editor’s note
Publisher Julia Beverly Editor-In-Chief N. Ali Early Art Director Tene Gooden Music Editor Randy Roper ADVERTISING SALES Che Johnson Isiah Campbell Contributors D-Ray DJ BackSide DJ E-Z Cutt Eric Johnson Joey Colombo Shemp Toby Francis Wendy Day Street Reps Anthony Deavers, Bigg P-Wee, Dee1, Demolition Men, DJ Jam-X, DJ Juice, DJ K-Tone, DJ Quote, DJ Strong & DJ Warrior, John Costen, Juice, Kewan Lewis, Maroy, Rob J Official, Rob Reyes, Sherita Saulsberry, Sly Boogy, William Major COVER CREDITS Willy Northpole photo by Eric Johnson; Messy Marv photo by Shemp.
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THE WEST IS BACK…SIDE PHOTO GALLERIES HOW THE WEST WAS WON $HORT STORIES RELEASE THERAPY: YUKMOUTH PATIENTLY WAITING: J STALIN PATIENTLY WAITING: EASTWOOD PATIENTLY WAITING: NUMSKULL BANGIN’ 101: SPIDER LOC PSD, KEAK DA SNEAK, & MESSY MARV DOGG POUND WILLY NORTHPOLE DJ PROFILE: WARRIOR WEST COAST CD REVIEWS END ZONE
GAME RECOGNIZE GAME It’s funny how people call themselves wanting to “help out” or be a part of some shit. I mean, I don’t mind doing favors for my folkers, but it gets a little irritating after awhile. I can understand the guy who wants the world to see him based on the work he’s put in. I think we all want to be rewarded for what we do and how we do it. It just so happens that if you do it BIG in this industry you get all types of accolades, which include appearances and/or features in and/or with various media outlets. But it’s the dude who wants to be rewarded who hasn’t done anything that irks me. If you live in LA and nobody in Tacoma has heard of you, guess what? You’re local. That doesn’t mean you aren’t good and you don’t deserve to be featured (well, maybe it does). It just means that you haven’t yet arrived at the point where anyone is seeking you out. Given that scenario, I cram to understand how in the hell a no name rapper (who shall remain nameless because no one cares about his career anyway) who sells ads on the side approaches us wanting to know how he can get involved with the left coast portion of the mag. It makes all the sense in the world. An independent like you would want to be down with an established magazine that’s proven itself over the last five years in the game. The idea that we’ve come from nothing to the sole resource for Southern Hip Hop, and have now emerged as a winning example and inspiration for countless indie mags, emcees and otherwise, only suggests that we’ll follow that same blueprint for the Golden State. If it takes selling ads and a few hookups here and there, guess what? All that does for you is fatten your pockets and put you ahead of the game. So we give you the opportunity to prove yourself and you respond by telling me how you aren’t “interested in being an ad solicitor…” all because we don’t want to feature you?? “I don’t sell ads I create brands and connect them to cosumers (*Ed: he didn’t claim to be the best speller in the world)…” Yada, yada, yada. Get the fuck outta here and try and come correct next time pahtna. You have to be the most narcissistic, untalented rapper since Vanilla Ice. I went to your myspace page and your shit sucks. You gotta be a little off to think that we need you to make this pop. Don’t think we don’t already have street reps that are more than willing to help us out when need be. I’m talkin’ bout DJs,
photographers, sales guys, producers, radio, A&Rs, etc. It’s nothin’. And you! You could have been a pivotal part of that growing equation, but you chose otherwise. Shame, shame. Step ya game up pimper and holla at ya beezy if your “career” cracks off before you turn 40. Speaking of crack, I would be remiss not to mention the DMX meltdown, which Brazy the Kid covers in this month’s installment of “How the West Was Won” (pg. 6). I spent a few days last summer with dude (X) and all he did was smoke weed – well, that’s what I presume he was smoking. He insisted on being photographed in the heart of the desert in front of his two, count ‘em, two lowriders. And believe you me, they were his most prized possession the two days I was around him. He kept having one of his do-boys clean it every time we stopped at a gas station – probably to buy blunts for the weed that he says we talk about too much. He gloated over that ’64 and admired longingly as if he’d brought it into the world. What’s crazy is we did all of this in Phoenix, which is the West Coast – the place he attempted to dismiss with his careless words – the place he calls home for a good stretch of the year. So I called Willy Northpole, the subject of this month’s cover (“Strictly Business,” pg. 22) and asked him what he thought, seeing that he’s from Phoenix and this transplant is trashing his turf. “Ain’t that the crackhead from Menace II Society?” he asked. We both chuckled and he went on to defend his the whole coast as I knew he would. Maybe I’m the nut, but it’s ironic to hear that coming from someone who says he can’t “relate” to us, when he seems very much influenced by the lifestyle that we’ve shown him. Then again, DMX went on to tell me that about eight different people live inside him, so perhaps one of his ill-informed demons told him to speak before he thought that day. Go figure. At any rate, enjoy and know that the Lake Show will return to glory in the months to come. Peace 2 fingers.
N. Ali Early OZONE WEST Editor Ali.Early@ozonemag.com
All I need in this life of sin...
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