JoJo Capone Words by Julia Beverly Photo by ACJPhotography.com
OZONE caught up with Jojo Capone, the main force behind Chicago rap conglomerate Global Gangsters, to talk about rap beef, street life, and the deals they have on the table for 2012. Global Gangsters is a powerful title. What are you doing worldwide that’s so gangsta? A lot of people consider me their big homie if they’re having street issues. I’ve done that for multiple artists for so long that I felt like it was hindering my label, Act Like It Entertainment. Let’s say if Ludacris and T.I. were beefing and I’m running with T.I.; any business that I want to do with Ludacris for the Global Gangsters or any other Act Like It Entertainment, now Ludacris doesn’t want to do business with me because I’m running with T.I. So I felt like I had to start separating myself from a lot of people because that was the ultimate issue. I know a lot of people and so many people across the world know me, but I’m trying not to be in the middle. I’m trying to be neutral so if there are any situations people have with each other, they have to deal with them on their own. I did a little public service announcement saying, “Sad to say, but if your grandmamma gets smacked, don’t call me. I can’t [handle] it no more.” I had to sit back and analyze the facts. If one dude puts my name in his records, it makes anyone [he’s beefing with] feel like I’m taking sides when I’m actually not. Being independent, I 14 // OZONE MAG
have to stay neutral. I was getting calls from [E1 President] Alan Grunblatt and Kevin Liles and everybody wanted to do a deal. But it’s strained when it’s time to do business, because even though E1 and Alan Grunblatt wanted to do business with me, they were already in bed with Dipset and doing business with Jim Jones. So you had a problem with Jim Jones that cost you a potential record deal with E1? If you remember the Tru Life situation, that was my situation. The Global Gangsters is my movement but it consists of Tru Life, Maino, Rick Ross, Jeezy, 2 Chainz – a lot of those guys have shouted out this movement or let you know they’re a part of it. We’ve been in talks with Jeezy about doing a solo situation with Pistol Pete from the group Global Gangsters, but then Rick Ross wanted to sign the group. So you see how I keep getting stuck in the middle when they started beefing? I’m just trying to get out of the middle. I have a few situations on the table myself. They compare me to Suge Knight and J Prince, but those guys made $800 million off the game. Until I do that, I don’t want to be compared to those guys. The Game said you were the one who negotiated a deal for Young Buck to get his