keepin` it gangsta

OZONE MAGAZINE
YOUR FAVORITE RAPPER’S FAVORITE MAGAZINE: 5 YEAR ANNIVERSARY!
DEVIN THE DUDEH
MANNIE FRES
RICH BOY
T-PAIN
PLUS OZONE WEST:
I LIKE MY SPRITE EASTER PINK
TOO $HORT
THE FIXXERS
MISTAH FAB
DJ A
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* FIVE Y* GROUPIE CON & MORE
OZONE MAG // YOUR FAVORITE RAPPER’S FAVORITE MAGAZINE: 5 YEAR ANNIVERSARY!
T-PAIN
DEVIN THE DUDE
MANNIE FRESH
RICH BOY
AME*A*
DJEXDCR
LUSIV
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PLUS OZONE WEST:
TOO $HORT
THE FIXXERS
MISTAH FAB
28 // OZONE WEST
YOUR FAVORITE RAPPER’S FAVORITE MAGAZINE: 5 YEAR ANNIVERSARY!
AME*A*
DJEXDCR
LUSIV
**
T-PAIN
MANNIE FRESH
DEVIN THE DUDE
RICH
BOY
PLUS OZONE WEST:
TOO $HORT
THE FIXXERS
MISTAH FAB
OZONE MAG // 1
2 // OZONE MAG
OZONE MAG // 3
4 // OZONE MAG
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6 // OZONE MAG
OZONE MAG // 7
8 // OZONE MAG
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10 // OZONE MAG
OZONE MAG // 11
PUBLISHER/EDITOR-IN-CHIEF // Julia Beverly
CHIEF OPERATIONS OFFICER // N. Ali Early
MUSIC EDITOR // Randy Roper
FEATURES EDITOR // Eric Perrin
ART DIRECTOR // Tene Gooden
ADVERTISING SALES // Che’ Johnson
PROMOTIONS DIRECTOR // Malik Abdul
MARKETING DIRECTOR // David Muhammad
LEGAL CONSULTANT // Kyle P. King, P.A.
SUBSCRIPTIONS MANAGER // Jason Brown
ADMINISTRATIVE // Cordice Gardner, Kisha
Smith
CONTRIBUTORS // Alexander Cannon, Bogan,
Carlton Wade, Charlamagne the God, Chuck T,
Destine Cajuste, E-Feezy, Edward Hall, Felita
Knight, Iisha Hillmon, Jacinta Howard, Jaro
Vacek, Jessica Koslow, J Lash, Jason Cordes,
Jo Jo, Johnny Louis, Kamikaze, Keadron
Smith, Keith Kennedy, Kenneth Brewer, K.G.
Mosley, King Yella, Luis Santana, Luxury
Mindz, Marcus DeWayne, Matt Sonzala, Maurice G. Garland, Mercedes (Strictly Streets),
Mike Sims, Ms. Rivercity, Natalia Gomez,
Ray Tamarra, Rico Da Crook, Robert Gabriel,
Rohit Loomba, Shannon McCollum, Spiff,
Swift, Wally Sparks, Wendy Day
STREET REPS // Al-My-T, B-Lord, Big Teach
(Big Mouth), Bigg C, Bigg V, Black, Brian
Franklin, Buggah D. Govanah (On Point),
Bull, C Rola, Cedric Walker, Chill, Chilly C,
Chuck T, Controller, DJ Dap, David Muhammad, Delight, Derrick the Franchise, Destine
Cajuste, Dolla Bill, Dwayne Barnum, Dr.
Doom, Ed the World Famous, Episode, General, Haziq Ali, H-Vidal, Hollywood, J Fresh,
Jammin’ Jay, Janky, Joe Anthony, Judah,
Kamikaze, KC, Kenneth Clark, Klarc Shepard,
Kuzzo, Kydd Joe, Lex, Lil D, Lump, Marco
Mall, Mr. Lee, Music & More, Nick@Nite, Nikki
Kancey, Pat Pat, PhattLipp, Pimp G, Quest,
Rippy, Rob-Lo, Stax, TJ’s DJ’s, TJ Bless, Tim
Brown, Trina Edwards, Vicious, Victor Walker,
Voodoo, Wild Billo, Young Harlem
DISTRIBUTION // Curtis Circulation, LLC
SUBSCRIPTIONS // To subscribe, send check
or money order for $11 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 // DJ Drama photo by Blake
Ribbey (special thanks to Everise); T-Pain,
Rich Boy, & Don Cannon photos by Julia
Beverly; Too $hort photo by D-Ray; Gorilla
Zoe photo by Randy Roper.
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 2007 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.
12 // OZONE MAG
INTERVIEWS
90-94
106-107
MANNIE FRESH
DEVIN THE DUDE
ANNIVERSARY FEATURES
26
30
42
44
46
66-84
102-103
94
98
GREATEST HITS
STARTING LINEUP
TRAINING DAY
FEELIN’ OURSELVES
FOLLOW THE LEADER
5 YEAR PHOTO SPREAD
THANKSGIVING
REGRETTABLES
NEGRO PLEASE
MONTHLY SECTIONS
110-112
14
18-19
24
108-109
17
22
28
32
23-47 34-40 113
17
END ZONE
FEEDBACK
RAPQUEST
CHIN CHECK
CD REVIEWS
JB’s 2 CENTS
MATHEMATICS
POLE POSITION
SIDEKICK HACKIN’
PHOTO GALLERIES
PATIENTLY WAITING
CAFFEINE SUBSTITUTES
10 THINGS I’M HATIN’ ON
54-58
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tOZONE MAG // 13
Send your comments to feedback@ozonemag.com
else will be held to a higher standard. Somewhere along the line you were
exposed to something real and that has biased you for the better. Honestly
there is no such thing as objective journalism. The only objective is to fool
the masses into thinking what that media outlet wants you to believe. Allow
me to get off my soap box, and get back to work, keep doing your thing.
Stay true to yourself and although the load gets heavier the higher up the
ladder you go, never let go of those two key elements: integrity and moral
responsibility!
- Rasheed Amin Chappell, rasheed.a.chappell@verizon.com
JB, I just read OZONE for the first time last week. My boyfriend works in a
barbershop and he brought home the March 2007 issue and I read almost
every page. It’s crazy. It was all new to me, how real it was. You’re writing
about what your readers really wanna know. My boyfriend’s got this chip
on his shoulder about white people cause he’s had some run-ins with white
cops and stuff like that. We have a different outlook on things and he makes
fun of me and calls me white cause I talk proper and don’t smoke weed.
When I showed him who was editor-in-chief of this hood magazine that he
supports so much, he was in shock. I like that you’re doing what you know
and you’re not like some corny white girl tryna act. This obviously comes
natural for you and it’s cool to see a white girl with a magazine like this. I
can only imagine how much negativity, hatred, and jealousy you must get
from black girls.
– Toots Mickels (msmickels@yahoo.com)
You’ve done it again with the latest issue of OZONE magazine, with Rick Ross
and Carol City Cartel and Young Jeezy and USDA on the cover, who continue
to make good music (regardless of people’s opinion of their overused cliché
of drugs, cars, and women). I read the magazine from front to back in its
entirety on a trip to NYC, and of course your JB’s 2 Cents section is always
on point. I’m from the East Coast but I respect good music and I don’t care
where it comes from. At this point in time it’s plain to see that the South is
doing what they do. Much respect, because they deserve it, and that goes for
your magazine as well because you and your staff continue to bring interesting articles. I don’t see your mag as being biased because you also cover any
artist from the East Coast that is doing something except complaining about
the South. Like DJ Khaled’s blazing single “We Takin’ Over” that is exactly
what OZONE is doing, and I see it continuing to be that way because you
don’t bullshit or sugarcoat nothing. Also, I really respect Wendy Day’s work
ethic and all the information that she provides readers via OZONE Magazine.
It is truly helpful and valuable information and I appreciate her for it. I have
always followed Wendy even before OZONE because she is a part of the culture we call Hip Hop. If it wasn’t for Wendy a lot of individuals would not be
where they are today, and that’s just the truth. Can’t nobody take away what
she’s brought to the table and what she means to the game. That’s why she
receives the love and respect that’s he does – because it’s deserved.
- Ray Matos, MatosR2@corning.com
JB, kudos for another issue hitting the stands. Give yourself not a proverbial
but a literal pat on the back for having the balls to name names, for those
who lacked the vision to see what you were trying to do. I was taught that
sight without vision is the true definition of blindness. Many of us walk
around with our eyes wide open but our minds closed to the potential we
possess and our souls closed to the power we hold, so you can’t fully blame
them for their shortcomings. I laughed out loud when I read your 2 Cents.
One of the first things people shed when they climb up the ladder of success
is integrity. It’s a long climb and the less baggage you carry, the quicker
you’ll make it. People give up their integrity by saying things like, “This is
what the people want,” so they rehash old stereotypes or alleged tried-andtrue selling techniques. They abandon moral responsibility by saying things
like, “Who I am as an artist is not what I depict in my music.” To see that you
have held on to those two things is commendable. I offer no critique and
no advice, just a sigh of relief that there is still journalism available that
provides a biased opinion. When I say “biased,” I mean that in the most complimentary way. Once you have been exposed to something real, anything
14 // OZONE MAG
The DJ issue was tight! I want to give some advice to all the artists that
want us DJs to play their music, like you asked in the DJ issue. If you artists
out there want DJs to listen and possibly play your music on-air or in the
clubs, here’s some ideas: Do a personal and very creative studio drop for
the DJ you are trying to network with. Or, do a personal freestyle for the DJ
on a current hit instrumental, studio quality of course, so that we can mix
to it. People will still jam to it, and it gets your name out. Or, submit your
single with the DJ’s name in the intro. If you do things like this, all DJs will
take you more seriously. You’ll stand out from all those Myspace wannabes
and unprofessional artists that are out there.
– DJ Thailo, djthailo407@aol.com (Orlando, FL)
The DJ Issue was fresh. You’re reppin’ Chicago in here with two of the most
deserving: V-Dub and Boolumaster. Love it when people get it right. Good
shit!
-Shala, shala@tmo.blackberry.net (Chicago, IL)
Thank Port Arthur, TX, for UGK. Pimp C, we need more men (not rappers) with
brains, not more jewelry in this “new” rap game. Thanks for standing up
and letting people know the real deal in your Release Therapy article and
how these labels are just the new plantation. I wish more rappers would
stand up and not just wait for a check.
- The Green Kang, pacogeneinc@excite.com
I think I speak for all DJs when I say thank you, OZONE, for showin’ us love.
Out of all the Hip Hop magazines I’ve read, y’all are the best, no question.
Hpefully one day I’ll be in there, but until then, keep holdin’ it down. DJ
Drama, keep your head up!
- DJ Shawny Boy, djshawnyboy1984@yahoo.com
I just read the Pimp C article on mixtape DJs and that dude told it right. I
don’t know about them Carol City boys, they seem to have little focus. I’m
glad to see my nigga BloodRaw got some justice. He’s a humble dude. I’m
about to finish reading the rest of the mag - this month is hotter! Keep
bringing the real!
- Kash Kastro, kashkastro@hiptop.suncom.net
Keep putting the mash on these other so-called Hip Hop mags that are out
there putting out garbage. But I couldn’t believe Baltimore wasn’t in the
Rapquest section of OZONE. You had D.C. and Virginia in there, two-thirds
of what we like to call the Middle East, but you didn’t have the third and
very important section of this up and coming region: Baltimore. Besides
being home of the hottest urban show on television (The Wire), our area
has quietly started an active Hip Hop scene. We have four artists signed to
major labels (Bossman – Capitol Records, D.O.G. – Universal, Los – Bad Boy,
and Young Leek – Def Jam). My company Darkroom Productions produced
original music for season 4 of The Wire and were featured in Rolling Stone,
Fader, and the New York Times. Also, we produced multiple joints for
Chamillionaire, Sqad Up, and Maino. Baltimore is also home to Stay Getting
Productions, who have produced mad joints for the whole Diplomats family.
If you go anywhere in the city, you’re bound to see someone out on the
corner pushing their latest mixtape. Our scene is jumping here and we’d
appreciate the same love.
- Jamal Roberts, jkroberts114@yahoo.com (Baltimore, MD)
Corrections: In last month’s April DJ Issue, the phone number for DJ Blak on
page 83 was listed incorrectly. The correct number is 404-446-8504. Also,
Isaac Frias name was spelled incorrectly on page 63. //
OZONE MAG // 15
16 // OZONE MAG
jb’s 2cents
T
here’s a lot that could be said after five years. Now that we’re
somewhat settled into our Atlanta offices, we pulled an all
nighter sorting through the Uhaul full of back issues and I sat
down with one copy of each issue, all the way from #1 to #55.
I started this game as a white girl with a hustler’s mentality but no
knowledge of the game. I was bored with life and subconsciously
put myself in a do-or-die situation to motivate myself. I’m my
own worst enemy and so are you. If you want something out of
life, you’ve got to find a way to motivate yourself to get it. The things that
worked for me might not work for you, but I’m living proof that you can
become anything you want to be.
10 Things I’m Hatin’ On
By Roland “Lil Duval” Powell
Disclaimer: This is really what everybody else is sayin’.
I know I’m dead wrong, but I’m hating anyway.
01 // RAY J’s SEX TAPE
Man, that shit was set up. Plus, he did a
video with the wrong bitch. If he really
wanted the video to sell out, he should’ve
did one with Whitney Houston.
Trey Songz is so cute
02 // FEMALE ENTERTAINERS
If you’re wondering why men in this
business don’t really fuck with women in
this business that much, it’s because y’all
get the big head quick as shit and turn
diva quick when you ain’t even had a diva
career yet.
03 // TIMBALAND VS. SCOTT STORCH BEEF
You can’t make me believe they’re serious.
04 // T-PAIN
Now, this is my nigga, but there ain’t no
way in hell he’s gonna make me think that
his ugly ass is gon’ “Flirt” and take any of
my bitches.
05 // “THIRTY IS THE NEW TWENTY”
Jay-Z got y’all old niggas thinking y’all
can wear Rocawear and Phat Farm and
look young. But y’all ain’t fooling nobody
cause you still got on your nugget jewelry.
I do talk a lot of shit in my editorial. You have to believe in yourself. But at
the end of the day, I appreciate every struggle I’ve been through and stupid
thing I’ve done because I learned from it. It’s the little things that count. I’m
successful because no matter how stupid it is, I care about every tiny detail.
If there’s a typo, that shit bothers me. I want everything to be right because
I fucking care. I couldn’t even tell you why. I just do.
Webbie & Mannie trying to
convince me to have the
OZONE Awards in Louisiana
Better pay for your ad or
we’re coming for you on
some Bonnie & Clyde shit
06 // BLACK MOVIES
Why do all our movies have to be about
relationships, starring Gabrielle Union?
07 // NIGGAS ASKING FOR YOUR NUMBER
Why do you really think I will give you my
direct cell number if I don’t know you?
Just cause you say, “I got some money for
you,” doesn’t mean you gonna get my cell
number.
Petey Pablo is mad he’s not
on the cover
08 // FOLLOWERS
We as black people need to really stop
with this gold rush mentality. Just because
you see someone else doing something,
that doesn’t mean you should do it or it’s
gonna work for you. Have your own mind
and do your own thing. Music ain’t the only
thing you can do to make money
10 // WOMEN WHO DON’T KNOW THAT THEY
SHOULDN’T WEAR EVERYTHING
You should not be wearing a two-piece if
your stomach looks like a Coogi shirt.
www.myspace.com/rolandpowell
Through these 55 issues the biggest thing that stands out is how much
everyone’s status has changed. That artist with a hot single who was a
complete dick during his interview? He fell off hard and no one gives a shit
about him now. Talented people with promising careers have died or gone
to jail. That guy throwing up the Roc sign in a picture in our photo gallery
labeled “producer” because no one knew who he was? He’s Kanye West now.
People don’t come up by themselves. People come up together. While I was
a rookie interviewer learning the game, I came across “unknown” artists
that just had that charisma and you knew they were official. Me and Noel
and Nick@Nite interviewed “Lil Rich” almost four years ago at a Mobile, AL
Red Lobster and now he’s on our cover with the biggest song in the country.
I conducted Jeezy’s first interview on the spot at Ciara’s video shoot (also
an unknown at the time) because of the way people reacted to him – it was
obvious he was gonna be a star. Back when they were called Pretty Rickie
& the Maverix, I heard a record on 99 Jamz cruising down 95 at like 4 AM
one morning and texted everyone I knew in Miami trying to find out who
sang it. David Banner was fat and broke and wearing the same “Mississippi”
jacket the first three times I saw him but I believed in him. I saw Mike Jones
get booed at a show and six months later he was platinum. I heard Pitbull’s
“Welcome to Miami” freestyle on the radio years ago and was an instant fan.
One hit wonders aside – anybody who lasts in this game, it’s not an accident. We work hard and believe in each other and that’s why we made it.
We don’t shit on the little people. We have relationships with road managers
and security guards and street team reps and interns and engineers and secretaries because you never know who somebody’s gonna be tomorrow. Man,
I’m glad to see people come up. T-Pain, Akon, Pitbull, Rick Ross, Webbie,
Boosie, Slim Thug, the list goes on and on as you look through the pages
of these last 55 issues. To see anyone come from nothing to something is a
beautiful thing - if you’re not a hater. Personally, I’m not. If you’re willing to
put in the work, I’mma support you 100%.
And as for me - I never even dreamed I’d be in the position I’m in. If I can
stick it out for another five years, maybe I’ll really be the shit then.
Taste the rainbow!
09 // RINGTONES
If you’re a nigga and your ringtone is
Beyonce, kill yo’self.
Through all the parties I’ve snuck into, people that have come and gone in
my life both personally and professionally, opportunities I’ve been offered,
crazy road trips I’ve been on, events I’ve been kicked out of, people I’ve
battled, and all the other craziness, after reflecting on the last five years
there’s one thing that sticks out in my mind. It’s the importance of staying
humble and true to yourself. Maintaining who you are and what you believe
in and the qualities that brought you success in the first place.
- Julia Beverly, jb@ozonemag.com
Rich Boy f/ Zak, Pastor Troy, & Big Boi “I Love You”
Treal “I’m Not Lock Down”
Smitty f/ T-Pain “Died In Your Arms”
UGK f/ Outkast “International Players Anthem”
Young Buck f/ Chester Bennington “Slow Ya Roll”
David Banner f/ Jazze Pha “Fly”
The Shop Boyz “Party Like A Rock Star”
Hurricane f/ Big Kuntry “Ay Bay Bay”
jb’splaylist
Plies f/ T-Pain “Shawty”
Lil Boosie “I Quit”
Ne-Yo “Because of You”
Flo-Rida “Birthday”
Nelly Furtado “Say It Right”
OZONE MAG // 17
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INDIANAPOLIS, IN:
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Former heavyweight champ Lamon Brewster is headed back to the ring and starting his own
OZONFEEEL THAT YOUR CITY IS M
label. The Midwest Music Convention, one of the largest events in the Midwest, will be held
IF YOU
in our city this August. The group B.O.E. hit hard with their new single “Dope Boy Slide,” and
rumor has it they just signed with Koch. Young Goldie signed with CTE and Lil Kev signed
with Sony. Mike Epps has reached back to help his homie, comedian and actor Willie from the
movie ‘Bout It, as they work on a movie about his life, and a stand-up comedy routine.
- Lucky The Promo King (srfoleaf@aol.com)
NASHVILLE, TN:
With so much going on in Cashville, a.k.a. Nashvegas, it’s hard to pinpoint what the streets are really talking about. Is it Musiq Soulchild having to ask for crowd
participation at a recent concert? Is it Young Jeezy packing out Club 615 and already being scheduled to come back at the end of March? Or is it the shocking
increase in sales of Pacman’s mix CD with local DJ Chief Rocka? Buck the World is finally coming out, but without “Fuck The Police”! Damn censorship!- Janiro
(Janiro@southernentawards.com)
MEMPHIS, TN
Many fans have awaited the moment when the old Memphis rap sounds will return, and with the release of
the new Prophet Posse The Return: Part 1 the wait is over. This new CD features old and new artists of the crew
including Gangsta Boo, Skinny Pimp, Koopsta Knicca, Hottsauce, and Kilo. This CD also features Playa Fly who was
recently released from jail. Artists such as JAG and Kinfolk Thugs are getting their chance to shine and represent
Memphis to the fullest with their new hot singles flooding the Memphis radio airwaves. Much love to our local DJs
and radio stations for their support. Keep a look out for more Memphis artists making a comeback.
DALLAS/FT. WORTH, TX:
Stubb-a-lean and Lucci’s single “I Like
It” is stuck in my head and I’m starting
to hear Inertia’s “Mo Bass” on K104. Play
N Skillz shot a new video with Boomtown
featuring Mannie Fresh and Slim Thug.
Mannie told me to tell JB he got love
for OZONE! Whether you want to or not,
we need to support Tum Tum or we will
still be asking that “What’s wrong with
the Dallas scene?” question. Rumsquad
got the production you need and I heard
Club Blue has shut down. I know we are
in DFW, but FREE my ‘SIP native Smoke D!
- Edward “Pookie” Hall (www.urbansouth.us@
gmail.com)
MONTGOMERY, AL:
Why in the hell did some dude knock The
Last Mr. Bigg’s mic down in the middle
of his performance last week? Secu- Deanna Brown (deanna.brown@memphisrap.com)
rity rushed due out of the club while
everybody got a kick and a punch in. At
the same club, a chick got drowned with
mace and started shooting. Anyway, Mr. Bigg’s “Wipe Me Down” and Dirty’s “Look At Her” are flooding
the airwaves and the streets. The most anticipated mix CD (other than Hot Girlz) is Mr. Blu’s Street
Surgence that’s dropping this month. Already, the station the keeps you up on local flavor is The Big
Station 107.9/95.9.
- Hot Girl Maximum (hotgirl.maximum@gmail.com)
SHREVEPORT, LA
Four states keep the big station 99.7 KMJJ on lock seven days a week,
so it’s no wonder they’ve been #1 in the area for three years running,
not to mention being named the #1 station in America for their market
size by Radio & Records magazine. The hottest R&B act hitting the scene
in Shreveport is Brotha, and local rap stars include Billy Broadway, BulletProof, and Willie. There are two powerhouse independent record labels
making noise in the Port City: 5 Entertainment and Lava House Records.
– C-Mac (Cmac@cumulus.com)
AUSTIN, TX:
SXSW 2007 was a huge success with performances by UGK,
Trae, Devin the Dude, and a lot more. Local SXSW participants included Basswood Lane, The Whut It Dew Family,
VIP, J-Kapone, Ryno, Set 4 Life, South Bound, MC Fatal,
Nac, KJ Hines, and more. DJ Rapid Ric and Mr. Blakes just
dropped Woodgrain Collection, which consists of all-exclusive material. DJ Harvey Don’s Dons of Tha South will
be released soon. Top Dollar Clothing’s Music Videos Part 2
DVD is available now. JB came out to Spiro’s during Texas
Relay weekend and brought Scarface and DJ Chill along for
the ride. Paul Wall’s in-store signing at Music Mania was
packed.
JACKSON, MS:
JACKSON, MS: Tyrese a.k.a. Black Ty brought his Alter Ego tour to
Jackson, and Miller Lite’s Mississippi tour features Cadillac Don,
J-Money, and other Mississippi artists. Lil Boosie’s bad azz had
one of the biggest show turnouts in Jackson history. You know
we’re all the way gangsta – the mayor of the city has a warrant
out for his arrest! Mims shows why he’s hot as he hits the city, and
Tank brings his smooth voice to town. Yo Gotti makes tracks to the
city as well. Music City presents its Welcome to Mississippi mixtape
featuring the #1 d-boy Boo, Lil Boosie, and more.
- Tambra Cherie (tambracherie@aol.com) &
Stax (blockwear@tmo.blackberry.net)
- O.G. of Luxury Mindz (luxurymindz@gmail.com)
HATTIESBURG, MS:
As the heat comes in, that springtime bug is biting! Look for major moves soon on a national level for Miz Smurff! The
mixtape scene is slow-mo due to the nationwide bullshit the government is on. Though city officials are doing all
they can to stop urban clubs from opening, parties and events continue to go down. The excitement of Greek Weeks
(Que/Delta, Mandingofest, Bruhfest, etc) keeps the city abuzz! The Perfect 10 party series has women throughout the
Pinebelt deliriously confused – 5’s and 6’s think they’re at dime status! Happy 4/20, fellow herb heads!
- DJ Big Brd (llerbac@yahoo.com)
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CINCINNATI, OH:
The weather is warming up and the Crime Stopper
snitches are on the prowl, getting paid $500 a
bust and with the streets more active than they
have ever been they are constantly picking up
that paper. Even teachers are getting busted
for buying drugs, serving alcohol to minors and
fondling babies. The entertainment in Cincinnati
has truly picked up the pace. Never has the city
had so many good artists on the radio, thanks to
Eddie Bauer (PD) and Big Greg (MD) over at WIZF
101.1 for recognizing good music and real talent,
like Showtime. This young brother has got a real
stage performance and industry quality rhymes.
- Judy Jones (Judy@JJonesent.com)
WASHINGTON, DC:
Through his popular Street Wars mixtape series, P-Cutta easily established himself as DC’s most prolific
mixtape DJ, but that was a couple years ago. Word on the street is that underage mixtape phenom DJ
Rob is lighting a match under P-Cutta’s comfortable seat. Because of his Target Squad affiliation Rob’s
various celebrity hosted mixtapes have been gaining a substantial following in and out of the area. He
generated enough buzz to be featured on MTV’s Sucker-Free Sunday and was nominated as Best New
Mixtape DJ on mixtapeawardsonline.com. Rob is about to spearhead a seven city Spring Break Tour with
his Target Squad cohorts. He’s kinda like premature labor, it’s hard to stop the kid.
– Pharoh Talib (Ptalib@gmail.com)
VIRGINIA BEACH, VA:
Alyssa hit the 106th & Park stage, representing for VA at Wild Out Wednesday.
D-Strange is creating a buzz in the streets, and Mims has the hottest joint in
the club. Pharrell begins construction on his youth center. TeamHood is the
most gangsta group in VA; a sea of red can be seen following them everywhere in the Hampton Roads area. Their mixtape Da Makin’ is in the streets
right now. Doubt Gotcha’s new single “Dopeman,” with The Clipse, is blazin’ .
– Derrick Tha Franchise (Trax4Profit@hotmail.com)
ATLANTA, GA:
The first ever A-Town Day went down at Morris Brown’s football stadium, featuring performances from virtually every Patiently Waiting act
in ATL and more. The event was well-organized but at times seemed
more like a community circus – literally. There were a whole bunch of
little kids running around, a funnel cake stand, and free giveaways.
Drama ensued between Killer Mike and Big Boi and their entourages,
but who “won” and “lost” the altercation depends on which camp you
ask. D.G. Yola, shot in the face at a red light during an apparent robbery attempt, is reportedly recovering.
RALEIGH, NC:
The CIAA Basketball tournament takes place in Charlotte every year around this
time. It’s the oldest black basketball tournament in the country. It looks like the
boys from Little Brother are making some steady moves out of Durham to get
ready for the upcoming year.
- Big K (kapcitypromo@gmail.com)
– Eric Perrin (Eric.Perrin@ozonemag.com)
COLUMBIA, SC:
Lil Ru continues to keep the hits coming as his new single “Don’t I
Look Good” is picking up momentum on radio and clubs throughout Columbia. Club Evolutions remains a premiere party spot with
performances from the likes of Yo Gotti and Lil Boosie, and a Monday
night talent competition hosted by the Bad Girl Venom that gives
independent artists a chance to showcase their skills. Charlamagne
Tha God celebrated his one year anniversary as co-host of the Wendy
Williams Experience- Wendy, Deelishis, Jermaine Hall, and DJ Chuck T
were all in attendance.
TALLAHASSEE, FL:
Last month we had concerts from everyone – Pastor Troy,
Fabo, DJ Unk, Lil Boosie, and the Heisman Boyz, largely led
by Blak of TUK Entertainment and Coach of Direct Connect – who are the driving force behind Tally’s Hip Hop
entertainment. Be Out Day at FAMU featured One Chance and
the recently released Shawn Jay of Field Mob. Trick Daddy is
back in town for the 305 to 750 Hood Rich concert at Baja’s
on Easter night, so hopefully everybody went to church first!
Blazin’ 102.3’s Birthday Bash (www.blazin1023.com) goes
down April 22-28 with Uncle Luke, Gorilla Zoe, Tank, Plies,
and more. Exclusive J is the hottest new mixtape dude in
Tally, and The Shop Boyz’ “Party Like A RockStar” is the hottest new record in the streets - totally, dude!
- DJ Dap (DJDapOnline@gmail.com)
- Randy Roper (Randy.Roper@ozonemag.com)
CHARLESTON, SC:
CHARLESTON, SC: Since we ranked as one of the nation’s most dangerous cities
last year, Hoodz DVD Magazine came through and did a special feature on life in
Charleston a.k.a. The Chuck Town, granting the nation full access into the United
States’ newest murder capital. The streets are also buzzing about the release of
TwinD of 1st Century Entertainment’s newest compilation featuring the city’s hottest talent. Ferl Gates’ new mixtape Still In The Mix is still a best-seller in almost
all the record stores. New singles and mixtapes from local artists Redrum, P.I.M.P.,
Venni Mussiani, and Carlos Cartel are also setting the streets on fire.
– DJ Chuck T (DJChuckT@aol.com)
ORLANDO, FL:
DJ Nasty’s birthday bash at Firestone was the best
party of the year so far, with Rich Boy, Plies, Rick
Ross, and more. Across town, a man was stabbed
six times outside of Club Hush. Infinity Beats, who
produced Mary J. Blige’s single “Take Me As I Am,”
is currently working with 112’s Slim on his upcoming solo album. Federal agents executed a search
warrant on Lou Pearlman’s offices and home, the
latest in a string of legal problems facing the man
who built the Backstreet Boys and ‘NSYNC. The
Young Buck and Lil Scrappy “show” at Club Legends ranks right up there with Orlando’s greatest
flops, but at least the ice sculpture looked good.
JACKSONVILLE, FL:
Believe it! Boosie, Webbie, Young Capone, and Yola all rolled through Duval.
Swordz and Dukwon did their thing hyping up the crowd at Plush Nightclub. Dukwon’s new mixtape I Will Be Heard by DJ Smallz is circulating in the streets, along
with the Roger for Mayor DVD hosted by Roger from Point Blank Ent. Bigga Rankin
has been making major moves for Jacksonville and rumor has it Young Cash just
did the photo shoot for his debut album. If you’re on the Southside, check out DJ
151’s new hot spot at Jim’s Place. Until next time, suck it easy, haters.
- Ms. Rivercity (www.myspace.com/msrivercity)
MIAMI, FL:
- Destine Cajuste (upromoteme@aol.com)
TAMPA, FL:
Acafool’s “Damn I Look Good” Tour is coming to a city near you. DJ H-Vidal
is now the official DJ for the Tampa Bay Storm and the official tour DJ for
Bubba Sparxxx! If you wanna hear a DJ that will make you fall out laughing
and will support you if you sound good, tune into AM 1150 WTMP and 96.1 FM
o hear Big $$$ Ced – yes, we still have an AM station! Make sure you send get
well wishes to DJ Doc D, who suffered a heart attack and is recovering.
- Mz T-Rock (mztrock@yahoo.com)
My 99 Jamz morning show partner in crime Big Lip was the talk of
Wendy Williams’ syndicated gossip show. A female called in claiming he has a 7-year-old son in Charlotte, NC, that he doesn’t take
care of and that his wife doesn’t know about, and that he lives in
a $1 million home. Funny considering he has custody of his two
sons, has never been married, and his house is nice but not worth
$1 million! BET’s Spring Bling did its thing up in West Palm, but it
was the clubs on South Beach that were crazy! Speaking of crazy,
DJ Khaled shot the video for “We Takin’ Over” with dozens of celebrities. With all the jumping and leaping Khaled did in this minimovie, I see movies in his future! God help us all! ListennnnnnN!!!
- Supa Cindy (Supaisaqueen@gmail.com)
OZONEMAG
MAG////19
19
OZONE
20 // OZONE MAG
OZONE MAG // 21
mathematics
byWendyDayof the RapCoalition
www.wendyday.com
How To Get A Record Deal
I’ve already written about this, but since I still get
over 100 calls and emails a week asking me this
same damn question, it looks like I’m going to have
to write about it yet again. Almost every artist I
know wants a record deal. There are basically three
types of record labels that offer deals: 1) independent record labels, 2) major record labels, and 3)
those in-between labels that consider themselves
“incubators” or “independent distributors.”
An indie label is a record label that has independent
distribution (meaning distribution that is NOT part
of a major label pipeline). Examples of current indie
labels in rap include Swisha House (Houston), SoBe (Florida), etc.
A major record label is one of the Big 4, and they are called major labels because they have their own major distribution companies attached that have
a tight lock on the industry in terms of traditional distribution (traditional
distribution means CDs sold through retail stores, which is slowly reducing in
importance with the rise of the internet). The major labels include: Universal
(Def Jam, Motown, Republic, Interscope, and all of the sub-labels with
deals through those labels, such as Jeezy’s label Corporate Thugz. G-Unit,
Eminem’s Shady Records, Slip-N-Slide, etc); Sony BMG (Sony, Jive, J Records,
etc), EMI (Capitol and Virgin, which seem to have just merged); and WEA
(Warner Bros, Atlantic, and all of the sub-labels such as Bad Boy, T.I.’s label
Grand Hustle, etc.).
An incubator, as they exist today (in my opinion, which does NOT necessary
reflect the opinion of this magazine or any of its employees), seem to be a
middle ground for artists and indie labels that the majors do not yet feel can
compete 100%, yet have enough value for them to sign to deals. The deals
are smaller, the resources are less, and often if the artist or label experiences
any success at all, they are upstreamed to the major label affiliated with the
incubator. This includes Asylum (WEA’s incubator), Fontana (Universal’s incubator), and Imperial (EMI’s incubator). The incubators and distributors seem
to attract the smaller artists and labels who can sell between 50,000 CDs and
300,000 CDs. If the incubator feels the artist can go gold or platinum, they
often upstream the project to the major label (the best examples of this are
Paul Wall and Mike Jones, who were upstreamed to Atlantic and Warner Bros
respectively from Asylum). Upstreaming usually occurs at a pre-agreed upon
amount of money, which benefits the incubator because it enables them to
sign deals for less money when the artists have far less leverage.
t
t t
t t
An indie distributor is a self-distributed company that takes on projects
because they feel they can make a profit. Examples of rap distributors are
Select-O-Hits, Navarre, RED, TVT, Koch, etc. Although each deal is as different
as the distributor, most indie distribution deals are 80/20 splits (the indie label getting the 80% while the distributor makes the 20%). Some of the indie
distributors act kind of like labels (Koch and TVT) offering small advances
and offering services (for a fee or a larger percentage split, or both) to the
artist or label such as radio, video, marketing, etc.
Income from record labels and distributors depends on many things:
How much money is spent on a project that needs to be recouped (paid back)
The terms of the contract in the deal [how much of a split is supposed to be
paid AFTER the CD recoups (breaks even)]
Whether the label or distributor actually pays (many do not)
How many production companies and sub-labels are between the artist and
the person putting out the CD (Chingy was a not-so-happy example of this
— he was signed to a St. Louis production company, which was signed to DTP,
which was signed to Capitol Records. So after Capitol Records recouped all
of the money spent on the project, there were others getting a share of the
money before any trickled down to Chingy).
How many CDs actually sell, less the returns that come back to the label or
distributor.
22 // OZONE MAG
So, how do you get signed to a deal at a record label whether it’s an indie,
a major, or a distributor without coming through one of the sub-labels (a
sub-label is G-Unit, or Shady, or Slip-N-Slide, or Grand Hustle, etc)? You
need a strong buzz, good music, and lots of leverage. Since this is a business, whoever signs you will have to believe they can make a lot of money
by putting your project into the marketplace. The economy in the music
industry sucks right now. Rap sales are at an all-time low. At a time when
music can be downloaded for free, the amount of good quality music is also
at an all time low. This makes for a weak music economy for record labels,
which translates into less risk, lower deals monetarily, and smaller budgets.
Since 1996, the way that I have personally seen artists getting signed to
successful deals is through having strong leverage. I’m not talking about
just getting signed to a record deal. That’s not enough! I’m talking about
getting signed to a deal that will come as close to a guarantee of success
as possible. If you look at the deals I have negotiated over the years,
almost all of the artists have gone multi-platinum. Just being signed to a
label is not enough — many, many, many careers are killed by well-intentioned labels (and some not so well-intentioned labels, too).
You must get signed to a label that can create phenomenal success for you,
create a lasting career, and allow you to share in as large a percentage of
your financial success as possible. This takes team effort on the part of the
label and the artist.
The best way to build strong leverage is to put out your CD independently in
your own region. Once you sell about 30,000 CDs (verifiable by SoundScan)
and get some radio spins, the labels will clamor to sign you. At this point,
you should have enough leverage to get a top deal with a major label that
has the resources to push you to international fame and financial success.
Or, you will have enough leverage to get a wonderful split and enough
money to push your own release further with an indie label or distributor
that has a track record of success in doing this for other rap releases. All
labels are not created equal. Make certain that you pair your type of music
and sound with a label that can excel at that type of sound.
I have seen many artists over the years spend a grip of money at radio to
get some strong BDS spins (labels get excited when they see an unsigned
act hit about 200 to 250 spins a week at BDS) with the intention of getting
signed to a major label. [BDS is a company that measures radio play for
the music industry and you can get more details of how they do it and who
they are at www.rapcointelpro.com).] The problem with artists who try to
get signed through radio play is that it is not enough leverage to convince
the labels to take a risk on signing the artist. A lot of radio play does not
necessarily turn into strong CD sales. Many artists have had a lot of radio
play but did not sell in proportion to the amount of spins (D4L, Jim Jones,
Terror Squad, David Banner, etc). This makes labels very leery to put millions
of dollars in promotion behind an artist who has only garnered radio play.
The only proof of potential sales ability, is for the artist to actually sell CDs.
If you can sell 30,000 CDs in your region by yourself, with the strength of
a larger label behind you, they figure you will be able to sell hundreds of
thousands of CDs nationally (possibly even millions, the ultimate goal).
For an artist, selling 30,000 CDs on your own through an independent distributor like Select-O-Hits means close to $200,000 or more in income. With
income from sales, this makes you less desperate to take a bullshit deal,
and it creates a financial starting point for the larger labels in signing you.
Releasing a record is hard work and has expense involved. You will need
money to market and promote the release, so this is not for everyone.
Many artists are not willing to grind to sell their own CDs. But, I have never
seen an artist get a good deal from shopping a demo around to the labels.
I have seen many, many artists get great deals that have built successful
careers by putting out their own CD and creating the necessary leverage to
have value to a larger label. For me, it’s the only way to go! //
PHOTO GALLERIES
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Photo Credits:
OZONEMAG
MAG////23
23
OZONE
CHINCHECK
Now Walk It Out Like Usher / If You Say Real Talk I
Probably Wont Trust Ya / If You Wanna Go To War, The
Gunz My Pleasure / Even Jesus Had 12 Disciples On
The Level, Trigger, Whatever / Pumm You Don’t Want
Naw Beef With 3 Thou / I’m Like Jury Duty, You’re
New To This Part Of Town / Your White Tee Well To Me
Looks Like A Nightgown / Make Ya Mama Proud Take
That Thing Two Sizes Down / Then You’ll Look Like
The Man That You Are Or What You Could Be / I Could
Give A Damn ‘bout Your Car But Then That Would Be
If It Was Considered A Classic Before The Drastic
/ Change In Production When Cars Were / Metal
Instead Of Plastic Value / Is What I’m Talkin About
/ Take Two Of These And Walk It Out / You’ll Be The
Reason They Talk It Out / You Cant Be The King Of The Parking Lot Forever /
Not Sayin I’m The Best But Til They Find Somethin’ Better / I Am Here No Fear
Write Me A Letter ‘Til Then
Where have you been, Mr. Benjamin? We missed you! Only you could make me
enjoy this 2007 negro spiritual! Can’t you just see the slaves singing, “Kunta
walk it out, Toby walk it out!”? Everyone needs to recognize that these are
some of the realest words ever spoken on a rap record. This verse should be
a wake-up call for what I call Generation Now. I had to break this verse down
for those who listen but may not understand. Please, on behalf of Charlamagne Tha God and Andre 3000, pay attention:
IF YOU SAY “REAL TALK” I PROBABLY WON’T TRUST YA
Damn right I won’t trust ya. If you’re making a statement and your statement
is true and not filled with falsehood, why do you negroes feel the need to try
to convince me you’re not lying by saying “real talk”? Either you’re lying or
you’re not secure in what you’re trying to convey to me, so you say “real talk”
like that’s the stamp that’s supposed to make me have faith in your word. If
you’re talking to me and telling the truth, say what you have to say and end
it with a verbal period. “Real talk” is a verbal comma. It just pauses the dialog long enough for you to continue scripting your fictional verbal paragraph
that you recognize I’m not buying into. So now you’re going to continue
spewing this bullshit my way because you realize I don’t really believe you.
That’s when you try to throw a “real talk” in, basically saying, “I’m not lying.”
Well, if you’re not lying then why do you feel the need to tell me you’re not
lying? If you feel the need to tell me you’re not lying then 9 times out of 10
you are lying. So if you say real talk I probably won’t trust ya.....
IF YOU WANT TO GO TO WAR, THE GUN’S MY PLEASURE, EVEN JESUS HAD 12 DISCIPLES ON THE LEVEL, TRIGGER, WHATEVER
This is a power statement. I take it as we all want peace. We know guns
contribute to the conflict of you going against your own, but let’s be real,
you have to protect yourself in this day and age. These negroes out here are
crazy. You are either going to be a predator or prey, victor or the victim, the
choice is yours. So let it be known that I come in peace, but if you want to
wage war on me, the gun’s my pleasure. I take pleasure in knowing that I
will bust a cap in the name of the righteous on any negative forces that dare
try go against me. “Even Jesus had 12 Disciples on the level,” meaning even
Jesus had some sort of backup. The Disciples were gangstas; they protected
Jesus. The disciple Peter even cut someone’s ear off when they came after
Jesus. Even God’s only begotten son Jesus needed some sort of protection to
keep him from these no good, unrighteous, devilish bastards. Disciples on the
level, trigger, whatever, it’s all the same…
YOUR WHITE TEE, WELL TO ME, LOOKS LIKE A NIGHTGOWN. MAKE YA MAMA PROUD,
TAKE THAT THANG TWO SIZES DOWN, THEN YOU’LL LOOK LIKE THE MAN THAT YOU
ARE - OR WHAT YOU COULD BE
Do I even have to explain? You Generation Now negroes are the reason the
dress codes are so strict at every night club in Amerikka! When did the white
tee become the standard uniform for every negro in every hood in the United
States? Don’t get me wrong when it’s 100+ degrees in New York or the mighty
state of South Carolina you will catch me rocking just a plain white tee
because I’m not sweating all over some fly uniform I paid some big money
for. My problem is you negroes who wear those extra long tees past your
knees! What is the science in that shit?! Personally I think that’s some NY fad,
24 // OZONE MAG
by Charlamagne Tha God cthagod@gmail.com
long tees past your knees with hats that are four times your size. Fitted hats
should be on top of your head, not sliding down over your face like a football
helmet. If you want something that to come past your knees, buy a dress! You
might as well start cross dressing cause truth be told, that’s what your long
white tee looks like: a dress. Or as Mr. 3000 put it, a “nightgown.” So, make
your mama proud. Take that thang 2 sizes down.
I COULD GIVE A DAMN ‘BOUT YOUR CAR, BUT THEN THAT WOULD BE IF IT WAS CONSIDERED A CLASSIC, BEFORE THE DRASTIC CHANGE IN PRODUCTION WHEN CARS
WERE METAL INSTEAD OF PLASTIC, VALUE IS WHAT I’M TALKIN’ ‘BOUT
I could give a damn ‘bout your car! That’s for all you dudes who think your
car makes you a better man. Pardon me while I laugh at you. If you’re not
fly standing barefoot in your briefs, you will not be fly behind the wheels of
a Phantom, Bentley, Maybach or whatever other expensive negro mobile you
rappers make hot. Besides, cars are not investments! There a few exceptions
to this rule, but in general vehicles are what we call depreciating assets. Glass
and plastic lose value over time. On average, cars and trucks lose more than
20% of their value in the first year! Some vehicles lose as much as 40%! The
opposite of depreciate is appreciate, which over time is what a house tends
to do. This means it actually gains value. The average age of cars in the US is
somewhere between 7 and 8 years. Most families have two or more of them,
which means on average they end up buying a car every 3 or 4 years. This, my
people, could really fuck up your bank account! My advice from an investment
standpoint when it comes to cars: DON’T BUY THEM! I don’t care if it’s new
or used, don’t lease it, don’t finance it, don’t even rent-to-own. Just don’t
fuck with them, period! Who am I kidding. Even though I know all this, I’m
still copping a Bentley GT this summer. Sorry Mr. 3000, but you still gave me
something to build on....
YOU CAN’T BE THE KING OF THE PARKING LOT FOREVER
The simplicity but powerfulness of this statement is what I marvel at. I know
a lot of you hate to hear this, but it’s the truth. You can’t be the king of the
parking lot forever! Honestly what you negroes are doing is called loitering!
Some people say trespassing! Can you go get a job? Maybe a hobby? Isn’t
there something you could be doing other than posting up in the parking lot of some gas station or fast food restaurant? It’s two in the morning!
No disrespect to the ladies, but where the pussy at! Nothing productive or
constructive is going down in the parking lot. Plus it’s only matter of time
before you negroes start
fighting and shooting,
so the reality of being
the King of the Parking
Lot is really being the
king of nothing at all.
The Burger King got way
more juice than the King
of the Parking Lot.....
My people, if you stop
walking it out for just a
minute and pay attention
to what Pastor 3000 is
saying you will realize
this is ghetto gospel!
This verse can really
make you change your
life if you have a proper
understanding of what
Brother 3000 is saying.
He’s only trying to help
you become the man that
you are - or what you
could be.
Until next time, this has
been a Public Street
Announcement from the
Cerebral Assassin Charlamagne Tha God.
PHOTO GALLERIES
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for Rich Boy’s lis
DJ
Sh
i & Rick Ross
by
rk
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&
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pa
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Pa
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//
DJ
op
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06
& DJ Infamous
Area 51 for CORE DJs Retreat (Miami, FL) 14 // i, FL) 17 // Randy
iami, FL) 08 //
mz (Miami, FL)
@
(M
Ja
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// Mike Caren & World @ Mansion for The CORE r CORE DJs Award Show (Miam y’s video game
// K-Foxx & DJ
of DJ Khaled’s
fo
(Austin, TX) 11
all
Jeez
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ality @ Area 51
7303
Pulla @ Young
, & guest @ SXSW // Petey Pablo, Lil Fate, & Sm
Khaled & Gil Gr
tic
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lli
Don Adams, & Re iami, FL) 19 // Carbon & Slick
Street @ Studio
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FL
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a, GA) 15 // Plies , TX) 18 // Alishea & Brandii
Wednesda
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Roper & Eric Pe nta, GA) 20 // Unk signing au for 8Ball & MJG’s listening pa
; Luis Santana
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1,2
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22 // Lump & Sh
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(01,03,05,06,07,1
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ve
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lia
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ic Perrin (10,17,2
D-Lyte (02); Er
Photo Credits:
(09)
Terrence Tyson
OZONEMAG
MAG////25
25
OZONE
20
GREATEST HITS
In honor of our five-year anniversary, we’ve rounded up some of the most entertaining cocktales from our always-popular
Groupie Confessions.
And now, for the disclaimer: These “Confessions” are anonymous, so we cannot verify if they are true or not. All details (cities, club names, hotel names) have
been removed. These stories do not necessarily represent the opinions of OZONE Magazine. These stories did not necessarily occur recently, so if you are currently seeing one of these fine gentlemen, no need to curse him out. These stories are from different women.
01 // 50 CENT
“[50] just dropped his pants. He had boxers on, and he was all hard. His penis
was poking out, like ewwwww. It was small, like, ‘What the fuck!?’ I told my
homegirl it was gonna be small cause he got all those damn muscles, but she
ain’t believe me. She was more devastated than I was after we saw it.” (Issue
#40 December 2005)
02 // ALLEN IVERSON
“[Allen Iverson] has the littlest, ashiest dick I’ve ever seen. It’s like, nonexistent. He looks like he should have a pussy. And it’s dry. I would give him four
inches at best, and skinny.” (Issue #29 November 2004)
03 // BENZINO
“I would recommend Benzino. He’s freaky as hell. He’ll lick any hole that you
ask him to. If anybody reads this, he’s gonna get a lot of pussy.” (Issue #29
November 2004)
04 // ELEPHANT MAN
“Elephant Man will have you all over the room. Carrying you around the to the
sink, in the bathroom, all that. But it was all this pumping with no action, you
get what I’m sayin? Like a jackhammer. His dick is like, short and stump. Girl, I
was in the bathroom on the damn sink! Are you serious? ‘Pon di river!’” (Issue
#41 January 2006)
05 // FIELD MOB
“Shawn Jay is really nice and he’s good, great all the way around. I was
fuckin’ Shawn but I liked Smoke. Both of them are really, really sweet. He’s
great in bed, too. He’s big. He’s a keeper, trust me.” (Issue #41 January 2006)
06 // FREEWAY
“He’s nice, a sweetheart, a real nice guy. He’ll eat your front quick. He’s the
type that likes to please. But he wasn’t lying when he said he’s a Trojan guy.
Not the Magnums, the regular kind.” (Issue #41 January 2006)
07 // JADAKISS
“Jadakiss is a minuteman, for sure. It doesn’t even count as sex because he
busted so fast he didn’t even really stick it in.” (Issue #29 November 2004)
08 // JAY-Z
11 // METHOD MAN
“He’s a very interesting character. He’s a beast, he likes to tell you to lay
down, do this, do that. He’s very controlling.” (Issue #29 November 2004)
12 // MOBB DEEP (HAVOC)
“Havoc wanted to suck on a bitch’s toes and lick my asshole for like forty-five
minutes. He’s a toe-licker and an ass eater. We took a shower together... he
put my right foot in his damn mouth. I’m like, ‘Boy, you crazy.’ It was just a
cover up for his medium-sized dick. [The sex] wasn’t mindblowing or anything. Like, Alright, see you later, where’s 50?” (Issue #40 December 2005)
13 // NELLY
“Nelly’s got a small wiener. I’d compare it to those little sausage links; that’s
how I’d describe his thing. ‘Bout the size of my Newport. (laughing) And trying to get me to swallow his pimp juice? Please.” (Issue #31 February 2005)
14 // NOREAGA
“Noreaga likes getting his ass licked. I was like, ‘Oh, hell no.’ He’s fat. He got
a big ol’ stomach. He was bending over and I was on X, so I was gonna do it…
He was bent over, I was thinking, ‘Why the fuck is this gangsta rapper bent
over trying to get me to suck his ass?’” (Issue #31 February 2005)
15 // PLIES
“Plies got his own thing going on. He likes the lights on. He likes to see everything and look at everything. Before he about to nut he takes his condom
off. Every time, he always takes it off so he can see it coming out. He do it
every time.” (Issue #46 June 2006)
16 // PRETTY RICKY (SLICK ‘EM)
“It was pretty good, but… he liked to play around a lot. That’s kind of a turn
off when I’m in the mood to do something and he’d be telling jokes, acting
silly, playing around.” (Issue #37 August 2005)
17 // SLIM THUG
“He answered the door in his boxers... I started taking off all my clothes. I
don’t know why, I guess it was the adrenaline rush or maybe the Grey Goose.
He threw me on the bed and that turned me on even more. We fucked for like
an hour, and it was a good hour, too.” (Issue #46 June 2006)
“[Jay-Z had] the biggest dick you will ever see in your life, but boring. Huge.
Like a one liter Pepsi bottle, what do they call those things? The 20 ounce
bottle…it could block the sun… And he screams like a bitch when he busts. It’s
horrible. He has a humongous dick and no idea what to do with it.” (Issue #29
November 2004)
18 // TRACY McGRADY
09 // LIL WAYNE
19 // TRICK DADDY
10 // MARIO WINANS
20 // TYRESE
“He does stuff during sex, like he might be smoking during sex or drinking
during sex… and he always says, ‘Please say the baby.’” (Issue #37 August
2005)
“Mario Winans does drugs and I don’t. So he was real rude. He didn’t really
care about having sex anyway. He tried, but it only lasted like two minutes.”
(Issue #36 July 2005)
26 // OZONE MAG
“We’d watch TV first, while he put baby powder on his bed. He says it makes
his skin soft. He’s real, real boring. Watch TV, start kissing, turn around, from
the back, turn around, cum. Every single time. Same thing. I used to give him
head just cause I was bored.” (Issue #34 May 2005)
“We were there for hours... his shit is like, king ding-a-ling for real. I don’t
know how long cause I didn’t have a measuring tape. I’d give him like 8 1/2
inches. He’s very, very good. He was on point.” (Issue #40 December 2005)
“Tyrese’s mouth should be for rent. His mouth and dick are both good. He’s
working with something major. It was, like, R&B sex. More sensual.” (Issue #29
November 2004)
PHOTO GALLERIES
ne
// Basswood La
Orleans, LA) 03
g
ew
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te
(N
lis
sh
ba
eir
y
th
da
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th
DJ Popa, & 8Ball
an Bender’s bir
th
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na
MJ
ley
Jo
//
nt
r
05
fo
Be
e
e
)
er (Orlando, FL
awt @ The Venu
Chaka Zulu @ th Sobe Live
Convention Cent FL) 07 // Bobby Valentino &
Slim Thug, & Sh
@
Orange County
i,
02 // Tony Neal,
red & Gun Play
@
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iam
rte
TX
(M
sty
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Pimp C @ SXSW
’ Over” (Miami,
FL) 11 // Hulk
ve, Kaye Dunawa the set of DJ Khaled’s “We Ta
i,
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iam
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01 // Willie D &
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FL
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FL
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Demp
300 for Baby Bo
party (New Orlea treat Def Jam event (Miami,
ae & Young Cash DJs J Records private party
rren$y @ Club
- Storm 17 // DJ e for
10 // Paris Jont
s Re
, Baby Boy, & Cu
Smilez @ CORE
lis (Miami, FL)
&
for the CORE DJ tic Records party (Miami, FL)
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Shawn Prez & MJ llipark @ CORE
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i, FL) 12 // Sout
Dizzy, DJ Raj Sm eet (Atlanta, GA) 16 // DJ Q4
Co
iami, FL) 19 //
Sobe Live (Miam ” (Miami, FL) 14 // McManne,
e Takin’ Over” (M (Miami, FL) 21 // Tarvoria & Mr
z meet & gr
at
“W
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TJ Chapman @
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// DJ Jelly, Jibbs
18 // Rick Ross
e Bentley for th
Orleans, LA) 15 eamz Tour (Jacksonville, FL)
x & Apple @ th
rm (16);
Lin
d
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TX
Ma
Dr
,
t
//
tin
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20
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(Aus
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Marcus DeWayn
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Ab
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CORE DJs Atlan
ndz (03); Malik
ivate party (Miam
0,21); Luxury Mi
DJs J Records pr
0,11,12,18,19,2
9,1
8,0
7,0
6,0
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Eric Perrin (01,1 e Tyson (17)
Photo Credits:
Terrenc
OZONEMAG
MAG////27
27
OZONE
Capri
You asked for it and now you got it - a model section. But in true OZONE fashion, we had to remix it. It
couldn’t just be like every other mag’s model section, so
instead of models, our Pole Position display showcases
some of the most succulent strippers in the game.
Touched by an Angel
This is the story of Capri, a 27-year-old former factory steel welder
who left welding steel rods for a new career erecting them. Today, you
can find the captivating Black and Dominican mix at Strokers Club, one
of ATL’s premier strip spots, which, according to Capri, is the place to
be on Sunday nights. “If you wanna find me, go there on Sunday,” says
Capri. “Sundays are always hot at Strokers, that’s the only day that I’m
definitely in there.”
If for some reason the two golden arches between her shoulders and
triple-thick thighs haven’t compelled you to make the trip next Sunday
— and every Sunday after — then her double Big Macs in the back will
definitely do the job.
“I get a lot of attention from my butt,” she shyly reveals, in an obvious
understatement. “Both males and females seem to love my butt.” Truth
is, her butt is beyond belief. And then, as if her small, 23-inch frame
leading to a 38-inch derriere didn’t already attract enough attention,
Capri has made her spacious behind home to an equally alluring angel
tattoo; a tattoo so big it looks as though Shaq himself slapped her on
the ass and left a permanent print. “I love my tattoo,” she gushes. “I
think it fits perfect.”
The tattoo also worked perfect for her position as one of the most
desired dancers at the club. Capri’s natural resources are so coveted
that her customers will do or say damn near anything to get more than
just a lap dance from the heavenly body. “One time I met this guy at
the club and he told me that his wife died giving birth to his son, and
I ended up dating him for about a year,” she remembers. “It turned
out that his wife was alive and well, so now, I kinda stay away from
customers.” //
Words by Eric N. Perrin // Photos by Sean Cokes
Hair & Makeup by Christian // Model provided by StrokersClub.com
28 // OZONE MAG
PHOTO GALLERIES
listening party
for 8Ball & MJG’s DJ Nasty @ Fire&
@ Studio 7303
,
G
ino
MJ
Ch
&
c,
DJ
,
Ro
gi
nblo, & Swirl
02 // 8Ball, He
) 04 // Krazy Yo
ent (Miami, FL)
party (Miami, FL iami, FL) 06 // Guest, Petey Pa
s
ev
rd
m
co
Ja
f
Re
De
tic
at
lan
tre
(M
At
Prince & King
s
Re
e
ow
s
DJ
th
Sh
DJ
y
RE
d
Bo
RE
ar
CO
r
CO
by
Aw
e
fo
s
Ba
DJ
Bentley for th
Mistah
m @ Sobe Live
iami, FL) 08 //
ea 51 for CORE
iami, FL) 11 //
Mad Linx @ the
f Jam event (M
Ron C, & Tum Tu
x, & guest @ Ar
01 // DJ Q45 &
for CORE DJs De DJs J Records private party (M ank White, Kaspa,
Tuck, Trini D, OG
mmando, DJ Six
ley
Big
Co
nt
,
DJ
Be
co
e
//
Pa
th
//
05
@
)
03
Fr
RE
sh
//
B&
(Houston, TX)
rty (Orlando, FL
ppi & Young Ca
e & K Foxx @ CO
(Miami, FL) 13
i, FL) 15 // Bun
sty’s birthday pa at (Miami, FL) 07 // Deuce Po Studios (Atlanta, GA) 10 // Dr DJ Khaled’s “We Takin’ Over”
ivate party (Miam Bigga Rankin & DJ
stone for DJ Na
pr
tre
rk
of
s
t
Re
we
rd
se
s
e
co
tch
DJ
th
Re
Pa
RE
J
on
@
s
CO
//
e
h
DJ
es
The
t Jo
” (Miami, FL) 17 ent (Miami, FL) 19
ite Boy @ CORE
e-Z & Mannie Fr
@ Mansion for
TV Johnny & Fa
// Chance & Wh
“We Takin’ Over
TX) 09 // Mac Br ivate party (Miami, FL) 12 //
treat Def Jam ev ke Caren & Mistah
(Atlanta, GA) 14 Rich on the set of DJ Khaled’s
Re
pr
Mello (Houston,
s
s
rty
rd
DJ
pa
co
g
RE
Re
CO
nin
J
e
te
s
th
Mi
y’s lis
RE DJ
B, & B
iami, FL) 21 //
the Bentley for
(M
@
v
FAB & Cool @ CO hard @ Patchwerk for Rich Bo ) 16 // TJ Chapman, Akon, BO
at
Sa
tre
g
Re
un
s
Yo
DJ
ep
FL
for The CORE
// DJ Impact &
ion
18
ns
)
FL
Ma
guest, & Klarc Sh t of “We Takin’ Over” (Miami,
i,
@
)
l
iam
MS
du
(M
n,
Ab
e se
Jam event
Tony C & Malik
g Break (Jackso
DJ Khaled on th for the CORE DJs Retreat Def
Freelon’s Sprin
iami, FL) 20 //
ley
D @ Mansion (M
est, & Harvey @
gu
Big
ie,
&
z
er
az
Ch
EFN @ the Bent
ab
ra
Sh
RE DJs Malik
FL) 22 // Tamb
lik Abdul (04.07)
// The sexiest CO CORE DJs Award Show (Miami,
Smith (02,08); Ma
for
1,22); Keadron
0,2
9,2
8,1
7,1
FAB @ Area 51
2,13,14,15,16,1
5,06,09,10,11,1
Beverly (01,03,0
lia
Ju
s:
dit
Cre
o
Phot
OZONEMAG
MAG////29
29
OZONE
ING
T
R
A
T
S
at we
ved th
’ve pro
e
w
,
s
r
ea
r the y
LINEUP
lk shit
can ta
y
erybod
out ev
ow it
turn
’s our
else. N
rin
ric Per
// by E
ab
Mercedes
Ove
Tene
Ali
Randy
Eric
Malik
Julia
Julia “JB” Beverly – Publisher (Orlando, FL)
Julia Beverly is the largest consumer of sweet tea in the South and wears
white Air Force Ones like she owns a minority percentage of Nike stock,
throwing them away after the first scuff mark. She eats a lot but gains no
weight, and is the single biggest celebrity in Orlando. If you don’t know who
Julia Beverly is, obviously this is your first time reading OZONE. For the few
first time readers, “JB” is OZONE’s 25-year-old Founder/CEO/Editor-In-Chief/
Lead Photographer/Layout Specialist/Sales Executive/Promotions Manager/Senior Writer/Street Rep/Web Designer. Basically, she does a little bit of
everybody else’s job, and has never been seen sleeping.
Though she no longer writes 92% of the magazine (currently it’s at about
35%), JB still pens a significant amount of the content, including her
monthly 2 Cents column, which has been known to shut down more bogus
businesses than Wal-Mart. If you bounce a check, beware, because it may
end up in the next issue. And don’t think those pictures of JB with random
rappers that run adjacent to her 2 Cents are there just for show; nope. JB is
pimpin’, but like a true pimp, she’ll never announce that fact. Some of other
names JB has been called throughout the years include Julie (it’s Jul-E-Ah,
not Jul-E), the OZONE lady, Pimp Red, slut monkey (her favorite), white girl,
and many others.
Malik “Copafeel” Abdul – Promotions Director (Orlando, FL)
Eric N. Perrin - Features Editor (Chicago, IL)
Eric spends most of his day trying to convince anyone who will listen
that Chicago is the center of the universe. Eric, however, is actually from
Evanston, Illinois, (a north-side suburb) just outside of Chicago. He has been
living in Atlanta the past two years and is (kind of) a full-time student at
Morehouse College, but basically lives in the OZONE office. You’ve probably
seen him scurrying behind JB fetching her sweet tea at video shoots, OZONE
parties, studio runs, and other industry events. He is also a photographer,
but his Radio Shack-clearance-rack-camera and seemingly 16-year-old appearance make him look more like a male groupie who somehow snuck past
security. If you see Eric out and about, please do not ask him how long he
has been “interning” for OZONE.
Randy “Exclusive” Roper - Music Editor (Charleston, SC)
Rappers, label execs, and managers, this is guy you need to speak to if
you’re disappointed by the review your CD or mixtape received in the last
few issues. Music editor Randy Roper is from Charleston, SC, but for now, you
can find him in the A. He truly believes he knows anything and everything
about music, especially rap. We, however, feel more inclined to believe that
Randy knows everything about South Carolina rap. At any given moment,
Randy “Exclusive” is trying to convince us at OZONE that some random South
Cack artist, who no one in hell has ever heard of, is the next to blow. We love
South Carolina, but come on. Randy has spent his entire time at Ozone trying
to convince JB that the mag needs a model section, because he secretly
knows it’s the only way he’ll be able to pick up chicks in ATL. Sorry Randy, I
guess you’ll be stuck hollering at big girls on Myspace forever.
Mercedes STREETS – Queen of the Streets (Orlando, FL)
Malik has been with OZONE damn near longer than anyone not named JB,
and although his title is Promotions Director, Malik does it all - from writing,
to photography, to ad sales, and more. The legendary former pirate radio
DJ was once sentenced to four months home confinement with an electronic bracelet and 18 months probation for operating several immensely
successful pirate radio stations throughout Central Florida. Today, OZONE’s
smooth criminal spends much of his time cruising the scene in his extremely
conspicuous OZONE/CRUNK!!! truck looking for unsuspecting hoards of [white]
women on which to prey. He is also responsible for nearly all of the halfnaked pictures of “video models” you see in the photo galleries of OZONE
(thanks, Cop). Malik lives in Orlando but spends most of his time on the road.
If you look in the very first issue of OZONE, Mercedes name was right there
on the masthead. 5 years and 56 issues later, she’s still a major part of the
magazine. Mercedes plays an integral part in the magazine’s promotions and
also runs OZONE’s Myspace page (don’t ask to placed in the top 8; she won’t
even give such an honor to any of the new staff members). Mercedes rides or
dies for OZONE, literally. This past winter, she was involved in a car accident
driving from Orlando to Tallahassee with thousands of magazines in tow.
Thankfully Mercedes is okay, however, she did break her right arm. She wears
a CORE DJs customized cast, since she is also the Promotions Director for the
DJ collective.
N. Ali Early - Chief Operating Officer/OZONE West Editor
Tene Gooden - Art Director (Mandeville, Jamaica)
Bay Boy N. Ali Early (we were gonna tell you what the “N” stands for, but he
edited it out) graduated from Clark Atlanta University and is a die-hard Kobe
Bryant fan. JB couldn’t have picked a better, more knowledgeable West coast
rap cat to head up the new monthly left coast tribute. Ali basically bleeds
Bay soil. If you ask the veteran rap critic, he’ll probably tell you the best
rappers that have ever lived are Mac Dre, E-40, 2Pac and Too $hort; and he’ll
go dumb on anyone that disagrees. Ali has been known to wear a different
Bay Area t-shirt every day for a month straight and is the only dude riding
around Atlanta bumpin’ hyphy with his stunner shades on all day long, then
poppin’ his collar on his way to Compound that same night. He is a very
unique dude who laughs uncontrollably at his own jokes and belches better
than Booger from Revenge of the Nerds.
Art Director Tene (pronounced ten-ay) Gooden has been designing magazines for the last seven years and still can’t spell worth a damn. She claims
to be Jamaican but we have our doubts, primarily because Tene doesn’t have
the slightest Jamaican accent. After living in Miami for 6 years and graduating from the Art Institute of Ft. Lauderdale, she moved to Atlanta with a
degree in Graphic Design. If you’ve been noticing the visual differences in
OZONE the last few months, Tene is the one to thank. Though she claims
to love what she does, she gets visibly frustrated when a story is too long
or the pictures provided don’t look right. Even though she looks harmless, if you go too far over the designated word count, Tene will really turn
Jamaican on your rasclat ass and you’ll forever regret it. She is also the only
one in the OZONE office who genuinely laughs at (or even listens to, for that
matter) Ali’s jokes.
(Richmond, CA)
30 // OZONE MAG
PHOTO GALLERIES
of DJ
rch on the set
Sam Sneak, & To t & Young Buck
,
ay
Pl
n
Gu
l’s
rte
// Carol City Ca
i, FL) 04 // Gues et @ Sobe Live
m event (Miam
(Miami, FL) 02
CORE DJs Def Ja a, GA) 06 // Stack$ Press Junk i, FL) 09 //
s private party
r
rd
fo
co
Re
ley
J
nt
s
Be
DJ
e
nt
iam
Feezy @ th
@ The CORE
ning party (Atla
Award Show (M
big booty bitch Young Cash, Mad Linx, & DJ E@ Firestone
Rich Boy’s liste rson @ Area 51 for CORE DJs
5,
gged up with his
Khaled & Disco
Patchwerk for
Ca
DJ
@
//
de
an
11
Cly
Se
)
&
ng
B
TX
01 // Lil Jon hu ’ Over” (Miami, FL) 03 // DJ Q4
,
Yu
FA
as
rk for Rich
&
h
all
n,
we
sta
(D
Do
Mi
tch
ow
//
Pa
da
sh
w
@
08
r
lo
a
)
kin
ca
FL
am
’s
t, Po
Khaled’s “We Ta
est Palm Beach, ip Cheatham @ 97.9 The Beat TX) 13 // Jason Brown & DJ Dr Sobe Live (Miami, FL)
spa, Greg Stree
(W
Ka
//
ing
Bl
05
g
)
TX
rin
n,
Sp
,
Sk
@ TSU (Housto
& Hulk Hogan @ Area 51 for CORE DJs
for SXSW (Austin
& Young Buck @ ainesville, FL) 10 // DJ Bink &
Hogan, Stack$,
auty Bar Patio
// DJ Don Juan
@
&
The Pack @ Be
) 15 // Brooke
@ The Venue (G
(Miami, FL) 07
e Poppi & Plies
&
e
TX
,
ec
n
on
Du
tin
tio
rle
//
us
ra
Co
(A
de
18
&
,
Fe
)
Nice, DJ Chino,
SW
The
wood
ins, & Trae @ SX
t Palm Beach, FL m event (Miami, FL) 21 // DJ
ndo, FL) 12 //
es
wk
Big Koon, Holly
(W
rla
Ha
(O
ing
ah
Bl
rty
sh
g
pa
Me
y
rin
Ja
thda
e @ Sp
DJs Def
Johnson,
tlanta, GA)
for DJ Nasty’s bir
GA) 14 // Chris ) 17 // Famous & Chamillionair Neal @ the Bentley for CORE
release party (A
party (Atlanta,
ezy’s video game
EFN & Tony
Je
(Houston, TX
DJ
g
//
wn
Boy’s listening
un
To
20
Yo
H)
@
TX
of
l (03,09,11,20);
n,
Blak
Southside
(14); Malik Abdu
his son (Housto o, FL) 22 // Don Adams & DJ
16 // My Block
; Luxury Mindz
19 // DJ Chill &
4)
nd
)
(0
rla
FL
i,
(O
ith
Sm
iam
rty
n
(M
pa
ro
Award Show
sty’s birthday
3,15,18,22); Kead
estone for DJ Na
1,02,05,06,08,1
Rich Boy @ Fir
Julia Beverly (0
;
9)
6,1
2,1
(1
n
Perri
Chill (21); Eric
D-Lyte (10); DJ
Photo Credits:
7)
(07,1
Terrence Tyson
OZONEMAG
MAG////31
31
OZONE
jim JONES
Jim: Yo Buck, whut up, son?
Buck: Shit homie. This beef shit crazy, man. These muthafuckas actually
believe Cam and 50 got beef!
Jim: I told you they would, niggas is mad dumb, B.
Buck: We some muthafuckin’ geniuses. We gon’ sell millions off this shit.
Jim: Fuck wit me, this is what I do, bruh. BALLLLLLIINNN!
Buck: Hey, I gotta admit homie, that monkey lookin muthafucka in Cam’s
Currrtis video look just like 50. I be laughin my ass off every time I see
that shit.
OZONE EXCLUSIVE
Jim: Hell yeah, and that dude keeps fuckin calling us about gettin the part
as Mase in Killa Season 2. I told that stupid nigga people already recognize
him as 50. How he gon be 50 one day then mase the next?
Buck: Shit I don’t know. But is you and Cam gonna be at 50’s party in Connecticut next weekend?
Jim: Naw, da boy Jay havin a little get together with Beyonce next Friday
and you know Juelz and everybody tryin to fuck Solange, so we gon hit
that up.
Textin’ is no longer safe now that OZONE’s dangerous minds
have hacked the system.
Buck: Aw man, I wanna go to that shit, homie. I heard Beyonce momma a
freak. I wanna fuck.
Jim: You nasty muthafucka, Tina’s like fuckin 60 or something.
Buck: I don’t give a fuck, homie. That just means I can’t fuck around and
get her pregnant or no shit.
Jim: I don’t think you can hit that shit. Poppa Knowles ain’t gonna honor
no shit like that
Buck: I’m a boss, I can make it rain.
Jim: Well, good luck. I heard she like it ruff.
Buck: How you know nigga?
Jim: Shit, Jay told me.
Buck: Hell nah, Hov fuckin Beyonce and her momma?
Jim: You ain’t know? Why think they let Jay stay wit B this long? He be
fuckin both them at the same time. BALLLLIIIINNNN!!!
Buck: R U serious? Does Beyonce dad know about that shit?
Jim: Hell yeah, he be the one the filming they ass. Jay be killin’ that shit.
No homo.
Buck: That shit too crazy for me homie, but I gotta go homie. Tell the rest
of the dips I said what up.
Jim: Okay. Tell Yayo that was fucked up how he did Jimmy Henchmen’s boy.
Buck: Yeah, but that muthafucka Jimmy Henchmen owed Yayo money from
a dice game last month in Cali. Yayo tried to warn him, but that nigga just
don’t like to pay mafuckas.
Jim: Damn, I didn’t know that shit. If Yayo really wanted to fuck that nigga
up he shoulda just gave dude some of Cam’s Snapple. BALLLLIIIINNN!! Yo,
son, U should have 50 pretend to kick U out of G-Unit on the radio! You’ll
sell millions!
Buck: Jones, U a fool. I’ma tell him. He callin’ Hot 97 in the morning.
Jim: Word, I’ma tune in. Dipset! Dipset! Dipset!
Buck: G-G-G-ood Bye
- From the mind of Eric Perrin.
* This is just a joke. No, we did not really hack into anybody’s sidekick.
32 // OZONE MAG
PHOTO GALLERIES
aled’s
the set of DJ Kh &
Jim Jonsin on
,
&
,
ith
od
Sm
y
wo
ce
lly
Tra
Ho
// BOB, Cedric
// Wild Wayne,
(Miami, FL) 02
(Miami, FL) 04
party (Miami,
rty
rty
te
pa
pa
iva
te
pr
um
s
iva
tin
rd
pr
s
pla
co
rd
Re
3x
, LA) 08 //
CORE DJs J Reco Velez @ Mansion for Akon’s
n @ CORE DJs J
sh (New Orleans
& DJ Suiside @
Carl Washingto
Storch, & Gloria
Jon, Big Theo,
r his birthday ba party (Miami, FL) 10 //
Mr. Collipark, &
t
fo
,
Lil
ot
e
cc
Sc
x,
nu
Ro
O,
Lin
Ve
Dd
ke
DJ
ac
Th
Ma
Bl
//
@
01 // DJ Big D,
// Mali, Akon,
Records private
Orleans, LA) 05 Jonathan Bender & Deelishis
g Jeezy &
B @ CORE DJs J
” (Miami, FL) 03
se party (New
FL) 12 // Youn
ston, TX) 07 //
“We Takin’ Over Club 300 for Baby Boy’s relea
aos & Mistah FA
Retreat (Miami,
ou
Ch
rker @
s
(H
//
Ba
DJ
e
y”
09
RE
cil
ne
)
CO
Ce
GA
Mo
e
er
a,
et
Th
th
@
r
“G
fa
tlant
DJ Black N Mild
te @ Mansion fo iami, FL) 14 // Stack$ & his
The Beat
e set of Lil Flip’s ys at the Universoul Circus (A
mi
.7
th
na
92
on
Dy
BT
p
DJ
WJ
Fli
&
@
Lil
(M
G
&
r Ice
oria @ Area 51
nesia May, & MJ
FL) 06 // Bun B & Unk @ Walk it Out Wednesda
11 // Mixmaste
& Rickey
rv
Ta
)
,
Ta
vis
FL
&
all
Ta
i,
y,
8B
//
ez
//
iam
19
Ge
(M
16
)
)
rty
y,
uf, My” (Houston, TX
event (Miami, FL
ne
) 22 //
Baby D, Big Kore CORE DJs J Records private pa 13 // Ike G Da, Grandaddy So
m
FL
Mo
Ja
h,
et
f
ac
“G
De
s
Be
of
t
DJ
se
a@
rlando, FL)
ntley for CORE
Bling (West Palm
Lil Flip on the
(O
g
Be
&
e
ur
rin
h
th
Tara & Elisa Lis
to
Sp
et
@
Te
@
mz
s
Dr
rd
ea
na
//
Dr
co
ay
& Sh
e Street
i, FL) 18
2 Dog Re
Sherell, Lloyd,
Duck, D-Tec, &
Jim Jones on th
ard Show (Miam
son, MS) 21 //
for CORE DJs Aw
i, FL) 15 // Papa
ring Break (Jack
Sp
n’s
Sobe Live (Miam 17 // Grafh & guest @ Area 51
lo
ee
Fr
4,07,18);
)
man & JC @
rcus DeWayne (0
(Miami, FL)
(Jacksonville, FL Beat (Dallas, TX) 20 // China
dul (12,15); Ma
Def Jam event
Ab
at
lik
tre
Re
Ma
;
s
e
8)
DJ
Th
6,1
(0
Smiley @ 97.9
ley for the CORE
Keadron Smith
our @ the Bent
3,14,17,20,22);
DJ Nasty & Benis
3,05,09,10,11,1
2,0
1,0
(0
rly
ve
lia Be
ic Perrin (08); Ju
D-Lyte (19); Er
(16,21)
Photo Credits:
Terrence Tyson
OZONEMAG
MAG////33
33
OZONE
s
y
o
B
n
a
m
s
Hei
I
ATLANTA, GA
friend was played for
t made by a childhood
ly March. Cap,
bea
ear
a
in
en
day
wh
Fri
an
rm
beg
wa
gle
sin
sually
t’s 3:32 PM on an unu
dance studio hidden
concealed in a small
the group.
n Center.
tio
rea
D-Ray, and D-Nell are
Rec
e
vill
into
ms
Atlanta’s Ada
beat and it just came
and
de
itu
att
in the basement of the
ant
ber
re just listening to the
just
exu
we
ir
and
we
the
g
m
cin
ally
fro
sic
dan
g
d
“Ba
gin
rte
jud
teenage rappers/
a dance song, so I sta
ee
s
They’re exhausted, but
thr
wa
Cap
it
t
The
re,”
tha
w.
the
ds
kno
m
er
hea
fro
our
, you’d nev
rm and it just went
tine (much
envy evoking energy
ed to do a little stiff-a
earsing their stage rou
pen
reh
hap
sly
les
ent
rel
inn
friends have bee
day, and though our
concludes.
n you may think) all
upt
more complicated the
lly impossible to interr
tua
vir
is
it
,
PM
Tube video views
3
for
s
led
thi
t
edu
tha
sch
s
tes
wa
s of MySpace and You
ica
w
tervie
icated hustle which ind
few months and million z, now called 3rd Flo, witnessed their hit
A
ded
a
.
n;
act
ime
rap
reg
w
us
rro
an Boy
their rigoro
y-gone-tomo
later, the three Heism
a mere here-to-toda
pop culture.
ATL Trio is more than
e an enamored part of
om
bec
gle
sin
the
be
to
m
see
y
ma
an”
relishes. “That was
s single “Do Da Heism
o oblivion, their
is beautiful, man.” Cap
e
int
l
Though their infectiou
Tub
fal
You
to
ed
and
tin
ce
des
Spa
were in school and it
“My
t joy riders
lly gotta
promotion when we
product of adolescen
much all we had for
t anything but. “We rea
tty
ges
pre
sug
or
’re
ean
we
t
dem
ice us.”
work ethic and
it’s our future tha
helped the world not
ss like men, because
ds
take care of our busine
ell.
D-N
ld
r-o
yea
19
s
hundreds and hundre
rm
affi
d it for us, after that,
rke
living for right now,”
spa
lly
in.
s
rea
me
be
chi
uTu
“Yo
D-Nell
own Heisman video,”
ferent. They were
of people made their
lifestyle was much dif
State
any
Alb
at
Six months ago, their
m
ted the
dor
or
living in a third flo
ich has brutally lambas
freshmen in college,
in Campus activities,
the music industry, wh to bootlegging streaks, 3rd
ed
of
pat
ch
tici
mu
par
like
y
Un
The
ll.
Ha
g from album leaks
University’s Andrews
end English 101, probed
great, it shows that
internet for everythin
other morning to att
burgers in
ght in the web. “It’s
ese
cau
che
ng
woke up early every
bei
and
s
for
ul
frie
nkf
nch
to make their
tha
Flo is
n ate the Fre
ody in college wants
female dorms, and eve
still have fun. Everyb
nsive. All you
can
xpe
ple
ine
peo
tty
pre
are
Tube
the residence halls.
and MySpace and You
eo,
ell.
vid
n
D-N
ow
tes
l camera and go,” sta
n,” states Cap. “And
gotta do is get a digita
fries never let you dow
gers everybur
ese
“French fries. French
che
ble
y afloat
dou
se
d to eat tho
ether 3rd Flo will sta
Cheeseburgers, we use
stion remains as to wh
ably fades.
vit
que
ine
the
ce
l,
ell.
spa
Stil
My
D-N
s
and
ber
e
tub
day,” vividly remem
ay.
paign crafted by You
D-R
cam
ds
the
ten
er
con
aft
,”
sic
nt, but we make mu
itself that we felt
“Label us what you wa
opportunity presented
an
but
we
e,
leg
now
col
ht
rig
ed
“We lov
ool but
n’t be able to
always go back to sch
album drops, you wo
states 18
we had to take. We can
music, period. When the
ke music and
not always be there,”
y
ke
ma
ma
ma
t
“We
s.
“We
tha
ty
add
uni
ell
ort
ers.” D-N
have a unique opp
rize us as just entertain is complete. It’s well-rounded and
ego
cat
our album
year-old D-Ray.
our music is complete,
//
lated to one sound.”
once, D-Nell, Cap,
iso
at
t
all
jus
pen
not
hap
ely
s
nit
ng
thi
defi
at
it’s
gre
t
tha
do
ces
cre
deu
Following the
They threw the
erly
pelled to pull a Kanye.
g
// Photo by Julia Bev
and D-Ray were com
ned a deal with buddin
sig
and
te
Sta
Words by Eric N. Perrin
any
Alb
at
s
s
iou
ate
tag
ssm
con
cla
ir
and
the
to
que
lion Records. Their uni
independent label J Mil
34 // OZONE MAG
34 // OZONE MAG
PHOTO GALLERIES
eg Street @
on, Big Zak, & Gr
RE
) 03 // Don Cann , & M-Geezy @ Area 51 for CO
TX
,
tin
us
(A
SW
SX
sh
e
ille, & Pimp C @
y Souf, Young Ca andon quickly adjusting to th
zv
dd
nt
da
Hu
an
D,
Gr
e
//
lli
Wi
05
Br
iami, FL) 02 //
ezy’s video
// Bun B’s son
SW (Austin, TX)
Je
(M
07
SX
g
ry
)
@
un
FL
t
cto
Yo
es
e,
Fa
@
t
ill
gu
Hi
&
nv
dd
C,
so
Frankie J @
ings & Tango Re
The Beat (Jack
// Mr 3-2, Pimp
n @ Patchwerk
t, Jim Jonsin, &
c @ WJBT 92.7
tlanta, GA) 04
) 09 // Lyfe Jenn ise Chaplin & Keinon Johnso
01 // BOB, gues
tening party (A , Yancey Richardson, & Hen-Ro listening party (Atlanta, GA
an
g Jeezy @
lis
Je
un
y’s
//
Yo
Bo
&
11
h
y
)
Ric
dd
LA
lik
Patchwerk for
(New Orleans,
) 13 // Trick Da e Bentley for the
rk for Rich Boy’s
sh
GA
06 // Shoeb Ma
we
ba
a,
)
y
nt
FL
tch
i,
da
Pa
tla
th
(A
@
iam
bir
e
(M
rty
Sens
g pa
s @ th
nder’s
DJs Award Show
// DJ Nabs & DJ
@ Jonathan Be tchwerk for Rich Boy’s listenin (Miami, FL) 15 // Chingy & DJ ivate party (Miami, FL)
ouston, TX) 08
is & Slim Thug
h Boy @ Pa
Takin’ Over”
20
s J Records pr
e
Ric
rap star life (H
) 10 // Deelish
DJ
&
“W
GA
n
RE
d’s
a,
Do
CO
nt
ale
da
@
tla
Kh
w
(A
(Houston, TX)
ag
rty
Polo
t of DJ
i,
p’s “Get Money”
// K Foxx & Dirtb
game release pa ning party (Atlanta, GA) 12 // & Bernard Hopkins on the se
(Austin, TX) 17 Boomtown on the set of Lil Fli for The CORE DJs Retreat (Miam
SW
e
te
SX
Jo
lis
t
@
y’s
Fa
ys
//
Bo
Bo
h
14
it
)
ion
Mr
Gr
FL
&
e
ns
for Ric
e,
th
p,
Ma
ill
&
Fli
@
nv
dd
Lil
so
,
To
Rip
// A Dubb
// Pretty
Tour (Jack
guest, & DJ
Street Dreamz
(Miami, FL) 19
t (Miami, FL) 16
Aleshia Steele,
at Def Jam even ea 51 for CORE DJs Award Show rds party (Miami, FL) 21 //
co
CORE DJs Retre
Ar
Re
@
tic
& Papa Smirf
RE DJs Atlan
Wayne (10);
18 // Baby Boy
Sobe Live for CO
z (16); Marcus De
& Krazy Yog @
2); Luxury Mind
9,2
7,1
(0
ith
// Michael Watts Kuccur (Houston, TX)
Sm
n
p&
8,20,21); Keadro
FL) 22 // Lil Fli
1,12,14,15,17,1
1,03,05,08,09,1
(0
rly
ve
Be
lia
4); Ju
Eric Perrin (02,0 e Tyson (06,13)
Photo Credits:
Terrenc
OZONEMAG
MAG////35
35
OZONE
e
n
a
c
i
r
r
u
H
W
SHREVEPORT, LA
erts Hurricane. “He
Ace Booncoon,” ass
his
a lil’ saying, since
d Bay Bay, that’s my
d
oo
ha
yh
oll
we
d
“H
in Shreveport an
ir minds
ing with
the
ow
jok
s
sh
e,
wa
io
can
We
rad
rri
.
n
Hu
ow
him
rd
to
got his
king
ans hear the wo
ver,
re, the
started a rhyme tal
hen most Louisian
s of Katrina; howe
name is Bay Bay, we d the song became snappy.” From the ding its
the painful memorie ange all that. His
an
y,’
Ba
y
Bay,” is fin
inevitably drift to
ch
y
Ba
to
Ba
‘A
d
e,
“A
ne
lik
e’s
mi
ter
him
can
de
rri
is
tive
his destruca hit, and now Hu
ide.
this Shreveport na
en to him as a result opponents’
song went on to be
ace profiles nationw
Hurricane, was giv
playlists and Mysp
his
n
d
tio
ate
sta
acu
io
ev
rad
ly
on
on
maligned moniker,
t
way
. If
skills; skills that no
ng anybody can use
disarrayed frenzy.
tive battle-rapping
dy’s name to a sla
b
looking crowd in a
bo
clu
on
me
so
the
the
t
t
to
jus
lef
o
ing
m
go
als
fro
t
pride, bu
“I switched it
asks you, ‘You
e divulges.
club and somebody
embarrass
to
can
the
d
rri
to
Hu
use
I
ing
o,”
es
go
sh
e
ttl
fa
ba
u’r
s
yo
an
er each one of my
to just be
, ‘A Bay Bay.’ It me
a problem
“Not to brag, but aft that when it was over, people used
tonight?’ You can say rricane has positioned himself to be
be lookd
uld
ba
relate to
wo
Hu
so
to
e;
dy
rs]
sur
bo
ing
pe
try
ery
for
rap
m
’s
r
“Ev
[othe
One thing
game by storm. “I’
umble Hurricane.
why
i-h
the
t’s
e
sem
good
tha
tak
d
the
to
the
An
s
e
.’
in’
im
sur
liv
‘em
cla
ry
silent,” ex
He destroyed
in the indust
hood to the people
at just happened?
silent,” he affirms.
m the people in the
it’s
fro
;
rm
dy
sto
bo
a
ing crazy, like, ‘Wh
ery
er
ev
aft
rricane, because
they named me Hu
life,” he says.
conzz had
rsatile,” Hurricane
category 5 type bu
e’s
can
rri
Hu
,
jor
nts
ma
e thing, I’m real ve
ne
bit
a
on
po
le
to
t
op
litt
ou
a
him
ab
,
ced
g
led
en
mp
pin
sil
bu
lly
d
rap
he
Though
and eventua
“I ain’t just
that you can ride an ’t too gangsta to
on industry execs,
brainchild of execu
club songs, songs
ain
t
it
the
go
,
“I
ck;
rds
s.
ma
co
the opposite effect
de
a
Re
d
clu
/J
an
n’ feel
Ying Yang
lo Grounds Music
between a gangsta
y it, but you still go
ng Lil Jon’ and The
label deal with Po
of everything. It’s
ople ain’t gon’ pla
be
ited with discoveri
pe
n’
ed
n
go
(cr
tai
gs
ch
cer
thu
Lea
ere
an
the
wh
d
Bry
tive
the point
folks, gangstas, an
ite
Wh
).
m.
ers
fro
oth
g
ng
on
mi
Twinz, am
where I’m co
//
eport savior is
able to ride to this.”
effect and the Shrev single “A Bay
l
ful
in
is
n
so
sea
y
ch
cat
y
usl
ero
Today, Hurricane
ng
da
Beverly
’t even
p the industry. His
n // Photo by Julia
s. Initially, it wasn
ready to reign ato
Words by Eric Perri
an immense succes
for
y
me
wa
co
a
be
as
dy
n
ea
ga
alr
be
s
Bay” ha
like track
ng; the quicksandsupposed to be a so
me.
na
’s
nd
frie
his
Hurricane to say
36 // OZONE MAG
36 // OZONE MAG
PHOTO GALLERIES
nta,
ning party (Atla
Rich Boy’s liste
r
fo
rty
rk
pa
we
te
tch
iva
@ Pa
DJs J Records pr
& DJ Infamous
working @ CORE Boi @ Orange County Conven
n, Greg Street,
d to see Teach
e
// Polow da Do
ou
De
02
pr
&
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FL
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09 // Baby &
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//
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Shep @ CORE DJ
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ne for DJ Nasty
Ke
01 // Fiend & D
ntry @
Plies @ Firesto
FL) 11 // Keith
DJ
all, & Rob Fresh
&
e,
8B
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do
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nv
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r
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so
fo
//
Sla
ck
51
08
DJ
(Ja
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ea
ie Fresh & Big Ku tinum
GA) 03 // MJG,
ms, & DJ Q @ Ar y @ The Moon (Tallahassee, FL & Plies @ Street Dreamz Tour Over” (Miami, FL) 13 // Mann
pla
Mi
e,
3x
ot
’s
Qu
on
Ak
DJ
r
//
n,
fo
’
Bo
cords
(Miami, FL) 05
// J Baby, his so
T-Pain & Baby
aled’s “We Takin DJ Khaled & Nelly @ Mansion
DJs Atlantic Re
ndo, FL) 07 //
” (Miami, FL) 10 & DJ Nasty on the set of DJ Kh
iami, FL) 15 //
be Live for CORE
//
tion Center (Orla DJ Khaled’s “We Takin’ Over
(M
So
s
20
er
@
)
rty
FL
nn
Bil
pa
i,
Ru
te
ck
e
iam
wi
iva
Th
(M
//
t of
DJs J Records pr te party (Miami, FL) 17 // Bush for Akon’s 3x platinum party
tlanta, GA) 12
King
Bun B on the se
h FAB @ CORE
nta, GA) 22 //
release party (A
iva
sta
ion
tla
pr
Mi
ns
me
s
(A
&
rd
ga
Ma
e
rty
co
Jo
@
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ss
g
vid
J
lli
s
Ro
nin
k
DJ
// Wi
te
Ric
lis
RE
14
Jeezy’s
&
CO
)
d
y’s
GA
@
un
Bo
x
a,
h
Ho
nt
Six
r Ric
Joe
s (Atla
orge, & DJ
iami, FL) 19 //
@ Patchwerk fo
Patchwerk Studio
Ashley, Dior Ge
@ Sobe Live (M anise Chaplin & Randy Roper
) 16 // Storm,
Gotti Bonanno
Je
&
s
//
ke
21
party (Miami, FL
Du
)
FL
an
i,
0)
) 18 // Rahm
d Show (Miam
rrence Tyson (1
party (Miami, FL
r CORE DJs Awar se party (Atlanta, GA)
yne (03,07); Te
s @ Area 51 fo
8); Marcus DeWa
relea
6,0
me
(0
l
ga
du
eo
Ab
Plies & Ted Luca
vid
lik
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@ Young Jeezy’s
7,18,19,20,22);
Arthur & 4-Ize
2,13,14,15,16,1
2,04,05,09,11,1
1,0
(0
rly
ve
Be
; Julia
Eric Perrin (21)
Photo Credits:
OZONEMAG
MAG////37
37
OZONE
D Shep
S
MIAMI, FL
athlete,
his abilities as an
rytelling. Just like
fact, his
sto
In
.
for
ed
e
ign
lov
-s
nd
co
d
fou
news; he
quickly noticed an
re
ect
– DJ
sp
we
r
pro
ers
pe
ak
top
rap
bre
a
’s
mi
as
ord
s
his effort
of Miami’s top rec
Shep was one of Mia ve numbers. But the
was hosted by two
even years ago Dssi
pe
pre
xta
im
mi
ry
t
ve
firs
me
so
sn’t
and
had skill, stamina
ng upon himself wa
Khaled and DJ Irie.
ll
nition he was drawi
attention and recog . The interest was coming from footba
current single “Stay
Rs
A&
el
ney, introduced his onto Miami radio
s
Mo
lab
wa
nt
jor
ep
Re
,
ma
Sh
pe
m
ck,
fro
xta
ba
mi
g
ng
d
comi
l runnin
His secon
neuvered its way
ll.
ranked high schoo
and ended up
ng unexpectedly ma
r in professional ba
so
ee
e
Th
scouts. As a highly
car
”
l
al.
sfu
Re
ces
t out the mixtape
suc
a long and
ficult life Darrell
lly unheard of. “I pu
spinning on
dif
tua
s,
the
vir
gle
is
nt
sin
predicted to have
ou
ich
be
acc
wh
to
o
–
did not take int
t weren’t planned
tha
s,
nobody yet,
gle
’t
sin
ain
o
u
tw
yo
But the predictions
g
If
havin
off the field.
iami is starstruck.
“M
ing
.
liv
ins
s
pla
despread
wa
ex
wi
rd
’s
he
pa
”
ng
ep
Sh
the radio,
was
He attributes the so
d who you are
an
get on the radio.”
Southside, D-Shep
s
to
are
iou
rd
u
tor
ha
yo
o
no
it’s
’s
wh
mi
to
eets of Mia
meet.
me one
ge of being true
Struggling in the str
order to make ends
appeal to its messa change who I am or my attitude. I’m
football dreams in
e in
to
ing
go
t
no
m
forced to give up his ns was disappointing, he found solac
d.”
“I’
not.
aroun
should
pla
ardless of who I’m
nk a lot of people
While the change of
hundred percent, reg
high
is therapeutic. I thi
er
sic
Aft
”
mu
m.
my
says,
,
the
me
to
it
“To
music.
y I bring
reach listeners. He
my music by the wa
s to his
a song,
outlet Shep uses to
be able to relate to same determination he had in sport
“When you perform
dio is not the only
Ra
the
ance
school, he applied
you really get a ch
u feel
to express how yo
thing
no
’t
ain
It
about it.
ge and
like getting on sta
you.”
people vibing with
has
s
fan
m
fro
e
The lov
pand
inspired him to ex
town.
outside of his home k,
spea
“Right now as we
y promo
I’m on a twelve cit
shows
to
ion
dit
ad
tour.” In
moand street team pro
working
tions, Shep is also
ck Daddy.
Tri
th
wi
ix
rem
on a
tured
fea
be
ll
wi
The remix
along
on his first major LP,
duced
with new tracks pro
d his
an
on
Ak
,
mp
Too
by DJ
rn.
Ho
cer
du
pro
in-house
ent
D-Shep is a testam
plan
d’s
Go
es
tim
me
so
that
g
lon
the
ing
tak
includes
ys
road. Whether he sta
r his
independent unde
breaks
or
acy
pir
ns
Co
label
e, Shep
gu
lea
jor
ma
into the
work out.
knows things will
n so far
He says, “I’ve gotte
the
of
e
on
of
t
ou
ng
comi
pers.
rap
for
ies
cit
toughest
t and I’m
I accomplished tha
f.” //
real proud of mysel
ity
Words by Ms. Riverc
y
Photo by Joe Wesle
38 // OZONE MAG
38 // OZONE MAG
PHOTO GALLERIES
,
// Troy Marshall
DJ
e (Miami, FL) 03
//
Liv
05
be
)
So
FL
@
i,
a
iam
ag
, DJ EFN, & Nore DJs J Records private party (M e CORE DJs Re) 02 // DJ Epps
th
RE
TX
r
fo
CO
n,
@
sto
ley
r
nt
ou
ta
(H
Be
hs
the
Sout
listening party
splash (Tampa,
& Jeff Dixon @
ilez, DJ Q45, &
for 8Ball & MJG’s
Shock G @ Wild ) 11 // Ms
// DJ Quest, Sm // Chaka Zulu, Crystal Isaacs,
bba Sparxxx &
G @ Studio 7303 Award Show (Miami, FL) 04
FL
Bu
06
MJ
i,
)
//
&
FL
iam
C,
08
n
o,
(M
)
”
Ro
nd
FL
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rla
’ Ov
for CORE DJs
01 // 8Ball, OG
thday party (O
cords party (Miam set of DJ Khaled’s “We Takin Ellis @ Patchwerk for Rich
tness @ Area 51
r DJ Nasty’s bir
e
DJs Atlantic Re
th
RE
Kim
on
CO
&
r
d
y,
fo
ale
ne
e
k Enhis wife, & Swee h, & Mercedes @ Firestone fo
Kh
Mo
Liv
DJ
o Wade @ Bloc
Montgomery, JT
& Brisco @ Sobe er” (Miami, FL) 10 // Trina &
Fres
Joc, Block, & Ric h Money & Smitty
Chino, Haitian
07 // Flo-Rida
) 13 // Sabrina
ng
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TX
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iam
ou
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03
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// Go
ston, TX) 18 //
r show
treat Def Jam ev Johnny on the set of DJ Khale y, Rich Boy, & Trae @ Studio 73 private party (Miami, FL) 15
& Shawty (Hou
.9 The Beat’s ca
& TV
DJs J Records
GA) 17 // Mims
i, FL)
& E-Class @ 97
ille, FL) 12 // Ta
a,
RE
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nv
FL) 09 // Spiff
nt
iam
CO
ac
so
tla
(M
@
Pe
ck
(A
y
at
Lil
(Ja
Ba
rty
tre
//
y
in
pa
Re
20
Ba
s
g
Rank
// Hurricane &
h Boy’s listenin k D @ Wildsplash (Tampa, FL)
for The CORE DJ
14
Ric
)
ion
Rivercity & Bigga
r
GA
ns
fo
a,
Ma
rk
nt
@
we
tla
e
party (A
Bo @ Patch
ssa, & Drun
dul & DJ Backsid
Boy’s listening
// DJ Drama & J- 19 // DJ Christion, DJ Headbu
lik Abdul (21);
) 22 // Malik Ab
tlanta, GA) 16
ana (08,19); Ma
i, FL)
rty (Orlando, FL
iam
pa
y
(M
da
tertainment (A
rty
th
pa
bir
2,17); Luis Sant
te
’s
1,1
iva
sty
(0
pr
Na
s
ith
rd
DJ
r
Sm
co
fo
n
Re
ro
J
ne
@ CORE DJs
Boy @ Firesto
4,16,18,22); Kead
// Mr CC & Rich
4,06,07,09,10,1
(Dallas, TX) 21
Beverly (02,03,0
lia
Ju
;
3)
(1
n
rri
Pe
Chino (05); Eric
D-Lyte (20); DJ
Photo Credits:
n (11)
so
Ty
e
nc
rre
Te
5);
Randy Roper (1
OZONEMAG
MAG////39
39
OZONE
e
o
Z
a
l
l
i
r
Go
A
es recognize real.
ent sounds, real do
tem
sta
s
thi
as
é
ch
s cli
newest member,
ck Entertainment’s
Take for example Blo e. If you ask Block Entertainment CEO
a Zo
ristics
25-year-old Gorill
veritable characte
vibe,”
, Zoe embodies the
cer
his
en
ed
Sp
lik
t
k”
oc
jus
I
“Bl
de
ll
Russe
“When I met the du gas. When I looked
.
ist
art
an
to
him
that draw
like real nig
hood nigga, and I
tter, gangsta
Block says. “He’s a
one of those real gu out what
’s
He
.
me
of
me
ed
ab
ind
rap
rem
lly
he
,
rea
t
him
tha
at
gas
t’s what I like. Nig
ass niggas and tha
gh.”
they really go throu
that
pen those rhymes
ars of struggle to
ye
, Zoe, an
14
red
at
du
en
me
e
ho
Zo
t
r’s
Bu
er leaving his mothe ng odd jobs, Job Corps
Aft
.
CEO
his
ed
all
enthr
worki
t his teenage years
te that would
Atlanta native, spen
g an alternative rou partners,
din
fin
e
for
be
ing
ess
sin
bu
his
and street hustl
th
wi
his life. Zoe, along
ultimately change
ATLANTA, GA
plan was
studio. The initial
Atlanta recording
an
studio
o
for
int
s
y
ist
ne
art
mo
charging
invested
generate income by
abitant, teaching
inh
ry
ma
pri
to use the studio to
’s
dio
himself the stu
s time,
time. But, Zoe found
ment. Within a year’
outs of studio equip from local producer Chris
d
an
ins
the
f
sel
him
help
Pro Tools and with
independent
Zoe had mastered
songs to release an
gh
ou
en
ed
let
mp
Flame, had co
album.
ns
ependent album pla
m
with Block, those ind
fro
ng
cks
eti
tra
me
ce
ing
an
ord
ch
rec
After a
e knew it, he was
re
Zo
mo
e
d
for
ha
Be
ck
ld.
Blo
ho
were put on
ays visionary
ing studio. The alw
th Boyz
the Block Ent. record ‘I wanna see what you sound like wi
er the
said,
the studio. And ov
plans for Zoe. “He
“He threw us all in
lis.
all
mp
co
rec
e
to
d
Zo
,’”
rte
od
sta
N Da Ho
good. We
rted sounding real
d with the three
ate
cre
e
Zo
t
weeks that shit sta
tha
ry
From the chemist
Big Gee
eze, Big Duke and
ment each other.”
of BNDH — Jody Bre
roduced
ers
int
mb
lly
me
cia
nt
offi
be
s
um
wa
inc
— Zoe
mber.
me
st
we
ne
’s
up
as the gro
Da Hood
“I first built Boyz N
t types of
en
fer
dif
t
en
res
to rep
Block says.
,”
od
ho
the
niggas in
of the
er
stl
hu
“Jeezy was the
the gorilla of
is
e]
[Zo
w
no
w,
cre
ents niggas
the crew. He repres
n’ get it by
go
t’s
tha
in the hood
lo single
so
e’s
any means.” Zo
king up spins
pic
is
”
ga
Nig
d
oo
“H
. And he has
across the country
ssion on DJs
pre
im
g
tin
made a las
the list of
on
#5
who ranked him
w Up In 2007 in
Blo
To
s
ist
Art
xt
Ne
nual DJ Issue.
OZONE’s second an
res to release
As the group prepa
Back In The
um
alb
d
on
sec
ir
the
eduled for a
sch
ely
tiv
nta
(te
Chevy
ains conrem
e
Zo
,
se)
ea
spring rel
d the
tan
ths
wi
can
fident that he
a platinum
ing
lac
rep
of
re
ssu
pre
no pressure,
superstar. “It ain’t
Zoe says.
,”
ga
nig
I’m a hood
ndard so high,
“[Jeezy] set the sta
pressure, but
everybody thinks it’s
en to hell
be
ne
do
I
.
me
not for
//
”
and back.
Words and Photo by
40 // OZONE MAG
40 // OZONE MAG
Randy Roper
PHOTO GALLERIES
as,
’s car show (Dall
@ 97.9 The Beat birthday party
ls
de
Mo
ut
Clo
the
for DJ Nasty’s
rey Cleghorn &
d @ Firestone
n @ Mansion
o, FL) 02 // Co
phew, & DJ Khale hy Lee, Ali, Big Kipp, & Kewa
Ne
y party (Orland
,
da
ss
th
Bo
bir
b
’s
Mo
,
rp
sty
Mu
Na
be Live (Miami,
odye
s,
DJ
So
Go
es
r
pr
@
m
fo
n
Ex
Sli
ne
ga
//
BT
to
Ho
//
es
04
lk
)
E-Class @ Fir
// Keith
” (Miami, FL) 06 YC) 08 // Cecile Barker & Hu
Live (Miami, FL
Disco, & Dre, &
(Miami, FL) 11
“We Takin’ Over
apman @ Sobe
” (N
01 // DJ Nasty,
t of “Emotions
DJs Award Show ess Records on South
e Barker, & TJ Ch yne on the set of DJ Khaled’s
se
RE
cil
e
Ce
CO
th
r
e,
fo
on
rk
s
51
Cla
ne
Jo
ood, & Lil Wa
tlanta,
K-Tone @ Area
TX) 03 // Mike
// Strictly Busin
a, guest, & Jim
werk Studios (A
// Baby, DJ Dagw
l, DJ Big D, & DJ
(Miami, FL) 13
t, Juelz Santan
) 10 // Big Swol 51 for CORE DJs Award Show
rilla Zoe @ Patch
51
(Orlando, FL) 05 treat (Miami, FL) 07 // Gues
GA
Go
ea
&
s,
Ar
e,
bu
@
Ge
lum
rm
Big
(Co
Sto
ea
FA
s Re
Kuntry, Webbie,
Dior George, &
ard
for The CORE DJ ck, Amir, & DJ Incognito @ WB ) 12 // Baby Boy & Mims @ Ar
n, MS) 15 // Big
ey, Malik Abdul,
for CORE DJs Aw
LA
g Bu
g Break (Jackso Orleans, LA) 17 // Guest, Ashl 19 // R&B and Dre @ Area 51
(New Orleans,
@
rin
ll
FL) 09 // Youn
Sp
ko
Be
Ko
n’s
te
&
lo
Na
n
ee
&
ma
Fr
@
Angela,
) 22 // TJ Chap
the studio (New
ow (Dallas, TX)
Harvey, & pimp
Sweat, Uptown
SXSW (Austin, TX
n$y, & Shawt in krack @ 97.9 The Beat’s car sh
// 2 Live Crew,
@
rre
e
14
Cu
stl
)
J,
FL
Hu
y
i,
ll
me
Wi
iam
re
&
ad
no
Beach (M
ck Maine, Je
, Paul Wall, & He d Show (Miami, FL) 21 // Ry
)
g A, T Hilly, Ma
// Sista Sondra
ar
Live (Miami, FL
GA) 16 // Youn
(Miami, FL) 18
y Bucs @ Sobe
for CORE DJs Aw
rcus DeWayne
Ba
ow
51
a
Sh
ea
d
mp
Ar
ar
Ta
@
e
Aw
p
th
s
dul (01,04); Ma
ho
of
r
Bis
ylo
DJ
Ta
&
for CORE DJ
ed
tch
Fr
No
&
z (21); Malik Ab
p
a,
nd
To
ec
Mi
//
De
ry
,
20
at
xu
)
Lu
He
FL
;
i
0,22)
Show (Miami,
y of the Miam
4,15,16,17,19,2
i, FL) 23 // Pose
5,06,08,10,13,1
Sobe Live (Miam
a Beverly (03,0
uli
9J
(0
ito
gn
Inco
Lyte (02,18); DJ
Bogan (23); DCrook (07)
Photo Credits:
(11,16); Rico da
OZONEMAG
MAG////41
41
OZONE
TRAINING DAY
Feel free to keep reading those other whack magz, where they sit in the office all day long and 90% of their former staff
hate them. But it’s a well-known fact that over here at OZONE, life is one big never-ending road trip. A few former (and one
current) OZONE contributors reminisce on their favorite mag moments.
NOEL MALCOLM (former OZONE assistant editor)
What do you get when you put over 200 pounds of magazines in a 1999 Mercury Cougar and send off me and JB to visit five States in five days? Haven’t
thought of it yet? That’s because you get three things: The foundation for
OZONE becoming a monster in the South, 3,000+ miles on my damn car, and
one memory that will stick with me for years to come!
Five states in five days was a statement. Until that point OZONE was known
mostly in Florida. Even though people from across the entire country were
feeling OZONE, we hadn’t really had the opportunity to live up to the tagline
“Coming to a city near YOU!” But this proved to be a time when we needed to
give a voice to more of the Southern artists out there – people who had been
clamoring for some shine on glossy pages in a then Southern-prejudiced
Source and XXL. So it was a simple mission: OZONE to the rescue. On that
excursion, we found the talent that would inspire the first “Patiently Waiting
to Blow” issue.
We first met with TJ Chapman from TJ’s DJ’s, and he and numerous other DJs
helped set us up with an underground artist map that would give the world
first dibs on some of our hottest Southern talents today. Diligently we kept
on through the nights with JB and myself switching driving duties across
thousands of miles of interstate. On our travels we found up and coming
talents like Lil’ Scrappy and Trillville. The artist that most recently made us
proud is Rich Boy, who we met at a restaurant with DJ Nick@Nite on our first
trip to Mobile, AL. We linked up with DJs like B-Lord and H-Vidal and kept
pushing. Hooked up with David Banner in Mississippi, stopped at the Dungeon
in ATL, introduced ourselves to Collard Greens in South Carolina and wrapped
up everything back in Florida.
There were way too many names to mention from that one trip but many of
the artists were featured in Issues #16 and 17 of the magazine and it was
great being able to introduce them early to the masses. Their success has
helped build the foundation for OZONE. That trip became a benchmark for the
numerous other cross-country trips that happen almost on a monthly basis
now, helping to spread the name of the magazine and take us from handing
them out at clubs to tagging them on newsstands. Five states in
five days, that was some fun shit.
RAYFIELD WARREN (former OZONE photographer)
The two years that I spent with OZONE were the most memorable
times of my life, as I experienced more during this period than
a lot of people will probably experience in a lifetime. Whether I
was taking pictures of Diddy in Miami, being told to take multiple
photographs of Chingy for an article and coming back with only
one that was usable, being scolded by Julia for not knowing who
Elephant Man was at the “Get Low” remix video shoot or just
hanging out with the OZONE family, every day was an adventure.
It began at the Chili’s on Semoran and University Blvd. where
I showed Julia some of my photographs. After about twenty
minutes of talking and eating cheese sticks she changed my life
forever with five words: “Okay, you can be down.” Although I am
no longer with the magazine, the lessons that I learned while
there are still with me and have played a major role in my development as a corporate executive. OZONE gave me the opportunity
to build a strong foundation in Orlando which has allowed me to
reach many of my goals and dreams and for that, I will always
be grateful.
ERIC PERRIN (current OZONE Features Editor)
Since I joined the OZONE staff, literally every day has entailed
some kind of adventure – from crackhead hunting on the West
end of Atlanta to getting lectured by Pimp C in Austin, TX. One
thing is guaranteed with OZONE: never expect a dull moment.
It’s difficult to pinpoint my single favorite OZONE experience, but
one that stands out in my mind was Super Bowl weekend 2007 in
42 // OZONE MAG
Miami. It was only my second time ever in Miami, and after driving the OZONE
truck all night from Atlanta, I was tired as hell. I had damn near overdosed
on CRUNK!!! Energy Drink and by the time we arrived on South Beach my heart
was thumping so fast I know I must’ve been close to cardiac arrest. We were
transporting over a thousand pounds of Super Bowl special edition magazines
and the back of the truck was nearly scraping the ground. We made it to the
OZONE mansion around 11 AM, and all I wanted to find was a bed. Instead,
I found a pool in the back of the house overlooking Biscayne Bay, and my
exhaustion evaporated. It was like taking an intravenous shot of the extraconcentrated horny goat weed with Ashwaganda; I was ready. I don’t think I
slept more than two hours that weekend, but with the slew of celebrity guests
we ran into, as a 21-year-old college student, it doesn’t get much better than
this.
WALLY SPARKS (former OZONE Music Editor)
My favorite OZONE memory isn’t really a memory of my own. It’s really a congratulatory feeling for JB and my longtime friend TJ Chapman. The amazing
feat they were able to pull off with the OZONE Awards last August made me
feel good to see my friends accomplishing something monumental. I really
don’t want to turn this into a “you gotta be from the South to understand”
type of rant, but for real, you have to have an appreciation for Southern rap
music outside of the T.I.s, Lil Waynes, and UGKs of the world to realize how
much of a timeless moment that was. Speaking of UGK, Bun B said something
so real during his award acceptance speech that should tell you how big the
OZONE Awards were: “I wanna thank everybody that actually came to this
shit, cause I’ma be real and say what everybody ain’t gonna say. I ain’t know
what this shit was gonna look like and I really didn’t know if I was gonna
come, but… I came out and supported and I’ma bring a hundred trill niggas
with me next year, and y’all better do the same. This is some South shit right
here. Ain’t nobody else gonna come together and put this shit together for us
but us… We gonna do this shit ten times bigger next year.” Man, you couldn’t
get a better statement from a more qualified person. That was the icing on
the cake of the whole weekend of controlled chaos in the Florida sun with
some of the most important people in the music industry. It felt good to know
that my personal friends that I’ve learned so much from were responsible for
making it happen. It made me proud to be a Southern Hip Hop head.
(clockwise from below) Wally Sparks @
the Tech.Nitions conference in Vegas with
OZONE’s Alabama affiliate Michael London;
Eric Perrin having a lil too much fun at SXSW
in Austin, TX; Noel Malcolm interviewing
Gloria Velez in Miami - strictly because of
her emcee skills, of course; Rayfield Warren
sitting in as a test lighting subject before a
Rodney Jerkins photo shoot in Orlando
e?
n
o
z
o
g
n
i
who’sread
for BMI
a @ Club Esso
01 // DJ Dram
nnie Fresh
a, GA. 02 // Ma nta, GA).
nt
tla
(A
se
ca
tla
Show
(A
se
ca
ow
Sh
r BMI
@ Club Esso fo
@ Spring
ezy & Slick Pulla
Je
g
un
Yo
//
03
// 5th Ward
Beach, FL). 04
Bling (West Palm @ Club 300 for Baby
Boy
Weebie & Baby
ns, LA). 05
rty (New Orlea
Boy’s release pa
// B Simm
06
.
IL)
,
go
(Chica
Big Neil
// 8Ball & MJG
//
07
).
GA
a,
tlant
in the studio (A
(Cincinnati,
ht
nig
b
clu
s
cord
b Esso
@ Locdown Re
N Da Hood @ Clu //
OH). 08 // Boyz
09
).
GA
a,
nt
tla
se (A
for BMI Showca
tone for
Money @ Fires
Chris Turner & G- rlando, FL). 10 // DJ
(O
Yung Joc concert @ The Moon for TJ’s
tch
Bishop & Top No
FL). 11
rs (Tallahassee,
DJ’s Tastemake
(Miami,
96
r
we
Po
@
tz
// DJ Fingerprin
Nice
e Pro & DJ Mista 13
.
FL). 12 // DJ Jo
VA
h,
ac
Be
VA
unge
@ The Aqua Lo
ge for
ke @ Aqua Loun
Mi
gic
Ma
J
DD
//
(Daype release party
Tarvoria’s mixta
y Fresh
ne
Mo
DJ
//
). 14
tona Beach, FL
by
Club 300 for Ba
& Raj Smoove @
ns, LA).
rty (New Orlea
pa
se
ea
rel
y’s
Bo
ng (West
le @ Spring Bli
15 // DJ Prosty
m with
Sly
DJ
//
16
).
Palm Beach, FL
rty (Day@ BCR pool pa
his BCR article
y @ The
La
mFa
//
17
).
tona Beach, FL
Play of
n
Gu
//
18
).
VA
Norva (Norfolk,
e for
Liv
be
So
@
l
rte
the Carol City Ca
i, FL).
iam
(M
rty
pa
se
ea
OZONE mag rel
Boy @
by
Ba
&
ld
na
Ro
19 // THot Boy
party
by Boy’s release s
Club 300 for Ba
Jone
Jim
//
20
)
LA
(New Orleans,
h,
(West Palm Beac
@ Spring Bling
grappy @ Club Le
FL) 21 // Lil Sc
rly.
FL) - Julia Beve
ends (Orlando,
ency
qu
Fre
@
s
ing
22 // Lyfe Jenn
tom showcase (A
for Legion of Do
Houston
s
ue
rq
Ma
//
lanta, GA). 23
h,
(West Palm Beac
@ Spring Bling
ndo,
rla
(O
y
ht
Lig
FL). 24 // Mike
a
@ Fiesta Medin
FL). 25 // Mims
@
ll
Wa
ul
Pa
//
(Orlando, FL). 26 , TX). 27 //
ustin
Music Mania (A
le
ill, & Keio Gamb
Rapid Ric, DJ Ch E’s Texas
ON
@ Spiro’s for OZ
//
ustin, TX). 28
Relays party (A
g Bling (West
Rich Boy @ Sprin
y
). 29 // Rock Cit
Palm Beach, FL
rence
nfe
Co
sic
Mu
@ Greg Gates
30 // Roland
(Pensacola, FL).
ll @ Spring Bling
‘Lil Duval’ Powe FL). 31 // Sel
h,
(West Palm Beac & Smoke D
one
Fish reppin’ Oz
32 // Slim Thug
(Jackson, MS).
nia (Austin,
& Gu @ Music Ma ular & Slick
tac
TX). 33 // Spec
ky @ Spring
‘Em of Pretty Ric ach, FL).
Be
Bling (West Palm
& Elora Mason
34 // Tarvoria
for Tarvoria’s
@ Aqua Lounge rty (Daypa
mixtape release
). 35 // The
tona Beach, FL
@ The Norva
Ying Yang Twinz
// T-Pain @
(Norfolk, VA). 36 owcase
I Sh
Club Esso for BM
// Wendy
(Atlanta, GA). 37 tes Mueg Ga
Day & KLC @ Gr
(Pensacola,
sic Conference
g Dro @
FL). 38 // Youn
R (Daytona
Club Aqua for BC
Beach, FL).
Eric Perrin
Photo Credits:
verly (01
(06,22); Julia Be
,24,27,36);
,02,08,10,18,21
,32); MaLuxury Mindz (26 ,23,28);
,20
lik Abdul (03,09
e (4,14,19);
Marcus DeWayn
,31,37);
Edward Hall (29 ); Ms
,33
Poppy (11,15,30
,25,34);
Rivercity (13,16 ); Ken(38
Terrence Tyson
Rohit (5).
neth Clark (17);
OZONE MAG // 43
20
FEELIN’ OURSELVES
Our tagline claims that we’re “Your Favorite Rapper’s Favorite Magazine,” so we asked 20 rappers and industry execs to explain
why OZONE Magazine is the shit. // Compiled by Julia Beverly & Rohit Loomba
01 // TRINA
11 // B.G.
“OZONE allows artists to express how they truly feel. It’s for the streets, the
hood, and the artist who’s really tryin’ to get in this game.”
“Anything you need to know about what’s going on, from independents to
the majors, it’s all in OZONE. I like lookin’ at all the pictures. There’s no tellin’
who you’re gon’ see. It’s always fresh and new.”
02 // RICH BOY
“OZONE is my favorite magazine because y’all talk about the stuff that Hollywood people don’t talk about, and y’all get the artists that other [magazines]
don’t say nothing about. OZONE most definitely does its groundwork; y’all
take it from the bottom to the top. OZONE messes with people at the bottom
and the people at the top, so y’all gotta know something more than most
magazines to catch artists like me and Rick Ross before it happens.”
03 // RICK ROSS
“OZONE is the shit cause it used to be thin as toilet paper and now it’s one of
the most important parts of marketing an album for any artist in the game.”
04 // KILLER MIKE
“It’s great to finally have an alternative to mainstream media. I’ve been getting The Source since ’92, XXL since their first issue, Rap Pages, Rap Sheet, all
of ‘em, I’ve got ‘em, but OZONE’s ‘Patiently Waiting to Blow’ section was the
best ‘who’s next’ I’ve ever seen.”
05 // LYOR COHEN
(CEO, Warner Music Group)
“When it comes to marketing, OZONE is as close to the streets as you can get.”
06 // PAUL WALL
“OZONE is a widely read and respected magazine that’s affordable to advertise in. We as artists read it religiously, and the fans read it even more.”
07 // PITBULL
12 // 8BALL & MJG
“OZONE is our favorite magazine because it’s raw. It’s the rawest. It’s not true,
it’s not real, it’s treal. Y’all have been around and gonna be around. OZONE
ain’t goin’ nowhere.”
13 // DAVID BANNER
“OZONE is the hottest magazine coming out of the Southeast, period. It’s easy
for somebody to jump on an artist after they blow up, but it’s magazines like
OZONE that set the foundation. A perfect example is their ‘Patiently Waiting
to Blow’ section. I think that’s how a lot of A&Rs get their check. They look at
OZONE Magazine and sign somebody. Before OZONE, the South didn’t have a
magazine that speaks from our perspective. It’s usually somebody else giving
us a spot when they feel like it, but OZONE is the voice for the South.”
14 // ADAM FAVORS
(National Mixshow & Street Team Director, Interscope Records)
“OZONE helps break artists that are on the bubble, before they become
household names. When they’re regional, OZONE has already exposed them to
the world and brought them to people’s attention. It covers the whole South,
a lot more than just Atlanta and Miami. You really hit the smaller markets too,
the Macons and Tallahassees, and that’s what I’ve always respected about
OZONE. It covers the nooks and crannies of the South.”
15 // BLOODRAW
“OZONE is the future. It’s helped break artists such as myself coming from the
South. Bottom line, OZONE is a blessing.”
“OZONE has kept the same morals they came into the game with – staying
grounded with the independent artists and exposing them to national viewers, not just catering to mainstream artists.”
08 // DJ DRAMA
16 // LIL JON
“OZONE is kinda like DJ Drama and Gangsta Grillz. OZONE came from the South
and came in its own lane and murdered the competition from a Southern
aspect and now it’s not even known as a Southern magazine, it’s just a Hip
Hop magazine. OZONE is the shit because they take chances, and they got a
lot of pictures.”
17 // SHAWN PREZ (VP of Promotions, Bad Boy Records)
“OZONE Magazine is the most effective way to incorporate your product into
the lifestyle of the Southern hip-hop community.”
09 // DJ KHALED
18 // BRYAN LEACH
“OZONE’s the #1 magazine in the world. Don’t get it fucked up.”
10 // MANNIE FRESH
“OZONE is the next big magazine because they’re on the grind, and that shit
is popping up everywhere you go. You see it in everybody’s face. They tell it
how it is. Most people candycoat the shit, but with OZONE, if you don’t like it
then you just say you don’t fucking like it. And that’s real. I read articles and
get pissed off sometimes because I’ve got emotions, but that’s somebody’s
opinion. So I always respect people that tell it like it is and don’t candycoat
shit.”
44 // OZONE MAG
“I love OZONE cause it’s got a lot of pictures!”
(CEO, Polo Grounds/J Records)
“For breaking an artist, creating a buzz, or finding new talent, executives like
myself always look to OZONE as that #1 source for info, news, interviews, and
a who’s-who gallery of pictures.”
19 // ALI MUHAMMAD (former Director of Music Advertising, VIBE)
“OZONE is everything The Source used to be and everything XXL wishes it was
– an uninhibited platform for the overlooked and ignored.”
20 // J PRINCE
(CEO, Rap-A-Lot Records)
“I know the truth when I see it.”
e?
n
o
z
o
g
n
i
who’sread
Palladium for
s & Slim Thug @
01 // Fabolou
Yella 02 //
g
Kin
)
TX
,
allas
GA) - Julia
K104 concert (D
ta,
us
ug
(A
t
wefes
OZONE
Trey Songz @ Po
his
th
wi
c
Jo
Yung
Beverly. 03 //
(Hampton,
s
nd
ge
Le
@
iew
sex issue interv
Degree &
Clark. 04 // 3rd ola, FL)
VA) - Kenneth
ac
ns
(Pe
b
Clu
tinum
Tha
Tarvoria @ Pla
// Big Karl of On , TX)
05
ll.
Ha
rd
wa
- Ed
(Dallas
ow
sh
r
ca
at
e Be
Real @ 97.9 Th
Johnson
06 // Bigg V &
- Edward Hall.
nville, MS)
ree
(G
ers
isp
Wh
Boy @ Southern // Block & Gorilla Zoe
07
- Edward Hall.
(Atlanta,
r BMI Showcase
@ Club Esso fo
illionaire
am
Ch
//
08
rly
GA) - Julia Beve
h, FL)
ac
Be
lm
Pa
t
(Wes
@ Spring Bling
keley &
Wa
es
arl
Ch
//
09
- Malik Abdul.
Confersic
Mu
tes
Ga
eg
BloodRaw @ Gr
Hall). 10
, FL) - Edward
ence (Pensacola arrell @ The Norva
Ph
// Coco Renea &
11 // DJ
Kenneth Clark.
(Norfolk, VA) as Relays
Tex
E’s
ON
OZ
for
Grip @ Spiro’s
z 12
nd
Mi
ry
xu
Lu
)
party (Austin, TX Spiro’s for OZONE’s
@
lla
Ye
lla
He
DJ
//
- Luxury
rty (Austin, TX)
Texas Relays pa stleman @ Greg
Hu
Mindz. 13 // DJ
acola,
nference (Pens
Gates Music Co
ts, B, &
Wa
DJ
//
14
ll.
FL) - Edward Ha
- Ken)
VA
h,
ac
Be
a
ini
Young Sav (Virg
Bay Bay
&
ne
ca
rri
Hu
//
neth Clark. 15
makers
r TJ’s DJ’s Taste
@ The Moon fo
. 16
rly
ve
Be
lia
Ju
)
(Tallahassee, FL
Jock @
ol
Co
c
Lo
s’
es
pr
// Jam Pony Ex
dul.
a, FL) - Malik Ab
Club 112 (Tamp
i, FL)
iam
(M
mz
Ja
99
17 // K Foxx @ Keith & Brandi
Lil
- Poppy. 18 // r Slim Thug concert
x fo
Garcia @ Matri
.
Keadron Smith
(Houston, TX) @
py & Big Smooth
19 // Lil Scrap
nneth
Ke
)
VA
h,
ac
Be
O.C.’s (Virginia
c-Boney of P$C
Clark. 20 // Ma
r Legion of Doom n.
@ Frequency fo
Perri
nta, GA) - Eric
showcase (Atla
,&
ed
br
gh
ou
or
Th
21 // Maurice,
’s
The Moon for TJ
Derek Jurand @
e, FL)
sse
ha
lla
(Ta
rs
DJ’s Tastemake
ie &
. 22 // Mr. Pook
- Julia Beverly
ustin,
(A
uth
So
n
ba
Pookie from Ur
,
ll. 23 // P Love
TX) - Edward Ha liyte @ Greg
De
Wendy Day, & DJ
nference (PenGates Music Co
// Pusha T reppin
sacola, FL). 24
@ The Norva
Ozone in the VIP
// Rico reppin
- Norfolk, VA. 25 Velvet (Newd
Ozone @ Club Re nneth Clark.
- Ke
port News, VA)
& Killa Kyleon
26 // Slim Thug 04 concert
r K1
@ Palladium fo
g Yella. 27 //
(Dallas, TX) - Kin e Beat car
.9 Th
Steve Nice @ 97
) - Edward
show (Dallas, TX
eet Pharmacy @
Hall. 28 // Str
Conference
Greg Gates Music ward Hall.
- Ed
(Pensacola, FL)
Drop @ Club
29 // Sway & DJ SXSW
E’s
Visions for OZON Edward
)party (Austin, TX
Beatz @
Hall. 30 // Swizz ndo, FL)
rla
Fiesta Medina (O // Tity Boy
31
- Malik Abdul.
r TJ’s DJ’s
@ The Moon fo
llahassee, FL)
Tastemakers (Ta
32 // 33 //
.
rly
- Julia Beve
t Em Awards
Treal @ the Ge
- Eric Perrin.
(Pensacola, FL)
Sobe Live
34 // T-Roy @
ng (Miami,
during Spring Bli 35 //
ity.
FL) - Ms Riverc
r son @ 97.9
Veda Loca & he
ow (Dallas,
The Beat car sh
ll. 36 //
TX) - Edward Ha Beverly
lia
Wendy Day & Ju ’s DJ’s
r TJ
@ The Moon fo
llahassee,
Tastemakers (Ta n. 37 //
Tyso
FL) - Terrence
nnie Fresh
Wild Wayne & Ma
leans, LA)
@ Q93 (New Or
yne 38 //
- Marcus DeWa
piring the
Young Jeezy ins
(Virginia
kids @ Hot 102.1
nneth
Beach, VA) - Ke
OZONE MAG // 45
Clark
: Eric
20
FOLLOW THE LEADER
Back before mainstream media outlets started showing love to the Dirty Dirty, a lil magazine called OZONE recognized these 20
Southern up-and-comers who are no longer unknown. // Photos by Julia Beverly
01 // T.I.
“I’m the King of the South because I know what I speak of. I’m not rapping
about anything I haven’t seen or done.” – T.I. (Issue #4 August 2002, page 39)
02 // Lil Jon & the Eastside Boyz
11 // Trillville
“Trillville is any hood, any city, any state. If you livin’ that shit, be real to that
shit. Be treal to that shit.” – Dirty Mouf of Trillville (Issue #16 September 2003,
page 36)
< 12 // Rick Ross
“I think the reason the South is doin’ it is because we’re not trying to conform. At one point, everybody was like, ‘Be true to hip-hop.’ We didn’t give a
fuck about all that shit – we just made records.” – Lil Jon (Issue #5 September
2002, page 34)
“I’m the 300 pound handsome nigga with
$80,000 worth of jewelry at the club.” –
Rick Ross (Issue #17 October 2003, page
14)
03 // Ying Yang Twins
13 // Crime Mob
“We’ve been in this game for many many years, way back when the dinosaurs
was still in existence.” (Issue #6 October 2002, page 17)
“I go to school, do my homework, and
then go straight to the studio.” – Diamond of Crime Mob (Issue #22 April 2004,
page 23)
04 // Akon
“When I’m on the mic, I really feel like I’m speaking to somebody.” – Akon
(Issue #13 June 2003, page 22)
14 // Slim Thug
05 // Pitbull
“Pitbull is one of those few people who don’t just say they rap, but are actually in the streets pushing a product.” - Noel Malcolm (Issue #13 June 2003,
page 22)
< 06 // Pretty Ricky
The quartet of blood brothers
known as Pretty Ricky was originally known as “Pretty Rickie and
the Maverix,” named after their
older brother. “I do feel good music for feel-good people, so when
you’re in the club and you vibin’
and bumpin’ and that Pretty Rick
comes on, it’s gonna be off the
meter,” he said. (Issue #17 October
2003, page 16)
07 // Jacki-O
“Being independent is lovely.” – Slim
Thug (Issue #22 April 2004, page 22)
15 // Mike Jones
“If I keep grinding and building a buzz,
I know
good things will happen.” – Mike Jones
(Issue #23 May 2004, page 21)
16 // Young Jeezy >
“I’m on some hustlin’, gettin’ money shit.
I don’t just rap cause the words rhyme.
I don’t just say words cause they go together. I spit from the heart. It’s not some
video-type shit. It’s for real.” – Young
Jeezy (Issue #23 May 2004, page 23)
17 // Lil Boosie
“I did ‘Pussy’ just to shock people and get their attention, and I definitely got
that.” – Jacki-O (Issue #16 September 2003, page 29)
“I really live my rhymes. A lot of people be
lying.” – Lil Boosie (Issue #24 June 2004,
page 22)
08 // Lil Scrappy
18 // Chamillionaire
“You won’t be sitting down when
you go to our concerts. We’re tryin’
to make crunk ‘Fuck You’ songs
and er’thang.” – Lil Scrappy (Issue
#16 September 2003, page 34)
09 // Paul Wall
“We got our own world out here
[in Houston]. It’s weird.” – Paul
Wall (Issue #16 September 2003,
page 36)
10 // Rich Boy >
“I never was trying to rap, never
thought nothing of it.” – Lil Rich
a.k.a. Rich Boy (Issue #16 September 2003, page 38)
46 // OZONE MAG
“I’ve been hot for a long time in the
streets. I’ve always sold records, so I’m
gonna be alright when my album drops regardless. I’m just positioning myself to get the deal
I want.” – Chamillionaire (Issue #27 September
2004, page 38)
19 // Webbie
“I just know it’s been way more hoes comin’
up to me than before. That’s how I know [me &
Boosie’s underground album] has been selling.”
– Webbie (Issue #29 November 2004, page 10)
< 20 // T-Pain
“I just listen to the beat, go in the booth, hit
record, and see what happens.” - T-Pain (Issue
#34 May 2005, page 19)
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n
o
z
o
g
n
i
who’sread
for BMI
a @ Club Esso
01 // DJ Dram
nnie Fresh
a, GA. 02 // Ma nta, GA).
nt
tla
(A
se
ca
tla
Show
(A
se
ca
ow
Sh
r BMI
@ Club Esso fo
@ Spring
ezy & Slick Pulla
Je
g
un
Yo
//
03
// 5th Ward
Beach, FL). 04
Bling (West Palm @ Club 300 for Baby
Boy
Weebie & Baby
ns, LA). 05
rty (New Orlea
Boy’s release pa
// B Simm
06
.
IL)
,
go
(Chica
Big Neil
// 8Ball & MJG
//
07
).
GA
a,
tlant
in the studio (A
(Cincinnati,
ht
nig
b
clu
s
cord
b Esso
@ Locdown Re
N Da Hood @ Clu //
OH). 08 // Boyz
09
).
GA
a,
nt
tla
se (A
for BMI Showca
tone for
Money @ Fires
Chris Turner & G- rlando, FL). 10 // DJ
(O
Yung Joc concert @ The Moon for TJ’s
tch
Bishop & Top No
FL). 11
rs (Tallahassee,
DJ’s Tastemake
(Miami,
96
r
we
Po
@
tz
// DJ Fingerprin
Nice
e Pro & DJ Mista 13
.
FL). 12 // DJ Jo
VA
h,
ac
Be
VA
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@ The Aqua Lo
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Mi
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Ma
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//
(Daype release party
Tarvoria’s mixta
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Mo
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//
). 14
tona Beach, FL
by
Club 300 for Ba
& Raj Smoove @
ns, LA).
rty (New Orlea
pa
se
ea
rel
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ng (West
le @ Spring Bli
15 // DJ Prosty
m with
Sly
DJ
//
16
).
Palm Beach, FL
rty (Day@ BCR pool pa
his BCR article
y @ The
La
mFa
//
17
).
tona Beach, FL
Play of
n
Gu
//
18
).
VA
Norva (Norfolk,
e for
Liv
be
So
@
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the Carol City Ca
i, FL).
iam
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OZONE mag rel
Boy @
by
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ld
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19 // THot Boy
party
by Boy’s release s
Club 300 for Ba
Jone
Jim
//
20
).
LA
(New Orleans,
h,
(West Palm Beac
@ Spring Bling
grappy @ Club Le
FL). 21 // Lil Sc - Julia Beverly.
FL)
ends (Orlando,
cy
ings @ Frequen
22 // Lyfe Jenn
tom showcase (A
for Legion of Do
Houston
s
ue
rq
Ma
//
lanta, GA). 23
h,
(West Palm Beac
@ Spring Bling
ndo,
rla
(O
y
ht
Lig
FL). 24 // Mike
a
@ Fiesta Medin
FL). 25 // Mims
@
ll
Wa
ul
Pa
//
(Orlando, FL). 26 , TX). 27 //
ustin
Music Mania (A
le
ill, & Keio Gamb
Rapid Ric, DJ Ch E’s Texas
ON
@ Spiro’s for OZ
//
ustin, TX). 28
Relays party (A
g Bling (West
Rich Boy @ Sprin
y
). 29 // Rock Cit
Palm Beach, FL
rence
nfe
Co
sic
Mu
@ Greg Gates
30 // Roland
(Pensacola, FL).
ll @ Spring Bling
‘Lil Duval’ Powe FL). 31 // Sel
h,
(West Palm Beac & Smoke D
one
Fish reppin’ Oz
32 // Slim Thug
(Jackson, MS).
nia (Austin,
& Gu @ Music Ma ular & Slick
tac
TX). 33 // Spec
ky @ Spring
‘Em of Pretty Ric ach, FL).
Be
Bling (West Palm
& Elora Mason
34 // Tarvoria
for Tarvoria’s
@ Aqua Lounge rty (Daypa
mixtape release
). 35 // The
tona Beach, FL
@ The Norva
Ying Yang Twinz
// T-Pain @
(Norfolk, VA). 36 owcase
I Sh
Club Esso for BM
// Wendy
(Atlanta, GA). 37 tes Mueg Ga
Day & KLC @ Gr
(Pensacola,
sic Conference
g Dro @
FL). 38 // Youn
R (Daytona
Club Aqua for BC
Beach, FL).
Eric Perrin
Photo Credits:
verly (01
(06,22); Julia Be
,24,27,36);
,02,08,10,18,21
,32); MaLuxury Mindz (26 ,23,28);
,20
lik Abdul (03,09
e (4,14,19);
Marcus DeWayn
,31,37);
Edward Hall (29 ); Ms
,33
Poppy (11,15,30
,25,34);
Rivercity (13,16 ); Ken(38
Terrence Tyson
Rohit (5).
neth Clark (17);
OZONE MAG // 47
48 // OZONE MAG
OZONE MAG // 49
VERLY
O // JULIA BE
WORDS & PHOT
50 // OZONE MAG
re you happy with the response to your debut album?
How many copies did you sell?
We’re up to around 800,000 right now.
Were you hoping for a million?
Shit, I was hoping for two. Two copies, shit. I
was just hoping someone wanted to listen
to it and someone would buy it. I didn’t
give a fuck. (laughs) So I’m happy
as hell.
How do you think your
image has affected your
record sales?
Oh, it’s affected it a lot. People
didn’t understand it at first. They just
thought I was the weed man. You know, the weed
man done got his own studio and shit. I guess I can’t hate
on that, you know, people got to get used to some different shit.
So were you the weed man before you started rapping and singing?
Not at all. I wasn’t shit. I was one of the least cool niggas in my whole neighborhood. I was the only person that always stayed in the house. I didn’t ever
do nothing. I ain’t egg nobody’s house on Halloween. I didn’t do none of that
shit. I was always chillin’. I ain’t going to act like I was the gangster of the
year. My family owned two restaurants, so I was a little rich kid at first. Then
when they lost the restaurants, shit got crazy. That’s when things started getting hard. People always say it was hard in their childhood, but for me, it was
hard in my adult hood. It was just getting worse and worse as I got older, but
it’s all good right now.
You started out as a songwriter, right? What are some other songs you’ve
done that people might not know about?
I just wrote a song for Britney Spears that’ll be her first single when she gets
out of rehab or when her hair grows back. I wrote one for Joe, and one for
Mario. People are just starting to get wind of T-Pain as a writer. That just
started happening as my second album has been progressing.
“Sprung” and some of the other songs on your last album were initially for
Akon, right?
Yeah, but he wasn’t doing that type of stuff at the time. [The sound effect]
was just something I always wanted to do, even as a young producer. So
when I got it I went crazy on it.
Charlamagne The God kinda clowned you on his radio show in South Carolina.
How do you feel when people say you can’t sing?
I don’t really care. I’ve got songs I don’t use at home, and I don’t need all
those [sound effects] to do it. With Charlamagne’s show, I know what that’s
about. I mean, I was hoarse from the [performance] and they brought me in
right after the show and asked me to sing. If I hadn’t done it, they would’ve
been like, “This nigga really can’t sing.”
want me to rap, but even fans wre like, “Man, you gotta rap more.” I guess
they’ve heard mixtapes or some of the other stuff I’ve done.
Same kind of flavor as the last album?
Yeah, I mean, I’ve got more knowledge now. I know what to do now. I’m not
saying that I’m going to follow the standards, but I know what people want
to see. I know what people want to hear from me now.
You’ve got a new chain to represent Tallahassee, shaped like the capitol
building. Are you into politics or any of that.
Not at all. That really don’t matter. (laughs) But I gotta represent Tallahassee.
They did give you a proclamation, right?
Yeah. T-Pain Day. I’ve actually got two of them. One is July 17th and the other
is December 7th.
Why do you have two?
I don’t know. They called me to Tallahassee and was like, “Hey, you got
another T-Pain Day.” I wasn’t gonna turn it down. (laughs)
So what happens on T-Pain Day?
I come to Tallahassee. I mean, nobody gets off work or no shit like that.
That’s how you’ll know you’re really famous. Did they give you a key to the
city?
Nah, they didn’t even give me a key to a car.
Speaking of that, DJ Khaled says he thought you were Jewish. Is it true that
you have a big stash somewhere?
It ain’t hidden. I just know how to not be stupid. I’m not going to waste all
my money on fucking Mercedes and gotdamn Bentleys and shit.
You got a Mini Cooper instead?
Yeah, I got a Mini Cooper. I got a Scion, an Escalade EXT, a ’72 Impala, a lil
Ford Expedition just to ride around in, and another Escalade. I got a lot of
fucking cars. People know my house just by the cars in the yard. They think
it’s always a party going on, but it’s just all my cars. Right now I’ve got eight
cars.
Basically, add them all up and you’ve got one Bentley.
Exactly, very smart.
Have you made any other luxury purchases besides your chain?
My damn house.
That’s not really a luxury purchase.
That’s luxury, trust me, it is. You go in that muthafucker and it’s luxury. I meet
a lot of [artists] and a lot of them don’t have shit to show for it.
By “luxury purchase,” I mean, stupid shit that you shoudn’t buy.
Stupid shit? Oh yeah, I waste my money on stupid shit. Like fucking figurines.
The average person probably doesn’t understand the demand on your voice
that’s required when you’re performing every night.
Shit, all the time. My voice is fucked up right now. I’m trying to recoup and
I’ve gotta get right back in the studio.
Bobbleheads?
Little shit. I go to London, they have different cartoons over there. I waste
money on stupid shit like that just because I can. I’ve got a lot of guns too. I
like fucking guns. I think I’ve got more guns than Young Cash now.
Your features are all over the radio right now.
Yeah, I got a whole lot of things coming. I just did something for Twista
today. In the last few weeks, thirty something people have called me to do
hooks and be on their songs. And this isn’t even underground, I’m talking
about all major artists. I’m getting calls from A&Rs and getting song deals
left and right. Atlantic wants five songs from T-Pain. I got 12 songs for Jive,
10 songs for Interscope. Basically, they just want that T-Pain flavor. I’m doing
way better than the first go-around.
Sometimes when an artist blows up from a small town, there’s a bit of a
backlash. Do you still get love in Tallahassee?
It’s okay. Not to say that I don’t like Tallahassee no more, but I try not to go
back to that [small town] mindstate. It was holding me back. There’s people
there that are still in the Tallahassee mindstate. They’ve got to understand
that it’s bigger than Tallahassee. It’s bigger than Florida. It’s bigger than the
United States, period. If somebody goes from Tallahassee to London, their
whole mindframe would change. They’d fucking move somewhere else just to
get out of that mindframe. Even going from Tallahassee to Atlanta – that was
my experience – just seeing the difference in cars, that’ll put you in a whole
‘nother mindstate. It’s a different environment. I think a lot of people could
come from Tallahassee and make it big, but they’ve got to get out of that
mindstate.
When does your new album come out?
May 22nd as it stands right now, but [the release date] might move back or
forward. The first single is “Buy You A Drink,” with Yung Joc.
Are most of the songs you write based off personal experience, even when
you’re writing for another artist?
Some are based on my personal experience. Some are based on the person
I’m writing for, what kind of person I think they are, how they feel. I’m like an
actor. I’ve gotta get into character when I do shit for somebody else, just to
try to turn myself into them so I can know how they think about situations.
Is this album more rapping or singing?
It’s definitely way more rapping. It’s about 50/50. I didn’t know people would
So you live in Atlanta now? Do you like it better?
Yeah, I live in Atlanta now, and I like it a lot better. A lot of people work
together up there, man. I was living in Miami at first. I lived in Miami for
six months, moved up to Atlanta, and got more shit done [in Atlanta] in six
weeks than I had done in the six months I was in Miami. It was a big difference. A lot of people call me and come to my studio to work with me. People
don’t do that in Miami, for some reason. I have no idea why. People just act
funny. They want it all to theyselves in Miami. Or maybe I just wasn’t shit
OZONE MAG // 51
then, when I was in Miami. That’s probably what it was. (laughs) Ain’t nobody
gonna fuck with you when you ain’t shit.
What’s been going on in your personal life that you incorporated into the
album? Cause I’ve been hearing some rumors here and there…
(laughs) Here you go with that shit. I’ve been hearing shit too, I ain’t even
gonna lie. But I’m not gonna put it out there. I just have a different perspective on life now. Different experiences make you appreciate life more. Shit has
changed. That’s the only change between my two albums; you can tell that
I’ve experienced more.
What’s the name of the album?
It’s called Epiphany. Martin Lawrence had said “epiphany” in [the movie] Bad
Boys and I always wanted to know what the hell it meant, so I looked it up
and was like, “Aw, shit, that’s what happened to me.” I had an epiphany. I
really didn’t even know what that shit meant until I looked it up. My daddy
taught me that. If you hear something and you don’t know what it is, just
look it up and you’re one point smarter.
Your parents have been pretty heavily involved with your career. Are there
good and bad aspects to that?
It’s good and bad to everything. They expect more out of me. They expect
me to do more for them. Even if I feel like I’m doing everything I can, they’re
like, “This is your family, you’re supposed to do more.” But every artist goes
through that.
So it’s a lot of pressure on you.
Yeah, hella pressure, even just from random muthafuckers. If I go to Tallahassee I’ll see somebody that I don’t even know and they’ll be like, “Boy, don’t
forget about me.” (laughs) They’ll be like, “Boy, let me hold somethin’.” I
don’t even know you, dawg. “Let me get a ride.” I’ll give a nigga a ride. I’ll do
anything for total strangers, man, but when a nigga comes up to me like I’m
supposed to do it, that’s when I get offended.
What’s going to be the next single after “Buy You A Drink”?
It’s called “Lay Down,” it’s a rap song. I’m just getting people used to that,
tryin’ to get them ready for all the shit that’s going to be on the album.
What’s going on with your group the Nappy Headz?
The Nappy Headz? Wow. I don’t know what’s going on with the Nappy Headz.
Aren’t they your brothers?
A
couple of them are my brothers. Two of them.
You come from a big family, right?
Yeah, a big ass family. Six muthafuckers. They’re going through a lot of
emotional, stressful times. I guess life is catching up to them. Not to say that
I had them on my back, but I was pretty much carrying them because I was
everything: the producer, the engineer, the CD manufacturer. When I started
getting busy and fucked up, they were like, “What the fuck?” They were so
used to me doing everything that they decided they weren’t going to [rap]
anymore, I guess. I heard they’ve all got their own managers now, so I’ve got
to follow protocol. If I want to talk to them or do something with them, I’ve
got to talk to their people.
Are you a workaholic?
I am now. I damn sure wasn’t the first time around. I was being an asshole. If
I was going to work with somebody that I didn’t think was good, I would be
like, “I don’t like how he raps and I don’t like his music so I ain’t doing this
shit.” Now I’m like, “Shit, let’s do it.” Let’s grind. I was just being an asshole
and being stupid, thinking I was the shit. Now I know that I’m not, so I’m just
trying to work with as many people as I can. Now they’re trying to work with
me too so (screams) I guess I am the shit now!
You got to work with R Kelly. Who else would you like to work with musically?
Devin the Dude. I talked to him today. I sent him something but I don’t think
he was feeling it. That kinda hurt my feelings. It was my first time sending
him [a record] and I guess I didn’t make a good impression.
You gotta send him a smoking record.
That’s it. I can’t send him no other shit. I was trying to be innovative but I
guess that doesn’t work anymore.
Who else is featured on your album?
We haven’t finished yet but, Yung Joc, and I had J-Bo from the Youngbloodz
but we ended up putting that song on his album. We’re doing this rapperturned-singer thing with Cee-Lo and Andre 3000, it’s going to be crazy.
Have you gotten over your love for a stripper?
That wasn’t even me, that was J Lyric, but yeah, he was off that a long time
ago. No strippers should every try to get money out of me. They were having
a hard time when the record was out, so they should already know.
So you’re cheap at the strip clubs too.
Yup. Very, very cheap. I don’t fuck around. Shit, I will make it mist in the strip
club. I will go get $50 in ones and that shit will look big as hell. That’s a
stack: $50 in ones. //
(center) T-Pain performing at Wildsplash in Clearwater, FL, in March
2007 (Photo by Luis Santana)
52 // OZONE MAG
OZONE MAG // 53
T
I
’
N
I
P
E
E
K
A
T
S
G
N
A
G
DJ DRAMA
Even while
head, handcuffed and accu was pinned to the ground with M16 rifl
Grillz creation - rap’s mos sed of “bootlegging and racketeering” for es at his
mentality (“can’t stop, wo t coveted mixtape series - he knew his Puff his Gangsta
n’t stop”) would secure hi
s place in history Daddy
54 // OZONE MAG
And basically the Morrow Police Department says that they didn’t know you
were “famous.”
Yeah, in all the interviews I’ve read with the police officers, that’s what
they’ve been saying: They didn’t know I was famous. The quote I’ve seen
them say the majority of the time is, “It’s like when you stop somebody for
speeding and then you figure out they’re famous.” That’s the one I’ve heard
over and over.
When I saw the arrest on the news, the officer commented that they were
surprised they hadn’t found any “drugs or weapons” on the property.
That was the insulting part. From my track record and my history, as far as
who I am at the age that I am, that was insulting. I’ve never been arrested
[before]. I’ve never had any drug charges or gun charges. I feel like I’m a
success story and a positive person from all angles; in business and in family.
I’ve been to school; never been locked up. So, why say anything about drugs
or guns if you didn’t find anything? A lot of times, I’ve heard arguments
where people say, “DJ Drama makes Gangsta Grillz,” even though I’ve been
educated. But me making Gangsta Grillz is just like Martin Scorcese making
The Departed. Just because I have a series of mixtapes called Gangsta – you
know, anybody who knows me or has talked to me or seen me knows that I
don’t personify that. Who I claim to be is who I really am. So to see that on
the news in my hometown, where I’ve been living for the last ten years, that
was harsh.
Did you have any family members or friends looking at you sideways wondering if you really had been involved in drugs or other activities aside from just
mixtapes?
Naw, my family was very supportive. Everyone in the situation was very supportive. I come from a very conscious, socially aware family anyway, so they
were aware of what it was from the jump. Everybody that knows me or knows
The Affiliates knew that was an absurd and outlandish statement to make on
the news.
The officer also stated that the profit margin on your mixtapes was similar
to the profits from kilos of heroin. Do you think that was a fair statement for
him to make?
First off, as far as profits on mixtapes, that’s something I really can’t talk
about under the circumstances because the case is still going on. But as far as
my situation, being in the music business, being compared to a drug dealer or
anything of that nature is kinda sensational.
But at the same time, even we in the music business compare it to drug dealing. Every rapper says the rap game and the dope game are the same thing.
You definitely have a point. But for me, under the circumstances, it was a
harsh statement.
Anybody in the dope game knows in the back of their mind that a day like
that may come, and they save up for a rainy day. Did you always have a
thought in the back of your mind that something like this could happen?
No, because I never felt like I was doing anything wrong. I’m 28 years old and
the only thing I’ve known in my life has been Hip Hop since the beginning.
Mixtapes have been here since the beginning of Hip Hop. Mixtapes are how
people in London or Connecticut or Philly or L.A. knew about Hip Hop. They
heard about it through Lovebug Starski or Kool Herc, people like that were
putting out mixtapes. There’s a whole ‘nother generation, from the Kid Capris
to the S&Ss to somebody like Ron G who basically created what Puff got
rich off of – R&B singers on Hip Hop beats. All I’ve known through my life is
mixtapes – from watching those who came before me. Clue went platinum.
There’s so many generations of it, and I’m just another part of that lineage in
Hip Hop to do mixtapes. To me, all I’ve been doing was something that was
part of Hip Hop, a part of the music business, something that I’ve always gotten support in. So at what point would I be thinking I was doing something
wrong?
BEVERLY
WORDS BY JULIA E RIBBEY
PHOTOS BY BLAK
Do you think your arrest was a concerted effort to shut down the biggest
mixtape DJs in the game, or was it really a random bootlegging tip?
There’s a lot of theories, and of course a lot of them have come to my attention. I’ve gone over all of them in my head, but to be honest, all I really have
to go on is the affidavit that basically broke down how the city of Morrow’s
police department started their investigation. It started from a kiosk in the
Riverdale Mall and led to them coming to The Affiliates’ studio for the arrest.
That’s public knowledge, so that’s all I really have to go off of.
What do you think ultimately was the cause of this situation? Did you just get
too big? Too visible? Too successful? Do you think the fact that your mixtapes
were being sold in Best Buy and other major retail outlets contributed to your
arrest?
I really don’t know, and that’s my honest answer. All those things have come
up since my arrest, but as far as the clear cut affidavit that led to my arrest,
it came from a kiosk in the Riverdale Mall. If you go to FreeTheDJs.com you
can read it for yourself. The mixtape is as huge as everything in Hip Hop, it’s
definitely gotten to great levels, but I can’t say what led to this because I
don’t know.
What exactly happened the day of your arrest?
I was at the studio. It was the day after Martin Luther King’s birthday, so
we’d had a long weekend. We were just getting back to work and there were
a couple guys from South Carolina who came to do an interview with us. We
OZONE MAG // 55
were outside of the studio at the time. I was getting into my car and heard
the sirens and the undercover Tahoe pulled up on the curb. First thing I saw,
from that first Tahoe about five police [officers] jumped out. Cobra unit outfits
on, M16s drawn, and they were headed directly for us.
What was your initial reaction?
My initial reaction was really just to be as cool, calm, and collected as I could
in the situation, because there were guns. I didn’t know what was going on. I
thought it was some big, big mistake, basically. I was put on the ground and
when I told them my name, “Tyree Simmons,” they said, “We got one of the
perps.” When they said that, my whole “cool, calm, and collected” thing went
right out the window. By that point, he had put handcuffs on me and pulled
me up. Then they rushed into the office. I was still outside.
Were you duplicating CDs in that office?
Nah, we don’t do duplication and all that. It’s our office plus recording studio,
where we had been working on my album and Willie [the Kid]’s album. The
officer told me that I had been charged with bootlegging and racketeering
under the RICO law, which is the law they created for criminal organizations.
Just for the record, we haven’t been indicted or been to court, so there are no
official charges. That was what I was told originally. I was put into the cop
car after that and taken to Wright Street, and I noticed that [Don] Cannon was
being arrested at the same time.
And there were other people in the office at the time?
We had employees there, but they also were bringing other people from the
area to our studio that weren’t employees of ours. So when they said they
detained 17 people, that wasn’t 17 people that worked for The Affiliates. They
also said that they confiscated 81,000 CDs. I don’t know the exact number of
CDs but if I had to estimate, I’d say it was about 25,000 CDs that we had in our
office. They went in [the office] and asked our employees, “Tell us where the
guns and the drugs are. It’ll be easier on you if you tell us now.”
I heard that there were rumors earlier in the day that police were coming.
Nah. It wasn’t really no tip off. It was very random. After reading the affidavit
later it was quite interesting to me to see how the whole thing unfolded.
How long were you detained? Did they question you?
Naw, they didn’t do none of that. I went to jail, me and Cannon. In jail, they
knew who I was. People were telling me, “We saw you on the BET Awards. You
was shinin’.” I had a lot of Hip Hop conversations in jail. The guards were let-
“
I spent 24 hours
in jail, and it was a
long 24 hours... but it
showed the amount
of support we have. I
got out and saw ‘Free
Drama and Cannon’
campaigns... I wasn’t
even in jail for a night
and a movement had
started. I realized
that it was bigger
than me. It was
bigger than Cannon.
What happened to us
represented a bigger
struggle.
ting me know, “They talkin’
about you on the radio
right now,” and, “You’re
on TV.” I tried to just stay
focused. I spent 24 hours
in jail, and it was a long 24
hours. I’d never wanna see
the inside of that jail again,
but it showed the amount of
support we have. For me to
get out and see “Free Drama
and Cannon” campaigns and
everything, that was more
important than any of the
supposed side comments
anyone was making. I wasn’t
even in jail for a night and
a movement had started. I
realized that in a lot of ways
it was bigger than me. It was
bigger than Cannon. What
happened to us represented a
bigger struggle. I got a lot of
love. After that it was the time
when the All Star and Super
Bowl events were coming up so
I was real heavy out and
about. People from all over knew what had happened and showed love.
Everybody was like, “Drama, keep your head up. Do your thing.”
”
What’s the difference between what you do and what a “bootlegger” does?
Everything. What I consider a bootleg is like, if I was duplicating and selling
a Beyonce CD or a Jay-Z CD or a Young Jeezy Thug Motivation. “Bootlegging”
would be me making a copy of a major label release and putting it out on
the streets or duplicating other people’s works. Obviously, all of the mixtapes
that I do are pretty much 100% artist supported and label supported. It’s not
me making a copy of Young Jeezy’s Thug Motivation. It’s Young Jeezy and DJ
Drama Present: Gangsta Grillz I Am The Street Dream. It’s like you going to
the store and buying a frozen chicken. People bring that chicken to DJ Drama
because he has the best stove, he knows the best spices to use, and he knows
the exact degree to cook it at to make that chicken the best possible meal it
could’ve been. The chicken was frozen when it got to me, but I cooked it and
used my kitchen and put the spices on it and presented it to the world. The
people that ate it said, “Man, that’s the best chicken I ever had.” If you gave
that frozen chicken to somebody who didn’t know what they were doing, it
would’ve tasted like shit. Just because the ingredients are there doesn’t mean
that everybody knows how to make it. I consider myself an artist. I consider
my mixtapes and street albums works of art; they’re projects in their own
right. That’s something totally separate from a bootleg CD.
When you do a mixtape with someone like T.I. or Young Jeezy, do they get a
percentage of the money made from sales of the mixtape?
Yeah. Anytime I’ve done a mixtape with somebody, from jump street everybody is all the way involved. There’s a clear understanding of what I do. Obviously, with a lot of the main artists I’ve worked with, we’ve done [projects]
on many occasions. There’s never been a situation where I did a mixtape that
wasn’t supported on any level, on my end or their end. Everyone is clear on
what our purposes are for the mixtape, and we go from there.
Not too many artists spoke out on your behalf after your arrest. There was a
comment by Lil Wayne – maybe taken out of context – that came across as
negative.
From everyone I’ve come in contact with since the situation, I’ve gotten nothing but support. A lot of people have talked about the Lil Wayne comments.
Again, those comments were made in a media forum. I’ve seen Lil Wayne
since then, we’ve talked, and it’s been all love. Lil Wayne came through for
me when I needed him for my album. We made history together. Jeezy has
been right there for me, Tip, amongst others. I could name a whole host of
people that have shown me support. I’ve had conversations with everybody
from Chamillionaire to Busta [Rhymes] to Pharrell to Jermaine [Dupri], so I’ve
gotten nothing but support. I can’t really go off the media hoopla or what
people think other people are saying behind closed doors. All I can go off of
is when I talk to somebody directly. For real, after the raid, I had lost a lot of
my album because they took my hard drive. So I was on the phone constantly
with all these artists trying to get everything done, and everybody came
through for me when I really needed them.
(above) Tyree Simmons a.k.a. DJ Drama’s arrest warrant
56 // OZONE MAG
What are the chances you’ll recover the items that were confiscated?
I’m hopeful and positive, but at the same time, I feel very blessed with my
mixtape DJ and getting to the level I’m at by making
mixtapes. The mixtape game is at a point now where
there’s gonna have to come some resolution, some
communication, some dialogue between mixtape DJs,
record labels, and the RIAA so that everybody can
leave the room with a smile on their face or an agreement. I would never say, “I’m right and they’re wrong,”
or vice versa, but obviously there’s been a breakdown
in communication when it comes to the music business
and the mixtapes’ value to Hip Hop. Where do we go
from here? Mixtapes are not gonna die. They’re vital
and necessary. So many people wouldn’t have careers
if it wasn’t for mixtapes. Now we’ve got to move
on. I’m glad that I’m in a position where I can help
it move forward so it doesn’t die and a whole new
generation of mixtape DJs can come up. There’s gonna
have to be some type of guidelines put into order;
some “t”s crossed and some “i”s dotted.
Before you were arrested, did labels pay you to do
mixtapes?
Yeah, labels paid me.
How much?
Everything varies. From zero dollars to $20,000 to
$25,000. Every situation is different. It’s like a producer. Producers may charge a fee when they get to a
certain level, but if there’s an artist they really want
to work with, they’ll work with that artist regardless
of the money involved. So every situation is different.
For me – and I tell people this all the time – it was
never just about money. It was about the project
and the artist that I was working with. It’s a lot of
things that come into play. It wasn’t like I had a set
fee and if you couldn’t match that, you couldn’t get
a DJ Drama Gangsta Grillz. It all depended on the
situation.
When you invoiced a label for a mixtape, was there
a secrecy aspect involved? Were they paying you a
“promotional fee” or was it very specific that they
were paying you to do a Gangsta Grillz mixtape?
That’s a hard one. I don’t know if I can answer that
question under the circumstances.
You were involved in a legal battle with a distribution company called BCD right before your arrest.
Were they distributing Gangsta Grillz?
I never had a distribution deal with BCD. I never
supported BCD putting my mixtapes into Best Buy
and Target and other retail stores. I don’t really
know what they were doing. I just know that they
had a lot of my projects in a lot of stores in a lot
of places that I had never gave permission for.
When the situation went to court and they were
asked to show the contract for DJ Drama, they
weren’t able to produce it.
career. I went into my office
after the raid and saw it empty, after all the things we brought
to the game with a brand we built from scratch. But instead of feeling like
putting my head in the dumps and waving my white flag, I felt like, it’s time
to get motivated. It’s time to get to work. I gotta go buy some new shit. If
I never see anything back that I lost in this circumstance, or if I just receive
one thing back, that’s a blessing. It’s just a challenge to secure my place in
the world, my place in Hip Hop, and my place among leaders. I’m hopeful
that I’ll get everything back, but if I don’t, so be it. I lost my hard drive and I
was still able to accomplish in three or four weeks what had taken me a year
before that to get my album done in time. God works in mysterious ways.
In the DJ issue, we asked other DJs what affect your arrest had on the mixtape game. What would be your answer to that question?
For one, shout out to all the DJs because everybody pretty much showed
support for myself and Cannon and what we bring to the game. Obviously, me
being in the position I’m in and this happening to me, it has a lot of people
concerned. I call it “the day the game changed.” Again, it’s bigger than me,
so it’s very important that I hold my head high and stand proud for being a
Do you think there’s any correlation between that
situation and your arrest?
No, I don’t.
Pimp C did an article for our DJ issue. He feels that mixtape DJs make a lot of
money off artists. Is that true, not just in your situation but in general? Do
you think mixtape DJs are making huge profits off the artists?
First, being a mixtape DJ is not necessarily all about the actual mixtape. Being
a mixtape DJ means that I’m able to get a lot of money from a lot of places.
I have endorsements, an album deal, and a label deal – that all comes from
what I was able to create in the streets by doing mixtapes. I think mixtape
DJs are vital to the game. I think I’ve helped a lot of people sell records. I’ve
helped a lot of people reach incredible heights with their music by adding my
flavor to what they were already doing. I feel like I gave a stamp to a lot of
people who were already doing their thing, and I helped. I might have helped
bring attention to some of the greats that might not have been looked at. I
love Pimp C, I respect Pimp C, and from his article I think he really showed
a lot of support for me. I felt where he was coming from, but naw, I think
mixtapes and mixtape DJs are a key element of Hip Hop.
So now you’re working on Gangsta Grillz The Album, right? Aside from just the
OZONE MAG // 57
“
I went into my office after the raid and saw it
empty, after all the things we brought to the
game with a brand we built from scratch. But
instead of feeling like putting my head in the
dumps and waving my white flag, I felt like, it’s
time to get motivated. It’s time to get to work.
”
legal issues, how does it benefit you to do an album instead of just a mixtape?
The album benefits me because it’s a bigger platform. Having a major label
behind me pushing me and pushing that button on a bigger scale is a great
thing. This mixtape album is like the accumulation of everything I represent
and everything I’ve done in the game over the last four or five years. To see it
come full circle to get here, in a lot of ways, I think it would be every mixtape
DJ’s ultimate goal. We make mini-albums, so here I am with the opportunity
to paint my picture on a broader canvas. I think it’s important because over
the last few years, DJ albums have been a little lackluster and haven’t really
gotten the support from the major labels that they deserved. We’re trying
to take it back to those early years of the mixtape albums. With people like
myself and Khaled in the positions we’re in, we’re really making good music
and putting out a good quality DJ album to open the doors for other DJs to
come and do what we do.
DJ albums or compilation albums have been known to not sell very well because a lot of times they’re just throwaway tracks from artist’s albums. How
do you avoid that stigma and really brand it as a DJ Drama album?
I’ve got a lot of answers to that question. First off, one of the things that I
knew early on that I have to my advantage is that I don’t consider my album
a compilation. Other people may disagree, but I consider my album a mixtape
album. Gangsta Grillz the brand at one point in time was even bigger than
DJ Drama. People knew Gangsta Grillz but didn’t know who the hell I was or
what I looked like. It’s not just about DJ Drama the individual; it’s also about
the brand I’ve created and what it represents for the Southern movement
and for mixtape culture and for Hip Hop and the stamp of quality that I’ve
brought to the game with my brand. Secondly, when I got the opportunity to
do this album, it was very clear to me that I didn’t wanna tarnish anything I
had created before. I’ve done a lot of classic mixtapes. There are no songs on
my album that are throwaway tracks, or songs that were leftovers. I went into
it with a blank canvas and paint, and I painted the picture I wanted to paint.
Myself, Sense, and Cannon, we A&Red the album from scratch. We picked the
artists and the beats and the topics. I wanted to get rid of that image of a “DJ
album” just being a bunch of throwaway tracks. I wanted to make good music
and make a good album. The single is called “Takin’ Pictures,” but under my
circumstances, a lot of people wanna call it “Feds Takin’ Pictures.” Instead of
me running from my situation, I embraced it and made a song about it for
everyone that’s paying attention. I feel like the best music is made when you
make it more personal and let people feel what you’re going through. I’m
letting people see what I just went through and what we overcame.
Do you think in the long run this situation will help you make more money by
turning you into a bigger star than you already were?
The positives have outweighed the negatives. Of course, I still have a criminal
case pending, and the most important thing is to have a resolution for that.
Overall, God works in mysterious ways. It’s opened up doors. It’s put DJ
Drama and The Affiliates and the whole movement on a larger scale. People
who may not have paid attention before are definitely more aware of what
we do. They’re embracing me and supporting what I do, so it’s a positive
thing. This is not the last chapter of my book. This is just a chapter of my
book. If anything, I would wanna use January 16th [the day of the raid] as a
platform for me to do bigger and better things.
Have any of the labels that were paying you for mixtapes worked on your
behalf in any way throughout this situation?
I haven’t had any conversations with the labels. Except Atlantic Records,
they’re about to put out my album, so that’s definitely support. But right
now, I’m not looking for labels to come out and support me. I’ll support
me. Everyone in the music industry knows how mixtapes have benefited the
labels. Everyone knows how Gangsta Grillz have been topics of conversation
in marketing meetings at every single label and how mixtapes have helped
everyone from 50 Cent to Young Jeezy. Everyone has utilized mixtapes. Now,
I wanna take my position help everybody figure out where we’re gonna go
from here. There’s gotta be some type of conversation, but I’m not looking for
any label to come out and support me. I have my own team; The Aphilliates,
58 // OZONE MAG
people around me for that support.
Worst case scenario with the trial – what kind of penalties are you
looking at?
We haven’t been indicted so we don’t know any charges yet. My
lawyers are in conversations with the RIAA and the district attorney. It’s not a Federal charge, it’s state charges. It’s the state of
Georgia. It wasn’t the Feds that came to our doorstep, it was the
Morrow Police Department of Clayton County. So it’s not a Federal
situation and everybody’s having an open dialogue, so I’m hoping
that it can get resolved. I have no idea when that will be, but
hopefully it’ll be sooner rather than later.
Is it an unsettling feeling, not knowing what’s going to happen next with the
case?
Not really. The unsettling feeling was the 24 hours I was locked up, when I
had to put that blue suit on. (laughs)
Did you post bond?
We were released on $100,000 signature bond, which means the city or the
state puts up the money and we were released on a signature to the state
basically saying, I’m not gonna run. I don’t really have an unsettling feeling
because I’ve got a lot of things to look forward to. I’m not locked up and I’ve
got good people around me and a good family. Things are moving forward.
Is there a “right” and “wrong” way to do a mixtape? For example, if Jeezy
brings you a track and wants you to put it on a mixtape, does he legally have
the right to do that? Or does his record label or publishing company own it?
I think there are a lot of conversations that need to be had with myself, the
record industry, and the RIAA to figure that out. From the RIAA’s perspective,
from what I’ve read, they don’t have a target on mixtapes. Again, they just
use the line of “finding somebody speeding and realizing they’re famous” so I
don’t really know where they stand on it. I know from conversations I’ve had
with very powerful people in the music business, and from conversations my
lawyer has had on their terms, the RIAA is very willing and open to finding
a resolution and making sure that everyone can go forward being happy
– meaning them, me, and the labels.
Do you have a release date for Gangsta Grillz: The Album?
June. After that, we’ll be dropping Willie the Kid. I’m gonna set it up for Willie
to basically show how much of a monster he is on my album. He’s on there
like six or seven times. After that, we’re gonna put out his album. His album
is pretty much done so it’s just looking for the right time to put it out. Our
label AMG – Affiliates Music Group – is on Asylum, and Willie’s the first artist off the label. I’m signed to Grand Hustle/Atlantic for my album. I’ve got
endorsements, doing a lot of stuff with LRG, Stall & Dean, Stashhouse, a bunch
of clothing situations. My main goal is to become more of an executive in
Hip Hop and at some point break into the film industry, probably behind the
scenes. As much as I’ve accomplished, I still have a lot to do. This is my first
major label release. This is my first opportunity to show my ability to sell
records. It’s like the difference between college basketball and finally getting
to the pros. It’s kinda like starting all over. When you get to the league you’re
a rookie again and you’ve got to prove yourself.
When you got out of jail you went straight to the radio station to promote the
album?
Yep, that night. I went home first.
All in all – was it an unreal experience?
When I put it in the context of my whole career, the shit blows my mind. I’ve
been DJing for a long time, and I really love what I do. It all comes from
having a passion for my music. I can’t believe I’ve been on major magazine
covers and I’m putting out an album, or just how big Gangsta Grillz got. When
I put it all in context – even us being arrested and the “Free Drama and Cannon” campaign, the shit blows my mind. That’s why I really don’t look at it as
a negative situation. How many people can say they’ve had the career they’ve
had, or gotten to the heights I’ve gotten to? Especially as a DJ, it’s just amazing. It’s just proof that anything is possible. I remember when people were
telling me, “Why would anybody put you in a magazine?” And now I can’t stay
out of them. I’ve traveled the world, so when I put January 16th in that context, at the end of the day, that’s not what I’m going to be known for. Look at
some other people in Hip Hop and the situations they’ve overcome: Snoop’s
murder charge, Puff when Biggie died or Puff when he got the charge, Russell
Simmons and Def Jam. It’s not that I’m comparing myself to them – I hope to
be at their level one day – but this is just another step for me to prove that
I’m one of the greats, overcoming adversity. I’m sure when Snoop was on
trial he didn’t know what direction his life was gonna go, but if you look at
him now, he’s an icon. That’s how I put what happened to me on that day in
context. It’s motivation. That’s it. Motivation. //
OZONE MAG // 59
I’m the underdog... that’s what
gives me the upper hand because I
can catch ‘em from the blind spot.
If you ain’t expecting somebody to
make no moves you can’t prepare
for it and you can’t fight against it
no kinda way, so I caught ‘em off
guard with the album.
60 // OZONE MAG
N. perrin
words BY eric BEVERLY
LIA
PHOTOS BY JU
D
riving through
Alabama on a
sluggish Sunday
in early April is a
lonely experience.
The entire state
is literally tucked
in by the time
the street lights
come on and the
only thing that
stands out amidst
the never-ending
black backdrop is
the congregation of stars highlighting the Alabama sky. Speeding east on I10, racing towards Atlanta, it becomes evident that out here, the diamonds in
the sky are the resident rock-stars; and they party like such every night until
the sun comes up. In fact, stars are so permeated throughout Alabama that
the state’s license plates are adorned with a simple yet poetic phrase, “Stars
fell on Alabama.”
But the logo is a lie. In Alabama, the stars have always been restricted to the
sky, millions of miles away from reality. For an eternity, it seemed impossible
for the state the stars fell on to actually produce one of its own.
Of course it would take a lot more than one catchy tune about rims and Cadillacs to change all that, right? Apparently not. By January 2007, Rich Boy had
successfully bombarded the Billboard charts and witnessed his single “Throw
Some D’s” ascend higher than anyone would have ever imagined. Multiple remixes of the infectious hit have included everyone from Outkast to Jim Jones
to Kanye West. By now, you’ve probably received the text message about the
boy who received all F’s on his report card and disgustedly told his teacher to
“Throw some D’s on that bitch!” A hot single like Rich Boy’s is the envy of all
artists, and has even eluded many of the best, most heralded rappers of all
time. But until recently, Rich Boy’s star-crossed path was one of few triumphs.
In 2003, when a dread-headed Lil’ Rich first appeared in OZONE, he had just
dropped out of Tuskegee University and was more of an aspiring producer
than rapper. His image wasn’t fit for the mainstream; even worse, he was from
Alabama, and ‘Bama’s didn’t rap — at least that’s what most of the critics
thought. Alabama was more known for the civil rights movement than the rap
movement and industry execs paid no attention to the multi-talented, driven
emcee. But according to Rich, his underdog status is part of the reason he
thrived.
After signing to super-producer Polow Da Don’s Zone 4 Inc. Records, Rich
Boy’s career seemed to be headed in the right direction; he had a growing
industry buzz, a strong label backing and increasing spins on local radio.
However, his career almost ended before it truly began. While at home in Alabama, Rich was the victim of his own looming success and was forced to kill
a man out of self defense, resulting in an attempted murder charge. After a
lengthy trial, Rich was given a deal that allowed him to serve just 36 months
probation with no prison time.
Rich Boy calls it a miracle and today, as Alabama’s brightest star, Lil’ Rich is
on top - right where he always knew he would be.
You were first in OZONE back in 2004 as a Patiently Waiting artist, then you
were featured few times throughout the last couple of years, and now you’re
on the cover. Did you ever doubt that you’d be on top?
Man, I never doubted it. What’s so crazy is that OZONE was the first magazine
to ever get at me. Julia came down herself to take the pictures. We did the
shoot on the railroad tracks, and we did the interview at Red Lobster. I’ll
never forget that. It was crazy. But I most definitely knew at some point in
time something was gonna pop. Some people believe they’re gonna make it
and then some people really believe they’re gonna make it. I really believed,
you feel me?
Yeah, but was there any point during your trial that you were afraid you
might not make it?
Yeah, there was a time. One day I just woke up like, “Man I’m fucked up. I
ain’t gonna be able to get out this situation. It’s impossible. Not in Alabama.”
I was just fucked up. I knew it wasn’t gonna happen for me, and I was just
depressed. I was real depressed; it got to the point where I just felt like, really, it was over and I pretty much just gave up on the situation.
So what moment turned it around for you?
It was like five minutes before I walked in the courtroom, they had the jury
and everything. I thought it was just gonna go down and I was gonna be
fucked up, but they came to me at the last minute, like, “Okay, we’re gonna
offer you one more deal.” With the first [plea]I had to serve time, period. So
at the last minute they said, “We’re gonna sentence you to ten years, but you
can execute it with three years probation.” Man, it was just a miracle.
That had to be a triumphant moment, probably even more so than having
your album debut at number two. But the success in the game this year has to
feel almost as good.
Yeah! [laughs] Yeah, it feels good. The number two debut was a big deal,
especially coming from where I’m coming from. It’s crazy, I can’t even explain
how it feels. This type of situation is the first of its kind, especially from my
state.
A lot of critics didn’t respect you, and many still don’t respect you. How do
feel about that?
Well, you know, that’s just how the game is. I’m the underdog, but at the
same time I feel like that’s what gives me the upper hand because I can catch
‘em from the blind spot. If you ain’t expecting somebody to make no moves
you can’t prepare for it and you can’t fight against it no kinda way, so I
caught ‘em off guard with the album. They most definitely thought I was just
gon’ be throwin’ some D’s on it throughout the whole album.
You did a little over 100,000 your first week, and I know you have platinum
aspirations. Are you satisfied with your album sales thus far?
On the record I’m satisfied, but I’m just the type that’s never satisfied, to tell
you the truth. That’s just the way I am, but I’m happy with it. I feel like it’s a
great accomplishment.
Definitely, but three years ago a CD as solid as yours might have sold a lot
more copies. In today’s market, album sales have been really stagnant. Do
you ever see the game bouncing back?
I feel like people just have to start touching on real topics instead on just
following what they hear already and I feel that’ll bring the game back to
something refreshing. We have to keep the people refreshed. The game is so
saturated right now that a lot of people just gon’ have to quit rapping for it
to really recover. The game is saturated to the point where it’s rappers everywhere you go. You can walk into any restaurant or any store and somebody
in there raps; that’s why people don’t take albums seriously and they don’t
purchase them anymore.
One thing that stands out is the concepts in your music.
Yeah, I felt like my concepts are my strength. The difference between me and
the average artist is that the average artist is tryna hit a lick; they’re tryna
get rich. They do it just to get rich so it ain’t no passion behind it and it ain’t
no emotion behind it. They just think, “Okay, this tight. People gon’ love this,
so I’m gonna do it this way.” I never went in the studio questioning if people
were gonna like what I was doing, I went in there and just did what I felt. It
was all off emotions. There would be days in the studio when I had my shirt
off, almost finna cry recording a song like “Ghetto Rich,” or “Let’s Get This
Paper,” and then it’d be days when I’d go write a song right after a funeral,
like “Madness.”
OZONE MAG // 61
When I first
saw myself on
106th & Park,
that’s when
it first hit me.
Like, damn,
I’m actually
doing this shit.
Your dad owns a liquor store where you used
to hang out at when you were young. I heard
you witnessed a lot of traumatic events. How
did those experiences influence your music?
That was the main kick it spot, man. I’d say
that’s where about 70% of my music comes
from. It started at that liquor store. But I
didn’t wanna glorify it, so the way I recorded
it and put it down was in a certain way to
where a young kid wouldn’t hear it and think
it was cool. When I say, “Bulletholes in your
house make it hard to sleep,” and stuff like
that, it shows that it ain’t cool.
for what they doing, the game would be crazy. It’s great to have money.
Everybody wants to have money. Shit, I wanna have money. But when I go in
the studio that’s not what I’m thinking about.
What kind of image would say you’ve crafted?
I feel like me and Polow made our own avenue, just cause we came different.
I’m a totally different artist; I came with totally different music and a totally
different tone. It’s just like something brand new, it’s like a gift to the game.
My people at the label say all the time that everybody [in the game] is like
soup and I came out and was like shrimp and cheesecake. People were like,
“Damn, this is great.” Some people are just so used to the soup that they’re
scared to try the shrimp and cheesecake, but once they try it they love it. It’s
that type of situation, man.
When you’re back home, do you still kick it at
your dad’s liquor store?
Yeah, I just pop up out the blue every now
and then, cause people feel connected. They
feel like we a team, so if I’m winning they feel
like the city’s winning. If I separate myself
from them then we ain’t a team, so I most
definitely stay in touch with everybody and go
out and reach people. Every time I go back to
Alabama, I go back to the same spot. I still get my hair cut at the same spot.
How do you feel about the Kanye West “Throw Some D’s” remix?
I feel like it was a great look. I seen the video on YouTube, he called me and
said he wants to give me four free [show appearances]. He just wants to come
out and perform it. He loves it that much, which is great. He’s a fan too, I’m
just surprised people like that are fans. Even with Outkast, they just wanted
to get on the album. That shit’s amazing to me.
With success inevitably comes hate, and your triumphs have probably made
some people envious. Have you felt the backlash of your success from anyone
in Mobile yet?
I know most definitely that will come, that will come and go, but that’s
something I’ve been trained not to pay attention to. That’s how I caught my
case, paying attention to the hate, so I know not to pay attention to it now,
because it leads to other things.
Speaking of cosigning, when I was in the studio with you and Polow last
December you were joking about getting some Cadillac endorsements, what
ever happened with that?
I don’t think they like rappers. I’m gon’ have to see. I’m gonna have to actually go in the building myself and see how they react. That would be outrageous money. I would probably never have to work again.
But I imagine overall, the love you get from Alabama probably far outweighs
the hate?
Yeah, and I feel it’s just like a plant. A plant got a root, and it’s in the ground,
so if you take the plant all the way out the ground, it’s not connected no
more and it’s gonna die. So that’s why I feel like I have to stay grounded in
the place where I’m from. I have to keep a foot there. I have to keep a house
there in the city just ‘cause. I feel like you die, just like a plant, when you
disconnect yourself from where you come from.
Why aren’t there more artists from Alabama in the position you’re in right
now?
Because a lot of them were probably underestimated before they got a
chance. Alabama is just a state that’s looked down on, so as soon as somebody hands you a demo and say they’re from Alabama, 9 times out of 10 the
person wouldn’t even listen to it, like, “This is just some Alabama bullshit.”
You’re definitely changing that with this album. It seems like everyone has a
different favorite track on the CD.
That was the plan, and I don’t wanna compare myself to Tupac or nothing,
but if you hear a Tupac album, everybody likes something different on it. But
my personal favorite is “Ghetto Rich” with John Legend. All the songs have
substance on the album, but I feel like that one has the most.
Did you get to go in the studio and work with John Legend?
No, he actually got on the album the last night before I had to turn the album
in. He rushed to be on it, but he wanted to be a part of the album so he did
out of love, you know?
How much has Polow Da Don contributed to your success?
Most definitely he played the biggest part in my success besides me. If it’s
anybody that really counted, it was him and [Mobile, AL radio personality
and DJ] Nick@Nite. They are the two biggest people. Polow introduced me to
the industry, period. He’s the one that talked me into trying to rap, because I
wasn’t rapping at the time I met him. He was like, “Man, I’m telling you, you
oughta try it.” So I tried it, and that’s when shit started poppin’. I just wanted
to make beats and be in the background, but he helped me find a talent I
didn’t know I had.
Do you feel that Polow overshadows you at all?
No, I feel like we balance it out equally. It’s just like Timb and Missy Elliott or
Dr. Dre and Snoop, I feel like we balance perfectly. We finna do a whole bunch
of shit that the game ain’t never seen, because we don’t too much think
about the money part, and I think that’s the trick. If you don’t think about the
money, it’ll come if you’re great at what you doing. We just be trying to outsmart everybody when its time to go into the actual studio. It ain’t all about
being rich. If people stopped caring about the money and just had a passion
62 // OZONE MAG
A lot of the biggest names in the game have been cosigning for you.
Yeah, even people that’s beefing cosigning together, like I got Game on my
album and 50 Cent consigning my project; that’s real rare to me.
Yeah, that would be nice, and I know you’ve been working a lot lately. What’s
been the one thing that’s stood out in your mind from the last couple of
months?
When I first saw myself on 106th & Park, that’s when it first hit me. Like, damn,
I’m actually doing this shit. I just woke up one day and forgot that it was
coming on, then I saw it on TV and was like, “Damn, I’m on TV.” I’ve seen the
video a million times, but it ain’t never hit me. I was always like, “Is this really going on?” But then when I saw myself perform on TV live, that shit was
crazy. That’s probably the biggest accomplishment, being on show that I used
to watch coming up, but I never thought I’d be on. //
OZONE MAG // 63
64 // OZONE MAG
OZONE MAG // 65
They say a picture
is worth a thousand
words. Looking back
over five years of OZONE
photo shoots, please
enjoy the following
18,000 word essay. - JB
66 // OZONE MAG
Young Jeezy
July 21st, 2006
Alley behind Mansion Nightclub
Miami, FL
Photo: Julia Beverly
“Being an American, I’ve
got the right to freedom of
speech. For me to connect
with my people, I’ve gotta
speak about what I’ve seen.”
– Young Jeezy (Issue #34
September 2006, page 19)
OZONE MAG // 67
“If you don’t respect DJ Screw and
the Screwed Up Click and the people
that came before you and paved the
way and laid the foundation for all
this shit, then you’re stepping on
people’s toes.” - Paul Wall (Issue
#37 August 2005, page 27)
Paul Wall
April 15th, 2005
Spring Bling
Daytona Beach, FL
Photo: Julia Beverly
68 // OZONE MAG
“A lot of younger cats are making more money than me from the rap game. I’m not bitter, but I still need
to get my money. A lot of cats before me got discouraged and just gave up. You can’t just do that. This
shit makes too much money. The [record labels] try to get all your music and break your spirit before you
learn the game.”- Bun B (issue #34 May 2005, page 23)
Bun B
July 27th, 2005
Check Cashing store
Houston, TX
Photo: Julia Beverly
OZONE MAG // 69
Lil Scrappy
August 23rd, 2006
Record Plant Studios
Los Angeles, CA
Photo: Julia Beverly
“I’m a real person, so
through the hood music I
slide God in there every now
and then… You can’t just be
out here in the streets and
be waking up in the morning by your lonesome thinking there’s nobody to help
you.” – Lil Scrappy (Issue
#37 August 2005, page A49)
70 // OZONE MAG
DJ Khaled
June 15th, 2004
Jerusalem Studios
Pembroke Pines, FL
Photo: Julia Beverly
“Once I co-sign on a record, the artist
can go ahead and make plans to buy that
house or that Bentley.” – DJ Khaled (Issue
#12 May 2003, page 26)
OZONE MAG // 71
Camoflauge’s murder scene
May 23rd, 2003
Pure Pain Studios
Savannah, GA
Photo: Julia Beverly
“You have to be down
for the cause. If you’re
down [with somebody], be
down forever. Don’t let a
little bit of change come
between you and your
folk.”– Camoflauge (Issue
#4 August 2002, page 46)
72 // OZONE MAG
Field Mob
August 20th, 2005
House of Blues Hotel
Chicago, IL
Photo: Julia Beverly
“I don’t wanna be that nigga with
the chains on all the time just frontin’ like that. That’s not me. They’re
just gay. Everybody’s gay. It’s simple.” – Shawn Jay of Field Mob (Issue
#38 September 2005, page A26)
OZONE MAG // 73
Plies
October 31st, 2005
Ivanhoe Plaza
Orlando, FL
Photo: Julia Beverly
74 // OZONE MAG
Turk
March 1998
Royal Senesta on Bourbon Street
New Orleans, LA
Photo: King Yella
“Back then, [heroin] was just the thing to do. It was like
a fashion statement. All the girls wanted a nigga with the
dope dick. I didn’t think I was a junkie, but now that I’m
not in denial, I can see it for what it really was… I guess
God answered my prayers, because right now I’m supposed
to be dead.” – Turk (Issue #37 August 2005, page B21)
OZONE MAG // 75
David Banner
July 1st, 2006
His backyard
Byram, MS
Photo: Julia Beverly
“I define the American dream as a
nightmare. I honestly don’t think
I’ll be here long. I believe I will die
young. The American dream is for
those who fall in line. You’ve got
to give up something to make it in
America, you’ve got to take something. That’s how America was established. It wasn’t bought or negotiated for, it was taken. All the things
they tell other countries not to do,
America already did.” – David Banner
(Issue #11 April 2003, page 34)
76 // OZONE MAG
Pitbull
July 3rd, 2004
395 Bridge
Miami, FL
Photo: Julia Beverly
“These New York labels are fucked right now. Thank you so much for overlooking us and
teaching us how to grind and how to sell our own shit and how to make our own relationships. It’s ridiculous, really, cause you go up there sometimes and they don’t wanna show nobody love. Thank you very much to the labels for overlooking the South, teaching us, putting
us in a position where we had to learn how to do it ourselves. We appreciate that very much.
Thank you. I will laugh all the way to the bank.” – Pitbull (Issue #19 January 2004, page 44)
OZONE MAG // 77
Dawgman
January 15th, 2005
pirate radio station WDME
Orlando, FL
Photo: Julia Beverly
“[Operating an underground radio station] is a felony now… They’re tryin’ to say
that a local police office can lock you up now for operating a pirate station. I’m like,
what the fuck? You ain’t got nothing better to do with your time?.. That’s just the
game, though. It’s just like being in the streets. You win some, you lose some. If you
get knocked down you come back again. Them [radio] transmitters come a dime a
dozen, and tell ‘em we’ve got a dollar. Quote that shit. We gon’ get our music heard,
bottom line.” – Dawgman (Issue #31 February 2005, page 21)
78 // OZONE MAG
Ludacris
May 15th, 2004
“Diamond in the Back” video shoot
Atlanta, GA
Photo: Julia Beverly
OZONE MAG // 79
Pimp C and Bun B reunited
December 30th, 2005
Texas State Penitentiary
Huntsville, TX
Photo: Julia Beverly
“I feel like I got put on the shelf, preserved,
so I could come back and do something
positive later. Maybe I will be in a position
where I can prosper when I get out. I’m not
going to challenge it, I’m just gonna take it
for what it’s worth. If ‘Pac hadn’t got out [in
prison], he might still be alive today. Maybe
there was a worse fate out there waiting for
me.” – Pimp C (Issue #34 May 2005, page 25)
80 // OZONE MAG
Killer Mike
July 26th, 2005
Purple Ribbon office
Atlanta, GA
Photo: Julia Beverly
“Niggas [are] telling you the truth about the good shit
about coming up, but not the whole truth. Part of the truth
is just as bad as a lie. Yeah, I used to make money off crack,
but that shit ain’t good for the neighborhood. It fucked a
lot of people up. The first time I ever counted out $10,000
to myself, just from the stench of the money and the
thought of what I had to do to get it, I threw up. That’s the
truth.” - Killer Mike (Issue #37 August 2005, page B31)
OZONE MAG // 81
“People just doubt you,
and revenge is success.
I love this position that
I’m in right now, because
I’m so confident… The
Sound of Revenge, just
watch me. I’m gonna
create a hell of a story
when I’m successful.”
– Chamillionaire (Issue
#37 August 2005, pg A24)
Chamillionaire
July 27th, 2005
“Turn It Up” video shoot
Houston, TX
Photo: Julia Beverly
82 // OZONE MAG
“I want to be a leader
forever. When you want
to be a leader, you’ll
take any challenge
that comes towards
you. Challenges and
competitions are different cause you can make
them enjoyable. That’s
what you strive for.
With every challenge
I get, I love it.” - Lil
Wayne (Issue #42 February 2006, page 58)
Lil Wayne
December 12th, 2005
W Hotel
New York, NY
Photo: Ray Tamarra
OZONE MAG // 83
“It’s definitely 90% grind, 10% sleep. I stay in the studio ‘til
5 AM. I go to sleep, wake right back up at 7 AM and do it all
over again.” - Mike Jones (Issue #32 March 2005, page 29)
Mike Jones
January 17th, 2005
Swishahouse recording studio
Houston, TX
Photo: Julia Beverly
84 // OZONE MAG
OZONE MAG // 85
86 // OZONE MAG
OZONE MAG // 87
88 // OZONE MAG
OZONE MAG // 89
KILLIN’ EM
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WITH KIN
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end up on a VH e won’t
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90 // OZONE MAG
WORDS & PHOTOS BY JULIA
BEVERLY
Y
ou’re here at T.I.’s studio in Atlanta – what are you working on?
This guy I’m working with right here is JR, Tip’s artist. From there,
I’m going to be working with B.G. I just finished T.I., and tomorrow
I got Young Dro. So I’m working with everybody in their camp while
they got me here.
What else have you been working on? Beats for a lot of different artists?
Yeah, for real, the underdogs. If you’ve been paying attention to BET, [I
produced the tracks for] a lot of the little videos where them dudes are trying
to get discovered. It’s partly me redefining myself, too. Sometimes you gotta
start from scratch and build your way up. I still want to have that feeling
that I can make a new artist. It’s easy to get in there with somebody that’s
certified already and give ‘em a hot track. That’s easy because that’s what the
record company is going to get behind. It’s not easy to get behind that new
cat and make a new song. It’s more of a challenge and it’s a rebirth for me
because that’s where I started from. I always want to be in touch with what’s
going on in the streets. I’m not that dude where you can’t reach me. If you’re
on a major label, yeah, I’m going to try to [charge] an arm [laughs], but if
you’re not on a major label, I’ll work with you.
A lot of people have said that it’s a production-driven game now. What
percentage of an artist’s success would you say is attributed to their beat
selection and the producers they work with?
I mean, it became a production-driven game. Everybody’s not that. Some
dudes still inspire me. But I ain’t even gonna lie, it’s been certain situations
where I’ve been in the studio where it all falls on the producer. I ain’t gonna
say no names, because I might not get business with them again. They want
all your ideas. They want you to write the song, produce the song, arrange
the song, and make [the artist] looks good. It makes you feel like, dude, you
must know somebody. [laughs] For real. I’m not sayin’ this to be fucked up,
but a lot of Hip Hop is bullshit right now.
So you’ve got a new situation with Def Jam. Is it a label deal or do you have
an executive position at the actual record label?
It’s all of that, because I don’t really have a title. I can go sign whoever I
want. I get to work outside of the Def Jam umbrella. I can bring artists to
them, and I get to voice my opinion. I went with Def Jam because they didn’t
ask me to do nothing exclusive. They were like, “We know how you eat. Do
whatever you do, and when you have time for this, cool.” And I feel like I can
deliver on that. It’s not a strain on me. I can sign acts, I can consult, I can
produce those acts, and I can also produce for artists outside of what’s going
on at Def Jam.
Are you involved on the business end as well?
Yeah, because my [financial] splits with Def Jam are crazy. I’m not going to
say them, because I don’t want nobody else to go try to get a deal like that.
But you know, if I bring something there and I produce it or whatever, my
splits on the album are crazy.
So it’s a big incentive for you to bring an act to Def Jam.
Yeah, exactly. So even if I just put my input on somebody else’s album, it’s
still a paycheck for me, so that works for me.
A lot of labels have started a “Southern” branch, tagging that “South” title
onto an existing label, but in most cases it doesn’t seem to work. Do you
think they just don’t have the right people in place?
Yeah, that’s super important. If you think about it, when you meet most of the
people that run record companies, it makes you feel like it’s a family business.
You feel like they must have inherited their job or something. They have no
idea what’s going on. I think Def Jam’s approach is to have people that know
what’s going on. If I want to sign [an artist], it’ll be easy for me to sign them,
as opposed to somebody that’s in a suit and doesn’t have no idea about their
song. Somebody handed him a piece of paper that shows how many spins
you’ve got and told him that it’s a buzz. I think an artist should be listened to
creatively. [Most executives] just see dollar signs.
Will this situation also involve you working with the existing Def Jam roster?
Yeah, if they want to work with me, I welcome them. My dream for Def Jam
is this: It’s a label where you have a lot of artists and they don’t really know
each other. They know of each other, but I want to really bring everybody
together in unity and say, “Let’s take over this. Let’s be the next movement.”
It hasn’t been a label since the old school days that’s done that. Def Jam,
they got a powerful roster. They got Ludacris, Rick Ross, Jeezy, Jay-Z – so if
we could all get together collectively and go out there and get it, that would
be some shit.
Even with Jay-Z being in an executive position, there’s been some criticisms
of some of his business moves. Do you think it’s hard for yourself as an artist
or a creative mind to make that transition to working in a more corporate
environment? Or is your situation not really structured like that?
Nah, it’s not that different. And dude [Jay-Z], he’s experienced, you know?
Look at what he’s done with Def Jam. A lot of the moves are his moves. It’s
his call – go get this dude, go get this dude. I’m trying to put this team
together where nobody is bigger than nobody. I think I’m kinda like the
middleman. It’s a different thing, how we get down in the South. We’re more
family oriented than New York, to make a long story short.
Are there any new artists in particular you’re looking at signing?
Not at the present time because my plate is full right now. I’m trying to finish
producing a few things and then I’m going to breeze through them little
towns myself and check out what’s going on.
For an artist that’s trying to get on, is there a way they can send you material
or would you rather just hear about them?
More than somebody sending me a CD, I’d rather find somebody that’s making
noise. If I was visiting Miami, I’d rather just ask around and say, “What’s the
buzz?” I’d rather put you on the spot and see what’s going on with you.
I bet you have a lot of people coming up to you freestyling.
Yeah, all the time. [laughs]
As far as raw talent, what impresses you most about a new artist?
The biggest thing I could ask for from a new artist is creativity. And I’m always thinking about longevity. When I hear a song, I want to know, what else
do you have after that? I’m looking for longevity, for real. You have a lot of
major labels that are signing them ringtone songs. That’s what I call ‘em. You
know them songs – it’s gonna be a big ringtone, and after that, your career is
over with. I’d rather have somebody with longevity.
You told us earlier that you had some things you wanted to get off your
chest. Recently when you were doing a radio interview at Q93 in New Orleans,
Baby called in during a commercial break and made some threats towards
you. What exactly happened?
The interview was basically about what’s going on with me. And some of the
statements I made, apparently dude [Baby] didn’t like. I think he just called
at the wrong time. He called when we went on a commercial break. I was
like, “For real, you could’ve called when I was on the radio.” I welcomed him
to call back when I was on the radio and we could’ve discussed it man-toman. I even promised on the air, I was like, “I’m not going to curse. You don’t
curse, let’s just discuss what problems you have with me.” I told [Baby], “I’ll
give you the first three questions free. Ask me the first three questions.” And
he never called back.
Do you feel like those issues should be discussed in a public forum? Or have
you already had those conversations behind closed doors?
I mean, I buried that. I left it behind me, but he called and brought it back up.
I don’t have no hate for them. I don’t feel nothing bad about [Cash Money]. I
moved on; I’m doing me. But it’s just funny how whenever they get in articles
or do interviews, my name is smeared. And I’m like, dude, I didn’t do nothing
to you. You did something to me.
What did Baby do to you?
It was all-around bad business. If what I’m saying wasn’t true, he wouldn’t
have been found guilty of nothing. I ain’t gonna air out everything that was
done, but the point I made is this: Every artist that was on Cash Money is not
there [anymore] except Wayne. Is everybody wrong?
Why do you think Wayne is still there if everyone else was unhappy?
Honestly, I have no idea.
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OZONE MAG // 91
When Juve left, what were we stuck with? When everything else went down
and The Carter came out, Cash Money was back to where it needed to be.
So I feel like, dude, what am I really worth to you? Am I just a workhorse? I
look at it like this: Some people in this game really love what they do, and
some people do it to get paid.
You really love what you do.
Yeah, I wouldn’t be here that long if I didn’t. Man, my first record was in
’87 or something. And all through my career, I’ve been through bad deals.
So if I didn’t love it, I would’ve been walked away.
Whenever you hear of situations where an artist is beefing with their label
over money, you’ve gotta wonder if the artist just wasn’t on top of their
business and signed a bad deal. Is it possible you just agreed to a bad
contract? Or was it just them not handling their part of the deal?
It was them. I was over my bad paperwork days. It was just them not doing what they were supposed to do, not living up to their responsibilities.
Basically, you just weren’t getting paid?
Yeah. It was a learning thing with me. And he said in an interview he did in
another magazine that I just woke up and left. Like I just got up one morning and said, “Fuck it.” Nah, dude, we talked about this. We talked about
this over and over again. Repeatedly. And if nothing happened, there was
only two places for me to go – up or down. It was time for me to move on.
Believe me, we wouldn’t be having this interview right now if they hadn’t
said nothing about me. Dude, why can’t you leave me alone? Why can’t you
let it be? I just want to make music. Stay on your side of the field and I’ll
stay on my side of the field.
What motive would they have to keep money from you? Like you said, with
them giving you credit for a lot of things musically, why would they not
want to keep you happy?
I think that sometimes in life, money is somebody’s worst enemy. If you’ve
got a legitimate business, you’ve got to look at it as a legitimate business.
It’s not the streets. You don’t apply street rules to a legitimate business.
I think some people don’t know how to separate the street business from
legitimate business. A lot of times you don’t know the difference, but
those rules don’t work with it. In music, the important thing is to keep the
people happy that keep you in money. If you’ve got a producer or an artist,
it’s gonna hurt them. It hurts me to see you trickin’ off to somebody else
right in front of my face when you owe me something. It’s gonna hurt me
as a man to see you steadily buying cars and shit and you owe me some
money. That’s crazy. And then you wanna show me that shit? Dude, how are
you gonna come around me like that and you owe me some money? When
you owe me something, don’t give nobody shit around me because it’s
going to actually affect me. It’s going to hurt me. Chicks, dudes, whatever.
Don’t take care of your homeboys if you owe me something, especially
if they don’t have nothing to do with the equation. You can’t have your
dudes around you from off the block and decide that they’re “security” all
of a sudden. You know, “I gotta give security some cars to keep the goons
off me.” But you still owe me.
Allegedly, they forged your tax returns and B.G.’s tax returns, right?
It was a whole bunch of stuff. Paperwork that wasn’t done right, taxes that
wasn’t done right. All kinds of shit. And I’m more than sure you’ve done
all kinds of interviews with other people that was on [Cash Money], and
they’ve told you the same thing. I’m not saying this to smear their name
or fuck up what’s going on with them or whatever. Either I’m crazy, stupid,
retarded, or I’m telling the truth. It was time for me to get the fuck up
outta there. [laughs]
You seem like a real laid-back person, but did it ever get to a point where
you just confronted them like, “What’s up with my money?”
I mean, I think we’re past all that. We honestly talked about this. That’s the
part that y’all don’t know. The first time that everybody heard about me
[leaving Cash Money], I had went up to them. Me, by myself, nobody else.
I went up to their office and we talked about it, man to man. I was like,
“C’mon, dude.” But nothing happened. Nothing changed. So it was time for
me to move on.
How much money are we talking about?
Millions. Not thousands.
What was their reaction when you went to their office?
They were like, “Alright, dude. We feel what’s going on. We get you, and
we’re gonna work it out.” If nothing happens, then that’s not working on
it. And for the longest, dude kept saying that I was just upset about what
happened with my album sales. It was never that, dude. I feel like in life,
you can’t win every battle. Some you gonna win, some you gonna lose. I’ve
been doing this long enough to know that everything you do cannot be a
hit. You move on. It ain’t had nothing to do with that.
But even for you, it seemed like things at Cash Money were good. Was
there a point where things started going bad?
I was more in love with what I was doing [musically] than paying attention
to my business. But as time goes on and things happen in your life, you’re
forced to pay attention to your business. I was forced to pay attention to
what was going on because it was affecting me. I was like, “Dude, this ain’t
being taken care of, and this ain’t being taken care of, but yet I’m still here
with y’all doing songs.” So it was a learning thing for me.
Four million? Five million?
It was more than that. But like I said, I was in love with what I was doing.
My all, my heart and everything was with Cash Money.
Is there a lawsuit?
Yeah, I brung it to their attention. They had a little thing that said it was
settled or whatever, but nah, it’s not settled. I’ll put it like this: It was a
payment made on it. But it’s not settled.
So did it go to trial?
Nah, it was outright. Like, it didn’t even have to go there. It was just
outright. Believe it or not, Universal stepped in and was like, “We gotta
make this right. If we don’t make this right, this dude is gonna take us all
to the hoop.” And I was like, “For real.” So it was a payment made on it,
but it’s not settled. I don’t look at it like it’s settled. And I was big about
it. I was like, “Okay, that’s cool.” I left it alone. Go y’all way, and I’ll go my
way. But then it came, all this [talk] surfacing. [Baby] was saying this and
that about me. He said when they got home they went on the block, and I
went home. Where else was it for me to go? Y’all ain’t been on the block.
Stop that. But for real, if you think about it, there’s a reason why I don’t
diss Cash Money. It came out of dude’s mouth repeatedly over and over
and over and over again that “Mannie is the man.” You know? He’d be like,
“Mannie wrote most of this. Mannie came up with this.” I’m like, dude, that
came out of your own mouth. So if I was so much a part of it – you know,
all our trials or whatever – whenever something [bad happened] I ain’t
taking all the credit, but it was up to me to dig Cash Money out of a hole.
92 // OZONE MAG
You said in an earlier interview that you didn’t even really want to do a
solo album.
Yeah, anybody who heard the earlier stories or saw me when I did 106th
& Park knows, I never wanted to do that album. I was like, “Man, I’m not
really into this.” At the time when I did that album, I felt like it was time
to let go of the Big Tymers. We did three albums and got crazy sales out
of ‘em, doing some shit that nobody else on the planet could’ve pulled
off. Taking the producer and the CEO and making a group? Let it go before
people feel like, “Oh shit, this is just a big-ass hoax.” This is what I do. I
produce. You go back to your office and let’s get this shit straight, the way
it’s supposed to be. You can’t be an artist and run your company.
Doesn’t Slim play a role on the business end of Cash Money also, behind
the scenes?
Yeah, Slim is more of the business mind behind Cash Money. But it’s a lot
of things, even with me, where I wish Slim would’ve stepped in and just
outright said, “Dude, that’s wrong.” It could’ve been a lot of stuff solved
it Slim would’ve just told [Baby]. When you’re wrong, you’re wrong. You’re
not supposed to be like, that’s my brother so I’ma overlook it. I’m like,
dude, you know this is wrong. You can outright see what’s going on.
Once when we interviewed Wayne, he said that if you couldn’t produce for
him he didn’t want to do any more albums. Obviously, that changed.
Wayne didn’t have a choice. He had to go out there and get it. I take my
hat off to him for doing what he did. He could’ve said, “I’ma settle for
whatever [tracks] y’all bring me,” but instead he went out and found
producers and found songs for his album.
Since you had a chance to watch Wayne grow over the years as an artist,
how do you feel about Gillie the Kid claiming he wrote for him?
I can honestly say that I’ve seen Wayne grow into the artist he is now. I
don’t know if Gillie wrote nothing for him. I’ve never seen that, but honestly, I have seen growth in times. At certain times, I would listen to what
he said, and he also would listen to what I said. I was like, “Dude, you
gotta get back to the South and give the people what they want. You can’t
do those songs where you’re just trying to get on the radio.” The whole
point of The Carter was to get back to our roots.
How was Cash Money able to develop such a roster
of talented artists
at a young age?
It’s kind of amazing when you
think about it that
you had a group
with Lil Wayne,
Juvenile, BG, and
Turk, so long ago,
and they’re still
relevant today as
solo artists.
Our city was always
surrounded by talent. For instance,
when Wayne came
aboard, I was like,
“He’s the truth.
Y’all might see
him as unpolished
right now, but let
him hang around.
He’s gonna be
that dude.” And
their work ethic when they were young, you couldn’t
stop these dudes from writing raps. B.G. would come in with tablets full
of songs. That shit is unheard of now. Now artists come to the studio and
want to write their verse. And my opinion mattered in the beginning.
You’ve gotta think about what Cash Money did. They took some solo artists,
put ‘em together and made a group, broke it down to some other shit and
kept it moving. We took the producer and the dude that owned the record
company and made a group. So it had to be a vision or something.
SOMETIMES IN LIFE
MONEY IS SOMEBOD,
WORST ENEMY... IT Y’S
ME TO SEE YOU TRICHURTS
OFF TO SOMEBODY KIN’
RIGHT IN FRONT ELSE
OU
OF MY FACE WGHOENNNYA
OWE ME. IT’S MAN TO
HURT ME AS ADILY BUYSEE YOU STEA YOU OWE
ING CARS ANDHAT’S CRAZY.
ME MONEY. T
At one point, Wayne was talking about signing with Jay-Z.
At the time, I can honestly say that he wasn’t happy. Something happened
and they made him happy, so he’s still there. But at the time he wasn’t
happy. He might not speak on it because that’s his people, but at the same
time, why even do that if you’re not happy.
What’s the general feeling in New Orleans towards Cash Money?
I gotta say it’s half and half. A lot of people take their side and some
people take my side. That’s just life. I guess when I did the interview [on
the radio in New Orleans] dude felt like I was trying to smear his name or
whatever, but I’m just saying what happened. I promised everybody when I
get everything settled, I’m going to actually really say what happened and
what it was all about. But at the time when it first happened, they were
like, “You can’t talk on it, you can’t speak on it, you can’t do this, you can’t
do that.” My approach to it is different from everybody else’s. B.G. felt like,
“Fuck ‘em.” I’m not that type of dude. I feel like the pen is mightier than
the sword. I can curse you out, we can do diss songs and all that, but that
ain’t gonna get me nowhere.
Basically, you got some money but still feel like there’s money owed.
Yeah, they still owe me, and I’m not ever gonna let it go. If God takes me
off this earth, I hope my kids inherit it. Go get it. Go after it, cause it’s
rightfully mine. I can’t speak on the amount because of the settlement,
but I can say that it’s a large amount. If they don’t go by the rules of what
they’re supposed to do, then my next step is to bring it back to wherever
it’s gotta go to make them do what they’re supposed to do.
And in the meantime you’re just trying to move forward.
Exactly. I just want to do my own thing. I’m independent. I made a promise
to myself: I’ll never let another man control what’s going on with me. I’m
not going to do homie business, buddy business, none of that. It’s me. I’m
going to know what’s going on with my figures. If I end up on VH1 on a
special, it’s my own fault from here on out.
It’s kind of like a Dr. Dre situation where you’d rather just leave the past
behind you and focus on making new music.
Yeah, that’s what I’ve been trying to do from the get go. It’s just funny
how dude and them can’t leave me alone. Just leave me out of your mouth,
dude, it’s just that simple. Wayne is y’all president. Y’all label has got a
president. Y’all got this, y’all got that. Y’all happy, dude. So just leave me
alone. I don’t have nothing to do with y’all. Y’all don’t have nothing to
do with me. But I don’t have no bad feelings towards them at all. Despite
what they’ve done to me, I can’t move on feeling that way. I think it’s
better for me not to hate them, and that’s genuine. I still love ‘em. We were
raised like brothers and we grew up together, but unfortunately business
changed all that.
If you were able to come to an agreement as far as a financial settlement,
would you go back to Cash Money if they wanted you to?
Wayne asked me to do something on his albums. I’m willing to do it, but
there are stipulations. If it happens, it’s on him. He reached out and I
agreed to it. After the [radio] interview I saw Wayne in Atlanta. I was leaving out the hotel and he was coming in, so I stopped him as a man and I
said, “Dude, I don’t have a problem with you. Do you have a problem with
me?” He was like, “Nah, we good,” and I was like, “Wayne, none of this had
anything to do with you. I understand [Baby] is your man and that’s who
you ride with, and I’m cool with that.”
Is there anything else you want to get off your chest?
For real, I’m here to stay. If you don’t like it, shit, fuck you in your ass with
a broken piece of glass. [laughs]
It’s good to hear we won’t be seeing you bankrupt on any VH1 specials.
[laughs] Not if I can help it. I’m not going that route. I’m blessed. I look
around and see where I’m at in my life and my accomplishments, and it
ain’t got nothing to do with money or cars, none of that. It’s a good feeling to be like, this is me. This is mine and I ain’t gotta worry about nobody
taking it from me. I ain’t gotta worry about if I’m going to get all of [my
money] or not, or if I’m even going to get the message. For instance, if you
went to somebody else to do the interview and I never got the message
– now, you can come directly to me and I’m going to either say “yes” or
“no.” Nobody can make me look like the bad guy.
How did Katrina affect you? Did you move from New Orleans?
I’m still there. I ain’t going nowhere. That’s my home, but it did affect me.
When [Hurricane Katrina] happened, it made you realize what’s important
to you. You’ve gotta leave some shit behind, be it a Bentley or whatever.
You’ve gotta get your family. My whole family evacuated and it was one of
those situations where the only thing left was a five-star hotel. If you’ve
got your whole family together, it’s like, what’s going to matter to you?
Your family or money? I was glad I was in a position where I could help
my family, friends, or whatever. There were so many people scattered
everywhere, that made me realize that besides your family, everything else
is obsolete. I think I’m blessed, so it’s going to keep coming to me anyway.
You seem to do a good job of keeping your family life private. Is that
intentional?
It’s definitely intentional, because there are some characters in this music
shit. Some good and some bad, and I don’t think that’s good for your family. I’ve been doing this a long time, even before Cash Money. It was a gang
of years before them and I have learned some hard lessons. I believe you
keep your family separated from what’s going on with this music game.
With the threats or statements that were made at the radio station, are you
afraid of Baby or anyone at Cash Money?
Hell no. I don’t fear nothing but God. The fear of man, that’s just not in me.
We’ve gotta realize that Hip Hop is still a growing thing. Kids are listening
to [the radio]. It’s another generation coming up on us, so it kinda made
me refrain from what I was really feeling right then and there. My kids
could be listening, or your kids could be listening. If I had just gone crazy
[on the radio] that would’ve been a message that I’m sending somebody.
Rather than that, I just said what I really felt, which is, “For real, dude, I
still love you. If I saw you right now, rather than punch you, I would give
you a hug.” //
Editor’s Note: We attempted to contact Baby and Cash Money/Universal
Records for comment, but have not received a response as of press time.
OZONE MAG // 93
20
HIP Hop REGRETTABLES
We’ve all said things we regret. Fortunately, for most of us, those statements aren’t recorded in print for history to reread and
laugh. But for the artists on our list, these infamous quotables will live on forever.
“Any critic who calls us one-hit wonders has never even tried to do their
homework. We have hits after hits after hits.” – Luc-Duc of the Iconz (Issue #6
- October 2002, page 18)
UPDATE // The Iconz of “Get Fucked Up” fame have officially disbanded.
“[JB], who the fuck cares about what you think? Your articles are shitty, your
interview questions are so textbook, and your writing has no substance…
You’re ugly. Where do you expect to go, looking like that? You need to stick to
Orlando, because you ain’t getting any further.” – Feedback letter responding
to JB’s editorial (Issue #8 - December 2002, page 10)
UPDATE // Just fuel to the fire.
“Most journalists are just frustrated, wannabe rappers anyway. Honestly, most
of them are just frustrated people who wish they could rhyme or DJ, but just
haven’t been accepted into the society, so instead, they just write about it.”
– Benzino (Issue #10 - March 2003, page 18)
UPDATE // Do we really have to tell you?
“If you’re trying to do anything in the entertainment industry, as soon as you
come down to Miami, you gotta holla at me in some kinda way. Whether you
come to record or throw a party, you gotta at least say ‘hi’!” – Abebe Lewis
(Issue #12 - May 2003, page 37)
UPDATE // Abebe still owes us money, so we’re gonna keep clowning him for fun.
“I’m real cocky. Trina didn’t even go gold, she’s no competition. Eve went
brick.” - Gloria Velez (Issue #13 June 2003)
UPDATE // And your album sold... how many copies?
“Before you even go in the store [to rob them], you make sure you got somebody with you that’ll watch your back. A lot of stores have floor watchers. You
just watch and pay attention.” – Jacki-O (Issue #24 June 2004, page 35)
UPDATE // Jacki-O was arrested not long after this interview for shoplifting.
“[Chamillionaire] has never made a hot song by himself. If he did, name one?”
– Mike Jones (Issue #27 September 2004, page 44)
UPDATE // Chamillionaire’s “Ridin’ Dirty” won awards at the VMAs, the Grammys, and the OZONE Awards (he sent in a videotaped acceptance speech from
the Eiffel Tower). Cham and Mike Jones also recently squashed their “beef.”
“If I couldn’t have Mannie Fresh [produce] my albums, I wouldn’t make any
more albums.” – Lil Wayne (Issue #29 November 2004, page 21)
UPDATE // Refer to the Mannie Fresh interview on pages 90-93.
“I would hit Trina from the back, all day! Bap, bap, bap! Lay down, open her
legs from the back, put the pillow up under her, grab her hair – the part
that’s real – put her hands up and bap, bap, bap!” – Lil Wayne (Issue #29
November 2004, page 26)
UPDATE // Well, Wayne may not actually regret this quote, since apparently his
dream came true. Perhaps OZONE played a role in the matchmaking?
“I had to have my seats lean all the way back in the Chevy Monte Carlo… I’m
driving, and the bitch just starts gulpin’ like she’s about to throw up on my
dick cause it’s big as fuck. She’s going up and down and then I pull over and
put the rubber on... We was fuckin’ on the expressway!” – Lil Scrappy (Issue
#29 November 2004, page 22)
UPDATE // Scrappy later claimed that his sex issue interview was full of drunken exaggerations, but we heard his baby mama wasn’t too happy anyway.
94 // OZONE MAG
“I don’t even wanna fuck with Universal cause they’re like a Velcro label. They
just throw you out there to see if you stick, and if your shit fall off you’ll get
dropped. Unless you Nelly.” – Young Cash (Issue #30 December 2004, page 15)
UPDATE // Young Cash signed with D&G/SRC/Universal Records, and hopefully
our reprinting this quote won’t push his release date back any further.
“We also have a group called B5, which is five brothers from Atlanta. Quote
me on this: this group is gonna be a monster. They’re so talented. They sing,
they dance, they’re photogenic, they play instruments, and I think they’re
gonna fill that void of where B2K left off.” – Shawn Prez, Bad Boy Director of
Promotions (Issue #30 - December 2004, page 25)
UPDATE // Just because it works in theory doesn’t mean it’ll work in reality.
“I may be signing with Jay-Z. Right now we just talking, but it’s sounding like
a good idea.” – Lil Wayne (Issue #30 - December 2004, page 11)
UPDATE // Rumors of this Jay-Z/Wayne collaboration caused quite a stir until
Baby clarified that his son was staying at Cash Money. Later, Wayne claimed to
be better than Jay-Z in Complex magazine.
“I don’t even say [‘Who? Mike Jones!’] a lot on the album… Some people say
that I’m saying my name too much, but if I stop it completely, then some
people are gonna be like, ‘I like the old Mike Jones.’” - Mike Jones (Issue #32
March 2005)
UPDATE // Who?
“Mannie definitely holds the walls up. He’s the piece to the puzzle. It’s his
talent that has gotten us this far, so I wouldn’t have done it any other way. I
wouldn’t fuck with this without Fresh.” – Baby (Issue #34 May 2005, page 21)
UPDATE // Mannie left Baby’s label Cash Money over a money dispute (refer to
the Mannie Fresh interview on pages 90-93).
“Ain’t no ‘Dame vs. Jay.’ That’s what needs to be stopped. People need to stop
making up their own accusations. Where’s this coming from, that they’ve got
beef? Ain’t no beef.” – Memphis Bleek (Issue #35 June 2005, page 15)
UPDATE // Apparently, there was beef. Guess who Bleek sided with?
“I’m a natural born star. I believe I’m made for TV, magazines, videos, everything. Everything I do, I’ve perfected it.” – Tony Yayo (Issue #36 July 2005)
UPDATE // Perfected everything except selling records, Yayo?
“[My album] is gonna come out in February [2006]. It’s gonna shock the world
with the first week of record sales.” – Aztek (Issue #38 September 2005)
UPDATE // Aztek’s album did not come out, nor did it shock the world.
“[I don’t have a release date for my solo project yet] but it’ll be this year. I’m
still doing a whole lot of shit.” - Jody Breeze (Issue #39 November 2005)
UPDATE // As of press time, Jody’s album is still awaiting release.
“I don’t worry about shit like [the RIAA]. They gonna do what they do… But
them niggas ain’t gonna affect my grind or my hustle because I know that I’m
bringing something to the table. The RIAA can’t tell me a damn thing. When
you see DJ Drama, DJ Don Cannon, and DJ Sense, you’re seeing a piece of work
that ain’t no fucking bootleg.” - DJ Drama (Issue #43 March 2006)
UPDATE // Great way to tempt fate, Drama. Tyree Simmons a.k.a. DJ Drama
and Donald Cannon a.k.a. DJ Don Cannon were arrested by police working in
conjunction with the RIAA on January 16th, 2007, for allegedly distributing
bootleg material (see page 54-58).
OZONE MAG // 95
96 // OZONE MAG
OZONE MAG // 97
23
NEGRO PLEASE
Yeah, yeah. We stole the name from XXL, but since we’re three months ahead of ‘em on everything else, it all evens out. Besides,
there’s no other title that’ll fit these laughable quotes we came across during our five year anniversary recap.
“I might open up a soul food restaurant. I might open up a Laundromat… I might make my own car and call it Yingsu.” – D-Roc of the
Ying Yang Twins (Issue #35 June 2005, page 17)
“Even when I’m broke, people treat me like a star… Like, how I’m sitting here talking to you right now, some people might assume… that
we’re making love.” – Rated R (Issue #8 December 2002, page 17)
“I got my own clothing line called Fruity, for real. It’s for unique,
diverse individuals. It’s really for women only. But I had to advertise
it sometimes. That’s me, I gotta be fruity, too.” - Gucci Mane (Issue
#35 June 2005)
“[Bonecrusher] sold his soul... [Bonecrusher] is banned from Mississippi. Print that. ‘Neva Scared’ was our song. It’s way bigger than
Reese & Bigalow. Mississippi shows much love, and these people are
upset. If he ever comes through here, there ain’t no tellin’ what’s gon’
go down.” – Reese & Bigalow (Issue #16 September 2003, page 32)
“We made it cool to say you’re from Tally. We got everybody wanting
to be from Tally, wearin’ 850 shirts.” – Nappy Headz (Issue #21 April
2004, page 23)
“Shit, I got fans. If people love me and wanna give me some special
attention, then that’s what’s good. If they wanna slob the knob or
somethin’, cool.” – Neef of the Young Gunz (Issue #35 June 2005, page
17)
“I want to start a charity foundation for everyone who doesn’t have
friends. Now that I’m a DJ, everybody’s my friend... Girls that didn’t
even speak to me give me head.” – DJ Q45 (Issue #24 July 2004)
“The number one workout plan for me is fuckin’ three different hoes
three times a week. That’s the best cardio a man can get.” – Pimp of
Dirty (Issue #37 August 2005, page A27)
“[Paris Hilton] looks frail. I don’t think she could take it though… I’ve
never slept with a white woman.” – T.I. (Issue #29 November 2004,
page 20)
“If I don’t go platinum, I’m going back to robbing niggas.” - Killer
Mike (Issue #37 August 2005, page A30)
“Young Buck is Jacki-O’s typical kind of dude, but I shoulda got him
when he was fresh. If I had got to him, he would be a whole different
type of player.” – Jacki-O (Issue #29 November 2004, page 25)
“I can’t [eat pussy], man. I’d be kicked out of Swishahouse. It’s like a
vegetarian who doesn’t eat meat; we just don’t eat that stuff at the
Swishahouse.” – Mike Jones (Issue #29 November 2004, page 29)
“My favorite is Lil Wayne, Ludacris, and T.I., and I think they’d all be
good in bed. I’m gonna find out and let you know.” – Khia (Issue #29
November 2004)
“I don’t get offended… I hang with white boys and I call them ‘my
niggas’ and they call me ‘nigga.’ That don’t offend me.” – Trick Daddy
(Issue #30 December 2004, page 22)
“I was charged with being the ringleader of an anti-theft operation,
like, a chain of chop shops. Taking luxury cars and switching the VIN
numbers and reselling them, putting in new registration, new title.
Like Gone in 60 Seconds, for instance. That’s what I was charged with.
I’m not saying that I did it, though.” – Akon (Issue #31 February 2005, page 7)
“Every person in the group [Boyz N Da Hood] is at a level of emcee
supremacy.” – Diddy (Issue #31 February 2005)
“The Florida music scene is all fucked up right now. People in Florida
don’t listen to Florida music. DJs in Florida don’t play Florida music.”
– Plies (Issue #33 April 2005, page 18)
“We’re gonna be the next Russell Simmons and the next Puff Daddy...
We’re gonna be the next sex symbols out of the South.” – Pretty Ricky
(Issue #34 May 2005, page 21)
98 // OZONE MAG
2006)
“I’m pretty without makeup. I don’t need a stylist and I don’t need
thousand dollar hairdos. Keep it real, you know those hoes look a hot
mess. You catch Trina early in the morning without all that makeup
on her face and that hoe looks a hot mess.” - Khia (Issue #37 August
“Even if [my career] was all over today, I had a good time. I made
a lot of money, had a lot of beautiful women, and traveled to a lot
of places on the next man’s bread.” – Haystak (Issue #38 September
2005, page A35)
“[The paparazzi] make me feel like a star. I’m gonna put out a
magazine that just talks about all the other magazines. I’m gonna
talk about OZONE, Source, XXL, all of y’all.” – Shawn Jay of Field Mob
(Issue #38 September 2005, page A26)
“[Jive] wanted me to cut my hair off and lose weight and get toned
up… I’ll never cut [my hair] off. It’s just me, plus, it’s low maintenance. I ain’t gotta comb it every day. They can style it and shit, but
it’s not going nowhere unless I get cancer and it falls out by itself. Me
and my Sidekick, we on some totally different shit. We’re like Andre 3000.” –
T-Pain (Issue #38 September 2005, page A33)
“The South was slow, as far as socially. When I said ‘slow,’ I didn’t
mean ‘dumb.’ This dude took it out of context. I meant, socially and
as far as the new styles and new things. Comin’ from New York, New
York was always the epicenter of the country. It wasn’t just in the
South. Everywhere you went, coming from New York, you was the man. And
now, unfortunately, it’s not like that no more. It’s the opposite now. Now they
come up here and get love. They come up here and steal our chicks. We used
to go down there and go to the mall and girls would be like, ‘Oh, shit he look
like he from New York,’ and we’d get all the love but that shit don’t work no
more.” - Saigon (Issue #44 April 2006, page 67)
OZONE MAG // 99
100 // OZONE MAG
OZONE MAG // 101
Shout outs to everyone over the years who’s advertised with us, let us in the club free, contributed an article, hooked us up
with an artist, done an interview, taken a picture, given us some free publicity, dissed us, shit, contributed in any way. As
you can see, it’s quite an extensive list. We’re sure we forgot a few people, so if it’s you, our apologies in advance.
102 Jamz
105.5 The Beat
1st Lady El
2 Dog Records
2 Mindz
334 MOBB
3535 Entertainment
4-Ize
50 Cent
5th Ward Weebie
69 Boyz
8Ball
904 Click
92 Blaze
95.3 Party
Abebe Lewis
Abel
Acafool
Ace Boom Koon
ACE Magazine
Acknight
Adam Diaz
Adam Favors
Adam Gutman
Adept
ADG
Admission
Granted TV
AJ Woodson
Akon
Akright Records
Al Gator
Al Kapone
Alan Powell
Aldrick Williams
Alex
Alex Gidewon
Algierz
Ali Alston
Ali Muhammad
Alison Ramdial
All Access DVD
All Fam
All Star
AllHipHop.com
All-N-Entertainment
All-Star
All-Stars
Al-My-T
Alphonso
Alvarez
Amanda Diva
Amelia
Amir Shaw
Andover Place
Apartments
Andre 3000
Anduze
Angie Chung
Animal Chan
Anthony B
Anthony Cutujar
Anthony
Gonzalez
Anthony Murray
Anthony Pittman
Antigua
Antonia Jenae
AP
Apollo Kreed
Aquil
Armageddon
Arrogant
Arthur Papillon
Ashley Brathwaite
Assassin
Asylum Records
Atiba
Atlantic Records
Audio Illusions
Autumn Williams
Aziatikk Blakk
Aztek Escobar
B Rich
B.G.
BA Boys
Baby
Baby Boy
Baby D
Baby Drew
Baby Lac
102 // OZONE MAG
Baby Stone
Bad Boy Records
Bailey
Baje
BANG
Barry Underhill
Basement Beats
Bavu Blakes
Baydilla
Bayer Mack
Baylo Entertainment
BCD Music Group
Bedo
Behind Bars
Records
Belo
Benny Boom
Benz
Benzino
Bernard Gourley
BET
Beth Melillo
Bethune Cookman
BG
BHI
Bibi Gunz
Big Al
Big Bank Hank
Big Boi
Big Bud
Big Cat Records
Big Cee Jay
Big D
Big Du
Big Duke
Big Earl
Big Floaty
Big Gates
Big Gee
Big Gipp
Big Karl
Big Krit
Big Kuntry
Big L
Big Life
Big Lip Bandit
Big Mike
Big Money Ced
Big Mouth
Big Neil
Big Nod
Big Oomp
Big Pokey
Big Rich
Big Rims
Big Ro
Big Ross
Big Sam
Big Scale Entertainment
Big T
Big Teach
Big Tuck
Big Vic
Big Wee
Big Will
Bigg D
Bigga Rankin
Biggs
Bill Rickett
Birmingham J
Bishop of Crunk
Black
Black Chippendales
BlackFreakFinder.com
Blackjak
Blackout Music
Blaqk
Block
Blockwear
Blood Over
Money Records
BloodRaw
BLOW
BME
BOB
Bobby Creekwater
Bobby Fisher
Bobby Novoa
Bobby Valentino
Body Head
Bogan
Bogard
Bohagon
Boleg
Bonecrusher
Boo
Boo da Boss
Playa
Boo Rosario
Boss Hogg
Outlawz
Bossman
Records
Boston Naud
Boulevard
Boyz N Da Hood
Brad Wimpy
Brandi Garcia
Brandi Garcia
Break-A-Dawn
Brian O’Hare
Brian Rikuda
Bridget
Brisco
Brother C
Brova Brotha
Brummel
Germain
Bryan Leach
Bu
Bubba Sparxxx
Budafuco
Buggah D.
Govanah
Buk
Bulldog
Bulletproof
Bum Squad DJz
Bun B
Bushi Bashi
Bushwick Bill
Busta Rhymes
Buttahman
Byron Trice
C.O.
Cadence
Cadillac Don
Cai Entertainment
Cam
Camoflauge
(RIP)
Camron
Capone
Cara Donatto
Carbon
Caribbean Beach
Club
Caribbean
Sunshine
Carl “Che” Bosse
Carl Washington
Carlos Amoedo
Carlton Wade
Carol City Cartel
Carolyn Crump
Cartel
Cash Money
Cathy
Caveman
Cayenne
Magazine
C-Bone
C-Dog
Cecile Barker
Cedric Boothe
Cedric Collier
Cedric Hollywood
Cedric Walker
Chad Brown
Chaka Zulu
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Streetz
VP Records
Vybz Kartel
Wacko
Walgee
Wallace
Wally Sparks
Warhedz
Warner Bros
Warren G
Wayne’s World
WBBT
WBTT
Webbie
WEDR
Wendy Day
Wendy Morgan
Wendy Washington
Wes Fif
West Coast Grillz
WHAT
What it Dew
Magazine
White Boi Pizal
White Boy
White Dawg
Wideya.com
Wild Billo
Wild Wayne
Wildside
Wilk Cajuste
William Canty
Willie D
Willie Fisher
Willie Joe
Willie The Kid
Wine-O
Wiz
Wizard Car Audio
& Video
WJBT
WJHM
WLLD
WMBX
Wop
World of Denim
Worldwide
Duplication
WPOW
Wrap Kingz
WVEE
Wyclef
Wyze
X
Xavier
Xavier Hargrove
Xela Entertainment
Xodus
Xplosive
Magazine
Xtaci
X-Trct
XXL
Yellow Jacket
Promotions
YGO
Ying Yang Twins
Yo Gotti
Yogi
Yola
Young A
Young Buck
Young Capone
Young Cash
Young City
Young Dro
Young Gunz
Young Harlem
Young Jeezy
Young Noah
Young Sav
Young Stally
Young Stunnas
Youngbloodz
Yukmouth
Yung Chill
Yung Joc
Yung Redd
Yung Sean
Yung Wun
Yvette Gale
Zak
Zay
Z-Ro
Zyoos
OZONE MAG // 103
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OZONE MAG // 105
devin
dude
the
Words by Matt Sonzala
Photos by SLFEMP
106 // OZONE MAG
T
his is your third year doing South By Southwest. Is
this a big event for you?
Yeah, and it’s getting bigger and bigger, actually. It’s
cool to be a part of it. I got people from California that’s
coming down to it and asking about it, even people from
Norway. Everywhere, man. It involves a lot of people, a lot
of cultures of music. It’s just a good time. Especially the
spot where it is in Austin on 6th Street, man, it’s just a ball
every year. It’s getting bigger and bigger.
Who all are you performing with this year?
All the Coughee Brothaz. The Odd Squad has been a big
part, DJ Domo, Good Grief, T-Mac, 14K, pretty much all the
Coughee Brothaz. We got K-Rino and Evidence from Dilated
Peoples. It’s going to be good.
This year you’re not just going for a show, you’re celebrating the release of your 4th album, Waitin’ to Inhale.
Yeah fo’ sho’, man. Waitin’ to Inhale, we been having a cool
time with it. We been having as much fun as possible, trying
to make it as humorous as possible and keep movin’ and
groovin’.
So we can expect more of the wit and wisdom of Devin the
Dude?
Yeah, man. Well, there might be a song or two on there that
you might say, “Man, what in the fuck is wrong with this
dude?” It’s just all in fun, and you know we just having a
good time making the most out of what we have. Especially
with Hip Hop nowadays, you really just can’t take it too
serious, man. You gotta know that there’s gonna be new
cats coming. It’s gonna be the old school that you love.
There’s different kinds of music with Hip Hop involved in it
and it just spreads and it’s really cool; the fact that it lives
and breathes everywhere and you’re a part of it.
What are some of these songs that people are going to be
wondering about? Are you taking shits on record again?
Ha! Well there might be a song called “Just Because” on
there that we did, and it sounds something like a “I Need
Love” type song when it first comes on and it just gives you
the flip side of love and what people think about doing to
their loved ones. And it’s just a thought, it’s nothing serious.
I don’t want people to get the wrong idea. It’s just thoughts
that go through peoples’ minds. Then a song called “Cut You
Up,” on there. They might get the wrong understanding but
if they listen they’ll get it.
Wrong understanding of “Cut You Up”?
It’s all in the wording. You got to listen to it from the
beginning to the end and understand. If you’ve been
listening to my music since back in the day you might get
a good idea of what I’m talking about, but if not you might
say, “This guy, something’s wrong with him. We might have
to watch him.” And that’s just not the case. At all. A lot
of listeners out there or critics get the wrong idea about
certain songs and it goes the wrong way. This is just a way
to fuck their heads up. All in all it’s just about something so
innocent and pure and natural and good for me and you.
You’ve got a couple of really huge features on this album,
like Bun B, Snoop Dogg, and Andre 3000, but it sounds like a
lot of it really stayed in house this time.
For the most part, that’s what it is anyway. All the previous
albums that I did, it’s just the Odd Squad. They played a big
part in all the projects. Rob Quest, Jugg Mugg, DJ Domo, we
have Funkafingaz on the bass, he’s been around for a minute. We’ve been having keyboard players and stuff, like my
homeboy Lester from Shreveport, and we also accept tracks
coming from different areas. We work with up and coming
producers who have nice music. We invite them over and
listen to what they have. If it fits in with what we’re doing
and we can make a cool song out of it, then we’ll go with
it. That’s what made it real cool over the years. We welcome
anybody with open arms, any Coughee Brothaz, you don’t
even have to smoke weed to be a Coughee Brotha. It’s just
an in-house thing, we just like to have fun with what we do.
Is Snoop a Coughee Brotha?
Oh yeah, he’s an O.G. Coughee Brotha. We’ve been trying to
get something together for a minute. Maybe we’ll have a
song together called “A Pound of Coughee,” with the Dogg
Pound and the Coughee Brothaz together. We’ve been trying
to get that together for years.
You have Snoop and Andre 3000 on the same song?
Yeah, on a song called “What a Job.” It’s a song done by
Chuck Heat from L.A. and we were just expressing how our
music and what we do in the studio is considered a job. A
lot of time, people wouldn’t consider what we do a job. We
have a lot of fun doing it. They hear about the hoes and the
bling and the drinks and the weed and they think it’s like a
party for the most part. But it’s not. It’s work and it’s gotta
be considered work. You gotta take it seriously. And also,
a lot of other people depend on what we’re doing with our
music and we gotta support each other with it.
You’re basically celebrating the life? Do you come from
three different perspectives?
All in all it’s about the studio and work being done in the
studio. On my verse I’m in the studio, on Snoop’s verse he’s
at a radio station announcing, letting the shorties know
and his family know what he’s doing, and on Andre’s verse
he’s actually communicating with a couple and hearing their
problems and letting them tell him how they feel about his
music and how it’s helped them out through their lifetime.
He talks about downloading music for free and the artists
get charged for it. It’s a trip, man, it’s wild.
You have been touring all over lately. Where will we see you
this year?
We got stuff lined up. There’s some offers available and
people looking forward to having us come out, which is a
blessing. People from Australia and London and places that
I’ve never been. That will be real cool. Hopefully we’ll get
something happening before the album comes out, get a
nice little buzz created, book up a solid tour and hopefully
we’ll able to get it structured enough to be able to have fun
and give the people a good time.
OZONE MAG // 107
Young Buck
Buck The World
G-Unit/Interscope
Since record sales in the G-Unit camp have slumped to say the least, 50 Cent
has called in the man deemed the “Clean Up Man” to bring the Unit back to
prominence. And Buck doesn’t disappoint his G-Unit general or listeners with
his sophomore album. Still one for confrontation, Buck keeps tough-guy
rhymes flowing on tracks like “Push Em Back” and “Say It To My Face,” while
showing glimpses of introspection on the title track and “Slow Your Roll.”
He takes a stab (no pun intended) at being a ladies man on “U Ain’t Goin’
Nowhere” and “I Know You Want Me” before going off the edge on “Lose My
Mind.” Buck Marley comes through for the Unit on Buck The World. Get ‘em
Buck! — Randy Roper
Rich Boy
Rich Boy
Zone 4/Interscope
It’s safe to call Rich Boy an underdog, especially coming from a Dirty South
city not known for rap music (Mobile, AL). But Rich Boy comes out on top on
his self-titled debut album. Although Rich Boy’s lyrics are decent at best, the
album is carried by exceptional tracks from Polow Da Don, who handles the
bulk of the production, and songs like “Ghetto Rich” and “Let’s Get This Paper”
that go beyond expectations set by Rich Boy’s hit single “Throw Some D’s.”
- RR
Lil Flip
I Need Mine $$
Asylum/Warner Bros.
Label drama has had Flipperachi fans waiting on I Need Mine longer than Dre’s
Detox (okay, maybe not that long). At last, Flip has returned. Over this lengthy
time period, the Clover G was able to compile enough material for a double
album. Through 37 tracks, Flip shows no sign of rust as the more-swaggerthan-substance emcee MC produces a comeback journey worth checking out.
The only bumps in the road are a few filler tracks along the way. — RR
Twisted Black
Street Fame
TVT
From street lyricism (“The Block”) to party starters (“Shake”) to cold street
tales (“Coldest Summer Ever”) and rider music (“Throw It Up”), Twisted Black
covers all angles. The production is sometimes weak, but Black makes up for
it with his charismatic flows and storytelling abilities. Unfortunately, Twisted
Black was sentenced to 30 years in prison on drug charges, so Street Fame
may be Black’s parting shouts. Regardless, it’s a solid debut album. — RR
8Ball & MJG
Ridin’ High
Bad Boy South
Ball & G have come to a point in their career where they can do no right, even
in the eyes of lifetime fans. Everything is going to get compared to their
Suave House-era music, and that’s not completely fair. Ridin’ High accurately
depicts where the Southern trailblazers are at in their career, and that’s a
place where they can do whatever the hell they want. Whether it’s bouncing
on the title track or getting head on “Hickory Dickory Dock,” the Fat Mack
and Pimp Tight have earned the right to experiment and be as vulgar as they
want. — Maurice G. Garland
108 // OZONE MAG
Redman/Red Gone Wild/Def Jam
Reggie Noble might have messed around and spat his best stuff on the Live
From the Bricks mixtape that preceded this album. Still, the Funk Doctor
manages to crank out a healthy dose of his off-the-wall lyricism on this
long-awaited album. Even with minimalist production from Scott Storch on
“Freestyle Freestyle” Red reminds you that rap is supposed to be about the
rapper. But it’s still nice to hear him get down Pete Rock’s funky horns and
pianos on “Gimme One.” Longtime Red heads will be pleased with his latest
“Soopaman Lova” episode and “Walk In Gutta” featuring Erick Sermon, Keith
Murray and Biz Markie. His Gilla House cohorts also make memorable guest
spots throughout. Redman’s television and film career may have stumbled,
but he hasn’t missed a step on the mic. — MGG
Lloyd/Street Love/Motown
“You” is arguably the biggest R&B single this year and Lloyd’s sophomore
album has more smooth R&B grooves to bang in the whip with your shawty
this spring. Whether he’s complimenting the ladies (“Incredible”), praising himself (“Certified”) or giving his heart for a lover’s favorite holiday
(“Valentine”), even thugs can relate to this crooner. Although Lloyd doesn’t
experiment with any new sounds or push any musical boundaries, Street
Love is quality R&B music. — RR
Black Milk /Popular Demand/Fat Beats
Following in the footsteps of Midwest producers/rappers like Kanye West
and J. Dilla, Detroit’s Black Milk is the latest double duty artists to make
noise laying his vocals over his self crafted soul sample beats. In wake of
Proof’s and J. Dilla’s deaths, with flows as tight as his production on Popular
Demand, Black Milk displays the necessary tools to carry Detroit hip-hop
on his back. Although Milk’s bars are sometimes incoherent causing hard to
follow verses, the Detroit native constructs a showpiece that should be in
Album of the Year talks come year’s end. — RR
Crime Mob/Hated On Mostly
Crunk Incorporated/G’s Up/Reprise
It’s advisable to listen to Crime Mob’s second album while under the influence, so it’ll be easier to tolerate the group’s simplistic flows and Dr. Seuss
rhyme patterns. Princess and Diamond consistently outshine their male
counterparts on songs like “Shine Cause I Grind,” and their hit single “Rock
Yo Hips.” “2nd Look” and “Go To War” featuring Pimp C and Lil’ Scrappy are
standout tracks, but with below average rhymes, mediocre hooks and limited
“get crunk” subject matter, Hated On Mostly is a dull listen even by crunk
standards. — RR
Raheem Mills /Your Majesty’s Breath/Rah Records
Representing Orlando, independent artist Raheem Mills has a unique rhythmic
flow that entices the most reluctant listeners. Mills is brilliant on songs
like “Who’s That” and “Cathedrals” where he spits lyrical masterpieces over
melancholy production. But most of Your Majesty’s Breath are disconnected
moments like the scattered thoughts on “Charmed” where Mills fails to convey
his message. The poetic rhymes on “Amazing” would be a better fit for Def
Poetry Jam. Mills walks the line between rap and poetry, and as a result, more
time is spent deciphering rhymes than vibing with the O-Town emcee. — RR
Timbaland
Timbaland Presents Shock Value/Interscope
Some producers need to stick to just making beats. Timbaland is one of those
producers. As a producer/rapper, Timbo falls somewhere behind Diddy (and we all
know how badly Diddy raps). At least Timbaland is smart enough to know he needs
talented artists to bless his surefire production, so Shock Value features guest appearances from 50 Cent, Missy Elliot, Justin Timberlake and Elton John. Unfortunately, those guests aren’t enough to clean up the mess Timbaland makes on the
mic, and I won’t even mention Magoo. — RR
Termanology/Statik Seletak/Tony Touch/DJ Dead Eye
50 Bodies
On 50 Bodies Tony Toca flips his “50 MCs” theme to emblazon Lawrence, Massachusetts newcomer Termanology as the next great Latino rapper by showcasing the MC’s best 50 verses. 50 Bodies is a straight-to-the-point declaration of
Temanology’s lyrical abilities and reaffirms why he’s being touted as the most
prolific Latin emcee since the late, great Big Pun. But the short verses make the
mixtape difficult to fully get into. — RR
J-Bo & DJ Rip/Still Against The Grain
While Sean Paul has been racking up guest appearances, J-Bo has been the
Youngblood member seemingly forgotten. Not to be outdone, J-Bo’s hooks
up with the CORE DJ’s DJ Rip for his first solo mixtape Still Against The Grain.
On this mixtape J-Bo dishes out that presidential Southern lyricism that
the Youngbloodz have been known for since the duo appeared on the scene
with their debut album Against The Grain. But listening to J-Bo without his
drankin’ partna doesn’t have the same effect. Unfortunately, the mixtape is
cluttered with features from unknown artists, taking away from J-Bo’s solo
spotlight. — RR
Young Money Entertainment & Raj Smoove
Lil Weezy Ana Volume 1
On Lil Weezy Ana, Weezy F. continues the lyrical onslaught that has his name
being thrown around in “best rapper alive” discussions. In typical KobeBryant-of-rap fashion, Lil’ Wayne seems to ignore his Young Money team
members, Mack Maine, Dizzy and Curren$y, who are noticeably out of their
league when trading verses with Young Carter. We’d much rather hear Wayne
show what he’s got over Jay-Z’s comeback single with lines like, “Gotta talk
about the flow cause you is concerned / Only down South rapper coulda been
in the Firm / Or the Commission or Wu Tang, nigga / Tryin’ to tell you I can
kick it like Liu Kang / Got that sub-zero flow, how you want me ma? / Make
her get over here like Scorpion.” — RR
Young Chris/DJ Noodles
Hired Gun
Since we haven’t heard a peep out of the Young Gunz since “Can’t Stop, Wouldn’t
Stop,” we just assumed they changed their minds and quit. But nothing could be
further from the truth as one half of the Gunz, Young Chris, embarks on a solo
career. On Hired Gun, Young C impressively redefines himself as an artist capable
of handling solo duties on tracks like “North Philly Nigga” and the Junior Reid
assisted “Things I’ve Done In Life.” — RR
Cardan & DJ Envy/The Rebirth Vol. 1
You may recognize Cardan’s name from Mase’s Harlem World days, but he’s
determined to make listeners remember him for being his own entity, even if
he’s busting on other people’s beats. He makes bold proclamations on “Hip
Hop’s Alive,” shooting numerous holes in Nas’ argument. Cardi even takes
on the challenge of rapping on Gnarles Barkley’s “Crazy” to create “Shady,”
a humorous, what-if song about kicking another man in the nuts out of
self-defense (trust, it’s worth a listen). However, the highlight of the CD is
“Harlem Story,” where he borrows Slick Rick’s classic beat and weaves an
equally entertaining tale. — MGG
Foxx/The Mixtape
Now that Webbie and Boosie have established Trill Entertainment as a bonafide
Southern rap label, it’s time for Foxx to carry the baton. On The Mixtape, Mr. Wipe
Me Down parallels Boosie’s street tales on songs like “Try Me” and Kill Yo Self.” He
lets Webbie know that he can hit a bad bitch too on “Tap Out” and “So Wet.” But
Foxx stumbles on many of his jacked instrumentals and makes a wrong turn in
remaking Beyonce’s “Irreplaceable” by telling police, “You must don’t know ‘bout
me / I can have another brick in a minute / Matter of fact, it’ll be here in a minute.”
Foxx does rebound with standout lyrics over Trae’s “Swang” and Bun B’s “Pushin’,”
so the few mishaps on his first mixtape are forgivable. — RR
Curren$y/Life At 30,000 Feet
“Where Da Cash At” was supposed to be the breakthrough single to position
Curren$y as Cash Money’s next superstar. Things didn’t go as planned, but Curren$y
is still grinding as he verbally releases his frustrations on Life At 30,000 Feet.
Throughout 27 tracks the Fly Spitta flaunts his skills over instrumentals like JayZ’s “Dead Presidents,” Bone Thugs N Harmony’s “Foe Tha Love of $” and the Clipse’s
“Wamp, Wamp (What It Do),” and shows the ability to switch flows when needed.
Although many mixtapes get boring because of poor instrumental selections,
Currensy’s mixtape offers refreshing twists to favorites like A Tribe Called Quest’s
“Electric Relaxation” and Tha Dogg Pound’s “New York, New York.” — RR
Dutty Laundry & Boyz N Da Hood
Welcome To Atlanta
Now that Gorilla Zoe has joined Boyz N Da Hood and Block Ent., BNDH teamed
up with Dutty Laundry to debut new tracks with their newest member.
Welcome To Atlanta is a prequel of what’s to come when Boyz N Da Hood’s
second album hits streets later this year. And from the sound of things,
Gorilla Zoe will fill in nicely for the departed Young Jeezy. - RR
Petey Pablo
Missing Pages Volume 1
After a long hiatus from the rap game Petey Pablo returns
to fill in some missing pages of his diary. Missing Pages
has quite a few gems, like the West Coast anthem “L.A.
Dreamer” and the dirty South bounce of “Sticky Man.” But other tracks like
the overlooped “If I Did It” need explanation, and “Fire” is a poor try at recreating the “Freak-A-Leak” vibe. But it’s evident Petey Pablo still has stories
to tell, the passion for rap and skills to carry the torch for the Carolinas
when his next album Proper Procedures drops. - RR
OZONE MAG // 109
endzone
YoungJeezylive
Location: Clearwater, FL
Venue: Coachman Park
Event: Wildsplash
Date: March 10th, 2007
Photo: Luis Santana
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endzone
LilScrappylive
Location: Dallas, TX
Venue: Palladium
Event: K104 Scream Break Jam
Date: March 17th, 2007
Photo: King Yella
112 // OZONE MAG
01. Dutty Laundry (Hosted by Lil Boose) “Leaders of The New South 4” myspace.co
m/duttylaundry 914-316-5307
02. Will Hustle & DJ Knowledge “Whatahustlers” 2 www.willhustle.com myspace.com/knowledge
03. DJ B-Lord (Hosted by Young Buck) “Trojan Man 3” myspace.com/scdjblor
d 843-260-6751
04. DJ Obscene (Hosted by Chingo Bling) “Houston We Have A Problem Vol. 4” myspace.com/djobscene305 305-778-4390
05. DJ Quest “Street Hustle 4” www.djquestdachamp.com 404-775-5810
06. DJ Green Lantern “Myspace Invasion” www.djgreenlantern.com
07. DJ Blade “Backroom Radio 4” myspace.com/thedjblade
08. DJ Raj Smoove “Lil Wayne: The Carter Files” (Hosted by Lil Wayne) www.rajsmoove.com 504-905-8426
09. DJ Quote “Dollarado 2 Detroit” (Hosted by Tre Little & Royce Da 5’9)
myspace.com/djquote
10. DJ Chill & DJ Young S.A.M.M. (Hosted by Billy Cook) “Let Me Hold U 6” myspace.com/youngsamm myspace.com/mix2colddjchill
11. DJ Ktone “U Don’t Even Know? Ktonais Part 3” (Rep’d by Mistah F.A.B.)
www.djktone.com 720-404-6767
12. DJ G-Spot “Midwest Invasion 4” www.djgspot.com 917-592- 6917
13. DJ Bizerkk “Candy Rain” myspace.com/djbizerkk
Big Mike (Hosted by DJ Drama)
“March Madness Pt. 2”
Myspace.com/bigmikeofficial
The RIAA may have shut down Drama’s
mixtape operation but they can’t stop
him from hosting mixtapes. Drama
teams up with mixtape monster Big Mike
for a classic mix just in time for March
Madness. This mixtapes includes new
music from Lil Wayne (“Young Carter”),
Young Buck (“The Clean Up Man”) and
Drama’s first single from his Gangsta
Grillz album (“Feds Takin Pictures”).
DJs, send your mix CDs (include a cover) to:
644 Antone St. Suite 6
Atlanta, GA 30318
14. DJ Melo “Undercover R&B” 410-746-2335
15. Small World Music Group “Underground Road Trip” myspace.com/smallwo
rdmusicgroup 936-371-2884
16. Hurricane Foss “No Stopping What Can’t Be Stopped Volume 2” myspace.com/hurricanefoss 407-729-2805
17. Haze & DJ Sosa (Hosted by The Game) “The Executives Volume 2” www.stree
tgrindent.com 646-267-4135
18. DJ Big Tyme “Fight To The Top T.I. Versus Lil Wayne” myspace.com/djbigtymeofficial 646-464-5646
19. DJ Barry Bee “Feel Good Music 5” www.djbarrybee.com 252-758-1122
20. Treunda “Audio Cocaine Crack’viles Part 2” www.treunda.com 631-220-5767
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