Concrete alabama12 by CONCRETE Magazine

CONCRETE: Name? Pope: Jonathan Mitchell CONCRETE: Why Big Pope? Pope: It came from UGK back in the day. In one of I think Bun Bee’s verses he says he’s the Pope. My cousin Jarvis ( who has the first verse on Lacs and Prices with T.I.) started saying, “boy you The Pope, you got this and that going on you doing a lot around here,” because I was running the streets. That’s where the name came from. CONCRETE: Growing up in Huntsville? Pope: I’m from Northwood, that’s where my Grandparents on my father’s side stayed. On my mother’s side my grandparents when on the North like Cherry Creek around that area. I would go there after school so pretty much a mixture. The North side is my home and I love it. CONCRETE: Musical beginnings? Pope: I was the one that was beating on the desk with the pencil in school. Me and my partners were making raps and doing school talent shows. That was in middle school, once I got to high school I didn’t do music for a while. I always wanted to take it more seriously. My older cousin Neil got me focused. He had a group called South Paw with one of his other partners Taz from Nashville. They had a whole bunch of songs together and Taz ended of staying at home in Nashville cause the commute from Huntsville to Nashville was a little long at the time, so he ended up making a move with his homeboys from Nashville. Neil had an open CD with open verses. It was called Southern Fever and I basically just hopped on all the songs Neil already had. It made me want more. The first person that ever put me in the studio though was Stacey Pleasure with Image Entertainment in about 97 or 98 and Neil just carried it on. CONCRETE: “Best For Me” has gotten a great response. Were you shocked? Pope: Yes I was shocked. I knew it was going to be fye when I freestyled it, there wasn’t that much thought put into it. The beat was so fye to me, shout out to Lil Ced on the Track, that I knew it was going to be good I just didn’t know it was going to be exactly what it is. I was going through some things at the time, self medicated, I told him to just cut it on and let me go. It came out and that’s how I know that God is good. I think that’s why it touched people so much because it’s my feelings and a lot of people feel the same way. CONCRETE: Southern Hospitality called you the “undisputed best rapper in Huntsville,” do you agree? Pope: I do because I have to. I hope that other artist think to same way about themselves and have that self confidence. You have to know that you are the best at what you are doing or why do it. Skillfully, I’m not the battle rapper but I am a work horse. I believe in my artistry and I will go in there and make music that’s up to par and I won’t put anything out that’s mediocre. I love my music, I’m passionate about it and I’ve already put in so much work for it. There is a lot of talent (in Huntsville) like no boundaries or limits. A lot of people that I like in Huntsville are underground, they make good music but they work everyday and have kids so don’t have the time to put in. If they were ever 100 percent with the music it’s no telling where they would be. Mr. Marcellus, Roger Loud, Mike Wade, Young Absolut, got an up and coming artist Lil Ratchet, B Easy Terry Heights. Shout out to Translee. CONCRETE: Social media, helpful or harmful? Pope: I really pay it too much attention. These things (fingertips) can get you in trouble for real. I’m very verbal and open. I don’t put a filter on what I say. Sometimes things are better left unsaid. You do better to just act on it and handle your business. That’s part of me growing as a person, you have to see what you are doing and where your mistakes are. Social media can go both ways you just have to know how to handle it. Sometimes the love can be so fake and the hate is so real. If I’m going to talk about somebody I’ll say it directly to them I won’t talk in subliminals. continued on next page

CONCRETE: Fan response to your return from incarceration? Pope: It made me feel great and let me know that I’m on the right track with what I’m doing. I’m touching people and the kids love me. For real people love me 8 to 80 blind cripple and crazy. I do it for everybody including myself but the kids are who really give me my mojo. When I see them and talk to them they already know where I’m from and what I’ve been through. I‘m so happy just to touch someone. I let them know that I know you like the music but you don’t have to be a rapper, go ahead and be the best you that you can be. Go to school, obey your Mom and Dad, and I tell them all don’t listen to my music unless you are doing good in school. CONCRETE: Huntsville Times mixtape response? Pope: It was OK. I wasn’t pleased with the mixtape. I was so eager to put something out, people still ask me about it, but I knew I could do better and I had more different things I wanted to put on there. At the end of the day it is what it is. CONCRETE: Legendary mixtape? Pope: It started to sound like an album. I started doing a series of songs that sounded like an album and I just had to pick the ones that really were not on that level. The content of the music was kind of different and I had to separate the two. I lost a lot of music when a couple of drives were messed up, I just lost 40 songs recently, I put my trust in someone and they didn’t take care of what I thought they would so I’m working everyday. CONCRETE: Do you write? Pope: Yes I do. I just have to work with the right producer. I have a lot of songs that I made while I was incarcerated so therefore with no production while I was in there, a lot of my music was made humming and beating on my chest. So I have the music in my head but I would have to hum it to a producer and then he lay it down. I have like eleven 5 subject notebooks worth of music from when I was incarcerated. CONCRETE: Any producers you want to collab with? Pope: I’m open. Sometimes you have rush job producers that really don’t want to sit down with the artist and make the music. So those that have patience and are serious about the craft and are going to listen and have an ear for it can translate it the way I need them to. CONCRETE: “Trap Nxxga” video? Pope: That’s my latest single off the mixtape SKBP Vol.1. It’s everyday life for a person that dabbles in the streets. KenXL shot the video by way of Mobile and Birmingham, he came up here rocked with us and made a good video. CONCRETE: What’s next? Pope: Just making music I can’t lie. I feel like the more music I make and the stronger catalogue I have, it’s undeniable. SKBP Vol 2 is on the way, I have a single that will be out called “Flowers.” It’s on my FB page and has about 27 to 28 thousand hits since June with just a verse and a hook. People chose the single for me. The music is easy it’s the business side of it. You have to have a machine, making it is cool but you need to handle your business and marketing and getting these shows booked. CONCRETE: Anything else? Pope: I love my Momma.

CONCRETE: Where you from? EL Kuntry: Originally Mexico, I’ve been here for more than 25 years. Now I live in Albertville, AL. CONCRETE: Musical inﬂuences? EL Kuntry: I use to listen to a lot of Mexican stuff with my Mom when she was cleaning the house like Mexican folk music. When we moved to Texas it was the era of Snoop Dogg and the West Coast, I just knew that I liked it, but didn’t know what I was listening to. CONCRETE: Spanish or English? EL Kuntry: I rap in Spanish and English. In Texas they speak Spanglish, but here (Alabama) it’s Spanish or English. CONCRETE: First Album? EL Kuntry: “Represent for My People In the Dirty South” I wrote ten songs and then was introduced to a Indonesian producer named Vick Urias. I didn’t know anything about studios but when I got in the booth it just felt right. Vick has been a great mentor to me. CONCRETE: El Kuntry Locos members? EL Kuntry: Everywhere you go you see Mexicans rep Vatos Locos (Crazy Dudes) mainly Cali or southern Mexico. Here a lot of people are like me and basically born and raised in the South. It started as basically just a term, saying we are Kuntry Locos meaning from right here in the Southern states. Lots of people have come and gone. I won’t say it’s a group but we came together for this mixtape High Level Authenticity Authenticity,Topo, Klever, and J Kilo. CONCRETE: “IHOP” featuring Jackie Chain? EL Kuntry: He came to Huntsville and did a video shoot with Big K.R.I.T at Benchwarmers. I was decked out with my chains and he walked over to where I was and said he liked my chains. We started talking and I told him we needed to do a collab. I hit him up and played him three or four songs but he wasn’t feeling it. I had just purchased the beat to IHOP less than a week ago and played the beat and he said let’s do this. CONCRETE: Describe “High Level Authenticity”mixtape EL Kuntry: Something raw. Hip hop is evolving and I like all the new sounds. I want to bring back the vocals and the beats since we are in the South. CONCRETE: Mexican hip hop scene? EL Kuntry: It’s not there yet. There are not Mexican hip hop artist or clubs. We get more love from other people than our own people. They want to hear traditional mexican music at the club, they like hip hop but they aren’t trying to hear it. CONCRETE: What’s next? EL Kuntry: Working on a new song Hustle Mode featuring Project Pat.

CONCRETE: How did you learn the business? Rudi Deville: I was in a group called J to the 3rd Power. It was me, Johnathan, and Johnny who was the DJ. We all used to rap together since high school. We later changed to Public Domain and that’s when things started picking up, we were getting songs on the radio and national attention. Around 1995 we had a deal with Warner Brothers. JB was our business person at the time, and Joe Douglas, who manages Franky Beverly and Maze was our manager. You know how you hear about those deals that go bad...I was one of those examples. I learned the business through all that. Understand your paperwork. CONCRETE: When does Rudi Deville step on the scene? Rudi Deville: Early 2000 I went solo. I was rapping at the time with B.A.B.B. (Beyond Anybody’s Belief) and I was just R.U.D.I. (Rounds Understood By Daring Intellect). I had a fascination with Cadillacs and I was from the “ville” so I became Rudi Deville. CONCRETE: One of the first rap records on the radio locally? Rudi Deville: I had a single that was out around the time I went solo that was one of the first on WEUP. I campaigned so hard. Shout out to Tam Tam too, she is like my sister and definitely put it down for the females, and helped break the monotony of local artists not being played on the radio. We went through everything. At the time they had a campaign on banning rap in different areas so it was a big deal for us to get played back then. We did so many shows and hit the streets so hard, getting in people’s faces and asking them to call the radio station. At one point they were ignoring the calls and saying they didn’t have the record. Once the community got involved they debuted my record “Won’t you” also known as the “Chicken and Watermelon” song. It got 40 to 50 spins a week. CONCRETE: Live band? Rudi Deville: My band is called the Legion of Groove. The movement is called Stone Soup, the song writing team is called the Soup Coolers. Shout out to Wade Brown, “come with what you got and throw it in the pot.” We have an eclectic bunch of people. We have Lady Lace (Lace), Wade Brown, Eric Echoes, Justin Erskine, Bone Jones (drummer and produces), Elmo on the bass, Charlie Chuck on the keys, and my DJ who runs the whole show DJ Chief of Chief Entertainment. CONCRETE: Creased Up International? Rudi Deville: That’s my movement which is film, fashion, and music. We really try to hold down a lot of things in house along with my partner Vick Hall. We are about to start dropping a lot of good music.

CONCRETE: Where you from? J Bruce: Natchez, Mississippi. CONCRETE: Broken Dreams mixtape? J Bruce: The good and the bad of facing broken dreams. I came up with the title. I recently played football in Canada last year professionally. My ideal goal was to make it to the NFL. After I graduated from Troy University in 2011 when the lock out hit the NFL. With me being in that class it kind of held me back from a chance to experience the NFL. I had the talent and the speed, but had to wait three years so I fell through the cracks. I look at it as it wasn’t a part of God’s plan for me. I kept chasing the dream to make it in the NFL and put my life on hold. That’s how the mixtape came about, the songs have a lot of content and it’s music with a message. CONCRETE: New Money Music? J Bruce: Nuvo and I linked up in a football training session. He was chasing the same dream and dependable. I asked him how I could get on with the clothing, sat down and talked to him and became a co owner of the Nuvo Riche Apparel. I didn’t know he did music and he didn’t know I did either. We went to his studio and he gave me the ﬁrst session for free and told me it was 75 dollars for each session after that. So we decided to join together and do New Money Music. He is a genuine guy and I value our friendship. We have a few artists, Howard who is out in Cali networking but from Florida. Bo Jackson is in Florida and Champ B the newcomer who is here in Huntsville and dropping a project late this fall or early next year. CONCRETE: What makes your music unique? J Bruce: The content. Not to knock anyone but everyone is going with the trend instead of setting the trend. I’m not talking about anything that hasn’t gone on in my life or I haven’t been around. I’m more on delivering a message but I have fun with tracks. CONCRETE: “Ventilation”? J Bruce: Everybody loves that song. I got the beat from Chris Rose. I did everything myself as far as the lyrics and the video concept. It’s one of those joints where I had my back against the wall and was going through that period of “what’s next”. I just wanted to vent let the old dreams go and dream new dreams. CONCRETE: What’s next? J Bruce: Working on Nuvo’s debut album for release in October. For me I have a lot of visuals and documentary that’s going to piggyback off the concept of the Broken Dreams mixtape. Remaking my song “Bet I Do” which will be the single for the fall. And my next project which will be an EP called Tales From A Dreamer in 2016.

I hear so many people discussing the music industry and their role in it. One thing I rarely hear people discuss is their income from music. Below is a few ways to build some solid revenue streams once you find some fans. CD Sales: If you’re going to be playing live shows, having CDs on hand is still a good idea. They make great takeaway souvenirs that can easily be signed by band members. Vinyl Sales: Vinyl sales surged 30% in 2013. Again, if you’ll be playing live shows, printing a small batch to have at your merch table can help generate extra income. Digital Sales: You should be selling digital music through your own website to make the most money, but also through online retailers. Keep in mind for your budget that online retailers take a percentage of sales (ex. iTunes takes 30%, Bandcamp takes 15%), and some digital distributors that get your music into places like iTunes and Amazon will take a cut on top of that. Streaming: Although per-stream payouts from streaming services can be rather small, they can add up over time, and these services can also help new fans discover your music. Publishing Royalties: You should be signed up to a performing rights organization so you can collect royalties on your music, including public performance royalties (radio, TV, live venues), mechanical royalties (sales through retailers, streaming, etc.), and sync royalties (commercials, film, TV). Digital Royalties: Whenever your music is played on services like SiriusXM radio, Pandora and webcasters, they must pay royalties. You should sign up for a freeSoundExchange account to make sure you’re getting those royalties. Licensing: If you get your song placed in a film, commercial, or TV show, chances are they’re going to pay you a licensing fee. These fees depend on the budget for the project, and how badly they want your song.

YouTube: On YouTube, whenever your music is used in videos that are running ads, YouTube pays a portion of that advertising money to the rights holders of the song. Audiam is one company that can help you collect this money.

CONCRETE: Name? Ressie: Jerry Rankin CONCRETE: Where you from? Ressie: From Mississippi but I’ve been in Decatur AL since Hurricane Katrina hit. CONCRETE: Growing up in Mississippi? Ressie: I came up from nothing. I didn’t know about having a job, I just knew about welfare. It wasn’t until I moved to Alabama that things changed. CONCRETE: Decatur inspiration? Ressie: KP on the Beat. I first started rapping at KP on the Beat’s house. No rappers inspired me, just my life. I rap about what I’m going through now until I get where I want to be CONCRETE: Mixed Chemistry Open Mic at Club 47? Ressie: A week ahead of time I was blowing up Chenequa Farrar of Mixed Chemistry, I kept telling her I had next and she didn’t believe me. I had to go to work the same night of the competition. I got on the mic killed it and left because I had to go to work. CONCRETE: “Been shot twice but it’s still Monday” elaborate? Ressie: Yep, shot in both my legs. First I got shot at Infinity in the parking lot. The other time I was trapping, I had stopped rapping for a lil minute to get by. I was at the store in Decatur and a guy shot me a walked off. That’s why I am dedicated to working now. CONCRETE: “I Am Turnt Life” vol 1? Ressie: It’s way different than the second one. It’s a different me and a whole different style. CONCRETE: “I see past the struggle already, 2015 is my year.” Ressie: I made it through the struggle. I was homeless from 16 to 21. I got my first place when I was 21 and I’ve never looked back. I’m 23 now and by the time I turn 25 I want to be in my own house and 27 my own mansion. CONCRETE: Recent collabs? Ressie: I want to work with Big Pope and if I can’t get a feature with him I don’t want to work with anybody else. Once I get one with him that’s when I’ll start working with everybody. CONCRETE: What sets you apart? Ressie: I live a turnt life. I’m never turned down or in a bad mood. CONCRETE: Anything else? Ressie: Shout out to D White, Gwapp Boys, Ken P Trunk Bangaz Productions, 100 Percent, Mixed Chemistry, Mile High and Block Beattaz.

CONCRETE: Involvement in entertainment? Scott: I’ve always had a love for music. I wanted to either be great at music or helping other people achieve their goals. People ask me what do you do? I just consider myself the people’s A&R. CONCRETE: B.W.A? Scott: I was providing services for Mixed Chemistry and Jai Love it was great place to start. Jai Love actually got me connected with Bread Winner’s Association. She saw my dreams and ambitions and put me with people that could take me further. I really owe her that. I shoot a lot of paparazzi videos and just follow people around with a camera. That’s one of the things that B.W.A. liked and started me working with Kane and documenting what he does as well as Kevin Gates. Now people come to me to shoot their music videos. CONCRETE: Do you still DJ? Scott: I haven’t in a couple of years now. At private functions I still would. I mean I’m not opposed to it. When I got started there wasn’t a lot of money coming in so I quickly got into music production. I have 12 albums out now. That was before I hit the music scene here (Huntsville). CONCRETE: Community outreach? Scott: I started with the Arts Council in Huntsville. They showed me the proper way to network and conduct business. I started latching on to their connects I was able to be a sponsor for Panoply. I had Unknown Lyric on stage for Concerts in the Park. A lot of the things I do I don’t take a paycheck for and that’s why I’m so successful. I love people and to see them succeed. CONCRETE: Model Haven Boutique? Scott: I was talking with Tori Adams and I told her my ambitions and what I was wanting to do. She said she had someone that could use my help. She hooked me up with D’an Harold and we had a meeting along with her brand manager J’Que Ellis, I helped them with their marketing and got them more visible in the Atlanta market. I’m now the assistant brand manager of Model Haven Boutique. That’s where I’ve had my most fun because I have a passion for fashion. We are about to CONCRETE: What’s next? Scott: Just closed a deal with Diamonds of Atlanta for Model Haven to be the “go to” boutique for a reality TV show they are doing. Also, getting ready for A3C.

CONCRETE: Musical background? DMR: Singing in church choir because my Grandmother was really heavy into gospel. After singing gospel for so long I started writing and getting into R&B. People like Michael Jackson, Stevie Wonder and Prince were a big inﬂuence on me. CONCRETE: Working with your Dad DJ Illie Ill? DMR: Great. He doesn’t hold back. He lets me know if the song is garbage because he has been listening to hits his whole life. It’s a really great relationship knowing that he is my father and manager and that I can trust him. CONCRETE: EP Freedom? DMR: Heartbreak, love, anger, politics, it’s some of everything. I don’t like to stay in one box as far as my music is concerned. When I put out a body of work I want you to feel everything. It has to have a full set of emotions for me to feel comfortable with it and that’s what you will get with this album. CONCRETE: The Voice auditions? DMR: My girlfriend inspired me to go. The wait was four hours outside and four hours inside. There was one judge and ten people in the room. They go through and make you each sing. I sang Sam Cooke’s “Change is Gonna Come” for the ﬁrst round. I was the only one that made it out of the ten. At call backs you come in one by one to sing. They said they weren’t looking for my look and that I was too established. CONCRETE: Video concept for “Unknown Love”? DMR: The video originated from a rumor at Lee High that I beat my girlfriend. Months later we were making the video and I told Jurian Isabelle about the situation. He came up with the concept to have us in love and a situation go down to make it look like something different. When he came to me with the idea I was really happy about it. Anything could happen and she fall slip and get a bruise and people will turn it into “oh he beats her.” It’s unknown to people how much you really love each other because they are just on the outside looking in. CONCRETE: Success? DMR: When I can help more than just my family and self and give back to the community. Not just giving them a free concert and a couple of turkeys, but actually there to build whole streets and get someone out of poverty.

CONCRETE: Inception of The DJ Kartel? Snapshot: When I was in high school Ya Boi Boi would DJ at Club Infinity when we had Kappa League parties. I loved the way he DJs so I had a party and called him to do it but he couldn’t because he was in Texas at basic training for the Army. He referred me to someone else. When I went to college in Tuscaloosa, it was the first day of school and I was with Activist when Ya Boi Boi pulled up. I hadn’t talked to him in years. We linked up he did my birthday party and since then we have kicked it close. Ya Boi Boi: I moved to town just to get away and because people said the parties there go so hard. I went to other local DJs to talk to them, and the one I hit up was DJ John Doe. The three of us started DJ Kartel. We have a lot of people on our roster but as far as the people that got it going, it was us three and Marcos who is the only one in the Kartel who is not a DJ. CONCRETE: Mixed Madness? Ya Boi Boi: We typically try and get 5 DJs. I learned so much when we did the second one I just wanted to sit back and watch. We had a lot of old school DJs there and they were tearing it up, putting us the young boys to shame. DJ C-Lo, Blue Nation, DJ Papa Rooster to name a few. DJ Sam Smite who is an inspirational DJ showed up. He ranked third in regionals for the DMC DJ competition which is one of the most prestigious in the world and he is out of Huntsville. Great experience to see so many people with different styles. CONCRETE: How do you handle artist requests for you to play their music? Snapshot: If the person is a well known artist where I am at then I’ll drop it. For instance if Pope gave me a new track and I hadn’t even heard it, I’ll still play it. I respect all types of hustles, if you give me new music I might not play it right then and there, but maybe at the end of the night. I like to put new artists on. CONCRETE: Panama City, FL Spring Break 2015 Run PCB parties and t-shirt concept? Kartel: That’s what makes the team so great, everyone just does their specific job and it turns out great. Snapshots job is to make DJ Kartel look good. We were at Fahrenheit and Deja Vu, The Palms we spent the whole month there.We had a good solid team and we knew how to promote. CONCRETE: Community involvement? Kartel: As a hip hop brand we want to put what real hip-hop is out there. We want to expose what the five elements of hip hop are: DJing, MCing, knowledge, B-boying and graffiti. We want to express that through a positive source like the clothing line, community events, such as the Blok Party with Kind Society and CONCRETE. We want to bring everyone together on the same page. If Atlanta can do it why not Huntsville. People need to work together to help each other which will basically put the city on.

CONCRETE: “I ain’t doing subliminals, niggas sounding identical, trying to block me from my blessings and I ain’t reached my pinnacle...” elaborate. A.D.: One thing about me and music is it’s real. I don’t lie in my raps. Everything I talk about I’ve done or it’s in reach. On the West Coast everyone has haters, a lot of rappers on the West Coast they hate. It’s crazy because a lot of them use to be friends.Rappers are really competitive and it can turn to envy and hate. It’s plenty of people that have tried to block me from my blessings and I haven’t reached my prime yet. Successful artist show love, local artist that really don’t have too much going on rather alienate me than try to be cool. CONCRETE: Relationship with your Granny? A.D.: Shout out to my Granny, she helped deliver me and I’ve always been a Granny’s boy my whole life. She always showed me that even when people are not being good to you, still have compassion for them and treat people with respect wherever you go. That’s how I was raised, I’m not a disrespectful person unless it gets to that point.

CONCRETE: Current management or label situation? A.D.: Adrian Swish is actually my manager. As of right now we have been taking meetings and stuff like that but haven’t put anything on paper yet, it has to be done the right way. A label is definitely what we are negotiating. If you don’t know how the industry works and what you are getting yourself into, you’re going to get stuck. I’m blessed to have a lot of industry friends that coach me and let me know what to do, what to take and what not to do. As long as the negotiations are right I’m signing right up. CONCRETE: What’s next? A.D.: As of right now I’m headed to Arizona to do the Dub show out there. I just got off my first tour and we setting up the second one now. I have my first headlining show September the 19th in Hollywood. I just keep working. I’m on a lot of projects, you can hear me on O.T. Genasis new project, Game’s new project, Xzibit’s stuff.

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CONCRETE: Growing up in Compton? A.D.: It was really crazy with all the gang activity. Even though I dabbled in gangs I fell in love with music and I love that more than anything. CONCRETE: Musical inﬂuences? A.D.: All the West Coast greats, from Tupac to Mack 10, Ice Cube and Snoop, just straight West Coast. CONCRETE: People reference you as the new Ice Cube ... thoughts? A.D.: It’s a real blessing. Its dope to be compared to a legend. CONCRETE: Musical beginnings? A.D.: I’ve been writing rhymes since I was nine years old. Around the 10th grade in high school I started recording myself and putting out songs on Myspace. After that I started looking at it professionally and I am where I am now. CONCRETE: Villans LA clothing line? A.D.: A good friend of mine S Dot B linked me with another guy Spike, they are like my brothers. We started it from the ground up and everyone just kept pushing the brand. The Burbank store is our second store. We just shut down the ﬁrst location it was smaller and basically a start up. We are at a warehouse now that has a full photo and video studio, it’s really nice. CONCRETE: Blue: 89? A.D.: That’s my baby. You are going to hear a lot of energy. It really doesn’t matter what part of the country you are from it’s just a lot of energy. It has different sounds than what you hear all the time. CONCRETE: Has your sound progressed in the last 5 years? A.D.: I hate listening to my old music. I use to make music not for me but for what I thought people would like. When I started really being myself and standing out, the more I did what I wanted to do the more my name got out there. CONCRETE: Current collabs or projects? A.D.: Me and Game have been working a lot. Shout out to O.T. Genasis his project is about to come out in like a week or two. “I Got the Juice” remix, the song is on the radio heavy out here in LA. The remix has Ty Dolla Sign, The Game and a couple other big names on there so the remix will be coming out soon. CONCRETE: First time hearing your music on 105.9? A.D.: It was amazing. Back then it was like winning a Grammy. Being in your hometown and hearing yourself on a radio station that you group up listening to is a blessing. CONCRETE: Success for you? A.D.: Progressing. Keep winning and pushing forward it ain’t all the about the money. You have to see yourself be respected on a different level. CONCRETE: What distinguishes you from other artists? A.D.: For one I come from a different place. I know when most people think about Compton right now they think about the Pirus, YG and Kendrick Lamar, shout out to them because they are my bros, but I come from a different area of Compton. I have hardships just like everyone else but I bring a lot of energy to my music that you probably won’t ever hear. continued on next page