PAUL WALL - Ozone Magazine

YOUR FAVORITE RAPPER’S FAVORITE MAGAZINE
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OZONE MAG // 1
YOUR FAVORITE RAPPER’S FAVORITE MAGAZINE
BUNRB
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RICK UGH
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DORLRW
PAU AL
KPRIKIT
BIG
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OZONE MAG // 7
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OZONE MAG // 9
PUBLISHER/EDITOR-IN-CHIEF // Julia Beverly
MUSIC EDITOR // Randy Roper
ADVERTISING SALES // Che Johnson, Gary Archer
PROMOTIONS DIRECTOR // Malik Abdul
SPECIAL EDITION EDITOR // Jen McKinnon
WEST COAST EDITOR-AT-LARGE // D-Ray
LEGAL CONSULTANT // Kyle P. King, P.A.
SUBSCRIPTIONS MANAGER // Adero Dawson
ADMINISTRATIVE // Kisha Smith
INTERNS // Devon Buckner, Jee’Van Brown, Ms Ja
CONTRIBUTORS // Anthony Roberts, Blogxilla, Bogan,
Camilo Smith, Charlamagne the God, Chuck T, Cierra
Middlebrooks, David Rosario, Diwang Valdez, DJ BackSide,
Edward Hall, Eric Perrin, E-Z Cutt, Gary Archer, Hannibal
Matthews, Jacquie Holmes, J Lash, Jason Cordes, Jelani
Harper, Joey Colombo, Johnny Louis, Kay Newell, Keadron
Smith, Keita Jones, Keith Kennedy, K.G. Mosley, King Yella,
Luis Santana, Luvva J, Luxury Mindz, Marcus DeWayne,
Matt Sonzala, Maurice G. Garland, Mercedes (Strictly
Streets), Natalia Gomez, Portia Jackson, Ray Tamarra, Rico
Da Crook, Rohit Loomba, Shannon McCollum, Spiff, Stan
Johnson, Swift, Tamara Palmer, Thaddaeus McAdams, Ty
Watkins, Wally Sparks, Wendy Day
STREET REPS // 3rd Leg Greg, Adam Murphy, Alex Marin, AlMy-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
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to: Ozone Magazine, Inc.
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Website: www.ozonemag.com
COVER CREDITS // Rick Ross photo (cover and this page) by
Julia Beverly; Bun B photo courtesy of Rap-A-Lot Records;
Masspike Miles photo by Derick G.
DISCLAIMER // OZONE Magazine is published 6 times
per year by OZONE Magazine, Inc. OZONE does not take
responsibility for unsolicited materials, misinformation,
typographical errors, or misprints. The views contained
herein do not necessarily reflect those of the publisher
or its advertisers. Ads appearing in this magazine are not
an endorsement or validation by OZONE Magazine for
products or services offered. All photos and illustrations are
copyrighted by their respective artists. All other content is
copyright 2010 OZONE Magazine, all rights reserved. No
portion of this magazine may be reproduced in any way
without the written consent of the publisher. Printed in
the USA.
10 // OZONE MAG
features
32
28
38
12
8 FORGOTTEN HIP HOP HONRS
8 HOT NEW PRODUCERS
8 STILL PATIENTLY WAITING
MOST MEMORABLE OZONE COVERS
interviews
50-51 BIG KRIT
36-37 BUN B
34-35 DORROUGH
W20-23 FREEWAY RICKY ROSS
44-45 MASSPIKE MILES
46-48 PAUL WALL
52-53 PILL
42
SPIFF TV
W10 TERRACE MARTIN
W14-15 THE DOGG POUND
W18-19 THE PACK
43
TORCH
W12-13 YA BOY
54-55 YELAWOLF
monthly sections
13
10 THINGS I’M HATIN’ ON
14
ARE YOU A G?
26
BOARD GAME
56
CD REVIEWS
18
CHIN CHECK
58
END ZONE
4
I’M JUST SAYIN’THO
24
INDUSTRY 101
13
JB’S 2 CENTS
14
JEWELRY CORNER
16
MATHEMATICS
18
NAMES OF SHAME
15-33 PHOTO GALLERIES
20
SIDEKICK HACKIN’
W25 WEST COAST CD REVIEWS
W26 WEST COAST END ZONE
W6-8 WEST COAST PATIENTLY WAITING
W7-11 WEST COAST PHOTO GALLERIES
cover stories
W16-17BOBBY BRACKINS
30-31 PIMP C
40-41 RICK ROSS
OZONE MAG // 11
8
YEAR
ANNIVERSARY
10
Having dropped 85 issues (plus several dozen special editions) over
the past 8 years, OZONE has had plenty of memorable covers. Here,
we’ve compiled a list of 10 of the most powerful covers/issues since we
came in the game in 2002.
Pimp C (May 2005):
Five years later, when people think of
OZONE Magazine, this cover image probably
still pops in their head. OZONE may have not
been the first media outlet to talk to Pimp C
while he was in prison, but it was definitely
the first to put him on the cover.
Trick Daddy (Jun 2006):
This issue is
widely considered to be
one of the
best issues
of OZONE’s
8 year run. It featured explosive interviews
with the always outspoken Trick Daddy, David Banner and Too $hort. The centerpiece,
however, was the 20 Essential Southern
Albums list that featured a panel made up
of respected journalists, DJs and artists, all
offering heartfelt perspective on some of
their favorite Southern Hip Hop albums.
Pitbull
(April 2005):
For this issue OZONE teamed up with MTV
Jams to present the “25 Greatest Southern
Artists of All Time.” The only people that
seemed to disagree with the list were Killer
Mike and JT Money, but other than that,
most readers thought it was spot on. T.I.
and Lil Wayne were ranked #15 and 18, respectively. Five years later some young buck
would probably say they were #1 and 2.
T.I. cover story by Pimp C (May
2006):
To celebrate
our 4th Anniversary, OZONE wanted to show our growth
by bridging the past with the present.
One of the things we did was have Pimp
C interview T.I. for the cover story, since
some Southern rap fans had funny feelings
towards Tip calling himself “The King of the
South” with guys like Pimp C and Scarface
still around. But the most interesting part
of the interview is when Pimp confronts
Tip about his beef with Lil Flip at the time.
This issue also featured a photo essay of
our travels
throughout
the South up to that point.
Rick Ross (August 2006):
Right when the world was under the spell of
Rick Ross’ smash hit “Hustlin’,” OZONE came
through with a complete cover story on the
future star when all of the other magazines
were just starting to catch onto him. We
learned a lot about Ross in the interview,
like him not being able to multiply past six.
OZONE’s cameras also visited New Orleans’
9th Ward one year after Katrina hit to find
very little improvement in the conditions.
12 // OZONE MAG
by Maurice G. Garland
MOST MEMORABLE
OZONE COVERS
(log onto www.ozonemag.com for more)
DJ Khaled with Rick Ross, Akon,
T.I., Fat Joe, Baby and Lil Wayne
(June 2007):
A large portrait of this cover hangs up in
OZONE’s office and it instantly command
the attention of everyone who walks
through the door. Shot during some DJ
Khaled’s video shoot for “We Takin Over,” all
of the guys in the photo were at the top of
their game, making this a classic moment in
rap history. So we snapped it. This issue also
saw us trying our hand at another list with
the “25 Greatest Moments in Southern Rap
History.”
David Banner (Oct 2007):
Probably one of our most timely and powerful covers today, we shot this with David
Banner right when he was in the middle of
a verbal conflict with several Black leaders
at the time. The story also showed the
transformation from activist to Hollywood
movemaker that Banner was going through
at the time. This issue also featured an
OZONE West cover story entitled “One Love”
where Too $hort (who also wrote a heartfelt,
self-analyzing “Short Stories” column) attempted to bring every artist in the Bay Area
to work together…we’re still waiting.
DJ Drama (May 2007):
In his first cover story after the infamous
RIAA raid on his Aphilliates offices in Atlanta,
DJ Drama opened up as much as he could
about what happened the day he had
M-16 rifles pointed to his head and why the
government shut down his operation. The
interview showed the surprising amount of
miscommunication, red tape and grey area
that was in the mixtape game up to that
point. It’s safe to say things haven’t been the
same since.
Webbie (March 2008):
OZONE’s second annual drug issue featured some of our
most hard-hitting journalism with stories
on the city of Houston’s deadly fascination
with syrup a.k.a. lean and a story on the
controversial (and now deceased) Jackson,
Mississippi mayor Frank Melton. But most
people remember this issue from the cover
image alone that featured Webbie rocking a
t-shirt with the XXXL sticker still on it, gaudy
jewelry and somebody’s college tuition
in cash in his hand with the ironic cutline,
“Recession?
What
Recession?”
Perhaps we
spoke too soon.
Lil Wayne (Issue #83, 2010):
OZONE secured Lil Wayne’s last interview
before he was sent to Rikers Island to serve
a 12-month sentence on gun charges. After
observing some of his final days in Miami
and Atlanta, readers got to see a vulnerable
side of Wayne that is often overshadowed
by the larger-than-life personality he projects on his omnipresent songs and videos.
JB’s 2cents
Blah blah blah, blah blah, blah blah
- Julia Beverly, [email protected]
10THINGS I’M
HATIN’ON
by @Eleven8
1. LACEFRONT WIGS
Since when was it fashionable to have a
Cabbage Patch Kid hairline? If your edge-up
is sharper than your boyfriend’s, you need to
reevaluate your hair choices.
2. MTV
Your name is MUSIC TELEVISION. Why don’t
you play any music?
At the BET Awards afterparty with Trey Songz...
3. FAKE WEED HEADS
Everybody in the Wiz Khalifa generation
claims to smoke a lot of weed, but these
are the same people who would get loopy
smoking basil. If you don’t really smoke, it’s
not necessary to pretend you do just to fit
in. You can still be the weed holder and get
to hang out with the cool kids.
4. T.I.
I’ve accepted the fact that jail is a revolving
door for some rappers. But T.I.’s situation is
like one really bad BET Blackbuster movie:
he gets out of jail, gets caught with drugs,
and then 2 days before his sentencing he
saves a man from jumping to his death?
5. ANTOINE DODSON
Antoine is the educated black person’s worst
nightmare. We always joke about that one
bafoon that is interviewed by the local news
and makes a fool out of himself, his family,
and his entire race. Well, it’s happened again.
On a grand scale.
...and backstage with Ray J
In LA for the Warner
Bros BET pre-party with
Memphitz...
6. THE REAL HOUSEWIVES OF ATLANTA
None of these ladies are wives and none of
them are real, so the show should just be
called The Atlanta.
7. MALE GROUPIES
The worst kind of groupies in existence. Not
only do they chase down celebrity women,
models, and strippers, but they also cling
onto every major artist or DJ that comes to
their city, trying to take pictures with them
and give them demo CDs.
8. R&B/RAP COLLABOS
Back in the day, you got three verses and a
bridge from an R&B singer. Just good old
fashioned singing. These days, EVERY R&B
song features a rapper. Nothing ruins the
mood more than listening to a sexy slow
jam and all of a sudden Plies comes screaming out of nowhere.
9. 3D Movies
Every movie is in 3D these days and I’m over
it. Shred in 3D? What’s the purpose?
10. 2010 CAREER CHOICES
Everyone’s a rapper or a model. Everyone’s
in entertainment. I miss the days when kids
wanted to become firemen, pilots, nurses,
and doctors.
...Too $hort....
...and Bibi Guns
Wiz Khalifa “Black & Yellow”
Kanye West f/ Pusha T “Runaway”
Kanye West f/ RZA, Jay-Z, Swizz Beatz & Cyhi Da Prynce “So Appalled”
Rich Kid Shawty f/ T.I. “Get Yo Girl”
Sean Garrett f/ J. Cole “Feel Love”
Lloyd Banks f/ Kanye West, Swizz Beatz, Ryan Leslie, & Fabolous “Start It Up”
Mantiz f/ warrenJae “Political Dialogue”
Terrace Martin f/ Kurupt & Overdoz. “Makings Of You”
RE’Splaylist
[email protected]
J. Cole “Blow Up”
Playboy Tre “I Don’t Care”
Cyhi Da Prynce “Sideways”
Tity Boi f/ Yo Gotti “Boo”
OZONE MAG // 13
Are You a G?
7 Questions to FIND OUT if R&B STAR TANK
is the 7th letter of the alphabet.
Maybe Tank deserves to
be considered a G’ and
not just another Nuvonursing R&B singer. We
put the Atlantic crooner to
the test to determine if he
is, in fact, the 7th letter of
the alphabet.
A. You recently re-tweeted
something one of your
followers wrote:“Tank
don’t look like no R&B
musician i ever seen.
Dude look like he gone
kill!” Is that a look you
strive for?
Tank: Yeah. I want to look at
little more aggressive than
the average R&B singer.
I have a strong athletic
background: football, basketball, just being in the
gym and getting physical.
So that makes me different
than other R&B singers.
[But] I am a true R&B singer
in every sense of the word.
From a musical standpoint,
I love to sing to the ladies
and sing about the ladies.
I love to beg. All of that is
R&B and I love to do that.
I’m not too far off of the
beaten path but I do add
some things that a lot of
people are not doing.
Tank almost earned
himself a point for
this response, until
he admitted his
affinity for begging. Never
a G’ move.
B. You had offers to play
college football. What
made you choose the
R&B route?
Tank: I took my music
scholarship instead of
my football scholarship
because my football
scholarship was partial.
So I was like,“I want the
full [music] scholarship
and I’ll still be able to play
football when I get there.”
But when I got there they
loaded me down with so
14 // OZONE MAG
many music classes that I
was in class during football
practice and never made it
to the field. I thought I was
tricking them, but they
were actually tricking me.
Anybody who’s ever paid
back a student
loan knows what
it’s like to be a
victim of a college’s
tricky ways, so we can’t
discredit Tank on this one.
C. Did you have more success with the ladies based
on football or music?
Tank: The first time I sang at
the high school assembly
all the girls started screaming and it was like nothing
I had ever heard before
in my life from scoring a
touchdown or dunking.
That scream right there
when I sang that high note
made the girls go crazy.
So Tank chose
takin’ down cheerleaders over being
tackled by 300-pound
linemen. Possibly the best
decision in “Are You A G’”
history!
D. As an R&B star, how
many phone numbers
do you get on an average
day?
Tank: With me it’s about
quality, not quantity. I’ll
sacrifice ten for one. My
[phone] number is valuable. It means something
if you get my number. You
don’t just get my number
because you happen to be
a female in the club and
you have a little something
on you. I can’t even say that
there is an average. I might
be lucky to give out my
number once a day.
Sounds like a
typical R&B
response crafted
to manipulate even more
adoration from the ladies,
so we’ll give Tank a point.
abcdefG
E. Are there any songs
where you wish you could
change a line or a lyric?
Tank: There is a line on
“Maybe I Deserve”where
I said,“To grab your neck
until you let me know.”I
couldn’t believe I put that
on a record and it was
actually a big record. Every
time I sing that part in a
concert the ladies are like,
“Grab it baby!”It’s crazy.
I get applauded for that
part. They like it rough.
Maybe Tank
should teach a
class to younger
R&B singers about how
to grab necks and get
applauded for it rather
than prosecuted. There’s
obviously an art to it.
F. If you could play a
character in any movie,
who would you be?
Tank: Maybe I could be the
first black Batman. I’d be a
billionaire, run the country,
have my own city, and
become a superhero at
night. Batman was about
his business during the day
and then at night he was
about his other business.
Not a bad answer
to a bad question.
We’ll give Tank
Wayne credit for this one.
G. You spend a lot of time
in Miami. What’s a typical
Miami night consist of?
Tank: KOD. If anybody
knows anything about
that, it’s self explanatory.
Sorry Tank, but
makin’ it rain is so
2006.
Score 5/7 - A solid mark
for the Milwaukee native.
Since Tank is now a certified
G, make sure you pick up his
4th album Now or Never.
Words by Eric Perrin
JEWELRY
CORNER
WORDS By MO THE JEWELER, ICEBOX JEWELRY
A quick flip through any recent issue of OZONE magazine will quickly
prove that “black on black” is one of the hottest and most in-demand
trends in jewelry today. But until recently, black diamonds were
dismissed as simply being expensive lumps of coal. Today, they can be
found everywhere from double-digit custom diamond pieces to mall
kiosks across America.
Black diamonds are a naturally opaque stone, most widely found in
their color-treated form. It’s important to keep in mind that a treated
black diamond is still a real diamond in every way. An enhanced black
diamond is a natural diamond treated with radiation only to obtain
uniform color. Visually, enhanced stones will be of a better quality
when compared to natural untreated black diamonds due to the
amount of visual inclusions. Because natural black diamonds are not
very desirable, it is recommended to stick with color treated black
diamonds over untreated black diamonds any time you have the option available.
If you’re an avid jewelry buyer, you are probably familiar with the
higher ticket that comes with the purchase of white diamonds. Under
most conditions, white diamonds are the most expensive. In smaller
sizes, black diamonds will be similar in price to your average quality
color enhanced canary yellow and blue diamonds. In larger sizes, however, black diamonds will be comparatively cheaper to natural stones
of the same quality.
The most important factors when considering a diamond, untreated
or not, is to look for a smooth surface and a deep, rich color. The color
must be vivid and evenly distributed. With a natural, opaque black
diamond, clarity has to do with luster and the absence of surface chips
or cracks. A high quality black diamond will have a glossy, sparkling
surface.
In terms of clarity, black diamonds are rated within four main grades.
The highest of these is AAA, followed by AA, and A. The quality below
A is typically referred to as Below A or simply “cheap black diamonds.” I
DO NOT recommend going any lower than AA as the color of the treating inside and on the surface of the stone itself is not consistent and is
very noticeable. Black diamonds rated below AA also have many pits
and are a lot more brittle than the two qualities above it.
Until the recent black [diamonds] on black [gold] craze, most of the
black diamond pieces were contrasted by a more prominent color, like
white or yellow along with it. Because it is not as “flashy” as your typical
white diamond jewelry, this monochromatic look is understated and
sophisticated. Combined with a more reasonable price point, it is no
surprise that black diamonds have shot up in popularity. The amount
of variety you have with using black diamonds is immense and I believe this trend will last for a long time. It is safe to say we’ve come full
circle; black is the new black.
If you liked this article or learned something new, feel free to check
out our blog online at www.iceboxjewelry.com/blog. On the website,
you’ll see more articles like this one and pictures of our custom work
as well.
(above L-R): Young Dro & Lil Duval @ Obsessions in Atlanta, GA (Photo: Ms Rivercity); Diamond & Dorrough on the set of “Don’t Spill My Drank” in Dallas, TX (Photo: Never B4
Seen); Mims & DJ Big Dee @ The CORE DJs Retreat in Orlando, FL (Photo: Terrence Tyson)
01 // Hush @ St Andrews for Bizarre’s album release party (Detroit, MI) 02 // Skyhighworld, Dorrough, & Trae @ Mambo (Dallas, TX) 03 // Vawn & Jazze Pha @ the Ralph Lauren
store in the Lenox Mall (Atlanta, GA) 04 // Guest & Waka Flocka Flame @ The Coliseum (Daytona Beach, FL) 05 // Clay Evans, Steve Raze, & Cory Mo @ Obsessions (Atlanta, GA)
06 // DJ Drama & Diamond @ Havana Club for BMI’s Urban Showcase (Atlanta, GA) 07 // Nappy Roots @ St Andrews for Bizarre’s album release party (Detroit, MI) 08 // Ace Hood
& Papa Duck @ Club Zanzabar (Ocala, FL) 09 // Ludacris & Chaka Zulu @ the Ralph Lauren store in the Lenox Mall (Atlanta, GA) 10 // Pat Nix & Tony Khuu @ Showalter Airport for
the Kappas Pajama Jam (Orlando, FL) 11 // Zaytoven, OJ da Juiceman, & Sig HB @ Obsessions (Atlanta, GA) 12 // Tosha, C’na, Star, & Sashey @ The Loft (St Louis, MO) 13 // Big
Chris & Sha Tik @ Club Mirage for Street Runnaz celebration party (Tampa, FL) 14 // BoBo Luchiano & Pookie @ Pookie’s birthday bash (Dallas, TX) 15 // Kevin Cossom, Duval,
Young City, & DJ Q45 @ Showalter Airport for the Kappas Pajama Jam (Orlando, FL) 16 // Jazze Pha & guest @ Park Tavern for ATL Live (Atlanta, GA) 17 // Rick Ross & Bigga
Rankin @ Plush (Jacksonville, FL) 18 // Sweetness, CeCe, JW, & Cole @ Plush (Jacksonville, FL) 19 // Eye Candy model search winner Dominique @ The Loft (St Louis, MO)
Photo Credits: Chics with Pics (14); Edward Hall (02); Julia Beverly (03,06,09); Malik Abdul (01,07,10,12,15,16,19); Ms Rivercity (05,11); Terrence Tyson (04,08,13,17,18)
OZONE MAG // 15
CHANGING TIMES
| By Wendy Day (www.RAP-COALITION.COM)
W
riting this article is the first productive thing I’ve done since I got
my iPad. It’s crack to me. I’m so addicted to my iPad apps I can’t get
any work done. And I’m gonna have to take out a loan to pay for all
of these expensive ass apps I am downloading onto my toy! The apps on my
iPhone were 99 cents to $3.99. The iPad? The business apps are $9.99 and up.
Games and books? $4.99 and up… crazy. But I’m officially addicted. I have to
pay to play.
With the internet and technology, the playing field of the music business has
been leveled. The price of recording equipment came down so anyone could
record songs at home without having to spend a lot of money to record in a
64-track studio. Then, with the social networking sites, artists could go direct
to fans and promote. With companies like TuneCore.com, artists can upload
from home, and digitally distribute their music while collecting the bulk of
the income from the sales. Could it get any better than this?
But here’s the downside: the internet with its relatively free access has led
artists to believe that this is all they need to build a career and promote
themselves. And that message was welcome news to most ears because—
well, let’s face it, artists are almost always broke. So when led to believe that
all they need is to upload their shit to the web and promote for free from
home, they ate that up! And still do. Unfortunately, it has NOT made any
internet millionaire artists in the music industry.
This thinking of “oh, that’s easy, I can do that,” spawned an entire new
generation of people who jumped headfirst into the industry. This not only
included artists and producers, but anyone who was able to invent a job
within the music industry and look important. People able to copy news
from major Hip Hop web sites became “bloggers” and started blabbing their
personal opinions and called themselves “legitimate sources.” Anyone able
to collect email addresses and press “send” on a mass email became email
blasters (for a fee). People with the ability to email bloggers and websites
started calling themselves publicists and charging for it even though they
lacked the relationships, skills, and experience to get successful placements
for their clients.
On the social networking sites, like Twitter, people with no experience and
no access gained instant access to the inner circle of the music industry. You
can “friend” or “follow” Julia Beverly, Puffy, Steve Rifkind, and every star and
convince yourself you have a relationship with them. You can retweet what
they say, or repeat it in an e-blast and lead others to think you have access
and inner knowledge (reminder: you don’t).
Industrious folks quickly learned they could sit at home and surf the web
in between computer games and would call it “grinding.” They could print
up business cards and charge other naive folks money to publicize them,
promote their music, buy beats or hooks, subscribe to their eblast services,
and pay good money for a variety of useless and ineffective services. Up
sprang a cottage industry overloaded with conference calls, record pools, DJ
coalitions, award shows, mp3 blasts, and seminars.
So an industry already rife with bullshitters and scam artists went into
hyperspeed. Intent on making money off of artists’ dreams, these less than
experienced wanna-be’s started promoting themselves and their services as
if that’s what it took to succeed in this business. Only, they were wrong. They
haven’t helped create any stars.
16 // OZONE MAG
This has created is an industry that became overcrowded, inexperienced, and
full of shit. It made it next to impossible for anyone to make a living doing music. And even worse, it became overcrowded and oversaturated at the exact
same time that fans stopped paying for music. The ancillary services were reduced to a few very talented people and a sea of bungling idiots. Many, many
artists lost large sums of money banking on the wrong people to help them.
When artists stopped making money on sales, they turned to touring for income. As new artists were coming up (like Yo Gotti, Plies, Jeezy, Lil Wayne, etc)
there was a market for artists to make $5,000 to $10,000 a show. Up and coming artists who had developed a street buzz could make a living doing shows.
When I first met Yo Gotti, he was doing very well for himself performing for
$3,000 to $8,000 a show, three or four nights a week. For years he toured both
smaller and larger markets. He could eat, his manager and his team could eat,
and it helped to build his reputation and buzz. He built a solid foundation.
In today’s economy, artists seem to raise their prices quickly, so they become
more expensive faster than they can attract fans. For example, Nicki Minaj had
a wonderful buzz very early. Before she had a single or an album to promote,
the word was she was charging $16,000 a show. That is a wonderful thing, but
here is the reality of that….in a smaller market, which is what makes up the
bulk of America, to make a profit on a $16,000 show (which is about $26,000
all-in with venue, travel, and promotions), the promoter has to have a venue
that holds at least 2,000 people willing to spend $20 or $25 a ticket. In a smaller market, there are very few large clubs that hold 2,000 people and very few
people who can afford a $25 ticket a couple of times a week. So newer artists
went from being a regular feature in a small town, to a once-in-a-while event.
The industry is too oversaturated with artists to only have sporadic shows.
There was a point this past Spring where the show prices of newer artists
either fell into the $1,000 to $5,000 range (Travis Porter, Roscoe Dash, Alley
Boy, etc) or the $15,000 to $25,000 range (Yo Gotti, Waka Flocka, Nicki Minaj,
etc). While I absolutely LOVE seeing artists get money, I can’t help but wonder
what the promoters did who needed shows in the $5,000 to $12,500 range.
Sadly, I know the answer--they stopped doing rap shows. They couldn’t make
money. The artists who commanded the higher price point ended up doing
spot dates in bigger markets, and couldn’t tour properly because the economics didn’t make sense. I worried about Gotti and Waka when their planned
tour ended after just a handful of dates. Touring not only brings in income for
the artists (and now the labels) but it also promotes the artist amongst the
fans all over the US. Not being able to perform in Albany, GA, Columbia, SC,
Fayetteville, NC, or Knoxville, TN hurts the artists, the fans, and the industry as
a whole. If an artist can only do shows in the bigger markets to survive (like
Atlanta where clubs routinely hold 2,000+ people, and there are enough fans
to have shows every night of the week at $25 a head), they are fucked from
the gate.
When I pulled up SoundScan last week, I noticed that very few rappers have
gone Gold. The artists who’ve sold the most are the mainstream pop acts,
the artists like Black Eyed Peas, Lil Wayne, Kanye, Rick Ross—the ones who’ve
already built their careers on a solid foundation. The ones who no longer need
the smaller markets or the smaller clubs to make a living. And the ones who
make music that goes to pop radio.
Here’s the light at the end of the tunnel: bullshit comes to light very quickly
and the folks who will remain after all the dust settles are the ones who were
passionate enough to ride out the turbulence and stick it out. The artists
savvy enough to think longterm and who realize that it’s better to work for 7
nights at $2,000 a night, instead of once a week for $10,000, are the ones who
will have the staying power and the solid careers. The rest will fizzle out and
go by the wayside. Natural selection at its best! //
(above L-R): DJ Drama & Pill @ Havana Club for BMI’s Urban Showcase in Atlanta, GA (Photo: Julia Beverly); Trae & Gudda Gudda on the set of Gudda Gudda’s video shoot in
Houston, TX (Photo: Sweetness); Julia Beverly & Mystikal @ House of Blues in Houston, TX (Photo: Julia Beverly)
01 // Kenny Burns & Jermaine Dupri @ Converse’s celebrity basketball game (Atlanta, GA) 02 // Pat Nix & DJ Q45 @ Tera Nova for the Just Wright release party (Jacksonville, FL)
03 // Short Dawg & Greg Gates on the set of Gudda Gudda’s video shoot (Houston, TX) 04 // Guest, Lil Hen, Midget Mac, Young Cash, JW, & Quentin Groves @ Plush (Jacksonville,
FL) 05 // DJ D-Strong, Disco Jr, & PI Bang @ Showalter Airport for the Kappas Pajama Jam (Orlando, FL) 06 // Eye Candy model Teresa @ The Loft (St Louis, MO) 07 // Young Buck
& guest @ The Hall (Palmetto, FL) 08 // Antonio Tarver, Slim E, & Chris Turner @ The CORE DJs Retreat (Orlando, FL) 09 // Trina signing autographs @ DTLR in Dekalb Mall for
Trina’s album signing (Atlanta, GA) 10 // Jay Electronica goes hard on the defense @ Converse’s celebrity basketball game (Atlanta, GA) 11 // Bizmarkie & DJ Q45 @ Tera Nova for
the Just Wright release party (Jacksonville, FL) 12 // Gucci Mane & Coach @ Plush (Jacksonville, FL) 13 // Supa Cindy & Special Ed @ The CORE DJs Retreat (Orlando, FL)
14 // 4 Tre, Zaytoven, & OJ da Juiceman @ Obsessions (Atlanta, GA) 15 // Ratt & Waka Flocka Flame @ The Coliseum (Daytona Beach, FL) 16 // Loaded & Berto @ The GO DJs
conference (Dallas, TX) 17 // Murphy Lee, Kywaun, Birdman, Nelly, & City Spud on the set of “Money Talks” (St Louis, MO) 18 // Omega Red & Still Grindin crew @ Omega Red’s
press junket (San Juan, Puerto Rico) 19 // City Spud & Jus Bleezy on the set of “Money Talks” (St Louis, MO)
Photo Credits: Edward Hall (16); Julia Beverly (01,10); King Yella (17,19); Malik Abdul (05,06,09); Maurice Garland (18); Ms Rivercity (14); Sweetness (03); Terrence Tyson
(02,04,08,11,12,13,15); Travis Pendergrass (07)
OZONE MAG // 17
CHIN
CHECK
By Charlamagne Tha God
HATING IS
FOR SUCKAS
Haters are just confused admirers. I know this for
a fact because I myself have been prone to hating.
First Corinthians 13:11 reads, “When I was a child, I
talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned
like a child. When I became a man, I put childish
ways behind me.” Well, that’s true of me also. When
I was a child, I envied like a child, got jealous like a
child, and hated like a child. When I became a man, I
put my childish, hateful ways behind me.
There’s a difference between hate and honest critique. I don’t like being labeled a “hater.” I prefer the
term “cultural critic,” but there’s a fine line between
the two. A cultural critic says, “Nicki Minaj is dope,
she’s doing her thing. I actually think her rhymes
were a lot harder when she was doing On The Come
Up DVDs, but she’s still nice and I hope she does the
right things with her cult-like following because
she has a lot of young girls looking up to her and
trying to be like her. I hope she leads them to do the
right things because with great power comes great
responsibility.”
A hater says, “Fuck Nicki Minaj. That bitch can’t rap.
She’s a fake Lil Kim and she be trying to sound like
Wayne. Fuck her and all the Barbies that want to be
like the bitch.”
See the difference? The cultural critic gave his honest opinion on the Nicki Minaj movement. He said
what he thought about her, what he used to think
about her, and what he thinks she should do with
the power she has. The hater had nothing good to
say, it was all disses and insults. With envy comes
needless criticism. Jealousy destroys from within.
Haters can never think rationally about someone
else’s situation because they are too busy wondering why they are not in that situation. They’re
unhappy with what they’re doing so they bash
what someone else is doing because it makes them
feel better about themselves.
Most losers are haters; that’s why you should never
listen to a loser’s opinion. They sit around on their
keyboards all day and throw insults about people
via Twitter and Facebook and post negative comments on different websites. Go to any blog right
now and I guarantee that out of the 50 comments
on any one article, only two or three will speak
about the artist mentioned in a positive light. There
are so many people LOSING at this thing called life
that everybody hates anyone that’s WINNING!
Think about some of the most storied franchises in
sports: Los Angeles Lakers, Boston Celtics, New York
Yankees, and my favorite team ever, the Dallas Cowboys. People either LOVE or HATE these teams. If
you love them it’s because you’re a loyal or fanatical
fan like me. If you hate them it’s only because you
grew up watching them beat the shit out of your
favorite squad. You hated seeing them win Super
Bowl after Super Bowl, World Series after World
Series, NBA championship after NBA championship.
You wished it was your squad that was winning, so
the jealousy and envy you felt manifested itself into
18 // OZONE MAG
pure hate for these teams! It’s the same exact thing
with people!
I personally feel like nobody has experienced more
hate than Sean Carter a.k.a. Jay-Z. Since 1996 he
has done nothing but win. When he first came out,
we all wanted a movement like Roc-A-Fella. He was
the star player on a team he owned but there came
a point when you started to hate Jay-Z because he
was winning WAY too much. Haters started to look
for flaws. Haters wanted Nas to knock him off his
pedestal, and cultural critics just wanted a good
Hip Hop battle. Haters graded his presidency at Def
Jam an “F” because LL didn’t sell records, or Meth
and Red didn’t get proper promotion, or Memphis
Bleek and Young Gunz didn’t do well. Cultural
critics took all those things into consideration and
still gave him an “A” because he was instrumental
in helping Kanye, Rihanna, Ne-Yo, Rick Ross and
Jeezy’s careers.
When Kingdom Come came out a lot of people
bashed it, but I loved it because it was grown,
executive Jay-Z reporting live from the boardroom.
He was taking us somewhere we had never been,
and I appreciated that. Listening to music is the
same as reading a book. We can experience things
we’ve never done and it shows us where we can
go. That’s what he did with that album. It did have
a couple of whack joints, like “Anything” featuring
Usher and Pharrell, but overall I thought it was
solid. Haters said, “Fuck Jay-Z, he’s whack, his old ass
needs to stay retired,” with no real reasoning.
I didn’t like American Gangster as much. Musically it
was great but I felt like he was going backwards by
using the movie as an excuse to rap about the dboy lifestyle again. I feel like Jay-Z is bigger than the
trap lifestyle. We know you used to do that and we
don’t need to hear about it anymore. Then, when
he dropped “D.O.A.,” haters (including myself) said,
“Why is he declaring death to AutoTune?” Of all
the things in Hip Hop that he could declare death
to, why did he choose AutoTune? Why not death
to the drug culture in Hip Hop? Why not death to
rappers disrespecting women?
A hater would say, “Fuck Jay-Z! If Big and Pac were
alive he wouldn’t be shit. He hasn’t dropped a dope
album since the first Blueprint. All he does is bite
Biggie. Death to AutoTune? Niggas are eating off
that shit and his old ass wants to hate? The only
reason he’s on top is because he’s part of the Illuminati and worships the devil! I hope Beyonce leaves
his camel-lookin’ ass!”
What kind of a world are we living in that whenever
a black person is winning, it’s because he worships
the devil? Forget God, talent, and hard work - the
only reason he’s winning is because he worships
the devil? That’s when hate has gone too far. We
must challenge ourselves to understand the difference between honest opinion and hate. Honest
opinions and constructive criticism are great; they
can only help you grow. Hate is destructive and it
only hurts you in the long run, because you’re wasting your time instead of focusing on how you too
can become a winner.
Next time you speak on a person ask yourself if
you’re jealous of them. Do you envy them? Do you
want to be in their position? If you answer yes to
any of those questions, don’t speak, because you
won’t have anything constructive to say. It’s better
to remain silent and be thought of as a hater than
to speak out and remove all doubt.
Remember - haters are just confused admirers.
Being a hater is childish and we cultural critics
are quite grown.
May Allah bless you all,
Charlamagne Tha God
Follow Me On Twitter
www.twitter.com/cthagod
1. SLAVE TRADE ENTERTAINMENT www.slavetradeent.com
With 360 Deals running rampant in the music business, Slave Trade Entertainment actually
doesn’t sound that far-fetched. But their slogan “we want reparation in the entertainment industry” makes this name even more confusing.
2. Doin’Time Entertainment www.inmatesgottalent.com
For the type of work they do, their name is actually appropriate. They are currently making a
prison-based American Idol-type show called Inmates Got Talent, hoping to actually rehabilitate
convicts by allowing them to perform music and comedy routines. However, if you ever get an
offer to sign to this label…you probably aren’t where you want to be in life.
< 3. Mayo and B.White www.myspace.com/billymayonaise &
www.myspace.com/bwhiteakathewiseguy
These two names go right alongside Vanilla Ice and Snow as the corniest white rapper names ever. Don’t be surprised if we hear of some
guys named Saltine and Marsh Mellow after this.
Words by Maurice G. Garland
(above L-R): Jay Electronica & his niece @ Converse’s celebrity basketball game in Atlanta, GA (Photo: Julia Beverly); Common & DJ Q45 @ Tera Nova for the Just Wright release
party in Jacksonville, FL (Photo: Terrence Tyson); Sean Garrett & Bangladesh @ Havana Club for BMI’s Urban Showcase in Atlanta, GA (Photo: Julia Beverly)
01 // Prince Rick, Treal Lee, Mr Hit Dat Hoe & Travis Porter @ Pure Lounge (Dallas, TX) 02 // Steve Bellamy, Pat Nix, & Ali Muhammad @ Tera Nova for the Just Wright release
party (Jacksonville, FL) 03 // Sean D & DJ Demp @ The CORE DJs Retreat (Orlando, FL) 04 // Lloyd, Hollywood, & Mystikal on the set of “Set Me Free” (New Orleans, LA) 05 // DJ
D-Strong & Roscoe Dash @ Spring Bling (Daytona Beach, FL) 06 // Travis Porter @ Columbia High School (Columbia, SC) 07 // Juvenile & Tony Neal @ Tongue & Groove for Ray
Rizzy’s video shoot (Atlanta, GA) 08 // Jay Electronica front & center for Big Boi’s Microsoft show @ Shriners Temple (Atlanta, GA) 09 // Cali Swag District @ Pookie’s birthday bash
(Dallas, TX) 10 // Ensayne Wayne & J Holiday @ DJango’s for ATL Beat Battle (Atlanta, GA) 11 // One Chance on the set of Sophia Fresh’s video shoot (Atlanta, GA) 12 // 9th Ward
Gucci, Lloyd, & DJ Mike Swift on the set of “Set Me Free” (New Orleans, LA) 13 // Lil C & Big Cotton @ Patchwerk for Lil C’s listening session (Atlanta, GA) 14 // Guest, DJ Jelly, &
Big Boi @ Stankonia for Big Boi’s listening party (Atlanta, GA) 15 // Git Fresh & G Dragon (Seoul, South Korea) 16 // Bigga Rankin & Zaytoven @ Club Obsessions (Atlanta, GA) 17
// DJ Sir Thurl & Birdman on the set of “Money Talks” (St Louis, MO) 18 // Common & Pat Nix @ Tera Nova for the Just Wright release party (Jacksonville, FL) 19 // Mr Collipark,
Rage, & Soulja Boy on the set of “Daze” (Atlanta, GA)
Photo Credits: Chics with Pics (09); Julia Beverly (08,11,14,15); King Yella (17); Malik Abdul (06,07,13,19); Marcus DeWayne (04,12); Ms Rivercity (10,16); Never B4 Seen (01); Terrence Tyson (02,03,05,18)
OZONE MAG // 19
LIL KIM, NICKI MINAJ, & DRAKE
Lil Kim: You Want To Rumble With The Bee Huh!
NICKI MINAJ: [No Reply]
Lil Kim: Don’t act like you don’t see me! I got your info from the gay guy who
did my colorful wigs in the Crush On You Video! That’s right, the same one who
does your wigs now! I know this is you Nicki! You need to pay homage!
NICKI MINAJ: [No Reply]
Lil Kim: Get Your Own Shit Nicki! Why You Riding Mine!
NICKI MINAJ: [No Reply]
Lil Kim: I don’t want you to think I’m doing this because I’m not hot right now,
and this generation doesn’t care about me, and I’m trying to generate some
interest because I want Roc Nation to think I’m viable enough to sign. This isn’t
about none of that, this is about respect!
NICKI MINAJ: [No Reply]
* FIVE HOURS LATER *
DRAKE: Nobody can go back and start a new beginning, but anyone can start
today and make a new ending.
Lil Kim: What? Is this Aubrey? Here you go speaking up for Nicki again! Listen
here you thumb with eyebrows why don’t you say something to Ray J or
Beanie Sigel? They the ones who got @ you not me! You looking real PINK
right now getting at a female!
OZONE EXCLUSIVE
Textin’ is no longer safe now that OZONE’s
dangerous minds have hacked the system.
DRAKE: Anything I’ve ever done that ultimately was worthwhile...initially
scared me to death.
Lil Kim: You need to be scared! When I come to one of your shows Dressed in
all Black like the Omen, i’m a have your friends singing this is for my homies!
DRAKE: I’d rather be an optimist who is sometimes wrong than a pessimist who
is always right.
Lil Kim: What? Look here Pink Boy this isn’t Twitter! I want to talk to Nicki not
you!
DRAKE: Nicki is only responding to relevant people today.
Lil Kim: What the fuck is that supposed to mean?
DRAKE: It means Thank Biggie for writing your rhymes...Thank you for that
Hardcore poster with the nice vaginal shot....Thank you for the memories...
thank me later for letting you know it’s OVER. Now I’m going back to, wait?
What was I doing? Oh that’s right, I’m doing me, I’m doing me.......
From the mind of Charlamagne Tha God
Nicki Minaj & Drake photos by Julia Beverly
20 // OZONE MAG
(above L-R): Young Cash & JW @ Plush in Jacksonville, FL (Photo: Terrence Tyson); Dream & Bone @ Stankonia in Atlanta, GA (Photo: Ms Rivercity); KLC & Mystikal @ House of
Blues in Houston, TX (Photo: Julia Beverly)
01 // Bryan J & Sammie @ Columbia High School (Columbia, SC) 02 // Stax & Lil C @ Hot Beats for Lil C’s listening party (Atlanta, GA) 03 // Yancey Richardson & Wale @ The Loft
(Atlanta, GA) 04 // Julia Beverly, DJ Infamous, Miss Info, OJ da Juiceman, & DJ Holiday @ Converse’s celebrity basketball game (Atlanta, GA) 05 // Eldorado Red & Yung Ralph
@ Patchwerk (Atlanta, GA) 06 // Git Fresh & Flo Rida (Seoul, South Korea) 07 // Sam Sneak, Young Breed, Rick Ross, & Masspike Miles @ Compound for DJ Infamous” party
(Atlanta, GA) 08 // CORE Models & Ray Rizzy @ Tongue & Groove for Ray Rizzy’s video shoot (Atlanta, GA) 09 // Baby Boy & Young Dro @ Obsessions (Atlanta, GA) 10 // Lloyd &
EI @ Havana Club for BMI’s Urban Showcase (Atlanta, GA) 11 // Wendy Day & Grand Prix @ The CORE DJs Retreat (Orlando, FL) 12 // Saw Money & Young Cash @ The CORE DJs
Retreat (Orlando, FL) 13 // Omega Red & crew @ Omega Red’s press junket (San Juan, Puerto Rico) 14 // Playaz Circle @ Throbacks (Atlanta, GA) 15 // DJ Drama & Khujo Goodie
@ Havana Club for BMI’s Urban Showcase (Atlanta, GA) 16 // Pookie from Urban South reppin” OZONE (Greenville, MS) 17 // Tarvoria & Haitian Fresh @ The CORE DJs Retreat
(Orlando, FL) 18 // Mo Spoon & Eye Candy Models @ The Loft (St Louis, MO)
Photo Credits: Edward Hall (16); Julia Beverly (04,06,10,13,15); Malik Abdul (01,02,03,08,18); Ms Rivercity (05,09,14); Terrence Tyson (11,12,17); Thaddaeus McAdams (07)
OZONE MAG // 21
22 // OZONE MAG
(above L-R): Jay Electronica, Pill, & Angela Yee @ Shriners Temple in Atlanta, GA (Photo: Julia Beverly); Sophia Fresh on the set of their video shoot in Atlanta, GA; D Woods & Verse
Simmonds @ Door 44 for Shanell’s shower in Atlanta, GA (Photos: Malik Abdul)
01 // Freeway Ricky Ross & Emperor Searcy @ Echelon (Atlanta, GA) 02 // Rick Ross & Young Breed @ Plush (Jacksonville, FL) 03 // Wendy Day, E-Class, & Nancy Byron @ The
CORE DJs Retreat (Orlando, FL) 04 // Big Kuntry & TJ Chapman on the set of B.o.B.’s video shoot (Atlanta, GA) 05 // Yancey Richardson, Plies, & DJ Q45 @ WJBT (Jacksonville, FL)
06 // Brandi Garcia & Mystikal @ House of Blues (Houston, TX) 07 // Lil Tony & Charm @ Pure Lounge (Dallas, TX) 08 // Stephanie & DJ Hella Yella at Bacy’s (Dallas, TX)
09 // Akon pulling up in style @ Compound for DJ Infamous” party (Atlanta, GA) 10 // DJ Bigg V & Global Mixx @ Delta Nights (Indianola, MS) 11 // Yancey Richardson, Wiz
Khalifa, & Cannon Kent @ The Loft (Atlanta, GA) 12 // Trina & Mz Shyneka @ DTLR in Dekalb Mall for Trina’s album signing (Atlanta, GA) 13 // T Streetz & Gudda Gudda on the set
of Gudda Gudda’s video shoot (Houston, TX) 14 // Terrence Tyson & Shanell @ The CORE DJs Retreat (Orlando, FL) 15 // Nicole & Vee @ Havana Club for BMI’s Urban Showcase
(Atlanta, GA) 16 // Jim Jones & Miss Info @ Converse’s celebrity basketball game (Atlanta, GA) 17 // Jagged Edge @ Havana Club for BMI’s Urban Showcase (Atlanta, GA)
18 // Ace Hood @ Club Zanzabar (Ocala, FL) 19 // Lil Hen, Quentin Groves, & Jamar Hornsby @ Plush (Jacksonville, FL)
Photo Credits: Edward Hall (10); Julia Beverly (06,15,16,17); Malik Abdul (01,04,11,12); Never B4 Seen (07,08); Sweetness (13); Terrence Tyson (02,03,05,14,18,19); Thaddaeus
McAdams (09)
OZONE MAG // 23
Industry 101
RASHEED
MUHAMMAD
The walls OF Rasheed Muhammad’s Atlanta, GA office – lined with plaques from the likes of LIL
WAYNE, T.I., Jermaine Dupri, Bow Wow, Young Buck, Lloyd Banks,
Young Jeezy, Dallas Austin, USHER,
Pharrell, Ne-Yo, Yung Joc, Keyshia Cole, AND T-PAIN – seem more fitting for a record executive than a banker. As the Vice President of SunTrust’s unique Sports and Entertainment division, Muhammad was able to parlay his passion for music and formal training into a secure career which still affords him the excitement of the entertainment world.
We met recently at T.I.’s wedding. A lot of people think that to be a part of that social circle
you would have to be a rapper or a singer, but
it seems like you’ve managed to have the best
of both worlds. Did you plan it that way?
I got really lucky, because I was able to marry
a hobby with my career. When I was growing
up I had formal training as a singer, and I was
always interested in the business side of the
music industry. I pursued a career as a singer
and a songwriter, and I didn’t make it, but I didn’t
want to just be a person who was on stage
performing. I wanted to know how to leverage
my personality and do everything. I had already
been researching merchandising and touring
and royalties; all the different revenue streams
you can make in the music industry. So I already
had a firm grasp of that.
At what point did you decide you weren’t going to “make it” as a singer/songwriter?
I graduated from the University of South Carolina, and while I was going to school there, I was
in a singing group and we’d been doing shows
on campus. At school, we were stars, you know?
We did shows and frat parties. At one of the frat
parties this guy said he was Diana Ross’ cousin
and he wanted to bring us to do Showtime at
the Apollo. We thought he was [lying] but we
still traded numbers. And he ended up calling us
and scheduled us to do [Showtime at the Apollo]
in two weeks. We were in college, and we didn’t
have any money. So the four of us piled into a
rented two-door Nissan Sentra and drove all the
way up to New York. We shared the hotel room,
we shared pieces of chicken, we shared everything. We did Showtime at the Apollo in 1994,
and we actually almost won. But for the four of
us, we felt like that was the pinnacle of all talent
shows. Within a few months of us leaving the
Apollo, one of the members of our group tragically died in a car accident. We kinda regrouped
and I decided to move to Atlanta, both because
I was interested in the music business and because I wanted to make use of my degree.
What did you get your degree in?
24 // OZONE MAG
I have a degree in Retail Administration and
Management and a second concentration in
Finance. When I moved to Atlanta, I started working for another financial institution and I had to
build a portfolio [of clients] from scratch. And
since I had always been around the music industry, those are [the clients] I went after. There was
a lot going on in Atlanta at the time – this was
right before the 1996 Olympics. LaFace Records
was here, and the music industry was busting at
the seams. If you’re passionate about the music
industry, you understand how money is made
in the industry. Shows like VH1’s Behind the
Music will really show you examples of clients
who either didn’t get expert financial advice or
didn’t follow it, and as a result, you get the rags
to riches and then riches back to rags story, you
know?
How did you end up at SunTrust and how did
they decide to start a separate division for
entertainment?
SunTrust has been doing it since 1988; a guy
named Brian Williams had the vision to sort of
become the banker to the stars. Brian started off
with one client and just built it one client at a
time through referrals. I had a lot of opportunities to go to other firms, but in 2003, Brian called
me and said, “Hey, I have an opportunity for you,”
and I was like, “Brian, I’m really happy where I
am.” And Brian said, “Just give me an opportunity
to tell my story. Once I’ve told my story, you’re informed, and if it makes sense, let’s talk more.” He
told me his story, and SunTrust’s story. SunTrust
was one of the first firms to get comfortable
with royalty lending and catalogue lending. I
literally went from being happy and comfortable
at my job to [quitting] and starting at SunTrust
seventeen days later. It just made sense. Here
we do a lot of music, but also sports – baseball,
basketball, football, golf, tennis, everything.
Why would an entertainer or athlete come to
you instead of another bank?
I don’t believe there are any other financial
institutions that have a separate line of business
that is totally sports and entertainment. That’s all
we do. We also do private wealth management.
[At a general bank] you can make a deposit, do
small loans, credit cards, things of that nature.
But here, the client is aligned with a true wealth
advisor that can give them advice on general
bank stuff as well as more sophisticated financial
conversations, like insurance, estate planning,
investment planning, wills, trusts, things of that
nature. And by doing business with us you also
get access to our network. We can align our Rolodex – we have clients who can help other clients.
Not only that, but our group is really passionate
about the business. Being an artist is always going to be in my blood, and that’s what gives me
the passion to be out there at 2 or 3 in the morning trying to connect the dots. I believe the role I
play at SunTrust helps the industry as a whole.
You did mention someone who had interviewed for a job at SunTrust and you turned
him down because he wanted to be a music
artist as well. Where do you draw the line between the passion and the business?
Well, we did have a highly regarded intern who
they thought would be great for the sports and
entertainment group. I met him and he was
great, and we really wanted to give him an offer,
but he also had a strong musical interest and the
passion to do it. He said he really needed the job,
and we told him, “If that’s in your blood, that you
really love the music, just pursue your dreams.”
We wanted to help him out in any way we could,
but you can’t be the person trying to be the
artist and you’re the financial advisor as well. We
didn’t want to have a conflict of interest.
When a new client comes to you on the entertainment side, what are some of the typical
financial problems or mistakes you see?
First, we have to examine the people they
surround themselves with; their professional
consultants. They have to have a true business
manager or accountant in place. We can’t really
be instrumental unless those things are in place.
We work hand-in-hand with a lot of business
managers to design an approach. I think a lot of
the financial woes of the industry...
To read the rest of this interview, search for
“Rasheed Muhammad” on ozonemag.com.
Words & Photo by Julia Beverly
(above L-R): OJ da Juiceman & Miss Info @ Converse’s celebrity basketball game in Atlanta, GA (Photo: Julia Beverly); G1 & Birdman @ Club Cinema in Pompano Beach, FL (Photo:
Travis Pendergrass); Camron & Vado @ Compound for DJ Infamous” party in Atlanta, GA (Photo: Thaddaeus McAdams)
01 // DJ 5 Venoms & DJ Smallz @ Club Mirage for Street Runnaz celebration party (Tampa, FL) 02 // Jabar & ladies @ Club Tavern (Orlando, FL) 03 // Pookie of Urban South &
friends @ Club Pure for his birthday party (Dallas, TX) 04 // Waka Flocka Flame & Gudda Gudda on the set of Gudda Gudda’s video shoot (Houston, TX) 05 // Bigga Rankin &
Young Cash @ Plush (Jacksonville, FL) 06 // Flo Rida takes over the DJ booth (Seoul, South Korea) 07 // Angela Yee & 9th Wonder @ Shriners Temple (Atlanta, GA) 08 // Jim Jones
& Camron @ Converse’s celebrity basketball game (Atlanta, GA) 09 // Ladies @ Spring Bling (Daytona Beach, FL) 10 // Alley Boy, Zaytoven, & Big Bank Black @ Club Obsessions
(Atlanta, GA) 11 // Ms Rivercity & Grand Prix @ Plush (Jacksonville, FL) 12 // Spodee & Baby Boy @ Obsessions (Atlanta, GA) 13 // Stix Malone & DJ Holiday @ Converse’s celebrity
basketball game (Atlanta, GA) 14 // Yung Joc & SWAGG Team affiliates @ Havana Club for BMI’s Urban Showcase (Atlanta, GA) 15 // St. Lunatics Ali, Murphy Lee, Nelly, Kywuan,
& City Spud on the set of “Money Talks” (St Louis, MO) 16 // Plies & Tarvoria @ The Coliseum for Plies concert (Daytona Beach, FL) 17 // Lloyd & Princess Denisia on the set of “Set
Me Free” (New Orleans, LA) 18 // Alley Boy & Eldorado Red @ Club Fushion (Montgomery, AL) 19 // Maurice Garland, Mecca, & Janee Bolden @ Shriners Temple (Atlanta, GA)
Photo Credits: Edward Hall (03); Julia Beverly (06,07,08,13,14,19); Keith the Beast (02); King Yella (15); Marcus DeWayne (17); Ms Rivercity (10,12,18); Sweetness (04); Terrence
Tyson (01,05,09,11,16)
OZONE MAG // 25
Since 1989, Steve Below’s production has
appeared on many of your favorite artist’s
albums. Lil Boosie, Webbie, and Young Bleed
were a few of Below’s first projects. Later, he
provided the backdrop for UGK classics like
“Swishas and Dosha” and Bun B’s “Right Now,”
featuring Pimp C, Tupac, and Trey Songz.
But in between those productions, Below
still worked 9-5 jobs until the next call came.
OZONE sat down with the producer to find
out what it’s like to make a classic while still
leading a “regular” life.
Who were your immediate influences coming
from Dallas?
Watching Yo! MTV Raps, BET, and Donnie
Simpson. We had Nemisis, Ron C, D.O.C. He was
the one that came out and showed everybody
this could be done on a nationwide scale, aside
from the obvious ones like Run-DMC. Back
then it wasn’t about what Coast you were from,
it was about the music. They inspired everybody, like, “Hey, we can get into this too.”
When did you start producing?
Around 1996. I grew up in Dallas, but it wasn’t
until I left and went to Southern University in
Baton Rouge that I started meeting people
in the business. I met Curt B, who was doing
beats. We’d be sitting around in the apartment
trying to make something that would pop. Curt
B is one of those cats that could make friends
with anybody. He started telling people about
me, like C-Loc. I was fortunate to watch Nappy
Perez work on the first Young Bleed album, and
then I worked with him on the Concentration
Camp’s album The Holocaust. I did five beats on
Young Bleed’s second album; that was my first
national placement at the time.
Next, Curt B introduced me to Mel, who is coCEO of Trill Entertainment. We started hanging
out and then working together. He was looking
for artists. I met Pimp C through him. When
Trill first signed Lil Boosie, I worked on his first
album For My Thugz. When things quieted
down, I moved to Atlanta and hooked up with
Pimp [C]. He was working with an artist named
Young Smitty. We would just be in the basement making beats; we came up with some
26 // OZONE MAG
good songs. We dropped a Smitty album but
it had to come out through another label because Pimp got locked up. We had to regroup
when Pimp got locked up. I moved back to Dallas and got a regular 9-5, but I would still come
home and do music. I shot to a high and then
hit a low point, but I never got discouraged.
Rappers tend to hide when they come down
from being in the spotlight, but producers can
still maneuver with no ego involved.
Bouncing back depends on your personal
character and how bad you want it. There were
days when I was discouraged and asked myself
if I wanted to be working a 9-5 for the rest of
my life.
How did you get back in the game?
I got another chance to work with Trill Entertainment on Webbie’s Savage Life album. But
when people heard the tracks I did on UGK’s
double-album, that’s what did it. I did “Swishas
and Dosha” and the “Like That” remix. That motivated me to keep going, because to stop after
getting to that point didn’t make any sense.
What was it like working on an album of that
magnitude? Prior to that album you didn’t
hear about Pimp C working with a lot of
outside producers for UGK albums.
I’m not gonna lie to you, it was a lot of pressure. Before I even submitted any tracks to that
album, they had already gotten beats from
Swizz Beatz, Jazze Pha, the Blackout Movement, and Lil Jon. So I was about to be in the
company of folks with platinum, mega-hits. But
Pimp used to constantly tell me I was jammin’,
so that helped a lot. The “Swishas and Dosha”
beat was a turning point in my career. People
always tell me that’s the song they listen to
when they’re having a long day.
about business. We’d just ride around and talk
about music.
Tell us about your work on Bun B’s Trill OG.
I met both Pimp and Bun at the same time
at Mel’s house. I played some beats for them
and they bobbed their heads. From there I
developed a relationship with [Bun’s manager]
International Red. I called Bun and told him
I thought he was going to make a classic. He
said he wanted to make the album that everybody thought he could make, but hadn’t made
yet. Bun brought me down to a spot and put
me in a situation where I could be comfortable
and just work. I produced the intro, “Church,”
“Right Now,” “Lights Cameras Action,” “Get
Down For Mine,” “Show Money,” and some
extra songs that are on the deluxe edition.
What was it like producing “Right Now”?
I was already a fan of everybody on that record,
especially Tupac and Pimp C. Their music was
already embedded in my soul. I was a huge
Tupac fan. Most of the time when I make beats,
I have Tupac in mind anyway. When the opportunity arose - I wouldn’t say it was easy - but
I felt like I was ready. It had to be a song that
both the young and the old would like, and
it had to sound like something both of them
would rap on, so it had to be musical. When I
was making that track, I had pictures of Pimp
and ‘Pac in front of me, talking to them. I know
that sounds crazy, but I couldn’t mess this up.
I wasn’t the only person to get my hands on it;
they gave it to a couple other producers too.
It brought out my competitive spirit. I said,
“Nobody is taking this one from me.” //
Did that open a lot of doors for you?
After that album came out, we had so many
things we were going to do, but when my
brother Pimp C passed away, a lot of those
things fell flat. Even after that album I was
still working a regular job. I got paid, of course,
but we all know that just because you do a
couple beats on a big album doesn’t mean
you can retire. I kept doing my thing. Me and
Pimp were really good friends, before I even
got a placement on a UGK album. It wasn’t just
OZONE MAG // 26
OZONE MAG // 27
8
8
by Randy Roper
YEAR
ANNIVERSARY
HOT NEW
PRODUCERS
Over the last eight years, from Polow Da Don to Mannie Fresh to Drumma Boy, OZONE has featured the best producers behind the boards. To celebrate our 8th Anniversary, we selected eight producers or production teams that are providing the freshest sounds in Hip Hop.
Scoop Deville
Chase N. Chase & Hit-Boy
Representin’: Los Angeles, California
Production Credits: Snoop Dogg “I Wanna
Rock,” Snoop Dogg f/ Jay-Z “I Wanna Rock
(The Kings G-Mix),” Fat Joe f/ Young Jeezy
“Slow Down (Ha Ha)”
Website: scoopdeville.tumblr.com
Da Honorable C-N.O.T.E.
Representin’: Benton Harbor, Michigan
Production Credits: Flo Rida f/ Lil Wayne
“American Superstar,” Gudda Gudda f/
Waka Flocka Flame “Locked My CEO Up,”
Rocko “Lingo,” Rocko f/ Cam’ron & E-40
“Lingo (Remix)”
Website: twitter.com/honorablecnote
Nard & B.
Representin’: Atlanta, Georgia
Production Credits: Maino f/ T-Pain “All The
Above,” T.I. f/ B.o.B. “On Top Of The World,”
Yung LA f/ Rico Barrino “Futuristic Love,”
Willy Northpole f/ B.o.B. “Hood Dreamer”
Website: www.myspace.com/nardandbbeatz
Alex Da Kid
Representin’: New York, New York (via
London, United Kingdom)
Production Credits: Nicki Minaj “Massive
Attack,” B.o.B. f/ Hayley Williams (of Paramore) “Airplanes,” B.o.B. f/ Eminem and
Hayley Williams “Airplanes Part 2,” Eminem f/ Rihanna “Love The Way You Lie”
Website: twitter.com/alexdakid
Needlz
Representin’: Lansing, Michigan
Production Credits: Young Jeezy f/ Drake &
Lil Wayne “I’m Goin’ In,” Jadakiss “Letter To
Big,” Young Jeezy “Greatest Trapper Alive,”
Donnis “Gone,” Pill “On Da Corner”
Website: www.needlz.net
28 // OZONE MAG
Representin’: New Orleans, Louisiana
Production Credits: Lil Wayne f/ Eminem
“Drop The World,” Flo Rida f/ Birdman
“Priceless,” Young Money “Pass The Dutch”
& “New Shit,” G-Unit “Kitty Kat”
Website: itsthesurfclub.com
(Photo:
Official
Don)
DJ Spinz
Representin’: Atlanta, Georgia
Production Credits: Travis Porter “Go
Shorty Go,” Travis Porter “Get Naked,”
“Gorilla Zoe “iBall,” Roscoe Dash “Sexy Girl
Anthem”
Website: twitter.com/spinzhoodrich
1500 or Nothin’:
Representin’: Los Angeles, California
Production Credits: The Game f/ Travis
Barker “Dope Boys” & Game f/ Keyshia
Cole “Game’s Pain,” Drake f/ Nipsey Hussle
“Killers”
Website: www.1500ornothin.com
For exclusive interviews with these producers, log on to Ozonemag.com.
(above L-R): Big Boi & his son @ Stankonia for Big Boi’s listening party in Atlanta, GA (Photo: Julia Beverly); Freeway Ricky Ross & Shawty Lo @ Echelon in Atlanta, GA (Photo: Malik
Abdul); Nelly & Birdman on the set of “Money Talks” in St Louis, MO (Photo: King Yella)
01 // Bu & Shawn “Tubby” Holiday @ Havana Club for BMI’s Urban Showcase (Atlanta, GA) 02 // Coach K & Coach @ Plush (Jacksonville, FL) 03 // JW & Bigga Rankin @ Plush
(Jacksonville, FL) 04 // Cory Mo & TJ Chapman on the set of B.o.B.’s video shoot (Atlanta, GA) 05 // Byron Wright, Travis Porter, & Catherine Brewton @ Havana Club for BMI’s
Urban Showcase (Atlanta, GA) 06 // Kyjuan, Chingy, City Spud, & Murphy Lee on the set of “Money Talks” (St Louis, MO) 07 // Guest, Arab, Soulja Boy, Jabar, & Bay Bay @ Spring
Bling (Daytona Beach, FL) 08 // Flo Rida & Git Fresh (Seoul, South Korea) 09 // DJ Smallz & DJ Quick Mixx Rick @ Stankonia (Atlanta, GA) 10 // Jus Bleezy & Ruka Puff on the set of
“Money Talks” (St Louis, MO) 11 // Sean Garrett & Lil Bankhead @ the BMI Urban Showcase (Atlanta, GA) 12 // Rob Love, Tony Neal, & Ray Rizzy @ Tongue & Groove for Ray Rizzy’s
video shoot (Atlanta, GA) 13 // Mack Maine & Terrence Tyson @ Nocturnal for OZONE’s Free Weezy party (Miami, FL) 14 // Lil Rock Dogs & Macksippi (Indianola, MS) 15 // Video
models on the set of Mon E G & Masspike Miles’ video shoot (Miami, FL) 16 // Janee Bolden, Mecca, & Angela Yee @ Omega Red’s press junket (San Juan, Puerto Rico) 17 // OJ da
Juiceman, DJ Holiday, & Green Lantern @ Converse’s celebrity basketball game (Atlanta, GA)
Photo Credits: Edward Hall (14); Julia Beverly (01,05,08,17); King Yella (06,10); Malik Abdul (04,12,15); Maurice Garland (16); Ms Rivercity (09,11); Terrence Tyson (02,03,07,13)
OZONE MAG // 29
PIMP
C’s
GREATEST HITS
Words by Maurice G. Garland
Photo by Julia Beverly
W
hen Pimp C passed away three years ago,
he was no stranger to controversy. Much of
the last years of his life were spent ruffling feathers, whether it was in interviews or songs he
recorded. UGK fans knew he was never one to hold his
tongue, so his public tirades never came any real surprise. Always speaking his mind and expressing himself,
Pimp C has left us plenty of moments and quotables to
remember him by. Here are a few we picked out.
GREATEST HITS ON WAX:
“Diamonds & Wood”
Ridin Dirty is perhaps the most personal album in UGK’s catalogue,
and “Diamonds & Wood” is one of the rare times in Pimp C’s lyrical
history that he showed vulnerability. He touched on everything
from enemies lurking in shadows to vengeful baby mamas. The song has
quotables for days and some of its lines have been re-used by many rappers, including E-40.
”Aint That A Bitch”
“Bitch” is a word often used in rap songs, but here Pimp actually
explained the term and made it into a double entendre that would
even make Jay-Z listen harder. If you bought the Dirty Money album
when it (finally) came out, you probably wanted to yell the song’s title at
the top of your lungs because Jive Records edited out most of the cursing.
Thankfully, the uncensored version is widely available on the internet now.
”Sippin On Some Syrup”
In hindsight, some may feel that Pimp’s enjoyment of this potion is
the very thing that led to his demise. But looking beyond that, the
classic line “Take that monkey shit off, you embarrassing us” has become the standard critique for any person or action that makes Southerners
look bad.
”Swishas & Dosha”
On the first track of UGK’s long-awaited return Underground Kingz,
Pimp came out with guns blazing, going off on the new crop of
rappers who obviously were nothing like their predecessors. Calling
them everything from “hoe niggas” to “homosexual on-the-low niggas,”
Pimp let it be known that he didn’t think too too highly of today’s rap stars.
”Knockin Doors Down”
Did every Southern rapper in the history of rap get along? Of course
not. But while Pimp was locked away, beefs between T.I. and Lil Flip,
Z-Ro and Slim Thug, and Chamillionare and Paul Wall threatened
to destroy the legacy that Pimp and his peers help build. So like any O.G.
would do, Pimp put all of them on blast. Needless to say, all of these beefs
are finished now.
30 // OZONE MAG
”Get Throwed”
One of the main verses that kept him on our minds throughout
the “Free Pimp C” campaign, here he laid it out flat for low-balling
hustlers “trying to get the cheaper price” and the consequences
awaiting them. He even made a fashion statement: “Polo, fuck that Hilfiger.”
”The Game Belongs To Me”
Depending on how long they’re locked away, when friends and
family get out of prison, the world often leaves them behind.
Pimp was only gone for four years, but a lot changed in that time,
especially with new technology and cell phones. Even pimpin’ changed:
“pimping ain’t dead, it just moved to the web.”
”Top Notch Hoes”
A rare gem from the UGK catalog, this song only appeared on
either the Dirty Money bootleg or the Trill Azz Mixes mixtape. Most of
the song was about sexual escapades, but Pimp still found room to
make bold statements against anyone he thought was “dissing my friends.”
Namely The Roots, who he felt were mocking Too $hort in their “What They
Do” video.
”Hi-Life”
Another instance of Pimp taking off of the shades and allowing
the world to look him in the eye. “Tired of living fucked up, tired of
living bad / Tired of hearing Grandmama say, ‘When you gonna go
to church, Chad?’” is a line that most of us could relate to. “I wish that I could
tell you I wore a rubber everytime / But if I told you that, nigga, you know
that I be lyin’” is probably the realest line you’ll ever hear a rapper spit.
”I Feel Like I’m The One That’s Doing Dope”
In his later years, Pimp’s persona often outshadowed his actual creative talents as a producer, songwriter, rapper and storyteller. This
solo song from Hard To Swallow is perhaps his darkest (or depending
on who you ask, psychotic) opus. Right up there with Geto Boys’ “Mind Playing Tricks on Me” and The Notorious B.I.G.’s “Suicidal Thoughts,” Pimp’s audio
nightmare of being a murderous, suicidal, diseased rapist crackhead (yes,
that is a lot going on) came out way before Horrorcore became the gimmick
it was in the mid-90s.
GREATEST HITS OFF WAX:
On Rappers Carrying Guns
This is a dangerous industry. It’s foul. With as many devils and
vultures and hogs and wicked people that are involved in [the rap
game], I think every [artist] ought to have a license to carry guns –
felons or no felons. So off top, if [the police] pull a rap nigga over and he’s
got a gun, shit, he’s probably got a gun because he’s scared somebody
else with a gun is gonna try to do something [to him].
On “video models”
You know what I like to do when I get to my video set? I like to just
fire all the broads that are already there. I just fire everybody, send
‘em all home. Shit, I’ll bring my own crew of bitches. I’d rather have
a real live prostitute bitch on the set than some bitch that’s been fucking
the director and got promised a spot in my video. (OZONE Magazine)
On Pimpin’ In the Music Industry
We’re talkin’ about pimpin’ and hoeing, [but] the biggest pimps
are the record labels and the biggest hoes are these muthafuckin’
rap niggas. Rap niggas and entertainers are getting hoe’d more
than any prostitute I’ve ever seen on any track or any bitch I’ve ever seen
selling pussy. Muthafuckers get out here and do all the work and risk their
lives, get shot, see their homeboys get shot, go to jail, all kinds of shit. Take
all the risk and another muthafucker gets the lion’s share of the money?
Hey, mayne, if that ain’t pimpin’, you tell me what is. (OZONE Magazine)
On Balance in Hip Hop
A lot of people attack music like the Soulja Boy music, but hey
man, my kids love that. And “Laffy Taffy,” that was my shit. I liked
that shit... We need fun records... That dude from the “Laffy Taffy”
song, Fabo, that nigga is one of the most gangsterist niggas I’ve ever
seen. He’ll beat a nigga to death if you fuck with him at the club. We need
those types of records to balance out all the other shit. (OZONE Magazine)
On Media Criticism
I heard a little bit of criticism [of the album] from magazines that
don’t understand our type of music, but all the magazines that do
understand our type of music – like yo’ book [OZONE] and the XXLs and
The Sources, I ain’t hear nobody complaining... I heard people complain
about how long the record was in Rolling Stone and Spin Magazine,
muthafuckers that don’t know too much about our music in the first place,
but hey, man, fuck them. We ain’t makin’ it for them. (OZONE Magazine)
On Russell Simmons
Last time I checked, Russell Simmons was a multi-billionaire, and
he made his money off niggas saying the “n” word and cussing on
records... If you’re a billionaire off rap music and you want us to stop
cussin’, give us that billion dollars back and let us throw a party in that
muthafuckin’ mansion you’ve got. Or forever hold your peace.
On Down-Low Brothers
It’s no gay-bashing with me. It’s just, be proud of what you are,
instead of hidin’ in the closet. And if ya fuck boys in the ass, then
don’t be tryna fuck with the girls, too, poisoning the pussy population wit’ ya shitty ol’ dirty-ass dick. (XXL Magazine)
On Going to Prison
I feel like I got put on the shelf, preserved, so I could come back
later and do something positive. If ‘Pac hadn’t got out of prison, he
might still be alive today. Maybe there was a worse fate out there
waiting for me. (OZONE Magazine)
On R&B Singers
I ain’t out here dressing up trying to be sexy licking my lips like
old gay ass Ne-Yo. Pussy dick-in-the-booty ass niggas wearing all
that gotdamn lip gloss at their video shoots and letting niggas put
makeup on their face. Yeah, I said Ne-Yo, you heard what the fuck I said.
Niggas putting all that lip gloss on they fuckin’ lips looking like they’ve
just been eating a pork chop sandwich with no hands. (OZONE Magazine)
On Rappers Lying
Everybody on these records are lying. Everybody is this big D-boy,
these hardcore gangstas... Truth be told, we too blessed and we
making too much money in this rap game to be going to war with
each other. Truth be told, dont nobody want to fight nobody in this rap
game because 98% of these dudes is cowards. (Hot 107.9 Atlanta)
OZONE MAG // 31
8
YEAR
ANNIVERSARY
8
by Maurice G. Garland
FORGOTTEN
HIP HOP
HONORS
When Vh1 announced they were going to be a doing a “Dirty South” version of their Hip Hop Honors show, it received mixed reactions. When
they got around to announcing who would be honored, the reactions weren’t mixed at all. They were pretty direct as many pioneers and fans
voiced their displeasure of being left off or misrepresented. Here are a few:
< JT Money
Jackin’ Tourist for Money has always been left out of casual conversations when it comes to speaking about the greatest artists to come out of the South. Hell, we ourselves even made the grave mistake of not including any Poison Clan
albums in our 20 Essential Southern Albums list in 2006. So you can’t really be too surprised that the Bitch-izer wasn’t
mentioned at the show, not even during Luke’s set.
EDWARD HALL
< Three Six Mafia
Easily, the worst oversight of the Dirty South Hip Hop Honors is the fact that they
didn’t honor any artists from Memphis. Not even the only rap group to ever win an
Academy Award. How does Oscar know more about Memphis Hip Hop than Fab 5
Freddy and Nelson George?
JULIA BEVERLY
BOGAN
8Ball & MJG >
To Ball & G’s credit, Vh1 probably didn’t want to honor the Living Legends because
they are nowhere near retiring or disappearing. They actually released their 8th
studio album just a month before the show was filmed, so maybe they were out
promoting the album and couldn’t make it anyway. Well hold on, they did honor
Snoop Dogg and he’s still releasing music right? Yeah, our guess is that no one at
Vh1 probably heard of them.
DJ Screw >
The Hip Hop Honors haven’t recognized a DJ since the second annual ceremony
anyway, so we really shouldn’t be shocked that DJ Screw wasn’t recognized. The fact
that they had a “Texas” set and didn’t have not one Screwed Up Click member on
stage is also laughable.
< DJ Magic Mike
We’re assuming that by honoring Luther Campbell (and 2Live Crew separately,
which was odd), the Hip Hop Honors wanted to recognize Bass music with one
sweeping motion since Luke has always been considered the face of the genre. If
that’s the case DJ Magic Mike is the hands, arms and legs.
Tony Draper >
To honor Master P and J Prince and leave out Tony Draper is sad. Draper’s Suave
House records was the first Southern label to even get the big wigs and checkwriters in New York and Los Angeles to even pay attention. He has every right to be
upset.
< Geto Boys
Scarface, Willie D, Bushwhick Bill (Big Mike, Prince Johnny C, The Slim Jukebox, DJ
Ready Red too if you want get technical) should’ve already been honored in one of
the previous shows. Their contributions and controversy were bigger than the “dirty
south.”
32 // OZONE MAG
RAY TAMARRA
UGK >
The harsh reality is that UGK is no longer a rap group. We won’t be getting anymore
UGK albums, songs or features. The name and legacy will always be alive, but at the
end of the day, the group is no more since Pimp C is deceased. Having Bun B perform
on the show was great, but he really should’ve been in the balcony getting honored too.
(above L-R): KLC & Mystikal @ House of Blues in Houston, TX (Photo: Julia Beverly); Nicki Minaj @ Plush in Jacksonville, FL (Photo: Terrence Tyson); Yelawolf @ St Andrews for Bizarre’s
album release party in Detroit, MI (Photo: Malik Abdul)
01 // Omar, Rob Love, & Stay Fresh @ Tongue & Groove for Ray Rizzy’s video shoot (Atlanta, GA) 02 // Mr Collipark on the set of “Daze” (Atlanta, GA) 03 // DJ Daisy Dukes @
Tongue & Groove for Ray Rizzy’s video shoot (Atlanta, GA) 04 // Masspike Miles, Mon E G, & Torch on the set of Mon E G & Masspike Miles’ video shoot (Miami, FL) 05 // Eye
Candy model Britthany @ The Loft (St Louis, MO) 06 // Juvenile @ Tongue & Groove for Ray Rizzy’s video shoot (Atlanta, GA) 07 // Mo Spoon @ The Loft (St Louis, MO) 08 // Yung
Joc @ Spring Bling (Daytona Beach, FL) 09 // Virgie Man @ Club Nuvo (Leland, MS) 10 // Vic Damone @ The Loft (St Louis, MO) 11 // Master P @ Spring Bling (Daytona Beach, FL)
12 // Short Dawg @ Vice Lounge (Atlanta, GA) 13 // Juney Boomdata, the Hip Hop Barber, Rage, & Miami Mike on the set of “Daze” (Atlanta, GA) 14 // Jabar on the set of “Daze”
(Atlanta, GA) 15 // Papa Duck (Indianola, MS) 16 // Natalie Nunn, Jeremy, & Jerri @ Questions (Pittsburgh, PA) 17 // Rico Brooks on the set of B.o.B.’s video shoot (Atlanta, GA)
18 // Ray Rizzy & Juvenile @ Tongue & Groove for Ray Rizzy’s video shoot (Atlanta, GA) 19 // Pookie of Urban South @ Mansion for Dorrough’s Gangsta Grillz & OZONE release
party (Dallas, TX) 20 // Playboy Tre on the set of B.o.B.’s video shoot (Atlanta, GA) 21 // Roland & Lara @ The Loft (St Louis, MO) 22 // Eye Candy model Nicole @ The Loft (St Louis,
MO) 23 // D Rocc @ Tongue & Groove for Ray Rizzy’s video shoot (Atlanta, GA) 24 // Benny @ Vice Lounge (Atlanta, GA) 25 // P Wonda @ Tongue & Groove for Ray Rizzy’s video
shoot (Atlanta, GA) 26 // DJ Holiday @ Vice Lounge (Atlanta, GA) 27 // Lil C @ Hot Beats for Lil C’s listening party (Atlanta, GA) 28 // Eye Candy model Lona @ The Loft (St Louis,
MO) 29 // Bree D’Val @ Vice Lounge (Atlanta, GA) 30 // Beat Gang (Cincinnati, OH) 31 // BallGreezy @ Club Cinema (Pompano Beach, FL) 32 // Mary Datcher and Global Mixx
from Do or Die @ Delta Nights (Indianola, MS) 33 // Big Teach @ Spring Bling (Daytona Beach, FL) 34 // Big Hood Boss & Miami Mike on the set of “Daze” (Atlanta, GA)
35 // Devyne Stephens @ Park Tavern for ATL Live (Atlanta, GA)
Photo Credits: Edward Hall (09,15,32); Julia Beverly (19); Malik Abdul (01,02,03,04,05,06,07,08,10,11,12,13,14,16,17,18,20,21,22,23,24,25,26,27,28,29,33,34,35); Tammie White
(30); Travis Pendergrass (31)
OZONE MAG // 33
A
fter the success of his smash single “Ice Cream Paint Job” and
self-titled debut album, Dorrough Music kept the momentum
going with the release of his Gangsta Grillz mixtape and sophomore album Get Big. The motivated Texan talks about staying on his
indie grind and avoiding the usual beefs and gimmicks.
Have you picked out the second single to be the follow-up after “Get
Big”?
The ladies are loving “Breakfast in Bed” featuring Ray J, and a lot of people
are feeling “Get ‘Em Live” featuring Jim Jones. So it’s [a decision] between
those two right now, but my personal favorite record is “MIA.”
So your new album Get Big is in stores now, right?
Yep, the album is in stores. I went on 106th & Park to promote it, so, so far
so good. “Get Big” was number six or seven on the countdown. I’ve been
getting a lot of positive feedback from this album. We’re trying to choose
the next single and everybody’s feeling certain records, so that’s a good
thing even though it makes [the selection] more difficult.
DJ Khaled used to be your labelmate at E1, but he recently left. How
does that affect your situation?
I feel like it’s given me the chance to step up and become the priority at
the label. I’ve kinda been at the forefront of the label besides Khaled, so I
think between myself and Slim Thug, I think we’re really going to hold the
label down. I think they’re really going to step up and make me and my
projects a priority. Losing Khaled on their side is probably a big loss, but
with what I’ve got in store, I feel like it’s really going to be a good look. I’m
definitely going to step up to the plate.
What else do you have planned to promote the album?
I’m shooting visuals for every song on the album. I did a huge album
release party and I’m on the road too. I’m not “on tour” but I’m doing spot
dates, and I’m gone all week, feel me? So it’s pretty much the same thing
as a tour. I’m hitting the road and promoting, definitely working on these
visuals, getting my street team out in the streets promoting, stepping up
my online presence, and the whole nine.
What can people expect from Get Big in comparison to your previous
projects?
I definitely stepped it up on this album. My lyrics are stronger, my production is stronger, and my concepts are stronger. I think my concepts
set my album apart from any other album and even my past projects
just because of the concepts. There are fifteen songs but if you buy it
from Best Buy or on iTunes you get several bonus tracks. Anybody else
dropping an album is only giving you nine or ten or eleven songs. So my
album is just a step up. The title is Get Big and I’ve been doing it bigger
and better than I’ve been doing it before, and bigger and better than a
lot of other projects that are out right now.
Do you see a lot of Dallas artists taking advantage of the door you’ve
helped open for the city?
Yeah, there’s a big support system here in Dallas. Right now a lot of
people are watching me and a lot of people are rooting for me. You don’t
know who’s rooting against you, but it’s not really about that to me. It’s
more about the fans in Dallas. I’m trying to put on for Dallas no matter
what the situation is, and I feel like I’ve been doing that since day one,
so that’s a given. Right now my focus is not just on putting on for Dallas,
it’s about putting on for the whole region and the whole South. A lot of
[artists] in Dallas are doing their thing too, so I’m supporting the people
who support me. Of course I’ve got the Primetime Click, so shout out to
Lil Tony, Ace Boogie, and others who aren’t in my camp like Big T and Fat
Pimp who are out here grinding. They’re doing their thing.
Is Diamond still down with the Primetime Click?
Yeah, Diamond is still affiliated with us. She’s doing her thing out in ATL
making a name for herself, making herself bigger than she already is, and
she’s growing as an artist. She’s been touring and she’s really got a great
position on the female Hip Hop side. We’re working on some projects
together and are going to start getting some visuals together. On my last
project I really didn’t put out too many visuals, but with this project and
everything else I’m working on, we’re definitely going to take advantage
of that.
A lot of artists lately seem to use gimmicks and beef to get their names
out there, but you seem to stay away from it for the most part. Is that
intentional?
I only engage in what’s natural. I don’t go looking for animosity. I feel like
if you’ve got so many things on your mind and so much on the agenda,
how can you have time to search for beef? Even dealing with the [controversy over] the Hurricane Chris record, after that died down, I really just
focused on my music. A lot of that stuff can take you out of your zone
and away from what you’re supposed to be doing as far as crafting music.
Sometimes it happens – if somebody is beefing with you sometimes it’s
appropriate to step up and engage you, but other times it’s a waste of
effort and it’s a bad look to go that route.
34 // OZONE MAG
At one point Koch was known as the graveyard for artists, but now
they’ve got a new name – E1 – and it seems like the perception of the
label has changed.
A lot of people don’t realize that Koch is still an independent label, and
that’s how I look at it. I’m an independent artist doing major things. I just
look at it as a situation where I can learn and make my situation better.
It’s almost like being in college. You have to use it to keep your own
movement going, and you can learn how to maneuver a lot better when
you’re independent because you have to do a lot of stuff on your own.
But yeah, I think a lot of people go over to Koch and don’t have the mindset of working as hard as they’ve been working, or even harder. They feel
like the label is supposed to do everything, but Koch ain’t that type of
label. It’s not the type of label where you expect them to do everything
for you, and you’re not supposed to do that with any label, but you
definitely can’t do that here. You’ve got to work your ass off and whatever
they’re going to do for you is just a plus. That’s my mindframe and that’s
why things seem to be moving a different way. If you’ve got that mentality you’re always going to win.
Is there anyone you want to collaborate with that you haven’t worked
with yet?
Yeah, I’ve worked with a lot of artists, but I think it will happen in time.
Working with some of the bigger artists will come because my name is
going to get bigger and bigger. I’m more anxious to just keep making
good music because at the end of the day, who you work with doesn’t
necessarily make you or break you. Sometimes you’re just drowning
yourself out. I love working with different artists if they’ve got something
going on, but it’s never my priority.
Any luxury purchases you’ve indulged in lately aside from your jewelry?
I’ve been taking care of my family for the past year. I’ve got a huge family,
probably bigger than anyone would ever expect. I’ve been taking care of
my daughter, my brothers and sisters, and my mama and daddy. I’ve just
been taking care of the fam and I’ve been on the road a lot.
Were you happy with the response you got to your Gangsta Grillz
mixtape with DJ Drama?
Oh yeah. The Drama mixtape actually set off the “Get Big” single. It was
on Drama’s mixtape and the [feedback] was so good that we ended up
making it a single, so that shows you how effective the mixtape was. The
single just got to number 16 in the country and it’s a top 40 crossover,
so that’s a big record, and it’s still growing. Also, the record with Yo Gotti
made my album, and that was a huge record out here in Texas. The Gangsta Grillz mixtape was very effective, so shout out to DJ Drama.
Is there anything else you want to plug?
I’m promoting the album and I have a real big project for Super Bowl
weekend coming out, so I want to give people a heads up. I’m always
working. //
Words by Julia Beverly
DORROUGH
GETTIN’ BIGGER
Words by Julia Beverly
Photo by Derick G
OZONE MAG // 35
What’s the difference between your previous solo albums and Trill OG?
I think the first Trill album really established me as a solo artist. Trill OG, with
everything that happened over the last couple years, just having to regroup
emotionally and musically, it’s just time to get back to business.
How hard have the last couple of years been for you, both musically and
emotionally?
I mean, of course, as everyone knows, I’ve had my ups and downs. But we
get stronger everyday. And the spirit of Pimp C still lives on, within us and
within the music. We just take it one day at a time, man.
Was this your first album recording completely without Pimp?
Yeah, I guess in that sense you can say so. Like I said, the spirit of Pimp C
still lives on. The majority of the album was produced by Steve Below. Steve
Below produced on UGK albums under Pimp C, so the UGK sound, that
bass, that knock in the trunk, that organ, the melody, we’ll still have the
music. We’re also working with people that understand and respect the UGK
sound, like the J.U.S.T.I.C.E. League, Jazze Pha, and Pharrell. [The album] will
sound similar to what you heard before, and one or two will sound a little
bit different, but I’m not trying to step outside of my character. For example,
when I’m working with a person like Pharrell, we gotta meet each other
halfway, cause I can’t really do what everybody else does with Pharrell.
If seems like you collaborate with just about everyone, and you’re always
doing features. Why do you choose to work with so many artists?
I just try to keep the movement going. For me personally as an artist, to
keep my juices going, it’s good to always go out there, exercise and shoot
jumpers. You know, like going out to the park and playing a couple games. I
like to know that I still got it. So, I go out, I work with the young’ns, the best
and the brightest in the game right now. We exchange creative energy, we
put together great music and great art, and have great fun and entertain
the people. And let the people know that I’m still here doing it, just as good,
or even better than some of the people that’s still doing it.
What do you think has been the main thing that’s been able to keep you
in the game for so long?
I think it’s the fact that I still want it. That hunger is still there inside of me
to be the best. As much as I’ve achieved throughout my career, there’s still
some areas in which I care to attain [more]; there’s still some levels that I’m
still trying to get on. I’m an OG, but there’s still things that the OG hasn’t
seen yet. And I’m not giving up on that just because of how many years I’ve
already been in the game, or my age, or whatever the case may be. I don’t
feel like anything anybody else got their hands on, I can’t get my hands on.
It’s just a matter of time, and I’m patient.
How many more albums are you thinking about doing?
I put together No Mixtape, which was over 20 songs, real quick. That wasn’t
even meant to be a mixtape. That was just me going in and letting my
creative juices go. And that thing just ended up going out the trunk and becoming a mixtape on its own. I can do this all day, if the people wanna hear
me do it all day. But we’ve been getting a good response on No Mixtape.
We’ve been getting a good response on all the remixes I’ve been on, like “I
Look Good” and “Homegurl’” and all these different features that I do. People
are still excited about the music and definitely wanna hear that trill sound,
so as long as they wanna hear it, I’m gonna give it to them. I’m not trying to
force nothing down people’s throat.
You never really had major mainstream success, but artists and all your
peers respect you. Are you content with the UGK legacy?
Well, I beg to differ. I think UGK has had a great number of mainstream
successes. We had an album that was #1 on the Billboard 200, not just the
#1 Rap album or the#1 Independent album or the #1 R&B album, but the #1
album, period. We had Grammy nominations, we’ve won countless awards
from BET, and of course, your very own OZONE Awards, so UGK has received
its accolades, in its own right and respect. And UGK is a legacy that I’m more
than proud of. Yeah, there were some other things that I’m sure myself
and Pimp would have liked to achieve, but looking back on it, I can’t knock
what we put down. It’s still history. There are still young artists coming in
the game, contributing their two cents, and they’re [achieving] the things
me and Pimp put down on 18 years ago. So, I’m going to always look at that
as something to be proud of. But continuing a new movement for myself,
and there’s another Pimp C album coming, I think we’ll still be able to add
something to that legacy before it’s all over.
You’ve always been a lyrical rapper. When you hear a new rapper like
Waka Flocka Flame saying he doesn’t have or need lyrics, how do you
feel?
I mean, he’s saying he doesn’t need lyrics to succeed, and if that’s him, then
kudos to him. Everybody’s gonna do what they wanna do and how they do
36 // OZONE MAG
it. I’m not here to judge nobody for what they say or what they do, unless
they’re saying it about me. I choose to be a lyrical artist. I still keep it real in
my lyrics though, and street niggas can still understand what I’m sayin’. He
doesn’t have to be lyrical if he don’t want to. That shit ain’t no requirement
in the game. And that’s the problem. Everybody wanna act like rap started
with Rakim and Nas and De La Soul. And while these people made critical
contributions to the game, that’s not all of what rap is. Everybody making
music ain’t lyrical. We’ve got Rap and Hip Hop legends that weren’t always
lyrical, but they did entertain people. With the way they contributed and
the way they got down, they are considered legends. I don’t think anyone
is gonna sit here and say that the Fat Boys were lyrical legends, but they
are legends. I think everybody is taking everybody too seriously. I think we
should just start minding our own business and doing what we do. The
more we put labels on this shit, the more we have confusion.
Recently, you performed at a Haiti relief concert in Houston. Do you feel
it’s a rapper’s responsibility to participate in events like that?
I think if you’re a person of influence and a person that other people will
follow to help a situation, you should. You don’t have to be a rapper, but if
you’re an athlete, an entertainer, a politician, or just a person in the hood
that people follow and people respect your opinion, then you’ve gotta
bring attention to things like that. Otherwise, what’s the point in having
power? As a rapper, I can make money and get all the superficial shit that
kinda comes with the job. But it’s the extra shit that doesn’t come with the
job, the responsibility and the power, that you’ve gotta learn how to handle
and treat with respect and honor. We show people that we care, and we
respect certain situations and we’re going to stand up for people. And that’s
what Hip Hop Houston For Haiti was all about.
Now, you’ve been in the game for a long time and you’ve worked with a
lot of artists, but is there anyone that you haven’t worked with yet that
you still would want to?
I mean, you’d be ignorant as an MC to not want to work with someone
like Dr. Dre. Lyrically, I don’t feel like you’re a lyricist until you’ve went bar
for bar on a song with a brother like Nas. Right now, I think those are the
last two. I just recorded some stuff with DJ Quik, who I’ve looked up to for
years, and had a long mutual respect for each other. And we finally, after
18 years, got a chance to work together. I’m very excited about that. Also, I
got the chance to work with DJ Premier on my new album. Again, another
long time friend, mutual respect on both sides, of course, my prayers go out
to Guru. So, I’ve been blessed throughout my career to earn the respect of
every artist that I’ve wanted to work with to the point to where I’ve been
able to work with them.
Word is that Trill OG features a “Hip Hop legend and a cultural icon.” Can
you talk about that song?
I’d really hate to give that away. II think it’s gonna be something that just
drives people crazy. It’s a lighthearted song, it’s a fun song, it’s an energetic
song. Some people are going to flip when they hear it. If I say too much, I’ll
give it away. But it’s big. It’s really big.
We can assume there will be some Pimp C verses on your album, right?
Well, I’m not sitting on Pimp C verses. Any Pimp C verses that I use come
directly from [his] estate. Pimp C’s legacy, music, and lyrics are all controlled
by his estate, which is controlled by his wife. I’m blessed to say that I have
a great working relationship with her, so I was able to get some [verses] for
my album. Pimp C’s solo album is coming later this year, and it’s incredible.
It almost sent me back in the lab a couple times. I’d listen to my album,
then I’d listen to his album, and how intense everything was put together.
Just the precision of knowing how he wanted everything to sound and
everything put together, his foresight, it’s just unbelievable. And his album
is going to really take people by surprise. It’s called The Naked Soul of Sweet
James Jones.
Is there anything else you want to tell us about your new album?
I’m putting a lot into this album. A lot of people, when they listen to the
album, like Birdman, Drake, 8Ball & MJG, Young Jeezy, they say this is that
old Bun. This is that raw Bun, and that’s what a lot of people have really
been wanting to hear from me. I think the problem was that people were
so worried about taking advantage of radio opportunities that we hadn’t
had before, and media opportunities that we hadn’t had before, and didn’t
realize that at the end of the day, my core audience is still from the street,
and they need to be catered to. And that’s what we went back to with this
album. If you’ve got a good song, it’s gonna make it on the radio. You don’t
have to make something for the radio. If you got something’s that’s jammin’ and the streets love it, they’re gon’ make the radio play it. It’s just that
simple. We just went back to the raw and uncut. That’s why I called it the Trill
OG album. I couldn’t call myself the Trill OG if I wasn’t on some OG shit with
this album. And we’re definitely getting our OG on. //
BUN B
STILL STANDING
Since the sudden and heartbreaking loss of his comrade Chad “Pimp C” Butler, Bun B’s job of carrying on the UGK legacy they built together hasn’t been easy. Still, he’s determined to keep it trill. Within the last year alone, he’s collaborated with everyone from Birdman and Rick Ross to Talib Kweli,
and many artists in between and released a much-hyped project (No
Mixtape).
Yes, Bun Beater is a Hip Hop OG, but he’s not done yet. Matter of fact,
he doesn’t plan to hang up his microphone any time soon. Bun’s new album Trill OG IS PROOF OF THAT.
make no mistake about it; it still is and will forever be UGK for life and R.I.P. Pimp C.
Words by Randy Roper
OZONE MAG // 37
8
YEAR
ANNIVERSARY
8
by Randy Roper & Maurice G. Garland
STILL PATIENTLY
WAITING
In the last 8 years, OZONE’s Patiently Waiting section has featured some of rap’s biggest stars (and duds) long before other outlets started paying
attention. While many (Akon, Pitbull, T-Pain, and Rick Ross, just to name a few) have gone on to superstardom and others into oblivion, a few are still
around trying to get that one big look to take them to next level. Hell, some of them haven’t even dropped an album yet after all of these years. Here
are 8 artists who have managed to remain relevant while they continue to wait for their time in the spotlight.
< Big Kuntry
Big Kuntry King (uh, c’mon!) has always been the most visible member of the P$C besides T.I. and unfortunately he’s
spent a lot of time behind that shadow as well. After a couple successful mixtapes and scoring some underground club
hits, Kuntry finally saw his debut album My Turn To Eat hit stores…on the same day as T.I.’s Paper Trail. Since then, Kuntry
has laid pretty low, only releasing a few records here and there. Hopefully he will get chance to feast the next time
around.
Bishop Lamont >
< Brisco
TERRENCE TYSON
Being signed to two of the more successful labels of the last four years (Poe Boy and
Cash Money), you’d think that Brisco’s album would have dropped by now. But his
Street Medicine album has yet to find a cure to prevent its constant delays. Brisco
has kept himself relevant via internet videos (both good and bad), but the “Street
Medicine coming soon” messages at the end are starting to lose their luster.
MS RIVERCITY
KING YELLA
When Bishop Lamont signed with Dr. Dre’s Aftermath Records he was supposed to
follow in the platinum footsteps of Eminem, 50 Cent, The Game and Busta Rhymes.
But even after dropping a string of acclaimed mixtapes he wound up getting
sucked into the Detox vortex and sat on the shelf for five years. With no release date
for his album The Reformation in sight, Lamont finally parted ways with Aftermath.
C-Ride >
< Glasses Malone
After The Game made West Coast Hip Hop matter again, labels went looking for the
next big thing. Sony thought it was Glasses Malone, so they dropped $1.7 million on
him and gave him his own label. Fast-forward: Glasses wound up leaving the label
and doing a joint venture with Cash Money Records and Mack 10’s Hoo-Bangin’
imprint. He’s been paired with everyone from Akon to T-Pain to Lil Wayne but he’s
still yet to secure that hit that will make his backers confident enough to drop his long
awaited album The Beach Cruiser.
JULIA BEVERLY
This Miami rapper signed with production tandem Cool & Dre’s Epidemic label all
the way back in 2004 and six years later we’ve yet to get an album out of the situation. C-Ride must be doing something right, though. As revealed in his OZONE
cover story earlier this year, he’s turned down deals from Sony, Universal and can
still afford to blow up to $2,500 in the strip club on a weekly basis.
< Mack Maine
After Curren$y left Lil Wayne’s Young Money crew for literally “greener” pastures,
Mack Maine looked to be the heir apparent to the rap throne that pop star Weezy
would leave vacant someday. Well, Mr. Carter still hasn’t gone anywhere and Mack
Maine has yet to release an album. Actually, it doesn’t look like he’s sweating coming out with one soon, since he’s President of the company now. So you might as
well just treat those Freestyle 101, Bitch I’m Mack Maine and This Is Just A Mixtape
mixtapes like actual albums.
MS RIVERCITY
D-RAY
Jody Breeze >
Believe it or not, when Jody Breeze came onto the scene, he was just as hot and
anticipated as his former Boyz N Da Hood partner Young Jeezy. But after a shelved
debut album, his label home (Jazze Pha’s Shonuff ) crumbling and Boyz N Da Hood
becoming an afterthought, fans still don’t have a proper Jody Breeze album. Each of
his mixtapes, however, continues to show flashes of potential and keep fans interested. Hopefully with the internet and
a restructured music industry, Jody Breeze can find a way to finally deliver the project that people have been waiting
six years for now.
38 // OZONE MAG
MALIK ABDUL
D-RAY
Slick Pulla >
Primed to fit right into the lane that Young Jeezy carved out for him, Slick Pulla
made a name for himself in the mixtape circuit with some solid performances and
commendable lyricism. But street scuffles and legal troubles began to mar his
career to the point that some folks actually thought his name was “Free Slick Pulla.”
He was finally released from jail earlier this year, and is trying to get back on track in the rap game to release his debut
album, The Trapublican.
OZONE MAG // 39
RICK ROSS
GROUNDWORK
40 // OZONE MAG
Words & Photo by Julia Beverly
WITH THREE SOLID ALBUMS UNDER HIS BELT AND THE HIT RECORD
“BMF” TAKING OVER NIGHTCLUBS AND RADIO STATIONS ACROSS THE
WORLD, MI-YAYO’S RICK ROSS NEEDS NO INTRODUCTION.
You’ve been talking a lot about “groundwork.” In the music business
today, it seems like that’s a lost art form. Do you think artists in general
have become lazier when it comes to the promotions and marketing? I
think overall the music business in general cut back on a lot of promotion.
I feel that a lot of artists take shortcuts with all this new technology. But
I feel like you really need to have a balance of both. You’ve got to stay in
the streets. I think people still need to see the physical promotion on the
streets to capture the essence of your movement. And I think when [labels]
cut back [on promotion], they tend to cut back on the smaller markets first.
Those are the markets I try to still touch, because no market is really too
small to touch.
How would you define “groundwork”?
To me, groundwork entails every aspect of hitting the community and
making sure they understand you. Regardless if you’re promoting an album
release date or you’re coming into the community to do community work,
you need to make sure you accomplish your goal. You have to go straight
to the source by hitting the vein of the community and working your way
through. It’s pretty easy to find the vein. You just need to get in the streets
and find the masses of people. You can start in a neighborhood or at the
mall. You really just want to get out there and shake hands and network
and let them know you’re here.
Lately you’ve been referring to yourself as Rozay. Are you considering
an official name change? It seems like you’re going that direction, and
you’re being managed now by Diddy, who of course has been through
several name changes as well.
That’s just an alias for me.
Was it related to “Freeway” Ricky Ross’s lawsuit, claiming that you owed
him money for adopting his name?
Not at all. There was an injunction filed against my album but it was
dismissed. Overall, that shit isn’t going to work. Do I take it personally? Of
course not. I feel like he was just rolling the dice, and we’re going to move
forward regardless.
I just wondered if it was a Diddy suggestion. I’m sure with all the success
he’s had over the years, he’s able to give you some good advice. Is there
anything he’s told you in particular that stands out?
You know we got the rap game on lock. Diddy is great in other arenas.
Aside from my personal situation, he’s got a lot going on outside the music.
We have a couple things that we’re negotiating right now outside the music
arena, so we’ll be able to make announcements real soon. It takes time and
everything is in development.
You signed a couple producers. Do you think that’s a better route to
go, having folks in-house rather than going out and paying for beats
externally?
You’re asking me? You know that answer. Of course it’s a great thing. Anytime you can do business with great producers like The Olympicks and The
Transformers and make them a part of the movement, it’s always a better
situation.
You’ve been real heavy with putting out viral videos and leaking music
on the internet. Do you have the mentality that putting out more music
and visuals will push more people to buy your album?
Once your album gets to the stores your shit is going to be on the internet
anyway, so leaks are not a big deal. That’s happened with every one of my
albums. To me, I consider a real album “leak” to be one that comes out five
or six weeks before the release date.
You’ve done a lot of charity events in Miami. What do you have coming
up with your non-profit?
Y’all can go to rickrosscharities.com and see what’s crackin’. I let my charity
deal with the charity work and I usually don’t talk too much about what we
do with the charity, because I think you really should just do that from the
heart. I let my team deal with that because they’re the best at it.
At one point, you were anti-Twitter and making fun of people who were
on it. What convinced you to go ahead and join?
I still make fun of half of the people that’s on Twitter, but we’ve been getting so much love we thought it would be a good idea to give back. It’s
cool, they be quoting your rhymes on Twitter and you can hit a few people
back every now and then, so it’s cool. But some people just take Twitter too
far.
Too far in what way? Being addicted?
Tweeting everyone links to your music is not going to break your records.
I think it’s a cool way to find out what’s up, stay in touch, and shout out
different markets. If you’re going to do something in the market you can
get a lot of love on Twitter, pay homage to a city or two, and keep it moving
when you slide through. I think that’s really what it’s good for.
There was a controversial video clip of your artist Gunplay in Colombia
snorting cocaine. What’s your opinion on having somebody in your camp
not only using drugs, but putting it out on the ‘net for everyone to see?
Does it concern you at all?
That’s my brother and that’s all I’m going to say about that.
Okay, fair enough. I know you and Diddy have been cool for a while, but
how did it get to the point where he decided to actually start managing
you and partner together on projects?
You know, that’s the homie. He’s gonna be the homie forever. But we just
put our business in perspective and now we’re tackling some of these outside entities that are interested in doing business with me. Endorsements
and such.
I heard a radio interview where they were comparing you to Biggie and
you didn’t like that too much. But at the same time, it almost does seem
like Diddy has Bad Boy Pt. 2 with you and Nicki Minaj filling the part of
Biggie and Lil Kim. Do you see that being a valid comparison?
I think we’re the hottest in the game, and that’s when the comparisons stop.
Biggie was one of a kind, and I’m most definitely doing my thing.
You’ve definitely stepped your game up musically on each album. Even
the critics have noticed the progression. It seems like a lot of artists do
the opposite – their first album is their hottest, and then they fall off over
time. How do you constantly challenge yourself to step it up musically?
Just really investing in myself and focusing on the music and nothing else. I
feel like that’s really paying off.
When you go in the booth to record, what’s the key to blocking out all
the external factors?
By the time I’m walking in the booth I’m already in that zone. When I go in
the studio I leave everything else outside the studio, regardless, so by the
time I go into the booth it’s time to execute the plan. The plan is to sound
better than everybody else’s shit. That’s my whole mental process.
You came out with “BMF” and then Jeezy came out with “The Real BMF”
and folks were kind of amping that up into a beef…
Man, we getting money and making hits. I’ve been eating steaks every day
at Ruth’s Chris; prime rib. As far as “BMF,” I was just making a hit record and
saluting the big homie [Big Meech] at the same time.
What made you go with Teflon Don as the title?
That was one of my original rap names, and it fit the situation.
You have some artists under you now as well, right? Is that a challenge to
be both a manager/CEO and an artist?
It’s all about Teflon Don right now as well as Masspike Miles and Triple C’s.
I’m also managing the MTV-award winning video director Spiff TV. We’re
just continuing to build our brand and do what we do. Of course it’s a challenge and that’s why we do it. The greater the challenge, the greater the
reward.
I know you’ve been all over the world touring recently. Is there one particular place you’ve been that really stood out to you?
I can find something interesting in every place we’ve been. You can go to
Germany and see a 500 year old castle and that’s a real dope experience.
But at the same time, you could be somewhere as simple as Jamaica smoking good trees and eating fried fish.
California has taken steps towards legalizing marijuana. Do you feel like
the rest of the country is moving in that direction too?
It would be a great day in America.
You would hold the Ricky Rozay Freedom Parade?
We might just all put it in the air at the same time once or twice a year.
Would you like to plead to Barack Obama to legalize marijuana in your
OZONE cover story?
No thanks. If I talk to Barack Obama it’s going to be big business, no
nonsense. It’d be about something real important. I’ve got another level of
respect for that man. I wouldn’t even disrespect the team on that level. //
OZONE MAG // 41
MAYBACH MUSIC GROUP:
SPIFF TV
Words by Julia Beverly
Are you still doing the Spiff TV DVDs?
I’m going to do another one soon, but it’s a
lot of legal bullshit I’m dealing with from the first one. I did a
bad deal with these people in L.A. and they took advantage
of me. They mass pressed it up and I didn’t know better. So,
fuck them. But I’m still doing my thang with the beats and
signing producers and artists. I’ve signed like ten artists to
Ross’ roster, including five producers. I signed The Olympicks;
they produced a lot of shit. They’re out of Detroit. I signed two
more producers out of Dallas called The Transformers, and two
writers out of Dallas called Suede Royale and EQ. They’ve been
writing and doing a lot of shit. Suede is an artist too. He’s a
problem. I’ve also got Cash Chris out of Orlando that I signed
to Ross.
How does it feel to be taken seriously now instead of just
being an intern?
It’s a grind. After you show you’ve got an ear for this, it gets
easier. Now they’re getting paid $15k a track. The producers
know that once they get the music to me, it’s going to get to
the right people. If you make beats and you’re trying to get
your beats placed, you can send them to RickRossBeats@
gmail.com.
Do you think it’s harder to sell beats now that there are so
many producers trying to get in the game?
It’s all about quality. Everybody’s trying to make beats on their
laptop on Frooty Loops or something, but you’ve really got to
know what you’re doing with the sound. If you can do that,
you’re going to get paid for it.
Orlando-based video director SPIFF TV started out hustling as an intern for OZONE, Strictly Streets, and DJ Nasty and the Nasty Beatmakers. His relationship with DJ Nasty and DJ Khaled, along with his aspirations of becoming a video director, eventually led to a full-time position working with Rick Ross. Spiff has directed dozens of viral videos for standout records like “Mafia Music 1” and “Mafia Music 2”
and serves as an A&R for Ross’s Maybach Music record label.
What are some videos you’ve directed?
I directed “Mafia Music,” the first one off Deeper Than Rap. I did the new
“Mafia Music 2.” I did “Ciroc Stars” for Chester French featuring Diddy and Jadakiss. I did the Waka Flocka “Oh Let’s Do It” remix featuring Diddy and Ross,
and a whole lot of viral videos for Ross that you’ve probably seen online.
How did the idea come about to put out a whole bunch of viral videos for
Deeper Than Rap?
While we were recording Deeper Than Rap we were just shooting a video
for damn near almost every song on the album. Now you see a lot of other
artists kinda following that formula, dropping videos every other day and
every other week. We started that pace. We just shot a video everywhere
we went, whether it was the Bahamas or London or wherever.
Before you linked up with Ross, you were working with DJ Nasty. What
were you doing with him?
Helping getting his beats placed and finding producers. I found The
Incredibles and signed them to Nasty; they were producing for Jeezy and
Ross, and they’ve got a track on Jay-Z’s album. Khaled manages them too.
So that’s what I was doing. Before that I was working with you, you know,
vintage OZONE. Crazy shit. With you, I was taking pictures for the magazine
and seeing a lot of shit going on. So [I was thinking] damn, we’re with these
[artists] every day. Let me just pick up a [video] camera and see what happens from there. Then I dropped the first Spiff TV DVD that was in Wal-Mart
and everything. It was a lot of Hip Hop and Reggaetone shit, just linking
with artists. Plus [Rick] Ross manages me now so he does all that shit; he
plugs me with people like Diddy. I’m shooting for Diddy now too. I’ll fly out
and do a bunch of shit for him. I’m just getting it in.
42 // OZONE MAG
When you film a viral video for Ross do you come up with a
treatment or concept or just freestyle it?
Sometimes, if Ross just feels like shooting, we freestyle it. I find
something dope and we just do it. But usually I have a week or
two to prep for it and write a treatment. He has a lot of ideas, so
he’ll give me some ideas and we just mash together and write
the ideas down and go at it. London was kinda crazy. We did
a video in front of Buckingham Palace; Ross was smoking weed
like, “I always wanted to blow one down with the Queen, but fuck it.” We
shot in St. Maarten and St. Thomas too; we just went to Barbados and shot
some crazy stuff over there. We always try to capture the essence of it. If we
were in Jamaica we would get the guys bringing us fresh lobster and cooking it right in front of our face. We do it like that.
The internet has opened up a lot of doors for directors such as yourself,
because back in the day you would need a large budget and a lot of
equipment to film a music video.
The thing that’s so dope now is that you can reach everybody at one time
by just turning the camera on and sending it out. You can prep them with
trailers. I make sure I get the videos to MTV and MTV Jams and they put
it up right away. As far as editing, they have better and easier programs
coming out all the time. You always have to be a step ahead of the game.
Everybody can’t see what you’re shooting with now. I’m online every day
trying to see what the new shit is.
What about on the editing side, did you kinda teach yourself?
Yeah, I sit down with my editor and tell him what I want visually and graphically. I know all the shots I shot that look great. You might give footage to
an editor without saying anything and he doesn’t know what the hell he’s
doing, so he won’t cut it right. He may not know what’s fly or not, so you’ve
got to show them exactly how to put it together.
Are you mainly focused on doing Rick Ross videos?
I’m doing a lot of other things too. I’m doing stuff with Diddy, Chester
French, Pharrell’s group. I did a video for Clinton Sparks and Travis McCoy
from Gym Class Heroes; we shot that in Union Square. They did a Fresh
Prince and Jazzy-type theme. They were beat boxing and shit. I shot a video
for Desert Storm’s artist for DJ Clue, Ghost featuring Fab and Ross; that’s a
good one.
Is there anything else you’d like to say?
Get at me on Twitter, @SpiffTVFilms. Shout out to Maybach Music, Maybach Films, Gucci Pucci, Rick Ross, Mercedes Streets, and JB for giving me a
job back in the day riding out in that small ass car. //
MAYBACH MUSIC GROUP:
TORCH
Words by Randy Roper
Photo by Julia Beverly
How would you describe Rick Ross as a CEO?
He gives his artists total freedom. He’s not gon’ spoon feed
you, but he’s gon’ let you know what you need to be doing.
He’s hands-on when it comes to the music. Once it gets to
that point where he’s about to put it out, he’s gonna critique it
down to the littlest ad-lib on the track, cause it’s a representation of him and his label. Maybach is the top-of-the-line car,
and Maybach Music Group is the top-of-the-line in music. So
he has to make sure that it meets our standard before we put it
out. But with that said, he’s not one of those artist CEOs that’s
gonna spoon feed you. He’s gonna let you make your own
mistakes.
Were you satisfied with the album sales of the first Triple C’s
album?
I’m the type of person that would never be satisfied, even if we
sold 10 million records. Of course I wasn’t satisfied, because I
felt like it was rushed. We put the album out in maybe seven
weeks, so it felt like a rush job. But at the end of the day, I feel
like the quality of the music on the album was great. I feel like
the next album Color, Cut, & Clarity is gonna be way better because we actually had a chance to sit down and put it together
properly and it’s not rushed. This one is gonna be a more thorough process, and that’s what people are going to appreciate
the most about it: the growth.
Triple C’s is you, Ross, Gunplay, and Young Breed. How do
you make sure you stand out in a group along with other
talented MCs, especially Rick Ross?
The easiest way to stand out is to have other talented MCs
around you. All you’ve gotta do is do the same thing that got
you into the group; do you. If you say anything hot on a track
with an artist of Rick Ross’s caliber, people are gonna take note
and say, “Who is that?” So you did your job. It’s kinda like being
under a microscope to see if you can hold your own next to a
future legend like Rick Ross. Gunplay is on the come up and
shout out to Young Breed. We’ve got four different styles and
four different swags. When we come together - me being from
New York City - I bring a whole other element. As soon as I
come on the song, they know I’m not from ‘round these parts.
IN ADDITION TO BEING 1/4 OF RICK ROSS’ GROUP TRIPLE C’S, THE LEAD
ARTISTS FROM MAYBACH MUSIC GROUP, TORCH HAS GAINED CRITICAL
ACCLAIM FOR HIS SOLO SKILLS AS WELL. HERE, HE TELLS OZONE HIS
FUTURE PLANS.
You’ve been with Rick Ross from the beginning. How has it been for you
watching him from the start to the success he has now?
It’s something like a dream. We’ve always envisioned this, that’s why I put
my faith and trust in him from the get go, ‘cause we’ve always seen big
things. And to see it happen, it’s indescribable. It just gives you more and
more hope. I feel like I’m just a song away. And to be right there with him,
from then to now, seeing him win a BET award, after all the years we’ve
been nominated and never made it to the stage, it’s great that we finally
crossed that goal. Next is MTV and the Grammys. It’s something like a
dream, man. Success is a journey and we’re just starting.
Do you see similar success for yourself soon?
Oh, of course. I’ve been granted that gift of hard work, so I won’t stop until
I get to where I’m going. I’ve got a lot of writing credits under my belt, so
now it’s time to put the face with the skills. My new single “Bang Your City”
has been doing numbers, so I know it’s coming.
What writing credits do you have?
We got a lot of those, but that’s why they call it the “ghostwriter.” I love
those checks, so I’ma just keep that [quiet], you know what I mean?
How hard is it being in Triple C’s when you’re a New York
dude? How do you fit in?
It really wasn’t hard at all because we’re not one of those
groups that was put together at the last minute. I’ve been
down with these boys since I was 16. We always got bread
together, so it was kinda easy. The hardest thing is the beat
selection, ‘cause Ross knows how easy it is for me to write.
Sometimes I think he just picks beats to challenge me. But at the
end of the day, we always do our numbers. And that friendly camaraderie
in the music is just a friendly sport, so it’s a beautiful thing between all of
us, seeing who’s gon’ come hard and how we gon’ come. And of course the
Boss is the Boss, so we’re all just trying to hold our own.
What are you working on as a solo artist?
I got that Crash Course [mixtape] out, hosted by DJ Khaled and DJ Kay Slay.
For the first time in history, the biggest on the streets of the North and the
biggest DJ on the streets of the South came together and collaborated to
put me in a good position. I’ve got a couple more [mixtapes] on the way,
and I’ve got the UFO EP on the way. We’re just grinding. At the end of the
day, my solo effort is gon’ be more musical than anything else. My influences are artists like Scarface and 2Pac and artists who just made music
without trying to go down a specific lane. You never knew what you were
gon’ get when you pressed play, all you knew is that it was gon’ be genuine,
real and something you can really relate to.
Is there anything else you want to talk about?
I want y’all to look out for Specialyst Entertainment; that’s my company. You
know the boss gives us the freedom and leverage to do a whole bunch of
big things, so I started my own company and we’re doing some really big
things this year. You can follow me on that Twitter, @torchccc and check my
website out, TorchisNY.com for all the latest and greatest Triple C’s information. //
OZONE MAG // 43
MASSPIKE MILES
REINVENTION
44 // OZONE MAG
Words by Julia Beverly
Photo by Derick G
A
fter a childhood stint in a “boy band,” Boston-bred artist Masspike
Miles reinvented himself as a business-savvy singer with a bit of Hip
Hop swag. Now boasting some powerful allies, like Rick Ross and DJ
Drama, Miles is prepared to take his art form to the next level.
Do you think coming out of Boston is a challenge for an artist?
Yeah, it’s always a challenge coming out of Boston. I’ve been doing music for
damn near twenty years now. I was singing in a group called Perfect Gentlemen back in 1993. That was during the New Kids on the Block/New Edition
era; I was caught up in that. Coming out of Boston is definitely different than
coming out of Atlanta or New York. It’s hard; it’s difficult, I ain’t gonna lie. But
now that I’m moving around and adapting to my environment, no matter what
it is, they understand that the person is Miles as opposed to Masspike. They get
to know who Miles is.
Masspike is your alter ego?
Kind of. Miles is my government name, so people who know me call me Miles.
If you don’t know me, you can call me Masspike. (laughs)
So the boy-band situation back in ’93 didn’t work out?
I guess you could say we had mediocre success. By today’s standards selling
150,000 would be great, but back then it wasn’t great to the Warner Bros. staff.
They expected [more] because the New Kids on the Block were worth a billion
dollars in merchandising alone. I was only eleven then. I ain’t even gonna front,
I was dancing, singing, whatever it took for me to be a part of the group. I was
the lead singer of Perfect Gentlemen so I had to do what I had to do.
Did that discourage you from continuing in the music business?
For a few years I was discouraged. I was still developing as a young man and
trying to come up smoothly in the industry. Being a young dude in the streets
from Roxbury, Massachusetts, I had to deal with a lot of different things. I was
a chubby light skinned dude singing in a [boy band] when I was 11 and 12
years old, and it didn’t really pan out. My peers and people who I thought were
friends [ultimately] made fun of the fact that [my group] didn’t do well. That
kinda deterred me from singing for a few years. One day I was on TV singing
and then the next day I’m on the block, 13 years old, trying to sell weed. It was
discouraging. I could still sing though. What made me get back into it was my
homies in the hood who were really friends. We were really clicking; they were
rapping. My man used to have a microphone hanging from the lights and
the ceiling. He would have a microphone plugged in with the tape deck and
the boom. We would just freestyle, but the fact that I could do it so well just
influenced them. I was rap/singing back then, kinda like what I’m doing now.
I can do [rap] battles and pop music; I can do all that. Through them, I got into
the beat-making and songwriting aspect of the music. That’s how I made the
transition back into music when I was about fifteen.
After your transition back into the music game on the songwriting and
production side, what have you been working on?
I got into beat-making and I worked with this artist named Smoke Bulga out of
Boston. We ended up getting a deal with Sony/Epic. I produced his first single
and was heavily involved with his project on the executive side of things. It
just influenced me creatively to want to move forward. I knew I was talented
enough. I’m not the greatest singer or dancer. I’m not gonna sit around and
serenade your girl; if you meet me you may never know that I can sing. I just
wanted to do music regardless if it was working as sa producer or an artist
or being in the background. I just wanted to be a part of the music because I
loved it so much.
So in working with Smoke Bulga, you got more of a feel for the business side
of the industry?
Of course. I’m heavily involved with my business. I’m fully financing my own
videos. Because I’m a boss, I’m not waiting for you to hold my hand to cross
the street or waiting for you to give me some money to put gas in my car. I’m
the dude that’s coming with the full package because I know what it is. I know
what it feels like to have an artist that’s always – I won’t say “needy,” but – always
depending on you for certain things. I know what it feels like to distribute
money in certain places and never see it come back. Being an artist gave me
an understanding of how I need to approach people and conduct myself as a
businessman.
How did the situation with Smoke Bulga pan out?
We got caught between the merger with Sony and Epic and our A&R got fired.
It was just the typical story of an artist trying to blow up and the [major deal]
didn’t work out properly so we just stayed on the grind releasing Mixtapes. I
felt like I was missing something personally, though. I wanted to be contributing creatively, as an artist. There were certain things I wanted to show the
people that maybe [my artist] didn’t have the vision for. I feel like, if I want the
bathroom clean, the only person that’s gonna clean the bathroom is me. So
that’s what I needed to do.
Singing is a little more fun than cleaning the bathroom, but I get your analogy. How did you link up with Rick Ross?
I met him when he came to [Boston]. But rather than just meeting him and being just another nigga, I felt like this was my opportunity to be an artist. I didn’t
have a record done or nothing like that but I said, “My nigga, I need a feature.
How much does it cost?” We discussed the price, got my brown paper bag, and
I had him do 16 bars. I didn’t have a concept or anything. A couple days later he
finished the 16 bars, we split the 16 in two, and just blasted the record off, “Get
It Together.” I wasn’t really sure how [the streets] were gonna respond to it. I was
just in my zone on some street shit and I released it and it got a lot of love.
That was about two years ago, right?
Yeah, it sure was. Then Ross told me that he wanted to shoot a video. He didn’t
need to tell a nigga like me [that] twice; I needed that [look]. So I put my money
together, we shot the video, and he was impressed with the professionalism.
Since I’m a young dude and I’m ambitious and determined to win and willing
to invest in myself, he saw that there was potential in the situation. We sat
down after we shot the video and chopped it up for a few weeks. He told me
I had a lot of potential and was like, “We’re bosses. Let’s come together.” I told
him I didn’t want my project to be rushed. I really want to sit back and develop
my shit, because I haven’t been on stage in 15 years. I’m signed to Maybach
Music now, but it’s kinda like a joint venture.
You just dropped a Gangsta Grillz mixtape with DJ Drama, right?
Yeah, it’s called Super Fly. [Drama’s] brand is so hot in the industry that he’ll literally have thirty artists on his list [of mixtapes to do]. So he’ll have like Dream,
dead prez, Gucci Mane, and T.I. waiting. My Gangsta Grillz is all original stuff.
The big homie LA the Darkman wanted me to go out of the box and do some
freestyles, but I really wanted to be intimate with the people.
Why give away a mixtape with all-original music? Is it like an investment?
Of course I could put it out as an album, but who am I to put out an album
right now? Let’s keep it real. You may know who Masspike Miles is, but Bethany
in Idaho doesn’t know who I am, and that’s the person that’s buying the album.
I’ve gotta show the people that I’m worthy of putting out an album. The name
of my album is The Struggle, and it’s coming in 2010 or 2011. Right now, I’m just
gonna keep burning up the internet and burning up these streets. I’m doing
some production, but I like to deal with new [producers] as well. I’m working
with some cats out of Australia and some cats out of Canada. I’m looking for
some thirsty dudes that I can call at any time and they’re on deck. I ain’t with all
the bourgeois shit. Producers can send beats to MasspikeMilesBeats@gmail.
com. I’m looking for writers too. I’m also working with J.U.S.T.I.C.E. League, The
Incredibles, and Drumma Boy.
Why did you call the mixtape Super Fly?
Sometimes I have a hard time sleeping, so I do a lot of thinking in my sleep. I
woke up one night and was watching the movie Super Fly. I felt like some of
the things he went through were similar to what I’m going through. For all of
my mixtapes, I like to base them off a movie. The last mixtape I did was called
The Pursuit of Happyness, which happened to be a Will Smith movie. The next
mixtape I’m putting out is going to be called Power, which is based off of an old
Ice-T album. I take all the fly light skinned niggas’ movies. (laughs)
Well, don’t forget Terrence Howard. Hustle & Flow: The Mixtape.
That’s coming soon. (laughs)
You mentioned that Ross was impressed with your professionalism. What
are some good and bad ways of handling business?
Bad business is basically just people not keeping their word, or club talk. “Club
talk” is like, “Hey, what’s up my nigga, we gonna get up, we gonna do this
record, I’m gonna holla at you tomorrow,” and then you never hear from them.
I’m not with the club talk. I don’t do that. When you ask me to do a feature, it’s
too easy. You know how to get at me and I’m willing to work with anybody
who’s willing to work. But you have to deal with a lot of fuck niggas that are
full of talk. This game is full of talk and backstabbers. But I’m not a jaded artist
and I don’t have a problem being a raunchy nigga when a nigga treats me
raunchy. At the end of the day I just keep it straightforward. But on the good
side, there’s a lot of connections you can acquire in this business. The people
you can be around, the caviar, traveling the world, and being able to indulge in
different cultures. I did this to see the world. I do it for the love, I don’t do it for
the money. I ain’t made a fucking dollar off this music shit yet but I still ride in
my Benz, I still smoke the best weed, and I’ve still got the condominium with
the marble countertops.
Is there anything else you’d like to add?
Hit me on Twitter, @MasspikeMiles. Hit me on Facebook, go on iTunes and
download all my music. You can download the Gangsta Grillz off my Myspace
or DatPiff.com. Keep God first and stay focused and determined. //
OZONE MAG // 45
PAUL WALL
IN MY BLOOD
Words by Julia Beverly
Photo by SLFEMP
O
nce a loud proponent of swangaz, syrup, and all things Houston, Paul Wall is now a proud family man building a new life in
Los Angeles with his wife and two kids. Although he reunited
with former partner Chamillionaire at the urging of Pimp C, E-40, and
Killer Mike, here Paul has some strong words for former Swishahouse
ally Mike Jones. He also answers a no-win question about Trae vs.
Houston radio station The Box, and speaks frankly about the way his
father’s heroin addiction influenced his own struggle with addiction.
You’re living in L.A. now, which is interesting because people affiliate
Paul Wall so closely with the Houston sound and Houston culture.
What made you decide to make the switch?
I wanted to get a different feel for this album. We’ve always had good
success going to different studios and traveling. We did “I’m Throwed”
in Atlanta with Jermaine Dupri, and we recorded a lot of the last few
albums in Austin. It just seems like we get a good feel when we travel.
When I’m away from home, it’s easier to focus. When I’m at home I get
lazy. So I’m recording my album in L.A. but I’ll be back in Houston when
I’m finished. Musically, the album is definitely a lot different. Travis Barker
is doing most of the production.
With Travis Barker producing, does it have more of a rock & roll sound?
Nah. That’s what a lot of people think, just because Travis Barker is our
generation’s most famous drummer – and best drummer, in my opinion.
Even though most people associate him with rock & roll, his Hip Hop
production is wild. It’s incredible. Being in the studio working with him
just motivates me. I also got a lot of features on my album just because
46 // OZONE MAG
[other artists] would stop by the studio to mess with Travis. Raekwon, for
example. He just happened to be in the studio doing something with
Travis and he ended up doing a verse for me too.
Your weight has ballooned the last few years, up and down. They say
when you get married you get fat. (laughs) Were you eating good?
I definitely was eating good. When you get married you tend to get
more comfortable and settle down, and that definitely was the case with
me. That’s something you want to handle on your own because when
you’re married, you want to keep it interesting. You get fat and lazy and
look in the mirror and think, “How can I be attractive to my wife when I’m
looking like this?” I don’t think [marriage] was really the reason I got big,
though. I got big from drinking so much syrup and having bad eating
habits. Vicodin, Xanax, and stuff like that really messed up my metabolism. Syrup slows your metabolism down too and it kinda makes you
lazy. You’re less active, so I think that definitely plays a major role. Not
to blame anything [in particular] because it’s definitely my fault. It’s not
anybody else’s fault; I don’t blame anybody. It’s something I have to take
responsibility for. My drug habits are definitely my fault.
Are you clean and sober now or are you still drinking syrup?
That’s the other thing: syrup looks like a cool drug. People don’t look at
it as an actual “drug.” It’s still a drug. I’ve stopped drinking syrup. It’s not
something I did just [to lose] weight, but for my family. My dad was addicted to heroin so that’s something I was always conscious of – I don’t
want to turn into him. I want to be here for my family and live a long life
with them. As I saw myself turning into my dad, being addicted to a drug
is kinda scary. It really made me just want to get better and be a better
father to my kids.
Syrup was apparently a factor in Pimp C’s passing. Did that influence you
to stop also?
Not at all, honestly. I’ve always been a big defender of syrup. Even when
[Pimp C] passed, when Screw passed, when Moe passed, I kinda made
excuses. I said it was other things that killed them, just their whole lifestyle.
That’s part of being a drug addict. You make excuses and try to validate
what you’re doing. But at the same time, in the back of my mind I was
always thinking, “What if I go to sleep right now and don’t wake up?” That’s
a scary thought. I don’t think the syrup played a part [in their deaths] 100%,
it was just an ingredient for it. But like I said, being a drug addict who’s
addicted to syrup and pills, you try to make excuses to validate why you’re
doing what you’re doing.
At what point did you admit to yourself that you were addicted?
When my kids would wake me up in the morning and I wouldn’t want to
get out of bed. It was just the way they looked at me, and the way my wife
would look at me. She was constantly trying to get me to stop. I wouldn’t
have any energy at times. The syrup makes you real irritable. We would be
fighting and arguing over little stuff; little things would piss me off.
Did you just quit cold turkey?
Nah. Over the years I would stop, then start back up again, then stop. It
was something I always struggled with over the years. The last time when
I stopped, I just decided that it was serious, and that in order for me to be
here for my family and be here for my kids I really need to stop. I can’t be a
good father to my kids and be addicted to a drug, regardless of what drug
it is. Growing up, I went to all the drug programs for the families of drug
addicts. So I was always aware of the problem. Since I was related to a drug
addict, I found myself turning into what I’d hated all my life. That’s exactly
what I was afraid of.
Was your father addicted to heroin before you were born, or was it
something that happened over time?
Probably before I was born. He abandoned me, my sister, and my mom
before I was even in kindergarten.
Is he still alive?
I have no idea. My mom remarried and my stepdad adopted me and my
sister. He took us in and showed us what it was to be a man and how to
take care of your family. My biological father is just a sperm donor, but my
stepdad is my father.
What sticks out in your mind most from the drug treatment programs
you attended as a child?
I just didn’t understand what was going on. You kinda blame yourself. I
couldn’t understand why he loved [heroin] more than he loved me. Even
after my mom remarried, I still [attended] those programs because I was
dealing with that sense of abandonment. As I drug addict I can kind of understand it, but I can’t rationalize how I could love [a drug] more than I love
my kids. I love my wife and kids more than anything in the world, but drugs
are real powerful. They change the way you think. They change your mind
and your whole thought process, so when you do things it’s not really you
doing them it’s the drugs doing them. Thank God that I was able to have
the support and able to overcome it. But a lot of people can’t overcome it.
That’s deep. On another note, we ran a story in OZONE about your USO
trip to Afghanistan to perform for the troops along with DJ Smallz. I
shared my perspective on the trip, but what about you? What did you
take away from the whole experience?
I’m getting ready to go back [to the Middle East] with Big Boy from [Power
106’s] Big Boy’s neighborhood. After we came back from Afghanistan, I was
just thinking how crazy it was that we were over there when all those people were dying. It was one of the deadliest months [during the Afghanistan
war]. I think the craziest thing was just to think that some of the soldiers
who died might have come to our concert and saw us perform. That kind of
touches your heart to think, damn, I was probably the last concert they saw
before they were killed.
For a lot of artists, “Hey, do you want to go to the desert in a war zone in
the middle of the summer to perform for free?” is not appealing. What
was your motivation?
I felt an obligation to do it. It’s my duty and responsibility. I’m not in the
military but whether you support the war or not, it’s about supporting the
troops. People always say it, but what are you actually doing to support the
troops? They’ve always supported me. I’ve had family and friends in the
military. Also, being from Texas, I wanted to show love back because I heard
a statistic that 80% of the troops that are in the Middle East either came
from Texas or were stationed in Texas at one point. That’s a hell of a statistic
and that’s a large chunk of the military population over there. They’ve
always supported me and I just wanted to give back in some type of way.
When did you decide to get serious about losing weight?
Honestly, when we were in Afghanistan and [reps for VH1’s] Celebrity Fit
Club were contacting you asking you to ask me about coming on the show.
That was a hell of a wake-up call. [Being fat] isn’t a secret. You can look in
the mirror and try to hide it and cover it up, and it may work here or there,
but there ain’t no shirt or hat you can put on or haircut you can get to hide
the fact that you’re morbidly obese. That’s what the doctor said: I was “morbidly obese.” I decided not to do [Celebrity Fit Club] but it was still a wake-up
call to have people calling you saying, “Hey, you’re really, really fat.”
What kind of weight-loss surgery did you get?
The surgery I got is called gastric sleeve. There’s three kinds: gastric bypass,
lap band, and the gastric sleeve. Gastric bypass is the one where you lose
the most weight the quickest; it’s for people who are 400-500 pounds and
have health problems that they need to fix right away. Since [the weight
loss] happens so fast it leaves you with a lot of saggy skin. The lap band,
which is very popular, is when they put a band around your stomach and
it makes you feel like you’re full, so you don’t eat. But there’s ways to cheat
with it, and with the lap band, you can always get it removed to go back to
normal. [My weight] has been up and down my whole life, so I wanted to
do something to permanently fix the problem. Since going back and forth
on the drugs for years and taking diet pills, my metabolism was really gone.
So I decided to go with the gastric sleeve, because it’s a little more serious
than the lap band. They also cut out the hormones that make you hungry.
So I actually don’t even get hungry anymore. The doctor talked me out of
doing the lap band; he told me it’s the most popular, but it’s not as effective. With the lap band, you lose about 50% of your excess weight. I was
120 pounds overweight. I weighed 320 pounds, and I’m six feet tall. So with
the lap band I still would’ve been morbidly obese. With the gastric sleeve,
you typically lose 80% of your excess fat. I lost 100 pounds with it, so that’s
putting me in a more healthy weight class.
Having lost 100 pounds, do you see a noticeable difference in your life?
Yeah, hands down. I feel like I got my life back. When you’re so big like that,
it’s embarrassing. I didn’t want to go out and be seen. I felt uncomfortable because I’m not used to being that big. People would see me and say
something about it, because it was no secret. I was morbidly obese, 120
pounds overweight. It was just embarrassing. I’d be on stage feeling like I
was about to collapse. I’d get dizzy spells. I’d be on the airplane and have
to ask for seatbelt extensions. Once you go up in the air, it’s really hard
to breath. I was just thinking, “What if I have a heart attack?” I want to be
here for my kids. I don’t want to have a heart attack. My son is four and my
daughter is two and a half. The doctor told me that when you’re 50 pounds
overweight, it takes 15 years off your life. So it literally saved my life.
Have you been working out too?
Nah. I’ve probably worked out twice since I had [the surgery] and that was
just a light workout.
It seems like your overall lifestyle has changed a whole lot since you first
came out. Now that you’re a family man and no longer sipping syrup, has
that affected the content of your music and the topics you rap about?
I don’t think it’s affected it that much. I feel more motivated now. I guess
that’s for the fans to decide, but I always try to keep the music relevant to
who I am. But at the same time, it’s music, so I try to keep it entertaining. I
try not to be a big farce. I don’t want to stray too far out of my lane because
I make music specifically for my fans.
Your album Heart of the Champion is out now. Is it still Swishahouse?
Yeah, Swishahouse and Warner Bros. It came out July 13th, which is a good
day for Houston – 7/13 – [Houston’s area code] 713.
You were affiliated with Mike Jones through Swishahouse. Are y’all still
on good terms? People are kind of wondering what happened to him.
Me personally, I’d say he dug his own grave. He lied to a lot of people, he
turned his back on a lot of people, and he burned a lot of bridges. I don’t
want to kick a dog while he’s down and I don’t wanna just talk shit about
him, but I think a lot of people were happy when [Trae] punched him and
knocked him out. But at the same time, a lot of people were mad at Trae
too. It’s not like Mike Jones is the gangsta of the year, so in my opinion,
you don’t really get points for beating up Mike Jones. Some people say it
was a publicity stunt on Trae’s part, but I disagree with that totally because
I know Trae and he doesn’t really do publicity stunts like that. If Trae feels
disrespected, he’s going to address it. I think that’s what happened. If
OZONE MAG // 47
somebody disrespects you, [punching them] is not always the answer, but
it’s definitely sometimes the answer. So I don’t feel like Trae was wrong in
any form or fashion. Trae doesn’t do publicity stunts. But like I said, Mike
Jones burned his bridge with a lot of people, so he probably had a knock
out coming from somewhere at some time anyway. I’m positive of that.
Where is Mike Jones?
I don’t know. Ever since he left Swishahouse I haven’t really kept track of
him. I really didn’t know him too well before he came to Swishahouse.
I think because of the “Still Tippin’” record, people outside of Houston
always had the perception that you, Mike Jones, and Slim Thug, were
sort of a unit.
I would’ve liked it to be like that, but Mike Jones didn’t want that. He kinda
wanted it to all be about him. If that’s how you want it, I’m not gonna be
the one to beg you to stay around, especially since all my major success
came not too long after the break up with me and Chamillionaire. I was in
a mindframe where it was like, “If you don’t want to be here, I’m not gonna
force you.” If you don’t want to be on the Swishahouse team together, I’m
not gonna force you. I’ve gotta do me and focus on what’s best for me. I
would’ve loved for us to be a unit but he didn’t want that, so that was his
choice. When he left Swishahouse, he was dropping salt on everybody from
Swishahouse and not giving us any credit at all. He was talking down on a
lot of us and he would never directly say our names, but he was still hating.
There were times when I felt disrespected and I would call him out on it,
and he’d be like, “Nah, I wasn’t talking about you. I would never do that.” I’m
sure there’s a psychological term for this problem that Mike Jones has. He
has a problem. His perception of reality ain’t the real perception of reality.
I think the psychological term for people with a false perception of reality is “delusional.” (laughs)
In his mind Mike Jones feels like he hasn’t done anything wrong to me,
Trae, or Chamillionaire. He feels like everyone else is trippin’ and he’s the
victim. But that ain’t how it happened. We always say there’s three sides
to every story: your side, the other person’s side, and the truth. But in his
mind, he’s the victim and he never did anything wrong to anybody. When
somebody thinks that way, there’s no point in arguing with them. With that
being said, I kinda washed my hands of him. I’m not worried about Mike
Jones. I don’t wish no bad on him and I don’t hate him, but I’ve got to move
in my own direction. There’s no sense in arguing with him. They say when
two people argue, from a distance you can’t tell who the fool is.
Speaking of Trae, did you keep up with his lawsuit against [Houston
radio station] KBXX The Box? Do you think they abused their power by
allegedly “banning” him from the airwaves?
(long pause) No matter what I say here, somebody’s gonna get mad. And
if I say “no comment,” everybody’s gonna get mad. (laughs) I don’t want to
take sides, but there’s no correct answer here. If I was in The Box’s shoes,
I would’ve done the same thing they’ve done. If I was in Trae’s shoes, I
would’ve done the same thing he’s done. I don’t know the whole truth of
the situation, just rumors. But Trae is the kind of artist who really doesn’t
need the radio station. He’s a street artist and he’s got a street following, so
him being banned from any radio station isn’t going to stop his show. Me, I
need the radio station. If I got banned from the radio station that might be
the end of my career. But Trae, honestly, I feel like he doesn’t need any radio
play because he has a strong street following. And the radio station doesn’t
need any artist. They don’t need us at all. The artists need the radio station.
They’re a big conglomerate and my money ain’t long enough to fight with
any radio station. Even the small mom and pop radio stations have more
bread than I’ve got. Maybe Universal Records or Warner Bros could go up
against [Radio One] in a courtroom, but lil ol’ me, man, my bread ain’t long
enough to be having lawsuits that go on for eight years. The whole situation is real fucked up for a lot of artists in Houston, because a lot of artists,
including myself, have a real good relationship with The Box. We have good
relationships with the DJs, the jocks, the programmers, and the people
behind the scenes. But at the same time I have a real good relationship and
friendship with Trae. So it’s a real fucked up position for a lot of the artists
to be in, and also for the mixers and the jocks because those people have
good relationships with Trae too. They’re in a position where they’re forced
to take a side. I always try to be politically correct and not choose sides, but
it’s hard to do that.
So you’re trying to stay neutral.
I don’t know. There really is no neutral. Since Trae is my homeboy, I’m trying
to support him in other ways. I’m hooking him up with some producers I
know and shouting him out whenever I do interviews. If a DJ is asking for
music I say, “Here’s my boy Trae.” I’m trying to help him move past it. So I’m
trying to support him in other ways aside from saying, “I’m on Trae’s side.”
I’m not on Trae’s side; I’m not on either side. I can’t really ignore it because
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everybody is conscious of it, but with The Box I try to support them by
showing up to their events. The funny thing is the cyber thugs and Twitter
gangsters. I’ve gotten so many threats from people [on Twitter], but I know
they’re just cyber thugs with meaningless words.
What kind of threats? “If you don’t boycott The Box, we’ll kill you”?
Yeah. Prank calling. They’re not actual threats; it’s just words being put together on the keyboard. If anybody in the world wanted to kill me, I’m not
hard to find. I’ve never portrayed myself as the world’s number one gangsta
because I’m not. But I’m a man, I’m not a punk either. I don’t roll deep. If
anybody ever wanted to hurt me I’m not hard to get at. It would be stupid
to beat somebody up because you’re not saying, “Fuck the radio station.”
Me saying that wouldn’t help anything anyway. Radio stations are funded
by advertisers. If you go after their number one advertiser, that’s how
you can make noise at the radio station. I need The Box. The Box doesn’t
need me. It’s the same thing with The Beat in Dallas. If I didn’t have them, I
wouldn’t have a career. People on Twitter want me to tell the radio station,
“Don’t play me, play Trae.” Nah, I’m not going to say that about any artist. I
want you to play my song. Yeah, I would like you to play my friends’ songs,
but my priority is my song. I’ve got an album out and I’ve got kids to feed.
I’m sure after this [interview] I’m going to get a thousand more meaningless Twitter threats from cyberthugs. The threats come from people who
aren’t even in Houston. Trae is my friend beyond all this; he’s always going
to be my friend. I’m going to support him because he’s always had my
back. I don’t care what the gangsta geeks on Twitter say. Their messages
get deleted and I move on. It’s just a topic of conversation, like, “Guess who
threatened me today? Some 15-year-old cyberthug.” Real gangstas don’t
make threats on Twitter. They’re not on Twitter at all. (laughs)
I know the grill phase kind of came and went, but is business still booming at TV Jewelry for you and your partner TV Johnny?
Grills aren’t a fad or a national trend like it used to be, but the people who
always wore grills are still wearing grills – the dope boys, the hustlers,
the ballers. We still sell a lot of them. In general, though, people are still
coming in and spending crazy amounts of money. We do custom jewelry,
so we make everything from scratch: chains, charms, rings, bracelets, and
watches. We do a lot of jewelry other than just grills. The jewelry business
in general is thriving. Johnny has the workshop to make jewelry for other
jewelry shops, so a lot of the other jewelry stores sell jewelry that we actually made. That’s the crazy part.
And you’ve also got the clothing line Expensive Taste, right? It seems like
you did a good job of diversifying with the clothing line and the jewelry.
Are you planning on expanding into other businesses?
I’m always looking, but to me, it has to be something you believe in and
are passionate about. I thought about opening a car lot just because I love
cars so much, but these days I don’t know if it would be wise because of the
economy. When you find something you believe in, it’s easier to promote.
I’m passionate about the jewelry and the clothes. I’m pretty sure I’ll get into
something else soon, because I was always taught to have more than one
hustle. Hustling is like the seasons. Sometimes it’s hot, sometimes it’s cold.
You have to change your wardrobe for every season. Sometimes the rap
music might be booming, sometimes it might be clothing, sometimes it
might be grills. As long as I’ve got a lot of different hustles going on, as long
as I keep a good hustle I’ll stay busy, stay profitable, and stay grinding.
How did you and Chamillionaire squash your beef and decide to go back
on tour together?
Little by little the wounds healed. We matured a lot. We’re both pretty
stubborn and seven years ago we both were way more stubborn than we
are now. With maturity we’ve grown in our adulthood. Killer Mike, E-40,
and Pimp C were all real big supporters of us [as a team] and they kept
telling us, “Y’all need to stop trippin’ and get back together.” Whether it’s for
the friendship – we were childhood friends, like brothers – or for the fans,
because the music we made together was phenomenal, those were good
reasons why people wanted us to get back together. We both just grew
and came to realize that we were both wrong in some areas and we both
were right in some areas. It wasn’t one colossal event that made us grow
apart and it wasn’t one colossal event that made us come back together.
We’d just gotten tired of each other and grown apart and finally we’d had
enough and went our separate ways. For me, when Pimp C [referenced us]
in “Knockin’ Doors Down,” that was a real wake-up call. Everybody was like,
“Did you hear Pimp C say on that song that y’all need to get back together,
mane?” Especially when Pimp C passed, I knew he would love to see us get
back together. When [Chamillionaire and I] do our shows now, I know Pimp
would love to see this. When we performed in Houston at House of Blues,
Pimp C’s mama was there, and his son too. That would’ve been real cool
for him to see us together on stage, since he played a big part in us getting
back together. //
OZONE MAG // 49
When OZONE featured Big K.R.I.T. in its Patiently Waiting section in
2006, only a few people had heard of the then 19-year old rapper/producer. He was from the small town of Meridian, Mississippi, so you almost had to either be from there or have worked with him to be aware
of his music. Sensing that it would be an uphill battle to get noticed in
his hometown, K.R.I.T. trekked to Atlanta, where he shopped beats and
handed out mixtapes from his See Me On Top series, which featured
assistance from DJ Folk, DJ Wally Sparks and DJ Infamous.
While his buzz started to catch fire in the Southeast, a few obstacles
set him off track professionally, personally and creatively. Almost
getting swallowed up in Atlanta’s heavy dance and club scene, K.R.I.T.
soon found himself at a crossroads. One that he actually hinted at
meeting in his 2006 interview.
“I try to be positive and have uplifting music, but sometimes you gotta
bring it back down to reality,” he said.
K.R.I.T. sensed that he was due for a reality check and moved back
to Mississippi in 2008. After getting back in touch with his family
and roots, he began recording Krit Wuz Here, a sample-laden, soulsearching opus that has surprisingly become one of the most heralded
releases of 2010. Even though he gave the project away for free over
the internet, he received a nice kickback in the form of a deal with Def
Jam records.
OZONE caught up with K.R.I.T. to talk about his journey and the project
he feels took him five years to make.
A lot of people are labeling you as a “new” artist, which isn’t quite
accurate. You’ve been at this for about five years now.
Yeah. In 2005 the first DJ that ever put me on a mixtape was DJ Folk on
From The Trap to the Stroll; the song was called “They Gon’ Hate.” Then he
put me on his Deep In the Game series. He wound up hosting my mixtape
See Me On Top part 2. I also did King of the Queen with DJ Wally Sparks and
See Me On Top part 3 with DJ Infamous. So DJs have been showing me
love from the start. Around that time I was still making a name for myself
as both a rapper and producer. I did “Live and Let Die” for Big Floaty and
worked with Max Minelli. It was all about working with indie artists.
What happened between See Me On Top parts 2 and 3 and then after
that? It seemed like you got away from the soulful music you were
producing for a minute, then disappeared.
I was trying to figure out the best way to come out and be myself and
building a brand. It got to a point where I was sacrificing my creative
mindframe to try and get a buzz or be on the radio. So I went back to
Mississippi to find my roots and what I wanted to put out to the world. I
feel like Krit Wuz Here was five years in the making. It’s showing the world
that I ain’t new to this, but letting the mainstream get introduced to me.
The song that seemed to reel everybody in was “Hometown Hero.”
When I did that track, I was riding with my potna Mike Hartnett of Rehab.
He put me up on Adele’s “Hometown Glory.” Five months later I bought
her music, sampled it, made a song, and just started blasting it. It started
bubbling. In January, Creative Control did the video. I think the footage
helped the song get out.
Is there a story behind that beat? Two or three different artists
hopped on it too. Did the beat get leaked or passed around?
No, the song is just popular. Adele was Grammy nominated. The album
is amazing. When I sampled it I was unaware of how many other people
were sampling it too.
How long did you work on Krit Wuz Here?
It took a year and a half, two years to make. But I say five years because I
want people to see my growth, see me getting comfortable in my skin,
with my voice and my content and who I am. Cinematic Music Group and
Johnny Shipes contacted me and we started working at the end of 2009
and getting with Creative Control.
You were living and working in Atlanta for a minute. A lot of artists
are dying to move here. Why did you opt to leave and go back home?
Being home is always a humbling experience. You meet people you
see every day, people you went to school with. You’re on TV but these
people know you for who you are. I had my family supporting me. It
was extremely important that I showcase me as an individual. The song
“Something” was recorded in my grandmother’s bathroom. I wanted
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people to know that no matter where you’re from, it’s all about the quality of music you’re putting out and if you believe in yourself. Mississippi
is a humbling place. When you look at BET and MTV, it’s surreal to think
you’ll ever be there. Being in my hometown and speaking for them, it’s a
blessing because we know it’s a long road to get here.
Why go that route?
Because my state never had a sound of its own, like, “Oh, that’s some Mississippi shit.” People don’t really lend an ear to Mississippi music because
they may not understand the slang and what we go through down
there. At the end of the day, it’s not so much of a coastal thing, it’s about
putting out quality music period. That’s why I work with people from
everywhere because we all want to regenerate that golden era of Hip
Hop, where it wasn’t so factory-based and more organic.
The production really stands out, especially at a time when “Southern”
Hip Hop nowadays sounds more synth-heavy than soulful.
No doubt. When you think of Mississippi you think of B.B. King,
Muddy Waters, Howling Wolf.
I really wanted organic beats like Organized Noize. It wasn’t sampled to
the point where you could tell what they was sampling. But if they did,
they chopped it up to where you couldn’t tell, it made for good composition. I just want to take it back to when the music sounded timeless. That
why I have the song “The Return 4eva,” bringing back music where people thought about what they rapped about and the sample they chose to
use, the way they layered them. All of that is extremely important. Look
at the artists that did that like Biggie, 2Pac, Outkast, Goodie Mob, Mobb
Deep, DMX. You still listen to these artists. I want to be timeless like them,
it can be 2040 and you’re still listening to it.
Which do you spend more time on, rapping or production?
Both of them are long processes. I spend as much time possible trying
to perfect the beat. At the same time I’m thinking of a concept for the
song and I usually get that vibe from the beat. Whether it’s some playa
shit, spiritual, some overconfident lyrical shit, or about grinding. I know
exactly what I want to rap about. I name the track based off the vibe.
With the beat I try to record over a two track first then go back and break
it down for mixing. But I’m careful with that because when you get into
breaking the beat down it can lose some of the energy.
Being that you are both a producer and rapper, you’ve been drawing
a lot of Pimp C comparisons, on both ends of the spectrum. Some say
you sound a little too much like him, others love how he’s obviously
influenced you.
I was influenced by UGK. They were in a neighboring state. UGK, Lil Keke,
Slim Thug, Paul Wall, Chamillionare, Suave House, 8Ball & MJG, Tela, Outkast, Goodie Mob, Cool Breeze, and Three Six Mafia were my influences. I
was influenced by all of this music so it only makes sense that my sound
would be derived from that. Mississippi is surrounded by these states
and we loved this music and we could relate. It’s a lifestyle aspect. It was
always exciting to hear them rap about how we get down and then do
big things like win Grammys and stuff. When people tell me that, I feel
like I’m representing where I’m from. All of them are legends and all I can
do is try to influence people the same way they did and hope to make
the same impact they did.
Do you think you’re filling a void among the new artists? Many of
you are reminding people of artists that they grew up on. Like say,
how Nipsey Hussle reminds people of Snoop Dogg.
Yes, it’s a new generation, and all these artists are young. So at the end
of the day we are all students of this music and Hip Hop so we’re about
keeping the tradition alive. I’m excited to be in a position for people to
say I represent the South. I represent Hip Hop, quality music.
How did the Def Jam deal come about?
That was five years in the working. Krit Wuz Here came out May 4th. Sha
Money contacted us, said he fucked with the music, so let’s do something. Def Jam is legendary. It was five years in the making as far as
finding myself. It just all worked. Its God given. It was great timing, it’s a
blessing, I’m amazed and overwhelmed and excited for everyone from
my state and everybody who is around me. At the end of the day, I want
to make music for everybody. I don’t want it to be a coastal thing, I want
it to be for Hip Hop fans period. I’m trying to make real life music for everybody, regardless of what you listen to on the daily or in the club. I plan
on making that kind of music for the rest of my career. //
Words by Maurice G. Garland
BIG K.R.I.T.
FIVE YEARS OF FUNK
OZONE MAG // 51
PILL
HIP HOP’S NEW DRUG
52 // OZONE MAG
After three mixtapes and praise from
critics, Pill has gone from being
homeless to hardly being at home.
Last year, Pill was living a life not too far from the one depicted in his
breakthrough video “Trap Goin’ Ham.” While viewers were either entertained or embarrassed by the video’s images, Pill was still embedded in them when the cameras stopped rolling. Matter of fact, during
the time he was recording his debut mixtape 4180: The Prescription, he
was still searching for a cure for the ills in his own life.
“I was sleeping in the trap still,” admits the rapper born Tyrone Rivers.
“Me and my girl had broke up so I was basically homeless, but I was
still going to the studio. I told [my manager] D that I was getting a
deal this year. He was like, “I don’t know, maybe if you work hard for
two years.” But I was like, “Nah, I’m going hard.”
After releasing more eye-catching videos and a strong follow-up mixtape 4075: The Refill, Pill found himself with a deal within six months
of releasing his first collection of recorded music.
“It was very surprising,” he says, pausing as if he just realized it again.
“I had to show people what I’m capable of, my lyrical ability, my dexterity and my willingness to be different with tracks. I wanted to open
eyes and ears and in the next six months, everybody is like, “Pill!” I’m
like damn. So I’m thankful to everyone who showed support. Without
them I wouldn’t be here that quick.”
On the heels of dropping his latest mixtape, a Gangsta Grillz with DJ
Drama titled 1140: The Overdose (the numbers in the titles each represent an old address), Pill is riding high and becoming one of Hip Hop’s
rising stars. OZONE caught up with him to talk about his journey over
the last year and the long road ahead of him.
A lot of people are hearing of you for the first time, or just now
deciding to listen to you after doing a Gangsta Grillz mixtape. How
does it feel to get that stamp?
It’s refreshing. They’re used to hearing [DJ Drama] work with the really
huge acts, so for me to do a tape with him is like a dream come true.
When you’re on the mixtape circuit, doing a Gangsta Grillz is like, the
goal, because he’s probably the hottest guy in the mixtape game -- not
to shun anyone else, though, because I’ve done tapes with DJ Skee and
Burn One, and the Empire. There’s millions of DJs, but Drama culminates
it all when it comes to mixapes. A lot of people are starting to holler at
me or recognize me at the grocery store. It’s a breath of fresh air for the
streets because he has his fans and I have mine.
Speaking of being recognized, it’s hard to find a lot of rappers just
being out with the people. You seem to still be out there, even
when you aren’t “working.” Do you think that’s a challenge for you,
because people want to view their favorite rapper as a “star”?
It feels good to be able to just be out. I want people to say I’m a good
person. I don’t want them to say I’m an asshole. I roll places solo sometimes. People bump into me and say, “What you doing here?” I’m ready
for the stardom mentally and physically, though. I know what I’m in for.
When I started the journey I knew I wouldn’t be able to go certain places
anymore. So when you ask for that, you know it comes with that. Nothing is easy.
The passion and realness in my music made people gravitate towards
me. I was doing something fresh, real and raw, and that hadn’t been
done in a while. In Atlanta, for the last couple years we haven’t seen that,
it’s been the lollipop music and the swag music. That’s good music for
what it is, but I wanted to make my music for the struggle. I think my
shows have a lot to do with it too. People say I kill the stage with my
energy. People say they can hear the realness in my voice.
Judging from the places you’ve performed and the people that
seem to latch onto your music, you appeal to almost everybody. As
an artist, does that pressure to try and start making music that appeals to everybody bother you?
It’s fuel to the fire. It’s no pressure with me. Pressure makes a diamond
around this way. If I got everybody from all angles enjoying my music, I
should just keep doing the same thing I’ve been doing. Why switch it up
now? I always say, it’s like when the Falcons went to the Super Bowl, they
played great all year, kicked ass. They had one of the best records, then
went to the Super Bowl and switched up the game plan and got beat.
Rapping the way I rap, doing the videos I do, it motivates me to remain
consistent. The people can enjoy that. They can enjoy the guy that was
on the corner drinking a beer, selling a gram, trying to get money for
a pair of shoes and something to eat. They can enjoy the guy that was
walking around homeless, in and out of jail. A guy that’s came up from
nothing, a guy that was house to house since he was seven and came
home and saw his mother dead.
Well, I guess it’s wrong to say you please everybody. Most of your
videos seem to be very polarizing. Some people love them, others
loathe them.
I let my haters be my motivators. The people that misunderstand or misinterpret what I’m doing, I don’t let it bother me. I see it, but I really pay it
no mind. There’s no glorification in my music. If I’m rapping about it, I’ma
show it to you. I’ma show you how messed up it is out here. I want to see
you the impoverished side. You never seen me with a Lamborghini and
Bentley behind me. I’m not the flexing type. I’m showing you the real, so
if you don’t like it, beware. Hopefully you’ll like the next video I do.
We’ve seen instances where your music gets lumped into the “trap
rap” category. Do you fear having your music labeled as it gets out
more?
I don’t fear it. I’m concerned, but it only drives me to separate myself
from that. When you are grouped or put in a box, it limits you. So I try to
go opposite of that. Keep in mind I’m here to share my testimony with
the world. People can say, “He’s like Jeezy, T.I. or Gucci,” but I’m me. If the
people have watched my ascension, I’ve ascended to where I am faster
than anyone else ever. My first solo project ever, video ever, I had all the
labels after me. So you can’t put me in a group. I had a video on MTV
without a deal. Nobody did that. I was on the cover of XXL without a
deal, nobody did that. With no cosign.
You’ve cemented yourself as your own entity over the last year or
so. But you did get introduced to a lot of people through Killer Mike
and Grind Time though. Is everything still good over there?
It’s still all love with us. We all still go to each other’s shows. I still go to SL
Jones’ gigs, and him and Killer were just at my last release party. Grind
Time isn’t a rap group. It’s a brotherhood; a gang.
Getting back to the Gangsta Grillz mixtape, does it feel validating?
You’re known in the streets for just being you, but as far as your
music, you’ve had more of a web and blog buzz.
It’s very validating. Drama brings a large street crowd. It warrants my
hard work in a way. The only place you can go is up after a Gangsta Grillz.
That is, if you are actually a good rapper with a buzz, not just a trap rapper with some stacks to throw Drama. We’ve seen those, but being that
Drama attracts that street crowd and I’m from the streets, it just blends
right in, so that gives it the stamp. It’s THE validation.
You’ve been around the rap game for years, but didn’t officially
jump in it until recently. What kept you from wanting to go all in?
My family had been telling me for years that I needed to get out on my
own. They said I’m fi’e and that I need to do my thing. For so many years
I shunned them because I was young and naïve and messing with Killer
trying to be loyal. Then finally I woke up and smelled the coffee. I was
like dang, they were right all this time. There was times when I didn’t
believe I could. What stopped me from believing was what was going
on at the present time. I was in the trap, I was in jail, I wasn’t in anybody’s
college, I didn’t have a job. I was like, “Who wants to hear about this
shit?” But I finally realized that this is a testimony so maybe I should do it.
Let me take a shot at it.
You were also named one of XXL’s Freshman 10.
That was surreal. But it was fuel to the fire. You see yourself on the cover
as a XXL Freshman, but after that you’re like, “Can I get a cover with just
me on it one day?” If I work hard I’m sure I can do that. Plus I was one of
the few on the cover that didn’t have a deal at the time. It makes you
work harder and appreciate them for recognizing my talent.
Your debut album The Medicine is around the corner. What should
people expect to hear from that and from you in the future?
They can expect me to expose my soul and give it to them in my
rarest form. They can expect dope beats and dope rhymes, that’s my
motto. I just want to give ya’ll something to ride out to. I want to be the
soundtrack to your lives. //
What do you think you were doing to get a look like that?
Words & Photo by Maurice G. Garland
OZONE MAG // 53
YELAWOLF
SICKER THAN YOUR AVERAGE
54 // OZONE MAG
Not to boast and brag or anything, but OZONE was probably the first
major Hip Hop publication to interview YELAWOLF back when he
joined our Patiently Waiting ranks in October of 2007. Admittedly,
over the years, plenty of artists with Patiently Waiting cosigns are
still, in fact, patiently waiting. But in the case of this Gadsden, Alabama MC, when his Trunk Muzik mixtape spread through the internet
like oil in the gulf, it led him to a deal with Interscope (and a collective “I told you so” came from the OZONE headquarters).
Since it has been well over two years since he graced this magazine’s
pages, now is as good a time as any to catch up with Jimmy Iovine’s
newest signee. Here, Yelawolf speaks on the direction of his music,
his new situation with Interscope and ongoing comparisons to
Eminem.
You’ve been on the rap scene for a few years, but it seems like people
are just starting to catch onto your music. Why do you think people
are starting to listen now?
After we put out Trunk Muzik, people were waiting to hear me rap over
808’s and raw shit. We put out Slick Rick E. Bobby, and we put out Stereo,
which was a Hip Hop tribute to classic rock. OZONE nominated that for
an award [and] we got 5 [blunts] for that mixtape [review]. It made a lot
of noise on the underground. I went from there and did this experimental
project called Arena Rap. We put a band together, and we were doing
shows around Atlanta. Then, just me and my team sat down and we were
like, lets just do some raw rap shit for this next project and let’s see how
it goes. After we put that out online, obviously the feature [“I Run”] with
Slim Thug…that’s when people started turning their heads, like, “This kid
might have something.” After Slim ran that single for a while, Kane Beatz
hit me up to do the “Mixin’ Up The Medicine” hook for Juelz Santana, and
that was my first official video look. Then we dropped “Pop The Trunk,”
and that started getting a lot of attention. Then we put out “Good To Go,”
featuring Bun B, and then Raekwon’s feature for “I Wish,” and by then we
had a lot of attention on blogs. By the time we dropped Trunk Muzik, it
was like people were just waiting for me to rap.
Was raw rap and 808’s the direction that you wanted to go with your
music? Or did you want to go in another direction?
After Stereo, I really wanted to evolve into a band, so I did the Arena Rap
shit. It started doing really well around Atlanta, and we threw a show
out there with a band. I had a fiddle player, a banjo player, guitar, drums,
turntables; it was just a crazy fucking show. L.A. Reid came, DJ Khaled was
there; there were a bunch of people there to see the show. There were
2,000 people in there, and they still were like, “I don’t know” and passed.
L.A. Reid said, “No, I’m good.” Khaled was like, “I don’t get it.” So, we kept
doing shows, and nobody was showing signs of giving us any help. You
can’t keep continuously doing this as an independent label. You run out
of money. It gets to the point where you can’t even do shows anymore
because it costs a lot of money to have a band and all that shit. So my
team was like, “Do a rap project. If you don’t have a deal in six months,
you can do whatever you wanna do.” And I’ll be damned; they had deal
for me in six months, after I put out Trunk Muzik. Obviously, I’ve always
loved and will always love Hip Hop, but there was a point when it started
getting tainted…I just thought nobody’s ever gonna understand what I’m
doing, so I might as well be underground forever. When we put out Trunk
Muzik I got excited again and realized a new potential that I had.
So you signed with Interscope. Why did you choose to sign with
them?
We had just got off tour with Wiz Khalifa and we went straight to South By
South West. And we did like nine shows in five days, and we killed SXSW.
Everybody had somebody from a label out there, so after we did SXSW
we flew from Texas to Los Angeles to meet with Jimmy Iovine and Luke
Wood. We had met with a lot of labels prior to SXSW, and they all said
they wanted to do it, but they were just afraid. But when Jimmy and Luke
flew us out there, they asked us, “Do y’all want to do this? Because if you
don’t want to do this, you’re wasting your time being here.” Basically the
same shit we had been telling other people, they told us. We’d walk into
a label and be like, “Look, man. Do y’all want to do this, cause if not, we’re
leaving.” But they told it to us this time. And then creatively it made sense.
No matter how normal I may feel about my music. I have to admit that
what I do is still left field. Interscope has a history of putting out records
from the left field, and being successful with it.
Do you think part of the reason Interscope wanted to sign you was
because of the success Eminem had on their label?
I don’t know. I can’t assume that. Based on his success, it’s fair to guess
that, but I wouldn’t assume that to be true. But obviously, not just
Eminem, but what they’ve done with [Lady] Gaga, what they did with Dr.
Dre when he was coming in with that super controversial shit that he was
kicking with N.W.A. Everything that went down with Interscope has been
left field. So I think more or less it made sense because it’s new to them; it
was something they’ve never heard before.
Are you tired of the Eminem comparisons yet?
I’m a huge Eminem fan, so I’m definitely honored. If I could have half the
success that dude has had, who wouldn’t want that? The comparisons
are slowly starting to change into my own person. One day somebody’s
gonna have to deal with being compared to me. When B.o.B. came out
everybody was trying to say he sounds like Dre. Nipsey [Hussle] is dealing
with the Snoop comparisons. That’s who we are as people, we compare.
Eventually, that shit will go away completely. I flew up to meet with Eminem a couple months back, and just to settle it forever, Eminem told me,
“I don’t know why people are comparing you to me, because you don’t
sound anything like me. And not only do you not sound anything like me,
you don’t sound like anything I’ve ever heard before.” I felt great [when he
said that]. I felt like, well I guess that settles that.
One thing that sets you apart from other artists is your live show.
You have crazy energy on stage. How do you gather your energy to
perform your shows?
I’m just passionate about my music. When I’m in the studio recording my
records, I can’t even get in the booth unless I’m hype about it. So I’m excited about the record, number one. Two, people’s energy gets me hype.
And it only takes one. It starts with me, but if I connect with one person,
it’s a wrap. Me and that one muthafucker are going to turn 50 to 100 to
300 people out. And there’s always a few people that are super into it, and
I just go straight at them, and start putting on a show because I connect
with them. And that connection is addictive, it just grows as the show
goes on. When I did my show at Pacsun in Santa Monica, when I stepped
out on the stage, there were a bunch of people standing with their arms
crossed, but by the end of my set [they were] crowd surfing. I enjoy making fans at this point, because at the end of the day, I’m still brand new.
You just got off tour with Wiz Khalifa. Was that your first tour?
Yeah, it was the first time I had been on a tour, period. And Wiz, man…
what the fuck! This fool sells out everywhere. This dude is no fucking
joke, man. And his fans are so fucking cool; they enjoy just having a good
show. The tour has been dope, plus Wiz is really cool people. We get along
good, so we plan on continuing it.
Next, you’re putting out a new version of Trunk Muzik, right?
Yeah, we decided to put a project out called Trunk Muzik: 0-60, which is
pretty much a description of how fast this is moving, and also where we
wanna take people. So we’re taking five or six fan favorites from Trunk
Muzik, adding on five to seven brand new records, and putting it out
distributed [through] Interscope. 0-60 will be out in September.
What’s your hometown of Gadsden, Alabama like?
Gadsden is a small town in Alabama, east of Birmingham, west of Atlanta.
Basically, I live in a blue collar, working-class town. There’s a lot of factory
workers, people that work for Goodyear. My mom has been a bartender
her whole life, my grandmother retired from Food World, my grandfather
retired from Goodyear, and my great-grandfather retired from the steel
plant. So it’s generations of working people. All this town is made of is
fucking hand-to-hand combat, just fucking straight up survival. (laughs)
My town is made up of some of the best, most humble people in the
world, and also some of the most dangerous people in the world. It’s like
we love where you’re from, we’re proud of it… but it’s like, come on in but
wipe your feet at the doormat.
Coming out of Alabama, what is your goal in Hip Hop?
I’d like to have a ten-year run. I have a ten-year plan. I wanna evolve, I
wanna grow up with my fans. And that is the main goal, to continuously
gain fans from music that’s evolving. None of us are gonna stay young. I
know my tastes grow and change, grow and change, so I expect the same
for the people we’re making music for. So every project I’m just trying to
challenge my last project, trying to outgrow it. Bigger venues, bigger arenas, and make classics that last for a lifetime. I was listening to Ice Cube’s
AmeriKKKa’s Most Wanted album and Cypress Hill’s shit the other day, like,
damn this shit never really goes away. Biggie Smalls, Jay-Z, Eminem, Busta
Rhymes, UGK, N.W.A, Three 6 Mafia; these people put out records that last
a lifetime. So I would like to be a part of that family. //
Words by Randy Roper
Photo by Maurice G. Garland
OZONE MAG // 55
Plies/Goon Affiliated
Big Gates/Slip-N-Slide/Atlantic
Don’t expect anything new from
Plies on Goon Affiliated. His
fourth album is the same formula as his previous efforts. “Go Live” is a record to bang in
the clubs, “Get My Niggas Out” should satisfy the goons,
and the bulk of the album caters to women. “Look Like” featuring Young
Jeezy and Fabolous is the only song with a rap collaboration, and one of the
album’s better songs. But annoying songs like “Bruh Bruh” and “Awesome,”
along with “Rob Myself,” which is as ridiculous as the title would suggest,
make Goon Affiliated the weakest Plies album to date. – Randy Roper
Drake/Thank Me Later
Young Money/Cash Money/
Universal
Young Money is one of Hip
Hop’s most powerful crews
right now, and with Drake’s freshman release, Thank
Me Later, there’s little question why. Drake’s mixtape
success helped the Toronto native forge his identity but also set wildly high
expectations for his debut album. It’s safe to say that Drizzy has met those
expectations, wisely selecting production to complement well-constructed
bars. “Light It Up,”“The Resistance,” and the Nicki Minaj-assisted “Up All Night”
are among the standouts on this nearly no-filler album, which makes you
wonder how long Drizzy can keep his streak going. – Rohit Loomba
The-Dream/Love King
Radio Killa/Def Jam
R&B standout The-Dream returns
as the Love King for his third, and
possibly final, album. Twelve
tracks deep, Love King is on par with Dream’s first two
albums and finds him continuing the story of his former
love, Nikki, on “Nikki Pt. 2” and telling us her heart belongs in chains at the
bottom of a lake on “Abyss.” There is very little need for the skip button,
although some may use it for “Yamaha” until it grows on them. Otherwise,
tracks like the piano-driven ”February Love” find Dream in his comfort zone
of craftily created R&B. Once again, Dream gives us an album that will probably be one of the year’s best in R&B. – Rohit Loomba
8Ball & MJG/Ten Toes Down
Grand Hustle/E1
Take Ball & G, add a few Drumma
Boy beats, throw in some verses
from Dirty South luminaries like
T.I., Young Dro, Lil Boosie, Bun B, David Banner and Slim
Thug, let Grand Hustle oversee the whole thing, and you’ll
end up with 8Ball & MJG’s eighth album. While that sounds good on paper,
Ten Toes Down isn’t the Tennessee duo’s best work. Boring production, forced
collaborations (especially “Fuck U Mean” featuring Soulja Boy), and lack of
growth in 8Ball & MJG’s lyrics and storytelling still makes for a decent project
that can give them relevance in today’s rap climate. But on the other hand,
you’d expect more from their Grand Hustle album. – Randy Roper
Trina/Amazin’
Slip-N-Slide/EMI
Considering Trina has lasted in
the rap game for over ten years
with minimal talent, this album
is properly titled. While plenty of other rappers, male and
female, have came and went, Trina brings a good body
of work on her latest album (and believe it or not, I’m not talking about her
figure). “I Want It All,”“Always” and “Make Way” show Trina’s growth as an
artist and a woman, while cuts like “That’s My Attitude” and “Currency” give
listeners the Trina that fans are accustomed to. I wouldn’t call Trina’s album
“amazin’,” but the baddest chick did deliver a solid project on her fifth go
round. – Randy Roper
56 // OZONE MAG
Paul Wall/Heart of a
Champion
Swishahouse/WARNER
On Pall Wall’s fifth solo album, the H-Town emcee’s
flow is as smooth as ever, but corny metaphors,
which have plagued Wall his whole career, are
abundant. Redundant lines like “flier than a mosquito” and “flier than a
flock of pigeons” or “my wallet is stuffed like turkeys on Thanksgiving”
and “my money’s stretching like Yoga class” are so laughable, it’s hard
to take Paul Wall seriously at times. Wall doesn’t spit too much that you
haven’t heard from him before, but his rhymes about chasing paper,
grillz and boppers, over good production, along with guest appearances from the likes of Lil Keke, Bun B, Jim Jones, Z-Ro, Yo Gotti, Devin
The Dude, Jay Electronica, Raekwon, Yelawolf and Slim Thug, and Paul’s
reunion with Chamilionaire on “Round Here” make Heart of a Champion
another decent addition to his catalog. – Randy Roper
Lil Jon/Crunk Rock
In an attempt to revolutionize crunk music, Lil Jon
returns with Crunk Rock.
But trying to revitalize this
dead brand of rap music proved to be a tough task,
for even Lil Jon. Listeners that appreciate Jon’s get
crunk records will love the “Throw It Up, Pt. 2 (Remix)” with Pastor Troy
and Waka Flocka Flame, and “G Walk” featuring Soulja Boy, but Jon’s
elementary rhymes fail miserably, especially when he’s solo (“Get In Get
Out”). Luckily, Jon mainly sticks to producing and chants, while taking a
backseat to artists like Ice Cube & Game (“Killas”), Mario & R. Kelly (“Ms.
Chocolate”), and teaming with artists like LMFAO (“Shots”) and 3OH!3
(“Hey”), which help salvage this mess of an album. – Randy Roper
Talib Kweli & Hi-Tek (Reflection Eternal)/Revolutions Per Minute
Blacksmith/Warner
Bros.
There’s not much left to be desired after listening to
RPM’s, Reflection Eternal’s follow-up to their 2000
debut. Though Kweli and Hi-Tek haven’t been an official duo over the
last 10 years, they’ve maintained an emcee/producer relationship, with
the final product always the same – commendable music. From “Just
Begun,” the super-collabo co-starring Jay Electronica, J. Cole, and Mos
Def, to “Paranoid” with Bun B, RPM’s has a balanced serving of guest
appearances. Along with socially charged songs like “In This World” and
“Black Gold,” Kweli and Hi-Tek offer lighter fare like “Midnight Hour” with
Estelle and “Get Loose” featuring Chester French, making this album
both traditional yet surprising. – Ms. Rivercity
Cee-Lo/Stray Bullets
Cee-Lo Green deserves to
be mentioned as one of
the most versatile artists
walking the planet. After
succeeding in just about every genre but country
and gospel, Lo pretty much meshes every form of
music together on this effort that is only supposed to be a appetizer for
Lady Killer. Even though 1% of the album features him rapping, Cee-Lo’s
ability to stretch boundaries puts your personal preferences and nostalgia to the side. This is a truly unique piece of work. - Maurice G. Garland
Big Boi/Sir Luscious
Leftfoot
Def Jam
Even though this album
has been completed for
nearly three years, Big Boi proves that he specializes
in making timeless music with an album that would
be potent no matter the year. Here, Big proves that he is more than
capable of being a solo artist. Now that he has all of the microphone
responsibilities, Big takes the opportunity to speak on politics and
community issues in a way that he might not have been able to on an
Outkast album, but not without sacrificing fun nature that attracted
people to ‘Kast in the first place. – Maurice G. Garland
OZONE MAG // 57
endzone
Trey Songz
Venue: The Times-Union Center
City: Jacksonville, FL
Date: April 23rd, 2010
Photo: Terrence Tyson
58 // OZONE MAG