CONCRETE Magazine, Nashville #37 by CONCRETE Magazine

6-10 ..................... Gucci Mane 12 ............. Cents Da Weedhead 14 ...........................Jae Nash 18 ..................... DVD Reviews 20 ................... Music Reviews 22 ........................Whip Game 24 26 28 30

......................... B. Howard ................. Producer: 40 Pro .............................. DJ LW ......... Nashville 10: Promysce

CONCRETE Magazine was excited to learn that we were awarded “Best Urban Music Magazine” by the Nashville Scene as part of its “Best of Nashville 2010” edition. Tip of the hat goes to Ron Wynn for acknowlodging our hard work over these past six years. It always feels good to be recognized for your efforts. Published by: CONCRETE Marketing Ad Executives: Bryan Deese, Capo Art Director: Rex2 Nash10 Photography: Tavell Brown Editorial Support: Capo Intern: Kinard Agim

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CONCRETE: You grinded for years on the underground, but 2009 was your year. You had a #1 album with a #1 record. With great success comes great expectations. How do you handle those expectations? Gucci Mane: It’s easy to deal with high expectations. I did have the #1 album, #1 song. This time I’m going for another #1 record and two or three #1 songs of that album. I want it to do better. I set the bar so high last time, I really feel like it’s going to be easier for me to get the #1 album this time. I deﬁnitely know I’m going to have better songs. So we should have the chance to have two or three #1 songs. It’s a good problem. CONCRETE: You always got a lot of credit for your adlibs, hooks and swagger. But on The State vs. Roderic Davis you got praise for your lyrics. Is that something you worked on, or has that just developed over time? Gucci Mane: I think I was never in the position that I was with The State vs. Roderick Davis. I didn’t usually have the time to put a lot of effort into my lyrics. It was kind of like a mixtape hustle. I guess I did sacriﬁce a lot of quality thinking about quantity to keep my name out. I applied a lot of hustle, the ideas I had learned hustlin’, to the rap game. It did in a way affect my works previous to (The State vs Roderick Davis). I’m glad to be in a position now to take my time and get it the exactly how it should be. CONCRETE: What can fans expect to hear on the new album The Appeal? Gucci Mane: The Appeal, I don’t think it’s going to be a shock. The State vs Roderick Davis, a lot of people

told me they enjoyed it. So this album like you said they’re expecting a lot, and they’re going to be pleased. I like it. It was challenging knowing that people expect a lot out of it. So it made me push myself. CONCRETE: Your features are in high demand. Everyone wants a Gucci Mane verse for their single. Who are some people you worked with recently that we can be looking out for? Gucci Mane: The new, new singles that I’m on, Trey Songs “Bottom’s Up” remix, Chris Brown “Deuces” remix, Wack Flocka “No Hands” remix. I did the new Flo-Rida single, me him and Luda. I did a song with continued on pg 8

Brisco and Lil Wayne. I’m about to get on the new single for Rick Ross. I’m trying to jump on everything. DJ Khaled, we working on something. I try to keep my hands in everything. CONCRETE: With your last album you had a lot of features. On this album not so much ... why the change in formula? Gucci Mane: I don’t have a lot of rap features. I have two, Bun B and Nikki Minaj. But I had fun making the album, because I got to collaborate with so many different people. The last time it was more like I got a song from somebody and paid them. And, that was great, that was love. But this time I got to go in the studio with Jared1 and made a record with Estelle. That’s still a feature. She’s from London – he’s from Haiti. Go in the studio with Wyclef and build something special with him. Or go in there with Pharrell for the ﬁrst time and actually building something with him in the studio, and throw ideas back at each other or Bun. It was great. It was like I can stand on the job, cause I did it my way, ya dig. If you hear them licks, I know that I put it out exactly how I wanted it to be put out, and I think it’s another hit. CONCRETE: Your mixtapes have been as popular as some artists albums. How do you decide what’s right for a mixtape and what’s right for an album? Gucci Mane: To be honest when you put out a CD or body of songs, when you’re dealing with a major label it’s usually twelve songs. When you do it independently you have more ﬂexibility, you can have eighteen, nineteen songs. So when I record, every time I go to the studio, I try to make the best song I can make and do the best I can. At the end of the day, when it’s time for me to pick my album, I pick the twelve songs that is the hottest songs that nobody has heard and I put them out on my album. That all make sense. The rest of them I start to release to the public in my mixtapes.So all of those have the chance to be on my album, every song, every producer, every time. continued on pg 10

CONCRETE: Do you have any new medallions coming that we can be looking for? Gucci Mane: We’re coming with a new Brick Squad. Not a logo, just another one. We got a Brick Squad album coming. We’re working on it now. CONCRETE: What’s your all time favorite sneaker? Gucci Mane: All time favorite sneaker, hands down, black and red Air Max 95s. No question, no jive, all time favorite. Nothing is even close. CONCRETE: We saw you kill it at the ESPYs afterparty, and it got us thinking ... What kind of an athlete are you? Gucci Mane: I definitely pride myself on being a great athlete. I never played in school, or too much as a kid, but I love basketball. I always did. And I love watching it. I still thank ESPN for giving me a chance to go to the ESPYs. They sure took care of me. I had a blast getting to meet all the athletes. I’m definitely for being fit and working out and staying in shape. I love that. I preach that to the kids. I think that’s what I should have done more when I was younger. I wish I had the opportunity again to go back and do it. Right now I try – I live it now. I treat my body the best I can. CONCRETE: What sports teams do you root for? Gucci Mane: In football, college football, I definitely like the Alabama Crimson Tide. I’ve always been a Tide fan. In basketball the Hawks. I love them. I love the Falcons for real. I love the Braves. Anything out of Atlanta I’m going for it. Got to pull for my Alabama Crimson Tide. CONCRETE: Any last words for our readers? Gucci Mane: Big ups to Tennessee. Thanks for chopping it up with me. Go get the new Gucci album. Flockavelli coming this October. Much love.

CONCRETE: You’ve got a new project coming soon. What’s this project all about? Cents: It’s the I’m From Cashville Volume 1. Not too many features, I have like three or four, just guys that I deal with. I got Fluid Outrage, Dun Dil, I got a cat that sings from Atlanta, Cruna. I have Cruna on there as well. This project is basically me coming back to life. I haven’t done anything since like ‘03, and that was a mixtape. My last album was like ‘98. So people aren’t really familiar. I’m looking at the scene, and I’m like, “Come on.” We got to put some life into it. So I’m trying to incorporate everybody as well as build a buzz at the same time and get the city back poppin’. I think there’s enough talent here to do what we have to do. On this album I’m not trying to do all the 808 beats and all of that. That’s not my thing. It will be a different feel, but still along that street vibe. CONCRETE: You do all your own production. What are some new directions your taking musically? Cents: It’s not as much the equipment, it’s more of just the vibe period. The live players, the live feel to it. I use samples as well. A lot of people have gotten away from that. I just want to take the music back to where it was. Where you can turn it on and just be like, “Yeah.” Not, “Damn, that’s another one of those beats.” And, “Aw, it’s the same old rhyme pattern.” It’s a broke down 16 bars. You might catch me with songs that only have two verses. It might have one verse and a singing part. There’s no structure to it. It’s just the feeling of it. That’s my thing. I want to bring something that’s good quality. We’re going to get everything mixed right. That’s how I’m approaching this. I’m from Cashville. This is real Cashville. I been in this bitch since day one. I like to do what I do, which is good music, and that’s what it is.

CONCRETE: Where are you from originally? Jae Nash: I’m originally from Indianopolis, Indiana. CONCRETE: How did you make your way to Nashville? Jae Nash: I came here in 2003. A friend of mine attended TSU. I came down here to live for a while. I get married, left, and decided to come back, because Nashville is a good market as far as trying to come up. There’s a lot of hospitality here. I like it. CONCRETE: Are you move here for your radio job? Jae Nash: I did. I went to Atlanta, coming from Atlanta. You would think I’m like a military brat, but I’m not. I’m a grinder. I enjoy traveling. And honestly at this particular time in my life I’m happy. So, I went to Atlanta to attend the Atlanta Broadcast Institute. It’s a broadcast and communications institution, and they train you hands on about the broadcasting ﬁeld, radio or t.v. I did that course, and I interned at 95.5 The Beat Beat. It’s a Cox radio station in Atlanta. CONCRETE: What do you do now at WVOL? Jae Nash: Once I sent me resume off to a few local stations in Nashville, WVOL was the one to reply. They said let’s see what you got, what can you bring to the table. I talked to Mr. Heidelberg. He is the owner of the station. He is the one that actually discovered Oprah Winfrey when she was at WVOL. I felt like this station has a lot of history. On top of that I was going to be a mid-morning personality, and be able to develop a show. I named my Show All Things Considered, because I’m coming from everywhere. I have interviews with celebrities, artists and then I do a lot of relationship stuff, doctors, lawyers and bonding companies come thru. I just wanted to be able to be me. It gave me the freedom, and it gave me that. That’s what I love so much about it. It’s like free radio. You can’t beat it. A lot of radio (stations) have a lot of rules and regulations to follow and abide by. WVOL allows me to just be Jae. I appreciate that more than anything. Oprah got her start here, and I feel this is my opportunity to get my start in this industry. CONCRETE: Any last words? Jae Nash: I want to give a shout out to Janiro Hawkins. I’ve been knowing him for a minute. He was the ﬁrst person to even give me a job on a promotional level back in the day.He always motivated me to do what I needed to do. I want to give a shoutout to Tommy for helping me get to this point. Everybody that has been supporting me through out this journey. Mkae sure you vote for me, SEA Female Radio Personality of the Year.

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REEL DVD Magazine

This self proclaimed “realest DVD magazine in the streets” is a double disc, two hour DVD full of raw footage. The Reel Magazine takes you behind the scenes with not only some of the most popular indie artist, but a hand full of house hold names as well. Disc one opens up with shots of barely clothed females revealing it all for the cameras. The DVD takes viewers from LA to ATL for an exclusive interview with Grandaddy Souf. He goes off calling out some of Florida’s big dogs like Rick Ross, DJ Khalid, Plies and T-Pain revealing some inside info. Disc 2 is mostly random footage from The Tennessee Music Conference and Hip Hop Awards. The highlight of disc two is a heated debate between artists and DJs on how to get your music in rotation and how to approach DJs properly. The Reel Magazine catches up with everybody who is somebody like Young Buck, JC, Lil Wyte, La Chat, C-Wiz, BG, Foxx, Paper, Dolewite, and many more. Over all this a great underground project that sheds light on the urban industry.

Life In The Game by Melvin Williams

Life In The Game is a documentary about Baltimore legend Melvin Williams. Melvin Williams and his drug empire are much of the inspiration for the HBO series The Wire on which he also stared as a church deacon. While there have been other programs about Williams (American American Gangster Gangster), this DVD goes more in depth. It starts in his childhood as he explains learning many forms of gambling, starting with craps and how to win at each. The story then shows how after hitting the numbers (illegal lottery) two weeks in a row, the Jewish maﬁa leader of Baltimore took Little Melvin under his wing. The whole story is told by Williams, and each part is backed up with newspaper clippings, archival news footage and photographs. Some scenes are recreated with actors for emphasis. The scope of Melvin Williams’ organization and proﬁts are staggering. In todays money, their earnings would be in the billions. It’s a great DVD and worth adding to your collection.

Generational Curses

Generational Curses was written, directed and produced by Nashville resident Reegus Flenory. It stars Nashville talent and was also filmed here. It is a cautionary tale of life in drug game. The movie begins focused around a character named Joe Adams played by Darius Williams. He is a former hustler turned business man looking for one last lick to get his finances back in check. He does the connect dirty which causes his untimely exit about half way through the movie. Then the plot focuses on Castro played William Jenkins who gives a breakout performance. Jenkins character is a mix between Rick Ross and Dr. Cliff Huxtable! Castro becomes the new boss, and becomes an underworld legend. At the same Joe Adam’s daughter Jasmine (Robin Raynelle) grows up, and her boyfriend enters the drug game. Without giving the whole film away, the story comes full circle in the end. This movie was a thrill with many twists and turns. It has some nice comic relief mixed in with the drama. Great job by the cast and crew on this production!

Franshise Damn - Franchise Damn

Franchise Damn links up with DJ Sir Swift for his new self titled mixtape. He starts off with the song Ask About Me telling the world if you don’t know just ask. The song “I Don’t Cuddle” is some what of a humorous song letting the ladies know that Franchise Damn is to busy hustlin to be cuddled up. “Jump Back” is a up tempo street banger that will get you up and moving, ‘Money Where Ya Mouth’ is a straight shot at all the people that talk about it but don’t be about it. This is a straight street banger from trappin,bustin and pimpin Franchise Damn and Sir Swift serve the streets with this one.

C.O. Cakes - Cake-A-Nometry

C.O. Cakes delivers again on his project Cake-A-Nometry Cake-A-Nometry. Don’t let the title fool you, this is not just another d-boy rapper speaking on bricks, jewelry and women. C.O. Cakes touches on situations that everyone can relate to. In the song “Real Sh@#” he speaks to his supporters and family about the life he leads and choices he has made. The song “10yrs” is a creative, well thought out song that walks you through the past ten years of his life in forty bars. On “Money to 2B Made” he teams with Bohagon to create a hustlers anthem with a catchy hook, strong delivery and well produced beat this is single material. Cake-A-Nometry is a deﬁnite a banger.

Down and Out Cartel - The Circle of Trust

Big Wood and Phathead open a can of Woodbine on fools with their new album Circle of Trust Trust. It can be summed up in three words, “Money, Money, Money.” It’s clear D.O.C. is all about it and do whatever to get it. This is grimey hustle music like “Ones Grind,” “I Hit the Block” and “Million Dollar Hustle.” “I Know You See It” produced by Lex Top Dollar is a crazy romp through the clubs on Second Avenue. They bring a bunch of folks with them including features from JellyRoll, Brabo Gator, Mike Biggz, Dolla (AON), Hustle, Boogie, Chillz and others. These South Side representers are no joke ... make sure you’re down with Down & Out Cartel.

Vitamin B - Healthy Dosage Mixtape

Vitamin B opens up Healthy Dosage with a crazy verse of none stop punch lines,creative bars and a cadence that catches the listeners ear. Drippen’ Wet is a song for the ladies with a slow 90’s r&b feel. On track ﬁve “We On The Come Up” Vitamin-B teams up with Stix Izza to verbally abuse a Fate Eastwood beat. On the song “Give Up” a soulful sample track Vitamin-B pours his heart out and says it easier to talk to the mic then a real person. “Reminisce” is a song looking back on the good ol’ days with a catchy soulful hook. Healthy Dosage touches on a little bit of everything from original tracks to industry joints Vitamin-B does his thing on this one.

Young Rell - The Come Up

This highly anticipated CD is the product of grammy award winning producer Shannon Sanders and the much sought after lyricist Young Rell. This may be the biggest, cleanest sounding album to ever come out of Nashville’s hip-hop scene. Every track is crafted by Sanders. Young Rell brings a Frank Sinatra swag with tight metaphors and punch-lines on the larger than life soundscapes. The overall sound is a mix of current electro-pop, with witty hustler rhymes, a style best exempliﬁed on “Bounce” and “Temporary Insanity.” “So Hard” also has a polished style meshed with Southern d-boy raps. It’s a formula the duo works to perfection. “BPM” drops the beat all together and Rell rhymes a cappella as if to prove he doesn’t the crazy production to shine. It’s 13 banging tracks ... cop this!

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2004 GMC Yukon, 26” Rims

CONCRETE: Your last project is titled Brown Liquor Music. Can you give us the rundown on that project? B. Howard: That dropped late summer last year (2009).The vibe was crazy. I just really didn’t push it like that. This rap thing is like a hobby to me anyways. I didn’t really like push it all the way. I got people wanting and wanting another copy, another run. I did good. Thirteen songs, Nyse on twelve out of the thirteen. I recorded it at Chance’s studio out in LaVergne. It was a big deal. F Nitti executive produced, Chance executive produced, Nyse executive produced. Front to back all me, no features, nothing. It was a banger. CONCRETE: You won the UMC. How did that night go down for you? B. Howard: First of all I wanted to make it to the second round. So I hit them with a whole lot of energy “Holla Ay.” It’s a whole lot of energy, the track is banging, Nyse on the track. Then I brought Finess out. I knew that was going to kill it, because Finess is a solo artist. She was my hype man. That really killed ‘em right there. The second round, I kind of mellowed it out. First round you see he can perform, lyrics is still banging, but the second round I kind of mellowed it out. It was all piano, kind of acca pella with a kick. It’s called “100% Bars.” No hook, no nothing, just me having an intimate conversation with the audience. You feel every punch line, every bar as if I was sitting talking to you. That kind of won them over too. Now you got one aspect, ‘He can perform. He can spit.’ Now let’s put them all together, and that’s where you get “Brown Liquor Music” for my third round. Which is really a celebration. I brought our fam up. Give everybody “Brown Liquor Music” it’s a celebration. Big horns and everything, it’s a big track. We just wild out and had a party. It was over before he knew it, the last round. We was already celebrating, he was still thinking about who won. CONCRETE: Any last words? B. Howard: Shout out to the fam, C.A., Shyste, Black Catﬁsh, Capo and Saint, Chaddy Bobby, Blaze. And shout out to your girl ... she probably love me too.

CONCRETE: You also go by Sev. Is Sev the artist and 40 Pro the producer? 40 Pro: There you go – definitely. 40 Pro is actually like a group of people. I’ve got a live band, and they really help me on all my tracks. I’m not one to really just make a beat. We’ll make a track for you. CONCRETE: Who are some of your production credits? 40 Pro: I’ve actually been blessed and got to learn from some of the greatest. My father was a country music legend. He’s one of the Oak Ridge Boys. I grew up in studios. I really didn’t find a passion for it until around 2000. Some of the people I’ve worked with The Parks, they were on Lyric Street. I’ve worked with a lot of song writers. Hip-hop artists, we can start with Big V, Kia Shine, 6 Tre G, Alex King. I’ve worked with every independent artist around here. I’m trying to make my own sound though. That’s been the whole key. CONCRETE: Who is under the 40 Pro umbrella already? 40 Pro: We got B Hoody. Casme, we co-produced her album. We have Shawna P the Queen of the Earth Funk Tribe. We’re currently working with Alex King. From Finees Da Boss, Dave Lucci, Albert J all the hot people, they’re starting to find their way out there. Once they get out there, we spoil them. CONCRETE: What sets 40 Pro and your production apart from most producers? 40 Pro: From what I’ve been told, it’s hands down, our live element. I’m a drummer, percussionist. The beat is my main concern. But, I’m not sold on the little keyboard guitars. The sounds, we go in there with live bass, live guitar. I like to bring that live element.

CONCRETE: How long have been a DJ? DJ LW: I’ve been DJing since about 2007. I started by doing the promotional thing, gathering artists from across the South, pushing the hot singles and putting them on the mixtapes. I got my ﬁrst mixtape hosted by DJ Smallz. Shout-out to DJ Smallz and Southern Smoke. But I thought I could do it myself because I DJ’ed house parties in the projects and all that. I could put it together and mix it and spin myself. I came back and did the Tha South Unsigned Movement, Volume 2 and did everything myself. I keep it all inhouse as they say. CONCRETE: What are the mixtape series you have released? DJ LW: Tha South Unsigned Movement is the ﬁrst one I started with. Now I’ve got Quality Street Music. I wanted to change it up since I like the real hood beats and the Southern beats and the movement thats going on. Recently I put out Just Because I Can mixtape. It’s a lot of music from Roc Harder DJ Crew out of Atlanta, a lot of the Atlanta artists that they’re pushing. I added my artists on there too. I wanted to create another outlet for them. CONCRETE: Where can people catch you spinning live? DJ LW: They can catch me at Lizzie’s every Saturday night, 2209 Murfreesboro Pike. Everybody in free. CONCRETE: What’s your formula for a hot mixtape? DJ LW: It depends on what the title is. The Quality Street Music, I want that South beat, that hood knock, something new. Just like every DJ wants to break a new record or new movements or words to break. CONCRETE: What artists give you material to break? DJ LW: I got a variety in different cities. I got Surreal from Swisha House in Houston. Of course Finess Da Boss, she’s a priority. I got D Cooley in Chattanooga. That’s the main, top priorities right now.