nipsey hussle - Ozone Magazine

RAW, UNCENSORED WEST COAST RAP SHIT
HAJI
SPRINGER
KUTT
CALHOUN
PARKER
BROTHAZ
COLORADO SPRINGS’
HIP HOP
POLICE
RICHIE
RICH
EXCLUSIVE!
DR DRE’S
DETOX
REVIEW
THE DRIVE OF
NIPSEY
HUSSLE
OZONE WEST // // OZONE WEST
// OZONE WEST
editor’s note
Publisher
Julia Beverly
THANKSGIVING
Editor-AT-LARGE
D-Ray
GRAPHIC DESIGNER
David KA
T
Music EditorS
Randy Roper
Maurice G. Garland
ADVERTISING SALES
Che Johnson
Gary Archer
Isiah Campbell
Richard Spoon
Contributors
Camilo Smith, DJ BackSide, DJ E-Z Cutt, Gary Archer, Jelani Harper, Jessica
Essien, Jessica “Mz Jae”
Hagmaier, Joey Colombo,
Kay Newell, Keita Jones,
Luvva J, Portia Jackson,
Tamara Palmer, Ty Watkins
Street Reps
Ant Wright, Anthony
Deavers, Baydilla, Bigg
P-Wee, Big Thangs, Big
Will, Dee1, Demolition
Men, DJ Jam-X, DJ Juice,
DJ KTone, DJ Nik Bean, DJ
Quote, DJ Skee, DJ Strong
& Warrior, Gary Archer, J
Hype, Jasmine Crowe, Jessica Essien, John Costen,
Juice, Kewan Lewis, Luvva
J, Maroy, Rob J Official,
Rob Reyes, Shauntae Hill,
Sherita Saulsberry, Sly
Boogy, Syd Robertson,
Tonio, Twin, William
Major, Zack Cimini
COVER CREDITS
Nipsey Hussle photo by
Ray Tamarra; Richie Rich
photo by D-Ray.
hanksgiving! We all gain some extra weight
this time of year, either physically or mentally. This is the time of year that you should
begin reflecting and giving thanks for all that you’ve
accomplished in the past year and begin to set goals
for the New Year that’s coming up so fast. We should
all take some time out this Holiday to visit someone in
your family or someone that has made a difference in
your life. People need to see love sometimes to know
what it’s supposed to look like and feel like.
pumped about the possible future in a long time. Our
votes do count. WOW!
Barack lost his grandmother, someone who played a
huge roll in his upbringing. Yet still he had to continue his dream with the heartbreak of his grandmother
passing away, never ever being able to hug her again!
Believe me, I felt him when he said, “My grandmother
is here right now with me in spirit and is seeing all
that has been accomplished.” He was able to continue
campaigning for what he believed. My prayers go out
to Barack because he proved during a tough time in
his life that he was still able to overcome the impossible dream of becoming the 44th President of the
United Sates. No excuses. R.I.P. Madelyn Dunham!
I flew for the first time on Frontier and I didn’t make
the 45 minute cutoff. I know, I have a time management problem. I had to switch flights.
It’s time for the change. History was made! Obama!
We all came together and made history in the election, so let’s all come together and make a difference
and change for our future. We all know we needed
this change like we need the rain, but nobody wants
to get wet. You have to change in order for the world
to change. It’s okay if to stand out if you believe
in something. Barack proved that. I have not been
Big Mike, me, and Gary
Archer in Vegas
Me and DJ Franzen @ Poetry
in Vegas!
Balance f/ Yukmouth “I’m Good”
Damani “Take Somethin’ Home”
Omar Cruz f/ Frankie J “To The Top”
Traxamillion “U Can Get It”
Dogg Pound f/ Cassidy “Attitude Problem”
Problem f/ Bangloose & Yung Brah “Bonafied”
Keak da Sneak f/ San Quinn “She’s Fine”
Also, it’s that time of year where millions of people
are travelling and are stressed out trying to make
flights to see the people in their life that matter.
Whatever you do, pay close attention to all the new
rules and fees. If you choose Frontier Airlines, you
better be there an hour before the flight or you will
not make it! No ifs, ands, or cigarette butts about it.
I like to fly Southwest because I know I can always
make that flight, no matter what. Five minutes before
takeoff they even reopened the plane door for
me. Did I mention that I have a time management
problem?
And on Southwest, you can take a carry-on, a purse,
or a laptop as a second carry-on. Don’t you dare try
this with Frontier. You will never get away with a bag,
a purse, or even a coin purse. They will stop you from
boarding the plane and charge you for that second
item to be checked in! Believe it. What I cant understand is, why does a more expensive airline charge
extra for something a less expensive airline gives
away for free? Maybe that’s why Southwest is one
of the only airlines that’s not in bankruptcy. So go
Southwest. Like this magazine, we are South West!
- D-Ray
Editor-At-Large
dray@ozonemag.com
From the Bay to LA: Green Up! Roccett, Smurf, Rob G, DJ Mike Smoove,
me, and a bunch of other cats!
DJ BACKSIDE’S
TOP 10 SLAPS
E-40 f/ Shawty Lo “Break Your Ankles”
Mistah FAB “Swagology”
Murs “Can It Be”
OZONE WEST // Compton’s
Most Wanted f/
Scarface
“N 2 Deep”
Compton’s Most
Wanted’s Music To
Drive By, 1992
On what was probably
the first South and
West collaboration
ever, MC Eiht and ‘Face
exercised their G to
the fullest extent.
8Ball & MJG f/
E-40, Big Mike,
& Mac Mall
“Friend Or Foe”
8Ball & MJG’s On Top
of The World, 1995
This gem featured
some of the truest
words ever recorded
when it comes to that
one thing everybody
wants, but nobody
seems to find. Trust.
Dr. Dre f/ Snoop
Dogg & Devin
the Dude
“Fuck You”
Dr. Dre’s Chronic 2001,
1999
Dre + Snoop + Devin
x Sex ÷ Mary Jane =
Great song.
Scarface f/ Too
$hort, Devin the
Dude & Tela
“Fuck Faces”
Scarface’s My Homies,
1998
Before “bumping uglies” became the new
slang, this song let
you know what’s on
the mind of men 24/7
while the beat helped
the ladies like it too,
even with that “thick
white snot” line.
E-40 f/ Petey
Pablo, Lil Jon,
Bun B & 8Ball
“Rep Yo City”
E-40’s Grit & Grind,
2002
40’s first dabble
into Crunk territory
sounded so obvious
on paper, but on the
radio it sounded so
good.
Killer Mike f/ Ice
Cube
“Pressure”
Killer Mike’s I Pledge Allegiance To The Grind,
Vol. 2, 2008
The student and the
teacher both go in
and bust a few pipes,
as well as a couple
politician’s balls.
Tash (of Tha
Alkaholiks) f/
Outkast, Phil
The Agony & BReal
“Smokefest”
Tash’s Raplife, 1999
Four heads on one
blunt (Dre didn’t hit it)
is usually a bad thing,
but this relatively
unknown collab is a
smoker.
C-Murder f/
Magic & Snoop
Dogg
“Down 4 My
Niggaz”
C-Murder’s Trapped In
Crime, 2000
Consistently rated the
#1 song to get the
club poppin’ by DJs in
OZONE’s annual DJ issue survey, the utmost
down-for-my-homies
song came from
Snoop’s days with the
No Limit soldiers.
Lil Jon f/ E-40 &
Sean Paul
“Snap Yo Fingas”
Lil Jon’s Crunk Rock,
Unreleased (2007)
With a little help from
40 Water and Sean
P, Lil Jon came up
with an easy dance
that you could all by
yourself.
Scarface f/ 2Pac
& Johnny P
“Smile”
Scarface’s The Untouchable, 1997
Sadly, one of Tupac
Shakur’s best collaborations came
alongside Brad
Jordan, shortly after
Pac’s untimely death.
Devin the Dude
f/ Andre 3000 &
Snoop Dogg
“What A Job”
Devin the Dude’s
Waitin’ To Inhale, 2007
The Dude, Three
Stacks and Uncle
Snoop detail the ups
and downs of
a career in rap music.
E-40 f/ T-Pain &
Kandi
“U and Dat”
E-40’s My Ghetto
Report Card, 2006
40 and Teddy Pain
were shakin’, stickin’
and movin’ along with
Kandi on this hit single
from E-40’s My Ghetto
Report Card album.
Too $hort f/ Lil
Jon & the East
Side Boyz
“Shake That
Monkey”
Too $hort’s Married to
the Game, 2003
In 2003, this record by
Short Dawg and the
Kings of Crunk had
plenty of monkey-
With both spending respective time at the bottom of the Hip Hop totem pole as well
as the spotlight, the South and West coasts are like musical cousins. Every once
in a while fans get treated to a fusion of the two, and the results are usually dope. Here
are 15 of the finest moments in South and West collabos.
// OZONE WEST
shaking women going
bananas in the club.
Scarface f/ Ice
Cube & Devin
The Dude
“Hand of the
Dead Body”
Scarface’s The Diary,
1994
Off of Scarface’s classic
third album, The Diary;
Face, Cube and Devin
stood up against criticism of gangster rap.
Too Short f/
8Ball & MJG
“Don’t Stop
Rappin’”
Too Short’s Can’t Stay
Away, 1999
After coming out of a
three-year retirement
to release his 11th
album, Short kept the
rhymes coming with
Orange Mound, Tennessee rap veterans
Ball & G.
Compiled by Maurice
G. Garland & Randy
Roper
(above L-R): Mr Midas & Roccett @ Hip Hop Heaven for Roccett’s in-store in Denver, CO (Photo: Adam Van Vranken); TI & Pleasure P @ Caesar’s Palace for When I Move You Move
in Las Vegas, NV (Photo: Julia Beverly); Kimora Lee Simmons @ Magic in Las Vegas, NV (Photo: King Yella)
01 // Gary Archer & Glasses Malone @ Poetry (Las Vegas, NV) 02 // Kilo, Big Dante, & Rydah J Klyde @ Time Out for J Diggs’ birthday party (Concord, CA) 03 // Lil Duval, Kevin
Delaney, & Clay Evans @ Caesar’s Palace for When I Move You Move (Las Vegas, NV) 04 // 4x4 & K-Loc @ Fat City for Mistah FAB’s mixtape release party (San Francisco, CA)
05 // Goldie & Haji Springer on the set of Haji Springer’s “Hurry Up & Buy” video shoot (San Jose, CA) 06 // Lil Duval & Yung LA @ Caesar’s Palace for When I Move You Move (Las
Vegas, NV) 07 // Damani, Mistah FAB, Glasses Malone, & Roccett @ Magic (Las Vegas, NV) 08 // Don Cannon, Julia Beverly, & TJ Chapman @ The Palms Hardwood Suite for EA
Sports party (Las Vegas, NV) 09 // Haji Springer loves the kids on the set of Haji Springer’s “Hurry Up & Buy” video shoot (San Jose, CA) 10 // Guest & Goldie @ Palms (Las Vegas,
NV) 11 // Rydah J Klyde & Big Daddy Rich @ Time Out for J Diggs’ birthday party (Concord, CA) 12 // DJ Smooth, Rob G, Big Tuck, Roccett, Spark Dawg, Tum Tum, & K-Boy @
Magic (Las Vegas, NV) 13 // Freddie Hot Sauce & Dat Boi on the set of Dem Hoodstarz video shoot (East Palo Alto, CA) 14 // Rob G & Smurf @ Poetry (Las Vegas, NV) 15 // Tito
Bell & Maya B on the set of Haji Springer’s “Hurry Up & Buy” video shoot (San Jose, CA) 16 // Jay Jay & TJ Chapman @ The Palms Hardwood Suite for EA Sports party (Las Vegas,
NV) 17 // Haji Springer & XSF @ The Record House (Fremont, CA) 18 // DJ Franzen & Cellski @ Club Moon in The Palms (Las Vegas, NV) 19 // Chuck & E-40 on the set of Dem
Hoodstarz video shoot (East Palo Alto, CA)
Photo Credits: D-Ray (01,02,05,07,08,09,10,11,12,13,14,15,16,17,18,19); 4x4 (04); Julia Beverly (03,06)
OZONE WEST // She Liked my NECKLACE and started relaxin’, that’s what the fuck I call a…
HAJI SPRINGER
THIS INDIAN RAPPER HUSTLES 24/7 IN THE BAY
M
an, this piece is my new joint. I just got it from
Highline Jewelry. What up, Carl?
I stay fresh. It’s 25 karats of super white and green diamonds, and
12 karats of red rubies. This shit ain’t no joke. It’s like 1,000 grams of
gold.
I got this piece to represent a couple things in my life. First, it represents the hustle. 7-Elevens are open 24/7, and that’s how the music
game is. I live this everyday non-stop. I’m not your couch rapper, I
get out there 24/7, and I’m everywhere like 7-Elevens.
// OZONE WEST
The second reason my people own stores, especially 7-Elevens, so I
wanted to represent that as well. People already want to know
what I paid for it. I just tell them it cost me more then a few Slurpees. (laughs)
Big shout out to J. Diggs & Kilo at THIZZ, and Rest In Peace Mac Dre
and Johnny Cash. //
myspace.com/hajispringer
As told to D-Ray
Photo by D-Ray
(above L-R): Big Boy & Baby Bash @ Cali Expo Mexican Independence Day in Sacramento, CA; Arab & Soulja Boy @ Magic in Las Vegas, NV (Photos: D-Ray); J Prince & Jay Jay @
Club Moon in The Palms in Las Vegas, NV (Photo: D-Ray)
01 // Scooter Braun, Kevin Delaney, Asher Roth, & Dante Ross @ Magic (Las Vegas, NV) 02 // Roccett, DJ KTone, & Hawkman @ Blue Ice (Denver, CO) 03 // Haji Springer, Gor, & J
Diggs @ Poetry (Las Vegas, NV) 04 // Maroy, Tito Bell, & Dre Dae @ Poetry (Las Vegas, NV) 05 // J Diggs & Roccett @ Club Moon in The Palms (Las Vegas, NV) 06 // Mistah FAB &
Julia Beverly @ Poetry (Las Vegas, NV) 07 // Talib Kweli, DJ Eque, & Mitchy Slick @ Leverde Lounge for his birthday party (San Francisco, CA) 08 // Spark Dawg & Michael Watts @
Poetry (Las Vegas, NV) 09 // Tum Tum & Michael Watts @ Magic (Las Vegas, NV) 10 // Chingo Bling & Haji Springer on the set of Haji Springer’s “Hurry Up & Buy” video shoot (San
Jose, CA) 11 // DJ Big Dee & Dre Dae @ Magic (Las Vegas, NV) 12 // Beeda Weeda, J Moe, & J Stalin @ Poetry (Las Vegas, NV) 13 // Gary Archer, Chace, & Davey D @ Grand Ballroom for Hip Hop Sony Live Tour (San Francisco, CA) 14 // Kilo & J Diggs @ Club Zokku for Playaz Club (San Francisco, CA) 15 // Jay Jay & ladies @ Club Moon in The Palms (Las
Vegas, NV) 16 // TI & MLK @ Caesar’s Palace for When I Move You Move (Las Vegas, NV) 17 // DJ Smooth, Damani, Mistah FAB, K-Boy, Glasses Malone, Rob G, Roccett, T-Banks, &
Cellski @ Magic (Las Vegas, NV)
Photo Credits: Adam Van Vranken (02); D-Ray (05,06,07,09,10,12,13,14,15,17); Julia Beverly (01,03,04,08,16); King Yella (11)
OZONE WEST // L
ike Chamillionaire says, “With so much
drama in the industry, Hip Hop police
are listening.” Hearing a statement like
that immediately brings to mind cities
like New York, Compton, or Miami. But recently,
the Hip Hop police have formed in one of the
most unlikeliest cities: Colorado Springs, CO.
The Colorado Springs Police Department created
a special task force, the Community Impact
Team, or CIT, to aid in “controlling” the growing
Hip Hop fan base that has been taking over
the small city since the birth of the genre. “The
people we look for are the ones that like this
kind of music,” said CIT Police Lt. Thomas Harris in
an interview with the Colorado Springs Gazette.
Racial profiling was an affliction facing our urban
communities in the early 90s. It seems that the
millennium brought about a change in how law
enforcement is choosing to handle business.
Everything must evolve or die, and it seems now,
that at least in Colorado Springs, with the introduction of the CIT, racial profiling has evolved
into a monster: cultural profiling.
In order to understand the formation of the task
force, one must first understand the dynamic
of the city. Quite simply, Colorado Springs is
a military town. The city is home to tens of
thousands of military troops, almost none of
whom are from Colorado. Walking onto any
one of the five military institutions scattered
throughout the city is like walking down South
Beach, or through Bankhead and Houston, or
even Birmingham. The South lives in Colorado
Springs, which has unjustifiably caused the CSPD
to target any and everything Hip Hop, because
according to the CIT, Hip Hop venues, including
concerts, are “hot beds for criminal activity.”
The truth is that there is money - lots of money 10 // OZONE WEST
associated with the military in Colorado Springs.
Nine out of ten soldiers are deployed to Iraq for
at least six months, often more than once during
their assignment in the city. And those who are
fortunate enough to make it back come back
paid. Special duty pay, hazard pay, bonuses,
remote pay, and housing assistance all add
up where there’s no time, or place, to spend.
So, when they return to the states the soldiers
spend. They spend on rims, VIP, clothes, jewelry,
cars; all the material possessions associated with
Hip Hop culture.
The CIT has chosen to target the entire culture,
rather than the individual. The homicide rate in
Colorado Springs equaled that of Denver’s last
year. And of ten homicides committed between
May and July, the police positively linked one to
Hip Hop. However, it seems to be the only one.
In a press release to the media CSPD cited other
reasons for creating the task force, but have only
produced circumstantial evidence and opinions
to offer as fact in an effort to justify it.
In all fairness the police are justified in their
concern for the safety of those at any large gathering. However, when that concern is targeted at
only one group, simply because of one common
thread, because of the music the members listen
to, then it becomes a bigger issue, making it appear that the CSPD has taken a step back in time,
and in equality.
Hip Hop is not clean cut. It never has been, and
that is one of the reasons it is so popular, yet
so controversial. Hip Hop does not partake in
fanciful storytelling, or offer fairy tale endings.
Rather than convolute the truth to be accepted
by mainstream society, Hip Hop artists tell it
how it is, no matter how gritty, no matter how
disturbing, no matter how real. If all one knows
is the struggle for everyday life, that is the story
that needs to be told and heard, and Hip Hop
allows the message to be expressed.
If Hip Hop tried to appeal to mainstream
society, and didn’t address the issues and the
struggles that are at the core of the music, it
wouldn’t have grown to become as successful
(and ironically, mainstream) as it is today. Hip
Hop must address the truths that so many
people live through and triumph over.
This is not an attack on CSPD, or any other
police department that has similar practices.
Instead, it is a wake up call for all the members
of our society, and our culture, and to the
powers that be that have approved the formations in the first place. The days of segregation
and clear cut inequality between the races
and sexes are essentially over, so why has our
society made it acceptable to target, and in
turn segregate, a large portion of the community based on their musical preference?
A year after its formation, the CIT is still
operating in full force. Night clubs have been
shut down and concerts have been cancelled.
For some concerts that did happen, the artists
were banned from performing any songs
that in any way painted law enforcement in a
negative light. So on top of cultural profiling,
some individuals are having their first amendment right violated as well.
It’s been a year, and there has been no
change, no improvements, no evolution
toward a more positive co-existence. “With so
much drama in the industry, Hip Hop police
are listening. Be careful or you’ll be history,
looks like another unsolved mystery. It’s
Murda.”
by Jessica Hagmaier
(above L-R): Big Tuck & Tum Tum @ Magic in Las Vegas, NV; AP9 & Baby Bash on the set of Haji Springer’s “Hurry Up & Buy” video shoot in San Jose, CA (Photos: D-Ray); Asher
Roth & Don Cannon @ The Palms for EA Sports party in Las Vegas, NV (Photo: Julia Beverly)
01 // Paul Wall, Gary Archer, & Goldie @ Magic (Las Vegas, NV) 02 // Haitian Fresh & Pleasure P @ Caesar’s Palace for When I Move You Move (Las Vegas, NV) 03 // TJ Chapman
& Lil Duval @ Caesar’s Palace for When I Move You Move (Las Vegas, NV) 04 // Mistah FAB & Cool Nuts @ Poetry (Las Vegas, NV) 05 // Pleasure P & models @ Caesar’s Palace for
When I Move You Move (Las Vegas, NV) 06 // Mistah FAB & Jacky @ Magic (Las Vegas, NV) 07 // AP9 & Haji Springer on the set of Haji Springer’s “Hurry Up & Buy” video shoot
(San Jose, CA) 08 // J Diggs, Pimpin Ken, & Maroy @ The Crest Theater (Fresno, CA) 09 // Krizz Kalico, Kutt Calhoun, & Tech N9ne @ Grand Ball Room (San Francisco, CA)
10 // Dummy Juice & Haji Springer @ Cali Expo Mexican Independence Day (Sacramento, CA) 11 // Cellski & Roccett @ Club Moon in The Palms (Las Vegas, NV) 12 // Julia Beverly & Damani @ The Palms for EA Sports party (Las Vegas, NV) 13 // Demolition Men & Haji Springer @ Street Symphony Studio (Fremont, CA) 14 // Roccett, J Diggs, & Smurf @
Poetry (Las Vegas, NV) 15 // Harm & Indie @ The Crest Theater (Fresno, CA) 16 // TD & ladies @ Poetry (Las Vegas, NV) 17 // Gary Archer, Mistah FAB, & Stretch @ Washington Park
(Alameda, CA) 18 // DJ Smooth & Slyvon @ Magic (Las Vegas, NV) 19 // T & Roccett @ Poetry (Las Vegas, NV)
Photo Credits: D-Ray (01,04,06,07,08,09,10,11,12,13,14,15,17,18); Julia Beverly (02,03,05,16,19)
OZONE WEST // 11
A
fter hearing the story of R&B singer Deltrice,
its a wonder how the Destiny Childs and
Ne-Yos of the world can write songs about
independent women and not name-drop
her. Born in San Francisco and raised in Vallejo, Deltrice
practically came up in a household of performers.
“My mom was my inspiration. She would grab the
microphone and demand attention with her first note,”
Deltrice recalls of her mother, who served as head
director of the church choir. “She’s no joke. I get it from
my momma.”
Although her father was the pastor of the same
church, Deltrice didn’t inherit his public speaking skills.
For years she was too shy to share her gift anywhere
besides the mirror. But when she finally mustered the
courage to go in front of the congregation and sing,
she became convinced that this was what she was
born to do.
“I would sing in church and people would cry, catch
the holy ghost, fall out and all of that,” she remembers. “That’s when I realized I didn’t give a damn what
people thought anymore.”
Since then Deltrice has graced numerous stages
including the Apollo and Good Morning Sacramento.
She was a co-finalist Missy Elliot’s 2005 show Road
To Stardom. Disappointed but not discouraged by
her second place finish, she trekked to Las Vegas
and begin working on her first mixtape, Deltrice: The
Mixtape Vol. 1. Taking a week to record non-stop, the
mixtape sold over 10,000 copies independently thanks
to her relentless promotional schedule that included
performances everywhere from birthday parties to
nightclubs.
Dubbing herself the “voice of the streets,” Deltrice
is now perfecting her blend of R&B and Hip Hop by
working with producers like Souldiggaz (Missy Elliot,
Beyonce, Mary J. Blige) and Tim and Bob (Bobby
Valentino). She’s also sticking to her roots by spending
plenty of time in the studio with artists like The Jacka,
AP9 & Fed X of Mob Figaz, Willie Joe, B-Legit and Jim
Jones.
“I challenge the industry to give me one chance,” says
the petite singer, who isn’t afraid to admit that her
bold appearance and rough upbringing often turns
people off to her music. “I feel like I’m what they’re
missing. I’m that they need. If you think I’m wrong,
come see me and I will make you a believer.”
Interview by Saba G
Words by Maurice G. Garland
Photo by D-Ray
12 // OZONE WEST
(above L-R): Glasses Malone & Tum Tum @ Magic in Las Vegas, NV; Haji Springer & J Diggs @ Time Out for J Diggs’ birthday party in Concord, CA; Mitchy Slick & JT Tha Bigga Figga
@ Grand Ballroom for Hip Hop Sony Live Tour in San Francisco, CA (Photos: D-Ray)
01 // Haji Springer, DJ Franzen, & J Diggs @ Palms (Las Vegas, NV) 02 // Guest & Jacky @ Poetry (Las Vegas, NV) 03 // Roccett & K Boy @ Poetry (Las Vegas, NV) 04 // Manesa & E40 on the set of Dem Hoodstarz video shoot (East Palo Alto, CA) 05 // Dre Dae & Cino @ Magic (Las Vegas, NV) 06 // David Banner & DJ Quote @ DUB Car Show (Los Angeles, CA)
07 // J Diggs & Pimpin Ken @ Time Out for J Diggs’ birthday party (Concord, CA) 08 // Chingo Bling distributing free tamales on the set of Haji Springer’s “Hurry Up & Buy” video
shoot (San Jose, CA) 09 // J Prince & Julia Beverly @ Club Moon in The Palms (Las Vegas, NV) 10 // Kimo & Mac Mall @ Time Out for J Diggs’ birthday party (Concord, CA)
11 // Sean Kennedy & Mistah FAB @ Magic (Las Vegas, NV) 12 // Money Tree Twins & Chingo Bling on the set of Haji Springer’s “Hurry Up & Buy” video shoot (San Jose, CA)
13 // Jay Jay & Too Short @ Club Moon in The Palms (Las Vegas, NV) 14 // Tito Bell & YB @ Poetry (Las Vegas, NV) 15 // Jacky & Matt Daniels @ The Palms Hardwood Suite for EA
Sports party (Las Vegas, NV) 16 // J Diggs & Mistah FAB @ Poetry (Las Vegas, NV) 17 // Dem Hoodstarz & Big Rich on the set of Dem Hoodstarz video shoot (East Palo Alto, CA)
18 // K-Boy & Julia Bond @ Magic (Las Vegas, NV) 19 // T-Banks & Roccett @ Club Moon in The Palms (Las Vegas, NV)
Photo Credits: D-Ray (01,02,04,07,08,09,10,11,12,13,14,15,16,17,18,19); DJ Quote (06); Julia Beverly (03,05)
OZONE WEST // 13
“T
he hibernation is over,” Kutt declares in an almost confrontational
manner. “Nigga, the bear is back and ready to attack.”
While sitting on the tour bus waiting for stage call, Kutt Calhoun talks
about his sophomore album release as if it’s the single most significant
event in his life. Though he’s had many triumphs as a member of Tech
N9ne and Travis O’Guin’s Strange Music label, the October 08 release of
Feature Presentation was probably his most anticipated conquest.
“The people been waiting for it,” says Kutt. “It’s been over four years since
my last album came out. It’s long overdue.”
Maturing both as an emcee and as a man since recording his first album
B.L.E.V.E., Kutt sought to put more of himself into the follow-up project.
Exploring elements of his personal life in songs like “Letter to My Kids” and
“The Green Mile,” Kutt details his experiences on the road and the effects
they’ve had on his various relationships. But keeping true to his street
roots, Kutt redelivers with the same edge that made his first album so
popular. Tracks like “Killa City” and “Colors” reflect on the violence and gang
activity infecting Kansas City, Kutt’s hometown.
“We got a bad rep in Kansas City,” Kutt explains. “It ain’t good to say, but
we’re one of the Top 5 in murders. That’s not a positive thing but it’s one of
the things we’re known for. We’re a little city that gets down just like any
major city.”
It’s this gritty environment that shaped Kutt as a young man. During his
teen years, Kutt fell into the common trap of selling drugs to support
himself. And had it not been for divine intervention, Kutt’s future may
have never materialized into what it is today. Facing death after a gunshot
wound to his back, he luckily walked away from the drug game and found
a new home in the studio, where his gift for storytelling manifested.
Since the late 90s, Kutt Calhoun’s camaraderie with Tech N9ne and his label
mates has taken him all across the country, even affording him the opportunity to perform overseas. As a hype man and solo artist, Kutt has found
a unique niche in the Strange Music family. Jokingly referring to himself as
the red-headed stepchild of Strange Music, Kutt’s “bad seed” qualities appeal to his listeners, adding enormous value and versatility to the label.
“Tech’s doing his thing and bringing everybody up with him,” Kutt explains.
“He’s the general, then you got the lieutenants. You got Skatterman and
Snug Brim; we signed to the label at the same time. You got Krizz Kaliko.
Everybody’s got their own path, but we’re all a conglomerate of one.”
And after a four-year hiatus, Kutt’s path has him back in the limelight with a
leading role in the Feature Presentation.
Words by Ms. Rivercity
Photo by Joshua Hoffine
14 // OZONE WEST
Patiaitenintly
W g
T
he Pacific Northwest hasn’t gotten any shine since Sir Mix-a-Lot
revealed his love for rotund hind parts in 1992, but Seattle’s
Parker Brothaz have made it their mission to change that. Blood
brothers Stretch, 26, and Eclipse, 28, have been grinding on
the Seattle scene with local production team Tha Bizness (Dow Jones and
J-Hen) since 2004. And with their debut album So Fresh Coast in stores and
Tha Bizness steadily rising to become industry heavyweights, it’s probably
time you met the Parkers.
“I talk with a twang, they all want to know / Where I’m from, and when they
ask I tell ‘em fresh out the sto’” raps Eclipse. But the Parkers are also fresh
out of Washington state’s Sea-town. “Seattle is pretty much only known for
rain and coffee,” notes Eclipse. “But it’s really a big gumbo pot. It’s diverse
and we’ve got a lot of different things going on.” Geographically, Seattle
couldn’t be too much more West Coast, but when it comes to Hip Hop, it
might as well be in Canada. “I was down in L.A., and people would say that
Seattle isn’t West Coast,” Eclipse recalled. “So we started the Fresh Coast
movement.”
The Fresh Coast movement may be a response to the industry’s blind eye,
but it also captures the essence of their music. “We make a lot of feel-good
joints,” explains Stretch. “Our music is smooth and funky- fresh music you
can ride to.” The Parker Brothaz self-described “2008 g-funk” is indigenous,
but it also incorporates outside influences provided by Seattle’s large outof-towner population. On “Two Times,” Eclipse incorporates Southern and
Bay Area slang with some local iconography, rapping “Scraping down I-5
riding dirty / Down on Madison grinding in my Hasselbeck jersey.”
The Parkers sound is radio ready, easily flipping both stuntin’ anthems
like “Two Times” and “I’m a Star” and catchy “girl” records like “Text Me”
and “Leon Phelps.” Though the Brothaz can handle themselves on any
type of record, it seems that their best wordplay, punch lines and double
entendres are reserved for their odes to the opposite sex. On “Leon Phelps”
Eclipse spits, “My game tight, I don’t need no help / I’m like a buffet pimp, I
can help myself.”
The Parker Brothaz have helped themselves as much as they can in Seattle,
but they have decided to take their show on the road to make it to the next
level. With Tha Bizness’s recent success down South with major artists like
Young Jeezy and Lil Wayne, the Parker Brothaz are relocating to the ATL to
reconvene with their longtime friends and collaborators. “We were on in
Seattle,” explains Stretch, “but we need to get on that bigger stage to really
put us on the map.” With Tha Bizness on the tracks and Seattle on their
backs, the Parker Brothaz have the deck stacked. Game on.
You can find the Parker Brothaz online at www.myspace.com/therealparkerbrothaz and their debut album So Fresh Coast on I-Tunes.
Words by Lukas Brekke-Miesner
Photo by Locked Photography
OZONE WEST // 15
WORDS BY Kay Newell
PHOTOS BY D-Ray
There’s a lot of truth in
the SAYING “a first impression makes a lasting impression.” Coming from an
affluent two-parent home
in a quiet Oakland suburb
is one way to make that
impression. somewhere
along the way, that stayed
true in young Richie Rich
(nee Richard Serrell).
Since he hasn’t dropped a solo album, compilation or single since 2004, one might think he
would be doing bad. Not to mention the fact
that these days, records aren’t flying off the
shelves and radio isn’t supportive. Yet drivin’
down the road in the tiny city of Alameda, Rich
pulls into the parking lot in his shiny all-black
Range Rover with matching black 22-inch rims.
The paper license plate indicates the car is a
new purchase from one of only six Range Rover
dealerships in northern California. He exits the
vehicle with a car around his neck (the diamond
cross pendant and chain) and a house on his
wrist (the iced out Jacob face in his watch), eliminating any doubts about his current status.
16 // OZONE WEST
As co-founder of the group 415, Rich (along with
DJ Daryl and D-Loc) opened a lot of doors for
the town when they dropped their biggest hit,
“Sideshow,” an ode to the night time activities in
Oakland that eventually made national headlines
for its risky car antics. That single carried weight
for the group until Rich was convicted on drug
charges, which led to their disbanding. Since his
release, Rich has given the rap game four solo
albums, including the ‘96 Def Jam release of
Seasoned Veteran which spawned the hits “Let’s
Ride,” “Do G’s Get To Go To Heaven?” and the underrated collabo with TLC’s T-Boz for the remix of
“Touch Myself.” 2Pac appeared on “Niggas Done
Changed” and Rich returned the favor, appearing on the All Eyez On Me album (“Rather Be Ya
Nigga” and “Ain’t Hard 2 Find”).
Looking ahead, Rich is ready to get active with a
new album and a solid plan to sell units. And as
always, he’s loaded with invaluable game that is
to be sold not told.
What have you been doing since you released
the Grab, Snatches and Takes compilation in
’04?
I kinda sat the hyphy movement out for various
reasons I won’t get into in hopes of bringing this
music back. We need support from radio for one,
and we need support from our communities,
too. I’m kinda givin’ that a minute to pass over
because I make a whole different type of music.
Since the younger generation is on the hyphy
go-dumb tip, do you feel like they will be able
to relate to the new music you’re dropping?
The OGs are going to definitely be around to feel
it, but I’ve got music for the youngsters too because right now these youngsters are hungry for
something real. I believe that’s why we’re in the
state we’re in, because they raised themselves.
There ain’t no male father figures or big brothers
to tell these young cats what’s really going on.
It’s 2008 and Oakland’s murder rate continues
to escalate at an all-time high. This has been
going on since the late 80s. Do you feel it’s
worse now than when you were coming up?
415 came right out after N.W.A, so that was right
around the era of the gangsta shit. Then niggas
start jackin’. But in Oakland back then people
was getting killed for reasons—money, turf wars,
shit like that. I don’t know what these youngsters
are on, ‘cause I don’t be out there wigglin’ like I
used to, but I know they’re poppin’ them off at a
rapid rate. I used to think it was only in Oakland,
but shit is poppin’ off everywhere. Ghettos everywhere are on the same shit, and I think what it
goes back to is no parenting. A lot of these kids--I
sold dope to their parents. We used to call this
the crack baby era, because they parents were in
that last 10-to-15 year span. I think that’s where
shit got outta control. The reason I think that is
because the shit happens everywhere—in other
states, different cities. The only logic to me is
that the cocaine era left a lot of kids to just raise
themselves.
Tell us about the dope case you caught that
eventually led to the break-up of 415.
In ‘88-‘90 we just popped, we were on fire. Then
in ’90 or ‘91 I got caught up with the dope. I did
240 days in county. They offered me a 90-day
option in the pen or a county year, which is
240 days. I took the county year and everybody
thought I was crazy. Even my attorney was like,
“Why would you take the 240 days instead of the
90-day opt? Go to [San] Quentin for 90 days and
you’re out!” It wasn’t about the prison facility,
it was that I wanted probation over parole. You
can’t get off that parole, that parole is cold. And
once again, that goes back to the youngsters
who don’t have nobody to tell ‘em. They don’t
tell you what CJS means. You go to court and
they tell you, “We’ll let you out today and you
take the CJS.” All they hear is “let you out today.”
CJS means “county joint suspended,” so that
means if you get busted for something else,
that automatically means 12 months in the pen.
A lot of people don’t know that shit. I wanted
probation over parole. If you’re on parole and
a nigga comes over and shoots you, [as] soon
as you go to the hospital and leave there, your
ass is goin’ to jail. You’re not suppose to come in
contact with no police, no nothin’. That’s hard to
beat when you gotta live in Oakland. Probation
is longer but it’s easier to beat. Niggas don’t
know that.
What did you take away from your experiences
upon your release from prison?
Shit became like camp. What I didn’t dig was
when a muthafucka gon’ tell me to eat, when I’m
gon’ shit, when I’m finna move over here. If this
nigga in the pod doesn’t have his bed made up
then everyone in the pod suffers. I wasn’t really
feelin’ the way they ran it so I told myself, “Either
you gon’ have to quit hustlin’ or you gon’ have
to get a whole lot slicker ‘cause the jail shit just
ain’t for me.” I’m not sayin’ it’s for nobody but it
wasn’t for me, fo sho! It’s like playin’ tag -- if you
could you’re never “it” and you get away every
muthafuckin’ time. That’s when I started changing damn near the way I did everything.
You said you didn’t want to get into too much
detail about your take on the Bay movement,
but your opinion matters considering that you
are one of the veterans in the rap game. What
was it about the movement you didn’t like?
Not that I didn’t like it; the shit knock, it slaps, but
that ain’t what I do. So I woulda been feelin’ like
I was fakin’ tryin’ to do [hyphy music]. To put it in
terms where you can understand me, basically
if we were to categorize rap as food, you’d say,
“Richie Rich be spittin’ that chicken” and then
people want to [eat] pizza next month, I’m not
just gon’ start makin’ pizzas. When niggas get
back to wanting some chicken, that’s what I
got. But with the hyphy shit, I don’t think they
should’ve done so much copyin’ each other. I
think that’s what slowed down the Bay Area’s
creativity. It ain’t a bunch of different shit no
more. Back in the day 415 was hard and gangsta,
Short was pimpin’, Dangerous Dame was real
smooth radio-type shit, and we were all cool.
When we were kids, I had 4 or 5 niggas -- one of
‘em had braids, the other nigga had a fade, the
other one had long ass hair and I had a ‘fro. It
wasn’t so much clonin’ and copy-cattin’. There’s
no originality [now] and I think that’s what
fucked the music up.
What I hate the most is that when the Bay Area
did have its last little glow, the last little hooray,
shit was gettin’ played [on the radio] but niggas
didn’t have nothin’ in the store. Niggas burnt
up good radio play. Once again, it goes back to
nobody teachin’ these youngsters. [They think],
“I gotta get my shit out there so my shit can be
heard.” But the truth is, that’s like me standing on
the corner tellin’ muthafuckas, “This nigga has
the most potent weed in the world, right down
the street.” And all these cars are pullin’ up, like,
“Where he at?” and I’m like, “The weed is right
down there.” People pull up, like, “Let me get a fifty or hunned sack,” and he says, “I ain’t got it right
now.” Now do you think they’re gon’ come back
after they just heard this nigga broadcastin’ this
weed ova here and can’t nobody get nothin’?
That’s the same thing as burnin’ radio play when
you ain’t got nothin’ in the market for sale. You’d
be better off gettin’ your records ready, gettin’
them in the stores and then approaching radio.
What’s good with the new album? Are you
ready to come back?
I got so many songs; I got about 50 or 60 good
songs done. What I’m doing right now is entertaining my options on what channels I’m gon’
use to put that thang out. This shit is like a crap
shoot, and I feel like I’m a hot nigga. And if I can’t
come in hot then I might just come in from a
whole different angle. I’ll go work my thang from
the other side of the world, heat it, and then
come back. There’s different ways to do shit. //
OZONE WEST // 17
18 // OZONE WEST
Los Angeles native Nipsey
Hussle is just starting to
get his swerve on and forge
a different lane in the
music business, signing a
deal through Epic Records,
once or presently home to
such icons as AC/DC, Electric Light Orchestra and
Michael Jackson, and readying an album for the top
of the year. A surprisingly
sharp shooter, Hussle is
ready to be a contender.
producing and engineering and the measures
he’s taken to make sure he’s not perceived as
“just another ignorant rapper.”
Although he’s worked with big names like
The Game and Sean Kingston, he’d prefer to
become known on his own, without having to
be co-signed by anyone else. In this interview,
he reveals his one-man band talents of rapping,
Is that program that you participated in still
around?
Yeah, as a matter of fact, it’s [still] every Saturday
at the Watts Towers. It’s an after-school program
to try to keep at-risk kids out of trouble. And it
How long have you been making music?
I’ve been making songs and all that since I was
like twelve years old, but I really started going to
the studio and making records when I was 14.
There was a community outreach [program] that
had a free little studio setup and I used to go
there once a week every Saturday at the Watts
Towers. They taught me how to use all the equipment. They taught me how to produce, how to
engineer and everything, so besides rapping and
all that I can be an engineer in the studio. I’m
fully A to Z equipped with all that shit because
I came up in a studio environment. I’ve been
really devoted to recording and started making
projects and started working towards all of that
since I was 14.
worked for me.
What do you think your life would have been
like if you didn’t have that?
I’m not going to say solely that was the reason
why I ended up in a positive direction. That had
a major influence because at that age, the early
teens, it could go either way. And I was already
in the streets but that was kind of like my deterrent. When shit got too hot in the streets, a lot
of people could fall back into nothing. I fell back
into the studio. And then I could vent, speak on
what was happening and get that shit off my
chest. Every now and again I would relapse and
be back in the streets but I always had the studio
to step back into. So to answer that question,
without a studio, though, I would have been fullon crippin’, gangbanging, no question. But since
I had access to different studios and I could be
creative and all that, I started to see a different
lane.
Would you say that older people or OGs in the
neighborhood noticed your talent and helped
keep you out of trouble?
I can name on my hand the people that did
OZONE WEST // 19
help me, like my manager Big U. He came home
from the pen [after doing] 13 years. He missed
his whole 20s. He was in the pen from, like, 19
to 30-something. He came home and was real
plugged in with the music industry. At that
point, I had already taken my independent route,
put out mixtapes, invested in my company, built
relationships with different DJs and tried to put
my best foot forward. I had my own resources
and outlets. So when Big U came home, he met
me halfway. It was like, we’re going to team up
and we’re going to get this shit going.
It wasn’t an overnight situation. We were punching for a couple of years. I think [my manager]
has been home for three years now. He sent me
to go do shows in Tokyo; they gave me $10,000
cash. He got me the Adidas shoe deal. He introduced me to Jon Shapiro, who in turn signed
me to Epic. He also secured me a movie deal,
a joint venture with Jeff Clanagan, who owns
Code Black, and Epic. They’re going to put out a
feature film called Blue Laces in conjunction with
my album.
I say all that to tell you that Big U was one
of the only ones in the neighborhood that
saw what I was doing and instead of being jealous or being on some hating shit,
he reached out and [showed me] what
combined, we could bring to the table if he
endorsed what I was doing. Him being an
original homie from that original era, once
he got behind my shit, a lot of the older
homies that were hating or going against
the grain followed suit and supported me.
A lot of the older dudes were threatened by
me because we were young dudes making
moves. My whole crew was making forward
progress into a lane that nobody from our
neighborhood had really went down before.
Nobody really from my neighborhood had
gotten to the music industry and was successful.
Also, if you want to express yourself to people
who don’t live your lifestyle, don’t you sometimes have to speak their language a little bit
more until they get it?
Exactly.
“I’m not anti-social—I fuck
with a lot of niggas in the
entertainment industry—but
I just don’t want to lean on
anybody. I don’t want them
to go out and get the album
to get the song that Lil Wayne
or Beyonce or T.I. is on. I want
them to go get the project because it’s hot. I want to know
it’s all me.”
Maybe some of them saw your intellect at play
and thought they wanted you on their team
doing whatever they were doing, and therefore
found you threatening?
Exactly. You hit the nail on the head. People
tried to make me their asset and use me. But my
mentality going into the game was, excuse my
French, but it was like, “fuck the middleman.” That
was the name of one of my mixtapes that I put
out: Fuck the Middleman. Because I’d seen how
everything was becoming hands-on; you can’t
just be a rapper anymore. You have to be an A&R,
you have to be your own promoter, you have to
be your own publisher. You have to do all that on
your own. The successful artists are the ones that
understand that. So I started trying to not only
perfect what I do creatively, but also become
proficient on the business end to where I could
sit down and speak for myself and get my point
across and not have people assume that I’m just
an ignorant rapper.
That’s a big part of the equation that I think a lot
of people don’t get. You have to be talented but
also able to handle your business and not get
screwed over in the industry. Not many people
have the full package.
Exactly.
Who were the positive examples that you
looked to, if no one from your neighborhood
had made it in the music industry before?
I had inspirations on different levels. There were
people in my neighborhood that weren’t in music but they were impressive in their own right.
20 // OZONE WEST
So I had inspirations from every level of niggas,
from niggas that were rich off dope money to
niggas that had real, legitimate businesses and
came from a similar element to were I came
from that flipped the script and became positive
and successful. I used to work with a print shop
that printed up independent albums called Side
Effects, and my boss Jamil was the one that really
woke me up. He said, “You can’t come to work
smelling like weed. You can’t say ‘cuzz’ after everything you say. You can’t come here [to work]
with Dickies hanging off your ass. You have to
get over that.” It was hard for me to understand
it, but it’s not about not being yourself. You know
who you are internally. It’s just about knowing
what you’re asking for [out of life], because if you
know what you’re asking for, you’ll know how to
present yourself in a certain way. You get respect
based on the way you present yourself.
So I understand that DJ Felli Fel from Power 106
in LA helped you get your deal?
Yeah, the way I ran across Felli Fel was Steve Lobel—he’s one of the owners of the management
company that I’m signed with, he and Big U own
a company together—Steve Lobel was working
on the Bone Thugs album. He’s Bone Thug’s
manager also, and he was working on their
project and the “I Tried” record went to radio.
He and Felli go back years and he was playing
him the Bone Thugs record with Akon and Steve
told Felli that he also had a new artist from L.A.
that was sick. So Felli was like, “Alright, put it in,”
and he played him “Bullets Ain’t Got No Names,”
which is also the name of my last mixtape. He
played that record for Felli, and I wasn’t there to
see it, but I was told that he was real impressed
with the record and he reacted by playing it on
the radio right after the Bone Thugs record. And
right after he played it, we started getting a lot
of calls from different people: Def Jam, Epic,
Atlantic, Capitol, Warner Brothers—we met with
everybody, basically.
At the end of the day, Jon Shapiro got us the
joint venture over at Epic, a real cool situation.
There won’t be too many people in my business
as far as the creative process, so I can do me.
There aren’t too many things [like this] over at
Epic, so they’re going to treat you as a priority.
It was the best fit. I also told them I wanted to
start my own brand too so based on the success
of my project, I’m going to start my company
up and release shit through my brand also.
They said they were fully with that, from the
president, Charlie Walk, to the general manager
to everyone there. They want to help me build
my brand up and just me in general, so I did my
part and went in the studio and just banged out
a classic album.
So you’re done with your album?
The album is done but I’m always in the studio,
so I’ve got [other] projects coming out. I’ve
got a Slauson Boys deal for my group, so we’re
working on that album. I’ve got two mixtapes.
The first one is already out, Bullets Ain’t Got No
Names Volume 1, and Volume 2 is about to come
out now. They’re all original music, no jacked
beats or anything of that nature. It’s all songs. So
I’m putting Volume 2 out this month and Volume
3 out in December. And then we’re going to go
into the album at the top of the year, but there’s
no release date or anything set yet.
That’s good if the label isn’t pressuring you to
rush out a record. Did you feel like the other
labels were rushing you?
Yeah, that was part of the reason why the other
labels weren’t a perfect fit for me. They all had a
formula that they had won with previously, so it
was more like, “Yo, we’re going to throw you in
our formula and put you with our in-house
producer and we’re going to put you with
our artist that’s on our label and that’s how
we’re going to bring you out. Let’s put out a
record right now and we’re going to see what
it do and that’s going to be that.”
So, the same boring shit that they do to
everybody?
Exactly, and my whole thing was that I am
trying to come in and create my own lane. I
don’t want to come in as nobody’s co-signed
artist; as “this producer’s artist.” I want to
come in as the newest nigga with some hot
shit and let my music define my own lane. I
want to create my own fan base and not ride
on somebody else’s exposure. I feel like the
other labels didn’t understand that this same
formula might have been successful for them
for the past few years, but it’s a new generation.
And my generation is the generation that’s going to make all the decisions. It has to be a new
movement, a whole new swag with the way they
treat my project, and the only people who really
understood that was Epic.
Epic has sure had a lot of classic artists that are
individuals and not cookie-cutters.
They have some of the biggest artists. I walk
through the halls, looking at the plaques, tripping: The Eagles, Sade, AC/DC. When they get
quality projects, they know what to do with
them. So I’ve got full faith in the label. I see
that everybody is excited and they’re putting
their full-throttle machine behind me based on
the music. We don’t really have many features
on the album; Game is the only feature. It’s all
hometown produced. We’ve got [tracks from]
JR Rotem, we’ve got Mr. Lee, QD3. But it’s no Dr.
Dres, no Timbos or Neptunes on there. It’s just
me, and my whole squad and movement, and I
feel like people are going to respect it because I
came in on my own stretch.
I’m not anti-social—I fuck with a lot of niggas
in the entertainment industry—but I just don’t
want to lean on anybody. I want them to like
the song because it’s hot. I don’t want them to
go out and get the album to get the song that
Lil Wayne or Beyonce or T.I. is on. I want them
to go get the project because it’s hot, or not get
it because they think it’s trash. But either way, I
want to know it’s all me. //
DJ NIK BEAN
What’s your most memorable moment as a DJ?
My most memorable moment as a DJ would have to be [when I met] my
biggest female fan. Some people might call her a stalker, but in reality, she
is just a huge Nik Bean fan. The girl consistenly hit up my Myspace page
and stayed at all the shows. She has the whole Nik Bean mixtape catalog.
Eventually, she just flat out told me she wasn’t gonna stop [stalking me]
until I gave her the business. Mission complete! (laughs)
What’s new with you?
Just maintaining. I took a few months off to get my life together, but now
I’m back like I never left. I’m gearing up for the release of G Malone’s longawaited Beach Cruiser LP (Cash Money/ Universal). I got my Lexus, finally! I’m
focusing on the marketing job that I’ve been doing for entscoop.com and
Street Certified DVD Magazine. I feel like a new person now, so I’m gonna
do something to mark this page in my life. Next time you see Nik Bean, he
ain’t gonna have braids!
Where do you DJ?
Right now I’m DJing at Club 740 in downtown Los Angeles. Come check
it out and you’re guaranteed to score a local hoodrat. My residency is on
Thursday nights once a month, so holla at the kid.
Tell us about your radio show.
Streetz of LA Radio is now finally official. The show is aired weekly on
datpiff.com. I play a variety of new joints from coast to coast and try to get
a live guest in the studio every week. Plus, we’re gonna be dropping a lot of
videos with footage from the shows as visuals for the fans.
What new projects do you have coming up?
Tons of mixtapes. I’ve got tapes coming with David Banner, Yung Joc, Suga
Free, Mack 10, Mistah FAB, Daz, Kurupt, Noreaga, and two with G Malone.
Also, I’m doing the marketing for this new website called entscoop.com.
The website is giving me the opportunity to get behind the camera and
become a correspondent. I’m trying to branch off into doing a lot of other
things. The site isn’t just gonna cover music, it’s designed to be a one-stop
shop for everything. It covers the whole entertainment spectrum. I’m talkin’
about fashion, movies, sports, video games, and of course music. There’s
so much money out there. You can’t just get stuck in the Hip Hop world
or you’re gonna find yourself limited on what doors can open up for you.
Eventually I’m gonna come out with my debut LP The Hustler’s Manual, but
right now I’ve got so much on my plate, I ain’t in a rush. I’ve already got
some joints in the vault.
OZONE WEST // 21
Can you introduce yourself?
My name is Dae One. I was born in Northern California and as a kid I
moved to Southern California. I currently live in Hawthorne, in the Los
Angeles area.
How old were you when you made your first beat?
I started playing with keyboards as a young kid, just messing around
at age 10. I didn’t start taking it seriously until my mom bought me
my first beat machine/sampler when I was 17. That’s when I made my
first track. I love great music, but honestly, the reason I started making
beats was because at the time I was trying to rap and I just couldn’t find
producers that could make beats the way I could hear them in my head.
So I took it into my own hands and just started trying to make beats on
my own.
Who has been your favorite artist to work with? Why?
I’ve worked with a lot of great artists but just because of his creative energy, I’d say Bishop Lamont. My favorite rap group of all time is Outkast,
so I’d love to work with them one day.
What equipment do you work with?
I’m more of a hardware kinda guy. I use my MPC 2000XL or MPC3000,
a FantomXrA Triton, a Nord Lead 2, a Motif Rack, and a few other top-secret gadgets. But there really isn’t a right or a wrong way [to produce],
it’s just about findout what works best for you and perfecting that.
What’s your favorite beat you’ve produced so far?
That’s a hard question. I don’t know if I could pick one favorite, because
in a way they all take something out of me that I like in one way or
another. But the record I did called “Be Cool” on Bishop Lamont’s last
mixtape The Confessional with Xzibit, Glasses Malone, Ras Kass, and
Mykestro gets me a lot of good feedback. If I had to pick one, that’d be
it.
Who’s your favorite producer?
For me it’s a toss-up between Dr Dre, because of his sonic balance and
rich sound, and J Dilla because of his creativity and incredible ear for
sampling. Those are my top two. I can’t choose just one.
Do you mix your own beats or work with an engineer?
Yeah, I mix my own beats so they’re just the way I like them. I’m so
into the music, I have to do it that way. Production is all-around to me.
You’ve got to know how to do it all to be great.
Any last words?
Never let anyone tell you what you can and can’t do. Follow your heart
and work hard to make your dreams come true. Know what you’re getting into. Artists, learn the business if music is what you want to do. This
is not a game, this is big business.
How can artist get a slap from you?
Hit me up on my myspace page at www.myspace.com/120daeone or
contact my management by email at marlor@sbcglobal.net.
22 // OZONE WEST
Dr. Dre Detox – Album Review
Dr. Dre’s Detox has been the most anticipated album in rap’s history.
First mentioned in 2002, it’s now 2008 and still no Detox. Some
people are still waiting on the edge of their seats for Dr. Dre’s third
and last album, some believe Detox is a myth, and others, after
waiting year after year through push-backs, false release dates,
and rumors that this year will be the year the album drops, quite
frankly, just don’t give a shit anymore. But just when the Hip Hop
world thought all hopes of ever hearing Dr. Dre’s final album were
lost, OZONE scored an exclusive listen to Detox. Here is the album
review everyone’s been waiting for.
Intro: “Sorry It
Took So Long”
On the opening track,
the D.R.E. offers an
apology to fans for the
delay, and promises
this album will be the
best album ever.
Not to mention the
album will come with
a free gas card for all
purchases.
“We The Best”
f/ Jay-Z, Andre 3000, Nas,
Kanye West, T.I.,
Lil Wayne,
Young Jeezy,
Lupe Fiasco,
Common, Snoop
Dogg & DJ
Khaled
Fresh out the gate, Dre
drops a classic record
featuring the best
emcees in the game.
Each rapper spits the
realest shit they ever
wrote, except for Dr.
Dre (Jay-Z wrote his
verse). No one really
knows why DJ Khaled
is on the song, but
it’s the first time he
ever screamed “We
The Best” and sounds
believable.
“Nuthin’ But a
‘G’ Thang 2K8
2K9 2K10” f/
Snoop Dogg
Dre reunites with the
D.O.G.G. for a remake
of their 1993 classic.
The song is as funky
as the original, but
they’re not sure what
to call the song, being
that they’re not sure
what year the album
will actually come out.
“Cash Money’s
Still An Army”
f/ Lil Wayne,
B.G., Juvenile &
Turk
The long-awaited Hot
Boys’ reunion track
finally comes. We
should have known
it was going to be on
Detox.
“R&B Kings” f/
R. Kelly, Usher,
Chris Brown &
Michael Jackson
Four of the greatest
R&B singers of all-time
on one song. Once
again, only on Detox.
“Forgot About
Dre & Em”
f/Eminem
Muthafuckers act like
they forgot about
Dre (and Marshall
Mathers, too). Slim
Shady returns to the
rap game and blesses
the Doc with the best
48 bars of his career.
Of course, Em murders
Dre on his own shit.
“The Last Episode” f/Snoop
Dogg, Kurupt, &
T-Pain
Part 2 of the classic
“The Next Episode”
from 2001, but this
time Nate Dogg is
replaced with T-Pain.
Go figure.
“Smokin’
Chronic &
Fuckin’ Hoes”
f/Snoop Dogg,
Devin The Dude
& Plies
It wouldn’t be a Dr.
Dre album without a
song about chronic, or
hoes for that matter.
“What’s Beef” f/
50 Cent & The
Game
Over a sample of
B.I.G.’s “What’s Beef,”
Fiddy and Game put
an end to their longstanding feud. No one
expects this truce to
last very long.
“I Forgot To
Put Your Albums Out?” f/
Eve, Stat Quo,
Bishop Lamont,
Joell Ortiz, Raekwon, Rakim &
Truth Hurts
Since none of these
artists reportedly
signed or formally
signed to Aftermath
ever released albums,
each artist got a verse
on Detox as consolation. Most of their
rhymes are filled with
subliminal shots at
Dr. Dre, but the beat
is so amazing, he still
put the song on the
album.
“R.I.P. Eazy”
f/ Ice Cube, DJ
Yella & MC Ren
In memory of the
late Eazy-E, Dr. Dre
resembled N.W.A. for
a tribute song dedicated to their fallen
group member. Every
album has to have
a dedication song,
right?
“Black President” f/Barack
Obama & 2Pac
On this unprecedented track, Dr. Dre is
the first artist to ever
have a presidential
candidate rap on an
album. We should
have known Barack
could rap; the dude is
the coolest politician
in United States history. The mystery in
this track comes from
what’s thought to be
an old unreleased
2Pac verse. But if you
play it backwards and
listen closely, you can
hear Pac say, “Congratulations, Barack.
I knew you’d be the
first black President,
nigga.”
“The Resurrection” f/ Jesus
Christ
On the album’s final
track, Dr. Dre reveals
the real reason his
album took so long.
He was waiting on
Jesus to return so he
could get him on a
record, and he finally
got him.
Rating:
Words by Randy Roper
OZONE WEST // 23
24 // OZONE WEST
The Knux/Remind Me In 3 Days.../Chic Freak/HHH/Interscope
Fashion sense aside, The Knux aren’t too different from what
you’re already hearing. It’s just that they know how to make it
sound pretty good. On “Cappuccino” they chase some elusive
tail and on “Hush” they catch it. “The Train” has them backtracking on their crime-riddled lives before rap while “Parking Lot”
reminds you that they “don’t write skate raps, so you can take
that and shove it up your Bape ass.” You won’t get many new
themes here, but you’ll hear new ways to say them. Especially
on “Daddy’s Little Girl,” where they tell the good-girl-gone-bad
story with a female voice layered on top of their raps. While the
mid-leftfield production may lead some to think they’re extraordinary, The Knux are actually average in the sense that they
are doing what talented musicians are supposed to do: make
good music. - Maurice G. Garland
Young Lace & DJ Khaled/West Up
On West Up Young Lace proves that he can make quality music
that’s easy on the ears. Whether it’s original material or piggybacking off R&B joints, Lace shows that he could eventually
enjoy a nice ride in the smooth rapper lane ala Fabolous or LL.
Unfortunately, Lace doesn’t do much to show versatility. His “flyness” is the main subject on the overwhelming majority of this
mixtape. Granted, it’s a nice alternative from the usual shoot-tokill braggadoccio that most artists put on their mixtapes, but it
would’ve been nice to hear Lace switch it up a little. - Maurice
G. Garland
Terrace Martin, Snoop Dogg & DJ Drama/Locke High
West Coast producer and part-time rapper Terrace Martin is
stepping out with this special edition of Gangsta Grillz. More
known for his production than raps, Terrace gives most of the
shine here to his beats and the West Coast vets and newcomers
spitting over them. Snoop starts it off on the intro, letting us
know that this will be a “funky ride like no otha’ muthafucka,’”
and makes appearances on 6 more of the 20 tracks, along with
DJ Quik, Kurupt, and Felli Fel. Making a strong debut with plenty
of superstar friends, Terrace gives new hope for the West Coast.
- Anthony Burgos
Glasses Malone, Dow Jones & Nik Bean/Fuck G Malone
With the success G. Malone has had in his career thus far, no
wonder haters look at him and say “fuck Glasses Malone.”
Here, Malone embraces the hate and releases a solid mixtape
that is likely to piss the haters off even more. On the title track,
Glasses speaks from the perspective of naysayers and illustrates the countless reasons he’s hated. Lil Wayne and Cam’ron
accompany Malone on “Where Itz At” and Huey and Maino
trade rhymes with the Westside rhymer on “24/7/365,” but
the Left Coast emcee goes the hardest on “Lonely At The Top,”
“Like Suge” and “Welcome to 2 the Mainstream.” - Randy Roper
San Quinn/From A Boy To A Man/Done Deal/SMC
San Quinn’s Myspace page says that this album is the album
of his career, and he just might be right. A vet at a young age,
Quinn is very set in his ways musically, but here that’s not a
bad thing. Straying away from prototypical Bay Area production, songs like “Catch A Body” and “They’re All Waiting On Me”
are instant reminders of what made you fall in love with NorCal Hip Hop in the first place. Staying true to the album’s title
he shows what a grown man in rap is supposed to sound like
on the family affairs “My Brother” featuring his younger sibling
Bailey and “Billionaire” with his son Lil Quinn. While 19 tracks is
consider lengthy by today’s standards, it’s normal for a Quinn
album. He manages to make most of the songs offer either a
different flow, beat, or concept. - Maurice G. Garland
Balance & Nik Bean/Unsigned Legend
Balance has been a consistent West Coast emcee for years,
and with Unsigned Legend, the Bay area rapper is out to
showcase why he’s one of the best without a deal. Tracks like
“Check Me Out” featuring Kel and JR Writer, and “Goin’ Down
2K8” featuring Chamillionaire and Mack Maine are standouts, but besides a couple other records, the majority of this
mixtape is halfhearted. Balance spits above-average lyrics
throughout Unsigned Legend, but those rhymes suffer from his
so-so flow. There are a couple good tracks on here, but Legend
won’t make anyone overly excited about signing Balance.
- Randy Roper
OZONE WEST // 25
endzone
Akon
Event: YouTube Live
Location: Fort Mason
City: San Francisco, CA
Date: November 23rd, 2008
Photo: D-Ray
26 // OZONE WEST
OZONE WEST // 27