in jail. I hooked up with Scoot and we decided it would be a good marketing plan to push the magazine and our new group called Dem Hoodstarz. Scoot, why did you part ways with Totally Insane? Scoot: Totally Insane was from the era when the Bay Area was hot back in the 90s. They was our big homies. Me and Band-Aide used to get money in front of they house. I had deals on the table but I couldn’t get out the streets long enough to put something on wax. I almost signed to Rap-A-Lot. I almost signed to a host of different labels but I chose street life, which I shouldn’t have. So Totally Insane put me on for one album ‘cause they was my niggas, but people started going to jail. My homie Al Capone and Mack 10 had to go do a stretch in the yard. That’s the reason that group disbanded. I did a little bit of time as a youngster, but fortunately I was able to stay out of jail and do my thang. How did y’all start making a name for yourself as a new group? Band-Aide: We startied doing mixtapes, pushing ‘em out here in Northern Cali and we started getting a real buzz. We had a song on the radio called “Grown Man On” about a year and a half ago that got pretty big. Our music was played on The Rob & Big Show on MTV. It was also on King of Queens. We toured with Too Short for like 8 months and we’re currently on tour with 40. We sponsored the tour we’re doing with 40 out of our own pocket. We’re using that as promotion. It’s a good way for us to get down with his fans and let them see what we got to offer.
What else are you doing to promote the new Black Friday album? Band-Aide: We did about four or five videos for the album which is dropping on 4/20. We did videos for “Rock Like This,” “If That Ain’t Gangsta,” and “Code of the Streets.” People can see those on YouTube, Myspace, or WorldStarHipHop.com. We’re doing a series of mixtapes called Cheech & Chong. We released one about 8 months ago and we’ll release another one before the album comes out. We do a show once or twice a week in a variety of places. What are some of the things you did on the mixtape that aren’t on the album? Scoot: On a mixtape you can get grimy and do what you wanna do. We don’t really gotta focus on the production of an album, we can just go in and bust, like an old-school rapper, we can just go in and take off like we want to, you feel me? The mixtape is called Band-Aide & Scoo a.k.a. Cheech & Chong. We’re like the black Cheech and Chong. And 4/20 is our holiday, it’s like our off day. So Juelz Santana has a video on the internet challenging people to a smoke-off. Could y’all get down with him on that? Scoot: I’ma tell you like this, we been challenging niggas for two years and ain’t got a taker yet. Juelz and them might smoke, but I’m from the Bay Area. Ain’t nobody’s weed like our weed. Niggas can’t smoke more than me and Band-Aide, not with this weed we’re smoking here in Cali. We’re blowing kush out here, purple, grape shit, real shit out here. We ain’t with that fugazi shit. As far as a weed challenge, the only niggas that I feel could smoke with us is Yukmouth, or the Jacka. OZONE MAG // 29