JB’s 2cents S
ince childhood, I’ve always been an avid reader. Even today, in the midst of the 24/7 news cycle where a million bits of information are all vying for my attention throughout the course of the day and threatening to destroy my focus, I try to occasionally take the time to set aside all the distractions. Next time you’re lounging on the couch and the millionth rerun of your favorite reality show comes on VH1 or MTV, turn it off and become absorbed in a good book instead. You’ll be surprised.
10THINGS I’M HATIN’ON by Audra
1. Mohawks Unless you live on a reservation with no running water, got a liquor store on every cliff, and have two names, like Bear Tracks or Soaring Eagle, this should not be your style of choice.
Me & TJ’s DJ’s at the BET Hip Hop Awards
2. Artists TURNED REALITY STARS I’m tired of seeing all these ex music-icons get reality shows. If we don’t wanna hear you in our disc changers, we don’t want to see you on TV either. 3. Chicks with Shaved Heads Cassie has every female thinking she can shave the side of her head. You have to be a one hit wonder and have a Hip Hop Mogul on your arm to pull off this look.
Kisha, Tasha, me, & Necole Bitchie w/ Too $hort in ATL
5. Holy Text Messages If I ignore your call/text, don’t try to send me a forwarded text talking ‘bout “If you believe in God you will send this back to me and 9 other people,” just so you can see I’m near my phone.
FREDDYO
4. White Socks with Black Shoes Socks come in color options for a reason.
Me @ the Hip Hop Divas Award Show with Ludacris
6. People Hatin’ on Female Rappers When there is one female rapper out, people think adding another one in the game would be too much. But there’s 657,000,000 male rappers and no one rings the alarm. A Ray J sandwich w/ Necole Bitchie & me, lol
8. Multiple Personalities How are you happy in your status on Facebook but tweeting 60mph mad? 9. Leggings Leggings used to be used for ‘Get-up-andgo,” but now they’re used for “Get-Up-AndHOE!” I’ve seen them worn from clubs to weddings. I forgot what was worn before them. Wasn’t it called something like jeans? 10. Balloon Boy Little Falcon’s family knew what they were doing when they called CNN talking about he drifted off in a balloon. This publicity stunt just set him up for a multi-platinum rap album and a reality show.
Before OZONE, I spent a lot of time working for other people because I was afraid. I knew I had talent but I didn’t know how to translate those talents into a paycheck. I was scared to start my own company because I didn’t think I’d be able to pay the bills. When I started working under a graphic designer named Mert in Orlando, who had a local magazine, the thing that struck me was that he had no fear when dealing with clients. They’d ask for a price and he’d spit out a number. No fear. What’s the worst that could happen? They’d leave and he’d move on to the next client. I watched and learned. We all miss out on so many opportunities because we’re scared. Being bold doesn’t mean being stupid or risky. It just means overcoming your fear and taking that first calculated step. You can’t physically take on every project. We all have limited amounts of time and energy and you have to choose the wisest path and the most economical way to be as productive as possible. Like many people, I have no problem finishing or completing a project. It’s starting that’s the problem. I make lists of things I want to do and projects I want to work on but there are always doubts or fears in the back of your mind. Hell, even writing this editorial is a chore - what if my words aren’t captivating enough, I wonder? Fear was the underlying word for 2009. After the banks took a nose-dive in late 2008, despite Obama’s promise of hope and change, a lot of us worldwide still harbored fear, and it showed. Even though the economic crisis was real, attitude can make a big difference. Your mindset (and how hard you’re willing to work) affects your finances in a very real way. As the song goes, you might not always get what you want, but if you try sometimes, you get what you need. Despite all that *fear* lingering in the air, miraculously, we all made it through the year and are still here alive and kickin’. What does that tell you? As we approached 2010 I made a comment on Twitter that it’s time for everyone to stop using the recession as an excuse. One person responded that only someone with no financial problems would say that, but that’s a false perception. It’s all a circle and no one is exempt. If record labels, promoters, artists, DJs, and the streets are hurting, I’m hurting. If we all keep a positive outlook and keep moving forward, we’ll all be able to keep moving forward. The whole concept of momentum intrigues me. I’m training for a marathon and one interesting thing I’ve noticed while running is that the best way to stay motivated when your body is begging you to stop is to run faster. Step it up. If you’re getting discouraged with lack of results in your life, the solution isn’t to go home and mope and watch TV and sleep. The solution is to push yourself harder in all aspects, and the inevitable results will encourage you. Do, or do not. There is no try. ;)
FREDDYO
7. Predictable DJs I should not be in the club and know what song the DJ is gonna play next before they do.
Lately it seems like everything I read focused on one word: fear. Even looking at those four letters in print kinda grips you, doesn’t it? All the way from 50 Cent’s 50th Law (an updated version of Robert Greene’s classic 48 Laws of Power with more modern-day examples) to the daily motivational Scripture email blasts Ric Ross at Capitol Records sends out (a welcome change from the usual bullshit that pops up in my inbox every morning), everything my mind digested lately kept coming back to that same word. Fear. Fear and overcoming the crippling effect it can have on our lives and our growth, both personally and professionally.
Me, Aiyisha from DTP, and Jasmin from Global Grind @ Hip Hop Divas Award Show
- Julia Beverly, jb@ozonemag.com
Lil Wayne f/ Gucci Mane “We Steady Mobbin’” Lil Wayne f/ Drake “My Darlin’ Baby” Big Boi f/ Gucci Mane “Shine Blockas” Clipse f/ Cam’ron & Pharrell “Popular Demand (Popeyes)” USDA f/ Young Jeezy “Bag Music” Gucci Mane f/ Drake & Sean Garrett “In My Business” Pitbull “Hotel Room Service” Dave Flyer f/ RE “Her Music”
RE’Splaylist
randy.roper@ozonemag.com Wale f/ Rihanna “Contemplate” WarrenJae f/ Playboy Tre “Sleep” Mike Posner “Drug Dealer Girl” Mr. Hudson “Instant Message”
OZONE MAG // 13