CONCRETE Memphis 20 by CONCRETE Magazine

8-12 .......................... Yo Gotti 14 ........................... Zed Zilla 18-20 .........Memphis 10: Gabrielle 22 ......................... B. Mimms 24-25 ...............DJ Spydermann 26 27 28 29

........................ Jus Bentley .............................. Tre-Ez .................... Nunie Matisse ....................... Undenyable

The summer is over, and with football season here all seems right in the world (well, a few more jobs wouldn’t hurt). This time of year has a certain energy that translates into concerts. That’s why our incredible interview with Yo Gotti is so timely. Gotti is a road warrior, and by creating a music business 2.0 model, he capitolizes from shows on every angle. We hope you enjoy his candor and insite as much as we do. Editor: Cory Sparks Online Editor: Daria Greene Sales: Ricardo Hunter, R. Ashford Distribution: Connell Boyland Art Director: Rex2 Publishing Consultant: Bryan Deese

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concretememphis@gmail.com © CONCRETE Magazine 2011

CONCRETE: You’ve come a long way on the rap scene. No matter where you’ve gone, you’ve found a way to remind everyone of where you come from. Why is it so important to you to put Memphis on the map? Yo Gotti: I feel that nationally I’m the only artist that’s representing Memphis on the level I’m doing it. 8-Ball and MJG represented Orange Mound to the fullest. Even with Three-6 and people know they are from Memphis, but their campaign isn’t as active as it was years ago. I feel that’s its my job, as well as Zilla’s job, as well as Don Trip’s job and any artist coming from Memphis to keep the campaign strong. CONCRETE: Some people don’t realize how big your inﬂuence is. You’re deﬁnitely impacting the South, but you’ve been selling out shows up North, the East as well as the West coast too. Why do you think the nation is so Cocaine Crazy Crazy? Yo Gotti: I built a brand. A lot of folks were just rapping and I set out to build a brand. No Limit built a brand. Death Row built a brand. Cash Money built a brand. Rap-a-Lot built a brand. I built a brand with Cocaine Muzic because we are rapping street music but we actually did it. The problem is n*ggas try to make brands that they aren’t. You ain’t that. When you say Death Row and Suge Knight you think “They really did that” because you know their history and you know how they got down. When you say Rap-a-Lot and their brand you know how they got down. What we are doing is the same thing and that’s why people accept it, in Baltimore, New York, Oakland or any of these cities because it matches. When they hear the music and they meet me and say “Dude a real n*gga and he bout what he’s talking about” and it is what it is. That’s the success of it globally because it’s authentic. You can say anything. You can get on songs in these studios and say anything but its when you are tested when people see what’s up. continued on pg 10

CONCRETE: You use Twitter better than most music artists – constantly connecting with your fans. You even posted your phone number and took a few calls. What made you decide to keep them so involved in everything that you do? Yo Gotti: The lifestyle I come from, I was a slow learner to the internet and social sites. It wasn’t until B. Mimms (Gotti’s cousin and President of I&E) put me on it and telling me how important Myspace, Facebook and Twitter was because I was always like “I’m not f*cking with that type of sh*t”. However I always had a thing for the fans. I like to deal with the fans direct. From me to them. He explained how it appealed to the fans and I was all in. I believe that no matter who the DJ is, which record label you are on, no matter how bad the situation, if you and fans stay together you will always be alright. I don’t make my music for how a DJ at a radio station prefers it to be or an A&R at a record label prefers it to be. My sh*t is from me to the fans. They the ones that put me here! Of course you have your team and the positions they play. But you’re not driving the cars you driving or living in the houses you living in without taking care of the fans. I have a fan phone number that I put out on twitter all the time. And each time somebody calls or texts, we save their number. We probably have 30,000-40,000 numbers in the phone. And they are all categorized by cities. For instance if I have a show in Houston, I hit up everybody in that city on the phone and say ‘Wassup this ya boy Yo Gotti and I will be at such and such club.’ People call or text back and ask for information or they may call and ask questions about nothing to do with the show. Half the time people don’t even believe it’s you so they want to call and make sure it’s actually me. CONCRETE: How has the music industry changed from when you ﬁrst started up until now? Yo Gotti: It changed for the good and worse. When I ﬁrst started it was harder to get in the industry because all the labels wanted superstars. They wanted artists they felt could be bigger than Nelly, DMX, Ja Rule and Jay-Z because those were the stars at the time. That’s what they were looking for. You had to work harder to prove yourself that you could actually make music that was national and global. You also had to show you had the hunger and work ethic to travel and do what you had to do. Now you don’t need all of that. Now you just need a cool song and you in the game. Or you think you in the game [laughs]. continued on pg 12

CONCRETE: If you could reverse any one decision you made in the industry, what would it be and why? Yo Gotti: Signing with TVT Records. I don’t believe in excuses or complaints. I did what I had to do in the situation to make it work for me. I’m in the streets, so if I get a record deal it has to be better than the life I’m living. I didn’t even pay attention to the contract. I just looked at it from the point from what I’m doing now and what I could be doing. I was riding around with bricks in the car and straps and sh*t. One pullover and I’m going to the Feds. Or I can be at the studio and rap and make the same amount of money or even more. But if I could reverse it I would have just paid more attention to the business portion on it. CONCRETE: Some people say that everybody in Memphis is trying to be a rapper or a model. What do you have to say about our current entertainment scene? Yo Gotti: You have Zed Zilla, Don Trip, Young Dolph and Skewby that are good artists. I actually like a lot of the artists coming up out of Memphis. I support them. I talk to Dolph and Trip all the time. I support artist even if they ain’t on my label. I think it is a lot of potential to come up in the city, but other artist have to look past Yo Gotti being your way up out of this muthaf*cka. You get out what you put in. Being from the same city as you, I’d rather see you represent this sh*t right and go far as you can go. Some of the steps niggas are taking I’m like how you gone go forward when you starting off in reverse. CONCRETE: Have you ever passed on an artist and still regret you didn’t sign them? Yo Gotti: Soulja Boy. Miami Mike used to bring him down way before he got started. As far as a Memphis artist, Don Trip. But I still feel like if I can help you in any way, I will. I put people on my songs or jump on songs and you don’t have to be on my label.

CONCRETE: Can you share a few upcoming plans for I&E/CMG? Yo Gotti: To continue to put out good music and become as big as we can. Also I want my artist to become whatever they vision in their lane. CONCRETE: What is your exit strategy out of music? Yo Gotti: I’m heavy into real estate. I own homes and commercial buildings that people ride past everyday. You don’t even know that. I am getting into clothing lines. Shooting independent ﬁlms. I’m about open up a restaurant/lounge out here. The thing is with us is that we are buying sh*t. We aren’t leasing anything. Outside of rap, it’s what I teach. When I’m talking to Zed, it’s not always about music. It’s how to invest your money, how to put your money up. It ain’t always about a car or a chain. We got kids. We got love for the music but we always beast from the other side of the fence when it comes to the business. We stay ahead and I still have so far to go, but in a ﬁnancial state, I have made more money than half of your favorite artists already. CONCRETE: Anything you want to touch on? Yo Gotti: Hit the Fan Phone up at 845.667.9460. Remember its Memphis forever! If you got it together and we can get money together let’s do it. Haters gone hate so let ‘em hate. Hustlas gone hustle so let us hustle. And what makes you real lies in the hand of you and other real Niggas! And it’s never smart to go against the KING!

Congratulations Zed Zilla. Friend him on Facebook and follow him @ZedZilla1 for information on upcoming projects!

CONCRETE: Y’all just wrapped the #CM5 “I Shake Life For Da Gangstas Tour.” How was that? Zed Zilla: It was perfect. You know it was based around Cocaine 4 and Cocaine 55. We hit 20 cities. I’m hoping that the next time we’ll be able to hit 40. CONCRETE: Have you felt your buzz grow since that tour? Zed Zilla: Yeah. At first, I was really only getting a lot of feedback from Memphis people. Now, I have real fans all over that are waiting for my next single or asking me when my album is gonna come out. CONCRETE: Do you spend a lot of time on the road now? Zed Zilla: Yeah. I try to stay in Memphis during the week but every weekend, I’m hitting a different city. Even if I don’t have a show, I’m trying to head to the A to network or something. CONCRETE: That’s good. A lot of artists don’t realize that you have to be in the streets to be at the top of your game. So tell our readers a little bit about the new project. Zed Zilla: It’s called Rent’s Due. I think I’ve stepped it up a notch since my last mixtape. CONCRETE: How so? Zed Zilla: A lot more big name producers and features. I’ve got the home team – Yo Gotti, All Star. Some of my guys. 2Chainz, Pleasure P. Got Waka Flocka on there, too. CONCRETE: What do you think is gonna set you apart as an artist? Zed Zilla: Well, Yo [Gotti] taught me the system that he uses and it’s been working for me. I have good music that draws people in but people who listen to Rent’s Due will realize that I’m a storyteller. I put a lot of my more personal stuff on there. CONCRETE: So you draw people in with the club record but the album is more versatile? Zed Zilla: Exactly. I’ve been doing this for about eight years now, so I’m sharing a lot of the stuff that I’ve figured out along the way. CONCRETE: Cool. Right now, the streets are buzzing about “Fire That Bitch.” Have you been catching any of that? Zed Zilla: ALL the time. Facebook and Twitter be going HAM. Everybody talking about they’re finna fire somebody! (laughing) CONCRETE: Yeah. We love the record around the office. Been hearing it a lot in the clubs, too. What’s the next move? Zed Zilla: I shot about five or six videos, so those will be coming out soon. And I just need everybody to look out for that Rent’s Due on [Southern Heritage] Classic Weekend. Hosted by Bigga Rankin... we bout to be everywhere...

20 CONCRETE: What body part of yours attracts the most attention? Gaby: My Beautiful Face. CONCRETE: What do you wish people paid attention too? Gaby: My bubbly down to earth personality! CONCRETE: If you could sleep with one woman, who would it be and why? Gaby: This question is easy; www. nowoman.com :) CONCRETE: What is the most creative thing a guy has said or done to approach you? Gaby: This Guy said to me “I wish I could buy your time but I can’t afford it.” CONCRETE: Who is your style icon? Why? Gaby: BEYONCE’ Giselle Knowles! Hands down! She can basically rock anything and still remain SEXY, TASTEFUL, and GORGEOUS! Like Myself! CONCRETE: Lights on or off? Gaby: I’m a romantic type of girl. Like PDiddy said, “too much light is unsexy”.

CONCRETE: What’s your signature (food) dish? Gaby: I don’t have a “signature” dish but you can’t go wrong with a Medium Steak and Baked Potato with extra sour cream, butter, chives, Bacon bits, cheese, pepper and plenty of salt! CONCRETE: Shoes on or off? Gaby: Off! I like to be comfortable. CONCRETE: Top or bottom? Gaby: TOP. Of course. CONCRETE: What do you want to be doing in 5 years? Gaby: In 5 years, I would have my Degree in Broadcasting/ Communications. From there working as an Entertainment Reporter for BET (106& Park) would be Awesome! In addition to that, I would love to be working for a major modeling agency, acting in Short ﬁlms, Commercials, TV shows, Movies and succeeding in that genre!

MR. “DO IT ALL” OF I&E AND CEO OF SCE “You only get out what you put in.”

CONCRETE: For those who are not familiar, introduce yourself. B. Mimms: I’m Brandon Mimms know as B. Mimms to most. Mr. “Do It All” around I&E. I’m THE behind the scenes dude. I also have my own label SCE (Street Composed Entertainment) but I’ve recently put it on hold to accomplish everything I need to with Yo Gotti and I&E. Once that’s taken care of, I’ll get back to it. CONCRETE:: That’s quite a sacrifice. Do you feel you sacrifice a lot for your job? B. Mimms: Definitely. Everyday. But it’s worth it. You only get out what you put in. I’ve definitely sacrificed my personal life because my job is so demanding and time consuming. I’m only 22 and I’m always working. Always on the road. And even when I’m here in Memphis there’s always something that can be done or that needs to be done. CONCRETE: With I&E what is your position? B. Mimms: I really wear all of the hats. A&R plus scout new producers via twitter. I listen to them all. I take them to Yo Gotti and we choose from there. CONCRETE: Where do you want I&E to go? B. Mimms: We try to mirror our parent label Cash Money. The only thing we’re lacking right now is man power. We have a great team but it only consists of myself, Yo Gotti and the other artists. We just want to get to where they are and go further. We don’t plan on stopping. CONCRETE: You find new talent for I&E. How do you go about that? B. Mimms: Of course we use the email (FlameGangBeats@gmail.com) to find producers. We also may hear a sound that we like and we will reach out to that producer on a personal tip to make them apart of the team. As for artist....when you’re out on the road in different cities and clubs you hear different things. A song you’ve never heard may come on and the club goes crazy. That’s how we discovered Sylver Karatz. We were Cincinnati one night and her song came on, the crowd went crazy and we had to find out who she was. CONCRETE: What’s the hardest part about your job? B. Mimms: The hardest part is juggling it all. There are times where I literally need to be in four places at once. Getting things done exactly when they need to be done. There are times when I feel defeated, but I bounce back with improvements so that it doesn’t happen again. CONCRETE: Do you have anything you want to say to those who aspire to be where you are? B. Mimms: Yes. First be certain. This job takes a lot of your time and life. And remember ... “You only get out what you put in.”

CONCRETE: What has the music game changed for you (from a DJ’s perspective)? Spydermann: In all truthfulness, it’s not the music but the technology that has ruined the game. I was one of the last DJs to switch to Serato because I knew what would happen. I don’t blame Serato, but I do blame the people that now assume that if you have a laptop, that you are a DJ. It also caused other DJs to become lazy. They don’t bring tables or CDJs anymore. They just bring a laptop and press

buttons and think that’s cool. You are a disgrace to the art. You’ve lost the love for being a DJ and are focused on the payoff. The current economic status also allows them to thrive because they undercut. But remember, you get what you pay for. CONCRETE: You have been on the DJ scene for a long time? In your opinion, what is the most memorable Memphis artists beef and why? Spydermann: I’ve been doing this for years. I don’t show any favoritism between artists here.

The only beef that should be mentioned is Three-6 vs. BTNH. Bone came out on top because it did nothing but help their career. That should have taught everyone here that dissing someone else for their success is not the formula for yours. When did Three-6-Maﬁa have their biggest hit? When they teamed with Young Buck, 8Ball and MJG. That’s why Atlanta has so many hits. Their artists put the BS to the side and get paper. CONCRETE: How important is your role in music? What do you want to be known for? Spydermann: I used to think that the DJ was one of the most important jobs in the industry, but now, I’m not so sure anymore. All these ﬂy by night, so-called DJs and fake promoters popping up have oversaturated the market and made the DJ seem very expendable. All these mixtapes with no mixing have ruined the public. They have come to expect a thousand sound effects and the DJ either talking or dropping his name all over every song. That’s not talent, that trying to cover the lack thereof. It’s for that reason I stopped doing mixtapes. I hope that I am remembered for the most creative mixes, the Crunkest Hour in Radio, and my current CD compilation, The Sexual Series. Most importantly, I hope I known for being a good father and a gentleman.

CONCRETE: What are your Top 5 albums of all time? Spydermann: 1. Eric B. and Rakim - Paid in Full 2. Jay-Z - Reasonable Doubt 3. 2Pac - All Eyes on Me 4. Public Enemy - YO! Bum Rush the Show 5. Notorious BIG - Ready to Die. Sure there were albums before and after, but these albums each change the game. (Honorable Mention: NWA - Straight Outta Compton) CONCRETE: What’s your advice for the young bucks trying to get into the DJ Profession? Spydermann: Do it for the love. The money will come through your longevity. Learn the Business. Watch the turntable skills of DJ Houston. Watch the versatility of Tim Bachus. Learn the CDJ skills of DJ DNyce. Know the history like Jus Borne and Superman. Watch how Devin Steel, E-Feezy, and Kutta control the crowd. And most importantly, don’t sell yourself short. CONCRETE: What’s your info and when and where can we find you? Spydermann: www.hot1071.com spydermann@hot1071.com And you can always find me with Moody Inc. at Saturday Sessions at the Rumba Room the first Saturday of the month and with The Cool Out Crew at Cool Out Saturday at Senses the third Saturday of the month.

CONCRETE: How long have you been rapping? Jus Bentley: Since I was 9 years old. My ﬁrst song was called “Chest Pants”. It was about a teacher because she always wore chest pants up to here [points to chest]. I was in 7th grade when I saw her and I had to write a song about her. And everybody loved it! CONCRETE: What artists do you look up to? Jus Bentley: MC Lyte and Queen Latifah. I like MC Lyte because she’s lyrical and you could always tell what she was saying. And that’s how I want to be because I’m lyrical. CONCRETE: Being that you are only 18 years old, what are your Top 5 favorite albums? Jus Bentley: I don’t have a Top 5 favorite albums but I do have a Top 5 favorite songs. As of right now they are: Queen LatifahLadies First, JJ Fad-Supersonic, Slick Rick- Bedtime Story, Ice Cube- Today Was A Good Day and Eminem-No Love. CONCRETE: Why did you pick Eminem after all the old records? Why did you pick that particular one? Jus Bentley: Well I can identify with the song because I been in the situation where I didn’t feel loved and all by myself. I felt like the person that should have loved me the most didn’t. It wasn’t a boyfriend but more like family. CONCRETE: What are you doing differently to market yourself from the average artist in the industry? Jus Bentley: I don’t feel like I do anything differently, I just market and promote myself constantly. The tools I use the most are Twitter and Facebook. Everyday when I wake up I’m sending links to my videos and songs and constantly doing something throughout the day. CONCRETE: Who is your favorite Memphis-based artist? Jus Bentley: Yo Gotti! It’s because he real. He’s the King of Memphis and I respect him. CONCRETE:Outside of music what do you do? Jus Bentley: I play basketball for Mid South Community College. I’m known on the court for my speed and I will cross you over with the quickness! CONCRETE: If you had to pick 1 of your passions, what would it be: The WNBA or a Record Deal? Jus Bentley: [long pause] I would pick the record deal because while I love both I am very passionate about music and I’m going to make it happen!

CONCRETE: Tell us a little about yourself. Tre-Ez: I’m Tre-Ez, The Flyest nigga alive! Lookout for that Fly N Anyweather CD! Enuff said! CONCRETE: How did you get into music? Tre-Ez: When I was younger I use to sit at my grandma’s house and watch The Jukebox. The funny thing about it is that The Beastie Boys inﬂuenced me to be the rapper I am today. CONCRETE: Nowadays everyone wants to be a musician ... as an independent artist what sets you apart from the rest? What makes you special? Tre-Ez: My swagger, my wordplay, my witty ﬂow and just me as an entertainer. CONCRETE: How do you plan on promoting your craft? Tre-Ez: By keeping my face visible, attacking all social networks and keeping a hot single in rotation at all times. CONCRETE: Who inspires your work? Tre-Ez: T.I., Fabolous and my homie Rocko. CONCRETE: What do you think of the state of music today? Tre-Ez: Game is watered down. It needs more reality and most of these rappers need to focus on more singles. CONCRETE: Finally how can people get a hold of you and your music? Tre-Ez: Facebook/Toriano Banks Facebook/darealtreez Youtube/tre.eztvnow www.tre-ez.com torianoent.com Follow me on twitter @darealtreez New Money - Celebostatus Entertainment - Toriano Entertainment ... we on da way!

CONCRETE: For all the people who may not be familiar with you, give a little background on how far you’ve come in the game. Nunie: I’ve been doing my thing out here since I was 15. I got my break in 2004 on Yo Gotti’s Blackout Squad album. After that, Select-O-Hits picked up my album The Nu Dude the following year. It sold 2,000 units. I dropped a mixtape with DJ Freddy Hydro called Keep It 100 in 2006 and also made an appearance on Blackout Squad 2. CONCRETE: When did you ﬁrst decide that you wanted in the music business? Nunie: Around the time the Hot Boyz came out wit We On Fire. Before then music was just a hobby. Juve was my favorite, but I related more to Wayne because he was in my age bracket. The rest is history. CONCRETE: You’ve been putting out a lot of music and videos in the past year. What’s your goal for the upcoming year? Nunie: My goal is simple: Put out more music and videos, grind harder, and get a lotta money. CONCRETE: Who do you consider your ears? Who do you go to for input on your new records? Nunie: I trust my gut. I got a keen sense of what is right for me. I know when I need to go back to the drawing board. I welcome and take heed to all criticism, but at the end of the day no one really sees my vision the way I do. CONCRETE: It’s obvious that the game is oversaturated. What you are doing to stand out above the competition? Nunie: I’m just doing me. I stay in my lane and I don’t fabricate or lie about the way I live. Therefore, the music is believable. Right now I got tunnel vision so I see no competition. I’m not concerned about what the next person got going on. Competition doesn’t motivate me. I’m inspired by the people that love me. CONCRETE: Do you feel as an artist from Memphis, that the artists here or Memphis music in general gets the respect that it deserves? Nunie: We doing what we can. It’s hard here especially because in Memphis, you either got to have a lot of money, sell a lot of dope or catch a body for people to respect you. Other than that, you got to know somebody that knows somebody. At the end of the day it’s about each individual artist’s grind and dedication to put Memphis where it need to be.

CONCRETE: The spotlight is on you. What do you want Concrete readers to know about UndenYable? CO: If they’ve heard us, they already know we make great music. It doesn’t matter if you’ve got a 9-to-5 or you’re hustling, you’re gonna relate to the situations we rap about. CONCRETE: KL, you recently hosted your video release party and invited several other artists to share the stage. What prompted that decision? KL: I’m not about to act cocky like I can do it by myself. When I can collaborate, I will. We all have own fans who usually support indie music in general. If we use those types of opportunities right, we’ll all win. CONCRETE: How do you decide who to collaborate with? KL: I choose who I like. People that I respect, music that I like to listen to ... other artists who are really out here grinding. CONCRETE: One artist that you worked with recently is Miscellaneous. How did that partnership happen? CO: We were in the studio working on “Dream On.” He was outside listening. He started banging on the door and interrupted our session and was like, “Mane, y’all gotta put me on that track.” And the rest is history. CONCRETE: The rest is history. “Dream On” is one of the most unique rap records out right now. Going into the studio, did you know what you were looking for? KL: Absolutely. We wanted something that had a universal sound and that would

take inﬂuences from different genres. We blended rock elements and a live band with R&B and made a rap record. Memphis expects trap music or crunk music. We wanted something different. CONCRETE:: And that record is for your independent project, #GotLyrics. Why did y’all decide to branch out on your own? CO: We complement each other musically, but we can also stand alone. My favorite record we did was “Make Me Feel Alive” which was our story of why we chose hip-hop and why hip-hop chose us. We’re going to use our individual mixtapes to go into a little more detail on that. CONCRETE: So when are your projects coming out? KL: #GotLyrics is going to be released late September for digital download and in the streets. Be looking out for three more videos as we get closer to the date. CO: The Chozen One comes out right after that. The ﬁrst single is “Michael Irvin” followed by “88 Bars.”

We look forward to hearing both mixtapes and reviewing them on our website: concretememphismag.com. Follow @KLizUndenYable and @COizUndenYable for the latest details!