Ozone Magazine

SOLDIERS OF LOVE
This article appears in the newest issue of OZONE Mag featuring Trae tha Truth & Birdman on the covers.
Words by Julia Beverly
Photos by Erick Anderson & Julia Beverly

Paul Wall and DJ Smallz accepted their mission with pride: boost morale amongst American troops deployed in Afghanistan. OZONE tagged along for an unforgettable ride through the war-weary Middle East.

Wait.

Where am I?

Seven days in, the thought finally hits me. This is crazy. How did I end up here? I’m weighted down by military-issue body armor, hovering several thousand feet above ground in decidedly unfriendly skies. Mere inches from my left shoulder, a gaping hole where the door should be (photo at left) allows a bird’s eye view of the dry desert and the scenic mountainside of Afghanistan quickly falling away beneath the chopper.

A handful of us are on board the helicopter, including Houston rapper Paul Wall and Florida representative DJ Smallz, but I appear to be the only one suddenly smitten with panic. A four-pronged seatbelt strapped over my bulletproof vest seems to be the only thing separating me from sudden death-by-gravity, as I cling tightly to my cameras and gear with both hands. And a tall, heavily-armed soldier named John Tuerck, strapped in facing me and intently eyeing the ground through the scope of his assault rifle, appears to be the only thing separating me from mid-air death-by-Taliban.

(more…)

I’m a little late posting these, but Playaz Circle recently filmed the video for their record “Big Dawg” featuring Lil Wayne & Birdman in Atlanta. CLICK HERE to view the complete photo gallery.

In case you missed it, the Playaz Circle cover of OZONE is in stores now and Birdman’s cover is coming soon.

Somewhere during his busy schedule photographing his own groupie menage-a-trois, Bobby V found time to stop by Nas’ party at Sobe Live in Miami this past Super Bowl weekend. CLICK HERE to check out the photo gallery by OZONE photographer Terrence Tyson.

Snoop Dogg
Malice In Wonderland 
Priority
Though Snoop Dogg has become more known as a character and celebrity in recent years, the man still knows how to make dope music. Recreating himself once again, Snoop blends in with just about every beat thrown at him. Although this album features more cameos than Snoop albums of the past, he still remains the star. – Maurice G. Garland

(more…)

You’ve got a couple videos circulating now on the internet and MTV Jams. Is the video with Dorrough the main one you’re pushing right now? Or is the Bobby Valentino song the newest?
The one with Dorrough is the newest video I’m pushin’. It just got added to MTV Jams and hopefully to BET soon. This is my third or fourth video on MTV Jams. I still work with a lot of Bay Area artists but single-wise, I’ve been working with southern artists because I’m trying to get that nationwide look. My records are getting a better, different look with Southern artists. I’m basically trying to take my sound beyond the Bay Area. I think the whole hyphy sound has kinda died down. I think artists are doing them right now and creating their own sound. When you had the hyphy movement it seemed like everybody was doing the same thing, but now everybody is developing their own lane. The Bay Area sound has always been universal.

(more…)

Gangsta rap is dead! At least that’s what Hip Hop’s reclusive legion of Facebook bangers, Twitter hipsters and blog’d out skinny jean b-boys would have us believe.

And, on some level, they do have a valid argument. With the global economy tilted like your local pool hall’s pinball machine and Cali penitentiaries hella crowded like public housing, things just ain’t the same for gangstas. Consequently, it’s back to bangin’ for way too real estate and slangin’ rocks for rims in a dope spot nowhere near you. (more…)

As the West Coast continues trying to find a new identity that isn’t somehow connected to the extended N.W.A family tree, Warren G finds himself trying to slide back in. Although he’s been active, a lot of people aren’t aware of his new projects. With The G Files (his second independent album since 2005) out right now, Warren is faced with several choices: rapper or producer, independent or major. But if there’s one thing that isn’t up for debate, iT’s his loyalty to the west coast and good music. Ozone caught up with Warren to get his thoughtS on the new direction he’s taking his career, the state of West Coast Hip Hop, and why people forget that he helped save Def Jam in the 90s.

(more…)

California has had its share of dance movements over the last few years. First, there was Krump in Los Angeles. Shortly after that, Hyphy exploded out of the Bay Area. Now, a new Hip Hop dance frenzy has emerged out of L.A. called the Jerk. At the forefront of this new movement is Audio Push, a rap duo consisting of 20-year-old Oktane and 19-year-old Pricetag.

(more…)

Shawn Chrystopher’s tale is far from the typical rap story. While many rappers glorify stories of crime, Chrystopher’s chronicle is the exact opposite. “I was always the kid on the honor roll, so when I told people I was rapping, they’d be like, ‘What?!?’ I could never go to the hood niggas and get beats,” laughs the rookie rapper/producer.

(more…)

“Your Wifey’s Favorite DJ” may be a cocky nickname, but DJ Ill Will is living up to it. Dropping over 60 mixtapes, most notably ones with female favorites like Drake, Trey Songz and Tyga, Will is definitely carving a niche out for himself in the heavily-populated DJ game.

Originally an aspiring baseball player, the South Bend, Indiana native moved to Los Angeles after graduating from Ball State University. Making ends meet as a bartender, he wound up getting a shot at DJing when his venue’s in-house DJ quit. Since then he has evolved into a mixtape DJ responsible for breaking records like Jeremih “Birthday Sex” and Jay Rock “All My Life” featuring Lil Wayne.

(more…)

It was a wild night cuddy! You missed out! (in my Mac Dre voice) Really, it was more like three nights. Let’s start with how I ended my hear in 2009 with Snoop Dogg. Snoop and his West Coast family DJ Quik, Nipsey Hussle, and the Hustle Boyz hit the Nokia Theater in Los Angeles, CA, and the name of the tour was When the West Was One. So you know I had to be in the building, and oooohhweeee, was that a show! DaeOne thanks for the ride!

(more…)

Birdman/Pricele$$
Cash Money
Cash Money’s HNIC, Birdman, reached that point again where he got bored sitting in the office counting money and the result of this boredom is another Birdman album. But, naturally, Priceless is a Cash Money family affair, with Lil Wayne and Drake doing the heavy lifting and Bird adding his two cents. While this album isn’t full of hits, “Money to Blow” and “More Milli” are among a few gems that make this an album worth turning up with the top down. – Rohit Loomba

(more…)