BIG NEIL - Ozone Magazine

Transcription

MINI FLORIDA CLASSIC SPECIAL EDITION 2005
ORLANDO MAPS
EVENT GUIDE
CLUB LISTINGS
& MUCH MORE!
CINCINNATI’S
BIG NEIL
BRINGS IT DOWN SOUTH
WELCOME TO ORLANDO
MINI FLORIDA CLASSIC SPECIAL EDITION 2005
ORLANDO MAPS
EVENT GUIDE
CLUB LISTINGS
& MUCH MORE!
FLORIDA’S A&R BIGGA RANKIN
INTRODUCES PAPA DUCK,
SWORDZ & TRIPLE J
WELCOME TO ORLANDO
PUBLISHER/EDITOR:
Julia Beverly
OPERATIONS MANAGER:
Gary LaRochelle
MARKETING & PROMOTIONS:
Malik “Highway” Abdul
CONTRIBUTORS:
Luis Santana, Mercedes (Strictly
Streets), Noel Malcolm
To subscribe, send check or
money order for $11 to:
1516 E. Colonial Dr. Suite 205
Orlando, FL 32803
Phone: 407-447-6063
Fax: 407-447-6064
Web: www.ozonemag.com
Cover credits: Bigga Rankin, Papa
Duck, Swordz, Triple J, Big Neil,
and DJ Walgee photos by Julia Beverly; Plies photo by J Lash. 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 2005 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.
floridaclassic2005
COVER STORIES
Triple J pg B20-21
Big Neil pg B14-B15
Bigga Rankin pg A26-A27
Papa Duck & Swordz pg A27
DJ PROFILES
DJ Nasty pg A10
DJ Walgee pg A14
DJ Prostyle pg A12
FEATURES
Orlando Maps pg B8-B11
Event Listings pg B12-B13
Photo Galleries pg A11-A17
INTERVIEWS
KC pg A16
Treal pg A22
Plies pg B16-B17
Adept pg B22-B23
Gutta Boyz pg A24
SkyyHigh pg B18-B19
Young Jeezy pg A18-A19
Underdawgs pg B26-B27
Front-Line Promotions pg A30-A31
DJ NASTY
W
hat have you been working on
lately?
I’ve been producing very heavily.
Me and LVM are the Nasty Beatmakers,
and we’ve been collaborating on some
production with The Runners, Mayne and
Drew. We’ve been doing a lot of production
together. We’ve got a track coming out on
Juelz Santana’s new album, “Murder Murder.” We did a track for Lil Wayne’s new album too, and we’re working with Ludacris
now.
How did you link up with The Runners?
Through D-Strong. They’re based here in
Orlando also. They’re some fresh new talent with the same hunger that I have.
You recently won an award, right?
I won Dirty South Mixshow DJ of the Year at
the Power Summit in the Bahamas. This is
the second time I’ve been nominated.
Who did you have to suck off at RPM to
get the award?
(laughing) Nobody. They just noticed my
talent and my foundation. I’m not your
average DJ. I’m somebody with talent. Everybody else that was nominated for that
category with me are big dawgs in the
game. Mr. Mauricio, he’s a big dawg in
Miami. Steve Nice, he’s a big dawg in Dallas. A lot of the DJs that attend the Power
Summit are brand new dudes trying to get
in the game, but there’s also a lot of veterans. You’ve gotta respect the mixshow DJs.
They put it down for their markets.
And you’re still on the radio in Orlando.
Yeah, 102 Jamz. I’m on the radio damn
near every day of the week.
Having been in the game for so long,
how do you keep it exciting?
I feel like I’m just getting into the game. I
keep that hunger. I never feel like it’s just
another day at work. Every time I go to
work, I’m excited to play for my listeners.
Every time I’m on a show I get mad love.
People know that I just go up there and
play records, I go up there and show my
skills. I break music. I play music I produce
for major artists. It’s a real show when I’m
on the radio.
10
OZONE
How do you balance DJing and producing?
It’s hard to balance between production
and DJing, but you’ve just gotta make a
schedule and stick to it. When I get up in
the morning, I go to the studio and leave
my phone and 2way outside. I lock the
doors and focus for about five hours in the
studio. After that, you talk to the labels and
get ready for the radio. After radio, it’s the
club. This game is crazy. You gotta stay
hungry or you’re gonna get left behind. I
surround myself with good people.
In your partnership with DJ Prostyle,
does it ever become competitive, trying
to out-do each other?
Me and Prostyle are like family. We’ve
known each other from back in the day. I
wouldn’t really call it competitive, because
he’s doing him. Prostyle is a great talent.
He’s doing what he does, and he’s a great
DJ. He has character. He’s bound to blow
up. I could see him doing it real big. With
me, production is where my heart is at.
Prostyle’s got the label, too, so he wants
to discover new talent. I’m gonna do that
eventually, as soon as I find an artist I really
believe in. O-Town, holla at me if you think
you’re that next nigga, that next Ludacris.
That’s what I’m looking for. I’m not looking
for somebody who’s doing the same thing
as everybody else. I’m looking for somebody that’s different and versatile, like Ludacris or Pitbull. I’m very picky.
- Words & photo by Julia Beverly
01: Lil Jon reppin’
OZONE (Los Angeles, CA)
02: Trillville reppin’
OZONE @ TJ’s DJ’s
(Tallahassee, FL)
03: Greg G, Cuban
Link, and Big Earl @
Tabu (Orlando, FL)
04: White Dawg, Wes
Fif, and Mighty Mike @
TJ’s DJ’s (Tallahassee, FL)
05: OG Ron C and
Aztek (Houston, TX)
06: Coach and Grill
@ Firestone (Orlando,
FL)
07: Pupp and Triple J
reppin’ OZONE @ TJ’s
DJ’s (Tallahassee, FL)
08: P$C @ FAMU’s
homecoming concert
(Tallahassee, FL)
09: Jill Strada and
Obie @ Calle Orange
(Orlando, FL)
10: T.I. and Clay @
FAMU’s homecoming
concert (Tallahassee,
FL)
11: Luis Santana and
Sean Paul (Tampa, FL)
12: WC reppin’
OZONE (Houston, TX)
13: Babalu Boys’ Ray
and Rich @ Calle Orange (Orlando, FL)
14: TJ Chapman and
Shot Out @ TJ’s DJ’s
(Tallahassee, FL)
15: Chino and Gary
FL)
16: Plies and his
brother @ Firestone
(Orlando, FL)
17: Juelz Santana
and DJ Drama @ Vibe
Yardfest (Tuskegee,
AL)
18: Stax, BG, and
Kiotti (Birmingham, AL)
19: Boy Wonder, Acafool, and Justin @ TJ’s
20: Plies and crew
(Orlando, FL)
21: TOK @ Calle Orange (Orlando, FL)
Photos: Julia Beverly
(01,04,05,06,07,08,
09,10,12,13,14,15,
16,17,18,19,20); Luis
Santana (11); Malik
Abdul (02,03,21)
OZONE
11
DJ PROSTYLE
Aside from DJing, what’s happening with
you right now?
My label All Pro Records is doing real good.
I have three offers on the table right now, so
me and my lawyer are basically deciding
which is the best route to go. We’ve got
Bedo, Jonny Bravo, Traffic, and Nicotene.
Obviously Bedo’s the most ready to go
right now. We’re working on his next single,
clearing some shit right now. We haven’t
finalized his release date yet, but we’re
pushing for the first quarter of 2006. As far
as who’s up next, it’s whoever puts out that
record that takes off to where the people
demand their album.
Do you think it’s a conflict of interest
that you’re able to plug your own artists
through your radio show?
It’s not how people may perceive it to be.
Obviously, with me being lucky enough to
be on the radio and being able to play a
record, that helps, but the radio station also
came down on me. I can’t just play Bedo
all day or Bedo and Traffic and Bravo all on
the same time. If I feel a record of one of my
artists, the same way I feel with anybody
else’s record, I’ll test it. With Bedo’s “Go
Head,” when we started playing it on the radio it got a lot of phone calls and requests.
Right now we don’t have a Bedo song on
the radio. I played a few different songs, but
we haven’t found one that takes off with the
audience. A lot of people get it confused
and feel like Bedo’s getting a lot of play because of me. If that was the case, I’d have
a Bravo song, Traffic, Nicotene, and whoever else I wanted on the radio in rotation.
Radio’s not that simple. Right now Treal’s
record is in rotation, and that has nothing to
do with me knowing Treal or anything like
that. We played the record a couple times
and they put in their work. A lot of artists
out here in Orlando who want to be on the
radio need to do the same thing. It’s not
as simple as just recording a song and expecting it to get played. With Bedo, I did
10,000 street samplers alone, and 500 of
the “Go Head and Do It” shirts. We did a lot
of things to make it a movement so people
will back it up. The radio station looks at
things like that. Same with Treal; they shot
a video, and the song was getting played in
the clubs. It has to build up before it can get
on the radio. Not too many artists can make
a song that automatically gets put in rota12
OZONE
tion. Everybody’s not that lucky. The only
advantage I have is being able to test a record on the radio. I can play it and see how
it goes, but I can’t get a record in rotation.
Who are some other local artists that you
think might pop off?
Of course Treal, and Grandaddy Souf, his
album should be out already because he’s
had heat for a long time. I think Hankadon
and his people are hot.
I heard that you were considered as a
host for Rap City.
I don’t think I’ll end up on Rap City, but BET
has other ideas for me. I’m on 106th & Park
every other Friday, rotating with DJ Enuff. I’m
playing my position and getting more comfortable being on TV. They’ve got me DJing,
cohosting, and reading off teleprompters,
which shows me they have faith in what
I’m doing. I have my own radio show every
Thursday in New York on LaCalle 105.9, a
reggaetone hip-hop station. I’ve been lucky
to get down with them and they’re growing
so fast that it’s blowing me up in New York.
Every Thursday, Friday, and Saturday I’m
DJing clubs in New York. I fly back Sunday
nights to do radio here in Orlando and stay
to do the clubs on Sunday, Monday, and
Tuesday. After the radio on Wednesday, I
fly back to New York. That’s my schedule
every week. I’ve got a calendar of events
up on my website, www.djprostyle.com.
102 Jamz and 106th & Park keep my name
really big with the urban side of things, and
La Calle is the biggest reggaetone station
in the country, so that keeps me in tune
with the Latin market. I got the best of both
worlds right now. I can’t complain.
- Words and photo by Julia Beverly
01: Big Mook,
Tampa Tony, and
Graph @ TJ’s DJ’s
(Tallahassee, FL)
02: Roland Powell, TI,
P$C, and Trillville @
03: Grandaddy Souf,
Chamillionaire, and
Zay @ The Box’s car
show (Houston, TX)
04: Clientell Cartel @
05: Papa Duck,
J-Baby, and Bigga
Rankin @ TJ’s DJ’s
(Tallahassee, FL)
06: DJ Nasty, Bianca,
friend, and Felli Fel @
Firestone (Orlando,
FL)
07: Short Dawg and
friends @ Vibe’s Yardfest (Tuskegee, AL)
08: J-Shin @ TJ’s DJ’s
(Tallahassee, FL)
09: Magic Mike reppin’
OZONE (Orlando, FL)
10: Ghostface and
Steph Lova (Tuskegee,
AL)
11: Paul Wall (Houston, TX)
12: Chill and Tom G
13: 3rd Leg Greg and
DJ Noodles @ Calle
Orange (Orlando, FL)
14: Maximum Security
@ Calle Orange (Orlando, FL)
15: Webbie and Plies
FL)
16: Juvenile and BG
reppin’ OZONE (Birmingham, AL)
17: Wrekonize, J-Shin,
Jim Jonsin, and White
Dawg @ TJ’s DJ’s
(Tallahassee, FL)
18: Dem Franchize
Boyz @ Cleo’s (Orlando, FL)
19: Chino, DJ Prostyle,
and DJ Reymo @ Firestone (Orlando, FL)
20: DJ Demp and TPain (Tallahassee, FL)
21: Ladies @ Firestone (Orlando, FL)
Photos by Julia Beverly
except #9,12,&14
by Malik Abdul
OZONE
13
DJ WALGEE
W
here are you from originally?
Originally I’m from the West coast
of Africa, Angola. I lived in Europe
for a few years before I came to the States
in 1987. I lived in Massachusetts, and ended up here in Orlando, FL, two years ago. I
was already connected with a Florida promoter so it was easy for me to make that
move.
How do the States differ from overseas?
The States are definitely the land of opportunity. When I got here, I went right into the
school system, where there was a lot of differences. I didn’t speak the language as a
kid, so the English language barrier was the
hardest part. Now, everything’s straight.
How did you start DJing?
When I came to the States I was exposed
to hip-hop right away. Around 1994, I got
my first pair of turntables. I was inspired by
watching Rap City. I was working
as a dishwasher, and I saved
up enough money to buy my
first pair of turntables at age
15. I liked what they did with
the records, bringing it back
and forth, the whole science
behind it. My father was a DJ
back in Africa, too, so that was
kinda in my blood already.
What is your focus as a DJ?
Clubs and mixtapes. I travel
internationally a lot. I go to
Europe and Africa to DJ. Europe is one of my biggest focal points right now. There’s
a great demand for DJs that
have the United States style.
Are you into East coast music or dirty South music?
My favorite type of music
is definitely East coast, but
I’m learning the dirty South
culture. It’s definitely a different culture. When I moved
here, I didn’t know anything
about it. Now that two years
has passed, I’m still learning.
A lot of DJs from up North
14
OZONE
come down here and can’t really rock a
dirty South crowd like it’s supposed to be
rocked, how DJs like Disco and Greg G can
do it. You have to be from out here to really understand it. My style is pretty much
everything. East coast for sure, but I love
old school. That’s number one to me. But
I pretty much play everything, especially
when I go to Europe. You have to adapt to
different cultures. Like Shakira, she’s big
out in Europe but we don’t hear too much
of her here. You have to switch up your
style when you travel and be open to any
kind of music. I play disco, funk, all of that.
Where will you be DJing during the Florida classic?
I’ll be at Roxy on both nights, Friday and
Saturday. I’m DJing Friday night with Kid
Capri, so he’s definitely gonna be that New
York audience. Saturday night I’m gonna
stick with the dirty South set.
Do you want to give out any contact
info?
508-400-1965 or www.streetgossipentertainment.com.
- Words and photo by Julia Beverly
01: Aztek and
David Banner (Houston, TX)
02: Greg G and DJ
Rob-Lo (Orlando, FL)
03: Trick Daddy,
Young Jeezy, Slick
Pulla, and BloodRaw
@ FAMU homecoming
(Tallahassee, FL)
04: Mike Jones (Houston, TX)
05: P$C and Short
Dawg @ TJ’s DJ’s
(Tallahassee, FL)
06: Disco and Jailbird
FL)
07: Hoe Tester and
Webbie reppin’
OZONE @ Firestone
(Orlando, FL)
08: Russell Simmons reppin’ OZONE
(Tampa, FL)
09: Amanda Diva, Garnett Reid, and Askia
Fountain (Tuskegee,
AL)
10: OG Ron C & Slim
Thug (Houston, TX)
11: Wendy Day reppin’
OZONE @ TJ’s DJ’s
(Tallahassee, FL)
12: Tony C @ Calle
13: T-Pain and his
father @ TJ’s DJ’s (Tallahassee, FL)
14: Tim Brown and C.
Wakeley @ TJ’s DJ’s
(Tallahassee, FL)
15: Ying Yang Twins
(Los Angeles, CA)
16: Trife, Bubba
Sparxxx, and Ghostface (Tuskegee, AL)
17: Kaine reppin’
OZONE @ Visions
(Atlanta, GA)
18: Fidel Cashflow and
ladies @ Screamers
(Orlando, FL)
19: Black Mike and
Chubby Relle @ Firestone (Orlando, FL)
20: Chamillionaire and
Rasaq (Houston, TX)
21: Lou Pearlman
and C-Note @ Calle
(01,03,04,05,06,07,
09,10,12,13,14,15,
16,17,19,20,21); Luis
Santana (08); Malik
Abdul (02,11,18)
OZONE
15
K.C.
H
ow’s your album coming along?
It’s going good, man. We’ve got over
fifty songs recorded right now, and
we’re trying to put it all together. Everything
is real good right now. I’m just glad I’ve had
the opportunity to record over fifty songs.
Any major features so far?
As of right now, no major features. We’ve
got a few ideas of who we’d want to feature
on the album, but nothing final right now. My
deal is with Roundtable/Cash Money, so we
were looking at maybe having Lil Wayne on
the album. We’re not gonna have too many
features, though; we don’t wanna fill it up
and make it a compilation album.
What about producers?
When we got the deal originally, it was an
all-in deal, which meant that our team got
to take care of the whole album ourselves.
Writing, production, and everything. But we
recently went outside and did some production with cats from Souldiggas – they
did some stuff for Missy Elliott and Brooke
Valentine. We also worked with 9th Wonder
from Little Brother, he produced a few joints
on the album.
So you’re signed to Cash Money?
My deal is with Roundtable/Cash Money,
which is distributed by Universal.
I heard that you were supposed to sign
with G-Unit.
We were always in talks with them, and I
did the song [“Karma”] and everything with
Lloyd Banks, but I was always in talks with
other labels and we were weighing our options. We decided to go over with Roundtable instead. It was nothing personal. It
had nothing to do with anybody beefing or
anything like that.
How did you get on Lloyd Banks’ song
“Karma”?
My manager Rashad Tyler had a few meetings with Sha Money, who manages G-Unit
and 50 Cent. During their first meeting they
asked me to jump on the hook, and that’s
what came out.
Why didn’t they put you in the video
16
OZONE
for “Karma” even though you sang the
hook?
There’s two versions of the song. There’s
one that’s on the album, which is my vocals. They took my vocals off the song and
called it a remix and put Avant in the video.
But you can catch me on the album.
Where can we catch you performing?
As of right now, I’m not even sure. I’ve been
so caught up in the studio tryin’ to finish
up this album and get everything right. We
haven’t even been focusing on shows, but
we should be doing something soon.
A lot of people have said that you could
be the “next Usher.” What do you think of
that comparison?
That’s a complement, just because of the
success that Usher has had. He’s definitely
an icon, and as a kid, I looked up to him
and a lot of other artists. Hopefully one day
I’ll have my own name. I don’t wanna be
Usher, but I’ll take it as a complement. I’m
still gonna go out and do my own thing.
If you could do a duet with any artist,
who would it be and why?
Aw, man, I’d have to say Jigga. Just like
any other artist, it’d be a dream for me to
do something with Jigga. Of course I’m a
big fan of hip-hop and a big fan of Jay-Z.
- Malik Abdul (Photo: Julia Beverly)
01: Big Kuntry and
Xtaci @ FAMU homecoming (Tallahassee,
FL)
02: Malik Abdul and
Slim Goodye @ Calle
03: Roland Powell,
Tampa Tony, and Ed
the World Famous (Tallahassee, FL)
04: Bubba Sparxxx
and Juelz Santana @
Vibe’s Yardfest (Tuskegee, AL)
05: Paul Wall reppin’
OZONE (Houston, TX)
06: Bubba Sparxxx,
Attitude, and Dutty
Red @ Vibe’s Yardfest
(Tuskegee, AL)
07: Spiff TV @ Firestone (Orlando, FL)
08: DJ Drama reppin’
OZONE @ The Moon
(Tallahassee, FL)
09: Bun B @ The Box
car show (Houston,
TX)
10: Adept and Bliz
(Orlando, FL)
11: Lotto, Coach, and
Tony @ Firestone
(Orlando, FL)
12: YoungBloodz
(Tampa, FL)
13: Plies and Julia
Beverly @ Firestone
(Orlando, FL)
14: Hustle Man @ Firestone (Orlando, FL)
15: Dawgman and
Tampa Tony @ TJ’s
16: Webbie and Grill
(Orlando, FL)
17: C Hampton, Rollo,
and Tom G @ TJ’s
18: Grenade Records
19: Amanda Diva, DJ
Sense, and Don Cannon (Tuskegee, AL)
20: Southstar, KC,
T-Pain, Greg G, Slim
Goodye, and Smilez
(Orlando, FL)
21: Stone and BG
(Birmingham, AL)
(01,02,03,04,05,06,07,
08,09,10,11,13,14,15,
16,17,19,21); Luis
Santana (12); Malik
Abdul (18,20)
OZONE
17
JEEZY
18
OZONE
H
ow did you find out Boyz N Da Hood
were replacing you with Lil Wayne?
Did they tell you ahead of time?
Niggas ain’t tell me, but I don’t care, cause
I’m good. They probably couldn’t reach me.
I was probably on the road, doing too many
shows. I don’t give a fuck about that. It was
a one album deal. What, I’m supposed to
be mad? I’m good. I wish niggas the best of
luck, especially Duke and Gee cause those
are my niggas. I fucks with them. But, at the
time, you gotta understand that niggas are
gonna feel the way they wanna feel. Niggas
talking that shit about “Jeezy wanna be a
star,” and “Jeezy wanna be in the limelight
and be seen,” but it is what it is.
From the outside looking in, it seemed
like you and Jody kinda came up together, cause you both hooked up with Jazze
Pha around the same time.
I’m sayin’, I’m cool. I feel like dude is a
little brother to me. He still cool, cause he
don’t want this. This ain’t me getting mad or
nothing, I’m just speaking my piece. Life is
too good for me right now. I ain’t mad about
nothing. I’m good on that, I just wanted everybody know that it wasn’t me leaving the
group mad, like, fuck niggas or whatever.
It was a business deal, one album. We
understood. Everybody knew, and everybody was cool with that. As long as the two
bosses understand, I don’t need to talk to
no artist.
The Boyz N Da Hood situation wasn’t
beneficial enough for you financially to
do a second album?
I got my group USDA. I always had USDA. I
been doing my own shows and shit before
the Boyz N Da Hood shit jumped off. It was
a business venture. They’re talking about,
I wasn’t with them on the road. But I knew
what it was. Nigga, I been doing shows.
Nigga, you supposed to be with me. Like
I said, it is what it is. Fuck it. I ain’t mad,
just keep my name out your mouth. I’m a
grown ass man. I ain’t finna do no rappin’
or none of that beef shit. I don’t do all that
shit. If you gonna envy a nigga, envy from
across the street.
you to court, saying that you’re only paying $178/month in child support.
I really don’t wanna talk about that. All I’m
gonna say is that I love my son very much,
and my son is very well taken care of. I’m a
hood nigga, so I got hood issues. My baby
mama wants more money, so I’m gonna
give it to her. But I want my visitation rights.
That’s it, in a nutshell. The press takes it
and makes it into a big thing, but it’s nothing. We doing what normal people do. She
wants more money and I want visitation
rights, so that’s why we’re going to court,
like normal people. That’s what you have to
do. I’m making more money than I used to
make when I got assigned that $178/month,
because back then I didn’t have a job. But
I don’t want no muthafucker to misunderstand: my son is extra spoiled. So muthafuckers shouldn’t be talking about what I
ain’t doing. My child is straight. His mother
is straight, and she’s gonna be straighter. I
can’t knock her for that. That’s what women
do. I love my son very much, so he gets
whatever he needs. All I want is my visitation rights and we’re straight. I’m in a bigger tax bracket now, so I gotta make sure
the number is right. But if she throws out
some astronomical number, that’s something you gotta go to court about...
- Photo and words by Julia Beverly
The rest of this interview is featured in
the December issue of OZONE Magazine. Visit www.ozonemag.com for subscription information.
Have you and Jody actually had a conversation recently?
Conversation? The nigga is in a magazine
talkin’ about me. What am I supposed to
do? I’m good. He said what he said, I said
what I said.
I heard that your baby’s mother is taking
OZONE
19
TREAL
W
ho are the members of Treal?
Elisio: Me, Cheeze, T-Sick, and
Poetic.
How did the four of you link up?
Elisio: Me and Cheese met at Jones High
School, in our senior year. We were trombone players in the band. I knew T-Sick
from Spanish class and we started rapping
with him. His uncle is our manager now. A
couple years later we met Poetic.
You had a popular local song a few years
ago called “Where’s Orange County.”
Elisio: Yeah, that got some radio play. It
did good at that time. It was just a hobby,
we didn’t really know how to push it. It just
blew up off the strength of the song.
What role does everyone play in the
group?
Elisio: Everybody produces, and everybody writes. I guess I could be categorized
as the main producer. We’ve done production for other local artists too, like Bedo and
Wes Fif.
Why did you decide to name yourselves
Treal?
Elisio: We actually called ourselves the 917
DJs at first. We were DJing in local clubs.
Treal was the name the streets gave us.
Baby Lac used to be on the radio on 91.7
calling us Treal.
22
OZONE
Do you think you’ll ever have to change
your name to avoid being confused with
Trillville?
Elisio: No, and honestly, a lot of people feel
that our music is better than theirs musically and lyrically. We have a loyal fanbase,
so we have no plans to change our name at
all. It’s spelled different and everything.
How would you describe your style?
Elisio: Crunk with a little more meaning,
a little more melody. Lots of people compare us to Lil Jon mixed with Bone Thugs
N Harmony. Every one of our songs has
a melody to it. Most of our hooks are selfexplanatory. We’re talking about stuff. We
sit down and conceptualize our songs. We
talk about stuff people wanna hear.
Tell me about your new album.
Elisio: This is our first official album. It’s
called Crunk Tested and Approved. We’ve
been working on this album for four years.
Whenever we made a song, we’d test it in
the clubs before we put it on the album. Every song on the album has been played at
the clubs and on 102 Jamz. Our first single
was “Swang On Everybody,” and our new
single, “Don’t Worry ‘Bout Mine,” has been
getting a lot of radio play. It’s in regular rotation on 102 Jamz, WJHM. It’s kinda got a
“Knuck If You Buck” feel to it. It’s like, stay
out of my business.
- Julia Beverly
GUTTA BOYZ
W
here are y’all from?
Orange County, 700 block. Representing Pine Hills.
How long have you been rapping?
We’ve been rapping since we were 13
years old, just doing shows and going to
the studio. At first it was just play-play, but
we’ve been serious about it for about three
years. Me and my niggas been doing this
since we was little, now we trying to do
big things. We’ve been a group for about
three years. When we were young we were
just doing shows back and forth, putting
together little solo albums. But we stayed
in the studio and stayed focused, stayed
grinding, doing whatever it takes to get that
love. We’re just trying to put the whole city
on the map and represent.
How did you two meet?
Well, we’ve been together since we were in
middle school, doing our lil’ thing. Out of
the whole camp, there used to be about ten
of us working together but it was only me
and him that was real serious about it. We
had a track together called “Handle That”
that everybody was going crazy for. We
stuck with it and decided to grow with it.
Why did you decide to call yourselves
the Gutta Boyz?
We the Gutta Boyz cause that’s gutta, gutta. We representing that struggle. We ain’t
24
OZONE
no niggas that’s gonna brag about all the
shit we got, cause we’re still in the struggle.
We’re still here. We still gotta get to where
we gotta go. Everybody reppin’ that gutta.
You gotta be a gutta muthafucker to represent for the gutta.
What sets you apart from the rest of the
rappers trying to get on?
We bring versatility to the industry, man.
We some cold muthafuckers. Lyrically,
I feel like we the shit. Ain’t nobody in Orange County fuckin’ with us. Shout out to
Treal, though, they’re my dawgs. I feel like
everybody’s doing their thing, but we all
gonna stick together at the same time. We
bring that versatility. We’re young, raw, talented-ass niggas. Everybody should look
out for us because we here, and we ain’t
going nowhere. If we gotta carry this whole
city and this whole state, we gonna do that.
Everybody get their grind and shine on, but
who’s gonna get their grind and shine on
like the gutta gutta?
What’s the single you’re pushing now?
Right now we workin’ on this single called
“Go Live.” That’s for everybody around Orange County. People say we get buck and
go live down here. That’s the hot new single we’re pushing. We also got “Ridin’ and
Swervin’” with Pastor Troy. That’s that hit
single. Right now we’re still grinding in the
streets. That’s where it’s at right now. We’re
getting different calls, but we’re trying to
target the streets because that’s where we
came up.
- Malik Abdul
• BloodRaw, CTE (Panama City, FL)
• Mighty Mike, DME (Panama City, FL)
BIGGA RANKIN: FLORIDA’S A&R
Why do you call yourself Florida’s A&R?
Because everybody comes to me to do their mixtapes. I’m basically the only person that
sends out their music to everybody else. I do email blasts to all the DJs. I think it’s our turn,
because Florida’s got so much talent.
Even though you’re well known in Florida for breaking music, you’re not really recognized on a national scale yet. Are you trying to keep it underground?
I think I’m less underground than I used to be. Being with the Hittmenn DJs and playing
everywhere else I’ve gotten a little further, but I think I could be more national just by doing
more promotions. Doing this Real Nigga Radio mixtape series took me a long way. Now
we get calls from all over the country about it, and since so many people that don’t live in
Florida are inquiring about it, I would like to have all my Florida artists on Real Nigga Radio
so they can see what we got down here. I call myself the Florida A&R because I push Florida
people. My mixtapes are the hottest thing in Florida right now. Everybody wants that Real
Nigga Radio shit, and I’m jumping on all the artists that’s hot.
Do you consider yourself a mixer, a host, a comedian, an entertainer, or what?
I’m everything. I’m a DJ, a promoter, a record breaker, basically everything. I don’t know
what to call myself. I do know that we have all this talent here and I don’t see a whole lot
of other people trying to help them get out there. Most of these DJs don’t really play good
music, they just play what’s on the radio or what’s on 106th & Park. They don’t know how to
take a good record and make it hot.
Let’s talk about these three hot unsigned Florida artists that appear on the cover with
you. Tell me about Papa Duck.
He’s a producer, first and foremost, and he’s a rapper too, which gives him a bonus. He
produces real good and he raps real good. Papa Duck got a real down South style, that
Florida style. I honestly think he can make it to the top if he just stays consistent with what
he’s doing. These guys are hungry, they’re out there every day pressing up CDs and trying
to do whatever to get out there.
What about Swordz?
He’s from Duval, Jacksonville. Throughout the years he’s gotten better and better and better. He’s very versatile and he’s got a hellafied performance. His show is very hype. He takes
it to another level when he does his shows.
Okay, what about Triple J?
Triple J is one of the rappers in Florida right now that’s making a lot of noise. He’s another
rapper that’s very versatile. He’s got good lyrics. It’s a good thing when you can listen to
a rapper and understand every single word they say. Some rappers, you can’t understand
them. Now that Young Cash has got signed, I think most of these underground artists feel
like they’ve got hope now. A lot of them felt like everybody forgot about Florida. When was
the last time you heard about somebody getting signed from Florida?
Do you want to give out any contact info?
You can call me at 904-591-9362 or email me at [email protected].
Any last words?
We need all indie artists to go out every Tuesday and buy each other’s stuff. We need to
show each other love. That’s really the movement for Florida, all the indie artists throughout
Florida. Whenever somebody drops something, go out and pick it up. Show love. We’re
not buying each other’s stuff, that’s for sure. We keep complaining that we’re not getting
nowhere, but we ain’t buying each other’s stuff.
- Words & photo by Julia Beverly
26
OZONE
BIGGA RANKIN’S
FLORIDA NAMES TO WATCH
• Billy Kane (Orlando, FL)
• Chubby Relle, DME (Orlando, FL)
• Clientell Cartel, DME (Orlando, FL)
• Grandaddy Souf, SRC/Universal (Orlando, FL)
• SkyyHigh, R&R Records (Orlando, FL)
• Wes Fif (Orlando, FL)
• 904 Click, MOE (Jacksonville, FL)
• Da Few (Jacksonville, FL)
• Ful of Drama (Jacksonville, FL)
• Lefty Gunz (Jacksonville, FL)
• Red Rock (Jacksonville, FL)
• The Shoe (Jacksonville, FL)
• The Village (Jacksonville, FL)
• Young Cash, SRC/Universal
(Jacksonville, FL)
• All In Records
(Daytona Beach, FL)
• 21 Reese
(West Palm
Beach, FL)
• Big Bud
(Gainesville, FL)
• OHB
(Haines City,
FL)
• Dirty Red (Tampa, FL)
• DSD, Dirty Down Records
(Tampa, FL)
• Riskay (Tampa, FL)
• The Underdawgs (Tampa, FL)
• Tom G, Gigantic Records (Tampa, FL)
• Plies, Slip-N-Slide (Ft. Myers, FL)
• Boss Lady (Miami, FL)
• Jody Mo, Florida Boy Intertainment (Miami, FL)
• Luc-Duc, Hard White Entertainment (Miami, FL)
• Mr. Zion, L.E.D. Reggae (Miami, FL)
• Piccalo, Trunk Funk Records (Miami, FL)
FRONT-LINE
I
t would be impossible to discuss
the Florida Classic without mentioning Front-Line Promotions, the company which has organized most of the
weekend’s major events for years. After a rough hurricane season last year,
Front-Line is back in full effect. OZONE
checked in with owners Pat Nix and Willie Fisher.
How long has Front-Line Promotions
been around?
Pat Nix: Front-Line has been in existence
for about ten years now. The Florida Classic was one of our first major contracts for
marketing and promotions.
How were you able to get the contract?
Pat Nix: I am a FAMU alumni, so I guess
that helped out a little bit because a few of
the people knew me and knew who I was.
My reputation helped.
I heard you got hit pretty hard by the hurricane season last year.
Pat Nix: Yeah, last year our company went
through a lot. We had about five different
events planned during Labor Day weekend which included several concerts and
special events. The Labor Day classic was
coming to town, and we had the contract
as far as entertainment.
Which hurricane hit you the hardest?
Pat Nix: I think it was Charley, but there was
so many last year I can’t even remember.
Our company lost six figures during Labor
Day weekend.
How did you lose that much money?
Pat Nix: Advertising, artist deposits, and potential earnings. It was rough, you know?
We make good money as a company, but
we’re not at the point where we can stand
losing that kind of money.
How did you regroup after that?
Pat Nix: I went out and got into the hurricane relief program. You kinda have to use
whatever you have when you’re in a time of
need. I got several crews together that went
out and did the hurricane relief; debris pick
up and things of that nature. It kinda got
me back on my feet. At the same time, we
30
OZONE
were still doing parties and Front-Line was
still alive.
Willie Fisher: I really don’t know how we
made it through. I think it was just prayer.
Pat and I talked briefly on the cell phone
during the hurricane which came Labor
Day weekend, and he asked me, “What
are we gonna do?” I didn’t have an answer
for him at the time. We lost a lot of money.
We actually almost lost everything. But we
endured, we had perseverance, we kept at
it and wouldn’t let that stop us. We had to
almost start from scratch, and that’s what
we did. The next week, we were back at it
promoting First Fridays. We just kept going
and kept praying and here we are.
So are you looking at this year as sort of
a comeback year?
Pat Nix: Well, we did parties during the Super Bowl in Jacksonville and took control
of a great situation. We kinda turned a museum into a nightclub for three nights. Friday night we had our famous First Fridays
hosted by Cedric the Entertainer. Saturday
night we had R Kelly’s party, and Sunday
we hosted a party with P Diddy and Magic
Johnson.
I heard you had an altercation with Fat
Joe during one of those parties.
Pat Nix: It was a big misunderstanding. At
the time of the hurricanes, Fat Joe was one
of the artists we had booked that never
returned our deposit. At the time, I was
thinking about all the stuff I went through
because of people doing bad business like
that. I knew one day I’d run into Fat Joe
again, with all the events we do across the
country, and I knew I’d have to say something to him. What greater opportunity than
at my own event? When I saw Fat Joe inside my party during the Super Bowl my
heart started racing. I went up to the DJ
booth and had the DJ put on “Lean Back.”
I grabbed the mic from the DJ and started
saying “What’s up” to Fat Joe and the Terror Squad. Then I stopped the music and
said, “Yeah, we the same cats that y’all took
that money from during the hurricanes that
hurt our families.” Fat Joe looked down
at me from VIP and made a gesture, like,
“suck my dick.” So I got even more upset
and I told him to suck my dick. I told the
crowd, “Put your muthafuckin’ hands in the
air if anybody ever owed you money.” Of
course, the whole crowd put their hands
up. It was sort of a diss to Fat Joe. I put my
hands up in the middle of the stage like,
“Yeah, people owe me money too,” and
that’s when his crew rushed me. By the
time he got downstairs from the VIP room,
I had my crew with me. We kinda squared
off downstairs. In Fat Joe’s defense, I came
to find out that he never even knew that
the money wasn’t sent back to us. He had
no recollection of the situation at all. So in
his defense, I think it was his people that
kept our money during those hard times.
He was real cool and said, “Let’s step to
the side and settle this. What’s going on?”
We stepped to the side, and his people and
my people started a little scuffle. The whole
thing was over after that. I never did get my
money back, but again, I don’t think Fat
Joe knew anything about the dates.
Didn’t you have a contract that would
prevent you from losing the deposit in a
hurricane situation?
Pat Nix: Sometimes a contract is just a piece
of paper. The time and effort and money it
would take me to go to court to get that
money back would be senseless.
Do you think promoting parties is a game
of skill, or a gamble?
Pat Nix: In the beginning it was a lot of big
gambles, and there still are some gambles.
But when you find a niche, people start to
trust you to bring quality entertainment and
your risk goes down about 80%.
Willie Fisher: You have to have skill. Anyone can be a promoter if you’ve got some
money to put an ad on the radio, but it’s all
about being a successful promoter. You’ve
got to have an eye for marketing. I think we
have that eye. Sometimes it doesn’t work
out our way, but we learned the hard way.
What is your ultimate goal in the entertainment business?
Pat Nix: We recently became principle partners in Club Whispers. That’s something
we never really thought we’d want to take
on as far as liabilities and responsibilities,
but the opportunity was too good to pass
up. My ultimate goal, of course, is to make
money, but at the same time I feel that it’s
our responsibility to bring culture into this
market. That’s something that’s lacking
here in Orlando. A lot of people don’t know
about certain artists unless they’re being
played on the radio. There’s a lot of good
cultural music and good vibes that the radio stations down here just don’t touch,
and I think that hurts the market.
How can people find out about your
events?
Pat Nix: People who wanna have a damn
good time can log on to FLevents.net.
Any last words?
Pat Nix: Every man has the right to go out
and do business, but it’s up to you to go
out and get what’s yours.
- Julia Beverly
Front-Line’s Pat Nix
(right) with Eddie Murphy at Club Whispers
OZONE
31
Purchase a Florida Classic t-shirt from any of these Champs Sports locations for $14.99 and get
free entry into the Florida Classic Jam!
(Altamonte Springs): Altamonte Mall 407-896-4644
(Daytona Beach): Volusia Mall 386-255-6002
(Orlando): Fashion Square 407-240-3715
(Orlando): Florida Mall 407-977-2422
(Orlando): Seminole Town Center: 407-323-8130
(Orlando): West Oaks Mall: 407-291-8993
(Oviedo): Oviedo Marketplace: 407-977-2422
(Tallahassee): Tallahassee Mall 850-385-0557
(Tallahassee): Governors Mall 850-878-2727
(Tampa): International Mall 813-353-1703
(Tampa: University Square Mall 813-979-9771
(Tampa): Brandon 813-685-8514
FLORIDA CLASSIC WEEK
EVENT LISTINGS
For more info email [email protected]
WEDNESDAY (11/16/05):
Tabu Nightclub
Raw Flava Wednesdays with DJ Nasty, DJ Prostyle, DJ Chino, and Murder One Sound. Ladies
no cover before 12. Ladies 18+ / Men 21+ / $10
cover.
Zinc Bar
The Candy Shop with DJ Greg G, hosted by Tony
C. Ladies 18+ / Men 21+. Ladies get in free and
drink free all night.
SKY60
Lavish with DJ Remington Steele, DJ Flip Rock,
Phantom, J Leon and Rockstar Entertainment.
BET Soundstage
Music by DJ Jimmy Jamz. 21+ / 7 PM - 2 AM.
Club Paris
Rumba 100.3 broadcast live with DJ K-OZZ. 7 PM
- 3 AM.
THURSDAY (11/17/05):
Icon Nightclub
Music by DJ Greg G and Secret Service. Everyone 18+ to get in, everyone 21+ free and drink
free til midnight.
Cleo’s Gentlemen’s Club
The Red Light District Jump Off with Disco & the
City Boyz, Baby Lac, DJ Saxwell, & DJ Caesar.
Doors open at 7 PM
Element Nightclub
Confessions Model Search and college night
hosted by Southstar. Music by DJ Chino and DJ
D-Strong.
Club Whispers
Up North Thursdays with Da Soul Rocka Walgee.
Doors open 9 PM. Ladies no cover all night, drink
free til midnight. Dress code: crispy, no white tees
and no do-rags. Ladies 18+ / Men 21+.
FRIDAY (11/18/05):
Tinker Field
Champ’s Sports Hip-Hop Jam: performances
by Chingy, T-Pain, Chris Brown, Dem Franchize
Boyz, Boyz N Da Hood, and Teairra Mari. Gates
open 7 PM / show starts 7:30 PM. Tickets at area
Champ’s Sports or through FLPromotions.com
Club Whispers
Classic Happy Hour hosted by Star 94.5. 5 - 9:30
PM. 21+. Complimentary buffet, jazz, soul.
The Expo Center
The Official Classic Jam Afterparty with Teairra
Mari, T-Pain, Chingy, Chris Brown, Big Tigger,
Free, and Melyssa Ford. Music by DJ Shizm, DJ
Frank Luv, DJ 151, and DJ Double A. Ladies 18+.
10 PM - 3 AM.
12
OZONE
The Roxy
Classic Edition of Phat Fridays. Ladies 18+ /
Men 21+. Dress code: Crispy. Hosted by Thrill
da Playa, J-Blaze, and J-Deezy. Music by DJ Kid
Capri, Da Soul Rocka Walgee, and more.
FLPromotions.com or TicketAnnex.com
Icon Nightclub
Hosted by Southstar with DJ Greg G, D-Srong,
Murder One Sound.
Tropical Magic Nightclub
Jamaican Me Crazy with Mr. CC & the Reggae
Ambassadors and DJ Jimmy Jamz. Women 18+
/ Men 21+. 10 PM - 4 AM.
Heroes Nightclub
DME & Hittmenn DJs Gone Wild Afterparty. 10
PM - 4 AM. 18+ HittmenDJs.com.
The Church Street Ballroom
Florida Classic Old School Jam: DJ Jesse Jazz
Club Whispers
Classic Soul Jam hosted by Joe Bullard, music
by DJ Saxwell. 10 PM - 3 AM, 25+.
Matrix
Music by DJ Nasty, DJ Caesar, DJ Kid Vicious,
and DJ K-OZZ
Element Night Club
Hip-Hop Happy Hour with DJ Havoc, 5 - 10 PM.
Hosted by Baby Lac
SATURDAY (11/19/05):
Citrus Bowl
Front-Line Tailgate Party @ Gate D, 1 PM - 3:30
PM. Free food & drinks. FLPromotions.com or
FLEvents.net.
Solo Gas Station across from the Citrus Bowl
Tailgate party with DME, Front-Line, White Boi
Pizal, and DJ Slym
House of Blues
The Official Florida Classic Afterparty / The 9th
Annual Grown Folks Night. Music by DJ Bizmarkie and DJ Saxwell, special performance by Big
Daddy Kane. 21+.
Tinker Field
New Edition and Keith Sweat, 8 PM. Tickets
available at FAMU, BCC, and Ticketmaster.
Firestone
Trick Daddy Block Party with DJ Nasty, DJ DStrong, Sir Knight Train. No dress code, 18+.
Expo Center
Taste of Florida, #1 Adult Afterparty for the
Grown & Sexy: DJ Shizm, DJ Frank Luv, and DJ
Dr. Doom. 21+, 10 PM - 3 AM. TheWoodEnt.
com.
Roxy Nightclub
The Return of Freaknik hosted by Jermaine
Dupri, Juvenile, Khia, Big Tigger, Thrill Da Playa and J-Blaze.
Music by Clientell Party Starters, Hittmenn DJs, Cool Running
DJs, and Da Soul Rocka Walgee. www.FLEvents.com, TicketAnnex.com, or 407-898-4004.
Icon Nightclub
Saturday Night Envy with DJ Greg G and Secret Service.
Ladies 18+, Men 21+. Ladies 21+ get in free all night. 10 PM
- 3 AM. www.DJGregG.com.
Upper Level
Front-Line & DME’s Classic Joint Chiefs Jam with performances by Dem Franchize Boyz, Crime Mob, and Treal.
Tropical Magic
Voice of Da Streets hosted by Smilez & Southstar. 21+, 10
PM - 4 AM.
Club Whispers
Classic Edition of the Velvet Rope, music by DJ Kid Capri.
Dress to impress.
Metropolis
Natural Mystic, Black Culture, and DJ Caesar
The Blue Room
Music by DJ K-OZZ. 21+.
BET Soundstage
Music by DJ Jimmy Jamz, 21+. 7 PM - 2 AM.
Elements Nightclub
Part 2 Edition of Sigmas Grown & Sexy Party with music by
DJ Slym and DJ Hankadon.
Music by Baby Lac, doors open 7 PM.
SUNDAY (11/20/05):
Central Florida Fairgrounds
The 8th Annual Classic Luau / Riding Big Car Show with
Juvenile, Trina, Jody Breeze, Maceo, Plies, Noah, and more.
Music by The Clientell Party Starters, Hittmenn DJs, DJ Secret, City Boyz, Wild’n Ent, and Cool Running DJs. 3 PM - 10
PM. FLEvents.net afterparty at Heroes 10 PM - 4 AM.
CLUB CONTACT INFO:
BET Soundstage
407-934-7781
Downtown Disney Pleasure Island
Lake Buena Vista, FL 32830
The Blue Room
321-277-0412
17 W. Pine St. (downtown Orlando)
Central Florida Fairgrounds
4903 W Colonial Dr.
1310 S. Orange Blossom Trail
Club Paris
407-849-0808
122 W. Church St.
Club Whispers
407-290-9896 ClubWhispers.net
Element Nightclub
407-841-1556
39 W. Pine St.
Expo Center
500 W. Livingston
(across from TD Waterhouse)
Firestone
578 N. Orange Avenue
407-872-0066
Heroes Nighclub
426 E. Kennedy 407-740-0556
House of Blues Downtown Disney
407-934-BLUE Ticketmaster.com
Icon Nightclub
407-649-6496 20 E. Central Blvd.
Tinker Field
Spiritual Splash Gospel extravaganza 305-300-7827 TicketAnnex.com.
Matrix & Metropolis
Pointe Orlando (International Drive)
Firestone
Grand Finale with DJ Nasty, DJ Prostyle, Mr. CC & the Reggae Ambassadors, and DJ Chino. 18+, 10 PM - 3 AM.
The Roxy
740 Bennett Rd.
407-898-4004 or 321-663-9106
Music by DJ Caesar, doors open 7 PM.
Element Nightclub
Music by Murder One Sound.
BET Soundstage
Music by DJ Jimmy Jamz, 21+, 7 PM - 2 AM.
MONDAY (11/21/05):
The Blue Room
Martini Mondays with music by DJ K-OZZ (Full Impact All
Starz), hosted by Ricky P of 102 Jamz. Ladies free before
11:30 PM. 21+.
SKY60
64 N. Orange Ave. 407-246-1599
Tabu Nightclub
407-648-8363 TabuNightclub.com
46 N. Orange Avenue
Tropical Magic Nightclub
801 N. John Young Parkway
Zinc Bar
407-246-1755 TheZincBar.com
13 S. Orange Avenue
OZONE
13
BIG NEIL
14
OZONE
W
here are you from?
Born and raised in Cincinatti.
Since you’re reppin’ the Midwest, do you
consider Florida a major market?
I’m trying to make it a major market for
me, cause Florida showed me so much
love when I came down there with my CDs
to TJ’s DJ’s in Tallahassee. They keepin’
it treal down there in Florida. They doing
what I like, riding on 26”s and candy paint.
That’s what my city vibes on too, so yeah,
I’m hoping to get into Florida. It’s a nice fan
base, and I was feeling what they do down
South.
How did you decide to start rapping?
Actually I didn’t want to rap. I was really just
in the streets with my buddies. A couple
guys used to come holla at me just from
being in the game in the streets, Czar Nok.
That’s the guys I’ve been rapping with for
the longest. They’re the ones that really
pushed me to rap. I had a couple people
that I grew up with that wanted me to rap,
but I didn’t really take a full interest in it. I really slowed down a lil bit in the streets from
what I used to do.
What made you decide to slow down?
I got into some trouble. Police raid, you
know, it had to do with drugs. I got locked
up for a minute. I had the money to bail out
and wiggle a little. Gotta be able to wiggle,
you know, or you’ll sit in there for a while.
Anyway I got bailed out, spent a lot of money, and ended up rapping with my man
from Czar Nok. It was time to get more serious. The streets ain’t never left me, though.
You can’t really get out of the streets, to tell
you the truth.
Is that mostly what you rap about?
Yeah, things I really lived or seen. I might
rap about what I wanna see. I might rap
about cars. I always keep cars fully loaded,
but besides that, I might wanna rap about
living bigger than most of the rappers out in
the streets. I been living a lot of hard times. I
make music for the Cincinnati streets.
There aren’t many rappers in Cincinnati.
It ain’t too many. It’s a lot of local artists,
people from the neighborhoods and projects. Czar Nok are the first ones to sign a
major deal out of Cincinnati. I’m all over
their album. They worked with Hi-Tek too.
He’s more like a hip-hop dude, though. I’m
not really on the hip-hop tip, I’m more of
a street gangster. It’s hard for our city to
come up cause it hasn’t really been too
much action out of Cincinatti. We haven’t
seen somebody fully blow all the way up.
Hi-Tek doesn’t really count because he’s
mostly a beatmaker. There’s nobody on the
rapper tip – we had OTR making a lot of
noise in our city – but nothing worldwide
yet. That’s why I’m hoping to make the big
noise. There ain’t too many people that can
stop me anyway.
Is Cincinnati more South or East coast?
We’re more South flavored. It’s guys from
our city that rap East coast style, but they
ain’t even from Cincinnati. We mainly do
South and Midwest flavor. That’s all I know.
What producers have you worked with?
Los Vegas runs the whole production team,
strictly Young and Rich.
How have you been building a buzz?
We been doing mixtapes since 1998, basically underground. We were rapping on
other people’s beats, industry beats, and
then we started making our own beats with
Young and Rich.
What’s your single right now?
The first single we was tryin’ was “She Gonna Put It On You.” That’s a nice club single
for the men and the women. Women love
it. But we’ll probably go with “Dope Boy
Music” as the first single. That’s more of a
street vibe. People are catching onto that
already, they loving that.
Do you have a complete album ready?
I got enough music to put together an album
if I wanted to. I’m hard on myself, though. I
wanna make better and better stuff.
Are you planning to put it out indie, or
looking for a distribution deal?
Just rolling with Loc Down, whatever my
boss Los Vegas wants to do. He got me
shopping deals from a lot of different places like Sony and Asylum. Czar Nok is on
Capitol Records so they looking at me too.
I’m gonna keep it in these streets real hard,
rocking these mixtapes. We’ve already
handed out a couple hundred thousand.
Everything Loc Down has been doing is
free. We sponsor clubs and bring other artists to our city. We doing it right. Loc Down
is the biggest label in Cincinatti. Ain’t no
other label doing it bigger than us. They
waiting for us to pioneer the whole thing.
OZONE
15
PLIES
16
OZONE
W
hat’s been going on with you
since signing with Slip-N-Slide?
Just doing my thing, man. They
been having me stretched out on the road.
I’ve been booked like Wednesday through
Sunday every week for the last couple
months. I’m jumping on this tour with Trina
and trying to finish up this new mixtape.
You got a nice buzz off your last mixtape.
Yeah, that 36 Ounces has been killing ‘em.
Have you collaborated with other SlipN-Slide artists yet, like Trick Daddy or
Trina?
Yeah, I’m on Trina’s record “So Fresh.”
That’s on her new album. When they started breaking that record in Miami, it was
crazy. The DJ ran it back like eight times so
that was a good look.
Are there any other major artists you’ve
collaborated with?
Nah, man, I ain’t tryin’ to be fucked up with
a lot of these dudes. Me personally, it’s a
handful of cats I respect in this music shit,
but it’s a lot of fuck niggas too. I don’t really
allow myself to get caught up in that whole
loop. I’m in a situation where I’m over there
with Trick and Trina, but I’m trying to do
my own thing with the following I’ve got on
my own. The streets are fuckin’ with Plies
heavy. I kinda like that look. I ain’t tryin’ to
get caught up in having a bunch of features
on my album. To me, that means you need
help.
cats. If I can weed you out and feel you ain’t
‘bout it, I don’t fuck with you period.
What producers are you working with?
I got a lot of tracks being sent over from a
lot of different dudes. I ain’t tryin’ to go the
route that everybody takes of tryin’ to fuck
with the big-name producers. It’s a lot of
young cats out here making quality tracks,
so I’d rather fuck with those types of dudes.
I ain’t tryin’ to drop 20 or 30 stacks just for
a cosigner.
When does your album drop?
We’re looking at January right now. We had
to reschedule it because Trina’s album got
pushed back. We’re gonna shoot the video
down here in Ft. Myers, so we’re looking at
January for the actual album release date.
Anything else you’d like to say?
The streets told me I’m the next nigga to
blow on the underground level. Ain’t na’an
nigga getting’ $5,500 a date from Wednesday til Sunday and he’s booked every day.
It’s just a situation with me right now where
I’m getting my shit off. I’m grinding, dawg,
just like the next nigga. I ain’t got no sad
stories about this rap shit. Everything that’s
happened to me has been good.
Part of this interview was also featured
in the September issue of OZONE Magazine. Visit www.ozonemag.com for subscription information.
What about when you were coming up?
Who did you listen to?
One thing about me is that I don’t free promote none of these niggas. Whenever I get
a question posed to me in terms of who I
listened to or who inspires me, I don’t plug
none of these dudes. As far as my style, I
feel like I have my own style. I ain’t never
heard nobody that sounds like me. I never
allow myself to be watered down. I got a
street sound. A lot of niggas claim that, but
there’s different ways you could come in
this shit. The radio could make you or the
streets could make you. In my situation, I
really feel like I’ve got a street sound. At the
end of the day, I don’t think I’m no different than the next nigga down here. I’m just
a dude that likes reality music. I listen to
dudes whose music caters to my lifestyle.
Music on the street level caters to the shit
I go through every day as far as hustling
and getting money. I listen to them type of
OZONE
17
SKYY
HIGH
18
OZONE
W
hat’s the difference between you
and other female rappers?
I’m just trying to do me. I don’t
wanna knock nobody and say I’m better
than anybody else, but I don’t rap about
what most female rappers rap about. I
rap about situations I’ve seen and been
through. The things I’ve been through in
my life have definitely made me the person
that I am today.
Where are you from?
I’m from Orlando, Florida. Tangelo Park.
How would you describe your rap style?
I represent the struggle; all the women in
the struggle.
You have a unique skin tone. What’s your
racial background?
My father is black and my mom’s white.
How did you hook up with R&R Records?
My friend’s father brought me over to the
studio and I rapped for Clark J. He was feeling me, and I signed a deal a few days later.
Clark J is my manager and producer.
Are you planning to put out your album
independently or looking for a major
deal?
Well, we’re looking for an investor. I don’t
think I’m ready to leave R&R Records. I
ain’t going nowhere.
What’s your ultimate goal in the industry?
I’m the only female rapper that’s not coming from behind a male figure in the industry. What I plan on bringing is a little bit
of light, a little bit of truth to what women
go through. I’m gonna be real with it, and
speak about what women see through our
eyes.
A lot of female rappers have ghostwriters. Do you?
No. I wrote everything on my album, Skyy’s
Tha Limit.
If you could be anyone else for a day,
who would you be and why?
I don’t know if I could be anybody but me.
That’s my answer. I’d be me.
Orlando’s not really a major market for
rap. Do you plan to change that?
Man, I’ll do whatever’s necessary. If things
blow up and I’m the first one to make it out,
I’m coming back to collaborate with a lot of
different Orlando artists. I wanna eventually
get my own label out here.
After you put out this album, what’s your
plan?
I’m trying to get a tour together right now,
opening up for people and trying to get
some exposure. It is hard to get out of Orlando, but I’ve been getting a lot of love
from different counties and cities. I’m just
gonna keep pushing. Wherever the spirit
leads me to go, that’s where I’ll go.
Yeah, there’s a lot of people I’d like to shout
out, but I’ve gotta definitely make sure I
mention Clark J Productions, Treal, Young
Dirty, and Mala T, my ace boom koon.
She’s putting her album together right now
so look out for that. Check out www.skyyhighmusic.com, you can download and
buy my music on the website.
What do you want the industry to know
about Skyy High?
I’m gonna do a lot of things in the future;
I have a lot of big plans. I plan to rebuild
schools, buy a whole bunch of land and
build some houses, do some things for
homeless people. I plan on doing a lot
of good things for the community. I don’t
wanna say too much right now. I’ll show
and prove.
Your music is pretty thugged out. You
rap about hustling and a lot of gangsta
stuff.
It’s from the heart. I saw it, I’ve done it. Everything that’s on my album is real. Sometimes you go through certain situations and
live certain ways, and it’s all a part of growth
right now. I’m growing and there’s certain
things you have to turn loose. I’m pretty
sure that the things I’ve lived and talked
about, there’s other women that have been
through the same things.
If you had to collaborate with either
Trina or Jacki-O, which one would you
choose?
Both of them. I’m trying to collab with everybody. But if I had to choose one, I’d
probably say Trina, just because she’s
been out there for a longer span of time.
I could probably really learn a lot from her
experiences. I’d like to rap with her and get
to know her a little bit.
- Malik Abdul (Photo: Julia Beverly)
OZONE
19
TRIPLE J
20
OZONE
W
hy do you call yourself Triple J?
Those are my initials: Johnathan
Jerel Johnson.
Are you originally from Florida?
Yeah, I was living in California for about a
year, but I’m originally from Riviera Beach,
Florida, in Palm Beach County.
You were originally signed to Def Jam
South, right? How did you hook that up?
Yeah, Scarface actually walked me in. I met
‘Face through Tone Capone, in Oakland,
CA. He was the producer for the Luniz’ “I
Got Five On It” and he did a lot of tracks for
Scarface’s album. Me and Tone were working on an album together, so I came across
‘Face. Since we shared producers, he got
interested me and we just clicked up. This
was back in ’96.
So when ‘Face left, you left too?
Yeah, when ‘Face left, the deal just fell apart.
They didn’t wanna release me though.
They were trying to put me on the shelf. I
was stuck at Def Jam for two years. I had to
fight my way out of it.
Are you bitter because of the Def Jam
situation?
Oh, I’m definitely bitter. My career was at a
standstill, and that forced me to get back
in the streets. In the process, I almost lost
my life. I wouldn’t have been out there doing what I was doing if Def Jam was doing
what they were supposed to be doing. I got
plenty of animosity. I don’t care who’s running their shit. Fuck ‘em all.
How did you almost lose your life?
I got shot about a year and a half ago. I got
shot in my main artery, the one that goes
through your right thigh. I lost 50% of the
blood in my body.
Was it rap beef or street beef?
It was street beef, but that nigga’s dead
now.
What was going through your mind when
you got shot?
Shit, man. It was a drive-by. When I first got
hit, I didn’t feel the pain. My body was in
shock. It was there of us that got hit, me
and two of my homeboys. We was checking each other to make sure everybody
was okay. It didn’t seem serious at first, just
a leg wound. We were actually laughing.
Then I started getting weaker. I didn’t know
he had hit that artery. I was losing a lot of
blood, and my vision started getting blurry. I
couldn’t walk or talk and my voice wouldn’t
come out. I was fucked up. I kept blacking
out. I told my homeboy, “Damn, I’m ‘bout
to die, man.” My homeboy Johnny Dixon
saved my life. He kept slapping me and
was like, “I ain’t gonna let you go, nigga.”
My homeboys got me to the hospital and I
was in there for like two months.
Was it a wakeup call?
Definitely. Things didn’t get easier after that,
though. My life was in so much chaos. The
deeper you dig yourself a hole, the harder it
is to get back out. I’m still trying to get back
out of that hole.
So you’ve got a new single, “Boy Shorts,”
produced by Jim Jonsin?
Yeah, that’s what the radio wants to hear.
That ain’t my type of shit, but we gonna
play ball. I like street shit, reality rap, but
this is for the radio. I don’t even go to the
strip clubs. That ain’t my cup of tea.
I’ve heard people compare you to Eminem. Do you think that’s accurate?
I don’t think that’s accurate, but I’ll take that
as a compliment. To me, Eminem is a lyrical
genius. But I think we’re coming from two
different angles. I do like to put humor into
my raps, though. No matter how serious
something is, you should always be able to
find humor in it.
Did you find humor in getting shot?
Me and my homeboys laugh all the time
about who had the most bitch in ‘em. We
laugh about who was hollerin’ the loudest.
When is your album coming out?
My mixtape Street Science is coming soon,
and I’ve got Big Scale Entertainment with
my homeboys Pupp and Tech. The album,
MLK Boulevard, is coming early 2006. Look
out for that single “What the Lick Read.”
Shout out to Bigga Rankin, I love that nigga
to death. That’s the realest DJ doing this
shit. Shout out to Big Shife and Papa Duck,
two of the hottest producers in Florida.
Shout out to 21 Reese, Frank Luv, and Dawgman Entertainment. If there’s anybody I
forgot to mention, they must not be doing
the right thing. Check out my website www.
triplejmusic.com. Log on it, doggone it!
For booking call Pupp at 561-718-9682.
OZONE
21
ADEPT
22
OZONE
Y
ou used to be in a group called
DOA. What’s been going on with
you since DOA?
A whole lot of shit. A lot of connects, just
tryin’ to come up. I’m finishing up my solo
album now; it’s starting to look real good.
So with the DOA situation, everybody
just went their separate ways?
Yeah, that’s what happened. Everybody
had to do their own thing, and Chino decided to fuck with me and do it that way. Everybody started doing their own shit. We’re
still fam though, we’re still cool.
What’s the name of your album?
I called it Rock Bottom for many reasons.
First of all, it’s like the beginning, my first
album. I’m starting at the bottom. Also because it reflects a lot on my lifestyle. I ain’t
never had shit. I’ve been homeless, all
types of shit. That’s where I’m starting out
from, letting everybody know my story.
And your single is “Let Them Thangs
Go,” with Pitbull, right? Are you going
for the Latino crowd?
Yeah, definitely. They feeling that Pitbull
joint. They love that shit.
Do you plan on branching off into reggaetone at all?
Yeah, I fuck with it a little, just because I
can. But it’s not my main thing, it’s not really what I do.
But your style is more hip-hop, right? A
lot of people compare you to Big Pun.
Yeah, I would say so. I get a lot of comparisons to Pun, because we’re both big
dudes, but what we talk about is different.
Do you think that Big Pun’s passing was
kinda overshadowed by Tupac and Biggie?
Yeah, yeah. It kinda faded out because the
game has changed so much since when
he was doing it. If he was around, he’s still
obviously be a key player in the game, but
since he’s not, it seems like people forgot.
How is your content different than Big
Pun’s was?
Just what we talk about. My story is totally
different. He was killin’ niggas at that time
period. Hip-hop was so different then. It
was all about lyrical skill. Now it’s all about
that real talk and what you’re gonna do.
This game is so different now. I guess I’m
an upgrade. I speak about life in general.
I can’t speak about something I haven’t
done. I mean, I talk gangsta cause it was
a point in my life where I did certain things
that got me here. I’m just telling my story,
from rock bottom, to the road to riches, to
where I’m headed now. It’s time to come
up. It’s just so different. I speak about a
lot of pain. There’s a larger percentage of
people in America that have been at rock
bottom than there is people that’s making
money and flossing with women and ice.
I’d rather talk to the people nobody else is
talking to, the everyday people.
Who else is featured on the album besides Pitbull?
I’ve got Akon on the album. I’m working on a couple other features but I don’t
wanna say their names yet cause they not
solid yet. I worked with a lot of producers
too, like Jim Beans and Scram Jones and
Nasty Beatmakers. Nasty’s a big part of the
album. It’s still a work in progress but the
largest chunk of the album is done.
Are you planning on putting out the album indie?
We’re in talks with a couple labels, but
nothing solid. You always wanna wait for
the best offer, but at the same time, we’re
not gonna let the music sit. If it comes to a
point where we gotta put it out, we’ll do it
indie ourselves, OMG. It’s not a problem.
But we’re trying to see what our options are.
The album should be finished by the end of
2005, and out by summer 2006 if we play
it right. Right now we’re just accumulating
BDS spins and going everywhere, just bangin’ the record to see what happens. By the
time the album’s ready to come out, hopefully they’ll be able to recognize me. “That’s
the cat that has the joint with Pitbull.”
Why did you call your label OMG – Ozone
Music Group?
It’s definitely a separate venture [from
Ozone Magazine], but we both started here
in Orlando – Ozone. We’re letting people
know where we’re coming from. I got to rep
Orlando. I lived in Kissimmee and Poinciana too, but Orlando is home.
Do you have any shout outs?
Pee Wee Kirkland, Pitbull, Hittmenn DJs, All
Pro, Nasty Beatmakers, everybody in the O.
How could someone contact you?
Hit me up at [email protected].
OZONE
23
UNDERDAWGS
26
OZONE
W
ho are the Underdawgs?
Three people. We got Owe Jive,
Big Stupid, and Squid Go Yam.
The same Owe Jive who did the original
“My Neck, My Back” before Khia?
Yeah, the original Owe Jive.
How did the three of you meet?
Squid: We’re all from Tampa, and we’ve
been friends for a while. I used to do promotions when Owe Jive had “My Neck,
My Back,” and Big Stupid was one of my
promotions people on my team. We made
such a good combination that we started
doing shows together and put a group together.
What do you think about the “Tampa
curse” – everybody who blows up out of
Tampa becomes a one-hit wonder?
They didn’t have the right people to push
them on the promotions side. We’re gonna
get it right. We won the Super Bowl and the
Stanley Cup, but we don’t have a big rapper. That’s about to change. We know all
about the “curse,” but it’s only for individuals. We want to stay as far away from that
as possible, that’s why we put three people
together.
What kinds of things do you rap about?
We talk about having fun. You only live
once. We make adrenaline music. May the
funk be with you, man! We have to keep the
club pumpin’, but we come from different
perspectives. All the songs on the album
could be played in the club or in the car.
And there’s a dance for our single “Run It
Back,” too.
So you guys are entertainers as well as
rappers.
Yeah, you know, Owe Jive is a comedian.
Most groups that form have a lot in common, but we’re just so different and eclectic. We all have the same goals but we’re
different types of artists. I think that’ll add
a lot to the music. The problem is that a lot
of Tampa artists come with the same type
of music. We’re not the guys with pistols
or guns, we’re the ones with garbage cans
and big speakers. May the funk be with you.
We just keep going at it and add some stuff
for inspiration. You only live once. We make
happy music, and we’re very versatile.
We’re not just booty-shaking for the clubs,
but we still have that true Tampa sound. We
reached a little bit. The whole album isn’t
just 136 beats per minutes. We touched on
some real subjects. We ain’t gonna kill nobody on this album. We’re basically just the
guys in your neighborhood that everybody
can relate to.
What’s the name of the album?
Ghetto Heroes. “Run It Back” is the lead
single, but every song on there could be
a single. If we dropped a single every six
months, we’ve got seven years worth of
material that everybody is gonna love.
Are you planning on putting it out yourself, or trying to get distribution through
a major?
We’ve already obtained distribution. The
only thing we’re doing is running the clock
down to get us through the fourth quarter.
We’re going through Attitude Music Distribution, which is basically a step up from
Select-O-Hits. They work with the SelectO-Hits network without being exclusive to
Select-O-Hits.
What about production? Who did you
work with?
We used a lot of Tampa producers. We
were really trying to capture the sound and
make sure that Tampa got its just due this
time. We want to make sure we don’t fall
into the whole one-hit-wonder thing. A lot
of records that blew up in Tampa didn’t
get promoted like they should on the business end. Our squad handles business:
Amp, C. Wakeley, and Cee Jay. We could
do a bigger and better job. Sometimes you
don’t need features from a major artist. We
used a lot of local artists who never had a
chance. Now they’re getting a chance to
shine, like bling bling. We worked with a lot
of Tampa legends.
Your single “Run It Back” is doing well.
Yeah, the record is already getting airplay
in Florida, Alabama, and Georgia. We’re
starting to do shows, and we’ll be shooting a video for the song before the end of
the year. We really wanna push the “Run
It Back” dance, because it’s on course to
do what a lot of other Tampa records did.
But we’re gonna have the business behind
this record to make sure we get in the red
zone.
Special thanks to C. Wakeley. You can contact us through Big Amp at 813-917-3579
or [email protected].
- Julia Beverly (Photo: Big Cee Jay)
OZONE
27
Where are you from?
Bradenton, Florida. I’ve been rapping for six years.
Are you planning to sign with a major?
I’m trying to keep it indie for now.
How would you describe your style?
What’s your affiliation with C Wakely?
Gangsta. Real. Basically I rap about the typical things. C Wakeley is good friends with my manager DonCars, money, women.
ald Ted Smith. They were buddies a long time
ago, so we hooked up. Wakeley’s a good dude,
So what makes you different from other rappers? so y’all indies need to mess with him.
My voice. I sound like me, but if I had to compare to
another rapper, I’d probably say Trick Daddy.
What’s the difference between Tampa music
and Bradenton music?
How did you start creating a buzz for yourself?
No disrespect to Tampa, but Bradenton’s got its
I did some mixtapes and I was with a group called IBC own flavor. It’s a little more street than Tampa.
back home. We were pretty popular in the neighbor- There ain’t too many people in Bradenton doing
hood. We had a hot song called “Oooh, shit!”
club songs like they do in Tampa. You could tell
Tampa music right away, but you know, the guys
Why did you decide to go solo?
that’s rapping in Bradenton, you can’t really tell
I got in a little trouble and had to do some jail time. where they’re from.
They went their way and I went my way. I was in jail for
about ten months back in 2002, for simple battery.
Will it be hard to be the first to break through?
Nah. You gotta know how to hustle, and I know
While you were in jail, did you have the chance to how to hustle. That’s what it’s all about. You gotta
hone your rap skills?
be able to grind and stay motivated. I like to win,
Yeah, I wrote about 500 songs while I was in jail, and I don’t like to lose.
when I got out we put them in the streets.
Do you have any shoutouts?
So it inspired you?
My manager Donald Ted Smith, C Wakeley, and
Yeah. See, I was the money behind the IBC group. We their families. My number one DJ Big Dawg and
thinking about doing a group project again but I don’t the Buc City DJs, the whole Florida, Manatee
know when. Hopefully in the summer of 2006.
County.
What’s your current project?
How can someone
I’m dropping the Million Dollar Man album in January, contact you?
putting it out independently in FYE and other stores. Check me out at www.
Cartel4Life.com, email
Who’s featured on the album?
me at Chill2Hot@aol.
BloodRaw and Tom G are on the single “Bop Wit It.” com, or for booking call
Smoke from Field Mob, Mr. Magic, Gucci Mane, 334 941-773-7878 or 352Mobb and a lot of my local homeboys are on there. 246-4495.
Dimensional Sounds out of Tampa
produced most of the album.

BIG NEIL - Ozone Magazine

Transcription

Similar documents

ORLANDO DIAZ

JOB DESCRIPTION: INSIDE SALES REPRESENTATIVE

M50440 Entertainer catalogue V5.indd

onesheet - Into The Cold

WHAT WE DID IN 2013

Sekten

N L F 3

Worldwide. re-release of seven classic bastards!

music - San Diego Union

scare fair - Keiser University