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EXPilItH C~NHMl

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ViS~T US ONLI NE @ MYSP'A(E~(OM/PSnTHAnRIv.AH FOR ,A (HANCE TO WiN THllZ M,ER.CHANDISE & FOR FREE iDOWNIlOADS

www.smcrecordlnqs.corn • photos by: D-·Ray • artwork &, deslqn by: .176e- __ '. " ._ rr w'1Nw,PhDtoDoc.torIGrapih~cs.co!m

TRAXAMILUON

hen I hooked up ~iith 5u&1~'r~hyphy producer Iraxamillion to ,§el~

wha.'t he' thought of de'f,p issues such as Kr.ame'r~s recent outburst and Briitney and K='Fledi's breakup, he told me to meet him at his spot 'The

Bedroom" wner@, the real hits a rei made. * win k, ,wink * 501 I did. Here's what was, prod u re d",

B,!lckSi;de:' So what's yOUiF S'e!'CJ@t to. be/ng' one of the top producers iin the. Bay Ar@a?

Traxam ~ lli on: I do n't krrnowtr I: just ~IJal~lt to make 'g'OD d mlU:5 k, hits, ESIPle ci,anny musk for the kids. If you stick w~th 'the kids, then 'you tan make hits, Mus,~[ lis SUP'D osed to be fu n, an d that's what w@ do out h ere iin the e!ay Are.a,~

BS: The Ba,y is IOn filn~ right now, One artist that's de'mniit@lly doin' it who I ran

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1: Y;a IB O'V the rap per, ~I'e.a,h?

BS: Yepd He's doing it big iim Los A,ng,ele's; rii!gh't mo'w~

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If he as ked I W'ou ld do it. ]IU SIt: give me that goo d Britnpey' m CJne~d,

BS: Tru e.

T:: Shit man, let's just do it,

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T: [laughs] Nah, hip-hon isn't dead, I don't he:Ui2ve. that. I. think it's st]ll here, just in different forms, 'than :gll!'ys Ukle the ones Nas and ]ay~Z grew up with

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an _00 eu lJ!p 0., J ,I ,5, a III I erent era" ,lings JU,S evcive. ,~I, S a new lay.,

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B'S: A n!ew da;y~ M I[~ ke that,

T: Du d es Il ~ ke Ja y;~ Z are just fro m a dliiff.e're nt g'e n E! rati 01111 ot ih in- ho P'" but W'2 [an aU 'JiJor'k together;

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85:: That's cra,zy~ ID~d you get to wrestle Hulk. too?

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as: SllJeakiing .of ]ay~ his, g':irt B1eyonDE!' ils ~n tha;t n'e"w' mov~e Dlr'l?a,m'gliri[s~ T:: 'Yed,f],aaaahhh!!,I!!

BS: W no's you r d In~a.m g'ii r?

T~ [blushe,s,] ] don't 'k,no'w~ YOILI'r'E! gonna have to. g'et baclk to me on th,at one~

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'1': Y,e.ah, [: Ime'a,n" th·s ~1'1@a,lr :[ did weU for mys,e,nf and Ilma,de. somle br,e.ad., T~ ~Ie. year ib,@,fol're that [ w,as re"aJl_y just g'ietf n" ern Id,n d gietti n" my f'.eH!t we't, so 2007 shoutd show' m8' the Imon@y! I'v@ b@'e'n 'w'orlkiin~ hard 'for a, Iminute nOl~',P.' 5'01 ~tJs my tliml@, iman ..

[hec, for' TraxamHlion~s Album 1JThe ~5ia.pp Add-ct" -n stores now a.ndi more -nfo online a,t: w'ww.mlys,Julce.,(omltraxxamiiUion

See you aU eV'E!ry mOl th here i~1 ttme 'We,st Coast ,s,e(t~ on of Ozone M,a,'g'azi'n'e' hound~ng the best ~le5t Coast D]5'1 producers~ a.nd more'~ H,oU,a. at 'your gi1rt: 'i,ilijn.iiI"1i ,",,;;oil ii b-' 'a>( k': '5-' "I ;;oI11i!:ii r,o', m' , a r "l'II"ii'f~ 00 ,dJ"'I'b '411 (L'S-'Ii ,d e leo m'

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4, II OZONE WEST

DIll K-to[" Tone BOW1@p) 1&' Kra:zv I@ the BARS Aw,ards (S,an ,M,at,eo,,~, [It) 0,2 II Knojl LU IB,FUlce" and Big llante @' Bay Arlea, Rap' Surnmit (Oalk~iind~ CAJ 103 II SI[OtfJt,

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a O~i5 @ Youth UpR,i5iin~ts Ttlank:sgiivirng'lurk,@y g'iivl~a,w,a'y (Oa,lkl.81nd~ (Al 0611100 Short ,6:' D] Juke @ R_'emy Miartin cognac autograph sigrni~ng (Oa,lk~and; CAl 01 II ¥otrnng Il. of The Pac k rep pi n' H'Vplh'y Ju i!(,le '0 n the set of ~~Slk.a,'[e b oarde rs 2 S rrapers" I( Oakland, (A_) 08 II Tuff, y~ kim outh, 0' M i stah F.,A. BlO @ EVE'rett 6" Jones

BBa, ('O,akl.and, fA) 09' II' W'iU.ie Joe, guest, and D]I B,a,lc:kSi~de, @ the BAHS ,Awaw'dls (San Matieo~ [A) 10 II Traxa,lmiiUion, F'lsrx, Mlamt lR.a'ysnatwn" & Biavg'ate @ YOl~rth Upl~Using~''S (hrtstmas g~i'ft giveaway (Oaktand, CA) l1l1 San QU!i~lln and (r!~rw @ 'the, IB,AIRS A'ward:s I(San IMlat!or (A) ']211lMlomawk Marlon iT Li~l Wayne. @ (lub t\,bYS5 tor 0] Oue':st's birthday D!,arty' (Sunnly'vale" [A) 13 II H'IJ,mIE,tHl'Y' Mi'gUie~ land Sean T tU1 the set of Miistah F"AJ3..rs "tihostride" v~ide,o (San Francisco, CAli 141/ [I[v'de (a.rsonJ Ihe Jacka, and M~a,lmi, @ Youth Up~Using'~s [hr~istmla,SI g'~lft giveawa,y (OaklandJ CA] 15, II The, Jacka, Yoglil and Young' [:ity '@' the (lA,RS AWaJIds (Sari Mate,~]~ (A) 161 II Uno ofThe Pack and his brother @ the Bi,t~tR5 A.wa:rds (San 'Mateo1 [AJ 11 II D=Ra,y ,ffi:' Jacky 10 Youth UplR!isinff"s [lhristm,as g~ift !giveaw'ay (Oa,k~andj. (AJ 18// The, Pack @ the B,ARS A,wa,rds ('Sa,n Mla.telo~ CAl' 191 ll YUrJg Joe 6- J~'Oiig'g's @ Boo Bomb concert !('San Jese, (A) 20. II TJ Chapmanf Jutia Beve'lr[y', Jehn (osten,

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EG by li 0 Sh

UPIE

. ~vle belen wantlng: to sc[y this shit for a Ilon·g time. l remember showin' up

[at a clu b] wilth my [feW" FlO r me p erso na l.l Y'~ 'flfty de,e Pi 'was ,(I, s mall [feW" . On aVl~r'al'ge, maybe about 100~ We'd show' UIP w"'thi 2001,= 3010 'rgUY:5'f just on

b sha f of 'Too '$; h ort, ~'We hie re ·w~·th S ho rt, t,I We, all ca m e tngeth er, li ke a m Qib~ I

could show' up at: the cleb wi·th 3:00 niggas, and not one ofthem W'OlLl d. 'w'ant to stand 0'11 stage 'W'iltlh BU:!~ There was a time w'hen it was,m'llft iin anybod'Y"s

m lin d to th Ink, man, mavbe I' she ILl td go grab this [0 rue rJ' spot 0 n the stage during nmy homie's s'hoW'" IEv,e1n when you did have homles Vtl'ho: w'le're very 'Important tn the cUIQue", 'theY'''d' stand by the '0] booth or as far back Ion 'the stage a's yo u ,can possi b'~,y stan d. And il'f ylo u' re IU P' the rei wiith sta,ge jU"IO ps and you~'V'e got: ,81 routine and you'lie ac.tua.l.l.y' doinq a :5hcrw'", nobody is on :s.ta.g·e with 'yuu" Nlobody" lfr you have seoufitYJ; he might worlk the' edg;e ufr the stag;e and make sure noth iltn'B: happens li ke' :5 el(lurlty'#s Sill Pi P(1;5 ,e d to do.

But: somewhere down the line it changed. 1:'1 ~ulul.d be interesting if somebody' could find that moment whlen the first: rapper stepped on stage, with tw',e'nt:y or t: ilrty g'uys standing next 'tOi 'ern, ill don't know where it started Or' w h 01 d md tt first,

Hrst 1,' d l i k.e to SclV' thii s ·to the Ira p pers: M kn ow yo lJI sh O'W't~ d up with fifty n lig~ gas, and y~,aU are tlh e tougm est n i gga:s at the party, The ra PIP,e r probab ty has a ot of sav-so, 5:0 what ffif' 'you just told your homles, the homles that l,io\f12 you: "Let me do Imv show, 000 you know that if 'I get on st:a.gle· and at l fllfty of yraJ,l, stand UPI the re wm·th m e, my 'show ~ s gol ng to. look real wha(I~'?' So let

me do Imy' show," That's what Y'ou"ve, got to ask your homies, lfr: your hornies ·thi~ n k about i't and sa .. y, '~'~IFUi(k v·ou, J~ and have mad e ILl p the I r m I nds that tlh'e'y -W··:3nit' t·n !D"n en stase ~w-~t-h" ~y:,o-,-u- t hen I'It C~iy- 'lifh- ~'s~ to trl).",c hnmebovs This ts 'LJf'O-·-U-ij

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b lig h omi e, 'you r (0 US I n, V'our frien d, th e' one yo u b e' ~leVle I n .. Yo IU 're gonna eat .off hirn 'if he makes it, You ml~g'ht g,et a job just to have some fun with him, So you want to se e h~ m ma kI:! it, Diid 'Y'ou kn {]!'W that all 'f)ifty' of y"'aU stain dt ng 0 n stage w~·th h~m makes him oak w'h.a"ck?

If it's a group, it lo oks eve n w hac ke ~f cause y,otJ can"! pi ape lint wh,o,'''',S' say I n' wh,at lout of: whiilchl microphone (fm,on" yoU"'ve got fou guys' wlth micro-

phon e s. OrM~ \0 Ii t:wo of t:h,e m m ight be th e main r.CiJ,p p er~ but leve 1i\l'body Ie lse with the m~[lfop'hone ls supposed to be doiing~ ad libs. But: tlheY~'lie not just dnIng the ad i'bs~ they're actually :51·- giinig' the whote ,song;' w'ordl tor word wlt:h ·the rapper .. So h1l the audience, 'we hear four voices doing one verse. And ~:t sou nels .. lilk'12 :5 h it~ Glod f-o rID I d It's ,au:tlUa II Y' a 'gr'Ou PJ tm at yOlu Ute .. W h e'n 'you fi rst se'e· a Igrloup p,erformi' V'IOlli want t:o se,e E1au:h elm[e'E"s! ,SWol.'glg·e·r a,nd ho'w they WlO rlk trn'l!' stag·le. The SIPotUght ils 's!u p ~)iOSle d ·to 5!hil n el 0 rn th e otnle w'h Or ~ S sihil nw n'g at the, mIOlm,e'nt~ Thi"s is your mIOIM,e'nt. Sh~ne" If YOllln~ siitt.ing w·a,y ba1clk. In the a.udlen'l:'2J, the SP'(ltUght 1'5 :SUp'p'05Ied ·to .hel,lp V'ou 'find 'th,e m,a,iln p'e.'r:s,on~

AnY'b,ody that wa.nts. 1'01 stand on stage wit:h a rapper - iit' yuui're not part

of hh'i s h OIW,~, 'ycuJI'frle nat the 01], Y'c uJ rei 111 at th e dance r, y'o u're not 'the hvp e man ,- anybody that wants to stand on :5ta.r~!,e wiith a rapper is a bitch. You are hella fake, you aJEI '501 fuckin' phony to w'anna stand b~hiind somebody and shine in the hackground, That's some bitch shit. I know there's some real nii·g·g,a.$ that ha ve sto odl on stage, but 'YOU! just dI:i d it cau ~H~' iit. WiiEl,S the

th i ng to do. But th ~n k about it as Y'o UI wa,tc:h the .sh,o,w fro ml the hack .. , That's 'whack~ It's €lIne thing lif the rapper called yo,u up there, but If 'you're fightln' tla get UPI on stage w'iith a. Ira~]iple r you d on~'t ,e'V'E'n kno·\,,(~, y,[]uJ'lre wha[k~ If you~lr,e' alrglJliin'g, tc'Fuck tlhat~ I"rn VIP, rim wiith s.u,c.h-,a.nd'-s,llJc:h~ m'V' corus!~n i:s tlh'E' P IJQi motelrl"~ s,u fUI C kiitrnJ 'what?' Are Y'[JU g'etti:rrug pla.i dI tu ble '0111 :sta.i~·e]1

Lastly" lId Uke t'o say thl:s 'tOI t i2 rap farrus, be,cause I don"! know ho'w this! glot out· .of cont!ro~.; Therelrs f.an:s ~, tough guys. .~. goiifllg through evelryttwiinlg h,e' can ,[n" t h- '11"'01 ~ II a Ih t'nl a,D t· b' ~ r II .... !E;',t' '~g- .,0 H ifti, fi· n· .':11 II \1 m ~ Ik· iCJj if" I'I~' b a· IIIf' k·· ~·oIj-':II·[J ~ '~n-~ ~ IIII Ih D, !W,;il.I·:!:Ii 'nt' 'C' ~ u_ I!:U ~ I! II .'bjI ~ ~ _., 1.,u.Il.,~~' _.:~ "'~" . ~ 1 ,'Ui. J' . gl .. ~ ~ .. w. _' _ '1I..1.,~'Ib'Ui.~;!!l; Q I III ,g.U I ~!II'U'Q,I.II .,;;J!

to do ii'S stand On! t.he stag'El wiit:rn a Irallper he d'[nll~t: e'V'E1in Ik:noi·w. If y'C)u like his mus,rcf diid you kn,ow that YOIUI~lre ma,kinJ him Q;lok bad iinl yOlur ciit.y?' INobod'Y' un d e rls,ta.n d 5, th.at you ~re malk:i ng 'th ~ ralPpe r that 'you Ulke - you Ir ho m eibuy' 'Olr you r favorit:e arti st ,- 'yoUifre m,a.kiing' h~ m hlOlk bad ..

8 ij Sit,a. R hy m ,e',s mia, de a. Ir e' it ny' g'O to d :sta,t'e' m Ie n t ,a ho u t. If,alP' P' e lrf,(» r m aru: if.:s at t:lh 'e' BIT IHI ~p -, Hopi A'wards,. y;o Im'E'J this is, 'the 'wh,u:kest tlh'j ng in hli JJ;- hop,. I' do n·rt 'thii n k nrng'gas s.hou l.d Ib,e b;a.sh i:n' t:lh E!' :5outhm r've beH:!'!il iin th e So'uth siin Cf day .one and le'v'elr~t ib'E',a't, 'e,v'e'lrY' syUabh~" ,e'\H:'lry' p,e'fson,aUty, rim fe'e,Un' iit Pml not sl.and'e'ring aMl'y' r,egioln, and rim no,t speaking on ,(J,ny paJrt~'cldar artist~ This,

is, e'\l'ery rap' :show I've .s,een. rm dOling SrnCPJIl5 aU the time, ,a,nd E dOlnf~·t kno-w n on,e of ·th~se P!O P h~ on S;t.a.gl! w'iith mle,. An d iif yOIU pu s;h thln~'e JJle 0 p ~e Dfff

',.;,h· -I" - - -' ... t. 1 'V,-, I','" '''I" Ih" -I· I --- 11..:,-, .. 't,·· tl· k',- -1·- -1m '--'ff'·c ··t·· ':,-,

~ I Jree mlOlre wa. ,., IUp~ IIOLll can ,11, Ireenoug)11 ,se,[Uri y .J) .. eep p~opl[e 0 1 $ .. age.,

The·y jumlp lUI) fnl'm t.he· ba,'ck of: the [urtalin'J! come up froml llInder the stag'E!'J' ,c[,imib on ·the front, ,any' k:iind ,of lAN3.y. ,A.na l'v!f arilail'yzle.d why iif.s aU, guy:s up 'thien~' Oln slt'ag,e' _. beil[,aU,5,el :5el(urit:~1' (an only' bulily' gilr[:5., I: Igo ~)'f'f on $,ec:uriity a.ll ·the tii'mle ~ U k:·e~ 1.!IL'ook iho,w Ibii g 'V'ou an~ I, And th,e ,un [.y. Ipe rson y'o U Ean te U to Iget 'D,ff the stag'e ils, a gi'trI1" ] watch th em~ The'V s ~·t th eire and y'le H at the i~ir~si and p lJI 5 h 'fa U Ir g i r l.s nfl sta'g,e'" 'W' h ~ Ille 5 ii.X 'gu Y'~5 l¥,aJ. l k: p a st. S e [Ul1r ilty' W Ii ~,l. Ib e l. i t.e', lj I J m

flo It m ~ - - - - b- A t t ff t· b t' t Ii... - ,. Jt Il" . flo - I . U 11\1 I - t

·t.el ~~ ng e'v't~ ry' -O'IlY IJJ gE'I- 0 5 :a'gle" - u' -ue'Y 'Un.IISt.en I ng~' 1~\I 0, yo IJ. n~ nHll_~

1('0 Lf'lre, teU~ n'g fe ma.lles. to I§let off th e sta .. gie .. T e:5 ~'C.u Iriit.y gua.rds alre s[,ared, ..

If ;a. bUlln (h of: f,e m,a~e g'n]u'p'i1e~s !get 0 fI 'sta.g'f; iit· he!lIP$ th,e' 5 h O'W~ he cruwd

c,~e m- ··5-, to-, m'lilk'lif'lI 't!-,n, II'O,o·lk·· '~t· ~ ·al,4I'I'IIDS'· ·5~' n r-D',~I,d·J In I! I't ~ ·F,Q'l! n dl t"lh· 0 'if"taa'D :~n d'i . - ullm- n 'I no o,n

.;;J. '!G:. , II I.. . I~. . btu ~,- - . a. -. ill. ,1lI. b. _ t* I .,;;; 0,_ u u - '0, ... I I.. I... I.,;;; .;;J I. ':::ii 'Ii; n I I.. '. I .t-" :.':l," 111111

th'E' r.ap'lJ e rand bE,nd i ng {]V'E'1r rJlnd. do i ng' the ~A( ld th iin'g's, tlh e'Y ICh:L That's on l.y

"'f' 'I .Ji - ~t· L .. "1.·' ' .. d: .. ', , '... f'1·· .. ·II·· '1-,·-1 d'· ". '.-.', . ~., ·h·t-l iLl 8·'1 t "'f': I' '.

I you luon c·. liIIa,VI: ,any_. ·a.ncers ,anu yOlu [E 1 Orwng a rug..r[ .Uu. _ U.- I you re.

dlo i ng a rieal s:how on to'llI r, ~'t a~n'it no r,[Hl·m fo! r n orme of ·th,at shift. :Et~$ just ;t.·lh,·,D, ·m·· r:i1in:t'all·l·t,ll 'h~i nlovt t"lm-- ,0 '11.l'lnl,il 0(1 t·o· '~ 1I"':~n ehi ofIii·h.r 'ldh· ~r-,D, 'f"n,uli" ':li('t·~ p. ,Dr-f',nrm

Il .. I[;; ~, 1_. .1. ~ b.A._·. Ii; I VI;ilI ~,u 1_ .. Q I! QIf!' ~ I luw. W' '0;. ~ I U . II 'QJ.IL,.. .~ .. .,;;; 1 UII [ I ,

wa.tc h., It~':5, Ig'o i rrug ·t~l' be [I, Ig'f.IO UI P u;f ~H:'D[P lie '0.111 :s,ta.g·e ~ and yo uJ re gu,ing;' to 5e'EJ the Sijlm'E m.uthafuck<er Ion sta.g·f dutri'ing ,aJ,U foulr alrti5ts~ show·s. Hie's a biit,ch., He 'thiilrnk.s· he"s ~importa.nt., ~t'Y';e,CIlh" ml,a.n, I w'as, _on stag,e' tast nlg'ht wlith Irick: [jiai.ddy"lU' You~lre a b~'t(h. Th.afs SOlm'E' 'ga'V a.s,s shiit. 'Tlhat~s s:e1riiously homos,e'xllJ,a.~lP ,to be Uke,. ,j~l g'otta 19:'let up th'E're n,eixt: to YOiulng ]eez'y'~~'~' That:~s 'what Igroup-' .. ~ C" .JI "'lid fn r' f' H t" k"II'I"IIIJI fn r-t·u, y~ ':I, r-e ·*rY'·IIII'iiI~ t'n ol@tan c·t':l a~ 1J,IJi'rnth ·tlh ~ r" t" k La n d· It'

~I..1I! UI ~ ~, ~I~ ,'" dill. ~'-I)'·.' ~I~ . :;j~ tl! ..... til II! I-.u ~I~j.- I _:. : _ ~ .~D'~,~ 'w'~ ,_. J-llIJ~ IVI~ ,', IU.,_ I,: : ~i~J

]f 'you 'nf~ a mi,a~'e' QIOU fr),m @" you know exactll y who Y'o u an!,; You jock ra.p·p@rs,. You wanna b@ on stage when rap·p'@irs come to town,. ¥(ntd do anythi;ng' to g'st in V:EP to st.and niFtxl 'to raplJ'@ rs~ You'r@ 'gay,. Tih ~ n k ,a.bout iit M. do n'tg.ive ,aJ fuck ~f you ,a.re· th'8' p,rOlmoter"s: (ousin~ YOllf"re· a biitcih. II

~ as told to Julia Beverly

6, II OZONE WEST

P- hoto ('-rlfl ... its: '11,- -R"!!,U Inll 0=" 03·· "I ,i. nc 1il1'? 0=0' n(]1 lin "1113~· -lJ'i, 15, 17' 1° :1~1 2: In '1:)"· JIUII~·I~ l[lia,'1tl,ar-'l"l ('Irn: ]f'Di 16=:ll ~ I , • ~IIU !.!..;JI~ IJJ . u" \.liI i!!' 1.",." ,liI "t-,UIIiJII,,.,1U . ~,' O,UJ it' lUi!! "I~ " ~ I . ',." O":ilJ,, lUi!!" , ,~ I ~ 'u. ILl!(;;; 'Ijf ~ J,u J iii ,£,!! j'

STEP.S I N THE RIGHT DI-ErnO

y To c y "Regi Mentle" Francis

he! Wiest: Coast never feilll oft, When ·the Wes't and IEa.s·t were, !a.·t leach other's 'throats" neither lPa~d attention to what: was brewiing in the South. B:y the ti me we sna PlPl2 d Ollt of tbe d ram al" 'the South had take n eve r, Rath,e r 'than 'w'orlk' togethe r, the East and th e West both fi gu red thev'd just hate 10 n 'the artl sts from th 12' d ~ rty dii rty as th,e.~l stacked bun d les b~g'ger than 50 [e nt's egn, But: as tong as, rurruni,ng hea;vyweiglhts liikei Bad Boy' and Def Jam started sign i'ng' Southe m ra1PIP'2 rs an d rreati Illig ii m pri nts that 5JU~~[ i1ficaUy catere d to those b,e,~ow the Ma:sQin~'B~x,nn ~jine, the Wes't Ioast Ulle~nt unnoticed for 'ye,aJ5~

Now 'that hypby ~s the Weist Coast's answer to [trunk, the spotlight is back '0 n this left coast, at least tern p oraril 'I .. Sa.d Iy'; b esi d es . he G am e, Southe rn

'K I . aforn I a 1':5 n't maki n g tih s: nolse lt used 1iO,~ and it's by no means due to lark of ta tie nt, Th lEi malin IP rn ble m ii 5, th e' fact that ~ w lth a 'f'ew exce ptio ns ~ th ere hasn't been an IL.A" artist to hit. the mainstream without '('Ioming out from

un d e r one of th e dudes that p I on E'e re £II t - at gang's,t'81 S h it, Ask arou n d,; a lot of people can't name filVIB albums of certified musit to gangbang to that's been rei eased since Iupac died, A,s 'the streets down here heat up tike before 'the tru e e hll the earl y 90s, the m usic is gett I n g back to 'that le g'2 ndl.ary· status we haven't s,een since D'oggy.s:ry',l,e and The [hrto'nir made people temporarily 'beUe've!' that j teri-rurls, khaki suits! and ,g .... flags werle the] wa,y to '~o nOI matter wlh e,veir V'ou Iliive d.

own GlassEs M'alone'., he self-proclaimed ~j"1JI Miin~n,m DoUar Mlan/~ named after th e dealt, he !iIi gned lrJ'~th So ny Urbani for h is ,BI[u [J ivis i on ii mprint, was discove red by' the same man that fou nd 61,amle _, M Ii k.e l.ynn 0 bvi CU.lIS,[y self 5, the same d eel i ratio n an d amb ition jin th is W1a:tt:s native that he did ii n tm e Doct.orfs Adv-olcat:e,. IGl.as"s,es has big plans, Not on!l'y ls he trY'iing to bring 'the West bark to ne'w' heights, but he's paving the w,;y for his artists such as

M yke.,s 1"0" th e' 8: 0[( BOy'5~ [Ii'e.e,zy an d eve n the You mg' IHI oggs, "An d Dy narn i c

(I~ rtified, from 5 noc p's old stnmpi ng grounds the lB (j' have been bu nd i ng up S,OimE' serious hyp,e in the, streets, Their joint ,s,illng: e w~th '('oung:' Heggs, ~16'et Loose, ~,' i 5, be'yond Ctn3JZY,. IFI~atu.ri·nt~:· on e-f m E' G itm e cohort Eastwo 0 d, [J, Cm ~:5 ,3 prime example of t~.A~ YlJuth laY'ing' dCl\,.H1 legit gangsta 'flows ..

A lot of us reme m b E!lf 5 n [J n P D o ggfs attern pt at b rlingrnn'g' tbe 'W'Est (oast hac k togethe It Wlh I ei a, lot wa.s, accorn p U sh ed at those meeti n 8'5,. labels still aren't g;'ilv~ r1Ilg:' out dea ls to arti 5,t'5, iin l.os An geles, so the refs a [,,01' of jealousy and anlmosltv .. [omlb~ne that: 'with the fact that a . ot ()'f' these rappers repre-

s e'nt rii'va.~ neigh b orh oods, an d. you don't exartl Y' lha \J'e' a reel p e fur co m ~tn'g' together and gettl ng th is mo n e'y Uilk.e we n eed to be,

A'[lro:s,$ town Ii 111 1111 gl.,e"wo odor th e' hottest dud e out th is second i So Damanl ~ Hils anthem "Ing ewoodu had dudes a·~ 'the W,iI,Y' to the Inland Empire and hark play~ ng aU'egi ance to the L Ingl,@wood is 'mostty known fo r Ma{ k .10~ but it's got: a rich Ih i sto ry of rap that 'w,as most 'famous l.y' featu red on th e oil f Bla'ngi,n 1 on ~a'x discs from way back, Sad t'v" a lot of th ose dud es from th OS,! da'y's ,are - oclk,ed up or not with ILl s any'm,olr@., 8 B razy fro m South (e rntraJ was '§llLl nn'ed down a few 'ye!atrs ba-ck;: ,a, sha:mie because, h@ w,as ,just start.iing' to hiit ,a, st!riide that: wou I[d ha.v@ ml,ad @ hi m negend.atry on a l'E'v'el be'yond. th e l~A~ g,i!UiI'g'lbang 5,(e'n@., Sp'@akjn'g of IS B r,j3J,lY, h iis, clos@st dud,@,s iln th,@ g'ame th e R,le blti \n~'z are st~ ll. ,at iit IB 'j g Wy ha,s b Ie. @n hie id,VY in th '@ m ji xta D @' 5 [II! n@ Il,a t@lt Y' a rID d aJ11 Y cniU~'

-h t-h " t -k 5 0- ~ fJi-i~ S' IHI d-' I!'~" t-l t'tl-l d- ;"1-;; 5- W d-'~-k

' , ,. "'.' "I' U I '. ,._' ·1" ',- " - ".' " I ,~ -_' . ",' ,.. ~~ ~' , " , '" ~', '.,'

w, _ 0 saw. __ eu" -,lJ_,_e 0 rn ,I _.s _ m -,0 , JJ 01 __ " alP _.y J_I,' :@:_ c: m,o_ 00 -' ~ _, J10WS

tlh @'yJ''Ve got iP,t@nty up th e~ r s~ee\l'es ii n the futUiriEL

IWhen. people think 'Of'the West Coast, the bottom line 1'5 that: hYlPhy' rules the streets from the Bay' to L .. ,A~ In fact, y-ou"U b'e more l,ilkelly' to hear 'voun!g' d IJ d es ~ n 'thle hi'D old p'lU mipil n' E ~ 4 Dr li ~ Way n e, or D~.p Set befon~ th e s,a,mle 0 l.~

Wa rife n i(i 10 r ~LW .A~ N Q area iis d eV'o I d .of t,tu? ii nflu en!(e c'fr' tlre,nds .. :Iln L~A,.~ it" 5, just as manry fresh whitle 't,e'es and Bathing Apesl as tlh,e're aJ'12 k,mak:'"s a,nd chut(lk.s,. It Jus,t deplE'nds on the g,en!9ratiion~ L~Aii is ~fmlill.a.r to NI'e'\\" 'York Ciity iin the $'ens!e ·thi.a,t both are stulbb.fJrn wih,e'n lit [Olm,e"s to ,a"c[eptiinig' 'the linfluences of other air,e'as,. Ne'w' York C"reat"led "tha,t' boolm~·ba,IP~ and IL~A. brought' 'lin gUIfI~]I[,ay 'to the rhy m e 'g-am,EL ,EhJ.t: p·art O'f prI2:s,ervl ng' t:h12 1.Ie'g-a[y ! s 12VI0 l.uti 0 rn and gro'wt"t~,.

No disres,pe'ct to. tlhe Ilelgends'J' blJt tmer,e,~ls, a Ilot more to L.A. r'i'ght now' 'th,an

uJ'h en DettlX' I s; go n na d IiOIP 10 r I'he III oUiti (,5, of M (,2 [UI b E'~S new gr~ lL Starti ng 'f'rum th,e' b Iltthpllla,ce' of lit aU ~ [omiplto n a~ k.a". The !Hlu b aJta~ IS omlpto n ~ a!rt-· Is!ts aJe teariing the stlre'ets up 'wiith ·tha:t samp9 anlg'elr thatl mlade you '\;vondI91f wh!at thel fuck hl,ad EazV E ,and [uble s'o pi's,sed tJ'ff' ~n 'thle fir'sit p ale'e., Lil~ EazV It Is! ab,out to drop", fo~~,ow'iin'~' iitrn his, dad",$ foot'steps and dO~inlg hli's Ib'e,st to right ·the wrongs; he' 'fe t that Game mii.sr-elpr'E:SJ:!'nted what (o'mpton rap ~:5 aU ab,out.

la:st[['y" anoth@r 1F8.al.l.y' d O~U~ IpnJje c:.t in tltua; L.A., s c:e'. _Ie iis one th,at Re~]uta~ ~e Records ,and thlE! Dlrama F,amily [put tog'lert.lh@iF th~s y@a.r., Rep ro Set iis 6J_ doub~@ diii:s[ iQf street shit: fnllm some of th,@ most a!ctiivl8 hood.s in th"s ga,ng $,[en'E!'., 'They ca,m@ together to. g'iive. dudes froml t.he blLo[k ,anoth,er' outl,@t to ml;ake Im,one:y~ ,i3und the' outcolmiE! was r@a~ dt]~:H~,. [t fle,a,'tUlres, a. Ilot Df fH!W' 'f'aces and la, few olld on'8'$, that an! destined for b~'g' thiings as; nong as th!ey k:~e·ep out the pe n iite ntiia rii,es and ce mete ('e's.,

0111 a imo I1"te I[J nd E'!rI!3JOU n d 'tiliP~ B G K n (J [( a LIt j us,t got re~eased aft:e r al.m os,t a derCade b!e.h~n.d b,ars", n:jo~niinlg:' his. !partneif 'In [rime Bre"s.'ta th,e G:angstar 'wh,o's been 'f'uc!kinr w~th Indus,try Phunk Entelrtadirnm,e,nt for' !a m:ln:lUt:e now .. A~ong with ·them 1:5 'o'nle ,of the mos't tallented gliou,ps batngln' ~,atElly~ the 'Young Ho~s., 'Mlost of them alr,e' from Drelsta ,and BIG~s old ne~ghiblorhoodl~ After Il enty of

ups and dow n:sJ,1 ncllu d il ng a sti nt [) n Ma c k 10"5 IHlo o'~ Ba.ng iilm p (ntl, the You ng Hog"gs ,81re dlrop'p~n'g t'h,el'r 'first ILP i(aUed ,Allbulm FlIUa. S~ng:les,. rhie'y~r,e 'the trll~ ,e'st: 'repr-es,ent!aJ.'tlion of L.A., liap riight now' wiith t~lg'ht lhoolk.s an~ plotent g~'fLJInk tha,t n~lm I ndl mi2 c,f 'the 0 l,d da V's whe n OJ au i k Wlas bllow'l n'~' up th e mi,xt,ap,e

s ce fU~ .. rhe'v eve n teamled u IP with Yo unlg ] eezy a 'wh~ Le, baclk to p'liodu,ce so.m el dOlple f'I:!'S,1LJ ~ts"

last but n ot- east. ~s th,@; SaJty D aJk:~la, .. S,an Diego, at s'trong c:ont)8 n d @ r in

th is g'angsta. Imusii ( s[e n e for a.g@s now~ but sad ty' Dye r~oo k,e'd~ Th e hott-est thing from Dago right. now is \N'iithout ,a. doubt Mit[hy SIU[k.. He's. been mlat-'

~ n's' no iis@ wrnth a wh,o I,e' s.~'e'w o-f u rnd erglro u n d I"@ 1.Iea.s'les an d iis d ow'n 'w'iit,lh

x.z~ b itfs Strong' Arlm Ste'ady IG,anlg~ Ang'et,es. Re[ords nEH:@ntl.y d nllPIP E!,d h~s ~on!~'~awaited Urb.an SU'fvi'll;ai' Syndr:'Jrme! LP~ and iit's, ba.ngiinJ: M'itcny ms ,il rea] dUld@ an d you can~t Ik n o![lk, Ih i s 'griin d be [laJUS @ he sp@-alk's so m @. of thiS gri mli est st.uff o,ut th,e re~ H iis. stre@,t er'e d ~s unto u[ hid.b ~,e'l 'w'n iI clh adds a rea~ E'dge to

hiis rhyme's and s'tories~ Hlis, IWrongkiind wlmpr'imt has allblLlms from other Dago upstarts such as Tjny DiaD a.nd Dlamll on the wa,y, both of whom ts'a,med UPI w~th Mitchy for th~s y'ear"s Stron,g A,r.m RoDrbery.11" m"ltape~ OIn the blue sJd,@" J ayo F e~o my iis sti H at it but is coUabo r:atiing' with a lot of Ba:y A,n~;a, artiists ,as. DIP po sed to '0 n@s ii n South Eas,t .san [) jl@gIJ~, 'th @ [)J's h o.rne to 'gangba.ngii ng and dilru'g'= sl[angi ng.,

Every hood from the' b rue a,ndi red 5i'des has t· ,elir own dude's; tryiin' to make: a mark and S,@lm,e mlon ey off ·th ~ 5 Irap 5ihtt., Larc,e ny' IE ntert,ahllm,e~rn1trs YOUI11 g [HI 0 0 ~ ·th~ ha,$ be,e n ho't 'fo Ii ,til w hi. e now. Hils Prince of t.hle Bity' m lixtap,e, w'a:s, b.a,n'gi n~ to 'm ew el'vells,~ 5,ee lin:g m ~ m pa'i r U Pi wiit:rn Ileig'e n d 5, tl k.f Big Wy fr'r'lo m th,2 Re lat~vel and branJch'ing out 'to ne'w a,rf~:s'ts flroml !all[ over l.ike Hart,e'ml~5 El DOlrado 'Red,., IWhiHe Gaimle,fs uOrH~ B,[ood" is tear~ng up the stn:!ets, iit' was, H~}otile's· ~Ian

B. OOdl'u that o!rligilnat y had! thle bl.ork goll rnJ crazy Il,a;st su m m,er,

IN ow mtjs ti mlta fa r 'you to diD Y'o u r homt!'worlk, S nate h up a bu n [h of t.h i s, g'ang= sta s hIt and g'el re 8,dlIlJ [ated 0 n w ha.t~s po p'p iinJ off Ii n SOlllthe rn [a~~fo rn i,d, ..

Yo IJ"ve 'got no ex,[u.5!@!! ru ext mlo nth ]~ l~ g@l anothe r chanc@ t.o name' m on! names b'e'caJlUs@ 'I bar@~y s[F'dltch@a the s,urfac@., Baby st.@~ps~ homlil@'s", ba,b~1'

t II

5, :@ps,. ,

B II OZONE WEST

DIll Mistah FAtS '&'la~ib IKw@,lii @ Mu':se,s Music (,Oaklla,nd, (A] 02, II Tic 0 S,ho;rt 6" Yukmouth I@ BARS ,Award,s afterpartv (IOak:l,and~, [A) U3 /.1 Clyd@ Carson 6" B-Lt@g,~t @ 'Youth UpR.isi~lng"s; i(hri.stmas 'gift i~liv'eaway" ('Oa,k~and~ CAli 0411 The lP,aclk: 6r Pre·~ty B~a.ck. @' O[ub Abys·s, for Mistah f'AB~'s sigrn]lng party (SUlnrlyvale~ CAl 0511 P'5~) & ]l,agg2 d Ed'g!e @ ItI~ G rill (OakJa n d ~ [A) 06 II ru rI 0 of The. Pack I[llp,thm lstkatl Y' P repares fe r ttl~ii r U Skate board ers 2 Sc ra,IP[8 rs n \/1 dec s h 0 at (Oakland, LA,) 01 II

D.] Mal[] fi DJ ] u ~i[ei @I the IB"cl.'Y Area Ra,p SUI m m it (O'Cl,tl.a,n d, .cA) 08 II OJ IB,a,c"kSiid e, 0 - ~R,ay~ 61' Has i '@ IB.ay IAre~a Ra,p Su m m it (O'ak:l.a.n d, [A) 09 II' Yu km outh, Plre'tty

B -l·-: c"I'k' c, S··.'·tl n ii"ii na o::f' T II? I ~ P31C1i. .. lri[Itil-., ~ II) AiILi C Ii~~,::::- rds (:'['5' -a""~ -M'-a"i5\~"-:: 'C'--A" 1 n /./" ~I~"' m" .~ IK.. - - ~I-l c;.'f~'a' m' 'l"· trill the B" A ·R,····IC A~'I, .. ',;;'a· rds ('5':' a""~ -M'- ~·t:-,-: ( C'-A' \ 1- 1 II' Ja 10" ad -Ei~'fJ,~· 'e. ]- ',"C"'d'l- .-, -B: re ez -: jl,,![ U •. ullnJ",. ni!e II;;:I!, ~ ~Ine U,Mri"..J .MW,(l,IJS :.:[[,.n _ ')leO,., .. J ,'-'U '. 111~U __ S~U~. 'U _.,1 IhY ~ ,~!, M.,J. ,lr~'.,lJs.:[.n __ [tJ.le~],-.1 _:__ ":5,g,Nj .-=U5e U J] ,'I 'II "·,,z.e

(Fres no" CA) 12.1/ Th e' Par k ~j' 5.k ralP i gl Youth Up Rils i ng's (hriistlmas gjft :ghn~,,away I(Oakland", (A) 13 1.1 OJ ~]ow ]0 nes, M it[hy SI[i ck, ,5i iB,and.aJid of D!@lm Hood starz on the set of M istah FA,(~"S! ul~ hostri de" vi~d[eIO shoot I(Sa,nl Franci $1['01", [A) 141/ Yu kmouth & T from Exc lus ive Gam,e @ IEve're,tt 6- Jon es B;:e,a. '(O,aktand", [A) 1 S II [1lJ

K=T" ..... G ' .. '. ,.' ,t tiirII *i' .... ' DA IR'S' :no '. 'I ,,.;il. rS: M steo I[A.)' 'iii 6 II·' 1- '. .... -- .. ' tllor ~ k·' ,." ,~I ~ tl· .. ' It c, J '.: .. ",. S'IIOO ro .' -kl- .... 1[' It' 1- '1 "I' ].= D' " :" " &".~, ~ B' I '-: ,~, ~ IMI"" ·t' .' h

, - ! on e' u gues: ~ ~Ue 1[l'.M.I,-=- I'"\wa.rUls l ~ [an ~I"I a, J2'O,~ .. "H .t.. .' I ra,xam 1.1[1 a n '~r ums, g,1 rl~, ~ D:vers' - [iJ 0 nes _' D' ' .. ~c a. 13JluJ.' _ MoJ .' -: - .-1 ggs, rr\1~llOl u _ a,vgalu.e ~ u~~Ii~S.-a. I

FA.B 's f~G hcstrl de" video shoot '(O,akJa.n d" [A) 1 B /1 Iii lla Squad 6" Tiraxaml!i llio n n~ ppin r OZ!Q N IE @ Ba,v An!a R.,ap' Su m m it l( Oakland, (AJ 19 I' R lch i@ Rich ti" M H @ the BARS AW,8Jdis (S,an Mateo" CA] .2.10 II 'Too Short'~E[ho Hattixw m' Mistah FAit on the set olf FA.i8,'s n6hostJ~d,eri' video shoot (o.akl.a.nrl~1 [A) 21/IIBilg [RiJ[h~ IMli'st,ah F'AB~ 6' ]I~r~Ja'sh @ tlh e BARS ,A,~,a~ds: (San M,a'~eo", [A,)

DJ JUICE _ICHMon, CA

hi's. Bay An~~,a (ORE D] has been ushering in. the West coast sound sh rce the first time the West was won, Now,~ over a decade tater, 0] Juice is _ ready to do his part to keep to Ba,y on the map, this time for good"

TeU me about yourself. When~~ are you from and how d:id you get started?

-I' 'Ii d"':11 '5' bo rn 'I In 'S:·,·"":II'ln· Franclsco n-lli1ibl ]-1' rll''I;,J~ 'l'lln, -R'.·"I{"'-h- men d 11-.111" I p rettv m-III" -h r~IP" the

,___c WQ,:__: .' """ I~~ --,'~ILI 1Y- ,_I,lilll;.Y',,, __ 'UIII1!I :_, 1l._11'" _!I!, _! __ II;",,_I _1~ llJyl[L:__: c:_II;;,:I_,_~ y~ !I;;;;i -, IL,._-

W h ole Bay' ,AJ@'ai" I represent th 12' (OiF'S' B]'s~ U] J u ire

Why do you think the 8a'y scene is starting to get. so mur , national attention? Th . Ci -B" aJ'U' -1M ~,Ir' be en d- '0' 'I f"'ii D' the re th '1'1111 g for ::!Ii m 'I "iii I til U ii:! iirrll!:l; the nlr'l;g'll nato rs of

_ .. I~ 'i-'"!'l _uO!~ I...: I~ ~ I. ..: ',,'_i !i!'~; ~m~,~. ~ I ._. _..1:_' 'u _J __ " _ u-,-,~" ~Ih~,' ~. ~- .. ~ V . .1:_' __ I. g,iJ~J _' vi.

the independent game, A~n the p@op,ne vou see doln' the independent game got that 'from t _Ie B,a,y", It's kind of Uke IN @w' York is, now,; just. becau se Nllew

1('0 rk ls n't rnakin' 110 m us lc that's accepted on a maio r scale does n 't m ean it's dead. Ih e Ba'y vJ\aJ,S acre pted ii n the midi ~ 90~s but after 2,P,a,c: d ied in t961 the

Bil'Y kind of get slept on u, .ti~ lest year" It's kind of tike evelrylhiimg comes

in a c i rcle 50 y'OUI j ust got to \\lait y'Ou r tu rn, Just Il" ke rii!g'hrt n Q'W' th @i South is

>0 n to p, it's, 'go nna 00 me back to N!@w' 'York and it's! 'g 0 iii na C'D me back to the 'We.st~ lt's just a cy[Je,~ It's a lot of people 0 ut h ere tlh at have bee n worki ng' th e. whOt~e time just w,aitiing for their time, Now the spotlight is coming back to 'the lBa y and tih'e"y'n! trvi ng to take advantage of' that.

What do you hink is the bigges,t problem in the H~D Hop game is r~ght now?

I th in k lt's the d igijta~ era, Ih e dlig'~ta.l, era has made 'it .5-'0 easy for th e il'V'@'ra.g'@'

t t A- -L t f- t h b A-' -Ib d t' t h G' -' it

,',- :' - I ,,' , i' ," . j , '..:_.' 'I. I .' I '" ,.', . I . "--' I,,' ',' . I', ,~ ,=-, ,,' "" ',' I " .' ,: '-I . ":~' 1_ I "

ta .·0 rap" __ .,0 _ 01_ . _,_I@$ ~ guys ,aJ.r8 gar . ,a,g@~ , JilY . 0_ y can go -0 1._ @ , U li_.ar

Cente'r or the electronic store and buy Pro- Iools, g'et something to record

on ge·t at be at and t hen I'm a ra,'PP@'r'5-::0-'lt'snotm'IK@d-c-rmastelred-]a,'nd-t-he-y

" :' C,' , ',. .' I I' ~ , .'.' 1 c· .... ", I I I I '. ~' I' ".'" "', -, . " 1- "

, , . .:- ',' _- .. ', .:-: " _I, :: _." _ " _ _ .--:- ,I _ _ ,_II ., _I" " . - _ ~ ,- '" _ ' ',' _I _ " " ._- _I 1 __ ,_.< ' :-: ',~ .',' _I _ _ - _- '_. - _ ,:-: '" ', __ ,~_ _ I :-::',

briimg it to D] at thedub like, r~Thiis is the - rettest shit ever, !pl.a'y this." ,A,nd

lt's the same w'a y 'wiith D]s~ That's part of 'w'ha,t th e'y mean when t,h@y' say H Ii P H OIP is d'@'ad. These carts that w,a,nt to DJ!, th@y' d on't Ik n ow' about 'Carry i n g fou r t rat ~ If' I[ n'..r 'Ii J 'I n u I-l']- 'it- n sho 1,01;,1'5' I-'In-' ~ u d-I In n ,rt· Ilr n n III,.,J ~i Ii-.. til ut th 0 st ru g al-l ~ 'y' :'n til ao t i- til

I __ ~ _'"'~ 'Y II \I' ,. II)Y ~ _I. __ 'vir _',~, _ _I_I~, ,_cI!Y _. _ Ii\ __ Iy W ~I!J'ul _.1_. _,I h;;' ~ _ _c_l:'~ _ ~" I, yl _ :~'__ !lui

pay your dues and ShfJ'W' that 'V'OU ~O'v'@ this, shit, And ~J'hiil@ you're lD,aly~ng' your

d III ~ ~ y" '0' 11111 r rn -l D ~, r'n 1'1 n· 'Ci '~1Ii"!i1 d' - 't'-hI n n l.~ II' t.. l:Ii n· \10· ." III i(]'l:II t, yo LlI r' t; m·· ~ 1I n m I' 're f II:!I. ~I d 'U

',_up;;;. j! ,> IU _ ~,I!,;;;,'i!Ji,_ _ _ __ ~ Qn~_ J I'~' _ _w Ii II~ __ ,'1 I ~ y 5;~~' ... -"_ _ ..:W __ 11;;,;'", j U'yl _ '1,;;;: _ ~g. __ ;~

Do you prefer 'v~nyl, CDs or Serato?

[ started collecting records w'!h'@'n E 'w'as B years old. I don't know how, but: when M Wia,s a little ki d, before i reall y kn ew w hat a OJ was" I knew :1 'wan't'8'd

,4;. .... I'iliiJ- A- ,..II th ." -. , ,Ii-.,. . If' " ,.C' , -01]1 . t I Ui, d-' - ~t :-1--'" -t" -k" li'T· iIIn., ···t~ s wh 4;. :-11'

110 u,"' .c Inu I I e'n w u@ J1I 11, saw a··.. ac,uau y :_. 0 L~~,--, wa,s ,III e ~_ w ~al_, s W _ ,a,lL,

want to do~rJ So :1 got ,a, g,a.r,a,!gll fun of record,s and. I: did ii't, M stliH lIIse [H~H:,ords 'f!o'o·~ ~a:'u b'ut' n,o'· ·as'· 'm"1111 [ ~'s-· -[I:' m 1"S9i~ t.-o"·' I-: 5·'tnlnpii4i d' - U5-' 'I no' r-'~iIf"'O'" Irl..AIs· 110: 0: liOf:... ,Q"",f ,t' -h' ([L t· "I m- ~;

t~u ..:_-" _..Ii ww,!!,,:: -' _Il__u _- __ ,~,-':_: !yl-'~l!I L_,~ '-' .:_:_,-ullf"'l~~ ~_ -" :... ~ _1I;;;i,'I!.._ LIII- :_: __- ~. J\IJ __ __- __ ~ ~, ~

proibab-'y two years a'gOo;, You cOllilldln~t ah'J,ay's g'et a :singl~e om a Ife(ord" so I

~ dO" 'U -l dl- -h a UQ t'll,i,~o' tlu f' n' 't~a b· ~I iO e :rJJ nl d-I ~i 1[:-1111 IP- -L~'::!iI u ~ r' f-;o"" r 't'l-h' 0, Ii: ~ 5- o· f' 1- O' e .n, Ii"i 'g' "$' fh· a' t· hill ~ r'ii:!I,

YU',.,'<. __ ,_!,y~ _wIL .. _I[~;]! ~,_i_.:_I~":..1!iJ !-~J~- ':..' _ __-I_'_.;JI~.:'!_ '-c ;:H) !I II: ,'!l, __ ~I,.!_ !!!!l!r~_'E

hot blut: wen! nft: on vi nyiL ]n t:h @' B,a;y Ar@a t:h,i! re an~ so Iman~l ii ndl@p'e!'nd B'nt a,rrtmsts and s,onme, of th!es'E' cats don't: cut vilnyl T. _Iejlr song Imight be g'sttiing

.' '" "'Il '1 "'t, ,-", Ih'· -b"- Ihll···· .,' ",' I····" . t'h" '_.,"·C' ·t,"- bl ,t '·f' I - D:J .'., . ,i",m

aU'IP _ay or II , mll,g.I, !!" 'e 11nOWIlng up In I _@ SlkrEHiLSU _ ~. you on y ,.:_ on VH1IYI[

th e n ylO-U cani't Iplla Y," It's to the' p'oli nt: 'whelre' Ii ke 0 n 1'1 oru~ out of ten IBia,y' area rap IH?~ r.s. cut th'e '" r ,s,ongs on 'Vii nv~" so you §f'IOt to have (ns,~ I sta.rted as! ,at 1m i x'ft~1 p.,. Q, D:' ].- '·tl h-'· ~ f'Iii '111 ,,.iII ~ n"t '''i',n, ("'l-u b-'i': II.~I ,n,~ ,."r m '""'lin m-' "1- ""f1"a. Ip.Q 5" ,·tl'O· .", O' ]- ~ "'lQ ·d·, - 1'0' .'. I\"'i ~ g." III ~'Ii!:",t-' c, no"tstQ, _'I,;: 'J.:.._I-~!I! ,J!!, !!!fI!r~ I. L !],y !b.,.,. ~":':~'! HI y~' J!I, tI y . --l\!!..:.;I··I~:..:.'.:..:.. ....•. \f~ c _!j!l~ .,y~;;)I_ ,,;;m~.:.: -' .

"0'" n' [0' m" , . m' i Qi, 1Ir( m B" -l r'~..-II 'I 01 ::., n' d- n OIIli_iI' '1':' S p_-' 'I ni 0 In'' -(I m r'm l1li c: '5--:'::'1 t,o, mil 'l;tlD f''':II, ,'d:- ","10

~ ... -, I _, ,",,~I ~ :-: _ uU ..... y,,_c .• I!···. 'W •.... .:. !!I!~ . _I Jw_ WI;l!i,;Jli ,- ,~, I~U._,t;: _'I!;J ..... "

What's the mla~n differ-e _[f [bletween sateUite radio and regular ra.d6o from i3l OJing perspectjve? no you play mostly Bay Area millS' C?I

S'at.e Uiile radii 0 ~,s pn!tt,y mUlch a gre'en llight to n sl'v@ryt:hii ng; 'th e'y I[et Y'ou ipta'v

h;l! h" ':11,'1- £!i,U,iCi,iW" U'lnIU- W' ":iI'nt-' o'-'n t-II... c,'ro Be- o iii 111 a f'rn -m' .1).. iCI B:' ':111\1' ·A", r-;C,~ o'-'f'~ riO"'lJIl:"C' iCI ~ 5'" U pnO rt-' m" 'U

'll!¥ ,y, I,~ '!o!I !;; I!! "v· . tlII. I _ I, . '.' _ III.!;; . '~" • 11;;' ~ :::J I 'v _[ U III!!;" 'Y,J - ~ ~"J 11,,;,.' !I ;!I'1!1;" ~ . .' . IE"' - I , - ~ ,J

n2·gj'o n" but I: aJs,o got.ta pl~,ay whaes hot,

Bo you stiU DJI pa.rties?'

'~I{ealh~ M DJ for palrtiie,s, I, throw my OWIII p"a,rtih2S,; rm thl2 'offilr[ialllNortherrn [a.!lli ....

10 II OlONE WEST

fornia [)] for IR,em'y IMartin cognac, I DJ fOlr a I[ot of' ~o(all cats Il~k:,e, 'loo i$lhort, ':ill n'" ''Ii' r Un d'i nlil;O m' '"I vt-':rIi nell:" 'hi r "\t-' h 50 m iO b '"I a In a m' ,0 a' r*' "I' st-·s I" m k;Oj .[ h ':::iii m' ~ [ l'"1 n, n ':::iii m r'o '11"

t;I!,\ i IIU ,,!l 'I,jf~ .... Iy .. ~ .. ··1 ,i\,1 :~rrl- ~Ii!i; .. " _ lit; I, I '6 ,I',::. ·~:::I_ l' ;' ~w:'!:;. 1 . U . ,I ul uw-~ .. ,,Il

n]el,.;jll 'a:t-' t-'~e' IG-'-r'':!II'm'm'u~' t"h,ll, B· mllllb;,na--Ir.;o;l AII;·I,~~'i!"ds'·- R~I:~dl'"lo··· ~llI'S' "Ie AhJ'~ll"d' 's Aim' it:! r"1C· ':iIin"-

u,. -lI!I .. 1, I ,WW " ,u, 11_ I .. ,,',:JI, III~ '. W,,~ ·v .1, IJ . VI!!"UU: ,,~ I. U . I ~I~I~ ' .. '. '!II'I!IUIII' ", ,. , ;I!;; . 'u

MIIIS·1i A'· ... ·".:.Ii rA s a nu ['A' w::IIll!"d S h 0'1, ... ,1] t- ,I}.;, -:lilt h· ':iIS IH'"11n! H n p '1"1 iri "I't- 1Ji'r III d IIiiIi t-'I-.. iCi In iI",o P'=-ft- '\]

U,·',ILH'Q ·'IJ",":!-i· , . :_y,{' ' .• 'W' ·.IIII~1 Ij,UI,," -I IIr"I = u_ III1 I ,~ ! _-', •... ~ III'!:;. f..,dll1;;='iiU, - ,j

Oir the aft,elrp;a.rty'" I did thl2 OOBA AU~Sta.f' galm'e in Denver- ,a,na At~anta, I pretty'

m·-- . u- I[ h ,a 01 la=!, l.l 0' ~: ~ r-' tl- - e' 1m' a,.' n.

. . III~, .. _ v~ ... II.lt""lO

I~ your oplini'on, w'h,at i,s the best part about be'~ng a D]?'

Wh'2 n I "1 rst started at:s a kii d b uyiing reoo rd 5., I n evelr to oke d at D]· n-g' ,a,s a (aJe!er .. I~y' whol.,e int1ent: from the beg"'nning w,d,sn't to m!,ake mloney off tlh~s

S' h~ll~ I m" ':II"" Oi m,m v't- '"3 -p i1!i1i5' '.:ii, n'" ·d· I hJQIU [..!11 gmu,o ':II'lil':i,'U' m··· ns,-t-' 'o"f t'w,..,,o m' b'· 'e('~llI'S iii:!!; '17 J"'IU"S' 't'-

" . I!I.., .. IU.'UII!;; 'II IW,n, u. _!Ii:" Ig.. 'IiI'III..' _,U_,Po!' ~ QIIA!';U" . \;!!'- ,I . .... I .I111~'t:: I I.. a,'~ ,,!l ~ .;: ,I,

w:d,nted mutha'f'tII[lk;as to h,12'aJ 'what I: Ilo\JrI~d 'tal d o~ M jus't love nJlii ng~ ,m [love

. ':~I f!iIL,.' 1'1 il,"- ':" ·,t ,.- I't' " '"t·'Ij ,. -kl"I·" ' ... ····h'·· .: "I'·. lb" 'f ,- "(. "to, . ··a,c'. II

mlJ 5 c. I' OW IP e 0 P _ e ge. lUll ,0 III tOi ml(L e miD n e y \AI I ,e r e as I e on~ II, W ,,$ ,at _"

about thl2 l,love ,of DJ i ng" blJ,t I "fI2 e~, that' ilt !has! to (OmJl2 f'r'o'm t:tWrl~ heart" It (.an't be aU about 'm 0 nIEP~l. How' many' P eOIP be Ican a.ctua, l, l,y' say th,e'y"'re wa rile""

"'-, I'" 'ill'h' ", 1;;0lIl·-,··" . ,', ~ b' d' ,"","'-." ." h· '-. t-'h' Ill" t-····'·d 11 E'" _-, -. : I'd-' " i, ·,-Ik···· I Id

ng ,a~ I~ Ilelf unE!,am JlO ... OU"ilg W at!~ .. I ey lcoveo '··0. dJery .. ay ! W,d,e up an

r'm rviing a dr,e·atm;~ II'

Words by Eric Pe- r:in Ph,oto by Kawai Matthews

DIll Too S;hort & Iraxamittlon '@ BARS ,A,'w,ards ,arterparty (Oakl.a,nd, [A) 02 II M istah FAB a Wendy' .o,ay ltil Ba;y Ar@,a Ra,ip SUlmm,it (Oaktand, [A) 03 1'1 Kilo, D,errick, Ma'C MaU~ 6" [Ray luv @ Youth UplR ish1 g (o.ak:la,n d, CA) 04 II Pta:ya R,ae' 151 frill:! nds replP i n' OZO'N E I@ is,a'y A.re,a Ra,[p Su 1m m it (O,at:l,(j,n d, fA) 05 lllaj u an, OHs 5,i m mons, & Mistan EAIB, @ YOMth U!pRisiing~s (hristrnas gift giv8laway' fO,ak.la,ndf fA] 06/1 Ke;ak. da Sneak 51 ['2l~s;ki '@ B,AR.S A:wlards [San Ma1teoJ (A,) 0'111 The, Jacka 6- Portia

te·: -.!u"'l' I' ~I Uil 'S=:" '-I tt ",,,:, c f"' - lillA' 'R~'S:" A' ,', ',',' 'd! ':, "-,'f">IIr " ",,-~", I~'O- Lr'I~: 'I'" (=;I!i'i IfHl II' T~"" ", IP-' ' .k - ~"l .",' .,.. "' '0-,7'0-" N:" E 'ti-l-. I' -'t'II,J' n'fk"",-"t<,~," I ,,A' ~,', " " 5-:: ,,-, - I '-"r.I' I O'i " ii!..'!I, ' ,Iii 'CecA"~ )" JI'lg:, tel

~lrW\,a,[1u ~ ,even een or D, ",I ,Wa,ILs, a, lelrpar,~y ~"al\ll2:Ulu, .. j!1,~ uo,. 1~le. ,a,c .... re,p[:nn ... ,L," . on 1~lille ,se . Dill Jj,aeull,ClJuerS c ,(ralpers \,. a,~~ilnu, .'. IU '".

Pr'lettv Black i Thel R,egime @ the BAR,S A'waw'dls (San Miatleo~ CA:)' 110 II E~40 & )'~Diggs, I@I Youth UpRi~s.ing,lS' (hr'~istlma.s. giif1t '~ivelawa,',y (O,ak,![andl, [A) 111/ too ShJort. 6- friends ~ the BARS Aw,ar'dis (Sian Matl2o, CA) 1211 M!i'tchy 5UI[,k & Mistah F'A,IB, on the set of l~'Gho$'tridl@P (San Frraneiisco, CA] 1.3 II Yuikmauth 5r DOT @ the B,ARS A,ward:$ (Sa,", IMlateo, CA) 14// B~g' Rii'[hi, Mistah FA"B" HU~:U~t ,m IKulZ:'Ci Oin the set of '·~Ghol,str~ider~ [Oakland, (A) 15. II Ganlg:sta Brown 6- Too ~Sbort (Oa,lk~and~ (Al' 16// KUJa, Squad '@' Ba,y Area, rap summit '(OatJ,arid~ [A) 11' II Ke'ak, da 'Sneak, i5i Idola @ Keak,ls, bllrthda,y Iparty 18 II Gtu:e u M~,sta,h f.A'8, @ the BARS A,wards I(San IMla,~' 'teo, (A)! 19 II Auntif~ ]l~Dig!gs. U OUs S"imlmons, @I Youth UpRis~ing,rs (hrl~stm,a,s gin g!i'u12',aw.ay I(O,a~.l.a,nd" [A) 20 II OJ T!ito ~i~H & D]I Rick tee @ (~ub Ab'ys's' for Tito's b~lrt:tI d ay bssh (Su rmnyval.eJ i[A] 21.11 tu pcake loo :$ tI Oft, a liis, 5iim,imons" IB,QOil 5r gUlest @ Yo uth U pR.isi! n g~js [h rtstrnas 'gift giivleawa y (Oa.k~and, [A) 22 I J B,ajl[eYJ T

F 'I' ,'" 'i:. J V Il" -, 't" : ,,' ~(F-" I (A '~I ') 3:' II" I:' ',: ", "r [h'll ~~ (" - I Ii~ c. A~ ,,' ntl ~ v th Ui ' n",,' '~' (,n "k'~ , ,'d, (Ii '\ n~!2Ima,nJ ur~, d1 EH] Jne :' n?S,nO,:-M.j ,t., ~ 'C" Ion,,; " I u[~,~_a:SU(h ... u. mp Ive' ~ wOUI Jil_ prdS,lng ,UO',lllan,_ ,I' -MoJ

PII...,t, ," '(, I'~ 'jH'" 11\= R' I" ~'rrll "1'3" 10" 5, i'lg" 1"1 11 ,] 11 13.:" 1- i" 'iii i:j l' 1- 'g' 1"1 "I-I '111 1'3' '~I' ]. 'I [" ,I Bi, "" ~I,'" i'f'illl- 1l1"'li1..1 '0"'116 01;' IIi"'ii:B": '1 r:; ,] :8'":1)'1 !nO _,0 C"reuhi,s,., ua,y \U,l;,U,r ' "II'IJ" ,Jy"" ' II' c, ",IfIl"IIUJlJI'~, ", ,i.UJ',""lI'l.l. ... s: ~ ,~J -UI!(I, _: evehY ~,u, ,,1U'!Jr~, '~",IJ~ -a'" J~ . _ "

e

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,

:

~.II -made moguls

(REAlI G MOVEMENTS:

STRETC-_ OF T_- IZZ ENTER _AINMEN _

~ t was F@bruar~~,. :200'6~ and Ihizz N,atiion had flown me out. to the' ,Bay Ar'E!a so 'M I(:oulld SfH~' the h~l'p hy moverne nt u Pi close ind pe rsonal, I wa,s stan d ~ ng '~ 10 n the ba - cony wa:tc.h ii n'g' a rap per sau nte r ~ nto the hote l 'for au r meeti ng. H ~ was 0 bv i oust y a rapper judging fro m his extre mi@lly' high l.'@VI@,I, of c harisrna, and he W,i),S flanked by a tall dark skinned man and an outgoiin'g w'm~t'e' boy. Thlsy w'e re on ti me fe r DU r rne e.ti ng" but b @[aUS'E' ever~"on,e els e' 'was late, lt made them seem e,arty~ As :1 met them ln the IlolbbY'l we ehatted about all

th ~ ngs ~ n d us-try' related. ill W,aJ,S 'i m me d iatel Y' ii m presse d 'with how much these 'gll:yS knEr~~}' about the industry and putti __ g our records. UnUk'E' most people I m est €rv'eryda'Yl th ese guys tnJI- .'1' stu dii ed the i nd u-stry' ,ind the 'D ha.y'IErrs

i nvotved. That rapper was 1M ~ stah ~ - 8" and he w:as. 'w'if J his manage r, Stretch, an d h ls bu sin e ss partne r, G,a.ry Arc h er, who i 5, i'n charge of aU of Fab's rad ii 0 play,. At the time, Fab and K@ak da Sneak wer@ the two Bay Ar@·a, artists being courted the heaviest by the major labels. Stretch wa,s leading that charge'.

manship since a live shlow can't be bootlegge d, aflldi 't b d Il" t dl 'It" th

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('aJ,n-, ue I upu ra -,e' ~ ,1- 5- e

one aspect of income for an artist that remains strong lit hie has a good show;

At 30lf, Stretch, who insists his 'goV'@rrrum'@rlt. name wiU ah,Jay's remain a m'ys,'~

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terv, is 'very wiis@ for hiis ag,e'~ Born in an area of Call~'f'ornii called Seaside', be

tells mil! not, to g'e't it t.wisted because aJt,hough the name rns very' p'retty' and swe,@'t sounding, he assures me that he's from the ~ionlly' rough part of the

n lee part ~Ir As~ d e from mana gi'ng' M istah FABl Stretc h i 5! aliso a partne r ~ n the most, SIUCC:i!'5,sf'IUlll lndie label iin the IBay ATe,a, (and the country, if Y'ou consider 'the 'fact that th@'y have i ndependent distri butio n from ,C!1 co m!f.)"any not affili ~ ated w'ith any major labet), ,alJ't~'y named T __ izz Nlatiion~ once owned by hJ[a~ icon and rapper Mau:: Dre. Stretch is tall and dark skinned, w'iith a 'wo,nde.rflU~ sense of humor and a very humble demeanor. He and Fab constantly are entertaining me wiith their back, and forth Q!uips that make them $'I!'8'm more like brothers than business associates.

In] ,e a~ 'rid l c j:' 5~ C tret C' l. II .... n- - n,-w-'~ In, :;:l! U I ~1..!Ii;;JI iii ,JI , I;; !Il.. ,IJII Ill!. , u', .;Ji

that: - Ii:!), StU ((,ess. has [DIM"e from s'tud~v~n'g 'what' others are do i ng an d app l )ding' iit to h i s a rti sts, and l~ m ert ha n d ~sii In g lis an area where w,e' ~e,ave mone:v on tbe table consistently," he savs, continuing, "I studi ed Tech 'Ni9In!e's m errhand I s,lin'g' be call se he ma kIE':S' m ore money 1'111 me rth sales tin a,n he so m et.ii mes gE!,t·s to do a show,. M Bl,~:S,O stu d ie d Insane [low n Posse', 'Thie.y diid a 3 day festival arn1ld sold half a million dOUaJ5, ,iin merch,

Th ey have, ] u galncs (a ~Qtya~ fa How i ng 'Of fans that e·ve n 'g'arn'E r asp e(~·fi ( name to tonsider themselves], l.ook at n~lps!et~ 'Tlh,e'y have ,a huge fOllh)w~ng of' a loval fan base, espec i all yin IH arle m, Tlh,e'y [an rna \fII! ~ rapaloos' if t'hev

u nderstand the value, v,a know? That's just D erause o.f the SILl bCILI ltu re itse If in Hlp Hop, Fans wanna be accepted but: they' walllna bel diiff'erent W,!:, need to offer me rchandise t, at w'iiIl be -s;ele In as exclu s,hlle 1 b ut not: too. exdus i'Ve, and nut '(0 rny'~ Riight niQW~ th e best gear is 'too exdus live. 0 n ~,y the gangstas (an afford it, IRegul.ar fans can't a.-ffolfd the best 'glea,f',,''''

Thizz Nation has remained independent and turned adlv'ers~ty into SUI[[@SS ,e'v@'n w ~ _III!n th e Ilargest star 0 rn th e n,ab e~ w'as, 'gun n ed dow n i m Ka.nsas C:ity 0 n H,al.Loween niig'ht iim 2.004,. T~H!y,Jv,e' ml,a:na,g'@d ·to keep, Mla[ Dr@~'s i'lmage ,ative i('Stret,ch was weari'ng ·a, [pair -of Aii r F'o~n::@ Ones w'iitm M,a'C DIm-iFf'S fac@ an d n,amle'

s i ~k, scre 8'nled aU over th elm~ a _ ~d a 1J,~,ati nurn c __ a" n w!ith 1M it Dn~fi'.s, f'ace elm b @o ~ ded witlh dmamonds,) wh~l·@ Mla[ Ore. comp'et@s w~th TlJpa,[ for rUJmlbil!r of post mort@lm n~'~@a:s.es froim a rap'~)I@r., Isnrt it iirronic: that th@,!/ ar@ bot'h from the

B';~lY ?

:1 n 21003, " trM] ac D re off (~aill·y - II re i(~ St ret c: hi to 0 rga n liz e Th i Z2' 00 at len Stre t ch help ed tlh e m bu Ii ld a. stu d io ii rn Wiest: Oakland, W t~H~ iii I asks d htlW they si gned all IOfr' th e a rtists, Stret(ih ex p lam ns that Thiizl W,8J,S: never meant to be a label, but' a "distribution [Q-OP" of sorts. Each artist at Thizz ~s bis or her own bOS5~ lhey aU own tlhe'~lr o'wn '~abe~.s. Thiiz,l lis' ju,st the [[Jnii·fv~ng umblr,e'~ta

that: bri ng's, 'f:'V'E ryone tlO g,eth e r- so ttu:~ d i strri bUllO r on l,y' has to d:t;~,a l wi·th one Olr t'w'o p'eo pte, i nst'2ad, o.f 'e'a [h, i nd ivild u,al,81rti:st a,nd table t IWe If!ret 'th I ngs;, (he,a,IP,er ibe,cause of the, 'vollumler. an,d K,Ho ,and I offer adv'i(e a,ndi help iin

pluttil ng 0 u't records 5~ nee 'w'le,I've belE n do I ng it: rOlf so to ng slu[Ce'SSfLll U~I',,"

ThtZl ha,s put .out cl.o:$,e' to se'venty' [IDs Olver 'the years" IIIn the Bay', we aU work \An:~ U wii'thi each! otlh,e r,. It's not falke" it,~IS, reai,f fl St:r'2tch ,a,dd s" ilWe a ~ wo rk t'l:lg'e'th e'r, 'We, a!p p,ear- on ea[ih rOt'he r:s'" reilleas.es,. and we .aU h,e ~p ea.c:h ot!h,e r w~th our Pi Jroj etC ts,. It ju,s.t' mad'e sens·,e, tOI brl'ng ,eV-E'fY'Oll1e to'ge'ther under 'Thi'2Z IN ath], nt" Pi ~ us, MI a It: DirE w,a 5 hlV'f d Il ii k e t hat: by' eov e IrYO ru~" ,.,

Stn2tch got: sta"rte d iin th 12' m u Siic. m n d ustr," in 119:97 by IPutting out r@'CD rd So ~Adth a t~r,a,II1iS p l,ant'e,d a,ft!ist, fromJ M e,m p h~s ca,U.'@'d Bli g: Ti mire. At'tholl gh they 510 l,rn

o'v@'r 10~OOO CDs OJU't of the trunk of th1eiir I[ars~ St:n~tc:h thou'ght this, was. ,0 FaHur@~ Hie d'e'[~de'd to att-Iend iindustr~l'[Onv@nfons s,uc:h as BRE, (,dong' w'itih

MI B'SSY MaJv, Too .$ ho rt, M at Mia l-,,~ laI,n d oth,@ I" Ilo c.~d sl!I'cl[ess s.torii'es)' ,to ~@.arn as; m u r.::h ,a,s h'e' co ul d a bout th eJ musl~[ ii nd ustry so h@ COlli l.d1 St'8 P h iis gamle U D.

Af ~er a ChaJ1Ce' meeting Ion a flight home from Las Veg\a,s; Ma[ Ore olffere,d to

h @lllP St,r@'t,c h put ,out rs"[ords.. Thjs Il,e d 'to a n~lati 0 ns h i IP w~'th Ma,l( D rers oth @IF p.a.rtn@r ~n Thiizz Natiion, KHo., Ki~o birOU'~'ht Stn~tc:h on board to' h@lllP Thizl N,a.'tiitOn., lh@y' started by ~'Iutting 'out miix,@d ta,p'e's"" ,a,nd when Mac Dn3 heard what th flY were wo rk i ng un,~ h@ had to be' .a :palrt of it. ~'Two day's aftelr he g,avl@ us B, songs for ThJz:z' Illation IVo,ll: ,and .2~, IMa,,( Dre was glJnne,d down in Kansas. C~,ty/~ Stn~tc: J somberly' informs mlEL

]n fact" tm e IBa,y· artiists ,alie kn Clwn 1.or wOllrk~ n g 'we ~ w'it:lh lO"thelr:s~ e'VE!'n o lilts ii d e of th'E' B,a,y Area .. I.iIf 0 n e of IlJ 5, d DfS S S'D'ngs wii,th ,a I[o>ca l,a.rt:ii s't ·from, s"arYj' Ka,n:s~a,s (ity'~ th ey w'ill~; fillr:st 'of al[" ~et e've ry'on'E know' that tih-'E'Y kru)w ILl:S,,/' hie sa,ys,_ '~~rhen~ 'they' wiilU '\N'olik h!i3,rd to b~o"w up our rel.e,aJ.se' be[,QJ,UI,S,'E they' w,ant that: 'v'eJF'S £:1 that t -ley' got to h!a,\('f the most v-a,lu!e po':s,s i b~e. lh~ll .a.rtii,s,ts. 5 pend ,a l.'ot of t Ii nill'e' ii n th e' Pi c ifi c NIl 0 rt h w"e :s,t an din Ka, n 's la,s I( i ty . n Th 'e 'f'act th at Ka,n:s,iI,$ [ity' iis the SE'coirnd lalr'~l~st imalrket fo!r O,ay Area rap'pers, iis SlulilPlrislilflg t:o Im'E!,f bUl[' 'Stn~,tJclh blr.f~'d1ks it do-wlnI sii m'1l1y for me m ilMWe sta rted Irn'etworkiilnl'§!"

,CJlnd sUPIJu)irt~ng that ,a.rE'a~ W'e d~d sholws a.nd splent t~[m'E iin that Imark'E't We

t t, .. - ~ ,t, VI( SIi"'iI 'th- ifrioll ~mll..l!"'~[If'L..I IIIif' f-ullu' N~w Vnr-k- h'~f:' nthnll'" nr-",nr-""lt',DIir'

pU I ,me ~n~D .11\,: I_U' L! Ilbj ~ ,tJilil;it. 'IGU! u;;a, 1,-, '1" ~, ,01", g.:~ 'u' - '~~ ~I ,ul ~.~

bes ides K,aHn s"as Ciity', alrnd 'th e So,uttm is bUls·y wO'Jrld n g Ire (]Jllrds. iiln th e South, and the Midwest iisnJl f,CH: u,s, ii In 'g. on Kans"as Ciity' ib'ec .. a,ul.se 'the IM"dwe',s,t 'iis G,angsta

[l ilscw p Le s. and V" (Ie La rd s,~ ,arm d K( ilS, (IriilPs ,and Bllo,od s'~ Any g,anlg·_ bangiing'

(om mu n ilty su IPiP'o,rts th e' S,ay" e'v'en th ou gh we alre n't ,a, g,ang leu ~t.ur'e in the 8a'y" rme·y'd SliIIPiPO.rt al11Y West [0,3.51 ,a,Jrtl~sts'~, we'n~' just: the [HrU~~S IPutting in tlh'E' t:ij m e ,and do i ng' tin e s - tOWS,_ r\~'

Il"s obvmous iin speat'ing wii'th Stret:ch that his, SIJ([@SS· jis based in hiis knowl.~ 'e!,dg@ ,aun d ill ndl,e. rrst.and'i ng of th @ mllJSi~[ bu s'i n @ss" 'i'~l ha'v~ ~@arn @d as m u eh

a,s :1 caJ,n about diigjtai, riig'ihts Imanagem,ent 'and new t:@[hnolloi~~J8'Si because. I understa,nd iits imp'orta,nC'E to th.e' ne'w ,musii[ busiln'es,s~'" 5:tret[ih ililforms m!@. '~I:] hav'e st:udiie,d toulriilii'g' ,a,nd meF'(ha,nd~s[ing from thosi8 \'v'ho came before and SU'CCfH! d ed at th'8s'e' i IiU:O m e r'8ve n u e $t[n3alm·s~ In fa[t.,~ for tlh e nlext 8 months, .I p l.an to re''s,€ar[ih rQ ck shows and [OIU ntry s hoW's to SIr!! e In ow' t: . ey hi1J.VI@' .s u[cessfu Uy blJ iillt t.rn,@,j'r tou ri ng and m'@ rcihand i s"~ n g comlPon@ nt.s., 'I want: ,to re'volut'ionii2'e toulriin'~' mn urba,n musii[~ HleU[f. !D',arve Matthews S"a,nd goes out 'IJ'n 3.3 c:iit~l tcn~n; ,a.nd ml,ak.'e's ,a.bout S,900~OOO ,iI show ~]erforml~n~' lin front of .3;O~OOO'+ fans at a tillm@., W'ihy can;t '~!n3' do that: iin U1lrba,n mUlsi;[?'~

He goes on to' dilscuss 'touring., U'W1th Miistah fAB", w'e' do S;hOW5, (onstantlly~ and now FAIB ii:5 g'E~'ttiing S,S"ODO i :slh ow, ,d [OUIP lie ti mle 5, a l"H~'elk,~ U hie sa y5~ I\~'H E! sta,rted OlJt by do~ n S f'rre £1,1 S h OW,S~ but h e real~y ro[ k~s h iis plerformj,81n ['e s~ f o~ks b eg,8J,n as,kii m g h 11m back 'fo,r S 5,00, tih,e n $l"OOO~ Nlow h,e has '"'IJ [IU rre nt re[o rd OlUt but g'2ts, $5',01001 la, s,how~"t He [ontiinu,es ,to stres,s the. imlPortan[e of: s.how .... ·

Two year!) rJlftelr 'tbe mlUllr.rn,e'r of M a( 0 re., thle B,a,y Area is reg,ajn,j ng m u en a.,ttent'iion 'fro'ml th,e' industry. lhe~ hY'lphy mo\n~m!ent iis bringjng· the fiu:n ib,u:k, ~nta' hii'lfJ ho~)~ ,a,mdi drii'Vi~lg the ,adu~t's and ju,st~lce sy'st'e'm nuts ... And Thlill Nla _ t:ii'cUl has bee n :su p p l.yiiln'g the so u n dtlracik. to' 'that :m (lVemlf nit: fO'lr YleaJs, W iith a, man ii!k:e Sttret:ch ,as a p',artn'E'r in this I[Olmpany'" itrs; 1110'1 diffil,[ullt: to slee' 'why t:ltu~ly,I've be,e'l11 :5'_(] ,s U (ICeSSful ,Over th e ·years~ Jo,o S ho.rt: hasl mad e truii:5, m en/'E' b,ack t~ th,e' ,B'd);Y to tu~np mlCl,k'E!' thi's attentiiorli fr-llJ~tflUt 'w~'th his frulew' ~abelll,i' s·o th,e're iis nowhe:rE' fur the, D:,ay to go but up,., Aftelr a~ J th1e'tt started t:his iind'E!'JJle n d f'nI'(lf i rru rap mov'e,m e' nit back i [II the eaJr~y '90,s. Now it.'s, tiilm E' feu· th em tiD finaUy' plr,ofiit b'ig from it~ II

121/ OlONE WEST

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ROU'

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14, II OlONE WEST

W ~~~tb:Oern ah~~~i~~ a~~~tDt~i:o~alhfr~~t~~V;~he

upswing or has it stalled out?

IJm, from AtlantaJ: dawgm I don't re·ally' know nothi ng about anvthing else.

A- Town, shawty,. [Iaug'hs] Naw; the Bay Area movement right now is definite y on the upswing. You' I~ see a tot of artists getting deals. (~yde [arson iust re[entty signed with (ap,~taL You've got The Pack over at Jive, E -40 and The Federation at Warner Bros., The Ats over at lVT" and me at Atlant c. That's a

be autifu l th i n g' fo r a re gi 0 n while re a C'D U P le YElli,rS ago we had no m a] or labe l. exposure. Hopefully 2001 [an transla e to some nice sales and a big buzz.

JUSlt group·ng together, I believe in strict codes, like the mob. What.ever

you go through in he mobil YOli keep that in you r own home. I wish other people had that mentality and w@re raised on those' i denlogies. The Bay is, like a mob .. Where I'm from in Oakland. it's a real mo b~ You can't be from

Oak land and nat be aff i ate d ~J'i h rerta i . pe 0 p le. 1M est of th e 10 eo P Lei that

sit in the rircle don't have nothing to do with musir. They ju.st have a say-so on WhOIS going to represent their [;ity~ 50 to answer you r question, ~t may

be inner issues that's go~ng on in the bay Area, but I can't be the person to point the fi nger, 'We~rf: a family~ Bay Area.. Sometimes brothers feud and fight. Sometimes people don't alw,a,y,s see eye to eye~ But at the end of the day~ thel camaraderie iSI what wle~re larking, We have to be able to hit a city w'ith 15 Bay Are·at artists and an entourage of 50 or 60 cats all from one region. It's really nothing to attract somebody to the Bay Are,a. We don't have any' main attractions. A person wou ld lose the ir love for the Bay if they came out there in search of something, What we [an do is take what we do to nt er people's cities and show them what 'we~'re about, . f we (an just all get together and be on the same page and go out 1'0 these other cities, it would be a beautiful thi g.

Why did you dec' de to ~(Ign w~th Atl,ant[rI:J

The way my d eal "'5 set u p w~th At~a nth: . .5 da m n n ear ~w ke a d. i stri b utio n d eat I've got an Asylu m d e,a l but with At antic, I have th ings set up to wh e re I' m sti ll able trJr do my independent movements and the things that already established me aSI a Bay Are'a artist, My deal is still structured in that form [as an ,. n d epe n d e nt] but th'I?'Y· re ab le to u pstrea m me if p'O:S5~ b l e' and ha ve

the first choice [of signing me, to a. major]. So I gnt a nke deal, At the enid of 'the day., the main thi 'Pg is, 5.E,l rnn'g' records. Even if V(Ulr'f just pushing a single and living 'off your ringtnnes and digit,at [sales], that's your main thing. You

h ave 1.0 ge ne rate sal e S'J both fn r yo. U an d you r ta.b e l, (au 5 e that wa y' Y,[)'U ke e p both parties hap py,. N owad ays 'you 5 ee a tot of pea p le with big pro mati 0 n and big b uzz, but th e.ytre nat 5 e~~ ~n'g reco rd s. N ob 0 d y is rea II y selli n g re cords in the industry no more. You have to take advantage of' every opportunity that presents itself.

Just Hke the South, the Bay has traditlonallv not received ill to' of' media. coverage because aU the media outlets are so concentrated in New York and Los Angel.es~

Yeah. it's hard. The main [cities] ri'ght now are 'NI2W York, AtLanta, L.A., and

H ouston, In the Bay Area~ there a 12 no main attrartio ns .. There are no major labels in the Bay Area. So we're stuck tfvinl to get L.A,. cats to feel us out. If' you unde stand the lstorv of [aliforn~ar Northern and Souths -n Iatitornia have never seen eye to ey'e. Thsi r main thing is that they don't want the hyphy movement to be bi'gg,er t an what it is a~ eady. They're tP!;(ng' to keep, the press to a mi nimum as much as possible.

The B Cl,y Area h as high ex pe rtatl ens ,of arti sts ni ke K.eak da 5 n e ak and you rse If as the 0 nes that are su p pes e d to b reak th ro ugh an d 0 pen the d 00 rs to r everynne else. Do you feel pressu re to succeed on behalf' of' your region? Keak. is a pioneer, He's someone w - 10"5 taken a style that people initially thought w,a.5 awkward and off-the-wall and has influenced our genre of music, EVEn if he never sells another record 'or never signs to a major label, he's a pi o n E e r. He's alread y had hi'i 5 j e rs e"y reti re d. He's one of tho 5 E ~luys that sti U plays the game wit their jersey "n the rafters. We respect him, He's, th e pe OPI Ie's champ an d we're a l~ rontin' fo r h" m., W h atever hap pe ns n ow, it's no p re 55U re fa r him b ecau se tU~"5 already donie what h e' s d one. W heth elf h ei' becom e a re g,i ana C E le b rity 0 r a we rtd w~ de, [E leb rity, Kea k da 5 n eak wi II

a l ways be a pa rt 'Of th is whl[) l e m ave'm e,nt in h isto ry. As filr as me.; preSSIUf,f

i's j1ust expec,tations. Sometimes peoJl e expect so Imuch from you that they begi'n to ho d t leir am:bit~ons ,and motivati ~ns, and put it: on your sho,u der~L Sometimes they' cam't tak.e stuff on themselves ,and they 'ne:ed an outlet. Pres.s u re is .Fe all Y' an ex D e'ctati 0 n of oth.E rs" ~~ ke p e 0 p le who explle [ted E - 40 to take th e hy'P hy m ove'm e nt tiD th e n ext l.ev'~ l. T ere wa.s a lot of p ress.u re 0 n h~:m. Whether h~ to,ok tha.t and digested tnat hi·msel.f, that's on h~m. I: don~t feel l~ke if's no pressure oln me, c.ause r'm ju.st dQing what. r've always done in creating music and being me. Being me hasl got me this far, so why stop? There is no Drelssur~.

Do you think L~A,. 'f'ee~s, like the Bay Area is going to overshadow what h,eyrre doi'ng?

,A at of' the LJ\. [(115 are embracing It! believe it or not. T ere's s -.~l.l deep y~ rooted Southern (aH'fornian's who are never going to see eye to ecye with the Bay. But vou've got [ 05 Anlg·el.es] DJs llke fe'lr 'Fel. and Hornebov MigueL who are taking a chance by p_a.ying· Bay Area music, and it's defin~tt2l_y helping us out. (arts likel Snoop Dogg and other people who have b~g' intluences in Los Angeles are embracing US~ and that's beautiful. Snoop hopped on my a bum just f'OF ttU? tovle, ,500 thai w'as a b,eautiful. thing~ It w,osn't on no 'industry shit,

it was love., We can jus,t ha.ve one sound under that one urn IreUa~ .Just like crunk mus,·[ - there'ls many d'ifferent sou nds u nde [runk, but they p'ush It .as a move'm'ent. You got T.I., you 'got Jee·zy, and they may not (onsider them·_·

Sd~ l ve 5 ~r cru n k rI but t:hat's th,e u m b re Ua. th ey~ re un d e r.

Who e~.s.e ~s on your album be's· des Snoop?'

Fabo from B4L, Trey Songl, Too $ hart, E-40~ Damn, I got so many songs~ ~t's go'ing to be a. double [D~ I'm '. ryi'n'g 'to finali,ze ~t.

W'ho are somel of th,~ k,~y players, i'n the, Bay movem~~t that th~, rest iQf th@ (0 U ntrv' m iglht not be ,a,warel of?

There a.re sf!!veral. other ,art~sts,. but a lot of 'the DJis p lay a big part too~

Rerg'a rd le.ss of m,'y p,e rs (] na.1 re lat~ 0 nsh i p tOr cats l'i k'e Big Va n ] 0 h nSlo n, he has· ,a b'ig rol,e in the move ment because h,e's a mllS,~[ director. He reaHy get.s the say-so on what plays and what breaks. (ats lik'E Rick Lee, OJ BackSide, 'OJ

] u i (eJ.' a.n d lij lot of othe r DJs ha \I e a maj 0 r ~ nflu e'n[e ~ Th el re' 5 an abu ndancf: of tal,le nt in [a l iforn ia.

What abollt plrodu(t~on? Who did you work w'ith?

M got Dr'oopy~ E-40's so'n~ Hefs i(razy wmth the beats now and his stye ms (onstantl.y e'vo ving. I got: that: boy Irli!uca'mi~Hon, wha~s known as the U yphy" be.atm a k,e r~ M [ove ish u m il~ty b I?CClU.s e Ie n E!ve·r t( e.s to 11:ak e [red it: to

the [ y,phy] sound~ He just d·'d him and played hi.s pa,rt~ I got my' in~ house producer Rob=IE', who is one of th,e most phenomenal. prOdU(ElrS [out hereL M think he, i'5, a prod~gy~ He has a gre,a.t sound~ He's dop'e~ Shawn T, he rer d my single ~IG'host R~ de It~r' We ju:st shot: the video fo r it~ .It's crazy., Young' L from the PICl(kr dj'd the '(got my van.s· on,rJ' Jim ]0 - nson~ Me .and ]·m damn near' did an album tOg'Et· 12r~ Our chemistry is crazy. W'e' went down to M'iami' to do a (ouple songs. Hers such a gre'at dude. He's, an a[~-around good ass dud'e. Pltbu J's, on t _2 a~bulm~ I d~ d som·e work with Al(heml~st., I don't know' if I'm go ing tiQ use it on th,e a.lbum though. I g'ot some b~g sn~t Oh" The RUm1lne s, how (OU ld I fo rg>£~t th e m l'

Expl.ain wh.a.t the hyphy movement. i's~ ·n relation to Bay mus~( in general,. Ttu~ hyphy movemelnt ,is somethinlg that has peopl,e outside of' the Bay Area interested., 'lh:atJ,s what th'ey ident~fy with.~ When you say Uhyphy'~~i you think of the Bay Area~ just Uke when you s"ay ~t(runk~J you think of the South,. Th,at's our d1emograp,hical 'identifi[ation~ ThatJ.s. thel g,ennE~ of music 'werre popular for~ but everything [om~ng out of the B,ay An:!a is not hyplhV. A lot of cats de'ftn~te y don't partilcipate ~n the hyphy movem,2nt as 'far a.s their mus,i[al pr~fer@l1(f,. Tiley donft. do hyphy mus,~(1P which 'wouLd be d@nned as uptf?mpo, ,adrenarne -filled m.u.si,i( telling you to ~igo stupid;! or ~'g[J dumb. rl

SOl why don"l you exp_.ain who Mac Dre ·s, the whole yellow bus t ing? Those are two diffe rent t ings. Every region hats ·a mlarty-r for their mUSIc. to get the~r region reo:Jgn~l.ed~ Unfortunately New Or-leans' Sold·er 5~i m had

to di'e,. Houston~:5 D] S(rew~,.~ We can 'glo on and on with the martyrs -8ig'I~(e~ Eazy~ E~

Do you (onsid,er you r.self a hY,phV artist?1

I'm, :a.n artist~ rd never downplay thEI hyphy movemlent bl2[au.se that.'s, what's helped me get att.tention~ I would never downplay itl, degrad,e it, or ta.lk bad about it But I was an a.rtjst before hyp'hy and I wil be an ,a,rt·st post= yphy. My musi'[al[ aspirations and L _Iflwenc.es come f_ om so many oth,2r d~fferent regi 0 n SJ I [anJt just [a t@glo riz@, it as hyp hy~ I~ m not ba n ki n g 0 n it., If it. gO@IS,

it goes;" and I'm d, D,art of it. I'm happy,. But if th~ [hYDhy Imovement] doesn't go, I'm stiU able to have· relevance.

What's your deftn~tion of' a martyr thoug'h? 'Cause '0] Screw was,n~t (rucifi·edJ pier Si3lV~

I'm not sayi n~ a martyr in Biblical terms li ke th,at. 'What I mean is, anyt~me \HJU have someone who has, .such an impac- Or influenc.,e in an arela. and a sound, t a .'s, who you mdentify with anytime you say t at sound. And t len that pers,orn dies and plleopl~e start (hopped 6- Screlw'ed mus~(. Was,n't that b~g1 D] Screlw diled and people said he ~nvented (hopped fr Screwed mU5lic. Man, I w~sh he (OLJ d be here to see' \fJ"hat [hyphy] is doinr now~ Th;ltJ.S what I mean by s',(ry~n' tha.t he~s a. 'martyr.J

Why do you think the Bay movement hasn't fu ll[y captured the natiDnfs, latten-' ti 0 n yet? Too m u[ h 'i nte rna~ i 55 U e 50?

OZONE WEST IllS

So M:a( 0 re is the We,st toast's DJ Scn~w'?

The B,ay Area~ And he had an influence in a, lot of other cities too, li .e the Kansas (~ti'@s. Even the p tare that he got killed was, i n Ka.nsas [ity~ but it was just an unfortunate situatio . But it's people that re,a,HYJ genuine y 1- ove Dre in Kansas (ity; just like ~n the Bav, they love that dude. And it's a lot of people in Kansas [ity who think that he Bay Area is, mad at them and rival like that, but it's nothing Like that. We know who the problem wo.s "lith.

we doin', just on a diffe rent level, It may not be from at rapper point of view1 but it can be on wha.t they s.ee themselves doin, mill in it and g'etting money to taks rare of their family .. 'cause that's all its about, Who go rna take care of their farnilv at the end of tie day?'

So what was the situation around his deat ?

11 was unfortunate and ertain things happen, like I saYI rertain thi n'gSr i n lite, th e re reaU V are no j U stifia b le situ ati ill n 5 fo r ~t. An d it's 5 ad to s a,'v 50 ml etl me 5 we have to take thing's for what they are. I lost a. big brntl er, His kids lost

a father; His friends los a best friend 'for a long time and the. 'Ba.y Are'a. lost someone who has a bi'g impact as wfll as a great representer ofthe area. He wouldn~'t represent it a.nywhere.

Do you have any comments on the youth (enter or whafs, the youth [enter nnin' for the kids in 'that area?

Th if yo uth te nte r has d ef n ite t y take n a negative . 010 k on Oaklan d an d tu rn e d it into something positive. 'Recently w'e just gave out 'g~fts for (hristm,as,. Thanksgiving we passed out Turkeys, ,And it doesn't have to be a holidav.

But when kids go up there and they see cats, [ike Too Short. and the'v see

cats like E - 40, they s e @ cats ~. k e myse If a n d a ny nthe r artist 0 rap e rs 0 n of

i m portan (E ~ wh e n th ey se e th ese cats . n th ese b ul ld ~n gs, that's ·n 5 p irati on to them, They [H ke, "damn, they right here in the hood!" And the media comes lip there and their so. shocked that this ·s goin' on; all this positive stuff right in the heart of the nega.tivity~ that they give us the good 'pli bUcilty and at t e end of the d.a.V you just trvin' to save ives, People is dying at a rapid pace evervwhe're and to plan and spot some spots of inspiration anvwhere, it's bette r '1m an w hat it was~

What was, vour relationship with hi"m?

BI'15 b o. That's like Big Bro. You seein' his trl homie, his trl cuttv, somebody he tiD ok ~ nand re cogn ize d had tale nt: and rea.Uze d ttl e situ ati 0 n th at I wlas

in could have bee at lot more brighter i'f' M would have been under that: right kin. He gave me an introduction to a. different wo rtd, He introduced me to

the 1~'hYP'hy world," as they would say, although l' wa.s a~ready invo lved in

lt, Bei'n'g from Oakla df that's just a natural i nstinct for me to be involved. But w he n he b ro ught me in an d b ro ught me i nto Thizz, to th e lab e l lh i ZZ~, it was, (ike he op'ene'd UPI my eyes to his fans and other B,ay A ea fans who may have slept on me. I'm o,rigi na 'V a. backpacker, That's how m -eally get down, A, l at of it we u nd n't e v IE! n b e p05S~ b l e. A Lot of my (0 m mil? rc m cd reg~o n at su (cess wouldn't be possible. U ke if that wouLdn'l have happened if I didn't connec with [lre.

What role does Thizz pl.ay in I he B,ay Area? We playa bi'g role. 'We have influence.

IWhat's the negati'vity issue?

The negativity is that every two days somebody dies in Oakland~ you know what I'm savin'? Numeric;)lly tha is, the statistic. That's the rat- o. Every two days somebody dies, We don"! have gangs. Wle. have. blocks and turfs, it's the same thing, At t e end of the day it's b ark on bl,a,ck violence and its genecide, Regardl'2s,S how we want to disguise and hide it in, whateve form mt may come in, the end of: the day it's genocide. We are constantly destroying ourselves and aUowing it to happen because there is no one who is 'wiU~n'g' to take 'that chance. Everybody has. such a dO'g'gy dog rnentalitv in todav's life that no one cares [about] these kids who's parents are drug addicts, who's parents are incarcerated: they don't have ,a,ny positive images to look III pen, They don't have a_ vane to see themselves and identif'y wit i1 except for t 'e drug dealers, except for t e thug's and so when you cons ant V tell these kids at this you ng' age, "oh ~lOU bad" vou this, you that II somewhere'

in their 'mind they start believing that, And they start rvillg' the Ufe like they bad and after so lon.g of just domng that, thev actua [[V become wha they've been told aU thei life~ YOIJ become this bad person and youl'_ e doi ng bad things, You're doin' evil things. But. a,s far as, the original, root of at child's innocence, there I·S no such thi ng as a 'bad child. I Thev may be mischievous, [but not bad].

You're signed to them under Atlantic?

Our movement with theirs 15 like a brotherhood. It's ~ike a f atemitv.

Are yo u actually sign ed to th e lab e l?

Naw I got my own label ,_ Forever After. But I'm trom at Thizz (amp and I represent Thizz. Like Swisha House, they can do they own thing, but 'they

re press nt. 'Whe'n you $lee me, I'm throwin that 'T~ up, I represent '_ hizz 'cause I know hat 'without hem and without the movement, the whole til hyphy1. ye low bus, M istah FAB wouldn't be possible.

What was your' upbringi ng like?'

, have a g re at mot Ie r a.m d the reas a m1 I say I have a gre at moth E'r [a,u se no matter what: my morn dtd In her lite, from the drugs, to hustli ng, to _ unni n' th e stri P c [IJ band do in g stuff U ke that; no matte r what she did. 5· e was, zdwa "IS h 0 nest.. 5h 2 neve r hid anyth i ng f'rom m'2 and 'M r,espe ct that~ N ow that

. get older, I e.spect he 'f'act' hat she ahl~ays tol.d me, HThds 15 what 'it is,~~~ When.1 was 13" 14, while other k·ds was gu'ing home and going to school,

, wa.s :in the sitrip (~ub w'ith mv momma~ AU the baH pl,avers that play 'f'or the Wa.r·riors, was in the strip (l.ub~ i was sitti n~ u p rke~ ~~Damn I '§ot to go to s{hoo~ in the morn·ng~ but mamla is allowing me' to do 'this/J

So what's the yeUow' bus chain for?

I sa: d a in 'E off rnvs i ng _ 12' fro m my ta st atbu m ~iS on of a. Pi m p/f I saJd J I~I do the dumby retard'2d and ride the yellow blJs~~" And what it did was, signilfy be'ing hVp . y to the fuU,e's,t. If the whole purpo,se of h~tphy. 'is going stupid~ go~ng dumb" when you see the yeUo'w bus, that's the fi rst th~ng YOli thin . ~

Have you had any 5~)ie{ia.l. Olymp~cs ~u~oph? get mad at you?

Om no, beCaU51i? I m,a,:k,e contribut~ons and donate mOinev to the Spec'i,al, Olvm-' pies peop~e~ I can show peoph~ my (ontribut~ons every montn for the past

th -£Ie vears~ Sometim,es pe,opte are sa s,ensi'tiv2 to (Ierta~n is.5IJ,es, hat they can~t preve nt, but when you realizE! my rea intent b,ehi:nd it and the hidd'2n inte'nt~ it's what we've establis,hed over the'Sre ~]a..st ew months. Yellow bus is, so meth i n'g that: the kids ide ntifv w·th and w'e we re ,a b l e to get i ns:i d e of' th e re minds and not to play menta.l or minds, games ~~iith them. What 'we be push~n~' to t em is ,stayi n' in school. We been pushin' a. re'ai. stay in ,school, mov'ement. A,nd ·t's a .s'trong moV'em'ent because we realize that: we lave th'2 po'w'er and the Bay Areat k.ids rsten to us" They (ove us. 'We're watkin' fuckin' itons and te.gends~ Me and Too Short go to these schools and ta~k to thes,e kids weekly and they just be Uke me.smeriz,ed. And that~s what it~s about~ The ye l~ow bu,s has been tr,Q.nsf'oF'me'd to let the'm 'know that it's caol to go to S,(_ oot

n th el earli e'r stages of my Ufe, I sta ye d with mv gra nd rna rna b e[au se stru,e. was, going thnJ _ ler drug t ing. EVE'n then she was like, 'I] got to get my life' tog,ether~ Let me hand~e my stuff~" Unfort~Jnatleiy, my dad d~ed of AIDS when . wa.s twelve. Bu eve'n my dad wa,s a gre'at dude'" It: was the dec'isions. that he ma,de'~ but that don't mean e~s a bad person~ Ihat just que5t~on5 h~s

j u d gm e nt. But he ma.d e a f'e w l i l bad d'E·ci:s ions that cost h·' m his ~i fe and its u nfortunatl2. But as I s.aid earlier, as you grow o~der [erta'in th~ngs hapP"en for IQ reason and it made me as strong as I am. With my 'father's s'tory, mly mom's story and [earning "rom ~e'S50ns Imy broth,er, .showed me [ he way 1..

He just recently been incarclerated for the la,st IE' even, twel.ve yea.rs. llearn~ng 'from that I r'ea.Uv seen my road., I was like, uOk, :1 can do Hke my brothe'f did and 2nd up i ,jaB, do ~ike my dad did and end lI,P dea,d or d'O like m,Y' mom.~1 So I rea,Jy just combin'2d that story' and it Imade me. I was, my mom's onl.y [hi~dr 510 I sp'ent a whole lot of time alone as a youngster. ] found writi ng'

as an outlet, -ke to get out how I w'as feeUng, what i was going through

Ie m.ot! onaUy of be i g fro ml a si n gl e par'2 nt hom e and Imo m try'i n' to .rai 5 e a man f om the str,eets of Oakland. That·'s not an ea.sy ta,,5k~ so I defin·tely have, a respect for her~ lha.t"s like 0 n,e of the hero~s i1n my life' cause I real.ized it wa,s hard f'or h1er to do the job that she did, but sOffi,ehaw ,she accomplished it and got me Qin the right tf'a[k~ In my mU5~cJ you hear a lot of that It's

nat a.ll ,j ust hV P h y with me. a n my a.l.b u m The Yella ~ Bu$' Rider it~ 51 the fro nt of the bus and the' back of the bus. mt's a. double [D~ It's more ik'2 the real street tales~ where I'm from, my tifer whati's going' on, it Lot: of my p oLi' ·(a~

views. I'm ve' y pol ~ti(all.y invo l'ved ,in e [ommun~tVf w'Orkin' 'w·th the mayor.,

wo k with the new eh~l[ted mayor as far as his, ideo ogi e.s and what heis ftnna do for the youth. [I'm Uk'2] the (ommuni[at~on gap~ because pol.iti(aUya lot of young people don~'t want to hear about that. People are ,scared

What are you t,a,lking about?

] IJst bas ~[aU y t 12 re a.re ce ntraJ, poi nts in jfe,: stay i g f'e~evant a.nd 50 m e bo dy who just donJt ex pire~ Inspire but don't expire. [efta'in pe'Dpl,e~ th'2V do (er~ tain thdngs in Hfe~ no l.ooki'n' at the possib~H i,es th,at it m~g'ht not (orne true~ Everybody (arft be a rapper. Everybody [a.n't be a. baU pla,'yeF'~ But set a goal. for yourse f, a leg'!timate goa ,and if you ha.ve l.egiti m ate, ways to a[(omplish someth ·ng, "t can b1e pos'sib~,e~ 'But a~ways realiz'e a the lend of t 12 day, the main thing is always be~ng ab~e to ta_e [are of' fam"'ly and pro'vide fOi you f'ami~y" We don~t go in t lere trvin~ 'to prea(1 to the [{ids. 'W'e let th'2m know

th at th e re,a Uty of ~,t is" out of 100 .. 'i d s~ w'e' pro bab 1_ y go rm na real( h tie n k"' ds". Fifty gonn,a, Usten~ Thirty aLready got their mind 5et on what t ley wanna bel in rfe regardless of what we got to say or not. And then ten of them are 'going to be _'·ke sti~ k~nda undec~ded~ We [a eith,er win them over or loose' them. But my purpo,se is if M (an .save one kid, that~s better than savin" none,,, And what I mean by savi ~s showin' them I hat' hey [an do the sa,me . h'ing

16, II OlONE WEST

'cause they don't understand [and] they tend to not pay attention to things th at. th ey do n 't re late to. An d they relate to m e ~ J n the co m m unity, if YOli

ti TI2 d of ,t h i n g' ha p ~UE~ In ~ n' J yo u want change to ha P,P E iii. Th en you have to he involved wit' . an angles. I'm involved with hVphy movement, I'm involved with the yout I center and I'm involved w~th the mayor e tertian 'cause I realized that this mayor is, the same dude that's gonna pass In law that's gonna stop anyt.hing that .M wanna do" Of he can pass at law that's gonna propel anything that I wann.a do. I'd rather work with irn then work against him so I can be involved in all aspects that's goi ng on in m'y tommu nity~ cause I am a reflection of my community.

be cause yo u th ink th at you a lre,a.dy know what it is. ~j'O hi that's all. that hy p hV' shit I don't wa.nt to hear thatl" I'm. definitely a book that can never be judged by its [over.

Whaf'.s the details on the album? When is ~t cornlng out? ALbum comes out March bth, The video is on MTV Jams,

Pe op l.re 5 e e [me, th e'l see th e 'Ie How bu SI rh a in, Th flY se e th e. gri ll, Th ey' se e aJL type of' shit when~m 'in rapper mode. But w en I sit black and get into intellettual mode' on a person, the person wi U open their eyes to a different light. U ke, rr"w h oa Ro n. I neve r knew you 'was t at. dee p." It's alwa "IS two sides of a toin. Some are just focused on the tead, What about the tai l'? I'm just trvin' to bri'ng different sides. I got a. lot of people who support me, lao

Short? That's: the Godfather. And being from Oakland ·f you don't come under that rnnb, you ran' _ rep Oakland, You cannot rep Oakland if you not ~ n that mob. And they in dI u rted me. Th,ey sh ow me, li ke hi g street cats th e l.i L D ~ s, the jocks, these are rea people that got nothing to do with music. The B"ll. Haneys, the real street cats who got influence and they done told me, "It's all you" li~ bruh, You do what it do. Don't let us down." That "don't let U.$ down" is serious '[aUS,E "t goes to the pens, 1'0 the streets: it goes everywhere. It's some major people in the city of Oakland that people don't know, The people behind the Je'22Vs, bebind the R~(k Rosses; it's some big ptavers that re all y' don't put: '·t 0 ut th ere. It's th e mob . It's just ce rtal n 5 h ~t. Any't. in g happen to lim he just gonna make certai n ca ts. It's a real mob. I'm teUin'g' you, Oakland is. like, sku J and bones, the coldest fratemitv. 11

W'hen you filmed the "Ghostride" video, I heard you 'w@ren't aUow'ed to do wh,at vou initially want~d to do?'

In ·tialLl V w hat we wa nted to do was sh ow wh at gh ostrld ~ n J i 5 ~ l~'kle Ish owe d you that dray whe we was just plavin', hoppin' out the car, ridin', get out the car, let the car roll, dance on top ,of' the' car ._ but with the certain stipulanons that a ot of the video companies had, they 'fe~t that it was somewhat a public e ndangerment, cause some people have messed themselves up dol ' that. You watch a. lot of the Vault! be videos, you see some peop, e done really messed themselves up g est riding. And rk'2 l' said, it's, not an easv thing to do, .. It. (an be dange ous, M"[[ be the first to admit and wont u y downgrade

it ike, "Oh V ea h, nah It ain't da ge ro us. It's [00 L It's safe e rr It ,a.i n't .5 afe ~ Shootin' the video I messed mvse~f up, fell, ev'ervth·'ng~ I broke my chain, All type of stuff .. So it [an be dangerous, So I u nderstood what they meant by

ed i'ti ng:' it down. Bu you could do at disclaimer ~ike "Jackass" cause I'm IFabby (han~ I do all my own stunts, But certair t, ings [an be a U bit risky when

it deals with stuff i'ke that 'cause you know you dealin' w·th people's lives. We·'re a TV generatlo 'I, a TV culture. We 'were raised off IV., You got people

who wanna. imitate what they see. So we kinda made it commercia! a li~. bit as far as the video with t 'e ed~ting and stuff What I W,ilS afraid what it might do is mt fully explain what it is, It's a, street thing, Ihe song ain't sound poppy and commercial. but: i'f vou rleal~y [listen] to the lyri [5, I'm reallv doi n' some street stuff hat happened in the streets, I just ltJanted to be able to catch that in t, Ie video, I'm pre tv sure that w'ill. be enoug where people

wiU be llke, ~IOk I see your point. I 5,ee what you was doin." But at the lend of the day, you (an say you do ·t for the hood as, long as want to" bUI the hood ain't sellin' no records. Sa if you 'want to make it to where the mainstream wHl accept :it, then that's what we gcnna do. We check the YouTubes~ We got people eve, ywhere' ghost ridi n'. It be trazv, W'e· g'o the internet l~ke goi~g nuts right now.

OZONE WEST 1/11

W'h'V should the people in the South care about your a bum?

Musi( is music, you know? 50 many people for years were tur ed off' by a

lot of 50 uth e rn rap a.n d t ey n elver re all y listen e d to it. But I have b ee none of those. people who wanna isten. I wanna hear what they talkin' 'bout, because pain is a universal felt substance. It's something that's 'Everywhe reo A pain, a story, an idea 0 something like that, it's somethi ng eve rybody can i'denffv with" And so my album is gonna definitely be a tour guide for someone who ma.y wa na come au and show' them what ~t is. At the same time, I'm bringing a music that's for t lem. I incorporate the South in my music. Shit. sometimes I even sound Southern on certain songs,

I'm alwa'Ys i' the South, I'm always in Atlanta. I'm a w'av's 'in Miam:. I gOI

to Houston alt the time and fuck with Baby Bash and Chingo Brng~ Them

my peoples. Fabo on t e a bum, Jim Johnson, 'One of: the big·g,es.t Southern producers, produced a lot of' tracks on the album and Pitbult. it's a new vibe going on and t _is is what we doin', M usic is stiU gonna be our thing. I ain't gonna lie to YOIJ. I a·n't about lyin~ on somethi'ng I ainl't d· d. I'm te,lrng you the truth~ r'm gh/in~' you me. 'M'm a BO's baby~ 'M~m givin~ you me. rm re'pre= senting f'or aU the people tha_t go through what \AU~ Igo through., 1tJ5 human shit! You wanna pa,ftyr. I got: party' song's on there .. You wanna hear some

lY'fi ca.l shit, I got so m e y ri (a~ stuff 0 n th e n~. You wan lila h ea so m e stre·et sto ies, I got aU that, along with good music to go behind ~.t.,

One thing a pierson a~nJt Igonna do is get bored with my a~buml~ It's gonna IJle someth~ng VOli can Usten to., p·[k up 6 month·s later, ca.tch somethi'ng a,nd s,ay ~'Da.mn I didn!t' know he szf d that." rml dlennite ly gonna keep on enl.ighten~ ing cats,. Like cats rig'ht now, g'et my Son of a p'imp album and say t~Why you ain't. gonna re~ reo ease that? Are 'vou gonnCli use a v· song.s off that?U l"m like'U1 {'WhV?I~ IJm a. r(relator~ I' ( leate. I'm an a,rti'st I ~ove a.rti.stry. I don't eVlen lisl'en to rap too much. You go t, rough my ip'od you'U .s.e'2 some crazy s' it. Ylou~l.l be Uke, liWhoirs Esthero?" .I [ave' Esthe o. 5he'.5 50 do~]e to me~ I wou~dn't 'Oe(e5r~ sari: l y caU her aJte rrrnat~ve·" b u it~s at d iffe re nt ty'P e of m U 5 i L Bj ork~u t . is is· ·th ~ stuff ill' ~sten 0 that~s ~n my ip'od. th·at people whe' they see they wOlJldn't: expect me 0 ~st2n to~ lm open to change and thatJs aU I hope p1120pl_e do

wit my aJbum~ [Be open to change .. lust listen to it~ Don~'t: turn it down just

art iim the building, It's really vibrant; and to get ~I'oung people to 'come! '~I'OU rea Uy n'e ed t,o try' tu Mia ke it the b est,

, outh lIpRi,s,ijlrng',~ a ,2S.rOO[l~s,quaJe'-fDot youth center In East Oak and. hat's, ov,er 2,000 members between the agles of 13 =2,4. Tne 'fa[~l.ity ope,ned in

20015 and has q.!LIi[!kly become a slymbo~ o.f p05~'tivlity and hope j'n a commun'"ty that desperatelj l1I,e'ed,e,d ~t. Y'U nut only provides y'outh with mental and emoti 0 nal stabititv, but also offers state- of-the -art [0 mpute r (abs and record ilng fac i Uitll eS'J; caree r ['0 u nse U ng~ a hea lth cente r, a d avcare an d G E 01 program 'for teenage parents, and miany other thlngs,

Th'E! Ice nlte r has attracted a nu m,1D er of B,a.y Area artists w'h 0 have d onate d 'their time and connections to help offer positive career alternatives, Yll's

EX .. ecutlve D,ii!n~'ctDlr, 0 ~jis, 5 i mmo ns, has earne d th e ki dis; respect thru ugh to ugh l,OVE; genuine empathy, and a take-na-shit attitude. Here, she explains 'why,.

o bv i ou sl y ~t talkies fi lJta,n[~ n~ to ru F1 ttl is ty'P e of 0 Die ratio n, How is th E youth Cf nter fund ed?

It to ok a trern endo us arne u nt, of W'O rk fu r AI,a,m eda County .. lhe'y bu ii~t' the center 'f:CH~ around 'S 2, mii Hi on, The'11' fe l't that th ey neede d tOI do so rnetbi ng about the vio lence Ii n the 1[0 m mu nrn'ty and the (ounty steppe d u p a~d put th e m,unrey nut cUlly into the DllIiI![dlimg and the ~,a,nd but also $61 m,Hllio,n to renevate 'the building .. In most areas of the country the'y have huildlngs llke this! and [oldd ~:U:H)t~, th eii r resou rces an d do so rnethin g' li ke this '1'0 If the co m ma nity .. And this isn't jill st altru isti c; iitJs not ju Sit us d 0 ~ n g' snrnethi ng nice for yOlu ng' people, Thi s I(oldd actually fe ed people by he lp i ng tOI pro P'E,t an lex plo sic n of ta errt and deve DIP their C::lfeat:~viity'. In this instance, the county government gave' us so m e mo n eY,jl but: this, rou ld he a mo d el for what ether p eop le '[>0 u ld do 'in ether parts of the '[,OIUlntr~t~

The phrase t'iy'o,utln cente r" b ri n gs to rn i nd a co lrl r b oriinlg' pace with a (I[JUP le C ou th es and a TV an d maybe a gy m -

And am old - ass POOI~ tab le,

Exactly'. So first of all, maybe yOU' can describe the fal[Hity' and explain how

't', diff -I, ,"'" f" , -' -,', ,_,11"" ,-',' - tEO", -

1.- 5 , n I erern 1 rom rH~Op e 5 percep 'mns.

The center is huge, :Et.~'S; 251,000 square feet' and it's vibrant .. It's a,Hve,. It's more Like a TV' set' than a yuuth (Ie nte r, 'Th'E'F'e"S colcrs, there's equipment, there's

If it's be i'n'i, fu nde d by th 81 (OU nty, why' are n't .s orne 'Of these same i d leas being utilized ilrTh the public school syst@'ml?

Well, what',S harder about the public school. systlsm ls f rat 'you're on the countv's prope rty' and 'Y'o u' rs ,a, n onprofit, You have to deal 'w~'th !~'lN 10 [h·~ l.d

1~311 OlONE WEST

ERS

Bay Area Artists Team Up to Bring Holiday Cheer

Ba'y Area rap - ege 11 ds To 0 S he rt, E - 40J, The H ie ro~l yp hi CS~ and M i sta h F.A.8 joined forces to pla'y Santa to over ]OD youth this hol,ida'y season. Gifts Wfre pelisonally 'g'hle-n out by the artists at a party' hosted by the Youth Up,Risi,ng ('YU) [ente r in Dakla n df (A on D@ te m ber 22, 2 00 6~ G:uests were treate d

tn gifts,r food, performances and insnirational 'wurds from 'the Dayis most popular hy pihy artists.

The event was emceed by YU'S, ,j';RiseUP Radio" broadrasting class 'with a little he1lp from Teo S hart. Vari'ous performers graced the stage but the h~i~hli-ght of the e.vening was performances, shQwca,sing th,e work of YU marnbers, 'w'ni'ch 'in[lud~d dancing, beat-making, OJing, and singing. The rappers

took time to spread some game to the enraptured rrowd. Too ~$hort urged them not to 8:Sp i Ire to UV'€ th e i llusi on of a :B ET viide 0 [jf@, ~a!,d n g, "Th @ g'i rts, co. rs and jewelry are all re nted, 0 n ty th e wo rk is real. r" E: - 40 ,5 poke 0 n th e importance of having: an edutation, and Mli,stah r.,AJB. shallenged attendees to aopreciate their families.

Presents were given to YU Members to 'celebrate their' participation in pro;gramming and for their academic, artistic, and personal a.ct1iev@ments. They r@(~iv-e·d1 magazines, CDs" and Ma-c Ore bnbbleheads, and neitrlv' 2'00 YU M embe rs got hi gh ~! n d Sta rb u r~,. gear fits, to pro mote th e Starburv "Rob ~ n 1J'n,,,,,,-...4I,!" 'V '·1 S·I n n l'lldh.JIhf lC·t·::. rb u ru r"m) To tn n ·It "3ll 0- ff-' C' A rn iI!:Ii F,t c:: r -:If- ~ o:y--u- ~s n'lld n ·1 n

FJ V,J,y ~', VI~ \ 'WNI '!Ww.~ u.,~ , .' !I i. ~u_ '_ " • _ ,vlv Q .. ' .. ~ ~ ,-~,_, _ '5,..- _ ;;J bp l; I' ; _' ' u wu ' I'~

hDU Sf youth = ru n {afe. Sf rved Up gene fl"OUS p ort~,Ci n5 of tI 0 m'e - s,ty'le SOIU l. fo,a d to over ,4,00 'g'uests.

YU has e m ~·rged as a p,ivuta.L h IJ b of Ba,v Area hip _, h op [u ftu re sin ee' ope n i: ng'. This 'event i'5 a part of a mav@ment to build :produ[thle' I)a.rtnersh'ips, wit.h h'ipholP irti.sts across the count.ry .. ors 5i mmons, YU's E:x@[utive Di rector say'slP ~'Worldn~I with these artists, Y'U reachll!:S and h,elps young pe'ople in a w'ay that more trad iti ana l organ izati 0 ns cafl:;t.. ~" M,any' e XI iti n g p - ,ail'S a r-e in the 'W'O rk,s fQ-f t:h,~ N@w Yea:rJ when several, pn:ili'flc arti:sts wHl become a :p~rn')an'~nt part of ttl e Y U fa.m i -V~ In Jan u ary, To 0' S ho rt wi II tl'bi n (h a, label with Y'U featu ri:ng yo uth a,rtLst~L In Ma f[ hJ To 0 S h or! and -othe r Ba V ~ege 11 ds w'i (( hos,t a, j1j'Ro c k,

the Runwi~f" ShfU" as a, fundrai:sEf' for YU.

The 'genrrous contributions, of the main sponsors - Up All Nite' (rew, S,ick W'jd It Re,cords, a.nd Hi~rogt,yphi[:5 - wer'e a.ided by' rh~2l Ent@!rt.ainm@nt, Bra.ndon ]. Pete rs of X .. X.L,~ .J Qse p h P·ate l o'f MTV N eW:9, Tony 1M g gf 106 K M: EL.~ TreSe Sanders of TreMed:ia.~ OJ Backs,ide a,rld SMC Ret:ordilings~ The nights fe:stivi'~ ti'~s were C:i,ptured bV D-Ray" the Ba,y's unquestioned hypny' photo'graph,eF. 'I,,.,I'-ho C".ImI~nnQd·- tbo h-'-hi"jliii's' -"dh- ·0' 0·" t-ho B,-ay 'In·- ·a··tt'Q,nd-anlll"'e·- ·ln~lud-:·I-n· a 'B'·~'-LQa·I-'t

U'II' _ ~!I'U"",,,,1i;O _,111Ii;; IIV_ '!',.iI', vv __ -. ~ __ 1I;j;; .... ~ I "_'~_ - _'_, ,'1;..,---" __ !Ii". - I_ 3 .... -~:3"r

The Packr Zion-I:, Trax:atmilUon, IMac Mall~ Ray luv, OJ Vlad" (lyde Ca.rson, The .1ac!ka. Bav§,atelf Deim HoodSta.rz. GoriUa Pits[f. J'-Oiggs[f. G. Archer" Tuff', Ra,y Rydah~ Pretty Black, Mia.'mi da, Most,. Kilo Kurt:, and more,.

It '5 e e ms th @ hY,phy mov'e'me nt. has fg IJ n d iits mos't i m pc rt.ifl't PIU rpo s-e: '11 romoting commun,j'ty gi'Ving~ Let"s ho,pif: this. powerful, trend ,SlMeeps th,e nati:on.,

How d iid you get m nvolve d wiith Youtih U ,p,Rjs,i n g?' Ha ve ~lO u be en t he re since the begi'nnirrug?

'When M entered, t:I"U3 plan W,atS to do something for young people. W"e' 'Au~re ~OIO kiing' a,'t th e architectural des i gn of th e bu ~ ld i ng and tryi ng' to get so me (~a!riit,y eb out what ~'U~~ we n!' go iing to do, So :I' Wi,S th 8' m other, the. person who gal'V@ birth tJQ it, I feel rie.aUy fortunate to have been there at the right place at the lriight time, :1 was able to do the diirty

wo rk 0" actually puttiing it tcgethe r, 'ge'ttiin:s the m onley' and Ih i ri ng ttl e staff, IMy resltienre to do this comes 'from my commitment to younig' people. [ come from a p' are of devastation and I was able to make smart choices. 'The, diiffen?nce between success and failure isn't about the circumstances yo~l're born 'into but: the choices you make. I want to tle'~ _, p eo p le that they [an be leade rs. Yo u [an make ce rtai n cho ices and have a diiff',ef@nt ~ife and l'm hap~]'y to be contributing to that.

You said you~re, from a. place of' devastatio . ; are you iQr~g'·naUy' from

0- k'l d? . ,a.~ ta n .. I

] 'w'as born and raised in Manhattan~ ] grew up in East R,h/e'r Proiects, one of the WOlrst housing projects in New York. M grew up' part time there and part time in an upper miiddlle class neigbber cod, ] (orne from a ~ong ~n,e' of hustlers, so I: was in the life.

[Hd you come to Oatk~a:nd specificatHy tc w'ork, with Youth IlIpRlisi'ng?

INo, i moved from Mlanh,eh'tta,n to Oakland in ra,,4 cause I hate 'the ccld. It's a diiffe!re'nt scale her. In New York you could be phenomenal and no one wou ld m oti ce. But ii n Oaklan d and the IBa V' Area, if you have a 'Ni!ew York hustle ~ yo UI [an reall Y' make a change and a dI'iff,e're n te,

What is the, criteria for kids to be-come, members of: Youth Up'R,isiing and what are the rules they have to abide by?

We acce pt peo p tie' 13 to. ,24 who are f'es~ dents of: Alamleda, Cou nt-y ,cun d have a wi Ui ngl1l eS5 to be. (:0 me a mern b er, You have to com E' in and fi ll out a membership application, If yourrrl2 under 1B you have to get a parent or guardian to sl~gn" 'You heve tc abide by' the house rules. The hOUSI2 rules are stmole: respect others and respect the house Th eire, are a ;:<·0, unle of

ail .. I .... ~._ .. !I! 'f.: .. _ .... J .:_ •• ~.;JJ I~ J. 't; ... _ .. · ... 1 lLI .. ~ UU l!1! .... "_ ~ ~.:, 'L. ' .. ~_ u.

other things U:ke no. gamlbrng and no igettiin'g h-gh on property and things ~Ik'e that, but becoming a member is; pJetty e,asy~

H lOW imp ortant is it fo r th e kid s to res pert you 0 r have a, healthv te aJ of you in order for Youth Up'Ri's·ng to be surressful?

In ,an e nvl ro n ment ti ke this, yo,u ng people have a long trac ..... re cord of how unretiab e and scandalous adults are, Adults break 'their wo-dj and

fu c:k the m O\H~ f" 'You 've got: grown- ass people trvi ns to ha ve SI2,X, with OUIF babi e',5,;: just scan dalous, liN h E1n 'you [0 me into that typl£! of d,e'vastati ng" depress·ng' enviironment,! you have! ·to have ~ntegrity~ It has; to bie [ilealf

tiD th e you ng p ers D:n tha.t: 'YCUJ caJe ,a,b Dllt thl2 m., Once tlh e'y know that 'your (ar'e ,aD out the ml" thieV" U to ~,e'rat.e a tr'2 m e'n d OlJS dJmOUI nt frolm \,'OU" :r m not t:akiin:g: noO shiit from thelm" They lk'now that' if r'ml mean t:o the!m or iilmpoc:s,e rul,'2's' on thl2m" iit's not f'or mi2" it's, for thelm,. M WOIU[d! never iilmpose 501me ....

111· t~' 1).;,.' • h ,. b ,. - '11' ]- ,.

tl· ··1.111 g on 'I WW!e m ,t~ ~.a,rs nat: ~ n t_ ei~ I" .es't 11l1ltl2 rest. ~ ea;ve my' plIJrs,e' OlUt,~ I 'gIlJ12i

th'e'm riides homle, I do aU kInd's of 'th·ngs that p,ut me iin situatt"ons, w'helFl2 ]fm 0 n e .... on'=one wiith the ml" Itur!' yo IU n g p,e'olP be know that I to'V,E! the m" 'hey know that rim not' a, orooked bit:(h~ Any'th~ng ] do for' thiem is; out. of Jove, -t':s, not: be[i(use :rim an easy mark.,

DOl you beHBv'e, the. theory that k;ids De[Ome, 'what thevlPire e,xp,e,cted to become?

IN 10 ,qu'E'stio n about that, 'lItH:! P u rpos'e' of til ei n g }!'ou ng . s to d j,s,[over who. you ,a1re .. Wih,e'n thiey""re atroillirnd Ipe'olpl!2 wlho:se' eXIP,e'cta'tiion,s of thelm arl2

re',aIt ty' low, you' U Cl[hi,eve tha,t tOWI!? f' exp,e c.ta:tiio n I' I h old the m to ,el, d'iff'e!r~

e nt sta,lnd,d.rd and sa y~ uI know 'you~ln~ [alpab~e to'f' do i:ng' bett'8'f .. 'rim re',a,l,t,y' dii,sa.!PIP oiinte'(1I., :rrn gonna _ea \Ie, an d whe n I [0 mie ba[k~ ~t b,e,tte r be fi,x;e,dlO lU' Somi2 kilds grow up wiith ~]eop,~e always teUiing tlh,e'm~ ~jY'ou ,aiin't shit .. "You aJn''t In e'VE'r .gon na ble sh it,. rJ' S a. 'they b!2l.i eve ~t" You~lr,e, alwaysi tOOl king 'f,o r 5,om,ebody 'that' e,){lJle[t's Im'ore; the'y 'IN'an't you to ,s,ee some'tlhing in tJleml that thJII?Y d [) 't: Ylet s,e e! . n th emse'h/e5,~ 'That's tlh e' fiflJa.g'li[ of w hat 'we dio, . lhe! beauty iis wih'E!'n thiey S!2e' thiem,s,ellv'es through our e~~l'2S~, and we b!2~ie\le th,ey"re [ap"a,bh~ of glre,at'tnes5,~ That's wh~" th'E!'Y keep [oming ba{k"

OZONE WEST 1/19

via I.e'nce'?

O f1 mi:Y 610d" With \d aile n re, you have old -fas hlo ne d

b eatdowns, 5 hootl ngs, poll [e brutaliltv~ Th e p ace v.u~ ~H!'rVe 15 one of the most vio l,'E nt places I rID Alme iii ca. 'You 're dealing w'lith. chronic problems wlith violence. Oakland is;

a Pi IlaC:'E' w'here 'yolJJ can 1b12 mistaken for s,om,ebody ,e se or j U Sit: b e ~ n the wro n g place ICIJ:t th e Wlionl§' t~ m ei" 'Vi 0 [Ie n c:e' i:5 a consta I1It :i:SSUI2 to r the m, But there's a. .5.0 an explosi CUll of tee n p restitutio III with both mal es an d females, Ih e l.e'v·e,~ of expleitatia n i s ~ let' s be ho nest .~ it's th e artists .. Evervbody wants; to be ell pimp .. In todav's P'OIP culture, w'lth the bOlo·ty=.sha.k:inig· video hoes, the message that w'e send is that it's not about your values, It's about how' you look, And the easiest step from that 1'5 to gelt mone'Y from it. So there's violence, there's sexual exploitation. They can't get any real good ,payilng j01b5~ The' school systems are fail ~I ng' the m a nd th ey fee l, tr.a p p e~d eco n 01 mii call y .. An d s e,x,ua.l.l,y·, ,e'V'E1n i'fI' tlh,e'y·P.'re' not iin p rcstitntlen, the amount of sexually transmitted diseases 151 s ca ry~ Some of th e m wHl.jU~Tt have sex with anvbod Y'" Tne rei is just ve ry l' ttle lnstan res of: h ope aro 1lI n d the m iI Th e're are a lot of P ro bterns besl d es vii ole n ee that p eo p te d on't waJnt' to talk about. Ih ere' s ho melessne ss, a I1Id th e n u mbe r Qif kids I n the foster care syste!m and the jlJ.ven~llie justice ·sys·te,m ~5 just stagger'Ing~ It's not like they can ~U5t go horne to their mama, 'They can't gu home to a f,amlly,

I: don't think people understand the state O'fr

h 0lPi2 ~e ssness that these YoO ILl ng p,e'olplle are In"

(abov,e) Everythi ng at. Yll is feu: used on p os~:ti·vitY.f even down to the' bath rooms' flihl,a [[

of Pe r c:e :pt~: 0 n ~ ~j faaturl ng ti les with varl o IJS words & p hrases: (rlghe) Ih'2 Pack, 'w'ho si'gn@d til ]~r~~N!I off ttJrue strength of th e,~ r s i In g!['ei

"v- - ~ ;N! ii!",i!l ii"o--..!Il"'n D at ans, Ir!(j:"~: Wl!all~' :,'-

YU; (b~tfJw) Oa.·k [an d rapp er Ino '$h(ut in front of 'the y·out.h renter \~J]·th a few members' an d Yll~s; Exec:lJtive D ire etc r, Olis Simmons

You commented that: a lot of artists perpetuate' nega:til've ste reotyp es, but yllU a' S 0 have a lot of artist's, j'nvolved wi'tlh YU and even performing at YU~

IWe,IUJ, y,e s. Artl S,t'SI ·,a r-e lin a p 05 itio n wh ere th ey

<can help the i r corn m u.mitYJ' but sometimes

',.;,h· ,-." Ii! '-,' - nt .- .. ·tl 1-: , , . I .'1 I··h t '.' '-,' '., - 'il'~ h th ~ ~

~ I.ley Ire no ImaJJJe. enoug. ,.0 reacr nat

l CI ,,,, ~ '5' n '1 h ou' Ir' H ,1;1' In m m n "1'1 In J I~ ':II n d n ~ Ir'lIl etuati n CF

111;1:U'I~1 ~l "~':'[u .! . ~.,.' re ~It~,', Vi ,1:[. Q,' t ~I~ ~I~.~ ::Q.,_. : I~'

that lifestyle ~ A!'s 01, becau se of the way' au r

a ii rw·a:u,e 51 a. re t 0' In trol ~,Ie d ·il n d t h Ie pe 0 IP le w h '0' d eci d e wh!i,( h records get played, rap p ers fe e,~ r " '. -·I····lll .. · .d '11- I I .. ' ". st .;1.. t hat l'"f'" :·ti - '. ·l· ... :., c· rompe .. e. _0 perpetuate ,_. ,a._-II es -y.e even

th . h th t .. . t Ib th ., - '''f''''· t .,~ 'J'h'

. .. I "".:' ',,' ..... '. '1', " I . I , 'I - .... . . "-' '. '.: ":'-' ".

I oug rta '. m,ay no : E I err . es ,lj e I ley

w'ant to 'gJ~·t [rad ie] sp ins. m have n~ lati on _ s.h iilPS 'b'~""th S ome arti sts that aren't eve n ~ivii 111 g

l' Il, th t flh t I' I . iI!o t h .. l "t f ~ t - " L~ h tJ .;t. 'b iii.111\.e 1-'lIIa,.!,ar I.' S J U,5 ~ -Ie lr'e'Q, II ,''1 (] mlaJ.n..~r ream mIUl51'(" w .. a',· 5 as,o Il:ru,e' a .. o LlIl

'.", . , ... ,' ..... I . tlb. . t ·rt . ~ ." . ·.,"·-t·, .. ".- ...... ' I ... ,' ·tih ··t tho I ""'. b .". "."., J" .,. 'S"Ih-' ""-1'

rartl ~le.r.s. 1,$1l1li.81 ,(Ie jU n alrdS;5 n~ ['Q"gn Ilf-l I a-.- II 5 lisa. I Ul5!1 ness. CHl :, I lor

is, la, shini.ng eX.ample' of that. There is a c:omim'OIi1l mli:s:interplretatiion of hiilm" Peop·h:' just ~ook ,at hi'm rlk.e loo $ho'rt The'Y' get ciJuglht up tryiing to UVEi in a BET v~deo but they rno,n"t Ire',anze that: ~tJ5 aJ an Hhlshlln. Hl'e' say':s tha:t the girl.s alre' falke" tlt'u~~ [,airS a.re ·f,a.k'e',~ the j e'wel[s !a.lr'E!' fa.lk:e" and the 0 n ~y tin ~ng' that~$ r,eall

.' ·th-: .. >-1\.,. ·5- b.·.·. d:c"'" """'1" ··-····=··t -'.'- ·,··t-··· ,···t"j-+··.;t.·h-··· .-'., ---I[m , - -"ttl-d:c

151 - if worlf\ .. _ 0 .IIIIOW. (} you ge_ ,acoe,s.5 1-.0 ar 11,5,,,5 It all a.re rea. ~y [Olmlm I 1.-. e.

'~o mel.ping theiir [olmmuniity? How do fiindl artiists that ,CJlIie 'wil[Un'g to t,e] 'the ·truth? The Vf·terans wilU do lit. And ev·e·n if [the kiids] an!n~t Ln the [lmIUlsh:]

bus i ~U~·S·Sf let ·thelm Ik:n ow rea.Uist:ii c:allll'~,. what su ('(Ie·s.s is a.bout, The .$t:r,e'etsaimr~t !§f.llt n 0 ~olve fo,r ~llO U. lo te'U 'the tlruth a.bo ut. [t:h e m.llS iic iind u,s,'!ry] b rents t·· Ie.

i Uu.s.iio n" Thie Ire's no qui [k 'fix: to :S·U['(leSS, ,a.'I11Id t:!h'e alrt~ sts earn te II that 5t'olry mucin mlor1f' p,Ot·w,e'.rfully than 50melone i!k:le m'e'~ And t,c b'e. wiiU,"ln!~' to dis,pel

·th ose myths 'w'ii [. eIilrn y'oLJI hono r~ r'esip,e'c:t, ian d r;u·'ii de" lhat ty~;u~ of m,el~isa ge is' ·inv·a. 'u!ab~,e" 'Tlhat~s 'wb~t :1 ~OVI! Short for- that s·h~t.

ltd hen I vi s,i:te·d YU yo u we rei g'e'tti n g lrlea.dy 1.0 fi l.m an ant~ _ p ros.tltuti 0 n CIO m ,_ me'n:i,a.l and ill told 100 Short he shou~d be. tn,e .spok.es,man. ill w,a.s joking" but s e'ri oU's~ y~ is nJ't i,t a co nt:rad'i cti~o rI iif ycuJ'r,e fi·ghtii n'~l' tee. n p rostitut:rn 0 n .an d ,at

th" . I I' '.' t··' " . -. -'. ffi- I:-l" ·t· ,d·' ,,·'th· ·t'! -t··~ . "h, '.' ','1 "1- t·,'·, ·tlr-· I'" -'. - ~t, .7- ; ,e saJ,mle .-Ilm,e al .lla e· ~I, I arJS,.s w. 0 prom.O.E . ue oppos~ e.,

Il i 5! iiro ni L Thelre ,arE' t'W'[l' ,ans\\.u? rs, ·to that q u esti Olin" 0 news brioia.d and th e '[l,thle r ~s V'f ry' s,p1e,( i·fi,c, lhe broa.d '[l,ne is that m ,[). Sit· ia.-rt:~·s·ts th emise nV'E!'S alr,e'

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Y'CHJJl11Ig pe'o!p if" ,m '-';'(p 50 '; m way 0 I~ ell" t I aim y a. m .et s not orget t Ie' p'ower

'that theslf artiists ha'v'e to iinfluence other 'Il'eiop~,e~ let's. not fu,rget to sUPP'O'lit .,.;.b'1f!Ii15·'ICi. Blr-iIl-·I··S· 't![" al C' '*h eiJ'U t·Ib..,o'm'lf' iifiill'J''o!if'' :~rID 1m' ::':ltllmlr-'ljln!cJ' 'K:nnw"1 n'CI' tlh· ::':It tlhl'o,y" 1:...1~lv·,·er th~';!jj';' Il-I!.~IL lb. , IIJ- ".-~ ,,~ 11. '0; ;-1111[;; I ,~'!!G'. VIJI;.~ " i; , 10_ UI I .~... u· . ~ . 10:.:. (; '.' liIg. . - ullJ..

p Dw',e,r to h E,I[pl 'Y()ilung f;U~O p l.e'" yUIlJ W"QU~,d b,e Ire m i·s,.s nat t.o 5U!p1Ip,[J rt th·'E mia,s 'thie'V'~lre ml,atu rii ng and h e'~1P the!m use ·that Ir:H:p~J'e Ii w,e'~t So tha:t":s th e broad a1nswer-~ IMoln~ s[p,eciific::a,llll'y'[p I dOI11lI't thiink r\"e ever met [ro,o]1 '$holrt, r've ,al,wa'Y's

20 II OlONE WEST

You~"ve mlent~oned Too Short and :E~4.o.. Who atre s,om'E of the other ,a.rt~sts that ha \I'e been i nV'o~ved w~th YUti

'vo"u k··· n "'iI.J 'dl~IUii:!l, h ~d· - al I~Uln[ 1.., nf ':Iirtl 'l'lii!:t'ii!: t-h''':iit' h-' ~ U~ [nm" 0 ·t, ~ lI"'iIfii; 1111011-,;, ']-: *"h-' ;'1111 L. i.$' -h nlll"t,

W "~.' .1 __ .lyW,. W~ '!!II;;; .I_1~ __ '. lI!J." __ -"III '!U! .. Q_~_.;)I_., ~' .. _U ~ __ QV~" ·_U._ .h;; .' UII YUI!),n .. c.: l. __ , 1\ -. _U~ !.

lis '[,a.rta~nly the mos:t popu~a.r w'ith the t@@ns ,i3i.nd iits our deepest. rel,at.Jionshill'. ~- .. ~'u,~, 'Ci,Ii"'ii'fi" ~ Ai Q ,g, n II'"~ -l·~t~ In, n c: h' "I'I'n ~,;I;.' 'l't'II-,;, [M "IS' ;.~, -h] rE'A~· B, '1...1' -h' ii"'N1 -h '::riiS (In ml ~ tl o' t -h G [10 n' t ~ ir

1I"!I1~ l!'~ ~~ IJ.. Q U~~iIf"- II ~Q __ y _.~ ~ VIII'. uw ,.I"L-:.:.Il'~,_. Ii,._· J!' W _ .II;.!!._~:.. :..: u.,.~ _.,- II;: _:'I;:. _.!I;;;: II

"WHEN KIDS ARE AROUND PEOPLE WHO HAVE LOW EXPEUATIONS OF THEM, THEY'LL ACHIEVE THAT lOW EXPEITATION. I HDUD THE'M TO A DIFFE,RE,NT STA,NBARD AND SAY 1 KNOW YOU'RE CAPABLE OF DOING B'mE,R.1

SOIME KI" 'D'S G' 'RO·tJ U'P' WITH p' EO··· .. p' LE" ALW'AY':S" ran IN'G" "THEIM' lViO· .. ·U ft':N'T S" HIT' Y"O'U A]'N'T NEV'ER G'O"NINA B'E' 'S":H'IT"

.. 50 THEYBE~L1EVE IT. YOU'RE ALWAYS LOOKING-Fda SOMEBODY~AT ExPEITSMORE; TH'EY WANT YOU T() SEE SOMETHING :IN THEM THAT'THEY' DON'T YET' SEIE IN THE-' SELVES. THAT'S THE MAG'IC OF WHAT' WE DO. THE BE'AUlY

IS' 'WHE'N THEy···· ,eIEE' 'THEM"S""E1lVE"S' THR'O"': UG" -'H O' U'R" EY' :'ES' A' ND" WE B:"EU'EV'E TH' EY"""'R"IE CA' R~AB' LE O' F GFt"ICATNE'S" '5" .11

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ning, intermediate, and adV'ia,n(:,e,dI~ The music side (overs the' 'w'hart@ arrav, [Thie music industrv] 'is like at basebatt team, Not 8"uI8'rybody"s 'the pitcher,

NI,ot l!lJ'erybody"s 'th-e batter, W'h-o does Imarlk@ti'rn!g:? Willa does prcmotions? Who does ml~unla~'le m ent? IWe pus h tlh em to thin k: ab out that. 00 ot eV'E! rybod'Y has,

to be' the artist, lt's all about educating 'young' people. IWho ls reaU.y making

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m 0 In ey In .:_de 1m us I C g,amle ~ JIL mas 11. ar J SJ.s ~e l, ~ ~,JL _' 0 ~ _ eacw w ,_;; eee 1_ rOlm __ e r

1[' DI C:':d; II,Q, S ... ] ~,II;_111 h' n a ets the nit I h g,lI"' e B-' IS- I '} 'Vo 11111 nl tl Q, d-I i:- 01 ~ rt III a -l-lu' t h "1'1 n k .~ h nut 0'1' .,1 n "I' In" o'

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a lahe] and doing digital n~cordliing~ When!"s the ringtone mon'8'Y? There's a who(~el industrv on the. music side just Uike there is IOn 'the fitrn side, W'le'r-e not (1le.ces"sallrny tr-yiing to push young people into those careers but giviing them

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Are most of the career-orlented programs that you have geared towards the. music ~ndu.5try~ or' what tYP,e,5 of equipment are available at the tenter?

MUS "I [j co J"I!J !I::'·t ii""iIl n' IQ, 1'0' "',f t -hi ~ m'" II J IQ, ":"0' ",, r: U s·' '0' "',nl m ~,~ "I ~I .~ Irt S: ." filill m' . cr Ii"'~i 'In h' . ic .J IQ,~.; ant ha ~t ~ C'

~I·II_- _--,~, ~"~ _ JUlI_ .~, _ L, h .. , __ ,_,. lI\II~ II _:_,,,,,~_...._, .~ .. 1 _ _I __ ~u_,g. Q_~' JI . ~ • ~,!I Q.~ .. '.:": IU~,.JI!~=-_ -f 1_,_1 g~, .;;!II

just one part, W'e 'have a [aJe. that's '8',e'ared towards tlelllP'ing young P!12'Opi~e ~get into the [u I[~nary fil2 ld. Ih e' 'food se rvi ce' iindustry ~ s th e ,5 econd largest ii ndus-

·'Ii"U' '"I n t" 1~'Iii:ii rou n trv Itilii:li re ~llillly are a l~ ab out J"IO' ··1J..'5· J" nbs J'I" nllli-ol!ii:" tor Y'IO' una pe iI"lii·pm D

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'Th'2 re ~ 5 a career edlUl(at~ o,n rente r that: :5 aU about hie lpi ng yourtl§' p eo p le get into and out of' high schoo ~ 0 r into at IG E:D p rogram, Ih ere's caree r paths, IW h eth er it's [0 nstructi on 0 f child rare cr- a tech n ical 'm e td, IWi2 help the ml get. into college; ,(I, two-vear Dr tour- y'e.,8Jlr program ~5 what w'IE!,'re push i ng for, There's also an alten ative hiigh school on-site, There's a 'W'holle career educati on aspect, and th en there's a PlhySi~ cal educati on a:5 p ert. Th ere's a dance studio, the media arts, the performance arts. There's a film class ..... beg'iin~'

And you have counselors or advisers that are avaHab~e to meet with them on a. one-on-one basi;s?

Abso'~ute~ y~ Th ere's a tea m that d evelons Q1n'E!'= o 111 -nne strategi es a,r! d as ks them '!IWh,at;'~s your ~][a.n? W'hat"~s your dream? IWha:t are your aspirations in

Il:"f'Ii:!''''ul A'n d to, hen '"I*"'~'S "Ih "I'S is ht 0 Ir~ ""OU I!' re :lit- ~I~I h iI:iI re A 0 '\10111 want "to '0 D'A"lo IH D'ild , ' i 't;;'!l I. '.1 dl i l :'1' . .. I" W''''IIJ1i=. II-~! " •.. i 1-' U. 'W ~!-it; Lil' }J',u "w',' '., 15;6! - 'w

are we go ~ n g to get you th eln~ t" For Y'ou ng people, the thii n g is to ig'et th elm out of hiign schoot and get: them iin [olilleg,e" For some young people, their

h ous iing :5 ituati on is §,O bald thatt they' rei getti ng th e'~lr ,aJ5Si beat. Th ere's In 0 publi ( school Sy5tI~ m to fill that, r~g;ht?' IBut 1:h ere. a re s omle th iings 'we can do.,

m.J· I:~' .• ,~,.,.", ',1' "'110,. "I' i 'c' •• '"'"" ,"! "1'" '., li"t-t-il, "i'" I'" t-i""', k'" "Ihi"-

'we [an give you .at JOur. you [an give you,r mlQlm at 1111. ,e Imoney 0 eep I I er

off y'our ba{k. 1if,J,e ca,n bfn'g hlef ~nto t··.·.e Cl2nter a,nd ta,l.k about !how' we~re! goiing to he~p her iif sihe's at fa,lJllt~ And we"re' go~ng to tzdk ,abolJlt gletting iinto (olllle:8)e ~ Ib IE! caUS'E!J [OUIE!I'gle i SI folU r ~H?aIf.S of 'f'lF,e'e room ,an d board" We try t.o ,get Ik.ids to se,E!' 'that coUlelglel i'si a,n e'SI(Ii3j,pe route'., SiQ wihet'h'e.r YOIUl~nal iint'e'resterl mn h'lo "I' no' "1'1 n 111m" u c '"I" ,0' ,Ir Ib' D "II' a i": In 1'0", (!c· iU' P' ·":IIt- '"I iI"lil n'~ m 'it' Ih. e r'a' - P "II Ii:' tl . 0 'Ir b 0 m n" 'g' i ':iii 1'( h af' .,., 's' [riiOl, ~Ill \I'

u I;; I ~ ~I _ I ~ II .' ~ _ II;. '.' '. !I ,It:, ~. ',I I! .' ,.,' ,,' " _ " y ,1_ II;,;!! i!j ~ U I[ 1!l.IIII, • I, _ " . ~I ., .' '!i.:' W ,_..:ut '.' !I;.;',~ !J.., _ t; 'u, c, - ,,J

aU about 'mndiing anid 'imlpl~elmle'ntiil1lg a p~a,n ,tQl g'E!'t 'you w'helre' you want to ble" And m llS i ( iis at part of that~ It's, the siexy, g;roup i e part., If's pa rt of the i Uu~' siion~ ]t:~s the u:rm gonna be 'Too Short:, :Eflm gonna, 'be a. 16,~!alltuJllm""vlete~~an and

'IIi r ". . '. ". . .' ·t- - , ,"'...ill II!' A' d t- ih' '. t-·'" . t-' f=- .', f' . .. .'. m· 'f"h' ,.,j' '.. ·t-' ~, .

!Ii m gon na, g'e, pahJ" ',n' I' it s· iru e " Of \III? ry lew pe~o p ~e", . ,a,!!, s no II~O Si'V

tlh,~t-· U'O IU' '('~ n ~t' , n ~ 1(' k' U p.,~ U t h· D ~ ·k·"1 II s' .~ ~ ~ n"IO' t h 12" hiM ~ 'U T' h JIll riO ~ Ir,lll ':Ii m ·o·,··t-' inf· i' Ik· "I d'll=: 'tho 'a: ·t·

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are tnJ ~Iy 'giift@d and taJented but are not 18:0 i ng to mla.'kle: iit [as, ra'pple f':sl~ SOl \f'e' ats,o p,fOV ide th e'm w~th Oth'2 r atltefna:thJes~ II

fa find out ,marie ab'rJiut. Youth' U'pRlsi.ng ,0" to' m'akle ,ijl ,donation visit www:., ,you,th'upri5ing~org or fall' .51(J~171=9,909.

{left)1 E-'40 wtth VCil~th UpR~5ing m.embers,:' {bIE1,'cn,,}, YU meimberSI de'I[,Qwate the wal.ls of 'the' (ente~ with p ho'to5 and ttdl the~ir stofi es

·B-el~~.rd liI~ '~h~ :S:t~".t, iH'~: "1iJ'Ll'"!:i; f~!!!! PJ"',~'" ""Jha~.is \iil~ iI: DU ~~,~ ~ r " dt!il! P,tn.w ;1:0, BIt~'

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Im~d l'l~ holl~~llln!t= gli~ !!'~"'il\' rf\nJln~ ,~~U or: ~Ih·a~~ ..

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"'VlJ is; mb:: ~~;HiU ml[ 'is t11Jl0'W.O for' ~)~~[Jt'll:~ Dal~JCS"'Ii the ,StUidit~s :r~~Jd w:h,1[!' flO[fe~,

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iii A ~O't 1M JmII~itI~ GlIB get a~~~ ~£rbm the i~JM'me ~~1SilDJ here~ E

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OZONE WEST //21

2,211 OlONE WEST

hear thev're fussin' over you out there, man. Wh,a.t did you do to get a~ these people talkin' about you? You doin' it "Fassst (Like A Na5,[,ar)~~'

Yeah,. I just re,dly put it out: there, That's a little llngo we put out, :It started in East Oakland, so we just put it out th ere and th E!I streets got 0 n ~t.

But: I know it's a little bit: deeper than that.

-I' f t ,i ~ -, l i f\il" '" .f;.~' t' k h h- if t ,.

. m €1(J.n!, rast II § atmost .1 xe, ~'IL' S J ,@ , Y:P ''j'. Ii'S

another form of hYIP,hV,. W,e fast, Ev@'ryth~ng is fast, I tear my' money off fast, I Igo fast. That's what ev@'rybody on. They on that: fast m ove me nt, It's another deviation of hyphy~ Feel mt£~?

I do. That's the single, right? YUPJ with KJ~ak Da Sneak,

Y'a l \AI e re su p' p ns e d to be Keak's artists. at 0 n 12 point, r'ight? What happened with that?

IW . - ·l ~ '!k· . ~ ., -, h h· . b . - II . ,. . - d ~-

__ E snu war In w~t I m, ut we rear V just r eviat-

ing right now, kinda doin' our own thing. WI'e' still

be do i n' stuff w it'h hii m Of whateve ~ .. , but W,E reaUy lust branrhi .~ off right now doin' us .. Everything sti ~.

il u ·d. t'h, ···h W· ., ,·t··IIII. ,'I~':·" ··tl h h· II .1 " ",' ·11 . +-

goo. . .. DUg" . e S ,In worr\ln WI ..Im, on proJ,eclsJ

but l.at'2(Y the monon has been about 'me gettin' 'my album and Imy rnixtapes done.

Was ~t strictlv a business decision from one side or th e otn e r 0 wa's i th at you j u st felt an urge to get your own music: out there without so much assis=o tanee . Jom him per say?

He ~nJt: .15 na m'e on ~t a ·d vou (h ed for us and that n~'aUy h,el.'p,ed us g'et knowLedge,. [au.se we 'had been do:in' it: for a umber of ylear.s. W'2 jw:st 'w~tsnlPt rle.au.y

·'-"h d· .... ' U -lI' ".~, k ~

~glettl n t e (re' lit uU 12. we waSr1 t gett:1 n a[:_·. now ~

e,dgelm e nt. fro m rad i'o a. d stuff ~i ke that and bas,~ ~ cally we statrte'd do,inf ,(It lot of stu'ff M(th Keak and' hie reaU'y put' us 0 n.

r'm sure a gang IOf rappers have approached h~m and not had t Ie same amount of success you all did, so what wa.s it a.bout y'a,ll that made it work?

I't. was j us,t the ,co nV'E! rsat.:on ,[off to pl fee l. mlE!? We

. ,- mbA' E ' h· d ,. d d 'K k U

Just: lim • eu .. -v2'ryt .Ing we . :1, was, goo .... ea' rea_ y

don't de·al. with a" lot of' arti:sts ,a.s f'ar as, shows and

A_ .. m·i',' - '··t-;L\-i r·h· ., k i· ··t- -, ll,·' t'·t-· ·k·': ., •.. '._

ueadn WI 1.1 IL em" ,so ue JIJS re.a._-y JUS 00. u.s un

d er hils wi' ng'~ 'It was ri ght w'hen th,a.t I! 5 u p er H y p hVi~

song carn'e OtJt·~ So it was real big' to be a pa.rt of 'that, do:lnr .show.s [.as hli.s] hype man, a.U of that

How di'd y'all meet h~m?

Yea h, we m et h~ m 0 n a. o1l5:i n eS5 tev.e -Jl trYI1l a. do S orne work w"th h~m and do .some songs w·th hmm. So wei ha.d 'got him on a song: a.nd ~ooked up that: w'ay'. From there we just vibed and k"e'p't' on doin~ 'i't, kelpt on worki n' w'ith each oth,e r.o Fro m t. 12 b IJsii ness. W'E 'formed a 'fri,endshlp~

You di'id a. two or t lree ~lela' b'idr right? Were y'aU the Babyf,ace .A.ssassins, lDefore your bid?

Or"i8'inaUy the IBabyfac-e' As,sass,·n:s started be'f',ore .m went t·o jaH. 'W!2 ai(tuaUy p·ut Ian a~bum out, dloi:n' a l.ot of [oUa.bo-rat~ons, wiith a ~ot of d~f'f',erent airti:sts" 'W'e diid a .song w·it.h Too Short, a.nd [100 [00 Cat when

'h 'h' d· h d h . i~ I 'M p-.. ,.,' ·W

" . - -, .. II ,I • :- 1'1, '._, I ~ ml -. ~., _.... . . .-1- I. " ~'. ~ I

e was, ot Ian _ ,eL t _,at n _ y _ rOJects sOl1lg. _ IE!

,ended up' ptJltt~nJ it out wiith 15el.e[t~O~tl'it.s and I: ,ende'd up glett~n~ lock'ed IUp~ W:hen [ 'g'ot out my boy who had belen wo rk i ._' w:th us~ we (am.e to gletn e r and we just fOf'med the Babyfa[e Ass,ass'ins" ~ca.us,e me and my brother ha.d f',eU out.

What happe' e.d with V'ou and your brother?'

He wanted to do h.is ow n tih i ng~ Va. ,,',e e l mle l' We sti II wor1k tog,ether. lIke the s.~ngl,e that we diid the vid'20 for,. uHypl hy ~U~ ~J h el ~lfO d U[le d 'hat~ But WEI st~ U work toget:h'e f .. We wo.rki n- with each o'th e!f (ght now.,

Is he on the production end or is he rappin~ too?

He stiU rap t:oo,. On my album r'ight now, he on a I[ot

of songs. IWe been rea.H.y bondin' and doin' it, but you .know now rats Wal,nna. do t.h@y ow'n thing, So he. doin' his own thing and l'rn doi n' my own thi ng, It's like' it wasn't just ft'V worki n' together, Even 'though we famHy, we Wa11.nft se'Ed'I1I' Ie.ye. to eye' on certain situations as far as how we W,d.S flow~n-' wiit, it. He Wlent his wla.y and .m went lmy way., He actually on that "Fassst (L~ke A Nas'car)" song. He dld the last verse.

So yo pa'tna carne ~n kinda on the tail end of your retati unship with your brother,

[ m ean, m'y pa'tn at had al wa.y's b een de al i n~ 'with U5~ To keep 'it real w'ith 'YOll, IBabvfac'e A.ssas.sins 'in. the beginning was, like a clique. IWe just was. all rappin' try na [0 m E IJ P and W@ put th e gro U D P rojert out Me. and my bov, '!t~n~ just: reall~y dicked. W'h@n I was down he was writin' me., shootin' me his ;lYJ~(s, showin'

me t at he w,a.5 getti ~ dope and doin' h~s thiing'~ So bas'jcaJ.Uy what: ended up happ,eni'ng 'was I had a (a'SEI in ~New Olr(eans and he ended up baiting :m12 out up outta th ere, Ev,e r s.f nee th en we ,ad' n't to oked bark,

'W'2 been doin' it, It's st]l 8abyfa[E Assas.sins, but I'm j ust do i n' m'v th,i ng to o.

50 you were down ~n N'ew Or ea s and in 'the Ba~i?

yt~ p .. I: [au ght my case in LA [0 u nty an d I was;

out there and tney transferred me through the

pe .. itentiarv svstam to San Quentin, IDe,ilano, and

th en I fi nallv m ove d to Jamestcw n. I had a case in lnuisiana so bas,iicaUy I was supposed to get out land they extr',adilted mle th,e·ri2. They war.s tryna give 'me' like' four mOire Yl~lar'.s and then ill baU,ed OILJt· a.nd I just h,ad to end U1P payIn" 'iem som'£! money. I E!'nded up' pay'i ~ my wa.y' out of i,t

What were 'you dow I for?

I Wal.S i r,.--tiiaUy d own on a P lioibati on vi o~,;)ti:o n th a.t

I had d i dI w'he n l w·a..S U kel 18., You know' h O'W' it i:s~ m was yow n g and m wa.s like,,, j"10 k,a.y .. , th ey ga.Y'E! mea sl.a~l on the wrts:t.·~ lhey gave me Uke a y,ea.r prob,ar .... tion" but I didn't real.ly unde1rstand wh,at pr--oba-

ti 0 n was,., I moved d own to Lou i~5:i.a na, but i w,a.sn"t supposed tiQ leiV"2 ·the state .. So when my P.O~ fOlUnd a ut I wle nt out: of s,tate or w hatev,e'r, ill had v,i oia.te'd .. 50 ill was 10 n ttl e ru n 'foOli" ~i ke 'th.n~,e· years~ lh e wh oh? ti 1m 12 I w.a·s do· n' th 121 . n itlia l 11 rs,t B,abyfao2 Assass i ns prole(t (Ruby RedEye) I was on the run and ill had

just got caught up i'n lA~ In the P'fOCi2SS :1 had got caught. up in Loui.si:ana do'in' .some dumb stu-f'fr but I'm good now"

50 what happened with you and your pla'tna?

Sh it.f no'th j' n'! Ir,e·a.Uy h,ap p e'ne d. I h,ad just bee n tr'~tn a. do m,e. At the time, he do~n' hi:s ·th'ing and m~m doiinJ my D'w'n th· n g .. it ai n't l.ii ke we, ,S e~]iarat.e U ke' that~ I

just wate,d to do a 50:lo IPlr,oject Fe'el me']! Just. to se'e ~'f M (ou~d do It by ImY'se'~f one time. He wOli'kin~

on h~s Uttle 51010 mixtalpe too~ We finna put an aJt1um -0 ut togeth e r to 0" He had went 0 ut of tow III to lAlla. ~ ba'ma fo:r a fe'w months, .50 .sin[e h'e belen out th,ere :1

just b 12112 n record i'nl'"

50 h'e just gone for a minute then huh?

Y': ,h' 'h . .. r .II).;.,!. ..,.. ... f· - . I .,. I., Hit-I i k - d f .'

ea, e alh. lIlu2 W,ilV II or a m, nUle ... 2 ,uc. IE! or a.

mi,nute. But wefU :se·e h'im! IDa[k .short(v~ So I h,a.d 'to just do my own thing f'or a mi'nute~

]aml wmU do a lot to rna. ivate a nigga, to do diff,erent things, but was there anythirrng e~se that 5,erved as motivation to kelep you going, know"'ng that 'when you got out this -5 W· at you, w'ere going to do?

I had a p~an~ you f'ee!l me?' iBas'ic-a.lly' l had noth~ng but timil2 to' p~an and thi'n:k and strategize on how

ill was gOiing to [lome' out and make it happen, '¥ou gotta rea tize, b efo re :1 got l ocked UPI~ the Ba.y wasnrt on. It 'w'as straight independent, no radio play, no nuthin', So my whoh~' thing w,a.s·, ~lHow I'ma make it happen?" ill knew it. 'wlas about networkin', but thee whote time :1 w'as down I was just writin' and [ust keepin' mys,e:lf motivated on how I' was goi:n'g to

get out and network and do the business end., I'm a.

t t -M t t (l f- inuteb t 1- i t

',: I·'· ~ I ',' , ':" ,_ .•.. ::__ '., ' II" I I ., I I' . h !

smar cat, wen" 0 touege or a ml nu @!,U. JUS~.

end-led up goin' the wrong way~ :1 just had plans of gettin' out and gattln' on my' feet, 1 'got a trutkin' [OmlO"any' and e'v'e-ryth~ng,. I wa5 reading different rna g'dZ i nes a _ ,d I s,aw' d iff sire nt rats l.i ke, the B,ay is. back, .. ill wa.s :i n j al l ,a.n d :1 w'as heari n' Messy M arv and Keak 0 n th e rad i 0" S,Q :I just dec i die d ttl at I was Ig'O n'

hAd th m I' h -'m ,.-I" d

$,maSI_'_,. ,-: n _ 'L_ tat's w __ at & u L .

What wa.s the fir-s.t thing you did when you got out? My boy picked mel up' =-. damn" man, The 'f] rst thing I did'? [laughs) Hrst thing I did was went and messed with mly gi rt, That' 5 th 121 fi rst th ~ ng ill d 'i d. r~ rst 'th~ n g I did, ] had to go get some 'man.

She waited on you, huh? Tat's a. beautiful thi ng~ So what was it tha.t really got y,Jall poppin' in the Bay, cause it's a gang of ni'ggas rappln',

It's at gang of cats, but 'OJ R:icK lei!? kinda got. us' poppin'. He 'was the first ,OJ to reallv play us' at

S o'c ock and just broke our record. A lot of cats weren't reallv givin' us' a chance, you fl2el~ m,e? 5,01 he gave us a c-h an (e b'y th row i n f UI.S on a,n d neb re,a k:s if'Ecords out here, :50 on(el he g'ot on it" everybody started r,es.pect:in' i:t~

I he,ard the f'2ma.l.es got y'all. poppin'~

Yup~ yup~. yOlll r"g·tmt. You belen doin~' your n~.5eafC "

Y'IUP' bef'o'ro ':flln~1 'th; ~~ ·It-' -w, ,a'is' t·--'h' liOi fe·m:a.~ te,s" y .. "0, uk:: nlOI ---

,_ I . .. ~ U, _IU.. ,t)I!, II!. . . _ t:,;... ._ !Il .. .. w

what, '(au S e on th e coOver o-f' th e alb u m 1. had Imy shirt· off. I' .showed ml'Y lOony (h·e'st~ so ttwatfs, wnat if'ea.l.l,y", reaUy got us on .. Everybody seen the fiyer ,and want,2 d to know, JfWhe re ItM~ at?i"

FHght.. "I'WhoS'2 bony chest i.s thi's?~J

lha.t 'was, my Dony (he'st." Ye',ah, be"fore lAte' I~'ot on the fla.d iio and eVIt? r-yth i: ng, peo p ~e stilrte d h eari ng us 0 n tha.t leve t W,e gut th e fe"ma es 0 n l.o CK., 'That~s w. at we do got.

I helar t at beyond aU the game and t Ie hype, aU these rappe, 5 wannat trul~v e like· yi'all..

Exa(tl[y~ man,. :In th'e Bary ~t was aJway's om -som1i? grimy stuff. When we [aml2 out Wl2 carnie wiith t.h'2 [ha i nS',r th,2 j ewe _fY" th.e i [,e an d aU th at~ So b,d.s i ca.l.ly aU thes'2 cats now alre f'oUow'ing and pi[k:~rr' up on

lit" TQI mle 'itJs turning into a tJ·g complletiit'ion to where ill'm try na ,gelt at b i gg'e r [haln than hi Iml" IBut we did nrt start out I.ike that. WI!:! just h,ad our' ~mage~ That was IU.$~ We alw'a ys be e fl y~ We sitarte'd a trend,. If yo u ,look ba.c:k about two 'yea.rs I1go, the only peo;pl.,e y'ou'll s,ele' with [ha'·n.s is Y'Ulk,m,outh and E·~40. 'Th,e' rest of tie [at:s d· d In ~'t ha.ve rrupth i:n' IOn.

'Right~ Out typi'(a Ly j't ha~]pen5 the other way

a -olJnd., F~rst you g'2t the money, then the chain .. Hut vIall did it feverse~ So how'd y".aU do that?

m got at tnJ (kii n' bu.s i n e.s,s and IKa,.s h d (] real esta.t:ie. But

,. ~ ,- r I [' U ~ - l

mailln ''1 _usti_ n·., ,I s ai, a !lliUst _iI~.,

'What's th'E na.me of' the a.Lbum?1

Money is IVI.V fVI'o'tivati'on~ ,pres,E'nted by [linton Sp1atr!k.:s and BJ R.i c:k le-s.,

Who are .5 orne of 'th e arti sts YOU'VE' got featu re don the album? And wh.,at are' you ta.lki ~ bout?'

ill got. Ke'cw.k." EA~B." Quinn, FreiewaYr [il}ld,e CaIson, it's, a numib,!?r of Bay artis,ts, 0 . there. MtJs a few hyphy

j Iii nts Q1n th·e re. "h~ got a fe w j 0 i nts 0 . th,e'ne fo r th,2 ladii 2'S~ It's. 'w'e ~1"" rou n d e!d~ H u:sth~ m u 5 i (~ :It's. d i-ffl2 re~nt stuff' on there., It aiin~'t ,aU 'Fatssst~r II

OZONE WEST 1/23

or ten years he dwelled in a cell no bigger _ than the comrnu a bathroom In the m.ln.lo,n dollar mans on he now calls horne. ,A,n a.cknowl-,

. edged mastermind behind the once famed Romped Out Productions, ]

Digl~rsi is known 'throughout the Sa'y' Areta, a's the lorrnlgjnaJ't,or nfthe nationwide phenomenon "Ghostrldln'." (~os,e as lanybody' W'oS to :Ma .. r Dire" 'the fallen sold ~ E'Ir ·whusle' rharismati r antics [reate d the IBa,'y"",s most celebrated move m ent ever, Diil~g,s" Presid ent 10'1' Th ~Zl IN ation Entertai nlm'e'nt .. has, the a ~,'- i n dus lve duty' of [,allrlry~ng ion a label that h"s comrade never :s,a,w' materialize cern-

11111 et II '

~'~,~A:~ Il.y.,

Skies of th'~ Ga1te} fa lito rni« ,Drt~amj'n I 11)1 D'iigg.s. '§!,rant,e,d O,lOru lE an exdus ii\N~ t,C)

chop 'game about the hrYIPihy' movement and 'aU things Thizz. ~

lJaJ~UU,s sources report that he's the shit in the 8'a)(jl brut unlike a K1eid,k Da Sneak or Mlista.hi F~~.lB,. I(a'lso a Thizr N,ation artist], Diiggs'~ buzz ils relegated

to th e streets and/olr wo rd of mouth promotl on. iG lve n h iis a lle gian te to the onl'y' place he's le'\n~r [ .. alled horne, this Ba,y An:ICI underground legend could conti nue to fiat bi g steaks and lo bster d i nn ers fur the re maind er o'f his rap existence, The rE!i~J.litv though, is Thizz is meant to blow up, Among other ma]o r:5'J' D,ef Jam an d Sha,dy .a re (OIU rti ng n Cit 0 n ~'Y Bli'grgs 'fa r h is, abr~iity' to sell re,r~ord's, as a sole artist, but his entire label. on some [ash Money tYIP'f!' shit. W,h~l..el he anticipates the release of his! third :5,0 ,o! album ]1 B'"ggsA:o,ml (,Bath

I'll the months leading up to '~rou corning home, did Y'ou know that this is what you wanted to do; or did you have an option as you saw mt?'

Iliggs: It wa.s n 't ab out '\ftl hat I wante d to d 10 whe n I cam e hom 2., Th is was, damn near it, 1. didn't really have no choice. It was; ike, lIyou [an furk with

th is m u s W[ .. o r you ra n 'go back to th lEI sire ets bas i call y. I F eel me? I'm '[ i ke 30 years old and I ain't never had a lob in my life, I never worked at a plaice

of ernployment .. I fU~'\fer flip ped a burger, never w'~lited a table. I never did nothin' that concerned workin~ for nobody. But I've always had pretty much fVf.rythi'n'g'l wanted, I Just knE'w hCJW to get around and do 'what 'I needed to do.

Illd be~ng' locked up do anything to ki your dreams of rap success or did "1: wo rk the othe r Wily aro u n d?

'When I w'as incarcerated this music shit' 'was more or less a dream. If I Elver got another shot" w'hat w'ould I do and how woul.d I do it? I W'BSI lucky enough to 'get another shot, but I hasicallv was motivated more or ess by the penpl e that I k.new that was; in the game, From the Spice 1'5; to the E -40's to the M,a[ MaH"s to Mac Ore going' bark horne. SOl my motivation was [Oust being there

24, II OlONE WEST

• . - .• 1 ... -rent. level .. l

- . _ .r 0 a. - .

rom.

I . .

and reallv just opening up magazines and seeing niggas I 'grew UPI withJ dudes I was "n the studio with .. ~ it was Ute, ~!WOWI lf I ever get a 'shot at it again, at least I know I got an avenue I [an go ru n at." So when .I [got out that's wheat lt l~as,. ,Me and: IDre talked about this a long time alga.

How d iff cu It is it to mal ntai n you, r fa rus as, Ian artist. se e ~ n ~ t hat you live n eve r par ed a car or wa.it'ed a. tab e and you have all these other options to make rna ney in yOtU r face on the da ~ly?'

It's hard Bro. I ain't gon" tiel. I'l] be the first to admit when 1. (arne home 1. found mlyself caught up in some situations that could've had me back in

the penitentlary, So it ain't like all that shit just. ~n5tantly disappeared and .I was autnrnaticallv a ra.p genie~ I had to come back out. and 0 ce again take certain steps and go through certain trials and tribu lations to get back here. I understand the block and having t.o go black to the block. But I put rnvself in a situation wherle it was go·ng to have to be either one or the other ... I've bee n the re an d I k now' the stre ets will corn e get yo u. I kn ow that that sh ~t is only so long. M felt ~ilke if I could [get out here I would take advantage of the first little crease and i was gon' mob. I know that I'm not one of the greatest rappers out here but I do know that .I [an make it happen out here.

What was, he transitlon I[~ke rorni ng back in terms of getting your rhy hm back?

It. was a [old transition. I ain't gon' reo I didn't even . now what a. carpool lane was when. carne back .. That's how long. was gone. From }1992 to 20021- that's a helluva change. A lot of s it changes in the world. But I feel like I was pretty much grounded and pretty much structured. I'm one of those glJYS who can pick up, fast" 50 when M first carne horne I kept. my mouth Cl.05E,d and kept my eye'§ ope . i eased back into the situation.

Did you practice your craft w'hHe you were locked down?

I rapped the whole time I was in the systEm,. I "u~nt to eight different penltentiari es a nd every pen ite ntiarv grn u n ds I we. nt o n th e-y lfl1'as bet~~:'gi n'

fo-r me to get d own at the 51 ows and 5 h it. '50 .ill staved 0 n to p' of my ga rne.

On ce I rncke d a show in [al ifo rnia the n I rocke d a pe n ite n iary i: n New York and rorrke d ape n itlf ntiary in Pe n nsy'l Via n j:a. ,a.n d rOlcke d a p'e n itlf nt~ary inN 0 rth Ca.rolina.~ l' k.ne·w I prubab~y ad something specia.l ~(aUS,EI I 'was dleaUn' with muthafuckas f.rom .aJl over the world",

You didn't have Dre back that ~ong a_'ftElr V'ou got lout [ons<hde.ring how much of th e hy p hy rna-vern e·rmt was hi 5, b rai n chi ld i' \AI at lare you r th au ghts on how it as. ta ke n off an dhow It's b'f e n crl2 d ite d to celrta i rn1 pie np le wh a we're n 't necessarily involved :rom jump?

Itjs crazy .. but th,at~.5· the ga~me: man., It happens everywhere m'V dude. It.rs lik:e how th e boy' Li ] 0 n 'went d lOW n to TE n ~e'5:S E e' an d $,ele n th es e' Thre'e 5 i x M afila boys 'wo rk i rn I th ey g'ClS cans an d wor.k~flI' that r.ru n k. sh it ,Q .. nI d n e.xt th i ng yo u know, he had crunk musi[ down ~n Atlantln. Tha.t shit happens. It happe'ns to the best of' them and ~H)metjme5 you gotta take the bitter with the St~N~et. If's like any other leg"endary' story. WIB had to .SE'f .510 (ent (the r,apper) befolrre we (ould l:e.arn about the ottu:~r 50 Cent - thel re.al 50 (ent Wit I Dre. b,~ing dead. ~f th e. hy p hy m oV'e me rmt frnadn't [go n e] to an 0 he r te ve'~j1 it wo u I[d st.~ II be a lot of mut afuc:ka.s stiH sh~ep' on thE real DrE' ,and 'where it rlfall'Y ca.me 'from., I'm not mad at the' dudes that takini' it and runn~nJ 'wi :h ~t. It's just l'ike ghostwa.lkinJ• I invented that because I got a. Ra.nge· R.o'ver and I ((]uldn"t. fi'gurE' aut how I \rJ,a.s gonna g'et on my hood., I know ~n my heart that I'm thE' first. pE'rson t at e'uelT did that, but 'it's 'gJ!t.ti nJ a loo k. They ta lk.i [1' ,Q b GlUt. it.

What's the d,ifference between ghostwa.lkin~ and. ghostridin'?

It's th f s.am e th i ng., It sta rt~ d [out ,as] gho'Stw'aU(j n f ~ I sta.rte d gho5tri d j n,j. Ttl e. reas.on why it was [[alled ghostwaU('inj' i's, it'.s kinda ~rnkf~ whe'n you run ,out of

gas and you get out of your car and you got you r hand on the door? You got( .. a hand on the steerin' wheel and you pushin' it? Well, this is where it carne from. It origina.tl.y tame frorr a. rnuthafurka dol n~ that, pushirr' 'lis car. It wa.s out of gas and h@ pushed ~t and let it coast a I· ittle bit. He lets it go and he's w,a.lkin; next to t .. e car, M took ·t to a [different] level, .~ started. lettin' the car go" jurnpin on top of the tar, ridin' the car like it's it surfboard. That's what [the term] ghostrl din' cernes from.

Tell us a little history about the Label itself and how mt evolved over the years .. Before ill: was Thizz it w·as RD'mp'~ It wla.s Romp Records, We changed the name to givl@ a w'hole n~w look to the tabel, to giv@ a who· e n~w fe~t to gi'v@ 'ern sorn eth i n g els e to talk ah 0 ut b ecau 5 ewe had got so m u I: h negative pu b l i city' behind the' Rompler Room and the feds. 50 we try to giv1e a whole new look, a whol.e new atmosphere. Dre carne lj,fth the ne'w sound, the new thing to party to and we called it 'Thizz music.' IWhen you dance to our music it feels ~i ke y'OLl on a drug, So we carne with this new sound, this new hyphy shit and ,t e 'Ray Area jumped on it.

So ina sense, Thizz Nat.ior] ls kind of responsible fa r branding the Bay.

We built this whoh:~ thing. It's carried across the country" 'state to state and evervbodv's throwin' t ley T's I(for Thizz) up. Eve-rybody got th'ey thizz face

on. E.verybody goin' stupld, gettin' hy'phy. ghostwalkin' the-y Ilots and bottom tine, t is is whe're it camel from .. Ri'ght here, the home, .he [rest .. Mac Orf", Thizz Entertainment and we was respnnsi ble for givin' the country a ook .. , Showed em ghostwalkln' for the fi rst time on D\!D~ E did that. Dre gave em the thizz dan (e an d showe d em the th i zt face. 0'0 that was aU 0 ut of 0 IJ r i(rew. 50 right now, that's what the Bay is made of.

How is the N,ation being received outside of' the Bay?1

It's a great look. Me rnvself personally; I've al.ways been a do it rnovin' tv~]e of guy., I get from. state to state. I mess wilth all the

hnsses and the underbosses across this country I always been in and out of' the New Yo rks an d th e Ch i cage's and the Detro its" down S outh from Louisiana to M lsslssinpi and this musir game that I'm twi;stin' OiLIt there is gmvin~ them a chants to [receive us differently]. Even if

they don't Ik.now that music thf!};Y know the fate ..

M understand at one point you wlere totally against going with a ma] 0 r lab el, wh ~ chis often th e case wit.h Bay Area rap p e rs. W hat (hanged'?

It wasn~t that I wa.s to ta II y a gai F1 SIt. go i ng with a major. It 'wa$ that I understand how they do shit; how they (orne through and break

lip dynasties. You feel. me? 1 understand haw that shit works and

my whole th~ng wa.s we have the whole Natio . Thizz N.at·on is a nation and it consists of certain muthafurkas that make our ( iernistrv go right and make au r 'fans ave us" Our fans like to see us together and the fi rst thing'

t at: hapuened when the maio rs come in is they wanna go in and see who t.e.y can pick out, Once they pick aut 'who they can pick out they done broke t at up, So my fans are begg·ng me to not leave Thizz atl over my mvspace, ImlY webs~te and I can't do t at, Thizz is a part of me" I'm the Presi dent of· this company and I helped it grow to the l.eve·. 'that if's, an by w'av of Mla[ Dre~ My wh 0 t.le th i n'g was, If we gon' do th e maj 0 r, ~et~ s d a it m.aj:o r. I want th e· who le [a b e ~ tOi go. I n !2'le d th·,,· Ca.s h M 0 Inley de a.L I: got til who ~e a.rse na.L that's worth t'at

So it's s,afe to s,ay that 'ThtZl Nation has grown from the ubiQJiitous, shadow that M.tIle Dre left behind~

o yeah, definitely. It's like' any old s(, oo~ leg'e'nd~ if you '. ill. the br'a~n, the body gon' g~o. We was the body ,and Dre 'was t e brad ~ He was the !(aplt:airn

of ttu~ shi p and Ie moved thl2 shipl mayne. Once our brai,n went,. it lAt,aS up 0 us. We had two [ho~ ce.s. We (oul.d eithe'r keep the shi'p mavin' or we [oul.d go down. W,e had to fight man. W·e ha.d to make' the f'ans trust in our music and put lots of it out and what we did was, we unitled the Ba.y·. A, lot of peoplri? don't understand t at~ We un~ted the Bay~ The Bay had been :se'gregate·d into IF isco, O·aktand and Vallejo. That was b,Clsically how it' was (hopped UPI j'n this, rapl ga'm'2. What WI2 di'd was we branched out and we got raPJu~rs from fri,s,(o, Oak~a.nd, Rich mend, H1er(ul.es,r Sa(ra.mento; the whol.e Bay under a me umbrel.la.. We broug t anybod'y 'with good talent thlat W,QS appin" und,er one umbr'ella~

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