dj khALEd - Ozone Magazine

WELCOME TO MIAMI 

SUPER 

BOWL 

2010 

**special edition** 

FEATURING 

dj 

khaled 

+ 

KEVIN COSSOM // DANJA // TRINA 

PRETTY RICKY // SHONIE // HOT YELLA 

SWAZY STYLES // KEISHA KASH // TORCH 

Gun Play // YOUNG BREED // & MORE

WELCOME TO MIAMI 

SUPER 

BOWL 

2010 

**special edition** 

FEATURING 

KEVIN 

COSSOM 

&DANJA 

+ 

DJ KHALED // TRINA // GUN PLAY 

PRETTY RICKY // SHONIE // HOT YELLA 

SWAZY STYLES // KEISHA KASH // TORCH 

CP HOLLYWOOD // YOUNG BREED

PUBLISHER: 

Julia Beverly 

SPECIAL EDITIONS EDITOR: 

Jen McKinnon a.k.a. 

Ms. Rivercity 

CONTRIBUTORS & CREW: 

Ashley Smith 

Eric Perrin 

Jee’Van Brown 

Kisha Smith 

Maurice G. Garland 

Mercedes 

Randy Roper 

Terrence Tyson 

Torrey Holmes 

PROMOTIONS DIRECTOR: 

Malik Abdul 

STREET TEAMS: 

Big Mouth Marketing 

Lex Promotions 

On Point Entertainment 

Poe Boy 

Strictly Streets 

SUBSCRIPTIONS: 

To subscribe, send check or 

money order for $11 to: 

OZONE Magazine 

644 Antone St. Suite 6 

Atlanta, GA 30318 

Phone: 404-350-3887 

Fax: 404-601-9523 

Web: www.ozonemag.com 

SIDE A 

10 Club Listing 

11 Miami Map 

12 Lex Promo Top 10 

8-9 Event Listing 

16-17 Keisha Kash 

18-19 Trina 

26-27 Young Breed 

22-23 Danja 

24-25 Kevin Cossom 

SIDE b 

6 CP Hollywood 

14 Ed da World Famous 

8-9 Shonie 

10-11 Torch 

12-13 Gun Play 

16-18 Pretty Ricky 

20-21 Swazy Styles 

22-23 Hot Yella 

24-26 DJ KHALED 

COVER CREDITS: 

Kevin Cossom & Danja 

photo by Ty Watkins. 

DISCLAIMER: 

OZONE does not take responsibility 

for unsolicited 

materials, misinformation, 

typographical errors, or misprints. 

The views contained 

herein do not necessarily 

reflect those of the publisher 

or its advertisers. Ads 

appearing in this magazine 

are not an endorsement or 

validation by OZONE Magazine 

for products or services 

offered. All photos and illustrations 

are copyrighted by 

their respective artists. All 

other content is copyright 

2010 OZONE Magazine, all 

rights reserved. No portion 

of this magazine may be 

reproduced in any way 

without the written consent 

of the publisher. Printed in 

the USA. 

OZONE MAG // 7

8 // OZONE MAG

MIAMI Event 

Listing 

Thursday, FebRUARY 4th 

EA Sports Madden Bowl @ The Clevelander Hotel 

1020 Ocean Drive, Miami Beach 

9pm – 4am 

Eden Roc Super Bowl Party w/ Snoop Dogg 

@ The Eden Roc Renaissance 

4525 Collins Avenue, Miami Beach 

9pm – 2am 

$450 General Admission, $750 VIP 

Celeb Super Bowl Gifting Suite @ Karma 

619 Washington Avenue 

Info: 205-213-8155 (Gardner Craig) 

Million Dollar Girl Super Bowl Kick Off w/ Trina 

@ SOBE Live - 1203 Washington Avenue 

Hometown Legends: Welcome to Miami Edition 

@ MIA - 20 Biscayne Blvd., Downtown Miami 

(305) 642-0032 

Ne-Yo, Jagged Edge, & Verse Simmonds 

@ Adrienne Arsht Center, Knight Concert Hall 

1300 Biscayne Boulevard, Miami, FL, 33132 

8pm 

Tickets: $35 to $200 

Friday, FebRUARY 5th 

Mike McKenzie/Genesis Superslam Celeb Basketball Game 

@ Miami Norland Sr. High School 

1050 Northwest 195th Street, Miami, FL 

Leather & Laces Super Bowl Party w/ Kim Kardashian, 

Roselyn Sanchez and Holly Madison 

@ The Paris Studio Theatre 

9pm – late 


First Ten: First Friday Super Bowl Edition 

@ Justin’s Bar & Lounge 

17813 Biscayne Blvd., Downtown Miami 

VIVID - Tootsies Cabaret Super Bowl Party 

@ Tootsies Cabaret 

150 NW 183rd St. 

10pm – Late 

$450 All Access Admission 

ESPN Super Bowl Party w/ Ne-Yo & Keri Hilson 

The Fontainebleau Hotel - 4441 Collins Avenue 

10pm – Late 

Juvenile performing @ SOBE Live 


Jordan Brand Super Bowl Party @ Karma 


Ochocinco’s Celeb Mansion Party 

4745 Pine Drive, Miami Beach, FL 

9pm – late 

Nas, Goodie Mob, & Mayday! 

@ Adrienne Arsht Center, Knight Concert Hall 

1300 Biscayne Boulevard, Miami, FL, 33132 

8pm 

Tickets: $35 to $200 

Saturday, FebRUARY 6th 

Runners of the Game Official Super Bowl Party 

@ Karma 

619Washington Avenue 

The Main Event w/ NAS @ SOBE Live 


Saturday Night Spectacular Hosted by Jim Carey & 

Jenny McCarthy 

@ Top of the Bank of America Building 

9pm – 3am 

Taste of the NFL – Food & Wine Tasting 

@ Fort Lauderdale Convention Center 

7pm – Late 


Maxim Magazine Party w/ Jermaine Dupri & DJ Vice 

@ The Raleigh Hotel 

1775 Collins Avenue, Miami Beach 

9pm – Late 

Penthouse Party @ Passion Nightclub Seminole 

Hardrock - 5701 Seminole Way, Ft. Lauderdale 

$350 & up 

Playboy Super Bowl Party @ The Sagamore Hotel 

(Poolside) - 1671 Collins Avenue, Miami Beach 

9pm – 4am 

Sunday, FebRUARY 7th 

In Stadium Hospitality (Food, Open Bar, Live Entertainment) 

@ Dolphin Stadium 

2269 Dan Marino Boulevard, Miami Gardens 

2:30pm - 5:30pm plus 2 hours post game 

$450 (Must have Super Bowl Tickets to enter) 

Touchdown Club Hospitality (Food, Open Bar, Live 

Entertainment) 

Located Next to Stadium 

2:30pm – 5:30pm 

Super Bowl Ticket required for entry 

NFL Tailgate Party @ Dolphin Stadium 


2:30pm – Kickoff 

$1,500 (Must have Super Bowl Tickets to enter) 

Super Bowl XLIV @ Dolphin Stadium 


6:30pm 

The Big Game After Party @ LIV 

4441 Collins Avenue 

OZONE MAG // 9

MIAMI 

CLUB LISTING 

90 Degree 

90 NE 11th Street, 

Downtown Miami 

(786) 425-3545 

Amika 

1532 Washington Ave., 

Miami Beach, FL 33139 

(305) 534-1499 

Angel Ultra Lounge 

247 23rd Street, Miami 

Beach, FL 

Area 51 

950 NE 2nd Ave, Miami, FL 

(305) 358-5655 

B.E.D. 

929 Washington Ave., Miami 

(305) 532-9070 

Big Fish 

55 SW Miami Avenue Rd., 

Miami, FL 

Blue 

222 Espanola Way, Miami 

Beach 

(305) 534-1109 

Bricks 

66 SW 6th St, Miami, FL 

(305) 371-6950 

Café Iguanas 

8358 Pines Blvd., Hollywood 

(954) 433-8787 

Cameo 

1400 West Ave, Miami Beach, 

(305) 695-0517 

Chakra 

1500 Ocean Dr, Miami Beach 

(305) 672-2001 

Club Ache 

3425 Collins Ave, 

Miami Beach, FL 

(305) 604-8688 

Club 112 



Club 45 

4545 NW 7th St, Miami, FL 

33126 

(305) 442-6369 

Club 66 

66 SW 8th Street, Miami, 

FL 33130 

(305) 371-6950 

Club Boca 

7000 West Palmetto Park Rd., 

Boca Raton, FL 

(561) 392-3747 

Club Ebony 

12953 NW 7th Ave, North 

Miami 33182 

(305) 685-5305 

Club Escape 

7707 NW 103rd St., Miami 

Club Warehouse 

90 NE 11th St, Miami, FL 

(786) 425-3545 

Coco’s Lounge Living On 

The Edge 

1430 NW 119th St, Miami 

(305) 688-5005 

Crobar 


Miami Beach 

(305) 531-8225 

Dream 


Miami Beach 

(305) 674-8018 

Expose 

766 E 25th St, Hialeah 

(305) 691-8980 

Fat Tuesday 

3015 Grand Ave, Miami 

33133 

(305) 441-2992 

Fifth (The) 

1045 5th St., Miami Beach 

(305) 538-9898 

GEM Nightclub & Restaurant 

671 Washington Ave, Miami 

Beach 

(305) 674-0977 

Glass 

432 41st St., Miami Beach 

(305) 604-9798 

Harrison’s 


(305) 672-4600 

Ivy Room 


(305) 532-1525 

Karma 

619 Washington Avenue, 

Miami Beach 

King of Diamonds 

17800 NE 5th Avenue, Miami 

(954) 744-6582 

Krave 


Miami Beach 

(305) 673-5950 

Lady Luck 

1610 NW 119th St, Miami, 

(305) 688-1151 

Level Nightclub 


Beach, FL 33139 

(305) 532-1525 

LIV 

4441 Collins Avenue, Miami 

Beach, FL 33140 

(305) 674-4680 

Madonna Night Club 

1527 Washington Ave 


(305) 534-2000 

Mansion 



(305) 531-5535 

Metropolis Downtown 

950 NE 2nd Avenue, Miami 

(305) 415-0088 

Mia 

20 Biscayne Blvd. 

Downtown Miami 

(305) 642-0032 

Miami Velvet 

3901 NW 77th Ave, Miami 

(305) 406-1604 

Mokai 

235 23rd St., Miami Beach 

(305) 695-0288 

Mynt 

1921 Collins Ave. 


(786) 276-6132 

Nikki Beach Club 

1 Ocean Drive 

(305) 673-1575 

Nocturnal 

50 NE 11th St., Miami, FL 

(305) 576-6996 

Onda 



Phone: (305) 674-4464 

Pearl Lounge 

1 Ocean Dr., Miami Beach 

Penthouse Inc 

1434 Collins Ave, 

Miami Beach 

(305) 538-4010 

Platinum Plus 

7565 W 20th Ave, Hialeah 

(305) 558-2221 

Porterhouse 

7050 W. Palmetto Park Rd., 

Boca Raton, FL 

Rain 

323 23rd St, Miami Beach 

(305) 674-7447 

Rokbar 

1805 Collins Ave. 

Miami Beach 

(305) 535-7171 

Rumi 

330 Lincoln Road 

(305) 672-4353 

Ruby Lounge 


Santo 

430 Lincoln Rd., Miami Beach 

(305) 532-2882 

Sax on the Beach 

1756 N Bayshore Dr, Miami 

(786) 924-5535 

Scores Miami 

17450 Biscayne Blvd 

North Miami Beach 

(305) 945-6030 

Seven 


Beach 

(305) 538-0820 

SET 

320 Lincoln Road 


(305) 531-2800 

www.setmiami.com 

Shine 

1800 Collins Ave., Miami 

Beach 

Skybar 

1901 Collins Ave., Miami 

Beach 

(305) 695-3100 

SIN 


Beach 

(305) 532-4786 

Sobe Live 


• Miami 

(305) 695-2820 

Sofi Lounge 


Beach 

(305) 532-4444 

Space 

34 NE 11th St., Miami Beach 

(305) 375-0001 

Spirits 

5729 Seminole Way 

Hollywood 

(954) 327-9094 

State 

320 Lincoln Rd. 

Miami Beach 

Studio A 

60 NE 11th St., Miami 

(305) 538-7625 

Suite 

1437 Washington Ave. 

Miami Beach 

(305) 604-3664 

Take One 

333 NE 79th Street, Miami 

Tootsie’s Cabaret 

150 NW 183rd St., Miami 

(305) 651-5822 

Tropics Nightclub 

7100 Pines Blvd., 

Pembroke Pines 

(954) 985-8382 

Vice 


Miami Beach 

(305) 532-2667 

Vision 

3015 Grand Avenue, 

Coconut Grove 

(305) 461-1118 

Voodoo Lounge 

111 SW 2nd Ave. 

Fort Lauderdale, FL 

(954) 522-0733 

Wet Willie’s 

2911 Grand Ave. 

Coconut Grove, FL 33133 

White Diamonds 

737 Washington Ave. 

Miami Beach, FL 33139 

(305) 761-6736 

10 // OZONE MAG

MAP 

SOUTH BEACH 

Whyte Noise 

300 SW 1st Ave. 

Fort Lauderdale, FL 

OZONE MAG // 11

12 // OZONE MAG

Top 10 

MIAMI 

NIGHT 

CLUBS 

By Alex “Lex” Pierre-Louis 

Lex Promotions is a well-known marketing group 

in the Miami area. Experienced in handling major 

and INDIE label accounts, Lex Promo is a go-to resource 

for online and street promotions. If you’re 

visiting the area for Super Bowl weekend, here are 

Lex’s suggestions for clubs to CHECK OUT: 

1 

MANSION - 1235 Washington Ave., Miami Beach, FL 

Mansion is the Miami club! When you think of Miami, you 

think of Mansion. It’s a landmark, and it’s also infamous for not 

letting artists in the club. Be forewarned. 

2 

LIV - 4441 Collins Avenue, Miami Beach, FL 33140 

LIV is the billion dollar club where the groupies come 

out and the ballers play! It’s located in one of Miami’s premiere 

hotels, the Fontainebleau. 

3 

SPACE – 34 NE 11th St., Miami, FL 33132 

Space has been around for 15 years strong! It’s the only 

spot where you can party till 3:00 pm, or just party for 72 hours 

straight. It’s also home to the “lip-biting animals.” 

4 

TAKE ONE - 333 NE 79th St., Miami, FL 33138 

Take One is the home for every afterparty! It hosts some 

of Miami’s best record-breaking DJs like Jam Squad DJs, Haitian 

Mike, and Nasty. And it’s where Bizzle, a.k.a. Chowtime, will 

show you how to make it rain $5k in 5 minutes. 

5 

CAMEO - 1445 Washington Avenue, Miami Beach, FL 

Also known as “The Stepchild,” this club is notorious for 

being the hottest club for six months, and then closing down… 

then back to being the hottest club again. 

6 

TOOTSIE – Corner of 441 & Miami Gardens Dr., 150 NW 

183rd St., Miami Gardens 

This is the club that brings Las Vegas to Miami with the sexiest 

women in the world (it’s also well-known for a physical incident 

involving Trick Daddy). 

7 

KING OF DIAMONDS - 17800 NE 5th Ave., Miami, FL 

Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to King of Diamonds - 

home of NFL/NBA players and Disco Rick on the mic. Don’t walk 

in here without at least $2,000 in your pocket! #RecessionProof 

8 

BED – 929 Washington Avenue, Miami Beach, FL 

“Eat in BED, drink in BED, and you can even fuck in BED.” 

This is the party spot for all the video vixens, and even if you 

aren’t a celebrity, your dreams can come true here. 

9 

SOBE LIVE – 1203 Washington Ave., Miami Beach, FL 

Nominated “Best Hip Hop Venue” by VH1, on any given 

weekend you catch Hip Hop’s biggest stars on stage. In addition 

to being the Spring Break headquarters, this is where 

Uncle Luke has college girls going wild. 

10 

90 DEGREE – 90 NE 11th St., Downtown Miami 

“Ya Tu Sabes.” – Dominicans, Cubans, Puerto Ricans, 

Colombians – this is where you will find the sexiest Latinas! 

Contact Lex Promotions on Twitter: @LexPromotions or email 

lex@lexpromotions.com 

OZONE MAG // 13

SUPERBOWL 

EDITORIAL 

As I’m writing this with my eyes half 

open, it’s 4:30 am in Atlanta and I’m 

day-dreaming - well, night-dreaming 

actually - of sunny Miami. It’s rained here 

for 5 days straight, and it’s too cold for any 

Floridian to endure, making this mag difficult 

to complete because I want to grab a blanket 

and hibernate. *sips Red Bull and continues 

typing* 

But this issue is nearly done, and despite the 

depressing weather and sleep starvation, I’m 

really vibing on the inside. There’s no greater 

feeling than finishing a major project. The way 

I feel right now is probably how a musician 

feels when they turn in an album to their label. 

Relief. Pride. Excited to see the final outcome. 

Anxious for the world to share in my work. And 

even though an artist has months to record 

an album, and I only had a week to interview 

Florida’s finest, it’s still the same level of satisfaction. 

It takes the same level of dedication 

to come up with a direction, a list of goals, 

execute them within a deadline, and turnout a 

quality, creative product. Not to mention overcoming 

unforeseen setbacks (like how I lost 

my voice for 3 days 

and couldn’t interview 

anyone). But we 

at OZONE do this numerous 

times a year, 

and still keep variety 

in the content. 

Florida artists have staying power, there’s not 

much turn around as far as rappers falling off 

and new ones taking their place. Pretty much 

everyone gets on top and stays there. So I 

thought about what we were missing, what 

the music listeners are missing in general, and 

it was obvious – female representation. 

You’ll notice a few more female artist features 

than usual. And that’s kind of a reflection of 

the game in general right now. Newcomers 

like Lady Gaga and Nicki Minaj have made 

such a huge impact recently, and vets like 

Trina and Lil Kim are staying active. I predict 

this trend will strengthen. As you flip through 

these pages, when you stop to stare at the 

chick pics, make sure you take a few minutes 

to read their stories too. In this business, it 

takes twice as much effort for a woman to be 

noticed outside of her looks. They deserve 

props. 

And I deserve a few hours of sleep. [Turning off 

phone, logging off Twitter, tuning out haters] 

See you Super Bowl Weekend. 

- Ms. Rivercity (below, center) 

Variety in mind, I 

really struggled for 

ideas this Super 

Bowl edition. Not 

because there’s a 

lack of talent in Miami, 

but because 

we’ve interviewed 

everyone in the 

city already. And 

because South 

14 // OZONE MAG

OZONE MAG // 15

Keisha 

Kash 

Words by Ms. Rivercity 

Photo by Hassill Photography 

16 // OZONE MAG

Formerly USING THE TAGLINE the 

“Rapping Beyonce,” Keisha Kash 

started promoting herself as 

a rapper before realizing her 

potential as a Pop artist. Switching 

gears for the new year, Keisha 

talks about how she’s transitioned 

since beginning a career 

in music. Now focused on a new 

sound, Kash has a lot of new 

doors opening for her. 

Are you originally from Miami 

Not originally. I was born in Trinidad, grew up 

in New Jersey, and moved to Miami about five 

years ago. 

How did you get into making music 

I was pretty much in the background for a 

little while working with other artists. I worked 

with a girl that was with Konvict Music and a 

few other locals from Atlanta. When I came to 

Miami I started getting more into the music 

scene and decided to focus on myself. I’ve 

always been writing and dancing since I was 

five years old. There just weren’t any musical 

people in my family to show me what to do, 

but I always loved music since I was little. 

What were some of the songs you first put 

out 

My first track was a remix of one of Missy’s 

songs. I put it online and everyone liked it. It 

had 16,000 views on YouTube. I got a lot of 

positive feedback and encouragement to continue 

doing music, so I did. I’m a very unique 

person so I like different sounds. I teamed up 

with a production team in New York called 

Sinister Sounds and they came up with the Hip 

Hop sound I wanted at the time. They made 

the first single I had called “Bleah Bleah Bleah” 

that I did a video for. People loved the song 

out here in Miami. 

How did you promote yourself Do you have 

a management team 

No. When I first came to Miami I didn’t know 

anybody, and I don’t have any family here. 

I started getting out and going to clubs 

downtown and South Beach. A lot of people 

know me on South Beach. From there I just 

connected with a lot of people, doing events 

and fashion shows. 

“Bleah, Bleah, Bleah,” and I concentrated on 

that for two years. I really wanted to branch 

into Pop music and mix that in. I recorded 

three Pop songs, and ever since I did that 

everything has changed dramatically. I have a 

song called “Pretty Picture,” another one called 

“Timmy” and “Girlie Girl.” That’s really what I’ve 

been pushing for the last five months and it’s 

opening up doors for me. 

So it’s been easier for you to catch people’s 

attention with the more pop-sounding 

music 

Yeah, I was kind of at a stand-still. I was getting 

a lot of no’s. As soon as I switched over 

my style and genre of music, a lot of stuff has 

changed. If that’s what my supporters like 

from me the most, then that’s what I’m going 

to concentrate on. They determine what kind 

of music I should put out. 

Are you getting shows yet 

For my birthday we did a big show with Power 

96 and had radio commercial. Baby Bree from 

Power 96 has been showing me a lot of love. 

What else do you have going on that people 

should be checking for 

People should be checking for the singles I 

have out. I’m working on a lot of new material 

too. “Pretty Picture” is my main song that 

everyone’s vibing to. 

Is there a way for people to reach out to 

you 

I’m always on Twitter, @KeishaKash. People 

can sign up on my website KeishaKash.com. 

All my videos and behind the scenes footage 

are on YouTube.com/KeishaKash. 

As a new artist, what do you want people to 

know about you 

I want everyone to know I’m on the grind. I 

want to be someone that’s doing something 

different. There’s not a lot of females doing 

what I’m doing in pop music. I’m like the black 

Lady Gaga. That’s what everyone out here 

calls me, Keisha Gaga. // 

What direction are you going with your 

music now 

Well, I was doing the Hip Hop thing with 

OZONE MAG // 17

ina 


18 // OZONE MAG

Trina has reinvented herself year 

after year for over a decade, and 

2010 is no different. This year she’s 

scheduled to release her fifth 

studio album, officially launch a 

clothing line, and make her debut 

in television. Her grind is nothing 

short of Amazin’. 

So you’re working on your fifth album 

That’s correct. My fifth solo album, titled 

Amazin’, comes out June 8th. I’m really excited 

about it. It’s a summer album, so it’s really fun. 

When you say “summer album,” can you 

explain a little more about the theme 

Honestly, I think it’s my best album yet. I have 

major control of how the album’s being put together. 

It’s good for an artist that’s been in the 

game a while to have that kind of control and 

have the label see my vision. I tried a lot of different 

things – up-tempo pop records, street 

records, dance records, I took it back to the 

old-school. I worked with Rick Ross, Ludacris, 

Monica, Nicki Minaj, Plies, Pretty Money, Keri 

Hilson, Diddy – it just goes on and on. It’s great 

to still be relevant and put out a great album. 

Speaking of Keri Hilson, “Million Dollar Girl” 

is the single you have out now, right 

Yes, “Million Dollar Girl” featuring Keri Hilson 

and Diddy. When I first got the record, I 

thought of Keri Hilson instantly. She has a 

beautiful voice. I sent it to her and when she 

sent the vocals back I was blown away. Then 

I added Diddy. He’s just a fly guy, he’s very 

swagged out and he added a good twist to it. 

You were introduced to us over a decade 

ago… 

Yes ma’am, in ’98. 

How does your life now compare to where 

you thought you’d be at this point 

I never really thought I would be a musician. 

I always loved music, but I kind of thought I’d 

be doing television, maybe movies. That was 

always a passion of mine. I’m definitely looking 

forward to pursuing that after this album. I’ve 

had some [movie] offers I’m looking into. 

I heard you may be doing a reality show. 

Yes, I am. The show will start maybe within a 

month or so. It’s based around my life and the 

things I do as an artist, a business person, a 

clothing designer. It’s going to show the things 

I do on a daily basis besides music. 

Are you going to allow the show to portray 

any of your personal life Or will it be strictly 

about your career 

It’s my real life. Everyday I’m followed around 

from the office, to the studio, in and out of 

town, different shows and events, touring, 

seeing what I do at home when I’m not doing 

music, as well as what I do with the artists I 

work with. I have about 5 or 6 artists I work 

with. Everything I do is going to be on the 

show – the good, the bad, and the ugly. 

Are you still working with the Diamond Doll 

Foundation 

I’m doing a Diamond Doll camp this summer 

for the girls. Usually I do a panel and we talk 

about things like teen pregnancy, alcohol and 

drug abuse, education, and finances. I wanna 

do something a little different this year. A lot 

of the kids are really young and don’t wanna 

hear you just preaching, so we’re gonna make 

it more entertaining. I love giving back to the 

kids. I love answering their questions to let 

them know that I was once a kid, I was teenager, 

I was in a relationship and had my heart 

broke. I’ve been through all the things these 

girls are going through, or will go through. It 

gives them confidence and motivation. 

You had a major appearance in the “5 Star 

Chick” remix last year. People really liked 

your verse. 

I thought it was a great record. It was the 

first time I did a record with me and another 

female feature with the guys. Me and Nicki 

Minaj were holding it down for the women. It 

was something new. Everybody wants to be a 

5 Star now. 

Everyone commented about how you still 

look just as good in that video as you did 

back in the day. How do you keep yourself 

up as far as the beauty regime and workout 

routine 

I have a lot of wear and tear from makeup and 

hair artists so I just try to take care of my skin. 

I get facials and try to keep my skin as clean as 

possible. I have a bad problem with not washing 

stuff off my face after a show. I’ll be tired 

and just want to fall asleep. I have pretty good 

skin, I don’t really break out, but I try to get 

facials and keep it clean. I’m not an exercise 

fanatic but I try to exercise as much as I can. I 

do cardio at least 3 days a week and try to eat 

healthy. I need a lot of energy to travel and 

perform. 

Is there anything else you have coming up 

this year 

The album is coming out June 8th. Look out 

for Pretty Money, that’s the first project I’m 

working on. Look out for the reality show and 

the clothing line. 2010, look out for Trina! // 

OZONE MAG // 19

20 // OZONE MAG

OZONE MAG // 21

Danja 


Photo by Ty Watkins 

22 // OZONE MAG

TO LIST Danja’s production credits 

and accolades would require an 

entire page in itself. STARTING OFF 

As a TIMBALAND protégé, Danja, 

a.k.a. Danjahandz, went on to BE- 

COME a Grammy-winning producer 

himself, creating number ONE hits 

for names like Britney Spears, 

Pink, Justin Timberlake, Nelly 

Furtado, Duran Duran, Madonna, 

T.I., AND Trey Songz. Danja is NOMI- 

NATED for two Grammy awards 

in 2010, including Keri Hilson’s 

“Knock You Down” written by 

Danja’s artist Kevin Cossom. With 

a proven chemistry, Danja has 

clearly found his next New Age 

Rock Star in Kevin Cossom. 

What does it feel like to have worked with 

some of the greatest pop and R&B acts of our 

generation 

Man, I don’t know. I never think about it. I feel 

like there’s still a lot more I can do. Working 

with those people is always great, and I 

worked with them pretty early in my career. I 

think I’m just so much more focused on breaking 

acts and bringing new, quality acts into the 

business. I never really think about who I’ve 

worked with up to this point. 

Speaking of breaking acts, you actually have 

your own label. What is your focus with that 

The label is called N.A.R.S. Records, which is 

an abbreviation for New Age Rock Stars. It 

basically speaks for itself, just to bring in a 

new evolution of artists, a new age of acts 

from Pop, Rock, Hip Hop, R&B, whatever. And 

the first act that’s signed to the record label is 

Kevin Cossom, through Jive. 

Was the record label already formed when 

you met him, or did you create the label 

specifically with Kevin Cossom in mind 

It kinda happened at the same time. It never 

really was a major goal or dream of mine to 

have a record label. As I started coming across 

acts I felt were special, KC was one of the 

first, and the business became legitimate, it 

became something I had to do. As my goals 

started changing in the business, it seemed 

right for me to start my own label if I was trying 

to break new acts. It kinda just happened 

because of Kevin Cossom. 

Do you feel it’s important for a new artist to 

work with a specific producer and come up 

with a signature sound Or should they work 

with a lot of different producers until they 

get the right record 

I definitely feel like working with everybody is 

the wrong thing to do. Whether it’s me, or The 

Runners, or Swizz Beatz, or whoever it may be, 

an artist should definitely hone in and figure 

out a style and sound. An album will feel more 

cohesive, rather than it being all over the 

place. Working with a lot of different producers 

just creates confusion to me. 

Out of everyone you’ve worked with, who 

are the people you’ve vibed with the most, 

like there was a natural chemistry 

Definitely KC (Kevin Cossom). Aside from him, 

I’m able to really open up and be creative with 

Britney Spears. I feel like that with Tip too, 

he’s real accepting and we click well. Justin 

Timberlake is another one. 

With sales shifting in the music industry 

from record sales to now ringtones, has it 

personally impacted you How have you 

adapted to that 

It’s a major issue. Kids really have to buy into 

an artist to buy their album. I’m grateful I’m 

in a position where people come to me for 

their single, so I’m not missing an opportunity 

to make money. If it’s a hit, I receive money 

for the publishing. Making money off record 

sales, that’s really not happening. But I like to 

work on whole projects. I like to get in and 

do five to six records on an album. You know, 

everyone goes to whoever has a hit at the 

moment, so artists are going to get records 

from everybody and aren’t really interested in 

an album. Luckily I’m one of those producers 

people come to for a single. 

For those interested in the technical side of 

things, what equipment and tools do you 

use to make instrumentals 

I have maybe thirteen various keyboards. I use 

MPC and I use Logic. Inside my Logic I have 

loads of virtual instruments. I have a massive 

sound library. At the end of the day, you can’t 

tell that I use just one thing. 

What’s coming up for you in the near future 

I went in with the Weezer band not too long 

ago. We did a couple crazy tracks. I got some 

new things with Usher, Jennifer Lopez, Britney 

Spears, Kevin Cossom. It’s a lot of opportunities 

right now. I’m just trying to get in and 

knock it out. It feels like it’s not enough time 

in the day for all the stuff I have on one plate, 

but I’m making it happen. // 

OZONE MAG // 23

Kevin Cossom has appeared in 

OZONE a handful of times, but 

never as a Grammy-nominated 

songwriter. KC is opening up 2010 

with his first ever Grammy nod 

for writing Keri Hilson’s “Knock 

You Down,” and he’s also raising 

attention with his own single 

“Relax” ft. Snoop Dogg. A familiar 

name behind the scenes of the 

music industry, Kevin Cossom will 

soon be a familiar face EVERY- 

WHERE. 

What have you been working on since your 

last OZONE interview a few months ago 

I just dropped a mixtape in November called 

Hook Vs. Bridge. I’m promoting that heavy. I’m 

working on an album and trying to finish that 

up. We also got a song called “Relax” featuring 

Snoop that we’re going hard with. It’s 

supposed to be the first single off the album. 

We’ll be shooting a video in the next month. 

I’ve still been doing a lot of writing. I got 

something out with Chris Brown called “What I 

Do” featuring Plies. I wrote that with my homeboy 

Pooh Bear. I got a song on Mary J Blige’s 

album called “Tonight.” I got a few things on DJ 

Khaled’s album. I’m getting prepared for the 

Grammy Awards. A song I wrote for Keri Hilson 

called “Knock You Down” is up for a Grammy 

this year. 

Being nominated for a Grammy must be one 

of the highest points of your career so far. 

Definitely. It’s different if I just wrote the 

chorus or put in a few lines, but I pretty much 

wrote the whole thing. I did the whole concept 

and everything. For it to be nominated for a 

Grammy is huge. You know, for it to be a #1 

record was already crazy, but to be a Grammynominated 

songwriter is big. 

Tell us about your mixtape. Is it mostly original 

production, or is it more like a mixtape 

format 

Most of it is original. “Headboard” featuring 

Plies is a song I wrote the chorus to, but it’s 

a Hurricane Chris and Mario record. I wrote 

a verse to it so I wanted to do a remix for it. 

The Drake record “I Get Paper” is a remix I did. 

Other than that, everything else is pretty much 

original. There’s a lot of good features – Rick 

Ross, Joe Budden, Pusha from The Clipse, and 

good production as well. It’s still a mixtape; 

there’s 14 joints on there. 

You’re signed to the producer Danja. What’s 

the history behind your working relationship 

with him 

We met a few years ago, right around the time 

I first got my publishing deal. A representative 

from my publishing company, Sam Taylor, 

sent me to work with Danja. At the time, 

Danja had just come off of working on Justin 

Timberlake’s Future Sex Love Sounds album. He 

had just done “Promiscuous Girl.” He had been 

doing a lot of big things. I was writing for a 

girl group and he was producing for them. 

We went in for a 3-day session and on the last 

day he asked me if songwriting was the only 

thing I wanted to do. I told him no, it was just 

to pay the bills and I wanted to do the artist 

thing as well. He talked to my manager, and 

about a month later he did some records for 

me. We got in the studio for like five days and 

came up with four dope records. That’s how 

we noticed there was a chemistry. A month 

later we did the same thing and got some 

more good records. We knew we needed to 

be working together, so I signed to his label 

N.A.R.S. Records. You know, he produced 

“Knock You Down,” so this is our first Grammy 

nomination together. It proves that we’re a 

good combination. 

The music industry is familiar with your 

name and your work by now. Are people 

starting to recognize your face yet 

I think the more I get the mixtape out there, 

the more people research me. I’ve been a few 

places and people recognize me. When the 

video comes out and I get face time on camera, 

more people will recognize me. Besides 

the face, people are recognizing the name 

and that’s the most important. 

You’re pretty much following the same path 

as Ne-Yo or Keri Hilson, and there are predictions 

of you being that next big R&B artist. 

Are you prepared for that level of superstardom 

It’s nothing you can really prepare for. You just 

keep it in mind. You gotta realize you can’t 

do certain things you used to do all the time, 

or go some of the places you used to go. You 

just have to be smarter with the things you 

do. That’s the biggest thing. I want to be as 

normal as possible, if that’s possible. But yeah, 

it’s hard to prepare for that when all you have 

is an idea of how it’s going to be. All I can do is 

stay focused and prioritize. 

Where can people get at you and hear some 

of your music 

Hit me up at KevinCossom.com or on Twitter: 

@KevinCossom. // 

K 

C 

24 // OZONE MAG

evin 

ossom 


Photos by Ty Watkins 

OZONE MAG // 25

oung 

reed 


26 // OZONE MAG

As the newest member of Triple Cs, 

Young Breed appears on many of 

the group’s songs, and is now receiving 

his recognition. Here’s an 

update on what he’s been focused 

on since our last interview for 

his Patiently Waiting article. 

What have you been in the studio working 

on recently 

We’re working on our two mixtapes we’re 

finna drop. We’re pumping up for our new 

album Color, Cut, Clarity. We got a lot of music, 

a lot of freesyles we been droppin’, and we’re 

definitely giving the streets somethin’ to look 

forward to. 

People are starting to recognize you as part 

of the group now. Have a lot of people been 

reaching out 

Yeah, the response is amazing. We’re getting 

more and more love from all markets. 

You had been doing your thing for a while 

before getting with Triple Cs. At what point 

did you realize you had enough skill to make 

this a full-time thing, so to speak Was there 

a big moment of realization 

What happened was, I already had got the 

stamp in the hood. I had my homies in the 

hood tellin’ me, “You can take this a lot further.” 

But at the time I was just doin’ it ‘cause I had 

a love for the music. What really motivated 

me and changed my mind was when my big 

brother told me, “You don’t understand what’s 

goin’ on. People are startin’ to recognize you. 

This is what you gotta pursue.” When I sat back 

and focused on it, I noticed the progress I was 

makin’, and I buckled down. 

So you’re now part of a major album release. 

What are your thoughts on the album Triple 

Cs recently put out 

I felt like it was a great power move. People 

got to hear all us individually. More and more 

people started taking to Gunplay, more people 

started takin’ to Torch, more people started 

taking to me. We achieved the goal we were 

looking for with this album. 

For the new album, what are some things 

you want to put into it that didn’t appear in 

the first one 

We’re gonna touch on the female fanbase a 

little bit more. I feel like we might have left out 

a little bit of that genre for the ladies. 

So is recording songs for females kinda stepping 

out of your element 

Yeah, I mean, it might be steppin’ out the box a 

little bit for us ‘cause you know, we a gangsta 

rap group. But it’s all good, we always wit’ it. 

That’s why we doin’ mixtapes songs. We just 

remixed the Jaheim record. We just touching 

on that female fanbase and they’re checking 

for us. We’re gonna give ‘em what they ask for. 

When you sit down to write a verse for the 

ladies, who comes to mind 

I just go from our day-to-day experiences and 

traveling. I think about the ladies that go out 

of their way to ask for a picture or autograph. 

Or the ones that travel a few miles outside of 

their city ‘cause they know we’re at that venue. 

That’s what I’m thinkin’ about when I get it in. 

As far as your solo material, have you been 

collaborating with anyone outside of the 

group 

It’s all about Triple Cs right now, but of course 

I’m working on my next project coming up 

after Color, Cut, Clarity. I’ve been working with 

a lot of producers – Gorilla Tek, The Olympiks. 

I’m about to drop a mixtape called Project 

President. 

Solo artists only have to worry about creating 

their own material, but you have to concentrate 

both on the group and your own 

music. How do you keep up with all that 

I love it. That’s what separates the hustlers 

from the people just sitting in the studio 

knocking out a song or two. I feel like I’ve 

gotta broaden my horizons. We’re always 

growin’; we’re always gon’ get better. I’m just 

puttin’ in work. It’s all good. That’s what bosses 

do – multitask. You gotta make it happen. 

Money comes from everywhere. 

Do you have anything else you’re trying to 

do outside of recording 

I’m workin’ on my clothing line Uptown Apparel. 

We just inked the deal for Spilled Ink 

Originals too. Spilled Ink Originals is more 

high-end, fitted clothes. We opened up the 

urban clothing line under Spilled Ink called 

Uptown Apparel. We got t-shirts, hoodies, 

sweatshirts, denim pants. It’s lookin’ real good. 

Y’all check that out on SpilledInkOriginals. 

com. 

What else do you want to let the people 

know 

The album Custom Cars & Cycles is in stores 

now. Color, Cut, Clarity is coming soon. Project 

President is on the way. Look for more music 

coming soon. // 

OZONE MAG // 27

28 // OZONE MAG

OZONE MAG // 29

CP HOLLYWOOD 

Words by Ms Rivercity 

CP Hollywood is a prominent 

name listed in production credits 

for South Florida artists. If 

there’s a rapper in Miami you like, 

chances are CP has produced 

for ‘em. He most recently landed 

Trina’s new single, and has a few 

other major things in the pipeline. 

Who all have you produced for You’re a common 

name when it comes to Miami producers. 

I’m probably most known for Unda Surveillance’s 

“Shone On Deck,” which was a big single here 

about a year and a half ago. Then I did a record 

with Sean P from the YoungBloodz. It was his single 

last year called “Hoodstar,” which I was singing 

on. Last year I had a song out called “International 

Boss” with Haitian Fresh, Rick Ross, and Busta 

Rhymes, and another record with Haitian Fresh 

and Pleasure P called “No Panties.” I did a record 

with Hurricane Chris and Kaliko called “Drank n 

Dro,” and “I’m So Throwed” for Frank Black. 

Those are all some pretty hot records that got 

a buzz. 

All these records got on the radio. But I’ve worked 

with pretty much everyone in South Florida – Iceberg, 

BallGreezy, I have Bizzle’s new single called 

“Recession Proof.” Khaled broke it the other day. I 

just did the Triple C’s record for Freddy Fred. 

the track I just did with him is poppin’ real fast. 

I’d definitely say Iceberg and BallGreezy too. 

Obviously Brisco and Billy Blue are doing their 

thing, but I think the next one is gonna be 

Iceberg, BallGreezy, or Bizzle. 

How did get your big break and start placing 

with all of those artists 

I had a name in Tallahassee and I moved to 

South Florida in 2005 and started from square 

one. But the first record that brought me attention 

in Tallahassee was with Smoke from Field 

Mob called “Cut Friend.” I was actually an artist 

back then. The record that caught me a buzz in 

Miami was “Shone On Deck.” 

What else do you have in the works right 

now How can people get at you for beats 

I got a street album coming out with Papa 

Duck. I produced the whole album. I signed two 

13-year-old female pop artists and I’m putting 

together their album. People can hit me at cpbeats@gmail.com 

or Twitter @cphollywood954 

or Myspace.com/cphollywoodsce. // 

You didn’t mention the new record for Trina. 

That’s a pretty big placement. 

Yeah, the one with Trina, Diddy, and Keri Hilson. 

I had a beat ready and another producer I work 

with named K Pon laid some extra keys down. I 

got with a writer named King and he sent it to 

Trina’s team. It took them about 6 months to lay it 

down, it took forever, but they got Keri on it first. 

Then Diddy got on it. 

Are you trying to achieve a certain sound or 

reach a certain audience Or do you just produce 

whatever you feel like it at that moment 

The easiest stuff for me to make is down South 

music, but what I like to do and my best stuff 

is R&B/crossover/pop music. The Trina record 

is really like a pop record. There’s just a bigger 

audience for pop music and there’s more money 

created from the music. I just try to make singles. 

None of my music is really album cuts. 

Who are the hot up-and-coming artists in South 

Florida 

Bizzle has “Naked Hustle,” “Lip Bitin’ Animal,” and 

OZONE MAG // 7

honie 


Photos by Frank Antonio 

8 // OZONE MAG

Recently acclaimed as the “Remix 

Queen,” this singer/musical poet 

keeps a song buzzing in South 

Florida. After breaking onto the 

scene a few years ago, Shonie 

signed a deal with Slip N Slide/Def 

Jam and is currently working on 

her solo debut album Passionate 

Pieces of Me. 

What’s new with you 

I’m working on my album. I’ve been working 

with a lot of people like Brisco and Trina. Right 

now we’re trying to figure out what the single is 

gonna be. I don’t want to move too fast, but not 

too slow either. I did a record with Flo Rida that’s 

crazy. I pray to God he puts that out. I did a record 

with Brianna that I’m thinking of putting out as 

a single. Shouts out to her, she’s definitely one of 

the best things coming out right now. I’ve been 

doing crazy remixes. I just remixed “Say Aah” by 

Trey Songz and I remixed Trina’s new single. We 

definitely goin’ hard. The album will be coming 

out this fall. It’s a new year and we wanna put out 

bigger and better things. 

So did you have any New Year’s resolutions 

Every year we just grind harder than what we’ve 

been doing. People that haven’t made it yet that 

thought ’09 was gonna be they year, they’re definitely 

gonna go harder. We gotta look back and 

figure out what we didn’t do. Every year we want 

to work harder and stay around positive people. 

You’re a signed artist still working as an independent, 

almost. Give us the specifics on the 

label deal you have. 

When I signed to Slip N Slide that’s when the Def 

Jam deal came about. My name’s been out there 

for a hot minute. I put out my mixtape when I was 

17 and that’s what created the buzz. Def Jam saw 

the spins we were getting with my single at the 

time, “Can’t Let Go,” featuring Fabolous. That’s how 

the deal came about. In order to keep Def Jam 

interested, we gotta continue to do that, whether 

it’s putting out mixtapes or a buzz record. You 

can’t wait on a label, you gotta do it yourself. 

Besides your singing talent, you’re known for 

your songwriting abilities as well. 

Oh yeah, I’ve always been writing. When I was 17, 

I was already working on Trina’s album, working 

with Flo Rida, Brisco, the Diddy family, Day 26. 

How did you develop your talent Was it natural, 

or did you practice for a long time 

I was in the church. My mom was a minister so 

I stayed drawn to the church. I’ve always been 

around musical people. My mother sings; my 

father played piano. Even when I was younger, all 

I was taught to do was work on my craft. 

When you put out your first album, what 

impression do you want to leave with your 

audience 

That it’s real and I’m not trying to follow what everyone 

else is doing. I’m not just trying to come 

out with a club record like everyone else. I gotta 

do me at the end of the day. It’s what my feeling 

is. When they hear this, this is what I want them 

to feel. It’s too much going on in the world not 

to talk about it. Everybody’s going through relationship 

problems; everybody’s going through 

something. I want it to relate to everybody in the 

world, where everybody can believe in it. 

So are you totally opposed to doing a club 

record 

It’s an up and down thing. You try to figure out 

whether you wanna go club or radio or what’s 

gonna work faster. Every artist always goes 

through that. Honestly, it’s up to the people, 

because they have to accept it. They have to let 

you know what’s working. That’s what we’re trying 

to do now, let the people decide. We’ve been 

testing records on the internet and radio station 

to get everyone’s opinion. 

Do you have any concrete records that you 

know for sure will make the album 

Ah, we have one called “Lights, Camera, Action” 

that was produced by Midus of Golden Child 

Productions. It was a buzz record so I know it’s 

definitely going on the album. 

So what would be some of the biggest moments 

in your career so far 

When I sang in front of L.A. Reid. I didn’t think 

I was gonna get through that. My palms were 

sweating and that was a scary moment, but I 

got through it. When he said, “Welcome to Def 

Jam,” that was the greatest thing. A lot of people 

dream of that. Wherever God takes me, that is 

always gonna be one of my proudest moments. 

Where will you be during Super Bowl weekend 

I’m going to be everywhere, at all the hottest 

parties. We’re gonna pop bottles for Super Bowl 

Weekend. // 

OZONE MAG // 9

orch 


10 // OZONE MAG

Coming off a great year with 

several mixtapes heavy in the 

streets and one major label 

release, Torch and Triple Cs are 

continuing to build their momentum. 

As one-fourth of the group, 

Torch also has his own lane and 

supporters. Here Torch gives us a 

rundown on what’s new for him, 

and what makes him a standout 

part of Carol City Cartel. 

Tell us what you have poppin’ right now. 

We got the album Color, Cut, Clarity coming 

soon. We got the new mixtape Sticks & Stones. 

I got my solo mixtape Crash Course comin’. We 

got a lot of big things comin’ this year. 

You put out a lot of solo material last year. 

What all did you have circulating 

My shit be like albums. I have a lot of original 

material, I don’t usually jack people’s shit like 

everybody else. I had about 3 or 4 mixtapes 

worth of material. I’m working on my next 

street album. 

Being from New York, your sound touches a 

different market than your group members. 

When you’re looking for beats for your solo 

music, do you use the same producers as 

Triple Cs Or do you work with different 

people 

I work with everybody that provides heat. 

Sometimes I work with producers from the 

group, but those people craft different kind of 

beats that what I’m on because I’m not from 

this region. But a lot of my stuff on this new 

mixtape came from up north. We do have a 

couple Runners beats on it, JUSTICE League, 

Transformers, Olympicks, just to name a few. It 

should be coming out within the next couple 

of weeks. We’re gonna drop the Triple Cs mixtape 

first. We’re just keeping shit in the streets 

so we stay relevant in the game. We’re one of 

the hottest labels in the game. 

So you guys have a fourth member now, 

Young Breed. What do you think he adds to 

Triple Cs 

He’s like the gutta, young version of Triple Cs. 

We just added another element by bringing 

him into the crew. We been seasoned together, 

but when you get that younger strength in 

there, it’s like a big bowl of gumbo. 

Everyone likes to try to outdo their last project. 

Are you guys trying to improve anything 

from the last album 

The only improvement is that there’s gonna be 

less features and more Triple Cs. People were 

saying they wanted to hear a lot more of us. 

They know we can hold our own, we’re nice 

with it. So you gon’ hear more Triple Cs, more 

polished records, and the last album was 

really more raw and uncut and for the street 

crowd. We gonna keep our street crowd, but 

we gonna make a couple more records that 

will get a little more radio play. 

So you’re trying to get more of that radio 

market 

We already knew what the people wanted, 

now we gotta give the PDs and radio what 

they want. All our mixtapes is what the people 

want, and our album is like a hot ass version of 

a mixtape. This new album is gonna be more 

polished, you’re gonna hear a lot of growth 

in Triple Cs. Of course it’s gonna surprise 

everybody. 

Have you come up with any singles yet 

We got a lot of records recorded, that’s all we 

do. Right now we’re on everybody’s radar with 

“Teflon” for Ross’ new shit. When we record 

100 songs, putting together an album isn’t really 

hard. Even with the last album, we didn’t 

release the records that were good for radio, 

we kept it street, but we had those records. 

What direction are you trying to go with 

your own solo records 

My music has always been more about life 

than death. I’m pro-life. I talk about the 

struggle. You can just expect a lot of good 

music from me. I done been there, done that, 

touched on every subject in life. It’s time to 

start making more grown shit and get money. 

You have a reputation for lyrical content. 

Definitely. The game has changed. You can’t 

be in the trap forever. There’s gotta be some 

kind of message with your music. You gotta 

be able to balance it. That’s what makes Ross 

such a great rapper. He doesn’t just give you 

the trap; he makes good music too. That’s 

what I pride myself on. I’m a writer and I do a 

lot of writing for people. That’s how I became 

more musical with my craft. 

Anything else you want to add 

Everybody follow me on Twitter @TorchCCC to 

keep up with everything. I got my own website 

TorchIsNY.com. It’s like somebody told me, 

if you ain’t got 15 ways to get money in this 

game you ain’t using it right – I’m up to 20. // 

OZONE MAG // 11

12 // OZONE MAG

Gun 

Play 

Known as a standout character 

in Triple Cs, GunPlay may play 

hard, but he works hard too. 

Whether he’s dropping a verse 

with Ross, Torch, and Young 

Breed, or recording for his own 

projects, GunPlay always has 

something new on deck. Be on the 

lookout for his work on the new 

Triple Cs Sticks & Stones mixtape, 

the re-release of his SniffAHill 

tape, and his brand new project Cigar 

Fare & Hardware coming soon. 

What’s new with you and Triple C’s 

We’ve been hittin’ up the streets with these 

mixtapes, shooting videos, working on solo 

songs, as well as the crew. We just shot the 

video with me, Breed, and Torch called “I Be 

Out Here.” We’re letting everyone know Triple 

Cs is still grindin’. 

Y’all stay keeping something new out there. 

You’re always releasing new songs, mixtapes, 

and a lot of videos. It’s like y’all don’t really 

take any breaks. 

You gotta stay hot ‘cause it’s always a muthafucka 

tryin’ to take yo’ spot. You gotta keep 

givin’ ‘em hot new material and stay in they 

face. That way, by the time you put the album 

out, it’s a lot more people have seen your face 

and heard your music so they more likely to 

buy the album. 

When are you dropping the new Triple C’s 

mixtape 

Sticks & Stones will be out in February. 

What about your solo mixtape 

After Sticks & Stones, then I’ve got my tape 

Cigar Fare & Hardware comin’. I’m gonna rerelease 

SniffAHill. We’re gonna bombard the 

streets. 

What kind of songs are going to be on 

your mixtape Is it mostly original stuff or 

freestyles 

It’s half and half. It’s gonna be action-packed. 

I used the Jeezy and Rihanna “Hard” beat, I 

did Waka Flocka’s “O Let’s Do It,” I did “Get Wit 

This Pimpin” – that song that’s big in Atlanta. 

And I did stuff like Master P’s “How You Do Dat 

There,” the C Murder and BG beat, I went back 

a little. 

What about the original beats What do you 

have in the works as far as that goes 

I also got beats from some local producers like 

C-Nal Tracks. He got this one record that I’m 

about to go hard with called “Wild Out.” It’s me 

featuring Piccalo. It’s like a party vibe, somethin’ 

they not expecting from GunPlay. I’m 

getting a real good response. It’s only been 

out a couple days and has a couple thousand 

downloads. I’m about to shoot a video to that. 

So I hear Triple C’s is already working on the 

next album Color, Cut, Clarity. 

Yeah, we gon’ give ‘em more gangsta shit, 

but this time we’re gonna definitely focus on 

radio. We’re gonna deal with less features, 

we want to showcase just Triple C’s more. We 

want to put the focus on Torch, GunPlay, and 

Young Breed, and everybody already know 

how Ross does. We’re coming with more 

hooks from us. 

Where will you be during Super Bowl Weekend 

Do you have your schedule yet 

I’m gon’ be jumpin’ around, I know that. I’m 

gon’ be all over the place, gettin’ into so much 

trouble. We gonna be everywhere. 

What about on nights when you’re not 

booked somewhere Where will you be 

when you have some free time 

One of my homie’s cribs or Ross’ crib. Or 

probably at Take One. I keep it real simple. I 

ain’t with all the extravagantness. I like to just 

barbecue at my dawg’s crib in the hood or 

whatever, just chill. 

What else is going on with you 

I got EveryDayGunPlay.com coming soon. By 

the time y’all are reading this you can login to 

my website. I’ma show y’all how I’m livin’. You 

gon’ see all my videos, all the new freestyles, 

download the mixtapes, do all that. I’ma have 

blogs on there, everythang GunPlay. // 


OZONE MAG // 13

Formerly the PD for 102.3 in Tallahasee, 

Ed Da World Famous IS 

NOW a DJ, on-air personality, and 

sports radio host in Miami. He 

can also be heard in Augusta and 

Valdosta, GA, as well as ON the 

CORE DJs Radio show and his own 

internet show. He’s pretty much 

everywhere, and this Super Bowl 

weekend he’ll be interviewing 

your favorite Athletes. 

Introduce yourself and tell us what you have 

going on. 

I’m Ed da World Famous. People know me for 

being a Program Director in Tallahassee at Blazin’ 

102.3. I left there about 4 years ago. I’m in Miami 

and I still do radio in other markets. I DJ in clubs 

around the city and I’m a full-time sports host. It’s 

a new venture I started. 

How long were you at the station in Tallahassee 

before you moved to Miami 

I started in radio in Tallahassee when I was in college 

at WAMF. I went to work for WHBX. After that 

I left Tallahassee and worked in Cincinnati and Columbus, 

GA, then back to Tallahassee where I had 

the opportunity to work as an on-air personality 

and run Blazin 102.3. I was there for four years. 

Do you have residencies in Miami or do you 

bounce around 

When I got down here, people knew me as a 

radio personality so I kinda had to fight my way in 

as a DJ. I’ve had a couple of residencies, and right 

now I’m at a spot called Sahari Lounge. Other 

than that, I bounce around at spots like Sobe 

Live, Ink, Cameo, Dreams. Personally, I really enjoy 

ED DA WORLD 

FAMOUS 


doing events. 

What do you have going on for Super Bowl 

Weekend 

Monday through Friday of that week I’ll be on 

radio row interviewing athletes. I’m hosting the 

midday show on 790 The Ticket. I’m one half of 

a show called The Sports Brothers with Jeff Fox. 

I got a bunch of Super Bowl parties tied in with 

the radio station. Ricky Williams has an event. 

Michael Irving has a couple events that we’ll 

be tied into. I’ll be at Sahari Lounge on Friday, 

Saturday, and late Sunday night. 

How does doing sports radio compare to 

music radio 

Hip Hop and music and sports all ties in well 

with each other. Every time we talk to an athlete, 

we make the conversation not only about 

what they do sports-wise, but we also ask who 

they got in the iPod, who they listen to when 

they get pumped up for a game. We’re not the 

typical hosts, we try to get them to relax and 

have a normal conversation. It makes it easier 

when we do interviews. 

You mentioned that you do radio in other 

markets. Which ones 

I still do music radio. I voice track for a station in 

Augusta, GA and one in Valdosta, GA. I do my 

own show called World Famous Radio, it’s on a 

couple internet stations. I’m also the technical 

producer for the CORE DJs radio show. I pretty 

much put that show together and mix as well. It 

airs on 27 stations every week. I have my hands 

in both sports and music radio and I’m happy 

where I’m at right now. 

Besides radio, are you involved with any other 

ventures 

I work with Lex Promotions as Director of New 

Artists. It’s kinda like A&Ring. A lot of local acts 

want to know how to promote their music in a 

way that makes sense. They come to me and I 

explain how Lex Promotions promotes. So you 

could say I help local artists step their promotional 

game up. 

How can the people stay up to date on what 

you have going on 

My website is WorldFamousRadioShow.com, as 

well as 790TheTicket.com. // 

14 // OZONE MAG

Pretty 

Ricky 

16 // OZONE MAG


Photo by Hannibal Matthews 

OZONE MAG // 17

OZONE MAG // 19

wazy 

tyles 


Photo by James P 

20 // OZONE MAG

Originally from the Bronx, NY, 

Swazy Styles (NOT TO BE CONFUSED 

WITH GEORGIA NATIVE AND SLIp-N- 

SLIDE SIGNEE SWAZY BABY) MADE 

major moves after moving to 

South Florida. Taking advantage 

of the networking opportunities 

around him, Swazy has the support 

of many area DJs, including 

Shadyville’s DJ Epps. Here, Swazy 

explains how he’s taking his craft 

to the next level. 

How did you start getting your name out 

there 

I started out freestyle battling on the block in 

New York. I was real animated with my flow 

and delivery. I used to eat a lot of dudes up. I 

saw I could put together songs, so me and my 

crew put together a nice home-based studio. 

People started liking our music so promoters 

started booking us for shows. At the time I was 

in a group called Amped Up with another artist 

called Precise. We continued on our journey 

for about 5 or 6 years and then I went solo. 

What brought you to Miami 

I moved to Miami in 1993. We came out here in 

for opportunity. I was young, my mom’s loved 

it out here ‘cause of the weather and all that. It 

was a better environment to raise a teenager 

in. When we moved down here, I continued to 

pursue my goal. I met all the right people and 

networked. I established a name for myself in 

Miami and Ft. Lauderdale and Palm Beach. 

You have a decent internet presence. What 

have you been doing to establish yourself on 

the net 

8 months ago I teamed up with a company 

called YoRaps.com. They’re managing my PR 

and giving me an online presence. We also did 

a mixtape feature for their website, presented 

by Block Starz Music. I had a lot of heavyhitter 

DJs cosign me like Supastar J, DJ Epps, Chuck 

T, DJ Drama, DJ Scream, DJ Nasty. I had over 7 

DJs cosign my mixtape. My mixtape had 40% 

of the downloads on the website. When they 

saw that, they knew there was a hunger for my 

music so they presented me with a contract. I 

signed with Block Starz Music. 

What’s the next move 

I got my assistant Aldo working real hard for 

me. I’m gonna continue to build that buzz out 

here on radio, Power 96, and 99 Jamz. I just 

finished a mixtape called Live From the County 

Line, hosted by DJ Laz from Power 96 and DJ 

GQ. It’s got 7,000 downloads right now. I’m 

also working on my album called Hustle Life. I 

got production from CP Hollywood, The Runners, 

Mike Beatz, Ace of Spades. I got Triple 

Cs on the album, KC, Billy Blue. I got K Pon on 

the album. He has a big song with Flo Rida. 

I’m looking to release the album in the 2nd 

quarter of 2010. I got distribution so it will be 

on iTunes, Amazon, and all that. 

Are you pushing any songs as a single 

My first single I dropped was called “Pockets 

Full of Green.” It was cosigned by Shadyville 

DJ Epps. He’s my official resident DJ. It played 

on radio from Palm Beach to Dade County. I 

did well with the ringtones. I had over 54,000 

ringtone downloads. Now I’m working on my 

second single called “Sounds Like Money.” I 

dropped that last February. It did so well that 

Unda Surveillance wanted to jump on it so 

we got the remix with Unda Surveillance. The 

video is out. The remix is in heavy rotation 

in clubs and radio. I’m going to let the remix 

bubble a little bit and drop my next record in 

March called “Already” ft. K Pon, produced by 

CP Hollywood. 

Do you know what you’ll be doing Super 

Bowl Weekend Are you booked anywhere 

I’m booked at Club Dream, SOBE Live, and I’ve 

got a show at Nocturnal in Downtown Miami. 

I’ll be real heavy that weekend. 

What else do you have going on 

I have two tours set up. We’ve got the Dream 

Big, Hustle Hard Tour set up. We’ll be doing 10 

cities, starting out with Miami, Orlando, and 

Atlanta. I’ll also be in the Bay Area and North 

Carolina. 

What’s the overall impression you want to 

leave with people, as far as your musical 

style and who you are as an artist 

I want everybody to know that Swazy Styles is 

here to give you originality. I like to party and 

have a good time, so that’s part of my music. 

At the same time, I like to give something 

back to the streets. I’d say my style is versatile 

for everybody. I’m originally from New York, 

so I got that New York swag with that down 

South sound at the same time. Excellence is 

my goal. 

Is there anything else you want to add 

I want everyone to check out my website 

SwazysWorld.com. Check me out on YoRaps. 

com and BlockStarzMusic.com. For inquiries, 

holla at my personal assistant Aldo Mottolese 

305-643-0786. // 

OZONE MAG // 21

ot 

ella 


Photo by Asap Imaging 

22 // OZONE MAG

Hot Yella is a fast rising name 

emerging from the Tallahassee 

area. Recent cosigns from DJs 

Storm and Supastar J Kwik have a 

lot of people checking for Yella, 

and her new song “Miss Me” is taking 

off in Florida. 

Introduce yourself and tell us how you 

started rapping. 

Well, I started off singing. The first time I ever 

recorded anything I was in 7th grade. I actually 

rapped a little back then, but I started out singing. 

I also write music – I write R&B and Hip 

Hop records. I’m an artist on Triple Threat, so 

a lot of people know me for my tagline “Triple 

Threat.” 

Where are you from originally 

I’m from Tallahassee. I was born in Florida. I’m 

also from Madison, Wisconsin and Las Vegas. 

I moved around a lot. In high school I went to 

three different schools. I moved around a lot 

in middle and elementary school too, so my 

versatility comes through in my music. 

Do you still sing at all Or are you strictly 

rapping now 

Yeah, I still sing on some of my hooks. I’m 

mostly rapping right now though. I’m making 

a lot of fun records, a lot of club records right 

now. That’s what I really love to do – make 

feel-good, happy music, stuff for the ladies. But 

I also write R&B records and sing. 

Tell us about the “Miss Me” song you have 

buzzing on the net. 

“Miss Me” is out right now. I really wanna give a 

big shout out to Supastar J Kwik in Tallahasse, 

also all the DJs on Twitter, Facebook, and 

Myspace supporting the record. “Miss Me” is a 

song for the ladies. There’s a free download on 

HotYella.com. 

What’s the situation with you and DJ Storm 

Are you her artist or is she just helping you 

get your name out there 

Storm and I work together. I had been doing 

music for a while [before we linked up]. We 

worked in radio together. I interned at the 

station Blazin’ 102.3 for about a year and we 

became friends. She hosted my mixtape that I 

put out last June. I was gonna put out the mixtape 

anyway, and Storm was like, “I’m all about 

my ladies, chicks in charge.” So she wanted to 

host it. It turned out to be a real good mixtape. 

It’s called Life of a Triple Threat. You can also 

check that out on my website. 

Are you doing another mixtape soon 

I’m working on singles right now. I’m coming 

out with something every couple months. 

Right now I got “Miss Me,” I got a freestyle to 

Jay-Z’s “On to the Next.” It got on a mixtape 

this week and “Miss Me” got on two mixtapes 

this week. I also got a new single coming out 

called “Cat Walk.” 

You mentioned interning at the radio station. 

What were some things you learned in 

the internship that have helped with your 

music career 

It was a promotional internship and I also 

did a couple call-ins. It helped me. Radio and 

doing music is somewhat alike. You have to be 

good at networking and dealing with people. 

There’s a lot of good information you can 

learn in radio and bring that over into music. 

It seems like Tallahassee would be a good 

market to gain a fanbase with all the college 

students living there. Is that an advantage 

for you 

Yeah, 100 percent. We have all these universities 

here. If you can’t touch the people here 

and make a mark in the music industry, then 

it’s probably gonna be way harder for you to 

do it in a different market. There’s so many 

students and people thirsty for entertainment 

and clubs. 

As a representative for the ladies, what do 

you feel is missing from the game as far as 

that goes 

There’s an obvious lack of female artists. I 

think a lot of it has to do with how women 

present themselves as a business entity. A lot 

of men look at it as more of a business. But 

with Lady Gaga and Nicki Minaj, people like 

that, I think it’s going to be changing soon. 

People are really thirsty to hear a good female 

artist. There’s gonna be more to come from 

“bad bitches.” 

What else do you have in the works 

Look out for my new single and keep yourself 

updated on HotYella.com. That’s where everything 

is, links to my Myspace, Facebook, Twitter. 

For booking you can contact 26 Talent at 

850-320-1030. All my ladies, keep your heads 

up and you’ll hear more to come. // 

OZONE MAG // 23

Back to his usual tricks, DJ Khaled 

is busy putting the biggest names 

in rap together onto one superproject. 

Victory, Khaled’s fourth 

compilation album, is slated for 

release this March. among the 

expected features like THE USUAL 

SUSPECTS YOUNG Jeezy, Rick Ross, 

Wayne, and T-Pain, there’s also a 

big surprise Khaled is waiting to 

REVEAL. 

What’s new with you We’ve been hearing a 

lot about the album lately. What’s the update 

with that 

The album is coming out March 2nd. It’s called 

Victory. This is my fourth album. 

It’s been a little while between your last 

album and this one. What are some things 

you’ve been focused on in the meantime 

Well, I’m the President of Def Jam South so 

I’m busy with that. I’m working with Rick Ross, 

Jeezy, Ludacris, Ace Hood, basically the whole 

Def Jam lineup. 

As President of Def Jam South, what exactly 

are your roles under that title What are you 

expected to accomplish 

Everything. The President delivers hit records, 

makes sure my artists are happy, and oversees 

each project as a whole. I did that last year 

with Rick Ross’ album. That went #1. We broke 

a new artist last year named Ace Hood. This 

year we got Rick Ross coming back out with 

Teflon Don. I predict that will be #1. We got 

Jeezy coming out with TM103. I predict that 

will be #1. Ludacris is coming out with a new 

album soon. I predict that will be #1. We just 

workin’. Def Jam is one big team. We all come 

together and help each other – from all the 

executives, to all the A&Rs, to all the promotions 

people. 

When you first started working and building 

the Khaled name, is this where you saw 

yourself going 

This is exactly what I predicted I was gonna do. 

So did you have a specific plan in mind for 

your career path, like an outline of goals Or 

did it just fall into place 

I definitely set goals to get to a certain level 

every year. I still got more goals to accomplish, 

but each year it played out. 

What’s the plan for Ace Hood He did two 

albums and everyone’s wondering where 

you’re going to go from here with him. 

We have a smash record. I’m about to release 

his single. We got a new record coming out 

with Trey Songz that’s a fuckin’ hit! 

Ace already had one single come out with 

Trey Songz that did pretty well. Is that why 

you went with him again on a collaboration 

The record you’re talking about was like a 

Top 10 record I think. It was huge. That record 

doing so well is what made me realize that 

Ace is good at making records for the ladies. 

Another reason I had Trey and Ace do another 

record together – they have great chemistry. 

But that was a learning experience for Ace, 

he had to find himself. Ace comes from the 

hood so he hadn’t experienced a lot of stuff 

musically in his life. Right now he’s a brand 

new fresh artist coming into his own. He’s got 

some hits under his belt, and we’re gonna 

drop a new one this year that’s gonna be big. 

You’re known for creating super collabos. 

What types of features can we expect on 

your album 

I’ve got a single out now called “Fed Up” 

featuring Usher, Jeezy, Ross, Weezy, and 

Drake. The video is huge. I’m about to drop 

two records. My second single is called “All I 

Do Is Win” featuring Ludacris, T-Pain, Snoop, 

and Ross. I have another record called “Put Ya 

Hands Up” featuring Jeezy, Ross, and Plies. It’s 

gonna hurt the streets on a whole other level. 

I guarantee Victory. 

If you could put some artists from any era on 

one record together, who would you have 

collaborate to make an epic song 

Definitely Jay-Z, Michael Jackson, Bob Marley, 

Tupac, and Biggie. 

What would you name that record 

“I Am Legend.” 

You also recently signed a new artist from 

Virginia, right 

He goes by the name of Rum. Rum is from 

Richmond, VA. I’m taking my time with Rum. 

He’s so big in his city and his street cred is 

so amazing. He has like five records playing 

on radio in his city; he has like 20 records in 

the club in his city. He has his city in a frenzy. 

His buzz over there is so crazy. His wordplay 

and punchlines are so amazing. The way the 

game is structured now, it’s different, so it’s 

hard to break new artists because the game 

is so saturated. So what I’m doing with Rum 

24 // OZONE MAG

DJ 

Khaled 


OZONE MAG // 25

is taking my time. The same buzz he has in 

his city, I want that to leak to other cities, like 

Miami, the rest of Florida, Atlanta, and beyond. 

We’re doing mixtapes, doing promo runs, and 

leaking music until we get a groundbreaking 

record that we can’t control. And when that 

happens, he’ll already have his big buzz so it’ll 

all connect. I have a vision with him to be the 

next big street authentic, down South artist, 

with real raps. 

Do you have anyone else signed to We the 

Best 

I signed an R&B kid named Jarvis out of 

Atlanta. You’re going to hear some music from 

him real soon. Right now it’s all about Victory, 

so I’m gonna start breaking Jarvis sometime 

in March. 

This is the same Jarvis that was signed to 

DTP What made you interested in him 

He used to be with Jermaine Dupri too. I didn’t 

really know who he was, and what happened 

was, I heard his music, some of the new 

records y’all haven’t heard yet, and it was so 

amazing. I heard the passion. I got records in 

the safe right now that’s crazy. He just hasn’t 

had his chance yet. I feel like he’s young, the 

girls love him, and under my brand with his hit 

records, he’s about to explode. He’s another 

one that I’m going to take my time with. Everyone 

under my belt, I’m developing them right 

now. I’m not just gonna throw them out there, 

it takes time. It took me 15 years to get where 

I’m at, maybe longer. If you ask any artist, from 

Jeezy to Ross to T.I. or Wayne, they’ll tell you 

they’ve been doing it for like 20 years. A lot of 

people take this game for granted – it’s a grind. 

It’s work. 

You mention developing your artists and 

making sure they’re ready to be released. 

Are they ready enough for your upcoming 

album 

They’re going to get a look on my album, 

definitely. Rum has a solo record on my album 

called “Bringin’ Real Rap Back.” I feel like this 

record is one of those street records that’s just 

gonna give him a stamp. When people buy my 

album, they’re gonna love it. They’ll be like, 

“Damn, who is this kid” It’s part of the breaking 

process. Then when they research him in 

Virginia, they see that he’s the king in Virginia. 

You’re helping put together major releases 

for solo artists alongside doing your album, 

which involves a lot of artists. Is creating an 

album like yours more difficult There’s probably 

a lot more involved. 

//DJ Khaled 

continued 

It’s harder because I have to deal with clearances, 

scheduling, and there’s so many artists 

involved. But I’m respected, and with my relationships 

and passion for the music, people 

know I can do it. That’s why I’m on my fourth 

album. I put quality music out there. But I 

make my albums like I’m a solo artist, like I’m 

Nas, Biggie, Pac, Pun, Wayne, or Jay-Z. When a 

lot of people make compilation albums, they 

just put records together, but not me – I put 

a sound together. When you hear it, you’ll 

understand why it’s titled Victory. My records 

are big records. It’s special. 

Do you have plans to work with any female 

artists I don’t think we’ve seen too much of 

that from you yet. 

I’m supposed to put Nicki Minaj on this one. 

She’s agreed to it, but with her schedule and 

mine we haven’t done it yet. I don’t want to 

put her on just any record. It’s got to be right. 

I’ve worked with females before – Lil Kim was 

on my last album. Trina’s been on two or three 

albums. I’m looking forward to working with 

Nicki Minaj in the future. I want to work with 

Lil Kim again. And of course I want to work 

with R&B artists like Keyshia Cole, Beyonce, 

Alicia Keys, Mary J Blige. That’s my next goal. 

I’ve worked with some of them on other projects, 

but not on mine. 

You’ve confirmed that Shyne is being featured 

on the album. When can we expect to 

hear that 

I’m going to talk to Shyne and see if we’re 

going to put it out ahead of time or wait. I’m 

letting Shyne decide the destiny of the record 

we have together, out of respect, because 

nobody’s heard from him in a while. He actually 

co-produced the record. I got a totally 

different respect for Shyne. I don’t want to 

give away the concept of the record, but we 

have a big surprise. 

What else do you have going on that people 

should know about 

My album Victory is coming out March 2nd. 

I promise you it’s amazing. I got every artist 

in the game on there, and I put amazing 

concepts to amazing records. Look out for “All 

I Do Is Win” and “Put Ya Hands Up.” Look out for 

“All My Life” – that’s one of the titles I want to 

put out there. // 

26 // OZONE MAG

OZONE MAG // 27

dj khALEd - Ozone Magazine

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