Ozone Mag Memorial Day 2006 special edition

MINI MEMORIAL DAY 2006 SPECIAL EDITION

99 JAMZ’ K-FOXX & SUPA CINDY

DRE SUPA J-SHIN GEISHA DIRTBAG BLOODRAW UNCLE LUKE TRICK DADDY

PITBULL

RICK ROSS

WELCOME TO MIAMI

MINI MEMORIAL DAY 2006 SPECIAL EDITION

99 JAMZ’ K-FOXX & SUPA CINDY

DRE J-SHIN GEISHA UNCLE LUKE TRICK DADDY BLAK CHERRY MR MAURICIO BLOODRAW DIRTBAG C-RIDE SUPA

PITBULL RICK ROSS

WELCOME T O M I A M I

PUBLISHER/EDITOR: Julia Beverly MUSIC EDITOR: Maurice G. Garland CONTRIBUTORS: Aldrick Williams Bogan Charles Parsons Cordice Gardner Cynthia Coutard J Lash Malik Abdul

memorial day 2006 COVER STORIES Rick Ross pg A24-25 Pitbull pg B16-17

DISTRIBUTORS: Big Teach (Big Mouth) Buggah D. Govanah (On Point) Lex Promotions Mercedes (Strictly Streets) Teddy T To subscribe, send check or money order for $11 to: Ozone Magazine 1310 W. Colonial Dr. Suite 10 Orlando, FL 32804 Phone: 407-447-6063 Fax: 407-447-6064 Web: www.ozonemag.com

Cover credits: Rick Ross photo by Julia Beverly; K Foxx photo by Joe Wesley; Pitbull photo (cover and this page) by Ray Tamarra. OZONE does not take responsibility for unsolicited materials, misinformation, typographical errors, or misprints. The views contained herein do not necessarily reflect those of the publisher or its advertisers. Ads appearing in this magazine are not an endorsement or validation by OZONE Magazine for products or services offered. All photos and illustrations are copyrighted by their respective artists. All other content is copyright 2006 OZONE Magazine, all rights reserved. No portion of this magazine may be reproduced in any way without the written consent of the publisher. Printed in the USA.

INTERVIEWS Mr Mauricio pg A14-15 Trick Daddy pg A26-27 Dirtbag pg A30-31 K-Foxx pg A32-33 Geisha pg A34-35 Uncle Luke pg B18-19 Supa pg B20-21 Dre pg B22-23 J-Shin pg B26-27 C-Ride pg B28-29 Blak Cherry pg B30-31 Supa Cindy pg B34-35 BloodRaw pg B36-37 FEATURES Photo Galleries pg A11, B11 Chick Flix pg A12, B12 Miami Maps pg A17-19 Event Listings pg A20

01: Scott Storch, Stacks, and Beanie Sigel (Miami, FL) 02: Lil Wayne and Baby (Miami, FL) 03: Ladies on the set of Rick Ross’ “Hustlin’” at the Rollexx (Miami, FL) 04: Chillin’ on South Beach 05: DJ Irie and Zo on the set of DJ Khaled’s “Holla At Me Baby” (Miami, FL) 06: Pitbull, Fat Joe, and DJ Khaled 07: DJ Entice, Lorenzo Ice Tea, and Tony Neal on the set of “Holla At Me” (Miami, FL) 08: Ted Lucas and Carlton Wade on the set of DJ Khaled’s “Holla At Me” (Miami, FL) 09: Gucci Poochie, Brisco, J Lash, and Rick Ross on the set of “Hustlin’” (Miami, FL) 10: Juelz Santana, Jha Jha, and Jim Jones (Miami, FL) 11: Trina and Trick Daddy on the set of DJ Khaled’s “Holla At Me” (Miami, FL) 12: Wayne Wonder, Papa Keith, and Smitty (Miami, FL) 13: Baby (Miami, FL) 14: Rick Ross on top of the Rollexx on the set of “Hustlin’” (Miami, FL) 15: Big Will and DJ Khaled on the set of DJ Khaled’s “Holla At Me” (Miami, FL) 16: Rick Ross and Trina on the set of “Hustlin’” (Miami, FL) 17: Jim Jones, Supa Cindy, Rick Ross, and K-Foxx on the set of “Hustlin’” (Miami, FL) 18: Milk, Ted Lucas, and Dre on the set of DJ Khaled’s “Holla At Me” (Miami, FL) 19: Baby and Slim (Miami, FL) 20: Gu, Slim Thug, Macho, and Joie Manda on the set of “Holla At Me” (Miami, FL) 21: Shakir Stewart and Ted Lucas (Miami, FL) Photos by J Lash except 08,17, and 20

by Julia Beverly

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WORDS: JULIA BEVERLY PHOTO: J LASH

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MR. MAURICIO Where are you from?

My folks are from New York, but I’m born and raised here in Miami.

Where do you currently DJ? I’m on the radio every day doing the 5:00 traffic mix on 103.5 The Beat and I’m in the clubs six nights a week at Mansion, Opium, and Prive. I’ve also got my own separate radio show on Friday nights from 10-midnight.

What’s your strongest quality as a DJ? Other DJs are one-sided. I’m working six nights a week at the top three clubs in Miami. I’m on the radio every day during peak hours. I’ve traveled all around the world. I’ve played in Vegas, New York, everywhere.

The difference with me is that most of the spots I do are high-end. That’s what I focus on. On the beach in Miami, if you wanna make money you gotta be at the high-end spots. That’s what it is down here. That’s what I do; Mansion and Prive. It’s not the same as playing in the spots I grew up at.

When you say “high-end,” what kind of audience are you talking about?

White, Euro-trash, models and stuff like that. That’s what Miami Beach is known for and how it’s portrayed on TV, and that’s basically what I do. I do all the big parties, like Paris Hilton and Scott Storch and stuff like that. To me, it’s kinda corny, but it is what it is and I accept it. Bottom line, that’s where the money is, and I’m trying to make money. That’s what I do and I do it better than anybody else. When I’m in New York I do the high-end spots too and spots with Enuff and Camillo and the other Heavy Hitters up there. It just depends on which market I’m in. I do stuff with Felli Fel in L.A.; I do highend stuff. I try to balance myself out just so I can branch out, not holding myself to one market. I think that’s the problem with the majority of the DJs; they just stick to one thing. I try to do everything and I try to corner the market.

MIAMI, FL

house, techno, trance, crazy shit, and it’s just evolved since then. Hip-hop’s so commercialized now. It’s funny. I’ll play Rick Ross in a club that’s honestly completely full of white models and French and German people, and they know the words to every song. That’s how hip-hop is evolving.

To me, it’s crazy the money that hip-hop brings in. Anybody can tap into it, whether you’re a hip-hop producer, DJ, clothing designer, radio station, artist, A&R, or anything in the urban market. Everybody’s cashing in right now, because regular people and rich people and European people can’t get enough of it. They wanna wear chains and walk around with our clothes on. They just wanna live the life. For the last few years turned away; now they embrace it. It’s just crazy.

How did you get started DJing?

I just moved to the beach tryin’ to get a regular job, and my homeboy got me a job at some club. The promoter did a party on the beach. I never showed my interest in wanting to DJ, and no one really knew that I DJed. This was back in 1996 or so when hip-hop was in the small room. Hip-hop was never in the big room in the 90s...

The rest of this interview is featured in the June issue of OZONE Magazine at www.OZONEMAG.com.

Why do you think the “Euro trash” at the “high-end” spots you spin at want to hear hip-hop music?

Me, I’m 27. I got my first album when I was 17 or 18. I remember when I first started out, and it was unheard of for a club in Miami Beach to play hip-hop. There was one or two hip-hop spots but they were in the hood. All the big clubs were playing OZONE

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GREATER MIAMI AREA MAP

DOWNTOWN MIAMI MAP

SOUTH BEACH MAP

MEMORIAL DAY - MIAMI EVENT LISTINGS Thursday May 25th Steel Brickz Entertainment – DJ S&S & DJ Technic Sobe Live 1203 Washington Ave. 917-664-5367 www.DTechnic.com DJ Irie Remix Thursdays at Mansion 1235 Washington Ave. 305-532-1525 Friday May 26th Smitty hosting at Crobar DJ Irie & Mr. Mauricio Mansion 1235 Washington Ave. 305-531-5535 Saturday May 27th Supa Cindy and Supa Friends Inc 3rd annual “I Know I Can” young women’s summit Joesph Caleb Auditorium 5400 NW 22nd Ave Join celebrities from the entertainment and sports industry as they help motivate and educate the young women of Miami. It’s free and registration starts at 8:30 AM. SUPACINDYONLINE.COM 2:00pm - 8:00pm Nightbreederz Entertainment & Interscope Records’ 1st Annual Cookout Music with DJ Epps, DJ Polo, The Original Fat Boy Prince Markie Dee, LA Smooth Penthouse - 1434 Collins Ave. www.penthousesouthbeach.com For more info text 305-924-0277 Slip-N-Slide’s first annual Greg Street celebrity car, bike, & fashion show Miami Beach Convention Center Rick Ross, Citty, Baby, Swizz Beatz, Shaq, Trick Daddy, Uncle Luke, Trina, Khaled, DJ Irie, K-Foxx, Cool & Dre, Slip-N-Slide family, & many more Scott Storch celebrity party with special guests Paris Hilton and Jacki-O Live performance by Chamillionaire and Rick Ross Club Metropolis 950 NE 2nd Ave Saturday May 27th Tony Neal, DJ Quote, Frank Luv

Five rooms of hip-hop, R&B, reggaeton, reggae, & house music DJ Irie & Mr. Mauricio Prive - 136 Collins Ave 305-673-9991 Chamillionaire, Smitty, and DJ EFX performing live @ Club Empire DJ GQ Reggae Wear 4 PM – 9 PM China White 10:30 PM – 4 AM Sunday May 28th Bulletproof Ent. & OZONE Magazine 6th Annual Memorial Day Weekend Celebrity basketball game Miami Beach Convention Center Doors open at 5:30 PM 305-891-1668 DJ Irie, DJ Khaled, DJ Erok Sunday Ritual at Opium Garden 136 Collins Ave. 305-531-5535 DJ GQ Reggae Wear 4 PM – 9 PM China White 10:30 PM – 4 AM Throwback Old School Street Hustler Enterprise Release Party Landmark SportBar Broward and 31st in Ft Lauderdale Sunday May 28 Live Performances By CP Hollywood Marcy Malone Luc Duc 80’s Babies Treal performing @ Oxygen Twista & KING Magazine “Bottles & Models” Hosted by Buffie The Body and DJ K.Foxx Red Carpet Event 3:00 p.m. – 10:00 p.m.

Marlin Hotel - 1200 Collins St. Info: Echoing Soundz (818) 787-7633 2006 Memorial Day Festival Presented by BET J. & SOBE Ent. Featuring: Shabba Ranks, Beenie Man, Rick Ross, Paul Wall, Damian Marley, Bounty Killer, Lady Saw, Buju Banton and many more...

Bicentennial Park, Downtown Miami Doors open @ 12 Noon Hustlin In Miami Performing Live- Trick Daddy, Trina, Rick Ross, Nova Club Amika Loft Lounge 1532 Washington Ave Elephant Man, Baby Cham and Spice live Bayside Hut, Key Biscayne Door open @ 10pm

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WORDS & PHOTO: JULIA BEVERLY

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RICK ROSS What is Rick Ross’ real hustle?

Man, it’s everything. I’m just trying to spread my feet and run around a little bit and see what’s really happening. My album Port of Miami is slated to be released this summer and it’s a classic record. Other than that, I’ve got a documentary production named M-I-Yayo: The Cocaine Capital being directed by Antoine Smith. It’s like the top ten countdown of the ten biggest hustlers in the history of Miami, and it goes really in-depth when I talk about the other side of the bridge. Along with my partner E-Class we’re gonna release a compilation CD called Live from 305 featuring Trick Daddy, Pitbull, and Rick Ross.

Do you think the whole cocaine thing in rap is a little bit overdone these days?

Nah, I ain’t gonna say that, cause that’s the era that I came from and that was the hustle. So for street cats that are really involved in the music, they know the importance of that. I know real street cats and when they first get up at 10 in the morning and cut their phone on, that’s the first thing: “What’s it lookin’ like? What’s happenin’?” You know?

So when I think about my immediate surroundings, that’s a part of the struggle. And it’s not so much that I’m glorifying it, but I’m talking about the struggle side of it. A lot of times, dudes don’t have any other choice, for real. I can only speak for real hustlers that go out there on a limb every day. A lot of times, they don’t have a choice. They lifestyle that they get caught up in, there’s no way out. There’s no way you can just stop living today. There’s no way you can just stop running your business. So many people depend on you. It’s a lot of responsibilities and cats in the streets.

Who was your biggest influence when you came into the rap game?

Luke Skywalker. I remember it like it was yesterday: I was in elementary school when I first seen the “Move Something” single cover. They took it in the back of the alley, standin’ in front of a Cherokee, with his pants down to his knees. And the Cherokee said “Luke Skywalker.” I could remember being a kid and riding around in the back seat with my mom and I was always lookin’ for that Cherokee, cause there was just something about that picture. When I realized that he was from where I was from, man, I knew that dreams can come true. To me, as a kid, just being on a vinyl cover was

MIAMI, FL good enough. So that stayed on my brain.

That album cover Luke did most definitely influenced me to become an entrepreneur and pursue my music career. My biggest influences were Luke, Ice Cube, and Big Daddy Kane. I loved Ice Cube’s album Amerikkka’s Most Wanted. That was the turning point when I knew I wanted to make music. I felt like I related to his music so much, as far as what was going on in my community and shit. That was a great fuckin’ album. That’s one of the top five greatest albums in the history of rap. Rick Ross said it and if somebody don’t like it, I’ll sit down and we can break it down. I’m a student of the game. You got to understand, I was skipping school and hanging out at the gameroom where they had the big screen TV playing videos. I remember this fine girl walked in. I was a shorty. She had one of those little Luke booty shorts on and when I seen her, I was like, damn! As soon as Big Daddy Kane walked in with his flat top [on the TV screen] I’ll never forget the face that girl made. I was convinced. I was sold on hip-hop. I was sold! I started growing my flat top the same day.

Going back to what you said earlier about the fact that you came up in the cocaine era, what do you think is the new hustle for this era?

I don’t know. The streets always change, but there’s always gonna be people who have and people who don’t have. And those people who don’t have, they’ve got a lot of heart and a lot of charisma and they ain’t gonna just lay down. So in our time, that’s what it was on the streets. For people who really hustle, it’s because they have to. I go to some of my homeboy’s houses and it’s crazy. They’ve got six sisters, each one of them got four kids, and it’s crazy. It’s sad. If you were in that position you’d be selling drugs in a week, without a doubt.

It’s when people are put in those kind of positions, man, you do what you have to do. Me, when I was young, hangin’ at the places I was hangin’ at, it wasn’t hard for me to hustle. All I had to do was just have what they wanted when they came. If you’re gonna sit out there, you might as well make some money, right? That was my outlook.

It was just the way of life...

The rest of this interview will be featured in the August issue of OZONE Magazine at www.OZONEMAG.com.

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WORDS: JULIA BEVERLY 26

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TRICK DADDY When we were talking earlier, you sounded frustrated.

I just wish muthafuckers the best of success. I don’t wanna talk bad about nobody.

My beef ain’t with no label. My beef ain’t with no single individual. My beef is with life, with the game itself. My beef is with rap music cause a lot of rap music that’s getting put out there is for this week only.

Next week you won’t listen to it. My beef is not with the artist, cause you can’t blame an artist if they come out with a one-hit wonder and people fall for it. My beef is with the major labels that are putting this bullshit out and packaging this shit up. But when people open that package up, there’s nothing in it. You never win no prize. It’s like the little games at the youth fair, where they push the quarters. It always looks like the quarters are gonna fall, but they never fall.

That’s who my beef is with, those types of people. But anybody who’s getting money, I don’t have beef with them. That’s why a lot of niggas on record don’t have beef with me and a lot of niggas in the streets don’t have beef with me. And if they do, fuck ‘em, cause it’s some undercover shit. It ain’t legit.

So what do you think is the problem? Radio blasting too much garbage?

To me, the problem is money. You’ve been seeing a lot of that lately – people getting in trouble for paying for certain records to be played. I think if they investigate even further they’ll see that people are getting money for videos to be played. I’ve seen a lot of hot videos in the last two or three years of my career, but I’ve also seen a lot of bullshit videos. And even my videos could be taken up another notch. But I’m not that type of dude. I’m not the pretty boy, I’m not what you’d call a “stunner.” I’m not gonna fake it til I make it. I am what I am, and that’s what my videos represent. [In my videos] you might see a Phantom in the background but you’re not gonna see me driving in a Phantom cause that ain’t mine.

I tried that shit with “Dro In Da Wind.” They had me driving a Bentley in the video. But that ain’t me, man. I’m for the thugs, I’m for the streets. I think the problem is the money aspect of the game. It’s the same problems in music as there is in sports. In sports, the younger NFL and NBA owners are not concerned with the well-being of the game itself. Younger people are getting money and getting out of control, and they’re using

MIAMI, FL

their money to have power and they’re taking away from the game itself. It’s all about what they can take away from the music and how much money they can make. It ain’t about what they can instill, or give to hip-hop. Hip-hop has been around for a long time, since the 70s. Now it’s 2006. I want hip-hop to be here forever, because once hip-hop dies my whole legacy dies.

That’s all I represent.

You think rappers are making too much money?

No. It’s just that in this music game, every year there’s somebody new and hot. Once something is done or said in the industry it travels around and once it gets back, it might be taken out of context. It’s all one big circle and one big family, so eventually we got to get together and say, “Let’s do this for hip-hop.” Whatever happened to the Stop The Violence movement? They had the East Coast All Stars, West Coast All Stars. We’re all in the same gang. These days, you call niggas for features and they tell you, “He’s working on his own project.

He can’t do it right now.” And nine times out of ten, it ain’t the nigga. It’s the management or the label. So that’s why we have to go out and communicate...

The rest of this interview is featured in the June issue of OZONE Magazine at www.OZONEMAG.com.

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WORDS & PHOTO: JULIA BEVERLY

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DIRTBAG

MIAMI, FL

Where have you been hiding? There was a lot of hype when you signed your deal, and then things slowed down a bit.

Basically, things just came to a stop. I learned the hard way – you can’t win on the label, you gotta do it yourself. It’s a little politics, you know? I was supposed to make a move from Jive to another company, so we’ve been going through that for the past six months. They finally decided I’m gonna stay over there at Jive, due to the success of Cool & Dre. Dre signed over there at Jive.

So politically they figured, damn near anywhere I go I’m gonna blow up now since Dre finna blow, so they kept me. But it was a battle for six months that held things up. I was out of town for a little bit and that kind of held things up too, so now I’m on the grind. I’m putting out a mixtape and I’ve got a new single I’m working on called Bring It Back to The Bottom. I’m just keepin’ it poppin’ while these boys work.

What were the problems between you and Jive? Some of the Southern artists that have been signed to Jive in the past felt that the label didn’t really know how to market them. Was that part of your issue?

The real problem I got at Jive is that they really don’t take too many chances. They kinda tippy-toe. You can’t play ball like that.

You either go all out or you don’t do it at all. They’ll throw a single out there but they won’t work it, they’ll just see how it goes by itself. So fuck it, I gotta work it myself.

I know if I get it poppin’ myself they’re the machine so they gotta do what they gotta do. But they’re not gonna take that first risk on me. They’ll sign me and have me sitting for five years, and they don’t care as long as I ain’t making money for nobody else.

So that’s the situation over there. After you create a buzz and get a few hundred spins yourself, Jive will step in. They don’t have good street teams. Their pop records sell, so that’s their bread and butter. They’re known for pop music so they just got rap on the side. You know, Too Short ain’t over there no more and E-40 ain’t over there no more. It’s not impossible to eat [at Jive] but you’ve gotta make that buzz on your own.

If you ain’t got a buzz, it’s difficult.

I ain’t gonna say that I relaxed, but I did think they were going to pick up the slack.

But with a lot of the stuff I was doing, they just didn’t want to put music out. It was all “hush-hush.” So it got kinda frustrating. But on my part, I forgot the grand hustle, you know what I’m saying? You never stop hustling. Even if you’re on a major label, you still push your own shit. So I take 75% of the blame for that. But the other 25% is on them, because they didn’t push my talent.

Didn’t Jive do a video for you and Mystikal?

Well, Jive didn’t do that. Chris Lighty did that. Then Mystikal got locked up and Busta Rhymes and his label got on us about putting the song out there. A lot of people didn’t come through on clearances. But it’s all good, I keep doing it. It’s like being in the game not knowing the game. God bless them, my heart goes out to them, but I’ve moved on to some other things now.

With all the setbacks did you ever get to the point where you felt like quitting?

I can’t. Cause if I quit and do something else, it’s going to be illegal. I gotta give it at least a five year run. I been in it for three years, so I got two more years to go...

The rest of this interview will be featured in the July issue of OZONE Magazine at www.OZONEMAG.com.

Is it fair to say that when you signed the deal with Jive you slacked off a little and relaxed, thinking that they were gonna pick up the slack?

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WORDS: JULIA BEVERLY PHOTO: JOE WESLEY 32

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K-FOXX

NYC/MIAMI, FL

Where did you get the idea to put out a calendar called I Am Every Woman?

I did a shoot for another magazine last summer and I posed as a Bond girl. We created three looks from a James Bond movie, and I got good responses from people all over the country. I never knew I had it in me to actually look like that on camera, so I decided to use it to my advantage and take it further. I picked ten different influential women who I admired, and honored them by recreating their look in this calendar. It’s called I’m Every Woman, and it pays tribute to women like Billie Holiday, Josephine Baker, Tina Turner, Halle Berry, and Angela Davis, just to name a few.

How can someone get a copy of the calendar or get more information?

They can log on to www.KFoxxOnline.com to purchase the calendar. A lot of them will be given away through the radio station for promotional use. I will also be giving some away to local stores, and hopefully Borders will pick it up. I think nowadays there are not a lot of female role models that little girls can look up to. Back in the day you had the Tina Turners, Josephine Bakers, and Angela Davises, but today there are really no role models for us to look up to aside from video girls. Not everyone fits that image, so that’s why I wanted to put out this calendar, so we can get back to the real essence of a woman and show how we’re able to conquer adversity.

a male-dominated business, men obviously look at the physical first. I really had to set my boundaries first and decide what I’m gonna do and what I’m not gonna do. As a woman in this business, you get tested. Men look at you like you’re a sex symbol first. I had to really perfect my craft and say, listen, this is what I have to offer, and if you’re not fucking with it then step down. I’m not about to lay down for anybody that wants to get up in me. Once you know yourself and you’ve set boundaries, it’s easier not to get discouraged by the challenges. Once you prevail and your talent is exposed, there is no stopping you. If you’re talented and you believe that, you’ve gotta stand by it and keep on going. If one door is closed, believe that another one is gonna open. There’s definitely been sexual harassment and men thinking I’m not smart enough to handle certain things, but give me the opportunity and I’m taking it and running with it.

So once you developed a reputation, it got easier for you?

Definitely, cause men will test you to see how far they can go. Once you say, “Listen, I don’t get down like that,” they’ve gotta give you your respect...

The rest of this interview will be featured in the July issue of OZONE Magazine at www.OZONEMAG.com.

Do you plan on taking your modeling career to the next level?

I definitely think this calendar is gonna be a stepping stone to more modeling, because when people look at it they’re like, “Wow, you transformed into each of these women.” I’m not saying that I look totally like them, cause you can’t look like ten different women, but I captured the essence of each of them. I’m not opposed to doing print work so I’d definitely like to do more modeling, but I want to tap more into acting. I used to do theater back in the days when I was in high school. I really want to act because people can see you as different characters. I’m a chameleon, and I think this calendar shows that. I think I can put that talent to use on the big screen.

What are some of the challenges for you as a woman in the music business?

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WORDS: JULIA BEVERLY 34

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GEISHA

MIAMI, FL

You got a little buzz with your Trina diss, “True Facts,” and it sounded kinda personal. Why did you diss her? Were you friends before?

Me and her were never friends. We were totally opposite. But there was an incident at a club called Cristal, a club on South Beach that used to jump a few years ago.

I ran into Trina and I asked her to get on a track with me. She gave me her number and I would call her and go to the studio and wait. She’d tell me she was coming, and she’d have me sitting at the studio for hours and never show up. I’d call her again and she’d be like, “I’ll call you back,” and then turn her phone off. If she didn’t want to do a song with me, she shoulda just kept it real and said, “I don’t wanna do anything with you.” So last year, during Hurricane Wilma, we had a bad storm and I was just sitting in the house writing rhymes. I wrote a song about Trina. Basically, the things I said about here were nothing new to anybody, it was just the first time it was put in a song. I let a couple of my friends here it and they were like, “That shit is hot.” I decided to make covers and burn the CD, and they were selling real fast. The flea market ended up selling like 100 CDs a week and everybody started playing it on the underground and burning it onto mixtapes.

So you were mad at her and you did a song to get it off your chest.

Yeah. It could either help me or hinder me.

Battle rap has been going on since LL Cool J, the Real Roxanne, N.W.A and Dr. Dre, so I felt like I called her to the plate. If you’re a so-called artist, you should be able to retaliate with no problem. But if you’re not a real artist, you’ll have to sit around and wait for a ghostwriter to help you retaliate. Trina has a lot of people in her ear sayin’, “If you respond to this girl, you’re gonna blow her up.” Down here in Miami, if you’re not in the circle or you’re bashing someone that’s in the circle, they’re not gonna let you blow up. A lot of DJs are not giving me spins cause of who she is and who she knows.

Her being a celebrity already, she has the upper hand on everything. She can sit and talk to anybody and say that it’s a hate song. It really isn’t a hate song; it’s a reality check. Everything on the song is “True Facts”: Trina Represents Untrue Entertainment. Here’s an artist that’s never went gold or platinum and all she has to show for her career is a perfume bottle. So some-

body in Miami needs to step to the plate and really take us somewhere – not cause of beauty or sex appeal, but cause she really has skills. I feel that I possess that.

What did you say about her in the song?

As far as T-Double-D, he wrote a song called “You Don’t Know Na’an.” He wrote some lyrics and Trina so-called rapped the female part of the lyrics that he wrote. Miami is finally getting the opportunity to get put on the map. But she’s doing interviews and giving props to somebody up North saying they’re the number one rapper, when the number one rapper should be the person that paved the way and put you in the game. Just keep it real. If Trick wouldn’t have wrote that song for you, you wouldn’t be where you are today. She had a best friend named Janie Howard, “Pinkey.” She was real popular down here in Miami. She wasn’t even a celebrity, but guys would come to Miami from far and wide to see her perform in the strip club. They used to dance together. They started off stripping in high school. When Trina blew up she left Janie behind and really kinda dissed her. If you’re my homegirl, you’re my homegirl. If I hit celebrity status I’m not gonna change, I’ma stay the same. It’s several things in the song that I wrote about her not going platinum and her not being a real rap artist.

She’s the Milli Vanilli of the hip-hop game.

I don’t even wanna rap about her no more cause I crushed her. There’s no reason for me to discuss her no more.

What makes you stand out as compared to other female rappers?

I’m trying to be versatile. I want people to recognize that I truly do have skills. I’m expecting to expand into movies and investing in property – for real, not just saying that I’m investing in property. Right now I’m living a mediocre life and I’m trying to do something positive for myself. Getting in the rap game has always been a desire and a dream of mine. I wrote five songs during that hurricane and when I put them on a CD and put it out, [the Trina diss] is what grabbed people’s attention. I guess controversy sells, so if that’s what’s gonna give me that buzz for people to pay attention, it’s cool. My intention is not to stay on Trina, just to get the doors open. It really did open doors for people to recognize who I was.

Good publicity and bad publicity is publicity, period.

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01: Slim Thug and Young Cash @ Springfest (Miami, FL) 02: T-Pain and Sean Paul @ Springfest (Miami, FL) 03: Shawn Jay and Gotti @ Club Suite (Miami, FL) 04: Trick Daddy, Fat Joe, Trina, Dre, and DJ Khaled on the set of “Holla At Me Baby” (Miami, FL) 05: Kawan Prather and Latin Prince @ Springfest (Miami, FL) 06: Fat Joe and crew on the set of “Holla At Me Baby” (Miami, FL) 07: Lil Wayne and Dizzy (Miami, FL) 08: Trick Daddy @ youth football tournament (Miami, FL) 09: Trina and Lil Wayne (Miami, FL) 10: Cedric Hollywood @ WJHM (Orlando, FL) 11: DJ Mars and DJ Bobby Black @ Mansion (Miami, FL) 12: Tye Dash and Diddy @ Mansion (Miami, FL) 13: Kinky B and BloodRaw @ Mansion (Miami, FL) 14: Gotti and K-Foxx @ Club Suite (Miami, FL) 15: Cool, DJ Serge and friends on the set of Dre’s “Chevys Ridin’ High” (Miami, FL) 16: Hustle Simmons, Ump, and Gotti @ Club Suite (Miami, FL) 17: Sean Paul and Supa Cindy @ Springfest 18: Dela Candela, Luc-Duc, and a guest on the set of Dre’s “Chevys Ridin’ High” (Miami, FL) 19: Slim Thug and Bun B @ Springfest (Miami, FL) 20: Radio One crew: Coco Brother, Emperor Searcy, and friends @ Springfest (Miami, FL) 21: WTMG DJs, Jock Smoove, and Julia Beverly @ Venue (Gainesville, FL) Photos: Bogan (08); Bright Star (10); DJ Ren (18); J Lash (04,06,07,09); Julia Beverly (01,02,03,05, 11,12,13,14,15,16,17, 19,20); Malik Abdul (21)

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WORDS: JULIA BEVERLY PHOTO: RAY TAMARRA 16

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PITBULL

MIAMI, FL

You’ve always repped hard for Cuba, especially on your new album El Mariel. Do you stay in touch with what’s happening there?

I’m always in touch with Cuba. You really have no choice when you live in Miami. In Cuba you have no right to speak your mind.

There’s no opportunities. You have people hungry over there. Poverty, bottom line.

What do you think about all these immigration debates?

Well, as soon as Cubans touch ground they have the right to stay in America and they have a chance at citizenship. All of my family were immigrants, so I feel for them.

The way they’re setting up the laws, they’re stripping them of their rights and setting them up for failure because anybody that tries to help them gets in trouble. The way I see it is this: America is supposed to be the land of the free and the land of opportunity, so everybody should get equal opportunity to the rights and freedoms of being an American.

Do you touch on these subjects on your new album or is it mostly party records?

Of course we’ve got party records, but I’m touching on a lot of different things. You’ve got to cater to everything in the game.

That’s why I called it El Mariel; it’s my boat lift. I’m coming, and hopefully I’ll be able to take advantage of all these opportunities.

You don’t feel like you’ve achieved your full potential yet in this game?

In no way, shape, or form. This is just the beginning. The next step is making a stamp. All I really need on this album right here is for one song to bust open like three times the size of “Dammit Man.” Once I do one of those, it’ll put me in a whole different category in the game where I’ve covered all bases. Spanish, in the club, in the streets, political, deep, storytelling, whatever. Pit can cover all the bases. That’s basically what I want to do with this album – show my versatility.

Do you think being with an indie label has limited your potential or prevented people from seeing you as a superstar?

I don’t think it’s limiting. No matter where you are, if you’re a star you’re a star, bottom line. But I like it better like that. If they throw you out there quick and you blow it up, it ain’t a slow grind. You know how we

say in the South: a slow grind is a fa’ sho’ grind. That’s how I look at it with my career.

I want a career like T.I. and Jay-Z. I want a career that’s constantly growing, no decline. A constant incline. I sold 600,000 on M.I.A.M.I. and 300,000 on Money Is Still A Major Issue with no promotions. So if I do 800,000 or 900,000 on my next album, I’m happy. If I hit a million, it’s a blessing. And I’m gonna come back to back with a Spanish album, so it’s a blessing.

Your last album seemed like it had a lot of commercial/radio records. Is this one going to sound more like a mixtape?

Well, a lot of my records didn’t get cleared cause of sample issues. So a lot of the records that I wanted to put on M.I.A.M.I., I couldn’t use. So that’s basically what happened. With this album, I’m getting the chance to work on some things. So if it outdoes the last album, it’s great. It’s gonna be more like a mixtape, exactly. There’ll be like four club-oriented records on there like a “Bojangles,” and the rest is gonna be those mixtape records.

In Uncle Luke’s interview he said that you and Rick Ross are gonna be the ones to take Miami’s music scene to the next level. Do you agree?

That’s 150% accurate. Rick Ross is gonna help show the world what I’ve been doing in Miami. I jumped on the “Holla At Me Baby” song with DJ Khaled and all them folks, and “Born And Raised” with Trick Daddy and Rick Ross. People are starting to see the other side of Pitbull. Cats like Rick Ross, he doesn’t make the type of records I make.

When he comes out and says that Pit been doing it for years and they love Pit in Miami, that’s another stripe earned. That’s gonna help the whole Pitbull movement. As far as me and [Rick] Ross doing a record together, I’d love to do it but I don’t know, because of these Def Jam and TVT issues.

Do you feel underrated as a rapper?

People can call me anything but broke, because at the end of the day that’s all I care about. If they’re thinking about me that’s a beautiful thing because that means they’re listening to me and adding fuel to the fire.

I’m not in a rush. What comes quickly leaves quickly. Those that know Pit know how I get down. If I’ve got an opportunity that I can take full advantage of, why not?

I’d be a foolish businessman not to.

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WORDS: JULIA BEVERLY PHOTO: COLIN WILLIAMS

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UNCLE LUKE How hard is it for an artist such as yourself to stay relevant in the game for a long period of time, with trends coming and going so quickly?

How hard is it to stay relevant? It’s not hard at all. Not to me, because I’m a businessman first. If I was just an artist I would probably have been lost in the shuffle a long time ago. But I’m in the business of sex, and when people are in the business of sex they stay around for a long time. And I’m consistent with sex, I don’t fuck around. I’m not a gangsta one day and a weed smoker or something the next day. I’m sex all the time!

Have you thought of going into the “sex business” full-time? Like full-out porn?

Yeah, that’s what I’m doing now. This will probably be my last album as an artist. I have a couple artists on my label, yeah, but I’m going straight sex, porno, adult entertainment. That’s the only way to go.

It’s a $57 billion dollar industry. Ads in the porn magazines ain’t like your magazine where you’ve got to spend $10,000 an ad (laughing). In the porn business you can just spend $2,000 with the AVN and you’re good. You don’t have to buy ads, you don’t have to buy videos, you don’t have to spend half a million dollars in promotions and marketing.

Would you describe your new album My Life & Freaky Times as softcore porn, or more mainstream? How explicit is it?

It’s Luke. Everything I brought to the table with 2 Live Crew.

MIAMI, FL if they’re talking like that, 9 times out of 10 they’re listening to music like that. To a large to degree they are getting exposed to it through music, but you’ve gotta know how deep to go with them. That’s how I am with my kids. Sometimes they ain’t ready, like my son. He ain’t ready, he’s into that Playstation right now. But as soon as he started talking about them girls, that’s when I’m going to start talking to him hart.

He’s gonna be hearing that shit. “Nigga, you better wear a rubber!”

Do you think it’s important for the schools to address sex education as well as the parents?

Yeah, I think they need to. I think kids nowadays are not like the kids when I was a kid. Nowadays, the kids are exposed to so much more. You’ve got internet, music, fast girls, everything is fast right now. The world is going real fast. You’ve got cell phones now; shit is not slow like it used to be. Back in the day if you had four brothers or something in the house and one phone, you could never get on the goddamn phone.

You’d have to wait in line or beat somebody down like you was in a jail cell just to use the phone. So it ain’t like it used to be, and there’s so much shit that they can see...

The rest of this interview will be featured in the July issue of OZONE Magazine at www.OZONEMAG.com.

You have kids, right? What’s your opinion on how much sex kids should be exposed to?

Yeah, I’ve got three kids. Kids should stay in kid’s place. I don’t think kids should be exposed to nothing that they ain’t ready for. I coach football, and I’ll have all the kids over at my house. They’ll be in the back room and they talk like grown people. I’m not sayin’ that I condone that, though. They don’t talk crazy around me cause I’ll straighten them out. You’ve gotta know how much they’re ready for. I got a 15-year old daughter and her mother said she was talking to boys. So I got on the phone and told her, “Yo, you talking to boys? You know what them muthafuckers want, right? That’s all they want, to try to get a little piece of the tail.” I talk to them real. At the same time, OZONE

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WORDS: JULIA BEVERLY 20

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SUPA

MIAMI, FL

What’s your background in the music business?

I started out with G-Mash and One Stop Records. We had the group Unda Presha.

We produced our own music and wrote our own music. We were in the studio mixing down our songs and a couple A&Rs were checking out our music. They liked it, and we took it from there and kinda made it happen. That’s when everything started happening. That’s where I really got my initiation into the game. That was five years ago.

Were you a producer or an artist at SlipN-Slide?

I was more of an artist, but by me being real close to Trick, that drove me to make songs for him. I was always a producer since I was 9 years old, but I did a couple songs exactly for Trick. It wouldn’t be for nobody else but him, that’s who I was aiming at. I produced “All I Need” and “Money & Drugs” on the Thug Holiday album. I also did a record on the Drumline soundtrack, that was real hot.

I also played in the movie.

So what label are you with now? What happened to the Slip-N-Slide situation?

I’m still with the same label One Stop Records, but as far as Slip-N-Slide goes, it ain’t no communication because they didn’t pay me for my songs and the work that I did. After that, the relationship got sour. The contract we had with them was a label deal – they signed One Stop Records because they loved what I do. That’s how I got close to them. If you listen to my songs and you think they’re fire, you’re gonna want me close to you as well, especially if we got a relationship.

How were you able to get out of the contract?

With the label deal, we were able to pull out after the album because we wasn’t prospering with them. We didn’t have too much promotion. We had to slip out. I was 15 when I signed with Slip-N-Slide, so that gave me a lot of leeway as far as the contract and parting ways. I’m 21 now. But it wasn’t a hard split. I’m cool with Trick and any other artist that was on Slip-N-Slide, but as far as the company, they owe me money. I ain’t cool with nobody that owes me money.

How long ago did you leave Slip-N-

Slide?

I been out of that situation for like four years now. Because I didn’t collect my funds that was pretty much it. But I was still fuckin’ with Trick. On the album Thug Matrimony, the song “If I Ain’t A Thug” was originally one of my songs. I produced it and wrote the chorus for it. Instead of paying me for it, they had somebody else remake it.

Are you glad you went through that situation in retrospect? Do you feel like it was a learning experience and paying dues?

I don’t see it as paying my dues. I just feel like I got jacked. I been paying dues ever since I got started, which was a long time ago. I paid plenty of dues even getting to that point. I got jacked and it’ll never happen again. I’ve got a stronger team now so we’ll never go back down that route.

What are you working on now as far as your own project?

Right now I’ve got the Bigga Rankin mixtape, and the DJ Irie mixtape is in the works.

I’m also doing a straight street mixtape with Tony C. It’s not just local, but it’s real to the point where if you pop it in you’ll feel like I’m talking exactly to you. That’s gonna be real big – something for Dade County, putting together a whole new movement.

Are you producing for any other artists besides Trick?

I’m working on a Yung Joc single right now. I got songs for 50 Cent, Jermaine Dupri, and Lil Jon. I’m a producer, so when I make my songs I take a particular angle and make a song for whoever I got in mind and it sounds exactly right for them. Matter of fact, we just sent some tracks to Ciara for her next project. Hopefully she’ll consider some of Supa’s work.

Now that you’re indie again, are you hesitant to hook up with another label because of your past experiences?

We plan to drop an indie album to get a major deal. I don’t think I would do it differently if I could – like you said, it’s a lesson learned. All I can do is grow with it and get bigger and that’ll make ‘em even madder.

I’m unstoppable right now. With each and every track I make, it’s that type of mentality Do you have a website?

Yeah, www.myspace.com/supa305music.

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WORDS & PHOTO: JULIA BEVERLY 22

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DRE

MIAMI, FL

You actually got started singing in an R&B group, right? You’re also a producer now, but you’re getting ready to drop an album of your own. Is it a rap album, or R&B? It’s a rap album, but I do have an R&B joint on there. A lot of people like Fat Joe, Puff Daddy, Timbaland, Cool, Busta Rhymes, and DJ Khaled were telling me to put an album out.

So when you started out rapping were you playing around?

I’ve always been freestyling and whenever I was in the studio with people I’d give them direction. I’d rhyme for them and give them direction and then Busta Rhymes was like, “Yo, you dope, you should rhyme,” and then Joe Crack was like, “Yo, you need to rap,” and that’s how I got it. You can never limit yourself.

When you first got your label deal for Epidemic/Jive, wasn’t Dirtbag supposed to be your first release?

Yeah, we’ve been trying to get that Dirtbag situation straight for the past two and a half years. But Jive hasn’t fared well with their rap department, so we all felt that if I put out an album it would brand Epidemic and make an easier lane for Dirtbag to drop his shit. Basically, I’ve been changing how Jive conducts business on their rap side. People know who I am already, so it’s easier.

record that had kinda set off [the 50 Cent and Fat Joe beef] in the first place.

You and Cool seem to steer clear of the beef and drama.

Yeah, God has blessed me and Cool. Me and Cool, we’re about the music. At the same time, [Fat] Joe is a good friend of mine and I hate when people talk bad about him.

But Joe has always led me and Cool away from that. He always told us it’s about the music, and that’s our mindset anyways. At the end of the day, if we can create music for people to come together, that’s a good thing. Just the fact that we did both those records, and they were both great records, let people know that we don’t get involved with bullshit and that two great records can be made.

Being that you’re close to Joe, what’s your opinion about some of the controversy he’s had with former Terror Squad artists like Cuban Link? Remy Ma was recently blasting him on the radio.

I don’t know Cuban Link. Me and Cool became cool with Joe after all that so I can’t speak on that. As far as the Remy Ma situation, she was just frustrated and just let herself go on the radio...

The rest of this interview is featured in the July issue of OZONE Magazine at www.OZONEMAG.com.

So you’re able to call in a lot of favors.

Yeah, all of that. It’s just easier because people know my face, and I have relationships in the industry.

A lot of people know that you, and your partner Cool, produced Ja Rule’s “New York” record. What are some other songs you’ve produced?

“Hate It Or Love It” for Game and 50 Cent, “Rodeo” for Juvenile, “Say I” for Christina Milian and Young Jeezy, “Holla At Me Baby” for DJ Khaled, and a lot of album cuts.

Since you’re affiliated with Fat Joe, did producing the “Hate It Or Love It” record with 50 Cent put you in the middle of their situation at all?

Naw, cause we did that record for Game, not for 50 Cent. We did that record prior to any friction. That was the third single off Game’s album. What was crazy about it was that we had produced the “New York” OZONE

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WORDS & PHOTO: JULIA BEVERLY 26

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J-SHIN

MIAMI, FL

So what have you been up to lately, since your last interview?

I’ve been on a middle school and high school tour for the last three weeks. That’s my main goal with the promotions for this album, to hit up the middle schools, high schools, and colleges, and also do the club stuff. The album drops in August so I’m tryin’ to reach the teens right now. By the time the album drops I’ll be ready to go and start hitting that adult contemporary scene.

We’ve been videotaping all the events that we’re doing, especially in the schools.

There’s been a nice turn out and a great response so it’s looking pretty good.

What’s the difference between performing in a club atmosphere and performing at a school – do you change up your routine?

Yeah, when I perform at the middle schools and high schools not only do I perform, but I also step in and talk to them about education and how important it is. A lot of young kids want to get into music, so I talk to them about it. It’s a performance and it’s also motivational.

What do you think is the most important thing for kids to hear from you, aside from just “stay in school”?

Just having a goal and going for that goal.

Life is what you make it, and it all boils down to the decisions you make. I tell them, “Right now, you’re in middle school and high school. You’re with your parents and really don’t have no responsibilities.

But time is running out, and soon you’re gonna have to make a decision. Your decision is gonna determine how far you go in life.” That’s what I try to preach to them.

that love. The song is basically about being involved in a relationship where you’re looking for someone that you’re going to love. Before you get into that situation, a lot of times you want to know if that person is going to love you like you love them. That’s what the song is about.

So the majority of the album is based on love and relationships?

Yeah, it’s about love. The title is All I Got Is Love. Especially being in the position that I’m in, I have a lot of young ladies come my way. And I’ve always got to try to figure out what it is that they really want when they do come to me. Is it the fame, is it the jewelry, is it the money, or is it me? So on this album, I’m telling you that love is all I’ve got.

How do you check out a woman’s motives?

I’m not gonna say it’s a test, but it is certain things that I do and say just to find out their response. I don’t really wanna give it away, but it helps me find out if they’re into me as a person or just me as an artist. I just ask questions. I try to read into certain things and certain situations. As an artist, trying to find love is hard...

The rest of this interview will be featured in the July issue of OZONE Magazine at www.OZONEMAG.com.

The single you have out now is called “If I Fall In Love.” Was that based on a personal experience you went through?

“If I Fall In Love” was written by Trap; I was the co-writer. The song stems from my past history. I just wanted to touch on the experience of being able to get involved in another relationship after you’ve been in one that really didn’t turn out right. It’s been discussed, but not on a major scale.

They don’t wanna talk about love or fallin’ in love, but gangsta need love too. You see the rappers in the street, but what do they do when they leave out of the streets and go home? They’ve got wives, girlfriends, and kids. They humble up. We all need OZONE

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C-RIDE

MIAMI, FL

Tell us a little bit about your background.

I got in some trouble and had to leave Miami and move to Atlanta in 2000, when Pastor Troy was running shit. By staying in Atlanta, it attracted me to dark 808s. In Miami they speed everything up just like how niggas Houston slow their shit down. So when I got to Atlanta I heard the crunk shit slowed down with niggas yelling and I love it. That’s not what I do but the love the style.

I’d rather listen to Lil Jon over Pharrell.

Growing up, who would you say were some of your influences?

Since I’m from Carol City, Miami listening to Luke was inevitable. I had to grow up on Luke. But really, I’m from the No Limit and Hot Boys era. I liked Master P because sometimes it sounded like he just went in the booth like he was drunk or high. I could tell he wasn’t writing a lot of that shit.

He was just vibing because he had them beats. I liked Outkast, but I was a G. Andre went over my head sometimes, but I still dug the music.

If that’s the case would you say that you aspire to over people’s heads too?

Yeah, kinda. Rappers say the same shit because they around the same shit everyday.

So I just wanted to separate myself from the average by using different metaphors and words. After the first rhyme I ever recorded, some people threw a contract in my face. I knew I had something right then.

Plus when I moved back to Miami in 2003 there was like 30,000 more rappers now.

So I started focusing on saying things to make you rewind and listen again.

from Florida. But Miami don’t really get out, we stay among ourselves. I want to change that.

How did you hook up with Cool & Dre and Epidemic?

I recorded a CD with another company and they packaged it up and gave it to a lot of people. A DJ gave it to Cool & Dre and they kept calling asking about me. Then when they saw me they were happy to see I wasn’t looking like a monster so it was on. I got with them in the beginning of ’04, when Dirtbag first got signed to Epidemic/Jive. I was having a lot offers with just 3 songs.

Nothing has really came out yet, but I know I know that everything happens for a reason.

What are you promoting right now?

I just did a mixtape called Comin’ From Da Bottom with DJ Ideal. It’s my first official mixtape, the first one to get pressed up. It’s led to me doing a lot of features down here.

You can ask around, people know about me now. It’s really worked out for me. Mixtapes are for DJs in the South, that’s how your music gets heard...

The rest of this interview is featured in the June issue of OZONE Magazine at www.OZONEMAG.com.

Everyone’s eyes are starting to look towards Miami for the next wave of music.

What do you feel that you are bringing to the table?

I want to unite Miami. Rick Ross got everybody down here trying to see who’s next.

I’m trying to make Miami like Houston and Atlanta. I wanna bring unity to Miami and Florida period.

Do you think Florida has unity?

Well, we didn’t support Plies and T-Pain when they was blowing up because they weren’t from Miami, even though they are OZONE

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WORDS: JULIA BEVERLY 30

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BLAK CHERRY

MIAMI, FL

How did you get into the rap game?

I had a couple cousins that used to rap, and my homeboys were the Lost Tribe over at Slip-N-Slide. We used to always rap together. After they introduced me to the game I went over to this company called EKG Records. They liked my style and signed me, but that didn’t work out. I was out of there about two years ago and I’ve been grinding on my own ever since. I’m just doing everything by myself right now. I’ve had a lot of independent labels trying to get at me, but everybody don’t have their stuff together.

with a baseball bat – but I’d like to try.” I did a remix to David Banner’s “Play” but I flipped it into “Ooh Boy.” I just did the “Lean Wit’ It” and “Betcha Can’t Do It Like Me.” I did a lot of remixes and flipped them.

There’s so many female rappers in Florida, especially in Miami. Does that make it harder to establish yourself?

Not really. It’s hard for any female rapper to come out, it’s not just cause I’m in Miami or in Florida. Everybody has their own style and flavor that they can add to the game.

But just being a female period, it’s harder than being a male. Females don’t really get respected in the game like a male artist would. Like when Jeezy was coming out, he could go to the clubs and ask a DJ to play his song. But if you’re a female in the game and you’re sexy and you want a DJ to play your song, they’ll try to holla at the same time. So it’s kind of crazy.

Do you think it’s hard to get radio play if your single is too explicit?

No, because I can always clean it up enough for radio. You always have your street shit and your radio edit.

You’ve promoted yourself as a ghetto porn star. Have you actually done porn?

Nah, I never did any porn, it’s just Blak Cherry, a.k.a. the “ghetto porn star” because the stuff I spit in my lyrics is like painting a picture of some stuff you would actually see in a porn. I bring different things into play when I’m rhyming, like girl-on-girl action and dildos and little beads and kama sutra.

I’m just on some next level stuff. If I’ma do sexy, I’ma do it all the way.

Is sex the main focus of your music?

Yeah. To be honest, a female rapper is not gonna get looked at in any other aspect but sexy. A lot of females come out trying to be hard, but there’s really not a market for a hard female in this game. I’m trying to take the sex symbol thing as far as it’ll go.

Making a Sprite can disappear in your mouth?

Oh, I’m worse than Lil Kim. I haven’t made the Sprite can reference, but if you go back and listen to the remix I did for the Ying Yang Twins’ “Wait,” I said, “I’ve been tied, I’ve been smacked, I’ve never been fucked

Aside from the remixes, do you have your own songs or projects?

I’m working on two mixtapes, one with DJ Dagwood and one with DJ Hurricane. Right now I’m pushing my single “Spank Me,” produced by Twig. All the females love the song. It’s real, real raunchy.

You mentioned Lost Tribe – have you worked with them or any other local artists?

Yeah, and I’m doing some work with Piccalo, So South, and Acafool. Just a bunch of mixtapes and stuff, just grinding.

What sets you apart as a rapper?

I’m more sexual. And I’m more humble than most female artists. When people meet me, they see the realness in me. That’s why a lot of people deal with me and try to help me out. There’s things I’m trying to do as far as the sex symbol thing. I wanna put out some DVDs like the Girls Gone Wild type of stuff, but for black girls, doing more extreme stuff. I wanna get into the production side of it and take advantage of this sex market, cause it’s a huge industry.

Do you rhyme about other topics?

Yeah, I talk about girls that are going through struggles with their baby daddies.

I try to teach girls not to fall for all these lame tricks that these guys spit out. I have a whole bunch of subjects but my primary thing is to be the ultimate sex symbol.

Are you going to drop an indie album?

Right now I’m gonna do it independently, and hopefully it’ll create a buzz so a majorj will come holla. But if I find an indie label with the right strategy and the right budget to put behind me, that would be cool.

Do you have a website?

Check out www.blakcherry.com and www. myspace.com/blakcherry6801.

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WORDS: JULIA BEVERLY 34

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SUPA CINDY In addition to holding down the morning show on Miami’s WEDR 99 Jamz, Supa Cindy’s extracurricular activities include her non-profit organization Supa Friends.

Every year on Memorial Day Weekend, Supa Friends holds the “I Know I Can” summit, a mentoring program for teenage girls.

Tell me about your non-profit.

It took me about two years to get it going, and this is my third year of doing it. We do the “I Know I Can” summit every year, and the non-profit’s main purpose is to mentor young girls. This year I’ve got a lot of things lined up with the city of Miami, so I’m going to be doing events quarterly instead of just annually. It’s huge for me, and I’m very happy about it. The summit itself is basically a gathering of young girls, and I have a female panel that speaks to them. To me, a lot of the programs that they have for young girls are boring. I’m just doing a female panel because of the politics of it – to show them role models. But when I was younger and I went to an event like that, a girl sitting up on a panel telling me she’s a lawyer or a doctor or whatever didn’t motivate me to do shit. To me, what makes the biggest impact is the male panel. I put guys up there like [morning show co-host] Big Lip Bandit and Pitbull. (laughing) Last year, Pitbull’s big ass mouth, telling the girls, “Pussy is power.” But seriously, I think things like that stick in the girl’s heads a lot more than a woman saying, “Look at the struggles I went through and now I’m a doctor” or whatever. For some reason, these young girls nowadays are so hot in the pants that they’ll be quicker to absorb the information that a guy is telling them. A woman telling them to keep their legs closed and be a young lady isn’t as effective as a nigga or a rapper telling them, “Look, all I wanna do is fuck, and I don’t give a shit about knowing your name tomorrow.” I like that part of the program. It shows them how it really is.

MIAMI, FL like a month ago, so what I did was film a lot of these rappers answering questions. I have a video that’s going to be playing at the summit with Ludacris, Paul Wall, T-Pain, LeToya Luckett, Cherish, Sean Paul, and a bunch of other artists. The craziest one was T-Pain. He’s retarded.

Are you doing anything different at the summit this year?

Last year I let the parents in but I really don’t want to let the parents in this year. I just want the young girls there. I raised the age this year to 13-21 years old. I think that even if you’re 21, you’re still lost at a certain point.

When I was 21 I didn’t have it all together, and I still don’t have it all together. I don’t want the moms or the guardians in there because they tend to be so opinionated.

It’s like a double-edged sword. I want the moms to be in there learning, and relating to what their daughters are going through, but I don’t want to scare the girls off from talking. So this year I’m having a breakfast for the moms next door. The moms are going to be next door discussing issues that moms go through, and the girls will be with me. I think the panel is a good idea. The problem with a lot of these programs that they have is that they’re not real...

The rest of this interview will be featured in the July issue of OZONE Magazine at www.OZONEMAG.com.

Who do you have lined up for this year’s panel?

This year Slim Thug is gonna be there.

Trick Daddy’s ass better show up. I told him I was gonna talk about him [on the radio] if he didn’t. DJ Khaled, Dre, Toccara from America’s Top Model, and possibly Serena Williams and Mad Linx. A lot of local celebrities will be there also. We had Springfest a couple weeks ago and Ludacris was here OZONE

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WORDS: JULIA BEVERLY PHOTO: FWP247.COM

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BLOODRAW PANAMA CITY, FL Representing Panama City, FL, Bruce “BloodRaw” Falson spent most of his teenage years in and out of prison and served a six year sentence for drug trafficking. Released at age 21, he decided to turn his life around and pursue a music career. He generated a heavy buzz on the underground circuit with records like “Represent,” “My Block Burn” featuring Pastor Troy, Grandaddy Souf’s “Gameroom” with Three 6 Mafia, and Zay’s “Pump Yo’ Brakes” featuring Lil Jon, landing a deal with Young Jeezy’s CTE label. In addition to his solo deal with CTE, BloodRaw is a member of the group USDA, which is signed to Def Jam. BloodRaw was acquitted of Federal drug charges on April 5th, 2006. Here’s his story:

I

was arrested the day before I was supposed to leave to go to Europe [on tour with Young Jeezy]. Me and my brother Slick Pulla stopped by the passport office.

When I went to the passport office and pulled into the parking lot, being from the streets, I watch my environment. As I was getting out of the car, I saw three different strange vehicles, and all the vehicles had four people in them. That ain’t common.

As I’m walking up the stairs to the passport office, a lady comes outside and she’s acting all nervous. She’s like, “Are you here for your passport?” and I told her my name. As I’m talking to her, I see the U.S. Marshals get out of the car. I open my phone and get ready to call my sister. As I’m calling my sister and walking in the door, they walk in, grab my phone, shut the phone off, and ask me what my name is. They took me into custody. I went to the Atlanta penitentiary, and they told me what I was charged with.

It was a charge in Panama City: conspiracy to distribute five keys of cocaine and fifty grams of crack. They had been investigating during a five year period of time, since 2000.

took the names that they wanted to take and said them to the jury. They also tried to use the lyrics to some of my other songs [like “Indictment Papers”] against me, but they couldn’t use them because it hadn’t been presented as evidence when the trial first started.

The names that I said in the song were supposedly my co-conspirators. [The prosecution] said, “These guys that he named in this song were part of this conspiracy.”

Ten dudes got on the stand [and testified against me]; some of them where the names I said in the song. My lyrics are real; I don’t rap about nothing that’s fake. There was a point in my life when I really did [the things that I rap about]. But I wasn’t guilty of the crime they were charging me with. I never said that I never sold drugs, but I’m not guilty of the things they charged me with.

I would’ve never done a song called “Indictment Papers” if I didn’t feel that in my heart.

I knew there would come a time I would have to go through something pertaining to my past; in the city where I’m from, they don’t want to see you make it...

The rest of this story is featured in the June issue of OZONE Magazine at www.

OZONEMAG.com.

I was transported to Tallahassee, where I stayed until a week before my trial. I went to trial on Monday [April 3rd, 2006]. They used some of my song lyrics during the trial; they used some names I mentioned and tried to say that they were my co-conspirators. On one song, I had named 20 names, and they picked out three names. They just OZONE

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5-6-ACE Secret Weapon Hurricane season is only a month away but there is word of a tropical depression brewing in Palm Beach County. The Punchline Prince a.k.a Moka Blast is being tagged as the nastiest thing to hit South Florida ever since Hurricane Andrew. He has literally taken over the streets of West Palm Beach by storm.

His 6 ft., 195 lb. muscular frame is not what intimidates the competition. On the contrary he is rather passive. Its his raw delivery, bar for bar, riddled with disgusting punchlines that make even the most versed emcee unwilling to involve themselves in a cypha. “I used to battle, but that’s a waste of time. I left that alone a long time ago. I rather make hits catered to the streets. Don’t get it twisted, making a commercial track is a piece of cake, its just that i rather appeal to the masses that sick and tired of the same old songs on the radio. So i decided to bless the streets with mixtapes demonstrating versatily.”

When it comes to the mixtape scene, Blast is officially unstoppable. In the 5-6-Ace, he is hailed as the King of the Underground, and that title is well deserved. The Punchline Prince is no stranger to this arena as he have dropped numerous mixtapes in the Upper Northeast and even Canada. He has easily moved well over 10,000 copies in a short period of time.

His last endeavor is by far his best as he and his District team goes bare knuckles at the competition. “Listen man, Florida have nothing but talent, talent, and more talent so I was forced to step my game up big time. I made sure that we covered every aspect of the rap game on this last mixtape called BLAST OFF!” The 26 year old Prince royal army serves him loyally as they are always behind him. The District consists of Finesse, Youth, Boog$, N-Cite and Future a.k.a The Fab Five. “I feel so unstoppable as we can go at any squad out there and hold our own.”

“When people ask me who is the hottest out, all i say is that you are looking at him.” I am not trying to be cocky or anything but there is no artist out there better than me or my team.

The game will be making a mistake if they let us in because quite frankly, its skies the limit.

I have been offered deals but it seems that somebody is always trying to get over. For that reason, I started my own record label with my boy Da-Nali XL. We go by Sho Stoppahs Entertainment because at any given time, we will shuts it down. All I have to say is that the 5-6-Ace have a new posterboy and failure is not an option. I will make sure Palm Beach County has its turn!!!

Ms. Jassy

ONE STEP AHEAD ENTERTAINMENT presents

This premiere model, actress, party host, and video personality for the established talent-packed entertainment company One Step Ahead Entertainment. One Step Ahead features new music artists, models, and a wide variety of both urban and mainstream entertainment. To see more of Ms. Jassy, please visit her website www.msjassy.com or call 305-528-0788 or email prolificopromo@tmail.com