soulja - Ozone Magazine

OZONE MAGAZINE
YOUR FAVORITE RAPPER’S FAVORITE MAGAZINE
THE LONELY LONER SEEMS TO FREE HIS MIND AT NIGHT
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ISSUE
ISSUE #77
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PUBLISHER/EDITOR-IN-CHIEF // Julia Beverly
MUSIC EDITOR // Randy Roper
FEATURES EDITOR // Eric N. Perrin
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 // Jee’Van Brown, Torrey Holmes, Memory Martin
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
monthly sections
15
10 things I’m hatin’ on
26Are you a G?
79
caffeine substitutes
80-81CD Reviews
20Chain Reaction
30
Dollar Menu
32d-ray’s EDITORIAL
82End Zone
12Feedback
26
hood deeds
15
jb’s 2 cents
18Mathematics
26
names of shame
42-50 patiently waiting
19-45 photo galleries
16-17Rapquest
15
re’s playlist
28Sidekick Hackin
77-78TJ’s DJ’s Tastemakers
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 check or 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 // OJ da Juiceman photos (cover and this
page) by Diwang Valdez, Soulja Boy photos by Mat Evanz;
Slim Thug photo by SLFEMP; DJ Drama photo by Zach Wolfe.
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 2009 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.
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interviews
74-76Busta Rhymes
68-69dj drama
60-62 DJ Quik & Kurupt
56-57Slim Thug
cover stories
features
38
52-53
40
34
54-55
36
7 Best patiently waitings
7 best road stories
7 most controversial
7 ways Ozone has impacted
7 years of ozone
lucky 7
70-72oj da juiceman
64-66soulja boy
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OZONE MAG // 11
Send your comments to [email protected]
or hit us up at www.myspace.com/ozonemagazine
I love y’all mag, but y’all ain’t puttin’ on for the DMV? We’ve got Wale, Southeast Slim, and that young kid City. Do some research. Y’all are puttin’ too
many corny niggas on the map.
– Smurkey, via email (Washington, DC)
JB, I just read your column in Issue #73 and that’s the realest shit I’ve read in
a while. I feel exactly the same way. I’m in Atlanta doing music and I always
feel alone in a crowd of thousands and too deep when I rock my songs. I
feel like nobody has passion in their music anymore. My stage name is 2Focus and that’s because people say that I read and think too much, like you,
but I don’t know anything else or any other way to do it. I know God has a
reason for me doing music the way I do, but I feel like an alien.
- Sean Coleman, via email (Los Angeles, CA via Chicago, IL)
JB, your brother recently put me on to your magazine. He is currently incarcerated in the Nevada Department of Prisons. The first issue he ever read
was your 6th annual Patiently Waiting edition. I don’t know of any artists
more deserving of the “Patiently Waiting” title than all the artists who are
locked up and still pushing their music. I don’t have to explain the influence
the prison system and the streets have on Hip Hop. My brother is one of
those artists who has continued pushing his music despite his circumstances. With only a motif6 and a PXR4 he’s been pushing out songs for over five
years! All independent, from the joint! His latest effort is a moment in Las
Vegas Hip Hop history. Digstation.com/rasool is as underground as it gets!
– Tyrant156, via email (Las Vegas, NV)
I am a supporter of OZONE Mag, but when I saw your Top 10 Sexiest Female
DJs feature I was like, no way! Let’s set the record straight. If you’re going to
feature DJ Princess Cut, use the real one that has a strong base in Texas. Yep,
I said it. The real one. Of course, this is no disrespect to the DJ Princess Cut
in Atlanta, I hope she goes far in the game, but the Princess Cut that I know
has been putting in crazy work for Texas and the Southern Region.
– Streetz, via email
Music Editor Randy Roper Responds: DJ Princess Cut of Texas was featured
in our Sex Issue in 2007, so we are well aware of who she is. The DJs that were
selected this year were chosen based off votes that we collected from numerous
people within the music business, and DJ Princess Cut of Texas was not selected
this year. We can’t really help that they have the same name.
JB, I read your 2 Cents section in the latest OZONE and your last paragraph
really grabbed my attention. I kind of noticed a little frustration there. You
said, “if another Tupac or Andre 3000 doesn’t come along soon, I’m about
done with this shit.” Well, you don’t have to wait or look too far. There are
many artists like Andre 3000 or Tupac waiting to be discovered or heard,
like me. I’ve been hitting your page up from time to time trying to get your
attention without coming on too strong. In my music I’m trying to bring a
positive message to the streets and the music industry. But you and I know
that money (promotion, ads, and marketing) plays a big part in the industry
nowadays. Not every talented rapper or R&B singer has the funds to get
vehicle wraps and full page ads like a lot of the d-boys-turned-rappers. I
understand that this is a business, and I can’t wait for the day when I’ve
saved enough cash to run full page ads in one of the three elite magazines
(OZONE, Source, and XXL). Anyways, I just wanted you to know that we
reality poets and rappers are out here. Some of us just need to be given a
chance.
– Jacob Izrael, via myspace (Nashville, TN)
I read your article with Khia and I must say that she’s the realest I know. She
was coming to Coleman [Correctional Institution] a while back to see this
guy named Derrick from Tampa and holding him down. I believe she married him, but I’m not sure. She came to his aid and rode it out with him. She
was taking photos in the visiting room with all the children and she was a
great person to meet. She took pictures with blacks, whites, Hispanics and
all. I just wanted you to know that there’s more to her than what I read in
[her interview]. Behind the thugness she is a real and true woman, for sure.
– Kamara Woodson, via inmatemessage (Florida)
12 // OZONE MAG
Did you check out my interview in the Hip Hop Weekly with Soulja Boy on
the cover in the Indie Grind Section? It was hell getting in there, but as they
say, persistence overcomes resistance 95% of the time. And just a couple
months ago I was in Murder Dog Magazine. I called and told Mr. Roper
that his judgment was incorrect. He told me I needed practice. I feel like
Chamillionaire did with the XXL cat; he’s still a clown. You don’t get in top
magazines like OZONE and Murder Dog and Hip Hop Weekly with no talent.
So my next quest is XXL since I’ve been turned down by your mag, which is
kinda crazy, sinc ei was born and raised in Cashville. Mr. Roper is not gonna
like everything niggas put out, but he’s sleeping on the kid, really. He better
LIIIIISTTTENN!! I’ll be in XXL this year and then what is his excuse gonna be,
feel me? Plus I emailed OJ da Juiceman and he heard some of mu music
and gave me a number. Could it be a little hate going on?
– Jae Slimm, via Myspace (Detroit, MI)
A few people have pointed out to me that Dr. Dre’s Detox was just awarded
“the first 5 blunts in OZONE’s history,” which confuses me. I’m not sure if
Randy Roper knows the full history of the magazine, but as you know I was
awarded the first 5 blunts (with the lovely Editor’s note by you, of course)
and then Swamburger the following year. I know it’s been a minute since
that time, but it is something I’m proud of and something I represent. I’ve
always known you to go for accurate with your publishing. I know opinions
are one thing, but documented history is another. I believe this was around
the time that you had regional distribution, so it was definitely not just a
local thing. So it’s flat-out not true. OZONE Magazine’s history and your
history involved a huge number of local artists that supported you, and in
turn, was supported by you. I would appreciate it if credit was given where
it was due. And as it goes with any digital message, I would like to clarify my
tone. By no means am I upset, or hold any negative feelings towards you or
your staff. But I would really appreciate if this can be corrected. It affects my
integrity, and I’d like to maintain that.
- X:144, via Myspace (Orlando, FL)
Editor Responds: The Dr. Dre “review” was a joke. Sorry if the sarcasm missed
its mark.
Long live the Pimp. I have the issue of OZONE you put out when Pimp C
died, and I just finished reading it again. I will keep that one issue forever.
I appreciate it, because that was one of the trillest cats walking this earth.
I listen to a UGK or Pimp C CD every day. I can’t stand the crap they’ve got
out right now on the radio and in these ol’ funky-ass clubs. I ain’t hating,
just can’t get down with the shit that’s out right now. Like Pimp said, these
niggas are some Bugs Bunny-ass niggas. Especially these ol’ dancing dickin-the-booty ass niggas in my hometown. Excuse my language, but I’m just
being honest. I come back to Dallas and see these niggas dancing more
than the girls. It just doesn’t make sense to me. It’s amazing how the game
has changed. If I go to a club out here in Arizona and ask them to play UGK
they look at you crazy like they’ve never heard of them, but they’re quick to
play some bullshit Kanye or Jay-Z (no hate, but I just can’t listen to them).
- Mr. Tex, via email (Arizona, via Dallas, TX)
Correction: We neglected to credit Wuz Good for his photo of Billy Blue that
appeared in the last issue.appeared in the last issue.
OZONE MAG // 13
14 // OZONE MAG
JB’s 2cents
T
he past few weeks have been consumed with my preparations for
my mini-tour/birthday parties. I did almost a dozen cities last year
and kept getting emails from people asking why I didn’t come to
their city, so this year I wanted to do it bigger and better. I’m celebrating turning 28 all across the country. Planning these parties makes it clear
why artists have management. It’s tough being the “artist” and the “manager” all in one. Because on one hand, as “manager,” you have to deal with
the business and the negotiations and the changes and the inevitable headaches
in which you are essentially turning yourself into a commodity, complete with a
price tag. How do you place a value on yourself? And then on the other hand, as
the “artist,” you have to show up, be happy, enjoy yourself, greet everyone, and be
the life of the party – discarding whatever negative feelings you may be harboring
from the aforementioned headaches.
10THINGS I’M
HATIN’ON
1. Baby Mamas
I’m tired of baby mamas bitching bout
every fucking thing. Get a job, bitch.
MALIK ABDUL
by aspiring porn star Maurice Stoney
Me & Uncle Luke in Miami
5. Bad Ass Kids
A nigga was on the corner the other day
and a two-year-old kid came up and
robbed me. The little nigga didn’t have
no gun though, he just held me up with
a dirty diaper…and worse, the nigga was
robbing me for some weed.
6. Garbage Ass Albums
I’m hating on artists who put out raw ass
mixtapes, and then garbage ass albums.
One word: download.
7. Shit Talking
I’m tired of niggas talking shit wit’ their
breath smelling like they’ve been brushing
with mop bucket water. These niggas are
shit talking, literally. Oh stanky breath
muthafuckas.
8. Porn Stars
I’m hatin’ on porn stars. These bitches fuck
for a living and then when they meet a real
nigga like me, it’s a no-go. I don’t want it
anyway. Your pussy is probably like throwing a hotdog down a hallway. You fucked
Mandingo.
9. Twitter
I’m tired of muthafuckas saying follow me
on Twitter. Nigga, follow you where?
10. Wannabe Models
I’m hating on every other bitch with a fat
ass or some big titties thinking that they’re
a model. Bitch, if you’re not getting paid
then you’re not a model. And selling pussy
doesn’t count. I’ll still look at that ass,
though.
OUT DA CUTT
4. People Hating on Obama
This nigga gotta fight the housing market,
unemployment, the economy, swine flu,
and now pirates. Pirates, nigga? Pirates?
First McCain, now Captain Hook. Shit,
who’s next, Magneto?
Gorilla Zoe & I rockin’
some real ice in Alaska
Me & Memphitz @ T.I.’s all
white party in Miami
MATT DANIELS
3. People who mix dogs
I’m tired of people breeding mutts, like a
Rottweiler and Pitbull, and it comes out as
a Shitbull aka BullShit.
OUT DA CUTT
2. Prostitutes
I’m mad because every other bitch is
selling pussy now. I know it’s a recession,
but damn, even nuns are selling pussy
nowadays
Me, Malik, & um.. Captain
Hook on the set of 2 Pistols’
video shoot in Tampa
Before party #1 in Anchorage, Alaska (y’all need to go…) where it’s daylight nearly
24 hours a day during the summer, the homie Baydilla from Out da Cutt Records
took me and Gorilla Zoe & co. on a tour of the glaciers. This stands out in my mind
for two reasons: one, because of something Zoe said and two, because these days
it’s almost rare for me to experience something new. After seven years of covering
Hip Hop events, I struggle to be inspired by what seems like an endless yearly
rotation of the same shit. The same parties, the same shows during which rappers
perform the same songs in the same order with the same tired hypeman ad-libs
and crowd participation skits, the same music conferences with the same panelists
and the same “up-and-coming” rappers who have been “up-and-coming” since I
was “up-and-coming,” the same award shows, the same Summer Jams. Even the
experiences which used to be unique and exciting – Memorial Day weekend on
the beach, for example – now seem routine and dull.
And yet the allure is still there because when I wake up in the morning, I ultimately
never know what the day might bring. Having a career in the music or entertainment business is like the endless chase for the carrot being dangled in front of you.
It’s a constant pursuit of an intangible feeling and the idea that there are still new
places to explore and new things to see. It’s the reason why, at the last minute, everyone flocks to events like All Star weekend and the OZONE Awards. It’s that nagging feeling in the back of your mind that you might miss out. That voice that says,
“GO.” Fate might have something planned for you there. There might be someone
you’re supposed to meet. Something might happen that will change your life.
In summary, I totally understood what Gorilla Zoe meant while stripping down
from his genuine Alaska fur coat (what kind of fur, we weren’t sure) into a wifebeater atop a boat sailing through literal ice water in the middle of Alaska so far
out that our phones didn’t get signals and rhapsodizing that all the money and the
fame means nothing; that this is why we do this. The real blessing of our position
is being able to travel and enjoy the best scenery, the best food, the best nightlife,
the randomness of a life in which heading straight to the airport after leaving the
club to hop on a 9 hour flight and then do it all over again is the norm.
“Slide Show” with John Legend is my favorite song on T.I.’s Paper Trail album because the hook is so true: life is like a slide show. No matter where I end up, no one
can ever take away the memories and images in my mind. All the places I’ve been,
all the things I’ve seen; they’re invaluable.
In some ways I see myself as, say, a minimalist. My ideal life would involve no
extravagance; no clutter. Just simplicity and art. And “art” comes in many forms. The wrinkled old homeless
lady who sleeps nightly on Washington Ave in South Beach amidst the energy of the nightlife and the youth
streaming in and out of clubs; that’s art. Art is all around if you look for it. And I crave more more art, less
bullshit. More being an “artist,” less being a “manager.” Less headaches. But at the same time, organization is
more who I am. I’m not an outgoing, fun, get-on-the-mic, middle-of-the-dance-floor, center-of-attention type
person. It’s all about coming to grips with who you are, your strengths and weaknesses, and balancing them
out. Being able to find the positive in every situation and not allowing the exhaustion and the burn-out that
comes from routine keep you from seeing the beauty in life or anticipating what new things may come.
- Julia Beverly, [email protected]
Lil Boosie f/ Young Jeezy & Webbie “Better Believe It”
Ludacris f/ Young Jeezy “285 (Drinkin N Drivin)”
Jeremih f/ Fabolous “Birthday Sex (Remix)”
Travis Porter “Black Boy, White Boy”
Tyga f/ Lil Wayne “Lay You Down”
Rapid Ric f/ Devin The Dude, B.o.B., Cory Mo & Chalie Boy “Gettin High”
Clipse f/ Kanye West & Bun B “Kinda Like a Big Deal (Remix)”
Rick Ross f/ Frank Lini, Gunplay & Torch “Throw Em In The Sky”
RE’Splaylist
[email protected]
Lil Wayne & Drake “I’m Goin’ In”
Gucci Mane f/ Plies “Wasted”
The-Dream “Hater”
Young Dro f/ Yung LA “Take Off”
OZONE MAG // 15
BIRMINGHAM, AL:
Three Six Mafia came to town and rocked The Platinum. Juvenile and Soulja
Boy came to town as well. T. Rose’s crowds have been growing weekly with
her showcase at Club Onyx on Thursdays. Also check out The High Note
Lounge every Wednesday night. StreetTalk Magazine packed out Club 1709.
DJ Holiday, Mr. Collipark, 95.7 Jamz, V.I.C, M-16, B.A Boyz, Freewill Records,
Redd, and more were in the building. Attitude’s new single “Blow Ya Back Out”
has been getting radio play. R.W. Record Pool is moving in a good direction.
Grade A Muzik & BHamMusicBlog.blogspot.com are giving Alabama Hip Hop
more exposure. K.D.’s new mixtape Playaz Prezident is out now.
- K. Bibbs ([email protected])
DALLAS/FT. WORTH, TX:
KiKi J from K104 is supporting the local artists on air with Street Swag
Sundays. SHO from Skyhigh World is gaining the ladies attention with “Stick N
Move” while Cutta C is making everybody “Ack a Azz.” The BBU ladies have taken over promotions from Aggtown to Funkytown. Dorrough officially signed
with E1 Music. Fam Life DJ KG has Stone Trail on lock. Porsha Nicole joined
UrbanSouthRadio.com. Definition DJ Tuss is in the mix, G-Spot, the new after
hours, and Tele and Dirty Harriet are the truth. Free Rally D, Jack Fraust, Pat
Bush, Boleg and Kevin Handy who released his novel Game Time Decision.
- Edward “Pookie” Hall ([email protected])
DENVER, CO:
DJ KTone’s annual b-day weekend was off the hook. With special guests DJ
Q45, DJ Michael “5000” Watts and DJ Dimepiece, the event was packed all 3
nights. J Holiday, E-40, Yung Berg, K’naan, and more touched the city as well.
Jewell Tyme music opened up at the Nuggets game. Be looking out for producer Scorp Dezel from Colorado Springs who did Young Buck’s new single
“Did You Miss Me,” and Mack 10 featuring Jim Jones and Lil Wayne “So Sharp.”
Whygee, Tone Skarfo, Rockie, The Foodchain are picking up a buzz in the city.
Sheads BBQ and Fish is now back open on 12203 E. Iliff Ave., Unit H.
- DJ Ktone (Myspace.com/djktonedotcom)
DETROIT, MI:
Flip Wilson dropped his latest DVD, Sonny the Gangster. The monthly industry
mixer at the Bull Frog was another successful event. Jadakiss held a listening
party at Puffer Red’s in Ypsilanti. Bootleg of the Dayton Family is dropping
16 // OZONE MAG
another solo album this summer with collaborations from some of the
South’s hottest artists. Tone-Tone’s new single featuring Lil Wayne and
Lloyd is tearing up the radio. Young Buck also stopped through the
hood showing love to the streets. The Detroit Rap world lost another
soldier – Mitch-E-Mitch passed away.
- AJ ([email protected])
GAINESVILLE, FL:
Gucci Mane is back in the streets and Gainesville was one of the first
to show overwhelming love as he performed at 8 Seconds Nightclub.
Local artist Ms. Chi and the 17-year-old phenom Young Benny Maxi are
heating up the indie scene with their singles “Got Em Mad” and “Shorty
is a Winner.” Klarc Shepard and DJ Flow hosted/mixed Brisco’s latest mixtape Midnight Massacre during his mini-tour of North Central Florida.
- Jett Jackson ([email protected])
HOLLYWOOD, CA:
My favorite show last month was DJ Quik’s Groove, where the OG
performed for a sold out crowd at the Key Club on Sunset. Lady of Rage,
B-Real, Daz, Kurupt, Glasses Malone, and Sugar Free also performed. The
knitting factory was the spot for the New West with performances from
Mykestro, Bishop Lamont, and G. Malone. Keri Hilson had her album release at Area. And 93.5 KDAY brought L.A. closer to its favorite stars with
exclusive events like “Lunch with Luda,” and “Brunch with Bow Wow.”
- Devi Dev ([email protected])
HUNTSVILLE, AL:
OJ da Juiceman, Artillary South, and XO locked down Crossroads. Gorilla
Zoe and Project Pat came to Ebony Club. 6 TRE G has the airwaves in a
choke hold with “On A Roll.” G-Side and SlowmotionSoundz have been
hitting the road heavy. The Cole Boyz put together a remix for “The
Woodz” featuring ST, Lil Chappy, Dirty, and Fat Rat. The new Block Beattaz studio is open for business. Rich Boy appeared at the Benchwarmers.
Joski and Illie Ill held down the party scene. 103.5 has been throwing
some sick parties. DJ Burn One hosted G-Mane’s Smoke Some Kill.
- Codie G ([email protected])
while Shyne opens its doors and provides upscale urban fashion for all.
- Janiro ([email protected])
JACKSON, MS:
Shawty Lo (pictured with Tambra Cherie), DJ Drama, and Lil Will invaded Freelon’s. Lil C and Scrilla
Boy represented for the independent scene. Lil
C turned out the show, along with 1Life1Love’s
Scrilla, gaining more momentum from the crowd
than national artists. Look out for Scrilla’s singles
“Speakers” and “Rock Boy.” The mayor (R.I.P.) had a
federal mistrial and landed on Mediatakeout.com
with some of the “model” citizens. Word has it Mo
Williams is bringing Lebron James to his annual
weekend. Boo the Boss dropped a new mixtape
with DJ Scream. He brought Mississippi to
Atlanta’s own Velvet Room when he performed
at Jeezy’s after party.
- Tambra Cherie ([email protected]) & Stax
([email protected])
JACKSONVILLE, FL:
T-Roy of 93.3 the Beat and DJ King Ron held it
down with their long-running Open Mic Monday
event (even Flo-Rida stopped through to check
it out). Bigga Rankin brought OJ da Juiceman
and Gucci Mane back to back at Plush, and the
newcomers at HighLife Music have successfully
branded a new Saturday night on the Westside
at Sharkys. Point Blank Ent. is still holding it down
every Wednesday at Aqua by the beaches. Rumor
has it that many Duval County artists have deals
on the table, and I’ll be sure to report it when the
rumors turn to reality.
- Lil Rudy ([email protected])
LAS VEGAS, NV:
T.I. made a tour stop at Thomas & Mack Event
Center with Jazmine Sullivan, and Lil Wayne
rocked the Palms Hotel. Speaking of hotels, a
new hotel sprung up with a classic grand opening. The “M” Resort is the newest addition for luxury accommodations featuring gaming, dining,
entertainment, and spa/salon services. Another
great luxury hotel is Trump Hotel, featuring great
prices and no gaming. Reggae in the Desert, a
true smokers’ festival, takes place June 13th from
2pm to 11pm at Clark County Amphitheater.
- Portia Jackson ([email protected])
LOS ANGELES, CA:
Busta Rhymes performed at Club Nokia with openers
U-N-I and Diz Gabron. The Game, Nipsey Hustle, and Jay
Rock all got down at L.A. Live; and The Dream had his secret
Myspace party at Area with surprise guests Kanye West, Fabolous,
and Electrik Red. 93.5 KDAY, Kanye West, Rick Ross, Quik and Keri
Hilson rolled through for interviews (hardknock.tv)
- Devi Dev ([email protected])
MEMPHIS, TN:
Hard Rock Café Memphis put on a one of a kind “Master of the Microphone”
event. Each contestant had to freestyle battle to rap and rock music.
The winner was Patrick Worthy, a.k.a. Poncho Piffy. He received a golden
microphone trophy and studio time at Band House Studios. Other big
winners out of Memphis came from the SEA award show – we walked away
with Industry Power Player with Freddy Hydro, Website of the Year with
Memphisrap.com, Model of the Year with Pebbelz, Indie Producer of the
Year with Drumma Boy, and Event of the Year with Crunkfest.
- Deanna Brown ([email protected])
NASHVILLE, TN:
Ace Rip showed out at the SEAs by opening the show with his singles “Keys
to the Chevy” and “Firecracker,” reminding everyone why he is the Ace.
Speaking of the SEAs, several of the city’s finest won awards, including DJ
Wheezy (Best Intro on a Mixtape), 101.1 “The Beat” WUBT (Radio Station
of the Year), AG (Impact Personality), Allstar (Indy Rap Album of the Year),
Paper (Slept On Artist) and Deshun Smith (Photographer/Journalist of the
Year). S.E.V.E.N. Promotions is gearing up for their annual fashion show
PHILADELPHIA, PA:
100.3 The Beat and Radio One presented the 2nd Annual Music & Entertainment Conference at the Marriott Downtown. Jamie Foxx, The Dream,
Jadakiss, Brandy, and Ryan Leslie were all panelists. DJ Touchtone holds it
down with the touchdown show on 100.3 The Beat Sun-Thur 10pm-2am.
Philly Hip Hop Reader (www.phillyhiphopreader.com) is a youth literacy
program developed by the Urban League of Philadelphia to encourage
middle school and high school students to read. Every Monday Boy
Wonder, a.k.a. Andre Coles, hosts World Cafe Live’s weekly Open Stage
and Talent Competiton. Artist on the rise are The Last Donna, HomeMadeSoul, and Doc DollaSigns.
- Infamous6ixx ([email protected])
REPUBLIC OF IRELAND:
T-Pain definitely felt the pain as his Dublin concert clocked less than 200
ticket sales, while his partner-in-rhyme Akon managed to sell 3,000+
tickets just weeks before. Blackhouse Studios opened in Dublin last
month, specializing in urban music, with the first artist Yung Brady getting an opportunity to open up for a resurgent D-12 last week.
- Kev Storrs ([email protected])
RICHMOND, TRI-CITIES, VA:
Big Get It of GMGB released his album Get It City featuring last year’s hot
single “Disco Ballin Remix” with Trey Songz. Dollar Gang’s artist J Nero
released his CD The Unexpected. Jay30, The Promotions King, is building
his brand by promoting the hottest events, artist showcases, and parties
in the Cap City. The Coffee Shop, located off Union Street in Petersburg,
VA, hosts poetry/Hip Hop every Friday night. Soul Singer Rodney Stith
performed his acoustic set there and is currently promoting his R&B CD
My Life. Any performing arts artist can showcase in this fly urban spot.
- Atiyyah Wali ([email protected])
SACRAMENTO, CA:
Lil Weezy and the I Am Music Tour passed through Mackramento. The
tour played to a sold out crowd at Arco Arena. The Boss Rick Ross was
a guest on 103.5 The Bomb, Short E’s show, where he discussed his
ongoing beef with 50 Cent and his recent admission of being a former
correctional officer. Bueno released the first video off his Maloof Money
project. The Bueno video “Around the World” featuring The Jacka and
Dubb 20 definitely had the Nor Cal streets buzzing.
- Lavega “Kream” Sims ([email protected])
ST. LOUIS, MO:
Ray Goss hit the streets with his Meet Ray Goss mixtape hosted by
County Brown. Stevie Stone signed with Ruthless Records. He also has a
mixtape in the streets along with a dope single “Wait a Minute” which is
getting some radio spins. Yung Ro’s “Donk Dat” is still growing nationally and he hit the streets with the “Donk Dat” remix featuring Chingy
and City Spud. Yung Ro also rocked a dope Step Show at McCluer South
High School. DJ T Gutta has his Respect the DJ Vol. 2 in the streets and on
datpiff.com. DJ Trackstar’s Boogie Bang 18 is hosted by Phonte. Rockwell
Knuckles’ mixtape The Glow is available now.
- Jesse James ([email protected])
TAMPA, FL:
KRS One interrupted his own set to endorse opening act Dynasty at The
Tamiami Bar in St, Petersburg. Javon Black, Lil Kee, and Strizzo performed
their smash hit, “Shawty Tear It Up” alongside Sean Kingston at Wild
Splash, and followed up with a remix featuring Kingston as well. The
track also earned Black a deal with Universal Republic. The Basiqs continued their assault on the scene with another solid performance opening
up for Raekwon and Ghostface at The Ritz Ybor. DJ Knucklez released
Knuckle Up Round 4 hosted by Slim Thug.
- Slick Worthington (Myspace.com/SlickWorthington)
WASHINGTON, DC:
Wale won the 2009 DMV Award for Best Male Rapper, Shy Thoro won
Best Female, and Topp Dogg Hill took home the trophy for Best Rap
Group. Madam Madon walked away with the crown at the annual
Queen of the DMV all-female rap contest. Tyrone Norris, founder
of www.dcrap.com, organized the 3-day Engage Hip Hop Festival.
Woosie, who’s claiming Cash Money Records, did an interview with
DJ Vlad and sparked major beef by dissing Marky and Kenny Burns
(Studio 43). Kaye M responded with a song dissing Woosie. Don’t
forget to check out new singles “Red Carpet” by Likeblood and “I Mean
Business” by the Diamond District.
OZONE MAG // 17
MY JUDGMENT DAY | By Wendy Day (www.RAP-COALITION
T
.I. told us, on his last album, to appreciate what we have instead of focusing
on what we don’t have. In a world where materialism is king, and fame
and money are the alter at which we worship, it’s hard to remember to be
thankful for what we have. I’ve been soul searching a lot this past year as
many of you know who follow my ramblings and writings. I’m bored with this declining industry. And then it hit me all at once this week: if I don’t like the way that
it is, I’m going to have to change it. Or at least change my little section of it. I suck
at keeping in touch with folks, which is pathetic because this is a who-you-know
industry. I’ve decided to create a strong inner circle of people around me who are
successful at what they do, those who really want to implement positive change,
and anyone interested in moving together as part of a team. United we stand,
divided we fall. We can bitch about the haters, the lack of creativity in the music,
and the declining sales in the marketplace, but until we do something about it,
this is what we will be stuck with.
Don’t get me wrong, I don’t hate the current environment, I just hate some of the
things that are making it stagnant and ruining the business side of what we do.
The plus side is that a depression in any economy forces out those who don’t have
passion or staying power. It forces out the bad business folks. It forces out, naturally, the bullshit. This week marks the beginning of my 18th year in the urban music
business. I’m still doing today what I started when I got into the industry: helping
artists. Some of you haven’t even lived as long as I’ve been making a difference in
urban music. There are years where I didn’t make a dime, and years where I made
a grip of gwop. Neither slowed me down or stopped me. Money doesn’t drive me.
There are years where my name came up often and years where folks barely heard
from me. But I’m still here. I am tremendously thankful that I am still good at what I
do, still successful, and that I am still relevant (at least in most circles).
I had a long discussion with a wise friend last week. He told me about when he
was locked down and sitting in the hole for the sixth consecutive week. He shared
with me that it wasn’t the memories of the material shit that kept him sane or
brought him joy. He couldn’t recall how the new Bentley smelled, or how it felt to
move into the 15,000 square foot house, or even how it felt to fuck three women
at once. But he distinctly recalled his baby’s touch. Those irreplaceable moments
are what saw him through.
I remembered back to a time when I didn’t care what I drove (a 1995 Isuzu Rodeo),
or what I wore (pajama bottoms from Target run $11), or what purse I carried (a
$20 backpack holds more than a thousand dollar Gucci purse any day). I looked
around my cluttered house that’s so overcrowded with stuff I don’t need that I
bought on shopping trips that I thought were making me happy at the time. Truth
is, if my house caught fire in the middle of the night, I’d grab my little dog, photos
of my Mom and my boyfriend that I can’t replace, and probably my baby blanket
that has sentimental value to me. Everything else can go.
After I did the Cash Money $30 million deal, they didn’t pay me (please don’t email
me about this: I sued them and long story short, three years after I did their deal,
they paid me right before we went to court). Because I had been cash advancing
my credit cards to survive while I worked their deal, not getting paid had resounding affects. I got evicted, my credit went into the toilet (which lasted until just
recently), and I lost everything I owned in the eviction. A humbling experience.
But it sure made moving easy, and rebuilding fun. Some of the stuff I can’t ever
get back, like baby pictures, photos of my father who passed away, old out of print
books, demo tapes from now-famous rappers, etc. But it’s all just stuff!! I really
didn’t lose anything because I got to keep me. It’s like my friend said about sitting
in solitary confinement - what he missed most was his daughter’s touch. The stuff
that matters.
We’ve always had excessive materialism in urban music. In the early 80s, I heard
Slick Rick say in a rhyme that he had his Ballys on. Once I learned that they were
shoes, I couldn’t go buy a pair of Ballys fast enough. When you grow up poor with
.COM)
nothing, you want to be able to obtain whatever you feel you’ve missed. It’s just
natural human desire. The Hip Hop Nation is no different.
I wanted to own all of the things that I grew up around, but could never afford.
Having been raised with morals, ethics, and a conscience slowed me down a bit,
but I found industries where there was a fast track to money. For a minute I rebelled
against my love affair with money, and studied African American studies with the
intention of helping young Black folks start businesses - the only true way that I
saw to empower oneself. Often distracted from that path by the glitz of the music
industry, and the smoke and mirrors of fame, I found my journey to be more cyclical than an even growth upwards.
And the music seemed to follow my own evolution. The positive lyrics of Public
Enemy in the late 80s clashed with Jay-Z and Biggie’s early love of popping bottles
in the early 90s, just as today Lupe Fiasco and Talib Kweli try to overtake Young
Jeezy and T.I. in my CD changer. But here’s what I have learned over the years, and if
sharing my insight helps one person reading this, then today is a great day: Balance
and moderation, in life, are key! Materialism and the love of money is not necessarily evil - but letting them control and consume your life is evil. Just as we all need
toys and trinkets to play with, so do we need things in our life that give us hope
and something to believe in!
Making money for the sake of buying shit and collecting cash is empty. Doing
something you believe in and are passionate about is fulfilling. Collecting trinkets
and souvenirs along the way makes perfect sense, provided it is done with intelligence and wisdom. Buying a $125,000 car to drive doesn’t make good financial
sense if you can’t afford it or if you have other more important things to do with
your money. Then your trinket becomes another source of stress. Just ask most of
the rappers out here who didn’t figure that their careers wouldn’t always be on an
upswing and got in over their heads.
This is probably a great place to interject that making music or songs for the sake
of collecting a check is also empty. If your music isn’t based on truth and your own
passion, you may sell a few CDs and downloads at first, but your follow up release
will tank heavily when the fans catch on that you’re just a gimmick. The masses
will have moved on to the next gimmick, and the 100,000 or so hard core fans that
do believe in your movement won’t keep you afloat unless you are indie-and you
aren’t, because you chased that big advance check (which is long gone). The music
industry is not the new dope game. There are no quick licks to hit here, I promise
you!
I’ve been reading a lot of goal setting and motivational books over the past year.
They helped to an extent, but I had to do the inner work myself. I had to figure out
what makes me happy and what I really want to do next with my life (sometimes
it’s as much pressure to reach your goals and have to figure out what’s next, then
it is to never reach a goal to begin with LOL). I had to fix the problems in my life
and celebrate the positives. This was challenging because I tend to focus on what I
don’t have and what went wrong, rather than to focus on the blessings I have and
what went right.
I’ve decided to get more organized, be more active in the positive segments of
my community, and to make changes to the aspects of this industry that I don’t
like (but have the ability to impact). I’m becoming less judgmental, less know-it-all
prone, and more generous and sharing than ever (which is a challenge because
I was already pretty open with that). I’m expanding my inner circle to include
like-minded successful folks, and I’m devoting more time to helping those less
fortunate (my personal focus is on non-violent offenders who are incarcerated).
The negative folks around me and those looking to tear others down rather than
build themselves up can all eat a fat baby’s dick. They no longer exist in my vision
and I refuse to give any credence or energy to them. They’ll fade away in a minute
anyway, as they always do.
“Your values are in disarray, prioritizing horribly
Unhappy with your riches ‘cause you’re piss poor morally”
- T.I. “Live Your Life”
18 // OZONE MAG
(above L-R): Khia & Shawty @ Uptown Comedy Club for Shawty Shawty’s Roast in Atlanta, GA; Paul Wall & Bay Bay in Shreveport, LA (Photos: Eric Perrin); Talib Kweli & DJ Eque @
Poetry in Las Vegas, NV (Photo: D-Ray)
01 // Buggah D Govanah & DJ 360 @ Dolce for Flo Rida’s album release party (Miami, FL) 02 // E-40, Chocolate & Slim the Mobster @ Expressions Studio (Berkeley, CA) 03 // Kia
Shine & The Preps @ Ten Pin bowling alley for Kia Shine’s “Checkin’ My Fresh” video shoot (Atlanta, GA) 04 // Gorilla Zoe & Ms Rivercity @ Plies’ car show (Tampa, FL) 05 // D-Lo
& Beeda Weeda on the set of Laroo’s “Money Ain’t Trippin” video shoot (Mountain View, CA) 06 // The Jacka & Deltrice on the set of Laroo’s “Money Ain’t Trippin” video shoot
(Mountain View, CA) 07 // Jay Rock, DJ Drama, & Glasses Malone on the set of DJ Drama’s “Daydreaming” video shoot (Los Angeles, CA) 08 // Ju & Shawty Lo @ Phillips Arena for
the Swagga Like Us concert (Atlanta, GA) 09 // Lil Jon & ladies on the set of “That’s How I Go” (Los Angeles, CA) 10 // Comedians Shawty Shawty & Chris Jones @ Pure (Atlanta,
GA) 11 // Ya Boy & DJ SourMilk @ Hot Import Nights Car Show (San Mateo, CA) 12 // Allstar & Becky the Great @ the SEAs (Tunica, MS) 13 // UB Clothing @ Ten Pin bowling alley
for Kia Shine’s “Checkin’ My Fresh” video shoot (Atlanta, GA) 14 // Network & Turf Talk on the set of Laroo’s “Money Ain’t Trippin” video shoot (Mountain View, CA) 15 // Bay Bay &
Big Chief @ Koko’s for Bay Bay’s birthday bash (Shreveport, LA) 16 // Michael Blackston, Shawty, & Supreme @ Uptown Comedy Club for Shawty Shawty’s Roast (Atlanta, GA)
17 // DJ Black & his brother reppin’ CRUNK!!! @ Big Engine Entertainment’s Christmas party (Indianapolis, IN) 18 // Prynce & Bu @ Pure (Atlanta, GA) 19 // DJ Nik Bean & Damani
on the set of DJ Drama’s “Daydreaming” video shoot (Los Angeles, CA)
Photo Credits: D-Ray (02,05,06,07,09,11,14,19); Deshun Smith (12); Eric Perrin (04,15,16,17); Julia Beverly (01,03,08,10,13,18)
OZONE MAG // 19
She Liked my NECKLACE and started relaxin’, that’s what the fuck I call a…
2 PISTOLS
CHOPPER ZONE
M
o at Icebox Jewelry in Atlanta made this piece
for me. I’ve been talking to him for a minute
about doing it. To be honest, I wish I had this
piece last year. Even though I had a crazy, big,
huge record, for some reason nobody really knows what I look like.
So I wanted to have something with my name on it.
[The design] was my logo that Universal Republic put together for
me last year. A lot of cats saw my logo but didn’t know my face.
With this piece, they can put two and two together. The back of
the piece is [engraved] too with “R.I.P. Big Bro – Twitta.” My brother
got killed in prison. It was his vision to do music; it really wasn’t
mine. I was playing sports, but right before he passed I kinda got
interested [in music] and got tangled up in the streets so eventually
there was nothing else I could do but music.
Whenever I conduct business, even when I’m doing my shows, I
[think] of him as if he was with me. Whatever I’ve got going on, I’m
not gonna forget him in any kinda way, so I put his name and “Rest
In Peace” on the back of my piece.
20 // OZONE MAG
I sent in some [jewelry] and got some of it melted down, so my
piece only cost like $45k with the chain. He worked out a lil situation with me. I ain’t go all out like these niggas spending $100k
and shit on their pieces. I originally wanted my [Universal Republic]
logo to have choppers but they didn’t include that. A lot of niggas
think “2 Pistols” and they’re thinkin’ of a 9 [mm] or a handgun, but
you know, bein’ from the South and bein’ in the streets, I had to put
choppers on there.
I don’t have a set release date, but we just shot the video for “Lights
Down Low” [with Young Joe and C-Ride] and I’ve got a second
single on the way titled “Bed, Bath, and Beyond.” That record is
gonna put me where I need to be. I’ve also got a record called
“Swag For Sale” featuring Lil Wayne and Shawty Lo, and that record
is gonna put me in the streets where I need to be. “Bed, Bath, & Beyond” is gonna top “She Got It.” That’s gonna kill radio. I’m takin’ this
chick from the bed, to the bath, and beyond. (laughs) Keri Hilson is
finishing that up right now. //
Words and Photo by Julia Beverly
(above L-R): J Money & Yung Ralph @ Crucial for J Money’s mixtape release party in Atlanta, GA (Photo: Ms Rivercity); Trina @ her Louis Vuitton photo shoot in Miami, FL; Raekwon & J Diggs @ the W Hotel in Scottsdale, AZ (Photo: D-Ray)
01 // ShaGee reppin’ Band-Aide @ Hot Import Nights Car Show (San Mateo, CA) 02 // DJ KTone, Ms November, & Michael “5000” Watts @ The Loft (Denver, CO) 03 // DJ Benni
Boom & Rasheeda @ the SEAs (Tunica, MS) 04 // DJ Trauma & Rock City @ Ten Pin bowling alley for Kia Shine’s “Checkin’ My Fresh” video shoot (Atlanta, GA) 05 // Clyde Carson &
Maine @ Hot Import Nights Car Show (San Mateo, CA) 06 // E-40 & Willie Joe on the set of Laroo’s “Money Ain’t Trippin” video shoot (Mountain View, CA) 07 // The Jacka & AP9
on the set of Laroo’s “Money Ain’t Trippin” video shoot (Mountain View, CA) 08 // Lil Scrappy & Shawty Lo @ Phillips Arena for the Swagga Like Us concert (Atlanta, GA)
09 // Polow da Don & Ladies @ MOSI Super Bowl party (Tampa, FL) 10 // Gorilla Pits @ Street Symphony Studios (Fremont, CA) 11 // Big Mike, Tyga, & CeCe @ UGMX (San Jose,
CA) 12 // Piccalo & DJ Christion @ Firestone for DJ Nasty’s birthday party (Orlando, FL) 13 // Angela Yee, Jeff Dixon, & Julia Beverly @ Atlanta 300 (Atlanta, GA) 14 // Johnnie Cabbell & Benny @ Pure (Atlanta, GA) 15 // Bu @ Pure (Atlanta, GA) 16 // Miss Pebbles & Miss Memphis @ the SEAs (Tunica, MS) 17 // BallGreezy & Byron Trice @ Dolce for Flo Rida’s
album release party (Miami, FL) 18 // Actor Christian Keyes & The New Orleans Hornets Honey Bees @ The New Orleans Arena (New Orleans, LA) 19 // Ya Boy & Nick Ngo @ Hot
Import Nights Car Show (San Mateo, CA)
Photo Credits: D-Ray (01,02,05,06,07,10,11,19); Eric Perrin (09); Julia Beverly (04,13,14,15,17); Kingpin (03,16); Malik Abdul (12); Marcus DeWayne (18); Ms Rivercity (08)
OZONE MAG // 21
22 // OZONE MAG
(above L-R): Flo Rida & Brisco @ Dolce for Flo Rida’s album release party in Miami, FL (Photo: Julia Beverly); TI & Young Jeezy @ the Farewell Tour in Detroit, MI (Photo: Thaddaeus
McAdams); Maino & Kafani Da Ice King @ Otis Lounge in San Francisco, CA (Photo: D-Ray)
01 // DJ Quik & the Goodfellas @ 93.5 The Beat (Burbank, CA) 02 // GuddaGudda & 211 @ The Palms for the I Am Music Tour (Las Vegas, NV) 03 // Kimo & Suge Knight @ Pink
Diamonds for the Romper Room Gang’s American Gangsta release party (San Francisco, CA) 04 // DJ Drama & DJ Jonasty @ Freelon’s (Jackson, MS) 05 // Montana da Mac &
guest @ Pure (Atlanta, GA) 06 // OJ da Juiceman & Miami Mike @ Coan Park for Soulja Boy’s “Gucci Bandana” video shoot (Atlanta, GA) 07 // Snoop Dogg, JT Tha Bigga Figga,
Rappin 4Tay, & Daz @ the Mezzanine (San Francisco, CA) 08 // E-40 & Turf Talk on the set of Laroo’s “Money Ain’t Trippin” video shoot (Mountain View, CA) 09 // Drake, Lil Twist, &
Jas Prince @ Universal Citywalk (Los Angeles, CA) 10 // Firemann DJs @ Plus for the Gucci Mane Welcome Home party (Jacksonville, FL) 11 // Mack Maine, Tezz, & guest @ Cash
Money’s Pre-Grammy party (Hollywood, CA) 12 // Big Chris & Jeff “Left Hook” Lacey @ Studio Inc for Jeff “Left Hook” Lacey’s fight afterparty (Tampa, FL) 13 // Big Gripp & Tony
Neal @ the SEAs (Tunica, MS) 14 // Nick Ngo, Scoot of Dem Hoodstarz, & RO @ Hot Import Nights Car Show (San Mateo, CA) 15 // Da Bizness @ Patchwerk Studios for Music
University (Atlanta, GA) 16 // Buttahman & Kia Shine @ Ten Pin bowling alley for Kia Shine’s “Checkin’ My Fresh” video shoot (Atlanta, GA) 17 // K-Loc, The Jacka & PK @ 17 Hertz
Studios (Hayward, CA) 18 // Nicki Minaj & DJ Chuck T @ the SEAs (Tunica, MS) 19 // Arab & JBAR @ Coan Park for Soulja Boy’s “Gucci Bandana” video shoot (Atlanta, GA)
20 // Turf Talk, J Stalin, & Erk The Jerk on the set of Laroo’s “Money Ain’t Trippin” video shoot (Mountain View, CA)
Photo Credits: D-Ray (01,02,03,07,08,09,11,14,17,20); Julia Beverly (05,16); Kingpin (10,12,13); Ms Rivercity (06,15,18,19); Ralph Smith (04)
OZONE MAG // 23
24 // OZONE MAG
(above L-R): Tank & Shawty Lo @ Phillips Arena for the Swagga Like Us concert in Atlanta, GA (Photo: Julia Beverly); Jas Prince & J Prince @ The Palms for the I Am Music Tour in
Las Vegas, NV (Photo: D-Ray); Mistah FAB & Baydilla in Anchorage, AK (Photo: Julia Beverly)
01 // Jasper Cameron & Polow da Don @ Patchwerk Studios for Music University (Atlanta, GA) 02 // Mohawk Marlon, B-Legit, Kenn, & Willie Joe @ Laverde Lounge (San Francisco,
CA) 03 // Jarvis & Kadife Sylvester @ Phillips Arena for the Swagga Like Us concert (Atlanta, GA) 04 // BG & Sho Zoe @ Plies’ car show (Tampa, FL) 05 // Roccett, Jer-Z, & DJ
Purfiya @ the SEAs (Tunica, MS) 06 // Busta Rhymes & Wyclef @ Dolce for Flo Rida’s album release party (Miami, FL) 07 // DJ KTone & DJ Dimepiece @ Club 303 (Denver, CO)
08 // Shawty Lo & Young Jeezy @ Phillips Arena for the Swagga Like Us concert (Atlanta, GA) 09 // AP9 & Deltrice on the set of Laroo’s “Money Ain’t Trippin” video shoot
(Mountain View, CA) 10 // Lil Wayne & Jas Prince @ Cash Money’s Pre-Grammy party (Hollywood, CA) 11 // Haji Springer, Stooie Bros, & E-40 on the set of “That’s How I Go” (Los
Angeles, CA) 12 // Dah Dah & Daz @ the Mezzanine (San Francisco, CA) 13 // Dub G & Bankroll Jonez @ the SEAs (Tunica, MS) 14 // Dorrough, Dame Fame & John Costen @ Otis
Lounge (San Francisco, CA) 15 // Yo Gotti & Deshun Smith @ the SEAs (Tunica, MS) 16 // Guest, Rocko, & KP @ the Artistry for Rick Ross’s listening party (Atlanta, GA) 17 // P-Nut
& Cam @ Ten Pin bowling alley for Kia Shine’s “Checkin’ My Fresh” video shoot (Atlanta, GA) 18 // Kaspa & DJ Ace @ Throbacks for Streettalk Showcase (Atlanta, GA) 19 // Fresh
Kid Ice of 2 Live Crew & TJ Chapman (Tampa, FL) 20 // Tampa Stacy, Big CO, & DJ Benni Boom @ Plus for the Gucci Mane Welcome Home party (Jacksonville, FL)
Photo Credits: D-Ray (02,09,10,11,12,14); Deshun Smith (15); DJ KTone (07); Eric Perrin (16); Julia Beverly (03,06,08,17); Kingpin (05,20); Maurice Garland (19); Ms Rivercity
(01,13,18); Terrence Tyson (04)
OZONE MAG // 25
Are You a G?
7 Questions to FIND OUT if R&B star SAMMIE
is the 7th letter of the alphabet.
Sammie, who first
signed with Capitol
Records at age 12, is
among an elite class of
musicians who have
topped the charts in two
different decades. In the
late 90’s he released the
wildly popular singles,
“I Like,” and “The Crazy
Things I Do For Love,”
and currently, he is the
melodic voice featured
on Soulja Boy’s “Kiss Me
Thru The Phone.” Having
separated from Dallas
Austin and Rowdy Records, Sammie recently
started his own imprint,
Star Camp, and is working on his third album,
Coming Of Age.
A. Do you have any
aliases?
My New York friends call
me Samo, my aunties
called me Sambo, and my
pops, I don’t understand
how he got this name,
but they call him Foxy,
so they call me Foxy Jr.
sometimes, too. I guess
I got that name my
default.
No way can we
award points to a
male R&B artists
for a nickname like Foxy
Jr., sorry brotha.
B. What’s the most untrue rumor you’ve heard
about yourself?
People have these
misconceptions that I’m
real cocky and arrogant,
and I’m far from that. I’m
real humble, and I think
me going to school and
graduating from a public
high school helped me to
stay humble, and to stay
real and stay true.
Most child
stars are home
schooled or have
private tutors,
so we’ll award Sammie
for actually being G’
enough to tough it out
in an Atlanta public high
school.
26 // OZONE MAG
C. How did the kids in
high school treat you?
My freshman year of
high school was one of
the craziest years ever.
The dudes were hating,
but the ladies loved me.
I used to have security
escort me to class, but
I figured if I just stayed
down and stayed true, in
due time people would
really get to see me.
Midway through my
sophomore year I was
just a regular dude on
campus, nobody was
trippin’ on who I was. I
played basketball for two
years, I was homecoming
king, I was on the choir
my junior and senior
years. I pretty much lived
the regular, normal high
school life.
The fact that
you had security
escorts and sung
on the choir omit
you from gaining points
on this question.
D. When was the last
time you got in a fight?
I got in some altercations
in high school, but not
really any fist fights. I’m a
hot-head, so when I get
mad I might say the craziest thing and my mouth
probably kept me out of
a lot of fights. I’m from Miami, so I’ve always been
tough, and I always had
heart. I talk a lot of trash,
and I play basketball, so
if I’m bustin’ your ass in
basketball, I’m gonna let
you know I’m bustin’ your
ass, so a couple of times I
got into a push or shove
here, but nothing major.
Sammie and Bow
Wow probably
square up all the
time on the court.
E. Craziest thing you’ve
ever done for love?
My ex-girlfriend was the
only chick I’ve ever been
in love with. I sent her
flowers ‘cause I couldn’t
abcdefG
be there for her birthday,
and that’s not crazy, but I
was just really gone over
her. I was really sprung
for a minute. I was 18, so I
was wide open.
Check: If buying a chick
flowers for her birthday
when he was out on the
road is craziest
thing he’s ever
done for love,
Sammie has us all
beat on this one.
F. Worst song you’ve
been a part of?
It was a song called “Hey”
that was just too pop for
me. It didn’t come out,
thank God, I recorded
it, and every song is not
gonna be a hot record,
but one thing I’ve been
blessed with is the ability to sing, so I can really
sound good. I can make
a bad song sound good,
and a good song sound
great, and that’s not
being cocky, that’s just a
blessing.
Foxy Jr. gets credit
for being confident in his singing
abilities.
G. Do you have friends or
relatives in jail?
I do, unfortunately.
Sammie didn’t
really want to talk
about this question, which means
whomever he knows in
jail is either a really close
relative, or did something
punishingly severe.
Score: 4/7
Nicknames like Foxy
Jr, and security escorts
almost cost Sammie a
passing grade, but overall
his modesty and decision
to attend public schools
amidst his celebrity
promoted Sammie to a G’.
Look out for Coming of
Age, which he says is his
most personal album yet.
- Eric Perrin
Hood
Deeds
WORDS By Eric Perrin // PHOTO BY JOHNNY NUNEZ
On May 11th, rapper and community activist T.I. joined forces with
Al Sharpton in Harlem, NY to speak out against gun violence in the
community. T.I., which is facing an impending one year and one day
sentence for felony gun possession, took the opportunity to apologize
to those in attendance before stating his case.
“The same gun activity that I’m standing right here in front of you
today attempting to stop, I was once was a part of it. I once played
a huge, huge part in promoting it. A lot of people do it as a fashion
statement, but for me it was a part of life,” he said. “LeBron James
played basketball, Walter Payton played football; I carried guns and
slung dope as a 13 year old. That’s why I feel like I owe you guys an
apology, but I feel like all the experiences that I gathered in that time
is exactly the tools that I need to be able to get out here and reach the
people that are now doing what I used to do.”
T.I. also took the opportunity to speak on his looming prison sentence,
stating, “I will be back. And when I get back you gon’ see me standing
stronger, wiser, richer, and I’ma be singing the same song.”
Sharpton, who was speaking to a home crowd in his native New York,
expressed his belief that T.I. shouldn’t be imprisoned at all. “He made a
mistake, and he’s trying to correct a mistake. We don’t need him locked
down. We need him out here trying to correct the mistakes,” Sharpton
said to a roaring audience. The event was broadcast on MTVNews.com.
1. DJ PETER PARKER (www.myspace.com/djpeterparker1)
Yeah, a DJ named Clark Kent has become a Hip Hop legend, but that
doesn’t mean every superhero alter ego is cool. Peter
Parker was and still is the epitome of a geek. This
Queens, New York-based DJ isn’t making the name
any cooler. Known for DJing and taking photos in a
Spider Man mask, Parker has ties to the Duck Down
Records family and he hosts a podcast, Rhyme Tyme,
where the likes of Slum Village have stopped by.
2. THE METERMAIDS (www.myspace.com/metermaids)
Sure, metermaids may have their own reality show on cable TV a year or
so ago but that still doesn’t make them cool enough to name your rap
group after them.
3. LO-DOWN ENTERTAINMENT (www.myspace.com/valetv)
The words “low” and “down” are like oil and water, they will never mix.
Though it’s not as bad as the Down Low Entertainment moniker we
featured months ago, this is still a pig that doesn’t fly straight.
(above L-R): Yung LA & Young Dro on the set of their “Take Off” video shoot in Atlanta, GA (Photo: Ms Rivercity); BG with his mother & son on the set of the Chopper City Boyz’
‘Bubble Gum’ video shoot in New Orleans, LA (Photo: Marcus DeWayne); Droop-E & E-40 @ Pure in Las Vegas, NV (Photo: D-Ray)
01 // Lil Chuckee, Mack Maine, & Lil Twist @ the I Am Music tour (San Jose, CA) 02 // E, Rob Reyes & Maino @ Otis Lounge (San Francisco, CA) 03 // Playaz Circle @ Phillips Arena
for the Swagga Like Us concert (Atlanta, GA) 04 // Treal @ the SEAs (Tunica, MS) 05 // UNI @ the Key Club (Los Angeles, CA) 06 // Kia Shine & DJ Trauma @ Ten Pin bowling alley
for Kia Shine’s “Checkin’ My Fresh” video shoot (Atlanta, GA) 07 // Rappin 4Tay, Snoop Dogg, JT Tha Bigga Figga, Dru Down, Kurupt, & Daz @ the Mezzanine (San Francisco, CA)
08 // Carol City Cartel, Rick Ross, & Block @ BET’s Spring Bling (Riviera Beach, FL) 09 // Guest & Summer Walker on the set of DJ Drama’s “Daydreaming” video shoot (Los Angeles,
CA) 10 // Damani, Bad Lucc, Glasses Malone, & Terrace Martin @ Avalon (Hollywood, CA) 11 // Janiro Hawkins & guests @ the SEAs (Tunica, MS) 12 // XSF & Haji Springer @
Street Symphony Studios (Fremont, CA) 13 // Sleepy, Droop-E, & D-Lo on the set of Laroo’s “Money Ain’t Trippin” video shoot (Mountain View, CA) 14 // Guest & Maino @ Otis
Lounge (San Francisco, CA) 15 // DJ Drama & Tambra Cherie @ Freelon’s (Jackson, MS) 16 // DJ Tito Bell & DJ Amen on the set of Laroo’s “Money Ain’t Trippin” video shoot (Mountain View, CA) 17 // Juggie & Rick Ross @ NV Lounge for Rick Ross’s afterparty (New Orleans, LA) 18 // Mari, Devi Dev, DJ Backside, & D-Ray on the set of “That’s How I Go” (Los
Angeles, CA) 19 // Freddy Hydro & Janiro Hawkins @ the SEAs (Tunica, MS)
Photo Credits: D-Ray (01,02,05,07,09,10,12,13,14,16,18); DJ Who (11); Julia Beverly (03,06); Kingpin (19); Marcus DeWayne (17); Ms Rivercity (04); Ralph Smith (15); Terrence
Tyson (08)
OZONE MAG // 27
YOUNG JEEZY & ALFAMEGA
Alfamega: Hey Boss, I need to holla at you about something real serious.
Jeezy:Whut up fool? I heard you got pushed off a building and broke yo legs?
Alfamega: Affirmative.
Jeezy: Damn my nigga, you straight?
Alfamega: Negative. Hell no, I ain’t straight. I can’t walk. Got fired from my last
gig and Grand Hustle cancelled my health benefits, got a nigga all fucked up. I
need to holla at u bout a job.
Jeezy: Damn my nigga, that’s fucked up, but we ain’t hiring no more. It’s a
Recession. Everybody broke.
Alfamega: Copy that, But U need me, you done turnt all soft and shit fuckin wit
khloe Kardatchien and shit. I can give you street cred, look what I did from my
last employer. I used to knock niggas out left and right.
Jeezy: Man, my nigga. I ain’t got no positions open. Why don’t you go to DTP or
something?
Alfamega: What about Blood Raw job? That nigga ain’t doing nothing.
Jeezy: Hell naw nigga, Blood Raw be makin them good ass lattes and cappuccinos. That shit’s like crack, nigga.
Alfamega: What about Slick Pulla’s job? He ain’t loyal. I got evidence that he
was conspiring with DJ Drama last week about doing a mixtape. But ain’t hear
that from me.
Jeezy: I don’t know about all that, but bottom line is that I ain’t got no job for
you my nigga…ain’t you an informant?
OZONE EXCLUSIVE
Textin’ is no longer safe now that OZONE’s
dangerous minds have hacked the system.
Alfamega: What kinda benefits package does CTE provide? Cause Grand
Hustle gave me a 401K, and full medical and dental insurance with some free
Akoo clothes. But all I want from you is Medical insurance and some 8732
clothes…naw nevermind. I don’t need that shit. Let me just get some insurance so I can get my legs fixed.
Jeezy: Man dude, I told yo ass we ain’t hiring.
Alfamega: Fuck you, nigga. Rick Ross already offered me a job anyway, I just
ain’t wanna fuck with the police no more. But now it’s on. I’m gon’ start my
own group, The Alfabet Boyz. You better watch yo back, nigga.
From the minds of Eric Perrin & Randy Roper
Photos by Thaddaeus McAdams & Julia Beverly
28 // OZONE MAG
(above L-R): DJ Black & OJ da Juiceman @ Club Industry in Atlanta, GA (Photo: Ms Rivercity); Young Dro, Maino, & Kia Shine @ Ten Pin bowling alley for Kia Shine’s “Checkin’ My
Fresh” video shoot in Atlanta, GA (Photo: Julia Beverly); Stunna of The Pack & Tyga @ Cash Money’s Pre-Grammy party in Hollywood, CA (Photo: D-Ray)
01 // Lady Dolla, Tracey Smith & Chopper City Records VP Carol Dorsey on the set of the Chopper City Boyz’ “Bubble Gum” video shoot (New Orleans, LA) 02 // Droop-E, Scoot
of Dem Hoodstarz, & Nump on the set of Laroo’s “Money Ain’t Trippin” video shoot (Mountain View, CA) 03 // VIC & Hollywood @ Pure (Atlanta, GA) 04 // DJ Infamous & MLK @
Pure (Atlanta, GA) 05 // Daz Dillinger & Soopafly @ Avalon (Hollywood, CA) 06 // Busta Rhymes & Latin Prince @ the Grammys radio room (Los Angeles, CA) 07 // DJ Scream &
J Money @ Crucial for J Money’s mixtape release party (Atlanta, GA) 08 // Baydilla & P-Nut @ KGOT (Anchorage, AK) 09 // Oakland Raiders’ Damarcus Russell & Baby @ The Rock
(Las Vegas, NV) 10 // Mr Marcus & Aurora Jolie on the set of Trey Songz’ “Brand New” (Atlanta, GA) 11 // Baydilla & Cam @ Club Elixir for OZONE’s Alaska party (Anchorage, AK)
12 // Bigga Rankin & Terrence Tyson @ Plus for the Gucci Mane Welcome Home party (Jacksonville, FL) 13 // Rachel, guest, & Shawty Lo @ Freelon’s (Jackson, MS) 14 // Dah Dah,
Kurupt, & Supa Fly @ the Mezzanine (San Francisco, CA) 15 // Kenya Cabine & Jadakiss @ E93 (Savannah, GA) 16 // Checkin’ Their Fresh @ Ten Pin bowling alley for Kia Shine’s
“Checkin’ My Fresh” video shoot (Atlanta, GA) 17 // Chris J & Suga D @ the Underground (Tampa, FL) 18 // Jigga JT & New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin & his wife @ the Bayou Classic (New Orleans, LA) 19 // Mad Linx, DJ Q45, Mr Indiana, & T @ Big Engine Entertainment’s Christmas Party (Indianapolis, IN) 20 // Flesh Bone & Layzie Bone of Bone Thugs N
Harmony (Los Angeles, CA)
Photo Credits: D-Ray (02,05,06,09,14,20); Eric Perrin (19); Julia Beverly (03,04,08,10,11,16); Kenya Cabine (15); Kingpin (12); Marcus DeWayne (01,18); Ms Rivercity (07); Ralph
Smith (13); Terrence Tyson (17)
OZONE MAG // 29
When a woman gives herself a nickname like Toni, she’s
probably trying to tell the world
something about her personality. In
the case of this Akron, Ohio native, the
unisex name she selected does just that.
“I chose the name Toni because I think it’s sexy for a girl to have
a guy’s name and wear it well. I’m a little mannish in bed so the
name really fits me,” she divulges. And when asked in which
ways she’s “mannish” in bed, Toni confidently responds, “I’m
pretty controlling, not exactly to the point of being a dominatrix, but I love to be in control. I’m very dominant. I’m definitely
not the kind of girl that lays on my back during sex. I like running the show.”
Not only does Toni enjoy running the show, but she’s usually
the star as well. Whether she is on stage dancing, walking down
the runway modeling, or starring in a music video, Toni commands attention. And when she is not on somebody’s stage,
she’s probably at home deeply engaged in one of her favorite
urban erotica novels. Toni is an avid adult content reader and
even plans on one day bringing her own experiences to the
page.
“One day I want to write my own erotica,” she confesses. “And it
wouldn’t necessarily be a biography of my own life, but I have a
lot of experiences that I would incorporate in a book. It would
probably be just as steamy, if not worse, than the stories I read.”
Aside from her love of provocative literature, Toni is also passionate about modeling. Though she feels her height and 3424-38 frame will hinder her from high fashion, the tasty temptress believes there is a place for her in the modeling world. “I’d
love to do Playboy or even Victoria Secret,” she says. “I’m very
controlling sexually and I’d love to model lingerie. I think lingerie is powerful, and that would really fit my personality.”
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
30 // OZONE MAG
(above L-R): Block & Gorilla Zoe @ Plies’ car show in Tampa, FL (Photo: Eric Perrin); Willis McGahee & Dante Culpepper @ his youth football camp in Miami, FL (Photo: J Lash);
Shawty Lo & Drumma Boy @ Gorilla Zoe’s movie screening in Atlanta, GA (Photo: Ms Rivercity)
01 // Lil Duval & Ms Dynasty on the set of Young Dro & Yung LA’s “Take Off” video shoot (Atlanta, GA) 02 // Grand Hussle & Power 102.9’s DownTown Leslie Brown @ The Bobby
Valentino concert @ Club Xquisite (New Orleans, LA) 03 // Killer Mike & Chubbie Baby @ the Artistry for Rick Ross’s listening party (Atlanta, GA) 04 // Kenny Burns & Echo Hattix
(Tampa, FL) 05 // Cory Mo, Greg Street, Fonsworth Bentley, & Dee Sonoram @ Phillips Arena for the Swagga Like Us concert (Atlanta, GA) 06 // JC & Gorilla Zoe @ the Atlanta
Zoo for Zoe’s “Don’t Feed The Animals” listening party (Atlanta, GA) 07 // Bay Bay, Yung Joc, & Paul Wall @ Koko’s for Bay Bay’s birthday bash (Shreveport, LA) 08 // Mistah FAB
& Prynce @ Pure (Atlanta, GA) 09 // Haitian Fresh, Busta Rhymes, & Wyclef @ Dolce for Flo Rida’s album release party (Miami, FL) 10 // J Diggs & ladies @ Pink Diamonds for the
Romper Room Gang’s American Gangsta release party (San Francisco, CA) 11 // Cali, Danger, DJ Q45 & Caviar (Pittsburgh, PA) 12 // Megga & Buddy-Ro @ Club Elixir for OZONE’s
Alaska party (Anchorage, AK) 13 // Big Chris, Hoopz, guest, & Riskay @ Studio Inc for Jeff “Left Hook” Lacey’s fight afterparty (Tampa, FL) 14 // DJ E-Feezy & Big Juan @ Jim Porters (Louisville, KY) 15 // Bishop Magic Don Juan & Bad Lucc @ Avalon (Hollywood, CA) 16 // Mr Collipark & Kaye Dunaway @ Pure (Atlanta, GA) 17 // Fat Joe, Jim Jonsin, & Rico
Love @ Automatic Slims for Jim Jonsin’s Grammy party (Ft Lauderdale, FL) 18 // DJ Southern Belle & Kingpin @ the SEAs (Tunica, MS)
Photo Credits: D-Ray (10,15); DJ Who (18); Eric Perrin (03,07); Julia Beverly (05,08,09,12,16); Kingpin (13); Malik Abdul (14); Marcus DeWayne (02); Ms Rivercity (01,06); Seth
Browarnik (17); Terrence Tyson (04,11)
OZONE MAG // 31
editor’s note
I’m Just Sayin’tho by D-Ray
S
even years! Congratulations to the whole OZONE family. It takes
so much to keep a magazine together, especially today with
so many businesses folding! Having a team of believers brings
success. Believe that!
time I go through my archives of these years. I get calls every week asking
if I have a picture of kids that keep killing each other. Sometimes I’m the
only person who has pictures of them. These moments, good or bad, are
moments we can never get back.
Seven years back, wow. There’s so much to touch on with such a small column. Back then, I was in the game for a couple years working for another
magazine out of the West Coast. It was very similar to OZONE, although it
didn’t have my favorite part (the eye catching Photo Galleries). As much
time as that takes to put together, JB never took the section away.
I thought it was over when my grandfather passed away. Mind you, I just
started working with OZONE Magazine 5 months before his passing so I
began to lose focus when I saw him deteriorating due to the illness. The
day after his funeral I had to hop on a flight to my first OZONE Awards, the
2nd annual in Miami. I was not myself. I was real numb and I had my walls
closed. I sucked it up and it turned out to be a great trip, but when I got
back to the West Coast I kinda gave up for a few months, feeling like my
heart just died.
There’s so much to reflect back on since then. I quit my guaranteed paycheck to join the grind of the Hip Hop world. Also, I had to balance taking
care of my ill grandfather, who had Parkinson’s disease and dementia. That
was a part of my journey which allowed me to continue taking photos in
the game. R.I.P. Grandpa, 2007. My hero forever.
In the beginning I was taking a lot of Mistah FAB’s pictures. I saw a talent in
him that I couldn’t deny. So to be able to freeze moments throughout his
whole career is priceless. I was also shooting red carpet Hollywood events
with platinum artists, not to mention, I do have a James Brown photo.
That’s when I started to realize that the Bay Area needed me. I thought,
damn, why not help home get on through my lens?
I wasn’t sure about this career I chose any longer. Not just from the
loss of my grandfather, but all the BULLSHIT. The stress of dealing with
promoters, managers, artists, publicists, and whoever else came with the
program. I went back, reflected, separated myself from everything, and
thought about the time I gave up to this game. That was time I could’ve
been spending with my grandfather. That made me think of what he
would want. He would want me to complete my journey. He didn’t raise
a quitter.
Fabby is a superstar and he was who really drew me to the urban side of
photography. I feel like I have to help tell his musical story through my
lens. By 2003, the hyphy movement popped off and I happened to be at
the forefront of the movement with my lens, freezing the craziest, most
hyphy things you can ever imagine. Concerts, sideshows, rap battles,
dreads, turf dancing, the whole nine. Be on the look out for the photo
book; it will be coming soon to show the world the movement with
plenty of visual examples.
I began to go extra hard for my coast, the West Coast. Throw your W’s up! I
have been running ever since. I got a chance to get great photos of many
artists I would’ve never got to build with if I had quit. Thanks JB for the
love and opportunity. And to my lady Wendy Day, I love you for the cosign! G. Archer, you’re the best for keeping me going! Fabby, kid, without
you I would have never perfected my performance shots! Frank Herrera,
thanks for the top secret talk; that keeps me on my toes in this industry.
And shout out to all the other artists who played a part in keeping me
hungry in the game. If you do not approach the music industry with focus
and grind, your talent won’t matter. Just keep it up and step your bars up
or move out of the way for the real talent. Don’t clog the drain anymore.
If you have a hobby, that’s one thing. A career is another. You have to be
serious, hungry, humble, and willing to accept the criticism and politics in
this game. Trust me, the politics are ugly!
Around that time, I also met one of my favorite rappers of all time. “Too
Hard For The Fucking Radio” Mac Dre himself. “I’m a boss, fuck what it cost.”
He’s a legend! T.I.P. Meeting Dre was like, wow! I was so silly I really didn’t
believe it was Dre. We were doing a radio run and they played “California
Livin’.” I was giggling to the song and he walked out of the studio and said,
“You know nothing about this!” I looked at him with a crazy look and said,
“Shit, you know nothing about this!” He gave me a Thizz Face, smiled,
went out front and lit up a Backwood. G.A. then told me, “That’s Mac Dre’s
song.” Then I realized, yes, that is muthafuckin’ Mac Dre!
I have no regrets when it comes to what I do, although it’s a difficult task
at times. I’m pretty anti-social, I’m a loner, and I don’t really trust too many
people because not too many of them can trust themselves. With that
being said, I’m happy with this journey I’ve chosen. I do this for the love I
have for the talent in others. I feel like the kid who gets benched for being
bad at recess. You can see and hear the kids playing as you’re watching
them, but can’t join the fun. I’m a square when it comes to partying; I don’t
drink of party too hard. I love to stay at the house. I only go because I get
that exclusive treatment and experience.
From that day on, “Thizz iz what it iz.” I became the official THIZZ photographer during the last years of Dre’s life and I’ve been THIZZ ever since! I’ve
got one of the only photos of Dre at his last birthday party. The growth of
my photography career has been a wild journey. Many experiences, many
growing pains, juggling through these years taking care of my granddaddy and seeing so many soldiers in the game falling to the fast life or the
Federal Pen. It’s a pain I feel in my heart and a super rush in my brain every
Support those who support you! Family first. Loyalty is rare today and
success is hard to come by. Respect is something you earn, not deserve.
The way I see it, the more people that hate me, the less people I have to
please!
I believe in the talent coming from the Bay. I have been lucky enough to
have shot photos of almost everyone from the Bay. I never had the opportunity to shoot Tupac, and I’m saddened by that. By the time I became
serious about my photo grind a hater had already taken his life.
- D-Ray, OZONE West Editor-At-Large
[email protected]
Kilo, D-Ray, & J-Diggs @ Pink Diamonds for
Me & Roccett gettin’ breakthe Romper Room Gang’s American Gangsta fast in Vegas after hittin’ LAX
release party in San Francisco
32 // OZONE MAG
Mack Maine & me in LA
Mario & me in LA at Baby
Bash’s video shoot
(above L-R): Young Jeezy & Ludacris @ Phillips Arena for the Swagga Like Us concert in Atlanta, GA (Photo: Julia Beverly); Akon & Glasses Malone on the set of DJ Drama’s “Daydreaming” video shoot in Los Angeles, CA; DJ Quik @ the Key Club for his birthday party in Hollywood, CA (Photos: D-Ray)
01 // OJ, Courtney Money, & G Boy @ Club Industry (Atlanta, GA) 02 // RahMean & Cellski @ The Room (San Francisco, CA) 03 // Suge Knight, J-Diggs, Kilo, & Big Dante @ Pink
Diamonds for the Romper Room Gang’s American Gangsta release party (San Francisco, CA) 04 // Guest, Nokey, & Roccett @ Phillips Arena for the Swagga Like Us concert (Atlanta, GA) 05 // DJ Rick Lee & Kafani @ Otis Lounge (San Francisco, CA) 06 // Droop-E & Laroo @ Pure (Las Vegas, NV) 07 // Fat Joe & DJ Khaled @ Velvet Room for DJ Infamous’
anniversary party (Atlanta, GA) 08 // Kafani Da Ice King & Dorrough @ Otis Lounge (San Francisco, CA) 09 // DJ Q45 & Rick Ross @ NV Lounge for Rick Ross’s afterparty (New
Orleans, LA) 10 // J Nicks & Gucci Mane @ Primetime for Gucci Mane’s Welcome Home party (Atlanta, GA) 11 // DJ Ekin & Shayna Smith @ BET’s Spring Bling (Riviera Beach, FL)
12 // C.E.O, Willie Joe, Traxamillion, & Nump on the set of Laroo’s “Money Ain’t Trippin” video shoot (Mountain View, CA) 13 // Gary Archer & Frank White @ Laverde Lounge (San
Francisco, CA) 14 // Fish Scales of the Nappy Roots & guest @ Pure (Atlanta, GA) 15 // Kingpin & DJ Stupac @ the SEAs (Tunica, MS) 16 // Dubb Union’s Soopafly, Damani, & Bad
Lucc @ Avalon (Hollywood, CA) 17 // Lil Wun, Baby Boy & Rick Ross @ NV Lounge for Rick Ross’s afterparty (New Orleans, LA) 18 // Betty Wright & Jim Jonsin @ Automatic Slims
for Jim Jonsin’s Grammy party (Ft Lauderdale, FL) 19 // Rovella Williams & Ms Rivercity @ the SEAs (Tunica, MS) 20 // Mr Smith & guest @ Club 360 for Rick Ross’s Super Bowl
viewing party (Tampa, FL)
Photo Credits: D-Ray (02,03,05,06,08,12,13,16); Eric Perrin (10,20); Julia Beverly (04,07,14); Kingpin (15,19); Marcus DeWayne (09,17); Ms Rivercity (01); Seth Browarnik (18); Terrence Tyson (11)
OZONE MAG // 33
Ways Ozone
Impacted The
Game
Rappers are more careful about the groupies they
mess with
If you’re wondering why you don’t see Groupie Confessions in Ozone anymore, it’s
because rappers stopped messing with a lot of them in fear of getting put on blast. Who
would’ve ever thought that our funny little column would have rappers scared of free
pussy?
Made Mr. 9-to-5 think “hey, I can do it too!”
DJ Green Lantern once joked that OZONE is full of people he’s never heard of. That’s kind
of the point. We break artists before the rest of the media hops on the bandwagon, and
that’s why we’re your “favorite rapper’s favorite magazine.” But with that, we get flooded
with interview requests from artists that we’ve never heard of either. Message to up and
coming rappers: just because you see a rapper in the magazine that YOU don’t know,
doesn’t mean that they don’t deserve it. We don’t just pick random cats off the street or
interview everyone that asks. We do have a vetting process.
Made pictures worth more than a thousand words
Over the years, we’ve found that to some, having a picture in the OZONE photo galleries
is a greater accomplishment than earning a PhD. Our galleries were around before most
of your favorite club photos websites too. So, guess you can say we’ve been making stars
out of the non-talented for some time now.
We Made It Cool To Hate
Lil Duval’s “10 Things I’m Hating On” column actually made it funny and cool to hate.
Most haters are afraid to show their face in fear of a public ass-whupping, but Duval not
only put his face on his work, he called out people and places he was liable to run into
the next day. When he stopped doing the column, we feared not being able to keep it
going. But to our surprise, people volunteered to fill his hating throne.
Let everyone know “the South had something to say”
We’re not going to even begin to try to list the number of rappers that appeared in
OZONE months, or even years, before they began popping up other
magazines after they signed deals or landed on the Billboard charts.
We won’t brag about putting Pimp C on the cover (below left) while
he was prison or being there the day he got out . Probably won’t speak
on spawning at least a dozen OZONE Jr. magazines claiming to cover
Southern Hip Hop either.
Made everyone want to be free
Before OZONE, it was hard to find a good rap magazine outside of the
newsstands free of charge. When we hit in 2002 giving our mags away
at clubs and industry events, all of a sudden everyone wanted to give
theirs away too.
Took the blame for everything that ruined
Hip Hop
Every Southern artist that gets blamed for “ruining Hip Hop” was either
featured in OZONE first or only interviewed for OZONE. Every fight at
every award show gets compared to the OZONE awards even though
we’ve only had three of them. Any rapper that gets locked up? It’s because of something he said in our magazine. Beef? Always our fault too.
34 // OZONE MAG
(above L-R): Damani & Snoop Dogg @ the Mezzanine in San Francisco, CA; Allen Iverson & Jas Prince @ the W Hotel in Scottsdale, AZ (Photos: D-Ray); Rick Ross & Tity Boy of
Playaz Circle @ Phillips Arena for the Swagga Like Us concert in Atlanta, GA (Photo: Julia Beverly)
01 // Guest & Chad Johnson @ Willis McGahee’s youth football camp (Miami, FL) 02 // Big CO & Jackie Chain @ the SEAs (Tunica, MS) 03 // Kerisha & Markus @ Ten Pin bowling alley for Kia Shine’s “Checkin’ My Fresh” video shoot (Atlanta, GA) 04 // Eddy & Abe @ Caliskatz (Freont, CA) 05 // BOB, DJ King Ron, Bigga Rankin, Derek Washington, & TJ
Chapman @ Big Spenda Studios (Jacksonville, FL) 06 // DJ Holiday, Gucci Mane, & Zaytoven @ Metronome Studios (Atlanta, GA) 07 // Young Dro gets his pole waxed @ Ten
Pin bowling alley for Kia Shine’s “Checkin’ My Fresh” video shoot (Atlanta, GA) 08 // J Nicks & Monica @ Phillips Arena for the Swagga Like Us concert (Atlanta, GA) 09 // Colby
O’Donis & Jay Rock @ the Grammys radio room (Los Angeles, CA) 10 // Drake & DJ Mack @ American Airlines Arena (Dallas, TX) 11 // Madeleine, Mistah FAB, & Roslyn @ Club
Elixir for OZONE’s Alaska party (Anchorage, AK) 12 // Kia Shine & video models @ Ten Pin bowling alley for Kia Shine’s “Checkin’ My Fresh” video shoot (Atlanta, GA) 13 // Shayna
Smith & Lyntina Townsend @ BET’s Spring Bling (Riviera Beach, FL) 14 // Venom & guests @ the SEAs (Tunica, MS) 15 // ATL bloggers @ Atlanta 300 (Atlanta, GA) 16 // DJ Rick
Lee & Traxamillion @ Otis Lounge (San Francisco, CA) 17 // Debra & Gucci Mane @ 3141 for DJ Infamous’ live mixtape session (Atlanta, GA) 18 // Lady Mirage Models @ the SEAs
(Tunica, MS) 19 // Ju & Waka Flocka Flame @ Coan Park for Soulja Boy’s “Gucci Bandana” video shoot (Atlanta, GA)
Photo Credits: D-Ray (04,09,16); DJ Who (14); Eric Perrin (17); J Lash (01); Julia Beverly (03,07,11,12,15); Kingpin (02); Ms Rivercity (06,08,18,19); Terrence Tyson (05,13); Tre Dubb
(10)
OZONE MAG // 35
LUCKY SEVEN
ARTISTS
Note from the editor (JB):
I did not write this :)
These artists must have had luck on their side to have gotten on in the first place.
Bow Wow
If Jermaine Dupri hadn’t given Young Bow Wow a record deal out of boredom, or a
momentary lapse in good judgment, we doubt Lambo Moss would have ever gotten on, or gotten with Ciara. He might have still had a shot with Superhead though.
Things were going great for Bow Wow – he had a solid female fan base, he had a Black
Card, he had it all – until he tried to go hood. If he’d just kept it 100, Bow Wow could
have gone all the way to Miley Cyrus status.
Danity Kane
Anyone that can create a valid career out of a reality show role is fortunate. Claiming
their fame on Diddy’s Making the Band Part 20,000, Danity Kane sold a million copies
of their debut studio album. We can’t explain how they accomplished this when
nobody can name one record these chicks sing. Nor can people identify any of the
group members aside from the blonde slutty one, and D Woods. Though they were
blessed with a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, D.K. fouled it up when they tried to bite
the hand that feeds them. Nobody goes against Diddy. Nobody.
MIMS (above left)
Not much really needs to be said here, but just for laughs we’ll come up with a few
words. First off, what kind of name is MIMS? That right there should have shut down
his career. Second of all, MIMS stands for…hold on, let’s Google it…Music is My Savior.
As corny as his name is, people seemed to overlook it when “This is Why I’m Hot”
hit the Billboard charts. Despite having a moniker more questionable than Kanye’s
heterosexuality, and having virtually no co-signers in his hometown, MIMS landed
one of the hottest records of 2007. After failing to place another radio single MIMS
should have disappeared, but he instead he released a second album earlier this year.
This time MIMS wasn’t as lucky with the numbers, but you have to give him credit for
trying.
OJ da Juiceman (left)
Nobody thought OJ da Juiceman would make it past being a “catchy ad-lib rapper,”
but after landing a #1 radio chart topper with “Make the Trap Say Aye,” OJ’s buzz is going strong, even in New York. Speaking of lucky, how do you get a song on the radio
with every other word edited out? “Quarter (pause), half a (pause), whole (pause), aye!”
Besides having a super radio unfriendly single, Juice also faced a big challenge being
affiliated with another rapper – Gucci Mane. Now that OJ’s beaten the odds, some
might even look at OJ and Gucci as the next Big Boi and Andre…well, that might be a
stretch.
Shop Boyz
Everybody loves to hate the Shop Boyz, so we figured they should be added to this
list. We’re not exactly sure how their first (and only) major hit got so big, started a
movement that spread quicker than the Swine Flu, and disappeared faster than
Cassie’s naked internet pics. Guess it was a fluke. Locally in Atlanta, the Shop Boyz can
still be heard in clubs and on the radio, but outside of their hometown the trio has
sadly been forgotten, along with chain wallets and spiky belts.
Soulja Boy
He’s been criticized, mocked, blamed for the demise of Hip Hop, even robbed at gunpoint, but Young Soulja keeps on ticking. Not only does he create a new hit damn near
every week, SB is so popular he has his own personal videographer from Worldstarhiphop.com following him 24 hours a day – just in case he does something interesting
in his sleep. Even though he has more haters than anyone could count, and he’s yet to
be taken seriously as an artist, SB has more money, cars, clothes, and hoes than some
of your favorite rappers. YouTube him.
2 Pistols (left)
For a one-hit wonder, Two Pee’s (a.k.a. Yung Berg) sure does get a lot of record deals.
Why do people keep signing him? Is he related to a major label executive? Who did
he smash to get on? Ever since the J.U.S.T.I.C.E. League gave their young protégé the
boot and publicly dissed him, it’s been tough times for 2 Pistols. But at least he’s still
got a lot of jewelry. That counts for something.
36 // OZONE MAG
(above L-R): Gucci Mane & Soulja Boy @ Coan Park for Soulja Boy’s “Gucci Bandana” video shoot in Atlanta, GA (Photo: Ms Rivercity); Slim Thug & Papa Duck @ Firestone for DJ
Nasty’s birthday party in Orlando, FL (Photo: Malik Abdul); Aurora Jolie & Mr Marcus @ the Velvet Room for DJ Infamous’ anniversary party in Atlanta, GA (Photo: Eric Perrin)
01 // Rico Brooks, Gorilla Zoe, & Mike Kyser on South Beach (Miami, FL) 02 // AP9, Unk & Kafani Da Ice King on the set of Laroo’s “Money Ain’t Trippin” video shoot (Mountain
View, CA) 03 // Bigga Rankin, OJ Da Juiceman, & G-Boy (Jacksonville, FL) 04 // Cam & Kia Shine @ Ten Pin bowling alley for Kia Shine’s “Checkin’ My Fresh” video shoot (Atlanta,
GA) 05 // DJ Nik Bean & J. Wells @ Avalon (Hollywood, CA) 06 // Baby Bash & Mario on the set of Baby Bash’s “That’s How I Go” (Los Angeles, CA) 07 // Waka Flocka Flame &
DJ Drama @ Coan Park for Soulja Boy’s “Gucci Bandana” video shoot (Atlanta, GA) 08 // Lil Scrappy, Willy Northpole, Ludacris, I-20, Lil Fate, & Shawnna @ Phillips Arena for the
Swagga Like Us concert (Atlanta, GA) 09 // Jay Rock, 211, & Omarion @ Cash Money’s Pre-Grammy party (Hollywood, CA) 10 // J Prince & Lady Unique @ The Palms for the I
Am Music Tour (Las Vegas, NV) 11 // Asher Roth & Kenny Hamilton @ 95.5 (Atlanta, GA) 12 // Damani, Diamond, & Glasses Malone @ Avalon (Hollywood, CA) 13 // Plies models
@ Plies’ car show (Tampa, FL) 14 // Q da Kid & guest @ Atlanta 300 (Atlanta, GA) 15 // Kia Shine & Lil C @ Ten Pin bowling alley for Kia Shine’s “Checkin’ My Fresh” video shoot
(Atlanta, GA) 16 // Sophia Del Carmen & Jim Jonsin @ Automatic Slims for Jim Jonsin’s Grammy party (Ft Lauderdale, FL) 17 // Baby Boy, Love & Suave Bob @ NV Lounge for Rick
Ross’s afterparty (New Orleans, LA) 18 // Scoot & Dem Hoodstarz crew reppin’ Band-Aide @ Hot Import Nights Car Show (San Mateo, CA) 19 // Turf Talk & Gary Archer @ Street
Symphony Studios (Fremont, CA)
Photo Credits: D-Ray (02,05,06,09,10,12,18,19); Eric Perrin (13); Julia Beverly (01,04,08,14,15); Marcus DeWayne (17); Ms Rivercity (07,11); Seth Browarnik (16); Terrence Tyson (03)
OZONE MAG // 37
BEST Ozone
PATIENTLY
WAITINGS
Words by Randy Roper
Photos by Julia Beverly
Over the years, OZONE has been the first to introduce the “unknown” artists who go on to becomem superstars. Sometimes we
miss on rappers like Apollo Kreed, Big Mook, Kenny Thomas, who are never heard from again. But other times we hit with artists like Webbie, Yung Joc and Chamillionaire, who go on to stardom. And yes, we take pride in acquainting readers with artists
that other publications take months, sometimes years, to catch onto.
So, for our 7th Anniversary issue, we decided to take a look back at seven Patiently Waiting alumni that define the term “patiently waiting to blow.” You might not have known who they were back then, but you damn sure know who they are now.
Akon
Featured In: Issue #16 (September 2003)
Back in 2003, Akon was a brand new SRC/Universal artist, waiting to release his debut album. Today he’s a
Grammy-nominated international star, and his three albums have sold millions of copies worldwide.
Gucci Mane
Featured In: Issue #31 (February 2005)
When Gucci Mane (left, in 2005) was first featured in OZONE, his single “So Icy” was just beginning to take off.
Four years, six albums (who knows how many mixtapes), numerous hood
classic singles, and a few jail stints later, Gucci has arguably the hottest
street buzz of any rapper, not only in the South, but the rap game, period.
Lil Boosie
Featured In: Issue #24 (June 2004)
In 2004, a then 20-year-old Boosie had already amassed a street
buzz that most indie artists could never imagine. Five years later,
while his commercial success remains imminent, Boosie Bad Azz
has reached legendary status throughout the South.
Plies
Featured In: Issue #38 (September 2005)
By the time Plies (left, in 2005) released his first official single
“Shawty” in 2007, OZONE was two years ahead of the curve. Since
2007, Plies has released three albums in as many years, and his buzz
amongst the streets and mainstream makes him on of the biggest
rap stars of today. But we knew that was bound to happen since
2005.
Rick Ross
Featured In: Issue #17 (October 2003)
Before he was “da biggest boss that you’ve seen thus far,” Rick
Ross (above right, in 2003) was patiently waiting on Slip-NSlide’s roster behind Trick Daddy and Trina. Fast-forward to
2009, and Da Boss has three #1 albums under his belt, and has
been at the forefront of Miami’s rise to power in the rap game.
T-Pain
Featured In: Issue #34 (May 2005)
Around 2005, this rappa ternt sanga (left, in 2005) from Tallahassee was riding the wave of his first single “Sprung.” Although
OZONE was the first to feature T-Pain, no one predicted he’d
become a Grammy-winning artist, with three successful albums,
countless collaborations, and influence the entire game to
record in auto-tune.
Young Jeezy
Featured In: Issue #24 (May 2004)
Nowadays, Jeezy (right, in 2004) is without question one of the
South’s brightest rap stars. But when OZONE introduced him in
2004, he was a member of Boyz N Da Hood and had just inked a
deal with Def Jam.
38 // OZONE MAG
(above L-R): 50 Cent & Bay Bay @ Kokopellis for Bay Bay’s birthday bash in Shreveport, LA (Photo: Eric Perrin); Drake, Nicki Minaj, & Trey Songz @ the I Am Music Tour in Hampton,
VA (Photo: Jax); Rocko & Rick Ross @ The Artistry in Atlanta, GA (Photo: Eric Perrin)
01 // Mekele, Lady Dolla, Quita, & the Chopper City models @ The Venue for the Chopper City Boyz listening party (New Orleans, LA) 02 // DJ Scream, Fonsworth Bentley, & DJ
Spinz @ Phillips Arena for the Swagga Like Us concert (Atlanta, GA) 03 // Mistah FAB, Day Day, & Baydilla @ Club Elixir for OZONE’s Alaska party (Anchorage, AK) 04 // Justin,
Randy Roper, Big Ced, & Kenny Brewer @ Club Dreams for his birthday party (Columbia, SC) 05 // DJ Backside, Memphitz, & D-Ray @ Cash Money’s Pre-Grammy party (Hollywood, CA) 06 // Glasses Malone, Snoop Dogg, Tha Deacon, Damani, Jay Rock, & Soopafly on the set of DJ Drama’s “Daydreaming” video shoot (Los Angeles, CA) 07 // Bobby V &
video model on the set of his video shoot for “Hands On Me” (Atlanta, GA) 08 // E-40 & DJ Tito Bell on the set of Laroo’s “Money Ain’t Trippin” video shoot (Mountain View, CA)
09 // DJ Blak & Teddy Bishop @ Patchwerk Studios for Music University (Atlanta, GA) 10 // Fonsworth Bentley, J Money, & Dee Sonoram @ Phillips Arena for the Swagga Like
Us concert (Atlanta, GA) 11 // Rob Reyes & his wife @ Otis Lounge (San Francisco, CA) 12 // Rick Rock, Unk, E-40, & Stress of The Federation on the set of Laroo’s “Money Ain’t
Trippin’” video shoot (Mountain View, CA) 13 // The Jacka, T-Wayne, Scoot of Dem Hoodstarz, & Cellski on the set of Laroo’s “Money Ain’t Trippin’” video shoot (Mountain View,
CA) 14 // Chaos & guest @ The Moon for TJ’s DJ’s (Tallahassee, FL) 15 // DJ Brad & Kaspa @ Throbacks for Streettalk Showcase (Atlanta, GA) 16 // Sweetness & Lil Rudy @ Plus for
the Gucci Mane Welcome Home party (Jacksonville, FL) 17 // Klypso & Droop-E @ Expressions Studio (Berkeley, CA) 18 // Gucci Mane & J Money @ Primetime for Gucci Mane’s
Welcome Home party (Atlanta, GA) 19 // Hoopz, Jeff Lacey, & Buckwheat @ Studio Inc for Jeff “Left Hook” Lacey’s fight afterparty (Tampa, FL)
Photo Credits: D-Ray (05,06,08,11,12,13,17); Eric Perrin (04,07,18); Julia Beverly (03,10); Kingpin (16,19); Malik Abdul (14); Marcus DeWayne (01); Ms Rivercity (02,09,15)
OZONE MAG // 39
most
controversial
ozone moments
Words and Photos by Julia Beverly
Lil Scrappy vs. the Orlando Police Department
Featured in: Issue #20 (February 2004)
When Lil Scrappy dove shirtless into a crowded gymnasium full of high school girls during a
performance of “Headbussas,” a damn near riot ensued, ending with Scrappy being pushed
backwards nearly 20 feet off the stage by the Orlando Police Department. Thanks to some
incriminating footage captured by yours truly, the moment will forever be remembered on
the Beef DVDs. Scrappy avoided doing shows in Orlando for several years after that, and reportedly filed a multi-million dollar lawsuit against OPD, the conclusion of which was never
made public.
Lil Flip vs. T.I.
Featured in: Issue #25 (July 2004)
As absurd as it may sound now, Lil Flip vs. T.I. was once viewed as a potentially fair fight. T.I.,
who was incarcerated at the time, managed to make a surprise appearance at Atlanta’s Hot
107.9’s birthday bash, where Flip was schedule to perform and had allegedly been making
negative remarks about Tip while he was away. T.I. performed a scathing freestyle and held
up the now-infamous pictures of Flip in the leprechaun suit with the title “GAME OVER”
(photo at left). I hadn’t yet switched over to a digital camera at the time; had it been digital,
I no doubt would’ve deleted this now-classic photo, since my first impression was that Tip
was holding up some type of promotional posters.
Groupie Confessions Debut
Featured in: Issue #29 (November 2004)
Who would’ve guessed that after years of covering underground Southern rappers, it would
be Jay-Z’s dick that finally got us nationwide exposure? On New Years Day 2005, the New
York Post (image at left) got ahold of a copy of OZONE’s annual sex issue in which groupies
told sex tales about Jay-Z, Method Man, and others. OZONE’s office phones rang incessantly
for a week with subscription and advertising requests. Can’t complain.
Lil Jon vs. TVT & Mannie Fresh vs. Cash Money
Featured in: Issue #37 (August 2005)
Being in the right place at the right time led me to a couple unintentional exclusive breaking
news articles/interviews in this issue. While conducting interviews for David Banner’s OZONE
comic book, I sat down with Lil Jon on the Anger Management tour and the first words out
of his mouth were “fuck Steve Gottlieb” of TVT Records, the label he was signed to at the
time. A lot of legal drama ensued. Also, in a separate interview, Mannie Fresh matter-offactly revealed that he was leaving Cash Money.
Real Pimpin’
Featured in: Issue #40 (December 2005)
I tagged along for two days with a real-life pimp and his house full of brainwashed (in my
opinion) hoes for the 2005 sex issue. The pimp insisted on me reading every line of the
article to him by phone for edits, a bad idea considering that his lines were being tapped by
Federal investigators who eventually arrested him for various prostitution charges involving
transporting minors across state lines.
The Infamous Benzino Voicemails
Featured in: Issue #41 (January 2006)
After sarcastically awarding Benzino the “Extortionist of the Year” Award for his work with
The Source Magazine, I received several violent late night calls from then-Source owners
Dave Mays & Benzino. The subsequent voicemails Benzino left on the OZONE office phone
were released on the net (via the CORE DJs & Funkmaster Flex) so the world could appreciate his unique catchphrases (“Slut Monkey” being the most popular).
The Chronicles of Pimp C Debut
Featured in: Issue #58 (August 2007)
That line on Jeezy’s “My President” where he forgives Pimp C for “speaking his mind”? That was our fault. When Pimp C called me late one
night wanting to start his own OZONE column (above), I thought it was a great idea. Didn’t envision that his ranting about “dick-in-thebooty-ass” Ne-Yo and Russell Simmons and “quit lyin’ about dope prices” which kinda sounded like Jeezy jabs and statements like “Atlanta is
not the South” would land him on radio stations across the country. Although he never named names, his “$17,500” comments were widely
interpreted as Jeezy disses, and nearly led to bloodshed at the 2nd Annual OZONE Awards. R.I.P. Pimp C. Gotta love him.
40 // OZONE MAG
(above L-R): 106 & Park’s Terrance J & Bobby Valentino @ the Bayou Classic in New Orleans, LA (Photo: Marcus DeWayne); Young Dro & Yung Joc @ Kokopellis for Bay Bay’s birthday bash in Shreveport, LA (Photo: Maurice Garland); Baby & Allen Iverson @ the W Hotel in Scottsdale, AZ (Photo: D-Ray)
01 // Anthony Hamilton & his band @ House of Blues (New Orleans, LA) 02 // Big L, Benz, & Boo da Boss Playa @ Phillips Arena for the Swagga Like Us concert (Atlanta, GA)
03 // Tyga & G.E.D. @ UGMX (San Jose, CA) 04 // 8Ball & fans @ Echo Studios for 8Ball & MJG’s listening session (Atlanta, GA) 05 // Pretty Ricky & Plies @ BET’s Spring Bling (Riviera
Beach, FL) 06 // Cool & Dre @ Cash Money’s Pre-Grammy party (Hollywood, CA) 07 // Actor Jaime Hector & Lil Scrappy on the set of the movie “Just Another Day” (Orlando, FL)
08 // Mike Jones & Diamond @ The Loft (Atlanta, GA) 09 // Nicki Minaj & So Icey Boys @ the SEAs (Tunica, MS) 10 // DJ Hi-C & Maino (Houston, TX) 11 // Mike Jones & fans on the
set of “Swagg Thru Da Roof” (Houston, TX) 12 // DJ Nasty, The Incredibles, & Dru of The Runners @ Mansion for Rick Ross’s “Deeper Than Rap” release party (Miami, FL)
13 // Stress of The Federation & Rick Rock on the set of Laroo’s “Money Ain’t Trippin’” video shoot (Mountain View, CA) 14 // Asher Roth & Ms Rivercity @ 95.5 (Atlanta, GA)
15 // Chopper City’s Bubble Gum models on the set of the Chopper City Boyz’ “Bubble Gum” video shoot (New Orleans, LA) 16 // Nappy Roots & DJ Scorpio @ The Loft (Atlanta,
GA) 17 // Paul Wall & DJ Scorpio @ The Loft (Atlanta, GA) 18 // DJ Prez & DJ Drama @ The Place (Nashville, TN)
Photo Credits: D-Ray (03,06,13); Eric Perrin (04); Ichigo (10); Janiro Hawkins (18); Jen McKinnon (09); Julia Beverly (02,12); Lamont DeSal (11); Lawrence Odum (07); Marcus
DeWayne (01,15); Ms Rivercity (08,14,16,17); Terrence Tyson (05)
OZONE MAG // 41
Patiently
Waiting
L
ately, rappin’ doesn’t hold as much weight without some sangin’
to go with it. This format has worked well for Plies over the past
couple of years, and aside from his previous features with T-Pain,
the Florida Goon has another secret sangin’ weapon – Memphis
native Chris J. Known for his vocal additions on Plies’ “Put It On Ya,” Chris J
is now an integral part of Big Gates Records, which also includes the R&B
quartet Unique Image.
Chris’ journey might not have started with his appearance on BET’s Wild
Out Wednesday, but it’s definitely where things turn a turn for the better.
“[Plies’ brother] Big Gates was watching 106th & Park and I was singing on
the competition,” Chris explains. “That was the same day Plies and T-Pain
were performing ‘Shawty’ on there and the label was watching me. Big
Gates asked me to send more material so I sent about 17 songs, and from
there they were interested in signing me as an artist.”
It took a whole lifetime of practice, sleepless nights, and sacrifice to get to
that point. At the age of 11, Chris J lost his mother to violence, a painful
experience that eventually led him to his dream. “After my mom passed, it
became a dream for me to become a household name. My brothers were
in a band and the older I got they said I could really sing. They actually fired
their two lead singers and put me and my nephew in when we were like 14
years old. It really inspired me to [want to become] a big-time star.”
42 // OZONE MAG
Chris J spent his nights in bars and nightclubs singing with his brothers,
and had to be at school by at 7 a.m. The lifestyle taught him discipline,
which he would capitalize from during his solo career. Using his personal
funds and resources, Chris pressed up his own CDs and hit the road promoting his music. The recognition he built put him on stage with the likes
of Anthony Hamilton, Marques Houston, Mike Jones, Ginuwine, and Nick
Cannon.
In 2005, Chris J became the first Memphis artist to perform at the Fedex Forum. “It was a show with Monique and Gerald Levert,” he recalls. “They gave
me 15 minutes to sing. A lot of people in Memphis loved me because my
‘Bubble Bath’ song had been circulating here for a minute. But standing on
that stage in front of about 12,000 people was really an amazing feeling.”
After landing an audition for Wild Out Wednesdays, Chris J flew himself to
New York where his dedication would soon pay off. “When it’s an opportunity I’ll take my last dime, my light bill and house note money, to be seen,”
he states enthusiastically. “Out of 500 people that auditioned, they were
only going to call 3 people back.” Chris J was one of those three.
Proving himself as a standout soloist, Chris J is readying himself for the
release of his debut album, Secrets. “It’s not just two or three songs on my
album that sound good. I’m not that type of singer,” he promises. “I want
you to love my album from the beginning to the end. I have confidence in
myself and I’m here to make some noise.”
Words by Ms Rivercity
(above L-R): Shawty Shawty with his OZONE article @ Uptown Comedy Club in Atlanta, GA (Photo: Eric Perrin); Lloyd and his OZONE cover story @ The International Arts Fest in New
Orleans, LA (Photo: Marcus DeWayne); Laroo and his Patiently Waiting OZONE feature on the set of Laroo’s “Money Ain’t Trippin” video shoot in Mountain View, CA (Photo: D-Ray)
01 // DJ Drama & Gucci Mane @ Coan Park for Soulja Boy’s “Gucci Bandana” video shoot (Atlanta, GA) 02 // Trey Songz & Drake @ the I Am Music Tour (Hampton, VA) 03 // TI on
the set of DJ Drama’s “Daydreaming” video shoot (Los Angeles, CA) 04 // Shawnna @ Phillips Arena for the Swagga Like Us concert (Atlanta, GA) 05 // Pleasure P @ Dolce for Flo
Rida’s album release party (Miami, FL) 06 // Ms Rita & Jas Prince @ American Airlines Arena (Dallas, TX) 07 // Mistah FAB @ Pure (Atlanta, GA) 08 // Partners N Crime & B.Carroll
@ Club NV (New Orleans, LA) 09 // Maino & Rob Reyes @ Otis Lounge (San Francisco, CA) 10 // Dun Dun of Los Rakas & Kaz Kyzer @ Who The Fuck Is G Malone concert (Los
Angeles, CA) 11 // Tony Neal @ Pure (Atlanta, GA) 12 // DG Yola & DJ Drama @ Coan Park for Soulja Boy’s “Gucci Bandana” video shoot (Atlanta, GA) 13 // AirTime, Love & Sporty
@ NV Lounge for Rick Ross’s afterparty (New Orleans, LA) 14 // Chris Lee @ Stockton Civic Center for E-40’s release party (Stockton, CA) 15 // Mekele, DJ Black N Mild, & Quita @
The Venue for the Chopper City Boyz listening party (New Orleans, LA) 16 // Lady Dolla @ Plies’ car show (Tampa, FL) 17 // Midget Mac @ Firestone for DJ Nasty’s birthday party
(Orlando, FL) 18 // KC @ Firestone for DJ Nasty’s birthday party (Orlando, FL) 19 // Dorrough @ Otis Lounge (San Francisco, CA) 20 // Gucci Mane @ Primetime for Gucci Mane’s
Welcome Home party (Atlanta, GA) 21 // Macho @ Firestone for DJ Nasty’s birthday party (Orlando, FL) 22 // Ace Hood @ Firestone for DJ Nasty’s birthday party (Orlando, FL)
23 // Doug E Fresh & guest @ All Star weekend (Phoenix, AZ) 24 // Johnnie Cabbell & Beyonce @ Phillips Arena for the Swagga Like Us concert (Atlanta, GA) 25 // Christina Clark
@ Firestone for DJ Nasty’s birthday party (Orlando, FL) 26 // Guest & Rocko @ The Artistry (Atlanta, GA) 27 // DJ Nez @ Throbacks for Streettalk Showcase (Atlanta, GA) 28 //
Kia Shine @ Club Elixir for OZONE’s Alaska party (Anchorage, AK) 29 // Gucci Poochie & Byron Trice @ Phillips Arena for the Swagga Like Us concert (Atlanta, GA) 30 // Benny &
DJ Infamous @ Phillips Arena for the Swagga Like Us concert (Atlanta, GA) 31 // Big Engine Entertainment reppin’ OZONE @ Cloud 9 (Indianapolis, IN) 32 // Jay & Dre City, DJ
Bruckup, & Hotel @ Spelman College for Market Friday (Atlanta, GA) 33 // Elisio of Treal @ The Moon for TJ’s DJ’s (Tallahassee, FL) 34 // Love, Baby Boy & Mia X @ NV Lounge for
Rick Ross’s afterparty (New Orleans, LA) 35 // J Money (Atlanta, GA)
Photo Credits: D-Ray (03,09,10,14,19); Eric Perrin (20,26,31); Jax (02); Julia Beverly (04,05,07,11,24,28,29,30); Malik Abdul (17,18,21,22,25,33); Marcus DeWayne (08,13,15,34);
Marcus Howell (23); Ms Rivercity (01,12,27,32,35); Terrence Tyson (16); Tre Dubb (06)
OZONE MAG // 43
Patiently
Waiting
W
hen most people think about Los Angeles, California’s
culture, more than likely cinematography of John Singleton movies Boyz N The Hood and Baby Boy, or lyrics from
pioneer rap group N.W.A come to mind. But gangbanging,
’64 Impalas, good Cali bud and “gangsta” rap is only one side of the City of
Angels. On the flipside you’ll find a group like U-N-I, an Inglewood, CA duo,
consisting of Yannick “Thurzday” Koffi and Yonas “Y-O” Semere Michael, who
are more Pharcyde than “niggas wit’ an attitude.” “We represent that common individual,” Thurzday says. “The majority of the people out here in the
West aren’t gangbanging. Gangbanging is what the West is known for, so
[we’re] just the refurbish of common rappers, rapping about their lifestyles.
The first people to do it were like the Pharcyde and Souls of Mischief. They
rapped about their lifestyles and they weren’t gangster, they just made
good music.”
Y-O and Thurzday first met in high school in 1999, and along with two other
MCs formed a four-member group. But after a couple mixtapes, the group
split, and Y-O and Thurzday decided to stick together as a duo. The name
U-N-I originated from the song “UNIverse at War” on The Roots’ 1996 album
Illadelph Halflife.
In 2007, U-N-I released their debut street album, Fried Chicken & Watermelon, which received critical acclaim. It featured the singles “Beautiful Day”
and “Soul Hop,” whose videos received play on MTV Jams and MTV2. “We
named the album [Fried Chicken & Watermelon] because it’s a stereotype for
every American-American. [They say] we all like chicken and watermelon,”
44 // OZONE MAG
Y-O explains. “And us being from the West Coast, we’re looked at in the
same light as every West Coast artist: gangsta rap. So basically, we’re tired
of that. We’re [trying] to break that stereotype for West Coast artists.”
As a follow up to Fried Chicken & Watermelon, earlier this year, the duo
released a mixtape with DJ Mick Boogie entitled Before There Was Love, featuring the likes of Talib Kweli, Big Pooh, Evidence and Black Milk. And this
past March, they released another street album A Love Supreme, produced
entirely by LA producer Ro Blvd. Both projects have given U-N-I momentum
and notoriety to help shake their coast’s stereotypes.
With the buzz surrounding their street albums and singles, along with
praise from numerous media outlets, U-N-I (who is still independent) has
seemingly exhaled a fresh breath into the West Coast rap scene. ““We’ve
done everything indie,” Thurzday begins. “We shot our own videos, put
our music out ourselves. And people are following the steps that we laid
down. So, I feel like we’re trendsetters in this new wave. We’re just trying to
pioneer a new era.”
Words by Randy Roper
Photo by Ed Canas
(above L-R): The Jacka @ The Record House Studio in Fremont, CA (Photo: D-Ray); Tearany @ Plies’ car show in Tampa, FL (Photo: Terrence Tyson); Deltrice @ Town Bizzness Oscar Grant
emergency meeting in Oakland, CA (Photo: D-Ray)
01 // Greg Street & DJ Infamous @ Pure (Atlanta, GA) 02 // DJ Drama on the set of Soulja Boy’s “Gucci Bandana” video shoot (Atlanta, GA) 03 // TI @ HP Pavillion for 94.9’s Wild
Jam (San Jose, CA) 04 // DJ Black N Mild & Love @ NV Lounge for Rick Ross’s afterparty (New Orleans, LA) 05 // B.Carroll, Gar, Quita & Love @ Club Hush for Partners N Crime
birthday bash (New Orleans, LA) 06 // TJ Chapman & T-Pain’s dad Shaheed Najm @ The Moon for TJ’s DJ’s (Tallahassee, FL) 07 // Nicki Minaj @ Coen Park for Soulja Boy’s “Gucci
Bandana” video shoot (Atlanta, GA) 08 // Yung Joc (Shreveport, LA) 09 // Willie Joe @ Laverde Lounge (San Francisco, CA) 10 // Raz-B of B2K @ (Los Angeles, CA) 11 // Suga D
@ BET’s Spring Bling (Riviera Beach, FL) 12 // Phatt Lipp, TJ Chapman, & DJ Smallz @ The Moon for TJ’s DJ’s (Tallahassee, FL) 13 // DJ Khaled @ Firestone for DJ Nasty’s birthday
party (Orlando, FL) 14 // Yung LA (Shreveport, LA) 15 // Gucci Mane on the set of Soulja Boy’s “Gucci Bandana” video shoot (Atlanta, GA) 16 // Johnnie Cabbell & Roger @
Primetime for Gucci Mane’s Welcome Home party (Atlanta, GA) 17 // Natalia @ The Moon for TJ’s DJ’s (Tallahassee, FL) 18 // BG @ Plies’ car show (Tampa, FL) 19 // DJ Clue @ All
Star weekend (Phoenix, AZ) 20 // Carol City Cartel & Sam Sneak @ Phillips Arena for the Swagga Like Us concert (Atlanta, GA) 21 // DJ Q45 & Suga D @ Plies’ car show (Tampa,
FL) 22 // Trey Songz on the set of “Brand New” (Atlanta, GA) 23 // Lil Chuckee @ Omega video shoot (Atlanta, GA) 24 // Terrence Tyson & Fireman DJs @ Plush (Jacksonville, FL)
25 // DJ Ace & DJ Teknikz @ Fox Sports Grill for Yung Ralph’s Big Cat Records signing party (Atlanta, GA) 26 // Jody Breeze @ Omega video shoot (Atlanta, GA) 27 // J Money @
Phillips Arena for TI’s Farewell Concert (Atlanta, GA) 28 // Cowboy & DJ Smallz @ Hang Time’s 3 Year Anniversary (Nashville, TN) 29 // Pebbelz @ Hang Time’s 3 Year Anniversary
(Nashville, TN) 30 // Myammee @ Hang Time’s 3 Year Anniversary (Nashville, TN) 31 // DJ Drama @ The Place (Nashville, TN) 32 // DJ Crisis & Montana @ Hang Time’s 3 Year Anniversary (Nashville, TN) 33 // Dolowite & Fate Eastwood @ The Place (Nashville, TN) 34 // BOB @ Phillips Arena for TI’s Farewell Concert (Atlanta, GA) 35 // Traxamillion @ Club
Suede (San Francisco, CA)
Photo Credits: D-Ray (03,09,10,35); Devon Buckner (25); Eric Perrin (08,14,16); Janiro Hawkins (28,29,30,31,32,33); Julia Beverly (01,20,22); Malik Abdul (02,06,07,12,13,15,17);
Marcus DeWayne (04,05); Marcus Howell (19); Ms Ja (23,26,27,34); Ms Rivercity (24); Terrence Tyson (11,18,21)
OZONE MAG // 45
Patiently
Waiting
U
nlike many typical female rappers,
Gunna and Tee come with a hardcore, dynamic style that supercedes
a majority of their male counterparts. Noting a range of influences from Missy
Elliott and Gangsta Boo to Twista and BoneThugs-N-Harmony, the duo delivers qualities
so unique and marketable they caught the
attention of L.A. Reid, who recently signed the
St. Louis rappers to Def Jam through a joint
venture with Voicez.
“We were discovered through our manager Sita Lewis,” says Tee, as she explains the
group’s history. “We drove 22 hours to New
York for a BET talent search and waited in line
for 15 hours to perform. We didn’t perform until 4 in the morning, and we only had a couple
minutes to do a song.”
A couple minutes was all it took for Sita to
recognize Unladylike’s talent. She moved them
from their hometown, where they’d created a
local fan base, to New York where they’d get a
shot at creating a national name for themselves. After recording for a solid 8 months
straight, their manager felt they were ready for
the true test.
“Last October, Sita took us to L.A. Reid to
perform for him,” Gunna says. “It was a once in
a lifetime opportunity so we let go of all the
nervousness and just went in.” After showcasing several songs, Unladylike presented what
is now their current single “Bartender” and
according to Tee, Reid went crazy.
Even though they have a major label home
and their album Unladylike Radio is nearly
complete, Gunna and Tee are pushing harder
than they ever have before. “Everybody thinks
that once you get signed everything is all
peaches and cream and that labels are going
to do everything for you,” Gunna states. “But
we learned that labels are only going to do
so much and we have to show them we’re
eager and hungry for this. It’s hard work so we
learned to stay focused and grind it out.”
“We’ve definitely learned discipline,” Tee
adds. “We’re learning the business side of the
industry.”
Realizing the journey is a long one and their
goals won’t be reached overnight, the tagteam femcees are focused on putting in work
for their forthcoming debut, which is anything
but ladylike. Their follow up single “D’ough”
proves their impressive hit-making abilities are
consistent. “We have the ability to compete
with everybody that’s out in the industry
today,” says Gunna. “We go harder than most
dudes.”
Words by Ms Rivercity
46 // OZONE MAG
(above L-R): Amon with his ad @ Rasputin’s in Campbell, CA (Photo: D-Ray); Mistah FAB reading his favorite porn star’s interview in OZONE @ Industry Studios in Kansas City, MO
(Photo: Ms Rivercity); Mack Maine reading his article @ the I Am Music Tour in Hampton, VA (Photo: Jax)
01 // TV Johnny on the set of Soulja Boy’s “Gucci Bandana” video shoot (Atlanta, GA) 02 // Mr Collipark @ Coan Park for Soulja Boy’s “Gucci Bandana” video shoot (Atlanta, GA)
03 // Tito Bell & TI @ HP Pavillion for 94.9’s Wild Jam (San Jose, CA) 04 // Quita, Skip, B.Carroll & Love @ Club Hush for Partners N Crime birthday bash (New Orleans, LA) 05 //
Miami Mike @ Coan Park for Soulja Boy’s “Gucci Bandana” video shoot (Atlanta, GA) 06 // Clyde Carson @ The Game’s “Camera Phone” video shoot (Los Angeles, CA) 07 // Greg
Street & Mistah FAB @ Pure (Atlanta, GA) 08 // DJ Juice on the set of Laroo’s “Money Ain’t Trippin” video shoot (Mountain View, CA) 09 // Monica @ Phillips Arena for the Swagga
Like Us concert (Atlanta, GA) 10 // Laroo & Turf Talk @ HP Pavillion for 94.9’s Wild Jam (San Jose, CA) 11 // Jeevan Brown, Adero Dawson, Maurice Garland, & Matt Daniels @ MOSI
Super Bowl party (Tampa, FL) 12 // Hip Hop Chef @ Firestone for DJ Nasty’s birthday party (Orlando, FL) 13 // Quint Black & Too $hort @ Club Flow (Dallas, TX) 14 // Stevie Joe
@ Rasputin’s (Campbell, CA) 15 // Kadife Sylvester & DJ Infamous @ Phillips Arena for the Swagga Like Us concert (Atlanta, GA) 16 // Flo Rida @ Club 360 for Rick Ross’s Super
Bowl viewing party (Tampa, FL) 17 // Mad Linx @ Club 360 for Rick Ross’s Super Bowl viewing party (Tampa, FL) 18 // Malik Abdul, Love, & DJ Q45 @ NV Lounge for Rick Ross’s
afterparty (New Orleans, LA) 19 // Cash Camp @ Coan Park for Soulja Boy’s “Gucci Bandana” video shoot (Atlanta, GA) 20 // AP9 on the set of Laroo’s “Money Ain’t Trippin” video
shoot (Mountain View, CA) 21 // Love, Rikki Lynn, Malik, Lady Dolla, & Honey @ NV Lounge for Rick Ross’s afterparty (New Orleans, LA) 22 // Cali & Danger @ Club Dreamz
(Pittsburgh, PA) 23 // Kenny B of Justice League & Slim-E @ Hot Beats (Atlanta, GA) 24 // Columbus Short @ Club Dreamz (Pittsburgh, PA) 25 // DJ Aaries & OJ da Juiceman on
the set of Soulja Boy’s “Gucci Bandana” video shoot (Atlanta, GA) 26 // Big Doughski G & DJ Cap @ Big T Plaza (Oakcliff, TX) 27 // Don Vido & DJ Mack @ Maximedia Studios for
Texas Summer Music Conference (Dallas, TX) 28 // E-40 on the set of Laroo’s “Money Ain’t Trippin” video shoot (Mountain View, CA) 29 // Killer Mike @ the OZONE office (Atlanta,
GA) 30 // Atomic Bomb, Unique, & Cali @ Club Dreamz (Pittsburgh, PA) 31 // DJ Deuce @ Ice Bar for Definition DJs meeting (Dallas, TX) 32 // Letoya Luckett @ BET’s Spring Bling
(Riviera Beach, FL) 33 // DJ K-Nyce & Shimmy @ Unk’s meet & greet (Cleveland, OH) 34 // White T & Tre Dubb @ American Airlines Arena (Dallas, TX) 35 // Gucci Mane reading
OZONE on the set of Soulja Boy’s “Gucci Bandana” video shoot (Atlanta, GA)
Photo Credits: D-Ray (03,06,08,10,14,20,28); Edward Hall (13,26,31); Eric Perrin (11,16,17,29); Julia Beverly (07,09,15); Malik Abdul (01,12,25,35); Marcus DeWayne (04,18,21);
Marlo Martin-Jackson (33); Ms Rivercity (02,05,19,23); Terrence Tyson (22,24,30,32); Tre Dubb (27,34)
OZONE MAG // 47
Patiently
Waiting
H
ailing from Detroit, but working in Atlanta, you can think
of LoFat in the same way you
may think of your favorite
athlete. He reps for his hometown, but he
has to do the same for where he works.
“I love my city to death, but the politics
are different,” says LoFat about his
decision to put it in most of his work in
Atlanta. “Even with Eminem, they didn’t
just embrace him immediately. He had to
leave and go get put on with [Dr.] Dre for
them to embrace him. The radio station
wasn’t giving him love until he started
making noise elsewhere. It’s a hard market to break.”
Hailing from a city where the mainstream
media only gravitates to Em, but also was
home to a wide spectrum of artists ranging from the Esham to Slum Village, there
doesn’t seem to be much room for Lo
Fat’s street-skewed brand of music.
Falling from the Detroit’s Most Wanted
family tree (his cousin was in the group),
LoFat’s music just maybe more akin to
what you hear in the news about the D.
“The typical experience up there is drugs,
or your parents working for the Big 3,” he
says. “You can go 10 different families in
10 different neighborhoods and you’re
going to meet at least 2 or 3 people from
each family that’s had someone shot or
killed over drugs. We had fun like roller
skating too, but Detroit is a money getting city.”
Staying true what he came up, LoFat
isn’t going to deviate too far from his
environment. Earlier this year he released
his Money Talks mixtape on his very own
Cold Cash Records. DJ Bishop and Hittmenn DJs endorsed project is powered
LoFat’s single “Walk It To the Bank” featuring Yung LA and Rocko.
“I’m not gonna stop talking about getting
money,” says Fat, who’s upcoming album
is entitled Gorilla Money. “I don’t know
a nigga who don’t want money. If you
know a person that don’t want no money,
you’re looking at a person who don’t
want to live.”
Words by Maurice G. Garland
48 // OZONE MAG
OZONE MAG // 49
Patiently
Waiting
M
asspike Miles isn’t your typical R&B artist, so don’t expect
to hear many (if any) love ballads from him. Growing in
Boston, Massachusetts (Roxbury, the same hood as Bobby
Brown to be exact), Miles’ music has a sound that’s as edgy
as the Beantown streets that he came up on. “All my music is Boston,” says
Miles, who gets his “Masspike” moniker from the state’s nickname for the
Massachusetts Turnpike. “It’s all influenced by the Bean. What happened in
the Bean, what’s seen in the Bean, I came up in the Bean, I recorded it in the
Bean.”
Parallel to his Boston roots is Miles’ musical pedigree. He was named by his
father (a jazz musician himself ) after legendary musician Miles Davis, and
grew up surrounded by music. His father played various jazz instruments
and continuously listened to music by Miles Davis, Dizzy Gillespie, and
Thelonius Monk. With these influences around him, Miles took to music and
singing, and by age 11 he was discovered by music producer Maurice Starr
(who also discovered New Edition and New Kids on The Block) in 1992, and
placed the young vocalist in the Warner Bros. R&B group Perfect Gentlemen. With Miles as the lead singer, Perfect Gentlemen released a self-titled
album in 1993, but the group, as Miles put it, “got older and wanted to do
different things.”
50 // OZONE MAG
Miles continued to work in the music industry. He teamed up with Boston
rapper and businessman Benzino, and began writing and producing for
artists such as Montell Jordan, Fabolous, J.R. Writer, B.G. and Freeway. And
he formed his own record label with his business partner Roc Dukati, which
landed their artist Smoke Bulga a deal with Sony. Regardless of his behind
the scenes involvements, Miles continued recording his own music. And
in 2008, he hooked up with Rick Ross for the single “Get It Together,” which
eventually led to Ross signing Miles to his Maybach Music imprint. “[Ross]
saw the hustle and the grind, and how serious I took it,” Miles says of Ross’
interest in signing him. “Not only that, I’m an up-and-coming boss. I take
control of my own and I don’t ask a nigga for nothing. He saw that I was
self-sufficient, so he took me under his wing.”
Since joining Maybach, a mixtape The Pursuit of Happiness with DJ Khaled
and Bigga Rankin, numerous music videos produced by Jordan Tower
Films, a feature on “Murder Mami” off of Ross’ album Deeper Than Rap, and
a T-Pain-assisted single “What Is Ur Name” has the industry starting to take
notice of the rugged singer from Beantown. When it’s all said and done,
sanguinely, the route down this Masspike leads Miles to down the road of
success.
Words by Randy Roper
Photo by Derek Koutijamia
OZONE MAG // 51
FAVORITE ozone
ROAD TRIPS
March 2009 - Shreveport, LA
Bay Bay’s Birthday Bash
by Features Editor Eric Perrin
Associate Editor Maurice Garland and I hesitantly ventured to Shreveport, Louisiana for DJ Hollyhood Bay Bay’s Birthday Bash. Neither of us
had ever been to Shreveport and didn’t really know what to expect,
especially when the first three hours of our time in Shreveport were
spent at the airport waiting for a ride. But when we finally get in touch
with Bay Bay, he and his people showed us a great time. They took us
to all the must-see hood staples, including the barbershop, soul food
spots, and the ever important street dentist’s office.
The whole city was abuzz about his birthday. Bay Bay brought a slew of
celebrity guests with him as he traveled through Shreveport handing
out tickets to his friends around the city. Yung Joc, Young Dro, and Yung
LA, and even Paul Wall were in the van with us as Bay Bay made his
rounds.
He initially lured Maurice and I to Shreveport by spreading a rumor that
50 Cent was going to be there, but honestly I didn’t believe that in the
slightest. He even kept speaking in code about Fif’s planned appearance all throughout the day but I was skeptical. It wasn’t that I doubted
Bay Bay’s clout, or ability to bring prominent acts to his birthday party,
but 50 Cent in Shreveport? Yeah right.
We got to the club early for the party, and the line was already a block
long. The first performers hit the stage around 1 AM, and the show was
jamming. Paul Wall and the onslaught of Y(o)ung’s definitely did their
thing. Finally, by 3 AM it seemed like the night was over. Dro, Joc, and
LA performed a raucous finale and then Bay Bay came on stage to thank
them. I was standing on stage towards the DJ booth and was just about
ready to pack my camera up when he started talking that G-Unit shit
again. I was like, “C’mon Bay Bay, give it up.” And then, low and behold, I
see an angry Tony Yayo walking up the stage stairs yelling for everybody
to move.
When 50 hit the stage he instantly seized the opportunity to take a few
blows at the opening acts, stating something on the lines of, “There’s
been a lot of young’s here tonight…Young Dro, Yung LA, and who was
that last nigga? Oh yeah, Yung Joc. All you were missing was Young
Jeeeeeezy.” He laughed it off in a cynical manner and then got to the
performance. 50, Banks, and Yayo performed damn near their whole
catalogue. Midway through their show 50 took the time to announce
how important relationships are in life.
He stated, “I haven’t performed at a nightclub in over two years. I don’t
do anything but arenas and stadiums. Nobody could even pay me
enough to come to Shreveport, Louisiana and perform at a club, but
I fuck with Bay Bay and he fucks with me, so I’m here outta love.” That
statement really resonated with me, because far too often do we underestimate to power of networking and relationships.
Bay Bay’s birthday party was iconic, and adding to that, the town
showed OZONE so much of that seldom seen Southern Hospitality that
overall, our trip to ShreVEGAS proved to be one of dopest road trips I
had been on in a while. And we travel a lot.
February 2008 - New orleans, LA
All Star weekend
By Special Editions Editor Ms. Rivercity
All Star February 2008 was the best OZONE trip for me to date, but it
was also the most catastrophic. I had just moved to Atlanta from Jacksonville and everything was going great. The recession hadn’t set in yet.
52 // OZONE MAG
Gas hadn’t shot up to $5 a gallon yet. We’d just finished a classic mini
edition for the New Orleans artists and we all packed up the truck to go
promote it. It was me, Julia, Terrence Tyson, Malik, Randy Exclusive, and
Eric Perrin. Upon arrival, we made ourselves comfortable in the hotel
lobby for five hours until we were allowed to check into our rooms. The
hotel was the shit though, right on Bourbon Street overlooking everything. For two days we ran the streets of NOLA from 10 Am to 6 AM. Day
and night there was always something to do, leading up to the Grand
Finale which was supposed to be a Hot Boys Reunion at Club Dreams.
The night of the big show the club was stupid packed – later I found out
the Hot Boys had no idea the club was promoting a reunion, they all
thought they were booked separately. I managed to haggle my way in
with Tril Wil – shouts to Wil for always looking out for me in New Orleans
– but some of our other crew was stuck outside.. So I’m up in V.I.P. chillin’
with Mannie Fresh and T.Q., and Wil says, “Don’t go outside Jen, they’re
shooting.” My first thought was, damn our people are out there. So I
start texting everyone and Julia hits me back like, “My brother got shot.”
All Julia said was that he got shot so I’m thinking he’s dead or something, and nobody would hit me back and let me know what was going
on. Turns out he just took a couple bullets to the leg, nothing serious.
He did however set us white folks back a few years – how does the only
Caucasian person in a mob of people manage to get shot? At least he
made it home safely with a new leg cast and some street cred. It was a
trip none of us will ever forget – especially not Malik and Eric, who were
stuck at the hospital all night with a flat tire and dead battery. I personally had a blast the entire time, does that make me a bad person?
FEBRUARY 2009 - TAMPA, FL
Super Bowl Weekend
by Associate Editor Maurice G. Garland
When I heard that we were going down to Tampa, FL for Super Bowl
XLIII, I had to go. Not because I wanted to go to Tampa, but because my
Pittsburgh Steelers were playing and I wanted to be in the atmosphere.
I rode down with Eric in the OZONE truck, which was already a shaky
decision. The Tahoe was truly acting like the end part of its name in the
weeks leading up to the trip, randomly refusing to start and leaving
staff members stranded in the process.
Fortunately the truck didn’t give us any problems on the way down,
but it seems like it drove us into some as soon as we arrived. The first
problem was lodging. The first night we arrived, we were supposed to
be staying at some guy’s house. A guy that didn’t answer his phone for
an hour. A guy who none of us knew. A guy who apparently stayed in
a lavish neighborhood pharmaceutical reps of another kind also called
home, if you know what I’m getting at.
I must admit, the house was nice, on some Tony Montana, Jr. shit. But
even he sensed that a group of dudes weren’t just trying to be up in
another man’s house. So what does he do? Offers us another house that
he owned across the street. He said the house had no refrigerator, beds
or couches, but he was going to lend us some mattresses. Add this to
the fact that when we went to check the house out, one of his friends
moved his parked car over to the new house. Very suspicious.
Fast forward past that (we found a hotel to stay in) we actually started
having a good time the night before the game. We walked the strip in
Ybor City for little bit and started to head back. Of course, the Ta-Hoe
started bitching again. It wouldn’t start. After sitting in the middle of
Tampa for about 45 minutes and calling around for a jump, 2 Live Crew
happened to roll up on us.
When we told them we were stranded, they didn’t really offer to help.
Instead, they said they’ll help us if we interviewed them for the magazine. So, I whipped out my Flip cam and just talked to them for a little
bit. They talked about their new album coming out and...
Yeah, they wound up being no help. Guess 2 Live Crew don’t have the same
effect with Hoes that they used to.
Anyways, we sat outside for another 30 minutes and right when our backup ride showed up, the truck decided to start again. Go figure. I don’t really
remember much that happened after that. Not because was inebriated as
one of our staff members seems to think, but because Tampa was pretty
dead to be a Super Bowl host. The only other memory that I can walk away
with from the trip is the only one that matters. The Pittsburgh Steelers won
the Super Bowl for a sixth time. The most in NFL history.
March 2006 - Miami, FL & Atlanta, GA
T-Pain video shoot & TI release party
by Editor-In-Chief Julia Beverly
Over the past seven years I’ve had dozens of incredible, crazy, fun, fucked
up, unbelievable road trips. I sat here for hours trying to decide which one
to write about. I know it’s called “favorite” road trips. But honestly, all my
“favorite” trips involve some type of personal shit I shouldn’t be putting in a
magazine. So I chose to write about this trip, not because it was the best or
my favorite, but because I walked away from it a stronger person.
When I started out as a photographer/magazine editor, labels frequently
hired photographers for video shoots. Since I lived in Orlando and the
shoots usually took place in Atlanta, Miami, or Los Angeles, there wasn’t
much money left over by the time I paid for travel expenses, but I found
that being on set with artists all day long was a great way to build relationships, not to mention get exclusive pictures and interviews for the mag.
So it wasn’t unusual for me to shoot a video all day in Miami, drive 9 hours
overnight to Atlanta, pay a few bucks to shower up at a gym, shoot another
video the next day and get a quick power nap in the artist’s trailer during
breaks, as Lil Jon & co. have caught me doing on more than one occasion.
On this trip, back in March 2006, I was commissioned to shoot T-Pain’s “In
Luv Wit A Stripper” remix video shoot in Miami. I had actually played a
minor role in putting the remix together. Me and Jive’s A&R for the project
(Memphitz) were at TV Johnny’s at Sharpstown Mall in Houston getting him
fitted for a grill when Twista’s manager called him back to say he wanted to
do it, so I fielded the call. After he got the grill mold taken out, we mulled
over the issue of how to fit Twista onto a remix that half a dozen other artists were already in the process of recording for (“just split it up and let everybody do half a verse” was my suggestion, if memory serves correctly :).
The setup for the video shoot itself was kind of dry but the cast of characters was incredible. Everybody came through. Pimp C had just been
released from prison and we did a miniature photo shoot on set of him in
his white mink coat. R Kelly, who usually never takes photos, had a conversation with me and let me take tons of pics since I was shooting for Jive.
He got hungry midway through the shoot and drove down the street to
McDonald’s in a luxury car and asked if I wanted a bag of french fries when
he returned. Me, of course, snapping away the whole time. Classic stuff.
I stayed in town for Dre’s “Chevy Ridin’ High” and Khaled’s “Holla At Me” video shoots, loaded all the pics to my laptop, and hit the road for T.I.’s King album release party in Atlanta the next night. I got in town close to midnight
and headed straight for Visions. They demanded $60 to park in the main
parking lot, far beyond my meager budget at the time. So I rode around
and finally found a spot several blocks away. Trying to look cute, I had on a
lil skirt with no pockets. I put everything in the truck console – credit cards,
cash, the whole nine – and brought only my ID and camera inside.
The party was packed. A sweaty Pastor Troy grabbed me and said, “I need
that OZONE cover!” as artists often do. I told him the cost of the advertising package and he, inexplicably, pressed five hundred dollar bills into my
hand, no questions asked, and disappeared back into the crowd. Having
nowhere to put them, I stuck them in my waistband.
My on-and-off love interest was at the party but we were decidedly in
“off” mode. After the club closed he was enough of a gentleman to drive
several blocks to my truck to drop me off (with a “sit down and shut the
fuck up, woman” to clarify that I was not yet forgiven for whatever wrong I
had done). As he drove away I realized with shock that my door handle had
been drilled through. All my luggage was gone. All my credit cards, cash,
clothes, electronics, video camera, laptop, etc were gone. All my pictures
from the past week in Miami, including the T-Pain video shoot and the R
Kelly and Pimp C exclusives, were gone. I was more sick over the pictures
than anything else. Everything else could be replaced. To this day, only one
photo remains; a Pimp C shot that I had emailed to Vibe the night before.
I called the aforementioned love interest and said I’d been robbed, expect-
ing him to turn around immediately. He said he had work to do but, “Do
you need anything?” I said “No, I’m good,” fully expecting him (as women
do) to know that what I meant was, NO, everything was NOT good, and
he needed to come back right now or I was gonna lose it. He didn’t get it.
“Well, call me if you need anything,” and hung up.
At that, I almost started to break down and cry. Then I felt the sweaty $500
still stuck in the waistband of my skirt and realized that I wasn’t alone.
Somebody was looking out, and at least I had money to get home. It was
enough encouragement to help me get myself together. It must be true
that God works in mysterious ways. What are the chances?
I found the closest 24 hour Wal-Mart. By that time it was about 5 AM and
the loudspeaker at the store was blasting the pop song with the hook, “I
get knocked down, but I get up again / You’re never gonna keep me down,”
and amidst all the emotions churning inside me I couldn’t help but smile,
feeling silly as hell walking around an empty Wal-Mart with a big grin on
my face. As it turned out, the $500 was more than enough for some clothes,
bathroom necessities, a hotel room, and gas for the trip back home.
Despite calling Pastor Troy numerous times after that to make sure he got
his money’s worth, I never got a call back. Maybe he doesn’t remember.
Shout out to Pastor Troy for the timely gift.
August 2008 - Houston, TX
3rd annual OZONE Awards
by Subscriptions Manager Adero Dawson
I had just gotten the nod to come along with the rest of the staff as we
headed out to Houston for my first OZONE Awards. Randy, Maurice, Jen,
and I packed up the OZONE truck and hit the road. I had heard so much
about the awards; each year it gets bigger and better, attracting all types of
people from all walks of life. But I knew I was there to work, not for leisure.
I was there to help with ground transportation, and lucky for me, I wound
up driving an ‘09 Cadillac Escalade all weekend! Little did I know that the
plans would change. Instead of the original plan (picking up talent from the
airport) I became basically the personal assistant to the host of the OZONE
Awards (funny-ass DeRay Davis). Overall DeRay (a comedian from my
hometown of Chicago), Sylvia (his “real” assistant), and his personal cameraman Coodie (he shot Kanye’s “Through the Wire”) were all pretty cool. All in
all, I had an absolute ball of a time out in H-Town. Shout out to the Premiere
of Houston, J Prince of Rap-A-Lot Records, who let us come through and
hoop at his rec center.
April 2009 - West Palm Beach, FL
BET’s Spring Bling
by Strizzy the Intern
After a nine hour drive to West Palm, DJ Q45 picked us up in the Range
Rover to hit up Sobe Live in Miami. We partied all night and hit up Spring
Bling the next day. Plies wouldn’t take pictures for anybody except OZONE.
We saw Trina’s sexy ass, Flo Rida, Ricky Ross the Boss, Brutha, Terrence &
Rosci, Gorilla Zoe, Bussa Buss, Yung LA, about everybody you can think of.
The whole trip was crazy. Me and Eric hit the road once it was all over and
headed back to the Hip Hop capitol of the world, Atlanta.
March 2007 - Austin, TX
SXSW
by Music Editor Randy Roper
Before the trip, I had never even heard of SXSW, one of the largest music
festivals in the country. From rock to rap to country, artists from all over
the world traveled to Austin to perform there, and for a music junkie like
myself, this was like being in rock ‘n roll/rap heaven. Willie D, Chamillionaire
and UGK performed our first night there. Meeting Bun B and Pimp C was
interesting. I remember Eric tried to take a picture of Pimp C and he was
like, “Aye, nigga! Don’t take my picture without asking first.” But the UGK
show was crazy, and that was just one of the many acts that we saw that
weekend. But the most fun came on the final night of SXSW, because it coincided with St. Patrick’s Day, and downtown Austin was in full party mode.
It was almost like being in New Orleans for Mardi Gras (I’ve actually never
been to Mardi Gras, but I can imagine). People were partying in the street,
drunk, sippin’ lean, girls kissing girls and flashing their titties. Well, maybe
they weren’t flashing their titties, but that’s how I remember it. Eric and I
were running the streets in awe. We even bumped into Amy Winehouse
walking the streets. That was before she was on crack, so we didn’t recognize her. We were too busy trying to find random girls to take pictures with
us for Facebook purposes to even notice.
OZONE MAG // 53
54 // OZONE MAG
OZONE MAG // 55
Slim Thug loves his occupation, but
hates his job. You know, the same
way a painter may love to create,
but dreads trying to sell IT. Or the
way truck driver loves the feeling
he gets when sitting behind the
wheel, but loathes having to drive
across the country at the drop of a
dime. That’s the way Slim Thug feels
right now.
“I like rapping, but I don’t like the bullshit,” he
says matter-of-factly sitting inside the lobby of
Atlanta’s 95.5 The Beat. “It’s a lot of bullshit that
comes along with it. Everybody in the business
has to do a lot of politicking. It stifles creativity,
makes you not want to do it.”
He pauses, shrugging off any notion of impending frustration.
“Say you got a song that you fuck with, that you
know will go. But you’re working with a bunch of
people who ain’t from where you’re from, don’t
know shit about anything you ever did. They just
feel like they know what they’re talking about. So
you go in there with the record you believe in and
want to push, they don’t have to do nothing. You
can give them the record and they don’t send it
56 // OZONE MAG
nowhere, don’t put their machine behind it at all.
So it looks like the song ain’t work when really
they ain’t push it.”
“The bullshit” is a term that way too many rappers are familiar with. Though it can be applied
to relationships with friends, dealings with
groupies or squabbles with other rappers, it’s
mostly used when describing being signed to a
label that does little more than stamp their logo
on the album. It’s almost as if the header on their
contracts say just that, “The Bullshit.”
The ones who manage to have careers A.B. (After
Bullshit) are few and far between. Rap A.B. usually ends with either your face on a milk carton
or your name being at the bad end of a “what
happened to” question.
released Slim’s Already Platinum, an album
chock-full of high priced beats and features. The
album didn’t exactly live up to the lofty title. The
years that followed saw numerous delays of his
sophomore album Boss of All Bosses and an
eventual split from the conglomerate.
Since the split Slim has returned to his independent roots and inked a distribution deal with
Koch Records for his Boss Hogg Outlawz label
and group. After releasing two installments of
BHO’s Serve & Collect series, Slim is stepping
back out on the solo front.
For Slim, “The Bullshit” explains his stint at Interscope Records. After a half-decade of building
his own buzz and brand via his affiliation with
Swisha House and his own Boss Hogg Outlawz
collective, the mega-label came knocking and
came up with the idea of pairing him with uberproducer Pharrell and his Star Trak imprint.
Boss of All Bosses has been a long time coming.
What all have you been up to since Already
Platinum?
Yeah, man. I really wanna se my artists [Boss
Hogg Outlawz] be successful, so I was taking my
time trying to promote them. At the same time
I was trying to get off of Interscope. Now that I
got that out of the way it’s time to drop another
album. My whole dream is to see my artists
surpass my success. If I can have my artists get
hot and sell records, I’m cool. That’s what I’m in
the game to see.
Hoping to cash in on the Houston Takeover that
Slim’s appearance on Mike Jones’ breakout single
“Still Tippin’” helped spark, Interscope quickly
Is the material on your album new, or is it leftovers from the Interscope days?
Most of the leaks ain’t on the album, maybe 1 or
2. I rerecorded everything. A lot of the records
I recorded got leaked or gonna end up leaked.
I’m sitting on a bunch of songs. I started over
because I left Interscope. When you’re working
on an indie budget, it’s cheaper than a major
budget. So when you’re on a major, you have a
better budget to buy big producer’s beats. But
when you’re indie your budget ain’t that big so
you have to really work off relationships. I still
got big producers on my album but it’s from
relationships. I still pay for it, but the indie way.
Did you have to dig deep into your pockets to
pay for Pharrell’s beats even when you were
signed to his label?
I didn’t have to dig out of my pocket but it still
came out of my budget. Of course he had to get
paid, it was at a discounted price, wasn’t what he
usually charge. But I definitely had to pay.
At this point, do you think you will ever do business with a major again?
It’s hard to believe. Honestly I’m taking it one day
at a time. Right now it’s looking good. I have a
distribution deal with Koch, not a label deal. So
I’m not stuck. If they take care of business, I’m
chilling. I feel more comfortable over here.
Over the last couple of years you’ve been putting out the Boss Hogg Outlawz projects, did
you have to readjust to being a solo artist for
this album?
I never stopped. I was always working. Even
though you ain’t hear it, the music was still getting made. I got so many songs done, I was still
recording. The hardest part was picking what I
wanted on the album. That was the hardest part,
making it sound good together.
With this being your first look in a minute, did
you want to come back out as an artist with
universal appeal or cater more to your Houston
roots?
It’s gonna be mostly a Houston [sound]. That’s
what the whole outlook is. On this album I
wanted to do me like I was doing it before I got
a deal. I didn’t have an A&R. I picked the beats.
I worked with [producers like] Jim Jonsin so
there’s still national songs on there too.
“Radio songs” included?
Of course. You need that. The more radio play
you get, the more records your sell. It goes
together. If you’re getting played in a lot of different cities, people know you’ve got an album
coming. But if you ain’t got a radio song, it’s
harder to get people to recognize that you’re
coming out.
[“I Run”] is my biggest radio song, but it’s actually a street song. I never thought of this as my
radio song. I got another Jim Jonsin song called
“Smile.” The radio folks wanted me to go with
that, but that song don’t describe me. I wasn’t
about to be gone three years and then come
back with a song that goes “smile for the camera.”
So I had to do this. [“I Run”] was my street record
and this song right here has surpassed what Interscope did for me. “3 Kings,” “Like a Boss,” “I Ain’t
Heard of That.” None of those songs got as many
spins as this one. That goes to show you how
this works better for me. Koch got me on 106th &
Park and Interscope couldn’t do that for me.
Ever since he made his blip on the national
rap radar, Slim has always presented himself
as someone cut of the “I’m not a rapper, I’m a
hustler” cloth. So hearing him talk about having
an interest in jumping into Hollywood or other
ventures comes as no surprise.
“They said I did good, actually,” says Slim about
his brief appearance in the upcoming urban
drama Days of Wrath. He plays an accomplice to
David Banner’s character in the film. “It wasn’t
a big part in the movie. They paid good money;
I was surprised. I don’t know what the movie is
about. I just did my part and was out that bitch.
All I said was ‘Nah, they ain’t picking up G’ and
that was it. [laughs] But they gave me $30,000
for that one line.”
Even when he was at the age where most kids
hear their first rap song and decide that’s what
they want to pursue, Slim was about the dollar
dollar bill.
“I was never the nigga who wanted to be a rapper,” he admits. “I was 12 years old, and my older
brother was rapping. I told him to write me a
rap and I was gonna memorize that shit. It was
something about my bike. I just went around the
‘hood telling everybody the rap. It was just a little
joke to me.”
He laughs and continues, “I’d freestyle, and that
shit started making me some money. I never had
a job in my life, never filled out an application.
When I was 17 in high school, I was into some
street shit. I wasn’t moving birds or no shit like
that but I had the 2 for the 5 at the school house
going live. I had drank and shit like that. But the
tapes were going fast. I was getting $15 a tape. I
was making so much money the [school] principal made me stop selling them.”
We’ve never heard much about you, outside of
rap or before rap. Tell us what it was like for you
growing up.
It wasn’t like I was from the ‘hood where it was
more fucked up than anyone else’s. Everyone
was selling dope so I was just falling in line. My
house was the cook house. Mama watching All
My Children, my brother was cooking it up in
the kitchen. My mama knew what it was. I was
tall but I ain’t play ball because it wasn’t reality
to me. That was like hitting the lotto. The work
right here, so get the money. I never had big ass
dreams. But when I saw rap could make money
that’s when I started doing the shit.
So how did you actually get into rap?
It came by accident. I was at a party and [DJ
Michael] Watts was DJing, back in ‘98. I was 17
in high school at a party, before Swisha House
existed. Watts heard me freestyle at a party, and
told me to come to his house and freestyle on
a mixtape. I went over there, did the shit, and it
caught on fire. That first mixtape we put out was
so big on the North, Swisha ‘98. Niggas was buying tapes from me. We did another one. It got
bigger and bigger, fast, in a matter of months.
I was getting paid 5G’s to bust on other people
beats. I remember I did Juvenile’s “400 Degreez,”
Missy’s “Hot Boys,” some R. Kelly beats, “Wanna
Be A Baller” all kinda shit. I was getting it doing
shows on other people beats. I was in a whole
another game. Dudes like ESG were peeping me
from jail, he wanted to do a song with me when
he got out. We did a song and squashed the
Northside/Southside shit with “Braids and Fades.”
After that it was a wrap.
What was the first song you did with an original
beat?
I think the first original beat song I did was a
song with Mad Hatta and Yungsta. Then me and
ESG did “Braids and Fades.” Then we did “Candy
Coated Excursions.” We ended up doing an
album together. That was the first. Then I did my
Boyz N Blue album. I never did a solo independent album. People don’t understand that I
was promoting Already Platinum, but that was
gonna be an independent album. I named it that
because I was eating like a platinum nigga. “3
Kings” was done before I had a deal. I was gonna
put it out independent and it just so happened
they came with the money so I was like fuck it.
I ain’t mad at anything I did. Interscope didn’t
get me on the radio but they put me in the
right position to fuck with Beyonce and Gwen
Stefani. I got the looks from that and got promo
in a major way outside the country. So I’m back
independent with a major look.
But honestly, Interscope ain’t set those up.
Pharrell set me up with Gwen. She liked what I
did on one of Pharrell’s beats and wanted me on
her song. With Beyonce, we were in Houston at
the last Destiny’s Child show and they wanted
me to do “Still Tippin’.” The next day the label
called wanting me on a song. I got a MTV award
for [“Check Up On It”] and it wasn’t through
Interscope.
Some people love your raps, but others say you
only rap about cars, money, etc. Do you find it
difficult trying to dispute that notion? Or do you
care?
It’s still difficult. I still don’t know what to talk
about, to this day. I don’t be in the studio like
that. To this day, I’m not a real rapper. I know
rappers always say that shit, but I don’t live in the
studio. Niggas have to drag me into the studio. I
write my raps in the car. Give me a beat CD, and
I’ll ride around with that shit doing raps. I write
my raps in the phone because I’m driving. I write
sometimes, when I’m in the studio, but it’s hard
being creative in a studio where there ain’t shit
but walls and speakers. It don’t do nothing for
me. I was never that kind of nigga. I never got
shit done in the studio. Sometimes it works but
the majority of the time it doesn’t work. That’s
how I make most of [my records]. If I’m on a song
with another artist I’ll be like, fuck it, I’ll do it [in
the studio].
When we interviewed Devin the Dude last year,
he mentioned that he’s slightly bothered when
artists or producers offer to work with him,
but the song themes rarely go beyond sex and
weed. As if he can’t rap about anything else.
Does it bother you when people come to you for
cars and money songs?
Yeah, whenever it’s something about bosses
they call me. Damn near every beat someone
gives me got some shit saying “boss” on there.
But I’ll rap to whatever; it don’t matter as long
as I like the beat. Niggas always want me to rap
about cars and shit. I can rap about anything,
really. On this album I do that. But being that I
only put out one album, people don’t know who
I am. Plus, that album wasn’t even really me. That
was an album with a major label and their input.
A muthafucka don’t know who Slim Thug is. Hell,
I don’t even know, so I know they don’t know. I’m
still trying to find myself, I ain’t put out nothing
but one album. I can’t say I know what all my shit
about, I won’t even lie. //
OZONE MAG // 57
58 // OZONE MAG
LIFE IN PRISON, THE MAN WHO GAINED FAME AS PIMP
MR MARJANI FIGHTING
SNOOKY IN THE AMERICAN PIMP DVD TELLS HIS SIDE OF THE STORY
I’m just trying to keep my company afloat, because there’s some FBI agents
and police that’ve been messing with me for the last 20 years. They really
didn’t know that I was still alive. They thought Pimp Snooky was dead, because
since I got out of Federal prison in 2000, I’ve been going under the name of Mr.
Marjani. That’s my oldest daughter’s name. My name is Malani Marjani Avery,
which means “black pure Avery.”
Under that name, I’ve been throwing concerts and parties. I have my own artist
and my own record company, Royalty Records. All of the people that said I’m
one of the biggest pimps or most recognized pimps or most reputable pimps,
they really don’t know the truth about who I am, Derek Avery. The person that I
created fifteen years ago, has nothing to do with the person I am today.
I can start and stop a war just by my presence. I’ve been affiliated with the
streets for so long they doubted [I would make it out]. My brother is doing life
in prison for a murder case. They told me seventeen years ago I’d end up in
prison. It’s the same three cops that’s been messing with my family and have
sent me to prison both times. The reason these cops [have it out for me] is
because they’re only making $60,000-$70,000 a year, and that’s my tennis shoe
money.
When I came back to Milwaukee and opened up my clothing store, and my
nightclub, the streets got to talkin’, like, “Hey, that’s Pimp Snooky’s joint.”
When I was sitting in my nightclub with my kids, the police came in and said,
“Nigga, you ain’t no ghetto savior.” I told ‘em they should’ve fucked with me
twenty years ago. My money is legitimate now. I don’t do anything crooked.
The bitches that [the police] say are my hoes are actually my baby mamas. So
I can’t be around my baby mamas because y’all say they’re prostitutes? These
are the same cops that told me when I got out of prison, “Your life is over.
You’ll never be successful.”
When I got out I moved away from Milwaukee. I moved to Las Vegas and there
were some influential people around here that supported me. Everybody in the
world was loving this character, Pimp Snooky, not even knowing that Pimp
Snooky holds a charity event every year. I give away 300 book bags and tennis
shoes to kids. I throw a yearly carnival every year with my nightclub; a whole
block party. I give away a hundred tennis shoes every Thanksgiving for the last
four years and forty turkeys in the neighborhood. They don’t know that part of
me. They only see what’s on the internet, and none of the Pimp Snooky sites or
Pimp Snooky myspace page are mine.
Back in 1998 when I did the movie [American Pimp] I was on federal bond
and state probation. In order to be on parole, you must comply with their rules
and their stipulations; you must have a job and you must show your income.
They gave me permission to do every [pimp] movie I’v done, and fifteen years
later, they’re trying to prosecute me because I’m around known drug dealers,
hustlers, pimps, and hoes? That doesn’t mean shit. I own a nightclub. I get paid
for that.
Right now, in Las Vegas, Nevada, they are charging me with pandering. I
was in a casino and an undercover officer came up to me asking [if I would]
buy sex. I was with my artists, and we were drunk, high, and kickin’ it. We’re
like, “Lady, you don’t look good enough for us to buy no sex from ya,” so she
changes up from buying sex into saying, “I wanna work for you.” [I respond,]
“What do you mean you wanna work for me? You don’t even know who I am.”
You know, we laughed it off. Next thing you know, I’m under arrest. They
charged me with pandering and later changed it to attempt to pander. “Attempt
to pander” means aiding, coercing, offering to purchase clothes, food, anything.
Ain’t none of this shit happen.
I didn’t make Pimp Snooky. The Hughes Brothers put me on the [DVD] cover
and titled me “American Pimp.” HBO paid me for that. Jerry Springer paid me
for that. Every movie I’ve been in, I’ve been paid for it. Every CD I’ve been
on, I’ve been paid to do that. Why would I attempt to pander? I don’t need a
broad’s money. I own five major corporations. I own a nightclub and a clothing
line. Why would I need to talk to a girl to get me some money? I don’t need
that. Now, if I wanted to knock her, I would. I can knock damn near any broad
in the world but that’s not even my interest anymore.
When I got out of prison, I was a well-known, established legend; a household
name because of the movie [American Pimp]. I sent letters to the Hughes
Brothers saying, “Listen, I didn’t ask y’all to put me on those [DVD] covers.
Compensate me.” Nobody would pay me, so I figured if everybody’s gonna
capitalize off my name while I was in prison, I’ma turn around and do the
same thing. But instead of doing it with Pimp Snooky, I did it with [the name]
Mr. Marjani. I can show people how to go into a bank without a business plan,
without collateral, with just a credit score, and show you how to get $65,000 to
$75,000. I can show you which bank to go to. I know how to get rated on Dunn
& Bradstreet. I know how to build a corporation.
The same energy we put into hustling and negative shit and criminal shit and
hurting each other in the streets, we can put that energy into doing some positive shit. That’s what the banks are there for; to loan us money. When I started
to do that over the last three or four years – I was going into banks and getting
$200,000 and $300,000 [loans] with no static. I started showing everybody
[how to do it]. “Hey brother, the same way you go out here and sell two, three,
four, five ounces of drugs and take a risk of going to prison, why don’t you
apply that same energy with your crew and find out who’s got a good credit
score?”
Know how to show equity. Know how to buy commercial property and then
you can go to the bank. And you can still ride around with these jewels and cars
and everything else that you think is gonna make you happy. Ain’t no retirement or 401K in the streets.
[The police] think my money is all street-affiliated. But my investors are all
people that exist. The FBI has went to [my investors] and said, “Did you give
this man half a million dollars?” and they say, “Yes.” [The FBI] asks, “Why?
He’s a convicted felon. He’s a pimp. He’s been to prison.” [The FBI] keeps
thinking that I get my money from women, but I’ve gotten my money from
private investors for the last three years. And I’ve juggled my money very well.
I’m facing life in [prison] in Nevada and I’m facing life in the Eastern district of
Wisconsin. I’m fighting both charges. They’re trying to say that I’m a habitual
offender, but I don’t even have a bad criminal record. I’ve been to prison for
child support and felony possession of a firearm, but that’s not habitual. I’ve
never been charged with pandering [before] in my life.
Even the photos that we took [for OZONE Magazine] at my celebrity birthday
party [in Minneapolis] are being used as evidence against me. They’re saying
that the ladies in the pictures are prostitutes, and the guys in the pictures are my
artists. [But] the ladies in these pictures are my kids’ mothers. They’ve been
with me for twelve, eight, nine, thirteen years. But that’s the kind of evidence
they’re using. They’re using the Pimp Snooky Myspace page as evidence, and
that’s not even my Myspace page. The whole case is malicious. It’s biased. It’s
entrapment, because at the end of the preliminary hearing, they clearly stated
that all three of the cops that arrested me that night saw [my] Pimps Up, Hoes
Down video in the American Pimp DVD.
The state is using these same cops as “expert witnesses.” If you ask them,
“What makes you an expert [on pimpin’]?” They’ll say they read some Iceberg
Slim books and studied HBO’s Pimps Up Hoes Down and the American Pimp
DVD. So the whole Vice [department] in Nevada studied me. I’m the person
they saw on the DVD covers of those videos and I’m the person who stands out
on those tapes. If you see Wesley Snipes at the Mandalay Bay, are you gonna
think he’s a vampire slayer or a daywalker just because you saw him on Blade?
That’s the same way people identify me.
We really don’t know exactly all the charges Milwaukee is bringing against
[me]. They’re still postponing court dates and looking for more witnesses. If
you’ve gone to court four times with the same evidence and they said [it wasn’t
enough] to try me, then leave me alone. My advice to everybody is to take the
same energy and motivation and skills that you would put into the streets and
apply it into some positive things. Don’t be afraid. Be determined about what
you want. If you’re in the game, you’re gonna die or go to jail. Period. There’s
no future in it. And if you think the materialistic shit is gonna make you happy,
you’re sadly mistaken. It’s lonely at the top. Money doesn’t bring happiness.
Understanding, respect, and love is what’s gonna carry you.
I’m struggling right now trying to keep my kids. [The Feds] are trying to stop
me from seeing my kids. They’re telling my kids’ mothers not to communicate
with me, and I don’t think that’s right. I have a total of 23 kids and I have no
child support problems. They’re trying to cause child support problems. None
of my kids are neglected. I have five kids that are getting aid from Milwaukee,
Wisconsin, by two different baby mothers. I pay $750/month and I’ve been
current with my child support and they aren’t complaining about anything. The
federal government and the IRS guy, Robert Warren, is going to my kids’ mothers asking them to [pursue] me for more money. They’re trying to hit me from
all angles. It’s heavy. I could go real deep, revealing dirty cops and a whole
bunch of crooked ass shit. So they really don’t wanna play with me.
OZONE MAG // 59
60 // OZONE MAG
Almost two years ago, while recording the song “Press Play” for
Snoop Dogg’s Ego Trippin’ album,
Snoop’s fellow West Coast legends DJ Quik and Kurupt remembered how much fun it is to work
together, something they haven’t
done much of for the past several
years. Encouraged by the Doggfather, they continued vibing in the
studio together throughout 2008.
The resulting album, The BlaQKout
LP, is full of ear-bending and eyeopening musical moments. The wideranging samples alone, which span
the spectrum from Soul II Soul’s
classic “Back to Life” to Moroccan
sounds lifted from the Discovery
Channel TV show Bizarre Foods,
took six months to clear.
The biggest surprise of all may be to hear how
happy these former mean muggers are in life
and in music. But don’t take this for being soft.
With songs like “Fuck Yall,” they’re throwing up a
middle finger to anyone who has a problem with
the smiles.
What’s the history of your working relationship
prior to BlaQKout?
DJ Quik: Me and Kurupt always had a mutual
respect for each other, and I always looked for
the opportunity to produce records [for] him. I
had to chance to work with him when he was a
solo artist on Antra [in 2001] and that was great.
The business was right and I’ve always appreciated his business savvy. He always does the
right things for himself. Because now we both
have companies at Fontana — real businesses,
corporations set in place — it just seemed like
a no-brainer to be able to come together and
do a record to show our solidarity even to our
distributors. Snoop put a stamp on it. We came
together again during the Ego Trippin’ sessions
and it just felt so nostalgic and so right that it
made sense to do it.
And this ain’t the only one. We’re looking to start
something with this, especially with his next
record coming out, Street Lights. On my next DJ
Quik album I’ll be leaning on him for things, even
for direction as well as lyrics. He’s gonna keep
it square: If he doesn’t like a beat, he gonna say
it. You’re gonna see it on him. If it doesn’t move
him, it doesn’t move him. He’s been helping me
step my game up when it comes to beats because he’s always in the studio with the good Dr.
[Dre]. And to continue to be on that level, you’ve
gotta rise to the occasion and do something that
will impress everybody.
Do you feel like people you’ve worked with in
the past have kinda kissed your ass when giving you feedback about your beats, but Kurupt
will really tell you what’s up?
DJ Quik: Back then, it was a different thing. I don’t
think it was “kissing my ass,” but I know there
were probably some beats that I coulda did a
little bit better with myself, but because of time
constraints we didn’t put our whole [effort] into
it. We had a certain amount of studio time paid
for and when we ran out of studio time, it was
like, “Okay, this is good enough. Do we all agree?”
Everyone would say it’s cool and we would just
mix it and get it over with and get it done. That
was cool because I learned how to work like
an assembly line. I take a business model from
what Berry Gordy did, that kind of recording. In a
sense, that’s kind of what Death Row was too, a
musical assembly line with the best players. I’ve
recaptured a little bit of that with Kurupt on this
BlaQKout album.
How long have you actually known each other?
DJ Quik: I met Kurupt in late ’91, early ’92. Right
before The Chronic came out, I went to a listening
session with the good Dr. and heard it before it
was released, when he had just struck his deal
with Death Row and [the label] didn’t even have
a logo yet. He invited me down and I met Snoop
and Daz and Kurupt. I think I met Warren G that
day too, but he wasn’t real talkative. But I was
just impressed to be in their presence because
you kinda knew they were the next thing. “Deep
Cover” had already did what it did and we all
acknowledged Snoop as the new best voice in
Hip Hop and we wanted to be around their shine
because they were shining.
That can’t help but rub off on you, to be around
brilliant people.
DJ Quik: Yeah, especially if you consider yourself
the light as well. I know that what I do is sometimes a little risky and avant-garde. But if you do
it with the right people it can be more of a movement than a record that can get ridiculed.
Avant-garde is an interesting way to describe
your style because you have wandered a little
further and wider than other producers for
samples and melodic inspiration.
DJ Quik: We [used] common samples back in the
day. We all sampled our James Brown and Funkadelic stuff. But then I realized that there was
an array of music outside our bubble that could
be linked to for inspiration. Me sampling the
the Indian singer Lata Mangeshkar for the Truth
Hurts [song “Addictive”], to be able to be open
to that kind of music and turn it into a hit record
is special in its own right. I don’t think it would
have been as big if it was a common sample. If I
had sampled the Spinners or Gladys Knight and
the Pips, I don’t think it would have the same
impact. We showed our worldliness, plus we had
been around the world a couple of times and
had a chance to listen to all kinds of music. Good
music is good music; it doesn’t matter what
region it comes from.
Kurupt: That’s right.
Kurupt, can you take us back to the early 90s
when you two met and you heard Quik’s beats?
What did you think about him at the time?
Kurupt: I grew up to DJ Quik, so I was already
aware of him before we met. Sometimes your
legend precedes you. I already knew about his
music since Quik is the Name and Born and Raised
in Compton. I was already up on who he was and
already had a certain amount of respect and love
for his musical talent. So when we met, it was
already written.
So you knew even then that you’d work
together?
Kurupt: It was a dream. Even working with Dr.
Dre, all those things are dreams. You never expect to meet them. You know, this is real life. You
hear this guy on the radio; you never expect to
work with them. I know for a fact that I sat back
in my room many times and sat with some of my
homies and we banged records and the most
important things at that time was smoking good
and banging some DJ Quik and just having a
good time and having a ball. And so when I went
to Death Row all my dreams were coming true.
First I was working with Dr. Dre and then I met
DJ Quik and so many other people like that. But
no, I never had the expectation that we would
ever work together the way we are doing it
today. When I met Quik, it was one of those
things where you can honestly say you met one
of your goals in life. DJ Quik was like showing
me that, you know what, I must be elevating
because I’m running across all the people that I
wanted to meet in the first place.
Snoop is the one who brought me over to
Death Row, so when I got there and was able to
get on a Dr. Dre track, just being there was everything. To be able to be a part of that music
was everything, so I was just following the lead.
And to be able to run across the people that I
met there that I consider legendary, like D.O.C.,
it just let me know I was where I wanted to be
and I can’t be wrong. I just came from living in
Hawthorne and living off of 59th and Crenshaw
to now having a family in this music business
that’s destined to win — when I got to Death
Row, you could just feel it in your bones that
we were destined to win.
When you work with Quik, do you feel like he
brings out a different side of your abilities?
Kurupt: Oh, definitely. When me and Quik get to
work, it’s pressure free. He’s not looking for
OZONE MAG // 61
He’s not looking for many things from me but for
me to enjoy myself when I’m laying my raps.
DJ Quik: I’m a technical person — I’ve spent a
lot of money on equipment and wasted a lot of
money on equipment and am always trying to
find the new, popping sound, like the clearest
microphones. And I be wanting Kurupt to, like,
really get off on his voice in the studio I built and
what he sounds like to his headphones. And Dre
does that too, but everybody doesn’t do that. I’ve
worked with people who really don’t care about
the sound. Some people even say it now, like,
“We don’t give a fuck about no sound. We’re just
rapping.” But how can you do that to a man who
was responsible for selling almost 100 million
records?
It’s good that you work in the studio together,
because it seems like so many people just get
sent beats and rap over them.
DJ Quik: I’ve seen that done and that doesn’t
always give you the hot shit. The magic of BlaQKout is that we both did the record in the same
room. The beat was done where we did the lyrics
and where we wrote together and vibed together. Doing that in a scaled down environment
with not a lot of people around, and Kurupt
being always sharp and tactful and always quick
with what he does, sometimes he’s quicker than
I would like because he’s done and then he’s
leaving! And then it’s like it’s over and we’ve still
got another hour we can work on more stuff! So I
just end up staying and doing another beat that
we can work on together for the next time and
he ends up liking that so it’s like tandem [track
after track]. It’s the energy too, what he brings to
the studio. When he’s here, you know he’s here
and when he’s gone, you know he’s gone. And I
always want to take advantage of that.
So you feel like he brings out a good side of
your talent, too?
DJ Quik: Yeah, he makes me stretch out. I put
down some of my old ways of doing records, like
some of the really expensive ways of calling in
all the bass players and the guitar players and
having to pay union scale and what-not. Not
that you don’t need that, but that don’t always
guarantee you a hit. Why waste those resources
when you can dig deep within yourself and find
chords that you never played before? I’m always
looking for the next hot thing, something that
moves me. And it’s not that I’m jaded and the
old stuff doesn’t move me. The old stuff moves
me when I hear it in its complete form as it was.
Like, the Dogg Food album will never go out of
style to me. Doggystyle will never go out of style,
and these records are 17 years old. But, to try to
recreate that right now, it’s going to sound like
we’re struggling.
I figure, we got new hot gear, we got new drum
sounds, our careers are based on our expertise.
Why not go with what’s new and have fun with
it? Even if it’s a bit too new; I’ve been accused
of being a bit too far ahead of the curve where
it takes people a year or two to get with my
records. So I’m making it more accessible. I’m
stepping it down enough to where people can
get on board. BlaQKout is accessible; it’s one
complete musical thought. It’s not all over the
place, it’s not random. It sounds like we’re doing
it together. We back each other up on the vocals.
Right there, not when he’s gone and I go in and
do an overdub. We put energy into this record.
People should be able to hear your friendship
on this record.
DJ Quik: We spent enough time being brash,
being angry. Now, we’re happy. It’s cool, it’s a
different time. It’s a different climate. With the
economy what it is, people want to party more
and dance and forget about their struggles and
losing their jobs and potentially losing their cars
and their house that they owned and built. So
we did a record that was kind of lighthearted in
that we’re doing records that take you away from
the struggles. It’s going to get better. We’ll ride
the wave.
Kurupt: That’s right.
DJ Quik: And I’ll speak for myself: The last record I
put out, I’d become a little bit disenchanted with
how little shine we were getting for being pioneers. I was getting a lot of disses in interviews
and in magazines I was reading real abrasive
things about me. I didn’t step out to fuck people
over or diss people, but to hear some of the
things being said about me, I had to dig deep
and do a little introspection and realize that I
had more potential than that. My output wasn’t
matching the quality of my talent. But now I’m
back into doing records. And we’ve been doing a
bunch of records; we’ve been producing people
and having fun. To take this all the way back to
Snoop, the Ego Trippin’ album gave me this crazy
kind of freedom. It gave Snoop this crazy kind
of freedom, and now we’re benefiting from it.
Snoop pretty much virtually brought me out of
retirement. I was kind of done. I was thinking
about selling my equipment.
I’m glad that Snoop saved the day, and also
glad that you two sound like you’re humble
and excited to be making music with each other. It’s great, because I suppose if you thought
you were the shit, there would be nothing less
to strive to achieve, right?
Kurupt: That’s just what we do. We’re humble
people. We’ve done so much that there’s nothing we can really brag about; all we can do is
be happy that we were a part of the situation. I
was up for a Grammy [in 1996] for “What Would
You Do” and there was nothing for me to do but
to be as arrogant as I could be, even though I
didn’t win. But later in life as I got older I learned
that it’s not about the arrogance of it but it’s
about the respect of the talent that we have.
That’s what makes us different in this day and
age. We’re seasoned now, so we’re going to step
the ballgame up. People are going to look at us
weird, like, “I don’t even recognize those two.
That can’t be Quik and Kurupt! They’re talking
about something — I like it, but it doesn’t seem
like them.” Well it is, bitches! //
62 // OZONE MAG
OZONE MAG // 63
Raised on a childhood audiovisual diet of little
more than the opulent, boundary blurring boasts
of the No Limit Soldiers and Cash Money Millionaires, DeAndre Way defied the odds of living in a
small Southern town (Batesville, Mississippi; population: 7,000) to become a millionaire by the age of
16 and reach the stratospheric heights of pop music
superhero stardom by the will of hard work. Feel
free to love him or hate him — as he tells OZONE, he
doesn’t particularly care either way. But you will
respect his hustle.
You’re in the middle of a big TV promo tour. When you meet people like
Jay Leno or Barbara Walters or Regis and Kelly, what kind of interactions
do you have with them off-camera? Who do you think they think Soulja
Boy is?
They just think I’m a hustler. I have conversations with them backstage and
they just say my story is amazing. All the self-promotion that I used to make
myself a celebrity and just to have become a millionaire at the age of 16 is
crazy to them. Every single show that I do, every time I have a conversation
with the person who hosts the show and the people backstage — like, I
ran into Adam Sandler at the Tonight Show and he was just like, “Man, your
story is amazing. You’re one out of millions.” I’m just thankful to be on their
show and they’re giving me props. This is what hard work and determination does. It pays off.
Do you ever feel like you’re in a dream?
Yeah, I ain’t gon’ even lie: I told my man to pinch me last night. I got eight
figures that just came in; I almost had a heart attack.
So you’re not taking this for granted, then.
Nah, I ain’t taking this for granted at all. I always say to myself that tomor64 // OZONE MAG
row, this could all be gone, so that’s why I always stay grinding and I always
stay working. My grind been the same since before I got signed; I just keep
that same drive and that same passion I had even before I got signed. And
that’s what keeps me ahead of the game.
How old were you when you first wanted to start rapping?
I was 11 years old when I first said I wanted to become a rapper. I used to
watch Master P and Cash Money on TV and I used to say, man, I wanna be
like them. I wanna have all the money, I wanna have all the cars, I wanna
have all the girls. I wanna stand on stage and have people screaming my
name. I wanna be felt in the streets, I wanna be heard on the radio, I wanna
be seen on TV. That was my dream, and I accomplished that dream five
years later, at 16.
Did your family help you realize your dream?
No, not really. My family really didn’t play any part in my musical career. My
daddy gave me a computer when I got to Mississippi and I used what he
gave me to get to where I’m at, but as far as my family, they ain’t played no
part in my musical career. I did everything myself.
Did they discourage you from pursuing music?
They didn’t tell me that I was doing the wrong thing, but my family wanted
me to focus on school. They looked at my rapping like it was taking away
from my education. They wanted me to finish high school and graduate
college and things like that, but I had another plan.
Do you think college is in your future?
Yeah, I always want to attend college. I don’t think right now I would be
able to attend physical college, but I want to attend college.
Lil Wayne was doing some college work online. Maybe you could do
that?
Yeah, man, but I want the whole college experience. I’m online on YouTube
OZONE MAG // 65
and Twitter and Facebook, but I want to get the
actual college experience.
How do you find life in Los Angeles as a parttime resident?
I mean, it’s crazy, it’s cool. I just landed my first
acting role in a TV show called The Game on
the CW Network and BET. My character is called
Ray Ray. I moved out to L.A. to pursue my acting career, so I go back and forth. I got a house
and condo in Atlanta, a house in Mississippi,
and a condo in L.A.
It’s cool out there. It’s like, as soon as you hit
the club — the first time I went to the club I
ran into Paris Hilton, Andy Milonakis, Dr. Dre,
Polow the Don, Rich Boy, Kim Kardashian, Reggie Bush. It was, like, a million celebrities in the
club and it was just crazy. L.A. is the spot.
You’ve gotten a lot of criticism in the media,
with predictions that you’d be no more than a
one-hit wonder. But, now that you’ve gotten
another song in the top 10, do you feel like
the tide is turning and people are respecting
your grind a little bit more now?
People are respecting my grind. They’re
respecting me, period, because people lie, but
the numbers don’t. Even though people were
saying I was going to be a one-hit wonder, my
first single “Crank Dat” went five times platinum. And if you want to count it all together,
it’s 10 million, because it’s five million singles
and five million ringtones. So for people to be
doubting me, I could really care less, because
my grind is impeccable. My hustle, my strive,
and my determination is going to get me
wherever I want to be in life, and that’s whether
you rocking with me or you going against me.
If you going against me, you going to get rolled
over. If you riding with me, we gonna ride until
the wheels fall off.
When you’re on a schedule like what you’re
describing, do you feel like you have enough
time to work on or think about creating
music?
Oh hell no, because if I get to a point where I
feel like that, then I’m canceling everything. If
I get to the point where I feel I ain’t putting in
enough time for my music, then I’mma cancel
my whole schedule for a week and we’re going
to go into the studio and sit there and vibe until I get my feelings back right, because music is
what got me here. Buying jewelry and houses
and cars and getting all the models and superstar chicks and stuff like that, what brought all
that was the music. So if the music ever falls off,
man, all of that is gonna fall off with it.
Will you miss out on money because you
want to work on music, has that ever happened?
Nah, I always balance it out.
Do you sacrifice sleep? Is that the compromise that keeps everything going?
My motto — I got it tattooed on my chest — is
“sleep 10%.” I sleep 10% of my day, that’s 2.4
hours. That’s all I need.
Really?
I don’t need sleep. I’m a straight hustler. Sleeping, that’s the cousin of death. I’ma sleep when
I’m dead.
What ever happened to the “beef” between
you and Ice T?
Uh, I don’t know. It was never really like no situ-
66 // OZONE MAG
ation with Ice T. He dissed me on a mixtape and
I came back and told him how I felt and that was
it. It was never no beef or anything like that, I just
spoke on him speaking about me. I addressed
the situation and that’s it.
But c’mon, it turned into a kind of an entertainment thing for the viewers of YouTube. I mean,
you came back with the cartoon, which was
a little bit above and beyond just addressing
it. It seemed like y’all intended for the beef to
entertain people.
I mean, it was really just me doing me. Niggas
get in beef and stuff like that all the time. But,
at the end of the day, you can’t judge nobody,
whether it’s Ice T, whether it’s Soulja Boy,
whether it’s any rapper. Niggas be acting like
they’re better than you. If you have more money
than somebody, that doesn’t mean you’re better
than them. If you’ve got more street cred than
somebody, that doesn’t mean you better than
somebody. They ain’t stop making guns when
they made your gun, they ain’t stop making
hoods when they made your hood. I got a hood
too, nigga, I got guns too, I got money too, I got
a family too. I know Bloods, I know Crips, I know
gangsters and vicelords, you know what I’m saying? I went to school like you did, I’m black just
like you, I make money just like you do.
So, at the end of the day, Ice T can’t judge me,
and nobody else can judge me either. And I can’t
judge them. But when you tell me to “eat a dick,”
I’m, like, “Nigga, fuck you!” I don’t give a fuck how
much work you put in, how much street cred you
got. Niggas ain’t fittin’ to just diss me and expect
me not to say nann, because I don’t give a fuck.
Can’t nobody tell you how
to live your life and can’t
nobody tell me how to live
my life, and once people
figure that out, we’ll be off
in a better place. People
talk about recession this,
recession that. Fuck that.
That makes sense on a human-to-human, basic
respect level.
Yeah, and that’s what people have to understand. I don’t give a fuck if I’m 18 and you’re 40,
at the end of the day, you can’t judge me for shit.
You can’t speak on me and not expect to get
spoke back on, you know what I’m saying? That’s
just how it is. I don’t give a fuck who you are.
Sometimes you go way over the top with being
flashy, like in the “Rich Nigga Shit” videos. Is it
just because you have new money and love the
ability to buy things? Do you think you’ll grow
out of that?
At the end of the day, no matter if I got $10 in
my bank account or I got $10 million in my bank
account, it’s my money. If you got $10 million in
your bank account, that’s your money. That’s the
logic that I go by. When I was working at Burger
King and making $200 a week, I was buying
clothes or shit to eat or gas for the car or a fake
grill to put in my mouth because it was my money and that’s what I wanted. Now, I’m making the
money that I make now, I’m buying what I want,
no matter what it is. Can’t nobody tell you how
to live your life and can’t nobody tell me how to
live my life, and once people figure that out, we’ll
be off in a better place. People talk about recession this, recession that. Fuck that.
Well, it’s a time when people are losing their
jobs and homes, so maybe they don’t always
want to see other people blowing their noses
with Franklins. But my question is, why are you
attracted to buying things like that and being
a show-off?
That’s just how I was brought up. I saw rappers
on TV buying diamonds and shooting videos on
islands and yachts and stuff like that, so I guess
that’s what I was attracted to as a kid. Now that
I have my business in position to be on the level
of those rappers that I saw when I was younger,
I want those same things. It’s like if I was a nerd
and all I watched was cartoons and Power Rangers when I was little and now I am grown and
want to buy all the Power Rangers I can find, or
all the Power Rangers DVDs and stuff, or anything like that. It’s just what I was accustomed to,
and just what I like.
Just because another person is hurting, or
another person ain’t got the type of money that
I got or hasn’t achieved the type of success that I
got, that’s not gonna stop me from living my life.
I don’t give a fuck. That means you did something wrong with your life. That ain’t got nothing
to do with me. I don’t know you and you don’t
know me.
You just know Soulja Boy from TV, dog. I don’t
know nobody personally, even when it comes
to my fans. I don’t know them personally. I love
them for buying my music and that’s who I do
it for, they inspire me to go to work every day
and go to my concerts and stand on stage and
perform for them. But, at the end of the day, I
don’t know nann one of them personally. There
could be murderers in the crowd, there could
be rapists in the crowd, we don’t know none of
these people personally. Each and every person
is different on a personal level. But on a professional level, Soulja Boy Tellem, I do my duty and
make these hit records for my fans.
Can you tell me about your next album, The
DeAndre Way?
I’m reaching out to a lot of A-list Hip Hop artists
like Jay-Z, Kanye West, Lil Wayne, Eminem, and
50 Cent [for features]. My first two albums were
not recorded as albums. My first album was just
a whole lot of songs [I had released] on the Internet. I went into the studio when I got signed and
re-recorded the album professionally. But for The
DeAndre Way, this is the first album that I’m actually taking seriously to record as a real album.
It is admittedly a great title!
DeAndre Way is my government name, that’s
my real name. For my third album, I’m going
away from the Soulja Boy stuff and it’s gonna be
100% real. From the packaging, the promotion,
the artists featured on there, and the way it’s
presented, it’s going to be my biggest and best
album, period. And it’s gonna get the most wideranging audience. This is going to be the biggest
audience I reach in my career.
Will you be experimenting musically?
Yes, I’m actually recording in the studio with a
live band on a couple of the records. It’s gonna
be a lot of different styles and a lot of different
techniques that I use. My lyrical skills have grown
amazingly on this album. I look at it as growth
both as an artist and a person, and I’m gonna
speak on real shit. I can’t wait to put it out. It’s going to be 100% me though. I’m not going to let
anybody tell me what to do. If this album flops,
or if this album is the worst move in my career,
ends my career, or whatever, I at least get to say
that I did that. //
OZONE MAG // 67
Whether he’s having his studio
raided by federal agents with guns
borrowed from T.I., fighting lawsuits for supposedly stealing a
lesser known DJ’s name, or being insulted by one of the game’s biggest
emcees, DJ Drama definitely lives
up to his name. AND YET the Philadelphia native is perhaps the most
calm and laid back person in rap;
his Twitter bio simply reads, “I FEED
THESE STREETS,” and over the past 5
years that’s all he’s ever set out to
do. Currently prepping the release
of his second studio album on
Atlantic, Gangsta Grillz The Album:
Volume 2, The iPod King is promising
one thing: consistently hot music.
Going into Volume 2, as opposed to the first
Gangsta Grillz album, how has your mentality
changed? What have you done differently?
I don’t really know if my mentality has changed.
The first album was like my whole career brand
accumulated into one project. This one was a
little more laid back in terms of me putting it
together and getting it out. I definitely think
it’s another quality project and a solid album.
I’m keepin’ it consistent with the music. But this
project has a lot of people I didn’t get to work
with on the first album, so that was an advantage for me.
Who did you get to work with on this album
that you didn’t get to work with on the last
album?
Luda’s on this album, Busta’s on this album, Nas,
Scarface, Trick Daddy, Dream, Akon, Snoop,
Fabolous, Ray J, Gucci—those were all people I
really wanted to work with that [weren’t] on the
last album.
What track are you most excited about on this
project?
I don’t really have one; I like it from beginning
to end. I think it has a good feel to it, it’s well
rounded, pretty much something for the street,
but you also got mood music on there. It’s very
diverse and the lineup is great.
One the first album I remember you saying you
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had a hard time getting all the clearances from
the labels. Did you find that to be a similar
challenge on Volume 2?
Actually, it wasn’t as difficult this time. I think
I learned a lot from the first album so as I was
working on the clearances I handled it differently. I really gotta thank all the labels for coming
through on the clearances for me, that part
wasn’t as difficult this go around.
In your honest opinion, which album was a better disc, Gangsta Grillz Volume 1, or 2?
Honestly, I like both of them. I mean Volume 1
was banging, Volume 2 is banging. That’s like
asking me, “What’s your favorite mixtape?” If you
ask me what’s better I’m going to say, ”If you
have my first album, you gotta have my second
album.”
Gangsta Grillz The Album: Volume 1 was released amidst all the controversy with the RIAA
raid and whatnot, a year and a half later you’re
coming with Volume 2. How have you managed
to stay relevant for so long as a DJ?
Good music, and just being creative. Me being
a DJ, it’s really just about staying on the pulse of
the game, staying ahead. After my first album
last year I kept my grind up with the mixtapes.
I put out a bunch of classics last year, from the
Luda to the Gucci, to the Dedication. I stay on the
road, I stay doing gigs, and I stay working. Once
you get in a good position it’s important to hold
on and put in the work. I love what I do, I love
being able to represent the culture and being
able to represent the music and bringing it to
the people.
You mentioned Gucci and The Movie mixtape
you did with him, which got a lot of acclaim,
but caused a lot of controversy because he was
the adversary of one of your longtime allies,
Jeezy. You’ve always stayed pretty diplomatic
in dealing with artists. What made you decide
to cross enemy lines and work with Gucci?
The streets called for it. At the end of the day, I’m
an ambassador to the people, and that’s what
they wanted to see. They wanted to see Drama
and Gucci work, so we got it in, we did it and we
made a classic. Gucci’s on fire. I respect his work, I
respect what he’s doing and we got busy.
Did you consider your relationship with Jeezy
at all, or was that something you weren’t con-
cerned with?
I’m about the music. I’m about good music. If
Gucci has a banging song I’m gonna play it, and
if Jeezy has a banging song I’m gonna play it.
At the end of the day that’s really what it comes
down to. Outside of the music I really don’t get
involved with anything else.
What are the disadvantages of being a wellknown, somewhat-celebrity DJ?
I don’t know if there really is a disadvantage, but
at times I think people feel that I’m not a real DJ,
that I can’t get behind two turntables and rock.
I always come to show and prove, so if that’s on
somebody’s mind I can prove them wrong. But
to be honest, there’s not a lot of disadvantages.
I’m in a very blessed position, to be recognized
in a lot of places that I go, or for my name to be
heralded. I’ve been in the game a long time, and
I’ve been a student of the game a long time. I
don’t know if I consider myself a celebrity DJ, I
mean, I’m world renowned, I’m well known, but I
just come to do my thing.
Recently Don Cannon left The Aphilliates. What
was the reason for his departure from the
group?
It ain’t nothing, Cannon’s my little brother. He’ll
always be my little brother.
Okay. You seem to have pretty keen insight
into what subgenre of Hip Hop is forthcoming.
Who do you predict will dominate the third
and fourth quarters of ’09?
I’m looking forward to everybody doing their
thing this year. I’m always excited when artists
come out and rock, so there’s a good handful of
artists I’m checking for.
Any names specifically?
I just like the evolution of the game. I’m excited
about the direction it’s going in.
What direction do you think the game is going to go right now? To me, it seems kind of
ambiguous.
Naw, I don’t think so. There’s a lot of quality
projects coming out. People have still been able
to drop hot mixtapes, and create good buzzes
and whatnot, but I think Hip Hop is always exciting. There’s always bullshit out, but the bullshit
comes and goes. What’s hot and fresh is gonna
make its way. //
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70 // OZONE MAG
Somewhere between being an
underground icon and a mainstream idol, there’s almost a
purgatory a rapper must pass
through before reaching the
next level. This is the line OJ da
Juiceman is currently walking.
Not yet a radio takeover artist,
but far beyond local celebrity
status, OJ is ready for elevation.
After releasing his first project under Asylum
earlier this year, which OJ describes as more of a
compilation than an official album, he’s preparing to unveil a second album. This time he’s met
with more anticipation and more respect, thanks
to a few new collaborations and an obvious
improvement in skill.
“I just stayed true to what I wanted to do,” OJ
says when talking about how far he’s come. In
staying true to what he does best, the Atlanta
street rhymer continues supplying his mixtape
demand and spreading into other markets.
Recently he’s been a part of some interesting
collaborations, including a feature with R. Kelly
and a guest appearance with Red Café, Jadakiss,
and Diddy – proving OJ can branch out and stick
to his roots at the same time. “I’m just keepin’ it
OJ da Juiceman – one hundred.”
You’ve been on the grind daily. What’s a typical
day like for you now that your career has taken
off all the way?
Really, I’m trying to get back in the studio ‘cause
I’ve been focused on doing shows and making
sure my show [money] is straight. I slacked off
on the studio but I’m getting back in there. I just
worked with J.U.S.T.I.C.E. League last night. I’m
just gonna continue to go hard at rapping and
get my grind back on in the studio like I ‘posed
to.
Tell me about this R. Kelly record that’s circulating. How did that come about?
Oh yeah, the “Superman High.” Preciate R. Kelly
– big up Kells and Chi-town. R. Kelly came with
the song – it’s produced by Willie Will – they
came and said R. Kelly wanted to do a song with
me. It shocked me for him to be in the game so
long and the status that he has, and me being a
new-comer in the game, and he reached out to
work with me. I think it’s a real good record so
everybody be on the lookout for that.
You’re also on Red Café’s “Hottest in the Hood”
remix with Jadakiss and Diddy. Did they reach
out to you for that?
I was in New York doing a press conference and
I bumped into Red Café at a studio. I told him I
was a big fan of his music and he said he heard
some of my music. Then I was like, “Let me get
on somethin’. You got any openings on any
records?” It just so happened that he was trying
to do a remix of “Hottest in the Hood.” Big up to
Los up there at Warner Brothers. He be lookin’
out for me.
Would you say people are starting to respect
you more as a rapper now?
Yeah, as a rapper instead of just as a mixtape artist and street person. Now they’re really lookin’
at me like, “Juice got potential. Look at all the
records he’s been on.”
You definitely came up as a mixtape and street
artist. Are you still going to use those avenues
to push your music?
Yes, I’ma sure try to. I don’t wanna change my
formula up in any kind of way. Whatever method
got me to where I’m at today I’m gonna continue
to work that method ‘cause evidently it worked
for me. The mixtape game is huge exposure for
artists to get their music heard. The DJs got a
network that’s worldwide and they get fans in
tune to your music and they wanna bring you to
their state [for shows]. So I’m still gonna work the
mixtape game.
Are there any areas of the country where you
feel your fanbase could be stronger, or anywhere you just haven’t been able to touch yet?
I ain’t been to Houston yet. I’ve been to Dallas.
I ain’t been to L.A. – big up to the Bay. I can’t
really say why I haven’t been to those places
yet – it might just be that the promoters don’t
know what contacts to get with. People hit me
on Myspace like, “Juice why you ain’t been to
so-and-so,” and in my eyes I’m lookin’ at it like
ain’t nobody there really on me, but it’s really just
a situation with booking the shows. I’m willing to
get in anybody’s state and rock the show ‘cause I
go all the way in.
With this last album, you left a couple of the
mixtape favorite songs off – like “Boomin’ and
Bunkin’” – can you explain why you did that?
We sent the songs to Asylum, and really it was
just a rush order to put the album ‘cause “Make
the Trap Say Aye” was gettin’ so hot. We had to
put something together. I think we put a good
album together. We missed a couple of the mixtape songs, but Otha Side of the Trap turned out
to be a good album. It did some good numbers
for the southeast region and the new album is
gonna be even better.
The story goes that the label underestimated
your buzz and didn’t ship enough copies of
the album to the stores. So the stores sold out
too quickly and it affected your album sales. Is
that true?
Yeah, they did do that. I think they put out 8,000
CDs with an expectation of 3,000 to sell. But the
first week it did 23,800. That album was really
like a pre-warm up for the one I’m getting ready
to put out. It was more like a compilation of the
hottest songs from my mixtapes.
Have you started picking songs for the new
album yet?
Yeah, I got some cuts on there. I got one with R.
Kelly – not the “Superman High” song, that’s his
song. I got one with Lloyd. I just did one with
J.U.S.T.I.C.E. League – I don’t know how that’s
gonna go ‘cause it kinda got leaked, but it’s still
a hot record. I got some I did with the producer
M-16. It’s gonna be a real clean-cut record.
Out of all the collaborations you’ve done,
which one is your favorite?
I got a couple. I like the Café one, the Busta one,
especially the Cam one – that helped out a lot
with the up north situation. Up north is kinda
hardcore on down south rappers. That right
there helped elevate my up north status. I’m just
trying to keep making good music ‘cause that’s
what it’s about – I’m here to entertain.
So you’ve been entertaining for about 10 years
now. Back when you started, did you see yourself where you’re at today?
Kinda, but not really. I had a slight view of it.
When I was making my first two or three mixtapes, I was really just doin’ it for Atlanta, until
I started goin’ on the road with Gucci. Then it
started getting out further than where it started.
The DJs I was doing the mixtapes with had a
buzz about theyselves and they were continuously networking – giving away my CDs to mom
and pop stores. That helped a lot.
When people first started hearing about you,
everyone associated you with Gucci, but now
you definitely have your own identity. Was it
hard to come out from under another rapper’s
shadow?
Not really, I just stayed true to what I wanted to
do, and that’s with anything in life – like if you
wanna get a good-paying job, you stay true
to that job ‘cause that’s your steady income. I
figured if I do this rap thang, maybe one day
it would pay off and I’d be able to have my
momma not workin’ and we just chillin’ off the
rap money and I’d have businesses and investments and everything goin’ on.
How many times a day do people ask you to
say “Aye?”
[laughs] Aw man, all the time. It be crazy. I be
likin’ it though ‘cause that goes to show that
people listen to my music.
It hasn’t gotten old yet?
Nah…well kinda, it kinda aggravates me, just
depends on what situation I’m in. Like if I’m goin’
through a personal situation and I pull up at the
gas station and somebody be like, “Juiceman, say
‘Aye,’” I be like, “Bro, I can’t do it right now.” They
be like, “Golly bro, you can’t say ‘Aye?’ That’s all
we listen to.” Then I have to go on and do it. But
that’s what they wanna hear.
You have a lot of jewelry and you were telling
me about how difficult it is to travel with it.
How is it going through airport security?
At the airport they stop you ‘cause they wanna
see if you have any sharp things. Like going
through Atlanta, I keep my jewelry in a lil’ box
inside a bag, and when it goes through the X-ray,
they lookin’ at it ‘cause it’s so many pieces in
there. They pull whoever’s carrying it over to the
side. I been carrying it so much and I got tired of
getting pulled over and searched, while everybody else with my camp gets to go on through
and I’m the only one gettin’ stopped. So I started
puttin’ the box on the road manager and lettin’
him get stopped and I just go on through. But
they gotta do their job – if that was my job I
wouldn’t let nobody on with anything that could
hurt nobody else either.
So you came out the gate with a lot of records
from Zaytoven, and I see you’re working with
Fatboi a lot now.
I met Fat through Big Ron. I’ve been known Ron
since he owned Club Chocolate, which changed
names to 360. Big Ron told me he had a producer and I came over and listened to him. Actually,
he produced “Vet Pass By.” That was the first song
he did for us. From then on me and Gucci been
rockin’ with him. Fatboi got them hard tracks. I
call it the “House of Slam.”
Was your goal to always be a rapper? Did you
always have big visions, even with the environment you grew up in?
I always had big visions. I always had the big
name on the block where I’m from. Everybody
always looked up to me like, “Juiceman gon’ do
something.” From runnin’ the streets and runnin’
in high school – we had run in a click called Bouldercrest and the other side was Gresham, and
the other side was East Shoals – I was the leader
of Bouldercrest. Folks just always looked up to
me. But with music, I didn’t really get stupid
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focused on that ‘til like ’98 when I was trying to
see if that’s where I was gon’ go. Before that, I
worked a job for a year when I was 14 and found
other lil ways to get money. In ’98-’99 I got that
pen and pad and it took off from there.
I don’t know if you saw it, but recently the media ran a story about gang violence increasing
in Atlanta. Being a native of the area, what’s
your perspective of gang activity in the area?
In my hood where I’m from, we didn’t really do
no gang bangin’. We were always tryin’ to scheme
up on ways to get a dolla’, walk up to the Texaco
to get some flame hot Cheetos or somethin’ like
that. I think one year we did try to generate a
gang, but I wasn’t down wit’ it ‘cause I ain’t lettin’
nobody put they hands on me for no reason –
like slappin’ me in and I don’t get to hit you back.
But you know, days go on and people do what
they wanna do.
So when is the new album scheduled to come
out?
They wanna do June, but we might have a slight
push-back. I’m rootin’ for June. I’m like ten songs
in, I’m probably six or seven songs down. But
June is right ‘round the corner.
What do you think is gonna be your next big
radio hit like “Make the Trap?”
I really wanted to do “Washing Powder Money.”
That was on Otha Side of the Trap, but they told
me to steer away from that and be focused on
the new album. They want me to come with a
single off the new album. The song I got with
Kells is hot, and the song I got with Lloyd is real
hot too.
A lot of people ask how you got your name.
Where did that come from?
OJ comes from Otis Williams Jr. I’ve been called
OJ since the womb, Juice too – and it turned to
Juiceman during my teenage years. My homeboy would be like, “Aye Juice, when you comin’
out to play?” Or “Aye Juice, let’s go down to the
creek.” Shit like that, but I always been called OJ.
Anything else you want to say?
Be on the look out for the new album coming
June ’09. I got the Myspace page on blast right
now – www.Myspace.com/ojdajuiceman. For all
the young producers that wanna submit beats
to me, you can email youngjuice32ent@gmail.
com. Be on the look out for the 32 Entertainment
movement goin’ down in a major way. Big up to
So Icey and Gucci, 1017 Brick Squad mixtape on
the way. //
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Do you really realize how much
Busta Rhymes has contributed to
this thing we call Hip Hop? Sure, you
remember the crazy, Hype Williamsdirected, bubble-eyed lens videos
with the loud colors. Yeah, he made
it cool to hop on everybody and
anybody’s record. True, he’s given
some of the best concerts your eyes
will ever see. But do you actually
appreciate his efforts? Do you name
him in your “Top 5: Dead or Alive?”
Do you own all of his albums? Do
you ever hear him actually spitting
a wack verse? Odds are that you
answered “no” to at least two of
those questions.
It’s okay, Busta forgives you. Actually, he’s not
tripping at all. With his new album Back On
My Bullshit, Busta is going to keep doing the
same thing he’s done for the last 20-plus years,
whether you notice it or not.
The name of the album is Back On My Bullshit. Is
there an angle that you were trying to convey
with that album title?
I really wasn’t trying to convey anything other
than the self-explanatory definition of the
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title itself. I just felt like I’ve been in situations
where I’ve switched from label to label. I started
out with Elektra, and now I’m with Universal
Motown. Through my experiences, I always feel
like you’re a part of teams. We’re like basketball
players. When you play for different teams,
sometimes you’re asked to do things that you
don’t feel are one hundred percent you or allow
you to feel one hundred percent comfortable
in your own skin. Making my rounds, I felt like...
Naw, it ain’t even a feeling, it’s a fact. My greatest success was garnished when I was working
under the reign of Sylvia Rhone. She was the
CEO of Elektra Records at the time when I was
putting out “Woo Hah” and “Put Your Hands
Where My Eyes Could See”, “Dangerous” and that
record I did with Janet “What’s It Gonna Be”, so
I garnished my greatest success with her. She
always made me feel comfortable. She trusted
that as long as she allowed me to sit behind
the wheel of controlling my own destiny, I was
gonna deliver at the fullest of my capability. Now
I’m at Universal Motown, and she’s the CEO over
here. What you see happening right now with
my records in the street and the momentum
we’ve got, compared to the records and the
momentum we had in my last situation, there’s
a significant difference. The minute I came over
here, I put out my first record and the shit made
the most noise in the streets with “Arab Money”
off the top. There wasn’t no complication in fig-
uring out how to market or campaign the Busta
Rhymes brand or Busta Rhymes as an artist or
his type of music. She already understands how
to do that from our experience from the Elektra
days over ten years ago. So number one, I’m back
home with Sylvia Rhone. I’m back to being able
to do what I’m used to doing, and that’s giving
people the Busta Rhymes that they’ve known to
grow and love. In addition to that, the album just
feels and sounds like vintage Busta Rhymes in a
new way. So the most appropriate title was Back
On My Bullshit, being that I am, literally, back on
my bullshit.
Over the last couple years, what dots have not
been connected?
The dots that I felt weren’t being connected was,
number one, the synergy amongst us as people.
When we work with a team, there’s gotta be a
certain energy, a certain vibe, and a certain feelgood component that allows us all to run around
with the excitement necessary to campaign the
product the right way. I felt like that wasn’t really
there the way it needed to be. Number two, the
understanding of what Busta Rhymes is and how
Busta Rhymes operates. I don’t think that understanding was ever established in the right way
either. We can only accomplish but so much with
that not being at its fullest or at least at a level
that was substantial enough for us to feel like we
really knew how to rock with each other to be on
the same team. Shaq and Kobe can come from
two different sides of the planet, but they have
to know how to rock with each other in order
for that team to be at their fullest capability. I
just felt like that wasn’t happening when I was in
other situations outside of Sylvia Rhone.
It’s funny you bring up Shaq. Coming into this
interview I was thinking about how you and
Shaq’s current situations are similar. Two proven
legends who all of a sudden find themselves
playing for 3 or 4 different teams by the end of
their careers. I read that Shaq is playing better
now because he convinced the Suns to let him
skip practice since he’s played so long and
knows what he’s doing. Can something similar
be said about your situation?
The beauty in my situation is that it was understood when they brought me over here, so I
didn’t even have to say it. The fact that that was
understood and me not having to say it and
me being allowed to do just that, it’s garnishing
the great reactions and outcomes. The shit that
we’re looking to accomplish is being successfully
executed and being successfully accomplished.
It’s good that you tell me that that’s the perspective Shaq is at, because [we’ve both] put so much
time in. If people don’t get it by now that you
understand what you’re doing, especially being
one that’s been able to survive the many turning
points and climate shifts in the game, then they
ain’t ever gonna get it. If they ain’t never gone
get, then those aren’t the people you need to be
moving with. It’s dope that Shaq is putting his
foot down. It’s not a disrespectful thing or a selfish thing because it’s not about not being willing
to be a team player, it’s about helping your team
understand that you are at a level where you
understand not only do you have to be a team
player but you have to bring your team to a
victorious place if they allow you to do what you
know how to do.
What kind of sound can we expect from the
Back On My Bullshit album?
First and foremost, you can definitely look forward to the Busta Rhymes that you’ve all known
to grow and love over the years. It’s actually
doing that at a mastered level, the highest level
of what Busta Rhymes can offer you. I’m in one of
the most amazing stages of my life. Surviving a
lot of the bullshit that I’ve had to deal with over
the last couple of years with legal issues and
the label transitions and just a lot of obstacle
courses that helped me be able to find a piece
of mind being that I was able to get past all that
and find a tranquility in knowing that I’m back
in a space where I can now say that I got shit
under control the way that I’m use to having shit
under control. Second of all, you’re gonna get
the vintage Busta Rhymes sounding shit. There’s
been distinctive moments in Hip Hop that has
helped me garnish the success that I’ve gotten
up to this point. You’re going to get that high
energy, you’re gonna get that feel-good [music],
you’re gone get the club bangers, the traditional
club bangers that Busta Rhymes has always been
able to offer the people and feed the streets. The
beauty is that you’re gonna get it in a new way.
I ain’t never one to try to recreate shit that has
already been done in its own right successfully.
Last but not least, you’re gonna get shit that you
can go to the end of the earth and not find on
anyone else’s album. I say that proudly with my
chest poked out. I know for a fact that you may
have some of the people that I have on your album, but you don’t have them on there the same
way I have them on my album. Mary J. Blige,
John Legend, Common, and Jamie Foxx have
done songs with other people, and they’ve done
amazing, historic records with other people. But
the one thing that’s never been done is having
all of those people on the same song with Busta
Rhymes.
The tracklisting for the album lists a lot of
features. You’re known for working with a lot of
people, period. But why did you decide to work
with so many people on this album?
I work with people that make the song sound
the way it’s supposed to sound when it’s finished. So a lot of times I don’t choose the people,
the song chooses the people for me. A lot of the
time when I make the song I don’t hear who I’m
gonna put on the song until the song is done.
When I start playing the song for other people
and letting people hear it, I start hearing voices
that I think could contribute. I have a bunch
of songs I’ve done with other people that will
never see the light of day. I’m not into putting
records out for novelty or celebrity. The record
has to sound right and feel right before I share it
with the world. A lot of times people ask me to
be on the records too. When great people work
together, they bring the greatness out of each
other. Really, the song with all of us on there,
when I wrote it, it was just supposed to be me
and Mary, but word got around about the song
and they all wanted to be a part of it. I just like to
put together records that are eventful and have
eventful moments throughout the project.
You’ve built your name hopping on everyone’s
songs and remixes. Do you think that plays a
part in being able to put together songs like
that for your albums?
Absolutely. Not stroking my own ego, but I just
think I’ve got a good ear for the music and I’m in
tune with the music. I always make a conscious
effort to make sure I understand what the music
is doing at the time. But I definitely attribute that
to my experience of working with other artists
early in my career. Even currently, you can see
me on everything that’s hot. I don’t stop spitting
with anybody and everybody. Plus, the opportunities to show that I can still smash something
are coming. I also have to acknowledge that I’m
not always the person coming up with the idea.
Does it feel different or the same hopping on records now? With technology, people just email
and IM beats and verses now.
It’s not the same because we’re never really in
the studio together. Back then you didn’t have
the internet to send the verse to somebody. Back
then it was a lot of work involved, you had to
drop the verse and FedEx the 2-inch tape reel.
So it’s a lot less trouble to have someone come
in and do it with you. For [Tribe Called Quest
featuring Leaders of the New School’s] “Scenario”
we were all in the studio together. Matter fact we
was all in the mic booth hugged up so we could
be as close to the mic as possible. We did all the
group adlibs on the song together to make it
live. Even Ali Shaheed was in the there.
You and Ice Cube are two of the bigger names
who left groups and went on to have even bigger success going solo. That said, how do you
feel about the state of rap groups right now?
I think groups are good as long as they work.
I definitely miss the element of having groups
in the game. Groups were dope. Groups are
different from cliques. Cliques are like Wu-Tang.
They were more of a clique than a group to me.
Groups are dudes that you hear on every song
together. They all interacted on each other’s
verses. They had that thread that sowed them
together through their projects. As far as that not
being as prominent part of the game anymore,
I definitely miss it. I wanna see a group do their
thing. I’m very much into Pac Div. I’m a big fan
of theirs because they remind me of Leaders of
the New School. I hope what they do as a group
garners the success of the greats in the past. I see
potential in groups still being able to do their
thing, not just Pac Div, but the group element
in Hip Hop period. I come from a group. I always
wanted to maintain being in the group, but
when you’ve gotta provide for your family, the
disadvantage is that the bread isn’t secured if all
the members don’t show up for shit. I think that’s
why the group element isn’t as prominent in
the game. When the important members in the
group don’t show up, or y’all ain’t getting along
and people come to shows and see that the important member ain’t there? It makes it bad for
the rest of the members. Nowadays the economy
is too fucked up to have people getting the way
of how you get food for your family.
Very true. Chuck D of Public Enemy gave you
your name, right?
Yes. He named us Leaders of the New School too.
How do you feel about mentorship in the game
right now? A lot of the new jacks are putting
themselves on, which is great. But there’s also a
sense of arrogance coming with it.
I feel great about mentorship because I think
some of us still find comfort in mentoring the
new muthafuckas that are worthy. A lot of times
you don’t see mentorship because these new
artists come out like they don’t need mentoring
or value the mentoring you try to give them. I
think mentoring would be more prominent if
muh’fuckas that needed it embraced it instead of
acting like they know all the answers. Sometimes
you gotta let a sleeping dog lie where they lay,
that’s what my grandmother taught me. The
karma comes back and bites them in the ass.
So when someone don’t want to listen, just
watch how the shit transpires when they act
like they know all the answers and then come
back around when they’re on their ass and say,
“I should’ve listened.” By that time it’s too late for
them. But I’m always willing to mentor those that
are worthy. Most times they’re already showing
the potential of being the next dude. But everybody ain’t worthy. Muthafuckers get the info and
sciences and don’t use it right.
It’s 2009. the way the world is going, a lot of this
stuff in the news is stuff you damn near prophesized on every album since your first album The
Coming. Do you think people missed what you
were trying to say back then.
I think a lot of the mainstream and Middle
America consumers that didn’t really get into
the depth of the projects didn’t get it because
it wasn’t really about the theme of the album
overall to them. It was more about the singles at
the time and the record that had the elaborate
videos and me clowning acting like a wild
muthafucka. It attracted people and I did that
to get them interested enough to get them to
listen to the album so that they would get the
core element of what I was doing with the music.
Sometimes the singles supercedes what you
want them to hear. I definitely feel that the rahrah overwhelmed the people.
Did that frustrate you at all?
Yeah, because I really wanted people to understand how much depth and substance I had and
not just think I was on some loose cannon, crazy
nigga shit. But with time you learn how to adjust
OZONE MAG // 75
and figure out new ways to give niggas the substance without compromising what they
love you for. So I’ve given people different albums. I’d give them less wild-out and more
substance. At times it made the consumer feel like I was changing, but I was just making
necessary adjustments to execute what I wanted to be more prominent on those projects.
It had definitely worked for me in a way that I wanted it to. But for me to successfully
execute that, I had to let people see and understand that Busta Rhymes ain’t just the crazy
muthafucka but he is also one of the most lyrical, most incredible performers if not one of
the most conceptually driven artists today.
Funny you say that. When people get into their “Top 5” arguments, Busta Rhymes is
hardly ever mentioned. Does that bother you at all?
Nah. You know why? Because I don’t have time to really get caught up in the trivial bullshit
of the game. Number two, I don’t market myself in that way. I’m from the era where you
allow the people to anoint you. You don’t self-proclaim. A lot of cats self-proclaim their
crowns. When you do that enough and make it a part of your strategy, of course they’re
gonna be conditioned to think that’s what it is. I just wanna get my credentials and organic love from the people from a genuine place. I definitely acknowlege myself as a god
on the mic and that’s the best title to have. A king can’t create a god, gods create kings. If
you wanna be king of a mic or city, be my guest. I’ll be the god.
Your last album Big Bang Theory came out at a time when New York Hip Hop fans were
crying about no one being the king or, “the South is taking over.” It seems like they just
overlooked you, even though you’ve proven that you have the skills and longevity.
It feels better coming from you. That’s what I was saying. Me ranting and raving about it
will have you saying, “This nigga Busta is a disgruntled muthafucker!” I’m good with how
shit plays itself out. Since I ain’t going nowhere soon, the truth won’t be disputed. At the
end of the day we’re gonna see who the god of the block really is.
Around the same time, we also saw you in the news, a lot. For a while it seemed like you
had some sort of dark cloud following you.
The thing that helped me survive the obstacle course is that I’m blessed to be surrounded
by genuine friends. My kids are the shit, my mom is the shit, my woman is the shit, my
brother, my father. The one thing that was never compromised in my household was the
support system. I might have been walking around looking busted, but I always came
home to the most elaborate West Indian dishes. My parents took good care of a nigga. I
never needed to do nothing. But when I felt like I needed shit they couldn’t provide for
me, that’s when I found mischief to get it on my own. There’s only so much you can expect
your family to compromise. But I felt I needed the new fly shit in the street. So I got my
money even if it wasn’t the right way. From living that way as a shorty, you get tough skin
because you subject yourself to a lot of fuckery. You’re groomed being in those situations to learn how to deal with the bullshit. When the truth is undisputed, you don’t lose
too much sleep. I definitely went to bed every night not happy about the shit that was
going on, but resting comfortably in knowing that I wasn’t living with any guilt. I’m not
a criminal, doing crime in the streets. I don’t have to worry about getting in trouble for
some shit I was involved with because I’m not involved with anything provoking trouble
or problems that I was being held accountable for. So I’d stay focused on my shit because I
know at the end of the day the time is gonna heal the wounds and the truth don’t change.
A lot of people who live with guilt are running around trying to prove shit to people trying to save face.
As far as how the press handled it, I don’t give a fuck or take it personally. I know they’re
trying to compete with other muthafuckas. So they’re all posting up shit and outdoing
each other by making sure they get the most hits for content. Of course they’re gonna
put the light on the negative faster than the positive shit. That’s the way the consumer is
groomed. We’d rather see a shoot ’em up movie than Akeela the Bee. I just feel like, fuck
them. They’re gonna do what they’re gonna do. I got bigger fish to fry and bigger pictures
to paint. At the time I had my situations, they were locking up everybody. Remy Ma, T.I.,
Prodigy, Mike Vick, Wesley Snipes. I got arrested four times in 10 months. The truth was,
my situations were made bigger than what they really were. I only had 2 misdemeanor
assaults, a driving impaired and a suspended license. None of them are felonies but they
made them look like that. Ultimately, I wasn’t creating these problems for myself. I was doing some irresponsible things, I take responsibility for them, I’m on probation right now.
But, those cases have closed and now things are going in the direction they are supposed
to go. The streets, radio, clubs on smash, the momentum is phenomenal, there ain’t no
more bullshit in the street about the kid.
It seems like after 2Pac got shot the first time, we got used to hearing and knowing
about rapper’s personal lives. You think it can get back to that?
No. There’s too many powers that be using the people as the tool to implement their
new agendas. The big brother shit, camera phones, and the internet has destroyed the
constitutional right to value privacy. Niggas think five minutes of fame is more important
than private and personal space. Until people realize that, they always gonna incriminate
themselves. I’ve seen a million videos on the internet of niggas whupping somebody’s ass,
like that shit is actually legal. It’s only a matter of time before the law comes at you charging you everything imaginable. From there its unlimited lawyer and court fees for you. In
the end you just come off looking like a dick and derelict and just show how stupid you
are for doing that. Ultimately it will never change because the kids born into this, this is all
they know. (laughs)
76 // OZONE MAG
How much do you think the quality of music has to do
with that?
A muthafucka is always gonna wanna find something else
if the music ain’t interesting enough. The shit started before YouTube. It started with Blackplanet and the camera
phone. You could find out about people sitting at the crib.
People putting their ass on the internet. All that shit was
a conspired agenda by the higher powers that be. It’s too
the point that even if the music is dope, they still want to
know everything else about you. It’s standard now. Access
to your life is a standard, no longer a luxury. //
TJ’s DJ’s Xclusives CD
Birthday Bash Edition
By: Keith Kennedy & Nick Comney – Disk 1
13. Big Chief ft Jim
Jones / My Swagg –
Big Chief
Contact: Jay Mack –
212.986.6262
1. Soulja Boy / Turn
My Swag On – ColliPark
Contact: ColliPark Music – colliparkmusic@
gmail.com
With past success
from smash-hits
“Crank Dat” and “Kiss
Me Through The
Phone,” ColliPark’s
one-time YouTube
phenomenon turned
Hip Hop superstar,
Soulja Boy returns
with a new clubbanger that will surely
turn your swag on!
2. B.o.B / I’ll Be In The
Sky – Rebel Rock/
Atlantic
Contact: TJ Chapman
– [email protected]
With another unrivaled track to add to
the repertoire of an
already proven collection, “I’ll Be In The Sky”
continues to solidify
B.o.B as the hottest,
up-and-coming act in
Hip Hop. Let the hating commence.
3. Tay Dizm ft Akon /
Dream Girl – Nappy
Boy
Contact: Marco Mall –
850.321.7243
Once again, Akon and
Nappy Boy’s Tay Dizm
create another #1 hit
that will surely be on
With a pedigree beat
that can adapt to any
scenario placed, Big
Chief’s new joint “Mr.
Swagg” featuring Jim
Jones is cast in clout
from beginning to
end.
14. Poke Dog / The
Trap Ain’t Dead – Top
Shelf
Contact: Sam Addams
– 205.247.9914
high-demand on all
the dance floors of the
world.
4. Young Ca$h / Freak
– Nappy Boy
Contact: Marco Mall –
850.321.7243
Poised to be one of
the biggest acts of
2009, the new Nappy
Boy representative,
Young Ca$h, breaks
through the airwaves
with the smash single
“Freak.” Duval County
stand up!
5. Hustle Holics /
Throwed Off – Hustle
Holics
Contact: Teddy T –
wildmanteddyt@
gmail.com/
From the streets of
Dade to the radios
of the world, Hustle
Holics’ club classic
“Throwed Off” is surely
a force to be reckoned
with.
6. Mobb Boss ft
Shawn Jay & Nephew
/ Pops Thru Da City –
Hustle House
Contact: Hustle House
– 904.329.3392
The Lovely Monay’s
new single “is so damn
addictive.” It will truly
leave you “trippin’,
trippin’, trippin’.”
loneliness and chronic
fits of anger, due to
the very high possibility that this song will
steal your girl.
Mobb Boss’ new track
“Pops Thru Da City”
pops off like the great
street anthem it was
born to be, proving
that Hustle House is
on top of their game.
9. Nipsey Hussle /
Hustle In The House
– Epic
Contact: Catina Agee –
310.272.2337
11. Lil Hot Da Money
Man / Baking Soda –
Lil Hot
Contact: D. Scott –
404.451.5868
Straight out of Slauson, California’s hottest new act, Nipsey
Hussle (aka Neighborhood Nip) re-establishes the reign of the
West Coast Hip Hop
game with his blue
bandana track, “Hustle
In The House.”
Aside from maintaining freshness, Lil
Hot Da Money Man
reminds you with his
hot, D-Boy anthem
that “Baking Soda” is
always a key ingredient (get it…key?) to
keep around you at all
times.
10. Young Superstar /
I Got You – Platinum
Contact: Big Poo –
901.361.9599
12. Born Wit It / Millionaire – Born Wit It
Contact: KD –
404.388.0262
DISCLAIMER: Do
not play within a
100-foot radius of
your girl and/or trick
on the side. Young
Superstar’s platinum
track “I Got You” may
cause sudden bouts of
There is no question
that Born Wit It’s new
single “Millionaire” will
leave you feeling like
“the flyest in the building.” A must have track
for any VIP experience.
7. Jimmi Hart /
Shawty Said Wassup
– Serious Business
Contact: Tamar –
786.219.5036
Jimmi Hart gets
serious and smooth
with his new single
“Shawty Said Wassup.”
This is definitely the
kind of track that you
and your lady will find
yourselves vibing to in
the near future.
8. Lovely Monay /
Trippin’ – Bigshot
Music Group
Contact: Michael
Wright – 850.217.6308
This Top Shelf track
from Alabama native
Poke Dog not only
proves that “The Trap
Ain’t Dead,” but also
that this Crimson Tide
pup is something to
keep an eye out for in
2009.
15. Rob-Hound / Like
This – Greedy Boy
Contact: Jamal Engram – 786.251.2026
You can try, but you
“can’t do it like this.”
Rob-Hound’s Greedy
Boy single “Like This”
has the potential to
be played over and
over again in any club,
at any red light, in
the US.
OZONE MAG // 77
TJ’s DJ’s Xclusives CD
Birthday Bash Edition
By: Keith Kennedy & Nick Comney – Disk 2
Music
Contact: DJ Walton –
[email protected]
1. COA Babii / Wig’n
– Southern Life
Entertainment
Contact: Ron –
850.727.2600
For the definition of
a fun club record that
makes ladies wig out,
COA Babii has delivered “Wig’n.” Enjoy!
2. C-Nile / Last Breath
– Cold Flame
Contact: C-Nile –
251.458.6689
“Here we go, again.”
On his street anthem
“Last Breath,” C-Nile
returns with a bona
fide hit that will surely
leave you breathless.
3. HTH Boyz ft Gucci
Mane / Hatin’ On –
This “soon to be
mogul” is well on his
way to a music empire
with his new paper
anthem “Money Ova
Here.” The track is
money.
Ball4Sho
Contact: Darnell Williams – 334.733.6616
The HTH Boyz’ fire
track “Hatin’ On”
captures the best
of the South with
its epic horns and
heavy-handed drum
machine percussions.
This track rides.
4. Stevie Stone / Wait
A Minute – Ruthless
Contact: Jason W. –
323.855.5013
Stevie Stone’s new,
Ruthless club-banger
“Wait A Minute” hits
you “like a marching
band” and takes your
ears hostage with
each note assembled.
5. Randy B. / Slip
Away – Southern Boy
Contact: Randy B. –
850.294.3913
Press play, sit back,
and “Slip Away” into
this lucid track from
Randy B. It is quite a
78 // OZONE MAG
gem.
6. Kid Dre / Bottles In
The Air – My Records
Contact: Big Drew –
678.458.5218
This Kid is not playing!
“Bottles In The Air”
is definitely a song
that will in time, find
its way onto the DJ
set-lists of every major
club.
7. 4Thirty ft TJ Boyce /
This Is The Life – Senn
Contact: Michael
Wright – 850.217.6308
On this star-studded
single, 4Thirty
reinvents the eighties’
classic “Sweet Dreams”
by The Eurythmics.
8. Ill Trill Neil ft
Boneface & Kingpinn
Slimm / Merc – Tri
Horizon
Contact: Heezzi –
850.501.0137
Ill Trill Neil breaks the
Horizon and exceeds
“the quota” on his
money-driven track
“Merc.”
9. Jewman & Benz / I
Might – WG
Contact: Marcus Wallace – 601.573.1892
Much like the one
armed drummer of
Def Leppard he is one
hit away from merging the Hip Hop and
metal sounds.
Even though the song
is called “I Might,” YOU
WILL blast this single
from Jewman & Benz.
12. Hustle Montana
/ Doing My Thang
– WG
Contact: Marcus Wallace – 601.573.1892
10. E. Mackey ft 1
Jock / Cut Friend – Edwin Mackey, LLC.
Contact: Edwin Mackey – 850.339.5498
Hustle Montana’s
new song “Doing My
Thang” shows just like
the state, Montana’s
future is wide open.
Queens love this song
whether they are the
main girl or just the
cut friend because it
vibes well and makes
them want to get
down.
13. Money Roe / So
Freaky – Ball4Sho
Contact: Darnell Williams – 334.733.6616
11. Kas Da God /
Heavy Metal Hip Hop
– Keep It Moving
Contact: Tiffany Martin
– 919.423.4613
Kas Da God references
“Pour Some Sugar On
Me” by Def Leppard.
Money Roe’s soon-tobe smash “So Freaky”
will surely make your
girl “pop it and roll it”
in the club, the bedroom, and anywhere
else that has access to
speakers.
14. Dukwon / Money
Ova Here – F.T.G.U.
15. Beadz / Shawty
Gon Go – Manatee
Contact: Doc –
312.226.9034
Upon the opening notes of Beadz’
“Shawty Gon Go,” the
lingering sense of a
classic in the making
is all that can be felt
– this track straight
rides!
DJ Smallz &
DJ Neptune
1. Don Cannon & DJ Skee “Made In America” Thestudiorats.ning.com
2. DJ Woogie & Lil Icey “Streets On Beats Volume 35” Myspace.com/djwoogie
3. DJ Prostyle & DJ Slym “Spring Bling 2K9” Myspace.com/djprostyle Myspace.c
om/zoepoppie
4.Ill Fats “Coast 2 Coast 77” Hosted by Bobby Valentino Coast2coastmixtapedjs.com
5. DJ Eon, Pablo P & Raul Cruz “Legacy” Myspace.com/djeon
6. DJ Profluent, DJ Knight, DJ Prince & DJ 321 “The Futuristic South Stars: Week 4 Mobile Mix” Myspace.com/djprinceny
7. DJ Spree “Spree Radio 13” Hosted by Wes Fif Myspace.com/djspree
8. DJ Scream & Shoot 5 “Heavy In The East” Myspace.com/4045405000 Myspace.com/shoot5entmixtapes
9. DJ Scream & MLK “Saks Fifth Series: the Gucci Edition” Myspace.com/40454
05000 Myspace.com/mlkng
10.DJ Scrill “You Heard It Here First Volume 5” Hosted by Trick Daddy Myspace.com/therealdjscrill
11. J-Boogie “The Saga Part 8” Hosted by Trick Daddy
12. DJ Barry Bee “Sprin Fever 2K9” Myspace.com/djbarrybeenc
13. DJ Noodles & DJ Drama “Fox Your Face Radio Twelve” www.djnoodles.com
14. Nik Bean “Streetz of LA 7” Hosted by Nipsey Hussle Mixtapebuzz.com
15. Dry Rain Entertainment “Best of Needlz Vol. 1” Myspace.com/needlz
16. Evil Empire & Rick Ross “Maybach Season” Myspace.com/evilempire
17. DJ Fletch & Cam’ron “Serial Killa” Myspace.com/djfletchdallas
18. Chamillionaire & DJ Rapid Ric “I Am Legend: Greatest Verses” Mixtapemechanic.com
19. Black Bill Gates “Presents Drake: Royal Pains” Myspace.com/thebla
ckbillgates
20. DJ Spinz “Heart of the City 6” Myspace.com/dj_spinz
“Southern Smoke TV Volume One”
Hosted by Rick Ross
djsmallz.com
myspace.com/djneptuneofficial
This first installment of DJ Smallz and DJ
Neptune’s Southern Smoke TV has this month’s
rawest, uncut and uncensored mixtape to hit
the streets and internet. From Rick Ross and
Lil Wayne to Young Jeezy and Gucci Mane,
Smallz and Neptune put together a tape with
the South’s biggest names. With 26 tracks of
shit that you probably haven’t heard yet, once
again, DJ Smallz proves why he’s at the top
of the food chain when it comes to mixtape
DJs, and it makes you want to check YouTube
to see what he’s cooking up on his Southern
Smoke TV channel.
DJs, send your mix CDs (with a cover) for
consideration to:
OZONE Magazine
644 Antone St. Suite 6
Atlanta, GA 30318
OZONE MAG // 79
DJ Paul/Scale-A-Ton
The ear of the 3-6 Mafia fan is an acquired one.
It hears things that people who aren’t fans simply do not. So hardcore fans will find nostalgia
throughout DJ Paul’s latest solo effort, ScaleA-Ton, reminding them of a time before the
Oscars and MTV shows came along. That said,
much of this disc sounds like forced reverting
as tales of robbing and shooting don’t sound
as believable as before. However, the album
features a comeback of sorts as Lord Infamous
makes multiple appearances, most of which
make you want to hear more from him. Paul’s
production sticks to intense, heavy synths and
rarely changes in tempo. While Scale-A-Ton is
a throwback to vintage Three 6, the drawback
is that you’ve heard it all before. - Maurice G.
Garland
Mike Jones/The Voice
Ice Age/Asylum
It’s been about four years since Mike Jones
(Who?) hit the scene with his hit single “Still
Tippin,” so some people may not know “who”
he is. And unfortunately, on his second major
release, the Texas rapper attempts to get his
“swagger right,” but he falls short in reminding
the people why his last album went double
platinum. T-Wayne helps Mike out on “Cuddy
Buddy,” as does Devin The Dude on “Give Me
a Call.” But after those tracks the reminder of
the album (with the exception of “Hate On
Me” and “Grandma II”), becomes redundant
with mediocre songs attempting to cater to
women. If Mike Jones’ album serves as The
Voice for H-Town, then Houston, we have a
problem. - Randy Roper
Rasheeda/Certified Hot
Chick
D-Lo Entertainment
Since Certified Hot Chick makes for Rasheeda’s
fifth studio album, listeners may get the feeling
that they’ve heard this all before. She’s a Georgia
peach (“Juicy Like a Peach”), she’s independent
(“Boss Chick”), she has a “nice, cute little booty”
(“Bam”) and most men are about nothing
(“Where Ya Been”). Yep, that pretty much sums
up her album. She isn’t a bad rapper, but sometimes listening to her drawn-out delivery makes
you wish she’d just spit out what she’s trying to
say. You almost wish she would spend less time
being a certified hot chick, and more time trying
to become a better rapper. - Randy Roper
80 // OZONE MAG
Paul Wall/Fast Life
Swisha HousE
After listening to Paul
Wall’s latest effort
Fast Life, you can tell
the hard-working
entrepreneur/emcee
believes in the age old
adage “if it ain’t broke
don’t fix it.” Not quite
sure if he believes in
fine-tuning though.
The few times he
experiments with
sound and content
may be valiant efforts,
but come off average
at best. Paul comes off
a very comfortable on
each track, which is a
gift and curse because
nothing really stimulates the ear on this
album, except for Tech
N9NE and Krizz Kaliko’s
appearance on “Sumn’
Like A Pimp.” - Maurice
G. Garland
The-Dream/Love vs.
Money
Radio Killa/Def Jam
In OZONE Magazine
issue #76, our CD reviews
featured a review of TheDream’s latest album
Love vs. Money, that
was mistakenly rated at
3.5 blunts. We’d like to
apologize for that. We
actually rated the album
at 4.5, but we made a
mistake. Sorry about
that, Dream. Our bad.
Eminem/Relapse
SHADY/Aftermath/INTERSCOPE
One would expect that a few
years out of the game and plenty of experiences would leave
Eminem even hungrier and armed with enough personal
lyrical content to finally give us an album about him. But
no, instead Marshall slips back into the Slim Shady persona for Relapse, an
album that is one long disappointment. Besides for “3AM,” nothing really
comes close to turning the album in a positive direction, and even Dr. Dre
couldn’t save this album. It’s time for Marshall Mathers to kill Slim Shady and
give us a record about the Marshall that Shady holds back. - Rohit Loomba
Curren$y/This Ain’t No Mixtape
Amalgam DigitalJust to clear
things up, Curren$y has released
a lot of mixtapes over the last
few years, but this really is not
a mixtape. This is the 16-track (18-track if you include the
bonus cuts) debut album from former Young Money/Cash
Money and No Limit affiliate Curren$y. Throughout this debut, Spitta’s flow,
accompanied by Monsta Beats’ production (who produced the entire album),
make this LP one to smoke and ride to. Bun B, Amanda Diva, Mickey Factz,
and Young Chris all make memorable contributions. Here, Curren$y not only
proves he’s more than a mixtape rapper, but also that he’s capable of making
music without a cosign. - Randy Roper
Method Man & Redman/
Blackout! 2
Def Jam
If the Grammys knew shit about
Hip Hop they’d at least give
Method Man and Redman a nomination just for being
lyrically on point, amidst all the Hip Hop trash out right
now. Meth and Red haven’t lost the energy, passion, or wit that has set them
apart for years, and Blackout 2 is a reminder of where Hip Hop needs to go
again. These two have slipped and slid on plenty of stages, pouring each
ounce of energy out for their crowd, but when it comes to delivering dope
ass records, these two are solid. - Rohit Loomba
Cam’ron/Crime Pays
Diplomat/Asylum
The Dipset general, or former
general, Cam’Ron, is back at it
after disappearing for a little
bit. While the current state of Dipset affairs is open to
personal interpretation, there really is only way to feel about Crime Pays—unimpressed. Cam has his moments over epic, thickly orchestrated production
such as “Who,” but for the most part delivers subpar verses over mediocre
production. While Cam’s writing shows some improvement at times, the
forced rhymes are still a dime a dozen and Cam fails to prove why he isn’t a
dime a dozen in today’s industry either. - Rohit Loomba
Busta Rhymes/Back On My B.S.
Flipmode/Universal Motown
Busta Rhymes is back on the
scene with Back on My B.S. Busta
seems to throw a little bit of everything out on this album in hopes that something will
stick for everyone. Features include T.I., Lil Wayne, Jamie
Foxx, Akon, T-Pain, and Ron Browz. But missing from this album is the Busta
from days past. This Busta seems to be trying too hard, rather than letting the
music just come to him. Don’t be mistaken, Busta does deliver on tracks such
as “We Miss You,” but there just isn’t enough. - Rohit Loomba
Drum Squad/
Welcome To My City
As Grammy-nominated
producer Drumma Boy makes
his transition from beatmaker
to rapper, he brings along his team, Drum Squad, for this
Welcome To My City mixtape. Drumma Boy’s production
on here shows that he is probably better off sticking to just producing, but
the Drum Squad (which includes former Three 6 Mafia member Gangsta
Boo), managed to put together a solid mixtape that also features Lil Scrappy,
Pastor Troy, J Money, Yo Gotti, Young Buck and 8Ball & MJG, and represents
the city of Memphis well. - Randy Roper
Gucci Mane & DJ Holiday/Writing On The Wall
Gucci Mane’s first official
mixtape since being released
from prison had a bigger
anticipation than most albums that have been released
this year. Writing On The Wall has numerous songs, like
“First Day Out,”“Wasted” featuring Plies, and “Gorgeous,” that are automatic
hood classics. The mixtape would have been better with less shout outs from
DJ Holiday, and some Gucci Mane verses make it difficult to understand what
draws so many fans in, but Writing On The Wall does nothing but add fuel to
the blazing fire Gucci has burning throughout the game. - Randy Roper
211/The Bizness
CTE artist 211 starts off hard on
The Bizness, as tracks like “Back
At Em,”“Red Paint” featuring
Mack 10, “So Fly,” and “Real Talk”
are all certified bangers. But as the mixtape continues,
freestyles over T.I.’s “I’m Illy,” M.I.A.’s “Paper Planes” and
Shawty Lo’s “Foolish” are a lot less intriguing. It seems as if the first half of
this mixtape has the majority of the hits, while the second half, he run out
of heat, or just decided to drop in a few fillers. Still, The Bizness has notable
songs that clearly show 211’s potential. - Randy Roper
Playboy Tre/Liquor Store
Mascot
Coming off the reels of his popular Goodbye America mixtape,
Playboy Tre has been spending
the last year plotting a worthy follow-up. Liquor Store Mascot will definitely keep his fanbase growing as Tre displays
a grown man approach to rap, never wasting a word. Sonically, Tre deviates
from the sample-heavy production that fans loved on Goodbye America, but
the risk pays off as it allows Tre to show that flow and content can fit onto
any kind of beat. Using both comedy and tragedy to get his points across, Tre
uses a drunken flow to give the listeners a sober look at life’s realities in every
song. - Maurice G. Garland
Glasses Malone x Greg
Street/2010
Promoting this mixtape as something to hold people over until
Detox, Glasses Malone and Greg
Street figured the best way to do that is to let G. Malone
wreck a gang of old Dre beats. This formula does work on
songs like his rendition of “Little Ghetto Boy” and the threatening “This Is A
Warning,” where he offers consequences for any ill will towards Obama over
the “Big Ego” beat. But the decision to only bust on old Dre beats doesn’t do
much to garner interest in any kind of “new west” movement. As for Glasses’
performances, his “realer than thou” style is very polarizing. You either love or
hate it. Either way, there is no denying that you can hear LA in his voice every
time he speaks. - Maurice G. Garland
Travis Porter & DJ Teknikz/I’m
a Differenter
One of the newest groups
buzzing in Atlanta is the trio
Travis Porter (not to be confessed with a kid you went to high school with), and on
their DJ Teknikz assisted mixtape, they try to define what
makes them “different(er).”“Uh Huh” featuring J Money, “Black Boy, White Boy,”
“Stupid Adlibs” and “Baddest Bitch” are all entertaining listens that showcase
the group’s carefree style of rapping and singlaong hooks, while other cuts
like their All-American Rejects cover of “Gives You Hell” are downright annoying. This mixtape is cool for what it is, but it doesn’t sound like anything
“different(er)” than “futuristic swag” songs made by a group of young aspiring
rappers with a lot of time on their hands. - Randy Roper
OZONE MAG // 81
endzone
Snoop Dogg & the Dogg Pound
Venue: Mezzanine
City: San Francisco, CA
Date: April 6th, 2009
Photo: D-Ray
82 // OZONE MAG
OZONE MAG // 83
YOUR FAVORITE RAPPER’S FAVORITE MAGAZINE
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84 // OZONE MAG