sxsw 2007 **special edition** devin thedude

PIMP C // MONEY WATERS // RAPID RIC +OG RON C // TUM TUM // BIG CHIEF LIL PEACE // ROB G // CHINGO BLING BOSS HOGG OUTLAWZ // BILLY COOK sxsw 2007 **special edition** lilpeace PIMP C+ // MONEY WATERS // RAPID RIC OG RON C // TUM TUM // BIG CHIEF LIL PEACE // ROB G // CHINGO BLING BOSS HOGG OUTLAWZ // BILLY COOK

sxsw 2007

PUBLISHER: Julia Beverly CHIEF OPERATIONS OFFICER: o N. Ali Early

GUEST EDITOR: Matt Sonzala

CONTRIBUTORS: DeVaughn Douglas DJ Chill Edward Hall Eric Perrin Mike Frost Randy Roper

PROMOTIONS DIRECTOR: Malik Abdul

ART DIRECTOR: Tene Gooden

SUBSCRIPTIONS: To subscribe, send check or money order for $11 to:

Ozone Magazine 644 Antone St. Suite 6 Section A Atlanta, GA 30318 26-27 PIMP c Phone: 404-350-3887 10 OG ron c Fax: 404-350-2497 12 RAPID ric Web: www.ozonemag.com 14-15 VENUE map 22-25 CHINGO bling COVER CREDITS: 16 HOTEL listing Devin the Dude (cover and this 18-19 EVENT listing 17 VENUE listing page) by Mike Frost; Lil Peace 20 Sxsw founder by Tony Boyatti; Rapid Ric by 11 PHOTO gallery Luxury Mindz. 09 GUEST editorial 21 ENTREPRENEUR profile DISCLAIMER: OZONE does not take responsibility 28-31 devin the dude for unsolicited materials, misin- formation, typographical errors, or misprints. The views contained Section b herein do not necessarily reflect those of the publisher or its 16-17 ROB G advertisers. Ads appearing in this 10 DJ CHILL magazine are not an endorsement 08 DJ DOMO or validation by OZONE Magazine 18-19 NAYROCK for products or services offered. All 14-15 TUM TUM photos and illustrations are copy- 30-31 BIG CHIEF righted by their respective artists. 12-13 GRIT BOYS All other content is copyright 20-21 BILLY COOK 2007 OZONE Magazine, all rights 28-29 MONEY WATERS reserved. No portion of this maga- 07 PHOTO gallery zine may be reproduced in any way 22-23 BOSS HOGG OUTLAWZ without the written consent of the publisher. Printed in the USA. 24-26 lil peace

OZONE 

A Guest Editorial by My 2 Cents Matt Sonzala

here’s not too many real music conferences couple Hip Hop showcases left. Sure, we see the ads and get the emails for SXSW and he asked Tfor pseudo conferences where hustlers me to host and help who have barely made it themselves attempt to book the shows. We had wrangle money from every starving rapper in the acts like the Odd Squad, country in the name of “education” and “promo- K-Otix, Blac Moncs, Gravediggaz, Mad Flava, ESG, tion.” We’ve all been to these pseudo events and Big Mello and Erykah Badu before she was ever sat in these pseudo panels where “managers” and signed grace the stage. From then until 1996 I “label execs” complain about never getting their helped him in whatever way I could, because just due and tell the people what they are doing I knew that there was a place for real Hip Hop wrong, rather than what they could be doing in this massive event. Back then the number of right. Later that night we see a bunch of no-name events was a lot smaller, but the crowds were artists who paid to perform get on stage and rap huge, starving for the newest sounds in Hip Hop. over their shitty sounding CDs through mics that barely work. The whole time, we’re hoping that I left Texas in 1996 and moved around a bit until the advertised headliner actually shows up. For so the end of 2001, when I returned to Houston. I many people, this game is a hustle. The hustlers had attended SXSW pretty much every year with a focus on getting money by any means necessary, press pass, covering it for magazines like Murder fuck anything else. The music is secondary to so Dog and the Illinois Entertainer, but only saw a many people in this industry. smattering of Hip Hop. It was in mid-2003 that I made a cold call to the conference offices and People have been saying that sort of shit about was connected to Craig Stewart, who is featured South By Southwest for years. But, twenty-one in this special edition of OZONE. I said “What if I years later, the conference is still standing and could bring you all of the prominent rap artists it’s bigger than ever. It’s known as the #1 music in Texas to one stage at one time? Houston rap conference and festival in the world. No one, is about to blow up and I think it needs to be nowhere, does it as big, and I would venture to showcased at SXSW.” He asked me who I had in say that there is no single music event in the mind and of course I named Swisha House, Bun B, world that combines as many artists from differ- Chamillionaire, and a few others. ent genres, backgrounds, regions, countries and lifestyles than South By Southwest. People who Craig said, “You can do that? If you can get those hate on it generally are mad because they weren’t artists, I’ll give you a venue.” And a beautiful included. But those who are included know that partnership was formed. That year we did a huge whether they invested their time, art, money and/ showcase that featured all the aforementioned or energy in the event, it was all well spent. artists and Dizzee Rascal from London. I saw similarities between the independent scenes in SXSW attracts music business professionals and London and Houston and wanted to bridge that artists from all over the world to the small town gap. Since then, Dizzee has recorded with UGK and of Austin, in the middle of the big state of Texas. the Grit Boys and a great bridge was formed. I It’s a place where you can see up and coming was asked to bring Hip Hop again the next year, rock, rap, jazz, techno, blues, funk, world, country, and it’s been growing ever since. and more bands performing side by side on up to 100 stages, mostly within walking distance This year we have almost 150 acts represent- of each other. I’ve been going to the conference ing Hip Hop in all its forms. UGK, DSR, Trae, Sage since 1990. I was a teenager and would head to Francis, Whut it Dew Family, Money Waters, Nay- Austin in a car full of dudes with no money, no rok, Studemont Project, Deaf in the Family, Devin hotel, no pass for the events, just the hopes to the Dude, Public Enemy, X-Clan, The Pack and The see and hear some incredible music and to be Federation to name just a few. Each of those art- turned on to something I had never seen before. ists represents something radically different, and Back then I’d see groups like the Ultramagnetic you can see them all between March 13th - 18th MC’s and Decadent Dub Team up next to big name in Austin, Texas. rock acts and thought to myself, “Damn, this is like the ultimate promotions experience.” It was It’s a lot of work, a few headaches, a couple of right up my alley. I love all sorts of music and this conflicts and a lot of fun. I’m glad that you, the is one place where you can see it all. reader, found your way down to Austin this year and can have as good a time as me. If not more. A few years later, in 1993, I was approached by a man named Andre Walker. He was programming a http://houstonsoreal.blogspot.com

OZONE  OGBy Matt SonzalaRon C

ho’s OG Ron C? Where do you come on it. They workin’, I guess you could say. They from? servin’ they purpose. It’s those artists that you I come from Houston, TX. I’ve been don’t hear on the radio but I feel that they had Wresponsible for a few things. I helped Michael good music. Just because they couldn’t afford Watts kick off the Swisha House stuff as some of that $85 an hour studio with that mic compres- you might know. I did radio. I’m just trying to sion that sounds so wonderful, some of them hold down the Screw thing right now, make sure take it to a different level. I feel like everybody the Screw Music keep going. I got a record label deserves a chance. That’s what my conference is called OG Ron C’s Platinum Sounds; I signed about. Everybody wants to deal with you once 5050 Twin that used to be in the Color Changing you get one step up or something. I wanna deal Click. I signed Khujo Goodie from the Goodie with you when you’re on the ground. Mob, we’re doing a joint venture with his record label for his project. Also I got the Wreckin’ Yard, You’re doing a live set at SXSW. What can we and another guy out of Atlanta called DJ Styles. expect to hear from you? I’m working on signing an R&B girl by the name I’m getting back into DJing at parties. I went of Tye. A lot of people have heard her sing at from DJing parties to being a stage DJ to being the Red Cat Café. a tour DJ, I want to go back to actually rockin’ a party. That’s what you can expect to see from Who all is the Wreckin’ Yard? OG Ron C. We gonna try to “reinvent ourselves.” Mr. Kaila, Big Nik and Kool Rod, G. Miller. It’s a I got that from an old school DJ homeboy of few friends of mine from school, and we all got mine, D-Nice, y’all might know him if he’s old together right after I left Swisha House in 2002. school. Some real live words.

The F-Action CDs have been big for you. People Tell me about the music conference you have really love your slowed down R&B mixes. coming up. Yeah, that’s probably my claim to fame now, but The conference is March 29th – 31st at the Hyatt some of my best titles that do good on a yearly Regency in Downtown Houston. It’s gonna basis are Spring Break, After the Kappa, well it’s be real big. We got a lot of folks coming in. I called After Daytona now, and my Grind Mode know a lot of people think conferences are all CD’s and my Breakin’ Shit series. My Breakin’ about money, but this conference is free for all Shit series are really for those artists that don’t those who come from out of town and stay at got that record deal and they trying to get the Hyatt Regency. It’s $50 for people inside of on. Their music might be a little homegrown, Houston, for the whole conference the whole so I got a series for them. There’s a place for weekend. We gonna show you how to get this everybody with OG Ron C. This is my 20th year money. From no money. I’m gonna have a 20th DJing. I’m doing a 5-box set for the F-Action 50. Anniversary Party on that Friday. I’m having One gonna consist of a F-Action Greatest Hits. I music and comedy showcases and a fashion took a little vote on MySpace about what songs show. As far as comedians, I got Michael Collier, people think I did the hardest so I let people he did the movie Norbit with Eddie Murphy. I choose that one. Of course it’s gonna have a got D. Ellis, Hope Flood and Ali. I got Killer Mike, 70s, 80s, 90s and a present disc. Just like when Da Franchise Boyz, Yung Joc and the whole we did the 4-disc set for F-Action 40. We got a Block Entertainment, Southern Gurl, Trae, he’s DVD too. We gonna do it big for that F-Action 50. a featured artist along with the Grit Boys and 50? The fiftieth??? Moufs of da Souf, Tony Neal, he’s the president of the Core DJ’s, DJ Jelly from Atlanta, Mr. Pookie Who are some of the people you’ve worked with & Mr. Lucci, and Pitbull. Those are the artists for and seen come up on the Breakin’ Shit CDs? the artist panel. I got press from all over, so I’m Man, Granddaddy Souf, he did the last one. I trying to give access to my peoples and my fans. love working with him. He’s one of the artists I got music directors, I got Mac Payne coming in. that I think hasn’t been getting that chance. And There’s a lot of people coming in. I’m filming a other artists like Casino Mob, Kottonmouth, and reality show too, called Life Of A Celebrity DJ. // DSR were on Breakin’ Shit. I had Kiotti on Brea- kin’ Shit. I had Chamillion[aire] and Paul Wall For more information, visit on the firstBreakin’ Shits. I done had Lil Flip www.ogronchoustonmusicconference.com

10 OZONE AUSTIN PHOTO GALLERY 1. Black Mike and Kiotti 2. Carnival Beats 3. DJ Chill and DJ Princess Cutt at Spirros 4. Chingo Bling & Tomar Williams of Carnival Beats 5. DJ Bounz 6. DJ 2DQ, South Paw, Chico Rico, and Jamie Lee 7. Chamillionaire at Hot 93.3 Winter Meltdown 8. Axiel and Black Mike in Austin 9. Black Mike, Chingo Bling, and Chalie Boy 10. Chalie Boy at Hot 93.3 Winter Meltdown 11. Eddie Deville and Stunna Man at The Parish 12. Frankie J 13. DJ Rapid Ric & Chalie Boy at Hot 93.3 Winter Meltdown 14. Gerald G and Black Mike perform- ing live at The Parish 15. DJ Ebonix and Matt Sonzala 16. Chamillionaire at Hot 93.3 Winter Meltdown 17. Chingo Bling - They Can’t Deport Us All 18. DJ Grip at The Parish 19. DJ Hella Yella 20. Chamillionaire at The Austin Music Hall for the Hot 93.3 Winter Meltdown 21. KJ Hines

Photos by Luxury Mindz

OZONE 11 rapidBy Matt Sonzala ric

ou’re not originally from Austin, but Tell me a little bit you’ve been there for quite some time about your artists. and have probably been to a lot of South Bavu Blakes is one of YBy Southwests. How has it changed? the first dudes who There’s a lot more appreciation for the Hip Hop ever started rapping on shows now. SXSW used to be more known for my tapes. The kind of rock and indie and weird stuff and country and bond we had music wise it’s just great that SXSW and the city in general and business wise and has embraced Hip Hop. That’s one of the biggest friendship wise it was changes. For a lot of the local artists who may almost necessary for us to get together and do not have been mentioned before, they have this. We’ve always seen eye to eye on a bunch more of a spotlight to do their thing. It makes of different things. He recruited other artists them work harder and gives them a great outlet. like Gerald G and Black Mike, and he also does a bunch of production. He produced Lil O’s album, Do you benefit from SXSW? “I Do,” and he’s got a couple joints on the new Every year I’ve done it has definitely benefited Mike Jones album. He did a song for Plies. Him me just because Austin is such an important mu- being a factor, not only as a rapper but also in sic city for so many reasons. SXSW is a cool way the production, it made us want to work with to get that audience, who normally don’t go to him. These are two of the first people I ever Hip Hop shows to be exposed to new Hip Hop. seriously wanted to work with really heavy. They’re both young and filled with a lot of pas- In the past few years you’ve become known as sion for the stuff. one of the hottest DJs in the south. I know the Whut it Dew mixtapes have been a big thing for Who all have you DJed for? you, but you’re working on a label now too. I’ve been on the road overseas and in Canada Yeah. Me, Bavu Blakes and a few other people with Devin the Dude, Chamillionaire, and Slim have teamed up to start a record label called Thug. It’s great getting a check with those big Dew Music. It’s a way of graduating from the artists and that touring helps with my DJ gigs. I mixtape game into the album game. When I use it to my advantage. Every dollar I make off first started doing mixtapes, I was doing them these DJ gigs I put back into making my album because not a lot of people were doing them pop off. It’s great having all these resources. and putting a lot of time into them and putting the music I wanted to hear on them. When When you go overseas where are they most the mixtape thing became hotter and people receptive to Southern music? started seeing mixtape DJs become somewhat Paris, Norway, the UK, and Amsterdam, but celebrities, everybody did it and it kind of made the most receptive is Paris. A lot of the young the game saturated. Now, once again, I have to folks over there are into Hip Hop more than figure out some kind of cool, creative thing to everything else. They’re all about Hip Hop: neo- do with music that everyone else isn’t doing. I’m soul, harder stuff, Texas stuff, weird, obscure involved in the production from start to finish underground stuff, and they have all their own and it’s giving me the chance to become an music as well. It’s huge. Paris is a place I’d like artist. but I’m also engineering the project and to go back to cause I see a lot of potential to getting musicians and becoming something like make some moves there. Like Texas, France has a Quincy Jones or a DJ Premier or Hi-Tek rather its own Hip Hop scene. Musically they’re always than just a mixtape DJ. We have Gerald G, Black doing their own thing, like the South is. Mike, Bavu and myself and we are still affili- ated with the Whut it Dew Family of Chalie Boy, Where were the biggest shows you’ve DJed? Magno and Da Ryno. The shows with Chamillionaire were all in big arenas, and the Quart Festival in Norway was Has DJ Drama’s situation affected you at all? insane. We went on with Slim Thug and then Naw, I don’t think so. I still haven’t seen the Kanye West went back on after that. The biggest dust completely settle so I can’t say what hap- crowds I saw was me coattailing on other art- pened, but it hasn’t affected me in any way and ists’ sets. I can put together a DJ set for people I don’t think it will affect Drama in any way but who don’t get to hear Texas music on one big positive just because a lot of people know who stage, and the parties are cool. he is now. I haven’t received any phone calls or emails or letters [from the RIAA] like other DJs. For more info visit www.mixtapemechanic.com

12 OZONE OZONE 13 SXSW 2007

SXSW Hotels DOWNTOWN 01. Courtyard Marriott Downtown 300 E. Fourth, 512-236-8008 02. DoubleTree Club University 1617 N. I-35, 512-479-4000 03. DoubleTree Guest Suites 303 W. 15th, 512-478-7000 04. Driskill Hotel Sixth & Brazos, 512-474-5911 05. Embassy Suites Downtown 300 S. Congress, 512-469-9000 06. Four Seasons 98 San Jacinto, 512-478-4500 07. Hampton Inn & Suites 200 San Jacinto, 512-472-1500 08. Hilton Austin Convention Ctr 500 E. Fourth, 512-482-8000 09. Hilton Garden Inn (Capitol Pl) Fifth & I-35, 512-480-8411 10. Holiday Inn Town Lake 20 N. I-35, 512-472-8211 11. Hyatt Regency 208 Barton Springs Rd., 512-477-1234 12. InterContinental S.F. Austin Seventh & Congress, 512-457-8800 13. La Quinta Capitol 300 E. 11th, 512-476-1166 14. Mansion at Judges Hill 1900 Rio Grande, 512-495-1800 15. Omni Downtown Seventh & San Jacinto, 512-476-3700 16. Radisson Town Lake C. Chavez & Congress, 512-478-9611 17. Residence Inn Downtown 300 E. Fourth, 512-472-5553 18. Sheraton Austin 701 E. 11th, 512-478-1111

CITYWIDE 19. America’s Best Value (Quality) 909 E. Koenig Lane, 512-452-4200 20. Best Western Airport 2751 Hwy. 71 East 21. Clarion Inn & Suites 2200 S. I-35, 512-444-0561 22. Comfort Suites Airport Austin 7501 E. Ben White, 512-386-6000 23. Country Inn & Suites North 7400 N. I-35, 512-380-0008 24. Courtyard Marriott Airport 7809 E. Ben White, 512-386-7464 25. Courtyard Marriott Central 5660 N. I-35, 512-458-2340 26. Courtyard Marriott South 4533 S. I-35, 512-912-1122 27. Crowne Plaza 6121 N. I-35, 512-371-5243 28. DoubleTree Hotel 6505 N. I-35, 512-374-4853 29. Drury Inn & Suites North 6711 N. I-35, 512-467-9500 30. Embassy Suites North 5901 N. I-35, 512-454-8004 31. Fairfield Inn South 4525 S. I-35, 512-707-8899 32. Hampton Inn & Suites Airport 7712 E. Riverside, 512-389-1616 33. Hampton Inn South 4141 Governors Row, 512-442-4040 34. Hilton Airport Hotel 9515 New Airport Dr., 512-385-6767 35. Holiday Inn Express - North 8500 N. I-35, 512-821-0707 36. Holiday Inn Express 7501 E. Ben White, 512-386-7600 37. Howard Johnson Plaza Hotel 7800 N. I-35, 512-836-8520 38. La Quinta Airport Austin 7625 E. Ben White, 512-386-6800 39. La Quinta Austin North 7622 N. I-35, 512-467-1701 40. La Quinta Ben White 4200 S. I-35, 512-443-1774 41. La Quinta Oltorf Oltorf & S. I-35, 512-447-6661 42. Marriott Austin South 4415 S. I-35, 512-441-7900 43. Omni Southpark 4140 Governors Row, 512-448-2222 44. Radisson North 6000 Middle Fiskville, 512-451-5757 45. Ramada Limited North 9121 N. I-35, 512-836-0079 46. Ramada North Central 919 E. Koenig Lane, 512-454-1144 47. Springhill Suites Marriott 4501 S. I-35, 512-441-8270 48. Wyndham Garden 3401 S. I-35, 512-448-2444

16 OZONE SXSW Music Festival Venue List

01. The Ale House // 310 E. Sixth (alley) • 21+ 02. Antone’s // 213 W. Fifth • All Ages 03. Austin Music Hall // 500 E. Cesar Chavez • All Ages 04. BD Riley’s // 204 E. Sixth • 21+ 05. Beauty Bar (2 venues) // 617 E. Seventh • 21+ 06. Beerland // 711 1/2 Red River • 21+ 07. Blender Bar at the Ritz // 320 E. Sixth • 21+ 08. Bourbon Rocks // 508 E. Sixth • 21+ 09. Buffalo Billiards // 201 E. Sixth • 21+ 10. Carver Museum // 165 Angelina • All Ages 11. Cedar Street Courtyard // 208 W. Fourth • 21+ 12. Central Presbyterian // 200 E. Eighth • All Ages 13. Club de Ville // 900 Red River • 21+ 14. Club One 15 // 115 San Jacinto • 21+ 15. Continental Club // 1315 S. Congress • 21+ 16. Co-Op Bar // 400 E. Sixth • 21+ 17. Copa // 217 N. Congress • 21+ 18. Creekside EMC at the Hilton // 500 N. I-35 • 18+ 18. 18th Floor at the Hilton // 500 N. I-35 • 18+ 19. Dirty Dog Bar // 505 E. Sixth • 21+ 20. Elephant Room // 315 Congress • 21+ 21. Elysium // 705 Red River • 21+ 22. Emo’s (3 venues) // 603 Red River • All Ages 42. Momo’s // 618 W. Sixth • 18+ 23. Emo’s Annex // 600 Red River • All Ages 43. Opal Divine // 700 W Sixth • 21+ (all ages Wed) 24. Eternal // 418 E. Sixth • 21+ 44. The Parish (2 venues) // 214 E Sixth • All Ages 25. Exodus // 302 E. Sixth • 21+ 45. Red 7 (2 venues) // 611 E. Seventh • All Ages 26. Flamingo Cantina // 515 E. Sixth • 18+ 46. Red Eyed Fly // 715 Red River • 18+ 27. 401 Guadalupe // 401 Guadalupe • 18+ 47. Redrum // 401 Sabine • All Ages 28. Friends // 208 E. Sixth • 21+ 48. The Rio // 301 San Jacinto • 21+ 29. Habana Calle 6 (2 venues) // 709 E. Sixth • 21+ 49. Room 710 // 710 Red River • 21+ 30. Habana Calle 6 Annex // 708 E. Sixth • 21+ 50. Soho Lounge // 217 E. Sixth • 21+ 31. The Hideout // 617 Congress • All Ages 51. Spiro’s (2 venues) // 615 Red River • 18+ 32. Jovita’s // 1617 S. First • All Ages 52. Stubb’s // 801 Red River • All Ages 33. Karma Lounge // 119 W. Eighth • 21+ 53. The Tap Room at Six // 117 W. Fourth • 21+ 34. La Zona Rosa // 612 W. Fourth • All Ages 54. Uncle Flirty’s Loft // 325 E. Sixth • 21+ 35. Lambert’s // 401 W. Second • 21+ 55. Visions // 614 E. Sixth • 18+ 36. Latitude 30 // 512 San Jacinto • 21+ 56. Whisky Bar // 303 W. Fifth • 21+ 37. Lava Lounge Patio // 405 E. Seventh • 18+ 57. Zero Degrees // 405 E. Seventh • 18+ 38. Light Bar // 408 Congress • 21+ DS. SESAC Day Stage Cafe // Austin Convention 39. Maggie Mae’s (2 venues) // 323 E. Sixth • 21+ Center • All Ages 40. Mohawk (2 venues) // 912 Red River • All Ages TL. SXSW Dew Music Fest at Town Lake// 500 W. 41. Molotov Lounge // 719 W. Sixth • 21+ Riverside • All Ages

OZONE 17 Tuesday March 13th

George Washington Carver Museum & Cultural Center – 1165 Angelina – All Ages 5:30 – 6:15 p.m. – Matt Sonzala of HoustonSoReal Inter- views Chamillionaire 6:30 – 7:00 p.m. – Chamillionaire Performs (Houston, TX) 7:20 – 7:50 p.m. – Gutta Gang (Austin, TX) 8:10 p.m. – Cyrill Neville & Tribe 13 (New Orleans, LA / Austin, TX)

Wednesday March 14th

Visions - 614 East 6th Street – 18+ 1:00 – 2:00 a.m. – Devin the Dude (Houston, TX) 12:30 – 1:00 a.m. – Coughee Brothaz/14K/ Rob Quest of the Odd Squad (Houston, TX) 11:45 – 12:25 a.m. – Evidence of Dilated Peoples (Los Angeles, CA) 11:00 – 11:30 p.m. – Kidz In Da Hall (Chicago, IL) 10:30 – 10:55 – K-Rino & The South Park Coalition (Houston, TX) 10:05 – 10:20 – KJ Hines (Austin, TX) 9:45 – 10:00 – Public Offenders (Austin, TX) 9:15 – 9:30 – Lower Life Form (Houston, TX) 8:45 – 9:00 – Southern Intellect (Houston, TX) 8:00 – 8:45 –DJs Domo & Good Grief of the Coughee Brothaz (Houston, TX) Hosted by Matt Sonzala of HoustonSoReal

Zero Degrees - 405 E 7th St - 18+ 1:15 - 2:00 a.m. - Kev Brown (Baltimore, MD) 12:25 - 1:00 a.m. - Oddissee (Philadelphia, PA) 11:30 - 12:15 a.m. - Trek Life (Los Angeles, CA) SXSW 10:50 - 11:20 p.m. - Faculty (Oxnard, CA) 10:00 - 10:40 p.m. - Classified (Halifax, NS) 9:25 - 9:55 p.m. - Omni (Los Angeles, CA) 8:40 - 9:15 p.m. - Jern Eye (Oakland, CA) HIP HOP 8:00 p.m. - Scratch Bastid (Montreal, QC)

SHOWCASES Thursday March 15th

Club One15 – 115 San Jacinto St. – 21+ 1:15 – 2:00 a.m. – Billy Cook (Houston, TX) 12:30 – 1:00 a.m. – D-Madness (Austin, TX) 11:45 – 12:15 p.m. – Keite Young (Ft. Worth, TX) 11:00 – 11:30 p.m. – Ter’ell Shahid (Austin, TX) 10:00 – 10:45 p.m.- Carmen Rodgers & Geno Young (Dallas, TX) 9:15 – 9:45 p.m. - W. Ellington Felton (Washington, DC) 8:30 – 9:00 p.m. – Nuwamba (Ft. Worth, TX) Hosted by Mr. Blakes, DJ For Night Frances Jay of Neo Soul Cafe

Zero Degrees – 405 East 7th Street – 18+ 12:00 – 12:45 a.m. Chingo Bling featuring Stunta, Lucky Luciano, Coast & Jezufavio 11:25 – 11:45 p.m. - Play-N-Skillz (Irving, TX) 11:05 – 11:25 p.m. – Reyez (Irving, TX) 10:50 – 11:05 p.m. – Lumba (Dallas, TX) 10:15 – 10:45 p.m.- Rob G. (Houston, TX) 9:45 – 10:00 p.m. - J. Kapone (Austin, TX) 9:15 – 9:30 p.m. – D of Carnival Beats (Austin, TX) 8:30 – 9:00 p.m. - Juan Gotti (Houston, TX) Hosted by Paul Saucido of ME Television

18 OZONE Copa – 217 Congress Ave. – 21+ 10:00 – 10:20 p.m. – VIP, (Austin, TX) 1:00 – 2:00 a.m. – C-Mon & Kypski (Amsterdam, Neth- 9:35 – 9:55 p.m. – MC Fatal, (Austin, TX) erlands) 9:00 – 9:30 p.m. – DJ Chill Presents Chill Factor Music 12:15 – 12:45 a.m. - Cadence Weapon (Edmonton, AB, (Houston, TX) Canada) 8:00 – 9:00 p.m. - Host and DJ for night - OG Ron C 11:30 – 12:00 a.m. - Chris Lee (Oslo, Norway) 11:00 – 11:25 p.m. - El Axel (Oslo, Norway) Zero Degrees – 405 East 7th Street – 18+ 10:00 – 10:45 p.m. – Grand Analog (Winnipeg, MB, 8:00 – 8:25 p.m. – Zeale 32 (Austin, TX) Canada) 8:30 – 8:55 p.m. – Perceph1 (Houston, TX) 9:15 – 9:45 p.m. Monster Maker (Washington, DC) 8:30 – 9:00 p.m. C-Rayz Walz (Bronx, NY) 8:00 p.m. DJ Spinner T and DJ Crop Diggie of the Super- Saturday March 17th stardjs (Austin TX) Club One15 - 115 San Jacinto St. – 21+ Fox & Hound – 401 Guadalupe St. – 18+ 1:00 – 2:00 a.m. – Dirty Wormz (Austin, TX) 1:00 – 2:00 a.m. – UGK (Port Arthur, TX) 12:00 – 12:40 a.m. – Nayrok (Dallas, TX) 12:15 – 1:00 a.m. – UGK Records Featuring ??? 11:00 – 11:40 p.m. – Peekaboo Theory (Houston, TX) 11:30 – 12:00 a.m. – Boss Hogg Outlawz (Houston, TX) 10:15 – 10:45 p.m. – Purple Crush (New York, NY) 10:45 – 11:15 p.m. – Willie D Introducing Huntzville 9:45 – 10:10 p.m. – Deaf in the Family (New York, NY) (Houston, TX) 9:00 – 9:30 p.m. – Studemont Project (Houston, TX) 10:25 – 10:40 p.m. – Xxzotic (Little Rock, AR) 8:00 – 8:40 p.m. – Dujeous (New York, NY) 10:10 – 10:20 p.m. – Moufs of da Souf (Houston, TX) 9:45 – 10:05 p.m. – KB da Kidnappa of Street Military Flamingo Cantina - 515 E 6th St - 18+ (Houston, TX) 1:00 - 2:00 a.m. - Lee “Scratch” Perry (Kingston, 9:15 – 9:35 p.m. – Steve Austin (Dallas, TX) Jamaica) 8:45 – 9:00 p.m. – Saint (Houston, TX) 12:15 - 12:55 a.m. - Grimy Styles (Austin, TX) 8:20 – 8:40 p.m. - Short, Bird Street, Mike Moe & DJ 11:45 - 12:05 a.m. - Brother Ali (Minneapolis, MN) Wrecka of Beltway 8 (Houston, TX) 11:15 - 11:40 p.m. - Lethal Bizzle (London, UK) DJs for the Night DJ Grip, DJ Since & Young Spinna 10:15 - 10:55 p.m. - Mau Mau Chaplains (Austin, TX) 9:15 - 9:55 p.m. - Joseph Isreal (Fayetteville, AR) 8:15 - 8:55 p.m. - Rocky Dawuni (Accra, CA) Friday March 16th 7:45 - 8:15 p.m. and throughout night - DJ Queen Majesty (New York, NY) Town Lake Stage at Auditorium Shores – All Ages 8:00 p.m. - Public Enemy (New York, NY) Zero Degrees – 405 East 7th Street – 18+ 6:45 p.m. - Ozomatli (Los Angeles, CA) TheScrewShop.com 10 Year Anniversary 6:00 p.m. – X-Clan 1:20 a.m. – 2:00 a.m. – Trae (Houston, TX) 12:50 a.m. – 1:10 a.m. - Carnival Beats (Austin, TX) Beauty Bar Patio – 617 E. 7th St. – 21+ 12:35 a.m. – 12:50 a.m. – Basswood Lane (Austin, TX) 1:15 – 2:00 a.m. - The Federation (Oakland, CA) 12:15 a.m. – 12:30 a.m. – Grit Boys (Houston, TX) 12:30 – 1:00 a.m. – Balance (Oakland, CA) 11:55 p.m. – 12:10 a.m. – Sparkdawg (Killeen, TX) 12:00 – 12:25 a.m. – The Pack (San Francisco, CA) 11:35 p.m. – 11:50 p.m. – Dok Holiday & Set 4 Life 11:30 – 11:55 p.m. – Saafir (Oakland, CA) (Austin, TX) 11:00 – 11:25 p.m. – Rico Pabon (Los Angeles, CA) 11:15 p.m. – 11:30 p.m. – South Bound (Austin, TX) 10:30 – 10:50 p.m. – Qualo (Chicago, IL) 10:55 p.m. – 11:10 p.m. – Ryno (Austin, TX) 10:00 – 10:20 p.m. – Roxy Cottontail (New York, NY) 10:35 p.m. – 10:50 p.m. – Big Sid (San Angelo, TX) 9:30 – 9:50 p.m. – Wale (Washngton, DC) 10:15 p.m. – 10:30 p.m. – Circle G’z (Houston, TX) 9:00 – 9:30 p.m. – Doujah Raze (Brooklyn, NY) Hosted by Tosin of thescrewshop.com 8:00 – 9:00 p.m. - DJ For Night – Nick Catchdubs (New 10:00 p.m. DJ Bounz – And DJ for the night York, NY) Visions - 614 East 6th Street – 18+ Beauty Bar - 617 E 7th St. - 21+ Dallas Night Presented by OZONE Mag & Urban South BIZ 3 Publicity and Kork 1:15 – 2:00 a.m. - Big Tuck, Tum Tum & DSR (Dallas, TX) 1:10 - 2:00 a.m. - Kid Sister (Chicago, IL) 1:00 – 1:10 a.m. - T. Balla (Dallas, TX) 12:10 - 1:10 a.m. - A-Trak (Montreal, QC) 12:45 – 12:55 a.m. - M. Dot (Dallas, TX) 11:30 - 12:00 a.m. - Yo Majesty (Tampa, FL) 12:20 – 12:40 a.m. - Big Chief (Dallas, TX) 10:40 - 11:15 p.m. - Bondo do Role (Sao Paolo, Brazil) 12:00 – 12:15 a.m. - Gator Mayne (Dallas, TX) 9:45 - 10:30 p.m. - Flosstradamus (Chicago, IL) 11:30 – 11:50 p.m. – Kottonmouth (Dallas, TX) 8:55 - 9:30 p.m. - CX Kidtronik (Chicago, IL) 11:00 – 11:20 p.m. - Mr. Pookie & Mr. Lucci (Dallas, TX) 8:00 - 8:55 p.m. - The Rub (New York, NY) 10:40 – 10:55 p.m. – Lil Peace (Dallas, TX) 10:15 – 10:35 p.m. - Big Ben (Dallas, TX) Visions - 614 East 6th Street – 18+ 9:30 – 10:00 p.m. - PPT (Dallas, TX) 12:00 – 2:00 a.m. – MTV & Mountain Dew: artists TBA 8:45 – 9:15 p.m. – Verbal Seed (Dallas, TX) 11:30 – 12:00 a.m. - Rapid Ric’s Whut it Dew Family 8:00 – 8:30 p.m. – Thesis (Dallas, TX) (Austin/Houston, TX) DJ for the night – DJ Drop (Dallas, TX) 10:55 – 11:25 p.m. – Houston North Side All Stars (Houston, TX) For information on all of the showcases including even 10:25 – 10:50 p.m. – Money Waters (Dallas, TX) more Hip Hop go to www.sxsw.com

OZONE 19 Craig Stewart SXSW Music Festival founder By Matt Sonzala

his year SXSW has over 1400 acts playing. How do you feel when people stereotype the Has South By Southwest always been this conference as a rock event? There’s lots of dif- big? ferent styles represented at SXSW each year. TAn “act” is insincere by definition. We have Parts of the industry will always focus on rock, 1500+ bands and solo artists playing. It’s mostly and some labels only put promo money into real shit but there’s some corny crap; that’s rock bands, even when they have a diverse life. We try to avoid “acts,” unless their fans got roster. But fuck ‘em, man, in 2007 you can’t label crazy money. any city, event or era one genre. We’re at war, and whatever rock is in 2007 is not going to get Just what is South By Southwest? me through the day. I wanna hear some Terry It’s my 9th year planning and booking and I Riley, Betty Davis, Fleetwood Mac, Devin the have no idea. It’s like an atomic smart bomb of Dude, Wire, KB, Dead C, Z-Ro, Reigning Sound, artistry. An artistically overrated city like Austin Bun B. Yeah, looking at our schedule, we have a getting mobbed by crazy shit from all over the bunch of rock. But c’mon, fuck with us. world in 5 days. I love it. It’s like a smack in the face. But I hate that I don’t get to witness most You’re also a musician. Can you tell me a bit of it, cause I have to work and run around and about your band Rubble, your solo jams, the put out fires all night, every night. Yella Album and Emperor Jones Records? Rubble is in litigation, so no comment. The Yella What exactly do you do? Album will be like the bearded opiate version I run this shit! Ha, no, I book a lot of the music of Boosie’s Bad Azz when it drops. My label festival with my great friends and colleagues Emperor Jones is going on 12 years now and like Cathy, Todd, Darin, and others – we couldn’t my SXSW duties forced it to being a side thing, do this huge shit storm without each other. which is fine, fuck the game. My focus is on vinyl lately. There’s too many CDs out there. I put out Why did you decide to bring in so much Texas an Ill Tactics 12” last year that featured Lil Keke, Hip Hop to the conference? very limited. And I’m looking to put out more Because we love it, and it’s embedded in this rap. Just things that I like and feel are unique. region and America and the world. And mostly because “someone” reached out four years back, Who are you most looking forward to seeing to pump it up like never before. We have over this year? 100 rap artists for 2007, and UGK is playing SXSW Jandek. But a lot of live music is very disap- this year. That makes me almost faint, seeing pointing. At the end of the day I just wanna that shit in our schedule. bang my Screw. //

20 OZONE entreprenuer profile By Matt Sonzala Willwill Hustle hustle By Matt Sonzala

here’d you get the name Will Hustle? from Austin blow How’s it relate to who you are? just like Houston When I came up with the name I told did. It’s really Wall my fam. Everybody was like, “Nigga, that fits due to the talent you. Run with it.” I’m known all over the country down here. Boys for all my hustles. My motto is MASH: Maintain got an original All Sorts of Hustles. I got that shit tatted on me. sound and it’s a I don’t talk this shit, I live this shit. I will hustle. nationwide sound that has the abil- What’s your main hustle? I know you do DVDs ity to crossover and manage artists. just like the ATL My hustle is maintaining all sorts of hustles. I sound did. Robert am a music mogul. Whether it’s music, media or Gabriel is holding down the movement with his fashion, this is my passion. I’m in this to be in articles in The Chronicle. Steve Savage and 88.7 the history books. The industry is shook right has had our back since day one, but that’s only now. I plan on changing the game. I can show on the weekend. As far as corporate radio, the you better than I can tell you. Just keep watch- DJs help as much as they can, but the powers ing me like Z-Ro and Trae say. Right now Will that be don’t give a fuck about us. I used to get Hustle Multimedia is my bread winner. My DVDs mad about them not playing us, but it’s not go- are like cable in the hood. Boys be watching my ing to stop our movement. We running the un- shit over and over again. We are about to do derground. Austin rap is popping all over Texas. some major branding through Will Hustle TV with We are ‘bout to blow, so soon they are going major companies in ‘07. A lot of major people to have to play us. That’s just how radio works. came and hollered at us after what we did for Shout out to all the DJs. We got other options: the Da Bomb Blunts. The DVDs, mixtape promo- clubs, mixtapes, they are holding us down. tions, and marketing are all under Will Hustle Multimedia. I created it just so I could make my What releases have you put out? own lane for my record label Set For Life. It’s so My nigga Dok Holiday is a legend around this many dead weight fuck niggas in the rap game bitch. He dropped a mixtape series called The taking up space I had to do something to stand Pre Season. Dok Holiday and PLA’s album will out. This is chess not checkers. be out this summer. My Set For Life roster is crazy. We plan to drop albums like Master P in How is the independent rap scene in Austin? his prime. I hooked up with DJ Knowledge to The indie game is wide open right now with all do the Whata Hustla mixtape series. We flipped the Houston artists going major. The under- the Whattaburger Logo into Whata Hustla. It’s ground is wide open. All of Texas is looking for one of the hottest mixtapes out right now. Me that new sound. It’s funny cause I saw this shit and Ice Water put out the Kappa Bound DVD and coming in 2001. I met T.I and Jason Geter, and Will Hustle TV Vol. 1 and 2 are in stores now. Will Geter asked me what the Texas scene was like Hustle TV Vol. 3 will be out nationwide this April. and ask about Paul, Flip, Slim, all the niggas making noise. I told him, “In about five years When did you first come to SXSW? What does it all y’all niggas will be major and y’all will leave mean to you as a man in the music business? the underground to a nigga like me.” Look at all I was raised in Austin so SXSW has always been them niggas now; they’re on top of the world. around. It wraps up the end of the first quarter Set For Life, we don’t worry about just Austin and gets you ready for Texas Relays and the that’s why we are so big outside of Austin. We summer. The panels are throwed; a lot of good are killing the underground. Next year at SXSW, game and education. we will have major deals on the table. Does it mean much to the Austin independent You’ve got radio stations, retail outlets, a TV Hip Hop community? station, and newspapers that cover local rap It helps a lot. I saw it come from barely no rap artists. Do people in Austin listen to Austin rap? shows to having all Austin showcases. I would Hell yeah. Austin listens to Austin now more like to thank everybody who helps put these than ever. A couple of years ago if you weren’t shows on. It’s a good look for the city. from Houston, you weren’t selling shit. But that all has changed. Austin wants to see someone For more info visit www.willhustle.com

OZONE 21 22 OZONE chingo blingBy Matt Sonzala

lot of people know you for the comedic I think it’s my responsibility as an artist to do side of your music, but on “Like This and that, and it’s something that I feel in my heart. Like That,” you’ve got a pretty serious Shit, it’s something I gotta say. It affects us all Apolitical message running through it. There’s and that’s my way of spreading a little informa- some humor in it but you’re saying a lot of deep tion; just raising a little awareness, addressing it stuff that people aren’t touching on right now. or just talking about it. Whether it’s with a little I knew I was up against that, and I know that anger or a little satire or humor, I’m gonna get I’m gonna have to fight that battle. Program my point across. Directors say, “Well, this isn’t anything like ‘Taco Shop.’ That did well for us. I don’t think this will Do you think even mentioning George Bush work.” My main point is, I just cater to my core could be dangerous for you as a business move? audience. If I feel like my audience is gonna I mean, you see what happened to the Dixie allow me to show my versatility and my range, Chicks. that’s all I care about. At the end of the day, I’m I think it’s a little different for them because of not out to please certain executives at certain the way their whole career is. They’re signed to networks or nothing like that. a big label. They’re out of a conservative scene like Nashville and for a long time they were just On the subject of immigration, plenty of people at the pinnacle. They were on top of their shit on the other side of the issue are speaking out and they made certain comments overseas. They on it, but on your side of the issue it doesn’t went to Great Britain or something and started seem like a lot of people are speaking on it. bashing, whereas I do it through my art and I’ve Especially not in Hip Hop. always had this stance. It’s not like a night and day thing where last week I was a Republican limb at one of them slaughterhouses. There’s and I was answering to a label and I didn’t have pesticides being sprayed over the people like creative control and all of a sudden I want to roaches because they live on the property and lash out in frustration. We’ve always done things pick them fuckin’ vegetables. I mentioned what our way and will continue to do so. If anything Kanye said [about George Bush not caring about the danger lies more in saying some powerful black people] as well, and I basically said “Hey shit that somebody doesn’t like. we Kanye, you got a point and we’re in the same boat.” We [Mexicans] make up a large part of the It’s equally as dangerous to not say anything. U.S. Army and the military. Basically, we’re here You’re right, but I think in the past with the civil to catch some bullets and buy some empana- rights movement and things like that, people das at McDonalds. We’re the battery pack. Our took different approaches. Like Martin Luther stomachs are hooked up into the Matrix and King said, a threat to justice anywhere is a we keep this bitch going. We keep the economy threat to justice everywhere. That’s basically afloat and pay taxes. We don’t take advantage saying, “Hey man, by not doing anything you’re of all of the things that our taxes should go for, a part of it.” like health care. If you’re an immigrant, you get hurt and sometimes you’re scared to go to the On “Like This and Like That” and in the video, hospital. you’re talking about the current state of im- migration and especially how it affect Mexicans Are you afraid that message could fall on deaf in our country. ears? Are you trying to open up some ears? Not Well, on the song I’m talking about all kinds of too many other rap artists are speaking about stuff. I got the hustler’s perspective on there, those issues. and I’m flossin’ a little bit, because I’m not gon- I think there’s two things. You got the media, na be preachy on every bar. I just threw a little which really is just a function of distraction. line or two in there. But the video, I think that They want to keep us dumb and worried about kind of paints a picture, showing what an im- Anna Nicole Smith all day instead of worry- migrant goes through and how a person could ing about the real facts. They call these people come to this country, really not hurting nobody, insurgents, when really they’re just immigrants. really just working. That’s really the main gist They don’t have no army. They’re just mutha- of the song. In terms of the movement, I’m not fuckers in some regular ass clothes with some saying we deserve a little bit more respect, I guns trying to defend their house or whatever. just think that we need a little bit more under- So you’ve got the media as a big factor and standing. There’s just not enough awareness also, the music industry really doesn’t nurture out there. George Lopez is representing and we those type of stars. Back when Hip Hop was got a couple Mexicans on TV who every so often fresh and young and expectations weren’t the express themselves, but I just feel that we’re same, all these playlists and payola didn’t like the battery pack of America. We’re like a exist. All the shit that is wrong with the music part of this Matrix where they want our money. industry, all the lawyers and bankers and ac- Tthey wanna sell empanadas at McDonalds, countants, hadn’t moved into these executive they wanna sell tacos at Burger King, they want positions. You still had “music people” in high to target us on radio stations for advertising. places. So a lot of artists feel like they might Lincoln, Palmolive, Procter & Gamble, all these not have that outlet. They feel like, “Well if I do companies want to cater to us to get our money say some shit [about these issues] in my song, at the grocery store, but by the same token, my label’s not gonna let me put it on a record [what would happen] if we really just took a day anyway. If I submit all these songs, they’re off like the way we were supposed to that one gonna turn them down cause I mention certain day, but no one did? Everybody was too scared. things and they want to hear some more party There’s not enough communication and orga- tracks.” I’m not making excuses for no artist be- nization within our community. But if we really cause at the end of the day, if you call yourself did, the economy really would have taken a hit. an artist, you call yourself Hip Hop, you’re sup- Because guess what? All them people that work posed to do what’s in your heart and represent at them slaughterhouses, they wouldn’t have that way. None of that shit should affect you. been there to kill them cows, which means there Not no car, not no mansion, not no advance, wouldn’t have been fresh meat for that day. and not no label is supposed to make you less Which means Jack In The Box would have been of a man to where you can’t express yourself out of some hamburgers for like a week. That’s in this country. I said that on the intro of my just the fast food industry. But we’re the ones song. I said, “Dear Uncle Sam in that white and picking the tomatoes, the strawberries, cotton, green van, why you chase my daddy, huh? Why killin’ the cows at the slaughterhouse. Danger- you make him ran? On the 25th of August 1969, ous jobs. You might break your back or lose a daddy was focused on the grind. He headed to

24 OZONE H-Town [from Mexico] in an orange two-door people ain’t got no papers. If they just came ‘53 Belaire, a pound of grease in his hair. from Guatemala and crossed three borders and Yeah, he crossed with a trampoline, not with a jumped on five trains to get here, I’m not gonna passport. They asked him, ‘Did your ass learn belittle their fear [of being deported]. But what English from the black folk?’ Thank God for his I’m saying is if we have a little unity, we can backstroke, I probably wouldn’t be here. Gave demand a little bit of respect because I feel me free speech, talk shit about your speaker. like we’re second class citizens. Even the ones Work in the gas tank, they’re looking for arrests. that are citizens, like my parents - they were ‘You an American citizen boy?’ My Daddy said naturalized and everything. Shit, we still feel “Jess!’” You know he gave me free speech and at second class like we’re in the back of the plane, the end of the day, I’m a man. It’s my responsi- no peanuts, and we’re just getting harassed. bility to say what I want to say. I just have that We’re sitting here in the back of the plane, luxury because we’ve always done things our cleaning it, gassing it up and keeping it going. way and we’ve always found a way to get our And they like, “Get off the plane!” But we like, music out to the people whether it’s through the “Nigga, we gassed it up. We sitting here cleaning internet or just driving around one or two deep it, and we paid for the seats. We paying taxes in a vehicle and just posting up at mom and pop for the seats but it’s like, ‘Get off the plane, we shops, or at the flea market. don’t want you.’”

A lot of companies talk about how they are Well, America was originally founded by im- starting a movement, but you seem to really be migrants. working to spark a movement here. I know your Yeah, and I think if we looked the same as distributor is really big on movements. Do they the people on the other side of the argument understand yours? - let’s say the Irish - it would be different. When When Hip Hop started, people had no choice but the Irish first came they went through some to be innovative because we had to find ways to problems. They couldn’t get hired in Boston or get reactions. You had to find a way. I don’t give anywhere in New England. Italians, Jews, they a shit who you are, you had to do something went through a lot of stuff. We’re all human but original. Like LL Cool J, he said he was gonna be at the same time there’s gonna be divisions. the young dude with the Kangol, take his shirt off and rap like this. Run-DMC brought the no Does that tone run through the album? laces thing. Everybody brought their own thing. Shit, I got all kinds of stuff on there, man. I Nowadays people want to call that a gimmick. been working with Salih and Carnival Beats, Everyone wants to look like everyone else and Tomar and them. They produced the bulk of talk about the same old shit. Nobody even has the album, so it’s jammin’. You might hear a their own style, their own voice. Even with beat on there that’s kind of reminiscent of poetry, people say you gotta find your voice. Wreck Shop and the “Barre Baby” days. Basi- You gotta find what you’re about. These days cally I’m touching on all kinds of stuff that just people aren’t about too much. I don’t feel like goes together. I feel like it’s more effective to I’m the greatest rapper by no means, but I do throw a line or two [about immigration issues] feel like there is a lane for me and I do have in a crunk song or a line or two in a party something to say. Like our statement, “You Can’t song; make it fit in there cause you’re giving Deport Us All.” You could wear that shirt in an medicine mixed in with the honey. If you’re just airport, or you could wear it walking down the preachin’, preachin’, preachin’ it turns people off street and you’re gonna get a reaction from sometimes. It reminds people of problems. But people. It’s gonna provoke thought. It’s gonna if you’re just jammin’ and you’re talking about have people saying, “Oh, yes we can.” And, “Say all this other stuff and all of a sudden there’s it to my shotgun, boy.” Or “Man, that’s true.” You a punchline at the end of a verse, they get the know, there’s really strength in numbers. There’s message. I’ve also got a few songs I did with strength in unity and when we start to really Jim Jonsin. I have [a beat from] Daniel Cartel think, “You know what, they probably really from New Orleans, he did “Slow Motion” with can’t.” Then we’re starting to call their bluff. Juvenile and Soulja Slim. He’s actually Honduran It’s like, “Man you can’t deport us all. Dude, do and Nicaraguan as well. We got Shadow that you really want to deport us all? How many used to be with Dope House. We got Smoke buses is it going to take and how logistically, Beats from Corpus on a song that’s just silly who’s gonna build the fence and how much as hell. Of course I got Trae on there, Lucky is it gonna cost and are we gonna be able to Luchiano, Stunta, Paul Wall, Coast, Paul Wall, Big jump the fence again? How are you gonna go Pokey, and even Fat Pat on a verse - we’re go- about rounding up everybody?” It’s not even ing back and forth on the hook. I’m really proud possible. And the minute that we just snap out of it, man. The skits, everything. I got some of that fear, you know, it’s a natural fear. Some funny little characters. //

OZONE 25 not saying that [mixtape DJs] are get sued. So we’ve gotta come up with new, cre- I’mgetting rich off artists and the ative ways to put this stuff out and still keep the artist ain’t getting no benefits from it, but yeah, same street flavor that we get out of mixtapes. they’re getting paid. To me, doing a mixtape is like putting out an album. I might as well DJs are gonna have to start doing mixtapes of take those same rhymes and put it on some of their own music. That’s just the bottom line. my own beats and put a record out instead of If you’ve got a reputable artist that’s hot, it’s paying for some street credibility that a nigga’s going to sell whether you use existing beats trying to sell me, telling me that this [mixtape] that’s already on the radio or brand new beats. is what I need to make my album sell. People just want to hear these hot dudes rhyme and want to hear some new material cause If someone’s getting paid [off my mixtape], I everything is so watered down right now. want to get money too. If everybody can get paid, it’s a beautiful thing. But as soon as you In my case, I don’t have a publishing deal right put your rhymes over beats, it’s no longer a now, so Jive doesn’t have jurisdiction on my mixtape. It’s an independent album. What I income. But in most cases, the artists do have propose is that mixtape DJs start hosting inde- some type of deal with their label. At the end pendent record releases. Instead of the rappers of the day it’s easier to give up [a freestyle] taking the small end of the money or no money and still run with your business than it is when at all and wait for the mixtape DJ to blow them you’re dealing with total copyright infringe- up, why don’t the DJs take $5,000 or $10,000 and ment. jump on these independent mixtapes and host them muthafuckers. They need to say “hosted by I don’t buy mixtapes or listen to them. I like DJ so-and-so” now, because with the copyright [artists like] Young Jeezy and Lil Wayne, but game and the way the powers that be are play- I ain’t never heard none of their mixtapes. I ing dirty now, they can come get their houses don’t participate in that shit. Do I think Jeezy and cars. Even with “for promo only” on it, it’s would be where he’s at without his mixtapes? still copywritten music and they’re still going to Hell yeah. The nigga is cold. Wayne is on top

26 OZONE of his game right now. That nigga ain’t gotta And Jive ain’t on an island of their own. These rap on other niggas’ beats just to get people to muthafuckers [at all the record labels] were up know that he can rap. He could take those same there paying this dude [Drama] to do mixtapes rhymes and put them on some indie shit on the on their artist. For a brand new artist that needs site and get paid. Most of those independent a street buzz and has never sold no records, [labels] are getting $7 or $8 per record, and a that’s a great thing to do. Get them a DJ with a nigga like Jeezy right now can sell 50,000 inde- name, put a mixtape out, get people hyped on pendent records. Even if he just gets on a record you, and then you’re able to get a deal. But for and farts, we’re going to buy it. I think [the idea a nigga like me that likes money, and niggas that artists need mixtapes to sell albums] is the buy my records anyway, I can’t fuck with it. I attitude that these [DJs] want us to have. gotta get me some bread.

But I do think it’s dirty that record labels pay But at the end of the day, the same people that mixtape DJs to do a mixtape on an artist and was paying Drama to do mixtapes send the then turn around and send the Feds to niggas’ Feds at him, and I think that’s real fucked up. studios to arrest them and fuck over ‘em like I’m riding with Drama because they fucked over that. I think that’s some fucked up shit. I think him. He ain’t doing nothing worse than what it is very unfair that record labels are paying the record companies are doing; putting out niggas like Drama to do mixtapes and then they records and trying not to pay the artist. If you turn around and sell a nigga out and throw see a nigga in the street who has sold 100,000 him under the bus. That’s fucked up. If they’re records and he going to turn their heads on [mixtape DJs] then they need to go ahead and turn their heads on So even though I don’t do mixtapes and all the whole thing. I think it’s easier for them to that, I still gotta ride with Drama because he’s condone the shit. [The record labels] are going a product of the streets. At the end of the day, to have to adjust their approach a little bit. fans don’t give a fuck about [the politics]. They just want to hear their favorite rapper. He was The first time we talked [about doing a UGK supplying the streets with the dope that they Gangsta Grillz mixtape] me and Drama had needed to keep going in between these weak- figured out a way for both of us to get paid. ass watered-down albums where they won’t We ain’t gonna expose all the details of what let a nigga sample no muthafuckin’ records we were talking about, but we came up with no more. And Drama is just the first example a way that both of us could get paid. We were of what the Feds are going to do to a bunch going to do a Gangsta Grillz, mixtape style, but of muthafuckers if they don’t get their game using beats that I produced. [Our record label] together.... Jive was going to give Drama $10,000 to do our mixtape, and he was going to give us the - Julia Beverly $10,000 back. I said, “Nah, you keep the $10,000 and let’s do the mixtape over our beats, you The rest of this interview is featured in the April host the muthafucker, we’ll walk in Jive and let issue of OZONE Magazine. Visit us online at www. them press up 100,000 or 150,000 copies and ozonemag.com put it in the stores as a limited edition.” In a case like that, I can make Jive give me $100,000 [advance] and give Bun a $100,000 [advance].

If you want to settle for $10,000, that’s you. But me, I like advances. I like money. I don’t give a fuck about getting niggas on the street to like it. But even though I feel a certain way about the mixtape game, when it comes down to the RIAA vs. mixtape DJs, I’m riding with [DJs like] Drama. I’m never going to ride with the establishment. I support Drama because they threw him under the bus, and a whole bunch of these record labels were paying him to do their mixtapes. You and I both know we had the conversation because Jive was trying to pay him [to do a UGK Gangsta Grillz].

OZONE 27 28 OZONE devin the

dudeWords by Matt Sonzala Photos by Mike Frost

OZONE 29 his is your third year doing South By on there. They might get the wrong understand- Southwest. Is this a big event for you? ing but if they listen they’ll get it. Yeah, and it’s getting bigger and big- Tger, actually. It’s cool to be a part of it. I got Wrong understanding of “Cut You Up”? people from California that’s coming down to it It’s all in the wording. You got to listen to it and asking about it, even people from Norway. from the beginning to the end and understand. Everywhere, man. It involves a lot of people, a If you’ve been listening to my music since back lot of cultures of music. It’s just a good time. in the day you might get a good idea of what Especially the spot where it is in Austin on 6th I’m talking about, but if not you might say, “This Street, man, it’s just a ball every year. It’s get- guy, something’s wrong with him. We might ting bigger and bigger. have to watch him.” And that’s just not the case. At all. A lot of listeners out there or critics get Who all are you performing with this year? the wrong idea about certain songs and it goes All the Coughee Brothaz. The Odd Squad has the wrong way. This is just a way to fuck their been a big part, DJ Domo, Good Grief, T-Mac, heads up. All in all it’s just about something so 14K, pretty much all the Coughee Brothaz. We innocent and pure and natural and good for me got K-Rino and Evidence from Dilated Peoples. and you. It’s going to be good. You’ve got a couple of really huge features on This year you’re not just going for a show, this album, like Bun B, Snoop Dogg, and Andre you’re celebrating the release of your 4th 3000, but it sounds like a lot of it really stayed album, Waitin’ to Inhale. in house this time. Yeah fo’ sho’, man. Waitin’ to Inhale, we been For the most part, that’s what it is anyway. All having a cool time with it. We been having the previous albums that I did, it’s just the Odd as much fun as possible, trying to make it as Squad. They played a big part in all the projects. humorous as possible and keep movin’ and Rob Quest, Jugg Mugg, DJ Domo, we have groovin’. Funkafingaz on the bass, he’s been around for a minute. We’ve been having keyboard players and So we can expect more of the wit and wisdom of stuff, like my homeboy Lester from Shreveport, Devin the Dude? and we also accept tracks coming from different Yeah, man. Well, there might be a song or two areas. We work with up and coming producers on there that you might say, “Man, what in the who have nice music. We invite them over and fuck is wrong with this dude?” It’s just all in fun, listen to what they have. If it fits in with what and you know we just having a good time mak- we’re doing and we can make a cool song out of ing the most out of what we have. Especially it, then we’ll go with it. That’s what made it real with Hip Hop nowadays, you really just can’t cool over the years. We welcome anybody with take it too serious, man. You gotta know that open arms, any Coughee Brothaz, you don’t even there’s gonna be new cats coming. It’s gonna be have to smoke weed to be a Coughee Brotha. the old school that you love. There’s different It’s just an in-house thing, we just like to have kinds of music with Hip Hop involved in it and fun with what we do. it just spreads and it’s really cool; the fact that it lives and breathes everywhere and you’re a Is Snoop a Coughee Brotha? part of it. Oh yeah, he’s an O.G. Coughee Brotha. We’ve been trying to get something together for a What are some of these songs that people are minute. Maybe we’ll have a song together called going to be wondering about? Are you taking “A Pound of Coughee,” with the Dogg Pound and shits on record again? the Coughee Brothaz together. We’ve been trying Ha! Well there might be a song called “Just to get that together for years. Because” on there that we did, and it sounds something like a “I Need Love” type song when You have Snoop and Andre 3000 on the same it first comes on and it just gives you the flip song? side of love and what people think about doing Yeah, on a song called “What a Job.” It’s a song to their loved ones. And it’s just a thought, it’s done by Chuck Heat from L.A. and we were just nothing serious. I don’t want people to get the expressing how our music and what we do in wrong idea. It’s just thoughts that go through the studio is considered a job. A lot of time, peoples’ minds. Then a song called “Cut You Up,” people wouldn’t consider what we do a job. We

30 OZONE have a lot of fun doing it. They hear about the hoes and the bling and the drinks and the weed and they think it’s like a party for the most part. But it’s not. It’s work and it’s gotta be considered work. You gotta take it seriously. And also, a lot of other people depend on what we’re doing with our music and we gotta support each other with it.

You’re basically celebrating the life? Do you come from three different perspectives? All in all it’s about the studio and work being done in the studio. On my verse I’m in the studio, on Snoop’s verse he’s at a radio station announcing, letting the shorties know and his family know what he’s do- ing, and on Andre’s verse he’s actually communicating with a couple and hearing their prob- lems and letting them tell him how they feel about his music and how it’s helped them out through their lifetime. He talks about downloading music for free and the artists get charged for it. It’s a trip, man, it’s wild.

You been touring all over lately. Where will we see you this year? We got some stuff lined up. There’s some offers available and people looking forward to having us come out, which is a blessing. People from Australia and London and places that I’ve never been and that will be real cool. Hopefully we’ll get something happening be- fore the album comes out, get a nice little buzz created, book up a solid tour and hopefully we’ll able to get it structured enough to be able to have fun and give the people a good time. myspace.com/devinthedude

OZONE 31

 OZONE AUSTIN PHOTO GALLERY 1. Will Hustle and PLA at The Parish 2. Russle Lee 3. Pimp C at Hot 93.3 Winter Melt- down 4. Mr. Fitness of Gutta Gang at The Parish 5. Mr. Blakes talk- ing to the kids 6. Nina Sky 7. Money Waters 8. Wine-O at Hot 93.3 Winter Melt- down 9. South Bound at The Parish 10. Rapid Ric and Coota Bang 11. Matt Sonzala, Tony C, and Tino Cochino 12. Magno and Kinfolk Joe at The Parish 13. Michael Watts 14. K-Paul, Jamie Lee, Black Mike, and Duece 15. Mr. Blakes and Tomar Williams of Carnival Beats at The Parish 16. Shareefa 17. Ryno at Hot 93.3 Winter Meltdown 18. Nac at The Parish 19. Natalie at Hot 93.3 Winter Melt- down 20. TYK and Young Mexicans on the Rise at The Parish 21. Mimi, Boogie, and D-Train from Hot 93.3

Photos by Luxury Mindz

OZONE  dj Wordsdomo by Matt Sonzala

ou’re known as one of the original Yeah, when muthafuckers work, I’m there. dudes out here. Where exactly did you come from? Tell me about the Coughee Brothaz. Is that your YI come from LaPorte. I went to school out in production team? LaPorte and started DJing probably around the The Coughee Brothaz has different aspects of summer of ‘83. I was like 12 or 13 years old it, but as far as I’m concerned it’s mainly with when I started DJing. production. Me and Devin and Rob, we do the Coughee Brothaz production thing. What made you start? Man, I have no idea. My homeboys from back What are some of the songs people might know then said we were sitting watching Jam Master that you’ve produced? Jay on TV one day. I just started doing that shit I got a lot of songs on Devin’s albums. I did and from the first day, I was cold at it. like ten of ‘em on The Dude, six or seven on Just Tryin’ to Live and I got like six on the new How did you end up being the DJ for the Geto album, Waitin’ to Inhale. I did a couple songs for Boys? You started when you were 13, but there’s David Banner. got to be a lot more to it. I remember hearing you on the radio live from a club. What else do you have in the works? Me and my pa’tna Wiz - who’s now the DJ for I’m just getting back in the lab, jammin’ on Aesop Rock and Def Jux Records - was DJing beats, man, doing some more Coughee Brothaz at this club called Amnesia out on 290 and songs. I got my boy Capo and them from New Antoine. Scarface and Bushwick used to live Orleans that I’m fuckin’ with. together right there off of Mangum. Ready Red used to live over there; everybody lived over What equipment do you use? there. They used to come to the club and we There’s a kick drum and a snare, a hi-hat, automatically just started kicking it. That was and a couple hand claps. I fuck with the 4000 when that Grip It! On That Other Level came out. though. I do all the sequencing on the 4000, and The Scarface single just came out so they used everything else comes from records, live shit, to come through there. But aside from the club keyboards, whatever. I got a bunch of little dif- I used to go fuck with ‘Face and Bill. I’d go ride ferent shit that I get sounds from, but I do the over there, pick ‘em up, go get food, whatever. drums and sequencing on the 4000. We used to kick it. After that we was just sort of hanging around for the next two years, but So this year at South by Southwest you’ll be after Ready Red left the group it kind of fell in DJIng for Devin the Dude and also being the place to do that shit. I was on the radio before house DJ along with Good Grief all night. What I got with them. Me and Wiz were on live mixing can we expect to hear from you? from the club at Infinity. That’s around when Bill We gonna jam, man. You know me. I’ma bring got shot. I was up there [at that club] that night some real old school with me. I got some old fuckin’ with Bill. Like all around that time, when shit; I’m gonna bring that. Grief got the new Bill got shot, going to the hospital, that’s when shit, I got the old shit and we gonna play it Red quit, so a muthafucker got the opportunity all. // and seized that shit. www.myspace.com/djdomotraxxx or milkcrate- You still work with them to this day, right? [email protected]

 OZONE

dj Wordschill by Matt Sonzala Photo by Keadron Smith

here exactly are you from? Besides Texas City, you’ve also toured Europe. Houston, TX, in the South Park area. Where all have you been? Yeah, I’ve been to Oslo, Norway, Trondheim, WComing out of South Park you must have seen Norway, Amsterdam, London, and Paris. I’ve some of the most important people in Houston been touring as a DJ for the past 2 ½ years. I’ve Hip Hop coming up. done shows as a DJ at All Star Games in Denver, Yeah, I saw pretty much everybody out the shows in New York mostly with Oxy Cottontail. Screwed Up Click. First, K-Rino, he was one I’ve done shows in Austin, of course. I’ve done of the first rappers I ever had some kind of South By Southwest for the past four years. relationship with. We went to school together. Fat Pat, basically everybody out the Screwed Where have you seen the best response for Up Click, I’ve had some kind of dealing with down South music? coming out of that area. Everybody that put out The best response I saw was in Norway. an album, a record out of Houston between ’88 Trondheim and Oslo had some of the biggest till now I’ve had some type of dealing with. I responses for down South music from Houston. started DJing when I was like 16 at a skat- It was the biggest positive response from there. ing rink. That was like mid-80s. Things started When we did London we got a positive response breaking through in Houston for independent cause you got a lot of Hip Hop heads that know rappers in the early 90s. the music as well; same as in Paris. In Norway they got a lot of love for this music. I’m going You came up alongside DJ Screw as well, right? to Norway the week after SXSW again with Rapid Yeah we came up together DJing. When I started Ric, and to Helsinki, Finland too. spinning at 16, he was spinning in his neighbor- hood and we just really came together because Who are some of the artists you’re working with? I wanted to DJ for some up and coming rappers. I’ve done promo mixtapes for a lot of artists like He was DJing for Al-D at the time. A friend of Z-Ro. The last CD I did was hosted by Lil Flip. I mine knew Al-D and he introduced me to Screw; used to tour with Flip. I work with Young Samm, that’s how we met. It was history after that. a female artist named Kenika, and an R&B artist named Sydnee, I’ve released CDs on all of them. You do radio, clubs, and mixtapes now. How I just did a CD for a guy called Kritikal. I just did long have you been doing all that? a CD for Lil Troy. I got my store now too, Chill Since ’93 or so I’ve been doing mainstream rap Factor Music. I’m trying to make sure everything clubs here in Houston. Right now I still do two keeps going at my store. Keep the music sell- of the hottest clubs in Houston with an atten- ing, keep the clothes selling. I’m also getting dance of 1,000 - 1,500 people, Candy Shop and ready for the OG Ron C Music Conference and the Konnections. I’ve been doing my own promo- OZONE Awards this summer. I’m really trying to tions for clubs myself. I got a little club in Texas get overseas more this year as well. I also just City that I do on Thursday nights. I’ve been signed a distribution deal with R&D Distribution promoting another club called Bad Ass Fridays. I and I’ve got an album coming out early this do that in different little towns. summer called The Chill Factor. It’s gonna be a compilation. I got four of my artists on there, a What’s Texas City like on a Thursday night? new artist by the name of Ghost and some local Texas City is a hood club, know’m sayin’? A lot guys that’s been coming by the radio station of the local rappers in Texas City come out and and my store. // want me to play they music. They just come out to jam. They introduce me to new music and I For more info visit www.djchill.com or www. introduce them to new music. myspace.com/djchillmix2cold.com

10 OZONE OZONE 11 he G.R.i.T. Boys have been a hot name in Who all is on it? Houston for some time, especially in the We got a lot of good features on there. We had mixtape game. We’ve been waiting for a a song with a sample from Pat Benatar, I think Treal album. Now that you’ve signed a distribu- it was called “Follow Me Through This Town,” tion deal with TVT Records, when is it coming? and we took the line “You Don’t Know These We got most of the control out of the deal; Streets,” but we had to get it redone because it’s like a P&D deal, which is better than being the sample cost way too much to get it cleared. the labels’ slave. But we’re finally dropping We got Travis Barker to play the drums over and an album and it’s gonna be nationwide. It’s Corey Funkafingaz to play the guitar. That shit is coming out May 15th and Pretty Todd is in New crazy. Hopefully we can bring a Grammy home York right now doing the marketing plan. As far this year for that one. We got Paul Wall, Hawk, as the album, we finished it last week. We got and Dizzee Rascal on there. We just shot Dizzee production from Cozmos, Mr. Lee, a guy named another song; we want him on a single so we Joe, and the Grid Iron produced most of it. It’s can try to get a buzz over in the UK too with his a good look. I’m glad my album is coming out, feature. We got Mase on the album, Trey Songz, dawg. B.G., Bun B, and Slim Thug.

12 OZONE We got a lot of the reps from TVT coming out there cause they got a couple other acts. This year we’re trying to put on the best show that we ever put on. Being that there’s so many shows going on, we trying to enjoy every- body’s shit and make sure we do a great show. There’s a lot of talent out there this year. There’s always been, but this year it just seems like it’s the biggest year to me.

Tell me about everybody in the group. All y’all have real distinct styles. Can you describe yourself, Poppy and Unique? Well, Hawk is also a G.R.i.T. Boy and Paul Wall as well. Pretty Todd is a G.R.i.T. Boy too, he’s the producer. Poppy got lyrics. He don’t even write his words down anymore, it just comes to him like that. Niq, he has the best delivery out the group. He’s got a response on the mic and stuff. Me, I’m catchy, I got a voice. We all different. We get on the mic and you wouldn’t mistake us.

What sets you apart from the rest of the Houston artists who might have gotten a lot of attention in the past couple of years? I think what sets us apart from a lot of artists period is our work ethic. That’s why a lot of the stuff that’s happening to us happened in the limited amount of time that we been in the game. We’re setting trends and we’re not following what everybody else is doing. A lot of people switching to what we’ve been rap- ping about. I see a lot of dudes trying to make reality songs and that’s what we been doing GritInterview with ScoobyBoys from the jump. It seems like the whole game Words & photo by Matt Sonzala switched back to the real and not so much the gimmicks; the songs and the sampled hooks and all that kind of shit. We doing us. We not doing what everybody else is doing.

Did you ever feel pressure to conform to what you think they might want? I mean, we’ve got songs like that but we’ve Hawk was a mentor to you, right? never simplified ourselves to rap like some- Yeah. On this album we did “Roll Up A Blunt Part 2” body else that’s out. We made songs with with Hawk. We’re actually on his album Endangered sampled hooks, or about syrup and cars. We Species as well. We were his protégés. He put us in did all that type of shit; we’re from Houston the game. He showed us everything about being and we’re gonna represent where we from. I businessmen and how to handle ourselves on the mean, that’s ghetto reality too, being outside road and how to get our money. He always told seeing a slab come down the street. But the us, “Once you get a deal, don’t look back. Keep album is still reality. It’s so many different pushing forward. Make the money. Get Money, Stay subjects. The streets. The corporate shit. Being True.” Hawk really introduced everybody to us and on the road. We done seen the hood and we Paul Wall took us to another level. And of course done seen some shit too. Being away, making South By Southwest took us to another level. some money, it’s touching a lot of different areas. We represent Hawk on there a lot, too. Well, you guys have been doing that conference We’re keeping him alive. // for a few years now. What can we expect from you this year? www.myspace.com/gritboys

OZONE 13 You hail from Dallas, Texas? Yes sir.

When can we expect to hear an album from you? Oh, I got a lot of them out already. Tumthousand and Six is in stores. Fuck You Pay Me is in stores. I’m not a new artist, I’m just new to a lot of people.

Where did the name Tum Tum come from? I’ve been had that name. It’s just something my grandma called me and I’ve been running with it ever since.

You’re a Dallas artist, so how you plan on bringing Dallas to the rest of the rap world? I think Dallas has a lot of talent and we have the ability to make a lot of noise in the rap game. We got a lot of artist out here, like E-Cla$$ and myself that are trying to put Dallas on the map.

You told me about your mixtapes, but what’s your album going to be called? Eat or Get Ate. It’s on T-Town/Universal. It should be coming out the 20th or the 27th of March. I’m thinking the 20th, [the label] is thinking the 27th. It’ll be out soon.

Who are you working with on the album? It’s gonna be an in-house Dallas thing. There’s gonna be a lot of people on there that represent Dallas. I had to keep it in Dallas and show everyone what we’re about. There is just gonna be a lot of Dallas artists and Dallas producers on the album. I’m gonna have some people from outside of Dallas, but this is gonna be an in-house thing.

What can we expect to hear on the album? I got Carnival Beats on there. They did some songs for Mike Jones and Paul Wall. I got Jim Jones on the album. You’re gonna hear from Mannie Fresh and Cool & Dre. I got Trae on the album, and of course I got DSR [Dirty South Rydaz] on there and TBGZ.

What’s the first single off of the album? Right now we’re still trying to decide what the first single is gonna be. We’re trying to pick from about six songs that could possibly be singles.

How does the Houston sound differ from the Dallas sound? It’s kind of the same because we rap about the same topics - candy paint, cars, girls - but it I would say that Dallas has a more aggressive sound than Houston.

What is your take on the criticism that the South has a simpler, more commercial flow? I wouldn’t say that. People here are just rapping about what they know in their lives. I mean, when they say, “lean wit’ it, rock wit’ it” they say that because that’s what they do. We’re just down here doing our thing. They out there rapping for they hood whether anyone else likes it or not. //

14 OZONE tumBy DeVaughn Douglas tum

OZONE 15 robBy DeVaughn Douglasg

Where are you from? I could do battle rapping and it was time to step My parents came here as immigrants to this up, start making records, and become an artist. country and settled in Chicago. After I was born they decided to move to Houston. I’ve been here How would you describe yourself as an artist? all my life so I consider myself a Texan [laughs]. I don’t feel as though I have a certain style or image that I stick to. I have a lot of different You first got into rap due to an MTV/Roc-A-Fella stories and I’ve been through a lot of different battle, right? things in my life and those situations get put Actually, I started rapping about two years prior, into my music. I’m a very opinionated person. right after I got out of high school. At that time I’ve got an opinion about everything, like every I was just making songs but I realized I needed man should, so my music is just full of my more exposure and that’s what brought me to opinions. I feel like I have the ability to make the whole battle scene. I started entering myself somebody laugh, make somebody cry, make in local battles around Houston and I was doing somebody hype, and make somebody angry. I real well. There was this big battle in Houston just try to stand out and be my own individual. called Roc-the-Mic that had about 300-400 contestants in it. It was this huge battle put on How much of your actual life story do you plan by the radio station and the winner got to go on bringing into your music? represent Texas in a battle on MTV hosted by I’m a very personal writer. What I mean by that Roc-A-Fella records. I won the battle in front of is, when I write a song I like to take examples about 200,000 people at this car show we have from my own life. When I write a song about in Houston every year. Then I got to fly up to females I put my own life experiences into that New York and do the whole battle thing. I got song. If I write about the street then I’m going disqualified for cursing [laughs]. That battle, to use examples from my own life to illustrate though, is what kind of got my name ringing my music. My music is shaped by the events that around the streets. It was a good look for me. have happened to me and how I view the world After the battle I felt like I had done everything through my eyes.

16 OZONE You’ve gone through a lot of events in your life. look at myself or the fans knowing I’m rapping I heard there are people trying to make a movie about something I don’t really know about. out of your life story. Yeah, we’re trying to put together an autobio- Are we going to hear that Houston sound on graphical movie about myself, starring myself. your album or hear from any Houston artists? Basically it is just going through everything; You’re definitely going to hear that Houston from my childhood to me becoming a rapper, sound but it’s not going to be so dominant and now the beginning of me launching my on the album. My song that’s out right now is career. To be honest, I never thought about [do- called “Reppin’ my Block” and it features Lil’ ing a movie] because I didn’t think I was on that Keke and Slim Thug. Those guys showed me a level yet, but my label and all the people behind lot of love so I got to send a shout out to them. me just pushed it. As they got to know me better That record has a Houston feel to it but I think and learned about my story, they thought the my album, overall, doesn’t sound like a Houston movie was a good idea. album.

You have a pretty interesting life story. You Your mixtape has been selling well in Texas. turned your life around after a drug deal that Yeah, it’s a three disc set called The Rob G Cam- didn’t go as planned? paign. It’s got the regular album, with a screwed Yeah, I was about twenty and my son had just and chopped version for all of my screw heads, been born. He was actually about one and I was and a DVD hosted by Crisco Kid showing my still involved in a little bit of drug dealing. I career up until now. It’s got about 47 tracks on mean, I used to have normal jobs, but I always it with a few of them getting big on the streets. wanted more for myself and for my family so I got a song on there called “Freaks of the [drug dealing] is what I turned to in order to get Industry (tha La Raza Remix)” that talks about more money. In one of the instances things just the immigration debate. didn’t go right and I almost lost my life because of it. That’s when I started to open my eyes and Do you feel that Hip Hop in general need to realize that I had to do something better with have more songs that talk about current events myself. I always had real people in the street, and political issues such as the immigration people that were a lot deeper in the game, debate? telling me that this wasn’t the kind of life that That’s a good question. I can’t call it. As a musi- I wanted to lead. I wouldn’t consider myself a cal person I’ll admit that I don’t want to be hit thug. Some people talk about the street for their with a lot of political issues. But I would like image. I did a lot of stuff, but I was just trying to see more artists express themselves. I didn’t to take care of my family. do the song because I’ve always had a problem with how immigration is handled. I just had an How do you fit in with the image of the Houston opinion on the issue and expressed it through rap scene? my music. It’s something that really hit home I’m a huge advocate of where I’m from and I rep for me so I decided to express myself. I don’t Houston to the fullest, but I don’t fit into the think we necessarily need more political rap; rap scene here. I kind of chose not to follow the we just need more artists out there to express mold of the normal H-town artist. I didn’t want themselves. to just stand in line, follow what everyone else is doing and wait for my time to shine. I decided When is the album is supposed to come out? to step to the left and start my own line. It’s It’s tentatively scheduled to be released in the kind of like a double edge sword because I don’t spring or summer of ‘07. I don’t have a title for know if it will turn people on or turn people it yet but I feel like it’s going to be a big thing off of me. So far I think it’s working because it for Hip Hop and Latin rap. has separated me from everyone else. Plus now I’m starting to see that there are more Houston Do you feel as though people are more open to artists that see music the way that I do. Not that Latin rappers? there is anything wrong with any of the Houston I feel like we have a lot of groundwork to put artists. It’s just not my cup of tea to rap about down but I do feel like people are more accept- candy paint, chrome wheels, and jewelry. I can’t ing. The reggaeton movement was huge for us. rap about any of that stuff because I never lived I still think we have a lot of groundwork to do. I it. I had a lot of drama going on trying to raise just don’t feel like we have the respect of being a family and all so that’s what I have to rap able to hang with anyone lyrically. I want to do about. I felt more comfortable rapping about what Eminem did when he came out and get the stuff that I know because at the end of the to a point where people aren’t even concerned day I have to look at myself in the mirror. I can’t with my race. //

OZONE 17 nayrokBy Matt Sonzala

Where exactly are you from? I am from the South part of Dallas, which is basi- cally Metro Dallas, the hood. I’ve been in Dallas all my life, but I’ve traveled all around the world. I’ve stayed a couple places, like I went to college in Houston, but always made Dallas my home. I started singing before I could talk. Church was my spearhead for music. My godparents are my found- ers of the Black Academy here in Dallas and they were my introduction to the arts. As a little girl of four years old they started me in music, dance and theater. My sister and I had a rap group when I was in high school called Sustah MCs, but unfortunately she had to go to college so she went to college and I stayed at home and missed her but continued doing my thing.

That sister you speak of is Erykah Badu, right? That’s right. At that time she was known as Apples. When time came for me to go to college, I attended Texas Southern University in Houston, and that’s where I started working with rock bands. I was always into alternative music and rock music. Aerosmith was my favorite band and Cyndi Lauper was my idol as a little girl. I loved the Eurythmics. Anything that was alternative, or against the norm, I basically grabbed ahold of. I’m a vocalist but I’m such a free spirited vocalist, I just like to get on the stage and holler and blurt out some stuff. I loved rock for the energy and that’s what I got into and have been into ever since.

18 OZONE I don’t think Dallas gets credit for being Hop/soul album? as musical of a city as it is. I mean, look at The advice that I got from Prince is, “Don’t female singers alone. Dallas has spawned go on the rock shelf.” So I’m keeping my rock Norah Jones, Edie Brickell, Erykah, so many edge, but I have to make the music radio great artists, but people don’t seem to ever ready and with an urban edge. Nayrok is associate that with Dallas. always gonna be Nayrok. It’ll always have the You’re absolutely right. Dallas is absolutely guitars but we’re gonna filter it with Hip Hop underrated when it comes to music. I think and soul/R&B. it’s because a lot of times we go outside of Dallas to make it. Erykah had to go to New Was Prince a big influence on your sound? It York, as did Norah Jones. People aren’t com- sure seems like it from listening to you. ing to Dallas, artists are going outside the You know what? I am a Prince fanatic. I love city to be heard. him. I met him a couple of times and opened for him once. He influences me just by his Well, you could say that about any city. individuality and his originality. I just love Yeah, that’s true but we don’t have that “mu- that about him, and in talking to him, he’s sic mecca” that Atlanta or New York or even given me a lot of advice about the industry Houston has. because he’s all about independence and not selling my soul to the labels. He just gave me Will Nayrokula be with the band or will it be some advice about what to do in the music more beat oriented? industry. My album is coming out on my own The songs will definitely be live. I’m still label called Hoodrok. working on it but most of the music is live with the band and produced by Boski. My Who would you say is your biggest influence? manager Tee Dee Davis is also a producer and I’d have to say Tina Turner. She defied all she produced “Redemption,” which is getting odds with what she did. She went from deep, rotation on K104 right now. deep R&B to pioneering rock and roll. But my personal influence is my sister. She’s the Who else will we hear on this album? Will hardest working person I know. Erykah make an appearance? Yes, for sure. I also have Big Tuck on my CD Who else should we be looking out for in and Tum Tum as well from DSR. Money Waters Dallas this year? is gonna be on my album and as of right now, Definitely Money Waters, PPT, Strange Fruit that’s it. For production though I have Boski, Project, Dow Jones, Baby Ray, and Carmen Tee Dee, S1 from Strange Fruit Project and Rodgers. There’s a lot of artists to look out Ernie G. for here in Dallas. And T. Donkey, he’s like some gutter rap, he’s hot. That’s pretty much Is it more of a rock album or more of a Hip it. Love hard, live hard, rock harder. //

OZONE 19 here exactly are you from? You’re days with the real singing. People call it gutter known as one of the hottest singers singing. It’s just so soulful. It’s kind of hard to in Texas. get away from that but it’s always gonna be in WActually I’m from Atlanta, Texas in East Texas my music. I’m influenced by Latin music; Tejano but I live in Houston, in Missouri City, actually. music. I’m gettin’ off into opera right now so I’m I started singing at the age of four but have trying to learn everything. In junior high I was been singing professionally since the age of 16. in the orchestra. I used to play the cello, the The first song I ever appeared on was “Super violin, the viola, so I’m getting back into that. Star” from Fat Pat and the second song was “Get I’m learning how to play my acoustic guitar. Over That Shit” from Big Mike. I received my first I’m learning my keys again. When I was in high gold record from that. The first label I was ever school I was in the choir so I had to learn how signed with was Always Infinity Records, but we to read music. But I strayed away from that. put the label on hold and I signed a deal back in the day with Rap-A-Lot. I was on Rap-A-Lot What all have you released so far? for four years and after that contract was up I released Certified Platinum, Livin’ My Dream, I signed with Def South Records. That went on The Truth, R&B Gangsta, and The Best of Both for three years and I was back doing my own Worlds. Some of those were overseas albums. label, me and Cynthia’s label, Battiste Music I also have It’s Christmas Time and the Peace 1965. In between being back and forth with on Earth album, two Christmas albums. I also our own label I did joint ventures with Paradise have my underground album of all my greatest Recordings and Pearl Records. Those two labels features. never did get off the ground or work out for me, so it was back to our own label and I never did I know you’ve toured in Japan. Do they know another joint venture with anybody else. Now I much about Southern music over there? think my business ethics, skills and music have They know a lot about Southern music. They really progressed. While everything was really have shelves and shelves of music. They love taking off for the South, I was featured on over the South and Texas music. They have Chicano 450 albums. I was on a lot of radio hits, street rap, South rap, Texas music period. Texas has hits, and a lot of songs that fell by the wayside the biggest shelf. They really embrace our music but people still listen to til this day. and I’m on the majority of those albums so that’s how that whole thing came about. Plus I You take a different approach to your music. sing and they’re real big on singing and R&B in Would you consider yourself an R&B artist with Japan. I was thankful those people finally got a hip-hop leanings? How do you describe yourself hold of me. // musically? I know you do some very soulful music, but you’re always associated with under- ground, hardcore rap. I kind of associate myself with everything because the world has so much to offer. To be in the world and not of it, I think that’s what gives my music its diversity. I came out of the church singing gospel. I was raised in the church so the soul has always been there. I’ve attended Baptist church, Methodist church, and Catholic church, so I got a chance to hear a different sound and see people feel different things in different churches and from different ethnic backgrounds. It’s all in my music. It shows. I’ve been on the secular side too but a lot of the spiritual influences are still there. A lot of the people who sing R&B, jazz and country also have a spiritual background. I think everything is spiritually influenced. In my music, I exploit it with the hip-hop and gangsta music. I’m influ- enced by it because I’ve been in the streets. I’ve seen the struggle, and I’ve been a part of the movement. A lot of people don’t understand or know the struggle of what hip-hop is all about. With my background, being black, I think the soul in my music comes from back in the slavery

20 OZONE billyWords by Matt Sonzala cook

OZONE 21 Slim Thug & THE Words by Randy Roper Boss Hogg Outlawz Photos by Mike Frost ince entering the rap game, Slim Thug has everybody. The Boyz N Blue only consists of referred to himself as Tha Boss. And in the like three, four dudes. The Boss Hogg Outlawz Srap game, a boss is a CEO of his own label. is everybody. We got Young Black, he’s a Young Slim Thug meets this Boss criteria, with his Boss Hogg. We got Rob Smallz, he’s a R&B dude, so Hogg Outlawz label. With the release of Boss it’s the whole click. Hogg Outlawz’ album Serve & Collect, featur- ing Slim Thug, PJ Tha Rap Hustla, J Dawg, Sir You’ve had a lot of independent success but Daily, Chris Ward, Killa Kyleon, Young Black and your album didn’t do as well. Why’d you choose R&B singer, Rob Smallz, only a few weeks away, to put out the Boss Hogg album before releasing OZONE caught up with Tha Boss and his Outlawz your next album? to find out what this new Houston record label Slim Thug: Really the Boss Hogg Outlawz Serve has in store for 2007. & Collect shit is just some street shit to keep the streets feed. We got my shit coming out April How did the Boss Hogg Outlawz come about? 24th, Boss of All Bosses. Then we gonna drop Slim Thug: Me, PJ, J Dawg, we been together Boys N Blue. It was like, we didn’t put nothing since Swishahouse. A lot of these niggas I’ve out, so we had to keep the streets fed. been knowing for years. Chris Ward, we hooked and we ended up working together, clicking up. They are a lot of members in the group. Was it to And he brought through Killa. And it all came get everyone some shine? together like that. Everybody else fell in place PJ Tha Rap Hustla: It was really simple because while we been grindin’. like in the way we work in the studio people come and go, so it’s like if it’s a hot beat or hot What’s the difference between the Boss Hogg song we’re working on whoever jump on it first, Outlawz and the Boyz N Blue? that’s who makes the cut. If you participate Slim Thug: Boss Hogg is the whole label, that’s that’s what determines whether you get put on

22 OZONE the song or not. I was simple for me cause dur- man. So you gon’ get straight PJ Tha Rap Hustla ing the making of this album I stayed in the mix. talking about some money or talking about I stayed in the studio. So every song that was grindin’, talking to some chicks, having some jamming I hopped on, you know what I’m sayin’. fun, that’s about it. So it was real cool, the process of making it. Killa Kyleon: I ain’t gon lie my dude, you gon Slim Thug: I just let niggas do them. Everybody hear lyrical. I’mma give it to you live and direct. got solo songs on the motherfucker, know what One thing I know, it’s a bunch of real dudes over I’m saying, where they gotta stand on their own here. We real stand up guys. We bringing real two feet. I’m a big part of the record, I did at rap, real music back into the game and we’re least 12 records on there. It ain’t just like I’m bringing a side of Houston that ain’t nobody just putting my name on the shit, trying to sell seen. It ain’t nothing but hard hitters over here. it to people. I’m really a big part of this project. It’s five Barry Bonds, that’s what it is over here. These niggas have been down with me since day one, they’ve been making a lot of noise out Chris, what do you bring to the Boss Hogg here. So it’s just time for them to get their shine Outlawz? on too. Chris Ward: I bring a whole other swagger to it. Chris Ward: There are a few [tracks] that I just Cause we all do our own thing and everybody fall back from. Between me, PJ and Slim, we stands for something different. As a team we don’t really tussle over who’s gon’ get on what. kinda like Voltron. We all connect in a different We kinda almost know what was for who. And kind of way. I kinda just bring the flyness to the sometimes though, what we did with a lot of table. They always say I’m fly. I guess I bring them, everybody writes a verse. But we don’t some of the flyboy swagger to the table. But have no problems as far as laying a verse, it’s at the same time I still give it to them raw and nothing. If the song is just super, super jam- gutter. ming, everybody lays a verse. And you know how that goes, you go hard or go home. Tell me about the album. Chris Ward: The game right now is real crazy. I Tell me about the Boyz in Blue. don’t know if a lot of people look at it like that. PJ Tha Rap Hustla: A lot of people think we’re I know a lot of people in the industry do. I think Crips but on the Northside of our city we ride we’ll bring a whole ‘nother look to Houston. If blue cars, candy paint, candy blue. That’s where we get the right action and the correct timing the group Boyz in Blue [got our name]. on this here, we’re going to bring a whole ‘nother look to Houston to where they’re going What are we going to get when the album to be like, “Oh, I ain’t know it was like that.” drops? They actually been looking over us, but I guess PJ Tha Rap Hustla: You gonna get the rap hustle, sometimes you save the best for last. It’s not you gonna get PJ The Rap Hustla raw and uncut. just no one track album. We all have alter egos. I ain’t no lyricist or nothing like that. I just get You gonna have ‘bout 4 or 5 personalities, that straight to the point. I’mma groove wit’ the beat all got a double personality which is gon’ give and I’mma give you some good game. I might you about 10 people, feel me? Slim gon’ do get a little street, a little fly, whatever. You gon’ his boss thing. PJ gon’ do his rap hustla thing. get PJ to the fullest. I got my own little style, I’mma do my flyboy thing. Killa gon do his real simple wit’ it. That’s just me, I’m a simple thing. It’s just gonna be a flipside to everybody...

The rest of this interview is featured in the April issue of ozone. Visit us online at www.ozonemag.com

OZONE 23 lilWords by Matt Sonzala peace Photo by Tony Boyatti

24 OZONE here exactly are you from? You’re really young but seem to be really on top of the game musically right now. WI’m from Oakcliffe. I’ve been into music ever since I was little. I remember when I wanted a Karaoke Machine. I was like in 4th grade beating on lunch tables and rapping at football games, beating on stands and battling people. Ever since then it’s like everybody knows me as a rapper. They called me Lil Rap-A-Lot. Everywhere I went I had to battle somebody, so every week somebody felt like they was ready for me. It just started from there all the way to me recording CDs. My first CD I recorded was between 7th and 8th grade called No Com- petition. I did that CD and I liked how it sounded and everybody else gave me a good response. They kept telling me I need to do it for real. I thought, naw this ain’t what I do cause I used to like playing basketball. I was playing for a little bit but then I seen it was gonna take me too long to make money playing basketball - you know you gotta get a scholarship, do this and that, so it took too long. I picked up the rap game real strong towards the 9th grade.

How’d you get with Clout Records? There was this girl, she was a model, and that’s when Clout had first started. One day she took me up to Clout Studios, I saw people working like Oakcliffe and Young Nino and them and I already been knowin’ about all of that, so I said shit, I’m gonna try to get me a spot in. I had demos and CDs and I knew it was gonna be hard to get Corey one of my CDs so I went in the office and I spit him a verse. I spit a hot 16 and he liked it. He threw me a beat CD right then and there. So I got to writing and he was liking what he heard and he picked me up.

There’s a lot of history and a lot of music that’s come out of Oakcliffe. Yeah, Oakcliffe is like, man, I give big thanks to Young Nino and Hot Boy Star. People didn’t look at us like they do now. If you ain’t from Dallas or anything, you probably still know about Oakcliffe.

Your song “Hit the Dance Floor” is getting pretty big. Yeah, I didn’t plan for that to be a hit. I just record. I just do me and record. If you trying to plan a song, it’s more stressful. Music to me is just basically having fun. I have fun with it cause rappin’ is something I like to do. I take the game serious, but as far as music and stuff, the only time I get real serious is when something gets real fucked up. Like my daddy dying. I’ma write a song about that and that’s gonna come from my heart. About my hood, that’s gonna come from my heart.

OZONE 25 But when it come to stuntin’, shit, if I do that moved us to Hollywood and I didn’t know how I’m just doing that to have fun. it was gonna be over there. I didn’t know how niggas was gonna be looking at me, but even- Aside from the music, you’ve got a pretty crazy tually everything was cool. One day they had history. did a drive by, they rode through two times and Yeah, I got shot 12 times. It was a drive by. Our the third time they shot. Everybody in the hood generation right now is fucked up cuz back then know the procedure so niggas dropped. I’m a motherfuckers would rather be in the burbs than lil nigga, so I’m runnin’. I’m trying to get away the hood. But now it’s like the motherfuckers from the shit. So just by me running I took my that staying in 2-story, 3-story houses want bullets. Just by me not dropping I was the one to move to the hood. For what? People want to that got hit by the most bullets. After that I got move to the hood just to say they “hood.” That’s rushed to the emergency room. another thing. But shit, if you from the ‘burbs, you good. What’s the point of moving to the Why did that happen? Was it just a rivalry? hood for? You end up getting killed. Yeah, you know, in school, probably from one fight at a school caused all that. I just can’t say What do you mean? Like white folks coming in what really happened. It was some school shit and gentrifying neighborhoods and destroying like Bloods and Crips. That’s when gangbangin’ all the low income housing? was really strong. They wasn’t aimin’ for me but Naw, man. I’m talkin’ about niggas. People, pe- you know the innocent always get hit. riod. The music’s so fucked up, a nigga can say something and right then a kid can go and kill That was one month after your father was somebody. Why would you want to move to the killed? hood when you already in a good environment? Yeah, that was a month after. I thought I was Me, my momma got out the hood. She got tired gonna die like my old man. I went deaf and shit, of it. We moved out of Oakcliffe and my mom I was bleeding thinking I was finna die. moved to Duncanville. When she moved there with all my brothers and me, we didn’t know Not long after that you went into juvenile de- how that shit was gonna be. Everybody was tention too, right? Didn’t you have some history looking at us as different, cause we some differ- of that as well? ent-ass niggas. We came into Duncanville High Yeah, that was like a little robbery. It wasn’t a School just different. So now niggas trying to robbery, but they put it as a robbery. It was like do shit we do just because. Like, we don’t try to kids being normal kids. It started out from a play hard, some people do, but real gonna know fight, me and this one dude started fighting. -Af real. Anyway, my daddy got killed on September ter we started, I ain’t gonna even lie, I took off 12th, 1999. It was a set up. He was riding with a his shoes and was finna take him. I didn’t even female, he stopped at this corner store and the want the shoes so I threw him his shoes back. bitch ran in and came out with a nigga. Daddy After that shit, detectives and shit was coming didn’t want to go take him to get whatever he up to my school recording a nigga, trying to get was looking for so he pulled out his pistol and shit out of a nigga. Since I wasn’t telling them started shooting. Then my daddy pulled his out. shit they kept coming back saying other people My Daddy put the car in reverse, then went in snitched on me. Since I didn’t snitch back on drive, and lost consciousness like 15 seconds them they threw everything at me. Everybody in. So the man ran from the store all the way to was saying it was all me and just because I the street, threw him out his car on the median didn’t tell anything they just threw it on me. He and him and the other girl burned out and after said I took some money from him too. I gave his that some people came and seen my daddy was shoes back, and he said I took $8. It was some outside and rushed him to the hospital. Then I bullshit. got shot October 17th, 1999, a month later in a drive by. How long were you in juvenile? A month. Shit, that month felt like some years Really? How old were you? Like nine or ten years to a nigga though. Just being a young ass old? nigga, that shit felt like forever. And then I had I was like 11. That’s why I say anything can violated so I had to go back for not going to happen to anyone. I got shot in Duncanville. school. I was on probation and you gotta go to There was the Wolves and Hollywood, that was school when you’re on probation. I was skipping the rivalry. Put it like this, for Duncanville those school and all that so after that a nigga was far were the two hoods. That’s where the hood nig- back. I didn’t graduate. // gas was really moving to. I was staying in the Wolves for a little bit but after that my momma www.myspace.com/lilpeaceclout

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Money Waters Words by Matt Sonzala Photos by Edward Hall

28 OZONE n your first album, The Porch, it Do you incorporate a lot of live instrumentation sounded like you have a really into your production? heavy blues influence. Was that Yeah, like I said, my producer Cara and Gugu what you heard growing up? from Redrum Records, those guys did a lot Yeah well, more spiritual music than of my songs and we brought in a lot of live blues. I heard a lot of gospel. You instruments. Some horn players, whatever, it Oknow the church always had that blues element was tight. in it. The producer I work with, Cara Simone, he’s a real cool cat and a cold musician. He plays a When you perform live you often perform with lot of rock, funk, blues, and all type of things. a band too. We wanted to do something different. He pulled Yeah, every now and then I get a chance to do out some strings and it was instant chemistry. it with the live band. When we do it with the live We were just trying to do something different band it’s like a circus, man. We could have 20 with it, man, some real music. people on stage. A guitar player, a bass player; we have drums, background singers. We bring I hear a lot of gospel influence on your second it full circle, man. When we do the live band, we album. call ‘em Bangkok, Texas. It’s a different show Yeah, it’s all spiritual. Even though what we from when I just do it with the DJ. But both doing is rapping and everybody categorizes it as shows, it’s still Niggalaws, you feel me? being negative or like it ain’t got no meat to it, come on now. We got some meat up in there. Hip Tell me about that title. Where did Niggalaws Hop ain’t dead, ya dig? come from? Man, it’s just some old common knowledge Well, there’s a lot of rap music that doesn’t have shit that we used to play with. It’s stuff people a lot of meat to it. need to ride by, or live by. Sometimes we get Yeah, well everything has a yin and a yang. See so caught up in mainstream shit that niggas what I’m saying? Everything balances itself. It’s be forgetting what they’re supposed to do. It’s all part of what the universe brings to us. It all just a little theme to cover the whole album. My comes full circle. manager Uncle Pauly did a track on there called “Niggalegiance,” and kinda set some ol’ com- Do you find it harder for yourself right now, mon law rules of how men supposed to get out because you don’t fit in with mainstream music here and how we supposed to present ourselves. or what Hip Hop has become? Your stuff is pretty Otherwise we ain’t right with the universe. We’re different from what you hear today. doomed. Yeah, it is, but you know what I’m noticing is that since we’re independent and underground You said some people get “caught up in the and everything is financed by us, everything we mainstream.” What’s your definition of “main- do is us. What keeps us going is our fans, people stream”? who buy our music. We ain’t on TV, we’re not on Well, if you listen to the album we define a the radio, but our word of mouth is a mutha- whole bunch of rules. “Never come between a fucker. We got a lot of different press and orders man’s family,” shit like that. “Keep these women from places like New York, Norway, and Ger- out your business, quit goin’ naked dick in these many. We’re shippin’ a lot of stuff overseas. The hoes,” you know, a whole bunch of shit. Just internet and word of mouth is a muthafucker, to a whole lot of common knowledge for men the point where you don’t need all that capital period. We ain’t just talkin’ about black folks, we that the majors are gonna put into you. You talking about everybody in the world. It’s just really don’t need none of that shit, to be honest some shit to live by. Sometimes you gotta lay with you. You just got to get out here and do down the law and say, “Hey, we need to look at what you do. Like Young Bleed, he’s a legend what we’re doing.” The mainstream has really in the South. I’ve watch him walk through the gotten to the point where people think that South and make things happen without a major. whatever they do, things will be all good. But It’s beautiful. naw, it ain’t like that. //

OZONE 29 ’ve followed your music for a long time What was your first release? and it seems like you have always been Exotic Games, I was 16 and I’m 25 right now so affiliated with some of the bigger names in that goes to show you how long I been doing the Dallas underground. it. I got Exotic Games to the Actin’ Bad to the I started with Kevin A., Pookie & Lucci and them Just Bein’ Me, to the Eat Greedy or Don’t Eat At when they was hot doing they thing. I had a All, now we got the Eat Greedy Volume 2, Real hot track with them. I’m messing with Tum Tum Conversation in stores right now. It’s the hottest and them right now. He’s on 106th & Park and in the city. My company is Take it Off Entertain- MTV doing his thing. I also got Twisted Black, he ment. I’m also affiliated with Clout Records and locked up right now but he got his deal. I work Scarred for Life Records. with everybody, we all mess around. Also the Young Hustlaz and Corey at Clout. Anybody do- How does it work out having three different ing something I’m damn near gonna be messing companies behind your project? with them cause anybody who’s working needs It works out because I’m really self-owned and to be messing with each other anyway. everything goes through me. I call all the shots,

30 OZONE big chief Words by Matt Sonzala Photo by Edward Hall

the same question and I told him Dallas is cool, there’s a lot of potential down here and a lot of promising things all across the Metroplex. D-Town is looking good. These boys working. Right now I got the hottest album in the stores next to your Jeezys, your Games, and all of them. I’m moving more at home than all these boys. D-Town looking real good.

So Eat Greedy Volume 2 is an album, not a mixtape? Naw, it’s a whole album. I got the mixtape coming too, Eat Greedy Volume 3 It’s All About Emotion. So I’m steady working it with it. I ain’t doing no stopping.

Who do you work with on production? Right now I got my young secret weapon, his name is Hollywood. He’s a monster right now. I’ve also got my old school guy Mr. E. He does a lot of live, musical beats, and Choko too. They’re all from Dallas. They’re some starving artists, it ain’t like I gotta answer to nobody but we all man. They’re hungry and you can see through just work together. They help me as far as pro- their music how hungry they are. moting and marketing. Corey [with Clout Records], he’s got the clubs so anytime I wanna do anything This is your first year doing South By South- his door is always open for me. JT helps me on west. What can we expect to see from you as the management side, turning me on to people an artist? he knows. But it’s really Take it Off Entertainment. Oh, man. I’m live I got a lot of energy. You’re I’ve always been doing my own thing. gonna see a real, prime time entertainer. It ain’t gonna be all that whoopin’ and hollerin’, How do you feel about Dallas right now? You’ve it’s gonna be cool and you’re gonna be able to been in it a long time and seen a lot of ups and distinguish who’s the artist. You’re just gonna downs but right now seems to be a pretty strong get a whole lot of energy. That’s what’s up. // look for Dallas. Yeah, right now D-Town is cool, man. I just got off www.myspace.com/bigchief or www.donbig- the phone with Allhiphop.com and they asked me chief.com or 214-753-3002

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