I
’
WORDS BY Regi Mentle // PHOTO BY KING BIZZY
know you had a lot of attention come your way due to some drama that took place on the set of a Spider Loc video in Cedar Block hood. To keep it all the way real and one hunned, Game introduced me to Spider a few years back as a friend of his. When him and Spider clashed for whatever reason I made sure Spider knew I had my brothers back 100% and from there lines were drawn. Fast forward - The Game goes Glendale on me and my day one niggas who were his backbone, and Fase100 is left to figure it out or start from scratch, so to speak. The Ain’t No Game DVD tells that story in full, so cop that. One of my day one niggas named G-Ride lost his Father and was left with the burden of putting his dad to rest. The Game didn’t come to his rescue in a time of need but Spider of all people heard about it and came to Brazil Street solo and dropped a donation on him. Were good from that point. Fast forward - Spider asked me to get flamed up in all red to be in his video. I thought it would be a good look so I agreed. The shoot went good and just before it wrapped up, this guy from my hood shows up on the corner loud talkin on his phone. As Spider backed off the block nothing was said to him. The guy came up right after Spider left, trying to tell me who I could and couldn’t have on my street. As soon as he got close enough he took a swing and connected, all to my surprise. I got up and thought about retaliation in the worst way but I kept my sanity and shook it off. Dude’s life was in no way worth mine so I let him live. Then a day later I found out it was all on tape and aired on YouTube. Wow! It’s been said that the whole Game/Fase situation has really torn your neighborhood apart. Some could guess that the root of all that funk is money. Obviously there is more to that, but do you wish you could rewind time and give up the spotlight to have the hood the same as it used to be? Are the opportunities that have become available worth it in the grand scheme of things? I accept whatever God puts in front of me, man. Everything is written, so I’m just livin’ it. That dude on YouTube and the other ones that run behind my lil’ brother need they ass whooped. They don’t know him at all, they just know it’s possibly a couple hunned dollars to make, if that, standin’ around lookin’ tough. Me and Mr. YouTube had a few arguments about how he suckin’ my lil’ brother dick before the one that the internet world saw. Old ass loser ain’t no go getta. They been hatin on Fase in the hood just for being a man! I take it and smile. What is the history of Cedar Block? You have two Piru neighborhoods right by you that we hear a lot about: Fruit Town and Tree Top, but not much about the Cedars. Fruit Town is a hood that has always been big in numbers because it’s a big neighborhood land-wise. And Tree Top got its popularity with DJ Quik just as Cedar Block did with The Game and BigFase100. But Cedar Block was always here just like the rest of ’em. Started by OGs like Gangsta Blood, Big Hen, McKinley, LP & Mad Man Rodney, Cedar Block didn’t allow walk ons, you had to really be from this hood. I was ground rooted from the time my grandpa arrived in the 50s; been here since birth. Growing up in Compton, did you feel like you were in a world of your own seperated from Inglewood, Watts, South Central, Gardena, Long Beach, etc? A lot of outsiders don’t understand that these are all separate areas and like to just consider it Los Angeles. Did you stick to your block or were you all over growing up? I’m a Compton nigga, dawg, through and through. I stayed in my own circle mostly but I’m proud of the fact that I was part of that era where niggas could kick it in other Piru/Blood hoods with no drama. Them was the days. Now it’s any and everybody’s a killer. What do you think of the gangbanging craze that has stretched to cities on the East Coast? It seems like a lot of people think that a rapper from L.A. fucking with a rapper from N.Y. who is involved with gang shit over there means they are cosigning that shit. It’s flattering but young dudes out here don’t even know the code or the rules anymore so I don’t think they got the right understanding in other states. It’s all twisted up now anyway, its just self-segregation now and maybe has always been. Anything you’d like to say about the future of Brazil Street Records? Grab that DVD when it drops! Ain’t No Game. Brazil Street Records baby, I’m sittin’ on a gold mine. My young Compton duo The Lost Soulz got next! Then my lil’ sis B Fly, That Bitch! I’m going to stay grindin’ so keep hatin’, it’s fuel! //
OZONE WEST // 13