YOUR FAVORITE RAPPER’S FAVORITE MAGAZINE

EXCLUSIVE:
TUPAC’s
LAST
INTERVIEW

AKON
LIL FLIP B.O.B.
FAT JOE TURK
PASTOR TROY YA BOY
RICH BOY
THE RUNNERS THE PACK
METHOD MAN GOLDRU$H

PITBULL
YOUNG CITY
FEDERATION
DEUCE POPPI
& MUCH, MUCH MORE
PATIENTLY
WAITING:

51
ISSUE # THE BAY
AREA
PART 2
PUBLISHER/EDITOR-IN-CHIEF:
nov06contents
Julia Beverly

MUSIC EDITOR:
Maurice G. Garland

ADVERTISING SALES:
Che’ Johnson (Gotta Boogie)

PROMOTIONS DIRECTOR:
Malik “Copafeel” Abdul

MARKETING DIRECTOR:
David Muhammad

LEGAL CONSULTANT:
Kyle P. King, P.A. (King Law Firm)

SUBSCRIPTIONS MANAGER:
Destine Cajuste COVER STORIES
ADMINISTRATIVE: Pitbull pg 82-83
Cordice Gardner
Nikki Kancey
Tana Hergenraeder
The Runners pg 78-81
CONTRIBUTORS:
Amanda Diva, Bogan, Carlton Wade, Char- FEATURES
lamagne the God, Chuck T, E-Feezy, Edward
Hall, Eric Perrin, Felita Knight, Iisha Hillmon,
DJ Profile pg 38
Jacinta Howard, Jaro Vacek, Jessica Koslow, Feedback pg 12
J Lash, Jason Cordes, Jo Jo, Johnny Louis,
Kamikaze, Keadron Smith, Keith Kennedy,
Smart Ass pg 22
K.G. Mosley, Killer Mike, King Yella, Lamar Chin Check pg 20
Lawshe, Lisa Coleman, Marcus DeWayne,
Matt Sonzala, Mercedes (Strictly Streets),
JB’s 2 Cents pg 15
Ms. Rivercity, Natalia Gomez, Randy Roper, Industry 101 pg 40
Ray Tamarra, Rico Da Crook, Robert Gabriel,
Rohit Loomba, Shannon McCollum, Spiff,
Mathematics pg 18
Swift, Wally Sparks, Wendy Day Roland Powell pg 15
Producer Profile pg 42
STREET REPS:
Al-My-T, B-Lord, Big Teach (Big Mouth), Live Shows pg 110-114
Bigg C, Bigg V, Black, Brian Franklin, Buggah CD Reviews pg 102-104
D. Govanah (On Point), Bull, C Rola, Cedric
Walker, Chill, Chilly C, Chuck T, Controller, Mixtape Reviews pg 106
DJ Dap, David Muhammad, Delight, Derrick Photo Galleries pg 19-43
the Franchise, Dolla Bill, Dwayne Barnum,
Dr. Doom, Ed the World Famous, Episode, Patiently Waiting pg 48-60
General, Haziq Ali, H-Vidal, Hollywood, Tupac’s Last Interview pg 70-72
J Fresh, Jammin’ Jay, Janky, Joe Anthony,
Judah, Kamikaze, KC, Kenneth Clark; Klarc Entrepreneur Profile pg 34 & 44
Shepard, Kuzzo, Kydd Joe, Lex, Lil D, Lump, Patiently Waiting: The Bay Area pg 62-69
Marco Mall, Miguel, Mr. Lee, Music & More,
Nick@Nite, Nikki Kancey, Pat Pat, PhattLipp,
Pimp G, Quest, Raj Smoove, Rippy, Rob-Lo,
Stax, TJ’s DJ’s, TJ Bless, Trina Edwards, INTERVIEWS
Vicious, Victor Walker, Voodoo, Wild Billo, Method Man pg 86-87
Young Harlem
Pastor Troy pg 88-89
DISTRIBUTION: Katt Williams pg 36
Curtis Circulation, LLC
Fat Joe pg 74-76
SUBSCRIPTIONS Young City pg 32
To subscribe, send check or money order for
$11 to: Shareefa pg 96
Rich Boy pg 26
Ozone Magazine, Inc.
Attn: Subscriptions Dept.
Murs pg 98-99
1310 W. Colonial Dr. Suite 10 Akon pg 92-93
Orlando, FL 32804
Phone: 407-447-6063
Belo pg 94-95
Fax: 407-447-6064 Lil Flip pg 24
Web: www.ozonemag.com
Turk pg 28
Cover credits: Pitbull photo (cover and this
page) by Vincent Edmond Louis; Fat Joe
photo by Ray Tamarra; The Runners photo by
Carlos Amoedo; Pastor Troy photo by Shan-
non McCollum. OZONE Magazine is published
monthly 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
2006 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.
 feedback
Keep doing your thing, and don’t stray away from the Southern movement.
It’s very important that we have a media outlet that properly represents us. A
lot of New York cats fake like they’re with us because they want to capitalize
off of what we got going on, but they’re not. They talk shit behind our backs
and call us bamas, kind of like the new racist white and how he/she treats
blacks (not to be confused with the bold Southern white who will let you
know up front where they stand). They treat us the same way a racist white
would treat blacks. It’s discrimination. It’s nothing new either, it’s been going
on for decades. Don’t get me wrong, some folks from New York are cool and
I fuck with them personally, but it takes a special kind of New York person
from what I’m noticing. What people fail to realize is that the South has been
here for years, but we’ve had no one to rep for us. I’m from North Carolina
but we’ve got a lot of New York wannabes around here. North Carolina is
the South no matter how you look at it, but sometimes I feel like the people
around here are confused on who they really are. Some of the cats around
here are scared to rep their true roots: the South. Don’t get me wrong, we
were all raised off New York rap and still crank it, but all I’m saying is: Don’t
knock our music, homie. I listened to some of your audio on the site and I see
how people are still trying to play you like you’re not a credible magazine,
the same way they’ve done with our music and culture. What New York and
the rest of the industry fail to realize is that as long as we have one another,
we don’t need them to validate us. They never have anyway. How the hell
did Jeezy not win BET and MTV Awards for Thug Motivation? We got
Georgia, Mississippi, Alabama, Florida, Tennessee, Texas, Louisiana, the whole
Carolinas, and the rest of the world that’s with us. Just keep doing what you’re
doing – the magazine is getting better (not that it was lame or anything) and
I loved the OZONE Awards trailer. I will try to make it next year. I normally
don’t write shit like this to a magazine, but I’ve been watching you guys for a
minute and I’ve seen the hate and opposition against you. Last time I bought a
XXL Magazine it was full of so much New York hate I couldn’t even read it. I
can’t remember the last time I’ve seen The Source.
- DJ Deluxe, sjacobs23@nc.rr.com (North Carolina)
Hey JB, I just picked up this month’s issue of your magazine and I must say,
I’m really feelin’ it. I been buying it for the last few months and I especially
like the love you give to independent artists. Being an indie artist myself, I can
really appreciate that. I’m from Detroit, and I wish we stuck together as artists
as the South does. They may not be friends or hang out together, but everyone
is on the same page with the same goal in mind – to come up. i think you’re
absolutely gorgeous and part of me buyin’ this magazine is to see you in it,
although I’m still waiting for a full body shot. Keep doing what you’re doing
and you will be sure to succeed. XXL and The Source better watch out.
- Carlos Gibson, cgibson@tmail.com (Detroit, MI)
Man, I loved y’all’s September issue with the Top 10 lists. That shit was funny
and real. Y’all keep it up, and soon the OZONE Awards are gonna be on BET
live!
- Dana, gitrdunbcol71@aol.com (Fort Walton Beach, FL)
Wendy-muthafuckin’-Day for president! I’m loving this article on “How
to Get Radio Play”! I am so happy someone hit the damn nail on the head
and is hitting these new “rappers” with the same nail! I get frustrated having
folks step to me with their music and when I try to explain things to them,
they get pissed! I agree with Wendy when she said, “Learn the game before
stepping on the playing field.” That’s what I tell these so-called artists when
they see me at a remote – learn the damn business, man! They constantly call
asking, “How much it’s gonna cost to get my music on?” or “Yeah, I got this
12
song that’s tight!” Been there and heard all that shit. Anyone can be a rapper,
but do you really have talent? Research what you are trying to put out and
learn the business. And don’t step to me with some handwritten CD, name
scratched out because you forgot how to spell your own name! If you think
you’re talented and you have what it takes to make a record and sell it, no
matter what you do, you need to invest in yourself. Go get some labels for the
damn CDs. I’m running copies of this article right now and sticking them in
our station’s van, and I will be handing them out each time an “artist” steps
to me with a Sharpie-d CD, saying “Play my shit!” Read this article and come
back when you have studied the lesson for today!
- Cappuchino, cappuchino1@aol.com (Shreveport, LA)
JB, YOU’VE GOT TO BE KIDDING ME!!!!! QUIT??? YOU DON’T WANT
TO DO THIS ANYMORE??? Tell me it ain’t so. After reading your 2 Cents
this month I was shocked. You came out of left field with that one. But what
you have to do is not dwell on the negative but on the positive. Your maga-
zine is the reason the South is running shit now. The South has been going
platinum since Luke, The Ghetto Boys, MC Shy D, and Magic Mike, so why
wasn’t the South running shit then? Because media was in LA/NYC and they
didn’t give us any shine. But here comes a lil mag out of Orlando. Not Miami.
Not Atlanta. Orlando. Giving shine to the known, the somewhat known and
the unknown. A true voice. You have accomplished much and there’s more
to conquer. To quit or sell your interest now would have a devastating effect
on this region. I know that your “supporters” can be a lil spoiled and take you
for granted. Hell, you make it look so easy. Every time we turn around, no
matter what city/state you’re there. So the rumors start: “Oh, she’s really one
of a set of triplets. They just acting like it’s the same person. But actually it’s
Julia, Jody, and Jane. They fooling all of us.” But people in the rap community
are not used to a person with traits like yours: hard-working, consistent,
creative, fair, accessible, honest, accommodating, and did I mention hard
working? You don’t practice the politics and you make no excuses. Don’t
start now. The devil got into your head. God has blessed you because you put
faith in him and did something us worldly folks told you couldn’t happen.
You put total faith in God, took a step off the edge of the world, and he made
it happen ten-fold. Can’t you see this? He took a molehill and made it into a
mountain. No big corporate dollars, no sponsors, beef with the biggest and
baddest in publishing and yet you still stand. Now the devil wants you to
doubt God’s work! The devil wants you to think God doesn’t have your back
after all he has done which will definitely piss The Man off. Don’t fall for it!
Look at the OZONE Award Show as a success. That’s what it was. Look at
what you were working with and look at what you accomplished. IT WAS A
SUCCESS. And let me tell you how successful it was: All the press that were
complaining and felt slighted the night of the event have all softened their
stance. Why? Because you addressed the matter and made us understand
what went down - accessible to all of us. What big corporation would have
taken the time to address that or apologize as you have done? None. And I
think all those who complained now fully have your back and are here when
you need us. Maybe God put those obstacles there as a test for that really big
gig that’s coming up. Maybe The Grammys are gonna be calling soon. Or the
MTV Music Awards. Look at it as a test, and you passed with flying colors.
You can’t please all the people all the time. But you also don’t owe anyone
anything. Your Patiently Waitings and Groupie Confessions and Wendy Day
articles are the talk of the streets, the shops, the studios. You have the hottest
magazine out now. Keep it going. I have an idea: Take a fucking vacation!
Go to Hawaii for a week or two. No work. No phone. No emails. If the mag
is a week or two late, we’ll wait. Hell, we’ll wait a month. Go get some rest.
Rejuvenate. Regroup. Re-assess. Relax. But don’t regret anything that you’ve
been given. You worked hard for it and you deserve everything, the good and
the bad. That’s what happens to hardworking, successful people.
- BashBrosEnt@aol.com (Miami, FL)
I just got the new issue with Luda on the cover. You did it again! I read that
thing from cover to cover as soon as I got it. I liked the article on Ludacris the
most. I think all of Ludacris’ albums are classics. The Release Therapy joint is
definitely one of the best. Chingy has to be kicking himself right now! Also, I
just finished planning my big 21st birthday bash out here in VA and that was
crazy. I can only imagine how difficult planning an entire award show was
for you. Keep your head up! I read that you didn’t want to do this anymore.
You can’t quit though, the streets need you! Finally, tell Paperchase to take
off that extra rabbit jacket and hat. It looks stupid. If he had his ear to the
street, he’d know that.
- Derrick Francis, derrick_francis03@hotmail.com (Virginia Beach, VA)
Hate it? Love it? Send your comments to feedback@ozonemag.com
OZONE reserves the right to edit comments for clarity or length.

10 Things I’m Hatin’ On
By Roland “Lil Duval” Powell
Disclaimer: This is really what everybody else is sayin’.
I know I’m dead wrong, but I’m hating anyway.
1. Chicken Noodle Soup
This dance looks like something that
somebody made up on the dance floor
because they couldn’t think of shit else to
do when someone was beating them in a
dance off.
2. Limos
Unless you’re going to a funeral or the
prom, you’re lame as hell if you’re still
renting a limo.
3. Sprint
These muthafuckers will cut yo’ shit
off if you owe them 80 cents, and their
contracts are longer than some nigga’s
prison terms.
4. MTV’s Yo Mama
One word: garbage.
5. New Airport TSA Rules
You can’t take shit on the plane now. And
what makes it so fucked up – they said no
deodorant, which means that it’s gonna be
stank as hell on the plane. The terrorists
are laughing their ass off at us.
6. The Crocodile Hunter
Is it just me, or did you laugh your ass off
when you heard that he died from a sting-
ray and not an alligator? That’s like being
a crackhead for twenty years and dying
from smoking cigarettes.
7. Star Jones
This is a prime example of how it don’t
matter how much you got – when them
crackers say fuck ya, they really do fuck
ya.
8. Nicole Ritchie
Would someone please tell her that I
said, “EAT BITCH!” She makes the Olson
Twins look like they should be on Celeb-
rity Fit Club.
9. Fake Record Pool Meetings
Stop inviting me to these shits. I ain’t
comin’. If it ain’t TJ’s DJ’s or one that I al-
ready know about you’re wasting yo’ time,
especially if you having it somewhere like
in Oregon.
10. Street Teams
Y’all take that shit too serious in the
club parking lot. How the hell did I get
a flyer in my car all the way in the glove
compartment?
jb’s 2 cents
A
lot of people got scared by last month’s editorial. Don’t
worry, I’m still here. I didn’t say I was quitting. I was
just questioning some things, and taking you through
my train of thought, which is, admittedly, a bit psychotic at
times. I’m feeling slightly better this month; however, I will
say that all you fucks who owe me money and aren’t returning
my calls and emails should be very, very afraid, because when
I get fully back to my old self some people are gonna start get-
ting hurt. I know everybody thinks I got rich off the OZONE
Awards, but like mi amigo Pitbull (pg. 82) says, money is still
a major issue and you all know who you are so you need to
pay up before I start naming names. In fact, if you handle your
business, you might still be able to stay in my good graces and end up
in the Industry 101 section like E-Class (pg. 40).
So, yeah, this month I’m referencing articles that actually appear in
the magazine, a first for me. This is what magazine editors do when
they run out of other things to say. Um...next up is a blanket apol-
ogy to all the aspiring artists/DJs/writers/photographers/interns etc.
who have been emailing me the last few months and haven’t got a
response. I’ve always had a philosophy of looking out for the little
Me & Ludacris (Atlanta)
guy, the underdog, especially if they’re just looking for a chance to
come up and are actually willing to put in the work. But one of the
problems - or blessings - of eventual success is that you do reach a
point in your career where there just aren’t enough hours in the day
to respond to everyone who wants your advice or attention.
It’s good to reach out to people like me but at the end of the day you
are the only one who can make your career happen, so you have
to do it by yourself and hope that the right people will notice your
efforts (thanks to Lyor Cohen and everyone else who noticed mine).
Russ trying to start a rumor
about us (Chicago) These people can help your career, but cannot and will not create
your career for you. A lot of people have this romanticized idea about
the music industry, like they are going to get “discovered” and their
lives will change overnight, but in reality that almost never hap-
pens. I promise you, spitting lyrics in my ear at the club is not going
to single-handedly change your life. You need to have the whole
package: the talent, the ambition, the drive, the work ethic, and much
more to back it up. The real answer to the “How do I get my artist
featured in OZONE Magazine?” question that I get asked every day is:
Don’t harass me. Make me come find you. It’s just like a relationship,
The BA Boys have the think about it: who interests you, the person that’s chasing you or the
baddest chick in the 95.7
basketball game wearing person that’s playing hard to get? Get in the streets, the clubs, on the
their chains (Birmingham) road. Get the people behind you and the media will cover your move-
ment, because it’s our job to document what’s happening, not to force-
feed our readers with profiles of artists who aren’t really doing shit.
Just don’t be mad at me, please, because I know how dangerous a
talented person on a vendetta can be. I was that person, and still am to
some degree. B.O.B. (pg. 60) is too, and that’s one of the reasons he’s
highlighted in this month’s Patiently Waiting. The Bay Area (pg. 62-69)
feels neglected and ignored so they’re doing it on their own, just like
Len knew that feeding me the South did until major labels started jumping on our bandwagon.
would be a good way to get
his pic in the mag (Atlanta)
If anybody actually went to Mixshow Power Summit this year, let
me know if it was as whack as last year or worse. I didn’t go because
I’m tired of being disrespected every year, and apparently everyone
else is too. There are too many music conferences/conventions now,
and it’s not worth it to travel thousands of miles to be treated like dirt
when you can have basically the same experience in the States minus
the drama (the CORE DJs Retreat, for example, or the annual TJ’s
DJ’s/OZONE Awards weekend, shameless plug).
Shawn, me, and 8Ball (Atlanta)
- Julia Beverly, jb@ozonemag.com
Trick Daddy f/ Chamillionaire & Goldru$h “Bet That”
Young Buck f/ Pimp C, T.I., & Young Jeezy “Four Kings”
Lil Boosie f/ Yung Joc “Zoom Zoom”
jb’splaylist
Young Cash f/ G-Mack “Checks Out”
Ludacris f/ Young Jeezy “Grew Up A Screw Up” Jacki-O “Hood Girl”
Too $hort f/ David Banner “Baller” Killer Mike “That’s Life”
Money Mark f/ C.O. “Thug So Long” Pitbull “Paperboy”
Lloyd Banks f/ Keri Washington “Help” B.O.B. “Run Away”
15
 mathematics
THE IMPORTANCE OF TOURING
by Rap Coalition’s Wendy Day
www.WendyDay.com
O
ne of the most effective ways for an artist to support his or her career
is to get out in front of the fans by performing (touring). It is impor-
tant for the fans to hear the music and to see the artist (to see thier
image) in person.
Tupac always said that every fan he touched was a fan for life. He felt that if
fans had personal interactions with an artist, they’d support the artist through
good times and bad, because they’d always remember the personal connec-
tion they once had (if it was positive). After Pac passed away, it was amazing
to hear how many people he touched and how many people had a story to
tell about when they had met him.
David Banner took this philosophy to heart, and when he is on the road he
interacts with his fans heavily. After most shows and public appearances, he
is almost always the last one to leave the venue. He talks with fans, advising
them about the music industry, signing autographs and posters, and posing for
photos. He gives 100% of himself at every show both on stage and off.
A promotional tour can really benefit an artist’s career. Aside from put-
ting the artist in front of the fans, it also allows the artist to get out of their
hometown to learn what fans prefer in areas outside the home region, and it
gives the artist a chance to see what’s hot in other areas. So often, the music
changes from the first release to the second one, because the artist gets outside
of his own market while on the road and is influenced by more things.
The artist also gets to interact with other artists that they meet along the way.
They do collaborations with other artists, both signed and unsigned, and build
relationships that last throughout their career. The downside of this is that
there are less-than-ethical artists out there who hear local songs and decide to
take parts, ideas, samples, or whole songs from unsuspecting new artists naive
enough to pass off a demo in hopes of getting a deal. The outcome is usually
that the word spreads quickly through the industry as to who the thieving
bastards are, and they either get sued repeatedly, or called out on mixtapes by
their peers angrily on a diss song. Every artist remembers who stole their shit.
Artists make a large portion of their income through touring. In fact, Blue
Williams, who manages Nick Cannon and OutKast (up til recently) explained
to me that as a manager, he is interested in representing artists who have the
ability to tour. This means it’s important for an artist to have a good and en-
tertaining show, material worthy of showcasing, and probably some hit radio
records. A manager usually receives 15% to 20% of an artists’ show money.
The importance of touring occurs at every stage of an artist’s career. In the
early stages of a career it’s important to tour to build awareness and spread the
music as quickly as possible. It promotes the artist and directly impacts sales.
It’s also important for artists to hone skills through showcasing as much as
possible regardless of whether there is pay involved (usually there is not).
At the mid-stage of the career it helps the artist stay grounded to the streets.
Once an artist has some degree of fame and popularity, it becomes difficult
to hang out in the same places and keep up with the streets. Busy schedules
prevent the necessary attention to the streets, and with mobs of adoring
fans constantly approaching the artist, public appearances become security
nightmares. Let’s face it, Jeezy can’t pop into McDonald’s for lunch without
getting mobbed by fans. Touring gives artists access to the streets, feedback
from fans about the direction the music is going, and income opportunities.
It also increases the likelihood for endorsement deals since more eyes will be
seeing the artist publicly.
At the height of the artists’ career, touring is big business. For acts like Emi-
nem and Jay-Z, touring carries multi-million dollar sponsorships, DVD sales,
and endorsement deals. Touring becomes a large part of the artists’ income at
this point. They rarely have access to the fans because of their hectic sched-
ules and interviews, so it doesn’t help keep them grounded with the fans, but
it does give them feedback as to which songs work best for which crowds.
I once heard Killer Mike break down the levels of a career for a rapper. A rap-
18
per starts out as the hottest artist on the block, to grow into the hottest rapper
in the neighborhood. The artist then becomes the hottest artist on that side
of town (south side, north side, etc), and grows into being the hottest artist in
the city. Once a certain level of buzz is achieved, the artist becomes the hottest
rapper in the state, and that grows into being the hottest artist in the region.
If the career progresses properly, the artist can become the hottest artist in the
country. This is true for rappers, singers, DJs, producers, etc.
Most artists stall at the first few levels. Some of my favorite rappers are the
hottest rappers in their area, but that’s just not enough to attract an interna-
tional record label to sign them. Touring, or getting out on the road, helps an
artist expand from being just a local rapper or a local producer. A smart artist
has stuff to sell on the road - t-shirts, mix CDs, DVDs of his or her life, etc.
And certainly, once an artist is signed to a record deal, expanding their reach
beyond their hometown is priority number one. A promotional tour consists
of going from city to city, doing interviews on the radio, visiting retail stores,
attending local events, and doing video and press interviews (newspapers,
magazines, internet sites, etc). A smart artist meets as many industry people as
possible in each town so that he or she can build the necessary relationships
and connections to succeed, separate from their label. This is especially helpful
for an artist who plans to put out other artists himself (especially if using the
label’s budget to promote them).
Follow up notes, thank you notes or calls, and keeping in touch with industry
people that are met on the road are important for success. This is what sepa-
rates an average artist from one who stands out in the minds of people within
the industry. I, for example, have met thousands of artists over the years. Some
stand out in my mind because they have done things that set themselves apart
from everyone else. Most are a blur. How will you stand out?
An experienced road manager can make the artist’s life easier. Aside from
knowing how to maneuver on a tour, they are skilled at collecting money
and diffusing situations that can easily turn ugly. They also have relationships
already in place that can help the artist, and they know whom they can trust
and whom to avoid on the road. They know which booking agents are full
of shit and which promoters are notorious for not paying. They know which
security at which clubs are good at their jobs, and which clubs are just an
accident waiting to happen. Some folks hire friends or family to fill this posi-
tion for trust reasons, or just because they are cheap, but this is a tremendous
disservice to the artist. Not everyone is right for this job; in fact, inexperienced
people will end up costing you more that they save you in salary. This is not
the right industry for pinching pennies. Lawsuits are costly and happen regu-
larly on tours. The right tour manager can diffuse bad situations ahead of time.
A booking agent is also an important player on an artist’s team. An experi-
enced booking agent can set up profitable tours (hopefully) and even match
artists who have similar audiences. They excel in putting together packages of
artists who will sell well on a ticket while routing them profitably. Another
plus to having an experienced and well connected booking agent throughout a
career, is that when the artist is no longer in his or her prime, they will still be
able to book dates due to the long term relationship they have built. Not every
rapper becomes an icon like Slick Rick, able to continue performing every
weekend. Most are relegated to rare appearances and “whatever happened
to…?” speculation. A good booking agent will be an asset to a career long past
its natural prime. Booking Agents receive half of the performance fee for the
artist when booked, and the artist collects the other half just prior to going on
stage. Booking Agents receive 10% of the performance fee and are paid from
the first half received.
Touring is a key part of any career, and the most successful artists are the ones
who work the hardest and make the most of their time on the road. As the
artist’s popularity increases, so do the perks. The hotels get a little nicer, the
vehicle goes from wrapped van to luxury tour bus, and even the groupies be-
come more attractive. It’s all worth the effort, if you are serious about building
a successful career. Who can complain about making anywhere from $1,500
to $150,000 a show for 20 minutes up to a few hours of performing?
 01: Yo Gotti, James
Eichelberger, Trae, and
Ron White @ The CORE DJs
Retreat (Atlanta, GA)
02: Allen Iverson and AK of
P$C @ Club Rein (Norfolk,
VA)
03: Big Teach and Bun B on
the set of Lil Wayne and
Baby’s “Stuntin’ Like My
Daddy” (Miami, FL)
04: Shawnna and Shareefa
@ Global Mixx DJ Retreat
(Chicago, IL)
05: Young Jeezy and DJ
Dagwood @ The CORE DJs
Retreat (Atlanta, GA)
06: 5th Ward Weebie and
Chingo Bling @ Screwfest
(Houston, TX)
07: DJ Whiz-T, David Chris, &
Uncle Pauly @ Powers of Mu-
sic Conference (Austin, TX)
08: DJ Red Alert and Cam’Ron
@ Compound for The CORE
DJs Award Ceremony (At-
lanta, GA)
09: TV Johnny and Slim Thug
@ Letoya Luckett’s in-store
(Houston, TX)
10: DJ Dap and Khia @ Blazin’
102.3 (Tallahassee, FL)
11: Jody Miller and J-Khrist @
Hip-Hop Summit Action Net-
work financial empowerment
seminar (Atlanta, GA)
12: Rasheeda @ 95.7’s celeb-
rity basketball game (Birming-
ham, AL)
13: DJ Sosa and Xtaci @ CTE
Meet & Greet (Atlanta, GA)
14: Storm and Memphitz @
Jive Records (NYC)
15: DJ Drama, Fat Joe, and
DJ Khaled reppin’ OZONE
@ J-Lo’s house during Fat
Joe’s “Make It Rain” weekend
(Miami, FL)
16: Young Dro, Hannah Kang,
and guest @ Club Crucial
(Atlanta, GA)
17: Fat Joe’s “Make It Rain”
weekend (Miami, FL)
18: Jerry Smokin’ B and Tony
Neal @ Club Crucial for The
CORE DJs Retreat (Atlanta,
GA)
19: Webbie and Bighead on
the set of Lil Boosie’s “Zoom
Zoom” (Atlanta, GA)
20: Jay Deezy, Sytonnia, Nita,
and DJ Nasty @ The Roxy
(Orlando, FL)
21: Unique Autosports Models
@ Ridin’ Dirty car show
(Atlanta, GA)
22: G-Mack and Kaspa @
Global Mixx DJ Retreat (Chi-
cago, IL)

Photos: Coco Renae (02); DJ

Chill (06); DJ Dap (10); DJ
Sosa (13); Edward Hall (07);
Julia Beverly (01,03,04,05,
08,11,12,16,18,19,22); Keadron
Smith (09); Malik Abdul
(15,17,20,21); Storm (14)

19
 chin check
AM I A HATER?
by Charlamagne Tha God
www.CThaGod.com
I
n order to hate, you must love that which you
hate. Love and hate are the yin and the yang
of life – you can’t have one without the other.
Anybody who loves everything is a donkey! A
complete and total jackass! You should never listen
to those types of people, because their opinion
is not real or genuine. People who claim to love
everything will tell you what you want to hear
instead of what’s real.
I’m sharing this logic with those who have asked
themselves the same question that I have been
asking myself all month: AM I A HATER? People
keep telling me that I am, but I don’t agree.
Am I a hater because I don’t think Papoose deserved a $1.5 million dollar deal
with Jive Records? First of all, according to Webster’s Dictionary, a “papoose”
is a popular carrying device for a small child or baby. The “papoose” is also a
Native American term for a small infant. What
the hell does that have to do with an emcee
from Brooklyn? Second, I don’t think Papoose
is dope. Does that make me a hater? I like
certain concepts he comes with – like the “Law
Library” joints – but it’s just something about his
flow and delivery that just doesn’t make sense.
Remember when Jay-Z said this about Nas: “Just
because you don’t understand all the bullshit
that he writes, it doesn’t mean that he’s nice”?
Same with Papoose.
And finally, am I the only person that thinks
Papoose looks like the GEICO lizard? I don’t
know whether to ask him to kick a freestyle
or how much money I can save on my car
insurance. Am I happy that a black man who
deals with knowledge of self, whose work ethic
is crazy enough to produce 15 mixtapes, struck
a deal worth $1.5 million? Of course I am, get
that money, but I’m also going to be happy
when everybody at Jive who had anything to do
with the signing of this deal gets fired, because
Papoose is not going to translate into record
sales. Does that make me a hater because I think
that way?
AM I A HATER? I’m asking myself that ques-
tion again because I want to know if it makes
me a hater that I think Fat Joe’s first two singles
are garbage. Fat Joe is from the Bronx, the
birthplace of hip-hop. He used to roll with the
Digging In The Crates crew. He used to rap
alongside Big L in this legendary rap group. He
discovered Big Pun, one of the greatest lyricists
ever in hip-hop. So why are his first two singles
down South records? Back in the day, we used
to clown down South dudes for acting like they
were from up North. Now, Fat Joe is an up
North dude acting like he’s from down South!
That is corny. Double donkey, with a triple
scoop of jackass on the side. He just signed to
Virgin Records, so I guess he’s trying to impress
his new boss Jermaine Dupri. Come on, Fat Joe!
How do you go from Leaning Back to Leaning
With It And Rocking With It? Pun must be roll-
20
ing over in his grave. Does that make me a hater because I think that way?
Lil Kim looked ridiculous at the MTV Video Music Awards. How do you let
Massa’s Television exploit the fact that you were in prison by coming out in
handcuffs and an orange jumpsuit led by two guards? Corporate America’s
exploitation of the hood will never stop, especially when the artists give them
the green light to do corny shit like this. You’re the Queen Bee. You have
done things that a lot of female emcees only dream of doing, and you let that
one moment overshadow all the work that you’ve put in by glorifying a situ-
ation that shouldn’t have been glorified. That’s like Shyne getting out of jail
and doing a video where he shoots everybody in the club that’s dancing to his
record.
Then, when they ripped the orange jumpsuit off, you had the corset working
overtime trying to contain those extra pounds you gained in prison, and you
had the audacity to say that you’re bringing sexy back! Kim, you looked stank,
and you made millions of male viewers feel like Flava Flav felt when Like
Dat walked in his room with lingerie on: nothing sexy about that! Get on a
treadmill, do some crunches, and then get on
national television and say you’re “bringing sexy
back.” We can all see by the way you looked that
your sexy won’t be back for a minute. Does that
make me a hater?
AM I A HATER?
Am I alone when I say that Jay-Z should’ve never
taken the role as president of Def Jam? I agree
with LL Cool J when he said that Jay-Z does a
good job of promoting himself. Think about it –
Jay has been the biggest star on his own label for
years, so how is it that he never gave his artists
the proper push to really be stars? On Beanie
Sigel’s first album, The Truth, why did Jay-Z have
a single that Beanie wasn’t even featured on (“I’ll
Do Anything”) and he released a video for it?
He did the same thing on Memphis Bleek’s last
album (Dear Summer) and that was the biggest
record on the whole album! How can you ever
get your artist out of your shadow by making
moves like that?
That’s why Jay-Z should not be president of Def
Jam. His ego will not allow him to sit back and
watch another artist get hot. It won’t allow him
to give a Joe Buddens or a Tru Life the proper
push they need. Furthermore, how can your boss
just get up and go on a world tour? Shouldn’t
he be taking care of the fourth quarter release
schedule? Shouldn’t he be making sure budgets
are in place for artists who will be coming out,
making sure their marketing and promotions are
in order? Oh I forgot, Jay – you’re dropping an
album, so nobody else matters right now. I get it,
that’s classic Jay-Z. Does that make me a hater for
thinking that way? AM I A HATER?
I really don’t know, but I know one thing. If you
found yourself agreeing with most of the things
you just read, guess what, YOU’RE A HATER
TOO!
Streetfully Yours,
Charlamagne Tha God a.k.a. Hate Is Necessary
 01: Young Jeezy, Ludacris,
and Young Buck during
Luda Day Weekend (Atlanta,
GA)
02: Bonecrusher and Lil
Scrappy @ The CORE DJs
Retreat (Atlanta, GA)
03: Haitian Fresh’s “Put Ya
Leg Up” video shoot (Daytona
Beach, FL)
04: Rich Boy and Lloyd Banks
@ Hooters (Indianapolis, IN)
05: Baby and Fat Joe filming
“Make It Rain” (Miami, FL)
06: The Aphilliates @ J-Lo’s
house for Fat Joe’s “Make It
Rain” pool party (Miami, FL)
07: Yancey Richardson, guest,
Yung Joc, and Doug Banks @
Yung Joc’s winning weekend
(Miami, FL)
08: DJ Scream and DJ Black
@ The CORE DJs Retreat
(Atlanta, GA)
09: Young Dro and Haziq Ali
(Atlanta, GA)
10: Ladies @ J-Lo’s house for
Fat Joe’s “Make It Rain” pool
party (Miami, FL)
11: Nina Chantele and DJ
Pharris @ Global Mixx DJ
Retreat (Chicago, IL)
12: Shot Out and guest @ UNF
Arena (Jacksonville, FL)
13: DJ Christion and 3rd
Leg Greg @ Club Skye for
Christion’s birthday party
(Tampa, FL)
14: Steve Austin and Pookie @
Powers of Music Conference
(Austin, TX)
15: Lil Jon, Paul Wall, and M.
Shadows of Avenged Seven-
fold @ Snitch for pre-VMA
party (NYC)
16: Don P of Trillville with
Yung Joc @ 95.7’s celebrity
basketball game (Birmingham,
AL)
17: Ice Cube and Chingy @
Summer Jam (Dallas, TX)
18: Bohagon, Playboy Tre,
and friends @ The CORE DJs
Retreat (Atlanta, GA)
19: Jas Prince and J Prince
Jr. on the set of Lil Wayne
and Baby’s “Stuntin’ Like My
Daddy” video shoot (Miami,
FL)
20: Haitian Fresh and the “Put
Ya Leg Up” models @ Club
238 West (Gainesville, FL)
21: Atiba, Pat Nix, and KC @
House of Blues (Orlando, FL)

Photos: Donna Permell (01);

Haziq Ali (09); Julia Beverly
(02,11,15,16,18,19); King Yella
(17); Kool Laid (04); Luis San-
tana (13); Luxury Mindz (14);
Malik Abdul (03,06,10,20,21);
Ms. Rivercity (08); Ono Chou-
lee (05); Terrence Tyson (12);
Yancey Richardson (07)

21
 smart ass
DJing FOR DUMMIES
by Ms. Rivercity
I
was bullshitting around on Myspace the other day - well, actually every
day - and came to the disturbing realization that fifty percent of our popu-
lation are rappers and the other fifty percent are DJs (that’s the official
male statistic; for females, 100% of these oversized cows think they’re “mod-
els”). Based on this staggering bit of information, I figure it must be pretty
easy to slap a prefix on your name and go mixtape platinum. Hmmm, that
sounds like such a good idea, I’m changing my profession first thing in the
morning. DJ Drama, you better get familiar and pay attention and listennnn,
I’m gonna be a serious problem!!!! Calm down, I’m just practicing the lingo.
You’re probably thinking, what does this little chick know about mixing,
scratching or blending stuff? Well, apparently possession of these skills is
irrelevant, because no one cares about the dinosaur art of DJing anymore.
Dwelling on all those technical terms is really pretentious in my opinion. But
before quitting my day job, I guess it would be smart to make a list of some
considerations. And since you aspiring hopefuls love asking for my profes-
sional advice, here’s today’s lesson on becoming the next big thing.
EQUIPMENT
Back in the day, DJs had these two big metal contraptions that you put round
pieces of thin vinyl on. They had a needle thingy attached to an arm looking
gadget. I think they were called record spinners or something like that. So I
was checking around and found out that nobody uses those anymore. That
was a big relief cause those things are heavy and I’m not about to risk break-
ing a nail. Another staple used to be a mixer mechanism. I’m not sure what
that is and it’s really not important cause I don’t plan on doing any mixing.
Anyway, modern day equipment consists of a computer and the internet,
which I’ll explain in the next section.
MUSIC
Stocking up on a wide variety of
music is a thing of the past. Luckily
that trivial thing called creativity
went out of style a long time ago. “ONCE YOU’VE DOWNLOADED THE
Just get a couple of newly released INTERNET’S GREATEST HITS, JUST
mixtapes and you’ll notice that
they have identical playlists. That’s
BURN IT ON A CD, IN NO PARTICULAR
because today’s music comes from ORDER. PEOPLE CAN WASTE A LOT
the same five artists, you know, OF TIME TRYING TO MATCH BEATS
the same artists you hear a million AND TEMPOS. REMEMBER, IT’S ALL
times daily on the radio. So how do ABOUT QUANTITY, NOT QUALITY.
you get in contact with these artists
to get their latest chart toppers? DON’T BOTHER ADJUSTING SOUND
Well Einstein, this is where your LEVELS EITHER.”
computer comes in handy. You can
download them off the internet for
.99 cents each. Or you can just steal them right off the mixtapes with an mp3
converter. There might be someone talking over them already, but nobody’s
going to notice that. Every once in a while something new may drop, but
you’ll have to wait until every other DJ has played it first. That way you don’t
jeopardize your good name by being called a record breaker. I almost forgot
the number one rule in DJing: Do not, I repeat, do not play anything if it
doesn’t come from your region of the country. East Coast, West Coast, Down
South, Midwest - stick to your own. Mingling with each other is a serious
offense punishable by career suicide.
MIXTAPES
Once you’ve downloaded the internet’s greatest hits, just burn it on a CD, in
no particular order. People can waste a lot of time trying to match beats and
tempos. Remember, it’s all about quantity, not quality. Don’t bother with
adjusting sound levels either. Mixtape consumers enjoy turning the volume
22
up and down after each song; it keeps them from getting bored. As for the
presentation, cut out a picture of yourself with a caption that says “Mixtape
King” and tape it to a jewel case for a quick and easy cover. Printing the
tracklist is also useless; nobody reads that. Now, take your first-class creation
to all the major music stores and demand they sell them. They might give you
some lame excuse about needing bar codes, clearances, and shrink wrapping,
but don’t listen to that garbage. Keep saturating the market with volumes and
volumes of your top-notch handiwork and eventually, your series will catch
on. On the contrary, you can be just as successful dropping one tape every
twelve months. It might take twenty years to get recognition, but that’s just
because the haters are trying to keep you down. Me personally, I’m not even
gonna go through all that trouble. I’ll be chilling in my bedroom uploading
digital compilations and emailing them out. People are generally stupid and
will believe I’m real DJ. It’s all about smoke and mirrors baby!
GIGS
Now that we’ve dominated the mixtape game, it’s time to start earning big
dollars. Since working my way up to radio or club jobs sounds like a major
pain in the ass, I’m just gonna spin at weddings every now and then. Y’all can
have that Hollywood lifestyle. Keeping up with current trends and rocking
a crowd is way too much work when I can make a killing off classics like the
“Macarena” and “Electric Slide.” Plus, as long as I’m doing private events, I
don’t have to deal with the other fifty percent of the population hounding me
to play their music. Pretty slick, huh?
HOSTING/EMCEEING
It’s probably a good idea to work on your mic game at some point. Not that
hyping up an audience is that crucial, you just need to distract them so your
lack of talent goes unnoticed. Yelling obscenities after each and every song
will add some real flavor to your style; it also makes up for that huge pause in
between transitions. The key to this
technique is bad mouthing all the
other DJs, plus their mommas, their
baby mommas and their illegitimate
kids. Don’t worry about sounding
like an enraged, egotistical monster;
that’s part of the business.
ADVANCED
SKILLS
Some of you go-getters may decide
to explore more advanced stuff like
scratching and cutting. Once again,
too much work for me, but to each
his own. The best time to practice is during a busy club night when the dance
floor is packed. Start randomly moving the record or CD back and forth super
fast. The goal here is to see how long you can do it before everyone clears
the club. After you’ve conquered this, it’s time to move on to chopping and
screwing. You’re probably never gonna be a C&S master, but it’s cool because
80% of listeners don’t recognize a slopped up job when they hear one. In fact,
a lot of them think there’s supposed to be a twenty second gap between each
word. They could care less that you’ve chopped up every single syllable so that
it’s completely chaotic and off beat. As long as you’re feeling it, everything’s
on point.
And that’s all the knowledge it takes to become a flourishing DJ. Doesn’t
sound so complicated does it? At the end of the day, all that matters is what
you feel like doing. If I’ve missed anything or you want to induct me into your
crew, you can find me digging up more research at www.myspace.com/msriv-
ercity. Until next time, good luck with your world takeover.
 01: BloodRaw, Young
Jeezy, and DJ Nasty on the
set of “Grew Up A Screw Up”
(Atlanta, GA)
02: Yung Joc and Remy Ma @
Allhiphop.com’s fashion show
(NYC)
03: DJ B-Lord, TD the Don, Lil
Ru, Collard Greens, and Mr
Flip @ Club Nuvibe (Charles-
ton, SC)
04: Chingy signing autographs
@ 95.7’s celebrity basketball
game (Birmingham, AL)
05: Kid Money KG, Acafool,
and Bubba Sparxxx @ Club
Skye for DJ Christion’s birth-
day party (Tampa, FL)
06: MJG, Mel, and 8Ball @
Summer Jam (Dallas, TX)
07: DJ Trauma, Mary Datcher,
and Happy @ Global Mixx DJ
Retreat (Chicago, IL)
08: Chingo Bling and Trae @
Club Crucial for The CORE
DJs Retreat (Atlanta, GA)
09: JL Shade and Rashad @
Jam TV (Tallahassee, FL)
10: Ray from Ultimate Hustler
and MacBoney of P$C @ Club
Crucial for The CORE DJs
Retreat (Atlanta, GA)
11: DJ D-Money and Dukwon
@ Da Real Ting (Jacksonville,
FL)
12: Chris Johnson and Gu
@ Beyonce’s birthday party
(Houston, TX)
13: Drop, Flex, and a guest
@ J-Lo’s house for Fat Joe’s
“Make It Rain” pool party
(Miami, FL)
14: J-Dash and Slim Goodye @
the Whiskey Room (Gaines-
ville, FL)
15: Devin the Dude and Trae
@ Warehouse Live (Houston,
TX)
16: The Pack reppin’ OZONE
@ Global Mixx DJ Retreat
(Chicago, IL)
17: Gorilla Zoe, Rasheeda,
Block, and Yung Joc @ 95.7’s
celebrity basketball game
(Birmingham, AL)
18: Uncle Luke @ Club Code
(Tampa, FL)
19: DJ Finesse and Rainman
(Jackson, MS)
20: JayPee and friends during
Luda Day weekend (Atlanta,
GA)
21: Trap Champs @ Ridin’
Dirty car show (Atlanta, GA)
22: Ryan and Bryan a.k.a.
“R&B” with Remy Ma

Photos: DJ B-Lord (03); DJ

Dap (09); Donna Permell (20);
Julia Beverly (01,04,07,08,1
0,16,17,19); Keadron Smith
(12,15); King Yella (06); Luis
Santana (05,18); Malik Abdul
(13,14,21); Ms. Rivercity (11);
New Money Records (22);
Rico da Crook (02)

23
 LIL
FLIP

E
ven during the recent Houston explosion, one of the first rappers to
represent for the city on a national scale, Lil Flip, was somewhat ab-
sent. Displeased with his record label’s handling of his latest project,
Flip was released from his Sony contract and has now signed with Asylum
Records. With a new home that understands the Houston independent
mindset, he hopes to rebound quickly with his latest offering. OZONE
caught up with him at home in Houston to find out what’s next.

Why were you unhappy with your deal at Sony?

They wanted me to do the exact same thing I did last time. They’re the
type of label where if you’ve got a hit like “Sunshine” or “Game Over,”
they want the exact same thing again. They don’t want you to mature or
get creative, they just want something that’s gonna work with radio. They
ain’t really have faith. I just went back to my old roots, which was staying
on the road. They only gave me one video the first time. If I had known
what I know now – that we could spend our own money and just do
videos and all that type of shit – my career could’ve gone to even greater
heights. To make a long story short, they didn’t want me to grow. What
artist [at Sony] has expanded to have a successful label and had artists
come out through them? Nobody. So if you just wanna be an artist, that’s
where you should be. But me, I’m doing movies and books and DVDs. I
have a radio show on XM. They wanna just limit you to one thing, but
that’s not me. I should be dropping at least one album a year, if not two,
at the speed I work. So that was the problem I had, plus I had been lied to
a hundred fuckin’ times.

Was it difficult to get out of your contract?

Slightly. I can’t go into details, but they only gave us 48 hours to figure
out what we were gonna do.

Why did you decide to sign with Asylum?

Well, for one, they deal with artists that come from similar backgrounds
that I come from, with the mixtape circuit. They just let artists do what
they do. Sometimes artists get confused when they get a deal and [the
label] puts them in the studio and makes them make a certain type of
record. The music that’s coming out isn’t really what they wanna do. I
didn’t really hang with [Sony executives]. It was a few dudes, but mostly
it was just, “We need you to do this,” and that was it. [At Asylum] I have
people that call me and come visit me and are open to my opinions. Them
muthafuckers [at Sony] even put my album in the order they wanted it.
They was like, “Well use these songs, but we want it in this order.” I’m
tellin’ [my manager], “Sandy, what the fuck, are they fuckin’ crazy?” I’ve
never heard of a label putting an artists’ tracklisting in the order they
want it. That fucked me up. I was like, man, I really do need to get away
from these muthafuckers. I’m just glad I’m in a situation where I can still
do mixtapes and do what I do. Most of the time, labels won’t promote
anything if they aren’t getting paid off it. I got other artists, like Skinny
Pimp and Crime Boss and Sqad Up. They got a couple things they’re
working on, so we can promote all that shit. My whole thing is to get the
artist a big buzz and scan some fuckin’ units and keep it moving. I don’t
like handouts. I like muthafuckers working for what they get. If you get
handouts you ain’t gonna appreciate it.
Even with the album that you were about to drop on Sony, it didn’t really
get great reviews. Are you planning on switching it up at all before drop-
ping the album on Asylum?
I don’t pay too much attention to what people do on the ratings. I feel like
there should be a different way to rate albums. Most of the time [when
you do a listening session] it’s like six reporters sitting there and you play
it for them on a stereo. If you’re gonna really judge somebody’s album
you should hear it on a system and really, really listen, instead of just try-
ing to find shit that’s wrong with it. So I don’t agree [with most of the re-
views]. I know for a fact all the time that I put into that album and how it
sounds didn’t add up to what the reviews said. They even tried to give bad
reviews to Rick Ross’s album and Lil Wayne’s album, and Rick’s album
is – in my opinion – the only album this year you could listen to front
to back. So the answer is, I don’t care about the reviews because I know
for a fact that my fans are gonna appreciate the music. People who don’t
really know me are quick to judge. I switched up the artwork, I added
twelve new songs and removed five of the songs. Over the course of time
I’ve shot four videos [off this album] for “I’m A Baller,” “Sorry Lil’ Mama”
featuring Z-Ro and Sqad Up, “What U Know About The South” with the
Clover G’s and “I Do.” So basically I added some new shit, switched a few
things up, but as far as the fans on the internet, their feedback is that they
love this shit. They’re telling me, “We love track such and such, drop
this, we gon’ buy it,” so I don’t let the ratings bother me. It’s to the point
where I don’t even care. Take it or leave it. I’m not making music for
muthafucker’s opinions.
I guess the beef between you and T.I. has pretty much died out.
Man, I’m not devoting no more energy into that. Like I said, different
niggas take different amounts of time to grow up. If you’re a good leader,
you ain’t finna put the folks around you in no danger. I don’t abuse the
power I have. If a nigga crosses the line, we gotta handle business, but I
don’t go off to start shit. That’s dead with me. I’m on some XM Radio shit.
When does your show come on XM Radio?
Clover G Radio Thursdays at 5 PM Eastern. I come on Thursdays and
Fridays.
Being from Houston, I’m sure you’ve heard the rumor that a Houston
rapper has HIV and was sued for infecting his girlfriend. Any comment?
I heard about that shit. That shit is crazy right there. It ain’t really noth-
ing to comment about on my behalf, cause that ain’t got shit to do with
me. I wish they’d go ahead and get that shit cleared up, whoever the fuck
it is. My comment is: It ain’t me!
When we ran the ad for your Fly shoes, we got a cease-and-desist order
from someone claiming to own the trademark. What’s that about?
JX, the dude that’s handling Sqad Up, came to me with the shoe deal situ-
ation. We came up with a percentage agreement that I would make and I
started promoting, thinking that word is bond, basically. I promoted the
shit everywhere I went and every time I was on the radio. I guess they
figured I did what they needed me to do, so that situation [didn’t hap-
pen]. That’s why I’m doing my own tennis shoes. Instead of Fly, I’m nam-
ing them FlyBoy tennis shoes. I’m also putting together a group called
FlyBoys. It’s gonna be me and a few other rappers who I think is fly. I’m
trying to get E-40. I’m debating on Yukmouth. He’s fly, I fuck with him. I
want to put together a supergroup.
- Words and Photo by Julia Beverly

24
 01: Gorilla Zoe, Yung Joc,
Chingy, and Block reppin’
OZONE @ UNF Arena (Jack-
sonville, FL)
02: Play & Skillz with Slim
from 112 @ their birthday
party (Dallas, TX)
03: The Federation and Lil
Scrappy @ Warner Bros. (Los
Angeles, CA)
04: LeToya Luckett and Brandi
Garcia @ her in-store signing
(Houston, TX)
05: Block and Yung Joc with
the cheerleaders @ 95.7’s
celebrity basketball game
(Birmingham, AL)
06: Mike Jones, Jas Prince,
Lil Keith, and Int’l Red @ car
show (Houston, TX)
07: Johnnie Cabbell, the Bish-
op of Crunk, Emperor Searcy,
and DJ Will @ The CORE DJs
Retreat (Atlanta, GA)
08: Lil Scrappy and Diamond
of Crime Mob @ The CORE
DJs Retreat (Atlanta, GA)
09: Fabo of D4L @ The CORE
DJs Retreat (Atlanta, GA)
10: DJ Nasty and Chaka Zulu
on the set of Ludacris’ “Grew
Up A Screw Up” (Atlanta, GA)
11: Young A and DJ Sir Thurl
@ The CORE DJs Retreat
(Atlanta, GA)
12: Dior George and Ericka
Regine @ Club Whispers
(Orlando, FL)
13: Kinfolk Nakia Shine and
Kool.Laid (Memphis, TN)
14: Cordice and Carl @ House
of Blues (Orlando, FL)
15: Young Jeezy and DJ
Toomp @ Hip-Hop Summit
Action Network’s financial
empowerment seminar (At-
lanta, GA)
16: Lil Boosie, Joie Manda, and
Webbie on the set of “Zoom
Zoom” (Atlanta, GA)
17: Derek Washington, J-Shin,
and DJ Q-45 @ Club Endo Exo
(Jacksonville, FL)
18: Malik Abdul, Slim Goodye,
and TJ Chapman @ Icon for
Slim Goodye’s mixtape release
party (Orlando, FL)
19: T-Mo and Khujo Goodie
with Jerry “Smokin” B @
Compound (Atlanta, GA)
20: Guest, TJ Chapman, Rich
Boy, Adam Favors, and guest
@ Global Mixx DJ Retreat
(Chicago, IL)
21: 98.5 staff @ AT&T Center
(San Antonio, TX)
22: DJ Khaled, DJ Craig G, and
Fat Joe @ J-Lo’s house for Fat
Joe’s “Make It Rain” weekend
pool party (Miami, FL)

Photos: DJ Chill (06); Edward

Hall (02); John Thorton (18);
Julia Beverly (03,05,07,08,09
,10,11,15,16,19,20); Keadron
Smith (04); Luxury Mindz
(21); Kool.Laid (13); Malik Ab-
dul (12,14,22); Ms. Rivercity
(17); Terrence Tyson (01)

25
RICH
BOY
O
ne of the first to represent for Mobile, AL, multi-talented rapper
and producer Rich Boy plans to drop his debut album A Product
Of The Hustle on Interscope Records in early 2007. After a
lengthy trial for attempted murder, a case in which he claimed self-de-
fense, Rich Boy was sentenced to three years of probation. With that
behind him, he hit the road on a promo tour and stopped by OZONE’s
hometown of Orlando to reflect on his life and career.
I hear you went through a trial recently. What was that about and what
was the result?
Well, I was charged with attempted murder. I was caught up, you know,
I found out the hard way it wasn’t about that gangsta shit. Sometimes it
takes something happening in your life for you to look at it in a differ-
ent angle. So that’s what I’m doing, just trying to make the best of the
situation and the opportunity I’ve got. I’m on three years probation. 18
months supervised, 18 months unsupervised. That’s gonna calm me down
a lot. So I’m really just gonna be focusing on this music and what I need
to be doing. And I just shot this video [for my single “Throw Some D’s On
It”] so that’s even more motivation to be doing the right thing.
Is it hard for you to be able to go on tour and hit the road with the right
attitude, having just been through a trial and a life-changing experience?
Yeah, it was real hard mentally. I couldn’t get my thoughts together.
The hardest part was just hiding it. You be comin’ in your [hotel] room
thinkin’ about that shit all day. But when you get around them DJs [on
promo tour] you gotta give them your all. But at the same time, your
mind is somewhere else.
You don’t really look like a gangsta. You’re so laid-back.
Yeah, but you can’t judge a person off looks. Look at all these people
shootin’ up the schools. Serial killers like Jeffrey Dahmer, you know, you
wouldn’t expect him to tie you up and eat you. But I’m not a gangsta. I’m
not a thug. My family, we’re the type of people that don’t mess with no
one. So when it do happen, we don’t understand why someone would just
mess with us. We don’t know how to handle that type of stuff. We’re real
protective of ourselves. I’m protective of my life, if it comes to that.
Now that you’ve put that situation behind you, you’re focused on the music?
Most definitely. That’s a big weight off my shoulders, and I feel like my
music is gonna be ten times better now. The whole time, I was just tryin’
to make music. Now that I’ve gone through the process of [the trial], it’s
just another situation I can rap about, the positive things that came out
of it. I ain’t gonna glorify it like most rappers do. I feel like that’s my
responsibility in the rap game to bring back some real topics. Everybody’s
talkin’ about jewelry, fuckin’ hoes. I even started out like that, but I was
tryin’ to talk about real topics. I really wanna connect with the people
going through struggles. People are always rappin’ about making money,
but they don’t ever rap about the people that ain’t got shit. They talk
about how they street niggas, but they don’t ever be reppin’ the people
that are living in the streets. It’s cool to represent the dope boys and shit;
I understand they’re the heroes. Every neighborhood looks up to the dope
boys as the heroes, but what about reppin’ for the real people, the people
that’s living in the streets? People that ain’t got shit. You gotta do music
for them too. You rappin’ about a $100,000 watch, but these people can’t
relate to that shit. Everybody ain’t gon’ have a $100,000 watch.
Being from Alabama, do you think the term “Bama” is offensive?
I just think people are ignorant to the word, so I don’t even think they
realize what they’re saying. I don’t know who started that, or where that
word came from. I really don’t understand it to the fullest myself, what
the word “bama” actually means. Some people say it means that you’re
stupid, slow, or whatever. If that’s what it stands for, I’m finna change the
definition. People will look at that word different once they see what I’m
doing and what I’m bringing to the table.
Now that you’re on the road a lot, does it give you a different perspective
on your hometown of Mobile, AL?
Oh yeah, it lets me know what we need, what we got, what we don’t got.
You know, I’ve been able to go around and look at these other cities and
see these other opportunities they’ve got. I look at how they’ve helped
each other right to the top. I gotta bring that mentality that I see in other
cities back to my hometown and just try to change the way they think. I
think that’s a big part of me. That’s a big mission I’m tryin’ to accomplish
by being a rapper. Rappers have power, and I’m gonna try to use that to
my advantage to bring something to my city.
26
Do you feel a lot of pressure to succeed being the first rap representative
from Mobile with a major opportunity like this?
I’m such a laid-back guy, you know, I’m just chill. I don’t feel no pres-
sure. The only pressure I ever felt was at that trial. But as far as getting it
done, I just feel like it ain’t too far outta reach for me to do. If somebody
else can do it, I can do it. If 50 [Cent] could do it, I can do it. They’re
human like me. They bleed like me. I’m on the same level as anyone else,
only difference is that some of them have more money or more exposure.
They started off as nobodies and made a name for themselves, so I can
make a name for myself just like anybody else.
You said you make music about real topics and connect with the average
person, but you’ve still got a single about rims, like everybody else.
It’s like giving a kid candy – you give them what they want first. It’s just
like students who don’t want to go to school. You gotta have things that
make them wanna go to school, like the football team. I’m just tryin’ to
give them what they want. Everybody’s rappin’ about certain things right
now, so I gotta touch on that and then I can drive ‘em where I wanna
take ‘em. Like my song “Lost Girls,” it’s about high level prostitution.
There’s so many girls lookin’ for the richest nigga. They’re raised to come
up off another person instead of just to come up their own way, by goin’
to school or doin’ what they do. They’re tryin’ to come up off the next
person. There’s actually parents pushing the issue of finding a rich guy.
Were you a victim of that mentality?
Yeah, I was a victim. This girl left me for a dope boy that had a little more
money. I ain’t no hater though. Now when I see her, she’s talkin’ about
getting married [to me]. It’s funny. That just shows you how real my top-
ics are. I’ve also got a song called “Ghetto Rich” about racial profiling.
You went to college, didn’t you?
I went to Tuskegee for mechanical engineering. I wanted to be an au-
tomobile designer. I used to draw cars all the time when I was young. I
wanted to do something different cause everybody in the hood was doing
the same thing. I just wanted to stand out. I knew someday I was gonna
stand out in some type of way. I didn’t graduate cause I fell in love with
the music. I learned how to make beats when I was goin’ to school, so
that’s how I ended up dropping out. I was addicted to it. I used to just do
beats all day, every day. I forgot about everything.
Do you still produce a lot of your material?
Yeah, I did two tracks on my album. I’m just now starting to get focused
on it cause I’m through with the album. Me and Polow are gonna team
up on the production tip. Polow’s a good partner because he lets me have
all the creative control that I want. The only beat he picked for me on my
album [A Product of the Hustle] was “Throw Some D’s On It.” We trust
each other and that’s why we’re gonna make it a long way. We’re a team.
Is there anything else you’d like to say?
I just want people to start rapping about some real stuff. It ain’t gotta
always be about drugs. I ain’t even knockin’ the people that rap about
that, cause that’s what they do, but we gotta make this rap game better.
We gotta upgrade. Upgrade your raps.
- Julia Beverly
 01: Kuzzo, JC CRUNK!!!,
Bryan Leach, and Frank
Harris @ Snitch for Lil Jon’s
pre-VMA party (NYC)
02: Cam, Slick Pulla,
BloodRaw, DJ Nasty, and
Playa K on the set of Ludacris’
“Grew Up A Screw Up” (At-
lanta, GA)
03: Khao and Cam’Ron @
Compound for The CORE DJs
Award Ceremony (Atlanta,
GA)
04: George Lopez and Kot-
tonMouth @ Powers of Music
Conference (Austin, TX)
05: KLC, TJ Chapman,
Jonathan Bender, Shaw T, and
Big Kap reppin’ OZONE @
Akright Records BBQ (New
Orleans, LA)
06: Fat Joe’s “Make It Rain”
pool party @ J-Lo’s house
(Miami, FL)
07: Niche, Alyson, and Melissa
(Gainesville, FL)
08: Lil Boosie and his daughter
on the set of “Zoom Zoom”
(Atlanta, GA)
09: Rick Ross @ The Moon
(Tallahassee, FL)
10: Chef Creole @ J-Lo’s house
for Fat Joe’s “Make It Rain”
pool party (Miami, FL)
11: Ladies of BME @ CORE
DJs Retreat (Atlanta, GA)
12: Don P and Dirty Mouf
of Trillville @ Club Crucial
(Atlanta, GA)
13: Chamillionaire and Cindy
Hill @ 98.5 The Beat Bash
(San Antonio, TX)
14: DJ Red Alert and Citty
@ The CORE DJs Retreat
(Atlanta, GA)
15: Khujo Goodie, Terrence,
and Lloyd Banks @ Luda Day
Weekend’s celebrity basket-
ball game (Atlanta, GA)
16: Steve Gottlieb, Kinfolk
Nakia Shine, Princess Rivera,
Mr. Collipark, and Storm @
the BMI Awards (NYC)
17: Trae and Chamillionaire
@ Beyonce’s birthday party
(Houston, TX)
18: Rich Boy and friends @
HangTime (Indianapolis, IN)
19: Mary Datcher present-
ing Common’s charity with a
$10,000 donation @ the Global
Mixx DJ Retreat (Chicago, IL)
20: Amanda Diva, Pimp J, and
Jeanise @ Mo Muzik Studios
(Orlando, FL)
21: DJ Jelly and Roland “Lil
Duval” Powell @ Compound
(Atlanta, GA)
22: Dreadlock, C-Rola, and
Omar @ Trae’s album release
signing (Houston, TX)

Photos: Donna Permell (15);

Edward Hall (04); Julia Bev-
erly (01,02,03,08,11,12,14,19,
21); Keadron Smith (17,22);
Kool.Laid (18); Luxury
Mindz (13); Malik Abdul
(06,07,10,20); Marcus
Dewayne (05); Storm (09,16)

27
 TURK

D
espite the fact that he’s facing concurrent prison sentences
totaling 22 years for allegedly shooting a police officer in a
2003 incident, former Hot Boy Turk is upbeat, positive, and
confident that a brighter future is ahead. He’s preparing to drop
a new album, owns his own record label with several artists, and even
maintains a Myspace page - all from the confines of a jail cell. Through his
wife Erica (below right), Turk reached out to OZONE to break down his
future plans and respond to Young Buck’s recent implication that he was
once involved in gay activities with other Cash Money members.

You’re currently incarcerated – what’s going on with your case?

Right now I’m going through the process of my appeal, so I’ll be out in
January 2007. I [was sentenced to] 12 years, running concurrent with the
10 that I got for state time. I’m looking forward to being out real soon
with my appeal and everything. When I went to trial, the only reason I
took a guilty plea was to squash my case. They gave me an alpha plea – a
plea in my own interest. It means, I ain’t pleading guilty to the charges,
I was just tired of sitting around where they was trying to railroad me.
So I went ahead and signed a guilty plea and now I’m going through my
appeal. I know for a fact that’s gonna work out.

You recently dropped an album, right?

I released Still A Hot Boy, that’s in stores now. I just released Convicted
Felon, that’s in stores now also. I got my own label, YNT Music. I’m drop-
ping Young N Thuggin’ 2 first quarter of next year, January or February.
On that album I’m presenting my homies Amani and Don Trip. I got B.G.
on the album, Jody Breeze, 5th Ward Weebie, and a couple cats from
Memphis.

How are you able to produce and release albums while you’re incarcer-
ated? Do you record over the phone?
Where there’s a will, there’s a way. I’ve been doing stuff on the phone,
too, but me being the workaholic that I am, I had a lot of unfinished
projects. So I’m just updating [those vocals] with different features and
upgrading my beats. You can do a lot with technology today.

Young Buck did a radio interview recently where he talked about things
he saw on the Cash Money tour bus back in the day, Baby and Lil Wayne
kissing on the mouth, etc., and your name came up in the conversation.
I heard about that. I was real fucked up about that. I’ve been trying to
get at Buck since he made that broad statement. He didn’t literally say
“Turk,” but at the same time he left the question open in people’s minds.
Baby and Lil Wayne, they’re not gay. Even though me and Baby don’t
see eye to eye, those are false allegations that Young Buck made. It’s just
like a holy kiss. Buck is tryin’ to sell music, man, and as much as I’m into
it with Baby and them, I’d never put out a false allegation about them.
That’s false. Buck is lying.

But Baby and Lil Wayne did kiss on the mouth, on TV.
I don’t think they’re gay. It’s just like basketball when a nigga makes a
shot and another nigga pats him on his ass to say “Good job.”
Have you been in touch with anybody from Cash Money recently?
I’m in contact with B.G. and Juvenile. I talk to Mannie Fresh and Lil
Wayne every now and then, but as far as Baby, I have no contact with
him, period. I’m a grown man, they’re doing their thing and I’m doing
mine. It ain’t no grudges, it’s just business with me. Whatever route I
choose to take when I come out, niggas are gonna have to deal with it.
My wife Erica. That’s my everything right there, my best friend, my
nigga, my homie, everything. She’s the only one that’s been down with
me every hour of every day since I’ve been in here.
What else do you do in prison to occupy your time besides music?
Man, shit, writing, listening to the radio, reading, studying cases, just
educating myself and seeking knowledge.

A few other incarcerated rappers have recently been released. Are you in
contact with any of them?
I just did an exclusive with C-Murder. I did a couple things with some
rappers from Memphis. I’ve been talking on and off to a lot of people. I’m
looking forward to working with either Rap-A-Lot or Atlantic when I
touch down. I’ve been talking back and forth with representatives from
both labels. I’m available for features, drops, mixtapes, exclusives, you
know, whatever. And that ain’t just for niggas in the industry, that’s for
the underground niggas comin’ up too. I just did an exclusive with Carlos
Cartel, a cat from North Carolina that’s been holding me down.
Do you get any special privileges in prison, being who you are?
I stick out like a sore thumb but to the officers I’m just another number.
They try to be more hard on me. It ain’t no special privileges or nothing.
It would be easy for you to get discouraged with your current situation
– how do you stay so motivated and ambitious?
I’m a firm believer in God, first of all. I read my Bible a lot so I stay con-
nected with God. Once I do that, I see all the blessings God has bestowed
upon me, so I just try to keep a thankful attitude. As long as I keep a
thankful attitude, I’m gonna stay positive.
Is there anything else you want to say?
I’ve got these “Free Turk” shirts. Even though I’ve only got a couple more
months left, I want them to look good for when I touch down. People can
go on either one of my webpages www.YNTMusic.com or www.myspace.
com/TurkYNTMusic and cop those t-shirts. If anybody wants to get in
contact with me the best number to call is 901-896-9358, or they can
write to me at YNT Music, PO Box 301025, Memphis, TN, 38130-1025.

Who’s been most supportive of you? - Julia Beverly

28
 01: Ludacris and Young
Jeezy on the set of “Grew Up
A Screw Up” (Atlanta, GA)
02: DJ Clark Kent, Grouchy
Greg, Jermaine Dupri, Chuck
“Jigsaw” Creekmur during
Allhiphop.com week (NYC)
03: Play & Skillz with Baby
Boy @ Maximedia Studios
(Dallas, TX)
04: Trey Songz and Quan @
FTX 06 Fashion Show (Hamp-
ton, VA)
05: Chyna Whyte, Cam,
and guests @ The CORE DJs
Retreat (Atlanta, GA)
06: Spiff, LVM, and DJ Nasty
on the set of Ludacris’ “Grew
Up A Screw Up” (Atlanta, GA)
07: Spliff Star and Busta
Rhymes @ House of Blues
(Orlando, FL)
08: Lil Boosie and DJ B-Lord
(Charleston, SC)
09: Webbie and a video
model on the set of Lil Boosie’s
“Zoom Zoom” (Atlanta, GA)
10: Mercedes and DJ Han-
kadon @ Club Whispers
(Orlando, FL)
11: Shawnna and Kev Samples
@ Global Mixx DJ Retreat
(Chicago, IL)
12: Terrence Tyson and Free-
way @ UNF Arena (Jackson-
ville, FL)
13: Coco Renea and Pusha-T
@ Club Broadway (Norfolk,
VA)
14: Chad Brown and Mr. Col-
lipark @ Compound for The
CORE DJs Award Ceremony
(Atlanta, GA)
15: Mad Linx, Princess, Trick
Daddy, Diamond, and Citty @
Club Crucial (Atlanta, GA)
16: LeToya Luckett with her
grandmother @ her album
release signing (Houston, TX)
17: Bobby Valentino and
Block @ 95.7’s celebrity
basketball game (Birmingham,
AL)
18: Squiggy, Life, Damien
Marley, and Swordz @ Club
Endo Exo (Jacksonville, FL)
19: Malik Abdul, DJ B-Lord,
and guests reppin’ OZONE
@ J-Lo’s house for Fat Joe’s
“Make It Rain” pool party
(Miami, FL)
20: Trill Entertainment family
@ Lil Boosie’s “Zoom Zoom”
video shoot (Atlanta, GA)
21: Guest, TV Johnny, and
DJ GT @ GT’s birthday party
(Houston, TX)
22: DJ Dr. Doom and M-Geezy
@ Da Real Ting (Jacksonville,
FL)

Photos: Coco Renea (04,13);

DJ B-Lord (08); Julia Beverly
(01,05,06,09,11,14,15,17,20);
Keadron Smith (17,21); Malik
Abdul (07,19); Mercedes (10);
Ms. Rivercity (18,22); Promo-
tivation (03); Rico da Crook
(02); Terrence Tyson (12)

29
 01: Ladies @ J-Lo’s house
for Fat Joe’s “Make It Rain”
pool party (Miami, FL)
02: Young Jeezy and DJ Quote
@ The CORE DJs Retreat
(Atlanta, GA)
03: Bibi Gunz, Cedric Holly-
wood, and DJ Khaled @ Prive
(Miami, FL)
04: Dee Sonoram, 95.7’s Pro-
gram Director, Unk, and guest
@ 95.7’s celebrity basketball
game (Birmingham, AL)
05: M. Shadows of Avenged
Sevenfold and Paul Wall @
Snitch for pre-VMA party
(NYC)
06: Mouse, Lil Boosie, and
Webbie on the set of “Zoom
Zoom” (Atlanta, GA)
07: Cadillac Don & J-Money
with Bobby Valentino @
95.7’s celebrity basketball
game (Birmingham, AL)
08: Jason Geter and Linda Day
@ Club Crucial (Atlanta, GA)
09: LX Bub reppin’ OZONE @
Stress Room (Dallas, TX)
10: Yancey Richardson, Rico
Brooks, Yung Joc and ladies @
Yung Joc’s winning weekend
(Miami, FL)
11: DJ Christion and Acafool
@ Club Skye for DJ Christion’s
birthday party (Tampa, FL)
12: Lil Boosie gets a handful
from a fan on the set of “Zoom
Zoom” (Atlanta, GA)
13: Mixmaster Ice and
Cam’Ron @ Compound for
The CORE DJs Award Cer-
emony (Atlanta, GA)
14: Ladies reppin’ OZONE
and CRUNK!!! @ Screw Fest
(Houston, TX)
15: Yung Joc and Tyrese @
Summer Jam (Dallas, TX)
16: Kansas City Kingz Soul
Mutt, Young Produk, and
Lucci Staxx @ The CORE DJs
Retreat (Atlanta, GA)
17: Shareefa and Ludacris
@ Global Mixx DJ Retreat
(Chicago, IL)
18: Cory Mo, Chamillionaire,
and Int’l Red @ DJ GT’s birth-
day party (Houston, TX)
19: Krazy Yogi, DJ Nasty, DJ
D-Strong, Chris Turner, and
Rashad Tyler @ House of
Blues (Orlando, FL)
20: 1/2 of So Souf kickin’ game
to Ms. Cherry @ The CORE
DJs Retreat (Atlanta, GA)
21: Guest, Omar, TJ Chapman,
Slim Goodye, and DJ Greg
G @ Icon for Slim Goodye’s
mixtape release party (Or-
lando, FL)
22: Luda Day (Atlanta, GA)

Photos: Caps One (09); DJ

Chill (14); DJ Quote (02);
Donna Permell (22); J. Mc-
Cartney (05); Julia Beverly
(04,06,07,12,13,17,20); Ke-
adron Smith (18); King Yella
(15); Luis Santana (11); Malik
Abdul (01,03,19,21); Yancey
Richardson (10)

31
YOUTNG
CI Y
B
etween Hurricane Katrina, departing Bad Boy, and being arrested
on armed robbery charges, it’s been a rough year for former Da
Band member Young City a.k.a. Chopper. Still, at only 21 years old,
he’s learned plenty of lessons and is applying them towards the future.
Last I heard, you were on house arrest.
Yeah, I’m out on bond. I gotta face this armed robbery charge from five
years ago, something they said I did when I was 16. It’s an old charge, it
was the old me. I just hope the judge sees it like that. I’m gonna do the
best I can do, pray to God, and hope that things will work out.
Do you care to talk about that situation you’re being charged with? What
actually happened?
I was a young guy. I went upstate for the summertime to visit my family
and I was hanging around some guys that was always getting into trouble.
They had a BB gun and was playin’ around with some people that they
thought was for real. When they locked me up, I came home on $10,000
bond. I was 16 years old but they charged me as an adult. I never received
court papers. I went back home to New Orleans and my way of life, and
ended up becoming whatever I became and doing whatever I do. So I
got pulled over in Atlanta driving recently, and [the officer] was already
hassling me. He told me I had a warrant from five years ago. That’s so old,
and I been doing so many things I forgot all about it. So basically it was a
skeleton in the closet, and sometimes you gotta get rid of them the right
way instead of brushing it off. Hopefully we can get probation or just let
me ride, but I don’t feel no jail time.
Are you still signed to Bad Boy?
That situation with Puffy, a lot of people ask me about that. Honestly
speaking, man, Puff is Puff. I am who I am. He gave me a great headstart
with the Making the Band situation, but at the end of the day, it’s very
bittersweet. It gets you fame, but you gotta embrace the moment for what
it is. We sold platinum, but Puff seen it as a business move. I didn’t feel
like being there was genuine. His whole motive was to get however much
he could get out of us, and I really didn’t appreciate that as a man, first
and foremost. How I was raised, we don’t play like that. I thought it was
better to do my own thing. I’ve been doing this album myself, the Fast
Life. At Bad Boy, it was a lot of burdens on me that I really wasn’t trying
to face no more. I did it all during the Making the Band thing and it really
wasn’t prosperous. I’ve gotta elevate, not evaporate. I got a family. I’m
21 and I feel like I’m 41. Puff wanted me to stay. We shot two videos
in one day and they came at me with a situation and wanted me to sign
the contract. We had a remix [to “Lil Daddy”] with Lil Wayne and Jody
Breeze. We had already shot the video. I’ve got the rights to it but I never
put it out. I’m gonna just put [that situation] behind me. I want to prove
to Puff that I’m a force to be reckoned with, and he messed up for not
understanding my hustle. It’s gonna be your loss, pimp. I respect the fact
that he’s gonna always make money, but the rest of them over there [at
Bad Boy] are puppets. I can’t be a puppet, I’m a grown-ass man.
Are you still in touch with the other members of Da Band?
Somewhat. I talk to Babs once in a blue moon. I talk to Dylan and Fred
once in a while. I’ve talked to Sara. I don’t really rock with Ness like that.
Since you built your name through Making the Band do you think people
are less likely to take you seriously as a solo artist?
That’s why I say it’s bittersweet, because I’ve got to prove to people that
I’m a serious artist. I want y’all to take me seriously. Most do, cause real
recognize real. I’m really a street nigga. I’m really from the projects. The
sweet part is that it made me famous and popular. I can go anywhere in
the world for free and I don’t have to worry about certain things. That’s
one thing I liked about [Making the Band].
What’s your opinion on the so-called Bad Boy curse, that everyone who
used to be on the label is stuck or had something bad happen to them?
One thing about Diddy – he don’t give a fuck about you. He don’t give a
fuck about your family. He don’t give a fuck about your situation. All he
gives a fuck about is what you could do for him. A lot of artists over there
on Bad Boy get shelved cause he don’t know what to do with them. He’s
got an ear, but it’s for that old shit. Only reason that Yung Joc single blew
up is cause it was hot already. I don’t know why that nigga’s tryin’ to
cling onto the South shit now. You’re an East coast dude. No disrespect to
Puff, but bring New York back. I love East coast music. Bring that back.
That’s all I’m sayin’. Not to talk bad on him cause he did give me a chance
and an opportunity. Fuck the haters if they wanna comment on me. If
32
you don’t like how I feel, fuck you.
Are you looking to get another record deal at this point?
I got a lot of things on the table right now. I’m just finishing this album
and trying to be a CEO, not an artist. I don’t wanna get signed as an artist
cause I’m not gonna get nothing but paper scratch. That can’t feed my
daughter. I’m tryin’ to be a CEO, I’ve got an album already prepped up, I
have production from some of the best producers. I already know the top
dawgs. I’m not in a situation where I’ve gotta start over again. I just gotta
get over this hump and that’s what I’m gonna do.
Do you have any mixtapes or product in the streets right now?
I got a lot of mixtapes out right now. I mainly sell out of the country. I’ve
got a lot of white foreign fans. I got a couple of mixtapes out. The first
mixtape I did was with DJ Chuck T. I don’t rock with Chuck T like that.
I put my all into it, and the quality [of the mix CD] was like basement
music. I didn’t respect that, coming from a DJ that’s from South Carolina
and is supposed to be holding the South down. A lot of people was like,
“It sounds like y’all did that in the basement. Chop, you a millionaire,
how you gonna be recording in a basement?” I really don’t respect Chuck
T for what he did, that’s why I brushed it off. He’s a bitch nigga.
Didn’t you shoot up his car or something?
Chuck T is a bitch to me. While I was in South Carolina I was playin’
with his gun in the backseat. I said, “Is this shit on safety?” and he said,
“Yeah.” So I squeezed the trigger and shot his car. He’s doing all this talk-
ing and shit calling me and asking me for money. I paid for [the damage]
cause it was nothing. But for him to get out here and start mentioning my
name, boy, I will slap the shit outta you. I know niggas that know your
situation, Chuck T. You’s a fuck boy. Niggas is out to get you. Be easy.
Keep doing what you doing. Don’t come on this real shit. You aren’t cut
from this type of cloth. Real recognize real, and you look very unfamiliar.
Okay – any other mixtapes that you were happy with?
Shout out to my dawg DJ Smallz for holding me down and having faith in
me. All Eyez On Me, I sold 230,000 mixtapes. I sold 104,000 in the United
States, especially out there in Oakland. Shout out to all my retailers out
there in Oakland. And lastly, The Re-Up with DJ DNA. We sold so many
of those it was crazy. They bootlegged the mix CD, but I still respect it,
cause my music got out there. So shouts out to all my bootleggers. I got
another mixtape coming out called I Declare War, and get ready for my
Fast Life album coming soon. My single is called “Shut It Down.” Check
out my website www.chopperwebsite.com or www.myspace.com/of-
ficialyoungcity to hear the official “Lil Daddy” remix to show people that
I’m not over here fugazin’. I’m real talking. People don’t understand your
movement until you show them. I’m 21 in the game and these old-ass
rappers are still trying to make it. Retire your fuckin’ jerseys and let the
young boys come in. I’m gonna shock the world.
Do you plan on going back to New Orleans post-Katrina?
I’m in Atlanta right now. I got a couple spots here. I’m getting real estate
money. I have to go back to New Orleans, though, cause I’m the prince of
the South and New Orleans is where I’m from. It’s the New New Orleans.
I’m running the New New Orleans, besides my big dawg Weezy.
- Julia Beverly (Photo: Shannon McCollum)
 01: Cam’Ron, Hell Rell,
and Juelz Santana on the set
of “Suck It Or Not” (NYC)
02: Ludacris and Young Jeezy
on the set of “Grew Up A
Screw Up” (Atlanta, GA)
03: Chamillionaire presenting
Hawk’s wife with a platinum
plaque for The Sound of
Revenge (Houston, TX)
04: Trae @ his album release
signing (Houston, TX)
05: Rick Betemit, Mad Linx,
and Sam Crespo @ Club Cru-
cial for The CORE DJs Retreat
(Atlanta, GA)
06: Derrick Webb and the
Gator Boys @ 95.7’s celebrity
basketball game (Birmingham,
AL)
07: Chuck, Trick Daddy, Big
Will, Tony Neal, and DJ Rip
@ Club Crucial for The CORE
DJs Retreat (Atlanta, GA)
08: Rich Boy and Kylan @ K97
(Memphis, TN)
09: Klarc Shepard @ Whiskey
Room (Gainesville, FL)
10: Don P of Trillville and
Memphitz @ The CORE DJs
Retreat (Atlanta, GA)
11: Fat Joe welcoming Scott
Storch and his yacht to J-Lo’s
house for his “Make It Rain”
pool party (Miami, FL)
12: Ne-Yo and a friend @
Studio Inc (Tampa, FL)
13: Dre and Ono Choulee on
the set of Fat Joe’s “Make It
Rain” (Miami, FL)
14: Don Fetti and David @
Compound for The CORE DJs
Award Ceremony (Atlanta,
GA)
15: Trae and Rick Ross @ Club
Axis (Dallas, TX)
16: Jamie Foster-Brown and
Killer Mike @ Hip-Hop Sum-
mit Action Network financial
empowerment seminar
(Atlanta, GA)
17: One Chance @ Global
Mixx DJ Retreat (Chicago, IL)
18: Funkmaster Flex and
Premo @ Flex’s car show
(NYC)
19: Unk and Blak Jak @ 95.7’s
celebrity basketball game
(Birmingham, AL)
20: Money Waters and Pay-
Day @ Rhythm City Niteclub
for Money Waters’”Gotta
Gar?” video shoot (Dallas, TX)
21: DJ B-Lord, DJ Khaled, and
Chubby Chubb @ Fat Joe’s
“Make It Rain” pool party
(Miami, FL)
22: Yancey Richardson, Luis
Duran, and guest @ Yung Joc’s
winning weekend (Miami, FL)

Photos: D’Lyte (15); John Tha

Baptist (20); Julia Beverly
(02,05,06,07,10,14,16,17,19);
Keadron Smith (03,04); Kool.
Laid (08); Luis Santana (12);
Malik Abdul (09,11,21); Ono
Choulee (13); Rico Da Crook
(01); Swift (18); Yancey
Richardson (22)

33
 PRENEUR
ENT OFILE
RE
PR

S
outhern Hip Hop is built off the spirit of independence. When major
record labels turned a blind eye and gave a cold shoulder, artists
were forced to do for self and cater to people who supported them.
Cities like Houston, Memphis and all points in-between can testify about
the benefits and eventual payoffs that the independent route can bring.

However, Atlanta, Georgia, the proposed Capital Of The Dirty South,

can’t fully stake that claim. The “Motown of the South” has become
known as the place that artists run to in search of a major deal. It’s almost
as if there is a tried and true formula: get song played in the club + get
song played on the radio = sign record deal in four months.

The independent scene there is not as strong as it is in neighboring cities

and states because the artists get snatched up by majors by the time they
attain loyalty in the streets. However, there has been one label that has
carried the independent flag from day one, Big Oomp Records.

Built off the backs of Oomp, DJ Jelly and MC Assault, the Big Oomp
name has always signified Atlanta’s underground. Whether it was their
early 90s mixtapes filling the void of not having an Urban radio station or
their legendary Friday nights at the Nike Pavillion, Big Oomp repped for
people who weren’t smooth enough for LaFace or clean enough for So So
Def. Yes, while the world was popping champagne with Jermaine Dupri,
the Atlanta streets were getting Intoxicated with Hitman Sammy Sam.
With just over a decade of success under their belts, Big Oomp is still a
force to be reckoned with. Their latest artist Unk is introducing their
sound to a new, younger audience, while veterans like DJ Jelly and DJ
Montay strive to remind people of who help start Atlanta’s musical
takeover.
We caught up with Big Oomp himself to talk about his company’s influ-
ence and future.
For those who don’t know, break down what the Big Oomp enterprise is
exactly.
Big Oomp is an entity. We’ve had a TV show for 5 years, we have the
largest retail store in Atlanta, we’ve got artists, a production company, a
film company, we do mixtapes and mix DVDs and have a team of DJs.
How long have you been doing this?
We started in 1991 with DJ Jelly and MC Assault, just hustling in the
streets, serving people at the gas station, riding around downtown getting
people to listen. In 1992 we got our first record store and then in ‘93 we
opened up another one. In ‘94 we opened 10 stores. Then we cranked up
the label in ’97 with Major Way. Then we came with Sammy Sam in ‘98,
that’s what put us on the map because Sam was already a legend and Jelly
was becoming the South’s best DJ at the time. Then we did the TV show
in 2000 on UPN, and now we have a syndicated radio show on 6 stations.
Big Oomp Records was the first independent label in Georgia. We were
self-contained, we all had brains in the circle, and it was the benefit of
having smart people in our organization. We didn’t have no one to look
to; we paved the way for independents in Atlanta. No one had their own
things. No one’s doing it right now to this day. Nobody was doing street
promotions like us, no one. We were the first ones.
Since the days of Bobby Brown and LaFace, Atlanta has become a haven
for people looking to get major record deals. You guys have only dealt
with one major the entire time you’ve been operating. Why?
When we started off, we were making a lot of money with no competi-
tion. We never jumped into corporate because we were self-contained.
We never expanded to the world back then but we should have. If we
would’ve took a trip to New York, who knows what would’ve happened.
How did you hook up with Sony in the early 2000s?
With Sony, that was my first time going to New York. I was like damn,
all these dudes getting deals never worked the streets, they was selling
stories. So I went up there and let them know what I was doing.
Are you going to entertain going with a major again?
We just got a deal with Koch and we’re talking to Atlantic and Universal.
The independent world is dead. The bootleggers killed it.
How? Why would you say that?
You’re not making money. I did it for years. It ain’t crossing my mind
to put out another record independently. I spend $75,000 to make the
record, make it hot, and go out and get it on radio. But that bootlegger
killing me. I make $25,000 back. Doing that, you just making a better day
for the bootlegger. I press up 30, and the bootlegger makes 100. That’s
why I say spend your money and get your record hot and go to New York
and get a deal. As long as you’re spending your money you ain’t getting
much. With Koch, if this label treats me well, we both make millions.
How have you guys been able to stay relevant throughout the years?
As we got older we kept bringing in younger guys like Unk, DJ Montay and
Shorty Rock. The TV show reintroduced us to a younger audience too.
How do you feel about the Atlanta music scene nowadays?
Man, times done changed. It ain’t about grinding now. They come out
with one song overnight. Atlanta is so hot that they ain’t got to do no
work. You ain’t gotta spend no money, someone in New York will get
you. No one doing street work anymore. We been around the South 6
times out of out our own pocket. When we started we had to grind.
And you have a son in elementary school who is producing already.
You’re talking about Lil’ Corey. It’s a crazy story. When my wife was
pregnant she lived above the studio so all he heard was boom boom
boom. At four months old he was crawling to the studio. He would break
the clothes hangers down and bang on something. He was six months old
playing with a tape player trying to play and record. He used to crawl to
the studio everyday and started playing the piano. At 3 years old he was
doing beat machines, by six he was running the studio and on the MPC.
He’s learning Pro Tools right now. He done sold 8 tracks already - some
to Lil’ Flip, Unk, Baby D, and Andre 3000 wanna work with him. He’s
been in the studio with Jazze Pha, Too $hort and Rico Wade. He’s about
to have a reality TV show. It’s gonna show him producing and selling a
beat from beginning to end.
In all of your years in this business, what is the one thing you’ve learned
that you live and die by?
When I first started, I started with a street mentality. I learned that you
gotta stay humble. If you’re not humble, this business will shut you out.
Where can people hear your syndicated radio show?
Columbus, GA, Cincinnati, OH, Montgomery, AL, Columbus, SC, and of
course Atlanta, GA.
What projects do you have coming out in the near future?
We’ve got the DJ Unk Beatin Down Yo’ Block in stores now, Sammy
Sam Trouble Maker, Baby-D A-Town Secret Weapon, Dru War Games
and Loko. And look out for the DJ Jelly album and the DJ Montay album.
And yes, we have mix CDs in Germany, Canada, and Japan too. If you
want to check out our websites, visit www.bigoompcamp.com or www.
bigoomprecords.com.
- Maurice G. Garland

34
 01: Kanye West, Mary
Datcher, and Common
@ Global Mixx DJ Retreat
(Chicago, IL)
02: Cadillac Don & J-Money,
guest, and David Banner @
95.7’s celebrity basketball
game (Birmingham, AL)
03: 1/2 of Da BackWudz and
Dallas Austin @ Compound
for The CORE DJs Award
Ceremony (Atlanta, GA)
04: Bun B and his son Brandon
@ Backstage Live (Houston,
TX)
05: 1/2 of UTP and ladies
chillin’ @ Akright Records
BBQ (New Orleans, LA)
06: Ray from The Ultimate
Hustler, Oozie, and guest
@ The CORE DJs Retreat
(Atlanta, GA)
07: Marcus, N. Ali Early, and
DJ Juice @ The CORE DJs
Retreat (Atlanta, GA)
08: Lloyd Banks and Ludacris
@ G-Unit vs. DTP celebrity
basketball game during Luda
Day Weekend (Atlanta, GA)
09: It’s really going down
when Yung Joc performs @
UNF Arena (Jacksonville, FL)
10: DJ Will and Yo Gotti @
The CORE DJs Retreat (At-
lanta, GA)
11: Omar and Slim Goodye @
Club Whispers (Orlando, FL)
12: Lil Boosie’s daughter on
the set of his video for “Zoom
Zoom” (Atlanta, GA)
13: Ludacris and 4-Ize on the
set of “Grew Up A Screw Up”
(Atlanta, GA)
14: TJ Chapman and DJ E-Z
Cutt @ Global Mixx DJ Re-
treat (Chicago, IL)
15: Donna Gryn and Jermaine
Dupri with their CORE DJ
Awards @ Club Compound
(Atlanta, GA)
16: Pimp C, Nancy Byron, and
Chamillionaire (Houston, TX)
17: Bad Boy’s Rich Dollaz,
Hen-Roc, and Shawn Prez
@ Justin’s for The CORE DJs
Retreat (Atlanta, GA)
18: Omar Sharpe, Pat Nix, Jay
Deezy, and Chris Turner @
House of Blues (Orlando, FL)
19: Lil Larry, Rich Boy, and
Marlon Singleton (Memphis,
TN)
20: Ron Stewart and Norjon
Hedman @ Global Mixx DJ
Retreat (Chicago, IL)
21: Mike Jones and Lil Soldier
@ DJ GT’s birthday party
(Houston, TX)
22: Eye Kandi and DJ Dap on
Jam TV @ Flava Music (Tal-
lahassee, FL)

Photos: DJ Dap (22); Donna

Permell (08); Julia Beverly
(01,02,03,06,07,10,12,13,14,15,
17,20); Keadron Smith (04,21);
Kool.Laid (19); Malik Abdul
(11,18); Marcus DeWayne
(05); Nancy Byron (16);
Terrence Tyson (09)

35
 KATT
WILL IAMS

B
orn in Cincinnati, OH, and raised in nearby Dayton, Katt Williams
has come from humble beginnings to become one of the hottest
comedians in the industry. Known for his permed hair and his
character Money Mike in the movie Friday After Next, Katt has become
known as the Hip Hop Comedian. His many music industry friends in-
clude Snoop Dogg, Cam’Ron, and Lil Jon. Recently crowned a member of
the Dipset, Katt sat down with OZONE to discuss his new comedy album
on Diplomat Records and other upcoming projects.

You’re hosting BET’s first annual Hip Hop Awards. How did that come
about?
I’m not sure. It’s the first. I guess they picked the best person that they
thought would do a good job. I will make it fantastic, funny, and safe, if
that is all possible.

Tell us about your comedy album.

It’ll be out around April 2007. They’re trying to push it up. It’s just me
being me, not me trying to be someone else. It’s a nice fun album that all
haters will hate and all people that are about their business are gonna love
it. I was able to pick the people I wanted to work with, so Lil Jon is on
there, Paul Wall is on there, Mike Jones, E-40, Lyfe Jennings, Dipset. It’s
just a beautiful situation.

Tell us about the new movie coming out, Norbit? You play a pimp named
Flashy Frank?
It’s a great movie. It’s one of those Eddie Murphy movies that we’ve all
been waiting on. Eddie Murphy plays three characters and Cuba Gooding
Jr., Eddie Griffin, Tandy Newton, and Marlon Wayans are also in the
movie. It’s just a banger cast. It comes out in February.

Any other movies on the horizon?

I have another movie comin in December which is called Perfect Christ-
mas with Gabrielle Union, Morris Chestnut, Terrance Howard, Queen
Latifah, and Charlie Murphy. In January I start [filming] the David Talbot
film that Mike Epps and I are starring in.
Tell us about the cartoon series The Boondocks, where you played a pimp
called SlickBack.
We just finished up another episode, and they’re working with Sony for a
live action film which details the life of a pimp called Slickback. It should
be interesting and a lot of fun.
What’s up with your new show that’s going to be on MTV?
The third season of Wildin’ Out is getting ready to air, and that’s already
a good platform. We’re getting ready to work on a character that I play on
that show called Judge Mo Dollars. Me and Nick [Cannon], all we’re try-
ing to do is work and put out some quality comedy shows. Richard Pryor
was the King of Comedy for his entire life and he isn’t here anymore, so
everyone has to step up their game.
Speaking of Wildin’ Out, how do you come up with your improv skits so
quickly?
It’s a game. It’s like if you throw a football to a football player, he’s sup-
posed to catch it. He either catches it or drops it. It’s the same thing with
comedy. I know they’re gonna say something, and I only have a few
seconds for my comeback. They don’t all work out, but I feel we have a
good show.
With all the things happening for you right now do you ever feel burned
out?
Shit, I haven’t even burned in yet. I can’t burn out yet because I just got
started. People didn’t even know who I was until Friday After Next. That
was in 2002, so I couldn’t burn out in five years. Burnout should never
be what a dude that’s grinding is scared of. I don’t care what you do. If
you’re selling weed, I don’t think you’re really scared that you can sell too
much weed. I’m just telling jokes, and as long as the universe is happy,
that’s good. When I start getting whack I should die, like all the funny
comics.
Is your permed hair and the way you dress a way to differentiate yourself
from other comedians?
I’m just a fly dude, so fortunately I’m in the right business. But this perm
wasn’t always popular. This is the same perm that’s started plenty of
fights and situations. That’s why you have to be you. When it’s bad, it’s
bad, but it can flip and all of a sudden the stuff that’s been a burden to
you your whole life can be what makes you special. That’s why you can’t
change yourself too much. Look at Star Jones. They sucked two hundred
pounds out of her body and her head still looks like she weights three
hundred pounds. You have to be happy with you.
Your bio says that you started reading when you were three years old.
Yeah, I was three, but I wish they would take that off my bio. I was also
shitting on myself at three, but they don’t say that in my bio. They also
don’t say that I was peeing on myself. But yes, I had the IQ of somebody
remotely smart, but I was still scared of waterbugs. Smart is always good,
but I’m as proud of my street smarts as I am of my book smarts. Reading
is fundamental. I was always reading and wanting to be somewhere other
than in my parents’ house, so yeah, you go on a journey when you read a
book.
What made you decide to join the Nation of Islam?
The same thing that made me quit. They were strong black men with a
message and they were poised for action, and I’m a religious scholar. I
like to see what motivates people to do what they do. So I was very inter-
ested in their culture; that’s why I went their way.
Can people in the music industry book you to do skits on their albums?
Yeah, absolutely. I’m kinda selective. We’ve got a pretty good track
record going. Seven of the last skits we did ended up on platinum albums,
so that’s worked well in our favor. If I like the artist I’ll do something
with them. They can go to my website and get connected with me there.
I’m a hip-hop fan, so whatever I can do, I’ll do it.

Are you living your dream? Tell us about your ringtones.

No, my dreams don’t have any work in them. I’m getting there. I’m mak-
ing the dreams happen. You should be very careful – if you’re living your
dream, that means you’ve run out of dreams. I’ve got dreams of a growth
spurt that I’ve been waiting on since I was 13, so I’m still dreaming of be-
ing five feet, nine inches tall.
912,000 and counting. It’s jut a blessing. I’m the first comedian to have
sold that many ringtones. That means my voice is being heard a little bit
in the marketplace, which is a good thing.
- Photo and Words by Malik Abdul

36
 01: LVM, Ludacris, and DJ
Nasty on the set of “Grew
Up A Screw Up” (Atlanta,
GA)
02: Duval County Rockstars
@ Plush for Young Cash’s
mixtape release party (Jack-
sonville, FL)
03: Nancy Byron helps babysit
Trae’s son during an interview
@ 104.9 (Houston, TX)
04: Fat Joe’s wife Lorena, DJ
Khaled, Trina, and E-Class @
Mansion for Rick Ross’s album
release party (Miami, FL)
05: Rashad, DJ Dap, and Big
Kuntry @ Blazin’ 102.3 (Tal-
lahassee, FL)
06: Chingy and Yung Joc @
UNF Arena (Jacksonville, FL)
07: Derrick, Slugga, and Fresh
on the set of Lil Boosie’s
“Zoom Zoom” (Atlanta, GA)
08: Lil Chris and Lil Scrappy
@ The CORE DJs Retreat
(Atlanta, GA)
09: Lil Homie and Block @
95.7’s celebrity basketball
game (Birmingham, AL)
10: TJ Chapman and Ms. Cher-
ry @ The CORE DJs Retreat
(Atlanta, GA)
11: Pinky and DJ Khaled @ J-
Lo’s house for Fat Joe’s “Make
It Rain” pool party (Miami,
FL)
12: Kandi from Xscape with
Pat Nix @ Club Whispers
(Orlando, FL)
13: Bossman and Kadife
Sylvester @ Global Mixx DJ
Retreat (Chicago, IL)
14: KC @ House of Blues
(Orlando, FL)
15: Jaycee and DJ Toomp @
Compound for The CORE DJs
Award Ceremony (Atlanta,
GA)
16: Tony Yayo, Young Buck,
and Lloyd Banks @ Summer
Jam (Dallas, TX)
17: Bishop of Crunk and
Trilltown Mafia on the set
of Lil Boosie’s “Zoom Zoom”
(Atlanta, GA)
18: Merc Camp on the set of
Money Waters video shoot
(Dallas, TX)
19: Fat Joe, guest, and Scott
Storch @ J-Lo’s house for his
“Make It Rain” pool party
(Miami, FL)
20: Trick Daddy, Money Mark,
guest, and Big Will @ Club
Crucial (Atlanta, GA)
21: Big Kuntry and Mad Linx
@ Club Crucial for The CORE
DJs Retreat (Atlanta, GA)
22: Treal, Haitian Fresh, and
J-Dash @ 238 West (Gaines-
ville, FL)

Photos: DJ Dap (05); Edward

Hall (18); Julia Beverly
(01,04,07,08,09,10,13,15,17,
20); Keadron Smith (03);
King Yella (16); Malik Abdul
(11,12,14,19,21); Ronald Lock-
lear (02); Terrence Tyson (06)

37
 DJ E
PROFIL
O
ne of the premiere DJs in Mississippi, DJ Finesse holds down a
coveted spot on Jackson’s 99 Jams and also serves as President of
The CORE DJs crew.
How did you get the name “Finesse”?
It came from when I used to play basketball in Jr. High, because I could
handle that rock. Back then they was calling me Kid Finesse. I knew I
wasn’t about to be the next [Allen Iverson] - or back then it was Dr. J.
Where I’m from you’re either a hustler, a baller, or a rapper, and I wasn’t
no rapper either. So, there you go.
When did you start DJing?
I first started in 7th grade. I went to the Fresh Fest and saw Run-DMC
and Jam Master Jay. Then later on I saw Jazzy Jeff. That’s when I told
myself, “I wanna talk with my hands.” I started off doing tricks, I used to
study the DMC tapes. But in my market doing tricks was cool for show,
but not for making paper, so I honed my skills as a party rocker and
mixer. I wanted to be the conductor of events.
Since you’ve been around for a minute, how do you feel about the respect
level DJs have gotten over the years? It seems like it comes and goes.
I think it’s been peaks and valleys. We wasn’t getting respect at first, we
had to get from behind the tables and let people know that without us the
parties are not hype. Now DJs are getting respect because we’re getting
creative with our marketing skills. But what I don’t like is that because of
the technology, some people are getting respect they haven’t earned. If
you not mixing on a mixtape, it’s not a mixtape. But you can weed out the
bullshit DJs. I’m not the cat who sits up with Pro Tools or Cool Edit and
puts things together and calls it a mixtape. I think you lose respect when
you do that. And that’s the valley we’re in right now. But other than that,
right now DJs and others are realizing that we are the A&R to the streets.
The biggest effect we gonna have is finding what’s gonna be the next big
record. You can have the best record in the world, but if you don’t have
the DJ community behind you, it ain’t gonna do anything.
As a DJ do you get offended when people throw around the phrase “Hip
Hop is dead”? Because you guys are the ones who play the music and get
it out there.
38
I get offended because people got to understand that Hip Hop is a culture,
not just rap music, so Hip Hop is definitely not dead. Everybody from
Puff on down has clothing lines and different businesses, that’s Hip Hop
right there. The state of rap maybe in disarray because there’s hardly any
lyricists, but now Hip Hop is magazines; business opportunities. We’ve
branched out to so many things. Rap music, on the other hand, took a
downward spiral because we hardly have lyrics. But to balance that out,
producers are taking time to make more quality tracks.
Was it hard for you to get respected nationally coming from Jackson,
Mississippi?
It ain’t where you from, it’s how you come. My cost of living is cheap, I
get the money on the road and bring it back home so the next generation
don’t have to leave town to make it. I’ve noticed that some DJs leave their
home because people ain’t feeling them, no, you just gotta get hot where
you’re at. It’s about where you’re at. I’ve had shows in places like New
Orleans and got just as much love. When you go out, everybody respects
you if you coming hard.
What else are you into other than being behind the tables?
I got a street team and I’m President of The CORE DJs. I’m trying to unite
DJs. I also run Finesse Records. We put out the Stew Pot Stowaways, a
group that David Banner used to be a part of back in the early 90s. I’m
doing real estate, I own Jazzy’s in Jackson. I do it all. It’s bigger than me
rocking a party.
Being that you have so much experience, do you make sure that you
share your knowledge with others?
I’m raising plenty of DJs, I got cats at the radio station, I’m trying to
teach them to respect the craft and not just buy blank CDs and put out
mixtapes. I understand that because they like the entertainment business
they see DJing as the best way to get in. But the reality of the situation is
if you don’t treat it right it’s gonna leave you, like a girlfriend. I under-
stand why they like it but if they ain’t true to it, you’ll be gone in a year.
I teach cats to understand it, I tell them you got to rock the crowds, pick
the hits, and stay focused and loyal.
- Maurice G. Garland (Photo: Julia Beverly)
 01: Shawnna and Rich Boy
@ Global Mixx DJ Retreat
(Chicago, IL)
02: Calvin Rachel and Jus
Chris @ 95.7’s celebrity bas-
ketball game (Birmingham, IL)
03: Bam Margera, Lil Jon, and
Metal Skool @ Snitch for pre-
VMA party (NYC)
04: Murda Mamis Karlie Hus-
tle, DJ Storm, Nina Chantele,
and 1st Lady El @ Global Mixx
DJ Retreat (Chicago, IL)
05: Big D and DJ Khaled @
Prive for Fat Joe’s “Make It
Rain” weekend (Miami, FL)
06: DJ Caesar, Jay Deezy, and
Kaye Dunaway @ Club Whis-
pers (Orlando, FL)
07: Rico Da Crook and Mely-
ssa Ford @ Allhiphop.com’s
launch party (NYC)
08: Mia and Greg G @ Carib-
Craft Studio (Orlando, FL)
09: Keisha Hunter and Big
Tuck @ Powers of Music
Conference (Austin, TX)
10: Rich Boy and friends @
The Juice (Toledo, OH)
11: DJ Boom Bip and DJ Dime-
piece @ Justin’s for The CORE
DJs Retreat (Atlanta, GA)
12: Dukwon and Ms. Rivercity
@ UNF Arena (Jacksonville,
FL)
13: Big Al and DJ Quote rep-
pin’ CRUNK!!! Energy Drink
@ The CORE DJs Retreat
(Atlanta, GA)
14: Steve Carless and Court
Digga @ Global Mixx DJ
Retreat (Chicago, IL)
15: Unk and Don P of Trill-
ville @ 95.7’s celebrity basket-
ball game (Birmingham, AL)
16: Lil Soldier, Mello, and
the Ice Age camp @ Dub Car
show (Houston, TX)
17: Young Dro and Trick
Daddy @ Club Crucial for The
CORE DJs Retreat (Atlanta,
GA)
18: Great, Swirl, Carlos, and
Tampa Tony @ The CORE DJs
Retreat (Atlanta, GA)
19: Derrick and Lil Boosie
with Boosie’s daughter on the
set of “Zoom Zoom” (Atlanta,
GA)
20: Kaspa, Crystal Isaacs, and
DJ Trauma @ Global Mixx DJ
Retreat (Chicago, IL)
21: Lil Chris, Lil Scrappy,
Chyna Whyte, and G’s Up
@ The CORE DJs Retreat
(Atlanta, GA)
22: Mecca backstage @ Bon-
go’s for Haitian Jazz Festival
(Miami, FL)

DJ Quote (13); Edward Hall

(09); Greg G (08); J. McCarthy
(03); Johnny Louis (22); Julia
Beverly (01,02,04,11,14,15,
17,18,19,20,21); Keadron
Smith (16); Kool.Laid (10);
Malik Abdul (05,06); Rico Da
Crook (07); Terrence Tyson
(12)

39
 DUST RY
IN 101
S
erving as both Rick Ross’s manager/business partner and the CEO
of Poe Boy Records, Eric “E-Class” Prince (shown at right with Ross
after a show in Gainesville, FL) is a staple in the Miami music scene
and has approached the game with his unique and effective brand of
street marketing.
First off, describe your job. What do you do?
I develop artists. I break records. I market records. I own my own promo-
tional and marketing company. Poe Boy is a management company to. I
can’t really describe what I do because it’s so much. What one nigga does
at a record label – what he gets paid a whole lot of money for – I do that,
plus four other jobs. I ain’t the average CEO. I’ll put up my own posters.
Why did you name your company Poe Boy?
One of my homeboys, God bless the dead, Kenin Bailey died in 1999. That
was our vision, to start a record company. I named it after him and I’ve
been holding it down solo ever since. My first release was POD, a song
with Rick Ross and Trick Daddy. Then I had Cognito. I put a bunch of
money into him. Niggas don’t understand – I put like $400,000 into POD
and another $700,000 into Cognito. We shot two videos on Cognito and
never put it out. It might come out next year, you never know. Me and
Cognito went our separate ways. Then shorty [Jacki-O] came along, so we
did what we had to do with shorty. She had a hit record, I worked it.
Did you team up with Sobe Entertainment to put out Jacki-O?
We teamed up with Cecil Barker. There wasn’t no Sobe at the time. He
wanted to start his own label. That’s my best business partner ever. We
had our differences, but it wasn’t me and him. It was people he had work-
ing for him. He’s a great dude. We’re still good friends, so it’s all good.
Were you satisfied with the results of Jacki-O’s album, or did you feel like
it should’ve sold more with all the money and effort that was put into it?
I put a whole lot into that project. That was in God’s hands. Her talent
wasn’t the problem. Her production wasn’t the problem. A&R wasn’t the
problem. Marketing wasn’t the problem. I just figured it was God’s move.
What did you learn from that project that you’ve been able to apply with
the Rick Ross situation?
Just to keep going. I’m all the way in, so I’m not gonna stop. This Flo-Rida
shit is on another page. Get ready for Rick Ross’s [group] Triple C, trust
me, it’s gonna be a serious problem. Brisco, I just did his deal with Cash
Money. Me and Birdman finna do some major things with that. Flo-Rida’s
got a smash hit record. It ain’t who’s the strongest, it’s who lasts the lon-
gest. Me and Ross been together for years. We came up together.
We did an interview with Rick Ross a few years ago where he voiced his
displeasure with Slip-N-Slide and was trying to go back to Poe Boy.
I had a gang of artists. I don’t sell no dreams or hold no nigga back, but
I’ll ride with you. If I feel like I can’t do it for you and somebody else got
money for you, handle your business. If you ain’t got no real love for your
artists or it’s just a business to you or you’re not gonna put your all into it,
it ain’t gonna work the same. Out of 10 CEOs, only 2 of them are gonna
go extra hard to make sure your shit is a success. I’ve been fighting for this
shit since 1999. [Rick] was on POD and Cognito’s shit. He’s been there
from day one, from the beginning. Him and Jacki-O wrote her “Nookie”
record together. I felt like it was time to put everything behind him.
What else did Rick Ross write besides Jacki-O’s “Nookie”?
He wrote a bunch of records. He wrote like three records on her album,
“Gangsta Bitch,” and a few other records. But she’s a great writer too.
Why did you and Jacki-O fall out?
Things happen, man. It just didn’t work out.
In our last interview with her, she said that she felt you were blackballing
her new records from getting played.
I ain’t gonna comment on that. I ain’t got no reason to hate on nobody.
I’m just a smalltime businessman but I do work hard for my artists.
On a Bigga Rankin mixtape, he says he was scuba diving and saw a Rick
Ross poster, which pretty much summarizes your promotional efforts.
I got some new shit, this waterproof material that I do boards with. The
whole industry stole my game. They saw the big ten foot cut outs and
started to emulate the greats, so it’s all good. I should get a check for that.
Everybody’s doing it now. I made labels step their marketing budgets up.
40
If you want a board like that, get ready to spend $250 on each one. Rick
Ross has 500 of them everywhere we go. We spend our own money and
we go hard, so with the [Def Jam] machine behind us, it’s too easy.
Where did you come up with such an aggressive marketing strategy?
Just watching elections and campaigns, trying to come up with different
ideas. Shit niggas ain’t doing. I don’t like poster boards and all that shit.
To me, that’s vandalism. I just like to be strategic and do shit differently.
We wrap buildings, buses, balloons. I like to do it big.
Aside from the music, why do you think Rick Ross is a successful artist?
I ain’t gonna lie, he had to do a lot of changing. He was real aggressive.
We had to have a lot of talks. I told him to just chill. We gotta calm down
and stay focused when we want to go hard on these industry people.
Coming from the streets yourself, what do you think was the key to mak-
ing a transition from the streets to this business, changing your hustle?
To be honest, I think it’s really pretty much the same thing. You just
gotta apply your business differently. You gotta adapt to this industry
cause this shit is super gay. It’s full of fuck niggas. Half the niggas in
power don’t need to be in power, and niggas who really work hard and
do the right shit ain’t in the right positions. So you’ve gotta play the
humble role. You see what they did to Suge. You’ve gotta do shit silently.
Kill them with silence. It’s just like the streets, man. You got niggas in
positions who can shut you out, so you gotta play your cards right, and
when you’re on top it’s your time to shine. We’re doing alright, but we’re
far from the top. We got a few deals on the table. We just came off an
international tour with Jay-Z, so we’re seeing a bigger vision.
You were upset when we printed some negative things about Poe Boy a
while back. Do you want to respond to that?
I never worried about the little things. That’s why I got two probations
and three assault charges. As long as a nigga don’t get personally disre-
spectful, it’s cool. I got love for OZONE. You work real hard. I’ve seen
you grind like I grind, from day one. You’re a hustler. I can’t hate on that.
Speaking of catching assault charges, you had a little altercation your
former partner Mr. Charlie at TJ’s DJ’s. What was that about?
Yeah, he did some super homo shit. You can talk all you want, but don’t
go to a newspaper and talk about a nigga’s criminal activities in the past.
That’s something you just don’t do. So that’s where I draw the line. I can’t
give nobody no shine, though. It’s all about Triple C, Poe Boy, Brisco, the
movement. OZONE looking real big too, everywhere I go. I seen one on
the shelves at the airport the other day. You’re getting a lot of money on
the low. At every show niggas are snapping pictures for OZONE.
The Miami movement seems to be going well.
The Super Bowl is coming to Miami and we’re the champions. It’s a new
movement. I like to stunt, too. When they come through Miami they’re
gonna know what time it is. Rick Ross been hot, it ain’t nothing new.
It’s about timing. I learned to be more patient and humble and discipline
myself. Shout out to Cool & Dre, DJ Khaled, Big D, all the producers,
everybody who’s doing their thing. Look out for that Live From 305
executive produced by Rick Ross and E-Class, we’re bringing all the hot
Miami artists to the forefront: Dirtbag, T-Double, Pitbull, Smitty.
Any last words?
Don’t ever think this industry loves you. Some niggas sign a deal and think
it’s all gravy, but as soon as you don’t do good, my brother, that love is out
the window. Don’t fall short for the glory. I leave it all in God’s hands.
- Julia Beverly (Photo: Malik Abdul)
01: Spark Dawg watching himself read
OZONE @ Powers of Music Conference
(Austin, TX)
02: Devin the Dude and Fresh reading
Devin’s album recap in OZONE’s 25
Greatest Southern Albums feature
(Houston, TX)
03: Tampa Tony and Great with OZONE
cover @ CORE DJs Retreat (Atlanta, GA)
04: Nina Sky @ Rucker Park for DJ
Webstar’s album release party (NYC)
05: Street Runner and Scott Storch @ Fat
Joe’s “Make It Rain” weekend (Miami, FL)
06: Kid Money KG @ Club Skye for DJ
Christion’s birthday party (Tampa, FL)
07: Doug E. Fresh @ Hip-Hop Summit
Action Network financial empowerment
seminar (Atlanta, GA)
08: Kurupt and Daz (NYC)
09: Two Dog Records @ Club 238 West
(Gainesville, FL)
10: Young Dro @ K104’s Summer Jam
(Dallas, TX)
11: Shareefa on the set of “I Need A Boss”
(Miami, FL)
12: G, Baby Boy, and DJ Deliyte @ Nel’s
Sports Bar & Lounge (Bay St. Louis, MS)
13: Black Mike and Kiotti @ Powers of
Music Conference (Austin, TX)
14: Bossman @ Rock Corps (NYC)
15: Frankie J (Austin, TX)
16: Mike Clarke and Dedra Davis @ Pow-
ers of Music Conference (Austin, TX)
17: Haitian Fresh, Ms. Cherry, and 1/4 of
Treal on the set of Haitian Fresh’s “Put Ya
Leg Up” video shoot (Daytona Beach, FL)
18: Cellski on the set of Ludacris’ “Grew
Up A Screw Up” (Atlanta, GA)
19: OG Ron C, Kid Money KG, and Aca-
fool @ The CORE DJs Retreat (Atlanta,
GA)
20: Ryno and Tosin @ Powers of Music
Conference (Atlanta, GA)
21: M.O.E./Backdoor Productions mem-
bers @ Plush for Young Cash’s mixtape
release party (Jacksonville, FL)
22: Cadillac Don & J-Money (Jackson,
MS)
23: Willie The Kid @ Ridin’ Dirty Car
Show (Atlanta, GA)
24: Dizzee Rascal @ Konnections (Hous-
ton, TX)
25: CORE DJs Retreat (Atlanta, GA)
26: DJ Dr. Doom and DJ PLO @ UNF
Arena (Jacksonville, FL)
27: D’Lyte and Keio Gamble @ Powers of
Music Conference (Austin, TX)
28: Wap 1 and KayBeezy @ Money
Waters video shoot (Dallas, TX)
29: Fidel and DJ Princess Cut @ The
CORE DJs Retreat (Atlanta, GA)
30: Turk, Courtney, and Lil Boosie on the
set of “Zoom Zoom” (Atlanta, GA)
31: DJ Princess Cut and Tum Tum @
Powers of Music Conference (Austin, TX)
32: Khujo Goodie and Ike Gda @ The
CORE DJs Retreat (Atlanta, GA)
33: DJ Wild Hair with the owner of
Club Axis @ Twisted Black’s video shoot
(Dallas, TX)
34: Mims @ The CORE DJs Retreat
(Atlanta, GA)
35: Tonya Terelle and the Lavish Models
on the set of Money Waters video shoot
(Dallas, TX)
36: DJ Chill and DJ Princess Cut @ Pow-
ers of Music Conference (Austin, TX)
37: So Souf @ The CORE DJs Retreat
(Atlanta, GA)
38: DJ Commando and DJ Juice @ Club
Crucial (Atlanta, GA)

Bogan (11); Cadillac Don & J-Money (22);

Crossroads Entertainment (12); DJ Chill
(24); Edward Hall (28,33,35); Julia Beverly
(03,07,18,19,25,29,30,32,34,37,38); Kead-
ron Smith (02); Luis Santana (06); Luxury
Mindz (01,13,15,16,20,27,36); Malik
Abdul (05,09,17,23); Promotivation (10);
Ronald Locklear (21); Swift (04,08,14);
Terrence Tyson (26)

41
 O DUC ER
PR ROFILE
P
I
f Batman wanted to hit the studio and drop 16 bars on a track,
Atlanta-based Shawty Redd would be his producer of choice. Minus
the bright colored spandex and corny one-liners, Shawty Redd is
the trap version of a comic book hero, saving the world from whack
tracks, one beat at a time. As the melodic mastermind behind some of the
South’s hottest tracks, Shawty’s beats incorporate a style unique in every
way (imagine the Atlanta symphony orchestra on speed put together in
a crunk kind of arrangement). Having produced for an array of artists
including Young Jeezy, Bun-B, Slim Thug, Trillville and countless others,
the Decatur, Georgia beat boss has already established himself as one of
Atlanta’s premier producers. Now, armed with diabolical beats and an un-
matched style, Shawty Redd, who doubles as villainous rapper, is looking
to become a superhero in the booth as well as on the keyboard.
How did you get started producing?
I had got into some trouble back in the day. I had caught some charges
and I promised my grandmother that if I beat the charges I would do
something positive. So I beat the charges and I came down to Georgia
from Memphis. Down here music was the hot thing to do, and since I
had grew up in the church, knew how to play the piano, I started making
beats. I did my thing on Drama’s album and it all started from there.
Who are some of the biggest artists you’ve produced for?
Every artist I’ve messed with is a big artist to me, regardless if they made
it big or not. I done produced for Young Capone, Drama, Black Jack, Lil
Yola, Slim Thug, Fab, Bun B and the whole UGK Family, Trillville, Pastor
Troy, Bleu Davinci, Jeezy. The list goes on and on.
What is the one artist you wish you could produce for?
Prince. Man, I’m a huge fan of Prince.
What producers have influenced your style?
I listen to and respect all producers but DJ Toomp is my dope boy, he’s a
big inspiration to me. It’s a privilege for me to have had the opportunity
to go around and kick it in the studio with him. A lot of cats don’t offer
their time and their knowledge to teach the younger cats the tricks to the
game. I really appreciate Toomp and I give him the utmost respect.
Your beats have a very unique sound. Where does that come from?
I try to make my music like a soundtrack. If you were to take out the
drums and just listen to the music, you can be cool with just that. I’m a
movie dude. I like soundtracks, and big orchestra sounds. You know, like
theme songs for comics like Batman and Spiderman. I try to put that in
my music, the big intros and the big strings over here and the worms over
there. I try to do my beats like movie themes.
Out of all the tracks you’ve produced, which is your personal favorite?
“The Realest Nigga In It,” by Young Jeezy.
Yeah, that beat sounds like it could be the theme song for one of those old
superhero movies. Are you signed to a label or affiliated with any group?
I’m a free agent. I’m taking it slow. I’m not trying to rush into any deals
or anything like that right now. I’m not trying to settle for no little
chump change deal. I’ve been through that already.
What has been the biggest moment of your career thus far?
The biggest moment is right now, this whole Jeezy situation. I was locked
in a messed up contract, so I really wanted to quit music. Basically, if I
produced anything, the other party was going to eat more than I ate. So
I just chilled and hid out til I finally could get the ends to get me a good
lawyer and good management, somebody I could trust. Once I did that, I
linked up with Jeezy and he knew everything was gonna jump off, but I
didn’t really think it was gonna jump off to the point where it’s at now.
I didn’t even want to do music no more, but Jeezy pushed me to get him
the hits and to this day, that’s the biggest, most triumphant situation.
It sounds like you and Jeezy have a good situation. How did you meet?
To tell you the truth, man, me and Jeezy met just hanging in the strip
club. We’d be at Jazzy T’s and a mutual friend introduced us and after
that me and Jeezy just linked up. It was more like a brotherhood than just
a producer thing. He was with me in the studio every day.
Did you get a platinum plaque for Young Jeezy’s Thug Motivation 101?
Man, I’m still waiting on my platinum plaque from Jeezy. Where my
plaque at, man? I can’t throw a party until I got my plaque, you know?
42
The second album’s almost out now.
Who else are you currently producing for?
Busta Rhymes is messing with me right now. I don’t know if he’s gonna
use anything, but also Freeway and Beans want a couple of beats from
me. I’m also working on some stuff for Ray J. I’m in the process of work-
ing with everybody, I don’t know whose going to use what, but I’m
working with all these people right now.
It seems like a lot of the artists you produce for end up blowing up after
you work with them. Who you think is the next artist to pop?
Me. I got an album I’m working on. I was actually a rapper first. I was
signed to MCA but they went bankrupt before I came out.
What happened with the deal you had with MCA?
I had a deal through MCA and I did the score for the Save The Last Dance
movie. I had six of my original songs on that movie. Naim Ali had been
trying to get at me for the longest. He was an A&R at MCA and he gave
me a label deal. The label started saying I was too crunk for ‘em. The
game had went commercial and everything was on that Pharrell shit so
they said I wasn’t marketable enough for them. I did like three different
albums, and when I finally got approved, MCA went bankrupt, so I never
got my chance to come out.
Have you tried to get another deal with any other labels?
A lot of labels have been trying to do some stuff with me but they want
me to work and they ain’t trying to give me what I’m worth. I took a
$300,000 deal already and now I’m hotter than I was before. So I can’t
accept no chump change deal. I’d rather just sit back and keep producing
for Jeezy, I’d be straight. Anybody can do the music thing. I’m not gonna
say I’m the greatest rapper in the world but all it takes is the right beat,
the right hook and being able to ride the track. I’m not knocking the snap
music, but if snap music can blow up like it did, I know I can do some
stuff that can blow up.
How can an aspiring rapper get a Shawty Redd beat?
All you gotta do is give me a phone call and have the deposit ready. [The
amount of the deposit] depends on how I feel that day. You know I ain’t
got nothing to prove. If a nigga wants a beat just come bring me the
deposit. It ain’t gonna take me longer than fifteen minutes, so he might as
well bring the whole thing.
Damn, that’s impressive. So if it only takes fifteen minutes to make a beat,
what do you do with the rest of your day?
To be honest with you, I don’t never really see the daytime. I get up
probably about 8 o’clock at night, then hit the studio for about three
or four hours. After that, I usually go to the strip club. I stay there for a
while and leave about 6 in the morning.
You seem to be a connoisseur of Atlanta strip clubs. Which is your favorite?
Club Blaze on Moreland. That’s my radio station, man. Also, my pops,
Cognac is there, my whole family is there. I ain’t gotta worry about get-
ting into it with some lame nigga, or some jealous nigga over there. Blaze
is like my home and my pops keeps it gangsta over there.
- Photo and Words by Eric Perrin
01: Chaka Zulu reppin’ his artist
Ludacris’ cover @ Rock Corps (NYC)
02: Cootabang, Yung Redd, and E-Cla$$
reppin’ Swishahouse @ Powers of Music
Conference (Austin, TX)
03: Young Jeezy reading OZONE @
Rock Corps (NYC)
04: Smilez & Southstar @ Rock Corps
(NYC)
05: OG Ron C, Rapid Ric, and TJ Chap-
man @ Power of Music Conference
(Austin, TX)
06: Mo Buckets, JoJo, and Jellyroll @
Sweetwater (Murfreesboro, TN)
07: DJ Caesar and Young Capone @
Club Whispers (Orlando, FL)
08: Derrick the Franchise, Pharrell, and
Fam-Lay (Virginia Beach, VA)
09: DJ Quote and Julia Beverly @ The
CORE DJs Retreat (Atlanta, GA)
10: Michael Watts @ Powers of Music
Conference (Austin, TX)
11: DJ Chino and DJ Nasty @ House
of Blues for Busta Rhymes concert
(Orlando, FL)
12: Young Cash and Lil Hen @ Plush
for Cash’s mixtape release party (Jack-
sonville, FL)
13: Awesome Two @ Compound for
The CORE DJ Retreat (Atlanta, GA)
14: Carnival Beats @ Powers of Music
COnference (Austin, TX)
15: DJ Webstar @ Rucker Park for his
album release party (NYC)
16: Deuce and Rapid Ric @ Powers of
Music Conference (Austin, TX)
17: Big Tuck and Hezeleo @ Powers of
Music Conference (Austin, TX)
18: B.A. Boys @ The CORE DJ Retraet
(Atlanta, GA)
19: TJ Chapman, Corey Cleghorn, and
DJ Princess Cut @ Powers of Music
Conference (Austin, TX)
20: Haystak (Murfreesboro, TN)
21: Jae Millz @ RUcker Park for DJ
Webstar’s album release party (NYC)
22: Bobby Valentino on the set of
“Money Maker” (Miami, FL)
23: Dream and D’Lyte @ Powers of
Music Conference (Austin, TX)
24: DJ Greo and Ed the World Famous
@ Justin’s (Atlanta, GA)
25: TV Johnny @ Letoya Luckett’s in-
store (Houston, TX)
26: DJ Koolaid, Hump, and Big Bodie @
Kartouche (Jacksonville, FL)
27: DJ Khaled @ Mo Muzik Studios
(Orlando, FL)
28: Lendale White and Pacman (Nash-
ville, TN)
29: Bishop of Crunk and Rasheeda on
the set of Lil Boosie’s “Zoom Zoom”
(Atlanta, GA)
30: Miss B @ 95.7’s celebrity basketball
game (Birmingham, AL)
31: Young Rico and Chuckee on the set
of Lil Boosie’s “Zoom Zoom” (Atlanta,
GA)
32: Jokaman @ The CORE DJs Retreat
(Atlanta, GA)
33: St. Louis and Deuce Poppi @ The
CORE DJs Retreat (Atlanta, GA)
34: Steve Austin and Kiotti @ Powers of
Music Conference (Austin, TX)
35: JT and Loaded @ Twisted Black’s
video shoot (Dallas, TX)
36: Kingdom and Billie Jean (Miami, FL)
37: DJ Red Alert and DJ Marquis @ The
CORE DJ Retreat (Atlanta, GA)
38: Baby Bash @ 98.5 The Beat Bash
(San Antonio, TX)

Bogan (22,36); Derrick the Franchise

(08); Edward Hall (19,23,35); Joseph
Herbert (06,20,28); Julia Beverly
(09,13,18,24,29,30,31,32,33,
37); Keadron Smith (25); Luxury Mindz
(02,05,10,16,17,34,38); Malik Abdul
(07,11,27); Ms. Rivercity (26); Ronald
Locklear (12); Swift (01,03,04,15,
21)

43
 PRENEUR
ENT OFILE
RE
PR
A
pioneer in the DVD Magazine game, James “Kraze” Billings has
turned his love for hip-hop and knowledge of video production
into a phenomenon of mass proportion. The New York native has
parlayed his versatile industry expertise into a multimillion dollar enter-
prise and his company, Kraze Entertainment, is not only responsible for
the development of the popular DVD magazine, All Access DVD, but is
also one of the originators of the DVD magazine format in itself. Recently
the success of the All Access Brand has expanded to television, reaching
over 24 million Americans on the Starz/Encore Network.
How did you get started with All Access DVD?
I came out with a documentary called Street Poetry. I had entered it into
the Urban World Film Festival in 1999 and we got a great response from
MTV and other companies such as October Films and Miramax. The
problem with that was I never had any clearance for the footage I was
showing at the film festival. So at that point I toyed around with the idea,
and I asked a lot of my boys, “Do you guys read magazines all the way
through?” Because I always felt like I was buying magazines but never
reading the whole magazine. Most of my people were the same way. They
read what they thought was interesting but never dealt with the whole
magazine. So around the year 2000, I started asking people, “What if there
was a magazine that you could watch instead of read, would you watch
the whole thing?” And everybody was like, “Yeah, definitely.” So that’s
when the birth of All Access came in.
When you first started, was it hard to obtain solid interviews?
Well, I was a signed artist when I was 15, so music has always been a part
of my life. After I didn’t really make it as an artist, I ended up working
for FUBU right before they catapulted to three hundred and fifty million.
Music, fashion, and films go hand in hand. Everybody came through that
FUBU office, so me being the FUBU filming guy kind of helped my rela-
tionships with the artists. When you work with a reputable brand, people
take you seriously. So, it was a much easier transition when I left FUBU
and started doing my own thing.
So you pretty much encountered all facets of the hip-hop industry.
I went from rapping and trying to be an artist, to actually going to school
for television production and then I ended up working in the fashion in-
dustry. Now, I’m back doing the film thing and I’m thinking about going
back in the studio. If Puffy can do it, so can I.
Talk about how being versatile has helped you in your career?
The most important thing is that I was able to do more than one thing. I
didn’t stick to trying to be an artist. Being able to move around in these
different circles created my versatility and that definitely helped me get
to where I am today. We have the number one spot in the DVD market
and are able to say that confidently.
Tell me about some of the things you’ve covered on All Access.
What we’re known for is either breaking a story or bringing more light
to a story you might have heard about or read a little about. We ask those
hard questions and really get those answers; uncensored, candid, in your
face, straight raw from the artist. With each and every issue, you’re either
going to get something dealing with controversy, beef, or sex, because re-
ally, that’s what fuels hip-hop and I think we’re the most known and well
respected DVD on the market today. Recently we brought a lot of light
to the Green Lantern situation. We were able to do an exclusive sit-down
interview and talk about his departure from Eminem and 50 Cent.
There has been a recent influx in DVD magazines being released. How do
feel about this and do you see these new guys as competition?
How’s that song go by D4L? I bet you can’t do it like me. They can’t do
it like us. I don’t want to discredit anybody, but I will say this - it’s flat-
tering when you have people imitate what you do, but when you’re the
leader of the pack, that’s just what it is. It’s great to influence people and I
don’t want to discourage people that want to pick up a camera and make
a DVD, but at the end of the day, it’s a business. Its not just about picking
up a camera, it’s about having those relationships with the artists. I com-
mend those cats out there for creating them DVDs, but you just got to be
a little more creative.
Where did you get your funding to start All Access DVD?
All Access DVD was self-funded; it’s always been self-funded. I haven’t
taken any money from any banks or any outside venture capitalists. The
money is derived from me and my partners at the time. It came from our
44
pockets and our hard work.
What’s next for you and your company?
We just signed a twelve episode deal with Starz/Encore which is the third
largest cable network in the country. You know you have HBO, and then
you have Showtime, and then Starz/Encore. The All Access Show just
debuted on air last month, so were real excited about that. We went from
being a DVD magazine that’s catering to the streets to where a major
cable network feels that were a strong enough brand to infiltrate middle
class America. And for us to go from selling between twenty-five to fifty
thousand DVD units, to now being in front of 24 million people every
week is a great experience. Not only were we able to secure a national
television show, but we were also able to secure a similar situation outside
of the country, in fifty different countries, catering to 119 million differ-
ent households.
What kind of revenue does that bring in?
Our projections for DVD sales outside the country for the first three
months is about 500,000 copies and that equates to us making about 2.5
million dollars in 2007. That’s just one revenue stream, and that’s outside
the country. We haven’t even tackled where we are now.
How were you able to land such a major television deal?
We were able to build a brand that people wanted to associate themselves
with, meaning these major companies. Let it be known that they’ve been
following our career. They’ve been seeing how influential we were in the
marketplace with All Access the DVD. Everything that we’ve done got us
to where we are with these companies because of the moves we made and
the relationships that we built with that brand of All Access. They’re not
just giving cats TV shows, so you gotta understand the magnitude of how
we finagled our way through our branding and our product. There were a
lot of odds stacked against us, but we’re used to breaking down doors. We
were the very first to coin ourselves a DVD magazine.
You’re from New York and a lot of the content in your DVD relates to
Southern artists. Do you think New York can make a comeback?
The whole East coast is getting ready to make a major, major run to gain
their shine back. But I’ve always supported Southern artists, if you go
back to my volume two, I have Lil’ Jon on my cover and Trina and I was
the first to interview Jazze Pha as a producer. It’s an evolution; it’s going
to move from Atlanta like it moved from New York. I think it’s going to
be more Midwest in time than anything. But it’s really not a South, East,
West, or North thing; we should all be supportive and pull each other up.
What kind of advice would you give to others coming up?
First I got to say, tune in to my television show on Starz in Black. Second-
ly, make sure you support the All Access DVD. Thirdly, make sure you go
get a pair of my shoes, the A-Dub sneakers that come out nationwide in
2007. Support the things you believe in and make sure you have people
supporting you. I’m not afraid to ask people to go buy my DVD, because
those are the things that you need to do. If you want to get anything in
life believe in yourself, and know that there is nothing that can’t be done
and won’t be done unless you don’t do it. Log on to www.thedvdmaga-
zine.com for more updates on Kraze and All Access DVD.
- Words by Eric N. Perrin
 TIEN TLY
PA AITING
W

RICCO
BARRI
H N
IGH PO O
INT, N
T
R&B ar
he nam
-
e
23-year Barrino may
rin
Americ old Ricco Barr g a bell. That’
an ino
C
tist Fan Idol winner a is the brothe ecause
sb
Ray J tr tasia Ba nd Gram r of 200
ea r rin m 4
sia’s bro tment and wr o. But before y-nominated
ther, kn iting him giving R
motiva ow that off as ju icco the
tin R
went to g his America icco was inst st Fanta-
A n r u
anythin tlanta by my Idol sister to mental in
g se sta
gigging , not even Fan lf when no on rdom. “I
ev ta ew
what w ery week, an sia,” Ricco beg anted to do
as goin d from ins. “I st
scene [a g o th a a
nd she] n. She started t my sister se rted
Lewis. e c e
And th nded up with oming down n
“I KNOW why do at’ Ji on
n’t you s when the qu mmy Jam and the
tr est T
IF I CAN
took it
serious, y American Id ion was aske erry
but loo ol? No d,
COMPETE Fantasi
a’s
k wher o
e it got ne really
us.”
WITH to sing success allow
ba ed
THE BEST of Kany ckground wh Ricco the op
e West ile tour p
ing wit ortunity
OF THEM vocal a and Ke h th
rr ysh
sister. N angements du ia Cole, and a e likes
AND o rin
is stepp w, with his co g recordings ist with
ss
REMAIN new sin
ing out
from be
veted r
e sume, R
for his

HUMBLE,
g hin ic
serenad le “Bumble Gu d the scenes. co
e of boo m,” a sn H
ap-influ is
I’LL BE by Gran
d
tyliciou
s
“Live In Hustle’s Keit cravings produ nced
e
IN THIS increasi
The Sk
y”), has
h MacM
asters (T
ced
GAME n R
boro, N g through radio icco’s buzz ste .’s
.I
FOR A was fea
C to Ch
icago, IL ins from G dily
sp a

MINUTE.”
tu . ree
video w red in the “Yo In addition, R ns-
ith Oth u Know icco
which a
appeare z Records rap What It Is”
Blast. d on BE per P-W
T.com’s o
BET On nda,
Ricco m
a
snap m y have been in
usi fl
hip-hop c, and will le uenced by
hooks, nd his v
will sep but say ocals fo
a sh r
“You ca rate him from is versatility
n comp his cou
a slicke are me nterpar
re to ts.
ity,” Ric dge, with mo a T-Pain with
co expla re versa
stop the ins. “I c til-
m a
somebo usic and reall n definitely
dy. I de y seren
is to ha finitely ade
v k
do som e perfect pitch now what it
e ,
greats d of the things and be able to
o, like G tha
erald L t you see the
of peop p A in st W evert.”
le don’t eople in othe nthony Ham dustry, R&B ruggled to ga hile rappers fr
k n o w r areas ilton, a si n g e r s in n a ti o o m th
With “B a large d n e
u percenta on’t see North d Fantasia hav like Ricco’s co nal recognitio Carolinas ha
on his a bble Gum” m ge of si a e u n ve
lbum R oving u ngers c nd South Car succeeded wh sins K-Ci and in the music
icco Bar p ome fro o Jo
rino a.k the charts as th m North lina as major m ere rappers ha -Jo, Angie Sto
“[I’ve b .a. Puer and Sou usi ve ne
ee to Ricco e lead single fr th Caro c markets,” R failed. “A lot o ,
Jermain n with] Sean , o li
e Dupri. Ga m a jo r labels m th e
like Atl Othaz Record
n a .” ic c o sa ys. “Bu f
So I kn rrett, who wr a n s
t a lot
o w if I can o te a ti c and J R c o m
Words:
Randy compete ll of Chris Bro ecords pilation 2.3, an
wn have st
Roper with th
e best o ’s stuff, wrote arted k d Ricco hard
f them nockin at work
and rem a lot of Usher g.
ain hum ’s stuff,”
ble, I’ll R
be in th icco says. “[I’v
is game e]
for a m been with
inute.”

48
 TIEN TLY
PA AITING
W
DEUCE
ATLAN
TA, GA POPPI
T
“That’s
here’s r

th
e
definin ally only two
g eleme th
nts or a ings you can
n intere
/ MIAM
e
sting vo xpect from an
I, FL
due out e order in 20 yage th a
rough c lbum titled G
th 0
doing a is October. “ 7,” Deuce Pop omplex od
metaph , Guns and Pu
nything With B pi expla ors and ss
flexing, th ush and in challen y - a carnal re
shining at can separa the wh s calmly, his v ged per
and stu
nting, a
te you fr
om the
ole wor
ld against
oice ris
ing as h ception ndition of the
He pau ll th e p a c k u s e c o n s. world’s
se niggas w of a nd ti n
doing it s and releases orking statistics, it’s all that, it’s G ues talking ab
an incr constru g o o
for puss
y.” edulous ction ge uns involved. d first. Then, ut his Capital/
chuckle tting dir And th if you g P
And th , “You ca ty every d e n it’s puss et any m riority debut
at, in a n ’t e v a y - y , m e oney or
years, le n u e n say a a ll that’s a n a
arning, tshell, embod woman done fo ing all the hu re
artists, ie r pussy stling,
he’s com making mistak s Deuce’s gen because
th e niggas a .”
pivotal e e e
connec to a deeper u s, growing an ral philosophy re too sh
tions w d learn allow. T
ith the nderstanding ing som . Street-wise
but per hey’re a
He tech Miami of the b e more c ctually
nically r a p scene u si n e ss . H a v in e p ti v e ,
released should’v when h o f hip-h g ghostw h e’s been
is moth op rit in the in
“I was y due to creativ e been introdu er mov . A native of A ten platinum dustry
oung an ec ce ed him h
d wasn onflicts betwe d to the rap w there a tlanta, where its for Slip-N- for five long
’t focuse e n o r t 1 6 . h e c Slide
Undete
rr d, so it’s Slip-N-Slide ld about thre urrentl
y lives, /Atlantic
writing ed, Deuce did a blessin and Atl e years he form
g that a an ago ed
, n
friend, and hustling m ’t stop. He con lbum d tic. But, every , via Godzilla
Rick Ro ix ti id n ’t c o th in g h P im p in
ta p es with n u e d m e out,” he a p p ens for ’ . T h
ss. longtim producing, gh says. a reason e album was n
“I was h e ost- . ever
umbled
when I
saw
how dif
fi
the ind cult
u
was,” h stry
e
“When says.
y
humble ou’re
d you
either st
a
same, g y the
e
or get b t worse
e
naturall tter, so I
y
better.” just got

His catc
h
“Did I D y single
o
was inst That”
r
landing umental in
h
rent de im his cur-
al
his deb and making
u
for the t a priority
la
business bel. Ever the
m
kept clo an, Duece
se
Rick Ro ties with
ss
have pla and the two
ns to re
group, lease th
G e
also inte aglin Gang. H
nds to le e
mark w ave his
it
NWM h his own gro
(Niggaz up,
Money With
)
Quick a featuring Nest
nd Cod ley
eine.
“I’ve be
e
put an n in contentio
album o n
years,” ut for fo to
h u
put out e says. “Every r
fr so
ing to k om now on, I’ ng I
nock th m
eir head try-
Words: off.”
Jacinta
Howard

MBLED WU HEN
“I WAS HU W DIFFIC LT
I SAW HOU RY W A S.”
THE IND ST

50
 TIEN TLY
PA AITING
W

JACKIE
HUNTS
VILLE,
CHAIN
O
curiosity
kay, let’
s
it to bo state the obvio
th
tender,” er him as an a us. Jackie Cha
.”
admits rti
AL
in
Chain. st. “A lot of ti is half-white
“But wh m an
A milit e n I star es when I walk d half-Korean
t rappin .
an 8th
ary bra
t g and se in [to do a sh That didn’t bo
grader. born in Hunts e the re
a c ti
ow] peo
on on p ple th
ther him
as a
artists: B v eople’s ink I’m the D child, so don
8Ball & y then, his tra ille, AL, Chain faces, th J, ’t
MJG, U vels and bounce at’s wh soundman or expect
GK and e d
“I won Three 6 xposure to So around from at I lov
e . I
bar-
my first Mafia. u thern h T e feed off
Daddy). talent sh ip-hop xas to German the
had him
money “After that I ju ow in 8th gra y
wantin as a child befo
for them st starte de,” rem g to become r e retu
, it beca d em an abom rning to Ala
A two y me a hu putting out ta bers the rapp ination bam
pes for
ear pris stle.” my hom er, who at the of his fa a as
man an o ies to rid time w vorite
d artist n stint put Ch e aroun a s callin
that he ain’s hu d to . g himse
is today stle on But wh
“From . pause, b en peop lf KMD (Kore
re ut it wa le starte an
where ading and talk s his tim d wanti Mack
I le in e inside ng to giv
was a m arned that th g to people in th at made e me
il e music there, th
business lion-dollar industr a t’ s
h im th e
,” y
who ad says Chain,
o
new rap pted his
fellow p name from
r
jokingly isoners who
Bruce L called him
e
Chan d e and Jackie
u
battles. ring freestyle

After w
in
tough p ning over a
r
Chain w ison crowd,
that he as convinced
c
on the ould make mo
ou v
offering tside. His first es
Wax Off w a s h is Wax
On
feature mixtape whic
d appea h
Bun B, rances
Webbie fro
and Ha m
ystak.
“My mu
sic got
quickly accepte
b d
ping ab ecause I’m no
out any t
or anyth thing I rap-
ain
he says, ing I ain’t nev ’t got
noting er did,”
“World that his
w song
one on ide” reached
Huntsv n
103.1. “ ille’s W umber
M E
for itse y background UP
lf. I don speaks
leys; I g ’t
ot an Im rap about Ben
pala on t-
Curren 24s.”
tly wor
Chain h king ou
a to
from O s hit up every f Atlanta,
akland ma
Nashvil
le
to Las Ve rket
preppin to Panama C gas to
g it
House la the release of y. He is
h
House P bel’s compilati is Pleasure
single “
impin’ fe on Plea
sure
S aturing
der (T.I nappin’” produ the lead
.’ c
That”). s “What You K ed by Won-
now Ab
out
“WHEN I W ALK IN
Words
W],
[TO DO HINOK I’M
A SH
and Ph
oto: Ma
urice G
PEOPLE TUNDMAN,
. Garlan
d
THE DJ, SOTENDER.”
OR BAR

52
 TIEN TLY
PA AITING
W

GOLDR
MIAMI
, FL
U$H
my wh
R apper/p
r
ferent fr oducer Goldru
o
questio m any other h’s story isn’t
ns
$
arti
ole life… with the usua st. He answe o dif-
to
rs most
things th ” routin l “I’ve b
at do se e. een
t him a However, the doing music
part fro
For one m the r re are a few
,h est of th
Daddy is persistence e pack.
hear so . D e te r
of a nig me of h mined
htc is m to le
his fath lub for 6 hou aterial, he w t Trick
er [Pop r a
s’] time s just to have ited outside
. a minu
“[I] sho te of
w
he rem ed him my sh
em it,
shit wa bers. “It was he was kinda
sn st fe
year late ’t together. I c ill green at the elin’ it,”
r and h ame ba time, m
e was lo ck y
ving th [to him] like
After p e shit.” a
olishing
own un up his so
iq u
ings, Ru ue style and h nd, developin
$ av g
Ryders h eventually si ing a couple his
an g of
debut p d is now colle ned with Tric meet-
roject G c k’s
oldru$h ting material fo Dunk
: The R
“I was r u$h Ho r his
a ur.
got my pping like eve
shit.” rybody
else, bu
t now I
Now th
at he ha
with Pr s “his sh
ett it
course, y Ricky, You ,” he has work
his boss n e
6 songs . Ru$h g Buck and of d
on the has also
album. upcomin produc
H g ed
newest e is featured o Dunk Ryders’
single, n Trick
Chamil “Bet Th D addy’s
lionaire at,” alo
. ngside
Aside fr
o
has his m that affiliati
own lab on, Ru$
which e h
he is cu l, Too Hot Re also
tion for rrently cords,
. seeking
distribu
-
The sec
ond thin
are his g that se
m ts
drawn elodies. Altho him apart
compar u
are, ‘Ru isons to gh he’s
$ Ch
his own h is focused on amillion-
sound. brandin
g
“Anytim
EAR e you h
“ANYTIME YYOOUUH
gonna h ear me
e ra
’R E rapper ar the harmon p, you’re
ME RAP, R TH E his com
who ea y
rned his ,” says the
GONNA HEA N Y.”
p
gold tee lexion and affi me from
na

HARM O th
to Cham . “I do get com y for
illionair
nit
p
see the
dif e. But y ared
o
Daddy ference on th u can
so e
is a big ng ‘Bet That’]. [Trick
d
compar ifference, ther There
ison.” e is no
you eve White “I think he feels separate Ironica
n got C b doesn’t s ll y, th
hingo B ackground wil that nowaday even co Ru$h from th e obvious thin
ling com l be a p s it don unt. e pack
Words: in g out w lu s o ’t e ve is the o g that
Photo:
Mauric
e G. Ga ith the r minus to his n matter,” he ne thin
g
Housto r
Julia Be
verly
rland n, Texa career. “You g esponds when
s cowbo ot your a sk ed if h
y thing Eminem
.” s, you g is mixed Japa
ot your n
Paul W ese/
alls,

54
 TIEN TLY
PA AITING
W

BOLEG
DALLA
S, TX
M
soundsc
ost ever

it s CEO
y
Dallas, city in Amer
ask any ic
one wh a is home to a
ape fro and lead arti o’s really doin label whose r
m the st st g e
reets of , Boleg. His up it independen putation is so
Stampe Dallas. coming tly and st
d album, quite o rong in the st
hit the e has been ble T h e L ife of T ften yo
u
reets th
sc e
that fea ene with a sin ding the block errance will hear the at it can’t be ig
tured S g le and vid si n c e 1995, R a n d olph, is name Stampe nored. In
Screwe pice On eo ca when th a reality de Reco
d e.
ESG an Up Click alum Collabos with lled “Mr. G” ey first based rds and
d 3-2 an ni
big boss d the
helped Slim Thug
g
poppin et the label
’ th
Texas, b roughout
u
Boleg so t it was the
lo cut “ “PEOPLE IG
CAUSE I’M M
Money I Got
” HT TH K I’M
pede on that put Stam-
th e min REAL CONIN CO
FIDENT, BUCTKI’Y
every r
ap fan in ds of FOCUSED ON M
Texas. North ME RIGHT NO
W.”
“About
th
Got Mo e time when
n ‘I
Boleg r ey’ came out,
em ”
actually embers, “I
problem had some mon
e
the mu s. So I had to le y
si a
so I cou c alone for a m ve
ld inute
After th get my mon
a ey
a few b t I had to wee up.
ad seed
that I h s and re d out
a ali
this mu d to get seriou zed
si s
think I’ c. People mig about
m h
confide cocky cause t
n I’
me righ t, but I’m focu m real
t se
I’m say now, you kno d on
in w
cocky. ’?” That don’t what
Sh m
people, it, I deal with ean I’m
so I gott e
a be hu veryday
mble.”
The son
g
Boleg q was a runaw
u ay
the pote ickly realized hit, and
n th
laid wit tial of Stamp at a lot of
h ed
focusin him, so he de e Records
g c
ally foc on a gang of a ided to stop
us on h r
is caree tists and re-
r.
“You k
no
of mon w, I’ve spent
ey a
It got to trying to blo whole lot
th e p o w artist
more d int whe s
ed re peop up.
was to icated to my le were
rappin’. money
picture Now I’v than th
.G e ey
I got m reg Street pu got a better
uch lov t it to m
‘Everyb e for that e first,
o
boys to dy knows you cat. He said,
the little , from th
people’s girls to e little
dope gir mamas, to the the little kids,
ls, club dope bo to
street. E o y
verybo wners, and nig s, to the
to do an dy kno gas in th
w
I’m gon album yourse s you, so you n e
na do.” lf.’ And
that’s w eed
hat
Words:
Matt So
Photo:
Edward nzala
Hall

56
 TIEN TLY
PA AITING
W

BABY B
NEW O
RLEAN
OY
B
Choppa
efore K
atr
Boy Da ina, nineteen
P -
tention rince was gar year-old Baby
as the o
. Shortl
n
S, LA
pening ering citywide
act for at-
manage y there No L
m aft
ment (w ent company, er, New Orlea imit’s
h B n
and Ch ose clients in osshogg Enter s
op clu ta
Boy to pa), took inte de B.G., Juve in-
its impr rest, an nile
Enterta essive li d added
in st Ba
indie la ment would la of clients. Boss by
bel Extr ter strik hogg
before eme En e
Baby B tertainm a deal with
an open o y knew ent, and
in it
Cent, Ju g act for plati , he was tourin
venile, num ar g as
and Pau tist
l Wall. s like 50
“KATRINA While
da
HAPPENED Baby B ys seemingly b
oy r
ON MY his para , Katrina wou ightened for
d ld
Orlean e. “A lot of rap soon rain on
BIRTHDAY. s, p
coming when they he ers from New
I WAS IN as he be
they w
as gone
ard Katr
,” B ina was
THE CLUB g
ated. W ins his story. “ aby Boy says,
hen Ka I never
THAT NIG my birth trina ha evacu-
[BEFORE] HT
d pp
wildin’ ay. I’m in the ened, that wa
o c s
I go ho ut. The next th lub that night
WILDIN’ me
up, and , in the morn g I know,
in
OUT.” w in
the hou e got nothing g I wake
se. My b
canoe w first tim ut water in
a eg
heard m s riding down etting in a
e m
went w . I went to hig y street, ya
ithout li her lan
food. W ght. I w d. I
e en
in store had to hustle t without
s, you k up, bre
our natu now, w ak
r eh
situatio al instincts on ad to put
n.” for that
Instinc
tiv
that he ely, Baby Boy
co k
edy dete uld not let th new
r is
career in him from ma trag-
kin
write so music. He beg g a
ngs wh an to
FEMA il
trailer, e living in a
to perfo and con
rm tin
the spir shows to up ued
its of N li
residen ew Orle ft
ts. ans
But as B
a
patientl by Boy waits
y, he’s
the pain ma
ful reali rred by
his cha ties of
oti
home, o c New Orlea
n e year aft ns
Hurric er
crazy rig up, wh going. E a lot of Orlean the way “Everyth ane Katrina’s
ht now ich v m sE it ing wrath
, ya hea is sad. The cr eryplace else is oney down he ast, that they was, but the is getting bac .
Throug rd me.” im e r a b a c k r e , a n d h a v e n ’t r e ’s o n ep k
h te done c
Baby B it all, Baby Bo got wor rack-a-lackin’, I’m not under done nothing art, New
oy’s hit y mana se on th you kn standin to. The
g wher
Baby B
oy
single “
T
ged to w e West o
Bank, w w. The crime e the m y got
Orlean will soon be he Way I Live eather the sto here I’m rate do on
ne wen ey’s
s. “Cross releasin ,” Extre rm and from, y t back
of New the Wa g his de me Ente put his o u k n
O te b r ra ow. It’s
I’m for rleans is whe r is a town th ut album Cross tainment was p career back just
that [oth re at T ab on
er] side the No Limit other rappers he Water, an le to obtain a schedule. Fro
, so now and the in New O d h e’s loo d e a l with m the bu
Words: it’s tim C
Randy
Roper e to talk ash Money pe rleans never king to shed so Universal Re zz surroundin
about th ople [re talked a m e li g public R g
at side.” present] bout,” B ht ec
. They aby Boy on his side of ords.
never ta sa y s. “T N e w
lk abou
t the oth he East Bank
er side, pa
you kn rt
ow.

58
 TIEN TLY
PA AITING
W
B.O.B.
ATLAN “I create
artist w all of my musi
TA, GA h
Man.” “ o also produce from my natu
c

W
Wheth d
(DECA polish th er I’m h Slip-N-Slide ral environme
u ra nt,
hat som
vation.
e people
c o n
TUR) song I m at up and try mming in the pper Citty’s h ” adds the
ake, no to create shower it “Coo
kie
B.O.B si d er ne m atter ho a m o r ta
ducer. “ had someth . is one of tho glect, others c It was th w corn asterpiece. I p king a shit, I
It wasn ing to p se othe onsider y it so unds.” u t m y
believe ’t r rs. “I alw moti- at T.I.’s at same attitu life on
d in me about fame o ove,” says the d every
so I had r mone teenage ays felt like I c a n n ib
Club C
rucial e e that got him
to p r ove the y . I ju st d r a p p e is sa ti v a r li e r this yea n o ti c ed at a
a, “Clou
B.O.B.
sa m wron felt like no on r/pro- for an e
n d9 r. H talen
years o ys he reached g, just to e ever man, w core. Among ,” and surpris e performed h t showcase
ld; it w a crossro sh o h o th e in g ly is
ternet r
ap foru
as then
that he ads in his life
w a n d tell.” h im to p im m e diately m w a s music in th e “rough” airy ode to
profess m d a eventua e o p le li b u il t a d u st r crowd
ionally s to the studio ecided to take t the wise age k r y
in the 9 h lly sign e multi-platin apport with B impresario T asked
w h e re he w is ta le o f 1 2 h im to his R u m p r .O .B . a J Chap
Citing e
th grad
e. ould sta nts from in- Since th ebel Ro oducer Jim Jo nd introduced -
veryon rt makin e n c k im print. n si n w
ences, it e from
D
g music this inte B.O.B.’s car ho wou
ld
r e
his insp was one artist r. Dre to Outk Atlanti view took pla er has moved
iration , o r a lb ast to K c R e c o r ce, B.O a t th e sp
to. u m rathe an for Dan ds .B e
r, that B ye West as his ity Kan through Reb . was celebrati ed of light. Th
“The fir .O.B. cr influ- e’s “Sho el Rock ng his si e day
st artist e d it s most o w st o pper” r a n d p gnin
“One d
ay my b I really sat dow f For now
, B emix w reparing to sh g to
.O.B. h hich he o
DMX’s
It
rother
fo n and li
st
sible. opes th is featu ot a video
there I ’s Dark and H und a $20 bill ened to was D at he ca
n si t
red on.
nted to ell is Hot albu on the ground MX,” he says.
just wa on “Clo
m. I stu “It’s cra ud 9” a
rap.” s long a
Don’t g died his and bought st a r ,
zy how
who ha r e a li ty just fl s pos-
et the w style an sn’t eve ips on y
records, rong id d from don’t w n o
in e a a k e up.” g r a duated u so
accurate fact, he doe though. B.O from hig metimes,” say
sn .B
- singin description w ’t sound like . will not be b Words: h schoo s th
l yet. “I e future
g in the ou D ar Mauric
shower ld be Gnarles ark Man X at a king on his Photo:
Julia Be
e G. Ga
rland
just hop
eI
. Barkley ll.
meets E A more verly
minem

“I ALWAY
FELT LIKE SI
HAD SOM
THING TOE-
PROVE. N
ONE EVERO
BELIEVED
IN ME.”

60
 PATIEN
WAITINGTLY
THE BA :
PART 2Y
INTRO :

B
ack in April we introduced you to a new era in Hip Hop
based in the West Coast, a cousin to the South and its thriving
scene, a movement coined “hyphy.” At the top of the list it’s
E-40 and Too $hort opening the doors for the previously featured
artists like Keak da Sneak, Bailey, Mistah F.A.B., Balance and San
Quinn; all of whom are now currently in negotiations for major
recording deals. Now we’re back with part two.

It’s the same script but different names. OZONE once again takes
a look at more talented artists in the Bay Area making moves on
the independent front, as they patiently wait for the major record
companies to help spread the hyphy movement.

Bay area legend Too $hort explains the similarities between the
Bay’s current hyphy movement and the South’s crunk movement:

“A
lot of people refer to hyphy as crunk’s first cousin.
They’re related; they’re similar in the sense that the
music came from the neighborhoods. Hyphy was a
neighborhood thing long before it was a nightclub or radio thing,
long before anybody shot a video and labeled it ‘hyphy.’ It reminds
me of how crunk came out of Atlanta. It’s just the same energy; it’s
exactly the same energy. It comes from the youngsters. When crunk
came out, they were throwin’ bows and bumping into each other. It
looked like fighting.

Hyphy is that same energy. It’s not the same dances or the same
movements [as crunk] but it’s the same energy of the young people
just releasing and letting it go into the music on the dance floor, in
the streets, wherever. It’s just what they do; it’s a way of life for a lot
of people.

I don’t know if everybody knows this, but the majority of the people
who are immersed in the hyphy movement love the shit outta crunk
music and snap music and down South music. If a club is playing
hyphy music all night, sooner or later they’re gonna switch over
and start playing South music and go back and forth so it’s really a
mixture of West coast and down South music.

I feel like everybody’s been so biased against California in the last

ten years. Since Tupac passed, everybody’s like, ‘Fuck Cali.’ If it’s
from the West coast, people don’t wanna hear it. But people don’t
understand that hyphy is not that West coast music that you’re
used to - it’s not that slow, g-funk music. I think that’s what sepa-
rated crunk music from what Atlanta was doing at the time - that
Southernplayalistic-pimp kinda music and the super-uptempo booty
raps. That’s why crunk took over - it was something to bounce to,
something to dance to, give you that adrenaline rush. That’s what
hyphy is doing to the West coast sound. The Bay area has kinda
taken over, even down in L.A. and other parts of the West coast,
cause [hyphy] is West coast music for the dance floor. I don’t think
anybody could go to the Bay for any extended period of time and
not catch the buzz.

I was in Atlanta when they started bouncing to crunk music. People

in New York were turning down Southern artists in the mid-90s,
saying that they were regional artists. When Lil Jon first went to
New York to try to get a deal, the labels were saying that crunk
would never leave the Southeast. Now a major label will sign any
Southern artist with a decent demo. But if you’re on the West coast
and selling 50,000 units and getting radio play, a major still won’t
sign you just cause you’re from the West coast.”

Young and business-minded, the South can undoubtedly share in

the Bay Area’s “takeover” mentality. All animated in their own way,
this next batch of artists are all feeding the hyphy movement.

- DJ BackSide

62
62
 PATIEN
WAITINGTLY
THE BA :
Y
ATION Them n
iggas ar
e

FE D E R us like
Barry B
onds.

E
ook on

THIRFIELD, CA
rite a b that
have to
w How did
s! u m , why?
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a.k.a Th artists o the Bay WC sav
FA baby, G
n d R ic k Rock ke brothers.
oldie a e South are li rind, they
th g
endent iebaby is
it
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e a fe w L.A. a unusual for years ago and s station
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k . d
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S
a ti c , if n in d e p n
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m b e r D o o
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ti o
Federa f dreads, gold since group
te m e past fa il Doo n ie nigg n he h a So it’s a
to p o w a y , u p sp eaks on me and nce and some in my car the t not be here.
n a t r o . o p h
O feel th a. Here, the g in L.A e and said jum ederation mig ia run.
ason to r F d
have re y from Alabam o u g u y s was the asn’t for WC, w doing a me u were
or ig in a ll
a sp ir a ti o n s.
n g ti m e , b u t y
a m a jo r S o if it w
L .A . r ig h t n o
e in d u stry. Yo ’t
re for a lo vel and e in t in th y didn
and futu around on national le 004? love, w first sho ch. Wh
h y h as been c o m e k in 2 . N e w is is n ’t your k and Big Lur
se hy p oup to ck ba c all it is baby, th ith Ric s time.
Of cour da the first gr n’t things cra game. That’s muthafuck- Doonie S lo p shop w n d a h ead of it either.
id e r ic a rk
were kin ping it. Why d ow, slow to th e a minute fo at’s how the in Cosm ork out then? as overlooked the paperwo ady,
e l r e p r y is sl a y ta k a n d th e g s w k it w e ss o n e n ’t re
lab st m r m thin in
our busi
n
ople we
r
he indu volve, it Warne ood volu by: I th of the
Stress: T s a minute to e 0 got signed to lbum was a g it back out. D oonieba really handle t that time pe le was scared ird al-
k e E - 4 r st a p u t id n ’t o n a p e o p n d th
shit ta it. But then ur fi y to uld We d going same nd a e
t again. O it and tr ople wo hat was was the eir seco ave cam
as to ge opened for us bly gonna buy t now and pe at’s noth- With w ugh our lyrics utkast got on th if we would h
t a h h o ht.
door go someone prob ld come out rig on their ass. T h us. even th st like when O enting. I thin ve been straig
k
, u g it usic. Ju was experim we would ha
of work relevant, it co rds] was sittin what to do w e fumbled m h
l o
It is stil it. [Virgin Rec st didn’t know t is our baby, king for-
w ey
bums, th nd the same ti
me beef wit
y ju e n o u th a t y ou had sicianz
still b u y
m, the hyphy movem w we’re just lo ig vehicle out aro reports group Da Mu ay didn’t
inst the b e were
ing aga k: This whole e ball and no ink this is a n th s a go ther Twins and his e saying The B in an
c th th o g er air
Rick Ro , 40 picked up n out there. I A few m the Ying Yan b.” People w y cleared the to say
at Virgin utting our vis
io
? W il l D - Roc of n g “ G o Dum ir slang. The y o u want
p album eir so the o. Did
ward to here. the new over th te them taking le months ag
e e with ia oup in, we
we hav is ti m v e u s a p p r e c u s a c to Virg
g a n y thing th a r n e r just ga and te r v ie w with
w e fi r st signed our work,
changin W in d
ds? hateva. w cross g? . When admire om
Are you different soun called It’s W st bought a ne al, first the anythin is is what it is g Twins. They ybody steals fr a long
e a r u m is . I ju fo r r e i: T h Y a n E v e r g for
we h w a lb o f it . B u t e G o ld Y in g e m . a r v in m
he n e t som e lf in it now , w up fo r with th been st one for
Stress: T ney and I spen I can see myse ey ready for it WC on the opened many shows age. The Bay ke, “Put some od that
o , d so m li o
some m ke an ice tray nal shit but th noop, Tash an ot lyrical we did y, but pay ho , they was just cianz underst s, but
li io S g d d si p
it looks as on some reg ravis Barker, n steroids. We as are dope. everybo gas wasn’t ma o think Da Mu l giving us pro would
tT o g ig d ’l
sound w erseas. We go zy, it’s hyphy kay, these nig ie sings on time, n n it.” I really . We know ya ea on it too. It
v a O n o m r .
going o he sound is cr onna be like, ne where Doo g people the Bay talked to the om the Bay A cks with them
album.
T
, n ig g a sg W e g o to W e le ttin g o t w h e n we m e o n e fr B u t w e fu
is time e shit. drums. re, we a put so didn’t.
songs th k: We got som . I’m playing sounds on the . you gott region if they
k R o c u d sh it e c h o ir iv e r se r t th e
Ric m m ld na hu
sissippi e got so , it’s rea gas gon Garland
that Mis get down. W k shit on there his album, nig a u rice G.
w e r o c : T s: M
know some Goldie Word

HYPHY
“THIS WHEONLTE IS OUR
MOVEM BY.”
BA

63
63
 TIEN TLY
PA AITING:
W E BAY
TH
THE JA
BAY A
REA, C CKA
A
www.m
yspace.c
om/the
jackam
AFFILIA obfigaz
T
TRACK IONS: Mem
R b e
HAS W ECORD: Has r of C-Bo’s M
O A o
NEXT IN RKED WITH ppeared on o b Figaz and D
LINE: N : To ver ope Ga
ew albu o $hort, Corm 75 projects me wit
h Keak
TALKIN m Tear ega, Bo The Sn
G Gas dro n e Thug eak and
“I got a LOUD pping o N Harm Husula
ll the in n Fonta o n y , T h
people formati n a /U niversa h e O utlawz,
want. T on, I go l M a c D
is givin h t re and a
g people ere ain’t been what it takes. long list
substan no Yo of othe
ce. You ‘Pac type shit u got to be se rs
DIFFER can list , just sh asoned
ENT SW en to on it th e y o u t in th
“A lot o AGS e of my fo ese stre
f
ferent in the reason is albums rce you to list e
b and tell en too. ts. You got to
th e c .” My wh k
like 50 e Bay is b
eca
a u se w e so dif- ole thin now what
c g
rep one ities out here. use it’s
b W
our hoo ay, but we all e
d r
their ow s. Everybody ep
n sw a got
you see gger, w
so he
Oaklan meone from n
d you k
someon now, yo “IT’S LIKE 50 C
HERE. WE RIT IES OUT
e u
know, sa from ‘Frisco y see
m o
people
ar
e w it h Richm u
BAY, BUT WE ONEEP
own th e proud to ha ond,
in
bite, bu g. A lot of peo e their
t
v
p OUR HOOA LL REP
DS.”
That’s h the majority d le do
o o
their ow w a lot of peo n’t.
p
can do n labels out he le got
w r
to do an hat the hell y e. You
d ou
your tim it allows you want
e and h to
one you take
NEW F r craft.”
A
“With T NS
e
nationa ar Gas being
ll m
to prese y distributed y first
n alb
the new t what I got n um I want
o
I’ll let th fans get into th w and let
own. I’ e m fi gure th e catalog.
m at o
the thin just trying to ut on their
g g
beats I’ s that I know ive them me,
ve n
have, it picked and th ow. With the
’s e
it don’t in line to be a producers I
sell hell c
a record lassic even if
MESSA s.”
G
“It’s tou E MUSIC
g
other g h for me just
hetto, so lik
bottom
. metime e in any ever
s y
age so I I became a Mu you hit rock
tr sl
I don’t y to put it in im at a young
tr m
won’t a y to feed a bab y rhymes. Bu
lways g y a stea t
Graspin et k
g and c what I really . People
hard. I’ hangin want to
m gy
myself.” trying to cha our ways is k say.
nge for in
the bett da
er
BAY W
A
“Out he Y OF LIVING
r
shit cha e, things switc
n h
here in ges constantly up on you re
th al
you auth e streets. Tha so you got to b fast,
e n ti c . t’s how e out
times. A Yo n
ll the h u got to keep iggas know
the stre yphy sh u
e it, that p with the
a way o t, that wasn’t
f life th started shit started in
to know at by
that yo comes from th a rapper, that’
u got to e s
Words: be in th street. In ord
e street. er
Mauric ”
e G. Ga
rland

64
64
 PATIEN
WAITINGTLY
THE BA :
Y

E PA C K d, like c
rack-

THY AREA, CA w e c a ll it Base c.

iverse st
yles, e musi . Once
one typ
e h a v e very d make in the z that’s on them pop. Just
BA U n o , Y o u n g L , Lil B,
Young
Stunna Uno: W cocaine. We ive us as pop ent but it ain’t p. We

If p e
n
o
ce
heads o ple wanna per ’ll see it’s diffe mean we’re p peal to
r
m u body doesn’t be able to ap ou
y o
o
S : L il h o r t e r s) B : e a lb u
ER o$ rd r th g no uld ny
MEMB ERED BY: To kateboa you hea e ain’t killin it up. You sho it, that’s whe
V e iasco (S
DISCO p All Nite/Jiv ell and Lupe F b e cause w people living n’t fuck with rson likes it.
:U
LABEL RED TO: Pha
rr ng y ca f pe t. But I
in just you y, if everybod ly one kind o op, it’s just ho y you’re
COMP
A c e ’8 4 . I was ort. I e r y b o d a u se o n a in ’t p a te g o r
ily sin as $h ev ll bec ans” it one c
E C T n d o f my fam called me, it w rk with d o n ’t do we u listen to “V to more than
N N frie er wo : If y o ealin g
THE CO $hort been a ea code numb he wanted to Grandma Stunna en you’re app
oo ar y
Uno: T to and a 702 3 years. He said So I asked m he knew u ess wh pop.
en r l. if g ed We got
Sacram en him in 2 o as him for rea said ask him when he onsider -titled.
w e ff c it ’s se lf We got
se
hadn’t idn’t think it lly him and sh me of our stu udes was M in g n e xt year, istah F.A.B.. nted
d ea
us but I uld tell if its r said he heard find out, those
so d LBU opp dM wa
o im drug
s. He THE A t an album dr k Da Sneak an on it too. We
how I c and he did. He iends. Come to was offering h had to tell L : We go tists like Kea r cool people e about.
,
my dad g with some fr as me and the ith your son?” .
y I ea ar othe tw 9 years
Bay Ar eze and some w people wha ng males 17-1 We
in
was rid act like they
w
w r o n g w
n th o u gh d y B r e a n d sh o o f y o u b o u t u s.
What’s nce the Jo out us e diary know a like it
trying to y dad asking, “ it’s been on si it to be ab pect to hear th st letting you you’re gonna
e d m e ! B u t n a : E x , w e ju c h ic k
call
t wasn’t
m f the Stun ing a fat
him tha e part o ’re party you’re
o u c an say w sic, our style is old. We h everybody. If
y c
UND gs, but
I guess o hyphy mu
d can tou
THE SO ve hyphy son we don’t just too.
a
L: We h ement because Garland
m o v s: M a u rice G.
Bay
t. Word . Hastings
differen Photo:
D

“WHEN [TOO
AND SA HE $HORT CALLE
WORK WITID WANTED TOD]
H US, I DIDN’T
IT WAS HIM T
FOR REAL.”HINK

65
65
 TIEN TLY
PA AITING:
W E BAY
TH
YA BO
SAN FR
aboymu ANCI
Y
S
www.y

INFLU
sic.c om ww CO, CA
w.there
ENCES alblack
FAMIL :S wallstre
Y MAT an Quinn, Ca et.com
ANON TERS: y $h Mon
YMOU o u n g e r e y R e c o
FORTH S HAN cousin rds, Jad
C DL of ak
‘em gett OMING ALB E: Tha Truth San Quinn an iss, 2pac, E-4
in’ at m UM: H d Bailey 0
SIDE H e. My u olla At
U n Ya
CONTA STLE: ghostw cle from Blac Boy (release
CT: yab rit k Wall d
oymusi ing for Kevin Street g ate TBD) “I’m
c.com, F ave me ju
THE CIT therealb e d e r lin a millio st in artist de
lackwa e n dollar v
s just to elopment righ
“The Bla Y (SAN FRAN llstreet.
C com chill an t
(in the ck Wall Street ISCO) d develo now. These la
B w p.” bels, all
so he fl ay). Game said as hearin’ ab of
ew me h e w a out me
arm aro o ut here nted to all in th
u a be e
moved nd me. Then nd just put his up around m streets out the
m th e, re
the bea e to Malibu o ey
ch!” n
THE BIG
“Niggas PICTURE
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66
66
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67
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ABOUT CALNIF
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ORNIA.”

68
68
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[RADIO] STAT

69
69
 A C ’S
TAUSTPINTERVIEW
L by keith kennedy
words by j lash
photo

70
D
uring the course of history, there are few characters that can gal-
vanize as much as polarize a population. Tupac Shakur was one of
the few bright stars that fell to Earth too soon. But, the legacy he
left spans the globe and forever touches the consciousness of those who
dwell upon it. As we celebrate the 10 year mark of his passing we look be-
yond his record sales, movie credits, and enjoy his spirit once more as we
live through his words once more. The following is an interview with the
legend using quotes from verses in his music to channel his energy once
more. If you have a Tupac story you’d like to share or explain how he has
touched your life, please email Feedback@ProphetPages.com.
Who were some of your influences as you grew up?
Machiavelli was my tutor. Donald Goines, my father figure. Moms sent
me to go play with the drug dealers.
Some would feel drug dealers aren’t exactly the best role model for a child
growing up.
They say I’m wrong and I’m heartless, but all along I was lookin’ for a
father; he was gone. I hung around with the thugs, and even though they
sold drugs they showed a young brother love. I moved out and started
really hangin’. I needed money of my own so I started slangin. I ain’t
guilty cause, even though I sell rocks it feels good puttin money in [the]
mailbox.
Coming up did you have any favorite music you used to listen to?
Aiyyo, I remember Marvin Gaye, used to sing to me. He had me feelin’
like black was the thing to be. And suddenly the ghetto didn’t seem so
tough. And though we had it rough, we always had enough. And mama
made miracles every Thanksgiving.
Did you have a crew that you ran with as a shorty?
I started young kickin’ dust and livin’ rough. Watch you mouth around
my homie you couldn’t cuss man. I had a down ass homie though; we
ran the streets and on the scene at the age of fourteen, huh. I packed a
nine and my nigga packed a forty-five. We drinkin forties, lil’ shorties
livin naughty lives. You couldn’t stop us, long as I got my glock, fuck the
coppers; hangin’ on the block, slangin’ rocks and makin’ profits. I couldn’t
fuck with the school life, I was a fool; I’ll play that muthafucker for a tool,
man.
Man, you had a pistol at 14? The scene must have been serious on your
block!
Shit is scary, how black on black crime legendary but at times necessary.
I’m gettin’ worried teardrops and closed caskets, the three strikes law is
drastic and certain death for us ghetto bastards. I wonder if the Lord still
cares for us niggas on welfare. And who cares if we survive, the only time
they notice a nigga is when he clutchin’ on a four-five. My neighborhood
ain’t the same cause all these little babies goin’ crazy and they sufferin’ in
the game. And I swear it’s like a trap but I ain’t given up on the hood it’s
all good when I go back. Hoes show me love, niggas give me props forever
hot cause it don’t stop on my block.
For a time it seemed as if the police couldn’t get enough of you and were
constantly trying to see you in chains. Why do you think that was?
I won’t deny it, I’m a straight rider you don’t wanna fuck with me. Got
the police bustin’ at me but they can’t do nothin’ to a G. And these
bitches they still continue to pursue me. A couple of movies now the
whole world tryin’ to screw me. Even the cops tried to sue me.
That’s crazy. The cops tried to sue you? Do you think that is because
you’ve proven they can’t control a high profile artist such as yourself?
So many battlefield scars while driven in plush cars this life as a rap star
is nothin’ without heart. Was born rough and rugged, addressin’ the mad
public my attitude was, “Fuck it,” cause muthafuckers love it. To be a
soldier, must maintain composure at ease though life is complicated, only
what you make it to be.
And what do you want your life to be made out to be?
When I die, I wanna be a livin’ legend, say my name affiliated with this
muthafuckin’ game, with no more pain
Speaking of death, it seems you mention it often in your rhymes. Most
people wouldn’t wish to tempt fate, why do you?
I’m suicidal, so don’t stand near me. My every move is a calculated step,
to bring me closer to embrace an early death. And fuck the world cause
I’m cursed, I’m havin’ visions of leavin’ here in a hearse. And they say
it’s the white man I should fear but, it’s my own kind doin’ all the killin’
here. See this Tanqueray influenced me to getting’ crazy disillusioned
lately, I’ve been really wantin’ babies so I could see a part of me that
wasn’t always shady.
That’s deep, but ‘Pac, you gotta understand there there’s a whole legion of
people that love you and your music. Did you start to feel this way after
the first assassination attempt at Quad Studios?
[They] blast me but they didn’t finish, didn’t diminish my powers so now
I’m back to be a muthafuckin’ menace, they cowards - that’s why they
tried to set me up. Had bitch-ass niggas on my team, so indeed, they wet
me up. But I’m back reincarnated, incarcerated at the time I contemplate
the way that God made it. Lace ‘em with lyrics that’s legendary, musical
mercenary. Just remind ya, my history’ll prove I been it. Revenge on
them niggas that played me, and all the cowards that was down with
it. They wonder how I live with five shots, niggas is hard to kill, on my
block. I got shot up, I surprised the niggas the way I got up and then I hit
the studio.
You mention that you seek revenge. What is the joy in revenge for you?
I ain’t a killer but don’t push me. Revenge is like the sweetest joy next to
gettin’ pussy.
Speaking of pussy, isn’t that how you ended up catching a case? Your true
fans were on your side, but for the record how did your conversation go
with her that fateful night?
You don’t know me, you just met me, you won’t let me!? Well if I
couldn’t have it (silly rabbit) why you sweating me? It’s a lot of real G’s
doing time cause a groupie bit the truth and told a lie. You picked the
wrong guy baby if you’re too fly you need to hit the door, search for a
new guy.
In fact, you weren’t the only one in the room that night, but you were
the only one charged. Why do you think that was?
I heard he was light skinned, stocky with a Haitian accent, jewelry, fast
cars and he’s known for flashing; listen while I take you back and lace
this rap, a real live tale about a snitch named Haitian Jack. Knew he was
workin’ for the Feds, same crime, different trials nigga, picture what he
said.
Snitching is a cardinal sin among those that live the street code. How do
you feel about snitching?
It’s a fool’s fate, without your word you’re a shell of a man. I lost respect
for you nigga we can never be friends. I know I’m runnin’ through your
head now what could you do? If it was up to you I’d be dead now, I let
the world know nigga you a coward you could never be live until you die
I see the muthafuckin’ bitch in your eye.
The media had a good time with you being found guilty on the charge.
Any words for them?
Wanna laugh about how I got my ass caught up with this bad bitch?
Thinking I had her but she had me in the long run. It’s just my luck I’m
stuck fuckin’ with the wrong one. Media is in my business and they actin’
like they know me. Recollect your thoughts don’t get caught up in the
mix cause the media is full of dirty tricks. Only God can judge me!
Do you have any ill will toward the woman?
I shoulda saw the signs I was blinded criminal minds of a young black
brothe doin’ time. So many brothas framed in this dirty game. It’s a
shame so much pressure on my brain why she blame me? Secrets in the
dark only her and I know, now I’m sittin’ in the state pen doin’ time
slow. Guess she made a bad decision that got me livin’ just like an animal.
I’m caged up in state prison, my niggas dissin’ cause hell hath no fury like
a woman scorned.
Did prison change you?
Prison ain’t changed me nigga, it made me worse.
Once you go to jail, you know who your true friends are. Did you get a
chance to figure out your friends and your enemies?
Now, on this ride there’s gonna be some real muthafuckas and there’s
gonna be some pussies. Now, the real niggas gonna be the ones with mon-
ey and bitches. The pussies are gonna be the niggas on the floor bleedin’.
Now everybody keep your eyes on the prize cause the ride get tricky. See
you got some niggas on your side that say they’re your friends but in real
life they your enemies. And then you got some muthafuckas that say they
your enemies but in real life they eyes is on your money. See the enemies
will say they true but in real life those niggas will be the snitches. Its a
dirty game y’all. Y’all got to be careful about who you fuck with and who
you don’t fuck with, cause the shit get wild, y’all. Keep your mind on
your riches, baby. Keep your mind on your riches.
71
 What was the feeling when you were finally freed and hit Cali sand?
Out on bail fresh outta jail, California dreamin’. Soon as I stepped on the
scene, I’m hearin’ hoochies screamin’. Fiendin’ for money and alcohol
the life of a Westside playa where cowards die and its all ball. Let me
serenade the streets of L.A. from Oakland to Sacktown the Bay Area and
back down Cali is where they put they mack down. Give me love!
The powers that be have a way of killing off its prophets who bring prom-
ise to the downtrodden. Did you fear the same fate?
Probably be murdered for the shit that I said. I bring the real, be a legend,
breathin’ or dead. My only fear of death is reincarnation, [I’ve got the]
heart of a solider with the brains to teach a whole nation.
How would you describe people’s receptiveness to your message?
My lyrics motivate the planet. It’s similar to Rhythm Nation but thugged
out, forgive me Janet. Who’s in control? I’m activating yo souls. Still I’m
just a simple man all I want is money, fuck the fame.
Now that you’re on the other side, is there a heaven for a G?
How many brothas fell victim to the streets? Rest in peace young nigga,
there’s a Heaven for a ‘G.’ Be a lie, if I told ya that I never thought of
death. My niggas, we the last ones left. There’s a ghetto up in heaven and
it’s ours, black power!
Why do you think the streets show you so much love?
Nobody loves me I’m a thug nigga. I only hang out with the criminals and
the drug dealers. I love niggas cause we coming from the same place.
One of the beefs by critics of hip-hop is that they feel the music is
misogynistic where women are called bitches and hoes indiscriminately.
Why do rappers call women bitches in hip-hop music?
You leave your kids with your mama cause your headin’ for the club in
a skin tight miniskirt lookin’ for some love. Got them legs wide open
while you’re sittin’ at the bar talkin’ to some nigga ‘bout his car. I guess
he said he had a Lexus, what’s next? You headin’ to his car for some sex.
I pass by can’t hold back tears inside cause, Lord knows for years I tried.
And all the other people on my block hate your guts then you wonder
why they stare and call you slut. It’s like your mind don’t understand
you don’t have to kill your dreams plotting schemes on a man. Keep your
head up, legs closed, eyes open. Either a nigga wear a rubber or he die
smokin’. I’m hearin’ rumors so you need to switch and niggas wouldn’t
call you bitch, I betcha. Dear Ms. Deloris Tucker keep stressin’ me fuckin’
with a muthafucker’s mind. I figured you wanted to know why we call
them hoes “bitches,” and maybe this might help you understand it ain’t
personal; strictly business baby, strictly business.
Speaking of Ms. Tucker, she was on a personal crusade to combat you and
your music. What do you have to say to your detractors?
Deloris Tucker, you’s a muthafucker. Instead of tryin’ to help a nigga
you destroy a brother worse than the others. Bill Clinton, Mr. Bob Dole,
you’re too old to understand the way the game is told. You’re lame.
Your music and actions have been blamed for an increase in crime in
urban communities. How do you feel about that?
Last year was a hard one, but life goes on. Hold my head against the wall
learnin’ right from wrong. They say my ghetto instrumental, detrimental
to kids as if they can’t see the misery in which they live. Blame me, for
the outcome, ban my records - check it: Don’t have to bump this, but
please respect it. I took a minus and now the hard times are behind us
turned into a plus, now they stuck livin’ blinded. Niggas been dyin’ for
years, so how could they blame us?
How do you feel about Bush having a war of choice thousands of miles
away that costs $1.2 trillion over 10 years, but there wasn’t a serious effort
to save the victims of Katrina here in this country?
The only time they notice a nigga is when he’s clutching on the 4-5.
[Plus, when] it seems the rain’ll never let up I try to keep my head up,
and still keep from getting’ wet up. You know it’s funny, when it rains it
pours, they got money for wars, but can’t feed the poor. Say there ain’t
no hope for the youth and the truth is it ain’t no hope for the future. And
then they wonder why we crazy. We ain’t meant to survive, cause it’s a
setup and even though you’re fed up, ya got to keep your head up.
Bill Cosby has made numerous speeches lately on the bastardization of
Black kids in the hood. What are your comments?
To all the ladies havin’ babies on they own, I know it’s kinda rough and
you’re feelin’ all alone. Daddy’s long gone and he left you by ya lonesome
thank the Lord for kids, even if nobody else want ‘em. Cause I think we
can make it, in fact, I’m sure. And if you fall, stand tall and come back
72
for more. Cause ain’t nothin’ worse than when your son wants to know
why his daddy don’t love him no mo’. You can’t complain you was dealt
this hell of a hand without a man, feelin’ helpless. Because there’s too
many things for you to deal with dying inside, but outside you’re looking
fearless. While tears, is rollin’ down your cheeks, ya steady hopin’ things
don’t fall down this week cause if it did, you couldn’t take it, and don’t
blame me I was given this world I didn’t make it. And now my son’s
getting older and older and cold from havin’ the world on his shoulders
and it’s crazy, it seems it’ll never let up, but please, you got to keep your
head up.
What is Thug Passion?
Aight, new drink; one part Alize one part Cristal – Thug’s Passion, baby,
y’all know what time it is. This drink is guaranteed to get the pussy wet
and the dick hard. Now if ya with me pour a glass and drink with a nigga
know what I mean? I ain’t trying to turn you all niggas into alcohols.
Alcoholics, haha. I’m just trying to turn you into muthafuckin’ thugs. So
come and get some of this Thug Passion.
Once a chick is on that Thug Passion, what’s the best way for her to keep
a thug?
Now peep, it here go the secret on how to keep a playa: Some love makin’
and home-cookin’ I’ll see ya later. It don’t take a lot to keep a nigga heart,
must be a lady in the light but real freaky in the dark.
How do you think you’ve progressed as a man moving up in the music
world?
Hopin’ God hear me, I entered the game; look how much I changed. I’m
no longer innocent - casualties of fame. Made a lot of money, seen a lot
of places. And I swear I seen a peaceful smile on my mama’s face when
I gave her the keys to her own house, this your land your only son done
became a man. Watchin’ time fly; I love my people do or die, but I won-
der why we scared to let each other fly.
When you passed, your fans filled gutters of the hood worldwide with
their tears. Any words to ease their pain?
Sellin’ my soul for material wishes, fast cars and bitches; wishin’ I live my
life a legend, immortalized in pictures. Why shed tears? Save your sym-
pathy. My childhood years were spent buryin’ my peers in the cemetery.
Here’s a message to the newborns, waitin’ to breathe: If you believe then
you can achieve, just look at me. Against all odds, though life is hard we
carry on.
Do you have a message for your fans that miss you?
There’s no way I can pay you back, but the plan is to show you that I un-
derstand you are appreciated. Just because you live in the ghetto doesn’t
mean you can’t grow.
Your mother has continued your legacy by spreading peace and creating a
center to cultivate arts for urban kids in your name.
Pour out some liquor and I reminisce, cause through the drama I can al-
ways depend on my mama. And when it seems that I’m hopeless you say
the words that can get me back in focus. When I was sick as a little kid,
to keep me happy there’s no limit to the things you did, and all my child-
hood memories are full of all the sweet things you did for me. And even
though I act crazy, I gotta thank the Lord that you made me. There are no
words that can express how I feel. You never kept a secret, always stayed
real and I appreciate how you raised me and all the extra love that you
gave me. I wish I could take the pain away. If you can make it through
the night there’s a brighter day. Everything will be alright if ya hold on
it’s a struggle every day, gotta roll on.
When you passed, there was a hurried service and you were cremated.
Now you mother plans to take your ashes to Soweto, South Africa to
honor the fight against apartheid. If it were up to you, how would have
liked your ceremony to have gone?
Bury me smilin’ with G’s in my pocket, have a party at my funeral let
every rapper rock it. Let the hoes that I used to know from way before
kiss me from my head to my toe. Give me a paper and a pen so I can write
about my life of sin, a couple bottles of Gin in case I don’t get in. Tell all
my people I’m a ridah! Nobody cries when we die; we outlaws, let me
ride. Life goes on.
Is there anything you’d like to tell the readers before you leave?
There’s gon’ be some stuff you gon’ see that’s gon’ make it hard to smile
in the future. But through whatever you see, through all the rain and
the pain, you gotta keep your sense of humor. You gotta be able to smile
through all this bullshit. Remember that. Any time y’all wanna see me
again rewind this track right here, close your eyes and picture me rollin’.
 FAT
JOE

Y
JULIA BEVERLRA
S: R
WORD S: RAY TAMA
PHOTO
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Well, this is the first time I’ve done an interview in a bank. Having been
in the game a long time, what’s your advice to new rappers in terms of
how to handle their money?
You gotta set aside some of your money for blowin’ it. Everybody wants
to get rich and famous and blow it, and it never fails. I’ve seen the smart-
est of the smartest people – including myself – blow the first money they
got. You’ve been waiting forever to go to the clubs and pop the bottles.
You’ve been waiting forever to get the $100,000 chain. You’ve been wait-
ing forever to get the Bentley. I think what’s helped me survive is just
always remaining humble, thinking about a rainy day in the future.
When you first got a lot of money, you blew it?
Definitely. I was surrounded by a lot of people that had a lot of money be-
fore I became a successful rapper, so the money didn’t really impress me
like that when I started selling records. I had seen money come and go,
so I’ve always tried to be cautious. But I too have been guilty. When I got
my first million dollar check, I bought like ten dudes $50,000 Escalades.
We kept comin’ out here to Miami and renting mansions and poppin’
bottles, and it’s the movie you see over and over recycled. So one day I
went to the bank and tried to withdraw like $50,000 and they told me I
didn’t have that much money in my account. The lady was like, “There
must be a mistake here,” and I started sweatin’ bullets. I started catching
this anxiety and I was like, “Oh, my God.” Ever since you’re a little kid
you have a dream of having a million dollars. Once you get a million dol-
lars, you think it’s like water and it won’t stop coming out the faucet. And
before you know it, that million dollars is gone. And in our tax bracket,
it’s really like half a million, cause when you make a million half of that
goes to the government. And then you keep the other half. All the way
home [from the bank] I prayed big time. God gave me some more hits,
and I knew never to make those mistakes again. I play and I ball but I do
it carefully.
Well, speaking of coming with more hits, some people have criticized
your new singles saying that they sound Southern, but you’re from the
Bronx.
I’m not tryin’ to sound Southern, but you know, I’ve been in Miami for
ten years. 90% of the new album is that boom-bap, New York Terror
Squad Diggin’ In The Crates sound. I like to make music that’s relevant.
If the DJs in the club are playin’ four hours of music that makes you nod
your head like this, you can’t make the world stop and rock to some slow
swag or whatever it may be. I try to do my New York rap, my Bronx
Terror Squad rap, but to a beat that’ll be consistent with what’s being
played in the clubs and on the radio. It’s something I’ve been criticized
for, being from the Bronx and being an underground hip-hop head, since
day one. Every time I change and stay current, they get mad at me. My
biggest hits were “What’s Luv” [with Ashanti] and “Get It Poppin’” with
Nelly. They say they don’t wanna see Joe with Nelly, but they don’t get
mad when they see Jermaine Dupri with Nelly. People don’t realize that
Fat Joe, for some reason, is under a huge microscope. When you read the
[message boards on the] internet, the records they want me to put out is
the records that won’t get no spins. They wanna hear songs like “Fuck
Your Mother” by Fat Joe, know what I’m sayin’? But dawg, I can’t really
get no spins like that.
Do you think New York in general is just frustrated right now with the
climate of the music game?
I mean, we all just gotta make music, you know? The hit records. I hear
little whispers. They are frustrated.
What do you think about the Papooses, the Saigons, the Tru-Lifes? Do
you think there’s a wave of New York rappers that are gonna make noise?
You’re asking the wrong guy that question. At the end of the day it’s all
about the music. I don’t care if you’re from the South, the North, or the
West, if you make a hit record, it’s a hit record. If it’s something people
feel and can emotionally vibe to, then it’s a hit. A lot of young cats spit
lyrics, but they gotta be able to make hit records and come up with hit
choruses and hit hooks. I don’t get mad because the South is winning
right now, because it’s just another black brother or Latino brother win-
ning anyway. That’s what I’ve always been about. Winnin’ is love. I have
fun, you know? In New York they criticize the South, but when we’re in
the club we’re the first ones to nod our heads to “Every day I’m hustlin’,”
and we’re like, “Oh shit, that’s that shit.” So I don’t see no boundaries
with music. At the end of the day we got in this game to make music for
everybody, so we should appreciate everybody’s music.
So you’re not signed to Atlantic Records?
Nah, I wanted to go independent. I saw what [artists like] Mike Jones and
Paul Wall were doing. I’d been with Atlantic for ten years. I was getting
great advances, but I was really just an artist. At the end of the day I was
only getting 80 cents or maybe $1 per record. I was talking to [an indie
artist] and they get like $7 a record and they own their own masters. So I
stepped to Atlantic and said, “Yo, I think I can do this. I wanna go inde-
pendent.” It works out very well for me financially. I got relationships. I
can put together the right team to market and promote because I pretty
much get my own shit done anyway. And it’s affordable for me. If you’re
with a major and you don’t go platinum, they’re mad at you. But if you go
gold independently at $7 a record, you’re paid. So I felt like that was the
right thing for me to do.
Why not try to negotiate with them for more money per record?
If you have an employee that you’re givin’ 80 cents a record and he steps
to you and tells you he wants $7 a record and the masters, you’re like,
Nah. I don’t see that happening. When they finally gave me an offer, they
still wanted half of my masters. Koch Records was offering me a better
deal [than Atlantic]. And we loved what Koch Records did with Khaled’s
record [Listennn] so I was really gonna go to Koch. But EMI created this
company called Imperial Distribution – that’s EMI’s answer to Koch and
Fontana – and they offered me a deal that was too good to be true. I put
up my money and they give me a nice distribution deal, and at the same
time, I have the backings of Virgin so when I go for radio adds I can get
their radio staff involved. I also have my own radio staff, my own video
staff, my own publicists. We are really, really independent, but they’ll
help us push the buttons, and I get to keep my masters, my ringtones,
everything. I get $7 a record.
Do you think this is where the game is headed – will we see more major
label artists leaving to go independent?
This is definitely where the game is headed. And the smart people like
the Cash Moneys and the No Limits are getting rich forever. But us in
New York – and me, myself – are guilty of [the mentality] where they
give me a million dollars and I don’t care. Give me a million dollars and
pay for me and my crew to fly wherever and I’m good. But at the end of
the day, boy, I wish I owned the masters to “What’s Luv.” Boy I wish I
owned the masters to “Lean Back.” I don’t own no masters. So with this
project right here, there’s a lot of passion involved. Everybody wants to
see [this project] win. These are the things that make good stories, you
know, so I’m excited.
We haven’t been seeing you lately with Tony Sunshine, Remy Ma, and
the other Terror Squad members, and I know you had some friction with
Remy not too long ago. What’s going on with the rest of the camp?
We’re all good. Tony’s almost finished with his album. Tony is so
talented; he’s a superstar. Record labels sleep on him because he is a
Latino doing black music. We just recently signed a new deal with him
on Terror Squad/UBO. We just brought him down here [to Miami] to
work with Scott [Storch]. His album is like 80% done. Remy is about to
go back in the studio. Me and Remy argue all the time behind the scenes,
and it just so happened that she argued publicly. But it’s all love. She hits
me every day. We’re family. She’s signed to Terror Squad. She’s about
to work on her next album. I just think she was misinformed. Remy’s
definitely the best female artist out there and her album was incredible,
so she should’ve sold two or three million records. Because of her and her
project, I haven’t spoken to Steve Rifkind in maybe a year now. I can’t re-
ally do business with Universal no more because I’m passionate about my
artists and my family. I had to tell the chairman of Universal to suck my
dick, cause it was just too much of me fightin’ for her. I know how to set
up records; I know when a record label is behind the artist. They wasn’t
and they kept lying to me.
What exactly did you feel the label did wrong with Remy’s album?
They didn’t spend the money. In order to promote, you have to spend
the money. In order to make records pop at radio, you have to spend
$100,000 on Urban, $125,000 on Rhythmic, $100,000 on Pop. Like that
Ne-Yo record – that could’ve been the #1 record in the country. [Remy’s
single] “Conceited” could’ve been the #1 record in the country. They
never spent the money it took. Basically they threw her album out there
[off the Terror Squad name] and Remy fans had to go find it.
Did you feel that it was the same situation with the Terror Squad album?
Exactly the same situation. The problem was, that “Lean Back” record
was just too big. I sat in on meetings [at Universal] where the radio dudes
would say, “We spent no money on this.” And I’m like, damn. “Lean
Back” was a freak of nature. It was the biggest, greatest accident in the
world. It was just so big that people supported it, and it blew up. So it
was the same thing with the Terror Squad album. We didn’t have no
funds to go on promo tour. It was a lot of the same shit. But at least that
album was successful – it sold 600,000 records. The single “Lean Back”
went platinum. Everybody was talkin’ about, “Ooohh, it didn’t sell,” but
75
 to me it did great as a group album. So then Remy went on the radio and Do you respect 50 as a businessman in terms of what he’s done for hip-
blamed me for everything I been arguing with these [executives at Uni- hop by making money through other ventures, like the vitamin water and
versal] about. You know, I had to take it on the chin. You wanna know the shoes and all that?
why? Cause your readers don’t know [the chairman of Universal] Mel I don’t see what that nigga has done. I don’t see that nigga at all. It’s that
Lewinter. Your readers don’t know Steve Rifkind. They know the Puerto simple.
Rican guy Fat Joe, or the black guy P Diddy.
When does your album come out?
But you and Steve Rifkind go way back, don’t you? November 14th. The second single is me and Game, it’s called “Breathe
Way, way back. You know, I had a lot of respect for him. His hands are and Stop.” We’re gonna shoot that video in Jamaica – Nu Jersey Devil
cuffed. I believe that he always had my back. I felt like he kept goin’ up produced that. I got Lil Wayne on two joints on the album. I can’t wait
there just like me, cause there is always a boss. Diddy’s really not the til the fans get the album so they can hear the music and love it and ap-
boss, Fat Joe really is not the boss. We all have to knock on the door. preciate it, cause I put my heart into this album. It was so many fans like,
We’re all middlemen. We’re negotiators. We knock on the door and be “Yo, this nigga Joe got too much hits for the girls,” you know, they want
like, “Yo, I need this,” and it’s up to the boss to shut you down. So I think that crack music, that fat gangsta. So I gave them an album that’s straight
Steve Rifkind just got shut down every time he went up there. And it’s cooked coke. Let’s see what the fans wanna do with it. I make music
hard for a female artist right now anyway. With female artists, if you because I love to make music, but in 2006 it’s turned into a world where
ain’t Beyonce, it’s hard to sell a record now. Lil Kim, Shawnna, all these it’s all about the gossip and who got beef. When I came into the game all
girls are very talented and made hit records, but for some reason we’re in I ever wanted to do was make great music and have people respect me for
a zone where girls are not really sellin’ like that. I tried to tell Remy, “Yo, being an artist. The name of the album is Me, Myself, and I because I just
everybody knows you’re dope, this is a stepping stone.” I didn’t just wake locked myself in the room to make some great music, music that I love.
up and sell a million records. She threw me under the bus, but other than It’s a real hardcore album, the original Fat Joe.
that, we’re beautiful.
I know you did some records with The Runners, of course Cool & Dre,
What’s the name of your new independent album? and DJ Khaled – are there any other producers you worked with?
Me Myself and I. I did like three joints with Street Runner, and three joints with LV, who’s
actually my DJ. He produced a lot of work on Puffy’s new album. Him
Very appropriate. and Street Runner are the future. I did two songs with Scott Storch. I
Super appropriate. I’m like one of those Spanish conquistadors with the worked with The Runners. Khaled’s got two mean songs on the album.
spear in my hand. I’ll fight the world. I’ll throw rocks at tanks. Whoever brought me great music that was in the vibe of the album, I
worked with them. The regular listener isn’t worried about who pro-
It seems like you kinda trimmed down your entourage a lil bit. duced it, they just hear it and they like it or don’t like it.
I wouldn’t say that, cause the goons are always around. But if I get in
trouble, I want to get myself in trouble. I don’t want a nigga fuckin’ my
life up because he thinks he’s doing the right thing for me. “Damn, Julia,
you didn’t want me to kill that guy in front of the SunTrust right now “[When] you’re
cause he was fuckin’ with you? I thought I was keepin’ it real!” (laughing) a little kid you
Naw, I can’t deal with that. The niggas that are with me are very focused.
They know if it’s time to get busy, it’s time to get busy. Otherwise, let’s
have a dream of
just entertain people. having a mil-
lion dollars.
Let’s talk about 50 Cent – the beef between you two seems like it’s kinda once you get a
died out. Do you think it was a publicity stunt? million dollars,
It was definitely a publicity stunt, but you can’t use me for a publicity
stunt. Somebody’s going to have to answer at the end of the day. We got
you think it’s
beef forever. like water and
it won’t stop
Do you just try to avoid each other? coming out the
I don’t know if we try to avoid each other. It just is what it is. I never
see myself squashing the beef with him. I don’t really squash beef with
faucet. before
nobody, it just rides out. We can be old men when we see each other and you know it,
it is what it is, you know? It’s just like that. He had ample time to squash that million
it before it even happened dollars
is gone.”
So the beef really came from you appearing on Ja Rule’s “New York New
York” record or was that just a cover for other motivations?
I really don’t think it was just the “New York New York” record. Some
people, no matter how big they get and how much money they have,
they’re just jealous people. When they see niggas get successful they try
to shut them down. I don’t want to keep singing the same ol’ song and
dragging it out. You, yourself, you’ve never seen 50 Cent without the
fuckin’ niggas with earpieces, with suits on, with fuckin’ black shades
on, right? The police. Mountains of ‘em. I guess he’s thinking: I never
come out, and every time I do come out, I got 20 cops with me, so this
nigga [Fat Joe] can’t get to me. It’s not like I’m going to run into him at
the Carolmart, you know? And it’s sad because the only places that we
see each other are places where it’s uncalled for, like the [MTV] VMAs.
Cause that’s the only places they go. They never come out of the house.
It’s a tricky situation cause [if something pops off] they’re going to blame
Fat Joe. I went to the BET Awards with Khaled and it was just me,
Khaled, and Macho. I had no clue that Busta Rhymes had brought Lloyd
Banks, Eminem, and all of them. They got 150 niggas with them and
they only gave me 3 tickets. Security is following me around like I’m a
murderer, a madman on the loose, and I didn’t realize what was going on
until a little birdie came and told me that them [G-Unit] niggas was over
there. I had been standing in front of them the whole time and didn’t
even know it was them. They was really tryin’ to act like they ain’t seen
me, to be honest with you. The security of the BET Awards is fuckin’
following me, and I’m like, “Yo, these niggas got 150 niggas with them.”
Are you serious? I’m three deep. It’s just amazing, man.

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 THE ERS
RUNNS: JULIA BEVERLY DO
OE
WORD S: CARLOS AM
PHOTO

DRU
BRETT

MAYNE
ZANE

78
F
irst off, most people know you as the producers of Rick Ross’ “Hus-
tlin’” beat. How did that song come about?
Mayne: We had the beat and just put the hook on top of the beat.
We kinda just fell on something new and just ran with it.
Dru: Once we got it pressed up, we sent it out to Damon Eden, an A&R
at Atlantic Records. He thought the record was crazy, so he sent it to his
boss, Mike Caren. He put it on his CD and sent it out to a bunch of artists.
Rick Ross’ management heard it and said they had to have it.
Who’s voice is that on the hook?
Mayne: That’s our artist, Balli. That’s actually his voice on the record.
A few of your beats use a similar format, with a slowed-down voice on
the hook. Would you say you’ve been influenced by Houston’s Screwed
and Chopped movement?
Dru: Yeah, I definitely think it influenced us, but if you actually listen to
the music, it doesn’t sound too much like Houston. I think we used that
aspect of Houston music and kinda created a Florida sound with it.
How have you seen people’s reactions changing as you’ve gone from be-
ing relatively unknown producers to having one of the hottest records in
the country? I’m sure it’s a lot easier to get people on the phone now.
Mayne: Yeah, it’s crazy, cause I remember when Dru and I had to book
time in the studio just to get a local artist to come in and listen to our mu-
sic. Now we’re in the studio with Fabolous, Jeezy, and people are starting
to see our dream that we’ve had since day one. We knew we were going
to be on top one day, and we’re still on our way to the top. Back then we
didn’t really have that direct connect to the artists like we do now. Labels
were receiving our CDs and putting them in the trash bin. That’s how
you’ve got to filter the game; you can’t just accept everything. Sometimes
you’ve gotta make yourself be heard.
Well, like you said, a lot of labels probably do throw beat CDs in the
trash, so what do you think is the best way for a new producer to get their
beats heard?
Dru: I give the same advice to everybody: to get heard, you got to do ev-
erything possible. You got to use all different avenues and try all different
angles. Try using the radio, try using local DJs that are getting the scene
poppin’. Get them to play your records. Holla at the A&Rs, keep sending
them music, start building relationships with the different record labels.
You got to keep hittin’ them in the head until they can see your vision,
so there’s not one way of doing it. You’ve got to use a bunch of different
ways. You’ve got to keep beatin’ it into people’s heads that you have hot
music, whether you do it through the radio or through the record labels.
You seem to get a lot of love and support from one of the hip-hop radio
stations here in Orlando, 102 Jamz. Do you think radio plays a key part in
whether artists blow up from a particular city or not?
Mayne: The radio definitely plays a key part, and the reason why we’re
getting love is not just because of something we did in the past. We’re not
holding our heads high off one record or one achievement, we’re consis-
tent. We’re really making noise across the nation, and Orlando is seeing
that and the radio station held us down since day one, which is beautiful.
Do you plan on linking up with the radio stations to help break some new
artists out of Orlando?
Mayne: It would be dangerous. It would be real dangerous, and we’re
basically on the low-low tryin’ to make that happen.
Dru: Of course we’re going to use all our resources for our artists that
we’re going to work on breaking. I think the radio is not too biased. If
they hear something they like and it has a chance to make it, they’ll play
it. I think a lot of local artists aren’t up to par. If they’re not there yet, the
radio’s not going to play their record.
Why do you think Orlando has had such a hard time creating its own
musical identity? Tampa has its own sound and artists that have broken
out of the city, Miami has a music scene, but when you come to Orlando
there’s really no one dominating the music game.
Mayne: Everything is about perfect timing, and I believe everything
happens for a reason. God put us in this city and he knows what we want
to do. We’re tryin’ to put Orlando on the map on a different scale. We’re
opening up doors for all the Orlando artists. It’s basically all about timing.
Dru: It takes the right producer to come along, or the right artist to come
along and give a city a certain sound. It doesn’t just happen naturally.
Mayne: And to give that city the respect.
Dru: Exactly. Originally, Orlando was a bunch of boy bands and stuff.
Now is the time for people to stop lookin’ at us like we’re Disneyworld.
Now, there are serious producers here. I think we’re giving Orlando a
breath of fresh air. There is talent here, and we’re going to bring that tal-
ent to the forefront of the nation, from Orlando, Florida.
Especially for you, Dru, your hairstyle and the way you dress and carry
yourself isn’t really “traditional” hip-hop. Have people been skeptical
because you don’t wear the standard white tees and Air Force Ones with
a big chain? What’s the reaction been as you’ve been getting into the
industry?
Dru: Obviously, that was something I’ve encountered before. When
people see something different, either they fear it or don’t understand it.
But I think when the music plays and they hear the talent behind us and
they see how tight our business is, if they’re smart and business savvy,
they can look past that very quickly. They kinda appreciate someone
that’s in their own lane, not tryin’ to be something they’re not. If I was
out there wearing what somebody else was wearing, I wouldn’t be Dru.
I think by me staying in my own lane, people appreciate that about me
and realize that I’m a real person and true to myself. To tell you truth, it’s
actually paid off in the long run now because more people tend to follow
a new style. Look at Pharrell – he did the exact same thing, and then
Chad, and now they have their own clothing brand that’s not traditional
hip-hop either.
Is that something you’ll be doing eventually – creating your own clothing
line?
Dru: Absolutely. We just came back from Los Angeles last week cause
we’re doing a lot with television now. We’re meeting with different
networks and trying to get more involved in different aspects of the en-
tertainment world, which we had planned on doing in the beginning.
I heard you’re pitching a reality show?
Dru: We’re pitching a couple different things right now. We’re talking to
a bunch of different networks and we’re signing on to a big agency in Los
Angeles, a big TV agency. It’s not an agency that anybody can just sign on
to, it’s the same people that represent Puffy and Paris Hilton and people
like that. They represent Quincy Jones, and we had the pleasure of sit-
ting down with him in Los Angeles for about an hour, which is the most
amazing experience we’ve had in a long time.
Mayne: For everybody reading this article, if you don’t know who Quin-
cy Jones is, you need to close this magazine and go back to school. Quincy
Jones is a legend, and for us to have the opportunity to sit down in his
living room and have a good conversation with this man and listen to all
the jewels he dropped in our life, you know, we’re just going to use that
in our everyday business in how we handle ourselves and carry ourselves.
Aside from the Rick Ross record, I know you’ve worked with a lot of
other artists. What are some other records you’ve done?
Dru: We did [DJ Khaled’s] “Born and Raised,” [with Trick Daddy, Rick
Ross, and Pitbull], Ludacris’ “Slap,” and the first Bohagon single, “Get
It Off Your Chest.” We just did the new Trick Daddy single called “Bet
That,” featuring Chamillionaire. They’re shooting the video for that
tomorrow and that’s going to be a real big record for us. We did a real
big record for Jeezy. It’s going to be either the second or third single. It’s
humongous. It’s called “Dreamin’,” featuring Keyshia Cole.
On “Born and Raised,” you kinda used the same technique as “Hustlin’,”
with a slowed-down hook.
Dru: It’s got that traditional Runners sound behind it. We call it our first
season; first collection. When you hear the Ludacris record and the Trick
Daddy “Bet That” record, that’s a new collection of Runners beats. It’s not
that familiar sound that everybody’s used to hearing.
Everybody came hard on that “Born and Raised” record. Do you think it
was personal to them, speaking about their hometown?
Dru: Yeah, and most of our beats give so much energy. They’re just so
street. There’s some rappers who used to be street back in the day and
then they were on the other side of the road for a little bit, but then
they get that Runners record and it brings them back to the streets. Like
Smitty’s “Lil Haiti” and Fat Joe’s “Clap and Revolve.”
Have you been able to work with most of these artists in the studio or are
you just sending them beats?
Dru: It really depends on the artist. Some artists we like working with
face to face. Like Young Jeezy, we did Jeezy face to face. We did Ludacris
face to face.
What’s a studio session with The Runners like? Do you just kinda let
them do their thing, or what can you do as a producer to bring out the
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 best in an artist?
Dru: With Jeezy, we actually made the record there in the studio. We’d
shoot the idea to him and tell him our vision for the record. We’ll get
animated with it, we really get down to the nitty gritty. He’s real creative
and he’s real cool about vibin’ with us. And it’s the same thing with Luda.
They like to be creative and vibe together. Then there’s some artists, like
Trick Daddy, who prefer to have the track sent to them and they do it
themselves.
Mayne: At the same time, we respect the artist so we let them do their
thing. It’s not like we do a record and tell them what to do. An artist on
Jeezy’s level is a professional, so when he hears the beat, he hears the fin-
ished product in his head. When he’s picking his beats he knows which
record to go with and what he’s gonna do on the record. But when you’re
working with up and coming artists who need a little more direction,
that’s when the producer side of us comes out and we make it happen.
Who are some local artists you’re working with?
Dru: Balli, a rapper in Orlando. That’s really it right now. He’s signed to
our production company, Trac-N-Field Entertainment.
Any other big names you’re working with that we haven’t talked about?
Dru: Fat Joe, Fabolous, Twista. That Young Jeezy single with Keyshia
Cole is a really incredible record. It’s kinda different from what anybody’s
heard from us because it’s like a mid-tempo sample record.
Mayne: A lot of people are gonna think the whole record is a sample. The
whole record is not a sample; it’s just that we sampled the hook. We did
the same thing we did with “Hustlin’” but in a different light. The music
and the verses are original. I gotta let that be known, because a lot of
people think the records we do are samples, but that’s not showing our
musicianship.
Dru: On “Dreamin’,” we worked so hard with Jeezy in the studio for two
weeks straight to get him that perfect record. That was an emotional
record for him and it was a great feeling for us to be able to accomplish
that. He’s an artist that we always wanted to work with, so that was a
great accomplishment for us.
Mayne: Jeezy’s a real dude. I know there’s a lot of fabrication in this
game. There’s a lot of artists acting, trying to be something they’re not.
But we can say that Jeezy’s a real dude and we appreciate the opportunity
that he gave us coming in the game as young cats. He knows that record
is gonna boost our career, and he saw the hustle inside us. We made sure
we showed him our hustle so he could give us that opportunity.
Dru: We got in the studio at like 10 PM and we’d stay there til 4 PM the
next day without sleeping. We’d be there like two days straight just con-
tinually working and trying to get him that perfect record.
We knew his album was

R TIST SO WE LET THZEYM

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“WE RESPEIR
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PRODU

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unbelievable when we heard it. He’s incredible and it was always a dream
for us to work with Jeezy from the beginning, so we had to fulfill that.
Any other big records we should be looking out for?
Dru: The Ludacris “Slap” record, that’s gonna be a big record too. The
Runners say that’s gonna be a big record because what he’s discussing is
something that every American can relate to, from the average American
to the rich American to the poor American. Everyone is gonna be able to
relate to that record because he discusses all kinds of interesting topics in
it.
Technically speaking, how did you learn to use the equipment?
Mayne: It’s something that you fall in love with at a young age. I remem-
ber doing my research, buying some damn “How to Record” book way
back in the day, and that’s how it started.
Do you prefer working in your home studio, or going to a “real” studio to
get into work mode?
Mayne: Both. It feels good to be able to wake up and be able to work on
something right there, but you know, we love that vibe of the profes-
sional, big studio.
What are some of the best facilities you’ve worked in?
Dru: We like to work at Transcontinental Studios right here in Orlando,
cause this is where our home is. We also love Hit Factory and Circle
House in Miami.
Mayne: We also got a secret studio that’s being built here in Orlando. We
can’t release the name yet, but it’s gonna be the new hot spot in Orlando.
The Runners are promoting it; we’re endorsing it.
Aside from your artist, who else do you see across the country that’s on
the verge of blowing up? Rick Ross really blew up off your “Hustlin’”
record, so is there anybody else you see that’s at that point?
Dru: Another artist who’s never really gotten credit is Attitude. I think
he’s a great writer. He wrote that “Promiscuous Girl” song for Timbaland.
He’s got talent.
Mayne: Yeah, he’s got some serious writing skills.
What advice could you give to new producers on the business end
– people that might have a hot beat but don’t know what to charge for it
or how to get it out?
Dru: From a business standpoint, the first thing you need is good legal
representation. That’s a definite in the beginning, because this is a tricky
business. When you’re new, they’ll try to get as much from you as pos-
sible. Secondly, you can’t overprice yourself. If you’re a new producer,
you’re only going to get what you can negotiate. Other than that they’ll
just leave you hangin’. When you get out there, you’re not going to be
able to charge $20k a beat. You might have to only charge $5k or $6k a
track.
Mayne: Or free. We still give beats away to certain people for free.
Dru: Don’t sell yourself short, but you need to look at
the big picture and the longevity of this business. It’s
“ORIGINALDLY, OR UFF. NOW IS THE TIME
not all about the bling bling, and that’s what me and
Mayne were told early on. It’s about investing your
BOY BAN SLEATO STOP LOOKIN’ ATEU E ARE
FOR PEOP NEYWORLD. NOW, THER
money wisely when you get those big records out
there and being able to have a pension when you’re 50
years old.
WE’RE DISIOUS PRODUCERS HER .” -
Mayne: Cause nobody is hot 365.
You’ve been appearing in a lot of videos lately and
making yourselves a lot more visible. Do you think
that increases your value as a producer in terms of how
much you can charge?
Mayne: Most definitely. It’ll pay off in the long run because it’s gonna
open up so many other opportunities for us to succeed in this entertain-
ment business.
Do you plan on putting out your own record, or doing some Pharrell-type
guest verses?
Mayne: Nah, never that.
Dru: I think we’ll start to see some offers in television, hosting or some-
thing. You’re definitely going to see us more involved in television and
other aspects of entertainment. We’re about to be involved in Britney
[Spears’] new album, and we really wanna try to cross over to that pop
side of things. We have that talent as well, so there’s no need to waste it.
The talent is there and we shouldn’t be limiting ourselves to one genre.
What do you think is the key to having a successful partnership, where
both individuals contribute equally but of course you have your own
style?
Dru: I think it’s all about having your duties split. If he’s the one who
handles the music and you handle the business, don’t step on each other’s
toes. Always talk about major decisions together and come to a mutual
agreement, because you need to understand that both opinions matter
in a partnership. I think you really need to be careful not to step on each
other’s toes or get in each other’s way too much, and understand where
people’s limits are.
Mayne: I can’t really speak for all duos or groups, I can only speak for us.
The reason we’re so strong is because we are like brothers. I’ve known
[Dru] since kindergarten. We’re in love with the same thing and we
have the same goal. I understand his business sense and he understands
my musical talent, so we came together. The trust is there, and that’s the
main thing. If he’s on the phone setting up a million dollar publishing
deal, I don’t need to be on the phone because I know he’s not gonna do
nothing stupid or cut me out of the loop.
Dru: And we mutually discuss every major thing we’ve been through.
We really work together, on the musical side and on the business side.
And that’s why we’ve been able to be so successful. Two heads that work
together are better than one.
When you started sending out beat CDs to different A&Rs, did you make
sure they were copyrighted, or what steps did you take to make sure your
beats couldn’t get stolen?
Dru: Yeah, at the beginning you should take all precautions. We used to
send our beats out on a compilation CD and they would get copywritten
before we sent them out.
Mayne: That all ties back to having good legal representation. Get the
best that you can get at the stage of your career that you’re in, and that’s
where it starts.
Dru: I think the key to having a structured business in this industry is to
have a good team around you. Good management, good legal representa-
tion, a good financial advisor, a good bookkeeper. That’s the part that
people really overlook. At the end of the day, you have to pay taxes. Your
bookkeeping has to be perfect, and people that don’t have a good business
manager or bookkeeper, before they know it, they end up owing the IRS.
Making hot music is one thing, but there’s a whole business world behind
it. It’s crazy.
DJ Khaled is managing you now?
Dru: Yeah, DJ Khaled and DJ Nasty.
I’m sure there’s a lot of positive benefits to having a manager like Khaled
who is very well-connected in the music industry already, but you did
mention that you can’t do beats for 50 Cent. Do you think being affiliated
with a camp limits the people that you can work with?
Dru: Nah, not really. I don’t feel
N DO WAS A BUNCH OF
LA
ND ST S LIKE
DRU
SER
that we have been too limited. They
never told us that we can’t make beats for [50]. We make beats for every-
one. We’ve never been held back.
Mayne: We really just choose to stay out of anything that’s not dealing
with us.
Dru: Yeah, it’s not our business so we just try to stay out of it. Khaled’s
our manager and they might have their own business or whatever, but we
just don’t involve ourselves in that. [The Terror Squad vs. 50 Cent beef]
has nothing to do with us.
Mayne: As a matter of fact, Young Buck has one of our records right now.
If someone is interested in contacting you for beats, how can they get in
touch with you?
If any indies wanna get in touch with us, the best way is www.myspace.
com/therunners. Major labels can contact DJ Khaled or DJ Nasty; they’ll
know how to get in touch with them.
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 PITBULL

ULIA BEVERLYOND LOUIS

S: J DM
WORD S: VINCENT E
PHOTO
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hat’s the biggest flip side of success?
Oh, man, it’s not what people think. People have the miscon-
ception that it’s just niggas ballin’, but a lot of niggas out here
ain’t got shit. They’re broke as shit, so don’t let the game fool you. Niggas
may have a chain or two and act like they got a lil bit of paper, but it’s
short-lived. I’m tryin’ to make this shit. I’m runnin’ a marathon, not a
sprint. I think that’s the biggest misconception. I used to watch the game
and I knew it was goin’ on, but I didn’t know it was so much of it goin’
on. A lot of guys that you think have a lot of shit don’t have a damn thing.
It’s just a blessing. I thank God every day for the opportunities I’ve been
given. Sometimes it’s hard to believe I’m in the position I’m in. If you re-
ally think about the whole Pitbull movement, I’ve got a lane of my own,
you know? I can rap with the Trick Daddys and the Rick Rosses or the
Young Jeezys, I can rap with the Daddy Yankees and the Don Omars, or
you can put me with the Lil Jons and the Young Scrappys. I’ve got such a
broad range of everything with all the different markets that I touch. It’s
a blessing.
Do you think this album has more of a street/mixtape feel to it than your
first album, which came off as being super commercial?
This album is going to have the records that keep me alive. Remember,
I’ve got a gold album, and I was on the road for two and a half years. I
ain’t like platinum muthafuckers. I’m still on the road off that album.
So yeah, you’re gonna have your commercial shit [on the album], but
that’s what the mixtapes are for. On this album, you are gonna have more
records for the street. But also, I think that on the first album, it was the
sequencing. It was like one after another. Club record, bitch record, bitch
record, club record, and then finally you got to some of the meat that
niggas know me for on the street. So with this album, I put street records,
maybe one club record, street records, club record, bitch record. I don’t
think it’ll be the same. But I’ve got so many different markets I gotta feed.
You might be looking for more of that mixtape shit, but there’s other
muthafuckers that’s listening for “Culo” and all that type of shit.
Do you have a favorite on this album?
Yeah, it’s called “Blood Is Thicker Than Water,” featuring Red Eyes.
What’s going on with some of the other artists you’re affiliated with, like
Cubo, Piccalo, and B.A.N.G.?
B.A.N.G. is a part of the camp, Big Teach, Big Mouth Marketing &
Promotions, he’s managing them right now so I’m definitely involved in
the project to a certain extent. Cubo, Piccalo, and I got this cat out of Lil
Havana I’m gonna be doing something with. I’m gonna be doing some
things with Southbeat Records, getting involved with what they do as far
as developing artists and just trying to build something from the ground
up.
Did Lil Jon do a lot of production for El Mariel, your new album?
Jon did two tracks, and I also worked with Mr. Collipark, Jim Jonsin,
Pharrell, the Diaz Brothers, and a lot of local, up and coming cats.
I know you had a little friction with TVT Records, has that been
smoothed out?
Yeah, it’s smoothed out. It’s like a family, you’re always gonna run into
problems and situations. My beef wasn’t about me, it was more about
Jon. Take care of him. That’s the way I look at it: If Jon ain’t happy, I
ain’t happy. He’s happy now, so I’m happy and we can move forward. Jon
knows how to evolve and do different types of music. He did some crazy
club shit for my records, some Afro-Cuban crazy shit. We call it voodoo.
What’s been going on with you personally since your last album?
Personally, just living a better life now. I got myself some property. My
family’s living good, everybody’s good, and I’m just trying to make sure
that we create a pipeline where it’s always there. You never know with
this rap shit. Here today, gone today.
What motivated you to name your album El Mariel and draw attention to
the things happening in Cuba today?
El Mariel was a boat lift in 1980, 1981. My father was involved with a
boat lift. He brought three boats over, bringing 547 people to freedom. El
Mariel was basically a quest for freedom, and that’s the way I see myself
in this game. They’re always trying to categorize Pit as “crunk” or “regga-
etone,” but I’m not. I just do music. It’s one thing that’ll never fail, never
run out of gas, and that’s good music. You can categorize it however you
want, but a hit record is a hit record. That’s why I named the album El
Mariel, because this is my boat lift, it’s my quest in 2006. And it’s also to
educate people with what’s been going on in my culture, my history.
There are still boats that come over to the U.S. from Cuba.
Oh yeah. They risk their lives doing the ninety mile journey. They usu-
ally make it to the Keys. They’re the ones that make the ’62 Chevys into
fuckin’ boats and shit.
Why are people in Cuba willing to risk their lives to come to America?
It’s terrible in Cuba because it’s no freedom, you know? Think about it.
You can’t state your opinion. If you say anything bad about [Cuban Presi-
dent Fidel] Castro you go to prison. If you sell meat on the streets you go
to prison for 25 years. It’s certain things that are fucked up. They wanna
come over to a land where they can take advantage of opportunities and
better their life, like a lot of us have done, thank God.
Being so marketable, you have a lot of other avenues to promote yourself.
Are you planning on going into movies or fashion?
I got a lot of other avenues, but I’m having a hard time with endorse-
ments cause I’m asking for percentages. I don’t want an advance, dawg.
You can keep the advance. I want a percentage on cases, on shoes sold, on
clothing sold. When I find the right situation and my name builds enough
clout to where I can get that out of the deal, it is what it is. But you know,
patience. That’s all I’m about. The slow grind is the fa’ sho’ grind.
Do you see the Miami movement becoming even bigger than what we’re
seeing now?
It’s only going to become bigger if people come together and unite and
continue to do that, but if there’s gonna be friction within the county and
within the city, it’s gonna stay stagnant. Pitbull forever will keep doing
his thing.
Do you think there is friction in Miami?
I don’t think there’s friction, but there might be little rumors here and
there. I don’t pay attention to none of that shit, I just hope it’s not true. If
it’s true, it’s very disappointing.
You’ve been pretty vocal in the past about the perceived disrespect that
you felt from New Yorkers towards the South. Have you seen the situa-
tion getting better over the last few years?
I think it’s gotten better and at the same time worse. It’s contradictory
and ironic, because now they’re like, “Them South niggas done took
everything over and they ain’t rappin’ about shit.” But nigga, we been
doing this shit. And like I said before, it was a blessing for them niggas to
not pay attention to us cause all it did was show us how to grind. Just like
you did with your magazine, we did with our music. And we’ve come
together, and I think that’s what really enforced the whole movement
– everybody knowin’ each other.
At the same time, now that the South is hot, it seems like all the labels are
quick to sign somebody from the South. Do you think it’s too easy now
and we’re going to lose that grind?
Maybe for the up and coming cats. Maybe it’s a little different. But hope-
fully the grind was instilled in them from before.
With someone like Rick Ross or Jeezy, and even yourself to some extent,
they get a lot of criticism from mainstream America for glamorizing drug
dealing and things like that – when you talk about it, do you feel like
there’s a larger purpose, like hustling in life or in general?
You know, we took the street life and applied it to the game, and these
niggas are just rapping about what they know. I know the same shit, I’d
just rather rap about it in a different sense, meaning that when the Feds
come and see me, all they’re gonna find is CDs. No weight, dawg. I’m
done with that life, bro. And that life made me who I am, but that doesn’t
mean I gotta glorify that shit. I ain’t out there tryin’ to get it like that, I’m
tryin’ to get it in the music. I just talk about it in the past tense. As for
them, that’s how they get it across. Them dope boys love them niggas,
you know, because they feel like they do. But do I feel that it’s negative?
No, because they’re just talkin’ about their life, just like a movie. Rappers
are ghetto poets. And as far as Rick Ross, I’d like to congratulate him on
having the number one album in the country when it came out. And
Trick’s [new album] is on its way out too now. Khaled, congratulations.
Dre, he’s on his way out. Myself, everybody. It’s a beautiful movement.
It seems like the DJs and radio stations in Miami really do support their
own movement, but some people disagree. What’s your opinion?
Before, they didn’t. But now, it’s the total opposite. I’m blessed to be
ridin’ with the movement at the right time. Everybody’s been seeing ev-
erybody grind down here; that’s why I get so much respect. I remember
seein’ Rick Ross on 79th Street passin’ out CDs, sellin’ them shits out of
the trunk of the car for $5. That was back in like 2000, 2001, you know?
And now he sees me, I see him, workin’ in music, or seein’ each other in
the street. That’s what makes this movement so special.
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MET
MAN

G. GARLAND
D S: MAURICEY CUTUJAR
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O TO : ANTHO
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hen Method Man said “F a rap critic, he talk about it while I
live it” on “How High” over ten years ago, he really didn’t have
much to complain about. He was the most popular member of
the most popular rap group at the time. Hip Hop heads idolized him and
women adored him. He was the fucking man. But nowadays, that quote
can be felt from Meth without him even having to say it. Feeling like the
media is putting him through the same torture he joked about on the first
Wu-Tang album, the Ticallion Stallion sits down with us to talk about
everything from feeling like an underdog to why rappers need to stay out
of the strip club.
What direction did you want to take on this album?
I just wanted to shut muthafuckas up. Slap the right niggas. But I ain’t no
violent nigga though. You can’t defend yourself with everybody. And the
naysayers be reading the press. I think the press turned their back on me.
I used to be their darling, now I’m the worst shit to happen to Hip Hop.
How does that work?
Why do you think the media has turned their back and said negative
things about you?
I think it had to do with the acting, but everybody does acting. What the
fuck?
So you’re saying they turned their back on you because you concentrating
on acting rather than dropping albums every year?
I wouldn’t say I was focusing on acting, because if I was it would have
been way more shit than what I was, but it’s whatever. But it started with
the acting and since then the press been jumping on my ass saying side-
ways shit and the people followed suit. It’s more dumb people than smart
people. All it takes is two cool dudes to say something is hot and the rest
of them lame niggas will follow.
So how do you feel about all of this “Hip Hop is dead” talk?
People have a right to their opinion, but the media said it first. I’m glad
to see it at the level it is. No matter how much they say it suck, somebody
likes it because somebody’s buying. Music goes in cycles. We had shiny
suits, the grimy era, fat gold chains, back to shiny suits. Now the South
got the crown, so let them niggas live and stop hating. It was a time when
no one was checking for them, so they took it upon themselves to get
noticed on their own merit. That shit right there is Hop Hop; how can
you hate on that? But at the same time they can’t hate on New York.
How come New York gets the backlash? A lot of down South artists ain’t
talking about nobody but New York. I don’t respect that because I got
nothing bad to say about down South except that with some of the music,
I just wish they’d get out the strip club every now and then. Every song
don’t have to be a dance. I got love for down South artists though.
Since you say that, how you feel about your New York contemporaries
saying the South is “fucking up Hip Hop”?
Let me tell you something about New York: They don’t buy albums no
more, it’s about mix CDs. The artists that do get lucky enough to make it
to a major label, when they drop an album the label is so busy trying to
keep up with the South and get BDS spins. You can have an album full
of hard shit but if you make one song about chicks, guess which one the
radio’s gonna grab? I’m saying that New York Hip Hop
is getting lost in the shuffle because everybody wanna
go with radio. I’m not saying “fuck radio” because we
“PEOPLE BURYAIN
need that to help get our music out there, but they
need to know that every city’s Hip Hop is not the
BY THE SD ... I’M NOT BOW I’M BETTER THAN
same. Detroit was going through that for years. They
M AG AZIN E
had their own movement but radio wasn’t support-
TRATED BEC
WHAT THEY G
ing. So they had to start running up in the stations to
get heard. Now they got nothing but local artists on
the radio now. The industry should know Hip Hop is a
culture; you’re not gonna get the same shit everywhere.
It’s not even the artists, we doing the best that we can
with what we got, trying to stay afloat. A New York
movement is coming, but I think 50 [Cent] gonna have to be that nigga to
unify everybody.
Do you think what 50 is doing is making the game more competitive?
Yeah, he creates beefs, but some of that is battling in a sense.
Yeah it’s competitive in a way, but it gets to the point. I mean, son is
dope, he makes records. He went through some shit to get where he’s at
so you can’t be mad at him for striking out at people, but then it gets to be
on some bully shit. C’mon son, he’s the biggest selling artist in New York,
but it’s gonna take him to unify shit. I love everybody, B, anybody that
made their way in the business either deserves it or they’re gonna work
their way to deserve it. That’s why I hate when I hear niggas saying, “I’m
not an emcee.” Come on man, put the mic down then. I’m an emcee first
and foremost.
Where do you think that attitude came from?
Because it got to the point where a lot of rappers was corny, so niggas are
looking at them like they’re corny. Only a handful are real. You hear all
these niggas saying, “He ain’t real,” “Keep it real,” “What’s really real,”
“I’m real,” and all that bullshit, when everybody was fake as a fuck. So
the new core of emcees was saying, “All these niggas are corny, so I don’t
wanna be an emcee. Shit, I’ll be a drug dealer.” That’s where the bitches’
minds are too, they see the money and get on them niggas so the rap
niggas see that and be like, “I ain’t no emcee, man, I’m a drug dealer, I’m
a gangsta,” because rappers was corny. But at the end of the day, we’re
making records. What are you doing on the stage? You’re a fucking em-
cee. But nowadays a lot of these niggas ain’t emcees anyway; a lot of the
top selling artists can’t even move a crowd.
Do you think the emphasis on the business side of music is making the
music suffer?
Even the independents are getting swallowed up, the Mom & Pop stores
too. They done turned this shit into the Barnum & Baileys Ringling Bros.
circus and shit. This shit is like WWE now, rap entertainment. Niggas
ain’t even getting good promotion anymore. A week before, a week dur-
ing and a week after? What’s that? And then if you don’t sell you’re gone.
Do you feel disrespected or disappointed in how Def Jam is handling your
project right now?
I can’t even talk about that. I voiced my opinions earlier and they got
pissed, but I’ll let the streets talk louder than me. I just gotta stay optimis-
tic. Is it more people saying that it’s dope or not?
Some are saying it’s your best work in a while. They like it. But of course
you’ve got people saying they don’t like it too.
See, it’s muthafuckas that won’t even listen to or buy the album because
of some shit they read in a magazine, I’m not gonna name any names. But
how you gonna put 5 joints on the website and say it’s hot, no, not hot,
but fire! Banger! Straight crack! It’s a guaranteed banger! Banger banger! 4
out of 5, 4 and a half! Then when the album drops they give you a fucked
up review. Shit don’t make sense, so is it business or personal? When it’s
in these hands, it’s good, but when it transferred hands it changes. Like
hell naw, not on my dime, this nigga ain’t eating.
How much do bad reviews bother you? We’ve all heard stories about how
Wu-Tang has paid visits to people who wrote unflattering things about
them.
It’s fucked up, especially when they ain’t reviewing the music and just
assassinating your character. You wanna choke somebody, but I got kids;
how would I look rolling in the dirt with some lame ass nigga? So I gotta
have thick skin, work harder and take heed to what the true fans are say-
ing and work on what I lack. You just gotta stay optimistic. It’s frustrating
because you can’t defend yourself against all these people who shit on
you all the time. The magazine comes out every month, but I don’t
talk to the people every month.
TRANQUILIZ ED
M S A RE
G AL BU
BR A IN W ASHED BY THSE-
IO AND ITTER, i’M JUST FRU
AUSE I KN IVE ME CREDIT FOR.”
Do you feel like you are an underground rapper, or starting
over again?
I’m definitely the underdog. There is no underground rapper anymore.
It’s mix CDs and how big your chain is. No underground, everything is on
the surface. But there’s still backpackers out there, I respect them. Even
though people feel like they’re geeks, they listen to lyrics and the beats.
They can tell you where the samples come from. These are hardcore
Hip Hop fans, and there aren’t a lot of them. What they’re doing now is
downloading music because they’re disappointed with the music. The
people buying albums are tranquilized by the radio and brainwashed by
the magazines, thinking its genuine when it’s not. I could go on for days,
but I’m not bitter. I’m just frustrated because I know I’m better than what
they give me credit for.
87
 PASTOR
TROY

G. GARLAND
DS: MAURICEN McCOLLUM
WOR S: SHANNO
PHOTO
88
W
hen Pastor Troy graced the cover of the 2nd Anniversary issue
of OZONE back in 2004, he was in a celebratory mood. It was
a new year for the magazine and a new album for the Pastor,
both on the cusp of stardom as the Southern Hip Hop takeover was grow-
ing from a flame into four-alarm blaze.
“This is going to be the first Pastor Troy album to be released in the
middle of the Southern Hip Hop phenomenon,” he said about Any Means
Necessary in a conversation the day of the interview for the story. “I’ve
yet to take full advantage of this new wave. This album will do it.”
Since then, Troy has:
• Seen his relationship with Universal Records dissolve
• Broken up with, and made back up, with D.S.G.B.
• Recorded diss records blasting Lil Jon and Lil Scrappy
• Relinquished ownership of his club, Palladium
Not exactly what one would imagine when trying to “take full advan-
tage.” However to his credit, Troy has used the void of not having a major
label to return to the underground roots that made him a star in the early
2000s.
After dropping Hell 2 Pay, Face Off II, Stay Tru and most recently By
Choice or By Force, Troy is once again aiming to cash in on a phenom-
enon that he helped build. We caught up with Troy on what happened
to be the eighth anniversary of his groundbreaking debut We Ready: I
Declare War as he relaxed in Baton Rouge during a mini-tour of the Gulf
region. Here he talks about the advantages of going independent, his
opinions about Southern Hip Hop and the respect he feels he deserves.
2006 has been a busy year for you, what all do you have going on?
I’m working on this independent shit. I’ll have another album out at the
first of the year.
Another one? You just dropped two this year.
Yeah, I dropped two back to back. But [Stay Tru] was like a mixtape.
Then [with By Choice or By Force] Koch dropped it without getting the
full potential out of it. I told them to hold on but they wanted to keep up
with the mixtape. One was supposed to set the other up. Koch didn’t let
me deliver what I wanted.
How has it been working with Koch? One would think you’d be disen-
chanted to work with a label of any kind.
Koch was just a one album deal, so I’m back independent. Matter of fact
I’m back on the phone with Universal. The shit I was doing when I was
with them, they weren’t prepared to work it. They saw what I did with
We Ready: I Declare War but they wasn’t prepared to work with what I
was giving them. I was in a situation where Universal was going through
changes. It was my job to grind, but they ain’t have themselves together
to catch that wave. I mean look now, Chamillionare went platinum. I had
songs like “Vice Versa.” No disrespect to Chamillionare, but a lot of niggas
have been able to benefit from the steps I’ve taken. My position is unique.
It’s like Jesus bearing the cross. But I ain’t complaining though.
How has working independent been for you so far?
This indie thing is so gravy because you really get the opportunity to con-
trol your own destiny, man. You get out what you put into it. We got all
our dates right. We done did three dates in a row, every thing routed out
the right way. I got a nice home and I’m always working, so it’s good.
After “We Ready,” Southern Hip Hop took a turn. It went from typically
being laid-back to being more aggressive. You can hear a lot of your influ-
ence in today’s music, from Atlanta in particular. Do you feel that you get
your props?
I’m cool because I’m getting paid, but all I want is respect. It’s not like
you owe me something, but don’t downplay me like I ain’t shit but you
doing all my shit, keep that shit real. I know who I gave my props to:
8Ball & MJG, UGK, Outkast, Goodie Mob. You’re product of what you
were raised on, and when I see ‘Ball and them I give them respect. It ain’t
like that no more. New niggas think it’s about competition. You hear all
kinds of ad-libs and shit on the music now. Niggas don’t even call me
to come get on a track, niggas just say fuck it and take my shit and do it
themselves. But I get props from the city for the most part, just not the ra-
dio station. The city supports what the radio plays. The streets don’t know
these new niggas, it’s just that the radio plays them. In the club niggas
know my shit word for word, but I don’t get played on the radio.
Do you go back and listen to that first album at all? What do you hear?
I do when I perform it. I listen to it sometimes. I can listen to the songs
and remember the day I was writing it. I hear the despair in my voice.
That’s all I had and believed in. That’s all I wanted to do. I was telling
myself, “I’m putting 150% into this.” I don’t even know what all that shit
came from, it wasn’t no plan. We had classic lyrics, ad-libs, all that shit.
When I listen to it, I’m like, damn, we set out to do what we had to do.
Niggas still come up and shake my hand and tell me about that CD.
When we interviewed you back in 2004, you were quoted in saying: “I
ain’t faulting the niggas that’s doing it but as a veteran in this shit, I’m
tired of hearing all these damn [wannabe] Pastor Troys. [Southern Hip
Hop] is more than just screaming ‘nigga, killa, muthafucka, do this, do
that.’ That ain’t what [Southern Hip Hop] is about. Niggas done took
what it was about and turned it into something that everybody can party
with and that party is about to turn into some bullshit. It’s gonna last as
long as these niggas respect the music. Niggas are ready to ride the hell
out of it and it’s about to get crazy because everybody wants to do the
shit. If you put too much water in the Kool-Aid it’s gonna fuck it up.” Do
you still feel the same, judging from what you’ve been hearing?
Reese, man, did we call that shit or what? I saw it because it was getting
too easy. When the labels come calling, watch out! Because at that point
it ain’t about standards, it’s about money. Peanut Butter & Jelly? C’mon,
dawg. I myself have difficulty thinking like “Damn, is this what it is? Is
this what niggas like now?” But I’m staying with the gangsta shit. My
shows are off the chain. I go from city to city, getting love and ain’t noth-
ing I got on the radio. They go crazy in the club whenever I perform. But
the streets still respect the real, so if it stays like that, its cool. I see more
opportunities coming along for Southern Hip Hop, but I don’t necessarily
see the music getting better.
So who are you in the studio with right now?
I’m in the studio with the Medicine Men, some people remember them as
Beats By The Pound. So you already know.
I’M GE TTING PAID, BUT
,
“I’M COOL RESPECT. NEW NIGGA.” S
T IS
ALL I WANIT COMPETITION
’S A BO UT
THINK
How ironic is it that you are working with the same produc-
ers who worked with Master P, the man you dissed 8 years ago?
I respected that sound even then. I’m a businessman, so we gonna
compliment each other. They understand, it ain’t no beef between us.
These tracks thee dudes got for me, we going to war all over again. I look
forward to going platinum. I know it’s gonna happen for me. The music
gonna make me go platinum, not the marketing and promotion. I’m the
best solo gangsta rapper in Atlanta, if not one of the first ones.
What is the status of the relationship between you and D.S.G.B.?
All them boys done got back in the group. This rap game is a learning
process. Sometimes you gotta back up off a situation and let them figure it
out for themselves, and that’s what happening right now. But they ready.
We washed our hands together and been through too much for a few
things to come between us. We changed this thing up together. When
you get your own fans niggas tell you some bullshit, championing you,
but that ain’t always the case. If you feel like it’s your turn, you got my
blessings. We gotta do this shit together. I don’t be trippin’ on no bullshit.
To this day, do still feel like your music gets misunderstood?
I still get misunderstood. Especially when they take it out of context. Like
when shit goes down at the club like we in a Western movie. We try
to calm the club down a lot of times. We be telling the DJ to play some
Keyshia Cole, something to calm these niggas down.
Are you going to change your style? The music is definitely changing.
I’ve been talking to God, asking what to do. Because, I dunno, man, a
nigga so smart and I don’t wanna be wasting my time taking niggas as
deep as I could. Because I know when I did that I was only reaching a
few niggas and niggas in my clique. I used to think niggas was slow, but
instead of stooping down to people’s level, I’m bringing niggas to my
level and when niggas get it they gonna be like ‘oh shit!’ I’ma produce
an album my self too. Since niggas dig my tracks I’ma produce an album
myself and I’ma tell them everything on my mind. I got people from all
over telling me ‘you did this for me.’ I remember when someone told me
‘Troy I just got shot with Face Off came out, my girlfriend bought it for
me. I listened to that until I walked again. Shit like that keeps me content
because niggas don’t get shit like that from this new music.
89
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R
N
DS: MAURICE
G. GARLAND
WO

92
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n artist’s first album is the soundtrack of their life up to that point.
What can we expect with this second album?
It pretty much picked up where the first one left off. The stories
haven’t changed. I’m still gonaa have the club records too. I did the first
single “Smack That” just so I could collaborate with Eminem. We both
wanted to do something different. Em be on reality records and I be on
reality records, so if we did a reality record I don’t think it would have
been anything special. People rarely hear Eminem in the club and they
rarely hear me on some uptempo club records, so that’s why we did a
record of that nature. The album has a lot of records that didn’t make the
first one, so it’s a continuation.
The first record has a lot of songs about struggle. It’s obvious that you
aren’t struggling anymore financially, so what are you drawing inspira-
tion from?
All my records come from experiences anyway so I feel like I’m always
gonna be going through something to write about. This album has lot
more brighter records because now I’m seeing a different side of life. But I
still got a lot of records from back then that I gotta put out because people
never heard them.
Do you think your success surprised a lot of people?
I definitely took everyone by surprise. I had no support in the begin-
ning. I had to keep grinding and create my own contacts and use my own
resources and before you knew it the records started kicking and favors
started coming through.
How does it feel to go back to Senegal and get the reception that you do?
It has to be different from going to the block and getting love.
It’s crazy, a whole ‘nother feeling. Even though you still get mad love
here you still feel unappreciated compared to how they treat you out
there. It’s a mindstate. Here you got people asking for autographs and you
feel like you accomplished something. Because of that, niggas attitudes
change and they go Hollywood on you. But if you go over there it’s not
comparable; it’s hard to explain it. That’s why I’m having a concert over
there. I’m taking artists form here over there. I’m taking Snoop, Jeezy,
Eminem, Beenie Man, The LOX. It’s a huge concert I’m doing out there
on December 9th, and I’m trying to bring as much press as possible just to
witness it. A lot of American artists do get to see how big Hip Hop is glob-
ally. Certain things like that have to happen so we can send that message
back here. But the love there is crazy, hard to explain unless you’ve seen
it.
What are the perks of knowing the king of Senegal?
Oh, it’s all benefits, that’s why I’m able to move so freely out here. Now
I’m an official diplomat, I’m an ambassador. I can ride through speeding
and they can’t even arrest me without talking to the government. I have
diplomatic immunity. It’s a whole ‘nother atmosphere and attitude. The
way they treat you is different too, so you really can’t compare it.
Being that you are from Senegal, do you have a different outlook on the
world than an American has that helped your career?
It’s definitely helped. The way I was brought up, the surroundings, the
people, the languages. Out there you really learn to appreciate the op-
portunities that are given to you. Here, cats are spoiled because every-
thing is already laid out, even with the section 8. They don’t understand
how good they got it until they leave the U.S. When you’re raised in this
atmosphere you naturally think you ain’t treated fairly and got white
folks on you. But in actuality you’re living like luxury compared to rest of
the world. So with me having that background, I know for a fact that it
contributed to my success and it kept me humble.
How important has travel been to your career?
It’s real important to me. I don’t have to put out a record in the U.S. ever
again. A lot of artists forget that the U.S. is a thumbnail compared to the
rest of the world. The purpose of music is to capture a broad audience,
but when you focus on one section and you’re unsuccessful, your career
is over. But overseas if you’re successful in one region you’re successful in
another region too. That gives you longevity. It also creates a big audience
for you. Me personally, the U.S. is great but it’s not mandatory that I be
successful here to be a successful artist.
Since we’re talking about Africa, what do you think of this notion that
black Americans are not welcome in Africa because of being “brain-
washed” or “weak”?
That’s just an excuse not to go. That bullshit don’t even make sense.
When you’re in Africa they’re wondering why black Americans don’t
come there. What’s the problem? It’s not that they don’t want to come or
can’t afford it either, they just don’t understand, they’re scared because
they don’t know what to expect. One reason why blacks have a hard time
coming up is because we’re so used to doing what we know, we never
want to go beyond what we know. Once we’re comfortable we be like,
“Naw, I’m good.” But you can’t even blame them. Even from our past
history we’ve always been that way. It’s like a stubborn gene in our body,
we just don’t go outside what we know. Until we do that we won’t see
life from another perspective. The only [black people] I actually see when
I travel is Africans. If you see blacks outside the U.S., they’re Africans. I
rarely see [black] Americans when I travel. I never understood that, be-
cause Africans ain’t got money like that to be traveling. Here everybody’s
got money, but yet they will go to France and London before they go to
Africa, if they go that far. You should want to go back and see what it has
to offer because it’s yours anyway.
You’ve been featured on quite a few hooks over the past year. We’re you
wary of playing yourself out, or becoming the new Nate Dogg?
I don’t believe in oversaturation, that’s bullshit. Music is supposed to be
spread. I wasn’t worried about Nate Dogg comparisons because we are
nothing alike, except that we sing choruses. But I produce, write, and I’m
credible as a recording artist as well, I don’t just sing on a chorus. I make
records, and all you gotta do is lay a verse on it.
What was it like working with India.Arie on the “I Am Not My Hair”
remix?
I did it because I knew it would surprise people. Whenever I feel like I’m
going in a box, I do something left field to tell people not to put me [in
that box]. I don’t want be an artist where they only see me doing a cer-
tain type of record. I feel like I’m an international artist. I don’t wanna be
stuck in urban, pop, or whatever genre they try to put me into. That still,
to this day, is one of my favorite records because how we collaborated
to get melodies was crazy. Plus that opened up doors to work with other
neo-soul artists as well.
FUCK
LE] ‘I WANNEATRICK
N T [M Y SI NG
“I SE TUR
U’ T O SLIP -N -SLIDE TO FEAVERSEAS] ON
YO [O
. I WENT LIES WAS ON
DADDY ON IT I GOT BACKN P
H E N DIO...
W AS O THE RTAHAT?”
T OU R ... W
D , A N D IT
THE RECOR UP, WHAT THE HELL IS
HOLD
What’s the situation with the
Plies “I Wanna Fuck You” record, which has you on the hook?
I like the dude, I always though he was dope. Before I knew he was
signed Devyne [Stevens] brought me a CD on him. I heard him and
thought he was dope, so I put it aside like “Yo, I gotta work with him.”
But before that, I had a record I wanted to put Trick Daddy on first. In
collateral I was gonna work with Plies. You know how the game go:
You give me Trick, I’ll work with Plies. So I sent “I Wanna Fuck You”
to Slip-N-Slide to feature Trick Daddy on it. Trick wanted it for himself,
and I was like, I can’t give this to you, but I can give you one similar to
it. I went [overseas] on tour, and when I got back the record had never
got done. But Plies was on the record, and it was on the radio. I was like,
Hold up, what the hell is that? So we reached out to Slip-N-Slide and told
them that’s my single, they can’t do that! I had already agreed to work
with Plies. I was gonna do a separate record for him, but the [“I Wanna”]
record kept getting worked. I ain’t know how to take it. I took it as an
understanding since I already had an agreement with Ted Lucas. I finally
got a chance to talk to him, and he is telling me the record is growing in
the streets, asking what they gotta do to get the record. I was like, “At
this point you can’t have it, it’s my first single.” He said the record is
going crazy and they need this look. I said, “Just have Plies come up to
Atlanta and I’ll make a record for him.” Ted didn’t wanna do that because
the [“I Wanna”] record was already blowing up. Since that was the case I
didn’t trip, I like the little nigga anyway. I decided to go ahead and give
him the record and change [my version] with Snoop. But by that time
Universal had put thousands of dollars in the campaign to market the
record, so it’s too late. They ain’t wanna let it go. I told Ted, I don’t have a
problem, but Universal don’t want to let it go. He talked to them, I talked
to Atlantic and straightened things out. If they would have just called and
said, “Plies loves the record and wants to get on it,” cool. If they had done
it earlier it wouldn’t have been a problem. It was the way it was done.
They just grabbed it and Dee-bo’d it. Personally, I support any new artist,
because that was me. I want to break artists. I was willing to break him,
but to this day me and Plies still ain’t spoke, ain’t sat in the same room to
express how we feel. It’s been all political with Slip-N-Slide and Atlantic
talking. Me and Plies never talked.
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S: MBA
WORD I & ROHIT LOO
MIKE L
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ftentimes in life, good things happen at bad times. While Belo,
one third of the pioneer Chicago rap group, Do or Die, preps to
drop his first solo album The Truth on Legion Records/Asylum, he
also faces the possibility of being incarcerated if found guilty for the first
degree murder of Raynard Pinkston.
Despite the tough possibility that Belo faces, the Chicago emcee is focused
on his album, which he feels will finally allow him to express everything
he has wanted to, something he feels that he was unable to do on the
seven albums he released with Do or Die.
A life of full of a variety of experiences helps Belo deal with the situations
he faces today. From growing up on Chicago’s rough and neglected west
side to having recorded the Chicago anthem “Po Pimp” which gave mul-
tiplatinum rapper, Twista, his start, Belo is drawing on all his experiences
as he releases his new album, develops his new record label, and ventures
into the world of movie production.
What do you have coming up?
Right now we got The Truth album coming out October 17th off of
Legion Records. Also I got my own label about to launch next week called
Full House Records. I’m also starting a movie production company.
Tell us about your deal with Legion Records.
My guys hooked up with Rudy first around 2002 and shit like that so they
hooked up with him and were going back and forward. We had a conver-
sation and we made the deal happen.
What projects have you had under Legion?
We did the Do or Die album, we did the Die Hard DVD with Do or Die.
We got a couple more projects we rolling with too as well as my solo.
Tell us about Full House Records and what you have lined up for that?
Right now I’m working with lots of artists right now. I got my guy Mr.
Grind who getting down. Raw Deal is my little brother and he’s getting
with it all. Some of my guys is affiliated but may be with other labels. I
got a producer and some other artists who we’ve recorded on. That will
be coming some time late fall next year.
What’s good with the movie production company?
Well right now I’m fucking with scripts. I got like 7 scripts together.
One of my guys who actually shot two or three videos for the Do or Die
project is collaborating with me to do some things and shoot some mov-
ies. We also got the CEO of Legion Records who will be putting together
some things with my movie company as well as his own. Hopefully we’ll
be shooting our first movie next year. The first movie will be called Po-
Pos.
What gives you the inspiration for the movies?
Life, man. Reality. What goes on in Chicago and the world.
How has the reality of Chicago made you who you are?
Growing up on the west side of Chicago I went through a lot of trials and
tribulations, getting caught up in the streets and learning lessons. I ap-
plied those lessons to my life, so I’m applying it to my music. As far as the
details of it all, you could write a whole book on it.
Tell us about the new album.
The Truth. As I’ve sat back and watched how things have been happening
around the world, like Hurricane Katrina, the World Trade Center, and
the domino effect of all that, all this reality, I wanted people to know that
this is what is going on and let them know through my music. I wanted
to let people know that there is some real shit going on and if you don’t
pay attention to what’s going on besides how many houses and cars you
got you gonna get fucked over with what you’ve lost. I also go into some
songs about other things. I got a single called “Exlcusive”. Most people
that know me and Do or Die talk about the pimp songs we did but this
song is about the essence of a women.
Is this a more mature single for you then?
Definitely. I still have the Do or Die lingo because that’s just a part of me.
When people hear the song they’ll know that they hear the Do or Die but
they’ll also know that it’s a Belo album.
What made you decide to do a solo album?
It’s been a long time coming. One of the reasons is that I get to express
myself more. When you with three people you doing 16 bars and you
can’t get everything out that you want to say. Now I got a whole song to
myself. Three minutes is a lot of time to spit at least some reality.
What kind of producers and guest appearances are on this album?
I kept it in the family with producers who were on the Do or Die albums.
I got waxmaster and KX who are both from Chicago. I just kept it in the
family. I got the Outlawz on there who used to roll with Tupac. I got Mr
Grind on there on a couple of cuts. I got Ms. Erika Kane on a few tracks
also.
Trying to bring some unity to Chicago?
I’ve always did that in the best but this time it was who was around me
and who I could contact on a daily basis.
Shawnna said “Chicago is the city of hate. That’s the way it was before I
was born and will be that way after I’m gone.” Do you feel the same way?
Shit, I don’t think about that. Tupac said something in one of his raps that
was real me to me man: “Some niggas gonna hate you for whatever you
do.” If you hating on me and saying my name it’s exposure. I try to stay
away from all that. In Chicago we need to stick around and stay together
more definitely but I’m not gonna waste my damn time no more trying to
make that happen if they not willing to make that happen.
What made you want to branch out from the music into movies?
Movies have always been my passion, writing has always been my pas-
sion. I started off writing poetry. I used to read a lot of novels and books
and used to watch a lot of movies. The life that I lived was a movie in
itself. I could touch on drama, I could touch on comedy, I could touch
on violence because I lived that. It’s like what I expressed to you about
getting a whole track. Now I have a whole movie so it’s more time , more
detail to get across what I want. Movies always been my passion. I want
to bring reality to the world.
I know a lot of Chicago rappers came out of Creative’s basement. Were
you a part of that?
Definitely. That’s about when Do or Die came out with Po Pimp. Being
in that small space, it made us appreciate the struggle. Our work ethic
became more serious, more strong, more consistent. Had we been in a big
old studio we probably wouldn’t have produced us a hit. By us having to
give our all and having to work with what we had it helped.
You are currently on trial - what are you being charged with?
Of course they charged me with a murder, it ain’t no secret. I’m not
actually guilty of it but I just happened to be charged with it due to the
circumstances. They portray me as being a monster, a random killer.
That’s not the case but the state obviously is after me.
Do you think it’s because you’re African-American?
I don’t want to make it out as a racial issue, but it could be. I come from a
certain part of town and fit a certain type of profile and they’re trying to
portray me as a monster, so they charged me with this.
Being a rapper, are you worried that some of your lyrics may be used
against you in court?
They haven’t been yet, but they’ll use the evidence they want against me.
Maybe they will, maybe they won’t. Being an entertainer I make music so
I’m not worried about that.
How was it balancing going to trial sometimes and then going to the
studio right after?
I was trying to keep it focused and dealing with the situation. It was kind
of hard in dealing with that situation but the good out of that was that it
kept me focused and kept me working harder.
When does the album come out and when do you expect a verdict?
The album The Truth drops on October 17th. I go back to court on
November 14th and I’m pretty sure they gonna maybe prolong it a little
bit more.
Compare and contrast selecting an entertainment lawyer and a criminal
lawyer.
When you get an entertainment lawyer you can make music over and
over again, but with a criminal lawyer time becomes an issue.
Is there anything else you want to say?
I want to add for my fans that they don’t need to get the wrong concep-
tion about me. The state attorney wants to make me out to be this sick
monster, trying to destroy my life and my livelihood when at the end of
the day they can go back home. I’m definitely not a monster. There’s a
lot of he-said, she-said. I want the fans to continue praying for me and
supporting me. The Do or Die group album is rolling and my solo album
is about to drop.
95
 AREEFA
SH

W
ith her Ludacris-assisted single “I Need A Boss” climbing the
charts, Shareefa is living her dream. We sat down with the first
female R&B singer to come from the DTP camp at her press
junket in New York to find out where she’s coming from, and where she’s
headed.

Where are you from?

I’m originally from North New Jersey. I left there when I was fourteen
and moved to Charlotte, North Carolina, which has been my home ever
since.

How did you end up hooking up with DTP?

I had already recorded twelve songs and a friend of mine got the disc to
Jeff Dixon, one of the co-owners of DTP. He heard it and immediately
called. We went up to New York and met on the corner of 114th and
I sang to him. He listened to my songs and I met Ludacris the next day
backstage at TRL. It’s history from there.

How long have you been in the game?

I started working with Teddy Riley at the age of sixteen. I was almost
seventeen, so I’d say about eight years.

What are some of the trials and tribulations you’ve gone through to get to
the point where you are right now?
You’ve gotta stay focused. I would be lying if I said that it was hell. It was
a beautiful thing, cause I got a chance to work with Teddy Riley before I
signed with Disturbing Tha Peace. For whatever reason that didn’t work
out to the point where I got a deal or got signed, but everything happens
for a reason and I learned a lot of stuff from him. He’s a genius in the stu-
dio. I just take it as a lesson and I couldn’t be happier. I’m glad I’m with
Disturbing Tha Peace.

How would you categorize your music?

R&B and Hip Hop.

Being a new solo female artist, there’s not too many that are successful.
What are you and DTP doing to make sure you get to the number one
spot?
I’m actually taking it back to the times where you can put in a CD and the [album title] Point Of No Return. I was trying to get a name from the
listen from the beginning to the end. You want a CD for your car, your movies and they were like, “Wait and it’ll come to you.”
mother’s house, your grandmother’s house, something raw, uncut, and
straightforward. Whether people [who are listening] went through the Who did you collaborate with on this album?
things I’m talking about, or know somebody that went through it, they Ludacris, Bobby Valentino, and Smoke from Field Mob. That’s it for right
can just feel it. now.

What separates you from other female R&B singers, like, for example,
Keyshia Cole?
There is only one Shareefa, just like there’s only one Keyshia Cole. There
is the separation right then and there. There is always gonna be a differ-
ence. My music is like a breath of fresh air; I feel like my music is what is
missing. It’s straightforward. I ain’t beating around no bush and I’m get-
ting straight to the point. Keyshia has a beautiful CD. I couldn’t walk in
her shoes just like she couldn’t walk in mine, and I couldn’t walk in Patty
LaBelle’s. You have to go through your own trials and tribulations. I don’t
know what they’ve been through, just like they don’t know what I’ve
been through. I don’t know how they would’ve dealt with my situation,
just like I don’t know how I would’ve dealt with their situation.
What’s your dream collaboration?
Lauryn Hill.
What would that song be about?
You know what? I don’t even know. I might have to write that joint.
Probably about the ups and downs of life. I don’t care cause it would be
a blessing to do a track with her. I’d write about cutting my hair to get a
track with her just to make that song hot.
What’s your favorite song on the album?
Every song is my favorite. I like all of them cause they all tell a different
story.

On the song “Impossible,” you used a Lauryn Hill sample. Do you think
people will think it’s her song?
Some people do. Some people think it’s me singing [that part] and they
say, “You sound like Lauryn,” and I’m like, “That is Lauryn.” So I think
they do, because I’ve heard that before. But it was the emotion and how
she was saying it that made me be like, I’ve gotta smash this song. That’s
music. When the song comes on, you’re drawn to it. When she says “Im-
possible,” you feel what she’s talking about. I had to rock to that.
What is the name of your album?
Point of No Return, cause I feel like that’s where I am at in my life. I’m
at a point where I can’t go back. I’m at a point where the only place I
can go is forward. I feel like everybody – whether you’re a doctor, nurse,
reporter, or lawyer – if it comes to that point where you’re at the end of
the road in life, you’ve gotta realize what you want out of life. You have
to set standards and you can’t move backwards. Only a fool would move
backwards. You can only move forward, and that’s why I came up with
Is there anything else you want people to know about you?
I just want people to know that I’m human. The music industry is a job.
Me talking to you is a job. I’m no better than anybody else. I continue to
have real people around me – my mom, my sister – people that are gonna
keep me grounded and say, “Yo, you trippin’.” I cry just like everybody
else. I go through the same shit that you go through. It’s just that I can
sing, and I’m putting that to use.
Is there anybody you want to give thanks to or shout out before we fin-
ish?
God and Ludacris and of course Jeff Dixon. If he wasn’t there to get my
CD, there’s no telling where I would be right now. I could be signed to
Suge Knight. I didn’t care, I just wanted to be signed. I even tried out for
Making the Band and I didn’t make it for the first season. Mr. Jeff Dixon,
I love him.
- Malik Abdul

96
 MUR
W
S
ORDS: MAU
RICE G. GARLAN
D

98
M
urs’ name is actually an acronym for Making Underground Raw
Shit, and he definitely lives up to it. The L.A.-native has seven
albums to his name and has worked with the likes of Shock G
(Digital Underground) and E-40, but his name still doesn’t ring a lot of
bells. This year he released Murray’s Revenge, the second of two collab-
orative efforts with producer 9th Wonder to rave reviews. Here he talks
about not being the stereotypical L.A. rapper, his views on immigration,
how his mother helped him make his latest album and why he is proud to
be “backpacker.”
What is like working with one producer for an entire project as opposed
to working with a bunch of them?
If you have different producers they all want to make their track the
best track on your album. But if you get one great producer, he is trying
to make your album the best album possible. You have the same goal in
mind; your focus is on the same project, which can only be a good thing.
It’s helped me because know if I worked with a Timbaland or Just Blaze
or a bunch of producers, I can have them make one cohesive unified
sound for my album. 9th has helped me develop a better ear.
The first album you did with 9th Wonder, Murs 3:16, received critical
acclaim. Were you trying to recreate that with this album?
Nah, we were trying to do something completely different. This one was
more upbeat. If you ask 9th he’ll tell you that he wanted to make his
version of [Outkast’s] ATLiens, so that’s what it is to him. He had all the
beats picked before I even got to North Carolina, he had the album in
order and the beats he wanted me to rap on already.
You’ve said that you wanted this album to be your version of Ice Cube’s
Death Certificate. Do you think you succeeded?
Nah [laughs] I didn’t get to say what I wanted to say because the beats
were already made. You wouldn’t hear songs like “Love & Appreciate” on
Death Certificate. Hopefully on the next one I get to do my thing.
Why did you want to a Death Certificate-type album?
I was dating this girl from Crenshaw and I put on Death Certificate one
day and she ain’t know what it was. Most people think Cube is the “We
Be Clubbin’” guy or the actor. On Death Certificate he was rapping about
safe sex, but not in corny way, but in a way that niggas will listen. Niggas
should do that where it’s not like Kanye, dead prez or Talib Kweli. Me,
I just talk like a regular nigga, not even a hood nigga, just in between. I
think coming from someone like me the kids will listen. At least hear it
once to get it in their head: “Stop fucking these hoes without condoms.”
I’m not telling you to be holy, but be careful.
Keeping along those lines, you didn’t curse on this album because of
something your mom said?
For years she told me I was so articulate, and she knew I could do it.
So she asked me to do it just one time, just for her. Especially since I’m
good with kids and I’m always baby-sitting my goddaughters and nieces
and nephews and I can’t let them listen to everything I say. So I met her
halfway. I didn’t make my lyrics juvenile, it’s my seventh album, so I fig-
ured I could do one without cursing. Out of all the projects I do, I figured
I could do one for my grandmama. I think that’s something the game
needed. Most people don’t realize it until they’re finished listening. I was
surprised could do it, because shit, man, I curse in real life [laughs]. It was
hard, I didn’t want niggas to think I was corny. But it came out good.
On your song “L.A.” you rapped, “We’re a lot more evolved with the way
that we bang.” What do you mean by that?
I’m not saying the gang situation got better, but people think it’s just
two gangs. In my hood it’s all Crips, but everyone don’t get along with
each other. I’m just telling the people worried about what color they got
on that it don’t matter, because if you wearing either one someone can
still get you. Niggas used to shoot up the party at the beginning, but now
niggas wait until they get a couple phone numbers and fight at the end.
People don’t bang as hard as they did in ‘86 when it was brand new. Some
niggas were trying to bring it back, but its calmed down now.
How do you feel when you see people trying to bring it back?
I really feel like it’s primitive. We got the best weather and the best-
looking women, so if we could get along we would have a great time. It
hurts my heart to see people wanna take it back to that mid-80s era. But
it’s always a reflection of the economic and political environment. The
country is at war, war is on TV, war is on video games, so it’s only gonna
get worse. Hopefully we can make a positive change. I’m gonna do what I
can. I know a lot of rappers are talking about Sudan and Iraq, but I wanna
try to focus on home. I know those things are important but I wanna
make change at home. I heard it spread to ATL with niggas fighting over
white and black t-shirts. They even got gangs in New York now.
How is the relationship between blacks and Latinos in L.A.?
The Black and Latino situation is deep rooted in the prison system. It’s
a problem, and now they’re having the immigration marches and that
is building even more animosity in the black community. Black people
won’t admit it but they’re jealous that they have a movement and we
don’t. So when the Mexicans do that, they further separate themselves
from Black America. We’re already separated from White America and
now all the people of color are saying “We’re immigrants” and that just
further alienates the black people and makes us feel even more power-
less. I’m not saying that Mexicans shouldn’t fight, but people must realize
that it’s separating the black community from all other people of color
and white people. So the strain is gonna get worse between blacks and
Latinos. But for the most part regular working class people get along fine
because we all have the same basic moral and religious values. My grand-
mama loves Jesus and worked at a cafeteria with a bunch of Mexican la-
dies who love Jesus and they get along fine. They both love God and that
is the basis of anything. But the folks with the guns don’t like each other
and that’s a problem. Like when the Mexican mafia put the word out on
any black male with a long white t-shirt and baggy pants, they didn’t say
all black people; they said all black gangbangers. I can kinda respect that,
because let it be known that they had beef with just the gangbangers. My
only problem with gangbangers is when they don’t handle their business.
There should be no drive-bys, but if you walk up on another banger and
shoot him point blank, I have no problem with that. I know it sounds bad
but you signed up for that. I just don’t like it when innocent people get
hurt, but if they go at it and kill each other, hey, that’s just less idiots in
the street as far as I’m concerned.
Is it difficult being an L.A. rapper who doesn’t fit the mold that the world
has grown accustomed to?
It’s hard to not be the traditional gangbanger. Even in real life if you
wasn’t in a gang you weren’t cool, girls liked that stuff when they was
young and stupid. But now that I’m older it seems like the same thing, if
I’m not a gangbanger or stupid I’m not cool. The West coast doesn’t have
a lyricist like Nas or Jay-Z or Andre 3000 or Ludacris or T.I. or Big Boi,
you know, niggas that can actually rap. People dig Snoop because he’s a
character, people like Dr. Dre because he’s a name, or Cube because he’s
a character, but no one is looking to the West for lyrics. We don’t get any
Hip Hop Quotables, they just gave E-40 his first one after 10 albums. We
gotta take our lyrical respect. We can shoot out with the best of them but
we already get credit for that, so let’s go to another level.
When people say, “Hip Hop is dead,” how does that make you feel?
I take it personally, just like when people say they bringing the West
back. I’ve been to Australia throwing up the W, I’ve been in the Tunnel
in NYC when it was really jumping, throwing up the W, but you’re say-
ing you’re bringing the West back. Same thing when people say Hip Hop
is dead. You’re not listening, you’re not even trying. Get on the Internet,
go to a club, ask people like me and you what we listen to. But don’t
make statements like Hip Hop is dying, because people aren’t looking.
How do you feel about being labeled a backpacker?
I claim it. The funny thing is, when I was doing what I wasn’t supposed
to be doing, that’s where I kept my weed and my gun. I had a gun, spray
paint and an ounce of weed in my backpack everyday, in school. So when
people call me a backpacker, that just means I’m prepared for any situ-
ation. I don’t know how it was in New York or Atlanta, but in L.A. you
had to keep one. You’re on the bus for 3 hours going through different
neighborhoods. You may wanna sell some dope, tag your name, you may
steal something and have to hide it. I kept a book in there too, though.
All the thugs had backpacks growing up. To me it’s like the duality of the
black man. You may pull out a suit or sweater to cover up your t-shirt. I
know “backpacker” has a negative connotation but to me it means being
prepared and I ain’t never had none of these anti-backpacker rappers say
shit to me. That’s another open challenge. If you wanna see me, go head
up, we can fight in the middle of the street, if you think I’m a punk or
think backpack music is soft. I’m not gonna change my music, I’m not
gonna try to out-kill you on records, but if you wanna see me tell your
bodyguard to chill out, and I’ll knock you smooth out, with my backpack
on.
Okay then, well, is there anything else that you want to share?
Peace. That’s all I want to say. I know I said I’ll fight you, but I’ll hug you
too. Anger is a passing feeling, so deal with it like that. It don’t need to
be handled with guns. It can be handled with your fist or a talk. I know
people be thinking it’s some punk shit, but you get more pussy and get
more money when things are peaceful.
99
 cdreviews by Maurice G. Garland
LUDACRIS
RELEASE THERAPY
DTP/Def Jam
If there’s one thing that Ludacris has proved
over the years it’s that he can rap in his sleep.
Unfortunately, his larger-than-life personality
has caused many to sleep on his lyrical ability.
With his fifth studio album Release Therapy
Luda aims to wake up the rest of the world.
As usual ‘Cris opens the album with no-holds
barred verbal assaults. The frantic horn-looped
intro, “Warning,” has him revisiting what he did
to open Back For the First Time; warning us that
he’s “Like pots with the steam, I’m ready to get
it cracking” and “It’s bout time they gave it to
me, I’m the reigning champ, your favorite rap-
per went to Ludacris’ training camp,” and then
following it with shit-talking from his naysayers
and supporters.
He keeps the energy level high on “Grew Up
A Screw Up” featuring Young Jeezy. Of course
there wasn’t going to be any real lyrical chal-
lenge there, but Field Mob shows up for some
“mouth-to-mic resuscitation” on “Satisfaction”
with Luda once again getting outdone by his
newest employees.
With punchlines already a strong part of a
Luda’s arsenal, clever wordplay and witty
one-liners are always expected. But what sets
this album apart from his previous works are at-
tempts to go from profane to profound. “Mouths
to Feed” has ‘Cris talking about responsibilities
like supporting his daughter, DTP staff and his
artists; stressing that he is so busy that he “Can’t
keep up with the news, but I get that daily
paper.”
He then gives some good game on “Tell It Like It
Is,” telling aspiring artists about everything from
shady promoters, money management, Hip Hop
police and then posing the question: “All that,
and this is just the start of it / Hip Hop, you re-
ally wanna be a part of it?” “War With God” has
had internet chat rooms buzzing for months, but
“Do Your Time,” featuring Beanie Sigel, Pimp
C and C-Murder is the “it” record on this album
with all four artists giving their unique experi-
ences on the effects of jail life.
A group of somber, spiritually charged songs
rounds out the album. Even though the narra-
tives on “Runaway Love” and the confessionals
of “Freedom of Preach” can and should be ap-
plauded, the bottom line is that they just sound
okay. Overall, Release Therapy is a strong effort
that showcases Luda’s growth as an artist and
writer.
102
YOUNG DRO
BEST THANG SMOKIN’
Grand Hustle/Atlantic
After a few show-stealing cameos on P$C’s
25 To Life and T.I.’s King, Young Dro let it be
known that he was not going to be looked at
as a sidekick or homeboy with a record deal.
His Grand Hustle debut does a good job of
introducing him to the world and leaves you
wanting to hear more.
Throughout the album, Dro proves that he
is indeed an emcee equipped with charisma,
unique flow, wordplay and creativity. Unfortu-
nately, he tends to limit his colorful imagina-
tion to rapping about money, cars, clothes
and hoes. At least he does it well. On “They
Don’t Really Know About Dro” he attacks the
track with a veteran’s swagger, telling us that
“I’ma die awesomely, with grands on the top
of me.” However, this opener virtually serves a
blueprint for what you will hear on the rest of
the album.
“Man In the Trunk” has Dro spitting clever
braggadocio in the form of “Polo I be dressing
in, man I be damaging / Hoes be like damn
that’s a mannequin.” He hits the track running
on the Jazze Pha-produced and Slim Thug-
featured “You Don’t See,” spazzing out on the
opening verse: “80K in Wachovia, pussy nigga
phobia, I call them like a Nokia, they know I
got the juice ‘cause the whip is Frutopia.”
Lines like “I’m the Bankhead veteran, got ‘em
taking Excedrin, suckas caught headaches when
they saw me on David Letterman” make “100
Yard Dash” memorable. The same can be said
about his performance on the album’s standout
record, “Rubberband Banks,” when he spits,
“Outerspace ballin’ put you up on astronomy /
Mathematically with the pistol I do trigonom-
etry” and “I’m a chief like an Indian, freaks are
Caribbean, my feets are amphibian.”
There are a good number of lyrical jewels and
heart-wrenching moments on the album, but
they easily get lost in the shuffle with the over-
abundance of car color references. One minute
Dro has a “Cutlass same color of a bumblebee,”
the next he has a “Jolly Rancher car.” The
album also trails off towards the end with weak
hooks, monotonous material and lagging pro-
duction, making “Fresh” one of the only reasons
to keep listening.
Dro clearly has a penchant for crafty wordplay
ala Raekwon and Ghostface. With a little more
seasoning and direction he could easily become a
top tier lyricist that could leave a lasting impact.
METHOD MAN
4:21... THE DAY AFTER
Def Jam
The days of the world constantly asking
“when is Meth dropping another album?”
are long gone. Hell, the days of people
saying Method Man is the best Wu-Tang
member have disappeared too. The Tical-
lion Stallion’s latest effort 4:21…The
Day After won’t bring those days back
single-handedly, but it is a step in the right
direction. Totally void of blatant attempts
at radio and club spins, The Day After
serves as an apocalyptic account of what
music may sound like after people getting
tired of dancing and balling. It’s how music
sounded before the shiny suit era.
Meth tries to rehash memories of “All I
Need” on “4Ever,” but the guest singer
Megan Rochell is no Mary J. Johhny Blaze
does manage to get the rapper/female
singer collab correct on the somber “Say,”
featuring Lauryn Hill. Sounding like two
former 1990s media darlings gone bitter,
Meth matches the pain in Lauryn’s voice
with critic-slapping lines like “They writ-
ing that I’m Hollywood trying to tell you
my shit ain’t ghetto and ain’t hardly hood
/ C’mon man, until you dudes can write
some rhymes keep that in mind when
you’re reciting mines.”
On that note, Meth spits plenty of rhymes
worth reciting on “Konichiwa Bitches.”
He takes it up another notch when he is
among his NYC peers Fat Joe and Styles P
on “Ya’ Meen.” Redman makes an appear-
ance on the Isaac Hayes-sampled “Walk
On” but the cameos that you’d expect to
the most prolific still might have you push-
ing the skip button.
Raekwon and RZA come through on
“Presidential M.C.” for some darkside Hip
Hop that only the Shaolin can produce,
however the song is more forgettable than
it is nostalgic. The same goes for the lack-
luster O.D.B. (R.I.P.) assisted “Dirty Mef.”
But “Everything” featuring Streetlife and
Inspectah Deck serves as a good rebound.
4:21 is far from perfect. While Meth’s bitter
attitude can be understood, it gets tiresome
at times (at least he isn’t blaming the South
for everything). But it is safe to say that this
is Meth’s rawest work since Tical. So club-
hoppers and radio drones, steer clear of this
album unless you’re looking to change your
musical diet.
 cdreviews by Maurice G. Garland
LUPE FIASCO
FOOD & LIQUOR
Atlantic
The best thing about Lupe Fiasco’s Food & Liquor is exactly what
the album title suggests: balance. Not the typical “for the ladies and
thugs” type of balance either, but the honest kind.
He opens the album with the Earth, Wind & Fire-sounding “Real”
where he speaks with a action-reaction tone, dropping proverbs
like, “Lust…sometimes can override trust, she said that’s why she
gave it up” and “Struggle…another sign that God loves you, ‘cause
being poor also teaches you how to hustle.”
Lupe continues to keep it real, and fair, on “Hurt Me Soul” where he
admits that he didn’t understand why rappers used the word “bitch”
until he listened to his first Too $hort, revealing “Omitting the word
bitch, cursing I wouldn’t say it / Me and dog couldn’t relate until
a bitch I dated / Forgive my favorite word for hers and hers alike /
But I learned it from a song I heard and sorta liked.”
However, the whiz kid isn’t as understanding on the Jill Scott
assisted “Daydreamin’” where he lets his imagination run wild,
eventually lambasting some of his musical peers by mocking a
video director who instructs them to “Make cocaine cool, we need a
couple more half-naked women in the pool / And hold this mac-10
that’s all covered in jewels and can you please put your titties closer
to the 22s.”
He stays on the tear, picking an even bigger fight with the explosive
“American Terrorist” where he gives a pretty accurate account of
the U.S.A.’s strong arm tactics to remain the world’s superpower by
going to smaller countries to “Break them off with a little democra-
cy, turn their whole culture into a mockery / Give them Coca-Cola
for their property.”
Even though Lupe is well-versed with current events, it’s his color-
ful imagination that put this album over the top, and if your not
careful, over your head.
On “He Say She Say” he approaches the fatherless household subject
from a different angle, writing the verses in the forms of letters
from both the mother and the child, urging the deadbeat dad to
“give him a chance.”
The storytelling on songs like “The Cool” where a dead drug dealer
digs himself out of his grave to try to return to the same game that
sent him there is literally and figuratively unbelievable. But right
when you think Lupe, who doesn’t use any profanity in his lyrics,
is holier than thou, he comes back down to earth on “Just Might Be
Okay” where he tells us “I ain’t Cornel West, I am Cornel West-
side.”
There are virtually no missteps on this album musically or lyrically.
The only thing that might get on your nerves is Pharell’s faux fal-
setto on “Sunshine,” but Lupe’s talent and a guest appearance from
Jay-Z (who is also the album’s executive producer) on “Pressure”
eradicates that.
This album definitely lives up to the hype.
104
TOO $HORT
BLOW THE WHISTLE
Jive
Todd Shaw is a grown ass man who does grown man shit, and
his sixteenth album, Blow the Whistle, proves it. Just when you
thought these Young and Lil’ whippersnappers and trappers mas-
tered the art of spitting dirty raps, Short Dog comes through and
gives a clinic.
The album starts off with bang, better yet, a bitch on “Call Her
A Bitch.” In under four minutes, $hort says his favorite word ap-
proximately 111 times. However, the word isn’t just thrown around
as he insists that “bitch ain’t nothing but a word to me” and gives
definitions like “a bitch is once a month funky cock bleeding bitch
who falls in love but she won’t stop cheating / Real dumb with low
self esteem, fuck a nigga she just met and won’t be able to see him.”
(Later in the album he changes the subject, and word, on the Jazze
Pha-produced “Hoes” featuring Bun B.)
$hort continues to give the world what they want from him with
“Pimpin’ Forever” featuring Big Zak. A usual laid-back Short sounds
at home flowing faster than usual over Jazze’s hi-hats, balancing his
chest-beating with straight-faced quips like “Your father told you
to stay away from me, and now you gotta call me Daddy / Look into
my eyes and say you understand me, ‘cause now I’m your family.”
He gives more in-your-face challenges along with David Banner on
“Baller,” where the duo floats over guitars and synths encouraging
listeners and spitting pure game that can be used by anyone with
caviar dreams and champagne wishes.
He even goes as far as to give props to the non-bitches on “Sophis-
ticated” where he opens eyes with lyrics like “Ya’ll thought Too
$hort was just all about pimpin’, foul-mouthed mack who talk bad
about women / I guess you ain’t really pay attention, you heard
bitch and cut it off, you ain’t even listen / All I said was if the shoe
fits wear it, and if it don’t apply act like you didn’t hear it.”
But that’s where the R-rated $hort stops and the XXX-rated Dog
begins.
Jazze Pha’s opening monologue and hook alone on “Nothing Feels
Better” is enough to make you cover your mouth in either shock or
disgust, so $hort’s sexcapades serve as overkill. “Money Maker” fea-
turing Pimp C and Rick Ross and “Strip Down” pretty much speak
to the same strip club element with the only difference being that
Lil Jon produced the former, and Jazze Pha the latter. Those two
songs pretty much make “Shake It Baby” instantly forgettable.
Overall, this is a well-produced album even though it’s a Lil Jon
vs. Jazze Pha show (they did 12 of 16 tracks). There is little to no
Bay Area influence, except for “I Want Your Girl” featuring Mistah
F.A.B. and Dollar Will. Uncharacteristically, Blow the Whistle has
a gang of cameos. Some are decent (“Keep Bouncing” feat. Will.
I.Am and Snoop Dogg), others are just eh, (“Sadity” featuring Tha
Dogg Pound). While it would have been nice to get more songs like
“I Wanna Be Free” or “The Ghetto” being that $hort is one of the
game’s most mature artists, this album is enough to make you look
forward to album 17.
 unclelukelive
Venue: Club Code
Location: Tampa, FL
Date: September 12th, 2006

Photo: Luis Santana

110
 rickrosslive

Venue: Club 238 West

Location: Gainesville, FL
Date: September 9th, 2006

Photo: Malik Abdul

111
 chamillionairelive

Venue: AT&T Center

Location: San Antonio, TX
Event: 98.5 The Beat Bash
Date: August 13th, 2006

Photo: Luxury Mindz

112
 youngdrolive
Venue: Club Crucial
Location: Atlanta, GA
Event: The CORE DJs Retreat Atlantic Records party
Date: August 18th, 2006

Photo: Julia Beverly

114
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