indianapolis - Ozone Magazine

24 // OZONE MAG

SUPER BOWL 2012:WELCOME TO INDIANAPOLISPUBLISHER:Julia BeverlyCONTRIBUTORS & CREW:DJ BlackJason PottsStephanie “Eleven8” OgboguPROMOTIONS DIRECTOR:Malik AbdulSTREET TEAMS:Big Mouth MarketingDJ BlackLex PromotionsStrictly StreetsCONTACT US:Phone: 404-350-3887Fax: 404-601-9523Web: www.ozonemag.comDISCLAIMER:OZONE does not take responsibilityfor unsolicited materials,misinformation, typographicalerrors, or misprints. Theviews contained herein do notnecessarily reflect those of thepublisher or its advertisers. Adsappearing in this magazineare not an endorsement orvalidation by OZONE Magazinefor products or services offered.All photos and illustrations arecopyrighted by their respectiveartists. All other content is copyright2012 OZONE Magazine,all rights reserved. No portionof this magazine may bereproduced in any way withoutthe written consent of the publisher.Printed in the USA.SIDE A7 Map & Events8-10 Jon Connor11 King Louie12-13 Freddie Gibbs14-15 Global Gangsters16-17 DJ Black22-23 Dro Man18-21 CHUSIDE b4-5 DJ Wrekk 110-11 Pacman12-13 Twista14-15 Bei Maejor16-17 2 Chainz22-23 SayITAintTone6-7 Machine Gun Kelly8-9 LEP Bogus Boys18-21 PHYZIKALOZONE MAG // 5

MAPINDIANAPOLIS, INSUPER BOWLWEEKEND EVENTSThursday, FebRUARY 2Mike Epps & Friends starring SnoopDogg & Wiz Khalifa - 8:00 PM @ BankersLife FieldhouseEA Sports Madden Bowl XVII f/ Nas &The Roots - 5:00 PM @ Bud Light HotelBirdman’s Birthday Party @ Cloud 9J Cole @ Sensu - 10:00 PMFriday, FebRUARY 3Leather & Lace hosted by JWoww,Carmen Electra, Jenny McCarthy, &DJ Pauly D - 9:00 PM @ Regions BankTowerRun-DMC Concert for House ofRestoration Africa - 8:00 PM @ MadameWalker TheatreCoors Light Silver Bullet Lodge Party f/Ice Cube & Travie McCoy @ The VogueTheater8Ball & MJG @ Bentley’s Bar & GrillSaturday, FebRUARY 4Wale @ Sensu - 10:00 PMGucci Mane @ Bentley’s Bar & Grill50 Cent, Pitbull, & Lil Jon concert7:00 PM @ Bud Light HotelJim Jones & Nelly @ Cloud 9SUNDAY, FebRUARY 5R Kelly @ The VenueOZONE MAG // 7

JonConnorWords by Julia Beverly8 // OZONE MAG

epresenting flint, michigan, jonconnor’s name has been generatingbuzz as a newcomer to watchin 2012. ozone checked in with thisson of a MINISTER to find out whatMESSAGE HE’S PREACHING.Are you signed to a major or independent?I own my own independent company. Me,my team, Cleeze, Jason Richardson, and myman Young Savv. We’re doing it independentand shopping our situation around. Flint,Michigan isn’t exactly a hotbed for rap music.Were you seeing what other artists had accomplishedindependently from other regions andfelt like you could bring that same success toyour hometown. When I was young, like twelveyears old, I came up seeing Master P and NoLimit and Cash Money and Slip-N-Slide and allthese independent labels doing their thing. Asa kid I always wanted to do that. I idolized thatidea of just being an entrepreneur and takingmatters into your own hands. It probablydoesn’t seem that way now because the gamehas come so far, but when you think back beforeMaster P and No Limit, New Orleans reallydidn’t have that nationwide appeal that it hasnow. He took his hometown and brought it toa point where the whole world was rockingwith it. Cash Money did the same thing andadded to that movement. I was looking atHouston and J Prince’s movement with Rap-A-Lot; they made Houston pop off worldwide.I didn’t want to just come in the game and bea rapper. I wanted to become [an inspiration]like they were to me. I wanted to do that; takemy hometown and make the whole world rockwith me. Just seeing the pioneers and cats thatcame before me let me know that I could doit. If they could do it, I definitely could do it. Iwanted to be what Jay-Z is to Brooklyn, whatWayne is to New Orleans. That’s what I’m goingto be to Flint, Michigan.The most common perception we have ofMichigan Hip Hop comes from Eminem andthe whole 8 Mile visual. Do you feel like thatmovie was an accurate portrayal of what it’slike to come up in your state?Battle rapping was more of a Detroit thing. 8Mile was a pretty accurate depiction of Detroit,being an industrial town and how he workedat the auto plant and all that. In Michigan asa whole, you know, once you get out of highschool, if you don’t have anything else plannedyou end up working at the auto plant. As faras Flint, I don’t think the world has seen anaccurate depiction of Flint yet, and that’s whatI’m going to bring to the table. In 2012 I’mplanning on writing my own straight-to-DVDmovie so people can see and understandwhat it’s like in Flint because our story hasn’tbeen told yet. Right now, the only thing theyhave to go off of is Michael Moore movies,and he does an excellent job. But I don’t thinkFlint’s story has been told from the perspectiveof somebody who’s actually living in thepoverty and living amongst all of the crazinessthat’s going on. Em did a hell of a job with 8Mile for Detroit and I feel like it’s my responsibilityto do the same thing for Flint. We’re only45 minutes away but it’s different.When the recession hit, the car manufacturingindustry in particular had some heavylosses. People also have the perception thatyou can buy houses in Detroit and Flint fora dollar and that those areas were hit muchharder than other parts of the country. Isthat accurate or media sensationalism?It’s accurate. I’m not a dude that’s going to justsit here telling sob stories in interviews, but it’sfucked up. It’s bad. Even when I was a kid Flintwasn’t as bad as it is now. When the economycrashed in Flint and the automotive industryleft, that was something that offered hope atone point in time. Back when my mother wasgrowing up, you know, you either went to collegeor you went to work in the [auto] shop.But that’s not really here anymore. There’s acouple plants here and there but it’s not like itused to be. It’s not flourishing, and more thananything, the worst thing about poverty isthat sense of hopelessness. That’s what Flint,Michigan has now - that sense of, “What am Igoing to do?” Everybody can’t rap, everybodycan’t play basketball. And you end up withthat whole crabs-in-a-barrel mentality. Everybody’strying to get up but you’ve got to pullsomebody else down to do it. So people areturning to hustling and doing other things,and that might sound like the typical clicherapper story, but nothing is exaggeratedabout Flint. Anybody coming from Flint knowsthey went through some shit to get out ofthere. Even me having this interview withyou right now, this shit is not real to us. Wecan’t fathom the idea of me being in OZONEMagazine and doing all this stuff I”m gettingto do. We haven’t had any rappers come outof Flint in like twenty-five years. So honestly,the media isn’t showing enough. It’s onething for y’all to read about it, but it’s anotherthing for y’all to come here and see it. That’swhat I’m going to bring to the people. It’slike Tupac said about the Vietnam War. Oncepeople saw the Vietnam War on TV and howugly it was, all the murders and killings, forus to stop the Vietnam War. It’s so fucked upin Flint and nobody is saying anything aboutOZONE MAG // 9

JON CONNOR CONTINUED:it, so I’m gonna be the voice of the people. I’mgoing to show people how ugly it is and maybesociety, people, the government, whoever, willdo something about it. For real. I care about mycity, I care about my people. So I’ll be the voice ofchange. As a young artist with a lot of potential,what gave you the motivation to stick it out ina city like Flint instead of moving to New Yorkor Los Angeles? You have to go wherever themusic takes you. I’ve been some of everywhere.Shout out to the OZONE, Orlando, Florida, man.That’s where I did a lot of my grinding. When Igot out of high school at 18, I moved to Orlando.I was grinding with CDs in my book bag. I livedin Miami for a second. I did a lot of traveling andcame back to Flint because above anything else,I wanted to be that inspiration and motivation tomy city. Everywhere else has examples. If you’refrom the North, you’re trying to be like Jay-Z orPuff Daddy. If you’re from Texas you’re tryingto be Slim Thug or Pimp C. Flint doesn’t havethat. Most kids don’t believe that you can reallyachieve this music thing.So the DVD you’re working on is kind of a documentaryor movie based on your life?It’s going to be loosely based on my grind. All thegreat rap crews had their low budget movies thattold their story. Cash Money had Baller Blockin’,No Limit had I’m Bout It, Roc A Fella had StateProperty, Def Jam and Russell had Krush Groove.Those movies told the stories of how they goton. I felt like that was missing for a minute; whileI’m telling my story, I want you to see Flint andsee what we go through. We’re growing up inneighborhoods where next door is just abandonedhouses. That’s whack. I’m not discreditingany other cities’ poverty but Flint is just a wholeother monster. The shit that we have to accept asnormal is atrocious in other cities.I read that your father is a minister? Do yourparents feel like there’s a conflict between HipHop and Christianity or are they supportive ofyour rap career?My parents understand what I do and they supportme because I do have a message. I’m sayingsomething in my music, I’m not out here promotingnegativity. I have a method to my madnessand my dad always told me that Hip Hop is aform of ministry. What does a minister do? He’sin front of a congregation with a microphone.I’ve got a microphone too, and even thoughhis congregation is at a church, I’m talking tomy congregation and clubs and arenas too andpeople are listening to what I’m preaching. So it’sthe same thing as church. People are listeningto the preacher and his message. My dad andmother always told me, “Just be careful of themessage you’re putting out there, becausepeople are listening to you.” Hip Hop is myministry, and my dad understands that. Thethings I preach in my music are just to dothe right thing, use your head, use commonsense. Don’t be out here shooting stuff up.A preacher can’t say the things I say and getaway with it. So I’m helping the preachersout. I can say, “Stop what you’re doing. Putthe muthafuckin’ gun down, stop fuckingkilling people.” I can say all that, but a preachercan’t. There’s the Martin Luther King wayof doing things and then there’s the MalcolmX way, by any means necessary. I’m trying towake people up by any means necessary. Ifmy language has to be a little more vulgar tospeak to the people and get my point across,that’s what I’m going to do. My parents definitelyunderstand that I’m riding for a cause.What’s your main focus in 2012?We’re not going to let the people breathe in2012. At the end of 2011 we dropped Season2, which is doing really good. Me and myman Andre Ward are in the process of writingthis movie and we want to put that out bysummertime, and the soundtrack is going tocome with it. Like I said, we want to take itback to the old school, to the No Limit, CashMoney, Ruff Ryders, Roc-A-Fella days. We’rebringing back that whole rap dynasty thing.To go along with that, we’re going to do arap dynasty mixtape series; all Cash Moneybeats, all Ruff Ryder beats, all Bad Boy beats,paying homage to all the great rap crews.How did you link up with Young Savv?That’s my brother first and foremost. I hadformed a relationship with the radio headin Michigan at 93.7. My man at the station,The Real Slacker, used to always tell me tocome up to the station. He was always forcingpeople to listen to my music. (laughs)He would be like, “Yo, you ever heard ofJon Connor before?” On that particular dayYoung Savv was there and he gave me thatlook, “Yo, is that you?” He researched me andall the work we’d been putting in, and hewanted to help take that vision to the nextlevel. He told me, “I’m not gonna stop untilyou get that number one spot.” He hasn’t letme down yet.Is there anything else you want to add?Thanks to you and OZONE for taking thistime to let my voice be heard. We up onOZONE Magazine up here in Michigan. //Twitter: @JonConnorMusic10 // OZONE MAG

KingLouieCHICAGO NATIVE KING LOUIE CAUGHTTHE ATTENTION OF KANYE WEST’SFORMER MANAGER JOHN MONOPOLY,WHO WAS IMPRESSED WITH HIS HUSTLEAND YOUTUBE VIDEOS. SINCE LINKING UPWITH INDIE LABEL LAWLESS INCHow’d you get started in the rap game?I got kicked out of high school during my lastyear and I had more time on my hands, so that’swhen I started going hard with rap music. Acouple years later I bumped into [Kanye West’sformer manager] John Monopoly. He introducedme to Larro and [my record label] Lawless Inc.Were you a troublemaker back in the day? Gettingkicked out of school?I wouldn’t really call it trouble-making. You knowhow young men are. The school would probablysay I was a troublemaker, but I don’t think so.These days I tend to woo-sah through my lyrics.That’s how I let my aggression out, I smoke somethingand just chill and write.Common, Kanye, there’s a lot of rappers whohave come out of Chicago with substance intheir music. Would you say you’re in a similarlane or more on a party vibe?I wouldn’t even put those two guys in the samecategory. Common is more conscious, and Kanyecan get conscious sometimes but he’s more whatthe younger generation would like to hear whileCommon is for the grown people. My music ismore street. It’s a little more grimy. To me, it’s mypersonal perception of Chicago. It’s real hood,man.Are you dropping an album this year?We dropped Dope & Shrimp and we’reprobably going to drop that as an album inFebruary.Why do you call yourself King Louie?I feel like I’m a king. I think everyone shouldlook at themselves as a king, you know? Andmy real name is Louis, so, King Louie.Are you planning to stick it out independentlywith Lawless Inc. or are you guyslooking for a major distributor?I think if you’ve got the right team you cando it independently. When you’re on a majoryou’ve got to pay the label back and all that,you know, so there will be more money comingin this way. To each his own. I just want asituation where I can be the most successful,anything that’s going to be better for me, myteam, and my family.Outside of rap music, are there any otherambitions or goals that you have?I wouldn’t mind being a photographer. I lovetaking pictures and posting them on Instagramand tweaking them out. That’s whatI’ll probably try to get into, or psychology orsomething like that. //Twitter: @1987RudeBoiKing @LawlessIncInstagram: KingLouie1987Words by Julia BeverlyOZONE MAG // 11

eddieibbsWords by Julia Beverly12 // OZONE MAG

THE NEWEST MEMBER OF JEEZY’sCORPORATE THUGGIN’ IMPRINT, GARY,IN NATIVE FREDDIE GIBBS, HOPESTO BRING SUBSTANCE BACK TO RAPMUSIC.Coming from a place like Gary, Indiana, howdid you catch the attention of major labels?It was actually quite weird. This was back in’05, ’06, before all the blogging and all that. Istarted putting music on the streets and onthe internet and I got a call from Interscopeone day. About eight months later I had arecord deal over there and was recording inL.A. and all that. It all happened real quick. Inever really rapped before my twenties. Butonce I got started, I started perfecting it andjust kept at it.When you started rapping, was it a way toget out of the situation you were in, or justventing? What was the motivation?A little bit of both. It was a way to vent thefrustration and talk about the things going onaround me. It was an outlet. But to use thatoutlet you have to have money; you have tohave money for studio time, promotion, andall that. So whatever I was making off thestreets, I was pouring into the music. If you’repouring money into something, you’re eventuallyhoping to turn a profit off of it.There’s so many artists now that get into thegame because they think it’s easy money, butthe artists who really become successful arethe ones speaking from the heart.The game is flooded with so many artists. It’sso easy to get in, you know? Back in the daysit was hard for you to get in the studio andmake a record. Today you can make a recordright in your room and it could become a Top40, number one hit. It’s just a weird time formusic. It’s hard to sell it and it’s hard to makegood quality music. Those that do, you have tocommend them, because it’s a tough time inthe game right now.Interscope has traditionally been a greatplace for rap artists, so why did that situationnot work out? Did you go through adepressed phase after you lost that deal?Yeah, definitely. [Getting a deal with Interscope]was probably one of the first thingsin my life that I felt like I was doing correctly,so when it didn’t work out, it was a shock. Ifelt like I was better than the next nigga ontheir roster, so I felt slighted. I felt betrayedby everybody around me, like, “Damn, y’allniggas didn’t fight for me?” I wanted to showthe world what I had been working on. I feltlike I did all that [recording] for nothing; like Ijust wasted my time. I guess I wasn’t what [Interscope]wanted at that time. It’s a business,man. I’ve grown up since then and I understandthe nature of the business. It’s alwaysabout timing. It wasn’t the right time andthere was a bit of politics, and there was someassholes and bitch ass niggas in that situation,too. All of it was a learning experience. Interscopeisn’t the only people in this industrythat I’ve worked with and had to break tieswith. There’s a lot of goofy muthafuckers thatyou run into and sometimes you do businesswith them but sometimes you’ve got to cutthem off. But I don’t regret any of it. The wholeInterscope situation taught me a lot.Now you’re with CTE. Sometimes, artistssigning to other artists’ labels can be a blessingand a curse at the same time. What madeyou comfortable signing with Jeezy?I fuck with that nigga Jeezy. Due to my previoussituation, I’m skeptical about what I’mwilling to jump into, because you’re not guaranteedanother day in this industry. I just feltthat he was the guy that could take my musicto the next level where it needed to go. Justby being around him and gaining that knowledgeand experience, I felt like that would bepriceless. And I’m still doing everything I’vebeen doing prior to my CTE situation.You named a few of your mixtapes after LaurynHill, Outkast, and some of their classicalbums. Do you think that’s something that’smissing in today’s music?Definitely. I think people just aren’t makingquality music. Everything is so fast-food. Ain’tnothing really slow-cooked. There aren’t toomany artists with new music that I get excitedabout. There’s a few, but it’s only a handful.Who is on your wish list of artists you’d wantto work with?That’s a good question. There’s a lot of producersI want to work with. Really I just want towork with anybody that wants to work withme, because we have a mutual respect. Whenit comes together organically, you can’t gowrong. Everybody that I’ve worked with, I fuckwith. If I respect your shit and you respect myshit, we can do a record, it’s easy. I really wantto do some more records with [Big] KRIT...For the rest of this interview, log on toozonemag.com or youtube.com/ozonemagWebsite: FreddieGibbs.com (“just Google aNigga”)Twitter: @FreddieGibbsOZONE MAG // 13

JoJo CaponeWords by Julia BeverlyPhoto by ACJPhotography.comOZONE caught up with Jojo Capone,the main force behind Chicago rapconglomerate Global Gangsters,to talk about rap beef, street life,and the deals they have on thetable for 2012.Global Gangsters is a powerful title. What areyou doing worldwide that’s so gangsta?A lot of people consider me their big homie ifthey’re having street issues. I’ve done that formultiple artists for so long that I felt like it washindering my label, Act Like It Entertainment.Let’s say if Ludacris and T.I. were beefing and I’mrunning with T.I.; any business that I want to dowith Ludacris for the Global Gangsters or anyother Act Like It Entertainment, now Ludacrisdoesn’t want to do business with me because I’mrunning with T.I. So I felt like I had to start separatingmyself from a lot of people because thatwas the ultimate issue. I know a lot of people andso many people across the world know me, butI’m trying not to be in the middle. I’m trying to beneutral so if there are any situations people havewith each other, they have to deal with them ontheir own. I did a little public service announcementsaying, “Sad to say, but if your grandmammagets smacked, don’t call me. I can’t [handle] itno more.” I had to sit back and analyze the facts.If one dude puts my name in his records, it makesanyone [he’s beefing with] feel like I’m takingsides when I’m actually not. Being independent, Ihave to stay neutral. I was getting calls from[E1 President] Alan Grunblatt and Kevin Lilesand everybody wanted to do a deal. Butit’s strained when it’s time to do business,because even though E1 and Alan Grunblattwanted to do business with me, they werealready in bed with Dipset and doing businesswith Jim Jones.So you had a problem with Jim Jones thatcost you a potential record deal with E1?If you remember the Tru Life situation, thatwas my situation. The Global Gangsters is mymovement but it consists of Tru Life, Maino,Rick Ross, Jeezy, 2 Chainz – a lot of thoseguys have shouted out this movement or letyou know they’re a part of it. We’ve been intalks with Jeezy about doing a solo situationwith Pistol Pete from the group Global Gangsters,but then Rick Ross wanted to sign thegroup. So you see how I keep getting stuckin the middle when they started beefing? I’mjust trying to get out of the middle. I havea few situations on the table myself. Theycompare me to Suge Knight and J Prince, butthose guys made $800 million off the game.Until I do that, I don’t want to be comparedto those guys.The Game said you were the one whonegotiated a deal for Young Buck to get his14 // OZONE MAG

chain back after it was stolen. Was that anothersituation where you were stuck in the middle?Yeah, cause I know 50 [Cent] personally. Evenwhen 50 was doing what he was doing and[Tony] Yayo first got locked up, I was trying tohelp Saigon get a [G-Unit] deal and we weretalking about that. I was at Violator and I had aproduction/management situation with them.I had to see those guys and deal with themregularly so it just turned into another one ofthose situations. Out of The Game situation, allyou get is your name and credit on the albumand a scene in the documentary. My kids can’teat off credits. It’s all love with those guys but Ifeel like anything outside of doing a feature withan artist, I’ve gotta stay clear of it.In recent years, artists like Drake and Kanyehave had a lot of success with a different styleof rap music. Do you feel like gangsta rap hasstarted to fall off or is there still a lane for it?There’s still a lane for it because there’s hardshipin every city. But our name is just GlobalGangsters, it’s not that we’re just singling outgangster rap because we’re still a versatile group.If you check out [Global Gangsters’] Pistol Pete’svideo “Power,” that’s truly a Hip Hop record. Wejust named ourselves Global Gangsters becausethat’s our mindframe. Gangstas do what theywant; others do what they can. We’ve traveled,we’ve done 32-city tours. We’ve done Europeantours. We go back to Africa in February.Is Global Gangsters meant to be kinda like BoyzN Da Hood – a stepping stone for each individualmember to embark on a solo career?Exactly. A lot of people love Pistol Pete’s aggressiveflow. C-Note has that Mystikal presence andBusta Rhymes-type performance. Big Blast ismore like Scarface with the in-depth stories. ChaChi is like a Jay-Z or Nas with the wordplay; hepaints the picture of the streets.Being from Chicago, how do you feel about thisDrake and Common thing? Is Common representingyour city properly?Yeah, he definitely did, because you see he didn’tdo any subliminals. We’re not a subliminal city. Ifwe’re talking to you, you’re going to know aboutit. That’s why I’m saying it hindered me for solong because so vocal about everything. WhateverI thought or felt, I spoke on it. That’s normalin Chicago. Shout out to Common; he’s fromaround my neighborhood. What he’s showingthe world is the grown-up side of him, but all thebusting guns and all that, he’s done that. He cantell all that himself, but Rashid was a whole differentdude. He’s not like that no more. He’s able topaint the picture because he really lived that life.I look at him and Drake’s [“beef”] as somethingthat’s just for Hip Hop, to be honest, becauseit shouldn’t spill over to [the streets], but if itdid, Rashid is very familiar with how to do it.What’s your opinion on Obama’s accomplishmentsso far?That’s my neighbor; shout out to Obama. Westay within walking distance of each other.But yeah, he’s a great guy, a humble person.They put him in a position where he had toclean up the previous presidents’ mess andhe did a great job if you really sit back andthink about it. He’s done a great job so far.I feel like there’s only one race, the humanrace. There’s a great movie I’ve been pluggingin every interview called Hidden Colors.The film shows you how everyone camefrom Africa. Once people started travelingoutside of Africa and in the mountainswhere it was cold, the melanin in your skinchanged. People don’t know that so they’resaying “black” and “white,” but you’re mysister, cousin, auntie, and relative too.You dropped a few albums at the sametime last year. Why did you do that insteadof spreading them out?That’s a statement within itself. It’s what wedo. It ain’t just no talk, this is what we do.When we got back from a 32-city tour withThe Clipse, the guys felt like they needed togather their thoughts and get their head togetherbecause a lot of things had happenedso fast. These are street guys that are transitioninginto becoming entertainers, so it waskinda overwhelming. We put out Global Invasion,Turf by Turf Vol. 1 & 2, and my first projectThe Home of Capone on iTunes. Pistol Petedid All Work No Play with DJ Swamp Izzo andthen he did I’m Your Favorite Rapper with DJKay Slay. Now we have two more coming, NoSkeletons In Our Closet hosted by DJ Junior.The game is a lot better now for independents.It always was, we just didn’t know that. MasterP tried to show you but people just didn’tlisten. I don’t like dudes who come up anddon’t pay homage to somebody like MasterP. he really did try to show and share thatindependent grind and tell people to stopbeing slaves to those who are above themfinancially. Some listened and some didn’t. Ishout P out every chance I get for that. //Twitter: @GlobalGangsters @ActLikeItEnt@BigBlastGlobal @ChaChiGlobal @CNote39@PistolPete @GhostTheGreat@MissBossLadyWebsite: ActLikeItEnt.comOZONE MAG // 15

DJ BlackWordsby Julia BeverlyWords by Julia BeverlyINDIANAPOLIS STAPLE DJ BLACK IS ATRIPLE THREAT, HOLDING IT DOWN ASA DJ, MARKETING & PROMO REP, ANDRETAIL STORE OWNER.I know you’ve got a lot of history in the rapgame and you’ve worked with Three 6 Mafiaand a lot of other artists. How did you getstarted?I started out doing marketing for David Bannerand Lil Jon. When I was on my way to [David Banner’s]“Cadillac on 22s” video shoot, DJ Paul calledme and I stopped off in Memphis at the studio.He was working on his solo album. Lil Duval wasthere too, when his career was just startingto take off. He was working on the Choices IIsoundtrack. I was working with David Bannerdoing all the promotions for his debutalbum, and basically, once I met DJ Paul hetook me under his wing and I’ve been loyalever since. Right now DJ Paul and Juicy J areeach doing their solo thing but it’s still 100%Three 6 Mafia. I’ve been doing my mixtapething in Naptown, just staying behind thescenes in today’s music game.Even in the past few years since the DavidBanner and Lil Jon days, the music game16 // OZONE MAG

ChuWords by Julia Beverly18 // OZONE MAG

unify. If I’ve got to do music in the West, the East,and the South and bring it back to Chicago, that’swhat I’m going to do because I’m not leavinghome. I want my label to be like the Def Jam ofthe Midwest. You can come right here to Chicagoand we’ll make it happen. I want everybodyin the Midwest to unify like Twista and Layzie[Bone] did. I had to tell Layzie, “Homie, it’s coolyou got on in the West Coast but where are youoriginally from? Ain’t Cleveland in the Midwest?Why are we fighting over a style that’s ours? Y’allfighting over a style that’s from the Midwest.Let’s bring the Midwest together.”Is there anything else you want to add?Look up my record Chu “Gone” on YouTube.Shout out to all my brothers and sisters inthe Midwest doing their thing. Shout outto my boy Sean Dell at 92.3 who holds medown. Shout out to my DJs V-Dubb, DJ Pharris,my man Delly Del, Too $hort, everybodyin the Midwest that’s doing their thing. //Website: DarksideUconn.comOZONE MAG // 21

INDIANAPOLIS RAPPER DRO MAN HASBEEN ON HIS GRIND FOR A WHILE, BUTIT WAS THE DANCE RECORD “JIGGALATE”- FEATURING FELLOW LOCALS T-EAZYAND SWOE - THAT FINALLY CAUGHT THEPUBLIC’S ATTENTION. HERE, HE TELLSOZONE HOW HE PLANS TO FOLLOW UPTHE RECORD IN 2012.I hear you’ve got the streets of Indianapolisjiggalatin’.Yup, it’s like a movement. They’re doing iteverywhere. It’s spread from across the statethroughout the Midwest and a couple spots inthe South.How would you describe the dance, for peoplewho haven’t seen it?There’s different variatons of it, different thingsyou can do with it. In some parts, you imitatecooking. Some people imitate playing the guitar.You can play golf, whatever you want to put intothe dance, that’s what jiggalating is.Is this the first record you put out?I’ve been doing it for a while but this is the firstrecord that everybody noticed. I’ve been doingit for years before that even came out. I guessyou’ve gotta get in the game with a dance, Iguess that’s what they want.Before the dance record was most of yourmusic a different style, more of a street vibe orwhat?Yeah, that’s more me right there. “Jiggalate” is justa catchy song. It’s not really a dance type songlike people think it is, but you know you’ve gotsomething real going on with it. A lot of peoplefrom our neighborhood can relate to the stuffthat’s going on in the song. That’s why peoplefeel it.What’s your plan for 2012? Do you have a mixtapeyou’re dropping or an album?Actually I have the Mr. Popular mixtape comingout for Super Bowl weekend. I’ve also got myTrappin’ For Dummies 3 mixtape coming soon,and I’m having a mixtape release party for thatin March. I have more videos coming out onWorldstar and YouTube. I’m gonna start workingtowards my album and it should be finished bythe end of 2012.Are you planning to release the album independentlyor have the major labels been payingattention with the success of “Jiggalate?”Yeah, the labels are paying attention, but we’redoing the independent thing for now.What’s the vibe like in Indianapolis rightnow with the Super Bowl coming to town?People are definitely excited about it. It’slike a once-in-a-lifetiem chance to seesome people. Everybody in the city is reallyexcited. It’s going down already, it’s like acelebration. I ain’t even know itw as going tobe as big as it is. There’s pre-parties out hereand everything already.What are the main parties you’ll be at, andare you performing anywhere during SuperBowl weekend?I’ll be at Birdman’s birthday bash, that’s atCloud 9 on Thursday. Friday we’re performingwith Meek Mill and we’ve also got acelebrity basketball game on Friday. We’regoing to be doing a lot of things throughoutthe weekend.How would you describe the Indianapolissound? Do you feel like the city has a styleof its own or is still trying to find its niche?Every artist has their own sound, I think. Theycity really ain’t got no certain sound. We takesome stuff from the South and the West andthe New York sound and mix it all together.We take a little bit of everything. Everybody’sdifferent. You’ll never find another artist thatsounds like Dro Man no matter where you goin the world.Should I assume from the name Dro Manthat you’re a weed head?I mean, I smoke, but I wouldn’t label myself aweed head.Where did you get your name Dro Manfrom then? Does it have a different meaningbehind it?I mean, it was just something they used tocall me. They used to call me Dro because Iused to always be slowed down a little bit.Do you have a follow-up record to the“Jiggalate” record that you’re getting readyto drop?Yeah, I’ve got a few other records that are doingwell and I’ve got a couple other recordson the way. I don’t really know which oneI’m gonna run with because anything I’veput out, everybody’s feeling it. It’s kinda hardto pick which one to run with so I think I’mjust gonna let the people pick. “Jiggalate” isstill picking up and getting played in a lot ofdifferent cities. //Twitter: @DroManMusic22 // OZONE MAG

Words by Julia Beverlyro ManOZONE MAG // 23

DJWrekk 1Words by Julia Beverly4 // OZONE MAG

Fifteen years ago, DJ Wrekk 1 got hisstart in St. Louis, MO, working under DJKut. Since moving to Indianapolis tenyears ago, he’s held down the nightspot at Hot 96.3 with #1 ratings in histime slot.Since you’ve been DJing for 15 years, haveyou seen a major change in radio playlists?It’s definitely limited, I’ll say that, but on the flipside, A DJ has to look at it as an opportunityinstead of complaining about it. When I’m outDJing in the club, that’s my chance to breakmusic that the radio stations aren’t playing.That’s my chance to create a different avenue.So it actually helps the DJ when the radio stationwon’t play certain music, because it givesyou more variety to stand out and do yourthing. It all depends on how you look at it. Atthe end of the day, radio is a business. Theyhave to play certain music to get ratings andthat’s how the money comes in. It all dependson the ratings. If the ratings aren’t there, theradio station won’t make money. It’s all business,I get that.What are a few records recently that workedorganically for you without radio?Right now that French Montana “Shot Caller”record is crazy. The new 50 Cent record is crazy,anything with Gucci mane too. We’ve got a tonof local artists here that are making noise, likeRainy Boy, Dro Man, G Fresh and Young Tone.Are you one of the DJ purists who still stickswith vinyl? Or do you see the advantages ofSerato and a lot of the new technology?I’m not going to lie, when Serato first cameout, I was against it. I had been DJing withvinyl so long and had a pretty extensive collection.I was proud of my vinyl collection.One of the record executives was talking tome and was like, “Wrekk, you cannot stop theavalanche. Why are you trying to stop it?” Atthe end of the day, you have to adjust withthe times or you’ll get run over. So now I justlook at Serato as some equipment that makesit easier for us to get the music out to thepeople. I love vinyl; I love being able to searchfor records. That’s what made you differentback in the day – when you had differentrecords that other people didn’t have. But withthe Serato game now, you can still be different.It’s all about how you do your thing and rock it.You’ve got to find your niche. So I don’t thinkSerato hurt anything. It made it an even playingfield for everybody.What do you think it will take for the Midwestto have a big movement?I think it’s just about consistency and continuingto work together. I think it’s just a matterof time before it happens. Right now we stillhave to train the masses to really support localindependent music out of the Midwest. That’sa process. A lot of us are trained to like thenational artists that come out with music fromthe East or the West or Down South. In theMidwest, Southern music is pretty prominent.A lot of us haven’t been trained to supportlocal independent music. As we continue togrow and understand the whole process andartists continue to come out with music on aregular basis, I think we’ll be in good shape. Isee the movement already growing.For visitors that are coming to Indianapolisfor Super Bowl weekend, what are 5 thingsthey have to do while they’re in town?First, you’ve got to check out the Colts, even ifit’s just going to the mall to get a jersey or seeingwhere they play. Number two, I’d say theIndy 500. People love the races here so you’vegot to go see the track at Indy 500. Three,you’ve got to learn how to jiggalate, that’s thebiggest dance in the city around here. Shoutout to Dro Man. Four, you’ve gotta go see thePacers play. They love the Pacers here. Andnumber five, tune into Hot 96.3 to check meout and see how it goes down in Indianapolis.Which Super Bowl parties are you DJing?I’m involved with the Bud Light Hotel party.That’s going to be crazy. Drake and Lil Wayneare going to be in town. I’m doing a Def JamTakeover on the radio, Saturday 4-6 withLudacris, Young Jeezy, and Nas. Friday nightI’ve got G-Unit Radio with 50 Cent and thewhole crew. A lot of other artists are comingthrough, like J Cole, B.o.B., and Wale. That’sjust the parties, that’s not including other stufflike the NFL Experience downtown. I know Ihave at least ten or fifteen artists just comingthrough my radio show, so it’s going to bepoppin’ in the city. This is the biggest thingever for us here in Indiana, especially with theGiants in the Super Bowl. I’m going for theGiants all the way!Is there anything else you want to say?Thanks to everybody who has really helpedme grow and expand my whole career. Theradio station Hot 96.3 has definitely given mea lot of opportunities, and I appreciate youand your staff. I deal with Jennifer over thereat OZONE and I appreciate everything you alldo. I appreciate the city of Indianapolis andeverybody who has helped me grow into theman and the DJ that I am today. //Twitter: @Wrekk1OZONE MAG // 5

MGKWords by Julia Beverly6 // OZONE MAG

CLEVELAND SPOKESMAN MACHINE GUNKELLY ISN’T JUST TAKING HIS TALENTS TOSOUTH BEACH, HE’S TAKING HIS TALENTSWORLDWIDE AND STILL REPPIN’ THEHOMETEAM. OZONE CHECKED IN WITH THERISING STAR TO FIND OUT HOW HE IGNITEDA MOVEMENT.How does a 21-year-old kid from Clevelandend up opening for Diddy on tour?That’s a good question. I just turned 21 acouple days ago, so it’s kinda like a birthdaygift. I think our fan base is just so strong,especially in the Midwest. Our movement is anunderground movement but the music is souniversal.Did you hear a lot of criticism starting out inthe game as a white rapper?Not really, because I had good street credbefore I came out in my hometown. When Istarted out, I was battle rapping. I hate thecomparison, but it was kinda like the 8 Milething. You had to battle to gain your respect.I couldn’t really fight that well when I was akid so I chose to fight with my words instead.When I was battle rapping, I was in Denver. Imoved to Cleveland when I was fifteen andaround that time, battle rapping was kind ofwhack. That phase faded out in like ’04, ’05.What was the first release that started gettingyou some attention?I was the first rapper to ever win the Apollo.That was a tough crowd but I won first placetwice, so that was crazy. I had a release called100 Words And Running. That’s when I got mycity’s stamp of approval. I started getting a lotof love from the radio and doing shows, andwe got a reputation for having these crazy liveperformances. When Lace Up came out, thatwas the mxitape that changed everything. Ihad a song on there called “Cleveland” that theCavaliers’ come out to [during their games] atthe Q Arena, so that was huge. I was just talkingabout a lot of personal issues on there, andpeople could relate.What are some of the topics you speak on?I speak on a lot of different issues. I try to bemotivational. Lace Up definitely had that wholeunderdog tone. I spoke on things like heroinaddiction, growing up in a loner phase.I know you said you don’t like the 8 Milecomparison, but do you have a similar backgroundas Eminem?I just don’t want to be categorized like thatbecause I have such a different voice. We havethe same kind of fans so maybe that’s whythey would look at us as this scapegoat. We’rekind of like an escape from everything.You’ve got a lot of different labels looking tosign you. What’s the deciding factor?I can’t compromise my movement for money.I have an anarchy tattoo on my stomach, soI’m like anti-establishment. So I’m looking forwhoever is willing to push those boundariesand take those risks. My image and my name,Machine Gun Kelly, is a risk. Whoever is willingto take that risk without trying to change itup. Despite the fact that I came up on theunderground, I’ve never really made undergroundmusic. I’ve always made commercial,universal-sounding music. So I think it’s to beexpected that my music would come out ona major label. I’d rather have my music spreadthroughout the world instead of just a couplestates. There are hundreds of kids, if notthousands, that have Lace Up tattoos. I canhonestly say I’ve shut down the mall before. Ishut down a mall in Canton, Ohio.How did you feel about Lebron James leavingCleveland?Fuck that muthafucker. But Lebron leavingwas the best thing that ever happened to mycareer. As soon as he left, people were like,“At least we got [Machine Gun Kelly].” I wascool with that because I had to step up to theplate. I had a concert at the House of Blues fora private party that night [he announced hewas leaving] so I got to witness the mayhemdowntown, all the crazy shit. People think ofbasketball as an economic thing; you fuckedthe whole economy of our city up. I don’t evenwatch basketball, so I don’t give a fuck. He putfamilies out of jobs, changed the whole downtownlandscape, all that stuff. But big ups tohim for even being able to have that kind ofpower. I hope I have that kind of power oneday as well.Let’s say you had been in Cleveland forseven years and hadn’t yet achieved whatyou wanted to achieve. Would you go toanother market to make it happen?Nah, because of my legacy. A real hero stayswhen he is most needed. Cleveland is thenumber one poorest city in America. I seeDetroit fight back every other year. That’s theonly credit we get – being the poorest. Weneeded him. Families needed him. He was aface [of the city]...For the rest of this interview, log on toozonemag.com or youtube.com/ozonemagWebsite: MGKLaceUp.comTwitter: @MachineGunKellyOZONE MAG // 7

L.E.P.Bogus BoysWords by Eleven8(l to r): Count, Moonie8 // OZONE MAG

FROM PLOTTING TO ROB THEIR FUTURE CEOTO COLLABORATING WITH THE LIKES OF BUNB AND PRODUCING THEIR OWN CLOTHINGLINE, CHICAGO RAPPERS L.E.P. BOGUS BOYSHAVE COME A LONG WAY.For those who don’t know, how did the LEPBogus Boys come together?Count: Long story short, I met our CEO, E, downthere in Ickes Projects. Originally we wanted torob him. Then we got reacquainted with himand he was starting a label. We were makingmusic already, so when we met back up withhim, he realized we were the same people thatwere gonna rob him. We ended up gettingback with him and the label about ten yearsago. Moonie and E went to jail, got out, andwe’ve been keeping it going ever since.Why were you going to rob him?Count: He was the one with the bread. He wascoming down there seeing his female all thetime. He was a lil’ flashy nigga, so we were goingto get him. I hate telling that story. (laughs)How would you describe the music comingout of the Chicago area and where you fit in?Count: Chicago rap is on some gang-bangingrap. But they’re like 17, 18, 19 year old shorties.We’re older so we’re like the big homies. We’remore experienced and seasoned; we’ve beenthrough what they’re going through. They canrelate to us and they know how we get down,so when we talk, they listen.Who are some of your musical influences?Moonie: It always starts off with Tupac andBiggie. I mean, who ain’t influenced by thelate greats? I like Jay-Z too. Of course beingfrom Chicago I’ve gotta tip my hat off to all theChicago artists like Kanye, Twista, Do or Die,and Common. Rakim and Big Daddy Kane, too.Just look at how they were doing it back in theday. There’s a lot of things they had back thenthat artists of today are missing.How did you link up with DJ Green Lanternfor Now Or Neva?Moonie: We had always been fans of eachother. We did his Invasion Radio show onSirius XM/Hip Hop Nation and that’s how welinked up. Shout out to Green Lantern, that’sthe homie. We got a great response to themixtape. I think we made Top 10 mixtapes forthe second year in a row.That’s a good look. Have you experiencedany changes in the way people treat you inChicago? A lot of artists say that once you getmore national recognition, there’s backlashin your hometown.Count: Nah, you know what? Our city supports.We go out every day and somebodynew is yelling out “L.E.P.!” We were at the mallyesterday shooting a video and they wereyelling “L.E.P.!” We’re still in the hood so they’relike, “Damn, I just seen y’all on TV.” When we’rein Chicago we’re around. Our studio is rightin Englewood. We’re right there, in your faceand on TV.Moonie: We’ve seen people get L.E.P. tattoosand everything. It’s definitely getting crazyout here.Have you signed a major label deal yet?Moonie: Nah, not yet. We’re waiting. We’reworking right now so we’re not really worriedabout a deal. If the right deal is presented tous we’ll definitely negotiate, but right nowwe’re independent. We can do anything wewant, whenever we want. That’s the best partabout being independent. If me and Countdecide we want to drop 67 songs tomorrow,we don’t need anybody else’s approval. We’reworking right now, and the streets co-signedit. We’re getting booked [for shows], we shootvideos every other day, we’re in the studio24/7, and we’re enjoying being independent.You’ve worked with everyone from Raekwonto Gucci Mane. What was your favorite collaboration?Moonie: We honestly enjoy working with everybody.We appreciate all the hospitality. Butwe learned a lot when we did a song with BunB, cause he’s an OG. He gave us a whole differentformat and thinking process. A lot of timeswhen we get in the studio with other dudesit’s more fun, you know? But when we get inthe studio with Bun he sat down and choppedit up with us like real men. I definitely gottatip my hat off to Bun B. That’s a real dude and Isupport him 110%. And Rest In Peace Pimp C.You have your own clothing line, shoot yourown videos, are editing your own movie –what other ventures are you working on?Moonie: We’re trying to see if Ferrari will letus get our own edition of L.E.P. Bogus Boys’Ferraris. As far as the clothing line, me andCount always like to be on some fly shit. TheMidwest is always fresh. I think Chicago hasbeen trendsetting in the fashion world for along time, it’s just really starting to come outnow, especially with Kanye doing his thing. Ifeel like we’re dope enough to be trendsettersourselves. We’ve also got a clothing venturewith Crooks & Castles. //Website: LEPbogusboys.com.Twitter @LEPBogusBoysOZONE MAG // 9

acmanWords by Julia Beverly10 // OZONE MAG

WITH THE HELP OF DJ BLACK, INDIANAPOLISRAPPER PACMAN HAS BEEN BUILDING ABUZZ WITH HIS RECORD “TOP OFF.” AS HEFIGHTS A PENDING COURT CASE, HE HOPESHIS PAST WON’T DERAIL HIS FUTURE.How did you get started in the rap game?I’ve been rapping since my younger days. I waslike 8 or 9, just working on my craft. I reallystarted taking it seriously when I was about 17.I put out my first actual CD in 2007, when I as22. The people around me in my environmentwere really feeling my swag with the music, soI noticed I had the potential to keep growingin the music business. That’s when I got reallyserious about it, and I’ve been doing albumsand mixtapes ever since.How did you link up with DJ Black?I knew him through a childhood friend thatwas DJing with him under his label DraggedUp Entertainment. He introduced me to DJBlack, back before I put out my first album.He kind of inspired me to keep going and he’sbeen backing me. He told me to keep workingand stay in the streets with the music.Right now you have “Top Off” with 2 Chainz,Juicy J, and Gorilla Zoe. I see you’re payingtribute to syrup like a lot of Houston andMemphis rappers have done. Is that becomingan Indianapolis favorite as well?We kinda took heed to what they were alldoing. I figured all these guys talk about it justlike I do, so the record might turn out to besomething big. And it did. I don’t really want tostay on that topic, you know, letting my crowdthink it’s okay to use that type of drug. But atthe same time, I know it’s being used every dayon a daily basis all throughout the world. So Ijust stuck on that topic because I know a lot ofpeople are doing it, not just in the Midwest orthe South, but all over.You’re in the middle of a legal situation,right? Can you talk about the details?I can only say so much, because I’m fighting acase right now from some poor choices I madein life. I’m trying to redeem myself and justbetter myself on a daily basis and stick to themusic without being involved in gang activityor substance abuse and all that. I’m really tryingto get myself together.It seems like people want to see rappers goto jail; it gives you that street credibility.Yeah, that’s what sells right now. People don’talways want to see positivity. If Gucci Manebeats a murder case, he’s that dude, you know,somebody the youth are looking up to. It’soverwhelming because there are so manyteens out here growing up without fatherfigures or with mothers that aren’t reallycatching on to what’s said in the music. I trynot to use so much negativity to reach mycrowd. Some people do love to see rappersincarcerated. They feel like it makes you realerthan when you were out here. I’m still tryingto understand that.What are you planning to release music-wisein 2012?I’m working on The Come Up 2.5 right now. Itmight be out in the spring just depending onthe outcome of this case. Everything is kindof on hold right now because I don’t know ifI’m going to have to do time. If I get probationI can still be out here pushing my music.But right now, it’s making me go harder justbecause this case is pending. I don’t knowwhat God has in store for me so all I can do ispray and take it one day at a time.What are some of the hot spots in Indianapolisto visit during Super Bowl weekend?My barbershop, The Next Level, is on 21st& Franklin; that’s a real nice spot. Kids gethaircuts for $5, and with the economy so slow,that means a lot to people. One of my favoriterestaurants in Indianapolis is BBQ Heaven. Youknow black folks love BBQ chicken and soulfood places like Country Kitchen, on 19th &Collins. I eat that every day, whenever I can.Who are you working with for your upcomingproject?Project Pat with Three 6 Mafia. We havea couple tracks we’ve done together. I’mworking with Mike Will, who is a producer inAtlanta. He did “Tupac’s Back.” I actually hadowned that beat but I was humble enoughto bless Rick Ross with the track so he couldopen doors for me, so now I’m getting blessedby him. I always like opening doors for otherpeople too, not just thinking about yourself.Aside from being humble and willing towork with people, what do you think are thekeys to success in the music business?Dedication, determination, and just the driveto achieve goals. If you fail to plan, you planto fail. You’ve gotta always have new creativeideas every single day. What can you do tobe different from the next person? You don’twanna be just like the next man. You want tostand out. Every day I just say a prayer and askwhat I can do to become a better person. //Twitter: @PaperchaseEntFacebook: Pacman NaptownEmail: PacstarTheTrackstar@gmail.comOZONE MAG // 11

Words by Rohit LoombaPhoto by Malik Abdulwista12 // OZONE MAG

The Windy City’s rapid-fire lyricistTwista shows no signs of slowingdown as he continues to record andprepares to drop multiple projectsfor his fans this year. With theSuper Bowl only a short drive awayfrom Chicago, it was only right wechecked in with the Midwest’s ownand ask him about what he’s been upto lately and what he thinks of theSuper Bowl.What have you been up to since the PerfectStorm dropped?Been busy doin’ shows and keeping the musicout there for all the fans. We’ve been on theroad for a while just makin’ sure the fans stayinvolved with the movement and get a chanceto be a part of the music. It’s different whenyou’re out doin’ shows and you’ve got everyonerappin’ along with all the words, you getto see the reactions which helps figuring outwhat I should do with the next album.Do you record while you’re on the road?Sometimes I may get in the studio but itdepends on the city and what I’m workin’ on.If it’s a feature I’m workin’ on I may jump insomeone else’s studio and knock it out but Ijust think better when I’m at home in my ownstudio. You get used to how everything is setup and the particular way things sound in yourown studio so it makes it easier. When you’rein your own studio there’s no rush and you cando things your own way. There’s also certainthings you may have layin’ around the studiowhere you look at them and get certain ideasso it’s all much better that way.What are you currently working on in thestudio these days?I’ve got a few projects in the works right now;just want to make sure we get some more musicout there for all the fans this year. I’m workin’on a Gangsta Grillz mixtape with DJ Drama.I’m just finishing up recording a few last tracksfor it and then we’re going to wrap it up andlet it out. We’re trying to make it all originalproduction and I’m trying to bring that Twistastyle but with a little bit of the kind of music Isee all the fans responding to right now. I’malso in the studio workin’ on my next album,which I’m hoping to have out this year too.I’m not like some other artists out there whorecord a lot and pick a few records for certainprojects, I have to sit down first and come upwith the concept and have the beat in placebefore I record so I usually don’t record muchmore than what you hear. That means I’vegotta have everything perfect when I record,so it can take me a while. Sometimes I’ll be inthe booth for a while gettin’ a bar or two justright. Until it sounds like what I have in myhead it’s hard for me to stop.Is it more important for you to reach thatlevel of perfection even after all these years?It’s even more important now because I’vebeen around for so long that there’s no reasonthe material I put out shouldn’t be at thatlevel. And if it doesn’t sound right to me it’sgonna be hard to get it to sound right tosomeone else. Being in the game as long asI’ve been, I think the fans expect more too.They want to hear that style from me butwant little modifications on it so I gotta makesure I’m thinkin’ about that and trying to dothat right. You can tell when certain recordswere just thrown together right quick and theartist just didn’t care about gettin’ it completelyright and those records are the onesthat don’t really make any noise. Even when itcomes to performing I need to make sure thatwhen I’m on that stage it’s all goin’ perfectbecause everyone’s out there to see a goodperformance and the more energy I put it intomy show the more energy I’m going to getout of the crowd.The Super Bowl isn’t too far away from Chicagothis year. Who are you pulling for?I’ve gotta go with Tom Brady and the Patriotsbut you can’t count out the Giants. I feel likethe Giants have a certain energy around themthat could help them pull it off. But at the endof the day Brady has this down to a science.He wasn’t at a hundred percent in the AFCchampionship game but I think he’s going tobe playin’ at that level again during the SuperBowl, and it’s hard for them to lose when he’sdoin’ that. //OZONE MAG // 13

Words & Photo by Julia Beverlyeiaejor14 // OZONE MAG

23-YEAR-OLD DETROIT SINGER/SONGWRITER/PRODUCER BEI MAEJORHAS ALREADY ESTABLISHED A SOLIDRESUME WORKING WITH THE LIKESOF TREY SONGZ, NE-YO, AND T-PAIN.EVEN IF THE MUSIC THING DOESN’TWORK OUT, HE CAN ALWAYS FALLBACK ON HIS DEGREE - A DOUBLEMAJOR IN PSYCHOLOGY AND COM-MUNICATION.You have a pretty impressive productionresume, especially for being so young.I’m really blessed, man. I don’t even know howthat shit happened. I didn’t plan for any of this.I was just having fun doing music and peoplestarted liking me and shit, so. It was cool.You got started in the industry at 17 yearsold – how did that happen?I always try to think of the next new idea. Now,every single producer and songwriter has awebsite, but back then it wasn’t like that. Backthen I created a website, BeiMaejor.com. I paidmy boy a couple hundred dollars to build me awebsite. It had four beats on there. It was kindof advanced just because not everybody had[a website]. I was only sixteen or seventeenand I started getting interviews based on that.Through that, I ended up meeting a wholebunch of people. One of the people I met wasTrey Songz’ cousin Jay, and then I met Trey,and [his manager at that time] Bobby Fisher.I’ve been on all of his albums since then. That’sreally how I got started in the game, throughTrey Songz. I started going to L.A. and Atlantaand working with a lot of different people,even when I was still in school. I ended up havingplaques in my dorm room. So, you know,college was crazy. A lot of kids think peoplecan put you in a box and say you can “only” [goto college] or “only” do music, but… if that’swhat you want to do, follow your dreams.You stuck it out and graduated?Exactly. I graduated with a double major incommunication and psychology. It was cool tohave that experience of going to college, but Idon’t need to fall back [on my degree] becauseI’m going to make it [in music].What’s the Upside Down movement about?I started putting all my pictures upside down– on my Facebook, my Twitter, my YouTube – Istarted doing videos upside down. The labelcalled me, like, “Yo, don’t do that. People needto see you; that’s the reason why we signedyou.” I said, “Whatever,” and just kept doing it.They started seeing like literally thousands ofpeople with their pictures upside down – kids,fans, homies supporting. Then the label calledback and said, “This is genius. This is great.” Ifyou go to Jive’s website, right next to BritneySpears, they’ve got me upside down.You could wear your clothes upside downtoo like Kris Kross.If I could figure out how to do it I would, but Idon’t know how to put pants on upside down.So you’re signed to Jive?Yeah, well, I originally signed to Jive about ayear and a half ago but it’s merged now intoRCA. The deal came about through a song Idid. I was working with a lot of people at thattime; I was signed to Ne-Yo as a producer. Wegot a chance to do the Disney soundtrack forPrincess & the Frog, worked with Monica, andall these other people who were working withNe-Yo. Then I started writing songs myself. AsI would think of ideas, I recorded [the demos]on the mic. I’m like, “Imagine how Beyonceor Usher would sound singing this.” They toldme, “It sounds tight just like that.” So I waswriting these demos from personal things Iwas going through. I started seeing all thesepeers – like T-Pain – telling me that he lovedmy songs. That made me think I could do itmyself. I made one song by myself just havingfun, “Drunk In The Club,” and gave it to myboy Clinton Sparks, who is a DJ. You know it’shard to get on the radio, but that song startedgetting played on Power 106 in L.A. everyday. Clinton Sparks helped the record andthen DJ Felli Fel helped the record. I ended uphaving to pull it off the radio once I got signedbecause some weird family tried to sue meand said that I took part of their songs. I neverheard of [their song] before but it was a biglegal thing. The record helped me get enoughattention to get signed, just because I wrote,produced, recorded, and mixed the recordmyself and got it on the radio in a big assmarket with no money. A few different [labels]were interested, but Jive came in the roomand locked the door and said, “Whatever youwant, you can have.”How did you sign to T-Pain’s management?I went to T-Pain’s house when he was workingon his album to play him some beats.Rocco, one of his managers, heard some ofmy demos. One of the songs that I broughtto T-Pain’s house that day was “Center Of TheStage,” which is me, T-Pain, and R Kelly. //For the rest of this interview, log on toozonemag.com or youtube.com/ozonemagTwitter: @BeiMaejorOZONE MAG // 15

Words by Julia BeverlyChainz16 // OZONE MAG

AS HALF OF THE DUO PLAYAZ CIRCLE,TITY BOI ENJOYED SUCCESS AS A“DUFFLE BAG BOY.” AFTER ADOPTINGTHE MONIKER 2 CHAINZ AND DROP-PING HOT RECORDS LIKE THE CATCHY“SPEND IT,” HIS SOLO CAREER TOOKOFF, PUTTING HIM IN A POSITION ASTHE HOTTEST FREE AGENT IN RA PMUSIC.You’re probably one of the hottest, if not thehottest, independent artist in the game rightnow. I’m sure the labels have been calling.Are you considering signing a major deal?Yeah, I’m fortunate to do what I want to doat this point. That’s why I’m in such a comfortzone as far as recording, making songs, stayingon the road, and working hard. Of course a lotof the machines have contacted me, so I guessit’s just about the most enticing deal. I wantto use the leverage that I’ve gained independentlyto make a good deal for me and myfamily down the road, not just for right now.Long term.Are they just not offering the right amount ofmoney? Or you feel like you’d have to give upcreative control?Nah, they actually [are going] to let me do allthat. Every meeting I’ve had [with labels] theyrespected my mind, because they know I’vedone all this with minimal resources. The lastthing they want to do is to take creative controlfrom me, you know. Lately, I don’t know.I’ve just been praying on [the label situation]because I don’t know how I feel about it. I thinkI’ve maximized what I can do with a mixtape.Do you think albums are even relevant anymore?To a certain extent, it seems like it’s allabout mixtapes and shows.Well, mixtapes are more accessible. I travel alot and I see mixtapes at truck stops, DTLRs,everywhere. It’s hard to get albums whenthey come out unless you’re online. So, thatmakes the labels look like they’re lazy. They’reprobably not being lazy, they just don’t haveanywhere to push your stuff. It makes the artistlook like they’re not poppin’, when that’s notthe case. I just want to make sure I don’t getcaught up in none of that shit.How does your life compare to where it was ayear ago today?Ah, man. A lot of stuff has changed for me andmy family and everybody around me. Thingshave changed for the better. I’m doing waymore shows and people acknowledge who Iam on sight. I’ve got a lot of new rap friends,a bigger crib, new cars, more chains, moreinvestments, more real estate.Have you seen people’s attitudes towardsyou change since you’ve been in the gameso long? At one point you were an artist ina group that had a song with Lil Wayne, andnow you’re a star in your own right.I guess the general consensus on me is thatpeople are just proud of me coming fromwhere I came from. I hear that a lot. I usedto not know how to feel when people saidthey were proud of me. It sounded like theywere trying to son me, you know? But I kindof get it. If you watch my grind, if you watchmy campaign – I’ve been signed to Ludacris.I’ve been signed to Def Jam. I’ve had greatfriends like Lil Wayne and Gucci Mane, but I’mjust trying to muscle my way in and use mypersonal grind to get to where I need to be.So a lot of people respect that. It definitelywasn’t overnight.What made you decide to stop doing PlayazCircle and leave DTP?I didn’t leave. I didn’t stop doing Playaz Circle.We own a studio together. When you own astudio, in my case, I record. I work a lot, so Ijust had to find different avenues to get mymusic out. When I started putting out the 2Chainz mixtapes people gravitated towardsthem, so it just made sense for me to do some2 Chainz stuff. As far as the DTP thing, I justdecided it was time for me to be my own bossand have my own imprint and develop myown artists. I learned a lot being with DTP.You’re involved with a lot of charity eventsfor kids too. You give away bikes everyChristmas?Yeah, I think it’s important to give away bikes.I know when we were coming up, we playedoutside a lot. With kids today, it’s the gamingera, so a lot of kids do Xbox and Playstationso they don’t get outside as much, therefore,we have obesity and a lack of athletes, in myopinion. The drafts are not as strong as theyused to be. Less people are in shape, period.I think bikes are a good way to have fun andstay in shape for kids. I got my daughter a bikewhen she was two years old, just somethingto do outside the house. So that’s what I’mdoing now, using the little platform I have tospread something like that. I’m into eatingright and exercising...For the rest of this interview, log on toozonemag.com or youtube.com/ozonemagTwitter: @2ChainzOZONE MAG // 17

Fort Wayne, Indiana representativePhyzikal landed a deal withDef Jam in 2007. SINCE THEN, THERAPPER HAS SNATCHED A FEW CHAINSBUT STILL HOPES HIS MUSIC WILL HAVEA POSITIVE IMPACT.What’s your background?I’m from Fort Wayne, Indiana, born and raised. Imoved down here to Atlanta to start my careerwhen I was about 17 years old. I come from thestruggle, so that’s what I try to represent, thesame thing that every other young black manrepresents – just trying to come out of a badsituation and make it into something.How would you describe Fort Wayne?There ain’t that many opportunities in the city,especially for black people. I was one of thefirst people in Fort Wayne to get a record deal.It’s a violent city but it’s also a good city. It canpotentially, in certain areas, be a good city toraise your kids. It’s a small town and they takepride in my music since day one. I feel like I’vegot the city on the back, so you’ve got to seeme make it. They’ve been supporting me.A lot of artists have the incorrect perceptionthat as soon as you get a record deal, yourcareer will take off.For me, there was a lot of politics involved. I’mstill signed to Island Def Jam, but there arecertain clauses in the contract. I’m not reallyconcerned with the label at this time. I justknow what I need to do, so I’m gonna do it. I’mtrying to stay humble.If you’ve been signed since ’07, you’ve beenwaiting a while to drop. What do you thinkyou need to do to become a priority at thelabel?I really ain’t looking to become a priority atthe label. Everything to me now is just anindependent run. I’m looking at it like: shit,the labels ain’t really making no money. Eitheryou’re getting show money or you ain’t. Eitheryou’re making the moves or you ain’t. I’m goingto ride even if I ride slow. I’m going to rollwith it like that. I know what I need to do. I’vegot a lot of creativity that’s been building upover the years that people haven’t been ableto hear yet, so I want to show them that.They can call it game over in 2012. There’sgoing to be a lot more music and I’m going totake the initiative to put it out. It’s never beenput out so I never really had a chance to fail.I’ve got a large catalog of music that I’ve neverreleased from the last six years. I think whenthe people hear it and how consistent it is,it’ll be a good run. I’m in the process of doinga mixtape with DJ Scream right now that willprobably drop around March or April.When you say you talk about the strugglein your music, can you give us an example ?I’ve got a record called “Right Hand to God,”and I talk about my life. The struggle of ayoung kid from Fort Wayne, Indiana. Daddylocked up – my father did ten to twelveyears of his life in prison – mama was a goodwoman, but got strung out [on drugs]. Mygrandma raised me and so many of my brothersand sisters.What do you think needs to happen for theMidwest to have the same kind of movementthat the South and the West Coasthad?I’m a Midwest artist and I’m also a Southernartist because I’ve done a lot here in theSouth. A lot of my partners were here andhelped pave the way in certain situations. Forthe Midwest to prosper, I think we have to focuson the same things that [artists] in Atlantahave focused on. Just focus on getting money.Up there [in Fort Wayne] if a muthafucker isbroke he just wants to kill you. Niggas haveto quit all that hating shit and stop taking HipHop and rap so seriously. They’re like, “Man,you should rap like this,” but they don’t understandthat everybody is their own person.They either fuck with it or don’t fuck with it.When you bring so much hate into it, that’swhat killed the game. I think in the Midwestwe need to have a bigger support system foreach other and our artists. A lot of niggas loveto see you make it but they hate to see youshine, you know? You’ve got to embrace thestruggle and also show love when somebodyHow are you going to show them? What’sthe plan for 2012?18 // OZONE MAG

PhyzikalWords & Photo by Julia BeverlyOZONE MAG // 19

digging for it. They’re looking at someone else.So you’ve got to be a big homie. If you see alittle nigga with his shoe untied, you’ve gottabend down and say, “This is how you tie yourshoe, nigga.” Why would you walk around withyour shoe untied? That’s how you’ve gottado with these young nigga. They ain’t got nogame or nothing. Niggas are walking aroundin tight jeans and shit. You don’t want yourkids rocking like that. Niggas have bled andfought for us and represented for us, and nowwe’re just making a mockery of it. We wantto say “I’m a real nigga” when it’s convenient.We talk about all the rap shit, selling recordsand all that, but let’s talk about the real shittoo. We’re going to slowly pull the covers offthese muthafuckers. Any other questions,OZONE, that you feel like the great Phyzikalcan answer?Hmm... what’s the meaning of life?Only God can tell you that. You’ve got to goget that straight from the source.You made it sound like you were the Wizardof Oz or something. Okay, so aside fromyour vision to become the “big homie” tothe youth, can you give us a chain-snatchingtutorial since you’re an expert on that topic?What’s your secret?Always make sure you get in the club withyour pistol; always. No matter what the cost is.I don’t give a fuck, pay a security guard or dowhatever you need to do. You’ve gotta knowhow to tuck your [pistol]. I ain’t even gonnashow niggas my secret, but I know how totuck. If I’m going to snatch a nigga’s chain,I’m coming straight at him. I’m not lurking oranything like that. I just feel that way becausea lot of these niggas try to test you. And I ain’tthe nigga to test.I mean, on a serious note, you’re talkingabout how you want to bring about positivechange in the community and speak on realtopics in your music. How are you goingto be taken seriously talking about socialchange and positivity if you’re known forsnatching rappers’ chains?I ain’t known for that. It’s just that niggas knowthe big homie is gonna teach you some realshit. The big homie ain’t gonna tell you nothingwrong. When other races and nationalitiesof people look at black people, what do theysay? They’re scared of us because we will shootour own. We will kill each other, so we’ll dowhatever. That’s the harsh reality. Everybody’sgot their badge of honor out here in thestreets to survive. You’re either a wolf or you’rethe muthafuckin prey, you know? You’re eithergoing to eat or get eaten. So of course therehas to be some demonstrations out here. Andat the same time, I’m going to tell the littlehomies too. They’ve got to have some moralstoo. You remember what big mama toldyou in the beginning when you were eatingthat soul food and shit, right? You’ve got toremember what the OGs told you.You feel like there’s no honor in the streetsanymore, basically.These niggas are snitching like it’s cool. Ifniggas knew who they were, they would sticktogether more and do things differently. I’mnot trying to be the most positive muthafucker;I’m not entitled to say anything but atthe end of the day niggas need to be on somereal shit. It’s about having loyalty and havingmorals. If a nigga disrespects me, I’m comingfor that chain. You’re giong to lay it the fuckdown when I come. They’d rather have thepolice there than me. Flat out, that’s all anigga knows. If anything is worth fighting for,it’s worth dying for.If a nigga makes you feel some kind of wayor if he’s out of line on some egotistical shit,or if a nigga is trying to make you feel littleor something, it’s like, “Hold on, nigga!” I’llcome see about you, homie, real quick. Youwon’t even know what’s going on before anigga snatches you. As soon as niggas get tomoving and hearing those shots, you feel me?I’m gonna shoot straight. I ain’t even on thatshit though, but that’s what I’m saying aboutthese niggas. We’re on some real shit, man.We’re on some unity shit, we’re on some blackpower shit, we’re on some shoot-your-assin-the-face-in-front-of-the-police-in-broaddaylight-shit.It’s on some Frank Lucas movietype shit too, nigga. It goes down like that. If Ido something, niggas know I don’t have to lieabout it. I ain’t gotta fake it. I don’t give a fuckif we’re in court. Whatever I do, I can standbehind it. That right there is called being amuthafuckin’ man, for better or worse. So allthe rap niggas needt o get a whiff of that, youknow? It’s good kickin’ with y’all at OZONE.OZONE is real shit.Any last words?The Mob, you know, M.O.B. Follow me onTwitter and Facebook and all that shit. Theyshould’ve had Twitter when I was coming up,man. I’m telling you. I would be a legend onTwitter. //Twitter: @PhyzikalOZONE MAG // 21

Words by Eleven8ay Itin’tone22 // OZONE MAG

BIG SEAN AFFILIATE SAYITAINT-TONE IS NEXT UP FROM THE FINALLYFAMOUS CAMP. OZONE CAUGHT UPWITH THE DETROIT NEWCOMER TOFIND OUT THE MEANING BEHIND HISUNUSUAL MONIKER AND WHY HEHATES BOTH SUPER BOWL TEAMS.Your stage name SayItAin’tTone is unique.Where did you get it from and what does itmean?Tone is my name, and the SayItAin’t partcomes from me being in a group called FinallyFamous with a lot of talented rappers, includingBig Sean. When some people heard that Iwas rapping, they automatically shut it down,like, “Don’t tell me he’s rapping now. Everybodywants to be a rapper. Say it ain’t him.”They told me I couldn’t make it. But Big Seanand Early Mac would encourage me to keepit up, especially Early Mac. So I just turned anegative into a positive and made it work.How did you link up with Big Sean?Big Sean is my brother. I met him in the firstclass on the first day of high school back in2002 and we’ve been good friends ever since.That’s my mans, no homo. (laughs)Were you a rapper before joining Big Seanon stage and essentially becoming his hypeman?Everything started at the same time, but I alwayshelped Big Sean come up with lines andconcepts whenever he needed it. Everythingis a team effort. As long as he was straight, Iknew I would be too.Are you signed to G.O.O.D. Music or BigSean’s Finally Famous imprint?I’m 100% Finally Famous. I have it tattooedon me. Finally Famous is something we allstarted together. I don’t have any plans tosign to G.O.O.D. Music or any other labels, buthonestly, not to be cliché, but you never knowwhat the future holds. Anything can happen.A lot of people know you from your record“My Closet,” which appeared on your mixtapeSayItAin’t and Big Sean’s Finally FamousVol. 3 hosted by Don Cannon. What was theinspiration behind that song?I come from a city known for its fashion andflashiness, from gators to minks to Cartierglasses with diamonds in them. I wanted toshow people we still get down in Detroit. Youcan buy my single on iTunes, Sayitainttonefeaturing Big Sean “My Closet,” and you canalso YouTube the video and see the visuals forit on youtube.com/sayitainttone.Who are some of your musical influences?I like all types of music, but the old CashMoney, Hot Boys, No Limit, and Bone Thugsis what really got me into rap music. I listento Motown oldies when I’m chillin’, so myinfluences vary. I really just love the culture.Detroit is a melting pot of all types of styles.We have everything from super hood musicto underground Hip Hop. I live in Motown; westill have that soul in our city waiting for ourtime again. You’ll see soon!Is there East Side/West Side friction going onin Detroit?No, not at all. It’s more hood against hood ifanything, but on the music scene, this is thefirst time we’ve started linking up and supportingeach other. We never had that unitybefore, but it’s slowly coming together and I’mhappy to see it.Since this is the Super Bowl issue, whatare your thoughts on the NFL? Being fromDetroit, are you a Lions fan?I always liked the Lions ever since Barry Sanders,the best running back of all time. Eventhough the Lions didn’t make it all the waythis year I’m still proud of them.Who are you pulling for in Super Bowl XLVI?The Giants or Patriots?I actually hate both teams, but my favoriteplayer is Ocho Cinco, so I’m going for the Pats.Let’s get my homie a ring!Will you be involved in any of the SuperBowl festivities?No, I plan on being in the studio workingon my second mixtape hosted by DJ GreenLantern. I’ll watch it in the studio.Is there anything else you’d like to add?Shout outs? Of course! Off top, Free Juan!Shout out to my city, Detroit, my group FinallyFamous, Dusty McFly, Dough Boyz Cashout,Via Marz, Tone Tone and all the other artistsfrom Detroit that are doing their thing. We’reup next, baby! Shout out to OZONE for showinga real player love. //Twitter: @SayItAintToneWebsite: sayitaint.comOZONE MAG // 23