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Editor-In-Chief Jason Flores jflores@rimemagazine.com CREATIVE EDITOR Estevan Oriol www.estevanoriol.com DESIGN Alan Ramirez alan@alanramirez.net Advertising Los Angeles Jason Flores jflores@rimemagazine.com Reynaldo Hererra Rhererra@rimemagazine.com Marketing Allen Robinson arobinson@rimemagazine.com PHOTOGRAPHERS Estevan Oriol, Eriberto Oriol, Jorge Peniche CONTRIBUTORS Kristie Bertucci, Marco Villalobos, Estevan Oriol, James Dunn, Jorge Peniche, M Antonio Salis, Anthony Kennedy, Soren Baker, Eunice Ra, Sonia Almanza, N. Ali Early, Billy Woods THANK YOUS James Dunn, Ishmael Hall, Estevan Oriol, PowerHouse Books, Richie Abbot, Soren Baker, Fairley McCaskill, Mista Fab, Kristie Bertucci, Alan Ramirez, SA Studios Rime Magazine is a registered Trademark of RIME, Inc.

This book brings a parents worst nightmare. Through out the world up to a Half a million children, have been used as soldiers, killers, spies, messengers, porters, and servants to clear land mines and sexual purposes. In some countries more than a third are little girls. They are generally used as soldiers and sex slaves and are offered as rewards to officers. They are called “brides�. The photographers are Tim Hetherington, Roger Lemoyne, Cedric Gerbehaye and Ami Vitale. These photos where shot in Liberia, the Congo, Nepal, Burma, Colombia, El Salvador, Guatemala, Haiti, Philippines, the Central African

Republic, Chad, Sudan, Burundi, Somalia, Uganda, Sierra Leone, Sir Lanka, Afghanistan, Iraq, Lebanon, and Palestine. There are 34 photographers that are featured in this book. These are the photos of children being used to fight adult wars. Here in the States we feel like we are sending kids to war that are 18-25. Raising kids is like a full time job because your have make decisions for a person who can’t make decision for themselves. That why its scary to think that people giving guns to kids giving them the power to take some ones life without living their own yet.

-Estevan Oriol

Six Signs the Recession

is Effecting You.

by James Dunn

DO YOU SLEEP IN A DUMPSTER? If your answer is

yes, then the current economic ‘downfizz’ is definitely impacting your life. It is possible that you’ve been a jobless loser since well before Alan Greenspan went from looking old and smug to just old in pictures, but we’ll give you the benefit of the doubt, until the state starts taxing that too, then we’ll need it back, with interest. But that’s only the most extreme case. Many of us still have roofs over our heads that aren’t made of cardboard, and for us the crunch is manifesting itself in more subtle ways. I sat down and came up with six of the most common telltale symptoms, because I have a lot of free time on my hands these days.

YOU’RE CLEANING YOUR PLACE A LOT. I guess it doesn’t hurt to put a coaster under that book on the coffee table. I suppose everyone should sweep their roof at least once. And I can’t remember the last time I pulled the buttons off my computer keyboard and blew the breadcrumbs out from under the space bar either.

A clean home makes you look good, and if you do get evicted, it makes moving out so much faster.

YOU’RE EXPLORING HOBBIES. You crochet, eh? Who knew? Duct tape origami? I guess it takes all kinds. Extreme ironing? More power to you. On that note, feel free to come iron my clothes anytime you run out of rumpled threads. Job-hunting is time-consuming. I’ll bring you back an application from Old Navy or something.

YOU’RE DRINKING A LOT. We’re not saying you didn’t usually have a rum and coke with breakfast before you got laid off. And The Unfamiliar supports daytime drinking under any circumstances. It’s just those empty beer bottles beside the toilet that are bothering us. And hassling the drivethru cashier at McDonalds about getting a liquor license is a waste of even your time, frankly.

YOU’RE WORKING OUT A LOT. Check out Freddie Fitness heaving away on the sideways row! Get a load of Wilma Workout on the elliptical! Again, this is a great thing. Your increase in exercise will hopefully help you sweat out all that liquor. And you know the saying: ‘prevention beats a cure’. Or is it ‘a gym membership is cheaper than health insurance’? I forget. Anyway, your ankles look great.

YOU’RE AT HOME A LOT. Man, I had the WHOLE BLOCK. All three red properties, all three yellow properties, all hoteled up. But then I screwed up and gave him a permanent pass in exchange for Pennsylvania Avenue.

He had like thirteen bucks! I’m getting his ass tomorrow. Can we just leave the board here on the table? Nobody’s gonna mess with it, right?

YOU’RE BLOGGING. Blow it out your ass. You’ll have your own in a week, tops.

CH R IS FO R S B E R G

D R I F TI N G MY W AY Words by Euni ce

Ra Photos by Es

tevan Oriol

“I’ve always just liked the feeling of sliding around,” says Chris Forsberg, sitting calmly at his desk with his long, polychromatic arms stretched out over the unvarnished, wooden tabletop. Even his placid countenance fails to mask the crepuscular colors in his eyes, which practically mutes the vibrant display of ink on his forearms.

So much, that it doesn’t look like ink at all, instead, it looks surprisingly natural.

Formula Drift driver, Chris Forsberg, might as well be half-man and half-machine; it can’t be denied that drifting is as natural to him as eating and breathing. It’s as if he was born with the engravings on his arms, emerged from the womb an ineffable

thrill-seeker predestined to be different, always pushing forward, and overwhelming with undisciplined desires.

Drifting is a new kind of motorsport that is entrancingly seductive. It is subjectively judged and it is the only motorsport that isn’t timed. It is based purely on how the car is driven, which makes it more about style than anything else. Building the car with the right engine, platform, tires, etc., is only half the battle. There is a set course from start to finish line, with anywhere from 4 to 8 turns. As the driver runs through the course, the judges look for 3 different things: Speed, Line and Angle. In some instances the judges will

want the back bumper practically scraping against the wall, or the front wheels barely clipping the rumble strips as the driver is sliding though tight corners.

Forsberg’s dexterous driving is not his only duty; he is also the owner and business manager of his team, which consists of himself, his crew chief Kevin Wells, and his other mechanic Sergio Ramirez. Together, they managed to pull off 37 events, all in the last year, just cruising all around the country in their full-sized rig. Their official team name is Chris Forsberg Racing NOS Energy Drink Drift Team, because NOS is their primary sponsor. Ernie Manansala, the Motorsports & Lifestyle Manager at NOS Energy drink says, “Chris being one of my main athletes, I really like how he came from the true roots of the sport.

He’s been drifting from the start, before drifting was even considered a sport. He also shows genuine gratitude toward NOS and I’m happy to help his dream come true.

He’s the most loyal cat I know.”

Around the age of 15, when Pennsylvania was still Forsberg’s home, his innate interest in cars began to grow rapidly. He would race against his brother and friends in a Mazda RX7, eventually making so much horse power that he was burning tires. As he started to slip through corners, with the rear wheels spinning, heart pumping, tires burning, Forsberg fell in love with that moment. The moment of utter self-exuberance as he carries his momentum from corner to corner, so he did it again and again for 2 years until he could do it with precision and purpose.

There were no events or instructors at that time, so Forsberg and best his friend, Tony Angelo, practiced and mastered the skill together. They learned by watching Japanese videos and bouncing ideas off each other as they attempted to mimic the steering wheel work, the handbrake, and the shifting, in parking lots and open roads.

In 2003, Tony Angelo started a brotherhood of drivers, called the Drift Alliance: a group of about, 13 friends who have been together since the beginning. With a slightly nostalgic smile and a chuckle in his voice, Forsberg says, “They are just rippin’ dudes that just tear up the course. The Drift

Alliance is focused on that true street style, big angle, big throttle, and not that, ‘racer mentality,’ where it’s just smooth and steady, get through the course, nice and slow transitions.”

The Drift Alliance also creates a profusion of drifting demos. They strive to continue spreading the sport by traveling the world, in places like El Salvador, Costa Rica, Puerto Rico, Panama, Mexico, China, Canada, and Japan. Almost all of those places, besides Japan, have never been exposed to drifting before.

The same year Drift Alliance began, Forsberg sold his RX7 and bought a Nissan 350Z, which he then loaded

“people were getting free cars from sponsors, and shops were giving parts out. I didn’t wanna miss the wave. I just packed up everything and moved out here,”

up onto a trailer and drove straight to California at the age of 21. The scene in California was growing much more rapidly than in Pennsylvania, “people were getting free cars from sponsors, and shops were giving parts out. I didn’t wanna miss the wave. I just packed up everything and moved out here,” says Forsberg. His unexpected appearance and unavoidable presence immediately started to be recognized by shops and sponsors who were eager to support and work with him, now that Formula D had announced the start of their U.S. Championship series in the spring of 2004.

Having won numerous events since the start of Formula D, finishing 2nd overall in the series, and winning the Tires.com Triple Crown Championship, Forsberg leaves his rivals ominous, waiting for the moment of peripeteia as he sets his sights firmly on the Championship title. Once Forsberg has a goal, he pursues it with a zeal bordering an obsession. He aims to win the 2009 1st place championship spot in Formula D. However, if Forsberg is going to win this, he’s going to do it the only way he knows how.

“Drifting is all about impact. The harder you drive the car, the better it looks,” says Forsberg. , He has no intention of ever babying his car around the course just for a win. He is here solely to drift, with an unexpectedly striking brilliance.

LIFE AFTER AFTERMATH Photos by Estevan Oriol Words By M. Antonio Silas

Stat Quo is no stranger to the grind. The Atlanta, GA native has put out

countless mixtapes and street singles and has two unofficial albums under his belt, the latest of which is Smokin’ Mirrors. Despite the fact that he was one of Shady/Aftermath’s first recruits (only being bested by 50 Cent), Stat’s first album, Welcome to Statlanta, never saw the light of day.

The ever-vigilant MC sits down with RIME to discuss his future plans, his past, and his music.

So where are you now? I know you’ve been based in New York before.

I live in Atlanta. I’m here majority of the time. I travel quite a bit though. I’m actually about to go on tour.

similar. People don’t read as much and do things to simulate the mind. Hence, people are going to want to hear music that appeases them. There’s abundance of dumb rap. I’m not mad at it though. It serves the purpose. Certain songs don’t fit in certain settings. I wouldn’t want to hear conscious music in the club. It plays a great part in Hip-Hop though. I don’t really get caught up in the “HipHop Is Dead” conversation. I don’t think Nas meant it the way people took it. I think if we had a conversation with Nas it wouldn’t be like that. Maybe he meant what it once was is dead.

So we know you went to University of Florida. Did that experience have any influence on your rhymes?

Actually it did. I’m from a primarily urban area [Atlanta]. Going there allowed me to be around different people I wouldn’t have experienced otherwise. I took a lot from college outside of the books. There’s a misconception people have when it comes to making money. It’s not about how well you can do something; it’s about how well you know people. If you know people’s temperament and attitude it will put you ahead.

That’s life period. What I once was is dead. I grew into who I am. Hip- Hop can’t be dead because it is forever changing.Think about it, George Bush was our president for 8 years. Society relates to people similar to them. He related to people. Then you the see society Hip-Hop is dealing with. A lot of people want music dumbed down, and nothing’s wrong with that. You can’t force people to buy your product. I respect Common and all those artists that do them. I don’t like when people try to be something that they aren’t.

As a southern rapper, do you feel as if the region is suffering with the notion of one- hit-wonders? With so many dances out now, it seems hard to think otherwise.

I think if you look at people period, they aren’t as smart as they once were. Part of it is how accessible everything is. I’m a fan of technology. Back in the day, people had to listen to the radio and imagine scenes.

Then television came and it became

You see a lot of things like that in Hip-Hop. A lot of people would use Rick Ross as an example.

I think a lot of time what people don’t understand about [correctional officers] is that they are the worst people bringing work into the prison. They carry on the illegal operations of the prison. If you’re a CO, it makes sense. That’s why I really didn’t look at him as not being realistic

It seems like more and more artists are trying to create personal relationships with their fans these days, what do you think?

I believe it’s an important factor. People have to connect to you as an individual.

I’m doing that through my music and being out in my community.

because of his former life. Everybody has a past. If he addressed it sooner, it wouldn’t have been an issue. But that’s how he decided to handle his situation.

So many people want to work with Dr. Dre and Eminem; what was the breakthrough for you? How did you stand out from everyone else?

I think what’s important is trying to be your own record label. You must do everything that a label does for yourself.

If you don’t do that, no one wants to deal with you. That’s how I got on. I had mixtapes, my own name, I wrote my own music, and I was self- sufficient. I had a distinct sound that set me apart from other people. Those are the keys to be heard by masses Are you still trying to release the first album since Shady/Aftermath didn’t put it out?

I’mma put it out. It’s probably going to be for free where people can download it. I’m going to keep putting out music.

I just put out 5 or 6 mixtapes. I got a lot of mixtapes in rotation in Atlanta and California. I’m going to keep doing my thing. I’m definitely putting it out so people can hear it. My blog, “Welcome to Statlanta” is going up soon.

Do you have any hard feelings towards Shady/Aftermath?

From a business standpoint, I didn’t agree with how they did things. No personal grudges against them though.

I still love them and wish them success.

I’m going to buy Em’s album when it comes out. We need Em to be successful so people like me can continue to be successful and get checks. Hip-Hop artists have to support one another.

With your experience with the first album not being released, what’s the biggest piece of advice

you can give to anyone trying to enter the music industry?

Whatever you want from your label, make sure it’s in the contract. That’s the biggest thing, period. From day one. Make sure you negotiate it in the beginning, not later on down the line.

What was the inspiration behind Smokin’ Mirrors?

I’ve put out other mixtapes, and this is just the culmination of those. This is the next chapter to rap them all up. The theme behind it is the mirror shows the blunt truth: reality. When it’s smoke in the mirror, you can’t tell reality from fiction.

There’s a lot of smoke in mirrors; people can’t see reality of what’s going in the world.

As an artist, what do you feel is your biggest weakness?

I think my versatility sometimes can be a negative from my standpoint. People’s mindset is to characterize artists as either underground or mainstream. I don’t fit into any category. I may do song with underground artist then turn around and hop on the “Stanky Leg” beat. I wanted to be multifaceted. It hinders me because they want their artist to be one thing.

People can’t deal with an artist that does more than one thing. I don’t want to be categorized. Don’t put me with backpackers or mainstream. I do whatever I want to do. God blessed me with that ability.

Besides the obvious, what’s on the horizon for you?

I want to definitely go down in history as one of the greatest. I strive for the best every time I do a record. I also want to get more on the executive side of music, dealing with the business aspects. Shaping other artist careers, building labels, getting into intricacies of the industry. I had the best on the job training money could buy. I want to utilize my training to do some other things besides building myself as an artist.

R O F E P S I O R H S I B TH E

A button-up, tie, slacks, dress shoes, and church aren’t the customary items seen in the hip-hop world today; let alone on the west coast where gangsta rap was born. At 30 years old, Bishop Lamont is determined to push the confines set by the music world, and also wants the world to grow up.

Words/Photos by: Jorge Peniche

Who is Bishop Lamont?

Man, I love that guy. He’s a great guy. He’s from Carson, California. He started getting into hip-hop as a wee lad. It was just a hobby; it was a dream. Now it’s reality. He’s a great guy.

How did you come up with the name, “Bishop Lamont”?

My auntie is a minister, and my other auntie is deep into the faith and the spirit. She just said that one day I would go into the church, as I’m starting to go. You we’re right auntie Sheryl, you were right auntie Faye. I would be a bishop. I thought it was corny when I was a kid, now it makes more sense because she said, you have that light on you, you have that spirit. You have servitude to give to the lord even though you’re in secular music, and you live in your fleshy world.

You have something to give.

That’s where the bishop came from. Then Snoop was high, at his house and he came in and he was like ‘cuz you look like the homie Lamont’. You know, I’m

young, and I’m amazed by Snoop.

It just stuck. There wasn’t nothing special to Lamont, just some good weed. Thank you Snoop.

When was the moment that you decided to dedicate yourself to pursuing a career in music?

What was the catalyst that helped you make that decision?

I don’t know, it was just something I did because I loved it. I didn’t pursue it in the sense if I was going to get a record deal. I just did what everybody always did on the track. I never really thought about it that way. I just did it while I didn’t have to go and do construction work. I would just go do music to get the stress off. I never saw it going this far and being what it’s becoming. I think it really didn’t hit home till I signed with Dr. Dre. What can the world expect from “The Reformation”?

Just me; on a personal level. I try to cover every aspect of my life.

I try to touch on everything that I think people should be paying attention to. My age and down, my color and every other color.

What hip-hop needs to be talking about again. Everybody doesn’t have to be talking about that, but people need to be able too if that’s where they want to be. Be able to have a mark from which to start.

It’s all right to talk about real life things, its all right to talk about real life struggles. It’s all right to talk about God. It’ all right to talk

Do you still see Kareem AbdulJabbar playing on the court? Do you see Dr J anywhere? Do you see Larry Bird? Do you see Barkley? Where do you see Barkley?

Commentating on the new players playing. See what I’m saying. It’s a thing of allowing us now to play on court. Don’t be intimidated or feel a certain way about it. It’s like we don’t deserve to be on the court? We don’t deserve our time to play?

We don’t deserve our positions?

Congratulate and help coach us to be as great as you guys or to be greater because hip-hop has come a long way. But when you have people feeling a certain away, wanting to black ball and saying derogatory things. That’s what I have an issue with. That where its at with it.

Where is Bishop Lamont in 5 years?

By then Diocese will be in full effect. A lot of my other ventures as far as films and cartoons.

Bishop Lamont going to be hanging with Opera, even sooner then you know. Bishop Lamont is going to be in Forbes baby.

Bishop Lamont is going to be hanging with Bill Gate baby. The labels going to be poppin’. Probably in 5 years I will already be retired because I’m only doing so many albums. For me I think the max is going to be three, maybe four if the fans wanted it.

“I’m just here to be a vessel to progress the west coast movement as well as hip-hop.

Be a servant, and help so many more fresh people come in.�

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Sittin g corpo inconspi cuou rate b sl resta uran uildings, y amongs ts on bouti t lies S qu Su IR St udios nset Bou es and duce le rs w with Cool & D here sup vard er-pr Quee re are on Lat her b busy ifa ir a work thday bas h rehears t work in in h stratu g with a c . The priv g for ilege elebr m ha ity of of for th s bee n L e the m Miami n a long tim atifah’s at i e com hits s nds respo ives. The duo a ing nsibl uch a e for s The re Love nu it G on Bi ” which p ame’s “H merous e ll a how board in 2 aked at nu te it or many mber 005. accol throu Rega one ades r g they’ dless of very hout the ve ye humb le ab ars, they acquired out th r eir su emain

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The two at this point in their career have worked with the‘who’s who’ of artists that include the likes of Queen Latifah, Fat Joe, Ja Rule, Rick Ross, Nas, and Lil Wayne. Their genuine passion and appreciation for music, and their desire to share it with the world has allowed them to grow exponentially. These qualities didn’t go unrecognized by major talents for long.

“The first major artist to give me and Cool the opportunity to work with him was JT Money. We always got to show him love and respect. Right after that Juvenile, he showed us tremendous love. He was at the height of his career.

He extended his hand to me and Cool and copped beats on the street level with us. We learned from him,” said Dre. “ On another level, Fat Joe opened his arms to me and Cool and bought us into Terror Squad family. He played a major role to getting people to know who we were. He made it his job to make sure we was on MTV.”

“The co-sign from Joe was really big for us man. Especially him coming out of New York [and] be-

ing so big out there in New York. They couldn’t believe the type of beats we were doing, and we were from Miami.

Joe was definitely very instrumental”, Cool said.

Their creative process is unique, and is

best understood through the explanation of the “Hate it or Love it” track that put them on the map.

The duo worked out of Cools mother’s garage before making it big, they called it the “Record Room” because before making beats Cool was a DJ and the whole room was filled with thousands of records and crates. “One day I came over to the spot and I walked in. I would always press play on the MPC to see if Cool had something up so I could fuck with it or what not,” explained Dre.

“I pressed play and the ‘Hate it or Love It’ beat was going off, but it was a different part of the sample. I was listening to it and I was like man ‘this is hot, this is hot’, and then I saw the record on the 1200s. I just played it and I heard a line in there that was dope too. So I was like man, I’m going to flip this up a little bit from the way Cool has it. In the middle of me doing that, Cool walks in and he was like ‘yo what you doing?’ He jumped in and we just started building on it. Then we had the opportunity to get it to Game, and the rest is history. That record changed our lives.”

“We’ve had the tremendous honor of working with [Lil] Wayne on this Rebirth album. It’s definitely going to leave a stamp on music. We love the fact that there are people that have doubts and what not. That makes the impact a lot tougher,” said Dre. “He’s given us the opportunity to make music with him that’s

outside of the box. Being the artist that he is, he’s so influential. Everything he does people want to shift to do what Wayne is doing.”

The duo stands firmly behind Lil Wayne’s decision to make a “rock” styled album because they believe it’s going to open up doors for artists who don’t rap or sing R&B. “There’s a lot of bands out here in California. There are a lot of urban bands that are singing and playing live instruments.

There are a lot of those artists that need the opportunity to put their music out,” said Dre.

“If we made just enough money to be able to keep the lights on in a regular apartment and have enough money to drive an 89 Honda and I go home and I got a roof over my head. I got enough money to pay my bills every month. I’d be happy and consider myself a success because I’m living doing what I want to do,” said Dre. “Fortunately we’ve been successful on another level, but that’s how we measure success. If you can live your life, doing what you love to do.”

“Cool and I want to build a huge catalog.

That where we’re 50, 60 years old our catalog is huge like a Dr. Dre, like a Rick Rubin. That’s why we respect the Rick Rubin, we will respect Quincy Jones, we will respect Dr. Dre. These dudes don’t go out, they don’t age themselves. They don’t give you the opportunity to nitpick at what they wore today, or what club they was in or what bitch they fucking. They just give you music.”

DJ DR

You moved to Atlanta at a time I met him early on in his career when the south was really coming through his manager. We were on p. How did this influence your the same wave length so we linked ersonal sound or was it something up. Me and Jeezy were around the hat you had already developed? same neighborhood in the early mean I think it worked both ways I 2000’s. He came to me to make his ome from early on Philly influencfirst official mixtape. ng my sound and I think coming to tlanta was influenced by my sound. don’t think I would be who I am Young Jeezy’s crew started a lil beef r the game would be how it is if I with you a while back - why do you idn’t move to Atlanta at the time think that went down?

Phot hat I did.

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How influence your fo e th y tl n curre ey it something Moornwas personal sound

by Cash ght on that brouyour How have you had to change you had already some developed? e mI ethink iv g s pproach to getting clearances?

I mean it worked both ways I rd o c e R . from early on Philly influencse t changed everything, everything... come a le p a m Dra t changed the whole game. ing my sound and I think coming to atlanta was influenced by my sound.

Tell me about Willie tha kid and I don’t think I would be who I am Lonnie Mac. I know Willie is an artor the game would be how it is if I st that you are pushing hard but this didn’t move to Atlanta at the time s the first time I hear Lonnie Mac. that I did. mean both are dope artists I look orward to doing big things with If you had remained in Philadelphia hem. do you think that your music would How did you begin to work with sound different?

hop history would’ve been different.

I mean who is to say Gangsta Grillz would’ve ever been created? Who is to say that the southern movement in mixtapes would’ve happened and then Hip Hop would be where its at?

A lot of things are affected by a lot of things so there’s no telling what would’ve happened.

AMA s Word

: Son

In regards to the infamous raid and the rackateering fiasco how surprised were you when it all went down?

You know things happen, to be honest I am really tired of talking about it. It was what it was I can’t change history. It’s something that happened we’ve all moved on and I’m continuing doing my thing to make money.

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How have you had to change your approach to getting clearances?

It changed everything, everything... it changed the whole game.

Tell me about Willie tha kid and Lonnie Mac. I know Willie is an artist that you are pushing hard but this is the first time I hear Lonnie Mac. I mean both are dope artists I look forward to doing big things with them.

How did you begin to work with T.I.?

I met him early on in his career through his manager. We were on the same wave length so we linked up.

Young Jeezy?

Me and Jeezy were around the same neighborhood in the early 2000’s.

He came to me to make his first official mixtape.

Young Jeezy’s crew started a lil beef with you a while back - why do you think that went down?

I don’t have no beef with nobody. I am gettin’ money doing my thing.

In Hip Hop if you aren’t hated on a little bit, you are more than likely wack. So its not too difficult to understand why we catch Drama in the news a little more than other DJ’s, he’s just that good at what he does. This is the guy whose ability to move such a large volume of mixtapes pissed off the RIAA enough for them to sic RICO on him. No other Dj is that much of a threat. I personally feel that Dj Drama was the fallguy for the entire mixtape game in that situation. Mixtapes are necessary to give an artist street credit which ultimately leads to higher album sales. But when album sales take a nosedive, someone still has to take the blame. Its like those funny newspaper headlines “80 Year old Grandma gets 50K in Fines for Illegally Downloading Perry Como.”

Instrumental in spreading the Dirty South sound for the greater part of the 2000’s, Drama almost single-handedly changed the mixtape game in the region. Prior to his landing in Atlanta, the mixtape market had been monopolized

by New York. Drama’s greatest success has been the creation of his Gangsta Grillz brand. He has released over twenty editions of the mixtape - which is credited with creating the necessary street buzz that has launched the careers of many rappers (like Jeezy ...hello).

The respect that Gansta Grillz garners has also brought some of this biggest names in Hip Hop to work with the prolific DJ. Names such as, 8Ball & MJG, Bun B, David Banner, Diddy, Lil’ Wayne, Paul Wall, Slim Thug, Big Boi, and now on Gangsta Grillz 2, Too Short, Busta Rhymes, Scarface, Snoop

and Nas. Basically, if you want to know who is hot you needn’t look further than the latest installation of Gangsta Grillz.

Drama seeks to leave all that he has gone through in the past and is focused on two things only, making the music that he loves and stacking his cash. I’ve been bumpin’ his latest album/mixtape Gangsta Grillz 2 for the past month so peep the end of the article for a list of key tracks.

Late last year Cannon split from AMG. How do you feel not having Cannon produce anymore? How does this affect your sound for better or worse?

Its not for neither. Ya know, I mean music is music. I’m going to continue to make music as well as he is. I going to continue to support him, he’s going to support me. There’s no love lost.

Gangsta Grillz two has a lot of heat from V12 the hitman on the production tip and also from one of my personal favorite producers Dj Khalil, who will be producing Vol.Three?

No, its still a little early for that. I am still focused on Volume two. I am definitely hard at work.

On Volume two you have a couple of other dudes producing. Are they young cats or how did you hook up with them?

I mean I just go with the good sound really. I like working with new artists and new producers. I have taken dudes from a lot of different places when I like what they sound like.

You moved to Atlanta at a time when the south was really coming up.

How did this influence your personal sound or was it something that you had already developed?

I mean I think it worked both ways I come from early on Philly influencing my sound and I think coming to atlanta was influenced by my sound. I don’t think I would be who I am or the game would be how it is if I didn’t move to Atlanta at the time that I did.

If you had remained in Philadelphia do you think that your music would sound different?

If I would’ve remained in Philly, hip hop history would’ve been different. I mean who is to say Gangsta Grillz would’ve ever been created? Who is to say that the southern movement in mixtapes would’ve happened and then Hip Hop would be where its at? A lot of things are affected by a lot of things so there’s no telling what would’ve happened.

In regards to the infamous raid and the rackateering fiasco how surprised were you when it all went down?

You know things happen, to be honest I am really tired of talking about it. It was what it was I can’t change history.

It’s something that happened we’ve all moved on and I’m continuing doing my thing to make money.

How have you had to change your approach to getting clearances?

It changed everything, everything... it changed the whole game.

Tell me about Willie tha kid and Lonnie Mac. I know Willie is an artist that

you are pushing hard but this is the first time I hear Lonnie Mac. I mean both are dope artists I look forward to doing big things with them.

How did you begin to work with T.I.?

I met him early on in his career through his manager. We were on the same wave length so we linked up.

Young Jeezy?

Me and Jeezy were around the same neighborhood in the early 2000’s. He came to me to make his first official mixtape.

Young Jeezy’s crew started a lil beef with you a while back - why do you think that went down?

I don’t have no beef with nobody. I am gettin’ money doing my thing.

You have really set Gangsta Grillz and your crew apart from everyone else in the game. Your talent for creating brands, is this something you concsiously work on and have a formula for or do you just have a natural knack for it?

Its a little of both I have a creative spirit and I also love what I do so you know I am thankful that one of my gifts is creativity and being able to build something from my imagination.

Besides Gangsta Grillz three, whats next from Dj Drama.

We’re working on Gangsta Grillz Three, I am always working on mixtapes. But go get the Gangsta Grillz Vol. Two

You moved to Atlanta at a time when the south was really coming up. How did this influence your personal sound or was it something that you had already developed?

I mean I think it worked both ways I come from early on Philly influencing my sound and I think coming to atlanta was influenced by my sound.

I don’t think I would be who I am or the game would be how it is if I didn’t move to Atlanta at the time that I did.

If you had remained in Philadelphia do you think that your music would sound different?

If I would’ve remained in Philly, hip hop history would’ve been different.

I mean who is to say Gangsta Grillz would’ve ever been created? Who is to say that the southern movement in mixtapes would’ve happened and then Hip Hop would be where its at?

A lot of things are affected by a lot of things so there’s no telling what would’ve happened.

In regards to the infamous raid and the rackateering fiasco how surprised were you when it all went down?

You know things happen, to be honest I am really tired of talking about it. It was what it was I can’t change history. It’s something that happened we’ve all moved on and I’m continuing doing my thing to make money.

How have you had to change your approach to getting clearances?

It changed everything, everything... it changed the whole game.

Tell me about Willie tha kid and Lonnie Mac. I know Willie is an artist that you are pushing hard but this is the first time I hear Lonnie Mac. I mean both are dope artists I look forward to doing big things with them.

How did you begin to work with

I met him early on in his career through his manager. We were on the same wave length so we linked up. Me and Jeezy were around the same neighborhood in the early 2000’s. He came to me to make his first official mixtape.

Young Jeezy’s crew started a lil beef with you a while back - why do you think that went down?

I don’t have no beef with nobody. I am gettin’ money doing my thing.

You have really set Gangsta Grillz and your crew apart from everyone else in the game. Your talent for creating brands, is this something you concsiously work on and have a formula for or do you just have a natural knack for it?

Its a little of both I have a creative spirit and I also love what I do so you know I am thankful that one of my gifts is creativity and being able to build something from my imagination.

Besides Gangsta Grillz three, whats next from Dj Drama.

We’re working on Gangsta Grillz Three, I am always working on mixtapes. But go get the Gangsta Grillz Vol. Two You moved to Atlanta at a time when the south was really coming up. How did this influence your personal sound or was it something that you had already developed?

I mean I think it worked both ways I come from early on Philly influencing my sound and I think coming to atlanta was influenced by my sound.

I don’t think I would be who I am or the game would be how it is if I didn’t move to Atlanta at the time that I did.

If you had remained in Philadelphia do you think that your music would sound different?

hop history would’ve been different I mean who is to say Gangsta Grillz would’ve ever been created? Who is to say that the southern movement in mixtapes would’ve happened and then Hip Hop would be where its at A lot of things are affected by a lot of things so there’s no telling what would’ve happened.

In regards to the infamous raid and the rackateering fiasco how surprised were you when it all went down?

You know things happen, to be honest I am really tired of talking about it. It was what it was I can’t change history. It’s something that happened we’ve all moved on and I’m continuing doing my thing to make money.

How have you had to change your approach to getting clearances?

It changed everything, everything... it changed the whole game.

Tell me about Willie tha kid and Lonnie Mac. I know Willie is an art ist that you are pushing hard but this is the first time I hear Lonnie Mac. I mean both are dope artists I look forward to doing big things with them.

How did you begin to work with T.I.?

I met him early on in his career through his manager. We were on the same wave length so we linked up.

Young Jeezy?

Me and Jeezy were around the same neighborhood in the early 2000’s.

He came to me to make his first official mixtape.

Young Jeezy’s crew started a lil bee with you a while back - why do you think that went down?

I don’t have no beef with nobody. I am gettin’ money doing my thing.

Q N O I T P U U

R U Q R Q U R U P TI O N U P T I O N arly l Ali E io s: N. tevan Or d r o W s: Es o t is o h Ph ng

p ti Snoo r e put a h on Whil um touc pin’ a ye p n n i i a r t a T d l p Ego observe ded s ’ g g Do uik t remin a DJ Q ago, phere th hen the s . o atm f a time w o wrong n o o m y d i r h ld hung t cou Wes body was known. n y Ever rtually u ady of L vi and her, The Nigga t t a e g D o , Dogg T RBX , Snoop ks , e g ee pt Ra Kuru ent w Daz, r. Dre sp eir vision h D and studio, t iting r e w h t m n i d fro t – their m e r r blu igh ing fro nd n l s day a chs grow But it wa a . r d m e cee sto n hung o suc i certa ppetite t hronic a a C ir their ade The t was the I m . t a m t h u t a ss th ic alb er class for succe rom sup f ed d e t e r a e r D r g ulte lted d u a p n a cat to u ucer prod . us r geni l ove re al is e h t h s fore it wa And Right be he same . t again uik saw d fury le ,Q eyes f unbrid nt of him o ro e f p sic n y t ing i . The mu e d l o f c th i un s g e ma nt, as wa i – lik o p on was

Q QU R U P TU ION R U P T I O N

“The difference is to finish it,” Kurupt lends. “That’s the key. You can always come up with a great idea, but to come through; that’s the key to the game.”

energy and all that was left, was for someone to make the suggestion.

‘It’ eventually materialized in the form of Blaqkout, an insane combination of arguably the West’s best lyricist and producer for a full-length album collaboration.

“Snoop just started being really sharp,” Quik continues. “He just started planting seeds. He planted a seed in us about potentially doing a record and he pretty much let Kurupt know it was in his best interest to stay here and not hit the road.”

A devout Dogg Pound Gangsta, Kurupt is known to travel with Snoop Dogg every year regardless of what may be available to him beyond Snoop’s interests. Ironically, it’s that loyalty and dedication that convinced Big Snoop that he and Quik would kreate a masterpiece together.

Slated for a June 9th release on Quik’s Mad Science Music with distribution backing courtesy of Universal and Fontana, it’s safe to say Kurupt Young Gotti and Quik are well on their way to finishing one of the West Coast’s most anticipated albums of the year. In fact, given what they bring to the table as a duo, Blaqkout is an album ‘hip hop’ as a whole can appreciate.

“Just as an idea it was smart,” says Quik. “But then when we got in there and started making the [music], it became something else!

It’s like we’re starting something in a good way. People think the West Coast can’t have fun, but we’re kreating eras in music and we’ve got some of the best recording studios in the world out here.

So the sound makes sense as well as the energy.”

Decidedly more wound up than he was after the Fixxers debacle in 2007, Quik draws a fine line between the two projects, AMG and Kurupt. While he and AMG set out to ‘fix’ music as Quik emerged from a stint in jail, their longtime friendship took a hit. To make matters worse, Quik’s myspace page was hacked for an unfinished version of the album, and Midnight Life never saw the light of day.

“I was over there tryna have so much fun with G,” says Quik. “I was tryna get G out of the doldrums. He came up with a hot ass beat and I endorsed it.

We started throwing parties, trendy parties on 76th and Crenshaw. I was tryin’ to get AMG to stop being so complacent. But that’s not my call. That’s what I get for trying to save people. I got hurt. It got fucked up. It got physical. It got weird and it was danger ous.”

From the bounce in their step to the sheer delight that laces their voices, Quik clearly won’t have a repeat episode with Kurupt.

However, known to uphold his

DJQUIK & KURUPT West Coast predecessors with unyielding respect, the Philafornia representative feels an onus to affirm his allegiance with Quik, who he affectionately calls ‘Unc’ (Uncle Quik).

“My thing is I’m so unified with my big homies when it comes to this game,” Kurupt begins matter of factly, “from Quik to Dub C to Cube to Dr. Dre, to Ren and any of the guys that I follow in my life, that all I did was threw some game out to Quik and let him know that I could fit in. He’s already been activated in this game and I’m like his nephew. So when he brought it to me, I was in. I’m rollin’!”

The respect is clearly mutual the moment Quik asks how anyone who appreciates hip hop on either coast could not acknowledge Kurupt as a force among active emcees. The legendary producer then admits that he himself wasn’t quite prepared mentally, even as the two actually got to work. “I didn’t plan on thinking as deeply as I did with the music,” Quik discloses, “but something happened when it was for Kurupt. I had to break out of my shell and stop going with what was safe. I had to take risks.”

The first single, “Hey Playa,” (Morroacan Blues), epitomizes just how far Quik was forced to delve with Kurupt by his side. Among the most eccentric tracks in his accomplished existence, the song was unearthed via an episode of “Bizarre Foods” and host Andrew Zimmern.

In addition to his favorite track “Do You Know,” Kurupt’s most gratifying moment while recording Blaqkout, came

when he took what ultimately became “9 Times Out of Ten,” home after Quik showed him how to manipulate the production program Fruit Loops.

“Unc gave me the beat and I couldn’t resist it,” Kurupt says. “It was so right and raw!! So I laid something and he supported my concept.”

Upon his return to the studio, Kurupt shared the track with Quik and to his amazement, received overwhelming support, much like he offered on “Hey Playa.”

Both artists admit that this theory of patronage was lost on them due to past experiences. “We both aren’t used to that because there’s always opinions and things with whoever you work with,” Kurupt offers. “We’re so supportive of each other’s ideas that it just brought out the best in both of us.”

In essence, that’s what the Blaqkout represents: two legends zoning out, not giving a damn about parameters and doing exactly what the fuck they feel.

“It’s a state of mind,” Kurupt says before repeating for emphasis. “It’s a state of mind. We were not concerned with the average concern. We were not concerned with how people would feel about these records. We were not concerned about the kinds of records we should make. We were more along the lines of, ‘these are the kinds of records we were going to make.’”

And at the core, that’s how West Coast hip hop erupted in the first place.

Y T I C I T N AU T H E R U LES s by Words/Photo

What began as an idea 10 years ago between brothers Jack and George Keshishyan, has steadily evolved into a staple of the exotic automotive industry. Today, celebrities, athletes, doctors, lawyers, and luxury car connoisseurs alike all flock to Platinum Motorsport to have their new toys taken to the next level of automotive ecstasy.

The journey all started in 1998 when George, the older brother of the two, was in 11th grade. Their father, an experienced shop owner with over 35 years under his belt encouraged his sons to follow in his footsteps to avoid certain vices which were prevalent at the time. George explains, “in high school at the time, like [around] 10th and 11th grade, we messed around and got into some bad stuff on the streets. Our father decided that since it was kind of natural for us to be around cars, and grew up around cars. It was a good outlet to be able to put us in that right path.�

Although gangs were highly active, the two managed to dodge trouble that lurked ahead by investing their energy towards more constructive matters. Their endeavor to start their own automotive shop kept them busy, and consequently out of trouble and off the streets. Their hands on approach throughout the years has kept them filled with orders, and has proven to be critical to their success.

e

Jorge Penich

Starting with a mere $25,000 investment on behalf of their father, the two bought out a company to kick off their enterprise. Jack reflects on the buyout and explains, “At the time it was a good idea, but now that we think back, it’s probably the stupidest move we made as an investment. Out of that we got Platinum. We invested $25,000 and we bought this company’s name and inventory.

That $25,000, we probably lost over 4 or 5 times over. That investment got us into the door. We started a business, and here we are today.”

The duo alongside their team of masterminds have pretty much touched, smelt, and simply experienced most forms of automotive exotica in the last decade. The saying goes that “time flies when you’re having fun”, and the brothers couldn’t agree more. They have remained busy since they opened up shop, churning out the illest whips for clients such as the lovely Kim Kardashian, Jermaine Dupri, P Diddy, Mister Cartoon, Andrew Bynum, Ludacris, Travis Barker, T-Pain, and the list goes on and on.

“When you’re on the inside you never really feel how big it gets, but you step back and see it from the outside point of view and you see how well the company is doing. For us it was just like a regular day trying to come in and make it better, until it got pretty much to this point. It never really hits you until you start seeing it out in the streets.

These days pretty much every celeb, anybody in the industry, Beverly Hills, West Hollywood, everywhere you go you see all the hot cars are rollin’ in our plates. It’s crazy to see that,” explained Jack.

Surely there are hundreds of shops in Los Angeles who promise the world to their clients, but Platinum has remained resilient, even in today’s economic crisis. Their approach to the automotive experience is unique, and therefore their clients keep coming back. Jack explained the Platinum philosophy by saying, “we try to make everybody’s car different; we try to not do the same thing twice. A lot of the other shops will see

will see one shops other that same A lot of the, and just run with of our ideas . We always and over again er v o thing different the nex t one make to try other. from to the

one of our ideas, and just run with that same thing over and over again. We always try to make the next one different from to the other. You don’t want to be rolling in something somebody else has.”

At this point, merely calling Platinum Motorsport a “car shop” would most definitely be an understatement. They savor the sight of a luxury car straight off the lot, to them it’s a blank canvas in dire need of personalization. George explained the art of his craft, “It’s a fashion statement just like your shoes, your denim, or your clothing. It’s a way of expressing yourself. So it doesn’t necessarily have to mean you throw a new set of wheels to change it up. It can be interior or little details.

We’re not your regular wheel and tire shops, and just sell wheels and tires. We are a lifestyle brand.

We are image-makers. We come in and just off your swag, your style, [and] your personality; we make the car to speak for you.”

Ten years strong with no signs of slowing down, Platinum Motorsport continues to chug forward like a freight train through the years. Platinum has come a long way from merely an idea and has evolved to the icon which stands in a class of its own. With new branches like the Platinum Collision Center, Rent-A-Car, Picture Vehicle department, and concierge service; it’s obvious that their work has merely begun.

WALE

OBSERVE &SERVE

WORDS BY KRISTIE BERTUCCI PHOTOS BY ESTEVAN ORIOL

D.C.-based lyricist Wale is making moves and shaking up the music world, as he drops his debut album Attention: Deficit later this fall in hopes of bringing a new, refreshing sound to hip-hop’s current arsenal of forgeable tracks. But if you’re gonna learn more about this talented rapper, you’re gonna first have to get his name right.

Despite the spelling, it’s not pronounced like Disney’s human-like robot Wall-E, but rather rolls off the tongue as Wal-lay (emphasis on the “lay”). When asked about the constant mispronunciation of his name, he immediately commented on the annoyance, stating that it happens “everyday, all the time. “It gets annoying, but I deal,” he adds.

Don’t think he’s complaining about this minor detail of his career since he’s currently the talk of the town, touring and doing numerous shows to increase his ever-expanding fan base. Already a huge hit in his hometown, Wale (born Olubowale Victor Akintimehin) might be new to the mainstream masses, but he’s a veteran to those who are in the know of the mixtape scene. Calling

himself the “Ambassador of Rap for the Capital,” the 25-year-old rapper/producer rolled out several mixtapes that got the attention of the streets before he bit the bigs with his hit single, “Chillin’,” (also featuirng the talented pop songtress Lady GaGa).

He released his first mixtape in 2005, Paint a Picture, and has since released four more that are hot commodities like his 2008 The Mixtape About Nothing and the most recent Back to the Future that was released earlier this summer, which features hip-hop heavy weights like Bun B, Talib Kweli, Beanie Sigel and was produced by 9th Wonder. But despite all the hype over this newcomer, Wale isn’t letting all the talk and fame get to his head.

“I don’t really focus on it too much,” he explains. “I don’t like to bask in like the smell of success because you never should believe your own hype or take yourself too seriously in this business. As soon as you start believing all the hype and attention, the honesty and integrity in the music diminishes. I just gotta learn to let go and that’s pretty

much it. Adjustments are just natural and unforced. I’m adjusting as this all happens; I make mistakes, make good decisions. I didn’t have anybody to teach me the industry, so I’m just learning as I go.”

And his learning journey has taken him a long way. Having become interested in music while growing up in D.C., Wale admits that music has always been part of his life. “Music is a part of everybody’s life,” he says.

“From the time you grow up, you always have melodies you liked as a child. There’s not one particular aspect about music that I like either.

It’s something I’ve always just been addicted to.”

Since D.C. didn’t have allegiances to any one area of music when he was growing up, Wale listened to everything and credits artists like Jay-Z, Kanye, Lupe Fiasco, Black Star, Jodeci and Naughty By Nature as influences (“I’m a child of hip-hop, R&B, soul and all that!”).

“People listened to everything: Scarface, Biggie, 2Pac, Outkast, UGK and Snoop. No one felt like they had to listen to artists just from New York or Atlanta. We took it all in.” But living in D.C., he couldn’t help be influenced by the area’s “Go-Go” sound ( a subgenre of funk that originated in D.C during the mid- to late-1970). “It’s just what we do here,” he admits. “I’m very open-minded about music. But when you’re young and coming up,

it’s hard to be sure that you’re doing the right thing.” Never really intending to pursue a music career, it eventually became a gradual career that happened for Wale in while in collge.

“One day I looked up and was, like, Wow, a lot of things happened in my life because of music.”

With a focused mind on music and some added hard work, Wale came out with “Dig Dug (Shake It)” in 2006, which became the most requested song by a local artist in D.C. radio history. In 2007, Wale signed a joint venture deal with Mark Ronson’s Allido Records (which later lead to a deal with Interscope in 2008).

Ronson became interested in Wale after receiving a copy of his 2007 single “Good Girls” by Wale’s manger that was in heavy rotation on D.C. radio stations.

Now, he eagerly awaits his debut album to drop that was supposed to be in September, but got moved back to October, which he first announced via Twitter, tweeting: “Album pushed back..got more work to do..it’s a small thing to a boss.” He then encouraged fans to be patient and support other releases from Kid Cuid, Jay-Z and Melanie Fiona in the meantime.

While we all eagerly await Attention: Deficit, Wale has touched upon the sound of the new album. “I’m just pushing the envelope musically,” he explains. “I want to make music that touches people and is easy to relate

“As far as my future is concerned, I just want to, hopefully, remain relevant like Jay-Z, NAS or Kanye,” to. The music is for people by a real person. I just make music the music that I make and let it do what it do.” While the description might not really paint a lyrical picture of what type of sounds, or beats, to expect, it does say something about how Wale approaches his craft.

Boasting a “regular guy” personal, Wale doesn’t want to compartmentalize his music into any specific type or sound. “I think my album represents the opposition to categories or boxes,” he admits.

“I want people to be, like, ‘I don’t know what to call the album.’ It’s not boxable.

It’s not like Southern hip-hop, gangster hip-hop…it’s really just reality with real stuff and real issues.”

As far as topics represented on the album, expect songs about relationships, college, working a regular job, doubt love, hate…all things that everybody on a regular basis deals with. “I’m pretty much painting the picture, showing people all of these things that happens in the life a normal person who is passionate about his music, family, girl or career,” he says.

“I’m an observer; an observer of life.” His goal to relate to his fans on an everyday level is what he believes sets him apart from others in the industry and what attracts fans to his music and persona as a whole.

In an industry where the exaggerated is praised and the norm, Wale likes to

keep it simple in form and truly believes honesty is the best policy (despite how corny it sounds). “Honesty stands the test of time,” he says. “I just try to be honest in everything I do, especially my music. What’s real to me and what’s on my mind is how I approach music. I put down what’s on my mind and what’s in my heart, and it’s honest and a lot of people respect that.”

With an album filled with honest depictions of everyday life, Wale doesn’t hold back on its title either. As an honest man, Wale chose the name Attention:Deficit as a way to shed light on people’s tendency to quickly loose interest in things, especially the latest fads in music. “Consumers have become very stingy with their attention span,” he explains. “Nobody pays attention anymore and I’m trying to change it.”

When it does drop, fans are going to be anything but stingy with their ears, given positive reviews of it are already flooding the Internet. So far, things are looking good for Wale, but the hard part is far from over. While the money and the fame isn’t something he’s really after, Wale hopes to make the best possible music he can for his fans. “As far as my future is concerned, I just want to, hopefully, remain relevant like Jay-Z, NAS or Kanye,” he says about his musical future. “I just want to connect with people and do my best to make great music. I’m not really caught up with the money or the album sales—all those things come when you’re passionate about something. I just want to have people understand what I’m trying to do and understand my records.”

IATIMES

The Lakers’ recent title run reenergized Los Angeles sports -- a city without a professional football team, whose beloved USC Trojans didn’t compete for a national football championship last year and whose prized Dodgers just got off of Manny withdrawal.

Words: Soren Baker Photos: Estevan Oriol

Watts, California rapper Jay Rock hopes to inspire the City of Angel’s rap scene in a fashion similar to that of the Lakers.

After all, only one street-based rapper has rocketed to stardom this decade (The Game) while the Coast’s trailblazers (Ice Cube, Dr. Dre, Too $hort, E-40, Snoop Dogg) have enjoyed regular success -- even as the calendar approaches 2010 and their creative energies focus on releases other than music (film, endorsements and such).

With more than 10.5 million plays on his MySpace page, a red-hot collaboration with Lil Wayne and tours with The Game and others to his credit, Jay Rock seems positioned to help the Left Coast regain some of its glory. As he takes a break from promotional duties, Jay Rock is contemplative and forthright when discussing his future. He realizes becoming a rap today stands as difficult a task as ever.

But he seems distinctly qualified to turn the trick.

Beyond Jay Rock’s massive Internet following, “All My Life [Ghetto],” his upbeat, inspirational yet rugged

collaboration with Lil Wayne from his upcoming Follow Me Home album, paired him with rap’s hottest artist -- and Jay Rock stood out. Jay Rock has a commanding voice, the type of rhyme tone that requires attention and demands respect. His rhymes, street-based with equal doses of insight, humor and pain, resonate long after the music stops. They are quotable. They mean something. And they’re passionate.

Check his recent Coming Soon 2 A Hood Near You mixtape, where Jay Rock’s skill shines. Standout cut “Depression” features him analyzing, among other things, the impact of the Iraq war on the American troops serving there. Jay Rock thought to rap about the military after talking to one of his kin who is serving in the Middle East.

“My relative, he tells me that it’s hard, but he’s got to do it,” Jay Rock says. “It’s for the country, man. He’s doing what he’s got to do for the country. For me, it is just unimaginable what they’re going through.

I’m not over there, but just by watching it, what would I do?”

“There’s nothing fake about me. I’ve got a real story, man. Everybody always seems to want to go for the trend. Not me. I’m the voice of the hood. I’m the voice of the people”

But Jay Rock isn’t just worried only about the impact of individuals to whom he’s related. No. It’s about how the world changed when the Iraq war was launched.

“The government is messing up the public with unfair laws, all types of little crooked stuff that’s going on,” he says. “It’s like give and take. Once they put something in the law that can affect one person, it can affect anyone.

It’s crazy how the system works.

dude,” he says. “There’s nothing fake about me. I’ve got a real story, man.

Everybody always seems to want to go for the trend. Not me. I’m the voice of the hood. I’m the voice of the people, man.”

There’s plenty of struggle occurring daily in modern America -- and a painful scarcity of legitimate, concise answers. The nightly news, newspaper articles and Internet chatter reflect as much.

Jay Rock knows how the American system works -- and doesn’t work.

He was born and raised in Watts, California. In 1965, the city was home to one of the worst riots in United States history. It’s also ground zero for some of the country’s most intense gang activity.

Yet many of today’s biggest rap songs offer little substance. Jay Rock has little interest in following suit. “I guess people wanted to go for the trend,” Jay Rock says. “They want to go for what’s getting played on the radio. But that goes away. Me, I’m trying make my mark. I’m trying to stay, man.”

But what Jay Rock realized once he started traveling and promoting himself was how similar the rest of the country -- and the world -- is to his hometown.

It’s a fact that surprised him. “Every hood is the same everywhere you go,” he says. “You’ve got goons everywhere. You’ve got gangsters everywhere you go. Whether you’re in the United States or you go out of the country, there’s gangsters. There’s gangs everywhere. They go hard for what they believe in. There’s nothing I can do about that. That’s everywhere.”

With more than 10.5 million plays on his MySpace page, a red-hot collaboration with Lil Wayne and tours with The Game and others to his credit, Jay Rock seems positioned to help the Left Coast regain some of its glory.

Indeed, the depth, emotion and feeling he injects into each song gives Jay Rock’s music the potential to appeal to a national -- and international - audience. Jay Rock knows that in order to obtain long-term success, he’ll have to remain rooted. “I’m a real

THE LEGEND OF SLACKS MAHONEY Photos by Estevan Oriol Words by Marco Villalobos

As told to Marco Villalobos...

Mark Mahoney is working. The hum of his tattoo machine dances around the low end of his gravel-rasp voice. The work he so carefully lays into skin is like Mahoney himself: master class, a rare bridge between the allure of outlaw culture and the discipline to learn from seasoned vets. From his ground floor at Shamrock Social Club, Mahoney survives a tradition bigger than one man can ever be.

When the older guys from my neighborhood started to get tattooed I was like 13, 14, maybe I was 15 when I actually got one. As soon as I went into the shop I knew that was what I wanted to do.

Bikers deserve a lot of credit. They kept the fuckin’ thing alive. Sailors weren’t get-

ting tattooed that much and it was pretty much all bikers for a long time. A lot of ‘em were just coming back from Vietnam.

I’ve heard horror stories since then of how these outlaw bike clubs would treat tattooers, but I think they could just tell I was so happy and excited to be doing what I was supposed to be doing. Them guys treated me like gold. It really was an amazing thing. I went from that to tattooing all the punk rock people around the C.B.G.B.’s thing in New York.

One of my best friends was this guy Johnny Thunders. Sid Vicious was a friend of mine, you know, that whole downtown scene. Sid’s mother stayed at my house when he was in jail and she was my date New Year’s Eve, going to see Johnny Thunders and the Heartbreakers. She was kind of cool, like kind of a witchy-beatnik lady.

There’s that girl, Nan Goldin-- this photographer, and she was one of the people I met at the Museum school [of Fine Arts in Boston]. I moved to New York with her and David Armstrong, another photographer, you know, like a little group of us. She has some photographs of some of my earliest tattoos, from ’77.

I was back and forth from New York and Boston. I worked for this one motorcycle club all summer saving money to come out here and then drove out in 1980 and went right to the [Long Beach] Pike to get a job. I got a job right away and lived in the back of the Rose Tattoo, owned by Colonel Todd and Bob Shaw. Whatever I hadn’t picked up on my own I learned from Colonel Todd who was a master old school Tattooer. He knew more about tattoo machines than probably just about anyone ever.

That’s where I got to see the first black and grey shit--I’d never really seen any.

Some people would come in that had tattoos from Tattooland--by Freddy Negrete and Jack Rudy--and shit just blew my mind. Only in those days, the boss, Colonel Todd wouldn’t let anybody do any fine line, single needle stuff. I really wanted to learn how to do it but I had to do it on the sly.

There was a couple of convict tattooers that worked in another shop down at the Pike. It was like the Wild West. It was three or four shops and they were all in this mortal combat competition: gunfights and fire bombings and everything between the shops. I was walking back from getting a hot dog at the Pike one day and saw Colonel Todd shooting it out with this guy that owned another tattoo shop. You know, I had my pistol with me and I was like oh shit, there’s my boss!

And I did what I had to do, leaning on the car, shot over in that direction. I don’t think I hit nobody but those things were part of the thing, I mean, it was a rough and tumble business then and I had to consort with the enemy or whatever-

Mohoney

I remember seeing this guy’s t-shirt my first week here, a lowrider guy.

It had a ‘58 Chevy on it and said something about “Rucas, Caruchas, y Rolas, Soneando,” or something. I asked him what it meant. And he said, “Rucas, oh, that’s your high school sweetheart, your girlfriend from the neighborhood; and Caruchas, that’s your old car, your bomb, your pride and joy, and Rolas,” he goes, “that’s your old favorite song that you like to dance to or whatever.” And Soneando? He’s like, “That’s my spirit; that’s my bag,” and I’m like, oh man, I’m gonna like it here in L.A. - these guys that worked in one shop that were my friends, lowrider guys, one white guy and one Chicano guy from Compton: Sapo and Anaheim Red. Sapo gave me my first single needle and gave me a little game on how to use it.

One night I walk into work and I was already there a couple of weeks, and [Colonel Todd] is doing these Harley wings, on this kid. It’s $37.50, the tattoo he wanted to get—not Harley wings, Oakley wings. So it’s just black and it has a little orange shading. The kid’s like a sidewalk commando wannabe biker kid and he gets the thing done.

He’s maybe 22. And he tells Rick, he doesn’t have the color shading behind it yet, and he says, “Oh I’m gonna throw up; I’m gonna go outside. “ So he walks outside and he’s got his buddies in the car and it’s running. I realize he’s doing a dine-and-dash so I’m like, “Yo, Rick! This motherfucker!” So we go running out there and Rick pulls his fuckin’ little automatic out and stands in front of the lil’ Datsun and blasts and shoots the windshield out. Then he steps back as the car comes at him and

he tries to shoot the passenger window out. He’s only like fuckin’ four feet away from the car and the gun jammed. The guys pull up the hill and he gets that one out of the chamber and shoots out the back window, a couple more rounds.

I’m like, fuck, this is the wild fuckin’ west out here! You’re ready to shoot a car full of kids for $37.50?

Part of that shit was cool. It means if you were gonna go into a tattoo shop you really wanted to get tattooed. They were usually in bad neighborhoods, all of that. So by the time you got there, you were ready. It wasn’t like the tattoo shop in the mall or whatever; it was different from going to buy tennis shoes. It was a unique experience. Now it’s just a little bit more like getting your haircut.

Whereas in the old days it’s not like something you did, it’s something that you are.

One of the things that attracted me to it in the beginning was its kind of mystery, I mean, no one knew where to get anything--“who makes that shit, where does that come from?” Those were mysteries that would take fuckin’ years to solve, and risking your life to do it. That kind of

HOW NOT TO GET HIGH IN JAMAICA

By Billy Woods of The Super Chron Brosthers BILLY WOODS IS ONE HALF OF THE NYC DUO SUPER CHRON FLIGHT BROTHERS, WHO HIT THE SCENE IN 2007 WITH THEIR DEBUT ALBUM EMERGENCY POWERS. INDONESIA IS THEIR LATEST, A COLLISION OF HIP-HOP, DUBSTEP AND ELECTRONICA FOR THE SMOKER IN YOU, WHICH YOU CAN DOWNLOAD FREE AT http://backwoodzstudioz. com My mother is Jamaican, and although I spent most of my childhood in the U.S. and southern Africa, we would always go visit my Jamaican family every couple of years. But my 1996 trip was different: it was my first time in Jamaica as a weedsmoker. My family lives way up in the mountains of rural Jamaica.

Contrary to what many people imagine, not everyone in Jamaica smokes trees, and definitely not my grandparents. They were God-fearing Christians who went to church more times in a week than I had in my life at that point. So once we were at their house, although I was itching to find some of the fire I knew was being grown in those hills, it had to be done carefully.

After a couple days, I approached one of my Rasta cousins (a cousin old enough to be my father - that’s what happens when people have extended families with lots of kids) and asked him

what was up with finding some trees.

He took me on a walk a little ways down the side of the mountain to a small lean-to where two men were drying epic amounts of herb on spread-out newspaper. At that point I had never seen whole colas or freshly grown herb at all, so I was just trying to contain my excitement.

After the usual Jamaican small talk we went into the backyard, and one of the men handed me a fat bud along with the longest Rizla paper I had ever seen.

I was not that great at rolling, so I was fully concentrating on rolling mine until I looked up and realized everyone else had rolled one too. I was used to passing Ls, but in Jamaica that just wasn’t how it worked. Roll your own, smoke your own. I was in trouble, since I had rolled a pretty fat one and already had an inkling that this herb was significantly better than what I had been used to. We sat on rocks and smoked and God knows what I was blabbering about, because I was flying at that point. All I remember is telling the two guys that this was the best tree I had ever smoked.

The next day I chilled with the fam till late afternoon and then made up some excuse to go off by myself. My cousin’s place was not far, but the footpath was overgrown and hilly, so I was hoping this was going to be worth it. Little did I

know he was considered one of the best growers in the area, with tiny plots dotted all over the hills. But, as any grower will tell you, the best crops are the ones they have on hand at all times, and he had a modest plot directly behind his ramshackle, but neat and clean wooden house. We went into the field as the sun was setting, and I marveled at the rangy sativas that were almost taller than me.

He had some drying outside and handed me a bud before heading inside to finish his dinner.

news bears. I was way too high to talk to anyone at my grandparents, but I had to go back before people got worried and came looking for me. I started down the path in the dark and quickly realized I was in big trouble; I could not remember which way it was, nor could I see much in the pitch darkness.

I rolled up, noting that this bud smelled unlike anything I had encountered before and was so sticky it was hard to break up. There were barely any seeds in it and some of the leaves were colors I had never seen, like blue and purple! I rolled it smaller this time but nevertheless halfway through the joint I realized that I was completely obliterated. The tree was so strong that I put the rest of it down and wobbled up to my cousin’s back steps to ask for some water...to splash on my face!

The fact that I could hear all sorts of noises and rustlings in the thick tropical jungle was not helping with the crushing paranoia and hallucinations I was already muddling through. At one point I actually sat down on a fallen tree and tried to fight off a hallucination that someone/thing was following me, because I knew if I broke out running in the dark on this narrow footpath I would probably end up breaking my ankle. I did eventually make it back to my grandparents’ house, with my hair standing on end and eyes as red as a lobster. And that was my first introduction to the sort of expertly-grown hyper sativas that would later become popular in the US with the introduction of Haze strains in the later ‘90s.

By now it was fully dark and as I washed up, attempting to kill the smell and waiting for the soaring high to level out, I realized I was talking to myself. Bad

My advice? If you’re going to Jamaica and you have a connect for the real, real, shit...roll ‘em small, and take a flashlight.

CHRISTINE MENDOZA Photos by Estevan Oriol www.christinemendozaonline.com

THE PEOPLE’S CHOICE

HISTORY OF THE NIKE CORTEZ Artwork by Patrick Martinez Words by Sum Patten

Cities and their shoes have always had a special relationship. The shoes the people wear tend to tell the tale of the city, especially in street and Hip Hop culture.

When you think of New York City you might imagine deep snow and Timberlands; you might remember when you used to ask why New York cats rock Tims in 90 degree weather… or on the beach. When you hear Atlanta, it may put you in the mind of Air Force Ones or all black Reeboks. You can hear the slow drawl and see the wife beaters of cats leaned on tricked out Cadillacs in all white Air Forces. But no shoe, perhaps, has ever been tattooed into a city’s history like the Nike Cortez has been into the lifeblood of the Los Angeles streets. It’s hard to think about L.A. without seeing Dickies…and it’s hard to see Dickies without seeing a pair of Cortez under the cuffs. Police chases, repping your set, NWA videos, hopping fences, gangster music…and Nike Cortez. That’s L.A. street life.

But it goes back further than the last Game video you saw… waaaay further. Let’s start somewhere in the middle though.

THE HISTORY The Cortez reaches all the way back to 1968, before Nike was even Nike, Inc. Before Nike, Inc. was even a real shoe company that used terms like “Anti-wear plug” and “herringbone sole” to describe their products.

It all started with an Olympic-class track coach. Designer and track coach Bill Bowerman originally intended for his new shoe, the “Corsair”, to be used for distance training.

This is the same guy who brought the idea of jogging to America. He had no idea what kind of running people were going to do in that shoe…especially once the Corsair was reintroduced to the world and the L.A. streets as the “Cortez” in 1972 under the Nike brand, right when gang

banging was taking flight in a major way. Nike itself described the shoe as having a “…thick, long wearing outer sole, full length sponge with a mid-sole cushion to absorb road shock and reduce leg fatigue.” Road shock and leg fatigue….indeed.

Almost 40 years after being called “the most comfortable shoe ever” by one of America’s leading marathoners, the one-of-a-kind sponge-soled shoe that was the first to ever rock the famous Nike swoosh, is a collectors item and fashion statement. No longer restricted to being worn by gang bangers and hustlers on the corner, the Cortez is now getting customized by the likes of Mister Cartoon and getting sold on eBay for a pretty shiny penny. The tradition is rich, the history is deep and the shoe is respected.

L.A.’s own Soul Assassins offered up some game on the history and impact of Los Angeles’ official shoe.

“The first Cortez that ever came out was some leather and they had red on ‘em,” O.G. Lepke breaks it down, “most of us in the Los Angeles area of the brown and Black races didn’t really rock tennis shoes until we knew we was goin’ somewhere we had to run from the police. We was wearin’ Stacy Adams, floorshines, French toes, and biscuits before that. Then the Chuck Taylor was the first tennis shoe, but I always keep a set of Cortez.”

We can safely figure that the Cortez was released nationwide, but for some reason Los Angeles really took the ball and ran with it. Soul Assassin family member Tony G. explains it pretty simply, “Cortez represents L.A.. everybody had ‘em. They were big in LA because they were meant to be a running shoe but they fit really good with Dickie pants and Levis.”

Legendary tattoo/graffiti artist, Mister Cartoon weighs in on how it happened while inking a new client in his parlor at SA Studios on Skid Row. “Cortez is something that came alive in the 80s but it was adopted here and in New York. OG cats were wearing ‘em in New York, but it just stuck out here. NY moved on to Air Force Ones and dunks but it became a gang member shoe here.

Cats used to triple tie the laces, or only wear blue to rep the Southside. They got real popular in the 90s. If you seen someone wearing Cortez, you knew they were affiliated. If you wasn’t affiliated and wearing Cortez, you might as well be, because you will get confronted just wearing those shoes. If you team ‘em up with the Dickies and the white tee, then you definitely affiliated.”

THE RULES In a city where affiliation was often a matter of life and death, what you represented meant everything; and you represented through what you wore. In the entertainment capital of the world, appearance truly is everything. From the color of the shoe, to the color of the laces, during the ‘80s and ‘90s everything was significant.

“The swoosh was different colors,” Lepke clarifies. “The first was red, then there was blue. Then they had the ones where it looked like a Swoosh with the dots, then you had the canvas ones. Then the blue ones got outlawed in the 80s when there was so much gang violence. Then the treaty happened…but the blue ones are back now because things have calmed down and Nike is gonna make their money. But over here the shoestrings and the color of the shoestrings still signify whether you a rider. See I rock the white Cortez with the black strings, so it’s like I’m neutral. I keep my game neutral. Now white people wear them when they play racquetball.”

Things definitely change over the years, but of course some things don’t change at all. The laws still stand as firm now as they did 20 years ago with how to style: there are still certain rules to live by when rocking the Cortez properly in Los Angles.

Tony G. breaks it down a little bit further, “When the teeth are gone, you gotta get new ones. You can’t walk around in Cortez with the teeth gone.”

“Yeah,” his partner Sal adds, “they have to be bowed up, but not laced all the way... about halfway. [They have to be] sticking out from under the jeans. The bows gotta be sticking out. If your jeans are too big, the homies around the way stick a thumbtack through the jeans so they ain’t goin’ over your shoe. The shoe must be very visible.”

THE MISTER CARTOON CORTEZ With all that said, it makes perfect sense that Mister Cartoon would finally get a chance to put his stamp on Nike. Being one of Los Angeles’ native sons, as well as a highly-respected visual artist and designer means that the planets were aligned for Cartoon to design a Cortez. He was born for it. Although he’s had a chance to stamp everything from phones and lowriders to video games, the Cortez had a particular significance to him. “I was able to design some Air Force Ones, but I wanted to do a shoe that we actually grew up wearing.

When I design a shoe, it’s got meaning and purpose behind it.”

The Cartoon Cortez comes in three different flavors. The all- black joints feature a gold Aztec symbol on the side and an Aztec temple on the ankle. “For the black ones, what you have to understand is that [Hernando] Cortez was a Spaniard that came over on ships to fight the Aztecs.”

Here’s a brief world history lesson for anyone that ever rocked a pair

of Cortez: Hernan Cortes (that’s how you might see his name in the books) was a European conquistador who gathered up an army of Spaniards and Native Americans from Central America and the islands to march on a great Aztec city called Tenochtitlan. This city was in what we now call Mexico. The great Aztec warrior-king Moctezuma II actually took Cortes in peacefully and lavished him with gifts of gold, but all that really did was tempt the Spaniards to jack the Aztecs for the rest of their gold. Sadly, Moctezuma became a prisoner in his own home while Cortes racked his empire.

“And that’s where Mexicans were born, from the combination of the Spaniards and the Aztecs. Our whole race sprouted from those wars.” And so did this bomb ass shoe, inspired by the rich history of Mexico.

“I took the stitching out the side and gave it a gum bottom, which is more the color of an Indian,” explains Cartoon, “the tongue of the Cortez is handball glove and net material, because the Aztec warriors used to play handball. Handball is a ghetto and hood sport, and also the number one sport in the prison system…next to boxing. Its one of the first Nikes to not have a swoosh on it.”

Historical Points Nike’s historical timeline starting with the Cortez. *1968 The Bowerman-designed Cortez shoe becomes a big seller.

1971 BRS begins manufacturing its own products overseas, through subcontractors; the Swoosh trademark and the Nike brand are introduced.

1972 At the U.S. Olympic Trials, the Nike brand is promoted for the first time; company enters its first foreign market, Canada.

1978 Company changes its name to Nike, Inc. 1979 First line of clothing is launched and the Nike Air shoe cushioning device debuts.

1980 Nike goes public.

1981 Nike International, Ltd. is created to spearhead overseas push.

1985 Company signs Michael Jordan to endorse a version of

its Air shoe, the “Air Jordan.”

1988 Cole Haan, maker of casual and dress shoes, is acquired; “Just Do It” slogan debuts.

1990 First NikeTown retail outlet opens in Portland, Oregon.

1994 Company acquires Canstar Sports Inc., the leading maker of skates and hockey equipment, later renamed Bauer Nike Hockey Inc. 1995 Company signs golfer Tiger Woods to a $40 million endorsement deal.

Did you catch that? The man moved the Nike source of power out the way and replaced it with heritage…..talk about gangster.

“Then there’s a pyramid on the back. The black and gold is like the San Pedro pirates, my high school.” And there we have it, in a simple and very classy design, stands what seems like the entire history of the Mexican peoples, their origins and travels from home to the city of Lost Angles….and Cartoon’s high school colors.

The white shoe is a little less packed with history…but just a little bit. It features the “L.A.” logo embossed in blue, integrated with the swoosh. “When I did the blue and white ones, I took the stitches from the side, so it’s a smooth shoe. The tongue is leather instead of nylon, and the “L.A.” logo is connected with the [swoosh]. It’s very rare that anything comes even close to the swoosh. This one is better to be crispy and clean, and the colors are close to the Dodger colors, too.”

Oh, and the third Cartoon design? “Those are the sickest ones,” Cartoon smiles when they come up. “They only made one pair.”

Guess who got ‘em.

1999 Company begins selling its products directly to consumers via its web site.

So the history of the Nike Cortez comes full circle, from a concept in the mind of Bill Bowerman and gang banger central to an exclusive collector’s item. An old Cortez poster in SA Studios reads “Like that funny little German automobile, we’re constantly making those hardto-notice but important changes. Nike…the shoe for the seventies.”

With all the history the shoe shares with Lalaland, Nike might consider re-phrasing that statement with a few choice words.

2003: Converse Inc. is acquired for $305 million.

A suggestion might be, “Nike Cortez…the official shoe for streets of Los Angeles”.

1996 The Nike equipment division is created.

WAKE UP CALL A

WORDS BY OG LEPKE PHOTOS BY ESTEVAN ORIOL

new generation of gangs and mislead youth is shaking things up throughout Cali’s streets with more crime and gun violence. With a 14% increase in LA crime last year, its no wonder the California Jail System is over-crowded.

From his own experiences, Los Angeles raised “O.G. Lepke” chronicles the life inside LA County’s “Super Max” prison in Wayside, CA, and reveals that what lies inside those walls is no joke.

“As we pull into the cellport I look up to notice, and also set a prayer that I might make it out the same way I went in�.

Spellbound through a maze of turns, the LA County Jail bus rolls past a kaleidoscope of visions and curves as it makes its way to its final destination- A concrete fortress known as “Wayside Pitchess Detention Center” a.k.a.

Super Max, one of California’s biggest and most notorious holding facilities in the nation. This massive structure is home to thousands of men fighting all crimes ranging from drinking in public to first-degree murder. I notice in the pitch-dark blue of the night how beautifully the stars and the moon are lit-up against the blackness of the clear sky- kind of like having a clear and open mind on my situation that is about to take a turn for the negative.

The next step into this world within a world is something only few are familiar with: the sound of LA’s worst! Yelling at the top of their lungs, “No one’s talking when I’m talking so shut the fuck up, asshole!”

It strikes me for a split second to not even make eye contact with this command, knowing that some of my downest comrades in the gangster game have been struck out for far less. Then a challenge between convict and officer, inmate and deputy, as the first phase of my process unfolds (spread, open, cough three times), thoughts of how something like letting another man, an officer of the law, flash a light in my backside is done as easily as opening the door. They seek an issue of contraband that’s never been found in the 30some-odd years I’ve been subjecting myself to the revolving door of this California system.

Further down the process scale we stroll down a corridor so long its outright impossible to see the end of it. Not knowing our housing location (six massive blocks, each block has 8 dorms on a bottom floor and the same on the second floor), we approach the crowded dorms. Each block is a whole section of one building housing over 1,000 men. It sometimes reaches 70 men to a single dorm that’s made to hold 36. Tensions flare because of space; the smallest infraction is disrespect to either the black or brown race who rarely see eye-to-eye. Latinos claim various spaces as well as blacks. It could quickly turn real shitty over a piece of toilet paper or a loud comment.

Even the wrong look could blow up a dorm so out of proportion that the psychological strain of an event like that could leave a very chilling effect on a person for the rest of their life.

In a world where individuals tend to be followers and not leaders, watered-down loyalty and honor comes out frequently. It causes one to hide behind a purpose that originated from the hoods…a West Coast gangster can no longer see his dedication to a bona fide code of respect, values and ethics – a level of quality that will always be found somewhere in the hearts of most men.

True original Sureno gangsters-loc’d out Crips and G’d up Bloods-slowly but surley are waking up every day to the fact that the winner in this is not us and the Wake-Up Call is long overdue.

Prison is a state of mind and so is a generation that’s been asleep far too long.