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Originally from the Bronx, NY,<br />
Swazy Styles (NOT TO BE CONFUSED<br />
WITH GEORGIA NATIVE AND SLIp-N-<br />
SLIDE SIGNEE SWAZY BABY) MADE<br />
major moves after moving to<br />
South Florida. Taking advantage<br />
of the networking opportunities<br />
around him, Swazy has the support<br />
of many area DJs, including<br />
Shadyville’s DJ Epps. Here, Swazy<br />
explains how he’s taking his craft<br />
to the next level.<br />
How did you start getting your name out<br />
there<br />
I started out freestyle battling on the block in<br />
New York. I was real animated with my flow<br />
and delivery. I used to eat a lot of dudes up. I<br />
saw I could put together songs, so me and my<br />
crew put together a nice home-based studio.<br />
People started liking our music so promoters<br />
started booking us for shows. At the time I was<br />
in a group called Amped Up with another artist<br />
called Precise. We continued on our journey<br />
for about 5 or 6 years and then I went solo.<br />
What brought you to Miami<br />
I moved to Miami in 1993. We came out here in<br />
for opportunity. I was young, my mom’s loved<br />
it out here ‘cause of the weather and all that. It<br />
was a better environment to raise a teenager<br />
in. When we moved down here, I continued to<br />
pursue my goal. I met all the right people and<br />
networked. I established a name for myself in<br />
Miami and Ft. Lauderdale and Palm Beach.<br />
You have a decent internet presence. What<br />
have you been doing to establish yourself on<br />
the net<br />
8 months ago I teamed up with a company<br />
called YoRaps.com. They’re managing my PR<br />
and giving me an online presence. We also did<br />
a mixtape feature for their website, presented<br />
by Block Starz Music. I had a lot of heavyhitter<br />
DJs cosign me like Supastar J, DJ Epps, Chuck<br />
T, DJ Drama, DJ Scream, DJ Nasty. I had over 7<br />
DJs cosign my mixtape. My mixtape had 40%<br />
of the downloads on the website. When they<br />
saw that, they knew there was a hunger for my<br />
music so they presented me with a contract. I<br />
signed with Block Starz Music.<br />
What’s the next move<br />
I got my assistant Aldo working real hard for<br />
me. I’m gonna continue to build that buzz out<br />
here on radio, Power 96, and 99 Jamz. I just<br />
finished a mixtape called Live From the County<br />
Line, hosted by DJ Laz from Power 96 and DJ<br />
GQ. It’s got 7,000 downloads right now. I’m<br />
also working on my album called Hustle Life. I<br />
got production from CP Hollywood, The Runners,<br />
Mike Beatz, Ace of Spades. I got Triple<br />
Cs on the album, KC, Billy Blue. I got K Pon on<br />
the album. He has a big song with Flo Rida.<br />
I’m looking to release the album in the 2nd<br />
quarter of 2010. I got distribution so it will be<br />
on iTunes, Amazon, and all that.<br />
Are you pushing any songs as a single<br />
My first single I dropped was called “Pockets<br />
Full of Green.” It was cosigned by Shadyville<br />
DJ Epps. He’s my official resident DJ. It played<br />
on radio from Palm Beach to Dade County. I<br />
did well with the ringtones. I had over 54,000<br />
ringtone downloads. Now I’m working on my<br />
second single called “Sounds Like Money.” I<br />
dropped that last February. It did so well that<br />
Unda Surveillance wanted to jump on it so<br />
we got the remix with Unda Surveillance. The<br />
video is out. The remix is in heavy rotation<br />
in clubs and radio. I’m going to let the remix<br />
bubble a little bit and drop my next record in<br />
March called “Already” ft. K Pon, produced by<br />
CP Hollywood.<br />
Do you know what you’ll be doing Super<br />
Bowl Weekend Are you booked anywhere<br />
I’m booked at Club Dream, SOBE Live, and I’ve<br />
got a show at Nocturnal in Downtown Miami.<br />
I’ll be real heavy that weekend.<br />
What else do you have going on<br />
I have two tours set up. We’ve got the Dream<br />
Big, Hustle Hard Tour set up. We’ll be doing 10<br />
cities, starting out with Miami, Orlando, and<br />
Atlanta. I’ll also be in the Bay Area and North<br />
Carolina.<br />
What’s the overall impression you want to<br />
leave with people, as far as your musical<br />
style and who you are as an artist<br />
I want everybody to know that Swazy Styles is<br />
here to give you originality. I like to party and<br />
have a good time, so that’s part of my music.<br />
At the same time, I like to give something<br />
back to the streets. I’d say my style is versatile<br />
for everybody. I’m originally from New York,<br />
so I got that New York swag with that down<br />
South sound at the same time. Excellence is<br />
my goal.<br />
Is there anything else you want to add<br />
I want everyone to check out my website<br />
SwazysWorld.com. Check me out on YoRaps.<br />
com and BlockStarzMusic.com. For inquiries,<br />
holla at my personal assistant Aldo Mottolese<br />
305-643-0786. //<br />
OZONE MAG // 21
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