WELCOMETO MIAMI
SUPER BOWL 2010
edition** **special G FEATURIN
dj khaled
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KEVIN COSSOM // DANJA // TRINA PRETTY RICKY // SHONIE // HOT YELLA SWAZY STYLES // KEISHA KASH // TORCH Gun Play // YOUNG BREED // & MORE
WELCOMETO MIAMI
SUPER BOWL 2010
edition** **special
G FEATURIN
KEVIN COSSOM &DANJA
+
DJ KHALED // TRINA // GUN PLAY PRETTY RICKY // SHONIE // HOT YELLA SWAZY STYLES // KEISHA KASH // TORCH CP HOLLYWOOD // YOUNG BREED
PUBLISHER: Julia Beverly SPECIAL EDITIONS EDITOR: Jen McKinnon a.k.a. Ms. Rivercity CONTRIBUTORS & CREW: Ashley Smith Eric Perrin Jee’Van Brown Kisha Smith Maurice G. Garland Mercedes Randy Roper Terrence Tyson Torrey Holmes PROMOTIONS DIRECTOR: Malik Abdul STREET TEAMS: Big Mouth Marketing Lex Promotions On Point Entertainment Poe Boy Strictly Streets SUBSCRIPTIONS: To subscribe, send check or money order for $11 to: OZONE Magazine 644 Antone St. Suite 6 Atlanta, GA 30318 Phone: 404-350-3887 Fax: 404-601-9523 Web: www.ozonemag.com
SIDE A 10 11 12 8-9 16-17 18-19 26-27
Club Listing Miami Map Lex Promo Top 10 Event Listing Keisha Kash Trina Young Breed
22-23 Danja 24-25 Kevin Cossom SIDE b 6 14 8-9 10-11 12-13 16-18 20-21 22-23
CP Hollywood Ed da World Famous Shonie Torch Gun Play Pretty Ricky Swazy Styles Hot Yella
24-26 DJ KHALED
COVER CREDITS: Kevin Cossom & Danja photo by Ty Watkins. DISCLAIMER: 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 2010 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.
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MIAMI Event Listing Thursday, FebRUARY 4th EA Sports Madden Bowl @ The Clevelander Hotel 1020 Ocean Drive, Miami Beach 9pm – 4am Eden Roc Super Bowl Party w/ Snoop Dogg @ The Eden Roc Renaissance 4525 Collins Avenue, Miami Beach 9pm – 2am $450 General Admission, $750 VIP Celeb Super Bowl Gifting Suite @ Karma 619 Washington Avenue Info: 205-213-8155 (Gardner Craig) Million Dollar Girl Super Bowl Kick Off w/ Trina @ SOBE Live - 1203 Washington Avenue Hometown Legends: Welcome to Miami Edition @ MIA - 20 Biscayne Blvd., Downtown Miami (305) 642-0032 Ne-Yo, Jagged Edge, & Verse Simmonds @ Adrienne Arsht Center, Knight Concert Hall 1300 Biscayne Boulevard, Miami, FL, 33132 8pm Tickets: $35 to $200
Nas, Goodie Mob, & Mayday! @ Adrienne Arsht Center, Knight Concert Hall 1300 Biscayne Boulevard, Miami, FL, 33132 8pm Tickets: $35 to $200
Saturday, FebRUARY 6th Runners of the Game Official Super Bowl Party @ Karma 619Washington Avenue The Main Event w/ NAS @ SOBE Live 1203 Washington Avenue Saturday Night Spectacular Hosted by Jim Carey & Jenny McCarthy @ Top of the Bank of America Building 9pm – 3am Taste of the NFL – Food & Wine Tasting @ Fort Lauderdale Convention Center 7pm – Late $755 General Admission, $950 VIP Maxim Magazine Party w/ Jermaine Dupri & DJ Vice @ The Raleigh Hotel 1775 Collins Avenue, Miami Beach 9pm – Late
Friday, FebRUARY 5th
Penthouse Party @ Passion Nightclub Seminole Hardrock - 5701 Seminole Way, Ft. Lauderdale $350 & up
Mike McKenzie/Genesis Superslam Celeb Basketball Game @ Miami Norland Sr. High School 1050 Northwest 195th Street, Miami, FL
Playboy Super Bowl Party @ The Sagamore Hotel (Poolside) - 1671 Collins Avenue, Miami Beach 9pm – 4am
Leather & Laces Super Bowl Party w/ Kim Kardashian, Roselyn Sanchez and Holly Madison @ The Paris Studio Theatre 9pm – late $350 General Admission, $750 VIP
Sunday, FebRUARY 7th
First Ten: First Friday Super Bowl Edition @ Justin’s Bar & Lounge 17813 Biscayne Blvd., Downtown Miami VIVID - Tootsies Cabaret Super Bowl Party @ Tootsies Cabaret 150 NW 183rd St. 10pm – Late $450 All Access Admission ESPN Super Bowl Party w/ Ne-Yo & Keri Hilson The Fontainebleau Hotel - 4441 Collins Avenue 10pm – Late Juvenile performing @ SOBE Live 1203 Washington Avenue Jordan Brand Super Bowl Party @ Karma 619 Washington Avenue Ochocinco’s Celeb Mansion Party 4745 Pine Drive, Miami Beach, FL 9pm – late
In Stadium Hospitality (Food, Open Bar, Live Entertainment) @ Dolphin Stadium 2269 Dan Marino Boulevard, Miami Gardens 2:30pm - 5:30pm plus 2 hours post game $450 (Must have Super Bowl Tickets to enter) Touchdown Club Hospitality (Food, Open Bar, Live Entertainment) Located Next to Stadium 2:30pm – 5:30pm Super Bowl Ticket required for entry NFL Tailgate Party @ Dolphin Stadium 2269 Dan Marino Boulevard, Miami Gardens 2:30pm – Kickoff $1,500 (Must have Super Bowl Tickets to enter) Super Bowl XLIV @ Dolphin Stadium 2269 Dan Marino Boulevard, Miami Gardens 6:30pm The Big Game After Party @ LIV 4441 Collins Avenue
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MIAMI CLUB LISTING 90 Degree 90 NE 11th Street, Downtown Miami (786) 425-3545 Amika 1532 Washington Ave., Miami Beach, FL 33139 (305) 534-1499
Club Warehouse 90 NE 11th St, Miami, FL (786) 425-3545 Coco’s Lounge Living On The Edge 1430 NW 119th St, Miami (305) 688-5005
Mansion 1235 Washington Ave., Miami Beach, FL (305) 531-5535 Metropolis Downtown 950 NE 2nd Avenue, Miami (305) 415-0088 Mia 20 Biscayne Blvd. Downtown Miami (305) 642-0032 Miami Velvet 3901 NW 77th Ave, Miami (305) 406-1604
Angel Ultra Lounge 247 23rd Street, Miami Beach, FL
Crobar 1445 Washington Ave., Miami Beach (305) 531-8225
Area 51 950 NE 2nd Ave, Miami, FL (305) 358-5655
Dream 1532 Washington Ave., Miami Beach (305) 674-8018
Mynt 1921 Collins Ave. Miami Beach, FL (786) 276-6132
Expose 766 E 25th St, Hialeah (305) 691-8980
Nikki Beach Club 1 Ocean Drive (305) 673-1575
Fat Tuesday 3015 Grand Ave, Miami 33133 (305) 441-2992
Nocturnal 50 NE 11th St., Miami, FL (305) 576-6996
B.E.D. 929 Washington Ave., Miami (305) 532-9070 Big Fish 55 SW Miami Avenue Rd., Miami, FL Blue 222 Espanola Way, Miami Beach (305) 534-1109 Bricks 66 SW 6th St, Miami, FL (305) 371-6950 Café Iguanas 8358 Pines Blvd., Hollywood (954) 433-8787 Cameo 1400 West Ave, Miami Beach, (305) 695-0517 Chakra 1500 Ocean Dr, Miami Beach (305) 672-2001 Club Ache 3425 Collins Ave, Miami Beach, FL (305) 604-8688 Club 112 1439 Washington Avenue Miami Beach, FL Club 45 4545 NW 7th St, Miami, FL 33126 (305) 442-6369 Club 66 66 SW 8th Street, Miami, FL 33130 (305) 371-6950 Club Boca 7000 West Palmetto Park Rd., Boca Raton, FL (561) 392-3747 Club Ebony 12953 NW 7th Ave, North Miami 33182 (305) 685-5305 Club Escape 7707 NW 103rd St., Miami
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Fifth (The) 1045 5th St., Miami Beach (305) 538-9898 GEM Nightclub & Restaurant 671 Washington Ave, Miami Beach (305) 674-0977 Glass 432 41st St., Miami Beach (305) 604-9798 Harrison’s 411 Washington Ave., Miami (305) 672-4600 Ivy Room 1233 Washington Ave, Miami (305) 532-1525 Karma 619 Washington Avenue, Miami Beach King of Diamonds 17800 NE 5th Avenue, Miami (954) 744-6582 Krave 1203 Washington Ave., Miami Beach (305) 673-5950 Lady Luck 1610 NW 119th St, Miami, (305) 688-1151 Level Nightclub 1233 Washington Ave, Miami Beach, FL 33139 (305) 532-1525
Mokai 235 23rd St., Miami Beach (305) 695-0288
Onda 1248 Washington Ave., Miami Beach, FL Phone: (305) 674-4464
SET 320 Lincoln Road Miami Beach, FL (305) 531-2800 www.setmiami.com Shine 1800 Collins Ave., Miami Beach Skybar 1901 Collins Ave., Miami Beach (305) 695-3100 SIN 1532 Washington Ave, Miami Beach (305) 532-4786 Sobe Live 1203 Washington Avenue • Miami (305) 695-2820 Sofi Lounge 423 Washington Ave., Miami Beach (305) 532-4444 Space 34 NE 11th St., Miami Beach (305) 375-0001 Spirits 5729 Seminole Way Hollywood (954) 327-9094
Pearl Lounge 1 Ocean Dr., Miami Beach
State 320 Lincoln Rd. Miami Beach
Penthouse Inc 1434 Collins Ave, Miami Beach (305) 538-4010
Studio A 60 NE 11th St., Miami (305) 538-7625
Platinum Plus 7565 W 20th Ave, Hialeah (305) 558-2221
Suite 1437 Washington Ave. Miami Beach (305) 604-3664
Porterhouse 7050 W. Palmetto Park Rd., Boca Raton, FL
Take One 333 NE 79th Street, Miami
Rain 323 23rd St, Miami Beach (305) 674-7447 Rokbar 1805 Collins Ave. Miami Beach (305) 535-7171 Rumi 330 Lincoln Road (305) 672-4353 Ruby Lounge 623 Washington Ave., Miami Santo 430 Lincoln Rd., Miami Beach (305) 532-2882 Sax on the Beach 1756 N Bayshore Dr, Miami (786) 924-5535
LIV 4441 Collins Avenue, Miami Beach, FL 33140 (305) 674-4680
Scores Miami 17450 Biscayne Blvd North Miami Beach (305) 945-6030
Madonna Night Club 1527 Washington Ave Miami Beach, FL (305) 534-2000
Seven 685 Washington Ave., Miami Beach (305) 538-0820
Tootsie’s Cabaret 150 NW 183rd St., Miami (305) 651-5822 Tropics Nightclub 7100 Pines Blvd., Pembroke Pines (954) 985-8382 Vice 1445 Washington Ave., Miami Beach (305) 532-2667 Vision 3015 Grand Avenue, Coconut Grove (305) 461-1118 Voodoo Lounge 111 SW 2nd Ave. Fort Lauderdale, FL (954) 522-0733 Wet Willie’s 2911 Grand Ave. Coconut Grove, FL 33133 White Diamonds 737 Washington Ave. Miami Beach, FL 33139 (305) 761-6736
MAP
SOUTH BEACH
Whyte Noise 300 SW 1st Ave. Fort Lauderdale, FL
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Lex Promotions is a well-known marketing group in the Miami area. Experienced in handling major and INDIE label accounts, Lex Promo is a go-to resource for online and street promotions. If you’re visiting the area for Super Bowl weekend, here are Lex’s suggestions for clubs to CHECK OUT:
Top10 MIAMI NIGHT 1 CLUBS By Alex “Lex” Pierre-Louis 2
MANSION - 1235 Washington Ave., Miami Beach, FL Mansion is the Miami club! When you think of Miami, you think of Mansion. It’s a landmark, and it’s also infamous for not letting artists in the club. Be forewarned. LIV - 4441 Collins Avenue, Miami Beach, FL 33140 LIV is the billion dollar club where the groupies come out and the ballers play! It’s located in one of Miami’s premiere hotels, the Fontainebleau.
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SPACE – 34 NE 11th St., Miami, FL 33132 Space has been around for 15 years strong! It’s the only spot where you can party till 3:00 pm, or just party for 72 hours straight. It’s also home to the “lip-biting animals.”
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TAKE ONE - 333 NE 79th St., Miami, FL 33138 Take One is the home for every afterparty! It hosts some of Miami’s best record-breaking DJs like Jam Squad DJs, Haitian Mike, and Nasty. And it’s where Bizzle, a.k.a. Chowtime, will show you how to make it rain $5k in 5 minutes.
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CAMEO - 1445 Washington Avenue, Miami Beach, FL Also known as “The Stepchild,” this club is notorious for being the hottest club for six months, and then closing down… then back to being the hottest club again.
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TOOTSIE – Corner of 441 & Miami Gardens Dr., 150 NW 183rd St., Miami Gardens This is the club that brings Las Vegas to Miami with the sexiest women in the world (it’s also well-known for a physical incident involving Trick Daddy).
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KING OF DIAMONDS - 17800 NE 5th Ave., Miami, FL Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to King of Diamonds home of NFL/NBA players and Disco Rick on the mic. Don’t walk in here without at least $2,000 in your pocket! #RecessionProof
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BED – 929 Washington Avenue, Miami Beach, FL “Eat in BED, drink in BED, and you can even fuck in BED.” This is the party spot for all the video vixens, and even if you aren’t a celebrity, your dreams can come true here.
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SOBE LIVE – 1203 Washington Ave., Miami Beach, FL Nominated “Best Hip Hop Venue” by VH1, on any given weekend you catch Hip Hop’s biggest stars on stage. In addition to being the Spring Break headquarters, this is where Uncle Luke has college girls going wild.
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90 DEGREE – 90 NE 11th St., Downtown Miami “Ya Tu Sabes.” – Dominicans, Cubans, Puerto Ricans, Colombians – this is where you will find the sexiest Latinas! Contact Lex Promotions on Twitter: @LexPromotions or email lex@lexpromotions.com OZONE MAG // 13
SUPERBOWL EDITORIAL
A
s I’m writing this with my eyes half open, it’s 4:30 am in Atlanta and I’m day-dreaming - well, night-dreaming actually - of sunny Miami. It’s rained here for 5 days straight, and it’s too cold for any Floridian to endure, making this mag difficult to complete because I want to grab a blanket and hibernate. *sips Red Bull and continues typing*
But this issue is nearly done, and despite the depressing weather and sleep starvation, I’m really vibing on the inside. There’s no greater feeling than finishing a major project. The way I feel right now is probably how a musician feels when they turn in an album to their label. Relief. Pride. Excited to see the final outcome. Anxious for the world to share in my work. And even though an artist has months to record an album, and I only had a week to interview Florida’s finest, it’s still the same level of satisfaction. It takes the same level of dedication to come up with a direction, a list of goals, execute them within a deadline, and turnout a quality, creative product. Not to mention overcoming unforeseen setbacks (like how I lost my voice for 3 days and couldn’t interview anyone). But we at OZONE do this numerous times a year, and still keep variety in the content. Variety in mind, I really struggled for ideas this Super Bowl edition. Not because there’s a lack of talent in Miami, but because we’ve interviewed everyone in the city already. And because South
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Florida artists have staying power, there’s not much turn around as far as rappers falling off and new ones taking their place. Pretty much everyone gets on top and stays there. So I thought about what we were missing, what the music listeners are missing in general, and it was obvious – female representation. You’ll notice a few more female artist features than usual. And that’s kind of a reflection of the game in general right now. Newcomers like Lady Gaga and Nicki Minaj have made such a huge impact recently, and vets like Trina and Lil Kim are staying active. I predict this trend will strengthen. As you flip through these pages, when you stop to stare at the chick pics, make sure you take a few minutes to read their stories too. In this business, it takes twice as much effort for a woman to be noticed outside of her looks. They deserve props. And I deserve a few hours of sleep. [Turning off phone, logging off Twitter, tuning out haters] See you Super Bowl Weekend. - Ms. Rivercity (below, center)
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Keisha
Kash Words by Ms. Rivercity Photo by Hassill Photography
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Formerly USING THE TAGLINE the “Rapping Beyonce,” Keisha Kash started promoting herself as a rapper before realizing her potential as a Pop artist. Switching gears for the new year, Keisha talks about how she’s transitioned since beginning a career in music. Now focused on a new sound, Kash has a lot of new doors opening for her. Are you originally from Miami? Not originally. I was born in Trinidad, grew up in New Jersey, and moved to Miami about five years ago. How did you get into making music? I was pretty much in the background for a little while working with other artists. I worked with a girl that was with Konvict Music and a few other locals from Atlanta. When I came to Miami I started getting more into the music scene and decided to focus on myself. I’ve always been writing and dancing since I was five years old. There just weren’t any musical people in my family to show me what to do, but I always loved music since I was little. What were some of the songs you first put out? My first track was a remix of one of Missy’s songs. I put it online and everyone liked it. It had 16,000 views on YouTube. I got a lot of positive feedback and encouragement to continue doing music, so I did. I’m a very unique person so I like different sounds. I teamed up with a production team in New York called Sinister Sounds and they came up with the Hip Hop sound I wanted at the time. They made the first single I had called “Bleah Bleah Bleah” that I did a video for. People loved the song out here in Miami. How did you promote yourself? Do you have a management team? No. When I first came to Miami I didn’t know anybody, and I don’t have any family here. I started getting out and going to clubs downtown and South Beach. A lot of people know me on South Beach. From there I just connected with a lot of people, doing events and fashion shows.
“Bleah, Bleah, Bleah,” and I concentrated on that for two years. I really wanted to branch into Pop music and mix that in. I recorded three Pop songs, and ever since I did that everything has changed dramatically. I have a song called “Pretty Picture,” another one called “Timmy” and “Girlie Girl.” That’s really what I’ve been pushing for the last five months and it’s opening up doors for me. So it’s been easier for you to catch people’s attention with the more pop-sounding music? Yeah, I was kind of at a stand-still. I was getting a lot of no’s. As soon as I switched over my style and genre of music, a lot of stuff has changed. If that’s what my supporters like from me the most, then that’s what I’m going to concentrate on. They determine what kind of music I should put out. Are you getting shows yet? For my birthday we did a big show with Power 96 and had radio commercial. Baby Bree from Power 96 has been showing me a lot of love. What else do you have going on that people should be checking for? People should be checking for the singles I have out. I’m working on a lot of new material too. “Pretty Picture” is my main song that everyone’s vibing to. Is there a way for people to reach out to you? I’m always on Twitter, @KeishaKash. People can sign up on my website KeishaKash.com. All my videos and behind the scenes footage are on YouTube.com/KeishaKash. As a new artist, what do you want people to know about you? I want everyone to know I’m on the grind. I want to be someone that’s doing something different. There’s not a lot of females doing what I’m doing in pop music. I’m like the black Lady Gaga. That’s what everyone out here calls me, Keisha Gaga. //
What direction are you going with your music now? Well, I was doing the Hip Hop thing with
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Trina Words by Ms. Rivercity
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Trina has reinvented herself year after year for over a decade, and 2010 is no different. This year she’s scheduled to release her fifth studio album, officially launch a clothing line, and make her debut in television. Her grind is nothing short of Amazin’. So you’re working on your fifth album? That’s correct. My fifth solo album, titled Amazin’, comes out June 8th. I’m really excited about it. It’s a summer album, so it’s really fun. When you say “summer album,” can you explain a little more about the theme? Honestly, I think it’s my best album yet. I have major control of how the album’s being put together. It’s good for an artist that’s been in the game a while to have that kind of control and have the label see my vision. I tried a lot of different things – up-tempo pop records, street records, dance records, I took it back to the old-school. I worked with Rick Ross, Ludacris, Monica, Nicki Minaj, Plies, Pretty Money, Keri Hilson, Diddy – it just goes on and on. It’s great to still be relevant and put out a great album. Speaking of Keri Hilson, “Million Dollar Girl” is the single you have out now, right? Yes, “Million Dollar Girl” featuring Keri Hilson and Diddy. When I first got the record, I thought of Keri Hilson instantly. She has a beautiful voice. I sent it to her and when she sent the vocals back I was blown away. Then I added Diddy. He’s just a fly guy, he’s very swagged out and he added a good twist to it. You were introduced to us over a decade ago… Yes ma’am, in ’98. How does your life now compare to where you thought you’d be at this point? I never really thought I would be a musician. I always loved music, but I kind of thought I’d be doing television, maybe movies. That was always a passion of mine. I’m definitely looking forward to pursuing that after this album. I’ve had some [movie] offers I’m looking into. I heard you may be doing a reality show. Yes, I am. The show will start maybe within a month or so. It’s based around my life and the things I do as an artist, a business person, a clothing designer. It’s going to show the things I do on a daily basis besides music. Are you going to allow the show to portray any of your personal life? Or will it be strictly about your career?
It’s my real life. Everyday I’m followed around from the office, to the studio, in and out of town, different shows and events, touring, seeing what I do at home when I’m not doing music, as well as what I do with the artists I work with. I have about 5 or 6 artists I work with. Everything I do is going to be on the show – the good, the bad, and the ugly. Are you still working with the Diamond Doll Foundation? I’m doing a Diamond Doll camp this summer for the girls. Usually I do a panel and we talk about things like teen pregnancy, alcohol and drug abuse, education, and finances. I wanna do something a little different this year. A lot of the kids are really young and don’t wanna hear you just preaching, so we’re gonna make it more entertaining. I love giving back to the kids. I love answering their questions to let them know that I was once a kid, I was teenager, I was in a relationship and had my heart broke. I’ve been through all the things these girls are going through, or will go through. It gives them confidence and motivation. You had a major appearance in the “5 Star Chick” remix last year. People really liked your verse. I thought it was a great record. It was the first time I did a record with me and another female feature with the guys. Me and Nicki Minaj were holding it down for the women. It was something new. Everybody wants to be a 5 Star now. Everyone commented about how you still look just as good in that video as you did back in the day. How do you keep yourself up as far as the beauty regime and workout routine? I have a lot of wear and tear from makeup and hair artists so I just try to take care of my skin. I get facials and try to keep my skin as clean as possible. I have a bad problem with not washing stuff off my face after a show. I’ll be tired and just want to fall asleep. I have pretty good skin, I don’t really break out, but I try to get facials and keep it clean. I’m not an exercise fanatic but I try to exercise as much as I can. I do cardio at least 3 days a week and try to eat healthy. I need a lot of energy to travel and perform. Is there anything else you have coming up this year? The album is coming out June 8th. Look out for Pretty Money, that’s the first project I’m working on. Look out for the reality show and the clothing line. 2010, look out for Trina! //
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Danja Words by Ms. Rivercity Photo by Ty Watkins
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TO LIST Danja’s production credits and accolades would require an entire page in itself. STARTING OFF As a TIMBALAND protégé, Danja, a.k.a. Danjahandz, went on to BECOME a Grammy-winning producer himself, creating number ONE hits for names like Britney Spears, Pink, Justin Timberlake, Nelly Furtado, Duran Duran, Madonna, T.I., AND Trey Songz. Danja is NOMINATED for two Grammy awards in 2010, including Keri Hilson’s “Knock You Down” written by Danja’s artist Kevin Cossom. With a proven chemistry, Danja has clearly found his next New Age Rock Star in Kevin Cossom. What does it feel like to have worked with some of the greatest pop and R&B acts of our generation? Man, I don’t know. I never think about it. I feel like there’s still a lot more I can do. Working with those people is always great, and I worked with them pretty early in my career. I think I’m just so much more focused on breaking acts and bringing new, quality acts into the business. I never really think about who I’ve worked with up to this point. Speaking of breaking acts, you actually have your own label. What is your focus with that? The label is called N.A.R.S. Records, which is an abbreviation for New Age Rock Stars. It basically speaks for itself, just to bring in a new evolution of artists, a new age of acts from Pop, Rock, Hip Hop, R&B, whatever. And the first act that’s signed to the record label is Kevin Cossom, through Jive. Was the record label already formed when you met him, or did you create the label specifically with Kevin Cossom in mind? It kinda happened at the same time. It never really was a major goal or dream of mine to have a record label. As I started coming across acts I felt were special, KC was one of the first, and the business became legitimate, it became something I had to do. As my goals started changing in the business, it seemed right for me to start my own label if I was trying to break new acts. It kinda just happened because of Kevin Cossom. Do you feel it’s important for a new artist to work with a specific producer and come up with a signature sound? Or should they work with a lot of different producers until they
get the right record? I definitely feel like working with everybody is the wrong thing to do. Whether it’s me, or The Runners, or Swizz Beatz, or whoever it may be, an artist should definitely hone in and figure out a style and sound. An album will feel more cohesive, rather than it being all over the place. Working with a lot of different producers just creates confusion to me. Out of everyone you’ve worked with, who are the people you’ve vibed with the most, like there was a natural chemistry? Definitely KC (Kevin Cossom). Aside from him, I’m able to really open up and be creative with Britney Spears. I feel like that with Tip too, he’s real accepting and we click well. Justin Timberlake is another one. With sales shifting in the music industry from record sales to now ringtones, has it personally impacted you? How have you adapted to that? It’s a major issue. Kids really have to buy into an artist to buy their album. I’m grateful I’m in a position where people come to me for their single, so I’m not missing an opportunity to make money. If it’s a hit, I receive money for the publishing. Making money off record sales, that’s really not happening. But I like to work on whole projects. I like to get in and do five to six records on an album. You know, everyone goes to whoever has a hit at the moment, so artists are going to get records from everybody and aren’t really interested in an album. Luckily I’m one of those producers people come to for a single. For those interested in the technical side of things, what equipment and tools do you use to make instrumentals? I have maybe thirteen various keyboards. I use MPC and I use Logic. Inside my Logic I have loads of virtual instruments. I have a massive sound library. At the end of the day, you can’t tell that I use just one thing. What’s coming up for you in the near future? I went in with the Weezer band not too long ago. We did a couple crazy tracks. I got some new things with Usher, Jennifer Lopez, Britney Spears, Kevin Cossom. It’s a lot of opportunities right now. I’m just trying to get in and knock it out. It feels like it’s not enough time in the day for all the stuff I have on one plate, but I’m making it happen. //
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Kevin Cossom has appeared in OZONE a handful of times, but never as a Grammy-nominated songwriter. KC is opening up 2010 with his first ever Grammy nod for writing Keri Hilson’s “Knock You Down,” and he’s also raising attention with his own single “Relax” ft. Snoop Dogg. A familiar name behind the scenes of the music industry, Kevin Cossom will soon be a familiar face EVERYWHERE. What have you been working on since your last OZONE interview a few months ago? I just dropped a mixtape in November called Hook Vs. Bridge. I’m promoting that heavy. I’m working on an album and trying to finish that up. We also got a song called “Relax” featuring Snoop that we’re going hard with. It’s supposed to be the first single off the album. We’ll be shooting a video in the next month. I’ve still been doing a lot of writing. I got something out with Chris Brown called “What I Do” featuring Plies. I wrote that with my homeboy Pooh Bear. I got a song on Mary J Blige’s album called “Tonight.” I got a few things on DJ Khaled’s album. I’m getting prepared for the Grammy Awards. A song I wrote for Keri Hilson called “Knock You Down” is up for a Grammy this year. Being nominated for a Grammy must be one of the highest points of your career so far. Definitely. It’s different if I just wrote the chorus or put in a few lines, but I pretty much wrote the whole thing. I did the whole concept and everything. For it to be nominated for a Grammy is huge. You know, for it to be a #1 record was already crazy, but to be a Grammynominated songwriter is big. Tell us about your mixtape. Is it mostly original production, or is it more like a mixtape format? Most of it is original. “Headboard” featuring Plies is a song I wrote the chorus to, but it’s a Hurricane Chris and Mario record. I wrote a verse to it so I wanted to do a remix for it. The Drake record “I Get Paper” is a remix I did. Other than that, everything else is pretty much original. There’s a lot of good features – Rick Ross, Joe Budden, Pusha from The Clipse, and good production as well. It’s still a mixtape; there’s 14 joints on there. You’re signed to the producer Danja. What’s
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the history behind your working relationship with him? We met a few years ago, right around the time I first got my publishing deal. A representative from my publishing company, Sam Taylor, sent me to work with Danja. At the time, Danja had just come off of working on Justin Timberlake’s Future Sex Love Sounds album. He had just done “Promiscuous Girl.” He had been doing a lot of big things. I was writing for a girl group and he was producing for them. We went in for a 3-day session and on the last day he asked me if songwriting was the only thing I wanted to do. I told him no, it was just to pay the bills and I wanted to do the artist thing as well. He talked to my manager, and about a month later he did some records for me. We got in the studio for like five days and came up with four dope records. That’s how we noticed there was a chemistry. A month later we did the same thing and got some more good records. We knew we needed to be working together, so I signed to his label N.A.R.S. Records. You know, he produced “Knock You Down,” so this is our first Grammy nomination together. It proves that we’re a good combination. The music industry is familiar with your name and your work by now. Are people starting to recognize your face yet? I think the more I get the mixtape out there, the more people research me. I’ve been a few places and people recognize me. When the video comes out and I get face time on camera, more people will recognize me. Besides the face, people are recognizing the name and that’s the most important. You’re pretty much following the same path as Ne-Yo or Keri Hilson, and there are predictions of you being that next big R&B artist. Are you prepared for that level of superstardom? It’s nothing you can really prepare for. You just keep it in mind. You gotta realize you can’t do certain things you used to do all the time, or go some of the places you used to go. You just have to be smarter with the things you do. That’s the biggest thing. I want to be as normal as possible, if that’s possible. But yeah, it’s hard to prepare for that when all you have is an idea of how it’s going to be. All I can do is stay focused and prioritize. Where can people get at you and hear some of your music? Hit me up at KevinCossom.com or on Twitter: @KevinCossom. //
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Cossom Words by Ms. Rivercity Photos by Ty Watkins OZONE MAG // 25
Young Breed Words by Ms. Rivercity
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As the newest member of Triple Cs, Young Breed appears on many of the group’s songs, and is now receiving his recognition. Here’s an update on what he’s been focused on since our last interview for his Patiently Waiting article. What have you been in the studio working on recently? We’re working on our two mixtapes we’re finna drop. We’re pumping up for our new album Color, Cut, Clarity. We got a lot of music, a lot of freesyles we been droppin’, and we’re definitely giving the streets somethin’ to look forward to. People are starting to recognize you as part of the group now. Have a lot of people been reaching out? Yeah, the response is amazing. We’re getting more and more love from all markets. You had been doing your thing for a while before getting with Triple Cs. At what point did you realize you had enough skill to make this a full-time thing, so to speak? Was there a big moment of realization? What happened was, I already had got the stamp in the hood. I had my homies in the hood tellin’ me, “You can take this a lot further.” But at the time I was just doin’ it ‘cause I had a love for the music. What really motivated me and changed my mind was when my big brother told me, “You don’t understand what’s goin’ on. People are startin’ to recognize you. This is what you gotta pursue.” When I sat back and focused on it, I noticed the progress I was makin’, and I buckled down. So you’re now part of a major album release. What are your thoughts on the album Triple Cs recently put out? I felt like it was a great power move. People got to hear all us individually. More and more people started taking to Gunplay, more people started takin’ to Torch, more people started taking to me. We achieved the goal we were looking for with this album. For the new album, what are some things you want to put into it that didn’t appear in the first one? We’re gonna touch on the female fanbase a little bit more. I feel like we might have left out a little bit of that genre for the ladies. So is recording songs for females kinda stepping out of your element? Yeah, I mean, it might be steppin’ out the box a
little bit for us ‘cause you know, we a gangsta rap group. But it’s all good, we always wit’ it. That’s why we doin’ mixtapes songs. We just remixed the Jaheim record. We just touching on that female fanbase and they’re checking for us. We’re gonna give ‘em what they ask for. When you sit down to write a verse for the ladies, who comes to mind? I just go from our day-to-day experiences and traveling. I think about the ladies that go out of their way to ask for a picture or autograph. Or the ones that travel a few miles outside of their city ‘cause they know we’re at that venue. That’s what I’m thinkin’ about when I get it in. As far as your solo material, have you been collaborating with anyone outside of the group? It’s all about Triple Cs right now, but of course I’m working on my next project coming up after Color, Cut, Clarity. I’ve been working with a lot of producers – Gorilla Tek, The Olympiks. I’m about to drop a mixtape called Project President. Solo artists only have to worry about creating their own material, but you have to concentrate both on the group and your own music. How do you keep up with all that? I love it. That’s what separates the hustlers from the people just sitting in the studio knocking out a song or two. I feel like I’ve gotta broaden my horizons. We’re always growin’; we’re always gon’ get better. I’m just puttin’ in work. It’s all good. That’s what bosses do – multitask. You gotta make it happen. Money comes from everywhere. Do you have anything else you’re trying to do outside of recording? I’m workin’ on my clothing line Uptown Apparel. We just inked the deal for Spilled Ink Originals too. Spilled Ink Originals is more high-end, fitted clothes. We opened up the urban clothing line under Spilled Ink called Uptown Apparel. We got t-shirts, hoodies, sweatshirts, denim pants. It’s lookin’ real good. Y’all check that out on SpilledInkOriginals. com. What else do you want to let the people know? The album Custom Cars & Cycles is in stores now. Color, Cut, Clarity is coming soon. Project President is on the way. Look for more music coming soon. //
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CP HOLLYWOOD
Words by Ms Rivercity
CP Hollywood is a prominent name listed in production credits for South Florida artists. If there’s a rapper in Miami you like, chances are CP has produced for ‘em. He most recently landed Trina’s new single, and has a few other major things in the pipeline. Who all have you produced for? You’re a common name when it comes to Miami producers. I’m probably most known for Unda Surveillance’s “Shone On Deck,” which was a big single here about a year and a half ago. Then I did a record with Sean P from the YoungBloodz. It was his single last year called “Hoodstar,” which I was singing on. Last year I had a song out called “International Boss” with Haitian Fresh, Rick Ross, and Busta Rhymes, and another record with Haitian Fresh and Pleasure P called “No Panties.” I did a record with Hurricane Chris and Kaliko called “Drank n Dro,” and “I’m So Throwed” for Frank Black. Those are all some pretty hot records that got a buzz. All these records got on the radio. But I’ve worked with pretty much everyone in South Florida – Iceberg, BallGreezy, I have Bizzle’s new single called “Recession Proof.” Khaled broke it the other day. I just did the Triple C’s record for Freddy Fred.
the track I just did with him is poppin’ real fast. I’d definitely say Iceberg and BallGreezy too. Obviously Brisco and Billy Blue are doing their thing, but I think the next one is gonna be Iceberg, BallGreezy, or Bizzle. How did get your big break and start placing with all of those artists? I had a name in Tallahassee and I moved to South Florida in 2005 and started from square one. But the first record that brought me attention in Tallahassee was with Smoke from Field Mob called “Cut Friend.” I was actually an artist back then. The record that caught me a buzz in Miami was “Shone On Deck.” What else do you have in the works right now? How can people get at you for beats? I got a street album coming out with Papa Duck. I produced the whole album. I signed two 13-year-old female pop artists and I’m putting together their album. People can hit me at cpbeats@gmail.com or Twitter @cphollywood954 or Myspace.com/cphollywoodsce. //
You didn’t mention the new record for Trina. That’s a pretty big placement. Yeah, the one with Trina, Diddy, and Keri Hilson. I had a beat ready and another producer I work with named K Pon laid some extra keys down. I got with a writer named King and he sent it to Trina’s team. It took them about 6 months to lay it down, it took forever, but they got Keri on it first. Then Diddy got on it. Are you trying to achieve a certain sound or reach a certain audience? Or do you just produce whatever you feel like it at that moment? The easiest stuff for me to make is down South music, but what I like to do and my best stuff is R&B/crossover/pop music. The Trina record is really like a pop record. There’s just a bigger audience for pop music and there’s more money created from the music. I just try to make singles. None of my music is really album cuts. Who are the hot up-and-coming artists in South Florida? Bizzle has “Naked Hustle,”“Lip Bitin’ Animal,” and
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Shonie Words by Ms. Rivercity Photos by Frank Antonio
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Recently acclaimed as the “Remix Queen,” this singer/musical poet keeps a song buzzing in South Florida. After breaking onto the scene a few years ago, Shonie signed a deal with Slip N Slide/Def Jam and is currently working on her solo debut album Passionate Pieces of Me. What’s new with you? I’m working on my album. I’ve been working with a lot of people like Brisco and Trina. Right now we’re trying to figure out what the single is gonna be. I don’t want to move too fast, but not too slow either. I did a record with Flo Rida that’s crazy. I pray to God he puts that out. I did a record with Brianna that I’m thinking of putting out as a single. Shouts out to her, she’s definitely one of the best things coming out right now. I’ve been doing crazy remixes. I just remixed “Say Aah” by Trey Songz and I remixed Trina’s new single. We definitely goin’ hard. The album will be coming out this fall. It’s a new year and we wanna put out bigger and better things. So did you have any New Year’s resolutions? Every year we just grind harder than what we’ve been doing. People that haven’t made it yet that thought ’09 was gonna be they year, they’re definitely gonna go harder. We gotta look back and figure out what we didn’t do. Every year we want to work harder and stay around positive people. You’re a signed artist still working as an independent, almost. Give us the specifics on the label deal you have. When I signed to Slip N Slide that’s when the Def Jam deal came about. My name’s been out there for a hot minute. I put out my mixtape when I was 17 and that’s what created the buzz. Def Jam saw the spins we were getting with my single at the time, “Can’t Let Go,” featuring Fabolous. That’s how the deal came about. In order to keep Def Jam interested, we gotta continue to do that, whether it’s putting out mixtapes or a buzz record. You can’t wait on a label, you gotta do it yourself. Besides your singing talent, you’re known for your songwriting abilities as well. Oh yeah, I’ve always been writing. When I was 17, I was already working on Trina’s album, working with Flo Rida, Brisco, the Diddy family, Day 26. How did you develop your talent? Was it natural, or did you practice for a long time? I was in the church. My mom was a minister so I stayed drawn to the church. I’ve always been around musical people. My mother sings; my
father played piano. Even when I was younger, all I was taught to do was work on my craft. When you put out your first album, what impression do you want to leave with your audience? That it’s real and I’m not trying to follow what everyone else is doing. I’m not just trying to come out with a club record like everyone else. I gotta do me at the end of the day. It’s what my feeling is. When they hear this, this is what I want them to feel. It’s too much going on in the world not to talk about it. Everybody’s going through relationship problems; everybody’s going through something. I want it to relate to everybody in the world, where everybody can believe in it. So are you totally opposed to doing a club record? It’s an up and down thing. You try to figure out whether you wanna go club or radio or what’s gonna work faster. Every artist always goes through that. Honestly, it’s up to the people, because they have to accept it. They have to let you know what’s working. That’s what we’re trying to do now, let the people decide. We’ve been testing records on the internet and radio station to get everyone’s opinion. Do you have any concrete records that you know for sure will make the album? Ah, we have one called “Lights, Camera, Action” that was produced by Midus of Golden Child Productions. It was a buzz record so I know it’s definitely going on the album. So what would be some of the biggest moments in your career so far? When I sang in front of L.A. Reid. I didn’t think I was gonna get through that. My palms were sweating and that was a scary moment, but I got through it. When he said, “Welcome to Def Jam,” that was the greatest thing. A lot of people dream of that. Wherever God takes me, that is always gonna be one of my proudest moments. Where will you be during Super Bowl weekend? I’m going to be everywhere, at all the hottest parties. We’re gonna pop bottles for Super Bowl Weekend. //
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Torch Words by Ms. Rivercity
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Coming off a great year with several mixtapes heavy in the streets and one major label release, Torch and Triple Cs are continuing to build their momentum. As one-fourth of the group, Torch also has his own lane and supporters. Here Torch gives us a rundown on what’s new for him, and what makes him a standout part of Carol City Cartel. Tell us what you have poppin’ right now. We got the album Color, Cut, Clarity coming soon. We got the new mixtape Sticks & Stones. I got my solo mixtape Crash Course comin’. We got a lot of big things comin’ this year. You put out a lot of solo material last year. What all did you have circulating? My shit be like albums. I have a lot of original material, I don’t usually jack people’s shit like everybody else. I had about 3 or 4 mixtapes worth of material. I’m working on my next street album. Being from New York, your sound touches a different market than your group members. When you’re looking for beats for your solo music, do you use the same producers as Triple Cs? Or do you work with different people? I work with everybody that provides heat. Sometimes I work with producers from the group, but those people craft different kind of beats that what I’m on because I’m not from this region. But a lot of my stuff on this new mixtape came from up north. We do have a couple Runners beats on it, JUSTICE League, Transformers, Olympicks, just to name a few. It should be coming out within the next couple of weeks. We’re gonna drop the Triple Cs mixtape first. We’re just keeping shit in the streets so we stay relevant in the game. We’re one of the hottest labels in the game. So you guys have a fourth member now, Young Breed. What do you think he adds to Triple Cs? He’s like the gutta, young version of Triple Cs. We just added another element by bringing him into the crew. We been seasoned together, but when you get that younger strength in there, it’s like a big bowl of gumbo. Everyone likes to try to outdo their last project. Are you guys trying to improve anything from the last album? The only improvement is that there’s gonna be
less features and more Triple Cs. People were saying they wanted to hear a lot more of us. They know we can hold our own, we’re nice with it. So you gon’ hear more Triple Cs, more polished records, and the last album was really more raw and uncut and for the street crowd. We gonna keep our street crowd, but we gonna make a couple more records that will get a little more radio play. So you’re trying to get more of that radio market? We already knew what the people wanted, now we gotta give the PDs and radio what they want. All our mixtapes is what the people want, and our album is like a hot ass version of a mixtape. This new album is gonna be more polished, you’re gonna hear a lot of growth in Triple Cs. Of course it’s gonna surprise everybody. Have you come up with any singles yet? We got a lot of records recorded, that’s all we do. Right now we’re on everybody’s radar with “Teflon” for Ross’ new shit. When we record 100 songs, putting together an album isn’t really hard. Even with the last album, we didn’t release the records that were good for radio, we kept it street, but we had those records. What direction are you trying to go with your own solo records? My music has always been more about life than death. I’m pro-life. I talk about the struggle. You can just expect a lot of good music from me. I done been there, done that, touched on every subject in life. It’s time to start making more grown shit and get money. You have a reputation for lyrical content. Definitely. The game has changed. You can’t be in the trap forever. There’s gotta be some kind of message with your music. You gotta be able to balance it. That’s what makes Ross such a great rapper. He doesn’t just give you the trap; he makes good music too. That’s what I pride myself on. I’m a writer and I do a lot of writing for people. That’s how I became more musical with my craft. Anything else you want to add? Everybody follow me on Twitter @TorchCCC to keep up with everything. I got my own website TorchIsNY.com. It’s like somebody told me, if you ain’t got 15 ways to get money in this game you ain’t using it right – I’m up to 20. // OZONE MAG // 11
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Gun Play Known as a standout character in Triple Cs, GunPlay may play hard, but he works hard too. Whether he’s dropping a verse with Ross, Torch, and Young Breed, or recording for his own projects, GunPlay always has something new on deck. Be on the lookout for his work on the new Triple Cs Sticks & Stones mixtape, the re-release of his SniffAHill tape, and his brand new project Cigar Fare & Hardware coming soon. What’s new with you and Triple C’s? We’ve been hittin’ up the streets with these mixtapes, shooting videos, working on solo songs, as well as the crew. We just shot the video with me, Breed, and Torch called “I Be Out Here.” We’re letting everyone know Triple Cs is still grindin’. Y’all stay keeping something new out there. You’re always releasing new songs, mixtapes, and a lot of videos. It’s like y’all don’t really take any breaks. You gotta stay hot ‘cause it’s always a muthafucka tryin’ to take yo’ spot. You gotta keep givin’ ‘em hot new material and stay in they face. That way, by the time you put the album out, it’s a lot more people have seen your face and heard your music so they more likely to buy the album. When are you dropping the new Triple C’s mixtape? Sticks & Stones will be out in February. What about your solo mixtape? After Sticks & Stones, then I’ve got my tape Cigar Fare & Hardware comin’. I’m gonna rerelease SniffAHill. We’re gonna bombard the streets.
What kind of songs are going to be on your mixtape? Is it mostly original stuff or freestyles? It’s half and half. It’s gonna be action-packed. I used the Jeezy and Rihanna “Hard” beat, I did Waka Flocka’s “O Let’s Do It,” I did “Get Wit This Pimpin” – that song that’s big in Atlanta. And I did stuff like Master P’s “How You Do Dat There,” the C Murder and BG beat, I went back a little. What about the original beats? What do you have in the works as far as that goes? I also got beats from some local producers like C-Nal Tracks. He got this one record that I’m about to go hard with called “Wild Out.” It’s me featuring Piccalo. It’s like a party vibe, somethin’ they not expecting from GunPlay. I’m getting a real good response. It’s only been out a couple days and has a couple thousand downloads. I’m about to shoot a video to that. So I hear Triple C’s is already working on the next album Color, Cut, Clarity. Yeah, we gon’ give ‘em more gangsta shit, but this time we’re gonna definitely focus on radio. We’re gonna deal with less features, we want to showcase just Triple C’s more. We want to put the focus on Torch, GunPlay, and Young Breed, and everybody already know how Ross does. We’re coming with more hooks from us. Where will you be during Super Bowl Weekend? Do you have your schedule yet? I’m gon’ be jumpin’ around, I know that. I’m gon’ be all over the place, gettin’ into so much trouble. We gonna be everywhere. What about on nights when you’re not booked somewhere? Where will you be when you have some free time? One of my homie’s cribs or Ross’ crib. Or probably at Take One. I keep it real simple. I ain’t with all the extravagantness. I like to just barbecue at my dawg’s crib in the hood or whatever, just chill. What else is going on with you? I got EveryDayGunPlay.com coming soon. By the time y’all are reading this you can login to my website. I’ma show y’all how I’m livin’. You gon’ see all my videos, all the new freestyles, download the mixtapes, do all that. I’ma have blogs on there, everythang GunPlay. // Words by Ms. Rivercity
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Formerly the PD for 102.3 in Tallahasee, Ed Da World Famous IS NOW a DJ, on-air personality, and sports radio host in Miami. He can also be heard in Augusta and Valdosta, GA, as well as ON the CORE DJs Radio show and his own internet show. He’s pretty much everywhere, and this Super Bowl weekend he’ll be interviewing your favorite Athletes. Introduce yourself and tell us what you have going on. I’m Ed da World Famous. People know me for being a Program Director in Tallahassee at Blazin’ 102.3. I left there about 4 years ago. I’m in Miami and I still do radio in other markets. I DJ in clubs around the city and I’m a full-time sports host. It’s a new venture I started. How long were you at the station in Tallahassee before you moved to Miami? I started in radio in Tallahassee when I was in college at WAMF. I went to work for WHBX. After that I left Tallahassee and worked in Cincinnati and Columbus, GA, then back to Tallahassee where I had the opportunity to work as an on-air personality and run Blazin 102.3. I was there for four years. Do you have residencies in Miami or do you bounce around? When I got down here, people knew me as a radio personality so I kinda had to fight my way in as a DJ. I’ve had a couple of residencies, and right now I’m at a spot called Sahari Lounge. Other than that, I bounce around at spots like Sobe Live, Ink, Cameo, Dreams. Personally, I really enjoy
ED DA WORLD FAMOUS Words by Ms Rivercity doing events. What do you have going on for Super Bowl Weekend? Monday through Friday of that week I’ll be on radio row interviewing athletes. I’m hosting the midday show on 790 The Ticket. I’m one half of a show called The Sports Brothers with Jeff Fox. I got a bunch of Super Bowl parties tied in with the radio station. Ricky Williams has an event. Michael Irving has a couple events that we’ll be tied into. I’ll be at Sahari Lounge on Friday, Saturday, and late Sunday night. How does doing sports radio compare to music radio? Hip Hop and music and sports all ties in well with each other. Every time we talk to an athlete, we make the conversation not only about what they do sports-wise, but we also ask who they got in the iPod, who they listen to when they get pumped up for a game. We’re not the typical hosts, we try to get them to relax and have a normal conversation. It makes it easier when we do interviews. You mentioned that you do radio in other markets. Which ones? I still do music radio. I voice track for a station in Augusta, GA and one in Valdosta, GA. I do my own show called World Famous Radio, it’s on a couple internet stations. I’m also the technical producer for the CORE DJs radio show. I pretty much put that show together and mix as well. It airs on 27 stations every week. I have my hands in both sports and music radio and I’m happy where I’m at right now. Besides radio, are you involved with any other ventures? I work with Lex Promotions as Director of New Artists. It’s kinda like A&Ring. A lot of local acts want to know how to promote their music in a way that makes sense. They come to me and I explain how Lex Promotions promotes. So you could say I help local artists step their promotional game up. How can the people stay up to date on what you have going on? My website is WorldFamousRadioShow.com, as well as 790TheTicket.com. //
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Pretty Ricky
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y
Words by Ms. Rivercity Photo by Hannibal Matthews
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<< Though not the same group that emerged on the scene in 2004, Pretty Ricky is grinding the same in 2010. Diamond Baby Blue, Spectacular, Slick ‘Em, and Lingerie released a self-titled album late last year and are already back to work on a new album. Here they talk about their independent endeavors, as well as some of the recent media attention they’ve received. You released an album not too long ago. How’s that doing? Spectacular: It’s doing what it do. We wanted to make a real sexual album where you can just press play and make love all night. Diamond Blue: It’s doing great. We’re independent so it’s a different ball game for us than when we were major. We love the independent game. The name of our company is Bluestar Entertainment International. The name of the album is Pretty Ricky. It’s the official baby makin’, love makin’, headboard breakin’, panty droppin’, have a baby by me be a millionaire album. Since you brought up baby-making, Blue, let’s talk about Tisha Martin-Campbell’s younger sister Tiara. She claims you got her pregnant. Diamond Blue: Man, I fucked her. I ain’t even gon’ lie. I wore a rubber though. That ain’t my baby. I guess that’s the price of fame. I strapped up! I really think it’s just a fan doin’ what overzealous fans do. She hit me with some pictures talkin’ about she pregnant, then she hit me with another message talkin’ ‘bout she gettin’ an abortion, all kinds of crazy stuff. The story just don’t match up. It’s cool though, they used a real cute picture of me [in the blogs] so I don’t mind. Well back to the music – last year you guys made some noise with the “Tipsy” song. What’s on the agenda now? Diamond Blue: Yeah we had “Tipsy In Dis Club” and now we have “Say a Command.” I wrote and produced ‘em. We wanted to give y’all that Pretty Ricky sound – that real sexy, in the bedroom music. Going along with the theme of “Say a Command,” what are some of your favorite commands in the bedroom? Diamond Blue: I love when a woman tells me to eat her pussy and I get the opportunity to say… ”No!” (laughs) Slick ‘Em: I like to do everythang. It’s no limit
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when it comes down to sex with me. I do it all. I like all types of girls – freaky, shy, bossy. I’m a variety man. I gotta have some Taco Bell, some KFC, Wendy’s, and a home cooked meal. Lingerie: I just like to do whatever a woman tells me to do to please her. What’s going on with the new album? I hear you’re back in the studio already. Lingerie: The new album is called Bluestar 2. It’s gonna be hot. We have a new record with Jodeci and H Town. Working with legends was a dream come true. Just to be spoken in the same breath with Jodeci and H Town is crazy. Slick ‘Em: This album is gon’ be way different. It’s off the planet right now. We just started working on it less than a week ago. Spectacular: We’re taking a whole other approach with this album, trying new stuff. Whatever comes out is gon’ be a classical album like we always give the fans out there. They’ll get their money’s worth. I see you guys are sticking with the coordinating outfits. Do you have a stylist or someone that creates these looks for you? Diamond Blue: Yeah, April Roomet is our stylist. Slick ‘Em: When all of us dress as one it creates unity. We feel more like a group when we wear the same thing. Spec, last year when you made your Youtube grind off videos, was that just for promotion? It got you a lot of attention. Spectacular: It didn’t really matter about all that stuff, I did it ‘cause I wanted to. At the end of the day, it was promotion and it brought hype around the album. It is what it is. Are all of you single? Spectacular: Yeah, I’m a bachelor, baby. Diamond Blue: I’m seeing someone right now. Slick ‘Em: I’m seeing a lot of people right now, all over the world. Lingerie: I’m single. Do you have any set plans for Super Bowl weekend? Spectacular: With the tragedy that happened in Haiti, I’m doing a Madden tournament and a Super Bowl party to benefit Haiti. You can go to our website PrettyRicky.com or my Twitter.com/ IAmSpectacular and I’ll keep everyone updated. You can subscribe to my hotline for information 877-305-7732. You can call me – I do freak hour every Friday at 11pm EST. Our other Twitter pages are @DiamondBlue, @SlickemHound, and @LingeriePR. We also got our own reality show on PrettyRicky.com. We broadcast every weekday at 8pm EST. //
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Swazy Styles Words by Ms Rivercity Photo by James P
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Originally from the Bronx, NY, Swazy Styles (NOT TO BE CONFUSED WITH GEORGIA NATIVE AND SLIp-NSLIDE SIGNEE SWAZY BABY) MADE major moves after moving to South Florida. Taking advantage of the networking opportunities around him, Swazy has the support of many area DJs, including Shadyville’s DJ Epps. Here, Swazy explains how he’s taking his craft to the next level. How did you start getting your name out there? I started out freestyle battling on the block in New York. I was real animated with my flow and delivery. I used to eat a lot of dudes up. I saw I could put together songs, so me and my crew put together a nice home-based studio. People started liking our music so promoters started booking us for shows. At the time I was in a group called Amped Up with another artist called Precise. We continued on our journey for about 5 or 6 years and then I went solo. What brought you to Miami? I moved to Miami in 1993. We came out here in for opportunity. I was young, my mom’s loved it out here ‘cause of the weather and all that. It was a better environment to raise a teenager in. When we moved down here, I continued to pursue my goal. I met all the right people and networked. I established a name for myself in Miami and Ft. Lauderdale and Palm Beach. You have a decent internet presence. What have you been doing to establish yourself on the net? 8 months ago I teamed up with a company called YoRaps.com. They’re managing my PR and giving me an online presence. We also did a mixtape feature for their website, presented by Block Starz Music. I had a lot of heavyhitter DJs cosign me like Supastar J, DJ Epps, Chuck T, DJ Drama, DJ Scream, DJ Nasty. I had over 7 DJs cosign my mixtape. My mixtape had 40% of the downloads on the website. When they saw that, they knew there was a hunger for my music so they presented me with a contract. I signed with Block Starz Music. What’s the next move? I got my assistant Aldo working real hard for me. I’m gonna continue to build that buzz out here on radio, Power 96, and 99 Jamz. I just finished a mixtape called Live From the County Line, hosted by DJ Laz from Power 96 and DJ GQ. It’s got 7,000 downloads right now. I’m
also working on my album called Hustle Life. I got production from CP Hollywood, The Runners, Mike Beatz, Ace of Spades. I got Triple Cs on the album, KC, Billy Blue. I got K Pon on the album. He has a big song with Flo Rida. I’m looking to release the album in the 2nd quarter of 2010. I got distribution so it will be on iTunes, Amazon, and all that. Are you pushing any songs as a single? My first single I dropped was called “Pockets Full of Green.” It was cosigned by Shadyville DJ Epps. He’s my official resident DJ. It played on radio from Palm Beach to Dade County. I did well with the ringtones. I had over 54,000 ringtone downloads. Now I’m working on my second single called “Sounds Like Money.” I dropped that last February. It did so well that Unda Surveillance wanted to jump on it so we got the remix with Unda Surveillance. The video is out. The remix is in heavy rotation in clubs and radio. I’m going to let the remix bubble a little bit and drop my next record in March called “Already” ft. K Pon, produced by CP Hollywood. Do you know what you’ll be doing Super Bowl Weekend? Are you booked anywhere? I’m booked at Club Dream, SOBE Live, and I’ve got a show at Nocturnal in Downtown Miami. I’ll be real heavy that weekend. What else do you have going on? I have two tours set up. We’ve got the Dream Big, Hustle Hard Tour set up. We’ll be doing 10 cities, starting out with Miami, Orlando, and Atlanta. I’ll also be in the Bay Area and North Carolina. What’s the overall impression you want to leave with people, as far as your musical style and who you are as an artist? I want everybody to know that Swazy Styles is here to give you originality. I like to party and have a good time, so that’s part of my music. At the same time, I like to give something back to the streets. I’d say my style is versatile for everybody. I’m originally from New York, so I got that New York swag with that down South sound at the same time. Excellence is my goal. Is there anything else you want to add? I want everyone to check out my website SwazysWorld.com. Check me out on YoRaps. com and BlockStarzMusic.com. For inquiries, holla at my personal assistant Aldo Mottolese 305-643-0786. //
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Hot Yella Words by Ms Rivercity Photo by Asap Imaging
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Hot Yella is a fast rising name emerging from the Tallahassee area. Recent cosigns from DJs Storm and Supastar J Kwik have a lot of people checking for Yella, and her new song “Miss Me” is taking off in Florida. Introduce yourself and tell us how you started rapping. Well, I started off singing. The first time I ever recorded anything I was in 7th grade. I actually rapped a little back then, but I started out singing. I also write music – I write R&B and Hip Hop records. I’m an artist on Triple Threat, so a lot of people know me for my tagline “Triple Threat.” Where are you from originally? I’m from Tallahassee. I was born in Florida. I’m also from Madison, Wisconsin and Las Vegas. I moved around a lot. In high school I went to three different schools. I moved around a lot in middle and elementary school too, so my versatility comes through in my music. Do you still sing at all? Or are you strictly rapping now? Yeah, I still sing on some of my hooks. I’m mostly rapping right now though. I’m making a lot of fun records, a lot of club records right now. That’s what I really love to do – make feel-good, happy music, stuff for the ladies. But I also write R&B records and sing. Tell us about the “Miss Me” song you have buzzing on the net. “Miss Me” is out right now. I really wanna give a big shout out to Supastar J Kwik in Tallahasse, also all the DJs on Twitter, Facebook, and Myspace supporting the record. “Miss Me” is a song for the ladies. There’s a free download on HotYella.com. What’s the situation with you and DJ Storm? Are you her artist or is she just helping you get your name out there? Storm and I work together. I had been doing music for a while [before we linked up]. We worked in radio together. I interned at the station Blazin’ 102.3 for about a year and we became friends. She hosted my mixtape that I put out last June. I was gonna put out the mixtape anyway, and Storm was like, “I’m all about my ladies, chicks in charge.” So she wanted to host it. It turned out to be a real good mixtape. It’s called Life of a Triple Threat. You can also check that out on my website.
Are you doing another mixtape soon? I’m working on singles right now. I’m coming out with something every couple months. Right now I got “Miss Me,” I got a freestyle to Jay-Z’s “On to the Next.” It got on a mixtape this week and “Miss Me” got on two mixtapes this week. I also got a new single coming out called “Cat Walk.” You mentioned interning at the radio station. What were some things you learned in the internship that have helped with your music career? It was a promotional internship and I also did a couple call-ins. It helped me. Radio and doing music is somewhat alike. You have to be good at networking and dealing with people. There’s a lot of good information you can learn in radio and bring that over into music. It seems like Tallahassee would be a good market to gain a fanbase with all the college students living there. Is that an advantage for you? Yeah, 100 percent. We have all these universities here. If you can’t touch the people here and make a mark in the music industry, then it’s probably gonna be way harder for you to do it in a different market. There’s so many students and people thirsty for entertainment and clubs. As a representative for the ladies, what do you feel is missing from the game as far as that goes? There’s an obvious lack of female artists. I think a lot of it has to do with how women present themselves as a business entity. A lot of men look at it as more of a business. But with Lady Gaga and Nicki Minaj, people like that, I think it’s going to be changing soon. People are really thirsty to hear a good female artist. There’s gonna be more to come from “bad bitches.” What else do you have in the works? Look out for my new single and keep yourself updated on HotYella.com. That’s where everything is, links to my Myspace, Facebook, Twitter. For booking you can contact 26 Talent at 850-320-1030. All my ladies, keep your heads up and you’ll hear more to come. //
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Back to his usual tricks, DJ Khaled is busy putting the biggest names in rap together onto one superproject. Victory, Khaled’s fourth compilation album, is slated for release this March. among the expected features like THE USUAL SUSPECTS YOUNG Jeezy, Rick Ross, Wayne, and T-Pain, there’s also a big surprise Khaled is waiting to REVEAL. What’s new with you? We’ve been hearing a lot about the album lately. What’s the update with that? The album is coming out March 2nd. It’s called Victory. This is my fourth album. It’s been a little while between your last album and this one. What are some things you’ve been focused on in the meantime? Well, I’m the President of Def Jam South so I’m busy with that. I’m working with Rick Ross, Jeezy, Ludacris, Ace Hood, basically the whole Def Jam lineup. As President of Def Jam South, what exactly are your roles under that title? What are you expected to accomplish? Everything. The President delivers hit records, makes sure my artists are happy, and oversees each project as a whole. I did that last year with Rick Ross’ album. That went #1. We broke a new artist last year named Ace Hood. This year we got Rick Ross coming back out with Teflon Don. I predict that will be #1. We got Jeezy coming out with TM103. I predict that will be #1. Ludacris is coming out with a new album soon. I predict that will be #1. We just workin’. Def Jam is one big team. We all come together and help each other – from all the executives, to all the A&Rs, to all the promotions people. When you first started working and building the Khaled name, is this where you saw yourself going? This is exactly what I predicted I was gonna do. So did you have a specific plan in mind for your career path, like an outline of goals? Or did it just fall into place? I definitely set goals to get to a certain level every year. I still got more goals to accomplish, but each year it played out.
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What’s the plan for Ace Hood? He did two albums and everyone’s wondering where you’re going to go from here with him. We have a smash record. I’m about to release his single. We got a new record coming out with Trey Songz that’s a fuckin’ hit! Ace already had one single come out with Trey Songz that did pretty well. Is that why you went with him again on a collaboration? The record you’re talking about was like a Top 10 record I think. It was huge. That record doing so well is what made me realize that Ace is good at making records for the ladies. Another reason I had Trey and Ace do another record together – they have great chemistry. But that was a learning experience for Ace, he had to find himself. Ace comes from the hood so he hadn’t experienced a lot of stuff musically in his life. Right now he’s a brand new fresh artist coming into his own. He’s got some hits under his belt, and we’re gonna drop a new one this year that’s gonna be big. You’re known for creating super collabos. What types of features can we expect on your album? I’ve got a single out now called “Fed Up” featuring Usher, Jeezy, Ross, Weezy, and Drake. The video is huge. I’m about to drop two records. My second single is called “All I Do Is Win” featuring Ludacris, T-Pain, Snoop, and Ross. I have another record called “Put Ya Hands Up” featuring Jeezy, Ross, and Plies. It’s gonna hurt the streets on a whole other level. I guarantee Victory. If you could put some artists from any era on one record together, who would you have collaborate to make an epic song? Definitely Jay-Z, Michael Jackson, Bob Marley, Tupac, and Biggie. What would you name that record? “I Am Legend.” You also recently signed a new artist from Virginia, right? He goes by the name of Rum. Rum is from Richmond, VA. I’m taking my time with Rum. He’s so big in his city and his street cred is so amazing. He has like five records playing on radio in his city; he has like 20 records in the club in his city. He has his city in a frenzy. His buzz over there is so crazy. His wordplay and punchlines are so amazing. The way the game is structured now, it’s different, so it’s hard to break new artists because the game is so saturated. So what I’m doing with Rum
DJ Khaled Words by Ms. Rivercity
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is taking my time. The same buzz he has in his city, I want that to leak to other cities, like Miami, the rest of Florida, Atlanta, and beyond. We’re doing mixtapes, doing promo runs, and leaking music until we get a groundbreaking record that we can’t control. And when that happens, he’ll already have his big buzz so it’ll all connect. I have a vision with him to be the next big street authentic, down South artist, with real raps. Do you have anyone else signed to We the Best? I signed an R&B kid named Jarvis out of Atlanta. You’re going to hear some music from him real soon. Right now it’s all about Victory, so I’m gonna start breaking Jarvis sometime in March. This is the same Jarvis that was signed to DTP? What made you interested in him? He used to be with Jermaine Dupri too. I didn’t really know who he was, and what happened was, I heard his music, some of the new records y’all haven’t heard yet, and it was so amazing. I heard the passion. I got records in the safe right now that’s crazy. He just hasn’t had his chance yet. I feel like he’s young, the girls love him, and under my brand with his hit records, he’s about to explode. He’s another one that I’m going to take my time with. Everyone under my belt, I’m developing them right now. I’m not just gonna throw them out there, it takes time. It took me 15 years to get where I’m at, maybe longer. If you ask any artist, from Jeezy to Ross to T.I. or Wayne, they’ll tell you they’ve been doing it for like 20 years. A lot of people take this game for granted – it’s a grind. It’s work. You mention developing your artists and making sure they’re ready to be released. Are they ready enough for your upcoming album? They’re going to get a look on my album, definitely. Rum has a solo record on my album called “Bringin’ Real Rap Back.” I feel like this record is one of those street records that’s just gonna give him a stamp. When people buy my album, they’re gonna love it. They’ll be like, “Damn, who is this kid?” It’s part of the breaking process. Then when they research him in Virginia, they see that he’s the king in Virginia. You’re helping put together major releases for solo artists alongside doing your album, which involves a lot of artists. Is creating an album like yours more difficult? There’s probably a lot more involved.
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//DJ Khaled continued It’s harder because I have to deal with clearances, scheduling, and there’s so many artists involved. But I’m respected, and with my relationships and passion for the music, people know I can do it. That’s why I’m on my fourth album. I put quality music out there. But I make my albums like I’m a solo artist, like I’m Nas, Biggie, Pac, Pun, Wayne, or Jay-Z. When a lot of people make compilation albums, they just put records together, but not me – I put a sound together. When you hear it, you’ll understand why it’s titled Victory. My records are big records. It’s special. Do you have plans to work with any female artists? I don’t think we’ve seen too much of that from you yet. I’m supposed to put Nicki Minaj on this one. She’s agreed to it, but with her schedule and mine we haven’t done it yet. I don’t want to put her on just any record. It’s got to be right. I’ve worked with females before – Lil Kim was on my last album. Trina’s been on two or three albums. I’m looking forward to working with Nicki Minaj in the future. I want to work with Lil Kim again. And of course I want to work with R&B artists like Keyshia Cole, Beyonce, Alicia Keys, Mary J Blige. That’s my next goal. I’ve worked with some of them on other projects, but not on mine. You’ve confirmed that Shyne is being featured on the album. When can we expect to hear that? I’m going to talk to Shyne and see if we’re going to put it out ahead of time or wait. I’m letting Shyne decide the destiny of the record we have together, out of respect, because nobody’s heard from him in a while. He actually co-produced the record. I got a totally different respect for Shyne. I don’t want to give away the concept of the record, but we have a big surprise. What else do you have going on that people should know about? My album Victory is coming out March 2nd. I promise you it’s amazing. I got every artist in the game on there, and I put amazing concepts to amazing records. Look out for “All I Do Is Win” and “Put Ya Hands Up.” Look out for “All My Life” – that’s one of the titles I want to put out there. //
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