues Chicago for the 106th & Park tour in Chicago, IL (Photos: Julia Beverly); C-Ride @ Florida Music Conference in
Miami, FL (Photo: Terrence Tyson)
01 // Pretty Ricky reppin OZONE @ Locker Room Studios (Atlanta, GA) 02 // 3D reppin’ OZONE @ Tree Sound Studios for their listening session (Atlanta, GA) 03 // J Dash &
Midget Mac @ Club Christophers (Jacksonville, FL) 04 // Stay Fresh @ The Moon for TJ’s DJ’s 15 Year Anniversary (Tallahassee, FL) 05 // Gorilla Zoe & DJ Holiday @ Throbacks for
Street Talk Showcase (Atlanta, GA) 06 // Julia Beverly & Paul D of Theripy @ The Moon for TJ’s DJ’s 15 Year Anniversary (Tallahassee, FL) 07 // Aziatakk Black @ Freelon’s (Jackson,
MS) 08 // Lady Vernicia @ Freelon’s for the Leo Birthday Bash (Jackson, MS) 09 // Fella @ Ale Gators (Lakeland, FL) 10 // Benz @ Velvet Room for Don Cannon’s birthday party
(Atlanta, GA) 11 // Masspike Miles @ Primal for Triple C’s release party (Atlanta, GA) 12 // Lil Ru @ Upstart Record Pool (Jacksonville, FL) 13 // Mr Collipark & Toneman on the set
of J Futuristic’s “First Name Last Name” video shoot (Atlanta, GA) 14 // Chubbie Baby @ Velvet Room for Don Cannon’s birthday party (Atlanta, GA) 15 // Bad Guy & crew @ 1st
Lady’s Birthday Bash (Tampa, FL) 16 // T-Roy & guest @ Club Christophers (Jacksonville, FL) 17 // Buck & Red Rum @ The Moon for TJ’s DJ’s 15 Year Anniversary (Tallahassee, FL)
18 // Don P @ Hoops 4 Hope (Atlanta, GA) 19 // Elmo & Kanine on the set of their “Franky” video shoot (Dallas, TX) 20 // Killer Mike @ The Tabernacle (Atlanta, GA) 21 // Gyant
@ Young Jeezy’s Adidas in-store (Atlanta, GA) 22 // Travis Porter @ Figure 8 for their mixtape release party (Atlanta, GA) 23 // Malik Abdul @ The Loft for I Do Music showcase
(Atlanta, GA) 24 // Richmind Records @ Ultra Lounge for Dorrough & Dr Teeth’s BET Nomination party (Dallas, TX) 25 // DJ Kutthroat & guest on the set of J Futuristic’s “This Is
How We Play” video shoot (Atlanta, GA) 26 // Ron King & BW @ Club Joyce (Dallas, TX) 27 // Pastor Troy @ Velvet Room (Atlanta, GA) 28 // DJ Drop @ Ultra Lounge for Dorrough
& Dr Teeth’s BET Nomination party (Dallas, TX) 29 // Lyfe Jennings & Hutch Daddy @ Bash at the Bay (Toledo, OH) 30 // Vince Carter & Renaldo Balkman @ Club Christophers
(Jacksonville, FL) 31 // DJ Smallz & Don Cannon @ 595 North for DJ Hero launch party (Atlanta, GA) 32 // Veda Loca @ Ultra Lounge for Dorrough & Dr Teeth’s BET Nomination
party (Dallas, TX) 33 // Yung LA & Rich Kids @ For Sisters Only (Atlanta, GA) 34 // Theripy & TJ Chapman @ The Moon for TJ’s DJ’s 15 Year Anniversary (Tallahassee, FL) 35 // DJ
Ace & Ms Crunk @ Primal for DJ Appreciation Night (Atlanta, GA)
Photo Credits: Devon Buckner (35); Edward Hall (19,24,26,28,32); Eric Perrin (20,21,23,29); Julia Beverly (02,04,06,10,14,17,27,34); Ms Ja (11,13,22,25,33); Ms Rivercity (01,05,18);
Soufpaw (07,08); Terrence Tyson (03,12,16,30,31); Travis Pendergrass (09,15)
OZONE MAG // 35
T
here’s an infinite number of rappers whose
alias begins with the stereotypical “Young,”
but since this Durham native started his
rap career at the tender age of 13, he gets a pass.
Back then, Young Swift formed rap groups with
neighborhood friends. From the beginning, Swift
knew rapping was what he wanted to do. “We used
to think we were gonna get on when I was like 14,”
says the now 19-year-old rapper. “We didn’t realize
how long the grind really takes.”
With the guidance of his parents, Swift spent the
next few years recording and honing his rap skills,
and in 2007, he caught a break when his single
“Cool Dude” caught the attention of XM satellite radio personalities DJ Nina 9 and Leo G., who
added the song to rotation on XM station 66 Raw.
“I linked up with Nina 9 on Myspace,” he says. “She
was really feeling that song, and she let Leo G. hear
it, and he started spinning [the song] immediately.
Nina 9 became my manager shortly after that. She
started spinning it [and] they brought me up the
radio station a couple times. It actually became
quite a frenzy.”
His name started being tossed around the Carolinas, and he followed up his newfound radio buzz
with a mixtape, Welcome To The Rap House, and an
independent album The Return in 2008. But rap
money wasn’t exacting flowing in. So he enrolled
at North Carolina Central University, where he met
famed Raleigh, NC producer 9th Wonder, who was
teaching a Hip Hop history class in the university’s
music department. Later, the two collaborated
on music, but after one year, Swift left NCCU and
moved to Atlanta.
Now, managed by A-Town’s DJ Nando, Swift’s been
in the studio working with producer Shawty Redd,
and their collaborative effort “In The Way” has been
gaining spins on radio and in clubs around the A.
And with his Can’t Knock The Hustle mixtape hosted
by DJ Infamous looming, Swift is ready to take his
position next to the new blood of Carolina emcees,
redefining NC’s movement.
“I think we’re a breath of fresh air right now,” he
says. “We’ve got a couple artists coming out. J. Cole
from Fayetteville just got signed to Roc Nation and
that nigga’s hot. Rain, he’s pretty tough. And as far
as me, I think we’ve got a nice balance with our
music. We can go commercial. We can go backpack.
It’s just going to be real appealing to the masses.”
Words by Randy Roper
Photo by DJ Nando
36 // OZONE MAG
Patiently
Waiting
(above L-R): Ace Hood @ FAMU Homecoming in Tallahassee, FL (Photo: Terrence Tyson); Gabriel Hart with his OZONE article on the set of
Young Dro’s “I Don’t Know Y’all” video shoot in Atlanta, GA (Photo: Ms Rivercity); Pitbull @ The Tabernacle in Atlanta, GA (Photo: Eric Perrin)
01 // Bay Bay, Dorrough Music, & 3Feet @ Balla Bash (Texarkana, TX) 02 // Marly Mar & DJ Blaze @ The Coop for the SC Music Awards (Columbia, SC) 03 // Mike Jones @ Hot 93.3
Summer Jam (Austin, TX) 04 // Plies @ Obsessions (Atlanta, GA) 05 // Common & Frankie @ For Sisters Only (Atlanta, GA) 06 // Brian of Day 26 @ House of Blues Chicago for
the 106th & Park tour (Chicago, IL) 07 // Trey Songz @ Club Dreamz (Jackson, MS) 08 // Papa Duck @ FAMU Homecoming Concert (Tallahassee, FL) 09 // Loaded, Jabba Jaws, &
Ca$h on the set of Ca$h’s “Walk Wit A Dip” video shoot (Dallas, TX) 10 // Trai’D @ Club Joyce (Dallas, TX) 11 // Terrence Tyson & Jamillah on the set of Young Cash’s “Money” video
shoot (Jacksonville, FL) 12 // DJ Dr Doom, Dunn City, & Quentin Groves @ SoHo’s Lounge for Dr Doom’s birthday bash (Jacksonville, FL) 13 // Ladies @ Club 127 for OZONE party
(Hickory, NC) 14 // Majic @ Sobe Live for Tony Neal’s birthday party (Miami, FL) 15 // Slim Thug @ Club Joyce (Dallas, TX) 16 // Rich Boy @ Triple C’s video shoot (Atlanta, GA)
17 // Fella & crew @ Ale Gators (Lakeland, FL) 18 // 1st Lady @ 1st Lady’s Birthday Bash (Tampa, FL) 19 // BG (Jacksonville, FL) 20 // Chingo Bling @ Hot 93.3 Summer Jam (Austin, TX) 21 // DJ Slim Kutti @ Club Dreamz (Jackson, MS) 22 // Average Joe Entertainment @ Club Dreamz (Jackson, MS) 23 // Swordz @ Upstart Record Pool (Jacksonville, FL)
24 // Trick Daddy @ The Hall (Palmetto, FL) 25 // Young Tone & Ms JA @ Figure 8 (Atlanta, GA) 26 // Lil Marco @ Lavish Lounge (Atlanta, GA) 27 // Guest, Fat Pimp, & Shug Avery
@ Ultra Lounge for Dorrough & Dr Teeth’s BET Nomination party (Dallas, TX) 28 // Drumma Boy @ Hoops 4 Hope (Atlanta, GA) 29 // Rocko & Monica reppin OZONE @ Bocado
for Monica’s Still Standing reality show premiere party (Atlanta, GA) 30 // DJ Krave @ Ultra Lounge for Dorrough & Dr Teeth’s BET Nomination party (Dallas, TX) 31 // Iceberg @
FAMU Homecoming Concert (Tallahassee, FL) 32 // Dolla of Playaz Circle @ The Ritz for Playaz Circle’s release party (Atlanta, GA) 33 // Kiko on the set of Ace Hood’s “Born An
OG” video shoot (Atlanta, GA) 34 // Geter K @ Primal for Triple C’s release party (Atlanta, GA) 35 // Juelz Santana & Young Dro reppin OZONE @ Johnson C Smith Homecoming
concert (Charlotte, NC)
Photo Credits: Chris OA (03); Edward Hall (01,09,10,15,20,27,30); Eric Perrin (33); Julia Beverly (06,16,29); Malik Abdul (35); Ms Ja (02,05,13,26,34); Ms Rivercity (25,28,32); Soufpaw (07,21,22); Terrence Tyson (04,08,11,12,14,19,23,31); Travis Pendergrass (17,18,24)
OZONE MAG // 37
Y
ou can say Block Entertainment has had
reputable success in the rap game. From
Yung Joc to Gorilla Zoe to Boyz N’ the
Hood, Russell “Block” Spencer knows how to find
new talent and skyrocket them to stardom. In the
next wave of artists added to the Block Entertainment roster comes something big, something
colossal.
Calling himself Kollosus a.k.a. the 8th Wonder, this
Decatur, GA Jamaican defines his stage name. “The
definition of ‘colossus’ is large, and I’m definitely
here to do big things,” he says. “I’ve been Kollosus
since I was a youngin’.”
Most people know Colossus as the powerful
steel-morphing character from the X-Men Marvel
Comics. Though Kollosus is not a supernatural
being, he’s still confident that he will touch people
through the power of his music and believes he’s
built for the game. “It’s simple. It’s just work, that’s
what it really takes. What you put in is what you
get out,” he says.
Giving praise to Block for giving him a chance, and
naming Gucci Mane as an inspiration, Kollosus
knows deep down he’s in a good situation to reach
that same limelight. “Block shows what it means to
really be a hard worker. He’s the perfect example
of a workaholic,” he says. “The same thing with
Gucci Mane, he keeps it coming. He put out so
much music, which is paying off. This game ain’t for
everybody.”
The streets first got a taste of Kollosus when his
DJ Teknikz-hosted mixtape, They Playin Wit Dat
Rap Shit, was released last year. And for the rest of
the industry, his introduction came when he was
featured on Gorilla Zoe’s single “What It Is” along
with Rick Ross. “We were just in the studio and was
thinking like, “Man, who can we put on this record,”
he recalls. “Zoe was like, man, let me jump on it.
Then we reached out to Ross and it went from
there.”
Having his own sound, Kollosus knows what it
means to be your own artist. And nowadays, with
the rap game so oversaturated, he knows that it
takes a lot to be one of a kind amongst many. “First
of all, I’m not in anybody’s lane and [I] make the
music that says, ‘I want to buy his product.’ I was
raised in Kingston, Jamaica til I was about 16, 17
years old, so my music is influenced by Southern
Hip Hop and reggae. So I know there’s nothing like
me coming out.”
Words by Quinton Hatfield
Photo by Hannibal Matthews
38 // OZONE MAG
Patiently
Waiting
W
as one.
hile most American-born artists aspire to
become international superstars, Atlantanative Donnis technically began his career
“That was part of the plan,” admits Donnis, who hails
from the city’s Jonesboro area. “We all know what’s
getting played on Atlanta radio; a lot of dancing and
trap music. I’m a little different with my approach. So I
came to New York where they have a little more going
on.”
But before that, Donnis was actually a budding star
all the way in Tokyo, Japan. While stationed there as
a member of the Air Force, Donnis began recording
music to pass the time. He used his military paycheck
to cover studio time and burn CDs. After hitting the
streets with his music, he found that was gaining
quite a fanbase.
“They were very receptive,” he says. “I was always in
the clubs. I knew all the club owners and promoters
and it just grew.”
While the language barrier was both a gift and curse
(potential fans were either mesmerized or confused
by the words coming out of his mouth), Donnis
ultimately decided to come back to the States. His
first stop was Denver, where he didn’t get a lot of
support from the local music scene. From there he
moved to New York, where he garnered interest from
R&B crooner John Legend who was starting a label at
the time. After that didn’t work out, Donnis opted to
return home where he wound up recording more and
honing his own sound.
“It was a hard thing to swallow,” says Donnis, of finally
finding his musical identity after flirting with everything from dance music to hood anthems. “I wanted
to make lots of music and give people a collective
view of what I make. After while I said to myself, ‘If
I’m going to do this, I have to make it as good as possible.’”
From there Donnis began attacking the web with his
Snack Pack series, blog bundles that usually included
a new song, cover art and video. This would whet listeners appetites for his now-acclaimed mixtape Diary
of An Atlanta Brave that dropped earlier this year.
“It feels amazing, but this is just a small thing,” says
Donnis about the project that features production from J.U.S.T.I.C.E. League and powered by the
Needlez-produced single “Gone.” “But at least I know
I actually have fans. It lets me know the whole time I
was doing this, I wasn’t crazy.”
Words by Maurice G. Garland
Photo by TONE
Patiently
Waiting
OZONE MAG // 39
HORSEPLAY
When we initially caught up with Young Dro to conduct this interview, he
was gearing up to finally release his new album P.O.L.O. But then disaster
struck when the entire album was leaked out in the form of a mixtape
titled Lo Life. Since then he has returned to the studio to re-record
P.O.L.O. as well as release his R.I.P. mixtape with Don Cannon.
So look at this interview as a snapshot of time when Dro was ready to
re-introduce him and his style to a music marketplace that had grown
accustomed to “swag rap” and weary of his place in it.
Why haven’t we heard much from you in a while?
I was riding around indulging in the riches I gained. Wanting to be more
of a shining type than a working type. But I couldn’t help myself, I’ve been
working for a long time, I started out back with Raheem. Promo tours killed
me, I just wanted to kick it. But just being in the club throwing money, it
gets boring after a while.
No one cares about you throwing no money. You’re only as good as your
last throw (laughs). I guess you just do it for the rep. After a while you’re
just throwing away money; you could have put it towards something. But I
created a monster within myself.
AFTER SOME PROMPTING FROM T.I.P.,
ATLANTA’S “SYLLABLE KING” Young Dro
STEPPED UP HIS WORK ETHIC TO MATCH HIS
NATURAL SWAG & IMPRESSIVE VOCABULARY.
Tip was in my ear like, “If you keep bullshittin…” He’d tell me, “You need
to get yo’ ass back in the muthafuckin’ studio, shawty. Every time I see
you, you’re in a different car. What about these different songs?” To hear
that coming from him, I had to listen, take heed to it and get back in the
studio like I’m supposed to. I can rock with the best of them, I have rocked
with the best of them. Lyrically, fashion-wise, everything. Prestige like a
muthafucka.
Was it difficult getting back to actually working after chilling so hard for
so long?
It was hard getting back to just sitting in the studio with your phone blowing up and you got 10 dimes on your phone and you still walking around
with $20k in your pocket, you still riding fly cars, rocking fly clothes, jeweled
up, you want to go. The streets drag you out there, you done shined all day,
the night come and the whole day just gone. Whatever little bit you managed to record, that’s all you got. But I was still doing my mixtape thing.
I Am Legend, Black Boy White Boy. Hopping on Greg Street’s shit, doing all
kind of good shit. I love my flow now, I never left my flow. I just got into
spending the money my flow had gained. I was just in them streets.
Do you regret it at all?
I don’t regret it at all. It was a period of my life that I went through. It was
fun and I did it well. I wasn’t the type of nigga to go in the club when everybody was there. I’d go on an off night when it was only three bitches in the
club. That’s how I do it.
Speaking of the flow, the stuff you’ve been coming out with as of late
has a lot of harmony and what people are calling singing…
If you knew me from I Got That Dro back when I was with Raheem, you’d
know I always sung. Hell I sung in the choir, so I was going to sing. They
don’t know me as an artist, I always sang, I just been doing it a lot lately.
And I can show you up on that too. You might not think I can sing, but I can.
I told them that on Best Thang Smokin’ too.
What made you want to get away from that and get back to rapping?
How have your fans been reacting to your “singing”?
40 // OZONE MAG
Black Boy White Boy was the hottest CD out of Atlanta, everywhere I went.
All this style and charisma I got, I had to cover it in white to make it glow.
It was an epidemic in the A, with the Ralph [Lauren]. I had to show the
flexibility of the character that I was trying to portray. I’m walking around
looking like a professional Ralph model, but here I am, I’ve been shot, I’m
from the gutter, the cracks and crevices. I got this way that I can hum it to
you and make it sound like a sunny day on the porch drinking lemonade,
baby. It was a lot of shit crammed into that. I wasn’t no ordinary guy. This
nigga is shot up, but dress like he play polo and lacrosse. This guy is a lot
of niggas, and he funny too! This nigga is so many niggas. That’s the whole
thing about Black Boy White Boy, I wanted to do that. But I don’t want to
lose my original fans; I don’t want them thinking I can’t rap. I rap; that is my
life. Chicks I go out with be like, “You ain’t gotta rhyme everything, brah.” I
know, but it might sound good if I tried. That’s why I sound so good when I
put things together, so I work at it. I take time to put things together, that’s
why it may take you weeks to even try and say it like I said it.
So you weren’t worried about losing some of your “original” fans?
No, because I like it. If you don’t like yourself, they ain’t gonna like you. I like
it if you like it or not. If you like it, come join me, if you don’t, I’ll see you. But
that’s work, that’s why it’s called work. Okay, y’all liked it but them over here
didn’t, okay. Let me please them, then I’ll come back and straighten you
out. It’s like being in the trap. Oh, you don’t want this nic? You want a dime?
Okay. Gimme a minute and I’ll be right back with what you want. I’ma treat
it like a hustle. That’s how it is. Everybody ain’t gonna like what you do. Its
like a relationship. If you have a clean slate relationship you’re allowed to do
what you want to do. Just still ride with me. Root for me, you know me, try
and see me through it. I know what my fans be saying. “The Dro that came
out on Best Thang Smokin’ ain’t here no more.” But if they knew anything
they’d know that I wasn’t rapping like that on I Got That Dro, not in this
tone. I was totally different. I was rapping like Pac. Even when Best Thang
Smokin’ came out, people were like, “Ah, man, you don’t rap like you did on
I Got That Dro.” So nothing’s ever going to be good enough for anybody.
The list goes on and on about what I coulda been and coulda done when
actually I’m the same guy. Start listening and stop just hearing. Go get my
albums. I know you’ve heard me riding by, but listen.
You’re naming the album P.O.L.O., Players Only Live Once.
Every time I say that, everybody ain’t think of it like that. Players only live
one time. I ain’t got but one life to live; you only live once. Why not rock
this fly ass shit the way I rock it? Why not be fresh while you’re here? I want
people to get the real life of a player, a slick shawty, a real laid-back playa…
from the Himalayas. I want people to get the life of a player like me, what
I see, where my family comes from, why we doing this, where we get the
knowledge from to do it. I’ma cram all the knowledge in this CD. I got hits
after hits on there.
What is this knowledge you speak of? What have you learned since your
last time out?
Everything is necessary, nothing is granted. Resources, relationships, traveling, don’t forget this guy, keep this is mind instead of being like “fuck that
I’m going over here.” I have to regain what I had, but I got to work harder
this time. What did you do Dro? Did you befriend the kids in the Perry
Homes projects? Did you stay down with those guys who were doing the
party, but it wasn’t as big at that time, but it grew? With this, I’m trying to
do as much as I can for the people to get to know me as an artist.
People seemed to be getting to know a little bit more about you when
you were dating Fantasia. Did it bother you that people were getting
more into your personal business?
I was cool with that shit, man. I’m from Bankhead Courts, I ain’t give no fuck.
I was kushed up half the time, so there was nothing they could say to hurt
me. How can you be saying something to fuck me up when I’ve already
come from the worst spots and been called the worst things by the worst
people? Ain’t nothing much that can bother me. That shit was bouncing
off me. I ain’t give a damn. They could ask me whatever they wanted about
her. It didn’t affect me to the point where I was worried. I was eating good
everyday still getting six digit checks off the “Shoulder Lean.”
Have you adjusted to things like YouTube and Twitter? That stuff wasn’t
as prominent three years ago.
The YouTube, Ustream, Twitter, that’s too fast-paced for me. I don’t really
play on computers like that. It’s moving a bit fast. I barely just learned how
to text a bitch last year. I’m not lying, the text used to come up QQQXXX,
and I’d be like, “Man, how the fuck do I text?” I’d be like, “Man, I can’t do this
shit. Just call me.” I’m cool, but I’ma get into it. A lot of people online follow
your career. It’s so political being on TV now. Videos used to come on all
day, but now it’s reality shows. I know they want me to be on YouTube all
the time, but I don’t just be around that type of equipment. I didn’t grow
up around that stuff. But as far as being on the ‘net, we’re keeping it at a
minimum. It can be misused. It’s a lot of stuff for the good, but for the bad
too. People pushing me to get on Twitter.
A lot of people want to see more of you because they don’t like what
they are seeing currently. How do you feel about the new music coming
out of Atlanta right now? Do you think it’s running congruent with the
changes the city has been going through as of late?
The city, yeah, they’re tearing it up. The music hasn’t changed though,
niggas are just on some other shit now. Just like in NYC, niggas were super
lyrical, and then they started doing that in the rural areas. It’s changing.
But I don’t think these niggas are changing, they’re just getting crazier. Its
definitely a gap, but they are giving more niggas a chance now. There’s
niggas popping up on the radio now that might have been walking down
the street earlier. Then you’ve got niggas like me who have been here for
a minute. I don’t have no problem with it, but I’ve been working longer, so
I’ll be here longer. It’s just like, if it come to you fast, it will leave you even
faster. Here today, gone tomorrow. I’m just glad I’m not one of those guys.
But I like how my music has changed. When the bricks was up, I wanted it
so bad, and I still want it just as bad.
There have been a lot of expectations placed on you with this new
album.
The expectations are cool. I will exceed them. I see it as an opportunity to
prove myself. I love proving myself, even at the smallest of moments. Even
if I was walking past you in the lunch line, let me fix my collar and belt, you
gonna FEEL this walk. I got something to prove at all times. But this P.O.L.O.,
I got this, no sweat. I’m rapping like a muthafucka, I’m the syllable king.
Where does that style of yours come from? I remember early in your
career you considered Raekwon to be a big influence.
[Ghostface Killah] Tony Starks, Nas, Raekwon, Biggie, Foxy. That’s who I
wanted to be like. I swore I was in the Mafia in the beginning. When I heard
Nas on “Phone Tap” it was serious. I was loving that era, especially Nas.
Raekwon too.
That’s what I’m saying. I’m rapping. Tell these niggas, go’on with that
bullshit, I’m eating niggas like Sunday dinner, 6 o’clock sharp! A lot of
people, the music today is go this way, go that way, move your legs, it’s
real simple. You moving, rocking, your girl done dropped it so many times,
you ain’t even rapping anymore. The real music doesn’t even get recognition anymore. You can’t turn on the radio and just hear a nigga flowing
anymore. You’ll hear some shit that will make you start swagging, oh that’s
my shit, I’m swaggin! The nigga don’t really be rapping anymore. But shit,
[as far as features] I ain’t about to be out here giving niggas no bars I want
for my album on that shit. I’ma get out here and swag with the rest of these
muthafuckas.
How many songs have you recorded to choose from for the album?
I got about 200-something songs. I don’t stop recording. I’ll do a song in 30
minutes. I’ve been recording every day, they just ain’t see me. I stay walking
in here asking for 30 minutes of the engineer’s time. But I don’t be like,
“Let’s do it for an album.” I just be recording.
Do you feel any added pressure as far as being the “face” for Grand
Hustle with T.I. being away?
I’m doing me. But I’m not the only one over here. It’s on [all of ] us to stay
afloat. We’re artists, we’re good on that. We all kings. I’m sitting in my own
throne. Everybody has their own avenue. I’m branching myself into Hollywood, going to find my own agent instead of just using [T.I.’s].
We peeped you doing a little acting in the “Take Off” video.
We took “Take Off” to TV, I liked it. But we’re gonna get some more views
for “On Fire,” me and Yung LA are gonna do “I Don’t Know Y’all,” and “I Do”
with Big Kuntry and Tip. Then I’m doing a reality show, Atlanta Dads. I’m just
gonna “tell ’em story.” My grandfather told me long time ago, “Tell ’em story”
and that’s what I’ll do. It’s showing me interacting with my kids. It’s gonna
be like the Real Housewives of Atlanta, but we’re not house dads, were
just dads. It’s gonna be me, Kenny Burns, Ferrarri Mike; we’re guys that’s on
the scene. I’m the one from Bankhead. I’m pro’lly the only dude from the
projects who been shot on the show. As soon as P.O.L.O. hits stores I’m back
in the studio working on the next one. I changed the name from Young
& Restless because that’s what I was at that time. I was all over the place, I
was going at it. But then my swagger changed up, I turnt up the Ralph and
I became another person. People started being like, “Fuck that Polo, you
dress like Dro.” Niggas started getting mad. “FUCK THAT UGLY ASS NIGGA,
Flavor Flav lookin ass.” (laughs) //
Words by Maurice G. Garland // Photo by Thaddaeus McAdams
OZONE MAG // 41
TRAE
T H A T RU T H
Words by
LIA BEVERLY
PHOTO BY SJU
LFEMP
42 // OZONE MAG
TEXAS street rapper Trae Tha Truth IS NEVER ONE TO
BACK DOWN. PERHAPS MOST INFAMOUSLY KNOWN FOR
PUNCHING MIKE JONES AT THE OZONE AWARDS, THE RAP-ALOT AFFILIATE NONETHELESS HAS DONE A LOT OF GOOD FOR
HIS BELOVED CITY OF HOUSTON THAT OFTEN GOES UNRECOGNIZED - NOT TO MENTION, HE CAN REALLY SPIT. NOW PREPARING TO TELL THA TRUTH ON HIS NEWEST PROJECT, TRAE
ANSWERS THE TOUGH QUESTIONS IN THIS OZONE EXCLUSIVE.
What have you been working on since the last time we spoke?
A little bit of everything. I’m getting ready to drop my new album Tha Truth.
Since the last time I talked to y’all, I’m back with ABN Entertainment getting
distributed through Fontana. Right now I’m on an all-out campaign for Tha
Truth. I’m independent, but I still have the same resources as a major label.
It’s good for me on both ends. Money-wise, I’m most definitely independent, but look-wise, I still have the connects. I’ve always been my own CEO
because I feel like nobody [else] will get out there and do it how I do it. If I
don’t get out there and do it, I’ve failed myself. So I’m gonna give it my all.
The reason I say nobody will do it better than I will do it is because I’m going to bat for myself harder than anybody.
Considering the climate of the music game today and the economic recession that has affected everyone, do you think it’s more beneficial now
for artists to stick it out independently or try to get a major record deal?
It depends on how you look at it. For some cats it’s more beneficial to get a
deal; to get all the money they can get and put it up and prepare for whatever else might come. I feel like it’s more beneficial independently because
you spend less money and can get the same results as a major. You’ve got
cats who are independent that can move 100,000 units or more, and you’ve
got cats who are major that move less than 100,000.
You’re still kinda “underground” because you haven’t really hit that peak
yet as far as crossing over to the mainstream. Are you comfortable with
the position you’re in, having more street-oriented music? Do you feel
like you have to “sell out” to become more commercially recognized?
I’m most definitely gunnin’ to stay me. Music, to me, is not only a form of
art, but it’s also a form of ventilation. This is how I vent. So if I went for a
certain commercial “look” or “sound,” that’s not really me expressing myself
and what I’m going through out here in real life. I feel more comfortable
doing me. Even these days, with the economy the way it is, a lot of people
can relate to the struggle that I speak about in my music. So if I continue
doing me, they’ll be able to relate.
Do you think consumers have become turned off by all the materialism
in rap music now that the so-called “bling bling” era has passed?
It’s always gonna be here to an extent. People in general like to show off
what they’ve got, especially people who ain’t never really had shit. Once
they finally get their big break, they’re gonna let it be known. I think it’s
cool, but it’s like, you won’t be able to do the majority of your music about
that. It’s cool here and there, I mean, shit, you just had me in Chain Reaction [showing off my jewelry]. But at the same time, when you listen to my
album, it isn’t about [jewelry] and all that type of shit.
If somebody criticized you for spending a lot of money on jewelry, how
would you respond?
I’d say, “Fuck ‘em in they ass.” Nobody is allowed to judge somebody else
if you’re not that man up above. You can have your opinion, but you can’t
judge me. I know muthafuckers who fuck their money off on gambling or
pussy or all types of shit. At the end of the day with me, a muthafucker can’t
tell me shit. My whole purpose in living is to take care of me and mine and
my family, and all those other people that I can reach out and help.
So would you say jewelry is a vice, or more of an investment for your rap
career? The image?
For me, it’s just a bonus. Like I was saying, as long as my family and everything else is taken care of, what’s the problem? All of my stuff is situated before I go spend on myself. Even though I’ve got a right to spend on myself
and do what I want – I bust my ass and make sure everything is taken care
of first before I go do me. Everybody’s got a right to enjoy life. I give a damn
about the critics. I’m my own man.
You just had a child, correct?
Yeah, I just had a son named Houston.
So you’re representing for the city in a major way.
Everybody calls me Houston anyway, so I decided to just go ahead and ride
it out. I had two little boys before him, so Houston is the newest addition to
the family.
How are things between you and Z-Ro at this point? Are you on good
terms or is there still some friction?
If we see each other it’s cool. He’s workin’ on the stuff he’s workin’ on, and
I’m workin’ on my projects. We’re both just working and doing what we do.
It’s never really been “beef.” Family members just don’t agree all the time.
We had differences of opinion on certain shit, so we went our own lil ways,
but at the end of the day there ain’t no beef or nothing like that. It’s not like
I’m out here lookin’ for him or he’s lookin’ for me.
Is he featured on Tha Truth?
Nah. But there are a lot of songs we’ve got together that haven’t even been
heard, so people might get ‘em, they might not. I just take it a day at a time.
I can’t really tell you what tomorrow is gonna bring.
You’ve been known to have some disagreements with other Houston
folks. Did you and Mike Jones ever come to terms with whatever the issue was? What would happen if you ran into each other today?
Since the [OZONE Awards] incident I’ve seen him once, and that was at a
show in Austin. The police surrounded his vehicle and walked him inside
the gate and closed the gate, and kept us outside the gate to keep us
separated. (laughs) It ain’t that serious. I’m not worried about dude. Go out
there and get your money, mane. I’m handlin’ my own business. At the end
of the day, I just stand up for what I stand up for, and if I feel disrespected
I’ma handle it. Other than that I’m not really worried about it. I’m not sittin’
around trying to bash him or do none of that other shit.
Out of all the places to confront Mike Jones, why did you have to choose
the OZONE Awards?
(laughs) Only because it’s you asking me, I’m cool with [answering]. It’s like
this: shit goes down out here on the regular. This ain’t the first time they
heard about Trae gettin’ into some shit. This is the first time they heard
about it throughout 50 different states, and overseas, though. He knew I
was lookin’ to holla at him before then. Nobody saw him the whole [TJ’s
DJ’s Conference/OZONE Awards weekend] so we didn’t run across each
other then. The first time we ran across each other was [at the Awards] and
my mindframe wasn’t that I’m at an award show. My mindframe was, “I’ve
been lookin’ to holla at you all weekend.” If it had been in the parking lot or
the corner store or after the Awards, and I felt disrespected, it was gonna go
down. So it was no disrespect meant towards the Awards, and you know I
apologized to you for it, but other than that, I stand for what I stand for.
In retrospect, do you think punching him was the best way to handle the
situation?
I think it could’ve been handled differently. Because for one, we started
off with me letting him know what it was. No voices were raised. When he
raised his voice, that’s when it went a different route. But that’s neither here
nor there. It’s done.
Well, the reason I’m bringing it up is because it’s not like this is the first
time some type of violence has occurred at a Hip Hop event or award
show. Do you think situations like this make it difficult for us as a community to have positive events where everybody can come together?
Truthfully, yeah. I can’t deny that. It does kinda put a little bit of strain on it.
But at the end of the day, shit just goes how it goes. If you’re at your event,
let’s say a bitch who’s backstage tryin’ to fuck with every rapper doesn’t
know who you are and disrespects you. I couldn’t be mad at you if you
decided to slap that hoe.
Personally, I wouldn’t handle a situation that way.
And I can understand that, but you don’t really know until you’ve been put
in that situation. If you feel all the way disrespected, even if you don’t put
your hands on ‘em, you’re damn sure gonna be like, “Fuck ‘em!”
But thinking that in your mind and actually physically taking action are
two different things.
Baby, that’s just my mindframe. If I think it, I’ma say it. And that might not
always be good, but it might not always be bad either.
How can we as the Hip Hop community have more positive events where
we’re able to be respected by the general public as a legit business community and not just a bunch of people who cause problems?
Move past it and continue grinding and doing what you do, because at the
end of the day, not me nor anybody else should be able to stop you if that’s
what’s in store for you. And all the muthafuckers that be out here with that
gas shit need to keep that gas shit at home. A lot of entertainers be feelin’
themselves so they do stupid shit that offends people. I think if people
have a certain type of respect for one another, there’d be less confusion.
OZONE MAG // 43
What’d Mike Jones do that was so disrespectful?
He just got real arrogant with the mouth. He just got beside hisself. And to
be honest, I ain’t did no interviews about this shit and I don’t care to talk
about dude. The shit is done, you know? After that, I let it be known, if he
felt it was that disrespectful, he could come back and holla at me on any
given day. He didn’t do that, so we left it alone. He knows what he did and I
know what he did, but I damn sure don’t wanna use my interview up talkin’
about this cat. I got too much other shit goin’ on, baby.
Gotcha. Okay, so the album is called Tha Truth? Who’s featured on there?
I got so many songs, man. I got enough for two albums. I’ve got songs with
Lil Wayne, Ludacris, Jadakiss, Rick Ross, The Game, Shawty Lo, Lloyd, Young
Buck, JayTon, man, I got shit with everybody. I’ve been recording real heavy.
If something happens to me in these streets, I’ll still have a lot of music
coming out. I’m a firm believer in filling up the CD til there ain’t no more
room on it, so that’s probably what I’m gonna do.
You’ve made a strong effort to be involved in the community. Aside from
Trae Day, did you do anything recently for the holidays?
Most definitely. On Thanksgiving we got out there and fed a whole bunch
of families. On top of that, we went to a few neighborhoods. We went to
the projects and went door-to-door to deliver food. On Christmas, I got
out there with Sheila Jackson-Lee and the city of Houston and we gave out
toys to a few thousand kids. On top of that, they had me be Santa Claus for
some of the disabled and less fortunate kids. As long as I’m out here doing
stuff for the community, that’s what makes me feel comfortable.
Do you feel a responsibility to do give back because of your status of an
artist or is it just something you’d do regardless?
If I stopped doing what I was doing as far as being an entertainer, I’d still do
that. You’ve gotta understand the way I came up. My older brother Dinkie
went to jail when I was around 12 or 13 years old, so a lot of [key] choices
I made in my life, I made on my own. That’s not to say they were the right
choices or the wrong choices, but I had to experience that on my own
without having guidance. I had the big homies in the streets, but at the end
of the day it was on me because I was my own man. There’s a lot of people
out there who can relate to how I came up. I wanna be that big homie who
can let them know, “yeah, this is right,” or “nah, that ain’t right,” or help them
understand that things aren’t really that bad. You’ve got people out here
that believe in you. You ain’t just out here by yourself.
When you do Trae Day, it’s cool to have the artists come out and perform
and all, but what’s the ultimate purpose of the event? What kind of
services do you provide for the community?
Every Trae Day, the entertainers are the last thing that comes. That’s how
the event ends. When I was blessed to get my own holiday, I wasn’t even
gonna make it about me. It was more about the city and the streets and
the other stuff that goes on there. We give out school supplies. We give out
school clothes. We offer HIV/AIDS testing. We do different activities for the
kids. This year we gave away a few thousand immunization shots, the shots
have to get to go to school. It’s so bad out here that some people don’t
have money to pay for their kids to get shots, so some of the kids weren’t
even gonna be prepared for school. So that was a blessing for us to be able
to get the kids’ shots and get them enrolled in school.
Did you pay for that yourself or was the city involved?
Everything was done by me out of my own pocket. They tell me there’s
ways to get sponsorships, but I didn’t really go that route. Maybe in the future I might go that route, but at the end of the day, it’s from my heart. I did
everything I felt needed to be done. I flew in all the entertainers too. That
was more of a bonus for the kids and the families that were out there.
There was also a shooting at Trae Day too, right? I don’t wanna focus too
much on the negative, but you being an event organizer, did you feel
like the media coverage of the event focused more on the negative than
the positive? Because that’s how I felt with the Ozone Awards situation I knew you were gonna say that. (laughs) And it’s understandable. Cats like
us, it seems like we might not realize it, but we realize stuff like that. Niggas
like us are always thinking and watching our surroundings and everything
that’s going on, most definitely. So it did feel like that, but at the end of
the day, good was still done. When Trae Day comes back around, they’re
gonna come back. I gotta be prepared and make sure shit is straight for the
kids’ sake. That’s the most important thing. I think [media outlets] like CNN
don’t even know who I am, to a certain point, so they didn’t give the event
[negative] coverage, but even the [media outlets] out here in Houston who
do know who I am still kept it positive. Even though the violence happened
after the event was over, it still came back to me and I can’t complain about
it. We gotta keep it moving. I’m doing all this through my non-profit organization called ABN: A Better Neighborhood or Angels By Nature.
44 // OZONE MAG
What else are you working on for 2010?
Of course we’ve got the cartoon episodes we’ve been working on, you
can find those on YouTube. Y’all [at OZONE] were featured in one of them,
of course. Since I’m Trae Tha Truth, what’s different about my cartoon [as
compared to everybody else’s] is that these are real life situations I be going
through. We bring in a lot of entertainers to do their own voices and the
shit is funny as hell. You can be gangsta as hell and see this shit and you’re
still gonna be laughing. We’re shopping it around right now. There might
be a chance it’ll land on MTV. I haven’t really linked up with Cartoon Network but it might be something they’d wanna put on Adult Swim.
As far as production for this album, did you stick with the same formula?
I did a different remedy. I went for the young hungry cats that a lot of
cats don’t even know about. They’re being slept on. A lot of these cats are
talented. I just jumped out there and found a lot of young, hungry, up and
coming producers like Platinum Hands, Mr. Incredible, Mr. Rogers – he’s
up and coming, he’s got a couple records on the Billboard charts and he
did my [previous hit] the “Swang” record – I’ve got Gavin, LeToya Luckett’s
brother producing on there, I got a lil young cat from the East Coast named
V-Don. As far as the bigger names I got Street Runner, he produced a track
with me and Lil Wayne, and then I’ve got Mr. Lee and CyFyre, I can’t forget
him, because I just shot a video for one of his tracks. With this album I’m
gonna try to shoot videos for at least 85% of the album. The first [single]
was “Something Real” with me, Slim Thug, Plies, Jodeci, and Brian Angel.
That’s actually growing daily. Every week when I look it up, it’s getting
added to another couple of stations.
At this point, what’s the status of the whole “Houston movement?” At
one time, the whole industry’s attention was focused on Houston, but
that time came and went. Do you see a whole new crop of artists coming
out of the city, or the established artists kinda recreating their sound?
It’s gonna be a little bit of both, but there’s always gonna be a new wave.
It doesn’t matter where it’s coming from, whether it’s Houston, Atlanta,
New York, or Miami. People’s attention spans are real short. They’re always
looking for the next best thing. With that being said, some of the old heads
and the best of the city are gonna be able to recreate themselves. Sometimes you’ve got some young hard niggas coming up doing our thing. In
Houston, we’re always gonna have a new wave. That’s my personal opinion.
I’m always on the front lines. I think the second wave [of artists] are gonna
be moreso on the street side than on the commercial side. But our Houston
culture is still the same. Our life still revolves around swangers. We’ve still
got slabs. We still listen to Screw. We still listen to slow music. We’ve still got
grills in our mouths. We’re still on the streets hustling. I feel [the movement]
coming but I don’t know when. I can’t really say. I might be the boost for it
or somebody else might be the boost for it, but I just know that it’s coming.
Do you think Pimp C’s passing had an effect on the Houston music scene,
as far as dimming the torch a little bit, or do you feel like the other artists
have done a good job of carrying on his legacy?
It dimmed the torch because it hurt us. It kinda took a little air out of us,
the same as when Screw and Fat Pat and Hawk died. It’s always gonna take
a little away from us because it hurts us personally. We don’t really think
about the music because we’re losing a pa’tna or a brother or a family
member. But after a while, we know we’ve gotta get our energy back and
hold it down for them. That makes us go harder. Even when Screw passed,
it might have slowed us down for a little while, but eventually everybody
across the world knew about the whole Screw movement. Once we go, we
go hard. But it’s just a matter of when that time comes.
Sippin’ syrup is also a part of Houston culture, but unfortunately it’s also
part of the reason Pimp C passed. Do you think Houston artists have
slowed down on using it because of his death?
People always make it more than what it is. Each city has their own type of
drugs. You’ve got people who don’t rap doing drugs. You’ve got movie stars
doing drugs. There are people who just work a 9-5 job that use drugs. Each
person is held accountable. Me, I don’t fuck with none of it, but that’s not to
knock the next man.
Is there anything else you want to say?
Are you gonna let me host the next OZONE Awards?
Absolutely not. (laughs) You’ll be lucky if I let you in.
(laughs) Okay, I’m gonna take that. But seriously, it’s Free Dinkie all day
every day. Free Pirex, free Pee Wee, Rest in Peace to Screw, Fat Pat, Mafio,
Pimp C. Free my brother, they deported him. We out here ridin’ for him. Be
prepared, Tha Truth is on the way. I’m still learning this internet thing but
my twitter shit is @traeabn and I’m on myspace.com/traethatruth. Be on
the lookout for everything I’ve got coming. I’ve got a mixtape coming with
Evil Empire and DJ Folk. We stay grindin’ it out. Get ready for Tha Truth. //
P R AY F O R H A I T I
Freelance journalist and host of The Parker Report, Erik Parker, was in Haiti on the fateful day of January 12, 2010,
when the country was rocked by one of the most deadly earthquakes ever recorded. During the aftermath, Parker
provided an up-close-and-personal look at the devastation through intermittent access to his Twitter page,
@TheParkerReport. Below is one of the images he captured:
Outside the hospital walls the sidewalk was littered with lifeless humans.
Flies gathered. People passed by. Some looked to see who they could identify.
Throughout the day bodies continued to line the street. Every so often,
someone would come--a crew of people carrying a body on a makeshift
stretcher. They’d struggle with the injured who would be laying flat
on a plank of wood--bloodied and bruised-- walk past the bodies that didn’t
make it and through the gates of the hospital for treatment. The hospital
wasn’t the only place where bodies piled up, the entire city was a graveyard
to be navigated by the living.
Please be sure to show your support for the victims of this tragedy by donating to the Red Cross, Wyclef’s Yele Haiti,
and the many other reputable charity organizations dedicated to helping the Haitian people through this difficult time.
OZONE MAG // 45
SOLDIERS
OF LOVE
Paul Wall and DJ Smallz
accepted their MISSION
WITH PRIDE: boost morale
amongst American troops
deployed in Afghanistan.
OZONE tagged along for
an unforgettable ride
through the war-WEARY
Middle East.
by Julia Beverly
Photos by Erick Anderson & Julia Beverly
46 // OZONE MAG
W
ait. Where the fuck am I?
Seven days in, the thought finally hits me. This is crazy. How did I end up here? I’m weighted
down by military-issue body armor, hovering several thousand feet above ground in decidedly unfriendly
skies. Mere inches from my left shoulder, a gaping hole where the door should be (photo at left) allows a
bird’s eye view of the dry desert and the scenic mountainside of Afghanistan quickly falling away beneath
the chopper.
A handful of us are on board the helicopter, including Houston rapper Paul Wall and Florida representative DJ Smallz, but I appear to be the only one suddenly smitten with panic. A four-pronged seatbelt
strapped over my bulletproof vest seems to be the only thing separating me from sudden death-by-gravity, as I cling tightly to my cameras and gear with both hands. And a tall, heavily-armed soldier named
John Tuerck, strapped in facing me and intently eyeing the ground through the scope of his assault rifle,
appears to be the only thing separating me from mid-air death-by-Taliban.
Verbal communication is limited by the overpowering roar of the rotor blades overhead, but Tuerck has
clearly spotted something of concern. He motions to one of the other four soldiers accompanying us.
They both grip their weapons tighter, aiming at the location of possible enemy fire coming our way.
You could be home right now, I tell myself. You didn’t have to come here.
It’s barely 7 AM. On any normal day back in the States at this hour,
I’d likely still be in bed hitting the snooze button repeatedly, enjoying the comfortable hum of central air
conditioning and unable to resist the pull of my warm
bed and soft sheets. Just a typical lazy, spoiled American
civilian. But not today. This week, I’m literally on the other
side of the world, getting accustomed to the military
lifestyle. Having already dragged myself out of a stiff
bunkbed at 4:30 AM, ran four miles, showered, and scarfed
down a low-calorie breakfast at the DFAC (Dining Facility,
or more simply, the chow hall; one of an infinite number of
military acronyms), we’re now en route to a tiny FOB (Forward
Operating Base) in the Mizan Valley of Afghanistan. Aside from
the VIPs, Paul Wall and DJ Smallz, our cargo consists of boxes of
frozen Pizza Hut personal pan pizzas, a luxury gift for fifty soldiers
living literally in the middle of nowhere.
TIL EVERYONE COMES HOME
The USO has served the military for over 67 years, since before World
War II. It’s a non-profit organization dedicated to lifting the spirits of U.S.
troops all around the world who are sacrificing daily and doing their part
to ensure that America remains the land of the free and the home of the
brave. In addition to working with private organizations like the USO, the
U.S. military also employs internal staff dedicated to improving the “quality
of life” for deployed troops. The term “quality of life” includes things like professional gym equipment, calling centers where troops can reach out to their
families back home, computers with internet access (usually extremely slow,
and social networking sites like Myspace and Twitter are often blocked), and
dozens of other privileges that we as private citizens take for granted.
The USO’s entertainment division brings entertainers and celebrities from all genres to
perform for the troops, just to raise their spirits, bring them a taste of home, and remind
them they aren’t there fighting alone. Traditionally, country singers (Toby Keith), rock bands
(Flyleaf ), comedians (Steven Colbert, Jamie Kennedy), actors and actresses (Christian Slater,
Tichina Howard), and athletes (Anna Kournikova, Drew Brees of the New Orleans Saints) have been
actively involved with the USO and similar programs. “I like a little country music, but we need some
rappers to come out here. Y’all need to come out here and visit us. I know ya’ll ain’t that busy,” one young
soldier we encountered, Private Lopez, pleaded while showing off his “chain” (an assault rifle). “Y’all’s
chains don’t compare to my chain,” he joked.
Convincing a rapper to spend 10 days overseas performing for free while living in military
barracks with no liquor, weed, or civilian women is slightly more difficult. But it’s a trip that’s
well worth the experience. With a strong new wave of Army recruits from the Hip Hop generation serving our country with pride (many of whom are stationed at Fort Hood, just a few hours
from Paul Wall’s native Houston, TX), it’s only right that we show our support in return. “I think the
main two reasons Hip Hop artists don’t come [over here] is because of inconvenience and fear,”
theorizes Paul. “It is inconvenient – it’s a long flight, it’s hot, we don’t get paid. But these are people
that supported you and they’re out here fighting for our freedom and civil liberties, and we have
an obligation as artists to fulfill. As far as ‘fear,’ it is a war zone, but we’ve got the best security in the
world right here watching out for us.”
Despite the million scenarios running through my head in the helicopter en route to Mizan, my fears
turned out to be unsubstantiated. We all made it home safely and in one piece after an incredible 10
days in the Middle East. The experience made the phrase “boosting morale” a reality and not just a cliché.
The service we were providing was evident on the faces of troops we encountered everywhere throughout the tour. DJ Smallz and Paul Wall, who both have family members in the military, hope the time they
OZONE MAG // 47
DJ Smallz and Paul Wall shortly after landing in Kandahar, Afghanistan
KUWAIT CITY
It all started calmly enough. Aside from the mandatory checkpoint at
the entrance to the Kuwait City hotel, where security guards instructed
me to stop filming while they popped the hood of our SUV and searched
diligently near the engine area for explosives, our initial arrival into the
Middle East was uneventful. Unsure what to expect after a fourteen hour
flight, I was pleasantly surprised when our hotel turned out to be nothing
short of a five-star luxury resort, even by spoiled-American standards. The
oceanside facilities included basketball and volleyball courts, an expansive
pool, a large fitness center, a fine-dining steakhouse, and an impressive
breakfast buffet for only $15 Kuwaiti Dinar (we did not realize until long
after departing that this converted to over $50 American dollars each).
Computers in the hotel lobby with internet access were also a welcome
amenity - until Paul Wall’s sidekick/DJ/road manager Cat joked on Twitter,
“I’m at the [hotel] in Kuwait, come thru.” Disclosing our location was of
the absolute no-no’s in the USO tour handbook. He was immediately
reprimanded via email, and the lobby computers thereafter denied access
to Twitter.com (“that’s okay, I still got BlackPlanet,” Cat joked), an incident
which spawned plenty of conspiracy theory jokes for the remainder of the
trip. Cat was also chastised by hotel staff for chewing a Mentos in the hotel
lobby. During Ramadan, a 30-day Islamic holiday, visitors are asked to refrain from eating or drinking in public, which includes things like drinking
water or chewing gum.
The August heat was unbearable. The humidity (“wetness in the atmosphere”) in Kuwait City - or al-Kuwayt, to the locals - regularly spikes above
60% in the summertime, with temperatures reaching 118 degrees and
hovering, on average, around 101. By way of comparison, the average temperature in Miami, FL in August is 85 degrees, with similar levels of humidity. Just picture yourself in Miami... lounging in a steam room, fully clothed,
and you’ll have a pretty good idea of how Kuwait City feels in August. A
48 // OZONE MAG
quick tour of the premises with Paul and Cat left the three of us literally
dripping with sweat in 30 seconds flat. Smallz, having put in double-time
in the studio before departing the States, used the brief stopover in Kuwait
to catch up on some much-needed rest.
“I asked them at the front desk if they had jet skis, and they looked at me
crazy,” Paul laughed, surveying the beach. “Now I see why. This water is like
Galveston [TX] water.” Although the roar of the waves at night could easily
transport you mentally to South Beach, by daylight the Kuwaiti surf bore
no resemblance to the clear blue water of popular tourist destinations in
Florida or the Caribbean.
Over breakfast, Paul reminisced on his previous USO trip to Iraq. He’d been
fascinated by his lodgings at Saddam Hussein’s former domain, a 500,000
square foot palace which has been under American control since 2003.
“Gold plated-everything; marble floors. It’s the real deal. [Saddam’s palace]
even has a manmade lake,” Paul remembered. “He had scientists genetically engineer his own fish, called Saddam Bass. Google it. They’re the size
of rottweilers but they’re like piranhas. The rumor is, he used to throw
people in the water to torture them or to kill them, so they wouldn’t find
remains. He was like our generation’s Hitler. He was an evil person.” Further
evidence of Saddam’s cruelty could be seen in one of the back corridors,
added Paul. “There’s an elevator called the Bloody Hands Elevator. It’s an
old elevator that used to lead
down to the torture chamber.
There are [bloody] handprints
all over the elevator where
people tried to fight their way
out. It’s a little spooky.”
Although Paul fully expected
Afghanistan to be an enlightening trip just like Iraq, he
hoped to avoid another sobering moment. On the previous
return flight, he had served as
an honorary pallbearer for an
American casualty. “We had
the honor of flying back with
Fortunately, we didn’t have to worry
about encountering any Saddam Bass like
Paul’s previous USO trip to Iraq
Photo: Sgt. Anger from Duluth News/ESPN.com
contributed will inspire others in the Hip Hop community to follow suit.
“I’m doing my duty as a patriot for my country. My job as an entertainer is
to come out here and entertain the troops. And it’s your job as the editor
of a magazine to cover it,” Paul tells me. “Whatever your job is, you have an
obligation to fulfill your duty. We all play a role.”
a fallen soldier on a C130 cargo plane,” Paul
recalled. “The coffin took up the whole cargo
area of the plane. There was an American flag
draped over the coffin and our feet were like a
half inch from the coffin. They told us it was a
soldier’s ‘remains.’ It wasn’t even a full corpse,
it was whatever ‘remained’ of the soldier. It
was a somber experience; it put the whole
trip in perspective. This ain’t Club Med. This
is a war.”
TAKE OFF
States. A box of food rations being distributed, including canned lasagna and banana
cookies, proves surprisingly edible. Paul Wall
goes back for seconds, then thirds.
My view on the flight into Bagram; up close
and personal with an MRAP
After our brief Kuwait City mini-vacation, the
real adventure finally begins around midnight the following day. Between the jet lag and the 7-hour time difference, our bodies are already
thoroughly confused. We’re greeted in the hotel lobby by a somewhat
overzealous military police officer who appears to be under the influence of six or seven Red Bulls and has been assigned the task of making
sure the VIPs (us) make it from Point A (hotel) to Point B (Kuwait City
military airport) safely. Frequently cracking jokes like “I can’t tell you, I’d
have to kill you” with a straight face, his SUV utilizes all kinds of extreme
traffic maneuvers following us on the highway, as if we were engaging
in a high speed chase or participating in a Presidential motorcade.
Our driver, a native Texan, was jammin’ some classic UGK on his iPod as
we climbed in the SUV. He said he’s making good money as a contractor
driving folks around Kuwait, and spent the ride to the airport putting us
on to some of the local customs. Word on the street, apparently, is an
ex-military contractor who was caught with a couple pounds of weed
on the local U.S. military base and sentenced to 25 years in a Kuwaiti
jail. Drug offenses are zero-tolerance on the military bases and a Kuwaiti
jail is not somewhere you want to be. “They said his mom came to visit
[from the States] and they wouldn’t even let her in, because women
aren’t allowed,” says Paul, who’d already read news reports on the subject. “Coldblooded.”
After passing through several security checkpoints, we’re dropped off
at the airport terminal and each issued body armor with our names
tagged on them - helmets straight out of Hogan’s Heroes and bulletproof vests - all of us looking rather ridiculous with the heavy gear
over our civilian clothes. The terminal is a large square structure with
concrete floors, filled with rows and rows of black leather chairs. An
AT&T calling center and a couple flat screen TVs are there to entertain
the hundred or so soldiers waiting for their names to be called, but most
are catching a quick nap.
Flying over Dubai
A row of
clocks along
the wall
informs us
that it’s 3:28
AM here in
Kuwait, 5:03
AM at our
destination in
Afghanistan,
and 8:28 PM
the previous
evening back
home on the
East Coast of
the United
The USO photographer accompanying us,
Erick Anderson, strikes up a conversation
with one soldier, telling him we’re en route
to Bagram. “This is the last stop to hell,” the
soldier joked, but laughs and shakes his head
emphatically when asked to repeat the comment on camera.
After several hours, anticipation for our adventure begins to wear thin.
Finally, our flight number is called, and we file out of the terminal to
a large bus along with a number of other enlisted soldiers. Several
take pictures with Paul and Smallz. We wait, and wait some more. The
bus transports us to the “flight line,” where several planes are lined up
preparing departure. After what feels like an endless amount of time
sitting on the bus, the sun starts to peek up above the horizon. The day
is already moving faster than we are.
A C17 cargo plane on
the runway, clearly our
intended destination, is
loading pallets of supplies as we watch. A row
of large vehicles resembling Humvees forms
a line behind the back
of the plane and slowly
inches forward. Our crew
moves towards seats in
the front of the bus to
get a closer look, watching in civilian disbelief as
three of the enormous
tanks are swallowed up
by the C17’s cargo door.
They’re coming with us.
Paul and the C17’s pilots and crew
rockin’ aluminum-foil “grills”
MRAPs (Mine Resistant
Ambush Protected Vehicles), we learn later, are the newest evolution of the Humvee, specifically designed to survive collisions with roadside bombs (commonly
referred to in the military as IEDs, or Improvised Explosive Devices). The
MRAPs are massive vehicles weighing up to 25 tons apiece, roughly
the weight of eight Cadillac Escalades combined. The technology
involved, especially the interior instrument panel, is considered highly
sensitive. The U.S. Government has placed a high priority on expanding
the MRAP program, spending over $10 billion for an estimated 20,000
vehicles.
Not only are the three MRAPs coming with us, but it turns out they’re
going to be our seatmates for the duration of the flight. Finally given
the green light to board around 6 AM, we line up single file with a slew
of soldiers in full gear who all appear to be in various states of sleep
deprivation. Having been warned about filming on the flight line, I’m
hesitant to pull out my camera, resorting to a few quick snapshots and
some surreptitious FlipCam usage. Several members of the flight crew
are hard at work strapping down the MRAPs by the tires with metal
clamps, but the stability of these 25-ton vehicles is still questionable
(in my mind). Every slight movement of the cargo plane while taxiing
down the runway results in the MRAPs bouncing back and forth on
their enormous tires. One wrong turn and I clearly see myself flattened
under 25 tons of rubber and metal.
Still, this is too crazy not to photograph. I pull out my camera and start
snapping away. When one Air Force crew member approaches, I expect
to be reprimanded, but instead, we’re invited up to the cockpit. The
pilot, co-pilot, and several other crew members are excited to have VIPs
on board, even posing with fake-aluminum-foil “grills” to match Paul
Wall’s infamous “Grillz” record.
MRAPs & soldiers on
board the C-17
Since Iranian airspace is restricted, our roundabout flight path to
OZONE MAG // 49
Paul Wall performing at the Clamshell, a
multi-purpose facility on Bagram Air Base
Afghanistan takes us directly over the palm-tree shaped man-made
islands of Dubai, a breathtaking view. Also on board is one young Air
Force crew member, Staff Sergeant Robert Tingle from Spokane, WA, who
doubles as an aspiring photographer. His laptop contains a dizzying array
of professional-quality aerial photographs compiled during his time with
the Air Force.
Cat, oblivious to the excitement in the air, resorts to playing Tetris on his
Sidekick for the majority of the flight. Smallz and the rest of the entourage
sleep. As exhausted as I am, I refuse to sleep through the opportunity to
hang out in the cockpit of a military cargo plane flying over Dubai. The
loud hum of the engine, upright seating, and required body armor don’t
really allow for a comfortable night’s rest anyway. In between chatting
with the pilots, Paul eyes the dual bunk-beds behind the cockpit, sighing,
“I would be so knocked out right now if I could lay down there.”
BAGRAM
The adrenaline rush starts to wear down as we touch down to bright sunlight in Bagram, after a long sleepless night. “That landing was rough. We
were swangin’ and bangin’ through the skies of Afghanistan,” Paul jokes,
still looking queasy as the plane hit the runway. “My stomach was turning
too,” confirms Smallz.
Bagram Air Base, a key site for the Soviet Union during their occupation
of Afghanistan throughout the 1980s, felt suspiciously like an actual city.
And it’s large enough to be considered an actual city: over 20,000 troops
are stationed at Bagram (for comparison, that’s roughly the population of
Montgomery, Alabama). The main drag is called Disney Drive, a two-lane
paved road which runs the length of the base. One would assume the
name is a wry nod back home to the States, but it’s actually a tribute to
Army specialist Jason A. Disney, one of the early U.S. fatalities at Bagram.
Disney Drive is lined with trees and dozens of semi-permanent and
tent-like structures. Occasionally, the monotony is interrupted by Special
Ops compounds marked by bright green vinyl and thick barbed wire shuttering their facilities from prying eyes. Compounds like these contain their
50 // OZONE MAG
own chow halls and PT tents (fitness centers) as well as barracks and living
facilities.
The PX (Post Exchange) at Bagram - basically the mall, for lack of a better
term - contains a number of shops selling Afghani trinkets as well as a
Burger King and a store resembling a mini-Wal-Mart, where troops can
purchase a number of necessities. The PX even had a wide selection of
CDs available from artists like Dorrough, FloRida, Plies, Gorilla Zoe, and
Slaughterhouse.
Further down Disney Road is a barbershop (Smallz desired his sideburns
to be trimmed 3/8” below his ears; one day, after finding that the barber
wasn’t yet in, he donned a swine flu mask to cover his stubble), a Russianoperated spa offering manicures, pedicures, and massages ($20 for a full
hour – no word if “happy endings” are included), and even a drop-off
location for the local Afghani FedEx affiliate. Many local nationals work on
base performing custodial services or serving food at the chow halls, so
the traffic is a curious mixture of civilian vehicles, Humvees, MRAPs, tanks,
buses, and contractors’ weathered SUVs - all covered in dust.
Still feeling a bit off from our night spent flying high, our first stop after
touching down in Bagram was Freedom Radio Station. Signing up for
the military does not necessarily lead to a life of combat. The military is a
huge entity, so there are opportunities available for virtually all careers,
including on-air radio personalities, radio DJs, and television announcers.
Freedom Radio is a source of both information and entertainment for
many soldiers as well as Afghani locals in the vicinity.
Unlike some of Paul’s previous experiences on military bases, where
“old” records like Nelly’s “Grillz” and Mike Jones’ “Still Tippin’” were still
considered hot, Freedom Radio appeared to be quite up-to-date with the
freshest new music from the States. The DJ dropped a few Drake records
in the mix in between Smallz and Paul Wall’s live on-air interview.
The radio station interview was followed by various meet & greets at a
Commander’s office on base, where we met one particularly enthusiastic
fan who happened to have a Texas flag on deck for Paul Wall to sign. Then
we were off to the chow hall, where Paul slammed down a triple cheese-
burger and Smallz dined on some corn
and other vegetables. The food at Bagram was better than you’d expect from
cafeteria-style entrees, and good for you
too - many selections were marked with
the calorie count.
exhaustion - trying to undo the
damage done by a seven-hour
time difference and two back-toback overnight flights. We were
in a permanent state of semiconsciousness, prone to drift off
during any spare moment that
wasn’t committed to partaking
in an actual activity. Paul, trying
to re-up his energy reserves, sat
out during a trip to meet some Air
Force pilots and tour the fighter
jets. DJ Smallz visited with the
pilots and personally autographed
one of the bombs for a lucky terrorist to receive.
“We love you!” two Air Force girls (literally holding Taylor Swift CDs in one hand
and assault rifles in the other) shouted
at Paul while we wandered through the
PX. Another female, an Army private
from Milwaukee, eyed him lustily. “We
Smallz autographing a fighter jet bomb to
don’t have much out here, so a little enbe dropped on a lucky terrorist
tertainment helps,” she said, after sadly
telling Paul that his performance at her
base had been cancelled and issuing a
challenge to Lil Wayne (“C’mon out here. You’ve made enough albums.
At the chow hall over dinner, my ears perked up at the mention of a 5K
Come see the soldiers!”).
run. Coincidentally, the following morning marked the anniversary of
Women’s Equality Day, and the Army was holding a 5K run (a little over 3
Many of the troops we encountered throughout our trip were from
miles) around the base to celebrate. Despite a recently sprained ankle, as
Texas, and even more were familiar with Paul Wall’s music from their
a runner at heart, I was excited to participate.
time stationed on the military base at Fort Hood in Killeen, TX. Sergeant McEachern from Goldsboro, NC, proudly showed us the entire
That’s how I find myself lacing up at 5 AM the next morning after a restless
collection of DJ Smallz’ Southern Smoke mixtapes on his Zune (“this is
night of semi-consciousness, my sleep frequently interrupted by the roar
the iPod killer,” he clarified, when asked to reveal his iPod playlist. “Do I
of jet planes overhead. Air Force Master Sergeant Rodney Reyes from
need to show you the Paul Wall selection too?”).
Colorado Springs, CO, is waiting at the back door of our two-room shack.
“You sure you’re ready to do this?” he laughed. “This will show you the
Along the way, we collected video drops for MTV Jams (the drops aired
heartbeat of Bagram.” Reyes serves as not only my running buddy, but a
on Thanksgiving) and asked the troops who they would like to see live
Bagram tour guide, providing a lot of information about the base itself.
in person. A wide variety of requests included T.I., Kirk Franklin, ColdDaily PT (Personal Training) is mandatory for the Army, so every morning
play, and LL Cool J. “We listen to whatever it takes to make it through
from 5:30 AM to 7 AM, Disney Drive shuts down to all vehicular traffic that
the day,” said one soldier. UGK, Slim Thug, Chamillionaire, Jay-Z, and
isn’t “mission-essential” and the runners take over the road.
Z-Ro were all revealed to be on soldiers’ playlists. “The USO shows give
us a break from our day-to-day grind,” explained John Porter, a TV an5Ks are a frequent occurrence on base, often with gift certificates or
nouncer for AFN Afghanistan. “We can go out and see a show and feel
trophies being handed out to the top three finishers. “The last race we did,
like, ‘I’m not in a war zone.’”
the N.R.A. gave out a sharpshooter air rifle worth like $600 to the winner,”
remembered Reyes. “The same Navy guy wins every race. He’s insane. He
Our Bagram meet-and-greets included an autograph-signing session
can run three miles in like 13:30.”
at the Pat Tillman Center, a USO facility dedicated to the memory of
the U.S. Army Corporal. Inspired by 9/11, Tillman quit a successful
In a cluster around the starting line, plenty of bananas, water, and GatoNFL football career to join the Army and was killed by friendly fire in
rade were on hand. Boxes contain hundreds of bright yellow shirts for
the mountains of Afghanistan. The USO Center, perhaps one of the
Women’s Equality Day, established 1971 to commemorate the passage of
most comfortable and inviting
the 19th Amendment (women’s right to vote). A few large tanks roll past
buildings on the base, is a safe
the rows of troops stretching and preparing to run, apparently exiting
haven for troops to hang out, get
the base to go out on a mission. A typical mission, Reyes explains, might
something cool to drink amidst
involve making contact with local warlords, checking on suspicious activithe heat, relax on the sofa, call
ties, or transporting soldiers for various tasks.
home, and watch TV (even if
what they’re watching appears
A man equipped with a bullhorn summons everyone to the starting line
to be a gruesome war flick).
at the end of Disney Drive. Although a good amount of women are in
sight, the bulk of the participants are male. The chaplain issues a dedicaMuch of our time at Bagram
tion. “Father, we thank you for a beautiful day. This run is for your glory,”
Air Base was spent weathering
he finishes, to a chorus of “amen”s. “If you don’t look back and reflect on
the past, you’ll never learn to appreciate the future,” the leader with the
DJ Smallz’ chain accompanied us to all
bullhorn continues, addressing the women in the crowd. “There were a lot
the meet-and-greets, including visits
with sick soldiers at the Bagram Air
of women that sweated, cried, and shed blood in order for you women to
Base main hospital (left) and the staff
be standing here where you are today.”
of Freedom Radio Station (below)
“Are you motivated to run now?” asks Reyes. Indeed I am. The crowd, by
his estimate, is slightly less than the last run, where over 800 participated.
Bobbing along with my FlipCam, a sea of runners in Army and Air Force
PT gear (standard-issue gray t-shirts and blue or black shorts with yellow
reflective belts) bursts forward in one progressive motion. The morning
sun is already rising, but a thin haze hangs in the air, sparing us from fullon heat. After the first mile, the crowd begins to thin as the line of runners
winds past the main guard tower and around the curved barbed wire
fences surrounding the airfield.
The road, although paved, is rough. “The roads aren’t that good so the
Afghanis do a lot of patchwork,” points out Reyes. “Off base, you can’t tell
what’s a newly-constructed area and what’s an IED or bomb buried under
some dirt. So you get wary of those [patches] in the road.” Along the
perimeter of the base, rows of red triangular signs warning “MINES” are attached to long thin lines of barbed wire. To our left is one of many Soviet
graveyards, containing remnants from the Soviet war – pieces of old
trucks and tanks and various junk. Many of the explosives in Afghanistan
were, in fact, mines planted many years ago by the Soviets, not by Middle
Eastern terrorists.
OZONE MAG // 51
Hotel-charley: Me, high above the
mountains of Afghanistan in the
cockpit of a C130
Admittedly, I was no match for the military runners, who are encouraged
to stay in tip-top physical condition. Bagram sits around 5,000 miles above
sea level, and the unexpected altitude adjustment left me gasping for air
after barely a mile.
T.I.), or the Midwest (Kanye West). Paul opened his set with a tribute to
Pimp C (“International Player’s Anthem”) and then launched into a string of
hits. For an hour or so, the stress and homesickness many of these troops
were experiencing melted away into the music.
Still, the sense of community prevails and I push forward. As we round the
curve towards the smokestack of the burn pits, the turnaround point, a
mass of faster runners are already passing us on the return route. A team
of yellow-and-brown-shirted marines trot by in unison, chanting, “When I
say three, you say four / When I say PT, you say ‘some more!’”
KANDAHAR
Running along the perimeter of the base, literally with a soundtrack of
fighter jets blasting off towards their destination and endless rows of
chain link fence topped with thick barbed wire, is an exhilarating experience. “What better way to start an Afghan morning?” Reyes asks after
reaching the finish line. The sharp morning scent in the air, the sounds,
the sights, and the feel of being in new, unfamiliar territory all prove to be
motivation to push forward. No treadmill can compare to a perimeter run
around a military base in a war zone.
It was easy to get lost in the endless array of barracks and similarly-styled
buildings, but the tiny smokestack poking above our shack served as
my constant point of reference. It still didn’t stop me from getting lost
enough times to have to take several alternative routes “home,” but I
found my way back after the 5K run. Our Bagram living quarters consisted
of wooden bunkbeds in a two-room shack, with a few luxuries like a flatscreen TV and refrigerator. Signed glossy 8x10s from previous celebrity
visitors, like NFL cheerleaders, lined the walls.
A camouflaged Kawasaki four-wheeler was parked at the back door to our
bunks when I returned. The communal showers were about a ten minute
walk away, buried behind endless rows of sandbags and concrete barriers
(to duck behind in case of attack). I managed to literally drop the soap
(which I had just snagged from a gift bag at the USO Center) between
the cracks of the wide wooden-slatted floors of the shower, never to be
seen again. Having neglected to bring a towel, I improvised. The restroom
facilities were decent, considering our location, with makeshift shower
curtains serving as the door.
On our last night in Bagram, a near-record crowd turned out to see Smallz
and Paul perform at the Clamshell, a tent-like structure which serves a
variety of purposes. Smallz’ 25-minute DJ set brought the troops snippets
of their favorite records over the years to give them a taste of home, no
matter if they were from the West Coast (Snoop, E-40), the South (Lil Jon,
52 // OZONE MAG
Bright and early the next morning after the Clamshell show, we travel the
short distance to Bagram Air Base on a bus which has seen better days,
the windows wide open to compensate for the lack of air conditioning. “I
woke up this morning and smelled my own stench,” bragged Paul, who’s
questionable personal hygiene had become a running joke. “I’m a little
ripe today. I’d say there’s a 17-18% chance of me taking a shower today.”
After a long pause and several dusty blocks, Paul again spoke up.
“I’ve come to a decision. After the show tonight, it’s shower time. And I’ll
do you one better. After the show I’m gonna change my Dickies.” But, he
tacked on a disclaimer: “If there’s no show I might decide to wait til tomorrow,” adding, “I feel sorry for whoever has to sit next to me on the plane.”
“He regularly wears a pair of pants for two weeks,” complains Cat, who
admitted to only bringing three pairs of Levis for the entire trip.
After loading all our luggage onto a pallet to be wrapped for inclusion
on our cargo plane to Kandahar, we waited for the C130, seated in a
sparse airport terminal with no welcome distractions. A soldier sitting
nearby recognized Paul and asked him to say hello this wife back home
via cell phone. While signing glossy 8x10s, Paul pointed out a soldier who
strongly resembled California’s DJ Skee. “He looks like a swole up DJ Skee,
on steroids,” laughs Paul. “When I come to Kandahar, I’m chillin’ with him.”
DJ-Skee-on-steroids proved to be our only entertainment for the duration
of the morning as we awaited boarding.
“No matter what terminal we’re in, no matter what city we’re in, even if
it’s just a small airport, I’m gonna think about this moment and be happy,”
reflected an extremely bored Cat.
After what seems like an endless wait, we finally board the C130, a considerably smaller cargo plane than the C17 from our initial flight into Afghanistan. The crew assures us that it’ll be a “fun ride” into Kandahar, specifically
the takeoff. “[The pilots] do what they call a ‘combat maneuver,’ where
they go all the way up and then straight down, kinda like a roller coaster,”
informs the soldier strapped down to my left. “Do you like roller coasters?”
he asks. Smallz, positioned across from
us, looks at the soldier, waiting for him to
laugh. He doesn’t.
The C130 comes equipped with brown
manila “Motion Sickness Bags,” roughly
the size of a small mailing envelope. “If
an upset stomach is anticipated, remove
bag from this container and keep ready
for use,” it reads. “Do not be embarrassed
by this precaution, as even veteran travelers are subject to occasional motion
sickness.” Fortunately, we didn’t end up
needing them, although it was a rough
ride.
5 AM at the PT Center in Kandahar
Again, we lucked up with several very friendly Air Force folks in the
cockpit who asked Paul Wall some questions via headsets, and vice
versa. Females are a rarity in Afghanistan, especially in cargo-plane
cockpits, so the refrain of “Hotel-Charley” (“hot chick”) was heard more
than once and I got prime seating with a great view for most of the
flight. The scenery en route from Bagram to Kandahar was actually
stunning. Miles and miles of picturesque mountain ranges which, it was
noted by more than one soldier throughout our journeys, would make
for great ski resorts if the country wasn’t always at war.
Anywhere in Afghanistan, a statement like “I’m headed to Kandahar”
inevitably brings a quick response: “It’s hot out there!” And they aren’t
lying. The temperature in Kandahar in August was suffocating. Beads of
sweat began rolling down our foreheads barely after deplaning. After
an extensive check-in where we exchanged our passports for visitors
passes and I chatted with several soldiers who also had beads of sweat
rolling down their forehead, we reached desperately for bottles of
barely-cold water. After checking into side-by-side mens’ and womens’
housing units containing eight bunk beds per room, we headed over to
the dining hall for a buffet-style
meal which left nearly everyone
but Paul unsatisfied.
Kandahar is a NATO base even
larger than Bagram, meaning
that dozens of other countries
and NATO allies have troops
stationed on the base, in addition to American troops. The
dining halls are set up differently
from the American bases. The
Dehydration is a common problem in the
desert; the restroom by my bunk asked
soldiers to take a Urine Test (left). Back
home, you might find plastic showers
like these (below) at a mediocre gym.
But in a war zone, they’re a rare luxury.
These facilities, I was told, are the best in
Afghanistan.
food wasn’t so great, but the mixture
of cultures did provide some entertainment. For example, we ate lunch next to a
group of NATO troops from an unknown
country whose uniforms resembled those
of Reno 911’s Officer Dangle, with tootight, too-short brown shorts. “The grapes
are the only thing that taste American to
me,” complained DJ Smallz, a notoriously
picky eater. “The beautiful thing about fat
people is that we can find the delight in
any meal,” said Paul in between mouthfuls, washing down some thick pasta with
two containers of vanilla pudding.
Kandahar is smack in the middle of the
desert - endless clouds of dust underneath a brutally harsh sun. Although the main roads throughout the base
were recently paved, the whole base is covered with dust. Vehicles, clothing, shoes, anything that comes in contact with the outdoors becomes
the same shade of beige and grey. My female bunkmates, Captain DeLucia and Captain Scott, took me on a tour of the base and pointed out
the future location of their newest project, a USO calling center. Also on
the base were rows of “jingle trucks,” large vehicles decorated by Afghani
natives the same way we “pimp our rides” back home in the States - only
instead of rims, tinted window, and audio systems, they’ve got elaborately painted and decorated semi-trucks.
Compared to Bagram, Kandahar feels less like a city and more like a work
in progress; a temporary stop-off. The expansive base comes together at
the Boardwalk, a central facility which houses restaurants such as Pizza
Hut, Burger King, Subway, and Tim Horton’s (a Canadian favorite donut
shop) and an AT&T calling centers. Visiting entertainers like DJ Smallz and
Paul Wall often perform at the Boardwalk.
In the middle of the Boardwalk is the one thing you’d least expect to
find in the middle of a war zone in the desert: a hockey rink. Well, a deck
hockey rink, to be more specific. My initial naive question from afar was,
“How do they keep the ice cold?” The rink is almost never silent; at all
times, except in the brutal heat of the afternoon sun, competing teams
from Canada and beyond stand clad in sneakers and knee pads, taking
part in one of the few recreational activities available. A nearby basketball court and softball field are under development, and soccer games
routinely take place on the grass.
“None of this stuff tastes like it does back home,” observes Smallz, while
waiting for his personal pan pizza from Pizza Hut. A weird smell wafts
through the air, occasionally reaching the Boardwalk and destroying
any desire you may have had for Burger King. “Ah, yes,” laughed Captain
DeLucia during our impromptu tour of the Kandahar base, when asked
about the smell. “The Poo Pond.”
The most defining feature of Kandahar isn’t the Boardwalk; it’s the infamous Poo Pond. Yeah, the Poo Pond is exactly what you think it is, and it’s
such a popular landmark that the customized poo-colored t-shirts at the
Kandahar PX sell out quickly. Rumor has it, said Captain DeLucia, a crazy
Marine dove into the Poo Pond and became severely ill.
The Poo Pond is surrounded by barbed wire fence with biohazard warning signs. The stench carries on for miles, and just across the street from
the Poo Pond are tents where troops no doubt have been forced to
become accustomed to the smell. Future plans for the Poo Pond involve
the base engineers finding some healthier way to deal with the sewage
waste and building a softball field over the newly-fertile ground left
behind by Poo Pond (seriously). Building softball fields and basketball
courts seem to broadcast the U.S.’s intent to continue occupying Afghanistan for quite a while, but in Captain DeLucia’s eyes, recreational activities
such as these are considered investments for the troops’ well-being.
The first morning in Kandahar, I woke up at 4:30 AM and headed for the
PT Center, thinking I was up early. At that hour, en route to the PT, I saw
two soccer games, a basketball game, and an aerobics class already in
session, not to mention at least three dozen treadmills all occupied when
I arrived. The Canadians were already in motion on the deck hockey rink.
Working out any later in the day, I was told, is virtually impossible due to
the heat.
OZONE MAG // 53
Paul Wall performing at the Clamshell, a
multi-purpose facility on Bagram Air Base
Paul blasting off M203 assault rifles
into the mountains of the Mizan Valley
In this kind of dry heat, dehydration is a constant concern. Pallets of water
bottles are everywhere (never cold, though; finding any kind of cold beverage or ice in Kandahar is considered a miracle). In 120+ degree weather,
doing any kind of task is exhausting. I was dead tired just accompanying
DJ Smallz on meet & greets, so I can only imagine what Marines, Air Force,
and Army folks go through on actual missions.
diers led by a resourceful producer named Eric “Pretty E” Jackson and his
enthusiastic rhyming partner, Mississippi native Arseneal “Young Dunny”
Gines, rig up a makeshift ProTools set-up and a handheld microphone to
download beats off the internet and spit rhymes. Most of their lyrics are
focused on life back home in the States; it’s an escape from the war-torn
environment in which they are currently living.
After nightfall, Smallz and Paul put on a show at Southpark, a section of
Kandahar where many U.S. troops reside in tents. The crowd at Southpark
was overwhelmingly rap fans. With a makeshift wooden stage propped
up between the tents and soldiers’ barracks, two soft spotlights directed
at the states, and an energetic crowd exited to have two hometown entertainers in their midst, the Southpark show was exactly what a Hip Hop
show should be. The lighting was subtle, the vibe was right, the energy
was live, and troops lined up for hours after the show to take pictures with
Paul and Smallz.
After touching down from our harrowing helicopter ride and delivering the personal pan pizzas, we were given a quick tour of the base and
several soldiers taught us how to blast off grenade launchers into the
nearby mountains. Caves run all throughout the mountains, similar to the
tunnels in which bin Laden & co. were once rumored to be hiding. The
M203 packs a serious punch and such a strong kickback that both rounds
(I hit the target on the first try, thank you very much) left thick bruises on
my inner bicep for a week to follow.
The morning after Southpark, Paul plopped down at the dining hall looking refreshed. As promised, he’d showered. Cat devoured three helpings
of the breakfast buffet while Paul and Smallz reminisced on their night.
“I’m like a new person after that shower,” sighed Paul. “I even changed my
underwear and my socks. Same Dickies though. I slept like a baby last
night.” “I fell asleep in my chain,” chimed in DJ Smallz, flashing the chain as
usual for extra emphasis. “Same clothes I wore to the concert.”
MIZAN VALLEY
Even in the midst of a war zone, true
passion shines through. On an army base
barely large enough to have port-o-potties, the coolest recording studio ever, The
Mack Shack, exists to bring hope to the 50
troops stationed on base. It is, quite literally, a shack - filled with military logistics
equipment, ammunition, and weapons.
But in lighter moments, a handful of sol-
54 // OZONE MAG
Tuerck keeping a watchful eye
on board the helicopter
After a quick stop off in the cafeteria to check email, Smallz dropped mortars while Paul checked out a couple potential beats in the Mack Shack,
ultimately laying a verse free of charge. “Who can say that they recorded a
song in Afghanistan?” Paul asked. “Now that’s ‘keepin’ it real.’”
After our memorable day trip to Mizan, we headed back to the main base
at Kandahar, where Paul and Smallz performed one final show at the
Boardwalk for NATO troops from all over the world. Several enthusiastic
Scottish Army troops turned out to be huge
Paul Wall fans, throwing up the “H” for H-Town.
COMIC RELIEF
Aside from Paul’s lack of shame regarding his
personal hygiene, Smallz’ love for his brandnew chain provided much of the comic relief
throughout a tour which might otherwise have
been heavy. Smallz’ jeweler, Mo from Icebox
Jewelry, met him at the Atlanta airport before
our departure from the States to bring him his
very first iced-out piece, of which he was quite
proud. After our return, even in my state of
(left): two soldiers reading OZONE
in “The Mack Shack,” a tiny makeshift recording studio in the Mizan
Valley of Afghanistan; (right): the
exterior of the Mack Shack; (below
left:) DJ Smallz leaves his mark in
the studio; (below:) the restroom
facilities at Mizan, a.k.a. “the piss
tubes,” just outside the Mack Shack
exhaustion I was shocked to see Mo the Jeweler at the baggage claim
back in Atlanta, on hand immediately after we landed to clean Smallz’
piece.
No matter where we were - flying through the skies, visiting wounded
soldiers at the hospital, dropping mortars in the valley - Smallz proudly
displayed his chain everywhere we went. He even issued a challenge
to Soulja Boy: “Where you at, baby? You’re supposed to be over here
representin’ with your [Lamborghini] chain before me!”
For Paul, who arrived in the Middle East for a 10 day trip with only a
carry-on containing two pairs of Dickies and several t-shirts, the running joke became his resistance to showering. By his logic, walking
a half-mile to the showers in Bagram was pointless when he would
undoubtedly encounter some dust on the trek back. His black Jordans
were soon grey (as well as his black Dickies). Truthfully, despite all the
jokes, I never got close enough to smell him. But his overnight farting
became legendary in the mens’ bunks. “I told my wife I won a fart contest last night, but I was the only contestant,” Paul bragged.
POLITICS & BULLSHIT
As a Hip Hop magazine editor and photographer, I’m not a political
analyst, a military guru, or even as well-read on current affairs as I
should be. Up until my USO trip, my knowledge about the U.S. involvement in the war in the Middle East was pretty much limited to watching the election debates. “Why are we [the United States] even over
there?” someone asked me after hearing of my planned Middle Eastern
trip. I honestly didn’t know what to say. When it comes to Afghanistan’s
lengthy history of conflicts over the years and the pros and cons of U.S.
involvement in the region, I’ll leave that to the experts. Presumably, we
are there to defend our country from the likes of the Taliban and AlQaeda, terrorist organizations that hate everything America represents.
The assumption is that it’s better to bring the
war to them and fight on their turf than to
The crew: Cat,
allow them to bring the war to us and risk
me, Paul Wall, DJ
more 9/11 incidents and sacrifice the peace
Smallz, and Erick
of mind of American citizens.
“The goal here is local governance,” Reyes
told me during our run. “We want to turn over
the country to the Afghans so they can be
self-reliant and establish their own economy.
We want them to be self-sufficient without
having to resort to letting the Taliban rule
them to survive, and without using heroin
and opium as their main source of income. We need to get the bad guys
out and let the good guys take over.”
It doesn’t matter whether you’re a Republican or Democrat. Regardless of
the reasons we’re there, and regardless whether you believe we should
be there or not, the fact remains that the roughly 68,000 United States
soldiers risking their lives in Afghanistan are our peers. They’ve all chosen
the military lifestyle for different reasons: whether a sense of patriotism,
a lack of job opportunities in the States due to the economic crisis, a way
out of the hood, a way to earn money for college, or a need for discipline
and structure in their lives. Some of them you might recognize from high
school or college. They’ve left parents, husbands, wives, sons, daughters,
friends, and loved ones behind and are traipsing around the dry, extremely hot desert in up to seven layers of gear. These are real people. We here
in the States have everything we need and more. We are truly spoiled.
EXIT STRATEGY
The building where Osama bin Laden was reported to have been hiding
on 9/11, a.k.a. “Taliban’s Last Stand,” was bombed by the U.S. and later
converted into the main terminal for Kandahar Air Base, the airport we
flew out of when we departed Afghanistan. The section of the building
that was destroyed by the bombs is barricaded off and no longer in use,
but still there as a constant reminder that progress has been made.
Waiting for a military flight is a long, drawn-out process, even moreso
than a commercial flight. Schedules have a tendency to change frequently. All passengers and cargo are assigned a priority level on a scale of 1-25.
Things like dead bodies, ammunition, food, and water rank high on the
list. Military brass receive relatively high rankings, but lower-ranking Army
servicemen may find themselves camping out at the airport for hours or
even days. As for us, our departure was delayed 24 hours when our scheduled flight was diverted to disable an IED. Although we were impatient
and ready to go back home, it put our needs into
perspective.
But even as spoiled as we are in America, the
40+ hours of travel time we spent getting back
(including a lengthy layover in a country none
of us knew how to pronounce, which we spent
sleeping on metal chairs in a tent) made one
thing clear: there’s no place like home. All in
all, the trip was quite an experience. I’d highly
recommend it to any artist open to new adventures; donate a little time to serve our land of
freedom, optimism, and opportunity. //
OZONE MAG // 55
TV JOHNNY
ALONG WITH HIS BUSINESS PARTNER PAUL WALL, TV JOHNNY HELPED POPULARIZE THE
GROWING TREND OF ICED-OUT GRILLS, WATCHES, & PIECES. NOW VENTURING INTO
CLOTHING DESIGN, TV JOHNNY STILL AIMS TO PLEASE HIS HIGH-END CLIENTELE.
A lot of people know you as Paul Wall’s
business partner, since he helped
popularize the grills sold by TV Johnny.
Are you still focused on jewelry, or is
Currency Clothing the new direction
you’re headed?
I’m definitely still 100% focused on the
jewelry and my watches. Me and Paul
Wall just released a new watch a few
weeks ago with another design. That’s the
main thing I’m focused on, the jewelry
and custom jewelry. I have a new partner
with my clothing line, Rodney P. Hunt.
We hired a team to create the designs. I
basically tell them what ideas I want, and
they come up with the finished design,
and then we’ve got a manufacturer that
works from there.
At this point is it mostly t-shirts?
At this point I’ve got t-shirts and hats.
Those are already done, and we’re going
to be releasing more in a few weeks.
Right now we’re focused on men’s and
women’s clothing.
You mentioned the new watch that you
and Paul Wall have coming out. Is that
something you designed fresh, or is it
basically a modification from the previous designs?
It’s a little bit different from the old designs. We sat down and chose
from like 30 layouts before we came out with a new watch. I made the
watch bigger this time. I switched it out with a bigger cage, because
a lot of people love that nice big cage. That’s why I made the watch
almost 15% bigger than the first one. We switched the face up a little
bit but we still kept my original concept of the dial as a happy face. It’s
like I’m smiling with the grill. We call it a “happy face.”
On The Daily Show segment they did with Slim Thug, they had the
jeweler Ben Baller talking about jewelry sales and grills in particular
declining in the recession. It was a joke, of course, but did you experience that in the recession? Have you seen people have less money to
spend on jewelry, or is it picking back up?
The recession affected my jewelry sales, but not a lot, because I have
high end clientele like football and basketball players and of course all
the rappers. They still make money; they might not spend as much as
they used to spend, but they still spend money. Soulja Boy just ordered
ten pieces for his crew. T-Pain just put in a new order. I’m working on
a big diamond necklace for Fat Joe. So like I said, my clients are a little
different from a regular jewelry store that might not have as many high
end clients.
Would you say that grills are going out of style or do you still see a
steady amount of people ordering them?
Not really. T-Pain just got like seven different sets of grills. Even Soulja
Boy, he just got a grill. Rick Ross is getting a brand new grill. For the first
time ever, Rick Ross is [gonna be] wearing a grill. I just made the mold
for him when we were in Dallas for All Star weekend.
What else are you working on?
Right now I’m concentrating on building our new store. We are opening
a new store in the Sharpstown area in Houston. That will be my fourth
store, and it’s the biggest one. It’s real nice. It’s right in front of Sharpstown Mall, on the street.
It seems like there are a lot of jewelry stores these days doing custom
56 // OZONE MAG
grills and pieces. Do you think some
of them were motivated to start doing
custom pieces because the success you
had at it was so visible?
What separates you from those other
jewelers?
Honestly, that’s just how business is.
Whatever’s hot on the market, everyone
tries to jump in and get a piece of it. But
the big difference between us and another
jewelry store is that when they came in to
try to compete with us, they had to drop
the prices down real cheap. And the only
way to drop the price is to give you cheap
production. They’ll use baby diamonds,
which are real small. They’ll make a big
piece just for the look and the bling, but
the quality of the diamonds isn’t the same.
They’re trying to compete with us. A lot
of stores do that just for the look, but the
jewels are real, real small. They’re baby
diamonds. The rapper can rock it in the
beginning, but the diamonds will fall out.
A lot of upcoming jewelry stores try to
make it, but they can’t compete with us.
Paul Wall and TV Johnny at
They can’t compete with our equipment.
the Grammy Awards
Me and Paul always invest; we just bought
a brand new machine for like $150,000
just to make the custom pieces. We keep
working to have the best quality, and we don’t really pay attention to
the other jewelers because they can’t provide the quality my clients
want, especially the football players and basketball players. They don’t
even think about getting the pieces cheaper with the baby diamonds. It
hasn’t really affected us.
I’ve noticed that you attend a lot of celebrity events. Would you say
that’s the reason you’re able to work with a lot of high end clientele,
because you kinda seek them out?
First of all, you know traveling is very hard and it takes us a lot of time.
But this thing I love to do is not all about business. I love to go hang out
and have a chance to party with all the rappers and all the clients I do
business with. So it’s more than just making money on the jewelry. A
lot of times I go to events just for the party, not to make a sale. Recently
I went to Orlando to hang out with one of my baseball friends, and we
just had fun and played golf all day. I went out there just to hang out
with him, not to sell jewelry to him, you know? I like to have fun.
You mentioned Soulja Boy, T-Pain, and Rick Ross. Are there any other
big names you’re working with currently?
I just did a lot of brand new jewelry for a [Houston] Texans player. The
boxer Sugar Shane just stopped by last week and ordered tons of jewelry for him and for his girl. Mike Gonzalez, a baseball player from the
Atlanta Braves, is a big customer.
Can people order product on your website?
Yeah, it’s tvjohnny.net. I get real good business on the website, especially from a lot of people overseas.
Okay, is there anything else you want to say?
I just want to say thanks to all my clients and fans. I’ve got the clothes
available on CurrencyClothing.com. Big shout out to my partner Paul
Wall; we’re the best team. We’re not only partners together in the
jewelry, but we’re partners period. We’re planning to go to Japan in
May. Paul has Expensive Taste clothing, but he’s also helping me out
with Currency Clothing. Special shout out to my partner with Currency
Clothing, Rodney P. Hunt. He’s investing so I can make the clothes hot. //
Industry 101
ECHO
HATTIX
With a client roster that has boasted everyone from Shaquille O’Neal to Gnarles Barkley, Echoing Soundz founder Echo Hattix has definitely made an impact. Her company has blazed trails in the fields of publicity, promotions and branding by meshing the three into the ultimate exposure tool for artists and products.
With a staff of seven people stretching from its Los Angeles headquarters to New York and points in between, Echoing Soundz is growing into one of the leading national urban brands and firms in the industry. Ozone caught up with Hattix to get her to speak on everything from her original dreams to why it pays to have a lot of famous (and goodlooking) friends.
Where are you from and how did you get
started?
I’m originally from Memphis, TN. I went to
college at Southern Illinois at Carbondale,
majoring in Mass Communications. At the time
I wanted to be a music video director; that
was my passion. My grandfather was a band
instructor so I was already into music, already
knew how to read it, and I loved to write too.
My plan was to get my Master’s Degree at the
Academy of Art in San Francisco in Motion
Picture. But I like people, and I would have
been in a room by myself editing. So I pieced
it together; I liked music, I loved to write and I
liked people. So I told myself I’m going to get
into this thing called “the industry” (laughs). It
was going to be either through radio, television, film or video, but I was going to get in the
“industry.”
I didn’t know one person in it though. But I
saw this thing called ROOTS Magazine. It had
Erykah Badu and Biggie on the cover at the
time. It looked so whack that I figured they
could use my help. So I called the managing
editor for two weeks straight and lied to him
and told him I was a journalist from Illinois. He
told me I could come to a listening party, and
it would be my first story. The party was cool. I
met all these people and thought I was in “the
industry” that night! Two or three months after
writing for the magazine, the managing editor
and his whole staff left. My boss started getting
me bigger names to interview, like Ice Cube,
Cam’Ron, one big name after the next. All these
guys would ask me what I’m doing afterwards
and wanted to know what there was to get
into. I would start calling all the artists telling
them about parties and wound up taking them
there. After a while club promoters would start
asking me who I’m bringing next week. I didn’t
put two and two together and realize I was
doing publicity. I hated publicists. They were always nagging, always selling me on something.
You do wear a publicist hat from time to time.
What made you want to get into that aspect
of the business, since you hated them?
One day a publicist named Tresa Sanders called
me, and she was one of the only publicists
I liked to talk to. She asked if I ever thought
about being a publicist. I didn’t want to, but
she told me she thought I could do it and said
she really believed in me, so she asked for my
fax number. She faxed me her entire database,
which is unheard of. But I learned that just because you have a database doesn’t mean you
have connects; people can be very rude. Eventually I started getting know to some of these
people, and things were going good. But both
of my parents got really sick and since I’m an
only child, I had to move back to Memphis to
take care of them. I didn’t want all my work and
connections to go to waste so I figured I had
to start some sort of sort of company to keep
things going. I couldn’t think of a name. This
guy told me I should call it Echoing Sounds,
since it was my name. Then one night at 11 PM
this guy calls me and says, “What’s up weeples,
what it dookie?” I was like, “Who is this?” and he
said, “This is Mr. Flamboyant, E-40.” We’d always
seen each other but never kicked it. He said
he had a new group and heard that I did good
publicity and asked me how much I charged.
I told him, and I had the check FedEx’ed to me
the next day. I’ve just been going ever since.
What would you say has made your company
grow over the years?
The thing that grew the company was that I
always liked parties. So I started doing them. I
had a lot of celebrity friends, plus I was writing
for XXL and The Source myself and I was known
for speaking my mind on reviews. A lot of the
artists either feared me or loved me to death.
I had a lot of hot female celebrity friends, and
all my friends were writers and photographers
too. So having all those people come through
made the parties bigger. One night I was doing
a listening party for somebody and James
Lopez from Atlantic Records said I should do
one for Twista. I had relationships with all of
the clubs, so I did it for his Kamikaze album. We
started doing parties across the country after
that. The parties also acted as a form of advertising, and that helped me get more clients.
Does most of your client base come from
labels hiring you or the direct relationships
you’ve built with the artists?
Most of our clients are artists directly reaching
out to us. Labels will call here and there, mostly
around the holidays. But 80% of the time artists
contact us directly. They want direct, hands-on
contact with what’s going on. That’s why my
motto is “when publicity is personal.”
Lately we’ve seen a lot of publicists shifting
gears and becoming overall branding agencies. Would you say you were one of the first,
if not the first to do it?
I think so. I think we built the formula for not
only publicists, but promoters. If you have a
couple key elements, it can become a blow
out and your product can get a lot of awareness. People watched us and saw what my ingredients were and took what was my natural
lifestyle and did it. And now everyone is doing
it. I see tons of swagger jackers. I don’t hate
on it, I just expand on what I’m doing . We’re
going international because they don’t know
how to do it over there. Germany, Madrid and
Japan are what we’re looking at.
Being in the industry these days is getting
tougher. Would you say the market is still
open for a newcomer to get in and do what
you’re doing?
I’m always gonna say it’s open, but it’s harder
to get in. My work ethic alone set me apart. I
came into the game when there was a lot of
money and people were living off the label.
I’m getting up at 5 AM and going to sleep at 2
AM. The interns that we’ve had lately? They’re
lazier now, and they think things will be given
to them. Plus people are paranoid about
doing business with new people. I encourage
people to come into the market, but know
that you won’t be welcomed with open arms.
You have to come in fighting, and you have
to come in confident. If you’re an emotional
person, kick rocks. //
Words by Maurice G. Garland
OZONE
OZONE
OZONEMAG
MAG
MAG//////57
57
57
How The #1 Stunna Is Still
Living Like A Big Tymer
In case you haven’t noticed, Bryan “Birdman/Baby” Williams has been in
this rap game since ’92…look at all the bullshit he’s been through. His biggest star at the time, Juvenile, left his Cash Money label at its height with
his other star B.G. leaving soon after. His in-house producer and fellow
Big Tymer MANNIE FRESH departed years later. He’s caught plenty of flack
for his relationship with his megastar, whom he also calls his son, Lil
Wayne.
He’s seen the rap radar come and leave his New Orleans stomping grounds on more than one occasion. He’s
seen his records fly off shelves as well as leak months in advance. He’s been called a joke. He’s been told he
simply can’t rap. He’s been accused of being a thief.
But guess what? 18 years later he’s still here and stunting as hard as ever.
With his fourth solo album Priceless in stores now, Birdman could care less what people say about him. He’s living life and overseeing the careers of two of the biggest rap artists on the planet (Drake and Lil Wayne) and has
crossed over into pop territory with the recent success of Jay Sean. While his rapper/CEO peers have been busy
buying restaurants, nightclubs and clothing lines, Birdman’s been getting money in the oil industry.
He’s outlasted some of Hip Hop’s biggest stars and has the scars (under his uncountable amount of tattoos) to
prove it. Unfortunately for his detractors, it doesn’t look like he’s going to stop anytime soon.
While in Atlanta promoting Priceless, OZONE’s Eric Perrin caught up with Birdman to talk about life, business
and the things that matter most to him.
What aspects of this music game still excite you? Is there anything left for you to do?
Man, I think we’ve got a lot of room [to grow]. I still ain’t never put out an R&B act. I’ve only got one pop act, so
we gotta double up on all this shit, homie, and we’re gonna do it now. We’re just going for something that ain’t
never been done. I got a strong staff and I know we can do this.
I was talking to Jay Sean earlier and he said your dedication to the music is the main thing that attracted
him to Cash Money. Is it true that you really live, breath, eat, sleep, and shit music?
Yeah, when he came down here I guess he saw how we worked, and I just want motherfuckers to know, to be a
58 // OZONE MAG
OZONE MAG // 59
part of this you gotta have these same ethics. I don’t like that lazy shit, and
everybody that’s a part of it is the same way. That’s how I know, when you
come to Cash Money, that’s what you gonna get.
I know you said you’re not satisfied with your lack of R&B acts—
Not just R&B, I wanna do everything.
What about Country?
Of course. Country is where the other money at. I just ain’t found me a
Country act yet, but as soon as I do, it’s on. We’ve already had some Country
records; my son rapped with Kid Rock and shit and it blew up, so I’m just
waiting to find the right Country act to sign so my son can do a song with
him and blow him up.
You seem to find money no matter where it is, from the Lugz shoes, to
videogames, to music…
I’m trying to buy some of the [Miami] Dolphins next.
How did you become so business savvy?
I was just born with that shit, brah. When you have a business you need to
know to budget, spend, and manage. I think those are the three hardest things to do in business. If you don’t do those things, your business is
gonna go under. I was just blessed to know how to do those things [as well
as] hustle. Honestly, you gotta hustle and know how to flip money. And to
flip money, you’ve got to always get new money. Niggas be trying to hold
on to old money and they don’t spend it, but you’ve gotta keep flipping
that shit.
What’s the worst business investment you’ve made throughout your
career?
Probably the worst investment I did was fuckin’ with R. Kelly. That was a
waste of my time. I could’ve made money if I wasn’t fuckin’ with that clownass nigga.
I heard the tattoo on your head represents an oil rig. Is it true you’re an
aspiring oil tycoon?
I’ve been in the oil business about 4 or 5 years now. That’s something me
and my brother decided to do outside of music. I read about oil a lot and
I was able to get in business. [My company] is called Bronald Oil, and I’m
making good money off that; that’s something for my kids and my kids’
kids. They can live off that money forever.
Not to get in your pockets too much, but I heard you’ve made over $100
million off oil.
I did a few different deals. That was just one of them. When you’re dealing
with oil, you buy in different areas. Right now I’m active; I got pumps and
shit that are getting money monthly. I like that oil shit. I’m gonna put some
more time into it.
Getting to your new album Priceless, what are you trying to say is priceless? The music, the lifestyle, or are you just borrowing a term from the
MasterCard commercials?
I feel like life is priceless, but the term Priceless has a lot of different meanings. What means the most to me outside of God is my family; that’s priceless. Loyalty is priceless. Love is priceless. Life is priceless—once it’s gone it’s
over. That’s what Priceless mean to me.
How has your music been able to evolve so well over the years?
I’m talented. I stay around talent, and I’m able to adjust to the time. You got
niggas who still think its ’98, man. It’s not ’98, it’s 2009! I did the “Bling Bling”
era, but that shit is over, and you’ve gotta let that go. I think niggas be
caught up in the past and then you’ve got older niggas who are still trying
to rap, still trying to make hits, and can’t. You’ve got to be able to change. I
was fortunate enough to know to let my son go, and to just fuck with him.
It’s his world. I’m gonna rock with him and these young niggas, support
what they’re trying to do, and make them more successful.
Speaking of working with new, young artists, what did you see in Drake
early on, and what made him sign to Cash Money?
Man, that nigga Drake is cold as a motherfucker! That boy’s bad, man. That
young nigga’s got some wordplay. He’s gonna be around for a long time. I
was more than impressed, I wished I would’ve been knew [about him]. My
son been knew, but I didn’t. Drake’s a bad motherfucker. That nigga can
rap his ass off, and he can sing. He’s not just an artist; he’s like Wayne, he’s
all around with it and what I love about him more than anything is [that]
he understands the leadership. He know who’s the Kobe, who’s the Phil
Jackson, ya heard me. And we’ve got everything on our team.
60 // OZONE MAG
Why do you think he chose to sign with Cash Money?
Well, you gotta understand Drake comes from us, yaheardme? He came
from over there with Rap-A-Lot. Lil James, whose daddy is James Prince,
put us on to Drake. He was birthed through Young Money/Cash Money, so
it was only right. That was his heart’s place from the start. How can you go
wrong when you’re with Young Moola? You can’t. And that nigga is talented
as a muthafucker. The boy got what it takes and then some.
Does Drake write for Wayne?
C’mon, man. Wayne don’t even write, man. Honestly Wayne don’t write.
I don’t know how he do that shit he do, but don’t no nigga do it for him.
Wayne don’t play that shit, he never did. We ain’t with that shit. That’s
cheatin’ to me, when you’re trying to be great. When you’re just an artist
that wants a hot record, that’s something different, but when you’re trying
to be great you ain’t bout to let no nigga write for you, cause you don’t
wanna lose none of the credit. Wayne wants to be the best to ever do it. To
be the greatest ever takes your skillful thoughts, not another person’s.
Why do you think people make such a big deal out of the relationship
between you and Wayne?
I think it’s a symbolic situation for everybody, and it’s a family thing, you
know, father and son. Maybe that’s it. Or maybe it’s the business and how
successful we’ve been. I really don’t know why muthafuckers care so much,
but I’ve bred him through it. We came up together and we did everything
together. Maybe they just wish they had a father-son relationship like we’ve
got. But [people’s opinions] don’t bother me. I been stop letting shit a nigga
say out his mouth bother me. It’s the music industry, and people are gonna
make good and bad statements about you. So I hear no evil, see no evil.
If Wayne does end up doing some time behind his current legal issues,
do you feel any benefit could come from him sitting down for a little
while?
Shit, I don’t even look for a benefit from that, that’s just a fucked up experience that we’ve all probably had someone close to us experience. I don’t
look for a benefit from jail, I don’t look for that, yaheardme? I’d rather him
not even go in that muthafucker at all. Ain’t no benefit from that shit. He’s a
man, so there ain’t too much to it. Just do it and come home. That’s all I can
tell him.
Let’s talk about your tattoos for a minute. Do you have any idea how
many you have?
I been stop counting, bruh. I get ‘em everyday, every chance I get, so I don’t
even remember the last one I got. I can tell which tattoo is the most recent
by whichever one itches the most. When I get a whole bunch of them done
at the same time and all that shit itches at the same time, that’s a fucked up
feeling. I gotta cut my fuckin’ nails real low to keep from fuckin’ my skin up,
but my tattoos mean the world to me. I don’t have nothing on me unless it
represents family, loyalty, God, or love. My tattoos speak without me having
to speak, and it comes from the heart because it be about things I done
been through. My family, the losses, the lives, the people I love. They all
mean a lot to me, and all of ‘em come with pain. I’ll take pain for my loved
ones.
I know you’re entrenched with the business aspect of the music industry,
but do you genuinely still love to rap?
Yeah, I love to do it. I love to be an artist—a group artist. The solo shit is
cool, but I’d rather be in a group. The next album is gonna be another “Father Like Son” album, but I’m a group nigga. I like to be in a group.
What lyric or song that you’ve put out throughout your career best represents who you are as an artist?
“Number 1 Stunna.” That’s my life. I’m gonna live that, and I’m gonna breath
that and anybody who loves living life and came from nothing can relate
to that song. I’m gonna live my shit shining every muthafuckin’ day, every
chance I get, cause life is priceless.
What are you doing differently on Priceless?
Well to me, you’re gonna always hear growth from us. I’m a firm believer in
that, so you’re gonna hear growth on this album. And you know I never do
any albums without my son. I don’t even do music without him. But I pretty
much kept it family on this album: Drake, Young Twist, Chuckee, Nicki
[Minaj], Kevin Rudolf, Jay Sean—I just kept it right there, but you’re gonna
see that we’re reaching for different sounds. The bass is still there in the music, but we’re trying to diversify. If you ever come to one of our shows you’ll
see that the nationalities ain’t the same. Our audiences are predominately
white, and we do 20-30,000 every night. It’s amazing. I think once you get
to a certain level, it takes more than one nationality to get to where you’re
trying to go. //
OZONE MAG // 61
Birdman/Pricele$$
Cash Money
Cash Money’s HNIC, Birdman, reached that point again where he got
bored sitting in the office counting money and
the result of this boredom is another Birdman
album. But, naturally, Priceless is a Cash Money
family affair, with Lil Wayne and Drake doing
the heavy lifting and Bird adding his two cents.
While this album isn’t full of hits, “Money to
Blow” and “More Milli” are among a few gems
that make this an album worth turning up with
the top down. - Rohit Loomba
B.G./Too Hood To Be Hollywood
Chopper City/E1
With his first major label release (well, kind of)
since his departure from Cash Money Records
B.G. finally has the tools and resources to make
the best album possible, but unfortunately
the tools weren’t used very well. Monotonous
production lulls the listener to sleep when
paired with B.G.’s already lazy tone. While he
still has the ability to craft his trademark blunt
and to-the-point hood tales on songs like “Fuck
Thang” and “Like Yeah” where he chronicles his
drug usage, Too Hood To Be Hollywood could use
a better script. – Maurice G. Garland
Clipse/Til The Casket Drops
Re-Up/Star Trak/Columbia
Many have tried cocaine rap but the only ones
with true success have been The Clipse and Yo
Gotti, and fortunately for everyone, the two
came together on Clipse’s latest, Til the Casket
Drops. Malice and Pusha T relentlessly match
gritty lyrics to nearly flawless production courtesy of the Neptunes and DJ Khalil. On “Doorman,”
the duo warns that they’re “about to put my
money on the roof and crush this bitch,” but the
music is enough for the two to clear most of rap
out of the way. With an album like this the Clipse
casket is nowhere in sight. - Rohit Loomba
62 // OZONE MAG
Curren$y/Jet Files
Amalgam Digital/Fly
Society
Jet Files, the second
album released
by Curren$y on
Amalgam Digital this
year, is much like it’s
predecessor, This Ain’t
No Mixtape, which features an album with
no major commercial
standouts. Rather, Jet
Files is a solid album
that flows from top to
bottom with 12 tracks
like “Burn N Ounce”
and “On My Way” to
smoke and ride to. Randy Roper
Stat Quo
Stat Quo hasn’t necessarily had things go
his way, but there’s
no holding him back
regardless. Mixtape
after mixtape Stat
give his fans a more
than healthy dose
of real lyrics infused
with his ATLien voice
over production that
sometimes seems
stolen from the grips
of a hungry New York
emcee. But unlike his
cocky East Coast counterparts Stat doesn’t
display any arrogance
on his tracks, only a
confidence that is
the result of all his
experiences. “The Sun”
and “Plenty Years” are
among the few standouts that will have you
listening to this a few
times. - Rohit Loomba
DJ Khaled & E-Class/Live From
The 305
E1/Poe Boy
Judging from its cover, Live
From The 305 is exactly what it
sounds like it would be. DJ Khaled and Poe Boy executive
E-Class put together a compilation featuring the best
rappers Miami has to offer. Trick Daddy, Flo Rida, Rick Ross, Trina, Pitbull, Ace
Hood, Brisco and a host of others all contribute a verse or two this project to
represent for the M.I.Yayo. Live From The 305 is a good look for newer artists
like Billy Blue, Brisco and Ball Greezy, but overall, these collections of songs
sound like a watered-down DJ Khaled album. - Randy Roper
50 Cent/Before I Self Destruct
Aftermath/Interscope/Shady
There’s not much these days
to remind us that G-Unit is still
around but 50 Cent remains
busy by bringing his latest, Before I Self Destruct. The
album shows Fif’s obvious effort to go back to his grimey
Jamaica Queens roots but tracks like “Get It Hot” hinder some of the high
points like “Gangsta’s Delight” and “You’re Right.” - Rohit Loomba
Wale/Attention Deficit
D.C. has been waiting for a
rapper to successfully come
out of the city for years, and
through Wale’s debut album, the
national’s capital finally has a rap
artist to celebrate. Attention Deficit mixes a mainstream
sound, along with a go-go flavor, while Wale touches on topics like skin tone
(“Shades”) and pretentious women (“90201”), and features guests like UGK
vet Bun B on “Mirrors,” Jazmine Sullivan on “World Tour,” and fellow emcee
J. Cole on “Beautiful Bliss.” A couple tracks like “Pretty Girls” featuring Gucci
Mane and “Chillin’” with Lady Gaga sound somewhat contrived, and from
time to time some of Wale’s doper punchlines and one-liners get lost in his
lackadaisical flow, but there are more than enough standouts to get your
attention on Wale’s debut. - Randy Roper
R. Kelly/Untitled
Jive
The Pied Piper, R Kelly, brings
everyone a new album, which in
typical Kellz fashion, is meant to
supplement your bedroom activities. Effectively chosen
production mixed with Kellz’ sex-infused lyrics make
Untitled another solid effort from the self proclaimed R&B king. Tracks like
“I Love The DJ” even find this veteran trying new things without showing
any signs of difficulty. While his personal life most definitely seems difficult
at times, music doesn’t seem to stand a chance in slowing Kellz down. Once
again R Kelly shows us why this generation of R&B is his. - Rohit Loomba
Wiz Khalifa/Deal or No Deal
Rostrum Records
Wiz Khalifa has come a long way
since he crept onto the rap scene
in 2005, and Deal or No Deal
captures all of the changes he underwent since he welcomed us to Pistolvania. Opting to flow over synth-heavy
production for most of the album, Wiz rarely makes the songs distinguishable from his 2007 hit “Say Yeah.” Fortunately he does switch things up a little
towards the end of the album with songs like “Take Away,” but outside of that
its obvious Wiz is aiming to be the best stoner rapper he can be. – Maurice G.
Garland
J. Futuristic, DJ Drama, & DJ
Scream/Mr. Miyagi
J. Futuristic adds another
themed mixtape to his collection
just shortly after releasing his
last tape Mr. Futuristic. Definitely an upgrade from his previous effort, Mr. Miyagi is packed with memorable records
like “King Kong,”“Deep Cover,” and “This is How We Play.” The features are on
point (aside from the “Imma Zoe” remix mishap) and despite the disappointing lack of contribution from Zaytoven, J. includes nearly every sought after
producer in Atlanta. Although he’s left behind some of the edge from his
Trapper of the Year days, J. Futuristic has picked up some new moves along
the way. - Ms. Rivercity
Lil Scrappy, Don Cannon, Tee
the Barber, & DJ Infamous/The
Shape Up
This tape could have easily been
trimmed down to a couple of
good songs, including “Second Tyme.” A classical Hip Hop
instrumental, with down South drums, laced with some
of Scrappy’s realest rhymes, “Second Tyme” is one of Scrap’s best offerings.
That’s not to say it should be packaged and sent to radio, it just stands out
amongst the less-worthy production, and beats that Scrappy’s voice just
doesn’t sync with. “Get the Fuck Around Me” is cool too, but other than that,
The Shape Up has too much DJ, and not enough bang. — Ms. Rivercity
Brisco/Revenge
Energy. That is the word that
defines Brisco. From start to finish
when you put in this tape and
hear his battle cry of “Briissccoooo!” you know what it is. Freshly victimized in a very
public robbery, Sco’ is back for revenge on this mixtape.
On the title track, a seething 4-minute ode to those who robbed him, cursing
their babies’ babies with no remorse, Brisco lets the world feel his anger. With
all original production, it’s hard to call this a mixtape, and you will play it
longer than most albums. Revenge is his. - Tony Burgous
Willie The Kid, DJ Drama & DJ
Head Debiase/The Fly
Willie The Kid’s newest Gangsta
Grillz mixtape is much like his
previous projects: vivid lyrics
and smooth flows, over comparable production, with
DJ Drama (and DJ Head Debiase) occasionally screaming over his music. Songs like “Aviation,”“Flying Over Ya Hood” and “It’s Your
World” are WTK at his best, when his skillful wordplay paints precise pictures.
On the negative, you may wish Willie would find others to collaborate with
instead of his ever-present brother, LA Tha Dark Man (“Somebody Might Die,”
“Life Of a Drug Dealer Freestyle”) and “Comfy Cozy,” a remake of Lil Wayne’s
“Comfortable,” seems somewhat out of place. Wishful thinking and mishaps
aside, once again WTK released a fly mix, proving he’s one of the most underrated rhymers in the game. - Randy Roper
Bobby Creekwater/The Day It
All Made Sense
Bobby Creekwater might not
be with Shady anymore, but
if this 10-track mixtape shows
nothing else, it proves the Georgia emcee will be just fine
without Aftermath backing him. Although a few tracks are
annoyingly auto-tune heavy—“I Want It All,”“Miss Atlanta,”“Everybody Loves
Her”—when he’s not “T-Paining too much,” songs like “2 Far Gone,”“Businessman” and “The Day I Got Dropped” are all gems. - Randy Roper
O.Allen & DJ Smallz/King Kong
Swag
O.Allen’s mixtape has the right
title in King Kong Swag because
the entire project sounds like
one long swag song. “I’m Clean,”“Money,”“Get Fresh” and
“There He Go Again” embody the fundamentals of the
word “swagger,” but they don’t necessarily make for good records. “Feel It In
My Soul,” aside from the bad singing on the hook, is one of the mixtape’s better songs, but “Get Loose,”“One Night Stand,”“Shawty Got Swag,” and “Right
Now” balance out the mixtape between songs about swag and songs about
girls with swag. But those are the only options here. - Randy Roper
Q6, Drop & DJ Scream/2 Gz:
Brutha From Anutha
This collaborative effort by
Florida rappers Q6 and Drop is at
least worth listening to. Q6 and
Drop are decent rappers at best, their beats could be better and a good amount of their hooks are awful (see: “I’m
Dis, I’m Dat” and “Money So Up”), but the mixtape has 23 tracks, so listeners
should be able to find some form of entertainment on Brutha From Anutha.
“Twitter Hoe,”“Mouthpiece,” (minus the hook) with Lil Boosie, “Rockin My
Chain” featuring Pappaduck, “She Don’t Like Me” featuring Trina are standout
amongst the majority, but whether it’s together or solo, Drop and Q6 still
have some polishing to do. - Randy Roper
Young Dro & DJ Cannon/R.I.P.
Young Dro’s highly anticipated
mixtape doesn’t exactly live
up to expectations. If you can
bear through 29 tracks of Dro’s
watered-down rapping on tracks like “Da Core,”“Gimme
Back My Swag” and “Don’t Know Yall,” not to mention his
attempt at being a singer on “Smoke Great,” than you might enjoy R.I.P. The
mixtape does have bright spots when the Grand Hustle emcee spits freestyles like he’s capable of over Jay-Z’s “D.O.A.” and Plies’“Plenty Money,” but
the lack of content limits the mixtape’s replay value. - Randy Roper
Gudda Gudda, DJ Ill Will & DJ
Rockstar/Guddaville
Most of the attention in Young
Money is going towards Lil
Wayne, Drake and Nicki Minaj,
but Gudda Gudda isn’t one to be overlooked. Guddaville
is a combination of original songs, freestyles, and guest
appearances from the rest of the YM roster, and whether he rhymes over
Young Jeezy’s “Get Your Mind Right” with Weezy or shows hometown love on
“Always Love You” featuring Nicki Minaj and Short Dawg, Gudda proves he’s
no weak link. - Randy Roper
Lil Wayne/No Ceilings
Here, the Young Money captain
went jacking for beats and
smashed every one he could get
a hold of. “Swag Surf,” murked
it. “Run This Town,” killed it. “Wasted,” murdered it. Even
Beyonce’s “Sweet Dreams” wasn’t safe from Weezy’s lyrical ambush. The mixtape’s title track, “No Ceilings” featuring Birdman and
the-ready-to-mingle cut, “Single,” are the only original songs, but listening to
Wayne rap about a bunch of nothing over other artists’ beats is better than
most of today’s rap albums. - Randy Roper
OZONE MAG // 63
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OG Bun
Tapemastersinc.net
1. DJ Lazy K “Street Treats Part 17” Twitter.com/djlazyK
2. Lil Fats “Coast 2 Coast 101” Hosted by Consequence Coastmixtapes.com
3. DJ Delz “Souths Most Wanted Volume 5” Djdelztv.com
4. DJ Trigga “Gucci Mane/Young Jeezy” Twitter.com/THEREALDJTRIGGA
5. DJ 2Mello & Miami Kaos “A Few Good Men” Twitter.com/dj2mello Miamikao
s.net
6. DJ 5150 “Trap City 10” Hosted by BG Dj5150br.com
7. DJ Chief Rocka “Trunk of Funk” Twitter.com/DjChiefRocka
8. DJ Chuck T “Down South Slangin’ 65” Djchuckt.com
9. DJ Dyce, DJ Effect, DJ Cannon Banyon “Swag On Ham” Twitter.com/DJCanno
nBanyon
Twitter.com/djeffect1
10. Trap Masters Inc. & DJ Envy “Purple Codeine 27” Tapemastersinc.net Djenvy.org
11. DJ Haze “Blood Is Thicker Than Water 9” Haze-tv.com
12. DJ Knucklez “Secret Session R&B 6” Twitter.com/DjKnucklez
13. DJ Spinatik & Muzikfene “Street Runnaz 42” Djspinatik.com
14. DJ Storm “Drank Epidemic: I Don’t Need No Host Pt. 12”
15. DJ Testarosa “Gucci da Great 4” Hosted by So Incy Ent./1017 Brick Squad
Twitter.com/DJTestarosa
Bun B is an industry OG, but when it comes to
guest features, whether it’s a ten year vet or
a new jack to the game, Bun B will do a song
with just about anyone. OG Bun provides this
theory with a 35-track mixtape consisting of
Bun’s most recent guest appearances. Whether
he’s rhyming with Slaughterhouse (“The One”),
remixing Asher Roth’s breakthrough single
(“I Love College”) or lending a verse to Young
Money (Drake’s “Uptown”), Bun B is still one of
the best to ever do it. And this Tapemasters Inc.
production is certified proof.
DJs, send your mix CDs (with a cover) for
consideration to:
OZONE Magazine
644 Antone St. Suite 6
Atlanta, GA 30318
16. DJ Wheezy “True Skillz” Hosted by Murphy Lee Twitter.com/djwheezy
17. DJ Whiteowl “Drop That 92” Twitter.com/DjWhiteowl
18. DJ Woogie “Streets on Beats 51” Twitter.com/djwoogie
19. Dutty Laundry “The Firm: Forever Corporate” Twitter.com/DuttyLau
ndry
20. DJ Nik Bean & DJ Drama “Streetz of LA 9” Twitter.com/DJNIKBEAN Gangstagrillz.com
OZONE MAG // 65
endzone
Young Jeezy
Venue: Club Crucial
City: Atlanta, GA (Bankhead)
Date: October 11th, 2009
Photo: Freddyo
66 // OZONE WEST