where we’re from, we just sat back and he shined out the hood on every verse. I know you’ve been shot eight times. How did that happen and how did you make it through that situation? It was just a lil street situation. I’m just happy a nigga still alive right now. That was back in the day. I’m alive, I’m well, I’m walkin’. It’s really nothin’ more on the street level. Right now I’m tryin’ to get more on the rap level and just keep this thang movin’. Was rapping always your plan to make it out of the streets? Is that how you’re looking at it? Naw. Really my plan for gettin’ out the street was whatever got the bigger check. It was all about the money. I ain’t never looked at it as I’ma go with rappin’ and try to get rich and live off the money rappin’. But by me sittin’ around in the spot with my boys, fuckin’ around with beats and shit, niggas was like, “Well, you need to fuck with that shit.” So I just gave it a try and it’s been hittin’ me ever since. It pulled me out the streets a lil bit. You’ve been doing a lot of shows around the country now, right? Yeah, I’ve been booked on the weekends. What kind of things are you seeing outside of Atlanta now that you’re on the road that are kinda new for you? Going to different markets, the expectations are really big for me. When I go do the show it be jammin’ like a fool in them states. It be crazy. I’m like, damn I really haven’t even touched these states way up top and in the Midwest, but when I get there it’s a different level. People really do consider you to be one of the next dudes. Has that hit you yet, that you’re on the brink of becoming a big artist? Ah man, I sure hope to be. I really hope to do good and give these folks Juiceman all the way. I try not to sugarcoat anythang. Do you want to stay more of like a hood, underground type artist? Or do you want to have crossover success? I mean, the hood, underground artist is tight or whatnot, but I plan on going super far to where folks come to me with movie scripts, and muthafuckin’ stupid endorsements, OJ da Juiceman shoes, stuff like that. How did you get the deal with Asylum? Well, they saw and heard about the buzz that was goin’ on in Atlanta that me and my team has been building for several years. The [“Make the Trap Say Aye”] song had got kinda big on the radio. Asylum came down and gave us probably one of the best, serious offers out of everybody else. Listening to all the labels, Asylum is some real standup people so far from what I’ve seen. I’m just happy they came to me and are tryin’ to put your boy in the store. Your album, The Otha Side of the Trap, is in stores now. Why did you go with that title? I went with that title to give these folks the meaning of the drug world and now I’m tryin’ to venture over into the rap world. It’s like being caught up in the drug world and tryin’ to make a dollar over into the rap world. It’s putting both sides together and giving ‘em my perspective of what the other side of the trap really means. What can the fans expect from the album? What do you have on there? They can expect some crazy shit. I’ve got several singles like “Cop a Chicken,” “Make the Trap Say Aye,” ”Nah Ming,” and “I’m Gettin Money.” I got them on there ‘cause the label loved those and the whole world hasn’t heard them yet. They’ve been on my mixtapes and shows and had a lil buzz. And I got probably about 7 or 8 new cuts on there. I got one song on there called “Washin Powder Money.” It’s gonna be a real big record when it drops to the world’s ears. It’s gonna be big like “Make the Trap Say Aye.” Is Zaytoven doing most of your beats? On this album, yeah Zay got a good handful, but my other producer Fatboi has a handful on there too. I have Speedy on there and Shawty Redd too.
Some people have been saying that Soulja Boy took your style and he’s biting your adlibs. Do you feel that way too? Nah, I can’t really say nothing about that. Not to speak on nobody’s name, but I just look at it as Juiceman set a trend. I set a trend with the “Aye, Ok” and people feel like whatever trend is hot at the time, they can depend on that train while it’s moving. I just learned to grind hard and do everythang myself and I never had a handout. I just respect the game. That’s how it go. That’s just like in the streets, if you catch somebody stealing, ain’t shit you can do about it but get another one. You’ve gotta move on. Is the adlib something you’ve been doing since you first started rapping? When did you put that into your rhymes? I wasn’t doing that when I first got into rapping. I got into it maybe in like ’03. That’s when I did the “Aye,” when I did the song with me, Courtney C and Gucci called “Street Smart.” We took off from there. What made you do it like that then? With the high pitched level? It was probably how my damn voice came out on the microphone. They were like, “Well, Juiceman that shit sound good as a fool, boy.” And I just ran with it from there. I read somewhere that your influences are N.W.A., Spice 1, and KRSOne. That’s who influenced you coming up? Yeah, the early 90’s and mid 90’s – everybody who was rappin’ at that time damn near. Everybody was one hunid then. Right now we’ve got a lot of sugarcoatin’ and salt shakin’ shit. I ain’t the person to speak on that, I’m just the one tryin’ to get in the game, feel me? If everyone else is sugarcoating things, what’s different about you? I try to keep it one hunid. The shit I say, 9 times out of 10, I’m doing it or I have done it. Everybody knows I’m a street artist, I’m not just Hip Hop or making music for the children or whatnot. All my music is on the street level. People that relate to my music have probably been through the same thang, are goin’ through the same thang, or are ‘bout to go through the same thang. How many mixtapes have you done already? I’ve got about 15 of them thangs if I ain’t mistaken. Do you have a personal favorite? Naw, not really ‘cause I don’t wanna leave nobody out. I like all of ‘em. Which one do you think had the biggest impact on the streets? I know the one you did with Drama and Holiday was a pretty good look to get your name out there some more. I’d probably say the first one that got me stupid was O.J. da Juiceman hosted by Dutty Laundry. When Gucci got locked up, did you feel like things were gonna slow down for you? Or did you feel like it was time for you to step up? I felt like it stayed neutral on my behalf. Gucci is Gucci, and Juice is Juice. I’ve got my own fans, he’s got his own fans. I felt like with him being locked up it was probably gon’ slow him down more than me. I’m gon’ keep movin’ ‘cause I’m still on the street. That’s just like being in the dope game. If you and your buddy are workin’ out of the [trap] house and he goes to jail, you’re still gon’ be movin’. Shit don’t stop. Have you been in contact with him since he’s been locked up? Yeah, he calls every now and then. He finna be out in a few minutes. “Make the Trap Say Aye” is all over the place now. Did you feel like that was gonna be the single to put you out there? Did you feel radio was gonna pick up on it, since it’s such a street record? Naw, not really. I thought they’d pick up on “I’m Gettin Money.” “Make the Trap Say Aye” has so much street language in there I didn’t think radio [would play it]. We did the song like a year and a half ago. When we first did it, it was kinda huge. People were loving it, but I guess we just had to sit on it for a while, then it got hotter and hotter. Is there anything else you’d like to say to our readers? I just need everybody to go pick up that album up. Everybody can log on to myspace.com/ojdajuiceman and listen to my music. I got videos on there. For the mixtapes in the streets they can go to datpiff.com and get all 15 of my mixtapes. //
OZONE MAG // 53