dj paul yo gotti

YOUR FAVORITE RAPPER’S FAVORITE MAGAZINE
RICK
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PA
D&JSHAWTY LO
T.I.
LIL BOOSIE
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ROMOPUGH MUSIC
DORR
EYLDS
ON
J-M
ROXY REYNO
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OZONE MAG // 1
2 // OZONE MAG
OZONE MAG // 3
4 // OZONE MAG
OZONE MAG // 5
6 // OZONE MAG
OZONE MAG // 7
8 // OZONE MAG
OZONE MAG // 9
PUBLISHER/EDITOR-IN-CHIEF // Julia Beverly
MUSIC EDITOR // Randy Roper
FEATURES EDITOR // Eric N. Perrin
ASSOCIATE EDITOR // Maurice G. Garland
GRAPHIC DESIGNER // David KA
ADVERTISING SALES // Che Johnson, Gary Archer, Richard
Spoon
PROMOTIONS DIRECTOR // Malik Abdul
SPECIAL EDITION EDITOR // Jen McKinnon
WEST COAST EDITOR-AT-LARGE // D-Ray
LEGAL CONSULTANT // Kyle P. King, P.A.
SUBSCRIPTIONS MANAGER // Adero Dawson
ADMINISTRATIVE // Kisha Smith
INTERNS // Jee’Van Brown, Torrey Holmes, Memory Martin
CONTRIBUTORS // Anthony Roberts, Bogan, Camilo Smith,
Charlamagne the God, Chuck T, Cierra Middlebrooks, DJ
BackSide, Edward Hall, E-Z Cutt, Gary Archer, Jacquie Holmes,
J Lash, Jason Cordes, Jelani Harper, Joey Colombo, Johnny
Louis, Kay Newell, Keadron Smith, Keita Jones, Keith Kennedy, K.G. Mosley, King Yella, Luis Santana, Luvva J, Luxury
Mindz, Marcus DeWayne, Matt Sonzala, Maurice G. Garland,
Mercedes (Strictly Streets), Natalia Gomez, Portia Jackson,
Ray Tamarra, Rico Da Crook, Rohit Loomba, Shannon McCollum, Spiff, Stan Johnson, Swift, Tamara Palmer, Thaddaeus
McAdams, Ty Watkins, Wally Sparks, Wendy Day
STREET REPS // 3rd Leg Greg, Adam Murphy, Alex Marin,
Al-My-T, Ant Wright, Anthony Deavers, Baydilla, Benz, Big Brd,
B-Lord, Big Ed, Big Teach (Big Mouth), Big Thangs, Big Will,
Bigg P-Wee, Bigg V, Black, Bogan, Bo Money, Brandi Garcia,
Brandon “Silkk” Frazier, Brian Eady, Buggah D. Govanah (On
Point), Bull, C Rola, Cartel, Cedric Walker, Cece Collier, Chad
Joseph, Charles Brown, Chill, Chuck T, Christian Flores, Clifton
Sims, Dee1, Demolition Men, DJ Commando, Danielle Scott,
DJ Dap, Delight, Derrick the Franchise, DJ Dimepiece, DJ
D’Lyte, Dolla Bill, Dorian Welch, Dwayne Barnum, Dr. Doom,
Dynasty, Ed the World Famous, DJ E-Feezy, DJ EFN, Episode,
Eric “Crunkatlanta” Hayes, Erik Tee, F4 Entertainment, Fiya, G
Dash, G-Mack, George Lopez, Gorilla Promo, Haziq Ali, Hezeleo, H-Vidal, Hotgirl Maximum, Hotshot, J Hype, Jacquie “Jax”
Holmes, Jae Slimm, Jammin’ Jay, DJ Jam-X, Janiro Hawkins,
Jarvon Lee, Jasmine Crowe, Jay Noii, Jeron Alexander, J
Pragmatic, JLN Photography, Joe Anthony, John Costen,
Johnny Dang, Judah, Judy Jones, Juice, DJ Juice, Kenneth
Clark, Kewan Lewis, Klarc Shepard, Kool Laid, DJ KTone, Kurtis
Graham, Kydd Joe, Lex, Lucky, Lump, Lutoyua Thompson,
Luvva J, Marco Mall, Mario Grier, Marlei Mar, Maroy, DJ M.O.E.,
Music & More, Natalia Gomez, DJ Nik Bean, Nikki Kancey,
Oscar Garcia, P Love, Pat Pat, Phattlipp, Pimp G, Quest, Quinton Hatfield, DJ Quote, DJ Rage, Rapid Ric, DJ Ricky Ruckus,
Rob J Official, Rob Reyes, Robert Lopez, Rob-Lo, Robski, Scorpio, Seneca, Shauntae Hill, Sherita Saulsberry, Silva Reeves,
Sir Thurl, DJ Skee, Sly Boogy, Southpaw, Spade Spot, Stax,
DJ Strong, Sweetback, Syd Robertson, Teddy T, TJ’s DJ’s, Tim
Brown, Tonio, Tony Rudd, Tre Dubb, Tril Wil, Trina Edwards,
Troy Kyles, Twin, Vicious, Victor Walker, DJ Vlad, Voodoo, DJ
Warrior, White Boi Pizal, Wild Billo, Will Hustle, William Major,
Wu Chang, Young Harlem, Yung DVS, Zack Cimini
SUBSCRIPTIONS // To subscribe, send check or money order
for $20 to:
Ozone Magazine, Inc.
Attn: Subscriptions Dept
644 Antone St. Suite 6
Atlanta, GA 30318
Phone: 404-350-3887
Fax: 404-350-2497
Website: www.ozonemag.com
COVER CREDITS // Rick Ross photo courtesy of Def Jam; DJ
Paul photos (cover & this page) by Jerami Johnson; Yo Gotti
photo by Jonathan Mannion; Paul Wall photo by SLFEMP.
DISCLAIMER // OZONE Magazine is published 11 times per
year by OZONE Magazine, Inc. OZONE does not take responsibility for unsolicited materials, misinformation, typographical errors, or misprints. The views contained herein do not
necessarily reflect those of the publisher or its advertisers.
Ads appearing in this magazine are not an endorsement
or validation by OZONE Magazine for products or services
offered. All photos and illustrations are copyrighted by their
respective artists. All other content is copyright 2009 OZONE
Magazine, all rights reserved. No portion of this magazine
may be reproduced in any way without the written consent
of the publisher. Printed in the USA.
10 // OZONE MAG
monthly sections
13
26
38
81
78-79
22
24
80-82
12
26
28
13
16
26
40-50
17-43
18-20
14-15
30
10 THINGS I’M HATIN’ ON
ARE YOU A G?
BOARD GAME
CAFFEINE SUBSTITUTES
CD REVIEWS
CHAIN REACTION
DOLLAR MENU
END ZONE
FEEDBACK
HOOD DEEDS
I’M JUST SAYIN’THO
JB’S 2 CENTS
MATHEMATICS
NAMES OF SHAME
PATIENTLY WAITING
PHOTO GALLERIES
PRISON DIARY
RAPQUEST
SIDEKICK HACKIN’
FEATURES
52-53
66-68
34
32
GRISELDA BLANCO’S MAN
ROMPER ROOM GANG
SIDE EFFECTS
WEED HEADS
77
74-75
54-55
72-73
70-71
60-61
Don Cannon
GORILLA ZOE
LIL BOOSIE
PAUL WALL
ROXY REYNOLDS
YO GOTTI
INTERVIEWS
COVER STORIES
62-65dj paul
56-58rick ross
OZONE MAG // 11
Send your comments to [email protected]
or hit us up at www.myspace.com/ozonemagazine
I’m reading the April issue of XXL and can’t help but notice them biting
your style. They did a humorous calendar about T.I. going to jail that reminded me of OZONE’s Sidekick Hackin’. They’ve got a section called Rings
& Things that is similar to your Chain Reaction showing Ace Hood’s Obama
chain, and then there’s a section where they got a comedian to talk about
stuff and songs they like. I always thought OZONE was the only mag with
comedians featured in their own column. I was just letting you know in
case you don’t view their mag. I’m your biggest fan.
– Eric Biddines, via email
JB, here’s my 2 Cents. I’m a young MC and a devoted supporter and follower
of the Hip Hop culture. I can honestly say that I have probably read and
followed every Hip Hop publication: The Source, XXL, Blaze, Murder Dog,
Don Diva, Hip Hop Weekly, Owners Illustrated, the list goes on and on. I
have probably spent more money on magazines than anything else in life.
OZONE is by far the best magazine I’ve read, and not just because it covers
the South, but because it covers the artists that are looked over by other
publications and because it connects with the readers. I’ve been doing this
music thing since 2nd grade and there is nothing that speaks to me like this
rap shit. Nothing gives me that awesome electric feeling that sends chills
through my body but Hip Hop! I’ve been spitting for years, and I’m pretty
damn good. I have slowed down on music for a little bit due to the stress
of fighting with DJs and program directors. This shit doesn’t always pay
the bills, right? I’m trying to stay out of the streets, though. But the point of
this letter is to tell you that you are not alone with your feelings of solitude.
Believe me, I have been there, and it’s not just a Gemini thing because I’m
a Capricorn and I have always felt it. I know I was put on this earth for a
reason, I’m just not sure what that reason is. From the bottom of my heart, I
can say that this rap shit has saved my life. When there was no one but God
to talk to, this rap shit talked back and I knew I wasn’t alone. So to answer
your question, who would give a fuck? Who would care? I would give a
fuck! I would care! And there are others out there who feel the same way,
so keep doing your thing and maybe one day it will all make sense. I have
never written to any magazine before, but after reading your 2 Cents I felt
compelled to give you a little of mine.
- Ice Mike, via email (East St. Louis, IL)
I feel that we need to be represented in Rapquest here in Thibodaux, LA. We
really support your magazine. Please give us some support in return.
– Courtaney Sawyer, via email (Thibodaux, LA)
JB, I read your 2 Cents. I feel you, life is all about dualities. Reading people’s
feelings always gets the mind going. I can never stop thinking either. For
some reason after reading your article I was left with the following picture
in my head. Rap metaphorically is an old declining rich man with a bunch
of bad, greedy, selfish kids that take everything they can and never spend
time with him. I feel bad for rap. He has some fucked up kids. Then I look at
the old man in my head, and I wonder what kind of morals and ideals he
planted in these kids’ heads to make them act this way. And I wonder what
the kids are going to do when he runs out of money. I don’t even think
they are his kids. If you think I’m strange, I’m cool with that. Dr. Dre’s album
may uplift things. I don’t read OZONE much anymore because I’m into a
different style of Hip Hop now, like Kid Cudi, M.I.A., Diplo, DJ A-Trak, & Yelle.
Maybe instead of waiting for another Tupac or Andre 3000 to come along,
you should go find them. There are a lot of artists that have the qualities of
those guys, just not in rap.
– Mike Frost, via email (Houston, TX)
Miss Beverly, I’m a big fan of your magazine. Congrats on your article in
Businessweek. I really respect your movement. You persevered and succeeded through all odds. You saw your disadvantages as advantages and
maximized your intangibles. Your FaithWalk paid off and now you are living
your dreams to the fullest. I am inspired by your accomplishments. Recently, me and my mother started a clothing line called FaithWalk to utilized our
God-given talents and not put them to waste. Our belief is that if you take
a FaithWalk to follow your dreams, anything is possible. You are definitely a
good example for publishers, musicians, and entrepreneurs.
– Will Parker, via email (Chicago, IL)
12 // OZONE MAG
OZONE’s got it on lock. I’m proud to see you on the come-up keeping this
shit alive. Your mag has helped us get further exposure here in the Bay Area
and on the West Coast as a whole. You’re probably the only one helping us
get publicity for our artists. We kinda get cut off from all the other publications.
– Ian, via myspace (Bay Area, CA)
I was locked up at the Bell County Jail in Belton, TX. While I was in there the
other inmates were reading The Source, King, and XXL. I skimmed through
a couple of them and I was shocked and appalled at the lack of actual hood
articles. When I say “hood” I really don’t mean that in a negative way. I just
believe that the inner city, the “hood” as we call it, is the center and foundation of Hip Hop/rap/R&B and straight gutta music. The “hood” is where all
the trends are set and where the artist becomes connected to the public,
who will become his/her customer. If you show the streets love, the streets
will love you back. I’m familiar with OZONE because Tre Dubb is putting
OZONE all over the city. He’ll pop his trunk in the middle of rush hour traffic
and give someone a copy. Anyway, back to those inmates that were reading other magazines. Please understand that I’m not hating on those other
magazines, but there’s a stark difference between the product that you
and your staff brings to the readers and the product of your competitors. I
asked my girl to send me an OZONE and when it was delivered to me in Bell
County jail with T-Pain and E-40 on the covers ya boy had that pow wow
in the pod, feel me? The other inmates treated that OZONE Mag like it was
their daily bread. You’ve got 25 new readers. In JB’s 2 Cents you sounded
like your air is being slowly released, like you’re almost beginning to give up
hope. What you’re giving up on, I don’t know, but let me tell you something. You are going to crush the magazine game, just give it a little more
time. You’re even doing award shows! You have the streets behind you and
a lot of smaller cities and towns feel like you’ve given them a stage to get
their shine on. So please keep that passion and continue to be that voice
for middle America. Hey, Barack did it, and look where it got him?
- Corey Hart, via email (Killeen, TX)
Peace to the staff at OZONE. I’m a big fan of your magazine, but I’m writing
to correct a minor error that appeared in your article about the late, great
Shakir Stewart a.k.a. Shake in Issue #73. The article stated that Mr. Stewart
graduated from Skyline High School in Oakland, CA, but the truth is that
he graduated from St. Mary’s College High School in Berkeley, CA. I went to
high school with Shakir. He was a very ambitious young man who was an
inspiration to me. I always remember him as being humble and outgoing.
The last time I saw him was in 2005 at the St. Mary’s College High School
Graduation, when my younger brother Gregory graduated. Shakir still
remembered me, was very approachable, and had a few words of advice
for me when I asked him how he “made it” in this difficult industry of music
entertainment. Blessings to him, his family, friends, and all who knew him.
– SoloFlexx, via email (Oakland, CA)
Hello D-Ray! I read your article on violence in OZONE Magazine. I’m making
contact with you because I see that you deal with a lot of independent artists and labels, and you’re hungry for the news. I am currently incarcerated
in a Federal prison. I have several partners that are about to get out and
make a lot of noise on the music scene. Jacob the Jeweler is here too!
- Antoine North, via inmatemessage (Gary, IN)
JB’s 2cents
F
by aspiring porn star Maurice Stoney
1. Extra Potent Weed
Shit like Bubonic Kush and Sour Diesel Dro
is so strong a nigga goes comatose and
has a 4-hour erection at the same time.
THADDAEUS McADAMS
10THINGS I’M
HATIN’ON
Me & TI in ATL with his
OZONE cover
Me & Roccett in ATL
5. Bad weaves
I’m hatin on hoes who coordinate weave
colors with their outfits, house, car, and
the Marta.
6. McDonalds
I’m sick of McDonalds spilling my fuckin’
fries in the bottom of the bag. Although
when you find them after you’re done
eating it’s fulfilling as hell, like capturing an
runaway slave.
8. Bitches Playin Hard to Get
Fuck slippin’ something in a bitch’s drink.
I’ma go caveman style, whack ‘em upside
the head and carry their ass straight to
the crib.
9. Girls Who Don’t Shave
I’m hatin’ on hoes with pussy hair like Rick
Ross’ beard. That shit is like a wool sweater.
I coulda swore I saw an afro pick with the
fist at the end buried up in that shit.
10. Bums in Atlanta
I’m tired of these damn bums raising their
prices at the pump. “Let me get a dollar,
naw $2. Fuck it, let me get $5 dollars.”
Me & Shawn Prez @ the
CORE DJs Retreat
TERRENCE TYSON
7. Stoopid Ass Chains
I’m hatin’ on rappers with big dumbass
chains, especially the ones who have
the nerve to put Michelle Obama on it,
with Barack, the kids, and the other 43
Presidents of the U.S. in front of the White
House.
There’s two reasons I liked T.I.’s rehabilitation method. One - the focus was on
moving forward and finding something more worthy to devote their time to (ie.,
cooking gourmet foods instead of gangbangin’). Telling teenagers what not to
do is never effective. You have to show them the rewards that can come from
putting that energy into something better. People of all ages need that kind
of focus. I only get in trouble when I don’t have enough work to keep me busy
24/7.
Although I haven’t had any personal experiences with drug usage myself I’ve
had plenty of opportunities to observe folks who got sidetracked either by using
drugs or selling drugs, and saw how much money and time they wasted on
Me & Manager Matt in Tampa negative shit. Not to mention the effect it has on their bodies and minds. And
that includes cigarettes and alcohol. Big Meech is no different than the CEO of
Phillip Morris Co., but one of them is serving a 30 year prison sentence and the
other is a multi-multi-millionaire. Go figure.
NOKEY
4. The Recession
This damn recession has everybody fucked
up. Crackheads ain’t even smoking crack
no more, they’re just sniffing chopped-up
sweet tarts.
MAD LINX
2. Pregnant bitches
I’m hatin’ on bitches who are 8 months
pregnant and still wearing skimpy-ass
skinny-bitch shit. Bitch, I can see the baby
feet in your bikini bottom.
3. Rappers Calling Themselves
“Boss”
Nigga, you can’t even control your damn
own kids, how you a boss? You ain’t bossing shit, you’re an industry slave. Window
shoppin’ ass nigga.
or every 999 garbage reality shows that rots your brain (when
and why did Steve the bodyguard from Springer get his own talk
show??), there might be one that presents real reality. Take for
example Dr. Drew’s Celebrity Rehab on VH1 (my only 50-year-old
white male crush aside from Jon Stewart) or T.I.’s Road to Redemption on
MTV. Granted, I’m sure his court orders were part of his motivation to
televise this giving-back-to-the-community thing, but it did - dare I say bring me to tears once or twice. Okay, we all know the first episode with Pee Wee
wasn’t really real since dude has been T.I.’s hypeman for however many years. But
it’s not like he didn’t need the help. If you haven’t seen the show, I highly recommend it. Google it or get an Apple TV (cable sucks anyway). Basically, T.I. puts
a spin on the “scared straight” idea and during each episode goes one-on-one
with a troubled youth to show them the error of their ways and point them in
the right direction as only a influential superstar (preparing to spend a year and
a day behind bars himself) can.
Please note, there are TWO
(2) white photojournalists
at OZONE. We are not the
same person, and contrary
to popular belief, all white
girls do not look alike.
Which leads me into the second reason I liked T.I.’s show: in the closing interview
with Sway, T.I. verbalized one of the most important things that seems to go unsaid in the many many many interviews we’ve done about the drug game: (I’m
summarizing here) It’s a marathon, it’s not a sprint. It’s not about who makes the
most money first. It’s about building a stable lifestyle for yourself and your family
for many years to come. Take the energy you’d put into the streets and put it into
a legitimate venture instead, and although you won’t see immediate returns,
in the longterm your investment will pay off. I’ve seen that myself first-hand,
coming up on our 7 year anniversary of OZONE. I went through so much in the
beginning. I’d have my phone disconnected and be sleeping in a 200sf office
while my electricity was off at the apartment. Meanwhile, I’m seeing hustlers
riding around in nice cars with rims. But life has a balance and best believe that
if you put in real, legit work, it will ultimately be rewarded. Those hustlers have
since come and gone, but I’m still here maintaining. I’m blessed with everything I
need and the experience I’ve gained through this process is invaluable.
I was always terrified and fascinated by drugs all at the same time. The fear could
be accurately credited to my parents, but honestly, I never had much interest
in using them. My focus is always on being productive and even “harmless”
drugs like weed (which I personally believe should be legalized) don’t increase
productivity (unless you happen to be a rapper who gets paid to revel in clouds
of smoke at studios or nightclubs, or inexplicably, if your name happens to be
TJ Chapman or Memphitz). But more than anything, drugs are a commodity; a
product. The drug trade is big business and I am fascinated by it. If you’re like me,
read Cocaine: An Unauthorized Biography. Great book.
I will always remember the winter of ‘08 as a scary one, but we made it and the
world is turning again. Watch the Margaritaville episode of South Park and realize that “the economy” is all in our heads. God willing, it’s going to be a great ‘09.
- Julia Beverly, [email protected]
Lil Wayne f/ Drake, Jae Millz, Gudda Gudda & Mack Maine “Every Girl”
T-Pain f/ Kanye West “Flight School”
Drake f/ Trey Songz & Lil Wayne “Successful”
Drake f/ Bun B & Lil Wayne “Uptown”
Cam’ron “Cookies & Applejuice”
The All-American Rejects “Gives You Hell”
Surf Club f/ Lil Wayne “I Can’t Miss”
Joe Budden “I Couldn’t Help It”
RE’Splaylist
[email protected]
KiD CuDi “Sky Might Fall”
Lil Brod “Do U Mind”
Pacific Division “Pac Div”
Thunderkatz “3 AM”
OZONE MAG // 13
AUSTIN, TX:
Showcased artists at SXSW 2009 included Big Boi, Rick Ross, B.O.B., Killer
Mike, Asher Roth, Balance and more. Regional artists included Gerald G, Bavu
Blakes, Question, and others. Tosin & TheScrewShop.com just dropped Watch
Ya Tone Pt. 2 which is hosted by SoS.A. from San Antonio’s Cocked N Locked
camp. Trae tha Truth and Rob G came through town for in-store autograph
signings as part of their promotional tour.
- O.G. of Luxury Mindz (www.luxurymindz.com)
CHICAGO, IL:
Frostbite, Dane, and Bullet are emerging artists in the Chicago scene. Hot to
Def has a new single called “Leggins and Heels.” Inf Click has a new record
called “Bitchassnigga” that is percolating in the clubs. Chekk Famous, DJ Slugo
and the Blok Club DJs are building a movement. Mixtape Mondays is an open
mic for new artists every Monday. Timbuck2 is dropping his first mixtape. DJ
Shaun T is gathering another Artists vs. DJs basketball game.
- Jamal Hooks ([email protected])
COLUMBIA, SC:
Lil Ru’s “Nasty Song” hit the Billboard charts at #97 and he recently signed to
Def Jam Records. Team Irac’s “Pants Saggin” just got added to Hot 103.9 and
they have a new mix CD hosted by DJ B Lord. The song “Put It on Me” featuring OJ da Juiceman is a crazy joint on that CD. It was produced by Mo Beatz,
who also produced the song Teezy and Piazo just did with OJ da Juiceman.
Mo Beatz is becoming one of the hottest producers in SC. DJ Shyy from Club
Laroice is also about to drop his new Red Light District mix CD. Not Not done
has become the #1 host in the South. Free Pachino Dino!
- Rob Lo ([email protected])
CINCINNATI, OH:
Digital Distribution has taken the music business to another level and everybody has a chance now to sell their music not just locally but world-wide.
Sports Page Café located on the east side of town right across the road from
Déjà Vu’s Showgirls Club in Batavia is an outlet for networking and promoting
new artists. Thick Wit It Thurdays has now moved to Celebrities on Reading
Rd. Cincinnati’s Hennessy Girl, Melyssa Ford, was in the Tri-State for meet and
greets recently.
- Judy Jones ([email protected])
14 // OZONE MAG
COLUMBUS, GA:
People who have been broke since the day before forever want to all
of a sudden blame it on the economy. Well, this economic downturn
should be a sign that you should use your re-up money wisely. Poor
economic times have led to a few changes in the lineup of a certain
local radio station. A few shows were cancelled, but many of the
cancelled jocs are still making moves elsewhere. By the time you read
this they may even be back on. Bases Loaded Records recently signed
a promising artist named J. Money out of Atlanta. This is the first time a
Columbus-based record company signed a non-local artist. Anything is
possible: the President is black and it snowed in Columbus!
- Slick Seville ([email protected])
DALLAS/FT. WORTH, TX:
Club Flow is the new place to be if you want to see your favorite rapper
performing. Cowboy dropped another controversial DVD called Prison
Made Me a Better Criminal. The Donny B Show in Funkytown is providing
TV coverage for all artists on channel 28. Wet Willie’s is your new hot
spot in Forth Worth. Young Muhammad’s “Baby Phat” single featuring
Lil Will is buzzing the clubs. Word in the streets is that Kotton Mouth
and Big Ben are working on a Rally Boy album. VI’s “King of My City” is
becoming the anthem for the Metroplex. K104’s Playground Morning
Show are fools with it. Check out www.FreeTwistedBlack.com.
- Edward “Pookie” Hall ([email protected])
DAYTONA BEACH, FL:
Piccalo made a stop in Daytona Beach for a concert at Essence Night
Club and to push the new single “Stick Drill.” Thirsty Thursdays made
its return for the party crowd, but its new home is Essence Night Club
with Ratt Productions. Tyte Work Promo linked up with the DJ Nailz
and DJ Woods to throw the Blackout Party, which shut the city down.
Everybody is geared up for Bethune-Cookman’s Spring Homecoming
and Black College Reunion.
- DJ Nailz ([email protected])
GAINESVILLE, FL:
Gainesville and the University of Florida host
one of the biggest college events in the country
every year, the Florida Invitational Step Show,
and this year was no different. Hosted by Columbus Short, a.k.a. DJ from the Stomp the Yard, this
year’s show was insane with over several thousand in attendance. Local artist Big Bud and the
Street Money Riders are still heating up the indie
scene. Poe Boy/Atlantic recording artist Flo Rida
made a stop through Magic 101.3 studios, as well
as Nappy Boy’s Young Cash. DJ Codeman and
the Beat Drop Squad dropped one of the hottest
mixtapes UF’s campus has ever seen.
- Jett Jackson ([email protected])
HUNTSVILLE, AL:
Project Pat had Fat Cats to capacity. G-Mane
dropped that Smoke Some Kill mixtape with DJ
Burn One. G-Side and Slowmotion Soundz were
live on Baller’s Eve and 89.1 FM in NYC. 103.5
brought Trey Songz to the Cross Roads. Hurricane Chris turned out the Green Room. 6 Tre G
gained regular rotation on 103.1 with “On A Roll.”
Street Holocaust has Thursday nights on lock
at Poca D. Aces. The Block Beattaz are moving
into their new state of the art facility. Who’s Hot
TV has a new show. Jimmy Heart has a new site
called TheHeartbeat.biz. DJ Rich remixed Bipolar’s “Like a Model.” QCDJs is gearing up for some
big things this spring.
- Codie G ([email protected])
JACKSON, MS:
The city is gearing up for the grand opening of
Club Dreamz. The mayor had a mistrial in his
Federal case. Lil C is gearing up for his second release, while Hustle Montana is hitting the streets
hard with his new single with Yo Gotti. Goobie
and Boss B are steady grinding. We not only have
artists and celebs come through Jackson, but
the black adult film star Mr. Marcus was partying
at Freelon’s Nightclub. We try to keep it versatile
down here. OZONE’s Julia Beverly was in the
building.
- Tambra Cherie ([email protected]) & Stax
([email protected])
RICHMOND, TRI-CITIES, VA:
WI2GZ released his new singles “Skin Tight Jeans”
and “She Wanna Get.” DJ Bounca is promoting his
new group O.C. Boyz on the new mixtape Take Over Vol.
2 (above left). Top of da South Movement is a collaboration
of artists from different sides of Richmond joining together
to put VA Hip Hop on the map. Power I 92.1’s personality A-Plus
gives independent artists the platform to showcase their music every Sunday at midnight on The Interactive Launch Pad. Cream Shah Pro
Street Fam Entertainment is taking submissions for the Fight For VA Round
2 mixtape. All independent Ric/Tri-Cities artists should submit original mp3
tracks to [email protected].
- Atiyyah Wali ([email protected])
MEMPHIS, TN:
DJ Paul released a new video confirming that Lord Infamous is still a member of Three Six Mafia and they’re working on new projects. Africa in April
is coming soon and their featured country is The Republic of Mauritania.
This four-day event will focus on cultural diversity and showcase a variety of
Memphis music. The Memphis Music Commission is also doing a great job
helping Memphis network every Monday at the Hard Rock Cafe. Lil Chris
(above left) was their latest act. This 8-year-old superstar (memphisrap.
com/Lil_Chris) blew everyone away with his stage presence and lyrics.
- Deanna Brown ([email protected])
MONTGOMERY, AL:
Boomerangs has the club scene popping from Apollo Wednesday with Alamob all the way to Blow Out Saturday. Anonomys won on Wednesday and
opened for Juvenile. Juvie was in the building with the Thug Misses Khia.
He performed all the classics and introduced his new artist. Moneytown
went to Mobile for Mardi Gras and invaded Club Illusions. Beatcamp,
Zeus Ent., Hot Girl Promotions, Beatchamp, Alamob, C-Nile, Attitude, Mobillionaires, Barry B Promotions, Cashing Out Ent., and more all showed
love. King South’s “Der She Go” got the streets locked. Maxximum Exposure is May 1st – May 3rd.
- Hot Girl Maxximum ([email protected])
NASHVILLE, TN:
Slim Thug, Rick Ross, and The Dream made their way to the 101.1 WUBT
Full Throttle Garage to meet & greet friends and fans. PlayDate Nashville
was a huge success courtesy of their LoveNoise partners and previous
SEA Nominee Algebra Blessett (Kedar Entertainment). Industry Nights
at Pearl Fusion opens new networking opportunities for the elite and
mature of Nashville, and Ice Magazine is about to set the standard as the
new way for Nashvillians to be seen and represented.
- Janiro ([email protected])
PITTSBURGH, PA:
The 3rd Annual Pittsburgh Hip Hop Awards brought out the best of the
Pittsburgh Music Scene. City favorite F-Block Records won Record Label
of the Year, while new comer Pyrex Press won Best New Artist. Boaz’s
determination brought him the Best Male Artist nod, while Emmai Alaquiva, GQ, Gambino, and J-Kruz were also winners. Those who didn’t win
will definitely have something to set their sights on for next year.
- Lola Sims ([email protected])
SACRAMENTO, CA:
Jim Jones passed through Sacramento and “Popped Champagne” with
the people at another 103.5 The Bomb Artist Invasion. Worldstarhiphop.com and Jordan Tower Films came through and shot videos with
Sacramento artists JDK and Bueno. The Sacramento Kings retired Chris
Webber’s jersey and a star studded crowd partied at Center Court in
honor of the former King.
- Lavega “Kream” Sims ([email protected])
ST. LOUIS, MO:
Hot 104.1’s on air personality Tony J. delivered another spectacular turnout for his 2009 Traffic Music Awards. This was the second time Tony J.
pulled off this great show of unity in the STL Hip Hop scene. Categories
and winners – R&B artist: Nikko Smith, Collaboration: Family Affair “U
Gona Luv,” Street Song: Kenny Knox “Get Ghetto,” Producer of the Year:
Laudie, Poet: Li Li, Business: Black Pearl Tattoo, DJ of the Year: DJ Sno,
Publication: STL American, Club Song: Shawty the Kid “Wah Wah Wow,”
Radio Personality: Kaos and Silly Azz, Female Artist: Y-esha, LegendAward: DJ 618, Radio song: Murphy Lee “My Shoes,” Humanitarian: Lee
“RoseMan” Nixon (R.I.P.).
- Jesse James ([email protected])
TAMPA, FL:
2 Pistols and Young Joe hit the studio with Cool of Cool N Dre and Cool’s
artist C-Ride to record “Lights Low.” The record will appear on 2 Pistols’
sophomore album Arrogant. M. Jay and Team Fetti Street Starz released
the street smash “Encore” and recorded another track with Nappy Boy
Digital artist Tay-Dizm. DJ Spinatik and DJ Drama teamed up for the
latest installment of Spinatik’s Street Runnaz series. Funkghost debuted
“The Way I Rock My Clothes” on Pirate Radio Invasion, my new show airing Fridays 5:00pm to 7:00 pm on USF’s WBUL 1620 AM.
- Slick Worthington (Myspace.com/SlickWorthington)
TULSA, OK
MattyBoi and Broken’s new single “Wanna Be with You” is creating a
strong buzz locally. Club Next Level is the new place to kick it every
weekend downtown. Jay-Be has blessed the streets with another blazin’
mixtape entitled Return to Good Music. FlyTrap Music Hall is open for Hip
Hop artists to perform weekly for local exposure.
- DJ Civil Rightz ([email protected])
WASHINGTON, DC:
The DMV has two new open mic events: X.O. hosts a showcase at the
Pure Lounge every Monday, and Young Sleep hosts Keys 2 the City at
the Island Cafe every first and third Monday. Tabi Bonney just released
a video for his next single “Rich Kids.” Tabi also directed the “May Sound
Crazy” video for female MC Lady A. The Wasteland Mob just shot a
video for their single “Boots Laced Up” directed by Skinny Corleone. DC
native Angel Lola Luv has the streets buzzing about her recent ambition to pick up the mic.
- Sid “DCSuperSid” Thomas ([email protected])
Compiled by Ms. Rivercity
OZONE MAG // 15
DANCING WITH THE DEVIL | By Wendy Day (www.RAP-CO
M
ALITION.COM)
ark Curry has written a tell-all book slamming Puffy’s business practices while telling his firsthand experience about the shadier practices
in the entertainment industry (practices which sadly prevail in almost
every company). And he tells it loudly, with examples and by naming
names, from his experiences in the music industry while being signed to Bad Boy
for more than a decade.
needed done. He watched Puff get into numerous legal scrapes to emerge victorious. He watched Puff use Biggie’s death to increase his own popularity, fame,
income, and fanbase. Mark watched one disgruntled artist after another leave Bad
Boy. He babysat other artists under the guise of “developing” them at the label.
And Mark watched promise after promise fade into dust, even when he was most
desperate. He waited for his turn to come. It never did.
The story hasn’t changed much in 40 years since artists were given fancy new
Cadillacs in exchange for their music. Sadly, even still today, it’s the price many
creative people are willing to pay for their chance at “getting on” or some primal
need for fame, and to a lesser degree, money. Why do the artists stay in such
bad situations? They believed what they were told; they got lost in or blinded by
the glitz and glamour; they were a family; “I knew he needed me so he’d have to
do right eventually;” “He said if I would just wait a little longer, all of my dreams
would come true;” It’s a building process; “My turn would come;” “All I wanted to
do was buy my Mom a house, and he was on his fourth Bentley so I knew he’d
break bread eventually.” Blah, blah, blah. I’ve heard it all….
When Mark Curry reflected on why he spent ten years at Bad Boy without ever
releasing his own record, he took responsibility for his bad decisions. He surmised
that he had more value to Puff building Puff’s career. He also felt that it was
because he was trusting enough to believe his mentor and label president when
he spun him by telling him the timing wasn’t right, or that he was busy with the
planning of his next party or his clothing company or his world tour…or the
most common excuse: we’re waiting for your budget to be approved (a lie that a
label accountant finally exposed by telling Mark that Puff had never submitted a
budget for Mark’s project).
Mark Curry was signed to Bad Boy Records through a production company that
was bought out almost immediately. This is a way for people behind the scenes in
the industry to get a quick paycheck. Someone finds an artist and brings the artist to the record label (in this case, a street dude). The label recognizes the value
of that artist and wants that artist in their camp. The label “tests out” the artist’s
talent by giving him, or her, an assignment. The assignment is usually to write a
song or make a track for another already signed artist who is struggling for a hit
record to “help” the family, or company, or team. In Mark Curry’s case, it was P
Diddy himself looking to make a hit single for a soundtrack to a Godzilla movie.
Mark delivered.
Once the label is convinced the artist has value, it comes time to pull out the
paperwork. In Mark’s case, he says Puff gave him a contract to sign with the
middleman. When Mark asked why he couldn’t sign directly to Bad Boy instead,
he was told because the middleman was Puff’s friend (as an ironic twist, this same
friend is the person Puff testified in front of a grand jury that he didn’t know his
real name—a similar crime sent Lil Kim to prison in a different case) and actually
found Mark and brought him to Puff.
After Mark balked at the language in the contract that he was unable to understand, he says Puff was kind enough to send him to an attorney (after Puff
allegedly asked that famous question, “Don’t you trust me? I thought we were
cool?!”). That attorney, Kenny Meiselas, turned out to be one of Puff’s entertainment attorneys at a strong and credible law firm. Conflict of interest? Not exactly,
because Mark wasn’t exactly signing to Bad Boy. Mark was advised to sign the
deal by counsel, so he did. Puffy then bought the contract from the middleman, thereby putting a wad of money--recoupable money from the artist, in the
middleman’s pocket and landing Mark Curry on Bad Boy.
That contract entitled Mark to a $75,000 advance: $25k was a signing bonus
(recoupable), $25k was for the rights to half of his publishing (recoupable), and
the remaining $25k would be given to him upon release of his debut album (also
recoupable)--an album that never came. Since the middleman had taken half of
Mark’s publishing off the top, he received that $25k, so all Mark received for signing to Bad Boy was $25,000. He knew it didn’t feel right, but he focused on the
future and the other ways there were to make money in this business.
As Mark was consistently promised the opportunity to work on his own album,
he was sidetracked with tours, writing songs for Puff, and teaching Puff how to
deliver his rhymes. Basically, his career was put on hold to build the artistic career
of his boss. Mark went along with that because he saw everyone else in the camp
doing so, and figured it was the way things worked. He watched Puff enact sales
pitches on everyone in the “Bad Boy family” to get them to do whatever Puff
In “Dancing With The Devil,” Mark pointed out numerous ways that Bad Boy and
Puff, directly, was able to profit from artists. In most Bad Boy contracts there is a
clause stating that the artist has to pay Puff for appearances on a record. Since Puff
is creating the album, he controls those appearances. At $40,000 per appearance
(even if it’s just whispering “Bad Boy! Bad Boy!” in the background), he can make
a fortune by appearing on his own artists’ records. Bad Boy artists often record
at Daddy’s House, a studio owned by the mogul. If an artist receives a recording
budget of $250,000, that fund can easily be spent with Hitmen producers (you
guessed it, producers who are signed to the mogul with a stake in the publishing
rights) at Daddy’s House studio (rumored to be charging the current going rate of
studio time at $125 an hour in the late 90s). Not only does the production and recording fund go to Bad Boy owned entities, but it is all recoupable from the artists’
budgets—a double win for any company willing to do business this way.
Mark also pointed out that when Mary J Blige was recording at Daddy’s House, for
example, she would be billed for 8 hours in the studio, but may have only used 6
hours. Those additional 2 hours would be paid from her MCA recording budget,
but would be used by Bad Boy Recording artists -- artists with no ties to MCA.
Mark also set the record straight about Kirk Burrowes, a former Bad Boy President,
who was allegedly threatened into signing away his 25% ownership in Bad Boy,
but was strung along long enough (apparently with the promise of money) to
miss the statute of limitations deadline to sue for what he claimed was rightfully
his. When the deadline passed, it seems he was quickly fired.
There are two things I didn’t like about “Dancing With The Devil,” although it’s
an amazingly honest, insightful, and brave book. The way Mark listed names of
street dudes who were in Puffy’s circle was a bit excessive. Now, I’m not saying he
didn’t tell the truth, but I don’t feel he needed to discuss by name who allegedly
shot Tupac in Quad Studios, or who allegedly killed Puff’s bodyguard Wolf, or who
allegedly shot Jake on the fateful night that is credited with kicking off the East
Coast/West Coast beef. Secondly, while there are more artists than not who have
signed to Bad Boy and eventually cried foul, shady industry tactics are not the
sole dominion of Bad Boy. I realize Mark is speaking from his personal experience,
and it is his autobiography, so he is only speaking about what he knows. Bad Boy
is NOT the only company, by any means, in this industry that has been accused
by its artists of shady and fraudulent business practices. Although it IS one of the
most successful, and has been accepted without due diligence by journalists,
the media, fans, executives, the industry, star fuckers, fame groupies, hoes, and
partygoers alike.
“Dancing With The Devil” was a riveting read, and a must for anyone who takes a
career in the music business seriously. Once I started reading it, I couldn’t put it
down til I was finished the book. It is available at www.MarkCurryBooks.com. //
“I told you that we won’t stop…uh, uh… I told you that we won’t stop” – Sean “Puffy”
Combs
16 // OZONE MAG
(above L-R): DJ Franzen & Ray J @ Poetry in Las Vegas, NV (Photo: Julia Beverly); Ludacris, Tity Boy, & his daughter @ Straits in Atlanta, GA (Photo: Ms Rivercity); Richie Rich & Too
Short @ The Mezzanine in San Francisco, CA (Photo: D-Ray)
01 // Kia Shine & Mistah FAB @ KGOT (Anchorage, AK) 02 // Jay Rock & Mack Maine @ Cash Money’s Pre-Grammy party (Hollywood, CA) 03 // Sway & Colby O’Donis @ the Grammys radio room (Los Angeles, CA) 04 // Sanaa Lathan & DJ KTone @ his birthday bash (Denver, CO) 05 // DJ Nasty, DJ Khaled, Dre, & ladies on the set of Rick Ross’s “Magnificent”
(Atlanta, GA) 06 // Gucci Mane, OJ da Juiceman, & Nicki Minaj on the set of OJ da Juiceman’s “Make The Trap Say Aye” video shoot (Atlanta, GA) 07 // E-40 with his wife & son
Droop-E @ Pure (Las Vegas, NV) 08 // Memphitz & Glasses Malone @ Cash Money’s Pre-Grammy party (Hollywood, CA) 09 // Baydilla gets some ass @ Club Elixir for OZONE’s
Alaska party (Anchorage, AK) 10 // De Ja Vu & Wendy Day @ the SEAs (Tunica, MS) 11 // China Redd & The Go DJ’s @ China Redd’s Listening Party (New Orleans, LA) 12 // Terrell
& Shawty Lo @ Freelon’s (Jackson, MS) 13 // T, Big J, & Mr Indiana @ Cloud 9 (Indianapolis, IN) 14 // DJ Chicken & the models on the set of the Gwap Boyz video shoot (New
Orleans, LA) 15 // Zaytoven, Portia, & DJ Holiday @ Metronome Studios (Atlanta, GA) 16 // R Profit of Nappy Roots & DJ Q45 @ the MOSI Super Bowl party (Tampa, FL) 17 // Lil T
& P-Nut @ Club Elixir for OZONE’s Alaska party (Anchorage, AK) 18 // Tony Yayo, Bay Bay’s wife, 50 Cent, & Bay Bay @ Koko’s for Bay Bay’s birthday bash (Shreveport, LA) 19 // VIC
& J Money @ Crucial for J Money’s mixtape release party (Atlanta, GA)
Photo Credits: D-Ray (02,03,07,08); DJ KTone (04); Eric Perrin (06,13,18); Francois B (05); Julia Beverly (01,09,17); Kingpin (10); Marcus DeWayne (11,14); Maurice Garland (16); Ms
Rivercity (15,19); Ralph Smith (12)
OZONE MAG // 17
Best known for his BET Uncut videos which played in heavy rotation during the show’s heydey, Joker da Bailbondsman’s goal was
to let the world know that Alaska had a rap scene. His career was
cut short when he was arrested shortly after attending the 3rd
annual OZONE Awards in Miami. In early 2008, he was sentenced
to 10 years in Federal prison on drug charges. Here, he checks in
with fellow Anchorage fam BayDilla and Out da Cutt Records (see
pg. 48) and shares his perspective from inside the prison walls.
18 // OZONE MAG
(above L-R): Warren G & Bishop Lamont @ the Key Club in Hollywood, CA (Photo: D-Ray); Mistah FAB & C-Bo @ Industry Studios in Kansas City, MO (Photo: Ms Rivercity); Fonsworth Bentley & Polow da Don @ the MOSI Super Bowl party in Tampa, FL (Photo: Julia Beverly)
01 // Too Short & Pookie @ Club Flow (Dallas, TX) 02 // Shawt & Snipe on the set of the Gwap Boyz video shoot (New Orleans, LA) 03 // Cat Daddy & models on the set of the
Gwap Boyz video shoot (New Orleans, LA) 04 // Warren G & BG (Los Angeles, CA) 05 // Uptown Angela, Ronald McDonald & Wild Wayne @ the Bayou Classic (New Orleans, LA)
06 // Rage & LA on the set of DJ Drama’s “Daydreaming” video shoot (Los Angeles, CA) 07 // Gucci Mane & OJ da Juiceman on the set of “Make The Trap Say Aye” (Atlanta, GA)
08 // E-40 & J-Diggs @ Sliders (Phoenix, AZ) 09 // YV puttin’ it down @ MOSI Super Bowl party (Tampa, FL) 10 // Yung Ralph & Bigga Rankin @ Primetime for Gucci Mane’s
Welcome Home party (Atlanta, GA) 11 // Lloyd & his #1 Fans @ The International Arts Fest (New Orleans, LA) 12 // DJ Mack, Tony Neal, & Tre Dubb @ Maximedia Studios for Texas
Summer Music Conference (Dallas, TX) 13 // Dappa, The Show, Jigga JT, Bobby Valentino & DJ Wop @ the Bayou Classic (New Orleans, LA) 14 // Alex Cannon, Jessica, & Eric
Perrin @ Ice House (Atlanta, GA) 15 // Mad Linx & Malik Abdul @ Big Engine Entertainment’s Christmas party (Indianapolis, IN) 16 // Nicki Minaj & crew @ the I Am Music Tour
(Hampton, VA) 17 // DJ Burn One & DJ Big Tiny @ Music House Studios (Atlanta, GA) 18 // Michael Watts, DJ KTone, DJ Shawney, & DJ Quote @ Independent Records (Denver,
CO) 19 // The Gwap Boyz & China Redd on the set of the Gwap Boyz video shoot (New Orleans, LA) 20 // The Leak Models @ Big Engine Entertainment’s Christmas Party (Indianapolis, IN) 21 // Jay Rock & Damani on the set of DJ Drama’s “Daydreaming” video shoot (Los Angeles, CA)
Photo Credits: D-Ray (04,06,08,21); DJ Ktone (18); Edward Hall (01); Eric Perrin (09,10,14,15,20); Jax (16); Marcus DeWayne (02,03,05,11,13,19); Ms Rivercity (17); Tre Dubb (12)
OZONE MAG // 19
Things have drastically changed over the past
four years for Christopher “Big Nutt” Donaldson.
Formerly a Florida/Georgia concert promoter
and record label owner (at left, before his 2005
indictment), Big Nutt is now serving a 40 year
sentence in a Federal prison in for conspiring to
distribute crack cocaine (at right, with his sons).
In his own (unedited) words, here is his story:
For Prison Diary submissions contact
[email protected]
Prelude: In September 2005, the United States Grand Jury indicted Christopher “Big Nutt” Donaldson on a 7 count indictment
(only 3 charged to him) which included Conspiracy; Cocaine Distribution and Crack Distribution. The Federal Government without
any actual evidence or proven drug history, in a sense, forced
Nutt to take a plea agreement instead of going to trial and getting 40 years in federal prison. The Grand Jury indictment was
handed down based off of hearsay from snitches and cooperating
agreements by his co-defendants. The offered to drop the other
charges and plea out to a crack distribution charge. What sensible choice did he have? The former concert promoter and current
Founder and CEO of the highly anticipated 424 International Inc.
movement was convicted and sent to federal prison off of HEARSAY
and NO EVIDENCE! This is what the game has come to.
I am C. Donaldson but everyone calls me BIG NUTT, (childhood
friends call me P-Nutt, LOL). I am Founder and CEO of 424 International Inc. headquartered in Atlanta, GA. I’ve been in the
Feds almost 4 years in Jesup, GA. I was charged and convicted
on Distribution of Crack Cocaine. I originally was sentenced
to 87 months (7 years 3 months) but within the first year of being down, I found a mistake in my case made at sentencing. If I
never would have found it, the Courts would not have straightened it on its own, believe that. The Judge sentenced me to the
wrong base offense level. The difference between the wrong level
and the correct level was 2 years. I hired an attorney to handle
this matter.
The Courts determined I was right. It cost me 3 Gs to get 9
months off my sentence instead of the 2 years. Due to the fact
that I wasn’t a cooperating source, I received “no extra love”
or time off. Nevertheless, my sentence was reduce from 87 months
to 78 months. That’s a big difference when you are behind that
barb wire. I wanna encourage all of my men and women in the system to never give up in the fight with your case. Study and take
a detailed look at your case. 9 times out of 10 there is a mistake (loophole) that was made that can provide possible relief
for you. Trust me on that!
Anyway, prior to prison I was a concert promoter. I’ve held
shows and concerts and other type of events in different cities
and states to where I would pay anywhere from $5,000 to $35,000
for acts like Lil Wayne, TI, Young Jeezy, T Pain, Young Buck,
JT Money, Trina, Trick Daddy, Field Mob, Bun B, 8 Ball and MJG,
Gucci Mane, Youngbloodz, Purple Ribbon All Stars, Jackie O, Ying
Yang Twins, Mike Jones, Webbie, D4L, BG, Uncle Luke, Juvenile,
Dem Franchize Boyz, Baby (Birdman) and many more... along with a
host of car shows, comedy shows and more events.
the independent label. Young Jeezy said it best when he said,
“As soon as you get your money (business) right, they hit you
with Conspiracy”... THAT’S SO TRUE! After being indicted and
convicted, I could no longer pursue my vision of releasing my
artists at that time.
Currently I have founded and spear-headed 424 International Inc.
424 means DEATH BEFORE DISHONOR, and the message and purpose
behind this movement is long overdue. We are out to “even the
scales” as I like to call it and eventually overtake them. I
was cut from a cloth of being a Real and Stand Up Individual
when faced with any and every situation that presented itself
to me. This would include when I became indicted by the Feds
and faced several years in prison. I stood tall like any real
person suppose to and accepted my responsibility without snitching and bringing down someone else. Throughout my bid I have
become aware of just how out-numbered “Stand Up” individuals
are. The snitching is out of hand and I am fearful that the next
generation will believe and feel that it’s okay. Well it’s not
and that’s what 424 is all about. We are 1 way and 1 way only “Real/Standup”! We salute and pay homage to all the Real/Trill
men and women out there.
It’s my vision to take back and spread this movement one city,
one hood, one block, and one state at a time. Through the many
Divisions and Ventures of 424 International Inc., “WE WILL EVEN
THE SCALES”...424 is not designed as a new trend or fad. It’s a
Way of Life, A Belief, A MOVEMENT. We eat, sleep, breathe, and
live this shit to the fullest. Keep your eyes and ears open...
WE COMIN’!!!!
I must take this opportunity to show love and pay homage to a
few people. To my people, you know who you are and where you
stand with me - much luv to you! Free Larry Hoover, much love
and respect to my 424 Spanish Community, Yella Boi (L.T.),
General @ STREETREPORT (I respect your mind homie), LadyBug
(keep your head held HIGH...I got you), and to all my “REAL” men
and women in the Federal and State Prison System, I salute you
--- Get at me! Oh and a Major Huge FUCK YOU to those “Snitchin
Hot Muthafuckars”, Make sure you Get At Me!!!! Realtalk! Gotta
give a 424 shout out to the realest/baddest bitch in the game
(no disrespect intended) Wendy Day of Rap Coalition. We see
and share in your vision with Rap Coalition. You provide info
and knowledge on how we can empower ourselves in this industry
and take control of our own destiny. I love and salute you for
that. MUCH LUV TO YOU, keep doing what you do! As the oldest but
truest saying goes “Real Recognize Real”! I am due back to the
world in late 2009!
If you wanna be part of this movement or request more info or
have a 424 story, get at me @
On top of promoting concerts and shows for adults, I would hold
bi-weekly High School Bashes and would have hundreds of kids
come out and enjoy themselves in a saf e environment. I have
much love and respect for the Soulja Boys, Lil Wils, GS Boyz and
other young stars gettin to the money. They are the next generation and I support them fully.
Christopher Donaldson 87951-020
Federal Prison Camp
2650 Highway 301 South
Jesup, GA 31599
At the time I was busy being a promoter, I was also building my
team of artists to release to the industry with the first artist
to be released name Poysin (pronounced Poison) out of Tallahassee, Florida. I ran the promoting venture hand in hand with
1 Luv People,
Big Nutt -- 424 (Da Real Never Fold)
20 // OZONE MAG
or email us at [email protected]
(above L-R): Gucci Mane & Nicki Minaj on the set of OJ da Juiceman’s “Make The Trap Say Aye” video shoot in Atlanta, GA (Photo: Eric Perrin); Tyga & T-Pain @ Cash Money’s PreGrammy party in Hollywood, CA (Photo: D-Ray); Mr Marcus & Rich Boy @ the Velvet Room for DJ Infamous’ anniversary party in Atlanta, GA (Photo: Eric Perrin)
01 // Usher’s group Kwiet Storm @ Sugar Hill (Atlanta, GA) 02 // D-Ray, Ginuwine, & Devi Dev @ the Grammys radio room (Los Angeles, CA) 03 // Lil Chuckee & Raz B (Los Angeles, CA) 04 // Malik Abdul, DJ Quote, & DJ KTone @ Independent Records (Denver, CO) 05 // Bobby Valentino & Grand Hussle @ the Bayou Classic (New Orleans, LA) 06 // Hugo
& actor Christian Keyes @ The New Orleans Arena (New Orleans, LA) 07 // DJ Drama, Gucci Mane, Soulja Boy, & Johnnie Cabbell on the set of Soulja Boy’s “Gucci Bandana” video
shoot (Atlanta, GA) 08 // Ginuwine & J Holiday @ the Grammys radio room (Los Angeles, CA) 09 // Yung Joc & Bobby V on the set of his video shoot for “Hands On Me” (Atlanta,
GA) 10 // Teyana Taylor, Nelly, Polow da Don, & Rich Boy @ MOSI Super Bowl party (Tampa, FL) 11 // DJ Backside & Warren G (Los Angeles, CA) 12 // C Baby & DJ Dimepiece @
Club 303 (Denver, CO) 13 // Bay Bay & Jabber Jaws (Shreveport, LA) 14 // Kenny Brewer & Randy Roper @ Club Dreams for his birthday party (Columbia, SC) 15 // Slim Thug
& 50 @ the MOSI Super Bowl party (Tampa, FL) 16 // Tigger reppin’ OZONE @ Plies’ car show (Tampa, FL) 17 // Rick Ross, DJ Khaled, DJ Nasty, & Spiff on the set of Rick Ross’s
“Magnificent” (Atlanta, GA) 18 // Unique Image & Chris J @ Plies’ car show (Tampa, FL) 19 // Pleasure P gives Star a little lovin’ @ The Cricket for Pleasure P’s birthday bash (New
Orleans, LA) 20 // Matt Daniels & Mad Linx @ the MOSI Super Bowl party (Tampa, FL) 21 // Models @ MOSI Super Bowl party (Tampa, FL)
Photo Credits: D-Ray (02,03,08,11); DJ KTone (04,12); Eric Perrin (09,10,13,14,21); Francois B (17); Julia Beverly (15,20); Malik Abdul (07); Marcus DeWayne (05,06,19); Ms Rivercity
(01,18); Terrence Tyson (16)
OZONE MAG // 21
She Liked my NECKLACE and started relaxin’, that’s what the fuck I call a…
RICHIE RICH
WELCOME TO OAKLAND
I
f you look at the logo, my chain says “Oakland,” not “Raiders.”
It’s the Raiders logo, but that’s the difference. I chose the
Raiders logo instead of the Oakland A’s or Golden State
Warriors because the Raiders have always had a gutter,
thuggish background. The A’s and Warriors have always had a more
family-friendly image.
The piece is made of platinum and white and black diamonds. It’s
100 karats and I invested $40,000 in the piece. I also have “Welcome
To Oakland” written on the back. I just wanted to show love to the
Town and and the team.
If [The Raiders] don’t start winning, the piece will be on eBay.
(laughs) I think we’re gonna do good this year though. We picked
up Jeff Garcia. Jamarcus Russell was overrated and drafted in a false
light. He’s big and can throw far, but he can’t take hits. On top of
22 // OZONE MAG
that, the [Raiders owner] Al Davis needs to sit his old ass down and
stop coming to the games. I respect him as a hustler but he doesn’t
want to pay nobody. That’s why no one wants to play here. He’s on
TV looking like a rooster.
In case you’re wondering, yes, I can wear my chain in the Black Hole.
Those are my homies, but they are 100% serious in there, you will
get hurt. They love the chain, though, they love seeing someone
invest in the team like that. I think I’ve got more money invested in
the team than Al Davis right now.
I got the piece from Jahan Diamond Imports in San Francisco. I
got it there because they don’t make jewelry in Oakland; they take
jewelry in Oakland. //
As told to Maurice G. Garland // Photo by D-Ray
(above L-R): Kurupt & DJ Quik @ Avalon in Hollywood, CA (Photo: D-Ray); TI greets Shawty Lo backstage @ Phillips Arena for the Swagga Like Us concert in Atlanta, GA; Fabolous
& Kia Shine @ Ten Pin bowling alley for Kia Shine’s “Checkin’ My Fresh” video shoot in Atlanta, GA (Photos: Julia Beverly)
01 // Dem Hoodstarz & guest @ Sliders (Phoenix, AZ) 02 // Guest & Mr Marcus @ Freelon’s (Jackson, MS) 03 // King Arthur & DJ Scorpio @ Echo Studios for 8Ball & MJG’s listening
session (Atlanta, GA) 04 // Jay Rock, D-Ray, & Busta Rhymes @ the Grammys radio room (Los Angeles, CA) 05 // Unique Image & DJ Q45 @ the Underground (Tampa, FL)
06 // Sway & guest @ Cash Money’s Pre-Grammy party (Hollywood, CA) 07 // DJ Q45 & Chris J @ Plies’ car show (Tampa, FL) 08 // Baby Bash on the set of Baby Bash’s “That’s How
I Go” (Los Angeles, CA) 09 // Bobby V & DJ Holiday on the set of his video shoot for “Hands On Me” (Atlanta, GA) 10 // Trey Songz & guest @ the I Am Music Tour (Hampton, VA)
11 // Baydilla & Megga @ KGOT (Anchorage, AK) 12 // Eric Perrin & Aurora Jolie @ the Velvet Room for DJ Infamous’ anniversary party (Atlanta, GA) 13 // Rich Boy & Keith Kennedy @ MOSI Super Bowl party (Tampa, FL) 14 // Mad Linx, Mr Indiana, & DJ Q45 @ Big Engine Entertainment’s Christmas Party (Indianapolis, IN) 15 // P-Nut, Kia Shine, & Dame
Fame @ Club Elixir for OZONE’s Alaska party (Anchorage, AK) 16 // Stax & DJ Drama @ Freelon’s (Jackson, MS) 17 // DJ Drama & LA on the set of DJ Drama’s “Daydreaming” video
shoot (Los Angeles, CA) 18 // 211 & Glasses Malone @ Cash Money’s Pre-Grammy party (Hollywood, CA) 19 // The Chopper City models & the Drank Crew @ The Venue for the
Chopper City Boyz listening party (New Orleans, LA) 20 // Power 102.9’s DJ BombShell Boogie & Q93’s Wild Wayne @ Club Xquisite for Trina’s concert (New Orleans, LA)
21 // Shawty Shawty & guest @ Uptown Comedy Club for Shawty Shawty’s Roast (Atlanta, GA)
Photo Credits: D-Ray (01,04,08,17,18); Eric Perrin (03,09,12,13,14,21); Jax (10); Julia Beverly (11,15); Marcus DeWayne (19,20); Ralph Smith (02,16); Terrence Tyson (05,07)
OZONE MAG // 23
The strip club is
probably the last place
you’d want to be reminded about
religion, but then again, you’ve
probably never had Faith.
“I know Faith is not the typical name for a dancer, but I chose
that name because of everything I’ve been through. I’ve learned
you’ve just gotta have faith,” says the 21-year-old dime from
Tampa.
And with a figure measuring 34-28-38, her customers certainly
have faith when witnessing her heavenly body. But regardless
of her near-flawless frame, the former Army brat favors her eyes
to any other feature she boasts. Her self-proclaimed alias is
Dream Eyez, and she uses them to hypnotize her faithful
following. “I’ve had a few of the same customers the entire
time I’ve been dancing,” proclaims the aspiring model/
actress. “This one guy followed me to every club I’ve
ever danced at. He’s a real loyal customer.”
Before Faith had loyal customers at the strip club, she
amassed a devoted fan club as a Hooters girl, a job she
loved. “I’ve never been one to show off my figure,” says
Faith. “I’ve always been real shy, but being a Hooters girl
helped me become more comfortable talking to people.
That’s actually how I started wanting to model, being out there
in those Hooters’ outfits.”
But Hooters only serves wings, and Faith flaunts more breasts
and thighs, so it was only fitting that she eventually leave her
orange and white clad uniform for one a little less concealing. Though her new job on the pole pays more, the
seafood fiend says she misses the snow crab legs at her old
gig. Though she has an affinity for fattening foods, Faith
avoids them as much as possible, as she is serious about
her model ambitions.
“Whenever I’m not working, I’m going to casting calls and
all model calls. I really want to get into acting, but I’m trying
to start off modeling and hope it leads me to acting roles.”
If her Hollywood dreams don’t materialize, Faith plans to
continue her final few semesters in college where she is
working towards a Bachelors Degree in Business Management and Marketing. Though she is still searching for one area of business that suits her best, she
knows she wants to be a businesswoman. “Maybe
one day I’ll open up my own modeling company,”
she says. “I’ve just gotta have faith.” //
www.myspace.com/dreameyez381
Words: Eric Perrin
Website: Strokersclub.com
Booking: myspace.com/strokersatl
Photography: DC The Brain Supreme
dcphotoimaging.com
Make up & Hair by Mike Mike 678-732-5285
24 // OZONE MAG
(above L-R): Lil Scrappy & Monica @ Phillips Arena for the Swagga Like Us concert in Atlanta, GA (Photo: Julia Beverly); Trey Songz & Bryan Michael Cox @ the Velvet Room for DJ
Infamous’ anniversary party in Atlanta, GA (Photo: Eric Perrin); Flavor Flav & Brisco @ Dolce for Flo Rida’s album release party in Miami, FL (Photo: Julia Beverly)
01 // Gucci Mane & Bigga Rankin @ Primetime for Gucci Mane’s Welcome Home party (Atlanta, GA) 02 // Simone & Shawty @ Uptown Comedy Club for Shawty Shawty’s Roast
(Atlanta, GA) 03 // Tom G & DJ Q45 during Super Bowl weekend (Tampa, FL) 04 // Black Walt, Toothpic, Mistah FAB, & Hobo Tone @ Industry Studios (Kansas City, MO)
05 // Asher Roth & SuperSnake @ the Grammys radio room (Los Angeles, CA) 06 // Mr Marcus, Tambra Cherie, & DJ Unpredictable @ Freelon’s (Jackson, MS) 07 // DJ Blak & Yung
Joc checkin’ out Bay Bay’s chain (Shreveport, LA) 08 // Rich Boy & Polow da Don @ MOSI Super Bowl party (Tampa, FL) 09 // The Chopper City Boyz Snipe, Gar & BG @ The Venue
for the Chopper City Boyz listening party (New Orleans, LA) 10 // Tyga & Mack Maine @ Cash Money’s Pre-Grammy party (Hollywood, CA) 11 // DJ KTone & Young Doe @ Blue
Ice (Denver, CO) 12 // Duval Pretty Boys @ The Moon for TJ’s DJ’s (Tallahassee, FL) 13 // Cory Sparks, Crunchy Black, & Janiro Hawkins (Memphis, TN) 14 // OG & Baydilla @ Club
Elixir for OZONE’s Alaska party (Anchorage, AK) 15 // Kervins, Squeak, & Bernard Parks @ Patchwerk Studios for Music University (Atlanta, GA) 16 // Young Dro, Snake, TI, & Lil C
@ Echo Studios for 8Ball & MJG’s listening session (Atlanta, GA) 17 // Lil Wayne & Tre Dubb @ American Airlines Arena (Dallas, TX) 18 // Jimmie Rein & Balance on the set of Balance’s video shoot (Hayward, CA) 19 // Latin Prince & E-40 on the set of Baby Bash’s “That’s How I Go” (Los Angeles, CA) 20 // Lil Jon, Baby Bash, & Frankie J on the set of “That’s
How I Go” (Los Angeles, CA)
Photo Credits: D-Ray (05,10,18,19,20); DJ KTone (11); Eric Perrin (01,02,07,16); Janiro Hawkins (13); Julia Beverly (06,14); Malik Abdul (12); Marcus DeWayne (09);
Ms Rivercity (04,08,15); Terrence Tyson (03); Tre Dubb (17)
OZONE MAG // 25
Hood
Deeds
WORDS & PHOTO By Eric Perrin
Are You a G?
abcdefG
7 Questions to FIND OUT if R&B SINGER MYKO
is the 7th letter of the alphabet.
New York Jets’ running
C. Did any of your two you’ve written?
back Thomas Jones is
the latest athlete with
ambitions of being
a music mogul. His
flagship R&B artist
Myko may help Jones
succeed where many
other athletes-turnedmusic-execs have failed.
OZONE put the Atlanta
native to the test to see
if he is in fact a G’ or just
another soft ass singa.
A. Are you a real
singer or more of a
T-Pain hybrid?
I’ve been singing ever
since I can remember.
I started singing in the
church, but I didn’t
get serious with it as a
career until 2001. I’ve
been doing showcases
all over. I’ve been on
the treadmill for a
while, just getting my
swag up.
For being true to
the craft Myko
gets a point, but
he almost lost us with
that treadmill analogy.
B. What ‘hood are you
from?
I’m originally from the
A, born and raised
in Atlanta, Georgia.
I grew up in Zone
3. My father was a
minister and my mom
was [involved in] the
church, so their focus
was to make sure we
were brought up in
the church. I grew up
a block away from the
projects but I had a
good family. My upbringing humbled me;
I know what its like to
struggle and have to
work 2 or 3 jobs.
You can leave
the hood and
still be a G’, just
ask Tip.
26 // OZONE MAG
or three jobs entail
hustlin’ on the block?
I was never a d-boy,
but every dude I know
was a d-boy, I tried my
hand at it, but that just
wasn’t me.
This answer is
indecisive, so
Myko gets no
points.
D. In what ways have
you been trying to
make it as a singer?
I’ve been out there on
the treadmill, grinding.
I’ve been performing
at a lot of showcases,
and in the A, every
showcase is a rap
showcase. If you’re an
R&B singer and you
want to get on, you’re
going to have to do it
at a rap showcase, so
I just took myself to
every rap showcase
and blazed it. They
don’t always respect
singers, so if you get
up on stage at a rap
showcase, you better
lay it down. If you
don’t, they’re gonna
boo you and throw
shit at you.
We’ll give Myko
credit for trying
to get on any
way possible, even if it
means getting hit by
a shoe.
E. Why do you think
you’ll make it in
music?
I feel like I’m good
right now. I’m not in
nobody’s lane, and
nobody is in my lane.
Another ambiguous answer,
so he gets no
love on this one.
F. What are the most
unique song concepts
I’ve got a song called
“Heels On,” that’s about
telling a chick you
want her to leave her
heels on while y’all
having sex. I’ve got
a lot of songs for the
ladies. I’ve got a song
called “Masquerade
Ball, that’s crazy. Another song, “Dangerous,” is about a girl I
met in the strip club.
I’m young and writing
about things I know.
For perhaps
being the next
R. Kelly-type
nasty-ass R&B singer,
Myko gets points.
G. What did the girl
who inspired your
single “Late Night
Creep” look like?
It’s just about my
experiences in general.
Just being in Miami, in
the clubs at like 4, or
5 in the morning and
shawtys just come outside the club trying to
get in the car with you.
If you’re pulling up in
Lambos and all that,
they’re trying to leave
with you, so that’s how
the song came about.
It’s something everybody can relate to.
We wanted a
description;
you could’ve
made something up.
Next time just say, “5’5
with brown eyes,” that
always works.
ScorE: 4/7
Myko gets a passing
grade, but barely.
Hopefully the music
from his upcoming
debut album will
score higher when it’s
released later this year.
- Eric Perrin
The infamous Bankhead Community is known throughout the world
as the hood that produced such talents as T.I., Shawty Lo, and a slew of
other successful entertainers who rapped and hustled their way off of
Donald Lee Hollowell Parkway. But for every T.I., there are thousands of
Bankhead natives who never have a chance of knowing another life.
Seattle Seahawks safety Deon Grant, a Georgia native, has made millions in the NFL. He’s been on Super Bowl teams and even made it to a
Pro Bowl. But Grant still feels obligated to help inspire the children of
Bankhead. The man who received the largest signing bonus ever given
to an NFL safety ventured to Bankhead Courts this past March. The
Bankhead Court Projects are scheduled to be torn down later this year,
but while they are still occupied the small Bankhead Courts Library
remains in business. “I came from a similar inner-city [community],”
explains Grant. “So I just try to give back as much as I can to motivate
the kids in any way possible.”
The way he chose to motivate this group of elementary age kids was
certainly inspiring. Not only did Grant talk about the importance of
reading, but he also answered all their questions, took pictures with
every child, signed autographs, and reached in his own pocket to
reward the kids with a cash prize based on their report card grades.
“It all starts with them believing there’s hope,” says Grant. “The main
things I hope my presence does is help them set goals and believe that
there is a way they can go, other than the negative route.”
by Maurice G. Garland
1. LUNCH MONEY (myspace.com/lunchmoneymusic)
Trap money, drug money, blood money, street money?
Please. Lunch Money is really what’s good in the hood.
It’s the most coveted currency in the streets; it’s what
you’ve been striving for since elementary school. All
jokes aside, this Miami-based artist is a part of the Inner
Circle family tree (they made the “Bad Boys” song used
for COPS) and makes some pretty decent music.
2. SAFE SEX ENTERTAINMENT (myspace.com/kingpimpproductions)
If the company name doesn’t tell you what they’re about, surely lyrics
like “I’ma pull your panties down, and put a Magnum on” will. Judging from the sound quality of their music, they’re practicing what they
preach - it sounds like they record with a condom over the microphone.
3. TREASURE TROLL (www.myspace.com/treasuretroll)
“The Leprechaun” was just a nickname for Lil Flip, but this Mississippibased rapper is going all in with his name. Judging from the pictures
on his myspace page, we can’t tell if he has pink hair or a diamond in his
belly button that gives off a special power. We’re hoping he doesn’t.
(above L-R): Gorilla Zoe & Shawty Lo @ Zoe’s movie screening in Atlanta, GA (Photo: Ms Rivercity); Memphitz & Jay Rock @ Cash Money’s Pre-Grammy party in Hollywood, CA
(Photo: D-Ray); TV Johnny & DJ Drama @ Coan Park for Soulja Boy’s “Gucci Bandana” video shoot in Atlanta, GA (Photo: Ms Rivercity)
01 // DJ KTone & Willie the Kid @ Club 303 (Denver, CO) 02 // Guest & Ray J @ Floyd Mayweather’s Super Bowl party (Tampa, FL) 03 // Nio Tha Gift & Balance on the set of Balance’s video shoot (Hayward, CA) 04 // The Chopper City models & 5th Ward Weebie @ The Venue for the Chopper City Boyz listening party (New Orleans, LA) 05 // Bobby Fisher
& Mr Marcus @ Velvet Room for DJ Infamous’ anniversary party (Atlanta, GA) 06 // Chubbie Baby & Rocko @ the Artistry for Rick Ross’s listening party (Atlanta, GA)
07 // Doughski G & Too $hort @ Club Flow (Dallas, TX) 08 // Twista & Sway @ Cash Money’s Pre-Grammy party (Hollywood, CA) 09 // Twaun Pledger, Lil Boosie, & DJ Scream @
The Continental for Twaun’s video shoot (Birmingham, AL) 10 // DJ Drop, D’Lyte & DJ Lil E @ Club Flow (Dallas, TX) 11 // DJ Big Spade & Hypeman P @ Club 303 (Denver, CO)
12 // J Nicks, King Arthur, & DJ Silver Knight @ Primetime for Gucci Mane’s Welcome Home party (Atlanta, GA) 13 // Mr. Marcello, Meanor & Hot Beezo @ Club Hush for Partners
N Crime birthday bash (New Orleans, LA) 14 // Tahira Wright & Orlando McGhee @ Metronome Studios (Atlanta, GA) 15 // Shawty Lo & Tambra Cherie @ Freelon’s (Jackson, MS)
16 // Frank Dolla & Megga @ Club Elixir for OZONE’s Alaska party (Anchorage, AK) 17 // Lil Chuckee & Big Man (Los Angeles, CA) 18 // Keke & Shawnna on the set of OJ da Juiceman’s “Make The Trap Say Aye” video shoot (Atlanta, GA) 19 // Jee’Van Brown, Malik Abdul, & Adero Dawson @ the Underground (Tampa, FL)
Photo Credits: D-Ray (03,08,17); DJ KTone (01,11); Edward Hall (07,10); Eric Perrin (06,09,12,18); Julia Beverly (02,05,16); Marcus DeWayne (04,13); Ms Rivercity (14);
Ralph Smith (15); Terrence Tyson (19)
OZONE MAG // 27
editor’s note
I’m Just Sayin’tho by D-Ray
T
he Drug Issue is always an interesting one to put together,
reading the articles, hearing the stories, and learning about
drugs. They’re a touchy subject whether you do them, know
someone who does them, or know someone who sells them. *sigh*
I’ve had odd experiences with people on drugs or alcohol that are out
of their body and mind. People still never learn that the habit they
have is a challenge and trying to overcome it is ruining them physically and mentally, tearing them and their families apart. A lot of that
is caused by your mind being altered. If you just sit back and really
reflect, you’ll see that you’re not the same person.
Life is already an emotional roller coaster, so why do you think that
abusing a drug will help your problems? It only adds to you problems,
and boy, does it cost you. It costs you money, and it costs you time.
You’re taking time away from your family because the drugs keep you
away from them, or you slowly lose touch with your spiritual side.
I’m no angel myself. I’ve had ventures with the other side before and
it was nothing nice. I did things I would never normally do. Even if you
regret your ignorance you still leave that scar in your mind that can
never go away. You can aim to overcome it, though. Like I always say,
mind over matter. If you’re strong enough and want to change, you
can do it. Otherwise, there are no rehabs in the world that can help if
you don’t first want it for yourself. It’s no one else’s fault that you have
a habit. It’s your problem.
Change is difficult, detox is horrible, but the aftermath is life with sunshine. You’ve lost so much time to bad choices, so let’s try to think of
the consequences of our decisions and believe in our choice, not hide
behind it. Stay true to yourself, if not to anyone else! Love yourself first
before thinking you can love others. Look in the mirror and feel good!
I’ve lost a lot of friends to drugs and I have a lot of friends serving
time in Federal institutions because of drugs. Free Husalah, PSD
Tha Drivah, Dubee, Bleu Davinci, Band Aide... I could go on and on
DJ Backside, Lil Jon, me, & Baby Bash on the
set of Baby Bash’s“That’s How I Go” video
shoot in LA
On another note, I’ve had a couple dope trips to L.A. these past few
months. The Snoop Dogg show at the Avalon was dope. He pulled DJ
Quik out. Stop playing! Snoop Dogg and DJ Quik. What a night!
The I Am Music Tour was on my coast so I hit more than a few of
the tour dates. I always knew Lil Wayne was gonna be a star, since
back in the Hot Boys days! He’s aiming to be the best at everything
he chooses to do, and has proven himself to be just that by going
platinum just a couple days after the Carter III dropped.
Every show was an exclusive, with a showcase from his well-rounded,
all-around crew of artists on the Young Money label. Lil Chuckee, the
youngest, is one of my favorites. It’s fun to watch him win the crowd
over. He reminds me a lot of Wayne with his stage swag!
And Drake? Stop playin’! I hit different cities in the West Coast and
everywhere he went, bitches were roaring as he hit the stage! My
goodness! My nephew said he’s gonna be the next big artist. I never
doubted it, but to hear a stadium crowd roar and the kid hasn’t even
dropped an album yet, wow. Move, bitch, get out the way!
Mack Maine, you already know! It’s all love with Maine. He does his
thing and then brings each one of the other artists out one by one.
Big ups to the Cash Money/Young Mula gang. Weezy, you are a great
leader! You perfect it and teach the perfection. Treat yourself, don’t
cheat yourself, like Mac Dre used to say. RIP Thizz in Peace!
To all the haters, stop hating on solid people! Spend that energy on
something positive in your life! Check out the West Coast movement
on WeTheWest.com. Special shout out to J Diggs for my puppy Beezy!
A miniature pinscher in case you’re wondering. She’s dope!
- D-Ray, OZONE West Editor-At-Large
[email protected]
Me & Smokey Robinson @
the Grammys radio room
Sam Bostic f/ The Jacka “Take Our Time”
Bangloose f/ Problem “House Party”
Damani, Lil Jon, & Swizz Beatz “I Do”
Jayrock f/ The Game “Follow Me Home”
Yukmouth f/ Ray J, Crooked I & Reign “I’m Gangsta”
Tech N9ne f/ Crooked I & Chino XL “Sickology 101”
Bueno f/ The Jacka, & Dubb 20 “That’s How I Go”
28 // OZONE MAG
because there are so many more. See you when you get home!
Drake, me, & Jas Prince @
Universal Citywalk in LA
Me & Lil Chuckee in LA
DJ BACKSIDE’S
TOP 10 SLAPS
Warren G “Mr. DJ”
Omar Cruz “Back At It”
Roccett “No Way You Can Win”
(above L-R): Killer Mike & Rick Ross @ The Artistry in Atlanta, GA (Photo: Eric Perrin); The Dogg Pound @ Avalon in Hollywood, CA (Photo: D-Ray); Flavor Flav & Lil Wayne @ Cash
Money’s Pre-Grammy party in Hollywood, CA (Photo: D-Ray)
01 // DJ Backside, Keyshia Cole, & D-Ray @ Cash Money’s Pre-Grammy party (Hollywood, CA) 02 // Jigga JT, Bay Bay & DJ Black N Mild @ the Bayou Classic (New Orleans, LA)
03 // Gary Archer, Balance, & Big Will on the set of Balance’s video shoot (Hayward, CA) 04 // Jabber Jaws & 50 Cent @ Koko’s for Bay Bay’s birthday bash (Shreveport, LA)
05 // P-Nut, Lil T, & Baydilla @ Club Elixir for OZONE’s Alaska party (Anchorage, AK) 06 // Meany of the Shop Boyz & J Money @ Crucial for J Money’s mixtape release party (Atlanta, GA) 07 // Summer Walker & DJ Drama on the set of DJ Drama’s “Daydreaming” video shoot (Los Angeles, CA) 08 // Sylvia Rhone & Lil Wayne @ Cash Money’s Pre-Grammy
party (Hollywood, CA) 09 // Ace Hood, DJ Nasty, & KC @ Firestone for DJ Nasty’s birthday party (Orlando, FL) 10 // Travis Barker & Jay Jay @ Pure (Las Vegas, NV) 11 // Kyjuan, TJ
Chapman, Murphy Lee, City Spud, Antonio Tarver, Slo’Down, Avery Storm, Nelly, & Ali of the St Lunatics @ MOSI Super Bowl party (Tampa, FL) 12 // Rob Green & Ms Rivercity @
The Artistry (Atlanta, GA) 13 // DJ Terantula & Polow da Don @ the MOSI Super Bowl party (Tampa, FL) 14 // Nikki Porch, China Redd, Ron Stewart, Downtown Leslie Brown, actor Christian Keyes & Love @ Power 102 (New Orleans, LA) 15 // Guests, Malik Abdul, & Slim Goodye @ MOSI Super Bowl party (Tampa, FL) 16 // Wayne Brady & Devi Dev @ the
Grammys radio room (Los Angeles, CA) 17 // TI & Young Muhammad (Dallas, TX) 18 // The Jacka & Carl @ Highline (Hayward, CA) 19 // Models @ Koko’s for Bay Bay’s birthday
bash (Shreveport, LA)
Photo Credits: D-Ray (01,03,07,08,10,16,18); D’Lyte (17); Eric Perrin (04,11,12,19); Julia Beverly (05,13); Malik Abdul (09); Marcus DeWayne (02,14); Ms Rivercity (06,15)
OZONE MAG // 29
T.I. & SHAWTY LO
OZONE EXCLUSIVE
Textin’ is no longer safe now that OZONE’s
dangerous minds have hacked the system.
SHAWTY LO: Hey, how u doin? It’s L-O
TIP: Okay. What it is brah?
SHAWTY LO: Nuthin much buddy, I just wanted to tell u how glad I am we
friends.
TIP: Okay. It’s all good patna. Be easy.
SHAWTY LO: Naw, I’m serious. You my favorite rappa. I’m just real glad we
patched it up.
TIP: Okay. It’s all good patna. Be easy.
SHAWTY LO: Guess what I’m doing right now.
TIP: Being foolish?
SHAWTY LO: Naw! But you silly though. LOL!!!!! I’m just thankin bout what u told
me
TIP: What I tell you?
Shawty Lo: You told me a whole bunch of shit TI... U told me to live my live.
You told that ain’t nobody got swagga like me. U told me that I could have
whatever I like. I can relate to what ur sayin in ur songs.
TIP: Are you serious? Lol. Quit foolin’ homeboy
Shawty Lo: Naw, I’m serious. I got a room full of ur posters and ur pictures man.
TIP: Aight patna. You too much for me homeboy, I’ll holla at you later.
Shawty Lo: Hold on, can I come to ur crib later on to chill? I been dying to get
outta Bankhead.
TIP: I don’t know about that one. I’m kinda busy.
Shawty Lo: Come on, lets get get get it!!!!
TIP: I’m tryin to enjoy an evening with my kids and old lady. I’m gone have to
catch u later patna
Shawty Lo: You not mad at me is u?
TIP: My phone bout to be outta batteries homeboy. I gotta go.
Shawty Lo: I can bring u a charger. What kinda phone u got?
(12 minutes later) Shawty Lo: I’m on my way…
(22 minutes later) Shawty Lo: I’m outside knockin at the door.
(53 minutes later) Shawty Lo: I dunn dunn waited at ur door for almost a hour.
I coulda sworn I heard you inside the house, but maybe u ain’t home. I just
gonna go drive past Club Crucial and see if you there. Holla at me.
From the minds of Eric Perrin & Randy Roper // Photos by Eric Perrin & Ray Tamarra
30 // OZONE MAG
(above L-R): DJ Q45 & Mad Linx @ Club 360 for Rick Ross’s Super Bowl viewing party in Tampa, FL; Shawty Shawty & OJ da Juiceman @ 3141 for DJ Infamous’ live mixtape session
in Atlanta, GA; Young Jeezy & Fat Joe @ the Velvet Room for DJ Infamous’ anniversary party in Atlanta, GA (Photos: Eric Perrin)
01 // Goonettes @ Plies’ car show (Tampa, FL) 02 // Hyphy P, DJ Big Spade, Tatum Bell, Gabe, & DJ KTone @ Club 303 (Denver, CO) 03 // Droop-E & ladies @ Pure (Las Vegas,
NV) 04 // Kadife Sylvester, Debra, & Gucci Mane @ Primetime for Gucci Mane’s Welcome Home party (Atlanta, GA) 05 // Jay Jay & Baby @ the W Hotel (Scottsdale, AZ) 06 // DJ
Khaled, Ace Hood, DJ Nasty, & DJ Chino on the set of Rick Ross’s “Magnificent” (Atlanta, GA) 07 // Nut Da Kid, Gar, B.G & Snipe @ Club Xquisite for 5th Ward Weebie’s birthday
bash (New Orleans, LA) 08 // Mr Marcus & TJ Chapman on the set of Trey Songz’ “Brand New” (Atlanta, GA) 09 // Trey Songz & guest @ Velvet Room for DJ Infamous’ anniversary
party (Atlanta, GA) 10 // DJ Ben, Bay Bay, & Big Tuck @ Maximedia Studios for Texas Summer Music Conference Winter Edition (Dallas, TX) 11 // Tambra Cherie & DJ Jonasty @
Freelon’s (Jackson, MS) 12 // Bay Bay & his wife @ Koko’s for Bay Bay’s birthday bash (Shreveport, LA) 13 // Ralph Smith & Shawty Lo @ Freelon’s (Jackson, MS) 14 // Megga, Kia
Shine, Cold, & Mistah FAB @ Club Elixir for OZONE’s Alaska party (Anchorage, AK) 15 // The Show & Terrance J @ the Bayou Classic (New Orleans, LA) 16 // DJ Hektic & Anthony
Hamilton @ House of Blues (New Orleans, LA) 17 // Laroo, J Stalin, Philthy Phil, & G-Stack @ Rasputin’s (Campbell, CA) 18 // Ron Stewart, DJ Raj Smoove, & Big Herc @ Power
102 (New Orleans, LA) 19 // Bigga Rankin & Montana da Mack @ Primetime for Gucci Mane’s Welcome Home party (Atlanta, GA) 20 // Summer Walker & friends on the set of DJ
Drama’s “Daydreaming” video shoot (Los Angeles, CA)
Photo Credits: D-Ray (03,05,17,20); DJ KTone (02); D’Lyte (10); Eric Perrin (04,12,19); Francois B (06); Julia Beverly (08,09,11,14); Marcus DeWayne (07,15,16,18); Ralph Smith (13);
Terrence Tyson (01)
OZONE MAG // 31
Devin The Dude
Devin and marijuana go hand in hand. If he’s
not talking about smoking on his album, it
just doesn’t seem right. Devin has a love for
the “sticky green” so much, four of his album
titles are dedicated to weed: Smoking Session
Vol 1, Waiting To Inhale, Hi Life, and Landing
Gear.
By Ms. Rivercity
Jee’van Brown
, and Eric Perrin
10 NOTABLE WEED HEADS
Bob Marley
Bob Marley isn’t the original weed head, but
he’s the first one that really mattered. Marley
made being a pothead the thing to be. If it
wasn’t for his influence, Jamaicans would
be more known for their bobsled team than
their ganja.
Smokey from Friday
This dude stayed high the whole movie.
This fool was so high he didn’t even bother
to show up for Next Friday. And you know
you’re dealing with a true smoker when
they try to use religion to justify smoking
marijuana. “Weed is from the earth. God put
this here for me and you.” Spoken like a true
addict.
Cheech and Chong
Obviously these dudes are synonymous with
the phrase “weed head.” Even though they’re
old as hell, Cheech and Chong are probably
the most famous THC connoisseurs across all
generations and cultures. If smoking weed
was really bad for you, these guys woulda
been dead and gone by now, but nope,
they’re still on the road with their Light Up
America tour.
Michael Phelps
Michael Phelps won an amazing 8 gold medals at last summer’s Olympics, but years from
now, what color will people most associate
him with? Green.
Rick Ross
Rawse is undeniably a king of kush. Anyone
who knows him knows that he has to smoke
one blunt after another or else he will die
(or pitch a fit). And he smokes good, too – if
you stand within five feet of him you will
catch a contact high in 2.5 seconds. You
know he had to be gone off that Jamaica to
impregnate two of the most trifling broads
in America.
Snoop Dogg
One of the Dogg Father’s first introductions
into the Hip Hop world was on Dr. Dre’s
album The Chronic. The title of the album
itself should have warned all Hip Hop fans
of what they had in store: raw lyrics and a lot
of weed smoking. Though Snoop has made
many publicized attempts to quit, he always
returns home to his best friend.
Mac Dre
He might be known for putting the “T” in
Thizz, but Mac Dre liked weed too, a lot – the
sticky green, not the brown weed, of course.
Everyone knows Cali has the best weed in
the continental United States, which explains
how those hyphy dudes convinced themselves it’s cool and/or safe to get out of car
while it’s still moving.
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Lil’ Wayne
Though Wayne is perhaps known for his
indiscretions with other drugs more so than
weed, he is still among the most prolific
weed heads in Hip Hop. It has even been
speculated that without weed, Wayne’s lyrical prowess would be equal to that of Diddy.
If that’s the case, let’s hope Wayne always
stays high.
Dave Chappelle
Dave Chappelle, a.k.a. Rick James, made a
whole career out of getting high. His first
official acting gig may have been in Robin
Hood, but his breakthrough role as the
Thurgood Jenkins in Half Baked made him a
celebrity smoker. “I wanna talk to Sampson!”
Our apologies to Young Buck and so many
others who deserve to be on this list.. we could
only fit 10.
(above L-R): E-40 & Lil Jon on the set of “That’s How I Go” in Los Angeles, CA (Photo: D-Ray); Yung Joc, Yung LA, & Yung Bay Bay in Shreveport, LA (Photo: Eric Perrin); Rydah J
Klyde & Talib Kweli @ the W Hotel in Scottsdale, AZ (Photo: D-Ray)
01 // Kadife Sylvester, Jarvis, & guest @ the Velvet Room for DJ Infamous’ anniversary party (Atlanta, GA) 02 // AD & the 48 Bars Fam @ Ice House (Atlanta, GA) 03 // DJ Black N
Mild & Wild Wayne @ the Bayou Classic (New Orleans, LA) 04 // True Champ & OZONE Street Team Models B.Carroll, Quita & Love @ Club Hush for Partners N Crime birthday
bash (New Orleans, LA) 05 // TI & Slim the Mobster @ Record One Studio (Sherman Oaks, CA) 06 // Tyga & Fonsworth Bentley @ Cash Money’s Pre-Grammy party (Hollywood,
CA) 07 // Warren G, Bishop Lamont, & Xzibit @ the Key Club (Los Angeles, CA) 08 // DJ Quote & DJ KTone @ Club 303 (Denver, CO) 09 // Drumma Boy, Greg Street, & Squeak @
Gorilla Zoe’s movie screening (Atlanta, GA) 10 // DJ Hektik & BG @ The Venue for the Chopper City Boyz listening party (New Orleans, LA) 11 // Kyjuan of the St Lunatics, Mad
Linx, & Murphy Lee @ MOSI Super Bowl party (Tampa, FL) 12 // Fonsworth Bentley & DJ Q45 @ the MOSI Super Bowl party (Tampa, FL) 13 // T-Balla & Too Short @ Club Flow
(Dallas, TX) 14 // Omeezy, Chocolate, DJ Silk, E-40, Laroo, & Gary Archer @ Expressions Studio (Berkeley, CA) 15 // OJ Da Juiceman & Big Co @ Plush Nightclub (Jacksonville, FL)
16 // Mekele, BG, & Quita @ The Venue for the Chopper City Boyz listening party (New Orleans, LA) 17 // Trina & friends @ Club Xquisite for Trina’s concert (New Orleans, LA)
18 // Skip Cheatham & Bow Wow @ K104 (Dallas, TX) 19 // Rick Ross & DJ Hollywood @ K104 (Dallas, TX)
Photo Credits: D-Ray (05,06,07,14); DJ KTone (08); D’Lyte (18,19); Edward Hall (13); Eric Perrin (01,02); J Lash (11); Julia Beverly (12); Marcus DeWayne (03,04,10,16,17);
Ms Rivercity (09); Terrence Tyson (15)
OZONE MAG // 33
Side
Effects
Who says drugs are always bad? Did you know
that most substances classified by the DEA as harmful narcotics were at one
time used to treat everything from headaches to
schizophrenia? We’re not
saying you should trade in
your B.C. powder for that
white girl, but you might
find this informational
chart interesting.
COMPILED BY MS RIVERCITY
Marijuana
Approximate Origination Date:
Its known uses date back to 7,000
B.C.
Cocaine
Approximate Origination Date:
Cocaine was first extracted in pure
form from the leaves of the coca
plant in 1860 by Albert Niemann.
Medical Uses:
Cocaine was thought to be a cure
for nearly any illness or affliction
known to man including toothache,
headache, surface anesthetic, depression, even the common cold.
Other Uses:
In the late 1800s German soldiers
were given the drug to increase
their endurance during combat.
Other Interesting Info:
- Cocaine was a popular ingredient
in wines due to alcohol increasing
its potency. Coca wine received
endorsement from prime-ministers,
royalty and even the Pope.
- Coca-Cola was first sold to consumers in 1886 as patent medicine;
one of the original ingredients was
cocaine. Today, Coca-Cola still uses
coca leaves for flavoring but it does
not contain the cocaine extract.
- Drug testing will detect cocaine in
the casual user for up to five days,
up to three weeks for chronic users.
Illegalization in U.S.
In the United States cocaine was
sold over the counter until 1916.
34 // OZONE MAG
Approximate Origination Date:
MDMA was first synthesized in
1912. It was patented in Germany
by the Merck Company in 1914.
The first reported recreational use
was in the 1960s. In the early 1980s,
the drug began to be used for nonmedical purposes, particularly in
Texas, under the name Ecstasy.
Medical Uses:
Relieve pain and emotional distress;
treatment of anxiety, depression,
schizophrenia. MDMA was used to
aid psychotherapy, the results of
which are poorly documented.
Other Uses:
- In the 1950s the U.S. Government
researched MDMA as a truth serum
for the CIA’s and the Army’s chemical warfare investigation. It proved
to be unsuitable for this purpose.
- Enhancement of sexual performance, however, there is
insufficient evidence to support
effectiveness
Other Interesting Info:
In Dallas, where alcohol was prohibited at the Southern Methodist
University, students bought legal
MDMA as a substitute, paying by
credit card.
Illegalization in U.S.
In 1985 MDMA was prohibited by
the DEA, for both non-medical and
therapeutic use, when it was given
the same status as heroin and LSD.
Other Uses:
The earliest known woven fabric
was apparently of hemp, and over
the centuries the plant was used
for food, incense, cloth, rope, and
much more.
Other Interesting Info:
- America’s first marijuana law was
enacted at Jamestown Colony in
1619 ordering all farmers to grow
Indian hempseed. You could even
be jailed for not growing hemp
during times of shortage in Virginia
between 1763 and 1767, and during most of that time, hemp was
legal tender (you could even pay
your taxes with hemp).
- Racism was used to turn people
against marijuana. Newspapers in
1934 stated: “Marijuana influences
Negroes to look at white people in
the eye, step on white men’s shadows and look at a white woman
twice.” Another rumor claimed that
Mexicans, blacks, and other foreigners were snaring white children
with marijuana.
Illegalization in U.S.
In 1915, Cannabis began to be prohibited for nonmedical use in the
U.S.. California (1915), Texas (1919),
Louisiana (1924), and New York
(1927) were first to outlaw the drug.
In 1972, the Nixon-appointed Shafer Commission urged re-legalization of cannabis. In 1975, the FDA
established the Compassionate Use
program for medical marijuana.
Opiates (Heroin,
Morphine, Codeine,
Hydrocodone)
Approximate Origination Date:
In 3500 BC The Sumerians were the
first culture known to have used
opium. In 1300 BC the Egyptians
grew poppies for opium productions and later in 400 AD Egyptian
opium was introduced it to China
by Arabic traders.
Medical Uses:
- Pain reliever and anesthetic. In addition to pain relief, codeine is also
used to suppress cough.
Other Uses:
- In ancient times, opium was used
with poison hemlock to put people
to death quickly and painlessly.
Other Interesting Info:
- By 1906, China was producing
85% of the world’s opium, some
35,000 tons, and 27% of its adult
male population was addicted—13.5 million addicts consuming 39,000 tons of opium yearly.
- As a result of the passage of the
Harrison Narcotics Act in 1914, the
street price of an ounce of heroin
increased from $6.50 to $100.00.
The purity levels fell which lead
addicts switch from “snorting” to
injecting.
- American morphine is still
produced primarily from poppies
grown and processed in India in the
traditional manner and remains the
standard of pain relief for casualties
of war.
Illegalization in U.S.
In 1874, opium smoking was
banned in San Francisco. The importation of opium into the United
States was made illegal in 1909,
so many opium smokers turned to
heroin. In 1924, Congress banned
the production of heroin. In 1956,
The Federal Government outlawed
the use of heroin for all purposes.
It could no longer be prescribed.
The Controlled Substances Act was
passed in 1970 which replaced the
Harrison Narcotics Act as the primary drug law in the United States.
This also marked the beginning
of “no-knock entry” – the use of
military style attacks on the homes
of suspected drug law violators.
Sources: www.a1b2c3.com www.wikipedia.org www.concept420.com www.heroinhelper.com
Ecstasy (MDMA)
Medical Uses:
The Chinese used marijuana to
treat arthritis, gout, and malaria. In
the U.S., cannabis is indicated for
over 250 uses including treatment
of nausea, vomiting, unintentional weight loss, lack of appetite,
arthritis & inflammation, epilepsy,
glaucoma, asthma, painful conditions, Inflammatory Bowel Disease,
anxiety, psychotic disorders,
schizophrenia, and it’s also been
shown to inhibit cancer cell growth.
The prescription drug Sativex, an
extract of cannabis administered
as a sublingual spray, has been approved in Canada for the treatment
(use alongside other medicines) of
both multiple sclerosis and cancer
related pain. Sativex may now be
legally imported into the United
Kingdom and Spain on prescription.
(above L-R): Young Jeezy & Big Meech’s mom @ the Farewell Tour in Detroit, MI (Photo: Thaddaeus McAdams); DJ Drama & TI on the set of DJ Drama’s “Daydreaming” video shoot
in Los Angeles, CA (Photo: D-Ray); Rich Boy & Trey Songz @ the Velvet Room for DJ Infamous’ anniversary party in Atlanta, GA (Photo: Eric Perrin)
01 // DJ Q45, Mr Indiana, & Malik Abdul @ Big Engine Entertainment’s Christmas Party (Indianapolis, IN) 02 // K-Loc & BandAide of Dem Hoodstarz @ Pure (Las Vegas, NV)
03 // TJ Chapman, Rovella Williams, & Khao @ Sugar Hill (Atlanta, GA) 04 // Willie Joe & Big Rich on the set of Balance’s video shoot (Hayward, CA) 05 // Rob Green & DJ Holiday
@ Metronome Studios (Atlanta, GA) 06 // DJ Khaled & Aurora Jolie @ the Velvet Room for DJ Infamous’ anniversary party (Atlanta, GA) 07 // DJ Blak & Young Dro @ Echo Studios
for 8Ball & MJG’s listening session (Atlanta, GA) 08 // Jay Jay & Paul Wall @ Pure (Las Vegas, NV) 09 // Yung LA, Yung Paul Wall, Young Dro, & Yung Joc @ Koko’s for Bay Bay’s
birthday bash (Shreveport, LA) 10 // Ms Crunk & Khao @ Sugar Hill (Atlanta, GA) 11 // Nick Love, DJ D-Tec, & Lucky Leon @ the Artistry for Rick Ross’s listening party (Atlanta, GA)
12 // Bella, Big Doughski G & Brittney (Dallas, TX) 13 // Urban South Radio’s King James, Doughski G, On Air Divas, Pookie, MG, & Rakoo @ RKN Studios (Dallas, TX) 14 // Mad Linx
& Mr Indiana @ Big Engine Entertainment’s Christmas Party (Indianapolis, IN) 15 // Big Chief & Jabber Jaws @ Koko’s for Bay Bay’s birthday bash (Shreveport, LA) 16 // Jigga JT
& Delta Sigma Theta @ the Bayou Classic (New Orleans, LA) 17 // Teka & Terrence Tyson @ MOSI Super Bowl party (Tampa, FL) 18 // Buddah & Hawkman @ Blue Ice (Denver, CO)
19 // Greg Street & VIC @ Crucial for J Money’s mixtape release party (Atlanta, GA)
Photo Credits: D-Ray (02,04,08); DJ KTone (18); Edward Hall (12,13); Eric Perrin (01,06,07,09,11,14,15); Julia Beverly (17); Marcus DeWayne (16); Ms Rivercity (03,05,10,19)
OZONE MAG // 35
(above L-R): Ray J & Floyd Mayweather in Tampa, FL (Photo: Julia Beverly); Willy Northpole & Ludacris @ Phillips Arena for the Swagga Like Us concert in Atlanta, GA (Photo: Ms
Rivercity); DJ Drama & DeRay Davis on the set of DJ Drama’s “Daydreaming” video shoot in Los Angeles, CA (Photo: D-Ray)
01 // Melvin Foley & the Chopper City models @ The Venue for the Chopper City Boyz listening party (New Orleans, LA) 02 // Trey Songz & Nokey @ the Velvet Room for DJ Infamous’ anniversary party (Atlanta, GA) 03 // SuperSnake & the Kardashian sisters @ the Grammys radio room (Los Angeles, CA) 04 // Mistah FAB, Baydilla, & Megga @ KGOT (Anchorage, AK) 05 // BOB, Breezy, & TJ Chapman @ Big Spenda Studios (Jacksonville, FL) 06 // Gorilla Zoe & Lady Jade @ K104 (Dallas, TX) 07 // Neffie & Frankie @ Plies’ car show
(Tampa, FL) 08 // Omeezy with a steady hand @ Expressions Studio (Berkeley, CA) 09 // TI & Damani on the set of DJ Dr ama’s “Daydreaming” video shoot (Los Angeles, CA)
10 // Snoop Dogg & DJ Drama on the set of DJ Drama’s “Daydreaming” video shoot (Los Angeles, CA) 11 // Tatum Bell & Bust @ Club 303 (Denver, CO) 12 // Balance, Big Rich,
Capo, & Cannon on the set of Balance’s video shoot (Hayward, CA) 13 // Angie Renee & Divaz @ Club 303 (Denver, CO) 14 // DJ Quote, Malik Abdul, DJ KTone, Hypeman P, Diallo,
& DJ Q45 @ DJ KTone’s birthday party (Denver, CO) 15 // BG & Hot Beezo @ Club Xquisite for 5th Ward Weebie’s birthday bash (New Orleans, LA) 16 // Wild Wayne, Uptown
Angela, & Columbus Short @ the Bayou Classic (New Orleans, LA) 17 // DG Yola & guest @ Coan Park for Soulja Boy’s “Gucci Bandana” video shoot (Atlanta, GA) 18 // AD & Mogie
@ Ice House (Atlanta, GA) 19 // Willis McGahee & Big Lip Bandit @ his youth football camp (Miami, FL) 20 // Chris J, DJ Q45, & Plies’ models @ Plies’ car show (Tampa, FL)
Photo Credits: Bill Yeager (14); D-Ray (03,08,09,10,12); DJ KTone (11,13); D’Lyte (06); Eric Perrin (02,18); J Lash (19); Julia Beverly (04); Malik Abdul (17); Marcus DeWayne
(01,15,16); Terrence Tyson (05,07,20)
OZONE MAG // 37
on “Mr. Carter” and played it for him, he kinda
lost his mind. That was my first placement.
He started off behind the board,
engineering for Lil Wayne. But after
producing “Mr. Carter” off Wayne’s
multiplatinum album Tha Carter
III, and Weezy’S single “Prom Queen”
from his forthcoming rock album,
Drew Correa is a beatmaker to LOOK
OUT FOR IN 2009.
Since you’ve been right there with Weezy
over the years, can you explain his recording
process?
The dude’s brilliant. He doesn’t write shit down
to begin with. [Then] he goes through beats and
38 // OZONE MAG
when he hears that one beat he’s like, “That’s
that shit right there, put it on.” He listens to it
over and over, and I guess the song comes up in
his head somehow. He doesn’t write anything
down, he just goes, “I’m ready.” And he goes in
the booth and lays it down. It’s actually crazy.
That’s the first artist I have ever worked with who
[records like that]. It’s pretty fucking amazing.
How did your transition from an engineer to a
full-time producer come about?
Wayne knew I made beats and ever since the first
day I worked with him, it [just] kinda happened.
He had recorded to a shitload of my [tracks]that
nobody ever heard. We kept going in [the studio]
while I was on tour with him, and then in 2007
I decided I want to produce. I started focusing
strictly on producing and I kept going to his sessions when he was in Miami, giving him beats,
and he was digging my shit. When I was working
Let’s talk about another record you produced
for Wayne, “Prom Queen.”
Wayne called up and told me to come to the
studio to work on this rock shit with him. So, I
called my boy Infamous; he co-produced the
record with me. We went over there and were
just vibing out with Wayne and he’s like, “Aight,
we’re doing some rock shit.” I started fucking
with some drums, and then Wayne got on the
guitar and started fucking with the bass line.
Then it just slowly started escalating. We actually
did two beats that night. The other one is called
“Fuck Today,” that’s gonna be on the album. A
week or two later we came back just to check on
Wayne and he was like, “Yo, did you hear the joint
I did to that track we did that night?” He played
“Prom Queen” for us, and I was like, “Damn, that’s
different as fuck.” Me and Infamous didn’t really
believe it was going to be his single. To have a Lil
Wayne single is a shock. I love that record. I think
it’s fuckin’ dope. //
(above L-R): Denise & Antonio Tarver @ MOSI Super Bowl party in Tampa, FL (Photo: Ms Rivercity); Anthony Hamilton & his wife Tasha @ House of Blues in New Orleans, LA
(Photo: Marcus DeWayne); Kia Shine & his wife @ Ten Pin bowling alley for Kia Shine’s “Checkin’ My Fresh” video shoot in Atlanta, GA (Photo: Julia Beverly)
01 // DJ Juice, DJ Backside, & DJ Tito Bell on the set of Laroo’s “Money Ain’t Trippin” video shoot (Mountain View, CA) 02 // Video model & P-Nut @ Ten Pin bowling alley for Kia
Shine’s “Checkin’ My Fresh” video shoot (Atlanta, GA) 03 // Get Away Boys @ Phillips Arena for the Swagga Like Us concert (Atlanta, GA) 04 // Jeff “Left Hook” Lacey & Kingpin
@ Studio Inc for Jeff “Left Hook” Lacey’s fight afterparty (Tampa, FL) 05 // Terrace Martin & DJ Quik @ Avalon (Hollywood, CA) 06 // Alex Thomas & Baby @ Cash Money’s PreGrammy party (Hollywood, CA) 07 // Harve Pierre & Block @ BET’s Spring Bling (Riviera Beach, FL) 08 // Lil Chief & Sean Kingston @ MGM (Las Vegas, NV) 09 // E-40 & his wife @
Sliders (Phoenix, AZ) 10 // DJ Ace & P Brown @ Throbacks for Streettalk Showcase (Atlanta, GA) 11 // Brutha @ BET’s Spring Bling (Riviera Beach, FL) 12 // Matt Blaque & Laroo
on the set of Laroo’s “Money Ain’t Trippin” video shoot (Mountain View, CA) 13 // Phatt Lipp & BOB @ The Moon for TJ’s DJ’s (Tallahassee, FL) 14 // Big Rich, Scoot, & 3 Story Gang
@ Hot Import Nights Car Show (San Mateo, CA) 15 // Ms Rivercity & Chris J @ Plies’ car show (Tampa, FL) 16 // Kevin, Kia Shine, & P-Nut @ Ten Pin bowling alley for Kia Shine’s
“Checkin’ My Fresh” video shoot (Atlanta, GA) 17 // Bama & Young Jeezy @ Phillips Arena for the Swagga Like Us concert (Atlanta, GA) 18 // Rovella Williams & Prep School @
Patchwerk Studios for Music University (Atlanta, GA) 19 // Chris Lee & E-40 on the set of Laroo’s “Money Ain’t Trippin” video shoot (Mountain View, CA)
Photo Credits: D-Ray (01,05,06,08,09,12,14,19); Julia Beverly (02,16); Kingpin (04); Malik Abdul (13); Ms Rivercity (03,10,17,18); Terrence Tyson (07,11,15)
OZONE MAG // 39
Patiently
Waiting
I
f you ask rap fans in Atlanta, (not an average rap fan, but a true A-Town
rap fan), who are the hottest rappers on the streets right now, they’d
probably be quick to answer that question with these three names: Gucci Mane, OJ Da Juiceman and J Money. The first two names are familiar
by now. But the latter, J-Money? Who the hell is…? You’d probably get an
answer like, “J-Money. First name, last name!”
J-Money is the newest rapper from Atlanta to have the streets behind him,
thanks to numerous hood anthems like “Trapper of the Year,” “1st Name Last
Name,” “Do It Big,” “This Is How We Play,” and “Smashin’,” along with a number
of mixtapes with DJs like Durrty Laundry and Scream. His buzz has grown
exponentially over the last few months to the point where people are
already calling him the “(T)rapper of the Year.”
““It ain’t just [about] drugs,” he says of his given title. “’Trapper of the Year’
means you’re the #1 hustler or #1 grinder. Trappin’ can be so many situations. Even if you’re working a job, you’re [trappin’]. When people see me,
they see a hustler. They see someone that knows what he’s doing, and can
believe what he’s talking about.”
J. Money’s path into the rap world began when he set out managing a
group called Da Truth, who had a local hit called “Aw, Man” featuring Gucci
Mane. Having seen the game from behind the scenes, Money decided he
was better suited to be on the mic. “I saw the ins and outs of it, and I basi-
40 // OZONE MAG
cally saw that things [rappers] were talking about, I actually was doing,” he
recalls. “[I said] if I get in and do this, as someone that knows how to grind
and work hard, it’s going to be easy for me.”
He formed a group called the Black Amigos with Grand Hustle signee Yung
L.A. and fellow Atlanta rapper Young Woo, but when L.A.’s demanding
schedule started to slow the group’s progress, the only thing that came of
the collective was a couple songs. J-Money decided that taking his act solo
would be an better option.
Going solo has proved to be the right move. His single “1st Name, Last
Name” featuring Shawty Lo has started picking up spins in Atlanta and
radio stations across the South, and while he’s still independent, his buzz
and movement has started to catch the attention of major labels like Def
Jam, Warner Bros, Universal Motown and Atlantic.
“People have actually seen me. They’ve known me before rapping, and they
seen that I used to do the same things these rappers were doing. They love
that realness. And they see a whole movement going on. It’s not one song
and then [I’m] out of here. I’m coming through the door to let them know, I
ain’t going nowhere.”
Words by Randy Roper
Photo by Ms. Rivercity
(above L-R): Mr Marcus @ the Velvet Room in Atlanta, GA; Nicki Minaj on the set of OJ da Juiceman’s video shoot in Atlanta, GA
(Photos: Eric Perrin); TI and his OZONE cover @ Phillips Arena for the Swagga Like Us concert in Atlanta, GA (Photo: Julia Beverly)
01 // Dame Fame & Mistah FAB @ Club Elixir for OZONE’s Alaska party (Anchorage, AK) 02 // Chamillionaire @ Ice Bar for Definition DJs meeting (Dallas, TX) 03 // Trai D @ American Airlines Arena (Dallas, TX) 04 // Neffie & Frankie @ Plies’ car show (Tampa, FL) 05 // Rick Ross @ Club 360 for his Super Bowl viewing party (Tampa, FL) 06 // BloodRaw @
The Moon for TJ’s DJ’s (Tallahassee, FL) 07 // Young Jeezy @ the Velvet Room for DJ Infamous’ anniversary party (Atlanta, GA) 08 // Princess on the set of Gorilla Zoe’s “What It Iz”
video shoot (Atlanta, GA) 09 // DJ KTone & Malik Abdul @ The Loft (Denver, CO) 10 // Viper @ The Moon for TJ’s DJ’s (Tallahassee, FL) 11 // Droop-E @ HP Pavillion for 94.9’s Wild
Jam (San Jose, CA) 12 // Screwww @ the Velvet Room for DJ Infamous’ anniversary party (Atlanta, GA) 13 // Ebony, Sara, D’Lyte, & Too $hort @ Club Flow (Dallas, TX) 14 // Mr
Marcus & Trey Songz on the set of “Brand New” (Atlanta, GA) 15 // Jarvis @ Phillips Arena for the Swagga Like Us concert (Atlanta, GA) 16 // Michael “5000” Watts @ Independent
Records (Denver, CO) 17 // DJ Irie @ Dolce for Flo Rida’s album release party (Miami, FL) 18 // Trey Beatz on the set of The Game’s “Camera Phone” video shoot (Los Angeles, CA)
19 // Kasanova @ Jim Porters (Louisville, KY) 20 // The Glenn Twins @ Club Dreamz (Pittsburgh, PA) 21 // Stay Fresh on the set of Gorilla Zoe’s “What It Iz” video shoot (Atlanta,
GA) 22 // Ju @ Phillips Arena for the Swagga Like Us concert (Atlanta, GA) 23 // Guests & Good Game @ All Star weekend (Phoenix, AZ) 24 // Kia Chyna @ Jim Porters (Louisville,
KY) 25 // Patrick @ The Moon for TJ’s DJ’s (Tallahassee, FL) 26 // Matt Blaque @ Stockton Civic Center for E-40’s release party (Stockton, CA) 27 // King George @ Rasputin (San
Leandro, CA) 28 // G-Stack @ Rasputin’s for his in-store (Campbell, CA) 29 // Lunch (Los Angeles, CA) 30 // Big Chris of QC Partystarters @ Plies’ car show (Tampa, FL) 31 // Ladies
@ All Star weekend (Phoenix, AZ) 32 // Baydilla @ Club Elixir for OZONE’s Alaska party (Anchorage, AK) 33 // Lil T & Sid V @ Club Elixir for OZONE’s Alaska party (Anchorage, AK)
34 // Joey Boy @ All Star weekend (Phoenix, AZ) 35 // DJ Tuss @ G-Spot (Aggtown, TX)
Photo Credits: D-Ray (11,18,26,27,28,29); DJ KTone (09); Edward Hall (02,13,35); Eric Perrin (05,07,12); Julia Beverly (01,14,15,17,22,32,33); Malik Abdul (06,10,16,19,24,25); Marcus Howell (23,31,34); Terrence Tyson (04,20,30); Torrey Holmes (08,21); Tre Dubb (03)
OZONE MAG // 41
Patiently
Waiting
A
sher Roth isn’t the only newcomer that loves college. Dallas, Texas
rookie Dorrough Music can relate, too. While attending Prairie
View A&M University (a HBCU Northwest of Houston), Dorrough,
whose initial intent was to walk-on with the school’s basketball
team, began making a name for himself as a MC. While a member of the
group Prime Time Click, their song “Do Tha Muscle” became a hit on the
university’s campus and on local radio stations.
The group later hooked up with DJ Merk, a DJ from Houston who also
attended the university. The Click released their first mixtape, Hustle Factor,
in 2005, but when the buzz around their music started to spread, Dorrough
decided to take the Nelly approach and became Prime Time Click’s lead
artist. “Dorrough kinda started to outshine everybody [in Prime Time Click],
so we started pushing him the hardest,” says DJ Merk, who now serves as
Dorrough’s manager.
“We were doing a lot of stuff around the college campuses, that’s how we
got hot,” says the rapper, who carries “Music” as a moniker because of his
love for the art. “We got a big, strong buzz, and we were killin’ the mixtapes,
so when I finally did drop a single, people were already familiar with my
name. So that made it easier to push my single.”
42 // OZONE MAG
One of those singles came when Dorrough collaborated with Killeen, TX
rapper Superstarr for a song called “Halle Berry.” The record, an ode to beautiful women of a Halle Berry caliber, became a regional hit and YouTube
smash. But as the song’s popular grew, so did an interest in the track. The
song was sold to Polo Grounds’ artist Hurricane Chris, who kept Superstarr
on the song but replaced Dorrough. “I wanted to hold on to [the song],
but I didn’t worry too much about it,” he says. “At the end of the day, it was
Superstarr’s song, so it was pretty much whatever he wanted to do with it.”
Fortunately for Dorrough, one single don’t stop no show. He went on to
record another breakout song in “Walk That Walk,” along with his newest
record “Ice Cream Paint Job.” His buzz caught the attention of E1 Music (formerly Koch Records), who signed the rapper to a distribution deal through
NGenius Entertaiment. With his self-titled debut album on the way, this Dallas up-and-comer is beyond ready to join Lil Will, Big Tuck, and Tum Tum on
the list of premiere MCs from the Big D. “I just want people to feel my music
and vibe to it,” he says. “Everything I do, I’m passionate about, so I’m going
to bring that to my music.”
Words by Randy Roper
(above L-R): Richie Rich with his OZONE West article @ The Mezzanine in San Francisco, CA (Photo: D-Ray); Paul Wall reppin’ TV Jewelry in Shreveport, LA (Photo: Eric Perrin); Chris J @
Plies’ car show in Tampa, FL (Photo: Terrence Tyson)
01 // Lil Duval & Young Dro on the set of Young Dro & Yung LA’s “Take Off” video shoot (Atlanta, GA) 02 // Khia @ The Moon for TJ’s DJ’s (Tallahassee, FL) 03 // Malik Abdul &
Poohdy @ Big Engine Entertainment’s Christmas party (Indianapolis, IN) 04 // Jody Breeze on the set of Gorilla Zoe’s “What It Iz” video shoot (Atlanta, GA) 05 // J Stalin @ Rasputin’s for his in-store (Campbell, CA) 06 // Drake @ Velvet Room for DJ Infamous’ anniversary party (Atlanta, GA) 07 // Ludacris @ HP Pavillion for 94.9’s Wild Jam (San Jose, CA)
08 // Bali @ Firestone for DJ Nasty’s birthday party (Orlando, FL) 09 // Mr Indiana @ Big Engine Entertainment’s Christmas party (Indianapolis, IN) 10 // Madeleine & Roslyn @
Club Elixir for OZONE’s Alaska party (Anchorage, AK) 11 // Don’t Know (Los Angeles, CA) 12 // Greg Street & Beyonce @ Phillips Arena for the Swagga Like Us concert (Atlanta,
GA) 13 // DJ Smallz @ The Moon for TJ’s DJ’s (Tallahassee, FL) 14 // Traxamillion, Laroo, & John Costen @ Stockton Civic Center for E-40’s release party (Stockton, CA) 15 //
Big Black @ Plies’ car show (Tampa, FL) 16 // Caviar @ Club Dreamz (Pittsburgh, PA) 17 // DJ K-Roc @ Ice Bar for Definition DJs meeting (Dallas, TX) 18 // Josh & Todd @ Street
Symphony Studios (Fremont, CA) 19 // Guest @ All Star weekend (Phoenix, AZ) 20 // Slim Thug @ Firestone for DJ Nasty’s birthday party (Orlando, FL) 21 // Yancey Richardson
& Yung Joc @ BET’s Spring Bling (Riviera Beach, FL) 22 // Bishop of Crunk @ Primetime for Gucci Mane’s Welcome Home party (Atlanta, GA) 23 // Papa Ru, DJ Mack, & PLA @
Maximedia Studios for Texas Summer Music Conference (Dallas, TX) 24 // K-Loc @ 17 Hertz Studios (Hayward, CA) 25 // Thaddaeus McAdams & Red @ The Artistry (Atlanta,
GA) 26 // Play & Skillz @ Koko’s for Bay Bay’s birthday bash (Shreveport, LA) 27 // Torrey Holmes @ BET’s Spring Bling (Riviera Beach, FL) 28 // UNK & Tropikana reppin’ OZONE @
Unk’s meet & greet (Cleveland, OH) 29 // Yung Ro @ the OZONE office (Atlanta, GA) 30 // Cory Mo @ Phillips Arena for the Swagga Like Us concert (Atlanta, GA) 31 // DJ G-Spot
& Marlo @ Unk’s meet & greet (Cleveland, OH) 32 // Papa Duck @ Firestone for DJ Nasty’s birthday party (Orlando, FL) 33 // Quint Black, guest, & Too Short @ Club Flow (Dallas,
TX) 34 // Ms Rita, DJ Mack, & Bun B @ Maximedia Studios for Texas Summer Music Conference (Dallas, TX) 35 // Neg & Flo Rida @ Club 360 for Rick Ross’s Super Bowl viewing
party (Tampa, FL)
Photo Credits: D-Ray (05,07,11,14,18,24); Edward Hall (17,33); Eric Perrin (03,09,16,22,25,26,35); Julia Beverly (06,10,12,30); Malik Abdul (02,08,13,20,29,32); Marcus Howell (19);
Marlo Martin-Jackson (28,31); Ms Rivercity (01); Terrence Tyson (15,21,27); Torrey Holmes (04); Tre Dubb (23,34)
OZONE MAG // 43
Patiently
Waiting
A
tlanta is known and respected for creating dance crazes that
make you “Lean Wit It, Rock Wit It,” “Shoulder Lean”, or even “Walk
It Out.” They seem to emerge virtually overnight and take over
dance floors throughout America. The newest dance, which originated on the Southside of Atlanta, is “Surfin.’” It didn’t become popular until
F.L.Y. (Fast Life Yungstaz) came out with their single “Swag Surfin’.”
Made up of childhood friends Lil V, Lil Mook, and Myko McFly, F.L.Y. has
only been together for a year and half, although each of them have been
rapping for over two years. Originally from Stone Mountain, GA, the trio
decided to take a Southside dance and make it known throughout Georgia.
“Surfin’ was a dance on the Southside that was created back in 2002, but
not many people were doing it until we put the swag on it,” says Lil V. “We
took the surfin’ part and put that swag on it, which we like to call that sauce
teriyaki,” reveals Lil Mook.
The name Fast Life Yungstaz fits the trio perfectly, and the song “Swag Surfin’” picked up so rapidly in Atlanta that it landed F.L.Y. a single deal with Def
Jam. “It was a two-day process. We flew to New York at nine at night on a
Tuesday, and were signed by four Wednesday afternoon,” Lil Mook explains.
44 // OZONE MAG
“We went up there and had a little showcase for L.A. Reid, and we rocked
it. He got out of his seat and started bouncing around shaking everybody
hands,” Myko Mcfly recalls.
Since their newfound success, F.L.Y. has encountered a few bumps, bruises
and hate on their way to the top, but all wounds heal with time. “We get a
little bit of shine,” says Lil Mook. “We haven’t even started doing nothing for
real yet, and people that live up the street from you start to hate.” Laments
Lil V, “Even your so-called homeboys start to hate on you.”
F.L.Y. doesn’t feel that they compare to any other rappers, taking pride in
having their own style. “We have a cool laid-back style, but the music can
go in any direction,” says Lil Mook.
F.L.Y. is just beginning to ride the wave of success with their hit “Swag
Surfin’.’’ Doing over eight shows a week and working on their debut album,
it should be surfs up for F.L.Y. all the way through.
Words by Jee’Van Brown
Photo by Ms Rivercity
OZONE MAG // 45
F
resh out of Atlanta’s Stone Mountain/Decatur/Lithonia area, Dem Getaway Boyz’s hit single “Imma G” featuring
Killer Mike has helped make them one of the hottest names in the streets. While their sonic make-up separates them from their dance-crazed peers, DGB’s tune is still balanced enough to appeal to both them and the
foreign ear.
“We don’t have a set sound. We’ve got different sounds,” says group member Flyy. The group DGB consists of two rappers and one singer. “You won’t say we do a certain kind of music either. We’ll do reggae, Latino, we’ll do anything you
give us and make it hot.”
Early on the group drew comparisons to Pretty Ricky, prompting Atlantic Records executive Mike Caren to ask what it
was that was different about them.
“That’s just because Lil’ Marco sings, and me and Flyy rap about girls,” says Kali. “Other than that, we’re nothing like
them. We are a totally different group.”
Currently signed to Warbucks/Motown Universal, Dem Getaway Boyz are currently working on their debut and in the
meantime are doing shows throughout the Southeast.
Words by Maurice G. Garland
46 // OZONE MAG
Patiently
Waiting
Patiently
Waiting
knew who I was, so I just kept going with it.”
When you think OF Alaska, the first
THING that pops into your head is
SNOW, GOVERNOR Sarah Palin, or the
video “Uh Huh” by Joker The Bailbondsman featuring Bizzy Bone (if
you used to watch BET Uncut). with
time and persistence, soon the only
name you will think of when you
hear “Alaska” is rapper Baydilla.
Since he was a young adolescent, Baydilla has
always had a business mind mixed with street
smarts, earning him his nickname. “When I was
young I was hustling, I was always in the streets
no matter what it was,” Baydilla explains. “If you
needed it you called me, Bay Bay. My friend
Mike from Chicago gave me the name Baydilla,
because every time he saw me I was hustling.”
Baydilla has encountered a lot throughout his
rap quest. Multiple trials and tribulations while
living in Atlanta almost caused him to give up
on his dream. “I moved to Atlanta back in 2001.
My cousin Magic moved our studio to Atlanta,
and in the midst of all that he caught a Fed case,”
Baydilla recalls. “My cousin Hot Rod got twenty
years for the same case. Then my other cousin
Hardcore got ten years for taking the rap for my
brother, plus they got my baby momma for five
years. But they still wanted my brother, so they
took him, too. Through it all I just stayed strong
and positive with support from my fans. I started
noticing when I went to different places people
Baydilla and his brother Wok started Out Da Cutt
Records ten years ago. Since then, he has kept
the label afloat with a slew of up-and-coming
rappers including P-Nut, Scoe, Day, and Lil T. But
Baydilla remains the label’s lead artist. “‘I have an
album coming out soon, but we’re still working
on the title right now,” he says. “I’m thinking of
Mr. BB. ” The album will also feature appearances
from the likes of Bun B, E-40, Kia Shine, and Hell
Rell.
With a story worth telling, Alaska behind him,
and a cold flow that can’t be denied, Baydilla is
well on his way to proving himself as a notable
rapper.
Words by Jee’Van Brown
Photo by Littleton Miller
PATIENTLY WAITING: ALASKA
48 // OZONE MAG
PATIENTLY WAITING: ALASKA
“Family First” is the motto for Out Da Cutt rapper
P-NUT. He got his foot in the door not only
because he’s label owner Baydilla’s little brother,
but also because his rapping skills can’t be denied. P-Nut has many goals beyond rapping. His
aspirations are to not only put Alaska on the Hip
Hop map, but also to be known all around the
world. “I plan on taking this rap thing wherever
it takes me. Shit, I already went from trapping
to rapping, so now I want to go from rapping to
acting,” says P-Nut. He sees rapping as a positive
way to stay out of trouble and not go down the
same path as his immediate family. “My brothers,
my mother, and everybody I know around me
are getting locked up,” P-Nut explains. “I’m trying
to make a difference with my lyrics.”
There are only 24 hours in a day. Throughout
these hours, there are many things one can
do – some work, some sleep, and others sit
around and do nothing. Out Da Cutt recording
artist 21-year-old All Day understands how
quickly time flies, so he uses his the hours he
has to perfect his craft. Starting his rap career at
the young age of 16, All Day is aiming towards
putting Alaska on the map in a way no one has
ever done or heard of before. “We got a sound
like nobody else,” he says. “When you hear us you
can’t deny it, because it’s real music.” Influenced
by artists like Young Jeezy and various West
Coast rappers, All Day and his labelmate Scoe are
planning to drop a mixtape called Ham Volume 1
that promises to garner repeat plays on the daily.
Sometimes when people endure hardships
and tribulations they give up on their dreams,
but with Lil T, no matter what the situation,
rapping has always been a way of life. Writing
rhymes since age 13, Lil T was influenced by his
cousins to start rapping and ever since then it’s
been an ongoing process that can’t be stopped.
“Rap makes me feel positive when I’m doing it,
because I can get away from all that negative
stuff and people that I am around,” he explains.
“It gives me an outlet to release what I’m going
through and let other people know what I’m going through.” His smash hit “Look Stupid” appears
on his current album release titled 907. Another
AK favorite is his collaboration with labelmate
Scoe called “You Already Know.”
OZONE MAG // 49
Starbuks and his label Cofey Houze Entertainment aim to give the
Northwest music scene a full energy boost. “I’m trying to help the
Northwest movement grow and let people know that we’re serious,”
he says. “There’s talent out here.” Starbuks recently released his debut
album Side Up, featuring the single “AK State of Mind” which will soon
be accompanied by a video. As for the talent in his camp, Starbuks
says, “We’re not trying to be the hardest, most gangsta niggas. We’re
just trying to work harder.” In order to stay ahead of the competition,
Cofey House is involved in numerous projects, including Starbuks’
sophomore LP Meeting Mr. Cofey and Sluggz’ solo album Pressure
Makes Perfect. Mr. Cofey also has a unique concept project titled
Throw Away Muzik, a digital mixtape in which one track is released
via the internet every week for eight weeks. Over the years, Starbuks
has worked and performed with artists like Cool Nutz, Goldie Loc,
Scarface, Devin The Dude, Yukmouth, and Too Short. He’s also
obtained production from Mr. Johnson, who is most known for
scoring the Beef series on BET. And he’s not stopping there. “We’re
not weekend rappers – people that rap on Friday, Saturday, or
whenever there’s a show,” he concludes. “For us, this is every day.”
Don’t let his name fool you. Jak Frost is heating up Alaska.
Starting out with the rap group AK 49erz in Anchorage, Jak and
the 49erz built a foundation with their first project, The Gold
Rush. Keeping with the gold rush theme, the group released
a second album titled The Prospect, which solidified their buzz
in the scene. “We started big doing shows and getting fans.
We were making it cool for people to say they’re from Alaska,”
he remembers. “We’d do shows and everyone was screaming
‘907.’ That’s when I knew this was it for me.” Once he realized he
had a genuine impact on listeners, Jak went full force with his
career. In 2007, Jak put out a solo project alongside his group
efforts, and he also has his sophomore album on deck for 2009.
As CEO of Cold Blooded Musiq, Jak works closely with his cousin
Baydilla, who promotes parties and provides plenty of local performance opportunities. He and his crew have opened for artists
like Young Buck, Young Dro, Lil Scrappy and several others,
which in turn opened many doors for him outside of the city.
Now with a reputation for reppin’ Alaska, Jak Frost’s movement
is snowballing state to state.
As the owner of OG Entertainment, Biggbody is experienced
in all facets of being an artist. As an engineer, he runs a successful studio in Anchorage, AK. Aiming to be the best, he’s
labeled as the go-to guy for quality sound. “When I got out of
jail I wanted to start a business. I started a studio to cater to the
Hip Hop crowd out here,” he says. “Now I’m known as the guy
in town that helps people step their game up.” As a producer,
Biggbody is a skilled instrumentalist that prides himself on
playing the guitar, saxophone, piano, and keyboard. Recently
earning respect as an artist as well, the OG front man released
his album, BiggBody II, which earned several nominations at the
2008 Alaska Hip Hop Awards – Album of the Year, Producer of
the Year, Song of the Year, Favorite Studio, and Best New Rapper.
Running a studio and a label has allowed Biggbody the chance
to work with many individuals and he wants the rest of the
nation to know his state has something to offer. “There’s some
incredible producers and artists coming out of Alaska, and OG
Entertainment is definitely a part of that,” he summarizes.
Rapper Scoe almost didn’t make it to age 19. A few days before
his birthday celebration began, he was shot twice in his back.
But that didn’t stop him, and three days later he was back on the
streets rapping and drinking. “Shit, I left the hospital and got right
back to it,” he recalls. “I was drinking and everything when I wasn’t
suppose to because of the antibiotics I was on.” But that same
“right back at it” attitude has now transformed into a more positive
direction, helping build his work ethic in the studio. Scoe and
labelmate All Day are working on their collaborative mixtape Ham
Volume 1. He’s also putting together his solo debut, and his newest
single “Stop and Go” featuring Mistah FAB is heating up Alaska
nightclubs.
Words by Ms. Rivercity & Jeevan Brown
PATIENTLY WAITING: ALASKA
50 // OZONE MAG
OZONE MAG // 51
52 // OZONE MAG
Charles Cosby was more than
the star of Cocaine Cowboys 2.
He lived that story. He lived the
good life. Griselda Blanco was
a notorious Columbian Drug
Lord in the 1980s, known for her
ruthlessness. It’s amazing that
she was not only a woman who
was able to keep up with her male
counterparts, but surpass them
in many cases.
Sitting comfortably in my living
room, Charles shared the details
of his life with A REFRESHING openness and candor. As a woman
who has dated incarcerated men,
and as a woman with some small
degree of power who has helped
men build their companies and
empires only to have them move
on afterwards, my first question
was a bit personal—“did you love
her?”
And even though Charles assured me that he did
love her, it wasn’t until he put her son, Michael
Corleone, on the phone with me that I realized
just how much he did love her. Charles still has a
warmth and a deep affection for Griselda’s favorite son, even after all these years of not speaking
with her. Michael, who grew close to Charles
when he was dating his Mother, looks to Charles
as a father figure. And although Griselda has
gone back to Columbia, or Rio, or wherever she
is, Michael and Charles still have a strong family
bond. The love is apparent on both sides.
Charles Cosby’s story was honest, but that wasn’t
difficult for him. It was like therapy for him to
get it all off his chest. Griselda was a caring,
generous, beautiful woman, and Charles fell in
love with the woman behind the image. And
she loved him very much and he felt the love
completely.
Growing up in East Oakland, known as Anthony
or Dot by his friends and family, his goal was
to be a lawyer. But selling drugs at 16 years
old allowed the money to quickly replace the
legitimate dreams. In 1984, Charles was a midlevel drug dealer controlling a handful of crack
houses. After his original distributor was murdered in 1985, it killed his business and his mentor. Charles moved 150 miles south to Fresno, CA
where he soon ran out of money.
Upon returning to Oakland, he returned to
the streets. In the mid-80s, drug dealers were
rampant, even more so than now. There were no
mandatory minimums for sentencing, snitches
weren’t an issue, and one could call up the local
dealer on the phone and place an order, even if
you weren’t known to him. It was a different era.
In February of 1985, Charles saw a television
news clip on the arrest of the notorious Griselda
Blanco. He was amazed at who she was, her tremendous power, and what she had built—it was
everything he was trying to build for himself. She
was known as the Godmother of Cocaine and
the fact that she was a shot caller as a female was
outstanding to him. Six years later, Charles met
a Panamanian lady who had worked for Griselda
in the past. After striking up a conversation,
Charles convinced her to make the introduction
to Griselda in prison. Charles wrote Griselda a
heartfelt letter, and although he didn’t expect a
response, she wrote back.
They wrote back and forth for a year, and Charles
went to see her in person in 1992. When she
came out to visitation, she was dressed to the hilt
in a bright red suit with red pumps, while every
other inmate was dressed in khakis. Griselda, at
50 years old, looked more like a socialite than an
inmate. Their relationship was based on letters,
phone calls, and visits. Almost immediately,
Griselda became his distributor. By the time
Charles got home from the visit, two cardboard boxes arrived at his front door by special
delivery--filled with bricks of cocaine. The focus
of the relationship was business, but it became
personal.
Charles went from making $40,000 to millions
of dollars in 4 to 6 weeks. His life changed drastically. He was 22 or 23 years old. Griselda was a
great teacher, keeping him focused and his ego
in check. He spread throughout the Bay Area and
northern California and became the distributor
for his friends and friends of friends. He also ran
errands for Griselda by being exposed to her
network in NC, OH, VA, NY, Los Angeles. He met
with distributors and acted as a mouth piece for
her. She trusted him completely.
Charles became close to 2 of her 4 sons: Michael
Corleone and Oswaldo. Charles was 10 years
older than Michael and 3 years younger than
Oswaldo, but they were like brothers. Griselda
and Charles were together until 1996.
Charles met a woman named Amber in the visiting room of the prison and began sleeping with
her. When Griselda found out (she was still incarcerated), Charles was attacked with 12 warning
shots which were intended to end his life. Oddly,
it brought Griselda and Charles closer, and made
Charles realize how much Griselda loved him.
It took 15 months to put Cocaine Cowboys 2 together (Mark Cuban financed the movie), and it
made Charles a star even though he’s remained
humble. He’s not comfortable with the notoriety.
At the screening of Cocaine Cowboys 2, the main
question he was asked was, “Don’t you fear for
your life? Will Griselda have you assassinated?” At
that point, Charles introduced her son Michael
Corleone as his special guest. If Griselda did have
a hit out on him, it wasn’t apparent.
Charles has written a book along with his biographer—an investigative journalist. He spends his
time traveling between Los Angeles and Belize.
His focus is on speaking to the youth. He doesn’t
want them to follow his path because they will
end up dead or in jail. He sees the danger of
peer pressure in this materialistic society, but
the penitentiary comes with those trappings of
success.
I didn’t ask Charles if he snitched on Griselda. He
volunteered the fact that he was subpoenaed
and he had to go to Florida to testify. Griselda
received a copy of the film before anyone
else saw the movie. Her only complaint about
Cocaine Cowboys 2, according to Charles, was
that it showed her murdered son, Oswaldo, in
his casket.
When asked if he had any regrets, Charles
thoughtfully said he wished he had continued in
school and gotten his law degree. The idea of a
white picket fence and a country club membership are looking real good to him now. But he’s
thankful that he has a story to tell that might
stop one or two people from going down the
same path he chose. //
When Griselda had 18 months left of her
incarceration, new murder charges were being
filed against her and they were trying to put her
on death row. Griselda was shook. She felt no
Columbian had ever gotten a fair trial in the US.
Her plan was to kidnap John F. Kennedy, Jr. and
Charles was not with the plan. Although speculation is that Charles rolled on her, he says that if
his goal was to have her incarcerated, there were
crimes he knew about that would have put her
away for life. He didn’t have to expose a kidnapping plan.
Griselda was moved from California to Florida
and Charles was subpoenaed to testify against
Griselda. He wasn’t helpful to the prosecution
because he felt she had done so much for him
and his family. A secretary for the prosecution, on
the day of his deposition, came to Charles’ hotel
room and had sex with him. It came to light later
on in the trial that this same secretary was having
phone sex with the star witness against Griselda,
thus disabling the prosecution’s case. Griselda
was offered a plea bargain and took it.
In June of 2004, Griselda was released from
prison and deported immediately back to Bogata
Columbia. After the statute of limitations passed,
the directors of Cocaine Cowboys approached
Charles to tell his story. He saw they were at the
top of their game. Cocaine Cowboys 2 has been
released into 52 countries and is available in
WalMart, Target, etc, unlike Cocaine Cowboys
which was a bit harder to find.
OZONE MAG // 53
PIll poppin’, syrup sippin’, weed smokin’
BATON ROUGE REPRESENTATIVE LIL
BOOSIE BAD AZZ IS CLEARLY AUTHORIZED
TO SPEAK ON THE SUBJECT OF DRUGS.
BUT JUST LIKE HIS MUSIC, HE’S EQUALLY
HONEST ABOUT THE PROs AND CONS OF
DRUGS. HERE, HE CANDIDLY SHARES HIS EXPERIENCES BOTH FROM A USER’s PERSPECTIVE AND A HUSTLER’s PERSPECTIVE.
When we did a Chain Reaction on your I-20 piece
a while back it had “Dope Zone” on it. Explain
what that means.
I-10, if you don’t know, [is a freeway that] runs from
Jacksonville to Cali. It’s the most trafficked highway
in the [drug] game. To go from the East to the West?
Man. Before rap we used to get on I-10 and do our
thing. That’s why I got the piece, to represent the
struggle I came from. Your heart be beating hard
and fast doing that shit. We’d go three cars deep
with the packaging, usually have a girl driving since
the folks [police] don’t be on girls as much. Your
heart be pumping a little but when you get to your
destination, you’re all gravy. The highway is crazy
though. Damn near every other mile you’d see police. Especially in Lafayette or a couple miles before
Texas. Those are their hot spots.
Would you say it was more nerve racking being
out there on I-20, or being on the block slanging?
With the game you have to play your part. You
never get to who the real main man is, I was second
54 // OZONE MAG
in command so with that I’m just putting it in. I ain’t
really feeling nothing. I’m just getting the package
and taking it to the house. I wasn’t on the corner.
Since you’re out of the drug game now, how do
you look at it in retrospect?
You can’t win. You can only go so far. You’re hustling
your whole life just to do life. I just thought you
could never get caught at first, but that’s wrong. As
far as that, it ain’t no winning in that game, it ain’t
as lovely as it [seemed]. When the world goes in a
recession everybody goes in a recession.
Before you signed with Trill Ent. you were running
with C-Loc. He got jammed up himself running
those streets. How did that affect you at the time?
It fucked with me big when C-Loc got locked up,
man. He did everything. He did the beats, the rapping, everything. When C-Loc got locked up I got
back in the streets hard. I ain’t meet [Trill Entertainment’s] Turk and Mel until a year after that.
C-Loc and others like him seemed to be doing ok
in the rap game. Why do so many cats wind up
staying in the streets?
I feel like people just be trying to keep it real with
the hood as far as hanging. But everybody wants to
get out of the hood too. They just be trying to keep
it real, but once you get to a certain level you’re
too hot [to stay in the streets]. A lot of people don’t
understand that.
When would you say you were officially out of the
streets and rapping full time?
When I had my first daughter. I used to have her
on the passenger side with me. I figured the folks
wouldn’t be checking me if they saw I had my
daughter with me. This was in 2002. I was thinking
about my rap career at the time, but I was making
more money selling drugs that I was rapping. My
label situation wasn’t going right. Every night I was
out there doing my thing, I was scared of losing it
all.
It’s well documented that you live with diabetes.
But we also know that you like to partake of
certain vices. How do you do that?
I can’t drink alcohol. I know my body, so I know how
much insulin to take before I perform. I’m more kosher at home. On the road I don’t get a lot of rest. In
my mind I’m stronger than others, I tell myself that.
I look at the diabetes as a gift and a curse. I’m not
gonna live as long as everyone else, that’s what I tell
myself. God gave me this to make me hustle harder.
I got this when I was 22; he gave me this when I
blew up. So I have to hustle harder.
How did you get it?
My grandma had it, and it just came to me. One day
I was smoking after a show, went to the store to get
something and I fainted, then they diagnosed me
with diabetes. I probably had it before that. One million people have it, and five million don’t know they
have it. That’s why you have to get yourself checked
out. If you piss a lot and your mouth is always dry,
you might want to get looked at.
Did being diagnosed with diabetes make you give
up any other drugs?
The syrup was fucking me up. The weed don’t do
nothing to you.
Do you remember the End Zone picture we had,
with the two girls kissing in front of you? I always
thought they were on some X.
Man, I don’t what their situation was. There’s a lot of
bi women out there, but I do know that when you
give a woman X she gets really freaky. Not much
surprises me though. I’ve seen it all
X used to be some white boy shit, but rappers talk
about it like it ain’t nothing now. How did it get to
be so popular?
I think it got popular in the 80s at the club. It was
called Infamy at first. You could get it at the store. It
was for people with marital problems. It just gives
you a love feeling. Then it’s the sex drive and staying
up all night. Catching 3-4 nuts.
So you read about every drug you take?
Yep.
How did you get introduced to X yourself?
My cousin was doing it at first. I was the last in
the ‘hood to try it. I tried it and I liked it; I was 17. I
started doing it for 2 years straight and then backed
off it. Once I got diabetes I backed off it even more.
Now I just do it one or two times a year. Maybe for a
big occasion. You may see me sweating a little bit at
the BET awards.
What else have you found out about drugs in your
readings?
Well, with weed, it come from the earth. The only
thing now is that it’s the most potent its ever been.
They’re growing it with two plants, and they’ve got
scientist adding more THC to it now. And I learned
that X takes pieces out your brain out. But I just love
the high of smoking. I like to smoke, I can’t lie to
you. The potent shit is everywhere now. You ain’t
gonna find regular weed no more. The color of it
fucks people’s heads up though.
We’re also asking people what was there first,
worst and best experience with drugs. Can you
tell us about your first?
My first experience was when I was 8 years old. My
cousin had me smoking. I threw up everywhere in
the back yard. I had to stay at their house for 7 hours
just to come down before I went home. I came
up around a lot of drug addicts. I sold to all of my
uncles too. I regret it now, but I just wanted a dollar. I
was out there [selling drugs] from 15 years old to 21.
Are they still around? If so, any hard feelings?
Yep, they all kicked the habit. They joke about it; my
uncle talks about smoking rocks. I’ve been around
the shit my whole life. Ever since I was a baby boy.
My dad used to smoke weed with coke in it. He’d tell
me it was just weed, but I knew the smell.
What was your worst drug experience?
When I first sipped syrup I couldn’t shit for 3 weeks.
It tightens your kidneys and stops your bowels. It’s
horrible. You can push all you want and nothing will
come out. You could have just [eaten], and you’re
full, and nothing but pebbles come out. It took me
year to get on top of it. I learned that you’ve gotta
eat ice cream when you [sip lean]. The ice cream will
make you go.
Did you gain weight and get the barre belly?
Nah, I lost a lot of weight. I was real skinny. That was
about the time I learned I had diabtes so I didn’t
want to take my meds or go to the hospital. I was
in denial.
What is your favorite drug experience?
My favorite is when I go to Cali and I get to go to
the weed store. They’ve got weed kool-aid, muffins,
brownies, all that. I’ll be laughing for 24 hours. The
edibles keep you laughing all day.
When you aren’t high, do you notice a change in
your personality?
Man, every drug changes your personality. Weed
will have you mellow, not thinking about your
problems. Syrup makes you angry, have you waking
up mad. Every drug will have you talking different.
You can’t have a nice conversation with anybody
because you’re fucked up. X will have you showing
love to niggas you don’t even know. Every drug
alters your personality. Anyone who says different is
a muthafuckin’ liar. //
Words by Maurice Garland
Photos by Julia Beverly
OZONE MAG // 55
56 // OZONE MAG
INTERVIEW BY JULIA BEVERLY
When Rick Ross says it’s “Deeper Than Rap,” he MEANS IT. BUT STILL, In the eyes of Miami’s largest emcee, music is everything. And though his pockets may be deeper than other rappers,
his passion for DROPPING hot FLOWS OVER EVEN HOTTER BEATS comes second to none. Rick
Ross makes hits, and to him, that’s all that matters. regardless of CONTROVERSY AND adversity THAT HAS COME HIS WAY WITH FAME, the Boss concludes, “Victory is mine!”
You’ve been branding your newest catchphrase, which is also the title of
your album - Deeper Than Rap - for quite a while. It sounds profound, but
what exactly does it mean? What is deeper than rap music?
Some things are deeper than rap. Ssome things are deeper than interviews.
But I feel that Deeper Than Rap is most definitely an album that will clarify
it. We all know what can be deeper than rap. It’s about bringing certain experiences back to life musically. The album is in stores now. I opened up [in
my] music. Everybody who gets the album will most definitely understand
[what Deeper Than Rap] means. Hopefully they’ll enjoy it.
Of course. Everybody that’s in business feels the recession. This magazine
feels the recession. When the young street niggas that run two or three ads
and want a cover, when they money ain’t right covers ain’t gettin’ bought
like that. That goes for anybody – street promoters, niggas that’s booking
the artists. If the venues or the bar ain’t doing what they usually do, it’s a
cycle. Everything ties together.
Your Def Jam A&R, Shakir Stewart, tragically committed suicide in late
2008. Can you speak on how that situation affected you both personally
and professionally?
First and foremost, rest in peace Shakir. His legacy is bigger than the project. I gotta salute my homie and what he brought to the table as a great
young executive. On another note, I’m putting together a classic album. No
one can replace Shakir Stewart, but we had business to handle, and that
we did.
I guess not. Well, obviously a lot has been said in regards to the whole 50
Cent situation. At this point, where is this going? What is gonna be the
conclusion of this whole situation?
Victory is sweet.
Did you pick most of the beats for your album?
Yeah. It’s the same process, ain’t nothin’ changed.
Basically for you it’s all about the music?
What else is it about? I ain’t see nothin’ else happenin’ yet.
On a typical album, about how many songs do you usually record before
you sit down and select the ones for the album?
Somewhere in the 50-60 range.
I just thought it was funny that it was like an internet [beef]. There were
so many YouTube videos and cartoons. Does it seem like it’s transitioned
away from battle rap? It wasn’t even really on wax. It was just skits and
comedy.
And who would you blame for that?
How does the selection process go? Do you go by other people’s opinions and DJs? Are you listening to it over and over again yourself, or how
do you narrow it down?
I’m pretty comfortable with my judgment, my taste, and my work, so
I pretty much put it together. You know, by the time we bring it to the
people to listen and critique it, it’s pretty much packaged and on its way to
the store. I just go with my vibe.
How did the John Legend connect happen for the single?
He had the “Green Light” single out at the time and it was on fire. I was really feelin’ it. He was in Miami coming to work with The Runners. I got word
and jumped in the space ship and shot over there. We had met previously,
so I presented the concept. He sat right down and laced me.
Your music seems to have made that transition from the I’m-hustling-inthe-streets mentality to the “good life” mentality. Do you think it’s hard
to keep that hustler’s mentality when you have million dollar houses and
you’re flying around the world in private jets? How do you stay in that
mindframe?
When you’re genuinely a person that goes hard and a person that really
hustles, and you really mean it, ain’t nothin’ gon’ change with you. You get
the money, throw it in a bag, and keep going. You start all over and do it
again. That’s what it’s about. It ain’t just about me, it’s about everybody else
that’s in line that’s grindin’, payin’ dues, and who deserves that and who’s
destined for that.
You can turn on CNN at any given moment and hear about how bad the
economy is, but you’ll rarely hear an artist or entertainer admit, “Yeah,
this is affecting me.” As a boss, are you feeling the effects of the recession?
Are you cutting back on your weed consumption or jewelry purchases?
What it look like? (puffs on a fat blunt)
Victory for you is what? Platinum album sales? What would make you
feel like you’ve won this battle?
I’ve won already. We make hits.
I’m not blaming anybody. I’m just making an observation and wondering
if you saw it the same way. As far as rap beef in general, you’ve got Bow
Wow and Soulja Boy making YouTube videos about each other. It seems
to have moved in a different direction from the traditional rap battle.
Would you agree?
I dunno. I spit fire.
Well, you did kinda initiate the situation, at least on a record. People feel
like you threw the first stone. Would you agree with that?
My name was mentioned in a blog before that. You know, when shit
get messy it gets messy. Big deal. I disrespected him to the utmost. He’s
finished. Next.
On serious note, there were times when your children’s mothers were
involved, your kids, Khaled’s mom. Did you feel like it went too far?
What it look like? What’s important to me is moving forward. I don’t know
what’s important to you or anyone else. Anything other than me being
focused – I don’t have time to focus on everybody that focuses on me.
So is the beef done? You’re moving forward and putting out your album
and he’s gonna do whatever he does and that’s the end of it?
We gon’ have to see. You’ve seen these things before, you’re an experienced
journalist. I’ve seen these things before. I’m putting out hot music. They
continue to flop, but I’m good.
Let’s talk about Maybach Music. You were with Slip-N-Slide before. Did
you leave that situation?
I just wanted to get some more money, and that’s what I did. The music
OZONE MAG // 57
is the same, and I think that’s what everybody should focus on, especially
when you’re not profiting from it. People wanna go into small details but
they’re really runnin’ in circles. I think what’s important is the quality and
level of music. If you really wanna know if I’m makin’ more money, of course
I am. I tell you that in my music. The music really answers a lot of things for
you.
I always thought it was great how Miami had a unified front no matter
what was going on behind the scenes. It seems like lately there’s been
some riffs here and there. Do you think Miami unity is still there?
I know it’s still unity there. As long as I say it’s still unity there, it’s unity still
there.
What about within the Poe Boy camp? Would it be accurate to say you
and E-Class are not seeing eye-to-eye right now?
When you see young black entrepreneurs both growing, the media never
sees that clearly. They would love to pit two young black entrepreneurs
against each other. That’s why I love doing interviews. I love to shit on y’all’s
whole lil system.
But that isn’t something I made up to pit you against each other. It’s a
known fact that E-Class isn’t managing you anymore. Since you used
to be so close, it’s a valid question to ask if there’s a reason y’all went in
different directions.
We’re handling business. I got a label and eight artists. What answer would
you expect from me? Would you expect me to tell you somethin’ different?
Of course not. If I did have a problem with E-Class, I wouldn’t tell it right
here. What would I gain [from putting it out to the public]? Nothin’. So I
like to keep it 100. It is what it is. So, it’s a lot of niggas you may not see me
wit’ next year. To them, I live by the same oath. When people are handlin’
business, anythang can happen tomorrow. If it’s best for your business, my
brother, do what’s best for your business. Now, if it’s a personal thang, do
what’s best for your personal [life]. That’s how it goes. You move along, you
grow. As far as my business moves, I’m building an empire. I have to invest
in and nurture my empire to make sure the seeds I plant eventually grow. I
look forward to many harvests.
Who are your artists?
I’ve got the Carol City Cartel. We just made that deal official – Maybach
Music/Def Jam. We finna rip the budget open and do it real big. I got Mass
Pike Miles straight out of Boston signed to the imprint. He’s the R&B boss.
He’s in and out of the country twice a month on his own lil swag. That’s
something I commend about him. His presence online is incredible. He’s
writing hit records, so look for his project. I signed a reggae artist named
Magazine straight out of Kingston, Jamaica. Look for his album Jamaica
Gates. That dude write five songs a day. Then I got Young Breed, he’s the
newest member of Triple C’s. Deuce Pound and Scotty Boy. We’re doin’ a lot
of different thangs.
Who are some of your influences, from a businessman’s perspective?
For motivation I look at people like Birdman, people like E-Class – who I
watched take a situation from the ground up. People like Ted Lucas – that’s
what I want people to understand about Rick Ross. From a business aspect,
I appreciate what Ted Lucas brought to the table. I learned a lot from Ted
Lucas. And on a personal note, he’s a real cool muthafucka. But me being a
boss and walking down my path, I have to challenge Ted to be in that next
generation of executives. I hope he accepts my challenge. I’m challenging
all the executives in the game. I’m staying in the streets, and I’m signing
artists. I’ve got some hot producers that I just negotiated a deal with. I just
extended it to the Maybach Films. Spiff TV, the director of the “Mafia Music”
[video] and all the other things I’m doin’, he’s the president of Maybach
Films. Right now I’m challenging myself. I’m challenging all the real niggas
in the game. Let’s get some money together. Fuck all that small talk. Fuck
all that girl talk. Is anything personal with me? Of course not. We could bust
down money bags tomorrow. It don’t get personal to me until a nigga really wants to get on some street shit. I’m with that all day. We ain’t never ran
from nothin’. You know that.
Is the Deeper than Rap short film included with the album, or how can
people check that out?
You gotta make sure you pick up the album. It comes with a limited [edition] DVD that’s got so much stuff on it. Shouts out to Rik Cordero, Spiff TV,
and Maybach Films. We put together something real special that y’all gotta
make sure you check out. What makes me really proud of the album, and
makes me feel like the album is a success, is just the excitement around
it, and all the different avenues [I used to] promote it. Everything I ever
dreamed of doing, I actually did it – from writing the film, and me and Birdman executive producing it, to the label deals. Right now I really can’t ask
58 // OZONE MAG
for nothing else other than getting more money.
So you’ve fulfilled all your dreams?
No, I’m just showing the potential is there. You know, we talk about films
and we’re bringin’ it to life. I got a great team. Shout out to Def Jam Records.
I’ve paid all my dues and learned from the best. It’s just like the mafia – you
gotta flip the mob boss, and that’s what I did. I’ma stay strapped and be
ready for a nigga to flip me in the next few years. I’ma hit them first.
Flip the mob boss? What do you mean by that? Are you referring to 50
Cent, like you took his place?
Of course not, who would want that dude’s place? No one. He can’t even go
to his own neighborhood. He’s a monkey. I’m me. I still shoot hood videos
with lil niggas in the streets that can’t afford [to pay me to do a verse] on
a song. I do it out of the love. I walk through the flea market and damn
near cause a riot just to buy three beef patties. I had lunch for less than five
bucks. I love the luxury of still being able to do that. I love the luxury of being able to write a freestyle in fifteen minutes, put it online and be [heard]
all around the world in the next hour.
You’ve been sending out records every day, freestyles, and YouTube
videos. Do you feel like putting out that volume of material to the public
causes you to sell more or less albums?
I don’t know. We finna find out. And when I win, I win and I’ll make sure I
email you.
Do you have any first week sales predictions?
I feel victorious already. I’m still here. I’m making more business moves than
ever. I’m on the phone with clothing lines. I just talked with Chris Robinson
yesterday and we had a long discussion about a film project. I’m in a good
place right now, and that’s what it’s about. I think that’s what all the young
dudes in the rap game should focus on. As of recently, a lot of the [first
week sales] numbers haven’t exactly been hot. But I don’t think that’s what
artists should focus on. I think they should focus on the brand and the
realistic potential of the next go around. It ain’t always about the numbers.
It’s all about what you accomplished, and I see a lot of things that we did
accomplish. “Magnificent” is a top 10 record with a bullet, so we’re makin’ a
lot of moves.
Do you feel that the whole controversy over your former job as a correctional officer was blown out of proportion?
I don’t feel like it was a big deal.
I think some people were offended by the fact that you wouldn’t admit
to it, like, what’s wrong with having a regular job? Why deny it?
Like I said, there’s some things I still won’t discuss about. There’s a lot of
things that were going on. Me, I have no concern about having a job or
never having a job. If I was fucked up tomorrow and couldn’t get a bird I’d
get a job. It’s all about me winning. That’s the thing about being a boss or
being independent. You gotta make decisions that feed you. Look through
the old OZONE magazines. You took the pictures [of me]. Before I was even
in the [music] business or knew what a royalty check was I had on $80,000
watches. How’d I get that? Who put me in a position to get that? I won’t tell
you that neither. It is what it is. I’ma still get mo’ money than the average
rapper. How? Don’t ask me how. I don’t know neither. Why do I live better
than these niggas that just put out two albums? I don’t know why I can do
what I do. You saw my [wrapped] tour bus outside, right?
Do you feel like somebody intentionally put out that picture of you in a
correctional officer’s uniform to discredit you?
If they did, they did me the biggest favor. Thank you for the attention. But
just remember, Deeper Than Rap is in stores. Stay on your grind, stay on
your hustle.
Since this is the drug issue, we’re asking artists to reminisce on the first
time you experienced your drug of choice. Do you recall the first time
you smoked weed?
I can’t even remember. I just know it was great. I fell in love and here we are
today.
Is there anything else you’d like to say?
April 21st is the official [release] day. All you suckas and all you fuckin’
lames that don’t understand what a hustle is, all you fuckin’ lames that
don’t understand what a boss is, all you fuckin’ lames that don’t understand
what a survivor is, I’ma enlighten you. It’s close to the mob. If you play, it’s
consequences. You remain loyal, there are rewards. Stay loyal, stay real,
keep it 100. //
OZONE MAG // 59
Words by Ms. Rivercity
Photo by Jonathan Mannion
60 // OZONE MAG
When Yo Gotti first brought
his Cocaine Muzik campaign
to life, he wasn’t concerned
about the attention it would
attract from police. The objective was to hook people on
his music, by any means necessary. To Yo Gotti, freedom is a
major priority, whether it’s
creative freedom, or being
unrestricted in his business
decisions. And now that he’s
no longer tied down to TVT,
Yo Gotti is supplying a second
dose of Cocaine Muzik to the
public.
How have you progressed since releasing Cocaine Muzik? How is Cocaine Muzik 2 on another
level?
When I did the first Cocaine Muzik, I just did it
as a regular mixtape. So many people liked it
and the streets embraced it so big. It was like
a normal mixtape to me, but I saw how much
people liked it so I went in and started doing
Cocaine Muzik 2. I actually put a little more focus
into it this time.
Who can people expect to see on the credits as
far as features and production?
I really didn’t do any features outside of my
camp, like All Star and Zed Zilla. It’s like a straight
Yo Gotti album, 12 songs of original music. It’s
really more like a street album than a mixtape.
We just called it a mixtape ‘cause that’s what we
started branding it as.
Tell me about your camp.
All Star is from Nashville. I’ve got a situation with
him through Cash Money/Universal. We just
dropped his new single called “Crazy” featuring
me and Lil Wayne. Zed Zilla is like the hottest
artist in Memphis right now in the underground
scene. He’s actually from South Memphis, the opposite side of where I’m from. I’ve been tellin’ you
about North Memphis for years, so now you’re
gonna get to hear a little of the other side.
Why did you decide to do your new project
with DJ Drama instead of having someone else
do it or have no DJ featured at all?
Me and DJ Drama did the I Told You So: Gangsta
Grillz and that took the streets by storm. I think
the combination of me and Drama spread it to
a lot of areas, so I looked at Cocaine Muzik 2 as
the reunion of Yo Gotti and DJ Drama. It’s not a
Gangsta Grillz, but it’s hosted by DJ Drama. The
way I do my mixtapes, I don’t just do my records
and send ‘em to Drama for him to talk on ‘em.
I record ‘em knowing he’s gon’ do his thang on
‘em so there’s open space where Drama talks.
Everybody else just sends him their music, but
we actually create it together.
You’re in Atlanta a lot. Do you have a spot there?
Yeah, we’ve got a house in Memphis and a spot
in Atlanta, but I actually live on the road. I’m really never in no city more than two or three days.
Was it an adjustment going from your old Yo
Gotti lifestyle to living on a tour bus?
Nah, where I come from, I like to have my homies
around me. When I do a show, a lot of people fly
in their manager and DJ, but I’m used to being
with my homies all the time so I take ‘em with
me. I need something that can hold 12 to 15
people.
When the whole transition with TVT went
down, where did that leave you as far as your
contract situation?
TVT went bankrupt and evidently they used my
contract, and a couple more artists’ contracts
that they felt were valuable, as assets. They used
that to sell they company, so our contracts got
bought out by The Orchard. My contract got
shifted over to them. I was almost in the same
situation, just with a different group of people.
I heard you actually bought yourself out of that
contract.
Yeah, The Orchard gave us the option to work
with them, or let another label buy us out of
the contract. When they gave us the option, I
told them I would buy my own self out of my
contract. I think that may have been the first
time an artist bought their own contract from a
record label.
How much does something like that cost?
Mine was like $500,000.
That’s pretty much saying your price tag is half
a million dollars. Do you feel that’s accurate?
I mean, it’s me so I would pay whatever I had to.
It’s like buying your freedom. To me, ain’t nothing worth more than freedom. All this grinding
I’ve been doing, I get a chance to renegotiate
a deal with whoever or stay independent, or
whatever I wanna do. I had been at TVT for so
long, and it was a situation that wasn’t pushing
my career any farther than what I had [already]
created being on the streets. So when they gave
me the opportunity to buy it for half a million,
I had 72 hours to send ‘em the money. I think it
was a Thursday evening when I found out that I
had to do it by a certain time. It had to be in by
Monday before 12 o’clock.
What have you decided to do as far as your current label situation and distribution?
I did a deal with J Records at the end of last year.
I think it was one of the biggest rap deals they did
last year. I think it’s gon’ be big. I think I’ve finally
got a shot at having a machine behind me.
Why do you feel you haven’t achieved that next
level of mainstream success? Is it because you
haven’t had that machine behind you, or are
you maybe too street for commercial outlets?
Nah, I don’t think I’m too street. I think I’ve never
had the machine that everybody else had.
There’s several artists who do somewhat of the
same subject matter of music that I do, so I think
it’s just the difference of the machine or the
people that’s behind you.
A good example of the subject matter not
being an issue would be Gucci Mane’s “Bricks”
record that you’re featured on. How do you
think that song made it to radio? Did you know
it would be this big?
Nah, I didn’t really think about it. We did it over
at Zaytoven’s house. We did the whole mixtape
in three days. We were just pulling up beats and
dropping the records, then going on to the next
one. We really weren’t trying to make singles,
just mixtape music. When they said they were
playing “Bricks” on the radio, I was [surprised]. It’s
kind of a street record, but that just shows you
the demand for that type of music.
On that note, why would you name your project Cocaine Muzik? You aren’t concerned about
it getting the wrong kind of attention?
I mean, I don’t really don’t care about sending
off red flags to authorities ‘cause where I’m from,
authorities already investigate me for nothin’. In
my city, they already label me as [a drug dealer].
Whether I do commercial records or street records, I’m still on their bulletin board as that type
of person. Cocaine Muzik means [my music is]
an addiction. If you put a Yo Gotti CD in your CD
player, 9 times out of 10 you’re not gonna take
it out. Just like if you take a hit of crack-cocaine,
most of the time you’re gonna get addicted to it.
I heard that when you were doing a show for
Bigga Rankin a while ago your Cocaine Muzik
promo van got pulled over and searched based
on what it said. Is that correct?
Yeah, we got pulled over a couple times because
we had Cocaine Muzik on the wrapped Magnum
and vans. But, you know, what can they do if
they search you and you ain’t got nothin’? [The
Cocaine Muzik wrap] isn’t probable cause [for
them to search the vehicle], but the police do
what they wanna do.
This is kind of random, but, what happened
with the Hustle and Flow sequel? Being in Memphis, did you ever hear about it?
They never did the sequel to it. I think a lot
of people were pleased with the first movie,
outside of them trying to make Memphis seem
a little more country than it actually is. They
showed a club that looked like a house. We’ve
got nice clubs just like any other city. We’ve got
hustlers; people get plenty money down there. It
ain’t no slow town like that.
You’ve been doing your thing for a long time.
What makes you get up every morning and still
want to be a rapper?
I have to. Where I come from, it’s one of two
things: either you hustle or you do this music.
First it was either you hustle or you hustle, so
once I got a door to go through to do music,
that’s what I did. It’s not just me; there’s a lot of
people around me and if I don’t do what I do,
a lot of people will have to hustle. It’s bigger
than me. I can’t let my hood down. I give a lot of
people opportunities who can’t go get a nice job
because they have a record as convicted felons.
What we do feeds them and their families.
From the things you’ve seen around you, how
does the drug game compare to the rap game?
I’m gonna tell you from just the street game in
general – you can be in the street game and you
don’t have to be a drug dealer, you can be the
robbers, you can play different positions. In the
streets, for example, if somebody don’t like you
or hates on you, they may plot to rob you or kill
you. In the music business, if a person doesn’t
like you, they may diss you or a DJ may not play
your record. It’s kinda the same thing. But I feel
like, how you gon’ hurt me? If you’re mentioning
my name in a record or talking about me in the
neighborhood, that don’t affect me. I come from
where it’s real.
Do you think everything you went through in
the streets prepared you for the rap game?
Yeah, I think it prepared me for whatever I was
gon’ do in life ‘cause it’s real. You can’t experience
nothin’ no realer than the streets. Your life and
your freedom are on the line every day, every
second. What else could be worse than that?
Besides releasing the new mixtape, what else is
going on with you?
We just shot the “Sold Out” video. Live From The
Kitchen 2 is comin’. All Star’s project is comin’.
Cocaine Muzik is a movement. We gon’ do 3, 4,
keep ‘em comin’. //
OZONE MAG // 61
62 // OZONE MAG
Words by Maurice G. Garland
Photo by Jerami Johnson for Lexani Rims
OZONE MAG // 63
I seen how TV can hurt
And plus platinum plaques to match
And add them 20”s and vogues
And Gucci jackets on backs
We got them BentlEys and Benzes
And all them Lexus on lock
The picture gettin’ kind of clearer
I see why them bitches hot
You hoes is strugglin’ and starvin’
And wanna rise in the hood
It’s cold I’m crankin’ up heat
And you wish you could
Y’all wish y’all could get back with us
Then maybe then you could shine
Like the rappers you wish you was
And get off the grind
I’m keepin’ one in the chamber
Because I’m filled up with anger
And when I see you little hoe ‘n’
You knowin’ your life’s in danger
I do a show y’all in the front row
Hollerin’ all kinds of shit
Is that the best way that you know
To get attention lil bitch
I understand how they feel
They feelin’ that they left out
And we the ones movin’ on
So we the ones talked about
But niggaz give it your best
And one day then you’ll get a crown
But until then take you a hit of coke
And keep feelin’ down
‘Cause suckaz... that’s real
DJ Paul - taken from “Mafia” on the Choices
soundtrack
DJ Paul calls himself the King Of Memphis,
but he’s currently ruling from his castle in Los
Angeles.
“L.A. is our number one market. We sell more
[albums] here more than anywhere else,” says
Paul, who’s been living there since 2006 when
he and his production partner and fellow Three
Six Mafia member Juicy J won an Oscar for “Hard
Out Here For A Pimp,” the song that made the
film Hustle & Flow appear to be better than what
it actually was. “I liked hearing that, but I never
believed it until we actually got here. We still
have our cribs in Memphis and I’m still there at
least twice a month. But we’re out here in L.A..
most of the time.”
With that move, DJ Paul has found himself in a
position that many successful rappers/producers
before him have had to wiggle in. Stay true to
the hardcore fanbase, or enter untested waters
to gain new ones. So far, Paul thinks he’s playing
the game right.
“When the last album came out, it had gangsta
shit on it, but the single scared some of the
hardcore fans,” says Paul of Three Six Mafia’s 2008
album Last 2 Walk and its pop single “Lolli Lolli.”
“People thought we went Hollywood. What the
[diehard] fans don’t realize is that songs like ‘Lolli’
are for the new fans. All that gangsta shit doesn’t
make it to the radio. I wish it did. I wish I could
make a ‘Smoked Out Loc’ced Out’ for the radio.
As much as you want the gangster shit, you’ve
gotta give radio something to play.”
Say what you will, DJ Paul has emerged from an
underground producer selling beats in Memphis’
underbelly to a man who has built enough clout
to not only produce for fellow M-town native
Justin Timberlake, but get clearance to use
hometown hero Elvis Presley samples. He prob64 // OZONE MAG
ably would not have been able to do that by not
taking some musical risks here and there.
Paul’s latest musical risk could be one that shapes
how the rest of his career will go from this point.
Sensing that his from-day-one fanbase was
getting antsy amidst the Oscar-winning and
MTV-reality-show-hosting, Paul is returning to
his independent roots and releasing a new solo
album, Scale-A-Ton.
“Scale-A-Ton is a gift to the fans,” says Paul, of his
first independent solo outing since 2002’s King
Of Memphis. “Nothing poppy, nothing shiny. Sex,
drugs, money, murder. That’s it in one line. The
old fans will love it because it’s the shit they grew
up listening to.”
So you’re living in Los Angeles now. Do you see
any similarities between Memphis and LaLa
Land?
That’s what people get twisted. L.A. ain’t LaLa
Land. Anyone who’s been there or even watched
a movie [about L.A.] knows that L.A. is the gang
capital. The biggest gang cities I know of or hear
about are Chicago and L.A. and New York. L.A. is
a gang city. Yeah, you’ve got Bel Air and Beverly
Hills too, but it ain’t all like that. It ain’t all Beverly
Hills Cop shit. I think it became one of biggest
markets because, one, the crossover songs we
do. We first got strong in L.A. with “Stay Fly.” It
opened a lot of doors. I think we do well here
because there’s a lot of gangsters in L.A. and
Mexicans and crazy white boys. Look at what
they grew up on: N.W.A. Our music was influenced by them as well. I guess we were a new
N.W.A to them. But it took “Stay Fly” to let [the
mainstream] know about us more, so they went
and checked out the album. The main people
that come up to me are a lot of wild girls that get
drunk and party, and I love them, by the way. We
get a lot of Hispanics too. Latinos are one of our
biggest fan bases. That’s why were so strong in
L.A. Plus, there are so many people in L.A. that are
from the South, especially from Louisiana. I just
did a show in Louisiana for Mardi Gras, and there
were people who came from L.A. to Mardi Gras
to see us because they said we don’t perform
enough in L.A. One of my guys who cuts my hair
[in L.A.] is from Louisiana. My favorite soul food
spot here, Mom’s, the owner is from Louisiana. I
found out about that from Steve Harvey.
You’ve obviously amassed a lot more popularity over the last few years on the mainstream
level. Have you noticed any changes in how
people treat you or approach you?
Every where we go people love us. As long as
you’re a real nigga, you’re okay. As long you find
the other real niggas, you’re okay. Even if you
don’t find the other real niggas, you’re still okay
because the phony niggas are gonna be afraid
of you. You can see it on our Kyte cam when we
went to Germany and Amsterdam to do our
European tour. We did our New Year’s Eve show
in Asia in Taiwan. We get love everywhere we
go. The problem with a lot of niggas is that they
want that love too. If I walk in the door and be
like, “I got an Oscar!” we won’t get that love. I still
walk up in places like the last nigga up in there.
I’ll have a t-shirt and Dickies on. I might have
some Gucci shoes and a belt though. I’m buying
drinks; we came to party. I’ma liven up the room.
People are always surprised, like, “Y’all ain’t act
like I thought you were gonna act.” People [are]
defensive until they see that we’re some real niggas. Unless they’re just some mad-at-the-world
type niggas. (laughs)
Three Six Mafia and the Prophet Posse was
already kind of thinning out before the
mainstream success. Have you lost even more
friends since then?
Of course you lose friends. But you gain
acquaintances. I’ve got a lot of new people I’ve
met and hang around every day. They may not
be my friend, though. Anyone with money, from
Donald Trump to a lemonade stand [owner], is
going to lose friends. Anytime you get money
you’re gonna have someone in your mix that’s
gonna want some. And when you stop giving
them money that’s when they come with the,
“Aw, you’re rich, you got it.” But they don’t realize
you’ve got your own family and shit to take care
of. So when folks would come up to me asking
for money I’d be like, “Okay, hold the keys to this
van right here. I’ve got a show in Mississippi.
Drive me down there, and I’ll have a check for
you at end of the night.” That’s how I do. It’s better to teach a nigga how to fish than give them
a fish. As far as the groups, a lot of the people in
my groups were homies. They weren’t even rappers at first. I’d get them in [the booth] and write
them a rap. They’d start feeling good and it just
built from there.
About the groups, how did Three Six even
form?
It was two crews formed together. I had my crew,
and Juicy had his. It was Juicy, Project and some
other guys from the Northside. I don’t think
they had a name. I had my guys, me and Lord
Infamous and some guys, we called ourselves
The Serial Killers. Gangsta Boo and Crunchy
Black and them just hung out with us because
we went to school together. Then Koopsta Nicca
came along. That’s how it started, and once we
got together and it got big, other people came
in. We were also producing on the side. I was
producing for Skinny Pimp. We just got together
and made a team.
What were those early days like?
Juicy and I were recording at our mom’s crib.
We had an apartment that was a honeycomb
hideout. It was Crunchy’s house most of the time
because he kept an apartment. We hung out at
my mom’s pad; no smoking in that muthafucka.
We could roll and record in there, but we’d go
outside by the pine cone trees and smoke.
Most of the time someone in the clique had a
girlfriend that was a stripper. It’s always good to
have one of those. We’d find a girl who needed
a little help. This was back in the day when we
ain’t have our own cribs. Niggas always gonna
have a car though, staying with mom but got a
Chevy sitting on something. I had an apartment
but my shit was lowkey. We would find some
girls who had their own spot but no car. So we’d
be her ride to work, and in exchange we’d use
the apartment to slang or hang. Backscratch for
a backscratch.
Out of that, when and how did you start making albums?
We were making the cassette tapes back in the
day. When I was in 9th grade I took some money
I had from other shit I was doing and pressed up
The Serial Killers. I took the picture and pressed
up the copies. This was before we met Juicy. He
already had tapes out himself, I believe. I didn’t
want to be a DJ or a rapper, I wanted to be a
producer, but DJing is what ended up happening. We sold about 2,000 of those tapes at $5
each. I took that money and got some equipment. I recorded the first EP at Jus Born’s house. I
made some little bread and got some help from
my brother and got some more equipment. I
started making mixtapes just to practice. I didn’t
want to DJ. One of my homeboys said, “That shit
jammin’!” So I started slanging them at school for
$2. They only had one side and people started
complaining. So I told them give me two more
dollars and we’ll do another side. That was my
volume 1. Me and my homie Lil Buc would stay
up all night making those tapes, not doing
homework or none of that shit. We’d go back to
school and sell them for $4. I kept selling out. So
I made volumes two, three, and by the time I got
to four I started putting my own songs back on
there. Me and Lord would rap over N.W.A beats.
That’s when it started evolving into my own
music. By the time we got up to volume 16, that’s
when we put out Mystic Stylez.
I always wondered why you guys never really
hopped on the mixtape scene in the mid2000’s. Guess y’all were tired of them before
the phenomenon even started.
Well, we were doing some mixtape stuff but with
our own personal DJs. We’d do mixtapes with
DJs like C-Wiz from Nashville who was popular
in Tennessee and surrounding areas, but not big
DJs like DJ Drama. He was my homie, one of the
first DJs I met outside of Memphis. When Mystic
Stylez came out, I hopped in the Explorer and
went from Memphis to Nashville to Atlanta to
New Orleans to Jackson and back to Memphis.
That small run sold us 15,000 copies the first two
weeks. That was a lot back in ’95, at $8 a record?
I always supported the mixtape game, but the
main thing was that when Mystic Stylez came out
you didn’t have a whole lot of DJs that were real
hot like how Drama and Khaled are now. Back
then it was just dudes that were hot in their own
areas. We had Jus Born, Sunny D, Boogaloo and
Spanish Fly. But we didn’t want to put out too
much music because we were afraid someone
was going to steal our style. That’s why we got a
record deal. After Mystic Stylez we started looking for record deals but no one would sign us
because our style was so different. Funny thing is
that after The End came out and did well, Mystic
Stylez kept selling too. So, when that happened
the same label that turned us down, Relativity, came back and offered us a deal. What I’m
getting at is the reason we looked for a deal was
because we wanted our music to be heard all
over the place. We were afraid someone would
steal our style if we didn’t hurry up and get
national. We didn’t need the money. We already
had all kinds of shit. I had a Viper, everybody had
a clean ride, we had condos and shit was cool.
We wanted the recognition. So we took off our
masks and all that, we wanted to be seen now,
fuck with some hoes. When we got to Relativity
and put out our first single “Tear Da Club Up ‘97”
we didn’t even want that to be our first single.
We wanted “Late Night Tip.” Being from the South
we’re programmed that they ain’t gonna play no
crazy shit on the radio. We told them we wanted
“Late Night Tip,” nut they said no. Matter fact our
contract, they told us these three songs had to
be on the album: “Tear the Club Up,” “Late Night
Tip,” and “In 2 Deep.” Those were songs that were
already on Mystic Stylez and The End. We were
like, “Naw, people already heard this,” and they
were like, “Ain’t nobody heard this.” We said we
sold 300k [already], and they said, “Do you know
how many people are in this world? Ain’t nobody
heard this shit!” I was like nooo, this is the 3rd
“Tear Da Club Up” we’ve made. We were pissed.
They said “Ain’t no one heard this shit. Make a
fresh version. So we made the “Tear Da Club ‘97”
and it came out hard as hell. BET tore that shit
up. Man, I almost had a heart attack. I’m sitting at
the house and I never took the TV off BET. They
played that bitch over and over again, and you
had Jukebox where you could call and request.
I memorized the number. That record went
gold for us. For some reason back then people
weren’t crazy over platinum, they wanted gold.
I guess that’s because we grew up seeing [gold].
Niggas like gold. We wear gold teeth. The silver
record ain’t stand out to us. I made a bet that we
wouldn’t [go gold]. I lost that bet.
It’s funny you mentioned the issue with the
song choices. As a fan, I’ll admit that I was disappointed sometimes when you put out some
of the same songs more than once.
(laughs) See, we were playing two sides. We had
the Sony side and the Select-O-Hits side. Fans
just get the music. They don’t care about the distributor. We’d promote on the major and come
out on the indie. The only reason we got the
major deal was for the marketing and promotion, not the money.
studio.
Is that what you usually do when making
music?
Nah. I just wanted to do this real quick. I wanted
something out for the summer. I wanted it in
May because that’s when Mystic Stylez came out,
May of ‘95. We usually do Three 6 Mafia albums in
the fall, but I wanted something for the summer.
I knew the only way I could do that is to make
triple the amount of songs, so that’s 1 song a
day. When I got up to 50 songs, I picked my
favorites.
What should we be expecting afterwards?
After Scale-A-Ton, a new Three 6 album is coming
in the fall. Until then we’ve got a new Project Pat
album coming out, Lil Wyte coming out after
that. Lord Infamous is coming back out. He’s on
my album. He’s not back in Three 6 Mafia but we
will produce an album for him.
“when folks would come up to
me asking for money I’d be like,
‘hold the keys to this van. I’ve got
a show in Mississippi. Drive me
down there, and I’ll have a check
for you at end of the night.’ It’s
better to teach a nigga how to
fish than give him a fish.”
Yeah, even when you were putting out the
major label albums, you never stopped putting
out the underground stuff. I was actually surprised when you and Juicy put out your solos
back-to-back in 2002.
Yeah. Both of our solos did 300k a piece [at the
time]. They’ve probably sold more by now. But
you can’t do that these days. We can still do that
because we have a steady fanbase. But if you
ain’t established your production yet, no, you
can’t do that. But I can get on my album and say
that Lil Wyte and Project Pat are coming out.
People are always gonna get their albums. Wyte
sells 200k each time himself. What made our
clique so strong was our production. Fans knew
it was gonna be our beats, songwriting and
engineering. You might not be a fan of that artist, but they knew our beats was gonna be there.
A lot of times with artists, you don’t know what
you’re gonna get. Changing production is what
kills a lot of rappers.
As far as your production, you and Juicy were
freaking samples before the RZA’s, Just Blaze’s
and Kanye’s of the world. You also make original productions. Do you think you get proper
recognition as a producer?
I was in the studio yesterday with a big producer.
He loved our music, but he didn’t know we
made our own beats all the time. A lot of people
don’t know that. We get the recognition for
making hot songs, but they don’t pay attention
to who makes the songs. They see us rapping
and assume we’re just rapping. Really, other than
Kanye and Shawty Redd, there’s nobody else
that’s rapping and producing. But the majority
of rappers aren’t making their own beats. That’s
why a lot of people don’t give us credit.
Well, you’re getting to show that again with
the Scale-A-Ton album, I assume. How long
have you been working on this?
I started writing Scale-A-Ton on December 16th,
2008. I set myself a goal. That’s another thing. If
you want to be successful, set a goal and stick
to it. I told myself I was gonna knock out a beat,
hook and verse everyday I could get in the
So what’s really up with Three
6 Mafia? You’re down to just
2 members now. We’ve heard
about shadiness here and there
but never really got an official
word. Care to speak on it?
There’s different reasons. But
people get it twisted. The only
person that actually left Three 6
is Crunchy Black. People saying
they left the group, this and that, but Three 6
Mafia makes too much money to just leave the
group, off shows alone. People are saying they
ain’t get royalties or didn’t get paid, but that’s
a lie. How are you saying you ain’t get paid but
you’re riding in an Escalade. I didn’t know Cadillac was doing promotions like that, and if so, I
need to get me one. But anyways, people saying
they left the group, the ex-members didn’t
even start those rumors. The other people in
the group ain’t in the group because we kicked
them out. We’ve had people in the crew leave,
but that’s another story. But no one actually
left Three 6 Mafia except Crunchy. A muthafucka might not have gotten a call back, or got
greeted by some locked studio doors, but I’ve
still got love for everyone. I spent half of my life
with them. I’m not gonna get into the personal
reasons of them not being around any more. I’ll
just say we had differences. I don’t wanna get
on here and abuse my power and authority.
I’ve heard people say, “Paul ain’t shit,” but I ain’t
gonna do that [to them]. Sometimes people just
have differences, or be in and out of trouble, or
they’re just not listening to what I was trying to
tell them and it just didn’t work out right.
UGK, 8Ball & MJG, Outkast, the Geto Boys and
Three 6 Mafia are considered the founding
fathers of Southern Hip Hop. I’m curious as
to how you feel about the current music and
climate.
I can tell from talking to you that we came from
the same era of music, even though you’re
younger than me. Our ears are programmed
different from the ears of today. The young bucks
ain’t looking for as much as we looked for. They
don’t give a fuck about scratches. Their ears are
programmed for the style they like. If they like it
they’re gonna get buck to it. It don’t matter what
I like, it only matters what the fans like. If you
don’t like it, don’t pay attention to it. You don’t
like it, but someone does. Some of the crazy
songs that niggas say ain’t about shit, man, when
it comes on in the club they‘re getting crunk to
that shit. And that’s all that matters. The South
still has the club rocking. //
OZONE MAG // 65
Last year’s American Gangster episode on BET featuring Mac Dre and the Romper
Room bank robberies rekindled a story that made headlines both in the 90s when the
crew was arrested, and again in 2004 with Dre’s untimely death. We sat down with two
of the crew’s key members, J-Diggs and Coolio Da’Unda’Dogg, for an in depth look
into their former lives of crime and what it was like to work with a Thizz legend.
66 // OZONE MAG
stuff you’ll see in the movie [that’s being made
about us].
How did you transition from pizza parlor robberies to bank robberies?
There came a time when the pizza money was
slow. You get into a certain [lifestyle] and being
used to a certain amount of money, you start
moving up. It’s just like anything else – the drug
game, or even real estate. When you buy your
first house, it might be a little house and then
you build up. It was just a thirst for money;
an appetite for money. I felt like I was pretty
advanced and pretty slick. We felt like we could
beat the system and not get caught. I feel like I
wouldn’t have got caught if an informant hadn’t
snitched on me.
J-Diggs’ Story:
J-Diggs got his first taste of the streets like many,
by selling drugs. ”It’s the typical story,” he explains. “Seeing things and wanting them. Selling
drugs was just one of the games that was easy
for a young black man to get caught up in. It was
fast money, but not fast enough.”
While the drug game appealed to Diggs’ appetite for money, it by no means satisfied his hunger for luxury. “There was no faster money in the
streets like robbing,” the Vallejo, CA native says.
From hustling crack on the corner, to robbing
pizza parlors, to hitting banks, J-Diggs became
one of America’s Most Wanted Gangsters.
Did your American Gangster episode on BET
accurately portray your situation?
I think they portrayed it real well. I wasn’t sure
if they were gonna make us look like some real
hoodlums or if they’d give the real story. That
was something we went through as youngsters.
It shows that you can go through some [negative] things and still come out on top. You can
take a negative and turn it into a positive. And
it allowed us to give Dre his rightful credits. He
was really a solid dude and he went to jail for
something he didn’t do.
How were you able to get a lower sentence
than some of the other Romper Room guys
that are still in prison?
If you watch the show, it explained that I recognized the police were following me and called off
[the robbery] at the last minute. I was a suspect
in 23 bank robberies but I was only found guilty
of conspiracy to commit bank robbery and I ended up doing 10 years. A lot of my Romper Room
dudes are still in prison with 80 years, 35 years,
33 years, 29 years. I was just one of the lucky
ones that got a second chance. Those dudes are
doing some real time and we want to make sure
they get their shine. We’re one big family.
They actually did an Unsolved Mysteries episode on the robberies before you got caught.
What were you thinking when you watched it?
I actually came over to my mom’s house one day
and they were watching it. Mind you, I’m sitting
here watching a show about me and my crew,
next to my mom, and nobody knows what’s
going on. During the episode they ran a [surveillance] videotape [that showed] me running up
into a pizza parlor. I’m sitting there watching
myself, and my mom is watching me, but she
doesn’t know it’s me. I’m in there shaking, but at
the time she didn’t figure it out. That’s a lot of the
So you felt like you could outsmart the law?
We felt like we had mastered it. Once you hit
your first lick, then it becomes easier to take
the chance. It’s like selling your first drugs on
the street. You know you’re not supposed to do
it. You know you might get in a drug war, but
that’s a chance you’ll take. When you get away
with your first sale, ain’t no tellin’ how many
sales you’re gonna make after that. That’s what
happened with the bank [robberies]. I fell in love
with it. My appetite for money was enormous.
The thought of being able to get that much
money that fast was incredible.
What happened when you got caught?
We caught our case in Fresno and our families
[heard it on] the news the next morning. We
thought it would just get swept under the rug,
but the media blew it out of proportion so when
we walked into the courtroom the next day, it
was filled with all our families and friends that
had jumped on the highway to support us and
find out what’s going on. Nobody knew that
Romper Room was doing all the bank robberies
or pizza parlors. When it hit the news everybody
wanted to see what was going on. All through
my trial I was saying it wasn’t me. They knew Mac
Dre wasn’t robbin’ banks, but they wanted him to
tell on us, and when he refused to tell, he caught
a conspiracy case. They wouldn’t give us bail so
we sat in county jail for a year fighting the case.
Do you wish you had done things differently
now that you’re looking back on the past?
It’s just trials and tribulations. At the time when
we caught the case, my friend Mac Dre was a
well-known rapper in the Bay Area. He was a
CEO and had record labels coming at us. We
were trying to make it at the time. When this
happened it [halted] everything we were tryin’ to
do. While we were incarcerated, all the guys we
grew up with were getting record deals. E-40 got
a deal with Jive, Spice 1 and Too Short got with
Jive – these were guys we were in the streets
with trying to come up together. They got videos
on BET and we’re sittin’ in county jail like, “Damn,
that’s supposed to be us.” In the process of that,
Dre made a call home and found out that our
homeboy Kari was putting Mac Mall on. So that’s
one of the ways we kept our neighborhood alive.
How were you able to get back into the music
game after you got out of prison?
I went to 7 or 8 different penitentiaries in 7
different states, and everywhere I went I stayed
rappin’ and on my music game. I said if I ever got
the chance again I was gonna get at it. We came
back and really steadied ourselves and stayed
grounded with the second chance we got.
How much money did you acquire through all
the robberies?
The media reported $1.5 million. I can’t say if it
was more or less, but I’ll say this: The Romper
Room Crew played with a lot of money. We were
some young kids that had it all.
Were all of those funds seized by the police
during your incarceration?
I’d rather not say. My whole ten years in prison I
was comfortable. Since I’ve been home I’m comfortable. I’m one of the fortunate ones. I’ve never
had a job in my life. I’m doing good for myself.
How did you get involved with The Romper
Room Crew in the first place?
I come from the neighborhood The Crest. It’s not
your average neighborhood. It’s a rough neighborhood in Northern California. It’s where my
mother was raised and where my grandmother
stayed, so I spent a lot of years in this neighborhood. When we were youngstas, my friends from
the neighborhood developed a crew. We never
called ourselves a gang. We bonded, played
together, and went to parties together. We went
from doing good things together to bad things. I
didn’t come from a broken home or nothing like
that. My mom is a hustler, so when she wants
something she goes out and gets it. Her and
my father worked all their life. Actually, I was a
spoiled child. My parents did pretty good for
themselves and still do. I didn’t come from the
ghetto or grow up hungry, it’s just that my appetite for money put me over the edge.
What was it like to know and work with Mac
Dre?
He was very creative and original. We grew up
together and we were friends. Growing up with
him and going from the streets with him to the
music was a blessing. It gave me the creative
control that I have now. He was a genius in the
way he worked. He made me into the CEO I am
in this music game. I learned a lot. He hit the
streets five years before me and in five years
he was able to soak up enough to let me come
on and do my thang. I can do nothing but give
praise to him. That’s why I have him around my
neck every day of my life.
What’s going on with the Thizz label right now?
Thizz Nation is the #1 independent label in the
country. They hyphy movement came out and
everybody thought that was the only thing the
Bay Area had to offer. Now they’re starting to
realize that there’s so much more talent in the
Bay Area. We’re putting out DVDs, records, a
clothing line, bobbleheads, we’re doing everything you can imagine independently. We don’t
have none of the major money. The majors were
lookin’ at us but they were kinda scared to come
in because they thought the hyphy movement
was a fad. But that’s not what we’re all about. We
really do music out here and we have a strong
influence across the country.
When the general public watches the show and
the movie presents the full story, what do you
want the ultimate message to be?
I want people to understand that just because
you have a bad situation in your life, it doesn’t
mean it can’t be turned around into a positive.
We were the looked at as the most negative
dudes to come out of the Bay Area. Now when
they say “Thizz,” they say Romper Room at the
same time, and they’re sayin’ it with pride. Everybody’s throwin’ up the “T.” That’s a positive. We
did what we did as kids, we grew up and made
it happen. There’s a lot of people goin’ through
that right now. You can have a second chance. //
OZONE MAG // 67
Coolio DA’
Unda’DogG:
Coolio Da’Unda’Dogg can describe the 80s crack
epidemic in Vallejo from first-hand experience. He
partially fueled it. He can tell you how drugs spread
through The Crest like a modern day plague, and
how even his mother fell victim to drug addiction.
Not one to glorify crime or violence, Coolio was
once a misguided youngster who learned life’s lessons the hard way. Graduating from drugs to armed
bank robbery, Coolio was an instrumental element
in the Romper Room capers of the early 90s and
eventually spent five years in prison. Like J-Diggs,
Coolio depicts a lifestyle of lavish living, an endless
craving for cash, and a music career that often took
a backseat to his criminal activities – until he had no
other choice but to change.
Why did you decide it was important to tell your
story to the public?
At first, we were all skeptical because some of those
people were still going through cases. But we came
to the conclusion that it wasn’t gonna harm us. My
cousin is an officer and I asked him, “Is this stuff
incriminating?” He said, “Naw, you can talk about
anything you’ve been convicted for or charged
with.” Plus, we wanted to [clarify] that Mac Dre
wasn’t involved in robbing banks.
The authorities painted Mac Dre as a gang leader.
He expressed his thoughts in his music, but since
you knew him firsthand, what was going through
his head regarding the false accusations?
Once Dre got wind of it he was like, “Man, y’all
serious? Y’all not robbin’ banks?” At first he didn’t believe it. Other people started imitating [our] style of
robberies. It wasn’t always us. We used tape on the
shoes, tape on the weapons, tape on our wrists. We
didn’t have ski-masks, we cut beanies and stretched
‘em out long so you couldn’t see our faces. They
wouldn’t even know what color we were. I showed
a couple [other] people our style and they started
robbing everything, from hotels to pizza parlors to
nail salons. Now you’ve got these imitation robberies blamed on us. When Dre made the song “Punk
Police” it brought more attention on him. But he
wasn’t involved in the actual robberies. None of the
money was ever used to fund his career. Kari was
Mac Dre’s executive producer, so no bank [robbery]
money was used for Mac Dre’s music.
What was going through your head the first time
you robbed a bank?
The first time I robbed a bank I didn’t go in; I was the
driver. One of my friends got in my car with a wad of
brand new money and said he robbed a bank and
wanted to hit another one. We picked up another
friend and went to the bank. I’m in the car waiting
and I hear these sirens coming. I’m automatically
thinking we’re caught, but they made it to the car
with the money. I saw the police coming towards
me and ducked down. I headed towards the freeway. I was nervous as hell but once we made it back
to his house, we counted the money and it was like
$17,000.
68 // OZONE MAG
When did you get up the nerve to go into the
bank yourself?
A few weeks later. It was probably the biggest
adrenaline rush I ever had. I felt comfortable knowing we could get away with it. I was more nervous
the first time [as a driver] than I was actually going
into the bank. I went in and grabbed all the money
out the drawer. My friend was pretty much just
barking all the orders so I didn’t have to say much.
We got the money and ran out. That time we had
about $47,000.
Where did the money from the robberies end up?
Did you ball out or end up having to turn it over to
the authorities?
For my 18th birthday I bought two cars on the same
day. We were buyin’ jewelry, clothes, just havin’ fun. I
was also running my company. I’ve had my business
license since I was 18. Some of my friends’ money
was going into cars and getting [sound systems]
and rims for their cars. But none of the money ever
went to Dre’s career. They tried to say that we were
funding our music, that we were in debt, that we
had drug habits, but none of that was true. We were
just youngstas havin’ fun.
Does the money overshadow the guilt of robbing
people or the idea of getting caught?
Yeah. Once you make it home and count the
money, you don’t think about the people ‘cause
you haven’t physically hurt anyone. You don’t think
about getting caught if you already got away. The
only time I felt remorse over the people in the bank
was when I got arrested. I started reading that some
of the people were traumatized. I told my homeboy,
“I wish I could apologize to these people.” I reflected
back on it and was like, wow, I really scared the life
outta people, pointing a gun in somebody’s face.
How did you get caught and how much time did
you serve?
I got took down on July 14th, 1992. We robbed
a bank in Richmond and they was pretty much
already on us. When we come out of the bank, we
get in the car and duck down. My friend is drivin’
and he’s like, “Man, the police are behind us in an
unmarked car!” We were like, “Just keep going.” All
we heard was sirens and we were like, “Go! Don’t
stop!” So we [drove] high speed through Richmond
for maybe 15 minutes and then we crashed. Two of
my friends got away but got caught later. Me and
the driver got caught up on a chain-link fence and
couldn’t move. That was the day I got took down
and I did five years.
When you were in prison, were you thinking
about ways to change your life?
The whole time I was like, I’ma get out and do my
music the right way. I got my high school diploma,
went to college for a year and studied law. I was getting books sent in about the music industry. I was
already working on Cavvy R. Records off and on,
but I wasn’t that successful. Before I got arrested I
had released a cassette. I pressed up 2,000 copies of
it and when I came home all those units were sold
out. I had a check waiting for me.
Did the publicity from the Romper Room capers
fuel your record sales?
When me and Dre got out, we started working on
The Rompalation, and to this day that album has
sold over 100,000 copies. We sold 10,000 copies in
the first week.
You’re from Watts and you moved to The Crest in
Vallejo as a kid. Why did you relocate?
I grew up in Watts and started getting involved with
the Greg Street Crips. My mother had just married
a guy from Vallejo, so they decided it would be best
to relocate to the Bay Area. I was 15 years old at the
time. A lot of my friends were gettin’ killed, going
to jail for murder, and joining gangs. My mother
was like, “You’re next.” [Moving from L.A. to Vallejo]
was like going out of the fire back into the frying
pan. It wasn’t as hot. It wasn’t gangs in the Bay Area,
and in Vallejo the murder rate was almost none.
[My mother] figured the most I could get into was
a fight.
At what point did you establish yourselves as the
Romper Room Crew?
About 6 months after I moved to Vallejo. I used to
sell drugs on Mark Street with my cousin. A guy
named EB, the oldest in the bunch, stayed on Leonard Street. We used to hang out at his house. It’d
be me, him, his brother, and Dre was just coming
around then too. He wasn’t Mac Dre back then, just
Dre. They told me he rapped and he came to my
house and I was showin’ him some of my mixtapes
we used to do off Whodini instrumentals. Dre was
like, “Aw, you tight.”
How did the crack epidemic affect Vallejo?
When I first moved to Vallejo, it was actually only a
handful of people who was sellin’ drugs. I was one
of the youngest that was doin’ it. I helped some of
the youngsters get in the game. I saw it progress
in The Crest area in ’88 and ‘89 from one street to
the next. By the end of ’89, the crack epidemic was
huge in The Crest. You could buy drugs on every
street. Everybody was makin’ thousands of dollars
a day.
What were the negative effects?
My mother was on crack, and I saw some of my
good friends’ mothers and fathers on crack. Our
whole community was affected by crack, but like
you said earlier, money overshadows the consequences. I never personally served drugs to my
mother. But I actually saw people sell drugs to their
own mother and father; brothers and sisters. And
their excuse was, “Well, they’re gonna get it from
somebody so I might as well make the money.”
Was your mother able to overcome addiction?
Yeah, it took her a few years. My mother left immediately after she came to Vallejo. It was like she
dumped me off and left with my brothers and
sisters. They all went back to the projects in Watts. I
was really taking care of myself. At 16 I was buying
my own clothes, my own cars.
What do you have going on currently?
I just released two projects: The Rompalation 2008
and The Bay Boys Compilation. My Romper Room
Gangster album is out as well. I have the “American
Gangster” single on iTunes. I had that song in 2007,
so when they contacted us to do the show I was
like, “Aw, that’s right on time.” I’ve got 30 other titles
in stores and on iTunes. For the American Gangster
movie we’re gonna talk to the rest of our homeboys
that still doing time. I’ve got my movie coming out
this summer called The Unknown Legend. It’s my life
story, growing up in L.A., from gangbangin’, Crips
and Bloods, coming to the Bay and hooking up with
drug dealers and kingpins, and staying clean for 12
years after getting out of the pen, to running my
company.
What do you want people to learn from this?
My quote is, “A gangster doesn’t glorify violence.
Violence glorifies a gangster.” So just maintain and
be yourself. Don’t try to be like this person or that
person, just do what’s right for you. Don’t look at me
and say, “Well he was violent and he robbed banks
and bounced back,” because you might not bounce
back. You might get shot in one of those robberies,
the same with selling drugs. I got lucky. Learn from
lessons and make the right choices. It’s up to you
what you learn from experiences in your life. //
OZONE MAG // 69
April. It’s a girl-girl DVD. Following that I have a
blow job DVD and solo DVDs introducing some
new hot girls out of Boston.
Boston is a pretty random place to find girls for
porno flicks.
There’s a lot of pretty girls out there. Don’t sleep
on Boston. My company Double R Productions is
presenting Hard Body Entertainment, so I’m only
shooting girls with nice, tight bodies.
Once upon a time porn was
considered taboo; the only
place it lived was on dusty
VHS tapes hidden above in
your dad’s closet. now, porn
has gone mainstream. Adult
film stars make guest appearances on family sitcoms and
star in big budget PG-13 blockbusters.
Like it or not, having sex on camera has become
glamorous, and the days when all women in
porn were surely cokeheads with abusive childhoods are gone. In 2009, all-American girls who
played sports in high school and went to four
year universities upon graduation are submitting
their resumes to porn producers.
Roxy Reynolds is the epitome of the new image
of porn. She stars in music videos, hosts parties
nationwide, makes almost daily appearances on
Hip Hop blogs, and is even featured on Gorilla
Zoe’s latest project, Don’t Feed The Animals,
where she salaciously raps about her sexual
prowess on a track called “Talk Back.”
The world is obsessed with sex, drugs, and rock’n
roll, and Roxy has taken full advantage of it. But
make no mistakes; Double R doesn’t indulge in
hard drugs. Though she does enjoy an occasional
girl-on-girl fling with Mary-Jane, the former Ohio
State Buckeye represents the growing number of
women who don’t fit the stereotypical stigma.
There’s a common belief that most porn girls
are coked out. Is there any truth to that?
For real, many of the [girls in porn] are. A lot of
them come from un-established families or they
used to have pimps, or they used to run a track,
or something like that, so most of them are on
drugs. But the other half isn’t on drugs. I came
from a church family. I was a college student, so
that stereotype doesn’t pertain to me. I can’t lie
though, in the porn industry, most girls are on
drugs, but many of them aren’t. Those that aren’t
have a plan, and porn is just a way to execute
the plan. Porn is a business, so you can take it
however you want to. Yeah, I smoke weed, but
I’m not into drugs like that.
Do you remember the first time you smoked
weed?
Yeah, I smoked a blunt in the 9th grade with my
older cousin Niecey. That was my first time getting high. We were in the car and my cousin was
taking us to the movies. I don’t know why, but
weed made me angry the first time I smoked.
I called Niecey a bitch and she got mad and
dropped my ass right back off at home. I was
pissed because I didn’t get to go the movies
or nothing. Weed used to make me real angry,
but now it does the opposite. It makes me real
relaxed and cool, and Cali weed is the best. If
70 // OZONE MAG
anybody wants to send me a gift my P.O. Box is…
(laughs)
How did you transition from being an angry
pothead to a happier one?
I didn’t start to like weed until I went to college.
I played a lot of sports in high school, so I didn’t
have time to smoke weed. I had all these different after-school activities to do, so I never really
smoked weed in high school. I started in college.
What was the worst experience and best experience you ever had from smoking?
The best experience was when I went on a cruise.
I had some weed and I got to smoke the weed
on the top deck, and I was feeling like I was on
the Titanic in the movie, when the dude was at
the front of the ship. I was just chillin’ with the
wind blowing in my hair and stuff, and it was just
so much fun. That was an amazing experience.
And the worst experience I’ve had was when I
almost got caught at the airport. I damn near
went through the x-ray thing and forgot I had
the weed in my purse. I had to act like I needed
to go to the bathroom real bad so I could get rid
of the weed.
Damn, was it a lot of weed?
Naw, it wasn’t a lot. It was personal, but that’s
how you get in trouble, when you forget like
Snoop. He forgot. You know he doesn’t even
travel with green because he’s good wherever
he goes, but it’s just that sometimes you forget.
That’s one thing about smoking weed, you forget a lot of shit. That’s why you can only smoke
during times when you know you don’t have no
work to do.
What are your thoughts on poppin’ pills or
other party drugs?
I don’t really have the urge to do any other
drugs. I’m really not a drug person. Weed is good,
but I’m straight on the rest of it. I’m not saying
there’s anything wrong with it. Pill poppers, do
what you do, but I’m not a big fan of nothing
like that. I already travel a lot, so I gain and lose
weight all the time. The smallest I’ve been is 125
and the biggest I’ve been in 143, and I like to be
in between that. Popping pills is not gon’ keep
me healthy like that. It makes you lose a lot of
weight.
Do you smoke weed or drink before doing a
scene?
No, I don’t. I don’t like my eyes being red for the
camera, and Visine doesn’t always get the red
out, so I never smoke or drink before doing a
scene. I was usually just high off of life from doing the scene and getting that check, so I could
save it and start my own company, like I did.
Congratulations. How does it feel being an
entrepreneur?
It’s great. I just started my company, Double R
Productions, and my first DVD should be out in
Do you actually pick the girls out yourself?
Where do you find them, walking through the
mall or something?
Naw, I have friends who recommend girls that
might be interested in doing adult film work.
Usually they just send me unedited pictures to
[email protected] and then I contact them,
interview them to see how serious they are and
pick which ones I want to work with from there.
What kind of interview questions do you ask
potential porn chicks?
Of course their age, and whether or not they’re
in school. I ask them if [being in porn] is really
the decision they wanna make, because I don’t
want to start anybody out and then in the future
they regret it or whatever. I don’t wanna be that
person that screwed their life up. I don’t want
them to blame me down the line.
What kind of physical qualities do you look for
in these women? Is it more about the face, the
ass, the attitude, what?
It’s about the face and the body. Definitely the
face, and definitely the stomach, the ass is important as well. It doesn’t have to be a stupid fat
ass, but there does have to be something back
there to grab onto. The camera makes you look
10 pounds bigger than real life.
Are you looking for new dudes, too, or just
females?
We need new guys also. New guys are always
a plus, because everybody is sick of seeing the
same porno guys. There’s more girls than guys in
porn, so guys are always needed as well.
Do you still do scenes? It’s been a while since
I’ve seen a new Roxy flick.
Yeah, I kinda fell back. I’m going to do full-time
producing and directing, and the only place you
can catch Roxy Reynolds is at roxyreynolds.com
or hardbodyxxx.com, my new site. But if people
are craving Roxy Reynolds they can go out and
buy my new butt toy.
Okay, I heard about that. What is that, a Roxy
Reynolds blow-up doll?
No, it’s the cyber ass, Roxy Reynolds Pussy and
Ass, and it feels really real. They molded me. You
know those casts that kids used to get when
they broke their arms? That’s what they did to
my ass. They poured this silicon stuff on me. I
think it was silicon, but it might have been some
kind of clay. Anyway, it dried up like a cast and
then they popped it off and built a toy out of it.
It’s the doggy style position, so you can fuck my
ass, and you can fuck my pussy from the back.
If you slap it does it have a sound to it?
Yes, it does. It feels really real. It’s ribbed inside
too, so it feels like a real pussy when you’re putting your dick into it; it’s not like an empty hole
or anything like that. It has life like walls, and
cushion inside. So now, instead of jacking your
dick off you can buy my ass and fuck me for real,
and it comes with lube and a free Roxy World
DVD. Depending on where you buy it, it sells for
between $50 and $80.
So you’re selling your fake butt to fans, but
what are your thoughts on girls who have
lesser backsides get butt implants?
In my opinion, do what you want to do. Everybody has fake titties, everybody gets their
stomachs tucked, so if you’ve got the money to
get [a butt implant] and you feel it’s gonna make
you feel better, go for it. But if you don’t have
the budget for it, it’s only gonna put you more in
debt. If you have stretch marks or saggy titties, I
would worry about getting that fixed first before
you get your ass done. A fat ass doesn’t always
make the body pretty, and there’s a thin line
between being thick and fat.
I heard your track with Gorilla Zoe, and I gotta admit I was impressed. I didn’t know you could rap.
Let me get something straight: I’m not a rapper.
I don’t really wanna pursue a career in rap, I
just want to continue to run my company and
hire people that can help run my company. I
really would like to sit back, relax and finish my
last year and a half in school for my Spanish
Criminology degree. I’m not a rapper; the rap
industry is just out fo proportion for real. Too
many people have their hands in your money,
unlike in porn where all the money comes to me.
I’m not saying I won’t start my own record label
one day or something, but I just want to focus on
one thing at a time. Rapping is just like a hobby
to me, it’s a lot of fun. We actually just shot the
video for that “Make That Pussy Talk” song, too.
It’ll be released on the movie Gorilla Zoe is
shooting, which should come out right after his
album is released.
You can actually rap a little bit though, Roxy.
You sounded better than I thought you would.
How did that project with Gorilla Zoe go down?
Block Ent choose me out of all the different porn
stars. Gorilla Zoe is always talking about porn
stars in his music so Block decided to actually
put a porn star on a track. So they did the research and we had the meeting, the verses were
written, and I laid the track.
Did you actually write your own lyrics, or did
somebody else help you with them?
We worked together on it. I just jotted down my
ideas that I wanted in the song, and Gorilla Zoe
put them together in verses for me. //
OZONE MAG // 71
also got Play-N-Skillz
and Happy Perez. For
collaborations we’ve
got Too Short, Pitbull,
Baby Bash, and my Texas homeboys Z-Ro, Lil
Keke, and Trae. The first
single is called “Busy
Body” with Webbie, it’s
produced by Mouse.
We just shot the video
a couple weeks ago so
we’ve been rollin’ with it
real strong.
Being the People’s Champ is not an
easy occupation. People are fickle.
As fast as they crown you, they’ll
dethrone you. Paul Wall was at this
crossroads in 2007 when he released his sophomoric major-label
album Get Money, Stay True. Reeling
FROM the success of his previous
album The People’s Champ, Paul had
gone from a regional star to a
national figure with everyone from
Kanye West to Nelly to Playmate
Kendra Wilkinson wanting a piece
of him.
In true People’s Champ fashion, Paul actually
pleased everybody, or at least tried to. Even
though he explored his pop options by making
songs with Brook Hogan he still made sure to
please the diehard Houston fans by collaborating with Lil Keke. For every arena show he did
with Travis Barker, he still did club dates throughout the South. But, he couldn’t keep everyone
smiling.
“When we did Get Money, Stay True we learned
the hard way that you can’t buck the system,”
says Paul of the album that was supposed to
catapault him to pop star status. Instead, he
did just as the title said and catered to his core
fan base. “The only way you can have success
all around is if you work with your record label
instead of working against them. At that time
we were working in different directions. Atlantic
Records had different views of where we should
go. I can be the flavor of the month at the label
and the next month they’re on to a different
artist and I’m not a priority anymore. We had to
learn that the hard way.”
Lessons intact, Paul Wall is planning to apply
what he’s learned with his new album Fast Life.
Powered by the lead single “Busy Body” featuring
Webbie, Paul promises that Fast Life will be his
most diverse project yet. Hopefully the people
will be pleased.
How long have you been working on Fast Life?
Me and [my manager] T Farris have been in
the lab working on it since we put out the last
[album], so it’s been about a year and a half.
Production-wise we’ve got Travis Barker on there,
and Beans N Cornbread out of Houston. We’ve
72 // OZONE MAG
The title Fast Life
seems pretty selfexplanatory, but tell
us why you decided to
ride with that. When
people think of Houston Hip Hop, “fast”
is the last word they
think of.
Yeah. For me, it’s more
about the non-stop grind and hustle. I ain’t
taking no breaks, I’m just grinding from sun
up to sun down and back ‘til the sun comes up
again. When you start living that fast-paced
hustle life, when you grinding to get that paper
mane, you start seeing the accolades of success,
like cars, jewelry, broads, clothes, whatever
money can buy. The album is about everything
that comes with living the fast life.
Is it pretty much a soundtrack to your life
since things picked up a few years back, a
soundtrack to whatever you’ve been doing on
the road?
Nah, when I say the fast life, I’m not talking
about music-wise – I’m talking about life in general. I think anyone that’s grinding can relate to
it, anybody that’s gotta go to work and pay the
bills. Whether you work at McDonald’s, you’re a
school teacher, or you’re in the streets hustling,
you still got to grind. How fast you’re living
depends on how hard you grind.
When you came out with Get Money Stay True,
I remember you saying you felt like you had
more time to work on that album as opposed
to The People’s Champ. You said you felt like
it was a job, and you only recorded 15 songs
for it anyway. With this new album, did you
try to combine what you learned from both of
those albums or did you try to do something
completely new?
I read an interview one time, I’m not sure if it’s
true or not, but [Lil’] Wayne said he doesn’t care
when they put out an album. He just records
non-stop and whenever a label wants to put
out an album they put it out. I thought that was
a hell of a mindframe. Me and T Farris took that
mindframe going in. Whenever we get a track
we record to it. We might have a couple different songs on the same track just to try something different. Whenever we come up with a
new idea we make a song about it. The more
we recorded the more we got in a zone. So we
got so many songs recorded for this album. We
weren’t even worried about picking the songs
for this album until they renegotiated the [deal]
and started promoting it. Once they gave us
the release date, that’s when we sat down to
figure out the songs for the album. I think that’s
what we’re gonna do for the next one too. Even
though the album comes out in May, I might be
in the studio with T Farris coming up with some
new songs.
A lot of artists rely heavily on being inspired
by things around them. With you being on the
road, what did you rely on to come up with
song ideas?
T Farris comes up with a lot of the song ideas.
Most of the time I vibe off him. For me to get in
a zone, I put myself back in the mindset I was in
when I fell in love with Hip Hop, when I was 15
or 16 years old. If I’m tryin’ to get in the zone I’ll
throw on some Screw tapes, Fat Pat, or Lil Keke.
With the other albums they tried to attach
you to the “Houston movement. ” This might
be the first time we’re getting a Paul Wall
album by itself, without them trying to label
you. Are you looking forward to coming out
on your own and challenging this different
atmosphere?
Oh yeah, definitely man. It’s grind time. I think
people are really gonna be surprised by the
album, and impressed too. They’re really gonna
like what they hear, and see how far I’ve come
lyrically. We stepped the sound up a lot. We
kinda came into our own being in the studio
working on this album.
What did you learn about yourself as an artist
and what did you improve on this time?
I think something I learned a while back is
that what I like in music ain’t necessarily what
the mass population likes. I’m very selective
with the kind of music I like, but the stuff I like
doesn’t always sell as many records. I’m trying to
sell a million records so that’s the kind of sound
I need. T Farris really helped bring that out of
me. I might be going in [the wrong] direction
and he’ll steer me in the right one.
How different should we expect this album to
be? “Busy Body” is jamming but it’s not something I would ever expect Paul Wall to get on.
Me and T Farris have been talking for the
longest about going down to Baton Rouge and
hooking up with Mouse and Webbie. It was a
long time comin’. Overall, you’ll hear the same
Champ you’re used to hearing, but there’s also
new, different themes and subject matter. I’m
working with producers I haven’t worked with
before. It’s a well-rounded album. My fans, the
people that love the kind of music I make, are
gonna love it. It’s gonna surprise a lot of people
too.
What are some of the surprises?
One of the songs is about my mother. T Farris
really motivated me to it. She means a lot to
me. You don’t really hear people talk about their
mama like that, except Tupac’s “Dear Mama.” But
other than that, there’s other subjects like “Pop
One of These” which is about popping pills and
talking broads into poppin’ pills. I got Too Short
on there with me. Travis Barker produced that
one. There’s other songs that don’t really sound
like a Paul Wall song but when you hear me on
it, it all just mixes together.
Who are some of the other people you worked
with? What’s up with Z-Ro workin’ with everybody all of a sudden? It seems like everybody
in Texas got a Z-Ro hook or a Z-Ro verse.
(laughs) I been down with him for a long time as
homeboys, and I did a lot of music with him too.
He’s one of the hottest artists from Texas, so
naturally all artists from Texas wanna work
with him. It’s just a matter of who he
wants to work with.
It seems like we’re gonna
get treated to seeing
more of the artist Paul Wall, not necessarily
the personality. I know you’re not complaining
because it was good for business, but when
you got popular and everyone associated you
with grills, did you ever think, “Damn, I can
make good music too.”
Yeah. But like my homeboy Lil Keke say, I
made that bed so I gotta sleep in it. That’s just
something that sets me apart from everybody,
something that people know me by. I accept it; I
don’t mind it at all. I’m kinda in the history books
being known for grills. It was a whole movement. Without the grills I’m just another rapper.
Any artist you can think of, we made ‘em grills.
Without the grills, there’s a lot of relationships I
would’ve never had. I might have never done a
song with Jermaine Dupri or Nelly.
What are you currently listening to right now
and what are you looking forward to hearing?
I like a lot of music that came out in ’96, ’97,
around that era. I also like new music. I’m a big
fan of the Mob Figaz and Andre Nickatina. I
listen to a lot of the music from the Bay. I also
like Strong Arm Steady from Southern California.
I listen to a more underground style of music,
music people might not expect me to listen to.
Speaking of underground, at the height of
your popularity, did you ever feel out of place
or miss being Paul Wall the Houston star?
Ever since I could remember I’ve always felt that
when I step in the room it’s all eyes on me. I
capture the attention of the whole room. At the
same time, even at the height of my popularity,
I felt like I could walk into Wal-Mart with some
flip flops on. I don’t have to put on a front for
nobody, I can be me at all times. I’m proud to be
able to say that.
Are you still doing stuff with Skinhead Rob and
Travis?
Yeah, we’re still doing the music but we’re focusing more on the clothes right now. Skinhead Rob
comes up with a lot of the designs. I throw my
two cents in here and there, but Skinhead does
the other ninety eight. But yeah, our clothing
line is doing real good for us. The website is
www.IGotExpensiveTaste.com.
I know a lot of new artists are coming in the
game through the internet and don’t get out
in the streets with their fans. How do you feel
about the current relationship between rappers and their fans?
I’ve always been a people person. That’s how I
got the name The People’s Champ. There’s not
too many artists like that. I enjoy being around
my fans. It gives me energy and puts me on
another level. A lot of other artists don’t like to
be bothered, they kinda keep to themselves, and
have an arrogance about them. Maybe the arrogance feeds them. Whatever works for you. What
works for me is being The People’s Champ.
We’re living in a different economic climate
than when The People’s Champ and Get Money,
Stay True came out. Did you make a conscious
effort to rap less about grills, jewelry, and cars?
I think people wanna be motivated; at the same
time, they wanna relate. I have my ups and
downs and people can relate to that. If I talk
about balling, I’m not talking like it just fell out
the sky, I’m talking about the grind that went
along with it. I think when people hear that it’ll
motivate them to go out and get something. If
every artist was out there complaining about
everything in their music, that would be worse.
You gotta compromise. You can have the downs,
but you gotta have the ups too.
Words by Maurice G. Garland
Photo by SLFEMP
OZONE MAG // 73
74 // OZONE MAG
WORDS BY ERIC PERRIN
PHOTO BY MS rivercity
Last winter Gorilla Zoe complained to world that he was
losing his mind, losing control,
and that he was “caught up in a
world, a labyrinth, a maze.” Well,
we’ve done our research and determined that Zoe hasn’t lost his
mind. he just CHOOSES to leave it
LaLa Land every so often.
What exactly is LaLa Land?
LaLa land is the best feeling you can ever
have in the world. LaLa land is when you’ve
been drinkin’, and then you smoke a couple
blunts. Everybody knows that feeling, it’s a cool
feeling, a smooth feeling. But then you pop a
pill which is an upper, and it wakes you up, so
you’re feeling good. Then you get you a Fanta
and change the color of it wit’ some lean to
make it real muddy. You drink that lean, get on
a pill or two, get two 20-ounce Sprites, a good
kush blunt, a couple of shots, and you’ll be in
LaLa Land. I’ve had the most amazing times in
LaLa Land.
Have you had any bad experiences in LaLa
Land?
Yeah, when I had bad pills. Bad pills just ain’t
right. They do something to your brain and
have you talkin’ crazy. If you’ve ever seen
anybody on some bad pills you’d know it; they
don’t know who they are, they don’t know
what they’re talkin’ about. They make shit up.
They constantly think somebody’s after ‘em,
and they wanna fight. Bad pills make you paranoid. You’ll be happy and sad at the same time.
You might be crying one minute and then and
laughing nonstop the next—all within an hour.
Until the pill wears off you’ll be straight trippin’.
It’s a real bad experience. But all drugs have
those effects. With any drug you can run into a
bad batch. I’ve had some bad pills before, and I
can tell you it’s a terrible feeling.
How prevalent are bad batches of drugs?
You might get maybe one bad batch out of a
hundred.
Do you remember your worst experience
with drugs?
A bitch laced my blunt when I was 14. She had
me thinkin’ I was crazy, man. I kept seeing the
same sign on [Highway] 285. Every time we
passed an exit it kept saying MLK. I know we
just passed MLK, and then I would see MLK
again. It seemed like life was going backwards.
I was listening to the radio and it sounded
like the devil was on the radio. I was in the
backseat trippin’, grabbing my head like, “What
smoke a couple joints of that dro and I was
good. Now the shit just keeps gettin’ more and
more potent.
the fuck!” So I get home and turn on the TV, but
I’m so high I can’t change the channel. I thought
I was really entering into hell because I felt
myself going from a 14 year old all the way back
to a baby. The reality was, I got home around
midnight and I stayed up watching TV until 7 in
the morning. At 7 in the morning Sesame Street
or some shit came on, so [the channel] had gone
from a grown up show, to some kind of nature
show, and then that baby shit came on in the
morning. I had been watching Georgia Public
Access TV all night and didn’t even know I was
watching TV; I thought I was dying. I was so
fucked up. The damn bitch laced my blunt, man.
Why did she lace your blunt? Was she trying to
get back at you for something?
Naw, the bitch was just on dope.
How old were the first time you ever smoked
weed?
I was 9 years old. It was a big blunt. I had diarrhea for three days. That was when you could
get pillow-sized sacks of weed for cheap. We got
three of them nicks, it seemed like they were
about the size of a baseball, big stupid nicks of
regular weed. We rolled it up in big Philly blunts
and sat behind the bushes just smoking. I got
so fucking high I couldn’t even go to school the
next day. The shit fucked me up so bad I was
shitting on myself, throwing up; just sick as fuck.
I think I had just smoked too much.
What made you want to do it again?
That first time fucked me up so bad I didn’t even
wanna smoke no more. I didn’t really start smoking again until I was about 12 or 13, and then
at 14 the bitch laced my blunt and I stopped
smoking again. But I fell in love with weed in Job
Corps when I was 16. I gotta hold of that hydroponic—that was the shit back then, it was that
real light, mint-green weed. We didn’t roll that
shit up in blunts. We were rolling it up in joints,
and the high off that was so much different than
the cheap shit I had been smoking. That regular
weed gives you headaches, makes you paranoid,
but that hydro just had a nigga cooling all day
off a couple joints. I would drink a couple beers,
Of course weed is smoked by all races of
people, rich and poor, but it seems the rap
culture is especially obsessed with weed. Why
is that?
It’s not just rap, it’s music in general: alternative
music, rock, emo-rock, country music—everybody in music is about feeling good, and
weed makes you feel good. In any genre of
music weed plays a part. In country music, for
example, they talk about bitches, gettin’ high,
gettin’ drunk, and being depressed. “Somebody
shot my dog, my wife left me, I’m feeling bad,
went to the bar, met Susie and left with Susie
in one night.” (starts singing “One Night” repeatedly) That’s just music in general. Blues is the
same way, all music is about the same shit, just
different ways of expression.
On your single “Lost” you said you “drink the
pain away,” but “still have no answer.” I’m not
going to get into the psychology behind that
statement, but since this is the drug issue,
what’s the best drink to get rid of the pain?
Jones Cream Soda and promethazine tastes like
cotton candy. That lean gives you a real chill
feeling and helps you relax. One thing about
lean, though, you’ve just gotta keep moving.
When you sit yo’ ass down, that shit’s like a
damn tranquilizer. Yo’ ass will be outta there.
Mixing some lean and a pill is a great feeling.
What would you like to tell kids about drugs?
I ain’t gon’ tell them not to do drugs, because
that would make me a hypocrite. But I will say
this to the kids: with anything you do, you’ve
gotta be careful. As soon as a muthafucka says,
“Hey, don’t do that,” the first thing you gon’ do
is exactly what they told you not to do. I’m not
gon’ be a hypocrite and flat-out say, “Don’t do
drugs,” but I will say that drugs can fuck up your
life. They make you lazy and takes your mind
off what it’s supposed to be on. They make
you feel like you’re getting away from reality
when you really need reality to learn how to
get through things. Everything should be done
in moderation. Drugs ain’t great for you, but
it’s just like sex. If you tell some kid not to have
sex, they’re gon’ go have sex. What we should
be doing is warning them. If you gon’ do drugs,
do it in moderation. Use the drugs, don’t let the
drugs use you. //
OZONE MAG // 75
76 // OZONE MAG
throat. We might be able to make green later. I’m
blue, and [DJ Drama] is yellow. [The Aphilliates]
gotta do what they gotta do, and I’m doing what
I gotta do.
With all the mixtapes you’re putting out now,
people say you’re going for the mixtape king
title.
I feel like Lil Wayne did it in rapping. Somebody
can say he’s whack, or somebody can say he’s
dope as hell. But nobody can say he didn’t work
hard to get that Grammy. Before he put out his
album he put out 600 songs. Who do you know
in any business that’s gonna do that? How can
you hate on Kobe Bryant when he shoots 8001,200 jump shots a day, even on a off day? The
more mixtapes I do, the better I get. You might
be tired of hearing my mixtapes, but I’m gonna
keep going until I can say I’m the best. There’s so
many other cats doing mixtapes right now, like
Scream, Warrior, and Skee. I respect them, but
I want to be the man. A lot of DJs are scared to
go to the next level. In one year alone I did 12
mixtapes. There’s just so many lanes; that’s what
I’m doing. You know, Wayne is singing, rapping,
doing rock music. He’s doing all thatand killin’
‘em. I just want to put out a lot of product. Since
the music game is kinda fucked up I don’t have
the chance to put out as many records as I want
to, so I do it through mixtapes.
Deeper Than
Mixtapes
Don Cannon
Alongside DJ Drama and DJ Sense, DJ/producer
Don Cannon played a critical role in establishing
Atlanta, GA based DJ Crew, the Aphilliates, not
only as DJs, but also as major players in the rap
game. In late 2008 eyebrows raised throughout the industry when it was announced that
Don Cannon was ending his affiliates with the
Aphilliates (no pun intended). Cannon, who has
produced records for Young Jeezy (“Go Crazy,”
“Circulate”), Ludacris (“Everybody Hates Chris”),
50 Cent (“Man Down”), and a long list of others,
left his longtime team for new management in
Chaka Zulu and Jeff Dixon, who also manage
Ludacris, Swizz Beatz and Young Jeezy.
While Cannon insists his split from the Aphilliates was amicable, he still remains tightlipped
about his departure. Choosing only to speak on
the direction of his new imprint Cannon Music,
his work with new artists like Asher Roth, Mack
Maine and the Cool Kids, his push to become
the go-to mixtape DJ, and his new business with
professional skateboarder Stevie Williams, the
Cannon brand appears ready to explode.
What’s going on with you right now?
I just started my own joint. Got a record label,
got a production company, signed a couple producers, and I’m just working. I’m trying to work
with all the new artists coming out, and also help
the established artists get that stadium smash,
that energetic record that they didn’t get from
anybody else.
What direction are you trying to take the Don
Cannon brand? It seems like you’re going
into the skateboarder direction. A lot of the
mixtapes you’ve been doing are not necessarily street artists.
I make music that’s naturally street. Just the
crossover is just helping the brand even more.
I think it’s a problem when you don’t have both
street and crossover. I just did Mack Maine’s
mixtape, that’s street. I did Bangledesh’s at the
same time, and Asher Roth, that’s Hip Hop. I just
did these homies from Detroit that’s street. When
you’re just on one leg, you don’t give yourself
a chance to grow in all fields. Kanye [produces
for] Jay-Z and Talib Kweli at the same time. I’m
naturally Hip Hop, I’m naturally street. Somebody
would be a fool to be a DJ, and just DJ hood
shit all day, and not wanna go get Paris Hilton
money. How far can you go?
Is your goal to be a great producer, the biggest
mixtape DJ, or the biggest club DJ?
I wanna be looked at as an icon in music, someone that came up and did everything. I DJ, I do
mixtapes, production, and all of those are things
I do equally well. I’m trying to be well-rounded.
That’s my angle that I’m bringing to the game.
Which one do you love the most?
I started DJing when I was 5, and I started
rapping and producing when I was 11. At that
young age, that’s hard to do. I have documented
tapes. I made my own beats and rapped when I
was 11 years old. A lot of people can’t say that.
Where are the tapes? Go ahead and leak them.
A lot of questions I really don’t answer. [My] story
isn’t done yet. Like the Aphilliates story, that’s
probably something’s that’s gonna be told later
on down the road. There’s nothing bad about
it. It happens to every group. Everybody’s got
different visions. You start out working with each
other, and that’s what you are supposed to do.
But there comes a time when you like blue, and
I like red. That doesn’t mean I’ve gotta slit your
What placements to you have coming up?
I just finished working with [Fabolous] and 50
Cent. I’m doing a project for Baron Davis, who
plays for the L.A. Clippers. He has a movie called
Bloods and Crips: Made In America, a documentary about the gang activity in L.A. He did a
soundtrack, and I did a couple records on there,
one with Freeway, and one with Styles P.
Do you have any new artists you’re working
with now?
Asher Roth and the Cool Kids are definitely dope.
I fuck with Mack Maine. Juice [from Arizona]. A
lot of dudes from Philly I fuck with, too.
What is your management situation?
I picked up Chaka Zulu and Jeff Dixon of Ebony
Son Management; they manage Swizz Beatz,
Ludacris, [and] they had Jeezy. Me and Swizz are
the only producers right now, and it’s new to
them, cause I know producing is real hard. They
have their connects, I have my connects. I’m in
direct contact with most artists. Any artists that
you want to talk to, I can probably get them on
the phone. [Chaka Zulu and Jeff Dixon] have the
corporate [relationships]. I think it’s time to take
it to the next level. I wanna help their company
out and do a lot of things for their artists, and
vice versa. I believe they want to help me become that big producer.
You recently opened a skate shop in Atlanta?
It’s in Little 5 Points Atlanta called SK8TIQUE.
My partner Stevie Williams is one of the biggest
black skateboarders out. We’ve got a ramp in the
back, which enables skaters to come to the skate
shop. If there was a skate park in Atlanta, it’d be
fucking crazy. I know Stevie, and I knew what
Atlanta didn’t have, so I wanted to help him.
That’s what it’s about, bringing new stuff to the
game. Atlanta is a laidback city. People think it’s
just about players, stripping, Cadillacs, [but] you
got different aspects of [Atlanta]. And it’s good
for the community to get the kids involved in
something fun. //
Words by Randy Roper
Photo by Hannibal Matthews
OZONE MAG // 77
Rick Ross/Deeper Than Rap
Maybach Music/DEF JAM
Ross’ third album is without a doubt one of
2009’s most anticipated albums, and with a
well-produced, 14-track effort, the Boss does
not disappoint. “Mafia Music,”“Maybach Music
Pt. 2,”“Magnificent” and “Usual Supects” lead a
long list of standout tracks that feature guest
spots from T-Pain, Lil Wayne, Kanye West, John
Legend, Nas, Trina, The-Dream, Ne-Yo, Robin
Thicke, Foxy Brown and others, not to mention
beats most rappers would kill for. Although
the album has one too many songs aimed at
female fans and too much emphasis on his
beef with 50 Cent (Bang Em Smurf should
not be the last voice that listeners hear), Ross
does his best to keep a balance between
commercial and street music. Deeper Than Rap
is arguable the best album of Ross’ career. Randy Roper
Gorilla Zoe/Don’t Feed The
Animals
BLOCK ENT/Bad Boy South/
Atlantic
Clearly, on his sophomore album, Zoe was
looking to expand his sound from his “Hood
Nigga” origins. On his single “Lost,” along with
album cuts like “Dope Boy,”“So Sick” and “Echo,”
listeners will find Zoe singing more than rapping. As you’d expect, those songs are hit and
miss. On “Shit On ‘Em,” Zoe takes the title too
literally; this might be the shittiest song I’ve
ever heard. “Talk Back” is another song that
borders the TMI line, when Zoe, Ebonylove and
Roxy Reynolds take sex talk past a XXX rating.
Overall, Don’t Feed Da Animals isn’t a bad album, but you get the feeling Zoe is still trying
to find his sound and figure out which lane fits
him best. - Randy Roper
Slim Thug/Boss Of All
Bosses
Boss Hogg Outlawz/E1
Music
Boss Of All Bosses marks Slim Thug’s return to a
more Houston-sounding album, thanks to the
majority of production coming from Mr. Lee. The
Boss is more introspective on this album, using
his characteristic deep Houston drawl to give us
more insight into who he is and what he’s thinking. Slim Thug lets loose on “I’m Back,” which
features Devin the Dude, and proves to be one
of the album’s strongest efforts. “Thug,”“Leanin’”
and “Associates” all help propel the album. It’s
worthy effort from the Boss of All Bosses. Slim
Thugga, muthafucker! - Rohit Loomba
78 // OZONE MAG
Flo Rida/R.O.O.T.S./POE
BOY/ATLANTIC
After the success of
“Low,” it’s clear that
Flo Rida’s new music
has been following
the “apple-bottom
jeans, boots with the
furs” blueprint. More
than likely, you’d hear
most of the songs on
Flo Rida’s new album
on pop radio before a
Hip Hop station. While
that’s not a bad thing
in terms of crossover
success, an urban audience would be hardpressed to find many
(if any) songs to relate
to on R.O.O.T.S. His entire album sounds like
one long “Low” remix.
- Randy Roper
Capone-N-Noreaga/
Channel 10/Thugged
Out/Fontana
Capone N Noreaga’s
latest offering, Channel
10, is firmly rooted in
the style of their classic
War Report. The few
tracks that veer from
the formula are the
weakest links. CNN
delivers triumphant
QB finesse on “Grand
Royal” and “Follow the
Dollar,” but lose the
magic with “Rotate” and
“Channel 10.” While this
album will make CNN
fans happy, it’s hard
to argue that most of
it is anything beyond
mediocre. CNN brings
us closer to the Iraq
they once showed us,
but still doesn’t get us
back. - Rohit Loomba
The-Dream/Love vs. Money
Radio Killa/Def Jam
There are things in life that are
better than sex, at least just
average sex, and The-Dream’s
Love vs. Money is one to add to the list. Equate TheDream’s discography to sex and Love Hate is the foreplay,
Love vs. Money is the intercourse, leaving us to hope that his next album, Love
King, will be the thunderous, musical orgasm. But with tracks like “Love vs.
Money” and “Fancy,” some may argue that this is already a manifestation of a
musical climax. Impeccable songwriting set over Tricky-produced soundscapes makes Love vs. Money another classic delivered by the R&B gorilla
himself. - Rohit Loomba
Jadakiss/The Last Kiss
Roc-A-Fella/Def Jam/Ruff
Ryders
One of Hip Hop’s most heralded
lyricists, Jadakiss, returns with
The Last Kiss. Jada doesn’t miss a step, getting back into
the lyrical onslaught expected from him from the first
bar. “One More Step” finds Jadakiss and Styles P rapping back and forth in a
way only they can and “What If” featuring Nas marks yet another Jada track
with the soul purpose of posing questions. While there aren’t necessarily bad
tracks on this album there are some that just aren’t good. But by no means
do they make this an album to miss. - Rohit Loomba
Jim Jones/Pray IV Reign/
Columbia
Surprisingly, the fourth solo album from Dipset Capo Jim Jones
is a solid release that deserves
burn in any iPod. More credit can be given to the album’s
production (with beats by No I.D., Chink Santana, Ron
Browz, Ryan Leslie and a few others) than Jim Jones’ actual talent as a MC,
but Jones’ rhymes have improved over the years. And his storytelling holds
attention on the album’s intro, “Pulling Me Back,” “Let It Out” and “Frienemies.”
The Ron Browz-assisted hit “Pop Champagne,” along with cuts for the streets
and the ladies, gives Pray IV Reign a balance. It’s a winning formula that Jones
can feel free to pop champagne and fly high about. - Randy Roper
Asher Roth/Asleep In The Bread
Aisle
SchoolBoy/SRC/Universal
Motown
Seen appearing on the scene,
Asher Roth has been assaulted with countless white rapper jokes and Eminem comparisons. Fortunately, his debut album should solidify him as a respected artist in his own lane. Whether
he’s rhyming about school days (“I Love College”), shrugging off life’s woes
(“La Di Da” produced by Don Cannon), living the single life (“Be By Myself”
featuring Cee-Lo), or stepping out of the Slim Shady shadows (“As I Em”),
Roth comes off as a cool white kid who enjoys rapping and is just happy to
be here. Bread Aisle is one of the better debut albums to be released in the
last couple years. Hopefully it’ll make Hip Hop fans forget all about that White
Rapper Show on VH1. - Randy Roper
Mims/Guilt
American King/Capitol
Back with his second album to
break Hip Hop’s so-called sophomore curse, Mims brings music
to express emotion with Guilt. He shows his versatility on
“Love Rollercoaster,” where Letoya Luckett also holds her
own. “Rock N Rollin” is an electrifying record with Tech N9ne. Guilt has a few
tracks that don’t show Mims’ true potential, like the “A Milli” knockoff “Makin’
Money,” and “On and On,” where he attempts a Fabolous-style ladies record.
Guilt has enough quality records to make it worth a listen. - Quinton Hatfield
J. Stalin/Gas Nation
Town Thizzness/SMC
From the moment you pop in
J.Stalin’s Gas Nation, you get
taken back to a time when
you liked Bay Area rap for what it was: dope beats and
everyday street lyrics. DJ Fresh’s production on “Cocaine
Cowboys” and Traxamillion’s contributions on “Millionaire Status” makes you
feel like you’re riding in a Iroc through West Oakland in the 80’s, while his associate Lil Blood’s solo “Stressed Out” lets you know what’s going on in those
houses you’re passing by. The album never tries to relive the Bay’s “golden
era” nor does it try to revive the failed “hyphy movement.” Stalin simply does
him and represents for the new generation in the Bay that was birthed out of
the greed and crack-infested 80’s. While he is realistic about his surroundings
and the situations they present, he always tries to offer a hint of optimism or
a flicker or normalcy where every decision isn’t a life or death one. – Maurice
G. Garland
Beeda Weeda/Da ThizZness
Town Thizzness/SMC
When Beeda Weeda emerged
on the scene just a few years
ago it was obvious that he was
a talent so raw that he was either going to evolve into an
attention-demanding artist or stay too street to ever go
anywhere. Hopefully, he’s developed into the former. Backed by universal
but personalized production for his flows, Beeda presents an album that can
and will appeal to every it touches. Sex, hustling and having fun while doing
it are the main themes, and even when he does briefly quip some gangsta
shit on songs like “What’s Hannin Wit It,” the hook and beat keep you dancing. Beeda’s mastery of crafting songs that can spark in the club and jam
beyond give you reason to believe that if the country finally starts looking
at the Bay closer, it’s going to be him getting a large part of the attention. Maurice G. Garland
Eddie Projex/I Got The Streets
On Fire
Town Thizzness/SMC
Seasoned vet Eddie Projex’s bio
says he’s comparable to Eazy
E, Too Short, Jay-Z, Tupac Shakur, Nas, Scarface, TI, Young
Jeezy, and Notorious B.I.G. Other than being black and
rapping, I don’t see the comparison. To his credit, Projex does sound like a
man all his own with a distinctive voice. Unfortunately, he doesn’t really bring
or say anything new, though it’s obvious that he could. Many of the songs
sound formulaic at best, rarely going beyond just being background music
to blast outside in the neighborhood. - Maurice G. Garland
Dirty/Married To The Game
IMG Records/Koch
Although this Alabama rap
group has never been able to
top the success of their hit single
“Hit Da Floe,” the Pimp and da Gangsta have released solid
and consistent albums. The duo’s latest album Married To The Game is no
exception. While their music continues to be slept-on, “Suicide,”“Put It On Paper,”“Born In The Ghetto” with Khujo Goodie and “Shit Changed” are all tracks
that Southern rap fans need to hear. Although Da Gangsta only appears on a
handful of tracks, giving this album more of a Pimp solo project feel, the latter holds down this album for the both of them. Dirty will probably never get
the props they deserve, but fans should hope they don’t decide to divorce
the game. - Randy Roper
Rapper Big Pooh/Delightful Bars
Big Pooh, one half of North Carolina’s Little Brother, hits heavy
on his second solo album. While
we’re used to the great chemistry
Pooh and rhyme partner Phonte put down, Pooh shows he
can carry his own weight. “The Comeback” is a dope record
with strong bass and hot bars which will impress diehard Hip Hop heads.
“Power” featuring O. Dash has more lyrical wordplay. Other standout records
include “It’s A Go,”“Radio” and “RearView Mirror.” Overall, this album displays
real lyrical quality that the game is lacking. - Quinton Hatfield
J-Money, DJ Scream & DJ Spinz/
Mr. Futuristic
J-Money is the newest trapper/
rapper in Atlanta to have the
streets on smash, and on Mr. Futuristic, he teams up with Hoodrich DJs, Scream and Spinz,
for the second time. For those that are not accustomed
to the new school rappers that are coming out of the A, to sum up their
music, it’s basically “swag,”“trap,”“swag”“get money,” and “swag.” J-Money will
probably never spit a line that you’ve never heard before, but his so-called
“futuristic” rap style is catchy. This mixtape makes it evident why the streets
are into his music. - Randy Roper
J. Wells/Digital Master, Vol.
2.1
Bonzi
On this follow-up to J. Wells’
2005 debut album, Digital
Master, a host of noteworthy artists link up with this rapper/producer. Da Brat and Kurupt drop verses on “Already
Famous,” Snoop Dogg makes an appearance on “All My Bitches,” and Goodie
Mobb’s Big Gipp and Flipmode Squad’s first lady Rah Digga come through on
“Gotta Have That” and “Brand New.” Though this album has some hot tracks,
some of J. Wells’ production is somewhat weak, leaving one to wonder if he’s
the type of producer to not save his best beats for himself. Even with a few
mediocre beats, J managed to call in enough favors to make this album one
for the playlist. - Randy Roper
U-N-I & Ro Blvd/A Love Supreme
Completely produced by Los
Angeles, CA beatmaker Ro Blvd,
A Love Supreme is the sophomore album from L.A. emcees
Y-O and Thurzday (collectively known as U-N-I). Songs like
“My Life,”“Lately,” and “Pulp Fiction Part 1” are all standouts
that a Southern Cal college student or a Compton Crip could both vibe to.
Love Supreme does contain a couple tracks like “Stylin’” and “Hammertime”
that listeners may not be totally infatuated with. But this project has more to
love than hate, as this duo’s music continues to be a refreshing and unique
mixture to add to the New West movement. - Randy Roper
TiRon/Ketchup
The second mixtape from this
Cali MC has something for
the smokers (“The High”), the
drinkers (“3 Drink Minimum”),
the ladies (“She” with Pacific Division) and the grown
folks (“So Called Twenties”). People may want to corner
TiRon into a “backpack” or “hipster” category, but the easiest way to describe
Ketchup is feel-good music. “Throwing Money,”“Go,” and “Sydney” are the
type of songs that serve as background music to light one up and blow away
life’s problems to. TiRon may not all that well known, but this mixtape makes
a strong case for why he should be. - Randy Roper
OZONE MAG // 79
endzone
Gucci Mane
Event: Welcome Home concert
Venue: Plush Nightclub
City: Jacksonville, FL
Date: March 13th, 2009
Photo: Kingpin
80 // OZONE MAG
Mick Boogie &
Terry Urban
“We Put The A In Austin”
1. DJ Chuck T “Down South Slangin’ 57” www.djchuckt.com
2. DJ Plus “Rise To Power” www.myspace.com/djplus
3. Ill Fat “Coast 2 Coast 71” Hosted by Jadakiss www.coast2coastmixtapedjs.c
om
4. DJ Black & Juicy J “Fuck Me, Screw Me 3” www.myspace.com/thekingofdrag
5. DJ Raze One “Side Walk Radio 4” Hosted by Quiz www.myspace.com/d
jrazeone
6. DJ Cannon Banyon “Good Ass Remix” Beats by MIDIMarc www.myspace.com/cannonbanyon
7. Othaz Records “Arab Money Radio” Hosted by Busta Rhymes arabradioh
[email protected]
8. DJ Whutevva “New Joints For Dummies” www.myspace.com/djwhutevva1
9. Jay Classik & DJ L-Gee “An A&R’s Dream” www.myspace.com/jayclassik
www.myspace.com/djlgee
10. Dutty Laundry “New World Order Central Station” www.myspace.com /duttylaundry
11. DJ Black Bill Gates “King Shit Radio 4” www.blackbillgates.podomati
c.com
12. DJ Shadoe “Tha Connect” Hosted by Young Roccett www.myspace.com/djshadoe
13. DJ Scope “Street Certified Vol. 47” www.myspace.com/infareddjscope
14. DJ Kay Slay & DJ Scope “Sweeping The Streets Radio” www.coast2coastmixtapedjs.com www.myspace.com/infareddjscope
15. DJ Fletch “The Hip Hop Bible” www.myspace.com/djfletchdallas
16. DJ Bobby Black & DJ Drama “Down & Dirty 33” www.myspace.com/djbobbyblack www.gangstagrillz.com
17. DJ Scorpio, Janiro & Playboy Trey “Follow Me: Twitter.com The Mix CD” www.myspace.com/djscorp
io
www.myspace.com/mickboogie
www.myspace.com/terryurban
In celebration of Austin, TX’s South by Southwest this past March, mixtape titans Mick
Boogie and Terry Urban hooked up for the We
Put The A In Austin mixtape. This mix features
Atlanta vet Killer Mike along with ATL underground standouts Hollyweerd, Proton, Izza
Kizza, Donnis and Grip Plyaz. In addition to the
mixtape, the artists featured on the mixtape
performed during a SXSW showcase by the
same name. If you missed the show, you can
still check the mixtape to hear some of the
best new artists the A has to offer.
DJs, send your mix CDs (with a cover) for
consideration to:
OZONE Magazine
644 Antone St. Suite 6
Atlanta, GA 30318
18. DJ Ron G & Mark Styles “Can’t Stop 3” www.myspace.com/rong1
19. DJ Spinatik “Street Runnaz 32” www.djspinatik.com
20. DJ 31 Degreez “Florida Heat” www.dj31degreez.biz
OZONE MAG // 81
endzone
Ludacris, Young Jeezy, & T.I.
Event: Swagga Like Us concert
Venue: Phillips Arena
City: Atlanta, GA
Date: April 5th, 2009
Photo: Julia Beverly
82 // OZONE MAG
OZONE MAG // 83
YOUR FAVORITE RAPPER’S FAVORITE MAGAZINE
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