Waiting - Ozone Magazine

YOUR FAVORITE RAPPER’S FAVORITE MAGAZINE
7th Annual
SCAM
AFTA
SHCADAYM:
S
BUSINESS
IN GUCCI
MANE’S
CAMP
PATIENTLY
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WAITIN
ISSUE
BONE
LIL RU
PILL
TRAE
SHANELLS
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OZONE MAG // 1
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PUBLISHER/EDITOR-IN-CHIEF // Julia Beverly
MUSIC EDITOR // Randy Roper
FEATURES EDITOR // Eric N. Perrin
ASSOCIATE EDITOR // Maurice G. Garland
GRAPHIC DESIGNER // David KA
cover stories
ADVERTISING SALES // Che Johnson, Gary Archer
PROMOTIONS DIRECTOR // Malik Abdul
46-47
52-54
48-50
SPECIAL EDITION EDITOR // Jen McKinnon
WEST COAST EDITOR-AT-LARGE // D-Ray
LEGAL CONSULTANT // Kyle P. King, P.A.
SUBSCRIPTIONS MANAGER // Adero Dawson
ADMINISTRATIVE // Kisha Smith
INTERNS // Devon Buckner, Jee’Van Brown, Krystal Moody,
Memory Martin, Ms Ja, Shanice Jarmon, Torrey Holmes
CONTRIBUTORS // Anthony Roberts, Bogan, Camilo Smith,
Charlamagne the God, Chuck T, Cierra Middlebrooks, David
Rosario, Diwang Valdez, DJ BackSide, Edward Hall, E-Z Cutt,
Gary Archer, Hannibal Matthews, Jacquie Holmes, J Lash,
Jason Cordes, Jelani Harper, Joey Colombo, Johnny Louis,
Kay Newell, Keadron Smith, Keita Jones, Keith Kennedy,
K.G. Mosley, King Yella, Luis Santana, Luvva J, Luxury Mindz,
Marcus DeWayne, Matt Sonzala, Maurice G. Garland, Mercedes (Strictly Streets), Natalia Gomez, Portia Jackson, Ray
Tamarra, Rico Da Crook, Rohit Loomba, Shannon McCollum,
Spiff, Stan Johnson, Swift, Tamara Palmer, Thaddaeus McAdams, Ty Watkins, Wally Sparks, Wendy Day
STREET REPS // 3rd Leg Greg, Adam Murphy, Alex Marin,
Al-My-T, Ant Wright, Anthony Deavers, Baydilla, Benz, Big Brd,
B-Lord, Big Ed, Big Teach (Big Mouth), Big Thangs, Big Will,
Bigg P-Wee, Bigg V, Black, Bogan, Bo Money, Brandi Garcia,
Brandon “Silkk” Frazier, Brian Eady, Buggah D. Govanah (On
Point), Bull, C Rola, Cartel, Cedric Walker, Cece Collier, Chad
Joseph, Charles Brown, Chill, Chuck T, Christian Flores, Clifton
Sims, Dee1, Demolition Men, DJ Commando, Danielle Scott,
DJ Dap, Delight, Derrick the Franchise, DJ Dimepiece, DJ
D’Lyte, Dolla Bill, Dorian Welch, Dwayne Barnum, Dr. Doom,
Dynasty, Ed the World Famous, DJ E-Feezy, DJ EFN, Episode,
Eric “Crunkatlanta” Hayes, Erik Tee, F4 Entertainment, Fiya, G
Dash, G-Mack, George Lopez, Gorilla Promo, Haziq Ali, Hezeleo, H-Vidal, Hotgirl Maximum, Hotshot, J Hype, Jacquie “Jax”
Holmes, Jae Slimm, Jammin’ Jay, DJ Jam-X, Janiro Hawkins,
Jarvon Lee, Jasmine Crowe, Jay Noii, Jeron Alexander, J
Pragmatic, JLN Photography, Joe Anthony, John Costen,
Johnny Dang, Judah, Judy Jones, Juice, DJ Juice, Kenneth
Clark, Kewan Lewis, Klarc Shepard, Kool Laid, DJ KTone, Kurtis
Graham, Kydd Joe, Lex, Lucky, Lump, Lutoyua Thompson,
Luvva J, Marco Mall, Mario Grier, Marlei Mar, Maroy, DJ M.O.E.,
Music & More, Natalia Gomez, DJ Nik Bean, Nikki Kancey,
Oscar Garcia, P Love, Pat Pat, Phattlipp, Pimp G, Quest, Quinton Hatfield, DJ Quote, DJ Rage, Rapid Ric, DJ Ricky Ruckus,
Rob J Official, Rob Reyes, Robert Lopez, Rob-Lo, Robski, Scorpio, Seneca, Shauntae Hill, Sherita Saulsberry, Silva Reeves,
Sir Thurl, DJ Skee, Sly Boogy, Southpaw, Spade Spot, Stax,
DJ Strong, Sweetback, Syd Robertson, Teddy T, TJ’s DJ’s, Tim
Brown, Tonio, Tony Rudd, Tre Dubb, Tril Wil, Trina Edwards,
Troy Kyles, Twin, Vicious, Victor Walker, DJ Vlad, Voodoo, DJ
Warrior, White Boi Pizal, Wild Billo, Will Hustle, William Major,
Wu Chang, Young Harlem, Yung DVS, Zack Cimini
SUBSCRIPTIONS // To subscribe, send money order for $20 to:
Ozone Magazine, Inc.
Attn: Subscriptions Dept
644 Antone St. Suite 6
Atlanta, GA 30318
Phone: 404-350-3887
Fax: 404-350-2497
Website: www.ozonemag.com
COVER CREDITS // Lil Ru and Playaz Circle photos by Hannibal Matthews; Bone photo by Brian Guilliaux; Gucci Mane
photo by Malik Abdul.
DISCLAIMER // OZONE Magazine is published 11 times per
year by OZONE Magazine, Inc. OZONE does not take responsibility for unsolicited materials, misinformation, typographical errors, or misprints. The views contained herein do not
necessarily reflect those of the publisher or its advertisers.
Ads appearing in this magazine are not an endorsement
or validation by OZONE Magazine for products or services
offered. All photos and illustrations are copyrighted by their
respective artists. All other content is copyright 2009 OZONE
Magazine, all rights reserved. No portion of this magazine
may be reproduced in any way without the written consent
of the publisher. Printed in the USA.
10 // OZONE MAG
monthly sections
13
22
30
75
74
20
18
28
26
76
12
22
13
16
18
17-35
14-15
24
10 THINGS I’M HATIN ON
ARE YOU A G?
BOARD GAME
CAFFEINE SUBSTITUTES
CD REVIEWS
CHAIN REACTION
CHIN CHECK
DJ BOOTH
Dollar Menu
END ZONE
FEEDBACK
HOOD DEEDS
JB’S 2 CENTS
MATHEMATICS
NAMES OF SHAME
PHOTO GALLERIES
RAPQUEST
SIDEKICK HACKIN’
features
51-73 PATIENTLY WAITING
36-45 SCAM AFTA SCAM
BONE
LIL RU
PLAYAZ
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OZONE MAG // 11
Send your comments to feedback@ozonemag.com
www.myspace.com/ozonemagazine
www.twitter.com/ozonemag
OZONE, thanks for the good job y’all are doing. The injustice that your
magazine gets at Easterling Correctional Facility is dead wrong. I had been
waiting for a while on my first issue and finally went to the mailroom to
check on my magazine. To my surprise not only was my first issue there, but
the second issue was too. When I inquired about why I wasn’t receiving the
magazine, the mailroom supervisor told me that OZONE was not appropriate for this correctional facility. She said that this magazine was gang-related and that I could talk to the captain. During the meeting I was allowed to
look at the parts of the magazine that were deemed “gang-related.” What I
saw was individuals holding up the peace sign, one love sign, West side, or
coast sign. When I tried to tell them what these signs were, I was dismissed
and they said I was lying. I was told that I could appeal the decision to
the warden. When I had a chance to talk to him, he said that he was oldfashioned and that everything was a gang sign to him. It just goes to show
that with all the technology we have, people are still ignorant, thinking that
a respectable magazine would jeopardize their company by having gang
ties. Truly, ignorance is bliss. In a camp where a lot of inmates receive XXL
and Vibe it would have been nice to have some new flavor in here.
- Truth Cipher, via mail (Cleo, AL)
Wow JB! So no OZONE/TJ’s DJ’s Awards this year, huh? I’ll admit, I’m one of
the ones that’s been speculating WHERE. Then, as July hit, I started wondering WHEN. Of course I tried to find the inside scoop and I heard New
Orleans or Las Vegas. Personally I thought y’all were gearing up for Atlanta.
Well, my purpose for writing is to say that as usual I deeply respect your decision. I definitely wouldn’t want y’all to put together an event if your heart
isn’t in it. Never want to come to a sub-par event. I’ve been supporting you
since I met you and appreciate the opportunities you’ve provided for me
and the people I’ve met through your publication and events. Keep up the
great work and I can’t wait for the next stage!
- DJ Scorpio, via email (Atlanta, GA)
Yo, Charlamagne Tha God hit the nail on the head with his D.O.A.A. article.
Shit was dope, funny, real, and true!
- Kenny Kenny, via email
Hey JB, my email is in regards to your interview with whack ass Mistah FAB
where he said that he only needs black women for record sales. Who is he
again? Right, nobody. Anyway, there seems to be a problem in this Hip
Hop industry with black women, brown skinned women or dark skinned
women. I’m having a problem with this and it’s something your magazine
should touch on. By the way, I’m an artist myself. I was once in the group
Nuttn Nyce. I’m sick of these fake ass rappers using black women for record
sales. If you don’t like black women and your mom is black, that says a lot
about yourself. I would like for you to touch on this subject. I’m pissed that
magilla gorilla would even let that come out of his shit-breath mouth. I
12 // OZONE MAG
wish you would interview some real sistas such as myself so we could talk
about these dick-sucking rappers who have nothing to talk about but
sucking their homeboys’ dick in the studio, since they hate the people
who support them so much. I think us black women should not support
them anymore or buy any of their CDs, since we’re hated so much. Mistah
Fag is garbage to me. I had to get this off my chest because I’m sick of the
madness. Maybe we black women could sue these artists that defame our
character. OZONE, next time interview a rapper that’s talking about something, not an Oakland loser.
- Lize B, via email
I want to take this chance to praise your magazine cause I’m a real Hip
Hop head. Your magazine focuses on the underground artists, and Hip
Hop means something to them because they’re hungry and wanna break
through to the mainstream. I appreciate you showing love to some of Hip
Hop’s favorites like Bun B, Webbie, Lil Boosie, Scarface, Lil Wayne, Plies, Rick
Ross, Trina, Trey Songz, Juvenile, and others. But when you did your feature
on Static Major, you outdid other magazines. May Static rest in peace (and
the group Playa was all Static). “Cheers 2 You” is a favorite of mine and I
praise Static for blessing the world with his talent. Static really made some
big records and whenever I listen to “Cheers 2 You” I’ll always remember
him. Rest in Peace and my God continue to bless Static’s widow Avonti and
his kids. He’s truly my hero. Thanks a lot, OZONE. Keep up the good work!
- Billy Bill, via mail (Beeville, TX)
I think you should bring back Groupie Confessions. I really miss that. I think
you should do articles on the labels we haven’t heard from in a while. It
seems like people sign major deals and disappear, like DSR. They signed a
$7 million dollar deal with Universal and dropped two albums that flopped.
Can you put some urban authors in your magazine like Teri Woods, Nikki
Turner, Kiki Swinson, or Wahida Clark? It’ll be a good look for the magazine.
- Lil Chris, via email (Houston, TX)
OZONE Mag brings quality with each and every issue. I know the economy
has hit everyone hard, but keep at it JB and staff. OZONE is the best Hip
Hop read out there. I find OZONE an even better read than XXL and I feel
like XXL is now copying OZONE.
- So Kreativ Designs, via email
I’m a 30-year-old native of Miami, Florida and have been a loyal reader of
OZONE since you first cranked it up. I’ve watched it grow considerably and
I’ve seen the content get more and more in-depth. As an original Florida
magazine, I’m proud of it.
- Joe Fresh, via email (Miami, FL)
JB’s 2cents
S
ince childhood, I’ve always been an avid reader. Even today, in the
midst of the 24/7 news cycle where a million bits of information
are all vying for my attention throughout the course of the day and
threatening to destroy my focus, I try to occasionally take the time to set
aside all the distractions. Next time you’re lounging on the couch and the
millionth rerun of your favorite reality show comes on VH1 or MTV, turn it
off and become absorbed in a good book instead. You’ll be surprised.
10THINGS I’M
HATIN’ON
by Audra
1. Mohawks
Unless you live on a reservation with no
running water, got a liquor store on every
cliff, and have two names, like Bear Tracks
or Soaring Eagle, this should not be your
style of choice.
Me & TJ’s DJ’s at the BET
Hip Hop Awards
2. Artists TURNED REALITY STARS
I’m tired of seeing all these ex music-icons
get reality shows. If we don’t wanna hear
you in our disc changers, we don’t want to
see you on TV either.
3. Chicks with Shaved Heads
Cassie has every female thinking she can
shave the side of her head. You have to
be a one hit wonder and have a Hip Hop
Mogul on your arm to pull off this look.
Kisha, Tasha, me, & Necole
Bitchie w/ Too $hort in ATL
5. Holy Text Messages
If I ignore your call/text, don’t try to send
me a forwarded text talking ‘bout “If you
believe in God you will send this back to
me and 9 other people,” just so you can see
I’m near my phone.
FREDDYO
4. White Socks with Black Shoes
Socks come in color options for a reason.
Me @ the Hip Hop Divas
Award Show with Ludacris
6. People Hatin’ on Female Rappers
When there is one female rapper out,
people think adding another one in the
game would be too much. But there’s
657,000,000 male rappers and no one
rings the alarm.
A Ray J sandwich w/ Necole
Bitchie & me, lol
8. Multiple Personalities
How are you happy in your status on Facebook but tweeting 60mph mad?
9. Leggings
Leggings used to be used for ‘Get-up-andgo,” but now they’re used for “Get-Up-AndHOE!” I’ve seen them worn from clubs to
weddings. I forgot what was worn before
them. Wasn’t it called something like
jeans?
10. Balloon Boy
Little Falcon’s family knew what they were
doing when they called CNN talking about
he drifted off in a balloon. This publicity
stunt just set him up for a multi-platinum
rap album and a reality show.
Before OZONE, I spent a lot of time working for other people because I was
afraid. I knew I had talent but I didn’t know how to translate those talents into
a paycheck. I was scared to start my own company because I didn’t think I’d be
able to pay the bills. When I started working under a graphic designer named
Mert in Orlando, who had a local magazine, the thing that struck me was that
he had no fear when dealing with clients. They’d ask for a price and he’d spit out
a number. No fear. What’s the worst that could happen? They’d leave and he’d
move on to the next client. I watched and learned.
We all miss out on so many opportunities because we’re scared. Being bold
doesn’t mean being stupid or risky. It just means overcoming your fear and
taking that first calculated step. You can’t physically take on every project. We
all have limited amounts of time and energy and you have to choose the wisest
path and the most economical way to be as productive as possible. Like many
people, I have no problem finishing or completing a project. It’s starting that’s
the problem. I make lists of things I want to do and projects I want to work on
but there are always doubts or fears in the back of your mind. Hell, even writing
this editorial is a chore - what if my words aren’t captivating enough, I wonder?
Fear was the underlying word for 2009. After the banks took a nose-dive in late
2008, despite Obama’s promise of hope and change, a lot of us worldwide still
harbored fear, and it showed. Even though the economic crisis was real, attitude
can make a big difference. Your mindset (and how hard you’re willing to work)
affects your finances in a very real way. As the song goes, you might not always
get what you want, but if you try sometimes, you get what you need.
Despite all that *fear* lingering in the air, miraculously, we all made it through
the year and are still here alive and kickin’. What does that tell you? As we approached 2010 I made a comment on Twitter that it’s time for everyone to stop
using the recession as an excuse. One person responded that only someone
with no financial problems would say that, but that’s a false perception. It’s all
a circle and no one is exempt. If record labels, promoters, artists, DJs, and the
streets are hurting, I’m hurting. If we all keep a positive outlook and
keep moving forward, we’ll all be able to keep moving forward.
The whole concept of momentum intrigues me. I’m training for a
marathon and one interesting thing I’ve noticed while running is that
the best way to stay motivated when your body is begging you to stop
is to run faster. Step it up. If you’re getting discouraged with lack of
results in your life, the solution isn’t to go home and mope and watch TV
and sleep. The solution is to push yourself harder in all aspects, and the
inevitable results will encourage you. Do, or do not. There is no try. ;)
FREDDYO
7. Predictable DJs
I should not be in the club and know what
song the DJ is gonna play next before
they do.
Lately it seems like everything I read focused on one word: fear. Even looking at
those four letters in print kinda grips you, doesn’t it? All the way from 50 Cent’s
50th Law (an updated version of Robert Greene’s classic 48 Laws of Power with
more modern-day examples) to the daily motivational Scripture email blasts Ric
Ross at Capitol Records sends out (a welcome change from the usual bullshit
that pops up in my inbox every morning), everything my mind digested lately
kept coming back to that same word. Fear. Fear and overcoming the crippling effect it can have on our lives and our growth, both personally and professionally.
Me, Aiyisha from DTP, and Jasmin
from Global Grind @ Hip Hop Divas
Award Show
- Julia Beverly, jb@ozonemag.com
Lil Wayne f/ Gucci Mane “We Steady Mobbin’”
Lil Wayne f/ Drake “My Darlin’ Baby”
Big Boi f/ Gucci Mane “Shine Blockas”
Clipse f/ Cam’ron & Pharrell “Popular Demand (Popeyes)”
USDA f/ Young Jeezy “Bag Music”
Gucci Mane f/ Drake & Sean Garrett “In My Business”
Pitbull “Hotel Room Service”
Dave Flyer f/ RE “Her Music”
RE’Splaylist
randy.roper@ozonemag.com
Wale f/ Rihanna “Contemplate”
WarrenJae f/ Playboy Tre “Sleep”
Mike Posner “Drug Dealer Girl”
Mr. Hudson “Instant Message”
OZONE MAG // 13
GAINESVILLE, FL:
CINCINNATI, OH:
The School of Creative and Performing Arts held their yearly talent show and
MTV was there to film it. Kids from 10th grade to 12th grade displayed their
talents from dancing, to singing, to instrumentation. Congrats to all and hats
off to this year’s winners. Fritz Mob released the long awaited CD of FM Duke,
packed with the lyrical genius of Scarface, Juvenile, Bushwick Bill, and the late
Pimp C. The Editor of Street Fame Magazine announced its return in the year
2010. - Judy Jones (Judy@JJonesent.com)
COLUMBUS, GA:
Radio ratings came in and Foxie 105 is the #1 station in the city. Sister station
K 92.7 (old and new school R&B) came in #2. However, the Rickey Smiley
Morning show did pull in some numbers for The Beat. Around here high
school football is a big thing. Carver High school destroyed Spencer High
for the tenth year. This game is so big in Columbus that years ago, when a
guy named Juvenile had a mega hit called “Back That Azz Up” and his group,
which featured a young lad named Lil Wayne, came here to do a show, that
happened to be scheduled on the same night as the game, no one went to
the show.
- Slick Seville (SlickSeville@gmail.com)
DALLAS/FT. WORTH, TX:
Rest in peace to K104’s DJ Nate Quick. DJ Cap at the Bomb in Big T’s is your
official mixtape spot. Trai’d’s single “iDoobie” featuring OJ da Juiceman is
already a hit in the streets. J-JUCE has the new club spot on the north side
called Rolls Royce. Mr. Nike keeps local artists performing in the Ice Bar while
Mookie is doing the same every Monday at Crystal’s. Monte Wayne is holding
down Funkytown with Dummy Music. The mixtape circuit includes Tum Tum’s
Tum Thousand9, Lil Twist’s Yearbook, and SHO.’s Bail-Out mixed by DJ Dre.
Dorrough Music is in stores. Free Dirty Harriet.
- Edward “Pookie” Hall (urbansouth@gmail.com)
14 // OZONE MAG
The Ville is in full swing with the University of Florida back in session,
adding an extra 50,000 students to the city every year. It’s guaranteed
to make the club scene jump crazy. The new PD at MAGIC 101.3 is shaking things up, along with a new mix show director, as well as a whole
new program line up. Trey Songz came through to promote his album
Ready, which is officially an R&B classic. Trick Daddy and OJ Da Juiceman
showed love to surrounding areas with performances at various venues.
Trick Daddy also hosted Ridin High Volume 9 (pictured above), another
classic put out by DJ Klarc Shepard.
- Jett Jackson (g5jett@gmail.com)
HOUSTON, TX:
So many birthday parties kept the scene alive with something to do
every weekend. The Office kept Twitter Tuesdays jumping as well as
hosted the album release party for Young Problemz, whose album
dropped on the same day as Letoya Luckett. America’s Most Wanted
Tour visited the city with super after parties at Bar Rio, The Office, and
Isis. Young James, the youngest promoter in Houston, also ended the
month out with an extravaganza featuring Hot TV at Crobar. Yung Redd
of Swishahouse held a mixtape relase party for Eviction Notice 3.0 at
Legends with Cubana Lust.
- Ghost tha Hustla (ghostthahustla@tmail.com)
MANATEE COUNTY, FL:
After having too many altercations, shootings, arrests, and shutdowns,
the old Club Nitro closed and reopened as Club Elite Restaurant and
Lounge. Elite is now the official home of the popular Big Bro Comedy
Show. R&B sensation Foreva Asa performed his new hit single “Fallin” there as well. Trick Daddy performed at Club Hall for Labor Day
Weekend. The Young Money Tour stopped through the area for the big
weekend as well. The Touch of Class Club off of 41 is keeping Saturday
nights busy.
- Hollywood Red (era9880@yahoo.com)
WASHINGTON, D.C.:
MEMPHIS, TN:
Three 6 Mafia released their new video “Lil
Freak” featuring Webbie. They shot the video
in Memphis using locations from the Hustle
and Flow movie, famous Beale St., and the
Pyramid. Apparently Criminal Mane has been
living in the studio since he recently dropped
three new singles. “Trap Shit” featuring Lil
Lody and DJ Squeeky, “Mad at Me,” and “Hot
Potz” are all part of his mass release. He
definitely knows how to make a comeback.
Up-and-coming Memphis rapper 2Deep put
out a raw video for his song entitled “Everybody But U,” so be sure to peep his new style.
Miss B Hollywood is making her statement with
a new mixtape Tipsy Off Tequila Vol. 1. I’m sure
we can all relate.
- Deanna Brown (Deanna.Brown@MemphisRap.
com)
MONTGOMERY, AL:
King South supposedly didn’t sign with Collipark and instead took a better offer from
Warner Bros. 97.9 Jamz filed bankruptcy and
listeners are worried they might lose one of
the livest stations in Montgomery. Raheem the
Dream put on one hell of a show at Flashback
Friday over at Boomerangs. M.E.T.V. is the new
show hosted by Maxximum from Boomerangs
night club. This show has Alabama on their grind,
showcasing local artists and their videos on the
C.W. Artists to look out for are Lil Boone, Jabo, Ju,
Chise Money, Conflict, L-Gin, King D, and E3.
- Hot Girl Maxximum (Maxximummp3@gmail.
com)
NASHVILLE, TN:
Cashville’s own Diablo, a.k.a. Supa, smashed the stage on
BET for Wild’n Out Wednesday. Congrats to the NIMA nominees and winners as they held it down with informative panels
and a good awards ceremony. Kandi spiced up John Merrit Weekend with Fly Major and First Friday. Playboy flooded the streets with
his newest street album, while Dolewite and Scooby continued to raise
the bar with the Socialite every Thursday at Karma. Concrete Magazine and
Lovenoise celebrated their 5th and 6th Year Anniversaries and shut the city
down with solid events and great performances from any and everybody.
- Janiro (Janiro@southernentawards.com)
PITTSBURGH, PA:
Major label artists like Rick Ross, Young Dro, and Yung LA, to name a few,
have been coming through the city recently. In the local scene, Pyrex Press
dropped his highly anticipated mixtape Cash Cow with DJ Schemes, while
Nesia Beats landed the Executive Producer credit for Yung Joc’s Grind Flu.
Nesia’s single “Right Now” is also making its rounds on Top 40 Radio. Team
Fred continues to do it big.
- Lola Sims (lolasims@gmail.com)
J-Scrilla, the beat maker extraordinaire, released a soulful new CD
called Culture of Honor. J-Scrilla enlisted some of the city’s best lyricists (K-Beta, X.O., Lyriciss) to assist him with this project. Topp Dogg
Hill rapper Rated R dropped the I’m Coming mixtape (left). Young I
released the controversial Best Theft Secret EP to address industry rule
4080. DMV rapper/producer/manager and now filmmaker, Brother
Maniac, has created a new movie: called 2 Makes Things Right which
stars female MC Lady Dy. The Beat Ya Feet Kings brought the DC
street culture to the world by performing on MTV’s America’s Best
Dance Crew competition. Wale continued his media blitz in preparation for his debut album Attention Deficit. Wale recently performed at
the Virgin Mobile Festival, and was also featured on BET’s new series
Rising Icons.
- Sid “DCSuperSid” Thomas (dcsupersid@aol.com)
RICHMOND, TRI-CITIES, VA:
Jean Baptiste and OJike, formerly of Richmond’s alternative band
Infectious Organisms, produced “Heart of The Lion” and two more
cuts on Kid Cudi’s debut album. DJ Mikemetic Kemetic rocks Mecca
radio from 1am to 3am EST on Richmond Independent Radio 97.3
(wrir.org). Tri Cities’ Ashlie Luckett and the band Notorious rock the
stage as the house band on 106 & Park every other Thursday 6pm to
8pm. Dolla Gang Entertainment’s J Nero shot the video for “We Runnin That.” The single is gaining momentum in the DMV (DC, MD, VA)
area. O.C. Boyz’“Weasel Pop” single went into rotation on nine radio
stations in the southern region. P-Nyce, a.k.a. VA General, CEO of So
Heated Records, is promoting the new single “Bitch I Look Good.”
- Atiyyah Wali (atiyyahwali@hotmail.com)
ST. LOUIS, MO:
Craig Blac deserves an award for all he does in the community. He
recently did the annual Community Cutz, which allowed students to
get a fresh hair cut and school supplies before school started. German
DJ, DJ Noize, is showing STL love as of late with three mixtapes dedicated to STL: Search & Destroy hosted by Murphy Lee, Stars & Straps
hosted by Chingy, and STL JumpDrive hosted by Basement Beats. You
can get all three mixtapes at www.MidwestMixtapes.com for free.
Yung Ro had his video shoot for “Walk like a Model” which features
one of the girls from The Love of Ray J show. Ray da Kidd has finally hit
the streets with his new single “Kemo Sobie.” The party starter himself,
DJ Sir Thurl, is back doing his thing over at Club Plush on the east side.
- Jesse James (JesseJames314@aol.com)
TAMPA, FL:
Crystal Waters, Paul Porter, and SoundExchange.com stopped by
Pirate Radio Invasion on USF’s BullsRadio to discuss H.R. 848 - Performance Rights Act, and its relevance to radio. Speaking of radio, WLLD
switched from 98.7 to 94.1 on the dial. Javon Black teamed up with T.
Geezey on his new single “Hustle All Day” and once again a Hip Hop
legend has co-signed Tampa/ New York rapper Dynasty. DJ Premier
included Dynasty’s record “Femcee” in his mix in consecutive weeks
on his satellite radio show.
- Slick Worthington (Myspace.com/SlickWorthington)
TULSA, OK
Meekness Music Group has taken over the streets with their newest
mixtape The Live Mixshow. DJ Primo is grabbing the streets with his
mixtape chopped and screwed series. The buzz has picked up around
town about Fedel’s new music video called “I Live,” along with DJ
Morph’s latest album entitled International.
- DJ Civil Rightz (djcivilrightz12@yahoo.com)
OZONE MAG // 15
CHANGES IN THE WAY WE DO BUSINESS | By Wendy Day
“The only thing constant is change.” - Heraclitus, Greek Philosopher (535 BC-475 BC)
“Wow! Our shit is fucked up!” - Wendy Day, circa 2009
1. The Absence of Retail From Our Economic Landscape: Whether you want
to download music or not, that’s the direction it’s heading. CDs are going the way
of vinyl, cassettes, and 8-tracks. Because downloads are seen by title on a screen
instead of pre-packaged in a tangible format, the music business has switched
from an album culture to a singles culture. Fans and consumers can pick and
choose songs instead of being forced to buy 10 to 18 songs packaged together
in a cohesive unit. If you want to sell more than singles to your fans, your shit is
going to have to be an album of hot singles.
Upside: Consumers only shell out 99 cents for the songs that they want. Artists
can see exactly which types of songs their fans want and can offer more music in
that direction.
Downside: Some of my favorite songs are the ones in between the singles on
albums that grew on me as I listened to them over and over. Now fans make compilations of songs they already like by their favorite artists—it’s like making their
own albums by the artist. But it certainly isn’t how the artists intended us to be
listening to their music. It’s no longer an art form to sequence albums perfectly
because very few people will listen to their music in sequence.
2. Prices Are Plummeting… According to the RIAA, CD sales have declined
every year for the past 8 years, falling 26% last year. Retail stores are going out
of business very quickly. The remaining stores that do carry CDs are mostly big
chain stores, so their focus is Top 40 (the mainstream CDs with the highest sales
demand). Very few of the places where you buy music are meant to sell music. So
you can pick up your CDs along with tampons and greeting cards, refrigerators or
washer/dryers, or your weekly groceries at Wal-Mart (if the music has no cursing),
Target, or Best Buy. CDs sell for $9.99 to $12.99. In an effort to compete, FYE is trying a new program in 75 of their 600+ stores: they are selling all CDs for $9.99.
Upside: At least there is a place to go for those who still want to get their music
on CD. When CDs first came into fashion, cassettes were phased out within five
years. I can’t even buy a cassette today if I want one. Also, consumers want to
pay less for music and instead of spending $17.99 on a CD that costs less than 30
cents to manufacture (not including marketing and promotion), they can now
spend ten bucks. And lastly, the lower price point is forcing the major labels out
of the music industry and leveling the playing field so smaller indie labels can
compete. Whoever has the best music and can make it for $10 a CD, wins.
Downside: A $10 CD means a wholesale price of $5 - down from a high of almost
$12 ten years ago. CDs now retail for a lower price than what the wholesale price
was 10 years ago.
3. …And The Labels Will NOT Be Taking The Loss From That Plummet: Almost
every label is offering only “360 Deals” to sign artists, or for current artists who
aren’t selling millions of CDs. A 360 Deal means the record label gets to share in
the other income streams for artists besides just music sales. They get a percentage of publishing, a percentage of the touring and show money, a percent of the
merchandising, sponsorships, and endorsements.
Upside: As leaner, meaner, more profitable companies, record labels can do
what they do best. Additionally, artists who have no access to investors and no
business acumen to put out music on their own can still have a career. (although,
arguably, at a high cost). Lastly, if you absolutely refuse to sign a 360 Deal, you
can build your leverage so strong by selling your own music that you can negotiate another type of deal, or you can just do it yourself - finding investors and a
16 // OZONE MAG
(www.RAP-COALITION.COM)
team of experienced people to help you is far easier than finding a record deal
with a major label.
Downside: Artists no longer just make 12% of the retail price of their CDs after
they pay back all of the recording costs, promotional and marketing expenses, etc.
Now they get to lose 50% of their publishing, and 10%-30% of their tour money,
endorsement deals, and film/tv/book deal money. Where else can you go to pay
back everything spent on you to build your career and then keep on paying out of
every dollar you make?
4. Magazines Are Dying While Blogs Are Sprouting Up Daily: Bloggers are the
new mixtape DJs. Just as mixtape DJs used to break new music back in the day,
today it’s the bloggers. According to RapRadar.com, the Huffington Post of the rap
blogosphere, there are 100 Blogs or Websites worthy of being listed in their “Blog
Roll” list. This means anyone with a passing interest in rap and some writing skills
(or not) can weigh in and have their opinions read by others.
Upside: We get our news and information instantaneously. Voicing opinions have
come into the hands of the people and have been taken away from the traditional
gatekeepers.
Downside: We sacrifice journalism, quality in-depth reporting, and sometimes
accuracy for the sake of having instant information. Also, any idiot with a following can seem credible (Perez Hilton, stand up!) regardless of their training, their
access, their ability to write or research, or their own agenda. Additionally, those
who are reporting on the famous often want to be more famous than the famous
people they are reporting on. And lastly, an industry that was lacking in journalistic integrity to begin with has entrusted information into the hands of sycophants,
plagiarists, idiots, and whores (male and female). Oh, and a few very qualified
people with integrity and fact checkers who do this because they love it. This is
who and what we depend upon to get our “news” as it occurs.
5. Too Much Information: In an effort to get up close and personal with our
stars, we have gotten, well, up close and personal with our stars. There was a time
where there was some mystery and glamour to the façade of the entertainment
industry. Now we have inner circle access to everyone with a reality TV show, videos to post on World Star Hip Hop, a Twitter account, and YouTube uploads. When
did it become all about the check, fame whores?
Upside: One can see the reality of what it’s like to be famous so we can either
avoid it at all cost or go racing towards fame. People we thought we wanted to
get to know - we can either get to know who they really are or avoid them. People
with products to hawk and no shyness can go full-out to sell their books, movies,
music, clothing, etc. Also, people who got into this fame-induced fantasy industry
can fully realize their dream of having all eyes on them.
Downside: Our image of the star is blown to smithereens. After all, familiarity
breeds contempt (you may not know that, since the 48 Laws Of Power hasn’t been
turned into a reality show yet). Also, we get to see how truly ghetto our stars can
be…instead of just suspecting it.
Things in life change. Either we keep up with the changes and adapt, or we
become irrelevant. The upside is that new people coming into the business never
knew any other time so there is no reminiscing over “better times” like my generation does. None of the changes in the music business have occurred overnight.
We’ve all seen them coming and been given ample time to adapt and learn the
new systems and approaches that work.
One thing that has never gone out of style is hard work. Work hard and educate
yourself—no, work SMART, and educate yourself. Then, you’ll find you’re ahead of
the game no matter what the changes are. //
(above L-R): Jeremih & Willie of Day 26 @ House of Blues Chicago for the 106th & Park tour in Chicago, IL; Rocko & Monica @ Bocado for Monica’s Still Standing reality show
premiere party in Atlanta, GA (Photos: Julia Beverly); Yung LA & Mike Bless @ The Moon for TJ’s DJ’s 15 Year Anniversary in Tallahassee, FL (Photo: Travis Pendergrass)
01 // DJ Q45, DJ Koolaid, Bigga Rankin, & Grandaddy Souf @ Plush (Jacksonville, FL) 02 // Kenny Burns, guest, & ladies @ Konsole Kingz’ XBox Event (Atlanta, GA) 03 // Swordz
& J Baby @ Upstart Record Pool (Jacksonville, FL) 04 // Jagged Edge @ Bocado for Monica’s Still Standing reality show premiere party (Atlanta, GA) 05 // Cellski, The Jacka, &
DJ Fresh @ the National Guard Armory (Kansas City, MO) 06 // D Woods, Mika Means, & Necole Bitchie @ America’s Most Wanted Tour (Atlanta, GA) 07 // Triple C’s @ 02 Arena
(London) 08 // Dorrough & Bigga Rankin @ Plush (Jacksonville, FL) 09 // DJ Khaled & Rick Ross @ Triple C’s video shoot (Atlanta, GA) 10 // Ms Rivercity & Midget Mac @ Plush
(Jacksonville, FL) 11 // Terri Sherman & Maguire @ Florida Music Conference (Miami, FL) 12 // Bama & Vawn @ Hoops 4 Hope (Atlanta, GA) 13 // Fatimah & her son @ The BET
Hip Hop Awards (Atlanta, GA) 14 // Guest, Jae Millz, Tyga, guest, Mack Maine, & guest @ America’s Most Wanted Tour (Atlanta, GA) 15 // Booba & Mercedes Streets @ Sobe Live
for Tony Neal’s birthday party (Miami, FL) 16 // J Dash & Ms Dynasty @ Club Christophers (Jacksonville, FL) 17 // Pretty Hustlaz & PI Bang @ The Moon for TJ’s DJ’s 15 Year Anniversary party (Tallahassee, FL) 18 // Gabriel Hart & Benz on the set of Benz’s video shoot (Jackson, MS) 19 // Malik Abdul, Slick Em of Pretty Ricky, & Hutch Daddy @ Bash at the
Bay (Toledo, OH)
Photo Credits: Eric Perrin (19); Kool Laid (18); Julia Beverly (04,06,07,09,13,14); Ms Rivercity (03,05,08,12); Terrence Tyson (01,02,10,11,15,16,17)
OZONE MAG // 17
CHIN
CHECK
By Charlamagne Tha God
TRICK OR
TWEET?
Twitter is the worst thing to ever happen to you
sensitive, emotional, fake-ass industry suckas.
Twitter has killed the publicist, or at least made
their jobs a whole lot harder. For the longest
time, opinions and truth have been strategically
weeded out of the music industry. But Twitter has
forced all the artists who live in fantasy worlds
come face to face with the reality of their makebelieve lives.
You don’t have to read the comments when
your song is posted on an Ozonemag.com. You
don’t have to see what people are saying about
your video on World Star Hip Hop or Dimewars,
but it’s pretty hard to ignore someone sending
you a message on Twitter. Not only is it hard to
ignore, but if you don’t have thick skin and you’re
not the type of person who could give a flying
fuck what people say about you, there’s a pretty
good chance you’re going to respond and make
yourself look like a complete and total asshole in
the process.
Think about it. Random comments on blog sites
mean nothing because it almost seems like those
people don’t exist. With Twitter, comments seem
so personal. You can put a face with the name,
and if you’re not careful, you’ll find yourself embroiled in Twitter beef with some random fat kid
from Kentucky who has no life. His one shining
moment is the time he got his favorite celebrity
to respond back to him on Twitter.
Some of you celebrities probably hate it, but I’m
going to tell you something: I enjoy it. It’s about
time we let these so-called celebrities know the
truth. It’s about time these so-called celebrities
started listening to the public at large and not
just their ass-kissing peers in the industry.
Music is whack and stagnant because all the yesmen in these artists’ entourages are telling them
everything they do is hot, and everything they
wear is dope. But in reality, their music sucks and
their jeans look like denim tights.
If artists had real people around them and in
their ears, trust and believe that shit would be
a whole lot different. I could never understand
why certain radio and TV personalities acted like
everything that was out was hot. I never understood why these personalities never had the balls
to say to an artist, “Yo, I’m not really feeling this
album,” or, “This record is really not that hot to
me.” I just couldn’t understand why they acted
like they were into everything, and that’s when it
hit me. Just like I stated earlier, truth and honest
opinions have been strategically weeded out of
the industry. Twitter has solved that problem.
Many people go along to get along, and they
don’t want to tell the truth because they don’t
want to damage a relationship. The truth of the
matter is, you can probably strengthen a relationship by telling that person the truth! Sure,
they might get offended at first, but only until
they realize the truth is like a shot. That needle
hurts at first, and if you tense up, it hurts even
worse. But if you just relax, the medicine is good
for you.
I could never see myself getting upset about
someone else’s opinion of me. If they do say
something that strikes a nerve, it’s probably
something I needed to hear anyway, but nobody
else had the heart to tell me. A lot of times it’s
God talking through people; planting seeds in
our minds to change our ways. We’re too gassed
up on ourselves and the people around us have
our heads blown up so big that we won’t let our
guard down long enough to listen.
As a person with a voice in this game, I strive to
give my listeners my honest opinions and the
truth as I see it, even if it’s not a popular opinion.
I don’t care if people in the industry get offended
because I am not of the industry, I am of the
people. The people have opinions and thanks
to Twitter, their voices can be heart. I hope you
silly-ass industry fucks are listening.
Tweetfully Yours,
Charlamagne Tha God
Follow Me On Twitter
www.twitter.com/cthagod
1. Ball and G
www.myspace.com/BallandG365
Whoever these guys are, they claim to hail from Augusta
and Atlanta, GA, respectively. Meaning they either grew
up in sheltered households or they chose to say fuck effort
and name themselves after one of the rap groups that
put Southern Hip Hop on the map. It’s one thing to be
influenced by a group, but to completely imitate them is
another. As for the music, it doesn’t sound great, but it’s not
bad either. It’s standard, average Southern rap that gets performed at your local industry showcase and nowhere else. It might be worth a little bit of attention of they went by another name.
Oh yeah, their latest mixtape is titled Menace II Society. Try something original!
2. Hell Bound Entertainment
www.myspace.com/hellboundent239
It’s one thing to say that your music is “hot as hell,” but this Fort Myers, FL company slogan is
“music so hot it has to come from hell.” Just in case there are any Hip Hop-loving devil worshipers
out there, HBE, LLC (yes, they are an actual LLC) lets it be known that the name “comes from the
simple fact that we were all born hellbound but our entire purpose in life is to right all the wrongs
and reach heaven.”
3. The Preachaholicz
www.executivemusic.com/preachaholicz.htm
These guys are gospel rappers, so, we don’t want to say too much bad about them. But yeah,
they tried hard with this one. Borrow from Tha Alkaholiks and sprinkle some holy water on it and
this is what you get. Throwing the “z” at the end doesn’t make much senze either.
by Maurice G. Garland
18 // OZONE MAG
(above L-R): J Prince Jr & Trae @ Hot 93.3 Summer Jam in Austin, TX (Photo: Edward Hall); Rasheeda & Kandi @ Clark Atlanta University Homecoming concert in Atlanta, GA
(Photo: Freddyo); Young Jeezy with his birthday gifts @ Aja in Atlanta, GA (Photo: Malik Abdul)
01 // JW & DJ J1 @ Velvet Room for Don Cannon’s birthday party (Atlanta, GA) 02 // Lil C, Young Dro, & Chelle on the set of Young Dro’s “I Don’t Know Y’all” video shoot (Atlanta,
GA) 03 // Kalenna of Dirty Money & Diddy @ the BET Hip Hop Awards (Atlanta, GA) 04 // Pitbull & Cindy Nuzzo @ The Ritz (Ybor City, FL) 05 // Fella & Ivy Box @ “Becky” casting
call (Tampa, FL) 06 // Young Jeezy & Lil Bankhead @ America’s Most Wanted Tour (Atlanta, GA) 07 // Missy Elliott & DJ Q45 @ the BET Hip Hop Awards (Atlanta, GA) 08 // Rock
City & Ester Dean (Atlanta, GA) 09 // Dorrough Music & 3Feet @ Balla Bash (Texarkana, TX) 10 // Plies & Fire @ “Becky” casting call (Tampa, FL) 11 // Inertia, Play & Skillz, DJ Asap
& Ace Mitch @ Ultra Lounge for Dorrough & Dr Teeth’s BET Nomination Party (Dallas, TX) 12 // Triple C’s @ The BET Hip Hop Awards (Atlanta, GA) 13 // Tasha Heran & BoB @
Morehouse Homecoming concert (Atlanta, GA) 14 // Tony Neal, Bigg DM, & Ron Stewart @ Stankonia for Big Boi’s listening session (Atlanta, GA) 15 // Partners N Crime @ JSU
Athletic Center (Jackson, MS) 16 // Guest & Baby (Tampa, FL) 17 // M Beezy & crew @ FAMU Homecoming Concert (Tallahassee, FL) 18 // Rick Edwards & Roccett @ Triple C’s listening party (Atlanta, GA) 19 // Ms Dynasty & Vince Carter @ Club Christophers (Jacksonville, FL) 20 // Brittony Morton & Lil Hen @ the Nappy Boy Mansion for T-Pain’s birthday
bash (Atlanta, GA)
Photo Credits: Edward Hall (09,11); Ericka Hicks (15); Freddyo (08); Julia Beverly (01,06,13,14); Malik Abdul (07,20); Ms Rivercity (02); Terrence Tyson (03,12,17,18,19); Travis
Pendergrass (04,05,10,16)
OZONE MAG // 19
She Liked my NECKLACE and started relaxin’, that’s what the fuck I call a…
TRAE
RUBIK’s CUBE
“A
BN” stands for Assholes by Nature. In Texas, it’s
a movement. Not only is a movement, but it’s a
street crew. It’s a family based out of Houston,
Texas, but it’s combination of all different hoods, races, and gangs,
all together as one. In some form, everybody has some type of
Asshole in them, and if you rub them the wrong way it’s in their
Nature to react and handle the situation as they see fit. It’s just in
our nature. If you rub us the wrong way, we handle business. But on
some real nigga shit, we’re some of the coolest, most laid-back cats
you’ll ever come across.
[My jeweler] George is King Johnny’s brother. George and Johnny
know what I represent. They’ve seen me come up since I was a
youngin’, a lil street nigga out here. They watched us come from
getting our first piece of jewelry up until now. We just come up with
ideas together. The last idea I came up with was the Boondocks
piece. We set a trend with that.
Nobody’s had a full three-dimensional piece before. My piece is like
a Rubik’s Cube. You can play with it all day and move it different
ways. One side is black diamonds, one is white diamonds, and the
20 // OZONE MAG
white has gold around it. One side has blue diamonds, one side has
yellow diamonds.
You can actually play my piece like a normal Rubik’s Cube. The only
difference is, even if you match them all on one side, there’s always
gonna be one on the opposite side that’ll never match. We did that
on purpose so that if you’re standing directly in front of it, you can
see all the different colors. It was just more creative like that.
It has 110 carats of diamonds and half a kilo of gold. It weighs over
500 grams, so it’s real heavy. It weighs more than twice what my
Boondocks piece weighs. Real niggas never like to put [the cost] all
the way out there, but I’ll say that on the appraisal papers, it’s been
appraised for more than $80,000.
I still have my Boondocks piece and all my other jewelry. Every
piece I have, I keep. Those are memories, you know? From my first
Trae G Maab piece until now. I’ll never, ever get rid of my shit. //
As told to Julia Beverly
Photo by SLFEMP
(above L-R): T-Pain attacking his birthday cake in Atlanta, GA (Photo: Malik Abdul); Trey Songz giving his management Chris Celestine a special birthday gift in Chicago, IL (Photo: Julia Beverly); Trick Daddy’s birthday cake in Jacksonville, FL (Photo: Terrence Tyson)
01 // DJ Nasty & Gorilla Zoe @ Florida Music Conference (Miami, FL) 02 // Swazy Baby & Double D @ The Moon for TJ’s DJ’s 15 Year Anniversary party (Tallahassee, FL) 03 //
Young Dro, Lil Duval, Yung LA, guest, Clay Evans, Gabriel Hart, & guest on the set of their video shoot (Atlanta, GA) 04 // Milla & Miltikit backstage @ the BET Hip Hop Awards
(Atlanta, GA) 05 // C Ride, Ed the World Famous, & Tony Neal @ Sobe Live for Tony Neal’s birthday party (Miami, FL) 06 // Ludacris loves the kids @ Hip Hop Diva’s Award Show
(Atlanta, GA) 07 // New Boyz, Jay Rock, & Daz Dillinger @ The BET Hip Hop Awards (Atlanta, GA) 08 // Lance Gross & Eva Pigford (Atlanta, GA) 09 // J Dash & Vince Carter @ Club
Christophers (Jacksonville, FL) 10 // Charles Wakeley, BloodRaw, & TJ Chapman @ The Moon for TJ’s DJ’s 15 Year Anniversary party (Tallahassee, FL) 11 // Please Believe Me models @ Bash at the Bay (Toledo, OH) 12 // Rob Green & guest @ The Moon for TJ’s DJ’s 15 Year Anniversary (Tallahassee, FL) 13 // Slick Em of Pretty Ricky @ Bash at the Bay (Toledo,
OH) 14 // DJ D-Strong, DJ Nasty, & Lenny @ Florida Music Conference (Miami, FL) 15 // Yung Ralph, guest, Montana da Mack, & Yung Joc @ Clark Atlanta University Homecoming concert (Atlanta, GA) 16 // Floyd Mayweather & Benny @ Velvet Room (Atlanta, GA) 17 // DJ Teknikz & Travis Porter @ The Ritz for Playaz Circle’s release party (Atlanta, GA)
18 // Dru Brett of the Runners, Jim Jonsin, DJ Khaled, & Danja Handz @ Florida Music Conference (Miami, FL) 19 // Zaytoven & Ms Rivercity @ Obsessions (Atlanta, GA)
Photo Credits: Eric Perrin (11,13); Freddyo (06,08,15); Julia Beverly (07,16); Malik Abdul (04); Ms Rivercity (17); Terrence Tyson (01,02,05,09,10,14,18,19); Thaddaeus McAdams
(03); Travis Pendergrass (12)\
OZONE MAG // 21
Are You a G?
7 Questions to FIND OUT if R&B STAR SEAN
KINGSTON is the 7th letter of the alphabet.
We put the baby-faced
Jamaican singer to
the test to determine if
Sean Kingston is truly a
G’. Make sure to check
out Sean’s sophomore
album, Tomorrow, in
stores now.
A. In the song “Take
You There,” you sang,
“We can go to the
slums, where killers
come from.”What’s the
most murderous thing
you’ve seen back home
in Jamaica?
I saw somebody get
chopped in half wit’ a
machete. [The fight]
was over a parking spot.
It was crazy; some guy
took this dude’s parking
spot, and he started
arguing with him, so the
next thing I know, the
dude went in his trunk
and got a machete. I
was like, “Wooowww!”
Blood was just shootin’
everywhere.
Not much commentary on this
one. We don’t
need any indictments.
B. Is it true that everybody in Jamaica owns a
machete? Do you have
one?
(laughs) Everyone keeps
one. You gotta have one
on deck cause you never
what could go down.
But it’s not just for that,
you gotta keep one for
cutting coconuts and
stuff out of the trees.
Imagine Sean
climbing up
trees, hacking at
coconuts? Not gangsta.
22 // OZONE MAG
C. What would you do
if a fan threw ice at
you while you were on
stage?
Um, if a fan threw something on stage, I’d probably walk off and leave.
When you come to do
a show and fans start
wild’n out, that messes
it up for everybody else.
That’s disrespectful,
because people came to
see the show.
Sean owns a machete, there’s no
reason he should
honor an onslaught of
ice on stage.
D. Biggest loan you’ve
ever given to a friend?
Probably $15,000. It was
my dawg, and he was
down and out so I had to
look out for him.
We need a few
friends like Sean.
E. Have you made any
lavish purchases that
you regret?
I wouldn’t say I regret it,
but if I had to pick something I’d probably say my
Phantom Rolls Royce.
I’m never in it and I never
drive it. I’m always on
tour or in the studio.
Wonder how
many machetes
he can fit in the
trunk of a Phantom?
F. What’s your worst
addiction?
Watches. I love watches.
I love sneakers too, but I
especially love big face
watches. My Breitling is
something that I can’t
live without.
abcdefG
Sean Kingston
is the only R&B
singer to have
appeared in OZONE’s
Chain Reaction, and his
self-admitted addiction
to watches is a little too
glitz to be gangsta.
G. What female rapper
has the potential to
make you suicidal?
I think the baddest female rapper in the game
right now is Nicki Minaj.
But Shawnna is dope
too; I don’t think she ever
got the look that she
shoulda got. And I heard
she got thick too, so I
gotta check it out.
Good selections,
Sean. If you
happen to pull
either of them, your G’
status will definitely be
upgraded.
Score4/7
Despite his last name
being derived from the
corrupt capitol of his
hometown, the glamorous jewelry and coconut
tree climbing almost
cost Sean a passing
grade. But the 19-year
old singer could care less.
“My music is who I am,”
Sean says. “I’m not trying to say that I’m a drug
dealer or a killer. I’m not
none of that. I’m a kid,
who is from Jamaica,
who moved to Miami,
who just likes to have,
party, and chill with girl.
And my music is a representation of that.”
Words by Eric Perrin
Photo by D-Ray
Hood
Deeds
WORDS By Eric Perrin
Over the years, Ludacris and T.I. have surely spent thousands to “make
it rain” in Atlanta. But this fall, they used their money to fight the rain
instead. As the city they call home was plagued with 8 days of persistent downpour resulting in massive flooding, multiple deaths and over
$250 million in damages, the actor/activist rappers contributed more
than what was expected of them.
Together, Luda and the currently incarcerated T.I. donated $10,000
each, and in total raised over $105,000 to provide aid to victims of
flood-ravished ATL.
“As you know, both T.I. and I love Atlanta and are very concerned about
the massive flooding in the state of Georgia,” said Ludacris. “We had
conversations with several of our friends and asked for their support.
They did not hesitate when we called and we received over $80,000 in
less than eight hours. The Atlanta music and Hip Hop community, as
well as the Hip Hop community at large, came to our support of the
Atlanta flood victims.”
Donations came in by the dozen from celebrities like Young Jeezy,
Ciara, Jamal Crawford, Diddy, Chris Tucker, Gabrielle Union, Edward
Long Jr., Shawty Lo, The Dream, Carmelo Anthony and La La Vazquez,
David Banner, Russell Simmons, Anthony Dent, Jini Thornton, Tricky
Stewart and his management, The Otis Redding Foundation, Team 20
Foundation, and Keyshia Cole’s Manager Manny provided substantial
contributions.
“We are working with the United Way, the Red Cross and school social
workers to identify families impacted by the flood,” said Ludacris’
mother Roberta Shields, who is also the President of The Ludacris
Foundation. “We plan to provide vouchers (LudaVouchers) for food,
clothing and building supplies.”
For years, the State of Georgia has been in dire need of rain, but no
one expected such dramatic answer to the drought.
In addition to private donations, FEMA has come to the aid of thousands of Georgians in need. //
(above L-R): Mike Epps & his wife @ The BET Hip Hop Awards in Atlanta, GA (Photo: Julia Beverly); Young Dose & Lil Ru @ Upstart Record Pool in Jacksonville, FL; Skool Boy @
Obsessions in Atlanta, GA (Photos: Terrence Tyson)
01 // Yo Gotti & G Boy @ Obsessions (Atlanta, GA) 02 // Ralph Smith & Bigg V @ Southern Whispers (Greenville, MS) 03 // Javon Black & Lil Kee @ The Moon for TJ’s DJ’s 15 Year
Anniversary (Tallahassee, FL) 04 // Ed the World Famous, Tony Neal, & Gorilla Zoe @ Sobe Live for Tony Neal’s birthday party (Miami, FL) 05 // Carol O’Connor & Aziattik Blak @
JSU Athletic Center (Jackson, MS) 06 // Clay Evans, Tiny, & Pee Wee @ Club Crucial (Atlanta, GA) 07 // Kid N Play & Busta Rhymes @ the BET Hip Hop Awards (Atlanta, GA)
08 // Gucci Mane & J Money on the set of Yo Gotti’s “5 Star Chick” remix video shoot video shoot (Atlanta, GA) 09 // DJ Holiday, DJ Prostyle, & Green Lantern @ Primal (Atlanta,
GA) 10 // Tony Neal, Mr Collipark, Amir Boyd, Wendy Day, TJ Chapman, Jason Geter, B Rich, & Lex @ The Moon for TJ’s DJ’s 15 Year Anniversary (Tallahassee, FL) 11 // Bay Bay,
Aziattik Black, & Benz on the set of Benz’s video shoot (Jackson, MS) 12 // Bigga Rankin & Swazy Baby @ FAMU Homecoming Concert (Tallahassee, FL) 13 // Mighty Mike, Dawgman, & DJ Slym @ Triple C’s video shoot (Atlanta, GA) 14 // DJ Storm & Eric Perrin @ The Moon for FAMU Homecoming afterparty (Tallahassee, FL) 15 // Hutch Daddy, Pretty
Ricky, & Lyfe Jennings @ Bash at the Bay (Toledo, OH) 16 // Nicki Minaj & Wacka Flocka Flame @ BET Hip Hop Awards rehearsals (Atlanta, GA) 17 // Tum Tum, Big Hoodboss, & Lil
Ronnie @ Hot 93.3 Summer Jam (Austin, TX) 18 // Freddyo, D Woods & Necole Bitchie @ America’s Most Wanted Tour (Atlanta, GA)
Photo Credits: Edward Hall (02,17); Eric Perrin (15); Ericka Hicks (05); Freddyo (06); Julia Beverly (10,13,18); Kool Laid (11); Malik Abdul (07,08); Terrence Tyson (01,04,09,12,14,16);
Travis Pendergrass (03)
OZONE MAG // 23
PLIES & PITBULL
PITBULL: Como estas Papi? :)
PLIES: No hablo espanol
PITBULL: How you doin’ dog?
PLIES: Hola. I’m in el studio
PITBULL: Bueno! I need you on my new record papi. Lets get in the studio
together!
PLIES: Yeah, yeah, we could do that bra...I normally charge 50,000 for a verse,
but since Im gon’ have to learn Spanish to work wit you, let’s make it a even
100 stacks.
PITBULL: Ay Carrumba! Oh shit, that’s a mucho dinero! LOL!!
PLIES: I’m trynna help you out essay. I don’t hop on just nobody record…Plus
you ain’t had a hit since what, ’05?
PITBULL: Why you callin me ese’? I’m not Mexican, soy Cubano. I’m Cuban.
PLIES: My bad amigo, you know what I mean.
PITBULL: What you mean I ain’t got no hits though, I got “Hotel Room Service”
and “I Know You Want Me (Calle Ocho)” all over the radio…don’t you watch
MTV?
PLIES: Naw, I don’t watch that telemundo shit and us goons don’t listen to
Spanish radio, but since you got plenty money, I’m gon’ charge you 150 thousand for a verse, homes.
OZONE EXCLUSIVE
Textin’ is no longer safe now that OZONE’s
dangerous minds have hacked the system.
PITBULL: Besa mi culo, puto …Kiss my ass, Bitch. Hahahahaha I just playing wit
u!
PLIES: What kind of record do you want to do with me?
PITBULL: I say we do a Spanish version of “Becky” called “Maria.” I can hear it
now “Dame un Mar-ia”
PLIES: Okay, that’s cool, we can do it for 100k
PITBULL: Listen papi, I’m going to be in Tampa tomorrow, why don’t you just
meet me at the hotel room and we can negotiate the price… :)
PLIES: I’m not comfortable with the way you keep calling me papi.
PITBULL: Adios papi, I see you tomorrow :-p
From the minds of Eric Perrin & Randy Roper
Photos by Julia Beverly & J Lash
24 // OZONE MAG
(above L-R): Pleasure P & Jas Prince @ America’s Most Wanted Tour in Atlanta, GA (Photo: Julia Beverly); BG, Lil Boosie, & Snipe of the Chopper City Boyz @ JSU Athletic Center in
Jackson, MS (Photo: Ericka Hicks); J Futuristic & Lil Meany on the set of J Futuristic’s “This Is How We Play” video shoot in Atlanta, GA (Photo: Ms Ja)
01 // Bonecide & models @ Ultra Lounge for Dorrough & Dr Teeth’s BET Nomination party (Dallas, TX) 02 // TJ’s DJ’s crew Pat Benoit, Keisha Glinton, Keith Kennedy, & TJ Chapman @ The Moon for TJ’s DJ’s 15 Year Anniversary (Tallahassee, FL) 03 // Ben Franks, Sirrah Money, DJ Princess Cut, & Trai D @ Urban South Radio (Dallas, TX) 04 // DJ Nasty
& Sam Sneak @ The Kufa (Saarbrucken, Germany) 05 // Young AC & Young Dro @ The Moon for TJ’s DJ’s 15 Year Anniversary party (Tallahassee, FL) 06 // Diamond & Don P @
Hoops 4 Hope (Atlanta, GA) 07 // Nicki Minaj, Yo Gotti, Rage, & Gucci Mane on the set of Yo Gotti’s “5 Star Chick” remix video shoot (Atlanta, GA) 08 // Meany & Yung LA @ Club
Mariachi (Atlanta, GA) 09 // Fella & Trick Daddy @ Trick Daddy’s birthday party (Jacksonville, FL) 10 // Playboy Tre, BoB, & B Rich @ Morehouse Homecoming concert (Atlanta,
GA) 11 // Yung Feddi & Shawn Marion @ Club Joyce (Dallas, TX) 12 // Clay Evans, Young Dro, & Buttahman with the owners of City Cutz barbershop (Atlanta, GA) 13 // Kadife
Sylvester, EI, & Jarvis @ America’s Most Wanted Tour (Atlanta, GA) 14 // Candi & Lil DP @ Triple C’s video shoot (Atlanta, GA) 15 // Roccett & Greg Street @ the BET Hip Hop
Awards (Atlanta, GA) 16 // Bigga Rankin, DJ Khaled, & Rick Ross @ Triple C’s listening party (Atlanta, GA) 17 // Plies & Benny @ Obsessions (Atlanta, GA) 18 // Swazy Baby & Papa
Duck @ The Moon for TJ’s DJ’s 15 Year Anniversary party (Tallahassee, FL) 19 // Sofia Fresh & guests @ the Nappy Boy Mansion for T-Pain’s birthday bash (Atlanta, GA)
Photo Credits: Edward Hall (01,03,11); Julia Beverly (02,04,10,13,14); Malik Abdul (07,12,19); Ms Rivercity (06,08); Terrence Tyson (05,09,15,16,17,18)
OZONE MAG // 25
Tyme waits for no man, but occasionally she will dance for one.
Hailing from Calgary, Alberta, 20-year-old Tyme moved from
her native Canada to America at age 13. Eventually, she made
her way to Atlanta where she currently works as a dancer, but
her ultimate goal was to pursue a career in music. It’s been her
desire since childhood, and the main reason she moved to the
city.
“I came here for the music,” says Tyme. “That’s it. That’s all I
wanted, and it’s still my dream.”
In order to facilitate her dream, the Canadian import has been
regularly working with a vocal coaching and spends as much
time in the studio as much as possible. But unfortunately, she
finds Americans to be much less friendly than our neighbors to
the north.
People down here [in America] are much crueler than people
in Canada,” she laments. “In Canada, we’re very friendly, but
people down here are just mean.”
Still, Tyme is optimistic about her situation and even maintains
a positive outlook after being accidently shot in the chest. The
shooting, which is something she’d prefer not to speak much
about, left her with a unique perspective on life.
“It taught me a lot,” she admits. “And that’s why people call me
Tyme—because I have time on my side.”
Soon, the singer/dancer hopes to start her own a club, a laidback restaurant/lounge type spot much less “primetime” than
her current climate.
Though she realizes it’s a very difficult industry to penetrate,
the club business definitely has its perks, especially since it
would provide her music with an audience.
For Tyme, dancing is temporary and music is paramount. Her attitude toward her craft reflects that of DJ
Khaled. “I’m the best!” she says. In terms of her future
success, only Tyme will tell.
Words by Eric Perrin
Website: Strokersclub.com
Booking: myspace.com/strokersatl
Photography: DC The Brain Supreme
dcphotoimaging.com
Make up and Hair Styling by
Mike Mike 678-732-5285
26 // OZONE MAG
(above L-R): Mario & Debra Lee @ The BET Hip Hop Awards in Atlanta, GA (Photo: Julia Beverly); Gucci Mane, Monica, & Shawty Lo @ the BET Hip Hop Awards in Atlanta, GA
(Photo: Freddyo); Too Short & Lil Scrappy @ Velvet Room for Don Cannon’s birthday party in Atlanta, GA (Photo: Julia Beverly)
01 // Rico Brooks, Micha Porat, & Gorilla Zoe @ Sobe Live for Tony Neal’s birthday party (Miami, FL) 02 // Kenya Cabine, Crystal St John, Drake, & Harmony @ Georgia Southern
University (Savannah, GA) 03 // Block & Rico Brooks @ Florida Music Conference (Miami, FL) 04 // Plies & DJ Holiday @ Obsessions (Atlanta, GA) 05 // J Diggs, Wayne Loc, & Big
Dante @ Velvet Room for Don Cannon’s birthday party (Atlanta, GA) 06 // Triple C’s & Grouchy Greg & Chuck Creekmur from AllHipHop @ Triple C’s listening party (Atlanta, GA)
07 // 3D & Roy Jones Jr @ Tree Sound Studios for their listening session (Atlanta, GA) 08 // DJ Q45 & Tity Boy of Playaz Circle @ Plush (Jacksonville, FL) 09 // DJ Drama & Summer
Walker @ Primal (Atlanta, GA) 10 // Emperor Searcy & DJ Holiday @ Obsessions (Atlanta, GA) 11 // Guest, Sofia Fresh, & Mike Blumstein @ the Nappy Boy Mansion for T-Pain’s
birthday bash (Atlanta, GA) 12 // Benz & the Collins Twins on the set of Benz’s video shoot (Jackson, MS) 13 // Boo & Screwww @ America’s Most Wanted Tour (Atlanta, GA)
14 // Choppa City Dolls @ JSU Athletic Center (Jackson, MS) 15 // Terrance, Vince Carter, & Renaldo Balkman @ Club Christophers (Jacksonville, FL) 16 // Swazy Baby & DJ Nasty
@ FAMU Homecoming Concert (Tallahassee, FL) 17 // Mike Epps & DJ Greg Street @ BET Hip Hop Awards rehearsals (Atlanta, GA) 18 // Young Jeezy & Buttahman @ Triple C’s
video shoot (Atlanta, GA) 19 // Young Dro loves the kids on the set of “I Don’t Fuck With Y’all” (Atlanta, GA)
Photo Credits: Ericka Hicks (14); Hussle Hard Ent (02); Julia Beverly (05,07,13,18); Kool Laid (12); Malik Abdul (11); Terrence Tyson (01,03,04,06,08,09,10,15,16,17); Thaddaeus
McAdams (19)
OZONE MAG // 27
How did you get into DJing?
I got into DJing after watching the movie Juice. That’s what got me
interested. After that movie me and my friends started getting up
every morning and practicing. When I moved to Alabama, I didn’t
have anyone to DJ with. I was on my own, DJing in my bedroom.
After about a year I started getting into the clubs and then I met a
DJ at the radio station who I would go and get vinyl from. I started
interning at the station and I’ve been in radio now for seven years.
What was it about Juice that made you want to DJ?
Seeing how Q rocked the crowd and the people loved him. You
know the competition he was in, right before they went and did
that robbery [in the movie]? That’s what made want to do it, so I
started practicing at my cousin’s house.
What would you say is your claim to fame?
I break a lot of music here [in Montgomery]. My mentor is Greg
Street. I get music from different places that hasn’t broke yet, so I
get it and break it here. I fuck with the local artists heavy too. I did
a six-mixtape series called The Gump’s Most Hated. That’s the nickname for Montgomery, “The Gump.”
You’ve talked about practicing in your bedroom, but how long
did it take for you to get comfortable enough to actually DJ gigs?
A lot of people think DJing is easy. It took me about two years to get
comfortable going in the clubs and getting paid for it. I used to do
a lot of shows for free or for $50. A lot of people get into [DJing] for
the money or the hype, but it ain’t that simple. You have to do the
free gigs to get your foot in the door.
Well, judging by how many are out there now, it kinda does look
easy to become a DJ.
Well, yeah. But I think it started happening over the last five years.
I got into it for the love. I was inspired by Juice and my girl was
buying DJ equipment for me out of the catalogs. I didn’t want to do
any clubs or get paid. I just wanted to DJ in my room or go DJ at my
friend’s house. As it grew and I got into radio, it became a part of
my career and I had to start doing it for money. But, in small cities,
it’s bad. They’ll want you to DJ from 9 PM to 4 AM for the same rate
than an Atlanta DJ gets for just couple of hours. That’s no fun. Then
there’s DJs who don’t even know how to mix and just use a laptop.
They’re getting paid, but probably can’t even name the four elements of Hip Hop.
That said, what would you say is the advantage of being in a
smaller market?
People say I have a big advantage, but I’m trying to get bigger.
People tell me I’m in a good spot, saying I can be a big fish in a small
pond. I’d rather be a whale in a big ocean. Yeah, you can be the most
known and get in everywhere free, but I want more. But, one of the
advantages is that when any artist, big or small, comes through
Montgomery, they have to come holla at me because they know
what I do and what I can do for them.
Hawaiian-born, Alabama-bred DJ Frank White is the man you need to know when it comes to
getting your music heard and respected in
Montgomery, Alabama. Holding both Assistant Program Director and Music Director
posts at WJWZ 97.9 Jamz as well has hosting
his show everyday from 6-11pm, its almost
impossible to visit and not see or hear him.
Hoping to put his city back on the map (Dirty
did in the early-2000s) Frank White has plans
to make what he calls “statement songs” with
the best that Alabama has to offer. Roll Tide.
28 // OZONE MAG
Let’s talk about Radio vs. Mixtapes. Do you see these two worlds
growing apart or growing closer?
At this moment I see them growing closer together. We do music
meetings every Tuesdays. For the last couple of months there
hasn’t been a lot of big music coming out. I say it’s growing closer
together now. Look at [an artist like] Waka Flocka. Five years ago
he would not have gotten a shot. I think it’s giving people a shot
who wouldn’t have gotten noticed years ago because all the bigger
artists were taking up all the space. Artists like him and Travis Porter
have built their buzz off mixtapes. When you do that, you end up
making it to radio. A lot of people have it mixed up thinking they’re
going to build their buzz by being on the radio. It’s the other way
around. It has to be organic. //
Twitter.com/djfrankwhite
Myspace.com/djfrankwhite96
Words by Maurice G. Garland
(above L-R): DJ Prostyle & Rosa Acosta @ the BET Hip Hop Awards in Atlanta, GA; Jim Jones & Freekey Zekey @ the BET Hip Hop Awards in Atlanta, GA (Photos: Terrence Tyson);
Ricco Barrino & Young Dro on the set of Young Dro’s “I Don’t Know Y’all” video shoot in Atlanta, GA (Photo: Ms Rivercity)
01 // Young Jeezy & Boo da Boss Playa @ Triple C’s video shoot (Atlanta, GA) 02 // Triple C’s & Rick Ross @ 02 Arena (London) 03 // Laroo & Cellski @ the National Guard Armory
(Kansas City, MO) 04 // P Reala, Floyd Mayweather, & Pee Wee @ Velvet Room (Atlanta, GA) 05 // Spark Dawg & DJ D-Money @ SoHo’s Lounge for Dr Doom’s birthday bash (Jacksonville, FL) 06 // Ludacris, Stephen Hill, Lil Scrappy, & Chaka Zulu @ BET Hip Hop Awards rehearsals (Atlanta, GA) 07 // Tiny, Toccara, & Toya @ ____ (Atlanta, GA) 08 // Pretty
Money @ Club 112 (Tampa, FL) 09 // Fabolous & Young Dose @ the BET Hip Hop Awards (Atlanta, GA) 10 // Mon E G & Ms Dynasty @ Trick Daddy’s birthday party (Jacksonville,
FL) 11 // Dee Sonoram, Dorrough, Dr Teeth, Bay Bay, & DJ Merk @ The BET Hip Hop Awards (Atlanta, GA) 12 // Bizzle & guest @ FAMU Homecoming Concert (Tallahassee, FL)
13 // Sean Simmons & Young Joe @ Club 112 (Tampa, FL) 14 // Sweetness, Cole, & Ms Rivercity @ Upstart Record Pool (Jacksonville, FL) 15 // Gangsta Boo & guest @ Club
Crucial for Killer Mike’s release party (Atlanta, GA) 16 // Bay Bay, DJ Merk, Dorrough Music, & Chucc @ Balla Bash (Texarkana, TX) 17 // TayDizm & T-Pain’s father Shaheed Najm
@ the Nappy Boy Mansion for T-Pain’s birthday bash (Atlanta, GA) 18 // Huey & Weezy @ Bash at the Bay (Toledo, OH) 19 // J Rich reppin Jas Corleon @ the BET Hip Hop Awards
(Atlanta, GA)
Photo Credits: Edward Hall (16); Eric Perrin (18); Freddyo (07); Julia Beverly (01,02,04); Malik Abdul (17); Ms Rivercity (03,15); Terrence Tyson (05,06,09,10,11,12,14,19); Travis
Pendergrass (08,13)
OZONE MAG // 29
When running down his list of
production credits, Fat Boi names
impressive placements with Flo-Rida,
Gorilla Zoe, Jeezy, Rocko, Juvenile,
and so on. But his work with Gucci
Mane – most recently the “Wasted”
track featuring Plies – has fattened
up this Savannah native’s resume,
and pockets. HERE, HE TOLD OZONE his
story.
I grew up in a musical household. My dad is a
jazz musician. He’s a band teacher, and of course
I was in his class, so he taught me music. I started
DJing when I was in middle school. Being a DJ,
you kinda see the reaction to certain types of records, so you can apply that into making music. I
decided instead of playing the music that everybody likes to dance to, I would make the music.
I already had a musical background, so I just
started buying equipment—MPCs, keyboards,
stuff like that. I basically started producing the
way I would DJ.
[I’m originally from] Savannah, GA but [I lived in]
California, Florida, all over the place. I actually
moved to Atlanta for the first time in ’97. I was
just trying to make music industry connects,
trying to get my face seen. Pure Pain Records
started in ’98 and I went back to Savannah at
that time. They had the artist Camoflauge and
that’s where I caught my first major placement. I
did a record for Camoflauge called “Cut Friends”
in ’01 with Universal. After his passing, I stayed
there another two years and then it was time
to venture off on my own and get out of the
in-house production side of things. That’s when
I ran into my manager and partner Big Ron and
30 // OZONE MAG
Rasheed McWilliams. We had some big plans and
it worked out. I moved back to Atlanta in ’06 and
the rest is history.
A lot of people didn’t realize I did Camoflauge’s
“Cut Friends.” “Takin It There” with Jeezy featuring
Trey Songz, Flo Rida’s “All My Life,” “Tryin To Make
a Jug” Gorilla Zoe, “Priceless” Rocko, “Drifter”
Shawty Redd, which spawned into “Sexual
Eruption” with Snoop Dogg, Juvenile and T-Pain
“Everything,” those are more of my records. They
pretty much know all the Gucci and OJ [da Juiceman] stuff.
“Wasted” came together when we were working on the Writing On The Wall mixtape with DJ
Holiday. Gucci had just gotten out [of jail] and
he was coming in the studio every day. He said
he had an idea, and asked what I would think
about a song called “Wasted.” I told him if we do
it right it could be how urban people say “get
fucked up.” Instead of getting fucked up, they’d
say “get wasted.” We let Plies check it out and he
told Gucci the exact same thing. We built it from
scratch and it was outta there after that.
We all knew it could be a big record as soon as
we did it. The impact was a little surprising. Being
a DJ I kinda already knew it would have the clubs
goin’ crazy; that’s why I put the DJ breaks in the
record without DJs having to break the record.
But I didn’t know that radio would take hold to it
the way that it has. Content-wise we didn’t think
radio would get into it, but they love it.
Ever since we did “Vette Pass By,” which is the first
record I did for Gucci, it’s been that kind of work
ethic with us. With everyone else in the industry,
you might send a track in email and they’ll
work on it from whatever city they’re in—me
and Gucci never do that. We always build songs
from the ground up. The same with OJ too. The
perfect example is “Wasted.” We’ll get in at 1 or 2
o’clock [in the afternoon] and won’t finish ‘til 1 or
2 o’clock [in the morning]. By the time we knock
off we’ll have 4 songs and a 5th one started. It
doesn’t take us long.
I’m working on Plies’ album now, and Jeezy’s new
album. I’ve worked with Flo-Rida, Yung Joc, Bow
Wow, Nelly, Yung Ralph, R. Kelly, Sean Garrett. I
just had a two-day session with B.o.B.
I’m still more of hardware user, just because I get
a certain type of feel when I use hardware. I’ve
slowly been converting to software, but with the
MPC, I still have to bang pads. It’s kinda hard for
me to play drums on keyboard keys. I can bring
certain nuances and feels by hittin’ MPC pads.
Phantom is my baby. I fell in love with that ever
since it came out. I’m not gonna get into the different types of programs I use, but that’s pretty
much my setup.
(above L-R): Shawty Lo & Juney Boomdata @ Primal in Atlanta, GA (Photo: Ms Rivercity); Mami Chula & Young Jeezy @ Young Jeezy’s Adidas in-store in Atlanta, GA (Photo: Eric
Perrin); Yo Gotti & Gucci Mane on the set of Yo Gotti’s “5 Star Chick” remix video shoot video shoot in Atlanta, GA (Photo: Malik Abdul)
01 // DJ Drama & Lil C @ Clark Atlanta University Homecoming concert (Atlanta, GA) 02 // Tank & the Strapp Models @ Bash at the Bay (Toledo, OH) 03 // Ms Dynasty & Chuck @
Trick Daddy’s birthday party (Jacksonville, FL) 04 // DJ Smallz, Bay Bay, & Benz (Jackson, MS) 05 // CeCe, Cole, DJ Q45, Sweetness, & Malik Abdul @ Plush for Sweetness’s birthday
bash (Jacksonville, FL) 06 // Plies & DJ Q45 @ The Moon for FAMU Homecoming afterparty (Tallahassee, FL) 07 // Dallas & Trey Songz reppin Nuvo @ House of Blues Chicago for
the 106th & Park Tour (Chicago, IL) 08 // Diamond & Lil Scrappy @ The BET Hip Hop Awards (Atlanta, GA) 09 // Yung LA & BoB @ The Moon for TJ’s DJ’s 15 Year Anniversary party
(Tallahassee, FL) 10 // Marlei Mar & the KYMP Kamp DJs with Malik Abdul @ Bash at the Bay (Toledo, OH) 11 // TJ Chapman & Double D @ FAMU Homecoming Concert (Tallahassee, FL) 12 // Young Cash & Mon E G (Jacksonville, FL) 13 // Smitty, Young Joe, & Richie Wess @ Whiskey North (Tampa, FL) 14 // Kingpin & Young Dose @ Upstart Record
Pool (Jacksonville, FL) 15 // Big Dante, B Legit, & J Diggs @ Black Biker Round Up (Atlanta, GA) 16 // Stephen Hill & Snoop Dogg @ The BET Hip Hop Awards (Atlanta, GA) 17 //
Roccett & J Rich @ the BET Hip Hop Awards (Atlanta, GA) 18 // J Diggs & Vital @ Black Biker Round Up (Atlanta, GA) 19 // Gorilla Zoe & J Rich @ Sobe Live for Tony Neal’s birthday
party (Miami, FL)
Photo Credits: Eric Perrin (02,10); Freddyo (01); Julia Beverly (07,08,15,18); Kool Laid (04); Malik Abdul (05); Terrence Tyson (03,06,09,11,12,13,14,16,17,19)
OZONE MAG // 31
ADVERTISEMENT
W
HEN IT COMES TO Hip Hop, Milwaukee isn’t known for much else
than Pimpin Ken making cameo
appearances in rap videos. But
nearly a decade ago Coo Coo Cal offered
a glimmer of hope for THE city that’s
mostly known as the setting for the 1960s
show Happy Days. His single “My Projects”
was A BIG HIT in the early 2000s but unfortunately bad luck and legal setbacks kept
him from following through.
But now, refreshed and recharged,
Coo Coo Cal has returned, this time
with fellow local legend Baby
Drew to release a collaborative
effort, Kokain KowboyZ. Distributed by Select-O-Hits and backed
by InfinIte/TNT It’s Just Money
Management, the project marks
the return of both artistS to the
national SCENE. Ozone caught
up with the duo to speak on the
rumors that haunt them AND THE
REASONS MILWAUKeE HASN’T BLOWN
UP YET.
is false. Then you have people speaking strongly on something they know
nothing about. There’s people who didn’t want to see this collaboration happen. Even people who say they want it to happen, I can tell from their vibe
that they don’t want it to happen.
So I take it this album is causing quite a stir around the way.
Coo Coo Cal: There’s a lot of buzz. It’s been anticipated for the longest.
Before we even got the release date people was wondering about it. So when
we got the release date it was a relief.
Seeing as how people have been waiting a while to hear from you, and
you speak of addressing rumors, will this be a very personal album?
Baby Drew: It’s going to be more about what we do as entertainers,
so not too personal. It’s gonna be very underground but it’s gonna be about
the music.
It’s been a minute since we’ve seen or heard from you.
What’s new?
Coo Coo Cal: Right now me and Baby Drew are kicking
off this Kokain Kowboyz project. We started working on
it around March or April and finished it in August. We’ve
got a big party planned for the release. In addition to that
I’m working on a book called The Untold Truth that will
come out next year. It’s also going to have an album
with it. We’ve been in the studio recording for a while,
but we just hooked up with Infinite and put it together.
Since both of you are known as solo artists, how
was it coming together to form a duo?
Coo Coo Cal: It was love because me and Drew
have always been the top artists out of Milwaukee.
We had a lot of people rooting for us, and we had a
lot of people trying to put us against each other. So
it’s been a long time coming but it was like a hand
and a glove.
Baby Drew: My first experience in the rap game was being in the
Country Boy Clique. I come from a group anyway, so it was cool for me. But
with Coo Coo I just felt like it was a good opportunity. I’ve had underground
exposure, but Coo Coo has had both mainstream and underground exposure. I
figured working with him could help get me in that door.
What would you say was the purpose or goal of putting out this Kokain
Kowboyz project?
Coo Coo Cal: The purpose was [to clarify] the rumors. We hadn’t been out in
a while putting out an album. We decided to put an end to all the rumors and
to shut the people up who wanted us against each other and to just be heard
again. The more we come together the more we can be heard. Just like people
from other regions come together like T.I. and Jeezy in Atlanta, we have to
start doing the same. Out here everybody wants to be the chief and there
aren’t enough Indians. But it’s coming together.
Baby Drew: We both have good heads on our shoulders and know what
makes sense. Teamwork makes winners. Since no one else in Milwaukee is
working together, we have to lead by example. If we both have good followings, together we can make great followings. Ain’t no one gonna help you if
you don’t help yourself. So we figured if we team up, everyone else will get
on board too.
What are these rumors you speak of?
Coo Coo Cal: Well, I know you’ve heard the cocaine rumors. Some are
true and some are not. We’re putting it all on the album. Every question is
answered. People wondered what happened with certain label deals, what
happened to this Benz, where did all this money go? We’re telling it all.
Do you think those rumors came from a spirit of hate or concern?
Coo Coo Cal: Both. Sometimes concern because some of it’s true, but some
32 // OZONE MAG
What are some songs we
should keep an eye out for?
Baby Drew: All the songs on Kokain Kowboyz have signifi
cance. We’re talking about the drug seller, drug user, drug suppliers, the women. Every aspect of cocaine, we’re gonna cover it. It’s lyrically heavy too.
Who did you guys work with on the project? Did you reach out to people
outside of Milwaukee or keep it mostly home-based?
Baby Drew: We reached out to some producers out of Tennessee and Georgia,
but other than that, it’s pure Milwaukee. We tried getting features from
some big-name artists, but that didn’t do us no justice. So we just kept it all
Milwaukee.
And the sound? Will we get a Milwaukee feel or did you guys go for a
sound conducive to what’s out right now?
Baby Drew: We’re allergic to coattail riding, so we stayed at home with it.
We did want broad production from everywhere. But there’s no biting on the
album. It’s born and bred here.
It seems like working on this project was a breeze for you two. Should we
expect more collaborations in the future?
Coo Coo Cal: I can almost guarantee that we will be back at the table doing it
again. Judging from the response we’ve gotten so far, it makes sense to do it
again. We’ve worked together before in the past, but it just wasn’t for a whole
album.
Baby Drew: We’re just giving the engineers and equipment a rest. We ready.
They had to kick us out of the studio. We’re just getting started. //
(above L-R): DJ Smallz @ The Moon for TJ’s DJ’s 15 Year Anniversary in Tallahassee, FL (Photo: Julia Beverly); Nicki Minaj & Yo Gotti on the set of Yo Gotti’s “5 Star Chick” remix video
shoot video shoot in Atlanta, GA (Photo: Malik Abdul); Trey Songz @ House of Blues Chicago for the 106th & Park tour in Chicago, IL (Photo: Julia Beverly)
01 // Fella & Combat @ Ale Gators (Lakeland, FL) 02 // Jeremih & Lil Bankhead @ For Sisters Only (Atlanta, GA) 03 // Kevin Cossom @ Florida Music Conference (Miami, FL)
04 // LA the Darkman & Willie the Kid @ Bash at the Bay (Toledo, OH) 05 // Tum Tum @ Hot 93.3 Summer Jam (Austin, TX) 06 // Columbus Short @ 595 North for DJ Hero launch
party (Atlanta, GA) 07 // Play N Skillz @ Club Joyce (Dallas, TX) 08 // George Lopez & Yung Feddi @ Club Joyce (Dallas, TX) 09 // Huey and the Strapp Models @ Bash at the Bay
(Toledo, OH) 10 // Baby Boy @ For Sisters Only (Atlanta, GA) 11 // DJ Scream @ Primal for Triple C’s release party (Atlanta, GA) 12 // Derrty DJ D Hustle @ Word War Battle (St
Louis, MO) 13 // Michael Watts & Yung Redd @ Hot 93.3 Summer Jam (Austin, TX) 14 // Trae @ Hot 93.3 Summer Jam (Austin, TX) 15 // Big Teach, Pitbull, & Bryan Leach @ The
Tabernacle (Atlanta, GA) 16 // Guest & Trai’D @ Ultra Lounge for Dorrough & Dr Teeth’s BET Nomination party (Dallas, TX) 17 // DJ Daze @ Last Level Lounge (Waterloo, IA)
18 // Dr Teeth & Big Bink @ Ultra Lounge for Dorrough & Dr Teeth’s BET Nomination party (Dallas, TX) 19 // Lil Twist @ Ultra Lounge for Dorrough & Dr Teeth’s BET Nomination
party (Dallas, TX) 20 // Mami Chula @ Young Jeezy’s Adidas in-store (Atlanta, GA) 21 // Nicki Minaj @ La Rumba (Atlanta, GA) 22 // Shawty & his kids @ For Sisters Only (Atlanta,
GA) 23 // Magno, George Lopez, & Paco on the set of Ca$h’s “Walk Wit A Dip” video shoot (Dallas, TX) 24 // Rob G @ Hot 93.3 Summer Jam (Austin, TX) 25 // Rasheeda @ 595
North for DJ Hero launch party (Atlanta, GA) 26 // Lil Chuckee & his little sister @ For Sisters Only (Atlanta, GA) 27 // DJ Holiday, DJ Infamous, guest, & Chubbie Baby @ Primal
for Triple C’s release party (Atlanta, GA) 28 // Chalie Boy @ Hot 93.3 Summer Jam (Austin, TX) 29 // Sun @ Hot 93.3 Summer Jam (Austin, TX) 30 // TJ Chapman, BoB, & B Rich @
The Moon for TJ’s DJ’s 15 Year Anniversary (Tallahassee, FL) 31 // VIC & J Futuristic on the set of J Futuristic’s “First Name Last Name” video shoot (Atlanta, GA) 32 // Zaytoven @
Utopia (Atlanta, GA) 33 // Young Joe & ladies @ Whiskey North (Tampa, FL) 34 // Boo, guests, & Currensy @ the OZONE Office (Atlanta, GA) 35 // Bay Bay, Myammee, & Toccara
of iKandi Models @ Club Joyce (Dallas, TX)
Photo Credits: Chris OA (05,13,28,29); DJ Commando (17); Edward Hall (07,08,14,16,18,19,23,24,35); Eric Perrin (04,09,15,20); Jeevan Brown (32); Julia Beverly (30); Ms Ja
(02,10,11,22,26,27,31); Ms Rivercity (21,34); Tammie White (12); Terrence Tyson (03,06,25,33); Travis Pendergrass (01)
OZONE MAG // 33
34 // OZONE MAG
(above L-R): Lo Fat @ Bash at the Bay in Toledo, OH; DJ Drama @ Bash at the Bay in Toledo, OH (Photos: Eric Perrin); Soufpaw & Dwight Howard @ Touch Nightclub in Jackson, MS
(Photo: Soufpaw)
01 // Yung LA @ For Sisters Only (Atlanta, GA) 02 // LeToya Luckett @ Florida Music Conference (Miami, FL) 03 // Strizzo @ 1st Lady’s Birthday Bash (Tampa, FL) 04 // G Fresh @
Figure 8 for their mixtape release party (Atlanta, GA) 05 // Greg Street @ Primal for Triple C’s release party (Atlanta, GA) 06 // Dorrough Music @ Balla Bash (Texarkana, TX)
07 // Peter Warrick & Trick Daddy @ The Hall (Palmetto, FL) 08 // DJ Asap & DJ Krave @ Club Joyce (Dallas, TX) 09 // Fella & Big Gates Records crew @ The Moon for TJ’s DJ’s (Tallahassee, FL) 10 // B Hamp & Nina Z @ Club Joyce (Dallas, TX) 11 // Shanell @ America’s Most Wanted Tour (Atlanta, GA) 12 // Lil Twist & Goon @ America’s Most Wanted Tour
(Atlanta, GA) 13 // Malik, Hutch Daddy Dolla, & T Page @ Bash at the Bay (Toledo, OH) 14 // M Beezy @ FAMU Homecoming Concert (Tallahassee, FL) 15 // DJ Teknikz @ Figure 8
for their mixtape release party (Atlanta, GA) 16 // J Futuristic & Lil Meany reppin OZONE on the set of J Futuristic’s “This Is How We Play” video shoot (Atlanta, GA) 17 // Bay Bay,
3Feet, & models @ Ultra Lounge for Dorrough & Dr Teeth’s BET Nomination party (Dallas,TX) 18 // Hankadon @ J-Dash’s “Wop” video shoot (Miami, FL) 19 // T. Lewis @ Freelon’s
for the Leo Birthday Bash (Jackson, MS) 20 // Kenny Burns @ Konsole Kingz’ XBox Event (Atlanta, GA) 21 // Young Dose @ Upstart Record Pool (Jacksonville, FL) 22 // DJ E-Top
(Atlanta, GA) 23 // DJ Mystery Mix @ Last Level Lounge (Waterloo, IA) 24 // Ms April @ Club Dreamz (Jackson, MS) 25 // Trump @ Club 127 for OZONE party (Hickory, NC)
26 // Kinky B @ America’s Most Wanted Tour (Atlanta, GA) 27 // Ralph Smith & ladies @ Southern Whispers (Greenville, MS) 28 // Miami Mike, guest, & Arab @ America’s Most
Wanted Tour (Atlanta, GA) 29 // Bigga Rankin on the set of Yo Gotti’s “5 Star Chick” remix video shoot video shoot (Atlanta, GA) 30 // Chucc & Dorrough Music @ Ultra Lounge for
Dorrough & Dr Teeth’s BET Nomination party (Dallas, TX) 31 // Rob G & Michael Watts @ Hot 93.3 Summer Jam (Austin, TX) 32 // Chaka Zulu on the set of Ace Hood’s “Born An
OG” video shoot (Atlanta, GA) 33 // Ace Mitch & DJ Asap @ Club Joyce (Dallas, TX) 34 // Tity Boy of Playaz Circle & Lil Twist @ America’s Most Wanted Tour (Atlanta, GA)
35 // Treal @ Ale Gators (Lakeland, FL)
Photo Credits: Chris OA (31); DJ Commando (23); DJ E-Top (22); Edward Hall (06,08,10,17,27,30,33); Eric Perrin (13,32); Julia Beverly (11,12,26,28,34); Malik Abdul (09,29); Ms Ja
(01,04,05,15,16,25); Soufpaw (19,24); Terrence Tyson (02,14,18,20,21); Travis Pendergrass (03,07,35)
OZONE MAG // 35
A True Story
by Julia Beverly
“J
ohnnie [Cabbell] is the grand vampire,” proclaims legendary Chicago-based promoter Godfatha. For over twenty years, Godfatha
has been promoting concerts through his company Star Power
Entertainment Group. He estimates his losses from bad business deals with
Johnnie Cabbell and Debra Antney to be nearly $100,000. “I don’t work with
Johnnie anymore,” he states emphatically. “He sucks the blood out of you.”
As the CEO of Hitt Afta Hitt (otherwise known as HAH), Johnnie Cabbell is
Gucci Mane’s exclusive booking agent and also manages Bankhead rapper
Shawty Lo. Johnnie’s “partner in crime,” Godfatha’s business partner says,
is Debra Antney, who describes herself as Gucci Mane’s “business partner
and manager.” As CEO of Gucci’s So Icey Records and the management
company Mizay Entertainment, Antney also oversees the careers of OJ
da Juiceman, Nicki Minaj, and others. Multiple promoters from across the
country allege that Cabbell and Antney have collaborated to defraud them
collectively of hundreds of thousands of dollars.
THE SO ICEY TOUR
Scheduled for at least 12 cities in July 2009, the So
Icey Tour was supposed to feature OJ da Juiceman,
Nicki Minaj, and the headliner, Gucci Mane. It sounded
promising. Gucci’s buzz was at an all-time high. He had just returned
home from prison a few months earlier to ecstatic crowds at “Welcome
Home Gucci” parties throughout the South. His artist/protégé OJ had been
steadily building a buzz of his own and helping to keep Gucci’s name alive
by flooding the streets with mixtapes and fresh material. They were both
hot commodities. And in an industry nearly void of female artists, up-andcoming emcee/sex symbol Nicki Minaj was quickly building a name for
herself, strengthened by her affiliations with Lil Wayne and Gucci Mane. The
timing seemed perfect.
How a new breed of greedy artist
managers and booking agents, led
by Gucci Mane’s representatives,
are sucking the blood out of the
music industry.
denied the rehab rumors and it’s still unclear exactly where Gucci was in
mid-July, it’s clear where he wasn’t: He wasn’t on the So Icey Tour. Of the 12
scheduled tour dates, OZONE has confirmed that at least six, but probably
more of these shows (Jacksonville, FL; Pompano Beach/Ft. Lauderdale, FL;
Louisville, KY; Chicago, IL; Baltimore, MD; and Detroit, MI) never happened,
leaving furious promoters demanding refunds.
That’s a less than fifty percent success rate. “People
get fired for those type of numbers in baseball,”
laughs Baltimore attorney Paul W. Gardner (left), of
the Gardner Law Group. Gardner spoke to OZONE
on behalf of his client, who also lost “a significant
sum of money” by booking the So Icey Tour for a
stop in Baltimore on July 18th, the day before word
of Gucci’s alleged re-incarceration leaked on the
‘net.
“[About] four days before the event, [Cabbell/
Antney] said that [Gucci] might not show up,” says
Gardner. “Later we found out it was because he was in some sort of rehab
facility.” Gardner declined to reveal the exact amount of the deposit, but
based on other promoters’ experiences, it is reasonable to assume his client’s total losses were in the range of $40,000-50,000.
When Gardner’s client attempted to reschedule the date, So Icey suddenly changed their story. “They said, ‘How can we reschedule something
we don’t have the [deposit] for?’” he laughs. It’s a theme that is repeated
over and over in other promoters’ stories: after months of contracts, wire
transfers, and conversations, Cabbell/Antney suddenly played dumb,
either pointing the finger at each other or hiding behind a complex web
of multiple contracts with
middlemen.
But by all accounts, the “tour,” organized by a Carolina-based promoter
named Shannon Marshall, was a mess and fell apart almost immediately.
None of the artists showed up for the first two Florida dates (July 4th &
5th), leaving veteran promoter Mr. CC (who, like Godfatha in Chicago, has
been successfully promoting concerts for over 20 years) with losses of over
$140,000. He claims that nearly half of that money, around $70,000, is in the
hands of Cabbell/Antney, who refuse to return the deposits or reschedule
his dates.
The So Icey Tour dates were
officially contracted through
two other entities: reputable
New York-based booking
agency Ujaama Entertainment, and the much less
reputable third-party agent
Shannon Marshall. Both of
them apparently kept a small
percentage of the deposits
as a booking fee before sending the bulk of the funds to
Cabbell/Antney, presumably
to secure all three artists.
Because of the complicated
paper trail, most of the various promoters’ attempts to
legally retrieve their deposits
have been difficult and thus
far unsuccessful.
On July 19th, 2009,
midway through the
scheduled tour dates,
Soulja Boy tweeted, “My
nigga Gucci back in jail.
Free Gucci.” (right) Rumors
quickly spread that Gucci
had again violated the
terms of his probation
and was back in jail (or
rehab). Although Gucci’s
management and label
Gucci Mane’s November 2009 mugshot
36 // OZONE MAG
“I’m not sure if it’s on purpose,” notes Attorney Gardner, “but [the way the
contracts are written up] are very nasty and sinister. It’s multi-layered. From
a legal standpoint, when someone does something wrong to you, you can
sue that person. Person A sues Person B; laymen understand that [concept].
But the problem arises when a middleman is included and the person on
the backend does the harm. Person A has to sue Person B to get to Person
C, but in this situation, Person B’s contract says ‘You can’t sue me.’ With the
[So Icey Tour] contracts, Person A is the promoter. Person B is Ujaama [and/
or Shannon], Person C is Johnnie, Person D is Deb, and E is the artist.” For
this reason, he explains, proceeding with a lawsuit is both a difficult and
costly endeavor. “Because of the difficulty of the third-party situation, I have
to prove which party has the money,” he explains. “Or maybe it’s all of them.”
Complicating the matter even further, the agents’ contracts state that they
cannot be sued in the event of a breach of contract. Although this clause is
standard in most booking contracts where the agent is only a broker for the
artist, Gardner advises his clients to cross it out before signing. “You can’t
do business with people you can’t sue,” he says. “It’s legally impossible.”
Ujaama’s attorneys have advised them not to comment on the matter due
to pending litigation. Shannon Marshall, who did not return numerous calls
for comment, appears to be in hiding. Most of the promoters interviewed
have not been able to reach him at all since the cancelled tour dates. “I
guess Shannon was a guy that got caught up with them thinking they were
good businesspeople over there at Mizay Entertainment and found out
they weren’t,” theorizes Godfatha. “They were double-booking shows and
Johnnie was taking all the deposits.”
Unanimously, the disgruntled So Icey Tour promoters say their money vanished into the hands of Cabbell and Antney. Although the initial deposits
were wired to Ujaama, most of the promoters have seen confirmed wire
transfer receipts that verify the money ended up in Antney’s bank account.
Many have done business with Ujaama for years and never experienced
similar issues. “I’ve dealt with Ujaama [before] and never had a problem, so
if they say they [sent] the money to the next person, I tend to believe them,”
adds Attorney Gardner, who compares the
scenario to the sleight-of-hand shell game
(left) practiced by street magicians. “It’s
like being on the beach and watching the
guys with the coconut shells. We just don’t
know whose hand is on the coconut.”
“I’ve had a great relationship booking artists with Ujaama for over ten years
and I really didn’t wanna get into a legal battle with them. [In the past,] if
[an artist] didn’t show up, Ujaama promptly refunded my money. But this?
This is a nightmare,” says a frustrated Mr. CC. “I’m out so much money right
now that I don’t have a choice. Legally, I have to sue Ujaama. Then Ujaama
has to sue Shannon, who disappeared, and then Shannon’s gotta sue
Gucci’s management.”
Godfatha, while emphasizing that his Ujaama representative Dave Nelson
is “a good dude,” blames the fiasco on Cabbell/Antney. “[Ujaama] did a
good job of trying to sit down and work the [So Icey Tour] situation out, but
[Johnnie and Deb] didn’t want to. If you had $300,000 in deposits, would
you want to ‘work it out’?” he asks. “Who’s going to come down to Atlanta
and mess with an old lady and go to jail? That’s why you have to sue [Deb].
Everybody else is suing her too.”
Attorney Gardner agrees that hundreds of thousands of dollars appear to
have vanished. “The one [deposit] my client sent was a significant sum, and
if you multiply that by a 10+ city tour, that’s a hefty bill they have to return.
Somebody has the money and can’t repay it,” he reasons. “I don’t know if it’s
Johnnie, Deb, or Ujaama. We don’t know how deep the rabbit hole goes,
but what’s in the dark always comes to light. If my client decides to sue, we
will get to the bottom of it. Multiple defendants always end up telling on
each other.”
MODERN DAY SLAVERY
While it’s clear that Ujaama, Shannon, Cabbell, and
Antney all received a piece of the So Icey Tour pie, it’s
unclear how much – if any – of the initial hundreds
of thousands of dollars in show deposits actually went to the artists. It
appears that none of it went to OJ da Juiceman or Nicki Minaj, and it’s
questionable how much the headliner Gucci received, if any.
Chicago-based John Mosley of Power Move Promotions, a.k.a. John Doe,
believes Gucci received little or nothing of the upfront deposits. Since
1997, Mosley has been successfully promoting events in Chicago, Miami,
and Atlanta with artists like R Kelly, Jeremih, Twista, Too Short, Gorilla Zoe,
and Plies. He partnered with Godfatha for the Chicago So Icey Tour date.
Although he didn’t reveal the source of his information, Mosley claims that
Gucci is locked into a 360 deal with So Icey/Asylum/Warner, and a good
portion of the initial show deposits goes to the label, So Icey, which Deb
controls. “Gucci Mane is a slave, man,” says Mosley. “Call him and ask him
how much of the [show deposits] he’s actually getting.”
360 deals, which are the norm in today’s digital music world, guarantee
record labels a percentage of their artists’ revenue from many different
sources, including touring. A high-ranking executive at Warner Music Group
wouldn’t disclose the exact terms of Gucci Mane’s deal, but did confirm that
360 deals are now standard. “All new [record] deals are inclusive to everything [including a percentage of show monies]. It’s a full-fledged deal,” says
the exec. If true, it would appear that large portions of the show deposits
(the 50% upfront) are being pocketed by Cabbell and Antney, and the
artists themselves don’t get paid at all until they actually show up for the
show and receive the back-end money – which could explain why Cabbell/
Antney don’t appear to be too concerned if the shows actually happen.
Another source familiar with 360 deals at WMG doubted that Warner itself
would have received a portion of the show deposits, stating that the artists’
performance revenue isn’t closely monitored by the major label.
Regardless, “I’m sure Gucci never saw any portion of the deposit,” insists
Attorney Gardner. “The artist [only] gets the back end when he shows up
[to the show]. I’ve seen it [in other situations]. The label tells the artist, ‘You
have fees.’ It’s just business. If Gucci owes them $10,000 for bottles or flights
or jewelry, they’re gonna take 100% of what’s owed out of the [deposit].”
FEDERAL FRAUD
The most sinister element of the scenario is the fact
that it appears Antney/Cabbell continued accepting
show deposits throughout much of the Fall 2009, fully
knowing that Gucci would not be able to leave the state of Georgia. They
allegedly told one promoter that they were simply “hoping” the judge
would clear Gucci Mane’s legal obligations.
According to Attorney Gardner, conspiracy to commit federal fraud (which
can bring both civil and criminal charges) “involves two or more people
coming together to fraudulently take someone’s money.” Accepting deposits and signing contracts for show dates that legally cannot happen is fraud,
and money has been wired across state lines, potentially making it a federal
offense.
Taking it a step further, Gardner implies that Gucci himself could be liable
for criminal fraud charges, even though he didn’t personally sign the
contracts. “The state [of Georgia] already has Gucci [imprisoned], and the
Feds are licking their chops to get him on something,” notes Gardner, who
is also advising his clients to demand that artists personally sign booking
contracts in addition to their management. “If you want to hire Gucci Mane,
there should be one page with Gucci Mane’s signature saying, ‘I know
about this date, and I agree to be there.’ Tie him into it legally.”
Attorney Gardner notes that both he and his client had previous dealings
with Deb, before her stint as Gucci Mane’s manager, which were “extremely
Cabbell emailed this “So Icey Tour” schedule to promoters in June 2009
OZONE MAG // 37
positive.” So although his client is not currently pursuing criminal charges,
Gardner adds, “I wouldn’t play with it [if I were them]. I’d say Johnnie, Deb,
and Gucci need to meet and figure out where the money is, [because] any
attorney that really wants to spend some time on this could make things
interesting for them.”
PITTSBURGH, PA
Even if Gardner’s client chooses not to go that route,
it appears that Pittsburgh attorney Jim Cook, who
represents promoter William Marshall of B. Marshall
Productions, is preparing to “make things interesting” for Deb and Johnnie.
Marshall, along with his partner Derrick Brown of Rock Star Entertainment,
invested nearly $50,000 for two Gucci Mane dates that never happened.
Their pending lawsuit alleges that “[Radric ‘Gucci Mane’] Davis/Cabbell/Antney have continued to book shows, take money from other associates & clients, refuse to return deposits or lost promotion expenses, and reschedule
show dates, although they are/were aware that Gucci Mane is not allowed
to leave Georgia..thereby committing a state and federal fraud.” In addition
to a civil lawsuit on behalf of Marshall, Cook is threatening to turn the case
over to the Pennsylvania Attorney General and the FBI for investigation into
criminal fraud charges.
In June 2009, Marshall wired $27,500 to Hitt Afta Hitt and So Icey Entertainment to book Gucci Mane for a show on August 22nd, 2009. He also spent
an additional $13,500 to begin promoting the show and secure the venue.
About a month later, in mid-July, Marshall heard the rumors of Gucci Mane’s
imprisonment and immediately contacted Johnnie and Deb, concerned
about his $41,000 investment.
On August 5th, Deb and Johnnie assured Marshall both verbally and in a
written letter on HAH letterhead (below) that the show was “in good standing” and would proceed. They also offered similar assurances to G. Rowell,
an associate of Marshall’s in Washington D.C. who had another upcoming
Gucci Mane show. Based on these guarantees, Marshall continued spending money to promote the event. Just two days before the scheduled date,
he was notified by Deb that Gucci Mane would not attend. She refused to
return his $27,500 deposit or cover any of the $13,500+ he lost promoting
the show.
“Why are [they] continuing to book shows and Gucci Mane doesn’t have
movement yet?” asked Godfatha, during our interview in late October.
“What if the judge says no when he goes to court?” It appears Cabbell/
Antney continued scheduling dates for Gucci, including Birmingham, AL,
Chicago, IL (Nov. 19th), Lakeland, FL (Nov. 28th), and Houston, TX (Dec.
27th), even as he was legally unable to leave the state of Georgia.
And as it turns out, the judge did say “no.” On November 12th, 2009, Gucci
was led away in handcuffs from a court hearing and sentenced to twelve
months in prison (he may only be required to serve six months; his lawyer,
Dwight L. Thomas, is optimistic and told MTV News that Gucci could possibly be released as soon as the first of the year with good behavior).
The second paragraph of Marshall’s contract with Hitt Afta Hitt explicitly
states, “In the event that Artist fails to appear, 100% of the show money
is guaranteed to be refunded to the Purchaser.” But despite the written
guarantee, as of press time, Marshall has not been refunded the $27,500
deposit that Cabbell/Antney have held for over six months, not to mention
the money he lost on promotion, the credibility he lost as a promoter, and
the money he could’ve made had he invested those funds elsewhere.
FLORIDA
Around the same time B.
Marshall sent his Pittsburgh
deposit, Florida promoter
Mr. CC of Mr. CC Productions (right) says he
wired $105,000 to the Shannon/Ujaama/
Cabbell/Antney collective to secure three
consecutive dates on the So Icey Tour - July 4th
(Pompano Beach), 5th (Jacksonville), and 6th
(Orlando). According to Mr. CC, his contract with
Shannon Marshall – who then had contracts in
turn with Ujaama, Cabbell, and Antney - stated that the total $55,000 fee
was all-inclusive, meaning that CC was not responsible to pay additional
travel expenses (OZONE was not able to obtain copies of these contracts
and was therefore unable to verify the specifics of the travel arrangements).
On July 4th, says Mr. CC, “I spoke to Shannon the evening of the [first date]
and he said [the artists] were on their way.” He never heard from Shannon
again and the artists never showed up. Frantic, he tried to contact Ujaama,
So Icey, and Hitt Afta Hitt – and the following day, no one showed up for
the second date either.
By the time Mr. CC finally got in touch with Johnnie, he says, word had
spread that Gucci and co. were no-shows for the tour dates. “[Johnnie] told
me the artists didn’t come [to Jacksonville and Pompano Beach] because
we didn’t send them travel money,” reveals Mr. CC, who says that his reaction was one of shock. “’Travel?!? My contract doesn’t say anything about
travel. It’s all inclusive. It’s stated specifically in our contracts!’ They said my
contract [with Shannon] was wrong.”
Johnnie told him the only way to make the Orlando date happen was to
send $10,000 – that same day – for travel expenses. To salvage his name,
Mr. CC paid the $10,000 immediately and Gucci and OJ did perform in
Orlando on July 6th (but no Nicki Minaj – Johnnie refunded Mr. CC only
$3,000 for Nicki’s no-show, while during the same timeframe, he was charging promoters upwards of $7,500 to book her). The previous no-shows, CC
says, seriously hindered the turn-out. “We lost $30,000 in Orlando,” he sighs,
noting that the local crowd didn’t think the artists were coming. “Those
other two Florida no-shows directly affected the Orlando date.”
“At no time would Cabbell/Antney explain Gucci Mane’s confinement or restriction or the length thereof, and both were aware that Gucci Mane could
not make the Pittsburgh or DC show dates when they issued the letters [on
August 5, 2009],” Marshall’s pending lawsuit continues.
Several weeks later, Marshall was issued a new contract for a rescheduled
date and guaranteed a video drop to help salvage his reputation in the city.
Video and/or audio drops are typically used by promoters on radio or TV
commercials to prove to local fans that the show is legitimate (for example,
“Hey, this is Gucci Mane, and I’ll be in Pittsburgh on November 7th!”) After
two months of waiting for the video drop, which was never received, Gucci
was again a no-show for the rescheduled date.
38 // OZONE MAG
“Johnnie and Deb admitted that they did receive the [deposits] for all three
dates. No one ever called me [prior to the shows] about travel [expenses],”
insists Mr. CC. “Not once. They had all my information and nobody called
me, so I had no idea [that travel was an issue].”
Between the $30,000 loss in Orlando, the $35,000 Jacksonville deposit, the
$35,000 Pompano deposit, and an estimated $40,000 he spent securing
venues, radio commercials, flyers, and other forms of promotion, Mr. CC
calculates his losses to be over $140,000. And on top of that, he alleges
that Johnnie personally robbed him of an additional $5,000. “I said, ‘Look,
man. I just need those two makeup dates because I’m out a lot of money.
I’ll deal with the travel,’” recalls CC. “He said if I sent him a $5,000 [booking
fee], he would work it out for me. He didn’t work it out, and now he refuses
to refund my $5,000. He’s lost his damn mind, because I’ve never heard of
that in my life. Holding money for a booking fee for an event that never
happened?”
CC even agreed to pay the additional $10,000 travel fee per date, even
though he says it wasn’t included on his initial contract, just for the opportunity to try to recoup some of his losses. “I just want my damn dates!”
he exclaims. After months of getting the runaround from Johnnie, who
insisted that he would reschedule, the story suddenly changed. “Now he’s
blaming it on Ujaama and Shannon. He’s saying, ‘We didn’t get paid for travel, so it’s a breach of contract. We don’t have to give you back your money.’”
ibility to the promotion. “The city of New Orleans thought it was a fake [Gucci show], just some bullshit, because I didn’t have any [drops].” Also, when
he brought the balance of $17,500 cash to Gucci Mane’s road manager
G-Boy on the day of the show, he was told that he had to pay an additional
$3,500 for travel or Gucci Mane would not perform. Peak’s contract does
state that he was responsible for travel – however, he claims that So Icey/
Hitt Afta Hitt never told him the cost or details of the travel even after
repeated calls to their offices inquiring.
“I guess I have to do a lawsuit that includes everybody,” sighs Mr. CC. “I have
to go after all of them for my money and let the judge decide who’s gotta
pay. Somebody’s gotta pay for damages – potential earnings and the losses
I incurred while going through all of this.”
Some people have successfully booked shows through Cabbell. “We
haven’t booked Gucci Mane, but I haven’t had any issues dealing with Johnnie Cabbell or Hitt Afta Hitt when I’ve booked Shawty Lo through them,”
states Amy Jurkofski of Atlanta-based booking agency The Music Group.
Tallahassee, FL promoter Willie McKenzie, who booked Gucci Mane to perform at Florida A&M University’s homecoming this past October, received
his deposit back (from a third-party booking agency, not Hitt Afta Hitt)
when Gucci was unable to perform due to his legal troubles.
Gucci Mane’s road manager G-Boy
(left) and Johnnie Cabbell (right)
Cabbell told Atlanta newspaper Creative Loafing, which
briefly investigated the fraud allegations, “I’ve been
doing business since 2002, and I never [before] had a problem with any
promoter.” But OZONE found plenty.
“If any promoter deals with [Johnnie Cabbell], [it’s because] they just don’t
know. I’m not gonna do business with him ever again. I’m done,” says Mosley. Several promoters didn’t want to speak on the record to avoid “burning
bridges” or damage pending dates, but many have a negative impression
of Cabbell as a businessman. One word that kept coming up over and over
again: “disrespect.” And phrases like, “I just don’t
like his attitude.”
At worst, Johnnie Cabbell is conspiring with Debra
Antney & co. to commit federal fraud. At the very
least, he’s a liar, according to promoter Jesse Peak
(left).
“That whole camp is fucked up. Johnnie is
someone who continually tells you he’s gonna do
something and then doesn’t do it. He promised
me 200% support [on my show],” says Peak, who
followed up a successful Plies show in Orlando by
booking Gucci Mane in New Orleans in May 2009. In early 2009 when he
sent a deposit for Plies [to his booking agent Coach], he promptly received
a phone call with a voice drop, an email with eight pre-recorded studio
drops, and met Plies at a local radio station to film a video drop for promotional TV commercials.
Impressed with Plies’ camp and their professionalism, he then contacted
Gucci Mane’s agent expecting the same courtesy. “I told [Johnnie], ‘This is
what I expect from you.’ He promised me radio drops as soon as I sent my
deposit. They promised video drops so I [paid extra] to book TV commercials,” recalls Peak. But after sending his $21,000 deposit, weeks went by
with no response. Finally, HAH directed him to the Mizay/So Icey office,
where he also spent several weeks calling with no response.
“Once Johnnie gets your money it’ll be at least a week before he picks up
his phone again,” concurs Godfatha, who also never received drops for multiple Shawty Lo shows before his attempted Gucci Mane booking. “Johnnie
must be busier than damn [Barack] Obama,” snorts Mr. CC. “I have to call
eight or ten times before I can get him on the phone, and he’s always ‘busy.’”
According to Peak, his show’s turnout suffered without drops to add cred-
“Johnnie came to me for advice on
how to do [bookings],” says Coach
of Florida-based Direct Connect Entertainment, a reputable agent who
has been booking shows for over
15 years. Currently, Coach is Plies’
exclusive booking agent (pictured at
left together). “I’m not saying I trained
[Johnnie], but I kinda lectured him
on the business when he first started
out,” Coach recalls. “And as far as what
he does [now] I’m not 100% pleased, and he knows that. He’s never put me
in a bad position, but I’m hearing stories from other people saying that he
has. He’s never done me wrong, I guess because of his respect level for me
or because he knows I wouldn’t tolerate that type of behavior.”
Pittsburgh promoter B. Marshall agrees. “[Johnnie] does a lot of deals with
dope boys because he knows they won’t go the legal route. He wouldn’t
try to pull some of these moves on [someone like well-known Atlanta
promoter] Alex [Gidewon of AG Entertainment] because he won’t get away
with it.”
Some of Cabbell’s affiliates defend him. “I think [Johnnie’s] reputation
comes from being a hard-nosed businessman,” says South Carolina DJ
Chuck T. “He’s known for having crazy ass riders… but he’ll bring in one of
the lesser-known groups he fucks with and have them open up. So basically you get a good deal on booking artists but at the expense of bringing
one of his new artists and paying for their shit.” Marcus “Rip” Rippy, of
Hoodrich Entertainment, echoes the same sentiment. “I’ve seen Johnnie at
work and I can understand why some people could
feel the way they do. But the truth is that he goes
hard for his artists. They are his top priority.”
D-RAY
JOHNNIE CABBELL
TERRENCE TYSON
TERRENCE TYSON
If there’s one thing Johnnie has done right, it’s lock down a niche in a previously untapped market. While Hollywood actors and actresses have a wide
selection of agencies to choose from and New York-based acts or major
pop/R&B artists are often represented by established agencies like the
William Morris Agency (WMA), ICM Talent, or Creative Artists Agency (CAA),
the recent explosion of Southern rap
left a void waiting to be filled. At least
in Atlanta, Cabbell helped fill that
void by representing many of the
smaller acts that sprang up.
California-based DJ Nik Bean (left) disagrees, arguing that Johnnie’s bad business practices hinder
his artists more than help them. Billing himself as
“LA’s Mixtape King,” Nik Bean has toured with Cali
up-and-comer Glasses Malone and worked with
many other West Coast favorites like Daz, Kurupt,
and Nipsey Hussle. Prior to the BET Awards in June
2008, Nik says, he contacted Shawty Lo to inquire
about doing some work with him as a DJ.
“[The experience] changed my perception of [Shawty Lo],” says Nik, bitterly.
“I liked his music but [dealing with Johnnie] made me question him. Like,
‘Why are you doing business with this guy?’ I can’t say anything bad about
Lo, but I’m not doing no more business with Johnnie, period, point blank.
And I’ll make sure he can’t do business out here [in L.A.].”
As Shawty Lo’s manager, Cabbell asked Nik for a favor. “[Johnnie] was like,
OZONE MAG // 39
“We’re gonna be out there [in L.A.] for the BET Awards. Set something up
for me; get me some money,” recalls Nik. “I made some calls and got the ball
rolling on a situation for him to make some show money.” As other promoters got involved, Nik sensed things getting too complicated and backed
away. “I was supposed to get some money off the show but the situation
got too sticky. I saw too many sharks in the tank, so once I realized I was
gonna get screwed, I’m not a professional booker, so I just said ‘fuck it.’”
Johnnie agreed to “make the situation right” with Nik by promising him a
Shawty Lo verse for his digital album. Shawty Lo got his money for the LA
show Nik set up, but Nik never got his verse. “I had everything ready,” recalls
Nik. “I had Glasses Malone do the hook, and we put the beat together.
We left an open verse for Shawty Lo. The song was custom-made for him,
‘Concerns of A D-Boy,’ right up his lane. Johnnie promised me, ‘I got you. No
problem,’ and I assumed that since he’s Shawty Lo’s manager, it was official.
I didn’t think people would do business like this; it just didn’t make sense
to me. I would think an artist of that caliber would have the sense to have a
decent manager.”
After the BET Awards, four months passed. Nik called Johnnie’s phone
repeatedly only to hear, “Yo, I’m in a meeting.” “He kept bullshitting me; I
heard the same thing four or five times,” says Nik. “I could smell the bullshit
from a mile away. How many ‘meetings’ could you have?”
Nik never received the promised verse. “I told Johnnie, ‘Don’t ever come
back out here [to L.A.],’” Nik recalls. “It’s not a [physical] threat, but I meant,
‘Don’t try to [break] no records here.’ There’s other people in the game like
[him] too. I guess I’m too nice. If I ever get wind of Johnnie trying to work a
record out here, best believe I’m gonna try to shut that shit down.” While it
might appear a minor incident, Nik felt personally insulted. “I was so mad
because I helped him make money in my city. It’s disrespectful and foul.”
Personally, I’ve had my share of problems with Johnnie. The first was a
feature I booked for Shawty Lo for an independent label. Johnnie quoted
me $10,000 and I set up the deal for $12,000. I sent the record and the
paperwork to Johnnie’s email and waited several weeks as he continually
assured me that Shawty Lo would get the verse done. When I later learned
that Johnnie had contacted the artist directly after seeing their name on
the paperwork and charged them $12,000 for the feature, pocketing my
commission, I confronted him. He claimed to not know that it was the same
feature I had set up – even though I had emailed him the record three
weeks prior. I reluctantly gave him the benefit of the doubt and let it slide.
Then, I booked Shawty Lo to host a party at Las Vegas nightclub Prive on
a Monday night with Johnnie’s explicit assurance that he would perform
two songs from the DJ booth to satisfy the club’s expectations for the
event. I was awakened at 5 AM East Coast time on the night of the event to
a conference call/screaming match between Johnnie, the club’s manager,
and one of the club owners – a huge mess which went on for hours until
Shawty Lo calmly took the phone from Johnnie and agreed to fulfill the
requirements of the date. Problem solved. The manager is supposed to fix
things for the artist – not the other way around.
Diamond, who was a standout member of the group Crime Mob (represented by Cabbell) before launching her solo career, feels that Deb, not
Johnnie, is primarily to blame for the bad business. “I’ve heard of [promoters] having situations with Johnnie, but when I was dealing with him, he
was about his business. I haven’t had problems with him myself. It’s about
50/50. I know some people that don’t fuck with him and some people that
do fuck with him,” says Diamond. “But I don’t deal with Deb at all and I don’t
wanna ever deal with Deb. I’ve heard her attitude is fucked up and her
business is fucked up. I’ve never heard anybody have anything nice to say
about Deb.”
DEBRA ANTNEY
Often confused as Gucci
Mane’s “auntie”
because of
her last name,
Debra Antney is actually not a
blood relative of the rapper. She
is, however, the mother of up
and coming So Icey rapper Waka
Flocka Flame (pictured at right
together). 49-year-old Deb made
the unlikely transition from a non-
40 // OZONE MAG
profit organization called Rah Rah’s Village of Hope and popped up on the
scene as Gucci Mane’s manager after bonding with him at a charity event a
few years ago.
And yet even with a background in non-profit and charity organizations,
many people who’ve dealt with her question her integrity. “[Deb] is the
ringleader behind the desk,” says John Mosley. “She’s got everybody by the
nuts. She’s robbing everybody over there [at So Icey/Mizay], and Johnnie is
her partner in crime.”
Some evidence appears to corroborate this. Although most of the promoters’ anger is directed at Cabbell, it appears that bad business practices
existed in the So Icey/Mizay camp long before Cabbell/HAH got involved in
March 2009. A high turnover rate within both entities and poor communication between the two appears to have only complicated the existing
problems.
ROCKFORD, IL
A year ago, in the fall of 2008, Gucci Mane’s asking price
was $15,000 plus expenses. Illinois party promoter
Yungwaun (left) booked him through So Icey/Mizay
for $17,500 plus expenses – a premium rate for
a holiday performance. Gucci was scheduled to
perform in Rockford, IL on Halloween (October
31st, 2008). Yungwaun sent a $10,000 deposit
along with several thousand dollars for travel,
secured a venue, and began spending money
advertising the show.
“No one ever [contacted me] to let me know
that he wouldn’t make the date,” he says. On
September 12th, 2008, a month and a half
before Yungwaun’s scheduled show, Gucci
appeared in court for a probation violation
hearing. Various websites reported that Gucci, who had been convicted of
assault in 2005 and sentenced to probation, had failed to meet his required
community service hours (he was required to serve 50 hours a month and
had only clocked in 25 hours over a three year time period). In addition, he
had reportedly tested positive for ecstasy, marijuana, and alcohol during
a random drug test. The judge revoked one year of his probation and sent
him to jail.
Concerned, Yungwaun contacted So Icey/Mizay to find out the status of
his show deposit. Severe Green, a So Icey employee, told him that it was
not her responsibility to handle his show because the original person he
dealt with at the company had already taken a commission and no longer
worked there. After repeated inquiries, Severe assured Yungwaun that
the show would move forward as planned and advised him to continue
promoting, but he was skeptical. “My investor said, ‘No one’s gonna come
because [they know] Gucci is locked up,’” says Yungwaun. “It’s all over the
internet.”
Two weeks before the scheduled date, he was officially notified that Gucci
Mane would not be attending. Naturally, he wanted his money back. But
So Icey/Mizay refused to refund Yungwaun’s $10,000 deposit, first claiming
that the “force majeure” clause in the contract released them from the
obligation. According to Wikipedia, force majeure is “a common clause in
contracts which essentially frees both parties from liability or obligation
when an extraordinary event or circumstance beyond the control of the
parties, such as a war, strike, riot, crime, or an event described by the legal
term “act of God” (e.g. flooding, earthquake, volcanic eruption), prevents
one or both parties from fulfilling their obligations under the contract.”
Clearly, Gucci Mane popping pills, smoking weed, failing to do community
service, and therefore returning to prison on a probation violation does
not qualify as an “act of God” (continues Wikipedia: “force majeure is not
intended to excuse negligence or other malfeasance”).
So Icey/Mizay held Yungwaun’s money for over six months. When Gucci
Mane was finally scheduled to be released in March 2009, he says, “[Gucci]
was so booked up [So Icey] wouldn’t even tell me when he was getting
out.” Instead of scheduling a make-up date at his initial contracted price
of $17,500, So Icey/Mizay tried to sell him a date for $30,000. “They told
me I couldn’t get a date unless I paid the [difference of $12,500],” recalls
Yungwaun. “I told them they must be out of their mind, because I had a
contract.”
After months of back and forth, Yungwaun, who could not afford the
$30,000 price tag, reluctantly accepted his deposit back – minus a $500
commission. “They kept the commission for a show that never happened!”
he laughs bitterly. “They held my money for six months! They had $10,000
just sitting there. Plus I had [paid for] commercials and flyers. I lost the
potential to make money; I could have made more [money] off the show
than I spent.”
Around the time of Gucci’s release from prison in March 2009, So Icey/
Mizay handed over the booking responsibilities to Cabbell and Hitt Afta
Hitt. Due to a combination of factors (including OJ’s buzz, a slew of Gucci
Mane mixtape material floating around, and an overall slump in the music
business) the street demand for Gucci Mane had risen during his incarceration. According to simple economic theory, a combination of high demand
and low supply (because of his unavailability) equals an increase in price.
So during the span of his 6-month incarceration, Gucci’s asking price magically rose from $15,000 to over $40,000. And instead of honoring the previous contracts that had never been satisfied, So Icey/Mizay allowed Johnnie
to double or even triple the original prices.
“There’s no way I would have charged [the promoters] more,” says Coach.
“For their inconvenience, they should be charged the same price [as their
initial contract] or even given a discount. When an artist fails to show, not
only is the [promoter’s] name and character at risk, but [the promoter] has
incurred a lot of advertising expenses. The radio money, the flyer money,
the street team, the venue rental…he’s not gonna get any of that money
back. So there’s no way he should have to pay more, because he already
lost [money] the first time the artist didn’t show. The booking agent’s responsibility is to get all the money that was sent [for the deposit] returned.”
Beyond that, Coach says, the promoter would have to sue the artist directly
for breach of contract to attempt to recover funds lost on promotional expenses. “Some [promoters] have won [additional fees in a lawsuit] for damages when the artist couldn’t give a legitimate excuse for not being there.”
CHICAGO, IL
Less than a hundred miles
away, promoters Godfatha
(right) and John Mosley
(below right) experienced
similar drama when they teamed up to bring
Gucci Mane to Chicago, IL in the fall of 2008.
Their contract was for $15,000. Since Gucci
Mane was incarcerated on the date of the
scheduled show, So Icey/Mizay promised to
reschedule. Mosley estimates that he had to
call So Icey at least 200 times before they finally
confirmed a make-up date.
After the make-up date was confirmed and
they had been advertising for four weeks,
Godfatha says, Cabbell suddenly tripled the
price. “[Johnnie] called and said someone else
wanted the date [for a higher price],” Godfatha
recalls. “I don’t care that his stock went up.
That’s why you invest. I lost over $15,000 [on
the deposit and promotions] and they held my deposit for a whole year!”
Johnnie threatened to book a show with another promoter in the same
city if they didn’t agree to match the offer. “We were only supposed to owe
$8,000 [on the back-end to So Icey/Mizay],” confirms Mosley. “But Johnnie got involved and said he was getting thousands of calls [for shows in
Chicago] from promoters who want to give him $40,000, and we’re gonna
have to match those offers, even though we already had a contract!”
Cabbell refused to honor the $15,000 contract, saying that Gucci was hot
in the market and deserved more. Laughs Mosley, “Right! I made him hot
in the market! They played his records on the radio because we spent so
much money [promoting his show] with the station.”
To avoid losing the date to another promoter, Godfatha and Mosley ultimately agreed to pay Cabbell $42,500 for Gucci Mane, plus a $10,000 travel
fee – a total of $52,500, plus the money already gone down the drain on
advertising and venue rental fees. Why did they continue spending money
rather than demanding their deposit back? “I’ve been promoting shows
for 20 years and in this market I have a reputation to uphold,” explains
Godfatha. “My name means more to me [than money].”
Almost a year after sending their initial deposit, the show finally happened
in May 2009 and 5,000
people showed up.
According to Godfatha,
it was the biggest show
Gucci Mane has ever
done (right) [as the
headliner] to this day.
Mosley says there was
plenty of bad blood in
the city from his previous
no-show. “People were
threatening [Gucci’s] life,”
he recalls. “The things
we went through even getting him into [Chicago] and on stage alive were
ridiculous.” The promoters were able to recoup their previous losses (and,
one would assume, turned a hefty profit).
Several days later, Johnnie called Godfatha and offered him a date on the
upcoming So Icey Tour. “He told me, ‘I apologize. Let’s do another date to
make it right.’ He tricked [us]. He told us he had a tour coming and he was
gonna show me some love,” recalls Godfatha. In retrospect, he snaps, “If this
is ‘love,’ I don’t want nooooo love from him ever again.”
Godfatha and Mosley agreed to book a date on the So Icey Tour for
$55,000, which was scheduled to take place on July 24th, 2009. They sent
a $35,000 deposit for the artists, a $5,000 booking fee which went directly
to Cabbell (“Johnnie thought I was trying to go around him [by dealing
with Ujaama] and said I couldn’t do another show unless I sent him $5,000
cash,” alleges Mosley), and $10,000 for travel. But after wiring over $50,000,
the promoters learned that all three of the artists on the So Icey Tour were
booked on their date in various other cities – so they were forced to push
the date back a week, to August 1st. “Johnnie just completely lied [to me],”
says Godfatha. “On top of that, he knew Gucci was scheduled to take a drug
test three weeks before my show and he was high as a kite.”
“I found out Gucci was in jail on Twitter,” laughs Godfatha. “Johnnie never
called, management never called [to tell me he wasn’t gonna make my
show]. Soulja Boy said on Twitter [on July 19th] that Gucci Mane was in jail,
and I know him personally, so I was asking him not to say that because he
was killing my ticket sales in Chicago.” Nicki Minaj, Godfatha adds, was also
posting “free Gucci Mane” on her Myspace and Twitter pages less than two
weeks before their scheduled event. Meanwhile, Johnnie reassured Godfatha, “Gucci is straight. He’ll be at the show,” but never sent the promised
drop. Shannon stopped returning calls altogether.
Less than a week before the show, Godfatha says, they suddenly changed
their tune. “Johnnie is like, ‘Aw, man, I don’t know [if Gucci will be able to
come].’ Then he says, ‘We’ve got a bunch of deposits. How do we know we
have your [money]’? I’m like, ‘What?! We’ve been talking for months! I’ve
got all kinds of contracts! So now you’re trying to say you don’t have my
money?’ Deb plays like she doesn’t know what’s going on and hangs up.”
So Godfatha retraced the paper trail: Ujaama received the initial deposits.
Ujaama in turn wired money to Shannon, who then deposited the money
with Deb. “I have definite confirmation that Johnnie and Deb have my
money,” says Godfatha. Having spent over $50,000 plus promotional expenses, with less than week before the show, he says, Deb or Johnnie didn’t
answer the phone for three days. Finally, he reached them by calling threeway through one of Gucci Mane’s bodyguards and sent copies of all the
contracts, paperwork, and receipts proving that the money was transferred
to Deb’s account. According to Godfatha, at that point Deb finally admitted,
“I don’t know if Gucci can make that date.”
“This is four days before the event!” exclaims Mosley. “When we advertise
an event in Chicago, we blow it up. No one has it on lock like we do. We’ve
been promoting for six weeks. 100,000 flyers, [SMS] text blasts, Facebook
[invites]. Gucci Gucci Gucci! Gucci’s coming! And four days before the event,
they’re telling me he’s got legal problems. Are you kidding me?”
The next day, just three days before the show, Deb demanded an additional $3,500 “security fee” that was never previously discussed and was
not included in the contract or rider. They threatened a no-show if the fee
was not paid. “Johnnie said my show wouldn’t happen unless I [paid for]
more security. He threatened me and my business partner!” Godfatha says,
incredulous. “At that point, I told him, ‘Fuck you. I don’t care if any of y’all
come. It’s embarrassing now.’”
“[Calling a promoter at the last minute with additional charges] is not
standard practice for a booking agent,” says Coach. “Everything should be
OZONE MAG // 41
on the contract. Nothing should be added
on [verbally] unless somebody defaults on
the agreement that’s already in writing.”
With Gucci Mane’s status in limbo, Godfatha then learned that no funds from his
initial deposit had been used to secure OJ
da Juiceman or Nicki Minaj, even though
all three artists were supposed to perform.
He took matters into his own hands and
booked OJ through a local Chicago artist
who had a relationship with the rapper,
spending an additional $12,000 and getting a studio drop from OJ to continue
promoting the show. Nicki, who was on
the road with Lil Wayne’s Young Money
crew on the America’s Most Wanted Tour
for most of the summer, did not attend
the show.
On the day of the scheduled Chicago
date for the So Icey Tour (right), Godfatha
was informed that Gucci wouldn’t make
it either. “Of the three artists I booked on
the tour, OJ was the only one who came,
and I had to pay him [an extra] $12,000 to
salvage the show!” he exclaims. At the end
of the day, Godfatha estimates they lost
over $90,000, including $8,000 for security,
$5,000 on advertising and over $46,000 in
ticket refunds that Ticketmaster issued to
unhappy patrons because of Gucci Mane’s
failure to appear. “I didn’t get a dime back
from the ticket office,” laments Godfatha. “We put signs on the door saying
‘Gucci will not be here,’ and we still got 3,500 people in there, but we had
to give all that money back,” sighs Mosley. “[The fans] blamed us, saying we
were false promoting. DJ Pharris had to get on the radio [in Chicago] and
let people know it wasn’t our fault.”
“[The promoter] should definitely get their money back if the artist can’t
fulfill the contract. Without a doubt,” says Coach. “It’s just like a [UPS] delivery. If you agreed to do a show for a certain amount and now you’re unable
to do the show, you have defaulted. If [UPS] promises to deliver something
and they don’t, for any reason, the bottom line is they didn’t deliver. It
doesn’t matter if the tire was flat or the driver was sick or the weather was
bad. The fact is, you had an agreement to deliver, and you didn’t.”
As of press time, Godfatha says his $35,000 deposit has not been refunded.
Godfatha says that he also lost the $5,000 Johnnie pocketed as a booking fee for a show that never happened, as well as the $10,000 travel fee
and $3,500 last minute security fee for artists who never arrived. “They
haven’t even tried to give me my money back or reschedule the show,”
says Godfatha. “Getting my money back would be cool, but I want them
to reschedule a date with me so I can try to save some face with the radio
station. These are people who I’ve known for 20 years, and [the no-shows]
ruined my name with the station, fans, and artists. I have to do a make-up
show with the radio station to save face with the Program Director.”
It also hampered Godfatha’s ability to continue promoting shows in his
market. “All the venues here talk to each other. Even though I had no fights
and people got their money back [from the Gucci Mane tickets], they still
question letting me get venues. I’ve never experienced anything like this,”
he adds. His credibility and reputation, he feels, are priceless.
While Johnnie and Deb refused to refund Godfatha’s money or reschedule
his August date, they accepted a Gucci Mane show deposit from one of
his competitors, Chicago promoter Mark Yukan (that show, scheduled for
November 19th, 2009, also did not happen).
Booking back-to-back shows in the same city with two different promoters is another favorite trick of Cabbell’s. When a savvy promoter requests
an exclusivity clause be included in the contract, which normally prevents
an artist from performing anywhere in a certain radius for 30 days prior or
30 days after the show, HAH’s carefully worded “exclusivity clause” reads,
“artist(s) are not permitted to perform two weeks before or two weeks after
the date above at the listed venue,” a loophole which could technically
permit Cabbell to book the same artist at two competitive venues on the
same street, in the same city, on the same day.
42 // OZONE MAG
“That’s not something I would do out of
respect for the promoter I’m doing business
with. You’re going to cause both people
headaches,” says Coach. “That definitely
shouldn’t be happening at all and that’s
one of [Johnnie’s business practices] that I
disagree with. I know promoters that have
had real bad episodes with [Johnnie] and are
displeased.”
THE
VAMPIRES
Godfatha feels that Cabbell’s shiesty business practices have rubbed
off on other up-and-coming booking agents.
Combine that with the desperation of the
recession and it’s an ugly formula. “There’s a
lot of guys like Johnnie now... they’ve turned
into vampires,” he claims. “People in other
artists’ camps are now following standard
Johnnie Cabbell practice: they call you a
week before the show and threaten to not
show up if you don’t send an additional
$5,000 or $10,000 for travel [or security].
Then you have a choice: either cancel it and
[forfeit] all the money you put into it and disappoint [the fans], or go ahead and take that
$5,000 or $10,000 hit because you’ve already
sold thousands of tickets. These new dudes
like Johnnie are spreading venom to the
managers and killing the smaller promoters.
$10,000 for travel!? He’s not using jet fuel to get here. He’s using regular gas
[for his tour bus]!”
“Travel buyouts” seem to be one of the vampires’ favorite ways of sucking
every last drop of money out of a promoter. After
Orlando, FL promoter Dawgman (left) sent in
a deposit to book Shawty Lo through Cabbell
in Spring 2008, in addition to the artist’s fee,
he learned that he was also required to spend
$4,000 on a “travel buyout” instead of booking
flights himself. Johnnie explained that the fee
was high because their travel agent was purchasing “refundable” tickets for the entourage,
and because Shawty Lo needed to fly first-class
(which is always refundable).
But on the scheduled date, Shawty Lo never
showed up, and Dawgman was forced to issue
refunds to his patrons to salvage his reputation in the market. During
separate phone calls to the promoter and the promoter’s assistant, Cabbell and Shawty Lo’s road manager Jay provided two different reasons for
Lo’s absense - one claimed he was in the hospital, while the other said he
was attending an aunt’s funeral. Of the seven round-trip flights that were
supposedly purchased with the $4,000 travel buyout, only three of those
people showed up (the road manager and two entourage members). When
the date was rescheduled, Johnnie threatened a no-show if Dawgman
didn’t again pay a $4,000 travel fee. So what was the purpose of paying
extra for “refundable” tickets if they weren’t really refundable? And more
importantly, where did that initial $4,000 go?
“Johnnie is trying to pocket money everywhere,” complains Mosley. “He
gets it any way he can get it, and he never leaves [Atlanta] to deal with the
problems [on the road]. He’ll send the road manager [like Gucci Mane’s
G-Boy, Shawty Lo’s Jay, or OJ da Juiceman’s Big Sam] out there to deal with
the problems.”
Any hot artist with records getting regular radio spins (like Shawty Lo, back
in Spring 2008) is generally working at least 3-4 nights a week – meaning
that each of those three or four promoters is paying a high “travel buyout”
for round trip travel. Multiply that $4,000 by 3 or 4 and if you’re really only
paying one-way expenses – from each city to the next (if the artist even
shows up), and you can see how it could become profitable. Let’s say
Johnnie charges four promoters $4,000 each for travel expenses for Shawty
Lo to go out on the road for four consecutive dates (Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, for example) and only spends $10,000 on travel. Who do
you think is pocketing that extra $6,000?
Mizay and So Icey seem to have gotten wise to this additional source of
revenue early on in their relationship with HAH, insisting that all travel
and hotel be handled through their office for Gucci Mane and OJ da
Juiceman shows instead of through Johnnie. Similarly, they demand
that promoters pay a high fee upfront which is wired directly to them.
Traditionally, for most bookings, an “all-inclusive” artist fee means that all
flights, hotel, and ground transportation is included – unless otherwise
specified. But So Icey/Mizay often require a “travel buyout” and then later
inform the promoter that there is also an additional “hotel buyout” due,
plus ground transportation, which must also be booked through them
at a premium rate. The HAH contracts generally only vaguely define the
travel expenses, leaving room for “the vampires” to tack on thousands of
dollars in additional fees at the last minute.
Kym Hall of Royal Pair Entertainment booked OJ da Juiceman to perform
in Orlando, FL on Saturday, November 21st, 2009, and although ultimately pleased with his performance, she expressed exasperation with
the Mizay/So Icey booking process and feels that they skimmed off the
travel money. She claims Jamie Dixon, her So Icey representative, refused
to divulge any of OJ’s basic travel information (such as when his flights
were arriving, so she feared he would be a no-show) and refused to
show her any receipts documenting the actual travel costs.
In addition to paying the “travel buyout” for the flights, So Icey demanded a large sum (which Hall feels was excessive, but declined to
disclose the exact amount) for a “hotel buyout,” stating that OJ must be
placed in a four-or-five star hotel, but refused to tell Hall where he was
staying. “The only reason we found out where he was staying is because
[OJ had] an ‘incident’ at the hotel and we had to go over there,” explains
Hall. It turns out that Mizay/So Icey had taken her large lump sum “fouror-five star hotel buyout” and placed OJ at the SpringHill Suites Maitland,
a three-star hotel at best which can be purchased online for around
$80. Hall says she is demanding to see receipts and insisting that So Icey
refund the difference between the amount of her “hotel buyout” and the
actual amount they paid for the hotel (good luck, Kym).
BURNING BRIDGES
In the January 2009 issue of Atlanta-based Street
Report Magazine, the editor General addressed
his issues with Deb in his editorial (below) stemming from an OJ da Juiceman no-show at a Street Report event at Club
Frequency. According to General, Deb had promised OJ’s attendance in
exchange for advertising in the magazine.
“One of the 2009 topics is burning bridges and breaking your word to
sell your soul for the almighty dollar,” wrote General. “What’s up to OJ
da Juiceman (Chevron Shawty) for keeping the streets on fire in the A
and getting to the money. I also want to add that you are a grinder and
the streets are loving you but the flip side to that coin is ‘WOW’ when it
comes to your management grinding just as hard as you? Debbie we are
talking about you so
therefore we are not
going to do it like the
rappers do it by subliminally sneak dissing. You know what
I am talking about
with the December
10th Club Frequency
situation…”
General continued
addressing OJ later in
the editorial, adding,
“A rapper can be hot
today and glacier
frozen like the titanic
the next. So have
that street/business
meeting with your
camp and tell them
the minute that they
lose focus of becoming that fucked up
word in the game,
that shit follows you
no matter what busi-
ness that you are in and people are whispering about it now but they
are just keeping shit quiet is kept until they are positioned to voice their
say so. Keep getting your money Juice and remember that every move
is a calculated step, but your management can lose my number because
their word is in the same book as George W Bush (I don’t trust what is
being said to me) and for the record, I am not trying to assassinate your
character (Debbie) by telling people not to deal with you. Everybody can
fuck with you as far as I am concerned but I know not to fuck with you
because you lied to me directly and it was not a third party lie. Street
Report Magazine doesn’t want any bargains from you. Send over some
ad money not a conversation. Aye!”
Unfortunately, I wasn’t aware of Street Report Magazine’s bad experience when I made a similar deal with Johnnie and Deb in May 2009 to
trade an advertising package in OZONE for a free OJ da Juiceman show.
After fulfilling our part of the agreement, we here at OZONE shopped
around for a venue and finally settled on Club Libra in Atlanta. As the
Libra representatives sat in my office prepared to sign the contract, I
called Johnnie and Deb to let them know we had secured a location.
Johnnie told me that OJ would not perform at Club Libra because they
had “issues” with the club. After much discussion I reluctantly agreed to
keep looking. Less than three weeks later, a commercial began playing
on Atlanta radio for - guess who? - OJ da Juiceman performing live at
Club Libra! Rather than giving OZONE the free date we had agreed on,
Johnnie apparently went around me and booked the date himself.
I suppressed my urge to curse him out, opting instead to try to peacefully resolve the situation. I shopped around for an alternate venue and
closed a deal with Freelon’s Nightclub in Jackson, MS, for OJ to perform
on August 8th, 2009. Johnnie sent me a signed contract confirming that
the OJ show was paid in full as per our advertising agreement. As per the
contract, we (OZONE and the promoter) were obligated to pay $3,500
for travel and there were no additional funds due for the show. The
promoter wired the travel money to So Icey/Mizay several weeks prior
to the show. The contracts were signed by myself, Johnnie, Deb, and the
promoter in June.
Almost two months later, on the afternoon the day of the show, Johnnie and Deb called me on 3-way demanding that I pay an additional
“security fee” of $3,300 or OJ wasn’t going to leave Atlanta – a fee which
had never been mentioned or discussed at all during the month and a
half that our contract had been in place. It was also never included on
our paperwork. OZONE had fulfilled our obligations and now Johnnie
and Deb were refusing to fulfill theirs. Deb claimed she didn’t know the
Jackson date was my show, pointing the finger at Johnnie and saying
it was his fault. I told them I wasn’t going to pay an additional $3,300
for a “free” show and whatever miscommunication had happened was
between the two of them, and they needed to figure it out immediately.
A few hours later, Johnnie told me, “We worked it out,” saying that he and
Deb had settled their miscommunication and OJ’s tour bus was leaving
Atlanta, headed for Jackson.
At 11 PM the night of the show, as a line of fans eager to see OJ formed
at the club, I was still 45 minutes outside the city. OJ’s road manager
Big Sam went to Freelon’s and told the club owner that if they didn’t
receive $5,500 cash immediately (including $500 overtime for their
driver – another additional fee that was never discussed and was not
our responsibility) they had been instructed by Johnnie and Deb to
leave town immediately. Without $5,500 cash, OJ would not perform at
OZONE’s “free” show. So here I was faced with the choice that so many
other promoters have had to make: cancel the show, ruin my relationship with the promoter and the promoter’s reputation, and fight Johnnie
and Deb in court for $10,000 (the value of the advertising package)? Or
move forward and only fight them for $5,500?
Similar to the So Icey Tour contracts, the OZONE contract with Johnnie
involved multiple parties, so going the legal route would probably also
mean suing a long-time client and friend (Freelon’s) because of Johnnie
and Deb’s fraud. I later learned that OJ and Big Sam had no idea what
was really going on, didn’t know that I was even involved with the show,
and were simply following Deb and Johnnie’s instructions.
THE GOOD OL’ DAYS
When established artists like T.I. and Lil Wayne first
started doing nightclub shows years ago, they were
reasonably priced. “They earned their way up the ladder, and they have
OZONE MAG // 43
stronger foundations because of it,” explains Coach,
who recalls booking T.I. for $1,500 or $2,000 in the
early days and Lil Wayne for $10,000 when he was
touring with Sqad Up and already had two albums
under his belt. “They made solid movement all the
way up the ladder until they’ve reached this point
[where they command six figure show prices], and
I can respect any artist that is willing to go out and
work from the ground up.” Johnnie is certainly not the
only booking agent to charge exorbitant prices for
an artist with one hit record, but it’s one thing he is
infamously known for – resulting in a short lifespan of
many artists he has represented (where are the Shop
Boyz, of “Party Like a Rock Star” fame? Fabo? D4L?
Crime Mob?).
Nicki Minaj, for example, has a strong buzz, but
doesn’t have an album out yet. Jesse Peak inquired
about booking Nicki for a BET Hip Hop Awards afterparty in Atlanta in October 2009 but quickly changed
his mind when her former manager Cortez directed
him to Hitt Afta Hitt. “They were shooting out dumb
numbers like $12,000 plus I’ve gotta pay a travel fee, even though she was
already scheduled to be in Atlanta,” says Peak. “When an artist is represented
by Hitt Afta Hitt, it discourages me from booking them because I know exactly
what to expect from them: They say whatever you wanna hear to get your
money, and once they get your money, you can’t get a call back.”
Mosley laughs while offering some words of advice to artists considering Hitt
Afta Hitt representation: “You’ll have better luck diving off the Sears Tower.”
“A lot of artists are overpriced, and that hurts their career,” explains Coach.
“If an artist is really overpriced and a promoter takes a risk on him and loses
badly, when the artist tries to make a comeback the promoter is gonna say,
‘I did you when you were hot and I lost, so I’m definitely not gonna do you
when you’re cold.’ So when you put the artist’s price up so high just because
they’re new and the demand is high but they haven’t been proven, you’re risk-
44 // OZONE MAG
ing their career longevity. These artists
today get one single and they want
$7,500 for a show. They haven’t been
tested. The single may be hot, but the
promoters lose money. Some might
win, but most lose. And [as a result]
the artist’s careers are short-lived. Very
short-lived.”
D4L frontman Shawty Lo (left) is a perfect example of this phenomenon. “I
don’t get requests for Shawty Lo [now],”
says Coach. “In my opinion, he should
have been charging less than [he was]
at his peak. It would have made him
a much more viable product today if
he had been at a lower price when he
was really hot. More people would’ve
had accessibility to him. He would’ve
been in more venues; more promoters
would have been successful with him
and would’ve had a better opinion of
him. When [a promoter] loses, it leaves a bad taste in their mouth as far as that
artist afterwards. Not saying that they lost at every show, but there were some
where the price was just too high.”
Godfatha is even more direct. “[Johnnie] killed Shawty Lo; destroyed his
career,” he confirms. “[Shawty Lo] can’t get shows now because of his relationship with Johnnie. Johnnie overcharges and double-books. [Shawty Lo] was
battling with T.I., the so-called King of the South. How were you on his level
and then you fell from grace that fast? It’s because [Johnnie] was overpricing
him, [charging] $40,000 or $50,000 for a guy with two songs, then doing noshows, then threatening you with the $5,000 booking fee. He took his price
past what he was worth and he fell off quick. [Now] I wouldn’t give [Shawty
Lo] $1,000 to go anywhere. That’s not personal on Lo, it’s Johnnie. And he’s
gonna do the same thing to Gucci [Mane’s career]. I didn’t deal with him on
D4L because they had so many no-shows. No one wanted to book them any-
more and they fell off. Anyone he touches, he kills their career. He’s bad, man.
He’s a very shiesty businessman.”
On the opposite end of the spectrum, artists like Lil Boosie and Webbie and
legends like Too $hort and Uncle Luke have consistently toured throughout
the country, putting on good shows and hosting parties at a reasonable price.
The cost is fair and the demand is still strong. In turn, the promoters are able
to turn profits and bring these artists back time and time again, contributing
to their career longevity.
“Boosie and Webbie get [booked] for a lot of shows because their price is
good enough that promoters can make a profit,” agrees Coach. “There’s two
people involved: the artist and the promoter. In the end, both people should
be happy. I don’t think it should just be one guy coming to get all the money
and going home happy, while the promoter lost all his money and he’s unhappy. [Promoting shows] is a risk, but there should at least be the opportunity for the promoter to make some money if he does it correctly. If the artist’s
price is too high, the promoter doesn’t have the opportunity to make money.”
SHOWMANSHIP
With all the hype surrounding Gucci Mane’s 2009 shows,
you’d think the price tag would be worth it. For $40,000 or
more, you should get a well-rehearsed, energetic, exciting
sixty minute performance and the fans go home satisfied, right?
“Gucci’s show is garbage,” says Yungwaun. “I saw him perform in Milwaukee.
He doesn’t move, he just stands there.” Comparing Gucci Mane’s performance
to other in-demand rappers of a similar genre like Plies or Young Jeezy, agrees
Jesse Peak, is laughable. “[Gucci’s] show is shitty. He doesn’t have much showmanship at all. If you pay somebody that kind of money, you think they’re
gonna get down [and put on a good show]. He comes to shows high as a kite
and he just doesn’t do anything. He sits on a stage like he’s in a booth and raps
into the mic. That’s it.”
“I wouldn’t book Gucci Mane again even if the tickets were pre-sold out,”
emphasizes Peak. “I wouldn’t pay him anything. He’s not worth it. I was completely disappointed with the whole experience. I wish [Gucci] luck, but I hope
Johnnie don’t ever come to one of my parties.”
IN CONCLUSION
To be fair, there’s always more than one
side to a story, and Deb and Johnnie’s
side is not represented here. But when
a dozen promoters in different cities with no prior affiliation
are interviewed separately and all tell the same infuriating
tales, chances are there’s some truth to it. Although I too
have been bitten by the vampires to the tune of $5,000, that
amount is pennies compared to some of these promoters’
alleged losses, and I have made every attempt to be reasonable and objective in my reporting.
As they became aware that their dirt was being dug up, Deb
and Johnnie tried valiantly to slander my name (hateful email
blasts about me containing baseless insults), damage my
credibility (recording highly unprofessional online “conference calls” with racial accusations), and scare me (attempting
to sue me and get an emergency injunction for “defamation
of character”) away from investigating these fraudulent
activities. I did not reach out to them for comment because
I doubt it would be a productive conversation for anyone
involved. Johnnie even attempted to file a warrant for my
arrest when I commented on Twitter that he rapes promoters.
I think this article contains sufficient evidence to prove that
fact, and telling the truth is not a crime.
“What Johnnie is doing ain’t right, and it’s dangerous because you’re dealing
with people’s money,” says Mosley. “I respect promoter’s money,” concludes
Coach. “I don’t think [Johnnie] respects promoter’s money.”
‘Gucci Mane needs to get a new manager.’ Why’s he doing all this time [for
failure to meet community service requirements]? They’re supposed to be
managing him and his time.”
Unlike Gucci, Lil Boosie, who began serving a reported 2-4 year jail sentence
in November 2009, did not leave behind a slew of angry promoters. Courtney
Scott of Trill Management, who handles Boosie’s show bookings, explains that
they “slowed down” on Boosie’s dates as soon as they became aware of his legal troubles. They returned three promoters previous deposits, Courtney says,
adding, “We made a conscious decision as a management team to prepare for
the fact that he might [have to go to jail]. People kept offering to book dates,
but we just didn’t take their deposits. We told them we can’t accept it, because
he has to go to court.” This seems to be a much more logical management
strategy than the get-as-much-money-as-possible-now-and-worry-about-theconsequences-later mentality exhibited by Cabbell and Antney.
Mike Jones (not the rapper), who handles marketing for the clothing store
chain DTLR, sponsored Godfatha’s Gucci Mane no-show in Chicago. “It’s [all
about] the fans, man. You can’t blame them for wanting to see their favorite
artists,” he reflects. “I was at the show [where Gucci was scheduled to appear]
and it was just a bad look. Some fans don’t even care if you perform. They just
wanna see you and take pictures with you. When you don’t even show your
face, it’s just bad for business. It’s about the fans; the consumers.”
“Y’all see what’s happening in Chicago on CNN and the news [with so much
violence]. It’s Beiruit out here,” finishes Mosley. “People can’t afford to jack off
$50 or $60. To play with people’s money and emotions, it’s not a good look. All
that money is going somewhere.” Jones vividly recalls tearing down the Gucci
Mane promotional posters from his stores, one by one. “I don’t even wanna be
affiliated with Gucci Mane anymore. I don’t wanna see anything with his name
on it,” he vents. “The word up here [in Chicago] is, ‘Man, I wouldn’t touch Gucci
Mane’s show if Jesus was hosting it.’ Real talk.”
Now that Gucci is gone again for at least six months, most of the promoters
just want to cut their losses and get their initial deposits back. “Cash is king in
this recession. Rescheduling a show isn’t even a possibility for at least eight
months, [and that’s] assuming Gucci behaves himself and gets out early on
good behavior,” explains Attorney Gardner.
Although Gucci’s previous 6-month incarceration increased his demand, this
time around, things could
easily go the other way
and cool down his buzz
like it has for many other
rappers (Mystikal, for example, is out of sight, out
of mind). “When he does
get out, who’s to say he’ll
even be relevant at that
time?” questions Gardner.
But as long as Gucci, OJ,
Nicki, Waka, and the rest
of the So Icey artists continue making hot music,
the streets will continue
demanding their appearances and promoters will
continue to book them.
Gucci has found a way to
make lemonade out of
lemons, turning his legal
troubles into the theme
of his upcoming album,
The State vs. Radric Davis
(left). At the end of the
day, though, the artists’
management is supposed to be working for them, not against them, and all
the fraud allegations can’t be good for business. “This is how empires fall,” says
Mosley. “It’s going to come back on them.”
The solution to all these problems, it would seem, would be for management
to put more effort into keeping Gucci sober and free, and less effort into taking deposits for show dates he can’t legally attend.
When confronted with the accusation that her and Cabbell’s actions have
not only been unethical but also criminally fraudulent, at least in the case of
Marshall’s Pittsburgh no-shows, Antney defended herself to Creative Loafing.
“The only thing you have is your name, and if you ruin your name, you ruin
everything,” she says. At least we can all agree on that. //
“I can’t see how [artists] would want to put their trust in someone like [Johnnie],” laments Nik Bean. “Gucci Mane obviously needs new management.
Everybody’s talking about ‘Free Gucci Mane’ when we really should be saying,
If you have experienced similar problems as the promoters interviewed in
this article, please contact me at jb@ozonemag.com.
OZONE MAG // 45
LONE STAR
Bonecide Entertainment artist and CEO Bone is
determined to prove Dallas does more than dance.
Words by Eric N. Perrin
Photo by Brian Guilliaux
46 // OZONE MAG
W
hile a vast majority of emcees believe they’re better than their
competition, most up and coming rappers wouldn’t have the
audacity to plainly profess their superiority over the more
established artists from their city. However, Bone of Bonecide
Entertainment isn’t the average aspiring emcee. He isn’t looking for help,
he isn’t asking for acceptance—Bone just wants respect.
“I see the artists in Dallas doing they thing,” says Bone. “Some of them real,
some of them ain’t real, it’s not for me to judge them. My job is for me to do
me. I always felt like I was better than everybody here, even though I was
coming from behind.”
Had Bone not spent 5 years in Ft. Leavenworth Federal Corrections Facility
for convictions commonly related to the struggle, he might have defined
Dallas Hip Hop; instead he’s attempting to redefine the sounds and stereotypes traditionally associated with Dallas rap.
When you got out of Leavenworth what made you decide to pursue
music full-time?
All I did in the joint was write, so I figured since I invested all those years in
music and since everybody told me music is what I should do, that’s what I
should do. So when I got out, I immediately started working on my music.
I started out working with low budget people ‘cause my money wasn’t up,
but I just kept building up that buzz getting my name up. My main objective was branding my name and my company.
What’s your strongest asset as a rapper?
My storytelling ability is most definitely what I’m best at. My life is such
an interesting movie that we gon’ be getting to in a minute. It’s gonna be
sick—all the things I done went through and been through you can’t help
but to be like, “Damn!” Right now I’m going for the top, I ain’t taking no for
an answer.
“My mixtape that’s gon’ sound better than almost any album that done
ever dropped,” says Bone. “and I guarantee you, it’s gon’ sound better than
any mixtape you’ve heard.”
Your hometown of Dallas was slept on in the rap game for a long time,
but now there are quite a few artists coming out from the area. How do
you plan to take advantage of the fact that everyone’s attention is on
your city right now?
Like you said, Dallas is what’s up right now. We’ve got the All Star game
coming, we’ve got the Super Bowl coming, so there’s a lot of attention on
Dallas right now. My music is different than a lot of Dallas artists, like I said,
it’s all about money; that’s what I’m about. At the end of the day if you ain’t
got money, people ain’t paying you no attention and they don’t give a fuck
about what you got to say. I make sure everybody around me is eating.
Everybody’s gotta eat cause that’s how it works. Before I took my fall and
did my five years a lot of these [rap] niggas was up under me. When I got
out everybody was on, doing their thing, and nobody wanted to help me.
Everybody thought they were the man. It’s not like I had something to
prove, but I had to show my talent and what it is.
A lot of readers nationally are probably wondering, “Who is this guy on
the cover of OZONE and where did he come from?” What would you say?
Basically I’m from Dallas, Texas—born and raised, and I got started doing
my music after being locked up; that’s also how I came up with the concept
of my label. I came up with Bonecide (pronounced bone-side) because
you know, you be out and about and niggas might be like, “Who you down
wit’?” And niggas be like, “I’m on Bone side, nigga!”
It sounds like you have a little bit of a vendetta.
Basically—I mean, I helped so many people and then when I got out I
was fucked up—nobody wanted to help me. Niggas acted like they were
scared to fuck with me because I just got of prison, but it wasn’t that they
was scared to fuck with me, they just knew what I was capable of doing.
They tried to put road blocks in front of my way to try and stop me but I
destroyed those.
How was it growing up in Dallas?
To me, it was just growing up in the hood, trying to get it by any means
necessary. I grew up on Section 8. I didn’t have much. My mom didn’t buy
me new shit, and I wanted to live like everybody else. That’s how I grew
up and no matter where you’re from, most hoods are the same. You don’t
get the advantages of all the nicer things in life unless you present them
for yourself. Usually, if you’re trying to present advantages to yourself at
a young age, you end up doing shit you ain’t got no business doing. And
I don’t knock people who had it better than me, but I don’t want them to
knock me for doing what I had to do to make my situation better.
So overall, how would you describe your relationship with other artists
from Dallas?
My respect is there. Nobody’s gonna disrespect my company, my label, or
me as an individual. How they feel, I couldn’t give a fuck less cause I don’t
care about how they feel. I don’t play into that hype, but niggas see me and
they dap me up, but what they say I couldn’t care less.
“You got a lot of dance music in Dallas,” declares Bone. “I don’t do dance
music; I do street music. I’m a street poet, I do music for street niggas.
People all across the world gon’ feel it because I deal with money, and
everybody likes money. “
Bone refuses to conform, and through autonomously financing his movement, independent of any major label support, he and his company Bonecide Entertainment have built a steady movement in Texas. Now positioned
to expand nationally with the impending release Bone 214: The Mixtape,
featuring Lil’ Wayne, Bun B, Pimp C, E-40, Lil Keke, and Slim Thug, Bone is
ready to take his vendetta to the next level.
You mentioned you did some time in prison. How long were you locked
up, and how did that influence your music?
I did five years, and it gave me time to realize who I was and understand
what was going on. To be sitting down for such a long time gave me a lot of
time to think. I would do shows when I was locked up and everybody was
telling me that I gotta do this [music] when I get out. I dealt with some of
the most powerful people across the world as far as the streets and I met
some of the most influential people on the streets and they all told me I
got it.
When you were in prison what topics did you rap about?
I rapped about prison shit, like shit niggas go through when they in jail. I
talked about the shit that was happening in jail and that’s why everybody
felt the music so much because it was shit they were going through. Shit
you were dealing with before you went to prison. You were on the streets
balling and then you go to jail and nobody’s there for you and all your
so-called homeboys ain’t there; all the girls who were supposed to be there
for you turn they back on you. I was talkin’ about some real reality shit, and
everybody was feeling it because they were going through the same thing.
Where were you locked up?
I was locked up in Leavenworth, Kansas—maximum security.
Is Leavenworth as rough as its reputation suggests?
Not for me it wasn’t. I’m sure some people had it rougher than others but
for me it was just like being among a bunch of people I knew already.
Let’s talk about this mixtape you’re dropping in February. I heard you
have some crazy features on there.
It drops February 23rd, and I got Lil Wayne, Bun B, Pimp C, E-40, Lil Keke,
Slim Thug, and a couple more people that I haven’t mentioned on there.
I’ve got some nice features on that joint. All original material.
How were you able to secure all those features? That’s a lot of big names.
I’m working with Mr. Lee on the production side, and he hooked me up
with all these people. More and more people are going to be part of my
music soon. Drake’s gonna be on my album, The Game, 50, and a couple
more people gon’ be featured on my album.
I’ve heard that a lot of people in Dallas are really feeling the remixes you
put out, but what single are you currently pushing?
Everybody’s excited about this “Good Times” track, and I like it too. It’s got
a sample from the show “Good Times” when they were going through the
struggle, and to me, that’s one of my hottest joints. You can listen to it on
my Myspace page (www.myspace.com/bone214).
Now that you’re done with the mixtape, what are you currently working
on?
I’m working on my album, World President Balling Through A Recession. I’ve
also got a trailer for my DVD coming out, so that’s gonna be hot.
Where do you see yourself in terms of the Dallas music scene?
I wanna be the best rapper in the world; Dallas is just so small. I’m being
played right now in Chicago, St. Louis, D.C., and Arizona, so right now Dallas
is one of the last places I’m focused on. I’m doing this shit global—small is
not on my level at all. //
OZONE MAG // 47
48 // OZONE MAG
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OZONE MAG // 49
We titled the album Flight 360: The Take-Off
because 360 [degrees] is a circle,” says Tity Boy.
“And since the success of ‘Duffle Bag Boys,’ we’ve
traveled a lot. We saw a lot of different cultures, a
lot of different females, just a lot of different ways
of life, and style, and slang. So, Flight 360 is like a
celebration of what ‘Duffle Bag Boys’ did for us.”
With the income generated from the “Duffle Bag
Boys” phenomenon, the group not only bought
jewelry, chains, cars, rims, property, but they also
invested, says Tity.
“Since ‘Duffle Bag Boys’ was the last thing people
really know us from, we invested the money from
that—which was a great deal—into things that
will help promote, market, and move this new
project, Flight 360,” he explains. “So the plane chain
on my neck symbolizes me being fly. It symbolizes
the takeoff; it symbolizes the Southside. We grew
up right around the corner from the airport, so I’m
like a Delta mascot.”
Today, however, they’re grounded. Sitting on a
pool table in a photo studio in Atlanta’s West End,
the duo humbly discuss the plight of Flight 360, as
they joke about how they occasionally suffer from
a self-diagnosed condition called MADD (Musical
Attention Deficit Disorder).
How does having Musical Attention Deficit
Disorder affect your music?
Dolla: (laughs) I’m just fucking with you big dawg,
but I think I figured it out. We smoke as much kush
as possible. But it’s really according to the type of
song we doing, as far as how high we need to get.
What if you’re doing a song about the ladies?
Dolla: We might have to smoke one blunt with a
little Cristal to get in the mood for the females.
When it’s some gangsta shit, we got to get on that
mud. One eye closed on you sucka niggas when
you really get through. Only the aim.
What have you been doing during the layover
between the last album and the new project,
Flight 360?
Tity: We invested in a studio, and the whole Flight
360 project was recorded in our own studio so
we could be in our own comfort zone. It’s on the
South side, where we can really just sit and digest
the music over time and really come up with a
conceptual album. We’re coming from a street
level and just painting a picture, showing that this
is the takeoff right here.
Dolla: ‘Duffle Bag Boys’ just paved the way and set
a certain expectation for our fans. We just gotta
keep going hard and being consistent and connecting the dots with the fans.
Since the “Duffle Bag Boys” record was so big,
do you feel pressure to try and come up with a
track as big as that record?
Dolla: I think we definitely ran into that problem
on the first album, Supply and Demand. Since
‘Duffle Bag’ was so huge, it was really difficult to
have a follow-up record and things of that sort,
but on the Flight 360 album we fixed that problem. On Flight 360 we have too many singles; too
many big records. When ‘Duffle Bag’ came out, we
didn’t really [have] nothing to follow up. We learn
as we go. We’re just tryna keep it moving, that’s
what Flight 360: The Takeoff is. We’re taking off.
How many songs did you record for the album?
Tity: We did over 60 songs for the album, but we
felt like certain songs fit the album and painted a
50 // OZONE MAG
picture. Every verse that made the album is very
visual. We’re gonna shoot a video for every song,
so just be looking out for Playaz Circle because we
ain’t going nowhere.
What are you most excited about with this
project?
Dolla: Everything. The fact that so many people
are getting behind us. Me and Tit’ been on the
grind since Supply and Demand came out, doing
it underground, reaching out to our fans, hitting
all the different markets that we need to. The fact
that everybody is behind us including DTP and
Def Jam, it gets us real excited.
Tity: The machine is getting behind the machine
that’s getting behind the machine.
You mentioned earlier that you have too many
potential hits this time around. What tracks do
you predict will really takeoff?
Dolla: We’ve got songs for the females like “Can’t
Remember,” and “Quit Flossin” with Jagged Edge,
and you’ve seen the videos for “Look What I Got,”
and “Yeah We Gettin’ Rich.” That went crazy on the
internet, almost 2 million views in one day.
You guys worked with Wayne again this time
around as well, right?
Tity: Yeah, he’s featured on a track called “Big Dog”,
which is basically like a “Duffle Bag Boys Pt. 2.” We
like to consider Wayne as one of the unofficial
Duffle Bag Boys, but he’s like the R&B singer out
of the group, so on this track he’s doing the hook
again. It’s me and Dolla going ‘ham on the verses.
It’s called “Big Dog,” produced by Wonder. It’s really
just one of those feel-good records that makes
you wanna get crunk whenever it comes on.
When the original “Duffle Bag Boys” track came
out, there were some spinoffs of your song by
other artists. Did you signoff on that, and if not,
did you have any problems with it?
Dolla: Naw, it was a compliment. The crazy part
about that is that it’s been happening to us since
we entered the game. That ain’t the only thang
they took from us, or copied us on. But we’re
happy to be trendsetters and innovators and all
we gotta say to that is, “Keep watchin’.”
Tity: Me and Dolla have been doing it for a minute
now—since ’97, ’98. At this point we feel like we’re
polished in [terms of doing] interviews, we’re polished in the booth and everywhere else. We feel
like we’re mature in this game already, so you’ve
got people who, in my opinion, don’t always give
us the respect we deserve. In my opinion, they
feel like our music is all about the beat, but naw,
it ain’t all about the beat, pa’tna. This is Playaz
Circle; we’ve been doing it like this for a minute.
We really do this, man. As you see, most of the
album was done by young, hungry producers that
are humble and just motivated to get it. We didn’t
really reach out to a lot of the big name producers
because we felt like we didn’t need that. We felt
like we bring a lot to the table as well. This whole
album just embodies a whole trip. It’s like you’re
listening to a DVD. Blind people are gonna feel
like, “That was a good movie I just saw.”
Tity, you kind of touched on it a bit, but one
thing that always bothered me about your critics is that they don’t credit you for two for being
lyricists. Does that aggravate you as well?
Dolla: You can’t really blame the listeners for that.
There’s different phases of the game. Me and Tit
came up in an era when the game was all about
lyrics and who was the dopest emcee. It was all
about substance, so we caught on to that and all
of that is in our style, but at the same time we are
able to adapt to hot, down South, booming beats.
We’re able to do it all. That’s why I say we’re one of
a kind; there’s nothing like us.
Tity: Even if we dumb it down, we’re still dope.
That’s real talk—even if we dumb it down to
our lowest degree, we’re still over some people’s
heads. That’s just how we feel about this shit, and
regardless of what’s going on with the label and
promotion and marketing, minus what’s going on
with the internet and the digital age with what’s
going on with music, me and [Dolla] are gon’
keep on doing what we doing. We’re consistent.
Although we’re a group, we’re individuals as well,
and that’s what we preach.
How is your relationship with Def Jam and DTP
right now?
Dolla: I mean, I think it’s the same as with pretty
much any label. You’ve gotta be able to work
with the machine and cooperate along the lines
so the machine can get behind you and so y’all
are on the same accord. But everything is good
between us and the label because me and Tit’ got
the mindset of independent label owners anyway;
we gon’ do what we got to do to get our music up
and running. We can’t depend on nobody else to
do that for us. Once it gets pumpin’ over here and
it’s time to get it pumpin’ over there, that’s when
you go to the label. But we gotta do our part first,
then DTP comes in, and then Def Jam comes in.
Do you feel that over the years DTP has progressed the way you imagined it would?
Tity: Like Dolla said, we don’t get caught up in
that. We try to really focus on what we’re doing
internally before we ever take them anything.
We try to already have mastered the idea and
the project before we bring it to the label. And
the good thing about DTP is that we have 100%
creative control They hear our ideas and rarely
ever tell us that they’re not in agreement with
what we’re doing, because we do everything from
buying t-shirts, to pressing mixtapes, to buying a
studio, and even buying the van and getting that
wrapped. We do what any label would want their
artists to do to take it to the next level. They don’t
mind assisting us when we ask for something,
because they know we can hold our own and
they’re confident is us. A lot of artists get a deal
and once they sign the papers they feel that’s all
they got to do, but once you get a deal you still
have to continue working and doing what you did
to get the situation in the first place.
As rappers, you two have a job that it seems
99% of young black males in America desire.
Is there any part of your profession that you
dread?
Dolla: There’s nothing we dread about it; it’s
similar to being a professional athlete [in that you]
grow up training and practicing something you
love and then somehow you end up getting paid
for it. The road that me and Tit’ took, to now end
up doing something we love so much, that we’ve
been doing since high school, and getting paid
for it is wonderful. If we don’t make another dime
in rap, we’re happy. We made it happen, and not
many people can say that.
Tity: Say, for example, you go to a fast food spot
and get bad service at the drive-thru because
those people don’t enjoy their job and when get
up they’re like, “Fuck! I gotta go to this damn job.”
But me and Dolla don’t feel that way. We’re happy
everyday and eager to make music, because making music makes you more money. We can’t wait
to get to the studio; ain’t no telling what we gon’
think of. //
Patiently
Waiting
S
ometimes it takes sitting in confinement
for a minute to have an epiphany and realize the significance of a second chance.
Just ask Atlanta up-and-coming rapper Dose.
Many Hip Hop fans are just now being introduced to Dose, born Michael Thomas, but he’s
been working at his artistry for years. His success
was delayed because, according to him, he
couldn’t (or wouldn’t) get out of his own way.
was confident and driven regarding his musical
prowess, but it wasn’t enough to keep him out of
the streets. Eventually, he got locked up, where
he ended up with the nickname Dose. “When
I was in prison I used to say, ‘I’ma give these
niggas a real dose when I get out,’” he laughs.
“[Inmates] were like, ‘When you get out they
should start calling you that.’ They’d be in there
calling me Dose, and I just went with it.”
“Everything I’ve been through in life made me
who I am,” says the 21-year-old rapper. “I’ve been
through a lot. I [thought] I was chasing the right
thing but it was really the wrong thing the whole
time. You get detoured. God will let you step out
but if something’s destined for you, he’ll put you
back on that path. It’s up to you to follow the
path.”
Once released, Dose was hell-bent on making
things happen. In his mind, he was rebuilding
what he’d lost when he was sent away. “I saw
Shawty Redd in the strip club and told him I’m
the next nigga up, on some real arrogant shit,” he
chuckles. “I’d been a hypeman for an independent label since I was 16, so I was always in the
midst [of the music game]. I was in the dark back
then, but I was there.”
Dose’s story is one that we’ve heard before: he
His persistence led to the collaboration “Don
Dada” with Rich Boy. It was a record Dose didn’t
expect to blow—at least not as significantly as
it did. Soon, an option to sign with a major label
came from New York. DJ Clue heard Dose’s music
and signed the ATL rapper to his Desert Storm
imprint on Def Jam.
Dose has a new mixtape, Overdose, on the way,
hosted by DJs Scream and Clue, and a lead track,
“Where They Do That At?” featuring Fabolous
and Rick Ross. At the end of it all, his ultimate
success would be to simply live a full life beyond
what anyone could imagine for him. Dose adds,
“I’m excited to have a way out, to have a shot at
making something outta my life. It ain’t even all
about the music. I wanna have a shot at a new
life.”
Words by Nadine Graham
Photo by Thi Chien
OZONE MAG // 51
52 // OZONE MAG
Words by Eric Perrin
Photo by Hannibal Matthews
Y
ou only get one
chance to make a first
impression. So while
the world may have
been introduced to Ridgeway,
South Carolina’s Lil Ru as
the scruffy voice behind the
once ubiquitous “Nasty Song”
and the multitude of amateur music videos the song
spawned, Ru re-iterates he’s
more than just nasty.
“‘The Nasty Song’ was great for my career,”
says Ru. “But I’ve got so much more to my
music. If people pick up my album I think
they’ll be surprised.”
Perhaps they’d also be surprised if they
knew just how hard Ru actually works. The
man is constantly on the road or in the studio, attempting to defy the odds and truly
become the first mainstream rap artist from
South Carolina. And though he is confident
in his craft, the son of S.C. is aware that he
still has much to prove.
Ru admits, “My biggest obstacle is just showing up and proving all my haters wrong.
I’ve got to prove that I’m a solid artist who
deserves to be supported. The main thing
I’m focusing on right now is proving what I
know is true.”
And while the deliverance of his Def Jam debut hasn’t made the impact he would have
liked, Lil Ru’s 21 And Up proves his talents
are far beyond that of a one-hit-wonder.
Spurned by his home state and former business partners, Ru is relying on the music to
make his case—and he is poised to emerge
victorious.
How is life as Lil’ Ru right now?
Life as Lil’ Ru has its ups and downs. Good
moments, bad moments. I’m still in grind
mode, but overall, everything is beautiful
right now. I’m definitely enjoying life.
What’s the biggest obstacle at this point in
your career?
I look at [being a rapper] like being a
basketball player—you go from playing on
the middle school team to varsity to college
ball to NBA. Right now I feel like I just got
drafted to the pros and now I’ve gotta play
with LeBron and the big boys like T.I. and
Wayne. I was playin’ college ball killin’ em,
and now I gotta prove myself to the world. I
got something to prove. As long as I do that,
the sky’s the limit. I’m just gon’ continue to
hit ‘em with those hits.
You’re one of the first artists from South
Carolina that’s been given a substantial opportunity to prove themselves. What was
different about you?
I just took all the negativity and applied that
to my grind. People kept saying we can’t do
it and that South Carolina can’t make it, and I
knew that if you’re constantly making undeniably hot hit records, people gon’ support
no matter where you from. I just kept hitting
‘em with those hits and we’re here now.
OZONE MAG // 53
Would you classify your sound as “South Carolina rap,” or is it unique to
just you?
My whole style is just a mix up of everything. It’s like a gumbo pot, from
“Nasty Song” to “Don’t I Look Good.” If you listen to those two songs, you
won’t even think it’s the same person rapping. I just apply myself to the
track, regardless of it’s my song or [someone else’s]. If I‘m featured on
something I just try to always bring life to whatever I’m doing. I really don’t
have a style, I just do me. We makin’ them hits.
What was it like growing up in Ridgeway, South Carolina?
There was nothing really to look forward to as far as [professional] sports.
Most people grow up with a team, like, if you live in Atlanta you can look
at the Braves or the Falcons and want to grow up and play for them, but in
South Carolina we didn’t have an NBA team, an NFL team, a baseball team,
or even a hockey team. Carolina is really a country place so it was a blessing
for me to be able to rap. Even though it’s real country, Carolina is all love.
How old were you when you started rapping?
I started rapping when I was about 8 years old, but as far as taking it seriously and trying to get paid wit’ it, I’ll say about 15. I had a song called “Will
Destroy” that started me out.
You’ve come a long way since then, especially with “The Nasty Song”
becoming so successful on the charts. When you first made that song did
you think it had commercial potential?
Never! I never even thought “Nasty Song” could be a single, but that just
goes to show that if the streets approve it, radio doesn’t have a choice.
It’s all about creating that foundation. “The Nasty Song”’s [success] was a
shocker to me just because of the content of the song, so it’s amazing, bra.
Why did you shoot so many different videos for “The Nasty Song?” It
seems like a new version comes out every week.
The first one was just some shit out there that they had put together, but
I’ve been pushing this song on an independent level for years, so I did a few
of my own videos and it all just came together at the same time. I would
have to say the BET one is my favorite version because its not as raunchy.
The raunchy one is cool, but that’s getting a little old to me.
I know you’ve got some crazy stories from the road after putting out a
song like that.
Most definitely, man. Night after night it’s been crazy. I had twins kiss each
other in the mouth just because of “The Nasty Song.” One night, I ain’t gon’
front, I probably had about 10 or 15 girls in the room at one time, and I
went through at least half of the team all because of that song. And that
was early, when the song came out, so now I’m at the point where I’m passing ‘em by. [The groupies] are getting old to me, but the shit is crazy.
Damn, 15 chicks? What city was getting down like that?
(laughs) To be all the way real, I was in Augusta, Georgia. I was up there doing a show and it just went down. We took everybody up to the room and
they just went in. It was all kinds of girls in there: military chicks, girls that
ain’t know each other, grown women—they were all just going in.
Being that you’re on the road so much, what cities give you the most
love, besides Augusta?
Definitely the whole state of North Carolina, from Charlotte to Fayetteville.
The entire state as a whole shows me a lot of love. I definitely get the most
love there.
You’ve been signed to quite a few different labels. Can you clarify the
reasons behind the moving around?
Most definitely. I just want people to understand that I’ve been doing this
for a long time and I come from a real independent grind. I’m not just an
overnight rapper that they found on the street corner; none of that. I’ve
been making my face known and proving myself to the world for a long
time. I started out at 15 years old with Elektra, where I got a deal through
Angie Stone. Sylvia Rhone was the first lady to give me a record deal. I got
dropped from [Elektra] and went back independent. After that, a dude from
Baltimore got me a deal with Capitol. Vernon Johnson signed me to a single
deal when I had “Don’t I Look Good,” but about 6 months into my deal Vernon Johnson passed away from a heart attack. Through that situation, I was
dropped again, so I went back to being independent. Then I came out with
“The Nasty Song,” and now I’m signed to Def Jam. We here now!
Okay, not to add fuel to a fire that’s already been burning, but I’ve got to
ask you about the falling out between you and Charlamagne tha God.
54 // OZONE MAG
He’s been pretty vocal about his dislike for you. What’s your side of the
story?
I definitely want to clarify the situation. I don’t have nothing to say to him
because to me it’s more personal. Me and him know more than anybody
else. It’s nothing I want to address in a magazine, a record, or none of that.
He know personally what he did to me, and I know what he did. To keep it
all the way real, it was some fake, tricky contract, fine-print type shit that
has caused me to have to give him a portion of my deal, but you know it’s
nothing. Sometimes you have to take strikes in this game. But everybody
already knows what type of dude Charlamagne is.
You two used to be good friends, right?
Of course, he used to be a friend of mine, so for him to just flip like he did—
money is a powerful thang, man. It’ll make yo mama flip on you, that’s just
how strong it is. When money comes into play you never know how people
gon’ act, because some people ain’t seen certain money before in they life.
So, you say a number to ‘em and you never know what they gon’ do in life.
I’m just gon’ be the bigger man in the situation. I know what I gotta do, I
gotta a whole lot on my back, and Carolina is depending on me. So I can’t
push no negativity, but me and [Charlamagne] personally know that we’ve
got problems till we die. So it is what it is.
There’s no way for y’all to resolve the situation?
No, not unless he gives me my money back and tells me he’s sorry. It would
be all good then, he’d have been a man. But other than that I can’t do nothing for him. I’ll see him when I see him.
What’s the situation with you and Collard Green. Are you two still cool?
Most definitely. Me and Collard Green are always gonna be cool. It’s deeper
than rap with me and some of these dudes. Me and Collard Green got a relationship where I could sleep on his floor while he’s in the bed. We were in
the same studio working since way back. That’s still the homie, that’s always
gon’ be the homie, it’s just that business separates things sometimes. I’m
more focused on my business than anything right now, so I have to separate myself from some people because they aren’t on the same page I’m on.
Aside from music, what other kinds of business are you involved in?
I’m doing everything as a whole, just coming into being a man, finding
myself as a person and just grinding. I’m trying to take control of my life.
Since you had a record deal at 15 years old, what’s the main thing you
wish you had known back then that you’re aware of now?
Really, I just wish I was more mature back then, but at 15 you can only be so
mature. I just wish I would’ve had better guidance and a more solid team
around me. Everything happens for a reason though, because without all
my struggles I wouldn’t be the guy I am today.
What does your day-to-day life consist of?
I definitely stay on the road daily, doing shows up and down the highway. I
basically live on the road and in the studio. This rap life is my life now, it’s all
I got, so I’m basically doing this all the time.
Do you spend any time back home in South Carolina?
Matter of fact, I was in South Carolina yesterday just kickin’ it, but I don’t
really be in the clubs like that right now. There’s just so much tension right
now, I ain’t wit’ that. For me to be the person I’m becoming right now, I’m
trying to stay away from all that, but I definitely will be back. It’s definitely
not a situation of me being afraid, I’m just grinding right now for us as a
whole—they just don’t see it right now. It’s bigger than Lil Ru for real.
Would you say that you’re a victim of the crabs-in-a-barrel syndrome that
plagues a lot of artists from smaller cities?
Everybody always speaks from a standpoint that they’ve never been in,
that’s the thing about it. Everybody’s got a comment, but they never had
a record deal, so how they gon’ tell me how to act? “Naw, you can’t tell me
that. Nigga, you ain’t got nothing!” I think we need more support.
What’s your sales pitch for 21 And Up? Why should people go out and
support your project?
The album is beautiful. I guarantee it’s one of the best albums the world
gon’ hear. I should get a Grammy. It’s crazy. The album is amazing. I call it
21 And Up because it has an older swag to it, but it’s still for everybody. If
you’re struggling, hustling, partying, getting nasty—no matter what you
doing in life, there’s something on this album for you. My second single is
called “Yeah, That’s Money” featuring Rick Ross. 21 And Up is a crazy album,
believe that. It’s food for your soul for real. //
I
n a time when rappers come off more like
movie characters, Freddie Gibbs is reality
TV. Born and raised in Gary, Indiana, Gibbs’
last two mixtapes The Miseducation of Freddie
Gibbs and Midwestboxframecadillacmuzik have
garnered him a buzz amongst fans who have
been yearning for raw rap music in a time where
rap is becoming accepted, to a fault.
“Rap is supposed to be taboo,” says Gibbs,
remembering when he’d have to turn down his
Geto Boys tape when his parents were home.
“The rap now? They’ve WalMart-ed it and made
it accessible to everybody. Everybody can do Hip
Hop, but this gangsta rap is supposed to be in its
own corner.”
It was being on the corner that actually led Gibbs
to become a rapper. Admitting that he never set
out to rap, Gibbs sold local rappers some “inspiration” at his mentor and producer Fingeroll’s
studio. After noticing their missteps, Gibbs
figured trying it for himself wouldn’t be too hard.
Two or three mixtapes later, Gibbs found himself
signed to Interscope Records.
“I was the first nigga out of Gary to get a deal
since Michael Jackson,” he says. “But [the city]
didn’t support me like they should have.”
And neither did Interscope. After shifting their
focus to more pop-oriented music, Gibbs’ fell
out of favor with the label’s brass and his project
was terminated. The windfall that followed is
documented on his song “Close Your Eyes.”
“I stopped rapping,” he states bluntly. “I had a
child on the way, I got back in the streets fullfledged. I went through depression, my girl lost
the baby and I got on those pills hard. I really
wasn’t interested [in rapping]. I’m lucky I had
good friends to keep me interested in music.”
His “comeback” mixtape The Miseducation of
Freddie Gibbs reintroduced him to the rap world
as one of the freshest voices out. Drawing comparisons to everyone from Tupac to Nas to Z-Ro,
Gibbs’ songwriting skills coupled with his own
tailored Midwest flow make him a rare talent.
“I came up listening to quality rap, and that’s
what I want to make,” says Gibbs, who likens
his delivery to putting puzzle pieces together,
trying his best to leave no gaps on the beat. “I
have something to prove every time I get in the
booth. A lot of niggas get in the studio high and
drunk just so they can say ‘I’m a rapper.’ I do this
shit to the best of my ability.”
Patiently
Waiting
Words by Maurice G. Garland
OZONE MAG // 55
W
hile most sons of a tattoo artist
would probably spend their time
getting inked up for free, Yung Ro
instead used his father’s tattoo shop, Black
Pearl, as a springboard for getting into the
music industry. Growing up in St. Louis, MO,
the home of rappers like Nelly and the St. Lunatics, Chingy, and J-Kwon, Yung Ro received
inspiration from rappers that walked in and
out of his father’s tattoo shop. Watching them,
he knew exactly what he wanted to do with
his life.
“Black Pearl has been here for a good 15
years,” Ro starts. “When I was younger everyone who is anyone came to my father’s shop
to get tattoos. Nelly, the St. Lunatics, basically
everyone. Just hearing them talk about the
business made me want to do it more and
more. And now here I am.”
Working with his father’s industry connects as
well as his developing his own, Ro created a
certified frenzy around his movement and hit
song “Donk That.” Produced by the Track Boyz,
(who produced Nelly’s “Air Force Ones), “Donk
That” already chartered at #3 on the Billboard
Single Sales chart, and its catchy lyrics and
thumping beat made it a favorite amongst
YouTube users looking to prove they know
exactly how to “donk that.” With the single still
bubbling, Ro has added yet another leg to the
project by pulling in Chingy and City Spud on
the official remix.
“Donk Dat is really a song for women to dance
to and men to enjoy,” claims the young rapper.
“Now that I have added Chingy and City Spud
to it, the song can only get better.”
To follow up, Yung Ro’s second single, “Runway
Chick” from his debut album The Rising Son is
yet another ode to women. With multiple pots
in the fire, this 18-year-old rapper/CEO and
owner of Black Pearl Entertainment, which
already has a quality roster in solo artist Nu
Money and the duo Mookie and Buddha,
plans to take his career and business to a
higher level.
“I’m always going to be at the tattoo shop
because that’s where it all started,” claims
Yung Ro. “But it’s just different now since
people come in to see me [too, not] just to get
tattoos.”
Words by Lola Sims
Photo by John Hennecke
56 // OZONE MAG
Patiently
Waiting
Patiently
Waiting
“I
t doesn’t matter where you’re from,”
says the soft-spoken native of a
small town called Grambling, LA. “It’s
the effort you put into it.”
Over the last several years, Louisiana Cash
(otherwise known as Ca$h) has put in double
the footwork of the average rapper coming
from a major market. Whether he’s passing out
mixtapes, traveling to industry events, opening
shows, or just parking lot promoting, “C.A. Dollar”
makes every effort count. And even though his
grassroots hustle spread throughout Dallas,
Shreveport, parts of Kentucky, and beyond, the
hometown hero never denies his origins, even
though he’s often mistaken as a Dallas artist.
“I made ‘Walk Wit a Dip’ after I had put out like
5 or 6 singles that just weren’t catching on,” he
explains, of his current single. “The DJs in Dallas really picked up on it first before it spread
back home to Louisiana, and then it spread to
Kentucky.”
Through lots of trial and error, Cash finally
entered the Billboard charts. With the help of his
management team, Hustle Fam Music Group,
and ISG Ent., the indie label he’s been with since
leaving his former rap group, Cash recently shot
a video for “Walk Wit a Dip” and secured a major
deal with Jive Records.
“This wasn’t an overnight process,” Cash recalls.
“Coming from a small area, there’s not really a
market [there] so I had to do extra work.” With
everything he’s learned thus far, Cash knows that
having a recording contract is only a stepping
stone, not the ultimate destination. Prior to planning for his debut album, Cash is concentrating
on showing his full range of talent by introducing more music to his fans.
Mixtapes with DJ Chuck T and DJ Smallz are currently in the works. His D.O.D. (Death of Dance)
mixtape with Smallz makes a bold statement
considering the popularity of his radio single.
“The dance movement is oversaturated,” he
claims. “We’ve gotta go back to making that
good music, because that’s the only way to
build.” And even though he has girls “Walkin’ Wit
a Dip” throughout the South and Southwest,
Cash doesn’t want to be known as a dancerapper.
“When I first made ‘Walk Wit a Dip,’ it wasn’t a
dance – I don’t really dance,” he says. “I’m happy
it caught on, but it’s more to my music than that.
I want people to buy into my story.”
Coming from his modest beginnings in North
Louisiana, Cash’s childhood aspirations of stardom are materializing day by day – it’s a classic
rags-to-riches story he hopes will encourage
others. “I got a story just like every other nigga
comin’ from the projects, raised by a single parent,” he acknowledges. “I want to tell people to
keep pushin’, keep movin’ forward, and anything
can happen.”
Words by Ms. Rivercity
Photo by Sketch
OZONE MAG // 57
Patiently
Waiting
S
hanell Woodgette already has a long
résumé. Although the girl tagged as the
“softer, sweeter side of Young Money” isn’t
the type to brag, as a dancer, choreographer and
songwriter, she’s already worked with the likes of
Ne-Yo, Kelis and Danity Kane, all before signing
her deal with Young Money/Universal Motown.
Now that she has joined Weezy’s Young Mula
movement, Shanell a.k.a. SnL (an acronym for
“Shut up n Listen”), is poised to present the world
with a zest of music. “I’m an 80’s baby, and I listen
to Method Man, the whole Wu-Tang, Nas and
Biggie,” she begins. “But I also listen to Cyndi Lauper, Madonna and Prince. When I’m in the studio,
a fusion of those sounds just happen. I think [my
music] is gonna be new, fresh and dope.”
Born in Springfield, MA, Shanell, along with her
mother and younger sister (former Danity Kane
member D. Woods), relocated to Atlanta shortly
after the Summer Olympics in 1996. The two sisters were enrolled at Tri Cities Performing Arts, a
high school that produced talented entertainers
like rap duo Outkast, comedian Kenan Thompson and singer/songwriter Kandi Burruss. The
school helped the Woodgette girls sculpt their
58 // OZONE MAG
passion for entertainment.
D. Woods went on to make Diddy’s band, while
Shanell’s entertainment career began as a dancer. “I’ve always done everything, but dancing is
what I started doing professionally first,” says
Shanell, who has danced and choreographed for
Ne-Yo, The Game, Snoop Dogg and Bow Wow. “I
learned a lot because I saw more than an artist
that starts off being an artist.”
In addition to dancing, she penned songs for Kelis, One Chance and Danity Kane, but still had an
unyielding desire to be a recording artist. After
meeting Mr. Carter while on the road with Ne-Yo,
SnL finally got the break she was waiting for.
the YM emblem. She wrote and was featured
on “Prom Queen,” the first single off Wayne’s
forthcoming rock album Rebirth. She toured and
performed on both the I Am Music and America’s
Most Wanted tours.
Her recently released Taste of Shanell mixtape has
given listeners an appetizer for her free spirit and
carefree musical persona, most notably on the
remake of Eddie Murphy’s “Party All The Time”
with former Danity Kane bad girl Aubrey O’Day.
She’s in the process of helping to complete Rebirth and her crew’s Young Money compilation,
and with her chance to finally have the spotlight;
she vows to go where other females in her lane
won’t.
“I met Wayne on tour. I was actually dancing for
Ne-Yo at the time, but I was so serious about
my music,” Shanell remembers. “[I] was trying
to play music for everybody. I played my stuff
for [Wayne] and he was like, ‘Well, what do you
wanna do? You wanna dance or you wanna
sing?,’” she says, imitating Lil Wayne’s voice. “I was
like, ‘I really wanna sing.’”
“I haven’t seen a fun female [artist] in a long
time,” she says. “It’s okay to have fun. It’s okay
to wild out sometimes. You don’t have to be so
uptight and perfect all the time, and as far as
the lyrical content of my music, that’s what I talk
about. It’s those things that other females are
scared to talk about or admit.”
Shanell’s career came full circle since donning
Words by Randy Roper
Photo by Allen Cooley
Patiently
Waiting
T
he first time Mike Bless jumped on a
track, his ability to tell a story caught the
attention of everyone in the room and
rightfully earned him his stage name. Ever since
then he’s been blessing tracks and riding his way
straight to the top. With stops that include a daily
grind, mixtapes, and a deal with Slip-N-Slide
Records, life is truly working out for the 25-yearold up-and-coming rapper. Now as the newest
signee to one of Miami’s most powerful labels,
he’s ready to show and prove. “I have always
done what I had to do to make things work,”
Bless starts. “I go hard like this because I know no
one’s going to push me or my music like I can.”
along the Gulf Coast,” claims Bless. “I’ve worked
hard to build up my following and flood those
areas with my music. It feels good to know that
people know some of my songs word-for-word
out there.”
Originally from Akron, OH, before claiming new
residence in Pensacola, FL, this young rapper
had every intention of creating his own lane.
That lane now reaches far along the Gulf Coast
and beyond. “Right now I’m really known all
After winning the first step of the contest he was
invited to Miami for the finals, and once again
won out over the competition and awed the
labels executives. Slip-N-Slide immediately decided they wanted him to be a part of their team.
Aiding his quest to widen his following is the
recent signing with Slip-N-Slide Records. What
started out as an opportunity to participate in
a Slip-N-Slide sponsored talent contest, quickly
turned into a worthwhile break for Bless. Taking
to the stage to perform his street single “Wham,”
he thoroughly impressed the judges, and the
crowd was already familiar with the record.
Now with dry ink on the contracts, Mike Bless
has a six-album deal with SNS Records.
“My first official single with Slip-N-Slide is
called ‘Do It Like This,’” starts Bless. “It’s nothing
like what I’m known for but it can be played
anywhere. It’s international. You can play it in a
white club or a black club and people are going
to feel it.”
Bless is preparing for his newest mixtape release
2 Sides 2 My Story and a promotional tour starting
this fall. He hopes that on his way to the masses,
blessings will come every step of the way, and
adds, “I know if other people can make it out of
Akron and new artists can make an impact in
music, so can I.”
Words by Lola Sims
Photo by Corey Knight
OZONE MAG // 59
Patiently
Waiting
T
he Paper Route Gangstaz are polite
Southern gentlemen who regularly roll
from hood to hood to spread awareness
about their music and product. Despite their
kind mannerisms and likeable swag, however,
there are certain times when the rap crew could
be flat-out rude to consumers.
“If somebody calls my phone saying, ‘Yo, got
some of that OG Kush?,’ [then] I’m hanging up
the phone because shit - I don’t even know what
that is, as far as I’m concerned,” explains group
member, Mata. “But if my dude hits me up and
be like, ‘What up, man? Is Keyshia over there?’
[Then I’ll say] ‘Yeah, she over here. Come on over.
Come get you a CD.’ That’s good trap etiquette.”
The Hip Hop quartet (also comprised of Dawgy
Baggz, Jhi-Ali and Gunt) is referencing “Keyshia
Cole,” the hypnotic single from their EP Rocket
Fuel that both praises the R&B superstar and
serves as slang for marijuana. While that song is
carrying the group into the mainstream, they’ve
been patiently waiting for that jetpack over nine
years.
Originally launched in 2000 as a collaboration
60 // OZONE MAG
between prominent artists in the Huntsville music scene, they settled on the name Paper Route
Gangstaz and put a grimy spin on a popular job
description.
national,” Mata says. Dawgy Baggz continues,
“I think any artist that is trying to do their thing
needs a bigger machine in order to reach different parts of the country.”
“It’s like the paperboy. He deals his route every
morning throwing out papers [and] he goes back
to collect his money. That’s what we were doing,”
Dawgy Baggz says, convincingly. “We were on
our paper route, throwing out our inventory,
came back and got our pay.”
Now the energetic four-piece wrecking machine
is prepping the release of Rocket Fuel, a six-track
offering that boasts bangers including the kidfriendly car delight “Woodgrain,” the hometown
anthem “Bama Getting Money” and of course,
the infamous “Keyshia Cole.” And unlike other
collections on the market, the Paper Route
Gangstaz heavily emphasize their hardnosed
lifestyle.
While they achieved underground success with
“Lacs & Prices” featuring a pre-superstar T.I. in
2001, the PRGz would spend the next seven
years re-configuring their lineup, releasing music
through Dawgy’s Paper Route Recordz, and selling inventory out of the trunk.
But when they released their DJ Benzi and Diplo
crafted mixtape Fear & Loathing In Hunts Vegas,
their trunk became empty rather quickly. That
led to a deal with E1 Entertainment.
“We just got too big for ourselves, for real. We
had places we couldn’t even supply. The demand
was getting real major, so we had to take it
“It ain’t like nobody else is speaking on,” Mata
says. “We go more in-depth on the subject. You
just can’t just look at a trap nigga and then find
out all that stuff. You gotta actually be up on that
thing.”
The Paper Route Gangstaz are honest men. Just
don’t ask them for any OG Kush.
Words by Bear Frazer
Photo by Chris Dowdell
Patiently
Waiting
T
he phrase “less is more” clearly doesn’t
describe this Dallas duo known for the
song “Mr. Hit Dat Hoe.” Essentially a twoman group, Dallas natives Treal Lee and Prince
Rick drew more attention to themselves when
they added the entertaining antics of Mr. Hit Dat
Hoe to their equation. Known for his involvement in the local dance clubs, Kedrick Wilson,
newly known as Mr. Hit Dat Hoe, put boogie
dance moves to Treal and Rick’s lyrics, and soon
they were dominating YouTube and Myspace.
“I was in the clubs, dancing and whatnot, building a name for myself,” Ked explains. “They felt I
could contribute to the group as an entertainer.”
Soon after they began working with Mr. Hit Dat
Hoe, Treal and Prince coined a song after him,
and it caught on regionally.
eo, just a homemade display of Mr. Hit Dat Hoe’s
jiggin’ abilities. But it was enough to get people
talking, especially those who didn’t understand
the concept behind “Hit Dat Hoe.” “It’s not about
domestic violence,” Ked clarifies. “It’s Dallas slang
for doin’ your thang.”
“It happened kinda fast,” Prince Rick recalls. “We
were sittin’ around and I was like, ‘We need to get
on YouTube.’ We went out in front of my house
and made a video. Days later the radio station
was announcing all the websites we was on. It
was a trip.”
Although this song initiated their national
launch, Treal Lee and Prince Rick have a
consistent track record of Texas club hits. After
leaving behind their high school rap group The
Pawn Shop Boys, Treal and Prince eventually got
serious with their careers when their first single
“Bad Lil Braud” took off in 2008. Later that year,
Treal Lee was featured on Young T’s “Work That
Lumba,” another song rotating in the DFW area.
Keeping the momentum going, Treal and Prince
released “Get Off Me Now” in early 2009.
The video Rick refers to isn’t an official music vid-
Now with shows being booked, radio stations
adding them, and Collipark Music recently signing the group, Treal and Prince, along with their
sidekick Mr. Hit Dat Hoe, are ready for their shot.
Their immediate future involves recording more
songs, supplying their internet fan base, and
expanding the awareness of their music. Not to
be confused as dance rappers, Treal and Prince
have a broad group of supporters that like their
upbeat energy.
“When you’re in the club you wanna enjoy yourself. You don’t wanna mope around being sober,”
Kedrick says. Furthering this concept, Treal Lee
adds, “We don’t really dance, we just have fun.
We do us, and make good music.”
Words by Ms. Rivercity
Photo by Juicy Graphix
OZONE MAG // 61
Patiently
Waiting
“I
’m the lyrical guy that makes dope
club records,” Kentucky native
Kasanova says. With a blend of witty
wordplay and marketable swag, Nova broke
ground in the Louisville scene a couple years ago
and became one to watch in his hometown.
During high school, Nova took his poetry writing
skills in a new direction after being introduced
to Hip Hop wordsmiths like Ras Kass. A few
years later he left college and was fully involved
in making music, having completed a couple
independent albums. His work soon captured
the interest of Heavy Hitter DJ E-Feezy. With the
assistance of this influential supporter, Kasanova
released The Lu-Breeze mixtape with DJ Khaled
in 2007, followed by Nova The Vicious with DJ
Drama in early 2009. To date, Nova’s most popular record has been “Chain Swang,” featuring
Gorilla Zoe.
62 // OZONE MAG
“I ran into Gorilla Zoe at the OZONE Awards last
year,” Nova explains, of the collaboration. “We
had met a couple months prior to that, so he was
already gonna do a record for me.” “Chain Swang”
was an automatic hit.
Now that the song has solidified him in his
region and is picking up in various locations
nationwide, Nova is taking the necessary steps
to branch out. While focusing on his growth, he
says, “My next step is getting on the road and
branding my face, name, and songs all together.
The main thing I want is to make history; to leave
a mark and have a following.”
To appease his growing fanbase, Kasanova is
currently recording his debut album Mama’s
Basement, an ode to starting at the bottom and
working his way up. Presently Nova has been
offered a few major label situations, but nothing
that he’s chosen to accept. “I wanna make sure
I get the right deal,” he says. “You don’t wanna
jump on the first thing that comes along and
end up getting a slave deal.”
When it comes to the tone of his music, Nova
says, “I wanted to show people that you don’t
have to be a gangster; you don’t have to talk
about slangin’ drugs; you don’t have to be the
biggest baller. You can just make great music, be
yourself, and still be successful.”
Coming from a less-than-recognized market Nova describes as tough to succeed in,
he’s proud of achieving a sizeable audience.
“Kentucky is definitely a tough crowd,” he adds
triumphantly, “but once you got ‘em they stick
with you.”
Words by Ms. Rivercity
Photo by Quinest Harrington
“I
feel like it’s a good time for me to identify
myself,” Bola says, of the development of
her solo career. As one half of the female
duo Xtaci, the Atlanta femcee has been making
strides alongside her group-mate Sunshine since she
was 15 years old.
“We met Tip, Jason Geter, and the whole Grand Hustle
in 2000,” she explains, recalling how Xtaci got signed
to T.I. and Jason Geter’s label. “In the midst of meeting
them, we were doin’ talent shows and things like that.
We just clicked and became family.”
Though Bola admits Xtaci wasn’t at their peak skill
level at that time, Tip saw potential in the girls and
put them in the studio, which back then was located
in a small Atlanta apartment. Bola says T.I. became
her mentor, and with his guidance Xtaci’s craft
improved. Through trial and error they found their
own voice and soon their music was initiated in the
underground scene via DJ Drama and P$C mixtape
features. A few of their songs made it to the radio,
and the name Xtaci was commonly known in their
hometown, but it wasn’t enough for Bola.
As the label’s roster grew, Xtaci took a backseat to artists like Young Dro, Big Kuntry, and Yung LA. Sunshine
recently became a mother, and the group was put
on hold temporarily. Bola explains, “People looked
at us as, ‘That’s just a group on Grand Hustle’, and I
couldn’t let that happen. I took it upon myself to keep
grinding and keep our name strong so people don’t
forget.”
Branching outside of her immediate circle, Bola is currently working with her own management team, one
she feels is devoted to her vision. “I wanted to show
Jason that I could be more of a priority, even if I was
doing my own thing,” she says proudly.
Still affiliated with Grand Hustle, Bola spends a majority of her time recording with her labelmates, including Yung LA, who is featured on her current single
“Everyday.” The song, which originally belonged
to L.A. before Bola added her lyrics and he offered
her ownership, is doing well for her. The video for
“Everyday” recently hit the net, spreading throughout
all the popular blog sites, and introducing Bola, a.k.a.
Black Betty Boop, to the Hip Hop community.
To back up her single, the first lady of Grand Hustle
is covering all her bases with a new mixtape entitled
Jus Gettin Started. Though she’s far from a new-comer
in the rap game, Bola’s identity outside of Xtaci is just
now beginning to surface. It’s a transformation she’s
excited about. “It took both of our strong personalities to make up Xtaci,” she adds, “and I’m looking
forward to lettin’ people see who I am.”
Words by Ms. Rivercity
Photo by Wiggins Studio
Hair Stylist Sonya Marie
Patiently
Waiting
OZONE MAG // 63
Patiently
Waiting
A
lthough a lot of us would like to believe
Hip Hop is universal, it’s not. Like any
other business, it’s all about location,
location, location. And like most up-and-coming
artists seeking to make it in this industry, Mississippi native Korleon moved to Atlanta.
“Where I come from, there isn’t really a market.
The only really successful person to come out of
Jackson [Mississippi] was David Banner. It’s not a
lot of people who come through there,” Korleon
explains. “You can get a record on the radio with
two or three hundred spins but it doesn’t mean
anything.”
As frustrating as it was for Korleon, he had no
choice but to move to Atlanta. Then, he opened
up his own recording studios—one in Atlanta
and another in Mississippi. This allowed him the
flexibility needed to record. “Once I got to Atlanta, I started noticing how Jeezy, Yo Gotti, and
Gucci Mane were taking advantage of the mix-
64 // OZONE MAG
tape game,” he revealed. “I started to also check
for the DJs that were doing these mixtapes.”
Juiceman, Playaz Circle and Lil Boosie, and went
from being nobody to becoming somebody.
Shortly thereafter, Korleon started his own label,
Rich Boy Entertainment. He recorded over 400
songs and released three mixtapes: one with
the Trap-A-Holics, one with DJ Black Bill Gates,
and Southern Ambassadors with Bohagon. While
reaching out to whomever he could to collaborate with, Korleon learned fast that all that glitters is not gold. “There are a lot of DJs that take
advantage of hungry, up-and-coming artists,” he
admits. “They’ll say ‘I’ll host your mixtape,’ they’ll
harass you until they get you to commit. They’ll
get their money and send you back a mixtape
with a bunch of drops and that’s it.”
As Korleon continues to pave the way for himself,
he has also recruited several artists from Mississippi to his label. “If I can help somebody [else],
I’m good with that too,” he explains. “You’ll never
know where that can take you.”
As aggravating as it seems, Korleon says he
still owes all of his success to the DJs who have
supported his music. “This time last year nobody
even knew who I was,” he points out. Within one
year, Korleon had singles with Bohagan, OJ Da
Even if it is taking the music industry mixtape
by mixtape, he is still living out his passion as
he continues to grow as an artist, producer and
CEO. With his lessons learned, he is able to relay
the message to other artists in Mississippi and
continue to create opportunities that were never
given. “When I came up, there were no outlets,”
he begins. “Now I am the outlet. And I don’t
have to pay nobody to do it either. I can do it all
myself.”
Words by Lexilex
Photo by Diwang Valdez
W
ith a current lack of male vocalists making a
splash in rhythm and blues, Young Joe has realized that the beautiful genre is yearning for a
new voice to follow and believes he can be that new voice.
In fact, the singer aspires to be the “Future of R&B” and
has all the tools necessary to make that objective come to
fruition; a deal with 2 Pistols’ label Bloody Money Union,
charming vocals that pierces a female’s heart, and youthful
looks. After all, he’s only 20 years old.
There was a time, however, when Young Joe felt conflicted.
The Tampa, Florida-bred artist always enjoyed freestyling with his friends and even had childhood dreams of
becoming an NBA superstar. Then one day, when he was
14, he changed his tune just for the ladies. “I started singing just to impress the girls. From there, I kinda took it to
a whole other level,” he explains. “When I performed in
front of my middle school and high school, I realized it was
something I wanted to do a little bit more.”
Though Young Joe had the opportunity to play college
hoops after graduating from Tampa’s Alonso High School
in 2007, he opted to focus on a music career instead and
stayed nose deep in the songwriting grind.
A year later, the singer had a smash record on his hands
called “Lights Low” that he shopped around to various
industry folks. Chaka Zulu, the manager for Ludacris, heard
the track and was instantly mesmerized. “He wanted to
purchase the record for Ludacris, but we didn’t go through
with that,” Joe says, “because there was slight chance I
would’ve came off the record.”
Young Joe ultimately linked up with fellow Tampa artist
2 Pistols in December 2008, sold him the track and sang
on the hook. “The deal was a little sweeter to stay on the
record and do a deal with 2 Pistols,” the 20-year-old says.
“I was looking for a deal at the time and that worked out
pretty well for me.” He signed to 2 Pistols’ Blood Money
Union, which is distributed through Cash Money/Universal.
The first project to come from this Florida alliance is the
Lights Low Mixtape Volume 1, a 20-track collection that
equally features 2 Pistols’ sex-crazed lyricism and Joe’s
sensual vocals, as demonstrated on the young stunner’s
supportive single “What You Need.” The crooner describes
his offering as “kinda like a best of both worlds. We got me
and 2P, and you get the best R&B and rap.”
While the future of R&B may be uncertain, Young Joe is
confident that his musical abilities will make him the new
voice to follow and for that, he’s grateful he stuck to the
beautiful vocal genre as oppose to rapping or playing pro
ball. Anyway, women dig singers more. “I don’t know if
they prefer it,” he starts to say, “but I can tell you I get more
reaction from the girls than the rappers, basketball players
and the athletes [do].”
Words by Bear Frazer
Patiently
Waiting
OZONE MAG // 65
Patiently
Waiting
T
o most Carolinians, when Lil Brod’s single
“Do U Mind” started getting played by
every DJ in South Carolina, the Columbia,
SC rapper seemingly came out of nowhere. But
contrary to popular belief, Brod was laying his
groundwork years before “Do U Mind” became a
regional hit.
He began recording and releasing his music on
a street level at 13. At 15, he hooked up the local
rapper Jay Pacino, who had already built his buzz
in the city and featured Brod on a song called
“We Gon Be G’s.” The song received a few radio
spins, but it was enough to peak the young rapper’s interested in the music business.
“I was on the radio at 15, going to school,” he
remembers. “Ever since that day, once I saw how
fast everything could happen, I told myself I’ma
do this all the way to the T. This is what I love to
do, and I see you can get money from something
66 // OZONE MAG
you love to do, so I just went all the way in.”
He went on to release an independent project
called Vicissitude, featuring the single “Sometimes I” that caught the street’s attention. “When
I dropped that song, they didn’t know I could
come like that,” he boasts. “Once everybody got
on it, that was a street bumper right there.”
Despite his modest street buzz, Brod’s name was
still a relative unknown to the vast majority in his
city, but that would soon change. After hearing
a beat that would later become “Do U Mind,” he
took the track to SC producer 9 Million (Lil Ru’s
“Nasty Song”), who immediately saw the potential in the record. “I let 9 Mill hear it, and he said,
‘We can take this track, we can redo it way better
than it is,’” Brod says, recalling their conversation.
“At first I thought it wasn’t going to work cause I
was on some street [music]. But [we] gave it a try
and it took off.”
From there, “Do U Mind” became a regional hit,
and Lil Brod signed an independent deal with 9
Million’s Head Hunter Records through his own
No Sleep imprint. As they wait on the right major
label situation, his music, including his latest
single “Babygirl” featuring R&B singer Sammie,
continues to be a mainstay in the streets and on
radio, while he finishes up a mixtape entitled Key
2 The City, hosted by DJ B-Lord.
“In a six month period [my] whole life changed
from not knowing what was going to go on one
day to the next day [knowing] I’m good,” he says.
“Patiently Waiting, that’s the perfect title for
everything. The streets been on me, it was just
[about getting] the corporate people on me. And
I guess it worked.”
Words by Randy Roper
Photo by Clevis Harrison
“W
e like your music, but we don’t
think a white Southern rapper
would work.” These were the
words that put so much doubt in Question’s mind
that the 17-year-old left his group and stopped
rapping altogether. Prior to the nationwide success
of Paul Wall and Bubba Sparxxx, there weren’t many
record labels willing to take a risk on a Caucasian
rapper from Texas, so Question temporarily abandoned his rap dreams and joined the military.
“I got back into rapping by accident,” he begins.
“When I got out of the military, I went to music engineering school in California, and I started managing
a group.” During his behind-the-scenes ventures,
Question interned with Rafael Saadiq and made a
lot of connections he was using to help his band get
on. It was one of these connections that overheard
Question freestyling and took him to JR Rotem,
which eventually led to a major deal through Sony/
Epic Records.
With his newfound interest in Hip Hop, Question hit
the studio full force, producing numerous mixtapes.
In 2007, he released the San Antonio classic “Riding
So Slow” featuring Sean Kingston, Bun B, as well as
fellow San Antonio artist Kyle Lee. The record gained
traction throughout Texas and beyond, landing
Question a deal with Sony.
Question had some later success with his Gucci
Mane assisted single “That Boy Bad,” which is still a
fan favorite at his shows. But it was a dance record
that brought Question the most mainstream attention and ultimately caused a rift between him and
his label.
“’Dance Like a White Boy’ was a joke I never meant
to get out,” he says. “But the label heard it, remixed it
with a new beat, and put it out.” The song went to #1
on San Antonio radio and spread throughout parts
of Alabama and Kentucky, but Question did not support the record, or the new direction his label was
pushing him to go. “That’s not the type of artist I am,”
he emphasizes.
As Question left Sony, he was able to take advantage
of a loophole in his contract to maintain ownership
of his masters. In order to capitalize from the music
he’s already made, including songs he acquired
from the label as well as new recordings, Question is
releasing an album independently called Rehab.
“I never got into this for the money,” Question
explains. “Of course I have kids and I want to be
successful, but it’s a passion.” Eventually he plans to
explore marketing and management, saying, “I’m
gonna be involved with music in some way for the
rest of my life. It’s just what I do.” No questions about
it.
Words by Ms. Rivercity
Photo by Chris Morales
Patiently
Waiting
OZONE MAG // 67
S
pearheading her own movement that she
affectionately refers to as “Yummy Pop,”
Muffy is far from your run-of-the-mill music
artist. Combining the genres of Pop and Hip
Hop into what she deems as a sound that’s so
“delectable, tempting, and fun” that people will
be clamoring for more, her outlook on music is as
original as they come. Energetic as she is talented,
her style and musical taste have often led to her
being described as the black Cindy Lauper, or
better yet, the black Gwen Stefani. While some
people may dwell on these references, Muffy does
the total opposite and instead chooses to do her
and create her own lane. “To me, I’ve always been
a star,” claims Muffy. “I’m just extra, not on purpose
though. It’s really just me.”
Originally a New Jersey native before moving
to Atlanta, thanks to parents who were a little
more than just musically inclined, Muffy has been
around music since childhood. While her father
played the bass, her mother sang back up for the
legendary George Clinton and kept a young Muffy
in studio sessions. Even with musical influences
surrounding her, it wasn’t until five years ago that
she woke up one day and decided that she wanted
to try music. Claiming she was “bad” at first, Muffy
eventually found her own lane, which turned out
to be only half of the battle.
“Once I started doing my demos, I had to get them
out,” starts Muffy. “I really didn’t want to just walk
up to people and say, ‘Here’s my demo,’ but one of
my friends told me to give one to Coach K when
we saw him out and I just did. Two days later he
called me and we got to work.”
With Coach K, who managed Young Jeezy’s career
throughout the early years, Muffy knew she was
on the right path. With a strong belief in her music,
and a continuous grind, Muffy has been able to
propel herself into a position as an artist to watch.
Now backed by super producer Bangladesh, her
signature colored hair is not the only thing that will
make her stand out from the crowd. “I’m focused
on pushing away from the standard,” Muffy starts. “I
just want to make good fun music.”
As her venture with Bangladesh Productions/
EmanonMusiq develops, Muffy’s latest song “Get
Um Girls” featuring Gucci Mane is expected to hit
the airwaves soon.
“I’m excited about everything that’s happening for
me,” says Muffy. “I got some big things coming and
I just can’t wait for things to take off.”
Words by Lola Sims
Photo by The Horner Bros
68 // OZONE MAG
Patiently
Waiting
Patiently
Waiting
F
rom Slauson Ave in Los Angeles to Nostrand
Ave in Brooklyn, there are many streets that
Hip Hop has made synonymous with rough
living. Rappers shouting out their street on records and
backing it up with tales of poverty and crime has to
do wonders for their city’s tourism industry. And even
though Atlanta rapper Pill’s debut mixtape 4180: The
Prescription pays homage to one of his old addresses,
the name of the street isn’t one you should expect him
to recite too often.
“I stayed on 4180 Cant Street,” he grins with a tinge of
disbelief in his face. “Ain’t that fucked up? Ain’t that
some governmental bullshit? You gotta come home
from school to Cant Street. That’s some dirty shit.”
Ever since he picked up a microphone, it’s been
tragedies like that Pill has worked to expose, even in
the midst of living through them. Bouncing all around
Atlanta as a child, Pill lived the life of an Army brat without the passport stamps. With his mother battling drug
addiction, his older siblings staying in the grasp of the
penile system and none of his family members wanting
to shelter him for too long, football and music were
the only sanctuaries Pill had. Equally passionate about
both, he elected to pass up a couple football scholarships at small colleges and pursue rap as a member of
Killer Mike’s Grind Time Rap Gang collective.
“But I was still out here trapping,” says Pill, shaking his
head. “I’d be on stage with Killer and Devin the Dude
one night, and the next, I’m right back in the trap. I
started thinking, ‘What the fuck am I doing?’ I had to
look myself in the mirror and ask myself if this is what I
wanted to do. If I don’t swing the bat, I won’t get a hit.”
That moment of clarity led Pill to begin recording his
own mixtape 4180: The Prescription. Powered by his
video single “Trap Goin’ Ham” the mixtape is being recognized as one of the rawest efforts from a new Atlanta
artist in years. Using a diverse palette of production
and key beat jacking as his backdrop, Pill is reintroducing Southern lyricism with a very direct street edge,
reminiscent of a Trap Muzik-era T.I.
“It all goes back to beats and rhymes, so I kept it simple.
I put some hot shit on some hot beats,” says Pill, of the
mixtape that has had major labels and high profile producers and artists itching to work with him ever since.
“It was a breath of fresh air. A lot of rappers got in [the
game] and shot up real fast, but I was staying down for
what I believe. I had to display my talent and let people
know I’m versatile and give them a cup of water to help
them survive.”
Hoping to capitalize off his buzz, Pill is following up
with a second mixtape 4075: The Refill that promises to
shatter any mentions of a “sophomore jinx.”
Words by Maurice G. Garland
Photo by Diwang Valdez
OZONE MAG // 69
C
arol City is known for a lot of things. The notorious Miami ‘hood has been name-dropped
by many artists hailing from the Sunshine
State, and Rick Ross’ group Triple C’s – a.ka. Carol City
Cartel - hails from the area. Most people are already
familiar with the trio, consisting of Ross, Torch, and
GunPlay, but recently a new face appeared alongside
the original members – Young Breed.
Officially inducted into Triple C’s when Maybach Music
inked an imprint deal with Def Jam, Breed had been
working with the group, as well as other South Florida
rappers, for a lengthy amount of time. “We’ve been
grindin’ in the streets,” he says. “I was building a mixtape buzz all throughout Florida and Georgia. I been
doin’ a lot of features with GunPlay, Torch and Ross.”
One of Breed’s most widespread features was a
collaboration with Desloc called “Make Sum Room”
produced by Gorilla Tek. With the support of Tony
Neal and The CORE DJs, the record became popular
enough to take Breed on a club tour throughout
South Florida, parts of Georgia, South Carolina, and
North Carolina. It was one of several street singles for
the young rapper. He says, “Another big record I had
was ‘Real Niggas’ featuring Brisco and Iceberg. The
remix to that was big too.”
While doing his own thing, he remained in connection
with Ross’ and the group, and when the timing was
right, he joined their movement. Appearing in recent
Triple C’s videos and the current single “Go,” Breed is
becoming more recognizable to the public, bringing a
noticeable change.
“I feel like I bring that whole new vibe,” Breed explains
of his contribution to Triple C’s. “It’s that young
generation, that new money. Everything evolves and
changes with time. We’re a brand new label – Maybach Music, and it’s with Def Jam so it’s a new look.”
The group’s album Custom Cars & Cycles is in stores
now, and things have come full circle for the Carol City
native. “For me it’s just the struggle,” he says, of his
motivation for making music. “I been grindin’ in the
streets, gettin’ it.”
Once shaped by his less-than-desirable environment,
but always interested in music, Breed was able to turn
things around into something positive. He explains,
“I chose to focus more on my music, so I applied my
hustle skills to music.”
Influenced by Miami heavyweights like Ross, JT
Money, Trick Daddy, and Piccalo, Breed is inspired to
have a lasting impact. “I’m real young so I’m lookin’
for longevity,” he says. While Young Breed may be the
new generation, he’s hoping to leave his mark on the
next generation.
Words by Ms. Rivercity
Photo by Lisa Lisa
70 // OZONE MAG
Patiently
Waiting
Patiently
Waiting
W
ise men have always said, “Timing
is everything,” and that couldn’t be
truer for Memphis’ own Paid Respect
Eastside Promoting Swag Stupid a.k.a. “The
P.R.E.P.S.” The trio of Freestyle, Polo Richie, and
‘NSane the Freshman was in the right place at
the right time when they saw rapper Kia Shine at
the barbershop.
“We ran into him at the barbershop and we
asked him to listen to our music. He didn’t even
want to give us back our CD,” Freestyle recalls.
“At the time, they had a record called ‘All We Do
is Get Money,’ and it was really hot,” interjects
Kia Shine. Before then, the P.R.E.P.S. were just
three solo artists who had created a hot record.
It was Kia Shine’s idea to formulate the trio into a
group. “People were coming up to the truck asking me, ‘Shine, is this new music yours? and I was
like ‘No, it’s theirs’,” Shine says.
Shortly after meeting up with Kia Shine, the trio
officially became a group. “Instead of us coming
up with a name, the name sort of came to us,”
Polo Richie explains. “We’re from East Memphis.
We have our own trend and our own style.”
However, their style is in no comparison to
anybody else that’s from Memphis. Their music is
fresh, innovative, and within its own genre. “You
wouldn’t even think it’s the same group,” explains
Kia Shine. “They’re not just artists, they’re producers as well. They have a little more substance
than those who compare them to other artists.”
Within ten months of recording as a group,
the trio has a new video debuting on MTV for
their single “White Vee.” They even have a major
mixtape dropping called First Semester with Don
Cannon. “As far as music is concerned, we’re taking everybody back to the basics,” says Shine.
together, their music has developed over time.
Freestyle and Polo Richie sold beats under their
production team BNR and ‘N Sane the Freshman was previously known as “East Memphis.”
Together, the trio offers a brand new sound that
has its own flavor of fusion. “It’s like we’re leaders
of the new Memphis,” says Polo Richie.
“Trust me when I say ‘White Vee’ is the simplest
record we have,” says Kia Shine. While the trio
continues to grind, they’re not limiting their
options. “We’re working with a lot of different
producers from Drumma Boy to KE,” they explain.
“But first we are definitely going to define who
we are first.”
Words by Lexi Lex
They’re more than grateful for the artists and
DJs, in Memphis and beyond, that have recognized their music. Although they’re a fresh group
OZONE MAG // 71
Playaz Circle/Flight 360:
The Takeoff/Disturbing
Tha Peace/Def Jam
Ever since breaking through with “Duffle Bag
Boys,” Playaz Circle has been constantly releasing quality music, and their second album might
be this College Park, GA’s best body of work.
From the opening track “Turbulence” to the
club banger “Hold Up” to the lady-luring “Can’t
Remember” with Bobby Valentino, this album is
full of bangers, while keeping their airline flight
theme intact. On the downside, most of Dolla
and Tity Boi’s braggadocios content doesn’t go
beyond money, swag, women, guns, cars and
drugs, but their commendable beat selection
makes just about every song on the album
undeniable. - Randy Roper
Pitbull/Rebelution/Mr.
305 Inc, Polo Grounds/J
Despite the political connotations of the title,
Mr. 305 gives us another album full of what we
know him best for: Spanglish dance hits that
make the girls go crazy and the guys, well…hey,
at least the girls are going crazy. With most of
the bangers here produced by Lil Jon, Pit’s new
album seems to be more about fun than anything else. “Krazy” and “Shut It Down” are two
standout tracks, but the whole album delivers
an upbeat vibe with great tracks. It’s definitely
worth your $13.00. - Tony Burgos
Sean Kingston/Tomorrow/
Beluga Heights/Epic
Sean Kingston’s sophomore album is a far cry
from the music of his debut album. Choosing
to go more in the pop direction of his 2007 hit
“Beautiful Girls,” Kingston meshes reggae, rock,
rhythmic and pop music throughout the album’s 14 cuts. His single “Fire Burning,”“Shoulda
Let U Go” featuring Good Charlotte and “Ice
Cream Girl” with an assist from Wyclef Jean, are
indications that Kingston has no intentions of
spitting hot 16’s anytime soon. Nevertheless, for
fans that can respect his pop approach, Tomorrow is a fairly enjoyable album. - Randy Roper
72 // OZONE MAG
Jay-Z/The Blueprint 3/
Roc Nation/Atlantic
Blueprint 3 is one of
the few examples of
an album made by
an emcee just for the
sake of putting out
good music. With all
the success he’s had,
and continues to have,
there is no need for
Mr. Carter to put out
another album. But
instead he comes out
with an album that
offers some of the purest Hip Hop of today.
Injected with production from Kanye West,
No ID, and Timbaland,
BP3 is a musically rich
effort that outruns its
current competition
with no mercy like
Usain Bolt. - Rohit
Loomba
ESG/Everyday Street
Gangsta/E1
ESG is known in Houston for his freestyling
abilities, but when it
comes to a full-length
album, most listeners
would probably rather
hear him freestyle. Everyday Street Gangsta
has it moments, but
those moments are
accompanied by Bun B
(“We Still Tippin’”), Chamillionaire (“Soldier”)
or Trae (“Get Around”).
ESG is a respectable rapper, but his
freestyle skills surpass
his bouncy flow and
everyday street raps. Randy Roper
KiD CuDi/Man On The Moon: The
End of Day/G.O.O.D./Universal
Motown
For some people, KiD CuDi’s
debut album is an alternative
brand of Hip Hop that might be a tough pill to swallow.
But for those that can think outside the proverbial box,
Man On The Moon is creative gem. CuDi’s 5-part concept album is mix of
inner conflict (“Soundtrack 2 My Life”), lonely nights (“Solo Dolo,”), perseverance (“Sky Might Fall”), nightmares (“Day ‘n’ Night”), dreams (“Pursuit Of Happiness”) and brighter days (“Up, Up, & Away”). And for listeners willing to take
a journey into the mind of Scott Mescudi, this album should impress fans
with its blend of imagination, introspection and innovation. - Randy Roper
Trick Daddy/Finally Famous:
Born a Thug, Still a Thug/Dunk
Ryders Records
After a three-year hiatus, Trick
Daddy finally returns with a
new album, and his first album not released through
his former label home Slip-N-Slide Records. Though the
major label budget noticeably wasn’t there for guest features and big-name
producers, Trick still manages to put together a solid album featuring vintage
thug music like “This The Shit That I Live” and “Gangsta Music,” mixed with his
“Thug Holiday” side on cuts like “Everyday Struggle” and “Tears Of A Grown
Man.” Finally Famous doesn’t surpass T-Double-D’s previous work, but as
an indie release, it’s close to what we’re accustomed to hearing from Trick
Daddy Dollars. - Randy Roper
Young Problemz/How’s My Rapping?/Unauthorized Entertainment/Asylum/Warner Music
Group
To answer the question posed
by this album’s title, Young Problemz is a decent rap
group. Updating a classic Houston sound, YP adds their
own element of fresh with songs like “Got Me F’D Up” and “Count My Cash.”
But there’s an obvious lack of hits and quality writing on How’s My Rapping?.
Without the inclusion of “Boi,” its remix with Gucci and Mike Jones, and a few
other decent selections, this album would be disposable. Thankfully there’s
just enough impressive production and catchy hooks to salvage the project.
- Ms. Rivercity
Lil Wyte/The Bad Influence/
Hypnotize Minds/Asylum/Warner Music Group
At times The Bad Influence
mirrors the feeling of watching
a poorly scripted B-movie, but it’s still entertaining nonetheless. Wyte starts off with a rock-inspired intro that isn’t
half bad, except for the rapping part. From there, he dedicates one song to
nearly every illicit substance created, such as “Leanin Off Dat Yurple,”“One Lil
Pill,”“Oxy Cotton” (properly known as OxyContin), and “Maria,” which is apparently a new nickname for Mary Jane. By the end of this 15-track intoxicated
joyride, you’ll have more drug education than a CVS pharmacist. And an
urgent need to get un-sober. - Ms. Rivercity
Trap-A-Holics
“Zaytoven: Swagganomics 101”
Myspace.com/imatrapaholic
1. The Empire & Shoot 5 Ent. “ATL Two: Rebuilding The City” Myspace.c
om/evilempiremixtapes
2. Ill Fats “Coast 2 Coast 94“ Hosted by Grafh Coast2coastmixtapes.com
3. DJ Cannon Banyon & MIDIMarc “Good Ass Remix Part 2” Twitter.com
/djcannonbanyon Twitter.com/Midimarc
4. Bank! Beats “Dilla vs. Jay-Z: The Lost Blueprint” Twitter.com/bankbeats
5. DJ Suga D & DJ Kris Stylez “Boss Chicks R Us: Chapter 1” Twitter.com
/DjSUGAD Twitter.com/Djkrisstylez
6. Evil Empire & DJ Fletch “Property of October” Myspace.com/evilempiremixtapes Twitter.com/DjFletchDallas
7. DJ Chuck T “Down South Slangin’ 63” DJChuckT.com
8. DJ Nik Bean “The Hip Hop Thugsta Remastered” Twitter.com/DJNIKBEAN
9.The Empire, DJ 2Mello, Miami Kaos “Gucci Gang Bang” Myspace.com/evilem
piremixtapes Twitter.com/dj2mello
10. Dj Spinz “Rhythm & Swag 6” Twitter.com/spinzhoodrich
11. DJ Young Prezzy “Light Grind” Twitter.com/DJyoungprezzy
12. DJ XFactor “Panty Droppers 11”
13. DJ Knucklez & HardTargetGFX.com “The Re Up Vol. 4” Twitter.com/DJ Knucklez HardTargetGFX.com
14. DJ Spinz & DJ Pretty Boy Tank “Space Invaders 4” Hosted by Travis Porter Twitter: @spinzhoodrich @djprettyboytank
15. DJ Spinatik “Street Runnaz 39” Djspinatik.com
Inspired by the man behind many Gucci
Mane, OJ da Juiceman and Gorilla Zoe hits, the
Trap-A-Holics compiled a 24-track mixtape featuring nothing but songs produced by Atlanta
beatmaker Zaytoven. Swagganomics 101 has a
list of new, exclusive and previously unreleased tracks like Yung Ralph’s “Bought That,”
Young Buck’s “Money Maker” and Yung LA’s
“Do The Math.” Any fan of Zaytoven’s sound
will love and appreciate this mix.
DJs, send your mix CDs (with a cover) for
consideration to:
OZONE Magazine
644 Antone St. Suite 6
Atlanta, GA 30318
16. Tapemasters Inc “This Is Hip Hop 7” Tapemastersinc.net
17. J. GreenMoneyTalkz “My Bottom Bitch Vol. 18” JGreenMoneyTalkz.com
18. DJ Envy & Tapemasters Inc. “Purple Codeine 26” Djenvy.org Tapemastersinc.net
19. Ghetto All Stars, Nitram Knarf & DJ Pillzbury “Stupid Swag” Myspace.c
om/djpillzbury
20. DJ Haze “New Trap City” Haze-TV.com
OZONE MAG // 73
endzone
Rick Ross (along with Triple C’s)
Venue: The Kufa
City: Saarbrucken, Germany
Date: October 1st, 2009
Photo: Julia Beverly
74 // OZONE MAG
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