6-8. . . . . .Young Buck Interview 10 . . . . . . . . . . . . CD Reviews 12-13 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Hot Gear 16 . . . . . . . MC Spotlight - All-Star 18 . . . . . . . . . . .DJ Profile - C-Wiz 18 . . . . . . . . . Club Profile - Roxy’s 20 . . . . . . . . . . Stone Cold Beauty 22 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . DJ Charts Thanks for checking out the premier issue of CONCRETE magazine. We’re here to serve you because we feel the hip-hop populous in our region is ignored by the local media. CONCRETE is here to act as a vehicle for local artists and businesses to get their message to a large and growing fan base hungry for information about the culture. If you’re an artist with product, we want to know about it. If you’ve got a business that wants to reach a young, urban demographic, we want to help. Let us know how we’re doing and what we can improve on. We hope that as we grow, we are helping the whole scene grow.
STAFF:
Published by: TM Creative Editorial Director: Floyd Photography: Stealth Art Director: Rex2-tm Ad Executives: Bryan Deese, Kevin Anderson Young Buck Photos: Kai Regan TM Creative 527 8th Ave. South • Nashville, TN • 37203 615-248-3285 • 213design@comcast.net © TM Creative, Inc. 2004
Living in Nashville right now is special. Everyone in the city needs to realize this. The success of Young Buck has the nation’s attention focused on Cashville. Buck speaks so well of his hometown, outsiders have to take notice. Every artist and hip-hop entrepreneur should be working harder than ever for the next three months because windows of opportunity like this don’t stay open for long. When Buck gave CONCRETE a little time to discuss what he’s been up to, a little knowledge for other Cashvillians trying to come up was all we could ask for. After all, Young Buck has figured this game out. Concrete: What’s the No. 1 quality that someone needs to survive in the rap game? Buck: Probably just knowing the business. It’s 90% business and 10% talent if you want to make some money. Anybody can rap and be a broke rapper. You just need to know the business. Concrete: What do you attribute your success to? Buck: My mother. She is the biggest inspiration in my life. It was all on her and she put up with me. I’m kind of hard to handle.
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Just come to Cashville, ya'll gon see how hood it is.
Concrete: With so many rappers branching out into clothing companies, movies and label ownership, what other plans do you have in the near future outside of rapping? Buck: I’m using rap as a stepping stone to get into a lot of different things. I’ve got a love of cars, so I’m getting my own rims produced to sell. I’ve got G-Unit South coming as a label. It’ll be Young Buck and 50 Cent. Man, I’ve got movie offers and all kinds of scripts right now, so I’m looking to do that. I’ve got my own shoe deal that’s still with Reebok but it is for our own line of shoes. We’ve got a cartoon in the works. Concrete: What’s the name of the cartoon? Buck: It’s still in the making. I think it’s called The Beaver Street Gang. We’ve got the new boots dropping in September. I just had another video that’s about to drop so I don’t really ever stop working. Concrete: Where do you see yourself 25 years from now, outside of the game, if rapping runs it’s course? Buck: Being an entrepreneur somewhere. Hopefully running a few businesses. Having a successful company and by that time, hopefully, I’ll be able to establish artists who can bring their own artists out, too. Concrete: Do you have anybody that you want to give local props to that is not on your album and do you see any rising stars out of Nashville or just the Southeast region? Buck: I give a lot of love to Quannie Cash, Murda from Style Camp, D-Tay [that’s my homeboy]. Really, everybody who’s coming up out there on the independent rap scene. Cool Daddy Fresh and a lot of those dudes because I paid attention to them. They instilled in me that it can happen because they were trying to do it [before I was]. There’s a place for them out here and everybody doing their thing. I’m one foot in this game and one foot at home. I think that Nashville understands my struggle. I always kept it open with the people; what I was going through and a lot of different things. It worked. They understand that they ride with me.
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CD REVIEWS Paper - Real Talk Vol.1 This one gets the nomination for SEA “Rookie of the Year” because once Real Talk Vol 1 escapes past state lines, Paper will keep Cashville in the spot light – that’s real talk. Paper, a.k.a. Lil’ Marcus of PJN, has emerged from under the shadow of his mentor Pistol and delivered a product that shows he is his own man. The streets of Cashville are co-signin’ for Paper as the next one going major after Allstar. On Real Talk Talk, Young Paper more than holds his own – lyrically he is a monster and confirms he is a major factor in this game. It’s obvious from tracks like “Real Talk,” “Oh” and “Track Breathe” that he takes this rap shit seriously. The banger has to be “Bia Who?” featuring Quanie Cash which is more than crunk. If you don’t have this one, get it!
Pistol - Respect P-Gates is back and this time out he wants respect. Respect is obtained in two ways – it’s given or it’s taken. So, if you know anything about this Nashville veteran, then you already know how this nigga gets down. For those who don’t know, this is the perfect introduction to the first rapper out of Cashville signed to a major label. He makes this fact known on the track “Who Jealous,” letting a certain G-Unit member know that with ten years and ten CDs under his belt, Pistol is still a major figure in this game. The track “Kill You” featuring Haystack will leave you fiendin’ for a callobo project from the two. ”Baby Daddy” is definitely worthy of being a single for the radio and mixtapes. Overall a great effort from Pistol.
TeeReezy - Slow Grind
Once again, TeeReezy brings a quality solo piece to the table. His sophomore album Slow Grind Grind, delivers hot beats laced with street slang to add a little bump to your trunk. Reezy spits melodic flows with his mellow southern drawl, over thorough beats provided by In Da Trunk. His rhymes are more versatile since his debut album and the progression in rhyme content is obvious. The title track “Slow Grind,” a bluesy melody with a soulful hook, is bound to be the track for the smokers and true players. The album is loaded with a number of more crunk songs. One example is “Ghetto”, a four alarm blaze featuring Quannie Cash. TeeReezy seems to be maturing and evolving as an artist with each album. Follow his example and get back on your grind.
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HOT GEAR
Timberland
Timberland Spinner Belt Buckle
Nike Air Force1
Nike Air Force1
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K-Swiss Classic
all items available at
Sam’s Clothing & Shoes
This fall it’s all about striped collared shirts with French cuffs. On that note, make sure you pick up a few sets of cuff links to keep your game, and sleeves, tight. Also, designers are hooking your whole outfit up. Here’s a couple of options from Girbaud and
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All-Star poses at the CONCRETE office, sporting a customized t-shirt with his freshly inked contract with Cash Money Records. He also has a new medallion to match his contract.
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Hailing from East Nashville, All-Star earned his name from playing baketball while attending Hume Fogg High School. He could ball, but he also knew where his true strength lay. “It’s just a fact that not that many people make it to the NBA. The feedback I was getting from rap was almost 99% positive,” he says. “It seemed like it would be easier to get to the top in rap music than in the NBA.” It has been a year since his first mix tape. All-Star recently signed a multi-album deal with Cash Money Records, making him a key player in a new breed of Nashville rappers. DJ Infamous and Rick Walker helped him craft his skill and improve his lyrical creativity. Walker was the first person to interview All-Star on the radio before he had a song played on air. “All the success that I have received has been without radio play ... itspeaks on how our city needs to work with their local artists a little bit more,” he says. When asked what advice, if any, he had for local artists on the on the underground scene All- Star said, “Just grind, man. Talent isn’t enough in this game.” “A lot of people are really talented.” he says “You have to have a serious hunger. The business sense that I have gained has added another dimension to my music.” All-Star has big plans for the future. He has been working on a collaborations with Young Buck, Quannie Cash and Paper. Good Luck to All-Star and all Nashville artists on the underground scene. Remember, Hatin’ Ain’t Healthy Healthy.
MIXTAPE OVERVIEW All-Star - Hatin’ Ain’t Healthy Vol 4 The prince of Cashville is back with his 4th mixtape! It’s no secret this kid is the MVP and his newest release showcases why he is the play-maker. This time around there are more original tracks than jacked beats. The Grey Goose remix, with artists from T.I. and Young Jeezy, alone is worth the ticket. You cannot go wrong when you have a dream team line-up such as: Yo Gotti, Young Buck, Fate Eastwood, Paper, Young Rell, J.C., Trouble and West.
Bang Out Entertainment - Bomb First It’s not exactly a mixtape, but more like a compilation or an introduction to one of Cashville’s hottest up and coming cliques – BangOut Entertainment. Bomb First the mixtape showcases the production skills and verbal ability of Fluid Outrage its franchise player. Shit really gets poppin’ on Da L.O.O.K. (#3) when each member of the crew becomes one like Voltron and together spit one venomous verse. This tape is all scud ... no dud!
Bang Squad - Crisis “Tha Rhymedon” & Lil’ Jason This one shocked the shit out of me! It’s like you are looking for the jab and got caught by the hook. These boys are actually saying they are the new South 8th Mafia. These cats are straight murder when it comes to jackin’ beats, but their attitudes make up for the lack of original production. These kids are hungry and it shows. Concrete is not sure if this is their first mix, but it damn sure won’t be their last.
Haystak - Whiteboy Mixtape Vol 1 Why the fuck did it take so long? A Haystak mixtape ... better late than never. This one is put together by C-Muphikkin-Wiz, and the shit is a monster. Some highlights include an unreleased track with Young Buck “I Don’t Lie,” a celebration of weed over Juvenile’s “In My Life” and a duo with thug immortal 2 PAC. The crown jewel has to be the India.Arie on the hook “Good Man.” Haystak truly is a CWB!
Kilbane’s - Fire Vol 2 You think the beef with Fresh is over? If you ask Max Kilbane the answer would be, “Oh hell no!” The assassination begins on track one and the Cashvillian does not let up! Straight laced with venom he attacks the veteran’s street credibility, soundscans and the man’s sexual performance with no mercy. Kilbane’s “Fire” leaves the beef scorched!
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DJ PROFILE C-Muphikkin’-Wiz Resume: Buyer for New Life Records for 10 years Three 6 Mafia DJ - since 2000 XM Radio Show - Every Sun at 5:00pm & Tues at 8:00pm Club Roxy’s - Sun with Darryl Jaye and Dolewite In Stores Now: Lil Jon - C Mixez Still Crunk Haystak - Project Pat Mix CD Coming Soon: Nuttin’ But Dat Goodie - Goodie Mob Crunkest Fuckin’ wit tha Crunkest STR8 Ballin’ Vol. 5 (2xCD) Featuring Three 6 Mafia
CLUB PROFILE Faded After Hours Located on 2nd Avenue near Broadway in downtown Nashville, the late, late night scene jumps off at Faded After Hours. If you want to keep the party rolling when the other clubs shut down or if you just can’t sleep, this is the hot spot every Thursday through Friday after 2:00am. DJ Whitey spins hip-hop hits until six in the morning. The vibe is laid back, because most are too drunk to get rowdy. There is a bar but it doesn’t serve alcohol that late so make sure that you B.Y.O.B. For you nocturnal heads out there, if you haven’t peeped this spot then you need to get with it. There’s a lot more going on than you think, while everyone else is sleeping. It’s 18 to party, 21 to drink and I.D. is required. Thursday is ladies night, and it’s free for the ladies until 3:00am. For more information call 615- 244-9011.
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DJ CHARTS C-Wiz - Sundays at Club Roxy’s 1 Mr. Magic - I Smoke I Drink 2 Young Buck - Stomp 3 Lil Wayne - Go DJ 4 Lil Scrappy - No Problem 5 Fat Joe - Lean Back 6 Juvenile - Slow Motion 7 Juvenile, Wacko, Skip - Nolia Clap 8 Lil Wayne - Bring It Back 9 Young Buck - Let Me In 10 Lil Whyte - I Sho Will
Platinum Bound Top 10 Mixtapes 1 All-Star - Hatin’ Aint Healthy Mixtape Vol 4 2 Infamous - All Eyez on Me 3 Smallz - Southern Smoke 13 4 Chief Rocka - Street Heat 2 5 Infamous - Block 2 Block 6 Whoo Kid - G Unit Radio PT. 8 7 Chief Rocka - Jay Z - The Black South Album 8 Big Mike - R&B (PART 10) 9 Bigg DM - XXXclusives (BOOK 1) 10 Envy & Big Mike - Ahead of the Competition Nashvillerap.com Local Artists 1 Cowboy&Baby Capone Da Original Block Burners 2 Big Shue-Ne - Ghetto Confessions 3 Tee Reezy - Slow Grind 4 Nina Ross - Safty Off 5 Reckless - Press Play 6 The Reign - Behind The Bricks 7 Roc B & M.Dubb - Best Kept Secret 8 Bang Out Ent. - Da Mix Tape 9 Young Det - Art Work 10 LiL Boochie - Play Times Over DJ Red - WNPL 106.7 FM
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LL Cool J - Head Sprung Ciara - Goodies Lil Wayne - Go DJ Crime Mob - Knuck If You Buck Usher and Keys - My Boo Young Buck - Shorty Wanna Ride Jadakiss - Why Remix Franchise - White Tee UTP - Nolia Clap Kevin Lyttle - Turn Me On
DJ Cutt - Mobile/House Party DJ 1 Young Buck - Shorty Wanna Ride 2 Lil Wayne - Go DJ 3 LL Cool J - Head Sprung 4 Ciara & Petey Pablo - Goodies 5 Young Buck - Stomp 6 Crime Mob - Knuck If You Buck 7 Gator Boy - dis a Classic 8 R. Kelly - Happy People 9 BG - I want It 10 Juvenile - Slow Motion CONCRETE’S Blaxploitation Flix 1 Superfly 2 The Mack 3 Hit Man 4 Sweet Sweetback’s Bad ASSS Song 5 Black Ceaser 6 Coffy 7 Shaft 8 Slaughter’s Big Rip Off 9 Three the Hard Way 10 Penitentiary