table of Contents: Industry by big rube 28 Crystal Meth 32 Eddie’s Gold teeth 39 camp david chronicles 47 Fishing at camp david 60 OLD STONE MOUnTAIN 68 night razors 75 Strip Clubs 85 sheriff Jackie Barrett 92 White T 94 Big Gipp’s Cadillac envy 96 Georgia on my mind 105 dungeons and pools 114 raz 69 (5 Kings) 124 Sir Leon (UCA) 128 The Pride Of Atlanta 130 Opticals 137 atl d-boy suits 144
Rico “Ricky” Wade
Mony Mone
Sugar Love
Sleepy “P-Funk” Brown
Big Gipp AKA Mr. Get Down
T-Mo to the fullest
Back Bone FatFace100
Killah-B Presidential
Founding Publishers: Mike and Stephen Malbon
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Jason Faulkner
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“Industry” Text by Big Rube When I was a little kid, age five, I started to read comic books. The artwork was incredible and it inspired me to become an artist. Strangely enough, the stories were more inspiring than the physical art. One was forced to really read them and remember the lessons being portrayed within. Comic books had a lot to do with me being able to read on a high school level as early as 3rd or 4th grade. I primarily read Marvel and DC Comics, but was interested in many types of books and graphic novels. The thing about loving to read at such a young age was that my imagination was virtually boundless. I was fascinated by more than just the brightly colored superhero costumes and the action sequences playing out on the panels. What caught my attention was the great philosophies that were written into the story lines. There were real life lessons to be learned; lessons about racism, sexism, religion, economics, politics, family and more - and all in a very entertaining context. This was especially true of Marvel Comics, one of the major influences on me as a child as far as ethics and justice. My sense of right and wrong was pure at that age and remains affected until this day. Of course, good and evil are not just black and white but obscured by a trillion shades of grey. In many ways, so were the stories in Marvel Comics. After all, Spider Man was a misfortunate orphan, The Hulk was an abused child and there were other heroes with problems. These problems felt similar to the ones that you or someone you knew where going through. That is why no one can ever tell me that the comic book and graphic novel art forms, especially the ones involving heroes and villains, aren’t true art. Not only do they serve as entertainment, but they intrigue us and make us wonder - and that’s what art is. I feel the same way about hip hop and about music in general. When I was about 12, I heard a Run DMC song called “The King of Rock” and I knew what I wanted to be - an MC. But I wanted to be a real MC like Run DMC, Melle Mel or a few others at the time. These guys seemed bigger
than life and their words touched me. To me they were saying more than just what was coming out of their mouths. Their attitude spoke to you; the swagger that they had at that time was unlike anything I had seen. And these were black men. It was like somebody found a way to portray the same purity of philosophy with rap music that pioneers like Stan Lee did with Marvel. The same intrigue that I had for comics lured me to rap music - I will always have a love for both. I used to look at the comic books and draw re-creations of the pictures that I liked. Eventually I felt that I had my own voice and began to create my own characters. When I did, my art poured from me. I’ve been drawing ever since. With hip hop I would rap along with my favorite MCs until one day I started to freestyle. The reaction from my schoolmates was like, “Damn! You can really rap!” So I began to write, though mostly I would freestyle. At first I thought that no matter how badly I wanted it, I couldn’t be a rapper. I wasn’t from New York or, later on, Los Angeles. Then a fantastic thing began to happen - hip hop gained momentum with a snowball effect like no other. All of a sudden there were companies showing interest in other young up-and-coming artists from other cities, and I was able to get my voice out there. When I got a chance to work on Outkast’s “Southernplayalisticadillacmuzik” album, I was so happy to be involved with something so great that I didn’t think about chains, houses and shit. All I wanted was for everything me and my folks (The Dungeon Family) touched to touch others, and for all of my brothers to help one another to frank 30
be successful in their art. We were on the right track at first, because it was strictly about the music. The plan was for every DF member to feature all the others on their records - this would help everyone. The problem was that after some of us saw success, other people got in the way of our original plan - record executives, management and family were a hindrance to our pure concept. The sad thing is that, for all the good we did, there remains a negative mark on our record because obviously we were not all abiding by the same creed. We set a bad example, which is the one thing I never wanted. My disappointments with the music industry may have started with my own crew, but they continue in many of the artists out now. I’m not talking about lyrical content, degradation of women in videos or any of that bullshit. I’m talking about fake ass MCs rapping about a bunch of activities that they never experienced and sending out the message that it’s cool to be fake and an asshole. Well I got news; it ain’t cool, and half of these suckers need to be beat with a mic instead of rappin on one - that’s real. I’m not one of these clowns that says he wants rap to be like it was with regards to sound, because now the sound quality is better. But because something sounds better and looks better doesn’t make it better. You can make money with your gimmicks, and you can impress fools with your jewelry, but no one can fool themselves. No matter how good you act, niggaz are going to know if you are soft. So keep all your bells and whistles and give me some real hip hop. After all, the music comes before the industry.
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Crystal Meth: a Profile This is a Frank151 exclusive look at the horrors of one of America’s fastest spreading epidemics: Crystal Meth. In particular, the drug’s popularity has skyrocketed in the city of Atlanta, GA, making it a necessary topic of discussion in this issue. Methamphetamines AKA Crystal, Crank, Speed, Ice, Glass, Shards, Tina and Meth.
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Place of Origin: Initially, most Meth was produced in large clandestine labs in the Southwestern United States where demand was highest. But with the help of Mexico-based traffickers and the rise of smaller independent labs, Meth’s popularity has swept the nation. There is no state untouched by the spike in the drug’s popularity, now being referred to as an epidemic. For the Southeastern region, Georgia ranks #1 in Meth production and consumption. Looks Like: An elusive shape-shifter, Meth is available in liquid, white powder or crystal form, as well as in brightly colored tablets. Feels Like: The effects of the drug are felt just seconds after consumption and are said to last up to 12 hours. It increases alertness and euphoria and raises blood pressure and body temperature. In some cases it can cause agitation, memory loss and psychotic episodes. Science bit: Methamphetamines fit into the ‘psychostimulant’ category along with cocaine. Psychostimulants cause the brain to produce large amounts of dopamine. Dopamine is the chemical that sends pleasure signals to the brain and is experienced as a ‘rush,’ like the euphoria felt when hearing a favorite song. Meth triggers the brain to produce extreme amounts of dopamine over an extended period of time, both prolonging and intensifying the user’s experience of exhilaration. It takes rest and proper nutrition for the brain to replenish its dopamine stores, but the presence of excess dopamine in the body leads to insomnia and decreased appetite, so the user rarely has a chance to come down without experiencing severe depression as a result of physically
lacking the chemicals necessary in the brain to elevate their mood. While not considered physically addictive, the psychological swings Meth produces can lead to a vicious cycle of consumption to comedown emptiness to pick-me-up consumption. Some recent studies are determining that repeated use of the drug can chemically alter the brain itself, making future abuse of the substance more likely. The Real Scoop: Recreational drug users are catching on to this little party favor. In powder form, Meth is replacing cocaine as the drug of choice. With a high that can last up to 20 times longer than the same amount of cocaine, extreme appetite suppressing capabilities and a seemingly endless reserve of energy, ‘Tweakers’ not only get their kicks, they get them for a bargain. But it’s not just social self-medicators who have caught on to this new craze. Its effects have a much more universal appeal. While club-kids do comprise a high percentage of users, the fastest growing demographic is actually suburban housewives! That’s right. Resourceful Supermoms have discovered a new wonder fuel. It gives the user enough energy to party all night or vacuum all day. All of its basic components are available in local pharmacies and hardware stores, and recipe books are even sold commercially, not to mention available on the internet. Of course, lack of sleep and nutrition eventually take their toll. Users simply run out of their energy stores and reserves and crash. Sometimes sleeping for days, experiencing digestive cramping as the body tries to reacquaint itself with food and succumbing to horrendous depressive fogs, with a sprinkling of paranoid delusions, the over-productive frenzy that was their high mind now seems eons away. frank 36
Eddie: improving the world, one smile at a time
Photos by Mike Moore and John Crooms Text by Piper Sunshine
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Ages ago, Eddie obtained his degree in Dental Gold from Queens Community College and hit the ground running. Born in Surinam and considerably well traveled, Eddie became familiar with a plethora of different styles. He began creating gold teeth the likes of which no one in NY had ever seen. The exceptional skill and unparalleled detail of his work soon made his teeth a sought after commodity. But Eddie didn’t stop there. Determined to broaden the appeal of dental jewelry, he invented the first removable ‘grills’ in the industry. After designing a grill for Kool G. Rap back in the day, he was ‘discovered’ by New York’s early hip hop community. Grills for Flavor-Flav, Big Daddy Kane and Heavy D soon followed, and his career skyrocketed. Having quickly reached the top of his game and solidified his name as the man to see for gold teeth in the Northeast, Eddie challenged himself to tap a new market and headed down south. After a brief stint owning a storefront in Miami, Florida, and outfitting Luke’s camp with one-of-a-kind golds, he made his way to the A-town. He reached Atlanta just as it was starting to bubble and found the perfect hub for his unique talent. A hand-painted picture of Cee-lo Green occupies an honored position on the wall of Eddie’s shop, commemorating his first customer from Atlanta’s A-list. Lil’ John and Ludacris were soon to follow. With business booming, Eddie opened a second location on Peachtree downtown to accommodate the overflow from his original Greenbriar shop. He soon expanded his repertoire to include various metals and precious gems. As the trend, that Eddie had a heavy hand in developing, caught on across the nation, celebrities from as far as California were flying to Atlanta to visit the master jeweler. Most recently, Nas flew down from New York for his second pair of fronts with fiancé Kelis in tow. Reportedly, their matching grills read ‘Nasty’ and ‘Tasty’ respectively. Remarkably, Eddie has taken his huge success in stride; he has the humility of a man who is simply following his passion. A passion to improve the world, one smile at a time… frank 44
Camp david chronicles Courtesy of Mr. DJ
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1. Killah B 2. Oozie 1 3. Paul 4. Bryan Barber 5. Big Boi 6. Andre 3000 7. Dirty Dr. 8. Big Gipp 9. Mr. DJ 10. Big Boi 11. Andre 12. Big Boi 13. Mr. DJ 14. Andre 15. Khujo Goodie 16. Tisha Campbell 17. Mr. DJ 18. Pam Grier 19. Andre 20. Big Boi 21. Mr. DJ 22. Mr. DJ 23. Slim Calhoun 24. Unknown 25. Andre
26. Big Boi 27. Unknown 28. Cee Lo 29. Khujo 30. Unknown 31. Gipp 32. Big Boi 33. Mr. DJ 34. Andre 35. T Mo 36. Big Boi 37. Slim 38. Mr. DJ 39. Black owned – C Bone 40. Big Boi 41. Big Boi 42. Andre 43. Rico Wade 44. Cool Breeze 45. Ray Murray 46. Andre 47. Mr. DJ 48. Big Reese (PA) 49. Mr. DJ 50. Mello (PA)
51. Andre 52. Fan 53. Mr. DJ 54. Big Boi 55. Big Boi 56. Andre 57. Sleepy Brown 58. Mr. DJ 59. Boulevard 60. Mr. DJ 61. Andre 62. Mr. DJ 63. Big Boi 64. Big Rube 65. Melle Mel 66. T Mo 67. Kuhjo 68. Outkast Platinum 69. Big Gipp 70. Fan 71. Andre 72. C Bone 73. Unknown 74. Big Boi
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Fishing at Camp David Photos by John Crooms Text by Piper Sunshine
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I had a chance to catch up with T-Mo & Khujo Goodie, two thirds of the ‘new Goodie MoB,’ at their favorite fishing hole during a quick break from touring. Camp David, home to Atlanta’s Camp David Records and also the location of this particular lake, has fish safe for eating T-Mo informs me. And when they catch one of a reasonable size, they do just that. T-Mo prefers white fish, especially bass, and I can see the pleasure he derives from this sport as he relays to me the story of a particularly succulent bass he caught one night. But they don’t fish strictly for the grub; they are avid game fishers as well. Something about the peaceful ease of watching the line and then the quick thrill of the hunt appeals to them. It’s a mellow, meditative break from the grind of promoting their latest album. The simplicity of it all has inspired them to create a fishing show for television. “It’s called the Dirty South Hip-Hop Fishing Show, and it’s going to be a show that highlights the artist. It’s going to give the artist a spotlight, while at the same time doing something a little different. Something away from all that big city hustle and bustle; to get people in an environment where they can just relax. Something to bring it back to the country, y’know, the real dirty south flavor!
A lot of people talk about it, a lot of people migrate here, but few are actually from here. I am that bread of man. I am Piedmont Hospital, Peachtree St... We want to begin the show featuring some known artists, to introduce the concept of the show,
and then eventually we want to start breaking new acts, possibly even having them perform as part of the show. So we have a lot of ideas for the show. Nothing is set in stone yet, but things are definitely in motion...”
T-Mo’s Fishing Essentials 1) You gotta have your tackle. 2) Some hooks and string. 3) You’ll need some floats unless you’re fishing for catfish.
That’s about it. Maybe some friends or family and you’re ready for a few hours of something peaceful and calm. You don’t need the TV, you don’t need the radio, you don’t really need anything. It’s just a time for you to get in tune with nature and the Lord. It’s almost like being in church.” -T-Mo
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Old stone mountain Compliments of Smite One
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night razors Photos by: Dirty Dr.
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Strip Club Capital Of The world Photos by Todd Crowe
In Atlanta, Georgia there are only two options for a young lady coming out of High School - attend college or become a stripper. Fortunately, a majority of them choose the latter, making ATL the city with the highest quantity of strippers per capita in the world. The city’s economy and business revolve around the booming industry. As the official “club” capital of the world, Atlanta boasts every variety of haunt for the strip enthusiast, although one fact is universal – the VIP room is where it’s at. In what other city can you get an 8 minute lap dance for 5 dollars from a girl that is completely naked? Where else can you find both Dimes and toothless, tattooed and tattered women a few blocks apart? Only in ATL. Here is a small sampling of what the city has to offer.
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Jackie Barrett’s Four Year Cycle of Destruction Illustration by Nayoun Kim Text by Piper Sunshine
Fulton County’s Sheriff, Jackie Barrett, had a promising start. She was elected in 1992 and was the first black female ever to hold the position of Sheriff. Twelve years later, some citizens might say her election was the high point of her career. In 1996, towards the end of her first term, she was accused of practicing ‘reverse discrimination’ within the Sheriff’s department. She was found guilty of deliberately passing over non-minority candidates for advancement. However, the bombing of the Olympics that same year greatly overshadowed her faux pas in the media and she was reelected! By the end of her second term in 2000 she was again facing criticism, this time for the gross mismanagement of Fulton County’s detention centers. The problem arose when Fulton County took over the city of Atlanta’s prisons. Since then, rampant disorganization has allowed the situation to worsen dramatically. The facilities now house twice their capacity of occupants and the system is said to be short staffed by at least 150 guards. And yet, somehow, Ms. Barrett was elected to a third term in the department. Currently, at the end of her third term, Jackie Barrett faces a county probe into her management of the $78 million Sheriff’s budget. Her mishandling of the county jail has reached a crisis point, with at least 6 escapes reported in the last 18 months. Two of them just walked out during the filming of a music video featuring recording artist TI, who was
actually incarcerated at the time! At least as many inmates have been mistakenly released. In one case, an accused rapist was mistakenly freed, only to be recaptured just feet from an earlier victim. When another woman claimed to have been raped during his quick jail break, Barrett expressed no remorse for the tragic sequence of events and questioned the validity of the alleged victim’s claims. Last year, her chief jailer stated on record that many of the locking mechanisms in the high-security cell block did not function, allowing inmates to move around freely. Shortly thereafter, he was fired. Finally, a federal judge saw it fit to ‘relieve’ Barrett of her responsibility to the jail and appointed a manager to tend to it. This notion must have appealed to her, as she recently announced that, in light of public scrutiny, she would ‘take leave’ for the remainder of the year. After that her term will come to an end and she will not seek reelection. She will, however, continue to collect full pay during this leave time, though someone else will have to be appointed and paid to fulfill her duties.
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White T Photo by Thomas Tullis Text by Piper Sunshine FYI: White Tees the Trappin Uniform The song ‘White Tee’ is one of the summer’s biggest hits in The South. Recorded by Franchize, a group formed by trap master Mook B, the song describes a fashion trend that has spread around the world. Simple, classic and universal, the white tee craze has caught on largely because, as the song says, ‘everyone wear white tees cause they can afford it.’ But where did the trend originate? Well here in the durty, more precisely in the trap, the shirts have a meaning that is more functional than fashionable. It’s an unspoken signal between hustler and customer: Holla! And I hear up top they serve a purpose in the trap too. Everybody has one on, most likely with a pair of jeans and some trees. Kinda defeats the purpose of running a description over the police radio…
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Big Gipp’s Cadillac envy Photos by Mike Moore
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They call me Mr. Ravioli, Mr. Scrotum, Mr. Poke Em with the Noodle Mr. Cocker spaniel in Your Poodle, after school tutor Roto Rooter, addicted to follies Like brown collies, stay soft fro Swimming in the fallopian of an Ethiopian Talking a different language, RBI fly wide Come to me now, 84 hard, 84 soft wit me now Beautiful ladies, they want to walk wit me now, Talk wit me now Push a glock for me now, sell cock for me now Fight a bitch, hit her in the eye for me now See you when I see you, now out wit me now -Big Gipp - “Tomb of the Boom” off of Big Boi’s Speaker Boxx This piece is in honor of Big Gipp’s dear friend Souljah Slim who was wrongfully murdered earlier this year in New Orleans. Souljah Slim rest in peace.
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Georgia on my mind Photos by Mike Moore Text by Piper Sunshine
Georgia is the birthplace of numerous musicians, none more influential than the late Ray Charles. Another artist who has always represented GA with pride is the boy wonder, Dallas Austin. He has worked with numerous artists, including Aretha Franklin, Janet Jackson, Blu Cantrell, TLC, Pink, Madonna, Boyz II Men, Another Bad Creation, Michael Jackson, Bjork, Tricky, Grace Jones, Brand New Heavies, JT Money, Stevie Nicks, Fishbone, Monica, Jazzy Jeff, Troop, Indigo Girls and Lenny Kravitz. Each of them had songs produced on Dallas Austin’s famous keyboards. These instruments have birthed such hits as ‘Motownphilly’ by Boyz II Men, ‘Secrets’ by Madonna and ‘I Belong To You’ by Lenny Kravitz. With such an impressive dossier, Dallas Austin will continue to carry the torch and memory of Ray Charles and his GA pride into the future. RIP.
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dungeons and pools Photos by Mike Moore and Thomas Taylor
Vision – Mark Gonzales
Powell Peralta – Skull & Sword
Powell Peralta – Steve Caballero
Powell Peralta – Lance Mountain
Plan B – Rick Howard
G & S – Neil Blender
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Vision – Shredder
Powell Peralta – Steve Caballero
World Industries – Rodney Mullen
Powell Peralta – Per Welinder
Blind – Mark Gonzales
Skull Skates – Hosoi
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Plan B – Mike Carrol
Quicksilver – Sims 70 kg
Powell – Kevin Harris
Powell Peralta – Per Welinder
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RAZ 69, AKA YODA Photo and Text by Piper Sunshine Illustration by Nayoun Kim
5 Kings Roll Call: Raz 69, Smash, Fly, Wizz, Taz Ray Murray, aka Yoda, started writing and DJing the same year, in 1981. He wrote with the exotic rockers crew out in Sylvan Hills. When his boy Smash started a crew with him and 3 other artists called the 5 Kings, he started writing Raz 69, after his birth year. Folks were listening to KRSone at the time and he found that first album extremely influential. In fact, he still considers that to be one of the best albums of all time. In 1987, Ray moved out to the SWATS and began developing his musical side a bit more, eventually starting Organized Noize with Sleepy Brown and fellow producer Rico Wade. He was also one of the first generation members of the Dungeon Family. Ray was truly one of the pioneers of both the early art and sound of Atlanta. Aren’t we fortunate that he didn’t choose graphic design?
Sir Leon UCA Photo and Text by SB
Contrary to popular belief, the ATL graf scene did not begin in Midtown or at The Civic. A decade before The Civic and all of the delusional writers it bred into the Atlanta scene, the red hot SWATS was the place to be if you were an Atlanta writer. Almost all of the real homegrown ATL hard heads who wrote resided south of I-20. One of the most prolific pre-1990 writers was Leon. Leon was born and raised in Southwest Atlanta and, before the modern era of graffiti, Leon was the most up. Spots off the MARTA lines made careers for these early Atlanta writers. Leon, with his “long reach,� had pieces up on the North, South, East and, of course, West lines. In the streets, Leon was no joke. He was to Atlanta what Stay High 149 was to NYC. I remember visiting Atlanta in 1987 and seeing Sir Leon and Leon 2000 tags all over the place. I asked Leon once what made him start writing.
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He said that in 1985 he was watching reruns of The Jeffersons and spotted a tag on a delivery truck in the opening credits. That tag became the opening credits to “The Leon Show,” which ran off and on for over 15 years. In 1988, Leon was inducted into the LA based UCA crew by Chase, and that only fueled him to go harder and do more. Leon continued to write until about 2000 (kind of prophetic since he used to write Leon 2000 back in the 80s). But out of the scene doesn’t necessarily mean out of graf. You see, guys like Leon will never really quit. Don’t be surprised if tomorrow you see a fresh new Leon piece magically appear on a rooftop while you make your daily commute on MARTA.
The Pride Of Atlanta Photos by: Mike Moore
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1968 Chevrolet Chevelle SS 396
1969 Chevy Camaro Z28 frank 134
1968 Pontiac GTO
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Opticals: the dirty doktor’s personal collection Photos by Mike Moore
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Emilio Pucci
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Claudio Carlotti
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Jean Paul Gaultier
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Claudio Carlotti
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Gucci
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Big Money
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Ted Lapidus
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standing in my d-boy suit Photos by Anibal D. Aspillaga
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