**special edition**

all-star 2007

lilflip

THREE 6 MAFIA \\ MISTAH FAB TOO $HORT \\ BIG FASE \\ WEASE X1 \\ J-DIGGS \\ MAC MALL

**special edition**

all-star 2007

\\ X1 \\ J-DIGGS \\ BIG FASE \\ WEASE STAH FAB \\ MAC MALL T \\ MI LIL FLIP \\ TOO $HOR

maf+ia three6

PUBLISHER: Julia Beverly CONTRIBUTORS: D-Ray Ms. Rivercity N. Ali Early ADVERTISING SALES: Che Johnson 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 Atlanta, GA 30318 Phone: 404-350-3887 Fax: 404-350-2497 Web: www.ozonemag.com COVER CREDITS: Lil Flip photo by Mike Frost; Three 6 Mafia photo provided by Sony; DJ Juice & Mistah FAB photos by Julia Beverly. DISCLAIMER: OZONE does not take responsibility for unsolicited materials, misinformation, typographical errors, or misprints. The views contained herein do not necessarily reflect those of the publisher or its advertisers. Ads appearing in this magazine are not an endorsement or validation by OZONE Magazine for products or services offered. All photos and illustrations are copyrighted by their respective artists. All other content is copyright 2007 OZONE Magazine, all rights reserved. No portion of this magazine may be reproduced in any way without the written consent of the publisher. Printed in the USA.

all-star 2007

section a
12 13 15 17 19 21 22 24 25 26 DJ DROP PICS1 DJ WARREN PEACE DJ SLIMM DJ FRANZEN VEGAS MAP ALL STAR EVENT LISTING VEGAS CLUB LISTING VEGAS CLUB LISTING TOO SHORTS GUIDE TO VEGAS

28-31 lil flip

34 38 MISTAH FAB MAC MALL

section b
11 12 14 16 18 22 26 PICS DJ BIG DEE DJ RORy MACk DJ JUICE WEASE BIG FASE J DIGGS

30-33 three 6 mafia

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1. Bars Summit. \\ 2. Thizz, Fabby Boo Bomb.\\ 3. Tito Bell, Traxamillion & Twin. \\ 4. BARS AWARDS Spice & Bioshi. \\ 5. Video Shoot Ghost ride it in Oakland, Bavgate & G-Stack. \\ 6. BARS AWARDS Hanny, Psd Tha Drivah & Zar. \\ 7. Thizz, Fabby killa kease. \\ 8.Bars Summit. \\ 9. BARS AWARDS Sleepdank & Dubee in San Mateo. \\ 10. BARS AWARDS Money B & Esenchil. \\ 11. Bars Summit in Oakland Wendy Day, J Diggs, Treal Real, kilo, \\ 12. Bash, Paula Deondra, Danity kane, Boo Bomb. \\ 13. BARS AWARDS Cell Ski & keak Da Sneak. \\ 14. Rydah J klyde. \\ 15. Bars Summit in Oakland Wendy & Davey D. \\ 16. BARS AWARDS Psd Tha Drivah & Zar. \\ 17. Fab Video, Ghost Ride It, Echo & Mistah Fab. \\ 18. Tito Bell BIRTHDAy BASH, D Ray & kLoc. \\ 19. Psd Tha Drivah & Tuff @ The Wild Card (club). \\ 20. BARS AWARDS kilo Chup Magnolia & Big Dante in San Diego. \\ 21. BARS AWARDS Foony & yukmouth in San Mateo.
Photos by D RAy

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\\\ \\\
warrenpeace
DJ PROFILE \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\

arren Peace developed a strong interest in music at an early age. While most kids save their lunch money to buy video games, Warren was buying vinyl. Hes come a long way from his Gemini turntable and record crates days. Though he currently uses a Serato System to spin, he remains loyal to the roots of DJing. Hell gladly play anything you request, but you should know that Tupac is off limits. When did you start DJing? I DJed at my first party when I was about eight years old. How did you get into it at such a young age? Most eight year olds are playing games or watching TV. I bought my first record when I was five. Ive always loved music. you know when you were little and you would sit and watch cartoons? I would listen to the radio and hear a song and be like, whats that song? or whos that song by? So from there did you start collecting music? I would find songs I liked and go buy the records. My mom would go to the super market and the record store was right next to the super market and I would go next door and get a record. I would tell them what I wanted and they would pull out the 45 of whatever it was. I would spend my birthday money on that. What equipment did you start out using? I had a Gemini turntable and a Radio Shack mixer. Im sure youve upgraded your equipment since then. What do you use now? I use Serato. I was basically the first major person on the West Coast to use Serato at a major club. The owner of Serato had never heard scratching live at a major club until he heard me spin it in Vegas. Thats a completely true story. Now, I use Serato, E500 headphones theyre real expensive headphones, my laptop and a 57 mixer.

Most DJs seem to be converting to Serato since its easier and you dont have to carry around a bunch of records. Do you think vinyl is dead? In general, for a working DJ, you cant get any better than Serato. you dont have to take too much stuff to a gig; you can get any record at anytime. So in that respect, yeah I think vinyl is dead. But for the avid fan and the avid collector, no its not dead. Are there any rappers in Vegas that are getting a big buzz? Id say The Chapter. Theyve been on Quest Love or The Roots Compilation. Theyve been on some national compilations and Atlantic Records is looking at them. Is there a particular song that you hate playing when its requested? I want to say anything by Tupac (laughs). I know people are gonna laugh at me but yeah, everyone requests Tupac and sometimes I dont like playing it. No disrespect to the artist, Im just tired of playing Tupac. How long have you been at your current radio station Hot 97.5? I started college radio in 87. I think Ive been at kLUC since 98. you also have a website www.hiphopsite.com. Tell me a little bit about that. Its the worlds largest online hip-hop record store. Weve been online since 97. We started as an information website and then we moved into retail. Its the largest online store where you can buy vinyl. you guys seem to have a real tight operation with the site. Whats your role in the company? Im CEO and part owner. Besides www.hiphopsite.com, how can people get at you? Email me at warrenpeace@hiphopsite.com Words: Ms. Rivercity

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\\\ \\\
Dj Slimm

dJslimm

DJ PROFILE \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\

J Slimm is a nighttime personality for Hot 97.5 in Las Vegas. Hes also been involved in promotions, community activities and even rapping. you can check him out at several major events during All-Star Week What time are you on the air? Im on the air Monday thru Thursday, 10:00pm to 11:00pm. On Fridays Im on 11:00pm to 1:00am. On Saturdays Im on from 8:00pm to 11:00pm. Did you have to do an internship before you were given your job at 98.5 fm? Actually, I did a lot of street promotions for a couple of people before that. I just happened to run back into one of the people I did promotions for back in the day. I told him that I was DJing and I actually won a DJ competition out here and he was the judge. So he asked me what I was doing and did I want to do radio. Pretty much, I worked for free. I did half of his show and he just gave me the rest of the show. Thats how I got the rest of my days on radio. Which came first your promotions or the DJing? I always wanted to DJ. I was DJing in the house or the garage for my friends while they played dominos and cards. I never learned how to play those games cause I was always DJing. The DJing started first. Are you originally from Vegas? I was born in Detroit, Michigan but I was raised in Vegas. Ive been here since fifth grade. Where will you be DJing during the All-Star events? Im doing the Lupe Fiasco and Lil Brother party on February 13th at the Empire Ballroom. On the 15th Im DJing with Biz Markie and Big Tigger at the Icehouse Lounge. On the 16th Im DJing with kid Capri for young Jeezy and T.I. at the Icehouse. On the 17th Im DJing downstairs at

the Icehouse for P. Diddys party. The last day at the Icehouse Im DJing for E40 and Too $hort.

Has anyone ever tried to pay you to play their music? If so, how did you handle the situation? Its happened with those who dont know the game but not from anyone really big. Ive gotten offers from people, but I have to explain to them that we work with a play list and I dont have too much control over new music I play. People wonder why theres an absence of local music on the radio. Its because sometimes DJs dont have a say so. Its a good and bad thing. Its a good thing cause the slack isnt all on you. you can easily say Im not allowed to play it. But its a bad thing cause theres some things that you might want to play but the radio station says no. Its a catch 22. Speaking of local music, whos hot in Vegas right now? Look out for my man Bosie-T and Pacific Time Zone a group that Im a part of. I DJ for them and I rap with them every now and then. Live Soul is another one. Do you enjoy rapping more than DJing? I enjoy DJing more than I enjoy rapping for the simple fact that Im making people dance. I cant sing at all, but I enjoy a lot of Neo Soul. I listen to a lot of Erykah Badu, DAngelo; I listen to Jazz and those are things I cant do as an artist. As a DJ, Im able to express myself by playing all of them at the same time. What else do you have going on? Im part of the MVLOC which is basically a chapter out here for positive hip-hop and things that are going on in the community. I also play an active role in my nieces dance group which is called After Math. Theyll be performing at the All-Star game. Words: Ms. Rivercity

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the strip
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Event Listing
tuesday february 13th
Hiphopdx.com celebrate the evolution of hip-hop with performances by Little Brother and Lupe Fiasco @ The Empire Ballroom. Doors open at 9 pm. $30, $35 at the door. Dupri and Nelly @ The Aladdin Resort & Casino. Doors open at 9 pm. $100.

Las VEgas | aLL-star wEEkEnd

saturday february 17th

Blackout. The Night the Lights Went Out In Vegas! hosted by young Jeezy @ Ice House Lounge. Doors open at 10 pm. $100 general admission, $250 VIP. ( Icehouselounge@gmail. com ) Joe Jaxson and Nite Life Ent. present Ballin NBA All-Star Mansion Party, hosted by Jim Jones @ The Paradise Mansion. Doors open at 9 pm. $150 general admission, $200 VIP. No Salary Cap Records presents The Big Party with Too $hort, Rick Ross, yung Joc @ Alexis Park Resort. Doors open @ 10 pm. $80. Magic Johnson presents Players Part hosted by Allen Iverson @ Studio 54 in MGM Grand Hotel. Doors open at 9 pm. $100 general admission, $200 VIP. Scarface presents Dirty South Invasion@ Sazio inside The Orleans. Doors open at 10 pm. ( 702-351-0210 ) Secret Password Party featuring Mad Linx, Freeway and The Clipse @ The Liberace Mansion. $150. So So Derrty Experience hosted by Jermaine Dupri and Nelly @ The Aladdin Resort & Casino. Doors open at 9 pm. $100.

thursday february 15th

Black Hollywood presents The Ultimate Ladies Night hosted by Idris Elba and Big Tigger @ Ice House Lounge. Doors open at 10 pm. $75 general admission, $150 VIP. ( Icehouselounge@ gmail.com ) Show presents The Big Three hosted by Buffie, khrysti and Temeca @ krave. Doors open 7:30 pm. $60 general admission, $150 VIP. So So Derrty Experience hosted by Jermaine Dupri and Nelly @ The Aladdin Resort & Casino. Doors open at 9 pm. $100. Players Arrival Party hosted by UNk and Rich Boy @ the Empire Ballroom. Doors open at 9 pm.

friday february 16th

Press Play VIP Lounge with DJ kid Capri and DJ Franzen @ Ice House Lounge. Doors open at 10 pm. $10 general admission, $250 VIP. ( Icehouselounge@gmail.com ) ROQ Inc and Swurvy Radio.com present The Official Jamie Foxx Unpredictable Tour After Party hosted by Jamie Foxx @ the V Theater inside the Aladdin Resort and Casino. Doors open at 10:30 pm. ( 702-932-1818) Joe Jaxson and Renee Ent. Present Ne-yo All-Star Mansion Party hosted by Ne-yo, Nick Cannon and DeMarcus Ware @ The Paradise Mansion. Doors open @ 9 pm. $150 general admission, $200 VIP. No Salary Cap Records presents Laugh-AThon with John Witherspoon, Sommore, Bruce Bruce and Shawty Shawty @ The Alexis Park Resort. Doors open at 10 pm. $80. EPS, MPAQ and Orleans Areana present AllStars of Comedy, featuring Arnez J, Earthquake, Anthony Anderson, Lavell Crawford and kevin Hart @ Orleans Arena. Doors open at 11:30 pm. ( www.orleansarena.com ) Secret Password Party featuring Mad Linx, Freeway and The Clipse @ The Liberace Mansion. $150. So So Derrty Experience hosted by Jermaine 22 OZONE

sunday february 18th

Forever First Inc. presents The West Side Story hosted by Ron Artest, Too $hort, E-40 and Mista Fab @ Ice House Lounge. Doors open at 10 pm. $100 general admission, $200 VIP. ( Icehouselounge@gmail.com ) Joe Jaxson and Nite Life Ent. present BET on Black All-Star Game Viewing & Party, hosted by Mad Linx @ The Paradise Mansion. Doors open at 3 pm. $100 general admission, $150 VIP. Magic Johnson presents Players Part, hosted by Allen Iverson @ Studio 54 in MGM Grand Hotel. Doors open at 9 pm. $100 general admission, $200 VIP. Secret Password Party featuring Mad Linx, Freeway and The Clipse @ The Liberace Mansion. $150. So So Derrty Experience hosted by Jermaine Dupri and Nelly @ The Aladdin Resort & Casino. Doors open at 9 pm. $100.

clublisting
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the
actually like the Cirque De Soleil shows even though theyre soft. The females love em and I love the females, so I fuck with it.

The Hard Rock Casino is always fun. In the summer I hit Rehab (noon til 8 PM on Sundays); the best pool party on earth. After that I change clothes and go to Body English in the same hotel. Spearmint Rhino is my favorite strip club, but after living in Atlanta for thirteen years, Im not impressed with topless clubs. But I always have fun at the Rhino. My girls love the Rhino girls. I do too. Cathys Soul Food is a must. I used to hit M&Ms a lot, but havent been there lately. I like the hookers but I dont buy sex from them. I have drinks with them at the bar while they wait to turn tricks. They give me lots of ideas for songs; always have. you can meet the nicest girl-next-door type and shell turn out to be a hooker. Hoes look down on strippers and porn stars because they make way more money than them. I have no respect for sluts who fuck for free. The Hotel at Mandalay Bay is one of my favorite spots. Lots of memories since they opened not too long ago. Fashion Show Mall is like a pussy supermarket. I never go to Vegas without going there. The top of the Stratosphere is another favorite. you can eat at the restaurant as it spins in circles and it gives you the best view of Vegas, undisputed. They also have amusement park rides on the roof. It must be 110 stories high, give or take a few. The roller coaster at New york New york is fun, but I really like the NASCAR roller coaster at the Sahara Casino. Its hella fun. The Hair Unlimited barbershop on MLk & Washington is a must. Pimps, professional boxers (Floyd Mayweather, Mike Tyson, Lennox Lewis), rappers, hustlers, and regular folks go there. Caesars Palace is another hot spot, and Pure and OPM are two clubs you should check out. Just being at the Palms Casino is fun - Club Rain, the Ghostbar, and the new club on the Playboy side. 9ine is my favorite restaurant, and its also in the Palms. The MGM Casinos lobby and bars are always fun during the big events Studio 54 and Tabu.

TOO $HORTS

rich guy$ guide to la$ Vega$

VEGAS HOTSPOTS

PHOTO \\ JULIA BEVERLy 26 OZONE

the

POORGUYSGUIDETOLASVEGAS
as Vegas for the All Star weekend? David Stern must have lost his muhfuckin mind! The crme de la crme of social weekends is coming to Sin City. The whole entertainment industry is going to eagerly penetrate the soaking wet city of sin in a weekend where everyone wants to leave with a double dose of satisfaction. Gorgeous women strutting down the strip with the dry heat causing sweat to glisten on every curve of their well-toned bodies, while ballers prowl the scene in their $100,000 rides and $450 jeans waiting for an opportune time to bring forth rain to the city in the desert. Lavish clubs and hotel parties, celebrities at every turn and everybody wants an experience to make them feel truly alive under the bright lights of Vegas. But dont go book your X-Fare ticket on AirTran just yet. This is not a weekend for the idealistic. In all honesty, All Star Weekend is not for us 5 figure niggas, especially in Vegas. Every host city knows who comes to All Star Weekend, and its not those of us who ride around to find the cheapest liquor store. you see the $100 base cover for the clubs and the $12 beers and realize that you might need to fall back. Vegas is by no means a dry city, so you should be able to just walk up and down the strip with your bottle and try to talk some females, who are broke like you, but want to leave their inhibitions in Vegas back into to your hotel room which is a great ideabut this isnt Spring Break or a homecoming party. Females arent trying to spend the weekend with you and your broke ass friends in a dingy hotel room drinking gin out of red plastic cups. They are trying to be on the scene, so if they look halfway decent, they will absolutely find an entourage member to get them in a club, hotel or even a tour bus. For those of you who do manage to get some chicks back up to your room, please dont have the Dumb Out look on your face when they say, Head is $50, $100 to fuck. Hookers come from out of town to get tricks and a lot of them are carrying heaters in those fake Coach bags, so dont get hemmed up. Image is everything in show-biz so at least cop a couple of fits before you make that trek. The white Foot Locker polo and Timbs will not suffice. Why even embarrass yourself? That shit wont fly in Reno. Get a lining the latest you can before you leave so you hairline will be at its freshest. I dont know the intimate details of primping for a female but just know, there arent that many places to go in Vegas for a nigga not to notice if you and your girl just switched clothes. Also, dress for the weather. Vegas can get cold and if youre that girl who will wear the mini-skirt when its 30 degrees outside, beware. you might get the heads-up on an afterparty or even receive an invitation to bury your head inside a rappers lap, but you will look like a ho and be treated as such. Niggas will be drunk and they will try to grab your ass as you walk. you bring it on yourself. Believe it or not, one of the biggest purposes All Star Weekend fulfills is networking. youre always only one influential person away from making it big and everyone is cognizant of that. Aspiring rappers rent 300Cs or Chargers and head out there with the street team and post flyers and hand out mixtapes. That shorty with the light eyes and long hair most likely is a model/actress trying to get her name out there. you cant knock the grind. If youre just out there for the fuck of it, youre on the sideline. Networking is hard in this type of environment because the hubris omitted from the people there could probably power one of the surrounding cities. But youre there anyway. If 100 people say no and then the 101st says yes, who wins? If you do photography, get up with some models. If youre thinking about managing, get up with some of those artists selling mixtapes. There is so many ways to make money out here, sometimes its just getting out there and finding it. So if youre going, strap up, stay safe and enjoy. Indulge in the cesspool of hedonism that is Vegas. Drink, smoke and fuck, because theres no dress rehearsal in life. Despite what I say, if you think you can po pimp, go for it. Its all about the mouthpiece right? Dont give a bitch shit but hard dick and bubblegum, playa? That type of thinking will only fly in little Podunk towns where you are one in a town full of busters, or you just dont have high standards. Going to Vegas with less than $500 in your pockets is not advised. Save yourself the embarrassment. Dont look like the poor bastard who makes everyone feel better about themselves. Get your Rick Ross on and in 5 years who knows? Maybe youll be the one making the oasis. // Mike Sims OZONE 27

FLip Em thE Bird

WORDS \\ DEVAUGHN DOUGLAS PHOTO \\ MIkE FROST

r Flip was the poste hree years ago Lil had uston Rap scene. He g boy for the Ho ny and was movin a new deal with So p charts with his pop and Hip Ho up the and Game Over. singles Sunshine beat which used the Game Over, eo game, quickly Pac Man vid from the Namco as Flips alt of conversation became the subjec the music arts. The owners of bum climbed the ch th Sony, which eventually wi sued Lil Flip along ationship. demise of their rel brought about the d as though Flip ars it seeme For the next few ye

ring his rap altogether. Du ul disappeared from Mike Jones and Pa led by hiatus Swishahouse, uston sound throughout ir Ho Wall, branded the on superwith so many Houst award the country. Now aire winning every tives on stars like Chamilli n/Port Arthur na d H-tow available to rap an toriety, Flips place in Hip no UGk rising back to nths from shaky. Now a few mo Lil Flip Hop seems rather t, Warner Bros. debu m/ gone releasing his Asylu about why he was to talk sits down with us ls he fits in the rap ere he fee for so long and wh world today.

Why did you decide to leave Sony and go to Asylum/Warner Brothers? Its difficult when youre a hard working artist and you get treated like you dont want to work. This is the same label that had 50; he got shot and they let him go. Basically, a lot of people there have egos that are bigger then the work that theyve put in. With Asylum I got the street muthafuckas that know rap but I also got Warner Brothers which is this big record producer. I got the underground and the major pushing my album. I believe you had told me earlier that you had trouble keeping up with the staff? Look, Ive got a million reasons I can be mad at Sony but that was definitely one of the major ones. I originally signed with Steve Rifkin and Loud. After Loud folded Columbia had the option of deciding which artists they wanted to keep or get rid of. They ended up keeping me and I was introduced to a brand new staff. By the time I started getting cool with this new staff I got up a few months later looking for people. Im like, Wheres such-and-such and they say, Oh, he aint over here anymore. Hes with Universal. That shit just started getting annoying. They ended up placing me around new people who were responsible for getting my project done and some of those new people placed me in fucked up situations. What kind of situations? Take the Game Over situation. That whole lawsuit could have been avoided. I didnt even want to do that song for a number of reasons. One, Beanie Sigel had already done a song with the beat called Mac Man. Two, there was a dude [in Houston] doing that exact same song. Three, I had been sitting on that beat for about six months. Im not going to say the A&Rs name, but he kept calling me saying, I know you dont wanna rap on it, but Ill pay you thirty grand. Dont worry, we not gonna use it on anything important. Shit, Im a nigga from the hood and you talking bout thirty grand. you know I jumped my ass on the plane and went on ahead and got [the thirty]. So yeah, I did the song, but I never really expected them to release it, or for it to go so big. Plus, peep what I did just in case they pulled some foul shit. I cuss so much on the beginning of the song that I never thought they would use it as a single. In the beginning of the song I start it off Aww shit, yall done fucked up and let me in this bitch. I was trying to say so many cuss words - I didnt overdo it because it could have been worse. I did that shit so that it would not be my radio hit. But Ill put this on everything - I did the song on a Monday and then I stayed in New york for four

days. When I flew home on Friday that [song] was on the countdown. So you didnt even expect Game Over to be on the album? I was just doing it because they begged me so much. They would not take no for a fucking answer so I finally agreed to do it. Plus the agreement was they wouldnt use the song for nothing that I didnt approve of. That was a lie. Then the lawsuit came behind that shit. The media hyped that shit up like I took the beat and then at the end of it all I didnt have to pay. From every article that was out it seemed like you took the beat. Nah, Sony had to pay for all that shit. An A&R that worked for Sony is the one that brought me that beat. He didnt clear that shit. He acted like he was on top of his business and he just wasnt. Thats the first time I let an A&R pick some shit and look what happen, so now I dont fool with that A&R shit anymore. A lot of them have ulterior motives. What do you mean by ulterior motives? I feel like Sony blackballed me. Ive got songs with Destinys Child and Beyonce that we were supposed to shoot a video for but they wont release it. you wont let me shoot a video for that but youll allow someone Im beefing with to shoot a video and do a song with them? Man, Ive had A&Rs try to blackball be after they found out I was making beats. He would bob his head in my face but then he would run back to Sony talking bout, Hes making beats now! So if Flip is making beats then that means that A&R doesnt have a job. I aint trying to produce my whole album just cause I make a few beats. Ive never had anyone over my back telling me what I need to do. I always constructed my own music. I never had anyone saying, Flip, you need to do a girl record. I just always did what I felt. On that note, do you feel like Sony tried to keep you in the same lane? In other words when you have a hit like Sunshine or Game Over they are only looking for that kind of record. yeah. With Sony, first off, their track record when it comes to us aint even all that. They give up on an artist when you get close to three hundred [thousand records sold]. If you aint doing shows, and out in these streets, and spending your own money on yourself youll fucking drown with them. I mean, no disrespect, but look at an artist like Amerie. She only goes gold every time. She gets her one video, maybe two, and [Sony] is cool with that. I know she wants to sell more records, and she should. Sony isnt helping her, or their other artists, do OZONE 29

what they should be doing. The only artist thats doing phenomenal on the label is Beyonce. Now that Three 6 Mafia won an Oscar Im sure Sony will start paying attention to them. Now Sony will spend money on them and be like, Oh, we love you. But them niggas have been putting it down for so long and only now is Sony looking. Sony should have been looking at them a long time ago. [Sony] dont respect nobody unless youre Beyonce or maybe Nas. Nas has criticized Sony in the past. Right. He got problems with them but he gets more respect off of seniority. I mean it probably aint all peaches and cream for him like he wants it to be but for the most part him and Beyonce are cool. So now you dont have to deal with the A&Rs at Sony picking your music. How did the new single with Lyfe come about? We shot the video for What it Do and did an uncut video. Then we were getting ready to shoot the video for Im a Baller and halfway through is when I was starting to leave Sony. There were only about three or four people who knew I was leaving Sony so everyone was pushing Im a Baller. When I got over to Asylum tried to get Im a Baller and push it to DJs but everyone was like, I got this from Sony 3 months ago. That was a big record. My first performance of the song scared me because when I went out there everyone in the audience already knew the words to the song. Warner Brothers decided they wanted to go with Ghetto Mindstate and I was kind of shocked. I was a little skeptical because it wasnt a club record but it was testing well with programmers. So I just said fuck it, lets go with it. Ive always wanted to do music with Lyfe. I had heard about him before he had even got out of jail. I dont put an artist on [a record] because theyre hot. I put people on my songs that I can feel. Was the switching of labels the reason your album leaked? I had to pay [Sony] two million dollars to leave, to take my album with me and buy myself out of contract. Right after I left somebody leaked the album. Usually your label sends out two or three singles but I was starting to notice that when I visited radio stations the DJs had the whole CD. This was three or four months before the album is supposed to come out. It was frustrating dealing with that and the beef I was going through, and that shit just pissed me off. I just said fuck rap for a minute. Im not gonna put out an album that everyone has. I dont even know how many people got the album. But when Im out in the streets people were still telling me to put out the album and that they were going to buy it anyway. So I go back in 30 OZONE

the studio and do 18 more songs to put on the album. The first single, Ghetto Mindstate, appears to be a break away from the type of music you usually do. No, On the Leprechaun I had a song called Gotta be Me. I had a song called The Biz about the rap business. On Underground Legend I had What I Been Through, I Should Have Listened, and Its A Fact. Ive had a lot of songs that aint got shit to do with the club because everyone dont wanna hear about that and jewelry. Thats the fucked up thing about the rap game, man. your first look is what you are. Thats all people see you as. What separates this album from your last albums? Its more mature. Most of the time my albums are done one right after the other. This one has a more mature sound because there is a three year break in between recording. I take more risks on this album by trying different tracks and different rhyme schemes. Whats your response to the critics that dont think youre lyrically up to par or that youre too commercial? Theres two types of rappers: rappers that sit around and see how many big words they can rhyme, and those that have more of a conversational flow. My type of style is the conversational flow because when I rap it feels like Im telling you a story. Before my albums, when I was underground, I was known for straight freestyling. I was spitting off the top of my dome what I was living and how I was feeling, but when you get into making records, its different. Theres a difference between making a battle record and a hit song. My whole thing is, everybodys got their own way of telling a story and this is mine. Im more of a storyteller. Critics are funny. Ive bought at least six trash albums in the last year because some magazine said it was a classic. So the critics will praise the garbage and trash good shit. Take Ice Cubes last album. I read some bad reviews on it but when I listened to that shit that bitch was jamming. He was rapping about whats going on in the world right now and that shit was hard. These magazines and critics just show too much favoritism. Its not even about the music anymore. Whats it like stepping back into the Houston rap scene? you came out on your own and the kind of fell back and then Swishahouse pretty much was on top of Houston after that. What is your place now in the Houston rap scene? yeah. What people dont realize is I didnt take a break by choice. Plus, even though I didnt have an album out I was on a lot of independent shit.

I stayed on the road touring and doing mixtapes and DVDs. Everywhere I went the fans keep telling me they were waiting on an album. I feel like my place is still there, but I just had to go through a lot of bullshit. Now I just gotta come back harder then ever before. If I knew what I know now with Sony, it would have been a totally different situation. The fans know when I come back I coming hard. youve moved from being an independent artist to a major label artist. What are some of the things you learned during your career? With independent label you spend your own money and take all the risk. youll be real pissed if you get screwed or fucked over on a show or some shit. But with a major, if they fuck up - thats their money. I can still get money on shows if the major fucks up. So independent you can make more money, but if you take a loss you can take it pretty hard. Anything else? keep your contacts. I use to book my own shows before I signed with a major so I would be on the phone with the DJs and program directors. When I got with the majors I would always have someone in between me and the program director or DJ. keep in contact and speak with your people directly. I had someone say he tried to get me on one of his mixtapes but my people kept telling him No or Hes too busy. I ran into him and had to personally send him some freestyles that I had saved on my computer. This guy is the DJ for the Heat so this aint small time. Now Im thinking Damn, if they passed up on this opportunity what else are the passing up on without me knowing? I was doing everything before on my own. Picking the beats, promotions, marketing, doing it all. Thats why I feel Im a star. Im probably one of the only people out of Houston that has all the elements that it takes to be a star. So lets set the record straight. In terms of Houston artist, there are rumors that you dont get along with a lot of them. Slim Thug, Paul Wall, and Swishahouse in general seem to always come up. What is your take on the rumors? I was one of the first Screwed Up Click member to do songs with Swishhouse. Didnt no S.U.C. artists do songs with them before me. I was the first cat to do that. I dont have a problem with anybody from Swishahouse. They never did shit to me. I love the North side [of Houston]. I got family that stay on the North side. I dont have a problem with nobody unless they disrespect me. All these people who they say I have problems with or supposedly have problems with me appeared on my first album. Im 95% of these Houston rappers idol. They was calling me every day to fuck with me. They used to

call my phone every day. All that grills shining and the big jewelry - all that shit came from me. you know how it is when youre a baby and you want to be like your daddy? Then when you turn 18 you feel like you can buck him? So a lot of people feel like now that they are getting a little notoriety that theyre bigger and better than me. Me, Im not focusing on the bullshit. All the people who offended me know what they did. Im loyal and other people just arent. If I fuck with you then I fuck with you whether you have a hit or not. Theres no more loyalty in the game. People got this idea that when they come out they got to save the hood or all their homeboys. How many rappers put the homeboy on when they blow and nobody really feels their homeboy? How many rappers got all their friends on stage with expensive jewelry? That shit is draining financially and emotionally. They dont realize that at the end of the day when its time to pay the bills your homeboys dont want none of that shit. With the state of the music industry nowadays it seems like its getting harder and harder to pay bills. Hell yeah. youll have an artist come out with a hot single and only sell a hundred thousand records. you got to look into other avenues. Ive wrote a couple of books. Ive got an autobiography coming out. I got a few movies coming out. One is called Crown Me, a horror movie, and a movie called What They Dont Want you To know about the rap game. Ive got a cookbook coming out called My Grandparents Cookbook. I got a clothing and tennis shoe line coming out along with my line of watches. Plus my alcohol Lucky Nights is selling and Im adding a couple of sodas to that. you cant just put all your eggs in one basket. Aint nothing wrong with having multiple jobs.

ist M
Words
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city the e of Princ

: Julia B to // Pho everly ay s: D-R

a.B. h f. a

Im from Atlanta, dawg. I dont really know nothing about anything else. A-Town, shawty. [laughs] Naw, the Bay Area movement right now is definitely on the upswing. youll see a lot of artists getting deals. Clyde Carson just recently signed with Capital. youve got The Pack over at Jive, E-40 and The Federation at Warner Bros., The As over at TVT and me at Atlantic. Thats a beautiful thing for a region where a couple years ago we had no major label exposure. Hopefully 2007 can translate to some nice sales and a big buzz. Why did you decide to sign with Atlantic? The way my deal is set up with Atlantic is damn near like a distribution deal. Ive got an Asylum deal, but with Atlantic I have things set up to where Im still able to do my independent movements and the things that already established me as a Bay Area artist. My deal is still structured in that form [as an independent], but theyre able to upstream me if possible and have the first choice [of signing me to a major]. So I got a nice deal. At the end of the day, the main thing is selling records. Even if youre just pushing a single and living off your ringtones and digital [sales], thats your main thing. you have to generate sales, both for you and your label, cause that way you keep both parties happy. Nowadays you see a lot of people with big promotion and big buzz, but theyre not selling records. Nobody is really selling records in the industry no more. you have to take advantage of every opportunity that presents itself. The Bay Area has high expectations of artists like keak da Sneak and yourself as the ones that are supposed to break through and open the doors for everyone else. Do you feel pressure to succeed on behalf of your region? keak is a pioneer. Hes someone whos taken a style that people initially thought was awkward and off-the-wall and has influenced our genre of music. Even if he never sells another record or never signs to a major label, hes a pioneer. Hes already had his jersey retired. Hes one of those guys that still plays the game with their jersey in the rafters. We respect him. Hes the peoples champ and were all rootin for him. Whatever happens now, its no pressure for him because hes already done what hes done. Whether hell become a regional celebrity or a worldwide celebrity, keak da Sneak will always be a part of this whole movement in history. As far as me, pressure is just expectations. Some-

eve been hearing about this Bay Area movement for a minute now. Do you think its on the upswing or has it stalled out?

times people expect so much from you that they begin to hold their ambitions and motivations and put it on your shoulders. Sometimes they cant take stuff on themselves and they need an outlet. Pressure is really an expectation of others, like people who expected E-40 to take the hyphy movement to the next level. There was a lot of pressure on him. Whether he took that and digested that himself, thats on him. I dont feel like its no pressure on me, cause Im just doing what Ive always done in creating music and being me. Being me has got me this far, so why stop? There is no pressure. Who are some of the key players in the Bay movement that the rest of the country might not be aware of? There are several other artists, but a lot of the DJs play a big part too. Regardless of my personal relationship to cats like Big Von Johnson, he has a big role in the movement because hes a Music Director. He really gets the say-so on what plays and what breaks. Cats like Rick Lee, DJ BackSide, DJ Juice and a lot of other DJs have a major influence. Theres an abundance of talent in California. Explain what the hyphy movement is, in relation to Bay music in general. The hyphy movement is something that has people outside of the Bay Area interested. Thats what they identify with. When you say hyphy, you think of the Bay Area, just like when you say crunk you think of the South. Thats our demographical identification. Thats the genre of music were popular for, but everything coming out of the Bay Area is not hyphy. A lot of cats definitely dont participate in the hyphy movement as far as their musical preference. They dont do hyphy music, which would be defined as uptempo, adrenaline-filled music telling you to go stupid or go dumb.

The rest of this interview is featured in the March issue of OZONE. Visit us online at www.ozonemag.com to check out the debut of OZONE West.

REAL, RAW, & UNCENSORED SOUTHERN RAP

S : S, N PLU NE ST IGG LIO O A D IL OZ T COB, J-AXAM S A WETAH FRT, TR MIS $HO O TO

THE FIRST ANNUAL

DRUG
ISSUE
CRACKHEAD CONFESSIONS
TRUE STORIES FROM RAPS MOST DESPISED HEROES

B.G. PIMP C RICK ROSS LIL BOOSIE TWISTED BLACK JUELZ SANTANA
& MORE

OF CHOICE EST DRUG LEGAL RAPS NEW D SHOULD BE HOUSE A STASH MORE TACY BECAME S WHY WEE & * HOW ECS * 20 REASON * HOW TO ROB

BUCK

YOUNG

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MAC MALL
PRESSURE MAKES DIAMONDS
WORDS \\ N. ALI EA y RLy | PHOTO \\ D RA

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you take a Mack, put him in a helicopter, strip him naked and drop him anywhere in the world; I bet you he drive back with two pockets full of money.
This music shit is janky. I describe it as like a bitch a fine as bitch who fuck wit everybody. She fuck wit Puffy and nem. She fuck wit Trick Daddy and nem, Nelly and nem. Before I expected the bitch to be faithful. It was like, Awe bitch, you cant be cheatin on me. Now its like, Okay. But the bitch get by me, Ima whisper in her ear and try to keep her by me. Along those lines, was pimpin a natural progression for you or was it more of an escape from the game, from that bitch? See me, Im a mental muthafucka. I play chess not checkers. My whole thing is being the smartest nigga. So when it came to the game, it was all about a man and his brain. you gotta survive by your wits. you cant have a gun, none of that shit in your brain. So that always like, juiced me up. But, it also took from me. It took two and a half years. I didnt do no rappin, but it made me strong, so I wouldnt say it was bad. But I wasnt being who I am. I wasnt doin the music shit. What was the good that you found in it? It made me strong. It made me believe in myself. When you in the game you cant have no crew. How many PIs you know in a posse? Its just you and yourself, your brain. your tongue is your gun and you just gotta think. you gotta be a thinking man. So that always attracted me. Plus, I wasnt no PI. I was a Mac. The difference is this. A PI, a real pimp, he dont eat if the bitch dont pay him. A real pimp dont sell dope. He dont jack niggas. He dont do nuthin but get paid by a ho. But a Mac is a fuckin master at everything. If you give a Mac a sack, he know what to do with it. you give a Mac a gat, he know how to react. you give a Mac a bitch, he know what to do with the shit. you take a Mac, put him in a helicopter, strip him naked and drop him anywhere in the world; I bet you he drive back with two pockets full of money.

e was once the Bay Areas shining light. At only fifteen years old, his no holds barred, arrogant approach on his debut album Illegal Business earned him prince like status and an open path to one day claim the throne Too $hort held down. After the breakout album Untouchable his name became synonymous with another Bay Area favorite - 2pac Shakur. But after a brief stint in the City of Angels, Mall tried his luck in Vegas. The gamble proved to be a successful one, as the Country Club Crest (Vallejo, CA) native willingly became the product of a world that swelled his pockets, but stifled his artistry in the process. Still, Mall is the orator of twelve complete albums since 1993. OZONE caught up with the Mac to find out how he renewed his fervor for the game with his most recent release, Thizziana Stoned and the Temple of Shrooms, and just how hes coping as CEO of Thizz Entertainment. Is there a different method for you when it comes to penning rhymes as a 30 year old man? Me and Furl got to do a record before he got killed called US Open and the time that I spent with [him] really taught me how to be free and just be myself. He was just an individual. He was comfortable in his person. So the time that I spent with him, he taught me how to be Thizzlamic. When I first started I thought that I was supposed to have all this shit. Now I cherish this shit. I realize that I needed to survive like air. you know how you need air, water and food to live? I need air, water, food and music. Then, me being the CEO of the company, I got to work around all these young artists and it fulfilled me. I got to talk to them, chop it up with them and they respected me for the shit that I put down. Them dudes really made me love this shit again. It basically lit my fire and gave me drive again. How would you describe your experience in the game?

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1. Lee Major & Jacka @ THE WILD CARD in Oakland \\ 2. Hasi, D-Ray & Kiranda of the NVUS TWINS @ THE BOO BOMB in San Jose \\ 3. Jimmie Weaver & Srawberry of WILD 94.9 @ CLUB ABYSS in Sunnyvale \\ 4. PSD Tha Drivah & Nuch \\ 5. Youth Uprising \\ 6. The Pack @ Youth Uprising in Oakland \\ 7. B.G of the REGIN @ THE WILD CARD in Oakland \\ 8. Rob Lo & Traxamillion @ Thizz Party in Oakland \\ 9. Clyde Carson & Young L @ Youth Uprisings Christmas party in Oakland \\ 10. Young L & the Jacka @ CLUB ABYSS in Sunnyvale for Mistah FABs signing party \\ 11. The Pack @ SUPERHYPHY 13 in Santa Rosa \\ 12. The Jacka & Big Rich @ THE BOO BOMB CONCERT in San Jose \\ 13. DJ Devro & DJ Imperial @ THIZZ PARTY in Oakland \\ 14. Thizz & Mistah FAB signing party \\ 15. Little Bruce & Dubee AKA Suga Wolf @ SUPER HYPHY 13 in Santa Rosa \\ 16. PSD Tha Drivah & Jagged Edge \\ 17. Guest & Olis @ Youth Uprisings Christmas gift giveaway in Oakland \\ 18. The Jacka, D-Ray, B-Luv & Rob Lo \\ 19. Cee Ski & Cisco @ Mistah FABs signing party \\ 20. Youth Uprisings Christmas party \\ 21. Treal Real, Rydah, J Klyde & Quez @ WILD CARD in Oakland // Photos by D-RAY

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Dj Big Dee

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DJ PROFILE \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\
against laptops cause Ive been using my Serato for the last four years and thats cool, but these new DJs wake up one morning and get a laptop and now they got music to DJ. Theres no history with the up-and-coming DJs. They never learn to be original. Also, theyre nickel-and-dime DJs. You have a DJ that gets paid good money and then you have another DJ that wants to come in and do a party for $100. Thats the biggest mistake up-and-coming DJs make. How long did you practice and learn the history of DJing before you considered yourself to be a professional? It took me the greater part of a year. It took me a year to get it tight. Everybodys not musicially inclined. You have to love music to be able to play it. Are there any local artists in Vegas that are hot right now? It would have to be a rapper by the name of Trigga. Theres another rapper named G-Nocc and another one named Capizzle. Those are the up-and-comers besides X1. Hes actually from New York but hes based out of Vegas. Have you ever thought about doing production for any artists? Ive actually dibbled and dabbled in producing tracks but I never really took it seriously basically because of time. I DJ so much on a consistent basis. Whatever time I do have I try to relax, spend time with my family and work on music. Thats pretty much what I do. Ive thought about it, though. Would you like to give out any contact info before we go? Check me out on www.kvegas.com and of course the infamous Myspace - www.myspace. com/djbigdee702. Words: Ms. Rivercity

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djBig dee
DJ Big Dee claims to be the hardest working DJ in Vegas. With a spot on 97.5 FM and club residencies almost every night of the week, he just might be living up to his word. Where will the hot spots be during All-Star week? The ethnicity of All-Star week will be very Afro-centric. Pretty much all the major casinos want the business, but they dont want the Hip Hop element that comes with it. Theyre turning away a lot of money. Theyre turning away some major people throwing a lot of dollars out. Pretty much all the big strip clubs and the venues off of the strip are gonna be hosting a lot of All-Star events. The Mandalay Bay is hosting the NBA Slam Dunk Contest. Theres a lot of parties going on. Its gonna be exciting. Are you DJing any events? Of course I am! Im doing the Ice Cube Players Ball at the Orleans Hotel Casino. All the big heavy hitters will be there. Its going to be following the big hip-hop concert theyre having there also. Thats on Saturday night. Earlier that day, Im doing a big comedy show. The comedy show is at Alexis Park Hotel Casino. What is your normal schedule like? Im on Hot 97.5. I do the five oclock mix and the weekend drive mix six days a week. Monday nights my residency is at the Rum Jungle inside Mandalay Bay. Wednesday night Im at Princes new club 3161 inside the Rio. I also do Barcode that night. Thursday night I DJ at OPM inside Ceasars Palace. Friday and Saturday night Im at Club 702. Thursday, Friday and Saturday I also do after hours at Minxx after the clubs. Im pretty much the hardest working DJ. Since youre so experienced, are there any mistakes you see up-and-coming DJs making? The biggest thing I think that messed up the whole DJ game is the laptop era. I have nothing

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rorymack
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riginally from Chicago, Rory Mack has become one of Vegas top DJs. Besides his job with 98.5 FM, Rory also has a show on Channel 40 Hip-Hop Nation on Sirius Satellite Radio. With a strong musical background and over 28 years of DJing experience, Rory Mack is a certified veteran in the radio business. How did you get into DJing? All the credit is due to my mom. She used to throw house parties when I was a kid, about four or five years old. She drafted me to play the records. I really starting taking it serious during my high school years. I was initially doing roadie work for one of the biggest mobile sound companies in Chicago during that time. The name of the company was FoxxPlayer Sound. I got the opportunity to play records on one occasion when the main DJ was late for the gig. Not only did I rock the party, but I got a promotion at the same time. How else did your family influence your career? My dad was in the music business. From birth to my early teens I was exposed to the process of making records. I was exposed to songwriting, recording, producing and performing. Having professional music gear in the house on a daily basis was a plus as well. And the house parties were a big influence, too. Did you ever pursue any formal music training? Not really. I had a natural feel for beats and tempo from playing drums in my early teens. I was already remixing records through tape splice edits I did at home with my dads gear. That was before I physically bought a set of turntables and a mixer. How did you end up in Las Vegas coming from Chicago? Shortly after graduating from high school I enlisted in the Air Force. Uncle Sam transferred me to Nellis Air Force Base in Las Vegas from Miami two years into my four year term. Shortly after I 14 OZONE touched down, I started putting a major dent in the game here. Ive been here ever since. What differences do you see in the Chicago and Las Vegas markets musically? The subculture in Chicago is setting national trends in music and entertainment. Las Vegas thrives primarily on following trends of a city such as Chicago. I was fortunate to work for nightclub, radio station managers and programmers in both markets who justified my professionalism and ear for good music. They gave me the freedom to do me. How long were you DJing before you got the radio gig? I was DJing for two years. Tom Joyner gave me my first taste of radio in Chicago at WJPC when I won a city-wide contest that he put on. It landed me a guest DJ spot at Chicago Fest. That was 26 years ago. Ive been actively doing radio and mixshows since my arrival in Las Vegas back in 84. Right now, Im into my seventh year at 98.5 KLUC, and my second year at Sirius with my Violator All-Star DJ Family. You can check Violator Radio on Channel 40 Hip-Hop Nation. Do you see potential from any local artists in Las Vegas? Sure! Ne-Yos from Vegas. A couple cats Im feeling under the radar is X1 on Dynasty Records and Wease Mac from K.A.M.P. WESS Entertainment. Look out for Triple P Records as well. What clubs do you DJ at? Im primarily the industry special events cat so I move around a lot. The last two major gigs I did was Russell Simmons American Dream Tour Party at OPM and XXL/King Magazine SEMA Show party at Light/Bellagio. Do you have a website? www.recordsystemslv.com/rorymack Words: Ms. Rivercity

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his Bay Area CORE DJ has been ushering in the West coast sound since the first time the West was won. Now, over a decade later, DJ Juice is ready to do his part to keep to Bay on the map, this time for good. Tell me about yourself. Where are you from and how did you get started? I was born in San Francisco, now I live in Richmond, but I pretty much rep the whole Bay Area. I represent the Core DJs - DJ Juice. Why do you think the Bay scene is starting to get so much national attention? The Bay has been doing there thing for a minute. Were the originators of the independent game. All the people you see doin the independent game got that from the Bay. Its kind of like New York is now; just because New York isnt makin no music thats accepted on a major scale doesnt mean its dead. The Bay was accepted in the mid-90s but after 2Pac died in 96 the Bay kind of got slept on until last year. Its kind of like everything comes in a circle so you just got to wait your turn. Just like right now the South is on top, its gonna come back to New York and its gonna come back to the West, its just a cycle. Its a lot of people out here that have been working the whole time just waiting for their time. Now the spotlight is coming back to the Bay and theyre trying to take advantage of that. As a DJ, are you offended by the statement that Hip Hop is dead? A lot of people take that statement personal. There are five elements of Hip Hop and the people who are saying Hip Hop is Dead are products of the early 90s, New York style of rap. The backpack rappers like the KRS-One. They consider Hip Hop with the breakdancing and the DJ, so when they say Hip Hop is Dead they mean [Hip Hop] as a culture, the whole element of it. Now its a business, people arent doing it for fun no more. People arent going in the studio to make a good album, but to make a single that people are going to dance to in the club. Before, they went in and said, Lets make music and lets have fun with it. Now theyre just in it to get rich. What do you think is the biggest problem in the Hip Hop game is right now? I think its the digital era. The digital era has made it so easy for the average cat to rap. A 16 OZONE

lot of these guys are garbage. Anybody can go to the Guitar Center or the electronic store and buy Pro-Tools, get something to record on, get a beat and then Im a rapper. So its not mixed or mastered and they bring it to DJ at the club like, This is the hottest shit ever, play this. And its the same way with DJs. Thats part of what they mean when they say Hip Hop is dead. These cats that want to DJ, they dont know about carrying four crates [of vinyl] to shows. They dont know about the struggle. You got to pay your dues and show that you love this shit. And while youre paying your dues youre learning and then when you get your time, youre ready.

Words \\ Eric Perrin Photo \\ Kawai Matthews

The rest of this interview is featured in the March issue of OZONE. Visit us online at www.ozonemag.com to check out the debut of OZONE West.

REAL, RAW, & UNCENSORED SOUTHERN RAP

S : S, N PLU NE ST IGG LIO O A D IL OZ T COB, J-AXAM S A WETAH FRT, TR MIS $HO O TO

THE FIRST ANNUAL

DRUG
ISSUE
CRACKHEAD CONFESSIONS
TRUE STORIES FROM RAPS MOST DESPISED HEROES

B.G. PIMP C RICK ROSS LIL BOOSIE TWISTED BLACK JUELZ SANTANA
& MORE

OF CHOICE EST DRUG LEGAL RAPS NEW D SHOULD BE HOUSE A STASH MORE TACY BECAME S WHY WEE & * HOW ECS * 20 REASON * HOW TO ROB

BUCK

YOUNG

Wease mac

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ease Mac is a favorite amongst many Las Vegas DJs, including Franzen and Rory Mack. Although hes received much recognition in his hometown, Wease is set on being much more than a local artist. What part of Vegas are you from? I was born and raised on the Westside of Las Vegas, Nevada. Its hood shit, but its a hood anywhere. I been doing music my whole life. I did my little thing out in the streets, but I always stayed focused on music. A lot of people fall victim to Vegas cause Vegas is real fast. Its faster than any other city out there so if you dont got something positive or something else to focus on besides the streets, the streets are gonna take you out. Did that happen to any of the people you grew up with? Yeah. I was in a gang. Im gang affiliated. All of my homeboys that I grew up with were gang bangers. All the people that I knew that used to play football against us and go to different schools, everybody out here was in a gang banging stage when they were younger. Its just like Cali, but its 24 hours. People fall victim all day and all night. Its like all of Cali balled up into one little piece. You run into everybody everyday, no matter where you go. Its intense. You cant even stay in your own hood because even if you go to the corner store, youre gonna run into three or four people from different neighborhoods. Its that small. Ive got more dead homies than Ive got alive homies. Ive got more homies in jail than Ive got homies on the outside. Do you use those experiences when you make your music? Yeah, I mainly talk about the positive side that everybody wants to hear about. You know, the lights, camera, action type shit partyin all day, hollerin at girls. If Im not rapping about that Im letting you know the other side. Its really not a playground like everybody thinks it is. Its a playground on Las Vegas Boulevard on the strip, but if you get off of there, you might be in trouble if you dont know what youre doing. How do you feel about the radio market in Vegas? Out here, Vegas radio is the worst radio Ive ever heard. Ive been city to city, state to state and Vegas is the only place that dont show they

own no love. I go to Atlanta and everything on the radio is from Atlanta and if you not from Atlanta, you better be giving Atlanta props on your song. Thats how they roll; they stick together. Vegas is a band wagon city. They wait for ten other states to jump on it first and it goes to 106 & Park, then thats when they play it on the radio. Im not willing to walk up to the PD and give him thousands of dollars to play my shit and they still shafting people when they try to do the illegal shit. I wouldnt do that for the simple fact that I possess the talent to get the love that I deserve. Im just not in the right city. Like Ne-Yo thats my cousin. I grew up with him. He never would have made it if he didnt leave. What have you been doing to showcase your talent? I do as many shows as I can. Anytime theres anything going down out here, that is worth it and bringing the right crowd, I do it. Im that dude out here so I cant just go do any show because theres haters that dont like me now thats going to be there and I cant take it down that road. Im focused on the music. But if its worth doing, like this All-Star Weekend, Ive got to do it. Im not a hundred percent sure on what Im gonna fuck with, but if its worth fucking with, Im the first person anyone gets in touch with if they need opening acts. Dont nobody rock a show like me. I can guarantee that. Have you put out any projects recently? Ive got the King of Vegas Mixtape Volumes 1 & 2 out there. They been out for about a year or more. I got Volume 3 coming by All-Star weekend. Ive been working on my album for the last three years. Its not that it takes me that long to make songs, I can write a song in ten minutes, Im just not trying to put it out locally. I wasnt trying to be that type of dude that just does music to say they rap. Thats not what Im going for. Thats why Im accepted everywhere, not just in the hood. Ive got over a hundred songs; I just havent decided whats going on my album. Until I get my deal officially, its not going to mean nothing here. Do you have a website where people can check out your music? You can hit your boy up on www.myspace.com/ itsdakamp. Im working on there all day. Words by Ms. Rivercity OZONE 19

is street cred is undeniable and unwaveringly solid, which is in part why his brother was accepted as the thug that Hip Hop now adores. Amid a breakup more than eight months long with his brother The GAME, George BigFase100 Taylor is ready to tell his side of a story that he insists has been corrupted by his younger sibling. So what happened? Basically when the mission set out it was me and him. A lot of people came in and they pulled him and he succumbed to those pulls. A lot of promises that he made to me to get behind him to get it goin, not a lot of them, well, none of them were kept. There became a time when there were people that had come into that situation when it was already goin on and they started bubblin off it and I didnt have no answers for my kids or nuthin to put on they plate. It was actually a little less than what Id been providing all my life through my hustle. So I had to step off. How much did music have to do with the relationship that you and your brother developed once things started to pop? The whole thing was, music was always my thing. Somewhere in there real life slapped a nigga in the face so I had to do what I had to do for me and my people. So I kinda backed off it. Him on the other hand, basically basketball was his thing and when that failed him, he kinda got up under me and started doin the shit that I was doin. That came with tryna gangbang and tryna rap and shit. When he pushed the rap thing I damn sure got behind him and gave him all the tools I had so niggas could get up outta Compton and see something better for ourselves. But ultimately the nigga didnt have my best interest at hand and before it got too bad I had to step off. What was the mood like when you left?

It wasnt negative when I stepped off. It was just basically that I had to go. I got a figure out what Ima do for me. When I stepped off on that note, he made it like I turned my back on him. It was a whole couple of months when it was no talkin at all. I always stayed optimistic because I knew the nigga loved me. So I just waited for the nigga to come to his senses and come holla at me and that never happened. I had told one of my friends that came along in this music shit that he a good dude and he a good dude and hell come to his senses. He was like, I dont think so. All the time he was in the studio when GAME had recorded Two Occasions. He called me a couple days later with the song and this is like eight months before the album came out. I listened to it on the phone and GAME didnt know he was callin anybody. He just picked it up and I was on the phone and he let the shit play. But I saw how he was really feelin and thats how my boy told me he was feelin. I just was in denial like, Nah, my lil nigga love me. Hell be alright. So once I hear that song I kinda understood what dude was tryna tell me. That mustve been hard considering how much faith you had in him. What was your next plan of action? After that I kinda took it upon myself to get at allhiphop.com and let them know how I was feelin at that point and time. A lot of people took it as hate from me because it was eight months prior to this album comin out. But the song did it. The song let me know, This nigga aint finna hit this corner. He aint finna come straighten this shit out. He dont give a fuck about you. Bottom line, the song said it all. It told me everything I needed to hear. A lot of people thought it was hate when I pulled my stock out, but a nigga aint finna say, Fuck me. I know what I put into this project. So, bottomline, I pulled my stock out. Nah he aint that real as we tried to make it seem. Why did I support him in the beginning? I felt like he could say it because he was representing me. If Im behind that and this is what got the pass then it was always acceptable. But if you aint right by the niggas story who you tellin, then its all bad.

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A lot of people thought it was hate when I pulled my stock out, but a nigga aint finna say, Fuck me. I know what I put into this project.

ORIGINAL GANGSTA
WORDS \\ N. ALI EARLY OZONE 23

Big Fase 100

LIFOjRdNgIgA CA // i s BEAR
Words: N. Ali Early // Photo: D-Ray
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or ten years he dwelled in a cell no bigger than the communal bathroom in the million dollar mansion he now calls home. An acknowledged

mastermind behind the once famed Romped Out Productions, J Diggs is known throughout the Bay Area as the originator of the nationwide phenomenon Ghostridin. Close as anybody was to Mac Dre, the fallen soldier whose charismatic antics created the Bays most celebrated movement ever, Diggs, President of Thizz Nation Entertainment, has the all-inclusive duty of carrying on a label that his comrade never saw materialize completely. Various sources report that hes the shit in the Bay, but unlike a Keak Da Sneak or Mistah F.A.B. (also a Thizz Nation artist), Diggs buzz is relegated to the streets and/or word of mouth promotion. Given his allegiance to the only place hes ever called home, this Bay Area underground legend could continue to eat big steaks and lobster dinners for the remainder of his rap existence. The reality though, is Thizz is meant to blow up. Among other majors, Def Jam and Shady are courting not only Diggs for his ability to sell records as a solo artist, but his entire label on some Cash Money type shit. While he anticipates the release of his third solo album J Diggs.com (Both Sides of the Gate, California Dreamin II) Diggs granted OZONE an exclusive to chop game about the hyphy movement and all things Thizz. In the months leading up to you coming home, did you know that this is what you wanted to do, or did you have an option as you saw it? Diggs: It wasnt about what I wanted to do when I came home. This was damn near it. I didnt really have no choice. It was like, You can fuck with this music, or you can go back to the streets basically. Feel me? Im like 30 years old and I aint never had a job in my life. I never worked at a place of employment. I never flipped a burger, never waited a table. I never did nothin that concerned workin for nobody. But Ive always had pretty much everything I wanted. I just knew how to get around and do what I needed to do. Did being locked up do anything to kill your dreams of rap success or did it work the other way around? When I was incarcerated this music shit was more or less a dream. If I ever got another shot, what would I do and how would I do it? I was lucky enough to get another shot, but I basically was motivated more or less by the people that I knew that was in the game. From the Spice 1s to the E-40s to the Mac Malls to Mac

Dre going back home. So my motivation was just being there and really just opening up magazines and seeing niggas I grew up with, dudes I was in the studio with it was like, Wow, if I ever get a shot at it again, at least I know I got an avenue I can go run at. So when I got out thats what it was. Me and Dre talked about this a long time ago. How difficult is it to maintain your focus as an artist, seeing that youve never parked a car or waited a table and you have all these other options to make money in your face on the daily? Its hard Bro. I aint gon lie. Ill be the first to admit when I came home I found myself caught up in some situations that couldve had me back in the penitentiary. So it aint like all that shit just instantly disappeared and I was automatically a rap genie. I had to come back out and once again take certain steps and go through certain trials and tribulations to get back here. I understand the block and having to go back to the block. But I put myself in a situation where it was going to have to be either one or the other. Ive been there and I know the streets will come get you. I know that that shit is only so long. I felt like if I could get out here I would take advantage of the first little crease and I was gon mob. I know that Im not one of the greatest rappers out here but I do know that I can make it happen out here. What was the transition like coming back in terms of getting your rhythm back? It was a cold transition. I aint gon lie. I didnt even know what a carpool lane was when I came back. Thats how long I was gone. From 1992 to 2002, thats a helluva change. A lot of shit changes in the world. But I feel like I was pretty much grounded and pretty much structured. Im one of those guys who can pick up fast, so when I first came home I kept my mouth closed and kept my eyes open. I eased back into the situation.

The rest of this interview is featured in the March issue of OZONE. Visit us online at www.ozonemag.com to check out the debut of OZONE West.

REAL, RAW, & UNCENSORED SOUTHERN RAP

S : S, N PLU NE ST IGG LIO O A D IL OZ T COB, J-AXAM S A WETAH FRT, TR MIS $HO O TO

THE FIRST ANNUAL

DRUG
ISSUE
CRACKHEAD CONFESSIONS
TRUE STORIES FROM RAPS MOST DESPISED HEROES

B.G. PIMP C RICK ROSS LIL BOOSIE TWISTED BLACK JUELZ SANTANA
& MORE

OF CHOICE EST DRUG LEGAL RAPS NEW D SHOULD BE HOUSE A STASH MORE TACY BECAME S WHY WEE & * HOW ECS * 20 REASON * HOW TO ROB

BUCK

YOUNG

OZONE

27

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mafia three6
WORDS \\ ERIC PERR

IN

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J Paul and Juicy J arent typical Hollywood residents. The Memphis natives, who recently relocated to the supple surroundings of Southern Cali, would rather drink red Kool-Aid than red wine. They prefer fried bologna sandwiches to fried calamari or caviar. And though they enjoy champagne and cigars, most of Paul and Juicy Js neighbors are wealthy Anglo-Saxons who probably never heard of them until they brought home a gold statue of a bald headed white man better known as Oscar last Spring. To say the least, the Three 6 duo is not the average Hollywood tandem. But then again, this isnt Hollywood, this is the HollyHood - a city nestled in the state of mind somewhere in between Southern California and North Memphis. Its a place where the fabulous lifestyles of the once Most Known Unknowns is not only accepted, its celebrated. I hear you guys bought house out in California? DJ Paul: Yeah, yeah, yeah, we got a little spot out there, man. You know its for when we be out there doing movies, shows and stuff, so we could keep it rolling. How is the West Coast treating you? DJ Paul: Ah, man, love, its love out there. We get love everywhere we go. Whats the biggest difference from living out in Southern California compared to living in North Memphis? Juicy J: Sunshine. DJ: Paul: I mean, we still live in Memphis. We just be out there from time to time working on movie stuff and the TV show and all that. But yeah, like Juicy said, its more sunshine and its expensive as hell out there. Tell me about the new reality show you guys are working on? How did that project come about? Juicy J: Yeah, basically, its called HollyHood, and they follow Three 6 Mafia around as we adventure through Hollywood. You see us chase women, chase money, all that man. Its just us kickin it man. When is it going to air? Juicy J: It premieres on April 5th. Its gonna be on the 10 Spot on MTV, on Thursday nights. So is it more like Flavor of Love or The Real World? DJ Paul: Aw, neither one. Its something totally different, man. You aint seen nothing like our show.

So how will the music be different now that you guys are on TV living the Hollywood life? DJ Paul: It aint different at all. Like I said, its still the same. We still record our music in Memphis, we do a few out here, we do a few there. We record wherever we be at. Right now, we in New York, when we get outta here we can go to the studio. Plus, we keep a studio on the road with us in our bus and all that, so we record everywhere. I record songs at the rest stop in Arizona. What new doors have opened up for you guys since winning an Oscar? DJ Paul: Aw man, all kinda doors, man. You know when you watch cartoons and you see that big ol silver door at the bank, the big ol vault door? That door opened up for us. Damn, that must be nice. So aside from winning an Oscar and making history in the process, what gave you the most satisfaction last year that may have been overshadowed by that Academy Award you guys won? DJ Paul: People didnt realize that Stay Fly was our biggest single ever and Poppin My Collar was our second biggest single ever. Then, Side 2 Side was our third biggest single ever. So, before the Oscar we had made a little history ourselves with those records. Stay Fly was your biggest hit, but there were some rumors going around that the girl singing the hook in the background was delivering some subliminal messages or something, can you clear that up? DJ Paul: Aw nah, that was an old R&B soul sample. That was a love song sampled in the back, man. That wasnt no devil worshipping or nothing going on in the back of that song. Well obviously the rumors didnt hurt the success of the record, or the subsequent singles, but why do you think people have so many misconceptions about you guys? DJ Paul: I dont know man, we really dont pay no attention to all that. I mainly focus on all the positive stuff. If its negative, my ears automatically close. I went and got this operation so if I hear anything negative, my ears close on they own. I spent 20 Gs on that operation, man. 20 Gs!

The rest of this interview is featured in the April issue of OZONE.

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1
Words // Ms. Rivercity 36 OZONE

X1

is one of the few independent artists that has broken into Vegas radio. After moving to Vegas from New York, X1 made himself at home despite being in a harder market. His song Everywhere We Go featuring Lil Flip earned him several spins and a die hard fan base. With support from several area DJs, his buzz is growing by the minute. Since youre from New York and youre out in Vegas making noise now, how are those two markets different? The two markets are very different because nobody as a hip-hop artist has broke out of Vegas like that. New York is the birthplace of rap so its a big difference. But I came out here to Vegas and Vegas showed me some love and helped me break out into the music game. How long ago did you move to Las Vegas? Ive been in Vegas for about three years now. Do you plan to stay in Vegas permanently or will you be going back to New York? Im here permanently now. I love Vegas. Its more laid back than New York. When did you first realize you were making a name for yourself as an artist? Wow. The defining moment was when I had the big billboard up over the 215 Expressway. I really knew it was on then. Having a billboard up is a big deal. How did that change things for you? People starting requesting my song on the radio more often. I started getting a lot of spins. It really kicked off from there. You mentioned you were getting spins. Which song of yours was being requested? The song was called Everywhere We Go featuring Lil Flip. What is Everywhere We Go about? Its about just having fun. Is most of your music for the club or do you ever get on the serious tip? All my music is based off of every day life. Everything that you go through or somebody else goes through, thats what I talk about and somebody can relate to. Basically its an all and all well wrapped up album for the East and West Coast. What do you hope your fans will get from listening to your music? I want people to listen to it and gain a lot of pointers. Like I said, I got a well rounded album. Its a lot of things Im touching on with the album so pretty much anybody can get a feel

for it. Do you have anymore singles coming out? The second single hasnt come out yet. That should be out in March. Its called You Aint Heard. Its like a down South type of single. Are you working on a mixtape or compilation to promote the album? We got the Las Vegas Compilation coming out which is a world of artists out of Las Vegas plus me. Im trying to get that extra Vegas love so Im doing an album with all the artists in Vegas. The label youre with, Dynasty Records, is pretty well known in Vegas. How is it structured? Dynasty Records consists of a bunch of real people. Thats what I like my circle to consist of real, genuine people. So Dynasty is basically a label of dudes that will help each other and hold each other down. Thats what I like to base myself around. Who are the other artists on your label? We just got a new artist on the label named Mishon, he has a TV show called Lincoln Heights on ABC. We got another artist named Ace of Spades. Hes hot right now. When are their projects coming out? Ace of Spades mixtape will be coming out early March. Hes from New York also. Is Dynasty Records looking for a distribution deal for the artists upcoming projects? Right now were still looking for a distribution deal. We had a distribution deal but that fell through so right now theyre looking for distribution. Were working with Universal right now so hopefully that will pan out. Besides Lil Flip, who else have you collaborated with? Ive collaborated with E40, Sugar Free, Method Man, Ace of Spades like I said, hes hot right now. Thats about it for the features on the album. Which DJs are giving you the most support? DJ Big Dee out here in Vegas. DJ Franzen, Mike T, the whole Hot 97.5 staff out here. Theyre helping me out pretty good. And Rory Mack the Mack man himself. What else would you like to say about yourself as an artist or Dynasty Records? The Dynasty will last forever.

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