front-line - Ozone Magazine

florida 

classic 

special edition 

front-line 

p r o m o t i o n s 

From the Boardroom to the Block 

hankadon // HAITIAN FRESH // JON YOUNG & J CASH // FLYY // KC // LADY LYRIC 

PAPA DUCK // PREACHER // SMILEZ & SOUTHSTAR // TREAL // tuck // & MORE

florida 

classic 


hankadon 

front-line // HAITIAN FRESH // JON YOUNG & J CASH // FLYY // KC // LADY LYRIC 

PAPA DUCK // PREACHER // SMILEZ & SOUTHSTAR // TREAL // tuck // & MORE

The reason why Front-Line Promotions has 

been successful is because we have actually 

made a business out of being promoters. We 

have a physical office, a staff, etc. 

- Front-Line Promotions

PUBLISHER: 

Julia Beverly 

CHIEF OPERATIONS OFFICER: 

N. Ali Early 

GUEST EDITOR: 

Ms. Rivercity 

ART DIRECTOR: 

Tene Gooden 

CONTRIBUTORS: 

Terrence Tyson 

PROMOTIONS DIRECTOR: 

Malik Abdul 

STREET TEAM DIRECTOR: 

Mercedes Streets 

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: 

Front-Line Promotions (cover 

and this page) photos by Terrence 

Tyson; Hankadon photos 

by Terrence Tyson; Jon Young 

photo by Tyson Robertson; 

Haitian Fresh photo by Malik 

Abdul. 

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. 

Section A 

FLORIDA 

CLASSIC 

**special edition** 

8 DJ Dapa 

9 Editorial 

10 DJ Slym 

11 Orlando Map 

12 DJ Smallz 

13 Kaye & King JB 

14-15 club & event Listing 

16-17 Haitian Fresh 

18-19 Jon Young & J Cash 

21 DJ Nasty 

26-27 Papa Duck 

22-25 FRONT-LINE 

Section b 

4-6 KC 

8-9 Lady Lyric 

12-13 Preacher 

14-15 Smilez & Southstar 

16 Sytonnia 

17 Mercedes 

18-19 Treal 

20-21 Tuck 

24-25 Big Koon & Hollywood 

26-27 Flyy 

22-23 HANKADON 

OZONE |

dj dapa 

Dapa originally set out to DJ. After working the 

underground radio circuit with Dawgman in 

Orlando, Dapa became a part of the Hittmenn 

DJs and eventually started his own management 

company. He now assists many artists’ careers in the 

Central Florida area. 

You work with a lot of artists in Florida. Tell me about 

the management company. 

I’ve got my management company with Pee Wee 

Kirkland which is called S.O.G. Management. We manage 

Benisour, Stick 3000, Wes Fif, Paperview, Furyis Stylze 

the producer and we just got a new artist named Grind. 

Between doing the management and running Hittmenn 

DJs, I’m real busy. 

How long have you been working with the Hittmenn DJs 

The Hittmenn DJs started four years ago and I was one 

of the first people they pulled in. Greg Street and Kaspa 

put it together and asked me and Dawgman to get in 

it. I set up tours and different types of things. I set up 

tours for The Franchise Boyz, Young Capone, P. Stones, 

and Rich Boy. We just put together I-15’s tour. That’s 

Polow Da Don’s new R&B group. 

What were you doing prior to the Hittmenn DJs 

Me and Dawgman had a studio together and we had 

the underground radio station. I was doing that and 

working records. Originally I started off as a DJ years 

ago in ’95. I started working with a record label called 

Backstage Records. It was run by the Diaz Brothers. I 

was doing marketing for that label with the Diaz Brothers 

and Pitbull. We had an artist named Black Face we 

were working with. Black Face had a record with Fat 

Joe. We’re the ones that introduced Khaled to Fat Joe. 

Do you still DJ at all 

Not really. The last time I DJed I went overseas in 

Europe. I mean I’ll party rock and get on as a favor or 

as a guest. 

What will you and your artists be doing during the 

Florida Classic weekend 

All the artists that I’m working with, whether it’s 

through Hittmenn or my own personal artists, will be at 

Dawgman’s events like the car show. We’re at The Buzz 

Record Pool on Friday. Saturday is the block party and 

Sunday is the car show and after party. 

Where are you from originally 

I’m originally from Toronto, Canada. I grew up in Miami. 

I went to high school and everything in Miami. I moved 

up to Orlando in ’98. 

What are some of the differences between Miami and 

Orlando 

The Miami scene has been growing since even when 

I was down there. Half of Miami is dance music and 

heavily dance influenced. A lot of people automatically 

assume it’s like a second New York but there’s a lot 

of Dirty South in Miami. A lot of people think that the 

handful of artists that are popping off in Miami are the 

only artists there but those are just the ones that are 

shining right now. I think Orlando is starting to network 

and pull together. There’s a lot of talent in Orlando. 

You got K.C., Stick 3000, The Runners, DJ Nasty, and DJ 

Prostyle. From the DJs to the managers to the artists, 

everyone is starting to pull together. For example, all my 

artists have features with K.C. I believe in him. I think 

he’s the next big R&B artist to come out. I support artists 

in Orlando before any other artists outside of here 

because I live here. 

Do you have anything else going on 

Pee Wee Kirkland just signed a movie deal. Dreamworks 

is doing a motion picture on his life. So I’m going 

to be getting into doing the film. I’m working on the 

soundtrack. We have the management company but we 

also have the record label. 

Do you have a website 

HittmennDJsLive.com and Myspace.com/MrDapa. // 

Words: Ms. Rivercity 

Photo: Teran Photography 

8 | O Z O N E

florida 

classic 


editorial 

Ms Rivercity 

Being from the Sunshine State, it’s good to hear everyone talking about the Florida 

movement. I guess I’m kind of biased, but I really do feel that our state has a lot 

going on. DJ Nasty is a monster; The Runners keep on hustlin’; DJ Smallz is making 

history; and everyone is saying KC is the next big R&B singer. I’ve known Treal 

and Haitian Fresh for a while now so when I heard they made some progress over the last few 

months, I was glad to get the opportunity to interview them…again. It’s almost like my career 

has grown with theirs. Awww, that’s sweet. LOL. But seriously, there’s a lot going on in Florida 

and Orlando is always booming. I travel to the O so much it might as well be my second home. So 

if you’re in town for the Classic, make sure you check out everything the city has to offer. And if 

you ain’t sure what’s popping, just read the interviews. 

- Ms. Rivercity 

OZONE |

Where are you from originally 

I was born in Ft. Lauderdale, raised in Palm Beach 

County and I live in Orlando. I guess I’m from Palm 

Beach County; that’s what I claim. 

What were some of the most memorable events you 

provided music at 

I think the car show during last year’s Florida Classic 

was one of the most memorable. That was a good one 

with DJ Q45. I did a step show two years ago with about 

4,000 people. Me and Lil Duval were cracking back and 

forth on each other. 

Where will you be DJing during the Florida Classic this 

year 

We’re doing the Karma Corner with Whilin Entertainment. 

I believe it’s on Saturday. We have a few other 

things on the table that we’re negotiating. 

dj slym 

DJ Slym has been making his mark in the world of 

DJing for several years now. As a club and mixtape 

DJ, Slym heavily promotes up-and-coming 

artists, especially those of Haitian decent. With a unique 

niche in his field, Slym is on the rise in Central Florida. 

You’ve been working on your mixtape game lately. What 

do you have in the works 

I just put out a mixtape called So Mufuckin Florida. It’s 

a series. I drop one every month with Florida artists 

that have hot music. The last one featured a little bit of 

hosting by BloodRaw. The next one is gonna be hosted 

by Haitian Fresh or Papa Duck. Those are promotional 

for the Florida artists. The Street Buzz mixtape series 

is for every artist. The slogan for that is, “If you don’t 

have a Street Buzz mixtape then you don’t have a 

street buzz”. 

How do you represent for your fellow Haitians 

I got the Haitians in Hip Hop mixtape about to come out 

featuring Redd Eyezz, Papa Duck, Haitian Fresh and 

Mecca. That’s basically to showcase Haitians that are 

doing it big in the Hip Hop game. I got Jacki-O on there; 

she’s half Haitian. I got Joe Hound on there also. Any 

Haitian artists that are making noise can send me their 

music and I’ll throw them on there. 

Besides Whilin Entertainment, do you have any other 

DJ affiliations 

Clientell Family, Mo Muzik Ent, Hard Hat Productions, 

Supreme Team DJs, Hittmenn DJs and a couple of 

others. 

How did you become involved in the entertainment 

business What made you interested in it 

My love of music. I love music. I wanted to learn about 

it more and see where I could take this music thing. 

That’s why I jumped in the industry. 

What has been the most challenging part of getting 

your foot in the door as a DJ 

My biggest challenge is that I get involved in doing 

so much for other people that I don’t really focus on 

myself. I try to help everybody else win thinking I’m 

probably going to win too once I help them win. But it 

never happens like that. I’ve been there for everybody 

else but everybody else isn’t really helping me. 

Where would you like to see yourself in the next few 

years 

I wanna be one of those cats like Khaled, or even bigger 

than Khaled. I want to sell millions of records. I plan 

on dropping a single within the next month. I just want 

to keep promoting the mixtape series and let people 

see that I have the #1 mixtape series in the streets. If 

you listen to everybody else’s mixtape, they don’t put 

as much work into the mixtapes as I do, you know chopping 

‘em up with the drops and everything. The quality 

of my mixtapes and the amount of work I put in makes 

me different from other DJs. 

Do you want to give out any contact info or website 

You can reach me at 407-470-5820 or DJSlymOrlando@gmail.com. 

// 


Photo: D Suave 

10 | OZONE

Orlando map 

OZONE | 11

dj smallz 

Another thing I wanted to do was showcase 

all the talent in different cities of Florida. I 

don’t like when people think of Florida and 

they only think of one city. That’s disrespectful 

to me. I wanted to rejuvenate the Florida 

movement. Khaled and Rick Ross are doing 

their thing in Miami; Plies is doing his thing in 

Fort Myers; Treal is doing their thing in Orlando. 

I wanted to call all the troops to battle 

and put Florida back on the map. It’s been 

a long time since Florida has had a stamp in 

the Southern Hip Hop music industry. I have 

a certain power as a Florida DJ. I’m a national 

DJ but I’m a Florida DJ first. “Gunshine State” 

is a statement. Actually, Treal signed to 

Universal Republic and Haitian Fresh signed 

to Sak Pase/Universal right after the record 

came out. Universal hit me about that and 

then hit Wyclef. There’s a couple of other artists 

that are about to sign off of that song. 

DJ Smallz, creator of the Southern Smoke and 

Fear Factor mixtape series, recently made 

history with the release of “Welcome to the Gunshine 

State.” The record, which features 30 of Florida’s 

finest artists, was produced, arranged and marketed by 

Smallz himself. 

How is the “Gunshine State” record doing 

The “Gunshine State” record was really crazy. It took 

about two months to put it together from start to finish. 

I produced the record. That was the first record that I 

displayed my production skills on. Coming up into the 

game, I was naturally a percussionist. I studied drums; I 

can tune and read music; I can play the xylophone and 

the drum set. I’m gifted musically. I’ve been working 

on beats for the last two years but it wasn’t something 

I wanted to come out the gate with. I wanted to brand 

Southern Smoke and DJ Smallz before I branded that 

element and my skills. 

What was the purpose behind the record 

One of the main priorities and goals was to unite 

Florida. That was a really hard thing to do. When you do 

your research in Florida, you notice that a lot of artists 

in different counties don’t do records together. I don’t 

know if it’s an ego situation or an affiliation situation, 

but it’s a problem. People aren’t supporting each other. 

Where can people hear the song 

You can download the record for free on 

www.DJSmallz.com. We’re also giving away a 

free ringtone of the hook. The record is on a 

bunch of mixtapes. If you haven’t heard it, go 

to your local mixtape DJ and check it out. 

Your promotions company is pretty successful. What are 

your plans for selling beats 

I have SouthPromo.com which is my marketing company. 

We’re doing something totally different that no DJ 

has ever done. We’re doing a Southern Smoke college 

tour for various Homecomings this fall. We started that 

in Gainesville and it’s a 9 city tour. As far as the production 

side, that’s something I’m working on. The Game 

just took two records for his Black Wall Street compilation. 

He put UGK on one of the records. I’m shopping 

records to Grand Hustle, Slip N Slide, that sort of thing. 

Look out for my production game to be real serious. 

What mixtapes are you working on 

I’m working on a Southern Smoke album. Shout out to 

all the DJs doing albums – Khaled, Drama, Felli Fel. The 

Southern Smoke album is going to raise the bar for 

DJ albums. We’ve got a different set up and marketing 

plan. It’s an album that’s never been done before. It 

has crazy, twisted concepts. It’s scheduled to drop in 

the summer of 2008. It’s strictly a Southern album. 

Everybody from the legends to the up-and-comers is 

on this thing. I’m going to leak the single around New 

Years. // 

Words by Ms. Rivercity // Photo by Terrence Tyson 

12 | OZONE

Top 5 

Clubs in 

Orlando 

& Tampa 

By DJs Kaye Dunaway and King JB 

Want to know where to chill at while you’re in Central Florida We hit 

up two well-known party starters for the scoop on the hot spots. Kaye 

Dunaway currently spins in Orlando’s nightclubs and on 102 Jamz. 

King JB can be heard on Tampa’s WILD 98.7 in addition to his weekly 

club residencies. They gave us their list of top 5 clubs where you can 

get your party on while you’re in the area for the Florida Classic. 

Orlando – Kaye Dunaway 

Firestone on Sunday Night - 578 N. Orange Avenue 

1. With DJ Nasty, Disco and the City Boyz, and DJ D Strong. It’s the 

longest running Sunday night in the history of Orlando, not to mention 

this is where it truly gets crunk! Trick Daddy, Lil Boosie and Jeezy are 

always at Firestone when they come to town. Plus, what else are you 

gonna do on Sunday 

Antigua on Friday Night - 41 W. Church Street 

2. Magic Mike, the platinum producer who helped put Florida booty 

shake on the map, murders the turntables every Friday night! You 

have to see it to believe it! That alone is the only reason to frequent 

Antigua. Magic Mike is a beast! 

Whispers on Thursday Night - 4732 S. Kirkman Road 

3. Frontline makes plenty of moves in the streets here in the O. 

And this is one night where I know I will hear new shit, which is what I 

like as a DJ. Plus, you get a good mixture of the hood and the industry 

folk on a frequent basis. Shouts to DJ Ceasar and DJ Q45 – one of the 

best DJs out there. After all, he did win OZONE’s Club DJ of the Year 

Award! 

Roxy on Friday Night - 740 Bennett Rd. 

4. Phat Fridays at the Roxy is where to find all the sexy people! 

Club Status on Saturday Night - 912 W. Colonial Drive 

5. This is Orlando’s best kept secret. Yours truly does her thing, 

Kaye Dunaway a.k.a. The Ladies Champ, is the #1 female DJ in the 

South on the turntables! Damn right, so holla at me. 

Tampa – King JB 

13 Lounge and Café - 2475 McMullen-Booth Rd, Clearwater, FL 

1. This is my favorite spot. It’s mostly old school Hip Hop with an 

upscale feel. It’s an indoor and outdoor spot in one venue. 

Blue Martini - 2223 N. West Shore Blvd. 

2. Blue Martini is the ultimate Sunday night spot. It’s a good mix 

of people. 

Floyd’s at the Hard Rock Casino - 5223 Orient Rd. 

3. This is the only place you can drink after 3 AM! 

Club Skye in Ybor City - 1509 E. 8th Ave. 

4. Skye is the weekend spot for my home WILD 98.7. It’s always 

packed! 

Hyde Park Cafe - 1806 W. Platt St. 

5. This is a beautiful place. There’s always sexy women there! 

Compiled by Ms. Rivercity // Photos by Terrence Tyson 

OZONE | 13

FLORIDA CLASSIC 2007 

EVENT LISTING 

THURSDAY NOVEMBER 15th 

6 PM – 10 PM // 2nd Annual Street Buzz music conference @ Club Whispers 

Industry panels, artist showcases, producer battles, networking & more 

Call 407-575-6085 for artist showcase/sponsorship info 

9:30 PM – 3 AM // Girlfriend Thursdays @ Club Whispers with DJ Q45 

FRIDAY NOVEMBER 16th 

4 PM – 9:30 PM // Front-Line Promotions VIP Happy Hour @ Whispers 

8 PM – until // Front-Line Promotions Florida Classic Step Show & Comedy Jam 

with Terrance & Rosci @ the Orange County Convention Center 

9PM - 2 AM // Kingz of the County Jam II 

Club Volcano’s (behind Wet-N-Wild) 

Crime Mob, Wes Fif, Haitian Fresh, Drop, Grind, Dirty Gee, Mr Orange County & 

more live in concert 

All Ages event - Everyone free before 9:30 

$200 Rock Yo Hips contest & $200 Crank Dat contest 

10 PM – 3 AM // Front-Line Promotions’ Alumni Jam @ Club Whispers with Doug 

E. Fresh 

10 PM - 3 AM // Front-Line Promotions’ Phat Fridays at the Roxy with Big Tigger, 

Bigga Rankin, & The Runners 

SATURDAY NOVEMBER 17th 

5 PM - 11 PM // Ultimate Classic Block Party outside Firestone with Lil Wayne, Lil 

Boosie, & Trick Daddy. All Ages! www.ticketweb.com 321-662-1510 

12 PM - until // FAMU vs. BCC Celebrity Tailgate Party with Clientell Party Starters, 

Wes Fif, Drop, Grind, & Dirty Gee @ the Solo Gas Station (Tampa & Church) 

9 PM - until // Official Saturdays Classic Edition @ Club Zion (Bennett Rd. across 

from Roxy) with Wes Fif, Tampa Tony, Disco Jr., DJ D-Strong & more 

9 PM – 3 AM // Front-Line Promotions’ Grown Folks Night @ The House of Blues 

with Doug E. Fresh & DJ Q45 

9 PM - until // 2nd Annual Classic Fest Block Party @ Element Nightclub with Crime 

Mob, Haitian Fresh, Field Mob, Young Cash, Yo Gotti, Midget Mac & Jacki-O 

9 PM – 3 AM // Front-Line Promotions’ Velvet Rope @ Whispers with DJ Kid Capri 

9 PM – 3 AM // World Famous Saturday Night Live with DJ Greg G @ Icon 

9:30 PM – 3 AM // Front-Line Promotions’ Classic Luau @ The Roxy with Plies & 

DJ Khaled 

SUNDAY NOVEMBER 18th 

12 PM - 7 PM 

Dawgman Entertainment & Front-Line Promotions 9th Annual Riding Big car show/ 

concert @ Emerald Field (Central Florida Fairgrounds) with Playaz Circle, Flo-Rida, 

Lil Duval, DJ Q45, & DJ Picha P - all ages - 407-575-6085 or ridingbigcarshow.com 

14 | OZONE

Mall Listing 

Florida Mall 

8001 S Orange Blossom Trail 

407-856-7700 

Magic Mall 

2155 W. Colonial Dr. 

407-648-0779 

Millenia Mall 

4200 Conroy Rd. 

407-363-3555 

West Oaks Mall 

9401 W. Colonial Drive 

401-294-2775 

Winter Park Mall 

641 W. Fairbanks Ave. 

Winter Park, FL 32789 

407-671-3232 

club Listing 

AKA Lounge 

68 East Pine Street 

407-839-3707 

Antigua 

41 W. Church St. 

407-649-4270 

Back Booth 

www.backbooth.com 

37 W. Pine Street 

407-999-2570 

Bob Marley 

- A Tribute 

to Freedom 

CityWalk at Universal 

Orlando 

6000 Universal Blvd. 

407-224-2262 

BET 

Soundstage 

Downtown Disney 

Pleasure Island 

Lake Buena Vista, FL 

32830 

407-934-7781 

The Blue 

Room 

17 W. Pine St. (downtown 

Orlando) 

321-277-0412 

Cleo’s Gentlemen’s 

Club 

1310 S. Orange Blossom 

Trail 

407-839-8559 

Club Paris 

122 W. Church St. 

407-849-0808 

Club Status 


407-841-1462 

Club Whispers 

ClubWhispers.net 

4732 S. Kirkman Road 

407-290-9896 

Element 

Nightclub 

39 W. Pine Street 

407-841-1566 

Firestone 

ClubatFirestone.com 

578 N. Orange Avenue 

407-872-0066 

The Groove 

CityWalk at 

Universal 

Orlando 

6000 Universal Blvd. 

407-363-8000 

Hard Rock 

Live 

HardRock.com 

Universal CityWalk 

407-351-5483 

Heroes Nightclub 

426 E. Kennedy 

407-740-0556 

House of 

Blues 

HOB.com 

1490 E. Buena 

Vista Dr. 

Lake Buena Vista, FL 

407-934-BLUE 

Icon Nightclub 

20 E. Central Blvd. 

407-649-6496 

Matrix & Metropolis 

Pointe Orlando 

9101 International 

Drive 

407-370-3700 

Motown Cafe 

Universal CityWalk 

407-363-8000 

The Roxy 

740 Bennett Rd. 

407-898-4004 

Slingapour’s 

25 Wall Street Plaza 

407-849-9904 

The Social 

OrlandoSocial.com 

54 N. Orange Ave 

407-246-1599 

Screamers 

(downtown 

Orlando) 

360 State Lane 

407-244-0299 

Sky60 


407-246-1599 

Tabu Nightclub 

TabuNightclub.com 


407-648-8363 

TD Waterhouse 

600 W. Amelia St. 

407-849-2020 

Tropical 

Magic Nightclub 

801 N. John Young 

Parkway 

Zinc Bar 

TheZincBar.com 

13 S. Orange Avenue 

407-246-1755 

Central 

Florida Fairgrounds 


Eastmonte 

Civic Center 

830 Magnolia Drive 

Altamonte Springs, FL 

Expo Center 

500 W. Livingston 

(across from TD 

Waterhouse) 

OZONE | 15

16 | OZONE 

Haitian 

Fresh

Haitian 

Fresh represents a lot of things including the Haitian 

community, Daytona Beach, and most recently Sak Pase 

Records. Fresh just inked a deal with Wyclef Jean’s 

imprint label and is taking full advantage of his new 

situation. 

How did you end up signing the deal with Wyclef on Sak 

Pase Records/Refugee Camp 

A lot of people in Florida were talking about me and 

the buzz I have. They’ve seen my shows, my grind and 

that I was a different artist. Nigel from Universal called 

Wyclef and asked him why he hadn’t signed me. Wyclef 

sent his people to Miami and they did their research 

and saw that everything was fine. Wyclef called me and 

he’s my family now. 

Has anything changed with your life since then 

My life hasn’t changed because I was a six figure 

nigga way before the deal. As far as the music and the 

industry and the fame, yeah it’s changed but I’m still 

the same person. I answer my phone for everybody. It’s 

changed in a lot of positive ways. 

Your phone is probably ringing a lot more now though. 

Man, the shit is ringing off the hook. I got three phones 

now. I answer for everybody though ‘cause I love 

people. That’s why I do this. I don’t do this for me. At 

first I had a little bit of money and I loved music, so I 

wanted to show the Haitian community and the hood 

that I could do this. Then I fucked around and fell in 

love with it. The streets chose me and embraced me as 

an artist. Wyclef nicknamed me the million dollar artist. 

How long is the contract for 

Basically, Wyclef told me it’s for life. Blood in, blood 

out. He don’t want me to discuss the details but it was 

big. Put it this way: Haitian Fresh is happy. He called my 

mama and told her to stop working. It’s a lot of people 

that believed in me and are happy for me. That’s the 

love I’m getting from the streets as a major right now. 

There’s a lot of people that had something to do with it 

but the main person is Haitian Fresh. He never gave up. 

Tell me about the single with Wyclef and Boosie. 

“Gon Joc” song is the number one song in the country. 

Wyclef loved it as soon as he heard it. It was me and 

Boosie at first and it was already hot in the street. 

Wyclef just took it worldwide. He’s on the hook. The 

video should be done in the next couple of months. Me 

and Wyclef got two other singles. Right now, Wyclef’s 

“The Sweetest Girl” is one of the top 10 songs in the 

country. So that’s what we’re focusing on. We go on 

tour in January to 27 cities. Everything is perfect. Wyclef 

is going to produce most of my album. Certified Beats 

from New York produced “Boss Status” featuring Busta 

Rhymes and Rick Ross. That’s going to be the next 

single. That’s hot. But right now it’s all about “Gon Joc.” 

What else are you working on at the moment 

I’ve got like 5 or 6 other singles that are ready. Haitian 

Fresh is gonna be around for a while. If a person hates 

me, they need to just sit back ‘cause I’m gonna be 

knocking ‘em out with new hits. I got a lot of singles by 

myself and I got a lot of platinum people that’s a part 

of my album. I would have gave up ten million dollars to 

be with Sak Pase Records because it’s a home. There’s 

no place like home. With anyone else, when the money 

runs out they kick you out, but with Wyclef it’s family. 

I’m a different artist. Anybody can rap but not anybody 

can be an artist. The rap part is easy. I’m a true artist. 

That’s what makes Haitian Fresh different. Plus I can do 

it in all kind of languages. And the hood loves me. To be 

a Haitian rapper and get the streets to love you is hard 

but I did it. Fuck everybody that don’t like me. If they 

heard my album they would apologize. 

You’ve been struggling to break out for a long time. Did 

you ever get discouraged 

Of course, a lot of times I wanted to give up but I love 

God. Everything you see has already been written. 

Whatever I touch turns platinum. I worked on my craft 

and learned the studio. I feel like I’m the bomb right 

now. Not being cocky, but nobody can fuck with me. 

What else would you like to mention 

I want to give a shout out to everybody in Daytona, 

my daughter, D-Strong, DJ Nasty, DJ Quik – my DJ, Sak 

Pase Records, Gon Joc Girls, 102 Jamz, all my Haitians. 

I represent not only Haitians but all independent artists. 

Tifre is the number 1 manager in the world. Rest in 

Peace to all the Zoe Pound Revolutionaries. // 

Words by Ms. Rivercity 

Photo by Malik Abdul 

OZONE | 17

jon 

Young and J. Cash are a perfect example of why keeping 

up with current music trends is important. The Myspace 

Monsters landed a deal with Defient Entertainment 

under Warner Music earlier this year, which only further 

stirred up their bubbling careers. 

How long ago did you become artists with Defient 

Entertainment/Warner Music 

Jon Young: We’ve been with them since the middle of 

the year. Since about May or June. One of the investors 

in the label was checking for the top artists on Myspace 

and they contacted us through that. 

Were you each doing your solo thing prior to teaming 

up 

J. Cash: We’ve been working together for about ten 

years now. Jon Young happened to make his Myspace 

page first and it took off. Then we created the Jon 

Young and J. Cash page shortly after that. Myspace 

thought it was a fake and deleted it so then we made 

the J. Cash page. While we’re two separate people, 

we’re still doing the Jon Young and J. Cash thing. We 

didn’t want to have a group name; instead we wanted to 

use each of our solo names to build a buzz for each of 

us at the same time. 

Jon Young: A lot of times in a group you don’t know 

too much about the individuals. That’s why we kept our 

names in the title. 

18 | OZONE

jon young 

& j cash 

sounding. 

J. Cash: We have a bunch of different sounds and whenever 

we go in to make a song we don’t really know if 

we’re going to come out this type of song. It just comes 

out. While the fans understand that you could come out 

with a different sound of music, the industry wants you 

to just stick with your one sound. So that’s what gets 

kind of confusing when we’re trying to pick a single. If 

we follow up with a different single, most of our fans will 

understand, but some people might not get it because 

they only want to see you one way. 

Jon Young: It’s not like we sit down and say we’re going 

to make a club song. It’s just whatever we’re feeling 

on that day. 

Do you have any projects out right now 

Jon Young: For the past couple of years we’ve been getting 

our own CDs made and selling ‘em on the streets 

or online. Even in Japan and Europe people have been 

buying our CDs. We’re still pushing the Keep Movin CD, 

Slept On CD and Jon Young’s City I Luv CD. 

Jon Young: We just dropped a mixtape called Track 

Breakers. It’s promoting a lot of up-and-coming artists 

– some underground, some recently signed. That’s 

doing really well. 

You guys have been hitting the stage more lately. What 

shows have you done recently 

J. Cash: We’ve done a couple of shows at House of 

Blues in the past couple of months. We’ve done Sobe 

Live down in Miami during the OZONE Awards weekend. 

We’ve done shows out by UCF. We did one out in 

Hernando Beach on the West Coast of Florida. We had 

a real good turn out at that. We’ve been trying to get a 

show buzz going for us. We’ve been doing pretty good. 

How’s the single with Boosie doing Are you still promoting 

it or have you come up with something else 

J. Cash: It’s going well. It’s playing on XM radio. It’s kind 

of spread out across the country on certain radio stations. 

It’s getting the buzz out there for us. But whether 

it’s the single we end up going with or not, we’re not 

really sure. Right now we just wanted to get it out there 

to build up a buzz and get the industry talking about us. 

What other types of songs do you have in the works 

Jon Young: We do a lot of different types of songs. 

We’ll do some more R&B sounding songs, we got a few 

of those tracks that we might push real soon. We got 

“Just Chill” and “Spoken For” which are more melodic 

Is there ever any competition between you guys 

J. Cash: I wouldn’t say there’s any competition. We really 

just try to work together. Jon Young makes all the beats 

and then I’ll come up with a concept and he comes up 

with a hook. Or he’ll come up with the beat and we’ll 

write the hook. We kick back and pop out ideas and 

try to make it happen. We’ve been friends way before 

this so that helps out a lot. This is something fun for 

us to do. 

Jon Young: We each play our own role. I do the beats 

and he’s good with concepts. We know what our abilities 

are so we just work together with that. We don’t really 

clash on anything. 

What else would you like to mention 

J. Cash: We’ll be releasing a major album in 2008. It will 

be in stores nationwide. Anyone wanting to check out 

our music and show schedule can go to our website 

Myspace.com/JonYoungMusic and Myspace.com/officialjcash. 

// 


Photo: Tyson Robertson 

OZONE | 19

Top 10 

HITMAKERS 

IN 

FLORIDA 

By DJ Nasty 

Florida is home to plenty of vets when it comes to music; it’s also 

the birthplace for a lot of up-and-coming talent as well. We asked 

DJ Nasty for his list of who’s who in the Sunshine State and his 

personal favorite songs from those people. He gave us some insight 

on the hottest rappers and producers in the state, according to a 

professional. 

Trick Daddy - “I’m So Hood” 

1. Need I say more The opening line to that record is amazing. 

Everybody wanna mu’fuckin’ know why Trick Daddy is the king of 

Florida! [DJ Khaled’s] ‘I’m So Hood’ is the biggest record in the 

world. 

The Runners – “Bet That” – Trick Daddy, “Hustlin” – Rick 

2. Ross, “All the Above” – Beanie Sigel feat. R. Kelly 

I got to go with the home team. They’re the biggest producers in the 

game right now. They’ve got too many records to name. “Hustlin’” is 

still the biggest record in the club. “All the Above” is a smash! They 

changed the game in down South Hip Hop. 

Rick Ross – “Speedin” feat. R. Kelly 

3. Rick Ross is the future! His record “Speedin” featuring R. Kelly 

is amazing. It’s a big record. It’s gonna take Rick Ross to that next 

level. 

DJ Khaled – “We Takin Over” 

4. Khaled is the hardest working man in show business and “We 

Takin’ Over” is a great record. 

Plies – “I Am the Club” 

5. Plies is the realest nigga I ever met! 

Pitbull – “That’s Nasty” 

6. Pitbull is one of the top 10 because he’s versatile. “That’s 

Nasty” was the first record me and him ever recorded together. It 

was two Cubans doing it big. 

Cool & Dre – “Brown Paper Bag” 

7. That record was an inspiration. When I heard that record it 

made me want to make music. It made me want to kill the clubs. It’s 

an inspirational record. 

Brisco – “What You Want” 

8. That record is killing street clubs out in Dade county! Of 

course it’s produced by DJ Nasty of the Nasty Beatmakers. 

Flo-Rida – “Get Low” featuring T-Pain 

9. This is the #1 most requested record in the club right now. All 

the girls want to hear the “Apple Bottom Song.” That’s what they call 

it. They don’t even know it’s called “Get Low.” 

DJ Nasty/Nasty Beatmakers – “I’m Me” – Lil Wayne 

10. Last but not least, of course, you can’t mention Florida 

without mentioning DJ Nasty and the Nasty Beatmakers. Me and 

brother did “I’m Me” for Lil Wayne. It’s on The Carter III album. I’ve 

never heard Wayne spit like this in my life. He shut it down! 

Compiled by Ms. Rivercity // Photo by Julia Beverly 

OZONE | 21

front- 

22 | OZONE 

(l-r) Front-Line’s Pat 

Nix and Willie Fisher

line 

promotions 

...at the end of the day the Promotion game is 

a business. We deal with major corporations 

everyday to solidify sponsorships for events 

or they hire us to plan events for them. You 

have to conduct yourself accordingly. No one 

wants to deal with companies who are not 

professional, especially Promoters. At the 

same time, we still keep it hot in the streets 

by throwin’ the hottest parties, treating 

people with respect. We support the people 

that support us. That’s the Boardroom to the 

Block.” 

OZONE | 23

ince the Florida Classic moved 

to Orlando twelve years ago, 

Front-Line Promotions has 

been coordinating the events 

and concerts surrounding the 

weekend. Co-owned by Pat Nix 

and Willie Fisher, Front-Line is 

one of the largest promotion 

companies in the South, thanks 

to their savvy business smarts 

and years of experience. 

What were you doing prior to starting 

Front-Line 

Pat Nix: I was a car salesman for Toyota. 

Willie Fisher: I played professional basketball in Turkey. 

Why did you leave those professions for the promotions 

business 

PN: We saw a need to fill a void in Central Florida for 

urban entertainment. I had personally already been 

doing parties and promotions in college as a member 

of Kappa Alpha Psi. I was in charge of fund raising so it 

was my job to come up with events and parties to raise 

money for our non-profit. 

WF: It wasn’t anything I had wanted to do. It was just 

something that fell into my lap. I ended up getting a 

venue, the Roxy Nightclub. I was introduced to Pat and 

we joined forces. It was just luck for me. 

Pat, you’re a FAMU alumni. What was your major in 

college 

PN: My major was in Business/Economics and my 

minor was in Marketing. It fits what I’m doing in a way, 

but not totally. Most of the people that came out of 

Business/Economics at FAMU are working for Fortune 

500 companies but I decided to go a different route. I 

wanted to be my own boss and not answer to nobody. 

Your company has been in business for over a decade. 

What do you think it takes to run a successful promotions 

company 

Pat: First of all, it has to be a business. A lot of people 

just put money together and think they can just do 

things, but we had an angle. There’s not that many 

full-fledged black business promotions companies in the 

country. You have to treat it as a business from A to Z. 

You can only go as far as your money will take you. The 

reason why Front-Line Promotions has been successful 

is because we have actually made a business out of 

being promoters. We have a physical office, a staff, etc. 

We deal with major corporations every day to solidify 

sponsorships for events, or they hire us to plan events 

for them. You have to conduct yourself accordingly. No 

one wants to deal with companies who are not professional, 

especially promoters. At the same time, we still 

keep it hot in the streets by throwin’ the hottest parties, 

treating people with respect. We support the people 

that support us. That’s the Boardroom to the Block. 

Wille Fisher: And you also need to reinvest. Sometimes 

people don’t understand the business. They have a 

successful event and think that’s how it’s going to go all 

the time. You can’t be like that. You have to reinvest the 

money. You also have to reinvent the wheel as much as 

possible. You got to stay fresh. 

Were those some things you had to learn the hard way 

PN: Definitely. We lost thousands of dollars while 

learning the business in the beginning but those were 

lessons we needed to be successful. You have a lot 

of fly-by-night promotions companies. You might have 

Such-n-Such Entertainment one week and a month 

later the business is gone because they’ve done an 

unsuccessful event. 

WF: You have to be very selective and pick your battles 

when choosing what you want to do. Be smart about 

the things you get into. Everything that comes to you is 

not for you. 

Front-Line started with the two of you. How many 

employees do you have now 

PN: With the inception of our nightclub Club Whispers 

we purchased about three years ago, we have a total of 

about 30 employees. 

What goes into setting up all the events for the Florida 

Classic 

WF: We start from A and go all the way to Z. We handle 

the marketing, get the flyers and commercials prepared, 

get acts, take care of travel; it’s a widespread 

list. 

How long does it take to get everything organized 

WF: Well, the Florida Classic is pretty much our pet 

project; it’s one of our babies. We have been one of 

the official marketing companies for the Florida Classic 

since day one. I’d say we prepare for it all year long, 

and really go into high gear about six months out. We 

come up with our ideas and what we plan to do to make 

it happen and make the ideas come to fruition around 

four months out. 

What are some of the other events your company has 

scheduled for the upcoming year 

PN: One is the Florida A&M Homecoming Concert. We 

have Lil Wayne, Plies, Boosie and Webbie, Musiq Soul 

Child and T-Pain coming to the Leon County Convention 

Center. We’ll bring about 12,000 people in the Convention 

Center in Tallahassee for FAMU’s Homecoming. 

Our company was contracted to produce, promote and 

market that show and also help choose and book the 

talent. It’s really a collaboration between Front-Line 

Promotions and Florida A&M University. Another event is 

the Memorial Day cruise to the Caribbean. We’re going 

to go on a cruise ship with talent like Doug E. Fresh and 

different acts and different hosts like Kid Capri and Big 

Tigger. It leaves out of South Florida and travels to the 

Caribbean Islands. It’s a 4 day/4 night cruise. 

24 | OZONE

That’s creative. How did you come up with that idea 

PN: To be honest, one of our DJs that we’ve dealt with 

for years, DJ Saxwell, had been doing it on a smaller 

level with another company. They decided to step down 

because it wasn’t a major success for that company. We 

all got together and said we could make it big. I would 

say the idea came from Saxwell. 

Does your company do events outside of Florida 

PN: Oh yeah. We do events all around the country. 

We do big events for the Super Bowl, the NBA All Star 

Game, Essence Music Festival and things like that. 

What are your plans for expansion Are you happy with 

the size of your company or would you like to see it 

grow even more 

PN: We were just thinking about that last night. We 

plan to start a teen division with Front-Line to capture 

a younger audience so when they get older they’ll 

know about Front-Line. Also, we’re going to get into 

the ad agency business. We have relationships with all 

the major radio stations, mainly in the South. We can 

really go out and do a lot of good marketing for other 

companies. Of course, Willie and myself don’t just play 

into going to the club every day so we’re going to 

expand into other businesses like restaurants, day care 

centers. Willie already has a dump truck business. We 

really plan to go to a whole other level. We also plan to 

start buying tours and things of that nature. 

How do you stay ahead of the competition in the 

entertainment business 

PN: We really feel that we’re our own competition. Competition 

is healthy but we feel we’re own our competition 

because the more and more we push each other, the 

further we’re going to go. 

What is the most rewarding part of your job 

WF: Seeing an event go successfully. It takes hard work 

to put on an event but at the end of the day knowing 

that it was a success, not just money-wise but everything 

went good – the artists showed up, there weren’t 

any incidents, things like that, that’s when we’re happy. 

PN: I would say the same thing Willie just said – seeing 

that everything came together and went fine. It’s not 

always about the money. Sometimes it’s about the look 

and the perception. That’s what a lot of people don’t 

understand. Sometimes they do an event and may not 

have made the money, or may have lost some money, 

but sometimes success is based on what your customers 

feel. It’s about how the party or concert turned out. 

WF: As long as your customers are happy, that’s a success. 

If they’re not happy, then it’s not a success. Some 

promoters are happy they made a lot of money, but 

their people are upset. That’s not a successful event 

because it’s going to be real hard for you to come back 

and do another one. 

What are your thoughts on that Is that difficult 

PN: You’re definitely right about that. I have people in 

my family that ask me to go here and there for them 

and do this for them, but I got to go to work. They 

don’t look at it as a real full-time job, but it’s more than 

a full-time job. It’s 24 hours a day. We may get a call 

at 5:30 in the morning that something went wrong at 

our club and we may have to get up out of bed and go 

see what’s going on. It takes a lot of planning to put 

together all the stuff that we do. We do events almost 

every day of the week. 

Do you have a website where people can view your 

upcoming parties 

PN: FrontLineEvents.com andClubWhispers.net 

Do you have any other knowledge to share 

WF: I don’t want to seem too harsh, but we have a 

problem of trying to make people understand that we 

all need to support each other. Pat mentioned that we 

have a nightclub. There’s only one other black owned 

club in Central Florida. We try to make sure that our 

community understands that we’re entrepreneurs; 

we’re business owners. We need support. The only way 

this place is going to continue to run is if we all stick 

together. You have clubs that open up and say they’re 

not doing any Hip Hop, but what they’re really saying is 

they’re not doing any blacks. But as soon as their club 

starts to fail, they turn to the black dollar. The black dollar 

is the strongest dollar in the nightclub business right 

now. You have a lot of cliques, like the upscale urban 

people, and sometimes they tend to stray away from 

an urban owned club. People told us in the beginning 

when we opened the club that we need to be as diverse 

as possible. We said no. We’re trendsetters; we set our 

own standards. We have a full-fledged urban club and 

we’re proud of it. You can get your Hip Hop on one 

night, your R&B and Neo-Soul on another, your Reggae 

on another and your Latin on another night. We’re 

diverse, but we’re diverse in the minority community. 

PN: A lot of times people look at us, including other 

promotion companies, and say that we don’t want to 

share the wealth. It took a lot to get where we are and 

I always practice this quote: I don’t have any control of 

how the wind blows, but I can adjust my sails to reach 

my destination. For people who don’t understand, 

everyone has the right to do business and it’s up to you 

to go out there and make it happen. // 

Words by Ms. Rivercity // Photos by Terrence Tyson 

A lot of people also might not understand the entertainment 

business runs 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

26 | OZONE 

Papa Duck

aised 

in Belle Glade, Florida, Papa Duck earned the 

support of the streets as an artist/producer. At the age 

of 15, Papa Duck purchased his first keyboard and set 

out to make his mark in the music industry. He currently 

resides in Orlando where he is working on his debut 

self-titled album. 

For those who don’t know, what’s the history behind Papa 

Duck How did you get to where you are today 

Hard grinding. Attacking the streets and staying consistent 

with what we do. Just making hot records. 

What have you been doing to keep your momentum 

going 

Basically I just have passion for music. It ain’t just about 

money with me. It’s always something I’ve dreamed of 

and wanted to do. Also by me losing my partner John 

John, I got to do it. It’s a commitment now. Ain’t no turning 

back. 

In your opinion, what are some qualities an artist needs in 

order to maintain longevity 

I’d say originality. Being able to make the right decisions 

and not spend money on the wrong things. You got to 

blueprint the whole situation. Be smart about it and be 

consistent. And make hot records. 

Was there ever a time you felt like giving up How did you 

overcome that 

Yeah, when I lost John it really made me want to say fuck 

it. But it went the other way around and made me go 

harder. 

What are the best qualities about yourself as an artist 

I think I put together a good album. I also got a hell of a 

street team behind me. 

How does having a street team help 

We blueprint the whole situation. We attack small cities…I 

probably shouldn’t even be telling my 

blueprint. But we pretty much just attacked 

the streets. We targeted small cities rather 

than bigger cities. I make hot records, hot 

music, shit people want to hear. I put it out; I 

don’t just hold on to it. 

Without giving away your whole blueprint, what 

are some good ways to promote music 

Investing in your own duplication is good. That 

way you cut your duplication costs. Targeting 

small cities at the right time is good. First of all, 

you got to have good music. Second of all, you 

got to narrow it down. Catch the hottest club in 

the hottest cities. You want to cater to the people 

in that club and pass out your music. When you 

done burnt that city down move on to the next one. 

If your music is good enough, it’ll grow legs. That’s 

the blueprint. 

You’ve been around for a while. Have you seen a lot of 

people come and go in this industry 

Yeah, for the right and wrong reasons. I’ve seen people 

come and go. It’s good to pay attention to certain situations 

‘cause it let’s you know what to do and what not 

to do. 

Why do you think those people didn’t make it 

I would have to say it’s because of lack of hustle and lack 

of faith. If you want to do it, you gonna do it regardless 

of your financial situation or whatever. 

When you’re not making music, what are some things you 

like to do What spots are popping in your city 

Me personally, I’m a movies man. I like to go to the 

movies. I like to go out to eat so I like to go to City Walk. 

My eating spot for soul food is Johnson’s Diner. Tabu with 

DJ Nasty on Wednesdays is off the glass. I like Cleo’s. 

Firestone is popping on Sunday. 

Is there anything else you want to talk about 

Every time I come it’s gonna be different. My album 

is gonna be well worth purchasing. It’s going to be 

something on there for you. You can just be looking out 

for me. You know Papa Duck go hard in the paint. I got my 

situation with Butter Boy Records, Lil Rock Dog Records 

and Island Boy Entertainment. 

How can people check out your music 

I got PapaDuck.com and Myspace.com/PapaDuckMusic 

If someone wants to book you for a show, how do they 

reach you 

My manager’s numbers are 850-210-9573 and 352- 

231-3760. // 


Photo: D Suave 

OZONE | 27

k.c. 

| OZONE

k 

.C. 

is a singer/song writer that is steadily working towards 

his turn to shine. He’s written hooks for Rick Ross, 

Young Jeezy, Beanie Sigel, and a host of others. He’s 

currently creating music for himself and plans to 

release an album in the near future. 

You’ve been working with a lot of people lately. 

I’ve been doing a lot of writing. I worked with The 

Runners and Kane. I wrote the hook for Rick Ross’s new 

single called “Speedin’” featuring R. Kelly. As you know, 

I did [the hook for Young Jeezy’s] “Go Getta.” I did another 

hook for Beanie Sigel. I’m also on Chamillionaire’s 

new album. I did a song called “Won’t Let You Down.” 

I’m about to start working on my stuff now. 

You have a big name out there. Why do you think you 

haven’t made it to the mainstream yet 

I think it’s all about timing. I wouldn’t say I haven’t made 

it to the mainstream yet. I have but not as an artist 

yet. That’s the next step. I think it’s about building a 

good story. It makes a name for yourself and gets the 

industry’s respect. I think we’re on the right path. 

You said you’re working on your material right now 

I’m just now getting in the studio. I’m working with a 

producer named Danger. He’s done things from Britney 

Spears’ new single to T.I.’s new single. He’s one of the 

top producers in the game right now. I just did a deal 

with him and we’re about to start working on my album. 

What is your label situation looking like right now 

As of right now I don’t have a label situation but I have 

a few offers on the table. I don’t want to say too much 

yet but it shouldn’t be a problem. I had a situation a 

little while ago with Universal. Some things with the 

business didn’t go how we planned so we got out of 

that. There’s no bad blood or hard feelings. It’s like that 

sometimes in the game. 

Have you always wanted to be in music or was it something 

that you just fell into 

I was about 6 years old when my mom put a group 

together in church and I’ve been singing ever since 

then. I started trying to do it professionally when I was 

at the age of 14. I just know it was something I had a 

passion for and it was something I loved doing. Music 

is a very big part of my life. I wake up singing. I’m 

just fortunate to be able to make a living off of 

doing something I love so much. 

In addition to singing, do you also have the 

whole R&B dance element thing going on 

Definitely. I’ve been doing that. I just try 

to be as well-rounded as possible. I play 

instruments. I play the keyboard. I just 

picked up the guitar. It’s about being as 

good as I can be all the way around. 

What are the best qualities about yourself as an artist 

Probably one of the best qualities that helps me out a 

lot is being a writer as well as a singer. I can tell my own 

story from my point of view. When you hear something 

I do, it’s my music, my style. It’s a separate style from 

anyone else’s. 

What do you hope to accomplish in the long term with 

your music 

Of course I want to touch a lot of different areas of the 

entertainment industry. But I just want to focus on one 

thing at a time. I think sometimes artists get ahead of 

themselves before they are really established. They try 

to move on and do too much before they are ready. But 

of course I’d like to do things like acting. My mom also 

has a performing arts school. I want to help her out 

with that and help her develop the school for music and 

performing arts. There’s a lot of stuff out there that I 

could do but I just want to focus on right now and take 

it step by step. 

What’s the most difficult aspect of being a singer 

It’s a tough game all the way around, trying to stay 

motivated. It’s important to believe in yourself and 

know that you’re here for a reason and good at what 

you do. Everybody is put on earth to do something and 

if you believe that music is what you’re supposed to be 

doing, don’t let anybody throw you off. The business is 

a hard business but once you work hard and get on it’s 

easier. Just make sure you make the right relationships 

with people. 

Has music been rewarding to you so far 

Definitely. I feel like with music it’s not a profession until 

it’s paying your bills. Until then it’s just a hobby. It’s definitely 

rewarding right now ‘cause it’s paying the bills for 

me. It’s also about the respect of my peers and people 

noticing what I’m doing. That’s a big reward. // 

Words by Ms. Rivercity // Photo by Terrence Tyson 

OZONE |

lady lyric 

| OZONE

lady Lyric is a female 

emcee, singer 

and song writer 

that relocated 

to Orlando from 

Queens, NY several 

years ago. Since 

her move, Lyric 

has joined the Bum 

Squad DJz and 

currently belongs 

to an organization 

founded by MC 

Lyte. 

How did you get 

your start in music 

I started writing 

poetry at a very 

young age. All 

my poems were 

basically about 

hustling, struggling, 

hard times because of where I lived at in the hood. My 

cousin Fidel Cashflow was in the game already rapping. 

I used to jump into their cyphers and freestyle with 

them. I didn’t take it seriously until I turned 18. I went 

in the booth and started spitting. When I did that, that’s 

when I knew what I wanted to do. 

You’re originally from Queens. How would you compare 

your hometown to Orlando 

When I moved here I was 19 years old and it was very 

slow paced to me. I’m used to a fast pace, being from 

New York. I moved down here and started hitting up 

clubs. At first it was just DJ Prostyle and DJ Nasty. I got 

familiar with them and started getting into cyphers. 

The scene wasn’t that big. Over the last four years it’s 

gotten crazy. To me it’s getting like New York. You can 

go anywhere and Hip Hop is really strong in the South 

right now. 

What do you think female artists need to do to be taken 

seriously in this industry 

For one, these females need to start writing their own 

lyrics and be a little more creative instead of just showing 

their stuff. I feel there’s really no positive influences 

except for a few. We’re not even strong anymore. They 

need to use their brain a little bit more. Let them know 

what real Hip Hop is about and that we can write lyrics. 

We ain’t out there just selling our ass. 

You’re a full time mother. Does raising a child make it 

difficult to pursue your career 

At first it was very difficult. I took about a year and a 

half off. It was very hard to juggle both, especially being 

a single mother. But I knew I wanted to make life better 

so that just motivated me more. 

What advice would you give other parents when it 

comes to balancing family and your career 

You’re always gonna have to go out and do shows and 

spend time away from your child. To keep that balance, 

try to spend as much time as you can with your child. 

Communication is the key. Whether it’s your child, your 

younger sister, whatever, be a positive influence in that 

person’s life. Always talk to them. That’s what I do with 

my son. If I can’t be with him all the time, I make sure 

that I’m in his life. I’m always honest with him too. 

What’s your opinion on all the controversy and negativity 

that is surrounding Hip Hop today 

I feel the negativity towards Hip Hop needs to stop. 

There’s other genres of music that are doing exactly 

the same thing and no one is really saying anything. As 

a female in the game, as far as women in the videos, 

people need to understand that these women chose to 

do that. They’re pointing fingers at the wrong people. 

I think it’s wrong to point at the artists or say that it’s 

their fault they’re degrading women. These women are 

degrading themselves. I also feel they’re putting the 

light on Hip Hop in order to outshine all those other 

issues going on in the world, like the war. 

Tell me about your current projects. 

I have a mixtape that I just finished with DJ Tito – he’s a 

CORE DJ. I’ve got a single that’s in rotation called “I Like 

It.” It’s getting a lot of plays overseas. It’s produced by 

Grand Larceny. It’s really a party track. Some clubs in 

Orlando are playing it. A lot of people don’t know that 

I’m working with MC Lyte as well. She has a clique called 

The Hip Hop Sisters which I’m part of. It was an honor 

because she actually recruited me herself. She’s a 

legend. She really liked what I was doing. She’s coming 

out with a mix CD as well. It’s gonna be a lot of females 

on there. I’m about to drop another single called “V.I.P.” 

That’s for more of a mature audience. It’s a little different 

than what I’m used to but I’m confident about it. 

Are you looking for a major deal or would you like to 

make it work as an independent 

Right now I’m not looking for a major. I was in the past. 

I realized that by doing that it kind of holds you back 

‘cause you kind of get discouraged. And right now, ain’t 

nobody really signing anyone. I’m just going to put my 

product out. If a major label approaches me and the 

deal is right we may be able to work on that. 

Is there anything else you want to mention 

You can check me out at Myspace.com/LadyLyric05 or 

PureCashEntertainment.com. // 


Photo: Cross Breed 

OZONE |

10 | OZONE

OZONE | 11

Preacher 

12 | OZONE

p 

that can be played on radio but still give you the 

sense of masculinity. 

Tell me about some of the singles you’ve had 

success with. 

The first single I released was called “Die For 

Me.” I got a big up North fan base. My first 

single hit the charts and I was getting about 

200 or 300 spins on radio up North. My 

second single was “We From Florida” featuring 

Rick Ross and Jacki-O. My third single was 

“Don’t Push Me.” It featured Shahiem from Wu 

Tang. I’ve been working on some big projects. 

With my fourth single, I wanted it to be only 

me so I can show people what I can do and 

they don’t think the artists that I’m featuring 

is what’s carrying me. I want to show people 

that I can hold my own. My new single is 

called “Paperchasin’.” I just released it. It’s 

already tearing up the stations. 

reacher is a common name heard in the streets of 

Orlando, especially recently. After releasing several 

singles, Preacher is preparing to further spread his 

street gospel via his first album. 

How did you make a name for yourself in Orlando 

Hard work and a lot of grind. I started getting on every 

show I could possibly get. I actually did a lot of shows 

with just about every major artist you could think of. 

I just took the money I made from my business – I 

own a tattoo parlor – and started pushing myself. I’ve 

featured Rick Ross and Jacki-O. I made a big dent in 

Florida. I was trying to do the unity thing so I went to 

every artist here that was doing something and making 

a name for themselves and I collaborated with them and 

let everybody know who Preacher was. 

Have you tattooed any famous people 

Yeah, I did the driver Grave Digger; I did Shahiem from 

Wu Tang. I’ve done a lot of basketball players. A lot of 

people know me from doing tattoos. That’s something 

I also wanted to tie into my music career. Paul Wall 

brought the gold grills to the industry so I want to bring 

tattoos to the music industry. 

As far as your music, what are you most known for 

My energy. I believe when you hit the stage it’s about 

showmanship and energy. I don’t think there’s nobody 

out there that does a show the way I do a show. I bring 

a lot of things to the table, a lot of energy. I think that’s 

what’s missing in the industry right now. 

How would you compare the music scene in your 

hometown to other cities 

It’s a lot more gangsta. Instead of the dirty South we 

normally hear, in Orlando it’s a little bit more gangsta. 

The thing I’m bringing to the table is that I’m mixing the 

two – a commercial feel and gangsta – so that I got a 

new genre of music. I actually have a genre of music 

With radio play and your buzz, have any 

major labels been seeking you out 

From what I’m hearing through the grapevine, I got 

four labels that are interested – Interscope, Def Jam, 

Universal and Atlantic. We got a couple of people that’s 

also promoting us in New York and New Jersey. We get a 

lot of feedback and they was talking about they wanted 

to see how much I really want it. I’m looking forward to 

signing with a very big major. It’s going to have to be 

somebody big, especially with my creativity. 

What significance does your name have How do you 

live up to it 

I got the name Preacher from my father when I was 

four years old. My father always told me I would be 

preaching a lot of things people could learn from. A 

lot of times people get my name mixed up with gospel. 

It’s not that I don’t want to preach the gospel, but I 

want to do God’s work in the streets. If I see somebody 

doing something wrong, I tell them how they should do 

it right. I tell them how important school is and there’s 

other ways to make money than selling drugs. I’m an 

entrepreneur myself. I’m always preaching something 

positive. I’m from the street so I give them the street 

perspective. It’s hard for somebody from the streets 

to listen to somebody’s who’s never done it. I’ve done 

everything. I’m a positive role model in the community; 

I’m always giving back. I didn’t get into music just 

for money, I got into it because I want to voice to the 

people and make change. 

Tell me about some of your plans for the future. 

I’m sitting on tons of music and I realize you can make 

music all day, but you got to get out here and make 

something happen. I have a pre-album I’m about to 

release. When a major label comes, I’m going to be a 

full package for them. // 

Words by Ms. Rivercity // Photo by Shang Media LLC 

OZONE | 13

it’s 

been five years since their first album came out and 

everyone’s been wondering when are Smilez & Southstar 

going to drop the sophomore project. As the duo can 

attest to, sometimes it’s the business that holds up a 

project, not the music itself. Now that they’ve signed a 

fresh deal, Smilez & Southstar are ready to reintroduce 

themselves to the world. 

What’s going on with your label situation 

Smilez: We finally got it all straight. We’re with Pure 

Records through Universal. It’s a label out of Miami. 

We’ve been with them for about a year now. We’re pushing 

the first single right now featuring KC. We went through 

a lot of stuff with Trans Con. We had to break our ties 

with Trans Con. It just took a lot of time for us to get that 

done with our lawyers. Now that that’s done, we’re ready 

to move on. 

Southstar: We got our business right! 

Are you working on projects with anyone else 

Southstar: Right now our main focus is pushing our new 

album The ReIntroduction. We’re getting ready to release 

it early next year. We’ve got the single with KC. We’ve got 

Treal on our album. We’re working with Acafool. We’re really 

trying to push this Florida movement and shine some 

light on artists that aren’t just from Miami. We’re trying to 

shine light on artists coming out of Orlando, Jacksonville, 

Tampa, cities that sometimes get overlooked. 

What producers do you have on the album 

Southstar: We have The Runners on a track. We worked 

with Khaos & Order out of Miami. They produced the “U 

Know” record with Treal. The Diaz Brothers did the “U” 

record with KC. We pretty much work with whoever has a 

hot track that we can vibe to in the studio. 

Y’all have been working on your sophomore album for a 

while now. Why haven’t you been able to release it yet 

Southstar: We know how long it’s been between this 

album and our last one. A lot of people have been 

wondering what’s been going on. That’s why we decided 

to name this album The ReIntroduction. This album really 

touches on a lot of topics as far as what’s been going 

on in between the albums. Also, this is the first album 

that me and Smilez co-executive produced. We picked 

all the tracks; we came up with all the concepts. We put 

this album together so in our opinion, it’s our first real 

introduction of us being hands on while putting this album 

together. The title fits good because it’s been five years 

and everybody wants to know where we’ve been at, so 

it’s like us reintroduces ourselves to the public. 

14 | OZONE

Smilez & 

Southstar 

What advice would you give to other artists trying to 

break into the mainstream 

Southstar: Take control of your own music. A lot of artists 

think getting a record deal means they’ve made it. What 

they don’t realize is, when you start letting a lot of other 

people handle your project, that’s when your project goes 

a totally different direction. Get a team of people that 

believe in your vision. The biggest lesson we’ve learned is 

to be more hands-on. Perfect your craft but at the same 

time, learn the business. 

If a major label offers to sign an artist, what are some 

things the artist should look out for 

Smilez: Read the fine print! Definitely have your lawyers 

in place. Don’t go to your boy ‘cause he knows some of 

the language. Just because the label sends you a contract 

doesn’t mean it’s the final contract. It’s a negotiation. 

Before, labels were giving out big deals but now they’re 

not giving out those big deals to artists. Nobody’s really 

selling albums anymore. Labels are looking for that ring 

tone single because that’s how they’re making their 

money. They might give you a good deal on your album, 

but the ring tones are what people are being judged on 

right now. Don’t be stupid either. If you know you’re not 

a proven artist yet and you know you haven’t sold a lot 

of mixtapes or CDs, don’t think you’re going to get a 

superstar deal. Get the best deal you can until you prove 

yourself and renegotiate later. 

South: Another thing to look out for when labels approach 

them is make sure they put themselves in the right situation 

at the right label. As a Hip Hop or R&B act, you want 

to make sure you’re on a label that has a proven track 

record with urban acts. You don’t want to sign yourself 

to a Rock label. Artists need to research the success of 

the acts that the label puts out. You don’t want to sign to 

a label and get shelved for two years. Don’t jump at the 

first opportunity. If one label comes to you, another label 

knows about you. Once that contract is signed it takes 

forever to get out of it. 

How can people contact you 

Southstar: You can check out our music and tour dates on 

Myspace.com/SmilezandSouthstar. 

Smilez: Any artists that got beats and want us to collab, 

email us at gwbeats@gmail.com. // 


Photo: Mike Anthony 

OZONE | 15

Sytonnia 

for the 

last 

14 years Sytonnia has been in the radio and television 

business and is now a very familiar name in the 

Orlando area. As a former radio personality for 102 

Jamz, Sytonnia used her natural gift of gab to spread 

her positive energy to the public. 

Besides radio, what other type of media work have 

you done 

A little bit of everything. Most recently I was a producer, 

anchor and health reporter. I’ve done VJ work, 

regular television hosting. I did an on-campus type 

reality show. I was a host for Real Life 101 which is a 

national syndicated career show for kids. It was shot 

here in Orlando at Universal Studios. 

Is radio and television a stepping stone for you Do 

you want to move on to something else 

Everything I do is a stepping stone. It all helps me 

hone my skills and become who I am today. Ultimately, 

I want to be an entertainment report for Entertainment 

Tonight or Access Hollywood or BET. I’d also like 

to get into movie production. I also write scripts. I’m 

not a writer but I’m very creative so I put all kinds of 

thoughts down on paper and ended up with six scripts. 

I’d like to possibly sell some of these scripts and see 

them come to life on the big screen. I started working 

on one that will hopefully be out early next year. I like 

to look at myself as a mini Oprah. I want my hands in 

everything 

Have you always had an outgoing personality 

Yeah, I’m way too nice but God gave me a sweet spirit. 

I’d rather be happy all the time than miserable. 

Were you ever star struck by anyone you met 

I’m around this so much it doesn’t even phase me but 

I will admit when I met Oprah I got a little nervous. 

Seeing such a power force right in front of me and 

knowing that she came from humble beginnings and 

is an icon now, she made me nervous. And Janet 

Jackson. I’m sure everyone can understand that. 

What are some hot spots people should check out 

while they’re in Orlando for the Classic 

You have to come to my club. I work as the first 

lady of Front-Line Promotions. I’m doing Girlfriend 

Thursdays at Club Whispers. Every Friday except for 

1st Friday I’m at the Roxy. Saturdays you got to check 

out Whispers again for the Velvet Rope Edition. The 

other clubs are Icon, Cairo, Antigua on Fridays, Glow, 

Lux, and Status. 

Do you have any advice for someone wanting to get 

into radio or television 

You don’t have to but I would recommend that you go 

to school to learn the behind the scenes equipment 

like the teleprompter and how to operate it. If you can 

take a technical course I would recommend it. As far 

as developing your voice, if you have the gift of gab 

then you just have the gift. Of course with experience 

everything will develop. However you can get into a 

radio station or on a mixtape or whenever you can use 

your voice, do it. If you have to volunteer or intern or 

get on a street team and work your way up go for it. 

And stay with it. For some people it will happen fast 

but for some it won’t. Be serious about it too. Some 

people just want to be a rapper and think they’ll do it 

via radio. Be serious about your craft and know what 

you want to do and work hard. 

How did you get your big break 

It’s kind of weird. I was doing a television show and 

a Program Director from a radio station offered me 

a one day a week radio spot. I jumped right on it 

and made it what I wanted. That doesn’t happen for 

everyone all the time though. // 


Photo: Terrence Tyson 

16 | OZONE

mercedes 

mercedes 

is an all around go getter. Her business 

ventures include Strictly Streets Marketing – a street 

team service and Society Entertainment – a management 

company and record label. Mercedes is also 

Director of Promotions for the CORE DJs and one of 

the original members of OZONE’s staff. 

How did you get your start 

Coming from an entertainment family, I’ve always 

been involved with entertainment. I was a professional 

dancer for many years and played various instruments 

and wrote music. I discovered the club scene from 

watching that Patti Labelle show Out All Night where 

she owned a nightclub/lounge and I was going to 

clubs from as young as 12. I met Mr. CC, The Reggae 

Ambassador, at a club one night. For years I heard his 

radio commercials for his parties and concerts so I 

really looked up to him. We clicked and he hired me as 

his tour manager and street team. 

What services do you offer 

I specialize in breaking records, especially the 

independent artists in Florida. I get music to the DJs by 

hand and through my MP3 digital record pool. I also 

create marketing plans for promotional tours, hiring 

street teams and sending email blasts. Strictly Streets 

Marketing is strictly a street team. We’ve promoted 

clubs, movies, albums, clothing lines and even the 

last presidential election. I also have a network of 

street teams I hire for national campaigns. My newest 

venture is Society Entertainment with my partner 

Casanova which includes a management company 

and record label. I’m excited about our R&B group 

3AM. We just began negotiations for distribution with 

a few majors. Fella, The Show Stopper, is also with our 

management company. 

Who are some of your past clients 

I started promoting artists with Max-a-Mil Records. I 

learned a lot from Big Will, the owner, before he was 

murdered a few years ago. I had to keep a piece of 

him alive through what he taught me. I still work with 

some of the artists from the label like Bravo, South 

Star, DJ Junebuhg and Sonny Chulo. I also promoted 

Pitbull, RedMan’s label Gilla House, Justo’s Mixtape 

Awards and many others. I’m currently the rep for 

Interscope, Front Line Promotions and Poe Boy. I’m 

basically on retainer for major labels when they come 

in town or have artists to promote. Some of my independent 

clients include Wes Fif, Haitian Fresh, J-Shin, 

Dat Dude, Papa Duck, Phil 4 Real, Stick 3K, P.O.P.E., 

Benisour, Keez Clothing, Young Cash, Supa and Traffic. 

You work with the CORE DJs too, right 

I’m the Director of Promotions for The CORE DJs. You 

can catch us Saturday nights on Sirius Satellite Radio 

Hot Jamz Channel 50. Every 6 months we hold our 

CORE DJ Retreat. Starting in 2008, my partner Donata 

Ellis, the CORE’s Publicist, and I will begin The Florida 

Urban Music Conference in Orlando. 

You have a good reputation for getting things done. 

How do you stay focused 

Thank you. Well there is nothing like going through a 

windshield at 80mph, breaking your back and shoulder 

and still being able to bounce back to get you focused! 

After that basically, you can’t tell me nothin’! And if I 

can quote Kanye, “What don’t kill me can only make 

me stronger.” When you are truly passionate about 

something, the focus automatically comes with it. 

Unlike someone who goes to work 9-5 it never shuts 

off for me. I’ve been on my own with no family since I 

was a teen. Failure was never an option. It seems like 

a lot of people are missing the work ethic. They only 

see the glamour and not what goes into it. Despite the 

craziness, I truly enjoy seeing the final product of my 

efforts. I get satisfaction knowing I’m helping make 

someone’s dream become a reality. “It’s my job to 

make you famous.” 

How can people contact you 

Mercedes.Streets@gmail.com or MySpace.com/MercedesStreets. 

// 


Photo: Gerald 

OZONE | 17

TrealWords: Ms. Rivercity 

Photo: Brett Cassell 

18 | OZONE

florida 

has been behind the Treal movement since the 

foursome first hit the stage. Over the past few years, 

Treal has showcased their ingenuity and established 

themselves as consistent hit-makers. “I’m Not Locked 

Down” recently landed them a single deal with Universal, 

and a chance to take their talent worldwide. 

Everyone is talking about your new deal. How did that 

come about 

Poetic: The single was doing its thing on the radio. They 

seen our spins and came to us with a single deal and 

we was like, “We’ll see how the deal looks.” It was pretty 

straight so we went ahead and ran with it. 

You actually had several deals on the table. Why did you 

go with Universal 

Eliseo: We had been doing everything ourselves and 

we decided to get a major push. We went with Universal 

because they had the best deal on the table on the 

table at the time – not money-wise but situation-wise. 

Poetic: Record labels be shooting you deals and when 

they give you the proposal it’s straight but when they 

send you the contract, there’s so much stuff in the 

contract that it’s ridiculous. We got pretty good lawyers 

and their lawyers were sending over stuff that wasn’t 

nothing like the proposal. They was trying to own our 

name and own Treal. If we came out with a way we 

dress they said they got to own that too. If we walked 

away from the table we couldn’t take Treal at all. I was 

like c’mon, man, we already made our name and the 

way we look before the deal. They’re trying to own our 

life. But right now we got a single deal with Universal. If 

we keep doing what we doing and the song blows up all 

over the country, they’ll shoot us an album deal and if it 

looks good we’ll go with it. 

How do you think being with Universal will benefit your 

career 

Cheeze: We hope everything goes well. Right now we’re 

trying to pick up our radio spins. Hopefully this will take 

us to a whole other level. Once we’re in the game, it’s 

a problem. 

Eliseo: I think it will benefit us by giving us access to the 

rest of the world. We just need them to get us in some 

big search engines like Yahoo or things like that and to 

get our music available to all the DJs across the world. 

That’s really the only way I look at it. As far as our musical 

talent, we don’t really look to them for that. 

T-Sick: To be honest, I don’t think it will really benefit our 

career until they jump behind us. We’re in the beginning 

stages of the deal. Until they jump behind us, we finna 

be doing everything ourselves like we have been. 

Are you going to wait for an album deal before you 

release your next album 

Poetic: We pretty much got an album done. We got so 

many songs. We got like three albums ready to go. 

We’re still gonna drop an album at the beginning of the 

year regardless. 

Are you still going to promote “I’m Not Locked Down” 

for a while Or are you having something new 

Poetic: It’s a lot of people that are just learning about 

the song. As far as in Orlando, we got a bunch of new 

songs. We got one called “Zone’n/Fantasy Lady.” It’s 

kind of got that flavor of “Hypnotize.” It’s like two 

songs in one. It’s “Zone’n/Fantasy Lady.” At the end it’s 

a whole different song. 

Cheeze: “I’m Not Locked Down” still hasn’t been broken 

yet. It’s just here in Florida. “Zone’n/Fantasy Lady” is 

kind of like what Justin Timberlake did. It’s a hot song. 

What else is going on with you guys 

T-Sick: We’re doing a lot of writing for other artists, 

shopping our production and lyrics. We’re staying on 

the road, still promoting and marketing ourselves. 

Poetic: We produce a lot of our own tracks and we’re 

doing beats for a lot of underground artists. We’re 

looking forward to selling some beats to some big artists. 

We’re writing for some big artists. Kane Beats from 

Atlantic Records sent us some beats to write to. Other 

producers send us tracks and we write hooks and they 

send ‘em out. We got a couple of songs that Jeezy likes 

and Rick Ross likes. We’re just waiting on them to come 

through. Once that happens, Treal will be making some 

different kind of money. 

Cheeze: We’re trying to do music with everybody. We’ve 

gotten tracks with Juvenile. We’re trying to do some of 

everything. 

Eliseo: Our music has always been kinda cross over, but 

we’re trying to have it cross over more by getting more 

in depth with things like emo, pop, and grunge rock. 

We’re trying to touch more musical communities. We’re 

working on a project with The Secret Handshake – he’s 

huge in the electrical music industry. We got a song 

with him called “The Good Guy.” It’s crazy. We’re trying 

to break a new genre of music called hybrid. Hybrid 

basically means you take three or four different things 

and mix it. // 

OZONE | 19

tuck 



20 | OZONE

t 

uck is a rapper residing in 

Daytona Beach, Florida. He 

co-owns Nitro-Tek – a record 

label and promotions company. 

Nitro-Tek books many 

of the major artists that 

perform in Daytona, allowing 

Tuck plenty of opportunity 

to hit the stage. 

How did you decide to 

pursue rapping professionally 

I recorded my first song 

when I was 20. The first 

time I was in the booth 

it was a fluke. People 

told me I couldn’t rap 

so I wanted to prove 

everybody wrong. 

Did you prove them 

wrong 

The first time I got in 

the booth they was 

like, “What the hell 

you doing Get outta 

there.” I went back a couple 

of months later. I was in a group called Rock Bottom 

and when we did our first song it was a hit in the city. 

Straight off. The group didn’t work out for me but it was 

a learning experience. It was time to move on. That’s 

where it started from. 

Do you think you would ever try the group thing again 

Or are you done with that 

If the paperwork is right I would. 

What’s it like being from a small market like Daytona 

Beach Is it hard to promote yourself as an artist 

It’s extremely hard. There’s no outlets. Period. You have 

to make your own path. The best thing to do is to just 

get away from this city completely. Once everybody else 

likes you, your hometown doesn’t have a choice but to 

like you. 

What have you been doing to get your name out there 

Just putting out good music. You can’t deny good music. 

It will shine wherever it’s coming from. You can be from 

the smallest town in America but you’re going to hear it 

one way or another. 

Have you collaborated with any artists Anyone else 

from Daytona 

Not really any big artists, just artists on my own label. 

Eddie Bauer is the newest artist on my label Nitro-Tek. 

Tell me about your label. 

Actually it’s my best friend’s label. I’m the first artist 

on the label. Nitro-Tek is actually a DJing company. With 

me being a rapper and his best friend, he started the 

recording part of the company. I guess me and him 

kind of own it together. Our company actually promotes 

shows too. We’ve brought Young Buck, Baby Boy Da 

Prince and Plies down for a show. We’ve brought Boosie 

and Webbie for the first time to Daytona. We’ve brought 

a lot of people. 

So do you open up for the artists that Nitro-Tek brings 

to town 

Yeah, we do our own opening acts. I opened up for 

Boosie in Tallahassee. I opened for Jeezy on Father’s 

Day in Orlando. I did Magic City with Fabo. I get in where 

I fit in. I’m getting my music out there and promoting 

myself. 

What are some things you learned about the music 

business that you didn’t realize before you started 

rapping 

It’s not as easy as it looks. When I started rapping 

I thought I would be the next big thing. It’s just like 

going back to school. Going to music conventions really 

helped ‘cause you learn the game. You learn what’s really 

going on behind the scenes and see the steps you 

need to take so you’re not feeling around in the dark. 

It gives you a good direction to take and tells you the 

things you need to do. 

Who are some of your musical influences 

Straight up, Lil Wayne. The Hot Boys album really got 

me started. He was so young and I was hearing him say 

all this stuff and I felt like if he could do it I could do it. I 

took it upon myself to try and get my own style together 

and go forward from there. 

Do people ever compare you to anyone else 

Not really. I try not to sound like anybody. I just try to 

give it to you plain and simple, straight from me. 

How would you describe your music to someone who’s 

never heard it before 

I’m straight from the streets. It’s straight Hip Hop. 

That’s what I do. I do it for the club; I do it for all the 

niggas in the streets. Everybody can feel where I’m 

coming from. Anybody that can’t feel where I’m coming 

from, I still encourage you to listen to it. You might 

like it. 

What’s your purpose behind making music 

I just want to make a lot of money so I can pay some 

bills. That’s what I’m here for. I just want to be ten years 

ahead so I can sit back and think about what I want to 

do, not what I gotta do. 

Do you have any CDs out 

I just dropped Westside Story and I’m working on my 

next mixtape and my album Daytona 5. Me and Eddie 

Bauer are helping each other with our projects. Nitro- 

Tek Volume 8 Street Mix is out too. You can catch me at 

Nitro-Tek.com or Myspace.com/TuckDaytona. // 

OZONE | 21

hankadon 

ankadon hails from the 

streets of Orlando and 

he has a lot to say about 

current situation 

in the Florida rap 

game. He knows 

his place and he 

also knows his 

goals. With the 

efforts of his 

company Level 5 

Music Group, Hankadon plans to “spread through the 

hood like a virus.” 

What single should people be looking for 

The main singles I’m pushing off the project are a song 

called “Murk” and another song called “Florida.” It’s a 

song that has a lot of buzz down here in Orlando. We 

got the DJs involved with it. 

How would you describe those songs 

They’re club songs. They’re hood anthems. They’re 

gutter ass tracks. It’s street music for street niggas. 

They not really radio-friendly tracks ‘cause that’s not 

the type of music I’m interested in making right now. 

What challenges do you face being an independent 

artist 

What are you working on at the moment 

The most challenges I face are fucking around with 

I’m working on my Hankadon Won’t Fail project. We’re these pussy ass, flaw ass other rappers. Period. That’s 

doing a major push all across the Southeast with Level my biggest challenge – to separate myself from these 

hfuck 5 Music Group which is a company I own part of. 

niggas. None of these niggas is nowhere near 

22 | OZONE

Goons here. We don’t fuck off. We don’t play around. 

Ok, so back to your beats. All of your production is 

in-house 

All of my production is made by Federal Material. If 

you’re looking to get in touch with them, call 941- 

815-1924. All of my beats and production is in-house. 

The only nigga I could really see myself working with 

is Beethoven or Mouse out of New Orleans. Other 

than them two niggas, I don’t see myself working with 

anybody else at this point in time because of what I’m 

trying to accomplish. 

Are you eventually looking for a major label deal 

Oh yeah, of course. Eventually that’s the goal. Everybody 

gets into the music industry to make money at the 

end of the day. Of course for me, respect is a big thing 

too. As far as the label thing goes, what I’m learning 

from an independent’s standpoint is that there’s certain 

checkpoints you got to reach before them niggas gonna 

step to you with bread that I know I deserve. It’s certain 

checkpoints I got to reach and my goal is to conquer 

that shit. If I do that, I know labels gonna come to me. 

I got a good heavy buzz in the streets right now from 

Boat Key all the way to Tampa. I know it takes more 

than that to get the labels’ attention. I’m not ignorant to 

that. I’m just making sure I take it one week at a time, 

one city at a time, one goon at a time – from the thug 

chicks to the real niggas. 

Are you involved in anything else besides rapping 

(laughs) I’m in a lot of other businesses but ain’t too 

many of ‘em I can say in this magazine like that. 

where I am mentally, lyrically, or production-wise. I make 

my own beats. As far as the big labels, they ain’t gonna 

come to you until you get a big buzz so I don’t really 

expect them to be in my face like that until it’s my turn. 

My biggest problem is separating myself from these 

fuck ass niggas. 

Is there someone you’re talking about in particular Or 

is that a general statement 

I’m speaking in general. I’m not gonna name no names 

or put nobody out there but it’s a lot of fuck ass niggas 

in this industry, especially in Florida. Niggas is doing a 

lot of muthafuckin’ hating. I’m trying to get the hell away 

from around these niggas. I’m trying to show niggas 

that Orlando got a lot of shit to muthafuckin’ say. It’s 

a lot of shit going down in Orlando. It’s a lot of niggas 

out here that’s claiming they this and they that and all 

this bullshit but the fuck niggas ain’t ready. It’s Level 5 

So who have been some of your biggest supporters 

First and foremost is Coach. He’s really helped me get 

to where I need to be. He’s a real nigga. Some other 

people that have been supporting me 1000% since day 

one are OZONE, JB, D-Strong, Official Entertainment, 

Disco, JR, DJ Recon. I’ma say this too – it’s a lot of 

muthafuckin’ niggas out there that don’t respect them 

niggas as DJs. Them niggas to me deserve a lot more 

than they’re getting right now and I’ma make sure them 

niggas get anything they need. I also want to mention 

Firm Life Entertainment out of Southwest Florida, and 

a lot of the mom and pop stores in Orlando like Mega 

Chicks, Scholarship, and T Money. 

What’s next for you 

I’ma give everybody a heads up. I’m taking this whole 

shit over, not just Florida. Ain’t no nigga out there that 

can fuck with Hankadon, Hankzilla. If you don’t know 

about me, in a year you gonna know about it. I’m running 

through the hood like a muthafuckin’ virus. // 



OZONE | 23

ig koon 

& hollywood 

24 | OZONE

ig 

Koon & Hollywood are a duo under the up-coming 

Florida label Two Dog Records. Their new mixtape 

hosted by DJ Drama and Bigga Rankin is the talk of the 

streets in Central Florida. 

How is the mixtape doing 

Hollywood: The mixtape that we just came out with is 

our second mixtape. We did it with DJ Drama and Bigga 

Rankin. We’re still grinding it in the streets right now. 

Actually we just kind of started grinding it. 

Why did you decide to get both Bigga Rankin and DJ 

Drama to host it 

Hollywood: I’m gonna give my uncle the credit on 

that one. I’m Bigga Rankin’s nephew. We was kind of 

blessed. It just happened. 

Big Koon: We been fucking with Bigga for a while now, 

for years now. We pretty much went to Bigga Rankin 

and he set it up. That’s how we got it. 

What kind of feedback have you gotten so far 

Hollywood: Ah man! The streets are going fucking crazy 

for that shit. I’ve never really seen a response like this. 

Being a new artist, I’m loving it. 

Big Koon: We’ve been getting crazy responses from 

everyone everywhere. Everybody seems to love that 

first time ever Bigga Rankin/DJ Drama mixtape. 

What songs are people talking about the most 

Hollywood: Mainly the feature with BloodRaw called 

“Ain’t Nothing to Me.” Blood blessed us with that track. 

It’s a track on the mixtape that the females love called 

“Stacks On Deck.” 

Have you started working on your next project 

Hollywood: Yes. We’re actually like super artists. We’re 

our own promotion team. We’re working on our album 

right now. It will be out in March. We don’t really have a 

name yet but we’re leaning towards Mob Ties. 

Big Koon: Other than that, we’ve just been promoting 

the mixtape and doing shows. We’ve got a show coming 

up in Deland. We’ll probably be doing one in Palatka, 

Tallahassee, Ocala. We’re just going to hit a lot of different 

towns real heavy getting ready for the album. 

Will the album feature any other artists 

Hollywood: So far we’re working on a track that JUSTICE 

League produced. It’s featuring Pleasure from Pretty 

Ricky. 

Big Koon: I ain’t gonna get to much into that song 

‘cause it’s a secret we have coming. I foresee it being 

a big radio song. It’s a big song that all the ladies are 

gonna love. 

You guys have been traveling and promoting a lot. Is it 

getting exhausting yet 

Hollywood: Yeah, it’s really exhausting. But you gotta 

do what you gotta do. We work hard. We’re ready for 

whatever. 

Big Koon: Nah man, I love it. Being able to get up and 

do something I love to do every day is a blessing. I wish 

I could do it ten days a week instead of seven. 

How do you stay motivated 

Hollywood: Actually, the response that we get back from 

the fans keeps me going. It’s letting me know that if a 

nigga put in hard work it’s gonna pay off. 

How old were you when you wrote your first rap What 

made you want you want to do it 

Hollywood: I was 14 years old. My favorite rapper used 

to be Mac from No Limit. He just had a swagger about 

himself and plus he was a street nigga so I looked up 

to the G. 

Big Koon: I was just listening to everybody else rap. I 

grew up listening to 8-Ball & MJG, Tupac. I can’t even 

remember when I wrote my first rap. I was probably 9 

or 10 years old. 

How would you rate yourself in comparison to some of 

the other artists from your area 

Hollywood: From my area Basically all the artists from 

my area…how should I put this Everybody from my 

area has they own style. Everybody is nice but as far as 

lyrics, it’s only a couple of niggas I could name off the 

top of my head that could even come close to fucking 

with me. I am the Prince of Florida. 

Big Koon: I try not to get into that. I just make music 

that I think everybody is gonna like. I don’t really get 

into who’s better ‘cause that’s bullshit to me. Everybody 

likes their own thing. Just ‘cause I don’t like one person 

don’t mean somebody else won’t like ‘em. I fuck with 

everybody. 

Is there anything else you want to mention 

Hollywood: Just be on the lookout for the album in 

March. Tell my fans to keep their ears to the streets 

‘cause I always got ‘em. Shout out to Hittmenn DJs, 

Bigga Rankin, J.V. and One Lee. 

Big Koon: We some down-to-earth, serious cats who 

are real out here doing our shit. We’re serious about 

our music. I want everybody to take a chance and listen 

to our music. I know it’s going to grow on ‘em and they 

gonna fall in love with us. Hit us our Myspace page 

Myspace.com/BigKoonandHollywood. Leave a comment, 

download a ringtone if you want to. // 


OZONE | 25

flyy 

26 | OZONE

26 

-year-old Tyree “Flyy” Weston has an interesting story 

to tell about why he chose to pursue music. After 

overcoming a set of unusual obstacles, Flyy has had a 

successful run in the rap industry thus far. 

Tell me a little bit about yourself. Where are you from 

and what are you working on 

I’m from Polk County, Florida. Right now I’m working on 

my new mixtape Still Hungry. I just got finished with a 

mixtape called Tension on the Compound hosted by DJ 

Drama. My boy Plies is on there. I had production from 

Shawty Redd and Total Khaos. Still Hungry should be 

hitting the streets in the next month or two. 

Do you have any singles on the mixtape 

We’re working on two or three singles. We got one 

called “Fresh to Death.” That should have the club 

jumping. Then we got another one called “Whump.” 

That’s letting niggas know to get they swerve on. The 

mixtape by itself is touching on everything. It’s for the 

club scene and the streets. I ain’t in no box. I got a lot 

of real talk going on ‘cause I done been through a lot 

of shit. I do music for everything. 

How long have you been rapping seriously 

I’ve been signed to Tight Work Records for about 

four or five years. 

Back in the day I was in a group called Convicted 

Felons. We had a single out called “Niggas Ain’t Cuffin 

These Hoes.” That was back in ’98 or ’99. After we 

broke up I continued writing and got with a couple of 

producers and put out a demo. I’ve probably been 

doing music seriously for about ten years. 

How did you become interested in being an entertainer 

When I was young I used to do a lot of writing. Shit just 

came to mind and I would write it. I ain’t ever really 

expected to get no deals or make no moves. I always 

liked being in the spotlight. I was just doing my thing 

and people respected what I’m doing. I always liked to 

get attention and show what a nigga could do. 

What do you do to set yourself apart from other artists 

trying to get on 

I’m humble. I respect every amount of life I get and I 

give love back. Plus I’m hard working. When shit needs 

to get done, I get it done. I ain’t playing or stuntin’ or 

whatever. I got respect for everybody that do their 

thing. I don’t hold my nuts for nobody. 

You have two daughters. How do you balance being a 

father and being a musician 

Yeah, I have two girls – Ma Ma and Ty Ty. They’re really 

the ones that motivate me. I ain’t graduate from high 

school. I went blind when I was 16 years old. I woke up 

blind. I had surgery done on my eyes or whatever. But 

I never really could get out there and get no real job. I 

was in the streets trying to get it like that. I knew I had 

to find a way to do something to support my kids. They 

motivated me to go out here and try to do the right 

thing. I got to get money. I got to get that cash so I do 

my music. I hit the road but I talk to them on the phone 

when I’m gone. 

You’re on the road right now Where are you headed 

to 

Right now I’m on my way to Panama to do a show with 

Plies. We’ll be up in the Tallahasse area in November. 

Other than that I’m in the studio grinding this music and 

trying to get the CD done. I’m getting all the networking 

done to make it happen. Anybody that heard the Tension 

on the Compound CD is gonna love Still Hungry. 

I’ve been really focused. 

Do you have any other ventures besides the music 

business 

My man Dennis Clark got me into this real estate thing. 

I got a company called Weston Rena’s Properties. I’m 

still in the learning process of how to make things 

move and get through the loopholes as far as the real 

estate business. I named it Weston Rena’s Properties 

because I lost my lil sister at the age of 21. Her name 

was Rena Weston. I used her name in memory of her. 

What else should people know about you 

I ain’t going nowhere. If you want to contact me, you 

can call my manager Big Amp at 813-728-7881. // 


Photo: KedricLajuan.com 

OZONE | 27

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