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.