GLASSES MALONE Cash Money’S West Coast Representative BLU Patiently Waiting YUKMOUTH Godzilla Is Back KUZZO FLY Don’T Spill It With
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RAW, UNCENSORED WEST COAST RAP SHIT SKY BALLA SKY’S THE LIMIT GLASSES MALONE Cash Money’s West Coast Representative BLU Patiently Waiting YUKMOUTH Godzilla is Back KUZZO FLY Don’t Spill It WITH THE DJ ISSUE & MORE FELLBI IFEL,G DEE DJ OZONEJUI WESTCE, // // OZONE WEST // OZONE WEST EDITOR’S NOTE PublisHer Julia Beverly THAT DJ MADE MY DAY Editor-AT-LARGE D-Ray GRAPHIC DESIGNER David KA amn, that DJ made my day! songs, drops, intros, and outros so they can put out mix- Music EditorS tapes or even albums with exclusive songs. This helps put Randy Roper DA DJ’s role is one of the biggest and most them in a better position. Maurice G. Garland important parts of the music industry. I will bang all day for my real dope DJs, so I should also bang against these We have a few DJs like this on the West Coast, but not like ADVERTISING SALES whack-ass fake DJs--the ones who smile in your face like everywhere else. After doing this issue, I see why we only Che Johnson they support, but they really hate and talk the utmost shit have a few doing it! They’re the smart ones; the ones who Isiah Campbell once you’re out of their city. It’s sad but true; this is why have the self-promotion game down pat. They always the real music is sometimes overlooked. The ego of a DJ make time, somehow, some way. It’s 0% sleep, 90% Contributors can be ugly. work. They’re getting it done! Notice they are having Luals Big Fase 00, DJ BackSide, for a feast while you’re still eating McDonald’s drive-thru. DJ E-Z Cutt, Jelani, Jessica Unless you started in the streets, you can’t please the Take the time to promote yourself and don’t sell yourself Essien, Joey Colombo,Kay streets. You can’t candycoat the situation by hiding behind short of your own success. Newell, Keita Jones, Luvva a playlist. Today, we have 70% bedroom DJs. Bedroom DJs J, Nippy Swagga, Portia are followers; they just play whatever their CD changer has Look at the way that some artists get sold short when it Jackson, Shemp, Todd in it. The other 30% bang for what they believe in, setting comes to radio spins even though they’re the dopest per- Davis, Ty Watkins trends and breaking records and giving back where they formers and all-around artists. My top picks when it comes can help by rolling the dice and taking chances. to shows are Tech N9ne, Mistah FAB, Lil Wayne, David Street Reps Banner, Andre Nickatina, and last but not least – the late Anthony Deavers, Bigg I was in the club the other night and I heard the same Mac Dre (T.I.P.). I enjoyed a Mac Dre show, not even taking P-Wee, Bigthangs, Big Will, song over and over at least four times within an hour, pictures, but really watching the show. These are the kinds Dee, Demolition Men, DJ and it wasn’t a Top hit! The club is where you should be of artists that deserve the support of DJs, and anyone else Jam-X, DJ Juice, DJ KTone, open to new music. If it clears the dance floor, then hey, who puts everything into their shows, not just the records DJ Nik Bean, DJ Quote, DJ you have a point proven, especially if that artist is in the that sound like everything else that’s on the radio. Skee, DJ Strong & Warrior, house. But if you play a banger due to demand in the club J Hype, Jasmine Crowe, and then won’t put it on your playlist, that’s your ego tak- For OZONE’s annual DJ issue, I reached out to some DJs on John Costen, Juice, Kewan ing food out of someone’s family’s mouth. my coast who do their part in the West Coast movement. Lewis, Luvva J, Maroy, Even I was fooled by a few DJs who I thought had their Rob J Official, Rob Reyes, Karma is a bitch! If an artist’s talent is in front of you and shit together, but they couldn’t even find the time to Shauntae Hill, Sherita you’re in a position to help them get to the next step, why answer a few questions (excluding DJ D-Wrek, which was Saulsberry, Sly Boogy, Syd wouldn’t you? I go to other cities and they have the same my fault for not getting the questions to him on time). Robertson, Tonio, Twin, problems, but the few DJs that do get down the right way We’re gonna do a DJ Booth on you! Stay true to the visual William Major, Zack Cimini and break records pick new artists from their area and if you’re not gonna stay true to your ears. support them hard by mixing their records with all the COVER CREDITS national hits. They make sure the artists from their area - D-RAY, [email protected] Sky Balla photos by are represented. These same DJs get all kinds of exclusive D-Ray; Glasses Malone photos by Ray Tamarra. OZOne west 7-13 PHOTO GALLERIES 8 SHORT STORIES Roccett & me in Phoenix Me & Wendy Day in Phoenix Zakee & me in the Bay 10 CHAIN REACTION: YUKMOUTH 12 PATIENTLY WAITING: BLU 14 PATIENTLY WAITING: KHARISMA 15 PATIENTLY WAITING: KUZZO FLY 16-17 GLASSES MALONE 18-19 sky balla 20-23 DJ ISSUE 25 SLAP 26 END ZONE OZONE WEST // (above L-R): San Quinn & his family on the set of Lil Quinn’s “Children Are The Future” in San Francisco, CA; Ray J, Lunch, & video models on the set of Lunch’s “Get ‘Em Girl” video shoot in Los Angeles, CA (Photos: D-Ray); Reggie Bush & Kim Kardashian @ LRG gifting suite during Sundance film festival in Salt Lake City, UT (Photo courtesy of LRG) 0 // Marcel Shipp & guests @ Stoudemire’s for One Stop Shop afterparty (Phoenix, AZ) 0 // JJ & Cellski @ Mission Rock for DJ Juice’s birthday party (San Francisco, CA) 03 // Augee & Snoop Dogg @ 30 Vault for Big Boy’s backstage breakfast (Long Beach, CA) 0 // Tyson & Chamillionaire @ One Stop Shop (Phoenix, AZ) 0 // Will Gordon & Arif Gursel @ One Stop Shop (Phoenix, AZ) 06 // No ID & Cinque @ One Stop Shop (Phoenix, AZ) 07 // Snoop Dogg @ 30 Vault for Big Boy’s backstage breakfast (Long Beach, CA) 08 // Kafani & The Jacka @ Orcale Arena for the Warriors game (Oakland, CA) 09 // Abdul & Lil Quinn on the set of Lil Quinn’s “Children Are The Future” (San Francisco, CA) 0 // Keak da Sneak, Kid, & Haji Springer on the set of Keak’s “That Go” (Oakland, CA) // Pharrell, DJ Jam-X, & Omarion @ Teyana Taylor’s showcase (Los Angeles, CA) // Harm, Indie, & Keak da Sneak on the set of Keak’s “That Go” (Oakland, CA) 3 // David, Marcus, Keak da Sneak, & Hayves on the set of Keak’s “That Go” (Oakland, CA) // Shar Jackson @ LRG gifting suite during Sundance film festival (Salt Lake City, UT) // Nick Cannon & Woodie White @ LRG gifting suite during Sundance film festival (Salt Lake City, UT) 6 // DJ Skee & Big Boy @ 30 Vault for Big Boy’s backstage breakfast (Long Beach, CA) 7 // San Quinn loves the kids on the set of Lil Quinn’s “Children Are The Future” (San Francisco, CA) 8 // VI, Turf Talk & CooKoo on the set of Mainy Mike’s “We Pop That” (Stockton, CA) 9 // Cellski & DJ Toomp @ One Stop Shop (Phoenix, AZ) Photo Credits: D-Ray (0,03,0,07,08,09,0,,3,6,7,9); DJ Jam-X (); Jessica Essien (8); Julia Beverly (0,06); LRG (,); Ms Rivercity (0) OZONEOZONE WEST WEST // // 7 7 irst of all, I want to thank the Hip Hop DJs for just being DJs and keeping the tradition of mixing and blending songs alive. I have a lot of respect for the DJs who make it look so easy to do incredible Fthings with turntables, CDJs, and Serato. I’m also feeling the way y’all didn’t let the music industry kill the artform. The DJ was always the boss in old school Hip Hop crews. Today, through mixtapes, radio mixshows, and DJ pools, the DJs still have the power. I used to DJ at East Oakland house parties when I was a teenager and even though I quit making beats and DJing a long time ago, I still get excited when I hear a good mixtape or see a DJ make everybody at the party have a good time. I remember going to parties and high school dances before I’d ever been in a studio and asking the DJ if he could play an instrumental so I could rap. I would be very humble and promise him that if he let me spit, I would rock the crowd and not fuck up the party vibe. That’s how I developed my style of doing good shows with just the music and the microphone, no gimmicks. Old school New York rappers always tell stories about their DJs in the late 70s and early 80s. Back then, the rappers needed a DJ’s approval to get some rec- ognition. It was the exact same way in Los Angeles and The Bay. Every West Coast concert in the early 80s had dance crews and rappers opening the show for DJ crews like Uncle Jam’s Army. I would be in the crowd amazed by every aspect of Hip Hop, but clearly understanding that the DJs were the top dogs.