feedback I waited for your album Trill to come out and it finally did. I snatched a copy the first day it came out. Finally, the wait was over. That’s when I became disappointed. One thing I always admired about UGK was your authenticity. I never felt like you intentionally made songs for the mainstream. You just made music from the heart. But you clearly went away from that principle by making song with Trey Songz and the Ying Yang Twins. No disrespect to them, but all collabos aren’t good collabos. And that brings me to my second point. I wanted to hear an album from Bun B, not a compilation album. I wanted to hear you in your own zone, but I couldn’t because there were just too many damn features. I understand showing love, but you showed a little too much. My third complaint is that you had too many producers. Back in the day, each click had a producer or a certain sound. Nowadays, dudes be havin’ a different producer for every song. in my opinion, this is why a lot of albums today aren’t any good. They lack consistency and the entire project doesn’t flow or have rhythm. I’ll give you a pass on this one because your brother Pimp C (welcome back) was locked down. But my final criticism hurts me the most to say. I feel that you slacked off in the lyrical department. What happened? This is not the same rapper that wrote such lyrical gems as “so clever shine / like diamond grapes on leather vines” or “We fuck your game up like Larry Brown” or the infamous line that Jay-Z jacked you for. You know the one I’m talking about. When you said “Your men of war turned into pussies and men-o-pause” it took me a few listens to catch it. But it seems the emcee has disappeared. What happened to the master of wordplay from “Murder,” “P.A. Nigga,” “Wood Wheel,” “Ball and Bun,” “They Down With Us,” “Hi-Life,” and “Every Single Day”? What happened to the legendary storyteller from “Diamonds and Wood,” “It’s Alright,” and “Feds In Town”? Once, there was an emcee who I felt would make a timeless hip-hop classic. With Pimp finally home to provide you wit the proper musical backdrop, I just hope the emcee is still there and ready to show the world his genius. – One Black, blackone80@yahoo.com (Cleveland, OH)
*
Charlamagne the God is a great addition to the mag. His column is sheer craziness. I also agreed with y’all’s greatest Southern albums list, especially ATLiens, which is definitely my favorite Outkast album – although Aquemini ain’t too far behind. I remember witnessing Eightball & MJG getting booed at The Warehouse in 1993 during Jack the Rapper. Nobody in the club at the time was trying to hear them and to see the frustration on MJG’s face is a classic moment that I’ll never forget. It’s interesting how two years later, everything changed. Another interesting moment was when Mystikal was still an unknown (at least in Atlanta, anyway). In 1995 there was a Jive Records concert featuring damn near everyone on the label (Too $hort, Souls of Mischief, Tribe Called Quest, and KRS-One was the headliner). The majority of the “East coast” crowd was already booing Mystikal but they really booed the shit out of him when he went into his “bad like Michael” segment. A year or so later “Here I Go” was the record that you just had to play. – Jaycee, captainscissors@tmail.com (Atlanta, GA)
Hey Julia, I noticed that in your latest 2 Cents where you talked *about starting a mag, you seemed a little leery about “giving up the
goods.” Trust me when I say that you have nothing to worry about! But somehow, I have a feeling you already know that. I have to laugh every time I see a new mag/paper/rag/website com out and I can instantly tell it’s some moron that got ahold of a PC and thought it was gonna be easy. Sure enough, within a few issues, poof! Gone! I also like these local pubs from places like Tampa/Jax/wherever that think they’re going to “expand their market” and invade Orlando. Do these fuckbrains ever stop for a nano-second to think about how they’re going to cover the scene, distribute or pick up advertisers outside of their home base? Again, within a few issues, poof! Gone! This doesn’t include a national or regional pub, but you get the point. As for your haters, fuck them! They shouldn’t hate what they’ll never have the balls to be (for lack of a better term - not sure what the female equivalent of “balls” is). In one of your early Pitbull interviews, Pit hit the nail on the head by saying, “If you don’t have haters, you ain’t doin’ something right.” That reminds me: I also like Roland Powell’s little column “10 Things I’m Hatin’ On.” Keep up the good work! - David Himes, connectionsmag@bellsouth.net (Orlando, FL)
wanted you to know that I’m standing in a Tower Records *justJust outside of Boston, MA, and they’re proudly displaying the latest issue of OZONE with Trick Dddy on the cover. Congrats on national distribution! - Lyall Storandt, ls24@tmail.com
is one of the most resourceful entertainment magazines *I’veOZONE ever read, and believe me, I am a bookworm. I like the networking aspect (emails and phone numbers are very important in this business). Keep up the good work! - NJ Gilbert, namong@gmail.com (Opa-Locka, FL)
I recently picked up the new issue of OZONE at Borders here in *Cincinnati, OH. I was truly blown away. For one, your interviews have
*
substance. You can tell this magazine is about indie artists and major artists and not just bombarding us with half naked women. Don’t get me wrong, I love women, but I don’t think that should be the focus of a rap magazine. Everything has its place. I’m really feeling the interview with Trick Daddy and how he’s teaching his crew the Dunk Ryders how to grind. No advances, just hard work. With the right magazine, I feel indie artists can truly get their grind on. OZONE is striclty for the music. XXL Mag is picking up where the Source left off, and if you ask me I think Interscope is paying them good. Every issue is an Interscope artist but hey, hate the game not the player. Should I hate those controlling the game? Nah, we just switch it up and pray for the best. - Paul “Grizz” Reese, grizzent@aol.com (Cincinnati, OH)
*
I just read your June 2006 issue. I liked the idea of having the 20 Essential Southern Albums, and I especially like the fact that you included DJ Screw’s 3 N The Mornin’. But when I read Matt Sonzala’s description at the end it says, “Sadly, DJ Screw passed away in November of 1996.” What the hell is that? He died on November 16th, 2000! Do your damn job and at least get that right. You are trying to give homage to the man and you don’t even get the year of his death right? Pretty disrespectful; what a joke! I hope I’m not the only one who notices and comments on that. R.I.P. Screw, Fat Pat, Hawk, big Mello, and Big Steve. - Xray1084@aol.com
JB, I just read your article about how to start your own magazine. Good piece. I wish every artist could read that so they could have a better understanding of how the magazine business works. It’s very humble of you not to have a know-it-all attitude, which I have to admit that I have heard you have. I did not get that impression from you at all after readying your article. I know there are three sides to every story. I see that you have managed to keep the magazine going for a while now, and I have to commend you on that. Looks like you have a come a long way and are continuing to grow. Congratulations to you, and your success with OZONE. – Kiara, kiara@streetfameonline.com JB, I just finished reading the March ’06 issue (first time buying a copy) and I was very impressed, but I got to admit I was not familiar with you until “that dude from Boston” called you out. The last thing in the magazine I read was your editorial and I really felt your honesty and point of view. By you being a white female that publishes a hiphop magazine (on the verge of greatness) I’m sure you had/have your doubters, but apparently you have proven them all wrong. I am definitely one of the 95% that you alluded to in your editorial that has never had a conversation with you, but the fact that ATLiens is one of your favorite albums (and mine too) is all I needed to know before I ordered a subscription (the check/money order is in the mail). Your editorial brought something out of me. Because of your “600 little words,” I do 14
feel like I know you a little more. Keep up the good work and don’t worry about that one piece of hate mail. I guess nowadays “that dude from Boston” has too much time on his hands. - K. Arnold, khype1@hotmail.com (Birmingham, AL)
OZONE
*
Editor responds: You’re right; thanks for pointing out the typo. We apologize for the incorrect information. Correction: In the May issue, photo #2 on page 35 and photo #3 on page 27 should have been credited to Hurricane. Hate it? Love it? Send your comments to feedback@ozonemag.com OZONE reserves the right to edit comments for clarity or length.