RAW, UNCENSORED WEST COAST RAP SHIT
BIG RICH MESSY MARV
NEW MONEY TWINZ
editor’s note I’m Just Sayin’tho by D-Ray
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ip Hop is not dead! I’ve seen three incredible shows lately that prove Hip Hop is alive. First, I saw my first Paid Dues concert, which was their fifth annual. Good work, Murs! I love me some underground Hip Hop, I just don’t always make it a point to cover those events. When I do go, it’s mostly to enjoy myself and the surroundings. This time I went and did what I do!
I had just seen Tech N9ne in Petaluma a few days before and he encouraged me to go to the Paid Dues show. So I headed to L.A. and linked up with my fam Strong Arm Steady and Planet Asia. It turned out to be a long day, but I was having fun so it flew by. It was more like a festival than a concert. There were indoor and outdoor stages and people everywhere. I got to see some of my all-time favorite artists, Tech N9ne, Strange Music, Freeway, The Jacka, Strong Arm Steady, and The Dogg Pound, and shutting the show down was a vet in the game, Ice Cube. There was so much excitement and energy in the building! Ice Cube addressed the OGs and the New West rumors. It’s very ugly when rumors get started. I think the uneasy feelings just got a little out of control. To me, Ice Cube lives and dies for West Coast music. All the West Coast beef needs to stop. Everyone needs to just do them, period, not add to the problems. If we all just do our jobs and not get upset over what other people are doing, we’ll all be so much better off! Let your music speak for itself. Quit interrupting! Help yourself, real talk. Don’t sit around talking about what other people aren’t doing for you. You might be blocking your blessings. I see music vets pick certain artists. Sometimes you just don’t make the cut, but keep pushin’ and don’t stop. Real music and real artists cannot be denied. It’s a show and prove game. Take a gamble on yourself before you think someone else should! I also hit the Steppin’ Laser Tour when it came to the Bay at the world famous Warfield Theatre. That was another first for me. I had never seen Lupe Fiasco’s show. He was scheduled to perform “Kick Push” back in 2006 at an independent record store called Moses Music in East Oakland. He was having a block party, and hundreds of people attended the BBQ. They were giving away free food and drinks and a chance to see Lupe perform. But, before that could happen, a young Latino boy was shot and killed right outside the store. It messed me up because the streets were packed and everyone had been enjoying the festivities. I always wondered how Lupe felt about that day, which was his first time in Oakland. He expressed his feelings from that day at the Steppin’ Laser Tour and held a moment of silence for the unknown soldier whose life was taken that day. He mentioned how emotional he was not being able to perform and do what he loves to do. I hope if Lupe ever decides to visit East Oakland again, he’ll come see our East Oakland safehaven, Youth UpRising. It’s a beautiful youth center, and they just installed a
Travis Barker & Me @ Vanguard for Snoop Dogg’s release party in Hollywood
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Trell & Me in L.A.
skate park. If you ever come and see the kids, it would make a huge difference in at least one of their lives. B.o.B., otherwise known as Bobby Ray, was also on the bill for the show at the Warfield. I’ve been a fan of B.o.B. since 2007. He’s a dope young’n and an all-around artist. Big ups to you and your success. The #1 single and #1 album in the country. Wow! Research his Billboard stats. You showed us how teamwork can create dreamwork! Keep living your dreams! Speaking of dreams, yet another great act hit the Bay Area. Drake performed in the Bay for the first time. Man, as I’m writing this, I just realized I got to see some good shows while I was home! I love the BAY AREA and the West Coast! Now I’m gonna rant about Drizzy real quick. I’ve known about Drake for a minute. I met him a few years back on Lil Wayne’s tour bus. Wayne says, “D, take a photo of my next superstar!” I said, “Who?” the whole YM camp was on the bus along with Jas Prince, and everyone pointed at Drake. I can spot a star pretty well, so you know I didn’t hesitate. I remember taking that first photo of him. Now look – he’s one of today’s biggest superstars! I watched him grow! I saw him on tour with Wayne and even when he sang Bobby Valentino’s part on “Miss Officer” the arena was roaring. Females were just head over heels losing their minds for him. Now, the timing is great for Drake. He’s one of the YM artists that has to lead the way while Wayne is locked up. One love Drizzy! Young Money is a machine, not a rap label. They’re an example of what it takes: patience and work ethic. They all pay attention to how Wayne stays in the studio, his work ethic, and the way he constantly strives to keep his success going. None of the artists on the YM roster wants the rep of being lazy when you have someone like Wayne just making money at all times! He doesn’t sleep, he stays grindin’! And he keeps his family close! The mind is powerful as long as you know how to use mind over matter. Mack Maine, I see you baybeeee! Keep up the good work! CMB/YM a.k.a. Oil Money! Slim and Baby deserve a lifetime achievement award, ya heard me? If y’all are looking for that new fresh talent out of the West Coast, check out Nio Tha Gift. Google his videos! My favorite is “Grateful.” Don’t sleep on him! #Loyalty #FreeWeezy #FreePSDthaDrivah #FreeZoastaDaRoasta I’m gonna do me! (in my Drake voice) - D-Ray, OZONE West Editor-At-Large dray@ozonemag.com
Viva Las Vegas!
Guest, Me, & Vernon Davis @ Where Hip Hop Meets Couture in San Francisco
(above L-R): The Jacka & Freeway @ 17 Hertz Studios in Hayward, CA; Dem Hoodstarz & David Banner on the set of “Laughin’” in San Jose, CA; New Boyz & their little brothers @ Power 106’s Cali Christmas in Los Angeles, CA (Photos: D-Ray)
01 // Terrace Martin, Mac Lucci, & Damani @ Vanguard for Snoop Dogg’s release party (Hollywood, CA) 02 // DJ Amen, Willie Joe, Erk tha Jerk, & Mohawk Marlon @ Club NV for Steezy’s birthday bash (San Francisco, CA) 03 // Chuck and T Woods (R.I.P.) @ Heights Nightclub (San Francisco, CA) 04 // Traxamillion & Erk Tha Jerk @ Toons Nightclub for Tito Bell’s birthday party (San Jose, CA) 05 // Kafani & Roccett @ Rum Jungle for The CORE DJs Retreat (Las Vegas, NV) 06 // Roccett & Ya Boy @ The CORE DJs Retreat (Las Vegas, NV) 07 // Paul Wall & Ladies @ Magic Convention (Las Vegas, NV) 08 // Nelly approving some panties from the new Apple Bottoms collection @ Magic Convention (Las Vegas, NV) 09 // Jak Frost & Baydilla @ Gold Rush (Fairbanks, AK) 10 // Steezy & Erk tha Jerk @ Club NV for Steezy’s birthday bash (San Francisco, CA) 11 // Kurupt, Slim The Mobster, Nipsey Hussle, & guest @ the premiere of Snoop Dogg’s Malice in Wonderland (Los Angeles, CA) 12 // Richie Abbott & Octavia @ Vanguard Club for Snoop Dogg’s release party (Hollywood, CA) 13 // Even Odds & Big Rich @ Suede Nightclub (San Francisco, CA) 14 // Mars, Bad Lucc, & Brodie of 1500 or Nothin (Los Angeles, CA) 15 // Goldie of The Federaton & Paul Wall @ Magic Convention (Las Vegas, NV) 16 // Hyfee & Chop Black @ Yukmouth’s birthday mansion party (Los Angeles, CA) 17 // Bobby V & ladies @ Spring Break afterparty (San Diego, CA) 18 // YG & K-Boy @ Tatou (Los Angeles, CA) 19 // B Legit & Steezy @ Club NV for Steezy’s birthday bash (San Francisco, CA) Photo Credits: D-Ray (01,02,03,04,06,10,11,12,13,14,16,17,18,19); Julia Beverly (05,07,08,09,15)
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Patiently Waiting
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or the last four years, this West Coast rhymer has been a staple in the Bay Area rap scene. “I just feel like it’s time for me to expand,” he explains. “We’ve done everything we can in the Bay Area so far. I feel like we’ve reached that top level where there’s nothing else to do but expand.” Raised in the Fillmore District of San Francisco, CA, a neighborhood notorious for crime and drug trafficking, Big Rich began pursuing a rap career in 1998 when his rap group Fully Loaded signed an independent deal with Done Deal Entertainment. Done Deal was a label launched by Charles Kelly and established San Francisco rapper San Quinn. Fully Loaded released two independent albums on Done Deal, but in 2005, the group split. After the split, Rich teamed up with Kelly to
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pursue his solo aspirations. The duo started Street Cred Music Group, landed a joint venture with Koch Records, and in 2006 Rich released his solo debut album, Block Tested Hood Approved. His solo debut featured the single “That’s The Business,” which picked up video play on BET and MTV Jams. The buzz surrounding his debut, followed by numerous mixtapes and collaborations, made Big Rich of the biggest names in the Bay. “When you come out to San Francisco and somebody asks who’s Big Rich, they’re [going to say], ‘Aw, man, he’s holding the city down.’ In the Bay Area, I’m involved in everything that’s going on out here. Ever show, every tour that’s going on, I’m in it,” he says. After parting ways with Koch, Rich launched his own label 3 Story Muzik in 2009 and released his sophomore album, Heart of The City. He also teamed up with Oakland rapper Balance
for a collaborative iTunes album called Good As Money. But even with a slew of music and releases, Big Rich still finds himself a relative unknown to Hip Hop heads outside of the Bay. And while West Coast artists like Nipsey Hussle and Jay Rock are being crowned Cali’s new kings, Rich is confident his day will come. “I’m absolutely still the underdog. I’m definitely still overlooked,” he says. “That’s why it’s perfect that I’m in this Patiently Waiting. Out of all the artists that represent this section of [OZONE] Magazine, I’m definitely a prime example of an artist that’s patiently waiting. I’ve been waiting for my turn for a while. But it’s kinda good, though. I don’t want no overnight successes, cause that shit can go [away] the next night. When I get there, I’m gonna be there for awhile.” Words by Randy Roper Photo by Thoroflix
(above L-R): Freeway Ricky Ross & Ray J @ Vanguard for Snoop Dogg’s release party in Hollywood, CA (Photo: D-Ray); Nelly & City Spud @ Magic Convention in Las Vegas, NV (Photo: Julia Beverly); Te Money & Akon on the set of Akon’s video shoot in Los Angeles, CA (Photo: D-Ray)
01 // Miz & Lil D @ The Stratosphere for The CORE DJs Retreat (Las Vegas, NV) 02 // Lil Playboii, JBar, Khleo, Soulja Boy, & M2 @ Spring Break afterparty (San Diego, CA) 03 // Second to None, DJ Quik, & Freeway Ricky Ross @ Vanguard for Snoop Dogg’s release party (Hollywood, CA) 04 // Haji Springer & his parents on the set of his “Feel It” video shoot (Oakland, CA) 05 // Ray J & Capricorn Clark @ The Stratosphere for The CORE DJs Retreat (Las Vegas, NV) 06 // Boss Lady & Snoop Dogg @ Vanguard Club for Snoop Dogg’s release party (Hollywood, CA) 07 // OZONE photographers J Lash & D-Ray show off their matching camera chains @ Dolce for Lil Wayne’s going away party (Miami, FL) 08 // Akon & Ya Boy on the set of Akon’s video shoot (Los Angeles, CA) 09 // J Diggs & Keak da Sneak @ The CORE DJs Retreat (Las Vegas, NV) 10 // Keyshia Cole loves the kids @ Acts Gospel Church for her Christmas turkey giveaway (East Oakland, CA) 11 // DJ Wildhairr & guest @ The Palms for The CORE DJs Jam Master Jay DVD premiere (Las Vegas, NV) 12 // The Jacka, Freeway, Sam & Traxamillion @ 17 Hertz Studios (Hayward, CA) 13 // D-Lo & Rob G @ Tatou for Rob G’s C-Day party (Los Angeles, CA) 14 // DJ Impact, DJ Rip, Tony Neal, & Bigg DM @ The Stratosphere for The CORE DJs Retreat (Las Vegas, NV) 15 // Ya Boy & Te Money on the set of Akon’s video shoot (Los Angeles, CA) 16 // DJ Franzen, Big Von, & Chuck @ Party Heights Nightclub for Street Cred’s Christmas party (San Francisco, CA) 17 // Roccett & DJ Franzen @ The CORE DJs Retreat (Las Vegas, NV) 18 // B5 & Devyne Stephens on the set of Akon’s video shoot (Los Angeles, CA) 19 // Aleshia Steele & DJ Finesse @ The Stratosphere for The CORE DJs Retreat (Las Vegas, NV) 20 // TV Johnny & Ben Baller @ Magic Convention (Las Vegas, NV) Photo Credits: D-Ray (02,03,04,06,08,09,10,12,13,15,16,17,18); Julia Beverly (01,05,07,11,14,19,20)
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(above L-R): Mariah Carey & Ciara @ Club Haze in Las Vegas, NV; Keyshia Cole & her adoptive mother Dr Yvonne Cole @ Acts Gospel Church for her Christmas turkey giveaway in East Oakland, CA; Shorty Mack & Dre Sinatra @ Tatou Nightclub in Los Angeles, CA (Photos: D-Ray)
01 // Yukmouth & DJ Quest @ Yukmouth’s birthday mansion party (Los Angeles, CA) 02 // Husalah, D-Ray, & Rydah J Klyde @ The Catalyst (Santa Cruz, CA) 03 // Soopa Fly & Damani @ Vanguard Club for Snoop Dogg’s release party (Hollywood, CA) 04 // Mari, Cecilia Mamacita, & Devi Dev @ The Stratosphere for The CORE DJs Retreat (Las Vegas, NV) 05 // NVUS Twins & Yukmouth @ Party Heights Nightclub for Street Cred’s Christmas party (San Francisco, CA) 06 // Roccett & Problem @ Tatou for Rob G’s C-Day party (Los Angeles, CA) 07 // J-Boogs, Kenneth Crear, Ciara, & Johnny Wright @ Club Haze (Las Vegas, NV) 08 // Kurupt & Roscoe @ Vanguard Club for Snoop Dogg’s release party (Hollywood, CA) 09 // Mack 10 & Jay Rock @ My House (Los Angeles, CA) 10 // Tattoo & Liz @ Power 106’s Cali Christmas (Los Angeles, CA) 11 // Willie of Y&W Limo picking up Dorrough (Anchorage, AK) 12 // D-Ray, Chris Brown, & Devi Dev (Los Angeles, CA) 13 // DJ Juice & his brother @ The Stratosphere for The CORE DJs Retreat (Las Vegas, NV) 14 // Tito Bell & family @ Toons Nightclub for Tito Bell’s birthday party (San Jose, CA) 15 // Baydilla, All Day, Scoe, & P-Nut @ Gold Rush (Fairbanks, AK) 16 // Dredlocks & TV Johnny @ Magic Convention (Las Vegas, NV) 17 // Paul Wall & Gary Archer @ Street Symphony Studios (Fremont, CA) 18 // Tony Neal & Big Yu @ The Stratosphere for The CORE DJs Retreat (Las Vegas, NV) 19 // Geter K & Gucci Poochie @ Club NV for Steezy’s birthday bash (San Francisco, CA) Photo Credits: D-Ray (01,02,03,05,06,07,08,09,10,12,14,17,19); Julia Beverly (04,11,13,15,16,18,)
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(above L-R): 50 Cent & DJ Felli Fel @ Power 106’s Cali Christmas in Los Angeles, CA; Snoop Dogg & Nipsey Hussle on the set of Snoop Dogg’s “Malice in Wonderland” video shoot in Los Angeles, CA; Bad Lucc & Problem on the set of Snoop Dogg’s “Malice in Wonderland” video shoot in Los Angeles, CA (Photos: D-Ray)
01 // Murs, ladies, & Bad Lucc on the set of Snoop Dogg’s “Malice in Wonderland” video shoot (Los Angeles, CA) 02 // Ray J & ladies @ Power 106’s Cali Christmas (Los Angeles, CA) 03 // DJ Paul of Three 6 Mafia & DJ D-Wrek @ Vanguard for Snoop Dogg’s release party (Hollywood, CA) 04 // Maki, FedX, & Freeway @ 17 Hertz Studios (Hayward, CA) 05 // Paul Wall & Cat @ Magic Convention (Las Vegas, NV) 06 // Freeway Ricky Ross & Snoop Dogg @ Vanguard for Snoop Dogg’s release party (Hollywood, CA) 07 // Starbuks & Slim Thug @ Gold Rush (Fairbanks, AK) 08 // Tyga & Jay Sean @ Power 106’s Cali Christmas (Los Angeles, CA) 09 // Amon & Jerome @ Elements Lounge (San Francisco, CA) 10 // Terrace Martin & K-Active @ Club 720 (Los Angeles, CA) 11 // Young Doe & DJ KTone @ The CORE DJs Retreat (Las Vegas, NV) 12 // Dem HoodStarz, guest, DJ Daisy Dukes, Kafani, & DJ Slowpoke on the set of “Laughin’” (San Jose, CA) 13 // Hustle Boys & Bad Lucc on the set of Snoop Dogg’s “Malice in Wonderland” video shoot (Los Angeles, CA) 14 // Kurupt, DJ Quik, Problem, Terrace Martin, 211, & JDub @ the premiere of Snoop Dogg’s Malice in Wonderland (Los Angeles, CA) 15 // Warren G & Snoop Dogg on the set of Snoop Dogg’s “Malice in Wonderland” video shoot (Los Angeles, CA) 16 // Clyde Carson & Problem @ Vanguard for Snoop Dogg’s release party (Hollywood, CA) 17 // Shawn Prez, Diddy, DJ Demp, Tony Neal, & DJ Impact @ The Stratosphere for The CORE DJs Retreat (Las Vegas, NV) Photo Credits: D-Ray (01,02,03,04,06,08,09,10,11,12,13,14,15,16); Julia Beverly (05,07,17)
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NEW MONEY TWINZ Words by Julia Beverly Photo by Ty Watkins
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Where are you guys from? We’re the R&B brothers, Ryan and Bryan. We are the New Money Twinz. We represent the Southeast side of Maryland; right out of Washington, D.C. We’re in Hollywood now, Beverly Hills. Have you always been into music since an early age? Music has always been in our blood. We’ve always been into entertaining, not just singing, rapping, and dancing. At an early age, during the Michael Jackson and New Edition days, we were out there doing our thing and wanting it bad. We wanted to get all the girls. Music has always been our drive. We are R&B; we were born R&B. Did your folks name you that on purpose or did it just work out like that? Our mom and dad are named Regina and Brian, so that’s where it started. R&B; we’re all reppin’ those initials. Shout out to [Baby and Slim from Cash Money], Ronald and Brian Williams, they represent the R&B too. They were here before us and I want to send them credit because they represent the R&B too. R&B is our life so anybody else we recognize with that R&B logo, we definitely pay homage and give respect to, so shout out to Baby and Ron, man. Is your focus more on singing or rapping? It’s back and forth. We both sing and rap. It’s an R&B thing; we rap and we sing. When it goes down we both harmonize whatever comes out. We flow and we sing. Where did you come up with the name New Money Twinz and what does it represent? “New Money” just means fresh, new, unique. Every year is a new year, man. Every new year it’s a new spot. We’re always new, and that’s what New Money is about. Aside from the music, what other ventures are you working on? We own like ten [company] names, man. New Money Studios, we’ve got retailers, broadcasting, we’ve got a lot of other entities. New Money Records is the primary company. That’s what we started with, so that’s like the major thing in our circle. We’ve got the New Money Hilton. We’re dibbling and dabbling in hotels. We linked up with the Hilton family and created the New Money Hilton; we’re pitching that merging idea to the Hiltons. Since we’re right around the corner from the Hilton, we’ve got the first ever New Money Hilton. We own that. Hopefully in 2010 you’re gonna be seeing a lot of launching of our different brands. So the New Money Hilton is an actual hotel or something that you’re working on developing? It’s an actual hotel that’s in the works. All the entertainers need a hotel where they can just go do their thing. We’re really doing it for the entertainers and to get into a whole different bracket and business. The hotel is a good business, and at the same time people need a place to stay. Is your music more female-oriented or street focused? How would you describe it? Ryan & Bryan, we’re strictly clitly over here. We love the ladies. We focus on everybody but we love the ladies 100%. We do this for the old people, the kids, all of our people. We’ve got a song or concept for everything. Right now we’re focused on putting music out there on a more global level and trying to reach everybody. It’s always thugged out. We keep it gangsta but at the same time we’re promoting nothing but love.
What single do you have out right now? We’ve got like five hot singles out right now. But the leading single is called “Listen Up Joe.” It’s on iTunes and we’re getting a lot of great reviews and great feedback. This year we’re going to keep pushing “Listen Up Joe” and our single called “Do What Your Body Say” featuring Fabo. The video has gotten over a quarter million views on YouTube just in the past two months. We’re getting feedback from people in Hungary, Venezuela, and Asia, so it’s not just people in L.A. or Atlanta. We’re getting real feedback from the overseas market. How are you different from some of the other R&B artists that are out now? We’re the hottest twins that you’ve seen thus far. It’s time to see something different. We represent this twin life and we plan to be the spokespeople for twins all around the world. We deserve a year and 2010 is the one we’re claiming. We got a chance to tour with Jodeci and the group Intro; that was our background coming up. We toured with them for over three years, so we were able to meet Missy, Timbaland, Aaliyah, Ginuwine, and saw them all move on to the next level. We were younger than them at the time, but we were all in the same camp. So now we’re at a point where we’ve reached the boss years. We’ve watched everybody else succeed and come up and now it’s time for our concept and what we’re bringing to the table. We’re twins being twin dependent, not independent but twin dependent. We’ve got so much to bring to the table because we really live in a twin world. We’ve had twin parties and been in situations where you have nothing but twins and triplets. If you’ve never had a threesome before, imagine being in the midst of twins. That’s some heated shit. We live a life that not everybody would understand. Don’t be jealous of it; fuck that shit. I heard somebody say we were a double threat. Come on, man. Twin threesomes? So are y’all looking for some twin ladies to hook up with, or how does that work when it comes to females? Do you fight over women? I think there’s something about twins getting together that’d be so beautiful, almost spiritual. It’s never happened with us. We’ve met a lot of beautiful twins in our life, but for some reason it doesn’t go through. We always wished there was two of you, though. (laughs) How can people find your newest project on iTunes? Search itunes.com for New Money Twinz, with a “z,” and we’ll come up, it’s that simple. Are you pursuing a major record deal or just planning to put it out strictly independently? Dude, I think we’re going to do 100 million our fucking selves. Who said you can’t be famous and unsigned? Who said that? We’ve been on 106th & Park performing our own song. If you go to our Myspace page you’ll see us on stage with Free and AJ and with Julissa and Tigger. We’ve been doing this independently, so we’re already major. What is “major,” anyway? We own the business. We own our accounts. We own the company. What do we need besides distribution? We have that on iTunes. We’re gonna sit back and see how this year ends, and then feed off of that. We’ve got a couple shows lined up, and we’re doing a lot of internet marketing. Is there anything else you want to plug? Check us out on www.newmoneyrecords.com, myspace.com/newmoneyrecords, facebook.com/newmoneytwinz, twitter.com/newmoneytwinz. We’ve got a social network called www.newmoneytwinz.ning.com. Log in and get with us. 2010 is the year of the Twinz. //
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MESSY MARV Words by Julia Beverly
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Everybody knows you’re a West Coast dude, but you’ve been moving around a lot lately. Did you just need a change of scenery? As a whole, [artists] in the Bay Area are just content with where we are. That’s just my opinion. I fuck with a lot of different people around the world, and I’m out networking and trying to build my brand. Do you think living in different places affects your style of music? I don’t feel like I have a particular sound. You’re gonna hear a little South, a little Midwest, a little East, and you’re definitely going to hear the West cause that’s where I’m from. That’s the problem, man, everybody’s caught up in how you’re “supposed” to sound. I ain’t caught up in none of that shit, man. I’m me. I ain’t got nothing to prove. Every time I drop, I sell a substantial amount of units, so I’m good. How do you think you’re able to maintain that kind of fanbase without a major label behind you and without having that mainstream look? Because I’m out here networking. I built my worth. Are you going to get out and start doing more shows now? You don’t give the people too many opportunities to see you. And you’re in high demand because of that fact. I’m planning my 30-city tour right now. But before I do that, I’m building my online presence. I’m doing a radio show. I’m on Twitter, Facebook, and Myspace. I’m going to get out here and give the people what they’ve been waiting for. What’s going on with you and San Quinn? The beef was pretty ugly at one point but you recently mentioned on Twitter that you guys had squashed it. How were you able to get to that point? People have different opinions on everything. Quinn had an opinion on how he felt I should’ve handled some things, and I had my opinion on how I felt he should’ve handled some things. It escalated when the media and the people grabbed ahold of it. You know how that shit goes. But mutual friends of ours have been trying to squash it since day one. Me and Quinn ain’t even talked yet. Things take time. Whenever he comes around, or whenever I come around, we can sit down and talk. But for now we’re just going through our mutual friend from the turf and just putting it all behind us. But really, it wasn’t no beef - it was just two opinions being stated and just how two men felt at the particular time. Is there anything else that needs to be hashed out or are you just ready to move forward and forget the whole situation? I would like to do that, to just move forward and forget about the situation, but things take time. Wounds take time to heal, especially ones like these. So whenever we decide to come around and sit down, we will. Why did you feel like it was important to squash it? The beef didn’t affect me when it came to record sales or nothing like that. I do remarkable numbers independently anyway. It was just getting out of hand, and Quinn felt the same way. When shit like this happens, innocent people can get fucked up. So we’re coming together to let these kids know, and let the people know, we’re bigger than rap music. We’re gonna put our differences to the side and move forward like men. That doesn’t mean me and San Quinn are gonna hang out every day. You might not catch me at McDonald’s sitting down with the nigga eating no cheeseburger or nothing. But we’re definitely gonna put our differences to the side and squash this shit like men do and move forward with what you’re doing. Is it your ultimate goal to be on a major label with your video all over TV and your songs all over the radio? Or are you more comfortable being in theunderground position you’re in, still selling independent units? I’m a street nigga, so the hustle is in me. Independently, I feel like this is what I’ve got to do because this is what I know. Of course I wanna take it to another level as far as media, publications, and sales. But I’m not gonna just make commercial music and chase million-dollar dreams. I’ve had paperwork in my face for two million, three million. I turned those deals down just based on what they want to take from me and what I’ve built. What did they want to take from you? Publishing? Publishing. How many albums they want, what I’m limited to do, just [giving up] the freedom I have as an independent. They wanted to take that all away from me for that little amount of money. That few million is a little amount of money. I can make that in a year. Last year I released 100 songs. I don’t remember how many albums - five, I think. [I sold] over 50,000 at $6/ unit, so that deal didn’t look like shit to me. I definitely would like to further my career but I’m not gonna make commercial music tryin’ to chase this muthafuckin’ dream that might not even turn into reality. I’m gon’ keep this shit solid. I keep the people feeling like I’m one of them, because I am. That’s why I’ve been so successful. I’m one of the people they recognize and
they’re like, “I’m just like that nigga.” That’s why my core fanbase won’t let me die. I ain’t did a show in three years, but I’m able to maintain my sales and my presence through the internet, the publications, and the media. That’s just a blessing. The fans won’t let me die. What project are you working on now? I just dropped Highly Aggressive Volume 2 yesterday. I’ve got a documentary and a soundtrack coming out called Gigantic, which is the untold Messy Marv story behind the rapper, the entertainer, the father, the gangster. There’s a lot of educational Bay Area history in there too. I shot and directed my reality show Mr. Ghetto Celebrity. I’ve got my clothing line coming soon. Right now I’m working on a new LP called The Cooking Channel. I’m working every day. You also seem to change your phone number every other day. It doesn’t seem like that’d be good for business. I got a 1-800 number that I keep steady for business. That’s on 24 hours so I don’t ever miss the networking and business call. But when you’re dealing with a personal line, you’ve got to keep the line clean and avoid the bullshit. Somebody’s negative energy can suck up all the positive energy out of you. I’ve got muthafuckers calling asking for Sprint bill money and telling me their bitch done ran off. I don’t wanna hear none of that shit, man. My business associates and my homies keep my line. But everybody else, once they wanna suck the positive energy out of a nigga with that bullshit, I change my number. When you go out on tour, who else from the Bay do you plan on performing with? What’s your take on the current Bay Area movement? I feel like everybody’s representing. Everybody’s got a part they play, whether it’s the old Bay or the new Bay. I just feel like we’re at a standstill because everybody feels like they can’t leave the Bay Area. So everybody ends up with the same production and the same graphic designer doing their cover. That means everybody looks and sounds the same. Then you get everybody putting each other on the album, so you’ve got the same features. Everybody’s fuckin’ with the same jeweler. Niggas are buying the same outfits from the same clothing store. Nobody knows who is who. It’s 400 muthafuckin’ rappers and they all look and sound the same. Do you think it’s lack of ambition or just being too comfortable? I guess everybody’s comfortable with it, and I ain’t knockin’ it. But I’ma tell the world a different story as far as the Bay Area. But I ain’t mad. Everybody’s playing a part. Everybody’s representing, and that’s what it is. Have you officially changed your name to The Boy Boy Mess or is that basically just an alias of Messy Marv? I officially changed my name to The Boy Boy Young Mess ‘cause I officially changed as a person, as a whole. I’m always gon’ be Messy Marv, but it’s the new Mess. It’s the Mess that got up out of that jail. It’s the Mess that moved out of those conditions. It’s the Mess that outgrew a lot of people in a lot of situations. It’s the Mess that couldn’t get rich in the Bay Area and had to move up out of that muthafucker to get his pennies. The new Mess. You’ve been pretty open in the past about your struggles with drug abuse. Have you moved past that? Yeah, I’ve been clean for two years now, no drugs. I didn’t go to rehab. Rehab is for weak people. I did mine based on discipline. I smoked the fuck out of some weed, though, and had a drink or two, but as far as the party drugs, I don’t fuck around. What prompted you to decide to quit? Just transitioning into The Boy Boy Young Mess and this new person. That came along with the transition. In retrospect, do you feel like your drug use was affecting your career? I mean, people have opinions. They say, “Aw don’t deal with him, he fuck with dope,” or they’re scared to fuck with me. I hate them putting out there like that, but it never affected my career. It affected me, just because I was indulging. But I had one of the biggest singles in the Bay Area, “Playing With My Nose,” just talking about addiction and having fun with it and letting everyone know that I’m not ashamed of being who I am. It was big. Snoop Dogg even quoted me on the new album from that song, so I know it reached a lot of people. I wasn’t trying to promote drugs, I was just having fun with my addiction. But that shit is behind me. I’ve been clean, I’m doing great, and I’m healthy. I’ve got my son full-time now, so I can’t fuck around. Is there anything else you wanted to add? Yeah, check me out at Twitter.com/TheBoyBoyMess, Facebook.com/TheBoyBoyMess, Myspace.com/MessyMarvOnline, and for any merchandise log onto ScalenLLC.com. // OZONE MAG // 15
Stunnaman Legendary The Pack member Stunnaman has now released a solo project with a lot of quality songs. The Pack’s “Vans” days were nearly four years ago, and you can hear Stunnaman’s growth as an artist on several songs including “The Rain,” “Superman” and “Never Find Love.” His music isn’t legendary or ground-breaking, but at the same time, this street album shouldn’t be overlooked. - Randy Roper Juice, DJ Ill Will & DJ Rockstar American Me With 15 tracks boasting a solid flow and original production, Juice drops a lot of heat on American Me. “Crush My Cool” with Bun B, the nothing-to-something tale on “True Story,” and his letter to Biggie, “Time To Get Paid,” are undeniable bangers. There’s only one throwaway track (“Focused”). American Me won’t lead listeners to believe Juice is the “new face of America,” but this mixtape is good enough to cosign him as one of the better new faces out of the West. - Randy Roper Ya Boy The Fix 2 On this mixtape, Konvict’s newest artist Ya Boy teams with 5 DJs—Digital Product, Woogie, Rockstar & Folk—to present the follow-up to his 2007 release The Fix. But unlike this mixtape’s predecessor, nothing really blows you away on The Fix 2. Aside from “So High,” which features E-40 and Beeda Weeda, and “Real One” with Yukmouth, this mixtape features freestyles and verses over beats listeners have heard 1,000 times by now (Snoop’s “I Wanna Rock,” Luda’s “How Long”). Ya Boy does get in good verses here and there, but overall, TF2 does little to justify Akon signing YB to Konvict. - Randy Roper
Swag & DJ Reese The Recession Is Over The first mistake Seattle rapper Swag makes on this mixtape is making it 31 tracks long. Some of his music isn’t bad (emphasis on some), but listening to 31 songs of Swag sounding like a poor man’s Jim Jones, which isn’t a compliment to his rhymes skills, is far from enjoyable. Quite simply, so-so rapping, plus so-so beats, equals one so-so mixtape. It’s good to know the recession is over for Swag, but from the sound of this, it’s hard to believe he’s getting any rap money. - Randy Roper Davinci The Day the Turf Stood Still With everybody waiting for Los Angeles to come back and represent the “New West,” listeners are missing out on the fresh voices the Bay Area (post-Hyphy) has to offer. One of these is San Fran representer DaVinci. The epitome of what it means to be a “street” rapper, DaVinci offers stark and realistic commentary on his surroundings and the people in it. Tracks like “What You Gonna Do” and the money-themed “Ben” show that he has he has verbal illustration skills on par with the artist he named himself after. While his attempts at making club bangers fall flat, DaVinci is definitely on his way to carving a new niche for Bay Area rap. - Maurice G. Garland Kurupt Streetlights Kurupt’s sixth solo album is exactly the kind of quality release you’d expect from a veteran West Coast rap pioneer. Tracks like the Terrace Martin-produced “I’m Burnt,” “Yessir” produced by Pete Rock, “All I Want” featuring Snoop Dogg, and the introspective title track “Streetlights” are standouts that show his lyrical wit and ability to make feel-good music. Kurupt is an insightful MC with something to say. With the exception of a few uninspired tracks—“I’m Drunk,” “Scrape,” “Riot In The Club”—Streetlights is a well-rounded album. It displays both vintage DPG music while still allowing Kurupt a chance to reflect, in the manner you’d expect from an artist with nearly 20 years of experience. – Randy Roper
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Husalah Event: Mob Figaz reunion show Venue: The Catalyst City: Santa Cruz, CA Date: January 2nd, 2010 Photo: D-Ray
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