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CLASSIC - Ozone Magazine

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WELCOME TO ORLANDOFLORIDA<strong>CLASSIC</strong>**special edition**slim-efeaturing+ SLIM GOODYE // WES FIF // RADIO // KCTRAFFIK // ANTONIO TARVER // 1LEEDJ KHALED // RAREBREED // YOUNG ACPITBULL // SWORDZ // PAPA DUCKOZONE MAG //


WELCOME TO ORLANDOfeaturingRADIOHUGO DIAZ & PITBULL+ SLIM-E // WES FIF // rarebreed // kcTRAFFIK // ANTONIO TARVER // 1LEEDJ KHALED // swordz // YOUNG ACSlim goodye // PAPA DUCK // & MOREFLORIDA<strong>CLASSIC</strong>**special edition**OZONE MAG //


OZONE MAG //


OZONE MAG


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OZONE MAG


Ready forChangeEditorial by Ms. RivercityWhen you look back at your life 365 days ago,were things the same as they are today? For me,life is completely different. Things have eitherevolved, sped up, been left behind or outgrown– I guess that’s how the life of a productive personshould look, but where I’m at today feels so farfrom the life I knew a year ago. Not that it’s a badthing.Since last year’s Florida Classic issue, I’ve movedfrom Jacksonville, the city I love, and hopped onthe Atlanta bandwagon – well, not really, Juliaoffered me a steady position with the mag andsince OZONE is the shit, I made the move. As I’mwriting this, I realize this is my third Florida Classicissue, and each year I’m reminded why I love whatI do so much. There’s always so much energyand talent to be discovered Florida, and let’s faceit, Florida is running shit right now so you neverknow who is gonna pop off next. I know Atlantais the Hip Hop Hollywood and the mecca forSouthern Rap music, but Florida is, well, Florida.And ain’t no place like home.Over these last few years I’ve seen a lot ofsunshine state artists come and go, but I’ve alsoseen a lot of them rise to the top and put Floridaback in its respected #1 spot. There’s a lot of newblood emerging that will keep the legacy alivefor us. I respect those of you that refuse to giveup, regardless of how long the process may betaking, you inspire me every day. What up TREAL!(I didn’t forget you in this issue, I just wanted toreach out to some of the other people I’ve missedalong the way.) I also support those of you thatmay have hit some road blocks, just know thatyour spot is still here when you get home. Dee Boiyou better write your homie back! And to those ofyou that aren’t coming home, I want to say rest inpeace…Toro, you will be missed.So back to my original point of change andhow necessary it is. This year I voted for change.I always vote, but this time my ballot was aboutmore than electing a person into office, it was achance to stand for something I always believedin – unity. 365 days ago if you told me our countrywould come together, despite race, sex, or anyother differences, and elect an African Americanpresident I would have laughed – because 365days ago I didn’t think the majority of our nationwas ready for change, or unity. I’m glad I waswrong. Hopefully 365 days from now we’ll all be aTABLEOFCONTENTSCOVER STORiesB20-23 RadioA24-26 Slim EINTERVIEWSA12 DJ ProstyleA13 Ricky PA14-15 Wes FifA16-17 ArmstrongA18-19 Slim GoodyeA20-21 TraffikA22-23 Antonio TarverA28-29 RarebreedA30-31 POPOVA32-33 DJ KhaledB10-11 1LeeB12-13 SkaiB14-15 Young AcB16-17 KCB18-19 PitbullB24-25 Sho ZoeB26-27 SwordzB28-29 Papa DuckB7 Tony CB9 Oddz N EndzFEATURESA10A9A8Club Listing / HotelsEvent ListingOrlando mapOZONE MAG //


MAPDOWNTOWNORLANDO // OZONE MAG


CLUB &HOTELLISTINGMALL LISTINGFlorida Mall8001 S Orange BlossomTrail407-856-7700Magic Mall2155 W. Colonial Dr.407-648-0779Millenia Mall4200 Conroy Rd.407-363-3555West Oaks Mall9401 W. ColonialDrive401-294-2775Winter Park Mall641 W. Fairbanks Ave.Winter Park, FL 32789407-671-3232CLUB LISTING11/12 Nightclub843 Lee Road407-539-3410AKA Lounge68 East Pine Street407-839-3707Antigua41 W. Church St.407-649-4270Back Boothwww.backbooth.com37 W. Pine Street407-999-2570B.B. Kings9100 InternationalDrive10 // OZONE MAGBob Marley - A Tributeto FreedomCityWalk at UniversalOrlando6000 Universal Blvd.407-224-2262BET SoundstageDowntown DisneyPleasure IslandLake Buena Vista, FL32830407-934-7781Bliss Ultra Lounge123 W. Church StCleo’s Gentlemen’sClub1310 S. Orange BlossomTrail407-839-8559Club Classic225 S. GarlandClub Status912 W. Colonial Drive407-841-1462Club V122 W. Church St.407-849-0808Club WhispersClubWhispers.net4732 S. Kirkman Rd407-290-9896Destiny7430 Universal Blvd.407-351-9800Dragon Room25 W. Church St.407-843-8600Element Nightclub39 W. Pine Street407-841-1566Ember42 W. Central BlvdFirestoneClubatFirestone.com578 N. Orange Ave407-872-0066Fusion1 S. Orange Avenue407-650-0556The GrooveCityWalk at UniversalOrlando6000 Universal Blvd.407-363-8000Hard Rock LiveHardRock.comUniversal CityWalk407-351-5483House of BluesHOB.com1490 E. Buena Vista Dr.Lake Buena Vista, FL407-934-BLUEHush Nightclub7552 Universal Blvd.(International Drive)Icon Nightclub20 E. Central Blvd.407-649-6496KOHA Nightclub426 E. KennedyEatonville, FL407-740-0556Matrix & MetropolisPointe Orlando9101 International Dr407-370-3700Motown CafeUniversal CityWalk407-363-8000The Roxy740 Bennett Rd.407-898-4004Slingapour’s25 Wall Street Plaza407-849-9904The SocialOrlandoSocial.com54 N. Orange Ave407-246-1599Screamers360 State Lane407-244-0299Sky6064 N. Orange Avenue407-246-1599Tabu NightclubTabuNightclub.com46 N. Orange Avenue407-648-8363TD Waterhouse600 W. Amelia St.407-849-2020Voyage Nightclub17 W. Pine Street321-277-0412Zinc BarTheZincBar.com13 S. Orange Avenue407-246-1755MISC.Central FloridaFairgrounds4903 W. ColonialDriveEastmonte CivicCenter830 Magnolia DriveAltamonte Springs, FLExpo Center500 W. Livingston(across from TDWaterhouse)


DJ ProstyleWords by Ms. RivercityPhoto by Wuz Good PhotographyFor the Florida Classic you can find a DJ ProstyleParty at Tabu Nightclub on Friday withPower 95.3, Destiny Nightclub on Saturdaywith Juelz Santana, and The Roxy for theSunday finale.What’s new with you?April will be two years that I’ve been backin Orlando from New York and I’m now withPower 95.3 Monday through Friday from 7pm– 11pm and Sunday from 8pm to midnight.All the shows I’m on right now are rated #1through Arbitron. I have a promotion companycalled AllProParties.com. We do Wednesday atRoxy, Fridays at Firestone and Tabu, Saturday atDestiny, and Sunday at Roxy.What about as far as working with artists?I signed a distribution deal with Asylum andWarner Brothers/Atlantic for All Pro Records.We currently have Traffik’s “Hercules” song infull rotation on Power 95.3. We have up to 40stations playing it. We shot the video whichfeatures Pitbull, Jadakiss, and Gorilla Zoe. In afew weeks it will be on BET, MTV, and all themajor media outlets. I recently signed Dropwho’s a real hot artist in Orlando. I also signedan R&B artist named JaShawn. We also haveBig Adept on the roster. We have a reggaetongroup called Mega Kani. They have one of thetop records in Puerto Rico. My artists havedone a ton of features already. I’ve been sittingback and building up my connects, waiting forthe right timing, which is now.about to do a party. Sometimes we pre-recordthe shows.Give us some insider info on what DJs canexpect to get paid.Don’t ever let a promoter or club tell you whatthey’re paying you by the hour. That’s not whatit’s about. But an average DJ might get $300a night. If you just started, I wouldn’t take lessthan $200 a night.What about a more experienced DJ like yourself?What’s the most you can earn?With my manager and booking right now,we’re around the $5,000 range to do anythingout of town, and that’s not including travel.We can work the numbers out – sometimesit’s less than that, sometimes it’s actually morethan that. It depends on what day of the weekit is and what’s going on. I’m a promoter andI do numbers so I know if I’m going to anevent and they’re expecting 100,000 peopleand they’re charging a certain amount perperson, I can hit ‘em for $6,000 or $7,000. Anda Wednesday is going to be a different pricethan a Saturday, so it depends.Is there anything else you’d like to add?Yeah, I just signed a deal with Diddy. I’m anofficial Ciroc DJ, which is a new group of DJs,strictly big dawgs across the country. I’m goingto be doing a lot of his campaigning and a lotof his parties. I just signed a deal with XBoxand in December I have my own global showcoming out called Hip Hop 360. It’s gonna beshown on Xbox, but I really can’t go into toomuch more detail than that yet.Do you have other DJs that spin in the clubsfor your parties?Yeah, I’ve tried to build an empire where Idon’t really have to DJ anymore. All Pro Partiesisn’t about DJ Prostyle, it’s about throwing bigparties. We have DJ Nice, DJ Element, DJ Quest,and DJ Eric. We just started a crew called All ProDJs and we already have 3 DJs in New York, 1in Boston. Within the next year or two you’rereally gonna see that branch out into anotherbig league of DJs.How’s everything going with the BET show?I still fly to New York every week for 106th &Park on Friday. A lot of people don’t know thatI syndicate my radio show. A lot of times I’mlive from New York but on the air in Orlando.Sometimes I’ll be on the radio in Orlando, on106th & Park in New York, and sometimes doingradio in another state, while in another city12 // OZONE MAG


Ricky PWords by Ms. RivercityMarch 2009 will mark nine years that Ricky Phas been with 102 Jamz in Orlando. Starting atthe bottom and working his way up, Ricky nowhosts the coveted 6 PM - 10 PM spot on 102’snight show.Did you start with 102 Jamz as an intern?Well, I wasn’t actually an intern. I appliedwith them for two years, nagging them andletting them know that I’d like an internship. Ieventually got hired as one of the Street Squadmembers. I was driving the van and doing allthat. And once I got settled in, I reminded themthat I initially came for an internship on radioand if they minded me doing my internshipoutside of my Street Squad hours. I got theokay and that’s how I got into the radio portionof it. But, eventually they hired me after twoyears of nagging ‘em.Have you always had the voice for radio orwas that something you had to develop andgrow into?I never considered it being a voice; I think it’smore of a personality. Some people changewhen they get on radio, but I think if you justbe yourself, people seem to like you more. I’mjust myself, do my thing and talk smack.Do you talk smack in general when you’renot at your job?Yeah, I’m the same way when I’m on the radioand when I’m off the radio. There’s no changein personality. I’m just a laidback dude. I like tohave fun and I just got blessed with a radio job.Are there any other aspects of the radio businessthat you’re involved in?I throw a few parties of my own throughoutthe week and I also work for a couple parties.I started my own company called NightlifeMoguls and I’m just trying to push that ‘causeI know the whole Ricky P thing is not going tolast forever. I don’t want to be that old dude inthe club, but I do want my company to go on.So right now I’m building my brand and mycompany. Thursday night I’m at Hush, Fridaynight I’m at Antigua, Monday and Saturdaynights I’m at Element, Sunday night I’m at Bliss,and every first Tuesday of the month I throw alegendary party at the Dragon Room.As far as the indie Hip Hop artists in Orlando,who do you feel has quality music and potentialto maybe make it mainstream?I’ve always been a fan of TREAL. They workhard. I’m all about dudes that bust their ass.Don’t come up to me and tell me you’re hot,show me you’re hot. I appreciate dudes thatare out here grindin’, like TREAL. KC is killing itright now. I met him behind the scenes workingwith Nasty and now he’s all over the place.I’m glad to see that he’s finally starting to bewell known.As far as your parties are concerned, do youactually kick it and get your party on, or doyou do your thing sober?I’m not the dude in VIP, I’m the dude that’s atthe bar with everybody like, “Let’s get a shot!”The VIP is cool and all, but it’s just not me. I’mnot into being in the back corner, roped off. Ifeel like the reason I’m successful is because ofthe way I act when it’s party time. I may not bedancing, out there doin’ the diddy bop, but I’mmingling with the people and wildin’ out.OZONE MAG // 13


As told to Ms. rivercityPhoto by Matt Weichel from Steezy Pictures14 14 // // OZONE MAG


Top 10OrlandoHot SpotsIf you’ve followed OZONEover the last several yearsthen you already know whoWes Fif is. An Orlando rapperknown for releasing hit afterhit under Clientell MusicGroup, Wes Fif is one of theFIRST names MENTIONED whentalking about who’s hot inthe O. Now it’s our turn to letWes Fif give his take on what’shot in his city. Here’s his top10 list of places to check outwhile you’re in town for theFlorida Classic.1. DME’s Riding Big Car Show – I don’treally have to say too much about this. Nigga’salready know what it is when my brotherDawgman does the car show. It’s the perfectgrand finale on Sunday for the best weekendin FL, in the best city in FL. Hot whips, goodfood, beautiful women, real niggas, and agood time. You can’t beat that.2. Frontline’s Classic Luau – My bigbrah Pat Nix has a lot of hot events going onall weekend long at Whispers, Roxy, and someother spots. But the Luau on Saturday night isalways the lick. It’s for the niggas who wannastunt and have a good time, and not have toworry about anything. There’s always beautiful,beautiful women everywhere, and thehottest DJs from around the country. What upCity, Sytonnia, Christina, and Omar!3. Wildside – My dawg Shami got the hottestgear in the city, hands down. Anybodywanting to get fresh and get they swag upneeds to go holla at him definitely. That’sfor dudes and girls. He’s located at 6203-C2West Sand Lake Road. Spots like Men’s Closetand Mannequin got some hot gear too. ButWildside is what it is.4. Flyer’s Wings – Anybody who is reallyfrom this city rocks with Flyer’s. They have thebest wings, period. We’ve called in orders fromthe studio a hundred times, and you can eatinside as well. So all you out-of-town peoplewho want some good food fast, holla at them.They’re on West Colonial Drive near Kirkman.5. The Trap/Hood – This right here ain’t foreverybody, especially if you scary. But if youwanna see the real Orlando, then you needto slide through the hood. Ivey Lane, OrangeCenter, Mercy Drive, Crosstown, Pine Hills,Richmond Heights, Tangelo, Crossroads, TheTrail, Carver Shores, Texas Ave, I could go on fordays. Everything’s for sale – keep your head onthe swivel though. (laughs)6. Magic Mall – On any given day duringClassic Weekend the Magic Mall will be swole;it’s always been that way. Cars on deck, girlson deck, goons on deck. Everybody having funin the parking lot outside. It’s located on W.Colonial Drive right between Tampa Ave. andJohn Young Parkway.7. Car Detailing Shop – If for some reasonyou niggas are slipping and your whip is dirty,tighten up and go holla at my dawg n’em inWashington Shores, or outside the Magic Mall.This ain’t really a “hot spot,” but it’s necessary.Plus it be jumpin’ too.8. Icon Nightclub – This is the longest runninghot spot on Friday/Saturday night. Onetime for my dawg Paul over there. This spot iscrazy both nights and will sell out early. If youwanna get a taste of how we really rock in mycity, this is where you need to be, trust me. I’llbe there one of those nights. 20 East CentralBlvd., downtown. One time for D Strong, DiscoJr., Greg G, Yogi, my whole Icon family.9. Hero”s – It’s now called KOHA, but it’sstill Hero’s to us. Listen, every night, when allthe other clubs close, Hero’s is open till 6 AM.426 East Kennedy Blvd in Eatonville. What upWayne and Disco.10. Orlando! – Fuck it, the whole city is onfire. It’s a lot of spots I couldn’t mention ‘causeJB, Rivercity, n’em only gave me top 10. Buttrust me, just ride through the city and you’llfind something poppin’. If not, slap me whenyou see me. 407 on the map!OZONE MAG // 15


Words by JEE’VAN BROWNPhoto by Malik abdul16 // OZONE MAG


A key member OF the rapgroup The Titus Boyz,Armstrong is now flyingsolo with his new mixtapeThe Money Bag hosted by DJRell. Armstrong hopes tocapture and inspire the rapgame with the truth aboutthe Orlando streets.What do you have going right now?Just on the grind. I just put out my first mixtapewith my solo project, but other than that, I’mjust out here trying to get this money.You recently dropped a mixtape with DJ Rell?Yeah ,I dropped the mixtape with him not toolong ago. It’s called The Money Bag.How was it working with him?Working with DJ Rell was real nice. He’s a realmotivational nigga; we got it in real good. Ithink he’s underrated but every dog has its day.That was your first solo project, right? Whatgroup were you with before?The Titus Boyz, that’s my family. As a whole, it’sabout 10 of us. You have me, Mook Boy, andKilla Creepa – we’re the main three that havebeen on the previous albums.How many mixtapes have you guys put out?About four mixtapes before The Money Bagwhich were Drug Money, Swagged Out, StreetThang, and Brick Chasing.How long have you been rapping?About four years.What were you doing before you startedrapping?I’m street nigga now and I was a street niggathen. I’m all in the hood, so basically whatever ittook to get that paper. I’m still that same nigga.What do you have planned for the Classic?We’re trying to put some shit together for theClassic but nothing [finalized] yet. The weekafter the Classic we have a show in Daytona.What is your ultimate goal with rapping?My ultimate goal is to show these young niggasthat a street nigga can cross over to get thatindustry money, and be the same street niggaand have that same swagger while being inthat market. I’m all about motivation.Since you’re from the streets, how do youthink you can paint a picture to people outsideof Orlando that there’s more to Orlandothan Disney World?Aw man, they’ve just got to pop in my CD andlisten. We’re a long way from Disney World, butwe can pull magic tricks on niggas. It’s a realtrickery game over here, pullin’ rabbits out ofhats.Are you signed to anyone?No, we’re independent getting our own money.You have my label which is Fly Boy Entertainment,then you have Mook Boy’s label which isFly Goon Entertainment, and we have a couplemore things going on entertainment-wise.What obstacles have you been through toreach this point?Just about everything that’s related to thestreets. When I was younger I was in the detentioncenter, juvenile center, just about every jailsystem. A lot of my niggas have ended up inmessed up situations where they are locked upor even dead. It’s just real unfortunate.You have a song called “Blood Gang.” Are youaffiliated with the Bloods?I’m going plead the fifth on that one.What was your favorite mixtape you put out?My favorite mixtape was Swagged Out becauseyou have a little bit of everything on thatalbum. It’s plenty of juice on there, you evenhave music for your moms and pops to listento. It was just a real mixtape and cutthroat. I didit like that because I wanted people to knowexactly who I was and what I was about. But thenext one is going be a street gangsta album. Itwill be some more stuff for the ladies, but stillon some gutter shit.Have you collaborated with other artists fromOrlando?Yeah, I collaborated with different artists fromOrlando, like Young Drop and Fly Ball, just toname a few.What other side hustles do you have?We’re actually about to open up two new studios.One is going to be our headquarters andthe other one is going to be open for everyone.If people want information on the studio theycan go to our Myspace page.What producers are you going to be workingwith?I’m working with a lot of local niggas. I fuck withniggas that fuck with me because I’m not aboutto chase a nigga down for a beat. I’m goingdo this myself and start straight from groundzero. //OZONE MAG // 17


Words by Jee’Van Brown * Photo by Malik Abdul18 // OZONE MAG


After moving to Orlandofrom New York, Slim Goodyeearned his street cred andrespect in the local scenethrough a lot of hard work,not to mention talent andconsistency. Now that hisnew mixtape is about todrop, Slim can say he’s finallypaid enough dues and hasenough fans to make a significantimpact in his market.What do you have going on right now?Right now I’m working on my mixtape withDJ Greg G that we should be putting in thestreets next weekend. It’s called The Connect. Ialso have my new label called Tru Story Musicand I have my artists Lugo, Sunti, and myin-house producer Fama Beats. With me andGreg G, he was one of the first people I connectedwith when I came down here, and withme being a real nigga, I stayed with my peopleand kept my circle tight because I don’t fuckwith too many niggas.You stated that you connected with him whenyou moved down there. Where are you from?I’m from New York originally. I’ve been living inOrlando for the last six years.You didn’t have to adjust from the coldweather to the hot weather?No, even though I was from up top I alwayscame down for spring break, Memorial Day,and all those other events.You started rapping while living in NewYork?Yeah, I’ve been rapping since I was in the 6thor 7th grade. We would fuck around rappingin the lunch room and later I decided to take itseriously, especially since I’ve been hearing allthis garbage coming out.Who do you like right now that’s not garbage?I like Young Jeezy, Gucci Mane, Rick Ross, andanybody of that level in the game. I can relateto them niggas, them other niggas ain’t talkingabout nothing.So you come from the streets?Oh yeah, certified 100% street nigga.How many mixtapes have you put out?This will be my 6th one coming out. I also didone with DJ Khaled. He’s the only other DJ thatI have worked with.How is your single “I Don’t C You” going rightnow?Everybody loves the single. It’s bumping in thestreets. I’m pushing it and we’re just waitingfor it to pop off.What made you come up with that single?Because when you’re getting money you havea lot of haters. They might not even know youbut they gon’ hate for no reason, so I made upa song called “I Don’t C You.”Have you put any albums out yet?No album yet, but I’m working on the albumas we speak.Do you have a title for the album yet?No, we didn’t come up with a title yet. We’reabout halfway in and I have about 9 songsdone right now.What is your goal as a rapper?I just love music and hopefully one day Ican market myself bigger, but right nowI’m straight mixtapes. I could really care lessbecause I got fans in the street and they knowwhat it is.What would you say is your biggest achievementso far?My biggest achievement so far would be thatI’m respected in my city and respected in thestreets. Not only having respect in the streetsand in my city, but also from other artists.If you weren’t rapping what do you think youwould be doing?I used to play basketball. I went to college on ascholarship; that was my thing. But even whenI was hooping I would be in the locker roomspitting, or when the coach would pick me upoff the bench I would be rhyming.What school did you go to?I went to the University of Missouri.What were some of the roughest obstaclesyou went through before you made it to thispoint?When I moved out here they weren’t reallyshowing love, so I had to gain my respect. Firstyou’re a freshmen, sophomore, junior, thenyou’re a senior. I’m a senior right now about tograduate. Orlando is a hard city to come up in.It’s like crabs in a barrel because everybody istrying to come up.OZONE MAG // 19


Words by Jee’Van BrownPhoto by Kristy of Rain Productions, LLC20 // OZONE MAG


With his new single “Hercules”hot in the streets andDJ Prostyle backing him,rapper Traffik is in his ownlane. While you’re on yourway to the game or partyingduring the Classic, pop in hisCD because this rapper hassomething FOR EVERYONE.What do you have going on right now?I got the “Hercules” song out right now. It’sbeen getting a lot of buzz and play in Orlando.We’ve got Jadakiss, Pitbull, and Gorilla Zoefor the remix, and we just shot a big video forthat. I’m just working on my album right now.What’s going to be the name of your album?Die Hard Fan.When does the album come out?We’re pushing for the second quarter, andwe’re trying to drop the single in January.When you collaborated with Jadakiss,Pitbull, and Gorilla Zoe, were you guys alltogether?Yeah, we were all together.How was it working with all of them?It was crazy. I learned a lot from each one ofthem. Pitbull told me to “stick to my grind,”Gorilla Zoe told me to “have fun”, and Jadakiss,he just told me a lot. It was really legendaryfor me.How did you hook up with DJ Prostyle?I hooked up with Prostyle like in 2002. I wasback and forth from Ohio to Brooklyn – I wasborn in Brooklyn and moved to Ohio after Igraduated. I came down here and just hookedup with him through listening to the radio. Iheard him doing his thing so I started freestyling,and then I used to go to the clubs he wasat and I would give him my CD. I would stayon my grind like that. He would play some ofmy joints on the radio and I would freestylefor him and that’s how I met him. It’s crazy becausea lot of people thought I knew Prostylebut I didn’t know him at all, it was all just ahustling thing. When I moved down to FloridaI was listening to 102 Jamz and I heard himtalking his shit like he do and I just got at him,so he got my rhymes and would play it on the5:00 Traffic Jam.How do you think living in New York, Ohio,and Florida has influenced your rhymes andlyrics?I left Brooklyn when I was 13 to move to Ohio,but then I left Ohio and moved back to NewYork to try to get my record deal poppingover there. I used to mess with a lot of rapperslike Wu-Tang; I been around for a long timeand I learned a lot up there. But I really didn’tget the thing I was looking for up there so Iwas thinking, let me move down to Florida. Iwas going to move to Miami but I moved toOrlando.What made you move to Orlando?Well, actually when I was in New York, I metthis chick from Miami and she put me on toFlorida. But I didn’t follow her all the way toMiami. I stopped in Orlando. I guess you cansay it was the will of God and everything hasbeen working for me since I got here. I can’tcomplain.Was it hard adjusting from the North to theSouth?Not really, because when I was living in NewYork and moved to Ohio, I got put on to differentmusic. When I was living in New York Iwas listening to all New York shit. When I gotto Ohio that’s when I got put on to Ice Cube,Bun B, the Geto Boys, and all them other cats.So it definitely affected the way I was rhymingbecause it told to accept all music. That’s onething about me now; I love all music.Your song “Dead Homies” is a really goodsong that some people, including myself, canrelate to. How has having some of your lovedones passing affected you?Well it’s crazy because actually in 2002 twoof my cousins died. One of my cousins hadjust got shot in a random shooting in Dayton,Ohio. My other cousin was 32 and died fromlung cancer, so I lost two close cousins in oneyear. It’s made me look at life differently andnot take it for granted.Besides your album coming out, do you haveany mixtapes coming out?I did a mixtape called The Hoodlum. That’swhat really caught Prostyle’s attention. I didthat with my homeboy Vegas Stacks and Syllabusright in Pine Hills in my crib. It got a lot ofunderground love.What do you have going on for the Classic?I will probably slide through some clubs.OZONE MAG // 21


Words by Ms. RivercityAntonio “Magic Man” Tarverhardly needs an introduction,especially in Orlando.As the town’s hometownhero, Antonio has used hissuccess in boxing for charitablework with children,and even co-signing some ofthe city’s musical talent.22 // OZONE MAG


What’s been going on since your last fightagainst Dawson?I’ve just been watching the landscape of thelight heavyweight division. Roy Jones justfought Calzaghe, which was very interestingto me. A lot of people feel that Calzaghe’s thegatekeeper to the light heavyweight division,but I beg to differ. We have the Chad Dawsonrematch coming up in March or April. I lostmy last fight to him, but I’m undefeated inrematches. In fact, after all three of my lossesI came back and won by knock out. Hopefullyonce I reclaim my championship then wecan see what Calzaghe’s really made of. He’sfought Hopkins, he’s fought Jones, but there’sone intricate name that he’s missing – he’snever faced Tarver.Do you feel like you were 100% prepared tofight Chad Dawson?I would say I was 100% prepared, but inboxing, there’s little things that can happenduring the fight that will offset you, thingsthat you have to adapt to on the spot. The firstround we came out and felt strong, but forsome reason I got into this aggressive, one-dimensionalfighter that’s not me. It allowed himto do some things that ordinarily he wouldn’thave been able to do. I fought an ordinaryfight, and even in doing that, the fight wasn’tas much of a blowout as it may have seemed.Yes, he was more active than me, but a lot ofthose punches weren’t landing. If you look athis face and my face at the end of the fight,it’d be hard to see who won because he wasswollen everywhere. The only thing that wasswollen on me was my arms and wrists fromblocking all of his shots. But the judges don’treally award [points for] defense a lot. Theydon’t appreciate good, scientific boxing. Theobject of the game is to hit and not be hit andI’ve perfected that. Granted I’m 39 and I’vegot a birthday coming up, but it was a verycompetitive fight. In the rematch I will makesome adjustments, box my style of boxing,and prove to be the better fighter.As far as Orlando is concerned, you’re ahometown hero. What responsibilities comealong with that?You want to make your hometown proudof you, in anything you do. You want to beyour best. And you do that by staying out oftrouble, not being in the news with negativepress because a lot of people are rooting foryou. I wasn’t trying to be a role model, but ifI can be a positive influence on the inner citykids I welcome that opportunity. That’s whywith my Antonio Tarver Foundation, which isa leadership program, I show the kids that it’sok to get out here and have dreams. When youlook at Barack Obama winning the presidency,that’s a feel-good story that should makeyoung black kids say, “The sky’s the limit.”There’s no excuse for failure. I come from a lessfortunate environment and at one time I wasa lost soul, and I think God [blessed] me and Iwant to give blessings back.On the note of being a target when you’re successful,can you speak on the situation withSuperhead and how you’ve dealt with herputting your private business out in public?I’m human and we all mistakes. You might thinkabout the moment, but you don’t think abouttomorrow. One day I made a bad decision thatI regret, but I can’t take that back. I faced themusic on that. Fortunately I have a supportivewife that understands that as a man, I’m goingto make mistakes. I’ll forever try to make that upto her for the hurt and embarrassment it causedher. I’m thankful that she has a forgiving heartand knows I love her dearly.What was being in the Rocky movie like? Areyou going to try to pursue anymore actingroles?I was a co-star in one of the biggest sportsfranchise movies of all times, and yes, I’d reallylike the opportunity to go to L.A. and do somework. But right now it has to be suitable formy schedule and that’s what makes it tough.I can’t juggle [acting] with my [boxing] careerbecause I’m only a year or so away from theend of it. I don’t want to spread myself thinand have any regrets. I’ll have more thanenough time to do acting, commentary, andwork on my promotional company once Iretire.What about working with some of the localtalent? I hear you’re a supporter of Slim E.I think he’s the next big thing. I’ve heard alot of great rappers along the way and I’dcompare him to Jay-Z and T.I. when you look athis lyrical ability. Hopefully the masses will feelthe same way and take Slim to the next level.D.S.K. is a movement.Anything else you want to let people knowabout?I’ve got my big Super Bowl weekend andCelebrities for Charity. We’re having a bigpoker event at the Hard Rock Casino in Tampa,along with my celebrity golf event. I got somefriends of mine like Ken Griffey Jr. participatingwith me. It’s my time to give back and it’s for agreat charity.OZONE MAG // 23


24 // OZONE MAGWords by MS. RIVERCITYPHOTO BY WUZ GOOD


As an emerging artist in theSoutheast, Slim E knowshe’s good and isn’t afraidto tell you so. Despite havinga strong confidence inhis recordings, a solid teambehind him, and a dream he’sfinally fulfilling, Slim E isstill humble.He won’t go on and on about how he’s thebest, or how he’s the king of the throne. Hewon’t tell you how his J.U.S.T.I.C.E. Leagueproducedrecords can outshine a majority ofwhat’s currently in mainstream rotation, eventhough they can. But with the assurance of aleader, and the qualities of a boss, Slim E willboldly let you know that his music speaks foritself, and that his label D.S.K. can hold its ownamongst the competition.So you were raised in Atlanta. How did youend up in Orlando?I was actually born in Orlando. My mamamoved to Atlanta when I was pretty young. Iwas always back and forth from Florida andGeorgia my whole life.From a music standpoint, is one city moreproductive than the other?I feel like how productive you are is based onthe artist. I don’t feel like the city got anythingto do with it. It’s a lot more people in Atlanta,of course, but like I said, productivity is basedon the artist. I was raised in Atlanta but I gotmy deal in Orlando.How did you get the deal?My labelmate DirtyRed, who’s also an artiston D.S.K., I know him through a mutual frienddown here in Orlando. Lattimore wouldalways tell DirtyRed, “This cat from Atlantacan really rap.” One day me, him, and DirtyRedwere hangin’ around rappin’ and DirtyRed said,“Ay, you good, I think you should come meetmy folks ‘cause my people can get you whereyou need to go.” So we went to meet the BossRome, a.k.a. the 7 Star General, and I rappedfor ‘em. A couple weeks later, Rome, the CEOand owner of D.S.K., flew to Atlanta with twoof his friends and Antonio Tarver. We sat downand talked about it. He brought me back toOrlando, signed me, and the rest is history.What were you doing prior to signing withthem?Actually my brother Antwain, a.k.a. Big Skinny,had a label and I was with a group called PlayaPartnaz. It was myself, Hookman, Kinfolk,Hustle, and Chocko. We was doing shows. Werecorded an album that was never released.And I was working with Dee Boi; he’s incarceratedright now. Free Dee Boi. I was workingwith a producer named KP and Fed Up Recordswith Black Mike, Head, and Murda.Explain your affiliation with J.U.S.T.I.C.E.League.Rome from D.S.K. had a relationship withIvan and Chuck, the managers of J.U.S.T.I.C.E.League, for quite some time now. He suggestedthat we do something kinda like a jointventure deal, so Rome, Ivan, and Chuck set itup. Now it’s J.U.S.T.I.C.E. League/D.S.K.What’s it been like working with J.U.S.T.I.C.E.League on the production tip?They’re Grammy award winners, so they’reclearly some of the best producers in thegame. They know exactly what they’re doing.They actually taught me a lot of things I ain’teven know about music and recording. It’sa good chemistry. I feel comfortable aroundthem. Rook, Colione, and Kenny are like family.I really don’t work hands-on with otherproducers, they just send me the beats. WithJ.U.S.T.I.C.E. League, it’s something different.We stay in the studio. They working hard. Theylove what they do just like I love what I do, itworks out better that way.Who were the other producers you wereworking with?I got a couple tracks from a guy namedBeat Down out of Orlando. He’s hot. And Iwas working with The Professionals. As faras J.U.S.T.I.C.E. League, they’re the best. I’mblessed to be in this position. I always listenedto everything they’ve done. They did [RickRoss’s] “Maybach Music,” [Young Jeezy’s] “BuryMe a G,” and [2 Pistols’] “She Got It.” Everythingthey do is a hit. Once I got in the studio with‘em we just vibed off top.Besides working in the studio, what are someother things you’ve experienced since linkingup with the D.S.K. and League?Since I got with D.S.K., my whole life changedfrom day one. We vibed before we startedworking. I signed the deal before I evenrecorded one song with D.S.K. We’re family.Rome is really like a father figure to me. Theexperience is crazy. Everything we do is big, it’sboss shit. Rome goes all out. Everything camewith D.S.K. – the money, clothes, cars. It was areal deal. It wasn’t just something on paper.And you went to the OZONE Awards withJ.U.S.T.I.C.E. League, right?The first trip I took with the League was to theOZONE Awards in Houston. They were nominatedfor producers of the year. It was cool. Wewas up on business. They had cameras on ‘emOZONE MAG // 25


like crazy. They’re stars. But we take everythingwe do very seriously.What do you love the most about makingmusic?I love everything about music. It’s funny thatI say that now ‘cause I do this on the regular. Ican’t really take nothing away from nobody,but a lot of folks just ain’t really into what theydo. I used to have dreams about recording inthe studio. Now I do it like it’s nothing. I loveeverything about music, from recording towriting to performing. That’s all I do all day.When you finally got to live out your dreamand got in the studio for the first time, was iteverything you imagined it would be?Nah, actually, I imagined being in a big studiowith a lot of major artists, shit like that. Butonce I got in the studio for the first time, it wasat an apartment and the microphone boothwas in the closet. (laughs) Once I got in a realstudio it felt good. It actually gave me sometime to learn how to record first.How much of your real self, Eric, comes out inyour music? How personal do you get?Slim E is Eric, so it comes out all the time.Everything we talk about at D.S.K. is real life,what we’ve been through and what we plan todo. Eric may be a lil more humble at home, butthey’re pretty much the same person.What are some real life things that you’vewritten about in your songs?What I talk about the most in my last fiverecords is how I got this deal. I always wanteda deal but I never knew how it would happen. Italk about the things that have changed. I alsolike to talk about everything I’ve been through,the struggle, you know, the stuff that a majorityof the artists talk about but I talk about it inmy way. I just talk about my life. I just want mystory heard.When does your album come out?I have a mixtape bumping in the streets calledD.S.K. Presents: Slim E Definition of a Boss. The albumSlim To None is coming out in summer 09.How would you define what a boss is?My definition of a boss is someone that holdstheir own and does everything they say theydo. Somebody who controls the situation.A nigga who runs shit, a nigga that calls theshots. That’s a boss. I explain it on my mixtape.If someone is reading this right now andwants to know what the Definition of a Boss is,how can they get the mixtape?If you go on myspace.com/downsouthkingpinzyou can download the mixtape from there. Ifyou’re in the streets of Orlando or Atlanta, it’sin all the hood spots.Where are some spots people should checkout while they’re in Orlando for the Classic?If you wanna have you a good time, there’splenty of clubs down here. The Roxy on Fridayand Whispers on Saturday are my favorite twoclubs. If you like the hood crowd, you can go toFirestone or Icon. If you want some good foodyou can go to the Jamaican spot by MagicMall. Mama Nem’s got the best breakfast. Forshopping I go to the Millenia Mall, Sak’s. TheMen’s Closet has a few spots for Hip Hop gear.What do you think of Orlando’s music scene?It’s a lot of talent in Orlando. A lot of artists arestarting to get deals down here. Everybody’scool with everybody. It ain’t really no beef inOrlando Hip Hop. People work well with eachother.What songs do you having buzzing?“Who Da Fuck Iz You” is buzzing like crazyin Atlanta. Central Station is going crazyover that. It’s a club banger! It was actuallyproduced by OZ N Da Deacon from Orlando.“Hey” and “Money 2 Blow” featuring DirtyRedis going crazy. We work hard at D.S.K. We don’tmake nothing but hits. Of course everybody isgonna say that about themselves, but you cancheck it out for yourself.Have you hopped on the R&B/Rap collaborationtrend that is real popular right now?Yeah. I worked with Blaze, who’s originallyfrom Gary, Indiana. They’re in Atlanta withOomp Camp Records. They did Baby D’s “AboutMoney” and Rocko’s “Karma.” I worked withthem through the League. I love talking abouta woman on a track. That’s one of my specialties.I make songs for all women – whether I’mtalking about how sexy a woman is, how independentshe is, or tellin’ a woman to keep herhead up. I even talk about the women in mylife – my mother, my grandmama, my sister.What do you look for in female?It’s obvious that looks are the first thing younotice. But I really wanna see where she’s atin life, and what she has going for her. That’swhat turns me on. She’s gotta be all the wayreal. I love an independent woman with agood head on her shoulders.Is there anything else you want to mention?Slim to None coming in 09. Slim E, a.k.a. TheGucci Vuitton Don, a.k.a. The Son of the Boss.I ain’t really gotta talk about it too much, I’malet the music speak for itself. D.S.K. – DownSouth Kingpinz – is on the way. We D.S.K.– who the fuck is you?26 // OZONE MAG


OZONE MAG // 27


28 // OZONE MAGWords by Ms. Rivercity * Photo by Terrence Tyson


Rarebreed’s name is suggestiveof his uncommon characteristics,yet in spite ofhis moniker and larger thanlife persona, Rarebreed isjust like anyone else in thisworld. His values are real.His struggles are real. Andhis messages are real. It’sthese virtues that have madehim a key building block forMiami’s Big Spenda Entertainment,and possibly the futurebackbone for Florida undergroundHip Hop.Give us your life story in a nutshell. What wasgrowing up like for you?I’m a single parent kid. My mom raised me. Welived in a lot of cities in Florida. I was born inSanford, Florida but I was raised in Belle Glade.I’ve been here since I was four years old. I’vebeen rapping for a while. I don’t want to say mypersonal life is something different from anyother unprivileged kid growing up in the hood.It’s all the same story no matter where you’refrom. A lot of violence, a lot of betrayal, a lot ofstuff that went on in the city I grew up in, prettymuch made me the lyricist I am today.So you’re from the same city as Papa Duck.Why did it take you guys so long to combineefforts?We’ve basically always been together; it’s justthat our music reflects different avenues inHip Hop. He was doing his thing on one endand I was doing my thing on the other. Whatseparates his style from mine is that I’m moregrimier. If you hear one of my records, I maycover some historical events or you may heara straight New York type punch line, whereI don’t even sound like a southern rapper.On another track I might sound like I’m fromHouston or an L.A. based rapper. Or I might begoing a hundred miles an hour with the lyricslike I’m from Chicago. My lyrical approach is fardifferent from Papa Duck’s approach.‘cause it gives me an urgency of wanting to dothe right thing. Whenever I’m on stage, whateverthe situation calls for I try to do it. I may tryto give some history to the crowd concerningcivil rights, where minorities came from in theUnited States to get where we are today.How did you become a part of Big SpendaEntertainment?DJ Mark T, who’s big in the Broward and DadeCounty underground, broke my mixtape in2006. I was actually about to sign a deal withDJ Blackout and Team Blackout when Mimswas taking off with “This Is Why I’m Hot.” I wasactually inside of the camp when that startedpopping and the song got so big they had tofocus all the attention on Mims. It left me prettymuch on the backburner. I had to make a decisionif I wanted to sign with them or not. So, Ijust built up my lyrics and went with it. Mark Tkept playing my mixtape. Big Spenda Entertainmentheard it and it was a domino effect. It gotthe best mixtape of the year at the GainesvilleMusic Summit this year. Benzino, formerly of theSource <strong>Magazine</strong>, heard my mixtape and he putme in the Independent Grind of the MonsterMag and Hip-Hop Weekly. I met Big Spendasin April and we inked the deal April 14th. Theyliked what they heard and flew me down toMiami and made it happen.Is there anything else you wanna let peopleknow about?My ninth full-length album is going to be calledTraining Day. It’s like I’m in training. My mixtapeI just did with Real Nigga Radio was actually myeighth underground CD in stores. Wheneveryou get an album from me, or a CD, or a song,I’m going all out. I ain’t trying to change up mylyrical style for nobody. Hopefully I’ll put outTraining Day with major label distribution. We’reshooting the “Big Spendaz Anthem” video onSouth Beach in October and we’re taking thatstraight to MTV. I’m going hard with the music...The rest of this interview is featured in OZONE<strong>Magazine</strong>’s October issue.When you get on stage you really takeadvantage of having a strong voice. What aresome messages you want to get out there tothe people?Music is about leaving the trouble behind. I gota real troubled past and I want to leave thatbehind. I vent out a lot of anger through lyrics.Like when you saw me perform in Atlanta,that’s a powerful city as far as the civil rightsmovement and Martin Luther King being fromthere. Whenever I’m there I go by his graveOZONE MAG // 29


What are you working on in the studio rightnow?I’m working on a project with my partnersJ-Russ and Cash Chris. We’re working on amixtape called 3 Kingz. We’re gonna do whatwe do, promote the fuck out of it, and keepit movin’. J-Russ runs with us real hard. He’sa Blok Mova affiliate. He was on the secondverse of “Set It Off” with Nore and Swizz Beatz.Why do you feel like you’re the “Man of theCity?”If you pay attention to the song, it’s aboutthe whole city in general. It’s talking abouthow they wouldn’t let us in so we’re kickingthe doors down. I’ve been here so long and Irepresent nothing else but Orlando. As far as“Man of My City,” that’s a single that anybodycan use – whether you work a 9-to-5, whetheryou hustlin’ or going to school, if you feel likeyou’re the man of your city, then you’re theman of your city. It’s an anthem.Where does your production come from?Everything we do is produced by OZ N DaDeacon. They’re our in-house producers andthey got a lot of heat. They’re about to reallyimpact the industry ‘cause they’re landing a lotof records that nobody knows about yet. Butwe put them on the same level as The Runnersand Oddz N Endz and everybody else in the Othat’s doing things.Tell me about your company BlokMovazEntertainment.We’ve been a movement for about 4 yearsnow. Me as an artist, we’ve been doing thisstrong for ten years. I’ve always been knownfor my promotion game and pushing otherartists. As time went by and money was beingwasted, I decided to push myself and makethis movement happen. I put people in theright places to complete the puzzle. We justdropped a mixtape called BlokMova Radiohosted by DJ Slique, our official DJ, and PriyaB from Power 95.3. We got a lot of interviewswith big names and just let them speak howthey feel. We got a lot of good feedback on it.Do you still offer promotional services toother people, or concentrating on yourself?Right now I’m concentrating on myself butmy street team is big enough to take on anyjob. We’ve done a lot of stuff for Memorial DayWeekend and Spring Bling. Our street team iswell known. We do get busy and help otherpeople, but we’re not really taking on otheraccounts. We will eventually, but right now,we’re moving towards the goal of taking ourmovement to another level.How important is it for an artist to have a fullstreet team like you do?Without promotions you have nothing. Youmight have the hottest rapper you ever heardin your life, but if he’s not promoted right, youhave nothing. Compare that to these artiststhat have no talent whatsoever but they gottheir internet game so tight that everybodybelieves the dream they’re selling.What are some things you’ve learned overthe years as far as effective promoting andineffective marketing?The most beneficial thing is to be consistent.If you’re not consistent, that whole month youpromoted was for nothing ‘cause everybodywill forget about it. Your project will flop anddie out. One thing I’ve noticed that is a realwaste of time is trying to recoup money byselling your CDs. By the time I sell one CD, Icoulda hit 20 people with a free CD. Peoplegotta understand that before you makemoney you gotta take a loss. If you’re notready to take that loss, you’re gonna be in thesame position for the rest of your life.Besides the people you already mentioned,who are some artists in your city that you’veworked with?I’m trying to do something with KC. Me andTREAL got something coming up. Me and ClintDawg just did a record together. He’s beendoing his thing. Pretty much everybody else isin our camp. We’re trying to make a householdname until people get to know us.You voice some pretty strong opinions inyour music about radio playing the samemusic over and over.I understand how radio works but I feel likea lot of these radio stations are scared togo against the grain and step outside theirboundaries. But there’s a lot of people that will.Shout out to DJ Nasty, Greg G, Disco, DJ Nice,DJ Slique, Orlando Mixtape Kings, every DJ inOrlando has played my record more than 5times. We appreciate the love. But as far as radio,we’ve gotten adds in certain cities but notin Orlando yet. Sooner or later it will happen. Ifthey believe in something they gotta go for itinstead of always playing the politics game.What else have you been doing to get themusic out there?In last six months we’ve appeared on over 40mixtapes worldwide. I’ve done over 30 shows.I’ve done over 500 drops for DJs in the U.K.They picked up “Man of My City” and madetheir own Techno version. We kinda have a lilsingle deal overseas. It’s blowing up over there.We’re supposed to be doing a couple shows inAustralia. A lot of different things have comefrom promotion.30 // OZONE MAG


Born in New Jersey, Popovbecame an Orlando residentwhen he was 5 years old andhas repped his city, alongwith his Dominican heritage,ever since. Known for hisguerilla marketing tacticsover the last decade, Popovdecided to focus his attentionon himself and his newsingle “Man of My City,” an anthemthat is quickly spreadingthrough Orlando.Words by Ms. Rivercity * Photo by Wuz Good PhotographyWords by MS. RIVERCITYOZONE MAG // 31


Khaled possesses a résumé longer than DMX’s rapsheet, so if he feels he’s the best, who are we toargue? Especially since his definition of “we thebest” is bigger than himself. “OZONE is the best, I’mthe best, the people that support me and my albumsare the best,” says DJ Khaled. “Anybody lovingthis Hip Hop music is the best.” Well, since heput it like that, HE COULD SAY he’s the Florida Governorand we wouldn’t object.32 // OZONE MAGWords by Randy RoperPhoto by Wuz Good


Your third album just came out. How doesit feel?I feel great, man. My album’s in stores. #1independent album; [my] third album that’sbeen the #1 independent album. I’m shootingthe video for “Go Hard” so look out for thevideo with DJ Khaled, Kanye West, and T-Pain.We’re doing it real big and I’m really excited,but it’s all about Ace Hood. [His album] Guttais gonna be in stores November 18th. We TheBest. Def Jam. Ace Hood. The future, you feelme?Do you think you’re the best DJ in the gameright now?For me to say I’m not the best, I’d be crazy. I’masay, “We the best!” you know what I’m sayin’.I’m definitely one of the best, amongst others.And at the same time, I like to represent that“we.” I’m all about the team. So, by me beingthe best, I got that “we” involved too, feel me.What was it about Ace Hood that made youwant to sign him as the first artist on yourlabel?He’s a superstar. When you see him, he lookslike a star. When he raps, he’s a beast, he’sa monster, he goes in. His swag is crazy. Hemakes hit records. He has a hit record rightnow called “Ride” featuring Trey Songz that’scrawling up the charts like crazy on everycountdown. His album is crazy; it’s calledGutta. He’s part of the We The Best movement,that whole Florida movement. And at thesame time, he’s the future. He’s young, he’s gotthat energy. He’s the hottest new artist in thegame right now, period.You’ve make a lot of anthems with a lot ofbig artists. How do you get all of these artistson one track?I got relationships, man. I’ve been in this gamefor years. I’ve been in the game since I was13, 14 years old. I got great relationships. Realrecognizes real. We respect each other, and wemake great music together. And at the sametime, people know I make great music, and wehelp each other. I’m like the Set Up King, youknow what I’m sayin’. People that usually geton my singles got a single coming out after, orthey already have one. It’s just more heat forthe fans. So, I’m that fire starter. And I’m alsothe torch holder, where the fire just continuesand won’t stop.producers and getting the beats first. And thenI hear certain things in the beats, and I be like,“Yo, I think Lil’ Wayne would be crazy over thisone,” or Ricky Ross, or Akon, or T-Pain, or Nas,or Game. That’s what I’m good at. I’m good atjust putting joints together, man.What’s more important to you: having a hitrecord on the charts or in the streets?Hit record in the streets. Of course you wannahave a hit records on the charts, but usually,hit records on the streets become hit recordson the charts. You’ve gotta get the streets hotto be on the charts, and not only that, butthe streets are what’s going to feed you, feelme? That’s what I make. I make great streetanthems. I make great music for the hood andfor everyone. But the streets is what I’m talkin’‘bout, that’s how I got here.What do you think is the difference betweenyour first album and the new album you justreleased?I’ve had three albums, so the first was theintroduction of me making albums. I showedthe world I can do it. [That album] Listennnwas a classic. Then I came with We The Bestand showed people that it wasn’t an accident.This is what I do for real. I gave you “We Takin’Over” and “I’m So Hood,” “Brown Paper Bag,”records that will never go away, they’re inthe history books as Hip Hop classics. “I’m SoHood” and “We Takin’ Over” are records that arejust classics. We Global just showed you thatwe’re gon’ continue doing it on a global level,getting bigger and bigger. At the same time,we’ve got “Out Here Grindin’.” that’s one of thebiggest street anthems in the game. “Go Hard”is so big out there, with Kanye West and T-Pain.So, right now, we’re grindin’, man. I make musicfor the average person. So, my albums get biggerand better...The rest of this interview is featured in OZONE<strong>Magazine</strong>’s October issue.How do you decide which artists will be onwhich songs?I be vibin’, man. I be in the studio on that Hennesseyand Red Bull, and I just be in that zone,picking beats, or making beats, or getting withOZONE MAG // 33


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Yeah, I was on Power 95.3 for about four years,and I was with 102 Jamz prior to that for about5 years. I got laid off in December becausethe company cut back.What do you have going on for the Classic?I haven’t got word to be tied into anythingevent-wise down there. But pretty much Igot my company, Tony Entertainment Group,where I’m managing a couple of artists so Iwill probably spend a big bulk of that timeworking on promoting their stuff.TONY CWords by Jee’Van BrownDJ Tony C is trying to conquer more thanthe average DJ. From creating a buzz for hiswebsite tonycfam.com to DJing back and forthbetween Orlando to Atlanta, you can say hehas his hands full.What do you have going on right now?I’m actually in Atlanta as we speak. A partner ofmine is opening up a club at the Underground.What is it going to be called?Club Sub-Zero. We plan on bringing theupscale level of clubs there. We’re working ona few different nights like a diverse night, collegenight, and of course it’s going to be a veryrespectable, fun crowd. Even though this is theFlorida Classic issue, a lot of people from Atlantaare going to be coming down for the Classic andit’s planned to be open in November.Are you going to be DJing there?Yeah, I will be DJing Thursday, Friday, andSaturday.What’s going on in Orlando right now?Actually I just came off a few spots in Orlando. Iwas at Elements, Tabu, and Roxy.You were on the radio down there, right?Who are the artists you have on your entertainmentgroup?One artist I have right now is Supa. He waswith a group a while back called Under Pressure.He’s also a producer. He produced forTrick Daddy, Trina, and he also did a song onthe Drum Line album, so right now I’m justworking on trying to build his story as a soloartist and as a producer. Then I have anotherartist named Tyna Vargas and she’s actuallya songwriter out of Orlando, but now she’shere in Atlanta. I’m also working with Ms.Concepcion.What made you start tonycfam.com?The website is pretty unique. I started it totarget people who appreciated my work as aDJ. They can also see what events are goingon at the clubs; they can check out the HipHop, R&B, and pop culture news, as well asreach out to me. It’s also an avenue for upand coming artists to network because whenyou’re a DJ you have a lot of cats comingup to you in the club handing you CDs thenyou’re stuck with the CD all night and youmight end up leaving it at the DJ booth orat the bar. So instead of doing that, theycan go to my website www.tonycfam.comand set up a profile and upload music. Thegood thing about it is I’m going listen to yourmusic because it can’t be posted until I do.So it’s like the Tony C version of MySpace andI’m Tom. I haven’t checked to see how manymembers I have so far, but last time I did itwas over 100 members.What artists in Orlando would you say arepopping right now?Well because I’m a fan and also supportthem, I would say TREAL. I really think thecity, DJs, the mayor, and the whole state ofFlorida should get behind them. Wes Fif,that’s another one I would co-sign, and 2shaeis one to watch. Of course I’m not going toleave out my artists.OZONE MAG //


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Oddz N EndzWords by Jee’Van BrownPhoto by GrazMagicPhoto.comYou can find the production duo Jay Houstonand Philip Nino (above, l-r), otherwise knownas Oddz N Endz, in the studio any time of day.Whether Nino is doing his thing at the radiostation, or both producers are making hits forartists like Slim of 112, this team is making suretheir work is heard.How is everything going?Nino: Everything is going good. “So Fly” is #7 onthe Billboard Top R&B and Hip Hop chart. We’restarting to get a lot of looks and producing forsome artists, but nothing we really want to talkabout until the record comes out.How did you guys hook up with Slim?Nino: I’m a radio personality at 102 Jamz andmy friend Ricky introduced me to Slim. We justhooked up and made a hit.When you’re are in the studio producing,what is the process you go through?Nino: Jay Houston does the majority of theprogramming, and I may come in and touch upwith a concept or he comes with a concept.How often do you create the beat right therein front of the artist?Nino: We prefer to do it like that. Some peopleare hands on and so are we. When an artist is inthe studio, I feed off the energy from the artistbeing there. We’re producers, not beatmakers.It’s more than just sending beats through email.Besides music, what else do you two do?Nino: Besides producing and radio, we alsohave a company called Write Brothers, wherewe do a lot of writing for our tracks. We helpedwrite “So Fly.” We also have new tracks withMack Maine and Juelz Santana.Do you have any artists you’re working withand trying to develop?Nino: Yeah, we have a phenomenal singer bythe name of Evan Clap who we’re messing with.We’re messing with Young Jones, he’s pretty hot.Joe Boom, he’s really good and Magnolia Chop– you don’t even understand, he’s a beast. Weare developing our own empire called AnothaOne Records. But as of right now, we don’t haveartists we’re trying to push out, we’re still inour experimental stages. Evan Clap and YoungJones are from Orlando. Magnolia Chop is fromthe N.O. and Joe Boom is from South Florida.What kind of production equipment andsoftware do you use?Nino: We don’t use an MPC. It’s actually all relativeto what you’re comfortable with. Some peopleget it in on Reason, some get it in on FruityLoops, and others use Pro Tools, but whateveryou use, use it the best. We don’t have anythingparticular we use to make hits. If it sounds goodand we like it, we’re going to use it.Would you say you have a signature sound?Nino: Not really, we try to make all of our stuffsound different. The only way you will know ifit’s our track is is if you hear our tag line in thebeginning. If we wrote the song you’re goingto hear a plane sound, like on the Slim and B.G.song.Do you plan to stay in Orlando?Nino: Oh yeah, we here. I’ve been on the radiofor the past four years so we riding out here.OZONE MAG //


Words by Ms. RivercityPHOTO BY MALIK ABDULRecognized as the CEO behind the label 2 Dog Records, 1Leerecently found a new niche as an artist. After fundingseveral projects for his artists Big Koon and Hollywood,now known as Certified, along with the solo artist Willo DaDon, 1Lee landed his own hit record with Plies titled “Actin’Like.” As the direction of his company changes, 1Lee hopes hecan open even more doors for his own artists.10 // // OZONE MAG


What made you want to branch out from theCEO role of 2 Dog Records and pursue theartist role?It was a natural progression into it. When Ifirst started doing music I was in a group andthen I moved into the CEO role. I was puttingmy money behind all my different artists andno one could score like I’ve learned to score. 2Dog Records is a brand name; it’s an entity thateverybody knows, but nobody was giving methat smash hit. Nobody was giving me what Iwas trying to coach them into doing. It’s similarto Nelly and the St. Lunatics – they were agroup first and everybody saw that Nelly wasgonna be the first franchise to break off andmake a way for everybody else. I’m gonna showeverybody how to do it, and then we’re gon’ allcome back together and make more music.So before this song you actually had experiencebeing a singer? I think most people sawyou as the man behind 2 Dog Records, butdidn’t realize your other talents.I was actually an original member of the groupThe Strangers, which is one of the groups Ihad signed to my label. I started out singingon hooks and they would rap about whateverI was singing about. We separated and then Isigned Willo Da Don. I sang hooks on some ofhis biggest songs. When I signed Big Koon andHollywood, anytime you get one of their CDsand hear somebody singing on the hook, it’sa good chance it’s me singing. All the songs Idid were street songs or hood anthems andthose are the ones that everybody in the hoodattached to – like “Fly As Me” and “I’d RatherDo 100 Years” on Big Koon and Hollywood’sproject. All the songs I sang would be the topsongs on their CDs, so it was a natural progressioninto doing it.Speaking of Big Koon and Hollywood, whydid you give them the group name Certifiedafter everyone was already familiar withtheir other name?It was a decision made by radio, like with 2Pistols. We couldn’t go to radio with the nameBig Koon. There was a derogatory connotationbehind the name, like a racial slur, so we had togive them a group name for radio. We came upwith the name Certified because they’re certifiedall the way across the board, everythingthey do from street to corporate.When did you first come up with the idea tostart a record label?I came up with 2 Dog Records in 2000. From‘95 to ‘98 I was in the group and when weseparated I was doing my own thing for abouttwo years. I came back to my hood and starteda label again. The first person I signed was achildhood friend of mine and an original memberof The Strangers, Willo Da Don. That’s howit got started.Explain the process for getting your companyup and running and how challenging ithas been.It was definitely challenging. I think for themost part, as a street person, everybody looksat you as if you’re going to be here today andgone tomorrow. They looked at 2 Dog like it’sanother street person trying to start a label,looking for a way out. And it’s much more thanthat to me. I’m such a musical person myself. Ithink with me coming out and singing, peoplewill see that as the reason why I got into music,not because I’m a street person looking for away out. I love music and I have talent.Do you feel like the time and money you’veinvested so far is paying off?I think we’re well on our way to being put inthe position where it’s gonna pay off. It hasa lot to do with timing. I heard E Class say inan interview that he invested over $750,000before he made his first hit with Rick Ross.He had small success with Jacki-O, but it stillwasn’t her time. He didn’t see big success untilRick Ross came along. It’s like that with me.Now with me putting out the single, I’ve gottenthe biggest response faster than I’ve everseen on anything I’ve put out on my artists.I think our label is strong and the majors aredefinitely looking at 2 Dog. They all know whowe are. We have gotten calls but none of thesituations were necessarily in our best interest.But we have everything lined up where it’sreally gonna pay off big for us.What else do you have planned for yourselfand 2 Dog Records?I just got finished recording the next song.What we wanted to do was capture the streets.I’m doing street R&B. I’m living my life throughR&B. It’s been so many years since we’ve hada group that the gangstas and hustlers couldlisten to. As a street person, we don’t listen toNe-Yo or Chris Brown. We don’t go in the trapand play those records. We was listening toH-Town or Jodeci. I’m the closest thing to oneof those groups that the trap people will listento. I’m so deep in the streets and with theangle I’m going, I think the streets will receiveit like they’ve never received anything before.I’d like to end the interview by saying, with1Lee, when this project comes out it’s gonnabe something different that nobody’s everdone before. Everybody should pay attentionto it and know that it’s gonna be somethingso street, so strong, and so undeniable that itcan’t help but to win.OZONE MAG // 11


Words by Ms. RivercityPhoto by Browns Jones PhotographyFrom radio play to award nominations,the Skai is the Limit for thisTallahassee songstress. Quicklybecoming the talk of Florida, Skai ispreparing for her future as the nextbig thing in R&B.12 // // OZONE MAG


What made you want to pursue singingprofessionally?Since I was little, when I was about 6 or 7, Iwas singing in church. People would tell mewhen I sang that my voice touched them andinspired them. Ever since then I knew singingwas something I wanted to do, especially if itmade people feel that way.What about song writing? Do you put togetheryour own lyrics and choruses?I do a majority of my own writing. I justbranched out and got with a few differentsongwriters that are assisting me now. Butmy songwriting is inspired by things thathave happened to me or my friends, or evenfrom a fictional standpoint, things you wishwould happen. That’s how I write my music. Amajority of it comes from a realistic standpointthough.Out of all the songs you’ve written and sung,which ones have been the most special toyou?Every song I write is important to me, but onein particular is titled “Guardian Angel.” I wroteit for my mother who passed away in 2002.That song has definitely been one that’s mostpersonal to me. I have some other songs also,one is titled “Why You Didn’t Call” which gotradio play in Tallahassee, Gainesville, and a fewother areas. I guess a lot of people could relateto that song. It was one of those realistic situationsin everyday life.When you lost your mother, how did youovercome that situation?It was definitely an obstacle I had to overcomebecause she was basically the closest personto me. I basically learned to channel thoseemotions into my music more. Music helped,but of course there’s that void that can neverbe filled.Was “Why You Didn’t Call” the first songyou’ve had on the radio?Yeah, it was the first song I remember beingon the radio. It was a great feeling because Ididn’t really know it was gonna be on the radio.The program director here, Jay Blaze, gaveme a call the day he put it on the radio. Hewas getting different responses from peoplecalling in after they heard the record. It wasgreat to hear the positive feedback in my localmarket for something I wrote.You have a lot of support in your hometownand Florida in general. How were you able toget people’s attention?I don’t want to sound like I’m cocky, but thevery first thing was having talent that peoplerespect. The songs I sing, whether they’reoriginal songs or cover tunes, for the mostpart, I’ve always gotten a good response becauseI sing positive music. Once people heardor saw me sing in Tallahassee and these otherplaces, once people saw me out in the streetsworking my mixtapes and singles, they startedsupporting me and my situation. It just kindasnowballed from there.Have you been approached by any majorlabels yet?I have been approached by a few A&Rs fromsome major labels, and I was actually negotiatingcertain things with Plies and Big Gates’Records. We were trying to see what we coulddo and what could happen, but at this pointwe’re still searching for the right situation.So you’re up for an SEA nomination this year.How does that feel?I’m up for two – one is for Best R&B Indie Albumand one for Best R&B Artist of the Year.You put out an album?It was actually a mixtape called Skai is the Limit.We released that in late 2007. It created a lotof buzz for me. Myself and Exclusive J, who isthe road manager for Tay Dizm, actually putit together ourselves. It was definitely a lot ofwork, but I want to do it again.With your look and sound, I’m picturing youin a movie like Dreamgirls. Is that somethingyou want to do one day?(laughs) It’s funny you ask that, because I couldsee myself having different roles in movies. Aslong as they’re not scary I’m okay. But yeah,that’s definitely way down the line ‘cause themain focus is to finish a project. I’m currentlyworking on an EP. We’re going to haveit finished at the end of this year so it can bereleased first quarter.I know music is your life, but what are youlike outside of the booth?I like everything that regular girls like. I likeshopping, watching movies, hanging out withthe girls, going to parties and different events.Aside from being Skai, I guess, I don’t want tosay I’m the regular average girl, but to a certainextent I am.Do you have anything else people should bechecking for?I appreciate everyone that has supported methus far. People will definitely be finding outabout me and hearing more from me. You cancheck me out on Myspace.com/kisstheskai andYoutube.com/skaichannel.OZONE MAG // 13


WORDS BY MS RIVERCITYPHOTO BY HANNIBAL MATTHEWSwherever Young A.C. goes, he steals the show.A longtime protégé of Power 96’s Teddy T,Young A.C. has been groomed for the spotlighthe’s finally receiving with his newJ.U.S.T.I.C.E. League produced track.14 // // OZONE MAG


So you’ve been up to a lot lately. I see you ata lot of places with Teddy T.Yeah, Teddy’s been with me since I was 10years old and I’m 20 now. That’s like fam to me.This is what we do now.What made him want to work with you whenyou were only 10 years old? How did hediscover you?I ain’t gon’ brag on myself, I’ma give it to ya inhis words – I was 10 years old and I did a showat this middle school in Miami. Teddy T said Iwas hollerin’ at girls like, “What up, lil mama,”like I had swag at a young age. I was alwaysfocused. You know, he been a wild man, but Iwas cool around him and played my role.When did he first put you on his radio show?Well, he’s full time management now so hedoesn’t have the radio show right now. But hehad the #1 radio night show in Florida on Power96 with Lucy and DJ Def. I was exposed tothe show when I was like 12 years old. I starteddoin’ drops on other people’s beats, you knowwhat I’m sayin’. I was crazy with the freestylin’and shit, so he started me at a young age. He’dhave me do drops and freestyles on differentbeats and every night he’d bring his show inwith a different one.Your song “The Flyest” is produced by TheJ.U.S.T.I.C.E. League. What made you decideto get production from them, as opposed tosome of the other big producers in Florida?A lot of producers will work with you if yougot your money right, but one thing I respectabout the J.U.S.T.I.C.E. League is that they’relike a private society. You can send ‘em yourshit and have your money right, but if theynot fuckin’ wit’ your music, they ain’t fuckin’wit’ you. You see they only do the best – theRick Rosses, the Jay-Zs, the Waynes, the Jeezys.Teddy T sent ‘em my shit ‘cause he had theconnect, and they liked my shit and I had mymoney right so they got back at me. I wentto Atlanta and recorded the song. I stayed inthe studio for 12 hours and came out with abanger.What have you been doing to promote thesong and get it spinning?We got Team A.C. gettin’ it out there. I ain’tgon’ say it’s just me, it’s a team – my generalmanager, Teddy T, my CEOs Silk and AsanteSamuels, Deepside Entertainment, Puncho,the GUNS, my publicist team – Damian andEdna, Mad Dog, my radio rep Orlando, it’s abig ass family. Everybody’s workin’ together.That’s what’s gettin’ it out there. I take it uponmyself to go to every radio station playin’ myshit, even before they play it sometimes. Itake it upon myself to meet all the PDs so theyhave a good impression. That’s why I’m themuthafuckin’ flyest.Explain your label situation.We got a digital release situation throughDeepside Industry/Universal. Janie Jenningsworked that out so they can get my songs oniTunes. On the other hand, I’m not signed to amajor label. I’m on Deepside and we’re indieright now. We ain’t really shoppin’ for a majorlabel deal. We got the money. Asante Samuelsis the #1 cornerback in the league and that’smy CEO, and we got Silk, we been gettin’ hoodmoney. Now it’s just about gettin’ our headstogether, movin’ forward, and gettin’ mo’money. We don’t really need no major label.Whenever I see you at events, you’re realquiet and kinda to yourself. You’re definitelynot the in-your-face type of dude. Are youalways like that?When I meet people I have to get an impressionof ‘em. I roll with older niggas like Punchoand they always tell me gangstas move insilence – not that I’m tryna be a gangsta ornothin’, but they always tell me you got twoears and one mouth. I listen and soak upwhat’s goin’ on. When I get an impressionof you I can start to talk to you more and besocial with you. It’s been workin’ for me so far,but I don’t want people to think I’m anti-socialor nothin’.A lot of upcoming artists run up to peopletelling them, “I’m the hottest shit.”I don’t wanna be the one to tell you about it, Iwanna let the performance speak for itself onCDs, mixtapes, and shows. I wanna let it speakfor itself. At show-and-tell, I always showed,never told.What has been one of the most memorablemoments as a rapper so far?As of right now, it’d probably be the OZONEshow in Houston at TJs DJs. I showed my assand it was a lot of people out there. I’d like tothank Julia Beverly and TJ Chapman for lettin’me expose my talent and be seen. I got a lotof feedback off that situation. People can saywhat they want, but I fuck with the last OZONEAwards.What do you have on deck for the next year?I’m just releasin’ mixtapes like crazy. Me andBigga Rankin got one comin’ out. I’m on theHittmenn DJs tour. Shout out to Kaspa. I’mat the next CORE Retreat in Vegas. Otherthan that I’m just workin’ on the album FirstImpression. “The Flyest” is the shit! They candownload that on iTunes.OZONE MAG // 15


Words by Jee’Van BrownPhoto by Sue kwon16 // // OZONE MAG


You have probably dancedand sang along to a few ofthe songs KC has writtenhooks for, like Ace Hood’s“Cash Flow” and Young Jeezy’s“Go Getta.” But now KC is steppingfrom behind the pen toprepare for his debut album.I know you’re out in L.A. right now. What areyou working on?Right now I’m working with my choreographerDavid while juggling time in the studio withThe Runners.How has it been since you signed with Danja?It’s been pretty good. He’s probably one of themost talented guys I know so every time we’rein the studio it’s a very fun experience. One ofthe great things is there is no boundaries withthe music we do, and besides the business part,he’s a pretty down to earth guy. It’s good to dobusiness with people you enjoy being around,it makes things much better.Do you produce also?I just write songs and sing, but these days productionis not just making a beat so I would sayI do produce as well. When I’m songwriting andI’m there with the artist, I have to morph themand tell them how to sing the song.For a songwriter, what’s the procedure forwriting a song with an artist?I just listen to the track. The track usually has amood to it and I just go in the booth and comeup with the melody because I don’t really writeanything down. Once the track is played I figureout if it’s a club song, or a love song, then I writeit down. As far as with the artist, the song is alreadydone and when it’s finished we present itto the artist and if they like it we go from there.This year I wrote “Cash Flow” for Ace Hood and“Boss” for Rick Ross. The Runners and I came upwith the beat and figured out who was goingto be on the hook.How did you hook up with The Runners?Me and The Runners have been cool for aboutfour years now, if not longer than that. I metthem through DJ D-Strong. He told me aboutthese producer cats and he had already heardsome of my stuff so he felt like we would begood working together, and he was right.Are you working on your album now?The album is pretty much complete but we’rereally working on the pre-album, which will bethe prelude to the album. It’s a way to get outthe material for a new artist. I feel like music isreally accessible, so you can’t hold on to yourmaterial because there are so many peopletrying to do it right now. The plan is to give itto all the DJs so people can get it in their headbefore I force them to buy something. I can’tput an album out and people don’t know who Iam because the way the economy and CD salesare right now, you have to have major fans first.Some people buy albums and the two singlesis the only good thing on the album, I wantpeople to know that everything we do is goodquality music.Since you wrote a lot of rap hooks, can weexpect R&B/Hip Hop music on your album?No (laughs) I definitely won’t be rapping. I gotinto writing rap hooks because the opportunitywas presented and I was able to do it, but I’mstill a singer first. I don’t plan on staying in thesame box, but I can’t say if I’m going to startrapping. I do plan on evolving.What’s going to be the name of your album?The name of the album is tentative right now,but we’re playing with It Is What It Is.The pre-album is like a mixtape?It’s kind of a mixtape, but there’s not going tobe anybody hosting it. It will sound like an albumand you can download it in December onmy MySpace, which is myspace.com/kc78music.But the first two singles are on my page, whichare “I Know What You Doing” and “Late Night.”OZONE MAG // 17


Words by Maurice Garland // PHOTO BY J LASH18 // OZONE MAGThough the title to hislatest single would leadyou to think that he is loco,Pitbull is far from “Crazy.”He knows exactly whathe’s doing. Since bustingon the scene in 2003 withhis Lil Jon-assisted odeto ass “Culo,” Pit has builthis name and brand as thepremier bi-lingual rapperon the planet. Whether it bethrough keeping a musicalalliance with Lil Jon orhopping on the right Reggaetonhits, Pit is swiftlyapproaching being a householdname from the bricksto the barrio.


Tell us about the unique situation you’re inright now with your record label.After this single “Crazy” I’m a free agent. I’mnegotiating with labels as we speak. If anyonewants a sweet digital single deal I suggest yougo through The Orchard.Why did you decide to use this avenue this goaround?It’s an avenue for me to continue to sell. “Crazy”is at 250,000 sold on iTunes. With The Boatlift Ionly sold 100,000 in stores because TVT wentbankrupt, but I sold 1.2 million digitally. So I’mnot new to the digital game. iTunes and all thephone carriers make money one way or theother. They help you market and get your radioup. I always had a team in place, so when thecompany gives me money, I give it to the teamand do our thing. But for a record like “Crazy”without a major selling 250,000 in 5 weeks ispretty fucking amazing.You mentioned that you are in negotiationwith major labels. What is attractive aboutthem to you right now?I’ve never been looked at as a big boy in thegame even though I’ve been doing big boynumbers. It’s always been an independentgrind for me, but now, I get to plug into themachine. I’m not looking for an artist exclusivedeal, and I’m going to cut a 360 deal either. I’mcutting a different deal because I bring my ownfanbase, a diverse fanbase.Speaking of which, tell us a little bit aboutyour new social networking site.PlanetPit.com is a place where I can keep upwith the fans. Everyday I’m putting up newthings to keep people updated, entertainedand educated. I got someone who can handlethe shit on the daily and I tell them what I wanton there. Personally, I’m computer illiterate.You have a television show now as well right?Yes. La Esquina. It means “the corner” in Spanish.It’s 2 weeks in and it’s the number one showon Mun2. That network went from 6 to 24 millionviewers in one year, might I add. We touchon what’s hot in society and twist it and make itfunny with a message in it.Back when you came on the scene around2003, what were some of your goals?My goals have always been that by 30 I wouldhave my own company, ownership, living onan island, and to establish myself in the musicgame with my own lane. I’m the only one whois bilingual who has been able to tap dancethrough all different cultures. I have my owncompany, Mr. 305 Inc., where I have my artistsCornbread, Sincero, and Young Boss who isalready signed to Universal Republic. So noneof this should come as any surprise. It was allpart of the plan. I want to have longevity likeCelia Cruz who can still do shows and get love,but I also want to be an entrepreneur like Gloriaand Emilio [Estefan]. That’s how I want mycareer to be.At what point would you say you took yourdestiny in your own hands, career-wise?I took my destiny in my own hands when I wason Luke Records. Luke is the blueprint; he soldmillions on his own. When I got to TVT I formedalliances with everyone in the building. Theseartists walk into these offices like their shit don’tstink and think these people are gonna wantto work for them. But Mr. Gottlieb tied [theemployees’] hands behind their back and saidhe wouldn’t pay them if they kept fucking withme. At that point me and Team Pitbull wentout on our own. That’s what it’s all about. Whenthese artists go out on tour, they gotta pick upbusiness cards. It’s all about networking. That’sthe only way you survive.You’ve recorded political songs speaking onthe situation in Cuba, but you’re more knownfor party tracks. Why do you think peoplewould rather hear those types of songs?I put out “American War,” a very political song,which is on YouTube right now. But to turn onthe TV and see all the negativity, people wantto go to the club and escape. I make all typesof music, but that’s the kind of music I have tocontinue to put out to survive. I cater to my fansin order to be catered to, and now it’s my turnto give them what I want to give them. The classicalbum that I never got a chance to do, a fullspectrum of music. Not just dope, the streets,or political shit, I’m gonna be talking abouteverything they’ve been seeing. I thank God Iwasn’t plugged all the way in early because Igot a good perspective on things now.The rest of this interview is featured in OZONE<strong>Magazine</strong>’s November issue.OZONE MAG // 19


WORDS BY MS RIVERCITYPHOTO BY J LASH20 // OZONE MAG


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“I’m just a young dude trying tohave fun, and that’s going toshow in my music,” says Radio,the 20-year-old R&B singer fromMiami Beach. While attendinghigh school, Radio was inspiredby his peers to start singing– not to become rich and famousas most people would think,Radio simply wanted to pull alot of girls. A few years later,his catchy ladies’ anthems notonly attracted the attentionof females, but also Big GatesRecords. His work with Big Gateseventually landed him in frontof execs at Asylum Records,where Radio signed his majordeal in May of 2008. Now witha world of opportunity at hisfeet, Radio talks about howhe got his start, working withPitbull, future television appearances,and how he hopes tobeCOME the R&B version of Plies.Where are you from originally and how didyou end up in Miami Beach?I’m originally from Hartford, Connecticut. Iwas born and raised out there and I moved toFlorida because my mom wanted me to be ina different environment. At the time, my momand pops were going through some marriageproblems. My mother moved us out to Florida.I was out here for a couple years when I metup with my manager. He was doing somethings with Big Gates Records and trying topop off Plies’ career.Do you feel like Miami is a better city for youcareer-wise?Most definitely. Miami is where I lay my head.It’s beautiful. When I wake up I’m inspired towrite good music. Miami is definitely a goodcity to pop off as an artist.You come up with a lot of records that wouldfit the club scene in Miami. Does the nightlifethere inspire you?I’m a very energetic dude, which definitelytranslates into my music. I’m just a youngdude trying to have fun and that’s going toshow in my music. I can see how that wouldbe good for Miami because it’s a party city.What’s your nationality?I’m half Puerto Rican and half Jamaican. Mymother is Puerto Rican but she’s from Brooklyn,New York. My dad is from Mona Heights,Jamaica. He taught me a lot about my heritageso I gotta keep it real for the rude boys.How did you secure a deal with Asylum?At the time, my manager did a lot of businesswith Big Gates and originally we were tryingto get in the door with Slip-N-Slide. Then, ofcourse, Big Gates’ incarceration set things backand that didn’t go through. But that didn’tstop my manager from working hard to getthat deal. So Big Gates had a friend in NewYork who signed Lil Will and brought Boosieand Webbie to Asylum. I started working withSelim Bouab and he’s the one who flew me toNew York and signed me. He’s a senior executiveat Asylum and also the President of UnauthorizedRecords, the label that Lil Will is on.When did you first realize you could sing?Was it something you were always into?A lot of people started singing as a kid inchurch and stuff. But it was never like thatwith me. When I moved to Florida and startedmaking new friends, it was a group of kids thatsang. I was hanging around all these singersand I wanted to do what they did. They wasgetting all the girls and stuff and I wanted toget girls too. I wanted to [sing] to reach outand talk to the ladies. I was actually discoveredby Carl Hobbs, who used to work with KevinCossom (KC) back in the day. I met my managerwhen I was 16 and he molded me into theartist that I am today. I’m blessed to have himas part of my family.So had you not discovered your talent as asinger, what do you think you’d be doingtoday? Would you have gone to college forsomething?I’d definitely be in college. One thing that Ilove doing aside from singing is cooking. If Iwasn’t singing, I’d probably be cooking it up incollege somewhere, learning how to becomethe next big chef. I always knew in high schoolthat whatever I was gonna do was gonna becreative.You mentioned your relationship with BigGates. Who are some other people you’veworked with?I linked up with Pitbull and Hugo Diaz. They’repretty cool cats. Pitbull definitely gave megame and good advice on how to succeed.He’s a real laidback, humble guy and I love tohang out with people like that, people thataren’t arrogant or cocky like other celebritiesout there. Also, Plies has had a big influence onmy whole career.22 // OZONE MAG


What have you learned from Plies?He told me if you get into this game, do whatyou do, take what you need, and don’t let nobodytake shit from you. Every time I go to hisshows he’s larger than life and I always wantedto be the singing version of what he is. I wantto be the R&B version of Plies.What are some big things you’ve been ableto experience since becoming serious withthe singing?I linked up with Chris Brown and did someshows. I got to do some things with the Boysand Girls Club of America. I thought that wasbig. I did a lot of fundraising events to raisemoney for cancer research, things of thatnature. And you know, just hooking up withdifferent celebrities like Plies, Pitbull, differentproducers. I got a chance to meet The Runnerswhen I was in Orlando. I got a chance to meetHugo Diaz. Every city I hit up I make sure tomeet up with people, try to have a sit-downwith them and they give me advice.You’re going to be working on some thingswith MTV too right?Yeah, for Spring Break I’m going to be doing anMTV tour. I’ll be in Mexico, Acapulco, Cancun,Jamaica – one of my homelands. I’m gonnabe out there doing my thing on tour. I’m alsomaking a guest appearance on The Real World.Hopefully they don’t have me doing somethingtoo crazy. That’s a good look. I’m alsogoing to be on the Conan O’Brien show earlynext year. I’m also working on a few more TVappearances.What about your music? You have somesongs out right now too.The “Flawless” single will be for sale on iTunessoon. It’s produced by J. Lacy from Texas andremixed by Hugo Diaz.What is the song about and what inspired it?It’s about me just hanging out, having a goodtime, and seeing a beautiful girl that’s flawless.Sexy ladies inspired me to write the song.I came together with J. Lacy to write a hitrecord. He wrote the chorus and I wrote theverses. What really inspired me was seeing alady walking down the street and I was like,wow, she’s flawless.So who are some celebrity females you thinkare flawless?I don’t want to sound cliché, but Beyonce isflawless. Alicia Keys is definitely a flawlessfemale. I love everything about her. And GabrielleUnion, wow!When did you develop the ability to writesongs? I know you said you picked up thesinging when you were in school.Actually, my English teachers always told meI had great writing skills. My stories were sodetailed and my plots were outlandish. Writingis a skill I’ve done well at academically throughoutmy high school career. And as I’m goinginto this journey in singing, I like to write toabout emotions and real life situations, thingsthat I’ve been through. Being that I love towrite, I just put my thoughts into a melody andthat’s how I come up with my music.Are you hoping to do a lot of hook collaboratinglike most of the big singers in the gameright now?I’m always up for a collaboration. I do a lot ofcollabos with rappers. I always refer to myselfas a pretty-looking thug. I do my thing forthe ladies but I definitely keep it real for mybrothers in the hood. If anybody wants me todo a hook on their song, I’ll definitely do it. Iwon’t work with just anybody, but if they’re hotI’ll work with them. If you want to collaboratewith me or book me you can call my managerAnthony at 305-725-0894.You already put out a CD, right? Was it anofficial album or was it something for promotionalpurposes?I had a lil mixtape thing going on. It was agreat success. Locally I get a lot of love, but Ididn’t have that national push yet. Radio stationsdefinitely showed me a lot of love. I hadthe city behind me supporting me. I’m thankfulto have people behind me that care about mymusic like that and enjoy it. The fact that theyenjoy it makes me want to keep doing whatI do.So what’s the significance behind your nameRadio? It’s kinda unusual.I want to set the record straight on that. I tellpeople my name is Radio and a lot of peoplestart laughing but it’s something that I takevery seriously. The reason I call myself Radio isbecause the only thing bigger than radio is TV,and I’m not going to call myself TV. Radio is entertainment.Radio is larger-than-life. I’m an entertainerand when I hit the stage that’s whatpeople can relate to. It’s like, wow, this guy is agood performer. The reason I call myself Radiois because it’s entertainment, it’s the way I getmy music out there, and it’s larger-than-life.Website: Myspace.com/officialradioOZONE MAG // 23


Words by Ms. RivercityHailing from SouthwestFlorida, Naples to be exact,Sho Zoe has been makingsome recent noise in the clubcircuit. After his song “ShoNuff” got people’s attention,Zoe followed it up with thecurrent song “She Get It”produced by DJ Quest.24 // OZONE MAG


How did you link up with DJ Quest for thesong “She Get It”?He’s a big DJ out here in my area. He’s on 105.5The Beat. I approached him. I used to see himat clubs and stuff and would give him my CDsand mixtapes. This year I put out a mixtapethat did good, I kinda found my style. He justproduced a beat that fit me.What about the other song you have poppin’,“Sho Nuff”? How did you get that out to thepeople?It’s a song I had for a while, like a year, and Inever released it. Finally someone heard it andsaid it was hot. That’s how I hooked up withmy management. I did the video for the song,which is actually on BET.com right now.When you say you hooked up with yourmanagement, who exactly is that?Down Low Records. They’ve been around fora while, ever since I was younger. I used toalways see ‘em and give ‘em my CDs and tell‘em I rap. I’ve been rappin’ for like 5 or 6 yearsand I finally got an opportunity.How does having management throughthem help you out?It’s really helping me. I’m getting a lot of exposure.At first I was only getting exposure in thearea I live in, now I’m traveling more, doingshows here and there, in and out of the state.It’s really helped me get my name out there.Getting a music video on BET.com isn’t theeasiest thing to do. How did you get yourvideo on that website?My publicist Elora Mason set that up.How long have you been working with EloraMason?Actually, a few months now. My managementhooked all that up.You mentioned catching DJ Quest’s attentionwith a mixtape. How many mixtapeprojects have you done so far?This year was my biggest mixtape, but priorto that I had about four or five mixtapes. We’redoing an independent album, but we’re doingan EP first.The two records we were talking about aretargeted towards the clubs. Would you sayyou specialize in club records, or do you doother kinds of music as well?That is my specialty. That’s what I love doing.On my album is when I get more personal andstart talking about different situations.What’s that like to be in the club and seepeople dancing to the music you make?It feels real good, especially when they don’tknow who I am. I can be standing right nextto ‘em and they’ll be goin’ crazy for my songand not even know it’s me. They’re not reallyfamiliar with my face yet, they’ve just heard myname and my songs and stuff.So you actually go put the record in the clubyourself?We travel all week long. I barely get to rest.I rest like 2 or 3 days out of the week. We’retrying to break the records all over the Floridaarea.There’s a lot of Haitian pride in Florida. Howdo you represent the movement?The movement started before me, but I feellike I’m taking it to another level. I really putpassion into what I do. It’s not all about that,I represent that too, but it’s so much more tome than just that.Like a lot of rappers, you got your start inhigh school. How have you progressed sincethen?Well, right now I really feel like I know myselfreal well. At first I was just experimenting, tryin’this and that, and now I perfected my style.When you hear something now, you knowthat’s Sho Zoe. I really put passion into it now.Are you starting to hear from fans yet?Oh yeah, they love me, especially on Myspace.I’m like a Myspace celebrity. I really push it tothe limit on Myspace. I’m on there like 24 hoursa day. I’m on there when I travel. I feel like it’s soimportant, it’s like an online street team.When you first started rapping, did you thinkyou’d get this deep into it?Nah, I really didn’t. I always knew I had whatit takes, but I didn’t know if I was really gonnatake it there. I didn’t know it would become afull-time job.As a full-time independent artist, how areyou able to generate enough income tomake ends meet?That’s real hard. Sometimes I don’t generate it,but I’m out there in the streets sellin’ mixtapes,travelin’ and stuff. I make beats too, that’sanother way I make money.What’s next for you?I’ve got a new mixtape droppin’ aroundThanksgiving called Grand Opening with DJQuest. I’ve got another mixtape with Krunch,I’m on a lil’ mini college tour right now, andI’ve got a show at DJ Khaled’s birthday bashcoming up.OZONE MAG // 25


Words by Ms. Rivercity // Photo by Adolfo GraphicsKnown around Duval Countyas A dangerous lyricist, Swordzis back on the scene with a newmixtape TO LET THE STREETS knowthat he ain’t GOING nowhere.26 // OZONE MAG


What do you have going on right now?We’re actually cocked and ready wit’ a mixtaperight now. We’re gettin’ the final mix andmastering done, some overall production stuffdone to it. It should be out by the time thisinterview comes out. I’ve been concentratingon my shows. The name of the mixtape is GetYa Money Up – it’s self-explanatory. Most of theproduction was done by my homeboy RodneyP. from Average Joe Productions. The rest of itis industry tracks. It’s hosted by my homeboyDJ Q45.Why didn’t your usual producer DVUS do thetracks?He had a lot of shit goin’ on during this mixtape.At this point, no bullshit, I was writin’ amixtape worth of material every week. Aftera while I guess it got to be a bit much for usto get in the studio at the same time. He wasdoin’ one thing and I was doin’ another thingso I went on ahead and did the mixtape. Hedid do the mixing, mastering, and overallproduction as far as puttin’ it all together. I gota few singles on the mixtape that he did theproduction on, but I was just testing the waterand gettin’ some new blood under my belt.You have a new song called “I’m So Hated.”What inspired you to write that song?It’s one of those self-explanatory joints. It’s alot of muthafuckas that fuck with me, but atthe end of the day that’s how I felt so I put itout there like that. That’s how I was feelin’ thenand that’s how I’m feelin’ now, so I put it in thestreets and the people are taking to it. It’s anoverall good look for a nigga.What are some other bangers you have outthere?I got “I’m So Hated” that’s beatin’ the streetsup. “Work” is doin’ alright. We also got a videofor that. We got this joint that’s about to behittin’ the street real soon, I’ve just been realpicky about when I wanna put it out there.It’s a song I did called “Hell Yea.” We put it onDVUS’ Myspace page for a minute and as far asa single, that one is a problem!Over the years you’ve had several managementsituations, a few deals on the table,and a lot of performances. Why do you thinknothing solid has materialized yet?I think it’s a combination of things. I always feltlike I was ready, but me being as special as Iam, maybe internally I wasn’t ready. I look atthe situation like the stars have to align. You’vegot to have the right song, the right team, theright people lookin’ at you; everything has tohappen at one time. I ain’t sayin’ everything’saligned right now, but we’re plotting andplanning and we’re damn sure ready. As far asmanagement goes, I’ve been back and forthover the past 5 years with a few different managementsituations. I ain’t sayin’ they didn’thave my best interest in mind, but at the endof the day, I gotta do what’s best for me. SoI’ve been runnin’ everything on my own for thelast 2 years. It’s been good for a nigga. It’s beenstress free, drama free. I can’t tell you the exactreason why shit ain’t popped off the way it’ssupposed to, but all I can tell you is that for ’08and ’09, if they ain’t fuckin’ wit’ me I’ma makethem kick themselves in the ass and ask why.Back in the day you used to be on the freestylecircuit real hard. Do you think you couldstill eat some dudes up in a battle?I’m still on that! If you know Swordz, you knowI’ve always been about lyrics. Regardless ofwhat a nigga stands for, regardless of what anigga been through, I’ve always been ‘boutlyrics. If y’all niggas thinkin’ a nigga was sleep,this mixtape finna wake your ass up. A lot ofthe shit niggas ain’t been gettin’ over the last3 or 4 years, they’re gettin’ it now. Half of themixtape is songs, and the other half I’m rappin’from the start of the beat to the end of thebeat. But I don’t do the freestyle battles likethat, mainly ‘cause I’ve been there and donethat and I don’t have to prove myself to theseniggas. They know what I can do. Make itworth my while. Put the cash pot up to a thousand,or some stacks, and holla at me. I can’tbe doin’ these battles for $200. I don’t feel like Ihave to prove myself over and over. It’s alwaysbeen there and it’s always gonna be there.Your performances are another strong quality.What’s been your favorite shows so far?I’d have to say the ones where the audiencedon’t know who a nigga is or what a niggais ‘bout to do. Like a lot of these Hood Rockshows I’ve done, I like doing ‘em ‘cause myback is against the wall. I don’t know whatto expect from the audience and they don’tknow what to expect from me. That’s wheremy comfort zone is at. Unless I’m constantlychallenging myself it’s not really doing nothin’for me. I like doing shows in cities where theyaren’t up on a nigga like that. Shows wherethey don’t know what to expect and I blow ‘emthe fuck out their shoes and they like, “Whatthe fuck was that?”What else do you want to let people knowabout Swordz?I ain’t been nowhere! I’ve been planning,plotting, and strategizing, and now I’m backin y’all’s niggas asses like toilet paper. Thismixtape is dropping. We got a Duval mixtapefollowing that. The long awaited studio albumis finally getting ready to hit the streets aroundSpring of next year. Keep watchin’ for me.OZONE MAG // 27


28 // OZONE MAGWords by Ms. Rivercity // Photo by Terrence Tyson


When defining the undergroundHip Hop scene in thesoutheast, one name is synonymouswith the Florida streetmovement: PapA duck. Whilemany have backed off andfaded away when sudden famemissed them, he became evenhungrier for the limelight. Papaduck’s patience over the yearshas been relentless and honorable,a virtue that recently paidoff when he joined forces withBig Spenda Entertainment.So you have a new situation with the Miamibasedlabel Big Spenda Entertainment. Explainthe details behind that.My pa’tna Rarebreed was already [signed to]the label. Me and Rarebreed are both fromBelle Glade. We grew up on the same streetand all. When we went to Houston for theOZONE Awards, Big Spendaz saw the buzz andwe connected. We all got together and theyliked what they saw and I liked what I saw.Everything panned out perfect.You’re featured on the cover with Bigga Rankinfor the second time. How long have you beenworking with him and what are some thingsyou guys have accomplished together overthe years?I’ve been working with Bigga for about fiveyears now, since the first mixtape we didcalled Welcome to My Hood. Working withBigga Rankin has brought a lot of notoriety.He goes hard, I go hard. It’s just meant to be.You have a popular underground record called“Fuck Boy.” What or who were you writingabout?It’s about a lot of different people. That recordis true from beginning to end. Every time Igo out of town, everybody, even the radiostations, thought I was talking about Plies, butI wasn’t. Plies is my dawg. He gave me an opportunityto produce the first track off his firstalbum. We got a good ass relationship. That’smy nigga. A lot of people got that misconstrued.But that’s a true record. The peoplethat hear it, that are in those situations, theyknow who I’m talking about.can depend on a person with no doubts, regardlessof the situation. I’d rather have loyaltythan money. We’re actually shooting a moviebased off that song.Speaking of loyalty and your new situationwith Big Spenda Ent., how is this new deal goingto benefit everyone involved? What are theplans for moving forward?We finna go hard. I’m not the type of personto have one foot in and one foot out. I’m allthe way in. You can’t find nobody that’ll saysomething bad about me. I love the fact thatthey pay attention to their artists. They’re outthere on the road with us from time to time.That means a lot to me. We’re setting up a tourthroughout Florida, Georgia, Alabama, andSouth Carolina. I’m coming with the album TheStreets Is Mine. The first single off the album is“Florida Boy.”You always pull up in the nice cars when youmake an appearance.Yeah, that’s some “Florida Boy” shit – Chevysand Donks, Cutlasses and Caprices. That’ssome street shit. I’ve hosted a couple carshows, like the East Coast Ryders Car Show, ashow in South Carolina, and Dawgman’s carshow in Orlando. I just bought a ’76 donk with36,000 original miles. It’s in the paint shopright now and it’s got my name on the side ofit. For any artist that wants to paint their nameon the side of they car, I was the first one todo that.You have some other songs that have gotten alot of attention lately. Talk about those.I’ve got the “Good Pussy” record, and the remixwith Trina. It’s gotten a real good response– like when I say I’ll fuck a woman if her periodis on but only if she spotting. That’s just realshit. “Haitian Flag” is a real hot record for theZoes. “Do You Wanna Ride With Me,” producedby my boy CP Hollywood. I did a mixtape...The rest of this interview is featured in OZONE<strong>Magazine</strong>’s October issue.Obviously the song is about loyalty, or morespecifically, disloyalty. You feel pretty stronglyabout that.I believe in karma. What you dish out is whatyou get in return. Loyalty is something a lot ofmuthafuckas don’t have. Loyalty is when youOZONE MAG // 29


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