RAWWATER.NET
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Team EDITORS Efehi Ogbebor Kaymar Haye Amanda Mester
A RAW
every dog has his day so don’t miss yours.... your one are the only that’s gonna die when its time for you to die so LIVE YOUR LIFE...
ART DIRECTORS Efehi Ogbebor Kaymar Haye ART DESIGNERS Efehi Ogbebor Melanie Kearns WRITERS Amanda Mester Christina Ledesma Jason Thomas David Padilla Chaz Dennis Maya Freeman Kaymar Haye Efehi Ogbebor PHOTOGRAPHY Kaymar Haye Von Jackson Kathryn Demesa STYLIST Chaz Dennis Maya Freeman ADVERTISERS’ INFO NEWAGEXPRESS.COM (pg. 20) HELLANDHIGHWATERCOLLECTIVE.COM (pg. 75) IAMRADICATED.COM (pg. 88) KUMARIVISIONZ.COM (pg. 100) NAAZANDRAAZ.WORDPRESS.COM (pg. 103) RAWWATER.NET For inquires on writing, modeling, ordering, advertising..etc contact us at: RAWMAG@RAWWATER.NET LOS ANGELES RAWWATER
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Be you Be Different always stay true.............
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Editor’s Note
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It’s cool to be different, that’s how it’s always been, in my mind. For some reason today, I’m recalling when Hip-Hop or Rap music was cool and different and how I truly miss those days. I remember discussing music among a circle of classmates in my 7th grade band class, and me being the only one that was a rap fiend. Those days when country music was the number 1 money making genre, those days when you’d have to wait for Yo MTV raps or Rap City to come on so you can watch the non “Baby Got Back” or”Whoop There It Is” videos. We (my siblings and I) bought my dad a new in-dash CD deck for his car for Christmas and as I was programming his radio stations I noticed that only 2 out of 6 were not playing rap music (Kost and Smooth Jazz) which I guess is the norm and has been the norm for a while now but I do recall when every station except Power 106
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la vie Los Angeles
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and 92.3 The Beat was anti-rap music. Even to the extent to where those non-rap stations would play the hit songs but the rap-free versions like “Fantasy” by Mariah Carey ft ODB minus ODB’s verse. I even remember when 99.1’s slogan was something like “All of today’s top hits with non of that rap.” And this is where I’m conflicted. No doubt I’m glad rap music has got more respect and is making that money but the lack of “cool” saddens me. When I was in the 4th grade I recorded 2 of my older cousin’s cassettes and the 2 albums were Ice Cube’s “The Predator” and Dr. Dre’s “The Chronic.” I was 9 years old and had no business listening to that but I was mesmerized by what I was hearing and like that, I was hooked. While America was in love with Kriss Kross and Sir Mix A Lot, I was on “The Chronic.” And now, 20 years later (Happy anniversary to Cube and Dre), I’m twenty some odd years old and am writing the editor’s note for my own magazine that is now officially 2 years old, (time sure does fly) that sound pretty damn cool to me. Enjoy.
CONTENTS 7.
Trayvon Martin DTLA March
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GALLERY - Pierre Brehier
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WEED LAWS
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13 JOINTS YOU SHOULD COP
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KAYMAR’S RANT
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GALLERY - Anthony Castro
31. Waju 34.
GALLERY - Sean Fitzimmons
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SPRING FASHION
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GALLERY - Deidre
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LOS ANGELES RAWWATER M
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GALLERY - Joe C.
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GALLERY - Sanjin
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Raven Sorvino
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GALLERY - Roz Kumari
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THA BOOGIE
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AFROCENTRIC FASHION
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GALLERY - Yvette
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Photos by Von Jackson 7
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The arc that contained all the signed letters from supporters of Trayvon Martin. This amazing piece of art was custom made in 4 hours by Lisa Wood and Colby Murray. It was painted by the amazing Keenan Chapman(www.KeenanChapman.com).
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How to get a Medical Marijuana Card by Cali Green
If you’re a frequent marijuana user and don’t own a medical marijuana card, there’s a chance that you may qualify for a card and you don’t even know it. Luckily, California is one of the sixteen states where residents can obtain a card. Here are a few tips to see if you can qualify for one: 1. First, are you 18 years old? In order for you to get a recommendation from a doctor, you must be at least 18 years old. Some doctors may recommend a medical marijuana card to a minor with parental consent. 2. You must be a California resident and have a valid California driver’s license or state-issued ID. Out of state residents with medical marijuana cards will not be able to use their cards in California. 3. Medical marijuana is known for treating a variety of medical conditions such as: insomnia, anxiety, nausea, back pain, muscle spasms, headaches, PMS, menopause, arthritis, lack of appetite, anorexia, Cachexia, cancer, chronic pain, Glaucoma, and seizures. See if you qualify for any of these conditions. Make sure you do your research; there are other medical conditions out there that medical marijuana may help.
4. Find a doctor near you. There are websites and apps that can help you search for doctors in your area that will recommend you a medical marijuana card. There is an application fee that you will have to pay in order to get your card; prices may vary depending on the doctor you choose. All you have to do is set up an appointment and speak to your doctor about your medical condition. Once you have your medical marijuana card you can also look up websites and apps to help you find a medical marijuana clinic near you. You can obtain up to eight ounces of marijuana and own up to six mature or twelve immature marijuana plants. Having a medical marijuana card has its benefits. The clinics have a great selection of strains and edibles like ice cream, pastries, soda etc. Some clinics will even deliver to your home. The greatest thing about having your own card is that you won’t have to worry about feeling like a criminal now that you are a legal patient. Sources: http://medicalmarijuana.procon.org/view.resource.php? resourceID=000881 http://weedsmokersguide.com/medical-marijuana-card/ http://www.mcsocal.com/blog/how-to-get-a-medicalmarijuana-card-tips-from-a-medical-marijuana-doctor
13 Joints You Should Cop
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Kaymar’s Rant Its all over the place and if you feel offended, well... that’s the point.
Trayvon is gone!!! That nigger is dead!!! Trayvon would be the obvious rant because that’s what is hot in the streets at the moment. However, what I really want to talk about today is the reaction I observed from both black and white people around me. Most of my white partners, just brush this off as another crazy person (white person) doing something crazy in our world. In fact, a lot of them wonder why black people are getting up in arms and blaming all of them when they have nothing to do with what some crazy guy did. Additionally, I see a lot of the white homies using the race card with full benefit like “Wait! George Zimmerman is not even totally white he’s half.” It’s so convenient for them to pull that card nowadays, but that’s for another rant. So for all my white partners out there, I will give you a few reasons why niggers are mad. Let’s start with the word nigger which is a name given to the Black race as a way to diminish any and all human characteristics. So your great great great grand parents may sleep comfortable at night while in the day they com-
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mitted unspeakable inhuman atrocities to my great great great grandparents. On a side note, I also want to take this time to thank your great great great grandparents for that. That’s right! Oh yeah I want to thank them for the boat trip from Africa to the great west that they made my great great great grand parents take. I’m sure they had loads of fun on their cruise!!! Then after they took the human resources they needed, they went back for the natural resources, AND they kept financially crippling my homeland for the last 500 years. And if that wasn’t enough, they also turned around and supplied guns, AIDS (yes the disease not the help) and made up borders using their own conventions to wipe out the rest of my people. Now ask yourself: “Who profits more from all that genocide shit?” I would say it’s that guy Kevin with his jewelry shops, and suburban white kids with video cameras making the next big documentary, movie or commercial. It’s definitely not the dumb ass who is killing his own people calling himself a rebel with a cause. I, along with the whole Continent of Africa
want to thank you and your forefathers for these actions; it has made us very strong. After 400 years, your immediate grandparents, yes the ones you still talk to on a daily basis (or may have already been put into retirement homes) gave us the Jim Crow Laws and told us we would be “separate but equal.” During that time, my mother grew up as a kid who wasn’t able to attend a public school of her choice because she was blessed with a permanent tan. Tell your grandparents next time you talk to them that my mom and I say “Thank You”. Ok, now let’s get into the lynching, dick cutting, black schools and churches bombing of the 60’s, which had about, I don’t know, we’ll say a 10% conviction rate. Since this is LA Raw, I have to bring it home to California, let’s start with the beaches where niggers could go because of the again the blessing of the tan skin. And the fact that in California state law books it states that blacks were not allow to marry non-black. Let’s jump to 80’s and give a big THANK YOU to our past Governor Ronald and your parents for getting rid of our Black Panther problem, and giving us that crack in the hoods because us niggers love that crack so much we got hooked for over 40 years. Next time you are sitting down at dinner with you parents tell them that Kaymar along with all the crack-heads, crack babies, and ex crack-heads say THANK YOU very much! We are now stronger cause we lived through that and we are still here. All the guns in the black areas of California we want to take you that as well you know my life expectance is only 25 oh well I made it pass so they miss one . I don’t know of any black gun manufacture of the 80’s or black Columbians with ships and planes from the 60’s that hail from Oakland or south central, but if you do please educate me on it. Let’s jump pass the 90’s with that guy named Rodney, and move to today. Nowadays we can vote and change policies, and YES WE CAN and YES WE DID or so we thought for a minute. We were so happy to have finally let go of all the bullshit mentioned above, but we were fooled and bamboozled we aren’t passed shit. We just went from overt actions to more covert and systematic actions. Just ask the schools, hospitals, and fire departments in all of the Hoods. While they struggle to make their budgets, our police departments and prisons are well funded. The system is broken and the schools are close to the prisons and these kids “ain’t got shit to do but Ecstasy”. So you think is not your fault but it is, you have convinced yourself you are not part of this fucked up system and you have nothing to do with this crazy half Latino guy because in your mind he is not white. If that makes you sleep better at night, then you are no different from your grandparents, your parents or any other generation who has seen all this crazy shit. And you will sit back just like them and do nothing. “Oh well” you say and the fact that you think “oh well tough break young nigger” makes you the biggest part of the blame, and that is what is wrong in this world. And if you are a member of the black race and think “oh well” I only have three words for you “FUCK YOU NIGGER”.
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WAJU Not Just a Rapping Ass Rapper Christina Ledesma
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When you’re stuck in a world filled with Lil Waynes and Drakes, it’s refreshing when you come across a young artist trying to bring back that old school feel to hip hop. And if you’re like most ‘90s hip hop heads you’ve been dying to get your hands on something that sounds original. Well have no fear, Waju is here! Waju, formally known as Dennis Olanerwaju Broderick II, is a 20-year-old emcee from the Inland Empire. He was named after his father, who is originally from Sierra Leone. “Olanrewaju means longevity and wealth. My family calls me Waju for short so I decided one day to make it my rap name.” Waju started rapping when he was in the seventh grade; he was heavily influenced by his friends who were also interested in music. At first, it was just a hobby and a way for him to fit in. “That’s kind of how it started, to be cool and fit in with my friends. And then it took off; from there I really started to develop a passion.” Waju is now signed to the independent label Triple Black Diamond. He is also a part of a 5-man group called “O.S.A” who are signed to Black Cloud Music. He put out his first mixtape in 2010 called “Carpe Diem” which focuses on seizing the day and being optimistic. “That’s my most previous piece that I have done. I’m working on a new mixtape called “Something Special.” It’s in the works right now.” Waju has a soulful smooth sound similar to A Tribe Called Quest. Some of his music inspirations are Little Brother, Binary Star, Blue & Exile, Jay-Z, and Kanye West. When it comes to his lyrics, it’s important for him to be clever and have meaningful content. “I talked about life or things that I have experienced. The littlest things will trigger a random train of thought and I write about it or write something that was inspired by a random event, or the way somebody thinks about things and I try to put myself in their shoes.” You can catch Waju performing at the Roxy and Key Club in Hollywood, Sundays at the Vibe in
Riverside, and the Ill Spot in Pomona. When he’s on stage, he treats his performances like a resume and tries to prove to his audience why they should listen to him. “Nowadays when it comes to Hip Hop and opening acts, they’re not always that great. You have to bare through it until you get to the artist you actually came to see. I’m going in there with a lot to prove. It gives me motivation to try harder and make sure I captivate the crowd.”
When Waju performs, he really tries look at his audience’s point of view, so he can understand how they feel about his performances. He has experienced watching good and bad acts and has watched artists who have caught his attention, so he understands both sides. “If I was in the audience, I think if this dude rap to me would I like him? Or what can he do to capture my attention? I take that into perspective and I think that helps me out and gives me an advantage as a performing artist.” You can become a fan of Waju at facebook. com and listen to his music at waju.bandcamp.com soundcloud.com/waju “Shout out to my Mom.” -Waju
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RS aven
The Paper Girl
I was invited to Raven’s home in Leimert Park; she and her apartment were covered head-to-toe in Ralph Lauren. She just got home from West Los Angeles College, where she is a full-time student studying performing arts, music, and videography. She was dressed in her infamous polo and school girl skirt, pouring her a glass of merlot as I walked in. When I first came across Raven’s music it was very uplifting to hear a female emcee talked about issues that many women face today. She brings a rough, raw sound that it also classy and sexy. When you first hear Raven you can tell right away that she was heavily influenced by the ‘90s.
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She recently dropped her album “Paper Girl� in January 2012 with the independent label Language Arts. The album is structured like a story. Raven has genuine quality to her writing style. Everything she writes has to be planned and made into a storyboard with a beginning, middle, and end. Before she records anything she really thinks about the influence it will have on people and how she will be conveyed. The album starts off with an introduction of what
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a “Paper Girl” is, sending a strong message to women. “Pretty much I’m just letting girls know to get up off your ass and go do something with your life. And don’t depend on anybody to do it for you.” The song following “Paper Girl” is “Oprah Winfrey,” a track honoring Oprah who is the “Ultimate Paper Girl” according to Raven. “She paved the way for Paper Girls because she’s an
African American woman that’s worth billions of dollars. It can be done.” Through Raven’s music she has become a positive role model for young women, by influencing them to be independent and become successful on their own. “I’ve had girls reach out to me and tell me ‘your music inspires me’ and I love hearing that.” When you get to the middle of the album, it takes a shift and the music becomes aggressive and
hard with songs like “Who Gwan Test Me” featuring Krondon & Skeme. At the end of the album it starts to mellow out with R&B tracks like “Faith,” an inspirational song about her father, which shows a softer side to Raven. With many women dominating the music industry today, we still don’t see a lot of female emcees who are current in the hip hop scene. Raven hopes to break that void and bring something different to the table. “There are some girls out there doing their thing on the underground tip. And that’s cool, congratulations to those girls I respect what they are doing. I just don’t feel like I should be pigeonholed as an underground artist. I really feel that an independent artist can get a mainstream look, especially with the internet being so broad right now.” In our culture today, women are still stereotyped as submissive, but according to Raven, a female emcee represents a woman who is strong minded and dominant. “A rap chick has to have a lot of dominant qualities about her, because you’re in a field with just dudes so you have to go out there, stand strong and be aggressive and if you can do it with class and still remain a lady that makes you even more powerful.” Watching Raven perform is a whole different story from just listening to her music. “The energy level and how I go out there and perform, dudes don’t want me to be on the bill with them. I put on a crazy ass show.” Raven takes her performances very seriously. She makes sure she eats healthy and keeps in shape by running, weight training and doing yoga. So she can be phenomenal and give her all on stage. “These people are paying to come see you. It’s a big ordeal to them when they come out to your shows. And if you give them an incredible performance, you’re going to win and they’re going to want to keep coming back to see you.” Being taken seriously as a female emcee has been a struggle for Raven, but being taken seriously as a female emcee in the Los Angeles area is even harder. The West Coast has not really had a female emcee that has had a successful career, but Raven is determined to change that. 79
-Christina Ledesma
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overcome. Our line celebrates both the struggle and overcoming, because suc wouldn’t feel so good without the tough times. We are trying to represent a ture where people want to display their roots and where they come from. Our m and first design is REP WHERE YOU STEP, that defines a lot of who and what we Radicated and Respected is a line based out in LA/Sacramento California. line is all about establishing oneself and then conquering at our desire. reach the top, you have to climb, and there will be struggles and obstacle overcome. Our line celebrates both the struggle and overcoming, because suc wouldn’t feel so good without the tough times. We are trying to represent a ture where people want to display their roots and where they come from. Our m and first design is REP WHERE YOU STEP, that defines a lot of who and what we Radicated and Respected is a line based out in LA/Sacramento California. line is all about establishing oneself and then conquering at our desire. reach the top, you have to climb, and there will be struggles and obstacle overcome. Our line celebrates both the struggle and overcoming, because suc wouldn’t feel so good without the tough times. We are trying to represent a ture where people want to display their roots and where they come from. Our m and first design is REP WHERE YOU STEP, that defines a lot of who and what we Radicated and Respected is a line based out in LA/Sacramento California. line is all about establishing oneself and then conquering at our desire. reach the top, you have to climb, and there will be struggles and obstacle overcome. Our line celebrates both the struggle and overcoming, because suc wouldn’t feel so good without the tough times. We are trying to represent a ture where people want to display their roots and where they come from. Our m and first design is REP WHERE YOU STEP, that defines a lot of who and what we Radicated and Respected is a line based out in LA/Sacramento California. line is all about establishing oneself and then conquering at our desire. reach the top, you have to climb, and there will be struggles and obstacle overcome. Our line celebrates both the struggle and overcoming, because suc wouldn’t feel so good without the tough times. We are trying to represent a ture where people want to display their roots and where they come from. Our m and first design is REP WHERE YOU STEP, that defines a lot of who and what we Radicated and Respected is a line based out in LA/Sacramento California. line is all about establishing oneself and then conquering at our desire. reach the top, you have to climb, and there will be struggles and obstacle overcome. Our line celebrates both the struggle and overcoming, because suc wouldn’t feel so good without the tough times. We are trying to represent a ture where people want to display their roots and where they come from. Our m and first design is REP WHERE YOU STEP, that defines a lot of who and what we Radicated and Respected is a line based out in LA/Sacramento California. line is all about establishing oneself and then conquering at our desire. reach the top, you have to climb, and there will be struggles and obstacle overcome. Our line celebrates both the struggle and overcoming, because suc wouldn’t feel so good without the tough times. We are trying to represent a ture where people want to display their roots and where they come from. Our m and first design is REP WHERE YOU STEP, that defines a lot of who and what we Radicated and Respected is a line based out in LA/Sacramento California. line is all about establishing oneself and then conquering at our desire. reach the top, you have to climb, and there will be struggles and obstacle overcome. Our line celebrates both the struggle and overcoming, because suc wouldn’t feel so good without the tough times. We are trying to represent a ture where people want to display their roots and where they come from. Our m and first design is REP WHERE YOU STEP, that defines a lot of who and what we Radicated and Respected is a line based out in LA/Sacramento California. line is all about establishing oneself and then conquering at our desire. reach the top, you have to climb, and there will be struggles and obstacle overcome. Our line celebrates both the struggle and overcoming, because suc wouldn’t feel so good without the tough times. We are trying to represent a ture where people want to display their roots and where they come from. Our m and first design is REP WHERE YOU STEP, that defines a lot of who and what we
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overcome. Our line celebrates both the struggle and overcoming, because success wouldn’t feel so good without the tough times. We are trying to represent a culture where people want to display their roots and where they come from. Our motto and first design is REP WHERE YOU STEP, that defines a lot of who and what we are. Radicated and Respected is a line based out in LA/Sacramento California. Our line is all about establishing oneself and then conquering at our desire. To reach the top, you have to climb, and there will be struggles and obstacles to overcome. Our line celebrates both the struggle and overcoming, because success wouldn’t feel so good without the tough times. We are trying to represent a culture where people want to display their roots and where they come from. Our motto and first design is REP WHERE YOU STEP, that defines a lot of who and what we are. Radicated and Respected is a line based out in LA/Sacramento California. Our line is all about establishing oneself and then conquering at our desire. To reach the top, you have to climb, and there will be struggles and obstacles to overcome. Our line celebrates both the struggle and overcoming, because success wouldn’t feel so good without the tough times. We are trying to represent a culture where people want to display their roots and where they come from. Our motto and first design is REP WHERE YOU STEP, that defines a lot of who and what we are. Radicated and Respected is a line based out in LA/Sacramento California. Our line is all about establishing oneself and then conquering at our desire. To reach the top, you have to climb, and there will be struggles and obstacles to overcome. Our line celebrates both the struggle and overcoming, because success wouldn’t feel so good without the tough times. We are trying to represent a culture where people want to display their roots and where they come from. Our motto and first design is REP WHERE YOU STEP, that defines a lot of who and what we are. Radicated and Respected is a line based out in LA/Sacramento California. Our line is all about establishing oneself and then conquering at our desire. To reach the top, you have to climb, and there will be struggles and obstacles to overcome. Our line celebrates both the struggle and overcoming, because success wouldn’t feel so good without the tough times. We are trying to represent a culture where people want to display their roots and where they come from. Our motto and first design is REP WHERE YOU STEP, that defines a lot of who and what we are. Radicated and Respected is a line based out in LA/Sacramento California. Our line is all about establishing oneself and then conquering at our desire. To reach the top, you have to climb, and there will be struggles and obstacles to overcome. Our line celebrates both the struggle and overcoming, because success wouldn’t feel so good without the tough times. We are trying to represent a culture where people want to display their roots and where they come from. Our motto and first design is REP WHERE YOU STEP, that defines a lot of who and what we are. Radicated and Respected is a line based out in LA/Sacramento California. Our line is all about establishing oneself and then conquering at our desire. To reach the top, you have to climb, and there will be struggles and obstacles to overcome. Our line celebrates both the struggle and overcoming, because success wouldn’t feel so good without the tough times. We are trying to represent a culture where people want to display their roots and where they come from. Our motto and first design is REP WHERE YOU STEP, that defines a lot of who and what we are. Radicated and Respected is a line based out in LA/Sacramento California. Our line is all about establishing oneself and then conquering at our desire. To reach the top, you have to climb, and there will be struggles and obstacles to overcome. Our line celebrates both the struggle and overcoming, because success wouldn’t feel so good without the tough times. We are trying to represent a culture where people want to display their roots and where they come from. Our motto and first design is REP WHERE YOU STEP, that defines a lot of who and what we are. Radicated and Respected is a line based out in LA/Sacramento California. Our line is all about establishing oneself and then conquering at our desire. To reach the top, you have to climb, and there will be struggles and obstacles to overcome. Our line celebrates both the struggle and overcoming, because success www.iAmRadicated.com wouldn’t feel so good without the tough times. We are trying to represent a culture where people want to display their roots and where they come from. Our motto and first design is REP WHERE YOU STEP, that defines a lot of who and what we are.
overcome. wouldn’t f ture where and first d Radicated line is a reach the overcome. wouldn’t f ture where and first d Radicated line is a reach the overcome. wouldn’t f ture where and first d Radicated line is a reach the overcome. wouldn’t f ture where and first d Radicated line is a reach the overcome. wouldn’t f ture where and first d Radicated line is a reach the overcome. wouldn’t f ture where and first d Radicated line is a reach the overcome. wouldn’t f ture where and first d Radicated line is a reach the overcome. wouldn’t f ture where and first d Radicated line is a reach the overcome. wouldn’t f ture where and first d
Tha Boogie
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B the
ounce rothers
To boogie is to be so blinded by the bump of the beat you can’t keep still. Call it the bounce, call it the groove. The rhythm, the swing, the pulse. The thump, the bass beats, the bang. Swag in motion. On beat or off it, two steps or a twelvestep line dance. To boogie is to be bold. And to be bold, is to be Tha Boogie.
Tha Boogie originally hail from Southern California’s Inland Empire (Rancho Cucamonga to be specific), a slept-on hub of talent and diversity that is overshadowed by it’s big brother city, Los Angeles, for obvious reasons. Tuko and James Jet have been making music separately since they were small children. Both had multiple musicians and performers in their families, so it’s safe to say performing is in their blood and their stage shows are a reflection of that. Whether performing on a festival stage like the UCLA Jazz Reggae Fest, a club venue like the House of Blues, or a private showcase audience, Tha Boogie get down on stage. If you haven’t had the pleasure of seeing a Boogie set, do yourself a favor and catch a show or YouTube a Boogie clip. They have a creative chemistry on stage fueled with passionate explosions of musical mayhem that lead to inspired performances. Tuko and James Jet’s roots range from gospel to hip hop (Tha Dogg Pound, Bone Thugz N Harmony) to the king of pop (“I always found myself buying the same Michael Jackson album [Bad],” says James Jet) to reggae and the island music of the Caribbean. Legendary labels and crews like Death Row Records, Timbaland and Missy Elliot’s Superfriends, and Puff Daddy’s Bad Boy movement helped to birth the idea of putting together a collection of like-minded and diverse artists who have been trimmed down to a duo. Tha Boogie have gone from performing at a comedy club on Sunset Boulevard in Hollywood to touring Europe with one of the group’s greatest supporters, the legendary Raphael Saadiq. A Myspace message to Raphael was all it took for Mr. Saadiq to become a fan of Tha Boogie and have them open for him on an east coast tour back in 2009. Their song “Keepsake” off the upcoming *GOODLUCKCHARLIEVETTUNO* EP has gotten spins on ESPN’s flagship program, “Sportscenter.” KCRW, a well known and respected indie station out of Santa Monica College, is also a supporter of Tha Boogie and have played multiple tracks. Their album came in at #24 on KCRW’s Top 50 Most Played Albums. They rocked multiple shows at this year’s annual SXSW industry showcase that takes place in Austin, Texas. They caught the attention of “Rolling Stone” magazine and were part of their contest calling for fans to vote on a new act to grace the cover, a shining example of the talent and potential Tha Boogie hold. Their first project, entitled Love Tha Boogie Vol. 1 (Steal This Shit), was a collection of electronic funk pop filled with dreamy, soulful love lyrics and melancholy heart91
ache. It feels like alternative rhythm and blues mixed with upbeat grooves that sound uniquely familiar yet are authentically original. They also had a song on Red Hot + Rio 2, a collaboration album put together to help fundraise for AIDS/HIV prevention and awareness that also featured John Legend, Beck, Aloe Blacc, Quadron, and Madlib. They’ve also recently opened for Bilal & Nikka Costa’s Los Angeles shows. What does the future hold for Tha Boogie? They are walking down their own path while blending and borrowing the musical influences of the greats. LA Raw was lucky to steal a bit of time from their full schedule to ask a couple of questions. LARAW: Growing up, what kind of music surrounded you? What was your family listening to? Tuko: I was introduced to music from my family. My older sister is a rapper and I would see her writing in her room, and once I gained a passion for music I followed in her footsteps with writing my own songs then ultimately fell into who I was and what I liked. I was introduced to hip hop in the same way. I grew up listening to a ton of west coast rap, Snoop Dogg, Tha Dogg Pound, Dr Dre, Ice Cube, 2pac...the list goes on and on. Besides hip hop, my mother’s side of the family is from Belize. So I grew up listening to lots of Caribbean and reggae music. James Jet: I grew up in church, so I was surrounded by gospel music. But my mom used to take me to this record store and let me choose any record I wanted. I always found myself buying the same Michael Jackson album. LARAW: Any musicians in your family? Any formal training as a kid? Tuko: All of my siblings rap, interestingly enough, and my sister was the first one who kind of followed through with it, but I was the odd ball who wanted to sing. I also have an uncle who is a reggae artist who has been doing music for years as well as my step mom who is an inspirational singer, hahaha a pretty interesting mash-up. When I told my parents that I wanted to do music, they put me in to classical voice and piano lessons, I still use those things. James Jet: I had an uncle that was an opera singer, he produced a couple of records. Another uncle that was in a rock band. My Mom was told to not put me into any music classes,
and let me learn on my own. LARAW: Have you ever had to sneak listening to music? If so which songs or artist? James Jet: Bone Thugz N Harmony..!!! It still gives me chills, making sure I could pop that tape out before my Grandma got back in the car hahaha!!! Tuko: I never had to sneak to listen to anything, but I do remember being a kid in elementary school and my older brother playing Snoop Dogg and Tha Dogg Pound while we were about to go to sleep almost every night.
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LARAW: How long have you been making music? Tuko: I started writing songs when I was 9 years old, and really haven’t stopped since then. James Jet: My mom bought my first drum set when I was 4, I remember beating on everything hahaha. LARAW: Who would you consider your inspirations/ heroes? James Jet: My mommy and daddy, they’re amazing human beings. They taught me how to love and survive. Also anyone that has made a difference in the world or in music.
Tuko: My family is my biggest inspiration, I have learned how to operate in life through them, and they have always been my biggest supporters. They definitely keep me going. LARAW: What’s the inspiration for the name of your group? Tuko: Well the name Tha Boogie is definitely a short form of Tha Boogie Down Movement, which was an idea I had to create a movement of artists. The idea was inspired by Missy & Timbaland along with the Superfriends, and then kind of naturally turned in to what you have before you. It was a play off of east, west & south. On the west coast they said, gangsters don’t dance they “boogie”; east coast, the movement that Diddy, Bad Boy, Mary J Blige and other acts were doing had a really “boogie” feel to it; and down south, Missy, Timbaland & Magoo
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“Up Jumps Tha Boogie. “Tha Boogie Down Movement name was just paying homage. Then later I discovered the KRS-One Boogie Down Productions similarities. I love KRS-One by the way. LARAW: How have you guys grown since your last project? What are your creative and group goals? What should we expect from the new project? James Jet: The new E.P. GOODLUCKCHARLIEVETTUNO is an open book, we’ve grown tremendously as individuals and artists. Ultimately I think we still have the same goal, and that is to be the biggest group in the world. LARAW: How do you feel about music on the radio? Are you looking for radio spins? TB: Music on the radio is fine. There is something for everybody. We are open to radio play, but we do not make our music for the radio. We just try to make good music. LARAW: You guys performed at SXSW this year. How did that come to be? James Jet: We are extremely lucky to have an amazing management team. They basically hooked that up for us. I’m actually from Austin, so it feels great to go back home and perform for family, friends and our boogers. hahaha. LARAW: You guys have had featured gigs with some dope artists. How do you decide who you hit the stage with? TB: We have truly been blessed with some awesome gigs thus far. It’s very common for us to be introduced to the artist at the show, it seems as if reputations kind of work their magic in regards to working with other acts on shows. Usually we know of them and they have heard of us in some way. LARAW: How were you guys introduced to Raphael Saadiq? How involved is he with you guys and your creative process? Tuko: We actually met Raphael Saadiq through Myspace, sent him a message and he actually responded with his phone number. Raphael lets us do what we feel, he has always been open about wanting us to stay true to who we are and not allowing this to change us as artist. LARAW: What is your creative process in the studio? Do you like to write to music? James Jet: We started off as a production team, so we are naturally more comfortable in the studio than on stage. Our songs usually start off with me making a track and sending it to Tuko, then he writes the song. We both come together for the final touches. As far as the must-haves in the studio, we are not too picky. All we need is good vibes. LARAW: Where was your first performance? How did it go? TB: Our first performance was at a small comedy club on Sunset Blvd. We were on stage, going crazy, but knowing who we were and also knowing what we wanted to do. LARAW: Do you have any other projects you are working on? TB: The EP *GOODLUCKCHARLIEVETTUNO*, which is completed. Doing an album release and a Boogie Mockumentary in the works. -Jason Thomas
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I am often asked why I don’t like anything. Here’s a big secret: I like a lot of things. I’d even go as far as to say I like more things than the average person, but I have a larger base of reference than most people and I don’t much care what the groupthink of the day suggests. I have few friends and I never go out so I don’t have fun times attached to whatever Pop drivel Clear Channel is forcing into our heads. I don’t have fun memories of partying the night away to Chris Brown songs. It’s never my birthday, I don’t get high if I want to (but then, I never want to), I don’t pop bottles in the club etc. Anyway, I don’t want to turn this into yet another segment about how empty my life is, but I mention it because it goes a long way toward the causal relationship between my boring, isolated life and the reason I’m so “picky” about things. Art has to mean something to me, because it’s all I have. This mandate for meaning is a tall order because this generation leans towards being hollow and vapid; nay, it strives toward it, because things are most consumable when reduced to a lowest common denominator. More consumers equals more profit and what remains of the record-buying public is being appealed to in a very base manner; we’re being conditioned to be essentially cattle with credit cards. In a way, I wonder if piracy has contributed to this. On the one hand, I want to think that the record labels being deprived of their 99% share of each record sold has paved the way for more people to adopt a DIY ethic (See also: Punk Rock; 1970s) and put things out there that reject convention or actually say something because the fear of failure has been minimized by the certainty of lowered profit potential anyway. Instead, I worry piracy has just made the big players concoct the crudest tripe they
can conceive of because we’re conditioned to be stupider and simpler with each passing day, with every commercial break and with each Nicki Minaj song. The only opposition to this is from people who believe that everything doesn’t have to be so deep. Apparently my over-thinking things stresses other people out. I’m the reminder that they’re living an unexamined life and they reject me for that reason. That’s fine with me; I’ll be the first person to tell you to write me off. Discount me, reject anyone who still cares about Art. Be a consumer. Continue to attempt to sell out in an era in which no one is buying, and no one cares. Be the next “guy behind the guy.” Be human ephemera. Talk a lot but say nothing. I’ll continue to fill my life with things that speak to me, that matter to me, that move and inspire me. I’ll read into everything and I’ll listen to the things people say to me because they matter to me and they made the effort to communicate to me. I’ll analyze the films I watch because I want to know what the creators were saying to their audience, and I’ll reject popcorn fodder because it has no use beyond being an indicator for how shallow and incapable/scared of independent thought our culture is. It takes effort to be profound sometimes, and people are lazy. I read an interview with Ne-Yo in which he said that what he learned by observing Jay-Z’s song-writing “process” is that it shouldn’t take more than 15 minutes to make a hit. Sadly, he was right. That’s Consumerism in a nutshell; “Hi, buy, goodbye.” Give me your money and fuck off. Personally, I want more than that. Why don’t you?