raW, UnCenSored WEST CoaST raP ShIT

featuring ozone award nominees

DPG ROCCETT THE PACK G MALONE THE JACKA MISTAH FAB WILLY NORTHPOLE
& MORE

KEAK DA SNEAK
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PUBLISHER Julia Beverly EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Jessica Mz Jae Hagmaier EDITOR-AT-LARGE D-Ray GRAPHIC DESIGNER David KA MUSIC EDITORS Randy Roper Maurice G. Garland ADVERTISING SALES Che Johnson Isiah Campbell CONTRIBUTORS Big Fase 00, DJ BackSide, DJ E-Z Cutt, Gary Archer, Jelani, Jessica Essien, Joey Colombo, Kay Newell, Keita Jones, Luvva J, Nippy Swagga, Portia Jackson, Shemp, Todd Davis, Ty Watkins STREET REPS Anthony Deavers, Bigg P-Wee, Bigthangs, Big Will, Dee, Demolition Men, DJ Jam-X, DJ Juice, DJ KTone, DJ Nik Bean, DJ Quote, DJ Skee, DJ Strong & Warrior, J Hype, Jasmine Crowe, John Costen, Juice, Kewan Lewis, Luvva J, Maroy, Rob J Official, Rob Reyes, Shauntae Hill, Sherita Saulsberry, Sly Boogy, Syd Robertson, Tonio, Twin, William Major, Zack Cimini COVER CREDITS Keak da Sneak photo by Trevor Traynor.

IM JUST SAYINTHO BY D-RAY

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LL Cool J - Everyone knows the OG in the game cant deny his fame. Im a female at a LL Cool J show in San Jose, and I must say that he is an all-around five-star entertainer. Ive never been able to photograph his show because Im too busy watching it! Run-DMC - I saw them on my birthday at a club in San Francisco called DV8 and I recall just putting my camera down to enjoy My Adidas. Thats OG. Mary J Blige - Mary is so in touch with her feelings. She sings about real-life moments to put her fans in that hypnotic mood. I recall shooting her show on Mothers Day in Concord, CA. There were mothers, boyfriends, and husbands in the building, and the whole place had a memory to go home with on a very special day. Her message is always deep and passionate. Mary is the only female on this list for a reason! Snoop Dogg - This was just a plain dope experience, not to mention that it was history: Snoop performing in his hometown of LBC for the first time! He killed it. He did Murder Was The Case alongside a dope interview with Power 0s morning show, Backstage Breakfast with Big Boy! What it do Fuzzy? Eminem & D - This was one of my first press junkets with a magazine. I got to go kick it with Em, and I had just seen him not too long before he blew at a Bomb concert in San Jose in his grimy-looking long-sleeved Budweiser Beer t-shirt. I was told, Take his photo. Hes going to blow! I looked again and said, Ummm, no. So I learned to never, never underestimate someone based on their fashion sense (or lack of). I was blessed with a great chance to be at their meet and greet and also shoot the show, where I saw Em in person kill it. Not to mention, I got a great shot of him and Proof on stage together that I love. My bad for judging you, Em. Thanks to one of my favorite publicists, Tresa! Mac Dre - Ive been a Mac Dre fan since the late 80s, no lie. When I started shooting Dres shows, I would just try to get in with my digital camera. All my memories are gone except a few because I was premature to the digital game and didnt back up the computer, and it crashed. Now that a hater murdered him, all I have is memories and a frozen moment of his last birthday performance that he left us to remember him by! He was so fly that night, just gigglin and bustin all his hits. T.I.P. Dre! Lil Wayne - Wayne, the youngest Hot Boy! The swag he brings to the stage is straight RockStar. Hes got a great show. I was one of the select people that

got to catch a shot of him at a show, and boy, I waited! I wouldve been gone if it wasnt Wayne in the Bay. He shut the shit down. Hes made history not only for his first day record sales but for selling out the latest Wild Jam just two days after The Carter III hit stores. He rocked the house and ended his show by thanking his fans and telling them he is thankful for them, and its because of them that he can make his living. So beautiful! Waynes Carter III has not left my deck. Hes deep! If youre hating on Weezy, get a better hobby, or a better day job cause youve got too much time on your hands. West Coast End Zone issue #8, peep my shot!

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Tech N9ne - I knew his music, I knew his face from magazine ads, I knew his wrapped truck - well, thats a lot to know about this guy considering that DJs dont play his music like they should. Hes serious and promotes his projects, with or without radio. I happened to be in Vegas one year when he had a show at the New Orleans Casino with Busta Rhymes, DMX, and Mistah FAB. That was my first Tech N9ne show and it was so dope I talked about it a lot. See, Im still talkin about it! You have to see his show. Hes on point at all times during his set. Do you, Tech! Mistah FAB - I have so many stories about his growth, I could do a whole Top 0 list of him through my camera. Fab does the dopest freestyles at his shows! The real freestyles, not pre-styles. Fans get a real heart-felt show. I captured a picture of him at the Wild 94.9 Bomb concert with him facing the crowd of 0,000 with their Ts up for Mac Dre. David Banner - I recall my first David Banner show at the Tech.Nitions Conference in Vegas. He jumped off the stage and swung off the ceiling pipes into the crowd and just stayed there rockin, giving love to his fans. That was early in his career, so to see him rock at a show today, nothing has changed. Hes a wild man in the crowd, letting the fans that paid to see him remember him with no blurred vision! Banner keeps that humble side to him that has taken him to where he is today!

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CONTENTS
9 0  3 4  THE JACKA ROCCETT DPG MISTAH FAB JAY ROCK TOO $HORT

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 8 WILLY NORTHPOLE GLASSES MALONE

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I Am The Streets Street credibility is always important. Even though Im out here on the radio and doing my thing I dont forget where I came from. I know the dudes I looked up to might have rapped, but they were getting their paper in other ways. I just want the lil dudes lookin up to me to see a dude thats actually getting paid for this rap shit. Ive Been To Jail Anyone whos been there before can tell you its a good place to master your craft. It can be a good place for a rapper because youre around different kind of attitudes and different kind of people. Youve got a lot on your mind in there, so its a good place to really learn what to say. Im Independent Theres really nothing more that needs to be said. Im The Hardest Working Rapper In The Game Ive never had a record deal. I sell a lot more records then probably anyone with a deal, doing the same thing Im doing and Im killin em. Im A Cool Ass Dude When you meet me Im the same person with everybody. Im the same dude whether Im wit my grandma or wit the A&Rs. You know what I mean? Im A Handsome Ass Dude! Im definitely handsome enough to be one of the top artists in the world! I Have My Own Label I dont have to be signed as an artist. They gotta come at me with a distribution deal! Im The Underground Artist Of The Year Im the Bay Areas Underground Artist of the Year. I won an award for that. OZONE Magazine Ive been in there a million times. Thats one thing the industry knows me for, and thats always a big deal. Im Actually Dope Im not a gimmick. The only thing I use to sell records is the pure gift. A niggas fly when it comes to this music shit. A niggas raw, you know what Im saying? Thats why they All Over Me. Id bring swag to the whole staff, man!

Nominated for Patiently Waiting: California As told to Mz Jae

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Stop Wearing Shirts that Dont Fit You Where can you hide the burner at? Where you gonna put your burner if you got on a s/medium? If youre 00 pounds you shouldnt have no tight shirt on. Keep it G. Speak from Your Heart If youre gonna make music you need to speak what you know. Dont fabricate nothing you do. If you G about it, your music should speak for itself. Dont Kiss Ass You dont gotta kiss nobodys ass in the music industry. You can make friends but you dont gotta be an ass kisser. Be All About Your Money Hoes come later. Focus on Your Goals If you got a goal, make sure you meet that. Dont let no haters get in your way. Keep your focus and dont let nobody knock you off your block. Go out there and get it. Handle Your Business No Matter What If you got a problem with somebody you need to handle that. Dont keep ongoing beef. It leads to deaths. Never Associate with Snitches I dont care if its your brother, your cousin, your auntie, your mama its not allowed. Rep Your Hood to the Fullest It dont matter if youre from a small city or a big city. You can be the nigga to put your city on the map. Stay Away from Messy Bitches Messy bitches will have you caught up in some shit. Dont Discuss Your Business Over the Phone Doing too much talking to people about street business over the phone can get you a lot of time in jail, so use pay phones and do a lot of meetings but dont discuss your business over the phone.

Nominated for Patiently Waiting California As told to Ms. Rivercity

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Style Style in the form of our music, with the concepts we were delivering and the overall quality of the music. Now everybody uses bits and pieces of what we started in their raps. Creativity Were still here. Theres not much more to say. After all this time were still here. Originality In the 90s when N.W.A started, and when we started, we started that gangsta shit. Were veterans of all the stuff that was going down in that era and were still here. Swag Having a unique style, hanging with unique people, always being there, love moving, can adapt to anything thats going down. Production Weve produced classics like Ambitionz of a Ridah, I Aint Mad At Cha, and Got Your Mind Made Up. The Formula We changed the whole formula for selling records and making music. We brought uniqueness to the table. Dr. Dre, Warren G, and DPG, we changed the whole face of Hip Hop. Variety With us, we had everything in one. All our collaborations were done from the inside the camp. We had more variety as one. Evolution Everything evolved after us. We brought life back into Hip Hop. Record sales stepped up after us; we brought the million dollar record deals to the table. We brought Hip Hop to a whole new level. Organization and Inspiration We taught people how to do it. We were a part of the greatest organization in Hip Hop period. We taught people how to sell their records by their damn selves. After us The Firm, No Limit, and Bad Boy were all runnin their shit how we ran ours. Liberation We werent afraid to say anything. We fought for the people who werent afraid to speak their mind. Say what you say, express yourself. People from the establishment tried to shut that shit down. From the C. Delores Tuckers to the Rev. Al Sharptons, to everybody trying to put a hold on gangsta rap, we brought liberation to the table. We fought for the right to be able to say whatever you want. Now if you want to say nigga you say nigga, and if you want to say bitch you say bitch. We put the G in gangsta and brought the streets in the game.

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Nominated for Best Group West Coast As told to Mz Jae

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Girls I got to have some girls on the bus. I need Zaria from The Parent Hood. She was bad to me, she gotta be on the bus. Raven Simone, Id have to get with her and try and talk her out of a few dollars. Id need Oprah on the bus. We would sit up in the back and have a long talk. I would just have some important women on the bus. A.F.N.F My homies gotta be on the bus, and Ive gotta have my family on there. A.F.N.F. All family, no friends. Everybody thats in that circle knows who they are, no need to say any names. Kanye West I need Kanye on the bus, man. We gotta talk about how hes just choked the game, and hows hes one of the only artists that doesnt care what nobody says. I need to learn a few things from him. Kanye is the truth right now. Hes layin the foundation for artists like me. Im like the Bay Kanye: spoiled brat, cocky, arrogant, still hella cool, but dont give a fuck what anybody gotta say. The whole One West Movement All my rap homies that really get down with me. Glasses Malone, Ice Cube, Roccett, Husalah, when he get outta jail, Jay Rock, Turf Talk, Bishop Lamont, Beeda Weeda, The Jacka, Spider Loc, Snoop Dogg, Too $hort, Mack 0, they know who they are. All my cats trying to unite the west coast, not just Cali, but Oregon, Arizona, Nevada, Seattle, Alaska, they WHOLE west coast. Some Comedy We definitely gotta have some comedy on the bus. Someone like Mike Epps, or Katt Williams. I need another life of the party on the bus, so definitely one of them. My stylist His name is Garfield, but everybody calls him G. Field. He does it all, he styles, cuts hair, he does everything. Hes that go-to guy.

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My DJ Cant go nowhere without my DJ, Tito Bell a.k.a. Chello, right? Hes the real life of the party. OZONE Magazine I gotta have OZONE Mag on there! My Mama My mama gotta be on the bus because shes goin to keep it lit. Shes going to get us even more girls. Shes a girl magnet and shes goin to bring the purple. And when we need some food shes going to hook it up! Moms got to be on the bus! God I want God on the bus. Without God there is no direction. With a power and belief in him you can go anywhere. So I always want him riding with me. Thats a very important passenger on the bus.

Nominated for Best Rap Artist West Coast As told to Mz Jae // Photo by D-Ray

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Im a Real Blood Nigga If you dont buy my record Ima have to kill yo ass. Night Job I need you to buy my record so I can quit my night job jacking folks. Bitches Everybody needs to buy my record and make me famous, that way I can give it to all these bitches that wouldnt give me no pussy when I didnt have nothing. Hoe Ass Niggas Buy my record cause some of these other niggas records you be buyin is police, snitches, and just down right pussy ass niggas. Im In Debt I owe Top Dawg Entertainment and Warner Bros. about a half million dollars and if I dont re-coup Im in trouble. Nevermind Yall aint gotta go buy my record, fuck all yall! Nah, Im just bullshittin. Go out there and get my shit, cause my shit is the bomb! Fake Ass Jewelry Buy my record so I can stop robbin these fools that come in my town with this fake ass jewelry on. Its not turning a profit! I Keep It Real I spit that real, uncut, straight hood shit. All that other shit niggas is spittin is straight fairytales. Ima Real Hood Nigga Ima real hood nigga and feel all the same things that other real niggas from real hoods feel. Everything about me is real, aint no fake, aint no playin. I Fucks With Everybody Im spittin some shit that everybody can relate to. Im the first nigga to spit some real hood shit since Pac. Everybodys been trying to do it but theyve been putting out straight bullshit. My shit is real life situations that everybody feel and everybody can relate to. At least anyone whos been in the ghetto all their life. Nominated for Patiently Waiting: California As told to Mz Jae

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Theyre Repetitive The hottest artists of the year win at every award show, so they all look like reruns. Too Many Egos - Unimportant people all try to act like VIPs and keep saying things like, Dont you know who I am??? Theyre Too Long - The pre-shows and the post-shows are as long as the actual award shows. Its Just A Fashion Show - Everybody talks about what everybody else is wearing. The Afterparties Are More Fun - Theres nothing else to say. Overkill - There are just too many different award shows in one year. Theyre Expensive - The clothes, hotel rooms, and flights are not worth it just for somebody to say congratulations and give you a trophy. Lame Performances - I could just go to a real Beyonce concert if I wanted to see her perform. Kanye West Syndrome - Some people are too sensitive and get mad when their favorite artist doesnt win. Theyre Biased - I have five platinum albums, one double platinum album, four gold albums, and have never won shit!

Nominated for Best Rap Album West Coast Photo by Julia Beverly

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Pac I swear to God, that album was so close to me I thought Pac was from my hood. Everything he said on that album was me. How he came with Outlaw and Fuck the World and Me Against the World, and even with Can You Get Away, Pac made it cool to be romantic with a female. You have to respect that. He was saying real shit. My favorite song was So Many Tears. I lost so many homies and that song was just me all around. Out of all the albums on my list, thats the one that emotionally touched me the most.

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Lethal Injection Ice Cube Thats Cubes best album. I dont know if Cube was a Muslim at the time or what, but he had a chip on his shoulder with America and he wasnt afraid to say it. Every song on Lethal Injection was a story. Cube always had a talent for writing stories. He was the mastermind behind N.W.A. I respect Cube for what he stood for.
Nas You could mix both of these together. These albums had the same effect on me its just different generations of music. Nas was New York. He was so ahead of his time with Illmatic. That was Nas # album of all time. If you listened to it you knew Nas was gonna be a problem. I was a big fan of the whole Nas vs. Jay-Z thing, seeing who was gonna say what.

Life After Death Notorious B.I.G. I liked Ready to Die but Life After Death was my favorite. At the time when Ready to Die came out, I was really into the West coast music. I loved Biggie, his swag was crazy, but at the time I was just getting into New York music. Thats when I really started listening to Biggie. I went to jail when Life After Death came out. That was in 9. The whole reason I got into East Coast music was because the East Coast/West Coast beef was going on. The Blueprint Jay-Z That album speaks for itself. As far as Jay-Zs albums go, this was probably the only album where I liked every single song. People were sleeping on his last few albums before that, except for Hard Knock Life. I think The Blueprint was a classic. Thats when I was introduced to Kanye West and Just Blaze as producers. I think their style made producers step they game up. American Gangster Jay-Z That album just did something to me. Im a rapper and lyricist so I listen to lyrics. I think Jay-Z reached his peak with this album. He took his whole swag and put it on the album. Plus, American Gangster was an anticipated movie. I used to work out to this album when it first came out. It was something I used to listen to all the time. Dogg Food Tha Dogg Pound That was like the prime of my life, as far as being a knucklehead. Snoop is still the man, but back then, even if you were a Blood you were damn near cool with Crips just because of Snoop. He brought that whole new vibe. I really respected that whole movement. The Chronic Dr. Dre Dre came like a beast. He came with a whole new slang. I liked the whole swag and the new team. He had Daz, Rage, Kurupt, Snoop. Everything from top to bottom, from the beats to the flow, was the best. He had the best female emcee, the best duo Daz & Kurupt, the best solo artist Snoop Dogg, plus him. Of course, that was when the West coast was at its peak and had the game on lock, with the whole Death Row movement.
Honorable Mention: ATLiens Outkast

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Doggy Style Snoop Dogg This was hands down Snoops best album. It was a funny, well put together album, even with the cartoon album cover. It was something different. And who didnt want to be signed to Death Row at that time? Snoop could turn from a gangster to a pimp and people respected him. Snoop was ahead of his time. Even now with the Sexual Seduction and the wigs he puts on, Snoop is more than a rapper, hes an entertainer. Even with the pimp character he plays with the buck teeth and everything, Snoop is probably the only emcee that could pull that off and keep his street credit. Hes the best West Coast artist in my opinion. Straight Outta Compton N.W.A I think Eazy E was what DJ Quik was when he came into the game. His voice just stood out and the delivery was crazy. I know they used to shit on him and try to say that Cube wrote his lyrics. Regardless of how it came across, Easy was a star from his image to the way he lived. I remember they used to wear the leather gloves and I used to try to mimic them when I was 9 years old, with the workout gloves and flannels. Besides the songs, Eazy is what made me like the album. The whole N.W.A movement started the West Coast getting respect in my eyes. I think a lot of people from the South and East Coast were influenced by that, which was a good thing.

Nominated for Patiently Waiting: Arizona As told to Ms Rivercity // Photo by Hannibal Matthews

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 Arrests Deep and I Never Snitched Nobody wants to go to prison and deal with the consequences of their actions. For me, a lot of times I had money for attorneys. I was able to get my charges dropped. Im still going through a lot right now. The police harass me in my neighborhood and are like, We hear that youre the man around here. We hear you sell drugs. Im like, Yall crazy as fuck. I coulda been out here puttin niggas on with work. I coulda stayed out here if I was gonna do that. They swear that Im the man on some big dawg shit. Im From the West and I Made It Past  Years Old If youre from the Los Angeles area Watts, Compton, South Central, Englewood whether youre Blood or Crip, youre born into the conflict. Every day youre a target, no matter if you gangbang or not. Its all about affiliation, where youre from. Its a forever-going beef. Every day youre ducking and dodging bullets, trying to stay out of the morgue. I Actually Used to Lowride on Crenshaw Blvd. Its only been 3 successful rappers on major labels that lowride on Crenshaw. Mack 0 was the biggest rapper ever that used to lowride on Crenshaw. No other rappers, I dont care what they lie about in they raps, can say they ride. Mac 0 is the only rapper I remember seeing out there in 9-9 lowriding. With his career, he was still out there posted up lowriding. 9 times out of 0 theyd be out there shooting because its so many enemies out there. I do remember seeing Dub C. He wasnt into lowriding at that time, but he was out there. No other rappers were out there during 9-99. You gotta remember Im kinda young compared to other rappers. People remember me out there lowriding and still hit me up about it to this day. Million Dollar Deal Later and I Still Street Race Thats in my blood. Thats what I do. Ill never stop street racing. I dont care if I make 0 million dollars. I dont give a fuck what the police say. Its illegal as hell but thats what I do. Thats why I understand a lot of rappers. Everybody was on T.I. talking about hes got millions of dollars, whys he buying guns? He can buy guns; hes a real street nigga. Thats what he do. A real nigga gon be a real nigga. Its the same thing with me and street racing. Ima be me no matter what. Ive Performed in All 3 Projects in Watts Nickerson Gardens, Jordan Downs, and Imperial Courts. I done got down in all of em.

Once I Left Sony, I Had a Deal Within 0 Minutes At first I didnt think I was gonna get released from Sony cause of everything going on. But I talked to a dude named K.P. shout out to him cause he really did something special for my career and he was able to get me released. I was in Mack 0s office trying to get someone else a deal with Mack 0 when I got a call from K.P. telling me I was released. Mack 0 overheard me talking to K.P. and asked me how much money did I need. He called Bryan Turner in from Priority Records and we worked it out right there on the spot. I walked out with a deal. Im Signed to the # Baller Out West and Down South [Blu Division/ Hoo Bangin/Cash Money] Mack 0 is the biggest baller out West, hands down. He shines harder than anybody. He got the coldest car game. His crib is colder than most of these niggas out here rappin. And of course, Stunna Man in New Orleans. People know what his money looks like. I Push a Bentley Without Ever Releasing an Album Im a real street dude. I deal with ballers. They put me on how to get my whip. They threw me the keys to the Bentley, no questions. From then on, I can whip out a couple of old-schools, a new Silverado. Its ignorant. I Had the # Record in L.A. Talkin Ignorant as Hell on the Song If you heard Certified, I talked super shit on that song. I pulled my shit out in front of everybody like, Look Im the man out here. Fuck what everybody else is on. Enough niggas understood my record and was like, He a real nigga. This is the coldest record on Power 0 even with this nigga talkin all this crazy, outlandish shit. For the streets and radio to embrace it the way they did, I think that spoke a lot about my character. The Only Crip Who Can Do All Blood Shows I believe it has something to do with my faith in God. God wanted me to be able to put that on. Its not about street credibility. I dont care what I did in my past; people dont care about that. This is about God, and people possibly seeing past my rag and wanting to hear what I have to say. By the time Im done, most of the time people are like, This nigga is on some real life shit. It also has to do with me not believing in what I was born into. Im hood and Im a Crip, but I dont believe in that natural hate for Bloods. In Watts, its more about neighborhoods than Crips and Bloods. I dont believe in the system of Crips and Bloods. Being able to see past that has helped me be able to make the type of records I make, maybe some life-changing shit.

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Nominated for Patiently Waiting California As told to Ms Rivercity // Photo by D-Ray

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KEAK DA SNEAK surviving the times

Keak da Sneak has lived through both the Bays mid-90s hey day and the hyphy movement of two years ago, giving the title of his newest album Deified an even stronger meaning. OZONE caught up with the king of the super duper hyphy hyphy to get his thoughts on everything from Bay unity to bootleggers. Introduce yourself, for people who dont know who you are. Im from East Oakland, California, originally one-third of the group 3XKrazy. We had a major deal on Virgin Records back in 99. Im an entertainer and I have my own way of explaining stories which I spit out in the form of a rhyme. Im not a battle rapper. We got goons from the bay like Mistah FAB who hold that down for the rest of The Bay. I have many, many stories to tell if youre a slow listener. If you cant understand what Im saying you need to keep up. You are one of the few Bay Area artists to have a major deal. How did that come about? Man I know, its been a long time coming. In 99 I started with the group 3XKrazy and we signed a bad deal with Virgin records I was  years old and still going to school. We were featured on all of the Bay Areas major compilations and well as E-40s Hall of Game. We fucked with the major Bay Area hitters and we stayed at it. What have you been doing since then? 3XKrazy decided to go separate ways because we did bad business with Nootrybe/Virgin. We were not happy with the things that were going on around us. So I decided to go solo in 998. I breathe music so I couldnt just give up. Im not a quitter so I tried it on my own and it worked out. Every year since then I have been working on reinventing myself. I have had bad business partners make the wrong moves but Im still not a quitter. I got people in my ear that constantly feed me negativity and the people that I thought was with me was really against me. They were all in it for their own personal reasons, but Im still standing. I may have fumbled a few times, but Ima get right back up. Its all a learning experience. If you have the right people in your corner and around you its cool. When you have the wrong people its all bad. When you decide to do you, niggas be mad instead of being there for you. Im a good guy so I would never turn my back on my niggas. Im working on the Allndadoe album. Im trying to build something solid and then I want to work with the South on something real big. Im working on Bay Areas Best Kept Secrets ranging from R&B to Rap. Its hard to get a good fanbase and to get people to listen. I want to bring the best talent from

the Bay to the table. Its been a few years since your last album Copium. That was a classic. Yeah, it was it was one of my best albums by far. I just released Deified in June, it was a distribution deal with Allndadoe/Koch and I also put a lot into that album too. There were various albums released by prior management in between but this is my real 4th album. Hows everything going with Koch? Man, all I can say is, make sure you have your marketing team on hand. My publicist Hassana Chanelle walked with me on this and we did as much as we could. My album got pushed back for a year and it was frustrating. I couldnt just bust another move, I had to wait. If youre from New York its good, but if youre from The Bay, do all the footwork you can before hopping into a deal. How do you feel about the growth of your career? I feel good about it because I have a fan base. Ive been building something. Im not out here just having fun. Im really working. When people out of the area think hyphy, they really arent all informed correctly. Explain hyphy and the role you play in it. The word hyphy means showing off, having fun, giggin. Instead of our youth being focusing on killing and shooting we have fun. We dance and create our own atmosphere. Hyphy is a way of life for us. What do you think is the problem with the Bay? There doesnt seem to be much love in the game and youve got so many people burning albums. I feel like the Bay doesnt come together and help each other out. Other niggas are sticking together these days and arent worried about whos gonna be in the spotlight longer. Look at Khaled and what hes got going on; its all about unity. I just wish we could all come together, and the time to do it is now. The rap game need all of us, not just me. What people dont realize is that its getting hard for artists to sell if people keep burning stuff. Its ridiculous. Im still in the stores buying albums. I bought a few of Lil Waynes albums. When I catch muthafuckas burning shit on the street, I snatch all they shit up and throw the shit away. Our people as a whole should really know now is the best time for you to do something with your life. Burning CDs and DVDs aint no fucking career. // Words by D-Ray // Photo by Trevor Traynor

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