It’s a celebration whenever a young Hip Hop artist rises to mainstream prominence because stereotypically, they burn their fortune on gas-guzzling Escalades and oversized Jesus pieces that strain their necks. But if 20-year-old Leland Austin, otherwise known as Yung LA, earns a hefty paycheck, he plans to purchase a city. “I wanna save all the houses because right now, in Atlanta, they’re tearing down all the projects,” he says. “If I had Donald Trump bucks, I’d buy the hood and renovate it.” The aspiring landlord hopes to make millions through slinging rhymes. In 2000, Yung LA was introduced to the art form when his aunt wrote him a before Da recite Juice’stoad-libs madethrough his single verse –ong a verse he O.J. would classmates his“Getting’ tenure in middle a regional club banger, the rapper bornbars, Otisand Williams school.Money,” Eventually, the budding rapper wrote his own displayed his Jr.club was events alreadyand living up toneighborhoods the song’s title.in Atlanta, Georgia. talent at various
L
“I got a job the phenomenon 7th grade because I decided I wantedoftosmall startindependent having While thein local worked with a handful some money in mythe pocket,” he recalls. “At about 15 [years old]dreams,” I quit he labels in 2004, partnership was brief. “I would get sold theexplains. job but was still doing myalways thing keeping strong. Then I got in think I “People weren’t it real withinto me.trouble They didn’t school, so I had to start going to the alternative school. From through there I kind had what it takes to take it to next level. So I went a lot just to of dropped out because I thought it wasn’t really benefitting me. At the get stable.” time I had to drive at least 45 minutes to go to school and I was riding around no license.” That with included selling narcotics for five years just to have some sort of Though O.J. didn’t have the drive to stay in school, music steered him down a path leading away from destruction. In 2005, he introduced himself to the game with his first mixtape On The Come Up with DJ Burn One. Motivated by the little attention it received, Juice followed with two more mixtapes, O.J. Da Juiceman: Hood Classics hosted by DJ Dutty Laundry and the DJ Ace-assisted Juice World. In the process O.J. has drafted an impressive collaboration resume over the last few years working with artists like Princess from Crime Mob, Fabo, Gorilla Zoe, producer Shawty Redd, and Gucci Mane. However, O.J. claims that he didn’t hit payday until “Gettin’ Money” found its way into clubs. “That’s the main [song] I wanted to run with because when it hit the club, the response I get off that [was crazy],” says O.J. about the hit that’s grew from out of his Bouldercrest neighborhood and into different parts of the country. “I got people hitting me from D.C., Baltimore, Carolina, Tennessee, Ohio, Wisconsin. I’m like ‘Wow, that shit’s going crazy.’” Unfortunately, things got even crazier earlier this year for the bubbling rap star. This past April reports surfaced saying that the Juiceman was shot eight times. Comparing his strength and ability to heal rapidly to X-Men comic character Wolverine, O.J. left the hospital and was back on the streets within a matter of days. “I’m just glad that I’m living because a lot of people aren’t so lucky,” muses O.J. who now suffers from a chronically painful leg injury. “I got shot eight times and I’m still living.” Picking up where he left off, O.J. has plans to drop a Gangsta Grillz mixtape with DJ Drama while continuing to brand his own label, 32 Entertainment. In spite of his success taking a shot at him, O.J. doesn’t forsee a day where he’ll change who he is. “I’m not a out-of-world superstar-type artist,” he insists. “I’m about keeping it real, keeping it 100. That’s all I know; that’s all I was brought up around. I’m not turning no faces on nobody. I like to play my part and that’s me.”
Ms Rivercity
46 // OZONE MAG
y l t n e i t g PWaaitin